Chapter Seven of "Tai's Downfall" by Melinda-chan

Is Ken right about Tai?

Is something wrong with him?

I want to help Tai if I can

I am his sister after all

Kari took a deep breath as she heard a knock on the door. She knew that it was Tai. She walked to the door slowly, trying to think about what to say. What could she really say? Tai probably do not know what was going on with his mind. Would it be right on her part to bring it to his attention when so far nothing had come out of it?

But what if it develops into something more serious?

She opened the door.

"Finally! I thought you all left! I could have broken into this place quicker than waiting for you!" Tai yelled at the top of his voice. He then took off his shoes and stomped to his bedroom. Agumon remained here. He looked very nervous though.

"Um Tai…" Kari started to say but she then heard him slam the door. Kari stood there stunned by her brother's cold reaction. She wasn't just shocked, though. She was also mad.

"Okay, Agumon, what is going on with him?" Kari asked the Digimon in a very demanding tone. Her cheeks were red with anger. This obviously did not ease Agumon at all.

"I-I apologize for his rudeness," the orange Reptile Digimon said. "He probably does not mean it. He has a few issues of his own right now."

"Do you think he has a mental disorder?" Kari asked him. Agumon looked surprised.

"I don't think so" the orange Reptile Digimon replied. "I mean he is still capable of reason and aware of reality." 'How can I tell her the truth without breaking Tai's promise?' Agumon thought.

"I see" Kari said. She did not sound convinced. "Still he has been quite rude to me these past two days."

"I am not sure what is going with him on that" Agumon said.

"I should go to his room and-" Kari started to say when Agumon stepped in front of her.

"I am sorry Kari" Agumon said. "But Tai has been moody and it might not be good to go into his room without his permission."

Kari stopped. She remembered what Tai's mood was like when she opened the door to him the last time. She did not want to face him when her own emotions were very fragile.

"All right," Kari said. "But if he acts like that in front of me again. I'll give him a piece of mind for sure." And with that, she walked to her own room and shut the door. Agumon sighed and went to Tai's room.

He saw Tai looking out the window. He had his hands behind his back. His face was stern-looking and his eyes seemed to be gazing at nothing in particular.

"Do you really think it would work, Tai?" Agumon asked him.

"One thing I do know. Matt is suspicious of me," Tai said. "I got to be extra careful from now on. However, Sora still does not suspect a thing. That will play in my favour."

"What are you planning to do with Sora, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"I do not know. It is like a game," Tai said, smirking.

"A game?" Agumon asked him.

"Yes a game" Tai replied. "I want to know how long Sora will not suspect anything until I can have the chance to take her as my own."

"Who are you? You're not Tai!" Agumon said.

"Of course I am Tai! Who do you think I was?" he asked the orange Reptile Digimon.

"The Tai I know loves Sora. He'll never treat her like a game" Agumon replied.

"I did not say Sora was a game" Tai told him. "I said that getting her is like a game. I do love her." He then smiled. "Of course I have plans for her once I do get her."

"You monster!" Agumon yelled. He then tried to punch Tai, but his partner dodged and hit him right in the noggin. Agumon landed on the floor with a big thud.

"Whether it is Matt or Sora that reads my poem and get the powder, it does not matter. I know I have placed Matt under suspicion and when I do my final act, both him and Sora will be in the position where Matt would be out of the way and I can have Sora without his interference" Tai said. He then went on his bed. "My next plan will be so perfect not even Matt will foresee it. And no one will be able to stop the plan this time!" He then let out a big maniacal laugh.

'What am I going to do?' Agumon thought. 'This is not the Tai I know.' A scary thought then came in his mind. 'What if this is not the real Tai, but some sort of a split personality. Tai may not be aware of it!' He then went onto the bed with Tai. His partner simply rolled to his right. Agumon just stared at the ceiling.

As for Matt, he was in the bathroom speaking on the cell phone, holding a tube filled with white powder.

"Yes, Ken, I am serious. I found this powder in a rose bouquet that Tai gave to Sora" Matt told him. "And I found this weird poem too. Yes, I will take them to your place so you can investigate them. See you later." He pressed a button on his cell phone. Sora was at the bathroom door.

"Is something the matter, Matt?" I heard you running to the bathroom a few minutes ago. Did you get sick?" Sora asked him.

"Sora, is it normal for bouquets to have powder in them?" Matt asked her.

"Well, florists use chemicals to disinfect flowers and to preserve them" Sora answered. "But at least in my mother's floral shops we only use sprays."

"I see" Matt said. He was worried that would be the answer. He has been to the Takenouchi flower shop so many times he knew how her mother worked the shop. "I am going to Ken's place now."

"O-Okay," Sora said. She looked at his clothes. "You got powder all over you!"

"Yeah" Matt said. He wiped some of it off. "It came out when I tried to open the bouquet."

"I wouldn't imagine there'll be so much powder," Sora said.

"Anyway, I am going to go out now" Matt told her. "I'll be back for supper." Sora nodded. She then saw the tube of powder in his hand. "What are you going to do with that?"

"I just want to find out what it is" Matt replied.

"I have to admit I don't know what it is," Sora said. "If the floral shop is doing something it shouldn't be doing, then you better find out what the powder is. A few floral shops sometimes do cheat on their products and service."

"I should get ready," Matt said.

"You should change your clothes" Sora told him. "I don't think Ken would want to have powder over his floor."

"You have a point," Matt said. He could see flecks of powder on him. "Now, Sora, I am just going to Ken's place. I am going to leave Gabumon with you. I don't want you to be alone."

"I already got Biyomon," Sora told him. "But to go to Ken and come back as soon as you're done." Matt nodded. He then left the bathroom, putting powder over his floor as he did so.

Matt was on his bed now. He had nothing on but his trunks. He went to his drawer. He picked up a framed picture. It was the graduation picture, taken just a few months ago. They were all in the green graduation uniforms, complete with their tasseled caps, and the rolled diplomas in their hands. Tai, the valedictorian, was smiling. How things have changed for Tai.

'What is going on with you, Tai?' Matt thought. 'Why did you lie to me when you said that you were okay that I'm dating Sora? Or is something else going on?' Matt shook his head. He could talk with Ken more about it. He got dressed and left, taking the poem and tube of powder with him.

Matt opened the car door and noticed that the handle was loose. Sighing to himself, he went inside his car. He got worse problems than a broken door handle. He put on his seat belt and started the car.

'I don't know what type of powder is this, but I don't think it was just for disinfection' Matt thought. 'There was way too much powder in the bouquet. It is if one of us was supposed to find it and be exposed to it.' He then saw a red light. He pressed onto the brakes.

However, his brakes didn't respond.

"Stop!" Matt yelled. He pressed onto the brakes harder but there was no response. "Dammit! Stop!" There was a shriek of tires as he swerved to prevent himself from being in the middle of an open street.

However, another car slammed against his side of the car. He felt a surge of pain on his right knee and side before he lost consciousness.

End of Chapter Seven

Yeah, I know the chapter's short but I want it to end it like that. I should be noted that in Japan, the steering wheel is at the right, not at the left. I like to thank all of my current reviewers that stuck with me so far. This has been my most successful story so far. And yes, things will continue to be tense for Tai and Matt and Sora. Digimon is the copyright of Toei Animation. Please do not forget to review!