A/N: You know what sucks? I had this all typed out and then it got deleted before I could post it. It made me so mad, but I will be able to finish it because I got internet on the computer in my room! YAY! So updates might even be more often because of this. Sorry this chapter took so long by the way! I have only two more days of drivers ed left before I can get my permit and start my driving lessons! I'm excited and terrified at the same time!
So, this chapter is dedicated to Courage Sun, once again. In fact, let's just say this entire fic is dedicated to her, okay?! Haha.
The Digi-Destined were frozen with an unimaginable amount of confusion. They sat like stone in the Kamiya's living room, pondering what they should do. Ten faces with concern written all over them turned to Davis. "Why are you all looking at me?" He asked.
"You're the one wearing the goggles! What do we do?" T.K questioned, desperation evident in his voice.
"I thought we all agreed that we're going no matter what Gennai says. Where had everyone's confidence disappeared to? The room had been filled with determination just minutes before and now the stench of stale fear replaced it. "I thought we were going straight there to kick that digimon's ass!"
"We can't be too hasty, Davis." Izzy spoke up. "We could be walking right into death here. This is a serious matter. It isn't some video game that you have extra lives in. You can't just start over and try again. When the screen flashes 'Game Over,' it really is over. No do-over's; no second chances." The worry lines on the computer whiz's forehead were enough to make Davis' stomach churn. Everyone's semblance was similar to Izzy's. Doubt blanked the room, thick and unsettling.
Izzy didn't need to tell him the consequences. Davis knew what they were risking. They risked it every time there was danger in the Digital World, but they did it because the Digital World was like their second home. They couldn't abandon it, even if it meant coming face to face with death. "We can win, guys! We're strong! Who is Gennai to tell us what to do?" But even as Davis said the words, he was becoming apprehensive himself. He scanned the room to look at each of his fellow Digi-Destined. This was the team he hadn't tried out for; the team he had joined unwillingly, but had grown to love. They were, in a sense, his family. And families were supposed to stick together.
"I just don't know, Davis. I think we should all sleep on it. Then come up with a decision."
"We don't have time. We need to act now, while we still can."
"Some of us aren't ready." Matt said in a low voice.
"You were all for it just a few minutes ago, Matt. You too, Izzy! You said it yourselves! We all agreed. The Digital World is our home. We can't sit around and let it be destroyed." Davis could feel the rage almost boiling in his blood. How could they all be so selfish? "If Tai were here, he'd agree with me."
"He would because you're both idiots." Matt retorted. "I wouldn't say walking right into danger is a smart thing to do."
"So you just want to sit here and wait for the Digital World to collapse? I can't believe this! We've always walked into danger. It's what were supposed to do! We're supposed to be heroes! How is this time any different?"
"This time we don't have a very good chance of winning." T.K answered.
"When have we ever?" Davis said, laughing almost maniacally. "But we still pull through. What's the point of giving up now?"
Joe raised his hand. "Because I like breathing!"
"I'm with Joe on this," Yolei agreed. "We can't let Spiritmon into our world."
"But you'll just let her destroy our digimon's' home?"
The room fell silent. Davis' last angry question hung in the air. He looked over at Kari, being soothed by T.K. He knew without even asking that Kari was against him as well. Although Kari seemed like she'd be the one most likely to want to go on fighting, because she knew her brother would want to, T.K took precedence. When she saw Davis looking at her she gave him a sympathetic look, but that wasn't going to make up for anything. Not even a kiss from Kari Kamiya could make Davis feel any better right now and that was saying a lot.
"You're all cowards." Davis said, just loud enough for everyone to hear him. He stomped out of the living room and knocked on Tai's door. Surely Tai would agree with him, right? Tai didn't answer. "Hey Tai! Open up!" He yelled, but he still received no reply and the door was locked. Frustrated, he turned away from the closed door to face Kari's room. The door hung open and her pink laptop sat on her desk. He dug in his pocket, clutching his way out of this mess and perhaps into a mess way worse, but he was willing to go fight an evil Digimon, rather than sit here arguing with the people who he couldn't even call his team anymore. He walked into her room and locked the door behind him.
Wearing the goggles was a huge responsibility. Davis sometimes couldn't handle it. It was as if he was carrying two worlds around on his shoulders and he kind of was. He was a leader. He was supposed to push his team in the right direction. That's all he was trying to do. He wanted what was best for the team. He took pride in being a leader and getting them all to work together. He liked feeling like a hero. Before becoming a Digi-Destined, all the action and adventure he ever knew had been in the comic books he read. And now for the past two years, it was as if he was living in his own personal comic book, where he and his friends were the heroes that saved the day. He couldn't understand how they would just want to abandon their digimon partners. Surely they had more heart than that. They were just afraid, but he really wished they'd realize it soon because Davis knew what happened to soldiers who went into war alone. They were killed; often shot dead in an instant. One soldier couldn't stand up against a whole army and survive. It just wasn't possible. He needed the others, but his soldier's were afraid. They were selfish; wanting to keep themselves alive while sacrificing all that inhabited the Digital World.
Davis braced himself and took a deep breath. Veemon, I'm coming. He was worried sick about his digimon and all of the others. He took his digivice out and pointed it at the screen before doing the bravest and perhaps, the most foolish, thing possible. He went into battle alone.
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Kari couldn't stand it anymore and got up in the midst of the uncomfortable silence. She padded down the hallway and tried to open Tai's door. It was locked, of course. "Tai, Davis? You guys in there?" She thought maybe Tai had let Davis in, but when she got no answer, she turned towards her own room; towards a closed door. Hadn't it been open before? She tried to open it, but it wouldn't turn. It was locked. Something suddenly clicked in her mind. "Davis!" She screamed, pounding on the door, but she knew he was already gone.
"Kari, what's wrong?" T.K seemed to suddenly materialize behind her.
"T.K, Davis is gone!"
"Gone, what do you mean gone?"
"I mean, gone. He went to the Digital World without us!"
The other Digi-Destined gathered in the hallway in a hurry. Mimi was on the floor in an instant, fiddling with the lock with her bobby pin. Click. The door opened after minutes of Mimi tampering with the lock and the Digi-Destined watching her anxiously and arguing with each other. They poured into the room and found what they expected. Emptiness.
"Somebody needs to go get him out of there! He's going to get himself killed!" Kari shouted. She opened her desk drawer frantically and grabbed her digivice. "I'm going!"
"Kari, no! You can't go because Davis chose to be an idiot! You need to stay here. Tai might know what to do. We'll try to get him out of his room. Come on, be reasonable." T.K said with a firm grip on her shoulders.
She shrugged him off. "He was just trying to do what was right and we just let him go in alone! I'm not going to be able to live with the guilt if he doesn't come back." And the look on Kari's face made T.K back off. Kari had never given him a look like that. It made him want to fall to the floor, but he did know Kari was right. Davis had been right in the first place. They were cowards and now they were going to pay for it.
Kari held up her digivice to the screen and yelled, "Digi-port open!" But nothing happened. "No!" She pressed random keys.
Izzy pushed his way to the front of everyone. "What is it, Kari?"
She turned around to face him, her complexion pale and her face expression grave. "The Digi-Port won't open."
After that, all hell seemed to break loose. Chaos ensued and everyone was talking at the same time. In the midst of it all, Matt saw Sora walk into the hallway away from everyone and across the hall. He followed her, wondering if she was sick of everyone as well. She was standing in front of Tai's door, almost crying into the thick wood. "Tai, we need your help. Come out, please." She sniffled. "Everyone's going crazy and we need you. Davis went into the Digital World alone. Please, we need you."
Just as Matt was about to speak and try to comfort her, a voice spoke from behind him. "He's not going to answer, and not because he's ignoring you. He's not there."
Matt and Sora turned to face Izzy, who stood there with the rest of the Digi-Destined behind him. "Davis and Tai are in the Digital World."
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"What exactly are we searching for, Davis?" His partner, Veemon, asked from beside him. The two had found each other in the forest and were searching for Spiritmon, but how exactly do you go looking for danger? Do you let it come to you?
"Haven't you heard of Spiritmon? She's trying to destroy both of our worlds! And none of the others would come with me to help! They're all cowards. I'm going to help you guys fight. We're going to defeat her." The Digital World was covered in a thick fog that made it hard to see. Davis knew it meant that there was a presence of evil.
"Yeah, but no digimon has seen her. We just see the damage she's made. Like this fog, for instance. All of us digimon were together. Then Biyomon and Agumon went out in search for food and didn't come back, so several of us went out to look for them. Eventually we all got separated. I haven't been able to find any of them. I don't know how long it's been since I've lost everyone. All I know is that I'm happy you're here, Davis."
"Me too." I wish it wasn't just me, Davis thought. He had at least thought Sora would come with him.
Suddenly he heard a twig snap. It was like some bad horror movie.
"What was that?" Veemon asked in a scared tone. That sounded right out of a movie as well.
Davis turned every which way, looking for something, but the fog made it impossible to tell if something or someone was there. All he could see was the hazy gray fog for miles. "I don't know." He finally answered. "Do you think we should keep walking forward?"
"Well, we're lost. So there's really no point in staying here. We might as well walk. I don't even know where we are because of this stupid fog! And I know this place like the back of my hand!"
"You don't have hands, buddy." Davis reminded him.
"Well, I know it like the back of my claw!"
And so they went on, not knowing what they'd find. It wasn't long before they spotted a figure in front of them. A person. "Do you see that, Veemon?" Davis asked, slipping his goggles over his eyes, as if it would help him see clearer. And maybe it was just a coincidence, but he was now able to tell who it was.
"Tai!" He shouted, happy to know that someone had come! Maybe he had heard the discussion/altercation in the living room and had decided to come help. "Over here!" He ran towards him with Veemon treading on his heels. When he reached Tai, he put his goggles back on top of his head. "I'm so glad to see you. None of the others would come. Do you have any idea how the hell to find Spiritmon when we can't even see where we're going?"
"Have you seen Agumon, or any other or the digimon?" Veemon asked. They were asking so many questions.
"No and no. I wish. I'm beginning to get worried about him and the others, of course." He replied after a minute.
"Me too. I'm lucky to have found you. I'm so lost out here." Only he didn't know how unlucky he was. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to come here at this time. Maybe it would be easier with all of us here. You think Izzy could come up with a way to see through this fog?"
"I bet he could. Should we head back? Maybe we could convince them to come here and help us. I mean, we have to save the Digital World, right? It's our home! Even if we are risking our lives, or Spiritmon entering the real world. We've just got to do what's right, right?"
Davis had turned around to head back, but there was an extra hint of something in Tai's voice that just didn't sound like him. He faced him once again. Tai was still Tai. His chestnut brown hair was still as wild as ever, he was still the same height, and wearing clothes like Tai would. But his appearance wasn't what startled Davis, it was the unexplainable vibe that he got from him. A dark vibe.
He racked his brain, desperately trying to remember what Gennai had said. Something about Spiritmon being able to take over a human's body and using it to go back and fourth between the two worlds; how they were supposed to stay out of the Digital World to avoid this. He was here and Tai was here. But Tai could have been here longer than he was. Maybe that was why he hadn't answered when Davis had knocked on his door earlier. And if he had been here longer, maybe Spiritmon had found him. And maybe this wasn't Tai he was talking to, even if it looked like it. But how was he supposed to know for sure? Tai had been down lately because of Sora. The dark vibe he was getting could just be because he was miserable about that. It didn't mean he was evil.
If there was anything Davis had learned, it was to make to decisions based on logic, not on impulse. That's all everyone had ever been telling him. To go with his head for once, and not with his heart. But his head and his heart were telling him the same thing. His head had picked out all of the evidence that Tai was possessed by Spiritmon, and his heart had believed it from the moment he felt the vibe.
"Veemon, digivolve!" He was quick to shout, but Tai reached out and knocked his digivice out of his hands. It fell to the ground and bounced a few feet away. And within seconds, Davis was tackled to the ground. His arms were pinned to the ground by Tai. This had confirmed it. He was right.
"Davis!" Veemon cried.
"Don't you even try to digivolve. I could destroy you and your partner so fast that it would be foolish to even try. Do you want to die right now, or would you like to do the smart thing and go back to your world with me? That way, you survive. If you died right here, I could just go back and you'd never be able to tell them that I had possessed Tai. And wouldn't that be sad?"
"Why would you want me to tell them? They'd come after you." Davis was confused. Was Spiritmon stupid? Or maybe she was smarter than him.
He didn't get an answer and he spoke again. "Okay. We'll go back."
"Glad you've seen things my way." 'Tai' got up and began walking. "Follow me, I know the way to the gate."
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The Digi-Destined were all sprawled across the living room floor, with the exception of Sora, who had gotten a call from her mother who told her she needed her at the flower shop. Sora didn't want to tell her mom that there was more trouble in the Digital World because she only seemed stressed enough as it was. The others allowed her to leave, even with Davis and Tai missing. It killed her to have to go to work with two of her friends stuck in the Digital World, but it's not like she'd be much of a help anyway. The Digi-Port was closed. And there was no way to open it. They just had to wait for the return of Davis and Tai. If they did return, that was.
Davis and Veemon landed in Kari's room. They scrambled into the living room where he found everyone laying on the floor. "Guys!"
Kari sat up first. "Davis! You're back!" She got up and ran over to hug him. Davis would have enjoyed it at any other time, but he had more important things to worry about.
"We're so sorry. You're completely right. The Digital World is like our second home. We need to fight Spiritmon. We were going to come after you, but the gate was locked!"
The others nodded behind her, all relieved that Davis was back and alive. "It's okay. I've got to tell you guys something. I came face to face with Spiritmon!"
"What?!" Izzy shouted. "How is that possible? You're standing in front of us!"
"Tai was there. Spiritmon possessed him! And she's here. She came back with me."
"And she didn't kill you?" T.K raised an eyebrow.
Davis shook his head, even though the answer to that question was obvious. "I'm not exactly sure why, but I found Veemon. We've got to come up with some sort of plan!"
"Wait, does this mean that Spiritmon is in Tai's room?"
"Precisely."
"I say we just pretend that we don't know; that Davis didn't tell us. We go greet him as if we're glad he's back and in one piece and then form a plan later." Matt suggested, and the others didn't know what else to do, so they agreed.
Mimi's bobby pin wasn't needed to get into Tai's room. It was now unlocked and when the Digi-Destined entered the room, 'Tai' was nowhere to be seen and there was a cool draft in the room coming from the open window.
"What trick do you think Spiritmon has up her sleeve?" Cody asked, looking down at the long jump that 'Tai' had taken.
No one answered. Because, well, nobody really knew.
A/N: Well, that took me a few hours. And I'm extremely tired! Spending the entire day cleaning and rearranging your room takes a lot out of you, I guess! So you should review, because I'd love that. And I'm really wondering just how well I've improved and if you guys liked this chapter. Until next time I guess.