Me: (sighs) Just thinking about that song Matt's band sings during the Christmas episode-"Just Turn Around"…and it's stuck in my head! I don't own the chorus to it-that pleasure belongs to Saban.
Tai: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hate that song too; what's your point?
Me: The point is…I don't know what the point is.
Sora: (sighs impatiently) I knew it! I knew this day would come. We've finally found an author on this site who could be related to Tai-if not by hair, then by brain structure!
Me: Very funny! I don't own Digimon, by the way.
Sora: You'd better bring Tai back to life or I'll have Matt play that song every morning when you wake up!
Me: Oh boy…
Digimon
The WarGame of the 21st Century
Chap. X-A Life Hangs In The Balance
"Tai! Tai, wake up! Speak to me; say something!" Sora pleaded as she tried to shake Tai awake, but to no avail. Joe ran over to Tai and felt for a pulse.
"Don't worry-he's okay, just resting. But we do need to stop the blood from flowing or we'll have a major problem on our hands soon." Calm as the others had ever seen him, Joe pulled out his emergency first-aid kit and got some bandages out of it. Then, he skillfully wrapped Tai's gaping wound across his chest. Within minutes, Tai was breathing normally again and the blood seeped to the top of the bandages, but didn't go any farther. The DigiDestined sighed in relief.
"Joe…thank you. You saved him." Sora smiled as she hugged Joe tightly, allowing some tears to escape down her face. Joe nodded and packed the bandages up.
"Someone's going to have to look over Tai while the rest of us go to the relief center and inform his parents about what happened." Sora and Kari immediately chorused, "I'm staying!"
"Even I'm not that dumb as to get in between two girls who both have strong ties to Tai. Ha! I made a joke!" Davis started laughing, until Sora and Kari whacked him upside the head.
"Come on, Davis. Let's get outta here before you say something, and the next thing you know, your brain fragments will be splattered over the pavement." Yolei joked. Sora visibly flinched and Yolei grimaced.
"Sora…I'm sorry. That was a joke. I didn't mean-"
"I know. Don't worry about it. Just get to the relief center." A moment or so later, only Sora, Biyomon, Kari, Gatomon and Agumon remained to look after Tai. Sora shook as her body was wracked with sobs. It had taken the point of a sword for her to realize that she was taking the relationship she had with Tai for granted, and if she wasn't careful, he would leave her…forever.
You can't take nothing for granted! You've got to live life today!
I turn around, I can see what's behind me; I turn back around, I can see what's ahead!
The team of DigiDestined moved forward, unaware that an unsuspecting Digimon was watching them from the shadows.
"So, Matt, what do you think about that whole experience back there with Sora and Tai?" Izzy asked. Matt rose an eyebrow in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"You were the only one out of us who told Tai to keep his guard up, yet he still rebelled at you for it. So, I reiterate-what do you think about that experience with Sora and Tai?"
Matt took a few moments to think about the question. "Personally, I'd be scared out of my wits if someone turned Mimi evil and I was forced to battle her the way those two did. But Tai fought with grace and ease, almost as if he knew he'd be battling against Sora sooner or later. And, when she stabbed him, he did let out a gasp, but he didn't cry; coughed up some blood, but he didn't put any of the blame on her. I don't think I could've done the same if Sora stabbed me through the chest. I'm kinda glad we broke up. Things are back the way they're supposed to be."
Mimi smiled broadly as she hugged Matt tightly, causing him to croak out a weak cry as his lung capacity was cut off. "I'm glad too, Matt! You don't know how depressed I was when Sora e-mailed me and told me that the two of you were dating. And now things can get back to normal for all of us!"
"I don't think so, DigiDestined!" MetalSeadramon appeared and the team took up defense moves as they tried to analyze the situation they'd just been put in.
Kari kept eyeing Sora with tense looks, worried that despite everything that had transpired, she might still be evil. Sora kept looking back and forth from Tai's prostate body to Kari, who kept turning away every time.
"Is something wrong, Kari?" Sora asked. Kari jumped a bit, then turned to face the young girl she'd come to confide in as a sister, only recently learning that that same person could easily be turned against you.
"Well, actually there is. Tai said for me not to blame you about what just happened, but every time I see you, I get tensed up inside. I'm afraid that if I say or make the wrong move, you'll slap me or yell at me." Kari grimaced as she struggled to hold back her tears, but failed and some trickled down her cheeks. The Digimon watched with patience as Sora went to her and hugged her.
"It's okay, Kari. Just let it all out. I don't blame you for being cautious. If Datamon had turned you or Matt or Davis evil, I think I'd have a hard time believing they'd changed completely." Kari looked up at Sora with reddened eyes.
"What about Tai?" Sora beamed and blushed a bit.
"Not Tai. I'd trust him no matter whether he was evil or not, because we've got that same bond that you and T.K. have, as well as Davis and Yolei, and Matt and Mimi."
"That's nice to hear, Sora." Sora, Kari and the Digimon turned in amazement to see Tai, with his head propped up on his hand, expectantly waiting for something.
And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around!
Just turn around, just turn around!
You can't take nothing for granted! You've got to live life today!
I turn around, I can see what's behind me; I turn back around, I can see what's ahead!
"Betamon Warp-Digivolve to…METALSEADRAMON!!!"
"Gabumon Warp-Digivolve to…METALGARURUMON!!!"
The two Mega Digimon headed up to face down another one of the Dark Masters while the other DigiDestined could do nothing but watch.
"We need Sora and Tai here immediately!" Izzy insisted as he went to reach for his Dterminal, but Matt stopped him.
"Just Sora." Izzy glared at him with pure impatience.
"True, we should be glad that Sora has a Mega Digimon now, but who managed to give her the love needed for that kind of power? Certainly not you! And in case you've forgotten, WarGreymon has his 'Dramon Destroyers', which could take care of Michael's MetalSeadramon and the MetalSeadramon we're taking on right now!"
"I know that, Izzy, but in case you've forgotten, Tai's hurt! There's no way he'd be able to make Agumon Warp-Digivolve with his condition." Davis broke up the argument between the two feuding friends.
"According to Tai, he's walked away from a whole bunch of worse scrapes than this one. I'm pretty sure he'll be back on his feet in no time."
A chorus of "River of Power!!" rang out as the two MetalSeadramon's attacks collided head on and exploded! MetalGarurumon positioned himself so that he'd have an easy target, right behind the evil Digimon's head.
"Giga Missile!!"
WHAM! Michael's MetalSeadramon avoided the attack, but the Dark Master roared in pain and anger as he focused his next attack on Matt's Digimon!
"Tai! How are you feeling?" Sora asked as she and Kari got up and ran back over to him.
"I've been better. Remind me to thank Joe for the bandages next time I see him. What happened to the others?" Tai noted, seeing that the three of them were the only ones here.
"With the exception of our Digimon-" Kari pointed over Tai's shoulder, and he craned his neck far enough to see Gatomon, Agumon and Biyomon snoozing against a tree. Agumon was at the base of the tree; Gatomon and Biyomon were on a branch.
"-The two of us decided to stay here and look after you while the others went to the relief center and tell your parents about what happened." Sora continued.
"I see. Any word on Datamon, MaloMyotismon and the Dark Masters?" Tai asked. The two girls shook their heads.
"Tai?" Quick as the roadrunner, Tai swiveled his head around to see Sora with tears steadily rolling down her cheeks. He swiftly wiped them away.
"I just want to say how sorry I am that I'm not as strong as you are-"
"Stop right there. You are as strong as I am, maybe even stronger. You had the courage to go and tell Matt how you felt while I waited too long to tell you how I felt. Yet I loved you enough to let you go to him and be happy. So we both have our strengths and weaknesses. No matter whether you're evil, a demonic monster or were somehow transformed into a Digimon, I will always love you."
Sora couldn't stop a new onslaught of tears from coming, so she just pulled Tai closer to her and cried on his shoulder.
"Tai…I love you too!" She would've said more, but the Dterminals went off at that second.
"It's from Matt. MetalSeadramon ambushed them! They need us A.S.A.P.!" Sora warned as she reluctantly let go of Tai and went to wake the Digimon up. Tai stopped her.
"Let me, Sora." Tai held up a megaphone that he'd found on the ground. Sora and Kari eyed Tai with a look of profound shock.
"Tai, where'd you find that?" Kari asked.
"A little kid left it here when Diaboromon destroyed this part of Odaiba; he or she must be at the hospital or at the relief center with our parents." Tai explained as he rose the megaphone to his lips and turned it on to full blast.
"HEY, GUYS! WAKE UP OVER THERE, WILL YOU?!" Tai yelled into the megaphone. Agumon, Biyomon and Gatomon groaned as the three of them ended up a tangled mass of limbs; Sora and Kari used their pointer fingers as earplugs and plugged their ears up to not have to hear Tai's extremely loud message.
"Now I know how the five of you felt every time you went through those TV's!" Agumon griped impatiently.
"I second that!" Biyomon piped up.
Sora grabbed Tai by his neck and held him up in the sky with a look that spoke anger. "The next time you use that thing again, we'll have to adopt children! Got it?"
Tai weakly nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
MetalSeadramon and MetalGarurumon struck the ground hard and deDigivolved back to Betamon and Gabumon. Matt and Michael ran up to their partners and pulled them out of harm's way.
"Where's Sora?" Matt demanded angrily.
"Calm down, Matt. I'm sure she's on her way." Joe advised.
"And now, DigiDestined, it's time to say goodbye. River of Pow-"
"Mega Claw!!"
"Crimson Flame!!"
The fire attack struck MetalSeadramon hard in the side; WarGreymon went flying right down his mouth once again, causing him to split in two and dissolve into digital data.
Matt and the other DigiDestined turned in shock to see Phoenixmon, and on top of her were Sora, Kari, Gatomon…and Tai.
And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around!
Just turn around, just turn around!
You can't take nothing for granted! You've got to live life today!
I turn around, I can see what's behind me; I turn back around, I can see what's ahead!
And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around!
Just turn around, just turn around!
"Tai? Are you all right?" Davis asked as Phoenixmon dropped safely to the ground and allowed Tai, Sora, Kari and Gatomon to safely land. A second later, she deDigivolved to Biyomon; WarGreymon touched down and deDigivolved to Agumon.
"Never been better, Davis. That's two Dark Masters down, and two to go!" Tai declared.
Gennai reappeared before the DigiDestined moments later with a solemn look on his face.
"We've got a problem. Have you noticed that the city hasn't been destroyed since Diaboromon's assault?" The team nodded.
"Plus that attack by Machinedramon earlier yesterday, but that was about it. Why do you ask?" Yolei replied.
"Datamon's got a plan for world domination-take over the major cities in the world which include Washington D.C., Paris, France, London, England and Mexico City, Mexico. That means you'll have to go on one more world tour." The DigiDestined smiled broadly.
"All right! One last trip around the world!" Tai cheered loudly.
Izzy basically gave us the ground rules for our final trip around the world to handle the last of the Dark Masters:
"Here's how it goes: T.K., Cody, Joe and Michael take on MaloMyotismon in Paris France, since T.K.'s Grandfather lives there and Michael's Dad did a movie shoot there.
Matt, Mimi and I will do our best against Piedmon in London England until you guys can swing around on MetalSeadramon via the English Channel.
Davis, you, Ken, Yolei and Kari take on Puppetmon in Mexico City, Mexico. Be careful-he's small, so he can blend in with a crowd very easily. That just leaves us with Tai and Sora.
The two of you are traveling to Washington D.C. to battle Datamon…alone, without help from the rest of us. Tai, don't try turning this into something personal! You won the battle and saved Sora; now it's time for you to win the war. I think I speak for the entire team of DigiDestined Tai, when I say-good luck and may God be with you."