DISCLAIMER - I don't own Digimon.
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Ooh, I enjoyed writing this part! Sora's my favourite DigiDestined - I'm just absolutely obsessed with her, as readers of "What's WRONG With You People?" will be able to attest - and almost all of this part is focused on her.
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CHOICES
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LOVE - Part Two
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By Chris McFeely
Sora yelled into the night. She and Mimi were searching Odaiba's central park. No response came.
What are you going to say to him when we find him? Mimi asked.
If we find him, you mean, Sora thought. I don't know, she answered, truthfully.
I know I'm probably not the best person to listen to when it comes to this kinda thing, Mimi said,
looking behind a tree, but I think you should just follow your heart. The words'll come.
Sora smiled a sad smile. Thanks, Mimi, she said, with genuine sincerity. That's good advice.
I read it on a greeting card this one time...
- - -
Dawn was breaking as Sora, Mimi, Takeru, Kari and Matt met up again at the Takenouchi flower shop.
Any luck? Takeru panted. He had been running all over town.
Matt shook his head solemnly.
Kari said.
Sora could reply with nothing more than a choked sob, which eventually gave way to floods of tears. She
collapsed into Mimi's arms, resting her head on her shoulder, letting it all out.
Matt started, but Mimi hissed at him to keep quiet.
You guys better go home, Mimi said. We've all been up all night.
Kari was about to protest, but a glare from Mimi silenced her. Fine. I need to tell my parents,
anyway... they'll be worried sick about both of us by now...
Matt agreed. C'mon, TK, we can phone around and see if anyone knows where he could be.
Takeru made a face at being called by his childhood nickname, but followed Matt off down the street.
Carefully, Mimi helped the crying Sora back inside the flower shop, upstairs to the living space. Sora's
mother was home.
What's wrong? she exclaimed.
Long story, Mimi said.
Oh... mom... Sora said, dropping down on to the couch beside her. Tai and I... we went to the movies..
and he... he...
He what? Sora's mother asked, concern evident in her voice. What did he do to you?
He didn't do anything, Sora said, sniffing, and trying to wipe away the tears, only to have them be
replaced my more. But he told me he... loved me.
Sora's mother clasped a hand to her mouth. Wh... where is he now?
We don't know, Mimi stepped in.
We've been looking for him all night, Sora sniffed. I'm afraid he's going to do something stupid...
Like what?
Kill himself.
There was a long silence, and Sora simply cried in her mother's arms, releasing the emotion she had tried to
contain.
How... do you feel about him? her mother eventually had to ask.
I... I just don't know, Sora said, between the sobs.
There were no more words spoken. Sora just continued to cry, until she finally succumbed to the hold of
sleep.
- - -
The sleep was short lived. Sora's dreams were haunted by inhuman images - warped versions of Tai and
herself, replaying the scene in front of the movie theatre over and over again. Only, in her mind, it was not
Tai who began to glow, as he said the fatal words... but herself. The entire scene exploded into white, and
Sora awoke with a start.
she cried out. No-one rushed to aid her. She was alone. She sighed, and sat up from where she had
fallen asleep on the couch. She studied her reflection in the glass coffee table - her face was still red from
crying, and her hair was tousled and matted in places from how she had slept on it. Sora didn't wear make
up, so there wasn't any running, at least. She looked at the person staring back at her from the transparent
surface. At that moment, she didn't even know herself.
In silence, she stood up, and walked into her bedroom. Gently, she opened her closet door, and dropped to
her knees to rummage through the years worth of accumulated junk at the bottom and back of the sizeable
alcove. She tossed items out over her shoulder - a pink teddy bear, a set of soccer boots that were too small
now - until she found what she had been looking for. An old, leather-bound photo album. Sitting
cross-legged on the floor, she began to flip through the pages, studying each photo there. Almost all of them
were of her and Tai together... at summer camp, at the zoo, at Disneyland, from that time they'd gone to
America when they were just little kids... how could she have been so blind? Tai had always told her she was
his best friend... but seriously, what kind of a guy has a girl for a best friend? Certainly not one of those
atypical macho-jock types that Tai aspired to be. She shut the album, and stared at it's plain black cover for
an eternity.
Did she love him?
No answer was forthcoming.
She put the book back into the closet, but as she withdrew her arm, she bumped a stack of cardboard boxes
that were piled up just inside the door. They hit the ground with a dull thump, and Sora moved to pick them
up... until she saw something, sitting behind where they had stood. Slowly, she took a hold of it and pulled it
out, blowing the dust off. The blue material was worn now, and it was crumpled in spots, but Sora still knew
what it was.
Her lucky hat.
A tear formed in the corner of her eye as she held the old piece of headgear - the same hat she had worn
throughout her adventures in the DigiWorld. She shoved her fist up inside the half-circle of material,
popping it back to it's regular, dome-like shape, and studied it. Yes... there was the little dent that wouldn't
go away from that time Joe had beaten it like a drum... and there was that tiny singe mark from when she
had been attacked by Bakemon and captured when Myotismon was invading Earth. Little things like that
wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone other than her. She pulled the hat one. It still fitted like a glove.
Sora stood up, getting used to the feel of the hat on her head again, and walked back into the living room.
It was only 7am, the VCR clock told her. She picked up the TV remote control, and flicked it on. A news
report came up. The word was flashing in the corner.
...reporting live from the Odaiba Bay Bridge, the reporter stated, where, in the early hours of the
morning, one young man has placed himself precariously at the bridge's peak. Police and the fire department
are arrived on the scene as we speak, and I think... yes, yes, our chopper is in position to give us our first
look at this teen.
The sound of rotor blades churned out of the TV's speakers, as the on-screen perspective switched to that
of the news chopper. The camera zoomed down, to show a boy of average height, sitting on the top of one
of the bridge's arches, his feet dangling over the side. He looked up as he saw the chopper, and mouthed
two words: Hey mom.
Sora dropped the remote.
- - -
It wasn't hard. A phone call to Matt, and Sora was on her way. Matt's dad was only to eager to try and
help, and, working at the TV station, he was able to finagle his way into getting Sora and Matt up there.
Tai stood and turned as the chopper drew closer to the bridge. Matt carefully jumped down, on to the top
of the arch, about ten feet away from Tai.
Hey, man, Tai said, solemnly. I did tell ya, didn't I?
Tai, look, there was no way you could have known... Matt tried to say.
Ah, save it, Tai said, waving his hand. It wasn't an insult... just a request. It's done now.
No, Tai, it's not, came Sora's voice, as she hopped down alongside Matt. Tai's body jerked in surprise
when he saw her. She was wearing her familiar hat.
You... came? he asked.
Of course I came, she replied. You can't do this, Tai.
Why not?
It... it's not worth it.
But it is, Tai insisted. Well, I guess that's not true. It's more like... my life's not worth it, now.
Tai, please...! Sora pleaded with him.
There's no point, Sora, Tai went on. You can't know how I feel...
I... I...
I love you, Sora, Tai said again. There was silence, as a look of hope spread across Tai's face. Maybe
she'd say it back this time? Maybe? Maybe?
Sora struggled with herself.
Tai's face fell. I've been putting this off, he said. I was hoping maybe you'd come... and you did. But I
just wanted to see you one more time. Goodbye Sora. I did love you.
With those final words, Tai took a single step backwards.
And fell.
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"Choices" will reach its conclusion in "Love - Part Three"!
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I KNOW that you wanna review after this part! Pleeeeeease?
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