The Game of Life
By theladyknight
Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!
Well, the end of another story. This fic's been a wild ride from the very beginning. I usually had no idea where parts were going, and things would just come to me. At times, I wasn't happy where this went and didn't really like what I had, but you all and your fantastic reviews kept me going. Thank you guys for all the encouragement, criticism, and the works. As for the way this ends couple-wise, I couldn't decide if it should be Michi or Koumi. So my decision…it's neither. I tried to base most of this off the show, but I couldn't help throwing in some twists and turns along the way. Sorry to anyone who particularly wanted either of those couples.
I've had a request to do this story from Yamato's point of view (from Crazy Girl Sarah). I had never really thought about it before, but I'm really liking the idea now. There's a chance this could become a reality, but it depends on if people want it, how much time I have, and what all is going on in my life…senior year is going to be hectic. Keep an eye out for it if it does come, but right now, I'm thinking it won't.
Thank you everyone for sticking with this story, particularly those like blondie121147 and sorato-takari who have been here since the beginning . It was good to have you guys onboard. So, please enjoy this very long chapter, and don't forget to review!
A Hopeless Romantic: There's a bit of one-sided michi in the flashback part, but that's about it. I hope it lives up to your expectations, though.
Eat Lollies and Be Happy: Thanks for all four reviews. No, I've never had anything like that happen to me before. Don't worry; I like long reviews!
Schafi: Glad you liked it!
Raquel: Thank you for the review and nice words! No, I've never been involved in a game this dramatic or anything. We were once assigned jobs and salaries in guidance. But it was nothing big like this. I like michi and koumi, but I really couldn't decide how I wanted this story to go. So I made it a bit of both!
Crazy Girl Sarah: You were reviewer number 400! Thank you! Actually, I am considering your request. It could happen, but it might not.
My Name is R.C.: She was a bit "teen angsty" a few chapters ago. But now, she's back to her normal Sora demeanor. And I like that demeanor better than teen angst. Thanks for all your support!
Wishinstahhz: It's no problem. I don't mind reading all the reviews at once.
Princessstphanie: Sorry, there is no sequel. I don't have the inspiration or anything for one. I got a request to write another story, based on this, in Yamato's point of view. Maybe I will eventually if I ever get the time.
Scorpion05: You were Daisy Duck? That's cool…we never had to do anything like that in school.
Mrs. Ishida-to-you: Actually, this is Ms. Greene's fist year of teaching. But she is a clever young woman.
Calare: I think I have every story that I'm writing or starting soon planned out. Trust me, there are plenty of chapter. Though "I'm What?", "Artistic Differences", and "Undercover" will all be done before the end of 2005.
Shadowcat: I couldn't get it in without sounding that way. Oh well…you get mushy sometimes. Unfortunately I couldn't escape that.
Kitsune-cub: Thanks for the good words!
Alex/Ariele: A lot of this chapter came as a result of your review. I wasn't going to do a "future" scenario, but your review convinced me. I had an idea for this chapter, but I ended up using more of yours then mine!
RW Grimm: Eating chicken the vampiric way? Please elaborate. Lol!
Starr-lover: Morbidity works. The idea was a bit like that, but it worked out pretty well.
And thanks to: rox (both reviews), Placid Snowflake, Cute-Funky-guRl, DJ-SD, Yume-dream, indigowolf, Mia Kamiya, sora's-evil-twin, sorato-takari, KoumiLoccness, kityos, nyrocat (all three reviews), Ballet Kitty, ennov, Kuroi Black Nightingale, teehee, money makes me smile, Kay, animemistress419, Mew Yukari, darkladyoxion959, Moppy, StarDust002, d/hg&s/yfan4lifeyamatoishida27, thegreatwhitewolf, blondie121147, karone-sakura, and Only Secret.
Chapter 15: The Game of Life
"Aiko, baby, hold still please."
"I am still, Mama." She grinned her father's I'm-a-cutie-and-you-know-it smile up at me, and it almost worked.
"You have to finish getting dressed before we go visit Uncle Taichi and the others."
Her smile, if even possible, grew larger. "And we get to see Daddy! Daddy's coming home today!" It was like she had eaten loads of sugar when in reality I knew she hadn't. That would come later in the day, a result of the celebration at hand and the fact my friends love to spoil her rotten. What can I say; she's an adorable little three year old.
"Daddy is coming home, and everyone's going to be there to welcome him back. So that means you need to get dressed!" I emphasized the last part a bit more, hoping it would make Aiko move faster.
As if a lighting bolt full of energy and ideas struck her on the spot, her brilliant blue eyes sparkled. "Do you think Daddy brought me back a piece of the moon?"
I laughed at her childish comment, ruffling her beautiful blond hair. "We'll have to see, sweetheart. Now no more stalling. You're going to get dressed so we can go. Put on the shirt we made for Daddy."
While my little girl did her best to dress herself—as much as I could ask for a three year old—I smiled at her familiar behavior. She carried so many qualities of both her father and me, and each one stuck out. People who knew us constantly would come up and make that clear. But we wouldn't have it any other way. When it was a positive compliment, we would beam, humbly thanking the person. If it was something a bit more negative, well, we'd blame that trait on the other.
"Mama, I'm done!" she happily proclaimed. I looked down at my daughter, eyeing the clothes I had picked out for her today. "Is Daddy going to like the shirt?"
I grinned again, leaning down to hug her as the doctor had long advised me not to pick anyone up in my condition. I'd have to wait another three months. Her light blue shirt read "Daddy's Lil' Girl". She was also wearing a small khaki skirt and a pair of brown sandals.
"He's going to adore your shirt."
She hugged me back tightly or as tightly as she could with me being six-month's pregnant. Suddenly, Aiko let out a gasp. "He kicked! I felt the baby kick me!"
Watching her eyes shine and shimmer, I took her hand in mine. "Come on, sweetie; let's go see your father…"
"'Bout time you showed up,"
I rolled my eyes as the tall brunette walked over to the door Aiko and I had just walked in. "Even though you're rich, powerful and famous, Tai, you're still as impatient as you were when we were eighteen."
"What can you do? Old habits die hard."
"Particularly in your case, big brother." Hikari dryly muttered, walking over to us and waving at my daughter. "How are you today, Aiko?"
"Really good! Daddy's coming home. And the baby kicked me when I touched Mama's tummy."
The smile shone through Kari's eyes. "That's good to hear. So how's my favorite pregnant friend doing today?"
I stuck my tongue out at her name as Aiko ran off to play with our friend Jyou's oldest child. "I'm doing pretty well. I'm supposed to go in for a doctor's appointment next week."
"And your husband will be back to go with you as well," Tai proclaimed.
"I know. I'm so glad he's coming back home."
"And back to the same planet."
I snickered at my best friend's comment before something hit me. "Aren't you supposed to be picking him up right now and bringing him here?"
His eyes widened. "Oh. Shit."
"Taichi?" Hikari and I both looked ready to strangle him.
Suddenly his horrible poker face disappeared, and he burst into laughter. "I can't believe you two bought that! I know I don't have the best memory all the time," my mind fondly recalled something from our teenage years—a time when Taichi seemingly forgot a doll with the power to cry and scream, leaving it in his father's van overnight, "but blondie's my best friend. I wouldn't leave him at the airport."
"I would hope not. I want my blondie back next to me on this planet."
Tai gulped. Though he knew I was playfully teasing him, he also knew I was serious. I hadn't seen my husband—with the exception of on the news—for a good three months, and it was finally time for him to come back down to earth and back to his family.
With a overly flourished bow, the brunette took off to the doors Aiko and I had come in. Kari let out a laugh before she linked her arm through mine. "Come on; all the others are over here. I bet they can't wait to see you."
I looked around the building we were having our welcome back party in. My gut was telling me Tai had a hand in designing its layout, and truthfully, it wasn't at all surprising. After all, it is his business and building.
After high school, Taichi went off to college here in Tokyo, balancing soccer, studies, the social life and determining what exactly he wanted to become. In the end, after a few shifts, he settled on the seemingly perfect fit for him. I couldn't see him doing anything else—with the exception of playing soccer.
Taichi majored in International Business and now owns a very successful marketing company. He's the CEO of his company and as he predicted he would be, is making some big money. With the exception of Gwen, he's the richest of our group of friends.
And after a few years of searching, dating and more searching, my best friend finally settled down. Her name is Tomiko, and she's a physical therapist at a clinic in the heart of Tokyo. At first we were all wondering how they were going to pull the relationship off. The two are polar opposites, but then again, opposites do attract.
"Sora!"
I beamed as Mimi came running up to me, engulfing me in the biggest hug she could manage. "Mimi, I need to breathe and the baby…"
She pulled away from me immediately, a look of guilt etched across her flawless face. "I'm so sorry! I just haven't seen you in ages. The last time we saw each other, you weren't showing."
"Well," I sarcastically began, "women due tend to get bigger the longer they're pregnant."
It had been nearly half a year since I had last seen my pink-haired friend. She, after graduating from school, went to America for a year to study, surprisingly, the culinary arts and business. We'd all teased her a bit, reminding her of the game we'd played back in Child Development during high school and her remorse at finding out her career was a cook.
But times change and people change, apparently.
Now, if you're ever in the Northwestern part of the United States, and even more recently in and around Tokyo, you're sure to find a Mimi's. Specializing in traditional Japanese culinary delights, Mimi has blended in so many cultures and treats to her menu. The whole gang, when we were together for a brief reunion—Taichi's 30th birthday party—ate at her restaurant, and wow…soon they're going to become as frequent as a McDonald's. (Not mine!)
She, her husband, and their baby boy live in a nice suburban area somewhere in New York State. Geography was never my best subject…
Koushiro grinned at me, offering up a quick salutation as he chatted with his wife, pointing out different people in the mix of things. She gave me a smile, sending a hello in my direction as we had met a few times before. Koushiro, like the career he received in high school, was working in the field of computers.
He fixed and programmed them, designed web pages and housed a lot that he sold. His business was looking up, and everyone I know goes to him for their computer helps and needs. I stop in there about once every two months. Aiko will sadly not be inheriting any superior computer skills from her father or me; we're a bit illiterate in that field.
"Look who it is…"
"Gwen!" I exclaimed, bidding the others goodbye and rushing over to talk to my friend. "I haven't seen you since…last Monday. Wow, how much prize money did you pick up this time?"
She contemplated the answer in her head. "Too much. I don't know what to do with it at times. You and your astronaut need to come visit Jyou and me sometime. Bring Aiko. She and our daughter obviously get along well."
I smirked at her. "And that, I proudly say, is a trait that came from both her parents."
We idly chit-chat for the next few minutes. Gwen stuck with her tennis aspirations throughout college and now plays as an amateur, hoping to break onto the professional circuit sometime soon. She's won quite a few tournaments in the past year, and I have a feeling that dream could become a reality.
"Look who it is…if it isn't my favorite sister-in-law!"
I burst out laughing at T.K.'s comment, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he approached me. "I'm your only sister-in-law."
He gave a faux look of horror. His voice lowered to just a whisper and he moved in closer, "Don't tell some of these women that. They seem to think my brother is fair game and rumor has it, the We Love Yamato-kun Club has resurfaced."
I formed a mock glare, one that could have been very believable if one didn't know we were playing with a charade. "If that's the case, maybe blondie better stay up on the moon."
Takeru cracked a grin, ending our little grin and giving me a hug. "How have you been doing? And where's my favorite niece at?"
"She's over playing with Jyou and Gwen's daughter. And I'm doing pretty well; can't wait to see blondie, though. What about you?"
His face looked pensive, and it suddenly illuminated with a large grin. "I'm keeping busy. Deadlines at the magazine can get nasty every now and then, but I work with them. Actually, I was thinking of writing a novel soon. A biography of my dear brother's life. Could I get a direct quote from my sister-in-law regarding her dear husband?"
Trying to think of the perfect thing that T.K. wouldn't be expecting, my mind drifted back to a nostalgic time when we were in high school. My thoughts regarding The Game of Life we had once played, the tasks of the class and ultimately its effects had been running nonstop through my head all day.
And then it came to me.
"Yamato Ishida is a hairy goat."
His expression turned from mildly shocked to completely understanding. "It's good to remember this kind of thing after all these years."
"I even remember that," mused Hikari, taking part in our conversation now.
She and Takeru shyly smiled at each other. The two twenty-seven year olds shared an almost secret grin. They had both dated—each other and other people; Hikari at one point was very near to becoming engaged. But she broke it off with the man, realizing she really didn't love him as much as she thought.
The two had been on awkward grounds, Hikari confessing she couldn't stop thinking about him, and Takeru admitting the same. They started to date again, and things were progressing along nicely. Taichi, Yama, and I occasionally "peaked" in to make sure things were running along—subtly giving them a push in the "right" direction.
They'd been together, ironically, since Tai's thirtieth birthday party, six months ago. I had a feeling they'd be leaning toward marriage in the near distant future. We were all hoping so, but we'll just have to see how things play out.
Takeru is a freelance writer for a relatively well known magazine. He says he likes this type of writing, but I can tell sometimes he wishes he didn't have to worry about deadlines and the likes. Kari, on the other hand, loves her job with an undying passion. Ms. Greene, our old Child Development teacher, had given her that job long ago, and Hikari stuck with her calling. She works at a preschool, teaching young children, and I now understand why Aiko loves her so much.
The lights flashed quickly, grabbing everyone's attention. I bid goodbye to my friends and went to search out my daughter. "What's going on, Mama?"
"I think Daddy's here." Taichi always did like to make an entrance. Yamato as well.
"Presenting the man of the hour…or day. He's been off this planet for the past three months so forgive him if he's a little klutzy walking. We'll blame that on the gravity difference." A light chuckle escaped the room as Taichi's speech began. "And forgive him if he's a bit out of it on some events…but here he is, our resident astronaut Mr. Yamato Ishida."
My heart still flutters when I see him after all these years. It's hard to believe we were once awkward little teenagers, lost in a complex game of life and love. Now here we are, twelve years later, the same awkward, crazy teens at heart.
Tai always joked that Yamato would look different. "He's been on another planet, Sor. He probably picked up some weird fashion trend all the aliens are raving about," he assured me just last week.
But that, obviously, wasn't the case. There he stood, probably five people from me, and he looked the way he had when we bid him goodbye at the launch pad three months ago. His hair was tamely gelled back yet a few wild bangs escaped, mischievously landing on his face. His blue eyes, so vibrant and powerful like his daughter's, stuck out in the crowd. Yamato stood a proud six foot three, strong and physical as his training made him. And his smile…it looked like he would've moved heaven and earth just to get back here and see everyone. He had melancholically revealed to me over the phone one night how much he missed everyone and earth. I have a feeling he won't be flying up to the moon again anytime soon.
But that won't bother him. He likes his job back here behind a desk just fine. When he took the job—one I never would've pictured him at if not for The Game and everything I learned about him then—Yama made sure the hours were not strenuous, and we wouldn't become his father. Blondie works for a private space administration through the government. He and a few people are busy planning a community on the moon! His eye's light up when you talk to him about it. Yama researches all sorts of things. The group is plotting out houses, developments, supply stocks…all varieties of necessities that could one day be used in the future.
So how did a researcher end up on the moon?
After working very closely with the space administration, Yamato's bosses gained permission for one of their researchers—after plenty of testing and training—to journey up to the moon, gathering more materials and data for their research. The group of men and women my husband work with are quite a bit older than him. He got the nod for his age, health, and physical attributes. And the rest is just history.
Aiko and I, her hand locked tightly in mine, slowly made our way over to where Yamato was happily having a reunion with his parents. Our eyes linked together; we developed the habit of knowing when the other's presence was near over the years.
He hugged his mother once more and shook his dad's hand before making a beeline for the two of us.
"I missed you so much!" he exclaimed while showering me with kisses.
"I missed you too! I'm so glad you're back, blondie." I mumbled against his lips as we feverishly kissed each other. It was, needless to say, a very welcomed reunion.
"Daddy!"
Yamato pulled his lips away from mine, grinning from ear to ear as he picked his daughter up in his arms and held her tightly, kissing her forehead. "Ai! How's my baby doing?"
She giggled, rubbing her forehead against his. "You're back, Daddy! I'm good, but I missed you tons Daddy."
"I missed you too, Ai. And since I was up on the moon and didn't get to see you on your birthday, I brought you a present back." Her eyes shone like stars. "But first you have to answer three questions for me."
"Okay," I wondered where he was going with this.
"Number one: did you take good care of Mommy?"
"Yes! And the baby too. The baby kicked me when I touched Mama's tummy!"
"Good. Number two: were you a good girl?" She only had to give him his patented cutie look, eliciting a chuckle from his lips. "And number three: did you keep Uncle Taichi out of trouble?"
She stared intently at Yamato. "Silly, Daddy!"
"That's my girl!" he beamed, giving her another kiss and grabbing a bag he'd set on a nearby table. "Well, sweetie, you passed. Happy belated birthday!"
Aiko opened up the bag and squealed. "Mama look! A moon rock! It's a moon rock!" Her father set her down so she could grip it with both hands. "Thank you, Daddy! I'm going to go show Grandma and Grandpa."
She darted of, clutching the rock to her like it was a bird's egg ready to hatch. I had a strong feeling both Yamato's parents and mine would get to see the moon rock plenty of times before the day was over.
I felt the comforting grasp of Yamato's arms around me and molded into them the best I could. "Koi, it's so good to be back." He buried his lips in my neck, and I sighed against the touch.
"How was everything up there?"
His face broke into another gigantic grin. Though I'd talked to him loads of times, I knew it'd be so much better in person. "It was amazing, Sor. Wow…it's so hard to describe. One of those once in a lifetime events you just have to do. But I've got to say, I'm happy to be back on the ground."
"But, sadly, your head will always be up in space."
"So how have my beautiful, expecting wife and rambunctious toddler been?" He ignored the last question, choosing instead to pull me into his arms. Those were two things I had missed more than anything the past few months: the feeling of being wrapped in his warm embrace and our playful barters. "My, you've…grown since I last saw you."
I rolled my eyes. "Most pregnant women tend to do so." I looked him over once more. "And it seems like you kind of…got skinnier. All the space food not agree with you?"
"That's going to be the best part of being home; eating real food again."
"Not seeing your pregnant wife and child?" I glared.
He gave me a cheeky smile. "Of course, that comes after seeing my sarcastic, incredibly beautiful, pregnant wife and adorable little three year old." Yamato placed a hand on my now bulging stomach. His eyes grew in almost the same fashion as Aiko's. "The baby just kicked me too!"
"He obviously missed his father. That or he is going to be a soccer star someday."
A wolfish grin found the blonde's face. "Yeah, and…wait…he?"
"Doctor told me last week. Apparently Aiko's going to have a little brother."
"If you weren't pregnant right now," he leaned over, hot breath whispering into my ear, "I'd either pick you up and swing you around or take you back to our house—and you would be pregnant very soon. I like choice two…"
My face turned crimson, and we both knew he won that round of bantering. I kissed his lips to distract him. "A kiss'll do for now. But come on; I know a lot of people who want to see you, as surprising as that is…"
"There was this really odd rock, and I kept staring at it for a week thinking it was really familiar. The next thing I know, it hits me. It looked exactly like Tai's hair back when we were in high school and college."
Our group of friends burst out laughing at Yamato's comment. It was strange; even after all these years, all the adventures life took us on and all the ups and downs, we were still very close. Everyone had cut time out of their busy schedules to be here. The people before me right now, all people who had participated in "The Game of Life", were some of the closest people to me. There had been romances in the group, break-ups, make-ups, the whole kit and caboodle. But we grew stronger because of it.
College separated everyone quite a bit. Taichi and Yamato had stayed in Tokyo while I headed off to Kyoto. Yama and I debated on what effect it would have on our growing relationship. We had indeed started off slow, taking each day as it came. Things were looking up for us when I left.
We decided to take a break for the first two years of college. A long-distance romance appeared hard. The two of us, though both knowing we were in love, agreed to date others if we felt like it, but we both were certain the future held a place for us together.
It happened just like that. I had gone out casually with a few guys, but none of them were blondie. It was as simple as that. He told me the same thing. After our third year, now older, hopefully wiser and more mature, we knew we were ready to keep our relationship together. Over the years we had become, if possible, even closer. Sure, there were days we absolutely loathed each other, wished some horrible curse befell the other and wondered if we were doing the right thing. But it all worked out in the end.
Yama proposed to me a year after graduation. We got married at the age of twenty-five, and Aiko was born when we were twenty-seven. We'll be celebrating our five year anniversary in December. The others around us gradually settled down as well, though Yamato and I were the first to be married. Our children were all good acquaintances, and I had a feeling many of them would be friends in the future.
"Koi, who's she," whispered the blond next to me. I looked up, snapping out of my daydreams, at a very familiar face. It was a woman—probably around her mid thirties or early forties. But she looked so familiar.
"You mean you don't remember your old teacher, Mr. Ishida? I'm disappointed."
"Ms. Greene?"
She grinned at me. "Well, I once was. I'm married now, so it's just a little bit different."
Our former teacher walked around the circular table we were all sitting at, shaking everyone's hands. "Takeru invited me here. It seems he's been thinking about…I'll let you explain."
The younger blond smiled at us all. "I'm planning to write an article for the magazine about our Child Development class years back. It's going to be called "The Game of Life", and I'm going to explain things about the game and the people behind the game. I invited Ms. Greene here to relive memories, as she's still having her classes play this game."
"I was digging through my grade book the other day, and came across your grade reports. I kept them as examples for my current classes considering many of you are relatively well known."
She looked in our direction, settling her eyes on my own. I guess it was partly true. I, along with many of the others, was becoming a name many people knew. After studying art and graphic design in college at Kyoto, I became a graphic design artist. My very close friend and mentor Ayami Tanaka hired me in the division of her company that dealt with that trend. Shirt designs and shirts were my specialties, and they were becoming increasingly more popular. Ayami then asked me to start working on other types of clothing, and as of recently, I've started designing all sorts of things. My daughter's ensemble along with my own all came from things I've made.
Talk around the table began, all there reminiscing about the days of Child Development and the Game that, literally, took over our lives. I could still remember the details of it. Yamato made fun of me a lot because at times I forgot little details for current things but had fond recollections of our high school days, able to remember them like yesterday. "You must be getting old and loosing your memory," he had once joked.
I glared at him but soon laughed. "If you think I'm getting old, you're one to talk. You're older than me, Ishida…"
The current memory my friends were disusing played out very well in my mind. I would never forget that day…
-12 Years Earlier-
"What's taking him so long?"
"Patience, big brother. Koushiro had a meeting of the school's computer club. It's the last one of the year."
"Well, I would hope so!" Taichi sarcastically replied, slouching down in the hot water. "School's been officially out for the past two hours, fourteen minutes and fifty-two seconds."
"Tai, we've been out of school for two weeks."
I smirked at the blond resting next to me. "The three of us have been out of school since then, but everyone else got out today. You and I both know, though, that we've been counting down the time till they finished so we could come here."
He stretched, wrapping his left arm around me in the process. "That's true. Meems, thanks for inviting us all over."
"Oh it's no problem," she sincerely replied, walking back into the room we were all in with the beverages she'd gone to get. Like the good hostess she was, she handed everyone the requested drink before climbing back into the hot tub.
That was where we all found ourselves today. School was finally out for break, or in the case of Yamato, Taichi, and myself, done for good. Sure there was college to think about, but at the current moment, it was the least of my concerns.
The younger blond lazily yawned, slinking back into the large hot tub as the water jets started up. "Guys, I'm kind of bored. Can we do something until Koushiro shows up?"
"I have an idea!" exclaimed a suddenly perky Tai.
"This should be good," Gwen snickered, speaking up for the first time.
Hikari glared at her brother. "If it includes the word "strip", count me out."
"Don't worry; I wasn't even thinking along those lines. But now that you mention it…"
Mimi gave her once husband a reproachful glance. "Taichi, just tell us your idea."
"Well, since we have some drinks and all before us, I was thinking we could play a game of "I Never" up until Koushiro comes. And since we're all so antsy about seeing how we did in the class and opening up our grade reports, why don't our questions revolve around the game?"
All eyes searched around the area for anyone who disagreed. We did need something to pass the time. And we were all rather anxious to see how we did in that class. Our grade—at least in that class—had just been released. Ms. Greene had sent back a portfolio for each of us with a detailed analysis of our work in her class. And now, as we had agreed on the last day Tai, Yama, and I were there, we would all open them together and read them out loud. Mimi's hot tub sounded like the best place to go over our results. After all, she did promise we would have a party at her place when the game was complete.
"How do you play again?" Kari wondered. "Can someone go over the rules?"
"It's simple, really," explained Yamato. "If I start it out, I'll say something like "I never played music in a rock band." If that statement is false, as it is for me, I would take a drink of my pop. Normally you play this with alcohol but…"
"…Mom and Dad would know if I raided the cupboards." Mimi supplied. "And besides, I'd be afraid to see how some of us handle their alcohol."
Tai's eyes widened. "Why are you looking at me?"
Resisting the urge to laugh at her brother, Kari smiled at the older blond. "But the questions are going to be about the game, right?"
"Yep," he nodded. "Here, I'll go first. Everyone ready? Okay…I never copied off one of my spouse's homework assignments."
I watched as Takeru slowly took a sip of his pop, glaring at his brother in the process. "You're lucky Koushiro's not here, Takeru. He wouldn't let you get away with that," an amused Gwen stated.
"I can believe that."
I smirked at Mimi, knowing full well it was true. Yamato playfully nudged me. "Not like you know or anything, Sor. It's your turn now."
"Let's see; I never had a mishap with my child or children."
I was very surprised to see everyone take a drink of their drinks this time. "What happened to you two?" Taichi gave his sister a suspicious look.
"It was his fault," her eyes darted over to the younger blonde's. "He never read the instructions on how to get the doll to quiet down. We spent nearly five minutes trying to find the place to insert the key."
"Hey, you didn't exactly read the instructions either."
A guilty smile worked its way to her lips. "I guess you're right."
"What about you, Gwen?"
"I kind of, sort of, left our doll in my room when I went to pick up the mail one day. I got sidetracked talking to some neighbors and when I returned, let's just say Dad wasn't too happy with me. But don't tell Koushiro this…I never really told him."
"My turn," Mimi smiled from her spot on the other side of me. "I never lied to my spouse."
There was actually a big surprise in response to her statement. While Yama, Takeru, Hikari, Gwen and I all took long drinks of our beverages, she and Tai both sat back idly, relaxing in the warm waters of the hot tub. Takeru spit out his lemonade in shock. "The two of you never lied to each other?"
Mimi and Tai exchanged a glance. "There was never a need to."
"Yeah, if he did something stupid I would find out about it and then yell at him and vice versa."
Taichi grinned like a jack-o-lantern. "The way I saw it, telling the truth all the time gave me more opportunities to antagonize her."
Mimi rolled her eyes. "Gwen, it's your turn."
She wore a pensive expression. "I never…thought my partner and I would get a divorce." Gwen, Taichi, and Mimi all drank away. Noticing the questioning look I offered her, Gwen provided an explanation. "Koushiro and I got along; we just didn't really…click together. We haven't been friends as long as all of you, and some days both of us were wondering how we didn't get paired up with someone closer to us."
Her reasoning did make sense. Tai smirked at us all. "My turn…I never got along with the person I had to job shadow."
I was the only one to take a drink. "What all happened with you guys?"
"The guy I was with was a complete bore. I learned some stuff, but he was boring." Yamato grinned at me. "Not everyone got someone cool and young like you."
"The teacher I job shadowed scared me. She was so strict and mean. I felt really bad for her students." Hikari supplied.
Takeru nodded his head. "The guy at the newspaper scared me away from becoming a journalist. Newspaper writing does not look like fun after being around him."
"The lady at the pharmacy was okay. I just never liked people like her who were overly perky and cheerful 24/7. She just had one of those fake smiles that I hate."
"The cook Ms. Greene sent me to," Mimi began, "made food I didn't like. Then he kept asking me to taste test it for him. I didn't know what half the things were."
Tai smiled. "I was with this ambassador chick. She was WAY too uptight. I couldn't stand being around her."
"The woman I went to was awesome," I stated. "Ayami was really nice, and she helped me out since then."
"Lucky," a jealous Taichi replied. "At least…'bout time you showed up! Now we can open up our grades!"
Koushiro walked into the room, Child Development portfolio in his hands. "Sorry I'm late." He took off his t-shirt, swimming trunks already on, and climbed into the hot tub.
"Time for one last question, though." Takeru called from Yamato's other side. "I never had a crush on my partner."
I watched as one by one people started drinking. A smirk found my face, growing larger by the second, as Tai took a very long sip. "I knew it!" I exclaimed, nearly spitting out the water I was drinking
"Tai, you had a crush on Mimi?" his sister squealed.
The bushy-haired teen's face heated up. "Yeah…so?" he replied, unable to think of any other reply. "It was only a really little one. Lasted for like a day at the most."
Mimi was trying not to laugh. "You had a crush on me? If only I had known…it would've been so much fun to tease you about it."
"Well I'm surprised you didn't have a crush on me."
"I have a boyfriend."
"So, Sora and Yama are together and I know Sor's got a crush on me."
The blond and I looked at each other. "I do?"
"That's news to me to," he answered. "Yagami, have you been hitting on my girlfriend?"
Tai gulped. "Let's read the wills…huh guys…"
An hour later we were all laughing at what our documents had said. Everyone passed, as it was a pass/fail grade, but surprisingly, Ms. Greene had the best things to say about Taichi.
"I was impressed you managed to hold things together, particularly after leaving your child in your car. I heard about it from Mimi, Tai, I know you didn't write about it in your own journal," the brunette read out loud. "But it was a good experience having you in class. I learned plenty about you along the way, and it was a pleasure to teach you. Good luck in your future endeavors."
Mimi's was similarly the same. "Congratulations on not getting a divorce. I know it took a lot on both your parts for your relationship to last, but you two stuck it out. Your assignments were all well done, and your journal was impressive."
It seemed every person's was similar to their spouses. Takeru's and Hikari's each mentioned their choice about developing a romantic relationship outside of class. Koushiro's and Gwen's dealt with their ability to successfully work with someone they didn't know well. And Yamato's and mine were very much the same.
"Yamato, I want to commend you on your work that you've done. Everything you handed in was impressive. You and Sora worked very well together, and your marriage was probably one of the most successful in the class. But, as you both learned, or so I've come to believe, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. Thank you for your excellent effort. Good luck in the future."
"Sora, I was very happy to teach you here in my first year. I enjoyed watching you grow in this class, from your own experiences and your "marriage" to Yamato. The two of you experienced both the ups and downs of this class, but I was proud of the way you overcame all the obstacles, particularly children. Good luck with everything you do. I don't know what's going on with you and Yamato right now, but I wish you the best of luck with it. Remember, if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it..."
Takeru's laughter at Tai's interpretation of his will brought me back to reality. "Penny for your thoughts?"
I looked at the my former teacher. "I was just reliving some of the good memories."
"I take it things worked out for you in the end," she smiled, referring to my open grade report in front of you.
"Thank you for your confidence in us. That class taught me so much, things I've never imagined."
"It's no problem," the woman patted my shoulder, wishing a congratulations—after pointing at my stomach—and wandering over to talk to Hikari.
As I looked around the room, I looked from face to face. I never imagined, back in the days when we first played this game over twelve years ago, things would end up this way. Things built off the foundation of the class, learning from everything that happened and improving on it. This class taught me so much about the little things in life—friendship, working hard and love—that come into play every day in my life.
I never thought this would be the way my life would end up. Yamato is an astronaut and researcher, I work for a well-known clothing line, our daughter is an energetic toddler full of life, and we're expecting our first son in the next few months. It's ironic how much The Game effected our lives.
As if knowing my thoughts, Yamato pulled me to him. "It's crazy how things worked out."
"You're telling me."
"I love you, Sora."
"I love you too, Yama." I answered, responding to the long kiss he gave me. Resting my head on his shoulder, I smiled contently, glancing out at everyone in the room.
People often compare life to a game. And, quite honestly, it's so easy to tell it is. The ups and downs, triumphs and failures, goods and bads…they're all part of life's little games. I do believe life can be called a game.
And one thing's for sure, despite everything that happens to me…I'm very much enjoying this game we call life and the things it brings.
-The End-
Well, it's finally complete. In case you were wondering, this chapter takes place 12 years after where chapter 14 left off. It doesn't exactly follow the Digimon show time line for the future, but I didn't exactly always follow it...like with the takari ending in here. Please let me know what you guys think one last time. Please review, and thank you all for reading this story!