Author's Note: Before we begin, let me ask you this—please email me a brief summary of what your character will be doing/will be like in, say…five years. And please EMAIL me, do not put it in your review.
* * *
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Secrets of the Past
Kazu was working furiously on his main computer. It not only contained the 'blueprints' of upcoming video games, but it was also the computer that he and the other parents used to contact their kids. Before his daughter and her friends went to Chikyuu to investigate the new evil, David had sent him a copy of a stone tablet found outside the village. He was busy deciphering it while it was still the lunch break.
There was a knock on his office door.
"Come in," Kazu called out.
Takato walked in, hands in his pockets. "How's it going, Kazu?"
"It's almost done. I've created the Digicode translating program, and I just gotta input the copy into the program, and…there! Soon, we'll see the Japanese version."
There was a moment of silence except for the humming of the computer. Then the computer beeped and a small portion of text appeared, which read:
While she still reigns the lands known to all,
He will not eat, drink, move, or sleep.
Until then, he shall remain in the darkness of the deep.
But when she falls, he will awaken…
And then plants shall wither and die,
And streams will become bare and dry.
And birds will no longer sing their sweet song,
And darkness will fill the vast sky.
Beware the monster called Death…
Frowning, Takato turned to Kazu. "What's that mean?"
"I don't know. I'm guessing 'the monster called Death' is the last evil, but I don't know when that will be. He must be a really powerful Digimon if he can make plants wither and streams run dry, and fill the sky with darkness."
"Kinda reminds you of what they taught us in school about Jewish history, huh, Kazu?"
"Nah, I wasn't paying attention."
"Well, anyway, I've got a question about this thing… Who's 'she'?"
Kazu shrugged. "No clue."
"Damn…"
Kazu grinned. "Yeah, I know." His grin faded immediately. "You know, I hope the kids are okay."
Takato nodded in agreement. "Yeah. But don't you worry. Lina's a great leader, and David's a great scientist. And Marisol's sense of direction won't fail them. And I'm sure the other kids have their talents, too."
"But I can't help but be worried about them, you know? This monster called Death sure sounds like he can kick serious ass."
"Let's hope our kids can pull through, then."
"Yep… So…how's your movie coming along?"
"It's doing well."
* * *
A day later…
Compass banged against the metal bars of the prison. "Let us out! We want a rematch! Let us out NOW!"
A MechaLadyDevimon snarled at her from the other side of the bars. "Be quiet, you wench! The Mistress approaches!"
Before long, the thirteen-year-old girl Naki was standing before the sullen group of Tamers. They all glared at her from the darkness of the cell.
"Whaddya want?" demanded Daiki as he stood up, fists clenched.
Riki pulled his brother down. "Daiki, that's no way to talk to a—"
Daiki glared at his brother. "If you're gonna 'that's no way to talk to a lady', then you're insane. Hello-o! We're in jail, for cryin' out loud!"
"I'm sure there's a reason for…"
Ignoring the brothers' argument, Naki opened the cell door and stepped inside, Strikemon right behind her. She walked up to Lina and looked her up and down. "You'll do."
"I'll do what?" the goggle-headed eleven-year-old snapped.
"You'll do fine." She reached forward to grab Lina when the brown-haired girl reflexively slapped her face.
"Don't touch me, you creep!"
But the moment the words escaped her lips, she regretted them. She was thrown against the far wall, and when she had oriented herself, she found herself staring at the barrel of Strikemon's revolver. The dragon Digimon was snarling menacingly, his entire body rigid and quivering with rage.
There was a moment of silence. No one dared move, not even Naki, who was staring at Lina like she had seen a ghost.
And then the memories invaded her mind.
Five-year-old Naki facing her father's girlfriend, quivering with rage at the abusive woman…
A hand being raised…coming down…a stinging pain in her cheek…
"Don't touch me, you creep!"
Naki crying, running out the house and down Card Alley…
Stumbling, falling, crying harder than she ever had…
A glow in the darkness, blue and white and orange…a strange power flowing through her…
A D-force, small and insignificant, like her, but containing much power…
Sudden warmth…being embraced by a big, friendly being…finding safety…
Strikemon…
Everyone abruptly turned to see the evil they were supposed to be afraid of shiver, as if cold. A tear trickled down Naki's cheek, then another, and she was soon sobbing. Everyone was frozen for a moment as the thirteen-year-old fell on her knees and cried.
Everyone but Strikemon.
The Digimon holstered his weapon and was at his Tamer's side in a flash. He had experienced this before, and many times when Naki was still only a little girl. He took her trembling form and hugged her close.
Lost in her memories of childhood, Naki wasn't at all surprised by the sudden warmth that enveloped her, something she remembered feeling when she was younger. The crying became snivels, which became silence, as she drifted off to a troubled slumber, still lost in her memories…
* * *
Half an hour later, Naki slowly woke up. She was sitting with her back against the cell wall, still trembling. She had lost that fiery look in her eyes from before, and she looked distant…
"What happened?" she whispered hoarsely.
Riki jumped forward. "Are you okay? Please say you're okay—"
"What happened?"
Lina, who stood nearby, replied, "You started to cry, and when Strikemon tried to calm you, you fell asleep."
Naki didn't hear what Lina said. She just saw her and backed away, eyes wide with fear. "Stay away from me! Strikemon!"
Her Digimon, who was kneeling beside her, put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. I'm right here," he said quietly, almost in a soothing tone.
"I want to go home," Naki whimpered. "I wanna go back to my daddy…to my momma…"
Strikemon shook his head. "I'm sorry. You can't."
"I wanna go home to my daddy, to my momma!"
"Naki…" He looked at her with a pained expression. "They're dead."
Her sudden anger vanished, and she looked at the ground miserably. "I know… Momma's gone…" But as quickly as her anger disappeared, it returned. "And that bitch killed Daddy! She killed him! She killed him!" Tears started to well up in her eyes again. "And I'm gonna kill her! She'll pay for killing my father!"
"She's dead too—"
"She's still there! She's still there, inside, still beating me! I want her dead!" Naki grabbed Strikemon's gun, trying to wrench it free from its holster, but it was buckled down tight.
Strikemon's grip on his Tamer tightened, and with his free hand, he grabbed her arm roughly. "I won't let you! You're not going to kill yourself over some goddamned memory, okay!? Get over it!"
Naki suddenly stopped and fell limp. She had that distant look again. "I'm sorry…"
Her Digimon relaxed. He knew she was done with the sudden emotional rage, and hugged her reassuringly. "Get over it," he murmured. "You have a new family now."
Meanwhile, the Tamers were having a whispered conversation at the other end of the cell.
"Apparently, the reason she became so corrupted was because her mother died and some woman abused her and killed her father," David stated, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Terriermon shook his head. "Poor girl. No wonder she's so cold! The only one she can depend on now is her Digimon, and that's why she's built those walls of ice around her. Poor, poor girl…"
"Imagine—a cute girl like her, abused and beaten!" added Riki. "It's enough to—"
Compass pulled Riki's ear. "Quit it!" she snapped.
Josh piped up. "I think we've finally defeated Chikyuu's evil."
Everyone thought this over in complete silence for a moment. Then Nekomon nodded. "I agree. I think we were supposed to help free her from her past."
Everyone then agreed that they really had defeated the evil inside Naki. But they'd have to confirm it from Strikemon, or from Naki herself.
* * *
Somewhere far off in the horizon, a slumbering giant stirred. Suddenly, sinister golden eyes popped open, and the giant shifted and stood. Spreading massive black wings and grabbing a scythe-like weapon, it launched itself from the depths of the Digital World and flew towards the tiny island of Chikyuu. Plants wilted, riverbeds dried up, and the sky turned black in its wake.
And in its mind, a single thought echoed endlessly.
Kill the Tamers.
* * *
Author's Note: So now we know Naki's past and why she ended up in the Digital World! Poor girl… And if you haven't noticed, Strikemon's really protective of his Tamer, far more than he should be… *cough*cough*hint*hint* If you understand what I'm talking about and don't like the idea of a Digimon/human relationship…TOO BAD. *laughs maniacally* Sorry. I'm that kinda person. Gomen, gomen…