The Problem with Friendship

by Angel Baby1

Added 52902: Chapter 14Final Chapter The end approaches. All of the Digidestined's efforts have come to this final confrontation. But will they be able to bring Deity Friendship back, or is he lost to them forever? And who is Naisamon?

8. Chapter Seven

AN: Ok, so it's been, what? Forever? Ok, so it's taken me a long time. I actually have a credible reason this time. Wanna hear it? Yes? Good. My excuse is as follows: The end of 02. Yes, the end of 02 is the reason this took so long. It depressed the living daylights out of me. Matt's in space. Digidestined aren't special. Everyone has a Digimon and a Digivice. I know, it sounds selfish, but I can't help it! My whole story is based on the idea that these eight kids are special, that they're unique. And I mean really, really special, not 'you're individual just like everyone else.' It depressed me. I haven't been able to write. Then, suddenly, I sat down and said to myself, "Well, that's their opinion. They like it that all our beautiful Destined are old and married with kids. They like Yama out in space. They don't like the same couples except for one case. That's their opinion. I am a writer, and I can change the world!" Literally. Now, suddenly, I can write again. ^_^ I'm so pleased! So, here it is, for your viewing enjoyment, The Problem with Friendship, Chapter…hold on, I gotta check. Ah, here it is! Without further adieu…

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Chapter Eight (Technically Seven, but I confused myself with that Chapter 2 A/B thing)

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"This is stupid."

T.K. sighed and went over to where his brother sat by the fire, scowling at the world. "Every single one of us has been over this with you, Matt."

"I don't care. This is still stupid and I hate it."

"You sound like a two year old."

Matt glared at his younger brother. "So? You're not the boss of me. I can sound like a two year old if I want to."

T.K. shrugged and plopped down next to his brother. "Fine. No skin off my nose."

"I hate this."

The younger boy sighed again. "At least you didn't call it stupid. That's progress, right?"

"I hate this stupid thing."

The brothers looked at each other.

T.K. shook his head. "Well, you'd better get over that, because you're going to be like this for a while."

"Maybe, but I don't have to like it."

"No," T.K. admitted, "you don't. But you're going to make things miserable for everyone else."

"So?"

"So," the younger boy continued with patience and maturity lacking in his older brother at the moment, "don't you think it would be a nice thing if you tried to accept your situation with grace and maturity?"

"No."

T.K. blinked. "Why not?"

"Because I don't have to."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Maybe not," Matt affirmed stubbornly, "but I still don't have to if I don't want to."

"But-"

"No."

"You're making things very difficult for everyone with your-"

"No."

"Matt, you're not three!"

"You're right. I was two a few seconds ago."

T.K. stared at him. "You're doing this on purpose." Matt stuck his tongue out at his younger brother. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because I'm feeling spiteful and because I can."

"You weren't like this before the others left to get dinner," T.K. pointed out reasonably.

"No," Matt agreed again. "I wasn't."

"Then why are you acting this way now?"

"Because you're my brother. And as my brother, you have to put up with me. They don't. So I'm whining and complaining now to get it out of my system. I did this exact thing to Gabumon before you started staying back with me. I'm really quiet about it until around dinner time; then I can't take it anymore, so I complain and whine and act extremely immature. That way, when the others come back I won't be pitying myself anymore." T.K. considered that. It made sense. "But until then," Matt declared, "I'm going to do my very best to annoy you. And when we get home, ask Dad. He'll tell you that I'm a master at annoying people when I want to."

T.K. sighed. "Is this supposed to be an upgrade from you never saying anything?"

Suddenly Matt was serious. "I can go back to being silent, if you want," he offered, his voice dropping back into its quiet normality.

T.K. sighed. "No, I was just kidding. You being obnoxious shows that you're comfortable around me, in an odd way. I like it better this way."

A small, gentle smile warmed Matt's face. "I was hoping you'd realize that, little brother."

T.K. returned Matt's smile. "You're still testing me, aren't you?"

"Daily." For a moment the two sat staring at the fire in a compatible quiet. Then Matt asked, quite suddenly, "Can't you take these off?"

T.K. sighed and continued looking at the fire. "No, Matt. I can't. And no one else can."

"But I can barely move with them all on and they're stupid."

"Maybe so, but without them you'll get an infection."

"But they're stupid."

T.K. sighed. Matt was, of course, talking about his bandages. The damage he had sustained during their fight with the Araknamon had been extensive, doubling, even tripling, the amount of wounds some of the other Digidestined had received. His forearms and hands were the worst, demanding roll upon roll of bandaging. The result of this was that Matt's arms were almost completely wrapped in bandages, and he had severe trouble moving his fingers. To add further discomfort, his left forearm had been somehow broken during his personal war with the Araknamon and was in a sling. Because of this he could do no more than arrange the firewood. He was under doctor's orders to stay put as the others gathered wood and food. It had been three days since Matt and the Araknamon leader had their showdown, and by now Matt was not a happy camper. While he put on a good front for the others, T.K. could tell that something was wrong. So he had stayed back with his brother and discovered that Matt wasn't facing some huge moral issue. He just hated being an invalid. It had, however, always been like that. Ever since Matt had gotten a cast in the second grade, he had hated hospitals, doctors, medicine, and especially debilitating items such as casts and bandages. T.K wondered briefly how Matt's bandaging would have gone if the teenager had been conscious to refuse it. The bandages would have gone on, but T.K. doubted Matt would have sat still like a good little boy while it happened. The mental images associated with that train of thought were hilarious, and Matt's brother fought to keep his laugher quelled. Something came crashing trough the bushes and the brothers looked up to see Tai and Kari come arguing from the forest, their Digimon trotting by their sides. An ironic smile quirked Matt's lips.

"Siblings shouldn't fight," he informed the bickering pair.

T.K. had the presence of mind to turn his laugh into a cough. Tai and Kari just sighed.

"We found fish," Kari told them flatly. "I wanted to look for fruit, but no. We had to fish. So we brought fish." The girl looked at her brother. "I hate fishing. We've been doing it for days. Tomorrow we look for fruit."

He glared at her half-heartedly as he surrendered his fish to T.K. "You may hate fishing, Kari, but foraging for food is…is…"

Mimi and Joe came out of the forest, then, and Mimi handed T.K. bushels of produce, chirping, "I love finding fruit!"

Tai wisely decided against finishing his earlier statement.

Soon Izzy and Sora returned to camp baring armfuls of various assorted herbs.

"To add spice to the fish," Sora explained. "Izzy insisted."

"That's ok," Kari replied good-naturedly. "I'm so sick of fish I could puke. Anything to make it better." Though the others silently agreed with her, no one said anything and soon dinner was served. After their meal, the Digidestined once again discussed their next course of action.

"Ok," Tai began. "We're almost there. We're almost to Anamnemon's castle. How much longer, Izzy?"

The boy tapped at his computer. "Half a day," he announced. A murmur of mixed excitement and fear ran through the Digidestined.

"What I think we need to discuss," Tai continued, "is what we should so when we reach her castle. I mean, are we going to sneak in or let her catch us or what?" For a moment no one said anything.

Then, finally, Sora spoke. "I think what we have to do is just go at her with all we've got as soon as we find her. If you think about it, that might be what went wrong with Meloremon. We didn't go in there with the mind to attack. If we're on offence this time, maybe we'll have an easier time." This idea seemed to make Tai uncomfortable.

"While that's a great idea, Sora, and I'd normally agree with you, there are…extenuating circumstances this time. We have to think about…everything and everyone when making a plan." Sora stared at him a moment before realization sunk in. She blushed slightly and looked away.

"Um, right…" she muttered. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"What was wrong with that plan?" Everyone turned to look at Matt, who was staring intently between Sora and Tai. "It was a good idea. Offensive is definitely the way to go with Basic Digimon."

"But," Tai stammered, "but…but isn't the best offense a good defense?" Matt's gaze shifted from Sora to Tai.

"So you just want to wait out here until she gets tired of our games and then react as she throws stuff at us?" he demanded. "Who are you trying to protect, Tai? All of us have seen battle; we aren't going to run away in terror. What's the deal?" Tai gulped.

"Um…well, I just think that maybe…some of us…might not be…ready…for battle at this point in time. We've all been through a lot lately and I just thought that we'd all like a tiny break before facing the next creature that could bring our doom."

"Don't lie, Taichi." The brown-haired leader winced. Matt's voice and demeanor had changed. He was cold again, as cold and detached as he had been that first day. "It's me. You're talking about me and we all know it." Tai was at a loss for words. Matt sighed and rested his forehead on his right arm, which was propped up on his knees again. The left, still in a sling, was resting against the boy's chest. "Make your plans as though I'm not injured," the blond suggested, his voice muffled by his legs. Tai winced again and stared helplessly at the other Digidestined. When his eyes landed on T.K., the younger boy made a shooing motion with his hands and nodded at his older brother, saying without words that he'd handle it. Tai coughed.

"Um…ok. Let's all just…go to sleep now. Right. We'll continue this tomorrow." Slowly the six Digidestined moved away from the brothers to settle down for the night. T.K. moved over to his brother and got comfortable.

"It's my watch first," he informed the silent figure easily. For a while they sat quietly, T.K. staring at the fire and Matt with his head resting on his arm. A slight depression had fallen over the older boy and T.K. was concerned, but he knew Matt would let him know if something was wrong.

"I hate this," he said finally. T.K. blinked.

"What? Being all bandaged up? There's nothing you can do about that, Matt."

"No," the older boy corrected, voice still muffled by his legs, "that's not what I mean. I mean I hate this. Being a burden. So many people suffer because I need this thing or that thing."

"What do you mean?" T.K. prompted gently when his brother fell silent. Matt sighed and lifted his head slightly, resting his chin on his arm and staring at the fire.

"All of you guys suffered because of me for five years, because I moved and you never knew why. Dad suffered because of me in so many ways. I scare him just by breathing wrong. You have no idea how many times he thought I was going to die these past years. He's still afraid I'm going to just drop dead someday and it'll be his fault, because he didn't do enough, didn't read enough, didn't know enough. And Sakura-" Gabumon lurched awake in surprise at the sound of the name. T.K. stared at his brother.

"Who's Sakura?" But Matt wouldn't answer. He was suddenly and irreversibly silent. After a very few moments he mumbled a goodnight and left with Gabumon. The two went out of hearing distance and had a brief but seemingly heated conversation, which Matt appeared to win. Then they came a little closer to the group and settled down for the night.

With more than enough to think about on his watch, T.K. turned back to the fire.

They stared at the castle in awe. It was huge, at least twice the size of Meloremon's.

"That's…really big," Mimi admitted, somehow voicing her awe and her fright at the same time. The other Digidestined all nodded, unable to phrase a response. It was the next morning, and the small group was standing on a hill, half a day's walk from Anamnemon's castle. However, as Izzy had pointed out, if they all ran, they'd be there in less than half the time. Finally Tai sighed.

"We're not going to be able to put this off any longer," he said almost gloomily. "Is everyone ready?" The Digidestined nodded. Their Digimon had already Digivolved earlier and were waiting restlessly for the signal to move in. That sign was given. The Champion Digimon took off in a run towards the castle, their Digidestined catching rides on shoulders, feet, and backs. This left T.K. and Kari in a predicament, as their Digimon were fast, but could offer no ride to the castle. Realizing that he'd have to run, T.K. turned…and found himself facing a hand against a blue-striped white background. He looked up to see Matt, sitting gracefully astride Garurumon, offering a ride.

"I don't care how fast you are," he explained. "Garurumon's faster." Smiling slightly, T.K. took Matt's bandaged hand and, with his help, hauled himself onto the wolf Digimon. Garurumon muttered something about added weight and discomfort. Looking over, T.K. saw Greymon placing Kari next to Tai on his shoulder. When Greymon started running, Kari jerked and began wind milling wildly. Laughing, Tai caught and steadied her. At her sheepish thank you, he laughed harder. She smacked his shoulder and sat, knowing she wouldn't fall off that way. Suddenly T.K. realized that he, Matt, and Garurumon were being left behind. Blinking, he looked at his older brother to find both the boy and the wolf staring at him patiently.

"Why aren't we going anywhere?" Matt smiled slightly.

"Because if Garurumon took off while you were spaced, you'd have fallen off." T.K. blushed.

"Sorry." Matt chuckled lightly and turned to face forward. "They're all way ahead of us now. Won't we be left behind?"

Twining the bandaged fingers of his right hand into Garurumon's fur, Matt called over his should, "Hold on tight, T.K." The boy had only just wrapped his arms around his older brother's waist- being careful to avoid the sling-bound left arm- when Garurumon took off in what T.K. thought was a run. He soon discovered that it was just a trot. After a few seconds, Matt leaned forward slightly. Either this was a command or Garurumon had signaled his Digidestined, because in unison with Matt's leaning the wolf fell into what anyone would call a sprint. Angemon was forced to fly higher in order to get more distance and keep up. Even then they began to loose him. The angel finally sighed and dropped back to fly with Angewomon. T.K. clung wildly to his brother.

I'm going to fall! he thought desperately. Matt and I are both going to fall off and Garurumon will never even know it!

Somehow Matt sensed his brother's predicament, for he called over his shoulder, "Ride with Garurumon." T.K. stared at him.

"What?"

"You're just sitting there," he clarified, "like a bump on a log. Ride with Garurumon. When he moves, move with him. The trip will be easier and more comfortable that way." T.K. thought his brother had gone mad.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "You're not riding with-" But T.K. had to stop. He suddenly realized that Matt was moving with Garurumon. He wasn't just a boy hitching a free ride, like T.K. was. He was an extension of Garurumon, born to sit astride this great wolf and run with speed unknown to any other creature. T.K. felt desperately inadequate.

"Don't rest your weight on him like you're sitting," Matt called back. For a moment T.K. was confused, then he realized his brother was offering advice.

"Then how do I stay on?"

"Tuck your feet back. Move your knees further down and hold yourself in place that way."

"But that's hard!" Matt looked back, slightly surprised.

"Haven't you ever ridden bareback?" T.K. glared at him.

"I'm supposed to have ridden a wolf before?"

"No, I mean, bareback on a horse."

"I've never ridden anyway before."

"Never? Not even a horse?"

"Not even a horse." Matt laughed.

"Well, I'll fix that when we get home. I've got lots." After a few seconds, as T.K. attempted to shift his weight to his knees, Garurumon slowly stopped running and Matt sat back.

"Hmm…" T.K. looked up.

"What's wrong?" Matt and Garurumon were both looking around.

"There's a fallen tree right there," Matt explained. T.K. leaned to look and almost fell off. Matt caught and righted him. "Be careful," he warned.

"What's wrong with a tree being there?" T.K. asked, confused.

"Well, if we can't find a way around, we'll have to jump it."

"So?"

"Sooo…you've never even ridden anything before, and that's a big tree. How're you going to survive the jump?" T.K. winced.

"I'm sorry, Matt." Surprised, the older boy turned to look at his brother.

"Sorry? Why?" T.K. sighed.

"Because if Angemon could carry me, or if I had ever been riding before, you wouldn't be facing this problem. Garurumon could have just leapt over that log and you'd be on your way."

"Hmm…that's not a very positive way to think, is it, T.K.?" The younger boy shook his head miserably, clutching his brother's jacket with helpless resolution. "Garurumon, is being positive sort of like being hopeful?" The wolf growled a chuckle.

"I think it is," he agreed.

"Hmm…ok, then if T.K. isn't positive, he isn't hopeful, is he, Garurumon?" The wolf shook his great head. "Well, then, what can we do to make T.K. positive again?" Garurumon laughed and turned around.

As he trotted a small distance away from the fallen log, T.K. looked around and asked, "What're we doing?"

"Do you know what I missed most when we moved, T.K.?" The boy blinked.

"What?"

"When I moved," Matt explained, not explaining anything. "Do you know what I missed the most?"

T.K. shook his head, then realized Matt couldn't see him and answered, "No. What'd you miss?"

"I missed your hopefulness. No matter what was happening, you were always hopeful and positive. So now that I'm back, it's my duty to keep you positive. Which means…" T.K. gulped.

"Which means?" Matt smiled. Garurumon turned and ran full tilt at the log. Matt began yelling instructions at T.K., which the boy readily obeyed.

"Don't sit back, rest your weight on your knees! When Garurumon jumps, push yourself into an almost standing position. Let go of my jacket and grab some of it on my back. That way you can lean forward. Keep your weight high and centered. When he lands, do not sit back, or you'll be hurting for days. Just try to relax and mimic me. Believe me, I've done far more harrowing jumps that a little bitty old log. Ok, here we go! T.K., get up, get up! Don't sit back!" In a show of immense power, Garurumon exploded over the log and landed lithely on the earth again. Without pausing or missing a beat, he took off into the forest again. Heart pounding, T.K. relaxed the death-grip he had on his brother's jacket very slightly. Matt sighed.

"I missed that." Turning slightly, he grinned wickedly at T.K. "So what did you think?" T.K.'s pale face was answer enough.

"Let's not do that again." Matt smiled. Then his smile widened and became a chuckle, which developed into a full, glorious laugh. T.K. smiled. It was the first time he had heard Matt laugh freely like this. He decided maybe he didn't mind hurtling over gigantic fallen trees, if it was in trade for a laugh from his brother.

The trio eventually broke out of the forest into a small field. This open space was directly in front of the castle. T.K. gaped as he looked around.

"No one else is here! Did they already go in?" Matt and Garurumon did not answer. Instead Matt slid gracefully from his wolf Digimon's back and looked around. T.K. fell off after his brother and stood, dusting himself off. When he looked up, Matt was staring at him oddly.

"What?" he demanded. "I've never dismounted before!" Again Matt laughed. After awhile- during which time Garurumon lied down on the grass, panting lightly, and was stroked and petted thoroughly by Matt- the others arrived.

"What took you so long?" Matt asked easily, scratching behind Garurumon's ear. "We've been here simply ages." T.K.'s jaw dropped with everyone else's.

"But," T.K. stammered, "but we stared after them and we stopped and back-tracked and…and…how did we get here first?"

"That's what I want to know," admitted Tai, helping Kari climb off Greymon's shoulder. "How fast were you running?" Matt looked at Garurumon and they considered.

"I think we've gone twice that fast before, haven't we?" The wolf thought a second.

"Yes," he admitted. "I could have gone faster, probably, but I didn't want to push myself. I had two passengers this time, and I've never done that before." He considered. "I don't think so, anyway. And if I did, you all used to be a lot smaller anyway. It's hard work carrying two teenage boys!" Matt stroked Garurumon's muzzle good-naturedly.

"I'm sure it was, Mr. 'I Can Do Anything'." The wolf grinned. T.K. sputtered.

"That…was only half speed?" Matt nodded.

"About." T.K. couldn't say anything. He just stared at his brother and the calm wolf and sputtered. Finally Sora sighed.

"This is very interesting, you guys, but are we going into that castle or not? All this waiting is killing my nerves!"

"We're all going to die of ulcers," Joe agreed. The eight turned to the castle and began looking for an entrance.

"This was a bad idea," Mimi said again. Everyone sighed, and the sound echoed in the large room. They had found an entrance into the castle about an hour ago and were now exploring the huge abode. So far they hadn't found anything, but there was still one floor left.

"Maybe we should all split up," Tai suggested. "I mean, we don't even know what we're looking for."

"This is true," Izzy agreed. "However, separating would be, at this juncture, detrimental, both to our cause and ourselves. As you have pointed out, Tai, we haven't the slightest indication what we're pursuing. The only way to know when we've located it is to carry on spelunking as an organized faction." Tai sighed.

"Izzy, when you get nervous your words get bigger." The eight Chosen Children and their Digimon continued searching until they had nowhere left to look save the third floor. There was, however, a set of huge doors at the top of the stairs. Confusion rose at this discovery.

"Why are there doors here?" Joe asked, blinking at it. "Why'd someone put a door here?"

"Forget that!" T.K. added. "Who put them here? They're huge! What could they possibly be here for?"

"To keep things out?" Sora suggested.

"Yea," Kari agreed darkly. "Or to keep things in."

"Ohhh…let's leave now!" Though Mimi turned to leave, Palmon (all the Digimon had returned to Rookie form for convenience) caught her and made her stay. "I don't like this!" she wailed. "This whole thing is wrong! Can't we please go now? Please?" The others didn't respond, but they didn't have to. She knew they weren't leaving. The boys gathered at the doors and began heaving against them, attempting to force them open. Matt watched them toil, resting his hand on the broken arm lying pointlessly in its sling, scowling lightly. Finally the doors squeaked open.

"Ok," Tai huffed, "let's go in." Suddenly a bad feeling assailed everyone gathered. Upon stepping in the room, they all froze. They were standing in a forest, staring at a thicket. It was night, and nothing moved in the trees. Not even the wind blew. Finally they saw movement. Something was struggling in the bushes on the other side of the clearing. Two somethings, actually. As though they were in a movie, the scene shifted until they were able to see what was struggling. Everyone gasped. It was Matt and Garurumon. They were trapped in a web, entangled in the hair-fine strings rather than stuck.

"Oh, my God," Matt breathed. They all looked over at him. He and Gabumon were staring at the scene as though transfixed. "That's us. When we went to fight the Araknamon. We were caught before we could find her. But we couldn't see the web then, how can we…?"

What fun would it be if you couldn't see the web?

The voice rang through the room with evil lightheartedness. The Digidestined and their Digimon were all too enthralled to wonder who had spoken. The shadows that were Matt and Gabumon continued fighting in the web.

"We couldn't get out…" Matt spoke as though from a distance, suddenly becoming narrator of the situation. No sound emanated from the scene itself.

"We tried, but we couldn't…then Garurumon had an idea." The Digimon stopped struggling and looked up at his Destined. They spoke, though no one could hear them. "He thought that if he de-Digivolved back to Gabumon, there'd be some play in the web, and I could get out." There was a bright flash of light, and Gabumon took Garurumon's place. For a moment more Matt struggled, then he dropped out of the web and onto the ground. On the way down, his left arm caught in the string again. He fought for a little while, then looked into the forest. "I knew she'd leave if I couldn't get to her…then she'd bring reinforcements, and every one would die. I couldn't let her leave. So I got out of the web." Wrenching his arm violently, Matt pulled it out of the web. It was the wrenching that broke it.

"You did it yourself," someone whispered, awed. "You broke your own arm to get her…" The comment didn't even seem to reach Matt. His eyes had gone vacant when they opened the door. He explained the situation now as though he were telling a story.

"I looked for her in the thicket, but I couldn't find her. Then she got me with a wire." They all saw a thin rope shoot out from a tree to wrap around the throat of the Matt in the dream or vision or memory or whatever it was. Both Matts flinched. "It hurt. And when it started getting tighter, it hurt worse. But it gave me an idea." The other Matt followed the string with his eyes back to the Araknamon. "I figured if it worked once…it would work again…right?" He grabbed the rope around his neck and pulled. It was solid now for him as well as her. He could see the rope, see it and manipulate it. He pulled at the length suffocating him and it eventually broke. Then, instead of throwing the now invisible and razor sharp string away, he coiled it like a rope. Just as he arranged the last bit of it, the Araknamon threw another lasso at him. He dodged and they began a real-life version of cat and mouse. She would attack him and he would dodge. In the process Matt acquired all the numerous cut he had returned with. The Araknamon could no longer see the rope he manipulated, and never paused to wonder why he was jumping into the same tree over and over again. Matt was once more in the tree. He took each end of the string and dug them into his palm.

"I wanted to be able to see them," he explained dully. Having sufficiently marked the rope, he leapt from the tree again. As he dodged, he began yelling at the Araknamon.

"I asked her to stop. I begged her to go away and leave us alone. I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to. So much had already happened. She could have walked away. But T.K…and Joe, and Kari, and Tai, and Mimi, and Sora, and Izzy…and Gabumon. Gabumon was dying, and she wouldn't let him go. I didn't want to. But she wouldn't leave." The vision-Matt glanced back once more at the invisible web that held his suffocating Digital partner. He had lost too much energy and become Tsunomon again. Soon he would be dead. Matt couldn't let that happen. Maneuvering quickly, he got in next to the Araknamon and slugged her. As only the Digidestined could see, he used his punch to slip the noosed string that had his blood on it over her head and around her neck. She was so furious she didn't notice the slight pressure, and, as she had thrown the cord away earlier, she could no longer see it. Matt jumped into the tree and shouted an insult. Angered beyond anything, she leaped after him. Moving quickly, he dodged her and tied the remaining end of cord onto a higher tree branch. Yet again she did not notice. He leapt from the tree.

"I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to kill her."

The Araknamon flew from the tree after him. Her scream split the silence as her own cord bit into her neck and-

"Stop it!" Mimi screamed, covering her ears with her hands and closing her eyes. "Stop showing us this! Stop, stop, oh, please, stop!" She began sobbing and collapsed onto the ground. Matt's eyes cleared and then they, too, filled with tears.

"I didn't want to…" Matt shut his eyes as the scene around them disappeared. After a moment, during which there was no sound other than Mimi's sobbing, T.K. approached his brother.

"Matt?" he asked tentatively, reaching out and touching the older boy's shoulder. "Are you all right?" The boy shook his head.

"I didn't want to. There wasn't any other way. I didn't want to." T.K. was silent.

"There must have been another way." Matt whirled to face Tai, who had been talking more to himself than to the blond. But Matt didn't care.

"What did you say?" he asked, fury written on every line of his body. Tai looked started.

"I'm sorry, did I say that out loud? I was just thinking that there had to have been a better way than killing her. I wish we all could have been there…" Matt strode over to Tai and got right in the other boy's face.

"Are you saying that I wanted to kill her? That I didn't think nice and long about what I was doing? About the consequences?" Tai stammered a response, surprised at how angry Matt was.

"No, Matt, I just thought that-"

"That what? I should have waited for you guys to come and save me again? That I should have let Gabumon die?" Matt grabbed a handful of Tai's shirt, his eyes flashing in fury. Tai's initial shock was beginning to wear off, to be replaced by an indignant anger.

"Let go of my shirt, Matt." But the other boy didn't hear. He kept talking.

"I knew what I was doing," he insisted, shaking Tai slightly. "I knew what was going to happen when I followed her into that forest. I knew that only one of us would survive."

"Then why did you go?" Tai hissed angrily, grabbing Matt's wrist and wrenching the hand off his shirt.

"I had to! I had to, because if I didn't she'd get help and they'd keep coming back until we were all dead. I couldn't wake up to find one of you dead. I don't ever want to wake up and find someone dead. Never again." Tai blinked.

"Again? What are you talking about?" But once again Matt was talking more to himself than to Tai. He turned away and began pacing.

"I wasn't going to let her kill anyone. I had to stop her. Anyway I could, I had to stop her. So I did." He whirled on Tai again. "You would have done just what I did if you had to! Any of you, you would have killed her, too. Wouldn't you?" No one could answer him. "Wouldn't you?" Suddenly T.K. understood. Matt wasn't trying to explain things, he was asking them to forgive him. He knew what he had done was a bad thing, at least by his standards, and he needed to know that they all understood. He needed to know that they didn't hate him. T.K. opened his mouth to respond, but Sora answered first.

"None of us were in that predicament, Matt. We can't say how we would have reacted. Maybe we would have done just exactly what you did. But maybe…I don't know, maybe there was a less brutal way to go about it." Matt deflated.

"I didn't have a choice," he murmured, more to himself then to Sora. Sorrow and despair filled his eye and slumped his shoulders. "I didn't have a choice."

"There is always a choice. Isn't that right, my little Digidestined?" The Chosen Children looked around the room. That voice sounded vaguely familiar. But where had they heard it? Izzy was the first to put two and two together.

"Hey, it's that voice from earlier! The one that said it would be more fun if we could see the web!" The voice laughed cruelly, shrilly.

"The boy is a genius!" Darkness materialized from the four corners of the room to form a shape. It was again female, looking strikingly like Meloremon. However, her hair bled dark blue rather than red, and her eyes were the color of tainted silver. The cloth that fell to form her clothing was a dark, monotone black. Her wicked fangs were revealed in a small, mocking smile. "Hello, Digidestined! My name is Anamnemon, and I'm going to do worse than kill you! 'What's worse than death', you ask?" The Digimon smiled. "I am, for one." She gave a little bow. "I am the Basic Digimon of Oblivion, here to warp your memories until you beg to forget. Then I will kill you." She paused to consider. "Slowly."

"What was my choice, Anamnemon?" Surprised, the Digimon turned to stare at Matt.

"Excuse me?" The boy tilted his head slightly.

"You said earlier that I had another choice; that I didn't have to kill the Araknamon. What was my other choice?" She grinned cruelly.

"You could have let her go. Or you could have just hurt her, as a warning, and let her live."

"And what would have happened if I had?" The Digimon sighed melodramatically.

"I am not an oracle. I cannot tell the future."

"But you can say what probably would have happened, can't you?"

"Of course!"

"Then what would probably have happened?"

"She would have left you alone." Matt stared at her, face paling. "Yes, it is sad. That poor Digimon probably would have gone on her merry way and never bothered you again." At Matt's expression, Anamnemon's unholy laugher filled the chamber. "Ah, how I love to pull the fragile strings of a mortal's sanity! Let me tell you this, Digidestined: Everything I say is a lie." She paused again to consider. "But, then, my statement is the truth, which makes it a lie, which makes it the truth, which-"

"Why are you doing this?" Mimi wailed. "What's the point of talking in circles?" The Digimon snorted.

"You have room to ask, at least I shut up occasionally." Mimi blushed.

"That's not nice!" Anamnemon turned to T.K. and grinned.

"Who said I wanted to be nice? I want to kill you. Do you want to die yet? Can I kill you?"

"No, I don't want to die!"

"Aw, nuts."

"You're just a-"

"T.K., don't." The boy turned to look at his brother. Matt was watching Anamnemon intently.

"Why not, Matt? She can't do anything but show us our memories, and I haven't done anything wrong."

"That's not all she does." T.K. blinked.

"What else is there to memories?"

"She-"

"Oh, no, no!" Anamnemon interrupted. "Don't tell him, Yamato! Let me show him!" The room blurred and became a small, dark bedroom. A tiny boy sat up in the bed, clutching a teddy bear. Something smashed against one of his walls and the boy winced. Whimpering gently, the little boy pulled his blankets up around himself. Another bang was followed by muffled shouts. The little boy heard his door squeak open.

"T.K.?" Another tiny figure was standing there, silhouetted against the doorframe. The little boy sitting up in his bed stretched out his arms to his older brother. The figure entered the room completely, eased the door shut, and crawled up into his little brother's bed.

"It's ok, T.K." The smaller boy clung to the older, wiser figure sitting next to him.

"Matt, what's going on?" Once again something smashed against the wall.

"Nothing, T.K."

"Are Mommy and Daddy fighting again?"

"Yes, T.K. They are."

"Why?"

"Because they're grown-ups. And sometimes grown-ups fight." T.K. pressed his face into Matt's nightshirt, and the older boy surrounded his brother in a hug.

"I hate it when they fight!"

"Hate is a very grown-up word, T.K. Mommy and Daddy hate. Do you really wanna be like that?"

"No, Matt. But I'm all angry inside! I dunno what to do…"

"It's ok, T.K. You've still got me, and as long as you've got me, everything will be fine."

"D'ya promise, Matt?"

"Yup."

"Promise forever?"

"Forever and ever." T.K. sighed happily and allowed his older brother to tuck them both under the blanket.

"You gonna stay in here with me?"

"No. I'm goin' back to my room in a bit, but I wanna make sure you go to sleep first."

"Thanks, Matt!"

"Shh, Mommy and Daddy might hear."

"Oops…sorry."

"S'ok." T.K. held his brother's hand until sleep began seeping over him. Then he let go and rolled over. As he turned, his hand brushed Matt's cheek. It came away wet. Confused, he sat up.

"Matt, there's something wet and sticky on your face. What happened?" The young Matt wiped his younger brother's hand on his own nightshirt.

"It's nothing, T.K. Just a grown-up thing."

"But you're not a grown-up yet, are you, Matt?"

"No, but Daddy is."

"So?"

"So nothing, T.K. Go to sleep." T.K. yawned and curled into a ball under his blankets. After a few moments, he felt his brother leave the bed. The door creaked open. Now, years and years later, T.K. saw the tiny Matt silhouetted against the doorframe looking back at his younger, sleeping, oblivious brother. A thin line of blood ran from a shallow cut on Matt's cheek.

"Don't worry, T.K.," the young boy whispered. "I'll protect you."

"Love you, Matt."

"Love you, too, T.K." The door creaked closed.

Anamnemon sighed falsely.

"Isn't that just sickeningly sweet, Takeru? That your brother protected you like that…" Silent tears slid down T.K.'s face. He had never realized…Of course later, when their father had started going to AA meetings, he could guess, but he never realized how early it had started. Why hadn't he realized? Why didn't he guess? How could he have let Matt face that all on his own? It hurt to think of all that tiny, sweet figure of a boy had been through.

"Do you like that memory, Takeru?" The blond, staring at the ground as tears slipped unchecked down his cheeks, shook his head. "Do you want to live with it…just as it is…forever? Feel the guilt…the pain little Matt must have felt…and you weren't there for him. How could you?" T.K. chocked on a sob. "That poor little boy…how can you live with yourself? Don't you wish you could forget what you've done?" T.K. was ready to nod, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and wrenched him around. The boy found himself staring into eyes a mirror of his own.

"It's ok," Matt said gently. "It's ok, T.K. It never went much farther then small cuts and bruises, and it didn't last long."

"But I could have helped you," the younger boy sobbed, dropping his head. "I could have done something…"

"You did." T.K.'s head snapped up and he stared at his brother.

"What?"

"You did help me. By being innocent and hopeful, you helped me through days I didn't think I was going to make it."

"But-but I-"

"I never blamed you." T.K. wiped away his tears.

"Really?"

"Really." T.K. smiled.

"I thought you must have hated me…" Matt shook his head, smiling gently.

"No, I couldn't hate you because you didn't know something. I didn't want you to know, or I would have told you."

"Thank you. And, Matt?"

"Yes, T.K.?"

"I'm glad it was you who went after the Araknamon." At Matt's baffled expression, T.K. clarified. "If I had gone, I'm not sure I could have been strong enough to do what you did. I wouldn't have been able to put everyone else above myself like that. You did a good thing." Matt smiled.

"Yea?"

"Definitely."

"Thanks, T.K. I really needed to hear someone say that."

"I know."

"Now, hold on just a second!" Everyone turned to find Anamnemon glaring at the brothers. "What the hell just happened here?" Matt cocked his trademark half-grin.

"We've figured you out, Anamnemon."

"What?"

"Yea," T.K. agreed. "All you do is bring forward our worst memories and duplicate the terrible feelings associated with them. You manipulate our feelings and intensify them to the point that we feel like the only thing for us to do is die. If someone can help us overcome those feelings…"

"We can regain our sanity and overcome you," Matt finished. Anamnemon pouted.

"Oh, drat! You've found me out. However." The Digimon grinned crookedly and the room shifted again. Now it was an unfamiliar schoolyard. "How can people help you if I throw you too far into depression and self-loathing for them to save?" The Digidestined looked around in confusion.

"How is this supposed to be depressing?" Joe asked, perplexed. "None of us even know where this is!" Anamnemon laughed and the room echoed her unholy merriment.

"Oh, but one of you does! Look! All ready my illusion-memory has caught him in its grasp." They all turned slightly and saw Matt staring at the building.

"My school," he murmured, his eyes vacant. "This is my school…" The scene shifted again and suddenly they were all next to a row of lockers. The last remaining open locker snapped shut to reveal a much younger Matt, stuffing books into an old backpack. A horde of boys spilled into the halls and surrounded him.

"Hey there, Yamato," one sneered. "What's up?" Matt continued filling his bag. After a moment he zipped it shut. He heaved it onto his back and walked out of the circle, completely ignoring the boys as they taunted and teased him.

"Hey!" one of them yelled after him as he left. "Why don't you ever defend yourself? If you did just once, we'd leave you alone forever." Matt paused briefly, but resumed his walk without saying anything. He left the school building and walked through a crowd of girls, who giggled and whispered about him as he walked away. While he waited for his dad to come pick him up, a feminine voice called out behind him.

"Hey, Yamato! Yamato Ishida! Wait up!" Though the boy was obviously going nowhere, he bit back his sarcasm and didn't reply. A girl ran up and panted beside him. Finally she caught her breath and smiled at him.

"Hi!" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was in a few of his classes, so he had seen her before. She was slightly shorter than him, with long, light brown hair that fell unchecked by ribbons or clips to her elbows. Her eyes were a warm brown, sparkling kindly in the afternoon sun. Even in her school uniform she was obviously beautiful. Matt wondered briefly why she was talking to him. Although he wanted to, he couldn't look away from her warm, enchanting eyes. "I've seen you around school a lot," she explained, tilting her head slightly, "and I've noticed that you don't have any friends." Finally Matt was able to look away and he stared straight ahead. But he responded.

"So?" She clapped her hands.

"Oh, good! You can speak!" Startled, he turned to stare at her. She gasped happily. "Wow, you're cute!" Abashed, Matt made no response but felt, to his utter horror, a blush warm his cheeks. "Anyway," she began again, "I think it's sad that you don't have any friends, so I've decided to do something about it!" One of his perfect eyebrows arched very slightly.

"What, did you start a 'Save Yamato from Himself' campaign?" She laughed.

"No, silly! I'm going to be your friend." Matt was floored.

"You're going to…what? You don't even know me."

"No," she agreed, "but I will." Watching the scene unfold, Matt felt a small smile curve his lips.

"Now introduce yourself," he murmured, though he was not heard by the two in the illusion-dream.

The girl gave him a huge, warm smile and stuck out her hand. "My name's Sakura! I'm very glad to meet you!" T.K. gasped.

"So that's Sakura!" Suddenly the scene shifted. They were all back in the hallways of the school. After a few moments the younger Matt came striding around a corner. A light, annoyed scowl creased his forehead. Barely a second later, Sakura walked around the corner after him, talking about nothing and everything at the same time. School was over and the hallways were clear. Matt stopped suddenly as Sakura began talking at him about her father's business.

"You been following me for the past week, talking non-stop without caring that I'm not interested or listening. What's the deal?" Sakura just smiled good-naturedly.

"That." He blinked at her.

"What?"

"You just spoke to me. That's the deal. It's progress!" He sighed and shook his head, his face once again slipping into its mask of neutrality.

"I don't know why you're so obsessed with being my friend, but if you don't find a way to go about it without attracting so much attention and being so loud, I'm going to request that my father transfer me to another school."

"Aha!" Sakura proclaimed triumphantly. "You're annoyed! And that means you can feel emotions!" Matt sighed, defeated, and turned to leave the school. Sakura followed him silently. Upon reaching the doors, Matt held one open for Sakura. When she beamed, he sighed again, shaking his head, and followed her out of the school.

Scenes flashed by quickly after that, showing the pair as Sakura slowly but surely wheedled her way into Matt's affections. There was a short flash that showed Matt leading Sakura to the small, secluded area of the forest where he spent most of his free time. She asked why he had decided to bring her there and he smiled gently.

"If you ever need to find me, I just wanted you to know where I'll probably be." Sakura stared at him. He blinked, confused. "What?"

"You smiled…that's the first time I've ever seen you smile." He looked startled and his face became neutral again. Sakura shook her head and smiled warmly at him. "You're face is so cold now. I wish I knew why you keep trying to distance yourself from me. What's the harm in smiling? You're so handsome when you do." Matt turned and began walking into the forest again.

"I don't want you to like me, Sakura. If my father ever decides to move us back home, you'd be hurt. I know what it feels like to want to see someone so badly you feel like you're going insane. I don't want you to go through that, too." The girl laughed and skipped to catch up with him. She laced her arm through his and beamed up at the surprised boy.

"I don't mind, Yamato. Really I don't. I like likeing you. It's a challenge! And if you ever move, we can write letters and I can visit you! Plus, we'll be going to high school soon. I'll just take the entrance exam to wherever you're going! That way I won't have to miss you for very long, right?" For a moment he just stared at her, hanging on his arm like she belonged there. At that exact instant in time, he realized that he didn't mind her handing around. The way she walked next to him, holding his arm and beaming up at him, seemed right and natural.

"Sakura, may I ask a favor of you?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure, Yamato! Anything you want." He smiled warmly down at her.

"Would you please call me Matt? It's what my friends used to call me…I like it better than Yamato." She giggled and buried her face in his bicep, blushing slightly.

"Of course, Matt. I'd love to." His smile broadened slightly. He stuck his hands in his pockets so she had a loop to hold on to and they went strolling amiably along the path.

The forest disappeared and the scene shifted. It was winter now. A cold, dismal rain fell outside the cafeteria window. Sakura was just gathering her lunch tray and heading towards the table where she and Matt sat. On her way past, a group of girls called out to her and she turned, smiling.

"Hi!" They looked at her, then at each other, and began giggling. Sakura blinked. "What's the matter?" They giggled again and annoyance began building in Sakura. "Look, do you have something to say, or can I go?" The girls giggled, but one spoke.

"You eat with Ice, right?" Sakura blinked. Ice? Then she remembered. Ice was the school's official nickname for Matt. He was cold as ice, and spoke about as much. Now Sakura's annoyance showed on her face.

"No," she replied curtly. "I do not eat with Ice. I eat with Yamato." The girls giggled and Sakura stuffed down an irritated sigh. She shifted her weight onto her other hip, scowling lightly. It was a table of groupies! Recently Matt had been slightly more animated and vocal than usual. Sakura was bit by bit tearing his barrier down, and he was acting out a tiny, itsy bit more in school. It wasn't much, but it must have been enough. Already some of the girls in school had figured out that he was gorgeous and sat at a table giggling over him. "What do you want?" Sakura asked flatly. The girls traded looks.

"You ask her," one prompted.

"No, you."

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"I'm leaving now." Sakura turned to walk away, but the girls called out for her again. She turned and stared at them, mimicking Matt's blank expression as best she could. It wasn't perfect, but it worked well enough. The girls squirmed. "What do you want?"

"Well," one of them- a beautiful blond- began, "we were just wondering…you spend a lot of time with Ice, right?" Sakura decided against correcting his name again.

"Yes, we hang out some. Why?"

"Well…" She blushed and looked at her friends. They all began giggling again. "We were just wondering…what's it like?" Sakura blinked.

"What's what like? Hanging out with him? Quiet." The girls giggled again and Sakura considered shoving her tray down any one of their throats.

"No…" another corrected, giggling stupidly. "What's it like to…you know…kiss him?" Sakura stared at her. "I mean, you know. He's just…well, he's gorgeous. There isn't another one that cute in the whole school, but he never says anything. What's it like to kiss him?" Sakura stared a bit longer before shaking her head in disbelief.

"What?" one of the girls demanded.

"I don't hang out with him because he's cute or because he's a good kisser. I hang out with him because he's the single coolest person I have ever met. He's kind, and compassionate, and understanding, and- oh, why am I telling you this? You probably don't understand any of it. You're too bubble-headed." Turning on her heal, Sakura marched over to where Matt sat, peacefully eating his lunch. She sat down with a flourish and a sigh. He looked up at her.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked quietly. He voice was always so soft at school, even in the cafeteria. She leaned forward to hear him and sighed again, frustrated.

"Everyone in this school thinks you're stupid or something. That you can't hear them just because you choose not to speak. They've never paused to wonder why you never say anything. And they'd never understand this war you're having with your dad." Matt stiffened.

"I don't want them to know. I wouldn't have told you if you hadn't witnessed my father and I interact last week." She sighed once more.

"I still don't understand that. But it's not really my place to pry, so I won't."

"Why'd you stand up for me?" he asked again quietly. "You could have just told them the truth, lied, anything. You didn't have to alienate them like that." She stared at him.

"You've been reading big fat books again," she accused. He arched an eyebrow, and she saw his hidden smile.

"What was I supposed to do? You've already requested several times that I not stay out late at night when it's raining, and as I have bored of that particular lecture, I had nothing else to do. The dictionary is a very interesting read, by the way." She laughed.

"That's very funny."

"So why'd you do it?" Once again she sighed.

"You aren't going to let that lie, are you?"

"No."

"Fine. I did it because…because…you don't deserve the rep you've got here. You're just a thing to them, an unfeeling block of ice, and I hate it. I might not know you well, but I've known you for a while. You aren't unfeeling, you're just protecting yourself. And I hate it when they try to act like you're just something to stare at, just a piece of eye-candy." He arched his eyebrow again at the term.

"Eye-candy?"

"A handsome boy who isn't worth much more than staring at," she explained.

"Ah. Is that all?" She considered.

"And I hate the name Ice." If they hadn't been in the cafeteria, if they hadn't been in the school, she knew he would have laughed. She settled for the stuffed down smile that almost graced his face. A clap of thunder roared suddenly and everyone in the room save Matt jumped. He just looked out the window and sighed.

"I hate it when it rains on Fridays. My father can't pick me up on Fridays and I have to walk home." He shivered and turned to scowl lightly at Sakura. "I hate walking in the rain. It's so cold." She grinned wickedly and they both dug into their lunches.

The scene shifted again. The duo was sitting at a table, glaring at each other. It was a contest of wills. No one understood what was going on. Through all the flashes, all the memories, Matt had never glared at Sakura. But he was now.

"It's our first fight." Startled, the other Digidestined remembered suddenly that they weren't at a movie. These were Yamato Ishida's personal, private memories, and they were watching them without his consent. Though everyone was slightly unnerved by this thought, they continued watching. The Matt whose memories they were watching said again, "It's our first fight. Our first, last, and only. I was getting sick. She didn't know how sick, just that I was. She wanted me to go and tell my dad, so he could get me a doctor's appointment. I didn't want to. She never realized I could be so stubborn…"

Sakura slammed her hands on the table and stood to glare at the boy sitting across from her.

"Matt, this is getting stupid! You're sick. You won't tell me how sick, but it's got to be bad if signs of it are slipping out even at school. It's winter, the coldest, rainiest time of the year, and you spend most of your evenings shivering out in the rain because of some stupid protest. You have a fever. Don't deny it, because I know. You're sweating in a forty-degree room! You can't even talk for long amounts of time because your throat hurts, and you've begun coughing. Those are not signs of a 'normal cold', all right? Just go for a check-up!" Matt's glare intensified.

"No thank you, Sakura," he bit out between clenched teeth. "I'm actually really fine."

"Yamato Ishida!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "You're the most stubborn person on the face of the planet! If you'd just tell him, this'd be over with!"

"What, tell him that I'm sick? Like you told me? Yea, right. Hypocrite." Sakura paled and winced. Matt had recently found out that she herself had a threatening illness, and he was very angry she had kept that information from him.

"Look, Matt, you don't understand. I couldn't tell you. You would have just-"

"Don't tell me what I would have just!" he exclaimed, standing to glare at her eye-to-eye. She blinked.

"Did you just yell at me?" He'd never yelled before. Ever. For any reason.

"Yes! And I'm going to keep yelling at you! Why didn't you tell me, Sakura? I had a right to know!"

"You would never have wanted to be my friend if I told you."

"I didn't want to be your friend in the first place. I didn't come up to you, if you'll recall. You came up to me. You wheedled and pried and poked and did everything you could to learn about me, and I only ever told you anything because I admired your honesty. But I was wrong. I was wrong about you, and you're damn honesty, and probably about the fact that you care about me! I'm just a guinea pig to you, aren't I? You saw me one day and thought, 'Oh, look. Isn't that Ice? I wonder why he's so quiet…I bet I can trick him into confiding in me. Hey, it'll be a challenge!'" Sakura winced.

"I'm sorry, Matt. I never meant to hurt you." Angry tears sprang up in his eyes.

"You're sorry?" he demanded. "Sorry isn't going to cut it this time, Sakura! For as long as I've known you- which is a pretty long time now- you always told me 'be honest, be honest!' but that's all a lot of bull, isn't it? You never cared about me in the least, did you?"

"Of course I did, Matt," Sakura whispered. "Of course I cared about you. Who couldn't? You're kind and brave…braver than I am."

"Bull." She looked up at him, tears slipping down her cheeks. Crystals winked at her from his eyes; unshed tears of betrayal.

"I'm sorry." He turned violently from table and her.

"Don't say it, Sakura! Don't say it, because you're not!"

"But I am."

"You're not, or you never could have kept this from me!"

"I am sorry, Yamato."

"Oh, now I'm Yamato? I'm not even Matt anymore?"

"Matt, I'm sorry."

"Stop it!" He shook his head violently, sending tears glistening away from him. He wiped at his eyes angrily. "I haven't even felt the need to cry for years! Is this what you wanted? To see me totally loose it?" He whirled to face her. Tears slipped gracefully down his cheeks. "There, happy?" Chocking back a sob, he turned away from her again. His shoulders hitched with every sob he fought back.

"Matt, I'm so sorry. Can't you forgive me? Please?" He didn't answer. His shoulders continued to hitch and he covered his mouth with his hands, eyes shut tight. "Matt?" He bent over slightly and she began worrying. "Are you ok?" A tiny cough escaped his tightly clasped hands. It was followed by another and another. They began growing in intensity. "What's wrong?" she asked, afraid. Sakura went to his side and rubbed his back gently. He had stopped holding back the coughs and concentrated instead on breathing as best he could. Matt sank to the floor. His lungs felt paralyzed with the force of the coughs that immobilize his body. After a few tense moments he had regained control of himself, but the breaths he labored in were shallow and raspy. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead to land on the hardwood floor of her living room.

"You're sick," she told him, stroking his back and steadying him. "Too sick to be ignoring it. This isn't going to go away, Matt." He looked at her.

"Yea?" he rasped. "Well neither is yours." Standing, he gathered his coat and left. Sakura thought for a moment after he had gone. Mr. Ishida had sold their house and moved further into the country a few weeks ago, buying a ranch with some horses for Matt. He knew the boy loved riding, and was trying to give him a better life, so he wouldn't be so desperately bored all the time. She hadn't been able to see him much outside of school, so the illness assailing him had intensified without her knowing. Something had to be done, or Matt would go to his grave still insisting, 'I'm fine!' Sighing, Sakura stood and went over to her phone. Picking up the receiver she dialed a cell phone number, the only number she had that would connect her to an Ishida. After two rings, a voice answered.

"Hello?" Sakura took a deep breath.

"Hello, Mr. Ishida? This is Sakura…"

"Oh, hi, Sakura! Is Matt on his way home?"

"Um…yes, sir, but that's not why I called."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"Well…it's about Matt. I think he's sick…really, really sick…"

The scene shifted once more. Matt was glaring again, only now his competition of wills was against his father.

"You're staying in this house," the older man bit out between clenched teeth, "until I can take you to your appointment tomorrow. It's at nine. Then you'll stay here until the doctor says you're better. Understand?" Matt's hands balled into fists by his sides.

"Fine," he hissed, "be that way." Turning on his heel, the boy marched up the stairs to his room and slammed the door shut. Mr. Ishida blinked.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would. I thought I was going to have to tie him down." He sighed and retreated to his room. After a few moments, Mr. Ishida reemerged, sighing yet again. "I just can't leave him mad," he muttered to himself. "I've at least gotta try and explain thing to him." What happened next the Digidestined were actually semi-prepared for. After a few moments of the only two residences of the large house being in Matt's room, the boy came tearing down the stairs, a letter gripped in his hands, followed by his furious father.

"Matt, stop right there!" The boy continued running, heedless of his father. "You can't run away, you'd never make it!" Matt paused at the door.

"Oh yea?" he challenged, opening the door. "Watch me." The door slammed shut and Mr. Ishida sat on the stairs leading to Matt's room, frowning. Then he suddenly straightened and paled.

"Oh, no," he whispered. "He doesn't know…Matt doesn't know about the cliff!" Lurching up from his seat, the adult sprinted out of the house. "Matt, wait! Damn it, why'd there have to be fog tonight? Matt, there's a cliff! Stop running, there's a cliff!" The scene froze just as Mr. Ishida got to the cliff and shifted until the Digidestined could see both the boy and his father. Matt was standing just on the cliff's edge, clutching his letter and swaying slightly in the wind. The scene reanimated and Matt stared dully at his panting father.

"Oh, thank God," he gasped. "Thank God you didn't fall." The boy's eyes were vacant with fever. Mr. Ishida took a step towards his son. The boy clutched his letter to T.K. tighter against his chest and moved a half step closer to the cliff's edge, sending pebbles tumbling over the side. Finally the father realized that his son was irrational with fever. "Matt, come here. I'll take you back home, back to T.K., if you'll just please come here." The blond only blinked uncomprehendingly at his father. "Matt, you're sick! You're very sick and you need to come home now. I'll take care of you, I promise. We'll get you some medicine and then we'll go back to our apartment in the city. You remember the city, right? With T.K. and all those little friends you made at camp? You just have to come over here." A small, tired smile tugged at the corners of Matt's lips. Finally, he'd won. He began lifting one arm to reach out for his father, but even as he did his eyes drooped closed and his knees buckled.

"Matt!" The cry tore from Mr. Ishida's throat as his eldest son dropped over the cliff edge. "Matt!"

The scene froze and shifted. Mr. Ishida hung suspended in mid-air, in the process of propelling himself in a run to get to the cliff. As the scene shifted, the others saw Matt, also suspended, unconscious and plummeting to the ground. It was a huge cliff, as high if not a little higher than the one he had fallen off when the VenomCobrmon had cut the bridge. Only this time, there was no water.

The next scene opened in an emergency room. Two doors swung violently open as paramedics pushed the newest critical case into the room. A paramedic separated from the group as they wheeled the stretcher into the medical room.

"We need every spare person you can get us," she ordered a passing nurse.

"What's the case?" the nurse asked, surprised. It wasn't often they had huge medical emergencies in this part of Japan, even in the ER. The paramedic, a woman in her late twenties, nodded towards the door her comrades had gone into.

"It's a child, male, about twelve or thirteen. He fell off that cliff by the highway." The nurse paled.

"What's his condition?"

"Medically he died about five minutes after we picked him up, but something keeps telling me not to give up." The nurse nodded and went about gathering all the medical personnel she could locate.

As the doctors and nurses operated and worked on Matt, the scene froze. It zoomed in on Matt, lying dead on the table. A fine blue glow, probably unnoticed by the medical personnel in the room, had materialized around the boy. In the present, Matt spoke.

"That's Gabumon. His body is in the space between the two worlds, but his essence and energy came to me. That's why you Digimon couldn't find him in the Digital World. He wasn't there; he was with me, bringing me back to life and keeping me there. It really shocked the doctors."

The scene reanimated and the busy doctors froze, looking at an instrument beeping softly in the background.

"It's a pulse," a doctor murmured, shocked. "He has a pulse. He isn't dead anymore." The paramedic who had refused to give up on the boy shook her head.

"Look, he may not be dead right now, but if we don't get him all fixed up, he will be!" Everyone in the room shot back into motion.

Once again the scene shifted. Matt was lying in a bed, unconscious. He was wrapped in hundreds of bandages. A small red spot began slowly growing on the bandage around his forehead. A passing nurse came in and changed it deftly.

"Well, little Miracle," she said to him, using the nickname the hospital had created in reference to the boy who refused to stay dead, "it looks like you'll be getting a roommate soon. Maybe you should wake up and greet her. What do you think?" He didn't stir in the least and she sighed. "It's ok. When people live through as much as you have, they can sleep all they want. You're cute enough to just lie there and be scenery for her anyway." Chuckling softly, she left the room. When she came back she was pushing a wheelchair with a pretty little girl sitting in it. The nurse situated the girl in the bed across the room from the boy and turned to leave. As she approached the door, she looked over to see the boy lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth. "Good morning! Well, bless my soul. You're awake! The doctors didn't think…you're father will be so thrilled! Let me just go and get him. You sit tight now, all right?" His only reply was a slow, tired blink. The nurse hurried from the room.

"Fancy meeting you here." The boy turned his head slowly to stare at the new occupant of his room. She grinned. "Told you," she said confidently. "Told you you'd end up here." He blinked.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice raspy from under use and sickness. "Do I know you?" The girl on the bed blinked, then grinned again.

"No," she replied, playing along. "I guess you don't. My name's Sakura." He tried saying the name a few times, then turned inward to think, staring at the ceiling again. Sakura blinked. Matt was acting so weird! He was unusually quiet, even for him. There was a new, helpless quality about him, like a lost little boy. She coughed and he looked at her blankly. "And your name is…?" she prompted, wanting to know where his game was going. Maybe he was sorry for the way they had both acted and wanted to start over. Or something. He opened his mouth to reply- still staring at the ceiling- but nothing came out. Puzzled, he closed his mouth and thought. Suddenly he looked over at her, frightened.

"I don't know." Sakura blinked.

"What?" He tried pushing himself into a sitting position but failed. In his fear, he continued trying anyway.

"I don't know! I don't know my name…or how old I am…or anything!" He had successfully pushed and pulled himself halfway up and was beginning to worry Sakura when the doctor and Mr. Ishida came in the room.

"Hi, Matt," Mr. Ishida murmured, sitting next to his son and reaching out to him. The boy drew away, frightened. Mr. Ishida blinked. "Matt, what's the matter?" The boy was trembling.

"Matt?" he questioned. "Is that my name? Matt?" He looked at the doctor. "Who're you? And where am I? What's going on?" The doctor kindly but firmly moved Mr. Ishida away from Matt and began examining the boy.

"My name's Dr. Isu," he said finally as Matt blinked from the strong light that had been shown in his eyes.

"Dr. Inu?" The doctor smiled.

"No, Isu." The boy tried saying this a few times, then looked helplessly at the older man.

"Should I know you?"

"No."

"What's going on?" Dr. Isu sighed.

"You fell off a very large cliff a week ago."

"He did what?" Sakura screeched. The doctor looked at her.

"Ah, Miss Sakura. How are you doing today?"

"Fine, fine, but what'd he fall off?"

"A very large cliff," the doctor repeated, and turned back to Matt. "You were dead there for a while, but we brought you back, with persistence, luck, and the hand of God." The boy stared at him, desperately attempting to understand but failing.

"So why can't I remember anything? I mean, I can remember stuff, just no people or places or names or anything." Dr. Isu sighed.

"Matt-"

"Is that my name?"

"Yes. Yamato Ishida is your full name, but you like being called Matt."

"Oh…why?"

"I don't know, I only just met you."

"Sorry…so why can't I remember anything?"

"Because you took a very bad fall."

"So?"

"So you have amnesia. Do you know what that is?" By the pallor and expression on Matt's face, he understood perfectly.

AN: ^_^ I'm so proud. Look at that lovely cliffhanger! Speaking of cliffs…does everyone understand now why Matt's a little…worried about his illness? It actually wasn't just strep throat. It's a complication of strep throat, like I've been saying. ^_~ Wait, wait. It actually gets worse…review! I've got the new few chapters written, but I'm not gonna post until I have 100 total reviews! (Or until I get tired of waiting for 100 reviews. O_o)

Till next time!

Aloha!

-Angel Baby