Synopsis: A deadly circle is closing about the digidestined. Could they be betrayed unwillingly by their own? And what of this mysterious dragon, Ka'renna? What part does she play in this strange dance of death?
Part 3
Katamon hissed angrily at her captor, her fur standing rigid and her teeth bared.
"Karnivormon! I didn't think you'd sink this low! Let go of my wings, or I swear on the dying flame of the Lightsnuffers, you won't have a paw to touch me with!"
The large wolf looked unperturbed, and scratched his ear with one hindpaw. His thick, coarse fur gleamed in the fading twilight, and his savage blue eyes were hungry.
"Oh, come now, Katamon. You barely know me!" he said lazily as he cuffed her sharply upside the head.
Katamon shook off the blow, though she was dazed for a moment.
"All the more reason for me not to trust you! Where is my sister!"
He idly crushed a frail lily in one massive black paw, and looked again into her green eyes, his terrifying bulk dwarfing her slim grace.
"Sweetwhisker is perfectly fine. She's with the current litter, as you probably already know."
Katamon bared her teeth, and avoided another slap upside the head.
"She only came because she thought you were decent! Let her be!" the little cat shrilled, her eyes ebony with rage.
The wolf mearly glared at her, his almost-human eyes mildly angry.
"I AM decent, Moonpaw. Sweetwhisker is fine. In fact, Firebright is here too." The wolf said, naming Katamon by her heart name.
"How DARE you call me by that name! Let me see Firebright!"
"That's not possible, little sister. Because I intend to kill you in just a moment."
"Why! Put me down!"
His eyes shown bright and the wolf/human grinned.
"Because, Moonpaw," he said in a smooth, silky voice, "You are the eleventh digimon."
Katamon looked up at the brown and black wolf as his jaws opened wide, her eyes wide with horror as she tensed herself for his bite.
Then a voice cried out.
"Karnivormon, No!"
Garurumon slowed, then stopped, letting Matt and Kira jump off of his back.
"Thanks." Kira said awkwardly, looking into Garurumon's golden eyes, "Katamon really means a lot to me. She was the first one I met."
Garurumon gave her a toothy smile, and gently nuzzled her shoulder.
"We'll find her, Kira. Katamon can take care of herself, I'm sure." He growled.
"Yeah, but she can't change unless she's near me. I don't know why though..."
Matt jerked his head in surprise.
"She changes? You mean she digivolves?"
"If that's what you call it. She turns into Tigramon."
"Kira, do you have one of these?" Matt asked her, holding out his digivice.
She looked closely, and frowned.
"No, can't say I do... but I do have this." She pulled a pendant out of the neck of her shirt, revealing her crest embedded in a silver plaque.
"Huh." Matt tucked his digivice away, and walked quickly into the clearing where they had camped last night. Kira was close behind him, and Garurumon de-digivolved before following them.
Matt looked into the clearing, and gasped, stopping short. Kira barely avoided running into him, and as she peered around his shoulder, her face lit up.
"A dragon!"
VampPyromon spoke menacingly to the small, dark digimon that cringed by his side.
"Painmon, why won't she become like me?"
"Lord, the cat-girl is human, you said so yourself! Once you have bitten her three times she'll be like you. And anyone of the same species will become like you when you bite once. It takes three times for you to adapt."
VampPyromon let the small bat-wolf go, and stared broodingly into the fire that had been lit by a small Wraithmon hours ago. Like the Vampyre, it did not fade, but burned bright as a star that has caught afire. Abruptly, he spoke to Painmon again, and the wolf/bat swivled one leathery ear to hear the master better.
"Why does she make me feel this way? As pure as moonlight, she is. A survivor. I'm surprised I let her go again. Can this be a human emotion I feel? Ever since that moon when I first enveloped her in my cloak of darkness, I have felt...different."
"Humans call it Love, my lord. Or affection." Said a snake-like digimon who purred about a corner, her body almost liquid with oozing self-confidence and grace.
"Luff?" Painmon squawked, flapping his leathery wings and whipping his tail back and forth. "That's absurd!"
Anemonemon stared at the bat; her almond shaped eyes glittered pale acid yellow.
"I would not talk so quickly, half-and-half. The female is beautiful, and almost matured." Her smooth, silky skin glimmered with a wet sheen as she slid into a pool of salt water by VampPyromon's feet. In the water, her pale ivory rose-colored and saffron skin fanned out and she seemed to be a many-fingered flower. A small krill swam by, and with a flick of one soft tentacle, it was paralyzed. She laughed, and began to talk to VampPyromon.
"Lord, humans are much like these small krill. They are strong, and they take advantage of safety in numbers, but there are a few strays, loners, and castoffs. The females look to find a mate, and the males do also. It is life."
"That's all they do?"
"No, my lord. There is much, much more to being human."
Anemonemon twirled in the water, and her gills turned pale pink.
"So much more..."
Ka'renna awoke with a start, and stood menacingly over Kari, TK, and their digimon, ready to fight. But when she saw the faces of the ones who stared at her, she let her hackles fall.
"Humans!"
The male human was tall, and had deep icy blue eyes, with ash-blond head-fur. The female had auburn head-fur, and was very small, with dragon's or cat's eyes. They had to have been -how else could they be so green?
The girl came forth, her voice low.
"Who are you? I am-" Ka'renna was distracted, so the girl's name sounded like 'Kara'- "and this is Yamato. Why do you stand with the children?"
Ka'renna eyed the girl. She had not spoken in human's tounge at all. She had spoken in the words of the language of all lizards, cats, dragons, and anything of the night or day that has an ounce of grace.
"You may speak in your native words, girl. I can understand."
The girl looked at her with her eyes suspiciously bright.
"I am Kira."
"I am Ka'renna."
A voice like a quiet whisper filled their minds, solemn and limber.
And I am J'kkin.
Sora lifted her head from where it rested, and was surprised to find herself loosely wrapped in Tai's arms, leaning on his shoulder.
"Tai? Tai, wake up." She shook his shoulder, and he mumbled something unintelligible. She shook him harder. "Tai!"
He opened his eyes sleepily, and rubbed them, inadvertently pulling Sora closer to him.
"Oh! Um... sorry..."
A/N: Sorry. I just thought that'd be really cute, okay? Dai asked
me to put something like this in, so here ya go. ^_^*
~ Kira
"It's all right." Sora untangled herself from his arms, and stretched. "Where's everyone else?"
Tai shrugged, and ran his hands through his wild mane. "I dunno. Shall we go find 'em?"
"Might as well. Piyomon! Wake up!" Sora said to the pink bird, which sat nestled comfortably in the tree they had slept against. Tai turned and shook Agumon, who was curled up at his side.
"Hey, Agu! Time to get up."
"Five more minutes..."
"NOW, Agumon."
He blinked his eyes at Tai, giving him a cold, reptilian stare.
"Warden," he accused.
"Yeah, I work you shamelessly," Tai said, standing. "Now get up."
Agumon did so, and Piyomon fluttered down next to him, and patted his arm.
"I still don't see why we have to get up now," Agumon grumbled, soothed by Piyomon's patting, albeit not much.
The four made their way to the shaded grove where they had first set up camp the other day. As they walked through a pathway, they heard a voice:
"Karnivormon, no!"
Izzy grinned to himself as he opened his laptop and typed in an e-mail address. With any luck...
"*Breep!* You've got mail!"
Hastily, Izzy toned down the volume on his computer, and cast a glance at Dai, who was still sleeping soundly next to Tentomon and Ivymon. Good.
He opened the e-mail, and frowned. It was from Dai! She must have typed it up the night before when he had leant her the computer. He clicked on the message, and the text popped up on screen.
Hiya Izz-man! I just realized, your b-day isn't too far away. What do you want that I can possibly get for you here? Hmmmm... I know! Here's a neat-o website. Go to www.sluggy.com okay? It's such the best! LOL! Guess I'll talk to ya laterz, 'kay?
::Huggs and Kisses::
~ Dai-chan *^_^*
Izzy smiled and clicked the SAVE button on his option menu. As he closed the computer, he looked again at Dai's face, which was oddly composed as she slumbered. Her golden skin seemed burnished as sunbeams drifted over her, and Izzy could even see her eyes crinkling in her sleep at some joke. Her hat had fallen off, and her chin-length dark hair was in her face, and her glasses were sliding off her nose. She stirred, and curled up beneath her overly large army-jacket. Izzy shook himself out of his reverie, and walked a few yards to the nearby stream. He took a handful of the water, and drank. It was so cold and clear it made his teeth ache. He took another handful and splashed it onto his face, washing sleep from his eyes, and took yet another handful. He walked carefully to Dai's sleeping form, and threw the icy beverage onto her face. She shrieked, and sat up, drenched.
"Izzy, you are so dead! How dare you!" it was hard to take her threat to heart, as she was laughing so hard she couldn't get up.
"Good morning to you too, Miss Sunshine!" He said, smiling and helping her up. She gave him a serious look, and dragged him to the stream.
"See how YOU like it!" she said, shoving him in.
"Ahh! Cold! Cold! ColdcoldcoldcoldCOLD!"
"See? Not very fun, is it."
Izzy looked up at her, spluttering with righteous indignation, and was about to yell at her, when his jet black eyes went wide.
"Um...Dai? Turn around, very slowly."
She laughed, and did so. What she saw made her gasp.
"Oh my god...Izzy, is that who I think it is?"
"If you think it's VampPyromon, then yes. And Dai," Izzy said, standing up, wringing out his shirt, "I believe that that female by his side is called Anemonemon. She is a water-type digimon, and she seems like a snake when she's on land. However, when she's underwater, she looks just like an anemone. Her attacks are-"
"Izzy? I don't think we have very long to wait to find out what the attacks are..." Dai said, a quiver in her voice. "They have Ivy and Tento."
Izzy looked. Indeed, Ivymon and Tentomon were gone, vanished into a dark window.
VampPyromon spoke. His voice was oddly mellow and composed.
"Hello, Digidestined. I believe you know who I am." He reached out a hand, and gently caressed Dai's face. She shuddered, and pulled away.
"Do not worry, pretty one. You are not the female I seek. Where is the girl, Kira?"
Izzy watched Dai admiringly as she glared furiously at the Vampyre.
"As if I'd tell you if I knew," she sneered. "You're just undead filth!"
He looked mildly taken aback.
"Now, there is no use for such language. I'm not here to hurt you, you know. I just need to know something. After you tell me, You may have your Guardians, and I'll let you free. I am a Vampyre of my word, Lady."
Dai drew back, even more confused.
"I don't know."
He looked at her, his white eyes oddly compelling.
"You do. Tell me, Daika Iousono. Tell me now." His voice almost purred as he placed a hand on her cheek, and she shivered, but stayed still, mesmerized by his tone and his eyes.
"Dai!" Izzy yelled, breaking her trance. "Dai, wake up! Run!"
Dai looked at him momentarily, and broke free of VampPyromon's grip, and ran. The Vampyre glared at the young boy a moment, and spoke.
"I would know where Akira is, boy."
Izzy met his gaze calmly.
"And I will not tell you." He threw a handful of sand at the Vampyre's eyes, and ran, catching up with Dai.
"I'll come for you next, Daika, known as Dai." VampPyromon growled. He turned to Anemonemon, and spoke to her, his eyes flickering.
"Send for the Marah. We need her..."
Anemonemon blinked.
"Bitterness?"
"Marah. Bitterness. Call her what you will, but send for her."
Anemonemon bowed, trembling.
"Yes, My Lord. It shall be done."
He smiled thinly, his red lips curving upwards.
"Good."
Ka'renna lifted her cat-like ears and listened again for the voice.
"J'kkin?"
A larger dragon, with white and brownish gray scales, stepped out of the dense underbrush. His brown/red eyes twinkled, and he grinned.
"That's my name." Then his eyes went dark. "Wren, why'd you leave? I was worried! And La'ket is almost sick! She thought you might have...might have... Oh, Wren!" The larger dragon pulled Ka'renna to him, wrapping his wings about her slender frame and nestling his face in her shoulder. "Don't EVER do that again!"
"You were worried about me? Why?"
J'kkin just nuzzled her. "Get some sleep, Ka'renna." As he arranged himself about Ka'renna's smaller body, he noticed Matt and Kira sitting nearby, each with a small child in their laps. Matt held TK, and Kira held Hikari's slumbering form.
"Who are you! Humans!"
Kira looked up at J'kkin, and placed Hikari on the ground.
"Hello. I am Kira, and this is Yamato, one of my companions. The children are Takeru and Hikari. We mean you no harm, nor any to Ka'renna."
J'kkin settled back, satisfied.
"You are too weak at my art to lie without me knowing. I believe you. I came here to find Ka'renna, but I sense great fear upon you. Why."
Kira looked steadily into his eyes.
"There are hunters here."
Jou shoved away a thick curtain of vines, and continued on his way, calling out Mimi's name.
"Mimi! Mimi, where are you?"
The 'princess of pink' had left camp early that morning and Palmon didn't know where she was. So Jou had taken Palmon and Gommamon, and gone in search of her.
As the boy shoved his way through the bramble of another bush, he sent Gommamon and Palmon further downstream, hoping that the two would be able to fit where he couldn't. As he pushed back a flowering vine, he saw Mimi calmly sitting with her back to him, speaking with a woman. But wait- this wasn't Mimi! Mimi was smaller then that, smaller then this woman. This woman was at least eighteen!
"Hello, Mimi Taichikawa." Said the woman in a sweet, cajoling voice.
"Hello."
The woman smiled, and Jou leaned forward to get a better look.
The woman had coal black hair and deep blue eyes with no pupils.
She wore a deep scarlet gown and sat neatly near Mimi.
Her lips were bright, bloody red.
"I am The Marah, Mimi Taichikawa." She smiled, and showed white, white teeth.
Mimi looked at the woman, and said, "it's about time, Marah. I was worried you wouldn't make it."
"I am never late for an appointment, Leafpale. Your charade as the girl will end soon, I promise. You will not have to be who you were much longer." She smiled, and turned, looking right at Jou.
"Come out, Coldstream. Leafpale and I have been waiting..."
Jou looked puzzled, but came from behind the bushes.
Mimi turned and looked at him, her skin pale, her lips red, and her eyes a bewitching brown. She smiled, revealing white, pointed teeth.
"Shall you, or I?" she asked Marah, unable to control the glint of hunger in her eyes.
"Go ahead, Leafpale."
Mimi lunged at Jou, and with a quick bite, had her jaws about his neck. Jou felt his blood drain as she sucked greedily at the wound, and then all he knew was falling, falling...
Jou fell to the ground, his skin now white and his lips pale.
Marah grinned, showing her pointed eyeteeth.
"Well done, Leafpale. You are welcome to the Vampyrum."
A/N: End Part three. Spooky, huh? Please contact me!
KRkitten@aol.com, okay? Thanks!
~ Kira-chan ^_^
