Destined: An XCW Exclusive Side Story

by Big Daddy Ivan

In the alternate universe of fiction wrestling, Tai and Sora find themselves at crossroads in their lives and careers. Things get more complicated when Tai's old feelings for Sora resurface while she's in a relationship with Matt. But does Sora have the same feelings deep inside? Primarily a Taiora fic, but also features characters from other cartoons, in both subplots and cameos.

A/N: Hey readers! From the creator of Xtreme Cartoon Wrestling comes my first Taiora. . .with a twist! This is like the side stories of PCUW, in that the characters involved are in the universe of fiction wrestling but also in their own universe, which has its own place in the world of fiction. Meaning that while this story is primarily about Tai and Sora from Digimon: Digital Monsters, there's at least one subplot featuring a couple other cartoon/video game characters, and other characters from cartoons and video games making cameos from time to time.

DISCLAIMER: Also, I know that some may be turned off by the wrestling aspect of this, as well. This is essentially a fic that takes place after the events of WWE: Animated's Clash of the Titans by toonwriter, but before the events of XCW, my fic. Allow me to say that the wrestling aspect of this story is really only here for backstory purposes, as well as context for those who haven't read WWE: Animated or XCW. The majority of the backstory takes place in this chapter, with a progression from Sorato to Taiora beginning in the second chapter, rest assured. It's gonna be tough writing the Sorato, as I'm a Taiora supporter, but it'll happen.

And now without further ado, comes the first chapter of Destined! I only own XCW.

Chapter 1: Prologue

"God damn it, where the fuck is he?" thought Tommy Vercetti as he watched the WWE: Animated Clash of the Titans preshow in his living room. Despite his impatience, he appeared cool and collected; sitting back on a giant black leather couch with his feet resting on a coffee table covered in unopened beer cans and a large bowl of popcorn. It had been 25 years since he took over Vice City as king of its drug empire. Although Tommy wasn't a kind man, the years had been so to him, for he hadn't aged a day, like most video game and cartoon characters. Despite this, he still appeared to be stuck in the 80s. He still wore his thin golden necklace, traditional blue Hawaiian shirt, and had his oily black hair slicked back. Money was still coming in by the boatloads, not just from selling coke, but also from the other businesses he owned around Vice City. Now Tommy sat in his large living room in his giant estate on Starfish Island content with life for the most part.

Suddenly a knock came from his front door. "Coming!" Tommy yelled, as he slowly got up from the couch and stepped to the front door. He grabbed a hold of the door handle and opened it to see Claude Speed, a friend of his from up north. Claude had made an infamous name of himself in Liberty City, as a two-bit carjacker who took various odd jobs from gangsters, business owners and even assassins all over the city.

"Claude! Hey! It's about time you showed up!" said Tommy, who extended his hand for a handshake. Claude grasped his hand in return and looked at Tommy with a smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. My flight got in late." Claude said, stepping into Tommy's lavish lobby. "Has it started yet?"

"Nope, the preshow is still on. Come on into the living room, I've got everything all set!" Tommy said, motioning Claude to follow him. Claude strode behind him, looking around in awe of Tommy's mansion.

"Fucking awesome place you've got here, man!" Claude said as he entered the living room, where Tommy had sat back on the couch and opened two beers.

"Yeah it's nice. . .the money keeps coming in and all I do is sit on it every day counting it." Tommy said, holding out an open beer to Claude, who took it from him almost immediately.

"Thanks." Claude said, plopping on the couch next to Tommy, who after taking a big swig of beer, grabbed a remote and turned up the volume on a 55" HD television in front of them. Tommy and Claude stared at the television, focused on the preshow.

"I'm excited for this more than ever!" Tommy said before taking a gulp of beer.

"Me too!" Claude said in agreement. "Which match are you looking forward to most?"

"I don't know. . .besides the main event, I guess the diva's extreme elimination chamber."

Claude laughed in disbelief. "You're drunk already, aren't you?"

"No, I'm dead serious!" Tommy protested. "You don't see hardcore matches anymore, and even less so with women! But if anyone in that match gets eliminated after breaking a nail, then it'll suck. . .what about you?"

"I'm interested in the Davis-Tai ladder match."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Come on! Those has-beens? How can you possibly be interested in that?"

"It's a great teacher-versus-student match. . ." answered Claude before taking another swig of beer. ". . .with a lot on the line for Tai!"

"You are right about that." Tommy said in agreement. "The pressure's gotta be getting to him."

That was not the case for Tai Kamiya at the moment, for he was sitting in the front passenger seat of a four-door car, looking in amazement out of the window next to him, at not only the brightly lit city of Tokyo, Japan, but also the bustling sidewalks crowded with a countless number of people carrying signs of different colors. On this cold fall night in October 2010, he was as excited as the fans, because tonight he would compete in front of all of them in a match for the special pay-per-view event: WWE: Clash of the Titans. At this event, cartoon and video game characters from not only WWE's animated division, but also from Cartoon Wrestling Federation, Anime Wrestling Federation, and Cartoon Anime Society Z, to name a few, all joined together in various wrestling matches to determine whose company was the best in the business of fiction wrestling.

Fictional wrestling began around the same period where animation reached its 'Golden Age'; as more and more cartoons debuted in the 1960s, the more cartoon characters from their respective shows bragged to the rest of the fictional world about how their show was the best cartoon of all time, but the show that would be the most successful. Their bragging escalated into trash talk, and would eventually turn into wrestling matches between them all! Forty-two years and nine-plus companies forming later, fiction wrestling became known as a forum where fictional characters from all facets of entertainment could air out their dislikes about their opponent's shows and each other, and settle their differences in scheduled but brutal wrestling matches that were unscripted, unlike live action wrestling.

For Sora, Matt, Izzy, TK, Kari, Mimi, Joe, and especially Tai, their leader, fiction wrestling started out as just that, as they and Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock of Pokemon fame debuted in WWE's animated division in the late 1990s, the same time their respective shows peaked in popularity. From there, the DigiDestined and the Pokemon trainers would get into countless wrestling matches, face-to-face encounters, and straight-up brawls over who was superior in the war between Pokemon and Digimon. Out of the original eight DigiDestined, Tai, Matt, and Sora had gained the most success in fiction wrestling since their debut in 1999. Tai had been a 4-time Toon WWE Champion, and three-time tag team champion with Matt, who himself had been a two time Toon WWE Champion, and a two-time Intercontinental and European Champion. As their valet and a wrestler herself, Sora had won the Toon Women's Championship on four occasions.

However, it was now the year 2010, and while the fame and fortune of Ash Ketchum and Pokemon still ran strong, Digimon's popularity had waned, particularly in America, where it was pulled from American television in 2008. After this happened, the DigiDestined themselves grew disappointed and sad. Would their adventures in the Digital World still be remembered ten years down the road? Was their venture in fiction wrestling all for naught, and was there any point in continuing on with their careers in it? As he and his friends went through a period of anxiety over a suddenly uncertain future, Tai, being the natural born leader he was, pulled himself and everyone out of their funk by encouraging them to rethink their time in fiction wrestling as more of another adventure in life rather than a popularity contest. Despite his drive and his friends' determination to succeed in this challenge and regain the glory they achieved so long ago, however, the DigiDestined had ran into a string of bad luck since Tai's last World title victory in 2001.

From Tai losing his one and only World title shot since 2001 to Ash Ketchum in 2008, to a lack of on-screen appearances in fiction wrestling, the DigiDestined's endeavors in the fictional world seemed hopeless, despite their best efforts. In 2010, things became even more complicated for them in WWE: Animated, Tai in particular. His former protégé, Davis Motomiya, turned on him and the DigiDestined by attacking them, intentionally injuring TK Takashi, harassing Kari, and stealing their digivices in an egomaniacal and selfish rage, afterwards forming his own faction of wrestlers in the process. But Tai wouldn't let Davis get off with any of it, and challenged Davis to a ladder match at the Clash of the Titans pay-per-view, with the winner of the match becoming the Undisputed Leader of Digimon.

And now on this October night, Tai sat back in his seat with a determined but focused look on his face as the Nippon Budokan arena finally came into his sight. He had trained and worked so hard in the month since the match was made, that his confidence was at an all-time high. He believed in his mind that he was going to win, and propel himself and his friends back into relevancy.

"Hey, Tai?" Matt asked, sitting behind the wheel of the car.

Tai suddenly woke up from his trance. "Huh? What's up?"

"Bad time for a nap, buddy!" Matt said with a twinge of sarcasm. "Because we're here!"

Matt got into the left turn lane and turned into the back parking lot of the arena. After Matt parked the car, he and Tai stepped out of the car and strode confidently towards the talent entrance to the arena. In the 14 years since their adventures in the Digital World, Tai and Matt remained in good shape, and looked as they always did. Tai still with his large mop of brown hair, blue t-shirt and shorts, and Matt with his spiky blonde hair, green shirt and jeans. As they walked, however, something caught the corner of Tai's eye, and he turned to his right to see amongst all the fans dressed up as various animated characters, a 12-year-old boy dressed as Tai himself! A wide smile formed on Tai's face as he and the boy met eyes, the boy stopping in his tracks, staring up at his idol in amazement. Tai pulled a pen out of his shorts pocket and stepped toward him.

"Come on, Tai! It's almost bell time!" called Matt, but to no avail as Tai knelt down to talk to his number one fan, and sign his foam finger. Matt looked on at the scene with a reserved expression. While Matt was happy to see die-hard fans of Digimon still around in the world, he was quite anxious to enter the arena and help Tai give Davis the beating of his life. It could be argued that Matt was more determined than Tai to make Davis pay for his betrayal against them, since he injured his little brother. It tore Matt apart that TK got hurt without him there to make the save, and he wanted to make up for it all by helping give Davis what he deserved. But first, he thought, Tai had to get his mind back on the task at hand.

Tai stood back up and the fan ran excitedly up the sidewalk to the front entrance of the arena. He then turned around and walked back up to Matt at the entrance, occasionally glancing at the fans behind him on the sidewalk. On a normal day, Tai would join them en route to the nearest comic book convention, but the fans he saw now were as excited for the show tonight as he was.

Tai opened the talent entrance door, and he and Matt walked inside, only to be swept up into a sea of talent agents, cartoon and video game characters rushing to and from their locker rooms or training areas. Tai and Matt exchanged hellos and quick conversations with the various talents involved, including Mega Man, Nobita Nobi, and even Bart Simpson. After a brief run-in with Naruto Uzumaki, they eventually made it to their locker room, which had a Digivice emblem on the shut door. Tai knocked on the door, more ecstatic than ever for the night's events.

"Who is it?" called a female voice from the locker room.

"It's us!" Matt responded with a smile.

"It took us two hours to get here through the traffic, and you're still changing, Mimi?" asked Tai, with a sly grin on his face.

That look, however, would fade immediately as the door opened, and out of it stepped not Mimi, but his best friend, Sora Takenouchi.

"Oh, er. . .hey Sora!" Tai said, blushing.

"Hey yourself!" Sora said, embracing Tai in a quick, friendly hug. "Ready for tonight?"

"You know it!" Tai answered with confidence. "The traffic was a nightmare, but the workout beforehand did more than enough."

Sora smiled and nodded her head before turning to Matt.

"What about you, did you get a workout too?" Sora asked in a playful tone, draping her arms onto Matt's shoulders and around his head.

"I wasn't with you all day, I had no other choice." replied Matt with a hint of sarcasm, before he and Sora leaned into a kiss on the lips.

Tai looked on at this public display of affection with a small smile, but a mostly stoic expression. He was happy for the two of them, but on the inside he was screaming. He and Sora had been best friends since early childhood, but he had fallen in love with her since their first adventures in the Digital World all those years ago. Even though he was the DigiDestined leader, and bearer of the Crest of Courage, he didn't work up the courage to risk everything he and Sora had, and ask to take their friendship to the next plateau.

Until one fateful Christmas Eve. . .

"Excuse me, Tai?"

The DigiDestined leader suddenly jumped as Tailmon came up from behind him. Tai turned around to face the AWF backstage announcer, shocked to find himself back in reality.

"Hey, Tailmon!" Tai said. "I'm sorry, I didn't even know you were there. What's up?"

"Just doing my job tonight. I was wondering if I could get a word with you about your match with Davis?"

A determined look reappeared on Tai's face. "Sure thing!"

Tai and Tailmon walked down the hallway, with Tai getting one last look at Sora and Matt, who were still exchanging sweet nothings. Tai sharply turned his head to look ahead of him, away from the lovebirds. Since the Christmas Eve when they were 14, Tai had watched his two best friends fall more and more in love with each other every passing day, while all he could do in private was think about what could've been. . .if only he had spoken sooner. As happy as he was for the two of them, the anger and regret he felt burned in his body like a torch since that day, and only got worse as his and the DigiDestined's wrestling careers sputtered.

But Tai wasn't going to let the past get in the way of victory. He never did in the days of the DigiDestined's success, and he especially wouldn't let it get to him tonight. He had taken the anger and regret he felt over letting Sora get away, and turned it into a form of aggression that he would implement in every match he would go on to compete in.

Tonight will be no different, Tai thought to himself, as he switched his focus from his friends to his match. Their love won't get in the way of victory tonight, and neither will Davis! I win this match tonight for the original DigiDestined, we become relevant in animation once more, and as happy as we were in the beginning!

Tai and Tailmon came to a stop in front of a small camera crew at the end of the long hallway. Tai stood to Tailmon's right, focusing more and more about Davis' betrayal of him and his friends.

"Hey guys!" Tailmon said with a microphone up to his mouth, and looking right into the camera. "Tailmon here with my guest at this time, Tai Kamiya!"

Tailmon turned to face Tai, who by this point had become so full of intensity, a passerby could see smoke come out of his ears. "Now Tai, tonight you go against Davis. . ." Tailmon continued, until Tai suddenly snatched the microphone from the backstage interviewer's hands, and began to speak.

"Sorry, Tailmon, but I need to cut you off right there." Tai said before going off on a tangent about Davis in a promo.

Back by the DigiDestined's locker room, Sora and Matt looked on at Tai, barely making him out but hearing him despite the distance.

"He's really fired up tonight!" Sora commented.

"So am I!" Matt said, gaining a sudden rush of adrenaline. The weeks of preparation are about to pay off! We're gonna go out there and give Davis and Digivolution the beating of a lifetime!"

Sora raised an eyebrow, looking up at her boyfriend. "Wait. . .'we'?"

"Come on, Sora! We all know Davis is gonna bring his posse out with him tonight. Tai needs equalizers more than ever to hold them off and make it an even fight!"

"Well. . ." Sora said, unsure of herself. While it had been three years since Tai's last match, a loss to then-Toon WWE Champion, Ash Ketchum, it had been five since hers, a loss to Misty for the Toon Women's Championship at Wrestlemania 22 in 2006. Also, as motherly as Sora was to the group, she went into this business fully aware of the toll it can take on one's body, and now she thought her ring rust and lack of preparation would result in an injury. In the end, she thought, if Tai gets the win out of it, it's worth whatever happens out there. For the past few years, she had seen Tai grow more and more frustrated over his lack of appearances in the WWE's animated division, and Digimon's absence from American television, and she would do anything to see him happy again.

"Let's do it!" Sora said to Matt, with a determined look in her crimson eyes and a smile on her face. Matt looked down at her with the same look on his face, as Izzy and Ken came up to the couple.

"Hey, guys!" Izzy said. "Where's Tai?"

"He's down the hall getting interviewed." answered Matt. "But are you two still coming down with us to the ring tonight?"

"Affirmative!" Izzy said excitedly.

"Absolutely!" Ken answered. "I'm ready for a fight."

"Great! Davis won't know what'll hit him!" Matt said, as he turned around in a rush and started walking down the hallway toward Tai, with Izzy, Ken and Sora behind him.

Back in the interview area, Tai continued speaking into the microphone with an air of confidence and aggression that would never let up.

". . .and I plan to ensure that you never even step into a ring ever again!"

Tai looked right into the camera in front of him, as Matt, Ken, Izzy and Sora came up to his sides, as fired up as their leader.

"That. . .is a promise!" Tai assured, looking right into the camera with intensity along with his fellow DigiDestined next to him. They all had a fire in their eyes, conveying their confidence that Tai's victory and Digimon's relevance in animation would be their destiny.

A/N: Alrighty, there's part one. A special thanks to toonwriter for providing the DigiDestined's accomplishments in WWE: Animated so far, and for letting me mention WWE: Animated's Clash of the Titans.

Again, the purpose of this chapter was really to establish where each character is in their life and wrestling career. It will become more and more of a romance as it progresses.

Also, I'm primarily a screenwriter, so I'm still trying to get a firm grasp on going back to prose. If there's anything I can do to improve my writing style, or if I'm all over the place at all, please let me know. Also let me know if anyone's out of character, because I'll admit, it's been years since I revisited Digimon! The second chapter will come whenever I can get to it, work has picked up for me in recent weeks.

In the meantime, RATE/REVIEW, and if you like wrestling, feel free to check out XCW, and find out what happens in the Tai/Davis ladder match by searching for Clash of the Titans, and going to chapter seven!