k2: I should say this now. This has no 'religious' qualities; I just personally believe that there is always a higher power at work, whether it be God or anything else. So when you here mention of the 'higher powers' or 'he' as Misshra tends to put things, just keep that in mind and you van take it as however you like. If I were to do something religious it would be obvious, because I am a Christian nor do I hide the fact.
MK: I prolly shoulda put that up in the first chapie.
k2: Better late then never?
MK: You just keep telling yourself that.
k2: -_-;;
Update 4/16/11: Made some adjustments to the ethereal realm part of this.
111break111
What Now
Ch.11-Death Is Never Eternal
PG
111break111
"Death is never eternal!"
Misshra's sudden pronouncement caused a few heads to turn, a few well placed glares and of course, the usual befuddlement.
Tai looked up from his attempts at comforting Sora to stare at the girl's intrusion. Her announcement was out of place in this scenario and he found her reclusive behavior far too annoying.
"What did you just say?"
"Death is…err…never eternal." She repeated. "It's a, uh…a line someone once recited to me. Death is an endless cycle that connects back to life."
"And what does that have to do with anything?" Davis snapped. This was getting more and more difficult for him. HE felt abstract, separated from the others. It was strange, he wasn't sure if the shock had already settled in or if what. Matt was a really good friend, almost a big brother even (though not like Tai. Tai was a to easier to get along with, nor did he threaten Davis like Matt did), and it felt really odd to see him lying there, lifeless. It made him sick to feel this confusion, he couldn't' understand why he was unable to grasp his own feelings.
And this girl, this green haired intruder comes along and starts joking around! He didn't' think so.
"Can't you see we have a crisis here!" he demanded
"Umm…yes, I do." Misshra replied, "And it hurts. The pain hurts me, when life is stripped away I can feel it. But I also know how to fix it."
"What do you mean…fix it?" Joe asked as he slowly stood up.
Misshra looked at each of them in turn. The only one not starring at her right now was Mimi and she was still deeply in her own shock to notice anything around her. Even TK and Kari had taken note of her from their shared perch on the cliff, a place Misshra felt was far to convenient just in case that attack wasn't over.
"Enera, get TK and Kari down here. It's no where near safe for them up there, especially with what I am about to do."
"Right." Eneramon stated as she jumped onto he side of the cliff, taking it leaps and bounds."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Tai cried
"No." Misshra replied, we don't' have a minute. As we speak Matt's soul is getting farther and farther away. I need you to listen to me now if we are to save him."
"Save him!" Joe balked, "How can you save someone who's already dead?"
"That's a cruel joke." Tai's eyes were narrowed so low that Misshra couldn't' help but to take a step back. "Can't you see how hard this is on Sora already! Not to mention TK! Do you think this is funny!"
Misshra bit her lip. It was hard enough as it was just to stand here with all their eyes on her. She never was one for public speeches; the public eye was her least favorite thing. Already her ears were going red with embarrassment for many reasons, one of which was Tai's angry response.
"Please, you have to believe me. This is no joke!"
"If, as you say, this is not a joke," Izzy began tactfully, "how would you go about 'saving' him?"
"I'm just going to ask you guys to trust me for a moment." Misshra replied, "And to open your minds. Believe me, I know what I am doing."
"What is your plan?"
If it hadn't been for Tai sitting right next to her no one would have even heard her. AS it was he looked at her quickly, confused.
"You trust her?"
"What do we have to loose?" Sora asked softly, "Matt…isn't…going to wake up." Fresh tears spilled down Sora's cheeks and she starting crying. "I…I can't…let him just…not wake up! Mrs. Takaishi…won't survive another heartache! Her only consolation…will be…th-that she got her baby back but…she will still…have lost a son! Can you live with yourself if…if you knew there were something…we cold do and…and…we d-didn't do anything?"
"I…I guess not." Tai murmured as Eneramon landed on the ground, TK and Kari with her.
TK managed to stumble a few steps and land next to Gabumon.
"…Matt…." He murmured
"What do we have to do?" Sora asked, her resolve strengthening for TK's sake.
"Well…it's, uhh…a rather difficult process." She murmured then added hurriedly, "For me! Not for anyone else. It's just that…well; I need a volunteer, someone willing to do something very important…. Misshra bit her lip as she trailed off and Eneramon shook her heard softly. This wasn't going well.
"Well?" Davis asked impatiently, "What is it? What's so important that a volunteer has to do be a human sacrifice or something!"
"Almost/" Misshra replied softly.
Davis froze, staring at her with wide eyes. Mimi, finally getting over her shock, looked over with frightful eyes just as everyone turned to stare in shock at the young green haired girl.
"I need someone to share his life." Misshra continued.
"Say what?" Tai asked dumbly.
"There isn't much time." Misshra stated, "The longer we wait the harder it will be to pull Matt's spirit back into the astral realm.
"I don't' get it."
"What do you mean share his life?" Sora asked slowly.
"Simple." Misshra replied, a little rushed, "It basically means I need someone to act as a link for him. I need to combine his spirit with someone else's; it's a binding, a forced soul mate. And if we don't' hurry it up there won't be a spirit to bring back!"
"Use me!" Sora stated. Everyone turned to look at her and she smiled softly. She looked down at Matt, still running her fingers through his hair, and laughed a little. "I love him, what more can I say? If things work out we'll be together anyway. But…if they don't…at least he'll be alive. And I need to bring him back!"
"You trust her?" Tai asked again.
"We have nothing else to loose." Sora replied.
"Except you." Tai replied
"Taichi."
Tai looked over at Misshra, the use of his full name startling him once again. She stood with her body straight, rigid. Her eyes were determined and the wind tossed at her hair as the breeze blew by. She pushed the green locks out of the way and continued.
"Do you…do you remember what I did earlier? For Matt. His leg?" Tai nodded, "I can do a lot more then just heal broken limbs."
"Fine." Tai replied. "If your intent on doing this Sora then…. I wont' stop you. But I urge you to be careful, especially when needing to trust someone."
"I understand." Sora murmured as she looked at Misshra. "Well? What do we do?"
"What your doing now is fine, so long as there is contact. TK, could you please step back?"
"No." TK replied
"Fine, but don't blame me if you get burned."
TK looked up at her, startled. She urged Tai to move out of her way and sat down where he had been, then put one hand on Sora's head and another on Matt's.
"His wounds will heal as the process continues." She murmured for reassurance.
"Where's Tokomon!" TK cried just as a bright flash of light engulfed Misshra, Matt and Sora. TK fell backward, startled and blinded.
111break111
The world around her disappeared in a flash of bright light that had extended from the hands of the green haired girl. AS the light faded Sora blinked. IT was dark. She could see nothing at first, and then images began to upper from within the darkness. And yet they weren't exactly images either they were something else.
She wasn't sure what she saw. Vague silhouettes of a sort. Mist.
"Where are we?" Sora asked, though her voice seemed to echo as she spoke.
"Umm…I think it's the ephemeral plane." Misshra replied as she looked around herself, "The plane of spirits and dreams. The two realms link on a level, I believe, and the level they link to is the one that gives the spirit ethereal form."
"Excuse me?"
"It's nothing. Just long explanations. Just know that this is the only way to find Matt's spirit. We should find a tunnel that he is preparing to enter, the tunnel that will take him to his after life."
"I don't; see anything." Sora stated as she looked around quickly, her fear rising once more. "Are we too late?"
"No." Misshra's reply was somewhat forced. She seemed worried about something. "But I don't' understand. He should be here, we should be able to see him."
"I thought you said you knew what you were doing!" Sora's tone was accusatory.
"Would you have believed me if I said I'd only done this once before?"
Once!"
"What else was I supposed to do? I had to get Yamatto back for the sake of the war. We don't have the time, Sora, to wait for a new Avatar to appear."
Sora looked at Misshra, her brow furrowed. The girl's words were important, but they confused her. Misshra sounded crazy, yet usually people like her weren't crazy at all and only needed trust.
"Never mind that right now." Misshra replied, "We have to find Matt. I have a bad feeling that he is here, and that something is very wrong."
"So then…how do we find Matt?"
"The ephemeral plane is a manifestation of our minds. If we concentrate we will be able to find him. Something should happen, I guess. I don't suppose you can sense him, can you?"
"What?"
"Well, you love him, right?"
"Yes."
"Then think about him. Close your eyes and think about, in detail, and see what happens."
"You think it will work?"
"Dunno."
Sora bit her lip. Misshra wasn't being much helped, really, and she was worried. What if the girl really didn't' know anything?
Trust! Sora reprimanded herself. She had to trust the girl.
Sora closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She thought about Matt, thought about his kind compassionate eyes, the side of him he rarely ever showed. She thought about his somewhat cold nature when he felt indifferent, a side of him that made him aloof among his pears. The side of him that was so intent that he had problems in the past. And yet a side of him nonetheless. She thought of him when he was happy, sad, or angry. She thought about how funny he could be, how romantic. She thought about his golden hair, so out of place in Japan, and she thought about how much he cared for those he loved.
And then Sora began to feel a sense of warmth spread through her and a small blue light began to appear in her minds eye. A blue light that seemed, strangely, to have a personage of Matt's face within. He looked peaceful, as if he were sleeping. But it was a weak personage and then suddenly she felt a wave of heat wash over her and she crumpled as a burning sensation entered her mind.
Crying out her eyes snapped open and she found an incredibly worried Misshra staring at her in concern.
What was it!" Misshra asked fretfully, "What did you see?"
"An…an image of Matt came to me, like he was asleep or something. And then…my head felt like it was on fire and…." Sora looked at Misshra, wide eyed, "What's going on?"
Misshra groaned loudly and looked around. "Try and see if you can locate Matt, I'll explain as we go."
"Uh…sure." Sora murmured. "The feeling is strongest this way. I don't get it though, is this all in our minds or something?"
"To an extent, but please don't make me explain. It's hard enough just trying to think about it, explaining is even worse."
Sora stopped, shocked. "But you said-."
"I was going to explain what happened when you tried to locate him." Misshra replied, "And I am. You see, I don't know how, but the guy who ordered him killed in the first place managed to seal his soul."
Sora's eyes widened.
"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm surprised you can even sense where he is at all, are you sure you two aren't' already connected on some level?"
"N-not that I know of." Sora replied.
Misshra stared at Sora for a moment before she continued walking. There was a possibility but she knew very little about this kind of stuff.
"It doesn't matter." Misshra announced then. "Let's go."
"Right."
Sora led the way, though she wasn't sure how she knew where to go. Yet she knew she was going the right way, especially since the burning sensation from earlier returned, getting worse and worse as they walked. She didn't' tell Misshra, however, she figured if the girl didn't; already know then she didn't need to. She already knew so much for such a young girl. She wondered what it was that gave her all this knowledge, who was she and what was her purpose?
And what did she mean earlier by avatar?
"Sora, look." Misshra, noticing the distant expression on Sora's face as she walked, touched the older girls shoulder and pointed. What they saw was some sort of dome of light that seemed to be warding off a darkness of some sort. In the middle of the dome appeared to be an odd rectangular object.
"What is that?" Sora asked
"Not what, who. It's who we've been looking for, I am sure of it."
"Matt!"
"Yes." Misshra's soft voice was full of irritation, barley concealed anger. "I can't believe it I was right!" she hissed, "I was really hoping I was wrong! Come one, we have to get him out before the darkens reeks through the barrier!"
"I don't;' get it, what's going on?" Sora asked as she and Misshra both began running forward.
"I told you already, Yamatto has been sealed. But it's not just that, somehow the void's master has managed to make an extension. I have no doubt that he had Yamatto killed in the first place because not only did he ruin his plans, but also, now that Yamatto's power has awakened he is an even bigger threat! The soul of an avatar, once sealed, cannot be reborn. Not only that but it grants immeasurable power if it is consumed by the source of the dark minions power! And that is what is happening now! Somehow they managed to make an extensions, one where they didn't' have to drag their victim back to the source at all!"
They reached the dome as Misshra finished and they stopped. Sora looked at the dome dishearteningly then glanced at Misshra.
" So…now what?"
"We walk through."
Misshra took a deep breath and reach out with her hand. She took on step forward and stepped through, the light enveloping her as she slid in. Sora, watching in awe, saw as the girl's silhouette inside the light seemed to become ethereal in nature, like that as the rest of this strange realm. Realizing Misshra was getting ahead of her Sora quickly walked through, a shock of warmth embracing her as if Matt had wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe, complete. She felt as if she and a confidant with her at this very second.
And the burning inside her was no more.
"Matt…."
Sora quickly ran to catch up to Misshra who had already reached the object in the middle. And what she found astounded her. What appeared to be a crystal case, rectangle in nature, though slanted at the edges and seemingly faceted, was her Matt. Her precious Blond that she had been so afraid of loosing forever. She gasped as she saw the light radiating from him. He looked so peaceful in there and she couldn't; help but remember stories of when she was a little girl. She started to reach out, wanting to caress Matt, but as her hand was only inches from the case it was suddenly slapped away. Sora looked at Misshra in shock while the young girl just shook her head no.
"Remember the burning sensation every time you tried to think about him?"
"Yeah?"
"That's what's causing it. Think if you were to touch it, the result wouldn't just be in spirit either. You body would be affected."
"So…what do we do?"
"Actually, I don't' know. I've never had to free someone's soul before."
"That's not very comforting." Sora replied
Gimme a break!" the girl replied, "It takes a lifetime to get it all right!"
"So now what?" Sora asked, looking up through the bluish white light that engulfed them. The darkness appeared as if it were bearing in on them.
"I…I dunno. But we have to get him out of that case. I only wish I knew how he was trapped to begin with…."
111break111
"TK!" Kari rushed over to the boy, taking the four large steps in nearly a single bound, and looked at him with much concern. His eyes were giving off little swirlies, a sure sign that he was less then fine but unhurt and she gently knelt next to him. "Where is Patamon?" She asked, looking around them.
"Eh…V-Mon still has him." Davis replied as he turned around. "Though it's Tokomon right now. Hey! V-Mon! Tokomon is needed!"
After a second V-Mon walked over to the group with Tokomon in his arms and looked up at Davis. "The little guy is still sleeping, that digidrain of hers is dangerous. And I don't' think she totally knows how to control it, if you ask me."
"Huh? Never mind, just take him over to TK."
TK sat up and looked around in confusion. He was disoriented and unsure what happened. However, when his eyes fell on Tokomon in V-mons arms his eyes widened. V-mon handed the little guy over and TK gently took him into his arms.
"Tokomon." HE murmured, gently prodding him. "You okay little guy?"
The digimon opened one eye, saw whom he was with, and then snuggled a little more closely into TK's arms. "Fine."
TK smiled and held him more closely. "I'm…sorry Tokomon."
"No need."
TK felt as if yet another weight was lifted and his eyes roamed over to Kari. She was smiling at him, though Tai was standing behind her, his arms crossed. A sweat drop found it's way onto TK's temple, but he managed a soft smile for Kari's sake and turned his attention back onto a dome of light and it suddenly came back to him.
Matt.
TK now understood what the girl had meant by being burned. The light wasn't hot, not exactly, but it had defiantly sent him reeling for a second there. And it also nearly blinded him, too. His vision was still a bit dim and a few spots floated around his eyes, but other then that he was fine. HE tried to look through the light, but it was so bright. Not as bad as looking into the sun, but still. He couldn't' keep his eyes on it for long.
"TK."
TK turned to see Kari' staring straight into the light, her eyes set in consternation. "What is it?"
"I don't' know. There's something…." She trailed off and turned to look at him. "I'm not sure but I thought I saw something twinkle. In Matt's, umm…in his wound."
"You can see in there?"
"You can't?"
"It's to bright."
"I can't see either." Tai stated. "What is this twinkling?"
"I dunno. It's…I don't think it's anything really. She said she had the ability to heal wounds, right?"
"Yeah, she healed Matt's leg and his head."
"Then she's probably just healing his wound." Kari replied, though for some reason she doubted her own words. "I don't' think it would be a good idea for him to have the wound stay open…right?"
TK looked towards the light again, vainly trying to see within. His eyes started to tear then, and it wasn't all because the light made his eyes sting.
"Yeah."
111break111
"I have an idea." Misshra steadily walked over to the case that held Matt and took a deep breath while Sora watched apprehensively.
"What…are you going to do?"
"I'm going to see just how much of me is in the ephemeral plain." The girl responded. She placed her hands over the case, glanced at Sora, then pressed her hands on it. She felt a jolt hit her, almost like a ton of bricks was thrust into her stomach. All the wind seemed to leave her at once and pain began fill her down to the very marrow of her bones.
111break111
"Oh, no!" Kari cried, "Something's happening!"
"What?" Tai asked quickly as TK looked on in pained helplessness.
"I don't know! That girl…she looks like she's having trouble!"
"Misshra!"
Eneramon was suddenly next to the dome, startling Tai, and looking into it.
"Where'd you come from?" Tai demanded as he tried to make his heart rate return too normal.
Ignoring him Eneramon stared intently into the light, then cursed loudly. "That fool is gong to kill herself one of these days." She muttered before turning away.
"What is it?" Kari asked
"Nothing. Nothing she can't handle. Besides, even if something did go wrong with this none of us could help her now."
111break111
Misshra forced the feeling of attack away, forced it back down to just surging energy and made it into her own. Sora watched, awe struck, as the energy began to swirl around Misshra as if conforming to her will. The case that Matt lay in began to waver then and slowly seemed to fade. Misshra gasped and let go, bending over and heaving. Sora had a feeling that if they had been anywhere else but here the girl would be retching right now and she felt a wave of concern wash over her before she realized that Matt was free of the case.
And then he began to groan.
"Matt!" fell to her knees next to him, hugging him tightly.
"Sora?" He looked around as best he could while Sora attempted to choke him in her arms, and saw where he was. "AM I…dead?"
"No." Sora murmured joyfully, "At lest…not for long anyway."
"What?"
"We…we don't' have much time!" Misshra stepped in cutting the reunion short. "Matt, you have to make a decision now."
"You." Matt murmured when he saw the girl. "Misshra, right?"
"Y-yeah. Misshra."
The girl stumbled a little but Sora didn't' see anything she could have tripped over. Fresh concern entered her as she watched the girl.
"Are you…alright?"
"Fine!" she quipped, a smile planting itself on her face. "I'm…I'm fine. Eh…let's get going, huh?"
Matt slumped into Sora as a wave of pain attacked him. Sora let out a cry, catching him, and Misshra cursed and looked up. The light barrier seemed to be weakening and her eyes widened.
"Yamatto, you need to m-make the…thing, the uhh…the decision! Now! Now that you, uhh…awake the barrier protecting you is failing even faster."
"What decision?"
"Do you want to live?"
"Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"
"Are you willing to accept someone sacrificing for you?"
"What?"
"Are you willing…willing to accept joining to another. Soul to soul, life to life. Bonding together until life's departure?"
"Uhh…why do I feel like I'm getting married?"
"This is serious Yamatto."
"Urr, yeah, but it still feels like I'm getting married."
"Are you or are you not!" Misshra cried, "Willing to accept Sora's offer to share her soul? To bind yours to her in order to live!"
"What?" Matt looked at Sora, looked into her eyes. She smiled at him and he saw a fierce determination there that he hadn't seen in a long time. A very long time. He had a feeling that if he said no it wouldn't' matter if he were dead, she would find a way to kill him herself. He grinned hesitantly, feeling the same way he did when he and Tai found out they had to allow TK and Kari's angels attack them in order to save the world. He also knew, as he did then. He had little choice in the matter, even though it was his choice to make this time.
"I really doubt I have any other choice, do I?"
"I don't' think so." Sora answered him; her hand brushing across is face. "We all need you to wake up now."
"Well then. Let's get it over with."
Misshra looked at them all like they were nuts. This wasn't a decision to make lightly and they were joking about it!
She shook her head in irritation. She didn't' know what to think, but she did know it didn't matter. She needed to do this now. With Matt awake his inert and untrained abilities were no longer subconsciously protecting him that meant they were all vulnerable to the attack trying desperately to get to them.
And Misshra was already having a hard time. The energy she absorbed was biting into her; she had to get rid of it before it impeded her work.
'I have never thought to release it slowly before.' She thought to herself. 'I wonder…if I can do it without them noticing?
The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Just…just a moment." She murmured as she placed a hand on her head. She concentrated then, the word 'release' falling from her in a whisper only she could hear, and she felt a the rush of dark energy fall off her. She opened her eyes then and glanced at Matt and Sora. They were watching her expectantly, waiting for her to do something.
AND explosion from behind her forced Misshra to turn around frightfully. Dark energy, she was sure it was the stuff she just released, began blasting randomly at the dome of light, having no direction given to it. Misshra cursed again and silently swore never to do that again before she turned back to the others, an excuse already on her tongue.
"Er…like I said, we need to hurry. Things are, uhh…falling apart."
"What do we do?" Sora asked
"Stay by each other, concentrate. Feel as if you were one. I will do the rest."
Misshra watched as they did as they were told. She sighed in relief and closed her eyes.
'Concentrate. Search yourself; leave the realm of shadows and drift to that of the spirits. Finish the journey only the dead are allowed to make.'
Misshra, through her minds eye, saw everything. Below her two formless spirits floated and she couldn't' help but smile. Their souls were in perfect unison. The last time she attempted this the souls were nearly incompatible, but she was forced to make them compatible, a decision she muchly regretted still. Yet one that had to be made.
Misshra began the process, reaching out with her minds eye, conducting as if she would an orchestra.
'Be as one.' She thought, 'Unite together.' She watched as they swirled around each other, watched as they even seemed to merge into one and she took that time to link them. Thread by thread, take small tendrils of light from each one and joining them, fusing them together.
Pain began to engulf her. A light appeared in her side and she cursed again. She was exhausted, oblivion was calling to her. And yet she knew that of all of them she could not go the most. The world around her seemed to dim, the light near her growing stronger.
"No! Not…now…not ever!"
She was down to ten threads. Fresh pain waved around her. She knew the barrier was failing and she knew she was about to flicker out.
Five more.
So close, so…close!
Three…two!
"Last…one…." She thought desperately as she managed to pinch off the last combination and then the world around her collapsed and she succumbed to the cries of her one spirit.
111break111
The dome of light faded and Misshra fell to the side. Eneramon caught her, lifted her away from the others so deftly it was barley noticed; all their attentions focused on something far more important them. Both Matt and Sora were unconscious. Matt still in Sora's lap and Sora slumped over him. And then they both moved.
"Matt!" TK cried excitedly as the older blond slowly opened his eyes.
His met Sora's and they both smiled as she sat up. She helped him rise and then TK was bowling him over again back onto Sora. Both TK and Matt moaned painfully, however, and Sora laughed. They all laughed. This was a joyous moment indeed and Eneramon slowly slipped away, unwilling to spoil their happy celebrations with horrible news.
Even as they all surrounded the newly awaked Yamatto, Eneramon was deeply concerned for the young girl in her arms. With skin as pale as a ghosts, lips so gray they almost appeared blue, Eneramon knew that her friend was dangerously close to death. There was no way Misshra could return home, no way for her parents to know she was truly okay. Any attempt would send her right through deaths door.
