Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ If I Should Die... ❯ Sleeping on a dream ( Chapter 2 )

IF I SHOULD DIE… PART TWO - "Sleeping on a dream"

DISCLAIMER: Just playing the sand-pit that is Digimon. None of it belongs to me, not even one grain of sand. I will return everything to the owners when I'm done, including buckets and spades, although I might keep Matt and Tai a little longer… Joke! This is a piece of fan work, by the fans for the fans and no money what-so-ever has exchanged hands during its production.

A/N: The second chapter, coz so many requested it… Still TAITO… And a lot more confusing than the first chapter… This chapter is shorter than the first one - in fact all of the others will be shorter than the first one… You have to remember: Never assume, never presume anything. Reading the first chapter is necessary, otherwise you will TOTALLY be confused, instead of just confused…

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"How is he?"

A taut, male voice floated through from somewhere, fizzling thorugh his consciousness like a snake, weaving in and out through his muddled thoughts.

"He's getting worse, he keeps on calling out different names, and calling us those other names," another male voice said.

His eyes snapped open and he felt the soft whiteness overwhelm his senses.

"Can I see him?" The tense male voice asked.

He blinked.

There was no answer.

Then a clicking sound.

Click. Click. Click.

There was something moving - the door?

He blinked and looked up as a blonde man walked in followed by a black-haired man and an auburn-haired woman.

"Yamato?" He croaked, blinking up at the blonde, his head pounding.

"Otoutochan, it's me, Kazuo," the blond said. "Hitoshi, please."
"What are you talking about?" He hid his face in his hands. "I'm Yagami Taichi… you're Ishida Yamato… What are Takashi and Sora doing here?"

"I told you, my name is Ami, this is Motoki," the auburn-haired girl repeated.

"He's delusional, and nothing really seems to be helping. I think he has amnesia - he doesn't seem to remember anything apart from this fantasy he has created," the black-haired doctor explained.

"Hitoshi, please, you have to remember who you are!" The blonde crouched down and stared at the brunette curled up on the floor. "Please, little brother, you have to."

"I'm Taichi, not Takeru, Yamato," he responded. "Yamato, why are they doing this to me?"

The blonde stood up, his gaze sad. "Can we bring him home?"

The doctor exchanged a glance with his nurse.

"I don't know," the doctor said.

"Please make it happen, I think he needs us," the blonde responded, looking sadly at the shivering and shaking brunette on the floor as he stepped backwards with the doctor and nurse to leave.

"Yamato, why are you leaving me? I love you! Don't leave me!"

The three figures stared down at the shaking, pathetic figure in the middle of the floor and quickly left and moved to shut the door.

"Don't leave me! I love you! I love you! Don't go! Don't leave me! No!"

The brunette slowly saw the door shut, leaving white on white once more, and Taichi screamed, the white bursting inwards until he was white, the entire world was white on white on white on white on white on white on white on white….

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"Time for your choice bearer of courage. Time for your choice."

"Who's there? Who's there?"

"The final choice… You still have time.. Choose well, courage…"

"Who's there?"

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White.

Oh god.

Please, no more white.

Taichi whimpered, the whiteness gnawing at his soul.

"Taichi… Taichi…"

Yamato? Yamato where are you, I need you.

"Taichi… Taichi… Are you awake? Please listen to me… Taichi…"

No white, please no more white, no white, no white…

"Taichi…"

And the white is replaced by a pulling blackness that pulls him down, and he falls into the mouth of darkness again.

"Taichi…"

Yamato, I need you. Where are you?

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"Who's there?"

Taichi swung upwards. His head was pounding and he blinked at the bright yellow light that flashed in his face. Suddenly, miscellaneous limbs were fling around his neck and he felt a weight pulling him down.

"Taichi, I was so worried about you…"

Taichi blinked at the mass of auburn-hair pushed in his face and he roughly pulled away. Scrambling backwards, his mouth opened unsteadily as he saw his parents looking down at him, Sora crouched on the floor looking worried and hundreds of kids gawking at him.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Taichi shrieked, his head pounding, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. "You don't understand, you can't understand, I don't belong here! Please! Let me go!"

"Let you go where?" Sora said, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Taichi, please. Don't."

Taichi felt his head pounding and suddenly the dull thudding was all he could hear. "That's not my name!"

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"What is your name?"

The brunette blinked up at the black-haired man, surrounded by the white.

Oh god, the white.

No.

"Ai - Aino Hitoshi…"

If it stopped the white…

The awful white…

"My name is Aino Hitoshi."

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"You are choosing a path, courage… Do you know if it's the right one?"

"Who's there? Please tell me…"

"You already know."

"No, no I don't."

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"Aino Hitoshi?"

Sora sounded confused.

The brunette shook his head.

"No, please, no, it's me Taichi, please Sora, tell me it's you, your name isn't Ami, please say it's you Sora… Please…" Taichi whimpered, tears lancing down his cheeks.

"Oh, Taichi," Sora said, flinging her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're back… I love you so much, I was worried…"

"What?" Taichi pulled away. "I don't… I don't love you Sora, I never have… I'm sorry…"
Sora stared at him, her skin paling, and she reared back and slapped him with all her strength. "You bastard…" she whispered. "How dare you… how dare you lie to me! Now tell me you love me!"
"I… I can't…" Taichi said. "I don't love you."

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"Taichi, are you OK now, coz I can take you home now."
Taichi blinked, and more white came into focus.

Oh god, no…

"Where… where am I?" Taichi stuttered, his focus blurring.

"C'mon, Taichi, you're in the hospital, remember? You blacked out…"

Taichi heard a soft chuckle, strained with worry.

"Ya - Yamato?" Taichi opened his eyes and blinked to see Yamato standing close to the bed, worried. "Oh, Yamato, don't leave me, please, don't leave me alone, I love you… Don't leave me…" Taichi sat up and flung his arms around the startled blonde's neck, hugging him relentlessly as tears ran unchecked down his cheeks.

"I'll never leave you, love," Yamato said. "Come on."

Taichi nodded, dumbly, and quickly got dressed as he signed the papers to be released from the hospital. They exited the hospital and began the short walk to Taichi's apartment.

"I'm sorry," Taichi began, but Yamato silenced him with a finger then a brief kiss as they walked along the road.

"Shush, angel, you were sick. You're OK now…"

"Good," Taichi whispered, then stopped. Yamato turned to him. "I…" Taichi looked at Yamato nervously. "I think I'm going crazy… Every time I drift off, I.. I have the strangest dreams… But they seem so real… So real…"

"What kind of dreams?" Yamato asked, his voice full of worry.

"Dreams… without you… where no-one understands me… Where I'm… crazy… Everyone thinks I'm crazy…"

"Shush," Yamato said softly. Moving his arms to engulf Taichi in a warm hug. "You're just worried everyone will be worried about this… They're all like us, there's no problem. I love you, Yagami Taichi. I have for a long, long while and nothing will change that!"

Taichi smiled softly, and kissed the blonde lightly on the lips. "Can we go finish that room now?"

"Sure thing love," Yamato responded.

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"They're not dreams Taichi…"

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am."

"What are you doing to me?"

"You have to choose… you have to choose."

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"He seems to be getting over it, Kazuo," Motoki said firmly, as they looked through the glass panelling to where the wild-haired brunette sat, looking blankly at the wall.

"He knows his name now," Ami added, smiling. "He's finally recovering."

"We see no reason that you can't take him home, as long as you make sure you bring him in for regular check-ups," Motoki added.

"Thank you, thank you," Kazuo said, smiling. He raked one hand through his lank blonde hair and moved to open the door. He walked in and smiled at his little brother.

"Otoutochan… we're going home."

"H-home?" The brunette nodded. "Yes, yes you promised. You said you would take me home."

Kazuo winced at the childish tone in his brother's voice. "Come on Hitoshi."

The brunette nodded, everything going blurred as the blond led him out of the hospital into a car.

"You can drive?"

"Yes, Hitoshi, you know I can," Kazuo said firmly, starting up the engine.

"No more white," the brunette whispered. "Why do I feel so confused? So empty? Like I don't belong here."

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"Because you don't."

The brunette looked up to see everything had disappeared. His older brother had gone, the car had gone, the world had gone… Only darkness remained…

"Kazuo?" The brunette called out. "It's me, Hitoshi, you're brother… Kazuo?"

"You're name is not Aino Hitoshi. It's Yagami Taichi. Yagami Taichi."

"NO! My name is Aino Hitoshi! If I don't say that the white returns."

The brunette shivered from mention of the horror of white on white on white on white that never ends, that gnaws upon your soul.

"Have you forgotten your love for him? For the one they call Ishida Yamato?"

"YES! YES! I DO NOT LOVE HIM! I WISH ONLY TO BE LEFT ALONE!"

"That's the wrong choice, Taichi."

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME."
"Yes it is. Taichi."

"NO……"

The brunette collapsed to the floor.

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"Hitoshi, you OK?"

The brunette blinked, and looked to see Kazuo looking at him worriedly.

"Yama -" he started, then frowned. "Onii-chan…" he amended.

"Hitoshi, you're going to be fine."

"Yes. No more white," he replied.

"Are you scared of the white?"

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Oh yes oh yes oh yes.

The white…

No..

The softness beneath, the whiteness.

Please no, the white, the white, the white, please no, the white the white the white the white oh no oh no oh no…

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"I asked if you were afraid of the white Hitoshi," Kazuo firmly repeated.

The brunette nodded, starting to shiver.

"They - they made me afraid of the white… They drove me crazy… The white drove me insane… Made me think I was someone else… Made me think I was somebody special…"

Kazuo stopped, blue eyes glaring at the brunette, annoyed.

"You ARE special otoutochan… To me, to mum and dad, and to your girlfriend…"

"Girlfriend?" The brunette blinked. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Yuuko… You don't remember?" Kazuo sighed, then slumped back in his seat.

"No…" He sighed, and slumped in his seat. "I don't remember anything."

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"Taichi, you're the one I love more than anything, I'm sorry, it was too fast, please wake up…"

Where am I? White, oh god, not the white, the white on white, oh no oh no oh no… Yamato where are you? I love you, I need you… Where are you?

"Taichi. I wish you could hear me. Everyone's so worried… I'm so worried. .. Angel, don't leave me…"

No, no, no… His name was Hitoshi… Why was everyone calling him Taichi?

And where was Y - Yuuko.

Yuuko was the name of his love…

He was in love with Yamato…

No, Yuuko.

Yuuko.

"Taichi, please, you have to wake up. I know it's all my fault, all my fault, I'm sorry. It was too fast."

Why is Kazuo apologising to me?

Why couldn't he see anything apart from the dreadful white on white on white on white on white…

Oh, Yamato, why did you leave?

Why did you leave me alone?

I love you, not this Yuuko… My name is not Aino…

"You're in a coma, Taichi… You've only been in it three days but I'm so worried… The doctor says you can hear me… I hope so… Please, Taichi, I want you to know I will always love you. Don't give up hope. Please. You can do it. Wake up, please, I need you. I love you."

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"That's a real shame, Hitoshi," Kazuo said, brushing blonde strands out of his eyes as he got out the car and helped the brunette out. "Yuuko's a wonderful girl."

"I'm sorry…" The brunette blinked as he unsteadily got out of the car. "Where are we?"
"Home." Kazuo sighed, patiently, and took hold of one of his arms. The wild-haired brunette nodded, and allowed himself to be led into the building, up the winding narrow staircase, down a corridor and to a small apartment. Kazuo fumbled with a key and opened the door, leading the brunette in. He snapped the light on, leaving the brunette blinking wildly to adjust himself to the light. As soon as he could see properly, he frowned as he saw a purple-haired girl standing in front of him, tears in her eyes. She launched forwards and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Hitoshi, I was so, so afraid…"

"Miyako?"

The purple-haired girl stepped backwards and frowned. Kazuo groaned, and let go of the brunette.

"This is Yuuko, Hitoshi. Your girlfriend."

"Oh." The brunette looked up at the girl, then bit his lip. "Yuuko."

"Yes, that's me," Yuuko responded, firmly. "I know you don't remember me, but in time you will, and I need you to know I will always love you, no matter what."

"I don't know you… I don't love you… I love Yamato," he responded, dazedly.

"Yamato? Who's… Oh no, please Hitoshi, please say you're not, oh no, Hitoshi…" Yuuko trailed off unhappily.

"My name's not Hitoshi!" The brunette responded. "My name is Taichi, Yagami Taichi!"

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A pounding in his ears.

He felt himself being pulled, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down.

Someone else was there.

"I don't know who you are!"

"Yes you do Taichi."
"I don't know… anything…"

"Yes you do Taichi. Open your eyes. Look."

He looked up and saw exactly what he expected.

He saw himself looking straight back at him.

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"Pass me the red will you, koi?"

Taichi blinked, then looked up at his love smiling as he paused around the picture of Mimi and Sora. The brunette shuffled through the paints in his hand and tossed the blonde the small tube of red.

"There ya go," Taichi responded.

"How are you feeling now?" Yamato looked concerned.

"Like I'm going insane," Taichi said, then fell silent. "I keep.. thinking… What if I am going insane… What if these dreams are… reality, and this is the dream."

Yamato blinked, then put down the paints. He walked over to his love and put his arms around him, burying his head in the wild masses of Taichi's hair.

"Does this seem like a dream to you?" He breathed huskily. Taichi allowed himself to be hugged and snuggled into the blonde's embrace.

"Yes… coz you're my angel and in my arms.. This was a dream for so long…"

"Hmmm," Yamato murmured, planting butterfly kisses all over the brunette's face. He finally pulled away with a happy smile. "I have to go finish painting Takeru and Hikari now."

"What?"

Taichi blinked. He looked to the wall and was shocked to discover Takeru and Hikari hugging, and Miyako and Iori hugging.

"That's not right," Taichi said firmly.

"What's not right?" Yamato blinked. "My brother and your sister have been dating for the last two years… Which admittedly is a bit strange, my head hurts trying to figure out what kind of relations we'd be, but… What do you mean, not right?"

"Don't you remember the party… Everything?" Taichi blinked in shock.

Yamato frowned, and listened as Taichi blurted out everything that had happened since the party, including about Takashi and the diary.

"Taichi, that's not what happened. You came over to my apartment after school and you were in tears… And you told me you loved me… I told you I loved you back and you fainted." Yamato stared at his love. "You never told me about Takashi… I'll kill that bastard."

Taichi looked up, noticing the anger in Yamato's eyes.

"No, don't…"
"Are you saying you're in love with him, not me?"

"Yama, god, no! NO! I love you.. I'm just confused…"

Yamato stared at him slowly, and dropped the paints to the floor. Taichi watched them as if in slow motion as they splattered on the floor.

"He's gonna pay for hurting you," Yamato ground out, then stomped out of the apartment.

"NO!"

Taichi quickly put down everything he was carrying, and stumbled out after Yamato. After he got out the apartment, he blinked in confusion. He couldn't see Yamato anywhere. Then he noticed the open window, the rev of an engine down below.

"NO!" Taichi screamed, and ran to the window to see Yamato skid off in his car.

That clinched it.

Taichi started to run.

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"Tell me why you're running, Taichi."

"Because I have to stop him."

"That's not Yamato."

"Yes, he is… He's the one I love."

"He's just a figment of your imagination, Taichi, just like Yuuko, Kazuo, Ami and Motoki."

"No, no, no… They're real, aren't they?"

"You have to decide what's real and what's not, Taichi."

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"Yamato!"

Taichi's head pounded unmercifully as he skidded down the pavement, knowing where Yamato was headed - to Takashi's apartment.

He knew he'd be too late. He ran and ran and ran until he couldn't run any longer from the pounding in his ears…

"Yama, Yama, please…"

Taichi gasped as a car skidded erratically down the road and swerved, crashing into a building, bursting into flames.

"NO!" Taichi screamed, recognising the car, recognising the blonde body that burst into glittering flames and disappeared into ashes… He didn't know how long he stood there, watching his beloved die… Burning…

Then he remembered Takashi, and turned, and ran.

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"Takashi, you're OK! Yamato's dead, he's dead…"

The black-haired man shook his head.

"Aino Hitoshi, I am your doctor Motoki. Remember?"

"No, no, I'm Yagami Taichi. You've got the wrong person…"

The brunette giggled, then screamed as two burly male nurses picked him up. He blinked at their hair.

"Ken? Daisuke? Why are you doing this?"

He struggled against them as they flung open a door and he landed awkwardly on the soft white floor.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" He screamed, as one of the nurses pressed something painful into his neck and the searing pain flashed through his body. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! PLEASE NO!"

The nurses stood back and walk backwards, closing the door, encasing him in the white prison again.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Taichi ran, his head still pounding, images of his love burning, twisting, deformed… No, no, no, no, no, this couldn't be happening…

He didn't know where he was headed. He merely followed an instinct he didn't know he had. He ran frantically up the stairs, up, up, up, up, up… Walls closing in as he pounded to an apartment he knew.

He stopped when he reached the door, tears lancing down his face as he noticed a terrible liquid, flowing, twisting, meandering it's way down the corridor… Dark, red, sticky…

A strangled sob escaped his mouth as he pushed the door open, letting more of the terrible fluid skid out of the room, trying to escape.

Bile rose in his mouth, threatening to make the brunette throw up as he saw the sight… Two naked bodies, mutilated… Drowning in a pile of their own blood… Takashi must have been with his lover when Yamato had entered…

He screamed once, a piercing scream that reached the ears of everyone in the apartment building and in a 50 metre radius of the building, and collapsed down next to the bodies… He pulled Takashi's body closer, closing his eyes as Takashi's head lolled to one side, and cried… Cried for his love, for his old boyfriend and his old boyfriend's love… He cried for the end of innocence and the beginning of insanity…

He didn't know how long he sat there, cradling Takashi's body, wallowing in a mess of blood… Long enough for a woman to see, scream… Long enough for two men to come in, revolted, and stand over the blood-covered, weeping brunette… Long enough for him to hear: "Yagami Taichi, you are arrested for the brutal murders of Ishida Yamato, Ikari Takashi and Katsuragi Atsunuma…" Long enough to hear his own voice cracked yelling his love for Yamato before the world turned black and he collapsed, cracked laughter echoing in his ears as unconsciousness reclaimed his mind….

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T O B E C O N T I N U E D …

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A/N: Ah the end of the second chapter… OK, now that you're seriously confused, who wants the next part??? J