Notes: Things are about to take off. As they say, the plot thickens and becomes as clear as mud. I'm even confused with some parts and I'm writting the silly thing. Oh, well. It's all turn out in the end. It usually does.
If you wrote any reviews, thank you. I can't tell you how much I appriciate it. Keep reading and reviewing, please and don't be afraid to give critism. Sometimes that can be more valuable than praise. A mixture of both is nice.
Anyways, to the story!
Digi Destiny Will Always Be There
Part 2 - Digi World
Section 1 - Old Memories
Genni had been smart enough to leave the digi destined alone with their grief. They were sitting on mats, in a circle, in the big room they mostly claimed for their own whenever they came to Genni's. It hadn't changed all that much but they had to close the curtains. They couldn't bare looking into the oil slick and see garbage, in place of fish, floating by.
Genni had left some food, rice, fish and fruit, but nobody touched it. Instead they took turns talking about their old friends, mostly about how they met.
"I was so scared of Bukamon when he showed up."
"Koromon scared me too, at first."
"I don't see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't scared." Mimi stated, indigentally.
"You screamed." Matt accused.
"At the bloody Kuwagamon." Mimi pointed out.
They all listened intensely, especially Kari who, as the others usually forgot, hadn't been there at the beginning.
TK hadn't said anything for the whole conversation and when he finally did, it chilled them all. "When I said good-bye to Patamon, I knew it was for keeps. I guess I just never realized I'd be back to notice he was really gone."
*When did TK become such a pessimist?* Joe wondered, *That's suppose to be my department.*
The door openned and in shuffled Genni. "I hate disturbing you but we really need to talk about why you are here."
"Oh, Genni. Don't tell just yet. Let us guess. Could it be we're here to save the Digi World from another big, bad, evil digimon?"
"No."
"What?!?!"
"No, your mission will be much more important. A lot has changed since you left, not all of it good. I'm sure you've seen the world up there."
"Can't anyone look after their own world? We left the Digi World in perfect condition." Matt mummbled but not low enough to get past Genni.
"This is out of the digimon's control. The Digi World is going through a digilution."
"Like an evelution."
"Exactly, Izzy."
"It's Kari. I said that."
"My apologies, young one. I'm old. I have been here a long time. So long... I'll have to choose..." His voice faded off.
"Genni?"
Genni jumped with a start, his old bones cracking. "My apologies again. What were we talking about?"
"Digilution."
"Ah, yes. Totally natural. Species of digimon have become extinct. New ones are being hatched every day. Small villages of Yokomon have become cities of Birdramon. They've formed technology, much that can easily rival your own. And some digimon have managed to digivolve way beyond what you know as the Final Form."
"All very intriguing, Genni. But what does this have to do with us?" This time it was Izzy speaking.
"Everything, Kari." No one corrected Genni and he went on. "With progress, there are draw backs. With power, there is corruption. The digimon have began to crave power and no longer in their own world. Now they want to invade yours."
"So, we have to stop the evil digimon." Tai said.
"No, no, no, Sora. You can't. Remember Myotismon?" Shivers raised the hairs on their arms. They remembered. "Well, times him by a hundred, a thousand, and that is what you will be facing. No, the only way to stop them all is to put up a barrier, between the two worlds, that will take digimillenniums to break down. By that time I hope these power crazy digimon will have come to their senses and realize they don't want to take over your world." Genni sat down, tired by his long speech. But the old man couldn't stop now. There was still much more for the digi destined to hear. "I'd like to tell you a legend. When the Digi World came into existence, around the time of your own Industrial Revolution was beginning, its creators put up a barrier between the two worlds, so neither would be directly effected by what the other was doing. For a long time that barrier worked, only occasionally being broken. Then seven children came through a vortex, which created a rift that could not be patched. More were created when Etemon was destroyed, even more with Myotismon. Not to meantion all the travelling the digi destined did between worlds. I think you know where this is leading. Now the barrier hardly exists at all. In a matter of digidays it will be torn down and the digimon will rush into your world. And not just in a located area. Oh no. They will be all over the world, at the same time. Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Japan, England, Antartica, New Zealand, Canada."
"Is there a way to build up a the barrier again."
"No, but..." Genni hurried on before everyone in the room fainted or killed him. "The Creators were smart. They knew their barrier would not be around forever and in case something happened, a second reserve barrier was stored away. All you have to do is turn it on."
"Why do I get the feeling this is not going to be as easy as you make it sound." Matt grumbled.
"Your feelings are quite correct Mimi." Genni took a scroll out from his robes and unrolled it on the floor. "This is part of an ancient scripture, which tells where to turn on the barrier." Genni pointed to a triangle on the map. "This is Mt. Edziza. It's not far. A day walking or so. You can see it from the lake shore. Can't miss it. This is where the device is. You'll have to get inside."
"How?"
"That'll be tricky. You'll have to find a secret entrance. There are many but none are shown on the map. I'm told some have already been found out. But no digimon who has gone in, ever came out. There are obsticals, you see. Bobby traps. Many lethal. The Creators only wanted special people to get in and out."
"So, what happens next? Do you know?"
"Sort of," Genni took out another roll of paper. This one looked like a building floor plan. "All the entrances will lead to this chamber." He tapped his finger down on the rectangle. "There will be a door which you will have to get through. I don't know how." Genni's finger traced into the red circle. "This is where the device will be. It's said to be guarded but again, I don't know by what. Once you get past the guards, you'll have to turn on the device. There will be slots to put you're tags and crests. It doesn't matter what order you put them in but only a digi destined can slip his or her own tag into the slot. Otherwise, it won't work."
"Wait a minute, Genni. Wait." Izzy said, waving his hands back and forth. "This doesn't make sense. That would mean only the digi destined, mainly us, could turn on the device. How could your Creators know we'd even be alive?"
A mysterious look came over Genni's whithered face. "The Creators knew more than anyone can possibly guess. They were the ones who wrote the prophecies, many of which involved you and your friends."
Tai looked over to Matt. "'Angels will shoot arrows of hope and light at the loved ones of those they have been sent to protect.' Remember?" Matt nodded. He remembered.
Genni went on, "Perhaps, in a few days, another one of their prophecies will come true. Well, anyways," Genni shock himself "That's all, except one thing."
Everyone, omit Joe who had been expecting this, grumbled.
"Don't grumble Joe. I only have to say you can only us the digivices twice for transport. Once to get here and once to go home. And one more thing."
"You just said one more thing." protested TK.
"Don't argue with me girl. I'm sending some of my most trusted digimon with you."
"What!?"
"No!"
"We don't need..."
"...strong by ourselves..."
"Now, now, now." Genni hushed the digi destined. "I know you are strong, that you have power but you don't have your digimon friends. It is a dangerous world out there. You'll need protection and help. Now go, you don't have much time."
Section 2 - Just Like Old Times
It was deja vu all over again, sort of. I mean, now it wasn't exactly pleasant to walk in the Digi World and they were older. It had been a long time but within minutes they fell into there old walking routine.
Tai, as usual, took the lead. Joe found himself falling in step beside him and speaking. "Do you think this is wise? I mean, going off like this. Trusting Genni."
"Do we have a choice? And what's wrong with Genni? We've always trusted him before."
"I know but back then he didn't seem so... seem so..." Joe grasped for the word. "Senile."
"What do you mean?"
"Forgetting our names. Fading off."
"Not to meantion the digimon." Mimi put in, jogging up to join in the discussion.
All three glanced over the digimon that Genni had sent to tag along. It didn't matter what standards you measured them against, they didn't look very impressive.
There was Folxmon. She seemed to be the leader and was by far the most likely to be able to defend against bad digimon. She was a little shorter than Kari, when she stood on her hind legs. Her front paws had fingers but she could fall forward and run on all fours if she needed the speed. Her fur was dark silver, which went great with her sharp white claws and teeth.
I don't know the real name of the second digimon. He was a small quadruped who resembled an elephant. He also wasn't too bright, often relying on Folxmon's councsel. Hence the nickname Dumbomon.
Finally, there was Clothomon, the pathetic digimon. She was friendly enough but tiny and weak. She seemed something out of a fairy tale, a tiny pixie that could sit in the cup of your hand. Basically a human figure, wearing human like clothes but so tiny, with glimmering wings.
Right now Clothomon was sitting on the bill of TK's backwards ball cap. Neither he nor Kari, who was walking beside TK, noticed the presents of the digimon. They were deeply involved in a conversation over a band none of the others had even heard of.
Izzy, Sora and Matt straggled behind in single file. They were all quiet, lost in their own thoughts.
Sora was in the way back, as far away as possible from Tai. Her mind was swarming. She and Tai had offically broken it off. *So what happened in that motel room? Could it be that time did heal all wounds?* Sora subconsciously rubbed her abdomen. *Or was it just wishful thinking?*
Izzy's thoughts were on, of course, Casey. He'd explained to her the time differential and she'd promised to wait in the control room. What made it so bad was that he'd could waiting years and she'd only be waiting days. It was so unfair, like everything else connected to being a digi destined.
Matt wasn't thinking deep thoughts but he was watching TK like a hawk, for any stumble, any sign of dizziness even though the doctor had said it could be years before the visiable signs appeared. Matt glanced down at his watch and his voice called out on the verge of panic. "TK, did you..?"
TK raised his hand in the A-OK sign, not losing a beat while explaining to Kari why 'Losing Sleep' should have been sung as a solo.
"What was that all about?" Sora asked, her natural mother concern taking her away from her own problems. (At least some things never change.)
"Oh, nothing. TK just has some medicine he has to take." Matt said nonchalantly as possible. He really didn't want to drag anyone into private matters, especially ones that were more TK's than his. "He just caught a bad bug."
Sora didn't like the way Matt dodged her eyes but she let it be. She seem to have touched on a sensitive matter, though she couldn't see how a bad cold or flu could require such secretive behavior. Unless...
*Don't even go there!* Sora ordered herself but the thought just wouldn't go away. *What if..?*
They didn't get more than a mile before they ran into trouble. Or rather trouble flew to them. Mimi was commenting on the smell drifting off of Dumbomon when, suddenly, she wasn't commenting anymore. In fact she wasn't BREATHING anymore. She made desprate swips at her purse but oxygen deprivation was making anything she did less than accurate.
"Catch Her. She's falling." Joe called, suddenly taking charge before anyone else realized anything was even wrong. He leaped over to a suprised Tai, who'd caught Mimi, in two even bounds. He took the case Mimi had been fumbling with and removed what looked to be a needle. With precision and confidence the others had never seen in Joe before, he directed the needle into Mimi's upper arm. She let out a small breath, followed by many gasps.
"Calm down, Mimi. Breath." Joe soothed, "Breath. In and out. In and out." The gasps slowed into normal breaths.
"What happened?" Now that the immediate danger was over, Tai fell back into his role as leader. Mimi was too busy concentrating pushing air in and out of her lungs, so Joe picked up the container and used needle.
"It seems Mimi forgot to meantion she'd allergic to bee strings,"
Of course, the day wasn't over yet. It wouldn't be over until the sun went down. And sometimes not even then. Joe insisted they take a break, for Mimi's sake. She really should have gone to a doctor but a brief nap under the leaves of a digitree would have to do. That's where Joe found Tai, watching over Mimi's sleeping form.
"She'll be fine." Joe reassured, "And it wasn't your fault, so you can stop blaming yourself."
Tai glared at Joe, upset that his private thoughts had been so easily unlocked.
"Don't look so suprised. Birds of a feather flock together. You, Matt and Sora are all the same. You seem to think all the troubles in the world are your fault."
"And you don't?" Tai snapped back.
Joe laughed. He could definitely see the perks of annoying their leader. "Can't. I'm a paramedic. I see people die everyday. I can't blame their deaths on myself. I'd go crazy inside a week. All I can to is take comfort in the fact that I did my best." Joe looked at Mimi. "I swear, Mimi's not the first person to hide a medical condition. Like being allergic to bees is a big weakness. Makes it damn hard for us paramedics though."
Sora walked into hearing range to catch the tail end of the conversation. Thinking about Mimi not telling about her allergy, made Sora think of TK and Matt.
*Are they hiding another 'weakness'?* The emergency with Mimi had mearly dispenced not eradicated the thought and it was back.
As her eyes drifted to the grove of trees where Kari, TK and Clothomon had disappeared. Of the whole group, they were the only ones who seemed to actually be getting along. Her ears picked up on yells and the sound of breaking branches. Kari and TK broke through the foliage at a full run. Clothomon was hanging wildly in Kari's hair, screaming the loudest. "Vipermon! Vipermon!"
None of the digi destined knew what a Vipermon was but telling from the shear horror in the little flying digimon's eyes it couldn't be good.
"Digivolve!"
"We can't."
"I was afraid of this. Genni gave us defeacted digimon."
"Run!" Clothomon screamed.
Sora looked to Tai. "Run?"
"Run." Tai agreed.
Tai and Sora each grabbed one of Mimi's arms and yanked her to her feet. More asleep than awake, she stumbled between the two.
A creature slithered under the tree where Mimi had been sleeping moments before. They caught a glance of it as they hurried out of the clearing. It was a huge, legless serpent, covered in scales that were dark purple with a tint of black and silver. Its green tounge flicked in and out between the dagger fangs, testing the air for life. It had the hood of a cobra, tail of a rattler and was very fast. There was no way there were going to out run this thing.
The digimon were behind, trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to slow Vipermon down. Folxmon front claws sliced at Vipermon but couldn't penetrate the thick scales. Dumbomon shot tiny pellets out of his trunk with much the same results. And as far as anyone could see, Clothomon's attack was taking a sharp stick and trying to poke out Vipermon's eyes. They were indeed doomed.
Sora screamed as Vipermon's rattle end wrapped around her waist. Tai let go of Mimi who, still not awake, fell to the ground like a bag of cement. (Sora had let go when Vipermon had nabbed her.) Tai grabbed the nearest, movable object, which happened to be a rock, and blopped it down on Vipermon's snout. Vipermon, about to sink its fangs into its prey, turned on Tai but didn't release his hold on Sora. Tai decided to flee, fly, flash, foe, fum and get the flaming heck outta there. Apparently Vipermon had no taste for stationary food because he ignored Mimi completely and raced after Tai, Sora bouncing along behind.
Tai made a sharp turn, as to miss the open meadow up ahead. He grabbed the lowest branches of the nearest climbing tree and pulled himself up. Vipermon came to a halt underneath and, looking up, spoke for the first time. "What kind of a digimon are you?"
With a smile tugging at the cornors of his mouth, Tai replied. "A Humon."
Vipermon seemed to smile back. "A Humon. Very interesting. I've never seen you before."
"I'm new around here."
Vipermon continued to look at Tai, never taking his eyes off him. "Come down here, Humon." And strangely enough, that's what Tai wanted to do, even though it surely meant certain death. He began to climb down. He heard someone (Sora?) yelling at him but it was drowned out by Vipermon's command. Tai climbed down all the way, until he was nose to snout with the serpent.
"Foolish Humon." Vipermon hissed as his mouth openned wide.
"Pepper Breath!" From somewhere on the left came a ball of flame and fire. The sudden bright light broke Tai's trace with Vipermon.
From the right came another familiar attack, "Spiral Twister!" and Vipermon's head was knocked aside by a tornado of wind.
And finally, came a sound that no digimon could create. BANG! The bullet whizzed past Tai's ears and bedded itself in Vipermon's eye.
Blood began to gush and the digimon decided to retreat. He could handle these Humons, even Biyomons and Agumons but not this strange new attack, this BANG!
The grip loosed around Sora and she was able to wriggle free. Tai grabbed her hand and they ran, as fast a their feet could carry them.
Section 3 - Runaway(s)
If you asked Tai, he'd firmly state that he did not enjoy yelling. However, watching him less than an hour after the Vipermon attack, one would beg to differ. He wasn't just screaming. He wasn't just yelling. And he wasn't just shouting. He was doing all three and letting hardly a breath in between. He was screaming at the digimon.
(What kind of digimon are you?!!)
He was yelling to the sky.
(I could have used some help down here!)
He was yelling at Matt.
(What were you thinking? Shooting that gun? You could have hit me)
But only Matt yelled back.
(I probally saved your worthless life!)
And Sora tried to calm everyone down.
(Please calm down. You're acting like little children.)
But, of course, they wouldn't listen. (Another thing that hadn't changed.)
They yelled and then they began blaming.
(You should have moved faster!)
(You should have come back to help with Mimi!)
(I had to watch TK!)
(TK's a big boy now. I think he can look after himself!)
Up to that point, TK hadn't felt effected by the fight. However when they drag his name into it, a kind of seething and resentment began to build up in his stomach, until he could stand no more. He turned and, dropping his bedroll and pack, ran as fast as possible.
Stumps were stumps no matter which world you lived in. Good to stand on to mount a horse. Good for pinic tables. Good to sit down on and cry. That's how Kari found TK, bent over, head in his arms and bawling his eyes out.
Kari's first response was to turn around and leave her friend to himself. But TK had keen hearing. He whipped his tears quickly away and beckoned Kari to come over and join him. If anyone here was going to understand, it was going to be Kari.
She sat down beside him, (It was a big stump.) and waited. Eventually, TK spoke. "You ever feel like it's always your fault, no matter what you do?"
Kari nodded. "Of course. A lot of times."
Relief flooded though TK. He was not alone after all. That by its self almost made things all better.
Kari tilted her head to one side and looked at TK with a quizzical expression. "What do you think is your fault?"
TK forced a comical and embarrassed smile. "Everything."
In response to what TK had said, Kari simply asked another question. "Like what? Specially." Kari had became everything her brother was not. She was a daredevil who had patience and could listen, along with keeping any secret, within reason. She also had a calming air about her, much like Sora, which just made you feel safe and want to talk.
TK found the whole story spilling out of his lips. "I'm the reason my parents died. The only reason they were in the theatre was to watch a play I'd writtened. My parents both died in the fire when someone who wasn't suppose to be there, wasn't suppose to be smoking, and the cigerette that wasn't suppose to be lit caught the curtains on fire." TK made a laugh, which sounded more like a curse to Kari's ears, at his own wit. "When our parents died, they didn't have a will, or insurance or anything. They only relatives Matt and I have are distant cousins. Matt was going to go into college that year. But instead of having me go to a foster home, he used up his life saving on lawyer fees to keep us together. We're still in debt. Matt couldn't afford to go to college, even if he got a scholarship. He has to look after me. I wish I had just gone to that stupied foster home and at least Matt would be happy."
"Is that all?" Kari didn't mean to sound unsensative but she'd heard a lot worse than this: Friends with suscidal thoughts. Friends with drug problems. Friends who were beaten by a boyfriends or parents. Oh yes, Kari had heard a lot worse.
TK shock his head. "After that, things just sort of went downhill. I always thought that as long as me and Matt were together, things be fine but they weren't. I guess, after awhile, I figured things would be better if I was gone, so I ran away. I'd always come back or Matt or the cops would find me and it just made things worse. Once, I stayed on the streets for a whole month and I got involved in some pretty nasty stuff. You know... stuff."
Kari nodded again. Though she didn't know exactly what this 'stuff' was, she had a pretty good idea. Drugs? Muggings?
Kari took TK hand and squeezed it. It's what she did to comfort her freinds, to let them know she was there. Only this time she didn't let go. She looked into his eyes, beautiful. She felt herself leaning forward. Lips touched lips. Tounges touched... well, you know. TK kissed back and, for a moment, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Then fear and realization crossed his face in one strong blow. TK pulled away forcfully, like fighting gravity with rocket boosters, and held Kari at bay by her wrists.
"TK?" Kari asked. Hurt? Upset? Disappointed? Felling used? How could TK explain?
From the bushes came a silvery laugh from a silver fairy on silver wings. Everything fell into place for Kari, not because it was logical but because she did not want to have been rejected. Of course, TK had heard someone in the bush and had stopped. Simple, just not true.
Kari jumped to her feet, rage setting in. She charged the bushes but Clothomon flew out before becomeing pixie pulp. Kari chased Clothomon all over but the little winged digimon dogded every grasp, ducked every blow. She wasn't much of a fighter but could she ever fly.
TK turned to return to camp, figuring Clothomon and Kari could catch up later. Yet, when he turned, his heart sank to the bottom of his heels. He did a full circle, to be sure his bearings hadn't been messed up but no. Nothing was familair, period.
"Kari? Clothomon?" TK asked, urgently. "Do either one of you know where we are?"
They stopped their little game of tag and looked around. From the frowns on their faces, TK near they were as puzzled as he. They were lost.