Author's Note

New story again. I've tried a bit of a new style with this story, so it may be a bit confusing at the moment, but I can pretty much guarantee it will all tie in together at the end, so please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of the characters. I'm just a girl with a hyper imagination.

Fresh air (out in the ocean and country side) does that to ya. But sadly, my vacation comes to a close, which means school is starting up again and updates will be slowing down.

And without further ado, I introduced Bloodstained Night, so please read, enjoy and review. They really make my day (or night, depending on the time.)

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

Chapter 1

He could smell the pungent scent of blood in the room. He could see it too, splattered on the white walls and staining them. A butcher's knife, coated in blood, lay tossed carelessly on the carpeted floor, which was slowly losing its pale yellow colour to take on a crimson facade.

The origin of the blood however, was not any of the aforementioned places, but rather a limp body partially hidden from view by another whose body was hidden by a cloak, and his face hidden by a mask. He stared at the cloaked figure's blood coated hands for a bit, before averting his gaze to the partially hidden limp figure.

Immediately, he wished he hadn't. Even partially hidden, the body's gruesome disfigurement was not a sight for any same person, let alone an eleven year old boy still recovering from a head injury. But sadly, such choices do not always lie with those who desire it.

The man, once handsome in his own right, was covered in vicious slashes, courtesy of the knife forgotten on the carpeted floor. The blood was moist, and still seeping from the worst of wounds, namely those littering his face and chest. Parts of his body had been hacked with the knife, arteries and veins slashed open as though the perpetrator had attacked his victim in a fit of madness.

And ironically enough, that was exactly what had occurred. Now, in the midst of his bloody guilt, the cloaked man wept for the innocent life that he had snuffed out, perhaps far beyond his time. Lost in his own guilt-soaked thoughts, he jumped as two smaller hands covered his own. Lifting his eyes, he was startled to find himself staring into two deep blue eyes.

'You truly feel remorse for your actions?' the other asked him softly.

He nodded tearfully. 'I...never meant...for this to go so far.'

'Understandable,' the boy said, and it sounded as though he really did understand. 'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'

A dark fog suddenly clouded his mind, numbing his senses and wiping the horrendous crime he had committed free from his mind. Before he fell into unconsciousness, one word passed from his lips.

'Why?'

'Reprieve,' was the answer.

He missed the dark shadow looming above the other, as well as the words it whispered. But the other heard.

'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell little Darkness...'

Dark blue eyes opened slowly, blearily taking in his fuzzy surroundings and the fuzzy surroundings and the buzzing of indistinguishable sounds. Navy, almost black bangs fell over his eyes, shielding his vision. He shook his head as if to clear it, and the plain white ceiling of his hospital room came into view.

Lethargically, he attempted to sit up, only to find such movement restrained. Confused, he twisted slightly in his restraints as to take in more of his surroundings, seeing various machines hooked up to him and monitoring his heart rate, breathing patterns, blood pressure and various other things. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose, and the his body, save his face and neck, was covered by a plain white bed sheet.

'Ah...you're awake Koichi.'

A vaguely familiar doctor moved into his line of vision, and Koichi nodded, not being able to do much else, as the Doctor removed the restraints that bound him to the bed. Naturally, Koichi used the first moment of his freedom to attempt to sit up; a rather unsuccessful attempt as the Doctor prevented him from rising more than an inch with a vice-like grip on his shoulders.

'Don't try to move yet,' the Doctor said quietly, maintaining a strong grip.

Koichi attempted to speak through his oxygen mask, but was unable to make any sound other than a weak croak.

The Doctor heard however, and helped him sit before moving out of his field of vision, returning moments later with a cup of warm, honey tea. In his absence, Koichi had managed to remove the oxygen mask, and was now inspecting the IV needle inserted in his wrist. He looked up, startled, as the Doctor shoved the warm cup into his hands and briskly told him to drink up.

He did so, the warm liquid and honey mixture soothing his parched throat and waking him up, still wandering about his current situation. He was sure more than half of this equipment hadn't been attached to him when he had fallen asleep.

He finished the cup and looked up, finding the Doctor waiting patiently at the foot of the bed. Now that Koichi was more aware, he was able to recognise the other as one who had been in and out quite regularly since his accident. Doctor Kasai was his name. He was a nice doctor as well, letting Koichi's twin brother and friends stay with him past visiting hours.

He seemed slightly apprehensive right now though; slightly nervous. As if he knew what the other had tried to ask; what he will ask again as soon as the opportunity presented himself, and regretted being the one that would have to inform him of the current...situation.

Looking as Doctor Kasai, Koichi could tell it was bad news, and wisely chose to refrain himself from asking until he was in a better condition. Already he could feel fatigue settling into his limbs, and the gentle lull of sleep, as though his energy had been somehow drained, but fought against it tiredly as the Doctor spoke again.

'I'll let your brother and his friends in now,' he said. 'If that's okay with you, before they drive the nurses insane.'

Koichi chuckled weakly and nodded his assent, and the Doctor left.

Doctor Kasai walked down the hallway after leaving the room of his latest patient, Koichi Kimura.

He was different from any other patient he had ever treated. It was though he had gained a lifetime between the time his heart had stopped beating, and the time it had restarted. It had truly been a miracle, seeing the boy dead one second, then alive and speaking the next. By the time the kids had burst into the emergency room, the doctors had given up all hope of reviving him.

And the boy's brother and friends seemed to play a large role in that. They had been vital in his recovery as well. Many times he had walked into the plain hospital room to find the laughter of the six children bringing life into it.

In fact, Koichi would have been released today, if it hadn't been for another near death escape the previous night.

And Koichi having no recollection of it? That much was obvious by his confused expression. All in all, it wasn't a good sign.

'Koichi!' Takuya bounced into the small hospital room (literally), Koji right behind him.

'Calm down Takuya,' he scolded lightly, hiding his concern with his usual smirk and going over to his brother. The others trailed in as Takuya chattered on about how the nurses at the reception wouldn't let him in.

'What happened Koichi?' Koji asked softly, and even Takuya stopped talking to hear the answer.

'I don't know,' he croaked out tiredly. 'I just woke up feeling really tired and with a sore throat.'

Koji frowned at the rawness of his voice, as well as his slightly fatigued appearance and uninformative answer. 'Are you alright?'

'Yeah,' he mumbled. 'Fine.'

Koji still didn't look convinced, and opened his mouth to protest, only to be punched light on the shoulder by Takuya.

'Stop being so overprotective Koji,' he chided playfully. 'He's the older brother.'

'Tacky, Koji,' Zoe giggled as Koji opened his mouth to retaliate. 'We don't want to waste visiting hours watching you two fight.'

'So, did you guys see the news this morning,' JP asked awhile later, once they had exhausted all 'interesting' topics, and Koichi was feeling decisively better than before.

'Nope.' The other five shook their heads. 'Why? Anything interesting?'

JP nodded. 'Some guy was murdered in his apartment last night. Arteries and veins completely sliced open.'

Koichi stopped listening. The beeping of various monitors surrounding the bed increased slightly in intensity, but no-one noticed. Photograph-like images flashed through his mind.

The smell of blood...

...splattered on the walls.

A butcher's knife, coated in blood...

The bloodied, mutilated body, arteries and veins slashed open...

'... they haven't found who did it yet.' JP's voice sounded so far away, but somehow still managed to pierce his mind. 'A witness was rambling on about some blue eyed kid though...'

'Sleep free of guilt...

Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight...

Repraive...'

'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...'

'A kid?' Tommy asked. 'What type of kid would murder a full grown man? Or even try to?'

'A seriously messed up one.' JP shrugged. 'He might not even have had anything to do with it. The police are looking into it though.'

'Well, you had better be careful then Koji,' Takuya teased. 'The next thing you know, the police'll be after ya.'

'What?!' Koji exclaimed, sounding indignant.

'Well, I have to say, Tacky's got a point for once,' Zoe shrugged, playing along. 'How many other blue-eyed kids do you know that could take on a fully grown man?'

Koji looked at JP for help, who just stifled a laugh behind his hand. He didn't bother turning to Tommy, knowing that the younger boy will side with Takuya, which only left... "Koichi, back me up here!'

Receiving no response, he turned. 'Koichi?...KOICHI?!'