A Farewell Gift [Spirit Hunt] [Solo]
Aug 11, 2019 23:43:51 GMT
Post by Toki Akiyama on Aug 11, 2019 23:43:51 GMT
In hindsight, it has not been that long since Toki was here at Tsusagimon’s temple, though last time it was under less than ideal circumstances. Now that he could see it on his own terms, it was certainly something to behold. This was the place his spirit lived. The place so many Digimon lived, learned, and eventually left to set out on their own goals. He looked up at the entrance of the temple and hesitated. Should he really be here after what happened? He felt as if he didn’t really belong in a place like this, like he didn’t deserve it after what happened to Tsusagimon.
He heard a voice from behind him “Toki?” It was Aylin. The Lunamon, revealed to have been Tsusagimon’s daughter this entire time, walked behind him. She sighed and smiled at him “You can’t stop thinking about what happened, can you? Toki…what happened wasn’t your fault…it was-“
Toki interrupted her “It’s not your fault, either. We just…couldn’t have possibly expected what was going to happen. He wouldn’t want us berating ourselves like this.” He said. While it was true, even Toki found it hard to forgive himself for what happened. “I don’t even know why I came here. I guess I wanted to see the rest of this place with my own eyes now that I can. It’s…so quiet here.”
Aylin didn’t say anything for a little bit. Toki had always supported her, and his kindness in saying that she shouldn’t blame herself made that clearer than ever. Now though, she needed to support him as well. They were both hurting from what happened “Come on, I’ll show you around.” She walked in front of him, patiently waiting for him to follow along.
As the two of them walked through the entrance hall where AncientWisemon was formerly stationed, Toki took the moment to ask “What was life like here? With someone like Tsusagimon watching over everyone I can only imagine it was peaceful. He must have been an amazing teacher.”
Aylin smiled “It was really peaceful. We all learned a lot from him, and it always felt so safe here. Though…father was a lot like you in a way. He overworked himself so much and worried about everything. If there was so much of a rumor that someone wasn’t doing well, he would go above and beyond to support them. I think that’s part of what led to his declining health. But it was what he loved doing. Seeing everyone content and happy was what kept him going.”
Toki listened to her story and soon they reached the center training grounds. The warm sun shined into the area “We were a lot more alike than I thought, then…right now though, I’m really struggling to find a meaning in it all. He’s gone…and K passed away recently. I’ve fought for so long, and I feel like all I’m reward with is more pain and suffering, like everything I’ve done hasn’t really amounted to anything.” He said with a heavy sigh before he sat down on a flat stone in the training grounds.
Aylin sat next to him “I know…I know. It’s been so hard for me to deal with too. Even with what you’ve said to me I still feel partially responsible for it all. But…as hard as it is, you have made some really visible effects on the world. You can’t ignore that…even if it feels like it’s being drowned out by what’s going on right now. What you’re…what we’re doing, matters. I don’t want you to lose sight of that, and neither would father.”
There was not much that Toki could say. Aylin was right, but there was something else that bothered him recently. He had gained the resolve to push past it after what happened during Golden Week, but he still had to address it “For a while I was worried. Worried that I wasn’t my own person anymore. That everything people saw in me was just…Tsusagimon talking, and not me. I wanted to be like him. I wanted people to look up to me like others looked up to him. But in that, I lost track of who I was and what his teachings meant. Now I see that I can take what he’s taught me, but also live my own life and guide people in my own ways. Inspire people by being myself and not trying too hard to emulate someone else…”
He must have been distraught about this for a long time. Aylin felt awful that she didn’t notice it sooner, or worse, unintentionally encouraged the idea. “Who you are is amazing, Toki. A great friend, and someone who will make a great teacher one day.”
Toki smiled and was about to answer, but the D-Tector started to beep. He held it out in front of him, the radar opening and pointing at something above them and to the north. “…What’s going on? I shouldn’t have any more spirits to obtain, right? Let’s check it out, Aylin.” The radar seemed to be leading them upstairs past Tsusagimon’s room and up the stairs to where the pagoda used to stand.
Aylin paused to look around the old room before continuing forward, the wind gently pushing the strands of tall grass. Despite the destruction from the fight with Cherubimon and Ultimate Chaosmon, the field was recovering quite well. The pagoda, or what was left of it, was loaded. Though where it once stood, something shined. “This is strange.” Aylin commented. “Father didn’t have any other forms…did he?”
As the two approached the light, the shine became more intense, blinding them temporarily as they find themselves beneath a small island floating in the sky, a single cherry blossom tree looming above them. A familiar figure stood across from them as Aylin approached “F-Father…?” she reached out for him, but pulled her hand back “...It’s a…message.” She said. To see him again though was enough.
Tsusagimon smiled softly “Toki. And I’m sure Aylin is here with you as well. I can’t possibly begin to imagine what the two of you are going through. After what happened with Cherubimon, you must be confused…lost…and struggling to find meaning in the world. Forgive if it is baseless assumption…but if it is truly the case, then allow me to say that neither of you did anything wrong. Toki, you followed your heart because you wanted to help me to the best of your abilities. Aylin, you were wrongfully manipulated and forced into a situation you would never participate in otherwise…no one could ever blame you for what happened. One thing that you two need to accept, however…is that I’m gone. The two of you try so hard to be like me…and while it’s heartwarming, I don’t want you two to live your lives in my shadow. Please…learn from what I’ve taught you but use my teachings in your own ways. Expand on what I’ve taught you and make them better than I was ever to make them.” He walked towards the tree and placed his hand on the trunk “I made this message with whatever semblance of strength and willpower I had left during those awful days being trapped in the siphon. I’ve left you some gifts, Toki. Though you may not realize it, you’ve taught me much during our time together. Humility. The ability to grow as a person. The perseverance you had to display to be where you are today…part of me lost sight of those values throughout my long years…”
The vision began to fade “I love you both so dearly. The two of you…are the greatest students and children I could have ever asked for. Aylin, keep on living your life. Be happy and cheerful like how you always were…and Toki…accept my final gifts and pursue your own dreams. My first gift is the monastery. Do with it as you please or leave it as a relic of the past. The choice is yours. The second…well…you’ll see. I will miss our times together…both of you. Farewell.”
Toki and Aylin would find them back in front of the remnants of the pagoda. Aylin’s eyes brimmed over with tears, but she was…happy. To see the real Tsusagimon one last time…that was the closure she needed. Toki stepped forward to see the last gift. A new totem. Still looked very similar to Tsusagimon, but the fur was darker, and the vague shape of a sword was on the totem’s hip. He smiled softly and held out his D-Tector. The totem’s data was swiftly absorbed. He held it out and checked on the new totem “…Kenshimon.” He said softly before he looked over to Aylin. He knelt down and hugged her “He’s right. We need to carry on with our own lives instead of holding onto the past and trying to emulate it…we have to push forward by our own merits, taking what he’s taught us while doing our own thing.”
Aylin nodded, drying her eyes “Yeah. I’m…thankful for the chance to hear him again after all this time. I think that’s all I ever wanted…after he left to fight for Terminus so long ago, I never got to see him again. But now I think I’m really ready to move on. Toki, if you ever need anything, I’ll be there to help you. I owe you at least that much for everything you’ve done for us.”
Toki gently pat her head “Thank you. You’ve done a lot for me too, so let’s keep at it. There are a lot of people out there who still need help, so we can’t give up now. For now though…let’s see about cleaning up around here. I think I know what can be done with the place.”
Aylin nodded happily and followed Toki back to the monastery. The two of them would work night and day to clean and dust off the old ruins in preparation for something big in the future. It would take time, but it would be worth it in the end. Tsusagimon in fact had three gifts to them. The final farewell gift, was the inspiration to keep living their lives despite the ever present hardships.
Final Word Count: 1700
He heard a voice from behind him “Toki?” It was Aylin. The Lunamon, revealed to have been Tsusagimon’s daughter this entire time, walked behind him. She sighed and smiled at him “You can’t stop thinking about what happened, can you? Toki…what happened wasn’t your fault…it was-“
Toki interrupted her “It’s not your fault, either. We just…couldn’t have possibly expected what was going to happen. He wouldn’t want us berating ourselves like this.” He said. While it was true, even Toki found it hard to forgive himself for what happened. “I don’t even know why I came here. I guess I wanted to see the rest of this place with my own eyes now that I can. It’s…so quiet here.”
Aylin didn’t say anything for a little bit. Toki had always supported her, and his kindness in saying that she shouldn’t blame herself made that clearer than ever. Now though, she needed to support him as well. They were both hurting from what happened “Come on, I’ll show you around.” She walked in front of him, patiently waiting for him to follow along.
As the two of them walked through the entrance hall where AncientWisemon was formerly stationed, Toki took the moment to ask “What was life like here? With someone like Tsusagimon watching over everyone I can only imagine it was peaceful. He must have been an amazing teacher.”
Aylin smiled “It was really peaceful. We all learned a lot from him, and it always felt so safe here. Though…father was a lot like you in a way. He overworked himself so much and worried about everything. If there was so much of a rumor that someone wasn’t doing well, he would go above and beyond to support them. I think that’s part of what led to his declining health. But it was what he loved doing. Seeing everyone content and happy was what kept him going.”
Toki listened to her story and soon they reached the center training grounds. The warm sun shined into the area “We were a lot more alike than I thought, then…right now though, I’m really struggling to find a meaning in it all. He’s gone…and K passed away recently. I’ve fought for so long, and I feel like all I’m reward with is more pain and suffering, like everything I’ve done hasn’t really amounted to anything.” He said with a heavy sigh before he sat down on a flat stone in the training grounds.
Aylin sat next to him “I know…I know. It’s been so hard for me to deal with too. Even with what you’ve said to me I still feel partially responsible for it all. But…as hard as it is, you have made some really visible effects on the world. You can’t ignore that…even if it feels like it’s being drowned out by what’s going on right now. What you’re…what we’re doing, matters. I don’t want you to lose sight of that, and neither would father.”
There was not much that Toki could say. Aylin was right, but there was something else that bothered him recently. He had gained the resolve to push past it after what happened during Golden Week, but he still had to address it “For a while I was worried. Worried that I wasn’t my own person anymore. That everything people saw in me was just…Tsusagimon talking, and not me. I wanted to be like him. I wanted people to look up to me like others looked up to him. But in that, I lost track of who I was and what his teachings meant. Now I see that I can take what he’s taught me, but also live my own life and guide people in my own ways. Inspire people by being myself and not trying too hard to emulate someone else…”
He must have been distraught about this for a long time. Aylin felt awful that she didn’t notice it sooner, or worse, unintentionally encouraged the idea. “Who you are is amazing, Toki. A great friend, and someone who will make a great teacher one day.”
Toki smiled and was about to answer, but the D-Tector started to beep. He held it out in front of him, the radar opening and pointing at something above them and to the north. “…What’s going on? I shouldn’t have any more spirits to obtain, right? Let’s check it out, Aylin.” The radar seemed to be leading them upstairs past Tsusagimon’s room and up the stairs to where the pagoda used to stand.
Aylin paused to look around the old room before continuing forward, the wind gently pushing the strands of tall grass. Despite the destruction from the fight with Cherubimon and Ultimate Chaosmon, the field was recovering quite well. The pagoda, or what was left of it, was loaded. Though where it once stood, something shined. “This is strange.” Aylin commented. “Father didn’t have any other forms…did he?”
As the two approached the light, the shine became more intense, blinding them temporarily as they find themselves beneath a small island floating in the sky, a single cherry blossom tree looming above them. A familiar figure stood across from them as Aylin approached “F-Father…?” she reached out for him, but pulled her hand back “...It’s a…message.” She said. To see him again though was enough.
Tsusagimon smiled softly “Toki. And I’m sure Aylin is here with you as well. I can’t possibly begin to imagine what the two of you are going through. After what happened with Cherubimon, you must be confused…lost…and struggling to find meaning in the world. Forgive if it is baseless assumption…but if it is truly the case, then allow me to say that neither of you did anything wrong. Toki, you followed your heart because you wanted to help me to the best of your abilities. Aylin, you were wrongfully manipulated and forced into a situation you would never participate in otherwise…no one could ever blame you for what happened. One thing that you two need to accept, however…is that I’m gone. The two of you try so hard to be like me…and while it’s heartwarming, I don’t want you two to live your lives in my shadow. Please…learn from what I’ve taught you but use my teachings in your own ways. Expand on what I’ve taught you and make them better than I was ever to make them.” He walked towards the tree and placed his hand on the trunk “I made this message with whatever semblance of strength and willpower I had left during those awful days being trapped in the siphon. I’ve left you some gifts, Toki. Though you may not realize it, you’ve taught me much during our time together. Humility. The ability to grow as a person. The perseverance you had to display to be where you are today…part of me lost sight of those values throughout my long years…”
The vision began to fade “I love you both so dearly. The two of you…are the greatest students and children I could have ever asked for. Aylin, keep on living your life. Be happy and cheerful like how you always were…and Toki…accept my final gifts and pursue your own dreams. My first gift is the monastery. Do with it as you please or leave it as a relic of the past. The choice is yours. The second…well…you’ll see. I will miss our times together…both of you. Farewell.”
Toki and Aylin would find them back in front of the remnants of the pagoda. Aylin’s eyes brimmed over with tears, but she was…happy. To see the real Tsusagimon one last time…that was the closure she needed. Toki stepped forward to see the last gift. A new totem. Still looked very similar to Tsusagimon, but the fur was darker, and the vague shape of a sword was on the totem’s hip. He smiled softly and held out his D-Tector. The totem’s data was swiftly absorbed. He held it out and checked on the new totem “…Kenshimon.” He said softly before he looked over to Aylin. He knelt down and hugged her “He’s right. We need to carry on with our own lives instead of holding onto the past and trying to emulate it…we have to push forward by our own merits, taking what he’s taught us while doing our own thing.”
Aylin nodded, drying her eyes “Yeah. I’m…thankful for the chance to hear him again after all this time. I think that’s all I ever wanted…after he left to fight for Terminus so long ago, I never got to see him again. But now I think I’m really ready to move on. Toki, if you ever need anything, I’ll be there to help you. I owe you at least that much for everything you’ve done for us.”
Toki gently pat her head “Thank you. You’ve done a lot for me too, so let’s keep at it. There are a lot of people out there who still need help, so we can’t give up now. For now though…let’s see about cleaning up around here. I think I know what can be done with the place.”
Aylin nodded happily and followed Toki back to the monastery. The two of them would work night and day to clean and dust off the old ruins in preparation for something big in the future. It would take time, but it would be worth it in the end. Tsusagimon in fact had three gifts to them. The final farewell gift, was the inspiration to keep living their lives despite the ever present hardships.
Final Word Count: 1700
