taichi: NIGHTFLAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *barges into room in mad rampage* NIGHTFLAME!!!!

nightflame: *hunched over desk* eh? nani? Taichi-san?

taichi: why aren't you writing?!?!? What are you doing??

nightflame: sumimasen! Mai nichi benkyoo o shimashita!!!

taichi: yea but that's no excu…wait a second…why are you speaking in japanese?

nightflame: nihongo? *stops and realizes she has been speaking in japanese* oops…*^^* sorry taichi! It's just that I have my japanese final tomorrow. I've been studying non-stop. But here *hands taichi something* it's what you've been waiting for…

taichi: you mean…? *eyes widen expectantly*

nightflame: that's right…it's the FINAL CHAPTER!!

taichi: YES!! YES YES YES!!! *starts dancing around* how I've waited for this day!!

nightflame: yea, but before I start, I have a few things to say.

taichi: *facefaults* can't we just go on with it?

nightflame: no, I have to say thank you to everyone who reviewed!! *sob*sob* you people don't realize how happy you guys made me by reviewing!!! *starts sobbing in joy* maybe I'm just really pathetic, but sometimes I'd just go on to ff.net just to read the reviews you guys sent in…made me feel all warm n fuzzy inside…*^^*and it was such an awesome inspiration!! I'm sorry it took so long for me to write this story, but I hope you guys are happy with the end product…

taichi: does it end with me and sora together?

nightflame: I can't tell you that!!

taichi: why not?

nightflame: cuz then why would you want to read it? anyway, you know the drill, I don't own digimon or anything else cuz I'm just a broke college student with a final tomorrow actually, it doesn't have anything to do with that, it's just a plea for pity *^^* hee hee anyway, without further ado, here it is, the 9th and final (or is it?) chapter of "fighting against fate"!  *mini groucho marx appears* no substitutions, extensions or refunds…

taichi: hey nightflame, what's with that "or is it" business? nightflame?? nightflame??*glares at her as she stares innocently at the wall*

( ) denotes someone else's voice

(~~~~) denotes scene change

(-------) flashback

chapter 9: second chances

…getting married…

The simple phrase repeated in her head, mocking her. Sora blinked once, focusing her eyes. She had been walking around downtown Odiba without paying any attention to where she was going. She glanced into the store on her left.

It was funny actually.

The whole world seemed to be against her finding happiness. Sora found herself staring into a bakery, a wedding cake in the front window. A wedding cake. A sign of union, of the joys of being together, of love. She scoffed slightly.

Turning her head away she caught sight of two lovers, snuggled together on a bench. Sora tightened her jacket around herself, unconsciously trying to warm herself. Why was it that everyone found could find happiness while she stood there in misery? A drop of water splattered onto the cold ground. Hastily, Sora walked away, not bothering to wipe the tears that streaked her cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taichi sighed. The conversation with Mimi had ended ages ago, yet he couldn't get that one phrase out of his mind. You'll never know until you knock

Frustrated, he vented by punching the pillow next to him. "I know that!" he exclaimed to the ceiling. "All I have to do is knock! But I can't! I…I can't…" Taichi growled in aggravation before dropping to his knees.

"I don't know if I can take more heartbreak" he whispered, broken. Yet…still…

You'll never know until you knock

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is ridiculous" Sora muttered to herself. She had been walking outside since that phone call.

…getting married…

"I should be happy. Marriage is a happy thing. I should be happy for them" Yet no matter how often she told herself that, the same thing would happen. Bitterness would surge up within her before giving way to depression.

"The guardian of love, unable to find it herself" she whispered. Guardian of love. The idea floated in her head, mocking her as she sought rest. "Why?" She sat down, defeated. Somehow, she had ended up at the park after fleeing from the stores. She closed her eyes as the conversation started to replay in her head.

----------

…getting married! Isn't that great?

Sora stared at the phone like it was some kind of sick, twisted joke. She wanted to pinch herself, throw the phone into the wall, scream her frustration into the phone… "Yea! It's great. I'm so…happy…" she trailed off.

Sora?

"Hm?"

What's wrong?

"Nothing! I'm just so…happy…I don't know what to say…" Mentally she sighed. She couldn't even convince herself that what she was saying was true.

----------

Sora sighed. She stared that the pale sky.  "What's wrong with me? Why can't I be happy?" She kicked at the ground in annoyance. "What do I have to do to be happy? Please God…just give me a sign…" she whispered, despondent. She closed her eyes, content to leave her mind blank- anything to try and forget the pain of loneliness in her heart.

"Hey lady, watch out!"

Sora's eyes snapped open and she turned her head toward that sound. Next thing she saw was a ball speeding toward her face. Sora's instinctively reached out and smacked the ball away. "Thank God for those old tennis reflexes" she thought wryly. She stood up and picked up ball that had fallen harmlessly to the side.  She stopped and stared. A little boy, no older than 5 or 6 was running up to her. His dark hair fell in disarray over his large brown eyes. "I'm really sorry lady!" he slid to a halt in front of her. Sora stared at the small child. He looked so much like…blinking, she shook her head slightly. "It's alright" she responded as she handed him the soccer ball. His small hands gripped it tightly. "I'm really sorry. I was just trying to teach my friend how to play soccer" He gestured to another child farther down the field. Sora smiled. She glanced at the other child and her eyes widened in shock. "A girl?"

Sora hadn't even realized that she had said it out loud until the young boy spoke up. "Yea, but she's cool for a girl" Sora glanced down at him, then gave him a gentle smile. The little boy looked up at her and gave Sora a shy grin. "I'm going to marry her one day"

Sora could swear that her heart really did stop that time. She stared at the young boy in shock as he ran back to his friend, a little red-headed girl. She watched them for a minute before a slow smile graced her face. God had given her the sign she had asked for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taichi stared at the door. "C'mon, you made it this far" he chided himself. "It's only a door" Taichi steeled himself. He could do this.

Knock knock

Taichi stood there, nervously. He fidgeted as he waited for an answer. He stood there, waiting to hear her musical voice call out. Instead, he was greeted with…nothing. He glanced at the parking lot. Her car was here. He had glanced at the window. There were no lights on. The next thing heard was the sound of Taichi's head hitting the door. "You baka. You work yourself all up for this and then it turns out she's not home" He sighed. Maybe this was a sign. Turning around, he headed home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sora waited. A serene smile spread upon her lips. She should be nervous. She should be having some doubts. Something!…but no, she never felt so free in her life. She never felt so secure, so happy. Only one thing could make her happier. Impatiently she waited.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taichi kicked the sidewalk. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll of mentos. This has become a habit of his. His apartment was littered with mentos wrappers. He hastily unwrapped the package and popped one in his mouth. This was ridiculous. His life was ridiculous. He spent half of his life in love with a girl, then spent the other half denying the fact that he was in love with her. He had the distinct feeling that fate either didn't like him, or liked to mess with him. In fact, even as he walked toward his doorstep, he could swear she was sitting there, waiting for him.

Taichi stopped.

At that moment, he was pretty sure the world stopped as well.

Sora was there. There she was, sitting on his doorstep. Taichi blinked, completely shocked. He watched as she stood up, a small grin on her face. Numbly, he walked forward, almost mechanically, half-expecting her to disappear suddenly. He stopped an arm's length away from her.

She had not moved from her post at his door. She watched as he approached her, her eyes searching. "Sora?" he whispered. She looked at him, then a smile suddenly graced her features. Before Taichi knew what was happening, Sora ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. The next thing he felt were her soft lips upon his. She closed her eyes, while his stayed open in shock. He could barely register the fact that it was Sora who was kissing him. The love of his life. She pulled away and looked Taichi in the eye, biting the inside of her bottom lip, as if awaiting judgment. The pair stared at each other until reality finally set in and smacked Taichi in the head. He blinked as he realized that she was waiting for him to say something, anything. "Wow"

Sora smiled, her eyes shining with love. "Taichi, I…"

"Will you greet me like that everyday?" he interrupted.

Sora looked at him, taken aback for a second, then smiled and slapped him playfully on the arm. "Taichi!" He simply laughed as his arms wound their way around her waist. She looked at him expectantly. The look in his eyes made her breath catch. "Sora…" he whispered as he pulled her closer to him. "Yes?" she breathlessly replied. She felt like her legs were going to give way any second if he continued to stare at her like that. She could feel herself becoming lost in his eyes. Her eyes flicked to his lips, achingly close to hers. She turned her eyes back to his, and saw in his eyes what she had been searching for her whole life. "Sora…I…" His warm breath on her lips was driving her to the brink of insanity. "I love you. I'm utterly, hopelessly, in love with you" Taichi whispered. Sora's hands moved from around his neck to run through his dark hair. "Guess what" she whispered back, a smile playing on her lips.

"What?" his lips were just hovering above hers, their warm breaths mingling with each other.

"I love you too" she whispered.

Taichi smiled. He leaned down and captured her lips with his. As the gentle kiss turned passionate, a thought ran through his head. Maybe fate didn't hate him as much as he thought. It just liked to put up a fight.

nightflame: thus it ends. *turns to taichi* what do you think?

taichi: *sobbing on the ground*

nightflame: *panics* omigosh!!! I made my muse cry!! I'm sorry!!!! *hovers over taichi apologetically*

taichi: *pushes nightflame away* I'm not sad!! I'm crying tears of joy!! That was so…so…*breaks down again* I'M SO HAPPY!! *sob*sob*

nightflame: ^^; well then…I guess taichi likes my ending. I'm actually quite proud of this story and especially this chapter. I especially like the little kid part…and the end, of course! *^^* And in case you're wondering who's getting married…well, I figured every story should have a little mystery. Thanks to everyone who ever reviewed- you guys are the greatest! Leave me your comments! Should I write an epilogue, etc. etc. To logan- I hope that this had enough fluff to help you survive another day and won't require the sponsorship of several ABC liquor stores *^^* well, for now, I'm off. Ja mata atode!