Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. This is just a fanfic. Please don't sue my ass off.
Author's Note: This takes place approximately one month after Digimon 02 ended. I'm trying my best to use only the Japanese names and references. I may, however, make a mistake. If so, please e-mail me at shinigami86@hotmail.com.
And so the fic begins…
Vandemon sat in his carriage, eyeing his prey. She was tall, beautiful, and completely unaware of his intentions.
"Ah, the sweet smell of fear," he said. "Human blood always tastes better with a drop of fear in it." The woman turned around. Vandemon's carriage stopped in front of her. He got out, smiling at her. The woman couldn't look away. His gaze was too powerful, too handsome…
His fangs pierced her neck. There wasn't a thing she could do about it as she sank to the ground. Vandemon casually tossed her body to the ground. He was about to get back into the carriage, when a noise made him turn around. There was a rustling in the bushes. Out crawled a little digimon. She had hair as red as her eyes, black wings, claws, and fangs just like Vandemon. She crawled over to the unconscious woman on the pavement and leaned over to look at her sleeping face. Her tiny hands caressed her cheek. She looked up at Vandemon with adorable, questioning eyes.
"She's not dead," he said. "Don't worry yourself so much, Shikumon."
She licked her lips. Vandemon raised his eyebrow and smiled. "You want some? Just don't go overboard. We can't have any dead bodies lying around, now can we?"
Shikumon shook her head slowly, the bent down over the woman's neck.
Four years later…
Hikari and Tailmon raced to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Mine!" Hikari yelled as she grabbed the toast just as it popped out of the toaster.
"Aww! You always get it before me! No fair!" said Tailmon. Then she laughed and got the other piece.
"Hey, did you guys see this?" Taichi asked from the living room.
"What is it?" asked Hikari, walking over to the TV set.
"Shh…" Taichi silenced her. The anchorman on the news spoke.
"Over the course of the past few nights, several women have been struck with what doctor's call "sudden anemia." The same epidemic hit Odaiba several years ago, and authorities have yet to decide if they are related."
Taichi stared at the screen intently. Then he turned to Hikari. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.
"Vandemon," she said, nodding.
"How can it be?" Tailmon asked. "He's dead."
The reporter continued. "Several witnesses claim to have seen the figure of a young girl leave the scene. If anyone has any information, they are urged to contact this number immediately."
Tailmon's eyes grew wide.
"Do you think it's him?" Hikari asked her.
"No, it couldn't be. It's gotta be someone else."
"A poser," Taichi said thoughtfully.
"Probably." Tailmon shrugged. "C'mon Hikari! Let's go!"
Tailmon waited outside with Patamon and V-mon once she and Hikari got to school.
Takeru was waiting for Hikari next to his desk. He looked up as soon as she came over.
"Did you hear about the…"
"I heard," she said quickly.
"Do you think it's…"
"Let's hope not."
"But all those girls being attack," Takeru said. "It's just like last time."
"Oh yeah," said a voice. "It happened before, didn't it?"
Hikari and Takeru looked up. Their classmate, a naïve girl named Kyoko Ginju was smiling at them vaguely. "I heard it happened like, four years ago. A bunch of ladies were attacked right here in Odaiba, weren't they?"
"Yeah, but they don't know if the attacks were related," said Hikari.
"Did they ever find out who was doing it the first time?"
"No," answered Takeru.
Kyoko jumped up. "Then the criminal still roams the streets! A vampire who lures young ladies to his side, just like that really bad horror movie!"
"Do you believe in vampires, Kyoko?" Hikari asked.
"Do I? That's a good question. It could be a vampire, but it could also be some deranged psycho with a fork. But if it is a vampire then…"
"Then what?"
"Then it would be so amazingly dramatic! Just like a romance novel!"
Takeru and Hikari were rendered speechless.
"What?"
"It's just…not very romantic. I mean, this guy's sucking women's blood," Takeru said, laughing.
"Well, in all the books I've read, the vampires drink the blood of women cause it's like…love for them." She looked up dreamily.
"Love?" Hikari said skeptically.
"Well that's what the books say! Give me a break, I just read them."
"Ok, ok. Calm down, Kyoko."
"Hey, where's Daisuke?" Kyoko asked, looking around.
"Oh, I don't think he's here yet," said Takeru.
"Really? Such a shame. I was hoping to talk to him."
"About what?"
"Things. I really don't think it's any of your…oh! Daisuke!"
Daisuke smiled at Kyoko. "Hey, what's up?"
"Up? Oh, nothing." She looked away and sat at her desk, staring fixedly at the board.
"Kyoko?"
"Huh?" She jumped in her seat.
"Did you want to talk to me about something?"
"I suppose I did," Kyoko said, nodding. She turned back to the board.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"What were you going to say to me?"
"Oh, that's all in the past. Water under the bridge, you know. Get over it, Daisuke. The world doesn't revolve around you."
"Well, you know there's a festival tomorrow night."
"Is there?"
"Yeah, so do you wanna come with me?"
Kyoko stared at him for a moment. Then she blinked. "Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.
He nodded. "I guess so."
"Will there be kissing involved in said date?"
"There could be."
"So that leaves it as optional?"
"Yes. Yes, it does."
"I'm in!"
Daisuke, Hikari, Miyako, and Takeru sat under a tree, eating lunch. Koushiro walked over to them, carrying a pocket computer.
"Did you hear about the…"
"We heard," they all said at once.
"I think it might be…"
"Vandemon," the four of them said together.
Koushiro sighed and sat down. "I've been following this situation. He's struck three time already. First in the park, then at the docks, then in the park again. If we're lucky, he'll attack at the docks tonight. I'm organizing a stakeout. Who's with me?"
When all of them looked as though they were going to speak, Koushiro raised a hand to silence them. "I only need one. The less people that come, the less likely we are to be noticed. Everyone else should have their D3's on the alert."
"Who else is coming?" asked Hikari.
As soon as Koushiro said "Ken," Miyako began jumping up and down yelling, "I'll go! I'll go!"
"Calm your hormones, girl!" Daisuke said.
"Ken…so fluffy…so warm…so…"
"Creeped out, I'll bet," Takeru whispered. Hikari sniggered.
Miyako and Hawkmon arrived at the docks just before 11 PM that night. Koushiro and Ken were already waiting for her with Wormmon.
"Anything yet?" she asked, panting.
"Nothing. But the women weren't discovered until after midnight."
"But we have school tomorrow!" she whined.
"I thought you knew we'd be up late," said Ken. "Why did you come?"
"Uh…no reason." Miyako blushed.
"I think I see something!" Koushiro whispered urgently.
"Is it a vampire?" a voice said from behind them. They jumped. Kyoko was standing behind them. The vague smile never seemed to have left her face. She was carrying a bag of groceries.
"Hey, aren't you Daisuke's friend?" asked Miyako.
"So I am," she said, kneeling down. She took a meat bun out of her bag and started munching on it. "Whatcha doing?" Her mouth was completely full.
"Nothing," said Koushiro.
"Lookin' for vampires?"
"Ye…I mean no. Something else."
"Oh." Kyoko took another bite out her meat bun. Then she noticed Hawkmon and Wormmon on the floor. "Oh how cute!" Kyoko picked up Wormmon, who remained completely still, and nuzzled his face.
"Um…what are you doing?" asked Ken.
"It's a sleepover! How positively adorable! You brought your stuffed animals and everything!"
"Yeah, ok. That's exactly what we're doing. Now go away."
"Seems like a weird place for a sleepover."
"Look," said Miyako, getting irritated, "you wanted it to be a sleepover, and it's a sleepover. We're busy doing our sleepover stuff. Thank you, and goodnight."
"You're looking for that murderous attacker, aren't you?" she said, ignoring Miyako's irked voice. The three of them cringed.
"Why would we want to do a thing like that?" asked Koushiro, sweating a little.
"You and your little gang of friends have been talking about it all day." She sighed dramatically. "I offered my services, but nobody ever pays much attention to me…"
"Services?" Ken asked.
"I'd throw myself to the vampire in the name of justice!"
"Uh, that's not…"
Kyoko stood up. "You people go on your little vampire hunt." She yawned. "I'll see you in the morning."
Before anyone could stop her, Kyoko was humming to herself as she strolled away.
The night before had been a dead end. Koushiro, Ken, and Miyako had found no trace of whoever was attacking the women. But there had been an attack, just not in the place they thought it would be.
"Tossed by the side of the road?" Hikari asked.
"Her head was injured. It's the first victim they found that had been hurt in a place other then her neck. But they thought that a car or something might have been coming and so the attacker was in a hurry."
"But she's still alive?" Iori said, hoping to be assured.
"Yeah, she's fine. Just cut up a little. Like the rest," Miyako said sympathetically.
"I don't understand it," Koushiro said. The keys on the computer were tapping furiously. "Why did he break the pattern?"
"To throw us off?" Takeru suggested.
"Maybe." Koushiro rubbed his chin. "But he might have known we would be there."
"Why hide from us?" Patamon asked.
"He's done it before," Tailmon pointed out. "He's always been a coward."
"We've killed him three times already! How many times do ya gotta kill that guy before he dies!" V-mon pounded his fists.
"Let's be reasonable," said Hikari. "I mean, we're not completely sure it's him. It might not even be a digimon."
"Who else would it be?" asked Armadillomon.
"Well," said Takeru, "there's Kyoko's theory of a crazed lunatic with a fork."
"Isn't Kyoko's mind…not all there?" asked Hikari.
"It's there. But it's almost like someone forgot to turn it on all the way," said Takeru, laughing.
"Isn't she that girl we saw last night?" Koushiro asked.
"Yeah," said Miyako. "She was kinda annoying."
Takeru elbowed Daisuke. "Daisuke's got a little crush on her," he announced.
Miyako raised her eyebrows. "So Daisuke's finally got his sights set on someone besides Hikari!"
Daisuke was about to defend himself, when the bell rang to signal the beginning of class.
That night, Daisuke was getting ready for the festival when the doorbell rang. He could hear his sister Jun all the way from his room.
"You must be Daisuke's new girlfriend! Wow that kimono is ABSOLUTELY adorable! Did your mom make it for you?"
"Er…no," he heard Kyoko say.
"Well sit back! Relax! Watch some TV! I'll go bother…er…get Daisuke for you!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Daisuke stalked out of his room, wearing a blue kimono. He looked at what Kyoko was wearing. Her kimono was black with white stars all over it.
He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You…you look really pretty."
She smiled. "Thank you."
V-mon shoved Daisuke in the shins.
"Ow!"
Kyoko looked up. "Hmm?"
"Uh, nothing."
"Well then, shall we go?" Jun asked.
"Yeah." Daisuke leaned over to pick up V-mon, who remained as stiff as a board. Kyoko eyed him curiously.
"I never realized stuffed animals were so popular these days," she said pleasantly.
"What? Oh, I mean, yeah."
She nodded. "Maybe I should start bringing stuffed animals to school."
"Stuffed animal?!" V-mon was muttering under his breath.
"Did you say something?"
"Wh-what makes you say that?" asked Daisuke.
Kyoko shrugged. Jun led Kyoko and Daisuke down the dark street. Daisuke held V-mon like a doll, doing his best to keep the blue creature at bay.
Once they arrived, Jun went off to work at one of the booths…and possibly flirt with a few boys on her way there.
Daisuke turned to Kyoko. "What do you want to do first?"
She looked around. "Play an exciting childlike game," she answered, staring at a ring-toss game.
"Um, ok!" Daisuke set V-mon on the ground and took Kyoko's hand in his. She stared at him in surprise, blushing slightly. Then she noticed V-mon lying on the floor.
"Should you really leave him there?"
"V-mon? Who would take him?"
"A group of rampaging children."
"I'll take the risk. What's life without risks?" He laughed nervously and began to walk towards the ring-toss game, dragging Kyoko with him.
"So," Daisuke said, looking at the collection of prizes on display, "which one do you want?"
She pointed to a black teddy bear with a blue ribbon around its neck. "That one."
After several attempts, Daisuke was still unable to throw the ring around the post with the bear above it. Kyoko stood quietly behind him, watching him curiously.
"Can I give it a shot?" she asked him.
"Um…sure." Daisuke handed her the last of his rings. She stared at the post for a moment, then threw the ring clear around it effortlessly.
Daisuke gawked. Kyoko smiled. "I suppose this means I win?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess it does."
Kyoko bowed graciously. "Thank you."
"I didn't do anything." Daisuke was blushing furiously.
She giggled. "You paid for the rings."
"Well, I mean, uh…no problem."
The vendor handed the bear to Kyoko.
"He's so adorable!"
Daisuke looked at the other prizes she could have won. There were green bunnies, pink birds, and yellow horse. Compared to the other animals, the bear could hardly be described as "cute." It was more traditional then anything, Daisuke decided.
"Now I have my own stuffed animal to carry around! Should we introduce him to V-mon?"
"Not right now. Are you hungry?"
Kyoko looked concerned for a moment but then she nodded.
"Jun's running a food stand. We could hack some food off of her."
They walked off, leave V-mon to watch them from the bushes.
"I'm happy for Daisuke, I really am." V-mon sat on the ground, surrounded by Tailmon, Patamon, Armadillomon, Hawkmon, and Wormmon.
"He's in denial," whispered Wormmon.
"It happens a lot," said Tailmon.
V-mon looked up. "What?"
"Sooner or later, a lot of Digidestined become attractive to a human who isn't a Digidestined. It happens, and it usually goes away quickly. So don't worry."
"I'm not worried! I…I…" he leaned over and started bawling. "It's not fair! It's just not fair! Why don't I get a stuffed bear? Why does SHE get one?"
"Because if he gave you one you'd fall over?" suggested Armadillomon.
V-mon started to cry harder. Hawkmon patted him on the back with his wing.
"There, there. Don't get so worked up. In any case, you wouldn't be able to do much of anything if Daisuke carried you around. You'd have to be perfectly still, like a stuffed animal."
Tailmon stretched out her legs and grinned. "Too bad the rest of you don't blend in as well as me!"
"Cheer up, V-mon. The rest of us are stuck here too. But I brought…lollipops!" His tiny hands proudly displayed six huge lollipops. In a few seconds, they were all licking them happily, except for V-mon, who was still sniffling slightly.
Daisuke and Kyoko stood on a bridge, away from all the hustle and bustle of the festival. Kyoko was so busy staring at the stars, she didn't notice that Daisuke was staring at her.
"So, how long have you lived in Odaiba?" she asked him, bringing him out of his daydream.
"Oh, since I was like, four, I think. I'm not sure. What about you? I mean, you just came to school at the beginning of the year."
"We moved here a week before school started."
"Where did you move from?"
"Okinawa."
"Oh."
The silence that followed was rather awkward. But it was broken very quickly by a large explosion in the sky.
Everyone at the festival suddenly stopped his or her activities when the sky seemed to open up. Takeru grabbed Hikari and they ran over to the bush where the digimon were waiting.
"Where's Daisuke?" V-mon asked frantically.
"Over there, I think," Takeru said, pointing towards the bridge. Come on!
"Stay back, Kyoko," warned Daisuke as Icedevimon came down from the sky. He approached them, wearing a wicked grin on his face.
"Little Digidestined," he teased, "just what are you doing here? You know it's very dangerous at night. All sorts of monsters can come out and GRAB YOU!" His arm extended towards them, ready to grab. But Daisuke managed to pull himself and Kyoko to safety. Kyoko trembled softly.
Just then, Hikari and Takeru appeared with Tailmon, Angemon, and XV-mon.
"Daisuke, get Kyoko out of here!" yelled Takeru.
"I'm not interested in you," Icedevimon said in a final voice. "I have come for one thing and one thing only." His eyes fell towards Kyoko, who was staring at him with absolute fear. Daisuke took her hand to calm her. She was shaking uncontrollably.
"Don't play these games with me," said Icedevimon coldly. "I'm not in the mood for your tricks." He struck again with his fist. Kyoko rolled over quickly just in time.
"What do you want with me?" she said, her voice little more than a whimper.
"Don't make me look bad, dear. It would be very embarrassing if I attacked the wrong child, but I know you're the right one."
"I have a feeling you're more than a stuffed animal." Her voice was shaking violently.
He laughed. It was as cold as the icicles that were now blaring from behind him. He aimed them straight at Kyoko, but XV-mon intercepted them just before they hit her.
"Take her and get out of here, Daisuke! Hurry!"
Daisuke nodded, dazed, and stumbled over to Kyoko. Together, they ran off, both of them struggling to stay up.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," Icedevimon said. Angemon had cornered him.
"Speak for yourself."
"I didn't come here to deal with you."
"It seems your plans have changed. Back to the Digiworld where you belong, or I'll do something that I'll regret later."
"You'd rather just kill me now, wouldn't you?"
"Tell us what you want with Kyoko!" yelled Hikari from a safe distance.
"That's really none of your business."
Tailmon slashed his face. Icedevimon stepped back in pain.
"She's our friend. You're not going to hurt her without getting past us!"
Suddenly, Icedevimon began to laugh. He looked up at Angemon, who hadn't changed his stance.
"I'll take your advice, Angemon. Farewell, for now. I suppose she can't fall into my grasp with so many people protecting her. Take care of the newest Digidestined, because she'll need her strength for when I come back."
And, with a flash, he was gone.
"Newest Digidestined? He's not talking about Kyoko?"
Hikari shrugged. "Beats me. But we'd better find them anyway."
"Fill me in," Kyoko said when they finally stopped. "Who was that?"
"Er…remember my stuffed animal?"
"Yeah…?"
"They ain't so stuffed anymore."
"Oh…that's very…interesting." Kyoko smiled vaguely one last time, and then fainted in Daisuke's arms.