Digimon 2: House of Horrors Series

Part Six: Izzy's Worst Fear

""There are those lovely blue eyes," Katrina said, smiling happily. Kari helped TK stand up and she explained the situation to him.

"I already know," TK said. "I just-"

TK looked down at his shirt and sighed happily. There was no blood on his shirt.

"Are we all here?" Kari asked.

"Present and accounted for," Izzy said.

"What now?" TK asked, adjusting his hat on his head.

"We go in for the kill," Katrina said, pointing down the hallway. "Literally.""

"How do you think the others are doing?"

"Kari, you've already asked that question eight times!"

Kari frowned and looked at TK. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"I know," he said. "But it's sort of annoying."

"Sort of?" Katrina repeated, yawning. "Hey Izzy, what time is it? How much time do we have left?"

The boy frowned at his watch and he shook it a few times. "Looks like it's jammed."

"That's just great," Katrina said. "Now we don't know if we're over the time limit."

"We can't be," Kari said, but doubted it. "Well, if we were we know Yolei, Matt and Sora wouldn't leave without us."

"We can't have them chasing after us either," Izzy said. "It took a lot of energy to bring you two back."

"Well, instead of focusing on the time," Katrina explained. "Let's focus on where Demon is hiding out."

"It'll have to be in the heart of the castle," TK said. "It's always like that in movies."

"I'm telling Matt to take you off of horror movies," Katrina said sarcastically. "But, you could be right. At least we have something to shoot for."

"So, which way do we go?" Kari asked looking around. "We don't know which way is north or south."

"What we do know," Katrina said. "Is all the walls look the same."

"Wait a minute," Izzy said, walking over to the wall. He ran his fingers down a stone. "I think we've passed this area. I remember this chip in this wall."

TK threw his hands in the air. "That's just great. We're walking in circles. What else could go wrong?"

Izzy put his ear to the wall and knocked. "It's hollow."

The wall then opened up and Izzy fell in which a gasp of surprise. The wall then sealed shut behind him.

"You jinxed it, TK," Kari said, petrified. Katrina ran to the wall and banged on it.

"Izzy! Come back!"

"Did you see that?" TK said, running next to Katrina. "It swallowed him up!"

"This is bad," Katrina said. "He's the only one, besides me, who hasn't been manipulated yet! We have to get to him!"

"He'll be fine," Kari said. "But in the meantime, we have to find another way around. That wall doesn't look like it'll budge."

"Which was?" Katrina asked. Kari swiveled her head, looking around. "This way," Kari pointed.

"Let's go," Katrina said as she took off down the hallway.

"Where am I?"

"Child…what is your name?"

"Why's it so dark? And what happened?"

"You're name, child…"

"Huh? Who are you?"

"Ha-ha, I asked you first."

Izzy moaned as he sat up. It was dark and he couldn't see anything. He could hear shuffling and a light flickered on in front of him. A grey digimon, a Floramon to be exact, was looking at him. "Nice of you to drop in."

"Haha," Izzy said sarcastically. "That was so funny I forgot to laugh."

"Don't be like that, child," the Floramon said. Izzy sat up, frowning at the small digimon.

"I have every right to be suspicious; you're one of Demon's henchmen."

"Shh," Floramon shushed. "Don't say the Dark Lord's name so openly. You'll only get your tongue cut off."

"What's going on here?" Izzy said. "The last time I was told to be careful of what I say, I had my curiosity and crest stolen from me."

Floramon sighed. "You ought to be careful of what you do, young boy. You have much to learn."

"I've learned not to trust digital strangers," Izzy argued. "Now, where are my friends?"

"They've left you," Floramon said. "They're looking for the digimon right now."

Izzy's eyes narrowed. "I won't believe you."

Floramon sighed again and waved his hand. A large wisp of smoke appeared. Floramon waved his hands again and an image was playing on the cloud.

"…what about Izzy?" TK was saying.

"He can take care of himself-" Katrina said. She was storming down the hallway.

"We could try the wall again," TK said. Katrina shook her head.

"No, we've already tried the wall. Just forget about it, okay?"

Izzy's face fell and he sighed.

"Seen enough?" Floramon said waving his hands again. The cloud vanished. Izzy nodded.

"So, what do you want with me?"

Floramon smiled. "Just your knowledge of the digidestined. And the whereabouts of the goddess."

Izzy looked up. "Goddess? You mean Katrina-"

Floramon nodded. "Yes, she's a rebel goddess of Demon. She's evil, Koushiro Izumi. I need you to help me destroy her."

Izzy nodded. "Okay, I'll help you. What do you need to know?"

Floramon grinned. "Excellent. Tell me, what is she like?"

"She's very sadistic," Izzy said. "And she tends to play around too much. She has a short-temper and she's smart."

"Too smart?" Floramon urged. "Didn't you ever wonder why she was so smart? She uses evil to cheat."

"That's unfair," Izzy said. "It's not right."

"Exactly," Floramon said. "Now then, tell me more."

"Well," Izzy said, and then pondered about something. "Wait, why did Demon kill Mai Tenaiko anyway?"

The air wavered slightly, making Izzy uncomfortable.

"…Don't trust him…"

Izzy shivered slightly as a voice whispered in his ear. Floramon cleared his throat.

"She, too, was a rebel goddess. Now then tell me more about Katrina."

"Well, I-"

"Izzy!" the wall crumbled down and Katrina was standing there. "Don't tell him anymore!"

"You brat," Floramon shouted. "I was so close to getting him!"

"He won't join your side," Katrina shouted back, face contorted in anger and rage. "My family made that mistake, and now I have to pay for it!"

"You won't escape," Floramon said, and he glowed in a bright light.

"Flora ultimate digivolve too…Blossomon!"

Katrina took a step back. "What are you going to do?"

"Kill you," Blossomon thundered. "Thorn whip!"

The spiny vines bore down on Katrina and struck her in her side. She gave a painful gasp before falling to her knees. Izzy took a step to her.

"Don't," Katrina said, standing up and turning to him. "You've put yourself in enough danger as it is."

"I didn't know," Izzy said. "Floramon, I mean Blossomon, tricked me-"

"I told you to be careful around Demon's henchmen," Katrina said as the spiny thorns struck her again, this time in her back. She gave a small scream before collapsing again.

"This is how it's going to end," Katrina said, shaking. "I can't feel my legs."

"Katrina," Izzy said, running to her and grabbing her shoulders. "This is it. This is my greatest fear. Using my knowledge to hurt people. Getting people injured because of my recklessness."

Katrina smiled weakly at him, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. "Sometimes, we can't all be perfect. Knowledge is a gift, and a curse. It depends on how we use it. Whether you meant to hurt someone or not, that's how you get over it. I want you to remember, right now, about how smart you are, Izzy. This isn't the first time you've given up on curiosity. Now, beat Blossomon at his own game. Avenge me, will you?"

"You're not going to die," Izzy said, but Katrina's smile gave way.

"Thorn whip!"

The thorn whip collided with Katrina's back, she coughed and blood splashed onto Izzy's face and sweater.

"You're my best friend ever," Katrina said before falling limp in his arms.

"No!" Izzy said. "You can't die because of me!"

"You're next, boy," Blossomon said. "And to think I almost had you helping me out too."

Izzy stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"No," Izzy said, looking up at the ultimate digimon with hatred in his face. "You tricked me, you took my best friend away from me, and now you're going to pay for it."

Blossomon laughed. "And what will a puny kid like you do?"

"This," Izzy said as he took out his digivice. "Go back to hell where you came from you grey beast!"

A small purple light flared from above Izzy's heart. His crest of knowledge was appearing. Blossomon covered his face with the little buds on the end of his whips.

"You'll die just like she did," the digimon screamed but he was already beginning to burn.

"No Blossomon," Izzy said. "You're going to die. Be gone!"

The digimon crumbled and melted until the only thing left was steam rising from the ground where the large digimon had stood seconds before."

Izzy sighed and fell to his knees, kneeling next to Katrina. Tears splashed on her face as Izzy cried.

"Izzy…"

"Are you okay…?"

Izzy wiped his face and looked over his shoulder. TK and Kari were looking at him.

"She's gone," Izzy said. Kari shook her head.

"No, she's waiting for you out here. Come on, take our hands and close your eyes."

Izzy stood up and walked to the two kids. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A strange sensation spread from his heart to his fingertips, and when he opened his eyes he was flat on his back, TK, Kari, and Katrina all looking down at him.

"Welcome back," Kari said, helping him to his feet. Izzy threw his arms around Katrina and embraced her. The girl stood in shock.

"Um, Izzy? What're you doing?"

"I'm so sorry," Izzy said. "I promise I won't kill you again."

Katrina gave Kari and TK a puzzled look, but they just stared.

"Okay then," Katrina said. "I promise I won't get killed by you."

"Best friends?" Izzy asked.

Katrina smiled. She linked her pinky through his.

Kari turned to TK. "How come we don't have a cool thing like that?"

"Because then we'd have to share it with Davis," Kari giggled. TK nodded.

"Oh yeah."

"So, where to now?" Katrina asked.

"Hahaha, welcome. I see you passed my challenges."

"Demon?" Kari asked. Katrina nodded, her eyes narrowed.

"Demon."

"I think you are worthy of seeing me. Come now, take a step forward."

"Do we trust him?" Kari asked, shivering. TK nodded.

"Just do what he says," TK said, taking a step forward. He immediately dissipated.

"TK!" Kari called, but Katrina pushed her in after him. Katrina nodded at Izzy and they both stepped through. They were in a nice well lit room, more like a study. Bookshelves and portraits of digimon, mostly evil ones, lined the wall.

"That's Devimon," TK said, pointing to one. "And Myotismon. Etemon, MetalSeadramon, and even Piedmon!"

"Puppetmon," Izzy said, looking at another one. "Machindramon, Vademon, LadyDevimon, MaloMyotismon, Mummimon, Daemon, and is that a Devimon?"

"That's IceDevimon," Katrina said, knowingly. "And that's Demon."

Izzy followed her finger to a picture by Piedmon. He frowned. "That looks like Apocalymon."

"Except without the big cube-thing on his feet," TK added. Katrina nodded.

"It is Apocalymon. He was known as Demon in my mom and dad's time."

Kari, TK, and Izzy looked at her.

"How's that possible," TK asked. "We've already fought him."

"Either way," Kari said. "Demon's waiting for us."

"Hahaha, welcome digidestined. Please, turn around."

TK, Kari, Katrina, and Izzy spun around and the first thing they say was a cage of light with BlackGatomon trapped inside.

"Free her right now!" Katrina shouted. Demon cackled.

"You're on my arena now. You have to do what I say."

"Never," Katrina said, but her eyes started changing from violet to grey. She shook her head, but it only clouded further.

"She's changing," Kari said, running next to Katrina. "Katrina, come back! We need you!"

TK and Izzy turned to Demon. "Release our digimon."

Demon laughed. "Such pests, you digidestined, but you guys are a lot cuter and well-dressed than the last digidestined."

"I bet you say that to all of them," TK smirked. Demon's laughter ceased, and he sent a force at TK. TK stumbled backwards.

"You okay?" Izzy asked. TK nodded.

"We have to be careful," TK said. "He's a lot powerful than our last enemies."

Izzy nodded. "This guy wants to kill us."