Ghosts of the past.
Chapter 1.
Yamato Ishida wandered around the camp of the digital world. Unbeknown to the others, Matt had been here before, as a child, the age of TK. That was why he was so protective of his brother. Not just so that he wouldn't get hurt, but in memory of someone else, someone who had abandoned them and the digidestined from before Tai and the others, the digidestined before them were: - Jacki, Ben, George, Jasmine, Jamie-Lee, Becki, himself, Yamato Ishida and someone else, Natsuke, Natsuke Ishida. She had died, saving the others from a deadly blow from MetalFrayedmon. Later, he watched the death of the others, and his first digital companion, who was also a Tsunomon. Yamato had watched, as an 8yr old, his older sister who was also protective die. He was protective of TK in the same way and hoped that he wouldn't die the same way she did. Now, there was a new evil to fight in the digital world and it was up to them to save it again. Matt's eyes filled with tears as painful memories of his past time in the digital world came back to him.
FLASH
Natsuke was walking carefully along the bank of a big river. Yamato was splashing in the water.
"Matt! Honey come out of the water." Matt scowled and walked out of the river, drying his feet.
"I'm coming." He said and smiled.
"C'mere!" Natsuke said and pulled her brother into a hug. "I love you y'know." She whispered in his ear, making him laugh. He smiled and pushed her away. They laughed and played with the other digidestined for ages. "I'm knackered now. Let's rest for a while." Natsuke collapsed on the floor and let out a sigh. Yamato lay down next to his big sister and smiled. Suddenly a shadow covered the area and Natsuke stood up, shielding her brother. Her crest, the crest of courage, glowed a bright red and it hit the beast in the chest. She moved over to her digimon because it was injured. The evil digimon saw Yamato standing alone and attacked him.
"NIGHT SHADE WING BLAST!!!" The creature we now know as MetalFrayedmon sent out a blast of black energy straight at Yamato. Natsuke knocked her brother out the way, taking the blast herself. It sent her flying against the wall and soon enough, she went limp and slid down the wall. Yamato screamed and ran to his sister leaving Tsunomon to warp digivolve to Metalgaruramon.
"Nat, please, hang on. Don't die on me! Please!" Yamato held his sister's hand and watched as her life slowly faded away. "Please Nat, hang on!" Yamato's vision became blurred with tears and they streamed down his face.
"Matt?" Nat whispered in a voice barely audible. Matt looked at her. "I love you." Nat let out a sigh and her eyes misted over before closing. Tears streamed out of his eyes and he got up, remembering that there was a battle to be won. They lost. Before being catapulted back to the normal world, he watched his sister; her friends, their digimon and his digimon Tsunomon die as well. He blacked out and woke up in the human world.
/FLASH
Yamato returned to the present with a thud. Tears were streaming down his face and he hurriedly wiped them away because he heard the others coming towards him. He turned away from them so they wouldn't see his eyes.
"We'd better get moving." He said hurriedly and they set off towards the dark castle.
***
A dark figure chuckled. It opened a hand and a bird landed on it. The bird cawed.
"The digidestined are coming." It cawed. The figure's hands reached up to her hood. Its hands adjusted it and crystal blue eyes, eyes filled with pain stared out from the darkness of the hood.
"They can't hurt us. Let them pass. Destroy them if you have to." The figure said. Reaching again for it's hood, pulling it back, a teenager of 14 with long wild blonde hair and crystal blue eyes smiled cruelly. She looked at the bird who was surprised.
"Master, you have shown your face. For the first time in six years." The girl nodded. Yet another bird flew in, badly injured. The girl's features showed concern.
"The digidestined, they attacked me." The girl watched the digimon disintegrate and she frowned.
"Kill them." She said darkly and sent out her finest troops. She ran down the corridors of her palace and stood at the door. She watched the digidestined fall, one by one, yet none of them died. Their crests protected them. Soon, the only one standing was a boy, who had wild blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, just like her. "Yamato?" She said, wondering if it was true she said it just loud enough for the boy to hear her. She quickly put her hood up. As he was observing her, he wasn't paying attention to the battle. A blast of energy hit him in the chest. Hard. The girl's eyes widened. "STOP!" She cried. "Let them live. We will capture them." She looked down as the limp figures of Yamato (Matt), Tai, Kari, Joe, Mimi, Sora, TK and Izzy were dragged into the castle. She put them in a cell and walked up to her throne room, cloak flapping behind her.
***
"Where am I?" Tai sat up, nursing a head wound. It was bleeding and he put his hands on to stop it. He finally realised he wasn't alone, that the other digidestined were with him and all of them were unconscious. Tai heard a groan from his left as Sora, Mimi, Joe and Izzy woke up. Matt and TK were still out cold. Sora hurried over to Matt and TK and propped their heads up, hopefully making them more comfortable. Soon enough, Matt and TK came round, groaning.
"What's goin' on?" Matt asked sleepily.
"We've been imprisoned," Tai said quietly. "Is everyone Ok?" There was a groan. And Matt sat bolt upright.
"Oh!"
"What is it Matt?" Tai asked looking at his best friend.
"There was a person, a cloaked figure, she watched, called my name. But I don't know who she is…" Matt's voice trailed off as there was a noise outside, the keys turned and an evil looking digimon opened the door.
"Which one of you has the crest of courage?" It asked. They looked at each other, then at Tai.
"Why?" He asked suspiciously.
"Because the Mistress demands to talk to you. Each and every one of you. Starting with the child of courage." He drawled. Tai stood up.
"I have the crest of courage," He stood up and moved towards the door. "See you soon" he said quietly. I hope he thought to himself. He was thrown at the feet of a cloaked figure who laughed when she saw him.
"This is the leader?" She laughed again. She smiled, her crystal blue eyes staring at Tai. The eyes reminded him of Matt's.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"Silence!" She snapped. "You will answer my questions." He looked at the floor sheepishly. "Now, why did you attack the bird which flew to my castle?"
"Because it was watching us."
"Well, you're watching me, shall I kill you too?" She asked him coldly. He looked into her eyes and thought. They do, they remind me of Matt's eyes. He thought to himself. "Now, back to the cell. I wish to speak to the child of Hope.
"Yes mistress." Tai turned and began to walk away but was stopped at the door. "Bow to the mistress!" The guard said and pushed Tai onto the floor in a bow. She watched them leave.
"If that's who their leader is, they are in trouble." She smiled. TK came in and spoke to her briefly before walking out sobbing. Whoops! She thought, I didn't mean to make him cry. Oh well, he is of no matter. She called the digidestined in one by one, leaving Matt last.
***
He walked down the corridor dreading what was to come. He was pushed in and the guard shut the door.
"Leave us." The figure said. The guard nodded and left the room. "Yamato." She purred. He looked at her confused.
"Who are you?" He asked, looking straight into her eyes. She reached for her hood.
"Do you not remember me?" She said cruelly. "You left me to die, you and the others. And I am now stronger than I ever was before, fuelled by energy from Cherrimon and my dark crest of courage, I will rule the digital world!" She laughed pulling back her hood revealing her wild long blonde hair, her crystal blue eyes and the dark crest of courage shining with a discouraging reddish black glow, dimmed be the blue glow of his.
"Nat?" He didn't realise the words where coming out of his lips. "Is it you?" She scowled at him as tears trickled down his cheeks. His face showed disbelief. "My sister, Nat." He whispered quietly, lucky for him, she didn't hear.
"Emotions show weaknesses. You didn't need me, you left me for dead. You left me to die. You killed my best friend and then abandoned me. I wasted my love on you, my compassion and my heart. Then, Cherrimon found me and cared for me. She told me what happened and I learnt that no one cared for me. So, let me introduce myself properly. I am the ruler of the digital world and you are history!" The door burst open. "What the?" The digidestined burst through the door.
"You're evil!" TK shouted at her. "I hate you!" She smiled, pointing at Matt who was being held by invisible chains.
"How much have you heard?"
"We heard the whole thing." Sora said stepping forward.
"Thank you. But you can't hurt me, not if you care for your friend here. Take one more move and I will demonstrate my power." She threatened.
"You wouldn't dare. He's your brother." Sora exclaimed. Nat sneered.
"Oh, wouldn't I?" She smiled evilly and shot a bolt of pure darkness at Matt, sending him flying into the wall screaming in pain. Tai looked at her, absolutely shocked. TK ran to his brother and cried. Mimi almost passed out and Joe looked close to wetting himself. She sent a fog out over them and they passed out, waking up later back in their cell.
"Oh. Man, we're stuck in here. Matt and TK aren't eating properly they'll die soon. Please, WE NEED TO BE FREE!" Tai cried as he walked back and slid down the wall. Tai sat against the wall of his cell for hours, hugging his knees. They had been in the cell for a few weeks now, well fed, but the food seemed to have strength 'robbers' in them, because after they had eaten, they were left feeling weaker than before. Nat kept them in the cell for months, coming down in the evenings and wrestling with her conscience about imprisoning her own brother. It was brothers now she reminded herself, because there were two of them. While she was wrestling her conscience, the digimon who were her friends watched her sadly.
"This is getting ridiculous." Sora said finally breaking the silence of the cell. "We've got to appeal to her good side."
"Why bother," Tai said sadly, bouncing a stone off the wall and catching it, over, and over, and over again. Matt was hugging TK in a corner and Mimi and Joe were huddled up in the other corner, both muttering incoherently. Nat watched through the bars on the cell door. Her eyes told the story of a young teenage girl who had lost her family, friends, love and freedom all in one day. Cherrimon hadn't found her to take care of her, he had trapped her, gaining her friendship and then turning her evil. She was hurt, and she wanted to be free, but the only way she could be free was if she killed the digidestined. That would hurt more than an eternity of imprisonment in this place. She turned away just as they looked up. She ran down the corridor, head in hands, cloak flapping wildly behind her.
"I can't do this, I just can't. Why can't they be killed in battle? Why do I have to kill my own brother to be free? Please, let me go from this torment. I can't cope! Please. Please." She broke down sobbing with her face in her pillow. She cried all night, or so it seemed. Cackamon came through to see her in the morning.
"Miss?" He crept into her room. "Are you going to set the digidestined free? They have done nothing to you, can they go, please, let them go. They are weak with hunger and some are close to dying." He gasped as her face lit up.
"Dying? Which ones?"
"The two blonde boys. They refuse to eat and are now nearly dead without the strength to move. They can hardly breathe." Nat's face screamed 'yes, as soon as they die, I'm free.' But her voice said something completely different.
"Lets go. I we will set them free."
"Finally!" Cackamon let out sigh of relief and they ran to the cell.
***
"Nat!" Matt cried weakly. "Why are you here?" Nat smiled at her little brother and his friends.
"I would rather face an eternity of imprisonment here. Than to kill my brothers and their friends." Nat smiled and picked up Matt.
"Wha?" Matt began to ask her, but was silenced with a look from Tai.
"We're being set free, don't complain! Ow!" Tai was given an injection and was then instructed to carry TK. "Hey! Can we all have one of these?" Tai said as they ran out of the castle, setting the digimon free as they went. As soon as they had left the castle, Nat cried out in horror. A huge virus digimon came floating down. Nat put Matt on the floor and then was hit in the chest by darkness, blacking out on impact with the wall. Sora cried out in surprise.
"Nat!" Matt cried, dragging himself over to her and propping her head up, he then collapsed next to her, his head resting on her outstretched arm, just like they used to sleep in the digital world when he was young, and she wasn't evil. The others battled hard and their digimon fell under the staggering pressure. Everyone except Matt and Natsuke were returned to the normal world, their digimon shrank back to their in-training form and their memories of Matt and Natsuke tampered with, making the digidestined remember them as being killed. Tai was the first to wake up.
"Is everybody okay?"
"Yeah. I think so. Matt? Matt where are you? Tai, where's Matt?" TK asked, looking around for his big brother.
"And Natsuke? Where are they?" Sora asked quietly. Tai looked down.
"They, they didn't make it." He said sadly.
"No." TK started crying, sobbing, and screaming his misery to the world. Sora hugged him tight and reassured him that everything would be okay, and that he was going to be all right without Matt's protection. TK slowly stopped crying, cuddling into Sora, hiccuping every now and then.
"Shh. TK, please stop crying. Every thing will be all right." They sat in the park, feeling incredibly depressed.
***
Nat woke up on the grass in the digital world with Matt lying on her arm, unconscious. "How long?" She asked herself, gently easing her arm out from under her brother's head. She watched him whilst she was mulling the days events over in her mind. Matt stirred and his eyelids slowly opened. "Are you okay?" Nat asked, genuinely worried. He smiled and nodded.
"Where are the others?" Nat shrugged.
"Dunno. But, let's go and find some shelter. It's not safe out here." Matt nodded as Nat stood up and reached out an arm to her brother. He stood up and she put her arm over his shoulder. They walked to a small cave in the middle of the forest. Matt smiled.
"It's just like old times isn't it." He said.
"What is?" Nat asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Being out, just you and me," Nat smiled and walked over to her brother. Matt's heart wrenched as he remembered TK. "TK, you don't think he was," Nat looked at her brother who's eyes were glistening with tears.
"No, I don't think he was killed. None of your friends were. Now, all we have to do, is sit here, and wait for them to come back," Nat sat next to Matt and hugged him tight. He leant onto her, as TK had done many times before, and snuggling into his big sister, Matt fell asleep. Nat stroked his hair. "Matt, I missed you so much." She kissed his head gently and then rested her head on his, gradually, as the moon crept up the sky, Nat fell asleep. They awoke early the next morning when a low rumble of 'Nova Blast!' roared through the forest. Matt jerked awake.
"Tai?" He ran to the entrance of the cave. There, on the giant dinosaur, was a figure with brown hair and a grim expression. The others were standing behind him, their digimon all rookie form. Matt smiled and made to run out to them, but Nat stopped him. He squirmed in her grasp.
"Shh! Don't move. I don't think it's safe. If they were looking for us, they'd be calling our, I mean your name. I think something is wrong. Really wrong." Nat looked at Matt solemnly and together, they ran out of the cave and into the bushes beside the digidestined. Listening keenly to find out what was wrong.
Chapter 2.
Tai jumped of Greymon who promptly dedigivolved back to Agumon. Tai walked over to a nearby tree and bashed his fist against it, making it shake. "It's my fault. I let them die. It's all my fault." Nat exchanged a confused look with Matt but carried on listening. Matt wanted to jump out of the bush and shout, 'here I am' but didn't dare. They turned their gaze over to TK and the others, TK was crying, Sora was hugging TK and Mimi and Joe were leaning against a tree. Suddenly, the digivices started beeping.
"It's Matt and Natsuke! They're close!" Izzy cried. Tai shook his head.
"No, it's not them. They're dead remember?" Tai said quietly, bashing his fist against the tree again. TK nodded silently and looked up.
"How'd they die?" He asked, wiping the tears that streamed down his face. Nat tightened her arm around Matt's shoulder. Dead? But, but we're not dead. I know we're not dead 'coz we're sitting here. Matt thought to himself. Nat was thinking the same thing. Nat watched the group walk off sadly, heads hanging low. The digidestined walked through the undergrowth looking depressed. Matt sat on the floor stunned.
"They think we're dead. Why?" Matt sighed.
"I bet that virus digimon messed with their memories."
"Well, let's go show them we're not dead." Matt said standing up.
"No! If you show yourselves, you'll only get hurt. Grief can be awful. They believe you're dead and they'll probably attack you if you just barge in," Nat paused and looked at her baby brother. "Yama, please listen to me. I know it's hard for you to let your friends walk away from you, but believe me, it's for the best. We'll show ourselves to them soon enough, just give it time Matt, just give it time." Matt smiled at the use of his baby name Yama. He knew Nat was being serious because well, he didn't know how, he just knew. It was one of those brother-sister things. Quietly, they crept along, keeping a fair distance from the digidestined, but not so far that they couldn't hear them.
"Tai?" Matt looked as TK walked up to their leader.
"Yeah?" Tai asked, looking down at him.
"Will you be my big brother now?" TK asked and Matt looked on in anger, was TK not upset anymore? Did he not care? Matt's crest began to change. Instead of the crest of peace, he wore the crest of animosity. It glowed with a discouraging dark bluey-grey.
"Matt?" Nat looked her brother in the eye.
"I am Lord Yamato Ishida, I hate all the digidestined, past and present and future. I will kill them all!"
"Matt! You can't do this, they're your friends!" He glared at her then he slapped her round the face so hard she went flying, hit a tree and blacked out then he ran off into the forest. A little while later when Nat came round, she found herself in the camp of the digidestined. They had obviously found her and taken her in. Everyone was asleep and Nat remembered why she was knocked unconscious. She started sobbing.
"Wha?" Tai sat up sleepily. "Oh. You're awake. And alive," He noticed, she nodded, tears streaming, mixing with blood and then that red watery mixture was running down her face. She wiped it away and sniffed. "What's wrong?"
"I…it's *sniff* Ma, Matt. *sniff* He's evil," She stopped, choking on a sob. Tai fell to the floor. "I tried to, to stop him… but, but he hit me with a strength fuelled by the crest of, of, of" She stopped and pulled herself together. "Fuelled by the crest of animosity." She broke down sobbing again.
"Matt's alive?" He asked weakly. "And he's evil?" He said in a voice almost disbelieving the thought.