Chapter 12
My sister, my babysitter
When Tai opened his eyes he noticed that he was staring up at a bright blue sky. "I don't have a bedroom roof?" he asked himself. He then noticed that there was a fresh breeze on his face. He quickly sat upright, and saw that he was lying on the beach. "What the-?"
He glanced at himself and noticed how small he was. Turning to the right, he saw a much younger version of his mother lying on a beach towel. She was wearing sunglasses, so he couldn't tell if she was awake or not.
"I'm five-years-old again," he thought,"And my mother is a rich young single parent, and Kari and Sora are sisters..wait, where's Kari?"
He started looking around, but then gave up. Even if Kari was on the beach full of people, there would be no way for him to find her.
His mother turned to him and smiled,"You awake honey?"
Tai nodded.
His mother laughed slightly,"It's really fun going every weekend to the beach, isn't it? Sometimes I'm glad we have extra money."
Tai nodded, then turned his attention to the scenery. "I don't have any idea where Kari is, and she has the device that closes the rips! Perfect! Now what?"
Mrs. Kamiya seemed to sense a change in her son's mood. "Why don't you build some sand castles? We'll be leaving soon."
Tai nodded. Then grabbed one of his buckets and a shovel. He was depressed, so he really wasn't paying attention to the people around him. It was a few minutes before he noticed someone was standing in front of him. He glanced up at a familiar looking 16-year-old girl wearing a pink bikini. "Kari!" he shouted out without thinking.
His mother removed her sunglasses and smiled slightly. "Kari, right?"
She nodded,"That's right, Mrs. Kamiya."
Tai glanced at Kari with a questioning look, but she just winked. A second later, she was joined by an 18-year-old girl in a yellow bikini, holding two ice cream cones. She handed one to Kari. "Here you go, sis."
"Thanks, Sora," Kari smiled slightly.
Sora turned to Mrs. Kamiya and Tai,"Oh, hello, Tai, right?"
Mrs. Kamiya stood up. "I'm his mother."
Sora nodded,"That's right. Nice to meet you."
"Do you two live around here?"
Sora nodded,"Our mother owns a flower shop in in Odiba."
"Really? That's where I live too," she laughed, then glanced at her watch,"Shoot. Listen, I have to get to a meeting, do you mind watching Tai for the rest of the day? I'll pay you well."
"That's no problem at all!" Kari spurted out before Sora could say anything.
"Great," Mrs Kamiya said, gathering up her towels,"I'll meet you at that pizza shop at about, six o'clock?"
Kari nodded,"Great." She knelt down so she was eye-lenght with Tai,"You don't mind, do you?"
Tai shook his head.
Sora hid her true feelings, and instead smiled."Sure, we have our stuff over there. Come on over."
A few minutes later Tai was sitting next to Kari and Sora, trying to act as if he belonged there. Sora was angry that she had to spend her day babysitting, so when she saw someone walk onto the beach, she jumped up and ran over, finally giving Tai and Kari a chance to talk.
"I was afraid that I had lost you," Tai said.
"I know," Kari sighed. She reached into her beach bag and pulled out a square device,"I still have that thing that Sam gave me."
Tai sighed."Great, now we've just got to find it."
"Actually," Kari said, turning it on,"I've been getting a reading. I think its somewhere on the boardwalk."
Tai nodded,"We'll have to check it out later....who's Sora coming back with?."
Kari turned to where Tai was looking. Sora was walking back towards them with an older blond haired boy, and a little blond haired girl. "I don't know."
Sora was all smiles when she reached them. "Kari," she said,"You remember by boyfriend Tk."
Kari had to keep herself from gasping, but she just nodded.
Sora knelt down next to Tai,"Tai, we've got someone for you to play with. This is Tk's younger sister, Matt."
Tai almost fell over backwards, but kept his composition. "Finally, justice has been served!"
Tk wasn't very happy about having to bring his little sister to the beach with him, so he was relieved when Matt sat down next to Tai, it gave him a Sora a chance together. Kari knew that they weren't going to be able to investigate the reality rip, so she just leaned back in her seat and watched Matt and Tai.
"Do you wanna build sand castles?" Matt asked, grabbing her bucket.
"Sure," Tai smiled, grabbing his bucket. He hadn't been five years old in thirteen years, and he was going to have fun. As he stared to fill up his bucket, he felt like he was being watch. He turned around and saw a large five year old boy staring at him. "Derwood! but, if he's here, what happened to Sam and Sara? I hope they're okay."
Tai didn't know how long he and Matt had been playing in the sand, but it felt like like hours later when he heard Sora and Tk whispering to each other, then Sora handing Kari a stack of money. "Take the two kids and give us some time alone, okay?"
"Uh, sure," Kari said, sitting up. She pulled on a pair of jean shorts, then turned to Tai and Matt. "Come on guys, I'll treat you to ice cream."
Matt dropped her buckets and stood straight up. "Oh boy! Strawberry?"
Kari giggled slighty,"Whatever you want. Come on Tai."
Tai knew that this was going to be their chance to try and find the tear in reality, so he quickly followed. He doubted that they were two feet away, before Tk and Sora charged into the ocean. Although it was weird that Tk and Sora would be an item, it wasn't as strange as the blond haired girl next to him named Matt.
Kari lead her two young charges up to the boardwalk and they stopped at the first ice cream stand there was. Matt got a strawberry cone, Tai had a chocolate, and Kari had vanilla. After they finished their ice cream, they walked down the boardwalk until they came to one of the arcades.
"Let's go in here!" Tai said, pointing to the video games.
"I wanna win a stuffed dog!" Matt shouted, running inside.
"You're really getting into your role here, aren't you?" Kari whispered into Tai's ear.
Tai blushed slightly, then walked inside. Tai stopped by a racing car game. "I've got to look for Matt," Kari sighed,"I can trust you to behave yourself?"
Tai nodded.
"Good, I'll be right back." Kari ran in Matt's direction.
Tai turned to the video game and put a quarter into the slot. He started enjoying himself until he felt a presence behind him. He spun around and sighed. "Matt!"
"Where's Kari?" she asked, looking around.
"She went looking for you," Tai sighed. He grabbed Matt's hand,"Come on." He lead her towards the back of the arcade, trying to find Kari, when he saw a familiar looking five-year-old boy standing by one of the machines.
"Tai."
"Derwood."
Tai felt Matt sneak around behind him. "I can't do anything with Matt here. I've got to get rid of her somehow."
Derwood crossed his arms and mentioned to the little blond girl behind Tai. "Did you make a girlfriend?"
Tai started to growl. "Where is Sara and Sam?"
Derwood chuckled, "Let's just say they are enjoy a stay at our prison complex."
"Let them go!" Tai shouted, about to jump over and tackle Derwood to the ground, but he remembered Matt was behind him.
"Where's the Trans-dimensional Repair unit?" he asked.
"I don't have it."
Derwood just shrugged."I'm going to have to take you in then." He started walking towards them, when Kari suddenly stepped between them.
"Come on Tai," she said, grabbing his and Matt's hand,"You'll have to say goodbye to your playmate now."
Derwood crossed his arms. When the trio was out of the arcade, he quickly ran after them.
"He's still behined us," Kari whispered.
"Take Matt to the bathroom, or something," Tai whispered back,"I'll fight him alone."
Kari nodded, then grabbed Matt's hand."Do you have to use the bathroom?"
Matt nodded.
"Wait here for us, okay Tai?" Kari said, leading Matt into the ladies's room.
Tai took a deep breath; he knew that Derwood was still behined him. He entered the little boys room, but surprisingly no one was there. He heard the door close shut behined him. "Give up, Mr. Kamiya," he said.
"Why are you after me?" Tai asked.
"You have violated time and space. You belong to one reality, and you must stay in that reality."
"I didn't choose this!" Tai shouted,"My evil double is the way that started this whole thing!"
"But he has stayed stationary in your reality until you came back," Derwood nodded,"Had you stay in one of the realities that you visited, there would be no problem. However, you are trying to fight your double, which is causing more damage in space and time."
"We're trying to close the rips in reality!" Tai said.
"That cannot be allowed," Derwood said,"For without those rips, the Reality Police would not have the power we need to monitor dimensional offenders, such as yourself. Hand over the device, now!"
"I don't have it!" Tai shouted.
Derwood lunged at him, but Tai twisted out of the way; his foot snagged on Derwood's ankle and the Reality Policeman slammed in the floor. Derwood twisted around and glared at him. "You're finished!"
Derwood jumped up, but he noticed that something was flashing on his writs. "My watch!" he shouted,"It broke during the fall!"
"So?"
"You idiot! You broke my connection with reality! I'm phasing back! I'll get you for this Kamiya!" He suddenly vanished.
"That's how you get rid of him," Tai said,"I'll remember that."
He found Kari and Matt waiting for him outside the ladies' room. As Matt lead the way back to Sora and Tk, Tai whispered to Kari what had happened to Derwood, and Kari told Tai that she had repaired the reality rip. It was in the ladies' room, in one of the stalls.
When the trio reached the area where Sora and Tk were, Mrs. Kamiya was there waiting."It's getting dark, and you need your sleep," Mrs. Kamiya told Tai after he protested leaving.
"He was no trouble at all," Kari giggled.
"I'm glad," Mrs. Kamiya said, grabbing Tai's hand,"Thanks again."
Tai turned with a worried look on his face, but Kari mouthed "I'll fall asleep now, so we'll move worlds together."
Tai smiled and nodded. He turned back around and soon found himself at his mother's car. She packed everything away, and Tai climbed into the passenger seat.
"Did you have fun today?" Mrs. Kamyia asked as she drove down the road.
Tai nodded. He leaned back into his seat and fell asleep.