"Run, Matt!," Sora screamed. Myotismon was attacking yet again. Matt froze at first then started running in the other direction. All of the kids' digimon had spent their energy and could no longer digivolve. So the only option was running. Matt got a few minutes away, and then realized he had no idea where T.K. was. He ran back even faster than he had run away. "T.K.? T.K. Where are you?" "Its ok, I've got him," replied a familiar voice. Mimi. She had matured so much since the arrival in the Digiworld, and had taken to T.K. more than anyone expected, "Just run Matt!" It was too late, though. Matt was unable to conceal himself in the forest and was captured by one of Myotismon's henchmen. He kicked and tried to free himself, but it was useless. The larger digimon won out. Matt was knocked out, and the last thing he heard was someone calling out for him, asking if he was still out there......
"Matt??" The bulky, and ugly teacher loomed overhead when Matt opened his eyes, "Oh, Matt? Do you think the best way to learn history in my classroom is to sleep?" Matt knew he was in trouble. He looked over to Tai, who shrugged helplessly, but looked sorry for him. Then, he looked over to his other friends. They actually looked glad that he was in deep. His "best friend"even flashed him a thumbs up as he was dragged from the room and to the principals office. Matt finally got out of detention at 3:30. He walked down to the school parking lot. As he approached his usual parking spot, something was amiss. His car was gone. Must be his a**hole friends must have hot-wired it again. They had been getting on his case a lot because he never wanted to hang out with them as much as he used to. Matt started walking. He hope he would find some money on the street to catch the bus so he wouldn't have to walk all the way home, which was close to eight miles. The sun was comfortably warm on the verge of being hot. Matt searched the black pavement for cash or change, but there was no such luck, all he found was a rotted old penny and two shiny dimes in the grass. He arrived at the bus stopped and waited for the bus, hoping he could convince the bus driver to let him get the money at home. The bus arrived and Matt stepped up on the metal stairs. He tried to hand over his insufficient money and walk quietly past the driver, but she was not completely stupid. "That'll be a dollar-fifty, dearie," the old woman snarled with mock sweetness. Her hair was disheveled, and it was obviously dyed (it was gray at the roots) Her forehead was filmed with sweat, as though she had been pushing the bus instead of driving it. "Ya, hear me hon? Dollar fifty, or get off, we haven't got all day." "I haven't got the money," Matt muttered under his breath. "Speak up! You kids are always mumbling, you'd think you parents would teach you to speak correctly and with respect.." Matt could tell this was going to be a lecture very soon, so his rebel roots came out and he repeated himself much louder and clearer. "I HAVE NOT THE MONEY TO RIDE THE BUS . IF YOU TAKE ME TO THE NEXT STOP, I CAN ASK MY DAD FOR SOME." The entire bus looked up at this. Matt had said it so loud that people on the street turned to look as well. The old bus driver looked calmer than he expected after the outburst. He expected he to get all huffy-puffy with him, and lecture him for disrespect. "I'm sorry that you seem to have a problem, but I need you to..." she started calmly, then her true nature came out, "...GIVE ME A DOLLAR FIFTY OR GET OFF MY BUS THIS INSTANT!!!!" Matt was startled, but didn't know what to do, because there was no way he wanted to walk. "I'll pay for him," came a sweet voice from behind him. Matt had totally forgotten that he was blocking the door from anyone else who might want to ride the bus. Luckily only two people stood behind him. Unfortunately, one was an incredibly beautiful girl with shimmering blonde hair, dressed in glamourous clothes and a pair of darkly shaded sunglasses. Matt had no idea how old she was, but he immediately stepped down and out of her way. "After you." Matt said, trying to be charming, to make up for the fact that he had just made a fool of himself. He tried to make a quick retreat, but the girl grabbed his arm. "No, no. I'm not taking the bus. I just wanted to pay for you, because you looked like you were having a troubled day." The girl seemed so familiar. There was something in her voice.......
********* "It's ok, I've got him"*********
"Can we go now?" asked the little boy at her side. Matt came back to his senses. "I...I can't let you do that, it would be... taking advantage of your money.....unfair...nice young girl.." "Don't worry about it, just go" "No, I feel like I'm stealing from you." "Don't worry about it. It's only a dollar fifty, I have plenty of money. Plus there's something about you. Something makes me think this is right." The girl didn't look like a dollar and fifty cents would break her bank. She was dressed like a super model. The young boy at her side, probably her son, was dressed in the best of the best as well. He tugged on her hand impatiently. "Em, can we go?" The girl looked pleadingly at Matt. "If anything, you'll be doing me a favor. I don't like to carry cash and I only have a few dollars of it on me. Please. I hate to see a young boy stranded like this. It would a shame for such a cute guy to walk." Matt blushed, but tried to make it unnoticeable. "Sure." he said quietly. They turned around and the bus was gone. "Typical," Matt said, angrily. "It's ok, I'll call you a cab." Before Matt could protest, she was on the curb hailing a cab. One stopped immediately. "Where to, pretty lady?" the questionable looking cab driver asked, leaning over. "Actually, it's my friend here.....," she said with a smile, "Where to.....?" She waited for him to fill in his name. "Tai!" he said quickly, and regretted it immediately. She smiled, again. Her smile was beautiful. He wished he could see her eyes. "Where to, Tai?" "The terrace," he said, angry with himself. "The terrace," she repeated to the driver. "That's an awful long ride," the driver told the girl, "Are you sure he can afford it?" "Oh, I'm going to take care of it," she said walking over to the driver's side to pay him. Matt climbed in. The girl walked over to the drivers side, for what seemed to be a long time. From what Matt could tell, he was hitting on her. Finally, she walked around to the other side of the cab. She leaned over his unrolled window. "Catch you around, Tai," she said meaningfully. Before Matt could reply, the cab pulled away from the curb. He watched the girl for as long as he could she waved at him with a wistful look on her face that was unexplainably familiar to Matt. Matt sighed. This was the first time he'd been that interested in a girl since Mimi. In fact, that was all he could think about when he spoke to her. But it was impossible. Mimi was famous and gone, and certainly not blonde. Plus he had heard her young companion call her Em. "Some girl you got there...um....Tai was your name, wasn't it?" the driver tried to start a conversation, "I got a girl of my own....can't live without women, though mine's a pain. Doubt she loves me, too, sure she would save herself before ever helping me if I were in trouble......." The driver's words were drowned out as Matt was buried in his thoughts. Traffic rushed by. On the side of the street was a park with a horse and carriage parked in front of it. Matt couldn't help but dozing into a memory.
"No!!!!!!!!!!! Bring Matt back!!!!," a voice yelled in the distance as Matt regained consciousness. It took him a few minutes to realize where he was, in Myotismon's carriage. After a few minutes, there was a low rumbling and Myotismon materialized in the seat across from him. "Ah, yes. Friendship. What an important thing. It will be wonderful to have you out of my hair. Then your friends will lose hope and I can destroy them too. I've already separated you from your protector...." Matt thought of Gabumon. He was injured in battle earlier. He hoped that nothing serious had happened. "You cannot destroy us. We're the destined. We will destroy YOU!!" Myotismon laughed evilly. "Then I will just make sure you can't." He grabbed Matt and bit into his neck. Matt almost passed out and was thrown out, with little of his blood left. He flew down to the ground and the impact made him lose consciousness.
______________________________________________________________________________
"Hey, kid," the cabby said. Matt awoke. The driver was shaking him. They were parked in front of Matt's apartment building. "We're here," the cabby continued. Matt choked out a thanks and got out of his seat. The driver opened his mouth as though to say something. He looked a little worried. Then he waved Matt away with a sort of frown. Matt walked toward the apartments with a lot on his mind. Two flashbacks in one day. This was strange. He wondered if there was something triggering it. Matt hardly had time to continue this thought. His mother yelled down to him off the balcony of his apartment. "Yamato, you get your butt up here the is instant!" Oh no! thought Matt. She's heard about what happened in history. Sure enough, when Matt reach his the doorway she pulled him in and he got as thorough lecture about sleeping in school, and everything else she could think of. Matt was finally released and sent to his room. He had only walked in his room when he heard something tapping at his window. Another stone flew up and tapped the glass. Matt walked over and looked down. Standing in his back yard area were three of his more rebellious friends. He opened the window. "So, how's my car?" "Well," the 'leader', named Neito replied, with a chuckled, "It's out of gas." The other two broke out in hysterics. "Where?" "On the other side of town." More hysterics. Crap, Matt thought, now how am I going to get it? "It's cool, though, Matt-o, I've got my Mom's car and I can bring you to go get it," Neito stated. Matt knew he could get in deep trouble if his mom found out. He looked past the backyard to the building's parking lot. His Mom's car was pulling out of her space. She left the parking lot, and Matt knew he had to act fast. Matt walked quickly out the front door. He ran down the stairs and met his friends out back. They started laughing all over again. "You know what, you guys? I could get in so much trouble for this," he said sternly, once they he gotten into Neito's Mom's fairly new, roomy car. "It's about time," one his friends, nick-named Chico said. "What was that?" "He said 'it's about time'," Neito replied, loudly. "What do you mean by that?" "He means what all of us mean. That ever since you disappeared that one weird summer you haven't been the same. You never do anything the least bit thrilling anymore. You spend all of you time with that wuss Taichi and that goody-goody snot Sora.....and don't get me started on your little brother-" "What about my little brother?!?!?!?!?" By this time they were pulling up beside Matt's beaten up, rust stained car. It was covered in mud, and by that Matt knew they had been driving in the muddy fields with it. Not again he thought. "You know what about your little brother? He isn't worth anyone's time, and he's the only one you have time for anymore. He's always the excuse you give for keeping to the rules. 'I don't want to set a bad example for T.K.'," Neito imitated. The other two laughed without control. "Well, I'm sick of hearing about T.K., and Sora, and especially Tai." Matt was becoming enraged, but before he had a chance to defend his friend, Chico reached over his and opened the door. He pushed Matt out of the car and Neito sped off. Matt could hear them laughing as he stood deserted by the roadside. He had no idea what to do. Matt got into his car and turned on the radio. One of his old favorite songs, "Will you forget me, Yamato?" was on. The fact that it was one of his favorites was something no one knew about him. No one except...... The song went on, and Matt thought sadly to himself. Yamato, you will know when I am near. My heart beats strongly, for you alone to hear. Oh, Yamato? Will you forget my love? Yamato? Where have you gone? Yamato? Yamato?
***************
Yamato? A sweet voice called out his name. Worry was in the voice. Matt weakly opened his eyes. He could hear the voice getting closer. He tried to call out, but he wasn't strong enough. He realized that he could barely feel his body, and it was as though he was floating. The sweet voice was so close. Matt knew he had to yell out or she would think he wasn't around and go away. HE mustered up the last of his strength and called out. "Mimi?!?!" he called out in a voice barely above speaking volume. That was all he could do. His eyes closed. "Matt, is that you?" He opened his eyes to slits, just enough to be able to see. He saw Mimi breaking through the bushes and was greatly relieved. Still, he had this feeling he was going to die. Mimi rush up to him. "Matt, please, hang on while I get the others." Matt could feel himself shaking his head. "What should I do?" Mimi cried. Tears welled in her eyes. She sat down and placed Matt's head and shoulders across her lap. Her tears fell down her face and onto Matt's. The coolness seeped into his fevered face. Matt knew he could not live much longer. But for some reason, he felt a little better. Is this what dying feels like? Matt opened his eyes a little more. Mimi looked so pale. She leaned over and whispered gently to him. "Yamato, I love you." Then he saw her face get closer and felt their lips touch gently. He closed his eyes. But it was not because he was getting weaker. For some reason, he felt stronger. His strength restored enough to move, he lifted his head, still kissing Mimi and put his arms around her. Her eyes filled with surprise. Both of them closed their eyes. A few seconds later, Matt felt Mimi's body collapse in his arms. His eyes popped open. She looked near dead, but still barely conscious. Matt was strong enough to kneel, and he got on he knees next to her. She looked how he had felt a few minutes ago. He got drowsily to his feet and looked around. No one was in sight. He had no idea what to do. Finally, he made a decision. Still weak, he leaned over Mimi. It took all of his strength, but he lifted her into his arms and started to carry her in the direction she came from. He walked slowly through the forest. It started to rain. The rain tapped on the leaves above him. Tap, tap. Tap, tap. ******************
Tap, tap. Matt awoke. Someone was tapping on his car window. He jumped up. He had forgotten where he was. A feeling of dread filled him when he thought of his mother and getting home again. The clock told him it was nine o'clock. Tap, tap. Matt remembered the tapping person. A silhouette stood at his window. Matt's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? "Mimi?!?!" he squeaked. "MIMI?!?!?!" There were a pair of hazel eyes staring at him. His hand shot at the door. He flung it open and was faced with......
End of Part One