The Secret. By Kawaii_Kitty

Chapter 2:

The Search Party

            Matt sat up and stretched his long arms and looked around for Sora. When he didn’t see her anywhere around, he figured she had gone to look for some water. He lay back down with his hands behind his head and stared at the clouds. He could almost swear he saw one in the shape of Sora’s head. He reached up for it as if trying to take it into his arms and caress it gently. Instead, he saw the sky flash dark for just a second, and he could hear a loud scream. He sat up and looked in the direction of the scream.

            “Was that, SORA!” He jumped up and ran off to where the scream was heard. He arrived at the clearing and looked around for Sora. She was nowhere to be found. Worry filled Matt’s mind as he began to panic. “SORA!!!!!!! PLEASE! ANSWER ME!!!!” There was silence all except for his echo which bounced off the trees of the forest. He yelled this over and over, and finally dropped to his knees, sobbing. He gripped the ground and got a fistful of pine needles, which poked through his brown leather gloves and pierced his skin. He didn’t seem to mind the small amounts of pain emitting from his hands, but seemed to be in more pain from the loss of the girl he loved. “No...No, Sora. PLEASE GOD NO!” His salty tears hit the ground and dampened the area in which they were falling.

            “Matt?” a two-legged Digimon called Gabumon said, approaching him. “What’s wrong?”

            “She’s gone! Sora’s gone!” Gabumon walked to him and put one of his arms on his shoulder.

            “I’m sure she’s not gone, Matt.” Matt looked into Gabumon’s face, with tears in his eyes.

            “Really?!” He snapped, “Explain the scream! It was Her’s! I just know it!” He put his head in his hands and sobbed louder. “She’s probably dead! I can’t help but feel a Little responsible!!” Gabumon Sighed and took his hand off Matt’s shoulder.

            “She’ll come back. I’m sure of it. You just have to believe it!” Matt sniffled and looked up at Gabumon.

            “You really think so?” Gabumon nodded

            “I know so.”

 

            An hour or so Later, Sora’s eyelids fluttered open and scanned the castle. Everything was black and a dark shade of purple. Sora Yawned and tried to stretch her arms, but only to find they were stuck to her side. She looked down to see if there was any way to get her arms un-attached. She was in a glass tube, soaking in a sticky black fluid.

            “I see you’re awake.” Said a voice from in front of her. Sora’s head snapped up to See Pixie striding into the room with a confident smirk on her face. Sora narrowed her eyes at her entrance and gritted her teeth.

            “What are you doing with me, and why am I in a tube with this, molasses stuff?!” She demanded. Pixie walked into the middle of the room, raised her left arm in the air and snapped her fingers.

            “Usabas. Cease.” Sora felt something being pulled out of her. She looked down to see two Yellow plants backing up and twisting one of their twisted extensions, pulling them out in a drill-like fashion. Sora’s face twisted and contorted as she winced from the complete and utter pain. Pixie snickered evilly and crossed her arms in front of her. 

            “You poor, pathetic human. How you wish you were stronger, like me.” As the Usabas finished pulling the tips of the extensions out of Sora, they cleaned their flowers off of her blood and looked at Pixie with their deep green eye and stood before her.

            “Your orders Mistress?” Pixie looked down at them and waved her hand toward the door.

            “Dismissed.” The Usabas smiled happily and waddled eagerly toward the door. “As for you, Sora. You are nowhere near being dismissed.”

            Minutes later, Sora was on the hard, black marble floor of The floating castle and looking up at Pixie, who did not seem to pleased with her. She had done nothing wrong, she thought. Pixie narrowed her eyes into a more hateful glare and aimed them at Sora. Sora swallowed hard and quivered in fear. For she could feel the Power flowing from Pixie’s body just to get her weak and helpless. And that she was, all she could do is stare up at the one standing before her. Pixie raised her arm slightly and struck Sora on her right cheek hard enough it made her head turn. She clenched her teeth together tight and inhaled through them. This only made Pixie more angry. She spread her fingers and struck her on the same cheek with the back of her hand, leaving trails of blood where her fingernails had made contact with her skin. Sora let out a small scream of pain  and held her cheek. Blood gushed from her wound and onto her damp pink glove. The fluid from her glove entered her cuts and stung her badly. She pulled it away immediately and looked at the blood that had collected on her glove.

            “Aw, you poor baby!” Mocked Pixie, looming over her, “Did I make you bleed?” Pixie snickered and kicked Sora in the ribs with her left foot. She screamed once more and rolled into a ball, holding her injured ribs. Pixie responded to this with a swift kick in the spine. Sora arched her back and her hands left her ribs to hold the spot where she was kicked. The wound stung from the fibers of her shirt mixing with an open cut. Pixie Kicked Sora in the stomach again and watched her roll up like a pathetic pill bug. Once again she was kicked in the spine and began bleeding more and more. This practice continued until Sora was knocked out cold from the pain the blows from Pixie had brought.

           

            “We have to search every possible place for her!” Tai demanded. “I will not, I repeat, Will NOT let this slip through.” The other Digidestined looked at Tai’s nervous breakdown and suddenly felt pity.

            ‘What would I do if Mimi were in Sora’s position?’ Izzy thought as he watched Tai’s tears fall to the ground. ‘I would most likely act as Tai is doing.’ Izzy’s eyes fell to the ground and then back up at Tai. “Tai. I will most indefinitely help with the excavation of Sora’s whereabouts.” Tai’s glassy eyes looked up at Izzy with a moment of seriousness.

            “You would do that, for me?” He replied softly, sobs still choking him.

            Izzy nodded and put his hand forward, suspended in air. “Yes. This isn’t just for you, Tai. It’s for all of us. We need Sora’s compassionate attitude in order to survive. Without the love, where would we all be?” Tai wiped his eyes and put his hand on Izzy’s

            “You make a good point.” Joe said. “I’m in.” He placed his Hand on Tai’s and looked at the rest of the group.

            “Pshh. I’m in all the way!” Matt said, putting his hand on Joe’s.

            T.K. walked up to stack of hands and stood on his tip-toes to put his hand on his brother’s “Well If Matt’s going, I’m Going.”

            “I’m one of Sora’s best friends! I can’t leave her like this! I’m in!” Mimi said, her voice oozing with confidence.

            “I know I have to help.” Kari said softly, “Sora’s a part of our team, we need her.” With that, Kari’s hand completed the stack.

Tai smiled at everyone and closed his eyes. “Thank you everyone. I know that, together, we can find Sora and bring her back, safe and sound.”

“Right!” Everyone chorused. “Let’s go!” Their hands broke off one anothers and they stood next to their Digimon.

“We just Have to find Sora.” Biyomon said, perched upon a rock. “Without her, I can’t digivolve!”

“That’s right Biyomon!” Izzy said proudly, taking a step forward. “In a sense, none of us can ‘digivolve’ without Sora’s aide.”

“Any idea what he’s talking about?” Gomamon whispered to Tentomon.

“I have no idea.” The robotic bug like Digimon replied. “He gets like this sometimes.”

“It’s settled.” Continued Izzy. “We will each pair off into teams of four. Except one group, will be one of two.” He sighed and looked up at everyone. “I will pick the teams, I suppose, but-”

“-No, Izzy.” Matt interrupted. “Please, Let me choose the teams. I was the one who found Sora Missing. Gabumon and I volunteer to be the solo team. Right buddy?”

“Of course, Matt. I would follow you to the ends of the Digiworld!” Matt smiled at Gabumon and turned back to Izzy.

“Please, man.”

“All right.” Izzy answered with a small smile appearing on his lips. “If it’s all right with Tai.”

“Hmm? Oh, uh.. do whatever you want, Matt.” Said Tai absentmindedly, his arms crossed and his eyes wide with confusion.

“Thanks, man.” Matt smiled happily and walked out in front of everyone. He cleared his throat and gazed over everyone. “Hmm, Let’s see. Mimi, you’ll go with...” Matt’s gaze looked over everyone once more and fell on Izzy who seemed to be silently praying. “Izzy.” Mimi smiled ecstatically as Izzy only smirked, pleased. Izzy has learned to control his physical emotions, but inside his mind, and heart, he couldn’t help but cheer.

‘YEEEEEESSSS!!!!!!! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes YEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!! Who’s the man?! YOU’RE THE MAN, KOUSHIRO! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!’

“Okay, now uh, Kari, T.K.? You two think you’ll be okay by yourselves?” Kari blushed and turned away from T.K.

“Of course! Just as long as we have Patamon and Gatomon to protect us!”

“We’ll make sure to take good Care of T.K. and Kari!” Patamon vowed from atop T.K.’s hat.

“Alright, now the only two left are...” Began Matt.

“Yeah, Yeah. I know. I’m going.” Joe sighed as he sulked to Tai’s side.

“Oh, Come on, Joe!” Said Tai, putting a hand on Joe’s Shoulder, “We’ll try to make the best of a bad situation!”

“WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!” Joe spat at Tai’s comment. Tai sweatdropped and put both hands out in front of him.

“Ah, heh, heh, heh! I meant the bad situation is the fact that Sora is missing! Of course!” Joe sighed and pushed his glasses back up his nose bridge.

“Right, Eeeveryone’s a kidder.”

“all right, Biyomon.” Said Matt, looking to Biyomon on her rock. “Who are you gonna go with?” Biyomon fluttered off her rock and walked to where Matt and Gabumon stood.

“I’ll go with you two. You could use some back-up.”

Matt and Gabumon shrugged. “If you say so.”

“Now, we need to figure out what area we must search.” Izzy theorized, opening his laptop and sitting on the ground. “I believe I have a map of the area stored someplace in my computer.” Everyone formed a circle around Izzy and waited for their instructions. “Alright! I found it!”

“Cool Izzy, now which way do we go?” Tai said as he dug his mini-telescope out from his pocket.

“Tai, you and Joe will go North.”

“Great!”

“T.K. and Kari, will go East.” He said pointing the direction.

“Any idea what’s over there?” Gatomon said as she leapt on Kari’s head.

“Oh, I’m sure whatever is over there will be in the other directions as well. Now, Matt, You, Gabumon, and Biyomon are to go West. As for Mimi and myself, we will take South.”

“Uh, Izzy?” Joe nudged Izzy’s laptop with his foot to grab a hold of his attention, and it proved to work rather well. “What happens if we actually Find Sora?” Izzy shut down and closed his yellow I-book-like laptop and stood up.

“I was just getting to that, Joe. Now, is it agreed that we will all meet in this spot when four days has passed?”

“How will we know which way to go?” Kari said shyly, not used to having a say in public conversations such as this. Izzy’s eyes shifted to Kari and then to Mimi.

“I believe Mimi still carries the compasses from when we first came here. Is this not correct Mimi?” Mimi smiled at Izzy and thought a moment, attempting to recall the day when they had all entered the Digital World. She finally recalled taking a compass out of her purse at one point but to only see that it was useless, because of the amount of Iron in the sand they were crossing.

“I think I still have them.” Mimi opened up her brown leather purse, identical to her gloves and dug through it. “Let’s see. Foundation, lipstick, wallet, bus pass, jolly ranchers. Ooh! Jolly Ranchers!” Izzy rolled his eyes and took Mimi’s Purse out of her hands and began searching through it.

“Mimi, why so many watches?” Mimi didn’t answer right away but smacked Izzy on the head for stealing her Purse.

“Humph! These aren’t just watches. They’re compasses too.” She said as she took a pink watch from the purse. “Look, if you lift up the face thingy, you’ll see a compass!” Everyone but Mimi and the Digimon, who were astounded by the discovery, sweatdropped.

“Mimi, do you have four compasses?” Izzy asked, on the ground holding his head in pain. Mimi looked down at him and pulled three more out of the purse. “Great.”

“Here’s one for you and Tai” She said handing Joe the First one she took out.

“Great. We get the pink one.” He replied to himself with a strong whiff of sarcasm. Mimi continued handing out the compasses until there was one left.

“Alright! Does everyone have their compass situated to the direction?” Izzy announced looking towards the South. Everyone said they did and Izzy looked back to his friends, wondering if this separation was to be permanent. “Alright, Go!” At the sound of Izzy’s “okay” everyone walked off into the direction they were assigned.

‘I hope we find Sora, and soon.’ Were Tai and Matt’s thoughts as they began their journey. ‘I hope we find her, so I can say “I love you” once again’