Thank you all for the reviews! (weeps tears of gratitude) I didn't expect many other people to read this. Since no one's complained, I'll stop whining about the first chapter and let it be. I'll do my best with the rest of the story!

Since Alene asked, yeah, Tori and this new girl are kinda like me. But not totally (they're not self-insertions). Tori's got the quiet, depressed side of me that can be light-hearted at times, and this new chick (sorry, but her name won't be revealed until the next chapter) is the raging, rebellious and somewhat anti-social and paranoid side. Most people shun OCs because they're too perfect or plain, but give them believable characteristics and they're just as lovable as any official character. I think I explained it in my profile, but you can expect OCs to appear in just about all of my fics. (But I think only the two girls in these Digimon fics will have some of my own personal characteristics.)

Disclaimer: I don't claim Digimon! But the new content... Yeah, it's all mine. Mine!

Numb, Without A Soul

Chapter 2: A Little Tale, Thou Shall Suffer

This had to be karmic retribution. He had wanted something to be wrong with the Digital World, wanted Ophanimon to call him and whisk him away from this suddenly average life. And what did he get out of it?

A vision of the deaths of the people closest to him, his best friends and his brother.

Before he was only restless, but now he knew he would never be able to sleep. Every time he would close his eyes, he would see red. A color he once saw as a symbol of strength and passion now only represented death. Black was salvation, a sweet escape into darkness....

"Kouji?"

The younger twin looked up, not aware that he had been drifting off, and met the pair of sapphire identical to his own, only they were filled with concern.

"...I'm fine, Kouichi. Really," Kouji added when his brother didn't look convinced. "I'm just a little tired."

The elder twin sighed, then smiled and moved from sitting by Kouji to settle back down on the floor beside his brother's bed. "You haven't been getting much sleep, have you?"

"So, you can tell." Kouji, laid down on the bed, crossed his arms behind his head.

"...You must think about it, too. Even if you don't want to, thoughts of it keep you up at night, and you can't but wonder what's happened there, if you really had made a difference."

Kouji's eyes widened as stared up at his ceiling. Kouichi was talking about the Digital World. His brother had only willingly talked about it for a few weeks after everyone returned, when they would meet in parks or other public places. Even then he had been reluctant to talk about that world, since it was his experience there that almost killed him. After everyone returned to their normal lives, they began meeting less frequently, until the only person Kouji saw on a regular basis was his brother. The only people they ever worried about keeping happy was their parents, especially their mother, and they only discussed ways to make her life easier and more pleasant.

Now, about two years later, he was speaking of the world where he became the Warrior of Darkness.

"You know, for a long time I just tried to forget about it. I tried to forget that I had been a puppet, that I had become the very force most people dread. I tried to tell myself that all of that was behind me, and that I could live a normal, happy life. But, I can't just forget about it."

/I can see that clearly./ Kouji had watched his brother's quiet acceptance of the darkness. He became even quieter than before, ever thoughtful, and he seemed to be aware of everything around him, physical and spiritual. It even showed in the way he dressed. He gradually started to dress in darker colors, and now was wearing a now common attire of a white long-sleeved shirt under a black T-shirt over violet jeans.

"I have no regrets. If I look past all the peril and challenges we faced, I see that I'm grateful for it all. I wouldn't have such good friends, and I probably would have never found a brother."

Kouji noticed that Kouichi, maybe purposely, had not mentioned that he may not have even been alive if it wasn't for the Digital World.

"Because of you all, I am who I am today, and I can't be thankful enough for that. But..."

"... But what?" Kouji gently prodded on.

"Kouji, do you also feel just... not satisfied? Maybe it's because we're teenagers now, but don't you feel that there must be something more? We had an adventure that no one else in ten lifetimes would have, but is that it? Our lives are only just beginning, but do you feel that it's already over? That we have nothing great to look forward to?"

Kouji formed a mirthless smirk. "We must be able to read each other's thoughts."

Not knowing he was imitating his twin, Kouichi also smiled without humor. "Does this mean we can admit our frequent, meaningless bouts of depression?"

Kouji allowed himself a quiet chuckle, then a serious frown settled on his face. "But, no, Kouichi, I don't feel that it's over. At least not anymore."

"Has something happened?" Kouichi questioned, tilting his head up to his brother.

"Aa. I think it's been happening for a few months. I would wake up in the dead of the night, scared out of my mind, without even remembering what had frightened me. But earlier today, I..."

"Kouji? What's wrong?"

Kouji couldn't hear him. At that moment, he was only aware of the sudden voices and the image in his mind.

It began in the vast coldness...

He saw Tomoki. Surprise was on his young face as he was enveloped from the feet up in a case of ice. As soon as his entire body was frozen, he shattered into infinite specks of diamond-like dust that disappeared in flickers. As quickly as snow melts...

(((())))

The world was usually beautiful, especially in this forest. This place, where verdant foliage allowed prismatic patches of the ever brilliant sunlight to dance on the thickets below, where its habitants would often play in their childish antics...

There was silence.

There were no birds whose trills would compose the melody of the woods, and even the wind refused to ruffle the leaves. Everything stood still, refusing to do anything that would even vaguely agitate what lay inside this natural sanctuary.

Their efforts were in vain; the awakening was inevitable.

The only body in this part of the woods was that of a young human girl, spread out on her back and dead to the world. None acknowledged her, and she was unable to acknowledge anything. In truth, this was a body and nothing more. Open eyes gazed upwards lifelessly at nothing in particular. Lean fingers that still retained some of a light tan color didn't attempt to brush away or even twitch at the small insects that crawled over it.

This body... which would become the vessel for a monstrous power...

The tense tranquillity was broken by the sudden strong pulse of a heartbeat. Long-lashed eyes blinked, then widened in horror as they faded from a blank silver into their normal hue. Her body, starved for oxygen, immediately demanded a heavy gasp. This desperate attempt for oxygen only served to intensify the agony that pulsed through her chest. A torture so great she couldn't even find her voice at first, and only partial weak cries came to her dry throat.

In this forested haven, the only being that now held two lives, was forsaken, concluded as lost, and left to writhe in torment, in this beautiful world.

(((())))

"-ji! Kouji!"

Kouji blinked, shaken and confused. It seemed like he had fallen asleep, but he was wide awake. His brother was once again perched on the bed and at his side, looking down at him with startled deep blue. But a moment ago... Had he not just been with Tomoki....?

Tomoki!

Alarmed, he quickly moved to sit on the edge of his bed, beside Kouichi, and placed a hand on his forehead, his fingers grasping his long, dark bangs.

"What's wrong?" Kouichi had been scared to the depths of his soul. When his brother fell silent, he naturally wanted to see what was wrong. In moments he was at his younger twin's side, and though it lasted for only a second, it looked like Kouji's soul had been separated from his body. His usually bright, if dark-colored, eyes had been blackened, dull, sightless to him and the world.

Kouji was alive, but not well, as he could see. "What happened, Kouji?"

"I-I don't know," Kouji shakily replied. "It was Tomoki. I think I saw... watched him..."

"Kouji!" Seeing him abruptly halt his sentence and drop his head into his hand, Kouichi took hold of both of Kouji's shoulders and turned his brother to him. He was once again lifeless; Kouichi was met with those frighteningly obscured eyes. It was terrifying because it was like staring at himself, dead, but somewhat worse since it was his only brother. "Kouji! Please, say something!"

Words, spoken from an unknown source, came to him.

A storm forever raged....

Junpei, so easily panicked, had just begun to open his eyes in shock. There was nothing to indicate what had warned him when a silent bolt of lightning struck him, and he was gone. In the blink of an eye....

(((())))

She wouldn't scream. She absolutely refused to show any weakness to whatever it was she was fighting, and to herself.

/Even though I have no idea why I feel like the demons of hell have their claws wrapped tight around my heart and are trying to rip it out...!/

She had only been able to get to her hands and knees. One hand clutching her shirt tightly, over her heart, and the other supporting her body, braced against the forest floor. Of course, she was so intent in fighting that she didn't think about how she ended up in a forest in the first place.

Her stomach clenched in another contraction. She was warned once again that she shouldn't struggle when more crimson spurted out of her mouth.

/Whoever said I wanted this anyway?!/

She frowned, determined to succeed, as she focused, panting for breath, on the blur of green and splattered red beneath her.

(((())))

Kouichi was only somewhat relieved when Kouji's eyes finally focused on him.

"Kouji, what-"

"It's the others!" Kouji gasped. "But why...?" He looked away from Kouichi, trying to sort out the confusion in his mind.

"Kouji." Kouichi gently shook his brother to bring his attention to him. "You're scaring me. What's happening to you?"

"I..." Kouji swallowed nervously, then started again. "I keep hearing this voice. I don't know what it's explaining, but first it mentioned something about coldness, then I saw Tomoki. Then it said something about a storm, and I saw Junpei..."

"You're not making any sense. What about coldness and storms....?"

Kouichi's words faded out again.

A strong wind blew...

Izumi soundlessly gasped as a breeze picked up. She was surrounded in a visible wind, then was gone. Swept away...

"... Who did you see this time?" Kouichi asked when Kouji's eyes were on him.

"Izumi. We have to go!" Kouji bolted from his bed and room, his brother on his heels.

"Where are we going?!" Kouichi asked as they rushed down the stairs.

"Something's happened to the others! Takuya needs to know!" Now at the entrance to the Minamoto's apartment, Kouji hastily put on his blue-striped white sneakers, as did Kouichi with his red and black pair, before rushing out with Kouji slightly in the lead.

"But you don't know where Takuya is!" warned Kouichi from close behind.

"I'll find him!"

Kouji was in midstride, his right foot in the air, his navy jacket flapping behind him, when he was struck with the next words.

They ignited a flame...

Takuya, ever alert, was startled at the sparks at his feet. He was even more alarmed at the fire that erupted around him. His form was discernable for only a moment amidst the blaze, then he disappeared along with the inferno. As quickly as an ember burns out...

(((())))

/I've done it, I think. For now./

The pain had deadened a little. She was breathless, laid on the ground, staring up into the canopy, arms outspread at both sides.

/I worry about it later. I'm beat. This will have to stay with me for the while. I'm... too damn tired right now.../

With only minimal discomfort, she was able to fall into deep rest, lulled by the painful lullaby of her beating heart.

(((())))

Kouji faltered when his foot hit the ground, but swiftly regained his balance and pushed himself onwards. It didn't go unnoticed.

"It was Takuya, wasn't it?" came Kouichi's inquiry. Kouji didn't faze out this time, but he could tell from the stumble in his step that he must have had another vision. Kouji was seeing so much in what only passed as a few seconds to Kouichi.

"Dammit! Why is this...?!" Kouji's angry expression quickly changed to shock. The next line came.

From the indefinite darkness...

/Darkness... No!/ Kouji halted and spun around.

Kouichi had already stopped. He was stunned, looking down at his hands, watching his fingers vanish from his view as they were enveloped in shadows.

"Kouichi!!" Kouji began to run towards his brother, but the closer he got to him, the deeper the umbra became. He reached out his hand, only to find that it was beginning to glow. Kouichi was gone just as he reached him. Swallowed by the darkness.

/No..../ His legs failed him, and Kouji fell to his knees.

They were all gone. He was still there, because he would always be there. No matter how reluctant, he would always shine, because he was...

Came light....

"NO!!" His cry was aimed towards the heavens, not caring that his body was illuminated around and from within by light, the holy, cursed light. Then Kouji, too, was gone.

And thus... I was born.

((((((()))))))

Okay. Sick as I am right now, I still aim to please my fans, or whoever likes this. A bit shorter than I wanted it, but I say that about all my chapters. I just wanted to go ahead and introduce the new chick, since I'm sure you all are dying to know who she is. So, um, yeah, go ahead and review. That will make me feel loads better. Cough cough (Oh, and if anyone is confused, yes, I will be using Japanese phrases and terms and such. For some words, check out the ends of some of the chapters in SSSC. I've listed most of the common terms I use. That fic involves the Adventure gang, namely Yamato, if you're interested.)