Matt and the other's whirled around. The yard was empty, except for the lone figure standing across the yard. They couldn't tell the identity of the person, but the person was all black. As it began to walk across the yard, the group took a step backwards. "I don't like the looks of this." Izzy muttered. "Stand your ground!" Tai said suddenly. Finally the person stood in front of them. The group stared at her, as white eyes stared back at them. "Who are you?" Matt asked bravely. The person smiled. "You don't know me? Why I'm nearer to you than anything else in the world." A feminine voice said. "So why have we made you happy?" Yolei asked cautiously. "Why because you've made me stronger. I have enough power to destroy the digital world once and for all. And it's all because of you." She said calmly.
"Where are the kids?" Matt asked. "Oh, them. Over there." The woman said, flicking her black finger off to the side. Where she had pointed stood four figures, a boy and a girl, another little girl, and a newborn. All stared at them with white unseeing eyes, that came out of their black faces. "No!" Matt yelled, throwing himself at the woman. She sidestepped him as he tried to grab her. "Ah, ah, ahhh. No touchie." She said with a smile. "It's alright. They're just a little tired." She said. "What have you done to them?" Tai asked. "They have no personality now. They are my property. I have all their knowledge. Even if you speak to them, they won't know you." She said cooly. "You unchange them!" Matt growled from his place on the ground. "Oh I'd love to, except that I can't. One, it's impossible. Two, I have a date with the digital world." She said.
"You're not leaving until you tell us who you are!" Tai yelled. She turned back to them. "Why you really DON'T know do you?" She said, her voice taking on a tone of wonder. "I should have figured that you weren't smart enough to figure it out. You realize when you were thrown through the catalyst that you changed, both physically and eventually mentally?" The others nodded. "Well gradually, that mental state will take over your body completly, seeing as there's no way of getting out. You will become the person that everyone says you are. You, a thug." She said pointing to Cody. "You a miniature Santa Claus." She said pointing to Izzy, who blushed. "And you," She said, pointing a long finger at Tai. "An outcast among your own friends." Tai blanched but held his ground. "You still haven't told us who you are." Tai said firmly. "Why, I, my pathetic friends, am you. All of your dark sides put together. As you begin to pull away from the good side of life, I become stronger. That's why your little 'light' girl couldn't sense me. I am you. I am Cimmerian." She said in a ghostly voice.
Tai stared at her in horror. "You're, ME?" He whispered. "All of you actually. All of you make up a component of myself. I am your darkness, your greatest fears, your worries. Everything that is bad and evil, that I am." She said matter-of-factly. "Well what are you waiting for? Why don't you take us down and get it over with?!" Matt yelled. "Oh, why? Because I need you to survive. I need you to help me take over the world with darkness." Cimmerian said casually. "What have you done with our children?" Kari yelled before Matt could react. "Those children? Oh them. You see them do you not?" She said, pointing towards the zombie-like children. "Yeah we see 'em! But what did you do to them?" T.K. called out angrily. "Took away their personality. They are no more. They aren't significant to the world anymore." She said cooly. "That's not true! They are the future generation of our world!" Yolei yelled.
"Not anymore. They have been stripped of their personalities. They don't know you, they don't know anything, nothing except that they are useless. In truth, they are dead while alive." Sora saw Matt clenching and unclenching his fists but didn't realize his motives before it was too late. She heard him yell and run towards the woman of darkness. She shrieked and her hand flew out to restrain him, but her hand slipped past his own. "Matt!" She yelled. "No Sora!" Tai grabbed her arm and turned her away from where Matt had run. Sora fought against his strong arms, then gripped her arms around his neck while she sobbed. Tai's eyes widened as he watched his friend run and hit Cimmerian with all his might. Instead of being impacted by his blow, she instead grew bigger as Matt fell to the ground as if shocked.
"You fool! Haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying? All your ANGER, PAIN, FEAR, it only makes me stronger!" Cimmerian said as she began to shriek with laughter. Matt moved Sora by Izzy and ran after Matt, kneeling by his side. "Matt! Are you okay?" He asked. Matt winced and sat up. "I'm fine. Just weak. I'm gonna kill her." He whispered. "No you're not. That'll just make her bigger. You can't do anything." Tai whispered in Matt's ear as he helped him up. "But I've gotta do something!" Matt yelled. "That's right! Always Mister Control-Freak himself! You've never changed." An angry voice yelled.
The two boys turned and faced an angry Izzy. His face was red and his hands were clenched at his side. "You always hafta be in control, even when there's no possible way you can be! You were the same way at your mother's funeral! You would have ressurected her from the dead if you could have! You would have! And when Sora miscarried, she didn't see you for days! Why? Because you HAD TO BE IN CONTROL! You Control-Maniac! Have you no feelings?" Izzy yelled. "Oh yeah! Well at least I care about my wife! The only reason Mae left you was because you spent more time with your stupid, freakin' computer than with her! That's why! You dope! You computer freak!" Matt yelled. Tai turned away from them and looked at Cimmerian. She was laughing softly as her body became taller and taller, her glowing white eyes still fixed on them.
"You know Matt, I hafta agree with Izzy on this. We didn't see you for a long time after," Davis started. "SHUT UP DAVIS!" The two boys yelled. Davis stepped backward. Tai turned back to Cimmerian. For a moment, her white eyes fixed on his. "What happened to the digimon?" He asked quietly. The boys turned from each other and fixed their gaze on Tai. For the first time since they'd met her, Cimmerian hesitated. "Oh, the digimon." She said hesitantly. "Yeah the digimon! What part do they have in this?" Tai yelled. "Nothing. They were just bait to draw you into the catalyst. But if you really want them." She said. She held out her hand and a huge globe began to form. She set in on the ground and the center began to swirl and twist and turn.
Out of it came two forms, koramon and tsunumon. Matt and Tai ran forward and grasped the two in their arms. "Are you okay buddy?" Tai whispered. "I am now Tai." Koramon whispered, before dissolving in his arms. "No." Tai whispered, staring at his empty hands. "Tsunumon, speak to me." Matt choked. Tsunumon opened his eyes and for a moment, they fixed on Matt. A smile stretched across his face before he too, dissolved in Matt's arms. Immediately Tai fell to the ground, a piercing pain stretched across his chest like wildfire. It danced across his ribcage and tore across his chest to his heart. He held his breath as the pain became so immense that he couldn't even feel anymore. Then a bright orange light shot out of his chest and mingled with the blue one that flew into the sky before he collapsed. When he sat up, he felt strange. He felt no pain, only one feeling worse than any agony remained. The emptiness. He turned and looked at Matt. Matt was stretched out on the ground like himself, his blonde hair sticking to his sweaty face and neck. His crystalline blue eyes were wide open staring at the night sky.
The only sound Tai could hear was Cimmerian cackling. Tai inched himself over to Matt. "Matt? Matt, you okay?" Matt continued to stare at the sky. "Is this what our future is gonna be Tai? Am I such an awful friend, husband and father? Is this who I am? Is this just a glimpse of what is gonna happen to us?" Matt whispered. Tai stared at him in horror. "Don't let her get you Matt! This isn't real! None of it is!" He whispered fiercely. "If that's true, where's my son! Where's the relationship with my wife? Where's Joe and Mimi? Where's their daughter? Where's your sister and my brother's children? Where are they Tai? Where are they?" Matt sat up as he yelled, his blue eyes blazing and filled with tears. Tai inched backwards. "If this is our life, we might as well make the most of it." He said softer. "Matt, don't give up. I depend on you." Tai whispered. Matt stood up resolutely. "I'm sorry Tai. I have to." He said as he walked over to the others, who were still staring at them in horror.
"Where are the kids?" Matt asked. "Oh, them. Over there." The woman said, flicking her black finger off to the side. Where she had pointed stood four figures, a boy and a girl, another little girl, and a newborn. All stared at them with white unseeing eyes, that came out of their black faces. "No!" Matt yelled, throwing himself at the woman. She sidestepped him as he tried to grab her. "Ah, ah, ahhh. No touchie." She said with a smile. "It's alright. They're just a little tired." She said. "What have you done to them?" Tai asked. "They have no personality now. They are my property. I have all their knowledge. Even if you speak to them, they won't know you." She said cooly. "You unchange them!" Matt growled from his place on the ground. "Oh I'd love to, except that I can't. One, it's impossible. Two, I have a date with the digital world." She said.
"You're not leaving until you tell us who you are!" Tai yelled. She turned back to them. "Why you really DON'T know do you?" She said, her voice taking on a tone of wonder. "I should have figured that you weren't smart enough to figure it out. You realize when you were thrown through the catalyst that you changed, both physically and eventually mentally?" The others nodded. "Well gradually, that mental state will take over your body completly, seeing as there's no way of getting out. You will become the person that everyone says you are. You, a thug." She said pointing to Cody. "You a miniature Santa Claus." She said pointing to Izzy, who blushed. "And you," She said, pointing a long finger at Tai. "An outcast among your own friends." Tai blanched but held his ground. "You still haven't told us who you are." Tai said firmly. "Why, I, my pathetic friends, am you. All of your dark sides put together. As you begin to pull away from the good side of life, I become stronger. That's why your little 'light' girl couldn't sense me. I am you. I am Cimmerian." She said in a ghostly voice.
Tai stared at her in horror. "You're, ME?" He whispered. "All of you actually. All of you make up a component of myself. I am your darkness, your greatest fears, your worries. Everything that is bad and evil, that I am." She said matter-of-factly. "Well what are you waiting for? Why don't you take us down and get it over with?!" Matt yelled. "Oh, why? Because I need you to survive. I need you to help me take over the world with darkness." Cimmerian said casually. "What have you done with our children?" Kari yelled before Matt could react. "Those children? Oh them. You see them do you not?" She said, pointing towards the zombie-like children. "Yeah we see 'em! But what did you do to them?" T.K. called out angrily. "Took away their personality. They are no more. They aren't significant to the world anymore." She said cooly. "That's not true! They are the future generation of our world!" Yolei yelled.
"Not anymore. They have been stripped of their personalities. They don't know you, they don't know anything, nothing except that they are useless. In truth, they are dead while alive." Sora saw Matt clenching and unclenching his fists but didn't realize his motives before it was too late. She heard him yell and run towards the woman of darkness. She shrieked and her hand flew out to restrain him, but her hand slipped past his own. "Matt!" She yelled. "No Sora!" Tai grabbed her arm and turned her away from where Matt had run. Sora fought against his strong arms, then gripped her arms around his neck while she sobbed. Tai's eyes widened as he watched his friend run and hit Cimmerian with all his might. Instead of being impacted by his blow, she instead grew bigger as Matt fell to the ground as if shocked.
"You fool! Haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying? All your ANGER, PAIN, FEAR, it only makes me stronger!" Cimmerian said as she began to shriek with laughter. Matt moved Sora by Izzy and ran after Matt, kneeling by his side. "Matt! Are you okay?" He asked. Matt winced and sat up. "I'm fine. Just weak. I'm gonna kill her." He whispered. "No you're not. That'll just make her bigger. You can't do anything." Tai whispered in Matt's ear as he helped him up. "But I've gotta do something!" Matt yelled. "That's right! Always Mister Control-Freak himself! You've never changed." An angry voice yelled.
The two boys turned and faced an angry Izzy. His face was red and his hands were clenched at his side. "You always hafta be in control, even when there's no possible way you can be! You were the same way at your mother's funeral! You would have ressurected her from the dead if you could have! You would have! And when Sora miscarried, she didn't see you for days! Why? Because you HAD TO BE IN CONTROL! You Control-Maniac! Have you no feelings?" Izzy yelled. "Oh yeah! Well at least I care about my wife! The only reason Mae left you was because you spent more time with your stupid, freakin' computer than with her! That's why! You dope! You computer freak!" Matt yelled. Tai turned away from them and looked at Cimmerian. She was laughing softly as her body became taller and taller, her glowing white eyes still fixed on them.
"You know Matt, I hafta agree with Izzy on this. We didn't see you for a long time after," Davis started. "SHUT UP DAVIS!" The two boys yelled. Davis stepped backward. Tai turned back to Cimmerian. For a moment, her white eyes fixed on his. "What happened to the digimon?" He asked quietly. The boys turned from each other and fixed their gaze on Tai. For the first time since they'd met her, Cimmerian hesitated. "Oh, the digimon." She said hesitantly. "Yeah the digimon! What part do they have in this?" Tai yelled. "Nothing. They were just bait to draw you into the catalyst. But if you really want them." She said. She held out her hand and a huge globe began to form. She set in on the ground and the center began to swirl and twist and turn.
Out of it came two forms, koramon and tsunumon. Matt and Tai ran forward and grasped the two in their arms. "Are you okay buddy?" Tai whispered. "I am now Tai." Koramon whispered, before dissolving in his arms. "No." Tai whispered, staring at his empty hands. "Tsunumon, speak to me." Matt choked. Tsunumon opened his eyes and for a moment, they fixed on Matt. A smile stretched across his face before he too, dissolved in Matt's arms. Immediately Tai fell to the ground, a piercing pain stretched across his chest like wildfire. It danced across his ribcage and tore across his chest to his heart. He held his breath as the pain became so immense that he couldn't even feel anymore. Then a bright orange light shot out of his chest and mingled with the blue one that flew into the sky before he collapsed. When he sat up, he felt strange. He felt no pain, only one feeling worse than any agony remained. The emptiness. He turned and looked at Matt. Matt was stretched out on the ground like himself, his blonde hair sticking to his sweaty face and neck. His crystalline blue eyes were wide open staring at the night sky.
The only sound Tai could hear was Cimmerian cackling. Tai inched himself over to Matt. "Matt? Matt, you okay?" Matt continued to stare at the sky. "Is this what our future is gonna be Tai? Am I such an awful friend, husband and father? Is this who I am? Is this just a glimpse of what is gonna happen to us?" Matt whispered. Tai stared at him in horror. "Don't let her get you Matt! This isn't real! None of it is!" He whispered fiercely. "If that's true, where's my son! Where's the relationship with my wife? Where's Joe and Mimi? Where's their daughter? Where's your sister and my brother's children? Where are they Tai? Where are they?" Matt sat up as he yelled, his blue eyes blazing and filled with tears. Tai inched backwards. "If this is our life, we might as well make the most of it." He said softer. "Matt, don't give up. I depend on you." Tai whispered. Matt stood up resolutely. "I'm sorry Tai. I have to." He said as he walked over to the others, who were still staring at them in horror.