Beware the Eastern Sun
Chapter 18
"Evil is a subtle thing indeed. Some see the ambitions of
global
dictators as the ultimate evil; some see the vengeful as the ultimate
evil. But the ultimate evil is deception-the evil that looks, until the
moment of its downfall, beautiful."
-Discourse
on Morality, by Izzy Koushiro
Mimi scanned the horizon, shielding
her eyes with her hands from the evening glare of the sun. They had been
drifting down the river for almost two full days. The river itself was not lax
in its movement. At times it sped along so quickly that standing up was a
hazard. On average, though, it kept a moderate pace, which would hopefully
bring them to the others. Mimi squinted. A small dark blot appeared on the
horizon. She nudged Leomon. "Is that the castle?" she asked
Leomon looked in the direction Mimi
pointed. "Yes, it is." He reached for the pole they used to navigate
the river. "It is probably a good time to make camp, then." With the
pole, he pushed the raft into the bank on the same side as the castle. After
Mimi, Kari, Palmon, and Gatomon climbed off, he tossed a rope to Mimi, who tied
it to a nearby tree so the raft would not float downstream.
Glancing at the sky, Leomon said,
"We have, perhaps, a few hours of visible light. After we set up camp, we
can search the surrounding area for any signs of the others."
By the time the sun set and the sky
darkened, they were back at camp, sullenly sitting around a small fire. They
had not found any evidence that Tai or any of the others were nearby. "Do
you think they're already at the castle?" Mimi asked timidly.
"It is a possibility,"
Leomon said. "But we could have overshot them. It has been quite a while
since their departure, though, and given their haste, I would suppose the
former to be the more probable."
They remained silent for most of the
night. Perhaps and hour later, Leomon finally rose. "Get some sleep, Mimi.
Do not worry yourself. We will find your friends." He walked to the edge
of the circle of light that the fire gave off. "I will keep watch."
Lying in her bedroll, Mimi was
restless. She could hear Palmon slowly breathing on her left, and to her right,
Kari and Gatomon were motionless. Turning her head back to look up at the
stars, she let her thoughts drift. Are you lonely? She frowned. She did
not quite recall thinking... Are you lonely? I'm here.
Mimi felt a chill come over her. She
could feel the goosebumps rising on her arms. That voice, she thought.
She looked around and saw no one, save the still figure of Leomon. After
getting up out of her sleeping bag, she walked to him. "Did you see anyone
here?" she asked in a whisper. Leomon shook his head, looking at her
inquiringly. "Oh, it's nothing," she dismissed. "I just thought
I heard something." Mimi walked in the opposite direction, standing just
outside view of the camp.
As her eyes drifted closed, suddenly
she felt a coldness on her arm. She sucked in her breath and was about to spin
around when she found that she could not move. An iron grip held her in her
position. Then a hot breath whispered into her right ear. "Miss me?"
She was whisked around roughly and
came face to face with her assailant. There they were, the familiar blond hair
and blue eyes. It was Matt. He wore a smile of smug satisfaction as his eyes
ran down the length of her. The moonlight cast a shadow across his face, eerily
hiding the more fine details of his physiognomy. She was glad she did not have
to confront him in full daylight. When she looked down, she saw his mechanical
right arm gripping her arm. He shoved a hand violently under her chin, forcing
her to look at him directly in the face. In the same motion, he drew her
intimately close. "Yes, it certainly has been a while," he said
slyly.
Mimi twisted his grip and landed a low
jab in his gut. He grunted and loosened his hold on her for a moment. Shoving
hard, she then broke away from him. Matt's smile grew. "Even feistier. I
like it."
Before she could react, he leaped
forwards, twisted her arm behind her back, and had a hand over her mouth. Her
struggles were futile, As he slowly dragged her off, he began to ramble.
"So the prize is finally mine. You shall see that things are not so bad
with me. If you agree with me. But come now, why this struggling?" He
placed his face over her shoulder, letting it rest next to hers. "Don't
you love me anymore?" He bit her ear lightly as Mimi shied away as much as
she could. Still, his grip was too strong.
"The girl is mine."
Matt turned around at the sound of the
deep voice. Standing half-covered in the shadows was Leomon. He held a small
hunting knife in his right hand, posing calmly at his full height. Matt merely
smiled at this display. "Ah, Leomon. Loyal subject no more? But what
should the others think when they hear of it?"
"Shut up, cynic. Enough snide
comments for now." He crouched and leaped forward, but stopped as Matt
interposed Mimi between the two of them. "Ah, ah, ah," he scolded,
wagging a finger at him. "Who is in control? Don't forget who has the
hostage. Arrrrggg!"
Matt's released his grip on Mimi, who
immediately ran towards Leomon. When she reached safety, she turned around to
see Matt attack Kari, who was holding a broken branch that was glowing hot on
one end. "Kari!" Mimi shouted. As she ran towards the two, everything
seemed in slow motion as the dread finally overwhelmed her. "Why thank
you, Kari," Matt said. "Now I have an even better prisoner." He
held her small struggling form with one arm.
"Gatomon!" Kari screamed
plaintively.
Gatomon ran from the camp, but when
she saw Matt, she quailed. Matt spared her only a fierce glance before
returning his attention to the ensuing battle. Kari's cries continued. Mixed
emotions filled Gatomon as she struggled between her inner feelings and the
necessity of the situation. Finally, she collapsed and covered her ears,
rocking back and forth and muttering, "I'm sorry Kari! I'm so sorry!"
Leomon and Mimi circled Matt, who was
slowly backing away. From behind, they heard a rustling followed by large
crashing sounds. Upon a glance, Mimi saw that Garurumon had been sneaking up on
them, but he was intercepted by Lilymon. The two were now engaged, Lilymon
attempting to use her speed and size to her utmost advantage. She darted in and
out as Garurumon tried to track her movements. For now, he was preoccupied.
"Remember the objective!"
Matt shouted.
Suddenly, Garurumon disengaged from
his battle with Lilymon and tackled Mimi and Leomon. While they were distracted
for that moment, Matt ran off out of sight carrying Kari. As he retreated,
Gatomon lay in his path, but he just navigated around her. Gatomon merely
shrunk away from him as he went by, trying to make herself as small as
possible.
Matt fled into the woods with the
speed of years of harsh training. He cast a glance behind him to see if anyone
was following. There was a flash and suddenly he was flying. "Kari!
Run!" He picked his face up from the dirt just in time to see Kari
scampering off into the woods. Off to one side was Lilymon, carrying her
discharged Flower Cannon. Matt rose from the ground in an infuriated charge.
The energy was building up at his hands in a blue fire. When Lilymon finally
saw his intentions, she tried to fly for cover, but it was too late. He came
smashing upon her with all of his might, sending out a large blue fireball that
lit up the night. It caught her full on.
Just a moment later, Mimi and Leomon
came racing out from the trees and saw Matt. Matt was not thinking. In the
blink of an eye, he shot another blast of energy at the two of them, who just
jumped away in time. As if they were one, Garurumon came racing out from the
forest and snatched up Mimi in his jaws before she fell to the ground. Altering
his direction, he ran by Matt, who grabbed a lock of his mane and swung onto
riding position. Before Leomon could even get up, they were off into the night.
Once again, Izzy sat at his laptop,
letting the gears in his mind do their work. According to Gennai, the book was
known to be hidden on the estate of the Oracle. So, here they were. It was a
large estate, but had little in the way of structures. Or leftovers of
structures, that is. Whoever destroyed the property was not too thorough,
leaving many rooms standing and large hulks of stone sturdy. But, nature did
the rest, coating everything with thick layers of moss and tall grasses. Many
former building sites were virtually invisible with all the greenery hiding it.
They'd toured the grounds a few times,
following old, overgrown paths from one end to the other. It was a little eerie
that there appeared to be no signs of any sort of civilization except for the
remains of the buildings. It gave them that ancient feeling-the feeling that
everything is as it was a long time ago. Izzy himself had made sure to pay
attention to anything "out of the normal." He had noticed certain
formations, patterns, and symbols, jotting them down in a small notepad for
quick reference.
And so once again it was up to him.
The group could do nothing but wait until he cracked the code. He did not quite
appreciate the amount of stress that was always placed on him to do the
"intellectual duties" of the group. Of course that is not to say that
the others were not intelligent. They just preferred that he do their dirty
work. He sighed. Oh well. This was, ultimately, his niche. He asked for it when
he decided to become a computer nerd.
Turning his attention back to his
given task, he thought long and hard.
The sound of dripping water woke her.
Actually, it was more of the feel. As Mimi came to, she realized that there was
a rhythmic feeling of wetness forming on her face. She opened her eyes and
reached up a hand to her face and wiped it. She squinted as another drop fell
on her face. Moving her head out of the line of fire, she rose. She was sitting
on a cold stone bench in a dark room. Up above, water trickled through the
ceiling.
The echoing of footsteps sounded from
the outside, steadily getting louder. She strained to keep herself conscious.
She felt a throbbing on the side of her head, and just noticed that her dress
was torn in many places. She could make out little in the dim light. Breathing
deeply, she awaited the confrontation with her captor.
The door opened with the harsh sound
of rusted iron. She squinted at even the dim light of the torch they carried.
Matt was at the door with a small escort of guards. He was reaching his hand
out towards her. "There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I hope you
will excuse me for the accommodations. If you will follow me, I will see to it
at once."
Mimi glared at him. She was not about
to give in to him. Whatever he wanted, it was her wish to do the opposite.
Matt's face darkened. "Let me
remind you, you have no choice in this matter. Come willingly or be taken by
force."
Mimi did not respond.
Matt came forth and grabbed her from
her seat. He dragged her the whole way as Mimi did her best, despite her lack
of energy, to resist him.
They sat at a large dining table
alone, the two of them. Matt was clearly pampering Mimi, but she would not let
herself indulge. She tried to maintain her hardline policy towards Matt despite
her urges. Though she was ravenous, she touched nothing on her plate. Matt
merely ate quietly and looked at her. Occasionally he would try to engage her
in conversation, but she would refuse to reply. Matt put his silverware down
and looked at her.
"Mimi, why are you being so
difficult?" he asked.
This time, she was unable to control
her rage. "You are asking me that? You dare ask me such an insolent
question?! Look at yourself! Look at what you are doing! You nearly killed me!
You nearly killed Tai, Sora, Kari, and the others! You're an absolute monster!
I can't eve imagine that you would ask me that..."
"Mimi. You just don't understand.
I tried to be nice to you, but you failed to listen."
"You don't attack people whenever
they disagree."
"I am right in my cause. I know
it. I feel it. I tried to convince you. If you'd just have listened to
me, then perhaps this would have all been avoided."
Mimi found herself speechless. She was
stunned at what she heard. Matt had transformed from a charming youth to a
self-righteous monster. She could not believe herself.
"Mimi, don't you love me?"
There the question was. She asked
herself. Was it even Matt that was there before her? She looked up into his
face and calmly responded, "No."
"Hey Izzy!"
Izzy picked up his head from the table
and looked around bleary-eyed. It was early evening with the sun setting far in
the west. He had apparently fallen asleep. "Hey Izzy! Wake up!" Tai
called.
"How long have I been out?"
"A while," Tai replied.
"Figure anything out yet?"
Izzy looked once again to the screen
of the laptop and sighed. "Nope."
"Well, we're running out of time.
Check your watch lately?"
Izzy looked at his watch, and then
frowned. He glanced again at the laptop, which showed a map of the estate. That
wonderful look of elation spread across his face. "That's it!" he
shouted. Tai's eyebrows rose in an amused interest. "Would you mind
divulging the facts?"
"OK. Get this." Izzy pulled
up a copy of the words Gennai spoke to them: Upon the noon, I look north.
One stone, a towering statue. Three trees giving me shade. Seven meters high, a
waterfall cascades upon the scene. Ten feet wide, the entrance to this haven.
Say the words of Light and behold. "This is the riddle, right? See the
numbers? One, three, seven, and ten. They're all clock directions! It doesn't
matter what they say, it's their relative direction. So that means that the
book is..." He scanned the map. "Here!" Izzy pointed to a spot
on the map. It was the top of a ridge, with only one entrance to the northwest,
a waterfall on the south, an arbor on the east, and a large stone monolith near
north.
"Well then," Tai said with a
broad smile on his face. "Let's get going."
Huffing and puffing, Joe finally
crested the ridge. He was last. The others around him were breathing hard, but
had enough breath to look around. He didn't. He was already on the floor
wheezing and coughing. Taking a few moments to breath deeply, he caught his
breath and turned his attention to the exhibit which everyone else was crowding
around. It was a stone pedestal in the center of the circular enclosure. The
waterfall could be heard below, which came out of a cave just under them.
"So what now?" Tai asked,
looking at Izzy.
"Well," Izzy began, "we
'say the words of the Light and behold.' Any guesses?"
"I should be asking you."
"How about that phrase that
everyone uses," Sora offered. "You know, the biblical one."
"You mean: 'Let there be
light?'" Tai asked.
Upon his words, a stone shifted in the
side of the pedestal, revealing a cavity. Sure enough, it housed the book. Tai
reached in and carefully withdrew it. It was surprisingly sturdy for its age,
and relatively dust-free. Though there was a thin layer of dust, you could
actually read the title: Night of Fire. Tai looked at the book then
looked at the others. They wore the same faces of awe and concentration that he
felt inside. They met his look with nods and firm stares. He nodded and smiled.
The tables were turned.
Mimi found herself in a luxurious
room, apparently Matt's personal bedchamber. She looked at herself in the
mirror. Matt had requested that she wear a certain silk dress. It was
comfortable and fashionable in every way, but Mimi could not help but detest
it. Still, she found herself liking the way it looked on her. It would be a
hard battle to continue like this, sticking to her principles. She promised
herself that she would not give in to Matt.
But then was there any point in
resisting? Matt would be able to overpower her at every turn. The best she
could do would be to make his life miserable, and what would that accomplish?
Spite? It could even be counterproductive. He may take out his anger at her on
her friends. There were many risks, and it seemed the best action would be to
lay low, yet her instincts told her to defy him. What should she do?
Perhaps there was a chance. Maybe if
she gained his confidence, she would be able to change his mind, affect his
decisions. It was a long shot, but it seemed the best she could do. Who knows,
she thought. I could even accept him with time...
Matt barged in to the room with the
look of a lion upon finding an intruder in its den. His eyes immediately fixed
on Mimi. He walked towards her with a fury that intensified with each step, and
for the first time, she felt utter fear. A deep sense inside of her awoke that
told her that her life may soon be cut short. She began backing away.
Matt covered the remaining distance
with a sudden rush of speed. He grasped her and slapped her hard across the
face. Mimi was frightened looked into her eyes. "You!" Matt said with
rage. "You and your bastard friends!" He tossed her onto the bed
roughly and was upon her with a flurry of blows. "Damn them! Damn you!
You!"
Matt could only repeat this over and
over again, cursing and ranting in rage about how the "cursed
digidestined" meddled with his plans. He struck her all the while,
bruising her, breaking bones. Mimi found herself detached. As the blows struck,
she did not feel them. Nor did she respond. She merely accepted them. Was
this real? She found herself asking.
It was as if he was beating an empty
sack. Her soul was already gone.