Disclaimer: Digimon and the song "When I'm Gone" by Three Doors Down, are owned by their respective... er... owners (duh).
A/N: Thanks to my beta readers Satu The Fire of Hope, Pandemonium Theory, and Heavenly Angel of Light, and anyone else who helped me out with this old and dusty fic.
The voices of hundreds of fans screaming filled his ears, even more so than the lead singer. In just months the guy performing before him had become a local hit, and was even threatening to even become a national superstar. Tai watched the fan girls cheer and holler as Matt began his final song.
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There's another world inside of me
That you may never see
There's secrets in this life
That I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness
There's a light that I can't find Maybe it's too far away...
Maybe I'm just blind...
Maybe I'm just blind...
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Matt sat in the backstage room. Various people were powdering him and dabbing him with makeup to cover any blemishes. He had objected to it at first, but gave in when they told him that it would be really obvious, especially to the TV viewers. He knew how Tai would've reacted if he ever told him that he had to wear makeup.
Matt sighed. In just ten minutes, the Teenage Wolves were going to make history as one of the youngest (age wise) bands to ever go on a nationally televised concert. Performing with several other great artists, his songs were to be the last songs of the performance.
He ran the words of the last song through his head a couple more times. All of the songs he sang he connected with on all levels, but this song connected in a way he didn't even understand. His relationship with Sora was unbelievable. It was almost too good to be true. The pessimist inside him told him that it couldn't last, that it was some fling that would end in a cruel twist of fate.
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So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be I'll never let you down
Even if I could I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone
Love me when I'm gone...
-0-0-0-0-
Sora cheered as Matt and his band gave their final bow. Even though she was only one voice in a sea of hundreds of other fans, she knew that Matt heard her yelling out his name. At the end of the song, he pointed in her direction and gave her a little wink. Of course all the girls around her began to scream even louder, thinking it was for them, but at that moment, time seemed to slow down for her as she made eye contact with Matt. Giving him a thumbs up, he waved one final time and walked off the stage.
Matt had talked about his song to her numerous times. In fact, he had a little performance for her and Tai on his acoustic guitar, asking them for their honest opinions. He always told them that if anyone else's opinion mattered it was theirs. Tai loved it, tapping out the beats on his soccer ball, but Sora wasn't so inclined. She didn't say anything, because she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it seemed odd to sing about the possibility of going away forever. She felt in her heart that her friends, especially Matt and Tai, would be there forever.
Still, there was a pang in her heart that told her otherwise.
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Love me when I'm gone
When I'm Gone
When I'm Gone
When I'm Gone
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When I'm Gone
by: Gennai's Apprentice
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Matt looked out the window from his seat in Economy of the giant Boeing 747 airplane. At first he thought about upgrading to Business Class, but then again, it didn't occur to him how uncomfortable it was, being his first time in an airplane. Now he wished he had, thinking about the seats he passed on his way to Economy, the ones that could lean back and were wide enough to seat a regular person. Shifting his attention from his seat to the window on his left, he noticed the glistening of the sunlight off the ocean waves below. He watched for a couple more minutes before he closed the window. He reached up and hit the call button.
In a couple minutes, a flight attendant was standing at the end of his row. "Yes sir, what would you like?" she asked.
"Uh, maybe some water and..." Matt paused and turned the corner of his lips up in a smile, "Do you still give out peanuts?"
The attendant smiled in turn, but shook her head, "Sorry sir, we don't have peanuts, but we do have pretzels."
Matt shrugged and nodded his head, "That'll be fine then."
As the attendant left to get Matt's food, he rested his head on the headrest and began thinking of Sora. They had only been in a relationship for a short while, but it was working out perfectly. She was everything he had ever looked for in a girl. Then there was Tai. He knew that his best friend had feelings for her, that's why he was reluctant to get into a relationship. But with Tai's blessing, life almost seemed perfect. Everything was going his way.
The sudden sight of an outstretched arm surprised him, pulling him out of his reverie. The young man looked up into the attendant's smiling face, "Thank you," he said as he gave a polite bow. He took the food from the lady's hands, careful not to spill it on the man sleeping next to him. Earlier before take off, he told the man that it was his first time on an airplane. The man gave him a couple pointers like to chew gum during take off and to get as much sleep during flight so when he got off, he wouldn't be so tired. After they had been in the air a couple minutes, the man mentioned to him that he traveled on business quite a bit to reassure his new friend that everything would be all right. Moments later, he drifted off to sleep.
Matt on the other hand, could not sleep. There was a sense of nervousness and excitement about being on an airplane for the first time. The teen turned his thoughts back on his love, Sora.
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"All right Greymon!" Garurumon shouted, "Give it all you've got!"
"Don't worry, I'll give it and then some more!"
The two faced off in a grassy field. On the sidelines were the rest of the Digidestined's Digimon. They had taken up sparring as a way to pass the time.
"Nova Blast!" shouted the massive dinosaur as he let loose with a ball of fire. Greymon had been getting better with his accuracy, but Garurumon was still too fast for him and the attack landed right where the wolf was a second earlier.
Garurumon leaped into the air, high enough to get some hang time directly over Greymon. "Blue Blaster!" Blue flames shot down from above, but Greymon was ready. He hunkered down and closed his eyes, preparing to absorb the attack with his skull-like helmet. But this was exactly what Garurumon wanted, by the time Greymon opened his eyes, he had lost track of his opponent. Scanning the field, he saw nothing except his friends cheering the two on. He caught a glimpse of Biyomon covering her eyes with her little, pink wings. It was then that he realized what had happened. Garurumon was behind him.
The saurian knew he was done for. He could already feel Garurumon's attack nailing him in the back, but the strange thing was that it never came. Maybe Garurumon was waiting for him to turn around so the wolf could blow him away with a full frontal. Greymon spun around in a defensive position, ready to attack after he absorbed what he could of the other's blow. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the blow, but again his opponent did not attack. Something was wrong. He opened his eyes to find Garurumon struggling to stay standing.
"Garurumon, what's wrong?" Greymon called out.
"Watch out, Greymon! He might be playing possum!" Hawkmon yelled.
"What's a 'possum'?" Armadillomon asked his feathery friend.
Greymon ignored the conversation, Garurumon was crafty, but he didn't fight dirty. Then his fears were confirmed when Garurumon de-Digivolved. Immediately Greymon de-Digivolved back to Agumon and rushed to Gabumon's side. The other ten Digimon joined him as Gabumon collapsed. Gabumon continued to de-Digivolved further into Tsunomon.
"Gabumon? What's wrong, Gabumon?" Agumon asked worriedly.
"I... It's Matt," he said weakly, "Something happened."
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Three hours earlier...
Sora took in the sights and sounds of Tokyo's International Airport. There was a hubbub everywhere they looked, restaurants, duty-free shops, and various other interesting things lined the walkways. Several times she almost ran into someone, once almost tripping over someone's luggage. Fortunately, Tai had caught her before she fell flat on her face. She had come with Tai on the subway, while T.K. and Kari went with Matt earlier to keep him company in the lines. They'd heard that sometimes it took hours just to get into the building itself. After passing by the large line of travelers, she knew that was no idle rumor.
She and Tai kept a look out for the terminal where Matt and the others were supposed to be. Matt called her a couple minutes in advance to tell her to hurry up and find him, there were only ten minutes left before they started boarding and he wanted to say goodbye.
Tai gripped her shoulder, startling her out of her concentrated efforts on finding her friends. She turned to see Tai's smiling face, and then looked in the direction of his pointing finger. There, T.K. and Kari were waving their arms, trying to get their attention, but Matt stood there, watching her intently, smiling a really broad smile.
Sora left Tai's grip and ran to Matt, dodging the many people crowding the terminal. She weaved in and out gracefully dodging young children and rolling luggage and jumped into Matt's waiting arms.
Behind her, Tai was hugging Kari and T.K. in a tight bear hug then got right to chatting. Sora, on the other hand, was oblivious to all of it. She walked with Matt, toward the airport's large windows, watching planes as they land and take off.
It had been three months since the two had proclaimed their love to each other. Every month that love just grew deeper and deeper. This was going to be the first time that the two were to spend more than a couple days apart. It had been the best three months of her life. Matt had been the ultimate gentleman to her, and while they weren't going out to any of the really expensive places, Matt made sure to make every minute they spent together memorable. On one occasion they went to a restaurant on their karaoke night. He dragged her up on the stage with him and the two sang a duet. The two captivated their audience and after the performance, everyone gave them a standing ovation. Now Matt was going to Europe. She wanted to go with him, but her Mom was also departing on a trip with her Dad, leaving her to take care of the shop while they were gone. Sora knew how little time her parents had spent with each other... Besides, their trip was long in planning, and she promised to take care of the shop.
"Flight 342 for France, now boarding."
Matt turned to Sora. "That's my flight, let's get in line."
She followed him in silence. It was a long line, but it still seemed to go by too quickly. In what seemed like a couple minutes, they found themselves at the front. Everyone gave Matt a final hug before he went through the gate. Almost out of view, he waved one last time, looking in Sora's direction, "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it!"
Tai cupped his mouth and shouted, "Yeah, well come back soon! If you don't, Sora's gonna start taking her fits out on ME again!"
Sora socked Tai in the shoulder who immediately recoiled looking hurt and rubbed the offended joint. She looked back in Matt's direction, but he was gone.
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Several hours since Matt left, Tai lay sprawled across his couch watching the television. Having just gotten home from dropping off both T.K. and Sora, he put his brain on standby, waiting for Kari to finish making some snacks. Just as he was about to reach total obliviousness, he was reeled back by the beeping of his Digivice. He tried to ignore it, but the incessant beeping was getting on his nerves. He got up and walked over to the table where it sat and opened it. He scanned the message over quickly, and was about to close it as he did a double-take. He immediately sat back down on the couch and began to read the message carefully. Not once, but several times. Kari sat down next to Tai with two nicely made rice balls in hand. She tried to hand one to Tai, but her brother didn't notice. She set down the snacks and looked into his face, and noticed the concern in his features. The e-mail was short, but his eyes scanned it over and over, faster and faster, refusing to believe what he was reading.
Kari finally broke the silence, "What's wrong, big brother?"
"I- I'm not sure, Kari. I just hope it's not what I think it is."
Tai immediately got up out of the couch and rushed into their room, and turned on the computer. Kari followed into the room soon after. The brown-haired leader sat down at the desk and began to tap his foot impatiently as the computer continued to boot up.
"Come on; tell me what's wrong, brother." Tai didn't look up. He heard the genuine concern in her voice, but didn't want to look up for fear that she would see the beginning of tears in her eyes.
"Gabumon..." he began to say, but stopped. If it was nothing, then they would all just laugh together. Maybe some crazy Digimon wanted to play some pranks on poor Gabumon, or maybe it was Gabumon himself who was just trying to scare everyone. The poor Digimon did the weirdest things when he was away from Matt for too long. He wanted to tell his sister what had happened, but he didn't want her to get all worked up over nothing. Looking up, he realized that the computer had finished booting up, and a closed Digiport showed itself on the screen. Tai knew that he had to be strong, nothing was certain yet, there were many possibilities, but the one that kept nagging him was the one he tried hardest to push out. "Kari, open the gate. We're going to the Digital World," Tai finally managed to get out, standing up with a determined look in his face.
Understanding that something was definitely wrong, she realized that now was not the time to step in the way with questions. She knew that her brother would explain everything once they were in the Digiworld. She nodded and held up her D3, "Digiport open!" Instantly the two were sucked into the Digital World.
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Agumon shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again. He was anxious about Tai's arrival. He wasn't sure how Tai would react to the news, but in his gut he knew that he was going to be angry. Tai always was the type who wanted someone to blame, something to direct his anger whenever disasters happened. This time, though, there was no one to blame. He and his entire fellow destined Digimon waited patiently for Tai's arrival. Over and over again Agumon ran the events through his head.
With a flash of light, Tai and Kari were beamed out of the TV portal. As soon as the two fully materialized, all eleven Digimon spoke at once. Tai quickly shushed them all with an angry glare and pointed at Agumon. "What happened here?" he said sternly.
"Well, it all happened like this, Tai..." Agumon began, not looking straight into Tai's intense brown eyes, "We were just sparring... Y'know to pass the time, and so it was me as Greymon versus Gabumon as Garurumon. It was a tough fight and he was about to beat me when he collapsed and turned back to Gabumon. By the time I got to his side, he de-Digivolved to Tsunomon. He tried to tell us something about Matt when he..." Agumon looked down, struggling to get the words out, "was deleted..."
The poor orange dino looked up at his partner as Tai, leader of the Digidestined, looked to the other Digimon before him. "Was this what happened?" he asked severely. All of the other Digimon nodded solemnly. Another flash from behind Tai revealed a figure cloaked in white. Tai was still glaring at the Digimon trying to make sense of their explanation when a figure tapped him from behind. His thoughts immediately halted, almost jumping out of his shoes in surprise. With balled-up fists, he swiftly turned around to find Gennai.
Before them stood a being that had no age. He was a wizened old coot that had the appearance of a heartthrob by almost any standard. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, Tai." he began solemnly.
"Yeah, well there's other ways of getting someone's attention without scaring the wits out of them, y'know!"
"Again, I apologize, but you mustn't be angry at the Digimon. I'm sure you know why Gabumon was deleted."
"I do, but I don't want to believe it."
Kari, who was standing off to the side this whole time, looked increasingly worried, "Would someone just tell me what's going on? Why would Gabumon just be deleted like that? Is it some sort of new evil?"
Tai looked sadly into Kari's eyes and put a heavy hand on his sister's shoulder, "I once asked Gennai what would happen to our Digimon if one of us were to die..."
"No... You don't mean... Does that mean that Matt's..."
"I'm afraid so, Kari," Gennai said sadly, "There's no other explanation."
Tai nodded his head, "Matt's dead."
Kari fell to her knees and began to sob openly and freely. Tai kneeled next to his sister and put his arm around her shoulders in a failing effort to comfort her. His thoughts immediately went to T.K. and what his reaction might be. He tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. His best friend was dead.
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Four days later...
Mimi stepped into the main terminal. Around her, people were laughing and smiling, weary passengers hugging family and friends, some sharing stories of journeys or of family back in the States. Normally Mimi would have felt the same way, but the reasons as to why she was here was something that definitely dampened her spirits. She came here alone, just like all the other times. Her parents were tied up in business back in New York, but they sent their condolences. She walked over to the luggage carousel and picked up her pink baggage as they passed by. After she was sure everything was in order, she stepped outside the building into the bright sunlight. It had been a long flight, but now she needed a ride to Sora's apartment where she was staying the night.
She stepped out to the curb and raised her hand to wave down a taxi. She was too involved in the effort to notice a blue haired man walk up to her with a grin on his face. It wasn't until he reached out to take her luggage did she instinctively slap the man's hand away from the suitcase. She looked up to see the offender's face... "You look like you need a ride, Miss." In the blink of an eye, she held Joe in a tight hug. He struggled a little to loosen her grip before he finally gave up, "Uh, Mimi, you re hurting me..." he replied weakly.
The pink haired girl immediately let go and blushed, "Sorry, got caught up in the moment."
Joe fixed his glasses as they sat lopsidedly on his nose. "It's alright. Anyways, I came with my brother Jim as well as Izzy," he said pointing at the yellow Volkswagen Beetle. From the backseat, Izzy waved. "You'll be sleeping at Sora's house, right?" Joe continued.
"Yeah, I guess. How is she doing?" Mimi asked, getting back into a somber mood.
"Not too well," Joe replied with a weak smile, "but I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."
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"Tai, dinner!" Mrs. Kamiya called out. She, her husband, and Kari sat there at the dining table. Everything was set up; the only thing missing was her son, Tai. "Tai, come on! Dinner's getting cold!" They waited for a reply, but none came. As they sat there in an awkward silence, Kari began to twiddle her fingers.
"That's it! He can't stay in his room forever. I'm gonna get him," Mr. Kamiya said, excusing himself from the table. He walked over to Tai and Kari's bedroom. He tried the door, but after finding it locked, he immediately began to pound on the door. "Tai! Come out here! You're making your mother worried and the food is getting cold!"
"Honey..." Mrs. Kamiya began.
"Tai! Please, come out..." he continued.
Mrs. Kamiya got up from her seat and walked over to her husband, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Honey, come on, he's been through too much."
Mr. Kamiya turned to his wife, tears in his eyes, "He's been in there for almost three days. I don't even know if he's still alive..." The two hugged each other as Kari looked on. She hadn't minded sleeping on the couch. She knew her brother needed some space, but this was going too far. She always thought that she'd do anything for her brother, but now she felt helpless. The strongest person in her life, her hero in some respects, was now a broken man.
The two returned to their seats and began eating in silence. Laughter had long left the apartment. When they were done, Mrs. Kamiya put some food on a plate and left it on the table. Usually the plates went untouched, but every once in a while a couple items went missing. At least she knew he hadn't gone without food completely.
After they were done and in bed, the door to Tai's bedroom opened slightly. After hearing Kari's light snoring, he stepped lightly over to the table and drank some water and ate some of the food. Kari suddenly stopped her snoring. Her eyes had been open the whole time. Tai hadn't noticed the cessation of his sisters snoring and continued eating. He didn't even notice her get up from the couch and approach him as he was facing the other way.
"Tai."
The young man almost jumped out of his skin in fright. He immediately turned around, a look of anger and surprise on his face. "What do you want?" he said in an angry whisper. Kari didn't answer her brother, but instead lunged at him, catching him in a big hug. She began sobbing in his chest. Tai reflexively returned the hug.
"Please don't hurt yourself, Tai," she said haltingly in between her sobs.
Like a semi hitting him head on, he realized how much he had been hurting Kari. He had been hurting his parents. He had been hurting everyone by wallowing in his sorrow. Ever since their adventures in the Digital World, he held a special bond between him and Matt. While they always disagreed on one thing or another, they had always respected the other. Over time, they not only respected each other, but loved each other like he loved his sister and Matt had loved his brother. Maybe more.
Now he was gone. Tai hugged his sister tighter.
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Mimi had just finished unpacking most of her stuff in the extra guest room. After a short talk with Sora's Mom, she found out that Sora had been in her room most of the time since Matt's death. Every once in a while she would leave without telling her and return several hours later. The departures worried her so much.
Mimi hoped that she could do something for Sora, but she wasn't sure what. Everyone had tried at one point to help Sora, with the exception of Tai and TK. Unfortunately, they didn't have the time to really follow up since they were too involved in some of their own problems and situations. Kari was busy dealing with her own brother. Cody and Davis were watching over TK and helping him through this tough time. Joe and Izzy were busy preparing for the funeral, making calls and sending out invitations to all of their Digidestined and Digimon friends.
Yolei and Ken came often, but spent most of their time sitting with her in silence. Every time they tried to converse with her on any subject, it quickly turned into an uneasy one way conversation. Mimi hoped she could make a difference and maybe get the old Sora back.
Mimi lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling when Sora stepped in to check on her guest. "Hey," Sora began, "are you settled in alright?"
Mimi sat up in the bed and saw Sora standing in the doorway. She looked as if she was eager to go back to her room. "I know you're hurting, and I also know that you've wanted to be alone for the past couple of weeks, but what you're doing isn't good." There was a brief silence before Mimi smiled a little awkwardly and continued, "Sora, we're all sad that Matt's gone, that means you don't have to go through this alone."
"You don't understand, Mimi. Goodnight." Sora turned around and began to close the door after her.
"I know you don't want to be alone. You're not that kind of person, Sora. The only problem is that person you want to be with isn't here anymore." Sora stopped the door and waited. Mimi took it as the sign to continue. "Nothing you do is going to bring him back. The only thing left now is that we don't want to lose you."
Sora had heard enough. Mimi, despite being a little full of herself, had that intuition and understanding that had gotten her the crest of Sincerity. The younger girl had hit home and both of them knew it. Sora didn't say anything, though, as she left the room and shut the door behind her. Mimi thought about following her and pushing through the barriers that Sora had put up around her. Then she thought about how that might turn her off further. She lay back down in her bed and watched the ceiling again. And once more the door opened.
Sora came over to the bedside and sat down at the foot while Mimi sat back up in bed. "How do you know so much about what I'm going through?"
"Well," she began, some of her ditziness coming through, "I listen to a lot of my friends talk. Now, normally I'm the one who does the talking, but sometimes I listen to them as they talk about their problems. A lot of families in America go through divorce and all. They tell me how they feel, like they're unloading or something. I really do listen and I sorta figured you were going through the same thing."
"Yeah, you were right. I was waiting for Matt to just come through the door and give me a hug and tell me everything's all right. But he's not ever going to go through my door again." Sora stopped as she choked back several sobs. Mimi brought her into a hug, allowing Sora to cry softly on her shoulder. Mimi hoped she was doing the right thing, but deep down, she had a feeling that she really was making a difference. Not bad for the first night.
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Tai rubbed his eyes as the bright sunlight poured in from his bedroom window. He threw his covers off and slowly crawled out of bed and down the ladder. It had been six days since the accident. They had recovered all the bodies yesterday and were releasing them to their families tomorrow.
He looked over into his sister's bunk to find it empty. He didn't hear a single sound in the house, which was weird because Agumon and Gatomon always found something to argue over. The young man stepped out of his room, eyes half open, and scanned the living room. Finding no one there, he went straight to the fridge. "Hmph, I'm starving," Tai muttered to himself. "Haven't had a good meal in a while."
It was on the fridge that he found a note addressed to him. "Figures, I guess they knew I couldn't miss the note if it was on the fridge."
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Tai,
I took Gatomon and Agumon for a walk in the park. We'll probably be back at around lunchtime since I don't have enough money to feed them. Oh and by the way, Sora called and said she wants to talk to you. Call her back.
-Kari
P.S. Mom left to get our clothes dry cleaned, so Agumon's hoping that you'll cook some of your classic eggs.
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Tai peeked out into the hallway to check the clock above the front door. "Hmm, still 9 in the morning. I'll just make some jumbo eggs, add a little tofu... Leave the leftovers for Agumon... Then call Sora." Tai stroked his hairless chin, considering his plan. "Ah, forget it, I'll just call Sora now. I can cook for Agumon anytime." He picked up the phone in the hallway and dialed Sora's number.
"Hello, Takenouchi residence," a woman said on the other end. Tai figured it was Sora's Mom, but she sounded as if she had a rough night.
"Uh, Mrs. Takenouchi, it's Tai. Is Sora there?"
"Sorry, she just left about half an hour ago. She told me to tell you to call her on her cell phone. You do have the number, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Oh, and Tai, Sora is still feeling really down on herself. I'm sure you know that Mimi Tachikawa is staying with us. The two had a talk last night, and this morning Sora's starting to act more like her old self. I tried talking to her again, and while we talked a little, she seems to still be holding back."
Tai knew that Mimi was staying at the Takenouchi's, but he was amazed by the fact that of all those who tried, it was Mimi who got through to her. He didn't know how she did it, but he always knew that the girl had more sense up there than she let on. "I'm sure she'll be all right. I'll try to cheer her up as much as I can." She thanked him and hung up. He had memorized Sora's cell number, and began dialing it. She rarely, if ever, used her cell phone. She just wasn't much of a phone person.
He waited for her to pick up; counting the number of times it rang. "Hello?"
"Hey Sora, it's me Tai. You said you wanted to talk."
"Uh, yeah. Could you meet me by the bay? Y'know where I'm talking about, right?"
"Of course," Tai replied trying to sound like his normal, laid-back self.
"Yeah, you know I never really was a phone person. Anyways, I'll see you there."
Tai was about to respond with a "Yeah I know," but stopped short as he heard a click signifying an ended call. He hoped nothing was TOO wrong.
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Sora sat on a bench overlooking Tokyo Bay. She watched as the water glistened in the sun, listened as the waves lapped softly at the edges of the shore as ships passed by. It was only a couple months ago when a titanic battle between some of the strongest Digimon she had ever seen. Omnimon and ImperialDramon as well as Diaboromon's alternate Mega form, Armageddomon. She had arrived only moments after Omnimon had met defeat at Armageddomon's devastating blasts. As she climbed the hill Tai and Matt stood overseeing the battle, she watched as her boyfriend, Matt, stare at the ground while her friend, Tai, looked into nothingness.
She seriously thought all was lost when, yet once again, the friendship and the will to go on did not fail the Digidestined. Davis and Ken pulled through, and yet... She wondered how many more close calls they were going to go through before something terrible happened. It was only a couple years before that they had barely escaped nuclear devastation in this very same location. Then there was the time when VenomMyotismon rampaged through the streets of Odaiba...
A strong hand on her shoulder jolted her from her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder and saw the smiling face of Taichi Kamiya. A little older than she remembered, but still the brash boy she met so many years ago on a soccer field.
"Hey, how're you doin'?" Tai asked while taking a seat next to her.
"I don't know," she replied. She began to twiddle her thumbs. Tai was no more than a foot away, but she felt as if those feet were miles. It had been several days since she had talked to him, much less seen him. She wondered if he thought any less of her. She had always tried to project a strong persona, but the loss of Matt struck her so hard, it was impossible to keep up. Maybe Tai thought she was weak, maybe he thought...
"Hey... Sora?" Tai asked as he faced his longtime friend.
Sora also turned to face him, "Yeah, Tai?"
"It's been a while since we've been together... Alone I mean. Since we've been together alone," Tai stuttered out.
"Yeah, I guess... but what about that one time..."
"Oh yeah, right Kari's birthday at the Royal Host. Can't forget that one, can I?"
Sora began to giggle remembering the moment, "It seemed like we were talking to each other for hours waiting for her and TK to get there."
"Yeah, how many places did they go to before they finally found us?" Tai asked as he too began smiling, scratching his head as he tried to remember.
"I think it was five or six... You really should've given them better directions." Sora's smile grew larger while a couple tears leaked out from her eyes, "Thanks for coming Tai." Sora immediately hugged Tai tightly. Surprised at first, he wrapped his arms around her determined not to let go. "Oh Tai," she continued between sobs, "It just hurts so much to lose him like that." Her tears seeped through the teen boy's shirt causing him to shiver slightly.
"Sora..." Tai whispered, still clinging to her. The two stayed like that for a few more minutes before she began to move away. Tai pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.
Sora, looking incredulously at the cloth then at Tai, took it slowly and wiped her eyes with it, "Since when did you use a handkerchief?" she asked while handing it back.
He pocketed it with a sheepish smile on his face, "Since last week. I just didn't have enough pockets for all the tissues I needed." There was a pause as the two once more looked down at their chests finding the right words to say. Tai finally turned back to Sora, "So," he began, "why'd you call me here, it sounded important."
"Well, it felt like it," she replied still hanging her head, "I just didn't know how to go on, but now I realize that there are so many more things left to do," she lifted her head and looked deep into Tai's eyes, "more memories to make, dreams to fulfill. Before you got here, I thought about ending it all. I thought we, the Digidestined, were invincible. But now just remembering not just Matt, but all of you guys made me realize that I was just thinking of myself and how I felt. Not about the consequences of my actions if I were to... Y'know..."
"End the pain?" Tai proffered helpfully.
Sora hung her head again, "Yeah. Something like that. I didn't really think about how my friends and family would handle it, until we started talking."
"So you're over it, right?"
"Yeah, thanks." She gave Tai one final smile before she got up and walked away fading into the growing crowd of people.
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Eight Days Later...
Multiple news crews stood in front of a large conference hall. One female newscaster in particular was standing right in front of the shrine's doors. The camera panned to see large groups of people. The camera then turned back to her while one of the crewmen gave her a countdown before she went live. "Today we mourn the end of a young life here in Tokyo," she began," Yamato Ishida was just a sixteen year old boy en route to a concert where he was to perform in London, England.
"In Japan, he was a rising star in the music world with a bright future, but that was ended when his plane went down in the East China Sea only a half hour after take off along with over 300 others. Yet that wasn't the only thing about this young life. Government documents recently released, show that he was not just any other local heartthrob but an unknown hero to the people of Earth... Wait, we just got word that his closest friend, Taichi Kamiya, is about to give his eulogy. We go inside now for live coverage of the event..."
Inside, Tai stood on a platform. Before him sat hundreds of people... with the occasional Digimon here and there. People from all over the world, from the dignitaries of several countries, to some of his fellow musicians. Many of the international Digidestined along with their Digimon came for the memorial service as well. All of them watched him intently. He remembered to pause after every couple sentences for the translators to repeat his words into special ear buds for the guests who didn't understand Japanese.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming today to honor Matt Ishida, my best friend and a damn good singer." Many in the congregation chuckled at the remark. "But many of you don't quite know the real Matt, Matt the hero." Tai scanned the congregation until his eyes landed on the tear-streaked faces of Sora and Matt's mom. All of you know about the Digital World and Digimon as well as how close our world came to an end by a crazy Digimon called MaloMyotismon. If it wasn't for the kids around the world and our Digimon partners, this world would be in darkness..."
"But that day wasn't the first time an evil Digimon truly threatened our world. Eight years ago, someone in the Digiworld came up with the bright idea that kids would be their best bet to save their world..."
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Afterwards...
The Odaiba Digidestined had finally gotten away from the news reporters who wanted to interview them and the crowds of people who wanted to shake their hands and give them their condolences to them on their loss. The other Digidestined provided cover for them, willingly giving the frantic journalists the interviews they wanted. Even though their prime target was Tai, they were willing to settle for interviews with the international Digidestined and their Digimon who defended the world against the invading Digimon forces a little less than a year ago. Jim Kido and Mr. Ishida drove two minivans packed with the Odaiba group to Memorial Park in Odaiba, a place dedicated to the unknown heroes who stopped the vampire Digimon, Myotismon.
The sun was already setting in the distance as they solemnly exited their respective vehicles. Tai walked up to the driver's side of the lead van where they discussed when they would be picked up again. The rest walked down the steps to several rows of stones representative of those humans who died in the invasion. Had it been up to them, they would have added at least another three stones for Pumpkinmon, Gotsumon, and Wizardmon. They had visited the place numerous times on the anniversary of Myotismon's defeat, but it had always been all twelve of them, then all twenty four, Digimon included. This time it was only twenty two.
The group watched as the two vans sped off while Tai Kamiya slowly walked down the steps a set of keys in hand. When he reached the bottom, the group gathered around him. "I know this is a dumb question, but why are we here?" Davis asked while cradling DemiVeemon in his arms. Tai smiled and the group cleared a path for him as he began to walk, patting a curious Upamon who sat atop Cody's head watching him as he passed. The group immediately followed traveling deeper into the park.
"To answer your question, Davis," Izzy replied as they walked down a tree lined path, "our destination is an old street trolley."
"But I don't get it, what's so special about a trolley?" Yolei asked as Poromon rolled his eyes at his partner's bluntness.
"Well," Sora began to explain, "it's a place where we older Digidestined used to go to a long time ago for our annual anniversary."
Joe continued the explanation, "Yeah, but the city decided to close it off after some strange happenings began to occur like winds picking up and swirling about the trolley or the old lights turning on with no one behind the wheel."
The group finally reached a wrought iron gate. On the gate's door was a bronze plaque that read, "A memorial to our Unknown Saviors." Ken read it aloud as Tai struggled with the lock. "You still haven't answered the question on why it was so special," Ken said with curiosity in his voice after reading the plaque.
Minomon looked up at his friend, "I think they were just getting to that Ken."
"Yes, they were," Gatomon replied snidely.
"Gatomon!" Kari chided her Digimon.
"Sorry," she replied
"Well," TK began, "it was the only reminder of our adventures in the Digital World as well as the friends we made along the way and the ones we lost and left behind. Remember, we hadn't seen our Digimon since we first left except that one time where only some of us partnered with our Digimon against Diaboromon.
"I don't understand," Cody responded.
"It was our ticket home," Tai replied simply
The path opened up to a small clearing where an old green trolley stood. Next to it was a pedestal with another plaque on it. This time Tai read it aloud, brushing his fingers over it. "On the evening of August 3rd, 1999 this trolley shot out of the sky carrying our heroes home. Landing at the site of the old Convention Center, this trolley stands here as a memorial to them as well as the many who stood up against the invading demon forces." Tai looked to Davis and the younger group, "We spent our first night in the Digital World in this 'hunk 'o junk' and then left the Digital World for what we thought was once and for all after Apocalymon's defeat. It has a lot of sentimental value." Tai smiled at his last statement and climbed aboard.
One by one, the original eight stepped inside. Davis, Yolei, Cody, Ken, and their Digimon were the only ones who hadn't climbed in. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. TK stuck out his head and smiled. "C'mon guys, what are you doing just standing there?" he said, waving them in.
The four approached and entered the trolley. Davis was the last one to go inside. Looking around, he saw that it was just like any other train car. It had two doors in the front and two doors in the center. There was just barely enough space for all of them. It was a good thing that some of their Digimon were in their In-Training forms or else they really would have been cramped.
They sat there quietly for a time, some reliving past memories, while others contemplated the significance of the simple memorial. Davis, doing neither, just looked down at DemiVeemon, stroking the Digimon's blue head, wondering what he was doing there.
Joe was the first to speak, "You guys remember when Tai and Matt fought over first watch our first night?"
"Yeah," TK replied, "I sorta forgot why, though."
"It was because Mr. Kamiya over there was poking fun at Gabumon saying that I would steal his fur while we slept at night," Mimi replied sarcastically with a grin.
Tai joined into the action, "Well what about that one time when Joe got all brave and started to climb Infinity Mountain alone, huh?"
"Yeah well I only did that to keep you and Matt from killing each other again," Joe said with a growing smirk, "But one thing I won't ever forget about Matt was that he was a good friend, especially at Digitamamon's Diner."
Gomamon smiled at the mention of Digitamamon, "Matt always was the cook of the group, cooking our fish, and our eggs, and our... poor fishies..."
"You and your fishes, Gomamon," TK replied, "we always had a hard time fishing whenever you were around!"
Everyone laughed except Gomamon who was getting red in the cheeks. One by one they shared their stories of their adventures and misadventures with Matt and Gabumon even as the sun dropped below the horizon.
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EPILOGUE
Sora lay awake in her bed, her husband snoring softly next to her. Biyomon and Charbroiled, her husband's nickname for his Digimon, were also both sleeping soundly in their little cots. Sora slowly got up so as not to wake anyone and carefully snuck out of her room.
On her way to the kitchen, she checked on her sleeping son, only to find him hugging his Tsunomon with a contented look on his face. She kissed both him and Tsunomon on the forehead before continuing to her destination.
As she brewed her tea, her mind wandered on many things, but they all revolved around one person. It didn't matter that it had been years since she'd seen his face. It always came to her vividly on this day. She relaxed on the couch, slowly sipping her tea.
It was then when she noticed her son's CD player and thought to remind her son to pick up after himself tomorrow. Thinking it was a little too quiet; she thought she'd sample what he was listening to. A couple seconds after she pressed play, she immediately ripped the ear buds off and checked the CD inside.
"Of course," she whispered to herself, "how appropriate..." It had been several years since Matt's death, several years on this very day; her boyfriend was taken away from her. The possibilities if he had survived were endless; the thoughts of a future with him had tortured her for years. Now the old pain in her heart was coming back. The music coming from the CD player wasn't helping at all.
The feeling soon passed. She loved him, and she wasn't always happy with how things turned out... But she was satisfied. With a wonderful son, and a husband who loved her, friends who would stick closer to her than the siblings she never had, there wasn't much more she could ask for. There was a slight rap at the door frame behind her. Her husband was there, yawning loudly.
Today was a new day. Another page in her life was just beginning. But that old love would never fade away...
"Love me when I'm gone..."
End
A/N: Yeah, yeah, so it's taken forever for me to release something. First off, I'd like to dedicate this sorta Sorato to Regulus Deathstorm, avid Sorato fan who convinced me that Sorato did not come from the devil himself :p Second, I didn't really edit this, so if it's terrible oh well. I just finished off the parts that were incomplete so I could publish. I felt it was a waste to have so many half finished stories in my comp that I wanted to share with other Digimon fans, but just couldn't manage to finish. Well, I'm gonna give it another go to finish what I got at the very least. I may not come out with any of the epic stories that I had planned, but I'm fine with that. Finally, I'd just like to say hello and good luck to the current and still thriving Digimon fanbase and fanfic writers. Just keep the legend of Digimon going fellas..
-GA