GRAVITY
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Never mind the rest of whatever I wrote. I was just stressed lol.
Some things I'd like to mention: This fic doesn't count the 02 season as canon. So won't be seeing the new kids, maybe here and there sometimes, but that's it.
CHAPTER ONE
He didn't know how long he'll be able to hold on. His muscles were stretched to an extent they could snap anytime. His heart was throbbing madly. It'll end; it'll end anytime now, he tried to console himself, to push out whatever remained of his strength. Only some more time for them to climb out.
A second later, the tear-stained face of his sister emerged. She crouched and made the jump. She thudded on the ground and got to her feet again, and stared up, dust-smeared and scratched over and over.
"Let me help you, Taichi!" she cried.
"No, you can't touch it, it'll burn you!" He screamed back, "Only the Fire can possibly restrain..."
His voice dissolved away as Kari's pained face told him she didn't care about the details right then. "But..."
"Hikari," he returned her an affectionate look, almost a smile. It might as well be the last time he would see her, "Go."
The walls were already shaking. He held on. Kari stood against his back, giving him some sure strength. The wind was hard-hitting, and her legs trembled a bit, but she didn't budge.
"Kari, run. Don't do this!" He shouted in protest, "I don't want you to –"
"Yes, I don't want you to die either," she snapped back, albeit too tensed to be actually snappy, "Imagine me facing mum if I ran –"
Just then, Tai saw a redhead climbing weakly to get out. She glanced at Tai – he had never seen her so hopeless before. The walls were shaking harder than ever, so hard that if Sora didn't hurry she'd fall back into the portal and he and his sister would collapse under the debris. Sora stumbled up to her feet, somehow trying to get a grip over the mossy slimy wall, when Tai noticed a huge, gruesome gash running down her leg, bleeding. It gave him chills.
"Sora!" He cried out. His voice was heavy, "You have to do it."
Sora nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. She fell on her stomach. Maybe crawling would help her emerge faster. Her gait left a trail of blood. The sight was sickening. It was like climbing onto a slope through a landslide – with one dead leg – one slip, and she would be falling right to her death.
Tai gritted his teeth. It was a hard sight, but he had to watch her, and guide her until she climbed out of the hell-hole. She needed inspiration. And he couldn't possibly snatch away leftover hope she had.
"Sora, look at me," he called out. Their eyes met, while she kept on crawling, slowly and hopelessly. "Trust me, you'll make it," he whispered amidst the noise, but he was sure Sora would hear it. He doesn't know why. He probably heard a whisper back, "I trust you."
And it seemed to stiffen her resolve. She tried to hurtle out madly, just with her hands, like an insect fallen into the water. Tai felt a tinge of happiness in his sinking heart. He took a deep breath and held on. His arms were numb. His bones might break with the pressure. For just a little bit more...
Finally she was at the edge. The walls had begun to shatter. "Jump, Sora!" Tai screamed. It was a matter of seconds before the portal closed.
Sora closed her eyes and jumped. She fell on her mutilated leg and let out a sharp cry of pain. Kari gasped. It was over, finally. Tai let go of the walls even as the debris began to splatter like rain. Before another thought, he pushed Kari towards Sora so hard that both the girls tumbled metres away. Then –
Snap.
"TAI!"
21st July, 2015.
Present day.
"Why do high school stories considered bad for the literary elitist's taste? Why are they deemed chick flicks? Even if so, why are chick flicks deemed dumb? Hardly any logic."
"I don't understand you, Joe."
"A certain gender discourse we ought to break, Tai. This whole hierarchical structure –"
"If you don't stop right now, I'll eat your burger too."
Sora pushed past the café door and spotted Tai and Joe sitting extreme to the right. It was a sultry summer day and so it wasn't surprising the café was unusually stuffed. Having the window table helped though. Joe was glued unblinkingly to his laptop, his food untouched while Tai caught a quick glance at her and stopped munching into his burger for a big wave.
"Hey Sora."
"Hey Tai," she looked out for a chair and finally found one.
"Didn't you have a French class?"
"Flunked it, "Sora grinned, and Tai joined in. An exchange of knowing looks followed. Probably he was the only one who understood what a pain in the arse that class was, she thought. She turned to Joe next, who was rather oblivious to the whole conversation, perhaps even her presence.
"What's up, Joe?" she began. Tai yawned. Joe made an "Hmm..." sort of sound, which meant he would process her question later.
"Oh he's writing a novel," said Tai, "It's called Tri."
"Digimon Adventure Tri."
"Yeah, yeah," Tai looked unimpressed, "Just care to add a disclaimer that it's fictional."
"Of course..."
Tai rolled his eyes, "How d'you medics get the time to write novels? Medicine's too much screwed up already, what with the cutting and stitching up people, I don't get it."
"You don't get what?" came a mumbling sound from Joe.
"The time. And why I am here."
Sora wouldn't deny the same question crossed her mind too. "So why are you here?"
"Because he wants to interview me." Tai grumbled under his breath.
Sora burst into a laugh. "What?"
"Yeah, laugh at me." Tai's reason for annoyance was quite legitimate. His head fell face-flat over his arms onto the table. "Come on, Joe, you can't be serious, you were there the whole time, all the time, then whaaaai," and there came another yawn.
"The critical details."
"Don't be so depressed, Tai," Sora spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "These are just small pricks in the way of becoming a celebrity. I can barely stop imagining you walking the red carpet." She burst out laughing again.
"My day will come soon, Sora. And I'll make you pay for this."
"In fact," Joe murmured, never looking up, "I'll need your interview too, Sora. Every one of you."
Her laughter was gone. Tai sniggered.
"Er, I just remembered, I had to talk up about the assignment with Miss Matsuzaka. Tai, care to join?"
"Sure, anytime," Tai had already risen from his chair, "See you later, Joe. Rest of it, tomorrow."
"Well that was a close brush," Sora sighed in relief as soon as they made the turn at the corridor. Tai grinned.
"So, where're you off to?" He asked.
"Um, I don't know. Where's Izzy?"
"Taken a day off. Wants to stay in his room, probably developing something. Am I the only one who's doing nothing?"
"Oh no no, count me in," she playfully tagged her arm around his neck.
"Yes, you of course, "said Tai, "Lazy git. Didn't even turn up for the soccer practice. What're you planning on becoming now, the cheerleader?"
"I overslept." Sora looked up innocently, "I said I'm sorry."
"Yeah, yeah, you're forgiven."
"Aaaand now that you're the captain –"
"–You won't be given extra privileges, madam. Next time, on time, or you're out." He chuckled even as Sora narrowed her eyes. Then as if lightning struck her, she retreated into a statue, her eyes big and staring right into the wall in front.
"What happened?" asked Tai confusedly.
"Matt!"
Tai looked around to check if she saw him. But no, he was sure there was just a wall, and it didn't look anything like Matt.
"Matt what?"
"I completely forgot!" She seemed to be prepping for a run.
"Huh?"
"See you later, idiot!" Her voice rang through the corridor as she bumped into a couple, clumsily took a turn and disappeared.
For some reason, Tai's heart sank. And the sinking feeling didn't leave him all afternoon, even as he returned home. He pushed open the door, loosened the tie knot, threw his socks over to a corner and slumped onto the sofa. The house was expectedly empty: his mum was at the office, dad out of the country and Kari gone for the piano lessons. Probably just Agumon clamping down on his old PlayStation. When the sinking subsided, he felt chaos raging inside his head.
She didn't even tell me where she was off to. I am her best friend.
Matt is her boyfriend.
So what?!
Well.
After a while of lying upside down on the sofa, he gathered himself and trotted to his room. Agumon was sitting on the window ledge, so cheerful that Tai was sure he had broken something and hidden it successfully.
"How was today?" Agumon asked.
"It was okay..."
"Uh, what happened?"
"What? Nothing." Tai sounded too defensive.
Agumon looked suspicious, but Tai ignored him – well, more or less. Then Agumon started, "You forgot your Digivice on your study today."
"Yeah, I realised the moment I got to school. Well, I guess it's safer back home. It's been three years and nothing really happened."
"I kept beeping throughout the day though."
Tai's brow frowned. "What, why?"
"No idea."
Tai held the Digivice into his palm and gazed into it. The screen was blank and it looked as good as dead. "That's weird."
"Maybe it was missing you," Agumon joked.
"Yeah, at least something misses me."
This time Agumon came off stern. "Tai, what's wrong?"
"I told you. Nothing."
"Is it Sora again?"
"What?" Tai looked up in surprise. His collar went hot and he felt himself going deep maroon.
"I thought so." Agumon sighed.
"You thought what, Agumon?" Tai raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing."
"Spit it out."
"Tai," Agumon looked concerned, "I thought you're over it by now."
Tai gave up. He got to his feet and began changing into his pyjamas. "Yeah, "he said dismissively, "You'd be so over it if you practically see her all the time and she plays in your soccer team and she calls you her best buddy and she dates your best friend... remind me again, why am I ranting?"
"Look, why don't you tell her –"
"It's not like I haven't tried. But it doesn't matter. She loves Matt. And she is happy. Which is more important."
"But Tai –"
"More important." He asserts again, his words having a tone of finality; he didn't want to continue with the subject anymore.
Night came in early. Tai turned the other side, almost asleep. The faint glow of the moonlight creeping through the window and the garden branches made for odd shadows on the wall. He blinked sleepily, rubbed his eyes and tried to go to sleep again, and slowly drifted into random thoughts...
Of course, Sora's happiness meant the most to him. He did try to find some for his own – he really did – but something didn't work out. He was grumpy for a while, yes, confused about the growing bulbous hormones, adolescent angst and the lack of a new adventure, perhaps. Perhaps, he had a thing for saving the world, who knew. Perhaps being inches from death was the only eligible distraction from that nasty heartache. But the Digiworld seemed to be at peace, his own world seemed to be at peace – everyone seemed to be at peace.
So he decided to let go of it. All was well, he made believe. He stopped being awkward around Sora, something he had begun since she had confessed to Matt. And they went back to their old ways. Sora was relieved, and happy. He never wanted her to feel guilty about her choices. Needless to say, her happiness meant the most to him.
Tap tap tap.
He frowned at the sound. He was sure he imagined it. He looked around. Everything was still, except for the sleeping Agumon's heaving belly.
Tap tap.
He shot up straight. He couldn't have imagined it the second time.
He listened carefully. His Digivice beeped all of a sudden. He jumped in alarm, then clutched his heart and sighed in relief. But wait.
Tap tap tap.
It was coming from the backyard, sounded like a biggish animal walking. A wolf maybe? Although the idea was slightly ridiculous, it wouldn't hurt to check.
Beep beep beep beep. The Digivice went louder and louder. This was what Agumon was talking about.
"What's up with you?" He clasped the device, even pressed all the buttons one after one. It kept on beeping irritatingly. He wondered whether it was malfunctioning. Can something as powerful as a Digivice malfunction?
Just then, the corner of his eyes caught a white flash from the backyard. He turned sharply. It felt like someone flashed a camera at his ear. He screwed his eyebrows. Something was definitely going on.
He shoved his Digivice into his pocket and slid open the glass door. Agumon was still snoring. Without another sound, he tiptoed out of the apartment. He looked around for his slippers, but gave up after a second of futile search. Up there was something more important. Was it a thief? Was it even human? He stepped into the complete darkness. The soft grass felt cold under his naked feet.
The grass was stiffer and uncomfortable amidst the bushy brambles. He peeked in, and kept walking. The Digivice kept beeping in his pocket: the only sound in the eerie quiet.
"Anyone there?" Tai finally lost his quota of patience and called out.
Expectedly, no answer came.
Another tap.
"Show yourself!" Tai demanded, his temper rising. He ran further into the bushes.
At that moment, he thought he saw something. The creature – or a human being – was undefined in the dark, but he could make out the long hair and round spectacles-like eyes that gave a sharp glare once in a while, or wait, were they spectacles? He took a tiny approaching step; the creature backed off. It pulled out something like a gun – or a hose pipe – he wasn't sure. It readied the weapon at Tai.
"No, don't," Tai held out his hands in defence, which he knew could never be enough if the creature fired, "I can help you."
The creature didn't lower the weapon but seemed to reconsider. Tai noticed his Digivice had stopped beeping, and all there was left, was a moment of silent tension.
But then the creature fired without warning. Tai screamed pre-empting his death, but it wasn't a bullet – just another blinding flash of light. However, he was knocked to the ground and before he could gather his senses again, the creature made for the run – almost through him – as if it were a spirit, or some superfast ninja usually staple of urban myths.
"What's going on? Tai?" Kari's voice rang in the dark. Tai brushed off the dust and trotted out of the bushes suspiciously.
"What's going on?" Kari asked again, sleepily, "I thought I heard you scream."
"Yeah," Tai seemed lost, "I encountered something."
"What was it?"
"No idea," he said, "But it was decidedly odd. Did you catch a flash of light?"
"No," Kari looked confused.
"No?"
"No, Tai."
"That's weird." Suddenly his eyes went to his deflated pocket. "Where's my Digivice?"
Kari looked on and Tai panicked. "That thing took it, I'm sure, that thing ... Oh no, and it took it, shit, what now –"
"Tai, you perhaps dropped it in the bushes."
He thought hard; after all he couldn't remember if he did take his Digivice out of his pocket.
"We can search it in the morning. It's impossible to locate anything in the dark," sighed Kari, "Let's go back."
"It's stolen," Tai said firmly, "And I'm gonna know why. I shouldn't have fallen for the trap."
Okay guys, Digimon Adventure holds a special place in my heart and when I heard it's coming back with the original eight Digidestined, you know I hyperventilated so much I died and now I'm a ghost having trouble with the keyboard. This fic is my tribute to my childhood days, and the characters who have always meant so much to me.
PS: I love Tai.
PPS: That good ol' bastard looks amazing in Tri. *drool*