Part 4
Created By: Jason Wong
It had been nearly 2 months since the incident and Tai remained in a comatose state.
"Well Tai." said Matt to his unconscious companion. "You've outlived the doctor's predictions, but I can't say you're better off. I've almost exhausted our supplies of medication."
Tai remained covered with scars from the burns and cuts. Through the weeks, Matt had stabilized Tai properly and set forth to other activities. Food and water weren't a problem, a small stream teeming with fish and large bushes of fruit were nearby. Matt lay near the stream in the late afternoon. Nothing really had happened, and the spirits of TK, Agumon and Gabumon provided ample companionship. They made sure to call him if Tai's condition changed. He spent many a long day lying here relaxing, trying to forget the mountain of responsibility thrust upon him.
"Matt." said TK. "It's amazing. Tai just woke up. He wants you. You'd better hurry before he hurts himself."
Matt clamoured to his feet and sprinted back towards the small cabin. He burst through the doors in time to see Tai struggling to lift his sword. Matt knew exactly what he was attempting to do. But still he asked.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed. "Get back into that bed!"
"Matt." said Tai panting. "If I die, you'll be stuck here forever. As leader, it'd my job to see to your safety first."
Matt caught Tai as he collapsed to the ground.
"Stay in bed." commanded Matt. "You're in no condition to be walking around."
"As your appointed guardian...." mumbled Tai.
"As nothing." replied Matt. "Now lie down and eat. You need to regain your energy."
Tai resisted at first trying to put Matt before himself but caved fast. In his current position, he really wasn't in shape to do anything. Tai allowed Matt to baby him for a while. Tai was slightly shocked when Matt told him how long he'd been out.
"I outlived the prediction." mused Tai. "Why would that happen?"
"Tai, even doctors make mistakes. And generally they tell you an overestimate. They probably figured you had even less time."
"Oh." said Tai shocked.
After Matt finished spoon feeding Tai, Matt tucked him in and gave Tai some sleeping tablets.
A week later, Matt deemed Tai well enough to walk around without help. Well, almost. Tai had to use a stout pole. Tai walked stiffly around the room. Matt watched Tai. The stiffness was expected, but it looked as though Tai had a serious limp. Another sign to Matt that he hadn't been good enough. Without warning, Tai pitched forward gasping for breath. Matt rushed over.
"M-Matt." said Tai as he gasped for air. "I'm sorry." His eyes drooped before closing. His breathing became short, raspy and irregular.
"Tai." said Matt. "Our friendship has always meant the world to me. I just wish I'd been a good enough friend. Please don't die."
A single drop fell from Matt's eyes and landed on Tai's pale face. Suddenly, the room was bathed in pale blue light. Matt slowly realized that he was the source. The light danced across the walls and pulsed. In a brilliant flash of light, the whole area was illuminated. Matt heard a crash in the distance somewhere outside. Looking down, Matt saw Tai was healed. It was like that day he'd shown up in time to help Tai with Piedmon.
"Matt." said tai softly lifting his head lightly.
"But how?" murmured Matt. "How did I do that? I'm not a descendant of the original digidestined. I don't have powers like you Tai."
"You do, I gave them to you long ago." mumbled Tai.
"What?" exclaimed Matt accidentally dumping Tai onto the floor.
"You might remember a long time ago. You became blood brothers with one of your close friends... a friend with wild brown hair?" asked Tai
"Sort of... That was you?!" said Matt realizing what Tai had said.
"Your own natural powers were brought out." said Tai. "Everyone has them, most people's just never get activated."
"We all knew each other back then, didn't we?" asked Matt. "We all became friends before that digi-egg thing."
"Yes, but are memories were repressed, like the digi-egg memories...." said Tai.
"I can't believe it. Mabey it's destiny." mumbled Matt.
"Exactly." replied Tai.
There was a sudden jarring knock at the door.
"What?" asked Matt. "Who else could be out here?"
Matt cautiously opened the door and fell over in shock. Three figures stood in the doorway. And yet, they couldn't be real. Matt was stunned and lay there shocked.
"T-TK?" stuttered Matt.
"In the flesh. Aren't you going to invite use in?" asked TK. "Or are you just going to stand there?"
"Uh, sure. Come on in." said Matt.
"So, I thought you were dead." said Matt addressing TK, Agumon, and Gabumon. He'd gotten over his initial shock of seeing them alive.
"We were, but while we were flying around, this pulse of blue light shot past. Suddenly, we were solid again. It's a good thing no one was in anything solid." said TK.
"Me and Gabumon would've died again. We were so high up. But the lake broke our fall." said Agumon.
"Lake?" asked Matt. "What lake?"
"There's a lake that the stream runs into. We fell in when we became alive again. That's why my fur's all stinky." said Gabumon
Tai sighed. He'd discovered that while he'd been healed, he retained his limp. A sign he'd suffered more damage that humanly possible to heal. But the fact he was alive was more than enough for him. "Well, it's been two months since we left home in the middle of the night." said Tai. "We should get back. Everyone probably thinks we've died."
TK stifled a small giggle. "I bet they'll be shocked when the see me. They know I'm already dead. They'll flip when I walk in with you guys."
"You said it." sighed Matt as he looked around wearily.
"Hey guys, now that TK is alive, should we take down his grave?" asked Tai.
Everyone groaned. "Tai, worry about those things when we get back home. Come on, I want to get back." said TK.
Just as Tai hefted his sword to slice open a portal, a small table in the corner of the room gleamed to life. A hologram flashed up of an aging man as he surveyed the room.
"Genni!" exclaimed Matt, eyes bulging in shock.
"Hello kids. I didn't know you were here until just now." said Genni. "I'm glad to see you're well TK. I have some important news for Izzy, but since he's not here right now. Give him this disc. If he wants to let you see the data he can, but only if wants you to." A small CD popped out the base of the projector. Tai picked it up.
"Ok Genni. You can count on us." said Tai.
"I know. You're more special than you realize. All of you." said Genni as he vanished.
The group quickly gathered up their gear and with a quick switch of his sword cut a rift back home. The three kids said a series of goodbyes to the two digimon before stepping through the gate.
"TAI!!!" exclaimed his mother as she pulled him into a tight embrace. "Oh honey. Don't ever leave like that again. We thought you'd died or something worse."
"TK!" shouted Kari. Soon he too was caught up in an embrace. Suddenly Kari pulled away and brushed TK's cheek with a hand. "Whatever happened, i'm glad it brought you back to me. Don't ever die on me again."
There were similar reactions at the Ishida household. Both parents nearly fainted when they saw TK, and Sora was enthusiastic that Tai was alive. A celebratory party was held at the Kamiyas that day, though Tai went to the doctor to see about his limp and disease. He didn't have it anymore.
Izzy vanished into one of the rooms for most of the evening while obviously eager to get at the contents of the CD. Matt, Tai, and TK paused when they saw three new faces.
"Guys." said Kari. "Meet Davis, Yolei, and Cody. Tai, just so you know. You're Davis' role model. He's a bit upset that you're alive TK. He's been courting me for the last month and a half."
TK flashed Davis a furious glance. Tai felt the tensions rising and whispered to Kari. "Do something or I have a feeling they're going to brawl here and now."
"Boys." said Kari flashing a sweet smile. "I don't want to see ANY fighting." She stared each of them into the ground until they nodded. They kept to themselves for pretty much the next while.
"Just who are these guys?" asked Tai to Sora.
"They're like the reserves. They have their digivices, but no one gets their digimon until we either get to old, or trouble arises that we can't handle." replied Sora.
"Sora." said Tai. "Do you like me? Do you love me?"
"Of course I do." replied Sora, not missing a beat.
The crept slowly together. Closer, and closer, right up to....
"Ewww... Gross!" shouted Davis. Tai fell over backwards at the sudden noise. "Who stuck all this water on my chair?!"
"TK?" asked Kari to the angelic looking teenager. "Did you do that?"
"N-No." stuttered TK in a totally unconvincing manner.
"I don't believe you." said Kari as Davis snickered. TK retreated until at last Kari cornered him.
"Please don't hurt me. I did it, just don't hurt me." whimpered TK.
Kari balled her fist, raised it high in the air, lunged forward and planted a huge kiss on TK. There was a stunned silence. Davis' mouth hung open in shock. TK was spewing gibberish. He'd turned a deep pink.
"You didn't have to do that TK. You've always been the one I've loved. You don't need childish trick to make yourself look good." said Kari.
"Mivelbimbel?" asked TK.
Kari kissed TK once again. In turn, TK passed out. Davis collapsed into his chair ignoring the wetness on his pants. Matt and Tai rushed over to support the now unconscious boy.
"Are we going to have to follow you guys around again?" asked Tai. "You smoother him in affection every time you get near him. He embarrasses himself by speaking gibberish and passing out. Remember last time?"
"Plus, he isn't getting any lighter." grunted Matt. "Come on, we should get him onto a bed or something."
Kari stood by as the two older boys dragged TK into Tai and Kari's room. Davis was still in shock over the events and was absent-mindedly eating a huge piece of cake.
"TK, TK, TK." said Matt as TK slowly woke up. "What are we going to do with you?"
"Are you going to pass out every time Kari smothers you in affection?" asked Tai.
"I can't help it." mumbled TK. "Besides, the same thing happens to you when Sora smothers you in affection. She just never does that in public."
"How do you know.... Never mind. We'll cure you." said Tai.
"How?" asked TK suspiciously.
"Well...." said Tai. "We get Kari to smoother you in affection until you learn to get past your mental blocks."
TK was terrified at the idea. He was barely a teenager. Girls were still sort of iky to him. He didn't even notice Kari had come in until she was holding his hand.
After half an hour, things hadn't gotten much better. In fact it was worse. TK had stumbled past his mental block long enough to suggest they cure Tai as well. Now instead of one person in lala land, they had two.
"How long's this going to go on for?" asked Matt. "My brother and the leader's brains have melted down. They've gone to mush."
Tai mumbled something incomprehensible. He to was only able to spew jumbled words and nonsense.
"I can't take this anymore. They need help. God, I hope that I'm not like this when I find a girl I like." said Matt as he left. "Send TK home when he's better."
Joe and Izzy walked in as Matt left. They looked between the two spaced out boys suspiciously.
"Is there booze here? Or did I miss something?" asked Joe. "They look drunk."
"Drunk on love, I suspect. We smothered both of them with it. Their brains just goto mush whenever we do." snorted Sora.
"Hmmm?" asked TK. "Wow, that was weird."
"Ah, Tai, TK." said Joe as Tai came out of his stupor. "You'll never be ladies men. A simple look sends you over the hill turning your brains to mush. You really ought to see a doctor."
"And you're a lady's man?" mumbled Tai. "We'll help each other get over this minor problem. Nothing's impossible for us." TK nodded vigorously at that last statement. Eager to change the subject Tai turned to Izzy. "What was on that CD Genni gave us?"
"Something special." said Izzy blushing. "A full file of information on my biological parents. There was something that related to us as a group. For all the digidestined, past present and future. But I'll show that to you guys later."
"Sure." said Tai seeing Izzy did not want to persue the subject that night. "I suppose this party's gone on far too long. I guess we'll see each other tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye." replied Izzy, Joe, and Sora as they left. Then Tai and Kari went off to clean up before a long nights sleep.
Don't miss the series conclusion in "The Aftermath", coming soon. And don't miss the series wrap up in the final fic in the series, "Back to Before" coming after "The Aftermath".