Part 2: Traitor!
Matt stared wide-eyed at the shadow that twisted around Sora's neck. She opened her mouth to scream, and suddenly went limp. The shadow moved on, strangling the others one by one, until only Tai, Matt, and T.K. were left.
Tai hissed, "You are a liar, Yamato Ishida!" just before he, too, fell under the hand of Gavinmon.
The shadow wound around T.K. next, and Matt could only watch, horrified, as T.K. panicked and wriggled helplessly. "Help, Matt!" he choked. Matt leapt to his feet in terror. He turned and ran from the awful sight of his friends' dead forms. T.K.'s scream echoed through the forest as Matt ran, and ran, and ran...
"NO!" Matt yelled as he jumped to his feet. The others were staring at him very oddly. "You--aren't you dead?"
"What's wrong?" Gabumon asked.
"I had a horrible dream," Matt whispered. He proceeded to tell them all that had happened. The other digidestined children stared in shock.
"Wow," Mimi whispered. "Do you think it could be true?"
"Dreams aren't true!" Sora scoffed, nodding lightly at T.K. and Kari. The older kids silently agreed.
"I smell...fish!" Agumon cried, turning the children's minds from the frightening nightmare.
~*~
"Mmmm, breakfast," Palmon said happily.
After using their attacks the digimon had caught several fish and the dream was forgotten in getting ready to move on. Suddenly Gatomon froze and pricked up her ears. "Danger," she whispered.
The kids stared nervously at Spiral Mountain. "D-don't worry," Tai said. He couldn't explain the ice that raced along his veins, and the unwelcome feeling of a strange presence.
Hours later the digidestined found a cave to spend the night in. Sora insisted on taking the first watch, and it wasn't long before everyone fell asleep. Sora stood up and walked to the doorway of the cave. Gentle rain pelted the ground and a sense of calm filled Sora. She stood for a long time, watching, waiting. Suddenly a low moan resounded from the back of the cave. Then a shriek and then--nothing.
"Tai! What's wrong?" Sora asked, racing over to her friend, who was now wide awake. The other children were slowly waking as well.
"I--I--I had the same dream as Matt--only I--I died--and he ran!" Tai pointed at Matt. "H-he ran and he didn't try to help us!"
Matt blinked, not understanding what was going on. "Okay, whatever, dude."
Not long after Joe relieved Sora and watched the rain himself. Suddenly a small figure darted over to him and clung, shaking. "Joe, Joe!" the child whimpered. "Kari, what's wrong?" A shock hit Joe and he asked, "Did you have the same dream?"
"Y-yes," Kari gulped. She brought her hands to her neck and whispered, "Joe, I'm scared. It--it was choking me and Matt--wouldn't help--Tai was--was dead!" She burst into tears and fell to her knees. "Th-the worst part was that Gatomon--sh-she was gone, Joe, she was gone!"
Joe comforted the sobbing girl until she fell back into a deep sleep. Then he dared to wake Sora and whisper, "I think we've got a problem."
The digimon were the only ones who left the cave all day. The rain continued to delicately pour down outside. Tai shivered. They were all edgy, and jumped at the slightest sound. Suddenly a downpour started and the seven digimon who had gone out ran back in. That night, the tragic nightmare plagued Izzy, Mimi, and Joe. Each time was the same--no one would help, and the digimon had disappeared.
Matt couldn't miss the icy glares that Tai shot his way. Two Dark Masters were left and now he had unleashed a new evil--Matt knew that. He also knew that everyone had to be together, and he had brought them together.
That night when T.K. awoke from the horrendous nightmare, he looked daggers at Matt. Blue eyes flashing in sorrow, fury, and pain, T.K. said, "Gavinmon got everyone except us two. And he got the digimon, too. And then, just before I died, I saw him." T.K. glared at Matt before continuing, "He was watching us, and he smiled. I swear he did, I saw him!"
It was too beautiful a day for such anger. Tai rose and advanced on his rival. "You know what I think? I think Yamato Ishida is a traitor."
Matt backed out of the cave. "Tai, it was a dream!"
"Yeah, a dream all of us happened to have! And who survived? You. You did, Matt. Every single time. I call that being a traitor, and I think you're planning something! You betrayed us to Gavinmon, and I believe you can do it again! And you probably will!"
Matt crashed into a tree and stood, trembling. Tai had never been this angry. And T.K. just didn't get mad. Ever!
The others had followed the two boys and now everyone stood, watching. The silence seemed to continue forever. And then T.K. began, "I..."
All the kids turned to stare at him. Eyes brimming with tears, he hugged Patamon and whispered, "Matt, forgive me, but I--I agree with Tai."
Matt's eyes widened in terror and he bolted, followed by Gabumon. The others didn't hear the evil laugh while they calmed the sobbing young boy. Suddenly Tai cried out in pain. When the others whirled to look, he was gone.
