*Sora's Last Message*
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Ha ha! I wrote this one a looong time ago. That is, maybe a year ago. I still don't remember how I got the idea, it just kind of came to me… Whatever, anyway, I hope at least someone out there likes it!!
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It was seven o' clock in the evening. The sun had already set. The new digidestined were still in the Digiworld destroying dark spires. Tai had Sora over to talk and to play video games. Suddenly in the middle of a game Sora said, "Tai, I think we should get out of here."
She stood up, an expression of fear and resolve on her face.
"Come on, Tai. Get up. This is urgent. Do you have your digivice?"
"Uh...yeah, why?"
"Words aren't enough to get through to you!"
With that she grabbed his arm and started to run out the door of his room and heading for the door to the appartment. As they approached it, he noticed that there was a small trail of smoke wafting in from under the door. He looked at it, not computing. The force of understanding didn't strike until Sora flung open the door to reveal a scene he later wished he could forget. There was fire on the balcony, fire on the side of the building, fire here, fire there, fire everywhere! He called to his mother, but Sora kept dragging him after her.
Afterwards he would vaguely remember people running here and there in total panic, people yelling and screaming for friends and family, fire-fighters trying to restore calm and save lives. And through all of this, Sora dragged him until he thought his hand might fall off. Somehow all of it seemed unreal. Suddenly he realized that he was chanting, "Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a..."
Sora turned to look at him at this precise moment. She was dragging him towards the stairs.
"As much as you might wish it to be, I'm afraid it's real." She ducked a falling log and pulled him after her before it hit, never missing a stride.
"How did you know?"
"I have had a special atunement to fire ever since I met Piyomon. I can sense it like some poeple can sense the weather. I should have been paying closer attention."
"What will happen to Mom and Dad? Kari's safe in the Digiworld, but what about them?"
"Your appartment has had an explosion by now. Why did your Mom have to insist on having a gas stove anyway? But if they didn't leave by the time we did, there's nothing you or anyone can do for them now, just pray."
Tai felt his heart lurch. He didn't even want to think about what might have happened to them. Then they were running together, not just Sora dragging him, and trying desperately to escape the flames.
Suddenly they were at the bottom. They put on an extra spurt of speed, but suddenly Tai felt a wrenching of his hand. He'd lost Sora's! He turned to see her trapped underneath a pile of debris.
"Sora!" He ran back and started to try to get her out. Then he found a big piece of the wall had fallen over her. Try as he might, he could not lift it.
"I'm going to get help!" He was about to run off when Sora called, "Wait!"
He stopped and turned to look at her.
"You need help! Then we can both survive this and be able to tell everyone else about it! I can't explain to Kari what happened all by myself! I..."
"Shut up and listen. I. Will. Not. Live. Understand? I think my spine is broken. There is no way I'm going to get out of this mess without a stretcher and I'm probably suffering from inner bleeding, so even that might come too late. I know fires. This one is going to explode any time now, anyway. If you stick around you're dead. Go. And. Live."
Tai stopped completely, just staring at her. "But Sora...why?"
Sora sighed and looked at him with a pained expression.
"You have something to live for. You have love. Me? I'm proud to be able to die so you can live. I know you don't love me like I love you and never will. I know who you love, but you and they are both clueless. Look: All your courage can't help me now. Live and love, if for no other reason than for me, okay? You love...oh my God, get the hell outta here! RUN!"
Tai looked up and saw in slow motion how the fire grew brighter and the noise started. He started running and running, his self-preservation instinct having taken over, and never stopped until time finally righted itself again. He looked back and saw that within five blocks the entire area was covered in fire and debris. He had a sinking feeling as he realized that Sora must be dead by now. Looking around, he found he was in a park. Wait...the park was twenty blocks from his home. There was no way he could have run that far in that short a time. He looked at the clock. It couldn't possibly have been more than two minutes!
He sat down. Then he slumped as things suddenly caught up with him. His parents? Dead. Sora? Dead. At least Kari was safe, but...Matt! He lived just two blocks away! The fire was spreading fast, might even have reached his house by now! The fear of losing someone else drove him back into the smoke and the heat. He looked left and right, desperately trying to orient himself. There! Wasn't that it? A news reporter...
"And here we have the house of the aspiring popstar, Ishida Yamato. He is not known to have come out yet and his fans fear the worst. Reporting live..."
Tai didn't hear the rest, he was already inside. Soon after he entered he felt the intensity of the raging inferno and the occasional explosions that kept even the firefighters away. Forcing his eyes to open, he scanned the room for his best friend. He and his father had moved here quite recently. It had been a big deal for them to be able to afford a house, and only possible because of Matt's aspiring career as a popstar. No, he wasn't here. Tai made his way to the steps and almost fell through the first one. After that he ran. "MATT! MATT! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screamed until he started coughing, upon which he started crawling to avoid some of the smoke. Suddenly there he was. Matt.
"Matt!" Tai called as loud as he still could. Matt turned to look, his eyes oddly blank.
"Well, guess who's here. You really should go, Tai. You'll die if you stay here, you know."
"That's what I'm afraid of happening to you! Come on, let's get out of here!"
"Where to? Dad died, Mom died, you're gonna die, I'm gonna die..."
"What are you talking about? I'm jinxed. Sora saved my life. I can't die today, or she would have died without reason."
He was surprised at Matt's reaction.
"Sora? Oh, her. I knew I had nothing to live for."
"What are you talking about?"
"You loved her, didn't you?"
"It's weird that you mention that. That's why she wanted to die. You see, I didn't or don't or...whatever. She was like an older sister to me. She said I was in love with someone, but I didn't know it and neither did they. She's pretty damned right about that. I might be in love, for all I know, but if I am, I'm sure clueless about who. Now come on. I couldn't stand to lose my two very best friends in the same day."
Tai crawled over to where Matt was, who was looking at him weird.
"I have to know." Matt insisted.
Tai looked at him confused. "I don't get it."
"I have to know who you love."
Tai looked at his best friend, more and more confused all the time. "Now I'm really clueless."
Matt turned his complete attention to him, grabbing his shoulders and staring into his eyes with an unprecidented sense of emergency. "We're probably both going to die here. I don't want to die without knowing. I. Must. Know. You must know it somewhere inside your think head! Even if the realization hasn't gotten through yet, I'm determined that it will! Think!"
Then Matt let go, letting the tiredness take over again. "Sorry."
Tai was going through a very confused moment there, but if it was so important to Matt, he'd find out. Hmm...was it someone he knew very well? One of the digidestined? Someone from school? Someone he used to know? Someone he knew now? Wait...it had to be someone he and Sora both knew. She'd as much as said so. Well, that pretty much narrowed it down to the digidestined and a few of their old friends from when they both lived in Highten View Terrace. They were pretty much out, since he didn't even remember what they looked like. Okay, the digidestined. Mimi? He discarded that thought without any further ado. He didn't even understand Mimi, even after all this time. She was an endless cause of confusion. All girls were, except for Sora. Miyako? Nah...she was aspiring to be just like Mimi. If asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would probably say 'Mimi' or 'Barbie' or something like that. And the way she was always drooling over that genious Ken? No way. Kari? No way! Not his sister! But...it couldn't be a boy, could it? Well, maybe. He'd never thought about that. Izzy? No way! That was just too weird! Same with Joe. Just about the only thing he'd ever felt about him was annoyance. Takeru was Matt's little brother and looked to be hooking up with Tai's little sister sometime soon. No, that was not a possibility. He would have noticed that one. Davis? Um..no. Not in a million years. Neither could he imagine liking Iori like that...hell, the second season kids didn't even come in question. He barely knew them, anyway. And that Kaiser guy was the enemy! Leaving only...Matt. Matt? As in Ishida Yamato? He turned to look at the boy. It was then he noticed the heat was gone. He looked around to see...Sora?
He moved over to shake Matt who had apparently fallen asleep.
"Matt? Wake up!"
"Huh...Huh? What happened? Are we dead?"
"Usually it's my job to ask the dumb questions. If we were dead, you wouldn't be able to wake up now, would you?"
"Everybody has the right to ask dumb questions just after waking up."
Then Matt opened his eyes a little further and saw Sora. His eyes opened wider. "Great God!"
The ghostly pale shape turned to smile at the two. "I might have known you would return to try to save him, Tai. I should have known from the very start that we were never meant to be. You know, now that I'm dead I see life so much clearer. I realized that I was actually in love with two people, but neither of them ever returned my feelings. I guess we were just children fighting a war that was too big for us. I wish the two of you happiness......Farewell......"
With that the symbol of love shone a bright red on her chest and filled the room with a blinding light. Then she was gone and in the place where Tai and Matt had sat just a few moments before, the fire, let back to its original work, enveloped the recently vacated floor.
It was TK and Kari who saw the three crest colors glow brilliantly and then all but the red fade into the night. The red became one with the fire. TK said, "See? I knew Matt wasn't dead!"
Dragging Kari by the hand, he ran into the yard behind the house, now brilliantly lit, and the two beheld their brothers, lying unconscious in the grass.
TK grabbed Kari's hand tighter. "A miracle happened tonight."
Kari leaned up against him. "Do you think Matt told him?"
TK stared off into the distance. "I don't think so. Sometimes I wonder how Tai can possibly be so blind to what's around him and also to what's inside him."
Kari tilted her head up to kiss him on the cheek. "At least we were never that blind."
"Yeah..." TK said, leaning in to kiss her on the lips when...
"What do you think you're doing with my girl, TH?!" Davis intervened indignantly.
"Look who's lying unconscious over there." Kari pointed out.
"What happened to Tai? Tai! Is he dead?" He turned worried eyes to Kari.
She laughed. "No, no...I think an angel saved them."
"An angel? You mean like Angewomon?"
"No, I mean an angel like Sora. She died in the fire at the appartment building where Tai and I live. Mom and Dad survived just barely. They were saved by a brave firefighter and saw Sora lying under a pile of rubble and unable to get out when the building exploded. They were lucky to escape with their lives, but Sora didn't. I think she gave up her very essence to save them and became one with the flames that consume the building. I hope she can be born again in a happier life. If not...then her memory will always live with those of us who were lucky enough to know her."
"That was a good speech, Kari."
"Well, it was true. Now what about that kiss?"
Davis looked on and then looked away. He looked at Matt and Tai laying on the ground and suddenly it hit him. He looked from TK and Kari kissing to Matt and Tai laying on the grass. That was Matt's house. Tai had been at home. Matt was more important to Tai than his own life. Either that, or Tai was even dumber than Davis. Davis seriously doubted that, looking again at TK and Kari. Without another word, he left. No one saw him go. He told the press that Yamato was in the back, having been saved by his best friend, a certain Yagami Taichi. Then he caught Ken's eye from somewhere in the crowd. He was as if bewitched. Suddenly it was so clear to him. He left the questions and the attention to try to find Ken, not knowing how or why, but somehow feeling that this was right. It didn't matter that Ken was the Kaiser. It didn't matter that he was the supposed enemy. Suddenly all that mattered was that he find Ken in this huge crowd before his heart burst.
It was morning. Tai opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital bed. As soon as he did, he wished he hadn't woken up. Apparently the heat had left it's mark. He was covered with first degree burns. Not only did it burn, it itched like hell, but he was covered in bandages wherever the burns were, so he couldn't even properly scratch himself, especially because his hands were completely covered in them. He looked over and was surprised to find himself in the same room as Matt. He sighed. Matt was sound asleep. Oh, well. At least that gave him some time to think.
Bang! Wrong. Someone was here to visit. From the sounds of it, they were either worried or it was Davis, who usually did that sort of thing. He groggily turned his head to look, not really wanting to take his eyes off Matt, though he couldn't figure out why. A look confirmed his suspicions.
"Well, Davis. You look pretty happy this morning. What's up?"
"Nothing! Just...if Kari shows up, tell her I'm fine! Oh, and by the way: I think it's so funny that even I got something that you can't seem to get! I never thought you'd be even more thick-headed than me for once, but I guess it's partially because I know what it's all about, I think. You thought you loved Sora, didn't you?"
"Well, actually yeah. How did you know?"
Davis grinned from ear to ear. It wasn't until then that Tai noticed there was someone else in the room.
"Ken? What are you..."
His words stuck in his throat as he saw Ken approaching Davis for a kiss. His eyes widened. Suddenly he did understand. He looked over at Matt sleeping in the next bed.
"You don't mean..."
"Actually, I'd expect it to hit you any time now. After I finally realized that Kari didn't love me I finally noticed that I didn't really love her all along. It was more the idea that I wanted to love somebody and was kind of scared of admitting to myself exactly who it really was."
"I know what you mean. I realized last night that Sora was more of a sister to me, but I didn't realize that...though now that you mention it, I think you're right. Sora knew it all along. I think she was actually in love with both of us, me and Matt. If I'd realized sooner, do you think I could have saved her? I think she actually gave her soul to save us..."
"That's what Kari said. I think that whatever happens always has a reason. As Kari said last night, Sora was a real angel. She will never die as long as we remember her."
"Well, I wouldn't want to keep you any longer. Thanks, Daisuke. You've been more of a help than you probably even realize."
"Alright. Come on, Ken! Let's go!"
As they left a stray thought suddenly hit Tai as if on the back of the head. He voiced it without thinking. "I wonder if Ken's still the Kaiser?"
Suddenly Matt began to stir. Tai looked over. Matt had more bandages on than he did, though not many more. He just had a few more where blood had seeped through. Strange, Tai hadn't remembered cuts on his Matt. Hey, the posessive pronoun sounded nice. Maybe he'd say that to Matt...
Looking down, he noticed that his feet were not covered with any bandages.
"Good." He said and moved to sit up.
Unfortunately it was just at that moment that a knock came at the door. Tai worried that it might be a nurse and so he moved back to his old position.
"Yes? Who's there?"
"It's Kari. All the digidestined are here, except for Davis. We couldn't find him..."
"Come on in."
Kari carefully opened the door. Matt opened one eye and smiled at everyone. "Nice to see you."
Kari burst into tears. "We haven't been able to find Davis since last night when I kissed TK right in front of him. He ran off. I'm scared he might have done something irrational!"
At this, Tai started laughing his head off, tears of mirth forming at the corners of his eyes. Everybody stared at him in total incomprehension.
It was Matt who finally spoke up. "So, what's so funny? I'm sure we'd like to join in on the joke."
Tai tried desperately to get his laughing under control
"So that's what he *giggle, giggle, snort* meant." He burst out laughing again, unable to control himself.
"Apparently you know something we don't." Jyou mentioned, half-smiling.
By now Tai finally had his laughter under control.
"He came shortly before you did and told me to tell you that he's very very happy. No, I don't mean that he's high or anything. He...found true love. He's very thankful to you for helping him figure out that he didn't love you all along."
TK grinned widely. "I can see what you thought was so funny. Who is it?"
Tai flashed his usual grin. "I was wondering. Is Ken still the Kaiser?"
The whole group stared at him in total shock. Finally Matt ventured, "You don't mean..."
Tai nodded with a broad grin, but then grew serious.
"Davis came to explain something to me that even he got, though he's supposedly even more thick-headed than me..."
"Well, it's about time!" Koushiro declared. "It's not like we needed Mimi to point it out to all of us the last time she was here, though she was at least careful not to tell Davis. We all knew that if he knew, he would tell you without even pausing to think. So, did you sort it out yet?"
Now it was Tai's turn to look shocked. Matt blinked a couple of times incredilously, looked at the group, looked at Tai and then turned his face completely to look out the window.
TK whispered in mock-secrecy, "I think he's blushing."
This set them all into rounds of laughter, all except Tai and Matt, who was still blushing.
Tai was starting to blush as well. How come did everyone know and he never figured it out? Well, it seemed Matt didn't know how he felt, either. Tai recalled the moment the night before when Matt had gripped his shoulders and looked into his eyes, trying to get him to listen. Tai never had been particularly good at that. Trying to picture that contact again started him blushing even more furiously.
"Alright. I think it's time we got out of here." Jyou declared, herding the slightly younger children out with him. He always did act like a grown-up.
With everyone gone, there was only one thing to do. In spite of the bandages, Tai got up and moved carefully over to where Matt lay on the other bed. He hadn't noticed him yet, nor did he until Tai put a hand on his shoulder. Matt turned and smiled at Tai.
"I guess you probably know why I so desperately wanted to know who you do love."
"Yeah. Somehow everything makes sense now."
Matt looked up at Tai standing over him and managed to sit up. Somehow to Tai's surprise, he suddenly found Matt's lips on his own. It felt weird...but more the kind of weird you use to describe something that's unfamiliar. At first it didn't get through to him, but when it did it was like something exploded inside his head. He became totally unaware of himself. He could have been doing anything and he wouldn't have noticed. Before he knew what was happening though it was already over. Even though Tai hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath, he wanted more of that...
But then there was a noise at the door. It was the nurse shooing away the guests who were still listening at the door. Tai was thankful to get at least that much of a warning. He got back in his bed, straightening the sheets just as she came in to bring their food and carry on about what a hero Tai was for saving the life of the famous Ishida Yamato. She didn't give either of them a chance to protest, but in the end they were thankful to know the cover-up story for those who wouldn't understand what had really happened. On the whole, both of them looked foreward to the end of their hospitilization and the beginning of a new life for both of them.