I know if I were a loyal fan of this story I would be hot to trot with the author. There is no excuse I can give for my very long, eternity like delay, except to say that I have a life and I have been in pursuit of it. My task now is to incorporate, more efficiently, this aspect of my life into my already hectic schedule.

Lots of luv from me, the author. Now on with the fic.

--

--

--

Dearest love,

Sora, allow me to amend my destructive ways. My previous attempt to rid Japan of the undeserving and all-annoying Yamato Ishida was a failure. I even tried to revisit him and give him a close encounter with the maker of heaven and earth, if there is such a entity. Do you realize what I discovered, Sora? That perhaps it is not I that should remove Yamato from your life. Perchance, you could. No one would suspect you and if they did, my angel, I would cover for you. Please, if you have any ideas, feel free to email them to me. Actually, you should know me by now. I am the one manipulating the actors on stage, very much like a director.

Well, my dear, I do enjoy toying with you. It is only a matter of time before you turn around and see me for who I am. And I am most definitely not Taichi Yagami, although I am all too gracious to give him the spotlight that you and others have given him. I would wish him more success, but I am afraid he is coming too close to discovering who I am. He too must be dealt with soon.

Sincerely,

Your obvious admirer.

--

--

--

Tai frowned in the sudden light, “Pixiemon, is that you? Why all the mystery?” Suspicious, Tai backed away from the small pink digimon. “How did you get into the real world? How did you find me? Why haven’t you spoken to the others? Does Agumon know about what’s going on in the real world?”

Grabbing at his bangs, Tai growled roughly. How could this be happening? How did Pixiemon have the power to transport him into the digital world without his consent or digivice? When had he become so powerful?

“Not so fast, Bearer of the Crest of Courage. All that I can answer for now is that I need help from a digidestined and I remembered all the training I gave to you specifically. If you recall correctly, you were once afraid of digivolving Agumon into SkullGreymon. I helped to bond you with Agumon once again. Perhaps, doing some cleaning, washing the wooden floors of a few of the upstairs floors will help to jog your memory,” spoke quietly, almost to himself.

Rousing himself, Tai shook his head recalling his past adventures in the Digital world as a young adolescent. Those were the days. Now, all Tai had to look forward to was possible expulsion from school, probation or jail time. Joe had looked so lost during the questioning just a few hours ago. There was no doubt in Tai’s mind that Joe had no idea what he had been doing at the hospital or the effect of his actions on Matt.

“No, no there’s no need to remind me like that. I think I remember you.” Tai paused embarrassed by the loud rumbling of his stomach.

“Well, it is pleasant to see that you haven’t changed. As hungry as ever,” Pixiemon mused as he began to levitate along with the candle away from Tai towards a darkened hallway. Not waiting for a command, Tai quickly walked after him. The last time Tai had visited, he and the others had had the privilege of nearly cleaning Pixiemon’s entire humble abode. Now that Tai thought about it, he wasn’t sure if Pixiemon had ever fed them.

“So when do we get down to business and go find this darkness that’s been manipulating Joe?”

After a few moments of silence and Tai silently cursing as he bumped in the semi-darkness into stands and objects littering the floor, Pixiemon answered. “You need to purge yourself of the darkness before we can even theoretically do anything to help the others. I’m afraid you’ve been its pawn as well as Joe. The only difference between the two of you all is that you’re aware of its effect on you and so of course you want to see it purged. Joe on the other hand is completely oblivious of its effects and I think he believes that he was trying to stop you in the hospital and not the other way around.”

Tai nearly stopped as he descended the second flight of stairs. He had known that Joe would probably go into denial and blame Tai instead of himself, but the reality of hearing it from someone else was almost too painful. Sure he was slightly jealous of Matt and Sora’s relationship, but didn’t anyone believe in him?

“Kari,” Tai whispered to himself, “she’s been acting weird for the past few weeks. Is she being affected as well?”

“According to my theory, Kari might be the root of this darkness, if not the accomplice.”

Tai stopped completely this time, “What?” Tai knew he’d distanced himself from his younger sister lately, but there was no way that she’d changed that much. Why had no one else noticed? Had Takeru noticed?

“Now is not the time to dwell on things you cannot change. The only way you can help is by working through your own darkness.” Pixiemon replied quietly. He had turned to look at Tai so that his shadowed face looked even grimmer than it had earlier when Tai had first caught sight of the solemn countenance. They stood still facing one another for a few moments before wordlessly resuming their journey into the bowels of the structure’s interior.

Tai felt himself blush as his stomach grumbled again. At least that part of him was behaving normally, “How much longer?”

“Just a few more turns and soon we’ll be in my quarters.”

Nodding, Tai followed him in the semidarkness all the while pondering what would become of him when this training Pixiemon spoke of began.

--

--

--

“To bad this isn’t some nightmare cooked up by some evil digimon, huh?” Matt whispered softly to Sora as she sat next to him on his hospital bed.

“Don’t talk like that, you’ll upset TK. You know how sensitive he is about those things.”

Sora watched as Matt nodded and settled back into his pillow. Closing her eyes, Sora rubbed her temples. Why was Tai behaving so wildly? The more she looked at the situation from an objective perspective, she began to wonder if they were all dreaming like Matt had suggested. Biting her lower lip, Sora deeply wished that everything that had happed so far was a nightmare and they were all just about to wake up.

“How’s he doing?” a gentle voice questioned from a few feet away.

Sora did not bother to open her eyes. TK could be so perceptive at times. He had waited nearly an hour to see his older brother in order to give Sora more time with Matt. A part of Sora suddenly wished with all her heart that TK was her little brother so that she could confidently praise his intuitive behavior.

“Talking nonsense, I’m afraid.” Sora felt a gentle tug on the hand she had rested on top of Matt’s abdomen.

“I little lower and I think you’ll touch my most pleasurable spot.”

Sora raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, “What a dirty comment to make! And here I am sitting at your side worrying about whether or not you’d see the sunrise! Well, I know where I’ll be headed in the next few minutes.”

“So do I,” Matt murmured mischievously.

Smacking his hand lightly, Sora turned her attention to TK only to find a fleeting look of disdain flash across his face. Sora frowned slightly at the response. She was almost sure he and Kari had played with one another a little too intimately once or twice. It was impossible for her to conceive of them as complete prudes.

“If the scenery doesn’t suit you, you should go wait in the waiting area,” Matt smirked up at his younger brother. Sora shifted her gaze from the glassy countenance of TK to the smart remark made by the most treasured person in her life.

“Since when do you talk to TK like that?” Sora shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

Matt visibly moved his hand to cover her right hand and grasped it tightly. “Since when have you not wanted me?”

Standing suddenly, Sora tried to reign in her feelings of indignation. “I can see that that hitting your head has really—really messed you up. Maybe you’d like to be alone right now?”

Matt remained in the position that she’d left him. His hand was still resting where it had once grabbed her. Something in the way he stared at her made Sora feel uneasy.

“Aren’t you even going to ask me to stay?” Sora raised her eyebrows and steeled the pain welling in her chest. Why was Matt behaving this way? She’d noticed that he’d been a little off when he had first woken up, but the mistiness of his eyes…

“I’ll walk you home if you like.” Sora didn’t turn around to face TK. She didn’t want to see the look on his face. The idea of seeing triumph or-” Closing her eyes, Sora slowly turned to face the exit. As Sora silently walked out of the room and around TK, she could hear Matt calling after her with his sultry voice.

Resisting him was hard. Sora wanted so badly to give in to him, but something told her that to do so would be wrong. There was a distant ache inside of her that demanded to be recognized and fulfilled. That part of Sora knew that Matt was right. He was the only one that could fulfill that desire within her.

Rubbing her temples, Sora headed for the waiting area in search of her parents or Matt’s. She needed to go home and rest. She needed to think, to lie down and close her eyes and concentrate. She needed most of all to try to piece together all the events that had happened since the defeat of Myotismon. Life was escaping her and Sora wanted time to preserve it as best she could as she experienced it.

“Sora,” a voice called, barely audible.

Stopping, Sora felt as if she had just been caressed. Waiting for the beholder to catch up to her, Sora basked in the sudden feeling of inexplicable satisfaction that enveloped her.

“Matt wanted me to give you this, or us rather,” the seductiveness of the voice faded and ended in a fumble.

“Yeah,” Kari smiled vaguely as she stared at Sora, holding out a folded piece of lined paper.

Sora watched as Kari waved the paper at her and walked around her pausing only to playfully hand the paper to Sora. After twice failing to retrieve it from Kari’s grasp, Sora sighed trying to understand the playful glint in Kari’s eyes. Turning her head to look at TK, Sora found him facing the nurse’s station further down the hall.

“Let me have it, please Kari. I’m really not in the mood.”

TK spoke up suddenly, “Do you think the others are worried about us?”

Sora frowned, “What do you mean, they’re with Izzy. You know how much Patamon likes free chocolate. And let’s not forget Davis.” Sora smiled suddenly visualizing the boy stuffing his face like a digimon with chocolate.

“You look nice like that, with a smile,” Kari shrugged with a friendly air as she handed over the folded paper without the same playful reflex she had possessed before. Noticing the change in tone, TK turned to face them.

“He wanted you to know that he was sorry.” TK wouldn’t meet Sora’s eyes and suddenly she was embarrassed. She had mentioned oral sex, regardless of the implicitly in front of Matt’s younger brother. Sora could only hope that his opinion of her would not morph too much.

Sora nodded approvingly as she accepted Kari offering. “I’m glad he’s come to his senses. I was starting to get worried that that bump upside the head had changed into a bit of a pervert.”

Kari was suddenly smiling widely and Sora began to fee l the same feeling of inexplicable satisfaction.

“If you want,” Kari mumbled softly, “I could read that note for you. I already know what it says.”

Sora felt as if she were suddenly a puppet and her arms and body moved according to its own will. Sora watched as if in the seat of a theater as she handed back Matt’s note. Instead of reading it, Kari tore it in half.

“There,” she paused to rip it a few more times. “Now, we shall never know what it said.”

Confusion slow began to permeate Sora semi-conscious mind. Although, she had no idea what Kari was talking about. It had been less than five minutes since she left Matt’s room. How he could have written a note in such a short time frame? Usually, Matt waited to calm down and mediate on his emotions before acting on them. He liked to let things settle. He wasn’t Tai after all. He wasn’t so abruptly so decisive and impulsive.

As if moving in deep water, Sora tried to move away from Kari. Sora could see out of her peripheral vision, TK walking away from them, slow and determined. Frowning, Sora blinked. She could of sworn—

--

--

--

“Do you feel that? I haven’t felt this feeling since I was reborn.”

Izzy frowned at Patamon, “What do you mean.”

“TK is feeling, what is that word, Patamon pondered allowed. “Ah, that’s right, he’s feeling really righteous. Oh no,” Patamon sighed lightly, “I think he’s reacting to something.”

“Like what?” Chibimon questioned Patamon in between bites of chocolate mousse.

“I don’t know, but I think we should all go and find out.”

Izzy jumped as he felt a buzz on his thigh. Reaching into his pocket, Izzy grasped his digivice. It was burning with energy. Before, he could question the authenticity of its actions, darkness overcame him.

--

The End.

JK. JK. JK

The end is nearing real soon.

Keep reading. Keep reviewing. Have faith that I will finish and complete my finals with grace and intelligence!

As always, please tell me what you think. To soon? To off plot? To OOC?

Let me know or I won’t know.

All the best.