Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Children Of Fate ❯ 6 ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: moose_of_doom 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 7 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 242 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 7 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 242 | Status: Completed
PART TWO: THE SHADOWED ONES.
Chapter 6:
********
“You wanted to see me?”
The words were meaningless. They weren’t even said with any particular tone of malice, but the lack of emotion behind them told Taythe everything she needed to know. Kari didn’t like her.
Taythe was surprised at how much that bothered her. The black haired girl was sitting beside her fire, looking for anything like a girl scout on a camping trip. That is, she would if it wasn’t for the black longsword that she was absently running her hand along.
“Yes. I did want to see you, miss Kamiya.”
“And why is that?”
Taythe sighed.
“Do we have to do this? I have done nothing to offend you.”
“If that’s what you believe, then you’re an idiot.”
The black haired girl’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Kari didn’t even flinch under that ominous gaze, and eventually, Taythe sighed again.
“Sit down.”
“I’d rather not.”
“I don’t particularly care what you feel, miss Kamiya. But as your new ruler, I do expect you to obey me as you would have done the old.”
Kari rolled her eyes heavenward, and sat on the opposite side of the fire.
“Tell me about him.” Taythe said shortly.
Kari glared at her.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I told you to.”
“Do you always expect people to do what you tell them to?”
“It’s been a definite pattern in my life so far.”
Kari shook her head.
“Well, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed today, Taythe. I have nothing to say to you about Davis.”
Taythe’s eyes narrowed once more, and she gestured to the Shadowmon guard.
“Take Miss Kamiya back to the others.”
The Shadowmon didn’t move. His size denoted him as being one of the chiefs, the more powerful warriors among the group.
“Did you hear me?”
“I heard,” the creature replied. “But I do not see why we are letting these inferior creatures live. I do not wish to obey your orders, Lady Taythe.”
Taythe didn’t look around, and Kari tensed herself, ready for any opportunity.
“Are you denying your blood oath to me?” the black-haired girl hissed.
Kari glanced around nervously, noting that other Shadowmon had gathered around them to watch the confrontation, which had obviously been building for a while.
“I am denying your wisdom in this, Lady.” The Shadowmon stated, loudly enough to be heard by his fellows.
Taythe moved so fast that the creature didn’t even have time to react. Kari had only ever seen Davis move that fast, and never from a position of rest to one of motion in mere moments. In that short space of time, Taythe sprang to her feet, pulling the black longsword up, and driving it neatly through the throat of the Shadowmon commander. Black blood fountained onto the ground beneath them, sizzling and evaporating in the fire. The raven-haired girl leaned close to the creatures face.
“You will never disobey me again.”
She whipped around, pulling the long straight blade with her, and the Shadowmon’s head fell neatly from its shoulders. Taythe glanced at the rest of her troops.
“Let this be a warning. None of you are as needed as you seem to think you are. I any of you feel the driving need to speak his dissension, do so now and meet the same fate as your late comrade.”
None of the Shadowmon spoke. Taythe picked one at random from the crowd.
“You are the new commander. Your first duty is to escort Miss Kamiya back to the other Digidestined. Go now, before I decide that you are not suitable for responsibility.”
The speed at which the creature moved to obey her was exceptional.
=============================================================
Kari sat down beside the fire with her friends.
“What did she want?” Tai asked.
She shrugged the question off, and sat for a while staring into the flames.
“So…” TK started.
“So what?”
“Are we gonna make a break for it?”
She looked up at her childhood friend. There was a kind of fire burning in TK’s eyes, and his hand was wrapped firmly around that of Tasha, Kari’s cousin. Kari suddenly felt very keenly the burden that had been on Davis’s shoulders for years. For some reason, the other were looking to her for leadership. Even Tai, who had been the leader of the Digidestined before Davis, was glancing at her. she shook her head.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“TK, we have no weapons, no supplies, we’re in the middle of the enemy, and we don’t even know where the hell we are.”
He looked a little sheepish.
“Oh. I guess I didn’t think of that.”
She grinned at him.
“I thought you hadn’t. I appreciate the thought, but we can’t really do anything now.”
Tasha smiled grimly.
“Except pray, obviously.”
“That’s always good.”
“You know, you didn’t answer Tai’s question.”
“Huh?”
“What did Taythe want?”
Kari, almost subconsciously, pulled the sleeping Gatomon over towards her. the long days of marching and the cold had prevented their Digimon from fully regaining their strength after the battle at the snowfield.
“She wanted to know about Davis.”
“And what did you tell her.”
The brown-haired girl looked up, her eyes flashing.
“Not a single damn thing. I think it annoyed her.”
Matt grinned.
“And we wouldn’t want that, would we? Can you think why she wants to know?”
Kari stared into the flames.
“I think… in some way… she wants to know him. I don’t know why, but when I’m around her, I feel something… like he’s right there. In some ways, they’re very similar. Just little things, mannerisms, the way her voice sounds…”
She shivered.
“Its like she’s the reflection in the mirror. A parallel of what Davis could have been.”
=============================================================
“Kari, you have to talk to Mimi.”
“Huh? Why me?”
Tai grinned at her.
“In case you haven’t noticed it, little sister, you’re our leader at the moment.”
“How did that come around? Was there an election or something?”
“Sure. We held it while you were asleep. After you’ve talked to Mimi, can you have a few words with Michael as well?”
“Thanks.” Kari said Wryly.
Tai was right, though. Ever since the fight on the snowfields, Mimi had been becoming severely withdrawn. Doing even the simplest things now needed prompting. Kari supposed it was shock. She walked over, and sat down next to the older woman.
“Are you okay, Mimi?”
She received a acknowledging grunt in reply. That was a problem as well. Mimi had stopped vocalising.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Mimi shook her head. Kari felt frustration building up inside her. She supposed that this was her own reaction to current events. Her little sparring match with Taythe had proved that her temper was getting shorter.
“Well, you’re going to, Mimi, otherwise I’m going to sit here and stare at you. That tends to really annoy people, so I suggest cooperation.
The older woman closed her eyes briefly, sighed a shuddering breath, and when she opened them, they moved slowly up to focus on Kari’s face.
“What precisely is it you wanted me to talk about, Kari?”
“We’re all worried about you, you know that?”
“I didn’t ask you to be?”
“So we were wasting all that effort? I’m disappointed. I’m very good at worrying.”
Despite herself, Mimi smiled. The grin started with her eyes, and worked its way down to her jaw.
“There. That’s better. Why don’t you try and keep that expression. Now tell me what’s wrong.”
The grin faded into a sad half-smile.
“He told me to remember him, Kari.”
“Liam?”
She nodded.
“I think he knew that he wasn’t going to make it out of that one. He gave all his hope to me…” she started to cry, fat remorseful tears. “Why didn’t I see it, Kari? Why didn’t I see how he felt, and talk to him about it when I had the chance?”
“I think that we’ve all been a bit offbeat recently. It wasn’t your fault, Mimi. He chose not to tell you.” she smiled. “And what’s this about you not getting to tell him?”
Mimi brushed ineffectually at the tears on her face.
“Kari, I don’t need to be coddled. Davis has a chance of being alive. Liam doesn’t. That was the whole point of what he did – he sacrificed himself for us.”
“So are you gonna dishonour that sacrifice by giving up?”
The older woman’s eyes turned steely.
“Never.”
“Then just remember that.”
She stood.
“You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Kari.”
“Welcome.”
She walked over to where a blonde young man was sitting apart from the rest of the group. The separation was as much self-imposed as it was enforced by the other Digidestined. Despite the fact that they all knew Michael hadn’t had much of a choice when he had betrayed the Digidestined at Coast town, it seemed that people found it easier to keep on hating to forgive.
Michael was doing a pretty good job of hating himself right about now.
She sat down next to the blonde man.
“Are you okay?”
He ignored her, and continued staring gloomily into the fire. She began to feel the irritation building up again.
“Michael, Pretending I’m not here wont make me go away.”
“Pity. I thought it might just work.”
His voice was cold, unfriendly. He was trying to lock her out, and she couldn’t allow that at this moment.
“Don’t do that, Michael. You’ll piss me off.”
“Leave me alone, Kari.”
“I cant do that. I seem to have been elected leader, so I have to make sure that everyone’s okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t believe that, and I don’t think that you do either, so lets cut the bullshit and get down to you telling em what the hell is wrong with you.”
“You know damn well what’s wrong with me, Kari.” He growled. “Its my fault that we’re here. Its my fault that Liam is gone and Davis… your…”
“Michael… what happened on that snow field isn’t important right now. What is, is that we stick together. You were with us when we were in the underground village. It was your destiny to do what you did.”
She swivelled round, and looked into his eyes.
“I’m not going to forgive or condone what you did, because that is something you have to do yourself. Just remember, when you feel ready, you’re welcome to join the rest of us.”
And she turned and walked away, back to the others.
=============================================================
Taythe sat by her fire, alone, and stared into the glowing embers. She hadn’t slept a wink that night. Indeed, she hadn’t slept since the duel with Daisuke. Not properly, anyway. When she did close her eyes for long enough, her mind was haunted by dreams.
Dreams of a shadowed figure, holding a Golden katana. She knew it was impossible. That sword lay in a thousand shards over the snowfield. It would be impossible to prepare it.
The worst thing was, the dreams weren’t even nightmares. Nightmares she could have dealt with, but these dreams gave her such a sense of peace that’s he found herself wanting to sleep, just to feel that alien sensation again.
She spat into the fire, and cursed herself for her weakness. She would dream again, but she would resist the silent invitation of those dreams. She would slap away the hand that gently held itself out to her. She would spit in the face of the man who dared to offer her his palm. Her, the new ruler of the digital world! It’s new queen!
For that was what she was, wasn’t she? A queen. She had won the rule of the digital world by trial at arms, fair and square, in an open duel.
So why was she so afraid. She had never had any doubts before, when the task had been before her, with so many barriers in the way. Why now was she afraid to take what was rightfully hers?
She shivered, and pulled her cloak tight around her. Unlike the Shadowmon, she did feel the cold. She lay down next to the remains of the fire, and closed her eyes, fearfully. For she knew that the dream would come, and with it would come the terrible thought that she didn’t have to do this.
And the feeling of peace, that she craved so much.
======================================================================== =====
Chapter 6:
********
“You wanted to see me?”
The words were meaningless. They weren’t even said with any particular tone of malice, but the lack of emotion behind them told Taythe everything she needed to know. Kari didn’t like her.
Taythe was surprised at how much that bothered her. The black haired girl was sitting beside her fire, looking for anything like a girl scout on a camping trip. That is, she would if it wasn’t for the black longsword that she was absently running her hand along.
“Yes. I did want to see you, miss Kamiya.”
“And why is that?”
Taythe sighed.
“Do we have to do this? I have done nothing to offend you.”
“If that’s what you believe, then you’re an idiot.”
The black haired girl’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Kari didn’t even flinch under that ominous gaze, and eventually, Taythe sighed again.
“Sit down.”
“I’d rather not.”
“I don’t particularly care what you feel, miss Kamiya. But as your new ruler, I do expect you to obey me as you would have done the old.”
Kari rolled her eyes heavenward, and sat on the opposite side of the fire.
“Tell me about him.” Taythe said shortly.
Kari glared at her.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I told you to.”
“Do you always expect people to do what you tell them to?”
“It’s been a definite pattern in my life so far.”
Kari shook her head.
“Well, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed today, Taythe. I have nothing to say to you about Davis.”
Taythe’s eyes narrowed once more, and she gestured to the Shadowmon guard.
“Take Miss Kamiya back to the others.”
The Shadowmon didn’t move. His size denoted him as being one of the chiefs, the more powerful warriors among the group.
“Did you hear me?”
“I heard,” the creature replied. “But I do not see why we are letting these inferior creatures live. I do not wish to obey your orders, Lady Taythe.”
Taythe didn’t look around, and Kari tensed herself, ready for any opportunity.
“Are you denying your blood oath to me?” the black-haired girl hissed.
Kari glanced around nervously, noting that other Shadowmon had gathered around them to watch the confrontation, which had obviously been building for a while.
“I am denying your wisdom in this, Lady.” The Shadowmon stated, loudly enough to be heard by his fellows.
Taythe moved so fast that the creature didn’t even have time to react. Kari had only ever seen Davis move that fast, and never from a position of rest to one of motion in mere moments. In that short space of time, Taythe sprang to her feet, pulling the black longsword up, and driving it neatly through the throat of the Shadowmon commander. Black blood fountained onto the ground beneath them, sizzling and evaporating in the fire. The raven-haired girl leaned close to the creatures face.
“You will never disobey me again.”
She whipped around, pulling the long straight blade with her, and the Shadowmon’s head fell neatly from its shoulders. Taythe glanced at the rest of her troops.
“Let this be a warning. None of you are as needed as you seem to think you are. I any of you feel the driving need to speak his dissension, do so now and meet the same fate as your late comrade.”
None of the Shadowmon spoke. Taythe picked one at random from the crowd.
“You are the new commander. Your first duty is to escort Miss Kamiya back to the other Digidestined. Go now, before I decide that you are not suitable for responsibility.”
The speed at which the creature moved to obey her was exceptional.
=============================================================
Kari sat down beside the fire with her friends.
“What did she want?” Tai asked.
She shrugged the question off, and sat for a while staring into the flames.
“So…” TK started.
“So what?”
“Are we gonna make a break for it?”
She looked up at her childhood friend. There was a kind of fire burning in TK’s eyes, and his hand was wrapped firmly around that of Tasha, Kari’s cousin. Kari suddenly felt very keenly the burden that had been on Davis’s shoulders for years. For some reason, the other were looking to her for leadership. Even Tai, who had been the leader of the Digidestined before Davis, was glancing at her. she shook her head.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“TK, we have no weapons, no supplies, we’re in the middle of the enemy, and we don’t even know where the hell we are.”
He looked a little sheepish.
“Oh. I guess I didn’t think of that.”
She grinned at him.
“I thought you hadn’t. I appreciate the thought, but we can’t really do anything now.”
Tasha smiled grimly.
“Except pray, obviously.”
“That’s always good.”
“You know, you didn’t answer Tai’s question.”
“Huh?”
“What did Taythe want?”
Kari, almost subconsciously, pulled the sleeping Gatomon over towards her. the long days of marching and the cold had prevented their Digimon from fully regaining their strength after the battle at the snowfield.
“She wanted to know about Davis.”
“And what did you tell her.”
The brown-haired girl looked up, her eyes flashing.
“Not a single damn thing. I think it annoyed her.”
Matt grinned.
“And we wouldn’t want that, would we? Can you think why she wants to know?”
Kari stared into the flames.
“I think… in some way… she wants to know him. I don’t know why, but when I’m around her, I feel something… like he’s right there. In some ways, they’re very similar. Just little things, mannerisms, the way her voice sounds…”
She shivered.
“Its like she’s the reflection in the mirror. A parallel of what Davis could have been.”
=============================================================
“Kari, you have to talk to Mimi.”
“Huh? Why me?”
Tai grinned at her.
“In case you haven’t noticed it, little sister, you’re our leader at the moment.”
“How did that come around? Was there an election or something?”
“Sure. We held it while you were asleep. After you’ve talked to Mimi, can you have a few words with Michael as well?”
“Thanks.” Kari said Wryly.
Tai was right, though. Ever since the fight on the snowfields, Mimi had been becoming severely withdrawn. Doing even the simplest things now needed prompting. Kari supposed it was shock. She walked over, and sat down next to the older woman.
“Are you okay, Mimi?”
She received a acknowledging grunt in reply. That was a problem as well. Mimi had stopped vocalising.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Mimi shook her head. Kari felt frustration building up inside her. She supposed that this was her own reaction to current events. Her little sparring match with Taythe had proved that her temper was getting shorter.
“Well, you’re going to, Mimi, otherwise I’m going to sit here and stare at you. That tends to really annoy people, so I suggest cooperation.
The older woman closed her eyes briefly, sighed a shuddering breath, and when she opened them, they moved slowly up to focus on Kari’s face.
“What precisely is it you wanted me to talk about, Kari?”
“We’re all worried about you, you know that?”
“I didn’t ask you to be?”
“So we were wasting all that effort? I’m disappointed. I’m very good at worrying.”
Despite herself, Mimi smiled. The grin started with her eyes, and worked its way down to her jaw.
“There. That’s better. Why don’t you try and keep that expression. Now tell me what’s wrong.”
The grin faded into a sad half-smile.
“He told me to remember him, Kari.”
“Liam?”
She nodded.
“I think he knew that he wasn’t going to make it out of that one. He gave all his hope to me…” she started to cry, fat remorseful tears. “Why didn’t I see it, Kari? Why didn’t I see how he felt, and talk to him about it when I had the chance?”
“I think that we’ve all been a bit offbeat recently. It wasn’t your fault, Mimi. He chose not to tell you.” she smiled. “And what’s this about you not getting to tell him?”
Mimi brushed ineffectually at the tears on her face.
“Kari, I don’t need to be coddled. Davis has a chance of being alive. Liam doesn’t. That was the whole point of what he did – he sacrificed himself for us.”
“So are you gonna dishonour that sacrifice by giving up?”
The older woman’s eyes turned steely.
“Never.”
“Then just remember that.”
She stood.
“You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Kari.”
“Welcome.”
She walked over to where a blonde young man was sitting apart from the rest of the group. The separation was as much self-imposed as it was enforced by the other Digidestined. Despite the fact that they all knew Michael hadn’t had much of a choice when he had betrayed the Digidestined at Coast town, it seemed that people found it easier to keep on hating to forgive.
Michael was doing a pretty good job of hating himself right about now.
She sat down next to the blonde man.
“Are you okay?”
He ignored her, and continued staring gloomily into the fire. She began to feel the irritation building up again.
“Michael, Pretending I’m not here wont make me go away.”
“Pity. I thought it might just work.”
His voice was cold, unfriendly. He was trying to lock her out, and she couldn’t allow that at this moment.
“Don’t do that, Michael. You’ll piss me off.”
“Leave me alone, Kari.”
“I cant do that. I seem to have been elected leader, so I have to make sure that everyone’s okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t believe that, and I don’t think that you do either, so lets cut the bullshit and get down to you telling em what the hell is wrong with you.”
“You know damn well what’s wrong with me, Kari.” He growled. “Its my fault that we’re here. Its my fault that Liam is gone and Davis… your…”
“Michael… what happened on that snow field isn’t important right now. What is, is that we stick together. You were with us when we were in the underground village. It was your destiny to do what you did.”
She swivelled round, and looked into his eyes.
“I’m not going to forgive or condone what you did, because that is something you have to do yourself. Just remember, when you feel ready, you’re welcome to join the rest of us.”
And she turned and walked away, back to the others.
=============================================================
Taythe sat by her fire, alone, and stared into the glowing embers. She hadn’t slept a wink that night. Indeed, she hadn’t slept since the duel with Daisuke. Not properly, anyway. When she did close her eyes for long enough, her mind was haunted by dreams.
Dreams of a shadowed figure, holding a Golden katana. She knew it was impossible. That sword lay in a thousand shards over the snowfield. It would be impossible to prepare it.
The worst thing was, the dreams weren’t even nightmares. Nightmares she could have dealt with, but these dreams gave her such a sense of peace that’s he found herself wanting to sleep, just to feel that alien sensation again.
She spat into the fire, and cursed herself for her weakness. She would dream again, but she would resist the silent invitation of those dreams. She would slap away the hand that gently held itself out to her. She would spit in the face of the man who dared to offer her his palm. Her, the new ruler of the digital world! It’s new queen!
For that was what she was, wasn’t she? A queen. She had won the rule of the digital world by trial at arms, fair and square, in an open duel.
So why was she so afraid. She had never had any doubts before, when the task had been before her, with so many barriers in the way. Why now was she afraid to take what was rightfully hers?
She shivered, and pulled her cloak tight around her. Unlike the Shadowmon, she did feel the cold. She lay down next to the remains of the fire, and closed her eyes, fearfully. For she knew that the dream would come, and with it would come the terrible thought that she didn’t have to do this.
And the feeling of peace, that she craved so much.
======================================================================== =====