~ Chapter Six ~
Love and Courage
By: Lady Ava
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"Good morning, sir." The maid stated happily as she came into the teen's room later that morning. Matt and T.K. were lounging on the couch watching the Rosie O'Donald. Sora, Mimi, and Kari sat at the mini bar, while Joe stood behide it, serving orange juice to them. Izzy sat at a large wooden desk, typing away at his laptop, searching for any information on their new enemy.
As the young woman in her late twenties pulled her cart in after her, she looked at the digidestined and smiled. "There is a buffet breakfast being severed in the morning dinning room if you are interested. The food here is very good." She stated in a light British accent.
Matt glanced up from the television. "So we hear. But we're waiting on someone." He stated very simply.
The maid laughed lightly. "I see. For one of the girls in your party?"
"Actually...it's for a guy." Joe corrected, sliding Mimi another glass of juice.
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Tai stood in front of the large mirror in his bedroom. He was dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and his school's soccer shirt. His ever-famous goggles laid next to his hand, which sat there on the dresser in a harsh fist. The young teen could do nothing but stare at his reflection. His eyes were still a bit red from earlier that morning. His skin seemed to have lost all his color and his eyes looked as if they turned from brown to gray. His hair stayed messy like it always did, but it seemed to have lost its wild edge.
"Why? Why does it always happen to me?" He thought aloud. Looking down at his goggles, Tai took them in his hand. "The leader...that's all I am. The leader of a group of people who don't even get noticed for saving the world. Is that what I'm here to do? Is that my reason for being here?" He questioned.
The grip on his goggles became tighter as he stood there. Closing his eyes, visions of his dream came back to him. With his eyes flying opened, Tai threw his goggles at the door. Turning away, Tai walked over to the large windows that overlooked Central Park.
"Tai? Is something wrong?" A soft voice stated from outside the door. Refusing to answer, Tai continued to stare out the window. Hearing the door open, the boy glanced back. He was surprised to see Sora standing there, leaning on the door timidly. "Can I come in?" She asked quietly.
Looking back out the window, Tai simply nodded a yes. "I'm almost ready." He stated right away after the door was shut.
Sora smiled as she saw Tai standing there. She always saw Tai as the strong silent type. Never afraid to back down from a challenge that faced him and never let anyone tell him what to do. But last night was the first time that she ever saw him venerable to his own feelings.
Walking a bit forward, Sora kicked the goggles by her feet. Looking down at them, Sora reached down for them. Picking them up, the teen examined them carefully. The rim of the left eye was a bit bent and the strap was tangled. 'Tai usually takes really good care of his goggles. Why would they be just lying here on the floor?' Sora questioned to herself.
Looking up at the teen by the windows, Sora felt her face grow a bit red. 'Tai Kayima. I've known him for so long. We grew up together. He's like my brother and his sister is like my little sister.' Holding the goggles to her chest, Sora glanced down at her feet. 'But lately, he seems different. Not in his stature, but in his looks. I feel light-headed whenever he's near or whenever he talks to me. He just seems too charming to me. Why?' She thought.
"Tai? Why were your goggles on the floor?" Sora finally asked, after the long silence between the two of them.
Shrugging, Tai continued to stare out onto the park below. "That's not an answer, Tai Kayima. Why were they on the floor?" The girl question again, becoming firmer than before.
"I dropped them and didn't bother to pick them up again. That's all." The teenage boy answered, his eyes remaining on the windows. Tai's voice was cold sounding. He sounded as if he had lost all hope and was waiting to die in some prison cell.
At last, he glanced over towards Sora. "Why? Are you going to yell at me and say that I shouldn't leave things lying around?" He stated, each one of his words shooting out of his mouth like icicles directed at Sora.
Sora began to walk over towards her leader. "No. Why would I say any like that, Tai? You know me to be better than that." She stated a faint smile on her face.
As Sora came face to face with Tai, she held out the hand with the goggles to him. She held her hand up between them; the eyewear laying folded in her palm. Looking at his goggles, Tai seemed to become more relaxed. He watched as suddenly the hand that held them began to shake lightly. Then he glanced up at Sora. Her smile greeted him and her eyes had begun to tear. Reaching up to her face, Tai wiped one of the tears away from her cheek. "Why are you crying?" He asked quietly.
Suddenly, the goggles dropped from Sora hand. The girl flung her arms around Tai's neck and began to sob into his chest. Her cries seemed to make him sorry about how he acted. "Oh Tai." Sora wept. As Tai glanced down at her, Sora looked back up at him with reddened eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She stated through heavily breaths.
"Sora, why are you sorry? I'm the one acting like a complete jerk." Tai stated hugging Sora tightly.
Pushing away from him, Sora started towards the door. "I shouldn't be hugging you. After all, you and Ava are together, aren't you?" She asked.
"Me...and Ava? Together? You have got to be kidding! We're partners only, not boyfriend and girlfriend. Why would you say that?" Tai explained.
Turning quickly on her heels, Sora faced the teen. She was crying even harder than before and her face was beginning to turn flushed. "Well, Matt told us that he saw you hugging on your balcony that night when we brought you back from the Digital World. You know, the night you two created Guardianmon. And with all the flirting you have been doing with her, I just figured that you had been taken." Looking down at the floor, Sora lowered her voice. "I thought I lost my chance."
Tai bent down and retrieved his goggles from the carpeted floor. Looking at them, he smiled. "I thought you were just ignoring me because I was being a jerk." He stated, his eyes still on his goggles.
Sora rubbed her eyes, removing the last remaining tears. She smiled at her friend and leader. "Of course not. Why would you think something so stupid, Tai? After all, our leader is our leader and my best friend." She questioned as she slowly began to turn back to normal.
The word 'leader' hit Tai like a trunk full of bricks. He could answer her because he didn't know what to say. Turning from Sora, Tai looked back at the windows. "A leader...that's what I'm thought of. Just a leader." He stated softly.
Looking over his shoulder, Tai glanced at Sora. But he didn't see the girl he had become accustom to. He didn't see the tall, well-dressed, longhaired version of Sora. Tai saw the Sora he first traveled to the Digital World with. The twelve year old kid who always wore a hat to hid her hair and a hip pack holding her camp money. "What's wrong, Tai?" The younger version of Sora asked him, as if there was nothing wrong with this picture.
'Ever since the first time we went to the Digital World, the others have looked at me as the leader. Why? Why did they think that? I had no leader-like features. I wasn't very smart back then and I didn't know when to quit while I was ahead. So, why was I their leader?' Tai questioned to himself.
'Tai Kayima...Are you questioning yourself?" a deep voice stated inside of Tai's head.
Tai looked around him. "Who's there?" He asked aloud.
"Tai, I'm here." Sora stated.
Suddenly, the voice began once again. "Tai...that girl in front of you...do you truly care for her?"
"Of course I do!" Tai found himself shouting aloud.
Sora stared at him questionably. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
'Just asking...because as soon as I control this world and the Digital World...she and your other friends won't have any reason to even bother with you. That's all...but I just want to see how you react to certain limits inside that head of yours.' The voice shouted.
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As Tai stood there, Sora and the hotel room began to fade from sight. It slowly turned from a light-filled room into a pit of blackness and despair. Tai heard the door to the room open, but he couldn't hear any shouts, for his sense of hearing had vanished. Finally, the last sight he saw was Sora running towards him, her hand extended towards him. The teen felt the blackness surround first his head, then his shoulders, next his torso, and finally his legs and feet. Each piece of the darkness seemed to eat into Tai's very flesh and bone as he was held there by invisible restraints. 'What? What are you doing to me?' Tai asked in his mind.
'Testing you...Courage.' The deep voice stated.
Suddenly, the blackness dripped away into a raging fiery city. The flames came shooting out from the windows of apartment buildings and the agonizing screams of helpless people were heard in the background. 'Where...am I?' Tai demanded, his voice stumbling over words.
All of a sudden, the flames in front of Tai parted as if they were the Red Sea in the bible. A tall figure, surrounded in darkness, stepped from the blaze. He wore a long black cloak around his shoulders that swayed in the rhythm of his steps. The loud clamor from his metal armor was as if a train was approaching him straight on. Though no words came from the man hidden beneath the hood of the cape, Tai knew instantly who he was. 'You...you're the death master, aren't you?' The bonded teen asked.
Stopping in his tracks, the deep sound of laughter came from the dark creature. 'You are very quick, bearer of Courage.' He chuckled in his evil tone.
'Why are you showing me this?' Tai questioned, struggling to break free from his black shackles.
Lifting his hand to Tai's face, the creature ran a long fingernail along the teen's throat. Moving his hooded head next to the adolescent's ear, he whispered, 'To frighten you.'
A harsh slap came from the man and turned Tai's cheek a glowing red. 'Remember my voice, Tai Kayima...for you will soon obey it.' With a suddenly movement of his cloak, the death master vanished.
Tai just hung there in the flames. There was nothing more he could do but hang around. "The powers of darkness grow stronger with this flame that surrounds me." He whispered as his head still hung there, his cheek still stinging from the blow he received.
"Tai? Are you all right? Come on, Tai. Snap out of it." The sound of a familiar voice stated.
Tai looked up towards the sky. "That's...Joe..." He stated softly.
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A light touch to his cheek was what aroused Tai's senses at last. The blackness from around the corners of Tai's mind slowly began to subside back into the evil lair that it had crawled out of. Tai felt someone grasping his shoulders tightly and was shaking him easily. "Tai?" Joe's voice asked.
As his vision returned to normal, Tai was met face to face with Joe and Sora. The girl looked very happy to see Tai's gaze, while the boy seemed very worried. Suddenly, Tai became aware of the fact that he was on the floor. "What the...?" He questioned, sitting up slowly.
"We heard Sora's shout from the living room and came in to find her trying to wake you up." Mimi's high voice stated from behide. Looking over towards the doors, Tai saw the other digidestined standing there.
Looking over at Sora, Tai saw her wide smile that was meant to help him find his answer. "You went all ridged around the edges and your crest began to glow. You sounded as if you were arguing with someone." She explained.
Coming to his feet, Tai glanced down at the floor. He saw his goggles lying there in a heap on the ground. 'I must have dropped them when the death master began to take control of me. Damn it, this is bad.' He thought as he retrieved his eyewear from the floor.
"I'm sorry I scared you guys." The teen mumbled as he put his goggles around his neck.
Izzy walked up next to his friend and rested his hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, looking questionably at their leader.
Looking at Izzy and then at the rest of the group, Tai nodded a yes. 'I'm not going to tell them about the vision. Not yet anyway. For now, I just need to figure out what he wants and why he has only come to me.' Tai thought as he walked out of the bedroom with the rest of his friends close behide.
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Everything seemed to return to normal as the eight teens entered the lobby. The smell of the breakfast buffet coming from the dinning room made each of their mouths water. "That smells so good!" Joe stated happily, sniffing the air as if he were man's best friend.
"Well, why are we standing around here for, let's eat." Matt exclaimed to the rest of the digidestined.
But before they could move towards the dinning room, Kari grabbed hold of her brother. "I don't see a table anywhere, Tai." She stated, looking and pointing at the vast sea of hungry tourists.
Izzy smiled as he readjusted his laptop strap. "Look on the bright side, Kari," He began. "If all else fails, we can always eat on the ground like we used to do in the Digital World."
T.K. flung a pair of rolling eyes at Izzy. "Oh yeah. I can just hear the manager of the hotel now. 'Look at those crazy teens with their crazy trends. Kids today!'" The freshman stated, acting very proper.
The other teens threw their head back and began to laugh. Suddenly, a man dressed in a suit confronted them. "Excuse me." He coldly said, causing the digidestined to halt their giggling. Clearing his throat, the gentleman withdrew a list from his inside jacket pocket. "Are you the Digidestined party?" He questioned.
Smiling broadly, Matt stepped forward. "Yea, that's us. Why do you ask?" The blond teen asked.
"Ms. Ava awaits your arrival in the limousine so that she may give you a tour of the city. She has breakfast waiting for you in the car."
Mimi threw her arms around Matt's neck, causing the teen to turn bright red. "Now that's awesome, right Matt?" She stated sweetly.
"Y...yea." Matt stuttered as he lowered his head, trying to hide his quickly reddening face from sight.
Taking hold of Sora's hand, Tai lead the others towards the main doors. Upon reaching outside, Ava's shout caused the teens to smile widely. "Morning guys! Come on, there is a lot for you to see and not enough time to do it all!" She called, stepping out from the familiar car from yesterday.
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Clamoring into the car once again, the Digidestined were greeted with a large hot meal for them. As they ate, Ava gave them a tour of the area. She showed them everything from the Empire State Building to Statue of Liberty. They took a fairy out the Elise Island so that they could see America's historic past.
Soon after, they decided to go window-shopping. Mimi, Kari, Sora and Ava happily stared the different storefronts with all the different types of clothes inside. Although the guys did not find this exciting one bit, they were happy the girls were happy.
Finally, they came to a dress shop window. They had out their winter prom line of dresses. They were all beautiful shades of light blue, red, and silver. "I would just die to have one of those dresses." Kari stated hugging T.K.'s arm tighter.
"Oh my god!" Ava shouted, grabbing the other's attention. She clasped her hand over her mouth and began to turn a shade of red. Looking over at her comrades, she began to bow. "I'm so sorry. I must have forgotten to tell to guys. You needed to bring a dressy outfit with you. Dinners in the hotel are formal only."
The others sighed. "We didn't bring any dress clothes with us." Joe explained.
Looking up at the window, Ava smiled. "Then we'll get you clothes now." She proclaimed, heading for the door of the store.
"Ava, we don't have enough money for those clothes." Tai stated.
Turning around so that she faced her friends, Ava smiled. "I'll take care of it. Now come on." She told them, and walked into the store, with the others close behide.
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As soon as they walked into the store, Tai and the guys were taken in one direction while Sora and the girls went upstairs. Tai, Matt, Joe, Izzy, and T.K. were lead into the men's fitting room by five tailors. The sewing men told the teens to stand on the platforms that were surrounded by mirrors. As the teens stood there, the tailors began to measure their height and such. Within twenty minutes, the five men of the digidestined were dressed in fine tailored tuxes. Giving the tailors tips for a job well done, the five guys walked out into the lobby to where the girls were waiting, holding large dress bags over their shoulders.
"Are you ready to go?" Sora asked, as they were reunited as one large group again.
Tai smiled. "Yea, let's go."
As the teens exited the store, holding the boxes and bags that held their new attire for that evening, Tai let his thoughts wander. He was so happy that he got to spend time outside of school, soccer, and the Digital World. 'The digital world.' Tai thought as they walked along towards were the limo was. 'I feel as if a great disturbance in the pattern of the digital world is happening. And we will need more than Guardianmon to defeat it.' He concluded as he got into the car.
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That night came even quicker than they thought it would. As the guys prepared to go downstairs for dinner, they heard the sounds of the girls getting ready as well. They would be meeting the girls in the lobby. Ava had come over as well to get ready with the rest of the girls.
Looking in the mirror, Matt stared himself up and down. Glancing back at the others, he could only smile. "You guys want to know something?"
"What?" Izzy asked, readjusting his bow tie.
Spinning around, Matt grinned a smile that made his girl fans back home go crazy. "I make this look DAMN good!"
The others could only laugh at Matt's self-centeredness. "Let's go and wait for them in the lobby." Joe stated, placing his hands into pockets.
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Agreeing, they went out and down to the lobby of their hotel. The base floor was looked like a sea of top hats and glittering ballroom gowns. Some of the other gusts were huttled around in clumps, laughing as they waited for a table. The five teens decided to wait at the base of the main staircase for the girls. As the looked around for them, the teens suddenly heard the sound of high heels clicking on the marble staircase. "Matt?" Mimi's voice asked.
Turning towards the staircase, Matt and the others were met with Mimi. Or whom they thought was Mimi. Her hair had been put up into a beautiful design of red curls on her head. She had a dark shade of pick lipstick with matching eye shadow. Her hands had elbow length white gloves covering them. She wore a long, pink dress that was made of silk. On the bottom of the dress, there was an intricate flower design. Her feet had pink sandals heels that had flowers of the heel part of the shoe.
"You guys look so cute." She began, as she became eye level with them. Turning around so that her dress spun, she continued, "And what do you think?"
Matt walked over to the girl he liked so much and bowed. "I think you look..." He started. As he looked back up at her he smiled. "Beautiful."
Mimi blushed widely as Matt offered her his arm. "Where are the others?" Izzy questioned breaking Matt and Mimi's gaze at each other.
Taking Matt's arm, Mimi looked back up that the staircase. "Well, I know that Kari is here." She stated, her smile becoming a bit larger.
T.K. and Tai both looked up at the top of the staircase in aw. Kari's hair had been straightened and tiny red flowers had been woven into the strands of her hair. Her eyes had light red eye shadow and her lips had a deeper red on them. Kari wore a to the floor dress that was a beautiful shade of deep red. The straps had roses sewn onto them and she had tiny rose earrings in. Her red shoes had roses engraved into the heel. "Is that...Kari?" T.K. questioned as she came eye level with him.
"Hi, T.K. You look so adorable." Kari stated, linking arms with him.
Tai walked up to his sister. He smiled as she looked back at him. Leaning over to his sister, Tai kissed her forehead. "You look beautiful, Kari." He stated.
"You don't look so bad yourself." She winked.
Suddenly, the others heard Joe gasp. Looking at their friend, the others heard Joe say, "Ava?"
Looking back at the staircase, the others, too, saw the girl before them. She had her hair up in a similar style to Mimi's, with the curls. Except, Ava's hair had sparkles glittering in the light of the lobby. Her eyes had a green color eye shadow and a light pink lipstick. She wore a flowing deep green dress that was also floor length. The dress had a beautiful diamond design on it and the straps were made of diamonds as well. Ava wore long, green gloves on her hands and her shoes were the same green, with smaller diamonds on the straps.
Stepping onto the floor, Ava smiled. "What do you think? I shape up pretty well, don't I?" She asked, spinning around.
Taking her hand, Joe lightly kissed her hand. "You look gorgeous." He stated, linking arms with her.
Tai smiled to himself. 'Looks like Joe found someone for himself.' He thought.
Glancing back at the top of the stairs, Tai's eyes suddenly widened in aw. He saw Sora standing there, looking even more beautiful than ever before. Her long brown locks were pulled back and up into a fancy design. She also had light blue hair sticks in the design. Sora's eyes had a light shade of blue eye shadow and her lips were a light pink. Her dress was to the floor as well, but not a large prom dress like the others had. She had dark blue Chinese dress on that had a beautiful flower design on it. The trim of the dress was gold and it had two slits on the side that came up a bit over the knee. Sora had matching color shoes, with an identical design on the heel of the shoes.
As she came eye level with Tai, Sora smiled one of her natural smiles. Her smile made Tai feel so calm and relaxed. Offering his hand, Tai smiled back at her.
Sora took hold of Tai's hand and then slid her arm into the familiar lock that the other's had. Looking at one another, they both felt as if they were the only ones there. "You look so beautiful tonight." Tai finally stated, feeling the other's eyes upon them.
"You look very hansom, Tai." Sora told the teen she had her arm linked with.
As the Digidestined stood in the lobby talking, one of the employees of the hotel approached them. "Are you the Digidestined party?" He asked.
"Yes. That's us." Tai stated.
Bowing slightly, the young man simply stated, "Your table in the private Dinning Room is ready. Please follow me."
Not wanting to question the messenger, the digidestined followed him through the noise dinning room. While they walked, they overheard conversations of the other guests. One woman said that she couldn't wait to see the Broadway show 'Blast!'. Another couple talked about how they were going to go window shopping on 5th avenue. A couple that was most likely on their honeymoon in the city thought of going on a walk along the river later that night, so that they could see the lights of the city together.
"That sounds nice." Tai whispered to Sora, who walked next to him.
Sora looked up at him with a questioning look on her face. "What sounds nice, Tai?" She asked in the same hushed tone.
Carefully, Tai picked up Sora's hand and placed it into his own. Squeezing it lightly, he murmured, "A nice walk with someone close to you by the water's edge at night."
Feeling her face turn a bit red, Sora smiled lightly at the teen she was holding hands with. "That does sound nice." She whispered back.
Catching up with the others, Tai and Sora entered a private wing to the dinning room. The lights were dim and the walkway was lit with small electric lanterns. A small fountain stood at the end of the walkway, with was also acting as a sorce of light. In front of the spring, there was a large round booth that was reserved.
As the Digidestined team was reunited in the booth, plates of food arrived. Looking at his plate of food, T.K. licked his lips. "God, this smells great." He stated through a wide mouth.
The other couldn't help but laugh as T.K. began to eat his food. Looking up from her own plate, Ava smiled at her friends. "So, did you guys have a nice sleep? I wanted to ask you guys this morning, but it slipped my mind." She asked, her voice sounding cheery.
One by one, each of the teens looked up from their food and slowly glanced over at Tai. Remembering about their early morning wake up call from their leader, the teens waited for Tai to say something about it to her. Glancing across the table at Ava, Tai smiled. "It was great. But I did have a nightmare and woke up screaming."
Taking a sip of her coffee, Ava gave Tai a concerned look. "What did you dream about?" She asked.
Tai looked over at the fountain that was rushing behide their seats. Closing his eyes, the scenes from his vision came back to him. The two figures claiming to be the future and the death master. Shaking, Tai remembered the death master. "We have a new enemy." He stated simply.
Ava almost dropped her cup at Tai's words. "You mean...besides Chris?" She asked.
Placing his laptop onto the table, Izzy began to type. "I have tried to find information on this new and very clear present danger that is looming over us. But I have found very little." The red haired teen concluded.
Kari looked over at the teen with questioning eyes. "Izzy, do you ever go ANYWHERE without your laptop or some form of electronic communication device?" She asked, but knew she wouldn't receive an answer.
"Well, don't keep these facts to yourself." Matt stated while trying not to laugh at Kari's comment.
Turning his laptop so that the screen was facing the rest of the group, Izzy cleared his throat. "Well," he began as he pressed the mouse button. The screen drew up a picture of every Digimon that it and the original digidestined had encountered in their past experiences in the Digital World. "As you can see, we have seen many Digimon over the past years that we have been able to travel to the Digital World. We have all known information on each one of them and we know every one of their attacks."
Ava glanced at the screen as the list of Digimon continued to scroll down. "Damn, you guys have seen a lot." She stated.
"But," Izzy continued, " I have yet to find any in depth information on Guardianmon. All we know is that she helped create the crests."
The entire table grew silent as the teens sat there, pondering the possibilities of the new enemy. Finally, Matt spoke up. "Tai, I have a question."
"Shoot." The goggle-headed leader stated coolly.
Matt placed his empty coffee cup onto the table. Clearing his throat, Tai's best friend asked, "What did you see when you passed out this morning?" The blond-haired teen asked simply, as if it were a casual conversation.
Dropping his fork onto his plate, Tai stared at Matt. He felt the rush of memories come back to him. The feeling of the death master's nail running along the vulnerable skin on Tai's neck crept back, causing the teen to touch his neck lightly. He shuttered at the words the creature spoke to him. Standing from the table, Tai turned to his friends. "Excuse me, I need some fresh air." He stated, removing his hand from Sora's.
Turning on his heels, Tai walked as quickly as possible out of the dark dinning area. He darted his way through the crowed main dinning room and found himself finally in the lobby. As he headed towards the doors, he heard the faint cry of his name. "Tai! Wait a sec!" Sora's voice called.
Halting in his steps, Tai turned to see Sora running towards him. As the girl ran up to him, Tai felt his face grow red. 'She followed me all the way out here? She really does care about me if she would do that.' He thought as Sora caught her breath.
"Tai, are you okay?" She asked in the middle of the lobby.
Lowering his head, Tai shook out a no. He knew that his actions must have not been very leader like. But he just needed to get out of there. The feeling of uneasiness came back to him as he stood there, listening to the clamor of the people passing by in the lobby. Looking into Sora's eyes, Tai felt calm. Suddenly, he felt something odd. As if something in the surrounding area was off. That's when he looked past Sora to be met with a pair of glowing red eyes in the shadows. 'The Death Master...' He thought.
***See? I told you that I could make this a Taiora. Anyway, the next part should be coming up soon. Keep your eyes opened for it. Please read and review. (And please...no flames. Some of you can really be obnoxious when you don't bother to try to give this story a chance.)
Love and Courage
By: Lady Ava
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"Good morning, sir." The maid stated happily as she came into the teen's room later that morning. Matt and T.K. were lounging on the couch watching the Rosie O'Donald. Sora, Mimi, and Kari sat at the mini bar, while Joe stood behide it, serving orange juice to them. Izzy sat at a large wooden desk, typing away at his laptop, searching for any information on their new enemy.
As the young woman in her late twenties pulled her cart in after her, she looked at the digidestined and smiled. "There is a buffet breakfast being severed in the morning dinning room if you are interested. The food here is very good." She stated in a light British accent.
Matt glanced up from the television. "So we hear. But we're waiting on someone." He stated very simply.
The maid laughed lightly. "I see. For one of the girls in your party?"
"Actually...it's for a guy." Joe corrected, sliding Mimi another glass of juice.
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Tai stood in front of the large mirror in his bedroom. He was dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and his school's soccer shirt. His ever-famous goggles laid next to his hand, which sat there on the dresser in a harsh fist. The young teen could do nothing but stare at his reflection. His eyes were still a bit red from earlier that morning. His skin seemed to have lost all his color and his eyes looked as if they turned from brown to gray. His hair stayed messy like it always did, but it seemed to have lost its wild edge.
"Why? Why does it always happen to me?" He thought aloud. Looking down at his goggles, Tai took them in his hand. "The leader...that's all I am. The leader of a group of people who don't even get noticed for saving the world. Is that what I'm here to do? Is that my reason for being here?" He questioned.
The grip on his goggles became tighter as he stood there. Closing his eyes, visions of his dream came back to him. With his eyes flying opened, Tai threw his goggles at the door. Turning away, Tai walked over to the large windows that overlooked Central Park.
"Tai? Is something wrong?" A soft voice stated from outside the door. Refusing to answer, Tai continued to stare out the window. Hearing the door open, the boy glanced back. He was surprised to see Sora standing there, leaning on the door timidly. "Can I come in?" She asked quietly.
Looking back out the window, Tai simply nodded a yes. "I'm almost ready." He stated right away after the door was shut.
Sora smiled as she saw Tai standing there. She always saw Tai as the strong silent type. Never afraid to back down from a challenge that faced him and never let anyone tell him what to do. But last night was the first time that she ever saw him venerable to his own feelings.
Walking a bit forward, Sora kicked the goggles by her feet. Looking down at them, Sora reached down for them. Picking them up, the teen examined them carefully. The rim of the left eye was a bit bent and the strap was tangled. 'Tai usually takes really good care of his goggles. Why would they be just lying here on the floor?' Sora questioned to herself.
Looking up at the teen by the windows, Sora felt her face grow a bit red. 'Tai Kayima. I've known him for so long. We grew up together. He's like my brother and his sister is like my little sister.' Holding the goggles to her chest, Sora glanced down at her feet. 'But lately, he seems different. Not in his stature, but in his looks. I feel light-headed whenever he's near or whenever he talks to me. He just seems too charming to me. Why?' She thought.
"Tai? Why were your goggles on the floor?" Sora finally asked, after the long silence between the two of them.
Shrugging, Tai continued to stare out onto the park below. "That's not an answer, Tai Kayima. Why were they on the floor?" The girl question again, becoming firmer than before.
"I dropped them and didn't bother to pick them up again. That's all." The teenage boy answered, his eyes remaining on the windows. Tai's voice was cold sounding. He sounded as if he had lost all hope and was waiting to die in some prison cell.
At last, he glanced over towards Sora. "Why? Are you going to yell at me and say that I shouldn't leave things lying around?" He stated, each one of his words shooting out of his mouth like icicles directed at Sora.
Sora began to walk over towards her leader. "No. Why would I say any like that, Tai? You know me to be better than that." She stated a faint smile on her face.
As Sora came face to face with Tai, she held out the hand with the goggles to him. She held her hand up between them; the eyewear laying folded in her palm. Looking at his goggles, Tai seemed to become more relaxed. He watched as suddenly the hand that held them began to shake lightly. Then he glanced up at Sora. Her smile greeted him and her eyes had begun to tear. Reaching up to her face, Tai wiped one of the tears away from her cheek. "Why are you crying?" He asked quietly.
Suddenly, the goggles dropped from Sora hand. The girl flung her arms around Tai's neck and began to sob into his chest. Her cries seemed to make him sorry about how he acted. "Oh Tai." Sora wept. As Tai glanced down at her, Sora looked back up at him with reddened eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She stated through heavily breaths.
"Sora, why are you sorry? I'm the one acting like a complete jerk." Tai stated hugging Sora tightly.
Pushing away from him, Sora started towards the door. "I shouldn't be hugging you. After all, you and Ava are together, aren't you?" She asked.
"Me...and Ava? Together? You have got to be kidding! We're partners only, not boyfriend and girlfriend. Why would you say that?" Tai explained.
Turning quickly on her heels, Sora faced the teen. She was crying even harder than before and her face was beginning to turn flushed. "Well, Matt told us that he saw you hugging on your balcony that night when we brought you back from the Digital World. You know, the night you two created Guardianmon. And with all the flirting you have been doing with her, I just figured that you had been taken." Looking down at the floor, Sora lowered her voice. "I thought I lost my chance."
Tai bent down and retrieved his goggles from the carpeted floor. Looking at them, he smiled. "I thought you were just ignoring me because I was being a jerk." He stated, his eyes still on his goggles.
Sora rubbed her eyes, removing the last remaining tears. She smiled at her friend and leader. "Of course not. Why would you think something so stupid, Tai? After all, our leader is our leader and my best friend." She questioned as she slowly began to turn back to normal.
The word 'leader' hit Tai like a trunk full of bricks. He could answer her because he didn't know what to say. Turning from Sora, Tai looked back at the windows. "A leader...that's what I'm thought of. Just a leader." He stated softly.
Looking over his shoulder, Tai glanced at Sora. But he didn't see the girl he had become accustom to. He didn't see the tall, well-dressed, longhaired version of Sora. Tai saw the Sora he first traveled to the Digital World with. The twelve year old kid who always wore a hat to hid her hair and a hip pack holding her camp money. "What's wrong, Tai?" The younger version of Sora asked him, as if there was nothing wrong with this picture.
'Ever since the first time we went to the Digital World, the others have looked at me as the leader. Why? Why did they think that? I had no leader-like features. I wasn't very smart back then and I didn't know when to quit while I was ahead. So, why was I their leader?' Tai questioned to himself.
'Tai Kayima...Are you questioning yourself?" a deep voice stated inside of Tai's head.
Tai looked around him. "Who's there?" He asked aloud.
"Tai, I'm here." Sora stated.
Suddenly, the voice began once again. "Tai...that girl in front of you...do you truly care for her?"
"Of course I do!" Tai found himself shouting aloud.
Sora stared at him questionably. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
'Just asking...because as soon as I control this world and the Digital World...she and your other friends won't have any reason to even bother with you. That's all...but I just want to see how you react to certain limits inside that head of yours.' The voice shouted.
******************
As Tai stood there, Sora and the hotel room began to fade from sight. It slowly turned from a light-filled room into a pit of blackness and despair. Tai heard the door to the room open, but he couldn't hear any shouts, for his sense of hearing had vanished. Finally, the last sight he saw was Sora running towards him, her hand extended towards him. The teen felt the blackness surround first his head, then his shoulders, next his torso, and finally his legs and feet. Each piece of the darkness seemed to eat into Tai's very flesh and bone as he was held there by invisible restraints. 'What? What are you doing to me?' Tai asked in his mind.
'Testing you...Courage.' The deep voice stated.
Suddenly, the blackness dripped away into a raging fiery city. The flames came shooting out from the windows of apartment buildings and the agonizing screams of helpless people were heard in the background. 'Where...am I?' Tai demanded, his voice stumbling over words.
All of a sudden, the flames in front of Tai parted as if they were the Red Sea in the bible. A tall figure, surrounded in darkness, stepped from the blaze. He wore a long black cloak around his shoulders that swayed in the rhythm of his steps. The loud clamor from his metal armor was as if a train was approaching him straight on. Though no words came from the man hidden beneath the hood of the cape, Tai knew instantly who he was. 'You...you're the death master, aren't you?' The bonded teen asked.
Stopping in his tracks, the deep sound of laughter came from the dark creature. 'You are very quick, bearer of Courage.' He chuckled in his evil tone.
'Why are you showing me this?' Tai questioned, struggling to break free from his black shackles.
Lifting his hand to Tai's face, the creature ran a long fingernail along the teen's throat. Moving his hooded head next to the adolescent's ear, he whispered, 'To frighten you.'
A harsh slap came from the man and turned Tai's cheek a glowing red. 'Remember my voice, Tai Kayima...for you will soon obey it.' With a suddenly movement of his cloak, the death master vanished.
Tai just hung there in the flames. There was nothing more he could do but hang around. "The powers of darkness grow stronger with this flame that surrounds me." He whispered as his head still hung there, his cheek still stinging from the blow he received.
"Tai? Are you all right? Come on, Tai. Snap out of it." The sound of a familiar voice stated.
Tai looked up towards the sky. "That's...Joe..." He stated softly.
****************
A light touch to his cheek was what aroused Tai's senses at last. The blackness from around the corners of Tai's mind slowly began to subside back into the evil lair that it had crawled out of. Tai felt someone grasping his shoulders tightly and was shaking him easily. "Tai?" Joe's voice asked.
As his vision returned to normal, Tai was met face to face with Joe and Sora. The girl looked very happy to see Tai's gaze, while the boy seemed very worried. Suddenly, Tai became aware of the fact that he was on the floor. "What the...?" He questioned, sitting up slowly.
"We heard Sora's shout from the living room and came in to find her trying to wake you up." Mimi's high voice stated from behide. Looking over towards the doors, Tai saw the other digidestined standing there.
Looking over at Sora, Tai saw her wide smile that was meant to help him find his answer. "You went all ridged around the edges and your crest began to glow. You sounded as if you were arguing with someone." She explained.
Coming to his feet, Tai glanced down at the floor. He saw his goggles lying there in a heap on the ground. 'I must have dropped them when the death master began to take control of me. Damn it, this is bad.' He thought as he retrieved his eyewear from the floor.
"I'm sorry I scared you guys." The teen mumbled as he put his goggles around his neck.
Izzy walked up next to his friend and rested his hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, looking questionably at their leader.
Looking at Izzy and then at the rest of the group, Tai nodded a yes. 'I'm not going to tell them about the vision. Not yet anyway. For now, I just need to figure out what he wants and why he has only come to me.' Tai thought as he walked out of the bedroom with the rest of his friends close behide.
****************
Everything seemed to return to normal as the eight teens entered the lobby. The smell of the breakfast buffet coming from the dinning room made each of their mouths water. "That smells so good!" Joe stated happily, sniffing the air as if he were man's best friend.
"Well, why are we standing around here for, let's eat." Matt exclaimed to the rest of the digidestined.
But before they could move towards the dinning room, Kari grabbed hold of her brother. "I don't see a table anywhere, Tai." She stated, looking and pointing at the vast sea of hungry tourists.
Izzy smiled as he readjusted his laptop strap. "Look on the bright side, Kari," He began. "If all else fails, we can always eat on the ground like we used to do in the Digital World."
T.K. flung a pair of rolling eyes at Izzy. "Oh yeah. I can just hear the manager of the hotel now. 'Look at those crazy teens with their crazy trends. Kids today!'" The freshman stated, acting very proper.
The other teens threw their head back and began to laugh. Suddenly, a man dressed in a suit confronted them. "Excuse me." He coldly said, causing the digidestined to halt their giggling. Clearing his throat, the gentleman withdrew a list from his inside jacket pocket. "Are you the Digidestined party?" He questioned.
Smiling broadly, Matt stepped forward. "Yea, that's us. Why do you ask?" The blond teen asked.
"Ms. Ava awaits your arrival in the limousine so that she may give you a tour of the city. She has breakfast waiting for you in the car."
Mimi threw her arms around Matt's neck, causing the teen to turn bright red. "Now that's awesome, right Matt?" She stated sweetly.
"Y...yea." Matt stuttered as he lowered his head, trying to hide his quickly reddening face from sight.
Taking hold of Sora's hand, Tai lead the others towards the main doors. Upon reaching outside, Ava's shout caused the teens to smile widely. "Morning guys! Come on, there is a lot for you to see and not enough time to do it all!" She called, stepping out from the familiar car from yesterday.
*******************
Clamoring into the car once again, the Digidestined were greeted with a large hot meal for them. As they ate, Ava gave them a tour of the area. She showed them everything from the Empire State Building to Statue of Liberty. They took a fairy out the Elise Island so that they could see America's historic past.
Soon after, they decided to go window-shopping. Mimi, Kari, Sora and Ava happily stared the different storefronts with all the different types of clothes inside. Although the guys did not find this exciting one bit, they were happy the girls were happy.
Finally, they came to a dress shop window. They had out their winter prom line of dresses. They were all beautiful shades of light blue, red, and silver. "I would just die to have one of those dresses." Kari stated hugging T.K.'s arm tighter.
"Oh my god!" Ava shouted, grabbing the other's attention. She clasped her hand over her mouth and began to turn a shade of red. Looking over at her comrades, she began to bow. "I'm so sorry. I must have forgotten to tell to guys. You needed to bring a dressy outfit with you. Dinners in the hotel are formal only."
The others sighed. "We didn't bring any dress clothes with us." Joe explained.
Looking up at the window, Ava smiled. "Then we'll get you clothes now." She proclaimed, heading for the door of the store.
"Ava, we don't have enough money for those clothes." Tai stated.
Turning around so that she faced her friends, Ava smiled. "I'll take care of it. Now come on." She told them, and walked into the store, with the others close behide.
****************
As soon as they walked into the store, Tai and the guys were taken in one direction while Sora and the girls went upstairs. Tai, Matt, Joe, Izzy, and T.K. were lead into the men's fitting room by five tailors. The sewing men told the teens to stand on the platforms that were surrounded by mirrors. As the teens stood there, the tailors began to measure their height and such. Within twenty minutes, the five men of the digidestined were dressed in fine tailored tuxes. Giving the tailors tips for a job well done, the five guys walked out into the lobby to where the girls were waiting, holding large dress bags over their shoulders.
"Are you ready to go?" Sora asked, as they were reunited as one large group again.
Tai smiled. "Yea, let's go."
As the teens exited the store, holding the boxes and bags that held their new attire for that evening, Tai let his thoughts wander. He was so happy that he got to spend time outside of school, soccer, and the Digital World. 'The digital world.' Tai thought as they walked along towards were the limo was. 'I feel as if a great disturbance in the pattern of the digital world is happening. And we will need more than Guardianmon to defeat it.' He concluded as he got into the car.
****************
That night came even quicker than they thought it would. As the guys prepared to go downstairs for dinner, they heard the sounds of the girls getting ready as well. They would be meeting the girls in the lobby. Ava had come over as well to get ready with the rest of the girls.
Looking in the mirror, Matt stared himself up and down. Glancing back at the others, he could only smile. "You guys want to know something?"
"What?" Izzy asked, readjusting his bow tie.
Spinning around, Matt grinned a smile that made his girl fans back home go crazy. "I make this look DAMN good!"
The others could only laugh at Matt's self-centeredness. "Let's go and wait for them in the lobby." Joe stated, placing his hands into pockets.
******************
Agreeing, they went out and down to the lobby of their hotel. The base floor was looked like a sea of top hats and glittering ballroom gowns. Some of the other gusts were huttled around in clumps, laughing as they waited for a table. The five teens decided to wait at the base of the main staircase for the girls. As the looked around for them, the teens suddenly heard the sound of high heels clicking on the marble staircase. "Matt?" Mimi's voice asked.
Turning towards the staircase, Matt and the others were met with Mimi. Or whom they thought was Mimi. Her hair had been put up into a beautiful design of red curls on her head. She had a dark shade of pick lipstick with matching eye shadow. Her hands had elbow length white gloves covering them. She wore a long, pink dress that was made of silk. On the bottom of the dress, there was an intricate flower design. Her feet had pink sandals heels that had flowers of the heel part of the shoe.
"You guys look so cute." She began, as she became eye level with them. Turning around so that her dress spun, she continued, "And what do you think?"
Matt walked over to the girl he liked so much and bowed. "I think you look..." He started. As he looked back up at her he smiled. "Beautiful."
Mimi blushed widely as Matt offered her his arm. "Where are the others?" Izzy questioned breaking Matt and Mimi's gaze at each other.
Taking Matt's arm, Mimi looked back up that the staircase. "Well, I know that Kari is here." She stated, her smile becoming a bit larger.
T.K. and Tai both looked up at the top of the staircase in aw. Kari's hair had been straightened and tiny red flowers had been woven into the strands of her hair. Her eyes had light red eye shadow and her lips had a deeper red on them. Kari wore a to the floor dress that was a beautiful shade of deep red. The straps had roses sewn onto them and she had tiny rose earrings in. Her red shoes had roses engraved into the heel. "Is that...Kari?" T.K. questioned as she came eye level with him.
"Hi, T.K. You look so adorable." Kari stated, linking arms with him.
Tai walked up to his sister. He smiled as she looked back at him. Leaning over to his sister, Tai kissed her forehead. "You look beautiful, Kari." He stated.
"You don't look so bad yourself." She winked.
Suddenly, the others heard Joe gasp. Looking at their friend, the others heard Joe say, "Ava?"
Looking back at the staircase, the others, too, saw the girl before them. She had her hair up in a similar style to Mimi's, with the curls. Except, Ava's hair had sparkles glittering in the light of the lobby. Her eyes had a green color eye shadow and a light pink lipstick. She wore a flowing deep green dress that was also floor length. The dress had a beautiful diamond design on it and the straps were made of diamonds as well. Ava wore long, green gloves on her hands and her shoes were the same green, with smaller diamonds on the straps.
Stepping onto the floor, Ava smiled. "What do you think? I shape up pretty well, don't I?" She asked, spinning around.
Taking her hand, Joe lightly kissed her hand. "You look gorgeous." He stated, linking arms with her.
Tai smiled to himself. 'Looks like Joe found someone for himself.' He thought.
Glancing back at the top of the stairs, Tai's eyes suddenly widened in aw. He saw Sora standing there, looking even more beautiful than ever before. Her long brown locks were pulled back and up into a fancy design. She also had light blue hair sticks in the design. Sora's eyes had a light shade of blue eye shadow and her lips were a light pink. Her dress was to the floor as well, but not a large prom dress like the others had. She had dark blue Chinese dress on that had a beautiful flower design on it. The trim of the dress was gold and it had two slits on the side that came up a bit over the knee. Sora had matching color shoes, with an identical design on the heel of the shoes.
As she came eye level with Tai, Sora smiled one of her natural smiles. Her smile made Tai feel so calm and relaxed. Offering his hand, Tai smiled back at her.
Sora took hold of Tai's hand and then slid her arm into the familiar lock that the other's had. Looking at one another, they both felt as if they were the only ones there. "You look so beautiful tonight." Tai finally stated, feeling the other's eyes upon them.
"You look very hansom, Tai." Sora told the teen she had her arm linked with.
As the Digidestined stood in the lobby talking, one of the employees of the hotel approached them. "Are you the Digidestined party?" He asked.
"Yes. That's us." Tai stated.
Bowing slightly, the young man simply stated, "Your table in the private Dinning Room is ready. Please follow me."
Not wanting to question the messenger, the digidestined followed him through the noise dinning room. While they walked, they overheard conversations of the other guests. One woman said that she couldn't wait to see the Broadway show 'Blast!'. Another couple talked about how they were going to go window shopping on 5th avenue. A couple that was most likely on their honeymoon in the city thought of going on a walk along the river later that night, so that they could see the lights of the city together.
"That sounds nice." Tai whispered to Sora, who walked next to him.
Sora looked up at him with a questioning look on her face. "What sounds nice, Tai?" She asked in the same hushed tone.
Carefully, Tai picked up Sora's hand and placed it into his own. Squeezing it lightly, he murmured, "A nice walk with someone close to you by the water's edge at night."
Feeling her face turn a bit red, Sora smiled lightly at the teen she was holding hands with. "That does sound nice." She whispered back.
Catching up with the others, Tai and Sora entered a private wing to the dinning room. The lights were dim and the walkway was lit with small electric lanterns. A small fountain stood at the end of the walkway, with was also acting as a sorce of light. In front of the spring, there was a large round booth that was reserved.
As the Digidestined team was reunited in the booth, plates of food arrived. Looking at his plate of food, T.K. licked his lips. "God, this smells great." He stated through a wide mouth.
The other couldn't help but laugh as T.K. began to eat his food. Looking up from her own plate, Ava smiled at her friends. "So, did you guys have a nice sleep? I wanted to ask you guys this morning, but it slipped my mind." She asked, her voice sounding cheery.
One by one, each of the teens looked up from their food and slowly glanced over at Tai. Remembering about their early morning wake up call from their leader, the teens waited for Tai to say something about it to her. Glancing across the table at Ava, Tai smiled. "It was great. But I did have a nightmare and woke up screaming."
Taking a sip of her coffee, Ava gave Tai a concerned look. "What did you dream about?" She asked.
Tai looked over at the fountain that was rushing behide their seats. Closing his eyes, the scenes from his vision came back to him. The two figures claiming to be the future and the death master. Shaking, Tai remembered the death master. "We have a new enemy." He stated simply.
Ava almost dropped her cup at Tai's words. "You mean...besides Chris?" She asked.
Placing his laptop onto the table, Izzy began to type. "I have tried to find information on this new and very clear present danger that is looming over us. But I have found very little." The red haired teen concluded.
Kari looked over at the teen with questioning eyes. "Izzy, do you ever go ANYWHERE without your laptop or some form of electronic communication device?" She asked, but knew she wouldn't receive an answer.
"Well, don't keep these facts to yourself." Matt stated while trying not to laugh at Kari's comment.
Turning his laptop so that the screen was facing the rest of the group, Izzy cleared his throat. "Well," he began as he pressed the mouse button. The screen drew up a picture of every Digimon that it and the original digidestined had encountered in their past experiences in the Digital World. "As you can see, we have seen many Digimon over the past years that we have been able to travel to the Digital World. We have all known information on each one of them and we know every one of their attacks."
Ava glanced at the screen as the list of Digimon continued to scroll down. "Damn, you guys have seen a lot." She stated.
"But," Izzy continued, " I have yet to find any in depth information on Guardianmon. All we know is that she helped create the crests."
The entire table grew silent as the teens sat there, pondering the possibilities of the new enemy. Finally, Matt spoke up. "Tai, I have a question."
"Shoot." The goggle-headed leader stated coolly.
Matt placed his empty coffee cup onto the table. Clearing his throat, Tai's best friend asked, "What did you see when you passed out this morning?" The blond-haired teen asked simply, as if it were a casual conversation.
Dropping his fork onto his plate, Tai stared at Matt. He felt the rush of memories come back to him. The feeling of the death master's nail running along the vulnerable skin on Tai's neck crept back, causing the teen to touch his neck lightly. He shuttered at the words the creature spoke to him. Standing from the table, Tai turned to his friends. "Excuse me, I need some fresh air." He stated, removing his hand from Sora's.
Turning on his heels, Tai walked as quickly as possible out of the dark dinning area. He darted his way through the crowed main dinning room and found himself finally in the lobby. As he headed towards the doors, he heard the faint cry of his name. "Tai! Wait a sec!" Sora's voice called.
Halting in his steps, Tai turned to see Sora running towards him. As the girl ran up to him, Tai felt his face grow red. 'She followed me all the way out here? She really does care about me if she would do that.' He thought as Sora caught her breath.
"Tai, are you okay?" She asked in the middle of the lobby.
Lowering his head, Tai shook out a no. He knew that his actions must have not been very leader like. But he just needed to get out of there. The feeling of uneasiness came back to him as he stood there, listening to the clamor of the people passing by in the lobby. Looking into Sora's eyes, Tai felt calm. Suddenly, he felt something odd. As if something in the surrounding area was off. That's when he looked past Sora to be met with a pair of glowing red eyes in the shadows. 'The Death Master...' He thought.
***See? I told you that I could make this a Taiora. Anyway, the next part should be coming up soon. Keep your eyes opened for it. Please read and review. (And please...no flames. Some of you can really be obnoxious when you don't bother to try to give this story a chance.)
