First Encounter

Spirit of Courage

Tai strutted forward through the market. He left Psychemon alone to avoid harming his friend from the threat looming in this world and began to search any traces left of the digimon who was the reason why he's here in the first place.

No digimon he conversed with, have any idea where he could find that black digimon. But one thing he knows is that it appeared in the market for the first time. It always in the surrounding area, although he wasn't sure why. This is new to him either.

Once he got to the other side of the street which was obviously where Tai and Psychemon hiding behind a mirror, slightly cracked served as a reminder to him and made it easier for him to him.

Black mist leaking out as if alive, showed an irregularity to him. It struck him in a few seconds and thankfully Tai have the energy to dodge to the side.

It flailed around continously before it manifested, forming a shadow that looked exactly like Tai's figure and completed itself as a ghoul digimon.

Tai looked away, seemingly afraid of what happen at the market which traumatized him a little bit.

Then, he reminded himself that he was doing this for Psychemon. His friend who suffered in the digiworld because of this digimon.

He took a deep breath, earning a steady one and regaining his composure, looking up at the ghoul digimon.

Tai stared at the spot where his enemy was standing as if it was finally looking at his face properly with newfound determination. He lifted his head to meet the face of a virus digimon which kept haunting him in his sleep ever since he met him.

"Who are you?"

"..."

"Why are you doing this to them? Don't you know they're suffering?!"

"..."

The Ghoul smirked.

"Is it me that you want?"

Black liquid was dripping from the corners of the Ghoul's lips. Its body was not in the same state the first time he saw it and had used even more energy than him.

Tai, with more healthy body than the past him, stood courageously beside Psychemon. His body was balanced because he drank the medicine regularly which helped him tremendously but deep inside he knew it could only prolonged his agony without having his illness completely cured.

And Tai wished that he could helped Kari and the others through it all.

"... I am your despair." It chuckled evilly.

"What?" Tai mumbled as he looked around and the Ghoul already disappeared without a single trace of it left.

He suspected that it will appear again. There was also a possibility that it will find the other digidestined but as long as he could, he won't miss it anymore.

Now, Tai did not have much information and at least needed to find a single clue that can point to the ghoul. He didn't manage to defeat the digimon as he originally planned.

"The fact that the ghoul was here means that it probably has some connection to him. But Psychemon told him it already appeared before he arrived here, so what does that mean?"

Tai could only laugh as he proceed thinking about how to solve them alone without the help of Gennai who summoned him or anyone for that matter.

"Should I go back to Psychemon?" He murmured. Then forget about it easily. He would be better to think alone again than to ask his friend and letting him be killed alongside him since he was helping in the short time he ran away and he wasn't about to risk his savior in his own battle.

However, there was an issue.

It was possible to tie the incident in market and the other area, it might as well served as proof that the prophecy linked to him but why is it already appeared before he arrived here?

Then, it struck him.

There's one thing that they might have in common.

Is it related to his sickness? Is it appear because of it?

Tai started to smile even more as puzzle pieces started to solve one after another.

"What if the only solution is to face him, one on one? I don't know if these are a test for him but Gennai doesn't seem to rush, seeing that Kari and the others aren't here."

Although, he could see the answer he still felt annoyed at Gennai if what he guess was somewhat correct in his part.

Tai chuckled harshly. That action only earned a shadow of what appear to be the ghoul digimon, revealing itself to be the copy of Tai. Literally, the same physical body as him.

"So, it seems my guess is spot on."

The exact same eye looking right back at him smiling annoyingly at him.

"Hello, Tai."

The owner of the original Tai smiled as he talked.

"Nice to meet you."

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A/N : somehow, I couldn't find the will to continue writing the next draft but I think the last two chapter (that I finished as I mentioned before) worked ad the ending too. But I wanted to properly finish it, I hope you like it.