The
Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 6- Wish That I Could
Read Your Mind
Exhilaration.
Such is the only term fit
to describe the battle in which Ivan and his companions found
themselves. To Ivan's left stood TK and Houndramon, engaged in
melee combat with three of the drones that had ambushed them. To his
right was another drone, pinned to a tree by Filmaramon, she having
transformed herself into a lethal katana and launched through the
unfortunate drone. Directly in front of him stood another three
Drones, each attempting to strike Ivan a critical blow. To make
matters worse, another drone stood above the battle, watching and
waiting for his time to strike into the combat. Gatomon, Patamon,
Kari and Maddie stood behind the warfare, due to their lack of
capabilities against such demonic robots, leaving their allies
outnumbered. The combat raged on, waiting for one side to gain the
advantage.
Ivan attempted to call out to his companions
through the fray, but the clash of metal from another deflected sword
thrust drowned it out. Having performed parrying maneuvers repeatedly
in the battle, Ivan was getting quite worn down. Although his stamina
was quite impressive, when battling machinery that knew not of rest
he was hard pressed to keep up. TK and Houndramon were likewise
tiring, needing both of their efforts to keep their enemies from
landing a blow. However, they were not so encumbered by their
opponents as Ivan was, and therefore had the first opportunity for
turning the tides of the combat.
TK did his best to catch
Houndramon's attention, and was soon successful. After nodding to the
dog-digimon, Houndramon rolled out of the melee, leaving TK to fend
for himself. TK, armed with his staff of incredible durability, was
able to catch the strikes of all three drones. The combined might of
the three drones threw TK to his knees, but lowered the guard of the
drones just enough for Houndramon to get his opportune attack in.
As
the drones drew back to strike in on TK for the final blow,
Houndramon, utilizing his great agility, charged the drone on the
left. It flailed backwards a good distance. Continuing his onslaught,
Houndramon pounced the downed drone, tearing the circuitry from the
mechanical demon. The swiftness of the strike sent the two standing
drones into alert, thus distracting them from attacking TK.
Houndramon, again tapping his energy reserves, charged again. This
time he checked the drone on the right to the ground and likewise
decimated its components with a flash of claws and teeth. This left
TK in single combat, something he had learned to handle well from his
training with Ivan, and his experience on the battlefield.
The
remaining drone had quickly regained itself from the loss of its two
comrades. It again prepared to strike TK the final blow. However, it
had lost precious seconds in its confusion and seconds were all it
took for TK's adrenaline to recover him from the shock of being
forced to the ground. As the blade fell in the drone's hands, TK
parried the strike with his staff. Then regaining his feet, TK took
the offensive. Taking hold of the staff's middle, TK swung his weapon
laterally back and forth. The drone was hit on one flank, and as it
turned to block, was slammed on the opposite side. Despite attempts
to stay the repeated blows, TK kept one step ahead thanks to his
adrenaline, and quickly forced the drone back into a tree. Then
slowing his onslaught, TK forced the staff down upon the hand holding
the deadly blade, knocking it from the robot's grasp. Unarmed, the
Drone was unable to block TK's finale: spiraling backwards and
grasping one end of the staff with both hands, he plunged a bone
crunching thrust into the torso of the drone.
TK's staff had
blunted ends, and was therefore not designed to pierce metal.
However, the build-up of energy through TK's veins was so great that
his strike thoroughly impaled his robotic adversary. It took only a
few short seconds for the drone to fall limp on the staff, at which
point TK withdrew. Only then did he realize that Houndramon had been
engaged by the drone commander, and was quickly losing ground.
Grasping his staff, TK dashed off to enter the melee once again.
To
the right of all this commotion stood Ivan, faced with another trio
of drones. He was working alone and thus did not have the help of a
possible distraction. However, he wasn't selected as the defensive
dragoon for nothing, and Ivan decided on taking a chance. Holding his
blade horizontally, Ivan caught the three blades of the drones as
they made a vertical strike at Ivan simultaneously. Holding them for
a moment, Ivan summed up the whole of his strength and forced it upon
the blades of his opponents.
Had his opponents not been
robotic, and had they been unable to regain combat stance so quickly,
Ivan's tactic may have well won him the battle. Unfortunately, his
enemies were robotic and they did have the skill to regain their
footing easily. Ivan's move set the drones off balance for only a few
seconds. All too soon, they were again ready to strike at Ivan. But
when the robots looked forward, they saw that Ivan had taken full
advantage of his opportunity.
Ivan, quickly drawing back as
his opponents went unbalanced, lunge-tackled the drone on the left.
The power behind the sword's point easily tore through the drone.
The tackle brought both Ivan and the drone to the ground with Ivan on
top. Having the drone caught on the sword, Ivan quickly rolled to the
side and propped the drone up over himself. Only a moment later, both
of the arms were hewn from the drone's body. The remaining drones had
seen Ivan as the one on the ground and attacked without a second
thought. Rearing and kicking the drone off of his sword, Ivan
regained his footing while the drones evaded their comrade's
projectile corpse.
Now down to only two adversaries, Ivan
changed his combat tactic. Since the skill of the drones lay in their
strength and not their agility Ivan knew that his own agility would
be his strength. Ivan swung first at the left-hand drone, and then at
the right-hand drone. He moved his sword in a wide arc to keep his
movements fluent. Continuing this pattern, the drones were forced
back to keep from taking hits. As Ivan continued, his speed increased
and soon overcame the abilities of the drones. Their dodges became
less and less effective as Ivan's blade closed in on its
target.
After gaining sufficient energy, Ivan threw his whole
bodyweight into a deep strike, spinning several times in a cyclone
pattern. The extreme velocity, coupled with a surge of strength in
the rotating blade struck clean through the blades and bodies of the
drones. Ivan then stopped his onslaught and watched the drones
clatter to the ground. Taking a moment to recover from the furious
assault he had made, Ivan saw the desperate situation Houndramon had
gotten himself into with the drone commander. Tucking his blade under
his arm, Ivan bolted to the drone commander.
TK reached
Houndramon's side first and only just in time. Houndramon had been
quite tired from repeated dodges and was no longer able to gain an
offensive opportunity. As Houndramon ducked a horizontal sweep, the
blade dove vertically for Houndramon. It was TK's staff that
intervened with the strike, and the clash of metal against wood
alerted Houndramon to the danger above him. Rushing forward,
Houndramon struck out at the drone commander's leg, but was only able
to score a small gash in the shin. With TK keeping the drone busy,
Houndramon decided on taking a brief break from combat, thus allowing
him to better assist later in the battle. He then noticed Ivan's
swift and stealthy advance.
Seeing TK taking up the battle
with the drone commander, Ivan ran to a more advantageous position.
Leaping into the air, Ivan attempted a powerful down-stroke upon the
unsuspecting artifice. However, the commander was capable of much
swifter movements and caught Ivan's blade on its own. With a flick of
its great sword, Ivan was tossed roughly to the ground. Having lost
his advantage, Ivan was forced to enter the hack-and-slash combat
with TK.
Both TK and Ivan tried with all of their remaining
strength to put down the commander, but its strength and robotically
enhanced stamina seemed to place it in two locations at once. The
crack of metal on wood and shriek of metal on metal reverberated
through their ears, making both tire of the combat and wish for
earplugs. The onslaught of the drone commander continued, and without
sufficient energy to strike back, both TK and Ivan slowly gave
ground. However, this movement lent itself to the humans'
advantage.
The drone, gaining confidence with the tiring of
its opponents, continued to manipulate its two adversaries with its
massive weapon. It was then that the drone stepped on a chance rock.
The rock jammed itself in between the grooves of the drone's feet. On
its next advance, the rock caught on a root from the tree behind TK
and Ivan. Thrown forward and off balance, the sword lashed out. In
combat with a single opponent, the move would have been only
deflected. But with TK's defensive staff technique, Ivan was left
open to attack.
Reeling back, the drone only saw a flash of
metal before Ivan's backstroke sent Azulongmon's sword cleanly
through the neck of the drone commander. The robotic head rolled off
of the body. Ivan then kicked the torso of the commander, knocking it
to the ground. The machinery spasmed on the ground for a moment,
hoping to return the assault somehow. It was abruptly silenced by a
finishing thrust from Ivan's sword. With the drone commander
defeated, the battlefield became eerily calm until both Kari and
Maddie called out to Ivan, TK, Filmaramon, and Houndramon. Gatomon
and Patamon trailed behind the girls, and soon the group was reunited
amongst the dismantled drones.
Maddie quickly scanned
Filmaramon, Houndramon, and TK for damage, and found none. However,
on her scan of Ivan, she saw the shirt of his left shoulder was
matted with blood.
"What happened?" Maddie asked
anxiously, quickly retrieving her red pouch from her waist.
"I'm
not sure," Ivan responded, feeling the pain from the wound now
that his adrenaline had worn off. "It must have been when the
two drones struck down on their ally. One of their blades must have
continued on into me."
"Well, get that shirt off so
I can treat the wound." Maddie said, now having set out the
proper medications on the ground. Ivan did as he was told, and Maddie
then made him kneel on the ground with her. First wiping the wound
clean with a sterile cloth, Maddie found that the cut was a long gash
across Ivan's shoulder. The wound was deep and would cause much
discomfort for him on the few remaining days of their trip. With the
aid of Maddie's medicines, she estimated the cut would recover within
a day or two.
"It'll be alright in a day or two,"
Maddie assured him, applying the proper disinfectants.
"That's
good to know," Ivan said, trying to move his shoulder around a
bit, but stopped by the sharp pain it brought.
"Careful,"
Maddie warned, grasping Ivan's shoulder to keep him from worsening
the injury. "The wound's deep. If you keep moving your arm,
you're just going to cause more damage to your shoulder
muscle."
"Alright, but when it cramps up on me
tomorrow, I'll blame you," Ivan teased, relaxing his shoulder
and allowing Maddie to continue her ministrations.
"Then you
can treat your own wound, Mister 'I can't handle a little shoulder
cramp,'" Maddie countered, her eyes shining in playful
jest.
Sighing, Ivan looked over at Maddie. "I don't
suppose I can ever win, can I?" he asked, leaning back a bit in
order to relax his aching muscles.
"Not until I'm paid,
and even then, you're not really winning," Maddie returned with
a wink. She then drew out a long strip of gauss.
"Well,
that's just so uplifting, but don't think I'll- Ow!" Ivan
clenched his teeth as Maddie pulled the gauss tight around Ivan's
shoulder and tied it off with a clip.
"Oh, poor baby,"
Maddie taunted, her eyes shining brighter with each remark. Standing,
Maddie reached out her left hand to help Ivan to his feet. Looking
up, Ivan saw the extended hand, and glared up into Maddie's sparkling
eyes.
"You're enjoying every minute of this, aren't you?"
he said, moving to get up himself.
"Oh, of course!"
Maddie responded. She then extended her right hand instead. "I
do have my limits, though, come on."
Gratefully, Ivan
took Maddie's hand in his own and started to pull himself up.
However, he was not done getting back at Maddie for her taunts. As
Maddie continued to pull Ivan to his feet, he suddenly shifted his
weight and threw himself down onto the ground. He also kept Maddie's
hand in his own, and pulled her down to the ground with him.
With
a scream, she fell forward, straight into Ivan's waiting arms.
Grabbing hold of Maddie and rolling with her, Ivan effectively pinned
Maddie to the ground. Holding Maddie's head in his left hand to keep
her from hitting any rocks with her head, Ivan held himself above
Maddie on his right arm. Looking down, he saw Maddie's eyes had
closed in fear. Once she was sure she had stopped moving, she dared
to open her eyes, looking up into Ivan's
"Guess I got to
win for once, didn't I?" Ivan teased Maddie, knowing that she
was helpless to counter him. Unfortunately for him, Maddie's wits and
cunning were sharp and had yet to be beaten.
"Oh, you may
think that, but the fact that my knee is still free does put you in
quite a predicament, doesn't it?" Maddie countered, raising her
legs a bit.
In the next instant she had latched her legs
around Ivan's and threw all her weight into pushing upward on Ivan's
left side. Without his arm to hold him down, he quickly toppled back
to where he had started, Maddie pinning him to the ground. "No,
Ivan, you still have some work to do before you can beat me."
Satisfied, Maddie again rose to her feet, dusting off her pants from
the fall. "Not a bad tactic though; it may have been successful
if you hadn't been dealing with me." She extended her right hand
again. "Truce?" she asked.
"Truce," Ivan
responded gratefully, still taken aback by Maddie's great skill. He
then grasped her hand in his own, pulling himself to his feet beside
her. Once standing, Maddie then embraced him, surprising Ivan
again.
After a moment, Maddie pulled back. Her eyes looked a
bit red, and Ivan noticed his shirt collar was now wet. "Maddie?"
Ivan started. "Is something wrong?" He placed his good arm
around her and watched her with concern.
Maddie quickly shook
her head, attempting to hide her face in her hands. "It's
nothing, really," she said evasively. However, Ivan was not so
easily fooled. He pulled Maddie close once again, holding her gently
and attempting to calm her. Maddie's tears came anew then, running
from her eyes, down her cheeks, and onto Ivan's shirt. "I'm
sorry," she apologized between sobs. "It's just that I
thought you were really hurt, or – or-" Ivan figured out what
she meant then; he continued to hug her.
"It's OK,
Maddie," Ivan whispered in Maddie's ear. "I'm fine, it
wasn't a bad wound; I'll be fine. Don't worry about me; I'm Ivan,
remember? I'm super-special Ivan!" although most of his
statements were intended to sooth her, his last words had been meant
in jest. Maddie realized this and was able to smile again as she had
during their games. She pulled away again, looking up into Ivan's
azure eyes.
"It's alright, so long as you remember now," Ivan returned, smiling back at her. They stayed as such for a moment more before both realized that the remainder of the group stood about them, waiting for their directions. Breaking apart suddenly, they did their best to hide their blushes from one another. However, Kari was able to catch Maddie's redness, and TK noticed Ivan's. The Digidestined exchanged glances, and then looked back at the dragoons with small, amused grins.
"OK, now that that's taken care of," TK said in an attempt to change the subject, "I suggest that we get moving forward. Any complaints?" No one spoke, and TK then took charge, leading off down the path into the yet unexplored forest. Kari, Gatomon, Patamon, Houndramon, and Filmaramon followed. As Ivan and Maddie took up the rear, Ivan found that his fatigued shoulder stung badly when he moved. Stumbling backwards, Ivan nearly fell. To his relief, Maddie was there to catch him, and then pull his left arm over her shoulders to keep his wound elevated.
"Thanks, Maddie," Ivan said, smiling down at the girl at his side.
Maddie returned the smile and, with a wink, replied, "Well, I guess it's only polite to help the super-special Ivan on his down day."The battle that afternoon had been quite exhausting for the combatants, especially TK. Fighting had never been his branch of expertise, although the occasional scuffle in the Real World was unavoidable. He had been so used to having Angemon by his side that he had never learned fighting skills himself. Now that they were within these cramped pathways, the digimon did not have nearly enough space to digivolve under normal circumstances; TK was left to fend for himself. The repeated impromptu fights had indeed enhanced his skill, as had Ivan's training sessions, but TK was far from having the physical training that the battles often demanded.
As he led the group through the narrow path, TK found that even his leg muscles ached from the fight. The point at which he had been thrown to the ground had been a strain for him to keep from getting completely grounded. Now his legs continued on their vigorous hike through the forest, hoping for a clearing in which they could camp to come soon. It was not long before TK got his hopes appraised: a large clearing opened up before them an hour's time after leaving the battlefield.
The only problem with the site was its size. So great was the clearing, and so sparse were the surrounding trees that it seemed all too simple for an ambush to be made successfully upon the space. Looking back, TK sought out Ivan for advice. Ivan came around the path's most recent bend, now walking under his own strength with Maddie at his side. Walking back, TK asked Ivan for his opinion.
"That's a good point, TK," Ivan started, "This space is very open, but the next plausible campsite could be a great distance on. We run a risk either way, yet I feel that the group would fare better staying here. I can generate a shield for a portion of the night, and if we have watchmen during the rest of the time, we will be more than secure here."
"Are we limited to only watchmen?" Maddie asked, joining the counsel. "It seems that Kari and I would make just fine watchwomen, right?" Kari nodded in response.
"After all, you two were out fighting all those mean drones this afternoon, I think it's time we do our part," Kari said, confirming Maddie's plan.
"Don't leave us out!" Gatomon called, running with Patamon over to the group. "We may not be as big as you, but we still have eyes!"
"Well, with this many volunteers, it seems hard to pick and choose," Ivan admitted, stepping back. "However, if we do shifts of two, we will have a better chance to see things, and it will give everyone a chance to pitch in. All in favor say 'Aye.'"
A unanimous response followed, and camp was set up only a few minutes later. Houndramon had again taken up Ivan's duffel bag from the battlefield; it was soon unloaded. Ivan and TK got dinner underway; they were to take first watch. Houndramon did a scan of the perimeter before food was served. He had been asked to take no watch. Rather, He and Filmaramon were to be reserve watchmon, should the shifts end up being too long. Kari and Maddie chose the third shift. They aided the boys however they could, either in food preparation or in tending Ivan's shoulder, as he was quite stubborn in wanting it to move. Gatomon and Patamon, therefore, had the second watch, and they decided to take their opportunity to get a bit of extra rest with Filmaramon, who was exhausted after staying transformed so long in the drone.
Dinner was served soon after camp had been set, and all of the food was eaten with vigor. The grueling, uphill hike that day, followed by the fight, left everyone famished and dehydrated. The girls, as well as the digimon were then shooed to bed; Ivan and TK suspected that extra sleep would be appreciated. Then, with the rest of the group in bed, TK and Ivan were left together at the campfire.
Lying down on the ground, TK thought back to the events after the battle. He had felt ready to collapse then, and did so after being checked over by Maddie and pronounced adequate. Sitting down rather roughly on a nearby rock, TK had tried to calm his nerves and relax his muscles. He had closed his eyes in repose, lying back on the stone. Once he had felt somewhat revived, he opened his eyes again to see Kari staring back at him, a quizzical look in her eyes.
"You sure picked a great spot for a nap, TK," she had said, moving around the rock to sit next to him. "But I think a pillow, or the ground at least, might make you have a few less cramps."
TK held that moment in his mind, remembering just how she had looked then. Her hair was all in order, whereas his had been tossed about by the battle. She had looked absolutely beautiful then. He could never remember feeling those kinds of emotions, and the battle had surely brought new thoughts to his mind.
More than once he held his life in question as the swords of the drones kept hitting his wooden stave. It was only by great luck and grace that it never snapped. In fact, TK found that only slight scratches could be seen in the wood where blows had been landed. Not a single crack was visible. Nonetheless, the fear for his life was evident throughout combat that day.
It was Kari that had made him realize so many things afterwards. Sitting there on that rock, she had spoken no more than two sentences, but even that was enough. Her joking manner after such a dangerous encounter may have been made to cover something, but it was reassuring to TK that the danger had passed. TK also realized that the danger was surely not over with. As they had continued through the forest, more and more adversaries had been appearing. There was no doubt in his mind that the ultimate opposition was yet to come.
The biggest problem in TK's mind then was Kari. It had taken him serious thought to come to a conclusion about his feelings for her, and he was still uncertain as to how far his feelings went. The threat of death was also a weighing factor. He would never be able to tell Kari how he felt, how he had felt for so many months, perhaps years by this point. He knew she needed to know of his feelings – his love for her – and soon. Otherwise, he thought he would never get his chance to experience what love may feel like, and how happy both he and Kari might be.
As TK's thoughts continued, something new struck him. If he could be killed, then Kari could just as easily be the victim. He knew that he was fairly competent in battle, which he had shown earlier that day. Kari was not built for battle and was a pacifist by most standards. She had been able to stay alive long enough for a rescue during her encounter with the spiders, and she had been the one to stun the wolf-lion. However, those occasions had been won out by luck and chance, not by combative skill.
The melee today had been a frontal ambush and was therefore easily taken upon the shoulders of the fighters, but that was not guaranteed every time. It had also been luck that the drones had not used their stealth suits in order to get a better advantage. All of the possibilities sent TK's head spinning, and only one key point remained in his mind: he had to tell Kari how he felt about her. Perhaps he needn't go into detail, such as how he couldn't stand being separated from her, or how her voice was able to lift him from any despair. Rather, he felt it better to move up to those thoughts.
After
contemplating how, when, and where to tell Kari about how he felt, TK
made a single vow. He knew he needed to act soon, before luck ran out
and separated him from his love, and he knew that he would have to
stay true to her. With his thoughts adjourned for the time being and
his vow locked safely away with his other promises and covenants, TK
sat upright again.
Looking to his left, TK spotted Ivan
sitting, possibly caught in a similar thought process. After Kari had
sat next to him on the rock, TK had looked over and seen Maddie
embrace Ivan. The two had clearly been friends when he first met
them. Strangely enough, they each seemed to hide something from the
other. However, Maddie had let something slip that day, and it was
quite possible that it had caught Ivan's attention. TK wasn't sure he
should interfere, but curiosity had taken hold of him. Perhaps he
could even learn more about his own feelings from what Ivan said.
After all, Ivan was one of the most intelligent people TK had ever
met. Getting up, TK walked over to Ivan.
Looking up at the
noise TK made, Ivan saw the boy walk up and sit opposite him. His
thoughts had been keeping him occupied, but his senses did not weaken
because of it. TK seemed to want to talk, and Ivan was desperate to
tell someone about all the feelings jumbled up inside of him. "Care
to talk?" Ivan asked, checking his intuition.
"Yeah,
I had a few questions, actually," TK responded, speaking softly
as to not awaken their sleeping friends.
"Alright, I'd be
glad to help you out however I can," Ivan said, wondering what
could be bothering the other boy.
"Firstly, I was curious
about what you were thinking about just now, you seemed quite
engrossed in your thoughts."
Ivan had not suspected TK to
be so direct and was taken aback. He recovered quickly enough and
thought of a way to phrase his thoughts properly. "Well, we've
been going through so much on this trip, far more than I had thought
possible. I guess it was just my relationships with the others. It
helps to talk to others about things like this, doesn't it?"
"Sure,"
TK responded. "I've been having some thoughts about my
relationships with the others here, too. I had been hoping that we
might be able to exchange notes, so to speak. However, I think I
could narrow down my main concern to one person." TK looked over
Ivan's shoulder at the two slumbering girls, Kari in particular.
"I
know what you mean," Ivan said, also looking over at the two
girls; his eyes focused on Maddie.
"I suppose that would
confirm my suspicions about the two of you," TK said, looking
back to Ivan.
"What would those be?" Ivan said
slowly, hoping that he hadn't been overly obvious.
"Well,
it's no mystery that you and Maddie are good friends. It's seemed
quite possible that your relationship could be more than
that."
"Yeah, that's the thought that crosses my
mind these days. She and I have done so much together, anywhere from
fighting to leading a couple of wayward Digidestined home. It seems
so strange, like we were made for one another. I mean we can nearly
finish one another's sentences. And she's always ready to go, get
another task underway, or to help whomever she can in any possible
way. She's really the only one who can keep up with me sometimes, and
vice versa. It just seems so strange; I can't really even begin to
explain it."
"You did a pretty good job," TK
said after a moment, taking in the whole description. "I wish I
could be of more help, but I suppose my position's quite similar to
your own. For example, Kari and I have been good friends for years
now and go almost everywhere together. It just seems so unusual. In
comparison to my friends, I seem so strange. I mean, most of them
have had a girlfriend or two; some have had more than that. Despite
that, I haven't been able to really think of any of my girl friends
in any other way but friends. Everyone except for Kari, that
is.
"Kari really is the only companion I can think of as
more than a friend, and I like the feeling I get from those thoughts.
Nothing serious, but to just be able to comfort her when she's sad,
rejoice with her when she's happy, and to just spend time with her.
And, although I suppose it's a little sappy, just being able to hold
her, tuck her in before she goes to bed, all those cheesy little
romantic things that come to mind are things I want to experience.
I'm not sure how, but I really don't think there's anyone else I
could ever think of in that way."
"I know exactly
how you feel, TK," Ivan told him. Ivan had never suspected the
link between TK and Kari was so strong. Moreover, he was surprised by
how similar he and TK felt about their respective female friend. "I
don't think I could have put it better myself, either," he
continued. "It seems to me that many of those things already
happen, don't they? For instance, you always comfort her when she's
upset, and you're more than ready to enjoy time with her. The two of
you may already be more than friends, you just have yet to realize
it."
TK thought, considering Ivan's words. It was true
that he did get to spend a lot of time with Kari. He did comfort her,
to a degree, when she was upset. It just seemed that it should be
different, that it should be his shoulder Kari cried into, rather
than her brother's, and that he should be the one to hold her hand
through the dark passages of life. Then again, that had been the
truth in the wolf-lion's tunnel.
"You're very insightful,
Ivan," TK responded after realizing the truth in his words. "I
always thought of love as some sudden thing, when everything seemed
to about face and narrow down into two people. That's not the
truth, is it? Love is really just a continuation of the relationship
between two people who care about each other and enjoy one another's
company. There's no real boundary that's crossed, or any hurtle to be
cleared, it's just the natural continuation of life, isn't it?"
"And
here I was, thinking I was the insightful one," Ivan responded
with a chuckle. "You really took that statement out, didn't you?
You're right, though: Love isn't really a barrier or an obstacle;
it's a state of being that comes when you care enough about a person
that you're willing to help them however you can, regardless of your
own condition. It's also a feeling that not only brings you such deep
concern for the beloved, but also the ability to share in the joys
and accomplishments with him or her. It makes you want to be with him
or her whenever possible. Essentially, it gives you both a shared and
split emotion. The happiness of one carries to the other, but one
corrects the sadness of the other, if possible. The long and short of
it is that love is the single strongest positive bonding emotion
between two people. It alone is able to endure any event, if it is
strong within its carriers."
"What do you mean by
that?" TK questioned, curious about all Ivan knew about the
emotion in question.
"Well, take an injury for example.
When one of the two people bonded by love is injured, the other will
do all he or she can to aid the injured. Such is the natural thought
process. However, in the case of death, there is little that the one
in life can do to help the dead. But if the Love was true and pure,
then the love would continue on between the two, on until the other
falls into death's embrace and is risen up into the land of the dead
and beyond, off into eternity or whatever afterlife is to
follow."
"Makes sense," TK said after a
moment's silence. "And I suppose you're right. I had made a vow
to myself to tell Kari about my feelings about her soon. I promised
myself that I would love no other and continue to love her on through
death into eternity. It seems that our thoughts intertwine on that
factor as well. Widows remarry, though, don't they? What would you
say about that?"
"To that, I would say the love
between the initial couple was subject to one of two things,"
Ivan stated, continuing through his reflections on Love. "First,
the relationship was not quite at the point of true, pure Love, and
that the widow found Love in the second partner. Second, it is
possible that the relationship between the first partner and the
widow was true love. At that point, some feel that they should hold
true to their Love and never remarry. Others feel that their Love was
so strong that they should share it, or that they should be happy in
the remainder of their lives. Whatever their reason, it is no
infidelity so long as the beloved is not forgotten, for true Love
wields a bond that death cannot break."
"That works
for me," TK said after thinking over Ivan's theory. It really
did seem to coincide with his thoughts. He felt that his bond with
Ivan had grown even stronger on their watch. However, time had passed
quickly: it was time to wake Patamon and Gatomon. Standing, he looked
down at Ivan. "I don't think I've stolen your insight, Ivan. I
think I just got to add onto it here."
"Well, that's
good to know," Ivan responded, also standing. "It's time
to wake the second shift, right?"
"In a minute,"
TK said softly. "There's something I'd like to do first."
With that, TK slipped over to Kari's side silently, whispered
something in her ear, and then progressed over to Patamon's side.
Shaking the flying digimon awake, he indicated that it was changeover
time. He then roused Gatomon from slumber and returned to Ivan's
side. "Alright, we can go to sleep anytime," he said as he
returned.
"Real slick there, TK," Ivan said with a
smirk before moving over to his pre-selected sleeping spot. He moved
silently, and had chosen a location that allowed him to watch over
Maddie without being too obvious or intrusive. Then he noticed
Maddie's uneasiness. Rising again, Ivan moved to her side.
Maddie
continued to toss and turn, and Ivan figured that her incensed dreams
had come again. He was not yet asleep and knew she was most likely
going through something rather unpleasant. Gatomon and Patamon were
at Ivan's side a moment later, both looking at Maddie with
concern.
"I've got it under control, guys," Ivan
said to the digimon softly, "I'll call you if I need you, but
I'd appreciate it if you kept an eye on the perimeter." The
digimon nodded. With a fleeting glance, they returned to their
posts.
With the digimon back at their positions, Ivan gently
shook Maddie's arm. Her eyes blinked open after a moment, and she
looked up sleepily at Ivan.
"Hey," she managed to
whisper in her tired state.
"You were tossing and
turning, Maddie. Are you OK?" Ivan gently rubbed Maddie's arm as
he spoke, doing his best to calm her.
"I was scared,"
she admitted, taking comfort in Ivan's calm, protective actions. "But
I think I'm OK now. I just wish they would go away."
"I
know, Maddie," Ivan said, carefully setting her head down on her
bag again. "Try and get some sleep now, I'll be asleep with you in
a minute. Would you like some water?" A nod was Maddie's
response; Ivan retrieved the water from the jug near the waning
campfire. Returning, Ivan handed Maddie the small cup. "Here, be
careful not to spill; we don't need wet clothes now," Ivan said,
smiling down at Maddie.
Maddie drank the water quickly, and
relaxed against her bag. "Thanks, Ivan," she whispered
before closing her eyes.
"Goodnight, Maddie," Ivan
whispered in return, brushing the hair from her face. He stayed there
a moment longer, his arm still massaging hers. When he felt that she
was asleep, he moved to return to his own bed. But he found that his
right arm was not moving. Looking, back, he saw Maddie's hand had
grasped his own, and a smile had come to Maddie's lips.
"Goodnight,
Ivan," She whispered, her eyes still closed. "You weren't
thinking of sleeping anywhere else, were you?"
After
thinking a moment, Ivan decided that his current position was just as
good as any if Maddie wished for him to stay. He was able to catch
the duffel bag strap on his foot and pulled it in, maneuvering with
his right arm held in Maddie's left hand. Soon, his bag was placed
next to Maddie's, providing the closest thing to a pillow possible on
their trip. Then moving his right arm around Maddie's waist, he
slipped his left arm under his bag while limiting his shoulder
movement. Then, as an afterthought, he whispered again, "Goodnight,
Maddie," and pulled her body close to his own with his arm,
still in Maddie's grip. She pressed her back into his chest and
squeezed his wrist feebly before falling asleep. It was only a few
minutes before Ivan fell asleep, too.
"TK," Kari whispered, gently shaking TK from his slumber. Gatomon and Patamon had recently awoken her and although she was ready to begin her watch, she had a predicament that she felt TK could help her with.
After a moment's more of shaking TK, he rolled over, drowsily opening his eyes. When Kari's eyes met his own, he quickly sat up with a smile on his face. "Hey, Kari," He mumbled, doing his best to sound enthusiastic in his tired state. Looking about, he asked, "What's going on?"
"It's time for third watch," she said quietly, "but we have a slight problem."
"What's that?" TK asked, hoping it wasn't anything serious. Kari's lips curled into a small smile, and gestured to the sleeping bodies of Ivan and Maddie. Ivan's arm was still wrapped around Maddie's waist.
"My partner has seemed to get a bit wrapped up in something," she said slyly, quite amused by the sight. "Do you think I should wake her up? I wasn't sure if I should."
"I'd take her place if I wasn't so exhausted," TK replied, rising to his feet, "But I think Maddie should do her part, even if it does have to break up her sleeping position." TK then moved over to Ivan and Maddie, awakening Maddie as best he could without disturbing Ivan. After a moment, Maddie had risen and walked back to the former campfire.
"Sorry about that," Maddie said upon reaching Kari, rubbing her face. "I probably should have just let Ivan return to his spot. I'm ready now, though." Finished, she ushered TK back to bed so he would be ready for the trip tomorrow.
"It seems our fire has gone on a vacation," Kari said, looking down at the blackened wood and ashes. "Do you think we should rebuild it?"
"Not a problem," Maddie responded, turning to the ashes. After whispering a small phrase, the gauntlet she bore glowed with a red light and her palm became engulfed in flame. Then, Maddie carefully moved her hand to the burned remains of wood. Magically, the ashes and wood sparked back to life. The fire had soon returned to its original state. Maddie muttered the counter for her spell, extinguishing her hand. "There we go; that will last the remainder of the night."
Kari had nearly forgotten about Maddie's magical talents, but recalled first seeing the gauntlet as they had left the cave nearly a week ago. Now the magic had been used again, and Kari could not help but be astonished by Maddie's skill. After all, it wasn't every day that she saw her friend willingly light her hand on fire. Then again, Maddie's hand was unscathed, possibly because the spell had been designed to not harm the caster. Whatever the reason, Kari was still amazed by the ball of flame that had been generated out of thin air. "Not bad, Maddie," she said after recovering from her surprise.
"It's not all that special," Maddie said with a laugh. Sitting down on the ground, Maddie turned to watch the forest, her back staying warm from the fire.
Kari mimicked Maddie's position on the opposite side of the fire. Staring out into the blackness, Kari soon found herself lost in thought. All that she had seen that day and over the past week had been far stranger than anything she had encountered before. Furthermore, her emotions were getting out of hand as she found herself more and more attracted to her blond-haired companion. She had been friends with TK for years, and he was the friend she had connected with the most. She knew that friends were supposed to stay friends, but something inside of her wished otherwise.
Kari looked over at TK, sleeping peacefully near a tree. How handsome he looked to her, even in slumber. She had never thought her feelings for him could grow so strong, but they seemed only to strengthen with each passing day. Shaking her head, she turned back to the forest. She knew she was too young to be having those kinds of thoughts. She was only fourteen, and had only been such for a short time. Her own brother Tai had been alone until he was sixteen, and even that was slightly unsettling for their mother. After Tai had spent six months with Sora, their mother had realized that Tai was able to make his own decisions, and that he and Sora were very happy together.
Tai had been two years older than Kari was presently when he first got involved with the opposite sex, and he had been doing quite well in school. Kari was easily keeping up with her classes now, but she knew that her mother would easily find TK to be the cause of any faltering in Kari's grades. However, it seemed that even Kari's own mother was not enough to keep her feelings for TK at bay. For the time being, she tried to shake her thoughts as to concentrate on watching the forest. Her lack of attention may have been dangerous if there was an enemy nearby.
It was not long before Kari found herself entrapped in her thoughts of TK again. This time, however, it was induced by her dream. As she had slept, her dreams had taken her to a parallel world in which she and TK were together, living a happy and healthy life together. TK was working as an architect for a large Japanese firm. Kari had been in charge of her own floral business, thanks to her mother's influence. Their children had been unclear, but evident in the world. However, at one particularly clear part of the dream, TK had appeared at her floral shop, walked behind the counter and, as he embraced her, whispered, "I love you, Hikari."
It was so strange how her dream had been so clear at that single point, how real the voice had sounded. It was that point which stood out from her dream and it was the point she never wanted to forget. From all of her dreams, nothing had ever been so clear and precise, especially in a dream involving another person from real life. She leaned back to a horizontal position on the ground, reveling on how safe and secure she had felt in TK's arms, even though they had been imagined. She could only hope that she would ever be so lucky to be able to live out that dream.
It was then that another thought struck her. She knew how strong her feelings for TK were, and she assumed that, by his actions, he felt much the same way. Nevertheless, it seemed that with each passing day, TK's life was placed in greater and greater danger. He had fought his way through a multiple drones and was able to escape those battles undamaged. He had even been able to face down her spider captors a few days ago. Then again, it seemed that today's, or by this point yesterday's battle had been more exhausting for TK. With the added strain of time on watch, he was likely to be running low on energy. Kari knew TK had a lot of stamina, something he had shown again and again in his basketball games. She hoped it was strong enough to endure that kind of punishment for another few days
All of Kari's worries summed to the fear that TK may fall victim to a swing of a sword, or the venomous spine of some other forest creature. Whatever the source, it was frightening for Kari to imagine something happening to TK, perhaps even taking his life. That thought was particularly disturbing. All the fears made Kari come to a resolution. She knew that it had to be filled out before it was too late. By whatever means necessary, Kari knew she had to inform TK of her feelings, and make sure that her love for him could protect him from even the most deadly assaults. Should either of them be struck down, she wanted to still be linked to him by their love for one another.
That was, of course, if TK had the same feelings for her. TK had many female friends and although Kari was obviously his best friend, she never knew how far his care and kindness towards her would go. Kari shook the thought from her head, assuring herself that TK did return her love, regardless of the fact that he had never spoken such.
She then considered the first time she had brought up the subject with TK back in the cave nearly a week ago. TK had been so evasive that it was almost enough to make her cry. Perhaps he had felt it was a trap. TK was cautious, but she didn't think that was the reason. It was possible that he had been trying to protect her since TK was known to always put his friends' well being above his own. His replies, on the other hand, didn't really fit together in that mindset. There was also the possibility that TK had been scared to admit his feelings. That thought stuck with her for some time.
After mulling it over, that idea sounded like a logical explanation. TK may have felt what Kari knew he did and may have wanted to express it, but his inhibitions of fear were so strong, so fearful of rejection, that he had evaded directly answering Kari's questions. TK was not one to have fears, but if he were to hurt Kari or himself by answering truthfully, Kari knew that he would never forgive himself. She hoped that at the next opportunity, when Kari brought up the subject again, TK would be able to express his feelings without reservations. After all, if he did truly feel something for Kari, she was more than ready to accept and return that love.
Sitting up, Kari felt that she had ignored her guard duties. Looking over at where Maddie had been, she saw nothing. Kari found this very unsettling until she noticed movement to her right. Looking over, Kari saw Maddie investigating something in the darkness. Rising, Kari moved to check on what was keeping Maddie so entranced.
Maddie, her senses still fully alert, turned on Kari as she approached. Maddie relaxed upon seeing that it was a friend, rather than an enemy. She then turned around, continuing to stare into the shadows in front to her.
Reaching her side, Kari looked over Maddie's shoulder, into the bleak surroundings of grays and blacks. "What are you watching?" Kari asked, only to be silenced by Maddie's hand over her mouth.
"Something that we don't want to know we're here," Maddie whispered in response, lowering her hand. Kari continued to peer into the gloom, but was unable to pick out any moving objects.
After a moment, Maddie raised her gauntleted arm in a silent motion. Her finger pointed up into a tree some thirty feet off. Looking at the branch, Kari did see something, although she was not sure what it was she saw. But what Kari could make out did nothing to ease the tense moment.
Two leering eyes were watching those in slumber, unblinking in its watch. There was little else on the branch, save the small blob of particular darkness that seemed to house the leering eyes. But it was then that the eyes moved, locking on the two girls. The eyes did little, and although Kari was wished to run, her body could not move. This was due not only to her immense fear, but Maddie's hand holding her own. Maddie held still as well. Although the eyes may have made out the figure of the two girls, they passed over them and returned to staring at the remaining six of the group. Maddie then made her move.
With the eyes unseeing of Maddie's quick action, she aimed her gauntlet-clad arm at the creature in the tree. Again muttering an incantation, Maddie summoned fiery energy to her aid. This time, however, the spell formed a projectile. Maddie launched the molten spear from her hand at the beast in the tree. A howl followed, the eyes unmoving as the fire clung to the creature and thoroughly torched it. As the damage the creature sustained increased, it fell from its perch. Landing with a soft thud, the fire dwindled to a single point of light before dying completely.
Maddie extracted the fallen enemy from the underbrush. Maddie then brought the body back into the firelight, hoping to further examine her catch. In the light, Maddie and Kari found that their observer had been a robot.
Now partially melted, the remains of the robotic scout were warped. The two eyes, although supposedly used for seeing, contained rather unusual devices. The left pupil was actually a microphone, used to gather sound. The right pupil housed a small lens that, when broken off, revealed a small camera. Whoever had operated such a device clearly had been keeping an eye on the group's movements.
Kari wondered how long they had been tracked. They had held watches only once before this night. Now it seemed that such an idea might have been a poor move. It was very possible that spies had been watching them their entire journey, giving out their coordinates to their adversaries and thus making them easy ambush targets. Whatever their beliefs, it was clear that they were being watched now, and that dangers could only be increased if any information had been returned to the controller of the scout.
"What is it?" Kari asked after a moment of study.
"A mechanical scout, from what I see," Maddie responded, searching through the other parts of the robot.
"So, we've been watched?"
"It seems that way; it would explain how we are always attacked by the drones head-on. These forests are huge, and to narrow down our location would have required sentries."
"Who do you think sent these robotic things after us, anyway?" Kari continued, curiosity taking over.
Maddie thought for a moment, a slight shudder running down her back. "No, that's not possible," she muttered, scared by her own thought.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," Maddie covered, shaking her head. "I guess I got a little lost in thought there. Anyway, I'm not sure who could be sending all of these robots after us. I would assume that the commanders of the drones and robots are in control of them, but I'm not sure. All I know is that whoever is commanding them is serious about eradicating us."
A chill went down Kari's spine at hearing those words. She tried to shake the feeling of deep foreboding it brought, but could not completely free herself. Now not only did she fear a final confrontation, but she was nearly sure of its coming. Maddie, however, seemed relatively unconcerned.
"Don't fret, Kari," Maddie said as calmly as she could. "There's nothing out here we can't face. We'll be out of here before you know it. The sun is rising for us already. Perhaps you should sneak in another hour or two of sleep before we break camp?"
Kari nodded, grateful to be able to return to her slumber. She could only wish that her dream from before would come again so she could feel the sensations of being in TK's arms again. As she rose from the dispatched robot, Kari moved back to her original bedding area. The dream of TK's embrace clear in her mind, Kari was all too willing to go back to her dream world and be joined once again with her beloved.
Maddie, on the other hand, loathed the thought of sleeping any more than what she needed to operate. Instead, she opted to make another pass around the camp for any accomplices of the spy she had captured. Moving slowly and carefully, Maddie circled the full circumference of the clearing.
As the eyes on the elder female left the immediate premises, the two eyes remaining open rose slightly. Its memory banks were damaged, but the little scouter robot was able to figure that it was now on the ground. It also found that its movement facilities were heavily damaged and that it could therefore not return to its master. As the last-ditch effort, the scouter robot ejected a part of its body, the recording facilities. The machine could only hope that its launch had been successful, and that its master would use the data for his conquest over the eight it had spied upon. With that, the generator of the drone collapsed from extensive damage, and the eyes closed. They were never to open again.
As none of the group noticed the launch of the drone's memory banks, none of them could be sure that their position was still unknown, as if they would make the remainder of their journey in peace. On the contrary, they were now all but ensured that they had yet to face the largest battle of their young lives.