I figured it was time to post a new chapter. Since I have some free time tonight (it's almost 11, and I can't sleep) I said, "what the hey, why not?" :) I don't think it's as good as anything else I've writtin, but then again, I'm tired and not really thinking straight.
Ken and Company's adventure will be in the next chapter.
And if you find any spelling mistakes, don't give me heck for them. I usually catch them all, but I'm almost blind and sometimes I miss one or two mistakes.
Anywho, enjoy!
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Yolei and Hawkmon wandered the Digital World. It was late at night, and they were alone in a forest. Yolei seemed to be in good spirits. Hawkmon was slightly uncomfortable.
"Yolei, it's late, and you should be in bed. You have to work at your parents store tomorrow, and-"
"Oh, but I'm not going to work tomorrow, Hawkmon," Yolei purred."Besides, tonight, we're going to meet our destiny."
"Our destiny?" Hawkmon was confused."But why? What is our destiny?"
"You'll see," Yolei said mysteriously.
They continued walking in silence. Hawkmon was growing more nervous with every passing minute. It was a cold night, and even Hawkmon's feathers weren't keeping him warm. Yolei didn't seem to notice, and Hawkmon wondered how.
When they had first arrived in the Digital world that night, Hawkmon had noticed that Yolei's clothes were different. They weren't the pilot-like clothes she had worn for 6, almost 7 years. Instead, Yolei was dressed in a long, gauzy dress of black and purple, with gold trim. Elegent, yes, but obviously thin and not meant for chilly night wanderings. Yolei wasn't even shivering.
"We're almost there," Yolei broke the silence.
"Where is...'there'?" Hawkmon asked, but Yolei made no reply.
The cold increased. Hawkmon realised that it wasn't because it was actually cold. No, this was a deeper, darker kind of chill. An evil chill, that nearly froze Hawkmon to his core. But, against his better judgements, Hawkmon continued to follow Yolei, unwilling leave his partner alone.
Soon, they were walking out of the forest. Everything was dead and grey here. Hawkmon was appalled.
"What sort of place is this?" he demanded. Yolei laughed.
"A wonderful place!" Yolei's laughed had a slightly maniacal tone to it. Hawkmon ignored it. The little hawk digimon was distressed.
"Your definition of 'wonderful' is far different than mine, Yolei!" he said indignantly."And where is this 'destiny' of ours?"
"Right there," Yolei pointed. It was a ruined fortress. To be precise, it was the same fortress they had fought in 6 years ago...
"You must be joking, Yolei, I thought you were sensible!" Hawkmon complained."We are not going in that place!"
Yolei laughed, and continued walking towards the fortress.
"I'm not going in there!" Hawkmon warned.
Yolei paused at the door to the fortress.
"Chickenmon!"
"Chickenmon!" Hawkmon cried, insulted."Wait just a minute, young lady!"
Hawkmon ran after Yolei.
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Yolei prowled the ruins of the castle. Hawkmon sulkily followed her around.
"I don't see why we're here!" he complained."We could be at home right now, in our warm beds..."
"Awww, don't be that way, Hawkmon," Yolei pouted."Look, I got you a present!"
Yolei held out a smaller copy of her new necklace. Hawkmon looked at the glittering necklace. It did look nice.
"Well, I'm not big on wearing jewelry, but it's the thought that counts," Hawkmon said as Yolei fastened the necklace around his neck.
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Deeanna woke with a gasp.
"No!" she cried out in terror, not quite knowing why. Something had startled her awake. But she didn't know what it was, only that it was very, very evil. And it hadn't been a nightmare; no, she'd been having a nice dream about Ken, and...Well, it had been a really good dream.
After searching the appartment, and finding nothing, Deeanna slowly walked back into the bedroom. Shivering, she pulled her robe more securely around herself.
"Deeanna?" a sleepy voice asked.
Deeanna whirled around with a gasp. She put her hand over her heart when she realised it was only DemiVeemon.
"What's wrong?" DemiVeemon asked, sitting up in his basket bed.
"It's nothing, really. Go back to sleep now," Deeanna crooned, picking up her Digimon's fallen blanket. Tucking him in, she tenderly stroked his fuzzy little head until he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Deeanna stayed awake awhile longer. Whatever had startled her awake was gone. She wiped her pyjama sleeve across her brow.
"Why do I feel so hot?" she mumbled."I guess it's nothing..."
Soon, she was settling back into her Ken dream.
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Hours went by, and Hawkmon found that the longer he wore the necklace, the less he cared about being in the creepy fortress. He didn't even care when DarkPalmon showed up. In fact, for some strange reason he couldn't understand, he was happy to see him.
"So, you're finally here," Yolei sang out as she pranced about, letting her skirts swish and flare out grandly.
"Yes, indeed I am, Yolei," DarkPalmon said with a bow."Or should I say, my Empress?"
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Ken, Izzy, and Tai were standing on a misted plain. It was chill, and their breath frosted the air in front of them.
"Where are we?" Ken asked. His voiced echoed loudly, and he winced.
"I don't know," Izzy replied. It was hard for him to admit that he didn't know certain things, and this was one of them. He swallowed his pride, though."Check your D-3."
Ken studied his D-3 for a moment. A frown creased his face slowly.
"It's not even registering," Ken cried, shaking it. All that could be seen were 3 red dots blinking slowly, then fading out completely, on a blank map. Nothing else.
The three young men stood silently. With no map to guide them, they would have to rely completely on instinct.
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Deeanna woke grogily. A glance at the clock told her it was almost noon. After her night time waking, she felt tired and disoriented. Her joints hurt, her head ached, and she was too tired to move. This lethargy scared her. Not as much as the return of tha pain.
Searing pain lanced across every part of her body. It felt like she was being torn apart at the seems. A strangled scream escaped her throat, waking DemiVeemon.
"Deeanna!" he cried, hopping out of his basket. He tripped over his blanket, and stumbled to the bed. Jumping up, he sat beside Deeanna."What's wrong? Why are you screaming?"
Deeanna couldn't speak for the blinding pain. She thrashed around in silent agony, flailing her arms, seeking a relief to her torment. DemiVeemon was knocked down from the bed by one of her arms.
"Deeanna!" he yelled."Davish! You're scaring me!"
Deeanna tumbled from the bed, entangled in her sweat-soaked sheats. Sobbing determindly, ignoring her Digimon partner's cries, she crawled across the floor. Weak and dizzy with pain, she grabbed Ken's phone.
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Kari was fixing a tuna sandwich (with extra tuna) for Gatomon when her phone rang. Passing the sandwich to her Digimon, she picked up the phone.
"Hello, Kamiya residence. Kari speaking," she said.
"Kari!"
"Deeanna?" Kari frowned at the pain soaked voice on the line.
"Kari, I need you..." Deeanna sounded desperate."Please...it hurts so much!"
"What?" Kari cried."I'll be there as soon as I can!"
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Deeanna managed to stumble her way into the living room. Flipping the chain lock and catch, she flopped onto the couch, and prayed that Kari came quickly.
"Please, please, please," she whispered while clenching her teeth."Please come soon!"
A drop of sweat ran down her face. Then a tear. Life had been less complicated when she was a boy. No real worries, no crazy killer Digimon virus eating her from the inside out.
If only she hadn't gone on that picnic with the others 6 years ago. She had blown off a soccer game for it, thinking she'd have more fun. But if she hadn't, she'd still be Davis. Still be loved by her family. Still be normal.
But...she wouldn't have Ken. Was this the price she had to pay for true happiness? For life with her other half, her souldmate? Was she really prepared to pay it? She knew the answer as she was slipping into a fog of fevered dreams.
Yes.
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Kari and Gatomon had hurried over to Deeanna and Ken's apartment. The door was unlocked, so they slipped in quietly. The apartment was dimly lit.
"Deeanna?" Kari called, slipping off her shoes and wandering further in. She saw Deeanna, laying pale, still and quiet on the couch.
"Oh no."
She and Gatomon crept closer, fearing the worst.
"Please, don't be dead..." she whispered nervously. She reached out and touched Deeanna's brow. Burning with fever. Kari breathed a sigh of relief.
"Kari?"
Kari turned at the sound of her name being called. DemiVeemon was walking out of the kitchen with a washcloth and an icy bottle of spring water that was almost too big for his little paws to carry.
"DemiVeemon, what happened? And what are you doing with those?"
"I don't know what happened, Kari," the little blue Digimon answered."She woke up and started screaming."
"But what are those for?"
"Whenever I was sick, Deeanna put cold, wet washclothes on me, and I thought it might help her."
Kari took the cloth and bottle of water, and unscrewed the cap.
"Good thinking," she said."But generally, people use cold tap water."
"I couldn't get up on the counter," DemiVeemon complained."I'm too short, and 'sides, I'm not allowed on the counters. I found the water in a cooler. I think Ken forgot to take it with him."
"That's lucky."
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At the touch of the cold, wet cloth on her skin, Deeanna began to stir, but didn't wake up. The fog began to clear and her fever dreams became easier to interpret.
She was in ShadowMyotismon's castle again. She walked towards the exit. Vines shot out of the ground and blocked it. Every time she went near a window or door, she was blocked from leaving.
She saw Yolei, and Hawkmon. They saw her and walked closer. Hawkmon's eyes were glowing purplish-black. He digivolved in a Halsemon with pure black feathers. He screeched warningly at Deeanna.
Deeanna took a step back, uncertainly. Halsemon took a step forwards, his talons crushing the flagstones below their feet, grinding them into pebbles.
Suddenly, Halsemon launched himself at Deeanna, razor-sharp talons extended. Deeanna couldn't move. She was held in place with even more vines. She screamed in terror.
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Deeanna screamed and failed blindly at the hands that desperately held onto her. She couldn't see.
"NO!" she cried."HALSEMON, NO!"
"Deeanna, stop, you'll hurt yourself!" a worried voice said close by.
"Matt, help me!" a deeper voice said urgently.
Eventually, she was forced to lay back down, panting, still struggling occasionally. Her eyes began to clear as she blinked. A cold cloth swabbed her face and neck gently.
"Deeanna?"
"Deeanna, can you hear me?"
Deeanna squinted. Matt and Joe came into focus, leaning over her worriedly.
"What-?" she croaked.
"Kari called us," Matt frowned."She said you were sick, and couldn't get you to wake up. You started screaming and fighting just after we got here."
He helped her sit up slowly, and brushed her damp hair from her face. DemiVeemon and Gatomon were sitting on the coffee table, watching her worriedly.
"I was all for taking you to the hospital," Joe scowled."But how were we supposed to explain this to them? I don't think they have any experience in treating the victim of a Digital Virus!"
Deeanna recoiled. Her bottom lip started to quiver.
"We're not mad at you," Matt said gently, putting his arm around her."We were worried. What happened to you?"
"I-" Deeanna tried to remember."I woke up last night. I...I was dreaming, and I woke up. The dream scared me so bad...But I don't remember what it was about. I forgot as soon as I was awake..."
Kari, Matt, and Joe nodded encouragingly.
"I felt kinda hot, too, and I didn't know why. I went back to sleep, but I woke up around noon. I felt really tired and hot. And then I was in so much pain. It felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out!"
She was getting more and more aggitated. Beads of sweat were standing out on her face. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were starting to look wild.
"The pain started to ease a small bit, and that's when I called Kari. Then I laid down on the couch. And I started to dream again," Deeanna clenched her fists.
"Calm down," Kari pleaded.
"No!" Deeanna snapped."I can't! I was so horrible!"
"What?"
"I started to think about...when all of this first started. That damned picnic!" Deeanna cried in a mixture of anger and shame."I could have gone to a soccer game that day. And I ended up like this. I had horrible thoughts about what might have happened if I hadn't been at the picnic and hadn't drank that soda, and I'm so ashamed of myself!"
"Don't be," Matt soothed. He pulled Deeanna close and rocked her gently.
"I'm a horrible, ungrateful person!" Deeanna sobbed."I love Ken! I shouldn't have been thinking that way!"
"Don't say that!" DemiVeemon said, his little brown eyes tearing up.
"You're not horrible, or ungrateful. I'd say that thinking about 'what might have been' as opposed to 'what is', is pretty normal," Joe said.
Deeanna sniffled, and wiped her face on her pyjama sleeve.
"That's not the worst of it."
"Does this have anything to do with that loud 'HALSEMON, NO!' you screamed?" Matt asked.
Deeanna nodded, averting her eyes.
"I fell asleep after that, I think," she whispered."I couldn't see very clearly in my dreams, but then, it was like the fog disapeared. And then..."
Deeanna tearfully explained the dream to her friends. They understood what had frighted her so much.
"I don't think we should pass this dream off as something your delerium created," Joe frowned."Remember those dreams from 6 years ago?"
Deeanna flinched, then nodded. She remembered all too well. Her back tingled. She remember the pain from the broken rib very well.
"We'll look into this more later," Matt said, standing. He pulled Deeanna up carefully."I think you should be in bed right now."
He carried Deeanna, limp and exausted, back to the bedroom. Kari helped her into a fresh pair of pyjamas, and tossed the sweat soaked ones in the hamper. Then Matt tucked Deeanna into bed. DemiVeemon and Gatomon curled up at the foot of the bed.
"Kari will stay with you," he said."Joe and I are going to talk with the others. We'll be back later. Get some rest, okay?"
Deeanna nodded, closing her eyes. She was asleep in seconds.
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"Oh no!" Sora gasped, putting her hands to her mouth."Poor Deeanna!"
Matt had just finished telling the others about what had happened earlier. This worried tham all no end.
"It seems that the virus is progressing at an alarming rate," Joe said."I just don't know why."
"It's Ken," Sora said suddenly.
"What?"
"Ken is her protection," Sora explained."His presense slows down the virus. And without him here..."
Silence weighed heavily over them as it began to sink in. Without Ken around...Deeanna might not live long enough to recieve the Tahirah flower.
"But why him?" T.K. asked.
"Because he loves her, and is willing to do anything to protect him," Sora replied."Love is a very powerful thing."
"Hey, you know, I think it was a really good idea to leave Kari with Deeanna," Cody said, suddenly.
"Huh? Why?"
"Because she has the Crest of Light," Cody explained.
"Oh, I get it," Joe said, as Cody's logic began to dawn on him."The Crest of Light. It's purity would act just like Ken's love for Deeanna, and help slow down the virus."
"But what about Yolei?" Cody asked."If that dream was a warning, and not something her fever made her dream, is Yolei involved in any of this? And if she is, how bad?"
"I can ask her," Sora said firmly."She can't hide anything from me."
"Me too!" Mimi said fiercely, clenching her fists tightly.
"She'll deny it," Matt said coolly."And if she is involved in this, confronting her will let her know that we're onto her."
"Darn."
Everyone was stumped. They sat in silence for awhile, trying to figure this whole thing out.
"I should check on Deeanna," Matt said, breaking the silence. He pulled his cellphone out.
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Kari answered the phone.
"Oh, hey Matt," she said.
"How is she?"
"Still sleeping. She's still feverish, but no bad dreams so far," Kari answered."Have you guys figured anything out yet?"
"Only that Ken was what was slowing down the virus, and him not being here is why Deeanna got so sick. Oh, and that you staying with her will help."
"Why me?" Kari raised an eyebrow.
"Ummm...something about your Crest."
"Oh, I see."
"And we talked the Yolei thing over. No real luck with that."
"Pity."
"I'll let you go now, but I'll call later."
"Okay, bye."
Kari hung up. She looked over at Deeanna, curled on her side. She was sleeping deeply, though she occasionally would twitch. Her fever had dropped, but she was still very warm. At least she wasn't thrashing about or crying anymore.
She thought about what Matt had said about her Crest. It had something to do with the Crest of Light? But what...It took Kari a few moments of thought, before she came to the same conclusion as the others.
She lay on the other side of the bed with one of Ken's mystery novels, just to be close to Deeanna. Deeanna sighed, almost in relief, and rolled onto her back, a smile gracing her lips. Her breathing became more regular and she ceased to twitch.
"Sleep tight, Deeanna," Kari murmered. She turned her attention to the book, but kept one eye on Deeanna.