Warnings: swearing (albeit very little), m/m, cutting, and blood
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the little voices in my head.
A/N: Yes, i know there are no indents but is not letting me put them, if anyone has the same problem or knows whats wrong please help! I will fix it as soon as i can but until then please bare with me. Thank you
Never Leave
Yamato was woken by a heavy knock on the lid of his coffin. Without having to be told he knew that it was Myotismon and that it was not yet time for him to arise, his body screamed it in horror as the lid was lifted. It was to early! The sun would find him and burn him to a cinder!
A soft light still filled the room and Yamato shrunk back further into the depths of his wooden cocoon, fear gripping his heart. His body took over just as a mortals might in times of danger and his slender arms flew up to cover his face. Nothing happened. A gentle hand pushed his arms back and Yamato found himself staring up into the amused eyes of Myotismon.
"But its still light out, I thought that I..." Yamato felt no pain, no burning that he had already connected with the light of day and the heat of fire.
"The light of the digital sun is weak, did you never notice that even after weeks of walking beneath it your porcelain skin was untouched?" Myotismon did not wait for a response, rather he continued on knowingly. "If careful you can walk in day, with the aid of heavy concealing cloaks or my own bats to block the unforgiving light but don't assume the same for the real world. There a beam of light will take your immortal life in a ball of flame." The entire time the digimon spoke Yamato had the feeling that Myotismon enjoyed his presence; he had a strange air about him now, almost like a mentor with their prized student.
No words of confirmation seemed necessary; they even seemed stupid and out of place after Myotismons words so Yamato just climbed gracefully from his coffin. The moment he stood upright a heavy black cloak was fastened about his shoulders, a long hood trailing down his back.
"Just in case." Matt nodded and fingered the lush material, it seemed only fitting that it was black. He was not human any longer, why wear what they do in some crude imitation of life? The heavy black cape seemed to fall straight from a storybook, the traditional garb of the creatures of the night, creatures that take life to sustain their own.
"Why are we going out in daylight when we can wait until night when it is safer?"
"The digidestined are close by. The group is approaching the castle from the south and will be here within the hour, I prefer that we go out to meet them."
"What do you plan to do with them?" He didn't mean for his voice to waver but his chest was filling with pain. They may never love him back but Yamato could never forsake those he held dear, Takeru, Taichi...
"As I said before, you will decide their fate. You are one of us now Yamato and that means a share in the power." There was no mistaking the strange air in Myotismons voice now; and his mind, which had been closed to Yamato before, slipped open for a moment and all manner of thoughts, memories, and feelings gushed out at him. Years of loneliness and longing, soul searing solitude and the deaths of many mortals came to Yamato in an instant and then they were gone.
So that is what will happen to Yamato if he chooses to leave the digimon. Complete isolation from any of the things he once loved and watching from afar the mortals that composed his life age and die. It became clear to Yamato that he had no choice, he could not leave Myotismon and he could not pretend to be human, but there was no way he could survive watching Taichi die either.
"I want them sent back to the real world unharmed."
"Then so be it."
Taichi froze in mid step as the sky above him was engulfed in swirls of black. Millions of bats were flying overhead and soon they blocked out the very light of the sun and day turned to night. Myotismon appeared in a ball of smoke and bats not twenty feet in front of him, a smaller figure cloaked all in black standing at his side. Of course Taichi missed this figure in favor of confronting Myotismon.
"What have you done to him?" Taichi screamed at the top of his lungs. "If you even laid a finger on him I swear that I will rip out each of your stupid fangs before I send you straight to hell!"
"You can drop the act now Taichi, I know everything." Yamatos cold voice resonated unnaturally in the barren clearing. Matt enjoying the wince he received at the use of Taichis full name instead of the endearment Tai. He was proud of the spiteful tone he had conjured up; it was excellent even for Yamato, because inside he was trembling. Maybe somehow he could get through the whole ordeal with them thinking he had just switched sides, not species as he had truly done, maybe they would never know what he had become. Yamato didn't want to see the look of horror on his dear Tais face as he gazed upon his inhuman figure, but most of all he didn't want to feel the rush of emotion radiating off the ever-passionate boy. To hear Myotismons thoughts and the thoughts of the digimon armies around him was nothing but second nature, but to hear the innermost workings of Tais mind seemed too cruel, barbaric even to break into the mind of one so innocent and pure.
Tai looked back and forth from Myotismon to the cloaked figure beside him. For a moment the chocolate brown eyes were confused, but then the fabricated confidence returned to him and the uncertainty vanished.
"Don't pretend to be Yama!" Taichi was outraged. "If Yamato were free like that he would come back to me!" His primal rage hid any desperation his voice may otherwise have held.
"Not if I found out the truth." Yamato pulled of his hood knowing that Tai would not give up without seeing him. Maybe from this distance he would not notice the luminescent skin or the inhumanly beautiful eyes.
"Y-Yama?" Tai stuttered helplessly as his beloved companion stood side by side with their enemy.
"Capture them but do not harm them." Yamatos voice commanded and Myotismons armies appeared like magic. Agumon was the first to digivolve and the others soon followed suit, all except for Gabumon who could only watch helplessly as his best friend refused to acknowledge him.
The fight raged on behind them but Taichi did not notice as he made his way shakily toward Yamato. "What truth are you talking about Yama? Whatever they told you were lies, please believe me!"
"Takeru doesn't need me, you don't need me and you never did! Just leave me alone Tai, go back home and I will take care of everything here." He desperately wanted Taichi to go away. It was not a rush of feeling he felt radiating off Taichi now but the sound of his blood rushing through his heart. He had not fed and the blood lust was taking control of his senses. Yamato was engulfed with the steady beat of Tais heart, the warmth coming from him in waves. More than anything he wanted to taste Tai, the sweet blood of an innocent, his Taichi in all his mortal beauty. To feel his heart go into that terrible rhythm and to know that Taichis life lay in his hands.
"Your wrong Yama! Takeru does need you, he needs his Onii-chan. And I need you! I have always needed you Yama, didn't you know that?" Tears were forming in Taichis eyes and now he was only ten feet away from Yamato. With the water blurring his vision Tai fancied that it was his mind making up the color of Yamatos skin, even lighter and more beautiful than it had been the last time they were together, that the brilliant eyes staring at him were just the same as they always were if only the tears blurring his vision would go away.
"Liar! Just go away Tai! Quick! Run while you still can!" Yamato had to get Taichi away from himself. His control was slipping, his vision turned red.
"No! I wont leave you!" Tai marched on oblivious to the danger he was walking in to. Tai was only five feet from Yamato now; a mere reach and the brunet would be lost.
Yamato lost his fragile hold on himself and darted forward. Tai fell to the ground in a painful heap as a blast hit the ground beneath his feet. A small digimon had decided to attack the brunet from behind and Yamato had pushed Taichi away and pulled the creature into his deadly embrace. Effortlessly his sharp fangs sunk into the creatures neck and the blood filled his mouth. His sapphire eyes locked with Tais purposefully, let him see the monster he was if it was bound to happen. Why not show him the true horror Matt had become? It would only make it easier to say goodbye if Taichi loathed him. But the confusion in Tais eyes did not turn to disgust or hate, Yamato couldn't stand the innocents of the gaze and let his own eyes drift shut as he drained the creature to the point of death and dropped it to the ground like garbage.
Yamato opened his eyes slowly. His mind had returned to him along with his heightened senses. No clear thoughts came from Taichi, it was as if there were simply no words to describe that moment. Instead Yama felt the on slaughter of unconditional love, it was like nothing he had ever felt alive or undead, and all of it was directed at him.
"Yama." The word was like a caress, full of understanding compassion and love.
"I am a monster, lead them away from here and nothing will harm you, but you must leave now and forget about me."
"I cant do that. I can't leave you behind."
"I am not the person you remember, I can never be one of you again! I am not like you."
"Than make me like you." Tais voice held nothing but love.
"No...I will not turn you." Send Taichi away, let him live the life he was born to live and then die of old age but do not ask for his life to be taken away from him as it was taken from Yamato.
"I know what I am asking Yama, please." Taichi extended his arms to him, reaching out for Yamatos embrace.
"You have no idea what you are asking! You don't know what it is like! You are pure and do not kill, do not feed on the lives of others to survive! I have killed and I will kill again but I will not kill you! I will not make another!" Yamato screamed at the brunet, oblivious to the large digimon locking onto their position and Myotismons self-satisfied smirk.
"Yama I..." Taichi was cut off as a blast the size of a small car disintegrated the rocks around him. A split second before it hit Yamato had seized Tai in his arms and flown him to safety. The brunet still in his arms Matt turned on Myotismon.
"I said they were not to be harmed! Your army is trying to kill them!" Yamatos eyes darkened and a sheen of red covered the white of his eyes.
"You have to command them yourself." Myotismon said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Yamato let out a primal scream of outrage, covering one of Taichis sensitive human ears with his hand and pulling the other ear to rest against his chest to protect him from the inhuman sound. The screech was heard over all the cries of battle and all fighting stopped as every eye turned to the blonde.
"I am calling you all back! You mindless cronies of Myotismon! Return to the castle now or die!" A single DarkTyranomon ignored Yamato and turned on Taichi, not recognizing the blond as an authority figure. Taichi was lowered to the ground and in a single leap Yamato had cleared the space between himself and the ill-fated digimon. Knowing that every eye was on him Matt jumped on top of the creatures back and kicked the DarkTyranomans neck. His foot sunk deep into the flesh and the loud crack of its neck breaking made the digidestined twitch. It was dead before it hit the ground, scattering its data into the wind. "Now go! All of you!" Matt shouted and the armies did run, afraid that they would be next.
Yamatos keen hearing picked up soft whimpering on the wind. Tk, Tk had seen everything and he was afraid, not only for himself but for his dear Onii-chan. Yamato could feel his heart twisting painfully, so monsters can love.
"Run!" Yamato sneered at his once companions, spreading them into the forest. He would have to collect them all but for now he could postpone just a little longer feeling the pain coming from Takeru and the horror written on all their faces. Mimi had grabbed Takeru and taken him kicking and screaming into the woods. Taichi also resisted leaving but Sora had a firm grip on him and was steadily leading him away.
"Yama! I wont let it end like this! I wont! You can not just leave me like this!" Tai shouted back to the blond as Joe picked up his free arm and helped pull Taichi away.
"But it already has ended Tai, and I can not return to you."
"Than I will come to you!" Then he was gone, engulfed by the shelter of the trees and heavy brush.
"I wont let you." Yamatos soft words were lost in the wind, never intending to be heard by the other boy anyway. After composing himself he twirled around to face Myotismon. "Why didn't you help me? Why didn't you do what I asked? You betrayed me!" Passion made the words grow strong even in the face of an evil such as Myotismon.
"I did not betray you, you were in charge of all of this. I am just a witness. Do what you will with them young one but do not become attached, mortals die." Myotismon began calling some of his bats back to him to take him home.
'So you are leaving me alone then?' Yamato sent the thought to the other before he had the chance to leave. Myotismon smiled smugly down at him, which only served to flame the fires within Matt. His soul was in torment and more than willing to lash out at anything that posed a target. 'What makes you so sure I will not leave you?'
"Because despite all of your masks of indifference you can not stand to be alone." Myotismon spoke aloud and somehow it made the bite of the words all the more painful, now the words that hit disturbingly close to Yamatos heart could ring in his ears and his mind could pick apart every syllable.
Minutes passed where Yamato was content to stand as he was, he wanted to hide from his problems as long as he could. Only when the faint smell of Takeru came to him on the wind did he move. 'Collect them and send them away, back home where they are safe and happy, do not think about them. Do not think about how you will never see them again, about how saying a final goodbye would just be unbearable, about how this miss matched group of children became your family. No, just keep your mind blessedly blank.'
"Onii-chan!"
Shit.
Takeru was running to him with tears filling his eyes. Yamato stood unmoving as his little brother hugged his legs fiercely.
"Onii-chan I was so worried about you, but Taichi said you would be fine and you are! You are ok aren't you Matt?" Takeru tugged at his pants but got no response except for glittering eyes staring down at him. "Why wont you talk to me? Matt? Onii-chan?" Takeru sniffed and buried his little face in the folds of Yamatos cape.
"Yamato." Mimi walked from where Tk had come from and did not stop until she was a step away from him. Matt looked up at her but his face remained stony. "Please stay with us. None of us care what has happened or what it means just as long as we are all together."
No trace of fear or deceit emanated from Mimi, only a rush of sincerity and loving friendship. Matt looked away; looking into her eyes was just too painful, how could she so blindly accept him back when she had seen what he had become?
Wordlessly Yamato gathered Takeru in one arm so that the little boy twisted until his face was buried in his big brothers neck. With his other arm Yamato grabbed Mimi and before she had the chance to object they were flying through the air. Trees rushed past below them and the sky above remained unchanged, a single mass of black. Once they were back to the place of the battle Matt placed them both on their feet.
"Make sure they do not leave." Yamato spoke to the digimon that had filtered down from the castle walls after hearing about a huge battle having taken place near by. They were among the lower, less useful of Myotismons armies but they would do for watching the digidestined.
"Onii-chan you aren't leavening are you?" Takeru sniffed. Matt had meant to walk away without a word but he couldn't leave Tk like that. He turned and stooped so that he was level with the shorter blond.
"Don't worry Tk, I am going to go get the others so that you can go back to the real world together." Takerus face lit up and Yamato couldn't help the hand that snuck out to stroke his brothers cheek lightly. He stood and gazed stonily at the group of digimon gathering in front of him. "If a single hair in out of place when I return I will make all of you my lunch." Yamato smiled for effect, allowing pearly white fangs to slip over his bottom lip.
The group agreed readily with little whimpers of fear and over excited nods but it was the high-pitched yelp just beyond them that caught Yamatos attention. He stalked over gracefully and effortlessly pulled Joe from a bush.
"Err...Hi Yamato!" Joe smiled sheepishly from beneath his glasses.
"Weren't you with Taichi?" Yamatos eyes grew a little wider as he spoke. Joe flushed and straightened out the bag hanging awkwardly from his shoulder.
"Well I was, but then he flipped out and I kind of got lost..." A single golden eyebrow raised and Joe continued. "Taichi had been fighting us the entire time but then Sora said something to him and he flipped out. I didn't hear what she said but he managed to escape our holds on him."
Yamato growled and his eyes blazed. "Stay here." Joe was deposited next to the others to blink at where Yamato had just been as said blond rushed into the woods. Sora had probably said something stupid about Yamato to make Tai flip out like that. Sometimes the brunet was surprisingly passionate, especially when he thought someone was going to leave him. Matt longed to feel the presence of their beloved leader but instead it was Sora he happened upon.
"Yamato!" Soras voice shook with the fear none of the others had possessed. When Matt said nothing and continued to advance her fear grew and began to consume her. "Come on Yamato you don't want to do this do you? Lets go find the others together and leave this place!" Several times her voice broke and she backed up cautiously. Finally she had backed up against a tree and could go no farther. This realization seemed to spark some courage in her. "You wouldn't harm me! The others would never forgive you!" Silly girl thought Yamato was going to feed on her; of course he did nothing to dispel this idea.
"What did you do with Tai?" His lips were drawn tight so that his fangs were visible and his eyes were piercing, even if she would not tell him he would pull the information from her mind.
"I wont give him to you!" She shouted. Matt pulled the images from her without her ever realizing her mind was being plundered. Sora was whispering something in Taichis ear, words of how she always knew Yamato would be the end of them. Taichis chocolate eyes lit ablaze and in a surge of strength he wrenched away form their grasps; he looked so pained and desperate as he ran from them...Sora too had gotten lost after Taichis escape.
"Yamato! Sora!" Izzy fell through the brush just left of the tree Sora found herself against. "Its good to see you again Yamato." His voice was as even as ever, if he realized what had being transpiring he ignored it. "I heard Sora so I came here, have you seen any of the others? Or any of the digimon? Most of them dedigivolved during the battle and were sent flying."
Oh ya, the digimon. He could go collect them like he was doing the digidestined but that would take to long and a strong feeling in his heart was telling him to find Taichi. Instead he sent out a mental message to the digimon. 'Go back to the clearing were you battled if you wish to see your digidestined, no harm will come to you.' He felt where each was and knew that most of them were already near where he had left the others.
"I will take you to them." Yamato stated passively. Izzy nodded but Sora would have nothing of it.
"We can't trust him! Did you see what he did to that digimon earlier? What if we are next?" She had fallen to the ground after snagging her foot on a root and slid behind Izzy on her hands and knees.
"Yamato is our friend, he will not hurt us even if he has the ability to do so." Izzy said reasonably.
The feeling of dread was growing inside Yamato. He didn't know whether it was part of his new abilities or something else but he did know one thing, Tai needed him. Yamato caught up Izzy and Sora in his arms and they were with the others in an instant. The digimon had done what he asked and they were filtering into the clearing and being put with their children partners.
Yamato took off on foot into the woods, running as only a vampire can. His senses were straining for any sign of the brunet his heart was screaming for. With precious little to go on Yamato ran in the direction that simply felt right to him. Then it came to him so strongly that his head swam with the scent of it. Blood, but not just any blood, it was Taichis blood and there was a lot of it.
"TAI!" He couldn't see anything yet and his mind was too panicked to utilize any other senses. Hadn't all of the stronger digimon been sent back to the castle? How could he have missed a presence strong enough to take down one of his friends? Anything that dared touch his Taichi was going to die. By the time Yamato found Tai he was ready to kill mercilessly, rip whatever hurt Tai into a thousand pieces before it disappeared from existence. But there was no such creature, only a broken boy in a dark oasis with blood stained flowers littering the ground.
"No..." Yamato wanted to fall to his knees and pull his beloved into his arms but in that moment time stopped. All the irrelevant little details of the scene were coming to the front of his mind, maddening him. It was darker than the rest of the forest here, everything was cast in a dark blue hue and the grass was plush underneath his feet. Little white flowers the same color of the full moon were scattered about the clearing, but they were changing with the grass. The beautiful greens and whites were being engulfed in a growing pool of crimson staining the ground. Finally Yamatos mind took mercy upon him and focused exclusively on the boy lying before him. Taichi laid spread out on the grass, his lips were blue and his normally tan skin was deathly pale. In one hand he was clutching the small Swiss army knife he always carried with him as if his life depended on it and rivulets of blood flowed freely from both wrists.
"Tai!" Yamato cried as time proceeded once more like it had never stopped. He threw the blade away from them as if it were a bomb and pulled Taichi into his lap to cradle the limp head against his chest. "How could you?"
Yamato pressed his lips to Taichis forehead lovingly as his vision turned crimson. For the first time sense his mortal body died Yamato cried and a single crimson teardrop cascaded down his pallid cheek.
Hi everyone!!! I love you all! Thank you SO much for the reviews, without you this never would have happened! I cant tell you how much it means to me! Anyway, no Tai is not dead, he is still bleeding after all. (Wow you know something sucks when bleeding is good) Next chapter will have more Tai POV I think. Once more, I love you all and so do Tai and Yama our poor tortured bishies! Thanks for reading and I hope you injoyed this chapter.