Never Give Up!, a digimon fanfic

You're not alone

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Digimon characters and I am not making any money off of this I do own Hazel and Needlemon please don't nick them. PG –13 The violence is kinda disgusting.

Never give up

Day Dreamer

It was a normal day in the Digiworld, the nine Digidestined and their Digimon were trudging through a leafy forest on File Island. At the front was Tai, Kari and TK and of course their ever faithful Digimon partners. In the middle there was Sora, Mimi, Joe and Matt and lagging behind was Hazel and Izzy. Over the weeks since Hazel had joined Izzy had been much happier and less likely to be tapping away at his computer and ever since they were nearly set up by their match maker friends the two hand been inseparable they sat next to each other, walked next to each other even slept next to each other. Joe glanced back and smiled Izzy had just taken Hazel's hand in a friendly gesture, Matt seeing where he was looking voiced his opinion.

"Those two should be together" Matt commented.

"Yeah I can't believe they lasted this long with out getting together" Sora agreed. Suddenly TK stumbled over a tree root landing hard on his knees, Hazel ran up and picked him up.

"You ok TK?" She asked in a sisterly voice. TK squirmed down from her grip.

"Yeah I'm fine you don't have to worry so much" TK answered. Hazel shrugged.

"Can't help it just the way I am!" She responded. After Hazel had dropped back in to the pack Kari elbowed TK in the chest.

"That wasn't very nice she was only concerned!" Kari scolded. TK just shrugged at her and ran ahead. Izzy rubbed his thumb along Hazel's hand to soothe her.

"Izzy do you think I'm a bit of a worry wart?" She whispered to him. He was her best friend she trusted his opinion more than any ones.

"Nah! You're just concerned and TK's one of the smallest so you have a right to be worried" Izzy answered trying to lift up her rapidly falling spirits.

"But Matt didn't even sweat it much and he's his brother!" Hazel snapped back. Izzy didn't answer he just gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and continued to rub his thumb against it. They had been walking for days and they hadn't been attacked even once, they were beginning to think that the Digiworld was saved and they could go home, when Izzy found some old prophecies in Digicode and he was currently working on translating them, he had the first couple of lines so far but they weren't making much sense. Tai looked up to the sky at a huge roll of thunder and he saw the sky open up pouring down with icy rain.

"Come on! There's got to be some shelter up ahead!!" Tai yelled to them as they started to run they must have run for about half an hour before they found a dry cave. All the Digimon with fur shook themselves off much to the annoyance of their friends. Tai's hair had been soaked so much when he took off his goggles, it stuck to his head flat, it looked very strange. Sora's clothes were soaked but her hair was fine because of her helmet, TK wasn't that wet as his brother had shielded him as Tai did to Kari. Izzy's hair was sticking up in a more mad cap way than normal and he took off his gloves to wring them off. Mimi was complaining like mad about being cold, wet and hungry. Joe was just trying to gather enough leaves and wood to make a fire Matt was giving him a hand. Hazel was drenched to the bone her glasses were covered in raindrops. She took off her tee shirt and began to wring it out a lot of water spilled from it she placed it besides what would be the fire, when it was ready, to dry. She then sneezed loudly, then again and again and again, her brown hair bouncing.

"Bless you! Are you getting a cold?" Izzy asked with concern. Hazel shook her head but sneezed again before answering.

"I should be ok once I warm up a little I'm freezing!" Hazel answered.

"Aha! Go Gabumon we should have enough fuel for the rest of the night!" Matt called triumphantly.

"Blue blaster!!" Gabumon yelled before a streak of blue flame came out of his mouth, setting the kindling alight. The eighteen sat around the fire in a circle on the leaf-covered floor and Tai shared out the food they had. Then Kari looked towards the cave entrance. The sheets of rail still coming in torrents.

"What if that storm lasts a long while?" Kari asked.

"Don't worry we've got enough food for a couple of days at least!" TK said cheerily. Hazel then started coughing violently everyone turned to her, Izzy was rubbing and patting her back.

"You ok Haze?" Izzy asked concerned, Hazel didn't answered she just leant her back against the wall with a moan. Joe put his hand on her forehead.

"Fever, I think you're sick Hazel" Joe stated.

"I know I'm sick Joe" Hazel replied weakly, her eyes half closed as if fighting against some bright light.

"Do you have a headache?" Mimi asked. Hazel just nodded and tried to stand to move away from the circle towards the entrance to get some air.

"Argh! Could you all stop spinning please?" Hazel asked nearly falling over but Matt and Tai caught her and led her away from the circle laying her down.

"Get some sleep and tell us if you need to hurl ok?" Tai whispered to her but Hazel was already asleep, Needlemon came over and curled up besides her. Each person had to pull some extra time on their watches because they were minus one person. It was Izzy's watch and he was sitting besides Hazel when she stirred a little and her eyes opened, she groaned quietly.

"How do you feel?" Izzy asked reaching for her hand.

"Lousy!" She mumbled. She reached for some water that was in half of a grapefruit. Disturbing Needlemon so he woke. She took small sips then she turned to Izzy.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" She gasped. Izzy panicked and search for something to give her but it was too late she emptied her stomach all over the floor and herself. Joe who was sleeping near them heard the unmistakable sound of throwing up and got up like a shot. He sighed and walked out of the cave when he came back he had an armload of large leaves.

"Take her down to the lake and get her cleaned up don't worry it's stopped raining" Joe instructed. Izzy helped her to her feet and put a friendly, steadying arm around her shaking waist, Needlemon obediently followed along. When they arrived at the lake Izzy used some spare fabric to clean Hazel off. Dipping it in to the water every so often.

"That's warm!" Hazel commented. Izzy nodded.

"It's got a geyser feeding it," He said. Hazel then had an idea she turned Izzy round and then stripped herself off she then jumped in to the lovely warm water. Needlemon watched her protectively from the bank. Izzy turned back round and started cleaning her clothes while Hazel cleaned herself in the lake. Izzy then darted back to the cave with the clothes and found everyone was up and most were helping with the cleaning. He turned to Agumon.

"Hey Agumon we need to borrow your Pepper Breath to dry Hazel's stuff!" He said holding the bundle out to Agumon. Everyone wondered where Hazel was if Izzy had her clothes but didn't ask. Agumon got the clothes as dry as he could with out setting them on fire. He rushed back to the lake and stopped in shock, Hazel had already got out of the lake and she was drying herself as best she could with some large palm leaves which weren't quite large enough. He gasped in shock at his best friend and closed his eyes tight. Hazel looked up startled and gasped too. She reached out and took the clothes getting dressed again. Needlemon ran ahead of them, wondering why they were so red in the face.

"Ok you can open them now!" Hazel said, Izzy put his arm around her waist and lead her back to the cave, as she was still shaky. Both were blushing big time all the way up to their ears. The cave was now cleaned and Tai chuckled at their red faces guessing what had happened but didn't say anything.

"I thought we told you to tell us if you were going to hurl!" Tai joked. Hazel didn't smile back but just went three different shades of green and rushed to the bushes outside the cave. Everyone looked thoroughly grossed out at the retching sounds they heard. Hazel stumbled back in and slid down the wall her face looking flushed. TK approached her,

"Are you feeling better?" He asked in his innocent way.

"Do I look like I'm feeling any better?!" She snapped at him. They all looked surprised Hazel had hardly ever snapped and especially not at TK. Izzy walked over and sat down besides her.

"You shouldn't be so close you might catch what I've got and I'm telling you now you don't want to" Hazel told him resting her chin on her knees. He reached for her hand but she pulled it away sharply.

"I just want to be alone Izzy" She whispered getting up and walking shakily to the back of the cave where she curled up to fall asleep. Needlemon by her feet. Sora went to check on her a little later and found her unconscious.

"She's passed out!" Sora called. Joe came running and took her temperature with the thermometer in the medical bag.

"103 degrees" He said gravely.

Hazel sat on a rock, it had taken her merely seconds to figure out she was passed out and this was the state of unconsciousness.

"Funny unconsciousness looks just like the park back home" Hazel said out loud she began to bite her nails. The scene began to shift and Hazel was standing in her living room watching a 7 year old girl playing with a two year old boy. There was lots of wrapping paper around them both and the little girl started singing.

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Max, Happy Birthday to you!" She sang. The little boy started clapping. Hazel felt something wet roll down her cheek she missed Max so much. The scene shifted again to her living room and Hazel was standing their but this time she was 9, her parents were yelling at her for taking drugs, Max's toys were still scattered over the floor. The scene shifted again to a gym, the Gymnast officials looking over her steroid test, he looked down at her and smiled a little.

"All clear!" He said she did the competition and she won but the looks of suspicion were unmistakable on her opponents' faces. The scene shifted once again to a graveyard and a 10-year-old Hazel putting daffodils on to a tiny grave the stone was inscribed

Max Joseph Star

A young life lost in a falling world

Sleep sweet little one.

Hazel's tears started falling faster and she tried to wrench herself away from the memories and the pain. When she opened her eyes again there was a pair of blue eyes staring down at her. She was still crying hard and her breathing was sharp and ragged. Matt's eyes were clouded with concern.

"Are you alright? You kept on saying 'Max' over and over," Matt asked anxiously.

"What date is it?" Hazel asked her eyes were bright and crazy looking.

"It's around the 13^th of August why?" Matt asked confused. Hazel's body seemed to sink right down and she turned her back towards Matt, this made him mad and he pulled her back to face him. Needlemon bristled his pines ready to attack if ordered but Hazel calmed him with a look.

"What's wrong with the date?" Matt asked fixing Hazel with a penetrating eye. Hazel refused to tell him and he refused to leave her alone, Hazel's face started to screw up and she blurted.

"It's my brother's birthday ok? Happy now?" Hazel asked him bitterly. Matt's eyes soften and he was wracked with guilt.

"I'm sorry I didn't know" Matt whispered looking down at the ground.

"Well now you do!" Hazel snapped and tried to go back to sleep but failing miserably. Izzy hadn't been able to sleep and was typing away at the prophecies and not liking what he was finding one bit.

"One must fight their greatest enemy, they will lose and all will seem lost. But a light from the hearts of many will bring the Chosen one back" He mumbled. He closed his laptop and walked over to Matt who was looking very sad.

"What's up?" He asked. Hazel rolled over to see him, her face tear stained and her eyes red. Izzy turned to Matt.

"What did you do to her?" Izzy asked accusingly, his eyes flashing angrily

"It's nothing Izzy I'm just upset cos I can't see my brother on his birthday" Hazel said sitting up, things started clicking in Izzy's mind he sat down besides Hazel and took her hand. Matt took his cue and left the two friends alone.

"It's Max's birthday and you wanted to go see his grave?" Izzy asked holding Hazel's hand with both of his. Hazel nodded.

"I always take some daffodils cos he loved them he always called them daffydils" Hazel told him, Izzy chuckled a little. Hazel looked over towards TK.

"He'd have been eight today running around like a mad man wanting me to play with his presents with him" Hazel said laughing a little at the memory. Izzy looked over at TK as well and realised why she was so protective of him.

"Was Max blonde?" Izzy asked. Hazel nodded a little it was hurting her to talk of her brother but she had to tell someone and she wanted it to be Izzy. Suddenly someone cackled and a large shadow was standing in the mouth of the cave. Izzy's Digimon analyser started up.

"Ladymegamaniacmon holds grudges forever and loves to taunt and inflict pain" The analyser stated.

"Aha! Yes! I have found the Digidestined and I will avenge my love's death at the hand of these children!" Ladymegamaniacmon cackled again and with a swift hand motion the Digidestined felt themselves being lifted up and carried away. Somewhere along the line each one was hit over the head and they all blacked out.

Sora opened her eyes and sat up, she was in a stronghold and she was in a cage near a pile of old ballroom clothes.

"Well this seems very familiar" She muttered. But then she saw Izzy and Hazel hanging by chains their feet barely touching the floor almost exactly opposite to the rest of them, about three metres, which were in separate cages with their Digimon. Hazel was awake and so were the others, Needlemon and Tentomon were in a cage all on their own in between Tai and Agumon and Kari and Gatomon. Ladymegamaniacmon entered the grand hall, a black ball gown spilling from her body and a black veil over her face obscuring it slightly, she glared disdainfully at the children.

"Well I see you are all awake and awaiting my wraith!" She threatened "First the two responsible for my loves demise" She turned to Izzy and Hazel hanging helplessly, Izzy looked frightened but Hazel looked defiant.

"Oh really? You're just a love sick Digimon trying to do something you can't manage!" Hazel yelled at her, thrashing about against the chains that held her body to the wall.

"Why you little….! You will pay for that remark!" She yelled back she gave her a backhand across the face. Izzy looked in mute horror as he saw blood dripping from a cut across Hazel's left eyebrow. Needlemon growled and thrashed about in his cage almost hurting Tentomon.

"Oops! I guess I forgot to remove my engagement ring again silly me!" Ladymegamaniacmon tittered her voice dripping sarcasm at each word. She turned and left through a door to the right. Tai made sure she was gone before calling out to the two opposite him.

"You ok Hazel? I can't see from here!" He whispered loudly. Hazel nodded her head but took a sharp in take of breath as her head protested loudly.

"I'll be ok! I don't suppose you could bite my nails Izzy I'm really nervous!" She joked turning to the boy hanging on her left.

"Biting your nails is a bad habit!" TK said from across the room, he said that every time she mentioned her nails. Hazel laughed but winced again.

"That engagement ring must have been a pretty cheap one…. I think she left her diamonds in my forehead" Hazel tried to joke to lift the mood. Joe's stomach growled loudly and one by one everyone echoed it. As if on cue Ladymegamaniacmon came in to the room with trays of food she gave one to each person and Digimon in a cage but refused to give one to the two kids hanging on the wall. She began taunting them holding delicious fruits twelve centimetres in front of them and laughing at them trying not to drool at the food. With a final cackle the evil Digimon left dropping the apples in front of the two just far enough so they couldn't reach them. Hazel struggled to get the food but soon realised it was hopeless, she shivered as the room became cold, the nine of them had guessed they were in some kind of dungeon and the damp and dank was beginning to get to Hazel. She coughed loudly unable to muffle them any more. Matt knew that they had to think of a way to get Hazel and Izzy some food, but Palamon's poison ivy didn't work as she couldn't hold anything as she did that attack, suddenly he had an idea,

"Needlemon stick some fruits on your pines and fire them at the wall" Matt told the Digimon a couple of cages down from him. Tentomon shrugged and stuck a few fruits on to the forward pointing spikes on Needlemon,

"There you go! Try to aim besides their heads" Tentomon suggested. Needlemon nodded then yelled

"Pine Blast!!" The razor sharp needles shot out of Needlemon's body with out actually leaving it and stuck in the wall one besides Izzy's head and one besides Hazel. Kari cheered but Gatomon put a gloved paw over her mouth.

"Shush we don't want Ladymegamaniacmon to come here!!" She whispered. Kari whispered a sorry and all of them watched as Hazel and Izzy turned their heads towards the food and began to chomp away at them. The others started eating as well occasionally sending food down to Needlemon to send it to the pair of wall flowers. Soon one by one the Digidestined and Digimon began to drop off, though Izzy and Hazel were not comfortable in the least.

Izzy squinted in to the darkness of the dungeon, he had woken up a while after first falling asleep and was unable to get comfortable again. He tugged at his chains but then gasped as the metal cut in to his wrists. There was a slight chuckle from besides him. He looked towards the sound and could just pick out his best friend's features looking at him from less than a foot away.

"I already tried that" Hazel whispered to him and as Izzy's eyes got more used to the darkness he could see something wet running down her forearms.

"I can't sleep I wish I could lie down" Izzy complained to her. Hazel nodded her blue eyes flashing.

"The sun should be coming up soon and who knows maybe Ladymegamaniacmon will give us our very own cage" Hazel said trying to be optimistic. As the night went on Izzy and Hazel talked to try and keep each other's spirits up. The sun slowly began to rise and Izzy could see each of their friends cuddled up close to their Digimon and in Tentomon and Needlemon's case, cuddled up close to each other. There was a barred window high up by the roof and the sunlight slowly crossed the dungeon floor, landing on each Digidestined face briefly and waking them up if they weren't already so. Tai gasped at the dried blood on both Izzy's and Hazel's wrists. They both looked tired and Tai knew they couldn't have got much sleep last night.

"How are you two holding up?" Mimi asked in her rare shows of compassion.

"The chains seem to be holding us up" Izzy called back in a joking tone. Everyone froze as the dungeon door opened and Ladymegamaniacmon stepped in flowing gown and all. She walked straight up to Izzy and gave him a haymaker to the chin, snapping his head back and stunning him. Tentomon tried to get out of his cage but couldn't.

"Hey leave him alone why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Sora called rattling the bars to her cage.

"But no one here comes anywhere near 8 ft tall" Ladymegamaniacmon answered in a whining tone. She then went to each cage shaking it with a psychic power, sending the residents flying. Hazel was seething she was thrashing on her chains and clenching her fists. It took her a few minutes to realise that if she clenched her fists her hand were smaller she could hardly contain her joy and couldn't wait to tell the others. The others as she was thinking were still being thrown around in the cages, juggled by some invisible force.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" Joe complained. Ladymegamaniacmon tired of her game and she walked away from them, approaching the only person in the room yet to be affected by her today. Hazel looked deep in to those heartless black eyes and didn't flinch, the evil female reached a clawed, gloved hand and grabbed her by the chin studying her face closely.

"Yes I see, your Crest fits you well it will take time to break you down, and time is not what I have!!" Ladymegamaniacmon yelled slapping Hazel across her left cheek. "As long as you have your friends here you will never give up" She continued punching her in the gut "I could do this to you for hours and you will never succumb to me" a kick to the thigh, another slap in the face and an elbow to the chest, ignoring the cries and screams of protests from her friends and Digimon. Then she stopped, she took one look at the bruised battered girl and sighed "I thought reverse psychology was supposed to work never mind I have other ways" Ladymegamaniacmon turned and left through the big iron door they had come to recognise. As soon as she left Hazel was bombarded with questions from all sides, but she was too winded to do much more than just hang there from her wrists. After she got enough air in her lungs she slowly lifted her head to reveal a vastly forming bruise across her face.

"Oh my god what is she doing to you?" Joe muttered his voice full of sympathy.

"I tried to Digivolve I tried but I didn't have enough energy" Needlemon was saying to Tentomon, Tentomon tried to reassure him.

"I think I have a way out of here" Hazel mumured she could feel her lip was beginning to swell. She stood on her tiptoes and clenched her fists she tried to pull her wrists through the shackles, it was slowly and laborious work. After ten minutes TK and Kari got bored and began to play with their Digimon but the rest watched as Hazel ignored every cut, every slip as she worked on at getting her wrist out. She almost cried with relief as her right wrist finally slipped out of the shackle, she tried not to look at the cuts and bruises decorating it as she tugged on her left wrist succeeding in getting it out much faster. Hazel jumped down off the small ledge she had been standing on for the past day and rubbed her wrists. She ran over to the cages and tugged on the doors, realising they were locked she ran to the pile of clothes and started digging through them.

"Hazel…" Someone started to say from behind her.

"Not now I'm busy!" She snapped,

"Uh…but Hazel.." The voice seemed to be panicking more.

"WHAT?!?!" Hazel turned around and saw Ladymegamaniacmon standing directly behind her with a slim dagger in her hand.

"Ah crud" Hazel muttered her hand going to her mouth as she began to bite her nails. Hazel slowly stood up, her eyes never leaving the dagger that Ladymegamaniacmon had clutched in her hand.

"The time has come child! For my love's soul to be restored and for you to die, I will make you a deal Keeper of Determination I will let all your friends and Digimon go if you give yourself up to me in The Ultimate Sacrifice what is your answer?" She asked her tone convincing. Hazel could almost feel the violent protests coming from her friends, she snapped her head up and looked the Digimon straight in the eyes.

"I accept, on three conditions one and two, I get to talk to my friends and see them leave and three Izzy gets to keep my Crest" Hazel demanded. Ladymegamaniacmon nodded and with a swift hand movement all of her friends were released from their prisons and Izzy was dropped from the shackles, they all ran towards her but were stopped by an invisible wall. Hazel approached the wall and looked sadly at her friends,

"Please don't say anything just listen, it is better to lose one life than lose 18, remember the good times for I feel I am finally being given the chance to redeem myself for past mistakes" Hazel kissed her hand and pressed it against the wall. She nodded to the Lady Digimon who commanded the door to open, Hazel slowly took off her tag and Crest and Ladymegamaniacmon made it appear in Izzy's hand, he clutched it tightly between gloved fingers.

Joe watched in horror as the dungeon changed in to a large church with a wooden altar at the far end with a huge black candle at either end. Hazel got on to the altar in her own free will, allowed herself to be chained down and didn't even flinch as Ladymegamaniacmon raised the dagger high. For some reason all the Digimon began to glow with out any outwards indication from their trainers that they wanted them too. All except little Needlemon because Hazel had cut off the energy supply to her Digivice.

"Horn Buster!!" Megakabuterrimon yelled smashing through the invisible wall as if it was glass. The other Digidestined came in yelling war cries and riding on their Digimon, which were either in their Ultimate levels or their Mega levels. Ladymegamaniacmon swung the dagger above Hazel's chest and began to chant,

"A virgin soul for an evil soul, a virgin soul for an evil soul, a virgin soul for AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She yelled as Lilymon's Flower Cannon knocked her back, she dropped the dagger and it clattered harmlessly to the ground. TK and Kari were besides Hazel trying to release the chains, Ladymegamaniacmon growled and raised herself to a kneeling position, she raised both of her palms and extended them towards the altar and the children around it,

"Sliver Death Lightning!" She cursed and a streak of silver light headed towards the Digidestined, they all yelled in fright but a large metal arm shielded them and the attack bounced harmlessly away.

"An evil soul!!!" The evil Digimon finished throwing the dagger with deadly accuracy hitting poor Hazel in the chest. WarGreymon roared and aimed himself at the black figure kneeling in front of them.

"Terra Force!!!" He yelled, hitting her directly, as she was deleted they could hear her laughing,

"You are too late Digi-fools!! The sacrifice has been made my love will soon arrive and finish you all!!" She called then she was gone. Joe shook his head to clear it and grabbed Hazel's wrist, he could feel a very faint pulse but it was getting weaker by the second,

"Bye my friends" Hazel whispered with the last of her strength. A loud chorus of wails went up from the group as Hazel breathed her last, Needlemon crawled on to her legs and even as they were watching he de-digivoled back in to Hedgemon. Izzy felt the tears running down his face, he looked at the Crest in his hand and saw the familiar constant glow slightly to dim slightly, he knew too well why, a black mist had been emitted from the huge candles and the gang could almost feel their old enemy, Megamaniacmon's, presence. Izzy did the only thing he could think of, he gently placed the Crest of Determination on Hazel's chest and it hovered above it and began to glow again, slowly one by one each Crest began to glow along with it, Knowledge, Courage, Friendship, Sincerity, Reliability, Love, Hope, and finally Light. They made a sparkling octagon over Hazel's body with her light right in the centre glowing a dark green. The octagon began to spin and it travelled around the room driving the black mist back in to the candles, like a cross to a vampire, after the black was dismissed the octagon cut each black candle in half. The spinning shape stopped above Hazel's still body once more and slowly lowered it in to her chest, the Digidestined saw her chest wound healing before their eyes, as the last of the light disappeared Hazel's chest rose as her heart began beating once more. Every one was shocked and all the humans hugged her fiercely and all the Digimon jumped on to the altar touching her to see if she was real or just a mirage.

"Look guys I'm glad to be alive too but I would like to be let up off of this table" Hazel's muffled protest came from underneath the pile. Her friends reluctantly let her go and pulled the chains off of her, she jumped down from the table and they saw that the octagon had indeed healed all of her injuries, even the ones she had got in the dungeon were gone. Hazel took a backward glance at the church, place Hedgemon on her shoulder and turned to her friends.

"I don't know about you guys but I don't want to hang around here too long" Hazel told them,

"Yep come on gang let's go!" Tai called already walking away. Izzy stopped suddenly and gasped he ran back to the altar and picked something up as he jogged back, he held up Hazel's tag and Crest.

"Wouldn't want to forget this now would we? I don't know what we would've done with out it" Izzy said. Hazel grinned and put it back on, they caught up with the rest of the gang with ease.

"Tai where are we going?" Matt asked.

"Uhhh…..let me get back to you on that" Tai said

The End