Me: Hey! I don't own Digimon, nor do I own Vertical Horizon's "Shackled." About time I used this song in one of my stories…
Tai: Let me guess-you had plans to use it, but you never followed through with it, right?
Takato: (smirks) Like the way you did with Sora?
Tai: Shut up. At least I'm with her now!
Me: Barely…before these two kill each other, I'm gonna get to the story while I have a chance.
Digimon
The Meeting of the DigiDestined and the Tamers
Part III: Shackled in your arms of Love
For so long my life's been sewn up tight inside your hold
And it leaves me there without a place to call my own…
It's been a week since Guilmon and I'd been thrown into the timeline of the original DigiDestined. I'd been helping Izzy with his tests on my D-Arc, but I found myself thinking about Rika more often than not as the days went by. Ever since that dream I had the day I met Guilmon, I couldn't stop thinking about her! I felt connected to her, even her bossy side. But ever since this, I felt alone and confused. Sure, it was great to meet the DigiDestined for real, but it wasn't all that enjoyable as I thought it would be. Nothing made sense anymore, not as long as Rika wasn't there…I struggled to hold in my tears of resentment, as I remained hidden in the computer room of the Odaiba Elementary School. Rika wouldn't have cried in a situation like this, so I had to be strong! If not for myself, then for her.
I know now what shadows can see; there's no point in running 'less you run with me
It's half the distance through the open door before you cut me down…again
Let me introduce you to the end
"What's the holdup? It's been over a week since Takato disappeared, and you still haven't been able to find him! I thought it would be easy for you to lock onto his coordinates from here." Rika was close to hitting something, possibly Henry, so he typed frantically.
"It's a little bit more complicated than I thought! The regular way we could keep in touch was by our D-Arcs, but since Takato isn't in the area-or in the correct timeline-I'm going to have to start from where he was last seen at." Henry explained.
"And that would mean the skies, right?" Rika asked cynically.
"Noooo-from a point in-between space and time, like the space-time continuum."
Rika shivered at that moment, turning around and seeing Renamon appear next to an opened window. Grinning slightly, she closed the window swiftly.
"Any luck?" Rika asked softly.
"None. If he did return, I didn't see him." Henry grimaced as he heard Rika's sigh of helplessness.
"Takato, you've gotta come back! Don't you realize what you're doing to the team? It's just like when Tai vanished-things are breaking up all because you're not here!" Henry thought to himself.
And I feel the cold wind blowing beneath my wings; it always leads me back to suffering
But I will soar until the wind whips me down, leaves me beaten on holy ground again…
"Are you doing okay?" I looked up to see the first DigiDestined of Love-Sora Takenouchi, waiting with a smile of concern on her face. I nodded grimly and looked back outside through the window, where clouds had formed.
"I never thought saving the world would mean having to give up chances of a normal life, or losing the one person you care about due to a stupid mistake." I explained calmly, despite the tears that were now streaking down my cheeks. Sora nodded and listened with patience.
"I start the day out, strong as I could feel, determined to live life to the fullest. It ends with me feeling like a loser, even to my friends-if I can call Rika a friend. It feels like a waste that she leaves me in this time without trying to find me-even with Henry's help, no doubt!" I cried out sadly. Sora simply stood there, hanging on to every word I said.
"I can't let her shackle me up like this! If she bleeds because of me, all the better." I muttered as I sank to my knees. Sora bent down and held me close, determined not to let me go through this alone.
So tired now of paying my dues, I start out strong but then I always lose
It's half the distance before you leave me behind
It's such a waste of time
Chorus: 'Cause my shackles you won't be!
And my rapture you won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me…
"You remind me so much of Tai at a time like this…" I stopped crying and looked into Sora's eyes, trying to find any hint that she could be lying. I couldn't.
"Tai's always holding on to his dreams, no matter how broken up or split into two they are. Why do you think we're together right now? Because he didn't give up on me or to his dreams."
"Then go to him." I advised. Sora looked down at me, confused.
"I'm serious. I don't belong here in this time. I don't need the power of love to keep me alive. I don't need you to keep my faith in Rika or myself alive. Tai does. So, go to him." I insisted tiredly.
"She doesn't need to, 'cause I'm already here and you need to learn patience and to think with your head and not with your heart. Although thinking with your heart helps you out in some cases." Tai joked as he came in on the two of us. That's when the skies darkened. The three of us looked up as a Digital field opened up and a very familiar Digimon stepped through. I groaned as Guilmon, Biyomon and Agumon came in from the kitchen.
"How is it that no matter where I go, trouble always seems to find me?!"
So here I slave inside of a broken dream, forever holding on to splitting seams
So take your place and leave me alone to die; I don't need you to keep my faith alive
I know now what trouble can be and why it follows me so easily
It's half the distance through the open door before you shut me down again…
Let me introduce you to the end
"I've done it! I found him." Rika was at Henry's side at in instant, peering at the computer screen.
"So, where is he?"
"He appears to be at the Odaiba Elementary School. Oh no! A Digimon's arrived there through a Digital field." Henry's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the Digimon.
"I think Takato's in big trouble! If you're gonna go after him, now's the time." Henry insisted. Nodding, Rika pulled out her D-Arc and cards while Renamon came to her side with Calumon riding on her back.
"Why are you coming with us?" Rika asked impatiently, eager to get moving.
"Takato and Guilmon might need me. So, wherever you guys go, I go!" Rika sighed as Henry finally got things set up.
"There! Now get going and bring him back, preferably in one piece. Rika?" Confused, Rika turned back around toward Henry, who smiled with ease.
"I know you care about him in a way beyond friendship. I saw it before in your eyes. If I were you, I'd tell him before he did something like he did when he tried to protect Tai and Davis." A light blush crossed Rika's cheeks, but she turned back around and prepared to go through the portal, saying to herself, "Whatever."
Chorus: 'Cause my shackles you won't be!
And my rapture you won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me
The three of us quickly ran out to where the Digimon was at, not believing what had just happened!
"It's Black WarGreymon! But, why's he back? I thought he'd sacrificed himself by creating a barrier at Highton View Terrace." Tai exclaimed as Agumon, Biyomon and Guilmon came up.
"It's a safe bet that's a different one than the one you guys faced. This one's pure evil with his Terra Destroyer attack." I cautioned calmly.
"The Hero of Courage-where is he?!" the Mega Digimon demanded impatiently.
Tai stepped up with Agumon by his side. "What do you want?"
"Not YOU!" WHAM! Before any of us knew what had happened, Black WarGreymon moved with precise speed, ramming into Tai and sending him and Agumon to the ground!
"Tai!" Sora ran over to him, worried of the outcome. Tai weakly got to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth.
"I'm fine. If you're not looking for me, then what do you want with Davis?"
"Ha! I'm not looking for him, either. The one I want is…YOU!" Black WarGreymon eyed his opponents until he finally laid eyes on me.
"Me?! What do you want with me?" I demanded, prepared to use my one Matrix Digivolution card if necessary.
"I want to battle with your partner. Even if you can only Digivolve to Ultimate, with the attacks at your disposal, you could be a worthy adversary. When I couldn't find you in the future, I used my powers to track you and to my surprise, you end up here!"
"Life's just full of surprises." I cracked as the other DigiDestined finally arrived.
"What took you guys so long?" Sora asked heatedly.
"It took Izzy and Ken a while to figure out where you guys were, and when they realized that Black WarGreymon was here, we got here as fast as we could." Matt said.
At that moment, another Digital field opened, but instead of a Digimon coming through, it was…
"Rika? What are you doing here?"
"Trying to save you from whatever evil's going to destroy you. Now catch!" That's when things went south. Just as I caught the cards Rika tossed to me, Black WarGreymon tackled Guilmon and me, sending the three of us into the air!
"I did not come all the way back in time to be defeated by two of you Tamers! Let's battle where it's less crowded." Before I could object, the Digimon shot off into the skies with Guilmon and me while the other DigiDestined could do nothing but watch helplessly.
"Takato, come back!" I heard Rika's plaintive cry, but could do nothing about it. As she faded into the distance, I was sure I saw tears grazing her eyes…
Though you know you care…
Chorus: 'Cause my shackles you won't be!
And my rapture you won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me
And my laughter you won't hear the faster I disappear
And time will burn your eyes…
