This is the first part of my alternate ending. ^_^ I would have waited until I finished it, it's not quite as long as the other parts, but, um…I'm anxious for everyone to read. This's being written because some people have mentioned in the reviews that the end wasn't as good as the rest of it, and (as I think I noted there) it's pretty much because I was tired of my story, wasn't interested in it and was just kind of wrote it down without the detail and all. I'm not sure how good this new part is either, I'm kind of sleepy right now, it's past midnight where I am…. ::yawns:: Anyway! I hope you enjoy. And remember, this is just the first part, that's not the end of the whole story down there. ^_^
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"Hikari…wake up…."
My eyes seem to stick to my eyeballs, and I force them open. Yamato is sitting up beside me. His golden hair ruffles in the cool breeze as he looks up at the starry sky. No more words come from his mouth, and I wonder if he even spoke them at all, if I was just imagining.
Long moments pass without a sound from either of us. Then---
"Do you hate me, Hikari?"
"Yamato, why would I hate you?"
"Is that a no?"
He looks so much older than I, disconcertingly serious and frightening in the bluish light. "Why should I?" I ask, answering a question with a question.
His face turns more towards the horizon. "You still don't know."
"Know what?" I say. A pang of annoyance sounds in my chest, and I smother it as best I can. I feel like I have no right to be angry with anyone. There's no reply, so I ask again. "Know what---"
"Shh." Yamato takes a long pause. "There's more going on in the Digiworld than anyone could have seen," he says. "I know that Taichi and I…and Daisuke, and Takeru…we lied. We lied to everyone. It was wrong, but we thought it would keep you all safe…except now it's manifested and come back…." He drops his head into his hands. Tears, wiped from his cheek, glisten on his fingertips. "Despite all that, we need you to trust us. We know what's going on now, we can keep everyone safe this time, including ourselves."
I lean closer and try to meet his eyes. "When are you going to tell the truth? Because, I'm sorry--you tell me you lied, and my own brother lied to me, and then he was nearly killed--and you want me to…to believe you know what you're doing now?" Shut up, Hikari! I think. They risked their lives. You're an ungrateful weakling. What did you do when your friends disappeared? YOU STAYED HOME AND CRIED. They were trying to help you…to help you….
"We know more than you do. And it's after US, not you or Miyako or Sora or Jyou…."
"What about Iori?"
He says nothing.
"Are you kidding? What does Iori have in common with you guys that Koushiro and Jyou don't?"
"Hikari, I'm not supposed to tell you anything. Neither is Taichi--but from what I can tell, he hasn't kept his promise either. I---"
Trust them! They're the strong ones! They'll protect you! my mind is screaming. "No," I say aloud. For once in my life, I want to take care of myself. Ever since I was little, I've depended on Taichi or Takeru or Yamato. That's why, I think, I fell apart so much when Taichi was gone. Everyone else is strong…and I'm weak, I'm a burden to everyone, I let this horrible stuff happen to my brother and--- "No, Yamato."
He watches me get up and gather my backpack, some food, and a pack of matches from the box. "Where are you going?"
"AWAY!" I yell, not looking back at him. "I change my mind. I do hate you!" The others are starting to wake from my shouting, so I start running into the woods--not in the direction we came from, not in the direction we were going--just away. Gatomon sinks her claws into my shoulder a little as she fights to get out of my backpack.
"Hikari-chan, where're we going?" she asks. "I was taking a cat nap."
I don't answer her, because I'm focusing on not running into the thickly placed trees. She gently pulls her claws out of my shoulder and climbs into my arms. "Wake me up when we get there," she says, yawning.
Satisfied that I'm far enough away, I sit down to rest. Tears I didn't know were there to cry come spilling out. What did I say? Did I actually tell Yamato I hated him? Did I mean it? Thinking now, I can hardly remember the conversation that led me here, alone save Gatomon, as likely as not to just go running back.
If I could find my way back.
I lean against a cool rock and brush my hair out of my eyes. I wish someone understood me…I certainly don't. Gatomon licks my hand comfortingly, like a sweet housecat, and we slip into a light sleep.
I find myself conscious, in pain. Icy hands grip my shoulders, then no more gently, my neck. Long fingers run through my hair. One shimmering, lethal fingernail creates a shallow slice across my forehead…I gasp as the blood trickles down my face, sticky, warm, into my mouth, salty….
"Creeeeahhhh…."
I try to speak, but something is stealing my energy, and the only word I can form is "why…."
"Say nothing…seeeveee…"
"No…." It's behind me. I try to hit it, to push it away, but my arms don't seem to work, and I have no strength….
Cold streams into my cut. It freezes me, with a feeling like I'll never be warm again…. I open my eyes. The Digiworld forest is gone, the rock is gone, Gatomon is gone, all replaced with such a darkness that one couldn't tell which way is up, down, left or right.
I touch my forehead--the blood is drying. I brush some of it away with my sleeve, and feel no cut underneath my fingers. Not the slightest scratch.
"I know…."
The voice! I jerk to my senses. My eyes work hard, trying to see something when there is nothing to see. "Know what?" I say, laboring not to let my voice crack with fear.
"Takeru…."
He appears some ten yards away, hands and feet bound, head drooping down. He position suggests he's tied to something, or hanging, but there's nothing else there.
"Takeru!" I run towards his glowing figure. But before I get there, he disappears.
"What are you?!" I scream. "Are you doing this?!"
What is this creature, this being, that I can't see, but can feel--I can feel it come closer. Then the hands are in my hair again, tilting my head. "Suhrethhhhhh…." It whispers in my ear. My strength begins to leave me.
"No!" I grip one of those cold hands in mine. The skin is like tissue paper, breaking under the stress and running something thick all over my head. I have to let go--it's like sticking your hand in water and letting it freeze. I'm unable to so much as keep my eyes open. "What…what…."
"Life…."
"Stop…" I say, wondering if it knows what it's doing, "you're hurting me…."
Its hold becomes more painful. "Blood…death…."
"You're not making sense! Stop this!"
My head is wrenched sideways, and I scream. "Please!" I begin to sob. "Please! Stop!"
"Die…."
I drop to my knees. "Please…."
"HIKARI!"
I open my eyes to see Gatomon, standing on my chest. She breathes a sigh of relief. "Hikari-chan, what were you dreaming about? You were talking in your sleep…then you just started bleeding, but look, there's no cut…."
She steps off me as I pant. "I don't know…oh, Gatomon, it was horrible!"
"Tell me about it."
I cradle her in my arms, wanting to feel how warm she is, wanting to ignore the dried blood still on my face, wanting the thick goo to be gone from my hair…. "I don't…I was somewhere else, it was dark, and something was holding my head, it kept saying things that didn't make sense. Just words, or sounds…and I saw Takeru! He was unconscious, I hope, because he wasn't moving…. And that thing was trying to kill me, I think, it was breaking my neck…. Oh, Gatomon, how long have I been asleep?"
Gatomon looks at my watch. "About two hours. It's only one in the morning now…." She's scared, almost as much as I am; it shows in her wobbling voice. "Hikari-chan, I don't think you should sleep anymore, for now…."
"So do I…." I look around, at the wind rustling through the trees, the moon somewhere above us. You were going to be strong, remember, Hikari? You were…you wanted to stop being so dependent on others. But who knows what would have happened if Gatomon hadn't woken me up from that dream? I was bleeding because of something in there, so if that thing killed me, who's to say I wouldn't really die? I hug Gatomon tightly, and stand up. I am going to be strong. "Come on, Gatomon. If we're not going to sleep…we can at least look."
"For what?" she asks.
I pause, not sure what I was intending to look for. Then it comes to me, so obvious, the whole reason I ran away, even though I must have forgotten it.
"Takeru. We must find Takeru."