Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Toei Animation does.

Ch. 34 Faded Vestiges

"I leave you alone for one hour and you still manage to get yourself into some predicament."

"I didn't get kidnapped or injured this time," was all Tai could think of to say in his self defense as he glared at Matt back from Kuma's medical safe-house.

"No, you set yourself on fire."

That was definite sarcasm leaking through Matt's tone.

"Not on purpose. You know I loved that coat!"

"If your coat wasn't made from such cheap materials it wouldn't have burned so easily. Here," Matt sighed throwing a bundle of black fabric at him.

Catching it, Tai realized it was Matt's fleece jacket. He did a double take noticing that Matt was wearing a brown leather duster that must have been three times his size.

"Kuma put a cast on," Matt said, rolling up the sleeve of his cuff to show off the plaster encasing wrapped around his wrist and arm. "He told me to take one of his spare coats if we were going to continue running around the city in the freezing cold. Mine won't fit over the cast, so you can wear it."

Tai slipped it over his head, swallowing down any protests he might have had over the preppy style of it or the lack of a hood. The abandoned shopping mall was desolate and cold with the fire pit only giving out so much warmth. He pulled his arms through the sleeves and tugged the zipper up to his neck hating the fact that it fit snugly so damn well.

"I better not feel the urge to spout out any sappy love songs," he muttered under his breath.

When he looked up again, a genuine smirk was playing across Matt's lips.

"C'mon," Matt said offering out his good arm to help him stand. "Kuma gave us a load of food and medical supplies. I think hungry, hurt kids are his Achilles ' heel. I'm pretty sure if he had enough room at his safe-house, he would have let us stay there instead."

oOo

Neither Tai nor Ken said anything to each other and Davis tactfully never brought up the subject that he had caught his sempai ready to throw hands with his friend so dinner went along smoothly for the most part.

Very quickly, he learned Agu-Agu had no knack for table manners, not that anyone was going to be side-eyed for eating a protein bar with their hands (or claws), but Tai found himself reprimanding the small dinosaur more than once for grabbing something out of someone's hands. Having to explain that taking things without permission was rude only to be met with a puzzled, "why?" made Tai feel like he was babysitting a toddler who was constantly testing his patience. Agu-Agu was a black twister of energy always touching, and head-butting him for food and attention until he collapsed half-sprawled across Tai's knees in a food coma snoring loudly.

"Well, at least someone's full," Sora remarked, pointedly looking at Tai who had barely touched his own food.

"You should get some nutrients in you," Joe scolded, his Obsessive Doctor Mode in full blast ever since visiting Kuma's medical facility. "Besides that pork bun you ate this morning, have you eaten anything at all?"

Tai shrugged, aware it was weird and possibly concerning that he had little to no food in over the course of two days, possessed no appetite and was running on pure fumes and adrenalin at this point probably.

"Jumonji gave me some snacks earlier," he said tossing them a half-truth. Trying to draw their attention away from the topic, he patted one hand over at the sleeping dinosaur in his lap. "I don't think Agumon was ever this clingy."

"The bond needs physical contact to settle," Ken spoke up for the first time since their spat not quite meeting Tai's gaze. "The partner-ship is formed faster that way."

Tai glanced at Wormmon nestled fast at Ken's side, remembering all the instances of the insectoid Digimon latching onto his partner, always so hesitant to be apart from him as if afraid he would vanish: Ken, who most likely had neglected him during his reign as Digimon Emperor.

Wormmon must have been touch-starved for so long…

"Is that why you were always riding some poor Digimon you enslaved?" Cody asked sharply.

Heads whipped around the circle to stare at the boy in shock. Even Wormmon was gaping. Ken took the rebuke in stride, not batting an eyelash as if he had always been prepared for the day one of his teammates would realize what a mistake they had made accepting him into their ranks and go off on him.

Cody at least had the humility to look immediately ashamed at his own outburst. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I d-didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'm just… today…"

"What did your grandfather say about Oikawa?" Kari asked him softly.

Cody seemed to shrink in on himself as he recalled. "Nothing Oikawa already didn't disclose on the news interview. It was him and my dad who saw the Digimon through the tv when they were younger. He was telling the truth. They were best friends. Grandfather said Oikawa wasn't a really a bad kid but he didn't like the influence he had on my dad and tried to encourage him not to hang around too much. Maybe Oikawa was different back then. I just hate the thought of my dad putting his trust in a person who turned out… so evil."

"I am sorry for what I said before," Cody said to Ken. "I was just angry."

"No, you were right. It was another short-cut to the goal I desired."

"We all just thought you were being dramatic on purpose," Davis joked in an effort to lighten the mood. He elbowed Ken in the ribs playfully.

"The cape added a nice flair for all your theatrical entrances," T.K. teased.

A light smattering of chuckles escaped from the group as some of the tension eased. The corners of Ken's mouth twitched upwards for a second though the smile never reached his eyes.

"Remember when we first went to the Digital World? All of our partners barely left our sides for the first couple of days," Sora remarked going back to the previous topic as she stroked the downy-soft feathers atop Biyomon's head.

"We waited for you guys for so long!" Biyomon chirped nestling closer.

"When you all finally arrived, it was like a dream come true!" Tentomon agreed.

"You all kept talking about 'earth' and 'the real world' and how to get back," Gabumon said in a mournful tone. "You didn't seem as happy to meet us as we did."

Matt laid a comforting hand on his striped pelt, a remorseful expression on his face.

"Like you didn't want to be with us," Palmon cried throwing her limbs around Mimi's waist. "It was scary!"

"Oh, Palmon!" Mimi sniffled hugging her back tightly. "We were all just frightened kids back then without a clue of what just happened to us! I'm sorry!"

"We had to stick pretty close and make sure you didn't do anything dumb—which you did, often," Gomamon proclaimed casting a meaningful glance at Joe.

Joe turned red behind the glare of his glasses from the fire. "Thank you for looking out for me. I am sorry for any puerile idiocy I caused you on my part."

"It's alright!" Patamon said from his perch on top of T.K.'s head. "We knew you guys loved us even if you didn't know how or why. We could feel it through the bond."

"Is that how it was for you, Veemon?" Davis asked curiously. "Were you waiting for me?"

"I don't really remember anything before you," Veemon admitted. "It was like I was sleeping and you woke me up, and I knew the moment I saw you that we were meant for each other!"

"Like Yolei!"

"And Cody!"

Hawkmon and Armadillomon bounded in circles around their partners, their happiness seeming to pierce through the dark gloom of the night. The glum expression lifted off Cody's face as he flung his arms around Armadillomon and pressed their foreheads together in a rare display of emotion from the usually somber boy.

Tai's eyes flickered over to Gatomon who had been thus quiet this far. She still didn't speak up, but he watched as she put one paw into Kari's outstretched hand that was patiently waiting. The fur around her face took on a rosy hue from the fire. For the first time in a long while, she looked… content.

Tai couldn't help but glance at Ken. The boy's head was downcast, two fingers slowly rubbing soothing strokes on top of Wormmon's head that was pressed into his chest. The insectoid Digimon's body was trembling but whether it was from joy or stress he couldn't tell. All he knew was whatever bond the two had between them, it was still healing even now.

How long did it take for a bond to fully meld anyway? The way the Digimon had explained it, it seemed to happen instantaneously under normal circumstances. While BlackWarGreymon's bonding certainly had not been ordinary, Tai remembered the breathless sensation he had felt after being pulled from out of the portal and a pair of golden eyes clashing with his own.

"You found me," Agu-Agu mumbled in his sleep as if his dreams were parallel to Tai's own thoughts and curled himself closer. The thrumming that came from the back of his throat was loud like someone revving up their sports car.

Tai absent-mindedly rubbed his head, his mind wandering further back until it plucked the particular memory off the shelf.

oOo

The Digital World. Summer 1999.

"Tai, yoo-hoo, Tai!"

He was lying on his back on the ground and a rock was digging uncomfortably into his shoulder-blades. He blinked open his eyes and the world blurred steadily into focus. The first thing he saw was a pale pink ball-shape with two floppy ears streaming from its head and then he was drowning in a pair of warm, red eyes.

He screamed naturally. It was a talking head, come on. He just thought he had gotten food poison from eating camp food and had passed out and now was vividly hallucinating.

The round pink head didn't seem phased at all by his reaction. It just bounced around him in pure elation on those ridiculous, over-sized floppy ears.

"You don't have to be afraid of me! I'm your friend!"

It flashed a wide grin in which it displayed a row of shiny, very sharp teeth.

Piranha, Tai thought seeing the headlines for tomorrow's newspaper: Star Soccer Player Killed By Pink Piranha.

"Everything's gonna be alright now, Tai! I've been waiting for you!" the pink head crowed as it leaped at him teeth bared.

Tai, for some stupid reason unbeknownst to him, simply stood there and let the mini shop of horrors creature jump into his arms.

"Waiting for me?" he finally croaked when he wasn't immediately devoured.

"My name's Koromon! And we're partners!"

Partners.

The word burst inside his mind like the sun breaking free from a cluster of clouds. A warm calmness settled over him, sweeping away any lingering doubts he had that what the creature spoke was the truth.

The pink head—Koromon—smiled at him in that snaggle-toothed, crinkly grin that suddenly wasn't so intimidating now, adoration shining in bright red eyes that promised him he'd never be alone ever again and then… then Tai was home.

oOo

Tai felt a slow smile creep out on his lips at the blissful memory of their first meeting together—before the bond between him and WarGreymon suddenly guttered and waned. He couldn't explain it. It was like the feeling of basking in front of a fireplace then being ushered out of the room with a door closed shut to all the warmth and glow that came from it. The bond was still there… he had just been denied access to it.

He leapt up, heart racing, Agu-Agu tumbling from his lap with a drowsy grunt, cracking open groggy, golden eyes. Ignoring the others' questions of what was wrong, Tai snapped his head in the direction where WarGreymon had been only to see his figure striding off into the depths of the upper levels.

Leaving, he was leaving. On purpose.

"Where do you think you're going?!" he yelled at WarGreymon, fear rising thick in his throat. "Uh-uh! You created this bond—I went along with it. It's us three now just like you wanted, so get back here and bond with us!"

WarGreymon paused, turning his horned helmet his direction. Tai felt a brief flare of heat escape from the door as it cracked open slightly… before shutting just as swiftly as before. Then WarGreymon was gone into the night, swallowed by the shadows, and it was only him and BlackWarGreymon standing in the space previously crafted for three.

Tai stood there in shock and an underlying anger, shivering in what felt like mild rejection.

"Where's WarGreymon going?" he faintly heard Gomamon ask.

"Yeah, why does he keep disappearing?" Palmon chimed in.

"Doesn't he want to stay with Tai?" Biyomon piped up.

It was Gabumon who answered, sounding as sad and hurt as Tai felt in that moment.

"WarGreymon is doing what he thinks is best for their bond, even if it means taking himself out of the picture."

oOo

It was later that night. Jumonji and his gang still had not come back. Aozaki had gone out for a "smoke break" and had never returned. Most likely, he had been fed up by "baby-sitting" even though he had been told that was not his true task for staying behind. One by one, the children and the Digimon had fallen prey to the long day's fatigue and drifted off. Agu-Agu was pressed fast against Tai's side snoring, claws flung over his chest and waist possessively. Tai didn't want to sleep. He didn't.

He wanted to beat the door down in his mind that WarGreymon was hiding behind.

He wanted to go out and search for his partner personally—demand an explanation for his actions.

He didn't want to sleep because he knew he would dream again.

The dreams, even though he only remembered bits and pieces of them, left him frightened and seeking answers he did not even know the questions to.

But exhaustion was a hard thing to fight off when you've been running around relentlessly for the last couple of days with little food and lack of rest, and so inevitably sleep won out.

oOo

The spindly stalks of the thorny brambles that loomed overhead disappeared into the thick sea of fog that swirled around him. Tai pushed through them, struggling to get to what lay beyond them. Someone was crying on the other side, someone was in pain and he needed to help them.

He shoved back a stalk and hissed as a thorn sliced the palm of his hand open. A small drop of red disappeared into the mist pooling around his feet.

A voice echoed around him in the vast, white nothingness in a lilting jeer.

"Be careful when casting out your demon you don't throw away the best part of yourself…"

"You!" Tai cried, recognizing the voice. "You were in the portal—down there! I heard you. Who are you?"

He received no reply and the crying beyond the thorn brambles was fading. Now Tai wasn't sure which direction he should go in and the fog was rolling in thicker, obscuring even the closest stalk from view and threatening to swallow him up as well.

He pushed forward blindly trying to make his way out but the brambles tore at his clothes and hair and it might have been his imagination but he thought the stalks were winding about themselves and expanding into a thorny wall of vines.

Trapped, he was going to be trapped in here, in this empty void forever.

Something blue fluttered at the edge of his vision and Tai turned in time to see a butterfly weave in lazy circles in front of him before darting into the fog ahead. Tai plunged after it, crashing through the brambles and keeping its small blue wings in view until he finally stumbled out onto the other side and was faced with the source of the crying.

It was Oikawa, sitting on his knees on a shallow patch of shore surrounded by water, eyes dark and haunted upon a pallid, gaunt face that twisted in anger as he raised his head up.

"You can't keep me away any longer! I deserve admittance! He's calling me! They're all calling them. We'll carve our own road to our destiny. We're not some pawns you can move across your board game!"

For one wild moment Tai thought he was shouting at him, then he felt the foreboding presence behind him: dark and spiteful, wicked and gleeful; bottomless hunger licking at the nape of his neck and darkness whispering into his ears.

A hand snatched him by the shoulder before he could turn to look and spun him around until he was face to face with the young version of Gennai.

"Why are you here? This is not your dream…" Gennai's face was wreathed in so many worry-lines it looked as if he was phasing in and out of his older self.

"Your voice…" Tai breathed realizing.

Gennai's expression hardened, his blue eyes stony and cold. "Don't believe anything I say," he ordered sharply. "Whatever he's been telling you, it's all for his own amusement."

To say Tai was confused was an understatement, but something more urgent pressed at his mind.

"How do I remember?" he asked. "When I wake up?"

Gennai's brow furrowed as he stared at something behind him. The hand that gripped him by the shoulder was digging in painfully now.

"You don't," Gennai said mockingly. "You never do."

Tai blinked because the Gennai in front of him hadn't spoken at all yet he had heard his words all the same. He started to turn his head to catch a glimpse…

"Leave him alone," Gennai snarled at whoever, whatever was behind him.

With a mighty shove, Tai found himself falling, the world of fog and thorns and tears dissolving like rain upon a sidewalk chalk painting around him.

"Leave them all alone!" Gennai screamed from somewhere above.

Tai was falling and bubbling laughter rode the blackness that chased after him spreading its wings like a blanket reaching out to smother him in its dark embrace.

oOo

Tai jolted awake to a high-pitched squalling noise. He shot up, his heart pounding fast within his chest and the foggy traces of a dream slipping away from him. Blearily, he rubbed his eyes and looked around for the source of the loud ruckus.

It was coming from Davis. He was floundering wildly and yelling as Agu-Agu pinned him down in a headlock, jaws open and extending for his head…

Tai didn't remember getting up. He didn't remember running over. He thought he might have flown or possibly teleported. He felt like his feet had grown wings. He just moved.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted, throwing his arms around the small dinosaur and pulling him away. "Stop!"

They were both thrown backwards forcefully when Veemon head-butted Agu-Agu under the chin. The small blue dragon placed himself in front of his partner protectively, head lowered and fists at the ready for a counter-attack.

Tai locked his arms around Agu-Agu tightly in case he tried to break free. "What is wrong with you?" he demanded.

Around them, the others were waking up groggy and disoriented.

"W-What happened?"

"He attacked Davis!" Veemon exclaimed, pawing one foot on the ground like he wanted to charge.

Ken knelt down beside his friend and offered him a hand to sit up. "Are you ok?" he asked looking him over for any injuries.

"Y-Yeah," Davis muttered sounding dazed. He blinked owlishly, still looking half-asleep as he placed a hand on his head before running his fingers through his spiky hair which was mashed slightly on one side from sleeping on it. "Hey, my goggles…"

"These are yours!" Agu-Agu exclaimed turning in Tai's hold on him to display the pair which dangled from his bottom jaw. His body was vibrating excitedly like a dog eager for praise.

There was dead silence as everyone stared.

An uneasy feeling pooled in the pit of Tai's stomach because… how could Agu-Agu possibly know that?

Tai took a deep breath and shook his head. "Not anymore. They belong to Davis now so give them back and say you're sorry for taking them."

Agu-Agu plucked the goggles from his teeth by its strap and fidgeted with them, a small frown appearing on his forehead.

"Give them back," Tai repeated firmly not quite sure what he would do if Agu-Agu didn't listen to him.

Agu-Agu glanced up at Tai and stared hard as if seeing him for the first time. "It's backwards," he said.

"What?"

"It's backwards," Agu-Agu grumbled low in his throat, anger visible in golden eyes. "You're backwards! It's all wrong!" he cried, throwing the goggles on the floor and rushing off.

Tai looked at his confused teammates before rubbing both hands down the sides of his face in a vain effort to wipe away the tiredness. It didn't work. Despite his head still felt like it was swimming in fog, Tai hauled himself to his feet and chased after the small dinosaur all the way to the top level of the mall where the abandoned food court opened up to a huge outside terrace.

Agu-Agu had his face turned up to the sky. Above them, the pale light of the early morning sun was obscured by a grey horizon that stretched endlessly on weighed down by thick grey clouds promising snow. Tai walked over and stood next to him.

"Did we know each other before?" the small dinosaur asked quietly.

"Before?"

"Before I was like this."

Tai hesitated. Had Agu-Agu begun remembering his past as BlackWarGreymon? Yet even if he was, that still didn't explain how he knew the goggles had once belonged to him.

"The other Digimon…" Agu-Agu said. "They said they were waiting for their partners…"

"You were listening then? I thought you were asleep."

"You found me," the small dinosaur glanced at him as if he were a riddle to be solved. "There was only darkness and then you were there. I knew it was you, but you were different."

A wave of dizziness washed over Tai, strong enough that he had to sit down or lose his balance. Somehow he knew what Agu-Agu was going to say before he said it.

"You were wearing the goggles," gold eyes were riveted to his face taking in every feature. "That's the first memory I have of you. You were smaller then."

"You saw me?" Tai asked trying to piece together what it all meant. He felt like reality was slowly chipping away from him, forming into one jumbled jig-saw puzzle with pieces that didn't align.

"And the gold armored one. He was smaller too. You found me. Both of you. Remember?"

His mind wandered to the portrait within the portal and how desperate BlackWarGreymon had been to enter it.

oOo

The song was drifting out of the tunnel, haunting and beckoning. BlackWarGreymon flew now like a moth to a flame towards the sound, towards the small picturesque painting that hung in the darkness, reciting the rest of the lyrics, "I'll come to see you soon…" with a crazed furor that would not be denied.

oOo

All the portrait had shown was a grassy field with baskets. The visions that had flashed before his eyes inside the portal's realm had been remnants of a dream Tai realized. It made sense. He knew that he and BlackWarGreymon shared dreams, but something was off. Their perspectives did not match up.

oOo

He was waiting at the edge of the field of Primary Village. Elecmon had given his greetings and left. Agumon had joined him by his side and was now shuffling impatiently on both feet.

"Oh!" Agumon gasped pointing to a small figure on a spot in the field. "He's started already! I'll go help!" He darted past him sprinting into the bright sunlight, singing along to the melody. "'I wonder if we'll reach the skies!'"

oOo

They had experienced a connection in their dreams even before their bond existed. Tai could vaguely recall himself explaining to a demanding BlackWarGreymon what Primary Village was; what the baskets were meant for—right before the dual bond had been thrust involuntarily upon both of them.

And the thing that had set everything into motion had been that song Matt had begun to write that Tai could recite all the lyrics to… or most of them.

"I'll become a happy butterfly and ride the glittering wind," came the words that etched themselves across his mind like the faint brush-strokes of a ink pen.

Tai didn't dare utter them out loud. What if they caused Agu-Agu to remember even more of past? Would he be wrong in denying those memories to surface though? Wasn't Agu-Agu happier how he was right now?

"You might have seen me… in a dream," he admitted, wincing as a dull ache ignited in his temple from all his over-thinking. "But it's no use asking me about it. I have trouble remembering all my dreams."

If Agu-Agu was as frustrated as Tai felt, it didn't show. The small dinosaur turned and pressed his face in Tai's chest as if to console himself by the sound of the boy's heartbeat.

"Do humans grow so quickly?" he asked, his voice muffled into the fabric of Matt's jacket. "Will I grow too?"

Agumon had never been this serious with him.

"Yeah, you'll be the tall, dark and brooding type," Tai snorted rubbing the back of the dinosaur's head.

A familiar rumbling spilled from the back of Agu-Agu's throat at the soothing gesture.

"I'm glad you found me, Taichimon."

"I'm your partner," Tai simply said, echoing the words another black Agumon had spoken to him once in a dream. "I'll always find you."

"Even if I get lost again?"

"I promise."

Above them, the grey clouds split open to pour down a flurry of soft white snowflakes.

oOo

Gatomon was waiting for them atop one of the dead escalator handrails when they returned, her blue eyes glassy as she stared.

"You said to ask you in the morning," Tai said stopping in front of her. "What do you see? Are the threads more stable now?"

"The bond has mended very well," Gatomon said, her ears flattening back against her head. "Too well."

"Why do you make it sound like that's a bad thing?" Tai demanded, sub-consciously reaching out for Agu-Agu who nosed his snout into the palm of his hand with a happy huff.

"When was the last time the threads appeared before you?"

"Yesterday…" Tai trailed off remembering the time in the portal.

"And you haven't seen them manifest since?"

Tai shook his head.

"It wouldn't have mattered before if I cut the threads between you two," Gatomon explained. "But I saw the threads stitching themselves ever so precisely last night. And this morning the bond is almost seamless. The effects could be damaging if it was severed now."

"I think yesterday gave Ken the impression that the portals need to be sealed before Oikawa is dealt with," Tai stated bluntly. "We didn't see eye-to-eye on some suggestions."

Gatomon's whiskers twitched as she read between the lines. "I would only agree to that solution as a last resort as of right now," she assured him, her eyes darting from him to Agu-Agu. "I would not dare otherwise."

Her words, while they did bring Tai some comfort also filled him with a cold dread almost parallel to the same fear that had coursed through him inside the portal when the bond threatened to unravel.

"What if it does come down to that?" he could not keep himself from asking.

Gatomon leveled him a piercing, expressionless gaze.

"If it does, then it's not so much if we chose to do it, but more so if you are willing to go along with what needs to be done."

"Taichimon, food!" Agu-Agu cried pointing down the escalators, tugging on his arm with one claw, unaware of the heavy topic that carried above his head.

Tai pulled back at his touch almost on reflex, a twinge of guilt pinging inside his chest at how trusting the small dinosaur was towards him when at this very moment his very existence was being questioned and measured.

Gatomon's gaze softened as she relaxed her stiff posture and eased back on her haunches. "As I said, it's a last resort only. You should join the others." Then a flick of her striped tail, she was gone, bounding down the escalator's dead steps.

oOo

Agu-Agu rushed ahead in front of him, skidding into the group of children and their partners with all the eagerness of an energetic puppy and knocking a few of the Digimon over like bowling pins in his haste to get to the food.

Tai approached more cautiously eyeing Veemon warily, but the small blue dragon appeared to hold no grudge from earlier. Perhaps Davis had convinced him it had been a misunderstanding. Still, just watching Agu-Agu from afar, Tai noticed how the other Digimon maintained a certain distance from him as if still on guard that he might snap or morph back into his higher form at any given moment.

"It was odd that he knew those were your goggles originally."

Matt had come over to stand beside him holding out a plastic-wrapped daifuku as an offering. Tai took the sweet bun and pocketed it for later, something more important than food niggling away at the back of his mind.

"Have you written more on that song?" Tai asked carefully. "The one with the… butterfly…"

"Why, has my coat really inspired latent musical prowess in you?" Matt laughed before noticing Tai's serious expression. He cast his friend an uneasy look. "Well, you seemed to know all the lyrics before already. Why don't you tell me the rest?"

Matt sounded half-hearted when he said it as if he were trying to pass it off as a joke but all it did was remind Tai of the bizarre unnaturalness of the entire situation and the danger of his and BlackWarGreymon's dual bond—about what dire consequences might be if it was allowed to continue.

"Matt," Tai said his tone grim. "If there ever comes a time where you have to choose between the others and me, swear to help the team first."

"What are you saying?"

"If something should happen to me—"

"Nothing is going to happen to you!"

Tai cut him off before he got too worked up.

"If something should happen to me—the bond, the time lapses…" he thought briefly about Daemon and his threat to return. "Whatever… put the team first before me."

"But… you're my partner…"

Matt sounded lost and confused and just a tiny bit frightened.

"Then swear as my partner, the team first before me."

Tai was trying to understand it all: Ken's talk about sacrifices, WarGreymon doing what he thought was best for their bond, Gatomon warning him to be prepared for what might come, and now he felt compelled to instruct Matt what to do if two conflicting choices were ever at play. Perhaps it was the cheap way out of having to make a decision for himself in the future, because if he was ever faced with the choice of saving BlackWarGreymon even at the expense of returning the Digital World to its natural state, he honestly didn't know what he'd do.

Matt set his jaw defiantly. "That's not fair. What if it was me asking that of you first?"

"I would respect your wishes," Tai said, hearing the weak inflection in his voice.

Matt noticed it too. Some of the anger melted away in his eyes. "You?" he scoffed. "Mr. Foolish Hero Complex? You'd punch me for even suggesting that. Don't think I wouldn't do it either even with a broken wrist if I thought for one second you were actually serious."

"So you think it's possible to save him then?"

Matt followed his gaze where it landed on Agu-Agu happily munching on some packaged bread. He infuriatingly did not answer.

"Don't tell me he's not like Agumon or Gabumon—he's the same as them. You wouldn't let anything bad happen to them either."

Tai felt Matt's eyes flicker over him: at his clenched hands, strained expression and tense posture. His friend shifted his weight awkwardly, lips pressed tight, obviously conflicted.

"Matt, Tai, come see this! It's amazing!"

It was Mimi who had called them. When they both glanced over, the rest of the team was gathered around Izzy's laptop with some of the biggest smiles he had ever seen on their faces since before they had been on the run.

"What's going on?" Matt asked as they walked over.

"It's this forum website that lets people share their personal encounters and experiences they've had with Digimon," T.K. answered.

"It encourages positive stories and there's a support group chat and everything!" Yolei supplied.

"I'm so happy to know not everybody thinks so badly of you guys!" Mimi cried, hugging Palmon close.

Intrigued, Tai edged closer from behind Izzy trying to get a better view of the website.

Izzy folded the top of the laptop halfway down and turned to him with an awkward expression. "Maybe… you should not get too close."

"Huh?"

Izzy's face flared an apologetic pink as he tried to explain. "It's just… you know… last time and all…"

Tai blinked. "Okay, but you don't have the creepy video clip of doom open right now and Gatomon said my threads are mending themselves so I don't really see the problem."

"It's always better to take precautions," Izzy said with an insistent tone.

Tai was starting to get annoyed now. "C'mon…"

"Do it," Kari spoke up sharply.

Tai gaped at her. She narrowed her eyes at him resembling their mother's disapproving face in that moment.

He looked around hoping to find some ally on the team who thought this was just as ridiculous but everyone else seemed on the side of the same opinion judging by their pointed, concerned stares. He had to swallow down any protest that tried to escape. Maybe he didn't remember being possessed but his friends did and the memory was haunting enough for them to think a little bit of paranoia was safe to consider.

Tai unleashed a low, exasperated grumble before reluctantly backing away several paces and crossing his arms.

Izzy made a small shoo-ing motion with his hand implying he was not satisfied with the distance so Tai backed up a few more feet.

"More," Izzy said still not re-opening the laptop.

"Seriously?"

"More."

Angrily, Tai stalked the entire length of the mall's ground level until he was all the way on the opposite side of the floor from everyone.

"HOW'S THIS?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs causing his voice to echo off the interior of the empty building.

"That's good. Stay there!" Izzy yelled giving him a thumbs up and flipping open the laptop's cover.

Everyone quickly huddled around it and began conversing in excited, hushed voices as they viewed the screen's content.

Tai kicked the wall with the heel of his shoe and swore under his breath.

Agu-Agu found his way over to him grinning widely. "Are we playing a game, Taichimon?"

"Yeah, it's called Biggest Third Wheel ever," Tai sulked.

Was this how he was going to be treated from now on? Gatomon monitoring him like some nanny-mon; Matt being overbearing and dogging him on every decision he made as if he were Tai's own personal conscience because Tai clearly couldn't think rationally for himself; and Ken acting like his compassion for BlackWarGreymon was going to lead to his demise.

He watched as Ken excused himself from the circle and walked a fair distance away from the group, though on the opposite side of the floor from Tai. Apparently, he also thought it was safe to take precautions from the monster that wanted to break free and claim him.

Ken hadn't told anyone about their clash of viewpoints… why not? Shouldn't he be trying to get others onto his side of thinking? Was he too ashamed to admit he might have made a mistake in judgment about the Control Spire Digimon not being real?

"You smell good," Agu-Agu said interrupting his thoughts, snuffling the coat pocket that held the daifuku, a tiny bit of drool leaking out of the corner of his jowls.

Tai pushed his snout away with a laugh. "You just stuffed yourself enough for three Digimon, buddy. Save some for me."

Agu-Agu cocked his head to one side puzzled. "Did I not eat enough for you, Taichimon? Are you still hungry? I can go eat more…"

A strange chill crawled across Tai's skin at the way the words were phased. "Wha—?"

"Taichi!"

Jumonji was there, marching towards him from the darkness past the dead escalators that led further into the mall. He waved enthusiastically in greeting bearing a wide grin and even this far, from the dim lighting that spilled from the high windows, Tai could see the bandages around his hand and how his face had been roughed up. Beside him, strutted Gazimon with Kurogawa and Aozaki trailing not too far behind. The other gang members were nowhere to be seen which was most likely a good thing because the younger kids were staring in nervous trepidation at the aluminum bat Kurogawa was dragging along the ground and the switchblade Aozaki kept flicking between his hand in tiny thrust and twist motions. Apparently, the realization that their generous hosts were dangerous juvenile delinquents was only now kicking into their brains.

Jumonji called out a hello to Sora as he passed, a sappy smile upon his lips, and giving a general head nod to the rest of his friends before finally reaching to where Tai stood apart from everyone.

"They throw you in the doghouse?" Jumonji asked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder towards them.

"No, I put myself in time-out on purpose," Tai snapped still a bit frustrated. Then afraid that Jumonji would feel obliged to engage in some intimidation tactics for his sake, he tried to change the subject. "How's the other guy look?"

Jumonji laughed heartily, causing the newly-formed scab over his split lip to bleed open. There was a fresh ring around his eye and a gash on his cheek to match Tai's own. Street punks must all have the same favored spot on the human body they preferred to aim for. Yet despite being bruised all over, Jumonji seemed very refreshed and satisfied.

"We destroyed that yowai, didn't we, Gazi?" Jumonji crowed stretching out his bandaged hand for a fistbump.

"We smashed their heads in like a bunch of Pumpkinmon!" Gazi cried, not curling his claws under enough and ending up shredding some of the wrapping.

"Ow!" Jumonji grunted, holding one hand over his injured knuckles which peeked raw and red through the binding cloth. "We gotta work on your handshake."

"You left them with their limbs still intact, right?" Tai prompted.

Kurogawa, lingering off to the side, sniggered as he lifted the bat across his shoulders and flexed. "Most of them."

"Wish I'd've been there," Aozaki muttered sullenly as he used the tip of his blade to clean underneath his fingernails.

These are the Chosen Children's closest allies, Tai thought having a sudden epiphany. We're doomed.

"Oi, what's that get-up you're wearing?" Jumonji asked, his eyes roving over Matt's coat unimpressed. "Isn't that what blondie had on before? What happened to your threads? That was your signature piece!"

It was just a speck of dust that was stuck in Tai's eye, not because he was emotionally moved to almost-tears because Jumonji freaking got him.

"The coat has for-stood its last day," Tai said morosely. "We fed its remains to the noble fire to warm our bodies in the cold of night. It was an unfortunate accident that sparked its ruin but its sacrifice was not in vain for the light of the morning has fallen upon us and we shall carry on."

"Good grief," Matt said as he stepped over to join them. "I can't even tell if you're joking or not."

"Kuma fixed you up, I see," Jumonji said with one glance at Matt's cast and the oversized duster he was drowning in. "I suppose Taichi had to wear something not to freeze, but as the leader of you small fry, he needs to stand out."

"Well, actually, we're all sort of on equal footing—" Tai began uncomfortably because the last thing he wanted was confusion in Agu-Agu's mind especially with the whole goggles incident.

When he glanced down however, the small dinosaur was gone, having wandered off again to explore, pulled by an endless restlessness that never seemed to diminish.

"A leader needs to be respected and recognized!" Jumonji exclaimed. "He deserves a coat more worthy than that pathetic windbreaker! Here!"

In one swift motion, Jumonji had slid his arms out of his own jacket and was holding out to Tai, which was probably some kind of high honor by the way it sent Aozaki sputtering and fumbling with his switchblade. Kurogawa only leered and spat to one side obviously not on board with his boss's decision.

It was a black heavy leather jacket, the kind usually wore by men on motorcycles, and it was covered in bright, colorful patches and symbols he couldn't make sense of—more street delinquent coded messages he guessed. It looked warm enough and hell of a lot cooler than Matt's tight-fitting, jogging jacket. Tai would never know if he would have reached for it or not because once again, Matt refused to let him make his own choice.

"He doesn't need yours. He's got mine."

"This baby is genuine leather," Jumonji bragged proudly, ignoring Matt and directing his words to Tai. "It'll keep the chill off your hide. Plus ain't no low lives gonna think twice about mugging you when they see it. It has my brand all over it."

"More like that Shindou guy and other rivals of yours are going to target him once they see him in it," Matt remarked bitingly, shooting an angry cool, blue gaze at his friend.

Oh no, there it was. The go-ahead-I-dare-you expression plastered across his face aimed straight at him.

Tai thought there was no real reason why he should feel this anxious making a decision over some dumb jacket, yet he feared for his life.

"Gazi should wear it!" Tai burst out, hating how high-pitched and squeaky his voice sounded. He coughed to clear his throat. "I mean, you know, as a disguise. Then he can walk around in broad daylight with you."

"Can I, Jumonjimon, can I?" Gazimon pleaded, tufted ears perked forward in excitement.

All the aggression seemed to ease out of Jumonji's body as he smiled fondly at his partner. "Sure, Gazi," he said draping over the Digimon's small frame in a tender motion.

The leather jacket was huge even with the sleeves rolled up three times and dragged on the floor when he walked around, but Gazimon was thrilled to own something his partner cherished do much.

Burying his nose into the material he breathed in deeply, his tail flicking happily. "It smells like Jumonjimon!"

"I'll get you some sunglasses to match!" Jumonji laughed, pleased at how much someone understood the honor of donning his jacket.

So there they all stood: Gazimon happy, Jumonji satisfied, Tai relieved, and Matt looking irritatingly smug.

"Gee, I hope one day when I'm cold and have lost my coat, you feel just as generous," Sora's voice floated from behind in a teasing manner.

At least it wiped the smirk off Matt's face.

"Sora!" he yelped, spinning around.

"Joe wants to do some check-ups on his patients before we make plans and head out… unless you want to relish in your victory for a few more minutes?" Sora said, copper eyes sparkling with mischief.

Across the room, Joe could be seen kneeling next to Ken inspecting his head wound.

"No, I'm good now," Matt said coming down fast off his high horse and hurriedly speed-walking away, the tips of his ears flushed in embarrassment.

Tai started after him only to be stopped by Sora's hand in front of him. "The website…" she began slowly, all traces of a smile gone. "Izzy doesn't think it's been up for very long—like it literally was created between yesterday and today."

"I guess I'll have to take his word for it since I didn't really get a chance to see it," Tai shrugged.

He was more disappointed by that than he had first realized. After only hearing so much negativity about Digimon for so long and then the public demonizing Digimon further after the disastrous news interview… it would have been nice to read something uplifting about them for once. To know that he had at least touched some people's minds on Digimon so that they at least didn't view them as invading aliens would have eased some of the guilt he harbored for dragging his friends into the giant mess he had created.

"It has a weird name, not related to the topic of Digimon at all," Sora paused and gave him a meaningful look as if he should find the words she spoke next significant in some way.

"Tsukimi Rhapsody."

To Be Continued…

A/N: What, no cliff hanger?! Well, I had one. Then I realized how long this chapter is and that scene in my head is probably another five pages ugh. So yeah, leaving it here for now. I think the reason this chapter took so long in writing is because it's sorta dark. I tried to keep it from bogging down with angst and if it feels weird and eerie, I meant for those vibes to be present. Are you starting to piece things together now? I left a few clues this time, hopefully not too obvious, but they are there. Foreshadowing!

Yowai: weakling

I love writing Tai and Agu-Agu. I wish the situation they are in were different, because I feel the hijinks they could get into are hilarious. Same for Jumonji and Gazi. Lol, I'll just tell you guys the next chapter title: Double Trouble.

Tai and Agu-Agu bonding-inspired music. "Without Question" (Road to El Dorado). "Home" by Phillip Phillips. "Strangers Like Me" by Phil Collins.

TL; DR obligatory CRACK scene

Tai: I'm cold.

Matt: Here, take my coat.

Sora: I'm cold too.

Matt: Well, goshdarnit, Sora, I only have ONE COAT!

Tai: Um, maybe you should take it…

Matt: Did I stutter? PUT IT BACK ON.

Me: Am I writing Matt too possessive of Tai? *remembers Matt freaking Kabedoned Tai in Tri and was all tsundere with him the entire six movies bc of their bromance. Yep, this is fine.

P.S. Sora totes knows Tai is obsessed with tsukimi udon. She used to be on the primary school soccer team, remember? She suspects who's behind that website.

Recently, this fic has gotten a few reviews telling me it was recced to them and they still read it despite it being ten years old and I just thank you all for loving it so much to continue for the full 30+ chaps! Welcome to the madness! Please do stay!

If you have any questions or theories, just voice them in a review. Or if you have a favorite scene you can tell me that or what made you laugh or gasp or do a double-take if you don't know what else to say. I love knowing what parts you liked best. Until, the next update, my lovely readers!