I Will Always Find You
«Taiora»

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Chapter 6
"Take The Red Pill"

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"Chef Mimi!"

Chef Mimi paused rolling the pizza dough out on the kitchen counter after hearing her employer summon her, and rolled her eyes. It was too early in the morning to deal with this jerk. Usually, he didn't make a peep until close to eleven o'clock and it was eight thirty-six in the morning.

"I'm in need of your assistance. Come this instant," he barked.

She scoffed sprinkling flour on the pizza dough and the rolling pin ignoring his request.

Izzy barked again after a minute of no response, his tone raising an octave. "Walk faster, servant! I don't have all daaay!"

Chef Mimi threw the rolling pin to the floor. "I quit! I hate you!" She spewed racing towards him near his workstation in the living room.

Izzy's face paled. "What?"

"You heard me!"

She thrusted her face close to his, their noses barely touching, as the pent-up poison that brewed inside her from his verbal abuse these last few days came to surface. "Koushiro, I am Chef Mimi! Not 'servant', 'bag lady', 'hag', 'homeless twat', or the fifty million other things I'm called! I am a respectable chef that has earned her way to the top of my field! I have feelings too, you insufferable, pigheaded, unclean nerd, and today you're going to see what happens when you mess with me!"

"Snu–Snuggles," Izzy stammered trying his best to control his mixed emotions from showing.

He quickly hid his shaking hands behind his back and fought his tears. He hated that he had to keep with the charade of acting as a heartless, controlling employer until a solution was found. It was getting harder as each day passed watching the emotional pain he was causing her.

One thing was for sure, Izzy needed to test his theory. If all went correctly, the barrier would contain them inside, block all noise escaping, and make them invisible to the outside world - all with a few keystrokes.

He wasn't going to allow Chef Mimi to leave this house, and if he knew his wife well, she was about to storm outside after she gave him a piece of her mind. Chicanemon wasn't going to win this small battle and create another 'Tai chasing Sora' fiasco.

Not today, not ever.

But he slipped. 'Koushiro' never showed affection and a possible reset was in his near future. His nickname for Mimi was Snuggles because of how affectionate she was with him. How was he going to fix his blunder and get her to step into the protective barrier he created? If his plan worked, his wife would come back to him in a few minutes and the two would gather everyone else to finish this war today.

Chef Mimi took a step back holding her head with one head searching her thoughts confused. "Snuggles? Why does that sound…"

Izzy took in a deep breath, firmly took hold of her free hand, and yanked her in front of his computer. His fingers typed a code on the keyboard as fast as lightning, and a sheer, watery bubble formed from the floor up meeting at the ceiling creating a protective barrier. The size was enough to comfortably fit all eight digidestined plus their partners. This was the moment of truth he was waiting for; what they were all waiting for.

Chef Mimi stood wide-eyed, her mouth hanging slightly opened trying to wrap her mind around what she witnessed. When she felt Izzy step towards her she scrambled to run away in terror, but the watery protective barrier prevented her escape and bounced her back an inch.

"Koushiro!" Chef Mimi demanded. "I don't even want to know why you're doing this, but if you let me go this instant I won't tell Lord Chicanemon anything."

"Tell me why Snuggles sounds familiar," Izzy ignored her empty threat. "Do you remember a wedding at a botanical garden?"

"A what?"

"All of us were there. You insisted we 'just simply had to get married there' and Palmon agreed."

"Whoa, whoa," Chef Mimi was trembling holding her head as her back pressed against the barrier. "Are you insinuating we're married? Are you nuts? What's a Palmon?"

"Mimi – "

"I'm Chef Mimi!"

"Yes, but first and foremost, my wife and," his eyes lowered to her stomach and the next words came out in a gentle tone, "a mother."

"You think you're so slick! No, I'm…" Chef Mimi's voice trailed off while she held her head trying to piece the fragmented memories together that were quickly surfacing.

Izzy took his left index finger and very gently wiped away a rolling tear from her cheek. He leaned in close. "Tell me why Snuggles sounds familiar. Who is Snuggles?"

Her bottom lip quivered, overwhelmed with the possibility that all she knew wasn't real and her nightmares, or what she considered nightmares, were actually memories her subconscious tried showing her every night. Her eyes trailed down to her stomach and gasped. She looked pregnant! By how many months? Five? Six?

"Four months," Chef Mimi let out a small laugh of disbelief.

"To be more precise," Izzy corrected with a blush while placing a hand on her stomach hoping to feel his child move, "Four months and fifteen days. You were getting annoyed that your clothes weren't fitting anymore before we got the call from Tai about Chicanemon. Mimi," Izzy asked again with a desperate plea, "Who is Snuggles?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, she threw her arms around Izzy's neck hugging him tight crying full force. "Me! I'm Snuggles."

Izzy mimicked the same reaction squeezing her tight. He had a hard time asking his question through his sobs. "And what's your real name?"

"I'm Mimi Tachikawa. No, wait…I'm Mimi Izumi, your wife."

"Mimi…"

Before Izzy knew it, a muffled, squeaky apology was released in between his sobs of how sorry he was for all the names he called her while trapped here, along with the reasoning of why it had to be. A warm, soft hand cupped one of his cheeks surprising him amid his rambling. Mimi sniffed backed her tears smiling, pulling back to face him, but still holding on.

"Cuddle Bear, it's ok. I think I understand why everything happened the way it did. The important thing is we're ok. Let's get everyone else and end this today."

"Can we come out now, Cuddle Bear?" Sounds of snickering could be heard coming from under the computer workstation.

Mimi gasped with joy clapping her hands recognizing Palmon's voice and dropped to her hands and knees crawling to the desk. She pulled Palmon out from underneath and gave her a tight hug as the rest of the Digimon piled out.

Late last night, Izzy and Kari broke the lock where their Digimon partners where trapped and smuggled them into Koushiro's home. Thanks to Izzy demanding Chef Mimi to create a feast, there was plenty of food for everyone to digivolve eventually into their rookie forms. For the rest of the night, Izzy stayed up working on code to create the protective barrier.

"Look! Izzy's blushing!" Gomamon laughed.

"Aww, don't be shy, Izzy!" Tentomon said. A sly tone could be heard as he finished with, "I think it's manly that you let her call you Cuddle Bear."

Izzy groaned. They were all going to tell their friends of his pet name regardless if he would ask not to.

Agumon tugged on Izzy's pants. "Izzy?"

"Yes?"

"I'm hungry. And where's Tai?"

Mimi chuckled and tickled the dinosaur digimon under his chin as Izzy answered. "We're getting him right now. Nobody leaves this circle under any circumstances. Understood?"

"Yes!" Everyone responded.

"Takeru! Yamato!" Kari waved their way opening her front door.

She noticed them through her living room window passing by, possibly heading to Dr. Jou's office. Sora was already at the office for her daily therapy sessions as usual, and she could guess Yamato would head there to see if Sora gave her consent, but why Takeru as well?

His normal routine was to sit in his room all morning trying to write his next novel, take a walk around the block by lunchtime, and then return to his room to work on the novel again. It was closer to nine in the morning. Something had to of happened last night to break his routine.

With a paper plate of cookies in hand, she rushed out to greet them on the sidewalk stopping in front of Sora's house. "Good morning! I made snickerdoodles this morning for my kiddos. Would you two like some as well?"

"I don't know. Are they any better than Chef Mimi's?" Takeru winked reaching for two of them.

Kari blushed. What she wouldn't give to hold her fiancé. "This is her recipe. Anything from her is amazing."

Yamato grabbed a cookie and waved goodbye continuing his walk. "Cool. Thanks."

"I'll be there soon, big brother!" Takeru said waving goodbye. Eating the first cookie he asked Kari with a curious smile, "Aren't you teaching a class? I'm not a teacher, but I'm pretty sure leaving five year olds unsupervised isn't a smart thing to do."

She already had an answer prepared and responded in the next beat. "I had them all go down for their naps early today. I'm not sure why they were cranky this morning."

"Really? This early? That's odd."

"Tell me about it." She took a bite out of a cookie as well. "Say, did your brother give you a gift from me?"

"A gift? Nope."

"Oh…"

A mischievous smile appeared. "That's sweet. We barely know each other and I'm given a gift. What was it?"

She nervously laughed. "It wasn't anything special, really. Yesterday my class made small 'friendly' monsters out of clay – "

Before she could finish her sentence, Takeru's personality completely changed. His face contorted into a menacing manner. Taking hold of Kari's shirt with balled fists, he forcefully yanked her towards him with a snarl. "Who are you!"

Kari gasped in fear dropping the plate of cookies. She never saw this side of him before and chills ran down her spine. Every day she looked forward to his afternoon walks because it was the only way she could interact with him. She thought of making the Digimon clay figurines only after speaking with him yesterday, or she'd of made sure to give Takeru his miniature version of Patamon. He had to of been reset with his personality altered to be violent when suspicious.

"Answer me, traitor! My brother would've given me the gift if it was harmless! Are you for, or against, Lord Chicanemon?"

"Hey!" Tai swiftly pushed Takeru away. "Get off her!" He was setting up his video camera on his front lawn to mimic his daily routine until Sora came when he saw the confrontation.

Takeru bounced back in the next beat, and now the two were nose-to-nose with Takeru snarling like a wild animal. "That's not Hikari, pompous ass! The real Hikari wouldn't leave her class unattended and put them all down for a nap so early. She needs a reset!"

"I don't know what you were taught," Tai balled his hands into fists by his sides, "but where I come from men never treat a woman like that, regardless that a reset is needed or not!"

"No, where you come from, men take things into their own hands and do with women as they please, hypocrite!"

Before Tai could lash back, both Takeru's and Tai's attention was stolen by Mimi opening a front window.

"Good morning, friends!" She greeted with a sweet smile. "I think I outdid myself with making too much breakfast. Koushiro gave me a good verbal lashing for wasting ingredients, but I convinced him to allow whoever wanted to share with me to come over. The more the merrier, I always say!"

Takeru silently observed Mimi with caution. "Koushiro doesn't allow anyone near him. Why should I trust you?"

A nearby window opened and Izzy stuck his head out to answer. "What a disrespectful prick. Because I gave her permission. That's why. It's better than having her go on about 'it's a shame to throw all this food out'," he attempted to mock Mimi's voice. "Please, put me out of my misery. Take enough food home for you and Yamato and then get the hell off my property."

And with that, Izzy slammed his window shut.

Takeru's countenance changed back to a cheerful smile walking towards Izzy's home. "Sounds good!"

Mimi's cheerful smile appeared as she went to open the front door leaving her window open.

Before he stepped on the porch, Takeru turned back to Kari, the snarl returning. "I'm coming back for you. And Taichi, get back to your routine."

Kari and Tai slowly gave each other a side hug watching Takeru enter the doorway in complete shock of the mood swings. Tai already experienced Takeru having an icy side to him when he was stopped at Sora's doorway yesterday, but he never expected violent mood swings and especially towards his sister. Hearing Kari hyperventilate snapped him from his thoughts.

"Sshhh, it's okay. It's okay," Tai held her tight so she could calm down. "He's gone and I'm here."

It took several minutes to calm her shaking body and the hyperventilating to cease. Even after the episode, Kari didn't want to let go. She was tired of everything and for once, without words, she needed to feel her brother's support.

"Hey, you two. Everything alright?" Mimi called from her window again.

"Yeah, yeah, Lady," Tai ignored her concentrating on calming his sister and spoke as 'Taichi'. "We're fine and don't want any of your stinking food."

"Didn't you want it before?"

He rolled his eyes trying to think of what else Taichi would say. "I'll bring some for Hikari. She has to get back to her classroom."

What was that? Was Chef Mimi holding a sign up? Tai motioned to Kari to look her way. They both squinted to read what it said:

I'm Mimi Izumi!

Takeru is back to being TK.

He's safe with us.

I'm going to raise my hand in the air and shout "All Hail Lord Chicanemon!"

Do the same then get your butts in here.

Izzy has a plan!

Tai and Kari silently took in a deep breath and released it in relief. This meant six out of eight of them were back to normal, but it still left Tai questioning where were their Digimon friends?

"Hurry before it gets cold. I'm so thankful for Lord Chicanemon to give me this gift to cook for others. All Hail Lord Chicanemon!" Mimi saluted the air.

Tai's stomach turned knowing this needed to be done to avoid another reset. Fighting to swallow the bit of vomit that came up he followed suit with his sister. "Hail Lord Chicanemon!"

And with that, he held tight to his sister's hand as they ran into the safety of Izzy's home.

"But I don't understand why there's hesitation," Dr. Kido released a forceful breath from aggravation. Yamato sat on the same couch as Sora and each pressed themselves as close to the opposite ends as possible. "Yesterday you gave the impression that you were coming onboard with the idea, and today you're questioning my intentions."

"I think I was misunderstood," Sora tried to rectify. "Yesterday I did say I would give it some thought. That doesn't necessarily mean I gave total consent."

Matt rested an elbow on the arm of his side of the couch. "To be fair, Dr. Kido, she did say that."

"I'm sorry, but," Sora turned to Yamato, "why are you here? Isn't this supposed to be my private therapy session?" She then turned back to Dr. Kido. "I haven't given my consent for him to sit here with me."

Dr. Kido folded his arms over his chest. "Your consent is officially overruled from this moment on."

"Overruled? Like hell it is!" She protested.

He then adjusted his glasses with a firm frown growing. "We're speaking about saving the human race and your doubts are resurfacing. Why aren't you reading the Forbidden Red String of Fate?"

"I've been reading it," she insisted wiping her clammy hands on her thighs. She couldn't wait to escape back to Tai to help form a plan on how to save the others. "Everything is making sense."

"But?"

"But...why me?"

Dr. Kido shook his head not expecting her question. "Hold on. You dare question Lord Chicanemon's will?"

"No!" Sora insisted waving her hands in the air. The last thing she needed was a reset because they both caught on. She did the last thing she could think of to hinder any more suspicion. "Not at all! All Hail Lord Chicanemon!"

As if it was an automatic response, Dr. Kido and Yamato simultaneously raised one hand in the air each. "Hail Lord Chicanemon!"

Silence hung in the air. Dr. Kido stared intensely at Sora awaiting a further explanation.

Yamato hung his head, a few fingers twitching on his right hand that was resting on the couch arm. He spoke to Sora hesitantly.

"If you don't tell him, I will."

Sora's heart caught in her throat. She worried about Yamato watching Tai and her yesterday. Could he have seen more than she thought? She couldn't deny she was with Tai, but she could fib what was spoken. She shook her head trying to think of something to say on the spot.

"Taichi was trying to convince me that he wasn't a bad guy."

"Is that why you hugged him?" Yamato slightly turned his head to her, but his eyes remained downcast. "Because he convinced you he 'wasn't a bad guy'?"

"Well, I-I guess. He's actually sort of sweet once you get to know him."

"Sweet?" Yamato scoffed. "He's a convicted killer, Sora! Sentenced to a life of repetitive amnesia each day ordered by Lord Chicanemon and you think he's sweet?" He shook his head and turned his body to face her, folding a leg on the couch, and spoke with earnest. "That's how he lured his victims before his sentencing; He acts as the knight in shining armor then rapes and kills them. And I don't...We," he glanced at Dr. Kido, "don't want to take chances."

"Taichi raped and killed women?" She couldn't believe this was the background Chicanemon gave Tai. Unbelievable. It made sense why they all attempted to keep Tai secluded on his property. Even 'Taichi' constantly told people to 'get off his porch', despite his amnesia.

"And men," Dr. Kido added. "The only reason Lord Chicanemon has not destroyed that pathetic excuse for a human is because he has something that belongs to him. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you Sora?"

The crystal! That evil Digimon was looking for the crystal they were all searching for before this all started! She remembered it merging with Tai's digivice, but had no clue where any of their digivices or Digimon friends were.

"No."

At least it was half true.

"LIES!" screamed Dr. Kido.

Sora and Yamato jumped. Dr. Kido closed his eyes willing himself to calm his breathing. He asked Lord Chicanemon for a glass of water and one formed in his hand. After drinking the water, he held the glass with both hands in his lap, his anger controlled.

"I'm no fool, Sora. I'm fully aware you're in need of a reset."

Yamato glanced at Sora then asked Dr. Kido. "You think so? Everyone in this room is a firm believer in Lord Chicanemon, but I admit, it's a little overwhelming having the fate of the world rest on solely us."

Dr. Kido raised a hand in mid-air with authority. "Enough!" Silence reigned once more. "I admire how well you've attempted to hide your feelings for her, but you must squash them this instant. Lord Chicanemon selecting you to mate with her is an honor, not a hookup session, and trying to gain her trust by mimicking her thoughts -"

Yamato's face turned red with embarrassment. "I'm not hiding feelings -"

"SHUT UP!" Dr. Kido slammed the glass he was holding to the floor. The shards flickered away, like a glitch. "With the authority given to me from Lord Chicanemon, I am denouncing your claim to Sora and I take over the role to mate with her."

Immediately, Sora stood to her feet. "No one is touching me!"

"Sit down!" Dr. Kido ordered.

"I'm not consenting to this!" She screamed. "Lord Chicanemon doesn't force his will on others and I'm not ready for this!"

Dr. Kido stood matching her stance. "Either you sit and obey His will, or I'll make you with the reset. Either way, this is happening."

Yamato tried separating the two. "Can we take a second to step back? She's clearly overwhelmed."

Dr. Kido landed a severe punch to Yamato's stomach resulting in him hunched over struggling for air. While Yamato dry heaved holding his stomach, Dr. Kido opened the office closet, dumped him inside, and locked the door leaving the key in the lock.

Sora stood frozen in horror holding both hands over her mouth. She wanted to scream and run for help, but what good would that do? Dr. Kido was basically Chicanemon's right-hand man in this alternate universe. One request from him, and she'd be reset allowing Dr. Kido to do whatever he saw fit with her for the better of mankind. She needed to find a way to knock him unconscious to rescue Yamato and escape.

"I believe I understand why there's hesitation on your part," Dr. Kido cautiously walked towards Sora with his hands held mid-air. "The concept of love being a pseudo concoction of hormones is still ludicrous to you."

Yamato weakly banged on the closet door faintly screaming to be released. Spurts of coughing, and groans from the pain that came from it could be heard intermittently. His constant request to Chicanemon to be released were denied.

"I'm your doctor, Sora. I know what's best for you. You're still recovering from your traumatic experience and a lot of things remain fuzzy to you. I get it. I see why this is overwhelming and I begged Lord Chicanemon to allow more time for your healing before asking for your sacrifice."

Sounds of Yamato kicking the door became stronger. Sora took steps backwards reaching behind her for anything that felt strong enough to knock Dr. Kido out with one swing.

"Yamato has the strongest genes of all the males for reproduction, but I'm second in line. With my brains and your temperament, we'd create the perfect race."

Second in line? This may buy her some time. "Dr. Kido, I said I would consider it. I never said no. And with all due respect, and a believer in our Lord Chicanemon, His top choice was with Yamato due to his strongest genes. I'd much rather fulfill His original desire - when I'm ready, that is."

By this time, Dr. Kido cornered Sora next to a file cabinet and an end table. He scowled. "What is it about me that puts you off? That I shoved him in a closet, or that I can get my way no matter what?"

Tears rolled down Sora's face out of fear. There was nothing behind her to grab and the feeling of being helpless was sickening. The last thing she could think of was to play along and throw a cheap shot when least expected.

"Okay," she swallowed hard. "I'll do it. I'll save the world with you."

"But?" he asked sensing there was more to it.

"But please let Yamato go."

Dr. Kido's face softened. He hugged her ignoring when her body stiffened to his touch. "I'm not a bad person, Sora. His unresolved feelings for you caused this result. He's now a new patient of mine and I will deal with him shortly. I'll let him go after our session is over."

She forced herself to hug back, her arms shaking as she moved to do so. "I'm scared."

"I admit, I'm scared myself," he chuckled. "But we can make it pleasurable. It doesn't have to be robotic."

"Sora, don't do it!" Yamato screamed. "Don't force yourself to do it! Let me out of here!"

The closet door began to splinter as Yamato continued to bang against it. She couldn't let Dr. Kido see that. If Yamato could break out it would make things easier. She caught Dr. Kido as he was turning to examine the cracking noise and kissed him. It was a quick kiss, but enough to hold his attention.

"Now. I want to do this now before I lose my nerve," she insisted.

A soft, small smile formed as he gazed into her eyes. "I know this is hormones, but that kiss was amazing. Are you absolutely positive you're ready?"

The door splintered again with Yamato screaming with all his strength.

Sora tightly pressed herself against his body giving a deeper kiss as her answer to distract him again from Yamato. Her hands slowly drifted down towards his butt and gave a firm squeeze causing him to moan with pleasure.

This time Yamato managed to break a hole with a foot. He reached with his hand to unlock the closet door from the outside as Dr. Kido instantly pushed Sora away, panting, to examine the noise. Sora kicked Dr. Kido between his legs. Freed, Yamato rushed out almost stumbling onto Sora while she gave him a hug urging him to follow her.

"Just a sec," Yamato growled as he stood over Dr. Kido's body that laid curled on the floor wheezing from nausea and pain.

With a swift kick to the doctor's abdomen, he took hold of Sora's hand. "We can go now."

"I need...a second...to breathe..." Yamato hunched over, resting his hands on his legs, trying to catch his breath as Sora and he hid by the side of his house.

There were six houses, three houses on each side of the street, and every house they ran to was empty. From left to right, on the side of the street they were on, there was Hikari's, Sora's and Yamato's/Takeru's house. Across the street, it was Dr. Kido's, Taichi's, then Koushiro's/Chef Mimi's home.

Everyone had a pattern, a routine that they must abide by, but the street was dead silent. No one was home anywhere, raising the alert that something was wrong. The last place to check was Koushiro's, but it'd be like pleading with a brick wall to let them in. He was running out of time before the doctor would gain his strength and look for them.

There was nothing past the surrounding woods. The woods acted like a protective barrier from the outside, desolate, weather treacherous world granted by Lord Chicanemon to his true believers. It wasn't making sense to Yamato why Sora wanted to try running into the woods. Did she not remember why there was no point to head that way anyway? How much did she not remember?

Dr. Kido's goal was to slowly introduce Lord Chicanemon's true intention to everyone individually to 'make a sacrifice for the better of all mankind'; eventually, everyone would be paired up with every combination possible, minus Taichi, to contribute with repopulating the planet. But one things for sure, Yamato was convinced that it wasn't going to happen by force - It went against Lord Chicanemon's teachings.

What they really needed to do was to wait it out until Dr. Kido calmed down so they could have a rational discussion. This wasn't the Dr. Kido he knew and grew up with.

"Yamato, we have to keep moving," Sora whispered peeking around the corner for any signs of Dr. Kido.

"We need to think this through," he stood breathing smoother. "Something isn't right."

She sighed hiding next to him again. "What tipped you off?"

"I'm serious."

"So am I. Why defend me?" She shook her head confused. "The only reason why you came today was to tell on me, not support me for not wanting to mate yet."

Yamato tried to respond, but his voice was caught. Was that how she saw him? A tattle-teller? "I was concerned about you, Sora. Do I need to explain who Taichi is again?"

"Well, you're..." She was raising her voice unintentionally. Catching herself, she repeated again in a harsh whisper. "Well, you're wrong about him!"

He rolled his eyes looking away. "Says the woman with amnesia. I bet you stopped taking your medication too."

"Why?" Sora stood in front of him. She took his hands in hers and sincerely asked. "Why did you defend me? Of all people, I thought you'd take Dr. Kido's side."

He frowned looking at the ground with a grunt. "Let's try Koushiro's. With any luck, Mimi will answer and we'll push our way in."

She placed a hand on his chest and gave resistance. "Wait one second. Is there anything else I need to know? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Eyes remaining downcast, he frowned in silence. Regardless of Sora's insistence, there were some things that were best left unsaid. They were running out of time and Sora acting irrational was putting them in danger. Impatient, Yamato placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. He stepped close to her speaking fast.

"I'm only going to say this once: Lord Chicanemon is a kind, fair, but jealous ruler. One thing He does not take lightly are others twisting His teachings. Dr. Kido may hear directly from our Ruler, but one thing Lord Chicanemon does not do is force his ways on others. I think Dr. Kido was giving way to his hormones and was beginning to develop feelings for you. That's the only reason I could think of why he would use his authority to overrule my claim to you because I..."

Yamato slowly lowered his hand from her lips. He moved her bangs from her eyes. Fingertips lightly traced the side of her face eventually resting on her cheek. He couldn't finish the rest of what he wanted to say. It was forbidden and her protection meant more to him than these unnecessary feelings.

"Matt, I know you still feel this way in real life, but I - "

"Who's Matt?" Yamato's eyebrows scrunched with concern. Was it possible that when she stopped taking her medication it also allowed her amnesia to progress? "Sora, what's my name?"

Sora hesitated, glancing at Koushiro's home. Yamato looked the same direction and saw movement! Was Takeru there? Everyone?

"I don't have much time left," Sora stated in a low, matter-of-fact tone. "Your real name is Matt Ishida. Takeru's real name is TK Takaishi."

"Stop it," Yamato ordered.

"This world isn't real, Matt. Your 'ruler' is a corrupted mega level digimon that is toying with us in a fake alternate universe until he finds the crystal."

"Sweetheart, you're not well, but I'm going to help you get better," Yamato insisted holding her shoulders. "Even if we have to jump through the barrier and survive on the outside somehow, we'll do it, but I need to find my brother first."

"I'm not your sweetheart, Matt. That was middle school. Think back to that time: BlackWarGreymon, Gabumon, the Christmas concert your band played at when a DarkTyrannomon crashed it, the control spires, our first date, when we decided it was best to stay friends -"

"Okay, okay, we dated at a middle school thing with a Gabumon," Yamato pretended to agree. "I promise I'll find a way to fix you, but really we need to go."

Before Yamato could head towards Koushiro's home, Sora fell to the ground wretching in pain as she flickered fighting a reset.

"No!" Yamato yelled a prayer to the sky. "My Lord! Please! I know she's sick, but resetting her is only putting her back to the beginning!"

A dark, heavy laugh boomed from the heavens as if to mock Yamato's pleas for help. Sora's will to fight the reset was causing a seizure to appear.

"How is she going to trust you if this keeps happening, Lord Chicanemon? Please!"

The laughter continued. A front window opened from Koushiro's home with Izzy and TK looking up to the sky. Izzy yelled at the others inside his home when he spotted Yamato, but Yamato couldn't hear what was communicated.

"Takeru! It's time to go!" Desperate, Yamato picked Sora's seizing body up and tried his best to hold her in his arms. The alarms in his head was sounding about something feeling off and it was better to keep Takeru nearby.

TK waved to his brother with urgency yelling from across the street. "Fine, but you need to get over here first!"

Without hesitation, Yamato ran up to the front porch as the front door flew open, and came to an abrupt halt. Taichi was inside and there was this...bubble? A huge bubble? Taichi did something again and brainwashed his brother! Everyone else walked outside of the bubble and were urging him to enter.

Holy crap.

That's where everyone else was hiding! This was a trap! Everyone needed a reset! Was he the only one sane?

"I see youuu!"

Yamato swung around holding on to Sora tight to find Dr. Kido walking in the middle of the false street, that acted more as a divider between the six houses, spitting blood to the ground.

"She's not yours anymore, you insolent fool!" Dr. Kido raged as he painfully crept their way. "Give her back to me and I'll overlook your transgression as unchecked hormones with a slap on the wrist."

Sora's reset was causing her seizing to become violent the more she fought it. Yamato felt torn on what to do. He couldn't abandon his brother here, but he couldn't leave Sora behind either.

Adjusting her in his arms, Yamato pleaded to Sora, "Please stop fighting the reset. It'll make it worse. Just let go and I'll help you remember everything. I promise!"

Tai pulled TK away from the doorframe after leaving the protective barrier. There was panic in his eyes while he motioned to take Sora in his arms. "For Christ's sake, man, she's having a seizure! Bring her inside!"

"So you can rape her too?" Yamato snarled stepping back. "Takeru Ishida, get your ass outside!"

"Rape?" Tai was astounded. Was that his background story here? Was that what 'Takeru' meant from before? "She's dying! Can't you see that! If you call that a reset, you're blind! You're killing my girlfriend!"

"Over my dead body, she's your girlfriend!" Yamato shouted tightening his grip. The seizure was lessening. "She's my mating partner! Find your own -"

Tai gave one swift punch to Yamato's face as Kari and Izzy pulled Sora away and into the safety of the protective barrier with Tai rushing after them. Before Yamato could catch his bearings, he found himself being pulled inside the house while Mimi slammed the front door shut, locking it.

Disoriented, Yamato lifted a fist in the air aiming for whoever was in front of him...only to have it blocked by TK.

"Big Brother! Big Brother, look at me!" TK ordered holding Yamato's fist, standing in front of Mimi who was holding her arms over her head in defense. "I know this is all confusing, but listen to me!"

Yamato panicked, breathing hard, seeing he almost harmed 'Chef Mimi'. "Chef Mimi? Takeru? Little brother, what did they do to you? What are you doing here?"

"You and me against the world, right?"

Yamato observed his brother with caution while Tai returned standing nearby. "Always has been and always will be."

TK looked at the protective barrier. "What if I said that inside that bubble we're fixing Sora and we have a plan to get out of here? All of us?"

"With that rapist? I'd say you're nuts!"

Dr. Kido pressed his face against a closed window with a sick, menacing grin forming. "Knock, knock, bitches."

TK dropped to the floor fighting a reset, flickering while screaming in pain. Panicking, Yamato dropped to the floor holding his brother unsure which side to pick. All his life he knew only the ways of Lord Chicanemon and today's events made him question reality.

Dr. Kido banged on the door shouting obscenities. Tai dropped to his knees next to Yamato offering to help carry TK to the protective barrier with Yamato afraid to make the wrong choice. He couldn't lose his brother, but he couldn't disappoint his Lord.

"What do I do, Takeru? I don't know what to do!"

"Do you trust me?" TK screamed losing the battle against the reset.

"You know it!" Yamato cried with all his might.

"Get me in that bubble!"

Dr. Kido smashed a window and searched for the lock to unlock it.

Desperate, Yamato turned to Tai. "Help me!"