The
Ivani Chronicles: Book 1- Evacuation: Chapter 5- Trouble and
Strife
"Keep low, this wind will carry you away if you
aren't careful!" Ivan's warning was nearly completely swallowed
up by the gale that had enveloped the small band as they traveled
through a particularly sparse area of trees. In addition, the wind
had brought snow and hail along with it, greatly impeding the
movement of the group. Visibility was reduced to nearly zero, and the
chill of the air sliced through the thin fabric of the clothing as
knives do to butter. Even the fleece jackets that had been brought
served as little defense against the oppressive storm.
Houndramon
alone felt little of the weather's strength, treading forward with
the same determination as always. He did, however, see the state that
his friends had been reduced to. They held close to the ground,
half-crawling and half-walking along the frozen earth.
Worst
off out of the group was most likely Kari, wearing only the
sleeveless shirt she had taken from the box back at their original
camp. Ivan wasn't doing much better, but this was due to his choice
of acting as a windbreaker for the rest of the group. TK, Patamon,
and Gatomon were also enduring great pains, but were slightly better
equipped to be in the gale. Maddie was doing the best out of those on
two legs, holding close to Ivan and thus staying partially protected
from the nightmarish winds. Regardless of the protection he provided,
however, Maddie suffered just as much from the biting cold and
wetness. Filmaramon had become a large winter coat, throwing herself
onto Maddie to keep her further protected from the storm. Sadly, her
attempt came to little avail. The storm seemed to pierce the hide of
any creature, save Houndramon.
Ivan again called out to the
group, but found that the winds had increased in speed. No one heard
his voice but himself, with the gale stealing the words away just as
they left his mouth. He then caught Houndramon's eye and found that
his furry companion was still able to move as freely as before.
"Create a barrier, genius!" The dog called to him, his
voice reverberating through the air as if the cyclone of wind was not
present. Ivan quickly heeded Houndramon's words and turned to face
the winds.
Muttering a quick verse, he threw his hands to the
air. Instantly, a large, translucent green image flew out from his
hands around himself and his coterie. Now encased in a pale green
ball, the entire group fell to the ground at the relief of no wind
pressing against them. A second later they jumped back to attention
from the discovery that the ground was coated in a thick layer of icy
snow. Although the wind could not pass through the field of energy
that Ivan had created, the snow continued to fall around them as they
stood, freezing and wet, in the artificial eye of the hideous frozen
tornado.
"Well, I'd say this is just a grand way to start
off our day, don't you?" The sarcasm in TK's voice as he did his
best to keep Kari warm was all too evident. No one needed to be
reminded of the weather, as it showed no signs of letting up. On the
contrary, it seemed to have gained force as they rested.
"I
don't get it," Ivan replied, paying no heed to TK's remark. "It
does get a bit cold in this forest, but rarely does it ever snow. And
this is worse than almost any other storm I have seen. Something is
telling me this is no natural cold front." The group was silent
as they began to comprehend what was happening.
"Who
could make a storm like this?" Kari said weakly after a moment,
still quite winded from pressing through the gale.
"I'm
not sure," Maddie answered, looking through the billowing blasts
of snow and ice as best she could. "I would think that this is
somehow related to the drones or robots, but none of their kind could
sustain such an attack for this amount of time. After all, they are
robots. They have a limited capacity for attacks before they need to
reload."
"Right," Ivan agreed, trying to
decipher the source of the frozen assault. As he thought, he noticed
his legs were beginning to get numb. He looked down to find his legs
embedded in snow and ice rising slowly above his knees.
"We
can't stay here anymore, Ivan," TK called, standing and
releasing his legs from the deep snow. He proceeded to help Kari up,
then turned his attention back to Ivan, who was now holding Maddie
above the frosty, snow-covered ground. "Can you sustain this
barrier as we move? It would make movement much easier."
"I
can," Ivan replied after taking a moment to think of a mobile
shield charm. "It will be significantly smaller and weaker, but
it should work. Come on, let's get moving." TK moved as quickly
as he could through the light-packed, sinking snow to where Ivan
waited for him, leading Kari as he went. "Brace yourself, this
will be cold," Ivan warned as he placed Maddie once again on her
feet and turned away from the group. The others heeded Ivan's words
and crouched together, watching him for what he would do next.
Ivan
took a second to remember each of the verses required to first remove
the current spell, and then engage the other. When he was sure that
there would only be a second's gap between the existences of the two
shields, he recited the first verse.
As the large green dome
dissipated, everyone was shocked with an incredible gust of cold air,
penetrating any and all clothing they wore. Even Houndramon felt the
thrust of cold through his resistant fur. But as soon as it had come,
it was gone. Ivan had kept his concentration and set the mobile
blockade into effect. Turning back to the shivering group, he gave a
warm, smug smile as if to say, "Did you enjoy that?" The
glares he received from the others, even if they were partially
feigned, wiped the smile from his face.
"Okay, let's move
before we all get turned into snowmen." Ivan's second attempt at
lightening the mood also had little effect as entertainment, but was
at least met with positive action. Each person picked up their
respective digimon, and then followed Ivan and Houndramon further
into the ferocious flurry of snow and ice.
An
hour passed. Then another. It soon seemed like an eternity had been
spent within the unrelenting, magical storm. As Kari forced one foot
in front of the other, trying to keep her balance as she followed the
others, her thoughts drifted to the previous days. They were days she
had spent with Ivan and Maddie. They were days she had spent in
danger unlike any she had ever faced.
That first meeting with
Ivan and Maddie now seemed to be eons ago. They had left the cave
five days ago, journeying into the forest only to encounter a quartet
of deadly drones at the edge of a gorge. Things only got worse after
crossing the gorge as Maddie fell at the assault of an enraged
robotic imitation of a Cherrymon. Sacrifices and luck lead to her
reawakening, and they spent their first night only a few yards from
the wreckage of the robot.
The following day, they set off in
earnest, soon meeting up with the magically twisted trail that had
left them the previous day. They covered a good amount of ground that
day, more than they would on any other day. That night, however, Kari
herself had been kidnapped by what turned out to be giant spiders,
jet black in color. Each was about twenty feet long, twelve feet tall
and able to take out a blue whale with only a single drop of venom.
She did not learn about the true peril she had been in until after
she was saved, which helped her to keep from panicking while she had
been a prisoner. They used their silky threads to pin Kari to the
wall of their roost – a large, hollowed hole in a tree nearly a
mile from the campsite from which she had been taken. It was thanks
to Houndramon's expert tracking ability and Ivan's battle skills that
she was rescued in haste from the spider nest.
Kari's favorite
moment of that endeavor was when TK had driven past the spider guards
to save her from her silk confines. It was almost as if he were back
on his basketball court in Japan, driving past the guards to his goal
which, in this instance, turned out to be Kari. He had her down from
the wall in an instant, and then turned to defend her from the
oncoming spiders. They were most angered at having their meal taken
from them. However, they never got close enough to be struck down by
TK's staff; Ivani released an astoundingly colorful aurora that, as
it washed over the spiders, knocked them unconscious. He later stated
that he could not take the life of the forest's creatures, for they
were far too important to its survival.
The search-and-rescue
episode took about half of the third day away, and the time it took
for Kari to recover took another good portion. They only made about
one mile in headway that day before they were forced to up camp
again.
The fourth day brought even more danger than Kari, or
anyone else, had been expecting. First, the group left the path again
as it decided to turn sharply in the wrong direction; it nearly fell
back upon itself. Then, the foliage overhead became so dense that no
light could get through. Ivan seemed to be mildly pleased at the
darkness for, as he said, it marked the halfway point of their
journey. Regardless, the darkness made it far more difficult to make
headway, and any objects impeding their movement were much harder to
circumnavigate.
As the day progressed, the darkness deepened
and Kari found herself holding onto TK's hand. The only light now
available came from the pulsing crests about their necks. Following
after the similar light from the amulets of Ivan and Maddie, TK led
her forward through the gloom; Kari was exceedingly grateful for it.
She wished that she could have said things right the last time the
two of them had been alone together. However, she was starting to
realize that she might have a second chance at a relationship with
TK. She would just have to keep believing and hoping, hoping that she
could get TK to admit his feelings for her. Even if he didn't see it,
or if he denied it, Kari could tell that he did care for her. If only
he could admit it, He would find that she felt the same way.
Kari's
thoughts continued to drift through their fourth day, looking for
each of TK's subtle signals to her. As the group continued to trudge
slowly through the darkness, she suddenly found that the ground was
not as sturdy as she had remembered it to be. It wasn't brittle,
but softer. She could not see the ground and continued on next to TK,
paying the soft ground no mind. By the time she really noticed a more
apparent change in the earth they tread, it was too late. Kari and TK
had lagged behind the others after coming to a large rock and having
a difficult time passing it when Kari suddenly felt a firm, painful
grip around her left leg. The same thing seemingly happened to TK as
well, for he cried out at the same time as she. It was too late;
their cries were sharply muffled as they were yanked into and through
the ground, which gave way at the pull of the claws. As Kari was
pulled through the soil, she realized that it was not soil, but sand.
Had she been able to think, Kari may have realized that it was a
Wolf-Lion claw wrapped around her leg. Unfortunately for her, the
force of the pincers and the sheer fear of being dragged several feet
below ground kept her from any coherent thought.
A moment
later, Kari came from the sand into a small underground cavern. She
heard TK come down next to her, and they were both released roughly
from the claws to the floor. Turning around, Kari saw, with what
little aid her crest provided in the depths, a form the size of a
mammoth. Innumerable appendages flailed and whipped about it. The
appendages, as if by magic, grew and shrank as they swung around
haphazardly, giving the creature a phantasmal appearance. Kari was
also able to make out two long pincers in the center of the mass,
with rows of teeth inside the mouth they framed.
The Wolf-Lion
proceeded to advance on the two children, who rose quickly to their
feet and backed away from the monster. The creature made a clicking
noise with its teeth as it moved slowly closer to Kari and TK. TK had
instinctively stepped in front of Kari as they moved away from the
creature. However, she hit a wall after only a couple of paces. The
clicking became faster as the beast closed in on its prey, making an
ominous rhythm. Kari could not remember ever having such fear in her
life. The fangs of the creature were inches away from TK now, slowly
opening to close in around his body. It seemed to delight in the
terror it inspired in the two children. Kari subconsciously put her
arms around TK's waist. She may have been scared, but she wasn't
going to let some overgrown insect take TK from her.
Kari took
the last few seconds she had to study the head of the creature, and
was lucky enough to find what she was looking for – its eyes. Two
large black circles stood out against the radiant yellow light of
TK's crest, which was now bursting with light. With only a second or
two left, Kari threw all of her weight forward and tackled TK to the
ground, keeping him out of immediate danger. She then blessed her
dancing lessons and vaulted herself forward, throwing one of her
booted feet into the left eye of the Wolf-Lion. Clicking madly in
agony and releasing a guttural cry, the creature reeled back. Kari
quickly pulled a shocked TK to his feet and led him out of danger.
Using her hands and what little light she had, Kari found a narrow
passage in the side of the cavern. Crouching a bit, she bolted into
the passage, with TK following right behind. Some fifty paces later,
the tunnel opened up a little, and Kari halted. TK came to a stop
beside her, and motioned for her to get along the wall in case one of
the pincer-arms decided to chase them.
A moment later, an
intense light radiated through the tunnel. Kari then heard an
exasperated call for herself and TK. Making a silent prayer of
thanks, she turned to TK; he had finally come out of his stunned
silence. He gave a warm smile, and congratulated Kari on her amazing
performance. Kari knew she was blushing as TK continued to praise
her, but she was thankful for the shrouding darkness. TK stood still
for a moment, as if hesitating, but only for a moment. The next thing
Kari knew, TK had wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
She was elated to return the embrace. No words needed to be spoken,
for actions told all that needed to be said.
After a moment,
the two broke apart and heeded the calls from Ivan and Maddie. They
dashed back through the thin passageway into the semidarkness of the
cavern room, now partially lit by the glowing amulets that Ivan and
Maddie bore. Kari could clearly see the beast that had threatened her
life. It was dead now, thanks to Ivani.
The creature was
darker than ebony, covered in armored plates that looked as though
they were feet thick. It had six muscular legs and four openings on
its back. From these openings lay the once-flailing pincers with the
supernatural tendency to grow in length. The head was by far the most
grotesque part: a large circular plate surrounding the softer flesh
within. From it protruded the two menacing pincers, as long as
elephant tusks and as sharp as knives. Between them lay rows of
sharp, jagged teeth. Above them were the two black beady eyes, one
now smashed and oozing fluid. Looking like something that had jumped
straight out of a horror book, the Wolf-Lion's remains were burned
into the memory of all there to witness it.
After inspecting
the corpse, Kari quickly explained what had happened to the two
dragoons, who were quite impressed by her ability to take on a
fully-grown Wolf-Lion.
After checking to make everything was
in order and reciting his secret phrase, Ivan transformed into Ivani.
He drew and thrust his sword into the ceiling of the cavern. The sand
blasted apart at the sword's touch, making an evident yet invisible,
due to the darkness, path to the open ground above. As Maddie
transformed at her side, Kari saw Ivani take TK in his arms. Madina
did the same for Kari, and both dragoons shot up through the hole in
the sand, returning to the surface in a few seconds. Even the short
flight had generated a great amount of heat, and Kari was sure he had
been burned from the trip. She now realized why they could not fly
the sixty miles to Secondary Village with Ivan and Maddie.
They
had continued along their way for a few hours more that day, holding
hands from one end of the line to the other to ensure no one else was
ensnared. They reached their most recent campsite that night and had
time only for a quick meal before sleep overtook them. Houndramon,
Ivan, and TK took turns as sentries, not wanting a repeat of their
second night in the forest. They had awoken that morning to a gray
sky, which soon became the overwhelming blizzard that it was now.
A
sudden sharp gust of wind threw Kari abruptly from her thoughts. She
looked around, wondering what had happened. The shield had been taken
down. She saw the others, each watching the sky warily, prepare for a
fight. Still unsure of what was going on, Kari looked up to see what
everyone else was watching.
A cackling laugh echoed through
the forest. So unearthly was the sound it sent shivers down Kari's
spine.
"Kari, look out!" TK dove into Kari as he
yelled, just in time to avoid a large frozen icicle that was shot
from somewhere above in the trees.
"Are
you OK?" TK asked as he got to his knees in the snow, which was
now high enough to reach Maddie's waist.
"I guess,"
she said, also getting up from the frozen ground. "What's going
on?"
"It seems that this storm is being brought on
by some strange creature," TK answered, once again turning his
gaze to the sky. Patamon and Gatomon were at their side by now, doing
what they could to help the two humans from the snow.
The
laugh came again, sounding even more eerie than before. This time,
however, words were also recognizable:
"Hehehe, Hahaha,
prey for me, prey for me! Four of our world, four of another. But not
to worry, they will all be together soon- in me! Hahaha,
Hehehe!"
The snow in the air started to pull together,
gathering together in the air instead of falling. When all of the
falling snow had collected into a single spherical mass, the large
floating ball blasted apart. As the wave of frozen water swept over
the group, everyone was forced to turn away. Looking back, they saw a
small creature floating in the sky.
"Wizardmon!"
Gatomon cried happily, forgetting herself in the joy of seeing her
long-lost friend. However, upon giving the digimon a second look, she
saw that it was not who she thought it was.
The organism, in
many ways, resembled the late Wizardmon. He wore the same clothing,
from his unusual cape to his pointy hat. However, a golden mask
covered the face. Glowing redness came from the eye-sockets of the
mask, and their gaze swept over each of the members of the party. The
Wizardmon, after viewing each of the people and digimon, it threw
back its head in laughter once again, an ominous, cynical laugh that
reverberated from the trees.
"So many to choose from,"
the creature said, flowing down lower to the ground. Its piercing
gaze was leveled intently on the small party, keeping each of the
members stunned into silence.
Ivan, tiring of the wait, drew
his sword.
"Ohhh, a sword! I'm scared now!" the
strange digimon mocked, rotating upside down as if on an axis. "Come
on, give me your best shot, mortal." The voice had suddenly
become more serious, losing all but a hint of its previous
obnoxiousness.
Ivan readied his sword, when he felt a hand, or
rather, a paw, on his arm. Turning, he saw Gatomon and Patamon, both
looking ready for a battle. "Let us handle him," Gatomon
said, looking the human in the eye. "We've been waiting
patiently for a fight, and this seems to be our chance. Besides,
Whoever did this to my Wizardmon is gonna get an extra thrashing from
me. I've got to at least try and free my friend." Ivan nodded,
pointing his sword tip to the ground. Gatomon then looked over her
shoulder at Kari.
"Ready?" the cat-digimon
asked.
"Always," Kari responded, her D3 grasped in
her hand. TK nodded confirmation to his own digimon, readying his
digivice as well.
"Soooo, do you ever plan on attacking
me, or should I just consume you all now?" the infested version
of Wizardmon said sadistically, his glare focusing on the two small
digimon in front of him.
"You can try, but you'll be
sorry," Patamon taunted.
"We'll give you one hell of
a case of heartburn, pal," Gatomon added as both she and Patamon
lunged at the wizard-digimon. Right on cue, TK and Kari raised their
D3's to the sky, each exploding with a white, holy light.
The
light washed over both of the digimon, sending each of them into
their next stage:
"Patamon Digivolve to-" The small
flying digimon became light as his physical essence was transformed
into that of an angel. He once again became solid, and a long,
glowing helmet came over his eyes. As his mighty golden staff
extended from his hand, the newly transformed digimon finished his
sentence: "-Angemon!"
"Gatomon Digivolve to-"
The cat digimon was also engulfed in light, the physical form quickly
changing into a female battle angel. A similar helmet slid over the
angel's face, and an archer's gauntlet slid over her hand. Readying
an arrow in her magical bow of wings, the new digimon spoke: "-
Angewomon!"
The light on the battlefield weakened, but
was still emanating by the two holy beings before the corrupted
Wizardmon. The glowing redness of his eyes flickered for a moment,
but it returned a moment later with renewed strength. "So, you
think some little pesky trick will save you?" The foul digimon
called in a sneering voice. "Think again. Unholy Freeze!"
The creature raised its arm at the two airborne digimon, releasing a
large wave of frozen energy.
Luckily, both angel digimon were
able to evade the attack. Another burst of foul ice lunged at the
angels, followed by a third and a forth. Clipped angel feathers
fluttered to the ground. However, their spirits, as well as those of
their human counterparts, were stronger than the adversary.
"Hand
of Fate!" Angemon called, raising his hand and releasing as bolt
of holy energy at the small offender. It was easily dodged, however,
resulting in no more than a small hole blasted in the
ground.
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon yelled,
releasing her strung arrow at the insane Wizardmon. This attack was
also dodged with ease.
"I've seen better attacks made by
grasshoppers," the cynical digimon sneered, raising its arms
once again. "Ice Vortex!" as the words left the digimon's
mouth, a large swirling vortex spread out from his form, sending an
icy hurricane at both the angelic digimon and the remainder of the
group on the ground.
The wave of frozen energy threw both
Angemon and Angewomon back harshly, each slamming into a tree.
Whatever had possessed the magical digimon had greatly enhanced its
former capabilities.
Ivan, however, was able to fend off the
attack with another remarkable barrier. "Give them more power,
guys," Ivan called to the two Digidestined. "They aren't
strong enough!"
Heeding these words, TK again raised his
D3, calling out to his digimon at the same time, "Angemon, it's
time to Digivolve!" Another brilliant beam of light, tinted
yellow by TK's crest of Hope, engulfed TK's digimon as he grew even
stronger.
"Angemon Digivolve to-" the armor around
the angel's body doubled up, providing even more defense. Another set
of wings came from his back, allowing for more speed. And, along with
his ethereal sword, a large purple helmet descended onto his head,
giving the patriarch angel a truly holy appearance. "-MagnaAngemon!"
The creature called, although not with a fierce voice, but one that
was calm and melodious.
Seeing her companion reach his
ultimate level seemed to instill energy into Angewomon as she rose
from the snow-covered ground. She prepared another arrow and waited
for MagnaAngemon's attack. Together, it would be more than enough to
send the twisted creature to the land from which it came. The male
angle however, proceeded to engage the enemy in close combat.
The
infested mage was designed for ranged combat and, as MagnaAngemon had
guessed, was unprepared for a melee attack. The superior angel struck
again and again at the small creature, who reeled in pain as one
particular strike landed a clean blow across his midsection. "We
hate to do this to you, Wizardmon," the angel said calmly,
speaking for both himself and Angewomon, "but had you been in
you right mind, you would have asked us to do this."
The
evil light in the eyes of the mask faded, as if in realization of
what was about to happen. "Wait, no, stop!" the mutated
digimon screeched as MagnaAngemon raised his blade high above
him.
Angewomon also realized what he was about to do, and half
of herself hated her for assisting. However, the other half knew it
had to be done to save her friend from the torment that he was in.
Reluctantly, she moved into position, targeting the twisted digimon
squarely in the back.
"Gate of Destiny!"
MagnaAngemon shouted, swiping a large circle in the air before him. A
mysterious gate then appeared within the trace made by the sword's
beam. Thrusting his blade through the middle of the portal, the gate
opened to reveal an endless plane of blackness.
"Celestial
Arrow!" Angewomon called, releasing her bolt of light into the
back of the imitation Wizardmon. With an unearthly scream, the small
digimon was thrust into the gate by the force of Angewomon's arrow,
and was pulled into the plane of unreality. His cry ceased abruptly
as the gate snapped shut, but his voice still echoed among the
trees.
The gate slowly faded from sight.
As if by magic, the thick coating of snow on the ground evaporated at unimaginable speed. Within seconds, the trees were returned to their former status, the grass came back into view, and the pathway that they had been tracking came into view off to their left, winding back towards the river on their right. Similarly, the river's covering of ice disappeared from view, revealing the fresh water flowing towards their goal of Secondary Village.
"Well, wasn't that a fun excursion?" Maddie quipped as she replaced her jacket about her waist.
"Indeed; it was most entertaining," Ivan stated with exaggerated conviction. However, he was only able to hold his facade of seriousness for a moment before he and the rest of the troupe broke out in laughter. Relaxed and warm once again, Ivan too replaced his fleece around his waist.
Looking up through the now-cleared sky, Houndramon noticed that much more time had passed than they had expected. The sun was now in the middle of it's descent into the west, meaning that evening was only just around the corner. "I would suggest finding a suitable camp somewhere nearby," he remarked, turning to face the group. "It appears that evening will be upon us in a short while, and I would advise that we get settled ere it comes. It may be cold no longer, but I'm sure that we could all do with a bit of extra recuperation."
The others nodded their agreement and struck out into the woods once more. And hour or two later, the group came upon a small, sheltered space along the river. After a short debate, the location was chosen and the cooking utensils brought from the bag. With a quick glance through their remaining supplies, Ivan decided upon preparing Requallo Soup with a variety of side dishes. To Kari's ears, each option sounded more unusually named than its predecessor.
With the sunset to enthrall them, the evening meal was quite fulfilling. The various hues of red, orange, and yellow painted across the sky were remarkable, easily rivaling any sight to be seen on Earth. The Requallo Soup, with it's nourishing and replenishing qualities, was the perfect meal to serve after the exhausting struggle through the snowy wasteland that the distorted Wizardmon had conjured. As dinner was finished, conversation once again wove its way through the group, started by a question from Houndramon.
"You know, I was just thinking about how little I know about the two of you," He started, directing his question to the two Digidestined. "Would you indulge me for a bit? There are some things I'd like to learn about you."
"Certainly." TK said. Kari nodded her agreement. "But there's some things I'd like to know about you four." he added. "Maybe we could make an exchange of information, then?"
"Truth
or Dare," Kari cheered, restraining a giggle.
"Sounds
plausible," the Dog replied as he sat on his haunches.
"Count
me in." Maddie said exuberantly, always ready for action or
excitement.
"Don't leave me out," Ivan added. He
moved to form a circle around the fire that they had used to heat
their soup. With the sun's light all but extinguished, the crew was
left with the fire as their only light source.
With the scene
set, Houndramon began the questioning. Staring at TK, he asked,
"Truth or dare, my fine human companion?"
After a
moment of thought, TK replied, "Truth, my fine," TK paused for
a moment, thinking, before adding, "furry companion."
"If
you were to be drawn into a realm such as the Digital World, what
would be the one thing you would wish to have with you?" the
furry Digimon asked, still keeping eye contact.
TK was
momentarily surprised, and then fell into deep thought. After a few
minutes, his head rose. "If it were inanimate, I would select my
D- terminal. It would provide me the ability to communicate with
others and perhaps find a way to escape from the realm. However, if I
could choose anyone thing, animate or otherwise," He now turned
his gaze to Kari, "It would be Kari. No one or thing has been
more providing and understanding, save Patamon. But even he hasn't
been there all those years that the Digital World was kept from us.
Only Kari has been there all that time, giving me not only insight,
but entertainment and companionship as well."
Kari was
unable to speak as she tried to keep from blushing at TK's flattery.
She gained her voice a few seconds later. "Thank you, TK. I'm
honored," she said quietly.
"Interesting answer, yet
quite honorable as well," Houndramon said. "Your turn,
TK."
"Well then," TK said as he surveyed the
group, "I believe that Maddie will be my victim. Truth or Dare,
Madam?"
Taking on an impression of royalty, Maddie
answered, "Truth shall suit me fine."
TK pondered
for a time, trying to decide upon a good question. He finally decided
upon one and turned his gaze back to Maddie. "What would be the
one thing that you would like to improve about yourself?" He
asked.
Maddie thought about all of the aspects of her life.
She found that there was one thing that did stand out above the rest.
"The one thing about myself that I would wish to change would be
my relationship with Jason," she responded. "Removing that
from my life would make everything much easier. However, we all must
face trials in our lives. I suppose that whatever happens, it occurs
for a reason."
"All yours, then," TK commented
as he gave the floor to Maddie.
"Now let's see, who to
torture," Maddie said with feigned sadism as she gazed around
the others seated with her. "Ivan," she said abruptly,
whipping around to face him, "Truth or Dare?"
Fazed
for a moment, he watched her shining eyes as she pinned him in the
playful jest. Returning the look, he simply said, "Truth."
"You
have to make it difficult for me," She said in a playful tone.
There was one question that was nagging at her, yet to bring it up
now would not only put him on the spot, but would also put her own
feelings in jeopardy. She then decided on a simpler question: "OK,
then, If and when we finish our tour of duty here in the Digital
World, what do you plan to do?"
"Good question,
Maddie; I never thought of you as the insightful type," Ivan
joked, causing her to grin. "Well, I suppose the first thing I'd
want to do would be to get a nice house somewhere near you, Hakin and
Susan. Then, I'd look into what jobs were available and what I could
use the skills I've gained here for. Perhaps medicine, or psychology,
or teaching; who knows? But I suppose college would have to go before
that. It'd take a lot of work to get everything back in order, but
being with you and the other two Dragoons would definitely be my
first priority. After all, the four of us are the only four who know
everything that's happened here over our extended absence from
Earth. Whom else could I reminisce with?"
"Good
points, all of them," Maddie said, covering for her feeling that
there were ulterior motives within what Ivan had said. "Your
turn."
"OK, Kari. Truth or Dare?"
Kari
answered, "Truth."
"Should we just remove the
'Dare' thing altogether?" TK asked jokingly.
"Works
for me," Ivan replied before returning his attention to Kari.
"What would be the one thing that you would wish for, from
anything possible, except for something like world peace? What would
you wish for in your own interests?"
"Interesting
query," Kari commented as she mulled over the question. "Only
one?"
"Only one."
"Then it would be
that my friends and I live long, healthy lives together, being close
until our end, and being able to help others however we can in that
time."
"Well chosen," Ivan said thoughtfully.
"Short, and it seems like five little requests all rolled into
one, but well chosen. Your turn, Kari." Kari smiled, and then
thought of who to pick.
"I will select Maddie as my
target, then." Kari said, turning to the other girl. "Truth
or Dare, Maddie?"
"Truth, I suppose, since we've
dropped the 'Dare' section." Maddie said.
Kari thought
for a moment then asked, "What would you be if you weren't
human? From Earth, of course, but what other organism would you like
to be?"
"That's one I haven't heard before,"
Maddie said, thinking. At length, she glanced at Ivan and replied,
"I'd probably say a Mongoose." Without warning, both Maddie
and Ivan started to laugh. "It's an inside joke," she added
after she had calmed down.
TK and Kari exchanged quizzical
glances. "Well, um, if you say so; I suppose it's fitting,"
Kari concluded, passing control to Maddie.
"OK,
Houndramon, get rea- Houndramon?" She said, turning to where the
digimon had been. However, instead of finding the digimon there, she
saw that he, as well the other three digimon, had retired. They were
presently asleep under a large tree a few feet away. "And then
there were four," She said quietly. Turning to TK, she
continued, "TK, you get to feel my wrath this time. Truth or
Dare?"
TK responded, as had everyone before him,
"Truth."
"Wow, what a surprise!" Maddie
said in mock-amazement. "OK, Where would the ideal place be for
you to live, from all the places in the world?"
"France."
TK said simply, making Kari giggle and him chuckle a bit. "Well,
I suppose that where I am now is fine, but I think that somewhere
like the US, or Canada, or anywhere in Europe, really. I'd just like
to have Kari come with me, wherever I ended up. It'd be so much less
fun without her around."
"How touching," Maddie
said in a taunting, dreamy voice. TK gave her a cold stare and Maddie
couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. Kari noticed this as well,
and it made her think more about her relationship with the
blond-haired boy. It was something that she decided to resolve on her
own since asking him outright would be far too rude, even if it would
answer her question.
"OK, Ivan, Truth or Truth?" TK
asked, dismissing Maddie with a wave of his hand.
"A
difficult choice," Ivan commented, "But I believe that I
will have to go with 'Truth.'"
"Wise decision,"
TK said. "The question is: who do you believe would be your
perfect companion? Describe him or her, and explain what it is about
he or she that would make him or her such a good
companion."
"That'll take some thought," Ivan
said, suddenly stricken in a sort of panic. Certainly Maddie was the
best companion he'd ever had, but Houndramon was also great to be
with. His dilemma came when he realized that if he stated Maddie was
the perfect companion, he could be taking things a step too far. He
knew how he felt about her, and he knew that she, at the least, cared
about him. However, to say more may make her regret being so friendly
with him; perhaps she had not meant to send the messages that she
had, or perhaps he had misinterpreted them. Either way, he felt a
false step would easily put his relationship with Maddie in jeopardy,
something he did not wish to do before it had even started.
But,
if he could not answer with the truth outright, he knew that he could
not answer truthfully. He thought of a way to describe Maddie, at
least in part, but in such a way that she wouldn't suspect that he
was talking about her in particular. Taking another moment to
organize his description, he raised his head to the eyes of the other
three humans, all waiting for his answer.
"OK, I think
I've got it. The description's a bit lengthy, but bare with me on
this one.
"I'll start with the physical description. The
person would be female, I suppose. She should probably shorter than
myself, but not too short. Her form would be well defined and in
shape, but not excessively so, as some major athletes. Brown,
shoulder length hair works, but I wouldn't mind it being another
color, either hanging loose or tied back in a ponytail. I don't
really go for elaborate hairstyles. Eye color doesn't really matter,
but amber or azure would be my preference if I must choose. Finally,
I would be most grateful if she were athletic, to a point at least.
Truthfully, I wouldn't care too much about her physical
characteristics. Those may be what I would like, but I believe it's
what's on the inside that counts.
"That leads me to my
next topic: her mental attributes. I suppose the most overbearing
quality that I find important would be intelligence. That would be a
requirement. Following that, with nearly equal importance, would be a
good sense of humor. Able to take jokes directed at her, while also
understanding that it's fine to direct them at me. In addition, I
believe that a good sense of who she is would be important, as well
as good self-esteem. Finally, I would be much obliged if she were to
have interests in things that I do. Such is not necessary, but it
would be a plus. Is there anything else you'd like to know about
her?"
"Well," TK started, "That's a pretty
complete description. I suppose that age would be my only
question."
"Somewhere close to my age, either older
or younger," Ivan answered. "About a year or two either way
would be my maximum. However, the age of her heart would have to be
very young. I did leave that out, I'd want her to have a youthful
heart and spirit, regardless of her physical age."
"I
see," TK said. After a moment of silence, TK continued, "Your
turn."
Ivan didn't look up to respond, only nodded
slightly. He worried that his description had gotten a bit out of
hand. He could only hope that the others, especially Maddie, would be
able to take it as jest, and not get the wrong message. After
contemplating his question, he turned to Maddie. "Maddie, Truth
or Truth?"
"Oh, don't make me choose!" Maddie
whined, doing her best to keep from smiling.
"Alright,
then I'll choose 'Truth' for you," Ivan replied with a
laugh.
"OK, what's the question?"
"Describe
your perfect companion." He stated.
"Must you make
these things so hard?" Maddie complained, though now unable to
keep the smile from her lips. Ivan only smiled in response. "OK,
for my perfect companion," she started, looking around at the
trees through the near gloom that had encompassed them. "He'd
have to be," She stopped for a moment, losing herself in
thought. Her facial expressions faded as she began to contemplate
what to say.
She found herself in a predicament much the same
as Ivan's. She didn't know exactly what he had said four nights ago,
but she now suspected that it meant he liked her, at least a little.
She couldn't verify it, and should she be wrong, she would be
incredibly hurt herself. However, Maddie was not one to hold back as
much as Ivan. She took a breath, and brought up one of her
award-winning smiles. "You, Ivan," Maddie said, a kind ring
in her voice. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a real
friend in the last three years. You've always been there for me, and
no one else can keep me as entertained as you. After all, you're the
only guy I've ever met who has the courage to go around wearing a
pennant with pink and yellow on it. And, of course, you can get rid
of all those bad little robots without breaking a sweat."
"Don't
give me false praise," Ivan responded kindly. "I must thank
you for saying that; I wasn't expecting it."
"Oh,
and why not? Who else has been there when I needed him or her?"
"I
don't know, but I asked you to describe the perfect companion. You
really think I'm perfect?"
"As close as I care to
get," She responded, still smiling.
"You always are
so kind; come here." He threw his arms around her in a warm
embrace, which she happily returned.
"You're welcome,"
Maddie whispered in his ear. The two stayed in that position for a
while, until a laughing 'awww' sound came from across the fire.
Looking up, they saw TK and Kari stifling giggles. Both Maddie and
Ivan glared, causing them to fall silent. Maddie returned to her spot
next to Ivan and Kari, but kept her eyes on Ivan for the remainder of
the game. Ironically, however, the next question was also to be the
last.
"It's getting late," Ivan noted, looking up
into the bleak darkness above them. Stars had begun to appear through
the black curtain, providing a truly calming atmosphere. "Let's
make this the last question, Maddie."
"But then I
only get to torture one more person?" She whined.
Ivan
nodded in response.
"Not fair," Maddie pouted in a
joking tone. "Alright, since I've already picked on Ivan and TK,
it's Kari's turn to suffer," She said.
"Oh no,"
Kari said under her breath. "OK, I'll take Truth, I
suppose."
"Well, it's your lucky day, because that's
all we can do!" Maddie said, suddenly swapping to a game show
host persona. "And today's question is," but before asking the
question, she turned to Ivan. "Ivan, give me a drum roll,"
she whispered quickly before turning back. Ivan responded by making
the quick beat of a drum roll using his hands on the ground. "Ah-hem,
and the question is: under what circumstances would you consider
suicide?"
"Excuse me?" Kari said in wide-eyed
shock.
"I know it's a bit personal, but if there are any,
what would they be?"
"Um, I don't think I've
ever really considered it. The situation would have to be pretty
serious. First off, I'd need to be alone somewhere, without any of my
friends or family. Second, I'd need to have lost something
irreplaceable, like my brother or mom. Also, I'd have to be in bad
condition physically, like not having my arms or something. But I
don't even think that would make me give up. There's always hope, as
TK has shown me time and again, and the Light has always been there
to guide me through the tough times. I'm never really alone."
"Well
spoken, Kari," Maddie said, glad to see how spirited the young
girl was. She herself didn't know where the question had come from;
perhaps the Jason relationship had influenced it. Regardless of the
reasoning, the answer she received gave her a little insight, as well
as some hope, for her own future. "I think that should be the
last question, as Ivan said. It's getting late and we have a great
deal of ground to cover over the next couple days. Then, perhaps, we
can stay up until all hours, questioning one another until we've all
gone insane with exhaustion."
"Right," Ivan
said slowly. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps it was the
mood of the night, but he and Maddie again started to laugh at their
own little joke. "Anyway," Ivan continued after composing
himself, "I bid you two goodnight. I believe that the nettles on
the floor will provide you with ample comfort for the night. Maddie,
I would suggest the same to you, but I'm sure you'll sleep somewhere
else just to spite me."
"No, Not tonight,"
Maddie replied, lying back and gazing up at the sky. "I believe
that this spot will suit me just fine."
"Wow, a
break from your constant taunting; I ought to revel in this,"
Ivan mocked, smiling down at her.
"Oh, don't think I've
stopped, I just thought you could use a short break," Maddie
sent back. "I'll get right back to it tomorrow morning."
Ivan
sighed. "Never going to be able to stop you, huh?"
"I
doubt it." She replied. "Goodnight, Ivan," she
continued, rolling over onto her right shoulder and bringing her
right arm up under head as a cushion, the side on which Ivan still
knelt.
"Goodnight, Maddie Mongoose," He responded,
smiling. Lying down in a like fashion on his left shoulder and using
his left arm as a pillow on the stiff soil, Ivan checked once again
on the Digidestined. Both of them were lying on the opposite side of
the fire, asleep. Turning his gaze back to Maddie, he found that she
had already closed her eyes and watched her for a moment before doing
the same.
A short while later, the dying embers of the fire
were completely extinguished by a gust of wind, leaving the camp in
calm silence.
Ivan's voice shook TK from his thoughts. "Hey, TK; Good morning. Would you mind giving me a hand here?"
TK shook his head, as if to regain conscious thought, then looked over to where the voice had come from. Ivan was struggling with what seemed to be a barrel, full of some kind of liquid. "Sure, hold on a second," TK called back, rising to his feet as he did so. Still a bit groggy, TK stretched for a moment before going to Ivan's aid. "Where did the barrel come from?" He asked.
"Filmaramon thought that buckets were too slow, so she became a barrel and had me fill her with water." Ivan responded as he and TK pushed the barrel up to the campsite. Setting the barrel between two roots from one of the great trees, Ivan ensured that the transformed digimon would not roll away. He then retrieved a glass from the duffel bag, and after taking two long draughts from the barrel via the tap on its side, he rested near the remnants of the fire.
TK then looked around for the remainder of the group, but found no one. "They went off in search of a few vegetables and an herb or two; the goods will be for the last couple of days that we're in this forest," Ivan said, anticipating TK's question. Satisfied, TK also grabbed a glass from the bag and filled it from the barrel.
The two sat by the fire for a few moments, discussing what lay ahead of them in the journey. It then occurred to TK that the journey had passed far quicker than he had expected. It seemed like all of the adventures of the forest had each happened in the same day, and they had only left the cave the previous day. "This has been a pretty quick journey, hasn't it?" he commented, lying back on the pine needles.
"It has, although I compare it to campaigns that have taken several months to complete," Ivan responded. He then looked over into the forest "I believe that our companions should be returning soon."
As if on cue, the loud howl of Houndramon could be heard nearby, announcing his return with the others. A moment later, the dog digimon came bounding through the underbrush and promptly charged at Ivan. Ivan, having spent over two years with the digimon, was well prepared and caught the dog in mid-leap. "Welcome back, Houndramon," Ivan said as he set the furry creature down. "Did you bring everyone else back in one piece?"
"Of course! What do you take me for, some kind of forgetful animal?" Houndramon said sarcastically. Maddie emerged a moment later, a small bag over her shoulder. Patamon and Gatomon tailed behind her.
"Success!" Maddie yelled to Ivan, tossing the bag to him. Ivan caught the bag, and then put his finger to his lips. He pointed to Kari, who was still asleep. Maddie noticed her blunder in an instant and cringed sheepishly. "Sorry," she murmured, moving silently to Ivan's side.
"It's OK," Ivan told her. "She should be getting up soon, anyway. We've got to get moving soon."
"Then get cooking," Maddie ordered, going to fetch the duffel bag. Bringing it back to Ivan, she proceeded to unpack it.
"TK, can you get this fire going?" Ivan asked of the resting boy.
Having been with Ivan for five days now, TK was well immersed in how to make and break camp, as well as how to fight with the oak staff he had been presented. "No problem," TK responded, rising from the ground and heading off to gather proper kindling and firewood.
"Maddie, if you would be so kind as to get Kari up, we could use her help," Ivan told the girl beside him.
Maddie nodded and moved over to Kari's sleeping form. Shaking her gently, Maddie roused Kari out of her dreams and back into the known realm. Maddie returned with Kari following, looking very sleepy, yet still in pristine condition. Maddie appeared in much the same shape, her hair still pulled back in a loose ponytail and her eyes sparkling, just as they had the day she met TK and Kari.
"Good morning Kari," Ivan said, looking up briefly from his cooking duties. He had only just started, but his speed was unmatched. "If you'll have a seat, breakfast will be ready momentarily," He said confidently, looking back down to his work.
Kari sat down, watching Ivan go through the motions of preparing what appeared to be pancakes with syrup and applesauce, except that the batter had a tint of various colors, and the syrup was most certainly yellow. Even the applesauce had unusual coloring, being primarily purple with hints of orange and green in it. By now, such uncanny colors had become normal to Kari, but they never ceased to strike her as unique.
TK returned as Kari sat down. As he set the firewood in place, Kari noticed his return. Again she was captivated, seeing him awake and working to help out. He was always like that, never missing an opportunity to aid those in need. Even if it was something as simple as setting up a fire, he helped. Kari realized that she had been staring at TK for longer than intended and quickly snapped her eyes away. Her thoughts, on the other hand, were far more stubborn to convince to stop contemplating the subject.
Kari was again drawn to attention at Maddie's hand. The other girl knelt beside Kari, looking at her curiously. "Are you planning to eat with us, or should I give your plate to Houndramon?" She asked jokingly.
"Give it to me!" Houndramon yelped. Maddie glared at him, silencing the dog. She then turned back to Kari.
"Come join us; it's really tasty," Maddie urged, smiling slightly. "Ivan surely has perfected his skill with pancakes, if I do say so myself."
"I'd say so, too," Ivan called from his seat some distance off, where the rest of Kari's companions had gone to enjoy their breakfast.
Kari shook her head to try and forget her daydream, and then smiled back at Maddie. "Lead the way," She said.
Maddie nodded, then taking the stature of a waitress, led Kari over to a seat between herself and TK. "I hope that this seat will work," she commented before placing Kari's plate in front of her. "Today's breakfast is Roshan Pancakes. Enjoy your meal." Maddie finished her waitress act and sat down at her spot in the shade.
The party spent the greater portion of an hour relaxing under the trees and enjoying the delectable meal Ivan had prepared. However, as the sun rose higher, Ivan realized the urgency in moving forward.
"We still have a great distance to cover to reach our destination," He noted, collecting the plates. "Maddie, please get the rest of the cooking equipment packed. TK put the fire out. Kari, get the digimon together and make sure we have everything packed."
"Listen to him; he acts as though we can't take care of ourselves," Houndramon commented in a disgruntled tone.
Each of the humans completed his or her efficiently. Ivan used the remainder of the water in Filmaramon to clean the dishes; Maddie collected and packed the cooking utensils; TK gathered together a bucket of water and doused the fire; Kari ended up assisting Ivan with packing the dishes away. In only a few minutes, everything had been packed into its proper place, leaving the group ready to move out.
Giving the campsite a quick once-over to ensure that nothing had been forgotten, Ivan lifted the duffel bag back onto his shoulder. Houndramon on his left, Maddie, with Filmaramon now in the form of a bird on her shoulder, on his right, and flanked by TK, Kari, Patamon and Gatomon, Ivan called out "Forward, March!" He then led the troupe off into the forest.