True Love Waits~The story of the growing feelings between

Yamato Ishida & Mimi Tachikawa

A slight hum is heard above the trees as the moon kisses the sky at its

highest point during the night. Matt sits on a log, by a lake, playing his

harmonica. Gabumon strums the ground with his feet as he dreams of chasing

Chibi-Bakamon. The dark is so peaceful on this digital night. A breeze

blows slightly through the trees, catching Matt’s hair as it goes. He pulls

away from his harmonica, and looks across the water. A figure is moving

strangely about. Cowering back, Matt perks his head up. What was he

hearing? Singing? He gets up slowly, staying in the darkness of the trees.

Slinking back, he begins to encircle the lake through the desolate forest,

taking the shortest route to the figure. Still in the trees Matt gets as

close as he can. His eyes open wide as he realizes who this is.

"Mimi?" Matt questions quietly to himself.

He continues to slink through

the branches, and vines, eying Mimi.

He finds a spot where he can hide,

and watch, and still be close enough

to reach an arm out and touch her.

"Wow," he whispers.

How lovely Mimi looked tonight. Her hair was in array, her voice like that

of an angel.

"She dances like a goddess," Matt spoke quietly to himself.

Only recently had he begun to feel this way. Every time he saw Mimi he

would break out into a cold sweat. One, or two times he had caught her eyes

on his, and had done nothing but turn away and blush. He couldn’t believe

how much his feelings had grown in just weeks.

"Oh," Matt sighs," maybe I liked her before, and just never knew it. I

guess that makes sense…but…does she like me?"

This was the first time he took his eyes off Mimi since he had begun

staring. Matt looks at the ground in quiet seclusion.

"I don’t know if I could live with that."

Shifting his gaze, Matt again stares at Mimi. He felt like a stalker as he

stood in the security of the shade.

"She’ll never know I was here anyway. It doesn’t matter," he thinks to

himself," Maybe I should just go."

As he begins to leave, Mimi stops with a sudden, frightened, jolt.

"What…what…"Mimi was whimpering.

Matt looks over, worried as Mimi lets out a blood-curdling scream. Matt

begins to run out from his hiding spot, but stops, and backs up again to the

comfort of the trees. It seems as if Mimi’s knees let out. She falls onto

her hands, and lets her face hit the sand covered ground. She lay there

silently, almost death-like. Shocked, Matt walks slowly forward as tears

begin flooding Mimi’s eyes.

"It’s not true…it’s not…it can’t be…" Mimi sobs.

Matt, once again, backs away. Only his

crystalline eyes can be seen between the branches

of the two intertwining trees. What was going on?

Mimi slowly begins to stand back up, but immediately

falls backwards.

"Shut up!" Mimi cries," You’re a liar!"

If Matt didn’t know any better, he would have thought Mimi was going

insane.

"You-you-big…bad…BULLY!!!" Mimi exclaims," I HATE you Dark-Diablosmon! You

’re just a liar!"

Mimi’s eyes open wide as she is picked up, and thrown against a big rock on

the edge of the lake. As she collides, Mimi shrieks in pain.

Matt stares in shock. "What the?" he questions," There has got to be some

sort of an evil-invisible digimon out there or something…DARK-DIABLOS MON!

That’s what she said, that’s got to be it."

Mimi begins crying…partly from pain, partly from fear, and partly from a

spiritually shredded heart.

"Do you give up…do you give into me yet?" a deep, raspy, demonic voice is

finally heard.

"Never! I’ll never give into you! I already said – YOU ARE A LIAR!" Mimi

looks up. A look of both hate and fear in her eyes," He would never----."

But she is stopped short. An invisible hand wraps around her neck. The

tightening fist begins to gain color. Dark-Diablosmon’s hand is black with

blood red stripes. His claws reach, at the longest, a foot in length.

Within seconds, the rest of the evil digimon had been revealed. Mimi

screams as the glowing red and yellow eyes burn into her. Matt couldn’t

stand it anymore. Grabbing a near by sharp stick, Matt runs out from the

trees.

"Let her go!!!" he yells.

Dark-Diablosmon looks back in hate at the nearing digi-destined. He swings

his free arm at Matt, but with a large leap, Yamato dodges the most

definitely, deadly blow. Swinging the tree branch, he makes a stab with it

deep into Dark-Diablosmon’s back, narrowly missing his spine. The digimon

shrieks in pain, dropping Mimi into the lake.

"You’ll pay for this digi-destined one!!!" he rasps.

Deep red and black wings protrude from the digimon’s shoulder blades. As

he spreads them, ready for flight, Matt runs for the lake.

"Mimi!" he screams.

He is ready to jump into the water as he is smacked back towards the forest

with a scaly, harshly textured, black tail. Matt slides on his back till

his head hits a tree trunk. He lets out a grunt of pain.

"Owe," he groans as he presses his back against the tree, forcing himself

to his feet. He runs his hand over his forehead, and cheek. Bringing his

hand to his face, he opens his eyes wide. Blood covered his palm.

"Oh, man." Yamato sighs.

Dark-Diablosmon comes flying at Matt again. He crashes right into him,

making a few trees break, and fall to the ground.

"Ha-ha-ha!" the evil digimon laughs demonically," Now for Mimi."

Matt knew he had to get up, but he felt too dizzy. He was trying to talk

himself into moving. Then, like a lightning bolt, it hit him…’Mimi!’

Unthinking, Matt clenches onto a near by rock in an attempt to pull himself

up, but he can’t find his balance. He sticks his foot under an up turned

root, and grabs a branch in front of his face. Lifting himself to his feet,

Matt is immediately off in a dead sprint. He spies his weapon as he runs

towards the lake. Slightly reaching over as he goes, Yamato picks up a

sharpened stone. With silent stealth, Matt jumps on Dark-Diablosmon’s back,

and climbs his scales to his neck, just in time to stop the digital monster

before it jumped in after Mimi.

"What are you doing destined one?" the evil one asks with a hint of

challenge in his voice.

"I’m going to KILL you!" Matt says with a glare of ambition in his eyes,"

This is what I should have done when I first had the chance!"

Dark-Diablosmon begins to reach back, fear growing in his eyes as Yamato

makes a stealthy stab to his neck. A groan of defeat escapes the monster’s

quivering lips as he lifts slowly off the ground, urgency in each labored

sweep. Matt falls to the ground with a soft thud. He lay motionless in the

sand for a moment. Finally his senses come to him.

"Oh, God!" he thinks," Mimi…there’s no way she could have held her breath

this long."

With a few quick strides, Yamato jumps into the lake. He quickly tugs his

shoes, and shirt off, throwing them to shore. Taking a gulp of air, Matt

dives under water. Swimming downward, his eyes begin jerking frantically

around, searching.

"Where is she?" he thinks to himself.

He had dove down about twenty feet, and still no sign of the bottom. His

ears begin popping, and his lungs squeeze so tight he starts to think they

might burst. Matt is about to go back up for air when he spies a flutter of

pink material in the slow quake of the water.

"Mimi…"

He begins swimming frantically towards

the shifting object. It is most definitely Mimi.

Her lips were blue; her eyes closed tight, her

face pallid. Matt grasps her frail arm, and

swings her towards his back. He puts her arms

around his neck, and holds tightly to them with

one hand. With a quick shove, Yamato pushes

off the lake bottom. He knows his lungs would

give out on him if he didn’t reach the surface

soon. Kicking frantically, Matt begins to

weaken. A glint of the moon shines through the

water. He had to keep going…if not for him, for Mimi.

"Almost there…I can…make…it…"

With every labored kick, the glow of the moon grows brighter. Then, the

surface comes. It is like being reborn. Taking your first breath of life

giving oxygen after leaving the womb. Matt begins slowly kicking his feet,

and sifting his free arm through the water. Reaching land, Matt pulls Mimi

from the water. He lays her on the sand. She wasn’t even moving, much less

breathing.

"Oh, #%!@!!"Matt curses. Grasping Mimi’s hand, Matt feels for a pulse.

Nothing.

"Dam nit! Stay with me Mimi, stay with me!" Matt says, and then whimpers,"

I need you…"

Taking a quick breath of air, his hands shaking, Matt begins to perform

CPR. After a few breaths he backs away, and tries pressing on Mimi’s chest

to help start her heart again. He checks for a pulse again. Nothing. He

repeats the process with urgency, numerous times. On the eleventh try Matt

finally feels a pulse again.

"Yes!!!" he exclaims, tears clouding his eyes.

Matt puts his arms under Mimi’s back, and holds her up in a sitting

position, her head falling limply forward, just enough so that she could get

the water out of her lungs. As expected, Mimi begins coughing up water.

She goes on for about five minutes, getting every last bit of H2O out of her

lungs. When she stops, Matt lays her back on the ground, pushing Mimi’s

water matted hair from her face. Mimi’s glazed eyes open for a moment. She

gazes drunkenly up at Yamato, unable to really see what she is looking at,

and passes out. Matt sighs a breath of relief.

"At least she’s alive…at least…" Matt groans as he plummets to the ground.

He hadn’t even thought about himself, only about Mimi. His wounds were

worse than he thought, but probably not life threatening. He feels dizzy,

his stomach churning. Finally, Matt closes his eyes, unconscious, lying by

Mimi’s side.

Her ruby-pink eyes open, the rising sun glaring in her face. Squinting,

Mimi sits up. A feeling of dizziness envelops her.

Her chest hurt. Coughing, she attempts to stand.

No such luck. With every failing attempt, Mimi’s

temples throb, and her balance is off. She

falls to the ground, her hand landing on something. Mimi looks over, and

her eyes open in stunned fear.

"Matt!" she exclaims.

Mimi puts her hand on his chest, checking for a heartbeat. He definitely

had one, and his chest was heaving up and down. She sighs in relief.

"Poor Matt," she says," look at you. Scratches, bruises…geez, you were

really banged up, weren’t you?"

Suddenly, Matt’s eyes flutter open. He looks up to see Mimi’s face barely

a foot from his, staring worriedly.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"Mimi???" Matt questions in a quiet voice.

Then reality floods over him.

"MIMI!!!" Matt sits up with a jolt, and wraps his arms around her.

Mimi could feel her face flush.

"I was so afraid I might have lost you." Matt cries.

Mimi feels her eyes begin to water as her shoulder becomes soaked with

Yamato’s tears. Mimi stops holding back, and lets the tears fall as Matt

kisses her forehead ever so caringly. Matt places his hands on Mimi’s

cheeks, looking straight into her irises. He brushes his thumbs under her

eyes.

"There’s no need to cry," he sobs with a laugh.

Mimi’s tears begin pouring from her eyes as she throws her arms around

Yamato’s neck. Matt hugs her back with care.

"There is no way I’m holding this back now," Matt says, Mimi looking up at

him questioningly," I could have lost you last night, but I would have

killed my self if I would have."

Mimi stares at Matt, her eyes locked on his, awaiting what he was going to

say next.

"Mimi," Matt pauses," I…I…"

He gulps.

"I…am not very good at this sort of thing," Matt says slowly," But, if I

don’t say something now, I never will…"

He takes a good, long pause.

"I love you…" his face flushes over with color," I said it…"

He was amazed with himself. Never before had he had the courage for this

sort of thing, ever. Mimi plops down beside him, and slides over until her

shoulder is rubbing against Matt’s. Matt starts, then releases into the

feeling of being so close to Mimi.

"I feel the exact same way," Mimi says, although easier than Matt, knowing

that he would not freak out on her," I love you too."

Matt was surprised. Though, with a sigh of relief, he puts his arm around

Mimi. Then he looks, puzzled at the ground.

"What’s wrong Matt?" Mimi asks.

"I was just wondering," he begins," why, not but a few weeks ago, did I

really start to like you? I had always found it easier to think of you as

my ditzy, cute, friend…no offense…"

"None taken," Mimi says gleefully with a giggle. Typical.

"I mean, now it’s obvious I love you…and with all my heart…other wise I

would not have risked so much for you. But, how could these feelings have

come so suddenly?"

Mimi looks charmingly up at Matt, and says-

"Matt…true love waits…"

Matt stares at his sincere and beautiful love as compassion floods his

face. He leans down, and presses his lips to hers as the sunrise

silhouettes the two blushing figures on the silky sand.

Other one...

The Poem

Bold, glassy eyes stared down on a whisping page. The wind was thriving

furiously through the trees. Yamato gazed cautiously down at what he had

composed. His hands quavered in the dark seclusion of the night. It was

cold, but his fears and emotions overwhelmed him more than anything else.

He knew his face would be pallid if he had been able to look at himself. He

took one last glance at the paper. Folding it neatly Matt stood. A snap

was heard. Yamato stared down towards the ground as the pencil descended

from his hand to the dirt. The lead jabbed into the ground as the eraser

end rolled to a nearby rock. He had to be calm. Clenching his fists

tightly, Matt closed his eyes. The paper crinkled in his palm. He raised

his face to the moonlit sky, letting the wind whip through his golden hair.

The windows to Yamato’s soul re-opened. His eyes twinkled with hope. His

irises seemed to catch every glimmer of every star. Taking in a deep

breath, Yamato walked constrictedly towards the place where his friends

slept. He paused behind the closest tree. ‘What am I doing?’ Matt thought,

furrowing his eyebrows, but something caught his attention. His eyes opened

wide. Something stirred. Yama looked towards the camp in time to see Mimi

roll over in her sleeping bag, barely missing Palmon with her outstretched

arms. Closing his eyes, Matt let out a long sigh of relief. It had been so

long since Mimi and Matt’s first kiss, and their emotions had grown so much

stronger since their childhood years. Yamato knelt down, grasping the tree

he stood behind. He scanned the ground, pondering if he was doing the right

thing. Stopping for a second, Matt began just thinking to himself.

‘…Man…it really has been a long time. I mean…what was I?

Twelve…thirteen…somewhere around there? It’s almost hard to believe I’m

twenty-one already. Oh, well…I think I’ve waited long enough. Okay…here

goes nothing…’ Matt stood. His hands began shaking. A sudden trepidation

overcame him. Never the less, Yamato walked forward, quaking. He stopped

when he was standing right next to Mimi. He knelt; and, with a caressing

hand, he lightly brushed Mimi’s hair from her face. ‘My pink angel…’ he

thought to himself. Leaning over, Yamato lightly brushed his lips over Mimi

’s blushing cheek.

"Mimi," he whispered quietly in her ear," get up Mimi."

Mimi stretched a little, and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled.

"Yes," she questioned, a hint of perturbation in her voice.

Matt looked down, an apologetic expression on his face.

"Sorry," he whispered," but there’s something I need to do before I

completely lose my nerve."

Mimi stared at Matt in childish curiosity. Grabbing Mimi’s hand, and

placing his arm in the small of her back, Matt helped Mimi to her feet.

Matt grasped Mimi’s hand, his fingers shivering, and led her through the

trees. He paused at a near by pond. Lightly pressing his fingertips on

Mimi’s shoulders, Matt urged her to a sitting position on a log. Yamato

walked to Mimi’s front side, and produced the piece of paper that he had

been scribbling on. Deep creases etched through the sheet where he had

crushed it in his fist. Matt shifted awkwardly in his footsteps, and

brought the page to his face. Glancing over the top of it, Matt began.

"Stand…in…night…" he stopped.

This was not working. ‘Slow down man’ Matt said to himself. He was

stuttering his life away. Taking in a deep breath, Yamato started once

more.

"Okay now…let’s start this off right…"he gazed at Mimi," Okay…I wrote this

for you…it’s something of a poem…"

He took one more deep breath, and let out a long, purposeful sigh.

Finally, he commenced.

"Standing in the quiet of the night…beneath the stars and the moon…I think

of you…only you…

My love for you has no beginning and no end…for you are my life…

Have you heard the saying-’our love is like a rose, beautiful when it’s in

bloom, but it can not last forever?’ Whomever said that must have been very

shallow, unknowing of true love…that is because he never met you…a rose can

live encased in glass and surrounded by ice…but, how can that be love? The

rose is alone…however…if that is love…your love…then encase me in the bitter

cold forever…for you give me life…

Yet…I am so unworthy of you…your kindness, your grace, your unimaginable

sincerity and beauty…why did God have to create me so unworthy of you?

But…then again…no one human is perfect…Oh…God must have done something

special when he made you…because…like I said…no one human is perfect…but you

’re sure close…

I feel so foolish reading this to you…I don’t know whether I should call

this a poem or the random thoughts of a desperate man…all I wish to say to

you is so much more than I can put into words…

You are my love and my life…

I know that I could go to any – any place…but anywhere would be nowhere

without your face…

I would fight for you…I’d lie for you…I want the world for you…I’d die for

you…everything I do, I do for you…

If I were to die today, and the last thing I saw before leaving this world

was your smile, I would be fine…I know a smile happens quickly…but, the

memory of it lasts a long time…just knowing you love me is all I’d need to

know…

I love you more abundantly than a world full of tears embracing every

heartache…you would not believe my feelings for you…

…(pause)…Instead of saying ‘you and I’ I’d rather say we…now…with all that

said…might I ask…"

Yamato reaches into his back pocket. A ball of tissue paper is revealed in

his hand. He delicately unwraps the tiny package as he kneels down. A ring

is uncovered. Matt looks up towards Mimi, grabbing her hand fastidiously.

His eyes wander across her face, worry, and wonder ripping through them.

"Mimi Tachikawa…will you marry me?"

There was an awkward pause as tears began streaking down Mimi’s reddening

cheeks. Yamato began shaking, his terrors overwhelming him. Mimi suddenly

became racked with sobs as she reached over, and squeezed Matt with all her

might.

"Yes! Yes! YES!!!" she exclaims repeatedly, crying ever the more.

Matt hugs Mimi back in absolute rapture as sobs escape his throat. He

begins to slip the ring on Mimi’s finger as a round of applause is heard

coming from behind the two. All the digi-destined stood in the trees,

shouting for joy, and clapping loudly.

"Alright Matt! Wait-a-go buddy!" Tai’s voice bellows above all the rest.

The noise depletes after a minute or so. Casually sauntering, the group

comes to join up with the two lovebirds. What seems like an eternity goes

by as laughter, crying, and friendly gestures erupt during the late hours of

this glistening, starry, magical night in this Digital World.

That will be all I have. I gtg! Outtie! ~Aria