Frontiers Unexplored

22) Built of Starlight

Night came and went, and Tomoki found that he greatly appreciated the sleep that he was able to receive. The group extended their stay on the beachside for a while longer, and he was beyond relieved for such. He didn't realize how much he needed the rest until after he was roused from sleep the following morning. Tomoki sat upright and stretched his arms as high above his head as he could, welcoming the gentle pull on his muscles. 

The events of the day before hit him rather quickly, but he didn't mind it as much as he would have expected. Tomoki pushed himself to his feet with a small smile, taking in a deep breath before releasing it soon afterwards. The day before had been incredibly difficult, but he felt as if everything was going to be okay in spite of this. 

Izumi was back with the rest of the team, and they had found another Beast Spirit. Both Chihiro and Izumi had full dominion over their Beast Spirits as well, and they were getting closer to figuring out how to defeat Fioremon once and for all. Since everyone was refreshed once more, the time had come for the group to set out once again towards Rose Morning Star. Traveling brought with it many challenges between the long hours of walking and general exhaustion, but Tomoki felt as if he could handle it. Nothing could stand up to him or the rest of the team in his moment of perfect confidence. 

Tomoki hadn't felt this optimistic in quite some time, and he knew it was because the rest of the group was with him. He had gotten so used to being alone and dealing with his problems without the help of others, and finally having a support system that he could rely on filled his chest with a warm feeling he could only describe as hope. Takuya's positive words echoed in Tomoki's head, and he knew that they were going to find a way to win this battle. 

After years of grappling with Yutaka's horrible behavior, Tomoki had started to lose hope in his life. He spent most of his time afraid, and panic was a constant cloud that trailed behind him no matter where he went. The rest of the team was the sun by comparison, casting light to dispel the heavy storm that Tomoki had grown used to living in. For the first time in years, he thought that he was happy without any strings present to hold him back. 

Tomoki glanced around the room with a light smile. Koji was already gone, and the other bed in the room had been neatly made for the next guest. Tomoki decided to follow Koji's example, and he immediately got to work with cleaning up the space. He pulled the blankets back into place, and he found himself humming before he could even think of stopping. Even if the future was uncertain, he had found a way to be positive, and that was far more of an accomplishment for him than anyone could ever hope to understand. 

When Tomoki walked out into the main area, he found the rest of the group spread out. Junpei was sitting on the couch and staring at his D-Tector. Izumi was stretching near him, and Neemon watched her with silent, subdued fascination. Bokomon was on the couch as well, flicking through his book with a light frown on his face. Koji was packing together the food that they wouldn't be needing for breakfast, and Takuya and Chihiro had started sorting through it, providing an adequate amount for each member of the party. Koji shut their bag of supplies before placing it on the floor and letting out a small sigh. 

"Morning, sleepyhead," Izumi smiled to Tomoki as she leaned down. When she rose to her full height once again, she began rotating her shoulders and working the muscles in her neck. The grin on her face was captivating, and Tomoki didn't think that he had ever seen her looking so happy. It seemed that he wasn't the only one being influenced by the aura of general joy provided by the previous day. 

"I'm glad you're up," Takuya said with a smile. "We're getting ready to sit down and eat, so you came in at the perfect time. None of us wanted to wake you up, so I'm glad that you were able to drag yourself out of bed on your own." He let out a small chuckle before gesturing to the nearby table.