Okay, three chapters left. You'll notice time passes very quickly in this one, as the next one is pretty much the last hour of this whole Daemon War thing. Anyway, I have received many comments, e-mails and reviews lately, and they seem to increase as the end approaches. They differ from good to bad, including funny, nice and just plain mean, and I enjoy reading all of them. Many questions about the ending, and I have to state it again: it's already written. I should get started already, since now I have a lot of Takato and Rika scenes to write. Oh, and I don't own them, or anyone from Digimon!
SILENT SORROW
Chapter 15
Concerto of Despair
Part II: Passion's Sonata
"How do you feel?"
I'm……I'm confused. I don't know what to do, what to say. I don't like this feeling.
"In your case, I dare to say it is good to doubt."
But it's uncomfortable.
"But, for the first time, you're actually considering doing the right thing."
My, that's one-sided.
"But it's true. You're hurting those who love you by doing what you're doing, abandoning yourself to the darkness. Now you have the chance to put an end to it. A reason to move on."
Why should I? To face to horrors of existence, the pestilence that raids hearts and souls? I know that if I go on, I'll find nothing but sadness, because there's no way someone like me will find happiness. I'm an outcast. I'm different, and alone, life means nothing.
"…………"
Life is nothing but silent sorrow.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 85:42:49
Takato was VERY uncomfortable.
He had done something he had vaguely imagined doing……in his dreams. There was a time when he was certain he'd do it, confessing……to Jeri. Then all the emotionally traumatic D-Reaper stuff came, which pretty much helped him change his mind.
Then, there was Rika. Since Rika already had the trauma, and this was not indirectly or directly caused by him, Takato assumed there wouldn't be too much trouble in falling for her. Then he remembered she is cold and mean. He knew it would take a while.
And a while it took. But, eventually, they became friends. Best friends, in fact, unless Rika had some hidden friends somewhere. And, as their friendship grew stronger, his body became weaker and weaker. His time was running out, so he did it. To die without regrets, he confessed.
Now, he had done everything he had intended to do before leaving the world of the living. He could die at peace.
However, he had failed to consider one little thing.
What if she loves me!?
A few weeks before, he would immediately discard the idea, labeling it as the product of a pathetic fantasy. However, now he doubted, as incredible as that might sound. He could still remember Chaos' words in his head.
So, now that little something remained. Her response, whatever it may be, would change the outcome of everything. He didn't fear being rejected. It would hurt like hell, of course, but he had been ready for it since the first moment he considered the idea of actually being in love with her. Besides, he wouldn't have much time to grieve over it, right?
The problem is, he wasn't ready for acceptance.
He wondered how long had it been already since he had, you know, said it. It felt like days; that was for sure. He knew that it had been just a few seconds, but in that time he hadn't detected any signs of movement from Rika, much less the intention to say something. She had her back turned to him, as she was leaving the room when he spoke. Takato knew that, if he wanted an answer, he'd have to inquire to get it.
"……………"
So, if Rika didn't want to talk, he'd have to make her talk.
"Rika, do you………?"
But it wasn't as easy as it seemed. It was as if he had drained all of his words in the act of confessing to her.
"……………"
Come on………
"Rika, do you l-"
"Yes."
Oh, dear God.
"…………Rika……"
And finally, Rika turned around to face him. And Takato's heart skipped a beat. On her face, he saw the most beautiful smile ever. It was shy, but it reflected a joy like he had never seen before.
"I………I thought you already knew."
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 85:42:01
With a mighty slash of his left arm-blade, SlashAngemon finished the last DarkScubamon. It hadn't been that tough, actually. After all, they were only a scouting team, so it wasn't a large group, and he had the type advantage. Adding the fact that he was way faster than any of them and that he was a Mega Digimon, and the result became obvious.
However, it didn't help one bit to ease Takeru's worries.
He looked up to the Digi-Destined. It was good to know that at least they hadn't left. That didn't change the fact that they were little more than sitting ducks at the moment. There was also the fact of Mimi's disappearance that kept nagging at the back of his mind. It certainly confirmed his suspicion of Mimi's child having something to do with Project Asmodeus, even if he wasn't still completely sure of how precisely. If his worse suspicion was true, that Mimi's baby is in fact a clone of Matsuki Takato, or another byproduct of Project Asmodeus, then they were in really deep shit.
He flew up to meet with his former comrades before de-evolving back to Patamon and Takeru.
"Thank God it was a small group. I won't be able to deal with the whole strike team, and it's a matter of team before they notice that the scouts are taking too long to return. So we better return to base to think of a plan."
No questions were asked when Takeru slashed a card and Patamon evolved to Pegasusmon. Takeru wasn't in the mood for answering questions, and the Digi-Destined didn't seem to be in the mood for asking them.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 84:55:10
Renamon waited patiently for her Tamer. They had been requested for an audience with the leader of this group of Digimon, Lord Cherrymon. She guessed Rika was taking that long because of the ever-weaker Takato, but the Digimon around her were getting impatient. After all, they had been called half an hour before. She knew Rika was stubborn and had a tendency for challenging authority, but she was smart enough to know when to swallow her pride, especially when their lives could depend on it.
Finally, steps could be heard from the end of the hallway. From what she could hear, it was two people. Relieved that Takato was once again able to walk on his own two feet, Renamon stepped forward to meet her Tamer, getting odd glances from the guards because of the sudden movement.
"Ouch! You stepped on my kimono, Gogglehead!!!"
"I already said I'm sorry!"
"That was for pulling the ribbon on the back of my waist and almost stripping me naked!"
"It was an accident!!!"
"Sure……it's always an accident…………"
"Rika!!!"
"You're abusing your luck, Goggles…………"
Renamon and Takato sighed simultaneously. Yep, same old Rika and Takato. At least, that's what Renamon would have thought if it weren't for a little detail.
Takato and Rika were holding hands.
"Okay, enough!"
Okay, Takato and Rika WERE holding hands.
"What!?"
"It's dangerous to stay close to you, Gogglehead!"
"Oh, come on; don't say such a horrible thing!" Takato yelled back at Rika. The guards weren't sure of what to do. Neither was Renamon. This whole "holding hands" thing was new to her.
"Well, it's true!"
"My other friends have never complained!!!"
"Well, that's because you've never cop a feel of Henry's ass!!!"
"Rika!!!!"
"Or fall face-flat on Jeri's chest!!!!"
"You're still mad about that!?"
"YOU FELL ON MY BREASTS!!!!"
"WHICH BREASTS!? ……………OKAY, I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT!!!"
"THEN WHY ARE YOU YELLING!?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"YOU'RE A STUPID JERK!!!"
"I'M SORRY!!!"
"Okay, okay, enough quarreling, you two……" Renamon muttered. She couldn't believe it, but she felt like a babysitter. Rika growled some curses before resuming her walking, as did Takato.
Five seconds later, they were holding hands again.
Renamon realized she'd never understand human beings.
Finaly, they reached the main chamber where Lord Cherrymon resided. Inside it, they were awaited by a Digimon much bigger than what Takato, Rika or even Renamon expected. He was huge for Cherrymon standards. Heck, the guy was huge for Digimon standards. However, he seemed to be in a very deep sleep.
"I don't think this guy shoots Cherry Bombs, but Cherry Molotov Cocktails!"
You know, Chaos, you're only funny when you don't try to be funny!
"Lord Cherrymon, we've brought the humans to you." Rosemon announced from her place next to her. The giant tree shifted uncomfortably and faced the Tamers, still having not opened his eyes. That was when Takato realized the important fact about Cherrymon.
"He's blind."
"Huh?"
"Takato is right, Rika." Renamon confirmed Takato's statement.
"Very impressive, indeed." Cherrymon's powerful low pitched voice reverberated in the large stone room. Takato could actually feel the floor shaking as it resonated with the sound waves, and he knew that he wasn't facing an ordinary Ultimate Digimon.
"Yes, yes, I feel it. A Renamon, a human with an unusual amount of data, and a certain data life-form I cannot identify yet as human or Digimon."
"I guess that would be me." Takato muttered.
"Quite a discovery you've made, Rosemon. You did well by bringing them here. This particular being must not fall in Daemon's hands."
That got Takato's brain cells working. "What!? You know of Daemon!?"
"Hmm………the unique one has spoken. It is certainly a human's voice. I bet you also have the appearance of a human being. But you're not a human being, which I can tell immediately. The data-proportion within you is just too high."
Takato remembered a conversation he had with Daneel Randt during the "Nightmare" crisis. "Yep, I've heard that before."
"However, the data contained within you is not that of a Digimon, hence you're no Digimon, either. What kind of powers do you have?"
"Hmm…well, I can merge with any Digimon who has established a previous bond with a human being."
"I see………"
"Oh, and I can manipulate data at will!
"And there's the Digital Hazard, too………" Rika interrupted.
"Gee, Rika, thanks!"
"Yes, yes, the Digital Hazard………" Cherrymon seemed to be pondering something. "What you call the Digital Hazard is nothing but an uncontrolled conscious manipulation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics."
"Okay……now you lost me."
Takato………
"Young boy, what's your name?"
"Matsuki Takato! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"It's good to see such enthusiasm in such a weak body, Takato-san."
"Oh, you can tell? Neat! Anyway, let's just say I have a reason to be like this……ouch! Rika!"
Takato smiled as he heard Cherrymon's laughter. It was a very healthy laugh, coming from such an elderly Digimon.
"Takato-san, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the Universes always have the tendency to reach the state of highest disorder. In other words, the Universes' disorder tends to increase."
"Ahh……"
"When computer data is organized in, let's say, an algorithm or a computer software, or even an average document, like a young human boy doing his homework, the order of the computer system has increased, but it had to spend a certain amount of energy to do that, which in the end results in a decrease of the Universe's total 'useable' energy. In other words, an increase in the amount of disorder, or 'entropy'."
"I got that, but what's that got to do with the Hazard?"
"The Digital Hazard is pretty much the opposite of the example I just gave you. For you to manipulate extreme amounts of energy at will, you have to destroy data. That's why the Hazard is so dangerous to the Digital World and the computer networks. As I already told you, every system tends to evolve towards the state of highest disorder. The Digital Hazard only accelerates that process to give its bearer a superior power."
"I see………"
"You are free to wander wherever you please in this, our hideout. You must be tired, so we'll postpone our discussions for later, Takato-san. Please feel yourselves at home. You may leave. I'm looking forward to out next meeting."
Takato was surprised by the sudden urge Cherrymon had to dispatch them, and how their attitude towards the "intruders" had changed. There was something this Digimon wasn't telling him.
"Umm……may I ask one last question?"
"You already did."
"How is it that you know so much about me………being blind and everything?"
Cherrymon chuckled. "My roots are deeply planted within the Digital World. I receive data from many sources and many layers of this world. I knew everything about you much before you arrived here."
Takato nodded before making signs to Rika and Renamon, and the three left silently. As soon as they were gone, Rosemon spoke.
"Are we doing the right thing, milord?"
Cherrymon sighed sadly. "My dear Rosemon, this place has been doomed since the very moment that boy entered this secret garden."
"What!?"
"It is a matter of time before those after Takato-san discover this hideout, and they won't stop until this place is nothing but ashes."
"But, but then……shouldn't we get rid of him!?"
"Of course not. It would be much worse if we did that. We shall become the sacrificial lambs so that everyone else is saved."
"But……I don't want to………"
"Our lives are the price of peace for every world, Rosemon. That is the fate bestowed upon us."
Rosemon had nothing else to say. The worst thing was that she couldn't hate the humans for it. The boy, Matsuki's smiling face had conquered her heart.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 80:37:39
It was approximately ten in the morning, and Henry was alone. Even Terriermon had left, "to check on things" as he had put it. He wondered what the others were doing. He wondered what Jeri was doing. Probably checking on Guilmon, or Takato's parents. He also wondered what was up with Impmon. He hadn't heard from him at all since his arrival to the shelter base. He hadn't even helped them in their failed strike against Daemon.
It was just about then when Yamaki entered the room.
"Hey, Mr. Yamaki."
The man didn't spoke until he had taken a seat next to Henry's bed.
"How are you?"
"I could be better, that's for sure."
"I can tell."
"……………"
"……………"
Henry wondered what was it that Yamaki wanted to tell him. After all, he was pretty sure Yamaki wasn't there just to ask him how he was.
"How are the others?"
"You mean the kids or……?"
"Everyone." Henry explained. Yamaki began flicking his lighter.
"Pretty shaken. I guess this whole thing has being quite the shock for everyone."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Every other time you fought, there seem to be no immediate danger to us, or the people of Tokyo, and now all of a sudden the city has become a war zone and one of our technicians was murdered. What I mean is, we never expected that things could get worse than D-Reaper."
"D-Reaper had no emotions, and it interpreted them as a weakness. On the other side, Daemon is completely driven by his emotions. That's what makes him much stronger than the average Mega Digimon. If this was an ordinary Daemon, I'd have beaten him ages ago."
"I guess he's not much different from humans, after all. We're driven by emotions, and emotions make us do things we'd normally never do."
"Emotions make us stronger." Henry muttered to himself.
"But they can also be our demise." Yamaki said before standing up and exiting the room, leaving Henry with his own thoughts.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 78:22:00
"Lunch is ready, Goggles!"
Takato chuckled as a smiling Rika entered the bedroom with a tray with food. Renamon simply stared at the two Tamers, trying to discover what the hell was going on with Rika.
Speaking or Rika, she had taken a seat on the bed, next to Takato, who had been resting on bed like Cherrymon had suggested. Besides, he needed to save energy for he planned to explore the place by himself later, and, as much as he enjoyed Rika's company, he'd rather do it by himself.
"Hmm, you know, Rika……….."
"What?" She replied as she grabbed the chopsticks.
"I can eat by my-oof!"
Takato was interrupted by the huge piece of lettuce Rika had shoved in his mouth.
"Rika, really, I'd really prefer-"
"I don't hear chewing!"
"Yes, ma'am."
Renamon frowned as she still tried to know if Rika was trying to feed or asphyxiate poor Takato.
Love is definitely a strange thing.
"Guess what I found?" A strangely excited Rika suddenly said.
"What?" That's what Takato would have said if his mouth wasn't stuffed with food.
"These guys have their own hot springs! I definitely could use a bath."
"Hmm………" That was the only answer Takato could give without spitting any rice.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 78:01:31
Henry was startled by a knock on the door.
"Henry? Are you sleeping?"
It was Jeri.
"Umm……yeah."
Jeri chuckled behind the door, and Henry could almost see her blush as she replied. "I…I brought you lunch. Can I……?"
"Sure, it's open."
With her hands full, it took Jeri a while to push the door with her body while making sure the food didn't end up on the floor. Once she was next to Henry, she placed the tray on Henry's lap while took a sitting position to eat.
"I'm not very hungry." Henry admitted, and Jeri's eyes widened a little bit.
"B-But you've got to…"
"I didn't say I wasn't eating, Jeri."
And then, Henry ate silently, while an embarrassed Jeri waited patiently, wondering what she was supposed to do next.
"………thank you."
"W-What for?"
"Bringing me lunch."
"Oh…..It-it's okay………"
"Still, it's very sweet of you."
Jeri thought that if she got any redder she'd explode. What should she do? Was it better to confess, or did she have to wait for Henry to make a move? And when would that happen, anyway? Was there any clue from which she could infer that Henry had some interest in her? And why was Henry looking at her as if she were some sort of idiot?
"W…what's wrong?"
Henry was startled by the sudden words.
"Ah!? No……it's just, you seemed to be in another world for a while. What were you thinking?"
Jeri gasped. "No, nothing! It was nothing, really!"
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 75:05:14
"Well, I'm still waiting." MagnaAngemon muttered. Davis growled.
In front of the Digi-Destined, a battle ensued. Two exhausted Digimon, ExVeemon and Stingmon, against MagnaAngemon, who looked as good as new. The Dragon eyed the Insect, who nodded slowly.
"X Laser!" ExVeemon shouted at the same time Stingmon charged forwards.
"Hmph." MagnaAngemon muttered before cutting the X Laser in half with the Excalibur. A second later, he had stopped Stingmon's Spiking Strike with his other hand, using Stingmon's momentum to slam him against the ground.
"The lamest trick in the book." Takeru whispered to Koushiro, who stood next to him, witnessing the battle. Just like Izzy, the other Digi-Destined looked at the same scene from different place around Gennai's backyard.
"How do you do it?"
"What, Izzy?"
"To be able to control Patamon's evolutions so freely."
"Well, there are several reasons. The fact that I don't rely on a Crest anymore is one of them. You also have to take into account that, unlike you guys, Patamon and I haven't lost our fighting instinct. That would be pretty much it."
Ahem!!!
"Ah, of course, Pauline also plays an important part of it. Without her mediation, I wouldn't be able to connect with Patamon the way I do."
Thank you!
"And what about merging with Patamon? I never imagined something like that was ever possible?"
"Well, I still don't have complete comprehension of the process of bio-merging, or what kinds of requirements are needed. However, I can tell you this. First, it depends on the interface. An ordinary Digivice or a D-3 won't be enough, as it wasn't designed to manipulate such excessive amounts of data. It is required at least one of the Tamers' D-Powers or an Omnivice to do it. It is particularly easy with an Omnivice, actually. As a matter of fact, Takato Matsuki has the incredible ability to bio-merge with other Digimon besides his partner. I think we could easily bio-merge with any of our Digimon. It makes me wonder the kinds of combination that would appear."
Takeru stopped his trail of thought to focus on the battle once again.
"Come on, why isn't anyone else joining the battle!? Those are not even worth the effort!"
Davis growled once again, while Ken's lips contorted in a rather scary grin. He seemed to be looking forward to the challenge. Yolei also stepped forward.
"I take that as an insult to my hubby! Hawkmon!"
"Hawkmon, digivolve to……Aquilamon!!!"
Takeru sweatdropped. "Well……whatever helps her get in the mood………"
Once again, ExVeemon and Stingmon charged, only to be knocked back by MagnaAngemon with an arm thrust. When Aquilamon was about to ram the Angel Digimon with its horns, MagnaAngemon grabbed them with his hands and slammed the giant bird against the ground, as he had done with Stingmon.
"Great job, MagnaAngemon, keep it going!"
Kari looked at Takeru for a second. When I look at him right now, it's as if he hadn't changed at all……he's almost like the kid I once knew………only more cunning.
"Gatomon, we're joining the battle, too."
"Right!"
Takeru heard the exchange. "Kari!"
"What?"
"If you're not going to make Gatomon evolve to Angewomon, then don't even bother! Nefertimon is too weak!"
Kari mimicked Davis with a growl of her own. That was exactly was she was going to do. "You know I can't do that!"
"Says who? Watch this!"
Koushiro watched how Takeru picked one card from his battle deck. "Digi-Modify! Win Ratio 60%, activate!"
"MagnaAngemon, digivolve to………Seraphimon!!!"
Yolei groaned. "Oh, this is great. How do you expect us to fight a Mega Digimon!?"
"Oh, so you think Daemon's army doesn't have Mega Digimon, Yolei, dear? Now, fight! And no DNA Evolutions, please! I need as many Digimon as possible!"
"Anything else!? Gatomon, go!"
"We're going, too, Tentomon!"
"Tentomon, digivolve to……Kabuterimon!!!"
Takeru smiled. "About damn time, Koushiro!"
"Oh, really, watch this! Kabuterimon, now!!!"
"Kabuterimon, digivolve to…………MegaKabuterimon!!!!!!"
Takeru eyed Koushiro and showed him a huge grin. "Not bad, my friend, not bad at all! Come one, who else still has it!?"
"Oh, just shut up, TJ! ExVeemon, kick his ass!!!"
"Go get him, Stingmon!!!"
"Don't just stay there, Aquilamon! Fight!!!"
"Gatomon, I'm counting on you!!!"
"MegaKabuterimon, just like any other battle! Stay focused!!!!"
Koushiro had left Takeru's side long ago, to cheer his partner. Now it was Sora who replaced Izzy's place next to Takeru.
"Mission accomplished, huh?" Sora said to her brother-in-law.
"Yeah." A satisfied Takeru answered.
"You really got them all excited and everything. They look like a bunch of kids."
"Makes you want to join them, huh?"
"Not really. I like to think I've grown up. On the other side, Biyomon……"
"Oh, very funny!" The small bird Digimon spat.
"Okay, let's see if I still got it……" Sora said as she clutched her Digivice.
"Biyomon, digivolve to………Birdramon! Birdramon, digivolve to………Garudamon!!!!!!"
Takeru whistled when Seraphimon was suddenly rammed by an immense bird man Digimon.
"Okay……that was much more than I expected." Sora commented. Takeru simply nodded.
"Not really that unexpected. You've always been very talented, Sora."
"Gee, thanks!"
"He'd very proud of you."
Sora looked at Takeru for a second before smiling back.
"Thank you."
At the same time, Seraphimon groaned as he got up, when……
"Armadillomon, digivolve to……Ankylomon!!!"
……he was once again rammed, this time by a much heavier Digimon.
"Cody! I thought you weren't going to join us!" Takeru said before letting go a loud laugh.
"And he's not the only one!" Joe replied.
"Gomamon, digivolve to………Ikkakumon!"
Takeru was more than satisfied. "Well, I guess that's everyone……"
"Gabumon, digivolve to………Garurumon!"
"……not."
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 74:45:45
"I'm in heaven………" Takato said. He was in a state of complete bliss.
He was completely alone, surrounded only by rocks and steam. The hot springs were doing a fabulous job relaxing Takato's sore muscles and restoring valuable energy for the upcoming days. In fact, it was the best he had felt in the last week.
However, it is well known that peace is but a shadow of death, and in Takato's case, it is a known fact that peace doesn't seem to stay too long by his side. Since there are no enemies nearby……yet, we can only infer that the most likely to be the source of any disturbances would be a certain redhead.
If you haven't reached the obvious conclusion yet, let's do things step by step. At this point, Takato has already complimented Rika's clothes, made her blush several times, and copped a feel of her rear and fall face-flat on her chest. Hence, the next obvious logical step would be………
Anyway, Rika enters the room. Since it's a hot spring, she is easily noticed by her clothes (or the lack of them, I mean). Immediately, that little part of our brain which only focuses on self-preservation regardless of the situation was triggered in Takato's head. As he slowly counted the seconds his life still has left, he took a deep breath and sank himself in the hot water.
Aaargh! It's too hot!!!
"Well, duh! They are HOT springs!"
Of course, that caused Takato to swallow a lot of water, which depleted any air he had gathered before, so he returned to the surface, where, of course, he was spotted by Miss Rika Nonaka.
Since Takato thought he was as good as dead, he considered there wouldn't be any further problems if he actually faced her and apologized……even if this wasn't really his fault.
"Ah! Aaaa……I'm sorry!!!"
"………………"
No response. Takato waited and tried to figure what Rika was thinking. Of course, she was surprised. I mean, who wouldn't?
But there's also……
"……fear?"
Yes, and………hesitation.
And then, much to Takato's shock, Rika walked inside the natural pool and sat next to Takato.
"Rika……"
"Don't."
"But…"
"Don't say a word."
The two remained silent and immobile for a while. Takato realized that the hot springs weren't so relaxing anymore.
"Why are you doing this?"
"………because I don't want to cry."
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 74:40:27
On the grass, a myriad of rookie Digimon lied, exhausted. They were breathing heavily, receiving the gazes of just as many humans, who still couldn't believe what had just happened. They had found the advantage in numbers, and for a while, they actually had a chance at victory. They had been the Digi-Destined again, finding the road to victory against all odds, and releasing true power in the greatest perils. Their hearts beat as one, their blood had boiled and they hadn't refused the unavoidable excitement that flooded their veins. They were together again, joined by a common goal. To defeat Seraphimon.
And then, in a flash of light, they had lost.
While the Digi-Destined each went to aid their fallen Digimon, the golden angel de-evolved back to Patamon and flew to his resting place on Takeru's head.
"What the hell was that? One minute I thought I was defeated and the next I opened one hell of a can of whoop-ass!!!"
Takeru shrugged and showed his Digimon the three cards he was holding.
"Offense Plug-In K, Defense Plug-In G and High Speed Plug-In T, they never fail!"
Yolei growled as she smoothed the mess of feathers Hawkmon was now.
"You know, that's like, so not fair!"
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 74:31:02
Rika had just "existed", letting the hot water caress her skin, while Takato was left alone with his many thought, at the same time he fought the incredible desire to ogle the naked girl next to him. She hadn't turned her back to him, or tried to hide her nakedness, so it wasn't that difficult. He just had to turn his head a little bit………
"So……what now?"
It had been her first sentence in almost fifteen minutes, so it totally took Takato by surprise. As instant reflexes kicked in, Takato turned a full 120 degrees away, hindering any intention of peeking at Rika.
What now………? Good question.
Takato wasn't very sure of what the problem was. He liked her, and she had just told him she liked him, wasn't the happy ending supposed to come next?
"Hmm……good me……"
Oh, yeah, I'm almost dead. Good point. So, what I'm supposed to do?
"I guess now's when I give you the whole 'follow your heart' speech, right?"
From you? No, thank you. Any suggestions, Ruki?
I guess it's all up to what you want, Goggles.
Accepting the facts, Takato turned to face Rika. The girl's body stiffened her body due to the unexpected invasion to her intimacy, but then she remembered she had pretty much asked for it.
"……will you be my girlfriend? Even if it's just for these few days?"
Rika was surprised, and her eyes pretty much showed it. However, the surprise Takato saw was soon changed to a smile Takato couldn't interpret.
"My, you're bold."
Takato frowned. Is she chuckling?
"So……is that a yes?"
Rika's chuckling transformed into a healthy laughter.
"………anyway……what am I supposed to do?" She happily said.
Takato couldn't tell what Rika was thinking. Was she toying with him? Heh, might as well follow the game!
"Well……you could start by kissing me."
"My, you're one bold Gogglehead!"
Rika's expression didn't change, but he could tell she found this quite entertaining. Takato chuckled.
"Shut up and listen to a dying man's request."
More laughter from Rika, who didn't stop showing that strange smile of hers. She was challenging him, but Takato didn't know that. However, the challenge became dangerously tangible when the girl suddenly approached him.
"Ahh…umm………Rika………" Takato muttered, his confidence suddenly disappearing. Rika seemed to be ignoring the boy's words, and she was now inches away from him.
"Stupid Gogglehead………stupid cute baka Gogglehead……………come here."
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 72:12:31
He knew he was in the wrong place. He also knew that if he was found, he would be dragged back to bed. But he needed to do this. He owed it to the person who had saved his life.
"How are you, Ryo?"
He got no response. It was expected, since Ryo was unconscious. Henry looked at the far end of the room. Monodramon slept peacefully, yet Henry knew that the small dragon was troubled by his Tamer's well being. After all, Henry had never seen Monodramon bonding with any other human but Ryo Akiyama. Actually, he hadn't even seen him having a conversation with any other human being but Ryo Akiyama (except for a few words exchanged with Takato in the Digital World (Check Omni-Tamer for details), but there was no way Henry could know about that).
However, the object of his worries was the human, not the Digimon, so he turned his gaze to the boy on the bed. He knew Ryo had been in many adventures, and he was sure this was the first time he got so badly wounded. But it was also the first time he was caught by surprise, so it could be understood. There was no merit in what Daemon had done.
And so, Ryo was now covered in bandages as his burns and wounds healed. He also knew that Ryo was out of commission for a while, and that was yet another advantage for Daemon. There was absolutely nothing they could do. Absolutely nothing he could do.
"What are you doing here?"
Henry didn't have to turn to the source of the voice to recognize it as Jeri's.
"Do I really have to answer that question?"
Jeri bit her tongue. It was a silly question, right.
"I guess not."
She took a seat on the other side of the bed, so she could look at Ryo and Henry at the same time.
"Poor Ryo."
"Yeah." Henry agreed. "He ended up like this for saving my life………"
"It wasn't your……"
"I know. But it still bugs me."
Jeri sighed. It pained her to see Henry so troubled. "I wish Takato was here. He'd know what to do."
Henry sweatdropped. "Umm……not really. He'd just charge straight forward to Daemon, confident that somehow things would turn out okay."
Jeri chuckled. "Yeah, I guess. But it has always worked for him."
"Well, we had to run out of luck one day."
"At the worst time possible."
"Murphy's Law, Jeri. Never forget it."
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 69:49:56
Back in his bedroom, with his eyes closed, and his body covered by a kimono and the bed's sheets, Takato went through all of the day's events.
My girlfriend………
Takato giggled like a little girl.
"Oh, jeez……"
What!? I've dreamt of this for who knows how long. I'm only enjoying the fruits of my hard work and effort.
Don't you want a medal too, Goggles?
"You know, that wouldn't be so bad."
"What?" Rika's voice was heard from inside the bathroom. Once again, Renamon was conveniently absent.
"Ah, nothing? Just talking with Ruki."
Rika's head showed up from behind the curtain. "Really? I still can't believe it actually talks back."
Well, you better believe it, missy!
"Well, she technically doesn't talk, Rika. She sends electrical impulses my brain interprets as words."
"Oooh, nerdy Gogglehead!"
"Go to hell."
Rika disappeared inside the bathroom once again. Takato sighed, and with a smile on his face, he completely relaxed his sore body. He closed his eyes, and it was only he and his mind companions. He soon noticed the same aura of tiredness and weakness from both Ruki and Chaos.
"Takato……" Ruki whispered sadly.
"I know. I feel it, too. As much as my body rests, and as comfortable and content I am here, I feel more and more tired."
"At this point………" Ruki started.
"……three days, maybe less." Chaos finished. They both looked at Takato/Asmodeus, waiting for a conclusion. The fact that Chaos was actually listening to his counterpart's opinion was a sign of weakness, and it stated the fact that Chaos had succumbed to the facts. There would be no "Total Control of the Vessel" this time.
After twenty seconds, more or less, Takato simply replied with a silly grin.
"Well, I guess we should make the most of these days, right?"
Both Ruki and Chaos sighed.
"Why am I not surprised, I wonder?" Ruki concluded with a smile on her face.
With that settled, Takato opened his eyes, to meet a seemingly annoyed Rika, with her arms crossed across her chest and her left foot continuously tapping the floor.
"What?"
"What do you mean, 'what?'!?" Rika spat back.
"Exactly what I said, what?"
"Gosh, are you stupid, or what!?"
It took quite a while to realize that his body was pretty much spread on the middle of the bed.
"Oh………oh!"
"Move it already!!!"
A few seconds later and Rika was on the bed, her back turned to Takato. "Stupid Gogglehead."
For an entire minute, the only sound heard was the dancing flames from the torches and candles.
"Sorry."
Immediately, Rika turned to face Takato.
"Now why are you apologizing!?"
"Wha-what!? I thought you were mad at me!!!"
"Do you think I'm the kind of person who gets mad at silly things like that!?"
"Ummm………"
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a dilemma here!
"Ah……Rika, dear, do you want the right answer or the nice answer?"
*TWACK!*
"Ow!!! Rika!!!"
Rika chuckled and cuddled next to the boy. Takato frowned in response.
"I'll never understand women."
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 68:11:12
In the eternal paradox of time and space known as Infinity, the Dragon God meditated.
In the eyes of Goddramon, the situation had reached a state of unstable balance. Like the ball which will eventually fall down the ramp, the flow of events was as likely to result in success as it was to absolute disaster. Daemon, tired of rampaging the ghost city Tokyo currently was, had finally deployed troops in the Southern Quadrant. It was a matter of time before they find Takato, everything depending on the when. A little too soon, and it would be the end of everything.
The skies of Infinity were dark and cloudy, and a cool breeze refreshed the place. It was a metaphor of the relative peace Takato was experiencing. Rika Nonaka was doing an excellent job as "The Chain", the one who bound Takato to the joys of humanity before the final hour. Soon, very soon, Rika's "services" would be no longer needed. And if, and only if things turned out okay, then Rika would be replaced by Alice. "The Chain" would be replaced by "The Teacher".
There was no place for love in the life of the new Adam.
But he wasn't really that worried about Takato's future. He blindly believed in the ways of the Thread of Destiny. He just knew things would develop as expected, in one way or another, with or without Takato. What truly worried him was what was happening in the Eastern Quadrant.
Mimi's disappearance, aside from causing a lot of preoccupation for the Digi-Destined and Takeru, had been a terrible disturbance for the balance of things. What was even worse, he ignored where she was taken, or what had happened to her. The last moment before losing track of her data pattern she was awfully close to the edge of the Eastern Quadrant. The place where the four quadrants meet. The relative center of the Universe.
The Apex.
The Apex had always been a mystery to him, and pretty much everyone else. There seem to be no was to know what lies within there because, as far as he knew, it was impossible to enter. He had some theories about what could possibly exist in such a place, but there was no point discussing them without any proof, or method to find proof, as a matter of fact.
He made a mental check to ponder such matters in a future occasion, as he now thought that, just maybe, the secret of the Apex would help unveil some of the mysteries behind Project Asmodeus even he ignored. Then, he moved to the third matter at hand.
Once Takeru had finished the original model for the Omnivice, Pauline, other two such artifact had been created. The Ruby Omnivice, Ruki, and the Blackpearl Omnivice, still unnamed. He had pretty good idea of what her name would be, but he'd wait to seem what happened. Anyway, since Takeru had been satisfied with the original result, he had pretty much dropped the Omnivice Project, labeling it as "successful".
Goddramon had a completely different opinion, though.
And the result was now finished. The new generation of Omnivices was much easier to manipulate, as there were absolutely no buttons and no screen. The operation was completely driven by the Tamer's brain waves and the interface with the nervous system. Aside from that, an increased memory compared to the first model and improved processing capabilities were important differences. There was a catch, though.
With the new Omnivices, the Tamer couldn't choose the attributes of its personality trait. They were fixed within the Digivice's parameters. However, he thought he had chosen appropriate personalities that would compliment the owner's own strengths and weaknesses.
"You who live within the Pearl Omnivice, Ayla the Valkyrie, I summon you."
A very tall woman responded to the call of the Dragon God. Her hair was white like snow and her clear skin made her look like a ghostly figure. Her cerulean blue eyes made an added effect, and they matched the metal breast plate that protected her chest over the white robe that covered her slender and athletic body. A golden tiara with a huge pearl on the middle completed the outfit.
"I listen to your call, Lord Goddramon."
Strong-willed, full of determination and a little bitchy to make things short, she would be of great help for her Master in the upcoming battles.
"My dear Ayla, you have Pauline's beauty and Ruki's courage. You are specially designed to be a battle strategist, and your skills are beyond comparison. It is now your time, you shall join your Tamer."
Ayla bowed humbly. "It is a honor and a pleasure to serve, milord."
"From now on you shall only receive orders from five beings: me, your Tamer, Takaishi Takeru, Lord Seraphimon, and Matsuki Takato. Is that fully understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now, go."
Ayla disappeared in a burst of white light, to be replaced by the familiar shape of an Omnivice. This one was clear white like ivory, with two golden bands at the edges, right next to the card slots. Unlike the Emerald, Ruby and Blackpearl Omnivices, the smooth surface of the Pearl Omnivice wasn't ruined by button or the black screen. Finally, the Omnivice disappeared, too, to find the way to its new owner.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 67:38:15
"I can't sleep."
"Me neither."
"Huh!?" A startled Henry suddenly leapt off his bed. When he had said he couldn't sleep, he wasn't definitely expecting a response. Much less from Jeri, and especially not when it was almost midnight.
"J-Jeri!? Wha-what the hell are you doing here!?"
"The same thing as you: trying to sleep." Jeri answered from the other side of the room.
"Would the two of you be nice enough to shut up?" Terriermon interrupted, showing just how sleepy he was. Well, not really showing, since the room was completely dark.
"Oh, be quiet, you! Jeri, what I mean is……why are you here?"
"Well, I was taken to this room while I was unconscious, and as far as I know I don't have any other place where to sleep."
Fortunately, neither Henry nor Jeri could see the other's blush in the darkness. Henry managed to notice that Jeri had moved to a sitting position on the bed, as his eyes got used to the lack of light.
"You know, this is really weird." Jeri muttered.
"Yeah………I mean, I never thought I'd be sharing my room with a girl………"
"Umm……that wasn't what I was talking about."
"No?" An even more nervous Henry asked.
"I was just thinking about Daemon. I mean, we've pretty much remained hidden in this shelter the whole day……Tokyo could be nothing but a ruin right now."
"Mr. Yamaki and his crew are taking care of that, and you know that the army is fighting Daemon as we speak."
"But normal weapons will never defeat Daemon……"
"Right, but at least they'll keep him busy, and give us time."
"Time? For what? What are we waiting for, Henry?"
"Well, I guess we're waiting to be in top condition to fight again."
"And then……?"
"And then we fight again and see what happens."
Silence. Terriermon had managed to fall asleep again. Henry looked at Jeri, and he knew she was looking back.
"I wish I had a better answer, Jeri."
"I know."
Henry looked up at the white ceiling. For some reason he was really starting to hate that ceiling.
"I'm afraid………I don't want to die."
"I think no one does, Henry. And we won't die."
Henry looked back at the girl, to notice that she had extended her left hand to him. Slowly, he did the same with his right hand until it was holding hers. They decided to stay like that for while, as no more words were needed.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 60:28:55
"Takeru!!!!"
The whole house was startled by a woman's sudden yell. Gennai, Ken and Koushiro, the first to wake up that morning, were busy preparing breakfast for the small battalion. Kari stormed inside the kitchen.
"Where's Takeru!?"
Ken looked at the redhead Koushiro, who shrugged in response. Gennai smiled and answered the question.
"He was up before any of us. I think he's outside."
Strangely enough, Kari simply rushed to the front door and ran outside. Ken and Gennai sweatdropped.
"What's wrong with her?" Gennai asked to no one in particular.
Koushiro shrugged……and frowned. "I'm doing this shrugging thing a lot lately."
As for Takeru, yes, he was outside. As usual, he was preparing himself for the new day, with the permanent company of his partner Patamon……and his other partner, Pauline.
So……what's up for today?
Oh, you have lots of work today, Pauline.
Really? Damn……
Hey!
I-I mean, it's a pleasure to serve you, my dearest!
Takeru sighed. Whatever, just make a Digimon scan at the widest range possible. I want to be the first to know when the enemy approaches. Start with five miles and expand the radius continuously until you feel you've reached your limit.
……okay. Then don't bother me, I'm busy!
Takeru smiled as the Digivice began processing immeasurable amounts of data. Patamon yawned and used his wings to rub his face.
"So, what's up for today?"
"…………I'm not very sure. I can't get Mimi out of my head."
"Yes, she's one hell of a cutie."
"Oh, go to hell, I'm serious here!"
"I know, I know. But we have no idea where to look for her, right?"
"Right…………God, I hope she's okay………"
"Takeru!!!!!!"
Takeru looked up to see Kari running towards him. The blonde realized he had never seen Kari run like that. He didn't even remember the last time he saw her running at all!
"Takeru!!!"
Takeru couldn't help but release a laugh. "What's with the rush, Hikari?"
"Look at this!!!" She said as she extended her right arm to him.
Both Takeru and Patamon gasped simultaneously.
The Pearl Omnivice shone brightly on Kari's right wrist.
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E.T.D. (Estimated Time of Death): 60:13:49
So, do you understand?
……I think so.
Really? Could you make a quick summary?
Huh? A-A……summary?
Yeah! And do it loudly so BlackTerriermon can hear you!
The Tamer known simply as 'DC' sighed in defeat. For a twelve-year-old girl who was supposed to obey him, Gabrielle could be very bossy at times. He looked at the Digimon who was seated next to him, scratching his head.
"Oh, well, you win, girl. Let's see……there's this 'Gospel'………"
BlackTerriermon looked up to his Tamer, wondering what the hell he was talking about.
"……according to Gospel, the day of the last Holy War is approaching. Your calculations predict that it will take place in a little more than three years. Right?"
Right! Now tell me about Project Asmodeus.
"Project Asmodeus was originally planned by the Dragon God, Goddramon, to control the next reincarnation of the essence of Chaos, who was very likely to appear during 'Gospel'. However, the original idea seemed to present several implications which forced the Digital Guardians to complete the project, resigning themselves to focus on the Crests and the Digi-Destined."
However………
"However, someone, we still don't know who he is, created his very own Digital Guardian to secretly complete Project Asmodeus, hidden within the unknown territories close to the Apex. After years of unsuccessful attempts, this 'fake Gennai' completed the first version of an optimum genetic code for a 'Vessel of God'. To test this first version, he secretly implanted it in a fecundated ovum, belonging to a woman from Southern Quadrant Tokyo, or Tokyo 3 to make it short. This woman's name is Matsuki Mie, and the child born was named Matsuki Takato, code name Asmodeus."
Excellent! You've been listening! Now, let's stop the history lesson for a while, to discuss the characteristics of the Vessel, to finally state the mistakes Gennai made when designing him.
"According to your research, Gabrielle, Takato's mistake was the fact that he had no mistake. He was designed to be completely human, hence that made him prone to acquire a human's weaknesses. The fact that Chaos has been forced to experience a human's feelings has made him even more unstable and unpredictable. Aside from that, there is the fact that the human brain wasn't designed to contain two different personalities, and the mental stress is destroying his brain cells at an accelerated rate. You predict his death is approximately three days."
Okay……let's go on with Project Asmodeus.
"Well……after Takato proved to be a success, and he was being raised and treated as a normal child, with no signs of failure from either the body or the mind, Gennai attempted a second model of Vessel, without using a woman's womb."
That was me. Code Name Gabrielle. It was supposed to be Gabriel, but, well, I turned out to be a 'she'.
"Precisely. Gennai discarded you as a suitable vessel because of your gender."
Chauvinist bastard.
"He also discarded the test tube project, as the random elements within the theory made it impossible to fully control the Vessel's characteristics. Then, he created a third and final version of the Vessel, an upgraded version of Takato. Basically, he corrected the problem of the two conflicting personalities within one body."
Well, that's what he says. I mean, if he allows the essence of Chaos to fully possess such a Vessel, the incredible power will probably turn him into a materialization of pure evil. I mean, Chaos is not meant to be evil, as it is only a part of the grand scheme of things, but as soon as he acquires the power to challenge God itself, he will definitely use it! Gennai would never have any control over such a being. So, or he's definitely lost it by creating that new Vessel, or there's something he hasn't told me.
"Gosh, we're so screwed. And you told me he implanted the DNA patch in Tachikawa Mimi……THE Tachikawa Mimi………damn!"
Yes……with her being a Digi-Destined, I wouldn't be surprised if this kid has gained an unexpected power boost.
"Jeez………anyway, why don't we just destroy him while he's still a baby?"
Two reasons. First, nothing enters the Apex. It's just like that, unreachable. The path to the Apex will only open to a selected few. Thankfully, we're both members of the selected fraternity of the Archangels, so we can enter……I mean, you can enter, I'm already inside. But anyway, the second reason is that we must remember that there's a higher force controlling all this, and he/she/it might not like it if we get too close to that baby.
"Yeah……whoever created Gennai and started all this bullshit must be quite a foe, huh?"
Anyway, now that we just mentioned the Archangels, why don't we just talk about the Last Holy War?
"Well, according to 'Gospel', in the Day of the Beast, the Black Chaos and his army of Archdemons will raid the worlds and bring forth disaster to everyone and everything. However, the Archdemons' counterparts, the nine Archangels, will fight against the army of Evil, commanded by the Primun Mobile, he who carries the essence of divinity. But, really, if Takato's supposed to fight in the Last Holy War, how come he's dying? Does that mean all this Gospel is turning to nothing?"
Oh, no, of course not. Gospel will take place, in one way or another. Only time will tell how, but it will happen.
"………if you say so. So……how do you distinguish an Archangel?"
Well, since I am too a Vessel of God, hence I've been blessed by the essence of Balance, I kind of feel the presence of the other eight Archangels. That was how I found you, big guy.
DC blushed. "It's weird……this whole being an Archangel and all……"
Don't dwell on it; it's just a title, just like 'Omni-Tamer', 'Enlightened One', 'Digi-Destined', 'Tamer', or even 'Vessel of God'. They're just names, and by themselves they mean nothing.
"Well, it's still weird. But go on, please."
Anyway, first of all, they must have a Digimon partner. Now that the Digital World has expanded so greatly through the dimensions, 'Gospel' is forced to include it and its living things. The Digimon must be a part of 'Gospel', as their future is also at stake. Second, they must have, or will have Omnivices. The Omnivice works as an interface between the Archangels' weak human body and the world around them. What I mean is, they can't fully exploit their powers with such weak bodies. Hence, the Omnivice allows them to use their powers in a different way, like bio-merging, Modify Cards, Warp Evolution, Dual Force, Trinity Force, etc. Theoretically, neither Takato nor I need Omnivices, as our bodies are specially designed to use our abilities. However, the fact that Takato is not a 100% perfect Vessel makes an Omnivice a useful option to cope for those slight weaknesses. However, it is also a double-bladed weapon, as a third personality within Takato's brain is accelerating the degeneration process even more.
Gabrielle stopped talking for a minute. If she weren't more than a projection of her soul turned into electrical impulses within the Opal Omnivice, DC would think she would be resting her throat after the short speech. BlackTerriermon had resigned to simply listen. It wasn't that bad, as the one-sided chat (remember, he can't hear Gabrielle) was fairly interesting.
"Okay, so they have Digimon and Omnivices. Anything else?"
Gabrielle thought for a while, carefully picking her next words.
Archangels can eat the Seeds of Sephiroth.
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End of chapter 15………
Author's Notes: Okay, really, I expected to make it with 17 chapters, but I guess it wasn't possible. It will end with 18 chapters, period. Chapter 18 is 100% complete and chapter 17 is 25% complete, that's good. As for the even longer delay this time, well, I was kind of out of my computer during January. I do have a life, you know, and a very busy one, in fact. A very important trip came up, so I left town and my PC got filled with dust. I pretty much wrote 60% percent of this chapter in these last two days.
Man, this is one long story. What is it with me and these annoyingly long dramas!? Oh, and by the way, I'm sorry for those who requested cameos, but I decided not to make any more cameos, at least during what's left of "Tamers Forever". I already have enough with one "permanent" cameo and one original character, especially one as complex as Gabrielle. Gosh, writing Mina was so easy………*sighs*
Just check this chapter. It has like, 26 pages of talking and talking, no fighting at all. I do seem to like making these people talk. Maybe it's because they do have a lot to say, and they have to say it several times so that everyone understands. That's pretty much what Gabrielle and DC are doing right now, because they're nothing more than sitting ducks until the last chapter. I do promise that the next chapter will have fighting……it's more like a massacre, but you get the point. Next chapter will be like 75% talk, 25% fights. And the chapter after that will be the exact opposite: 75% fight (Tamers V.S. Daemon, all or nothing!) and 25% talk.
Anyway, I won't promise to write faster because experience has taught me that I actually take longer when I do that. See ya!
(The Biggest Dreamer starts playing)
Rika's Voice: Happiness……is real. But so is pain. And such, both bliss and pain like to walk hand in hand. A kiss……it might be delicious like the sweetest honey, or it might hurt like incandescent coal. And here I am, walking on the broken glass which is my heart. My feet hurt, or at least they should, but I am now incapable of feeling pain. Pain doesn't exist for me, as I have found happiness. Yet, sweet irony, pain seems to always find its way to me. And now, the flames of death engulf my heart and disperse my tears. I reach for your hand, and it doesn't slip away. I'm holding you, and I don't know why, but it hurts.
"Silent Sorrow", next episode: Concerto of Despair, Part III: Nocturne of Sadness
Daneel Rush (daneel_ff@hotmail.com)
