Adventure

"Oh god, do I have to look back? It hurts. The whole thing hurts more than I even want to think about. From the beginning to the end, there was not one moment where I was completely happy.

"Firstly, was Takeru. No, Takeru wasn't the problem...I love him, he's my brother, I always will. But, my perception of him then was weird. Suddenly, I was stuck in summer camp with this little boy who I knew was my brother, but I had no idea who he was, really. Okaasan says that no one really knows who they are when they're eight, but you know what I mean.

"I really wanted to be a good big brother. But I screwed up a fair bit. I'm not good with kids as a rule -- my temper gets in the way and I never know what to say to them. So, there I was, this confused eleven year old, being either far too protective of him or not caring enough. It was terrible. But, I learned. That summer in the Digital World, I met a great kid. His name was Takaishi Takeru, and he's my younger brother.

"Then there was Taichi. I knew him from school, slightly, and from growing up in Hikarigaoka. He was never my type -- loudmouthed, hot-headed, and as thick as two short planks at times. Ironically, the characters used to write his name mean "thick" and "one". We fought. Like nothing on Earth. Yeah, I admit...sometimes I'd rile him up, just to get a reaction, but most of the time...God. He was like a damned bull in a china shop. Any problem could be solved if we ran at it screaming our lungs out. It was always "Go, go, go!" with him. And because he was the leader, more or less, we followed.

"I couldn't keep up with Taichi. I needed some time to think over everything that was happening. But I just didn't have that time. So I broke, of course. During one of our numerous punch-ups, I broke down and cried in front of him. Hey, lay off, I was eleven, what'd you expect? But anyway, he managed to break through my mask and I told him why I was acting like a jerk...well, one of the reasons, anyway. And then...well, Taichi...he became my best friend. Yeah, he was (and still is) as annoying as the day is long. But he listened. I doubt he understood, but he was the only one there who listened for once, not just heard. I love him for that.

"Discovering what my Crest meant was...well, different. I remember thinking, even as the crest burst into glowing beneath my shirt, 'What?! This is insane. I'm totally not very friendly at all!' But our crests...they weren't saying, "Hey, you are friendly/brave/hopeful," they were saying, "This is your hidden strength, it's within you, look deeper." But none of us knew that then, of course. But, in time, we did. I guess you could say we matured. Losing my crest...I thought it would be a big thing. But it wasn't. Heck no...I knew I was capable of frienship -- I didn't need a crest to tell me that.

"Saying goodbye to them at the end of it all...I know I acted indifferent, but, it broke my heart. Playing those last few notes on the harmonica for Gabumon, I could have bawled my eyes out. But I didn't. It wouldn't have made any difference. Besides, Taichi said that one day, someday, the gate would be open again. And for some reason, I believed him..."