Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, big surprise. But I'm going to borrow some of the characters.
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The leaves of the courtyard tree had browned and yellowed and reddened, and with each passing day they fell from above to the lifeless ground below. The scent of change and transition filled the forest, as the surface became covered with lifeless leaves that lost their touch with the trees from which they sprouted. The winds were no picking up from the east, assisting in the autumn's fall of leaves.
The summer had passed without event. Each day came and went with no news from beyond, no sign that those friends that left him so long ago had any success in the mission they set out to complete three months ago.
Daisuke sat in the makeshift wheelchair that the nuns and monks had given him. He stared up to the naked tree above that sat in the middle of the courtyard. Daisuke's hope was dying, just like those leaves that fell from above. He saw the last leaf at the top of the tree, on a desolate and lonely branch. With another gust of wind, the leaf fell and came to the ground before Daisuke.
With that leaf, Daisuke had lost all hope in his friends. They were never going to succeed. They would never return. Daisuke sighed and stared at the ground. His body had become frail over these months, loosing weight and muscle from the lack of movement and exercise. He'd never play soccer again, that much was certain.
"Daisuke," a voice said from behind. Daisuke didn't bother to look up. "Are you okay, Daisuke?"
"I'm fine, V-mon," he said. All feeling in his voice was gone, all the emotion and hope that he once had. He was now an empty shell of a body, carrying the ghost of the boy he once was. Daisuke pushed along the wheels and slowly left the courtyard, a loud squeaking of his chair breaking the silence of the fall.
V-mon sighed and watched his friend roll away into the darkness.
**
Staring out the window as the sunset upon the horizon of the forest, Daisuke showed no sign of emotion on his dead and pale face. His eyes half open, half shut, staring out across the world that destroyed his life.
His partner Digimon walked into the room, not knocking or announcing his arrival. To do so would have made little difference, it was doubtful that Daisuke would even notice. He saw Daisuke staring out through the window alone in the empty room. Bright orange and yellow light giving the only signs of life.
It tore V-mon's heart to see his friend the way he was. Every day was spent with Daisuke staring out at the tree or sitting at his window. The nuns and monks alike all tried to cheer Daisuke up the same as V-mon, but no one could reach him. It seemed that all hope for Daisuke was lost.
"They aren't coming back," Daisuke said. "They'll never come back."
It was the longest sentence that V-mon had heard Daisuke say in a long time. "Of course they will. They've got too."
"No!" Daisuke yelled. "It's hopeless!" He rested his head against the window and started to cry. V-mon wasn't sure what to do, other than pat Daisuke on the shoulder. "They're all dead. All of them. Me and you are the only one's left."
"Daisuke, don't say that," V-mon said.
"Why shouldn't I," he snapped. "They left us here so they could die alone."
"What is making you think these things?"
"It's the only reason they wouldn't come back. They should have been back by now. All of them."
"Maybe they just haven't found everyone yet."
"No V-mon, you're wrong." Daisuke glared at V-mon, in with one fast and swift motion, the back of Daisuke's hand struck V-mon across the face and knocked him away. "Leave me alone."
V-mon had never been struck by his human counterpart before. V-mon stared at Daisuke for a moment before leaving the room with his head held down.
**
V-mon stood before two of the monks that spent the most time caring for Daisuke. He was holding his face where Daisuke had struck him. The spot on his face that showed how dire the situation was, and that action must have been taken.
"What is it you want to do?" one of the monks asked.
"I have to take him away," V-mon said. "This place is killing him. His physical therapy hasn't been going well, we all know that, but I can't let this place destroy my best friend."
"It will be a difficult journey, young one," the other monk said. "Where will you go?"
"It doesn't matter," V-mon shook his head. "He can't stay confined to these walls anymore."
The two monks exchanged looks and then gazed back down upon V-mon. "You have our blessing to take the young one. But be cautious my friend, you are both being hunted by a power that none of us are aware of."
V-mon bowed to them. "I promise to take care of Daisuke." He smiled, "It's my destiny to. Should our friends return, please tell them what happened here today."
They nodded.
**
XV-mon held Daisuke to his chest as flew high above the forest as fast as he could. The air blew through Daisuke's hair but he dared not open his eyes. The same look of emptiness covered his face and shrouded him with the darkness of pain and suffering. For several hours they flew, XV-mon did his best to try and get Daisuke's attention.
They came upon a kingdom, a large and massive one. In the center stood a majestic castle that towered above the other smaller but still quite elaborate buildings. Each building lined with gold and jewels and many other treasures. The skies were alive with flying Digimon and levitating carriages.
"Daisuke," XV-mon said. "Look, Daisuke."
He managed to open his eyes slightly and he stared down to the kingdom that stood only a half-mile away. He stared for a moment to a glint of light appeared in his eyes. XV-mon and Daisuke both stared out to the city of hope, the city that might bring back the hope that Daisuke had lost and forgotten.
The left side of his lip curled up, and Daisuke managed to give a weak smile.
Authors Notes: Talk about a short chapter. Hehe, it wasn't what I was hoping to do but well, eh.