Warnings: Nothing you haven't seen!
Disclaimer: I own no digimon…except that D3 I bought at toys-R-us

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Tai delved into Yamatos mind, he looked past what was happening and ignored any emotions he found attached to memories, Yamatos thoughts would remain his own if only Tai could have his past. Tai was lost in darkness and assaulted by incomprehensible evils. There was no light here, no hope, only a darkness that Yamato seemed to know intimately, he decided without really choosing that if Yamato knew this Darkness he would too. He had what he wished for.

A lifetime of memories, painful and wonderful, lay before Tai and he had precious little time to examine them, to find what he needed to help his beloved Yamato live on for eternity. Images flashed before his closed eyes, images of darkness and solitude, a lithe body so starved that pale skin was stretched obscenely over bone and sapphire eyes protruded from the normally graceful face. There was pain attached to the flashes of dark forest that seemed endless and void of life. But these things were not what Taichi needed, he could guess at the hunger and weakness Yamato had felt, his angel was strong and would be able to deal with these things on his own if need be, Tai needed those dark and terrible mental pains that would tear at Yamatos heart every second of his painful existence.

Tai sought out to find the darkest memories, to shift out the good and narrow his search but soon it was apparent that even Yamatos most prized memories felt bittersweet. Flashes of early childhood came and went, a small blond child, a cherub fallen from medieval paintings alone and hungry, deprived of his brother, deprived of normalcy. Tai swept by these memories with an acute pain forming in his heart, these were part of the old human Yamato he had learned to love and care for, he needed the new memories, those tainted with a vampiric outlook, memories that meant Yamato needed him as much he needed Yamato.

Fire, there was so much fire. It burned the dark digimon that had followed Yamato, burned the little house the digidestined had stayed at, and in Yamatos mind burned the digidestined themselves. This fire had been Yamatos just as his little funeral pyre had been his. Tai knew that there was no need but he had to look for himself, if only for a second, at those moments before Yamato jumped into the fire. It was dream like, everything was unclear and there was no sense of time passing, there was no real pain emanating from this memory, only that soft shimmering misery that never left the dark angel. There was however a feeling of love, for the thoughts Tai did not want to delve into, for the fire that would release him from this pain. But Yamato was writhing against him more fiercely now, there was little time.

Tais search was becoming rather frantic; he needed something substantial now, something Yamato would not tell him. He needed something that would tie Yamato to him, something that he could fix when the idea of eternity seemed too terrible for Yamato to bear it a second longer. And then he felt it. Memories hidden away, dark and guilty, all but emanating the word Vampire over and over again. Stretches of loneliness so penetrating Taichi could scarcely breathe and then the complete abandonment of everything he was, of his pride, his hope, his independence. After every stretch of solitude there was Myotismon. This was not the evil sadistic Myotismon Tai knew so well, this Myotismon was…kind. He took care of the beautiful body that Yamato neglected, brushed out the silky hair and clothed him in beautiful garments. He confided in Yamato his ancient knowledge and listened to Yamatos pained prattle. It was obvious Yama took comfort in the creatures' existence to a point where Taichi felt his jealous rage would consume him. There were memories of Myotismons strong arms and velvet bed, of blood being shared and lingering eyes that Matt never noticed. Myotismon wanted Yamato as a companion for eternity, his dark prince, there was love in Myotismons violet eyes, desire.

When Tai could take no more he went on, bursting through the next mental wall with utter disregard. Here lay the memories of the digidestined. Their friends smiled at Tai, going about their lives together in this strange world. Takeru was everywhere with his happy smile and infectious giggle. But the entire fount of memories was absolutely void of Taichi in any but the most abstract ways. Disturbed by the lack of him self in Yamatos mind Taichi pushed forward, knowing he should pull out, that his rape of Yamatos mind had been cruel enough but not being able to stop. The next wall was immense, none of the others could compare to this and yet Taichi had only to reach out and touch it and it shattered. It felt as if he belonged here, that Yamatos mind was pulling him in instinctively.

Here there was only Taichi. There was the mortal brunette who fought with Matt constantly and yet still they were closer with each other than with any of the other digidestined. Love surrounded Tai and he found himself thinking that Yamato must have looked back on these things and dubbed them part of his more innocent self, before his and Taichis descent into darkness for them to be marked with such unconditional love. He must look back on these memories as one would memories of early childhood. However, not far removed from the happier memories of old was the Vampire Taichi, the still tanned skin and sharp fangs, a creature of the night. Tai could feel nothing from these memories; they were tied too closely to something torturously painful. For a moment everything was blue and soft, then Tai could see his own body lying on the floor of a clearing, drained of blood as crimson pooled beneath his, staining his cloths and hair, his little knife still clutched in his hand even as death crept up on him. He could tap into the thoughts connected with these memories, just for a moment, a glimmer of what Yamato thought… He could feel Yamatos mind bending to his will, the thoughts were almost his when their link was cut completely.

Taichi blinked, trying desperately to focus his eyes as he was plunged back into the present. All too soon it was clear what had ripped him so violently from Yamatos mind. The blond thrashed violently beneath him, crimson tears cascading down his face as soft whimpering sobs escaped his throat.

'Oh God!' Taichis mind screamed at him 'I pushed too hard, too brutally and now I broke him! I tortured him to the very limits of shattering mentally.' Tai could only hold Yamatos face in his hands, whispering comforting words to him, begging him to be ok. Instantly Matt began to calm, he stopped thrashing and he blinked up at Tai with wide uncomprehending eyes.

"Tai?" Yamatos voice was raw and raspy but Tai had never heard anything so sweet.

"Yes Yama, I am here." Tai lovingly wiped a few errand tears from a crimson-tinted cheek.

"Tai!" Matt yelled and wrapped his arms around the brunette, sending his down into Yamatos body. "I saw you die again, you had killed yourself, oh god there was so much blood. It was so real." Yamato breathed shakily as he held Tai flush against him, reveling in the steady beating of Taichis heart.

Tai did not know what to say, he had caused Yamato so much pain on nothing but a whim, a desire to know what was not his to know. He hurt Yamato cruelly and without thought just so he could make sure Yamato never left him, make sure Yamato never tried kill himself, tie Yamato to himself indefinitely by healing some part of his heart that Yamato would never have shown him. So he stayed quite, waiting for the moment when Yamato would put it all together and hate him completely for it.

"It wasn't real was it?" Yamato spoke as if just awoken from a dream and not really sure of what is reality yet. He sat up and Taichi fell to sit at Yamatos side but the blond ignored this to latch onto two slender wrists. He examined them carefully, fingers delicately tracing veins and bones. There were no marring holes that could release Tai from this world, nor was there evidence of any. The only blood he could find on Taichis body was his own blood tears splattering onto the other boy, his face however was a different matter. Tais lips were swollen as if from kissing and colored with blood that was not entirely Tais own.

Huge sapphire pools blinked slowly, confusion swimming in their depths as Yamato tried to grasp reality. He was drinking in the little creature, savoring its warm satisfying blood and watching its meager life flash before them both when the digimons memories left and his own took over. He could do nothing to stop the outpouring of memories that threatened to crush him under their immense weight. All of those horrible gut-wrenching experiences came to him as if he were living them all over again. Again he could only watch as he burned the digidestined alive, he could smell the singed hair, hear their screams.

In that moment Yamato wanted to die, he could not live through seeing this all again. But just when the pain had reached its pinnacle and Yamato could take no more it surrendered to less painful memories just to lead him to what he had blocked out for so long. All over again there were blood stained flowers and Taichis evil little knife which would take Tai away from him forever. Matt held onto the wrist in his hand tighter, if he could just hold on maybe reality would find him instead of the other way around.

"Yama?" Tais soft voice ventured. Yamato blinked up as Tai as if really seeing him for the first time.

"Tai." Yamatos voice was nothing but a relieved whisper as he sunk into the waiting arms that fit around him so perfectly. He was home, he was safe.

"Its all right, nothing is going to hurt you." Tai carefully monitored his voice; he would not have Yamato see the tears in his eyes. He was a bastard, a horrible lying asshole that took advantage of the best friend he would ever have, he deserved to die. Tai knew all of this, thought it constantly and still could not bring him self to pull away from the distraught blond and tell him what he had done. How could Yamato not remember? How could he let himself take advantage of the innocent angel who had known only pain and betrayal his entire life?

Tai pulled Yamato so that his tear stained face rested on Tais chest. Minutes had passed and still the blond had not pulled away, if he had not remembered what happened by now who is to say he would remember at all? Yamato may have been too lost in the blood to know what was happening. While Tai attacked his body Yamato was in a haze that made the entire thing one long stream of blood and mindless need. Tai could deal with being an awful person if it meant Yamato would stay with him, at least for right now. The thing about sins and all manner of evil doing is you pay for them when it is convenient to do so, or if you can harbor the guilt that long, until you die.

"Yama, we should continue, we can't linger here. If those three had a camp here others might be around." Yamato blinked blankly and nodded, accepting the help Tai offered to stand. Without a word Tai grasped Yamatos hand and took off at a run.

The wind rushed past Yamatos ears, the cool breeze helped lift some of the fog from his mind. After a few deep, rejuvenating breaths Yamato decided to go over everything in his mind. First thing first, they were on their way to see the digidestined who were all very much alive. Takeru, his dear little brother was alive somewhere out of the reach evil and waiting for his Oniichan to come back to him. He was coming from…killing himself, it seemed like lifetimes had passed between then and now but how many nights had passed? One? Two? It didn't really matter, right now there are better things to do than die. Like find out what the fuck had just happened. He was feeding when his entire life spilled out of his mind. Well that was interesting…but most definitely not a good thing. For a split second Yamato thought that he would wait until his next visit to Myotismon and ask the older vampire but that seemed out of the question now. After all, he had Tai back now. It was weird, thinking that he would never find himself back in Myotismons castle, listening to the calming voice of Myotismon rattle off epic tales with ridiculous ease and accepting the easy promises that Yamato would learn this or that power when the time came. Now he would have to learn everything himself, discover his nature with no direction and Taichi struggling at his side.

All night they ran, never tiring until the first rays of the digital sun came to sap their abundance of preternatural energy. Wordlessly Taichi led the way to a one of the many caves that seemed to dot the digital world. Together they stood awkwardly in the darkness, not really having words for each other, an invisible wall separating them when just the night before they had been so close.

"We are together again." Tai found himself saying "and I am not letting you go without a fight, no one can take you from me." He didn't know what he was trying to accomplish by saying that but Yamato nodded and lay down on the ground, motioning for Tai to join him. The sun came and went, trailing idly over the mouth of the cave before hiding in the distant horizon. Still Yamato and Taichi found themselves at a strange loss for words. What did the other know? What was he thinking? So for lack of anything better they head toward their predetermined destination. There was only one stop an hour into their run that was worth noting.

Tais mind spun with need, they needed to feed before they reached the digidestined. A quick glance at Yamatos too-pale skin told him that the blond needed a meal just as badly as he did. Tai changed the direction he ran in just slightly, toward the sound of little feet crushing the undergrowth carelessly.

A pair of digimon walked through the forest heedless of the danger that lurked in the darkness. There was scarcely time to blink as Taichi scooped up one of the creatures in his deadly embrace and put the second into a deep sleep. As Tais fangs sunk into the writhing creature he watched the hunger in Yamatos eyes turn to pain.

The drained creature dropped to the ground, its life essence warming Taichi as he stepped closer to the other boy. As Tai fed Yamato had lowered himself onto the ground next to the digimon and was stroking its colorful skin absent mindedly, watching it without really seeing it.

"You need to drink." Taichi started gently pulling Yamato from his thoughts. But he only shook his head slightly in response. "You are hungry, you can't see Takeru like this, it will drive you mad."

"But what if…" Taichi strained to hear Yamatos voice as it dropped off into nothing. "I just can't."

Tai bit his lip and sat next to Yamato so that their legs brushed against each other. This was all his fault; if only he told Yamato what he had done he wouldn't have to be afraid anymore. But telling him was not an option. If Tai reveled what he had done Yamato would be lost to him forever. Without a shadow of a doubt Tai knew Yamato would find his way back to Myotismon and that would be it, the end of the digidestined, and the end of his little family.

"Its all right, nothing will happen, I promise you." Yamato looked into his eyes and Taichi could see the unfathomable depth they held, the wisdom that far surpassed his short years. A long moment passed as Matt looked at the sleeping digimon that was murmuring in its sleep. "You know what you have to do."

Oh God, Yamato was on the verge of tears, his heart torn over this horrible act he did daily, this trade of life for death. He so wished he was in pain for his mortal soul, that it was causing death that brought him such torment when it was his own wish of self preservation that brought him pause. What if those memories he tried to block from his mind came back to him as they did last night? What is the point of feeding the body if the mind dies?

Tai reached out and took Yamatos hand into his own. Yes, there was a chance that what happened last night could happen again and that he would find death in it but it was a risk worth taking. It was not just him on the line now, his family was still alive and waiting for him, he had to be strong for them. And there was Taichi, he could not protect his beloved brunette if he was too weak to move. If nothing happened while he fed good, if he was tortured it was nothing less than he deserved.

Ready to accept any fate Yamato took solace in Taichis optimistic presence and buried his fangs into the yielding flesh of the sleeping digimon. There was blood and pleasure and innocent flashes of the digimons past and nothing else, he was safe. In drinking Yamato had shut his eyes and now he opened them to find Tai smiling at him. There was something wrong in that smile though, its pride in Yamato was sincere but it seemed bittersweet, he had missed something again. Tai stood and offered a hand that Yamato accepted but obviously had no need of.

"Thanks" Yamato offered almost shyly before taking off into the forest. The blond held back enough for Tai to take the lead, they were almost there. Taichi stopped abruptly next to a large tree and held out his hand so that Yamato would not continue to run.

"We are here."

"I don't feel them."

"Good, that's kind of the point, no one can feel them." Taichi smiled, a happy smile this time, and walked straight into the tree. Yamato thought it would be ridiculously funny if Tai had picked the wrong tree and walked straight into the hard wood but probably for the better Tais memory served him well and he disappeared into the seemingly solid bark. Yamato dove in after him and found that the forest they were staring at a few seconds before gone and a little house stood in its place.

"Tk, I can feel Tk! I can feel all of them!" Yamato did not try to contain his joy, he ran into the little building and into the room he knew held his friends. He didn't stop until he stood in the doorway and he only did so then to keep from scaring the others.

"ONIICHAN!" Takerus bubbly voice filled the room as he ran into his brothers open arms. Yamato lifted the smaller child into his arms and swung him around in a circle before bringing him to rest on his chest, their blue eyes level with each other.

"Oh Tk, I'm so sorry I left you! Its been so long, too long. How's my little brother?"

Takeru crossed his little arms and pouted. "I'm not little! I took care of the group while you a Taichi were gone!"

"Did you now?" Takeru nodded. "Well in that case…" With a lot of effort Yamato set his brother down and took a step back. "I will need a full report of everything that happened and the condition of the group." Tk nodded and tried to stand at attention, his arms crossing behind his back.

"You left, Tai kept leaving and coming back, there was a fire and everyone is bored and ready to go!" Yamato stifled a laugh at his brothers' official tone.

"Didn't I say I'd bring him back?" Tai entered the room with a cocky grin on his face. Takeru abandoned his position as leader/reporter to bound across the room and give Taichi a hug.

Yamato bit his tongue and turned back to the digidestined, he didn't want to see Takeru replace him with Tai, and if it was going to happen he didn't have to see it. The others were all grinning at him with 'hellos' on their lips. He scanned each face in the room, no one had changed, Sora was fighting back her motherly urges, Mimi looked as if she wanted to hurtle herself across the room and catch Matt in a hug, Izzy was smiling thoughtfully, his laptop open on his lap, and Joe was obviously looking for injuries on Matt and Tai.

Several of the digimon were also in the room, Agumon had just slipped out and returned with Gennai and someone that made Yamatos breath catch, Gabumon. The digimon looked so much older than when Yamato had left.

"Gabumon." No one noticed Yamato or Gabumon, they were too involved in the discussion between Tai and Gennai going on across the room.

"Matt"

"How are you buddy?" Yamato tried to sound casual but his voice cracked ever so slightly.

"Its ok Yamato, I forgive you." Matt nodded and fought the tears that stung his eyes.

"Gabumon." He choked out and fell to his knees finding himself in a warm hug. Gabumon never asked for anything, he had been abandoned and forgotten, his power as a digidestined partner taken away from him and still he forgave everything without so much as an apology from Yamato.

Matt cleared his throat and pulled away. "You really got ripped off when it comes to partners hu?" Gabumon shook off the wavering attempt at humor.

"I am lucky to have you Yamato, I wouldn't switch partners for the entire world."

"Yamato. Gabumon." Gennai cleared his voice just over Matts shoulder to call their attention to him self. "I understand your need to speak to one another but it will have to wait just awhile longer, a course must be chosen now." Gennai turned away and let the two compose themselves before quieting the others and gently leading them to sit in a circle.

"So what do we do now?" Joe couldn't stand the silence any longer so he asked the question that was lingering on every last one of their tongues.

"Well we have to kill Myotismon. Everyday he is taking ore and more of the digital world." Tai said with a shrug. Gennai nodded in agreement.

"He must be stopped."

Yamato felt his heart restricting painfully. They would never be able to kill Myotismon, he would destroy them all for trying. Even if they did manage to kill the digimon that would mean that Taichi and him would be alone in their nature. Two of a kind with no history of what they are, no guidelines and then if Taichi left him he would have nothing.

"How can we stop him?" Yamatos voice was deeper than normal, his doubt and fear lying in his words as clear as day for all to see. "He is stronger than we are, we don't stand a chance."

Gennai looked as if he had something to say but thought better of it, waiting for Taichi to handle the situation. Just as Gennai had thought Tai walked to Yamatos side and looked into his troubled eyes.

"We will beat him because we have to, we are the digidestined, we were meant to kill him. His powers are nothing compared to ours, he stands alone, we have each other." Tai reached out and took Yamatos hand in his own and turned back to the group. "We will beat him."

And that was it, there was no plan, what was the point of having one when Myotismon could just take it from their thoughts and use it against them? They had a goal and they had each other for the first time in…in far too long. Gennai had decided that they should rest just one day, eat, pack, anything they felt they should do to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the battle ahead. The time between Yamato and Taichis arrival and the entire groups' departure was basically eventless save one conversation between the two vampire digidestined.

All of the others where asleep and had been for hours, they decided to travel and attack by day. The majority of the digidestined would be able to function better and maybe even have Myotismon at something of a disadvantage. It was in those supposedly peaceful hours that Taichi felt himself drawn to the cozy living room when he heard muttered curses and soft sniffs issuing from the room.

"Yama?" The blond boy stopped in his tracks, his back to Taichi, he couldn't have Tai see the weakness on his face. Not now, not before a fight.

"What's up?" Matt asked as he dug his fists into his eyes, willing the frustrated tears away before turning around.

"I heard you Yama; you don't have to pretend with me. Something is wrong." Tai sat down on the couch and motioned for Yamato to sit next to him. He was ignored of course and Yamato stopped his pacing altogether to gaze out the window, away from Taichi.

"Why does something always have to be wrong with me? Cant you just leave me alone or do you have some quota of people you have to 'save' for the day?" Yamato asked bitterly, he never meant to say those things, to be so cruel. But now that they were out there he wasn't going to take them back, maybe Taichi would let him be.

"Its Myotismon isn't it? Are you worried that we won't win?" Taichi abandoned his comfortable chair and spun Yamato around gently to face him. He was not going to take the bait and get mad, they could not risk a fight now.

"We could just give him me, everyone would be safe and happy. You guys could go on and save the rest of the digital world without me." Yamato knew his voice sounded weak and pleading but he couldn't help it. He needed a way out of this and time was running short, self sacrifice was his last chance.

"No." Tais voice was as firm as the hands that had come to grip Yamatos shoulders. "He can't be allowed to live, and we can not go on without you. I will not let you do anything stupid."

"We can't kill him…" Yamato whispered brokenly.

"We can kill him, together we can-"

"I can't kill him!" Yamato nearly shouted as he tore himself out of Taichis hold, his warmth. "I cant, I just can't…" Taichi shook his head disbelievingly, Yamato wasn't talking about physically not being able to kill him, he wasn't talking about strength.

"We have to! We have no choice! He is evil and could spell the end for all of us, the end of the digital world and our world!"

"I know, I know."

Yamato turned away again. He couldn't put it into words why the thought of killing Myotismon tortured him so, he was dark and evil, he deserved to die but Yamato just couldn't do it. He had felt companionship for Myotismon, they were the same, he had taken his dark life from Myotismon, he had fallen apart in Myotismons hands countless times only to be put back together with caring hands. It was different for the other digidestined to kill him. They didn't know that there was a personality behind the mask of pure unbridled evil, they didn't know him. They didn't know that Yamato was nothing if not a miniature of his dark master. They couldn't know his pain or his ecstasy, Taichi tried over and over to grasp it but how could he when he was still so pure?

"Yamato you have to promise you will fight with me. I need you." God, why couldn't this have happened ages ago? Back when they were human, when life was simple and all that mattered was Taichi? Before he had found a companion to wander the darkness with him?

Taichis eyes bore into him almost painfully, he looked into Taichis face, having no idea when he had turned back to the brunette, and knew that he loved Tai more than any other creature he would ever meet, more than life or happiness or sanity. In the same moment, the same gaze Yamato knew he would never like Myotismon, he would always loath him, his vampire father, he could not even qualify what he felt for Myotismon as love, it was as he had long known, completely beyond words or expression in any means.

"I promise" Taichi accepted the words because he needed to, just as Yamato had said them out of need. But as much as they felt true, as much desire as there was from both parties for it to be true, the words held no meaning.

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Hiya! Writers block is the bane of my existence, need I say more? Bah, humbug, however there is battle and melodrama and screaming and…well you get the point…ahead! Everyone who reviewed…I LOOOOOOOVE you. You make my screaming matches with my computer worth doing! Please review(because I love you!)! It will make Yama happy and maybe he will become more mentally stable…he certainly wasn't in this chapter!

Lots of love! medorikoi