Chapter 14
Sora sat, stunned, in the space where the virus globe had been just moments before. Where the dark virus had trapped them, there was now a soft shield of orange and blue light, only half the size that the virus ball had been. The presence it gave off was kindly and protective, not frightening and smothering. In fact, it seemed to be generated from the crests of Courage and Love, hanging in midair on either side of her. Frozen, she stared at the shining light where the dark walls had been, utterly confused.
"What happened...?"
A soft sound caught her ear, and she looked down.
Tai was stirring.
"Tai!" she exclaimed, catching his arm. "Tai, are you okay?"
His eyes blinked open, and he looked up at her, dazed.
"Sora?" he murmured, frowning slightly.
"That's me," Sora nodded, her throat tight again as she smiled at him.
"Sora...I thought..." He paused, as if trying to remember something, his brow knit in confusion. "I'm, um... What happened?"
"You beat the virus," Sora said. Tai shook his head.
"No, you did," he said firmly. "I know that much. I was ready to pack it in for a second there." He paused again, feeling awkward suddenly. "I think I would have, but then you...um..."
"Yeah..." Sora said, blushing and not quite looking at him.
Tai nodded, turning a bit red himself. "Right. Well...thanks."
"Don't mention it," Sora said, biting her lip. She felt like she was going to explode with relief, or nervousness, or...something! *He heard me say it! Well, I think he heard me...oh, shoot, what if he really heard me?*
Their crests glowed on either side of them as Tai sat up, throwing odd colors across their faces.
"I..." Tai began again, then hesitated, glancing down. "Ah, what I wanted to say was...well, when I thought I wasn't going to...I mean, you know, see you again, or, um, talk to you...or whatever...and... Look, you're really...um...see, I...I think... I think..." He groaned, running a hand through his hair self-consciously. "I think I'm just no good at this kind of thing."
Sora giggled, and Tai looked up in surprise. Their eyes met, and suddenly the awkwardness fell away, and it was all okay again.
"Stupid Tai," Sora said fondly, and leaned forward to give him a tight hug. Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed happily, closing her eyes. It was so *good* to have him back...
But of course, with Tai, the serious moments never lasted if he could help it. Grinning, he reached up to give her a noogie. With a shriek of laughter, she swatted his hand away and tackled him sideways. In the weird gravity, they wobbled and spun dizzily within the walls of their shield of light. Sora yelped as she started to float away, and Tai caught her by the hand and pulled her to him...or him to her? It was impossible to tell. Laughing, he latched his arms around her waist from behind and let the world turn around them, the crests looking like streaks of color tracing a protective meshwork on the light around them.
"Nice acrobatics, Tai," Sora teased. "I'm impressed."
"Hey, I learned from the best," he teased back. "Your friend Mimi's a natural, unlike me. When I was getting used to it, I used to be like a floundering fish, you know?"
"Oh, yeah, used to. Like it was ages ago, instead of a few hours," Sora laughed.
"It feels like ages," Tai said softly, his breath ruffling her hair. She sighed, turning her head to look at him.
Their cheeks brushed. "Yeah...I know..." she whispered, suddenly aware of the warmth of his arms around her, and how close he really was. A few hours before, she might have hesitated. But then, a lot can change in a few hours…
Slowly, she reached up with one hand to touch his cheek, shifting in his arms to turn her face towards his. Tilting up her chin, she gently guided his lips to hers.
The world spun.
More than a little distracted, Mimi let out a shriek as she lurched downward toward the hungry virus...
"Gotcha!" Matt shouted, triumphant. Mimi stopped with a jolt as he caught her. His hand wrapped tightly around her slender wrist; he was braced against a nearby pole, to her left. Mimi swung left to dangle from his grasp, breathing hard.
"How-" she began, looking up at him, but he interrupted, his eyes intense.
"You've got to stop being afraid!" he insisted, holding tightly to her hand. "You're making it strong!"
"I didn't mean..."
"Hold on to me-I've got you. Here, grab my wrist," Matt said quickly. Mimi wrapped her fingers tightly around his wrist, holding on for dear life as the virus buffeted them about like a pair of dolls. "Good girl," Matt said between shakes, giving her a comforting smile. "We're going to be all right now. I won't let go, I promise!"
"Matt..." Mimi whispered, touched. "Why are you doing this for me?"
"You're my friend!" Matt said firmly, just before they were thrown sideways again. "Ow!" He winced, unable to let go of hand or pole long enough to rub at the newest of a multitude of bruises. *At least I have something to brace against,* he thought ruefully, wishing he could think of some way to protect Mimi against the painful jostling of the virus. "Friends take care of each other," he continued, his face serious.
Mimi was amazed. *He's risking life and limb…just for me? I don't think a single other human being has ever done something like this for me! Ever!*
"You know, Matt, if you ever want my life-" *wham!* "Ouch! You can have it," she finished, with a slight grin.
"You mean that?" Matt asked, stunned enough to almost forget his battered body.
Her hazel eyes were suddenly warm, in spite of the danger of the situation. "I mean every word of it."
*bang!*
Warm green Friendship, sweet turquoise Sincerity. Up on the top edge of the listing carnival ride, Palmon felt a rush of strength go through her.
"Oh!"
"Whoa!" Gabumon cried.
"What, did you feel it too?" Palmon asked, a bit breathless.
"Are you kidding? Who could miss that?" Gabumon said, just as startled. "What was it?"
"I don't-hey!" There was no mistaking *this* feeling. Palmon shoved out from the carousel, fast, to keep from breaking it in her sudden growth spurt. "Palmon Digivolve to...TOGEMON!"
Gabumon followed. "Gabumon Digivolve to...GARURUMON!"
Green and turquoise sparkles began to appear around them as they towered into their Champion forms.
"Um, you guys?" Agumon said, confused. "What's happening to you?"
"I'm not sure," Garurumon thundered, "but it feels really familiar! But...different, somehow, too..."
There was a sudden crash and a flash of blue-green light...
"Togemon!"
"Garurumon!"
"DNA-Digivolved to..."
A mighty roar sounded through the Internet.
"SENTINELMON!"
Sora sat, stunned, in the space where the virus globe had been just moments before. Where the dark virus had trapped them, there was now a soft shield of orange and blue light, only half the size that the virus ball had been. The presence it gave off was kindly and protective, not frightening and smothering. In fact, it seemed to be generated from the crests of Courage and Love, hanging in midair on either side of her. Frozen, she stared at the shining light where the dark walls had been, utterly confused.
"What happened...?"
A soft sound caught her ear, and she looked down.
Tai was stirring.
"Tai!" she exclaimed, catching his arm. "Tai, are you okay?"
His eyes blinked open, and he looked up at her, dazed.
"Sora?" he murmured, frowning slightly.
"That's me," Sora nodded, her throat tight again as she smiled at him.
"Sora...I thought..." He paused, as if trying to remember something, his brow knit in confusion. "I'm, um... What happened?"
"You beat the virus," Sora said. Tai shook his head.
"No, you did," he said firmly. "I know that much. I was ready to pack it in for a second there." He paused again, feeling awkward suddenly. "I think I would have, but then you...um..."
"Yeah..." Sora said, blushing and not quite looking at him.
Tai nodded, turning a bit red himself. "Right. Well...thanks."
"Don't mention it," Sora said, biting her lip. She felt like she was going to explode with relief, or nervousness, or...something! *He heard me say it! Well, I think he heard me...oh, shoot, what if he really heard me?*
Their crests glowed on either side of them as Tai sat up, throwing odd colors across their faces.
"I..." Tai began again, then hesitated, glancing down. "Ah, what I wanted to say was...well, when I thought I wasn't going to...I mean, you know, see you again, or, um, talk to you...or whatever...and... Look, you're really...um...see, I...I think... I think..." He groaned, running a hand through his hair self-consciously. "I think I'm just no good at this kind of thing."
Sora giggled, and Tai looked up in surprise. Their eyes met, and suddenly the awkwardness fell away, and it was all okay again.
"Stupid Tai," Sora said fondly, and leaned forward to give him a tight hug. Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed happily, closing her eyes. It was so *good* to have him back...
But of course, with Tai, the serious moments never lasted if he could help it. Grinning, he reached up to give her a noogie. With a shriek of laughter, she swatted his hand away and tackled him sideways. In the weird gravity, they wobbled and spun dizzily within the walls of their shield of light. Sora yelped as she started to float away, and Tai caught her by the hand and pulled her to him...or him to her? It was impossible to tell. Laughing, he latched his arms around her waist from behind and let the world turn around them, the crests looking like streaks of color tracing a protective meshwork on the light around them.
"Nice acrobatics, Tai," Sora teased. "I'm impressed."
"Hey, I learned from the best," he teased back. "Your friend Mimi's a natural, unlike me. When I was getting used to it, I used to be like a floundering fish, you know?"
"Oh, yeah, used to. Like it was ages ago, instead of a few hours," Sora laughed.
"It feels like ages," Tai said softly, his breath ruffling her hair. She sighed, turning her head to look at him.
Their cheeks brushed. "Yeah...I know..." she whispered, suddenly aware of the warmth of his arms around her, and how close he really was. A few hours before, she might have hesitated. But then, a lot can change in a few hours…
Slowly, she reached up with one hand to touch his cheek, shifting in his arms to turn her face towards his. Tilting up her chin, she gently guided his lips to hers.
The world spun.
More than a little distracted, Mimi let out a shriek as she lurched downward toward the hungry virus...
"Gotcha!" Matt shouted, triumphant. Mimi stopped with a jolt as he caught her. His hand wrapped tightly around her slender wrist; he was braced against a nearby pole, to her left. Mimi swung left to dangle from his grasp, breathing hard.
"How-" she began, looking up at him, but he interrupted, his eyes intense.
"You've got to stop being afraid!" he insisted, holding tightly to her hand. "You're making it strong!"
"I didn't mean..."
"Hold on to me-I've got you. Here, grab my wrist," Matt said quickly. Mimi wrapped her fingers tightly around his wrist, holding on for dear life as the virus buffeted them about like a pair of dolls. "Good girl," Matt said between shakes, giving her a comforting smile. "We're going to be all right now. I won't let go, I promise!"
"Matt..." Mimi whispered, touched. "Why are you doing this for me?"
"You're my friend!" Matt said firmly, just before they were thrown sideways again. "Ow!" He winced, unable to let go of hand or pole long enough to rub at the newest of a multitude of bruises. *At least I have something to brace against,* he thought ruefully, wishing he could think of some way to protect Mimi against the painful jostling of the virus. "Friends take care of each other," he continued, his face serious.
Mimi was amazed. *He's risking life and limb…just for me? I don't think a single other human being has ever done something like this for me! Ever!*
"You know, Matt, if you ever want my life-" *wham!* "Ouch! You can have it," she finished, with a slight grin.
"You mean that?" Matt asked, stunned enough to almost forget his battered body.
Her hazel eyes were suddenly warm, in spite of the danger of the situation. "I mean every word of it."
*bang!*
Warm green Friendship, sweet turquoise Sincerity. Up on the top edge of the listing carnival ride, Palmon felt a rush of strength go through her.
"Oh!"
"Whoa!" Gabumon cried.
"What, did you feel it too?" Palmon asked, a bit breathless.
"Are you kidding? Who could miss that?" Gabumon said, just as startled. "What was it?"
"I don't-hey!" There was no mistaking *this* feeling. Palmon shoved out from the carousel, fast, to keep from breaking it in her sudden growth spurt. "Palmon Digivolve to...TOGEMON!"
Gabumon followed. "Gabumon Digivolve to...GARURUMON!"
Green and turquoise sparkles began to appear around them as they towered into their Champion forms.
"Um, you guys?" Agumon said, confused. "What's happening to you?"
"I'm not sure," Garurumon thundered, "but it feels really familiar! But...different, somehow, too..."
There was a sudden crash and a flash of blue-green light...
"Togemon!"
"Garurumon!"
"DNA-Digivolved to..."
A mighty roar sounded through the Internet.
"SENTINELMON!"