HNA: Hey Guys! First off, this Chapter is dedicated to all my reviewers, in particular Merryb, who is a great friend and adviser, and PrincessJaded, who has reviewed nearly every chapter without fail and got both the refs i was thinking of, and my cousin, who i hope is reading this. what would i do without you? I've decide to do what some of the other authors do- have a character do the disclaimer. So...*looks at Pella Ellowen*
Pella: Me? BUT, but ...That's a death sentence! i'll DIE
HNA: So? Try to be loveable- it might keep them from lynching you. and they won't kil you. * looks at readers sternly* Right?
Pella: Fine- ok. um Hedgi Naysomay Aisling does not own digimon, Tennis Shoes Adventure series, Beauty or any characters or quotations from either. She DOES own me and my master, and this Whole story- so you can't kill me without her say so. HA! NOW WHAT? Um, have a lovely day? Thank you for reading? Thank you for NOT lynching me? Now what do i do?
HNA: ok- you can go now. you are due back at the castle in a minute or so.
Pella: *hides behind bullet proof shield* thanks. I'm going!
Ok, I realize that most of you want her dead. I regret to inform you that her role in the tale isn't over yet and I still need her, for a while-
R R: PrincessJaded: congrats on the Keep reference! And on the Les Mis reference as well (you got the one I was thinking of first- it's yours) I don't know if there is a way for a reader to murder an OC, but authors can. However as I said before, I still need Pella, so you are out of luck for now.
Twilight in Rain: not what I was thinking of, but it works. Sorry, but I don't make promises I can't keep- there may or may not be death in the chapter…
Merryb: yes, I was right. But don't judge her that quickly- she really does like T.K. (gasp- it's true.) what can I say? In the dream, she was me, and I love T.K., though I'd never even consider "getting rid" of Kari.
LoneWolfVampire13: I'm glad you like the story, and I'm glad you 'hate/love' me- that means I'm doing it right. Technically, I CAN kill Kari- as the author I am physically capable of it (but is my heart strong enough?). Pella knows full well how much T.K. loves Kari- yeah, she has issues. She figures Tai's in no place to kick her sorry butt, Pella's not THAT stupid. Trust me on this. She knows exactly what she's doing.
Serenityrose: glad you like it- but I can't promise anything! I'm assuming you mean 'soon'? Don't die! that'd be bad.
Digidestind of Balance: it's great to hear from you again!*blushes* thanks. But regardless of what Pella does in this story, we signed a writer/character agreement- she is under my protection until the end of the story, and I can't allow you to kill her. Do you really think I could quit now? You'd all kill me!
…On with the story! CHAPTER NINE OF DARK SERENITY IS HERE!
Kari's blood turned to ice, but she did not speak, only let the tears stream down her face. She had trusted the wrong person; had not run when Tai told her to- and now she would die. Her only consolation, her only ember of joy, was that it would be she that died, and not T.K. Not the one she loved, not the one she knew now loved her back.
With Pella's declaration, the tortured cries of the three boys went quiet and only whispered pleas for mercy could be heard as silent tears fell- in anger, pain , and bitter sorrow.
Pella's face showed no hint of feelings- if she had any at all. But as the clear cerulean of her eyes met Kari's crimson, a flash of some unknown emotion sparked in their depths- only for an instant, less than a heartbeat.
"Call the Digimon then, Apprentice," Voidmon commanded, enjoying every moment of the horrid spectacle before his hooded, soulless eyes. Pella whistled a short, haunting tune, and a digimon entered, black as night, fox-like with powerful muscles and claws. It did not look at anyone but Pella, but Kari could sense that it was in pain somehow. It was not a digimon of darkness, but the shadows of evil had taken over.
"Zikanamon," Pella looked at the monster, and smiled again- another melancholy look. "The time has come at last. Destroy-" she paused, seemingly fighting with herself over something. Or perhaps she merely wanted to dangle her power before the helpless digidestind.
Tai pulled on his chains one last time with every ounce of anger, fear and adrenalin he possessed, and finally with a grating noise that rivaled the sound of Voidmon's laughter, , the pegs pulled from the wall. He rushed the girl who held his sister's life in her hands, clawing at her throat. Zikanamon rushed to protect her mistress, snatching the boy with a huge claw and flinging him away. Tai hit the wall and groaned, holding his head.
The digimon again faced her mistress, and was greeted by a sharp, almost angry look.
"Who, Pell?" Zikanamon's voice was not cold or cruel, but sweet and clear. She used the same nickname that Kari and T.K had given Pella the first day they met, so many years ago, by the lake rumored among second graders to have witch's bones at the bottom. Kari remembered that day- shortly after returning from the Digiworld, and wishing desperately she could go back- but was Pella working for Voidmon even then? She had been so in need of friends, and T.K. and Kari were feeling alone without their digimon. It had seemed like fate- but had it all truly been part of some trap?
"Destroy the-" Pella began again, her voice cracking.
T.K interrupted a final time, crying out, "Pella, please don't do this! I'll do anything, anything! Please! Take me instead, I'm begging you! If you can feel anything, if you have even the slightest feeling of-"
" No, T.K. It's… Alright.," Kari whispered. "I Love you." But the words she had kept close to her heart went unheard, as Pella turned on the blond.
"Be Silent. Do not tell me what my feelings would choose- I do what I do for them, because of them. I will not- I cannot kill you. Do not ask that of me." She was breathing hard. "I. Have. CHOSEN!" she thundered the last word, as Voidmon chuckled at the foolishness of love.
"If you kill Kari, I am dead already." T.K. said softly, his eyes filling with fresh tears.
"Zikanamon," Pella called, shedding now a single, final tear, a prayer echoing through her heart. "Zikanamon, destroy- destroy…DESTROY ME!"
There was no call of the attack, only a beam of light the same dark blue of Ziyamon's coat, and the castle began to shake, as the girl with long reddish-gold hair crumpled to the ground.
Voidmon bellowed in fury and unclenched his hands, letting the scroll of Twilight Sight and the Crest of Serenity fall to the floor with a clatter.
The strange Crest landed near Zikanamon, her head bowed in mourning for her mistress, and near Pella. What happened next was hard to tell with the shaking and dust filling the air. Zikanamon began to glow, the same indigo blue as the crest, and suddenly became something different entirely. A tall, faerie-like creature stood in her place, with sliver skin and hair like the sky on the horizon at twilight's end, a pale sapphire, mixed with the luster of a thousand stars. What looked like words were ribboned *in silver over a tunic the color of her hair. With a single phrase, her voice like a crystal bell, she attacked, "Prayer of the Ancients!"
The word-ribbons came to life, filling the air, the room, with light. They wrapped around the manacles holding Matt, T.K. and Kari to the wall, around the dark stone statues of the frozen digimon, and around Voidmon himself. Then the ceiling began to crazy and the light went dark.
The chains disappeared in a scattering of data, and the four children fell, got to their feet, and ran for the door, all eight chosen digimon, free from the dark spell, hot on their heels.
"Where are the others?" Biyomon questioned franticly, but there was no time to search or even reply, no time to find and open four separate cells. It pained them to do it- but the castle was coming down.
"When T.K. and Kari are safe, I'll go back." Matt thought. "My legs are longer- I can go faster."
Feet pounding, the inky shadows thick, Matt did not realize that he had pulled ahead of the others until he was in open air. He turned to see the digimon and his three friends running for the exit. Gabumon passed through. Then Gatomon, but before anyone else could flee the passage, the stones at last collapsed, crashing down to earth, blocking any exit, trapping, crushing anyone still inside
"No! T.K!" Matt screamed his brother's name. He began digging franticly, scraping his hands raw. "Help me! What are you waiting for!" he shouted to the two digimon, who, still in shock, began to help as best they could.
"T.K! Tai! Kari! T.K.!" Matt continued to shout as he rolled away huge chunks of stone from what had been the exit. There was a tiny chance- they might just be trapped- the castle had been shaped like a massive, square igloo- the entrance had jutted out, nothing on top of it. There was still Hope, they might be O.K….
It was no use. The rubble rocks were just too big! Too heavy! He collapsed, trembling, weeping bitterly, longingly, eternally, over the grave of his brother and friends.
TBC
*= that is now a word. meaning: that ribbons are wrapped around something/someone. it sounds like this 'ribb end' ok?
Zikanamon sounds like this 'zi can uh mon'. her Digivolved form, by the way, is Ziyazenmon( 'zi uh zen mon'). yes, I lied in a previous review reply. sorry about that. I couldn't let anyone discover the truth yet!
Didn't see any of that coming, did you? I feel very Evile. Well, most of you got your wish-
Pella is dead. are you happy? of course not, the story is not done yet and i've just done something awful and evile. But Oh Noes! Not good! Not good at all! I referenced Beauty, by Nancy Butcher, and Tennis Shoes Adventure book four- as always, find a reference ( the one I'm thinking of) and you get a clue, even if you get it after someone else- you will still get the sneek peak, i promise. Check my profile- I've renovated it a bit- added some stuff. The next chapter is (duh) super important. Don't miss out!
HNA