Digimon: Visions
Chapter 8: Choices
"We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has been accomplished with out passion" - G.W.H. Hegel
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Mitsuko had woken up earlier then the others. Kilroy's words still weighed heavy on her mind as she picked up one of the apples, they still had plenty of the fruit and fish. But what Kilroy said still seemed very daunting; was Savaria evil? She didn't think so, after all, they had become great friends in these past few days, if anyone was evil, it'd be either Dantes or Sin, and they were the ones who were closed off.
She bit into the apple as she thought about the two boys. Dantes seemed to be trying to do what was right; he just had a warped perception and was overly headstrong. Sin, though, they all knew nothing about him. He only ever showed up and helped periodically, but no one even knew if "Sin" was his real name or an alias. He was pretty much the mystery of this world; even more then its existence.
Mitsuko let her hair down out of the bun it was tightly in and laid back beside the fire. She never really believed in God, but to get out of this, she may have to start praying. She knew it would not help though. Which God would she pray to? Judaism was so orthodox and so uptight; and Christianity was overly corrupt, the same with Islam.
Growing thirsty, Mitsuko abandoned the others and gently walked out, making sure to be quiet enough so she didn't disturb the others. She walked towards the reservoir a few yards away and dipped her cupped hands into it and sipped it through cherry lips, hoping that it was pure enough to drink. She kneeled before the water and looked down to her glassy reflection on the surface of the water.
The others seemed nice enough. Satorii had his childish innocents, Sakura her maternal intellect, while Kilroy had his nerdy-ness and bookishness. Aya and Matt were pretty funny together, Matt a bit perverted whilst Aya was headstrong and opposed to Matt's tendencies. They were this world's hope. Mitsuko giggled to herself as she thought that she felt bad for this world.
After taking another sip of the soft water from her hands, she sighed, wishing that the water was a bit deeper so she could feel a bit less grimy with a bath, she still felt disgusting from the Armadillomon throwing waste and trash at them. She did though; dip her hair into the water so that something would not feel completely disgusting like it did now. It would have to suffice. Mitsuko sighed as she thought of the conveniences she'd taken for granted and never realized how hard it must have been before they came to be. She longed for a hot bath and a soft bed to sleep on.
She began to here foot steps approaching her. Was it another one of the order of Sheolmon? Was it Leomon come back from where Celestiamon had buried him; or had Maildramon survived? She heaved a sigh of relief as she saw that it was only Savaria, who bit into an apple of her own. "Oh, hi, Mitsuko" Savaria seemed a bit unenthused to see her.
"Hi, Savaria, what's wrong" Mitsuko was quick to jump upon her friend's apparent sadness, hoping she could provide her some solace.
"It's nothing, I'm just tired, is all" Savaria smiled as she sat along the edge of the cliff. Mitsuko walked over to her and sat down beside her.
It had become apparent to Mitsuko that Savaria wouldn't be relinquishing information so willing, so she decided that asking couldn't hurt. "Savaria, do you mind if I ask you what happened yesterday, when you got so upset?" She asked through a voice drowned in concern.
"I'd rather not... I'm not even too sure" Savaria tried to dodge the bullet, but this wasn't the Matrix, and she was no Neo.
"Please, Savaria, it's just us, and I promise that it will only stay between us unless you want differently" Mitsuko begged her new friend and she put her auburn hair back into a bun, looking to her friend with concern.
"I... I guess... Mitsuko, have you ever felt like the weight of the world was on your shoulders?" Through her brown eyes, Savaria looked with sadness to Mitsuko as she began her tale.
"I'm sorry, but I can't really say that I have, other than now, but this is more divided" Mitsuko responded, putting an around Savaria, trying to consol her as best she could.
"That's the feeling I had yesterday. I heard voices, I heard prayers. I heard people asking for victory, for retribution, for material possession, for healing, I heard people begging for everything they desired, and it was scary, Mitsuko" Tears began to roll from Savaria's eyes as she confided her innermost sentiments with her. "I even heard people praying that we were dead. Those villagers that survived Shedimon's attacks and one I saw the face of, an anthropomorphic leopard.
"Mitsuko, I'm afraid, and I don't know why it's happening to me. I also discovered I could heal people, like I did Matt and before him Sin. I wasn't able to do this before. I don't even know who I am anymore, or if I can trust myself" By the end of her story, Savaria had brought her knees to her chest, resting her forehead upon her blue jeans.
"I don't know what I can really say, Savaria. I mean, I give you my sympathy, but I can't really relate. I'm here if you need a shoulder to lean on, and I won't tell anyone. I won't tell Satorii, I won't tell Matt or Aya or Dantes, I won't tell Kilroy and I won't tell Sakura, you have my word" Mitsuko tried her hardest to think of some way to give her the slightest comfort, though she knew that she would not be able to. Frustrated, Mitsuko looked to the sky, wishing she had some sort of an answer.
"Mitsuko, I just wonder what is going on in this world. I just wonder what I have to do with everything" Savaria continued to sob as she spoke.
"So do I, you know that, but we really can't just abandon this world, ya know? When I saw Ridomon become Shinjumon I knew that we were needed here, ya know?" Mitsuko hoped that she was helping at least a little bit.
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Back at camp everyone but Sakura had woken up, all of them a bit worried where the two girls were. Satorii, Aya and Matt showed it by looking around with a few of the Digimon, Kilroy simply typed away at his computer, and Dantes tapped his foot and looked impatiently with his arms cross almost as if he knew where they were.
Sakura simply tossed in her sleep as she dreamt, an unnoticed tear glistening as it rolled along her cheek. With in her dream were memories of their world, of pulling her father into their home as he slumped down, drunk as can be. She hated it; she hated having to grow up so fast to take care of her father. He should be taking care of her, not her taking care of him.
Sakura knew it could not be any other way though, if not him she would be taking care of Satorii, since his parents are the top scientists of the Japanese branch of the Lycoming Defense Systems, as her father was a low ranking executive in the main branch of the company. That was why the two of them were in Philadelphia, for an international conference. Growing up so fast waned on her heavily, though. She often wondered if she would have gotten a chance at being a child if her mother were alive.
Her stunning blue eyes flashed open as she broke into a cold sweat as she saw her mother in her dreams. It was hard even now to remember her. Sakura stood up and began to walk off, biting onto her thumb.
"Where are you going?" Dantes asked her audibly. It was then that Sakura noticed that Savaria and Mitsuko weren't among them.
"I just wanted to get a drink, Aya told me that the reservoir was clean, I'll also look for Savaria and Mitsuko near there" She said, though her thumb, still keeping her teeth upon it. Kittenmon and Satorii came over to her.
"Let me go with you" Both of them asked.
"Satorii, I want you to keep looking with the others, I'll take Kittenmon with me for protection" She said through a sigh as she began to walk off. She failed to notice the despairing Satorii behind her. She simply walked on, now with Kittenmon on her shoulder.
Kittenmon had asked Sakura why she did not want Satorii to come along, to which the Japanese girl responded that she wanted to be alone. Kittenmon faked being upset about this, which was the first thing to put a smile on Sakura's face in awhile. They left the brush and saw the other two girls sitting along the cliff of the mountain they had begun to scale to save her.
"Mitsuko, Savaria, there you two are" The small cat Digimon shouted from Sakura's side as she flew over to them. Mitsuko began to pet Kittenmon, but Sakura knew that something was wrong.
"Hey, Sakura" Mitsuko looked back to her, a drop of water leaving the bun she had her hair tightly within.
"Everyone is looking for you two back at camp, may I ask what's up" Sakura implored. She noticed that Mitsuko looked to Savaria and waited for her to nod before speaking.
"Yeah, Savaria was not feeling good about, well, yesterday. I had came here for a drink and to at least soak my hair, and then when Savaria came up we started talking, and, well, we got into that, which is why she's so upset, don't tell the others" Mitsuko continued to pet Kittenmon, knowing that this was becoming farther spread with the inclusion of the Digimon and Sakura. "That means you to" Mitsuko pointed to Kittenmon, making sure she wouldn't tell the others either.
"I won't, don't worry. But can you please fill me in?" Sakura asked as she sat beside them. Mitsuko began to confide in Sakura the basic details of their conversation, looking over to Savaria every so often as she did, to make sure the American girl was okay with what she was saying, or if she wanted her to stop. Savaria never protested though.
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A few minutes after the explanation ended, the three girls and Kittenmon returned to the camp. Satorii ran up and embraced the three, followed by Matt, though only Matt got a smack from Aya for the action. The two fought over why he got smacked and the younger boy. The Digimon all let out a collective sigh as the observed the human's toil.
"Are you alright?" Nekamon asked her partner after walking up to her and seeing sorrow in the girl's eyes.
"Yeah, Nekamon, I'm fine" Savaria forced a smile to the creature. It was enough for Nekamon.
The other Digimon looked concerned as well, though none of them voiced it, they all simply looked to Savaria through somber, soulful eyes, with the exceptions of Fernirmon and Ultimon, neither of them wavered from their normal disposition.
Dantes looked to Savaria through a concerned façade, telling her how worried he was. She told him she was flattered that he was worried as he kissed her hand. Mitsuko looked to him, was she unimportant? Dantes continued to express concern for Savaria, and she seemed to be buying into it, blushing as he did. Mitsuko shot a stare to Sakura, as if implying something they were only meant to understand.
The three who knew the story maintained silence, knowing that it would be breaching Savaria's confidence in them if the dared to utter a word about what transpired near the reservoir. Despite grilling from their piers, they still kept a solid lock upon their knowledge, even to Nekamon, Savaria's own Digimon. Savaria sighed, like the others, she did wonder if it was right to, but she would anyway, Savaria and Mitsuko had become good friends since they arrived.
Kittenmon struggled to keep her mouth shut, though. She disliked having to keep something like this a secret. She lucked out when Dantes asked if they should continue up the mountain. He had noticed that every creature from both worlds had gotten at least an apple to eat, and that was enough for him. The only obstacle was moving
Dantes led the group as the left the grove towards the reservoir, as the girls stayed in back as they often did and spoke of things they knew would not have anything to do with the event earlier. They simply spoke about this world, and about Sin and about everything along the lines of things that they all knew about.
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Aya felt a bit isolated as she looked to the other three girls as they spoke and left her out of the conversation. She decided to make a move and left her watch of Matt, doubling back to talk to them. With Hexamon on her shoulder, she began to walk next to Mitsuko.
"Hi, Aya, is something up?" Sakura asked kindly to the lavender haired Russian girl.
"I'm just getting tired of being stuck with the boys" She spoke honestly, though that was far from anything new. All three of the other girls smiled kindly. Aya smiled back, though she wasn't sure what to make of this acceptance, she had become so used to putting up barrier and moving from place to place had left her far from the friendliest person.
"Aya, where are you from? I know it's been a couple of days since the nine of us got here, but we haven't really gotten to know each other" Savaria smiled to the girl as she asked a simple question.
"My parents are French and Russian, but we move from place to place, my father is in the army for your country, so I've gotten to unwittingly see the world" Aya sighed with every word. Savaria put a hand upon the girl's shoulder.
"Don't worry, we'll probably be here for a bit, don't worry about leaving so soon" Aya was in shock as she heard Savaria's words; it was as if she could read her thoughts.
"Thanks" Despite her hardened exterior, Aya managed to be gracious towards Savaria, and she truly was. Aya knew she seemed like a missing Evangelion character.
"Wait here everyone; I think that I heard something" Dantes shouted back to them as he walked ahead of the others with Ultimon ever by his side. Aya did not trust the Digimon more then did she distrust Dantes; Dantes at least talked, where as Ultimon only every called out his attack. Everyone else followed his orders and stayed in that area.
"I really hate that guy" Hexamon blurted out as she balanced upon Aya's head. Aya supplanted the Digimon into her arms.
"Now why's that?" Mitsuko asked as she looked over to the rabbit like creature.
"He just seems like an ass, I don't know, I'm allowed some unwarranted hatred" The girls all giggled as they heard Hexamon defend it's self.
"I just don't trust Ultimon, he's never spoken" Nekamon said as she stood close by to her partner's side.
"That's a good point, but what about Sin? We've heard him speak probably only five times" Ridomon rebuked as she flew around their heads.
"I didn't say I don't trust him, but he doesn't travel with us" Nekamon shouted over to Ridomon.
"Now, now, calm down, we have to trust Dantes, despite what he's done, he is our friend somewhat, and just because Ultimon doesn't talk doesn't make him evil" Savaria picked up Nekamon to stop the Digimon's bickering. She looked down to the ground as she spoke.
"I don't like waiting for him, if he heard something we shouldn't split up" Sakura said with concern in her voice, despite her feelings towards Dantes.
"Then why not follow him" Matt scoffed as he leaned upon the face of the mountain side, looking over to the girls.
"You know what I will, just because you said so" With Kittenmon on her head, Sakura looked angrily to Matt, even though he began to laugh since her Digimon was one her head. Sakura ignored him and steamed off, Savaria following her with Nekamon, though.
Aya planted a firm smack on Matt's cheek. "WOULD YOU STOP THAT, WOMAN?" He shouted to her.
"Don't be such an ass-hole and I won't smack you, Ikaru" She shouted to him, gritting her teeth as she did. Mitsuko and Satorii laughed at the exchange, though Kilroy remained silent.
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"Sakura, don't listen to Matt, he has his foot permanently in his mouth" Savaria tried to stop her friend as she followed along. Sakura did not care, Matt was not even why she left, she just felt like making sure Dantes was up to something, as Kilroy had noted, he was far from the most trust worthy among them.
"Don't worry about me, Savaria, go back to the others, I'll just go see what Dantes is up to and then if I see anything suspicious, I'll help him or something" Sakura attempted to comfort her friend so that she would not worry about her.
Savaria heaved a heavy sigh, and with a glint in her eye, made her decision. "I'll come with you; that way if anything is there we'll have Nekamon to help too, and maybe we won't have to have Shedimon appear" She shivered as she remembered couple of days ago when Ultimon first digivovled, that horrific monster it became, Shedimon.
"I'm not gonna win, am I?" Sakura giggled as they walked up the path, following Dantes' steps. Sakura knew Savaria would be stubborn at this, and rightfully so; with only two people here and all the others a few meters away, she knew it would be hard to fight something if it were able to capture one of them. She did not want her or Dantes to end up like Matt after his last battle, despite her ill-will towards Dantes for his cold exterior, regardless how he may have been on the inside.
After walking for awhile, Kittenmon flew ahead of them and let out a loud gasp as she looked down, the two girls ran over to her and saw a bloody and beaten duo of Ultimon and Dantes. He had heard something, and he had fought it alone. "Savaria, heal them, Kittenmon and I will find what's up there" Sakura hurriedly ran up the mountain in worriment.
"But what if it gets you too!" Sakura dimly hear her shout, and responded that she would be fine. Savaria was worried none the less, but healing Dantes and Ultimon was more pressing right now. She told Nekamon to go get the others, so they could regroup and help Sakura.
Shortly up the mountain, Sakura was running, hoping that she would find what ever had attacked Dantes. She knew that this was part of its plan, to divide and conquer, but she felt abnormally confident as she looked to Kittenmon's fluttering blue wings as they ran up the mountain. They came around a bend and the rocks above them began to shift, tumbling down just behind them, though isolating them from the others. Sakura gasped as she looked up to see a Digimon with flowers for a head and hands, with a flowing red mane and adorned in a yellow and black jerkin.
"Who are you?" Sakura timidly asked, looking to Kittenmon, though hoping they would not have to fight. A smile crossed the center of the flower of it's head.
"I am Kabukimon, and I shall be your judge, jury and executioner for your crimes against Sheolmon" The creature smiled as it looked to her and spoke in a giddy, though feminine voice, seemingly happy with having her cornered like this.
"What wrong have I done?" Sakura tried to defend herself, looking to Kittenmon who was on the ground, poised to attack.
"You are one of the Nine; Purgatomon has ordered me to kill the lot of you!" Kabukimon retorted, at this, Kittenmon jumped at the creature, despite Sakura's pleas for it not to. The white kitten called out Four Claw Strike as it attempted to hit Kabukimon, but the enemy Digimon was able to easily hit it back, into the stomach of it's partner. Sakura fell into the rocks as Kittenmon hit her, gasping for air.
Kittenmon was determined to fight Kabukimon off, though, lunging itself at the creature again. Kabukimon called out "Sakura Fubuki" as it's right hand's eyes and mouth opened and it sprayed a hail of cherry blossoms at Kittenmon, hitting it out of the sky. Sakura called to her Digimon, clasping onto her digivice as it began to glow, heralding another Champion.
"Kittenmon Digivolve to......Faeriemon" Now Kittenmon was in a human form, the first drastic change since Dismon became Virgilmon. She wore a long earthly green dress with long green hair, with pale, translucent wings on her back. Faeriemon stood as tall as Sakura, with a bow in her hand and quiver perfectly between her wings. Sakura looked to the beautiful Digimon awestruck, for the first time, one the creatures was almost human.
Kabukimon smiled as she looked to Faeriemon "You and I should be on the same side, I'm sure that Purgatomon would be more then willing to absolve you of your sins and anoint you into the Church" The Mutant Digimon smiled as she spoke, trying to coax the fairy into changing sides.
"I am loyal to Sakura and to Tabernamon, I shall not forsake my sacred duties" Faeriemon pulled out an arrow as she took aim upon Kabukimon.
"You are naïve, for all in this world shall be renewed in Sheolmon's image, the Nine false prophets are heralds of the coming of the Lord" She smiled as she held the two flowers out at Faeriemon. "Sakura Fubuki" The attack was launched again, but Faeriemon was ready.
"Hail of Arrows!" The woman stood fast in front of her partner as she fired a barrage of arrows from the one that was already on her bow, canceling out the other Digimon's attack. "Silver Arrow" With a quick strike, Faeriemon grabbed another arrow and she fired at Kabukimon, pinning the nun down.
"You've won, now kill me, at least give me that honor" Kabukimon asked of her opponent. Faeriemon simply looked over her shoulder to Sakura.
"This is your choice, what do you want me to do, Sakura?" Large hazel eyes gazed toward her partner as she held an arrow aimed toward Kabukimon.
The decision weighed heavily on Sakura's mind. If she killed her, she would be no better than them, but if she didn't, then surely Kabukimon would attack them again. But what choice did she really have, she could not allow this creature to attack them again.
Due to her hesitation, Kabukimon managed to get up from it's bind and attacked Faeriemon, causing the Digimon to fall to her back as Kabukimon advanced upon her. Sakura knew that this was all her fault, Faeriemon could die now, and all because of her.
"You take too long" She heard a voice called out, and as she looked around she saw no one but Faeriemon, Kabukimon and herself in the area, but then it became apparent, it was Sin.
"Longinus!" She knew the attack was Virgilmon's as dozens of crimson spears pierced into Kabukimon, turning it into data again. Sakura fell to her knees. She had hesitated to fight, and she nearly lost Faeriemon due to it.
The others broke through the rock slide and saw Faeriemon trying to comfort Sakura. "What happened?" Savaria asked, trying to aid Faeriemon in comforting her friend.
"Kabukimon attacked us, and I had her pinned down, and then I asked Sakura if she would mind if I killed her, she hesitated to long and Kabukimon got up, then Sin saved us, I think at least," Faeriemon stammered through her words. "I'm not even sure it was him, I heard someone shout Longinus, and that's Virgilmon's attack" Faeriemon just looked to Sakura as a tear drop fell from the girl's eye.
"Sakura, don't cry, it's okay if you can't kill, no one holds that against you" Satorii said trying to comfort his friend.
"I just can't stand it; I nearly caused Faeriemon to die..." She continued to weep as Savaria held her in her arms and Faeriemon dedigivolved. Everyone looked to her with concern; never had a fight waned this heavily on their morale. Everyone sat on the dry hard land as Sakura began to calm down. They were all worried, so they waited for her to decide when they would move on.
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Aya was just as concerned as anyone, but she also looked to Hexamon. Hexamon was the only Digimon yet to digivolve, or even fight. She wondered if the rabbit could as she held it in her arms. She knew that if it came to it, she would be willing to let the creature kill, but she still worried about the Digimon.
She began to wonder if it were her fault. With the exception of Nekamon, every Digimon digivolved when their partner was in state of passion; be it anger, malice, fear or pain, they always had always a driving factor, and Hexamon and her had yet to have that moment.
Would she be ready for it though? Shedimon and Virgilmon were horrific, even compared to Greymon, Draconismon or Shinjumon. Maybe she would be lucky and get something more similar to Faeriemon or even Celestiamon, something not quite so horrific; she had a rabbit, not a dinosaur or a dragon, but of course Dismon was a crow who became a devil. She simply looked around to the Digimon and began to stroke Hexamon, hoping she would be alright when she digivolved
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Mitsuko's Theme I:
Story of the Year-Dive Right in
So
here I go
I'll dive right in
Break through the waves
Straight
to the ocean floor
And although my hands are shaking
I lie
perfectly still
Cause I'm determined to let myself sink
down
And I know I'm buried too far down
To feel the
warmth from the sun again
I could wave my arms and swim
away
But never reach the shore
But for now I will lay face
first in the sand
With the wreckage from ships that lost their
way
And I know I'm buried too far down
To feel the warmth
from the sun again
And I know I'm buried too far down
To
feel the warmth from the sun again
And although my hands are
shaking
I lie perfectly still
Cause I'm determined to let
myself sink down
And I know I'm buried too far down
To
feel the warmth from the sun again
