Me: Okay, here we go. Sorry this took so long to post up-
Sora: Yeah-like 3 more years!
Me: -but when you have a hectic school schedule, things spiral out of control. I don't own Digimon, nor do I own Creed's song "Inside Us All." For some odd reason, every time I look back at that old Christmas episode from way back when, I get inspiration to write another chapter.
Sora: (grabs me by throat) Quit reminding everyone-especially me-of that stupid episode! I'm sorry it ever happened, and I truly want to accept Tai's offer, but you can't go back in time and change things! (starts crying softly)
Tai: Sora, what's wrong? What'd you do to her?
Me: I didn't do anything, honest!
(Tai narrows his eyes and simply glares)
Me: Wow. That could even one-up Batman, I think. On to the story!
Digimon: The Final Battle
Chapter III-Inside Tai's Heart
"Hey-you ruined my concert!" -Matt Ishida
"Matt, glad to see you're focused." -Tai Kamiya, A Very Digi Christmas
With eyes narrowed into slits, Tai and MetalGreymon flew upward to face the enemy on their terms.
"Ha! You couldn't even beat me when I didn't have these powers! What makes you think you can now?" laughed SkullSatanmon.
"Luck?" Tai retorted, bluffing at the same time. "Get 'em, MetalGreymon!"
"Mega Claw!!" The Ultimate Digimon's cybernetic claw shot out and-
"Ha-you missed! But I won't miss you. Nail Bone!!"
-hit nothing but dead air as SkullSatanmon's attack struck Tai and MetalGreymon in the back, causing both combatants to spiral toward the ground!
"Tai-pull up!" Kari and Sora yelled out.
"Hold on, Tai-Veemon and I are coming in!" Davis added.
"Veemon Digivolve to...EXVEEMON!!!"
"Davis, don't do it!" Tai gasped, but it was too late! Tai and MetalGreymon pulled themselves back up in time to see Davis and ExVeemon fly in.
"You wanna take on a Digimon? Try battling against one who's supposed to be a legend! VeeLaser!!" ExVeemon's attack hit, but SkullSatanmon laughed even harder, as if that attack was completely irrelevant!
"Oh, please! If an Ultimate Digimon had no chance against me, what makes you think a Champion Digimon would fare better?"
"Dumb luck?" Davis replied cynically.
"Davis-this is no time for jokes! Get down here and DNA Digivolve with Ken now!" Yolei yelled as she and the others came in, relieved to see Tai, but amazed to see SkullSatanmon.
"He would, but he just remembered-he has a date with the ground floor. Nail Bone!!" WHACK! Davis and ExVeemon were hit-hard-in the stomach, causing ExVeemon to deDigivolve back into Veemon and sending both of them hurtling to the sandy ground!
Tai held in a gasp as MetalGreymon deDigivolved back into Agumon. If something bad were to happen to Davis, it would be his fault! All because he'd been worried about him, just like the others, if anything had happened to them.
"Davis, LOOK OUT!" Tai yelled, not even acknowledging his glowing Digivice.
"Agumon Warp-Digivolve to...WARGREYMON!!!"
The Mega Digimon flew up and caught Davis and Veemon in time.
"Are you okay?" Yolei and Kari both asked.
"I think I'll live." Davis remarked, not even hiding the blush that appeared on his cheeks. Both girls rolled their eyes in response-Kari with irritation, Yolei with a look in her eyes Davis couldn't quite figure out.
"Now that it's round 2-let's see which one of us is the better Mon!" WarGreymon declared while spinning upward toward the enemy. "Mega Claw!!"
That attack hit, and the Ultimate Digimon staggered back in surprise.
"At least in this form you're more of a challenge. Nail Bone!!"
WarGreymon grunted as he blocked the staff with his claws, then thrusted toward SkullSatanmon's neck. Smirking, the Ultimate vanished, then reappeared behind him!
"Nail Bone!!" WarGreymon grunted again as he was hit, but then he found out he couldn't move!
"Uh-oh. We're in trouble! If WarGreymon can't move, we won't have a chance against this guy." Matt warned. Hiding his cry of anguish, Matt pulled out his Digivice, observing the tiny screen, and reflecting back on what happened so long ago.
"Tai, I'm sorry, man. If I'd just remembered that you'd told me about that crush you said you'd had on Sora since you two were kids, I never would've accepted those stupid cookies! But, even though you gave up your heart, I never really appreciated what you sacrificed until now. If you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I think I could forgive myself." Matt gasped as the screen started glowing a bright bluish color. WarGreymon sighed as he was released from the paralytic hold, and Gabumon started glowing.
"Gabumon Warp-Digivolve to...METALGARURUMON!!!"
Tai turned back toward Matt in astonishment, and offered him a grin. Matt responded in kind.
"What's this? A tag team? Well, just another new Mega for me to clean up!"
"I don't think so! Metal Wolf Claw!!"
"Terra Force!!" The two combined attacks struck SkullSatanmon from either side, and he was deleted almost immediately!
The DigiDestined cheered as both WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon deDigivolved back into Agumon and Gabumon.
"How'd you make Gabumon Digivolve back into Mega, Matt?" Mimi asked, astounded but pleased that it had happened.
"I just had to forgive myself for something, that's all. Tai? I think we need to talk-" Matt stopped when he realized that Tai wasn't there anymore-and this time, he'd left Agumon with them!
"Not again! Where'd he go this time?!"
"Hold on, Matt. I think I know where he's gone to this time." Sora advised, motioning for Birdramon to fly off.
"Wait for me!" Agumon hopped on in time before the Champion Digimon flew off into the
distance.
When I'm all alone and no one else is there waiting by the phone to remind me I'm still here, when shadows paint the scenes, where spotlights used to fall, and I'm left wondering, "Is it really worth it all?"
Chorus: There's a peace inside us all...
Let it be your friend; it will help you carry on in the end...
There's a peace inside us all...
Tai held back his tears as he ran. He'd seen the look of admiration in Sora's eyes a few seconds ago, but they weren't for him-he was sure of that!
"Why would she be impressed by a Mega Digimon who needs help from another Mega Digimon to stop one enemy? Sure, we're supposed to be a team, but there are some things you have to do by yourself!"
Tai finally came to a stop at a place that was very familiar to him-it was Agumon's old territory. Whenever he was mad, depressed or needed comfort-comfort that Agumon could never really give him-only one other person would know where to look.
"Tai! Taichi Kamiya, I know you're in those trees, so come out! We need to talk!"
Tai shuddered to himself. Peering up in the sky, he made out the image of a fiery Bird-like Digimon heading in his direction.
"Sora, your timing is impeccable."
As Tai slowly headed toward Sora, he felt his heart beating at a very fast pace.
Life can hold you down when you're not looking up
Can't you hear the sounds of hearts beating out loud?
"Why?"
Tai eyed Sora with a look of sadness and anger at the same time.
"What do you mean by that?"
Sora groaned deep inside herself before repeating her question.
"Why would you leave us again? You know what happened to the team the last time you left!"
"I had no choice then! It's not like MetalGreymon can suddenly pull himself out of a portal of his own free will. It was either we both go, or I go. Agumon made his choice, so we both went in."
"How much longer until those two finally start with the kissing?" Agumon asked from a safe distance away from his partner.
"About 2-3 minutes, give or take." Biyomon replied.
"And what about this time? You had Kari worried back there, but she never showed it." Sora insisted.
"Kari can take care of herself these days! And what about you? Were you worried about me, or were you too busy being safe and secure in Matt's arms to even realize I was missing-"
Tai felt his head snap back as Sora slapped him, none too gently, on the cheek.
"How can you even ask me that? I ended up leaving Japan to go and find you, have to come back here to hunt you down, send you an e-mail that clearly states that Matt and I broke up and you have the gall to ask me that?"
Tai twisted his head back around piercing Sora with the most heated glare ever. His hands twitched, almost like they wanted to move up, but he willed himself not to.
"I don't know what to think! You send me that e-mail, then when Matt helps me take out SkullSatanmon, you're gawking over at him like he's a home-cooked meal! Just leave me out of your wedding plans-I'd rather read about you marrying him than being forced to go to it." Tai turned and prepared to leave, but Sora stopped him. This time, when he turned around, he saw remorse, sadness and a pleading look in her crimson eyes.
"Please don't leave me again...I know now what I did was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life, but I can't go back in time and change it. I may have given up on you before, but I never stopped loving you. Can you let me back into your life? Having to spend even this short amount of time without you was heartwrenching."
Tai willed himself to break down his walls, showing Sora the pain, the agony and the heartache she'd bestowed upon him. She flinched, but waited for him to speak.
"There was always a piece of myself that continued to love you, even after that incident. I never let anyone in after then, even Kari or Agumon. I especially couldn't let you in, since you'd already given your heart to Matt. What I did to you-hurting you in the nurse's office-was uncalled for, and then apologizing to you but also informing you that I was leaving hurt me as well as you; I just didn't see it. I want you back in my life, no strings attached-just good friends-"
Tai was pulled into a kiss by Sora a few seconds later. His surprise was replaced with happiness, but he couldn't let her see that. Three minutes after that, they pulled apart, Tai replacing his happiness with a look of confusion.
"What-who-when-where-why?"
"Stupid Tai-you forgot 'how?' And, I don't want to be 'just good friends'-at least, not with you."
"I can live with that!" Tai replied.
"Told ya-three minutes!"
"That was more like 4-5 minutes, not 3!"
Tai and Sora laughed while turning to see Biyomon and Agumon fighting about something or other a few meters off.
"Like DigiDestined, like Digimon?" Sora cracked.
"Probably."
Although the names change inside we're all the same
Why can't we tear down the walls and show the scars we're covering?
Chorus: There's a peace inside us all...
Let it be your friend; it will help you carry on in the end...
There's a peace inside us all...
Bridge: There's a peace-oh, there's a peace inside us all
Let it be-oh, I said let it be-let it be your friend
Tai pulled Sora back, enveloping her in another kiss, powerful and as potent as the first had been.
"I love you, Sora. I've never stopped loving you."
Sora felt tears come to her eyes, but this time, she didn't stop them.
"I love you too, Tai. I'm glad you never stopped."
"Can you two quit with the making out and get over here?" Davis cracked, not even hiding his grin. The others had pinpointed Tai and Sora's location and headed over there as quick as possible.
"You hold him, I'll pound him." Tai muttered.
"Deal."
Chorus: There's a peace inside us all...
Let it be your friend; it will help you carry on in the end...
There's a peace inside us all...
There's a peace inside us all...(There's a peace inside us all, inside us all)
(Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...let it be your friend...)
There's a peace inside us all...(instruments continue playing until fade out)
Daemon smiled evilly as he absorbed SkullSatanmon's data, using it to further breach the gate that barred him from the Real World.
"When I get out, you'll all wish you'd given me what I originally came for..."
Now that the DigiDestined have found Tai, what are they going to do against Daemon? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!