Calmer of the Storm: Hey! Here's the next chapter of this story…I'll be focusing mostly on the Taiora in this chapter, and maybe a little Mimato. Don't worry, the main focus of this story is still a Takari…I just have to build up to it.

Also, I'm not sure, but this could be the last chapter before September…depending on whether or not I have the time. I will continue this story…I promise. Well, on with the fic!

Ken had been sent back to camp to get the boys and Mimi. When he returned with them, he found that Cody had brought TK down into the cellar. It was a lot nicer than anyone had expected, and, as Cody has himself figured out, there was a series of hidden rooms and passageways.

"This would be a good place to hide, if we ever needed to." Tai commented after stuffing a large amount of bread into his mouth.

"Well, feel free to say here and come as often as you wish…it's not like I get a lot of company around here…"

The others nodded.

Takeru was the only one who hadn't touched his food. He was hungry, but his mind was elsewhere. He was overjoyed that they had found the small boy (who actually wasn't really so small anymore, but he was still the youngest and shortest out of all of the), but he was desperate to know more about the others, Hikari being the main person on his mind. He knew the others were worried, though they didn't show it as much. They covered it up with masks, as if they were too proud to show it. However, he knew that when the time came, each and every one of them would show tier true colours. Takeru just wasn't very good at hiding his.

"So, Cody, have you seen any other people besides us?"

The boy thought for a moment. "Well, I see a few people. They give me money, and some seek shelter and food. Others need medical attention. Lately though, there have been a few who seemed of a higher class…they seemed to be going somewhere. I think they said something about a wedding, but I'm not sure. Most stopped for only a few hours, but there was a coupe that stayed over night. But, since the day before yesterday I haven't seen anyone else.

They listened intently while eating. Takeru thought of something. "Did they tell you which way they were going?" he asked.

"Yes, they're headed to the house of Sir Robert. It's strait passed this building, and another path branches off to the left. It isn't far from here. I helped carry some stuff to the break in the path, so that's how I know."

Takeru fell silent, thinking.

"Okay squirt, what's on your mind?"

"Weeeeeeelll," he dragged out, "This is a wedding…"

"We think" Yamato added.

"Yes, well, and there are rich people there, right?"

The others nodded, not getting it.

"They won't be suspecting anything, and we are short on cash…besides, I don't think that they really need all that money…"

"Takeru! That's…that's…I can't believe you!" Matt exclaimed.

"Oh, come on 'mato. Let's just check it out! We won't take much, and we don't have to make a big scene about it…"

Yamato looked to Tai, and gave up when he saw the mischievous glint in the leader's eyes. "Geez Tai, you're supposed to be on my side."

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Yamato. Like your brother said, we don't have to make a big deal about it. Let's just check this thing out, first. We don't want to get ourselves into something that could get us killed."

"Tai, this is going to get us killed."

"I mean something without the possibility and a way of escape. You don't have to come, you know. Just stay here, but I'm going to check it out."

He stood, and walked to the stairs leading out of the cellar.

"Now?" Takeru asked. He wasn't expecting this.

"Yes, now, so let's go!"

The others exchanged glances, and leapt up to follow. Matt went too, though he grumbled about it.

"We'll be back before nightfall!" Tai called over his shoulder to Cody, who nodded.

Hikari had called for Yolei to come up to her room. The other workers thought that the lavender-haired girl was in trouble, as they only got called up to their masters rooms to be scolded.

"You're gonna get it now!" one boy in particular teased. He had been doing so since she got there, and she wanted to beat the boy to a pulp. However, she knew that things wouldn't be too good for her if she did.

This time, instead of chasing after him, she put her priorities strait and went up to Kari's room.

She knocked softly on the door, and was greeted by the brunet girl's smiling face.

Not speaking, Yolei entered and Hikari closed the door.

After, the two erupted into squeals of laughter and joy, hugging each other furiously.

"I thought I was all alone! I was so afraid I wouldn't find any one!" Hikari managed to get out.

"I know! At least you have a nice place. I have to clean dishes and cut", she shivered melodramatically, "potatoes." The two girls erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah well, this life isn't what I'd call paradise either. I've got this man hounding me and watching my every move. He tries to get me alone with him, and I'm running out or excuses! I've heard that he wants me to marry him! Apparently, according to them, I hit my head on something, and lost all my memories. But I didn't! I remember everything! Just not the things that I'm apparently supposed to remember." She sighed. "What am I supposed to do if he asks me? I've heard he's got quite the temper and won't take no for an answer."

Yolei smirked. "And you wish he was Takeru."

"Yeah…..NO! I'm only sixteen! Besides…he's my friend."

"So? That didn't change the fact that Ken and I are going out. Girl, you just gotta tell him!"

She shook her head. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I know he doesn't see me in that way. Yeah, we flirt, but it's all fun and games, well, at least for him it is. He's already told me that he's got a crush on someone, but he won't tell me who it is."

Yolei was getting visibly frustrated. "That's 'cause it's you! Why would he tell you? He should, but he's just as stubborn as you are!"

"But he deser-"

Yolei cut her off. "I don't want to hear that stuff about 'oh, he deserves sooo much better than me'…cut it! He says exactly the same thing, and I'm sick of hearing it! I swear, if you two are not dating by the time we get out of high school, I'm going to resort to drastic measures." she said, exasperated.

Hikari was silent, she didn't know what to do or say.

Yolei saw this, and softened her voice. "Look, I'm sorry, but it's just so annoying seeing you two mope around about each other, and not know it. Trust me, I've gotten to know the two of you very well over these few years, and I'll admit that I even had the tiniest crush on him too. Of course, then Ken came along, but that's beside the point. You know, even Davis has figured it out, he's just in denial. He doesn't want you two to realize that you really do love each other, because he still thinks he has a chance with you. When I found myself stealing glances at TK, I new it was hopeless. I saw the way he looks at you, the way he just brightens up when you are around. Trust me; I see the same in you. I don't hold the digi-egg of love for nothing, you know."

Hikari, again, was silent.

"I know that's a lot to chew on for the moment, so think about it. Just look back on everything you two have done together. And so what if he doesn't? It's his loss…"

Hikari smiled.

"That's what I thought. Now, I have to go…I promised I'd show up early if he let me peel the carrots." She rolled her eyes.

Kari thought a moment. "Why don't I ask if you can become my personal servant? As a front, I mean. That way, we'll be close and able to talk without anyone getting suspicious. I can make up some lame excuse or something like that…they tend to believe everything I say and they just want to see me happy."

"Yeah! Sounds awesome! Well, before you do that I'd better go." She slipped through the door, "bye!", and she was gone.

Hikari laid herself down on her bed, thinking about her recent conversation with Yolei.

"Here's where the path branches off" Ken stated as they neared a fork in the road.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious", Davis said. Ken smacked him upside the head.

"Hey! That's Yolei's job!"

"Well, since she's not here I'll just have to fill her spot."

"Okay you two, that's enough." Tai droned. Davis had been in countless argument with the other two younger boys the whole walk.

The group of them walked a little further, and they had found that Cody was right. It was only about an hour's walk down the path. They came to a house, a very large one at that. It was beautiful, surrounded with gardens and pathways. There were various decorations all over, indicting a celebration of some kind. There was a stable to the left of the house, and there were some horses grazing out in a paddock to the left of that. People buzzed in and out of the house.

"Wow, there definitely is something going on here, but I wonder what it is?" Ken asked.

"It's so pretty! Whoever decorated sure did a nice job! It's a wedding, I'm sure. Why else would this place look so nice? I don't think it's today though, they aren't ready enough yet."

The boys looked at her. It was the longest sentence she had said since they arrived.

"Why do you say that?" asked Matt.

She smiled at him, "Oh, you'd be surprised."

They decided to leave it at that.

"Why don't we split up in groups of two?" Tai suggested.

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Okay then, meet here when the sun is just over the house. Davis, come with me."

The younger boy followed Tai obediently. Takeru went with Ken, and Matt took Mimi with him. Takeru snickered as his brother chose his partner. Mimi only smiled, and Takeru had a feeling that this was a slight indication that she knew what his older brother felt, but she still did nothing to further it. She went with him quietly.

"Well they certainly don't look too worried that anything's going to go wrong." Davis commented.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. This job should be quick and easy."

The younger nodded.

As they were circling around the back towards the horse paddock, a certain girl caught his eye.

"Davis, let's go this way."

Asking no questions, Daisuke followed.

They were just along side the girl now. She was standing on one side of the fence, watching the horses. One had recently come up to her and she was currently stroking its nose. She wore a navy blue dress, the colour of night. It had a square neck, and it capped her shoulders. The frills on the sleeves and on the bottom were a contrasting white, making her stand out a little. The dress clung to her body, accenting her curves.

As Tai was gawking, he drew closer. Then something dawned on him, and he almost fell over backwards. The girl had fiery red, shoulder length hair.

He snapped himself out of his trance. He had always thought the auburn-haired girl beautiful, but this was the first time he'd seen her in a dress. Well, there was the prom, but even that dress didn't match this one. She hated wearing dresses, and got out of her one at the prom as quickly as she could. She and Tai had gone as friends, but secretly, he wanted more. There were few who knew about it, as he kept quiet about it.

He suddenly found himself thinking back to when she and Matt had started dating. He had finally gathered the courage to ask her out, only to be crushed when he found that it was his best friend that she wanted. She hadn't got the clue that it really did matter to him if she was going to the concert with anyone, and as long as she was happy, he was fine with that. He had watched from afar as their relationship progressed. He had become secluded, and distant. Hikari had been the first to pick up on it. Matt was next. Matt had felt ashamed, for Tai had often told him of his longing for Sora, but the blonde never said how much he liked her too. In the end, he was surprised that Tai still looked at him as a friend.

But, to Tai's delight, things just hadn't worked out. Matt began to see her more as a sister than anything else. She still didn't know of his feelings, and he was waiting for the 'opportune moment'. He hadn't found it.

He was once again pulled out by the sound of footsteps. In his thoughts, he had not noticed that she had moved from her spot. Now, she was heading towards them, though unawares that there was anyone there.

Tai acted quickly.

"Davis, go back and tell the others I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay, hurry though."

Tai nodded and the maroon-headed boy slunk back into the trees.

"Sora!" he whispered.

She halted. No one had called her that since she got there.

"Sora!" he called again. This time she turned to look in his direction.

"In the trees, it's me, Tai!"

A wave of visible relief swept over her. She looked around, then dashed for the tree line.

"Tai!" she said as she flew into his arms. He hadn't been expecting that.

She raised her head and he found that there were tears in her eyes.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly.

She buried her face into his chest, and began to sob.

"I'm so confused! I thought I was all alone. I thought that I would have to go through with this by myself! I thought I'd never see you again…I was so scared!"

He though over her words. Was 'you' plural? Or was it just for him?

"Sora, shh, it's alright. I'm here now. Matt, Davis, Ken, Mimi and TK are just around the bend at the front of the house. We found Cody too. Now we can bring you!"

She sniffled, and shook her head. "No, it's not that simple…Tai, I'm getting married tomorrow.

Her response, to say the leased, shocked him. It rendered him speechless.

"Sora, I don't…I don't know what to say…"

"Please, just get me out! I don't want to do this. I…I want to be with you!"

Once again, Tai wasn't sure of the context of her words.

"Alright, we'll get you out."

He thought a moment.

"Tomorrow, get ready, as planned, for your wedding. Don't put up a fuss; just do as you're told. We were planning on doing a little raid here anyways, so the bride shouldn't be too much to ask for."

She smiled at his comment.

"We'll give you a sign…a bird call. You know the one that Matt does just to get on everyone's nerves? Yeah, we'll use that. Listen for it and get in a spot, close to a window or something, where we can get to you. You could also try and make our escape rout easy…I don't know, do whatever you can. Sound good?"

She nodded, and hugged him tight. "Thank you." she said.

She heard voices. "They're looking for me…"

Tai looked out. "Who's that big one?" he asked.

"The one I'm supposed to marry."

Tai almost blew their cover. "That thing? Sora, I am so sorry about this!"

She laughed too. "I'd better go, but I'll see you tomorrow night."

He nodded as she left.

"Sora, wait."

She stopped and turned.

He took a step, and lifted his hand.

To say she was shocked, would not do it justice. There was no word to describe the feeling she felt when she felt his lips cover hers. He held her there a moment, then turned and left. He didn't even look at her.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and he swore it gave him away. He wasn't sure what he had done, but he would have to pay the consequences later. He had just kissed his best friend, the love of his life, and he didn't wait around for her reaction. He was afraid of it.

'Tomorrow', he thought.

Back at the forest's edge, Sora stood. Her hand made its way to her lips.

"Oh Tai…" she murmured.