The Friends of the Stones

by Debbie Dai-chan

Finally, the Stories of the Ten Digidestined and a new enemy that has a role to play . . .

8. 8 The Traitors Revealed

The Friends of the Stones:
Part Eight: The Traitors Revealed
By Debbie (Dai-chan) and Chicobo, too!


Behind her eyelids, she saw nothing but dark swirling haze, lined with tiny red stars sparkling. Her senses became sharper, and she felt warmth from a fire. She heard soft, even breaths from nearby. Her body involuntarily stretched out, and she stifled a strong yawn, opening her eyes.

Kimika found herself in a small cavern, gently lightened by a small campfire in the center. She was laying on her back, covered by a thin blanket. Gazing to one side, she saw Koushiro sleeping nearby, covered with a dark green cloak, a damp white glove on his forehead. Taichi was sitting near by him, his arms loosely crossed in front of him, dozing.

She sat up; she was strangely feeble as though she was sleeping too much. She brushed her golden-streaked black braids from her face, then wondered where were her sunglasses. Oh, they were lost under the rubble. She again stretched her arms, pulling out another soft yawn. She thought her yawn was quiet, but it stirred Taichi from his heavy sleep. He raised his head, blinking his eyes. When he laid his eyes upon Kimika, he blinked in surprise, then beamed brightly.

"Kim! You're finally awake!" He crawled to her and pulled her in a large, protected bear hug. Kimika hugged back, finally to see Taichi all right, then she heard stifled sobs from him.

"Hey, Rascal. Are you crying?" Kimika whispered, astonished. She tried to stir from his hug, but he held on firm, his body shaking with soft sobs. She felt her shoulder getting damp from his tears.

She looked up at the sound of Yamato entering. He looked surprised, then beamed in relief. He embraced both Taichi and Kimika, Taichi refusing to let her go.

"What's it?" Kimika demanded, puzzled, finally freeing herself from Taichi's embrace. "What made you so sad that you are actually crying?"

Yamato made a soft laugh, wiping away tears. "Oh, we're just happy to see you okay. You were asleep for, oh, I don't know, two days, almost three, and you were sick."

"Oh! Three days?" Kimika then smiled sheepishly. "Goman, guys, that I kept you busy."

"I warned you!" Taichi puffed, but beamed. "But I'm really glad you are all right, Rogue."

Kimika smiled shyly, then remembered about Koushiro, turning to him. "Guys, what's wrong with him? How did he get here?"

Yamato turned to the redhead and checked his forehead to make sure the fever didn't come back. "Ok, he should be fine for now." He looked up, adding, "I found Izzy outside last night, hurt and feverish. He was with Sora and TK - I smelt their scents on him - then for some reason, he got separated from them. How, I don't know."

He again touched the boy's cheeks, and this time, Koushiro responded with a weak moan and a slight turn of his head. He reached to rub his eyes and opened them drowsily.

"Hey, Kou-kun, what's up?" Yamato grinned as Taichi and Kimika gathered around them.

Koushiro quietly glanced around, then sat up, gathering his cloak around him. "Where am I?"

"First of all, where have you been? Were Sora and TK with you?" Taichi said.

Koushiro sharply looked up at the names and shivered bitterly. "I don't really remember."

"Try, man," Yamato encouraged.

Koushiro shook his head, holding it gently. "I can't. My head hurts so much. I couldn't remember."

Kimika wrapped her arms around him, soothing, "You will remember, Izzy. Let the memories come to you."

Koushiro groaned softly, his eyes clamped shut. "They're coming back, but blurred. I could remember some. I sprained my waist during the fall at the mountain. Sora and TK found me, and then we found a cottage at the base where I got better. Somehow, I got weak and couldn't move. I was really tired, you see."

Yamato noticed that, like Kimika, Koushiro was ghastly pale in his skin, almost white against his violet-streaked red mane. He doesn't look sick although, he thought. Koushiro opened his eyes, trying so hard to recall. "I finally got well, and we went out to find the others." He seemed to blink in a daze, then his face changed into an expression of hurt anxiety. "Two Digimon showed up, I don't know who, and one of them ordered Sora and TK to attack me."

"Nani?!" both the boys burst as Kimika blanched.

Koushiro caressed his head in one of his hands. "I can't remember! It's all blurred."

"Are you sure that Sora and TK did attack you?" Taichi asked. Koushiro nodded quietly, resting his head on Kimika's shoulder, his black eyes haunted. Taichi gazed over to Yamato, saying, "Remember, Matt? Three of us will be the betrayers by the marks."

Yamato shook his head in disbelief. "I know Sora and I would never betray you, but TK? He's just a kid! I find that hard to believe, Tai-kun."

"You know something we don't," Kimika murmured, curiosity in her face. Koushiro also watched, puzzled.

Taichi cleared his throat, gazing at the blond boy with wariness. "We will tell you later. Come, Yama-kun." The boys stepped outside, and Kimika could hear two voices discussing quietly.

Kimika turned to Koushiro, who had his head bowed, his good hand caressing his sprained wrist. She held on his wrist and smiled as he looked up. "Why won't you let me repair the sprain?"

Koushiro silently let her. She cradled his wrist, her hands glowing with a gentle silver light, surrounding the wrist. She could feel that the sprain was already in the correct position, but it was healing tediously. She summoned her power to ease the pain, reversing the reality of a sprained wrist into the reality of an already healed wrist. Then the light was gone, and Izzy slightly smiled as he removed the wrappings and reflexed his fingers and wrist. "Arigatou, Kimi-chan." He then gazed around. "Have you seen my laptop?"

"I don't know," she said, also gazing around. "Maybe Matt knows. He was the one who found you."

Koushiro didn't answer, his eyes lowered to the ground. He reached to pick up something and showed it to her. Kimika saw a stone in his hands, shaped like a small dome, a half-sphere. It had her crest symbol of a spiraled rainbow on the rounded top and another symbol on the bottom of the base. Kimika blinked; did this stone come out from nowhere?

"I have a stone like that, only it's rod-shaped," Koushiro spoke, handing her the dome stone.

Kimika gingerly took the stones in both her hands, smiling thanks at him, then gasped as the stone abruptly went hot, almost scorching, burning on her palms. She dropped the stone, clasped her hands under her arms, bearing against the pain. Silently, Koushiro seemed to know what he was doing; he gently held on her hands, uncurled her fingers, and revealed her palms.

Kimika saw that the stone has burned the rainbow symbols on her palms. "How did this happen?" she asked, gazing up. She saw a faint, odd smile curling on Koushiro's lips, his black eyes too bright, too aware. Something in his eyes held her in place, her own brown eyes staring in the black orbs for a moment. Then she was almost startled by the boys' entrance. She hasted to cover the stone and turned to see Taichi crawling to her.

"If you both are feeling well enough, we can leave and try searching for the others," he insisted. "Maybe try finding Sora and TK, and find out about Izzy's lost memories."

"I'm fine, Rascal," Kimika said as Koushiro nodded. Taichi grinned and left the cavern where Yamato was waiting. Kimika putted on her pale yellow gloves that were laying nearby, and packed the possessions in her red back bag as Koushiro tossed loose pebbles from the cavern ground to cover the fire until it was a pile of smoking wood and rocks.

Kimika again gazed at Koushiro, who gathered his cloak around his body. Something about him that she was unsure. Koushiro just smiled, then moved out. She got the uneasy feeling, and she rubbed her right shoulder, stepping out.

***

Mimi was very worried about Jyou. Since the battle with the killer rose, Jyou's grace and composure seemed to come apart. His walk became haggardly lately, he looked too pale, and he complained of a heavy, intense throbbing in his head. He had those permanent wrinkles in his forehead from suffering the agony.

It appeared that when they arrived to a small pond at the edge of the marsh, the headaches lessened into a dull pound in Jyou's head. Mimi wondered if water can only ease his pain. She saw that when he saw the water, Jyou became relieved and relaxed, glad to see some water.

Jyou took several drinks of water to ease his pain and was sitting near, staring at the soft luster of sunlight shining off the rippling water. Frankie had said to let Jyou remain at the pond for a while so he could rest. Mimi trusted him on that, but she couldn't shake off the hidden feeling that there was something wrong with Jyou as she gazed to him from Frankie's side.

Jyou's dusky eyes watched the small billows as they calmly curled among the tall reed and grasses. He didn't realize how much he missed the sounds of the water until now. He missed the soft humming and the feeling of water flowing through his fingers. The sight, the smells of water eased his headaches, and he wondered how.

He noticed that there were smaller ripples nearby, as if air bubbles appeared on the surface from underneath. He waited suspiciously, then he saw a small stone floating to the surface from the dark water. How could a stone float in the water was beyond his reasoning. He took the stone and gazed at it curiously. The stone was shaped into a cube, with his crest symbol of a four-rayed cross on each of the six sides. It looked plain grey-tan in color, yet Jyou thought he saw a glitter of pale blue shining amid the engraved lines.

Jyou silently held his hands on the opposite sides of the stones, obeyed by a hidden voice in his head, coaxing him to hold on. The stone somehow grew scorching to the touch, and he bit on his lip from yelling out as he released the stone. He winced at the sight of the raw burns of the symbols on his palms. He plunged his hands in the water and sighed at the cooling sensation on his burns.

Jyou leaned forward to see his reflection. He looked oddly pale; with his blue-streaked black hair, his skin was nearly white. His dusky eyes were composed unlike the usual Jyou's eyes of worry, and there seemed to be soft sadness behind the eyes, as if he - the real Jyou - knew something that could be perilous to him, and he couldn't do anything about it. Jyou leaned more, until he could see the lustrous light on the ripples on the reflection. He wondered if he could touch it . . .

Frankie paused in his drawing of his and Mimi's stones in his sketch book and looked up at the sound of a gentle, almost silent splash. Mimi and Hikari also gazed up, puzzled. Frankie glanced over to the pond where he thought he heard the splash came from, and found that Jyou was gone.

"Joe?" Mimi murmured, gazing around, worried. Frankie kept on watching the pond surface and saw a few bubbles of air coming to the surface from beneath.

"Oh, man . . ." Frankie hastily dropped his things and ran to the pond. He sloshed through the water where he could see more air bubbles coming out. Mind racing frantically, he took a deep breath and doused himself under the dark water.

The girls stood near the pond, hearts beating fearfully, waiting. After a few moments of tenseness, the water surface broke thought, revealing the two boys gasping for breath. Frankie struggled hauling Jyou to the shore as Jyou had an incredible, blissful look on his face.

Suddenly, Jyou scowled bitterly and tore himself from Frankie's hold. He turned around, yelling, "What are you thinking, snatching me from the water?!"

Frankie was speechless for a moment, then stood up, the surface coming to the boy's waist. "You were almost drowning! I saved your life, man!"

Jyou's face was bitter for a second, then lost it, replaced by an expression of remorse, almost loneliness. His dusky eyes went too soft behind the water-spotted eyeglasses. "You shouldn't have," he whispered.

"Onii-chan, what's going here with you?" Frankie was worried about his best dachi.

Jyou brushed his dripping hair aside. "The sea . . . it's calling to me," His eyes went unfocused, as thought he was actually listening to something, his face changing into a visage of flushed euphoria.

"Jou-kun, you're scaring me," Mimi said quietly.

Her voice seemed to jolt him from the rapture, and Jyou blinked, gazing over to the girl. Mimi had a concerned, almost aghast look on her face, her hazel eyes going pale. His mouth opened, then closed, still staring. Then he went to her, taking her in his secure arms. "Goman nasai, Mimi-chan," he said, stroking her honey hair. "I didn't mean to scare you." Mimi buried her face on his wet vest, clutching on, as if she was afraid to let him go.

Frankie glanced down by Hikari's tug on his tan shirt. Silently, she gestured downward, looking puzzled. He looked and saw a cube-shaped stone laying on the shoal. Taking a closer look, Frankie saw that the stone had Jyou's crest symbol on the six sides. He already assumed that Jyou had those burns on his palms.

If the stone did this to Joe, Frankie thought with a ireful scowl, What could happen to us since we've got the stones and burns?

***

The weather has gone up to a warm tone, although the wind was still chilly. The snow was melting a notch, and Yamato silently grumbled of his damp boots and the wet ends of his pants. The foursome finally left the secure cavern after long three days into a search for the missing friends.

Yamato was still struggling in thought about Koushiro's tale. There were too many 'holes' in the stories, and he was disturbed about the part of Sora and Takeru attacking Koushiro. When again questioned by that, Koushiro again said that he couldn't remember very much, a stumped look on his face, but he did remember that, although vague. It was strange to Yamato because Koushiro was supposed to be the Warder who guarded the memories and knowledge.

Yamato would shake off the annoying feeling that he would ever betray his friends, but as far as he knew, Sora, Hikari, and he were marked by the stones. He knew he wasn't one of those betrayers. Koushiro's story was too bizarre to him. He just couldn't understand it. He wanted to find out how could this fit in this weird, nonsensical adventure.

He will find out sooner, and the truth wasn't what he will expect or approve.

He has noticed that Kimika appeared unsettled lately. Walking beside him, she often rubbed on his right shoulder, an uneasily suspicious gaze on Koushiro's back as she strolled beside. Yamato assumed that her wound was bothering her, but why was she staring at Koushiro like that?

All of a sudden, Kimika dropped to her knees, clutching on her right shoulder, cries of pain escaping her lips. The three boys went to her, trying to soothe her. Yamato noticed two things; Kimika's skin went way too pallid, and Koushiro suddenly gazed up, his eyes losing their awareness, as if he was just plunged in a trance.

Yamato received a sudden evil feeling, creeping up his back, causing his neck hairs to stand up. He saw a pair of deep green eyes floating in the trees, staring straight at them.

"Tai . . ." His voice got Taichi's attention from Kimika, and Taichi saw Yamato's pale face and wide eyes. He quickly turned and blanched at a female Digimon stepping out.

She was tall but lanky, too human to be a Digimon. She was clad in an odd uniform of dark blue and black. A long blue skirt with two slits that came up to her thighs, baring her pale legs, covered her lower body, held up by a thin belt of black chains. On her upper body, a black blouse hung on her thin shoulders, but cut short to leave her midriff bare. The blouse had no left sleeve, but the right sleeve was long to her waist. On her left arm was a long forearm-length glove of blue with black spikes around her wrist. Her hair was long, past her waist, colored pale lavender, with strands of red along the lengths.

The emerald eyes, so full of ominousness, somehow struck Taichi as someone familiar . . .

The female sneered at the kids, her body giving out an hidden aura of darkness that gave the kids a creeping sensation. Her eyes grew displeased as the gaze slid over to Yamato. "So, Guardian," her voice was the very tough of coldness. "You're the one who stopped my Phalomon from taking the Seer and the Warder."

Yamato immediately recalled the huge tiger, and he glared back at the 'Mistress'. "You aren't gonna get Kim and Izzy!"

The Digimon shook her head almost arrogantly. "I must, Guardian. They are the death of me, and yours, too, if you don't encounter the ultimate danger of them."

"Leave them alone!" Yamato broke in a dash toward the Digimon, his night aura glowing darkly. As he took steps closer, his body moved slower and more difficult to stir in motion. He had the erratic feeling he was running through jell-o.

The Digimon's sneer just curled darkly, and she pointed a finger at Yamato. He received a sudden, invisible punch of solid air in his stomach. It had so much force into it that Yamato literally flew backward a few feet and landed on his back, the wind knocking out of him, leaving him in a pained daze.

Taichi ran to his side. "Matt, are you okay? Who is she?!"

"She wants to destroy Kim, Izzy, and Jyou for some reason. Don't let her get them!" Yamato yelled, seeing the Digimon strolling toward the pale and entranced Kimika and Koushiro.

Taichi whirled around and roared. Yamato was astonished; the roar was the one of a reptilian beast. This went too fast for Yamato to comprehend. First, Taichi was speeding toward the Digimon, a beastly, fierce visage on his face, then there was a sudden flash of orange that nearly blinded Yamato, and then the Digimon was laying on her back, looking dazed. And dwarfing over her, baring long white fangs, was a huge wingless dragon.

"Taichi?" Yamato murmured, his eyes wide in awed disbelief.

The dragon was hued orangish-umber, his scales wide and glistening. A long spiked ridge dashed down his back as a crown of sharp horns lined his head. His claws were touched with deadly white talons as long as Yamato's hands. A long tail menacingly swayed in anger behind. His eyes were so like Taichi's, pale tan, ablaze with rage at the Digimon.

The Tai-dragon paid no attention to the boy as he raised a huge claw to swipe at the Digimon. She quickly raised a hand, and there was a flash of blinding light coming from her hand. The dragon roared in agony, backing away, clawing at his eyes. In faint pain, Yamato tried to get away from the wildly whipping tail, but Kimika and Koushiro made no response, still entranced.

The Digimon stood and glared up at the Digimon. "You're such a fool, Master," she hissed, "You should've let the Seer and the Warder come to me."

The dragon snorted in rage, looking more fiercer, and began to charge toward the Digimon . . . when an orb of purple-silver lightning bolts crashed him in his flanks. The dragon stiffened up, groaning, before he was surrounded by a misty, faint orange aura. He seemed to shrink in size, change in appearance, until Taichi laid in the place, weakly recoiling.

He heard footsteps coming closer, and Taichi agonizingly opened his eyes a crack to see Koushiro standing close, his pale face blank in the darkness of his hood. Although, he could see something different in the black eyes. Rue and displeasure. Taichi managed to speak, although his voice was unstable. "Why, Izzy?"

"Remember, Tai-kun," Koushiro said with dark calmness, "When you won't let me fight during the battle with Piedmon? Why, Taichi?"

Taichi felt blackness creeping in his head, but he fought against it, unable to respond his answer. Koushiro hooded his eyes in aversion. "Because I'm just a kid, isn't it? I'm not worthy to fight. You don't know how powerful my strength can be. I'm strong like you, Master, perhaps even stronger." He shrugged with carelessness. "Be grateful it's not your last mistake."

Yamato crept on his hands and knees, ignoring the pain in his stomach, his mind on Taichi, when someone stepped in the way, blocking him. Yamato gazed up and blanched at Kimika, who watched back quietly. He saw great emptiness in her eyes, not the usual sympathy and softness. No emotions in the rich brown eyes.

"Kim . . . don't let that witch get to you. Fight it, Kimi-chan!" Yamato pleaded, even though he knew it was too late. She was simply staring, no response, no emotion, nothing. Just staring. "Onegai, Kimika . . ."

Kimika turned away silently, abandoning him, and walked toward the Digimon. Koushiro also turned to the Digimon, both acting like obedient children to a protective mother, although she was evil. The Digimon didn't look either satisfied, displeased, or hesitant. She just turned around and strode into the thick trees with the brunette and redhead following behind.

Before Yamato could think, they were gone. There was a dark, dumbfound silence hovering around Yamato, and he gazed over to Taichi, who was laying still, his eyes shut, looking haggard. Yamato crouched over, and soon his shoulders were shaking with silent penitence.

To be continued . . .