Date started: November 17, 2004
Date Finished: December 19, 2004
Revised: December 13, 2008

Summary: In the aftermath of Diablomon's attack, Hikari arrives home for some troubling news.

Secluded

Yagami Hikari stood just outside her apartment door. It was late March, the month-long spring break just before the start of the new school year, and she was arriving home far too earlier than she had wanted. Today had been the birthday party of one of her best friends, and she had spent a wonderful time there – save for the constant rude interruptions from her brother. She let out a brief sigh while she fiddled in her pockets for the apartment key. She was on her way to becoming a very responsible third-grader; her parents had noticed so after the events of the prior summer, and as such they now trusted her with her own set of house keys.

"I wonder what Taichi needed me for," Hikari wondered aloud as she unclasped her key, and opened the door. She could see nobody inside; just silence.

"Mom? Dad? Is anyone home?" she called out.

Her brother appeared on the doorframe of their room. Koushiro was right behind him. Neither of them looked too pleased; Taichi even less so than Koushiro.

"Welcome back," her brother commented, "It's about time you got here."

"Hello, Koushiro-san," Hikari smiled politely before proceeding to question their stares, "What happened that was so urgent? And where's mom?"

Taichi said, "Our microwave glitched. Mom said it almost exploded so she went to toss it out in the trash. It shouldn't take long."

She moved to put away her coat, and then moved towards them. Her brother continued, "Hikari, why didn't you come earlier?"

"Taichi-san…" Koushiro began, but Taichi waved him off.

"Well I couldn't just leave the party. Oh, we had so much fun. There was cake, and milkshakes, and we played kimodameshi with Nana-chan's father, and…"

Taichi bit his lip to keep himself quiet; but the battle with Diablomon wouldn't dare to leave his memory. The image of WarGreymon floating about and barely alive was buried deep in his thoughts. His knees almost gave away, and he curled his hand into a fist. He didn't want to get upset, especially not at his little sister whom he cared so much about. Despite the attempted restraint, he loudly voiced out his frustration, "That's enough!"

Hikari quieted and instinctively recoiled at his outburst.

"Taichi-san, calm down!" Koushiro said, "There was no way she could have known the situation, and you couldn't have told her about Diablomon over the phone since everyone would have heard."

Taichi grumbled, "I'm still upset she didn't listen to me."

"Taichi," Hikari whispered, "I'm really sorry… I just… I couldn't leave so easily. What exactly happened?"

"It was a Digimon," Taichi said, his voice cracking, "This terribly powerful Diablomon… he… I nearly lost Agumon…"

Hikari's eyes widened; she looked to Koushiro for confirmation.

Koushiro sighed, "We barely made it. We weren't able to reach anyone to help us out except for Yamato-san and Takeru-kun."

Hikari frowned deeply; if only she hadn't been so carefree at the party then she would have been able to help her brother, just like he always helped her. But her brother was strong, she knew. With his bravery he could stand up to anything and come out victorious. Hadn't that just happened now, too? She turned to look at her brother, but any bravery he might have had during the battle was nowhere to be seen in the worried look he carried now. She asked, "How did this happen?"

"It started off as a virus spreading around the Internet," Taichi said, "But he kept growing, feeding on the data and getting more powerful. Koushiro wasn't able to keep him contained."

Koushiro nodded, "Then there was the missile… we almost failed to stop it. It still landed in the harbor, but the fuse wasn't active so thankfully there wasn't an explosion."

Hikari sighed, reflecting on the words. Taichi turned away to sit on the couch. The topic wasn't to his liking and it seemed to her that he wanted to turn away from the current conversation. Koushiro and Hikari followed and found their seats beside him.

She then asked, "What about Mimi-san, Jyou-san, or Sora-san? Weren't they able to help?"

"Hikari," Taichi said, sounding annoyed, "Don't try to shift around any blame here. Jyou was busy with Junior High entrance exams, I can understand that."

"What about Mimi-san and Sora-san?"

Taichi grumbled, "Mimi-chan left the country, and Sora hates my guts. The point is that you should've come home as soon as I called. You know I wouldn't have interrupted your fun if it weren't really an emergency."

Hikari twitched uncomfortably in her seat on the couch, and she dared to ask, "So what happened with the Digimon? I mean, how did you two stop it?"

"Agumon and Gabumon fought it off – they fused, for lack of a better word," Koushiro answered for Taichi, "Patamon was seriously injured, and we lost contact with them after Diablomon was destroyed. We don't know the situation anymore. I hope Takeru-kun will be alright. You really should have come; it might have been one of your only chances to see Tailmon again."

Hikari's eyes glistened. She berated herself quietly, "No… Tailmon… this is the second time now..."

Koushiro smiled faintly; it was a rare reassuring smile. "She's doing fine, if that's what you're wondering. I'm sure Gennai-san will find a way for us to see them, too. The Digital Gate can't stay closed forever."

Taichi stood up, firm and resolved, "That's it. I refuse to let something like this happen again."

"Oniichan?" questioned Hikari.

Taichi spoke strongly, "We were caught unprepared, and were far too divided than we should've been. We need to make sure we have a way of contacting each other in these crisis situations."

Koushiro said, "Taichi-san, that's a bit easier said than done."

Taichi waved off the doubt, "That shouldn't matter. Once Mimi-chan gets back, and everything settles down, we'll call up a meeting and throw around some ideas; hopefully Yamato will be able to bring Takeru along."

"I'm back!" The joyful voice came from the front door. Taichi turned to see his mother arriving.

She waved cheerfully, oblivious to the dim situation, "Hikari, you came home early? Was Taichi bothering you? I knew that he was upset since the cake didn't turn out well, but that's no reason for you to come home."

Hikari smiled softly, "Oh, it's nothing like that. The party was nice, though I think I spent too much time there as it is."

Taichi reached for the remote and turned on the television as his mother began to ask Hikari some rather silly questions about the party. Koushiro sighed from his seat right beside Taichi; he wasn't thrilled that their discussion about the Digital World had been cut short like this.

When the TV clicked on, a commercial was playing, and both pairs of eyes instantly became attentive towards it. The advertisement was for what looked like a small, wireless, miniature laptop – only with no touchpad for a mouse. There was only a small keyboard, as the primary function of the device was to send quick E-mails to others with computers or similar devices. It was slated for release in the early summer, and the price was easily affordable. Taichi gawked at it.

"What do you think, Koushiro?" He turned to his friend, and noticed Izumi's eyes were just as glued to the screen as his.

Koushiro said, "Taichi-san, I think that could definitely work."

"Mom," Taichi called for her attention, a finger pointed to the television screen, "Could Hikari and I each get one of those? We'll really need them."

"We will?" Hikari asked, unsure of her brother.

His mother, pausing with her maternal inspection of her daughter for a moment, briefly looked at the screen. The commercial was still playing. "Taichi, you can use the desktop computer to send E-mails."

Taichi fought off a sigh, "Mom, really, this is important for us."

And as if on queue, three separate sets of consistent beeps pierced the room. The Digivices of the three present Chosen had activated. Koushiro took his out, scanning over the message. He managed to gasp out, "Gennai-san."

Yagami Yuuko's lively look quickly changed to one of concern. The devices told her that something important had happened, and she had missed out on what it was. She looked to her son for answers, "Taichi, explain yourself; fiddling with the computer; Hikari coming home early; technological glitches happening all day – and now these things acting up – what happened?"

The beeps continued.

Taichi turned to Koushiro, "Go to the computer and see what's up, I'll stay here and explain what I can."

Koushiro nodded and left the room. Hikari quietly followed him, her hopes high that she would be able to see Tailmon again.

Taichi lowered the television volume before turning to his mother, "Well, mom, it's quite the story… I guess I've got quite a bit to say, and part of it is why our microwave nearly blew up."

She joined him at the living room sofa and listened intently on what had occurred. She berated herself for not having noticed the panic from the two boys earlier in the day. It all seemed too obvious now when she thought back to their actions. Taichi continued to speak, of the internet virus, of the spreading infection and of the nuclear missile that was involved. Yuuko shuddered at the last bit; Tokyo could have been another Hiroshima.

And finally, not a minute before explanations were done, Koushiro entered the living room, a glum look on his face. Hikari didn't look very thrilled, either. That quickly caught Taichi's attention; he asked, "What's wrong?"

Koushiro said, "Well, Taichi-san, I've got good news and I've got bad news."

The silence urged him on further.

"Gennai wants us to get together, very soon, and go back to the Digital World for a short stay."

Taichi would have smiled in delight at those words under other circumstances, but now he pressed further, "And what's the bad news?"

"Well, Taichi-san, just like you, Gennai isn't prepared to let something else like this happen again. He's going to be taking extreme measures to make sure nothing escapes or enters the Digital World again. There are plans to set up what he calls a Digital Barrier."

Taichi sighed, "So that's it - it's all over; we won't be able to see our Digimon again. He's locking us out for good."

Yuuko frowned at the depressing words from her son.

Hikari managed to speak, tears stinging her eyes, "Taichi… it's the power of our crests that Gennai-san wants to use in order to create the barrier. He's asking us to give up our crests to seal the Digital World away."

"T-t-that's suicide!" Taichi managed to choke out, "If something does manage to get through, we won't be able to fight it off! I won't do it! There's no way!"

"We have no other options," Koushiro said, "The barrier between both worlds is very weak now due to Diablomon, and surely computer specialists from all over the world are noticing what the actual cause for these recent troubles was."

"What do you mean by that, Koushiro-kun?" Mrs. Yagami questioned.

"He means they'll be trying to get into the Digital World," Taichi said glumly, "So in the end we really do have no choice…"

"Taichi-san," Koushiro began, trying to comfort his friend, "It's not that bad. It's my theory that our crests should replenish after a time."

Taichi looked over the redhead; his question was short and simple, "How long?"

Hikari, too, looked over for an answer. Koushiro shook his head sadly, "I couldn't even begin to guess; it might be a matter of days or even a matter of years."

More quietly, in the hope that only Taichi would hear him, Koushiro added, "We might also suffer from some health-related issues; us Chosen and our Digimon alike, depending on the impact that giving up our crest powers has on us; essentially they are a part of us, and by giving them away..."

Koushiro stopped short, knowing he had said enough. Immediately Taichi knew of what he was implying, and he looked to his sister. He turned pale with fear, and both his sister and mother looked at him puzzled by his expression. Taichi turned back to Koushiro, silently wishing his friend would take back what he had said. No such luck.

"I'm sorry about this, Taichi-san," Koushiro said, "I really wish there was something else that could be done."

"I don't even know what to say about this anymore," Taichi shook his head solemnly.

Koushiro frowned, "We can discuss this more thoroughly when the whole group is together. Right now I'd like to go see my parents; see if they're alright after everything that's happened today."

Taichi nodded, "Yeah, give me a call later on to tell me if everything's okay."

"Will do," Koushiro made his way out the door. He paused briefly by Mrs. Yagami, and bowed slightly, "Thank you for having me over."

"Goodbye, Koushiro-kun; do say hello to your parents for me."

With a nod, he exited the apartment and closed the door behind him. Taichi looked on, not in the best of moods. He needed a break from this. With a loud sigh, he looked to his mother, and began slumping towards his room, "Mom, I think I need some rest; excuse me for a bit."

Yuuko watched her son leave with a concerned look. She remained quiet, calmly thinking over the situation. She knew that she would be having quite the talk with her husband about this later on in the evening. Hikari turned to look at her sadly, and then hurried off after Taichi, "I – I'm going to my brother."

Hikari closed the door of the room behind her, and Yuuko once again felt that she was missing out on something important between her two children. She stood alone in the family room, with only the background noise of the television keeping away the silence. The same commercial her son and Koushiro had been drawn to started to play for a second time.

With a light frown, Mrs. Yagami picked up the phone, and began dialing the ordering number for these Digital Terminals.

Late in the evening the day of the Diablomon incident, Hikari lay on the top bunk of her bed, and recalled the earlier events from her fellow Chosen. Koushiro had called in, reporting that his parents were slightly shaken by the news of the battle, but were overall coping very well. Jyou had also phoned in, wondering why Taichi had been looking for him earlier in the day. After realizing what had happened, a long series of apologies from Jyou had followed; Taichi was just glad to hear the entrance exam had gone well. And a short E-mail reply ended up having Sora and Taichi on good terms once again.

News for their meeting was being spread. Hikari knew that Mimi was due back from her vacation in Hawaii before the end of the week, as were Yamato and Takeru from their visit to their grandmother's country house. They would meet in the park by the tram that brought them home, and discuss the Digital Barrier as a whole.

Hikari moved to the ledge of her bed, and looked down at her brother. Taichi was shifting and turning in his sleep in the bunk below her. She sighed, realizing he wasn't resting easily. She desperately wanted to speak with Taichi about their crests and the Digital World; she just didn't know how to begin.

"Taichi?" Hikari asked; her voice full of uncertainty.

Much to her surprise, Taichi replied instantly. He apparently didn't have much luck sleeping. "What's wrong?"

"Umm… I - ," she started, still unsure how to proceed, "I kind of… heard Koushiro-san."

Taichi's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

"Taichi…" Hikari said with a frown, "You're a wonderful brother, always thinking about me, always helping me, always willing to protect me… but you shouldn't worry over me ahead of everyone else."

"I worry about the others, too," he said.

Hikari sighed, "That isn't what I meant… I mean, you shouldn't let my wellbeing decide on whether or not we should create the barrier. You're too good of a brother; but I don't deserve your worry. We have to think of the Digital World and everyone else first."

There was silence for a moment, as Taichi tried to gather his words, "Hikari… the thought of you getting ill, it scares me. I just – let me finish – just can't bear that. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," Hikari reassured.

"I'm not a good brother," Taichi frowned, and Hikari looked at him strangely, "Do you remember when we were young, Hikari? I took you out to play soccer when you were sick…"

"A bit," Hikari said, "I remember I couldn't kick the ball very well. I felt pretty bad about that since I really wanted to play with you."

"That's just it!" Taichi cried out, a little too loudly than he would've liked. Hikari recoiled slightly from atop her bunk. His quieted, and clenched his eyes shut, "Hikari, that… that was my fault. I shouldn't have taken you outside when you were sick. You… you fainted and were hospitalized. I don't want to repeat that… I nearly lost you back then; I can't help being reminded of that day and I just can't forgive my foolishness."

"I forgive you," Hikari said.

"What?" Taichi opened his eyes, and looked upwards at his sister.

"I forgive you," she giggled briefly, flushing bright red, "You've always been a good brother to me; always took care of me when I was sick; always cleaned my sheets when I made a mess. And that time you watched out for me when that first Koromon came out of our computer. I really do love you Oniichan, and everything you've done for me. I don't want you to worry… because if I do get sick, I know you'll take care of me until I get better."

At last, Taichi smiled, "I love you, too, Hikari. When the group gets together, we'll make our final decision. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you."

Hikari smiled back at her brother, and then she allowed herself to fall backwards onto her bed, "Good night, Taichi."

"Good night, Hikari," Taichi said. With the great weight off his shoulders, he shut his eyes and calmly lay in bed. This time, sleep came easy.

End notes:
- Oniichan means "big brother," It's what Hikari refers to Taichi by.
- Kimodameshi is a Japanese game loosely translated as "dare," it closely resembles a scavenger hunt.
- Nana-chan is a made-up name for the girl who's party Hikari was attending.
- Hikari missed out on seeing Tailmon a "second time," this refers to a prior period where Taichi managed to open a small gate through his computer to talk with Agumon. Hikari was out shopping with her mother, and was therefore unable to see Tailmon. This story is told through an official Drama CD.
- Hiroshima was one of two cities that was on the receiving end of an atomic bomb during the final days of World War II.