Gato: Why does it take me so long to update?
Irie: Cause you procrastinate.
Gato: Good point. Well, I might as well get on with this. I apologize for how long it has taken me to update. I might have updated sooner if hadn't deleted two of my stories and banned me from updating.
Irie: Stay calm.
Gato: I am calm. As calm as a raging bull.
Irie: Right. Well, gato owns nothing but the plot.
Gato: Oh, and I changed my screen name for those of you who have not noticed.
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Sora shifted and slowly opened her eyes. She met the concerned, brown eyes of Tai. The tense muscles in his face relaxed into a grin. "You're awake."
"Where am I? What...what happened." Sora blinked and attempted to focus upon her surroundings. The harsh light reflected off the sterile white of the room.
"You're in the hospital."
"How long have I been here?" Sora leaned on her right arm and winced in pain. Images of the night when she received her injury entered her mind. Vicious, painful snapshots: her uncle with the gun, the bullet grazing her arm, his harsh words. Sora shuddered.
Tai instinctively took her hand. "The police picked your uncle up last night. The doctors looked at all of your injuries and could tell you were being abused. The bullet wound alone was enough to get the cops suspicious. When they found him passed out and clutching the gun, they arrested him."
"Tai, how long have I been here?"
"You passed out on my doorstep two days ago."
"Two days!" Sora attempted to sit up. A black haze narrowed her vision and she sank back onto the pillow. "Two days," she murmured.
"We've all been really worried about you." Tai stared at his best friend.
"We?"
"Yeah, everyone. Me, Kari, Mimi, Joe, everyone." Sora merely shook her head in response. Tai continued to watch her, "Sora, why didn't you tell us what was happening at home. We care about you and we could have helped! If you had just told us..."
"It was none of your business." Sora snapped coldly. "It's still none of your business."
"Sora, you're my best friend and lo...and I really care about you. Of course it's my business."
"You care about me?"
"Of course I do."
"Then leave me alone and stop pretending to understand me." Sora glared at the white sheets. Tai sat back in his chair and sighed. A dark shape flitted past the window. Neither teen noticed.
... ... ...
After several more minutes of trying to talk to Sora, Tai left her alone. He exited her room as a doctor and two nurses entered to check on her. On the way to the cafeteria, he met Mimi and Izzy.
"How is Sora?" Mimi asked. She held a bouquet of roses in one hand and a stuffed toy in the other.
Tai shrugged in response, "She's still the same as she was in school. She says that what happened to her is none of our business and she wants to be left alone."
"Don't worry about it Tai," Izzy assured his distraught friend, "I've read that victims of abuse are sometimes prone of mood swings like hers."
"But, it's just not like Sora to be like this."
"I agree with Tai." Mimi clutched the flowers tightly, "I think there may be something more that she isn't telling us."
"You two have to remember everything that she's been through," Izzy implored, "she lost her parents very recently and then her uncle started abusing her. It's very natural that she is so defensive."
Mimi frowned, "I don't know. Well, I'm going to try and talk to her anyway. Want to come, Tai?"
"I was just there..."
"So? You're her best friend. If anyone can break through to her, you can."
.........
Tai, Mimi and Izzy entered Sora's room as the doctor was finishing up his examination of a very uncooperative Sora.
"Miss Takenouchi, you must take your medicine. You will not get better if you don't."
"What's the big deal? If I don't get better, then I don't get better."
The doctor sighed and glanced at the three other teens. He placed two pills on Sora's food tray, nodded to Tai and left. Mimi stepped forward and placed her gifts on Sora's bed. She hugged the red-head, but Sora made no response. "How are you feeling, Sora?"
"I would be better if people would stop worrying about me." Sora snapped.
"You're our friend, Sora. We'll always worry about you and care about you. We lo..."
"You what?" Sora interrupted harshly, "You love me?"
"Of course we do. After everything we've been through together, how could we not love you?"
Sora snorted loudly, "That's very cute, Mimi, but love isn't real." No one responded to this comment. They watched Sora in shock. She continued to speak, her eyes darkening with every word. "There is no such thing as true love. If there was people wouldn't always be getting hurt. What's the point of loving people? All they ever do is leave and hurt you. That's what love is. Love is pain."
"Sora!" Mimi cried hysterically, "Sora, what are you saying? Don't you remember who you are? You're the bearer of love!"
"Don't tell me you still believe all that stuff that happened in the Digital World." Sora grabbed her knapsack from beside the bed and removed her crest from the bag. She held it up and showed them the cracks in the glass. She mockingly placed it on her neck. "You see. It's broken, it's useless. Just like love."
"That isn't true," Tai said firmly. Sora looked at him; her once crimson eyes resembled brown. "That isn't true and you know it Sora."
"No, Tai. I know the real truth. Unlike all of you, I'm no longer deceived by the fairy tale we used to live in."
"Sora, you're upset," Izzy attempted to reason with his friend, "It's natural for you to doubt things such as love..."
"I don't doubt it, Izzy. I know that love isn't real." She pulled the photograph of her parents out of her bag. "You see them?" No one answered. "Do you see them?! I loved them and now they're gone forever. Do you see this?" she viciously removed her bandage and showed them the bullet wound. "I loved my uncle and he gave me this along with many other injuries. This is what love gives you. Pain!" Sora gripped the picture tightly. The frame strained under her hands. She felt tears sting her eyes. Still, no one spoke. She held up the picture once more; her voice reached a hysterical pitch. "I want all of you to look at them. They're gone forever and it's all my fault!"
"Sora, no one blames you for what happened." Tai cried. "It was an accident!"
"No!" Sora hurled the frame away. It collided with the wall and shattered. "I loved them and they're gone. I hate love. I hate it! I hate everything that has to do with love. I hate you, all of you!" Her eyes darkened further. Izzy saw the glass on her crest begin to repair itself; he saw the image of love warp.
"Sora!" Mimi cried, frightened.
"Get out! Go away; I never want to see any of you ever again!"
"Sora, don't say things like that!" Mimi screamed.
"Come on," Izzy murmured. He dragged a screaming Mimi and a silent from Sora's room. Sora watched the leave then dissolved into tears.
.........
"NO! We can't just leave her alone! Something's wrong with her! Sora!" Mimi continued to scream as Izzy dragged her down the hall of the hospital. Tai followed silently, his eyes held a shocked expression.
"Mimi," Izzy said through clenched teeth, "if you don't shut up I swear I'm going to slap you."
Mimi hiccupped and fell silent. Tai finally awoke from his reverie, "Izzy, you know something, so why don't you spill the goddamn beans."
"Not now. We need to get the others. If I'm right, we're in a lot of trouble."
Tai moved quickly and grabbed Izzy by the collar. "Izzy, let me spell this out for you. Something is seriously wrong with my best friend and you know what it is. If you don't start talking, I swear I'm going to beat the crap out of you."
"Tai, let me go." Izzy said calmly.
"Talk first." Tai's grip on Izzy's collar tightened.
"Let me go now Tai, or else."
"Tell me what you know!"
In one swift movement, Izzy's fist connected with Tai's jaw. Tai staggered back in surprise, rubbing his jaw. Mimi merely gaped. Izzy adjusted his shirt and glanced at Tai, "I didn't hit you hard enough to break anything. Your jaw will just be sore for a bit. Have you calmed down?"
"Where the hell did you learn to hit like that?"
"I took some classes after we got back from the digital world. Now, let's get the others together. We need to have a meeting." Izzy continued on his way out of the hospital followed by an amazed Mimi and a sore Tai.
.........
Sora lay in the stiff, hospital bed. The tears had subsided and she allowed her eyes to wander along the ceiling. She failed to notice the changes to her crest. As she counted the spots in the failing light of dusk, a shadow moved. Sora sat up and searched of the source of the shadow. She saw several more flits of darkness along the walls and ceiling. She brought her gaze down and saw a dark shadowy figure standing before her. Sora yelled and recoiled from the creature. It smiled; the white teeth a harsh comparison to its black body.
"Hello, Sora," it hissed.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am Despimon and I am the only creature that truly understands you."
"You're a digimon? What do you want with me?"
"You have power, Sora. An unthinkable power that I want to help you control."
"What power?"
"The power hidden in your crest."
"Love?!" Sora scoffed, "Please, you and I both know that love is not a power."
"I do not speak of love, Sora."
"But that's what my crest is. It's the crest of love."
"Perhaps you should look at it once more."
Sora slowly took the crest off from around her neck. The glass had repaired itself. Instead of the usual design, Sora saw a dagger piercing a small heart. "What is this?"
"This is your new crest, Sora: the crest of hatred."
Sora's newly darkened eyes flashed. She glanced once more at the spiteful creature before her. He appeared to be made of shadows. At times she could distinguish a body or arms. The only constant features were on its face. Two green eyes gleamed with a sickly light, the nose nothing more than a slight protrusion and the mouth lined with sharp, white teeth.
"You hold such power Sora and I am the only one who understands your powers. Come with me, and together we will show the world how foolish love really is."
Sora glanced at the shattered photo of her parents and felt the bullet wound. She nodded - her resolve strong.
"Very good, Sora." Despimon took Sora's hand and the two vanished.
.........
"...and her crest repaired itself." Izzy concluded the tale of what he, Mimi and Tai had experienced when they visited Sora.
"I didn't notice that..." Mimi whispered.
"So, what do you think it means?" Matt demanded.
"Something from the digital world is affecting Sora. Whatever it is is using her sorrow in order to manipulate her."
"Damn," Tai muttered.
"What are we going to do?" Joe asked.
"I didn't want to leave her alone, but we had to. By staying with her, we were fueling her hatred and making it easier for some digital creature to work its magic." Izzy sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything until she calms down."
"What if the digital creature comes to get Sora or something?" Tai asked.
"Then we'll have to fight harder than we've ever imagined." Izzy replied.
.........
In a dark corner of the Digital World, a palace stood. From a distance it appeared to be a solid structure but in truth, it was woven out of trees. Their trunks and limbs intertwined unnaturally to form the intricate structure. In this strange place, the lair of Despimon, Sora emerged from a small room. Her eyes, now completely dark and hollow, spied Despimon. The Digimon grinned. "Who are you?"
"I am Princess Sora, servant of Lord Despimon and bearer of hatred."
"Very good," Despimon turned to a bird-creature beside Sora. It's once pink feathers had turned a deep magenta. "And you are?"
"Dark-Biyomon, servant of Princess Sora."
"Yes," Despimon's grin widened maliciously, "and Princess Sora, what is your purpose?"
"I serve and uphold the law of Lord Despimon. I will destroy all those who oppose us. Together, we will rule both worlds."
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Gato: There, finally.
Irie: No kidding, finally.
Gato: I hope that everyone enjoyed that chapter. It was longer than I expected it to be. Next chapter...well you'll just have to keep reading if you want to find out.
Irie: Time for reviewer response...
TO karone-sakura: Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you like the story. Sorry it took me so long to update, but here's the chapter.
TO Shadowpoet: I'm glad the story interests you. And no, it's not corny. Thanks for taking the time to review.
Gato: Okay, I would like some more reviews if that would be possible. I'll try and update more frequently.
Irie: You all better review or else I'll sick my flying, orange cow on you!