Chapter 1: Summer's Start…
It has been a few weeks more than a full two years since the final battle with MaloMyotismon, during which Tai saw a possible future thanks to MaloMyotismon's attack. But thanks to the million points of light of the Digivices weakening him, and the release of dreams by the children affected by dark spores, the DigiDestined were finally able to put a stop to his plans. After the battle they were finally able to go home and move on with their lives and finish the school year without so much as worry about the Digital World at least that was their original plan.
However Diaboromon had his own plan of revenge in mind and it almost succeeded a few weeks later. It thanks to the help of Imperialmon, working with the legendary Omnimon, that they were finally able to stop him. The DigiDestined were finally able to relax and go back to things as they were before the vile digimon attacked them. Since that dark day, the gang as gone through another two school years and the second had come to a close. For some of them things could not be better, for others they had only begun to embark on new frontiers in life; however things are about to change for all of them, now that their new summer vacation has begun.
Knock, knock. Tai looked up from the couch he was sitting on. 'Who in their right mind would be knocking at my door at 10 o'clock in the morning?' He thought as he went to answer the early morning visitor at the door. "Can I help you?" Tai asked as he opened the door, he didn't even to bother to look who it was. It was too early for him to care yet.
"Good Morning Tai!" The energetic voice got his attention. Tai looked to see who it was. Of course it would be him, Davis. 'What does he want this time' was the first thing that came to his mind. He even noticed that Veemon was by his side; not even Agumon was bothered to get up yet, so this really surprised him. 'This is just probably about Kari. Boy is he thick.' Tai thought before he replied.
"Oh, hey Davis; if you looking for Kari, she left about an hour ago," said a very tired Tai. Thinking about Tia even wondered if Davis already knew that. 'May be he was sent by his sister, Jun, to bug me today. Don't tell me: she wants to date me now.'
"Actually, Tai I'm here to see you." Davis humbly said. "I have some business to take care of with you." Now Tai was really awake. 'Davis is here to see me, not for my sister, and not on behalf of Jun; to talk to me.' Tai was thinking fast know. He didn't know what to do. Then Davis held out his hand. There was something in it. When Tai looked it was the goggles that he gave Davis at the school year's start, then ones Tai wore on his first adventure in the Digital World.
"Davis why are you…" Tai began, but stopped when he saw that Davis had bought a new pair and was wearing them around his head. His new ones were blue framed and had orange lens. This was surprising to Tai, and began to wonder if the boy had them last time they met, but that over a month ago.
"Tai, here you go; I return your goggles to you, after I finally was able to get some new ones." Davis started to answer Tai's unfinished question. "When you gave me your goggles I was so happy. You also told me that I was to be the leader of the team and to be an example. I don't how well I did to live up to the task, but I really don't need them anymore." Davis put them into Tai's hand, and shook it. He then turned to leave, Tai mean while really didn't know what to do. "Oh and Tai," Davis begun before he got too far way, "Don't worry about me following Kari around anymore. I finally found my place in her life, just another find. Don't worry though I found a girl who's perfect for me. What about you?"
And with that the younger boy was gone. But what he said got Tai thinking – 'Yeah what about me? Ever since we got back into the routine of things, I haven't really seen any of them outside of school.' Then Agumon finally got up. "Look what the cat finally dragged out of bed." Tai said when he saw his digimon friend.
"Tai, you have better be glad that Gatomon was not here to here you say that." Agumon replied, and then they both had a really good laugh about it.
'Let's see what everyone has been up to since our last battle and the school year start,' Tai thought as he headed out the door. His still hadn't noticed his goggles in his hand and Agumon was too tired still to notice either. 'Mimi has moved back home, ever since our last battle she missed out on, she realized how much she really missed all of us and our adventures together as a team. Palmon has been loving seeing everyone as well again. I wonder if she has been missing me since I haven't been around really.
'As for Izzy, our resident computer wizard of the team, I'm pretty sure he was going to be working with our American friend Willis trying to be 100 percent sure we have completely become rid of Diaboromon. Boy are they going to have their hands full searching the net for any traces. After all it has been almost a year since our battle. Lucky Tentomon can hang out with Terriermon and Kokomon while those two are working. I wonder if it would be a good idea to pop in and say hi to them.' If Tai would have actually been paying attention he would have saw Ken and Yoli having a romantic picnic date with Wormmon and Hawkmon in tow. But when they saw him they started to freak out thinking he would ruin their date. However when they saw him go aimlessly by, they decided it would be a good idea to call Kari and tell her what they saw.
"Kari? Hey, its Yoli here," She began her call.
"What do you need, Yoli? Is it about you date with Ken? Don't tell me you had to ruin it by calling me." Kari replied
"No, it is not ruined by calling you. We both made the choice to call. Its Tai," Yoli was finding it hard not to over the phone, "he seems to be in some sort of trance and walking around."
"You mean he is actually not home?" Kari was starting to get very excited. She was sick of seeing him there all the time. "That's great! I'm some happy he is not at home!"
"But what him being a zombie; you're not worried?" Yoli franticly asked.
"Knowing my brother, he is most likely thinking. Don't worry he'll be fine." Kari answered back. "I'm glad Davis's idea work. Nothing we tired got him to budge. Not even bribing him with a date with Sora worked."
"Yeah, even Matt thought that it would, and Sora only blushed at the idea," Yoli concluded. "But I guess you're right. I'll talk to you later Kari. Bye!"
"Okay, until later Yoli and thanks for the call." Kari hung up.
"So what do we do?" Ken asked. To this Yoli said: "We finish our date and not worry about Tai. Davis's plan worked. Tai is finally out of the house." With that taken care of, they watched as Tai kept walking on, Agumon not far behind who waved at the couple with their digimon, who happily waved back.
If Tai was now looking at his surroundings he would have found himself entering the downtown area, but no he was still thinking. 'That's right Cody is helping out Izzy and Willis when he is not helping Joe or at home. He and Armadillomon have been shadowing the two while he learns more about the history of the Digital World. Those two really are the brothers he never had. As for our find Joe, he is still on his way to become a great doctor. I know he'll make it no sweat. If he even had a hard time Gomamon would always cheer him up.
'As for my sister she is one busy bee. She has been going and doing a lot with everyone, even if they are not all there. From what she has told me about how TK is around her, their relationship is borderline romantic. Despite the fact they are closer now, he could not be more awkward around her. Gatomon told me that she and Patamon get a real kick out of watching the two. From the way she described it, it is no small wonder.' Tai started to laugh at the memory of it.
'Even Davis has learned to calm down around her that really made it easier on Veemon when we all get together. I wonder if he was serious about this new girl. I wonder how she feels about our monster friends.' He was chuckling and now coming up on a flower shop, the one Ms. Takenouchi's, Sora's mom, runs.
'Just thinking about Davis makes me amazed about his sister, Jun, who has become part of the group. Man she has sure changed from the shadow she once was. Following me to the soccer field, Izzy to the computer club room, Matt on the street, and practically hanging on very world Joe says about his brother Jim– oh, wait, she still does.' Tai laughed some more. 'Then came the day when she met her digimon and the time she went on a date with Jim. By the way she acted; you would never have known that she got excited about anything before that night. With that and from what Kari said about her really being after Jim, and most of the gang feeling the same way, I would agree. Joe said that he could finally breathe after that night passed. She and Jim really hit it off from what Joe told me. Then there is Yoli and Ken, even though they are dating for a year now, they still find time to hang out with everyone. Wormmon and Hawkmon probably have never been happier.' He was now going up some steps, but they were not to his apartment building.
'Thinking about them makes me think about… No that's too depressing, but too late… Sora, the girl I like, no love, but she got away. Her and Matt are dating now, and have been since about Christmas, a year ago. With me being the "Gentleman" I am, I bowed out without a fight, I didn't even try. Even Biyomon and Gabumon, saw it in my eyes, the hurt, the pain; but they never said a word to Matt and Sora about it. I have known that they have been talking with Agumon, I won't stop them; it's not their fault I am hurting.' Tai was now outside an apartment door, Sora's apartment door to be exact. By time he realized where he was he had already knocked on the door, and could hear someone coming. In his hand was a single flower, a sakura flower (a cherry blossom). 'When did buy that,' Tai wondered, as the door started to open up.
"Hello can I help you, Tai?" The voice was sweet yet at the same time put a foul taste in the mouth of the young man. The person who answered was no other than Sora, the girl he did not really want to be around at the time. It's not because he hated her or anything, but because he was crazy about the girl and she was dating a friend; he really didn't want to make things harder than they already were. "Hello, is anyone in there?" Sora asked taping the young man on the head.
Now if he had been looking at her and not at everything but her, he would have seen some signs that would have helped him out. But of course he had to b an idiot. But he did respond: "I don't even know why I'm here." When the young maiden heard this she only said: "But Tai how should I know you knocked on my door. Why don't you pull him in here Agumon, it not likely he'll do it himself."
"Okay, Sora. Come on Tai," the digimon said as he pull his friend through the door and into the living room. While Sora went off to her room, Agumon began to speak to Biyomon. "How have you two been?" he asked the bird digimon.
"If you two were around more, you would know that Sora has been a mess lately. She got dumped by Matt. Gabumon and I thought this might happen, and hoped that this idiot would be around to be a haven for her broken heart. But no, he had to go and hide from the world. She has been like this for a month. Do you know what that is like?" Biyomon ranted to Agumon letting off some steam.
But Tai didn't hear any of this; he was going over what had happened since he spoke with Davis. He still doesn't remember buying the flower. "So Tai," Sora spoke after returning from cleaning herself up, she wasn't ready for Tai to see her in this state of depression, "figured out why you are here?" She forced some cheerfulness into her voice.
"To be honest Sora, the last thing I really remember is leaving my house after I spoke with Davis." Tai said with a chuckle. "Boy is my mind off in another place."
"So that explains one of the items in your hands," Sora said as she took the goggles out of his hand and put them on his head where he once wore them. "That is much better; you're even starting to look like your old self again." She smiled remembering their past adventures together. "So why do you have a flower Tai?"
Since she had placed his goggles on his head, Tai was thinking 'She touched my hand… She put my goggles on me… She is looking at me not the idea of me but me… Why are you doing this?' The next thing he did was to open his mouth and shove his foot right in, he said: "I guess this flower for someone special, no it is for someone special - it's for you…"
Sora did not know what to say so they just stood there looking at each other, so close and yet so far. While Tai was wishing that he could reach out and kiss her, he realized what he said and started to stammer. Sora meanwhile was on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry I have no idea that this would hurt you." He quickly apologized, as he dropped the flower on the table. Tai took Sora by her shoulder and helped her sit down on the floor. Seeing that she was not likely to calm anytime soon, he stood and turned to go. "I'll just let myself out. I didn't mean to hurt you Sora," then in a quiet voice so only he could hear, "I… love you… Sora…" With that he was out the door running, tears falling from his cheeks as he went down the stairs.
Meanwhile Sora wasn't mad at Tai. No rather she was overcome that he could be so sweet to her after all that happen. She started to feel some joy again. A short time later her mom walked in seeing her daughter still in the position Tai left her in. With concern for her well being, she asked: "Are you okay dear?"
What she got was a weak, but real smile from her little girl saying "Stupid Tai…" When she followed her eyes she saw the flower lying on the table. She picked it up and put it in Sora's hands. "Why don't we put this in some water and put it on your desk in your room? Biyomon if I can get your help please?" While they saw to this Sora could not stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. While helping Biyomon could not stop a sign of relief from escaping her mouth. At last she was starting to heal.