Rest, Relaxation, and Romance (Part 3)
By Firenze
(Well, I guess no one really cared about the title, but I never did much anyway. Why else would I name it what I did?)
When this last left off: Well, Izzy went to search the bumper cars for Tai. Mimi went to the Tunnel of Love, where she found a photographing Tai, hysterical Sora, ballerina Matt (no matter how much I say that in my head, it just doesn't fit), and off-key Joe. Now they've split up to find TK and Kari, but danger awaits them.
"Hmmm…as I expected, Tai and Sora are gone," Izzy said to Gatomon and Agumon. "Hey, you two are Digimon, can't you just sense where Kari and Tai are?"
"It doesn't always work that well," Gatomon said lamely.
"Well, what now?" Agumon asked.
Izzy thought for a while. "We have no choice but to split up again and try to find them." They all agreed and then went separate ways again.
Patamon smiled to himself, watching TK and Kari sleep. Kari was burying her face in the warm fabric of TK's shirt with her arms still around his neck, and TK's head had drooped on top of hers, while he still held her close.
And suddenly, the serene atmosphere was shattered. The ground started to shake violently, awaking the two children and making the other ones who were running trip and fall down. A huge spider-like digimon stomped into the amusement park, crushing a portion of the playground area.
Patamon told them that it was Arachnimon, a pretty much mysterious digimon, who was extremely poisonous and deadly. (Sorry, look at what a lack of a name does. Arachnimon? That's so pathetic…forgive me. I suck at naming Digimon, attacks, people, titles, everything, and I'm really not one for fighting parts).
TK jumped up and stared at him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Patamon, digivolve!" Patamon digivolved back into Angemon and flew up to attack the enemy.
"I wish Gatomon were here," Kari said sadly.
"Here I am, Kari!" Gatomon said, suddenly appearing with the rest of the Digidestined at the same time. They all digivolved to their strongest forms, Agumon and Gabumon warp-digivolved, and they all attacked as strongly as they could.
"Nothing's working!" Sora cried in dismay, still holding onto Tai's hand.
"How are you supposed to beat this stupid thing?" Matt asked, as Wargaruramon dodged Arachnimon sharp fangs.
Suddenly, with its eight legs, it grabbed every single digimon, and they de-digivolved to their rookie forms.
"Oh, great!" Mimi cried. "Now what?"
*Oh no, Mimi's losing hope* Matt thought. *Well, I'll show that stupid spider!* He ran right in front of Arachnimon.
"What are you doing?!" Joe cried. *I don't want him to get Mimi, but I can't let him die!*
"I have to beat him!" was all Matt shouted back to them. Then he turned to face the digimon, whose fangs were dripping with poison. "Hey, you stupid, overgrown bug! Come and get us!"
"Matt! What are you doing?" Tai cried in shock.
"No, Matt, get away!" Mimi screamed.
"Don't do it!" TK shouted also.
"It's the only way!" he called back to them.
"We could always use a giant rolled up newspaper," Joe said.
Everyone groaned. Kari said, "Now's not the time for jokes, Joe!"
Then bravely faced the spider. "I said, come and get me!"
"He's a goner," Joe said sadly.
"Have some faith, will you?" Kari asked, though she was also worried. No one noticed her crest glowing, because it just wasn't bright like it was supposed to be.
"Why is he doing this?" Mimi asked fearfully.
Matt heard her and turned around. "For you, Mimi!"
"For…me?" she asked slowly.
"Mimi, Joe, Matt, and I all love you!" Izzy said, finally speaking up.
"Love me?" Her eyes widened. "You, Izzy? Matt? Joe?! I just thought he was wacko…"
"That's nice," he said dully.
"Matt, don't do this for me! You'll get killed, come back! If you're going to do anything for me, come back so you can live!" she cried out. Her crest was glowing very faintly, but it wasn't enough for Palmon to digivolve. Arachnimon was just too strong.
Matt looked back for a few seconds. "It's the only way."
"No it isn't," Tai said determinedly, "because I'm going to rescue the digimon!" He pushed Matt back and ran off to take his place. "It's for your own good, Matt!" His crest and Matt's began to glow, but like Mimi's.
"No, Tai, I have to do this!" Matt was shouting.
"Just let me go, Matt!"
"Sora, why didn't you stop him?" all the Digidestined asked, ganging up on her. "Now our leader is going to die!"
"He won't die," Sora said. "I believe in Tai. I know he can do it somehow. He always pulls through, right? I'm behind whatever he does. In fact…" She started to sprint after him, "I'll be by his side!" And her crest began to glow too.
"Sora!" he said gratefully, smiling at her.
"Ummm…lovebirds? I hate to ruin your love fest, but a poisonous digimon is just about to strike you," Joe said. "…NOW!"
Which is right when Tai and Sora leaped away and Joe's crest glowed. "We have to find a way to get past him and get the digimon back. We can't beat him without them. And why are our crests glowing but none of them are digivolving?" Tai said.
"Maybe it's just not enough. Maybe Kari's light just wasn't as strong as it should be, or Mimi wasn't as sincere as usual, or Matt wasn't be the best friend he could be, or you're just not brave enough, or my love isn't enough," Sora said. "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe Arachnimon's grip has some kind of thing that prevents them from digivolving."
Izzy stared at her blankly and then shook his head. "Hey, I'm the one with the theories!"
"How can you two have a conversation when you're just a few feet away from something that's ready to kill you?!" Matt gawked.
"It's called love, Matt," Izzy said.
"Love? Their talking more than Tai's mom's book club, remember? Get up and fight!" he yelled back.
Joe gave him a look. "NOW you sound like Tai."
"All right, all right…" Tai said, turning away from Sora. "Agumon!" He got a great running start and then jumped for his digimon, still in the giant spider's leg.
"No, Tai!"
"Don't' be stupid!"
"You'll going to get killed!"
But now his crest was glowing brighter than it ever had before. The light was nearly blinding. Everyone else's began to glow also, as dazzling as Tai's, creating the most vivid, brilliant rainbow. Suddenly, Arachnimon just vanished into data.
"That was new," Sora commented, taking her hands away from her face, which she had been using to shield her eyes. Tai fell from his high jump, with Agumon next to him. "Tai! Are you all right?"
He nodded, and she helped him up.
"Tai, you've done plenty of stupid things in your life…" Sora commented. "That just might have been the smartest stupidest thing you've ever done."
"Thanks…I think." He gave his trademark grin. "At least that stupid spider is gone!"
Everyone nodded and sighed with relief. They were quiet for a few minutes, unsure of what to say. And then TK said,
"Can we go on the rides now?"
Everyone laughed and said yes. Except the groups were different this time. Sora went off with Joe, Tai went with Izzy, Mimi went with TK, and Kari went with Matt. Everyone was too embarrassed to go with the people they liked. It was awkward now that everyone knew. The digimon all stayed in one big group to make things easier. Then they all went their separate ways and said they'd meet up later at night on the Ferris wheel.
* * *
The sun had already set, and darkness was just falling over the Digiworld. As planned, the Digidestined had met up at the Ferris wheel, but they still weren't talking. Everyone kind of went off by themselves and some climbed onto the ride. Sora sat in the nearest carriage she could find.
"Seat taken?"
She was pretty absorbed in her thoughts and didn't bother to look up, but she had heard and knew who it was anyway. "Mimi's two rows up, I think, Matt."
"Really? Well, I'm uhhh…going to errr…go…" He dashed away. Two rows up.
"So I'm guessing by the way Matt jetted away, this seat IS saved," a different male voice said this time.
And this time, Sora looked up. Tai was leaning casually against the cart. "I told him that Mimi was up there."
"No, she's not!" Matt shouted back angrily, but climbed into it anyway.
Tai still didn't sit down. "Is this Mimi stuff over yet? Joe and his ballads, Matt and his dancing…wait, Izzy hasn't done anything."
"Think again," Sora said with a smirk.
Joe was chasing Mimi around, still singing, but it was faster paced: Britney Spears' "Crazy." He also over took Matt's place, doing some kind of complicated wiggles and kicks. And Izzy was quoting lines from Romeo and Juliet and some of his own original poetry, but his was truly romantic, at least. If he hadn't been wearing a ridiculous Cupid outfit (no one ever knew where it came from, but they suspected it was somehow downloadable from his laptop) and shooting plastic arrows at Mimi, which happened to be pretty sharp.
"Ouch! Ouch! Izzy!" she shrieked, as he pelted her with the arrows, which had little red and pink hearts on the end.
"Their arrows of love, Mimi!" he explained in a dreamy, poetic voice, making him sound homosexual and maniacal at the same time. He pulled another arrow out of the holder on his back, lifted his bow, and shot it.
This time, it hit Joe right in the butt, while he was spinning around. "Crazy…but if feels so right…baby thinking of you - YOW!!!" He plucked the arrow out. "Izzy, I'm going to kill you!" He ran after the boy in the quite revealing Cupid costume, who didn't seem quite so intelligent now. Especially with that creepy laughter.
"Boys," Mimi sighed, right as the same time as Sora did.
"Excuse me?" Tai asked, in mock anger.
"Boys can be such idiots," she said with a casual shrug.
"I resent that, you know. And we only make fools of ourselves to show off in front of other guys, to impress girls, to seem macho and cool…" he explained, "…and that, of course…is all to get chicks."
"Most girls resent being called chicks," she countered. "Except the boy-crazy ones who really don't care what a boy calls them as long as they notice them."
"Exactly."
"So are you going to sit down or not?" Sora asked, deciding she would make the first move this time. Actually, even though Tai was the crest of courage holder, she made the first move the last time. Tai WAS brave, but too much of a wimp with things like love.
"Nope," he said with a teasing smile. "I won't sit down until you beg."
"Dream on, Tai!"
~ ~ ~
Joe had stopped chasing Izzy. For some reason, all of them had returned to their senses. Joe had no idea when he had even started singing, Izzy didn't recall ever wearing any sort of diaper, and Matt didn't thought himself doing ballet in front of Mimi was only nightmare. The full moon was up and the spell was over. Practically opposite from werewolves. All of them sat down in a different part of the Ferris wheel, and Mimi had to choose who to sit next to.
She walked down the platform trying to decide. Even though she already knew where she wanted to sit anyway, she just didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so bad. All the boys were crossing their fingers…
Izzy was in the front, and she breezed right past him. He sighed and hung his head. "The probability of us to get together was very low anyhow."
Joe was next, and she walked past him also. His reaction was similar, but more disappointed. "Even after my songs?"
"Especially because of your songs," she replied. Tai and Sora gave her the thumbs up sign as she went by. And when she nervously hesitated going in the one with Matt, he told her as calmly as he could that she could sit down.
Inside, Matt had an explosion. A wave of immense joy washed over him, and he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He urged to get up, dance, and sing, but she'd probably be horrified. "So does this mean-?"
She merely shrugged.
~ ~ ~
"So are you going to sit down?" Sora asked again. "I won't beg, but I can promise that we won't be getting married and we don't have to hold hands. And trust me, I don't have cooties."
Tai laughed. "Are you sure?"
"Well, why don't you find out?"
He gave her a look. "Nice one, I'm not joining you that easily…"
Sora sighed. *What will it take to get him to just sit down next to me?*
~ ~ ~
Though Kari had been trying to avoid him all night, she eventually caught up to TK. She tried not to say anything to him, because she felt very strange inside.
"Kari," he said lamely. "I saved your life. Why won't you talk to me?"
"I don't know…" she said slowly.
"Do you wanna go on the Ferris wheel?" he offered.
"With you?"
TK looked around. "Do you see anyone else?"
Kari glanced around quickly also. "Ummm…Gatomon…"
"She's on the bumper cars with all the other digimon," he said.
"Okay, I'll go with you…" She followed him onto the empty cart between Tai and Sora and Matt and Mimi. They sat down, Kari as far as possible from him, and after a while, the ride started to move.
~ ~ ~
"So, Taichi?" Sora asked teasingly, as the basket got higher. "You still have time to join me, you know."
"I suppose I will," he said intelligently, as ran as fast as he could to catch up. Sora stuck out her hand and he grabbed on, then took a big jump and landed sprawled all over the cart.
"Smart one," she replied cynically, letting go of his hand and pushing him off her and onto his side. "Why didn't you just come in earlier?"
"I was teasing," he said, finally sitting in a comfortable position.
"We call that FLIRTING, Taichi."
Tai froze for a few seconds. "FLIRTING?! Are you kidding me? Seriously, are you? And why do you keep calling me Taichi? And the way you keep stressing it is weirding me out."
"I dunno, Taichi." Sora did it again and laughed.
Their laughter died away, and all that was left was their seriousness and the memories of when they almost kissed in the Tunnel of Love, how they were holding hands, and even far back to the time where Sora had been kidnapped by Datamon, and when they had returned to Highton View Terrace and Tai protected her from the fight between Garudamon and Mammothmon. Then they remembered a long time ago, soccer camp, when they were in all the same classes, the first time they met… Some way or another, some time or another, Tai and Sora had crossed the just friends line. And now they finally realized it, even without saying it.
"What are we, Tai?" Sora asked seriously.
He seemed sober now also. "What do you mean? We're the Digidestined, ummm…humans, I'm a boy, you're a girl…"
"I meant," she interrupted, "us. Our relationship together. Friends? Are we just friends? Best friends? I don't know…more than friends?"
Tai looked away. "We're not exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're not just best friends either. I'm sure you understand. Just because there's nothing to call it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. We're just in-between, until someday we can get past the friends' zone totally."
"You think we will?"
"Sure, why not? Some things don't need to be said, because they're just really obvious. I care about you a lot, is what I'm trying to say here. I know you know that. And I know that you have faith in me. We have this certain bond."
Sora looked down at the rest of the amusement park. "For someone who has the crest of love, I'm certainly clueless about it all. You, the crest of courage holder, know more than I do. Face it, Kari and TK know more about love than I do."
"Hey, you're still lucky. Joe and Izzy have no clue about it. I don't think Matt or Mimi is either." He paused. "But you're right about Kari and TK. Freakishly right. I wonder what they're doing right now…"
~ ~ ~
Kari fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure of how she was supposed to act. She and TK hadn't spoken a single word since. Which is when she decided that she needed to change that all. *Why be scared? There's nothing we should be worried about. And TK saved my life; I think I should at least thank him for that.*
"Ummm…TK?"
He turned around. "What?"
"I just…uhhh…wanted to say…to say thank you about earlier. You saved my life, and I didn't even say anything.."
TK's cheeks tinged. "It's not like I could let you die when that car blew up."
"I know, but I'm just…what's the word? Grateful. I just wanted you to know…I'd do the same for you any time." Kari cleared her throat. "I kind of got this idea from Joe and Izzy. Joe with the singing thing, and Izzy with his original poetry. I kind of wrote a song. Matt helped me earlier. It's really bad, but I…I want you to hear it, because I think it describes the way I…I feel towards you."
"Go ahead," TK said, very interested. He didn't really have anything else to say. What could he? He had grown up learning all girls his age were stupid and had cooties. They were like a totally separate species and should be avoided. Especially girls who he could tell would grow up to be like Mimi.
So it was ironic that his own brother liked girls like Mimi; actually, Mimi herself. He understood Tai, however. Sora was the perfect kind of girl. She was athletic, loved adventures, she was strong, she didn't care about her clothes or makeup, she was smart, and she was completely nice and caring. TK had said it himself; he didn't miss his mom so much when Sora was around. But Tai loved her in another way, one that TK thought if he ever felt that way about someone, it would have to be Kari. So he couldn't wait to hear what she thought about him.
"I can't really sing, but…okay…" Kari closed her eyes and murmured softly, "I'll be the air that you breathe, I'll give the strength that you need, I'll be the light in your eyes, when hope becomes hard to see. I'll be your shining star, to guide you wherever you are. And I promise that I'll be by your side, always you and I." With a nervous, anxious look on her face, she looked at him.
None of them were sure how the other would react. Or their own reaction, for that matter. "You're my best friend too, Kari," TK said.
"Oh. Yeah…"
"You meant it that way, right?" he asked to make sure.
Kari still wouldn't look at him. "Of course. We're not old enough for all that mushy stuff."
"But we'll still always be together, right?" TK asked. "You know, best friends forever?"
"Sure we will," she said happily.
"Promise?" TK whispered, sticking his pinky out.
Kari did the same, and they linked their fingers. A comfortable warmth washed over the both of them. "Promise." Suddenly, she was magnetically drawn to him, and she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
TK blushed. "What was that for?"
"I heard promises are supposed to be sealed with a kiss," she replied, her own cheeks pink. They looked into each other's eyes for a while and then settled back into their own seats. This time, the silence between them wasn't awkward and strange at all. It the kind of comfortable silence between two friends, when words just weren't needed. Best friends could go either way. Though the both of them could tell they wouldn't be JUST friends forever.
~ ~ ~
"So…why are you sitting here?" Matt asked, as a vain attempt to spark up any kind of conversation. He realized he had never spoken so much as two words to Mimi in the entire time they had been in the Digiworld. If he had, it was too insignificant to remember.
"Oh, you don't want me to?" she asked uncertainly.
"NO!" He sweat dropped. "I was just…curious."
"I wanted to sit next to you," she said quietly, "because…because…"
"Because?" he prompted. *Because I love you* he imagined she would say.
"Because what you did against Arachnimon was really brave," she finally finished.
"I had no other choice. And plus, Tai was the one who really saved the day," he said modestly. He had been so determined to get Mimi, and now that she was actually here, his mind was drawing a complete blank.
"Of course you had another choice. You could have just stayed back and gotten scared to death. But you did something about it. Something that was really brave. I'm proud of you, Matt," Mimi admitted. "That was a really noble thing to do…especially just for me."
"I guess…so is that why you sat with me?"
"Not entirely…" She blushed and looked away.
Matt was intrigued. "Not entirely? Why else did you?"
"You probably don't know this…especially if you base the way I feel about you on the way I act around you, but…but… Things don't have to be completely obvious for you to know it's there. We might not have stood next to each other all the time, or had conversations, or even said a single word or acted like we even cared about what the other was doing, yet you can tell something is supposed to happen. I want to change that."
"You want to be my friend?"
"I AM your friend," Mimi said. "I'm trying to say I want to be more."
"I - I want to be more too, Mimi. I'm sick of hiding my feelings because I'm supposed to be the rebellious, strong, cool one. Heartthrobs aren't supposed to have love interests, but maybe I don't want to be that anymore." Matt gulped and realized his palms were sweating. "I'm only interested in one girl…you."
"I realized that you're more important to me than I ever thought. Most people assume that I'd like Joe, but I think his love is…unrequited. And Izzy has his laptop, which will keep him from ever needing a girlfriend for a long time." She giggled. "Unless he meets some other girl who's nice and smart and as interested in computers as he is. What I'm trying to say is, I feel strongly about you too."
"The whole time I was in the Tunnel of Love, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Wishing that it was you with me instead of Joe. When I finally came out and saw you, I was too happy to care what anyone would think. But now I have to kill Tai for those pictures…"
Mimi turned his face to face hers. "Forget it, Matt. Now that you have me, you shouldn't have to worry what anyone thinks."
"But if we start to be a couple, things are going to be awfully awkward in the Digiworld," Matt suddenly realized. "I do think we have to worry about what others think. If an evil digimon knew how much I loved you, he'd kidnap you and try to kill you. Like what happened with Tai and Sora with Datamon. I don't want you to be hurt that way."
"So we have to pretend everything is how it used to be?" Mimi asked. "I'm not allowed to talk to you or anything? We just have to keep acting the way we did?"
He nodded. "But when we're alone, we can do whatever we want."
"We're alone right now," she murmured.
"I know…" he whispered back, leaning over. He took her face in his hands and they kissed gently on the lips. A rare kiss that was their first, and quite possibly the last until they returned home to the real world. A moment that was irreplaceable, but would have to be forgotten for their safety. And nonetheless, a kiss they had been waiting for the longest time ever.
~ ~ ~
"I don't think I'll ever learn to properly love someone other than that family and friends kind of way," Sora said glumly, peering over the side and looking over the amusement park that was lighted up.
"Sure you will. I wasn't kidding when I said that crest was perfect for you," Tai replied. "It really belongs to you. Whether you know it or not, love is something you haven't been lacking."
"I guess my mom loves me…"
Tai clenched his fists and urged himself to finally act. "I love you too."
"But eleven year olds don't fall in love," she said. "That's one thing I know about love."
"It isn't true," he said. "Love is supposed to be ageless. I've been in love with you as long as I can remember, I just didn't understand it. What about you?"
"I feel the same exact way. Except I knew it was love, but I kept convincing myself that I was too young. And I was afraid of getting hurt, like my mom. I tried to push you back, but love really does conquer all. There's just no denying my feelings for you."
"I always felt that. Remember when your crest first glowed? Now does this sound familiar: 'I felt something, Sora. It was your love shining through!'?" Tai quoted.
"Actually, no," Sora said. "As I heard from Yokomon, you really wanted to say, 'I want some of Sora's love too.'"
"I'd never say that!" he exclaimed. She gave him a skeptic look. "Oh yeah, I just admitted that I was in love with you…practically since I met you…I loved you more and more each day in the Digiworld…right. Okay then, I did mean to say that…but not when everyone was around!"
"Well, again, no one is around. Like in the Tunnel of Love."
Tai smirked. "Then I'd so much love to see your demonstration of a perfect romantic scene."
Sora leaned back into her seat. "Romantic? You don't think sitting on the top of a Ferris wheel, under billions of stars and a full moon, listening to your little sister singing something romantic, sitting with the person you've just admitted your love to is romantic?"
"Sure it's romantic. It's cold, but…" He shrugged. "I'm just saying it can be better." He was slowly and carefully moving closer to her.
Soon they were inches away. "Oh yeah? How?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice, which was nearly under her breath because of their closeness.
"Close your eyes and I'll show you," he said, the tips of their noses touching. Sora obeyed, and she could feel Tai's steady breathing against her lips. They stayed like that for a while.
"So exactly when are you going to show me?" Sora asked teasingly, her eyes still shut. "Next week-?"
Her question was cut off, but answered. Finally, Tai's lips and hers were pressed together. They each felt a sense of warmth and bliss.
"I'm not so cold anymore," he said when they drew apart a few seconds later.
"I'm not cold either. I don't think I could ever be unhappy as long as you're safe with me," Sora told him. "Around you, I feel a way I've never felt before for anyone. It's different."
Tai looked behind him. Kari and TK were sitting closer than they had been when they first climbed onto the ride, and he was positive they were holding hands. And behind that, Mimi had her head rested on Matt's shoulder, and he had his arm around her. In front of him, Izzy and Joe were looking crestfallen and heartbroken. "I hope this is in a good way, but I have a feeling from now on, a lot of things are going to be different."
* * *
A/N: I hate this part! This part truly sucked! I had the hugest case of writer's block in the entire world, and writer's overload with other ideas. Sorry this took so long, I had school, and sorry this was so dumb (read previous reason). And on why this is so long…I didn't feel like having one part only about their gay fight with Arachnimon. I totally suck at fighting scenes, so you'll never see another one from me! Only fluffy fics. I don't think my fics can get any mushier than what I just wrote.
Sorry to Mimoe fans, I'll try to write one as soon as I can. Once I get finished with the Koumi, another Taiora + Mimato + Takari, and a Taiora. I'll probably get even more ideas, so don't hold your breath. Expect these in a week or two if you're lucky, school has me totally swamped. If my grade drops, my parents will most likely ban me from the computer and Internet, so please no whining. Like anyone is looking forward to my fics anyway. Especially if I write them all this bad. Just give me nice reviews to make me feel better, okay? School really stresses me, and it's nice to hear people being so nice even though this is crappy. Thanks for just getting through the whole thing!
An interesting fact: I don't know if I have one. I was going to name Arachnimon something even gayer (now what can be gayer than Arachnimon?!), along the lines of a comic book character (Spidermon! No, just kidding). It was supposed to be something with venom, but then I remembered Venommyotismon (sp?). And I didn't even bother with an attack name. Poison sting is from Pokémon. And what was I supposed to name that eight-legged grab thing? I suck at naming everything, that's an interesting fact.
Disclaimer: Of course they belong to me! Why else would I make two eleven year olds kiss? Why else would I make Izzy dress up in a Cupid costume? Why else would I make a giant spider attack them and be beaten in the weirdest possible way? Wait -- that's because they AREN'T mine, but I'm using them for fun. DUH!
(In answer to my questions: 1) for a mushy scene! Obviously, kissing = mushy! 2) To be funny! Yes, and my jokes are just pathetic. 3) Because they always get attacked by SOMETHING, and also for that, it was beaten strangely because I didn't know what to do! There you go!)
By Firenze
(Well, I guess no one really cared about the title, but I never did much anyway. Why else would I name it what I did?)
When this last left off: Well, Izzy went to search the bumper cars for Tai. Mimi went to the Tunnel of Love, where she found a photographing Tai, hysterical Sora, ballerina Matt (no matter how much I say that in my head, it just doesn't fit), and off-key Joe. Now they've split up to find TK and Kari, but danger awaits them.
"Hmmm…as I expected, Tai and Sora are gone," Izzy said to Gatomon and Agumon. "Hey, you two are Digimon, can't you just sense where Kari and Tai are?"
"It doesn't always work that well," Gatomon said lamely.
"Well, what now?" Agumon asked.
Izzy thought for a while. "We have no choice but to split up again and try to find them." They all agreed and then went separate ways again.
Patamon smiled to himself, watching TK and Kari sleep. Kari was burying her face in the warm fabric of TK's shirt with her arms still around his neck, and TK's head had drooped on top of hers, while he still held her close.
And suddenly, the serene atmosphere was shattered. The ground started to shake violently, awaking the two children and making the other ones who were running trip and fall down. A huge spider-like digimon stomped into the amusement park, crushing a portion of the playground area.
Patamon told them that it was Arachnimon, a pretty much mysterious digimon, who was extremely poisonous and deadly. (Sorry, look at what a lack of a name does. Arachnimon? That's so pathetic…forgive me. I suck at naming Digimon, attacks, people, titles, everything, and I'm really not one for fighting parts).
TK jumped up and stared at him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Patamon, digivolve!" Patamon digivolved back into Angemon and flew up to attack the enemy.
"I wish Gatomon were here," Kari said sadly.
"Here I am, Kari!" Gatomon said, suddenly appearing with the rest of the Digidestined at the same time. They all digivolved to their strongest forms, Agumon and Gabumon warp-digivolved, and they all attacked as strongly as they could.
"Nothing's working!" Sora cried in dismay, still holding onto Tai's hand.
"How are you supposed to beat this stupid thing?" Matt asked, as Wargaruramon dodged Arachnimon sharp fangs.
Suddenly, with its eight legs, it grabbed every single digimon, and they de-digivolved to their rookie forms.
"Oh, great!" Mimi cried. "Now what?"
*Oh no, Mimi's losing hope* Matt thought. *Well, I'll show that stupid spider!* He ran right in front of Arachnimon.
"What are you doing?!" Joe cried. *I don't want him to get Mimi, but I can't let him die!*
"I have to beat him!" was all Matt shouted back to them. Then he turned to face the digimon, whose fangs were dripping with poison. "Hey, you stupid, overgrown bug! Come and get us!"
"Matt! What are you doing?" Tai cried in shock.
"No, Matt, get away!" Mimi screamed.
"Don't do it!" TK shouted also.
"It's the only way!" he called back to them.
"We could always use a giant rolled up newspaper," Joe said.
Everyone groaned. Kari said, "Now's not the time for jokes, Joe!"
Then bravely faced the spider. "I said, come and get me!"
"He's a goner," Joe said sadly.
"Have some faith, will you?" Kari asked, though she was also worried. No one noticed her crest glowing, because it just wasn't bright like it was supposed to be.
"Why is he doing this?" Mimi asked fearfully.
Matt heard her and turned around. "For you, Mimi!"
"For…me?" she asked slowly.
"Mimi, Joe, Matt, and I all love you!" Izzy said, finally speaking up.
"Love me?" Her eyes widened. "You, Izzy? Matt? Joe?! I just thought he was wacko…"
"That's nice," he said dully.
"Matt, don't do this for me! You'll get killed, come back! If you're going to do anything for me, come back so you can live!" she cried out. Her crest was glowing very faintly, but it wasn't enough for Palmon to digivolve. Arachnimon was just too strong.
Matt looked back for a few seconds. "It's the only way."
"No it isn't," Tai said determinedly, "because I'm going to rescue the digimon!" He pushed Matt back and ran off to take his place. "It's for your own good, Matt!" His crest and Matt's began to glow, but like Mimi's.
"No, Tai, I have to do this!" Matt was shouting.
"Just let me go, Matt!"
"Sora, why didn't you stop him?" all the Digidestined asked, ganging up on her. "Now our leader is going to die!"
"He won't die," Sora said. "I believe in Tai. I know he can do it somehow. He always pulls through, right? I'm behind whatever he does. In fact…" She started to sprint after him, "I'll be by his side!" And her crest began to glow too.
"Sora!" he said gratefully, smiling at her.
"Ummm…lovebirds? I hate to ruin your love fest, but a poisonous digimon is just about to strike you," Joe said. "…NOW!"
Which is right when Tai and Sora leaped away and Joe's crest glowed. "We have to find a way to get past him and get the digimon back. We can't beat him without them. And why are our crests glowing but none of them are digivolving?" Tai said.
"Maybe it's just not enough. Maybe Kari's light just wasn't as strong as it should be, or Mimi wasn't as sincere as usual, or Matt wasn't be the best friend he could be, or you're just not brave enough, or my love isn't enough," Sora said. "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe Arachnimon's grip has some kind of thing that prevents them from digivolving."
Izzy stared at her blankly and then shook his head. "Hey, I'm the one with the theories!"
"How can you two have a conversation when you're just a few feet away from something that's ready to kill you?!" Matt gawked.
"It's called love, Matt," Izzy said.
"Love? Their talking more than Tai's mom's book club, remember? Get up and fight!" he yelled back.
Joe gave him a look. "NOW you sound like Tai."
"All right, all right…" Tai said, turning away from Sora. "Agumon!" He got a great running start and then jumped for his digimon, still in the giant spider's leg.
"No, Tai!"
"Don't' be stupid!"
"You'll going to get killed!"
But now his crest was glowing brighter than it ever had before. The light was nearly blinding. Everyone else's began to glow also, as dazzling as Tai's, creating the most vivid, brilliant rainbow. Suddenly, Arachnimon just vanished into data.
"That was new," Sora commented, taking her hands away from her face, which she had been using to shield her eyes. Tai fell from his high jump, with Agumon next to him. "Tai! Are you all right?"
He nodded, and she helped him up.
"Tai, you've done plenty of stupid things in your life…" Sora commented. "That just might have been the smartest stupidest thing you've ever done."
"Thanks…I think." He gave his trademark grin. "At least that stupid spider is gone!"
Everyone nodded and sighed with relief. They were quiet for a few minutes, unsure of what to say. And then TK said,
"Can we go on the rides now?"
Everyone laughed and said yes. Except the groups were different this time. Sora went off with Joe, Tai went with Izzy, Mimi went with TK, and Kari went with Matt. Everyone was too embarrassed to go with the people they liked. It was awkward now that everyone knew. The digimon all stayed in one big group to make things easier. Then they all went their separate ways and said they'd meet up later at night on the Ferris wheel.
* * *
The sun had already set, and darkness was just falling over the Digiworld. As planned, the Digidestined had met up at the Ferris wheel, but they still weren't talking. Everyone kind of went off by themselves and some climbed onto the ride. Sora sat in the nearest carriage she could find.
"Seat taken?"
She was pretty absorbed in her thoughts and didn't bother to look up, but she had heard and knew who it was anyway. "Mimi's two rows up, I think, Matt."
"Really? Well, I'm uhhh…going to errr…go…" He dashed away. Two rows up.
"So I'm guessing by the way Matt jetted away, this seat IS saved," a different male voice said this time.
And this time, Sora looked up. Tai was leaning casually against the cart. "I told him that Mimi was up there."
"No, she's not!" Matt shouted back angrily, but climbed into it anyway.
Tai still didn't sit down. "Is this Mimi stuff over yet? Joe and his ballads, Matt and his dancing…wait, Izzy hasn't done anything."
"Think again," Sora said with a smirk.
Joe was chasing Mimi around, still singing, but it was faster paced: Britney Spears' "Crazy." He also over took Matt's place, doing some kind of complicated wiggles and kicks. And Izzy was quoting lines from Romeo and Juliet and some of his own original poetry, but his was truly romantic, at least. If he hadn't been wearing a ridiculous Cupid outfit (no one ever knew where it came from, but they suspected it was somehow downloadable from his laptop) and shooting plastic arrows at Mimi, which happened to be pretty sharp.
"Ouch! Ouch! Izzy!" she shrieked, as he pelted her with the arrows, which had little red and pink hearts on the end.
"Their arrows of love, Mimi!" he explained in a dreamy, poetic voice, making him sound homosexual and maniacal at the same time. He pulled another arrow out of the holder on his back, lifted his bow, and shot it.
This time, it hit Joe right in the butt, while he was spinning around. "Crazy…but if feels so right…baby thinking of you - YOW!!!" He plucked the arrow out. "Izzy, I'm going to kill you!" He ran after the boy in the quite revealing Cupid costume, who didn't seem quite so intelligent now. Especially with that creepy laughter.
"Boys," Mimi sighed, right as the same time as Sora did.
"Excuse me?" Tai asked, in mock anger.
"Boys can be such idiots," she said with a casual shrug.
"I resent that, you know. And we only make fools of ourselves to show off in front of other guys, to impress girls, to seem macho and cool…" he explained, "…and that, of course…is all to get chicks."
"Most girls resent being called chicks," she countered. "Except the boy-crazy ones who really don't care what a boy calls them as long as they notice them."
"Exactly."
"So are you going to sit down or not?" Sora asked, deciding she would make the first move this time. Actually, even though Tai was the crest of courage holder, she made the first move the last time. Tai WAS brave, but too much of a wimp with things like love.
"Nope," he said with a teasing smile. "I won't sit down until you beg."
"Dream on, Tai!"
~ ~ ~
Joe had stopped chasing Izzy. For some reason, all of them had returned to their senses. Joe had no idea when he had even started singing, Izzy didn't recall ever wearing any sort of diaper, and Matt didn't thought himself doing ballet in front of Mimi was only nightmare. The full moon was up and the spell was over. Practically opposite from werewolves. All of them sat down in a different part of the Ferris wheel, and Mimi had to choose who to sit next to.
She walked down the platform trying to decide. Even though she already knew where she wanted to sit anyway, she just didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so bad. All the boys were crossing their fingers…
Izzy was in the front, and she breezed right past him. He sighed and hung his head. "The probability of us to get together was very low anyhow."
Joe was next, and she walked past him also. His reaction was similar, but more disappointed. "Even after my songs?"
"Especially because of your songs," she replied. Tai and Sora gave her the thumbs up sign as she went by. And when she nervously hesitated going in the one with Matt, he told her as calmly as he could that she could sit down.
Inside, Matt had an explosion. A wave of immense joy washed over him, and he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He urged to get up, dance, and sing, but she'd probably be horrified. "So does this mean-?"
She merely shrugged.
~ ~ ~
"So are you going to sit down?" Sora asked again. "I won't beg, but I can promise that we won't be getting married and we don't have to hold hands. And trust me, I don't have cooties."
Tai laughed. "Are you sure?"
"Well, why don't you find out?"
He gave her a look. "Nice one, I'm not joining you that easily…"
Sora sighed. *What will it take to get him to just sit down next to me?*
~ ~ ~
Though Kari had been trying to avoid him all night, she eventually caught up to TK. She tried not to say anything to him, because she felt very strange inside.
"Kari," he said lamely. "I saved your life. Why won't you talk to me?"
"I don't know…" she said slowly.
"Do you wanna go on the Ferris wheel?" he offered.
"With you?"
TK looked around. "Do you see anyone else?"
Kari glanced around quickly also. "Ummm…Gatomon…"
"She's on the bumper cars with all the other digimon," he said.
"Okay, I'll go with you…" She followed him onto the empty cart between Tai and Sora and Matt and Mimi. They sat down, Kari as far as possible from him, and after a while, the ride started to move.
~ ~ ~
"So, Taichi?" Sora asked teasingly, as the basket got higher. "You still have time to join me, you know."
"I suppose I will," he said intelligently, as ran as fast as he could to catch up. Sora stuck out her hand and he grabbed on, then took a big jump and landed sprawled all over the cart.
"Smart one," she replied cynically, letting go of his hand and pushing him off her and onto his side. "Why didn't you just come in earlier?"
"I was teasing," he said, finally sitting in a comfortable position.
"We call that FLIRTING, Taichi."
Tai froze for a few seconds. "FLIRTING?! Are you kidding me? Seriously, are you? And why do you keep calling me Taichi? And the way you keep stressing it is weirding me out."
"I dunno, Taichi." Sora did it again and laughed.
Their laughter died away, and all that was left was their seriousness and the memories of when they almost kissed in the Tunnel of Love, how they were holding hands, and even far back to the time where Sora had been kidnapped by Datamon, and when they had returned to Highton View Terrace and Tai protected her from the fight between Garudamon and Mammothmon. Then they remembered a long time ago, soccer camp, when they were in all the same classes, the first time they met… Some way or another, some time or another, Tai and Sora had crossed the just friends line. And now they finally realized it, even without saying it.
"What are we, Tai?" Sora asked seriously.
He seemed sober now also. "What do you mean? We're the Digidestined, ummm…humans, I'm a boy, you're a girl…"
"I meant," she interrupted, "us. Our relationship together. Friends? Are we just friends? Best friends? I don't know…more than friends?"
Tai looked away. "We're not exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're not just best friends either. I'm sure you understand. Just because there's nothing to call it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. We're just in-between, until someday we can get past the friends' zone totally."
"You think we will?"
"Sure, why not? Some things don't need to be said, because they're just really obvious. I care about you a lot, is what I'm trying to say here. I know you know that. And I know that you have faith in me. We have this certain bond."
Sora looked down at the rest of the amusement park. "For someone who has the crest of love, I'm certainly clueless about it all. You, the crest of courage holder, know more than I do. Face it, Kari and TK know more about love than I do."
"Hey, you're still lucky. Joe and Izzy have no clue about it. I don't think Matt or Mimi is either." He paused. "But you're right about Kari and TK. Freakishly right. I wonder what they're doing right now…"
~ ~ ~
Kari fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure of how she was supposed to act. She and TK hadn't spoken a single word since. Which is when she decided that she needed to change that all. *Why be scared? There's nothing we should be worried about. And TK saved my life; I think I should at least thank him for that.*
"Ummm…TK?"
He turned around. "What?"
"I just…uhhh…wanted to say…to say thank you about earlier. You saved my life, and I didn't even say anything.."
TK's cheeks tinged. "It's not like I could let you die when that car blew up."
"I know, but I'm just…what's the word? Grateful. I just wanted you to know…I'd do the same for you any time." Kari cleared her throat. "I kind of got this idea from Joe and Izzy. Joe with the singing thing, and Izzy with his original poetry. I kind of wrote a song. Matt helped me earlier. It's really bad, but I…I want you to hear it, because I think it describes the way I…I feel towards you."
"Go ahead," TK said, very interested. He didn't really have anything else to say. What could he? He had grown up learning all girls his age were stupid and had cooties. They were like a totally separate species and should be avoided. Especially girls who he could tell would grow up to be like Mimi.
So it was ironic that his own brother liked girls like Mimi; actually, Mimi herself. He understood Tai, however. Sora was the perfect kind of girl. She was athletic, loved adventures, she was strong, she didn't care about her clothes or makeup, she was smart, and she was completely nice and caring. TK had said it himself; he didn't miss his mom so much when Sora was around. But Tai loved her in another way, one that TK thought if he ever felt that way about someone, it would have to be Kari. So he couldn't wait to hear what she thought about him.
"I can't really sing, but…okay…" Kari closed her eyes and murmured softly, "I'll be the air that you breathe, I'll give the strength that you need, I'll be the light in your eyes, when hope becomes hard to see. I'll be your shining star, to guide you wherever you are. And I promise that I'll be by your side, always you and I." With a nervous, anxious look on her face, she looked at him.
None of them were sure how the other would react. Or their own reaction, for that matter. "You're my best friend too, Kari," TK said.
"Oh. Yeah…"
"You meant it that way, right?" he asked to make sure.
Kari still wouldn't look at him. "Of course. We're not old enough for all that mushy stuff."
"But we'll still always be together, right?" TK asked. "You know, best friends forever?"
"Sure we will," she said happily.
"Promise?" TK whispered, sticking his pinky out.
Kari did the same, and they linked their fingers. A comfortable warmth washed over the both of them. "Promise." Suddenly, she was magnetically drawn to him, and she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
TK blushed. "What was that for?"
"I heard promises are supposed to be sealed with a kiss," she replied, her own cheeks pink. They looked into each other's eyes for a while and then settled back into their own seats. This time, the silence between them wasn't awkward and strange at all. It the kind of comfortable silence between two friends, when words just weren't needed. Best friends could go either way. Though the both of them could tell they wouldn't be JUST friends forever.
~ ~ ~
"So…why are you sitting here?" Matt asked, as a vain attempt to spark up any kind of conversation. He realized he had never spoken so much as two words to Mimi in the entire time they had been in the Digiworld. If he had, it was too insignificant to remember.
"Oh, you don't want me to?" she asked uncertainly.
"NO!" He sweat dropped. "I was just…curious."
"I wanted to sit next to you," she said quietly, "because…because…"
"Because?" he prompted. *Because I love you* he imagined she would say.
"Because what you did against Arachnimon was really brave," she finally finished.
"I had no other choice. And plus, Tai was the one who really saved the day," he said modestly. He had been so determined to get Mimi, and now that she was actually here, his mind was drawing a complete blank.
"Of course you had another choice. You could have just stayed back and gotten scared to death. But you did something about it. Something that was really brave. I'm proud of you, Matt," Mimi admitted. "That was a really noble thing to do…especially just for me."
"I guess…so is that why you sat with me?"
"Not entirely…" She blushed and looked away.
Matt was intrigued. "Not entirely? Why else did you?"
"You probably don't know this…especially if you base the way I feel about you on the way I act around you, but…but… Things don't have to be completely obvious for you to know it's there. We might not have stood next to each other all the time, or had conversations, or even said a single word or acted like we even cared about what the other was doing, yet you can tell something is supposed to happen. I want to change that."
"You want to be my friend?"
"I AM your friend," Mimi said. "I'm trying to say I want to be more."
"I - I want to be more too, Mimi. I'm sick of hiding my feelings because I'm supposed to be the rebellious, strong, cool one. Heartthrobs aren't supposed to have love interests, but maybe I don't want to be that anymore." Matt gulped and realized his palms were sweating. "I'm only interested in one girl…you."
"I realized that you're more important to me than I ever thought. Most people assume that I'd like Joe, but I think his love is…unrequited. And Izzy has his laptop, which will keep him from ever needing a girlfriend for a long time." She giggled. "Unless he meets some other girl who's nice and smart and as interested in computers as he is. What I'm trying to say is, I feel strongly about you too."
"The whole time I was in the Tunnel of Love, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Wishing that it was you with me instead of Joe. When I finally came out and saw you, I was too happy to care what anyone would think. But now I have to kill Tai for those pictures…"
Mimi turned his face to face hers. "Forget it, Matt. Now that you have me, you shouldn't have to worry what anyone thinks."
"But if we start to be a couple, things are going to be awfully awkward in the Digiworld," Matt suddenly realized. "I do think we have to worry about what others think. If an evil digimon knew how much I loved you, he'd kidnap you and try to kill you. Like what happened with Tai and Sora with Datamon. I don't want you to be hurt that way."
"So we have to pretend everything is how it used to be?" Mimi asked. "I'm not allowed to talk to you or anything? We just have to keep acting the way we did?"
He nodded. "But when we're alone, we can do whatever we want."
"We're alone right now," she murmured.
"I know…" he whispered back, leaning over. He took her face in his hands and they kissed gently on the lips. A rare kiss that was their first, and quite possibly the last until they returned home to the real world. A moment that was irreplaceable, but would have to be forgotten for their safety. And nonetheless, a kiss they had been waiting for the longest time ever.
~ ~ ~
"I don't think I'll ever learn to properly love someone other than that family and friends kind of way," Sora said glumly, peering over the side and looking over the amusement park that was lighted up.
"Sure you will. I wasn't kidding when I said that crest was perfect for you," Tai replied. "It really belongs to you. Whether you know it or not, love is something you haven't been lacking."
"I guess my mom loves me…"
Tai clenched his fists and urged himself to finally act. "I love you too."
"But eleven year olds don't fall in love," she said. "That's one thing I know about love."
"It isn't true," he said. "Love is supposed to be ageless. I've been in love with you as long as I can remember, I just didn't understand it. What about you?"
"I feel the same exact way. Except I knew it was love, but I kept convincing myself that I was too young. And I was afraid of getting hurt, like my mom. I tried to push you back, but love really does conquer all. There's just no denying my feelings for you."
"I always felt that. Remember when your crest first glowed? Now does this sound familiar: 'I felt something, Sora. It was your love shining through!'?" Tai quoted.
"Actually, no," Sora said. "As I heard from Yokomon, you really wanted to say, 'I want some of Sora's love too.'"
"I'd never say that!" he exclaimed. She gave him a skeptic look. "Oh yeah, I just admitted that I was in love with you…practically since I met you…I loved you more and more each day in the Digiworld…right. Okay then, I did mean to say that…but not when everyone was around!"
"Well, again, no one is around. Like in the Tunnel of Love."
Tai smirked. "Then I'd so much love to see your demonstration of a perfect romantic scene."
Sora leaned back into her seat. "Romantic? You don't think sitting on the top of a Ferris wheel, under billions of stars and a full moon, listening to your little sister singing something romantic, sitting with the person you've just admitted your love to is romantic?"
"Sure it's romantic. It's cold, but…" He shrugged. "I'm just saying it can be better." He was slowly and carefully moving closer to her.
Soon they were inches away. "Oh yeah? How?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice, which was nearly under her breath because of their closeness.
"Close your eyes and I'll show you," he said, the tips of their noses touching. Sora obeyed, and she could feel Tai's steady breathing against her lips. They stayed like that for a while.
"So exactly when are you going to show me?" Sora asked teasingly, her eyes still shut. "Next week-?"
Her question was cut off, but answered. Finally, Tai's lips and hers were pressed together. They each felt a sense of warmth and bliss.
"I'm not so cold anymore," he said when they drew apart a few seconds later.
"I'm not cold either. I don't think I could ever be unhappy as long as you're safe with me," Sora told him. "Around you, I feel a way I've never felt before for anyone. It's different."
Tai looked behind him. Kari and TK were sitting closer than they had been when they first climbed onto the ride, and he was positive they were holding hands. And behind that, Mimi had her head rested on Matt's shoulder, and he had his arm around her. In front of him, Izzy and Joe were looking crestfallen and heartbroken. "I hope this is in a good way, but I have a feeling from now on, a lot of things are going to be different."
* * *
A/N: I hate this part! This part truly sucked! I had the hugest case of writer's block in the entire world, and writer's overload with other ideas. Sorry this took so long, I had school, and sorry this was so dumb (read previous reason). And on why this is so long…I didn't feel like having one part only about their gay fight with Arachnimon. I totally suck at fighting scenes, so you'll never see another one from me! Only fluffy fics. I don't think my fics can get any mushier than what I just wrote.
Sorry to Mimoe fans, I'll try to write one as soon as I can. Once I get finished with the Koumi, another Taiora + Mimato + Takari, and a Taiora. I'll probably get even more ideas, so don't hold your breath. Expect these in a week or two if you're lucky, school has me totally swamped. If my grade drops, my parents will most likely ban me from the computer and Internet, so please no whining. Like anyone is looking forward to my fics anyway. Especially if I write them all this bad. Just give me nice reviews to make me feel better, okay? School really stresses me, and it's nice to hear people being so nice even though this is crappy. Thanks for just getting through the whole thing!
An interesting fact: I don't know if I have one. I was going to name Arachnimon something even gayer (now what can be gayer than Arachnimon?!), along the lines of a comic book character (Spidermon! No, just kidding). It was supposed to be something with venom, but then I remembered Venommyotismon (sp?). And I didn't even bother with an attack name. Poison sting is from Pokémon. And what was I supposed to name that eight-legged grab thing? I suck at naming everything, that's an interesting fact.
Disclaimer: Of course they belong to me! Why else would I make two eleven year olds kiss? Why else would I make Izzy dress up in a Cupid costume? Why else would I make a giant spider attack them and be beaten in the weirdest possible way? Wait -- that's because they AREN'T mine, but I'm using them for fun. DUH!
(In answer to my questions: 1) for a mushy scene! Obviously, kissing = mushy! 2) To be funny! Yes, and my jokes are just pathetic. 3) Because they always get attacked by SOMETHING, and also for that, it was beaten strangely because I didn't know what to do! There you go!)