Where Memories Lie
Okay I do not own Digimon or anything related to them.
First let me say that nothing is how it appears. I have not decided on any couples yet, so if you have suggestions tell me I'm open to suggestion. So now one with the story.
Chapter 1
He felt as if he was floating, carried on pillows of clouds. The clouds suddenly disbursed and he was laid on the ground. Too warm in his healing sleep, he ignored the soothing voice trying to awaken him. He wasn't sure if he'd actually heard the voice or if it had all been part of the beautiful dream. Swift footsteps approached him and the same soothing voice flowed over him. He was almost positive it was a woman's voice, but this time the voice was laced with relief. He opened his eyes to let the last bit of clouds slip away from his bleary vision, along with his sleep. He peered into a pair of golden-brown eyes.
"Well it's about time you woke up?"
TK blinked a few times, taking in the scene around him. The first thing he noticed was that he was on the ground, sand to be more accurate. Second, standing above him was a woman he had never seen before in his life. The third and last thing he noticed was the pain in his head. Trying to sit up he immediately let out his breath as pain engulfed him and his head started spinning.
Two hands came down on his shoulders, pushing him back down in the cool sand. "Hey, be careful there, sugar." Tinged with worry her voice was soothing as he settled down again. "You've been out for two days, I think. At least that's how long ago I found you."
"Found me?" Again struggling against the pain in his head, he managed to sit up and look at his rescuer. She seemed to be in her late twenties. Wavy red hair spilled loose over her slim shoulders. She wore a dark brown jumper that was worn and dirty.
"Yes, found you." Giggled the redhead. "Now, what's your name, sweetheart."
"TK." The speed of his reply surprising him.
"TK, cute name." Never letting the smiling slip from her face. "TK what?"
TK blinked a few times, just now taking in his surrounding. He was in the desert. He could see nothing but sand for miles. Around him was a small camp a white tent resting about twenty feet away. Next to the tent was a fire with a pot cooking over it. The sun, which was already low in the horizon, did not affect the heat. The weather was hot; already he could feel the sweet on his brow and could see the ripples from the heat in the sky. He then turned to address the lady beside him. TK what?
"I don't know?"
Raising a brow, but still with a smile on her lips. "Well where are you from?"
"I don't know..." His voice was suddenly shaking.
Her smile faded and was replaced with a scowled, looking directly at him she asked. "Well, what do you know?"
The words hit him hard: What do you know? He tried looking deeper into the blackness of his brain but got nothing--- no pictures, no voices, no memories. The only thing that he could even registrar was the letters T and K. Is that my name?
It must be, he thought, but what do the letters stand for? It must be a nickname of some sort. Now other questions started to fill his head. How old was he? Where was he from? Where was he now? Who was this girl sitting next to him? And most importantly... why did his head hurt? He pushed a frustrated hand through his hair and some of it spilled over his eyes "So I'm a blond. One question down."
"You really don't remember anything." The redhead said, startled.
TK didn't even realize he had spoken until just then. Looking over at the women beside him he noticed she no longer seemed to thrilled about the situation. Well your not the only one. She seemed friendly enough, but she said she found him. Where was he and what happened in order for him to be found in the first place?
He sighed again; with his secret out he decided to confess all he knew to this lady, whoever she was. "I only remember TK. I'm not even sure if it's my name or what the letters stand for. I don't know who I am or where I am. I don't even know where I'm going." His eyes drifted down to the sand he was sitting on.
"Well, you sure are in a lot of trouble" Standing up, she brushed herself off.
TK ran his fingers through the sand at his side What am I going to do? Looking up into the pair of honey brown eyes, he noticed she'd crossed her arms and was tapping her foot angrily. "Don't give me those puppy dog eyes of yours." She said, sounding annoyed.
Bowing his head, he mumbled "Sorry ma'am... I um...didn't know I was giving them to you. Um.... if you don't mind me asking..."
"The name's Elizabeth." Startled, he looked up again "My friends call me Liz, but no one calls me ma'am. Got it." She gave the same smile he'd seen only moments before.
TK smiled back "Sorry ma'am...I mean Liz"
"That's better. Now, what am I going to do with you?" Liz stood up and started to circle him. Feeling like a small animal being stalked by a large predator; his fear started to mount. She continued to circle him until she finally spoke. "I could kill you, it would save me a lot of trouble."
Immediately shouting to his feet, pain shoot through his body making his knees buckle which causing him to tumble to the ground. As he tried to push himself up again two hands came down firmly on his back effectively keeping him from getting up. As he struggled, Liz's voice broke through his panicked brain.
"Calm down. I'm not going to kill you. I was just joking. You're still week; you'll hurt yourself more then me." Sitting on his stomach, and his nose buried in the sand made it difficult to breathe properly. Her sitting on his back made struggling nearly impossible.
He finally stopped struggling not because he trusted her, but because he was too hurt and tired to continue. Sweat rolled down his brow as his breath came in gasps. He had used all his energy to get away from her and failed miserably. Now all he could do was hope that she was serious when she said she wouldn't hurt him.
"That's better." Liz lifted herself off him. She tucked loose stand of hair back behind her ear. What did I get myself into? Cursing herself, Liz looked over at the boy and smiled to herself.
She remembered walking through the desert on her way to the next town. She wasn't paying to much attention to where she was going, if she did she probably wouldn't have tripped over something and toppled to the ground. Crawling back over to see what she tripped over she discovered a boy partially covered with sand. She scanned the area quickly to see if this was some sort of trick, but quickly dismissed the thought. Figuring he probably died from an attack, she looked in his pockets to see if he had something she could use. She had just gone through his pockets when she heard him moan.
Liz was surprised when she found the boy; she was in pure shock that he was still alive. Getting up to leave him, she turned to look at the boy one more time. Letting out a huge sigh she walked back over and dusted the sand off him. She just couldn't lose the nagging feeling that she should help him. Her friends always said she was to kind for her own good.
Turning back around she gave him some water from the canteen and placed a cool rage over his brow. She wasn't a doctor so it was the best she could do. Setting up camp she continued to bring the boy back from the threshold of death. Just when she was about to give the boy up for death, he went and woke up. If things weren't bad enough now he doesn't have any memory. Now she had to figure out what to do with him.
Liz had hoped he was a son of a rich merchant who would give her a huge reward for saving his son life. Well now thanks to her ever-going bad luck she was stuck with this kid who didn't even know who he was. What am I going to do with him? She couldn't just leave him here; he would be dead in a matter of minutes. If the desert heat didn't kill him, the low lives of the desert would.
Liz turned and went over to a bag, pulling out a mirror. Walking back over to him, she handed it to him. "Hear, take a look at yourself. I'd say you're about twelve maybe thirteen."
TK sat up again, trying to ignore the pain, and took the mirror. Staring back at him was a pair of azure eyes. He was right about his hair being blond, but there was dry blood matted into it. Well that explains the headache. Looking at his expression again he noticed that besides from a few bruises on his face he looked to be okay physically. Who are you?
"You must be hungry," Liz said interrupting his thoughts. "Here." Placing a bowl of something into his lap, she smiled and sat back down on the ground. Looking down at the bowl he faked a smile of thanks. It smelled like something that just died, and didn't look any better either. He was about to pass on it when his stomach growled.
Damn
He didn't realize how hungry he really was. Maybe it will taste better than it smells. Closing his eyes he lifted the bowl to his mouth and took a sip. Immediately wishing he didn't, He had to do all he could just to keep the food down. I was wrong its taste worse than it smells. He looked toward Liz who had a big smile on her face as she watched him eat. Gaining all his courage he quickly lifted the bowl back to his mouth and chugged the whole thing down in five bites. Once he was sure that the food would remain in his stomach, he put the bowl down and turned to Liz. "Thank you again, for all your help."
"No problem." Not even looking at him while she washed off the bowls with water from her canteen, she called over he shoulder. "Listen, as soon as you're well enough to travel I'll take you to the next town. After that we're parting ways. I can't have a kid following me around all the time." Raising herself up again she got a blanket and draped it over him. "You're on your own after that, got it."
TK smiled lying down on the sandy ground he struggled to keep his eyes open. "I promise. After the next town you'll never see me again." With that he closed his eyes and drifted back to his healing sleep.
******
Two years later:
"Liz, where are you?" The young man called out. He was a lot different from the lost boy found in the desert two years ago. He went from a skinny weak thirteen -year-old to a strong muscular fifteen year-old. His blond hair was blown about by the wind, Still cut the same way, but not as neat as it had been. His face and hands were tanned from the scorching sun, but his face still held that look of innocence. His eyes had changed the most in the two years. They no longer held the happiness they once knew, but were now filled with weariness and sadness. When he stared at you it looked as if he could read your soul, wishing that maybe he could find some happiness in it.
He was dressed in a light black, long-sleeved shirt that bunched out around his waist. His loose-fitting black trousers were tucked into his worn boots. His kufuyah (a small scarf) covered the lower half of his face, so you could only see his eyes, which were covered by a pair of dark sunglasses.
"LIZ!" He yelled louder his head moving from one side of the street to the next.
"I'm over hear." She called running towards him through the crowded streets. "I got us dinner for a week."
Liz hadn't changed much in the two years they were together. She was now thinner than she had been and her hair was now down to her waste. The hot climate and hard life were aging her more quickly. TK smiled as he saw the now thirty-five year old women approaching him in her light blue jumper. He remembered after they met that she'd said she would leave him in the next town they got to. But she hadn't. Instead she'd kept him with her, protecting him from the harsh world that he now found himself in. Liz was like a mother to him; she nurtured him and taught him everything he knew. He owed her everything, most important of which was his life.
**Flashback**
"In this next town were parting ways okay?" Chimed Liz as the walked through the desert.
TK smiled at the older women. True he had only been with her for a month but he knew that she wasn't going to leave him in the next town. He was completely healed no one would even know that he was ever injured. The bad thing was that he still couldn't remember anything from his past. He had hoped that given time he could remember something. Who am I?
The strangest thing about all this was the nagging feeling that he didn't belong here. Not that he believed he ever travailed around the desert. Liz always wondered how he had survived for thirteen years. He had no skills in the least bit; he didn't know how to find water in the desert, or how to spot traps that thieves leave. The weird thing is that he didn't think he ever learned those survival techniques.
Turning to Liz he asked "How much longer until we reach the next town?"
"Oh, you're in that much of a hurry to get away from me." Smiling she examined the map. "I say another day at the most. Lets stop here for rest."
He pulled his backpack off his shoulders, then plopped down exhausted. "I'm just in a hurry to get away from you bad cooking." He looked over at Liz who was taking a drink from her canteen. In the first town they got to after she found him. She had bought him new cloths and a backpack. When he asked how he could pay her back, she just waved her hand and said she had nothing better to buy with her money.
"Listen." Liz started after she finished drinking. "I'm the best cook there is, so stop complaining."
"If you're the best cook." Lying down on his back he continued "I'd hate to meet the worst."
Sticking her tongue out she surveyed the landscape. "I think its time for you to learn how to use a gun."
TK wasn't surprised in the least bit, he knew it was only a matter of time before Liz brought it up. In the short time that he could remember he knew it was imperative that you learned how to protect yourself out here. Smiling he looked at the women. "Who says I don't know how to use one already."
Raising an eyebrow she stood up. "Oh, is their something you've been hiding from me."
"I'm just saying." Standing also, he shook the sand off his cloths. "I could know how to shoot. I don't remember if I ever shot one before, but who knows maybe I'm an expert. Besides how hard can it be?"
Grinning she looked him up and down "Expert hum...Will see." Walking over she took out her gun and gave it to him. Waiting until he became used to holding it, she let go of his hands and pointed to a sand doom. "Okay master marksman. Aim for that hill over there."
Taking careful aim TK slowly pulled the trigger only to be blown back by the force of the shot. How hard can it be? Shacking his head he saw Liz doubled over with laughter, trying her hardest not to cry. Laughing now himself he got up brushing the sand off himself. "Well at least I know that I never fired a gun before."
With that Liz started to laugh more. "Maybe I should teach you how to cook first. It might be safer."
"For you yes, for my stomach..." He stooped when Liz canteen hit him in the head.
Shacking his head from the memory he looked over to the women. Since that day Liz had taught him not only how to shot a gun but several other fighting techniques as well. He had taught himself how to cook. Letting a small smile escape his mouth, that was probably the reason he did all the cooking.
Turning he address the women besides him "And whom did you cheat, kill or steel from to get that?" He grinned, taking his kufiyah and sunglasses off.
"Don't get smart. I only had to sleep with him." She smiled at the boy she thought of as a son.
TK learned shortly after he had hooked up with Liz, how she got all her money. He hated the fact that in order to make any money she would have to be a 'personal Jezebel' for these lowlifes who lived in this world. He had tried several times to get her to change her job, but she had always said that there just wasn't anything else she could do with her life.
She was right about that. In this place there wasn't a lot of things you could do with you life. It was a poor country; the only choice you had was to have a personal trade like himself AKA professional gambler, or a merchant, or farmer. You could also be a hunter, but no decent person would take that job.
Technology was all but illegal, and the only types of technology that where allowed were guns if you considered them technology. No lights or transportation not even a radio. Not that they weren't around. They just were never used. He never knew why. All he knew was, if you were caught with anything electronic you would probably be killed.
TK rolled his eyes and sighed. "I was wondering where you were all this time. You know I hate it when you sell yourself."
She reached up and put a loose stand of hair back behind her ear "Well, we have to eat, and I would rather sell myself then have you do anything." She sighed "There are too many bad people around hear anyway-we need someone as good as you to kind of balance things out."
She was right about that. In this county it was either kill or be killed. They lived a nomadic life not staying in town long enough to be remembered. It was a harsh world; you could be kidnapped off the street and sold into slavery. Have your throat cut just because you looked at someone the wrong way. Or be beaten and left for dead, on someone whim. With only one law, no technology, a person could get away with anything-even murder.
TK sighed again. Then smiled he couldn't resist teasing her. "If that's true, Liz, why did you have me learn all those different types of fighting skills? Not to mention learning how to have a deadly shot with a gun and knife."
Yes he knew how to kill someone but he never did, and hopefully never would have to. Not that he never had the opportunity; he just wasn't a killer. It didn't seem right to take someone's life, even if it meant to save his own. He always came out of a fight with more cuts and bruises then he should have, mostly because of the fact that he could never bring himself to actually hurt someone seriously.
Looking around at his surrounding, they had been in this town called Singo for about a week now and were about to leave.
Never stay in a town long enough to be recognized.
Liz had drilled that information along with several other useful informations into his head so that it was apart of him. The town itself was just like all the other towns they have been through. There were merchants running around on the street selling anything you can imagine. The streets were made of dirt and the buildings were old and falling apart. He turned his attention back on the redhead and continued "Well Liz, why did you make me learn all those skills?"
She grinned batting her eyes "To protect yourself. And me, in case any of my customers don't take no for an answer." Liz laughed at the scowl he gave her and continued "Anyway, after the next town we're parting ways so you don't have to put up with my jobs anymore."
TK was walking toward the busy streets, and now turned. "I seem to recall you saying that a few towns back."
"Stop before you go back two years." She giggled "Anyway...how much money did you make?"
"Only a hundred," Looking hesitantly at her he continued "Either the gamblers are getting smarter or I'm getting slower."
Okay the truth was that he didn't feel like gambling. Sure he loved it, and was the best at it. He was the best because he could read each player's hand by watching his or her expression. That and the fact that he could cheat just as good. Just recently though, he felt like there was something more for him then just gamble for the rest of his life. He didn't know how to tell Liz, she just wouldn't understand. He just couldn't lose this feeling that there was something greater out there. His destiny wasn't written in stone yet.
"Maybe I'm just bad." he muttered
Pointing a finger at him, she scowled. "Please. You were taught by the best-me--- so don't blame bad luck on me." She turned around and continued down the road.
TK rolled his eyes again, but instead of focusing them on the ground like he was taught to do, he focused them on a blond walking down the street, going the opposite direction. He couldn't see the color of her eyes but her hair was a golden blond with even lighter highlights woven through it. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that went all the way to her slim waste.
She pulled a white kufiyah over her face, but he could still see a glimpse of a perfect nose that curved up ever so slightly. She had healthy red checks that blended nicely with the rest of her face. Her lips were pressed together in the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. She was dressed in a white, almost see-through top that covered her arms but left her midsection bare. Her pants where made of the same material and travailed down her perfectly shaped legs. She looked like a wingless angle.
But why did angles remind him of something, something that was almost forgotten but not quite. TK continued to stare after her, not even bothering listening to Liz, which was a big mistake.
"TK! What are you doing? Eyes down!" TK was snapped out of his reverie to look at Liz. She was fuming. He knew better than to argue with her when she got mad, so he immediately obeyed. If anyone could shoot bullets with their words, Liz could "How many times have I told you, eyes tell a person what you are thinking and you..."
"Don't want them to know what you're thinking. I know, Liz. But if you won't let me touch at least let me look, you're raising me like a priest." He looked up just far enough to give her one of those 'come on Liz' smiles of his.
Liz laughed. "I have to raise you as one. Who else will pray for me?"
They continued to walk in silence until Liz piped up, "She is cute, though."
TK smiled and sifted his bag over his shoulder "Come on. We taped this town enough, lets move onto the next one."
"Right behind you, squirt." Not even looking back at him she hurried up down the busy street.
TK slowed his pace. Why did that sound so familiar? Liz always called him some nickname. But this reminded him of something...no, someone...maybe....
"Come on TK, hurry up!" Liz's voice broke up his thoughts.
He shook his head to clear it. "Liz, wait up!".
******
"I found it" The room went quiet with the sudden outburst from the redheaded boy.
"Found what, Izzy?" Asked a brunette woman in her mid-thirties.
Izzy was at his summer internship at one of the local computer programming stores. The now seventeen year old had not changed much through the years. His hair was cut business-like, and his eyes still held all the curiosity they did when he was a child. "I um...found a file that I thought I lost a long time ago."
When the curious eyes went back to their work, Izzy quickly turned back to his computer. He did find something he thought he lost a long time ago but not some stupid file. The blinking light on his monitor continued to glow brightly by the second. He quickly wrote down the coordinates and looked up at the clock.
Only an hour more of work.
He had to calm down, he needed to be calm, need to have a clear head. This discovery would cause more joy and problems then he'd known in his shoot life. But after two years of searching...Fifty-nine more minutes that's not to long.
*************
"Liz, I think that girl's following us."
"What girl?" Liz kept her eyes forward but scanned the crowd.
"The girl in white. She was in Singo."
"Oh, the cute one." Liz grinned. "Don't worry about her. Keep your eyes forward."
They continued walking in silence. TK couldn't keep his mind off the mysterious girl. He caught himself more than once scanning the crowd for her. There was something about her. He always got this strange feeling in his stomach whenever there was danger near by. He spotted the girl weaving back and forth throughout the street with ease. Something wasn't right about this situation. Just don't think about her.
Okay easier said then done
The truth was that he found her intriguing. Okay Beautiful and intriguing. He could tell by her figure and the weapons she carried that she was a skilled fighter. He had been around killers and thieves for the last two years. He had learned, not only what they look like but also how they act. Spotting her again he noticed that she had all it took to be one of them. She had a long sword draped across her back in its holster. Her arms were shaped in the way that one only gets by constant practice. If this wasn't interesting enough he couldn't see a gun anywhere on her persons.
Even if you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.
Where it was concealed kept his mind on full alert. He could practically see every part of her body. Not that women weren't skilled fighters hadn't Liz herself taught him how to fight. No, that wasn't what interested him the most, it was that she looked like a hunter. Yet he was positive that she wasn't one. Hunters carried themselves differently. With no formal badges, the only ways to recognize them were their unique guns. They were specially tailored for the efficiently of a kill. Hunters also always wore their guns in open site. No this woman wasn't a hunter, so who was she? A tiny voice behind him shook his stray thoughts.
"Excuse me, but is your name TK?"
TK whirled around. It was bad to have anyone know your name. He always gave a fake name, never trusting anyone beside Liz with his real one.
Don't let anyone know who you really are.
Liz warning went ringing through his head as he swung around. He was expecting a fight, but when he spun around he peered into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. He felt his jaw drop. It was the girl in white. He didn't even realize that she had walked right up behind him. He'd also finally seen her eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't; it just added to her beauty. Quickly composing himself, "I'm sorry. You must have me confused with someone else. My name is Dusty."
"Oh, my mistake." She turned around and started to leave. He let out a sigh of relief, until she turned around again. "Oh, one more thing," She smiled sweetly TK felt his legs starting to melt as he concentrated on her words.
"Would you mind doing me a favor?"
"If I can."
"Could you just die?" And a gun fired.
Sorry for the cliffhanger, part two should be out soon. Tell me what you think, I want to know.