Epilogue
On a sunny afternoon in a quiet, peaceful park, a party was in full swing.
The adults sat at a picnic table, talking and eating as they watched the kids and Digimon spread out across the area.
Underneath the picnic shelter was a table full of food, where Guilmon was busy stuffing his face with the hot dogs and hamburgers Souichi was grilling a few feet away.
“Guilmon, don’t eat them all,” Rion pleaded, “Save some for the rest of us!”
“But I’m hungry…”
Rion sighed. “You’re always hungry, Guilmon!”
Nearby, an open field stretched out, where a soccer game was getting started.
“Everyone ready?” Akira called out, a soccer ball under her foot.
“Ready!” Kodamon and Gazimon shouted.
Seita smirked at her. “Let’s see who’s the better soccer player,” he said facetiously.
Akira grinned. “Don’t make me kick this ball in your face!” she said, launching it across the field.
At another picnic table, Tian and Ryou were in deep conversation, their heads bowed close to each other. Tian let out a soft laugh at something Ryou said.
“Hey,” Yuka whispered to Kei from across the table, “You think they’re going to kiss?”
“Eww, I hope not,” Kei wrinkled her nose. “One kissing couple in this group is enough!”
“Why do humans kiss?” Terriermon asked innocently.
“Yeah, inquiring minds want to know!” Lopmon added.
Kei and Yuka glanced at them, then glanced at each other, wondering how to explain.
“All right!” Mana shouted, “Picture time! Everyone gather around!”
Everyone got together in front of the soccer field, standing with the Digimon in front, the kids behind them, and the adults in the back. Jun was busy focusing the camera, trying to get the shot right.
“Jun!” Mana shouted, “Quit fiddling with the camera and get over here so we can get this picture taken!”
“My legs are falling asleep!” Kei said.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect, Jun,” Nami stated.
“Almost done…” Jun focused the camera again, then pressed the timer button. “All right, coming!” He ran into place and posed just as the camera went off.
Jun returned to the camera as everyone dispersed, and smiled. “Perfect shot!” he shouted.
Kei sighed in relief and walked off, trying to get feeling back in her legs.
Nami looked down at her watch, and a sad smile appeared on her face. “It’s time,” she said softly. She looked up, and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“It’s time, everyone!”
The kids looked up, then looked over at their partners in alert expectation… and a bit of sadness.
It was time to say goodbye.
“Naoko will give each of you a few minutes to say your goodbyes,” Nami said, “then she’ll bring the Digimon back to the Digital World.”
“And then the Digital Gates will be sealed?” Akira asked.
Nami nodded. “The worlds need time to heal. And with Kagulumon gone, the synchronization between the worlds is correcting itself. Time will flow at the same pace between both worlds.”
Akira was silent for a moment. “Do we know when the Gates will open again?”
Nami shook her head. “We don’t know.” She pushed Akira along. “Come now, don’t waste time! Go find Kodamon and talk to her!”
The kids spread out to find their Digimon partners and wish them well.
“Well…” Seita said to Gazimon, “what can I say?”
“We had a good run together,” Gazimon said, grinning.
“Yeah…” Seita sighed. “I’ll miss your confidence,” he said, “The feeling that we can go anywhere, and do anything, as long as we’re together.”
“We still will,” Gazimon replied, “No matter how far apart we are, we’ll always be together!”
“Thank you,” Tian said, bowing. “For all the support you’ve given me. For putting up with me through my anxieties. For… everything.”
Renamon shook her head. “It was you who helped me. You gave me something to protect and something to believe in.”
“Patamon,” Jun said, “You helped build my confidence in myself, and showed me what’s most important in life. My friends.” He wiped his eyes with a hand. “I’m going to miss solving puzzles with you!”
“And I with you,” Patamon answered, teary-eyed.
“Salamon…” Mana sobbed.
“Yeah…” Salamon sobbed back.
“I… you…” Mana wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “You taught me... to value myself,” she said shakily, “And showed me that I’m not a useless crybaby…” She laughed at this, “… but that I’m an important member of a team.” She smiled at Salamon. “That no matter how scared I get, things will turn out okay, as long as we work together.”
Salamon nodded. “Yeah.”
“Terriermon, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” Kei said, “No matter what happened, you were always there to support me. When I was alone. When Daddy died. You were always there.” Tears fell from her eyes. “I can’t imagine not being with you!”
“Kei,” Terriermon answered, “I’ll always be with you, even though we’ll be apart. As long as we don’t forget each other, or the experiences we had, we’ll always be together!”
“Thank you, Lopmon,” Yuka said, “For staying confident in me even though I wasn’t sure of myself. For keeping the light burning inside me.”
“And thank you, Yuka,” Lopmon answered, “For your strength of heart. You helped me do amazing things, and gave me something important to fight for.”
“Guilmon,” Rion said, “I’m sorry for treating you badly when we were in the Digital World.”
Guilmon nodded. “You got better.”
“I did,” Rion agreed, “and it was because of you. You knew I still had good within me, and you never gave up on me.”
“Akira and Kodamon helped,” Guilmon pointed out.
“Sure,” Rion said, “But it was mostly you!”
“Kodamon.” Akira roughly wiped her tears with a fist. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“Akira…”
“You’re the closest friend I have, and thinking about you leaving… it hurts!”
“We’ve been through so much together, you and I,” Kodamon said wistfully.
“Enough adventures to last a lifetime,” Akira added. “But I wish we had more time.”
Neither of them said anything for a moment.
“You know we’ll always be together, don’t you?” Kodamon asked.
Akira nodded. “Yeah. Always.”
“And remember what we said about doubts?” Kodamon asked, smiling.
Akira sniffled, then gave her most brilliant smile. “Kick ‘em away!”
As everyone finished their goodbyes, they slowly gathered around the soccer field again.
“Everyone ready?” Takashi asked.
The Digimon nodded.
The sky suddenly grew dark, and eight pillars of light came down on each of the Digimon. Their outlines glowed an eerie blue as they slowly rose up into the air.
“Goodbye,” Kodamon said.
Akira closed her eyes, her heart in her throat, then opened them again. “Goodbye, Kodamon!”
The air filled with voices saying farewells, both the kids on the ground, and the Digimon rising into the air.
“Goodbye, Renamon! Thank you!”
“Don’t forget me, Salamon!”
“Stay frosty, Seita!”
“Be happy, Guilmon! Don’t eat too much!”
“Keep moving ahead, Jun!”
“Don’t cry, Kei! We’ll see each other again!”
“Think of me, wherever you are, Yuka!”
As the Digimon’s outlines faded away against the bright blue sky, Akira smiled a bittersweet smile. Seita took her hand and squeezed it.
“We’ll see them again,” Tian said wistfully, “won’t we?”
For a moment, Akira couldn’t speak. She slowly closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, as if to let out the sadness and longing in her heart. Then she opened them. A hopeful, determined look crossed her face.
“Yes,” she said finally, “We will.”