A/N: Eons and eons ago...I started this story hoping to finish it before
school began....I was sadly mistaken....Excuse (If I even have a real one):
School started and school is hectic. Though, I took the liberty in
continuing my faithfulness to this story....^^; But I won't promise a 'for
sure' update every week, unfortunately...*sighs sadly* One thing is certain
however, I will not abandon this story...I love the characters too much to
stray away! ^_^; So don't fret! LOL
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Digimon Characters or any other related subjects that are directly copyrighted towards Toei Animation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Pure of Heart: Netherworld Journey {I}
Dedicated to Mike...'Lord of the Dance' and Gino... 'I wish I had Jesse's Girl'!
Happy Birthday Gino!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaiya,
-Chapter 8- [Part 2]
"Takuya, wake up!" Izumi's distressed cry sent a tremulous jolt to his then, soundless slumber. His dreams began dissolving away and his head feeling as groggy as ever. "Wake up, Takuya!" Her voice continued to startle his senses.
Takuya was still asleep when he had heard her call him, his brows knit into a crease. "Izumi...It's too early. Go back to sleep." He replied yawning wearily.
She ignored his response and began to vigorously shake him awake. Takuya remained stubbornly to the ground, sleeping on his stomach. He had not told her of the fight--he promised not to leave her out of--last night. He had only started to feel the exhaustion now as he slept through her shouts. He later heard her heave a heavy sigh and then the sound of her footsteps gradually wandering farther away from him. He slightly grinned, maybe she had given up, he thought relieved.
"ARGHHH!" Takuya screamed and bolted upright, shivering all over. "IZUMI!"
His back was drenched in cold water. Izumi stood at his side and looking amusingly down at him, she held his equally drenched jacket in her hands. She held back a tempting smile as she helped him up.
"There's something wrong with Yoseimon." She turned him around, grasping his arm tightly.
His eyes fell to the sight of Yoseimon hovering a few feet above the cave's ground. Her injured wing was gleaming an eerie light of blue and her wound bled of a silvery-blue liquid.
"What do we do?" Izumi breathed.
Takuya gulped hard. "If Galen were here..."
Izumi tightened her grip on his arm then abruptly let go. She hesitantly stepped forward to her wounded beast. Her hand stretched towards the bird's forehead.
"Izumi...wait.." Takuya cautioned, his hand shot towards her outstretched arm.
"You're right, Takuya... Galen's not here." said Izumi, she felt his hand guiding her back to his side. "But he said that I share a bond with Yoseimon...I just want to stay close to her. She looks like she's in terrible pain..."
Takuya slowly nodded, reluctantly freeing her arm. Izumi continued to approach the beast. When she stood but mere inches in front of Yoseimon she reached out to stroke her smooth, feathery head. Yoseimon's eyes peered weakly at her tamer. A soft coo was all she could muster. Izumi felt her insides churning uncomfortably as her eyes directed towards the creature. Tears could be seen forming round her eyes. Then, as if triggered by Izumi's deep sorrow, Yoseimon's coat of feathers began shimmering to its original healthy-looking state. Izumi staggered back. Takuya worriedly gestured her back to his side.
Yoseimon stood on her now, strong talon feet, all her glory and elegance fully restored to her previously frail-looking body. Takuya and Izumi looked on in disbelief.
"But...how?" Izumi gasped. Both children were so taken aback that they did not notice someone peeking from behind in much of the same state of shock as they had been in.
Yoseimon glided swiftly to Izumi's side, her long neck bending down towards Izumi's face. Their foreheads met and the feeling of weightlessness had eluded all their previous thoughts. Izumi's eyes closed from the world around her and then fluttered opened to another one she had never seen before. It was a place of no land nor sea nor wind. It was a place with light only. Vivid lights of lightened amethyst purple and deep azure blue scattered like stars among a night sky. The lights twinkled and flitted past her as if she had been traveling through a portal.
"Yoseimon..." Izumi spoke softly.
"I am here, young one...My Master." Izumi heard Yoseimon's thoughts come to life in an unearthly-sounding voice. "I thank you for your strength...your strong bond...with me."
"But how did I..." Izumi began.
"There are many ways to heal, Master." Yoseimon gently interrupted. "Not only chanting and mystical powers can bring a being's life back from peril. It is strong faith in one another that strives to keep us alive...you have that in me. Just having your presence around me...lightens my heart."
Izumi felt a warm smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Faith can be that strong...?"
"More than you know, Master." Yoseimon answered.
The glimmering lights vanished like vapour from her mind--they had parted. Izumi gazed fondly up at Yoseimon.
"We should leave now." Takuya softly broke through Izumi's thoughts. "We a have a lot of ground to cover to get to the Fijian Tribes. Nagamon shouldn't be too far away."
A high-pitched roar that sounded beyond the waterfall disturbed their walk out of the cave. Takuya's arm shot up and held Izumi and Yoseimon back. Takuya crept towards the front of the cave, the waterfall so closely in front of him that its cool droplets of water sprinkled against his skin. He continued to approach the crashing falls, and for a moment there was silence, save the sounds of the rushing waters.
Then suddenly, "TAKUYA!" Izumi cried.
Takuya had been thrown to his back and struggled to get up. Though, the creature that had suddenly emerged from the waterfall was still pinning him to the ground. Takuya lifted his sight to meet the eyes of an odd looking creature. The creature would have appeared human, if not for its yellow, cat-like gaze and its ears pointed upright and peeking through long, ivory-white hair. Its yellow eyes lingered towards Takuya's in what looked like curiosity rather then menace--as was thought by its jumping on Takuya.
"Get off of him!" Izumi finally broke away from her fearful trance and jumped to Takuya's side, trying to pry the creature away from him.
The half-human looked startled by Izumi's anger and soon took refuge within the shadows of the cave. Yoseimon curiously tried to follow the creature, which had so quickly vanished within the darkness, and hooted as if calling for the creature's attention.
Izumi slowly helped Takuya to his feet. "Are you okay?" Izumi worriedly asked, securely gripping his shoulders.
"I'm fine." Takuya replied sheepishly, vigorously rubbing the back of his head.
The pain in his back and in his throbbing head had subsided but the questions he had towards the mysterious creature had not left as quickly.
"Where is he, or she...or whatever that was?" Takuya looked tentatively around, his eyes darting to every dark corner.
"Where are you?" Takuya called. "Who are you?"
"Takuya," Izumi gave him a warning look. "What if it's dangerous?
Takuya paused from his calling.
"What if its been right outside the cave all along, waiting and just now trying to strike. Its probably been watching us." Izumi cautioned, her eyes laying scrutiny towards the shadows around them.
"Exactly, Izumi." Takuya suddenly replied. "Its been watching...waiting. But if it really wanted to hurt us why didn't it try to attack while we were asleep?"
And as if Takuya's defending words lured the creature to appear, it did indeed emerge from the shadows into the waterfall's filtered light, looking confused and frightful. It gave a few steps of caution towards them, though, on its way the creature had stumbled upon Takuya's belongings; his goggles, hat and soaking jacket. The half-human looked like a child curiously rummaging through Takuya's things with confusion. The creature, now with closer inspection, was a child; small, younger than Takuya and Izumi, and a certain twinkle of innocence that would have only belonged to a child. It curiously toyed with Takuya's goggles.
Izumi almost let out a soft giggle--her mind still lay suspicious of the creature's presence--as the creature happily wore Takuya's goggles atop its own head. Though, in the process knocking itself backwards as it tried to take them off. Takuya quickly moved to its side, extending a helping hand to the sprawled creature. The half-human's cat-like ears perked upright in alert, it scrambled away from Takuya's reach and to, once again, the back of the cave.
"It's okay, buddy." Takuya soothed. "We won't hurt you."
In the shadows they could see its body slightly trembling. Izumi suddenly felt a pang of remorse for the frightened creature. Before she could stop herself she slowly made her way towards the shadows and knelt in front of the creature's hiding spot.
"Listen," Izumi whispered softly. "I'm sorry I scared you back there. I was just scared you were going to hurt Takuya."
The creature flinched as Izumi's arm reached out to it in the dark. "I promise...we won't do you any harm." Izumi smiled warmly.
The creature crawled slowly from within the darkness to rejoin them into the light once more. Izumi held its trembling hand during its way out of the shadows.
"It's okay now." Takura now joined their side, a coy smile directed to the half-human. "You're okay now, kid."
"Are you lost?" Izumi thought to ask in a worried tone.
"Izumi, what if it doesn't understand us?" Takuya thought to point out. "What language do you think it speaks, anyway?"
"Poor thing." Izumi sighed. "I wish we could at least ask for its name."
Though, suddenly, as if understanding their whispering conversation, "I am Kaiya of the Kumiho tribe. Daughter of Kyoko and Haru, Chief of our tribal band."
Kaiya, the human-cat, now stood in a rather formal stance instead of primitively crawling on all fours. A visible white tail began swaying to its back. In the light that seeped through the waterfall showed Kaiya's set of eyes gleaming proudly. Izumi and Takuya gave each other confused looks, each wondering where Kaiya's sudden acknowledgement came from. Takuya and Izumi stood in front of the creature. Their jaws were seen slightly dropping in surprise.
"You can speak our language?" Takuya asked in a more comfortable tone rather than his previous awkward approach in first encountering Kaiya.
"The Kumiho tribe speaks fluently in many different modern and ancient languages and dialects." Kaiya said as if she was formerly reciting a speech.
"Are you a Digimon?" Izumi reluctantly asked, sounding as if she were somewhat confused. "Or...er...are you...uh...er..."
"Many would call our kind deformed half-breeds." Kaiya bitterly replied. "Though just because we appear to have obvious human traits many still choose to ignore the fact that we also proudly carry pure Digimon blood. Instinct and senses, as well."
Kaiya's face grimaced, her fangs slightly showing as she growled a low menacing sound. She didn't look it; with her small stature, her saccharine sweet eyes, and the tiny voice that she helplessly tried to force into a growl, but with her blunt statements of determination she certainly sounded quite tough. Kaiya clenched a fist full of the brown, woolen rags--of which she wore--as she continued to glower.
"I didn't mean to be so rude in asking..." Izumi timidly replied. "I was just curious, that's all..."
"Not a problem." Kaiya's once glowering gaze had now fluttered open to show a full glint of delight. "I was just caught up with memories."
Takuya looked on at the creature in wonder. He had never seen such a brilliant child. Her words were quite beyond her years; Takuya presumed her to be about Tomoki's age. Though, Takuya later dismissed the fact she was well-spoken, for many times had they experienced things that were just as mixed up, bewildering and down right unexplainable. In fact, he had already expected anything but the ordinary from anyone living or perhaps even dead from these worlds, long before.
Kaiya's voice had suddenly become quieter, her head bowed low.
"Something wrong?" Izumi asked in confusion.
Kaiya looked up and realized her sudden awkward silence. She forced a smile, saying, "Nothing." Then suddenly she shot her grip to Takuya and Izumi's arms, "You must visit my village. You two look famished!"
Takuya still had the lingering suspicion to question her about why she had been spying on them the night before but a sudden growling rumble in his stomach had quickly ruled out any thoughts of further questioning. He couldn't help but agree to Kaiya's offer, now.
"Then it's settled." Izumi giggled as she heard Takuya's beckoning stomach. "We'd be delighted to visit your village, Kaiya."
"Wonderful!" Kaiya exclaimed. "Follow me!"
~~~~~~~~~ A/N: More to come...sorry for the long chapter...and sorry for any grammatical errors...this was rushed...GOMEN- NASAI, once again...Hope to write better much sooner...
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Digimon Characters or any other related subjects that are directly copyrighted towards Toei Animation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Pure of Heart: Netherworld Journey {I}
Dedicated to Mike...'Lord of the Dance' and Gino... 'I wish I had Jesse's Girl'!
Happy Birthday Gino!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaiya,
-Chapter 8- [Part 2]
"Takuya, wake up!" Izumi's distressed cry sent a tremulous jolt to his then, soundless slumber. His dreams began dissolving away and his head feeling as groggy as ever. "Wake up, Takuya!" Her voice continued to startle his senses.
Takuya was still asleep when he had heard her call him, his brows knit into a crease. "Izumi...It's too early. Go back to sleep." He replied yawning wearily.
She ignored his response and began to vigorously shake him awake. Takuya remained stubbornly to the ground, sleeping on his stomach. He had not told her of the fight--he promised not to leave her out of--last night. He had only started to feel the exhaustion now as he slept through her shouts. He later heard her heave a heavy sigh and then the sound of her footsteps gradually wandering farther away from him. He slightly grinned, maybe she had given up, he thought relieved.
"ARGHHH!" Takuya screamed and bolted upright, shivering all over. "IZUMI!"
His back was drenched in cold water. Izumi stood at his side and looking amusingly down at him, she held his equally drenched jacket in her hands. She held back a tempting smile as she helped him up.
"There's something wrong with Yoseimon." She turned him around, grasping his arm tightly.
His eyes fell to the sight of Yoseimon hovering a few feet above the cave's ground. Her injured wing was gleaming an eerie light of blue and her wound bled of a silvery-blue liquid.
"What do we do?" Izumi breathed.
Takuya gulped hard. "If Galen were here..."
Izumi tightened her grip on his arm then abruptly let go. She hesitantly stepped forward to her wounded beast. Her hand stretched towards the bird's forehead.
"Izumi...wait.." Takuya cautioned, his hand shot towards her outstretched arm.
"You're right, Takuya... Galen's not here." said Izumi, she felt his hand guiding her back to his side. "But he said that I share a bond with Yoseimon...I just want to stay close to her. She looks like she's in terrible pain..."
Takuya slowly nodded, reluctantly freeing her arm. Izumi continued to approach the beast. When she stood but mere inches in front of Yoseimon she reached out to stroke her smooth, feathery head. Yoseimon's eyes peered weakly at her tamer. A soft coo was all she could muster. Izumi felt her insides churning uncomfortably as her eyes directed towards the creature. Tears could be seen forming round her eyes. Then, as if triggered by Izumi's deep sorrow, Yoseimon's coat of feathers began shimmering to its original healthy-looking state. Izumi staggered back. Takuya worriedly gestured her back to his side.
Yoseimon stood on her now, strong talon feet, all her glory and elegance fully restored to her previously frail-looking body. Takuya and Izumi looked on in disbelief.
"But...how?" Izumi gasped. Both children were so taken aback that they did not notice someone peeking from behind in much of the same state of shock as they had been in.
Yoseimon glided swiftly to Izumi's side, her long neck bending down towards Izumi's face. Their foreheads met and the feeling of weightlessness had eluded all their previous thoughts. Izumi's eyes closed from the world around her and then fluttered opened to another one she had never seen before. It was a place of no land nor sea nor wind. It was a place with light only. Vivid lights of lightened amethyst purple and deep azure blue scattered like stars among a night sky. The lights twinkled and flitted past her as if she had been traveling through a portal.
"Yoseimon..." Izumi spoke softly.
"I am here, young one...My Master." Izumi heard Yoseimon's thoughts come to life in an unearthly-sounding voice. "I thank you for your strength...your strong bond...with me."
"But how did I..." Izumi began.
"There are many ways to heal, Master." Yoseimon gently interrupted. "Not only chanting and mystical powers can bring a being's life back from peril. It is strong faith in one another that strives to keep us alive...you have that in me. Just having your presence around me...lightens my heart."
Izumi felt a warm smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Faith can be that strong...?"
"More than you know, Master." Yoseimon answered.
The glimmering lights vanished like vapour from her mind--they had parted. Izumi gazed fondly up at Yoseimon.
"We should leave now." Takuya softly broke through Izumi's thoughts. "We a have a lot of ground to cover to get to the Fijian Tribes. Nagamon shouldn't be too far away."
A high-pitched roar that sounded beyond the waterfall disturbed their walk out of the cave. Takuya's arm shot up and held Izumi and Yoseimon back. Takuya crept towards the front of the cave, the waterfall so closely in front of him that its cool droplets of water sprinkled against his skin. He continued to approach the crashing falls, and for a moment there was silence, save the sounds of the rushing waters.
Then suddenly, "TAKUYA!" Izumi cried.
Takuya had been thrown to his back and struggled to get up. Though, the creature that had suddenly emerged from the waterfall was still pinning him to the ground. Takuya lifted his sight to meet the eyes of an odd looking creature. The creature would have appeared human, if not for its yellow, cat-like gaze and its ears pointed upright and peeking through long, ivory-white hair. Its yellow eyes lingered towards Takuya's in what looked like curiosity rather then menace--as was thought by its jumping on Takuya.
"Get off of him!" Izumi finally broke away from her fearful trance and jumped to Takuya's side, trying to pry the creature away from him.
The half-human looked startled by Izumi's anger and soon took refuge within the shadows of the cave. Yoseimon curiously tried to follow the creature, which had so quickly vanished within the darkness, and hooted as if calling for the creature's attention.
Izumi slowly helped Takuya to his feet. "Are you okay?" Izumi worriedly asked, securely gripping his shoulders.
"I'm fine." Takuya replied sheepishly, vigorously rubbing the back of his head.
The pain in his back and in his throbbing head had subsided but the questions he had towards the mysterious creature had not left as quickly.
"Where is he, or she...or whatever that was?" Takuya looked tentatively around, his eyes darting to every dark corner.
"Where are you?" Takuya called. "Who are you?"
"Takuya," Izumi gave him a warning look. "What if it's dangerous?
Takuya paused from his calling.
"What if its been right outside the cave all along, waiting and just now trying to strike. Its probably been watching us." Izumi cautioned, her eyes laying scrutiny towards the shadows around them.
"Exactly, Izumi." Takuya suddenly replied. "Its been watching...waiting. But if it really wanted to hurt us why didn't it try to attack while we were asleep?"
And as if Takuya's defending words lured the creature to appear, it did indeed emerge from the shadows into the waterfall's filtered light, looking confused and frightful. It gave a few steps of caution towards them, though, on its way the creature had stumbled upon Takuya's belongings; his goggles, hat and soaking jacket. The half-human looked like a child curiously rummaging through Takuya's things with confusion. The creature, now with closer inspection, was a child; small, younger than Takuya and Izumi, and a certain twinkle of innocence that would have only belonged to a child. It curiously toyed with Takuya's goggles.
Izumi almost let out a soft giggle--her mind still lay suspicious of the creature's presence--as the creature happily wore Takuya's goggles atop its own head. Though, in the process knocking itself backwards as it tried to take them off. Takuya quickly moved to its side, extending a helping hand to the sprawled creature. The half-human's cat-like ears perked upright in alert, it scrambled away from Takuya's reach and to, once again, the back of the cave.
"It's okay, buddy." Takuya soothed. "We won't hurt you."
In the shadows they could see its body slightly trembling. Izumi suddenly felt a pang of remorse for the frightened creature. Before she could stop herself she slowly made her way towards the shadows and knelt in front of the creature's hiding spot.
"Listen," Izumi whispered softly. "I'm sorry I scared you back there. I was just scared you were going to hurt Takuya."
The creature flinched as Izumi's arm reached out to it in the dark. "I promise...we won't do you any harm." Izumi smiled warmly.
The creature crawled slowly from within the darkness to rejoin them into the light once more. Izumi held its trembling hand during its way out of the shadows.
"It's okay now." Takura now joined their side, a coy smile directed to the half-human. "You're okay now, kid."
"Are you lost?" Izumi thought to ask in a worried tone.
"Izumi, what if it doesn't understand us?" Takuya thought to point out. "What language do you think it speaks, anyway?"
"Poor thing." Izumi sighed. "I wish we could at least ask for its name."
Though, suddenly, as if understanding their whispering conversation, "I am Kaiya of the Kumiho tribe. Daughter of Kyoko and Haru, Chief of our tribal band."
Kaiya, the human-cat, now stood in a rather formal stance instead of primitively crawling on all fours. A visible white tail began swaying to its back. In the light that seeped through the waterfall showed Kaiya's set of eyes gleaming proudly. Izumi and Takuya gave each other confused looks, each wondering where Kaiya's sudden acknowledgement came from. Takuya and Izumi stood in front of the creature. Their jaws were seen slightly dropping in surprise.
"You can speak our language?" Takuya asked in a more comfortable tone rather than his previous awkward approach in first encountering Kaiya.
"The Kumiho tribe speaks fluently in many different modern and ancient languages and dialects." Kaiya said as if she was formerly reciting a speech.
"Are you a Digimon?" Izumi reluctantly asked, sounding as if she were somewhat confused. "Or...er...are you...uh...er..."
"Many would call our kind deformed half-breeds." Kaiya bitterly replied. "Though just because we appear to have obvious human traits many still choose to ignore the fact that we also proudly carry pure Digimon blood. Instinct and senses, as well."
Kaiya's face grimaced, her fangs slightly showing as she growled a low menacing sound. She didn't look it; with her small stature, her saccharine sweet eyes, and the tiny voice that she helplessly tried to force into a growl, but with her blunt statements of determination she certainly sounded quite tough. Kaiya clenched a fist full of the brown, woolen rags--of which she wore--as she continued to glower.
"I didn't mean to be so rude in asking..." Izumi timidly replied. "I was just curious, that's all..."
"Not a problem." Kaiya's once glowering gaze had now fluttered open to show a full glint of delight. "I was just caught up with memories."
Takuya looked on at the creature in wonder. He had never seen such a brilliant child. Her words were quite beyond her years; Takuya presumed her to be about Tomoki's age. Though, Takuya later dismissed the fact she was well-spoken, for many times had they experienced things that were just as mixed up, bewildering and down right unexplainable. In fact, he had already expected anything but the ordinary from anyone living or perhaps even dead from these worlds, long before.
Kaiya's voice had suddenly become quieter, her head bowed low.
"Something wrong?" Izumi asked in confusion.
Kaiya looked up and realized her sudden awkward silence. She forced a smile, saying, "Nothing." Then suddenly she shot her grip to Takuya and Izumi's arms, "You must visit my village. You two look famished!"
Takuya still had the lingering suspicion to question her about why she had been spying on them the night before but a sudden growling rumble in his stomach had quickly ruled out any thoughts of further questioning. He couldn't help but agree to Kaiya's offer, now.
"Then it's settled." Izumi giggled as she heard Takuya's beckoning stomach. "We'd be delighted to visit your village, Kaiya."
"Wonderful!" Kaiya exclaimed. "Follow me!"
~~~~~~~~~ A/N: More to come...sorry for the long chapter...and sorry for any grammatical errors...this was rushed...GOMEN- NASAI, once again...Hope to write better much sooner...