Last Chance

Translations

Oolong: Chinese black tea
Sukiyaki: Dish cooked with beef and mixed vegetables, has a sweeter sauce. Can be cooked on portable gas burners right at the table.
Oniichan: Older brother
Odaiba: The man-made island located in Tokyo bay where our characters call home. It has attractions, shopping, residential areas.
Shibuya: A popular prefecture in Central Tokyo. Famous for shopping, nightlife, restraurants, and business, among other city things.
Purikura: Lit. Print Club. Those little sticky pictures that get taken in photo booths.

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Shinchama: Hi again, my wonderful, lovely readers! So, I'll keep it short and sweet. Time change here and first Point of View change! Now Yamato is leading us. This will continue to alternate between chapters. Have fun!

~~~~YAMATO~~~~

Morning. Golden sunlight streamed into my room. Another day. Today Takeru would be coming. I stretched and yawned as I pulled myself from my bed, and walked into the bathroom. The figure in the mirror stared back, a disheveled blond mess. I sighed and started getting ready. My morning ritual. I had to have routine, consistency. Life changes rapidly and far too much, and, well, I needed some control. Ever since Mom and Dad got divorced, I felt somehow detached. I hate this life, I hate my parents. How could they let Takeru and I be split up like that??? What must it be like for him...? Things just never were the same after. I always thought that the pain would subside, and I would "adjust." That's what they told me. I couldn't though. It would betray us both.

My day would be surprisingly uneventful, considering my reunion with my brother. I must admit, I was excited to cook for three, and I loved the market. Fresh food everywhere- "Yes, we will have a great meal," I thought as I chopped the vegetables. Even the walk back seemed more peaceful than normal, and felt far away from the busy streets of Odaiba. I hummed softly as the water boiled, and dropped some noodles into the pot, smiling thinking of my brother. This was almost right.

"Ne! Oniichan! Hey Dad, come on. Let’s go!" An almost unfamiliar voice. But at least, at last, we finally get to be together.

"Ne, ne! Niichan!!!" At least some things never change.

"Wait, what are you doing with your shoes on?" Dad called out from behind him.

"Comon Dad, you didn’t used to care."

"Just put them by the door..." Things began to feel back to normal, although this wasn’t a normal time at all. Mom had gotten sick, and she was in the hospital. It was worrisome, but nothing could stop us from having a good dinner tonight. I was just finishing it up when everyone walked in, "Hey, Takeru!"

"Oi, Niichan." he came up to me and gave me a soft hug, "I love you," he said, and released his grip.

Dad walked up to me, "Your mother's not doing well." Takeru stared at me, his eyes glassy.

I turned towards him, "It'll be ok... Let’s just try not to worry too much," I replied to him, his silence told exactly how he was feeling. We all just stood there for a moment, the water continued to burble. Takeru had grown far too old for his age. He had changed in so many ways. Not only was his physical appearance changed, his arms more toned, his now tall, slim physique, yet something else about him was different. Maybe it was the stupid, white hat he was wearing above his shorter blond hair, but I swore that it was the strong look in his eyes. It transformed him into someone different, someone that reminded me of myself a couple of years ago.

"So," Dad broke the silence, "how's dinner?"

"Almost done, I'm just.... ah ok, here we are. No, no; I'm okay, I've got it Takeru." I brought the Sukiyaki over to a portable gas burner on the table,

"And now to drink, cold oolong tea."

"Wow son; you outdid yourself!"

"It looks great!" Takeru smiled at me, "Heh, Taichi would be SOO jealous!"

I laughed, if Taichi had one thing bigger than his mouth, it would most definitely be his stomach, "I think that we'll get to see a lot of them tomorrow... But now, let's eat. Itadakimasu!"

It was nice having my brother back at the table- Three, instead of two yet not four. We were almost a family, and it was sad that it took something like this to bring us back together.

“Oniichan, can we be together like this forever?” Dad stared down at his plate. “I don't want to be away from you, I don't wanna go back.” Avoiding life would not make it go away, I knew that all too well. I also knew his expression, it often was reflected in my mirror.

I spoke, “We are together now, and we will figure it all out. Right, dad?”

Silence. And then he finally responded, “Yes, of course. We are a family.”


I couldn’t sleep that night, “Family,” I thought, and stared out the window at the stars. “Perhaps mom is looking at them, too- right now,” I sighed. If she knew that we were thinking the same thought, feeling the same things, holding onto the same hopes, would she care? I pulled my legs up to my chest, under the blanket of my bed. I couldn’t be sure that she would anymore. She didn't care when Dad and her fought in front of me. She didn't care when she got up and left me. She didn't care when she ripped Takeru away from me. But I wish that she did care.

Not that Dad was all that much better. Why didn't he try to make her stay? He should have cared more for us, and less for himself. Come to think of it, there's a lot of things that both of them should have done, but, for one reason or another, didn't. They are adults. They should have. At the least though, Dad would always come home in the evening. He would always tell me how good my meal was, no matter how horrible it came out. He enjoyed talking to me about his day, and always up for going somewhere with me late at night, even if it was just to walk around the block and look up at the stars. At least Dad would always be Dad, and he would always be there for me...

My mind began to wander, thinking of the times when Takeru and Mom and Dad and I were all together. Those were the warm, sunny days; filled with golden yellows, and vast, endless oceans of blue skies streaked with frothy, pure white clouds. They were days of laughter and smiling; days of carefree childhood, where we could bask in the summer of our youth and revel in the blue wind’s hope of the future. Then, the autumn came so early in my life. Mom and Dad began to fight, and the ivy leaves began to wither and brown. From then nothing was ever the same.

I looked across the darkened room at the futon that Takeru was sleeping on. This room was cold and bleak, with a deep ray of moonlight shining through the window. It cast sinister, ebony shadows of grotesque, finger-like branches of gnarled leafless trees upon the floor, seemingly reaching for Takeru- trying to pull him away. I fought myself, so I could look past this without jumping up and screaming, and observed only Takeru’s sleeping face. So pure, so innocent. He had left behind the troubles of the world in his sleep, and was more sound than I had been in the past four years. He opened his mouth, and his small, soft cheeks stretched as he yawned.

There was a certain beauty to it all, a beauty that I had lost long ago. This beauty was innocence: a beauty sought after by those who have lost it, and ironically, it seems that the more one wants it, the less they have of it.


Darkness. Spiraling. Downward. Tossing. Turning. A light. Far off in the distance. A light. A shining hope streaming through this hell. One singular ray of light forever out of reach. Running. Tripping. Falling through the shattering ground below grasping through nothingness screaming while tearing at the emptiness. Eyes close and arms go into numb acceptance of fate. Falling upwards and flailing through this abyss. A light. "Yamato," a cool voice whispers inches from my face. Arms wrap around. Silver pearls rush forth from my eyes, streaming upward. The wind whips past my face. Warmth surrounds. "I'll keep you safe," the voice breaths. Deep brown eyes stare back at me. A body against mine own. Embracing. Caressing. "You're beautiful..."


Morning. I slowly opened my eyes to see my room around me; the now empty disheveled futon lie in the dusty morning sun. Another day. I wondered where Takeru went off to, and I pulled myself out of bed. "Still no school," I thought as I sifted through my drawers and tried to find something half way decent to wear. Especially if I was going to see...

"Oniichan!" my brother burst through the door, "Lets get going. We're gonna be late meeting everyone!"

I sighed, "Okay, okay. I'll be ready in a few minutes, could you go tell Dad that we're off?" Takeru looked at me for a moment, and nodded as he went to Dad's room while I chose a maroon colored band t-shirt, and pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans. I looked at the stranger in the mirror. He smiled wryly, "You know your soul," I shot a glance towards the mirror.

Takeru called, "Yamato-kun, let's go!" The figure still stared- his eyes burning.

"You are not free," he cooed, and with that I turned and left.


It was truly a beautiful day, and the park was full of life. Takeru had not a care in the world, he was just seeing old friends, but I was trembling- "He" was there. I hadn't seen my brown-haired companion for some time. Life had taken me away from them all. "Hey, Yamato!"

I turned, "Koushiro, my friend. How have things been?"

"Alright, apart from the nightmares..." Though it happened before he could remember, he was having dreams of his parent's car accident, ever since he found out. I wondered if he'd ever be alright, but I guess we're all fragile.

"I know you'll find peace. Apart from that, what's new in the life of Koushiro-kun?"

"Well, Mimi and I had been dating."

"Who'd have thought that??? Mimi and the Tech..." That was certainly... Unexpected?

"To no avail, though. She said, 'I just don't feel like we're right, we're too much like brother and sister,' Plus the distance... At any rate, I was broken up, but haven't looked back."

"That's too bad. She was off... Somewhere else...” In her own world, with closets full of shoes and hats. I must admit, I didn't understand them together at all. Where did Koushiro fit into that, I envisioned him in an outlandish pastel dress with matching accessories that only Mimi could choose. No. Way. “Mostly anyhow. So," good time to change the subject, "who else is here?"

"Well," he looked around, "Taichi is up playing soccer." Go figure. "And I think Sora took the day off and is cheering him." Also unexpected, who'd have thought she'd pass up a chance to play Taichi on the field. “And Jyou is taking classes over the break,” not surprising, "I'd say they're all about done, though. You're a little later than we thought."

Takeru looked at me accusingly. I responded, "I got up late."

Koushiro nodded, "Dreaming about something?"

"Actually-" Someone.

"Catch!" A voice yelled as I turned, watching a soccer ball zoom towards me. Not quite ready, I fumbled but caught the ball, and there he was: Taichi. Same stupid hair, goofy grin, and (if I may say so) amazingly more buff than the last time we saw one another. "Ah, can't pin you off guard!" Not a bad idea, I wouldn't mind being pinned by my Taichi-sempai.

"It has been a while," I said, "But I guess nothing can really change you, eh Taichi-kun."

He laughed and scratched his head, "Naw you know me, I'm just Taichi." Koushiro raised an eyebrow, and I thought, 'that you are, that you are.'

Sora then appeared, "Hey Yamato, you're here finally! I've missed you so much. I just can not believe that this much time has already gone by, and my life seems so dull back here. Still, though, I guess its better than the alternative. Just think, we could-" It won't end, I guess this is her catching up... "and you know, utter destruction, end of the world, catastrophe. That sort of thing is never good. So, where are we all going?"

Takeru spoke out quickly, "Lets go get lunch and go shopping!"

"Someone has a GREAT idea," Taichi said with a hungry look.

Sora smiled, "And then shopping sounds even better." She glanced at Taichi. I swear, those two could be married.

“Let's not just hang out in Odaiba,” Taichi spoke up, “Its been a while since all of the original Children were together. How about we celebrate, and go over to Shibuya.”

Mimi was quick to let us all know how she liked the idea, “That sounds like fun, the shopping is good, there's lots of food-”

“And there's some really great arcades near there!” Takeru broke in.

“We could do Purikura,” Mimi responded, “And even karaoke! Wouldn't that be fun, Yamato-kun?”

I laughed, of course Mimi would want to do Karaoke, “Sure, why not?”

“And I could challenge you!” Taichi vehemently jumped in front of me, holding up an invisible microphone.

“Then,” Sora retorted, “we all can die a slow and painful death,” I just stood, his face almost against mine, and watched his eyes narrow as he slowly turned towards her. Everyone else burst out laughing, and then we all joined in.

We began to walk, and got onto the subway. It seemed like the perfect day. Almost.

I looked at everybody. They were so happy. I don't think I was ever that happy. Takeru and Taichi laughing together. Sora and Mimi gossiping about this or that. “Yamato-sempai,” Koushiro moved over and sat next to me, “how have you been.”

I paused, “I- I'm okay.” Not very convincing, Yamato. Koushiro eyed at me. He didn't have the Crest of Knowledge for no apparent reason.

“You know, we haven't seen you for a while,” though still tactful, he wouldn't come right out and say anything to make me uncomfortable- the great Izumi Koushiro, “And I understand that you are quite busy. Between classes and the band, and helping your Dad at home... But just know,” he put his hand on my knee, “that I am here if you need to talk to someone. I am your friend, Yamato-kun, and that means no matter what,” he gave me a knowing look.

I was somewhat shocked. The words, “Thank you,” left my mouth. Koushiro read between the lines, but what did he see. What did he know about me, and at what point would his words lose their meaning.

I caught a glimpse of that dark familiar figure looking back at me in the reflection from the glass. My mind began to wander. Being together with everyone on the train to Shibuya reminded me of when Takeru and I were riding this same line just a few years ago. Patamon ran out after Takeru yelled at him. All sorts of trouble followed culminating in a battle with Vamdemon. In a way, life was more simple back then, and I knew what I needed to do. Protect Takeru, save the world. Simple, right? But then that chapter of my life ended, and I wasn't sure what to do. How could I protect Takeru from a dying mother that I couldn't even talk to. What other dangers lie beyond my sight. The world was hazy.