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Epilogue

To Remember Him.

By Kendo Kawabata.

Last chapter. I cannot possibly think of anything else to add after this, unless I get in the mood for some short sex stories. Unlikely though, so please enjoy.

Three months later.

Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign

The soft words spoke in Kadens ears through his earbuds. A long white wire connected the buds to his Digivice as he leant over the wooding railing, watching the bright blue waters churn before him.

Instead there is only silence

Can't you hear my scream?

He found it strange that his Digivice could play the same music he had kept on his phone before the change. But this song...he never once stopped playing it when he started to hear it.

Never stop hoping

Need to know where you are

Her voice was so beautiful. He knew her name was Sharon. Kaden had never met her, and he more than likely would never meet her. But he felt like she knew him as she sang. Like this song...was meant for this.

But one thing is for sure

You _'__ re always in my heart_

He sighed softly as he looked down at the churning waters below. He felt a sadness in his heart, something that had been gnawing at him for the past year. Somehow, it had only worsened, until he felt it was all he would feel. And lately, he had been wondering if he would ever be happy again.

I'll find you somewhere

I'll keep on trying until my dying day

I just need to know whatever has happened

The truth will free my soul

"I wonder who you lost, to make you sing such a song?" Kaden wondered to himself as he saw several brightly coloured fish swim around in the water over the railing. The song continued softly in his ears as he looked up at the horizon in the edge of the sky.

Lost in the darkness, try to find your way home

"We're almost there Kaden" a voice said behind him and Kaden turned to see Banchouleomon walking up to him, as usual his big black coat was draped around his shoulders.

I want to embrace you and never let you go.

Almost hope you _'__ re in heaven so no one can hurt your soul_

"Thanks" Kaden said as he returned his gaze back at the waters churning at the side of the boat. Banchouleomon said nothing as he saw the humans gaze and walked up to him, joining him at the railing. He chewed on the blade of grass in his teeth for a moment as he leant over the railing a bit.

Living in agony cause I just do not know

Where you are

"I know why you're going" he said to him. "You don't want to go back until you've made sure" he said gently as he looked down at him. Kaden said nothing to that as he continued to watch the fish swim by the side of the boat.

"Banchou" Kaden said soflty as he tugged the buds from his ears, the song having finished by now as he looked up at the lion. "I'm going back home today. But I am doing this. I don't care if you and the others don't think it will work" he said. Banchouleomon sighed and put a heavy hand on the human boys shoulder.

"I never said it couldn't work. I just said don't get your hopes up in case it doesn't" he said to him. Kaden just shook his head as he resumed watching the fish, which darted away quickly.

Banchouleomon said nothing to the boy as they continued on in silence. So much had happened in the past year between them.

Banchouleomon had been there to greet the digidestined children with the source of the light, a digimon called Nerfertimon. She was a very beautiful white sphinx type digimon with white majestic wings. She had called herself, 'The Angel of Light'.

Discovering that Kaden was the only one who had no partner digimon, Banchouleomon had taken it upon himself to be his replacement. Kaden had heatedly refused, claiming that he would find his real partner and rejoin him. But Banchouleomon had refused to leave the boy alone and had joined him with the others.

The journey had not been easy. As Kaden and the other digidestined children helped to reclaim towns and cities from the corrupted digimon of all types, more had joined their cause. Soon, the War Brothers, Blackwargreymon and Wargreymon had joined Kaden. Although neither of them ever claimed to replace his partner. But the dangers were always there. Many comrades and new friends that had joined them, had also met their ends.

Banchouleomon had not been pleased to hear when Kaden had finally revealed the truth about his partner. Kaden had to tell him when he had heard a rumour about him and his deeds, and Kaden just didn't want to accept it. Banchouleomon had tried to tell him to forget him, and to move on, because his partner was lost.

"You never did give up hope kid" Banchouleomon thought to himself as he watched File Island slowly draw closer over the horizon. "Even when you saw him for yourself, you had hope. And even now, you're holding out on one last string" he thought as he watched the waters below them.

After what happened with Geoweregarurumons destruction and the death of his partner, Banchouleomon and the others headed to thwart the plan to eliminate the digidestined children. Arukkenimon, had not just raised hundreds of digimon to lead the attack. She had been ready to lead an attack with thousands. However, she changed her mind when she learned about the double cross Geoweregarurumon and called off the attack. So the children were saved that day.

"Never double cross a dark digimon" she had said to Kaiden, before the army she had called flew instead towards the digimon in the traps. Those digimon had been slaughtered without mercy.

It should have been a happy event. But the other digidestined had not understood the price that was paid for the information that saved their lives that day. All they did was boast about how they could have withstood any attack, while Kaden felt his heart break.

In the three months that followed, the last of the rogue digimon forces had been taken down. When the long battle had finally ended, Nerfertimon had congratulated the digidestined and their digimon. The others had cheered as if they had just won something. She had offered as well, to explain the delay in getting them to the digital world, and why so much was left unanswered about everything.

Kaden had walked off without listening. When his partner had been captured, a week had passed in the human world, while seven years had passed in the digital world. That had been the worst week in Kadens life. He couldn't eat, he couldn't stop crying and he could only fall asleep when he passed out from exhaustion. He had begged and pleaded with his digivice to answer him and take him to the digital world. But for seven days, the device had remained silent. Only when the damage had been done, did Nefertimon allow them in.

To Kaden, no reason on earth would ever stop him blaming her for letting his partner suffer for so long.

"If only I had found him sooner" he thought to himself as he stared into the waters. The shining blue waters seemed to sparkle in the afternoon sunlight. "Or if I hadn't have sent him upstairs by himself" he said as he dragged a thumb over his cheek slowly. Banchouleomon saw the movement, but said nothing. He sometimes wondered if the boy would be able to find a day he wouldn't be able to cry on.

"Ahoy there" Dinohumon called out from the helm of the ship. He looked like a cross between a caveman and a dinosaur. He spun the wheel of the ship and the ship slowly began to turn towards the docks at File Island. Kaden looked up as he saw the island approach.

"I guess this is where we part our ways" Banchouleomon said as he stood up and stretched his arms slightly. Kaden nodded and stood up as well as he saw the island come closer. The island didn't look too big to him, but the mountain in the middle was like a colossal tower of black that rose up in a spire from the center of the island. It looked like a giant industrial file.

"So that's why they call it File Island" Kaden said as he saw Dinohumon turn the boat against the docks. The boat slowly came to a halt as it pulled up by the wooden platform and settled alongside.

"Alright. If you're leaving, now is a good time" Dinohumon called out to them both as the gangplank was lowered onto the docks. It landed with a loud wooden clunk as Kaden turned to the big lion in front of him.

"Banchouleomon..." he began, not really knowing what to say to him. They had been together for so long, he was finding it hard to speak. But the lion held up a paw.

"kaden, when you first arrived, I was willing to replace your partner" he said to him. "I've seen everything that you and the others faced on the journey. I told you many times to give up, because even if he had resisted it all, he still would have been too far gone to save him. And every single time, you refused to listen to me" he said.

Kaden said nothing as he sighed a bit. He knew Banchouleomon was right. The lion seemed to always have that habit of being the wise old one.

"But" Banchouleomon said as he placed his hand on Kadens shoulder and gave it a firm, but gentle squeeze. "I'm glad you didn't. You're determination, made you more of a partner to me, then any of those other children. I'm proud to just have been your friend. And I'm just sorry it had to end the way it did" he said.

"Thank you" Kaden said softly as he brushed a tear from his eye. He grown to like the big digimon after all that time, as well as the War brothers. To leave them after all this time...it was harder then he thought.

"I'll maybe see you around" Banchouleomon said to him with a smile as he let go of the human. "I might be lucky and live long enough to see you again." But they both knew it may not have been possible.

"Take care of yourself" Kaden said to him as he was let go. Banchouleomon gave him a nod of his head before Kaden turned and walked off, his hands deep in his pockets as he walked across the boat. His feet took him over the gangplank, and he heard the wooden plank be pulled back onto the boat.

Kaden turned slowly as he saw the boat pull back from the docks, Banchouleomon standing at the railing watching him. Kaden slowly raised a hand into the air and Banchouleomon raised one back. They waved goodbye to each other as they saw each other gradually grow smaller and smaller until they both vanished from the others view.

He heard the sound of huge footsteps thump behind him. Turning, Kaden saw a digimon bigger than any he had seen before walk up to meet him. He knew who it was before the digimon introduced himself to him.

"Welcome to File Island, Digidestined. I am Omnimon" the huge towering digimon said. Kaden looked up to him. He looked like a huge towering brightly coloured knight with a long flowing red cape, a dragons head for one hand, and a wolfs head for his other.

"Nice to meet you" Kaden said up to him, seeing him up close for the first time.

"I know why you're here" Omnimon said to him. "The village is down this way" he said as he turned to lead Kaden down a long winding path into the island. Kaden nodded and walked beside him as he was lead.

The walked on in silence, a few birds flying overhead as they followed the path. Omnimon, considerate of his smaller companion, walked slowly to allow Kaden to keep up with him. Kaden didn't say anything about that as they walked.

"Is it true...what they say about this place?" Kaden asked him as they passed by a grove of flowers. The flowers were bright and colourful, almost every colour he could imagine. There were even some bright green ones with long curly petals. He thought he could smell strawberries as they passed.

"It is true" Omnimon said as they walked. "Eggs are unable to be destroyed in the digital world. When a digimon dies, their bodies are reduced to egg form and they end up back here" he explained as they crossed a bridge over a small stream. Well, Kaden took the bridge. Omnimon merely stepped over the stream.

"And we had almost the entire population of the digital world here" Omnimon continued. "Hatching almost all at once. I never knew babysitting could be harder then saving the world" he said with a light chuckle.

Kaden looked up for a moment as they continued on. Maybe....if he was really lucky....

As they followed the trail into the island, Kaden looked up and saw the Primary Village in the distance. Slowly it got bigger the closer they got. The village was surrounded by a large wooden fence encircling a large field. There was a very large schoolhouse in the centre of the field, looking like something from a storybook. And he could hear the voices of digimon everywhere.

There was something serene about the place, as if evil couldn't penetrate the atmosphere. It was quite peaceful. Omnimon took him as far as the large gate with the words 'Primary Village' etched over the top in large colourful letters. They looked like they had been written by children.

"This is where I leave you" Omnimon said down to Kaden. "I still have patrols to do over the island" he said, before he knelt down slowly and looked at Kaden with kind eyes behind his mask. "After everything you have been through, I hope you find what you're looking for" he said.

"Thank you" Kaden said softly as Omnimon nodded towards him before he turned and walked off. Kaden watched the huge digimon walk off. Briefly he wondered how far Omnimon could walk before he vanished from sight. He watched the digimon walk before he turned back to the gate and let himself in.

As he walked in, he saw and heard the child digimon running about. He saw groups of them running around playing together. They were playing every game he could think of, including games Kaden probably would not have heard of before. And they all looked happy to do so.

And watching over them he saw the older digimon, the champions and the ultimates, both good and dark, teaching them. Both good and dark digimon were finally working together to teach the digimon of the next generation to work together.

The scene was very touching, but Kaden hardly paid attention to it. He moved his eyes around and stood for a moment, his gaze wandering over each group of digimon he saw. He saw little digimon of almost every level, every shape, every size and every colour. But none of them were right.

"Are you even here?" he asked himself as he began to move again. The older digimon saw him approach, but they didn't do anything other than give him a nod or a wave. They knew why he was there, but they did not wish to get in his way. He had only a short amount of time anyway.

Kaden wanted to be left alone. He had to do this by himself. His school holidays would finish by tomorrow, which meant his parents would be back from their vacation. He could risk staying in the digital world for a while longer, but he knew he would have to leave eventually.

And then what? Wait a day and come back? The digital world would have moved on a year by that time. Wait two days? Two years gone. Wait another week? That was seven years. Wait a couple of months for the next holidays? By then a lifetime would have passed, and no digimon alive would most likely remember who he was.

How was he supposed to go home and just...resume his life? What was he supposed to do, just pretend that everything was fine and go back to being a regular teenager and just...forget?

Kaden felt his tears spring into his eyes at that thought. Either he found what he was looking for today, or he never would. That would be his reward. The other digidestined got to keep their digimon. For Kaden, he could go home alone, or go home with ...

A group of tiny little ball like digimon with big round eyes bounced around in front of him as they passed by, squealing rather loudly. A few bigger digimon, looking the sizes of small children, ran after them, obviously playing a game of chase. Kaden watched as they ran past him, the bigger digimon having a hard time chasing after the energetic little balls.

Kaden walked on as he passed by more groups of digimon playing together, their happy cries and laughter barely penetrating the humans sadness. He felt somewhat immune to it all, like he didn't belong there.

He sighed a bit as he walked by the side of the schoolhouse. There was a small forest of trees behind the big building. Looked like an apple orchard. He saw Yukidarumon and several small digimon at a long washing line hanging up sheets. She looked very happy and seemed glad to have the help of the children. Several of them were dark types.

"Is this how you felt once?" Kaden said softly as he watched her. Being in the digidestined, he hadn't felt like he belonged. They had their digimon. They had been excited to help the digital world. They had no idea what he had suffered through, or the reality of what everyone else had. It felt like a big game to them.

In the group, but not part of it. That was how he had felt for the past year, like he was just someone that hung around something he didn't belong in. They had even called him "the one with no partner" more than once.

"This is how you felt once, wasn't it?" Kaden said as he wiped his eyes a little. This had to have been how he had felt once, travelling the world by himself.

In the world, but not part of it.

Kaden shook his head as he continued to walk around the building. There were so many digimon there. He could walk more than a few steps without seeing a new group playing or running around. How did they have such energy?

He heard a beeping sound and he leant against the wall of the schoolhouse and took his digivice from his pocket. A message was on the screen.

"Kaden, are you ready?" the screen said. Kaden narrowed his eyes and pressed a button to make a keypad appear onscreen. He typed in two letters, an 'N' and an 'O', and pushed the 'Send' button firmly. The message was sent and he pushed his device back into his pocket. He didn't want to leave just yet. He had to make sure.

Kaden stood back up and walked along to the other side of the schoolhouse, across from the orchard. He saw a set of spectator stands had been erected around a rectangular field and he decided to investigate. There were flags waving in the air, and a lot of happy voices.

As he got closer, he saw many champion level digimon sitting in the stands and cheering on as the smaller child digimon raced around a field. They were playing soccer. Kaden watched as he made out the teams. Both sides had dark types on them. And they were pretty evenly matched.

The crowds cheered as a small yellow dinosaur with red armbands around his hands made a goal in the net, but Kaden was already walking off. He wasn't here to watch.

He slowly made his way back around the front of the schoolhouse. All the children seemed to be outside playing, so he felt no need to go inside. Besides, the front door was locked, and peering into the windows, he saw a classroom of neatly rowed chairs, a toy room overflowing with assorted Childs toys, and even a room filled to the brim with egg cradles.

But none of that was what he was after.

He wanted to stay longer. He honestly did. He wanted to keep trying. One day like this was not good enough. Not long enough. But the War brothers had explained that to him before he set sail for File Island once he head explained what he wanted to do.

They had met him at the docks at the mainland before he headed off. They looked as big and as intimidating as ever. But he knew they were good friends to have around. Blackwargreymons face had healed up well after the attack. It seemed digimon healed fast.

"Look, we understand why you're doing this, in all honesty we do" Wargreymon had said to him. "But human children cannot stay in the digital world forever."

"We can give you another day, just one more here. But after that, you need to go" Blackwargreymon had said. "The others have already left. We know why you want to stay, but we can't let you."

"I don't understand why" Kaden had protested. "What am I supposed to do? Come back in two days time only to find out it's been two years and no-one remembers me?" he had argued.

Wargreymon had knelt down and placed a huge but tender hand on the boys shoulder. He did look sad for him, and he felt it.

"Kaden, we've aged a year. All us digimon have. But you, you've only aged a day. You're even wearing the same clothing you did when you arrived. Yes, you can stay here for one of your human years, but by then, three centuries will have passed in this world" he said.

"What happens if you go back after that?" Blackwargreymon had said. "The trouble is you won't be able to. The longer you stay in the digital world, the harder it is for you to go home."

"Maybe I don't want to go home, did anyone think of that?" Kaden had asked them. "What do I possibly have left home to go back to?"

"Can you honestly survive that long in the digital world, growing up with digimon who will live out their existence before you do, only to return home and live a normal life?" Wargreymon had asked him gently.

"We can live the rest of our lives with you, but can you stand to be here and watch all your friends grow old and die while you live on?" Blackwargreymon had asked him.

The answer was no. He honestly could not live that long, and then go home. Could he even stay sane? He still hard a hard time believing that a year had passed in the digital world, and only one day had passed in the human world. How could he manage that?

"Kaden" Wargreymon had said to him. "If you have any memories that have made you happy from this past year, keep them close. Do'nt remember what made you sad, or you made you regret anything. Remember what made you happy. Those matter the most."

"If you can keep those memories alive, you can survive your life" Blackwargreymon had said before they had bid their friend goodbye, waving together from the docks as they watched him disappear over the horizon.

And there was something else to think about. Could he survive several lifetimes in the digital world alone, or could he manage just one in the human world?

He felt tears spring into his eyes as he couldn't help but cry. He didn't want the other digimon to see him cry, so he ran around the schoolhouse and into the orchard beyond. He tripped and fell onto his hands and knees, but he didn't get up as he tried to control himself.

Everytime he thought of going home with him, it almost sent him over the edge. Going home alone, it was something he just didn't want to face. He wiped his eyes as he slowly stood up. Once he had dried his eyes, he continued to walk on. There were digimon there too. The orchard was a hilly little area and most of the child digimon were roling down the hils or throwing leaves at each other. Shade was everywhere. It was quite the contrast from the sunny scene everywhere else.

Kaden slowly walked down the orchard, seeing the other digimon play. He couldn't see what he was looking for anywhere. He thought of going back and doing another circle around the place, but the longer he stayed, the more excuses he would have before he had to leave.

"Maybe... maybe I should do another lap around the schoolhouse" he thought to himself. "Maybe... maybe another trip to the soccer game. Or I could start asking all the other digimon if...if..." he thought as his heart sunk even more. He found himself making excuses to stay. Just a little more time...

He jumped slightly when he heard the familiar beeping sound emanating from his pocket. and he pulled his digivice from his pocket. The same bloody message was on it. It seemed to him that Nefertimon was already willing to get rid of him now that there was no need to keep him there.

"Here comes the train. Choo Choo" he heard some digimon squeak nearby. Kaden looked up and saw a digimon playing by himself in the shadows atop one of the small hills. He turned his attention back to the digivice and he realised he had run out of time. Nefertimon would keep asking, until she would most likely get fed up and send him home.

He had run out of time. He had tried. And once again, he had failed.

Kaden felt the tears spill from his eyes and run down his cheeks. He heart beat slowly and sadly as he pressed his fingers slowly over three letters. A 'Y', an 'E', and an 'S'. His finger hovered over the send button.

Once he pressed that button that was it. He would go home. Return to school. Return to a normal life. Maybe in time he would forget about his partner, forget about the long adventure he had shared with the others. Maybe over the years that would follow, he would even forget his name.

Kaden felt his finger tremble as it hovered over the button. He looked up for a moment and saw the serene and peaceful scene around him, of digimon children of all types playing together. If they continued to accept each other like they were doing now, maybe the digital world would never need to fear an uprising.

He didn't want to forget. He didn't want to forget his name, forget how he felt. He didn't want to lose the memories of how they had laughed, how they cried together. He couldn't forget how much he loved him.

"I love you" Kaden whispered to someone who couldn't hear. "And I'll do everything I can to remember you" he sobbed as he clutched the digivice against his chest for a moment, before he sniffed back his tears and lowered his finger.

"Here comes the train. Choo Choo" came a squeaky little voice at his side. A rattle was heard, then Kaden heard a squeal as something small and wooden crashed into his leg. His finger barely against the button, Kaden looked up and to his side.

The little digimon had set up a small ramp out of a couple of cardboard boxed on the small hill nearby. And apparently the train had ran down the hill and crashed into his foot. He looked up at the hill and saw the little digimon in the shadow of the tree rush over.

Kaden smiled despite himself and bent down to pick up the train. Another minute wouldn't kill him. He picked up the toy train. It looked old and made of wood. Some of the pieces didn't match, as if it had been broken before and then put back together.

"You should be more careful" Kaden said as he saw the digimon approach him. "You never know where these things will end up" he said as he knelt down. His breath caught in his throat and his heart almost stopped as he looked up.

The little digimon stepped out of the shadows of the tree and stopped a few feet from him. He was small and rather implike, with a dark ebony hide and a grey front. He looked at Kaden curiously, like he had seen him somewhere before.

And he had the most sparkling, brilliant emerald eyes Kaden had seen on only one other digimon.

"F....Flame?" Kaden dared to whisper as he felt his heart rate resume very rapidly. The little Darkdemiveemons eyes lit up as he suddenly recognised who he was. He wore the most happy smile across his face as he squealed.

"KADEN" the little digimon squealed as he ran towards him as fast as he could. Kaden felt himself start to cry as he spread his arms out and caught the little guy as he jumped into the waiting arms.

Kaden fell backwards onto his back as he wrapped his arms around the small digimon as tightly as he could. The Darkdemiveemon squealed with happiness and held onto Kaden like his life depended on it.

"Flame?" Kaden repeated as he picked the digimon up and held him in his hands. "Is it...is it really you?" he asked as his heart soared. His tears streamed down his face as he could hardly believe what was happening.

"It's me" Flame said happily, his eyes sparkling as Kaden saw tears in his eyes. "I was waiting for you Kaden."

"I didn't want to leave without you" Kaden sobbed as he pulled the digimon against his chest. Flame wrapped his little arms around Kadens neck as best as he could as they both sobbed against each other. Kaden felt like a world of hurt and pain that had settled on himself had been released, as if a dark cloud had been chased away.

"How long have you been waiting for me? How did you know I was coming?" Kaden asked as he felt the digimon nuzzle under his chin sweetly. He was still feeling it settle in. Flame was here. He was here in his arms. He had found him again. Flame looked up at him with teary eyes and a happy smile on his face.

"A long time" he said as he looked up at him. "And I knew you'd come. You have something i gave you" he said in his squeaky little voice. Kaden was momentarily confused as he held the digimon in his arms. It felt so wonderful to finally have him back.

"What do I have?" he asked as he let go long enough to wipe his eyes free, feeling new tears of happiness spill out.

"My heart" Flame said up to him as Kaden hugged him close. "I gave it to you, remember?" Flame said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And I'll always have it, so you can love me forever" Kaden whispered to him as he squeezed the little guy in his arms. He felt so happy to finally have him back. He had hoped for the right thing after all this time. He had waited long enough. Flame was his again. Happy. Just the way he should have been.

A sudden realisation hit him and he lowered Flame into his lap slowly.

"Oh crap" he said as he felt a slight feeling of dread enter his body.

"What?" Flame asked as he looked up at him curiously.

"How am I going to tell my parents my new boyfriend is a big black dragon?"

The End.