Author's note: This story is the sequel to 'Forever'. I strongly recommend that you read that first (which you can by clicking here), because otherwise the summery will ruin the ending. Go on, it'll only take you 5 minutes. I don't mind waiting. Now, if your memory is a bit rusty, or you just can't be bothered (lazy), highlight the below section to read the summery:

Someone is sick of having a rival in Kari's affections, and their jealousy grows and grows until they eventually snap. He breaks into his cousin Akiyoshi's flat, steals a gun and shoots his rival. He manages to dispose of the weapon and nobody knows that it was him who killed him.

However, during the story it sounds like Davis is the murderer, but the major twist at the end is that he wasn't, it was TK! Takeru shot Davis instead of vice-versa! There, now I've gone ruined the ending!

I got some flames from some TK-is-a-perfect-angel-who'd-never-hurt-anyone zealots for the last story, and I have to say this...*pulls down eyelid and sticks out tongue* Nyeh nyeh! And da kitticat, if you're gonna flame me, at least spell half the words right! How on earth did you manage to spell basically with an / ? It's impossible!

I assume that the original Digi-Destined can use their Digivices to get to the Digital World, because Mimi can. And the bit of Japanese TK sings is 'Break Up', the Japanese Armour-Digivolving theme.

Thanks for Pulsar for betaing, and a special thanks to Kaden Zendi Fukuyama (Zendiogimon) for not only putting some of my fics on her site, but for giving me a simply wonderful piece of fanart for the first story! Thank you ever so much! I absolutely love it!

Now, let's begin the next chapter in the 'Forever' series...

************************************************************************

Do you know what it's like to be in love?

To be truly, madly, deeply in love?

To be infatuated so much that you think your heart will burst?

Now I know.

Hikari and Takeru...the perfect couple.

Before she'd always been a prize out of my reach, but now...

Now she was mine.

Forever.

It was worth the trouble of eliminating the competition.

Poor little Davis.

He had his whole life in front of him.

What a shame he picked the wrong girl to lust over.

Now he was in the permanent sleep, rotting beneath the earth.

Because of me.

And guess what?

I don't care.

I'd stopped wearing the goggles a while ago. The novelty wore off.

Now they hang like a trophy in my room.

Proof that he's dead.

Proof that Kari is MINE.

And she will be...forever.

Jealousy

By Rayamon

Chapter 1: Aishiteru, Hikari-chan (I love you, Kari)

Hikari Kamiya sat by herself on the park bench. The summer's morning had given away to a beautiful blue sky, with nary a cloud in sight. Picnickers were setting out their blankets for lunch, children ran about laughing. A few sailed boats on the pond, while other flew kites. Two dogs, having escaped from their leads, frolicked around and chased each other. Birds, almost tame from a lifetime of living beside humans, hopped about pecking for crumbs.

But despite the tranquillity, Kari was troubled.

She hated breaking news.

And this was the hardest thing she'd had to do yet.

"Hey Kari, Kari!"

She looked up as her boyfriend, Takeru Takaishi, ran towards her with an ice-cream held in each hand. His bucket hat flopped over his eyes and he shifted it up with his arm, but the melting ice-cream left a smear on the end of his nose. Going slightly cross-eyes trying to look at it, he plopped down next to Kari, gave her one of the ice-creams and tried to clean his face.

Kari studied TK quietly as she ate her ice-cream. He had been a rock for her over the last few months. She had been torn apart by Daisuke's death, barely 4 months ago, and had been border-lining on depression. It wasn't helped by the fact that TK had insisted on wearing Dai's goggles because of something stupid Tai had said a long time ago.

'The leader of the Digi-Destined just wouldn't look right without them...'

Another thing was that Daisuke's killer had never been caught. Just a stupid, random killing.

The day that Tai had broke the news to her was seared into her memory forever.

Kari sat in her room, flitting through a teen magazine she'd picked up from the newsagents after school. But her thoughts weren't on the fashion items or the problem pages. She was wondering about Davis. He hadn't been at school for the past two days. Maybe he was sick or something. You'd at least think that he'd call her to tell her that he wouldn't be able to go to the Digital World. But that was Motomiya for you. Thick-headed, but his heart was in the right place.

*Bringbring bringbring*

"Tai!" shouted Kari, not bothering to get up "Get the phone!"

Gatomon stirred, having fallen asleep on Kari's pillow "Huh? Whassa matter?"

"Telephone. You can go back to sleep."

"Mmm..." said Gatomon, not really awake enough to form a complete sentence. She closed her ultramarine eyes and immediately fell asleep again.

Kari continued flicking through the magazine, without wondering who was calling. If Tai hadn't shouted her, than it must've been for him.

Suddenly, her bedroom door creaked open.

"Tai! How many times do I have to tell you to kno..."

She looked up and shock immediately cut her off. Tai half stood, half slumped in the doorway, leaning against the door frame. His head was bowed, causing his cascade of hair to obscure his face. His hands were clenched into fists and he was shaking, as if in pain.

"Tai?" asked Kari, putting aside her magazine and standing up.

A sound came from Taichi and she realised something.

He wasn't in pain.

He was crying.

She went up to her brother and, putting her arm around his shoulders, guided him to the edge of her bed and sat him down, disturbing Gatomon.

Kari finally got a good look at her brother.

His light brown eyes were shimmering with tears, most of them escaping and running down his face. He was biting his lip and choking back sobs, almost bordering on a hysterical breakdown.

"Tai?" she took his hands in hers "Tai, what's wrong?"

He dragged his gaze up and met hers, and she was taken aback by the pain in it.

"It's...it's Davis." He choked, barely able to form words "He's...he's dead."

Unable to contain himself, the former leader of the Digi-Destined broke down, letting the trapped tears flow.

"...Dead?" She couldn't quite grasp the concept.

"He..." Tai could hardly talk now "He...was murdered...two days ago."

Completely incapable of carrying on, he buried his head in Kari's shoulder and sobbed.

Kari felt her world crumble beneath her feet.

"Mmm...Kari?" asked Gatomon, fully awakened by Tai's crying "What's wrong? What's happening?"

Scooping her Digimon up, Kari felt her defences break as she too wept for the loss of Daisuke Motomiya.

As soon as he had heard the news, TK had come straight round to see her. He had held her as she cried, stayed beside her at the funeral, helped her through the grief.

He'd even stopped wearing the goggles when she asked.

She didn't know how it had started but, about a month after Daisuke's death, they had been sitting on the very park bench where they were now, when they found themselves looking into each other's eyes...and they kissed. Now they'd been dating for three months, and TK looked like the happiest person in the world. But as for Kari...

"TK?"

"Hm?" asked TK, his face partially buried in his ice-cream.

"I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Our relationship."

TK licked some ice-cream off his lips and blinked at her "What about it?"

"TK, I..." Kari closed her eyes and forced out the words "I think we should split up."

There was no reply.

She opened her eyes.

TK was staring at her in complete shock and surprise, looking as if she had slapped him. The ice-cream, half eaten, was melting and dribbling over his hand, yet he didn't notice.

"Well?" prompted Kari, hating the silence "Aren't you going to say something?"

TK blinked again and opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish before managing to say something.

"But...but why?"

"Well, I..." Kari hoped that it wouldn't have had to come to this "Well, you see, I've come to realise that I don't love you. I don't mean I don't like you, because I do, just...as a friend, nothing more."

TK just blinked again.

"And now, when I think about it...I think I was just after some affection to help me get over the grief of losing Davis...and you were always there for me...I just wanted some love, some comfort...and you gave them to me. I'm not saying that I haven't enjoyed the time I've had with you, because I really really loved it, getting to know you better as well, it's just that I only really see you as a friend, and besides..." Kari cut herself off, before she could finished her sentence.

"Besides...what?" asked TK.

Kari bit her lip, not wanting to deliver the coup de grâce "Besides...because...I love someone else."

She forced her tears away and looked at TK. He was sitting there, all colour drained from his face, looking as if he'd been shot, and shaking.

He struggled to say something, finally spitting out one word.

"Who?"

"I...I can't say." Kari was crying now, the tears spilling over her cheeks "It's best that you don't...I'm...I'm just so sorry, TK!" she got up and ran away towards the gates of the park, sobbing.

TK remained frozen in the same spot that he had been in during the whole conversation. Four words had broke his heart. Not just broken, but torn out and stamped upon.

I don't love you.

No...no, this wasn't supposed to happen! Kari was supposed to love him forever!

Unnoticeable at first, he clenched his fists and his grip tightened around the ice-cream cone.

There was a crunching sound.

The cornet had been completely crushed in his hand.

He threw the destroyed ice-cream to the ground and looked at the melted insides oozing out over the path.

I don't love you.

All his rage, grief and anger coalesced into a single, raging mass inside him, breaking loose in a hate-filled shriek that echoed around the park.

************************************************************

She thinks she can just dump me, eh?

Like I'm just some piece of trash?

No, I'll show her.

She needs me.

I need her.

We're supposed to be together! Forever!

I don't love you.

Yes you do.

You love me.

I love someone else.

Who? Who can you love more than me?

I did everything to gain your love.

Everything!

Who was it who bought you ice-cream?

Who was it who took you out?

Who was it who held you as you cried?

Who was it who killed Davis so that he could have you?

It was me!

Kari, we're supposed to be together!

I love you, Kari!

I was just after some affection to help me get over the grief of losing Davis.

You were just using me?

Just to get through your grief?

You only loved me because you were sad?

I don't love you.

You WILL love me Kari, you will!

You WILL give me your love!

Even if I have to kill the whole of Odaiba to get it!!

************************************************************

Despite the summer's day, TK felt cold. It was almost as if someone had stuck a knife in his stomach and twisted it around.

His only love had left him.

And now, he felt empty and emotionless.

If he had been in the Digital World, he wouldn't have been surprised if the Dark Ocean came to claim him.

The Digital World...

Where they had first truly got together.

Kari...

He ducked into the nearest alleyway, lent against the wall and sobbed.

Where had everything gone wrong?

What had happened to his perfect dream?

"Meow?"

He blinked away his tears and looked down.

Looking back up at him was a little kitten. Probably a stray.

A kitten.

A cat.

Miko.

Gatomon.

Kari!!

Sheer anger took over from the emptiness. He bought his foot back and kicked the kitten savagely away, sending it flying into the side of a dumpster. It tried to climb to its feet and run, but TK was upon it again, like a beast possessed. Another kick sent it sprawling into the back of the alley, where it shrieked and ran off.

TK stood there, breathing heavily, alone in the alley.

He had hurt a living thing.

It felt good.

Why was he moping about here?

He was Takeru Takaishi, and he took no crap off anybody!

Kari would be his, even if it was the last thing he did!

And he didn't care who he hurt to get her!

************************************************************

TK strode into the apartment he shared with his mother and slammed the door shut behind him. At least his okaasan wasn't there to tell him off for it. No, she had gone away on some writing course again. Wouldn't be back until tomorrow.

The anger was still smouldering inside him as he stalked into his room and slammed that door shut too.

"Mmm...TK?" Patamon had been asleep on the bed, but the slamming doors had wakened him. He stretched, his winged ears reaching out to their full span, making him look bigger than he was for a second, before he folded them back up.

TK didn't reply. He was stuffing things into his backpack. His D3, his D-Terminal, some money, his discount card for the Japanese metro system...

"TK?" Patamon noticed that his partner's shoulders were shaking.

He was crying.

"TK?" he asked, concerned.

"Leave me alone." Came the choked reply.

The little Digimon fluttered over to him "TK, what's the matter?"

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" TK whirled round and struck Patamon, sending him smack into the far wall of the room. Patamon unsteadily got to his feet, feeling the bruise where he had been hit. His eyes welled up with tears as he blinked up at his partner.

TK hadn't bothered to see if his Digimon was badly hurt or not. He zipped up his backpack and shouldered it.

"TK..." Patamon found it slightly hard to speak because the room refused to stop spinning "Where are you going?"

"That's none of your business!"

Patamon shook his head to clear the dizziness "What's the matter with you, TK? Why are you so upset? Please tell me!"

Takeru slowly turned round, his hand resting on the door handle. His sapphire eyes, still brimming with angry tears, burned with hate and rage and he spoke slowly, deliberately and dangerously.

"For your information, I am perfectly fine, and I'm not upset."

"Yes you are!" protested Patamon "Something's wrong! And at least tell me where you're going!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!" TK's voice raised into a shriek "I'm sick of people telling me what to do! I've had it! I don't care about you, I don't care about me or anyone else! And besides..."

Patamon had been hurt many times in the past. He had been beaten up by Digimon, hit by countless Digimon attacks and even deleted before being reborn as a Digi-Egg. But they all paled into insignificance at the final, scathing remark that TK said next.

"I don't need a fucking BATPIG to mother me! I'm leaving!"

TK left the room, slamming first the bedroom door and then the front door behind him.

Patamon was left alone, sitting there in shock.

He was TK's best friend, and he'd always forgiven him. For once saying he was weak. For once driving him to exhaustion by Digivolving. He'd even forgiven him for striking him even as he was doing it. But...

TK had swore. That was a shock at first.

But...he had called him a batpig.

Patamon had always hated being called that. Batpig.

And now his best friend had...

Something was seriously wrong with TK. He didn't know what, but it was bad.

And perhaps only one other person would know why.

Going over to the partially open window, he managed to squeeze through. Spreading his wings, he fluttered unsteadily across town.

************************************************************

"C'mon Kari," said Gatomon, perched on her partner's knee "Cheer up, the worst is over."

"I know..." whispered Kari "It's just that...the look on his face when I told him I wanted to break up...he was heartbroken. It was like...like I'd betrayed him."

"Don't say that!" Gatomon glared up at her with burning eyes "You didn't betray him! You just wanted to get out of the relationship! And if he truly loves you, then he'll understand that you need your space!"

"It's not just that..." Kari averted her eyes guiltily "I...I told him I loved someone else."

Gatomon opened her mouth to say something, but a rapping cut her off. They looked round in puzzlement, until they found the source.

"Patamon!"

Patamon was sitting on the windowsill, out of breath and knocking on the window to get their attention. Kari opened the window and the Digimon fell inside, panting.

"Patamon!" cried Kari, scooping him up "You're bleeding!"

Patamon felt the side of his face where TK had hit him, and to his surprise, found blood. He didn't know that he'd been bleeding.

Kari turned to Gatomon, cradling Patamon in her arms "Gatomon, go get the first-aid kit and some water. Quickly!" needing no further persuasion, Gatomon ran off to get the things.

In the meantime, Kari took a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed away some of the blood. Patamon winced but said nothing. Gatomon came back with the items and Kari began to properly clean his wound.

"Now this may sting a bit..." She dabbed some antiseptic on the bruise and Patamon whimpered, not just because of the pain. Kari put a cloth plaster on it, finishing patching him up.

"There you go! All done!" She turned the little Digimon round and looked at him. "Now, what happened to you? Why were you banging on the window?"

Patamon looked up at Kari and felt his eyes begin to well up with tears "It's...it's...TK!" he broke down and cried, curling into as small a ball as possible, wrapping his ears around himself.

"TK?" asked Kari, unrolling Patamon and holding him up to eye level "What about him? Is he hurt?"

"I-don't-know!" sniffed Patamon, hardly able to talk "he-he-he-was-crying-and-and-angry-and-and...he hit me!"

"TK did this to you??"

"Yes! And-and he called m-me an-an f-ing batpig!" Patamon started to cry again, and Kari's top was beginning to get soaked.

Gatomon put one of her gloved paws around the sobbing Digimon "There there, Patamon! He didn't mean it! He was just upset!"

"Maybe so," growled Kari "But he didn't have to hit him! Or call him a batpig! It's totally uncalled for!"

"B-but-why-was-he-he-so-upset?" Patamon was desperately trying to control his tears, but failing.

Kari bit her lip and looked away, leaving Gatomon to break the news.

"Kari broke up with him today."

Patamon blinked in shock "Wha? You-you-did?"

Tears began to well up in Kari's eyes too. "I'm so sorry Patamon! It's all my fault you got hurt! If I hadn't broke up with him then he wouldn't have hit you!"

Patamon wiped away his own tears and patted Kari with one of his wings "That's okay, I forgive you."

"But what happened to TK?" asked Gatomon.

"He said that he didn't want people to tell him what to do and just stormed out."

"Then," said Kari, looking out into the afternoon sky "Where is he now?"

************************************************************

I stormed down the steps into the metro station.

What's the matter with you, TK? Why are you so upset?

Stupid batpig.

He's always mothering me!

Oo TK, what's wrong? Oo TK, please tell me!

He just didn't get the message, did he?

I wrenched the bucket hat off my head, then noticed red staining it.

I looked at my hand.

Blood.

Patamon's blood.

I had hit him so hard that I'd drew blood.

Stupid Digimon!

It's his own damn fault!

Now my hat's covered in blood!

I hate that batpig!

I slapped the hat back on my head and boarded the train, ignoring the looks.

I was just after some affection to help me get over the grief of losing Davis.

It takes grief to love me?

I'll show you grief!

You'll suffer by the time I'm through!

Then you'll come back to me!

Because I love you!

The computerised voice announced the next station.

My stop.

I got off and ran through the streets.

Time to visit an old friend.

Well, well, well.

Looks like Akiyoshi fixed the door this time.

And my distant cousin still wasn't in.

Probably out there drunk, or stoned, or both.

I kicked the door down again.

Akiyoshi really should invest in a stronger lock.

I closed the door behind me and looked round.

Still in the same state as it had been four months ago.

But this time, no guns.

No guns?

Damn!

Now what was I going to do?

Suddenly, I spied something.

A computer in the corner.

Old, unused, but still a computer.

A plan hatched in my mind.

I turned it on and wrinkled my nose in disgust at the background.

Stupid hentai animé freak.

But I wasn't here for that.

I raised my D3.

"DIGI-PORT OPEN!"

************************************************************

Taichi Kamiya slumped back in his chair as he finally finished typing out his massively long English essay. He'd been typing since this morning and he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. He saved it, started to print, then stretched and yawned.

Time for a well-deserved snack!

Tai's snack consisted of a whole French loaf, two pots of meat paste, one jar of mayonnaise, half a bottle of tomato sauce, three packets of crisps, four chocolate bars and a litre of lemonade. Finally satiated, he went back to the computer to check how it was doing printing.

A sign was flashing on the screen.

'You've got mail!'

"E-mail?" asked Tai to no one in particular. He checked the sender. "From TK?" He opened it.

Tai, it's me!

Listen, I need your help! It's urgent! I don't think I can cope anymore! You're the only one who can help me! You have to come to the Digital World! I'm in the ruins of the Kaiser's old base. You have to hurry, Tai! I can't do this by myself! But please, whatever you do, don't let anyone know that you're coming! If your Digivice won't work, use Kari's D3, but don't tell her! It'll be disastrous if she finds out! Please come as soon as you can!

~TK

"What's the matter with him?" wondered Tai aloud, re-reading the e-mail. TK sounded desperate.

I don't think I can cope anymore!

He sounded stressed. He sounded unhinged.

He sounded...suicidal.

Then Tai remembered something.

Kari had broke up with him today.

"Shit!" That summed it up pretty well. You have to hurry, Tai! TK was going to kill himself! I don't think I can cope anymore! You're the only one who can help me!

Leaping from his chair (and knocking it over), Tai ran to his room and grabbed his Digivice. Racing back to the computer, he typed an e-mail back to TK.

TK, hold on! I'm on my way now! Don't do anything until I get there, okay? I'm coming!

--Tai

Frantically scribbling down a message saying to leave the computer on because he was going out for a while, Tai held up his Digivice and prayed that it would work.

"Digi-Port open!"

One second

Two seconds

Three seconds...

The sign turned to green.

Yes!

A blinding light filled the room for a few seconds, and when it faded, Taichi Kamiya was gone.

************************************************************

Tai shielded his eyes with his arm as he struggled through the sandstorm. Not for the first time, he wished that he had his goggles back. At least then he'd have had some idea of where he was going. The signal on his Digivice gave him a rough idea of where TK was, and he'd been staggering through the sandstorm towards it. Why did the Emperor have to crash his base in a desert? And why would TK go there? He'd been told that it'd been blown up by Paildramon after he had shut down the power source. There was nothing there but debris.

His feet sank into the deep sand as he struggled up the side of a sand dune. It didn't matter what the reason was; TK was in desperate need of help, maybe even suicidal, and Tai had to stop him from doing anything drastic. They had already lost Davis; they didn't need to lose Takeru too.

As soon as it had started, the sandstorm stopped. Taichi blinked and shook the sand from his voluminous hair. Scrabbling up the dune on all fours, he finally made it to the top and stood up. The vast panorama of the Digital Desert spanned out on all sides, stretching into infinity. And there, like a huge stain, blemishing the otherwise perfect monotone of sand...was the wreckage of the former Digimon Emperor's flying base.

Wasting no time, Tai slid down the side of the dune and ran towards the ruins.

************************************************************

Taichi, Taichi, give me your answer do

Because I love Kari far much more than you...

For she is the prettiest girl

On both sides of the Digital World

But what would she say

If she knew today

That the body count would go up to two?

I slipped behind what was once a wall and chuckled.

Tai was running down towards me.

What a poor, simple fool.

He'd taken the bait!

He really was stupid!

I always knew that he had more hair than common sense.

I ducked through the maze of wrecked metal and hid behind the skeleton of a doorframe.

"TK! TK, where are you?"

I forced myself to sob.

"Tai, is it you?"

"TK, are you all right? Answer me!"

I should take up acting; I really sounded like I was upset.

"Tai, I can't cope! You have to help me!"

"Where are you??"

"Over here!"

"Where?"

"Here Tai! Hurry!"

I peeked round and saw him struggle through the wreckage, calling out.

Heh heh.

Nige dashicha ikenai

Yuzurenai ashita wo kakete yarun da

Yes, Tai. You can't run away now.

You've got to put that precious tomorrow on the line.

I looked round for a suitable weapon.

There, a piece of thick metal welded into a rock shape by the blast.

Perfect.

"TK! TK! ANSWER ME!!"

Tai sounded frantic.

Oh dear, was he worried about me?

Not for long, Tai, not for long!

I looked round. Tai was getting closer.

I gritted my teeth and lifted the lump. It was heavy.

I raised it above my head.

"Where are you, TK?!?"

"Behind this doorframe!"

"I see it, I'm coming!"

I heard his footsteps coming closer.

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One...

He strode through the doorway.

"Ta..."

I slammed the rock into the side of his head.

Tai went down, rolling in the sand and I threw the rock aside.

"Oh dear Tai," I said mockingly "How clumsy of me! Did I hurt you? Oh, I am so sorry!"

Then I heard a groan.

A groan?

I walked over to the still boy and kicked his side to roll him over.

Blood was pouring from his head from where I had hit him. It mattered his hair and pooled onto the sand.

His chest moved up and down.

He was still alive?

He wasn't dead!

His eyes flickered and opened.

They focused on me.

He scrambled to his feet, his hand trying to stop the flow of blood.

"T...K?" he was having trouble speaking "Wha..."

I leapt at him, tackling him to the ground. I balled my fists and punched him around the face, not caring about the blood. We rolled and fought across the sand, clawing and punching, caught in an adrenaline rush. My hands closed around his throat and squeezed, cutting off all breath. His eyes bulged and he scrabbled about, but I kept him pinned.

I could feel his struggles growing weaker and weaker as I throttled him, and a sick pleasure began to grow inside me. I held his life in my hands and I was going to crush it!

Suddenly stars exploded across my vision and I was hurled back. Pain coursed down the side of my face and I looked back at Tai.

He stood there, panting heavily, a rock in his hand.

He struck me!

The bastard struck me!

"TK, what the HELL are you doing!?!? I'm your friend, goddammit! Why are you trying to kill me?!?!"

I unsteadily rose to my feet.

"I'm not doing this because I want to, Tai...I'm doing it because I have to!"

He blinked "What?"

I hissed and leapt at him again and we went rolling into the dirt.

"Kari WILL love me! And I'll kill you to prove it!"

I lashed out again and again, striking him until he balled his legs up and kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying and knocking the air out of me.

"You're INSANE!" panted Tai "Kari doesn't love you! She's already broke up with you! Killing me won't prove anything! It won't make her love you!"

Something poked me in the back. I felt behind me and my hand closed around a large piece of shrapnel.

A sharp piece of shrapnel.

"She wants some affection to get over her grief..." I growled "And I'm gonna GIVE her some grief!"

I pounced at Tai, digging the shrapnel into his shoulder. He screamed and flailed about as I wrenched it out and struck again and again. A red mist clouded by vision as the world and my mind faded. I just wanted to hurt, to maim, to KILL!! I felt and smelt the blood, the rich red lifeblood, the screams, the pain the need to kill and tear apart and murder and kill and slash and destroy and...

The mist faded from my vision.

Conscious thought returned.

I was sitting, exhausted, on the floor, the shrapnel still in my hand.

Both it and myself were covered in blood.

What had happened?

Then I knew.

I had had the Bloodlust.

An uncontrollable urge to just fight and kill.

I got to my feet and swayed.

I felt dizzy.

And sick.

I didn't want to go through that again.

Suddenly a stabbing sensation ran through the side of my face.

It hurt.

I raised my hand to my face, pulled it away and looked down at my fingers.

Blood.

My blood.

Taichi had struck me and drew blood.

Yet I was covered in his.

But where was he?

I staggered forward and promptly tripped over something.

I looked round, started and scrambled away.

Lying there on the sand was Taichi, his eyes wide and glassy. His mouth hung slightly open and his face was frozen in a terrified mask of death.

And he was covered in blood.

His heart had stopped, yet it still flowed from the myriad of slashes across his body. His clothes were in tatters and I could see his insides.

I hadn't just killed Tai.

I had torn him apart.

I crawled over and flicked one of spiky prongs of his hair.

Nothing.

Taichi was dead.

I stood up and sliced off the tip of the prong with the shrapnel and held it in my hand.

Taichi, leader of the Digi-Destined...was dead.

And I'd killed him.

I started to shake.

But not with remorse...with laughter.

I laughed and laughed and threw the hair away.

"You see, Tai? I'm not insane! You thought I was, but I wasn't! I knew what I wanted all the time! Kari will be mine, and I'll kill anyone to prove it!" I spat at him "And say hello to Davis down there for me, Kamiya!"

I went to walk off, when I realised something.

I was covered in his blood.

He was lying torn up behind me.

I couldn't make this look like an accident!

What was I to do?

I looked down at the bloodstained shrapnel and wiped it clean on my shirt.

I held it up to my face.

My reflection.

Not the forgiving 8 year-old who bore the Crest of Hope.

Not the bucket hat-wearing 13-year-old who led the new team.

The cold, loving stare of an innocent killer.

Takeru Takaishi.

ME!!

I turned round at Tai and grinned.

I raised the shrapnel above my chest...and bought it down.

To be continued...