*random person* Oh, my God! *points at Gatomon_1* It's alive!
Yes, I'm still alive. And I've finally finished this part, though I'm not sure that anyone is still reading. But that's my own fault.
Anyway, since author alert is gone, and if you are still reading this, and don't like to have to keep checking back for new chapters, here's what you can do. Just e-mail me, and I'll e-mail you whenever I add a new chapter. Which will hopefully be sooner than this one came out. Anyway, enjoy!
~*All that's left are Whispers*~
~*Mimi's Point of View*~
"No, no, NO! You must move the Princess's throne CLOSER to the Prince's! Try moving it over another three inches. There we go. Perfect!" The servant turned towards me, waiting for my approval. Me, I couldn't care less where the thrones were placed. It mattered nothing to me. All that mattered was the fact that my entire body felt numb…I swear I couldn't feel my fingers, even though they were loosely clenched. Loosely clenched because I was supposed to be the happiest person in the world right now. After all…I, the Princess Mimette of the Tachikawa family was getting married to a Prince. The marriage would bring about a stronger alliance between my family and his. The other Mimi…er, Mimette…would be ecstatic, because it had long been rumored that she was in love with her betrothed.
There was one problem. I wasn't in love with him. Want to know why? I have a two-word answer for you.
Matt Ishida.
Long ago, I had fallen in love with him. Just recently, I had fallen out of love with him…and in love with his former best friend. See my point? But, wait! It wasn't over yet. Because I could just see my problem getting worse, for suddenly the doors opened, and the royal family of Ishida walked into the room.
~*~
The smile that was plastered onto my face was fake; he knew it, and I knew that he knew it. And he knew that I knew that he knew it, and I knew it. He knew it, too. I gritted my teeth. As I worked to keep that fake smile on my face, Matt sighed in irritation for about the ten thousandth time of the night. "Mimi, are you trying to step on my feet?"
"Yes."
"I thought so."
"This is all your fault."
An amused look crossed onto his face. "And why would you say that?"
I glared up at him in frustration. "Because you're the prince of the realm of Ishida! You could have said no! Your parents would have listened to you. And if you had said 'no,' then we wouldn't be in this situation, I wouldn't have to marry you, and you wouldn't have to put up with bruised toes!"
He gave me a strange look. "We were engaged long before today, Mimi. You know we were. You can't tell me that you don't remember…because I do."
"It doesn't matter. You still could have called it off, and then I could be with Tai!"
"But I don't want you to be with Tai."
I glared at him once again and, like so many times earlier this evening, purposely stomped on his toes.
~*Matt's point of View*~
The evening had been going well, I suppose, all things considered. It had been a real hassle, getting everyone here, considering that half of the royal families weren't on good terms with the family of Tachikawa. What with the families of Tachikawa and (thank God) Kamiya always at each other's throats, it normally would have been almost impossible for Tai to make it. Which would have suited me just fine, but, you see…everyone else had decided that it would be the perfect place for us to all meet up. So Tai had planned to create illusions around himself and Kari, as well as Sora, since the Takenouchi family is an ally of the Kamiya's. He'd also planned to do the same for Izzy…the Izumi's didn't seem to like either the Kamiya's or the Tachikawa's. But, you see, this was how it worked out. The Tachikawa's didn't want the Kamiya's at the engagement ball, but my 'family,' did. After all, I was part of this engagement, this forging of an alliance, as well. And the Kamiya's were friends of my 'family.' So my 'father,' the king of the Ishida family, had insisted, absolutely insisted that, at the very least, crown prince Taichi and his sister, Hikari, be allowed to attend. Mimi's 'father,' had eventually given in.
So, anyway, we were all here, at the engagement ball that was being held for Mimi and myself. Personally, I was in heaven, even though my toes were not in agreement.
I had to admit, it hurt that Mimi didn't seem to want to think about the past that we had shared together...and that she had shrugged off my remark about us being engaged. She might be able to pretend that she didn't remember, but, for the rest of forever, I'll never be able to forget that night.
~*Flashback to sometime after 'Once Upon Forever,' but before the Epilogue*~
I asked myself what love is…
This funny feeling in my heart?
Or maybe it's the saddness
I feel when we depart.
The setting and mood of the restaurant was everything that I could have hopped for, I couldn't help but notice, as I managed to tear my eyes away from Mimi for a brief moment. The small, round tables were made of a beautifully polished wood, spaced out and scattered about in what almost looked like a random pattern on the equally polished floor. At the center of each table, was a small vase of roses; some red, some white, and some a mixture of both; the ones that separated Mimi and I were red. I would have gone for pink, but, unfortunately, that hadn't been an option.
Gleaming chandeliers sparkled with brilliance over our heads, the faint light from the candles shining creating the perfect balance between light and dark. Music slowly drifted down to us from hidden speakers, soft, yet not so much that it couldn't be heard. The song playing was one of Mimi's favorites; I didn't know if it was just a coincidence, or if she had requested it when we entered.
Off to one side was dance floor; several couples swayed to the song, arms wrapped around each other as if they would never let go. As for the dining part of the restaurant, there were also several couples still dining, as Mimi and I were.
Or the pounding of your heartbeat,
Strong against my ear,
Or the warmth that floods my body,
Whenever you are near.
After my quick glance around the room, my eyes immediately returned to Mimi's. The happiness and contentment that I saw there was almost intoxicating.
"So. What's the special occasion, Matt?" her voice was soft, caressing, and surrounded me in my own little bubble of beatitude, until her face and voice were the only things that made up my world.
"Nothing," I responded almost briskly. "I just felt like taking you out."
She laughed, a cheerful, silvery sound that made me smile without even thinking about it. She had that kind of effect on you; when she smiled, you just felt that you had to smile, as well. When she laughed, you couldn't help but laugh along with her. "I don't believe you. You, Matt Ishida? Spending all this money…" she let her eyes wander around the room, like mine had just a few moments earlier, "and what a lot of money it must have cost," she breathed. "Anyway, spending all this money just to take me out for no reason?" she laughed again, and reached out her hand to touch mine. "I don't think so."
But I know that it's impossible,
For if that were true,
Then love could be for anyone,
Not just for me and you.
"Why, Mimi, that hurts." I said, with a wounded look on my face. "It really does. That was completely uncalled for. I've taken you out for no reason, before."
"Yeah? When was the last time you ever did such a thing?"
I paused, letting my eyebrows draw downwards in concentration. Suddenly, they shot upwards as an example came to mind. "Last month. Remember? I picked you up at work and drove you to that place…Cammy's Diner…remember? It was that little restaurant along the beach."
Suddenly her eyes lit up, and they seemed to light up the whole room, as well. "It was such an adorable little place!" she said, tilting her head to one side. "I remember now. And then, after dinner, we walked along the beach."
I scowled, more for my 'image,' then because I hadn't enjoyed it. "And collected seashells."
Love's the way you smile at me,
And the softness in your touch,
Emotions deep inside your voice,
That makes me feel so much.
"Except then, you pushed me in."
I winced, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. "God, I should have known better than to bring this up…" I muttered to myself. If Mimi heard me, then she didn't show it.
"And I got seaweed in my hair! Seaweed, Matt! And all over my dress, too!"
I sighed. "Aren't you ever going to forgive me for that?"
She shook her head vigorously in response. "Nope. Never."
"I think you should." It was becoming noticeably harder for me to breathe; partly because of her nearness, and partly because…I took a deep breath, forcing an air of calmness into my words.
"Why?" her eyes sparkled at me as we once again began this familiar conversation. Except, today, it was going to take a different turn, and, I hoped, have a very different result.
Only you can give these things
So I know now what is true,
Only you can show me love,
So I know that love is you.
"Oh, I don't know," I began slowly, leaning towards her, and once again nearly drowning in her amber eyes.
She watched me curiously, but didn't say anything as she waited for me to continue.
"I guess there's been something I've been wanting to ask you. But, then again, if you're not going to forgive me…" I let me voice trail off, and she raised one eyebrow in amusement. Finally, after several seconds, I picked up where I had left off. "If you're not going to forgive me, then how can I ask?"
She considered me for a few moments, before finally asking, "is it worth forgiving you for?"
"I don't know," I replied, "Only you can tell me that. But I think you'll like it."
More consideration, more painfully long moments of waiting. "Okay. I forgive you."
I could say that it's the tone
Settled in the air,
Or the softness of the music,
And the roses that you bear.
I smiled at her then, carefully masking the intense nervousness that I felt. "It's about time," I murmured, before leaning back in my chair.
She leaned forward even more. "Weren't you going to ask me something?"
I shrugged. "I suppose. But it can wait until after dinner. I believe that's our food." I motioned towards the fancily dressed waiter that was carefully moving towards us, two trays balanced skillfully in his hands.
"Matt!" she exclaimed. "I forgave you, but only to hear what you had to say!"
I smirked at her. "Well, we can't let the food go cold, can we?"
She glared at me, and my heard sank, until she finally sighed with resentment. "Fine. Okay. We'll play your little game." She glanced at the artistically arranged food on her plate. "Let's eat."
I smiled. Soon, the perfect time would come.
The ring that's in the wine glass,
The fear upon your face,
As you wait upon my answer,
Our fingers interlaced.
"Dance?" I inquired after dinner, as we both sat lingering over wine and dessert. She nodded slowly, and then stood and followed me to the dance floor.
The rest of the dinner date passed by as if I were in a dream, and I could tell that she felt the same way. We danced, ate dessert, and then danced some more. Finally, as the sun was sinking, I paid the bill, and we left.
"Where to now?" Mimi asked, looking sideways at me.
"Oh, I don't know." I glanced at her. "How about the beach?"
"Why? So you can push me into the waves again?"
I laughed. "How about this. This time, I'll let you push me into the waves."
She contemplated that for a moment, before smiling brilliantly. "Deal!"
But I know that it's impossible
For if that were true,
Then love could be for anyone,
Not just for me and you.
By the time we reached the beach, the summer sun was beginning to set, casting brilliant rays of a golden, almost scarlet color across what blue was still left in the sky, painting the undersides of the few, scattered clouds that adorned the sky like ornaments on a mantle.
Slowly, hands clasped together, we strolled along the edge of the water. After a while, Mimi turned to look at me, with a conspiratorial grin. "You said that I could push you into the water. For payback."
I grimaced, more for the sake of making her laugh than for the fact that I dreaded the upcoming event. With the sun sinking, the water was most likely freezing cold. But that line was a perfect setup for what I wanted to say.
Love's the way you smile at me,
And the softness in your touch,
Emotions deep inside your voice,
That makes me feel so much.
I took a deep breath, trying to perfect my next sentence before I spoke it. "I've changed my mind."
She looked at me in confusion, and so I continued. "There's something else that you have to do first. Or rather, that I have to do. That you have to say."
"And what would that be?" her soft voice seemed to hold a teasing note in it, which led me to believe that she knew exactly what I was going to say.
"Guess."
"I don't think so. I think it's about time that we end this little game, and you tell me what you were going to say before."
Only you can give these things
So I know now what is true,
Only you can show me love,
So I know that love is you.
I guess I had always planned for this moment to be specially unique, so that it would hopefully be more memorable. There were a million ways in which to propose to someone…all of which had already been used two million times. But, at this moment, looking into her eyes, all thoughts of a unique proposal fled my mind. How many ways were there to say the same four words? The answer: not many.
"I…" I took another deep breath, and ran one hand through my hair nervously. I almost found that strange—I had never been a nervous person before, like Joe—except that I knew that the next few moments would determine the fate of the rest of my life. I gave a small laugh. "I've practiced what to say over and over again, but I can't seem to remember any of my perfect lines at the moment."
"Matt. Are you going to ask me to marry you, or not?"
Only you can give these things,
So I know now what is true,
Only you can show me love,
So I know that love is you.
Her words nearly surprised me—I'd known that she most likely knew what I wanted to say, yet I hadn't expected that comment—except for the fact that this was Mimi saying it, which didn't make it as surprising to me as it could have been.
"I suppose that's what I've been meaning to ask you."
I waited; she waited. Finally, I spoke once again.
"Mimi. Are you going to say yes, or not?"
"Matt. Are you actually going to ask me, or just expect me to assume?"
I nearly broke into laughter at that…in fact, I would have if it hadn't been such a serious moment.
Only you can show me love,
So I know that love is you.
"If that's what you want. Mimi, will you marry me?"
I smile flashed onto her face, and I knew that she would have thrown her arms around me, if she hadn't been too busy looking into my eyes. "If that's what you want," she whispered softly.
"It is."
This time, she did throw her arms around me.
~*Sora's Point of View*~
The evening was going well. If you considered 'painful' to be synonymous with the word 'well.' All evening, I had watched Mimi and Matt dancing, which was the highlight of the ball, I must say, despite the dislike that I hold for my former best friend. But then there was Mimi and Tai. They kept glancing at each other, their longing to be together written plainly on their face. I kept feeling this urge to hit Tai. Or Mimi. Or possibly both of them.
And speaking of Tai, there he was, standing just feet away from me. It was getting harder to breathe, I noticed. But there was something that I had to say to him, so, despite the nervousness and anger that I felt, I walked towards him.
Without a word, I raised one hand, balled it into a fist, and let it fly towards Tai's face. He was so surprised that he didn't see it coming until too late. Me…me, I was angry, upset…everything that you would expect from someone who's been cheated on in the worst kind of way.
"Taichi Kamiya, you are the most insensitive jerk I have ever met in my entire life! I can't believe you! It would have been bad enough if we had just been dating…but this…"
He just stared blankly at me, and I almost hit him again. Silently, I pulled out a chain that had been hidden by the collar of my dress. The item that was on the chain was something that I hadn't worn in millions of years…yet I had always kept it with me, looked at it every day, remembered every minute of every hour…almost. When Tai saw the plain wedding band, his eyes widened.
"We were married, Tai. Don't you remember Riccardo and Isabella Soccerball? Or have you conveniently forgotten those names?"
Surprise, understanding, and horror danced across his face in rapid succession. "Oh, God…"
"Yeah, Tai. 'Oh, God.' Didn't remember, did you?" As I waited for his answer, I dreaded and anticipated his next words at the same time. I knew what I would do if he said 'yes.' I also knew what I would do if he said 'no.' He closed his eyes, and carefully rubbed one hand against his face.
"No, I didn't."
I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, refused to let him see how much he had hurt me. "I can't believe you," I whispered. "I can't believe that even you could be so…so heartless! You and Mimi deserve each other, if that's how you're going to act."
He looked up in surprise…he must have thought that I was going to hit him again, or something. It was very tempting, but at the moment, even the intense anger that I felt was dulled by the even more profound pain.
"Why do you say that?" he asked hesitantly, as if almost fearing my answer.
I looked up, and one single tear traced it's way down my face. "You know, there were so many times, throughout our lives, when I could have chosen someone else, someone who would have stayed true to me. But instead, I convinced myself that you truly loved me, as much as I loved you; that we could be happy together." Unbidden, an image of a certain red-haired friend of mine swam before my eyes, but I pushed it away. Right now, I didn't want to think about Izzy. True, over the past few days, I had convinced myself that I felt…something…for him, but if it came down to it, I knew that I would, without a doubt, without even the smallest hesitation, choose Tai. So, right now, all I wanted to think about was what I wanted to say to him. I didn't want to hurt him, anymore…no matter how much I had changed, that wasn't in the character of the Holder of the Crest of Love. I just wanted to make him see how much his actions had hurt me, how his actions did not fit in with the character of the Crest of Courage.
"Sora. Why do you think that Mimi and I deserve each other?"
Another tear traced it's way down my face; I wiped it away, but not out of anger. "Well, since you're both obviously willing to hurt anyone to be together, then you obviously love each other." I could see the relief beginning to cross onto his face, but it froze with my next words, and as my voice hardened. "And you're both absolutely heartless."
"Sora, I'm sorry…" for the first time that I can remember since the Digidestined had been reunited, his voice sounded truly sincere.
I turned away from him, and began to cross the crowded room, then turned back to him. "I don't want your pity, Tai."
"Then what do you want?"
I could feel the features of my face harden into an unreadable mask. "I used to believe that I wanted you. But now, I'm not so sure anymore." And then I walked away, leaving Tai with a pained, sorrowful expression etched into his eyes.
~*Tai's Point of View*~
As Sora moved quickly and angrily away from me, I resisted the urge to raise a hand to my stinging cheek. I knew that within moments—if not already so—that a red shape in the form of a balled-up hand would be visible on my face.
Or, it would be, if I weren't the King of Illusion.
I was very happy about the ability of my power when I suddenly saw Mimi moving towards me.
"Hi," she said softly, smiling at me.
"Hi yourself." I paused for a moment, and then added, "Aren't we supposed to be enemies?"
She laughed lightly at that. "I convinced my parents that it would be completely rude if I didn't dance with you once…after all, you are a prince, and a guest, even if you are an enemy. Little did I know that it's actually quite proper…you could almost call it etiquette. I also succeeded in convincing them of the fact that my…" she scowled, "fiancée…wouldn't mind, because you're his best friend. They finally realized that I was right."
"Good. That's very good. So. Will you dance with me?" I grinned, and held out one hand to her.
"Gladly…and I promise not to step on your toes."
"I could almost feel sorry for the guy…if he weren't trying to steal you away from me.
"Most likely he thinks that you stole me away from him."
"Most likely."
"I saw you talking to Sora."
I was so surprised at that comment that my illusion slipped. You see, I hadn't had time to anchor it before she came. It was something that I always had to do, if I wanted an illusion to last for more than a few seconds…it had to be anchored to something solid. That's why I generally kept a smooth, black stone in one of my pockets. It worked perfectly for anchoring, plus no one would be able to disturb it, and thus make the illusion fail.
When Mimi saw the red fist-print that now adorned my cheek, I heard a sharp intake of breath. I quickly replaced the illusion, this time taking time to anchor it.
"She slapped you."
"Hit me…or punched me, I guess…is more like it."
"…Why?"
It was then that I realized that Mimi didn't remember, either. I could dimly recall Sora telling Mimi about our marriage on that long ago day when we had gathered to rescue Kari, if I thought about it really hard. As it was, I didn't want to remind her about it.
"It…we were just arguing. Over…about how to get back." I smiled ruefully. "Obviously we disagreed."
From the look that she gave me, I could tell that she didn't believe me.
~*TK's point of View*~
"Dance?" I inquired of Kari as I stepped up behind her, placing one hand gently on her elbow. She turned with a start, but upon seeing that it was me, she smiled. I took that as her agreement, and smiled back.
"So, how's your night going?" I asked after several moments of silence, as we carefully navigated our way through the lively waltz.
"So far, so good. I haven't seen any major explosions between Matt and Tai." She grimaced, and then sighed. "I just hope that they can keep it up." She paused, and cast a glance at the other side of the enormous ballroom of the Tachikawa's. "I think the other's are getting impatient for the meeting to get under way."
"I know. But what can we do about it? We can't just…walk away. Especially not Matt and Mimi, with them being the guests of honor, and all." I sighed. "But you're right. We need to get this meeting over with." I gave a shake of my head, and then met her gaze. "I'm not looking forward to it." Kari murmured her agreement as we continued to move gracefully in and among the other couples on the floor. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Mimi and Matt dancing, again. They'd already danced many times throughout the night, and I knew that it wasn't Mimi's doing either, no matter how happy she forced herself to look. After all, no matter how much she didn't love my brother, she had to act the part. Matt's happiness wasn't faked, though…I knew my brother too well for him to fool me with something like that. He was happy, he was content, he was on cloud nine…
And he was also staggering from pain when Mimi once again stomped on his toes, and then pretended to apologize, her smug look of approval skillfully masked by concern. Matt's lips didn't move to speak words of response; even if they had, I wouldn't have been able to hear him. Instead, he just bowed to her, and then gently touched her face before walking off.
The look on her face surprised me. As he walked away, she carefully brushed her fingers against her cheek, where Matt had touched her. Even from where I stood, many paces away, I could see the faint blush that colored her face. Gently, I nudged Kari, and pointed, but she was already watching, her brown eyes smiling at her former friend.
"I do believe she still loves him," she whispered.
My heart, which had just a moment ago been happy for the two, hardened. "Then why is she with the…I mean, your brother?" I stopped myself from calling Tai something delightfully rude just in time.
Kari looked up at me, and though her lips curved upwards in a smile, it didn't quite reach her eyes. "She just doesn't realize it yet." She looked away from me. "And, personally, I don't think she ever will."
~*Joe's point of View*~
"I'm sorry, I'm waiting for…" before the rest of my sentence could leave my mouth, I realized just how out of place my comment would seem. The girl who stood before me was beautiful, I had to admit, with auburn hair and sparkling emerald eyes that perfectly matched the dress she wore, and the strings of jewels that were braided through her hair. But, me, being me…well, dances were one of the things that made me the most nervous. I guess you could say that I was…allergic…to them.
But I was in a time that was not my own, a time where it would be almost dishonorable to refuse to dance with a lady. Not that she had actually asked me to dance…that would seem almost improper, I suppose. But she was hinting at it, in a manner that was so subtle that it…wasn't. I bowed carefully…one of the habits that I'd picked up from my 'father,' and reached out to take her gloved hand. "I'd be delighted."
As the dance finally ended, I glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of one of my 'friends.' The only ones that I saw were Izzy and Sora…together…which seemed unusual to me, seeing as how there were eight of us. Not to mention the fact that it was Sora and Izzy who were standing together. He turned at that moment, and caught my eye, and then inconspicuously motioned towards the nearest door with his head. I gave a barely imperceptible nod, and turned back to the green-eyed girl that I'd just danced with.
"You'll have to excuse me, I'm afraid, my lady." Once again, another acquired habit. "There is someone that I must speak to." I bowed again, and then hurried towards Izzy and Sora, trying not to look like I was in too much of a hurry. As a threesome, we headed towards the door.
"The others are waiting," Izzy murmured. "We came back in to find you."
I nodded. "Thank god! I swear that I'm allergic to all these girls wanting to dance with me."
I saw Sora give a small smile at that, but nothing more. Izzy fought back a bout of laughter.
"It's about time," Tai growled when we reached the others. I just ignored him.
"We've got to hold the meeting now, since we might not get another chance for a while," Izzy said, before clearing his throat. "I have some information that you might be interested in."
Everyone looked at him expectantly, myself included. "By analyzing the way in which we arrived here, as well as from some help from our friendly demon-lookalike friend who got us here in the first place…" no one corrected him on the fact that it was most likely Kari's fault that we were here. But he didn't get any further into his sentence, because there were other comments, not to mention questions.
"You mean that…guy?" Mimi demanded.
"He was here?" TK exclaimed in surprise. "How did he follow us?"
"He reminds me of someone…" Kari added in, before once again falling silent.
Me, I started to have a panic attack. A good panic attack, if that's possible. "If he could get here, then we can get there, and we won't be stuck here for the rest of eternity, and we can go back, and then go home, and I won't have to be allergic to dancing anymore, or maybe I will, but we'll go home, and this curse will be gone, and everything…" I stopped when I saw how everyone was staring at me. "Is it my fault that I want to go home?"
"Does anyone have aspirin?" Tai inquired. Naturally, I just glared at him.
"You guys!" When Izzy's attempt to catch our attention failed, he tried again. "Will you all just SHUT UP?" that seemed to do it, and we all fell silent.
"Okay, good. Now let me continue, unless you want to stay here."
"Get me out of here as soon as possible, and I'll love you forever," was Mimi's response. Both Matt and Tai ended up glaring at Izzy. When she added, "But not as much as I love Tai, of course," the aforementioned stopped his glaring, but Matt didn't. Izzy didn't even seem to notice.
"Okay. You all remember how we got here, right? We all threw our powers into the portal, and we arrived here. Now, remember that we arrived here because someone didn't want to go home. Well, this guy…he wouldn't give me his name…gave me this information. We can do basically the same thing in order to get back to where we started. There will be no portal involved, however. This time, all we have to do is willingly give up our powers. When all of us have done so, we will be taken back. Provided that someone doesn't mess it up again." He didn't so much as look at Kari as he said that. "I was also told that we can do it one of two ways. We can either all give up our powers at the same time, or we can do it separately, at points in time when each of us feel the need to go home, to ensure that we do want to go home, and to guarantee that nothing will go wrong." He paused for a breath before adding, "So? What's it going to be?"
Silence befell us for several moments, each of us thinking our own thoughts. Me, I was undecided. I wanted to go home, which would mean voting that we all gave our powers at the same time. But if we did that, something could go wrong again…so the safest way would be to give up our powers one by one, when each of us felt the want or need to do so. Finally, Mimi spoke up.
"I want to go home," she said decisively. "Let's do it now." Tai was quick in agreeing with her.
"Go back now," Kari agreed almost immediately, and a far-away look once-again entered her eyes. "Must go back…" she murmured. I wasn't sure if she was even aware of speaking or not.
There was silence for several more moments before TK cast his vote. "Let's do it. Let's go home."
"I'd have to agree," I finally said. "Let's do it."
Everyone turned expectantly towards Matt and Sora. "Well?"
Matt had a stubborn look in his eyes, a stubborn look that seemed suspiciously dark and not-very-good to me.
"I'm not leaving."
For a moment, we all just kind of stared at him.
"Why the hell not?" Tai demanded. A dangerous look entered his eyes as realization dawned upon him. "You selfish little…you bastard! You want to stay because you're engaged to Mimi. That's why you want to stay." He looked mad enough to try to kill Matt at the moment. He snarled angrily. "You're going to keep us all from going home because you want things to be your way!"
"Leave him alone, Tai!" Sora suddenly responded, her voice just as angry. "I want to stay, too. I…I think that I may actually have a chance at happiness, here."
Tai seemed to be at a loss for words at that, but the rage on his face did not fade.
"It seems that we're decided," Izzy finally said. "We can't safely risk going home with not only one, but two of us undecided. We could end up…anywhere!"
"And now, if you'll excuse me, Mimi and I had better be heading back to the ball. We'll be missed, by now." With that, Matt clasped Mimi's arm, the look on his face clearly saying that he would drag her back into the room if she didn't follow. With a helpless look on her face, she followed.
"That little…that…"
"Leave it alone, Tai," I sighed wearily. "It won't do any good. Perhaps he'll see that he's wrong, and eventually give up his power. As it is, the rest of us can do so, and just wait on him."
"And me," Sora said, holding her head high. "And I doubt that, even if Matt does, I will not change my mind."
Tai scowled at her. "I always thought that you were the kind of person who would do what was right, no matter what you wanted. I guess I was wrong."
"And I never thought that you were so selfish! Maybe I like it here. Maybe I'm happy here." A far-off look entered her eyes. "Maybe I belong here." And with that, she turned and stalked off.
~*Kari's point of View*~
I have to admit I was rather happy to get away from that meeting. The anger that Tai showed towards Matt, and towards Sora, scared me, in a way. I'd never seen him that angry before. Ever.
Personally, I also think that Matt and Sora should give up their powers, so that we can all go home, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'selfish.' After all, I'm the one that brought us here in the first place, so if it was anyone's fault, then it was mine.
I guess it's kind of obvious why I want to go back, so I won't talk about it for now. But I guess that that isn't the only reason. It would be wonderful to go back to where we started, and then go back in time, and stop all of this from ever happening. Maybe then I could learn to be truly happy.
Anyway, I knew that it was about time to be getting back to the engagement ball, so, finally, I reentered. Stopping near the doors, I slowly glanced around the room, searching for TK.
I finally found him, surrounded by a small group of young women. The words 'small' group being eight or nine. I could just barely see TK through a sea of taffeta, velvet, and lace. I could see his eyes seeking me, through the crowd of lustrous heads of hair, in five different shades of blond, as well as two different hues of brown, and a redhead. All of them were beautiful, I couldn't help but notice jealously, as they daintily waved jeweled, lace-covered fans with long, gorgeous tassels, laughing and talking amongst themselves, and trying to draw TK into their conversation. He seemed to be acting politely, but I could see that he wanted to speak with me. That helped to ease the jealousy…a little.
I pride myself on not being an overly jealous person, but I have to admit, with everyone thinking that I'd gone crazy…well, it had made me start to feel slightly insecure.
"I suppose the best way to talk to him would be to go join his fans," I whispered, deliberately trying to force amusement into my voice, even though there was no one close enough to hear me. Trying to look as graceful as possible, I glided towards him. I wasn't purposely trying to attract attention or anything, but I realized my mistake almost immediately. I should have tried to move inconspicuously towards him, to avoid being seen. Gliding forward purposefully, the crowds of people between TK and I parted, dropping bows and curtsies as I passed.
Inwardly, I sighed. Inconspicuously would have been nice. Walking forward as if I have a specific destination in mind…well, I am the princess of the Kamiya family. Or so everyone assumes.
The good point was that when I neared TK, the girls surrounding him parted for me, as well. I smiled at TK, trying my hardest to play the part of a princess greeting a prince. My eyes conveyed the message that I'd like to talk, I knew, but all I said was, "Will you walk in the gardens with me?"
TK nodded, bowing, and I knew that he, too, was trying to play his part. Which wasn't easy, I knew. It wasn't easy for any of us. We were from a different time, with a completely different set of rules. And none of us had exactly been able to find a complete book of etiquette, either. Not that any of us would have been able to memorize it if we had found one. With all the rules that I was finding, the book would have to be as big as a dictionary.
The people parted way once again as we passed, and I could hear the conversation start up again in groups that we had already passed. Finally, we reached the solitary, protective vacancy of the Tachikawa gardens.
We walked in silence for some time, until finally, we came upon a path that led to the middle of the garden, where a beautiful fountain in the shape of a dancing girl…a princess, I supposed…with one arm upraised, where the water flowed from, almost as if she were using some kind of magic. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it looked suspiciously like Mimi.
"I think we need to make some kind of a plan," TK said, almost as if he were reading my mind.
I nodded. "That's what I was thinking. We have to get back. Despite what Sora said, I highly doubt that we belong here. I know we don't. Not us. Maybe those distant copies of ourselves belong here, but we can't take their places." I sat down on a stone bench near the fountain, and let my fingers trail over the stone-cold, flowery design that was carved into it. "They're as real as we are, and we've taken their places. Taken their places among families that they loved, and friends that they cherished. It isn't right."
"I agree," TK replied, sitting down next to me. "Somehow, we have to change Matt and Sora's minds." He smiled wryly. "But with our luck, by that time, there'll be someone else who doesn't want to go home."
Remembering what had happened last time, I took offense at that remark, though I knew that I really shouldn't. "Look, TK, I'm sorry about what happened last time, but I swear it won't happen again."
TK turned towards me and waited until I met his eyes. "I didn't mean you, Kari. I meant that…oh, I don't know, by that time, maybe Mimi will have talked her way out of her engagement to Matt, become secretly engaged to Tai, and want to stay. Then we'd have a whole new problem, because Mimi can sometimes be more stubborn than Sora.
I smiled. "You've got that right. Or it's possible that something will happen between Sora and Izzy, that they'll get engaged, and then Izzy won't want to leave, either.
He gave me a strange look at that. "What makes you think that Izzy and Sora will get engaged?"
"Nothing, it was just a suggestion. But they have been spending quite a lot of time together. You have to admit it."
"Okay, I admit, they have been spending a lot of time together. But I think that, no matter what Sora says or does, she'll always be in love with your brother. And Izzy knows that."
I sighed again. "I wish that things could just go back to normal. Mimi and Matt, and Sora and Tai." I looked at TK. "Did you know that Tai and Sora are married?"
His expression of shock told me that either he had never known, or that he had, and had forgotten. "Remember? When we all separated, and you and I were in Ireland?" I smiled. "Those were good times. But remember how Mimi and Matt were in Europe? They were engaged."
"I know," TK replied. "Three more months, and they would have been married. But after that whole deal with you being kidnapped…they called it off."
I nodded. "I know. And then there was Tai and Sora. They were in Italy. And they got married. Remember how they changed their names to Riccardo and Isabella Soccerball?" I couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "Well, they never got divorced. Not that they could have, with all of humanity dead, of course." I fell silent for a moment, before continuing. "Sora still wears her wedding ring."
"Really? I've never noticed it."
"She doesn't wear it on her finger…she wears it on a chain around her neck. I saw it once, before we all got separated. I…I don't think…I don't think that Tai remembered," I finished quietly.
"I can't believe that even Tai could be so forgetful."
I nodded. "But I think he did. I think he was. And I think that's why Sora is spending so much time with Izzy. I…I don't know, but I think that she might be trying to make Tai jealous."
"Sora!?" TK demanded incredulously. "Sora has never been devious!"
"Oh, I don't think that she's trying to be devious," I answered. "I think she's doing it subconsciously. I think that in a way, she really does like Izzy, but that, deep down, she's hoping that Tai will notice and become jealous."
"Well, you've always been good at reading people, so I'll take your word for it." He hesitated for a moment, before adding, "I hope he does become jealous."
"Why, so your brother will have another chance with Mimi?"
"Of course!"
I smiled once again…I hadn't smiled so many times in a long, long while. Much too long. "You haven't changed."
A pause; then, "Neither have you."
~*~
After TK left, I sat there for a long while, thinking. Just thinking.
It was that hesitation before he answered me that finally pushed me over the edge. It was what showed me that I really had changed. I had seen it in the eyes of my 'friends.' Even in the eyes of my brother. But not in TK's eyes. He had acted generally the same around me, with one or two exceptions. But it was that hesitation, that one tiny little pause that let me know that it had all just been an act.
I didn't want it to be like that between us. I never again wanted to hear a hesitation like that, a silence that seemed to stretch on for eternity, though in reality, it was less than a second. I didn't want to look at him, tomorrow, or the next day, or even the day after that, and see in his eyes what I saw in the other's eyes. Conviction. Conviction that I was crazy, that it was my fault.
I knew it was my fault that we were here; I blamed myself completely for that. And I knew that everyone else did, too, with the exception of Tai and TK. Tai would deny it, or at least try to, because I was his beloved little sister. But eventually, he would see it; eventually, he would believe it.
But TK…I couldn't accept that from him. I couldn't bear to know that he thought that it was all my fault, too.
I wanted things to be normal again, as they were before. God, how I wanted to go back to Japan, to being Kari Kamiya, younger sister of Tai Kamiya, girlfriend of TK Takashi. To go to school again. What I wouldn't give to do homework again, if it would get me back to my old life.
Or, if I couldn't go all the way back to Japan, then Ireland would do. To go back to being Raina Anne, room mate to Aaron. To sit in our apartment, mine and TK's, all day like we used to, watching TV, and eating junk food in order to keep away from anyone who might learn our secret.
Anywhere but here.
Anywhere but now.
Anything but knowing that TK thought that I was…different.
And there was only one way to do that. I had to convince Matt and Sora to give up their powers. It was a selfish act for an equally selfish reason. But everyone, at one point in his or her life, has their moment to shine in the selfishness' spotlight.
Besides, we didn't belong here. Matt and Sora would truly be happier in our own world. True, Matt was engaged to Mimi, here. But Mimi didn't love him…or at least didn't realize that she loved him. And Tai didn't love Sora. Or…at least didn't realize that he loved her. Staying in this world wouldn't change that. But in our world, going back in time…perhaps everyone would go back to the old couples too.
So I had to convince them. I also had to hope that the others would give up their powers…soon.
And I had to give up mine.
I'll admit, I've become accustomed to my power, to being able to control the element of Light wherever I am, wherever I go. It's become a part of me. By giving it up, it would be gone. I would no longer be able to sense that ability, waiting for me to use whenever I wanted to. But I had to do this. I had to.
Sinking to my knees beside the fountain, I pressed my hands against the stone pathway that led around it in a circle.
"I give it up," I murmured, and held up one hand as if making an offering to an unseen being. To the being that had helped…if you can call it that…us get here. "Take it. Take it, please."
And then, it was gone.
It was done. I had given it up. I let my proffered hand slowly lower to once again rest on the ground. "I did it." I lifted my head. "I did it. Now I just have to get the others to do the same."
~*~
~*???'s point of View*~
From where I watched, perched high above the Tachikawa family castle, I saw the young girl that called herself 'Kari,' carefully hold up one hand. I wasn't close enough by a long shot to hear what she said, but somehow, her words drifted to me on the slight breeze that was in the air.
"I give it up," I heard her say, and shock spread through every inch of my body. The girl was actually going to do it! She was actually going to try to get home! "Take it. Take it, please."
And so I did.
One down…seven to go.
To be continued…
Well? What did you think?
Gatomon_1
