Crystalin and Kyrenomon watched the campsite of the new DigiDestined
from about ten feet away, where the shadows of the trees would hide them.
They observed the morning activity, or lack of, quietly, waiting for an
opportune time to go into the site and speak to the kids and their
partners. Crystalin watched as Kari and TK walked towards the pond near the
site to stand watching the sun finish rising, TK behind Kari with his arms
around her in a protective and loving gesture. She smiled sadly at the
thought of having to shatter their peace.
Kyrenomon looked over at her partner and met Crys's eyes for a moment before they both stepped out of the shadows, seemingly appearing out of thin air. At this point all the kids and Digimon were outside of the tents, and as each one saw them, a new shout went up until the entire campsite was watching the two. Crystalin slowly raised her hand until her Digivice was displayed, her crest, the true Crest of Light showing on the small screen. Kari yelled and tried to back away, her body shaking, afraid of Crystalin, but TK wrapped his arms around her. She turned and buried her face in his shoulder as Tai spoke.
"We don't know who you are, but you are scaring my sister, and the fact that you just appear out of nowhere like that makes you suspicious. We aren't gonna listen to you, you're probably one of the enemies. So you can just take that big black beast of a digimon and go ba-." Tai's voice was cut off by a sharp, angry look from Crystalin and the snarl on Kyrenomon's face at being called a beast.
Crystalin spoke, her eyes continuing their shifting of colors, long silver hair swaying in the breeze. "You are such a fool Tai. Really you are. None of you can tell me that my face doesn't look familiar to you. And none of you can really believe that I am the enemy. Wouldn't I have just blown you up if I was? Rather than trying to be some big tough guy and chase me off, why don't you sit down and listen, eh? You would be surprised at how far it will get you." Crystalin gave Tai a dirty look and turned her attention back to the group at large.
"You want to know who I am? The only information you will get as to that is that I am Crystalin, one of the FIRST DigiDestined to come to the Digital world, and that I am the only one who knows what you are facing here, because I have faced it before. I wish I could tell you exactly what the enemy you face is like, what its weaknesses and strengths are, what it will do to you. How to find it and stop it. But I cant. Because none of that is ever the same. All the times my friends and I fought it, it was different. And obviously I cant tell you how to defeat it because we were unable to. But I can tell you this. If you don't want to suffer the same fate as all but two others of my team did, you will come with me without asking stupid questions you know I wont answer and without giving me trouble. I know where we have to go to find what we need to at least TRY and defeat this enemy, but getting there is going to be hard. We have to go to File Island, to Primary Village."
Crystalin looked around at the stunned faces. Kari had turned to face Crystalin while she was speaking, and Crys could see the wheels in Kari's head going into motion. She had a feeling Kari's thoughts went along the lines of can we trust her and will she betray us after all? Crystalin sighed and looked around again.
"I should probably have mentioned this before, but both Kyrenomon and I can read minds. I can only catch snatches of thoughts but she can read them wholly. I know you all think I am going to betray you. I don't know how you want me to prove that I wont. If I could, I would. But I don't know what would prove it to you."
Crystalin very quickly regretted those words as TK spoke up from behind Kari. "Tell us what it is that happened to your team that makes you so gung- ho to get us involved."
Crystalin's face fell, and her eyes clouded over with tears. Inside her head, thoughts rambled together, but clearest of these was Oh god no. please not that. Ask anything of me but to relive that. I cant. I cant do it. God, it hurts so much. They could never understand it. Never. . Crystalin began to sway slowly, and Kyrenomon had to reach out and grab her to keep her from falling to the ground. Kyrenomon held her unconscious partner against her with both arms and glared with hate at TK. He had done this unknowingly, but he had still done it. Kyrenomon growled low in her black throat, and the sound vibrated and pulsed around the campsite. TK shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other under Kyrenomon's hot and many colored gaze. He didn't know what he'd done, other than to piss of a very large and menacing looking Digimon. And he quickly remembered Patomon telling him that Kyrenomon was a rookie level. He knew he would be in for it if she became more angry.
Suddenly Kyrenomon spoke, and if her voice was slightly gruff because of her snarl and the continual growling in her throat, it still sounded like music. "Foolish, foolish child. You ask the one thing of her that brings her more pain than any physical injury or abuse ever could. As my partner is now unconscious, I will tell you all you need to know. There were ten pairs of us. Of that ten, three pairs survived the last battle with the enemy. The kids all made it back to the real world, but the other seven died or went insane soon after. Of the three of them left, the other two have disappeared. One of them was Crystalin's love. He was to her as you are to Kari. As much as we don't want to fight anymore, and want instead to just live in the real world together, we have to fight. If she chooses to share more information than that, she can. But as for now, if you ask her again what happened to our team, I will come for you in your sleep." Kyrenomon swung Crystalin's unconscious form up and strode off towards the pond, taking a blanket from where it hung on a branch as she went. The Digidestined just watched as Kyrenomon laid the prone Crystalin on the blanket and began to bathe her face with cool water to try and revive her.
Tai watched Kyrenomon for a moment, then turned to the others. "I believe what Kyrenomon said. Crystalin wouldn't have passed out that way if it wasn't something that rips her apart when she thinks of it. As much as we need to and want to know more, we have to trust her. I'm going to go with her." He looked at Agumon, who nodded. He had followed Tai into plenty of danger before, so he was ready. Everyone else nodded their agreement, and they all sat down to eat and wait for Crystalin and Kyrenomon to come back to the main site and tell them what to do. Kari sat alone and watched Kyrenomon tend the slowly wakening Crystalin. She wondered what could be so painful to remember that Crystalin had passed out. But she knew now to keep her questions to herself.
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~
Down by the pond, Kyrenomon tenderly bathed Crystalin's forehead and face as her partner returned to consciousness. She had felt all the emotions running through her partner before she passed out, and had heard her thoughts. She was surprised that she herself hadn't passed out from the strength of the thoughts and feeling, but was glad she hadn't. Those inconsiderate kids wouldn't have taken care of Crystalin the way that she, Kyrenomon, could. She leaned over Crystalin and kissed her forehead gently, to awaken her. Kyrenomon's kiss was a healing power, and one she used rarely. It was only used on those who were important to her. Crystalin's eyelids fluttered open, and she was greeted by Kyrenomon's face. Then everything that had started to well up in her at TK's question broke free, and she broke into gut-wrenching sobs that shook her whole body. Kyrenomon's eyes flew open at this, and she quickly wrapped her arms around Crystalin, thinking, "Damn those kids. I'm going to beat the shit out of TK if I get him alone. Look what he's done. She was able to keep it all put away before, and he just broke it all loose. My poor partner. I feel her pain, even without the empathic tie. Panteromon, where are you and Conner? Can't you see we need your help?" Tears slid slowly out from beneath Kyrenomon's dark lashes and slid down her furred cheeks to mingle with Crystalin's. They had each other, but they were so alone. Inside Crystalin's head, the terrifying moments of that last battle flashed through her mind, as did the hospital visits to her friends and the funerals. She couldn't handle it. It hurt too much.
Up at the campsite, everyone sat around in uncomfortable silence, especially TK. He had heard the first heart-breaking sob as it tore out of Crystalin, and he felt responsible. His question had obviously opened a floodgate of pain and anguish that she couldn't close. Kari walked to where TK was sitting and stood next to him. When he threw his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach, she simply stood there and ran her fingers through his hair. He felt terrible, she knew. But she didn't know how to help either him or the wounded girl laying in her partner's arms at the pond's edge, whose only friend in life was the tortured soul who held her close and tried to offer comfort through her own pain. Kari wished she could heal them all. But she knew she couldn't. She stood there for a moment longer and soothed TK before moving to pack up her things. She wanted to be ready to move out when Crystalin was.
Kyrenomon looked over at her partner and met Crys's eyes for a moment before they both stepped out of the shadows, seemingly appearing out of thin air. At this point all the kids and Digimon were outside of the tents, and as each one saw them, a new shout went up until the entire campsite was watching the two. Crystalin slowly raised her hand until her Digivice was displayed, her crest, the true Crest of Light showing on the small screen. Kari yelled and tried to back away, her body shaking, afraid of Crystalin, but TK wrapped his arms around her. She turned and buried her face in his shoulder as Tai spoke.
"We don't know who you are, but you are scaring my sister, and the fact that you just appear out of nowhere like that makes you suspicious. We aren't gonna listen to you, you're probably one of the enemies. So you can just take that big black beast of a digimon and go ba-." Tai's voice was cut off by a sharp, angry look from Crystalin and the snarl on Kyrenomon's face at being called a beast.
Crystalin spoke, her eyes continuing their shifting of colors, long silver hair swaying in the breeze. "You are such a fool Tai. Really you are. None of you can tell me that my face doesn't look familiar to you. And none of you can really believe that I am the enemy. Wouldn't I have just blown you up if I was? Rather than trying to be some big tough guy and chase me off, why don't you sit down and listen, eh? You would be surprised at how far it will get you." Crystalin gave Tai a dirty look and turned her attention back to the group at large.
"You want to know who I am? The only information you will get as to that is that I am Crystalin, one of the FIRST DigiDestined to come to the Digital world, and that I am the only one who knows what you are facing here, because I have faced it before. I wish I could tell you exactly what the enemy you face is like, what its weaknesses and strengths are, what it will do to you. How to find it and stop it. But I cant. Because none of that is ever the same. All the times my friends and I fought it, it was different. And obviously I cant tell you how to defeat it because we were unable to. But I can tell you this. If you don't want to suffer the same fate as all but two others of my team did, you will come with me without asking stupid questions you know I wont answer and without giving me trouble. I know where we have to go to find what we need to at least TRY and defeat this enemy, but getting there is going to be hard. We have to go to File Island, to Primary Village."
Crystalin looked around at the stunned faces. Kari had turned to face Crystalin while she was speaking, and Crys could see the wheels in Kari's head going into motion. She had a feeling Kari's thoughts went along the lines of can we trust her and will she betray us after all? Crystalin sighed and looked around again.
"I should probably have mentioned this before, but both Kyrenomon and I can read minds. I can only catch snatches of thoughts but she can read them wholly. I know you all think I am going to betray you. I don't know how you want me to prove that I wont. If I could, I would. But I don't know what would prove it to you."
Crystalin very quickly regretted those words as TK spoke up from behind Kari. "Tell us what it is that happened to your team that makes you so gung- ho to get us involved."
Crystalin's face fell, and her eyes clouded over with tears. Inside her head, thoughts rambled together, but clearest of these was Oh god no. please not that. Ask anything of me but to relive that. I cant. I cant do it. God, it hurts so much. They could never understand it. Never. . Crystalin began to sway slowly, and Kyrenomon had to reach out and grab her to keep her from falling to the ground. Kyrenomon held her unconscious partner against her with both arms and glared with hate at TK. He had done this unknowingly, but he had still done it. Kyrenomon growled low in her black throat, and the sound vibrated and pulsed around the campsite. TK shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other under Kyrenomon's hot and many colored gaze. He didn't know what he'd done, other than to piss of a very large and menacing looking Digimon. And he quickly remembered Patomon telling him that Kyrenomon was a rookie level. He knew he would be in for it if she became more angry.
Suddenly Kyrenomon spoke, and if her voice was slightly gruff because of her snarl and the continual growling in her throat, it still sounded like music. "Foolish, foolish child. You ask the one thing of her that brings her more pain than any physical injury or abuse ever could. As my partner is now unconscious, I will tell you all you need to know. There were ten pairs of us. Of that ten, three pairs survived the last battle with the enemy. The kids all made it back to the real world, but the other seven died or went insane soon after. Of the three of them left, the other two have disappeared. One of them was Crystalin's love. He was to her as you are to Kari. As much as we don't want to fight anymore, and want instead to just live in the real world together, we have to fight. If she chooses to share more information than that, she can. But as for now, if you ask her again what happened to our team, I will come for you in your sleep." Kyrenomon swung Crystalin's unconscious form up and strode off towards the pond, taking a blanket from where it hung on a branch as she went. The Digidestined just watched as Kyrenomon laid the prone Crystalin on the blanket and began to bathe her face with cool water to try and revive her.
Tai watched Kyrenomon for a moment, then turned to the others. "I believe what Kyrenomon said. Crystalin wouldn't have passed out that way if it wasn't something that rips her apart when she thinks of it. As much as we need to and want to know more, we have to trust her. I'm going to go with her." He looked at Agumon, who nodded. He had followed Tai into plenty of danger before, so he was ready. Everyone else nodded their agreement, and they all sat down to eat and wait for Crystalin and Kyrenomon to come back to the main site and tell them what to do. Kari sat alone and watched Kyrenomon tend the slowly wakening Crystalin. She wondered what could be so painful to remember that Crystalin had passed out. But she knew now to keep her questions to herself.
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~
Down by the pond, Kyrenomon tenderly bathed Crystalin's forehead and face as her partner returned to consciousness. She had felt all the emotions running through her partner before she passed out, and had heard her thoughts. She was surprised that she herself hadn't passed out from the strength of the thoughts and feeling, but was glad she hadn't. Those inconsiderate kids wouldn't have taken care of Crystalin the way that she, Kyrenomon, could. She leaned over Crystalin and kissed her forehead gently, to awaken her. Kyrenomon's kiss was a healing power, and one she used rarely. It was only used on those who were important to her. Crystalin's eyelids fluttered open, and she was greeted by Kyrenomon's face. Then everything that had started to well up in her at TK's question broke free, and she broke into gut-wrenching sobs that shook her whole body. Kyrenomon's eyes flew open at this, and she quickly wrapped her arms around Crystalin, thinking, "Damn those kids. I'm going to beat the shit out of TK if I get him alone. Look what he's done. She was able to keep it all put away before, and he just broke it all loose. My poor partner. I feel her pain, even without the empathic tie. Panteromon, where are you and Conner? Can't you see we need your help?" Tears slid slowly out from beneath Kyrenomon's dark lashes and slid down her furred cheeks to mingle with Crystalin's. They had each other, but they were so alone. Inside Crystalin's head, the terrifying moments of that last battle flashed through her mind, as did the hospital visits to her friends and the funerals. She couldn't handle it. It hurt too much.
Up at the campsite, everyone sat around in uncomfortable silence, especially TK. He had heard the first heart-breaking sob as it tore out of Crystalin, and he felt responsible. His question had obviously opened a floodgate of pain and anguish that she couldn't close. Kari walked to where TK was sitting and stood next to him. When he threw his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach, she simply stood there and ran her fingers through his hair. He felt terrible, she knew. But she didn't know how to help either him or the wounded girl laying in her partner's arms at the pond's edge, whose only friend in life was the tortured soul who held her close and tried to offer comfort through her own pain. Kari wished she could heal them all. But she knew she couldn't. She stood there for a moment longer and soothed TK before moving to pack up her things. She wanted to be ready to move out when Crystalin was.