Mr. Disclaimer: Umm, let's see...when...I mean, IF I don't own Digimon,
then...what's that mean again?
Whose Liner: Lemme help. Can you say your name?
--------------------------------------------
Second Chances For Sora - Chapter 11
--------------------------------------------
"YES!" shouted Sora with ultimate glee. "Today's the big day!"
The shorthaired girl was so excited that she barely noticed Mimi walking into the apartment, coming back from her morning jog. Since she still had her walkman on, she couldn't hear a thing that Sora was saying, but she definitely noticed Sora's exuberant gestures.
"Hmm?" asked Mimi, as she pressed the "STOP" button on the walkman.
"It's happening today! Doncha get it?"
"What's happening today!?" asked Mimi, with some impatience in her voice.
"Don't you remember? Tai's soccer team is competing in the semi-finals today! And I'm helping them!"
"Oh right!" Mimi said, snapping her fingers. "I almost forgot!"
Sora could barely stand still. It had been two days since Sora's little "initiation" (or should we say "test") to compete and play on Tai's soccer team. And from the coach's point of view, she passed with skyrocketing colors.
Tai noted beforehand that it'd be tough to obtain the proper soccer gear, much less acquire a uniform for her in just two days...but he personally promised that he'd make it happen.
That Tai...he's so sweet in his own way, Sora warmly thought. Though collecting gear and a uniform for her was important, it didn't matter as much to Sora. As long as she could be out there on the field, scoring goals with her boyfriend (and her numerous teammates), it didn't really matter (much) to her WHAT she'd be wearing.
"So, Mimi...you gonna come watch the game with us today?"
"Mm-hm!" Mimi said, giving thumbs up. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Great! And Tai also told me that some of the others will be there, too!"
"Sounds good!"
*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*
"Oh, I'll get that," Sora said as she approached the door. Sure enough, Tai was there, in his soccer uniform.
"Hey, So-MMMPH..."
Tai literally became speechless as Sora grabbed him by the shirt and smushed her lips against his, causing him to almost drop what he was carrying. Thankfully, the kiss didn't last long, and Sora let go just as quickly as she grabbed him.
"Well!" said a blushing Tai, now regaining his breath. "I guess it would be pretty stupid to ask if you're ready or not today!"
Sora laughed enthusiastically, and then eyed the bag Tai was holding.
"So what's in the bag?" she asked.
"Everything you'll need for today!" Tai shot back.
Sora looked into the paper bag, and inside were black soccer sneakers, shin guards, long white socks, and a pair of back shorts.
"All right! Thanks, Tai!"
"Hold on...there is ONE more thing you'll need."
"What's that?"
"It was a bit rushed, but I think it came out fine."
"Whaddya mean?"
"This."
Sora gasped as Tai revealed the item he had been concealing behind his back the whole time. It was a red soccer jersey, with the name "TAKENOUCHI" on the back in big, white letters. Under the name was a "2".
"Hey! You got me my own soccer shirt!"
"Yeah...you wouldn't be complete without it!"
"I'll say!"
"Well, suit up! The game starts in half an hour!"
"No problem! Just gimme a sec!"
Tai nodded, and Sora ran off to the bathroom to change.
"Now Tai..." went Mimi, as she approached him sipping some juice, "I'm all for shopping sprees, but isn't all this stuff you got her going a LITTLE overboard? No offense, but you don't know if you'll win today."
"Yeah, I know, I know. But even so...I really wanted to make sure that Sora could feel like she was part of the team again...even if it was for only ONE match."
Mimi understood and nodded. About two minutes later, Sora came back out. While wearing a dress the previous night was tough, putting on a soccer uniform was proving to be a welcome change.
The two teens smiled as Sora walked towards them all dressed up to play soccer.
"So?! How do I look?" she asked, desperate for almost any answer.
"Like you're ready to kick some serious butt!"
Sora and Tai gave each other a high five and headed out to the soccer game, with Mimi cheerfully tagging along.
*********************
Tai's little sister, Kari, along with T.K., Davis, Yolei, Matt, and Joe were already there when the other three Digidestined arrived. Mimi didn't expect Matt to be there, nor did she know exactly how to act when she was around him, but Sora looked at her with an expression on her face that told her she'd be able to get by.
"Hey, guys!" Tai happily exclaimed to the others. "What are you all doing here?"
"What else?" Matt replied. "We all came to cheer you guys on!"
"Yeah," Joe agreed. "I completed my exams last week, so I was available to come along and watch!"
"Ever since Tai told me that Sora used to rule in soccer, I've always wanted to see her in action!" Davis said excitedly.
"Hey!" Sora playfully yelled up to Davis. "USED TO? Present tense, please!"
Everyone laughed before Kari spoke up.
"And of course, there's no way that T.K. and I were gonna miss seeing you and Sora in action!" she said.
T.K. just nodded in agreement and lightly kissed Kari in the cheek, making her giggle. Out of natural reflex, Davis usually would have glared at them (or something like that), but he was more interested in how this soccer game was going to play out.
Meanwhile, Demiveemon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Poromon peeked out of their humans' backpacks, so they could also get a good look at the game, which was to commence in just a few minutes.
Yolei stepped off the mid-level bleacher that the Digidestined were sitting on and slowly walked up to Sora, examining her face closely.
"Hmmm..."
"What, is there a zit on my face?!"
"Huh?! Oh, no...it's just...I talked to Sora last night...and ever since I heard about her-I mean, YOU...well, let's just say I've been itching to meet you."
"Riiight..." Sora said nervously.
Gee...I wonder if EVERYBODY'S gonna say that whenever they meet me, Sora quickly thought.
"Look, there'll be plenty of time to talk about this later, Yolei," Tai noted. "But, Sora...we gotta book. The game's gonna start in a few minutes, and the coach is calling us."
Sora nodded. "Later, uh...WHOEVER you are."
It took Yolei a moment to remember that THIS Sora had never met her before.
"Weren't you listening a second ago when Tai said my name? The moniker 'Yolei' will suffice, I should think."
"Uhh...if you say so...let's go, Tai."
Yolei watched as Tai and Sora ran off together towards their team, then she headed back to join the others on the bleachers. But before she made it all the way there, she accidentally bumped into Matt.
"Oof! Whoa, watch it, Matt!" she complained.
"Sorry about that, Yolei..." he replied. "The others were getting hungry, so they all gave me some money to buy them food from the snack bar. Why don't you join me? I won't be able to carry all those snacks by myself."
"Sure thing," Yolei cheerfully agreed.
*********************
"All right, so in short...just do your absolute best, guys-ah...I mean, PEOPLE..." the coach said, indicating Sora's presence.
As he finished giving his team a pep talk, he looked at everyone on the team, especially Sora and Tai, truthfully hoping that Sora's performance would prove to be nothing short of something spectacular.
Meanwhile, Matt and Yolei made it back to the bleachers just in time - a few seconds before the game started. While Matt handed out the sodas, popcorn, candy, and other snacks to the Digidestined, he accidentally brushed Mimi's soft hand, causing her to quickly gasp and blush.
"Oops...sorry about that..." he said, casually laughing it off.
"UH...I, uh..."
Mimi was beyond the capacity to speak. When Matt's soft fingers stroked and tickled the back of her hand, she blushed and quickly turned her head away from him. As Mimi felt her cheeks go warm, she didn't need a mirror to know that her face was inadvertently doing an impressive impersonation of a cherry.
In most cases of this kind, the boy would do the same, as well. Unfortunately this sad case had a matching sad truth...Matt did NOT feel the same way. This was not to say that he was heartless, cold, or uncaring.
As beautiful or as graceful or as sincere as Mimi was, the fact remained that Sora has gotten to him first. Mimi miserably sighed, as this situation was just another symbol of something she was denied and something she just couldn't have, no matter what.
And it was clear that Matt wasn't planing to end his relationship with Sora anytime soon.
"Something wrong, Meems?" Matt asked, somewhat concerned. He noticed Mimi's sad expression and worried for a moment.
"Oh, nothing," Mimi said sadly, almost whispering.
Hmm, Matt thought. What's wrong with her?
"Cmon, what's going on?" he asked, with a push in his voice.
"I, uh...was...was, just, um...wondering why Sora wasn't here!" she stammered.
"Oh...uh...well, I'm not too sure," Matt replied. "I tried calling her today...I wanted to tell her that Tai's soccer game was today, but she said she wasn't feeling well...or something."
"Ah," Mimi said, wondering if something really was wrong between Sora and Matt.
Hmm, I really should head over to Sora's place and check on her after the game, Matt thought to himself.
"Hey, look!" T.K. yelled, pointing to the field, and interrupting the uncomfortable situation. "They're just about to start the game!"
Everyone turned their heads as the coaches sent out a goalie and five soccer players (from both teams) onto the soccer field.
Focusing mostly on Tai's team, the Digidestined saw that he was already on the field. Sora was benched for now, as the coach wanted to save her primarily in the event where things got really tough.
Nevertheless, she was ecstatic and excited to be a part of this big event.
"GO, TAI!!!" she happily yelled.
Tai said nothing, but smiled confidently gave her a thumbs-up. Not surprisingly, he was given the centerfield position and walked into the center circle and stopped at the halfway line.
A coin was flipped to decide whose team would kick off first, and Tai's team won the coin toss. Without hesitation, Tai gave the soccer ball a fierce kick, as he did so many times before in the past. But things were a bit different this time around.
Even though he wasn't thinking about it, the joyous feeling that he and his best (female) buddy had crossed over the line from being friends to lovers was unconsciously fueling his performance today.
Armed with renewed confidence, Tai swiftly scored a goal in less than ten seconds.
The usual cheers came, but more from Sora and the handful of Digidestined who had come to watch the game.
Then more goals were scored, not by just Tai, but by his other teammates as well, as the game progressed. Sora didn't mind too much that she was on the bench, but her desire to join in increased more and more.
Although both teams had their own appropriate amount of potential skill in their ranks, the players against Tai's team still wanted to win as much as anybody. They appeared as determined as Tai was, matching his team blow for blow, but the emotional therapeutic effect of his new girlfriend still burned brightly in his heart.
But even for extremely skilled professionals, they are - even if at their best - flawed. Everyone has his or her limits, even if that individual isn't trying to reach it. And as for Tai, he's no better than the next human being in this respect. Towards the end of the first half of the game-
"OWWW!!!"
That was the sound Tai made when an opposing defender accidentally hurt Tai, attempting to slide into the ball. First contact was made with the ball, although Tai still tripped and fell over, combined with the fact that Tai was inadvertently pulling some muscles.
"Oh!" was the sound that Mimi, Davis, Yolei, Joe, T.K., Kari, Matt, and especially Sora made when they saw Tai fall.
The referee called for a time-out and Tai was taken to the bench and his ankle was checked. Luckily, it wasn't sprained, yet the injury was bad enough to take Tai out of the game. His coach wasn't pleased, but an injury was an injury.
"Erin...in!" said the coach to another player. Erin nodded and headed out to the field to replace Tai. Erin wasn't nearly as good as Tai, but he could still hold his own on the field. Nevertheless, the team saw that their star player had now been benched, and took this as a sign of weakness on their opponent's part. All that was left was to take advantage of the situation. But little did they know that Tai's team had recently acquired ANOTHER star player...
Sora scooted over to where Tai was sitting on the bench, and softly asked if he was okay. Tai nodded, but then a light turned on his head, and he called for the coach.
"Something wrong, Tai?" he asked.
"Well, I was thinking...maybe Sora could bail me out."
The coach briefly scratched the back of his head, and then nodded.
"Makes sense. Sora...you've been benched long enough. During the second half of the game I want you out there!"
"Yes, sir!" she cheerfully replied, giving a mock salute.
The coach turned back to the team to encourage them to push themselves if they wanted to win. Sora turned back to Tai and gave him her water bottle to drink from.
Tai didn't want to take her water, but his loving girlfriend insisted.
Hmm, Tai thought. This reminds me of the night Kari came into my room and gave me something to drink...
*********************
Tai started to calm down, and took a sip from her glass of milk. He calmed down even more, as the milk felt cool and sweet as it flowed down his throat. He handed the glass back to Kari, but she pushed it back in his hand.
"No, no. It's yours. You drink the whole thing, okay?"
Tai didn't speak, but slowly nodded. Kari put on a pained smile as he continued to drink.
*********************
...but things were different then, Tai kept thinking as he looked at Sora who was still watching the game. To think I had lost hope on being happy...but as long as I have Sora on my side, there's nothing we can't do!
"Something wrong, Tai?" Sora said cheerfully. Tai swore that he could practically feel the positive, exuberant amount of energy in her voice.
"On, no...aside from my ankle, everything's fine..." he replied, slightly adjusting the ice pack on his leg.
Tai also remembered that he had used a similar line plenty of times on Kari and many others, but this time around...he really meant it.
"I was just thinking that...well, until I met you recently, I was always down, and felt like all the passion, love and life had been sucked out of me. But now..."
"Yes?"
"Well..." Tai said as he leaned closer to his girlfriend's face, hoping to end this conversation with a kiss, "...now that I have you around to support me...how can I ever be sad?"
"Tai..." Sora said as she leaned closer.
"Yeah?" he said, starting to close his eyes.
"...do you REALLY hafta get all mushy during an important soccer game like this?!" she playfully shouted.
"Huh?!"
"I oughta pound you for that!"
Without warning, Sora whipped around behind Tai, put him in a headlock, and gave him noogies that REALLY hurt. In his entire life, Sora was the only person who could ever match him in giving painful noogies.
"OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!!!" he cried. "Stop! Stop it!"
Even thought it hurt Tai, both of them were laughing. From the bleachers, Kari tore her eyes off the game and switched her line of vision to the happiest couple on the planet, the best friends that could ever have existed.
She smiled warmly and a small tear of joy escaped her eye, as she began realizing that her big brother...had finally "come home".
"That's the way, Sora..." Kari whispered as she watched them laughing. "That's how my brother needs to be. He's happy now, like the rest of us. And as long as you're there...he doesn't need anything else."
Half time came and went. Sora saw glanced at the scoreboard, which displayed that her and Tai's team was down by two goals. But Sora was sure that this score situation could be easily fixed.
Tai wished Sora good luck as it was now her turn to play. And not only was she going to play her hardest, but she also was determined to help her teammates retake control of the game.
Needless to say, Sora's opponents were slightly taken aback by seeing a girl fight for the other team.
Jeez, she thought. They're acting like they never saw a girl before...though that WOULD explain a few things...
Not surprisingly, most of the opponents laughed when they saw Sora. But she wasn't offended at all, especially since she (and Tai, her coach, and her new soccer teammates) knew full well what she was truly capable of when it came to playing soccer.
Sora took the same position Tai had when the game started, the centerfield position, and stared into her opponent's eyes with unnerving and impenetrable confidence.
"What's this?" asked the boasting opponent, holding the same position as Sora on the opposite side of the field.
"I think it's a girl," noted one of his half-witted teammates. Some of his other teammates laughed.
"I know that!" he nearly yelled. "I wanna know what she's doing here!"
"Well if you're that desperate to know..." Sora said firmly, "...I'm here to play!"
"Yeah, right! You wish, girly! Don't worry...we'll try to go easy on ya!"
"How sweet!" Sora replied in the cutest tone she could give. "Tell you what..."
"What?"
"So will I!" she announced.
"Huh?!"
Before he could fully comprehend what Sora had said, she was already way ahead of them, dodging and maneuvering past all of the other players with ease, not to mention a (more than) fair amount of style.
The goalie hadn't seen that a girl had come to replace Tai in this game, so it came as no surprise that he was quite shocked to see that a girl was about to pummel a soccer ball into the goal behind him. He was so amazed that a girl was even participating in this game, that he almost forgot to try to block her kick.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as the ball came into contact with the net. Sora's team cheered and gave her numerous compliments, and pats on the back.
Tai smiled as he watched Sora's performance with pleasure. He had forgotten how good Sora really was. But this was something really new to the other team. The prime fact that a girl was playing against them turned out to be more than enough to put their playing techniques out of focus. Well, that and the other fact that she was playing noticeably better than they were.
Aside from the people who knew, everyone else had not seen this coming. This girl had a certain something regarding soccer...a special quality that had only previously been noticed in Tai. The coach was also pleasantly surprised to see that Sora was a true team player, and not a ball hog. She often passed the ball to others, and gave her other teammates each a chance to shoot.
Before anyone knew it, the game was over and Sora had done her job all too well in keeping her team's score ahead of the others. Tai, his coach, teammates, and the Digidestined sitting in the bleachers cheered for her and congratulated her warmly for helping get the team to the finals. Even though he was benched for the second half of the game, the team was grateful that Tai found someone extremely skilled to assist them.
After the game, Sora got an idea and took Tai aside while the coach handed out some refreshments to the team.
"You did great out there, Sora."
At first, Sora said nothing, and then "mmmmm-ed" as she passionately locked her lips with Tai's, and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thanks," she whispered, as her lips let go. "Listen...what say you and I go get a bite to eat in a little while?"
"Sure," Tai happily agreed. "Where, the Pizza Palace?"
"Umm, actually..." Sora went, as the wheels in her head turned, "...I had someplace else in mind."
*********************
"You sure she's coming?" asked a somewhat high-pitched voice.
Tai looked down at his yellow-skinned dinosaur-like digimon partner.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Sora never breaks a promise!" Tai replied to his little friend.
Well, I gotta give Sora credit for coming back here for a picnic. After being trapped in the Digital World for four years...I woulda thought she'd had strong reservations about spending more of her free time here.
"Hey, you two!" yelled a voice from far away.
Tai and his digimon friend Augumon looked across the field they were standing in to see Sora and a pink bird-like digimon running towards them.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Augumon, "Look, Tai! It's Sora and Biyomon!"
"Yo, Tai!" she said, as she gave her best friend an enthusiastic high-five.
"Hey how'd you get here? I thought your digivice was broken."
"It was, but Mimi and I headed over to Izzy's place after the game. He gave it back, saying he had already fixed it."
"Oh, I understand now. Whatcha got there?" Tai asked, noticing a picnic basket in Sora's hand.
"Lunch."
"LUNCH?!" went Augumon, with a familiar hunger in his voice.
Tai laughed, but then he could feel HIS stomach growl, too.
"Where'd you get that food, Sora?"
"During my time in this world, I worked to earn money at a restaurant owned by this digimon called Digitamamon. He was so pleased with how hard I worked, that...well, let's just say that he owed me a favor or two."
"Sora?" asked Biyomon.
"Yeah?"
"Who's this human?"
"Biyomon, doncha remember us? It's Tai and Augumon!" Tai said, surprised that Biyomon didn't recognize them.
Biyomon shook her head.
"Um, lemme explain...Tai," said Sora. "This ISN'T the same Biyomon that you remember."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well for a long time, I went traveling in the Digital World, after I discovered I was stranded here. My travels took me to the Primary Village...y'know, where all digimon are born and raised?"
Tai nodded.
"Well, when I arrived there, it occurred to me that I'd been separated from Biyomon for a while, and I really missed her. And before I knew it, POOF! Another egg hatched, and there she was. Like magic, she immediately grew attached to me, and after a few days of tender loving care, she digivolved into Yokomon."
"And later...she digivolved into Biyomon, right?"
"Exactly. And she traveled with me for the rest of the time I was here."
"But I thought Biyomon wasn't there when Izzy and the others found you."
"Unfortunately, during our travels, she and I got separated. So I told her beforehand that if we ever split up, then she should make her way back to the Primary Village, and wait for me."
"And you just left to get her now so she could join us for our picnic?" Augumon asked.
"Mm-hm!" Sora exclaimed. But then, she turned her head to Biyomon, who was floating in mid-air.
"Something wrong, Sora?"
"It's just...I was spending so much time in the real world, I almost forgot about you, Biyo. I'm...really sorry," Sora said sadly, hanging her head in partial shame.
"It's okay, Sora. I'm just happy that you finally came back for me. But I have a question."
"Shoot."
"Is this human your friend?"
"Yep! Actually, he's my BEST friend in the whole, wide, world."
"But...I thought that I was your best friend...aren't I?" asked Biyomon, in her usual naïve voice.
"Um...er..." Sora scratched her head, wondering how to explain.
"Does that mean...I'm not your best friend anymore?" the digimon asked, almost sounding like it was going to cry.
Sora's eyes softened, causing her to sigh and smile. She always loved and appreciated this part of Biyomon's nature. It was so cute.
"Oh, Biyomon...of course not," she said, sighing again placing the bird in her arms. " You're BOTH my best friends...and that means I love BOTH of you equally!"
Tai sniffed. "C'mon, Sora...stop gettin' all mushy. It's too much!"
Everyone laughed except for Augumon, who had a question of his own.
"Hey! What about me?" asked Augumon, cheerfully.
"Of course..." Sora replied, playfully rolling her eyes. "We ALL know that you're totally awesome, as well Augumon!"
The little digimon closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Well...just so long as you all know that."
Everyone laughed again, and lunch was indeed served. Fruit, sandwiches, soda pop, and everything else in that picnic basket proved to be very filling. Afterwards, Augumon and (the "second") Biyomon went and played with a (soccer) ball Tai brought, while the two teens lied against a tree, leaning against each other.
Tai and Sora had a great time, overall. The two of them snuggled, hugged and softly kissed each other. After they rested for a while, they joined in kicking the soccer ball around. Then they took turns seeing how easy (or difficult) it was to kick a soccer ball past a fast, flying Biyomon. Tai, Augumon, and Sora were all pleasantly surprised to discover that Biyomon was a natural at blocking most of their attempts at getting the ball past her.
The sun began to drop sooner than expected, but then again, it WAS late afternoon. Tai said goodbye to Augumon and Biyomon, and prepared to go back home.
"Ready to go, Sora?" Tai asked.
"Yeah, sur-"
*********************
"HEH, HEH, HEH, HEH, HEH..."
*********************
Almost as if some remote control was activated on her, Sora froze up and didn't move for a few seconds. Her face lost all traces of emotion, and her eyes became glassy for a split second. But as Tai put his hand on her shoulder, everything passed.
"Sora...are you all right?!"
"Huh?"
"I said are y-"
"I heard what you said! I'm cool. I just sorta...got lost in thought for a second."
"Um, o-okay. Anyway, let's get moving."
"Hey, er...uh...you go on through that digital portal without me! I'll catch up with you, promise!"
"Why, what's going on?"
"Umm...I just gotta take care of something...really! Just get going! I'll be right behind you!"
"Well...okay. If you say so."
Tai sighed, wishing he knew whether or not Sora was having some sort of mental problem. But he obeyed and walked off into the distance.
*********************
In the real world, the boy known as Izzy Izumi had worked almost endlessly on tracking down that rogue energy signal. It wasn't that this whole ordeal had some sort of hypnotic effect on him, but it WAS a formidable challenge for him, and he really wanted to keep at it and solve this conundrum. Izzy worked as hard as he could until fatigue won out.
His head was resting in his crossed arms, for he had fallen asleep at his desk in front of his laptop. On the screen of the laptop was a schematic for Etemon's old pyramid fortress. Nothing suspicious was to be seen on the schematic, but had Izzy been awake a few minutes ago, he would have seen that something consisting of intense power seem to have had briefly appeared...
********************
Back in the Digital World, minutes beforehand...
Once again, far in the desert, inside the bizarre pyramid that once belonged to Etemon...more sounds emitted from within the complex.
Only this time...voices could be heard.
"So...everything is in place?" asked a voice, from something that couldn't be seen.
"Yes," replied a figure, standing in the shadows.
"Good...then once the job is done, I'll get everything that I want."
"Indeed."
"Are you absolutely sure that you can handle the task I've given you?"
"Of course."
Even though the first voice's source could not be seen, an evil smile could have been felt through the atmosphere. And for the next few seconds...the malevolent chuckle of the second voice - a female - could be heard throughout the pyramid.
"Then, by all means...please proceed...Sora."
The figure stepped out of the shadows to revels itself in the form of a young girl, with short auburn colored hair and crimson eyes.
"Thank you," said Sora with almost more than an unbelievable amount of confidence in her voice.
"You are currently my best - and only - asset on my road to victory. Do NOT fail me."
"Don't worry..." she said with a malicious and devious expression fixed on her face, "...after all, how could Tai ever resist me?"
*********************
TO BE CONTINUED...
Well, finished yet ANOTHER chapter! I apologize for the update waiting, but I worked hard on this chapter! I hope you readers will start speculating on what will happen next! I know it's been SOOO long since I posted a new chapter, but I've just been real busy with other work. So anyway, hope you liked this new chapter, and I'll see ya next time!
P.S. To anybody who likes Yu-Gi-Oh!, I've started playing Duel Monsters and I'm really getting into it! Is there anybody who's willing to trade a Black Skull Dragon or Gaia the Dragon Champion? Just thought I'd ask! Later!
P.P.S. One more thing...if any of you DO play (or watch the show), I'd like your opinion on what your favorite monster is! No, I'm not taking a poll or anything, I just wanna learn a little more about you fans! Thanks again for reading!
Whose Liner: Lemme help. Can you say your name?
--------------------------------------------
Second Chances For Sora - Chapter 11
--------------------------------------------
"YES!" shouted Sora with ultimate glee. "Today's the big day!"
The shorthaired girl was so excited that she barely noticed Mimi walking into the apartment, coming back from her morning jog. Since she still had her walkman on, she couldn't hear a thing that Sora was saying, but she definitely noticed Sora's exuberant gestures.
"Hmm?" asked Mimi, as she pressed the "STOP" button on the walkman.
"It's happening today! Doncha get it?"
"What's happening today!?" asked Mimi, with some impatience in her voice.
"Don't you remember? Tai's soccer team is competing in the semi-finals today! And I'm helping them!"
"Oh right!" Mimi said, snapping her fingers. "I almost forgot!"
Sora could barely stand still. It had been two days since Sora's little "initiation" (or should we say "test") to compete and play on Tai's soccer team. And from the coach's point of view, she passed with skyrocketing colors.
Tai noted beforehand that it'd be tough to obtain the proper soccer gear, much less acquire a uniform for her in just two days...but he personally promised that he'd make it happen.
That Tai...he's so sweet in his own way, Sora warmly thought. Though collecting gear and a uniform for her was important, it didn't matter as much to Sora. As long as she could be out there on the field, scoring goals with her boyfriend (and her numerous teammates), it didn't really matter (much) to her WHAT she'd be wearing.
"So, Mimi...you gonna come watch the game with us today?"
"Mm-hm!" Mimi said, giving thumbs up. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Great! And Tai also told me that some of the others will be there, too!"
"Sounds good!"
*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*
"Oh, I'll get that," Sora said as she approached the door. Sure enough, Tai was there, in his soccer uniform.
"Hey, So-MMMPH..."
Tai literally became speechless as Sora grabbed him by the shirt and smushed her lips against his, causing him to almost drop what he was carrying. Thankfully, the kiss didn't last long, and Sora let go just as quickly as she grabbed him.
"Well!" said a blushing Tai, now regaining his breath. "I guess it would be pretty stupid to ask if you're ready or not today!"
Sora laughed enthusiastically, and then eyed the bag Tai was holding.
"So what's in the bag?" she asked.
"Everything you'll need for today!" Tai shot back.
Sora looked into the paper bag, and inside were black soccer sneakers, shin guards, long white socks, and a pair of back shorts.
"All right! Thanks, Tai!"
"Hold on...there is ONE more thing you'll need."
"What's that?"
"It was a bit rushed, but I think it came out fine."
"Whaddya mean?"
"This."
Sora gasped as Tai revealed the item he had been concealing behind his back the whole time. It was a red soccer jersey, with the name "TAKENOUCHI" on the back in big, white letters. Under the name was a "2".
"Hey! You got me my own soccer shirt!"
"Yeah...you wouldn't be complete without it!"
"I'll say!"
"Well, suit up! The game starts in half an hour!"
"No problem! Just gimme a sec!"
Tai nodded, and Sora ran off to the bathroom to change.
"Now Tai..." went Mimi, as she approached him sipping some juice, "I'm all for shopping sprees, but isn't all this stuff you got her going a LITTLE overboard? No offense, but you don't know if you'll win today."
"Yeah, I know, I know. But even so...I really wanted to make sure that Sora could feel like she was part of the team again...even if it was for only ONE match."
Mimi understood and nodded. About two minutes later, Sora came back out. While wearing a dress the previous night was tough, putting on a soccer uniform was proving to be a welcome change.
The two teens smiled as Sora walked towards them all dressed up to play soccer.
"So?! How do I look?" she asked, desperate for almost any answer.
"Like you're ready to kick some serious butt!"
Sora and Tai gave each other a high five and headed out to the soccer game, with Mimi cheerfully tagging along.
*********************
Tai's little sister, Kari, along with T.K., Davis, Yolei, Matt, and Joe were already there when the other three Digidestined arrived. Mimi didn't expect Matt to be there, nor did she know exactly how to act when she was around him, but Sora looked at her with an expression on her face that told her she'd be able to get by.
"Hey, guys!" Tai happily exclaimed to the others. "What are you all doing here?"
"What else?" Matt replied. "We all came to cheer you guys on!"
"Yeah," Joe agreed. "I completed my exams last week, so I was available to come along and watch!"
"Ever since Tai told me that Sora used to rule in soccer, I've always wanted to see her in action!" Davis said excitedly.
"Hey!" Sora playfully yelled up to Davis. "USED TO? Present tense, please!"
Everyone laughed before Kari spoke up.
"And of course, there's no way that T.K. and I were gonna miss seeing you and Sora in action!" she said.
T.K. just nodded in agreement and lightly kissed Kari in the cheek, making her giggle. Out of natural reflex, Davis usually would have glared at them (or something like that), but he was more interested in how this soccer game was going to play out.
Meanwhile, Demiveemon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Poromon peeked out of their humans' backpacks, so they could also get a good look at the game, which was to commence in just a few minutes.
Yolei stepped off the mid-level bleacher that the Digidestined were sitting on and slowly walked up to Sora, examining her face closely.
"Hmmm..."
"What, is there a zit on my face?!"
"Huh?! Oh, no...it's just...I talked to Sora last night...and ever since I heard about her-I mean, YOU...well, let's just say I've been itching to meet you."
"Riiight..." Sora said nervously.
Gee...I wonder if EVERYBODY'S gonna say that whenever they meet me, Sora quickly thought.
"Look, there'll be plenty of time to talk about this later, Yolei," Tai noted. "But, Sora...we gotta book. The game's gonna start in a few minutes, and the coach is calling us."
Sora nodded. "Later, uh...WHOEVER you are."
It took Yolei a moment to remember that THIS Sora had never met her before.
"Weren't you listening a second ago when Tai said my name? The moniker 'Yolei' will suffice, I should think."
"Uhh...if you say so...let's go, Tai."
Yolei watched as Tai and Sora ran off together towards their team, then she headed back to join the others on the bleachers. But before she made it all the way there, she accidentally bumped into Matt.
"Oof! Whoa, watch it, Matt!" she complained.
"Sorry about that, Yolei..." he replied. "The others were getting hungry, so they all gave me some money to buy them food from the snack bar. Why don't you join me? I won't be able to carry all those snacks by myself."
"Sure thing," Yolei cheerfully agreed.
*********************
"All right, so in short...just do your absolute best, guys-ah...I mean, PEOPLE..." the coach said, indicating Sora's presence.
As he finished giving his team a pep talk, he looked at everyone on the team, especially Sora and Tai, truthfully hoping that Sora's performance would prove to be nothing short of something spectacular.
Meanwhile, Matt and Yolei made it back to the bleachers just in time - a few seconds before the game started. While Matt handed out the sodas, popcorn, candy, and other snacks to the Digidestined, he accidentally brushed Mimi's soft hand, causing her to quickly gasp and blush.
"Oops...sorry about that..." he said, casually laughing it off.
"UH...I, uh..."
Mimi was beyond the capacity to speak. When Matt's soft fingers stroked and tickled the back of her hand, she blushed and quickly turned her head away from him. As Mimi felt her cheeks go warm, she didn't need a mirror to know that her face was inadvertently doing an impressive impersonation of a cherry.
In most cases of this kind, the boy would do the same, as well. Unfortunately this sad case had a matching sad truth...Matt did NOT feel the same way. This was not to say that he was heartless, cold, or uncaring.
As beautiful or as graceful or as sincere as Mimi was, the fact remained that Sora has gotten to him first. Mimi miserably sighed, as this situation was just another symbol of something she was denied and something she just couldn't have, no matter what.
And it was clear that Matt wasn't planing to end his relationship with Sora anytime soon.
"Something wrong, Meems?" Matt asked, somewhat concerned. He noticed Mimi's sad expression and worried for a moment.
"Oh, nothing," Mimi said sadly, almost whispering.
Hmm, Matt thought. What's wrong with her?
"Cmon, what's going on?" he asked, with a push in his voice.
"I, uh...was...was, just, um...wondering why Sora wasn't here!" she stammered.
"Oh...uh...well, I'm not too sure," Matt replied. "I tried calling her today...I wanted to tell her that Tai's soccer game was today, but she said she wasn't feeling well...or something."
"Ah," Mimi said, wondering if something really was wrong between Sora and Matt.
Hmm, I really should head over to Sora's place and check on her after the game, Matt thought to himself.
"Hey, look!" T.K. yelled, pointing to the field, and interrupting the uncomfortable situation. "They're just about to start the game!"
Everyone turned their heads as the coaches sent out a goalie and five soccer players (from both teams) onto the soccer field.
Focusing mostly on Tai's team, the Digidestined saw that he was already on the field. Sora was benched for now, as the coach wanted to save her primarily in the event where things got really tough.
Nevertheless, she was ecstatic and excited to be a part of this big event.
"GO, TAI!!!" she happily yelled.
Tai said nothing, but smiled confidently gave her a thumbs-up. Not surprisingly, he was given the centerfield position and walked into the center circle and stopped at the halfway line.
A coin was flipped to decide whose team would kick off first, and Tai's team won the coin toss. Without hesitation, Tai gave the soccer ball a fierce kick, as he did so many times before in the past. But things were a bit different this time around.
Even though he wasn't thinking about it, the joyous feeling that he and his best (female) buddy had crossed over the line from being friends to lovers was unconsciously fueling his performance today.
Armed with renewed confidence, Tai swiftly scored a goal in less than ten seconds.
The usual cheers came, but more from Sora and the handful of Digidestined who had come to watch the game.
Then more goals were scored, not by just Tai, but by his other teammates as well, as the game progressed. Sora didn't mind too much that she was on the bench, but her desire to join in increased more and more.
Although both teams had their own appropriate amount of potential skill in their ranks, the players against Tai's team still wanted to win as much as anybody. They appeared as determined as Tai was, matching his team blow for blow, but the emotional therapeutic effect of his new girlfriend still burned brightly in his heart.
But even for extremely skilled professionals, they are - even if at their best - flawed. Everyone has his or her limits, even if that individual isn't trying to reach it. And as for Tai, he's no better than the next human being in this respect. Towards the end of the first half of the game-
"OWWW!!!"
That was the sound Tai made when an opposing defender accidentally hurt Tai, attempting to slide into the ball. First contact was made with the ball, although Tai still tripped and fell over, combined with the fact that Tai was inadvertently pulling some muscles.
"Oh!" was the sound that Mimi, Davis, Yolei, Joe, T.K., Kari, Matt, and especially Sora made when they saw Tai fall.
The referee called for a time-out and Tai was taken to the bench and his ankle was checked. Luckily, it wasn't sprained, yet the injury was bad enough to take Tai out of the game. His coach wasn't pleased, but an injury was an injury.
"Erin...in!" said the coach to another player. Erin nodded and headed out to the field to replace Tai. Erin wasn't nearly as good as Tai, but he could still hold his own on the field. Nevertheless, the team saw that their star player had now been benched, and took this as a sign of weakness on their opponent's part. All that was left was to take advantage of the situation. But little did they know that Tai's team had recently acquired ANOTHER star player...
Sora scooted over to where Tai was sitting on the bench, and softly asked if he was okay. Tai nodded, but then a light turned on his head, and he called for the coach.
"Something wrong, Tai?" he asked.
"Well, I was thinking...maybe Sora could bail me out."
The coach briefly scratched the back of his head, and then nodded.
"Makes sense. Sora...you've been benched long enough. During the second half of the game I want you out there!"
"Yes, sir!" she cheerfully replied, giving a mock salute.
The coach turned back to the team to encourage them to push themselves if they wanted to win. Sora turned back to Tai and gave him her water bottle to drink from.
Tai didn't want to take her water, but his loving girlfriend insisted.
Hmm, Tai thought. This reminds me of the night Kari came into my room and gave me something to drink...
*********************
Tai started to calm down, and took a sip from her glass of milk. He calmed down even more, as the milk felt cool and sweet as it flowed down his throat. He handed the glass back to Kari, but she pushed it back in his hand.
"No, no. It's yours. You drink the whole thing, okay?"
Tai didn't speak, but slowly nodded. Kari put on a pained smile as he continued to drink.
*********************
...but things were different then, Tai kept thinking as he looked at Sora who was still watching the game. To think I had lost hope on being happy...but as long as I have Sora on my side, there's nothing we can't do!
"Something wrong, Tai?" Sora said cheerfully. Tai swore that he could practically feel the positive, exuberant amount of energy in her voice.
"On, no...aside from my ankle, everything's fine..." he replied, slightly adjusting the ice pack on his leg.
Tai also remembered that he had used a similar line plenty of times on Kari and many others, but this time around...he really meant it.
"I was just thinking that...well, until I met you recently, I was always down, and felt like all the passion, love and life had been sucked out of me. But now..."
"Yes?"
"Well..." Tai said as he leaned closer to his girlfriend's face, hoping to end this conversation with a kiss, "...now that I have you around to support me...how can I ever be sad?"
"Tai..." Sora said as she leaned closer.
"Yeah?" he said, starting to close his eyes.
"...do you REALLY hafta get all mushy during an important soccer game like this?!" she playfully shouted.
"Huh?!"
"I oughta pound you for that!"
Without warning, Sora whipped around behind Tai, put him in a headlock, and gave him noogies that REALLY hurt. In his entire life, Sora was the only person who could ever match him in giving painful noogies.
"OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!!!" he cried. "Stop! Stop it!"
Even thought it hurt Tai, both of them were laughing. From the bleachers, Kari tore her eyes off the game and switched her line of vision to the happiest couple on the planet, the best friends that could ever have existed.
She smiled warmly and a small tear of joy escaped her eye, as she began realizing that her big brother...had finally "come home".
"That's the way, Sora..." Kari whispered as she watched them laughing. "That's how my brother needs to be. He's happy now, like the rest of us. And as long as you're there...he doesn't need anything else."
Half time came and went. Sora saw glanced at the scoreboard, which displayed that her and Tai's team was down by two goals. But Sora was sure that this score situation could be easily fixed.
Tai wished Sora good luck as it was now her turn to play. And not only was she going to play her hardest, but she also was determined to help her teammates retake control of the game.
Needless to say, Sora's opponents were slightly taken aback by seeing a girl fight for the other team.
Jeez, she thought. They're acting like they never saw a girl before...though that WOULD explain a few things...
Not surprisingly, most of the opponents laughed when they saw Sora. But she wasn't offended at all, especially since she (and Tai, her coach, and her new soccer teammates) knew full well what she was truly capable of when it came to playing soccer.
Sora took the same position Tai had when the game started, the centerfield position, and stared into her opponent's eyes with unnerving and impenetrable confidence.
"What's this?" asked the boasting opponent, holding the same position as Sora on the opposite side of the field.
"I think it's a girl," noted one of his half-witted teammates. Some of his other teammates laughed.
"I know that!" he nearly yelled. "I wanna know what she's doing here!"
"Well if you're that desperate to know..." Sora said firmly, "...I'm here to play!"
"Yeah, right! You wish, girly! Don't worry...we'll try to go easy on ya!"
"How sweet!" Sora replied in the cutest tone she could give. "Tell you what..."
"What?"
"So will I!" she announced.
"Huh?!"
Before he could fully comprehend what Sora had said, she was already way ahead of them, dodging and maneuvering past all of the other players with ease, not to mention a (more than) fair amount of style.
The goalie hadn't seen that a girl had come to replace Tai in this game, so it came as no surprise that he was quite shocked to see that a girl was about to pummel a soccer ball into the goal behind him. He was so amazed that a girl was even participating in this game, that he almost forgot to try to block her kick.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as the ball came into contact with the net. Sora's team cheered and gave her numerous compliments, and pats on the back.
Tai smiled as he watched Sora's performance with pleasure. He had forgotten how good Sora really was. But this was something really new to the other team. The prime fact that a girl was playing against them turned out to be more than enough to put their playing techniques out of focus. Well, that and the other fact that she was playing noticeably better than they were.
Aside from the people who knew, everyone else had not seen this coming. This girl had a certain something regarding soccer...a special quality that had only previously been noticed in Tai. The coach was also pleasantly surprised to see that Sora was a true team player, and not a ball hog. She often passed the ball to others, and gave her other teammates each a chance to shoot.
Before anyone knew it, the game was over and Sora had done her job all too well in keeping her team's score ahead of the others. Tai, his coach, teammates, and the Digidestined sitting in the bleachers cheered for her and congratulated her warmly for helping get the team to the finals. Even though he was benched for the second half of the game, the team was grateful that Tai found someone extremely skilled to assist them.
After the game, Sora got an idea and took Tai aside while the coach handed out some refreshments to the team.
"You did great out there, Sora."
At first, Sora said nothing, and then "mmmmm-ed" as she passionately locked her lips with Tai's, and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thanks," she whispered, as her lips let go. "Listen...what say you and I go get a bite to eat in a little while?"
"Sure," Tai happily agreed. "Where, the Pizza Palace?"
"Umm, actually..." Sora went, as the wheels in her head turned, "...I had someplace else in mind."
*********************
"You sure she's coming?" asked a somewhat high-pitched voice.
Tai looked down at his yellow-skinned dinosaur-like digimon partner.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Sora never breaks a promise!" Tai replied to his little friend.
Well, I gotta give Sora credit for coming back here for a picnic. After being trapped in the Digital World for four years...I woulda thought she'd had strong reservations about spending more of her free time here.
"Hey, you two!" yelled a voice from far away.
Tai and his digimon friend Augumon looked across the field they were standing in to see Sora and a pink bird-like digimon running towards them.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Augumon, "Look, Tai! It's Sora and Biyomon!"
"Yo, Tai!" she said, as she gave her best friend an enthusiastic high-five.
"Hey how'd you get here? I thought your digivice was broken."
"It was, but Mimi and I headed over to Izzy's place after the game. He gave it back, saying he had already fixed it."
"Oh, I understand now. Whatcha got there?" Tai asked, noticing a picnic basket in Sora's hand.
"Lunch."
"LUNCH?!" went Augumon, with a familiar hunger in his voice.
Tai laughed, but then he could feel HIS stomach growl, too.
"Where'd you get that food, Sora?"
"During my time in this world, I worked to earn money at a restaurant owned by this digimon called Digitamamon. He was so pleased with how hard I worked, that...well, let's just say that he owed me a favor or two."
"Sora?" asked Biyomon.
"Yeah?"
"Who's this human?"
"Biyomon, doncha remember us? It's Tai and Augumon!" Tai said, surprised that Biyomon didn't recognize them.
Biyomon shook her head.
"Um, lemme explain...Tai," said Sora. "This ISN'T the same Biyomon that you remember."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well for a long time, I went traveling in the Digital World, after I discovered I was stranded here. My travels took me to the Primary Village...y'know, where all digimon are born and raised?"
Tai nodded.
"Well, when I arrived there, it occurred to me that I'd been separated from Biyomon for a while, and I really missed her. And before I knew it, POOF! Another egg hatched, and there she was. Like magic, she immediately grew attached to me, and after a few days of tender loving care, she digivolved into Yokomon."
"And later...she digivolved into Biyomon, right?"
"Exactly. And she traveled with me for the rest of the time I was here."
"But I thought Biyomon wasn't there when Izzy and the others found you."
"Unfortunately, during our travels, she and I got separated. So I told her beforehand that if we ever split up, then she should make her way back to the Primary Village, and wait for me."
"And you just left to get her now so she could join us for our picnic?" Augumon asked.
"Mm-hm!" Sora exclaimed. But then, she turned her head to Biyomon, who was floating in mid-air.
"Something wrong, Sora?"
"It's just...I was spending so much time in the real world, I almost forgot about you, Biyo. I'm...really sorry," Sora said sadly, hanging her head in partial shame.
"It's okay, Sora. I'm just happy that you finally came back for me. But I have a question."
"Shoot."
"Is this human your friend?"
"Yep! Actually, he's my BEST friend in the whole, wide, world."
"But...I thought that I was your best friend...aren't I?" asked Biyomon, in her usual naïve voice.
"Um...er..." Sora scratched her head, wondering how to explain.
"Does that mean...I'm not your best friend anymore?" the digimon asked, almost sounding like it was going to cry.
Sora's eyes softened, causing her to sigh and smile. She always loved and appreciated this part of Biyomon's nature. It was so cute.
"Oh, Biyomon...of course not," she said, sighing again placing the bird in her arms. " You're BOTH my best friends...and that means I love BOTH of you equally!"
Tai sniffed. "C'mon, Sora...stop gettin' all mushy. It's too much!"
Everyone laughed except for Augumon, who had a question of his own.
"Hey! What about me?" asked Augumon, cheerfully.
"Of course..." Sora replied, playfully rolling her eyes. "We ALL know that you're totally awesome, as well Augumon!"
The little digimon closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Well...just so long as you all know that."
Everyone laughed again, and lunch was indeed served. Fruit, sandwiches, soda pop, and everything else in that picnic basket proved to be very filling. Afterwards, Augumon and (the "second") Biyomon went and played with a (soccer) ball Tai brought, while the two teens lied against a tree, leaning against each other.
Tai and Sora had a great time, overall. The two of them snuggled, hugged and softly kissed each other. After they rested for a while, they joined in kicking the soccer ball around. Then they took turns seeing how easy (or difficult) it was to kick a soccer ball past a fast, flying Biyomon. Tai, Augumon, and Sora were all pleasantly surprised to discover that Biyomon was a natural at blocking most of their attempts at getting the ball past her.
The sun began to drop sooner than expected, but then again, it WAS late afternoon. Tai said goodbye to Augumon and Biyomon, and prepared to go back home.
"Ready to go, Sora?" Tai asked.
"Yeah, sur-"
*********************
"HEH, HEH, HEH, HEH, HEH..."
*********************
Almost as if some remote control was activated on her, Sora froze up and didn't move for a few seconds. Her face lost all traces of emotion, and her eyes became glassy for a split second. But as Tai put his hand on her shoulder, everything passed.
"Sora...are you all right?!"
"Huh?"
"I said are y-"
"I heard what you said! I'm cool. I just sorta...got lost in thought for a second."
"Um, o-okay. Anyway, let's get moving."
"Hey, er...uh...you go on through that digital portal without me! I'll catch up with you, promise!"
"Why, what's going on?"
"Umm...I just gotta take care of something...really! Just get going! I'll be right behind you!"
"Well...okay. If you say so."
Tai sighed, wishing he knew whether or not Sora was having some sort of mental problem. But he obeyed and walked off into the distance.
*********************
In the real world, the boy known as Izzy Izumi had worked almost endlessly on tracking down that rogue energy signal. It wasn't that this whole ordeal had some sort of hypnotic effect on him, but it WAS a formidable challenge for him, and he really wanted to keep at it and solve this conundrum. Izzy worked as hard as he could until fatigue won out.
His head was resting in his crossed arms, for he had fallen asleep at his desk in front of his laptop. On the screen of the laptop was a schematic for Etemon's old pyramid fortress. Nothing suspicious was to be seen on the schematic, but had Izzy been awake a few minutes ago, he would have seen that something consisting of intense power seem to have had briefly appeared...
********************
Back in the Digital World, minutes beforehand...
Once again, far in the desert, inside the bizarre pyramid that once belonged to Etemon...more sounds emitted from within the complex.
Only this time...voices could be heard.
"So...everything is in place?" asked a voice, from something that couldn't be seen.
"Yes," replied a figure, standing in the shadows.
"Good...then once the job is done, I'll get everything that I want."
"Indeed."
"Are you absolutely sure that you can handle the task I've given you?"
"Of course."
Even though the first voice's source could not be seen, an evil smile could have been felt through the atmosphere. And for the next few seconds...the malevolent chuckle of the second voice - a female - could be heard throughout the pyramid.
"Then, by all means...please proceed...Sora."
The figure stepped out of the shadows to revels itself in the form of a young girl, with short auburn colored hair and crimson eyes.
"Thank you," said Sora with almost more than an unbelievable amount of confidence in her voice.
"You are currently my best - and only - asset on my road to victory. Do NOT fail me."
"Don't worry..." she said with a malicious and devious expression fixed on her face, "...after all, how could Tai ever resist me?"
*********************
TO BE CONTINUED...
Well, finished yet ANOTHER chapter! I apologize for the update waiting, but I worked hard on this chapter! I hope you readers will start speculating on what will happen next! I know it's been SOOO long since I posted a new chapter, but I've just been real busy with other work. So anyway, hope you liked this new chapter, and I'll see ya next time!
P.S. To anybody who likes Yu-Gi-Oh!, I've started playing Duel Monsters and I'm really getting into it! Is there anybody who's willing to trade a Black Skull Dragon or Gaia the Dragon Champion? Just thought I'd ask! Later!
P.P.S. One more thing...if any of you DO play (or watch the show), I'd like your opinion on what your favorite monster is! No, I'm not taking a poll or anything, I just wanna learn a little more about you fans! Thanks again for reading!