Okay, first I'm gonna answer a couple of questions that I came across in the reviews.
- No, the new Digidestined aren't in here. I just didn't feel like adding them
- People are afraid of them because they are immortals. Why? Because the thing that caused this power couldn't have been natural. And also because they don't understand it, and, as was in the first part, what people don't understand, they fear. At least, for this fic, that is!
~*Once upon forever part 2*~
~*Sora's point of view*~
It was getting colder. I could barely feel my fingers, anymore. Or any of the rest of me, for that matter. Why, oh why did it have to rain? Now? Couldn't it have waited?
I ran one hand through my hair, feeling my patient temperament dwindle away to nothing.
And, I am ashamed to say, that at this moment, I would have welcomed anything. Even death. With all that I had lived through in the past few days, yes, I would even welcome death.
But that was impossible. Anything could happen to us. Anything at all. Except for death. And at this moment, that thought was unwelcome.
Oh, everything would be so simple if only we could die! If only we had never received this curse…the curse to live forever…then none of this would have ever happened!
So, our one release, death, could never come.
~*Flashback*~
I let the cordless phone that I held in my trembling hand drop to the floor. It didn't make a sound, as the floor was carpeted with bits and pieces of clothing.
Taking a deep breath of the thick, oppressive air, I slumped my body against one of the walls.
Restlessly, I let my eyes survey my cramped confinement, from the two hangers dangling above my head to the black and white striped sock that lay beside my feet, as I pushed my hot, sweaty hair away from my forehead.
Shrugging my shoulders, I slid to the floor, bringing my knees up close to my chest. Stupid closet. I couldn't have a bigger one, could I?
I leaned my head against the wall, trying to concentrate all of my thoughts in one direction. What could I do? I knew for a fact that they would come for me. They knew who we were. They knew who I was. And so, therefore, they knew where I lived, as well.
"Why?" I whispered, closing my eyes and trying to steady my breathing. "Why? Why did this have to happen to us? And everyone else…they treat it like some kind of…of…some kind of disease!"
I still didn't know what to do.
But as I sat there, waiting for something…anything…to happen…I knew that all I could do was wait.
A moment later, I wished that I could go back in time, wishing that I could have back those last seconds of restlessness.
Because at that moment, they came. Yes, they.
I heard the fists pounding against the front door of my mother's apartment. Heard the splintering of wood as they smashed it in once I did not arrive to let them in.
Heard them trash through my mother's house, looking for me. Heard the sound of glass breaking, of material ripping. Of wood being cracked in half.
With the rush of blood that coursed through me, I felt that I couldn't move. Pulling myself far back into the corner, I hoped and prayed that I would seem invisible. I knew, however, that I could still be seen.
So, praying that it wouldn't be too late, I reached out both hands towards the piles of clothing that lay scattered around me.
With trembling fingers and the feeling that I was moving through water, I spread out as many articles of clothing over me as I could, making sure to hunch up into a ball and flatten myself as much as possible against the walls.
Then, once again, all I could do was wait, while pleading to everything around me that I wouldn't be found.
I could hear the door open, even though I couldn't see the bright light that shone through the opening; my eyes were tightly shut.
I could hear them talking, though.
"Nothing in here," I heard one gruff voice announce, as the door began to shut. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Then I found out that I had acted to soon.
"How can you be sure? She could be hiding in there!" a second voice screeched.
I felt, rather than saw, one big, hairy hand reach out to grab something off the nearby table.
I also felt, rather than saw, an object hurtling through the air.
And I was powerless to stop it. The next thing I knew, was blackness.
~*End of Flashback*~
~*Tai's point of view*~
I drew back one balled up hand, letting it fly loose into the rough tree bark. I didn't even really care as the pain numbed my hand, while bright red blood trickled minute rivers down my palm.
The other's were all staring at me. What? Wasn't I aloud to get angry? Wasn't I aloud to lose it, just as well as the rest of them? I mean…for God's sake…we had almost all been captured and tortured! And I wasn't aloud to lose it!? I just stared back at them, with unmatched ferocity.
One by one, everyone of the others sighed, shaking their head or rolling their eyes.
But I could still see the fear on their faces, as the droplets of rain ran down their faces. I thought I saw tears on Mimi's face, but couldn't be sure…it might just be the rain. Why was she so scared? I mean…we were only all alone…and being hunted…and about to be captured…
Who was I trying to fool? I, too, was scared. Not that I would ever admit that to the others! Sitting back down, I knew what I had to do. I had to finish relieving the horrors of the past days. Maybe if I finished them, then they would leave me alone in peace, for however short a time.
~*Flashback*~
The door was about to break in half…I could tell. But it seemed that deadbolts held me to the floor.
I was filled with terror…I couldn't help it. In a position like this, terror was only natural. I could feel the blood coursing through my veins…could feel my heart stop beating for what seemed forever, then beat double time to make up for it.
Casting a glance at Kari and TK, I saw that Kari was gripping TK's hand so hard that her knuckles were white.
I saw a splinter of wood push it's way out of the door, looking like fine needle poking through the door. An other one. Now a large crack near the middle.
I couldn't move. I knew that I had to…but I couldn't.
And then, there was no longer a door. Just an enraged face glaring at me in a large, gaping space.
I could hear Kari's sharp intake of breath, followed by that of TK.
I knew that I had to do something. No matter how much time had passed, I was still the leader of the Digidestined. I had to protect Kari and TK. My sister and her boyfriend. I had to…
I saw one man move towards Kari, reaching out to grab her.
"Kari!" my scream cut through the air at the same time as TK's, as we both lunged towards her, pulling her out of the way.
Kari couldn't seem to move. She looked just as I must have a split second before.
In a strange way, I didn't regret the fact that that one man had reached out to grab Kari. It was the one thing that had snapped me back to reality; the fact that my sister might be hurt.
With a measure of composure having returned to me, I grabbed one of her hands, as TK grabbed the other. Together, we dragged her towards the nearest window.
Reaching back one hand, I smashed my fist into the sparkling glass, watching as it broke into shards of diamond.
"Kari!" I cried, boosting her up and out of the room. "TK, you're next!" grabbing one of his arms, I literally threw him out the window to join Kari.
I turned to heave myself out of my apartment, but a large hand grabbed me from behind, closing around my neck.
I could feel the air being shut off from my lungs. The fact that I couldn't die helped some, but that didn't stop the unbearable pain and panic.
"Tai!" I heard someone scream my name. It sounded like Kari, but I couldn't be sure.
I could feel my organs beginning to shut down. I knew I couldn't die…it was impossible…but the pain was…unimaginable.
I could feel my face beginning to turn blue. Which was surprising, because it seemed that all I could feel was the pain.
I didn't know what to do. I could feel my body slump to the ground. I could feel myself question why Kari and TK didn't come to my aid.
Their own screams for help seemed to answer that. Through eyes blurring with tears, I found that they, too, had been captured…were being hurt, or tortured in some way. How, I couldn't tell, however. Now, all I could focus on was the pain.
But I didn't die. I had known that I couldn't…but now that I realized that I was still alive…even without air…I knew that I would be okay.
With weak, trembling arms, I reached up, fumbling to draw the big hands away from my neck.
This caught my captor by surprise…He had believed that maybe he had defied what even he knew…that I was immortal. I guess that it was because my form had been so…lifeless.
So, with surprise, his hands loosened just a millimeter…maybe even less. But it was all that I needed.
That small, ever so small breath of air that I had managed to draw into my lungs made me strong, and I just managed to pull away.
Taking in deep lung fulls of air, I sent silent thanks to up above.
Raising up one leg, I threw it painfully into the man's side, causing him to gasp in pain. I guess he was just as vulnerable to pain as I was.
"So do you like the pain? Maybe just as much as I do?" I taunted sarcastically.
With that, I turned towards Kari and TK. TK, too, had managed to escape, and was trying to free Kari, who was pinned to the ground.
Taking another deep breath, I lunged at the man, throwing him off balance.
With TK's help, Kari was soon back outside, and scurrying down the fire escape, as both she and TK, upon my capture, had been plucked off of it.
TK was next, and this time, I didn't hesitate to jump out after him.
Upon reaching the ground, I lay on the soft, cool grass, trying to breathe so deeply that it hurt. But at least this time, it was a pain caused by me, not by someone else.
It was TK who made me realize that the men were leaping down the fire escape after us.
So I managed to jump to my feet, stumbling after TK and Kari.
We managed to make it to the road. I could see people look on in surprise as they saw our condition. That surprise turned to fear as they realized who we were.
"We have to get to the others," I gasped. "And we have to find Izzy. We still don't know where he is!"
But that question was soon answered.
Because I was then staring into the cruel eyes of a tall, burly man who was walking on the other side of the street.
Another man, who was with him, started across the street towards us, and I moved in front of TK and Kari to protect them.
But my eyes were still fastened on the body that the first man dragged along. I could clearly see the red hair on his head.
Izzy.
To be continued…
So. Was that okay? Please tell me what you think!
Gatomon_1