Backers~! Thanks to all who reviewed. 'Specially Perkins, the one who kept on reading all my stories and reviewed them ^o^ And also, as I said before, if you haven't read 'I'm Yours To Keep' you might as well or mostly everything will be confusing-not to mention a certain someone will be making an appearance here ^_- *HINT HINT* And yes, unfortunately, Matt has a GF~! T__T It tortured me to just type this u.u And I'm also sorry to inform that there won't really be that much Takari in here as much as there's Taiora. I'm going to try and include most of the Digidestine Children here as much as I can without making it too much x.o If that possibly makes sense at all…NOTE THAT MIMATO AND TAIORA ARE ALL 17!

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Class went by like a total breeze to Matt, and also to the others. Since Matt saw Mimi, he couldn't seem to pay attention to the lectures. He often found himself either staring at her or somewhere into space. When the lunch bell rang, he quickly ran out of class and left to go find Mimi, he found her talking to Sora, Jyou, and the rest of the crew by the trees outside, but before he could get there he was stopped by a very irritated yet hyper Yui.

"And where have you been? Running out on me like that. Yamato Ishida, I swear you just keep going into your little world and leave me!" she exclaimed and dragged him away.

As Yui dragged him off, Mimi suddenly caught glance of Matt and frowned. She glanced at the girl who looked almost like her but had blonde hair instead. Matt looked pretty happy with her, could he have forgotten that she was back?

"Matt, could you hate me so much that you'd fall in love with someone else?" she whispered. Miyako slapped her back.

"Mimi, hey, are you even listening to me?" she asked and everyone else looked at her.

Mimi forced a smile, "Sorry, Miyako. Zoned out there for a second." Everyone else bought it-but Sora, "So what were you saying?"

Miyako blinked, "Oh! Anyway, why didn't you tell us you were coming back? We could've had a party and all."

"That's why I didn't say anything," Mimi replied, "I only called Tai because I knew I could trust him. Gosh, I can't believe how much has changed! But I'm glad I'm in the same school as all of you. I've been the new kid too many times and I'm getting pretty sick of it." Everyone else laughed, "Speaking of who, where is Tai? And Izzy and Matt?" Mimi felt a pang of coldness strike through her when she mentioned his name.

"I saw Tai and Izzy a while ago, they said they just had to get something and they'll head over here," Kari bit a piece of her sandwich, "As for Matt, he was just dragged of by that girlfriend, Yui of his. I'm guessing they're walking around school with their usual groupies."

"Groupies?"

"Yeah," Takeru cut in, "Ever since well, you left, Matt hasn't been acting like himself, first he was all depressed then ticked off at about everyone, then Yui comes along and," he snapped his fingers, "Like that they were a couple. You two look so much alike it's freaky. Well, Matt started to hang out with a bunch of popular people with Yui and he's completely ditched all of us. Even me!" he exclaimed.

Mimi lowered her gaze, "Oh…" Daisuke saw the expression on her face.

"Hey! Forget about Matt and more about me!" Kari shot him a glare, "Or you…Hey, let's have a huge welcome back party! Alright, Mimi! I'll show you how to party, Daisuke style!"

Everyone burst into hysterical laughter, drawing some attention of anonymous students walking along the way. At the corners, hidden behind a tree, oh so un-camouflage like, was Tai. He was staring at Sora who was laughing out loud with her friends. Alright, Kamiya. Here's your chance, Mimi even gave a good word for you and now it's up to you to ask Sora out. C'mon you can do it, let's go! Tai grunted and twitched, I said, Let's go! He thought stretching his arm out all heroic like but his legs seemed to be frozen solid.

"Ahh! What's wrong with me? My legs won't budge!" he fought restlessly with himself. He stopped when he heard a soft laugh behind him.

"Don't hurt yourself, Tai. Sora might have no date at all then," Tai turned around.

"Ha-ha. Izzy, I need help here, whenever I finally get the courage to ask her, my legs seem to freeze up one me!" Tai whined. Izzy couldn't help but laugh at his friend.

"I'm assuming that you will need my utter assistance here, Tai. C'mon, Mimi's been here all day and we haven't even said a word to her!" Izzy said.

Tai clenched his fists and grinned childishly at Izzy, "Izzy, man you are a total Prodigious god!"

Izzy suddenly stopped, "Tai. Prodigious, is my word. Don't use it again." Tai nodded apologetically and both ran to meet their friends.

"'Ey! Tai! Izzy, what took you guys so long?!" Daisuke called out, "Mimi's growing old here-Ow!"

"Daisuke, what am I going to do with you?" sighed Kari.

"Sup, guys? Sorry we're late. Tai, uh, needed help getting his feet straight. Mimi!" Izzy ran to hug his friend, "Haven't see you in a while!"

"Izzy, I missed you so much!" Mimi exclaimed, twirling around her friend.

Izzy stumbled for a while, "Guess you haven't changed."

"Hey, we're having a welcome back party this weekend, you guys coming or what?" Daisuke said.

"Sure. But it has to be on Saturday, my dad, Tai, and I are helping set up at the Winter Carnival-" Mimi gasped and took Izzy by the collar.

"The Winter Carnival's here? Already? Oh no, please tell me you're joking!" Joe tapped her on her shoulder and pointed to the googly-eyed Izzy. Mimi quickly let go of him, "Sor-ry."

"Hey, maybe we could all help out this weekend." Sora suggested, "I have some time and Mimi hasn't been there forever, haven't you?"

Mimi smiled weakly, "Y-yeah…I guess it'd be fun to go there before I go." Miyako gasped.

"GO?! What do you mean, 'GO'?!" she shrieked. Tai looked at Mimi.

"You didn't tell them, Mimi?" Mimi shook her head.

"Mimi? Mimi, aren't you going to stay here for good?" Miyako asked, "C'mon, you're kidding right? Mimi?"

Mimi shook her head, "I'm sorry. I should've told you all-but you just made me feel so happy to be back that I forgot it myself. I'm, I'm leaving in two weeks, right after the carnival."

"So what do you say, Matt?" asked Yui, "Matt?"

Yui had dragged Matt around school, talking to him about completely nothing. Matt knew that she was only doing this so everyone will see them together and go all 'Look how cute they are!'. He hates it when she does this, sometimes he doesn't he remember why he asked her to be his girlfriend in the first place. Maybe because he was just so depressed and Yui was the closest thing he had to Mimi. Mimi, Matt thought, she's finally back. Man, she's even more beautiful than before-No, I can't love her anymore. Not after what she did. He pushed the thought back to his head.

"Matt? Are you even listening to me?!"

"Huh? What, Yui?"

"The Winter Carnival! It's in two weeks we have to go there!" she exclaimed happily, "I hear they have the best fireworks we so have to go!"

"No!" Matt snapped at her. She saw that his once tender eyes were full with rage and she slowly let go of his arm, when he saw what he did he suddenly softened and took her hand.

"I'm sorry, Yui. I didn't mean to yell at you like that…It's just that-I always used to go the carnival with-"

"It's her, isn't it?" Yui glared at the small group of laughing students, in the middle, was Mimi, "I knew something was fishy about that girl the moment she stepped in. Mimi, that's her name isn't it? Your old girlfriend that moved away, the one you told me about."

Matt nodded solemnly, "Y-yeah. That's her." He felt Yui clutched his hand.

"Oh, Matt. Forget about her, she left you. But I'm here now," she smiled, "I love you, Yamato Ishida. Please, just forget about her." She pleaded.

A similar smile crept onto Matt's face, "So," he forced himself to say those words, "W-what about the Winter Carnival? We going or what?" Yui nodded and laughed.

The bell rang, lunch was over. Matt and Yui slowly walked back to class, hand in hand. His gaze slowly wondered to the other group of students that were also heading up the staircase and into their classes. His eyes fell onto Mimi, just like the promise you broke to me, I'm breaking one to you.

The final bell rang at 3:30 that afternoon. Crowds of students in their snuggly winter coats and warm scarves, quickly filed out in a hurry to get home and ignore their homework. Teachers hurriedly walked to their cheap-pay checked automobiles to get away from the hell-driven school of Satan's children. Speaking of Satan's children…

"School's over! 19 more hours till the weekend!" hollered Daisuke as the gang stepped out of school halls.

"You actually keep count of school when you can't even count how many classes we have?" asked Miyako, arms crossed.

"Well, only a techno-purple-haired-nerd will know how many classes we have!" Daisuke replied.

"Seven. Not counting Activities." Kari remarked. Daisuke gasped.

"I guess Kari's one of them, isn't that right, Daisuke?" Miyako sneered evilly while Kari looked at them both questioningly.

"C'mon you guys, cut it out. Let's go home before I freeze!" Joe exclaimed and they walked down the stairs and out to the gates, "Hey, you guys coming?"

Sora and Mimi waved their hands, "Nah, we're just gonna stay here and talk for a while. You guys go on ahead, we'll see you tomorrow!" the other children walked off.

Ten minutes passed and it was getting darker and colder. Mimi felt like there were little icicles poking her cheeks as the breeze blew against them. She hugged her pink coat closer to her. She felt the bottom of her skirt going numb being that she had been sitting on the bench for a while now and Sora hasn't even said a word, she just stood there by the bench watching the ground. The cold wind swept a flyer that stuck itself onto Mimi's leg, she picked it up and her eyes widened at what it was advertising.

'Join us in two weeks, for the Winter Carnival is finally here! Rides, Fireworks, Entertainment, not to mention lots of fun! The Carnival's only here for a short time so guys, girls, children, and families come one come all to see the most spectacular event of the year!'

Mimi frowned and felt the her cheeks getting warmer as the hot tears ran down and dripped down her chin and onto the snow. She opened her hands and let the flyer be swept away again. The winter carnival…she thought, Matt and I used to go there together and watch the fireworks from the Ferris Wheel, right after he gives me my charm. She smiled and gazed at her dangling bracelet, the one Matt had given to her when they got back from the Digiworld, she thought about all the wonderful memories they had…

~*~

"Where is he…?" Mimi asked herself. She huddled closer to her coat as she waited for him in the park. She was only ten years old but already she felt like her and Matt were destined for each other. Ever since they came back from the Digital World, Matt and her have been spending as much time as they could together. She leaned against the Sakura tree, slightly raising her hand she stared aimlessly at the bracelet Matt had given her after all the stuff that happened in the Digiworld. She sighed.

"Matt, where are you? The Fireworks are about to start…" A pair of hands suddenly covered her eyes and turned her around.

"Sorry I was late," Matt said. Mimi planted a kiss on his lips and smiled.

"No biggie," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice, she took Matt's arm, "C'mon, the fireworks are gonna start and we have to get to the Ferris Wheel!" Matt pulled her back.

"No, not yet. I have something for you," he grinned pointed to a small hole in the Sakura tree.

"In, there?" Mimi blinked and quickly ran to it with a kind of gleam in her eyes like a small child does when opening up presents on a Christmas morning. She bit her lower lip as she dug her hand in the hole. She felt something nice and warm inside and pulled it out, what she saw made her gasp. In her palm she held a charm for her bracelet, it took the shape of the crest of Friendship.

"You like it? It was just an idea of mine, every year from now on, before we go to the carnival we'll meet here," he said putting the charm on her bracelet, "And I'll give you a new charm to put on this, and then we'll go watch the fire-" he was cut off when Mimi's arms flew around him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, Matt!" She kissed him on the cheek, "I'll be looking forward to those years then…Do you really believe we'll still be together?" she asked nervously.

Matt chuckled, "Of course, Doofus! Remember, you made me a promise back in the Digiworld. You promised me that you'll never leave my side ever again. Right?"

Mimi smiled weakly, "R-right."

Matt smiled, "Now, let's go or everything's gonna start without-" again he was cut off a small dot of white fell on his nose. Mimi giggled in excitement.

"Matt, it's starting to snow! Ha, ha!" she twirled around and suddenly, the heavens opened up-and snow started to fall. And their whole attitude changed, they weren't just two children playing around in the snow, they were in a whole different world that they often visited in their dreams together-they were in love.

~*~

A small petal gently cascaded down onto Mimi hand which snapped her back to reality. She looked around and found where she was again, I guess I've been daydreaming again, she thought. She glanced beside her to find that, during the time she was dreaming, Sora had sat herself beside Mimi. Mimi wanted to cry to Sora the moment she saw Matt with Yui, she wanted to tell her everything, the pain and depression she had gone through the past seven years without seeing her, Matt, and everyone else and not even getting to talk to any of them.

*Tell her then!*

Mimi's eyes widened. She blinked a few times and looked at Sora, Sora didn't even breathe a word, then who could-she felt a sudden twinge in her chest and automatically clutched it. The moment she did she realized what she had held onto and the main source of the pain. Checking that Sora was still staring off to space, she quickly took out what had been bothering her. It fitted perfectly in her hand, the small dim left from the sun's rays shone against it but it still showed no hint of lightness. It used to be pure crystal, but now it's pure black instead.

"Mimi, I'm worried."

Mimi quickly stuffed it in her coat and glanced at her friend.

"Gee, is that all you could come up with after all this time?" she said sarcastically.

Sora let out a muffled laugh, "I missed you, Mimi. We all did. That year, you were suppose to meet us but you never came, and then I never heard from you again-I was so mad and depressed at the same time that you didn't even bother to tell me that you left…After that whole thing with the Digiworld and Mayumi-I never thought you'd be the same, you've changed so much. And that scared me, for a while, I mean. But as time went on, I saw that I just thought that because ever since I've known you, all I have ever thought of you was that image you've 'put on'," Mimi smiled, "Well, what I'm getting on here is that, I have known you for a long time now, and we're best friends. So it's like I'm-another version of Mayumi, you know. I also know what goes on through your head and stuff, so I know that since you've stepped in here, you haven't been yourself at all. I know you're upset about Matt and all, I don't really blame you though, but it's not my place to say since I don't really know what happened between you two. But for the time that you're here, please actually let me help you."

Mimi hugged her best friend, "Oh, Sora. I'm so sorry for making you go through that! I wanted to tell you that I was leaving, but it all happened so fast…My dad's job got him transferred to New York and just like that, he moved us. After three weeks, we finally got a telephone line and I wanted to call all of you but, I figured you'd all still be mad at me, besides, it was already to late to call-so I waited. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, then years, then I just came to the conclusion that you all forgot me. When my parents told me that I could stay at my aunt's house here for two weeks I wanted to call you right away that I was coming. But I figured you'd still be mad at me so I called Tai instead." She saw the tears flowing fluently down Sora's cheeks and she hugged her even tighter.

Sora sat up and wiped the tears away from her eyes, she let out a tiny laugh, "No big. As long as you're back, and when that day comes when you have to leave, you'll be smarter now to actually tell me and call me right when you get home!" After a while, they had nothing else to talk about so Sora proposed that they should leave. Mimi shook her head.

"Umm…Go ahead, I-I just wanna stay here for a little longer," she said, "Besides, it's only 5:00."

"Suit yourself," Sora said and walked off, "Remember, I'm here whenever you need me-so don't even dare think before calling me." And she walked off.

After checking that Sora was gone, Mimi slowly took out the object again. If possible, it was even darker. She focused at it for a while, Wow, since I got here I completely forgot about you. She let go of the object and buried her forehead in her hands. A small clanging sound rang through her ears and her eyes fell upon the silver bracelet that hung wrapped around her fragile wrist. Matt, she thought, The Winter Carnival's coming up…Are you still going to keep your promise and go with me like we always do…? Though she already knew that answer to that. She remembered what Matt had said when he gave her the one and only charm that dangled from it, if they were still together, she would have had seven charms hanging from it and Matt would give her an eighth one before the carnival that's in two weeks.

She then felt a cold breeze blow against her hair, she tucked the object that stung her even more now back inside her uniform. She wiped the tears away from her hazel eyes and looked up.

She heard footsteps coming up behind her and a slight shadow appeared behind the bench that she sat on, they stayed there for a while in complete silence, though their painful hearts screamed so loudly that only mimes could hear. Mimi broke the silence.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. You know how cold you get when you've been out in the snow all day."

The shadow slowly presented itself and leaned against the tree that stood beside the bench.

"So, how've you been, Meems?"

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O_o; Shh! Don't blame me I had to stop right here. It's 'effective'-in a way. You probably already know who it is (SO OBVIOUS!) LoL. Anyway, I gotta jet. I'll have the next chapter up soon, k?^_^ So don't forget to review or the chapter will take longer! *evil laff* o_O; Hey, I don't have that much and I'm in a demanding mood right now. . Ja ne.