This is my first multi-part fic. Actually I wrote part of this a long time ago, like when digimon first came on and I just found it and felt like finishing it. I didn't rework it at all though, so I hope it's okay.
Anyway, this isn't a Taito, YET. I'm not sure if it's going to be or not. So far it's just a best friend thing between Matt and Tai and I might keep it that way just for a change of pace.
This is again set in 01. Still in the digiworld. I just kinda like that setting. Remember in your reviews that I am warning you now. I was much younger when I wrote this. (At least the first few parts) so I want no flames because of it's poor quality, kay?
Discalimer: (sighs) I don't own the show. Oh well. If I did, there would be a lot more drama and a lot more Taichi. I LOVE TAICHI!!!….read the fic.
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Tragedy
A figure walked through one of the many forests in the digiworld. The wind blew and the rain fell around him. Even though it was only late afternoon, the sky was pitch black. None of this seemed to phase the boy. He continued to walk as if nothing was happening; as if he was in a trance.
In a way, he was. Yamato Ishida's mind wasn't registering very much at the moment. All he could think about right then was getting back to the others. If he didn't find them soon, his best friend would die. Matt looked down at the person he held in his arms.
Blood covered most of his body. 'Blood he shed for me…' Matt thought. 'I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for him.' He glanced down once again and looked at his friend's face. Because of the rain, a few strands of his usually poofy brown hair were plastered up against his forehead and cheeks, covering some of his horribly pale skin.
'Tai…'
Matt bit his lip and winced at the smaller boy's appearance. His head was turned to the right, facing Matt. His chocolate-brown eyes were closed, but his mouth was open just a little bit. His breaths came suddenly in short and uneven intervals. Every time he inhaled, Matt could feel Tai's whole body shake as though just that simple action took more energy then he had. He had to do something or Tai wasn't going to last much longer.
If only they'd taken their digimon with them things might not have turned out this way, but they had left them with the others. Matt and Tai had both been concerned about their younger siblings without their big brothers around to look after them so they left Agumon and Gabumon there to protect TK and Kari as they went off to explore another path.
For once, it had not been Tai who wanted to do this; it was Matt. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Matt thought that maybe they would find some digimon who were hiding from Piedmon there. It was a pretty out of the way place so he figured some good digimon who were trying to escape could've gone there.
All the others had tried to convince him not to go, but he was very insistent. When he threatened to leave and explore the new path by himself, Tai spoke up and volunteered to go with him.
"Yeah, whatever…"
Matt shuddered as he thought about what he said to Tai who was only leaving to make sure that he didn't get captured or hurt. He should've seen it sooner. Tai didn't want to go, he wanted to stay and protect his sister. Why had he been so stupid?
Matt sighed and looked down at Tai's limp body. 'This is my fault.' He thought. 'I should've listened to you and the others. You tried to tell me it was dangerous, but I wouldn't listen. I should have known better when even you didn't want to take the risk.'
"It should've been me who got hurt Tai, not you…I'm so sorry…" he spoke outloud although he knew the only person that heard him was himself and silent tears began to stream from his azure eyes, dripping down onto his friend's still form and mingling with the rain.
~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~
"You okay Matt?" Tai asked worriedly.
"Fine." Matt snapped.
"It's just, we've been walking for hours and you've hardly said a word and I…
"Look, I said I'm fine okay! So just back off and leave me alone!" Matt snarled. "Why do you always have to be in everyone's business, huh?! Because you're the leader! Well, I got news for you; you're a terrible leader Tai! You're such a jerk!" Matt turned his back to the brown-haired boy.
He expected Tai to yell at him or just plain attack him, but he didn't. When he turned back around and saw Tai's expression he immediately wished that he could take back everything that he just said.
Tai looked absolutely devastated. He turned his head towards the ground, refusing to look at Matt.
Matt was horrified. He didn't know why he said that to Tai, he had only been trying to help.
"Tai, I…"
Tai simply brushed by Matt and started walking again.
"We should keep going…" he said in a near whisper.
Matt ran to catch up with him and grabbed his arm.
"Tai I'm sorry." Matt said sincerely. "I didn't mean-"
"Yes you did. And you're right." Tai said in a sad and resigned tone. "I'm an awful leader. You guys don't deserve to be stuck with an idiot like me."
Matt turned Tai around so he could see his face. His dark-brown eyes looked so hurt…almost defeated.
"No, Tai you…I…I mean." Matt stuttered.
"It's okay. I know I'm no good at anything, especially saving the world." Tai told the blonde. "I'm sorry Matt…"
Before Matt could respond, he and Tai were both tackled to the ground, Hard.
Matt opened his eyes and saw his attackers. Two digimon. They were totally black and resembled monsters that you would see in horror movies. Their eyes were blood red and completely soul less. Matt remembered that Izzy had shown them to the group once on his digimon analyzer after he'd seen them in the woods, luckily he had hidden himself well and they didn't see him. Their name was Daromon.
"Tai!" Matt looked over to find his friend trying to fight off three of the creatures, but they were just as tall as Tai and ten times stronger. Six more were surrounding Matt.
"What do you want?!" Matt demanded of the invading monsters.
One with pure black eyes to match his body, obviously the leader, spoke.
"Your life!" he hissed.
Immediately, the other five Daromon jumped Matt. He tried to fend them off, but they were too strong. As blow after blow was landed, Matt's world began to turn black and it started to rain.
Just as Matt was about to lose consciousness, he heard a voice and the creatures stopped attacking him.
"Hey ugly! Leave him alone!"
Matt opened his eyes to see Tai standing in front of him protectively, fists clenched. Somehow, Tai had managed to break away from the other Daromon to help Matt, though he did not escape unscathed.
Matt saw blood trickling down Tai's leg and followed the path that it traced. He looked up and saw that Tai's entire right side was covered in the dark red liquid. He was hurt. And from the looks of it, hurt badly, yet he was still defending Matt.
"Tai, no!" Matt called, slowly trying to stand.
"Stay down Matt. I'll take care of these jerks." Matt could hear the pain showing through in Tai's voice.
Matt looked at the Daromon leader just in time to see him give a silent signal with his hand and point at Tai.
All of the Daromon pounced on Tai, totally ignoring Matt.
"NO!!" Matt cried. He tried to jump in and help Tai, but he was pushed back against a tree by one of the Daromon.
"Ugh!" Matt groaned as he hit the tree. He stood slowly and saw Tai. He was trying to fight the creatures as best as he could, but he was already badly injured and more fresh cuts were now apparent on his body.
Matt saw Taichi look over at him. Blood was running down his bruised face from a deep gash in his forehead. He forced a weak smile at Matt making the blue-eyed boy's heart cringe. Suddenly, Tai was slammed hard into a large boulder by one of the digimon, hitting his head on the granite surface.
"Tai!!" That was all Matt could take.
There was no way he could get in to help Tai, but he had another idea. Slowly, lost in the confusion of the battle, he approached the leader of the Daromon from behind and tackled him to the ground.
"Argh!" he called as Matt flung him down.
They fought back and forth for a few seconds, but Matt had the advantage of surprise and soon won, pinning the leader.
"Tell them to stop!" Matt commanded him.
The creature didn't move.
"Tell them or so help me god I'll kill you right now!" he would not have hesitated to carry out his threat, but then the captured digimon spoke up.
"Retreat!" he ordered.
The other Daromon looked at each other questioningly, but did as they were told.
"Now let me go!" the leader yelled at Matt.
Matt did so and the pack of digimon retreated into the woods. He knew they wouldn't come back for a while and when they did, he and Tai would be long gone.
'Tai!' Matt called to his friend. He raced over to the prone form.
"Tai?" Matt asked cautiously as he approached.
No answer.
Fear gripped Matt as he kneeled down and gently turned Tai over. Matt gasped as he surveyed Tai's wounds. 'No…' he thought.
"No, don't do this to me Tai!" Matt practically yelled at the boy. "You've got to be okay…you've got to be…"
Matt placed two fingers to Tai's neck, feeling for a pulse…what he felt could barely be classified as one, it was almost too weak to be detected and was getting fainter by the second.
Matt began to sob almost hysterically.
"No! You cannot do this! Who's gonna take care of Kari if your not around!…" Matt fought to calm his voice. "…Don't leave all of us alone…" Matt clenched his eyes closed and turned his head down towards the ground in despair.
"…Matt…I-I'm okay…don't….cry, man…"
Matt's head shot up and he saw Tai, eyes barely open and smiling weakly.
"Tai! God, I thought you were gone…" Matt said, relieved.
"Naw, never…" Tai winced and sucked in a sharp gasp of air. "M, Matt if…I don't…"
"No, Tai. Don't even say it. I won't let you talk like that…you'll be okay…" Matt said determinably.
"Please…Matt, j-just listen." Tai pleaded. "Please…please take ca-re of Kari for me…I, I don't…want her to…be alone…" Tai's voice began to fade and his eyes started to close. "We both hate…to be…alone…"
Matt felt the tears beginning to fill his eyes.
"I promise Tai, but you'll make it…I won't let you die…"
Tai smiled one last time.
"Thanks…Matt…"
Then his eyes closed completely and Matt frantically searched for his pulse. Still there…barely.
"I won't let you be alone Tai…I promise you that too." With that, Matt picked the smaller boy up in his arms and began walking down the path in the direction that he knew the others to be in as the rain poured down around him.
~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry Matt." Tai mumbled in his sleep.
Matt's heart clenched at the words.
"You've got nothing to be sorry for Tai." Matt told him softly even though he knew that he would get no response.
Tai was looking worse and worse. His wounds just wouldn't stop bleeding and he was shivering uncontrollably in Matt's arms. The rain was still coming down hard and the sky seemed to only be getting darker.
'I'll get you help Tai…just hang on a little longer.' He silently pleaded.
Tai began coughing very violently. Alarmed, Matt quickly set him down, allowing his head to rest on a soft patch of the rain-soaked earth.
"Shhh…It's okay Tai." Matt tried to soothe him. "Just calm down. You'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you, you're safe…"
Tai's coughing soon subsided and Matt breathed a sigh of relief. Then he glanced down at his shirt. His shoulder had tiny patched of blood on it.
Matt knew he hadn't been hurt, sure he had a few scrapes and some bruises, but they wouldn't account for that blood. Matt gasped as a though occurred to him. 'Oh, no…'
The only conclusion he could come to was that if it wasn't his blood it had to be someone else's…it had to be Tai's.
Tai had been bleeding badly so pretty much Matt's entire midsection and chest was covered with his blood, but none had reached his shoulder. That had, however been where Tai's head was facing when he'd started to cough.
Quickly, Matt turned Tai's head to face him.
"Dammed…"
Matt had been right. Blood was apparent at the corners of Taichi's mouth.
"No…Tai." Matt broke down over Tai's still body, grasping his hand tightly as if that alone could make him wake up and this would all be forgotten. "Why…? Why did you have to try and save me? You were already weak, you knew you couldn't win, so why?" he demanded of his friend.
Tai didn't answer. Matt hadn't expected him to, but for some reason the lack of that answer made Matt cry all the harder.
"…M-a…Th…" Tai spoke wearily.
Matt slowly looked up at Taichi and his eyes met with those of the smaller boy.
'Those eyes…' Matt thought. Tai's eyes, which had at one time been a dark chocolate brown color, were now turning to an extremely deep black. As if all the life in them was draining out.
Matt swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew he had to try and remain calm for Tai's sake. If he started panicking now, it would all be over.
"How do you feel?" Matt asked, trying to keep his voice steady and calm but failing miserably. He raised his hand and gently wiped the blood away from Tai's lips.
"O-okay." Tai responded weakly. "Just…a little sore…that's all. I'll be alright."
Tai shifted gingerly, trying to relieve some of the pain that was circulating through his body.
"Uh!" Tai cried out as a sudden burst of intense pain wracked his body. He quickly turned on his side and clutched his stomach, curling at the waist.
"Tai!" Matt reached out to Tai and pulled the smaller boy into his arms. This action only made Tai scream louder.
Matt had one arm wrapped around Tai's back, holding him up and supporting his head. The other was resting on Tai's sweat and rain drenched face.
"M-att…it-it hurts…so much…" Tai ground out as he writhed in Matt's arms while total, complete agony consumed him.
Matt thought he would cry at the words. He was still trying to stay calm. 'I can break down when he's safe.' Matt kept telling himself. 'But not now.'
"I know Tai…I know it hurts…" Matt said soothingly, softly rocking Tai back and forth. "But you've got to work through it…please just try and stay with me a little longer. Just hold on a little longer…please Tai…"
A few moments later Tai's cries stopped, but he still shook violently, lying in his best friend's arms and gasping for air. He was tired and even with his eyes closed it seemed as though the world was spinning. He cracked open his eyelids just enough so he could see Matt's face, looking down at him with worry and fear. No, not fear. Terror. Pure terror.
"I…d-don't think I can…Matt."
Tai was right. Matt was terrified. He was terrified that he was watching one of the only people in his life that truly mattered to him die. The terror that was plastered on Matt's face turned to something even beyond that, a look of such fear and anguish that could not even be described with words as he listened to Tai's response.
"No, Tai." He told him forcefully, just short of screaming. "No. I won't let you give up on me. I won't!"
Matt's very soul felt like it would shatter into a thousand tiny shards at any moment.
"It's my fault…god. Tai I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"
Tai's eyes opened a bit more in surprise. He thought this was his fault?
"No, Matt…It's not your fault…please…don't b-blame yourself…"
"It was Tai!" Matt insisted. "It was all my fault. I decided to leave the digimon behind, I thought we should explore another way, I dragged you with me, and I almost got you killed! It was my fault Tai!" he started speaking more softly now, almost whispering. "It was my fault…"
"No." Tai's voice was surprisingly strong at that moment. It only lasted for a second, but the impact of it got Matt's attention. "We decided to leave the digimon with the others so they could protect Kari and TK. I volunteered to go with you and explore the other path, and it was my choice to take on those horror movie rejects." Tai stopped for a minute as an extremely violent coughing fit jolted his body, but as soon as it subsided he continued, softer, more strained this time. "You didn't do…anything…Matt…please, please stop blaming yourself. I can't take it…"
"Tai…" Matt couldn't believe it.
"It wasn't…your fault…" Tai suddenly felt extremely weak and dizzy. The world seemed to spin around him. Tai felt like he was losing control of himself. He couldn't keep his eyes open and he couldn't seem to keep his head up.
"Tai!" Matt began to panic as Taichi's eyes rolled into the back of his head and closed. His head fell back almost lifelessly and Matt tried desperately to snap the boy out of his trance. "Don't do this to me Tai, not now…Tai! Tai wake up! Please…Tai…TAI!"
- To be continued…
Cruel? Yes, I am. I always try to end at cliffhangers, which was hard in this story since it was originally just one big one-parter. Please R+R if you want more, if you have suggestions, or you just feel like reviewing something. Please, no flames.