Now I've learned something: Don't finished the author babble until you know what the reviews for the last chapter ask and say.
And the Kao-Noshi aren't really Digimon. They're…well, something else…
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. However, if you're ever in this town, just ask someone for 'That Digimon Nutso' and you'll probably find me.
The Future's Course
Chapter 5: Living Chains
Where the heck am I? Kari whispered, and her voice echoed.
She was flying, or floating, rather, through the air, if you could call it that. It was tinted blue-green and heavy with moist vapors. She glanced down and saw nothing, above and saw nothing more.
"Oh! Now I understand!" Kari just smiled. "I'm dreaming…"
With a swift kick and a stroke through the air, she managed to control her flight and fly head-over heels into the mist. It wasn't so bad, she told herself, kinda nice to float like this…
What a sec…What was that noise?
She stopped in mid-air and listened carefully. It seamed to be weak groans, moans and gasps for breath. "What the…" she looked one way to the other. "Who's there?"
Finally deciding on which way to go, she swam/flew/floated as fast as she could, trying to make it to whoever was in so much pain. It took her a few minutes that seamed like hours, but she finally reached it and almost fell out of the sky.
"T.K.?!" she gasped, swimming for him. "Oh, god! T.K.!"
T.K. was strung up, like hanging from a wall. His arms seamed to be shackled above him, but you couldn't tell because of the chains surrounding every inch of his body, even his neck. Only his head was exposed, but it had slumped forward, limp and tired. The odd thing was, he was the same color as the walls and chains, and almost see-through.
At Kari's voice he opened his eyes, then looked up. "K-Ka-Kari…?" he croaked.
Kari was at his side in a second. "Oh, T.K…" she whispered. "What's wrong with you? Are you hurt…?"
T.K. tried to speak, but only a scraggly groan emerged. Kari noticed that one of the chains was tightened around his throat, wrenching his head back. She reached for it, but another chain whipped her hand away.
"Ow!" she cried as a red mark appeared.
"Kari…don't try it…" T.K. groaned. "The chains…they're alive…"
"Alive…?" Kari asked, horrified. "You mean…Oh lord…T.K., who did this to you? Why?"
T.K. gave a weak smile. "Disobedience." he groaned, but this was more of a laughing groan. "I'm the only one who doesn't listen to her. I guess she's not used to it…"
"Who's 'she'?" Kari asked.
"I'm not sure." he muttered. "The others in here just call he 'The Mistress' or 'The Spellcaster.' Either way, I have no idea…"
"Who're the others?" she asked again.
"Digimon, I guess…" he cocked his head down. "They're down there. They obey, they run around free. Or as free as this place gets."
"What is…Where are we?"
"I don't know…" T.K. moaned suddenly, one of the chains around his stomach had tightened. "I can't…can't remember…what happened…"
"Don't hurt yourself!" Kari cried, putting her hands on his shoulders.
His head lolled again, like a man under heat fever. Then he looked at her. She'd never seen him so weak…so helpless…It was something that struck her in the heart.
"I don't think I can fight it much longer, Kari." he groaned. "I haven't gotten a rest in almost three days……"
"You can't give up, T.K.!" Kari shook him. "We'll get you, I promise!"
"But…I'm so tired…" his head began to slump forward. "I need to…I've got to sleep…"
Kari grabbed him by the chin. She knew one thing that would wake him up, and as long as she could he'd still be there when they came for him, this time for real. She leaned towards him, and he felt the warm breath on his lips…
But only inches before they touched, something yanked her away. She knew what it was, she had to wake up now. But he didn't. "Wait!" he struggled to reach for her hand. "Kari, come back! Please!"
She called something to him, but he couldn't hear. A moment later, she'd disappeared into the mist.
T.K. stared for a moment, dumbstruck. Then he realized. "It…It was a dream…" he whispered, and the tears started forming in his eyes. "She wasn't here at all! Never…She wasn't here…We were so close…So close……"
Pandoramon lifted her hand from the top of the box with a grin. Letting that girl's dream in was risky, but it had done its work.
If she had managed to plant that kiss on his lips, it would have been ten times harder than before to control him. But to yank her…his happiness…away from him, just when it was so close in his grasp. To let him see and feel, but never, ever enjoy…That shattered him completely.
"Now…" she hissed. "That's over with. Father would be proud indeed…"
~ * ~ *~
Two days passed. Nothing was found, not a clue, not a sign, not even a stupid Kao-Noshi. After her dream, she was sure he was in trouble, and even more sure that he was in pain. This made her more desperate to get to him, to save him from whatever it was keeping him there.
The group of younger ones were once again exploring the woods. This time, looking for any sign of the Kao-Noshi. But so far there was nothing.
Yolei glanced back. "Kari?" she called. "You doin' okay?"
Kari wasn't listening. She seamed to be playing with Hikaru again. He would doge between her legs, run ahead, drop behind, roll on the ground, whatever, while she tried to catch him for a tickling.
Yolei smiled. That little boy had the strangest affect on her friend and all the others. No matter what mood they were in, he could always make them crack a smile. Carie had been the same. Maybe it was something that kids had. Maybe it was a Takaishai thing. Who knows one way or another, but it could brighten the cloudiest of days.
The was a rustle of trees and a blast of wind. Everyone halted. The Digimon bristled. Hikaru and Kari stopped playing, and all was still.
"Did…Did you guys feel that?" Cody whispered.
"Something's coming." Gatomon growled.
There was another gust, and this time a definite footstep. Turning swiftly, they saw a strange Digimon stepping out of the trees…and they'd never seen anything weirder.
Her skin was purple, shiny, like bright wrapping paper. She had an attractive face, with enchantingly pale blue eyes that would ensnare any man and long black hair that almost reached the ground. She was dressed head to toe in black silk robes, lined with purple satin lining. In one hand was a jeweled box, with a golden clasp, and on a belt was some strange type of purple whip.
"Greetings." she hissed in a voice as alluring as Eden's snake. "So nice to see you…"
"Who're you?!" Davis asked in a breath.
The Digimon grinned. "I am the Lady Pandoramon…" she said airily. "But you, child, can call me The Mistress…"
Kari remembered with a jolt the name from her dream. "The Mistress…" she whispered in shock.
She was about to yell at Pandoramon, but Hikaru stepped forward first. "Then it was you!" he shouted. "You're the one causing the paradox, and hurting my sister!"
Pandoramon seamed surprised at the outburst of the small boy, and leaned forward to see better. "You." she spat. "So it's you, you filthy little worm, ruining my plans…"
Kari stepped between Hikaru and Pandoramon, her maternal instincts raring up to keep the creature from harming her child. "What do you mean?!" Yolei snapped, "He's only a kid!"
"A 'kid' is he?!" the Digimon growled. "Do you know how much this 'kid' and his sister have done to me?! That little grub he calls a sister was the destruction of my father!!!"
"F-F-Father?!" Davis stuttered. "But you can't mean…"
"Yes!" you could practically see the fire in Pandoramon's eyes. "Daemon was my father!"
There was silence for a moment. The only noise was rushing wind.
"So that's the reason…" Ken muttered. "Revenge…But T.K.'s out of commission. How is it that Hikaru doesn't vanish as well?"
"Because…" Pandoramon growled. "He's here. He's preventing the change from happening by changing it himself! If it had not been, he wouldn't be anymore alive than his pathetic sister!"
"Carie is not pathetic!" Hikaru shouted. "She's just hurt! And I'm gonna save 'er!"
Kari put a hand on his head to calm him down, but she was shaking with rage herself as she stepped forward. "Where's T.K.?!" she demanded. "What have you done with him?!"
Pandoramon grinned. She'd been waiting for this, a good long time. She'd watched this cocky little girl during her father's battle. And she knew that this was an additional chance for revenge, to crush her spirit and shatter her heart.
"I'll tell you." she laughed to herself, and cracked open the box. "If…you defeat my dear Kao-Noshi…completely."
The slimy black form seeped out of the box, and oozed into a puddle at her feet. It seamed to have come out face-first, because the mask was hidden as the black goo dripped slowly out of crack with repeated squelching sounds.
"Ew…" Yolei groaned. "That's disgusting…"
Pandoramon swept her hands through the goo and hoisted the form up, and as she did it took on a ghastly black shape. It had huge, blood-stained claws large enough to crush a watermelon, tattered wings that looked unfit for flight, and a demonic face. It stood as tall as Angemon or Angewomon, and glared at the kids blankly.
"I don't believe it…" Veemon whispered. "It's a…a Devimon!"
"Devimon, eh?" Cody muttered. "How appropriate…That to find T.K. we have to beat him…"
"That's correct!" Pandoramon laughed. "And I assure you, as my Noshi are twice as powerful as the usual creatures, that this battle is already won!"