Chapter 3: The Kiss of Death
Kari sat silently by TK's bedside. He lay there, flushed with fever, thrashing about. She knew nightmares tormented him. They had gone through many things together, the Digidestined had, and they all had suffered. None had survived unscarred, least of all her. Nine nights out of ten, she woke in the darkness, screaming more often then not, horrific images still branded in her mind's eye.
Tai suddenly materialized by her shoulder. She looked up at him. He said sternly, "Kari. We have to talk."
She whispered, "But TK…"
"TK will still be here when you get back. We're going to talk. Now." Tai wasn't the Supreme Leader for nothing and he wielded much power among the Digidestined of the Order.
In the living room, Kari seated herself on the sofa. Next to her was Lily. In the chair across from her was Matt, and Tai stood in the middle of the floor.
"Now. Kari. Why. The. CENSORED. Did. You. Try. To. Kill. Yourself."
She blinked at him. "I didn't—"
Tai yelled, "Don't you dare CENSORED around with me, Hikari Kamiya! Answer me!"
There was a pause. "How did you know?"
Matt spoke. "TK left his computer on. I saw the email you sent him." Kari said nothing, just looked at him with her wide eyes, like those of a cornered animal.
Tai growled and crossed the room in two strides and seized Kari by the arm. She shrank back from him as he leaned. "Answer me, Hikari. Why did you try to kill yourself?"
She looked at him and took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Because I'm tired of living, Taichi. Because I'm tired of you ignoring me and always searching for the D'Reaper. You're never there anymore. You don't care. And it hurts…it hurts so bad…everyday."
He didn't let go, but something flashed in his dark eyes. "Kari…"
She wasn't done. "And you've changed Taichi. I don't know you anymore.
"I hate you."
She stood and walked out of the room. All three gaped after her. Tai stood, his jaw tightening. "What the CENSORED—"
Lily quickly grabbed his arm. "Let her be," she said. "Kari's angry and she's terribly depressed. The Disappearance and—and Daisuke didn't help any matters. And—"
She was cut off by the beeping of Tai's Digivice. He scowled irritably at it. He picked it up and held it to his mouth like he would a walkie-talkie. "Courage."
"Tai, this is Hank Thomas of Oklahoma. We have a BIG emergency and we need back-up now." His voice was strained and tense. In the background, there were sounds of fighting and shouting.
"What is the problem?"
"We have—how many did you say Bobby? CENSORED!—nearly twenty CENSORED champion Digimon attacking! And with the Digimon gone…"
"I know. I know. All right, I'll bring my group over. Have you contacted the other American Digidestined?"
"Yeah, of course!"
"I'll try to get some others. Over and out."
"Thanks man. Over and out."
Tai scowled at his Digivice. "CENSORED. All right, come on, let's move…"
"Wait, Tai, what about TK…?"
"He's not going. Kari will stay with him and Matt…?"
Matt looked torn for a minute, but he knew his duty was to help his fellow Digidestined. "I'll go."
Tai nodded. "Right. Lily, go update Kari on what's happening. Then hurry up and get back down here."
Within five minutes all the Digidestined except for Kari and TK were assembled in the living room. Tai looked around and nodded.
"Right, everyone here?
Got your weapons? All right,
let's go. Gods bless."
Everyone echoed, "Gods bless."
As one they all held their Digivices aloft and cried, "Port Open! Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA!" Ten Digivices flashed. The room was filled with ever-shifting light. Vibrant orange mingled with fiery red which merged with cool blue that flared into brilliant white….and green and black and violet and and and…so many colors…and then it was gone.
***********************************************************************************************
*Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America*
The ten Digidestined materialized in a burst of mutli-colored light. There was no time for leisurely greetings as they all launched into battle.
There was nothing glorious about battle—unless you could find glory in death and destruction and blood. Ever since the Disappearance, all the Digidestined had to fight.
Tai had begun a sort of training program…everyday, a couple of Digidestined from every group would meet up in the Digital World and undergo a training session—which didn't just include fighting, physically and with various weapons. Oh no. There was herbology, astronomy, potions, healing/first-aid, and other lessons for survival. The Digidestined had become surprisingly strong warriors though they had only been training for a month. It probably helped that attacks came nearly everyday, giving them a chance to use their skills. Thankfully, school had just ended and summer begun.
The training had strengthened them—and helped them to forget, if only for a little while.
***********************************************************************************************
The Disappearance happened a month ago, the same day that Mina had visited Tai with her alarming news.
It was, perhaps, a couple of hours before dawn in Japan. In many other countries, the time ranged from early morning to midnight. However, that is irreverent. But at that precise hour in Japan, every single Digidestined had woken to agonizing pain. Later, Tai had described it as if someone had "taken a knife and ripped through my very soul." All the other Digidestined around the world had experienced the same effects, many alarming friends and family as they collapsed in pain during dinner or watching a movie or such. When the pain ended…all the Digimon were gone. They just…disappeared. It was a shattering loss. They were more than just friends, they were bonded partners for life…Digimon and their partners had always had a special connection...but after the Disappearance, that link had been severed. Later Izzy had speculated that the pain the Digidestined had felt was someone—or something—destroying the connection, that soul-bond. They never did find out what really happened.
And now they had to fight every battle hand-to-hand. Not the most pleasant experience. Mimi was one of the most upset at this—she had never liked hurting living beings. She had changed, however, watching a Darkangewomon brutally slaughter Daisuke Motomiya just because Kari could not kill a Digimon that so resembled her own lost Gatomon...
***********************************************************************************************
*Flashback*
Odaiba, Japan
Approximately three and a half weeks ago, 2007
The battle raged around her. It was almost over, thank the gods…only five Digimon left. Digivices flared, swords flashed, bows twanged…they merged with the screams of the wounding and dying into a cacophony of brutal violence.
In the midst of all that turmoil, a girl dressed in bloodstained white whirled in a deadly dance, throwing poisoned darts into Digimon. The poison wasn't fatal; it would simply knock the Digimon unconscious for a while. She tossed one at a charging Meramon, effectively stopping it dead in its tracks. Then she turned.
"Devil's Demolisher!"
Everything seemed to slow, right then and there. Kari knew perfectly well that she could have pulled out her Digivice and obliterated the attack…but that would mean killing the Darkangewomon. True, where Angewomon wore white and gold, the other wore black and silver…and instead of the pink ribbon Angewomon usually had draped about her body, the Darkangewomon bore a bloodstained chain…but the similarities were too close for comfort. She reached for her Digivice…too slow. The sneering, triumphant face of the Darkangewomon would be the last thing she'd ever see…
Then suddenly—Daisuke was there. There was a flash of light—a pulsing, orange-blue light—but it was too weak, Kari could see that—too weak…It deflected the Demolisher, but it left Daisuke too weak to defend against the next attack…
The Darkangewomon, furious at being deprived of her kill, suddenly gripped her chain in her hand and flicked it. The chain snaked out, encircling Daisuke's neck and chest. The witch pulled. To Kari's horror, the links buried themselves into Daisuke's flesh and flashed an ominous blood red. Daisuke's eyes bulged. His Digivice dropped from his fingers. He gasped for air, and even as he did, blood flowed from his mouth…
The chain suddenly went slack. The look on Darkangewomon's face was one of surprise as she gaped at the slender but deadly arrow protruding from her stomach. She crumpled to the ground, dead.
However, the chain stayed wrapped tightly around Daisuke, and since she was no longer holding the chain, he fell to his knees, choking blood. Kari caught him before he fell, clutching him desperately, trying to bind his spirit to his body with sheer force of will.
"Please…no…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so so sorry…"
All she saw was his pained, drawn face…she didn't notice Joe, Teressa Marshall (of the London group), or Tai running up to them. Didn't notice TK, Ken, Iori, and Miyako gathering around, stricken.
Joe looked at him and averted his eyes. Teressa, despite what she already knew, laid her hand on Daisuke's arm, to try to heal him, but he pushed her away.
"Don't," he whispered hoarsely. "Don't waste your strength."
"No," she whispered. "No, don't say that…there's still hope…" Her voice had trailed off. She knew fatalities when she saw them.
Daisuke shook his head with a bitter smile. "No…I'm a dead man…" He began to cough. TK knelt, holding a piece of his t-shirt to his lips. It came away stained crimson. Daisuke looked at TK. "Thanks, man."
TK nodded, lips tightly pressed together. "Anytime…" He gripped Daisuke's hand. True, the two had once competed for Kari's love, and after Kari had chosen TK, there had been a few…disagreements between the two. But they had both matured, and though Daisuke still wished that Kari had chosen him, he no longer resented TK. Rather, the two, along with Ken, had become a trio of close friends. They were fondly known as the Triad among the Digidestined, and the three were inseparable.
Daisuke shifted his glance back to Kari. "Kari? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine…" she quavered. "Oh Dai, why did you do it?"
He smiled at her, his lips stained with blood. "'Cause I love you. And even if you don't love me like I do you, it's ok…'cause love is all about making sacrifices…and this is my sacrifice."
"Dai…"
"It's all right…"
"No it isn't!" she screamed. "It's my fault! If I hadn't hesitated…if I hadn't…if I hadn't…" she began to sob, her tears mingling with his blood.
He brushed his finger over her lips, shushing her. "It's not wrong to not want to kill…only to defend and to protect…that's the only time you should kill…and even then, be compassionate…but you always are, aren't you?" Blood tricked from his mouth. Kari gently wiped it away. "Kari, promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me that you will never blame yourself."
"I—I…"
"Promise me."
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I…" she sobbed hysterically.
He seemed as if he had been about to say something, but he never got the chance. He went into violent seizures, choking up blood. Tai was suddenly assaulted by a wave of pain—it was the pain Daisuke was feeling. Tai knew that Daisuke would be dead soon—as the leader of the Digidestined, he could sense the last moments of each Digidestined as they parted from this world. He had felt this way every single time one of his people had died…and so he knew.
Then finally…finally, Daisuke went horribly still.
Kari held him close, and wept and wept. She didn't notice the battle was over; they had won, and Izzy was sending the surviving Digimon back to the Digital World, where they would spend five years or more in a sort of limbo before being released. She didn't notice the bodies of the dead Digimon being gathered into a pyre. She didn't notice the brilliant bonfire that blazed up, consuming the bodies. She didn't even notice when Tai and TK tenderly separated her from Daisuke's blood-stained body. All she saw was his face…
***********************************************************************************************
That was the first and only casualty the Odaiba group had suffered (knock on wood). By now, all the other groups had also lost at least one member, some losing two or three, or even four.
And when Daisuke had died in Kari's arms, that was the beginning of her descent into the depression that would eventually lead her to try to commit suicide…and that was truly the beginning of the end for the Digidestined.
***********************************************************************************************
Present time, 2007
*Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America*
This particular battle was no different from the other one…with added reinforcements from France and London, it was over relatively quickly. All the Digimon were ported into the Digital World and placed in limbo. Thankfully, there were no casualties, only minor wounds that would soon be healed.
The Japanese Digidestined were particularly glad to be getting back home soon—they wanted to get back and check on Kari and TK as soon as possible. Remember Teressa's skills as a healer, Tai asked if she could come back with them and check on TK, see what she could do. The disease worried him a bit. It seemed…foreign…unnatural. Teressa had agreed, and she ported back with the group.
They appeared in the Takashis' living room. Tai had sent the rest of the Digidestined all home, except for Lily, Joe (he's a doctor, after all), Izzy (who had a ride with Joe), Matt, Ken (he and TK were the last of the Triad; Daisuke's death had strengthedned the bond between them), and Teressa. Kari was still in TK's room, gently holding his hand, playing absent-mindedly with his hair. She didn't look up as the six came into the room.
"Ms. Takashi still hasn't returned."
"It's Wednesday. Mom always works late." In answer to everyone's unspoken question, Matt said, "Yeah, I'll be here, let her know."
"I will too." Everyone stared at Kari. Tai said, "Kari…"
"No Tai. It's my fault he's like this. My CENSORED fault. So I'm not leaving until he gets better."
Tai said nothing. Instead, he turned to Teressa. "If you please…?" She moved gracefully to TK's side, across from Kari.
Teressa said, "Kari…could you please not touch TK for about ten minutes? You might interfere with the healing…" Kari withdrew her hands, folding them in her lap.
Teressa took TK's hand and closed her eyes. Several minutes later, she opened her eyes. They were bleak.
"I can't heal it…it's not fatal right now, but it's got the potential to be. It feels foreign…" her voice trailed off, and she averted her eyes.
Tai gripped her arm. "Teressa. Do you know what it is?"
She looked at him and nodded, once, twice.
"Tell me."
Her face took on a faraway, dreamy expression as she recounted what she knew…
"During our travels in the Digital World, we encountered a village of Koromon. Well, that might not be the right word. We were stopped by two guards…they warned us not to go to the village, since there was a sickness. They told us about a mark, a terrible, star-shaped mark that grew and spread over the victim's body. The symptoms including fever, chills, sweating, vomiting, nightmares, and other unpleasant things…and when the convulsions begin, the victim dies within a week. The mark is the most prominent sign…it appears when the victim is affected, though the symptoms might not appear for a long time…So we passed on, since they absolutely refused any sort of help.
"We went back, maybe six months later. The village was gone. Burned. All that was left were piles of ashes.
"We found a Koromon—well, actually an Agumon—living not too far away…He recognized us. He'd been one of the guards that had stopped us.
He told us that everyone was dead. Everyone. He was the only survivor. He had burned the village, because he could not bear the silent huts, haunted by the ghosts of his friends and family.
"He had done some research on the disease, tried to find out everything he could. There was another old-timer that told him quite a bit. It is transmitted through the bite of a Digimon, a virus type called Mortemon. The older and more powerful the Mortemon, the quicker death claims you. The rate the virus spreads is unknown, as are its methods for spreading. The Agumon thought maybe it was through the air. Heck, for all we know, it's transmitted through the skin, through contact with the skin!
"We had not been infected, thank God. Digimon are vulnerable, but some are able to resist it, just like this Agumon.
"The Digimon called it 'The Kiss of Death.'"
Matt asked quietly, "A cure?"
Teressa paused. "One. The crystallized blood of a Phoenixmon. The last Phoenixmon died nearly a thousand years ago. There is still some crystallized blood in existence, but only in the Fire temple in the southern most part of the Digital World. It is surrounded by the Forgotten Forest, inhabited by Mortemon and Bakemon, who also carry the disease. If you are bitten by any of these Mortemon or touched by a Bakemon, you will be instantly killed. And no, you can't port directly to the Fire temple.
"Once it was known as the Forest of Fire, the home of many Phoenixmon, a beautiful, plentiful place, but it has become ugly and forbidding. Many have tried to reach the Fire temple. None have succeeded. Eventually, the Digimon forbade anyone to go there. Even Ken, as the Kaiser, was afraid to try to take over. That's how dangerous it was."
Ken smiled crookedly in response to this statement. "I said that I had made a treaty with the Mortemon and Bakemon. It wouldn't have done my image a lot of good if I had said that I wasn't going to take over 'cause I was scared. I preferred to send Digimon there as punishment." Despite his off-hand comments, his eyes were worried.
Matt asked the question everyone wanted to ask, but could not. "Is there any chance that TK…?"
Teressa finished his question. "Live? Without the Phoenixmon blood, there is no way." She smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry."
Author's Notes: Whew…this was the hardest chapter to write so far…in fact, that flashback used to be focused on Mimi and another character…and it used to be waaay longer. And then I remembered this fic is supposed to focus on Kari. *Sweatdrops* Real smooth.
Thanks to Jennafer and her friends and all my reviewers!!!
The Oklahoma and London Digidestined and Necro Morgamon belong to Lord Archive. Let's see…that means Hank Thomas, Bobby, and Teressa Marshall are all his (let me know if I forgot someone!).
Unlimited thanks to Archive for his help and patience with
my annoying little questions!
And I'm sorry if I made a mistake with
dates and stuff. @_@ I've got a
horrible memory.
Neo-Digidestined refers to the "Season Two" Digidestined.
I'm using Japanese names for the season two Digidestined (Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori) because I like them better than dub names, and plus, there's more potential for cute nicknames. However, as for season one Digidestined (this group includes Kari and TK), I'm using dub names, though for those such as Tai, Matt, Kari, and TK, who's dub names are derived from the Japanese names, I thought I would simply keep it that way (it's like the Japanese names are their real names, but they prefer nicknames—dub names).
Digimon is not mine.
Come to think of it, I think the only thing that belongs to me is the plot, Lily Kamiya, and Dragamon. And Mortemon too. And Phoenixmon blood. And the Kiss of Death. Also, I have decided that Lily's crest is the crest of Belief. It is silver, and features two hands in a gesture of prayer. Don't use anything without permission.
BTW, if I'm not giving someone the credit they deserve, let me know and I will acknowledge you as soon as possible!
I haven't watched Digimon for awhile, so I'm sorry if any descriptions are inaccurate.
I love feedback! Hint, hint.