DISCLAIMER: Okey Dokey, here we go. Thanks to all those who reviewed Chapter One, (Zelda, DC Baller and Aardwulf - I love U guys) I really appreciate it. Because of you I've decided to post Chapter Two, as the feedback for "Watching Spirits" was encouraging. Once again I have to concede that no matter how much I would like them to, Digimon and all its characters are the property of Toei and Saban, not me. (BOO HOO!) I've tried all things possible to get them to change their minds - bargaining, bribery, threats, you name it and I've done it - but they won't budge. (Meanies!)
Chapter Two is pretty much in the same vein as Chapter One, so don't get discouraged, it will get better later on, I promise! This episode is quite long, and to fully understand what happens here you'll have to read the previous instalment, as all essential details are contained therein.
For all would-be plagiarizers out there, just to let you know that I've graduated from mallets and am now onto chainsaws, so STEAL THIS FIC AT YOUR PERIL!! If I catch even one iota of my work under someone else's name then I shall personally find you and make you eat your computer screen whole! I have not copied anyone to create this, and I expect the same kind of courtesy from other people.
Ahem, (I'm a nice person really. No, honest!)
I shall now finish with the blurb - you'll all be pleased to hear - and go onto the fic. Thanx muchly, but I must warn you * puts on hooded robe and picks up plastic comedy scythe * Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. You have been warned!
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"The Darkness Within" By Scribbler
Chapter Two ~ "False Smiles"
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"A smile is a light in the window of the soul indicating that the heart is at home." -- Source Unknown
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A brown haired boy sat thoughtfully at the breakfast table, staring pensively into his bowl of cereal. Absently, he moved steeped cornflakes around with his spoon, poking several into a small, saturated mountain, but never once raising the utensil to his mouth. His mother watched him worriedly from the kitchen.

"Aren't you hungry?" She asked at length.

"No, Mom." He replied in a husky voice, seemingly too old to emanate from his immature body. His mother gazed concernedly at her son.

"You're not sick are you?"

"No, Mom. I'm not sick. Just not hungry."

An old, wizened man sitting opposite him at the table peeked curiously around his upright newspaper at these words.

"Not hungry? Then you must be sick. It takes a lot to make you lose your appetite, my boy." He chuckled good naturedly, but a sad sigh from the boy silenced his good humour. The aged man looked inquiringly at him, arching one snow-white eyebrow in his direction. "What's wrong, Cody?"

"I don't know, Grandpa. I'm just not myself today, I guess." Cody gazed into his bowl as if soggy cereal was the most riveting sight in the world. It was true; he didn't know what was the matter with him. He wasn't sick, in fact he had never been healthier, but something was bothering him and he couldn't tell what it was. Abstractedly, his green eyes travelled the length of the apartment he shared with his mother and grandfather in the hope that something would come to him on how to alleviate the feeling of uneasiness gnawing at his stomach.

His sight alighted on the newspaper clutched open in his grandfather's wrinkly hands. It was propped open on the table, despite his mother's orders for it to be kept on his lap. Many was the morning when the old man had hidden from his daughter-in-law's hen-pecking behind the sheets of local reports, hunched over his prunes until she either ceased nagging or he was finished and able to make a quick getaway. Cody often read the cover story in this way; reading snatches at a time until the escaping pensioner removed it from his sight. Now he scanned the bold, black lettering of the headline in an effort to sidetrack his overactive mind.

"BODY FOUND IN ODAIBA"

A body? Cody read on with feigned interest.

"At 3am this morning, a dead body was found in the Odaiba area of Tokyo. Several youths returning from a night out discovered it in an alley and reported their find to the local police, who arrived on the scene within minutes. The victim is said to have been male, about 168 pounds with a wide build. Nobody answering this description has yet been reported missing, but authorities are hopeful that somebody will come forward with information concerning his identity very soon. The body contained no documentation of identification, and is said to have been too badly mutilated to be recognisable through dental or fingerprint records. Police are now searching for any witnesses or people with vital information that may help them with this case."

The newspaper was suddenly whipped from sight and replaced with a pair of worried eyes set in parchment-like skin.

"Cody?" His Grandfather peered oddly at him. "Did you here what your mother just said to you?"

Cody's head jerked up, startled. "What? Sorry Grandpa, I was reading the newspaper." He glanced up at the clock hung on the lemon-coloured wallpaper of the kitchen. It was an analogue model, and for some reason this fact had always bothered Cody. Now though, he hardly noticed, as he perceived what time it was. Darting an apologetic look at both adults hovering over him, the small boy slipped from his stool and slung a large backpack over his shoulder. "I'd better get going to school or I'll be late. Bye Mom. Bye Grandpa." He dutifully pecked his mother on the cheek, before walking soberly towards the door and out onto the walkway of their apartment building.

His mother and grandfather watched him go with concern. Cody had always been mature for his age. So much so that it had resulted in him making very few friends growing up. His mother worried constantly at his being lonely and too insular, and had even enrolled him in Kendo lessons in an effort to encourage his mixing with other children his own age. Her plan had misfired, however, as Cody did indeed take an interest in Kendo, but insisted on practising alone with her Father-in-law and no one else. He'd been quite adamant about it, and she'd been reluctant to destroy such a promising interest because of her own petty designs.

The old man in question was also troubled about his grandson. Usually he didn't take much interest in Cody's life beyond the Kendo practises they shared, but even he couldn't keep his apathetic exterior in the face of what was happening to the boy. Though few, Cody had always had a few acquaintances, and these seemed to have developed into friends not so long ago. But quite suddenly, about a year ago, they all disappeared, and Cody was left more alone than ever. Even that Yolei girl no longer called for him in the mornings, and she lived so close by too. Cody hadn't bothered to seek out his old comrades, nor attempt to make new ones, and declined every offer of play-dates and lessons in all things under the sun offered by his mother. Gradually he became a morose and isolated little boy, though he didn't try to change his situation. His mother fretted about him, but could do nothing about how she felt. She'd tried talking with him, but faltered when faced with his unseasonable maturity. It was like he'd experienced some terrible loss they couldn't even begin to contemplate, and changed according to how his world had changed around him. Even his persistent mother had to admit that she couldn't change a person's world simply because it was doing something she didn't agree with, and had resigned herself to watching her son develop before her eyes into someone she hardly even recognised anymore.

Eyes boring almost tangibly into his back, Cody left his apartment in a hurry, anxious to escape the prying stares and whispered comments that had become foundations of the household. They couldn't help being worried about him, he knew, but deep down he resented their efforts to help, as he knew that the thing he desired most was the one thing his family couldn't provide.

All his life, those he cared most about had been torn away from Cody. When he was younger he'd blamed himself, as if somehow his connection to these people was what had caused them to be taken from him. In his subconscious he supposed he still believed this, and so had cut himself off from the world in order to save it from his Midas touch. He neither wanted nor needed friends, and had even distanced himself from the very people he shared a home with. When he'd had friends a year ago - was it really a whole year already? - he thought he'd been happy, but once again the demons surrounding him had struck, disuniting the circle that had once been so strong. Except this time he wasn't the only one affected. Cody hated the way his own bad luck had hurt his companions, and vowed never to become so close to anyone ever again, in the hope that if he did, such terrible things would never again blemish the lives of those he cared about. The sight of Kari's drawn and grief-stricken face still haunted his dreams, as did the disbelief and loss of innocence etched into Davis'. He'd never seen the hyperactive boy look so sad, and curiously it was this memory that affected him more than all the others put together.

Tai. Why did you have to die?

Because of me. It's always because of me. First Dad, then Oikawa, now Tai. Everyone close to me always gets hurt.

Cody halted at the bus stop, lost in his own thoughts. Silently he craned his neck back and stared contemplatively at the snowy clouds scudding through azure sky above him.

I can't believe it's been a whole you've been gone Tai. Things sure have changed without you around. I don't think anyone really realised how important you were to us. Not until you weren't there at least. Davis kind of lost interest in soccer without you on the team. You were his idol, you know that? You probably did, the amount of time he spent copying you, trying to be you. He's never taken off those goggles you gave him. Never. I never figured Davis as the sentimental type, but I guess I was wrong about him.

Cody sighed, and abruptly jumped back, snapped from his thoughts by the school bus pulling up in front of him. Its putrid yellow hide glinted in the bright Monday morning sun, and several grimacing faces were visible through the tinted glass windows. With a hiss the folding door slid open to reveal a harassed and weather-beaten driver. Tiredly she beckoned to the puny boy on the pavement with one pudgy finger.

"Come on kid, I ain't got all day."

Cody stepped onto the peeling vehicle, hoisting himself slowly aboard by the handrail. The driver watched him resentfully through narrowed eyes. Damn kids; act like they've got all the time in the world. Don't bother hurrying on my account!

Making his way quiescently to the unoccupied back seat, Cody sat down and leaned heavily on the window. As usual, nobody bothered to talk to the anti-social midget. They had all learned a long time ago that he was not to be bothered with unless you enjoyed stony silence and strange penetrating looks from his curious green eyes. As the creaking vehicular behemoth pulled away, Cody stared at the flaking yellow paintwork. It was almost the same colour as...

One name escaped unbidden from his lips. That of the one he missed most in the world but had no way of reaching any more. His lost companion.

"Armadillomon."
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"Oh, isn't this just darling?"

Sora sat back and contemplated the T-Shirt her mother held out in front of her. In her opinion it looked no different to all the others she had seen so far, but she held her tongue at the happy look on the older woman's face. The garment was pink, with rose coloured sequins sewn on in random haphazard places and "Go For It, Girl!" emblazoned in violet lettering across the chest. The overdose of pastels made Sora feel sick.

"It's nice, Mom." She answered untruthfully. Mrs' Takenouchi's slightly oriental eyes shone at her daughter's words.

"You think so? Try it on, Sora, let's see what it looks like on you." She thrust the offending item into Sora's hands. The teenage girl inwardly grimaced as pink fabric touched her fingers. She hated pink! Fortunately, her mother was saved from a barbed comment by a high-pitched voice nearby.

"Oh no, Mrs. Takenouchi. That's not Sora's style at all. This is much more her."

A pink haired girl of about Sora's age stood next to a bulging clothes rack in the corner of the tiny shop. She was smiling, causing her star spangled tresses to shimmer in the sunlight filtering through the open doorway. Next to her, the assortment of attire almost seemed to glow they were so brightly coloured. It was as if someone had gone crazy in a paint factory, and Sora was now looking at the fruits of their labours. The merry girl leaned down, extracted something from the crowd of Technicolor material and held it up proudly to her onlookers.

Curiously, she seemed to have picked the only non-repulsive item there. It was khaki green with a cheerful yellow happy face on the shoulder of each short sleeve. Sora's mother looked dubiously at it.

"I don't know. It's very dark - "

"It's fine, Mom." Sora protested hurriedly, eager to rid herself of her mother's choice, even if it meant having to wear something else from this place. Clothes shopping had never really interested Sora. She was more comfortable in baggy things that were old and familiar than brand new vestments, fresh from the shop floor. Usually her mother took note of this, but it wasn't every day that Mimi came to visit, she reasoned, so she'd made an exception this Saturday, and taken her daughter and her friend to the centre of Tokyo for a spending spree. Unfortunately for Sora, this was yet another thinly veiled attempt to make her more feminine. Mrs. Takenouchi seemed to think that if she filled Sora's wardrobe with every pink item of clothing in the world she would instantly become more effeminate and less tomboyish. More like Mimi and less like....

The chestnut haired girl expedited forward, handing her mother the loathsome T-Shirt as she passed and heading for the changing room before she could protest. Mimi followed, the seemingly irremovable smile still grafted to her face.

In the end the trio left with three shirts for Sora and two for Mimi. Mrs. Takenouchi insisted on her daughter wearing one of them home, so Sora chose the Khaki effort and paraded it self-consciously through the streets of the bustling metropolis.

Halfway to yet another clothes store Sora's mother's handbag suddenly struck up a mysterious shrill wailing. Reaching into the depths of her cavernous carryall, the oriental woman pulled out a small cell phone and hurriedly spoke into it. After a few curt words she replaced it and sighed deeply.

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut our little trip short, girls." She apologised. Inwardly, Sora leaped for joy, but outwardly her cool exterior remained fixed.

"Why Mom?"

"It seems there's been some sort of emergency at the Flower Shop, and they simply can't deal with it without me there. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Was all Sora could think to say. "Are we going to stay here, or do you want us to come back with you?"

"Well, I could use a hand..." Mrs. Takenouchi trailed off, but one look at Mimi's face at the thought of returning from a shopping excursion so early in the day was enough to smite any ideas of taking them with her. "No, you girls stay. Your day shouldn't be ruined because of my problems." She smiled. "I'll see you back home at eight, Sora. Mimi, you're welcome to stay over if you like."

"Could I?" Mimi's hazel eye's gleamed at the offer. "Cool, a sleepover. I'm sure my parents won't mind if I stay with you instead of in my hotel room for one night. Unless you don't want me too, Sora?"

"No, that'd be great." Sora agreed. "Thanks, Mom."

Her mother just shrugged, bade the two teenagers farewell, and started on the trip back to her beloved flower shop. Truth be told, they probably could have gotten through their 'emergency' without her, but perhaps a little time alone with her friend would mellow Sora out a bit. Mimi was such a nice girly girl, and Sora had been acting strangely lately, like something was bothering her. Maybe she would talk about it with her friend and get it off her chest. It didn't do to bottle things up inside. The dark haired woman shielded her almond shaped eyes against the glaring sun as she walked. She had a fair idea what it was that was troubling her daughter, having awoken several days ago to find a certain picture hanging crookedly on the wall of their apartment, a strange smear of what could only be a dried tearstain running down the glass. In three days it would be a year to the day since the Kamiyas were murdered. She wasn't oblivious to the friendship Sora had shared with their son, so it was obvious she was going to be feeling a little depressed around this time. Thank goodness Mimi's parents had chosen now to pay a visit. A friend was exactly what Sora needed at the moment, and since they had both known Tai they could talk about him freely to each other.

Sora and Mimi watched her go. As soon as the older woman was out of sight Sora threw up her hands, much to the consternation of people passing by.

"Thank goodness, she's gone!"

Mimi giggled. "You're cruel."

Sora stared incredulously at her friend. "You have no idea! She tries to take me shopping every opportunity she gets. My wardrobe's bursting, and I don't even like pink!"

"And what's so wrong with that?" Mimi asked, a mischievous edge to her musical voice. Sora smile wryly at her.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, that's your idea of heaven, isn't it?"

Mimi's grin only got wider. "Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm starving." She started purposefully down the street, Sora trailing behind carrying the shopping bags.

From the way Mimi acted and found her way through the often-confusing sprawl of busy Tokyo it was hard to believe she'd ever left. Eventually the pair ended up at their old favourite burger bar. As they entered, Sora glanced musingly up at the sign above the archway over the door. This had been the first place they went when they chased Myotismon out of the Digital World and into their own five years ago. There had been more of them then. All the original Digidestined plus their Digimon, Joe complaining as par usual about their terminal lack of money for such frivolities as burgers. No, wait, not all the Digidestined had been there that time. They hadn't known about Kari then; in fact, they'd come to the real world in order to search for her. What a shock Tai got when the eighth Digidestined turned out to be his own little sister - after all that searching too, she was right under our noses the whole time.

Tai...

"Sora?" Mimi shaking her shoulder jolted Sora abruptly from her thoughts. The magenta tressed teenager peered curiously into her face. "You coming?"

"Wha-" Sora stumbled on her words for a moment before composing herself enough to answer. "Yeah, sure. Let's go in." She strode into the greasy building, Mimi still gazing curiously after her.

It was such a lovely, sunny day, that they decided to ditch the stuffy interior of the restaurant and eat their lunch in the park. After settling themselves onto a park bench, Mimi confronted her friend, turning to her with a 'don't-give-me-any-lies-because-I'll-know-they're-not-true' expression that only she could master etched upon her pretty face.

"Alright, spill. What's the matter? And don't say nothing because I can tell something's bothering you, Sora. You've been acting really weird ever since I arrived in Tokyo."

Sora was taken aback by Mimi's blunt attitude, and for a moment didn't know how to answer such a question.

"What do you mean?" She asked impotently, stalling for time as she searched for something else to say. Mimi only watched her harder, concern evident in her sparkling hazel eyes.

"You know exactly what I mean, Sora. Stop stalling for time and tell me what's the matter." Her voice was not unkind, but threads of worry were plainly patent in her tone.

Sora's eyes slid away from her friend's face. How could she explain to Mimi what she didn't really understand herself? Subconsciously she stared across the park, through the trees to the line of stores on the other side. In the centre of these was a tiny shop with 'Sports 4 All' engraved in the wall above it and various soccer accessories in the window display. Mimi followed her gaze, eyebrows shooting up into an expression of pained comprehension. How could she have been so blind? She knew about that store, and how Tai and Sora used to spend hours in there, poring over the latest soccer equipment. Back when Sora still played soccer. Back when Tai was still alive. The pink haired teenager turned back to her companion.

"You really miss him, don't you?" Sora looked startled for a moment, then nodded. Mimi shifted her seat and sat back on the bench. "I do too."

"It's just...I just..." Sora began, burger still clasped uneaten in her hand, all thoughts of food driven from her jumbled mind. She glanced up into Mimi's quizzical eyes. "I just feel like we could have done something. Something to help, maybe even...." She trailed off; unshed tears stinging the backs of her eyes. Mimi made no attempt to butt in, and gulping, Sora continued apace, scared that if she stopped then her feelings would be left to fester inside her forever. "I mean, we're the Digidestined. We have all this power inside us, and what good did it do? We've saved this entire planet and the Digital World countless times, but we couldn't save one person from.... from...." She stopped, too choked with emotion to carry on. Sora bent forward over her rapidly cooling food, and Mimi leaned across to rub her back comfortingly. The perturbed girl forced back stinging tears threatening to leak from her eyes. Tears were a sign of weakness, and Sora wasn't weak. All her life she'd made it her mission to show that she wasn't weak. Gradually the sensation of being burned from within subsided, and she sat up, eyes a little puffy, but otherwise dry. "Thanks, Mimi."

"Don't mention it." Mimi threw the chestnut haired girl beside her a curious look. "There was nothing you could have done you know. There was nothing any of us could have done."

"I guess," Sora conceded. "But I just don't want to write off Tai's death as 'one-of-those-things', like you hear on the news. He was real, not some person whose picture you see on a TV screen after they're gone. Half the people in the world don't know what he did for them. How much he sacrificed. His death can't mean so little, can it Mimi?" She gazed questioningly at her comrade through sad hazel eyes. "Can it?"

"No, Sora." Mimi replied, giving her the answer she was looking for. "It doesn't."

They sat in silence for a moment. Neither looked at nor spoke to the other, each lost in their own train of thoughts and memories. Mimi glanced at her friend, who simply stared unseeingly at the mass of congealing food in her hands. The pink haired teenager felt slightly guilty. She'd been in Tokyo nearly a week and never even noticed how depressed and pensive Sora was - and she was supposed to be her friend! She knew that Sora had cared deeply for Tai, probably more than she would ever realize. As a child Mimi's spoilt and arrogant attitude hadn't helped her win any friends, so she couldn't comprehend what it was like to know someone for so long and then suddenly not have them around any more. True, she had friends now - good friends, the kind many would kill to have - but somehow she felt she was missing the unspoken understanding that comes from growing up side by side with somebody. The kind of once in a lifetime bond that Sora and Tai had shared. No wonder Sora was feeling confused without him around. Especially so close to the time he died.

Sora, oblivious to her companion's contemplations, simply became lost in the maelstroms that were her own. She wasn't used to opening up to anyone like this, at least not any more. She'd always told Tai about her troubles, but since he died she'd become secretive, not allowing anyone to pry into her carefully guarded feelings lest they hurt her again. Her heart couldn't withstand another break.

A cyclist flew past, closely followed by another. They were laughing, enjoying the drunken happiness that seemed to fill the warm day. Sora didn't even notice as a piece of paper, swept up in their draught, caught against her leg. Her hazel eyes continued to stare vacantly at the coagulating mess slowly dripping through her fingers.

Suddenly, a pair of arms slid around her waist from behind, bringing her sharply back to reality. Someone's breath blew softly on her cheek, and a familiar husky voice whispered gently into her ear.

"Hey there, beautiful."

"Hey, Matt." Sora twisted round to look into a pair of piercing blue eyes. Matt Ishsida smiled, causing the skin around his eyes to wrinkle slightly. "Me and Mimi were just talking. Wanna join us?" Sora added non-commitedly. The blonde haired boy looked up, as if noticing Mimi for this first time. He nodded at her in greeting, not releasing his embrace from around Sora's waist.

"Hey, Mimi. Long time no see. How've you been?"

"Oh, fine." Mimi replied, false cheerfulness filling her tinkling voice. "Sit down, Matt. You're not in the army, you know."

Matt laughed and sat down on the end of the bench next to Sora, glancing dubiously at her now cold burger.

"You gonna eat that, or stare at it all day?"

"Wha-" Sora seemed confused for a moment, and then realised what he was referring to. She gave a half-smile, carefully wrapped the unappetising item back in its packaging and replaced it in the paper bag it had come in. She sighed sadly. Matt shot a questioning look over her chestnut head at Mimi. The star spangled girl mouthed 'Tai' at him, then discreetly pointed at her friend. Matt's mouth formed a little 'O' of understanding, and he transferred his attention back to the morose girl sitting next to him.

"Are you OK, Sora?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Matt."

Silence for a moment, as both Matt and Mimi quested through their minds to find something to talk about which wouldn't upset their friend. It wasn't that they didn't care about Tai, they both missed him just as much as Sora did, it was just that the sight of her so disconsolate unsettled them, and they felt the need to remove any unhappiness from her heart.

Sora herself enjoyed the quiescence surrounding them. It gave her time to think. Upon Matt's arrival she had begun to feel that warm, glowy feeling that always accompanied his presence spreading through her. It was this strange and pleasant sensation that had initially attracted her to Matt in the first place. His icy blue eyes had a penetrating quality about them, as if just by looking at you he could see right down into your soul and read all your deepest, darkest secrets. Usually Sora enjoyed gazing into his seemingly fathomless eyes, but for a while now she'd felt that something was missing. Something that warmed her heart in a place that Matt's cerulean stare and singular smile could never reach. That cold, dead part of her that refused to thaw no matter how much love and compassion it was bombarded with. Matt's eyes could only see so far. Sora's soul alone knew what her tender embraces and soft kisses hid. Strange. This apathetic part of her had only emerged when....

"Hey, Sora, is that new?" Sora jerked her head up, surprised as Matt's voice sliced through the comforting silence. She looked down at her T-Shirt.

"Yep!" Mimi replied for her, grateful to the teenage boy for breaking what was - for her - an uncomfortable silence. She smiled broadly. "I picked it out. Pretty good choice, don't you think?"

"I sure do." Matt agreed. "But then again, I'd think anything looks good on you, Sora."

Mimi giggled, then brought one delicate wrist up to her elfin face. "Oh my gosh, is that the time? We'd better get going, Sora. We're wasting valuable shopping time." She jumped to her feet, smoothing down her fashionable white skirt as she did so. Slowly, Sora rose to stand beside her.

"You wanna come with us, Matt?" Mimi asked the still-seated boy. He shook his head, causing his blonde hair to wave slightly and brush against his neck. Several girls nearby shot him appreciative glance, but Matt had long since learned to ignore this kind of attention.

"No thanks." He replied. "I hate shopping - unless its for a new guitar."

"You and me both." Sora added, finally leaving the sombre state that had struck her when she sat down. Mimi and Matt both grinned at the reappearance of the Sora they knew. These minor funks were nothing new, and it was a well-known fact that given time Sora always shook them off and returned to her normal happy self.

Only Sora's soul knew the truth.

"Now, Mimi, I have only one request before we start out." She said, mock seriously.

"And what might that be?" The teenage girl shot back, matching her friend's tone exactly, but with repressed laughter bubbling clearly beneath the surface.

"No more clothes stores!"

Mimi pulled a face. "Aw, you're no fun!" She pouted, jutting out her bottom lip like a child deprived if its favourite toy. Suddenly, an idea hit her, and this psuedo-mournful expression vanished in favour of one composed completely of delight and excitement at her own cleverness. "Hey, Matt. I'm staying over at Sora's tonight. Why don't you come over and hang out for a while. It'll be fun." She gazed expectantly at him.

"Well, if Sora doesn't mind...." Matt began.

"Of course she doesn't mind, do you Sora?" It was a rhetorical question, but Sora answered anyway.

"No, I'd love for you to come over, Matt. You know you're always welcome, and since Mimi's here it'll be just like old times." Except several members of their party would be absent, one of them permanently....

"Then it's all settled." Mimi stated triumphantly. "We'll see you at about eight, OK?"

"Sure." Matt said simply. He knew it was no use arguing when Mimi was around. If she got something into her head then it was nigh on impossible to dissuade her from it. The blonde boy watched with amusement as Mimi grabbed Sora's hand and marched purposefully off, dragging her friend unceremoniously behind her. He followed them with his sapphire eyes until they left the park, and his sight. Then he leaned back and craned his neck to stare up into the cloudless sky. It was much too beautiful a day to feel anything except happiness, but all the same, Matt couldn't help worrying about a certain chestnut haired girl.

Sora had changed a lot in the past year. Helplessly, Matt had watched as she drew further and further into herself. He couldn't blame her really. He missed Tai too. Despite their initial animosity, after their adventures in the Digital World the two boys had become firm friends, always there to help each other no matter what the problem was. Matt smiled sadly as he recalled how he and Garurumon had been forced to attack Tai's other best friend, Agumon, when he was captured by the Digimon Emperor. That had been so long ago, and so much had happened since then, but the teenage boy still recalled how Tai had looked when telling them to attack his Digimon partner. Hazel eyes so filled with pain and the knowledge that he was betraying his friend, despite the good cause his actions were in aid of. But that was Tai. Always ready to make the tough decisions nobody else was willing to deal with. The leadership skills he'd acquired when they first went to the Digital World had never truly left him, and he knew what was best for other people even if it meant he got hurt in the process.

Matt felt the loss of his friend acutely. A year wasn't nearly enough to grieve over someone you'd been through so much with. Who else could understand quite how it felt to face off against Apocalymon? Or worry about a younger sibling in a strange and foreign world? Fretting about their safety, watching them grow up, and then finally realising that despite all your good intentions, they didn't need your help any more. He sighed. Nobody, he silently answered himself. Nobody except Tai....

A single, solitary bird twittered in a nearby tree. It tipped its head to the side for a moment, listening for a reply. Deciding there was none, it leapt from the verdant braches of its leafy perch and soared away on a thermal. Matt watched it go, then mutely rose from the wooden bench. Casting a last look around, he made his way out of the park.

Only a sad soul knows the truth behind a false smile.
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AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, what did you think? Please be gentle, I spent a lot of time on this and it IS my first proper fic and all. I wasn't sure when I submitted this one - it just didn't seem as good as the last - and considered putting up the next part with it, but that would involve putting up several more pages and I thought that perhaps this one was long enough already. Maybe U think differently? If so, pleeeeease let me know. If U think I should discontinue writing this then let me know about that too. All C&C is welcome, and I mean ALL! I have several more chapters waiting in the wings if NE1 is interested, and my brain is positively bubbling over with ideas, but if nobody fancies reading then I completely understand. Just let me know, K?

Ta.

Scribbler : D