Yesterday When the War Began, Chapter 5:
**Disclaimers: I don't own Digimon, and never will. This fic was produced entirely for entertainment purposes, and no infringement on copyright was intended. This fic will never be sold.
**Author's note: OK, I've decided. I'm definitely going to be putting in a little Takari. I'll see how it plays out, but suffice to say there's a fair amount in this chapter. Again, Kale was the one that inspired me. If you haven't read his fics yet, and you're in a romantic mood, go read them!!! I've been getting some requests for Taiora, and I just don't know. If I do decide to write Taiora, it'll be pretty minor, so don't expect too much. Any romance will be dedicated to Takari, if any at all. Another thing, I've just found out that Diaboromon's attack is "Web Wrecker" instead of "Mega Blast" (thanks Airdramon!!), so I've changed it. Sorry, it should be correct now. (Besides, "Web Wrecker" sounds better than "Mega Blast" anyway)
PS. For anime freaks out there, there is a certain significant quote in here that comes from another series (not digimon). Hint: it's a mecha series. See if you can find it!!
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The sixth day.
Night was beginning to fall, and the last golden rays of the dying sun streaked in through the window. The light illuminated countless, drifting dust motes in the air, as they danced around of their own accord. Silence reigned.
TK looked up at the drifting dust motes, then down again as he finished dressing Kari's wound. The golden light reflected off his blue eyes as he tied up the last knot. Kari was asleep, and TK watched mesmerized as the light played across her face, and how it seemed to catch her hair at just the right angle. The atmosphere was still, tranquil, almost drowsy. The younger boy stood up, stretched, and walked back to his own chair on the opposite side of the room.
The boy had rarely strayed from the room for the last 6 days, so anxious was he for Kari's safety. Almost every single waking moment he had he spent at Kari's side, watching over her, dressing her wound, feeding her water. Somehow, it seemed to be vitally important to just be with her, in her time of need. Patamon was beginning to get worried for TK's own health. TK hadn't slept or ate much in the last few days. Of course, none of them had, since at least one of them had to be awake at all times on the lookout for danger.
"I'm back."
TK and Patamon jumped at the sudden sound. The voice had sounded alarmingly loud in the tranquil room. Gatomon mumbled a "sorry", then handed a large bag to TK. "There. Here's the food, water and supplies you wanted me to fetch. No-one saw me, so don't worry. I made certain to stay out of sight of any Diaboromon out there." Gatomon made a face. "Of course, any cat worth her salt could slip around Diaboromon, big, noisy brutes."
TK took the bag, and quickly rifled through its contents, checking the supplies, and nodding with approval. "Thanks Gatomon. How'd you get this?"
Gatomon snorted. "I just swiped it from stores. It's not like there's anyone left to stop you, and someone's got to use all those good supplies. It's not stealing… just borrowing."
TK looked dubious at that for a moment, but he let it slide. With half the city destroyed, he was sure that no one would mind a few swiped supplies. He was about to respond when suddenly a groan sounded from the bed. "Kari!" TK rushed to her side, taking her hand and pushing her back into the bed. "Don't move, or you'll open up your wound again."
At that, Kari relaxed. TK was still here; everything was still all right. "TK? Any news?"
The young boy shook his head. "None. But then, we shouldn't expect any this soon. We'll just have to hope they're all right."
Kari nodded, then turned her head away. "I'm sorry…"
He squeezed her hand. "Sorry for what? You've got nothing to be sorry for."
Kari shook her head. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be able to go with the others. Now you have to stay behind and risk being found by Diaboromon. I'm sorry, I'm just getting in everyone's way, aren't I."
The boy gently stroked a stray lock of her brown hair back. "Kari, don't be. There's nothing to be ashamed about, or sorry for. You're just as important as all the others, and I promise I won't let anything happen to you. You just get better, and we'll find the others again. I promise"
Kari sighed, and relaxed back onto her pillows. I promise…. Suddenly, she felt infinitely calmer. TK was there to protect her, and somehow, she felt much safer knowing that. The dying beams of the sun slipped in through the windows, and she looked at the dust motes dancing throughout the still room. Drifting…drifting…. How beautiful, she thought. For a moment, time seemed to stop, the world seemed to stop. All that existed were the dust motes, drifting…drifting…
Almost as if to remind her of the grim reality, a spasm of pain racked her body, and a small gasp escaped her mouth. The wound was still there, and although it hadn't opened up again, it still hurt. Biting down on her lower lip to prevent herself from crying out with pain, her eyes filled with tears as she tried to endure it, though it was getting harder and harder each time.
TK looked helplessly down at the brown-haired girl. Her brow was furrowed in pain, and her lips were pressed together tightly as she tried not to groan. With no painkillers or antibiotics, there wasn't much he could do. How he wished more than anything he could relieve Kari's pain. Even if he had to take the pain upon himself, he would gladly bear it for her, if it would make her feel even a little bit better.
Taking her hand again, he squeezed it tightly. His eyes blurred with tears as he tried to offer what comfort he could by just being there, to be there for her when she needed him. Kari flinched as she felt a few drops of something drop onto her face. Looking up, she saw TK crying softly, his cerulean blue eyes clouded over with tears. Why did this have to happen to Kari? What did she do to deserve this? It should've been me, not her, who was hit.
The last dying gleams of sunlight flickered briefly through the window, and then it was gone. Suddenly, the room seemed much dimmer than it had been, as the sun retreated beneath the horizon, bringing with it its warm, golden rays. Night was fast approaching. A lonely wind brushed the streets outside, moaning softly.
Patamon sighed as he saw the sun go down. Another sleepless night, on the everlasting lookout for Diaboromon. He was beginning to dread the dark, dangerous nights more and more. Then, the little digimon turned back to its master and blinked. What was happening? "TK…?"
TK was glowing. A slight aura seemed to surround his small body, and the crest of hope gleamed brightly on his chest. The small, golden glow permeated the room, bringing light and hope to the small, dim room.
The young boy himself didn't seem to notice. Clutching Kari's hand tightly, he sat with his head bowed over the small, brown-haired girl. The golden light flickered over Kari's body, and her breathing became less laboured, and she seemed to relax. Her brow unfurrowed, and the pain seemed to leave her body as a small sigh escaped her lips. Opening her brown eyes, she gazed into TK's clear, blue ones. "Thanks, TK…"
Tai's really nervous. Sora thought as she watched her friend pace around. "Tai, you've got to take it easy. You're wearing a hole in the ground."
"Yeah Tai, relax. There's nothing you can do about it." Agumon added.
Tai ignored them and continued to pace. Night was approaching, and they had built a small, smokeless campfire with tinder-dry wood. Izzy, Biyomon and Tentomon were asleep. Everything was quiet, and there was no indication that Diaboromon knew about the meeting, so why was he so nervous? "I can't calm down. Matt, Joe, TK and Kari are out there somewhere. I don't even know if they got the message or not. God, this is driving me nuts…"
Sora looked at their leader worriedly. "Tai, there's nothing you can do. You tried your best to contact them, and now all we can do is hope, and wait. You shouldn't worry so much about things you can't control."
Tai looked over at her. Maybe she's right, he thought reluctantly, maybe I do need to calm down. I can't collapse into a nervous wreck now. But then, it wasn't like he could help it. In the digiworld, Tai had come to trust his instincts. When he was nervous, something was wrong. Something his unconscious mind had picked up, but his conscious mind had not. He was filled with a restless, nervous energy that he just couldn't shake. Unwind? Relax? Impossible.
For the millionth time that day, he took out his trusty mini-telescope and scanned the horizon. In the rapidly dimming light, he didn't see much. Everything seemed as it should be on first glance. Just trees, the occasional road and farm, the setting sun. Tai turned his head as he looked around.
Then he froze. A shiver of fear ran up his spine. What was that he had seen? Forcing his breathing to slow down, he strained his eye against the eyepiece.
There. He had not been mistaken. An unmistakable shape of a spider, its black legs streaming behind it, flying at incredible speed right at them.
Tai slowly put his telescope back down. "Sora, come over here. Tell me I'm not seeing this." Suddenly, the girl was concerned. Maybe Tai's nervousness wasn't totally unfounded. With a bound, she stopped by Tai's side, accepted the telescope, and looked through it in the direction Tai was pointing.
A second later, she lowered it, her jaw set grimly. "That's him all right." She glanced at Tai. "He'll be here in a couple minutes at most. What now?"
Tai was silent.
"Tai, we can't leave. If we miss this meeting, we might never meet up with the others again. You know that as well as I do."
Tai was, at the moment, concentrating on not letting his frustration boil over. He knew that they didn't have the strength to face Diaboromon alone. However, they had to stay. The meeting was crucial. The brown-haired boy gritted his teeth. What to do? Indecision was even worse than making the wrong choice.
"Sora…" he began.
"Yeah?"
"Go wake Izzy and the others up. Tell them we've got a problem. Have them pack up everything they can in 2 minutes, max, and then meet me down by the river." The banks and trees would provide some cover.
"Already done." Sora began running off to the campsite. Then she stopped and turned around, a hint of concern for Tai's safety appearing in her eyes. "And what are you doing?"
Tai grinned at her, slightly maniacally as adrenaline started to flood his system. "I'll be there in a sec. Just have to put out this fire. Maybe he's just out for a midnight stroll, right? I mean, he might miss us."
Sora stared at him, and Tai sighed. "OK, maybe that's too much to hope for. Just go. I'll be there in a second."
The brown-haired girl nodded, and took off, her long legs flying as she slipped through the forest silently. Tai dashed over to the fire, and kicked it apart, scattering the burning embers with his shoes. Piling sand on it, he extinguished the last glowing embers. He glanced back out at the horizon. Now he could see Diaboromon with his naked eye. He'd be here in five minutes, around. It was a good thing he happened to be looking in the right direction with his telescope, or Diaboromon would have caught them flatfooted. Agumon helped to kick sand over the fire, putting the embers out.
Once the fire was out, Tai straightened up, and cast a quick eye over the place. No telltale signs of human occupation. If Diaboromon was out for a midnight stroll, then he would pass this place by without so much as a second glance. Then Tai shook his head. Wishful thinking.
"Come on, Agumon. Time to go."
Boy and digimon dashed down through the underbrush. It was getting dark, but both of them had had experience picking their way through rough terrain. Within a minute, he had made it down to the riverbanks, and he began scanning the shores for Izzy and Sora.
"Tai…Tai, over here!"
Tai turned his head over to the source of the whisper, and ran towards them. Izzy, Sora and their digimon had taken refuge beside a huge oak. Tai looked the place over, and gave a nod of approval. Well-hidden and sheltered. It would do.
"Izzy?" Tai couldn't see where his friend was.
"Over here."
"Have Tentomon ready to digivolve all the way at a moment's notice. Sora, you too. Agumon…" Tai looked down. Agumon was quivering with anticipation. "Never mind. Just remember, don't do anything until I say the word." He glared at both of them. "Anyone digivolving before I say so will be hunted down and shot by morning, if they're not dead already."
Sora giggled nervously, and Tai looked at her, relieved. At least she hadn't lost her sense of humour. Tai looked at Izzy. For some reason, the younger boy was typing at his laptop. At a time like this? Tai opened his mouth to reprimand him.
A thump, indicating Diaboromon had landed at the campsite, made him shut his mouth again. Silently, he coiled his body into a spring, ready to take off at the proverbial drop of a pin.
Silence.
Tai looked nervously around. Sora stared back. She looked pale, and her eyes were wide with fear, but her hands and demeanor remained steady. She'll be all right, Tai thought. Izzy was still obsessed with his computer. What could be so important at a time like this?
More silence.
"What's he doing?" Tai murmured softly to himself. Glancing over at Sora, all he received was a puzzled shrug in response. What was Diaboromon doing? Had he gone yet? It was pitch black by now, and Tai couldn't see anything. What was going on?
Suddenly, a huge flare of light, about 10 miles away, erupted in the forest. Tai turned to gape at the spectacle as another flare shone brilliantly in the dark forest. Ripples rocked the trees, as they were shaken violently. Tai strained his eyes. Were those trees that were flying through the air?
"Web Wrecker"
Another flare of light detonated, this time a mere 50 meters away. Tai, Izzy and Sora were knocked onto their backs by the force of the explosion. Now Tai knew what those flares of light had been. Gasping, he managed to choke out, "Everyone, digivolve!"
"Biyomon digivolve to…Birdramon!"
"Birdramon digivolve to…Garudamon!"
"Tentomon digivolve to…Kabuterimon!"
"Kabuterimon digivolve to…MegaKabuterimon!"
"Agumon warp digivolve to…WarGreymon!"
"TK…what's going on? You're glowing!" Patamon flapped his wings and landed on the boy's shoulder, looking at his master worriedly.
TK's face looked at peace, content. His blue eyes were partially closed and his golden hair waved gently, even though there was no wind in the room. The shimmering aura that surrounded his slim frame shed a warm, comforting light around the room. It was as if the greatness of his spirit had suddenly manifested itself visibly. A small smile hovered around his lips. "I don't know Patamon. I can't explain it either. All I know is that I'm helping Kari, and for that I'm happy."
Patamon didn't look satisfied, but when he looked down, he was forced to agree that his master was right. Kari had fallen asleep again, and this time there wasn't a hint of pain on her face. A small smile hovered on her lips as well, as TK clutched her hand. Again, TK reached out and smoothed her brown hair back gently. He glanced down at her stomach. The wound was still there, but somehow, it didn't seem to matter to Kari anymore. It was as if the pain was gone.
Gatomon hopped onto the bed, and peered at her master. "She's getting better. Look at her, she's sleeping like a baby!" Peering closely at TK, she saw the crest of hope on his chest. "TK, I never knew you could do this."
Patamon stared as well at the crest of hope as well. "TK, it's your crest. Remember what we discovered when we fought Apocalypmon? You carry the virtue of your crest in your heart, and that's something that is inherently part of you. You were born with it."
"You're one of the digidestined, TK. You're special, holder of the crest of hope." Patamon looked at Kari sleeping peacefully in her bed again. "Your concern for Kari must've been what awakened your power. I just never knew you could do that with a crest."
TK shook his head. "I can't control it Patamon. It's just…a part of me, as much a part of me as my arm or head. All I knew was that Kari needed help, that she was in pain, and then…this happened." His blue eyes softened as he squeezed Kari's hand lightly. "And I'm glad. If it makes Kari feel better, then for once, I'm glad that I'm a digidestined."
Gatomon frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
A shadow crossed TK's face. "I didn't ask to be the holder of the crest of hope. Sometimes, more than anything, I wish I could just be a normal kid, lead a normal life. All this fighting, war and death…" TK sighed. "I'm tired Patamon. I've seen and learned so many things that I wish I hadn't."
For a moment, the young boy closed his eyes. Experience and maturity had its advantages as well, but they took a certain something from him, and he just wasn't the same anymore. Choice was the worst of them all. With knowledge and experience came choice, and that was truly a double-edged sword.
Glancing over at the digimon, he offered a smile tinged with sadness. "Ironic isn't it? Wishing to unlearn what you've learned, but that's what I feel like. Yet…" he looked down at Kari, "if this would help Kari, then it was all worth it."
Patamon snuggled up against TK, trying to offer what comfort he could. "Don't worry TK, I'll always be here."
TK petted his digimon lightly. When he spoke, his voice wavered a little. "Thanks pal. I don't deserve you. I really don't." He looked around. "I guess it's not all bad. If I wasn't a digidestined, then I would have never met you guys."
Gatomon padded lightly over to Kari's side, and curled up into a ball beside her mistress. "TK, remember, you carry the crest of hope. You are special, a digidestined, and no-one else can stop Diaboromon except you guys. From the moment you were born, you guys were destined for greatness. You have a responsibility to your world, and you must live up to it." The cat digimon looked the boy in the eyes. "Don't lose hope TK. We'll find a way sooner or later."
The blond boy nodded. "Don't worry Gatomon. I'll do my part." His voice was suddenly tinged with an almost infinite sadness, but his eyes were burning with resolve. "War brings sorrow... but we must fight to keep our loved ones from sorrow..."
Matt swore viciously under his breath. There had been more than he thought. "MetalGarurumon, don't take too long! We have to break out before reinforcements get here!!"
He and Joe had waited, lying in cover until night had fallen, in hopes of surprising, and overwhelming the line so they could break through. Their experiences in the Digiworld had served them well, allowing them to evade detection for most of the night, but the dragnet had finally been drawn so tight there was nothing for it but to fight. Things had gone well, at first. MetalGarurumon and Zudomon had caught the line completely flatfooted, but he hadn't counted on the Diaboromon being so well coordinated.
It was impossible to confuse a Diaboromon. They were linked telepathically, or perhaps electronically, since they were nothing more than copies of each other. No matter how you separated them, they always came back at you with unerring coordination and strategy.
MetalGarurumon took a blast in the side, and roared with pain. Swinging around, he returned the blow. "Metal Wolf Claw!!"
The offending Diaboromon was deleted instantly. The blinding blue beam ploughed a path through the forest.
Zudomon was having fun. Back at the city, he had been forced to fight in a constricted environment. Now, however, he was free to destroy whatever he liked.
"Vulcan's Hammer!" he bellowed. A group of five Diaboromon were killed, though the attack took out a sizeable portion of the forest. Those that survived were left dazed for a moment, and thus were caught by surprise when Zudomon charged through the smoke, swinging his hammer and howling with battle rage.
The digimon struggled to get out of the way, but the swinging hammer cut a swath through the survivors like a hot knife through cheese. Zudomon was an unstoppable juggernaut, his eyes glowing an intense white blue, as he wielded his hammer with the strength of 10.
Diaboromon tried clinging on, but Zudomon's enormous strength always enabled him to burst free. A couple of them desperately took to the air, and tried dive-bombing him from above.
"Web Wrecker!"
Zudomon swung around, and took the blows on his horn, absorbing them. Then he reared his arm back, and threw his hammer with deadly accuracy. The Diaboromon screeched as they were cut down in mid-flight by the spinning hammer.
The big digimon reached out and snatched his hammer back. Swinging it above his head, he laughed maniacally. Who said revenge was a dish served cold? This was the way to do it, pure and simple massacre. So much less complicated.
Meanwhile, MetalGarurumon was fighting like a…like a wolf. Bounding through the forest at incredible speeds, he pounced and slashed with his razor sharp fangs and claws. The Diaboromon were helpless. The big metal wolf was simply running rings around them.
"Giga missile!" The big warhead exploded in the middle of a group, wiping them out instantly.
"Web Wrecker", another group responded. The destructive orange bolts slammed into the ground, throwing up a huge explosion and smoke screen. The Diaboromon peered hard into the smoke, trying to see whether they had hit their opponent or not.
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
The blinding blue beam cut right through the smoke, and annihilated the spiders. Matt watched incredulously as he watched the attack continue on through the forest, plowing through the trees for at least a mile before it stopped. He turned to look at MetalGarurumon, who shrugged. "Maybe I overdid it."
"Matt! Look, there's an opening!" Joe was pointing frantically at the gap in the advancing line. Matt sized it up, then decided it was worth going for. "I see it!" he yelled back. "Tell Zudomon we're going! And make sure he knows that we're going now!"
Joe didn't bother acknowledging Matt. "Zudomon!" he yelled. "Come on big buddy, we're leaving."
"Aw come on Joe, I was having fun!"
"Come on! That gap could close any second!" The big water digimon swung his hammer a few times, then reluctantly turned back and lumbered towards Joe. Taking the boy up in his huge hand, he pounded towards the gap.
Matt had mounted MetalGarurumon. "Straight for the gap. And don't stop for anything. Just get us through!"
The big metal wolf growled savagely in response, and took off like a rocket. Zudomon lead the charge, his hammer swinging dangerously, as he charged through the line, laughing uproariously. The two boys clung on for dear life as flames and Web Wreckers exploded all around them. Debris splattered all around them, and shrapnel whistled overhead. Running the gauntlet, Matt thought. The Diaboromon tried futilely to stop the charge, but those that weren't deleted immediately were knocked over like bowling pins by the charging digimon,
All of a sudden, they were through. For once, the spiders actually seemed disoriented, taken off guard by the ferocious attack. Matt blinked. We're through he thought incredulously. Then, turning to Joe, he yelled. "Joe! Have Zudomon devolve! We'll go on MetalGarurumon. He's faster!!"
Joe nodded back. He was about to relay the order to his digimon when Zudomon abruptly put him down, glowed, and shrank back into Gomamon. "Yeah, yeah, I heard. Damn, and I was having so much fun too."
Joe laughed. "Don't worry pal, I have a feeling we'll be doing a lot of this from now on." Picking Gomamon up, he ran towards Matt. "Come on!" the blond boy extended a hand down. Joe grabbed it gratefully, and allowed himself to be hauled onboard.
"MetalGarurumon! Let's get out of here!!"
The digimon took off again. His metalshod paws dug into the ground, and dirt churned up into the air as he streaked off into the dark forest. Matt and Joe were once again hanging on for their lives, as tree branches whipped by at blinding speeds. The fires and explosions receded rapidly behind them as they left the battlescene and the dazed Diaboromon there.
**Author's note: Well, how'd you like that? Again, PLEASE REVIEW!! I need feedback to improve. Is the pace too fast? Too slow? Is there enough dialogue? Is my grammer all right? (cough…Ghost in the Machine…cough) Does my plot hold up? Don't be afraid to tell me, just be polite when doing so. Anime lovers, have you found the quote? If you did, tell me in the review, thanks. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read my fic.
One more thing. After I post the next chapter or two, I might disappear for awhile. Exams are coming up, and I'm going away for vacation, so don't expect anything after that for at least 2 weeks, maybe more. Don't worry though, I will definitely finish this series. I must tell you, it's a lot of fun!!