Two days had gone by since Kari's strange encounter with the silver-
haired girl who called herself Crystalin. Kari and Gatomon were on edge,
constantly looking over their shoulders and watching everything around them
for signs of Kyrenomon or Crystalin. T.K, Tai, Agumon and Patomon were all
worried about Kari and Gatomon, not knowing why there were so on edge.
Finally, T.K. decided to ask Kari what was wrong. He looked around the
campsite, and spotted Kari sitting near the edge of a small pond that was a
few feet from their campsite. He walked up behind her and touched her
shoulder, and was rewarded with Kari's elbow in his stomach.
"Ka- Oowwww." T.K. fell to his knees holding his stomach, looking at Kari, who's eyes were wide, her hand held up before her mouth.
"T.K. I'm SO sorry! I didn't mean to elbow you! I've been jumpy and when you touched my shoulder I just, reacted." She went to continue, but T.K. held his hand up to stop her.
"Kari, its Ok. I was actually coming over here to ask what's wrong. You seem to be on edge a lot lately. I'm worried about you." T.K. settled on the ground and studied Kari's face. Noting the worried look in her eyes.
"That girl we saw in the forest. She came that night and spoke to me at the edge of the campsite. She told me to watch out for myself, and to make sure not to get too confident. She also said we all had a lot to learn before we'd be ready for what she knows." Kari studied her hands, her eyes filled with worry. T.K. reached out and took a hold of her hands, looking into her eyes when she looked up at him.
"It will be Ok Kari. Whoever she is, she obviously doesn't want to hurt us or you, she had a chance and didn't take it. She might be trying to help us. We'll just have to wait and see." Kari gave him a weak smile and leaned forward until her forehead was against his shoulder. T.K. wrapped his arms protectively around her and rested his chin on top of her head.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Unbeknownst to Kari and T.K., Crystalin was crouched in the branches of a tree about five feet from where they sat. Her long braided hair fell over her shoulders and hung down below the branches, and the sleeves of her shirt fluttered gently in the breeze. She sighed when Kari leaned into T.K. and he wrapped his arms around her. She hated to make them go through the difficulties she knew were coming without telling them of the dangers first, but she knew she couldn't tell them everything. If she did they would be in more danger than they already were. A tear rolled down her cheek as she dropped down out of the tree silently and crept off towards her own camp. She had had someone that was to her like T.K. was to Kari a long time ago. But she hadn't seen him in many years, and she wasn't sure he was even alive still.
"I don't like seeing you crying." Kyrenomon's voice came seemingly out of nowhere, but Crystalin saw her black furred partner clearly. Her stripes reflected a minimal amount of light, and only someone looking for her or who knew that the small glimmers came from her would know she was there. Crystalin smiled as Kyrenomon fell in step beside her, her long tail casually wrapped around her partner's thigh. Kyrenomon stood the same height as Crystalin, a stunning six foot two inches, and was well muscled. Her legs bent in the same way a cat's do, but were longer. Her hands resembled paws with elongated toes, and she had retractable silver talons. She flicked an ear in Crystalin's direction, her way of indicating that she knew Crystalin was looking at her.
The two walked in companionable silence for a while, until they reached their camp. Crystalin walked over to her tent and went inside, laying on her back on the sleeping bag inside. Kyrenomon found a place where she could sit and meditate or star watch for the rest of the night. Both soon fell to their rest, Crystalin falling into a heavy sleep quickly, and Kyrenomon going into a trance of meditation.
Unknown to them, an unseen observer was near their camp, watching Kyrenomon meditate and listening to the sounds of Crystalin's even breathing. The shadow moved through the trees until it was across from the tent and Kyrenomon's meditation area. It then moved out of the trees and began scratching something in the dirt. When it had finished, it disappeared, leaving a symbol etched in the dirt. Kyrenomon opened one eye slowly, having smelled something odd, but nothing greeted her half opened eye, so she went back into her trance.
The next morning Kyrenomon was roused from her trance by Crystalin yelling for her. A large symbol was carved in the dirt, and when Kyrenomon saw it she almost blacked out. The symbol etched in the dirt was the Crest of Darkness, and it meant that they were being watched. Crystalin looked around frantically while Kyrenomon tried to pick up the scent she had caught the night before. But she couldn't. Suddenly the fur on her arm was being pulled by a frantic Crystalin.
"We have to move NOW. We have to go to the camp and tell the kids as much as we can and then we have to get to File Island ASAP. He knows we are here and that means he isn't going to wait much longer. We have to find it before he does Kyrenomon. If we don't, we're doomed." Kyrenomon took note of the panic in Crystalin's voice and eyes. She understood that they needed to move now, but how? And what were they to do once they were on the move?
Kyrenomon didn't have much more time to think as her fur was once again grabbed and Crystalin began hauling her behind her into the trees. Crystalin had packed the entire camp in less than ten minutes, and she was going to go, whether Kyrenomon came with her or not. Kyrenomon twisted herself free and grabbed Crystalin's arms.
"Crys, calm down. We have to go, I get it. But what are you going to tell them? Hmm?" When Crystalin turned to face Kyrenomon, she released her hold and stepped back.
Crystalin's eyes were filled with terror and anguish. Tears streamed down her cheeks freely. She took a deep breath and spoke in a broken, husky voice. "I don't know yet. But, they'll all. they'll." her voice broke in a sob and she had to take a moment to recover before she could go on; "If we don't do something they will all die or be put in terrible danger. Kyrenomon, we have to tell them and we have to get moving. I don't want what happened." her voice trailed off, and Crystalin became lost in a memory, one she had tried to bury but never could. Inside her head, screams filled the air, and the sounds of terrified young Digimon crying for protection played a constant background to everything. Inside her head, she could clearly see Alyss being lifted high off the ground by a large, shadowy black hand as Alyss's partner Fioryemon tried to break the cold, painful grip. She could clearly hear the double thud as Alyss and Fioryemon were thrown to the ground, Alyss's head bouncing off a rock which had laid the scalp on the back of her head open. She could hear the piercing screams of her fellow DigiDestined and their partners trying to fight a shadow enemy, and losing terribly. Tears were running down Crystalin's face openly now, and Kyrenomon was worried. Crystalin's eyes were unfocused and her body was beginning to shudder every few seconds. She reached out and shook Crystalin gently.
The shaking broke the hold of the past, and Crystalin snapped back to reality, her eyes focusing slowly on Kyrenomon's face. She shuddered and clung to Kyrenomon for a few minutes, the shadows of the past haunting her now. "I just don't want to see what happened to us happen again."
Kyrenomon shushed Crystalin and hugged her close for a few moments. She rarely was affectionate, but Crystalin was her partner and her friend, and Kyrenomon was indirectly linked to Crystalin, so she knew what Crystalin had been seeing. She sighed and pushed her partner away, reconstructing her gruff attitude. "Ok, time to go warn those kids and try to once again save someone else's skin." Kyrenomon turned and marched off, Crystalin walking beside her. Neither knew what awaited them at the camp of the new DigiDestined, but they were prepared for anything.
"Ka- Oowwww." T.K. fell to his knees holding his stomach, looking at Kari, who's eyes were wide, her hand held up before her mouth.
"T.K. I'm SO sorry! I didn't mean to elbow you! I've been jumpy and when you touched my shoulder I just, reacted." She went to continue, but T.K. held his hand up to stop her.
"Kari, its Ok. I was actually coming over here to ask what's wrong. You seem to be on edge a lot lately. I'm worried about you." T.K. settled on the ground and studied Kari's face. Noting the worried look in her eyes.
"That girl we saw in the forest. She came that night and spoke to me at the edge of the campsite. She told me to watch out for myself, and to make sure not to get too confident. She also said we all had a lot to learn before we'd be ready for what she knows." Kari studied her hands, her eyes filled with worry. T.K. reached out and took a hold of her hands, looking into her eyes when she looked up at him.
"It will be Ok Kari. Whoever she is, she obviously doesn't want to hurt us or you, she had a chance and didn't take it. She might be trying to help us. We'll just have to wait and see." Kari gave him a weak smile and leaned forward until her forehead was against his shoulder. T.K. wrapped his arms protectively around her and rested his chin on top of her head.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Unbeknownst to Kari and T.K., Crystalin was crouched in the branches of a tree about five feet from where they sat. Her long braided hair fell over her shoulders and hung down below the branches, and the sleeves of her shirt fluttered gently in the breeze. She sighed when Kari leaned into T.K. and he wrapped his arms around her. She hated to make them go through the difficulties she knew were coming without telling them of the dangers first, but she knew she couldn't tell them everything. If she did they would be in more danger than they already were. A tear rolled down her cheek as she dropped down out of the tree silently and crept off towards her own camp. She had had someone that was to her like T.K. was to Kari a long time ago. But she hadn't seen him in many years, and she wasn't sure he was even alive still.
"I don't like seeing you crying." Kyrenomon's voice came seemingly out of nowhere, but Crystalin saw her black furred partner clearly. Her stripes reflected a minimal amount of light, and only someone looking for her or who knew that the small glimmers came from her would know she was there. Crystalin smiled as Kyrenomon fell in step beside her, her long tail casually wrapped around her partner's thigh. Kyrenomon stood the same height as Crystalin, a stunning six foot two inches, and was well muscled. Her legs bent in the same way a cat's do, but were longer. Her hands resembled paws with elongated toes, and she had retractable silver talons. She flicked an ear in Crystalin's direction, her way of indicating that she knew Crystalin was looking at her.
The two walked in companionable silence for a while, until they reached their camp. Crystalin walked over to her tent and went inside, laying on her back on the sleeping bag inside. Kyrenomon found a place where she could sit and meditate or star watch for the rest of the night. Both soon fell to their rest, Crystalin falling into a heavy sleep quickly, and Kyrenomon going into a trance of meditation.
Unknown to them, an unseen observer was near their camp, watching Kyrenomon meditate and listening to the sounds of Crystalin's even breathing. The shadow moved through the trees until it was across from the tent and Kyrenomon's meditation area. It then moved out of the trees and began scratching something in the dirt. When it had finished, it disappeared, leaving a symbol etched in the dirt. Kyrenomon opened one eye slowly, having smelled something odd, but nothing greeted her half opened eye, so she went back into her trance.
The next morning Kyrenomon was roused from her trance by Crystalin yelling for her. A large symbol was carved in the dirt, and when Kyrenomon saw it she almost blacked out. The symbol etched in the dirt was the Crest of Darkness, and it meant that they were being watched. Crystalin looked around frantically while Kyrenomon tried to pick up the scent she had caught the night before. But she couldn't. Suddenly the fur on her arm was being pulled by a frantic Crystalin.
"We have to move NOW. We have to go to the camp and tell the kids as much as we can and then we have to get to File Island ASAP. He knows we are here and that means he isn't going to wait much longer. We have to find it before he does Kyrenomon. If we don't, we're doomed." Kyrenomon took note of the panic in Crystalin's voice and eyes. She understood that they needed to move now, but how? And what were they to do once they were on the move?
Kyrenomon didn't have much more time to think as her fur was once again grabbed and Crystalin began hauling her behind her into the trees. Crystalin had packed the entire camp in less than ten minutes, and she was going to go, whether Kyrenomon came with her or not. Kyrenomon twisted herself free and grabbed Crystalin's arms.
"Crys, calm down. We have to go, I get it. But what are you going to tell them? Hmm?" When Crystalin turned to face Kyrenomon, she released her hold and stepped back.
Crystalin's eyes were filled with terror and anguish. Tears streamed down her cheeks freely. She took a deep breath and spoke in a broken, husky voice. "I don't know yet. But, they'll all. they'll." her voice broke in a sob and she had to take a moment to recover before she could go on; "If we don't do something they will all die or be put in terrible danger. Kyrenomon, we have to tell them and we have to get moving. I don't want what happened." her voice trailed off, and Crystalin became lost in a memory, one she had tried to bury but never could. Inside her head, screams filled the air, and the sounds of terrified young Digimon crying for protection played a constant background to everything. Inside her head, she could clearly see Alyss being lifted high off the ground by a large, shadowy black hand as Alyss's partner Fioryemon tried to break the cold, painful grip. She could clearly hear the double thud as Alyss and Fioryemon were thrown to the ground, Alyss's head bouncing off a rock which had laid the scalp on the back of her head open. She could hear the piercing screams of her fellow DigiDestined and their partners trying to fight a shadow enemy, and losing terribly. Tears were running down Crystalin's face openly now, and Kyrenomon was worried. Crystalin's eyes were unfocused and her body was beginning to shudder every few seconds. She reached out and shook Crystalin gently.
The shaking broke the hold of the past, and Crystalin snapped back to reality, her eyes focusing slowly on Kyrenomon's face. She shuddered and clung to Kyrenomon for a few minutes, the shadows of the past haunting her now. "I just don't want to see what happened to us happen again."
Kyrenomon shushed Crystalin and hugged her close for a few moments. She rarely was affectionate, but Crystalin was her partner and her friend, and Kyrenomon was indirectly linked to Crystalin, so she knew what Crystalin had been seeing. She sighed and pushed her partner away, reconstructing her gruff attitude. "Ok, time to go warn those kids and try to once again save someone else's skin." Kyrenomon turned and marched off, Crystalin walking beside her. Neither knew what awaited them at the camp of the new DigiDestined, but they were prepared for anything.