Fought A Loosing Battle…
[A/N: I am SO cruel.]
[Disclaimer: Don't own.]
"What'd ya mean, Digital Empress?!" Davis snapped. Cody, TK, and Kari nodded. "Sorry to say it, but we have another enemy to fight with." TK said. "Great." Yolei said flatly, "Just perfect."
"Fool." Tari kicked the person at her feet in the side, "What made you think that you could break the power of my Dark Mind?" The person took the kick silently. Ikarin sighed and said, "Never mind. Go and kill those kids if they try to come to my world again." The person stood, bowed, then dashed from the room. Blackgatomon purred from the hover-chair. "Purr-fect plan." she crooned.
Cody's grandfather wasn't feeling all that well, so Cody's Kendo lessons were cut short that day. The youngest Digi-destined had traveled with the others to Shinji's house so many times, that he had memorized the path. "Why are we going back there?" Upamon asked. "I just want to talk to Shinji." Cody said truthfully. But when Cody was about to knock, he noticed a note taped to the door. It read: "To whatever 'chosen one' may find this first."
Cody knew the note meant it was for one of the Digi-destined. He plucked the note from the door, and peeled it open. It read as follows:
"Whichever of the Digi-destined finds this first, let the rest know that I am no longer acting under my own will. Tari Ikarin's Dark Mind has full control over me, and I fear what may happen if the Digital Empress is in the mood for me to return to the Real World, and kill the rest of you. I know of her plans, and you must beware the figure in blue and red. And be aware to look at everyone's eyes. Red symbolizes evil in the Digiworld… -Shinji"
Cody had no clue of what to do. "Cody!" Upamon said, frightened, "We've gotta go get the others!" Cody nodded without thinking, and started towards Kari's apartment, where she, TK, Davis, and Yolei were studying for a test later that week.
"Did you write this as a joke?" Kari asked, her voice cracking. Cody shook his head, his young face pale as a Bakemon. Kari turned even paler than Cody, and TK whiter than her. "Kari, what's wrong?" Davis asked. "There's no way that we can get her back." Kari said weakly, "And if Tari really wants Shinji to kill us, she can in more ways I can count…"
"What do you mean?" Yolei asked, her voice wavering. Kari hid her face in her hands, but TK looked up, his eyes scared and tired. "Shinji isn't just smart, or a hacker, but she's a fighter." he said, his voice hoarse, "Her partner was a strong, and viscous digimon. We were never sure what happened four years ago, but she went off with her partner, and came back an even better warrior." The newer Digi-destined were pale by that time.
"I've seen Shinji fight once in a martial arts tournament." TK continued, "It was broadcast on TV, so Shinji never knew I saw her. But she was ruthless, and knocked out every one of her opponents in a few seconds apiece. But either way, if Shinji wanted to kill someone, or was put up to it, she could do it easily."
Davis swallowed hard and looked at Kari. Her eyes were red, and filled with tears. "We've got to go and get her partner." the brown-haired girl muttered, her voice scratchy, "He's the only one that might be able to help us." "But who's her partner?" Yolei asked. She was frightened, for the way TK and Kari put it, it wasn't going to be fun meeting Shinji's old partner.
The group entered the Digiworld in a foggy forest of bamboo. There was a mist of darkness and fear lurking behind every shoot of bamboo. Yolei was shaking in terror, clutching her hands together in fists. "Yolei, are you all right?" Hawkmon asked in a whisper. No one wanted to raise their voices. Yolei was about to answer, but then she felt something move behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing.
She shivered again, and nearly screamed when Hawkmon tapped her on the thigh. "Yolei, it's all right." the digimon tried to comfort her, "I won't let anything harm you." Yolei nodded, trying to smile. But then, all Yolei could see was blackness, and she could only feel coldness. Two unbearably sharps points grazed her neck, a voice whispered, "I haven't had a good meal in years…", and Yolei let out the loudest and most terrified scream she ever would in her life.
Everyone whirled about and saw a tall dark shadow looming behind Yolei. "HAWK BEAM!!!" Hawkmon cried, firing his attack with more energy then ever before. The shadow disappeared, and Yolei collapsed to her knees, sobbing. Hawkmon rushed over and knelt next to his partner, wrapping his wing around her.
Kari too dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "This-this can't be the right place…" she whispered. Then, the strain of everything fell in on Kari's mind and she broke down. TK and Gatomon were about to rush to Kari, but then, the black shadow appeared behind Kari, and they all froze in fear.
"Forgive me, Kari." a deep voice breathed in Kari's ear. Kari paused in sobbing, and looked beside her. Those eyes… They weren't TK's, or Gatomon's… But they were…
"Myotismon!" Kari cried, wrapping her arms around the digimon's neck. She sobbed against his shoulder, letting the strain of the news and the past few months flow out of her. The tall Virus-type stood up, helping Kari up, and let the younger girl cry against him.
TK's eyes flew open at the sight of the ally digimon letting Kari cry on his shoulder. The blond human watched in awe. Myotismon knew how to comfort someone. He had done it four years ago, when the Digi-destined had to leave… When they learned of what Piedmon had done to Shinji's parents…
After a short while, Kari had stopped sobbing, and the vampire digimon strode to Yolei. Hawkmon leapt up and shielded Yolei with his body. He would never let someone hurt her…
But to his great surprise, Myotismon hovered over him, and knelt down to Yolei. He gently stroked the human's cheek with his thumb, making her look up. "Forgive me." he said gently, "I didn't realize that you were with Kari. I shouldn't have said what I did." Yolei just gazed silently at the handsome digimon, tears gleaming in her eyes. The digimon rose, and offered his hand to Yolei. She took it and stood as well.
Everything was quiet for a while. But then, Myotismon turned towards Kari. "Shinji is under Tari's complete control, isn't she?" he asked. Kari nodded, not knowing how he knew.
The Ultimate level digimon cursed under his breath and shot out a hand. He snapped a shoot of bamboo with the edge of his hand in anger. "I told her to tell me if something was ever wrong!" he hissed, turning away, "Especially after she met Tari!" "How do you know about that?" TK asked. "She's my partner!" Myotismon snapped, "I know when she's in trouble!" He breathed heavily and said, "But I failed her."
"If you can help us to kick Tari's butt, you'll get Shinji back." Davis said simply. "I know that." Myotismon replied, "But do you even know where her base is?" Davis opened his mouth, and then stopped. He had no clue. "So how are we supposed to get her back?" Veemon asked. 'And how do we stop Tari before she hurts innocent digimon?" Kari asked. "Or us." TK put in.
"We have to tell the others, and make sure the other digimon keep on constant watch for either Shinji, or Tari." Hawkmon put together quickly, "There's no way we could possibly look in the amount of time we get in the Digital World." Everyone agreed to Hawkmon's plan.
"So they think they'll be able to find my base." Tari murmured, watching the Digi-destined from her base. She scoffed and said, "Morons. They'll never know."