Me: I don't own Digimon, as usual. Why? I don't know, but if I did, I'd have Toei change all the episodes they screwed up at the end of Season II-from "A Very-Digi Christmas" to "A Million Points of Light"-nothing but pure Taiora!
Tai: That's it; you tell 'em!
Sora: We won't take this lying down any longer!
Agumon/Biyomon: We'll help!
Agumon: Agumon Warp-Digivolve to…WARGREYMON!!!
Biyomon: Biyomon Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!! Birdramon Digivolve to…GARUDAMON!!!
Me: (gulps) Uh…thanks you guys, but we don't need to blow them up, just get them to change those last 13 episodes…oh, boy!
Digimon
Skirting the Edge
Chapter IV-Return of an old Friend…and Foe
Kari: 10 years have passed since we were forced to return to the Real World and leave behind my big brother and Agumon in the Real World. The year is now 2019. Sora and Matt got married after a year had passed with us not returning to go back for Tai, since Ken had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Without Ken, there was no way for us to get to the World of Darkness and we all continued our lives as best we could…
"And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around, just turn around…"
Nine years of being Mrs. Yamato Ishida and Sora wasn't as happy as she thought she'd be. Biyomon looked after her two children, Taichi and Jennifer whenever Matt couldn't-which was all the time! He was either too busy working with his band or out in space to spend time with his family these days.
"Sometimes, I wonder what happened to Tai after we gave up on him all those years ago…I miss him so much…"
"Still thinking about him, huh Sora?" She turned and smiled as her Bird Digimon appeared via a windowsill.
"Whenever I'm not thinking up designs, I'm thinking about him. Whenever I plant roses with red rims around the petals, I think about him."
"Sometimes, I wonder what happened to Agumon after he went down to find Tai, if he ever found him. And if he did, why didn't he try to contact us."
Sora nodded in agreement and failed to keep some tears trickling down her cheeks. "Biyomon, I think this whole marriage could've been a mistake! I'm starting to feel like the only reason I married Matt wasn't because of how I felt back then, but because Tai wasn't here and I didn't want to break his heart. What can I do?"
Biyomon's answer was quick, blunt and to the point: "Try to move on with your life. If Tai ever does show up-although, as Izzy would say it, that would be highly unlikely after ten years-you can tell him how you feel. If you don't feel like you can save your marriage with Matt, then don't try; it'll only hurt you more in the long run."
The World of Darkness…it had gotten steadily worse ever since that incident with Tai! Trees that still existed had toppled over to the ground and hadn't moved once, the skies had gotten even darker than before and the Dark Ocean lapped lifelessly, the waves crashing in once every so often…and Daemon pondered over it all, his thoughts focused on escape.
"Most unusual…for years, I've tried every means necessary to get back to the Real World but without success. Even when I gave that boy the Sword of Darkness, I hoped he'd be the missing link to my plans, but he defected and left with the Sword!
If only there was something I wasn't missing, some fatal flaw…"
"How about this: Spiking Strike!!" An attack from Stingmon sent Daemon back a few feet, but he turned and chuckled.
"The DigiDestined of Kindness. After a decade, you still haven't learned your lesson. When you've run away, just keep running. EVIL INFERNO!!" Stingmon grunted as he was nearly tossed to the ground! Ken Ichijouji came running in and smirked.
"I've gained a few more tricks since the last time we fought! I bet you haven't seen this type of Digimon before, have you? Digivolve, Stingmon!"
"Stingmon Digivolve to…DINOBEEMON!!! Dinobeemon Mega Digivolve to…GRANKUWAGAMON!!!"
Daemon laughed evilly as the Mega Digimon loomed over him like a fly waiting to be squashed.
"You think Digivolving without ExVeemon helps you?! IT DOESN'T! EVIL INFERNO!!"
"Dimension Scissors!!" GranKuwagamon's attack collided with Daemon's and a big explosion nearly knocked Ken off of his feet!
"If only we had some help…" Ken began worriedly.
"And have help you shall, old friend…" A voice said, coming from out of nowhere. Ken rose his eyebrows in confusion, looking around him but seeing nothing. That's when he heard a scream of torment. The thing is, it wasn't coming from GranKuwagamon, who'd deDigivolved back to Wormmon-it was coming from Daemon!
"Who dares…to invade…my body?!"
"I dare! For years, I've watched you as you absorbed energy that I've collected to restore my body back to its former glory. I'm lucky to even have a shape at all, no thanks to you! And you're lucky that I've used what's left to keep this World from collapsing in on itself!"
"What are you…talking about? AHHHHH!"
"Thanks to you absorbing the energy I needed to restore my body, the World of Darkness was weakened as a result! Anyone could've come in at anytime these past years and defeated you, but with his disappearance the other DigiDestined thought they had no access to this world. Lucky you. And now, I take my revenge and help him destroy you!"
Ken and Wormmon watched in amazement as Daemon screamed the scream of the damned and to their surprise, his body started to close in on itself!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
A second after, Daemon burst into a tiny flame and vanished. Ken and Wormmon gaped in shock.
"Who are you? Why did you destroy that Digimon?" Ken asked.
"Who I am is unimportant. The truth of the matter is, you must get to your friends immediately before it's too late, for the Digital World and the Real World…"
Nodding, Ken picked up Wormmon and aimed his Digivice to the darkened skies above.
"Portal of Darkness, open!" Ken demanded. Within seconds, Ken and Wormmon vanished.
Unbeknownst to either of them, a figure appeared out of the shadows with an evil grin plastered on his face.
"The plot thickens…" The thing about this guy was that he clutched the Sword of Darkness in his hand, but he had no Digivice clipped to his side!
Ken and Wormmon collapsed to their knees in the school computer room!
"That hasn't changed much." Ken muttered as he and Wormmon stood up.
"Ken, we've got to find the others."
"It's been ten years since Tai's disappearance! They've all gone and led different lives now ever since Yolei and I divorced and we moved to America without telling them. How are we going to contact everyone with the short amount of time that we have?" Ken asked.
"You could always ask an old friend for guidance." Ken and Wormmon turned in shock to see…
"Gennai?! What are you doing here?"
"Azulongmon told me that there was something amiss going on in the World of Darkness. That's why he had me send a cloud-like being there to help you defeat Daemon. You do understand that I had no choice but to destroy him, right?"
Ken nodded. "There wasn't any other way. And it's not like we could've sent him to a different World of Darkness."
"True. But, I think I may know where Tai is. The only problem is, I'd only be able to send one of you DigiDestined in after him. The portals surrounding the Dark Ocean are too weakened for long-range transport." Gennai warned. Ken smiled a bit.
"Don't worry, Gennai. I've got just the person who's right for the job…if I can find her."
Thanks to Gennai's help, Ken was able to effectively find the Ishida household.
Ken rapped on the door, feeling a bit on edge.
"I'm not sure about this, Wormmon. It's been 10 years, and for her to find out like this-"
"She's got to know, Ken. She may be the only one who can save Tai from himself, or the only one who can destroy him."
"But, what if she says-"
"Says what?" a voice asked calmly. Ken and Wormmon looked up, then downward to see…
"Biyomon! It's been too long." Nodding, she invited them inside.
"Matt's off on another space trip or he'd be here on the couch watching TV. Sora's out in the flower shop or she'd be thinking about the good old days. Do you guys want something to eat?" Ken politely shook his head.
"I wish this was a social call, but I met up with Gennai, and he knows where to find Tai."
Biyomon almost fell out of the chair when she heard that! "Find Tai? Where? And what about Agumon? Is he okay?"
"Calm down before you have a stroke." Wormmon advised. Biyomon ruffled her feathers in annoyance.
"Digimon don't get strokes! Sure, they catch viruses from time to time, but not strokes! Now, what about Tai and what would this have to do with Sora?"
Ken felt even more uncomfortable after hearing this tiny conversation, but he forced himself to relax. "Gennai told me that the only way for us to get Tai back was for one of the DigiDestined to risk one final trip to the World of Darkness and…well, uh…"
"Whoever goes has to fight Tai, don't they?" The three sweatdropped in amazement to see Sora, with some tears coursing down her cheeks.
"They do. I figured that you'd be perfect for the job since you've known Tai the longest, next to Kari. So, what do you say?" Sora took a breath and composed herself.
"Let's go save Tai!"