Who Cares?
Between 'Princess Karaoke' and 'Sora's Crest of Love'
By Debbie (Dai-chan) *^_^*
The path was rugged and steep, climbing up a small mountain, weaving through high walls of rocks. The path was difficult to climb, often left behind by Digimon who believed it was just hazardous. But a small group of humans and Digimon was climbing upon the path, acting on confidence to search for one of their lost companions. Three boys walked in a single line. The oldest one was at the lead, tossing away a lock of blond from his sweating forehead, but his grey-blue eyes were hard with the desire to continue. The littlest boy in the middle of the line followed his brother, his blond hair also drenched with sweat under his green-blue hat. The last boy at the end panted, not used to walk a lot, his thick red hair clouding his eyes, sticking to his forehead.
"Ah, I can't believe it," complained Izzy. "If we are going to seek for Kim that way, our feet will be black and blue with bruises." He may be harsh about the walking, but he was gentle to his Digimon partner. Motimon heavily dozed in Izzy's arms, resting from the recent battle with Vademon. Izzy was very gentle not to wake him.
"I think we will be black and blue all over by the time we find her," said TK. He took off his hat and fanned himself with it. He even fanned his Digimon pal, Patamon, who hovered by him. Patamon smiled with relief at the cool breeze.
TK's brother, Matt or his Digimon companion, Tsunomon said nothing, just moving on.
The path became less rugged and more level. They found that the path abruptly ended at the edge of a jungle tangled with thick vines. That looked like there was no way to enter the thick vines.
TK dropped down to the ground, leaning on his arms. "I don't wanna go anywhere." Patamon landed on his lap, also tired from flying. Izzy collapsed by the boy, panting still. Motimon opened one black eye and yawned.
Matt looked back to the young boys and grimaced. They shouldn't stop looking. They should keep searching for Kim. He wanted to find her. The very idea of unable to find her was enough to make Matt feel anxious. He hoped she was safe . . . Looking again to the boys, he sighed and muttered, "Ok, guys. We will take a break." He could hear TK and Izzy exhale their breaths with relief. Turning his back to them, he began to wonder if he would ever find her. . .
As if he can read his mind, Tsunomon said, "I wonder where can we find Kim."
Silently, Matt landed his blue eyes on the jungle and strolled to the edge of the jungle, scanning around with serious concern. Tsunomon stood by him, also searching.
"Maybe I could discover something in my computer," suggested Izzy as he opened his green backpack that contained his yellow-and-white laptop. Motimon jumped out of the way and watched with sleepy eyes while his human partner typed on.
By the red-haired boy's side, TK watched his brother with a thoughtful, sad gaze. He missed Kim. He missed her simple, gentle smile that reminded him so much of his mother. He missed the way she speaks, so patient and kind; she never lose her temper with anybody. He also missed the protective Iyumon, the strong compassion hiding behind her hard, cautious red eyes. The adventures would be not the same without them. He wondered if Matt ever misses Kim.
"Izzy," TK turned to him, "do you think we will find Kim?"
"Precisely," answered Izzy, his black eyes glued on the glowing screen, his fingers tapping in a blurred motion.
"How?"
"We will find a way." But Izzy didn't sound so positive.
TK watched him typing, curious at what was Izzy searching for. Izzy's face was carved into a focused expression. He muttered quietly to himself, so quietly that TK didn't understand what was he saying, but he assumed he was a bit aggravated about something.
Izzy grunted with frustration. "All the information and still nothing about where could Kim be." He rested his chin on one of his yellow-gloved hands as the other tapped at the keyboard.
TK sighed. He leaned back on his hands, his eyes on the sky. He wondered if they would ever find her. Suddenly, a beep came from the right side of his backpack. His Digivice was beeping! All turned to TK in surprise as he looked at the Digivice. A red spot blinked in the tiny screen, blinking along with the repeating beep.
"Your Digivice found Kim!" Patamon remarked from TK's lap.
TK stood up so fast that Patamon had to flutter his wings to get out of his way. TK ran toward Matt, Tsunomon, and the jungle. The Digivice beeped louder and more frequent as he moved closer to the edge. "Kim must be in the jungle!" he said, pointing to the jungle.
Matt murmured an odd, almost pleased hum in his throat.
"What's it, Matt?" asked Izzy as he arrived, Motimon in his arms.
Matt shook his head. "Nothing." Inside, he struggled to hold down the sudden joy to see Kim at last.
Motimon caught something in his vision. He pointed toward it, saying, "Hey, I see a path in the jungle."
All followed TK down the path, the beeping Digivice leading the way. The path was clear of the tangling vines, though some hung low enough to force Matt to duck under. As the Digivice beeped louder, TK became excited to find Kim, and he ran faster with ease through the path. Izzy and Matt shouted at him to wait, to slow down, but he didn't listen. Followed by Patamon, TK kept running and almost burst himself out of the vine-tangled jungle into a river beach. Ahead was a wide, quiet river, the sounds of the water whistling among rocks music to TK's ears. Upstream, he could see a beautiful-sculptured, white-marbled bridge across the river into another area of the jungle, with no vines. The river passed through the jungle.
"Wow, it is so beautiful!" Patamon murmured in awe as the other kids stepped out from the path.
Matt looked upstream and downstream. "Yeah, but where is Kim?" He almost sounded disappointed.
Something near the bridge attracted TK's eyes. A mass of purple laid near the bridge, moving a little, almost like it was sighing sadly. He squinted and gasped. "Oh, look over there!" he pointed.
All followed his pointing finger and saw the mass. All gasped almost in shocked unison.
"Iyumon!"
Deeply sorrowed, Iyumon laid on her stomach, her horned head resting on her forepaws. Her curled tail rested among her paws. Her usual cautious red eyes were clouded with sadness, staring out in the river. And at her side, laid a brass tag and a Digivice, as if were tossed away with no care.
Iyumon looked up when she heard her name being called by familiar voices. She saw the three boys and Digimon, and a bit of joy stirred in her heart.
"Iyumon, are you all right?" Izzy asked with concern as they arrived to her.
"I'm so glad to see you guys!" Iyumon said with happiness.
"Where is Kim?" Matt asked with gentleness, remembering the pain in the purple lizard-like digimon's eyes. His heart clenched painfully at the thought of Kim being in danger.
Iyumon's red eyes gazed up to Matt's grey-blue eyes and looked away. "Who cares? She is gone forever."
The boys and Digimon gasped.
"What do you mean, she is gone forever?" Tsunomon said from at Matt's feet.
TK gently spook, "Please tell us what happened."
Iyumon turned to the littlest boy and suddenly was warmed by the innocent eyes. She sighed softly. "Well, we had searched nearly everywhere. We never lose hope that we might find Tai and you guys. But one night, I eavesdropped Kim talking with a voice."
A flashback . . .
A fire roared in the center of the clearing in a forest. Kim rested against a willow tree as her Digimon friend, Iyumon slept at her feet, her snout usually hiding in her paws. Kim was almost tranced by the fire, watching the red-orange flames dancing on the sticks. Often she saw, one by one, the hazed faces of her friends, long gone, and she was missing them greatly. She still hoped that she will find them.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Kim startled at the voice. The voice seemed to come from everywhere, and she looked around with uneasiness as she stood up. "Who is there?" her voice quavered.
"Don't be afraid. I am a friend," the voice soothed. Kim suddenly had a strange feeling that she shouldn't trust the voice, but the voice was only kind and peaceful. It continued, "Could you not find your friends? Don't you know the reason why they left you?"
"What?" Kim asked. When the voice didn't answered, Kim walked to the edge of the circle of the firelight. Her brown eyes searched the darkness behind the light. "Do you know?"
The voice seemed to completely change, sounded dark and bitter. "Don't anybody? They don't care about you."
"Care?" Kim paled, stunned.
The voice hissed, "If they care, would they leave you?" Then silence.
Kim blinked at the silence and yelled out, "Hello? Hey, where did you go?" She stopped at a thought. Her voice was low, shaking, "Maybe it left because it doesn't care." Her dark-skinned face slowly frowned, a rare frown she barely had on her face. The frown was displeased. Kim wasn't naive, but the bold words of the voice had a strong effect on her.
She heard the yawning of a waking Iyumon. She didn't move when Iyumon asked with concern, "Kim, what's the matter?"
Kim looked down, her back facing the Digimon. Maybe she doesn't care about me, Kim thought, and her frown deepened. Her voice was monotone as she answered, "Nothing."
'We wandered longer, but one day Kim snapped.'
Kim and Iyumon were crawling through a thorn bed. They were blocked by the thorn bed, and the only way to get to the other side was by crawling through. Kim forced to crawl on her belly, pushing forward by her arms. The thorns tugged on her shirt and black braids, and often she had to duck to avoid the scratching thorns. Iyumon crawled behind, pushing forward by her black talons, digging in the soft ground.
A thorn scratched on Kim's left cheek, drawing a thin streak of red. Kim groaned and grimaced. Iyumon saw what happened and said with worried concern, "Be careful, Kim." Kim answered none, crawling on.
Finally, they arrived at the river with the marble bridge. Iyumon shook dirt off her fur and moved on to the bridge. When she noticed she was alone, she looked back at Kim, who stood frozen, her yellow-gloved hand touching the bleeding scratch on her cheek. "Come on, Kim. We just can't stop now," Iyumon said.
Kim gazed down to her hand, the blood drying on the glove. Slowly, the hand shook, clenching into a fist. Her face was pure fury. Her voice boomed with new ferocity. "Ohh! It's hopeless! We have been searching for the others for nearly two months, and they are gone! There is no way we will find them!"
Iyumon gasped softly, but shook her head in confidence. "Kim, we will find them -"
"No, Iyumon!" Kim cut her off. "We will never find them! It's hopeless. I don't understand. Why should I search for them?"
Iyumon stared at her in shock.
Her brown eyes unusually hard with hatred, Kim stared at the slowly flowing river. "I don't care about them anymore. If we can't stay together, why should I search for them?"
"They are your friends!" Iyumon said, beginning to worry about what had happened to her gentle Kim.
"No, they aren't if they leave us. I don't care what would happen to them. I don't care! And you!" Kim turned to her Digimon with fury. She stomped nearer as her voice strained with scorn. "If you still want to find them, be my guest. You don't need me. I don't need you." She said the last right in Iyumon's face. Iyumon cowered, her red eyes misting over. With two yanks, Kim pulled off the string around her neck that held the small brass tag, and jerked the Digivice from her green belt. "Take the crest and Digivice if you care. I have no care about them." She threw them at Iyumon's feet.
Kim turned on her feet and ran across the bridge, disappearing in the opposite side of the jungle. Iyumon stood in stunned silence, two tears running down her face. Her eyes never left the spot where her Kim vanished in, the tears landing on the silver crest of the dull-shined tag. . .
***
Matt knelt and gently picked the tag and Digivice. He could see two dry spots on the tag where the tears landed on. He shook his head in disbelief at Iyumon's tale. It was not like Kim. He knew she will never hate anybody. It must be the voice. "I will bet that the voice Kim was talking to is Demidevimon." He scowled at the thought of the sly batty Digimon.
"It was like when I got angry with Tokomon," said TK, looking at Patamon. He remembered when Demidevimon had a dark plan to make TK and Tokomon mad at each other for no reason in particular. TK would hate to see his friends hate each other. Turning to his brother, TK pleaded, "We must find her, Matt!"
Izzy stood by Matt's other side, looking down to the crest. "I am concerned that the crest would be worthless to Kim if she resists to care. But TK is right. We must find her."
Matt nodded in agreement. "All right. Lead the way, Iyumon."
The boys followed Iyumon across the bridge and entered the jungle. What they didn't know was that two yellow eyes, sly and dark, watched every move.
Meanwhile . . .
Kim brushed back a low branch as she ducked under a tree. Her braids had few leaves entwined together. She had several scratches on her arms from the clawing branches. Her red tank top and dark blue jeans were streaked with dirt, and so was her face. But she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. Her mind was empty; she didn't even think about any of her friend, or Iyumon. Her face was scowling so long that the frown would be permanent on her face.
"Hello, dear."
Kim didn't stop weaving through the jungle when she heard the hissing voice. She had heard that voice before - at the campfire when it showed her the realization that her so-called friends never care about her. She mumbled bitterly, "Ah, it's you again. Leave me alone."
She could hear a rustling above her, but she moved on. The voice came out, almost sad. "Is that the way you treat your friend?"
At the word friend, Kim stopped, resting against a trunk. She pushed away a branch and tried to see what was the creature above that the voice belonged to. "Friend?"
The voice was closer, like it was whispering in her ear. "It appears that I am your only friend. You ex-friends left you, but I didn't leave you."
Kim snorted and ducked under the branch, moving on. "I have no friends. I don't care about you."
Two slanted red eyes watched with pleasure as the girl vanished in the low branches. The voice hissed, "It is good she is hating. She is very valuable to me. As long as she hates everybody, she will be useless to the Digidestined." He laughed maliciously, and the creature slithered down the ground. He glanced at where the girl disappeared and smirked devilishly. The creature slunk the opposite way, moved so fast that he was like a green flash. He arrived at a space in the middle of the jungle. A decaying building made of dry mud, tan and black, stood in the center. The sunlight shone through countless cracks, illuminating wilting and drying plants inside.
The rays didn't even light up the snake-like creature, who seemed to have the darkness cloaked around him, making a dusky aura. The creature himself was dark except his red eyes. Scales of slimy green and night blue covered his serpentine body as black stripes lined his back. A long mane of dark red ran down his back. Two arms jerked with the thought to grab something, never rested.
Serpenmon is my name. Hatred is my game. I go around the world to spread hatred.
"Serpenmon!"
The snake-like Digimon hooded his eyes at the annoying voice. A small flying Digimon soared in the building, black feathered with two yellow eyes. Serpenmon arched one of his scaly eyebrows and hissed, his tongue rippling out his mouth, "What's it, pint?"
Demidevimon flushed red, furious at being called a pint, but kept his mouth shut. Serpenmon wasn't known for his temper, but was known for the way he expressed his anger. He would not try to test that. He cleared his throat. "How does it go with the girl?"
Serpenmon crossed his arms and grinned, revealing two rows of yellow-rotted fangs. "She is doing well. She will be perfect to spread hatred for me. She has a lot of hatred." The last sentence he spoke was rich with savor.
Demidevimon wrinkled his nose in disgust at the hideous Digimon and fluttered his wings to add boldness to his voice. "Don't you forget our deal."
Serpenmon lowered his eyelids over his eyes farther. His tail coiled around him, and he laid back casually. "I don't forget. I get the girl, and you get the crest and tag. Fair deal."
His yellow eyes blazing with delight, Demidevimon nodded. "Very good." He turned away to leave, but held back on a thought. "Oh, one thing. Three of the girl's friends are coming here to find her."
The tongue flickered hungrily. "Excellent! More kids to spread the hatred!"
"Don't let them get to the girl."
Serpenmon's red eyes opened wide so sudden that Demidevimon was almost blinded by the red blaze. Serpenmon's voice was menacing. "You forget what I do for a living, pint."
Seeing that no discussion was continued and an excuse to escape that bizarre Digimon, Demidevimon turned away and flew out the building. He could hear the snaky Digimon snickering evilly.
Kim stepped around a thick tree and found herself in a clearing. A glass dome stood radiantly in the center, its multicolored windows reflecting off every color of light, seeming to glow with its own light. Kim stood for a moment, cherishing the sight. "Wow, it is beautiful. It would be an illusion, but who cares?"
She ran toward it. Her backpack with her precious camera inside slid off her shoulder to the ground, forgotten. The dome had no doors, but an entrance to open from inside. She entered and saw beautiful blossoms lined the path, the sweet, spiced stench filling the air. And in the center of the garden, stood a swing, the rudder seat gently dangling by an invisible breeze.
Kim walked up to the swing and touched the seat. It was warm, like someone had recently swung. She spoke slowly, "I remember . . . I like to swing and dream as long as I want, having no care about the world."
A hissing voice whispered from above, answering her, "Yes, Kim. Go ahead and swing. You don't care about anything. You don't care about your family. You don't care about your friends. You don't even care about yourself. Swing."
As if was hypnotized by the voice, Kim sat down on the seat and gripped on the cool chains that connected the seat to the swing. She began to swing, not the excited swing that often brought your feet up in the air, but the calm, thoughtful swing that your feet still touched the ground. Her brown eyes closed, her face almost seeming to soften with the memory.
And Serpenmon chuckled darkly from above.
***
Iyumon stepped out of the jungle and found herself in a clearing. She could hear the boys complain about the thickness and shook her head, smiling. Humans can be so weird, she thought. She waited until the boys and Digimon got out the jungle. Tsunomon, Motimon, and Patamon were small enough to pass through with ease. Even though Iyumon was bigger than them, she knew her way well around jungles. The boys had leaves and dirt all over, and they dusted themselves off. The group saw a colorful glass dome in the center, shining brightly.
They stood in awe until Izzy squinted his onyx eyes toward the dome. He blinked and said, "Hey, it is an illusion."
"How could you tell?" Matt asked, looking down to him.
Iyumon squinted her red eyes and nodded. "He is right. Look harder."
The rest squinted their eyes and for an instant, the dome seemed to shimmer as if was in the heated air. Realizing the truth behind the illusion, they now saw a tan-black dried mud, decaying building that seemed ready to fall apart.
"What a strange building," said Tsunomon.
Patamon suddenly saw a hint of red near the building. "Hey, I see something!" He soared forward, his friends following. He landed and picked up something. As they came closer, Patamon was holding a small red backpack in his black paws.
"That's Kim backpack!" Motimon remarked as Izzy picked it up delicately. His brown eyes grew concerned. "She never goes anywhere without her camera."
Iyumon eyed the bag and gazed up the slack building. "She might be inside that."
All entered the building and saw the colorful flowers everywhere. But they now saw the truth, and the blossoms were actually drying and wilting plants, all ugly brown. The stench of bitter rotted floats in the air. And in the center, a girl swung calmly, her eyes closed.
"Kim!"
The dark-skinned girl opened her brown eyes at her name and gazed up. She saw three boys that were vaguely familiar to her. Slowly she remembered as the boys ran toward her. The solitary red-haired boy that always had her to listen to for advice. Izzy . . . The littlest blond boy with that innocent eyes that always touched her heart so. TK . . . The older boy that always made her wonder about his secretive smile whenever he flashed it at her. Matt . . . There were her friends, special friends that helped her discover about herself, along with her own help to discover themselves. Her friends. . .
Matt arrived to her, a beaming smile on his face. He reached to touch her on the arm. The moment she felt the sudden warmth upon her arm, she jerked her arm away, her brown eyes bitter. "Stay away from me!"
Matt's grey-blue eyes went wide at her fierce voice. "Kim?"
Something snapped inside her. Kim nearly bellowed out her words. "How dare you face me after what had you done! You left me for no reason without a trace! Why should you care about me? Go and find the others. Leave me alone. I don't need you."
The young boys and their Digimon stood in bewilderment at her. Iyumon gazed up to her with misted red eyes. Matt still didn't believe it. This was not like Kim. Grabbing her shoulders, Matt forced Kim to gaze in his eyes. "No, Kim. We stay together, no matter what or why. Together, we are strong. Like it or not, we need each other. We need you." Then his voice dropped. "I need you."
Matt could see a hint of sadness and warmth behind her hard brown eyes. She still cared, but barely. Seeing him staring at her, Kim looked away, "Strong words, Matt, but it doesn't make me feel better."
"Say, what is going on here?"
The boys startled at the dark hissing voice. Matt let go of Kim and gazed up in fright. A snaky Digimon slithered from the darkness that hid from the sunlight peeking through cracks above. Two red eyes glowed with an inner light, blinking from the hooded scaly eyebrows. Serpenmon let the boys took in his horrible looks, and suddenly, with a flash of his tail, smacked the small Digimon, sending them flying over and crashing into a wall. They laid in a stunned daze.
Before the boys could react, Serpenmon wrapped them with his tail, coiling around them, binding them. The boys groaned and struggled.
And Kim simply watched with silence, still seated on the swing.
Serpenmon spoke like a scolding father. "Don't feed that 'caring, happiness' nonsense to my sweet Kim." From the corner of his eye, the Digimon slowly woke, groaning with pain. "Don't try, wimps, or your partners will be flat in an instant." As a warning, Serpenmon tightened his tail a bit, and the boys gasped with the pressure.
"Kim," Matt gasped out, "do something!"
Her brown eyes instantly seemed to hood, just like Serpenmon's eyes. She closed her eyes and began to swing. Her voice was soft, but mocking. "Why me? Why should I care?"
Serpenmon laughed vilely. "That's my girl. Now, let's go, you wimps, and I will find a nice place for you to stay." His nature was mocking. He gently lifted the dazed Digimon in his scaled hands and loosed his tail so the boys could breathe easier. He slithered away, entered a darkened hall. Matt looked back with grief at Kim, who swung on, not caring.
The boys couldn't see the hall, too dark to let the single ray of sunlight to shine through from a crack. They could hear a key clanging and the creaks of rusted hinges. Serpenmon calmly putted the Digimon in a cage, and uncoiled his tail so the boys could be free. He putted them in the cage along with the Digimon. He locked the cage and hung the key above the cage. In the single sliver of light, the boys could see Serpenmon gazing down at them for a moment, his eyes red slits in the darkness. Then he left.
Izzy watched the Digimon and gazed back to his friends. "It seems hopeless to save Kim. She is lost to us."
Matt violently shook his head. "No! I refuse to believe it!" But Kim's fierce words burned in his mind. Leave me alone. I don't need you. She wasn't the old Kim. She wasn't Kim at all. Sadly, Matt crossed his arms over his knees, and buried his head in them.
TK sat by the cage, and gazed up to the single ray. The light warmed his face, but it didn't warm his heart. He didn't understand why Kim hates them. She would never hate them for any reason. She always cared. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek on the cold, rusted metal. A lone tear ran down his cheek.
A lone tear turned down her cheek. Kim didn't bother to wipe it away. She didn't remember why was she crying. Something vague still warmed her heart that caused the tear to be born. But what was this something? It must be a part of her. Maybe it was . . . She forgot. Kim sighed and swung on, her eyes closed.
'Kim?'
Kim opened her eyes and looked around. A familiar voice. . .
'Don't lose your empathy. You do care. You always care. That's what makes you unique. Listen to your heart.'
Kim blinked. She remembered the voice. "Sora?" She stopped swinging and stood up. She gazed around the colorful blossoms, and she was alone. No one was here with her, but the voice was so close. "Sora!" Kim shouted. No one answered back to her. Her eyes misted over, and tears ran down her face, leaving wet streaks behind. She knelt and bowed her head. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stop caring."
The voice came from behind her. 'You will never stop caring if you listen to your heart.'
Kim felt a comforted hand resting on her shoulder, giving her a soothing squeeze. Startled, Kim looked back over her shoulder, but no hand was there. Standing, Kim scanned around. She was seeing the truth, and she found herself in an slack building with wilting plants around her feet. She saw the truth about herself - she does care. Her face, that used to frown with hatred, began to brighten with care. "Thank you, Sora."
Kim turned and ran down the hall where Serpenmon vanished with her friends as Sora and Biyomon watched on.
The boys and Digimon were sleeping, exhausted from the search. Iyumon curled herself near Matt, burying her snout in her paws. Her keen hearing perked up at the sound of a key clanging, and she opened her eyes. She saw, in the single ray of light, the patient face of Kim turning the lock. Her brown eyes were their usual softness, and she smiled gently, putting a finger over her mouth. "Shh."
The rest woke at the creaking hinges. Kim stood in the doorway, gazing on each of her friends, tears in her eyes. Her voice was low, ashamed. "Guys, I am sorry about the way I acted back there. I do care. I always do care."
Matt beamed warmly at her. "I always know you will come back to us."
TK ran to embrace her. "We got our Kim back!" At his words, Kim returned the hug, holding him to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Matt reached in his jeans pocket and drew out Kim's crest and Digivice. "Here," he said, holding out them. Izzy also held up her red backpack they had found outside. Kim received them thankfully. She looked outside carefully and beckoned them to follow her. They followed her down the hall until they entered the dying garden.
"Leaving so soon?" came a hissing voice.
They looked back in alarm as Serpenmon slithered out of the darkness.
"Run!" Kim cautioned. The group dashed for the entrance, wanting to escape the snaky Digimon. Suddenly, Kim noticed her Digimon was not with her. Stopping in her tracks, Kim gazed back and saw Iyumon standing courageously before Serpenmon, tiny compared to his monstrous bulk.
"Iyumon!" she shouted.
Iyumon bared her fangs, white against purple fur. Her voice was fierce, growling. "How dare you make Kim hate!" She lowered her horns and shouted, "Rainbow Disc!" Discs of all colors soared from her horns toward Serpenmon. But they had no effect on him. The glowing discs simply faded in the darkness surrounding him.
Serpenmon grinned darkly and, with a wave of his tail, smacked her in the face, sending her flying through the air. She crashed into a wall, this time the chunks of mud falling on her, covering her.
"Digimon, attack!" Tsunomon and Motimon leaped up in the air and spitted out small pink bubbles out from their mouths. Patamon inhaled his breath and shrieked out a bubble of solid air. Still, the attacks had no damage on Serpenmon. Now slightly annoyed, Serpenmon again attacked the Digimon with his tail, they crashing into Iyumon.
"It's useless!" Matt said from Kim's side.
Kim's fists shook with hatred, the hatred she had from the snake that made her hate her friends and herself. "No! Iyumon, digivolve!"
Her Digivice shrieked . . .
Iyumon, digivolve into Rianmon!
Wasting no time, Rianmon roared, "Bomb Blaze!" and a sphere of white-orange light soared out from her mouth. Serpenmon dodged the blazing light, and it crashed behind. Serpenmon looked really irritated, his red eyes blazing brighter than the Bomb Blaze.
"You fools!" he said viciously, "Don't you realize that I will never be defeated as long as hatred is in your hearts!" He raised his arms as if was conjuring something. "Hatred Haze!"
A black mist formed around Rianmon's feet, swirling around, rising. Soon Rianmon was surrounded by the black mist. She gave out a short, pained howl before she got choked by the mist. Serpenmon flickered his hands once, and Rianmon, along with the mist, hovered up so fast that she crashed into the ceiling. The ceiling collapsed, and the kids ran away, avoiding the chunks. Serpenmon flickered again, and Rianmon was tossed into a wall, the mist vanishing.
"Rianmon!" Kim ran up to her friend. At that moment, Serpenmon snatched the unsuspected boys in his scaly hands, Izzy and TK punching at the scales in one hand as Matt struggling in another. Kim skidded in her tracks and looked back in panic.
"Now, to get rid of you measly boys," Serpenmon hissed, red eyes burning in the boys' terrified eyes.
"No, wait!" All gazed down to Kim, who ran forward, slowing down. Kim's brown eyes were filled with distress. "I - I give up." She knelt.
"Kim, no!" Matt gasped.
"See how easy it is?" Serpenmon spoke softly, but not mocking. "You are valuable to me because you have a lot of hatred in your heart. You know why? Because the one who cares the most also hates the most."
Kim didn't move, her brown eyes glued on the red eyes.
"Don't believe him!" Rianmon groaned, struggling to stand up.
"Silence, you lizard, or your friends will be flatten." His tail twitched over the groggy Digimon.
Kim's voice grew bolder. "You don't need the boys. Let them go. I am the one you want."
Serpenmon hooded his eyes. "You say you don't care about them?"
Kim frowned and looked down. She could hear her friends groaning at the added pressure Serpenmon gives. She must do something! But how? The only way she could think of to defeat Serpenmon was to lie to him, hoping he will let them go in exchange for herself. She gazed back with new strength. "No, I don't care about them!" She could see the shocked faces of her friends from the hands, but it wasn't the time to hesitate. "But let them go. They are worthless to you, Serpenmon."
The Digimon seemed to smile, the corners of his lips pulling back. "Well, if they are worthless, and you don't care what would happen to them, I as well as dispose them." He tightened his hands, and the agonized screams of the boys filled the air.
"NOOOO!" Kim screamed along with them.
Her crest glowed silver . . . Her Digivice shrieked . . . . The image of the Crest of Empathy - a rainbow with a closing spiral at an end - glowed with tiny stars . . .
Glittering stars appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Rianmon until she was a figure of white.
Rianmon, digivolve into . . .
Rianmon stood in the clouds of black and silver, circling in place. A piece of darkness swooped down and covered her. Beneath the darkness, Rianmon stood on her hind legs, and you noticed that she was now in the form of a woman, but hidden, her back facing you. The darkness formed into a cloak, a hood covering her head. Two golden horns ripped through the hood, slanting forward. A pair of golden heeled boots covered her feet. Her hands reached out, pale in color, and a pair of golden gloves slid on her waiting hands. Stars came in and formed huge dark purple bat-like wings on her back to their tips, then returned to her cloak. Rianmon glanced sidelong to you, and a gold star sparkled on her neck, acting as a brooch that held her cloak in place. Rianmon leaped up in the air, showing her form-fitting uniform of dark purple, flew around to stand in place. She was floating in midair, her arms low as her cloak lazily swayed. Her face was pale purple, womanlike. Her eyes were golden with white pupils. There was a red stripe running down the middle of her forehead and three red runes on each cheek under her eyes. She had a belt of golden stars. Her wings were outspread as she silently gazed at you with mystery.
. . . Nightrianmon!
Nightrianmon is the ultimate form of Rianmon. She is one of the rare Digimon that attack with mind power. Beware of her extraordinary psychic powers!
Nightrianmon spoke not by her voice, but by her mind. 'You heard the girl. Let them go.' She pointed toward him. A silver glow surrounded her, and then the glow surrounded Serpenmon. He opened his mouth to shriek, but no sound came out. He was completely paralyzed, but his hands acted on their own, releasing the boys. Also surrounded by the silver glow, the boys gently hovered to the ground, safe.
"Kim, are you all right?" Matt asked in concern as he ran to her. Kim didn't answer, her face awed at her Digimon.
Serpenmon was heaved by the silver glow, just like when he used the black mist to lift Rianmon. He was tossed away, crashing backward into a wall. The glow vanished, and Nightrianmon floated in midair, her golden eyes dark.
Serpenmon rose himself, and his glowing red eyes met the dark golden eyes. "Grr, you will never defeat me, Nightrianmon! Hatred Haze!" The black mist drifted toward Nightrianmon, preparing to bound her. But she again glowed with the silver aura, and the moment the mist touched the aura, it was immediately destroyed, gone in a blink.
"What?!" Serpenmon gasped, enraged.
'Hatred has no power over us,' Nightrianmon said with a sly smirk on her lips. 'Star Twist!' Her cloak began to flutter as if by a breeze. White stars soared from her cloak, spinning into weapons of light. Their sharp points stabbed and pierced Serpenmon as he screamed, waving his arms and tail to attack them. The stars were like a swarm of gnats, impossible to get rid of, and Serpenmon escaped into the darkness.
Stars returned on her cloak. Nightrianmon raised her head, and suddenly the building shook as if by an earthquake. Her words came to the kids in their minds. 'Leave this place. I will bring the building to ruins to stop Serpenmon from spreading his hatred.'
"No!" Kim stood, shaking her head. "I won't leave you!"
Nightrianmon gazed down at her with the dark eyes. Go!
Matt grabbed Kim's hand and dragged her. The rest were already heading for the entrance. Matt and Kim ran as fast as they could, dodging the falling chunks of mud. The very moment their feet stepped on the outside ground, the building collapsed. Matt yanked Kim down to the ground. He shielded himself over her to protect her from the showering small chunks and dust. Then the earthquake halted.
"No!" Kim yelled, looking back at the heap of dried mud and dust. Her Digimon was nowhere in sight. No sound was heard except her and Matt's quickened breaths. Her breaths came in short sobs, crying for her friend. Matt held her, trying to comfort her. Then she heard a groan and looked up in hesitant hope. She saw a tiny pink-orange Digimon, streaked with dirt, crawling out, looking fatigued.
"Sunomon!" Kim ran to her small Digimon and held her close. She buried her face in Sunomon's warm fur. "I am sorry."
Sunomon embraced her back. "You never stop caring. I can feel it." She looked up in Kim's eyes, her own red eyes merry. "If we keep caring, nothing will defeat us." Kim smiled in tears and suddenly was surrounded by the cheering Izzy, TK, Motimon, Patamon, and Tsunomon, hugging her and Sunomon, laughing with merriment. Kim was completely buried by the laughing boys and Digimon, she laughing also.
Matt stood alone, watching the group. He smiled, warmth in his eyes. We got Kim back, and her empathy is stronger than before. Sunomon is right. If we keep caring, we can do anything possible. Then he gave a surprised squeal as a giggling Kim tackled him to the ground, tickling him. For a moment, he felt like a child, and, laughing, he tickled her back playfully. The rest also jumped on them, tackling and tickling until the group became a tangle of laughter. Laughter was contagious, and the sounds of warm laughter rang in the air.
Never the End . . .