3. behind her red eyes

Three days have passed since the kids entered the digital world and since their first battle there.
It was evening, and the kids made a camp, still in the woods.

"Don't you think it's strange that we haven't seen any Digimon ever since the fight with the DarkTyrannomons?" asked Takuya thoughtfully.
"You're right." Kouichi knit his brows.
"I don't know why you worry about that " Yoma threw a branch in the fire "I wouldn't complain if I were you." she smiled at the boy with the goggles.
"Another thing" added Takuya, completely ignoring her "Elfmon sent only six DarkTyrannomon against the seven of us. Is it possible that she knew that Yoma couldn't spirit evolve?"
"If so, I hope she knows why too" mumbled Tommy.
"Hey! I'm right here!" said Yoma loudly.
Kouji rolled his eyes.
"Excuse us. Do you have something to add about this?" he muttered behind teeth.
The girl bit her down lip and said nothing.
"Man, am I hungry !" said JP and put a hand on his stomach.
"Tomorrow we'll find some food." said Zoe.
"That's what we say every evening for the past days! All that we found were some eatable plants!"
"I know! Lets' go to the to that village for the hambourger lovers tomorrow!" said Takuya with a smile.
"Great idea! But we have to get a train..." muttered Tommy.
"You mean go back to the forest terminal?" Yoma snored "are you crazy?"
"We'll think of something." Takuya yawned. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm exhausted ."
"It's my turn now, right?" asked Yoma.
They used to put one guard each night, just in case.
"What's the use? If we get attacked, there is nothing you could do, is there?" said Kouji.
"Stop treating me like I can't do anything!" shouted Yoma and jumped up. "I've been helpless enough days of my life!"
"Well, I guess it's not any different now!" Kouji stood up as well and looked straight into her eyes.
Then he understood what was it that had effect on the DarkTyrannomon. The girl's stare had great power. It was almost hypnotizing. Kouji felt something really strange while he looked into her eyes. Something rather different than hatred.
"You have no idea how it's like to be completely helpless! no idea!" shouted Yoma and that feeling in him suddenly disappeared.

A cold wind blew through the trees as they looked like a frozen painting.

"Okay, clam down you two." said Zoe and stood between them.
"Yeah, no need to fight." added Takuya.
"I'll stay with Yoma on guard." said Kouichi "if that'll solve the problem."
"What problem? I don't see a problem." hissed Yoma.
"Fine by me." responded Kouji and turned around furiously.
"Then it's settled." smiled Takuya.

"'night everybody." muttered JP after a few minutes, when everybody but Yoma and Kouichi were ready to close their eyes.
"g'night."

The red-headed girl looked at the stars through a free space between the crowns of the trees. She was sitting with her back against a tree.
The girl was turning inside her mind the memories of what happened three years ago...

[FLASHBACK

"One more step, sis!" a boy with long, black hair was talking to a 10-year-old girl.
she was making one step after another, very carefully and very slowly.
"almost... there..." she muttered and reached out her hands. "Don't... move... ok... Pete?"
"Ofcourse not." responded the older boy.
The girl smiled slightly and made another step.

[END FLASHBACK

Kouichi, when he wasn't staring at the sky, looked at Yoma, who was right next to him. There was something strange about her words... 'I've been helpless enough days of my life!'...
"Yoma?" asked the boy.
"Mhm?" she still didn't turn to him.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"Well... back then... when you said you know how it feels like to be completely helpless... what did you mean?" Kouichi asked carefully.
Hearing his question, Yoma smiled and turned to look at him.
"Do you really wanna know?" she seemed completely calm.
"if... if it's ok." responded the boy.
"sure." she took a deep breath "it's not a very long story, but... anyway. When I was 3 I had a car accident. The whole family did, actually. By a miracle, we all made it out alive. I was the only one really injured. I had a broken... back." she closed here eyes in pain. "I couldn't walk. At all. And the doctors said I'll never be able to, either. So I ended up in a wheelchair." Yoma opened her eyes again and stared with a sad smile at her knees. "Six years, KK. Six years I accepted my fate. Six long years I stared at the other kids running around, playing soccer, basketball... but I did nothing. I couldn't do anything, actually. ...that's what I meant when I said I know what it feels like to be helpless."

Kouichi was speechless. He knew that there was something she was hiding all the time... but he never thought that it would be something like that...
"I... dunno... what to say." he finally found his voice.
"What can you?" she responded. "There really is nothing to tell."
He just nodded.

Kouji, who was lying nearby, heard everything. He was with his back to them, so his brother and Yoma didn't know he was awake. Kouji felt just like when he looked into her eyes... it was like a warm feeling and at the same time angriness toward both his brother and Yoma.
what's wrong with me? thought the boy I can't be mad at my brother! I just can't!

"Can I ask you... erm... how..." started Kouichi.
"How did I get back on my feet?" continued his question Yoma.
"Yeah."
"Well... when I was 9... One morning I woke up and realized I could move my legs." a big smile appeared on her face "and 3 years ago I decided to get the hang of myself. With help from my brother and lots of luck I stood up again. It was great... man, am I tired" Yoma added and yawned.
"Why don't you get some sleep? I'll finish the guard." Suggested the boy.
"No... I shouldn't... really." Yoma hardly kept her eyes open.
"You look like you haven't slept in a long time."
"true." She yawned again ''ok... but wake me up in an hour... or... two..." her eyes slowly closed and her head fell on Kouichi's shoulder.
"Thankyou... for listening..." muttered the girl and fell asleep.
He just smiled and looked at the sky again.

TO BE CONTINUED...