Hello everyone. I am a new member. I am a huge fan of the Adventure seasons as well as the novels. This is set Post-01 but Pre-02. I love reading fanfiction so I wanted to write one myself. I hope everyone enjoys this. This is written for the Multi-Chapter Boot Camp in the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges forum using the prompt 'fall'. It is also written for the What-if challenge.

Chapter One:

The DigiDestined stared as Apoccalymon survived the blast. How was this possible? They had gained their confidence back and managed to get the digimon to digivolve without their crests.

Kari had been standing next to T.K., her tiny hands clenched into fists. Her and T.K. may be the youngest but they were DigiDestined too.

Mama and Papa are counting on us. I have to be strong.

Angewomon sent her a reassuring smile. "Relax, Kari. I'll always protect you, no matter what."

Kari nodded. "Right, sorry."

"W-what's happening?" Joe's voice stammered then as he spoke, clinging tightly to Zudomon as he saw a darkness gathering around the already much dark area. A dark claw reached out towards them but suddenly before any of the others could make a move to defend, Wargreymon jumped in front of the claw. The claw wrapped itself around him, dark flashes of purple electricity flashing.

"Wargreymon!" Tai jumped forward without thought, the only thought surging through his head was to protect the others and stand with his Digital Partner.

"Big brother!"

"Tai!"

"Tai! Wargreymon!"

Screams from the others could be heard but that wasn't all. In each of the children's hearts, the symbols of their crests appeared once more, balls of light shooting at Appocalymon.

Tai, no, Kari thought, tears filling her eyes as she focused. Not her brother, no. Nothing could happen to her Tai. Her courage, her everything, what would she do if he didn't get out of this? Why? Why did he have to be so reckless and think of protecting them? Hope surged inside her as she heard a deafening roar of pain come from Appocalymon and his data seemed to burst into pieces.

No one seemed to be able to move. Was Appocalymon dead? It seemed so since his data was no longer there but where was Tai? She needed to know. Kari could feel her heart thudding wildly and for a moment, she felt it would come out of her chest.

"Appocalymon's gone," Gennai's voice interrupted before anyone could speak. "At least from the Digital World."

"What does that mean?" Sora said sharply. "Where are Tai and Wargreymon?"

"Sora," Biyomon's expression was rueful.

Gennai's expression was somber. "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?" Matt said, his fists clenching. "What do you mean you're not sure? Where is Tai?"

Izzy was frowning deeply. "Gennai, is Tai…?"

Kari's lower lip trembled. "No! Don't say that!" Please don't say that.

T.K. grasped Kari's hand. "Kari…"

A tear fell down Kari's cheek and the little brunette grasped T.K.'s hand tightly in her own. This couldn't be…no, Tai couldn't be. "T.K., their lying…" Her lower lip trembled. "T.K. please."

"Kari," Gatomon hugged Kari around the legs before T.K. could say anything. She had no idea what to say right now as words seemed to fail her.

"G-Gatomon," Kari whispered. "Tai…"

Gatomon shook her head. "I know."

And Kari knew she did. She had lost her best friend Wizardmon in a battle after all.

It's not fair…it's not fair. I don't want to be a DigiDestined if it means losing Tai. In sheer frustration, she threw her digivice away onto the digital grass that had begun to appear. Their surroundings had changed and they were no longer trapped in that dark place but rather had reappeared in Primary Village.

"Kari," T.K. without thinking twice pulled her into a hug as Sora caught Kari's digivice. "It's going to be okay. Right Matt?" He glanced at his brother, whose face was pale.

Matt snapped himself out of his stupor, managing a weak smile at his little brother. "Y-yeah, don't worry T.K., Kari…"

Gennai hung his head. "Appocalymon's threat has been taken care of. But unfortunately…" He was unable to meet the children's gaze. It seemed for a moment he was unable to form any words to speak.

"Would you tell us already?" Joe snapped. Kari could tell he was on edge from his tone of voice.

Izzy sighed, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. "I-it appears T-Tai didn't…survive…"

Kari shivered, her worst fears confirmed. She had been trying to deny it but it was obvious. She may be small but she wasn't stupid. She could hear T.K. torn between crying himself (which he was already) and comforting her. She could feel Gatomon hugging her and feeling her gentle nuzzles but it brought no comfort. No, no, Tai was gone. Her courage, her strength was gone. She could feel her vision blur. Everything was fading away before her eyes and the next thing, she knew was her world had gone black.

"Kari!" T.K. caught his friend in his arms and looked at the others. "Matt, Kari is…"

Gatomon shook Kari lightly. "Kari! Kari!" Her eyes were wide.

Matt forced his own tears back to focus on his little brother. His heart was being shredded to pieces, or at least that was how it felt right now. But T.K. was upset and Kari was worse. But comfort was not his strength so he turned to Mimi and Sora almost pleadingly.

Mimi was openly crying while Sora had tears falling down her cheeks however, the redhead gave Matt a small smile, before hurrying to T.K. and Kari's side. Matt joined them as well.

"T.K., it's gonna be okay," Sora said gently, unsure of what else to say.

T.K. shook his head. "I'm not a child, Sora. Even I know that T-Tai is…"

Sora tried to smile, but was unable to muster one up. "He wouldn't want this, a-and r-right n-now K-Kari n-needs u-us." Her voice shook as she desperately tried to steady it.

Matt flinched a little as Sora said that. Tai would want them to still go on but that didn't change things. He glanced around at the others. They had won but it didn't feel like a victory. They had lost their precious friend. Their precious leader.

The one who accepted me, despite everything I did. The one who never stopped believing in me no matter how rough things got or how I hurt him.

The blond was snapped out of these thoughts as he felt a hand on his cheeks and looked to see T.K. there, looking into his eyes.

Matt realized T.K.'s hands had become wet from touching his cheeks. "T.K. ..."

T.K. shook his head. "Your crying, Matt."

Matt quickly pulled away, trying to wipe his tears. "No, that's…"

"Don't lie," T.K. said softly. "You're allowed to cry too, Matt."

"You're always allowed to cry," Gabumon added in, having not spoken for awhile as he had been trying to comfort a distraught Biyomon.

Matt pulled T.K. close, allowing a few tears to fall. "It's not fair, I never – never got a chance – to tell h-him t-that I-I c-cared…" He trailed off, his voice coming out in small, soft whimpers.

"He knew, Matt," T.K. whispered, crying himself as well. "He knew. None of us knew or understood what happened but he always believed you'd come back. Kari told me. He and Wargreymon fought on their own because he wanted to wait for you. He wanted you to fight by his side. Not Izzy, not Kari, not anyone."

Matt's breath caught in his throat. Somehow that seared through his heart even worse than before. Even though a part of him always knew that Tai believed in him but hearing it so clearly, it hurt. It hurt a lot, more than he wanted to admit even to himself. He had never told Tai this, but Tai was his best friend. The one person who understood him without him having to say it out loud on how he felt.

"I'm sorry," Matt whispered. "I should have saved him, I should have…"

"Don't be silly, Matt," Gabumon's voice cut in before he could continue to blame himself for what was happening. "There was nothing you could have done right now. Everything happened too fast."

Matt stared at the other, wanting to believe him but a part of him just didn't want to.

After all the things I've done…after I almost killed him…then how? He knew he should keep himself together as everyone else was falling part. Sora was holding an unconscious Kari and crying, T.K. was crying in his arms, Mimi was crying on Joe's shoulder and Izzy was trying to talk to Gennai through tears that would not stop coming. The digimon weren't doing too much better, the female digimon save for Gatomon were in tears. Gatomon was close to it, but was clinging so tightly to her partner that someone would have to get a crowbar to pull her away.

I have to…I have to stay strong for everyone else, Matt pulled T.K. into his arms and headed back towards Sora and Kari. DigiEggs were beginning to fall out of the sky causing the blond to look up in awe.

"W-what's going on?" Matt said, voice hoarse.

"The Digital World is starting over," Gennai said. "Primary Village is being restored."

"Oh," Matt coughed to hold back the words coming into his mouth and bit his tongue. They had saved the Digital World but at such a high cost, he almost wished they hadn't. Was it really worth it in the end?