~*~
Well, King
Weregarurumon, the reason why Leomon was being snarky last chapter was based on
something I like to call "The Wizardmon Factor." Seeing how Leomon died and was
brought back to life to serve no real purpose, he's in a bad mood. I did the
same for Wizardmon, and that's why he's always pissed off or ignorant of my
commands. So now that that's cleared up…
Another month had passed, and now summer raged unbearable heat down on Terriermon and me. My left hand, the one I had burned obtaining liquid flames from the Wellspring, had seemed to get worse, not better. The skin was still a raw red, and my whole hand was swollen. None of Gennai's gifts seemed to help the supposed infection heal, and I began to wonder if I would ever be able to use my hand. As it was, I had to switch wearing my ring and watch to my other hand.
"Hey Lia, look over there. To the north, way in the distance, that big white patch. What do you think it is?"
Maybe it's the Forest of Ice. But it still looks like another month's journey away. Can't you at least try digivolving?
"I don't think it'll work. Willis isn't here, and I don't have enough energy to try. Sorry."
I nodded, touching the vial at my throat. The insulated bottle kept the flames inside from searing any more of my flesh, but it was still quite warm. The heat of the bottle provoked a memory from over the Christmas season, one that brought hot tears to my eyes. Matt and I had been out playing in the snow like a couple of children, throwing snow down one another's jackets until our lips were blue and our gloves were soaked through thoroughly. We trailed a path of snow back to his apartment, where we stripped out of our wet clothes, Matt tossing me a shirt to throw on for the time being. We had a cup of cocoa and curled up together, watching more fat snowflakes fall from the sky.
"Thinking about Matt again?" Terriermon asked, becoming quite skilled in recognizing my "flashback trance". I wiped a tear from my cheek, barely moving my head in a nod.
Why bother dwelling on the past? Let's get moving, there isn't much time before the sun goes down and I'd rather not be walking in the dark…not even with a guardian wolf pack out there somewhere.
~*~
We found shelter in a small outcropping of rock in the center of a wide meadow. The stones were granite slabs like those of Stonehenge, fallen together in collective heap that resembled a crude tent. Whatever it was, we were glad for dry shelter safe from the wind, for the nights got cool in the Digital World, no matter how hot the day was. Terriermon sat in my lap, snuggling close and wrapping his huge ears around me like a makeshift blanket. I was thankful for the little bundle of warmth, and more thankful for his company. I don't know what I would have done without him.
Terr…
"No talking, just sleeping," he mumbled, cuddling even closer.
Fine, don't listen.
Slightly angered and annoyed that he didn't want to talk, I unclasped myself from his iron grip and ducked back outside, breathing in the chilled night air. Tipping my head back, I traced my fingers along the sky, silently listing every constellation I saw. I didn't know many before, but Izzy and Ken had once taught me the sky, and after that I was pleased to share my newfound knowledge with my boyfriend.
Star light; star bright, every star in the heavens tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight, I chanted, adapting the old nursery rhyme for the current sky conditions. I wish I could wake up in the morning and find that this was all a terrible nightmare. I wish that everything could go back to the way things were before Belladonna ever came. I wish my Matt would come back to me, even for just a little while, so long as I could be held. I wish I could speak again, could sing, could laugh.
So many wishes for the
stars, I know, but my heart burned with a desire hotter than a thousand of
those stars.
It was one of those times that my body craved sleep but I
was not tired at all. I shook my head in annoyance, fiddling with the bandages
on my hand and the ring on my finger, the silver band given to me for my
birthday.
Damn him. Damn Matt for all these happy memories to make me miserable.
Lia, as nice and really great as you are, shut the hell up! For crying out loud, you're such a woman! Terriermon snapped mentally from his little nest. You're never going to get what you want if you keep standing around and feeling sorry for yourself! Do you really think Matt wants to see you standing around sniveling like this?
He was absolutely right,
and I kicked myself for behaving like such a brat. I had been thinking only of
myself, when the others needed just as much attention. Poor little Cody could
hardly keep up as a human, let alone a wolf pup. Ken was probably still injured
from the hunting snare. Our digimon were left in a collective heap of stones.
And here I was, pining away for my lost love when everyone else was in just as
deep misery as he.
Thank you, Terriermon. That mental slap brought me to my senses.
No prob. I'll give you another slap any time you need one.
Ha ha, very funny. Do you want me to tell you a story or something to help you sleep?
Maybe. I don't know. Generally your stories intimidate me.
I would have laughed at this,
but instead bit my tongue, afraid that my giggles would condemn the others to a
life of endless suffer and the end of their humanity as they knew it.
Well, let me know if you want one, Terr.
The little rabbit
sniffled and rolled over in his hiding spot, trying to get comfortable.
You really should get some sleep, Lia. It might help your hand get better.
I had to consent this
time. If I didn't get to bed soon, I'd drop where I was standing, endangering
myself.
I'm coming, I'm coming.
But as I trudged, heavy hearted, back to our camp for the
night, something caught my eye. Someone was standing nearby, watching me,
cloaked in a shroud of shadow. The form of that mysterious figure seemed
familiar, but the uneasiness that came with it made me leery.
Terriermon, get over here. Now!
He stumbled out from the
rock pile, plodding over to my side with an ungraceful stride.
"Whaddya want? I was
trying to sleep, which you should be doing too. You're going to make yourself
sick, Lia, and you know as well as I do Joe isn't here to make it all better
and I doubt Gennai will come either."
The figure in the shadows
cocked its head, moving a hand towards its mouth.
"Lia? Hey, is that you?"
came a whisper.
Matt? But…but how can you be here? It's impossible. It's not the Autumnal Equinox for another three months.
The young man sprinted over, blinking back his own
exhaustion. He looked me over quickly and gave a curt little nod.
"It is you, thank God. Listen, I can't explain how, but
we've broken the spell. You're free to speak again, lover."
Did he just ignore me? I think he just ignored me! I huffed mentally to Terriermon.
Something weird is going on, be cautious.
"Lia? Why won't you say
anything? I told you, the spell is broken, you can stop all of this and come
with us. The others are picking up the digimon, I told them I'd find you and
we'd meet on the hill. C'mon, Tai's going to get pretty pissed if we don't get
over there."
Matt, are you even listening to me? I'm speaking to you, plain as day! You're right, Terr, something is wrong.
He went to grab my left
hand, only to contort his face with shock as I jerked it away.
Don't you see it's burnt? What the hell is wrong with you?
"Come on, Lia. Let's go.
Wizardmon will never let me hear the end of it if I don't bring you to him
safely!"
What do we do, Lia?
I gulped, the motion singeing my throat, raw from not
speaking in months. I trusted and loved Matt, but the man in front of me didn't
seem to be who he said he was. But I couldn't be certain. Why wasn't he responding
to my touch of mind? Could he have broken our bond? No, I told myself, he loves
me too much to ever break such a bond. Even if we broke up, we'd still remain
friends and share that link. It's a link everyone, Destined or not, can access
with the power of the heart. But this Matt may not have a heart.
Wizardmon will understand. He trusts me.
"You're being obstinate,
Lia. Why won't you trust me? I love you, darling one."
You're a fake, a phony, someone pretending to be my Matt. And let me tell you something, you lying bastard, I will not go with you, no matter how sincere and convincing you may sound.
"You don't trust me, do
you?" he laughed, running a hand through his hair. Leaning in to brush his lips
over mine, Terriermon darted around and bit him soundly on the ankle. Cursing,
the imposter went to strike the rabbit creature, only to be suddenly surrounded
by my guardian pack.
"Lia, it's the others!" Terriermon cried, trying to
position himself for a direct attack. I nodded, a wave of relief washing over
me. One of the lead males, a handsome creature with piercing sapphire eyes and
a pale coat, worn ragged by malnutrition and exhaustion, stood by me
defensively, baring his canines and growling.
The false Destined, now
surrounded by a ring of fierce fighters, laughed. And in less than the blink of
an eye, his body changed to that of a woman so beautiful it sickened me.
"Damn girl!" she
shrieked, shaking a fist at me. "You little bitch! How dare you?"
How dare I what, eh?
"Bunny blast!" Terriermon
hollered, sending a green flash of energy at Belladonna. She absorbed the power
and hurled it back at Willis's partner, who just barely dodged it.
You honestly thought I couldn't tell the difference between my boyfriend and a witch like you? Pathetic.
"Insolent little wretch!
Well, don't think your fool Digidestined will come rescue you every single
time! No, there will come a day when you'll be all alone, and there will be not
a single soul to save you, girl. You may have eluded me this time, but rest
assure, you will not escape me next time."
"Go suck a Digiegg,"
Terriermon snapped. Belladonna shrieked in rage and vanished in a cloud of
rotten-smelling smoke.
Are you all right, Lia? Tai and the others asked in unison.
I am now that you're here. Thank you, everyone, for coming to my aid.
Hey, I owed you one, Ken
pointed out.
The lead male in front of
me nuzzled my burnt hand ever so gently, licking the spots where the bandages
had come undone.
Joe, what do you think?
Pretty bad, that's what. It's only a first-degree burn, maybe second, but it won't heal right for some reason.
"Well I could have told
you that," Terriermon said impatiently.
We'll follow you as far as the next town, if you want, Sora offered solemnly.
After that, we're going off for a while, until the
Equinox, Izzy added, nuzzling his own
girlfriend. Nicki gave a curt nod.
Hey, wolves gotta do what wolves gotta do, ya know.
Until then, please get some rest, Lia, Cody begged.
You'll be in no condition to fight that hag if you're all
worn out, Mimi pointed out.
All right, all right, you all win.
Good, I like winning things, Davis said with somewhat of a grin.
I lied down right where I
stood, sleep making the world go dark. The last thing I heard, other than
fourteen wolves and a digimon lying down beside me, was the voice of my
cherished one, whispering in my mind.
I am always with you, my Lia.
What lay ahead would be
more hazardous and heartrending than what I had faced before, but I would carry
on with courage, because I knew I had to.
~*~
Sorry that took so long to get out! I had a hard time
trying to word it, and I went away on my Missions trip, so that had an effect
as well. I promise to get more out sooner, if you promise to review. Oh, and from
now on, this will be in the "fantasy" section. FF.net finally put a fantasy
section in, and I think this fits better there than in "drama." ~Lia