Author's Notes: Okay, since I've centered most, if not all of my chapters on Tai's demonic life, or just Tai himself, I will take a break from that. It wasn't really part of my plans, but then again I was thinking that if I keep centering on Tai, how will the whole Taiora thing happen? Yep. This is a Taiora story, so I'll prove it in this chapter.
*~*
A Devil's Halo: Part 9
'The Truth the Whole Truth'
*~*
At seven o'clock that night, Tai walked over to his mirror, and just stared. He closed his eyes, and looked again. Nothing. What in the world was going on? He remembered what he read: ºRed Eyesº ~There is absolutely no way of removing them. Asking your master will not help, for it is also beyond their powers.~ He walked over to his bed, and reached underneath to find his huge book: Hell's Messenger's Questions and Answers for Everything. He flipped through the book, but found nothing at all about what was currently happening to him. "Why me?" he asked himself. What was this supposed to mean? He knew that he couldn't talk to Oni about this. He had this bad feeling. He couldn't always rely on his master anyways. No. He was going to figure this one out himself.
~*~
"Matt!!!" Tai called from he hallways of school, Monday morning. Okay, so he tried to figure it out by himself for the whole day, that Sunday, but his curiosity was killing him.
Matt heard him, and walked towards the disoriented teen. "Taichi?" he asked, looking the boy over. He smirked knowing what Tai wanted to ask. He didn't want to anger him though, so he would just wait until Tai asked the question himself.
"How come my eyes don't glow anymore? You must know. Heaven knows everything that goes on in Hell. It's obvious, since you were sent here to protect Sora-"
Matt was seen coughing a little. He looked to Tai's right, breaking eye contact. "Yes? Please continue," he said.
"Tell me why," Tai asked.
Matt shook his head. "How rude. You have absolutely no manners now do you?"
"Gahh!!! Please tell me why." Tai gritted his teeth together angrily.
Matt gave his pacified smile, and nodded. He turned around and walked away from Tai. Tai, seeing Matt just turn his back on him, angrily followed.
"Where the hell are you going? Dammit, I said please!" Tai half yelled, half complained.
As Matt reached a secluded area of the school, he instantly stopped. Tai, being right behind him, crashed rather hard into him. "Please watch yourself there," Matt said, as he stepped a little away from Tai. "I just didn't want people eavesdropping on our conversation. You know that ever since Oni-" Tai once again flinched. "Heard that you've stopped making Sora do all those sins, he's sent another one of his minions to watch you. He wants to know the reason why you've stopped. We'll never really know who he or she is. Right now, I'll just answer your question."
Tai nodded. Finally.
"Your eyes don't glow anymore because you have fallen back into the human world completely. Oni can still bring you back to hell, but otherwise, if Oni didn't exsist, other spirits would have just thought of you as a human being. Although it says in that book of yours that there is no absolute way of getting rid of red eyes, it really doesn't have all the answer for you questions."
Tai stared at him with disbelief. So... he was human? No... no... he was still one of Oni's loose souls, but on earth, every other supernatural being would think he were human. They would be fooled. It was like he was floating somewhere in the middle of things. He felt so confused. "How... How do I become my demonic self again? I-I mean... Are there ways?"
Matt looked down at the ground, then lifted his face up to look at Tai directly in the eyes. "Yes there is a way... but do you really want to become that again?"
"What kind of a question is this? I'm one of Oni's minions. I have to be that again. Oni will kill me if I don't," Tai said, his voice was rising to a panic.
"I know that, but do you want to go back to Oni? Do you want to become one of his minions again? Do you want to be a demon again Taichi?"
Now that he though of it... "No..." he said straight from his heart. He didn't want to go back. With Sora, he found out that there was much more to life than just ending it when something so horrible comes up. There would be people there to help along the way. Before he killed himself, he thought that he was strong to have enough courage to go on with his suicide, and to live as long as he did, with such a horrible life. Now, he realized that Sora was really the stronger one. She had gone through an equally if not worse life than himself.
"Well then," Matt said proudly. "I'll just see how everything else goes. If this is kept up long enough-" Matt began, but then he suddenly stopped. "Someone's listening to us," he said quietly, before he turned into a cloud and disappeared.
Tai, being used to that and all, just turned around and headed back to the school halls. Just before he entered his class room though, he figured out something. Matt of course had to be telling the truth. Besides that, his other proof was the fact that when Matt came towards him, he felt no anger, or hate. He was annoyed at Matt for turning his back on him, but other than that, that was all he felt. Strange.
*~*
"So what do you think you'll wear to the dance?" Sora asked Mimi, as her, Mimi and Tai walked around the mall looking for clothes.
"I'm not too sure. Of course nothing too showy, but it has to be catchy so the guys would notice. Plus, it obviously shouldn't be formal. Just formal enough, but still casual-looking, you know?" Mimi said.
Sora was already confused the moment Mimi began talking about her future dance dress. She wasn't very into malls or dresses, but then again she had to look decent, if not, nice enough that Tai would really notice her.
"I think I'll just go get some food over th-" Tai began, but Mimi grabbed his arm, and pulled him with Sora and her inside the store.
"Although Sora asked for my help here, I think I'll give you free help on this one. I mean seriously. Are you really thinking of wearing clothes like that to the dance?" she said, making a face at him.
Tai looked down at his clothes. "What's wrong with them?" he asked. What was wrong with them? They were like what ever other guy out there in the world wore. Loose clothing. A pair of blue jeans, and a shirt with his favorite rock band on it.
"First of all... That disgusting shirt," Mimi said, pointing at the grueling image glued on the shirt. "Second, those pants. I mean seriously. The bottom of the pant legs are torn since you keep stepping on them. Third. You don't have a jacket. A guy must always wear a nice jacket over their clothing, so in case they meet a girl, but they have a stain, or an aping picture on their shirt, they can always cover it up."
Tai cursed under his breath as Mimi led them towards the girls section first. "Sora," Mimi said, turning to her best friend.
Sora stared at what Mimi gave her and replied "A dress? A dress?! Are you crazy Meems!!! You know I don't wear dresses!"
Mimi smiled at her. "Now. If you want people," wink, "to notice you," winks, and looks at Tai, "then you have to wear things that will catch their," wink, "eye."
Sora gave her a confused look at first, but then she understood what Mimi meant. Was it that obvious that she liked Tai? She turned around and blushed. "Ahh... Okay. Just for the dance though."
Mimi nodded, and stifled a giggle. "While Sora's trying that dress on, why don't we go look for your clothes hmm...?" she asked, pulling him towards the men's side. She sorted through some clothing, but nothing seemed to her taste. Finally, she found a pair of jeans, a loose black polo shirt, and a light grey under shirt.
"What's the under shirt for Mimi? It's not like I need it. I just have to button the polo all the way up right?" he asked her.
Mimi looked disgusted. "Of course not! Don't you see all those men models on T.V. they have these polo shirt, unbuttoned, with an under shirt at the bottom? Just try it on!"
Tai took the clothing, and walked into the dressing room. Just as he did, Sora walked out wearing a knee length white skirt, a beautiful crimson tank top, with a thin, see-through material, white long sleeve over it. (A/N: I don't know how to describe those long see-through shirts, but I have one. It seems like it's made of stockings materials, but it's more comfortable, and it's a little thinner. Gaah.. I don't know!!! Just to say, it's not tacky! Sorry, but I have no other way of describing it.)
Mimi stared at Sora and smiled. "Great! Wonderful! On our first shot too. Love it Sor. Tai's just trying on his clothes. Maybe you should change before he sees you. He should be surprised."
Sora smiled, and thanked her friend for helping her. She then walked back to the women's dressing room.
Tai walked out next, showing how he looked with the clothes that Mimi picked out for him. Once again, a match. It was perfect. "You know Tai," Mimi said, smiling widely at him. "If I didn't have a friend at school who was totally into you, I wouldn't let you out of my sight, until you were mine."
"Really?" Tai smirked. "Who likes me?" he asked.
"Ahhh... Just a friend. You may or may not know her. Sora's out now. Let's buy these clothes, and eat. After that, I'll buy some clothes of my own, and we're set to go!"
~*~
"Mmm... That was great!" Sora said, rubbing her stomach. The three of them ate out at Boston Market, and they all stuffed themselves silly with the delicious crispy chicken and gravy with rice, and the best macaroni and cheese anyone had ever tasted. (A/N: Some people may not know what this restaurant is, but I just had to put it. I was about to put Mc Donalds because everyone knew it, but even if they're fake characters, might as well let them eat healthy food right? Well... as healthy as crispy chicken and gravy with rice, and macaroni and cheese will ever be. ^_^ Mmm mmm!)
"You've got that right," Tai said, smiling to his hearts content. He didn't think he had ever really been this happy just eating before. He had fun eating of course. I mean who wouldn't (o^_^o), but just eating with friends who really cared about him made him feel so utterly... happy. There was no other word to describe it.
"Ahhh... I don't think I'll eat for another two hundred years!" Mimi exclaimed, looking down at her now empty plate.
*~*
The three teens finished her shopping, all thanks to Mimi for helping them... Well... Actually getting them started, and doing everything else.
"So... What kind of dress is it Sor?" Tai asked, as the two of them said goodbye to Mimi from the fork in the road... More like the sidewalk.
Sora smiled at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked, playfully hitting him. "You'll see on Saturday. Besides. If you ask, you should also tell."
"What for? I mean, I think that whatever girl's have to wear are so much more important than what guys have to wear. Especially because of the fact that you Sora Takenouchi, are going to wear a dress." Tai said, emphasizing the words 'you' and 'dress' because of the fact that Sora was more like a tomboy than anything else. She hated dresses. Period. Now what got Tai confused was why she was going to wear it in the first place.
"Do you really mean that? I mean, you of all people actually saying that you pay attention to other people besides yourself?" she joked.
"Hey! I resent that!" Tai said, turning around, and grabbing the hand that she used to hit him with.
For a while, the two just stared at each other in silence. Sora looked down at their hands, and blushed. Should she pull away or stay? Did she even want to pull away? Somehow, she knew the answer would be a no. She had to know though. There was a question tugging at her, just waiting to be asked.
"... Are you really a demon Tai?" she asked, finally interrupting their silence.
Tai snapped out of his trance, and look at her straight in the eyes, then she looked at the ground and answered truthfully. "Yes."
"You really don't seem like it," she said taking her hand away from his grasp, finally.
"What do you mean?"
"Well... At first you did, with all that ordering around, and always getting me into trouble, but now... What changed?"
What did change? Was there a change of heart? Did all the ice melt after their conversation at the park? Did he finally find someone who had had an equally if not, more horrible life than himself? Was it that he had finally found someone who understood him? Was it that he finally found someone that he might just... care about?
Sora stood there waiting for an answer.
Tai shook his head. "I guess... everything," he said. Not one word of his mouth, yet, came out as a lie. Somehow now, every time he was with Sora, he couldn't lie to her. Just looking at her made him tell her the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Sora eyed him curiously. "Everything? What do you mean?"
"I mean, well... I always thought that life was hard, but that was just because of the fact that I always felt sorry for myself. I didn't realize that some people might just have had a far worse life than I had. All I thought was that no one cared about me. I was all alone in this world now that two of my most cherished family members died. Especially the way I treated them before they died. I didn't have anyone to talk about it with, and I thought no one could help me. I thought no one cared about me."
"What about now? I mean, do you like life now?"
Tai nodded. "Yeah I guess, I finally found someone who cares about m-" Tai said, but suddenly stopped before all the words slipped out. Too bad it was too late.
"It might have just been a wild guess Tai, but you're right. You've finally found someone who cares about you," Sora said, her lips turned into a smile.
Tai was surprised at what she said. Not a lot of people, especially Sora, would say things like that. Primarily if it deals with the words closely related to 'I care about you.'. This made Tai even happier than he had been ever since he and Sora had their talk. As the two walked on to the house, Tai took Sora's hand into his, and they continued on.
~*~
"Does it really show Meems?" Sora asked over the phone, as she laid belly down on her bed, with her feet high up into the air.
"Of course it does. I mean, you're more calm than I would ever be with a guy who I liked, but still, there's just something about it that has this big neon light pointing to you saying 'I think I'm liking my best guy friend!'." Mimi said, semi-sarcastically, but also truthfully.
Sora sighed.
"Hopefully he's ignorant. I mean he doesn't seem to notice, so I guess he is."
"He's not ignorant... Well... not really. I'd prefer to call it oblivious to the practically stated and obvious."
"Sure... Whatever," Mimi laughed. "So what happened after I left?"
"Nothing much," Sora lied. Well.. not really. Half-lied if you will.
"Uh huh. And how did have I known you Sora? I can totally tell you're lying!"
"I... Not really!" Sora said. She didn't really like this. This was the common conversation that every cheerleader had over the phone with their friends, and she did not like it at all.
"Oh come on Sora, I know something happened."
'If I don't say it, this prep chat will never go away,' she thought. 'Fine.'. "We just talked a little and then he held my hand. It was just a friendly type of thing though Meems. It didn't mean anything much. Look I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow!" she said, hanging up the phone before Mimi could say anything else, or squeal with excitement or something rather.
*~*
"The sky was painted today Painted with the pain that I saw deep in your eyes. I always thought it didn't matter what you say, But now I realize what you've been-" Sora sang as she cleaned up her room.
Tai silently came in, and leaned against the door frame. "Sounds a little depressing don't you think?" he asked her.
Sora blushed a deep brick red. Was he just listening to her sing? 'No one has ever heard me sing,' she thought.
"I would pick a sing with a happier note to match with that beauti... er... great voice of yours," Tai said, quickly catching himself there on the word 'beautiful'. Yes, this was another truth. He liked her voice. "Go on ahead, I don't mind."
"Ahh..." Sora thought, smiling at him. "No thanks, but can do you me a favor?" she asked.
"Depends. What?"
"Well... I just need help to clean my room. Mind giving me a hand?"
"Sure, why not?" he said, beginning to pick some things up and place them where they truly belonged.
"My mom said that she was going out of town on Saturday for this meeting with her friends from high school. They haven't seen each other for awhile, so I could understand why she would close her flower shop that day," Sora said as the two continued to clean her room. "Besides that, since she knows that I won't disobey her... like the good dog that I am-" Tai laughed at this, "She said that if I clean my room then I can go. She said the same thing goes for you."
"Great. She's your mom and now she just became mine," Tai said. Sora just laughed at his words.
~*~
Saturday was hectic at the school, since Sora and Tai had to stay late after schools anyway to clean up, they decided to just help the crew who were setting up the decorations for their dance. With that, they received free tickets since the two had forgotten to buy their dance tickets that morning.
*~*
The music was blaring as Sora walked into the school gym where the dance was being held. She had not gone with Tai, wanting to surprise him at the dance with what she was wearing. She really did want him to like it although she wasn't really into skirts or dresses for that matter. Instead of changing at her house, she went to Mimi's who helped her fix up everything else besides her clothing.
Tai had dressed up and decided to walk to school. He found Matt on the way to the dance too, and since he stopped having those infuriating feelings for the guy, he decided to just walk and talk with him all the way to the dance. Amazingly, Matt seemed more human than he usually did all the other times he appeared behind Tai. Tai found Matt to actually be... cool. Since Tai asked, Matt talked about his life before being an angel. He was the lead singer of this big punk rock band, which practically went all the way to the top. Tai found out that the two were the same age, and that he had actually listened to some of Matt's songs before. Up until he killed himself of course.
~*~
Matt immediately went to the snack areas, admitting defeat to his stomach, leaving Tai to find Sora by himself. He found her sitting down at the table just drinking orange juice. She was never really a fan of soda.
"Hey, how long did you have to wait?" he asked her.
"About thirty minutes," she said truthfully.
"Sorry about that. Look, how about I make it up to you with a dance?" he said, holding out his hand to her. Sora just nodded, and as the two walked towards the dance floor, the beat suddenly changed into a slower one. "Umm..."
Sora thought that staying in hell for so long probably made Tai forget how to slow dance, so she decided to lead him, taking his hands, and pulling him closer to her. "Forgot how to dance Taichi?" she teased.
"I forgot everything since I came to the dance," Tai said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I thought that you look really nice tonight Sor."
Sora blushed, and no matter how dimly lit the lights were, Tai could still see the red burning in her cheeks. He smiled at that.
"Sora...?" he asked, staring at her, looking slightly nervous, but trying to hide it from him. He knew all along that she had liked him, but since the day of the broken snow globe, that dy he saw her dancing around in circles, arms wide open, he instantly found her intresting from every other girl. Then he slowly began noticing her beauty inside and out, her love for life. He was just simply amazed. He moved a little closer and smelled her usual scent: baby powder. She seemed ready to ask what, so he moved his lips closer to her ear.
"Hmm...?"
"I think I'm falling in love with you," he said, surprising her, as the two danced to the lovely beat of the song.
*~*
Author's Notes: First of all, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. Hopefully I made it up to you with this especially long chapter which I have been writing continuously for this whole week. Hope that you all enjoyed it, and please review! By the way, being the lazy person that I am, I did not want to go and search for songs that matched this story in some way, so the partial lyrics that Sora sung were just words that I wrote after reading this completely emotional fic. Bye for now!
