Me: *crying openly and wiping my tears* It has been an honor to write this...and Digimon does not belong to me.
Joe: Hey, stop crying and start writing! I want my Mimi back.
Me: I'm working on it. I've got to write a Kouyako for Sonja (DigitalAmiefox) first...*sniff* I promised her...
Joe: FIRST? AHH!
Me: No, well, I just mean later. Of course I'll do this first *sniffs* Now let me get this on.
Just You & Me
Joe felt himself being sucked into the port. He felt his feet land in the loose, dry dirt of the barren land. He looked up. The sky was yellow, glowing brightly as if it was sunset. And Infinity Mountain towered over him, looming into the skies. Joe took a step towards it and started his journey.
It was difficult traveling without someone. Very different, indeed. He wished that Gomamon were there, or better, Mimi. But the three angels would've been good enough for him. They would at least help advise him and help him when he was in desperate need. But he was alone, vulnerable, and without a single speck of help.
Joe had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He couldn't do anything, but walk and walk and walk. He reached to feel his Digivice. He felt relieved when he found it and pulled it out of his pocket. Good old thing. That should help him around the area.
He wondered how they expected him to survive, how to eat and live. Was Mimi worth all this?
Of course.
He imagined her, with her lovely hair and bright eyes, and closed his eyes. He kept walking, and was very content with his thoughts as the last sunbeams hit his face and floated away towards the ocean, away from File Island.
Joe opened his eyes as the sun started to disappear over the horizon. He longed to watch the sunset with Mimi. He smiled, repeated what he was supposed to do, like Reine had told him to do son, and thought more about Mimi. Somehow, thinking about her made time seem to fly by faster. Repeating the patterns and places he was supposed to go helped too, because there were so many and the list was so long, and before he knew it, he was at the bottom of Infinity Mountain.
Joe wished he had written Hikaru's directions down. That would've saved him the effort of repeating them over and over, which he found was a very tedious job. He should've asked how he would find the Green Jewel. He knew that the Green Jewel would go off when the Pink Jewel was near, but what about the Green Jewel? Perhaps the Digivice would go off…perhaps.
Joe came upon a cave. He looked up. The sky had darkened. The sun had long disappeared over the horizon, and he needed to rest. His toes were feeling hot. While walking in the hot terrain, the warmth from the land had transported themselves into his shoes. And as for the condition of his shoes, they were pretty well, but Joe wasn't sure that they would last the whole journey. He felt for his Digivice once more.
"Money." He said suddenly, feeling something. Pulling out a twenty-dollar bill, he stared at it with wonder. "Well, if I ever happen to run into Digitamamon again, now I know what to do." He tucked the dollar bill safely back under the Digivice in his pockets and headed deeper in the cave.
It was night. He felt his belongings one more time, and then remembered that the money was for his lunch account. Oh well. Lunch didn't matter so much anymore. Joe's tummy rumbled.
"Uh." He said. He had meant lunch on earth.
He reached into his other pocket and fished out half a sandwich. That would do finely. There was lettuce, and that always quenched Joe's thirst. He emptied all his pockets and looked over the contents.
There was a small pocketknife, a handkerchief (used for wiping his glasses), some more food, but very little, and some other things. Joe thought that those, including the Digivice and the money, were the most valuable ones to him.
He walked until he came to a spot that was dry and comfortable, away enough from the opening that the night air wouldn't reach him. He felt terribly lonely, and, the first time since he was little, afraid of the dark. Each of the shadows could very likely be a Digimon that would attack him.
Joe wished Mimi were there with him. It would've been much better, and less lonely, with at least someone to talk too. While entering the cave, he had gathered quite a bit of scrap wood and now lit a fire.
"Oh, I wish Hikaru and Reine had taught me more!" He said, and drifted off to sleep. What horrible conditions was his last conscious thought.
When he woke, the light was quite dim. He looked to his right and saw the slight opening. It was bright outside, and Joe, after staring outside, took quite a while to adjust his eyes back. The burnt out fire lay in front of him. Joe sniffed. At least he had been quite warm. Joe picked up the longest stick from the pile, a long sturdy stick that had burned halfway in the fire and walked out of the cave. He looked back at the spot where he had lay with fondness, then out at the wild and dangerous trail of the mountain.
"I've been here before." He said quietly. "When I first climbed Infinity Mountain for the first time and Gomamon first digivolved into Ikkakumon." He remembered being rescued by Tai and Sora and he remembered, most of all, Mimi. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked back at the trail.
"I hate traveling." He said. He loved to be stable. And the cave was just a place where he could stay, with a feeling of home. Checking that he had left nothing behind but the burnt pile of ashes, he left.
The cave was a home, but the ashes reminded him too much of Mimi.
Walking on, he felt his eyelids drop. There was nothing to do, nothing to think of, and he had repeated the signs to keep him busy more than three times. He hadn't slept all that well, but according to the conditions, he was in nice shape. He was falling asleep from boredom.
His shoes felt hot and burnt once more. Several times he had to stop and check to see if they were burnt. They weren't, but the trail was harsh, and there were plenty of sharp rocks. Joe should've worn his better shoes, he knew.
Suddenly, the trail curved suddenly, and Joe couldn't see anymore of it but a sharp ridge that dissolved into nothing. He was hesitant, but decided to give it a try. Clinging to the wall behind him, Joe edged around the bend and sighed. The trail had widened. There were several of these incidents, and most of them ended like this, but there was a couple that suddenly ended, and Joe had the climb the treacherous rocks. If he fell, well, Joe wouldn't think about it. But he couldn't help sighing.
All went sell until mid afternoon. It was around three. Joe's watch had stopped working ever since he reached the Digital World and now he had to rely on his senses, which wasn't really good, since every minute away from Mimi seemed like eternity. But it was hot, probably the hottest time of the day, and Joe was sweating all over.
Then, every so suddenly, he saw what he was dreading. There it was, two hundred tons of pure muscle.
A Monochromon.
It saw him the same second Joe saw it, and charged for it. Joe, out of his wits, ran for his dear life. He ran, panting,
"If I don't run fast enough, I won't get to save Mimi and she may never come back!" This gave him motivation, the only problem was: he didn't know which way he was running. He was on the trail again, and his only hope was that it didn't end. Monochromon were very territorial creature.
Suddenly, this one stopped. Joe, afraid it was resting, started to climb some rocks and got to a higher ledge. He followed the trail a bit more. The Monochromon had turned around and started back. That must've been the line of his territory. Joe felt relieved, but all the same, he knew that he was in some other Monochromon's territory, and that was not a comforting thought.
"Oh." He groaned and climbed another ledge. The ledges were not as steep as they were now. Suddenly, he felt himself falling.
"What the-?" He asked. One second, he was on top of some rocks; climbing a ledge, and the next he was rolling down it. He looked around, the spotted the gem of his life.
A green jewel, as pure as gold, and as clear as crystal water was sitting on a piece of rock. It was sitting on its bottom tip. And the whole this was in a crater, surrounded by huge boulders, the size of bowling balls. Joe walked over to the middle and plucked the Green Jewel up.
"Yes." He said. It should've been more of a victory yell, but instead, Joe, clutching it tightly, felt a sense of security. He sighed and looked at the sun.
Due north. He turned a little to the left and started to walk. He hoped that due north wouldn't mean having to follow that trail again, but, unfortunately, it did. Going exactly north was more like jumping off of a cliff, Joe thought. He dug into his pockets and wished he had a compass.
But with the sun leading him, all he could hope was that he was going in the right direction. After all, food supply was getting low, and Joe felt tired. It was so lonely traveling alone, and his shoes felt worn and his feet were scorching hot. Just then did he realized how unprepared he had come.
He had come to the Digital World into this mission without any food, water, and supplies, except what he had. Supposed the angels had known about this? Joe shrugged and yawned. He stretched too, and looked at the slowly sinking sun. Perhaps he ought to have traveled at night. It was cooler, but very dangerous also. And, he reasoned, he would have to sleep during the day.
It was perhaps seven when the sun finally sank. Joe did not know the exact time but knew he was very hungry indeed. He pulled out his Digivice, but there was no port anywhere, and besides, even if there were, he would not alter the plan just to have something to eat.
Joe's stomach rumbled. Perhaps, ooh, he was so hungry! Joe kicked a rock in his path in frustration. It hit a wall and bounced back. But Joe had heard the hollow sound. Putting his hand on the wall, he eventually reached a place where there was a big boulder.
"Perhaps." He said. "This is one of those places where you have to step on something and the door opens." But it proved to be not. Joe found that the boulder was just a plain piece of rock, and that with a few muscles, he could move it aside and crawl in the opening.
Once inside, it was wide enough in both length and height for Joe to stand up. This was a good shelter spot. Joe stuck his head out of the cave one more time. The sun was already sinking under the horizon. This was where Joe planned to campy that night.
Suddenly, his green jewel went of in a series of bright flashes. The pink jewel had to be nearby. But which way? Joe stepped out of the cave and moved around for a moment, in which it stopped. Then, as he moved closer in the cave, further into the depths, it flashed quicker and quicker. The jewel was this way.
Joe had to admit, he was a little scared. There he was, in a big, black cave, without a light or any protection. He thought of all the bad things that had happened to him since he got to the Digital World and all of the bad things that could happen next.
"But." Joe said. "If Monochromon hadn't chased me, I probably wouldn't have come across the Green Jewel." Holding the jewel up, he now reached a place with three tunnels. Choosing the tunnel where the Green Jewel flashed the most (it was hard to tell, and the cave was so dark) Joe continued. He walked along that trail so long that it was becoming a routine, and a bit of a surprise when he felt water in his socks. He sat down on a rock (he had to be careful to avoid all the stalactites and stalagmites around the area) and took off his shoe. There wasn't a hole, but a piece was missing, causing the water to enter. Joe figured there was nothing he could do at the moment but try to walk further, avoiding the water. By doing thins, he cut himself several times on the stalactites and stalagmites, but, wiping his arm on his sleeve, he continued. Perhaps there would be no use for this shirt later on. After all, it was his school shirt, but he had others just like it.
And this was for Mimi. A blush creeping across his face, he walked and walked and walked. The walking business was so boring he got so bored he almost screamed and wanted to forget the whole this. But all the time, the sweet face of Mimi's kept popping into his head, and he knew that it was all worth everything he had ever had.
Just to hold her in his arms would be like having his angel of light.
Joe rounded a corner, and there, right in front of his, was the pink jewel. Joe looked around, thinking it might have been a trap. In the open where he had found the green jewel, he really wasn't aware, but now he was a little freaked out. He slowly approached the pink jewel, took it, and slid it into his pocket. Lurking in the shadows again, he repeated the signs.
"Go to Primary Village." He murmured softly. He turned around and considered going back, but he had come a long way. But on the other hand, he had no clue how long the cave was or where it leads.
"Let's just give it a try and try to explore this cave to the end." Joe said. The truth was, the number in stalactites and stalagmites had greatly decreased, and Joe didn't want to be cut again. Besides, he had no clue where he was on Infinity Mountain, and it was very likely that, if he went back, he was just going in the wrong direction, the direction he came from.
"The whole purpose in life." Joe recited. "Is to go forward, not back." He smiled and started to walk with the path, which was sloping downhill. Mimi, who didn't have much care for his phrases, loved to imagine, and think of his phrases as compliments of her. And yet, she was right. He wouldn't look back; he would look forward.
Joe's eyes were long dry from the tears that had once occupied them. There was a bright new star shining in the sky-a star called hope. Hope that Mimi was alive. For she must be, Hikaru (was it her? Perhaps it was Reine or even Jade) said that if he completed the tasks, she would come back.
He must not muddle a single one of them. Joe signed. Luckily she never said when it had to be done.
Walking along, deeply dissolved in his own thoughts, Joe did not notice the shadow that followed him through the cave. When he stopped, it stopped. When he stumbled on a rock and fell several feet into the deep cave, it stopped, and then suddenly darted on.
Joe couldn't remember, but he hoped that he had closed the cave entrance. Too late to check now. If this cave had a bigger opening than the last one, Joe would've camped in it, but this one seemed spooky, and full of ghosts.
At last, he saw a light in front of him, and emerged from the tunnel. The figure stayed in the background and watched as Joe walked ahead. For Joe, he had seen the best thing in his life.
Night was falling, and the stars were appearing, one by one, like diamonds in the sky. He was standing on a ledge, right outside of a cave, and in front of him was Primary Village. Of course, Joe would go there tonight. He was so happy he skipped down the trail and finally felt the rich, moist grass of Primary Village. He ran through the grass, glad that he would never have to walk in the hot sun again, glad to see no more rocky barren areas full of sand, glad that he would've have to stop to pull his shoes off so his feet didn't feel hurt.
Joe sniffed the air. There WAS a rich, delicious scent coming from somewhere. The scent of dinner.
Without realizing how hungry he was, Joe had reached the other side of the cave. Never in his life had he smelled something all that good. He ran towards it, trying to figure out which way to go. The shadow sulked back into the cave.
Joe reached the pot. It was in a cauldron, in what seemed like a stable. There was a soup ladle in it. Joe looked in. It smelled of vegetable soup, and looked of nappa, carrots, and all the things that a [hungry] person would love, plus it was cooked until the carrots were soft, the way Joe liked it. Joe picked up the ladle, scooped some up, and brought it up to his mouth.
He could smell it in front of him, could see the beautiful food, and never in his life had he prized this so much. He brought it up to his lips, still not touching it. Yet, something was holding him back.
Then, as quickly as he had picked it up, he dropped the ladle and it sunk back into the broth. What was wrong? He suddenly remembered the signs.
But should he start making the broth tonight? It was pretty late, and he could hardly see what he was doing, never less be able to make out a friend in the dark. But he wanted his Mimi back as soon as possible. Also, Joe didn't think he could go another day without food. In the tunnel, he had gotten a few drinks of water from a dripping stalactite, but not a refreshing drink. As a matter of fact, it made him even thirstier.
Joe picked up Hikaru's picture. It was wrapped in with the remaining bits of his sandwich and half of an orange. Joe ate the sandwich (yes, the temptation of the broth was still very strong) and looked at the picture. Would he be able to find that egg?
He had to. Hikaru didn't say how long the jewels could boil. Joe stepped back and looked at the fire, which the cauldron was on top of. It was pretty big. Joe whistled softly and dropped the jewels. He stepped out and started looking around.
Joe had no idea how long it took him. It was starting to get chilly when he thought he found an egg that looked like it, but when he brought it back to light in the stable, it wasn't it. In frustration he put it back and looked again, and again.
Joe wasn't sure how long after that it took, but he knew he found it before midnight. In fact, before ten-thirty; because at ten-thirty, Joe always went to sleep. That was when his drowsy spell hit him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay awake. Repeating the signs over again, Joe dipped the egg into the broth and then let go. His egg started to sink.
Joe's temptation to eat was drifting away. The broth was now pink and greenish, not at all looking like something Joe would like to devour. He wondered, if he was able to eat the broth, how it would taste like. Dismissing the thought, he wandered out again, tired. The drowsy spell was coming on. He repeated the signs to himself again, hoping that he had down them right, and was very reassured when they matched up.
He imagined himself remembering that he had done something wrong and trying to pull the egg out of the broth, his hands full of blisters. He wondered what would happen, and the temptation was always strong. But Joe knew what he was up against, something that should not be risked or played around with. He lay down on the grass. A cool breeze shifted back and forth, and the next second, a shadow was over him.
Joe had his eyes closed, but he noticed the shift in the wind. He opened his eyes.
"Ah!" He said.
"Hey." The Digimon said. "Is that the way you greet an old friend?"
"Elecmon!" Joe sputtered, spinning his head around, his heart beating even faster than when Mimi had kissed him…well, maybe not quite.
"I'm sorry." Elecmon said. "I was fishing in the cave and followed you here."
"And all around Primary Village too?" Joe asked frantically.
"Oh, good heavens no." Elecmon said. "After you arrived down here, I lost track of you, and then went to feed the crying babies. They were hungry. Say, what were you doing? And why are you here?"
"It's a long story." Joe said. "How long have you been following me?"
"Oh, ever since you were in the cave."
"You were?"
"I mean, ever since you came across my fishing grounds. Then, I thought that was you, but could never be sure, you kept moving and your back was facing me, so I decided I had enough fish and left. I didn't want to approach so I just followed, and didn't want to say anything until I was sure that it was you." Joe took all this in and repeated the remaining signs.
"Elecmon." Joe said softly. Elecmon placed a lantern over them, lighting up the area. "Do you remember Mimi?"
"The little pink daisy?" Elecmon asked, chuckling. Joe considered this and nodded. "Why, of course! What's happened?" Joe could not bring himself to say it, even though he knew that he ought to, it was part of the plan. Yet, it was still too painful.
"She's left." He managed to croak.
"What?"
"Yes."
"Are you serious? How?" Elecmon said. Joe bravely started his story, up to the ceremony of the funeral.
He found that the more he got into the story, the easier it was to tell. Elecmon was crying before long, and to his surprise, Joe was too. There were just some things that (even if Mimi came back) wouldn't be the same forever.
Elecmon was so caught up in this that he asked no more questions, and in the end, he dismissed himself. Joe returned to the broth, desperately hoping that Elecmon had not seen him take the pink jewel, and repeated the signs again. He had them fully memorized by now.
Joe reached towards the cauldron's big handles. To his surprise, it was light, like the angels had said. The fire had already burned out. He walked to the lake, carrying it, and then threw the broth as well as he could towards the center of the lake. It nearly splattered in the same spot. Joe returned the cauldron to the stable.
Joe walked back to the lake, his eyelids heavy. Hikaru had said to camp at the lake, but Joe was so tired that he sat down by a stump near the lake and fell asleep. Elecmon, passing him while doing the last of his night chores, placed a blanket gently over him.
Joe woke up around nine. The sun was bright in the air, and yet it was chilly. There had been fog in the air, but it had all cleared now, well, almost. There was still a speck of fog near the middle of the lake. Joe rubbed his eyes.
How long would the miracle take?
The fog started to clear, and suddenly, it was gone. Joe had expected to see Mimi in the middle, but instead he saw nothing. Had he done something wrong? If so, what was it? Why wasn't his Mimi in front of him? Never less, Joe began to worry. Shaking off the blanket (he didn't even notice it was there) he walked, or rather, crawled to the side of the lake. Maybe it was because he had almost eaten the broth?
Then suddenly, a stream of water shot up, and then, it seemed to jump back in the water. It left behind a lovely maiden.
Her brown hair was damp, not entirely wet, but damp. She was holding her hair, trying the squeeze the water out of it, and when she opened her eyes, they looked straight at
Him.
They eyes met and locked, and for a moment, Joe couldn't move. Then Joe found himself splashing and running in the water towards her. She was dressed in some purple dress, with a pink hat sitting beside her and a green ribbon on her hand, which she tied in her hair.
Water droplets flew down like diamonds as he made his way towards her. And then, he felt her against him, crying and sobbing wildly.
"I thought I'd never see you again, Joe." She said, tears in her eyes. Joe now realized she was kneeling on a lily pad, a very fragile lily pad, that looked as if if a little weight had been put on it, it wouldn't tip over and break, or split.
It was like her, the small figure that seemed as delicate as if she were made of china, with the warm, chocolate eyes staring straight into his blue ones.
"Mimi." That was all he could say. He reached up to her, and (clinging on the lily pad as an effort not to drown) kissed her. "I've missed you so much; I thought you were never going to come back."
"Neither did I myself." She said. "Until I met the angels. They said to me that if someone cared enough, a prince charming will wish for them and they will send him to rescue me. They said that both of us deserved a second chance."
"That's awfully nice of them." Joe murmured, his hands stroking her hair.
"I know." Mimi slid off of the lily pad. "I like this lily pad."
"Let's drag it to shore." And with two of them, they were able to drag the enormous lily pad to shore.
"Shouldn't we repay them somehow?" Joe asked.
"The only way to do that." Mimi began. "Is for a prince charming to go and save them. But Hikaru wants to stay where she is, she doesn't want any change, and Jade is fine with her studies of time. Reine, well, she agrees with them, but I think she possesses a secret desire to be free again. But now with us. She wants to be with whoever is her destiny, her freedom, with her life."
"I see." Joe said. "So it won't do them any good if we tried to help." Mimi shook her head sadly and walked up to the shore and they both collapsed on the grass, all dripping wet. The lily pad lay unbroken between them. Mimi looked at the lily pad.
"Like our friendship." She said.
"And love." Joe pressed his lips against hers. "I love you Mimi."
It was a few minutes later when Elecmon discovered them, and suggested they put the lily pad back. They agreed, deciding that it would have somewhat a longer life that way. To this day, this lily pad lies in the center of the pond of Primary Village. And Mimi, though all the Digidestind and Digimon came to visit her, could not go on earth, so therefore she loved the sacred place, and once a year, she would mysteriously appear on the lily pad, paddle over to the shore, and tell her audience her story.
Joe returned to his house (to find that his grades had dropped slightly, to his disappointment) with a jolly face. He could not remember, but it might've been the first time he had smiled since he left Mimi. Of course he had smiled when he saw her, but I mean on earth.
The story was spread to everyone (who knew about the Digital World) and they went occasionally to visit. But what Joe loved most were those evenings alone with Mimi.
And Mimi would say, "You risked your whole life for me, Joe. Perhaps you don't know how much it's worth, but once you've been dead and alive again, you can see the real picture so well. You are such a gallantry hero in my eyes." And she would look at him with all the love and affection in the whole world.
It WAS worth all those pains, all those days of hardship, life misery, and all those days that I had to fight, it was worth it, worth all of that, you to be with
You.
Joe: *snuggles against Mimi* That was a nice ending Yuki
Me: *shrug* It was rather corny, but very kawaii, I thought.
Joe: So when ARE you going to write that Kouyako?
Me: Kouyakos. I have 2, and when they're done, I'll post the titles here.
Joe: Wow, two. And don't you have piano competition this weekend.
Me: That doesn't mean I can't write. I CAN do it, and I have Sunday too.
Joe: Just dedicated to your Kouyakos?
Me: And perhaps a chapter of Jewel Quest.
Little Guy in the Back of My Mind; We're getting off topic.
Me: Oops, okay, thank you for reading. I don't think there's anything in here I have to explain that I left off, however, there might be, and if there is, please tell me! (But nicely)
Joe: Please Review too. I did a good job acting *glare from Yuki* I mean...Yuki did a good job writing.
^-^ thanks!
Joe: Hey, stop crying and start writing! I want my Mimi back.
Me: I'm working on it. I've got to write a Kouyako for Sonja (DigitalAmiefox) first...*sniff* I promised her...
Joe: FIRST? AHH!
Me: No, well, I just mean later. Of course I'll do this first *sniffs* Now let me get this on.
Just You & Me
Joe felt himself being sucked into the port. He felt his feet land in the loose, dry dirt of the barren land. He looked up. The sky was yellow, glowing brightly as if it was sunset. And Infinity Mountain towered over him, looming into the skies. Joe took a step towards it and started his journey.
It was difficult traveling without someone. Very different, indeed. He wished that Gomamon were there, or better, Mimi. But the three angels would've been good enough for him. They would at least help advise him and help him when he was in desperate need. But he was alone, vulnerable, and without a single speck of help.
Joe had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He couldn't do anything, but walk and walk and walk. He reached to feel his Digivice. He felt relieved when he found it and pulled it out of his pocket. Good old thing. That should help him around the area.
He wondered how they expected him to survive, how to eat and live. Was Mimi worth all this?
Of course.
He imagined her, with her lovely hair and bright eyes, and closed his eyes. He kept walking, and was very content with his thoughts as the last sunbeams hit his face and floated away towards the ocean, away from File Island.
Joe opened his eyes as the sun started to disappear over the horizon. He longed to watch the sunset with Mimi. He smiled, repeated what he was supposed to do, like Reine had told him to do son, and thought more about Mimi. Somehow, thinking about her made time seem to fly by faster. Repeating the patterns and places he was supposed to go helped too, because there were so many and the list was so long, and before he knew it, he was at the bottom of Infinity Mountain.
Joe wished he had written Hikaru's directions down. That would've saved him the effort of repeating them over and over, which he found was a very tedious job. He should've asked how he would find the Green Jewel. He knew that the Green Jewel would go off when the Pink Jewel was near, but what about the Green Jewel? Perhaps the Digivice would go off…perhaps.
Joe came upon a cave. He looked up. The sky had darkened. The sun had long disappeared over the horizon, and he needed to rest. His toes were feeling hot. While walking in the hot terrain, the warmth from the land had transported themselves into his shoes. And as for the condition of his shoes, they were pretty well, but Joe wasn't sure that they would last the whole journey. He felt for his Digivice once more.
"Money." He said suddenly, feeling something. Pulling out a twenty-dollar bill, he stared at it with wonder. "Well, if I ever happen to run into Digitamamon again, now I know what to do." He tucked the dollar bill safely back under the Digivice in his pockets and headed deeper in the cave.
It was night. He felt his belongings one more time, and then remembered that the money was for his lunch account. Oh well. Lunch didn't matter so much anymore. Joe's tummy rumbled.
"Uh." He said. He had meant lunch on earth.
He reached into his other pocket and fished out half a sandwich. That would do finely. There was lettuce, and that always quenched Joe's thirst. He emptied all his pockets and looked over the contents.
There was a small pocketknife, a handkerchief (used for wiping his glasses), some more food, but very little, and some other things. Joe thought that those, including the Digivice and the money, were the most valuable ones to him.
He walked until he came to a spot that was dry and comfortable, away enough from the opening that the night air wouldn't reach him. He felt terribly lonely, and, the first time since he was little, afraid of the dark. Each of the shadows could very likely be a Digimon that would attack him.
Joe wished Mimi were there with him. It would've been much better, and less lonely, with at least someone to talk too. While entering the cave, he had gathered quite a bit of scrap wood and now lit a fire.
"Oh, I wish Hikaru and Reine had taught me more!" He said, and drifted off to sleep. What horrible conditions was his last conscious thought.
When he woke, the light was quite dim. He looked to his right and saw the slight opening. It was bright outside, and Joe, after staring outside, took quite a while to adjust his eyes back. The burnt out fire lay in front of him. Joe sniffed. At least he had been quite warm. Joe picked up the longest stick from the pile, a long sturdy stick that had burned halfway in the fire and walked out of the cave. He looked back at the spot where he had lay with fondness, then out at the wild and dangerous trail of the mountain.
"I've been here before." He said quietly. "When I first climbed Infinity Mountain for the first time and Gomamon first digivolved into Ikkakumon." He remembered being rescued by Tai and Sora and he remembered, most of all, Mimi. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked back at the trail.
"I hate traveling." He said. He loved to be stable. And the cave was just a place where he could stay, with a feeling of home. Checking that he had left nothing behind but the burnt pile of ashes, he left.
The cave was a home, but the ashes reminded him too much of Mimi.
Walking on, he felt his eyelids drop. There was nothing to do, nothing to think of, and he had repeated the signs to keep him busy more than three times. He hadn't slept all that well, but according to the conditions, he was in nice shape. He was falling asleep from boredom.
His shoes felt hot and burnt once more. Several times he had to stop and check to see if they were burnt. They weren't, but the trail was harsh, and there were plenty of sharp rocks. Joe should've worn his better shoes, he knew.
Suddenly, the trail curved suddenly, and Joe couldn't see anymore of it but a sharp ridge that dissolved into nothing. He was hesitant, but decided to give it a try. Clinging to the wall behind him, Joe edged around the bend and sighed. The trail had widened. There were several of these incidents, and most of them ended like this, but there was a couple that suddenly ended, and Joe had the climb the treacherous rocks. If he fell, well, Joe wouldn't think about it. But he couldn't help sighing.
All went sell until mid afternoon. It was around three. Joe's watch had stopped working ever since he reached the Digital World and now he had to rely on his senses, which wasn't really good, since every minute away from Mimi seemed like eternity. But it was hot, probably the hottest time of the day, and Joe was sweating all over.
Then, every so suddenly, he saw what he was dreading. There it was, two hundred tons of pure muscle.
A Monochromon.
It saw him the same second Joe saw it, and charged for it. Joe, out of his wits, ran for his dear life. He ran, panting,
"If I don't run fast enough, I won't get to save Mimi and she may never come back!" This gave him motivation, the only problem was: he didn't know which way he was running. He was on the trail again, and his only hope was that it didn't end. Monochromon were very territorial creature.
Suddenly, this one stopped. Joe, afraid it was resting, started to climb some rocks and got to a higher ledge. He followed the trail a bit more. The Monochromon had turned around and started back. That must've been the line of his territory. Joe felt relieved, but all the same, he knew that he was in some other Monochromon's territory, and that was not a comforting thought.
"Oh." He groaned and climbed another ledge. The ledges were not as steep as they were now. Suddenly, he felt himself falling.
"What the-?" He asked. One second, he was on top of some rocks; climbing a ledge, and the next he was rolling down it. He looked around, the spotted the gem of his life.
A green jewel, as pure as gold, and as clear as crystal water was sitting on a piece of rock. It was sitting on its bottom tip. And the whole this was in a crater, surrounded by huge boulders, the size of bowling balls. Joe walked over to the middle and plucked the Green Jewel up.
"Yes." He said. It should've been more of a victory yell, but instead, Joe, clutching it tightly, felt a sense of security. He sighed and looked at the sun.
Due north. He turned a little to the left and started to walk. He hoped that due north wouldn't mean having to follow that trail again, but, unfortunately, it did. Going exactly north was more like jumping off of a cliff, Joe thought. He dug into his pockets and wished he had a compass.
But with the sun leading him, all he could hope was that he was going in the right direction. After all, food supply was getting low, and Joe felt tired. It was so lonely traveling alone, and his shoes felt worn and his feet were scorching hot. Just then did he realized how unprepared he had come.
He had come to the Digital World into this mission without any food, water, and supplies, except what he had. Supposed the angels had known about this? Joe shrugged and yawned. He stretched too, and looked at the slowly sinking sun. Perhaps he ought to have traveled at night. It was cooler, but very dangerous also. And, he reasoned, he would have to sleep during the day.
It was perhaps seven when the sun finally sank. Joe did not know the exact time but knew he was very hungry indeed. He pulled out his Digivice, but there was no port anywhere, and besides, even if there were, he would not alter the plan just to have something to eat.
Joe's stomach rumbled. Perhaps, ooh, he was so hungry! Joe kicked a rock in his path in frustration. It hit a wall and bounced back. But Joe had heard the hollow sound. Putting his hand on the wall, he eventually reached a place where there was a big boulder.
"Perhaps." He said. "This is one of those places where you have to step on something and the door opens." But it proved to be not. Joe found that the boulder was just a plain piece of rock, and that with a few muscles, he could move it aside and crawl in the opening.
Once inside, it was wide enough in both length and height for Joe to stand up. This was a good shelter spot. Joe stuck his head out of the cave one more time. The sun was already sinking under the horizon. This was where Joe planned to campy that night.
Suddenly, his green jewel went of in a series of bright flashes. The pink jewel had to be nearby. But which way? Joe stepped out of the cave and moved around for a moment, in which it stopped. Then, as he moved closer in the cave, further into the depths, it flashed quicker and quicker. The jewel was this way.
Joe had to admit, he was a little scared. There he was, in a big, black cave, without a light or any protection. He thought of all the bad things that had happened to him since he got to the Digital World and all of the bad things that could happen next.
"But." Joe said. "If Monochromon hadn't chased me, I probably wouldn't have come across the Green Jewel." Holding the jewel up, he now reached a place with three tunnels. Choosing the tunnel where the Green Jewel flashed the most (it was hard to tell, and the cave was so dark) Joe continued. He walked along that trail so long that it was becoming a routine, and a bit of a surprise when he felt water in his socks. He sat down on a rock (he had to be careful to avoid all the stalactites and stalagmites around the area) and took off his shoe. There wasn't a hole, but a piece was missing, causing the water to enter. Joe figured there was nothing he could do at the moment but try to walk further, avoiding the water. By doing thins, he cut himself several times on the stalactites and stalagmites, but, wiping his arm on his sleeve, he continued. Perhaps there would be no use for this shirt later on. After all, it was his school shirt, but he had others just like it.
And this was for Mimi. A blush creeping across his face, he walked and walked and walked. The walking business was so boring he got so bored he almost screamed and wanted to forget the whole this. But all the time, the sweet face of Mimi's kept popping into his head, and he knew that it was all worth everything he had ever had.
Just to hold her in his arms would be like having his angel of light.
Joe rounded a corner, and there, right in front of his, was the pink jewel. Joe looked around, thinking it might have been a trap. In the open where he had found the green jewel, he really wasn't aware, but now he was a little freaked out. He slowly approached the pink jewel, took it, and slid it into his pocket. Lurking in the shadows again, he repeated the signs.
"Go to Primary Village." He murmured softly. He turned around and considered going back, but he had come a long way. But on the other hand, he had no clue how long the cave was or where it leads.
"Let's just give it a try and try to explore this cave to the end." Joe said. The truth was, the number in stalactites and stalagmites had greatly decreased, and Joe didn't want to be cut again. Besides, he had no clue where he was on Infinity Mountain, and it was very likely that, if he went back, he was just going in the wrong direction, the direction he came from.
"The whole purpose in life." Joe recited. "Is to go forward, not back." He smiled and started to walk with the path, which was sloping downhill. Mimi, who didn't have much care for his phrases, loved to imagine, and think of his phrases as compliments of her. And yet, she was right. He wouldn't look back; he would look forward.
Joe's eyes were long dry from the tears that had once occupied them. There was a bright new star shining in the sky-a star called hope. Hope that Mimi was alive. For she must be, Hikaru (was it her? Perhaps it was Reine or even Jade) said that if he completed the tasks, she would come back.
He must not muddle a single one of them. Joe signed. Luckily she never said when it had to be done.
Walking along, deeply dissolved in his own thoughts, Joe did not notice the shadow that followed him through the cave. When he stopped, it stopped. When he stumbled on a rock and fell several feet into the deep cave, it stopped, and then suddenly darted on.
Joe couldn't remember, but he hoped that he had closed the cave entrance. Too late to check now. If this cave had a bigger opening than the last one, Joe would've camped in it, but this one seemed spooky, and full of ghosts.
At last, he saw a light in front of him, and emerged from the tunnel. The figure stayed in the background and watched as Joe walked ahead. For Joe, he had seen the best thing in his life.
Night was falling, and the stars were appearing, one by one, like diamonds in the sky. He was standing on a ledge, right outside of a cave, and in front of him was Primary Village. Of course, Joe would go there tonight. He was so happy he skipped down the trail and finally felt the rich, moist grass of Primary Village. He ran through the grass, glad that he would never have to walk in the hot sun again, glad to see no more rocky barren areas full of sand, glad that he would've have to stop to pull his shoes off so his feet didn't feel hurt.
Joe sniffed the air. There WAS a rich, delicious scent coming from somewhere. The scent of dinner.
Without realizing how hungry he was, Joe had reached the other side of the cave. Never in his life had he smelled something all that good. He ran towards it, trying to figure out which way to go. The shadow sulked back into the cave.
Joe reached the pot. It was in a cauldron, in what seemed like a stable. There was a soup ladle in it. Joe looked in. It smelled of vegetable soup, and looked of nappa, carrots, and all the things that a [hungry] person would love, plus it was cooked until the carrots were soft, the way Joe liked it. Joe picked up the ladle, scooped some up, and brought it up to his mouth.
He could smell it in front of him, could see the beautiful food, and never in his life had he prized this so much. He brought it up to his lips, still not touching it. Yet, something was holding him back.
Then, as quickly as he had picked it up, he dropped the ladle and it sunk back into the broth. What was wrong? He suddenly remembered the signs.
But should he start making the broth tonight? It was pretty late, and he could hardly see what he was doing, never less be able to make out a friend in the dark. But he wanted his Mimi back as soon as possible. Also, Joe didn't think he could go another day without food. In the tunnel, he had gotten a few drinks of water from a dripping stalactite, but not a refreshing drink. As a matter of fact, it made him even thirstier.
Joe picked up Hikaru's picture. It was wrapped in with the remaining bits of his sandwich and half of an orange. Joe ate the sandwich (yes, the temptation of the broth was still very strong) and looked at the picture. Would he be able to find that egg?
He had to. Hikaru didn't say how long the jewels could boil. Joe stepped back and looked at the fire, which the cauldron was on top of. It was pretty big. Joe whistled softly and dropped the jewels. He stepped out and started looking around.
Joe had no idea how long it took him. It was starting to get chilly when he thought he found an egg that looked like it, but when he brought it back to light in the stable, it wasn't it. In frustration he put it back and looked again, and again.
Joe wasn't sure how long after that it took, but he knew he found it before midnight. In fact, before ten-thirty; because at ten-thirty, Joe always went to sleep. That was when his drowsy spell hit him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay awake. Repeating the signs over again, Joe dipped the egg into the broth and then let go. His egg started to sink.
Joe's temptation to eat was drifting away. The broth was now pink and greenish, not at all looking like something Joe would like to devour. He wondered, if he was able to eat the broth, how it would taste like. Dismissing the thought, he wandered out again, tired. The drowsy spell was coming on. He repeated the signs to himself again, hoping that he had down them right, and was very reassured when they matched up.
He imagined himself remembering that he had done something wrong and trying to pull the egg out of the broth, his hands full of blisters. He wondered what would happen, and the temptation was always strong. But Joe knew what he was up against, something that should not be risked or played around with. He lay down on the grass. A cool breeze shifted back and forth, and the next second, a shadow was over him.
Joe had his eyes closed, but he noticed the shift in the wind. He opened his eyes.
"Ah!" He said.
"Hey." The Digimon said. "Is that the way you greet an old friend?"
"Elecmon!" Joe sputtered, spinning his head around, his heart beating even faster than when Mimi had kissed him…well, maybe not quite.
"I'm sorry." Elecmon said. "I was fishing in the cave and followed you here."
"And all around Primary Village too?" Joe asked frantically.
"Oh, good heavens no." Elecmon said. "After you arrived down here, I lost track of you, and then went to feed the crying babies. They were hungry. Say, what were you doing? And why are you here?"
"It's a long story." Joe said. "How long have you been following me?"
"Oh, ever since you were in the cave."
"You were?"
"I mean, ever since you came across my fishing grounds. Then, I thought that was you, but could never be sure, you kept moving and your back was facing me, so I decided I had enough fish and left. I didn't want to approach so I just followed, and didn't want to say anything until I was sure that it was you." Joe took all this in and repeated the remaining signs.
"Elecmon." Joe said softly. Elecmon placed a lantern over them, lighting up the area. "Do you remember Mimi?"
"The little pink daisy?" Elecmon asked, chuckling. Joe considered this and nodded. "Why, of course! What's happened?" Joe could not bring himself to say it, even though he knew that he ought to, it was part of the plan. Yet, it was still too painful.
"She's left." He managed to croak.
"What?"
"Yes."
"Are you serious? How?" Elecmon said. Joe bravely started his story, up to the ceremony of the funeral.
He found that the more he got into the story, the easier it was to tell. Elecmon was crying before long, and to his surprise, Joe was too. There were just some things that (even if Mimi came back) wouldn't be the same forever.
Elecmon was so caught up in this that he asked no more questions, and in the end, he dismissed himself. Joe returned to the broth, desperately hoping that Elecmon had not seen him take the pink jewel, and repeated the signs again. He had them fully memorized by now.
Joe reached towards the cauldron's big handles. To his surprise, it was light, like the angels had said. The fire had already burned out. He walked to the lake, carrying it, and then threw the broth as well as he could towards the center of the lake. It nearly splattered in the same spot. Joe returned the cauldron to the stable.
Joe walked back to the lake, his eyelids heavy. Hikaru had said to camp at the lake, but Joe was so tired that he sat down by a stump near the lake and fell asleep. Elecmon, passing him while doing the last of his night chores, placed a blanket gently over him.
Joe woke up around nine. The sun was bright in the air, and yet it was chilly. There had been fog in the air, but it had all cleared now, well, almost. There was still a speck of fog near the middle of the lake. Joe rubbed his eyes.
How long would the miracle take?
The fog started to clear, and suddenly, it was gone. Joe had expected to see Mimi in the middle, but instead he saw nothing. Had he done something wrong? If so, what was it? Why wasn't his Mimi in front of him? Never less, Joe began to worry. Shaking off the blanket (he didn't even notice it was there) he walked, or rather, crawled to the side of the lake. Maybe it was because he had almost eaten the broth?
Then suddenly, a stream of water shot up, and then, it seemed to jump back in the water. It left behind a lovely maiden.
Her brown hair was damp, not entirely wet, but damp. She was holding her hair, trying the squeeze the water out of it, and when she opened her eyes, they looked straight at
Him.
They eyes met and locked, and for a moment, Joe couldn't move. Then Joe found himself splashing and running in the water towards her. She was dressed in some purple dress, with a pink hat sitting beside her and a green ribbon on her hand, which she tied in her hair.
Water droplets flew down like diamonds as he made his way towards her. And then, he felt her against him, crying and sobbing wildly.
"I thought I'd never see you again, Joe." She said, tears in her eyes. Joe now realized she was kneeling on a lily pad, a very fragile lily pad, that looked as if if a little weight had been put on it, it wouldn't tip over and break, or split.
It was like her, the small figure that seemed as delicate as if she were made of china, with the warm, chocolate eyes staring straight into his blue ones.
"Mimi." That was all he could say. He reached up to her, and (clinging on the lily pad as an effort not to drown) kissed her. "I've missed you so much; I thought you were never going to come back."
"Neither did I myself." She said. "Until I met the angels. They said to me that if someone cared enough, a prince charming will wish for them and they will send him to rescue me. They said that both of us deserved a second chance."
"That's awfully nice of them." Joe murmured, his hands stroking her hair.
"I know." Mimi slid off of the lily pad. "I like this lily pad."
"Let's drag it to shore." And with two of them, they were able to drag the enormous lily pad to shore.
"Shouldn't we repay them somehow?" Joe asked.
"The only way to do that." Mimi began. "Is for a prince charming to go and save them. But Hikaru wants to stay where she is, she doesn't want any change, and Jade is fine with her studies of time. Reine, well, she agrees with them, but I think she possesses a secret desire to be free again. But now with us. She wants to be with whoever is her destiny, her freedom, with her life."
"I see." Joe said. "So it won't do them any good if we tried to help." Mimi shook her head sadly and walked up to the shore and they both collapsed on the grass, all dripping wet. The lily pad lay unbroken between them. Mimi looked at the lily pad.
"Like our friendship." She said.
"And love." Joe pressed his lips against hers. "I love you Mimi."
It was a few minutes later when Elecmon discovered them, and suggested they put the lily pad back. They agreed, deciding that it would have somewhat a longer life that way. To this day, this lily pad lies in the center of the pond of Primary Village. And Mimi, though all the Digidestind and Digimon came to visit her, could not go on earth, so therefore she loved the sacred place, and once a year, she would mysteriously appear on the lily pad, paddle over to the shore, and tell her audience her story.
Joe returned to his house (to find that his grades had dropped slightly, to his disappointment) with a jolly face. He could not remember, but it might've been the first time he had smiled since he left Mimi. Of course he had smiled when he saw her, but I mean on earth.
The story was spread to everyone (who knew about the Digital World) and they went occasionally to visit. But what Joe loved most were those evenings alone with Mimi.
And Mimi would say, "You risked your whole life for me, Joe. Perhaps you don't know how much it's worth, but once you've been dead and alive again, you can see the real picture so well. You are such a gallantry hero in my eyes." And she would look at him with all the love and affection in the whole world.
It WAS worth all those pains, all those days of hardship, life misery, and all those days that I had to fight, it was worth it, worth all of that, you to be with
You.
Joe: *snuggles against Mimi* That was a nice ending Yuki
Me: *shrug* It was rather corny, but very kawaii, I thought.
Joe: So when ARE you going to write that Kouyako?
Me: Kouyakos. I have 2, and when they're done, I'll post the titles here.
Joe: Wow, two. And don't you have piano competition this weekend.
Me: That doesn't mean I can't write. I CAN do it, and I have Sunday too.
Joe: Just dedicated to your Kouyakos?
Me: And perhaps a chapter of Jewel Quest.
Little Guy in the Back of My Mind; We're getting off topic.
Me: Oops, okay, thank you for reading. I don't think there's anything in here I have to explain that I left off, however, there might be, and if there is, please tell me! (But nicely)
Joe: Please Review too. I did a good job acting *glare from Yuki* I mean...Yuki did a good job writing.
^-^ thanks!