Disclaimer: Mine? Just the idea for the plot...

Thanks to Vigatus (soon I think) PillsburryDB11 ( that's what I wanted! Glad you were surprised!) and PhantomDark ( you bet! Agumon is in the next chapter) for the reviews!

This is a slow chapter, and we get some of Tai's insights.

New Fears

"I can't believe you made me do that"

"You're welcome"

"Jerk" She was angry ever since they left the classroom, but he knew her too well to be worried about it. Yes she was pouting, and yes she was kind of glaring around the empty hallway, but still, the fact she was talking back meant it was okay. So he chuckled.

"Oh Tai" He said letting his voice up a notch. "Thank you so much for giving me a perfect score, I'm so thankful…" He laughed at his poor imitation, but she simply crossed her arms.

"So now I sound like a gutted cat Tai?"

"I thought I was doing a good job"

Sora shook her head walking around a corner, as the students started to crowd the space "Nobody deserves thanks for getting someone into cheating Tai" She whispered angrily. "There are people there that actually studied for this, they actually deserve a good grade, I don't"

"To me you do, more than them" He told her confidently, flashing her his lopsided grin, to which she groaned, resting her head against the wall.

"And why is that mop hair?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Tai knew where this was going, and he was good at it. "You're awesome Sora come on! After all those time you covered for my messes, you take care of your friends, your family and… You actually saved the world, more than once"

She started to grin and soon the grin turned into a chuckled, her crimsons eyes glancing away from him. "Jerk"

"At your service" Tai floated ahead of her, hands behind his back. One of the few advantages of being a ghost was that he didn't need to look where he was going. "Besides I bet you love the idea of getting a perfect score Takenouchi."

"Not perfect, I marked one wrong so the teacher wouldn't be suspicious" She explained, and he could see her cheeks were the same color as her hair now.

"Still, almost perfect, I bet it feels great"

She grinned a little more at that. "You bet because you never got close to almost perfect"

"I would if I had a best bud ghost friend"

She shook her head again at that, and Tai flanked her silently as they reached the cafeteria and Sora went to meet their friends. Since she also took care to be one of the last ones to finish she was also the last to get there.

Sora was getting her food, and Tai simply went to the table, where he floated above his friends, watching them from above as a silent protector. A silent protector that couldn't help but float close to Mimi and silently see watch she would look like with a finger in her nose. Izzy could do with some finger horns, and Matt needed a moustache.

He looked at Sora to see what she thought of it, and was happy to find she was holding her laughter, until she got close to the table.

"Sora? What is so funny?" Izzy asked.

"Yeah, Sora, What is so funny?" Tai followed with a finger on the boy's nose and another in his ear.

"Nothing just…" She sat down. "Thinking of an old joke, I should stop doing that"

She shot Tai a pointed look and he stopped, shrugging with a lazy smile. He couldn't help himself though, it still felt weird to be close to them and not being able to be talked to.

Sure he could speak to Sora on occasion, but still, more and more he realized he was not cut for a life of watching around, even not being able to change channels on the TV was agony on its own.

And of course there were the nights. When everyone was sleeping and he couldn't. Tai still had no idea how it worked, he sure felt tired more than not, and sometime he caught himself closing his eyes in hopes of finding a sweet restful dream lurking in his mind, only to find he got more tired than before. In the end all that he could was find distractions.

He would watch Sora's neighbors sometimes. At first he found entertaining to watch their lives one by one, fly through the whole building to see what was happening, but ever since he floated into and old couple who seemed to love each other very much, he was being more careful. There was only so much trauma he could take after all. He found out a woman who was jealous of Mrs. Takenouchi and her flowers, and a well humored family that traded jokes at every dinner. There was one neighbor who liked to watch movies into the night, and sometimes Tai would mess with the TV and get some laughs, but mostly he would fly around.

If there was one thing he could be thankful for was the flight.

He would sometimes fly down, like taking a dive, and feel the slightest cold in his guts, and that was as sweet as feeling full after a meal, or something else…

Then came the heights…

The first time he tried that, he had been terrified of been blown away by some very unfriendly wind. He had also being terrified of seeing the building getting smaller and smaller. To float close to the ground was one thing, but to be closer to the clouds was totally different. Even being dead he was afraid to lose his ground, to maybe get lost in space or get sucked into and airplane's engines until he finally had to stop once he started to feel weak… That was the first time he realized he couldn't be away from Sora.

Still, despite his cartoonish fears, the sight was totally worth it… He was above the city then, watching the lights shining amongst the shadows, like a sea of stars covering the horizon. For the first time since the Digital World he realized how small he actually was and how beautiful everything is once you take a step back to enjoy it. That first time he spent the whole night up there, until he missed her and went back to his favorite thing to do while he was waiting for the sun.

"It was awful, I couldn't remember half of that stuff" Matt was telling everyone, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Well, it's expected we get some surprise tests once in a while, otherwise they can never know what we actually learned" Izzy told the older boy, and Tai smiled down at his friend. After so long he seemed to be okay, and he seemed to be getting some sleep too which was good. "Consider it something that will help in our education, even it is a very dated form of evaluation."

"I think they are all boring" Mimi told him. "I should be spending time concentrating on my future career."

"As what?" Matt asked the cheerful girl.

"I'm not sure yet, but is going to be awesome and amazing and on TV!"

Everyone chuckled at that, and Tai shook his head, glancing at Sora.

"Has any of you know what you're going to be?" She asked the group, met by a short silence.

"Well, I'm helping with a company from a friend of mine, just some side work though." Izzy explained fidgeting with his chopsticks. "Other than the Digital World tough I can't find anything else that interests me"

"I'm sure you'll find something, you're like the smartest of all of us!" Mimi told the boy who looked away, and Tai saw he was smiling. "What about you Matt?"

"What of it?"

"Do you have any plans for the future?" Sora insisted, and Matt frowned.

"None at all"

"Wait, not even your music?" Izzy seemed surprised, but Tai knew better. He floated down to look Matt in the face and saw the same expression he remembered.

"I don't really know if music is a life Izzy, I love it, don't get me wrong, but I just don't know if that is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life"

"I know the feeling" Sora said with a smile. "I love to make Ikebana with my mom, and I love Tennis too but I don't see myself doing it for a living"

Matt offered her a grateful smile and Sora chuckled. Tai watched it with a sad smile, wanting nothing more than to take part in the exchange.

"So you guys are saying I'm the only one here with a plan?" Mimi asked around the befuddled friends, Tai rolled his eyes, Sora chuckled and Matt frowned.

"What plan? You just said you have no idea yourself"

"I have an idea, of doing something awesome"

"Really though the only one of us who knows what he wants to do is Joe" Izzy put in, and Tai nodded remembering the older boy with his nose buried in books every summer.

"And Tai" Mimi remembered, and the table got silent. Tai saw everyone looking at Sora all of the sudden but her eyes went to him now, floating above them. He winked at her and saw how she wasn't able to hold a grin from her face.

"He wanted to play soccer" Matt remembered.

"No" He heard Sora saying, her eyes never left him, and Tai felt his body getting lighter if that was possible. "He never knew just like us, but he wanted to be the best in whatever he did"

He couldn't help but offer her two thumbs up and lopsided grin. It was true… He loved soccer dearly all his life, but when it came to the future his only certainty was doing the best he could in whatever he did… Being a big brother, a friend, a leader or even…

"That sounds like him" Izzy agreed, before sighing. "By the way, you know how Kari is holding up?"

"She was fine the last I checked" Sora told them, indeed she was fine, but Tai still couldn't help but feel out of place whenever Sora visited his home. He never even entered, afraid of what he might see or feel…

"Doesn't she have a shift today?" Mimi remembered.

"The new guys do" Matt said.

"It should be nothing but a herd of Monochromon going nuts" Izzy remembered. "They destroyed a feel villages so they might be busy lending a hand"

"What made the monochromon do that?" Matt asked at him.

"I don't know yet, but Yolei would be getting data for me. It shouldn't be anything serious tough"

"I think we should help after school" Mimi thoughtfully said.

"I'm up for it" Sora said quick enough, than she looked at Tai and back at the table. "I might be a little late though."

"Good enough."

"I have band practice" Matt quickly explained, and Izzy agreed with an apologetically look, since he also would be busy.

"So I guess it's girl time then" Mimi said sounding happier then she should as the boys sweat dropped. Tai chuckled.

"Not so much" He observed talking for the first time, glanzing slightly at Sora. "You know I always wondered what you and Mimi would talk about when you are alone" He said beside the girl, who ignored him.

"I'll meet you there"

Outside, the first thing she did was look at him.

"You'll leave us alone" She said with finality.

"I honestly don't know how I can do that Sora" He spoke. "I mean is not like I can be away from you remember, and I honestly don't know how this distance thing will work in the Digital World…" He frowned. "I mean can I even go to the digital world?"

"We'll find out"

"But what if…" Her giggle stopped him dead in his tracks, and he frowned at his friend. Was she mocking him? "What is so funny?"

"Nothing is just… You seemed worried there Tai" She advanced in her stride, entering the field in the park outside the school. The place was a little crowded from students out of class, and she found a lonely tree where she could sit by the shade.

He floated after her, his frame barely visible where the sunlight was strongest, by the shade though it almost seemed like he was alive as he crossed his legs in front her… Almost…

"Aren't you worried?"

"Definitely" She confessed with a resigned smile, Tai pouted at that. "But is not like we can run from it, we would have to try eventually"

"Yeah I know"

"You're scared?" Her question took him by surprise, and Tai gulped a little bit. He didn't want her to think he was a coward, however being a ghost didn't let him without fears, merely they were replaced.

And far from worries about airplanes and engines, the serious ones he felt deeps in whatever was his heart these days.

Where before he was afraid to fall, now he was afraid of what else might be there, what force, what kind of energy kept him floating. If he was afraid to get hurt, now he was afraid of disappearing, he was afraid of where he would go from here and, most of all, he was afraid of leaving her alone. Perhaps because if she was alone she might fall into that faint shadow he had found, shivering, suffering and unliving. So Tai couldn't help but wonder, and the questions were one scarier than the other.

As he thought on all that, she was still waiting for him to say something. Finally he decided to avoid the issue and grinned lopsided.

"Just of what I will hear from you and Meems" Her eyes narrowed and he snickered. "Does she talk to you about boys and clothes? I bet she does, I wonder if…"

"I wonder if I could blow you away with a fan"

"I stood in front of one two days ago and it did nothing" He smirked, she glared crossing her arms.

"Maybe you're lying so I don't try it, making that monk pose there, you can always trick somebody into thinking you know stuff." He pouted.

"Maybe I do" He knew that if he kept going she would have to give p eventually. This Tai knew, he could always beat her if he was stubborn enough. Sora however smirked at him.

"Well, good thing you'll give us some privacy right?"

Now he was confused. "What?"

"That is right, you're leaving Mimi and I alone to talk, as soon as we cross to the Digital World, and we're going, I don't care what you say. You own me for cheating on that test"

"That was me helping you"

"Not it wasn't you big knucklehead, I already explained it to you" He stuck his tongue out at her, but that only served to make her laugh lightly. "Besides if you don't do as I say, then I won't tell you what I wanted to tell you that Christmas"

He perked up at that, for months now he had been curious about it, ever since he started to remember the accident and think back about her. He was very curious, but still he hesitated.

"You already promised to tell me"

"I crossed my fingers"

"No you didn't"

"How can you tell?" He looked at her sweet smile, like she was the most innocent girl in the world, she must have realized he was frustrated, because suddenly, she was laughing and flashing her tongue out at him. "Takenouchi 1, Kamiya 0"

"Well, okay, but if that is it, then tell me"

"What about…"

"I promise to leave you two alone" He said trying to sound solemn, she stared at him.

"Tai…"

"Yes?"

"You're see through now remember?"

"Yes Sora, so what?"

"I can see your crossed fingers"

Defeated and embarrassed, he cleaned his throat, looking away. "Fine, I promise, I won't try to gather embarrassing stories about you for later use"

"Thanks Tai, that's very nice of you"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess I'll have to content with the ones I already know" Tai rubbed his nosed, suddenly laughing. "Hey, I just thought of something, remember what happened at that soccer game when we lost for one goal? The one you lost your…"

"Get to the point" Now she was the one blushing, but Tai was still thinking.

"Well, I promised to take that secret to my grave and…." He raised his eyebrows and stretched his arms comically, as if presenting a great feat on his part.

Sora stared blankly him.

"Yes Tai, you are a great secret keeper" She told him, not hiding her sarcasm.

"Come on you know it's funny"

"I'm not sure about that" She told him. "It's in-between"

Tai rolled his eyes. "Tough crowd here"

They fell silent after that, trading a long stare for a mere while which seemed to last ages. The glance ended but still, Tai felt comfortable, like he hasn't in a long while now. For the first time he was not riled up for being dead, or trying to find a distraction.

"So…" He spoke, his voice weak and hesitating, feeling the need to fill the silence. "Are you going to tell me now?"

At his question, the auburn haired girl merely nodded, resting her head against the tree, sun rays stormed her face slipping through the leaves and when the wind blew, the light seemed to dance one her features, glistening in her blazing hair, and her fiery eyes.

The vision left Tai speechless. Then she spoke, her eyes betraying how uneasy she was.

"No, I..." Her voice trailed of, surrounded by thick veils of emmotions, ringing true to Tai. "I don't think I can, but I did promise didn't I?"

"Yes"

"So, do you trust me?" Her question almost caught him off guard. Still he could tell by the way she was blushing, the way her smile wavered, and knew she would never hid something from him. No matter how much her reluctance made his curiosity grow. She was his best friend, and he knew there was only one answer he could give her.

Because it was the truth.

"I trust you Sora"

As I say Agumon will be back, this is a slow chapter, next one will be as well, but then things will heat up!

PLease read and review XD

PS: If you are wondering about Brave Hearts I'm working on it, but the next chapter got stuck on dead ends with a few characters, and it's becoming bigger than I anticipated. I might divided in two parts, or not... So it might take a while longer to be ready, but it will!