Izzy's First Crush

 

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     Just so you know, ( And there is a butt in every crowd who has to read this part...) I do NOT own Digimon, or any other related characters, just Katina, Foxx, and Jules... You wanna use my characters? Fine... But you'd BETTER e-ma and ask my permission first!!! IF I should go to your website, or whatever and run accross my babies being used without my permission, I WILL hunt you down... And then when I find you, I will RIP your head OFFA your shoulders, AND USE IT FOR A SOCCERBALL!!!! Clear? Good.

    Now, on with the fanfic!!!

 

    WARNING!!! This IS my first Digimon fanfic, and I am not sure of all the correct names, if I have one or two wrong, please, e-me and tell me so I can fix it...

 

    Thoughts are done in colorcode---

 

~Jyou~

~Mimi~

~Tiachi~

~Izzy~

~Matt~

~Sora~

~T.K.~

~Katina~

~Foxx~

~Jules~

 

 

 

She stood in the middle of the classroom. Her mid-length hair, came to just past her shoulders, her cinnamon skin was a slight contrast to that which he had seen before. Definitly new.  And very nervous. She was bitting her bottom lip, and fighting the urge to run in the other direction. Away from the classroom, into the unkown city that awaited her when she left.

    Anywhere but here. Even back home, where the other kids only made fun of her because of the way she chose not to speak.

    But she could not go back. She could not leave this city, that was far to big for her, anymore than she could bring her mother and father back to her.

    ~ It's they're fault,~ she thought, impaiently, ~They're the ones who left us with noone. I never thought that it'd be my moms old friend, Mrs. Hatek to take us in. And she brought us here... To this foriegn place, where I know no-one... Where I could not possibly know anyone... Here in Tokyo.~ She suppressed the wont to cry, and just stood there in the middle of the classroom, as the teacher finished introducing her.

    He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was very interesting, and she looked very intelegent behind those pink rimmed glasses. He had never seen anyone like her before. He wondered if she was stuck up. ~Or perhaps she does not like to talk to other people.~ he thought, ~She hasn't said a word scince she arrived here. Maybe she doesn't know how to talk.~ He began to tap his pencil on his desk, somewhat impatiently.

     Another boy, accross the room, glanced her direction. He too, found her interesting. The way she stood there, saying nothing, as the teacher went on and on and on.... But she was new. And she did not know anyone here.

    ~ How very interesting...~ he obsevered, ~ She does not say anything regarding this place.Most kids would stand there and laugh and joke about being new... But this girl does no seem to even know how to talk.~

    She stood there. Seemingly unable to say anything, untill the teacher mis-pronounced her name.

    " Katina... " she corrected in a silent tone.

    The teacher looked at her for a moment, and smiled, " Katina." He corrected himself.

    The two boys exchanged glances from accross the room.

 

***********************************************************************************

 

    Katina sat down, outside, during lunch, while the two boys, plus another guy, and a girl, stood on another part of the grounds, watching her.

    The new boy had his face turned to his laptop. and really was paying no mind to what the other kids were saying.

    Untill Taichi knocked on his head.

    " Hey! Earth to Izzy, Are you still there?"

    Izzy looked up. The other boy was smiling from one side of his face to the other, "Hello? Have you heard a word any of us have said?"

    Izzy looked back down at his laptop, and shook his head no, " I've been working on a theory, I think that after carful consideration..."

    Tai cut him short, " How about this... I have a theory, for a change..."

    Izzy looked back down at his computer screen, and then back up to Tai.

    " Let's hear it..."

    " I think, that after a lot of hard thinking, YOU have been spending WAY to much time on that computer of yours..." He pointed down at the laptop.

    Izzy paid him no mind, but the girl and the other guy laughed.

    " Come on, Izzy  You can't possibly tell me you haven't noticed that new girl...?" said the other boy, motioning to Katina.

    Izzy looked up at him, " A new girl?" he asked, quizzicly, " Tell me Matt, when did we get a new girl?"

    Matt rolled his eyes, and sighed.

    The girl took her hand into the matter, " Ohhh... Izzy, you see that girl over there? That one under the tree wearing that otrocious blue sweater, and raggedy old blue jeans?" she pointed to Katina, who was now drawing something.

    Izzy looked up now, " Under which tree Mimi?" he asked, scanning the entire grounds, looking for this girl.

    Mimi pointed to the tree Katina was under, " That one, WAAAAAYYY over there..."

    Izzy, unable to find the mystery girl he was looking for, went back to his laptop, and began typing in a fast fury again.

    Mimi flopped down in the grass, and glanced at him, " You are to much into that stupid computer thingy..."

    " It's called a laptop, Mimi, and it is not stupid, it is not a living thing, and therefore, by the laws of nature, as we know it, cannot be stupid, although, after being in the Digiworld, I'm begining to wonder if anything could possibly be considered..." he was cut short by the girl.

    Mimi got up and dusted herself off, " Whatever, I'm going to go hang out with Carry and her friends, See you later!!" She ran off.

    Matt looked at Tai, who was leaning against the tree that they happened to be under.

    " I'm going to go and see if I can't find something to eat...." He said, Running off.

    That only leaft, Tai, and Izzy, who was still typing away on his computer.

    Tai only stuck around for a few moments, and then he too, ran off. Only he did not give an explanaition, as the others had done. He knew that Izzy wouldn't hear him.

    He continued to type...

    " Give me that!!!" he heard a gruff voice say loudly.

    He looked up, and tried  to locate the scource of the voice, finally finding it, near the soccer feild, coming from one of the local bullies.

    There, under the tree, trying to get back what had been taken, was a kind of short, dark haired girl, with cinnamon skin, wearing an old sweater, and a pair of jeans, instead of the uniform that she should have been wearing.

    She was trying her damndest to get back whatever had been taken from her.

    Izzy shut his laptop, and headed her way.

    When he got over there, he tapped the big guy, who had taken, what appeared to be a book, from the new girl, on the shoulder.

    " Uhhh.... Excuse me... But I think that perhaps you should give that back to her." He said.

    Matt saw Izzy get up and head over to the girl, and seeing what he saw, he decided to go, as well.

    The big guy looked down at Izzy, " And what are you gonna do, Shorty? Make me give it back to the mute girl?"

    " Perhaps I will..."

    The big guy began to laugh, " Hey!! That's a good one!!! You....? Gonna make me...? Give it back? Oh yeah, now that's funny.... HAWHAWHAW!!!"

    Izzy looked at him confused, He did not find what was so funny. ~I was being serious.~ he thought, ~Damn this being short!!~

    The big guy reached down, and grabbed Izzy by the shoulder, " Get lost, before I make you, shrimp."

    " Shrimp?" Came another voice, " C'm on now Tank, I'm sure your little mind could think of something better than that..."

    " Huh?"

    Tank looked up from his prey, only to find Matt, standing there.

    " Whaddya want?" he demanded.

    " For you to leave my friend alone..."

    Tank looked down at Izzy, and let go of his shoulder, causing him to drop about a foot and a half, and fall on his butt.

    " Ouuff!"

    " Then tell your little buddy, to keep outta buisness that ain't his..." he said, crossing his arms, still holding Katinas' book.

    Katina saw his back to her, and grabbed herbook, while it was still in reach. Then she turned tail and ran!!!

     Tank turned to see the other one running. She was already halfway accross the soccer feild.

    " Awww... Man.... Did you hafta ...?"

    Matt shook his head, and helped Izzy to his feet.

    Tank looked at Matt, and frowned... " You'll be sorry." he said, as he walked off, now not interested in whatever it was Matt was gonna tell him.

    " You okay?" Matt asked Izzy.

    Izzy nodded. But he wasn't looking at Matt, he was watching the girl that had run off sit down under another tree, and put her head on her knees.

    " Talk about a fast retreat... She could give Sora a run for her money!!" stated Matt, looking down at his friend.

    But Izzy was not even paying any attention... Instead, he had turned back tothe comfort of his laptop, and began to type away, as though nothing had happened.

    Matt rolled his eyes, and tapped his friend on the back, "See ya later man..." he said.

    Izzy looked up from his laptop, feeling as though he were being watched. As he momentarily found out he was.

    Katina was staring at him from accross the feild, but when she saw him loke up at her, she turned a crimson colour, and looked back down to her drawing.

    Izzy stared at her for a few moments longer. ~ She WAS loking at me, but... ~ he stopped himself, he felt his heart thuding in his chest a million miles a minute, and he was getting shivers up and down his spine, ~ What's this? I've never done that before... Why?~ then it hit him, ~ Impossible! I don't get crushed on people... How can I get a crush on someone I don't even know?~  he was so absorbed in her, that he didn't even notice the soccerball coming his way. It smacked him in the face, making him fall over.

   

***********************************************************************************

 

    LATER... At the park, in the middle of the city...

 

    Izzy and Tentomon were sitting on a bench under a big shady tree. Tentomon was trying to sleep, and Izzy... Well... Izzy was doing the same thing he is always doing, Fiddling around on his laptop.

   

    Katina looked around. This seemed like a nice quiet spot... ~ Perhaps I can get some artwork done here... Scince it seems to be a bad idea to take it to school.~ she sat down, on the grass, and began to draw the people passing by.

    There was a man and a little boy walking, laughing at some unkown joke, and a mother, trying to run down her two kids, but not doing a very good job at it.

    Katina leaned back into the green grass, and closed her eyes, thinking about the days when she and her brother would go out to the park, and have bike races with the other kids on the block.

     It made her cry.

    Not an all out wailing cry, but a silent tear shedding thing.

   

    Tentomon looked up. He just could NOT get to sleep.

    He saw a young girl, laying in the grass,It looked very comfortable. Much easier to sleep on thanthis bench. He looked a second time, and  then looked up at Izzy.

    " Hey, Izzy...."

    " Hmmm?"

    He motioned under the tree Katina was under, " Let's go over there... "

    Izzy looked down at the tired Digimon, " What for?"

    " I'm sure the soft grass is more comfortable than this hard bench."

    Izzy sighed, and grinned, " Alright." He did not see Katina lying over there, so he got up and moved over to the shady spot.

   

    Katina fell asleep, thinking about when she was little, and how perfect everything was.

 

    Izzy sat down, and flipped open his laptop, and started to type... But... There was someone else there... He could sense it.

    He looked up.... There was noone there. He looked around, and saw, lying not five feet away from him, the girl he had tried to help at school.

    ~ She's asleep. Better to not wake her.~ he watched her for a moment, as she turned over on her side, he watched her side move up and down, in an even steady motion. ~ She is kind of small. Cannot be very much taller than I am, If that.~ Izzy looked at her face. It was red, and looked as though she had been crying, He stared at her face. It was small and delecate. She had glasses, he noticed, and small ruby colored lips, ~ She is quite attractive.~ he thought. Then he almost hit himself, ~ What am I thinking?! That's the kind of girl that would fall for someone like Matt, ot Tai, or even Joe... Girls, Especially not pretty ones, do not fall for me... They think of me as a computer geek, or to smart... Things like that. And normally I don't fall for them, but, she is...  so.... "

     " Hey, Izzy?" asked Tentomon, " Are you alright?"

    Izzy snapped out of it, " Huh? Yeah! I'm fine!"

    " You were staring at that human girl.... Do you know her or something?" the Digimon asked, now intruiged.

    " Yes... Uhh.. no! I mean..." He hesitated, " Oh, forget it. I was just working on a theory..."

   " What kind of theory?"

    ~ How increadable this feeling is whenever I get around her... How attractive her face is, how much I want to know her name..."

     Tentomon waved a claw in front of Izzy, " Hey! Izzy!"

    The girl, groaned, and opened her eyes.

    She sat straight up in surprise, to find the boy from earlier at school sitting there, staring at her, and some sort od beetle looking thing beside him, waving its' claw around in front of him.

    Izzy waved nervously, " Uh.. Hi."

     Katina blushed, and looked down at the ground.

    Izzy was confused, " You don't talk much do you?"

    Katina shook her head no.

    " What's your name?"

    Izzy was ignoring Tentomon, but once the little Digimon saw what was going on, he sat back, and went back to sleep.

    " I would be very interested in knowing why..."

    Katina looked up at him, and turned red, ~Should I talk to him... or is he gonna end up being like every other person I've ever known?~ She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was giving her a funny looking grin, that spread from one side of his face to other.

    ~ He has very nice brown eyes. They're the color of dark oak.... ~ she blushed even harder as she found herself wondering what it would be like to just look into those same, brown eyes, and just wait.

     ~Perhaps she doesn't know how to speak... It would figure... I'd get a crush on a girl who couldn't even tell me her name.~ He felt dumb, Something he was not used to feeling, nor did he like feeling.

    " I'm sorry..." He stated, looking down at the grass. Then, unsure of what to say next, he opened up his laptop, and began to type.

    Katina looked up at him, typing away on his laptop.

    She looked over his shoulder at what he was typing. She wasn't sure... She didn't know the first thing about computers, or anything. All she knew about was art, and music and writting.

    Izzy looked over at her, and she quickly looked down, blushing crimson again.

    " What's wrong?" He asked.

    Katina shook her head.

    " Would you like to see it?" he hesitated before offering the laptop to her.

    Katina shook her head again. She didn't want to break it.

    Izzy seemed relieved for a moment, but... he was also somewhat dissapointed. But he wasn't sure why... Was it because... He liked her?

    He stared at the screen of his laptop. He wasn't typing. He wasn't even paying any attention to what was on his screen.

    " Katina." She finally said, in a low voice.

    Izzy lookd up.

    " You do talk." he stated.

    She nodded.

    " Katina... That's your name, I'm assuming."

    She nodded again.

    Izzy looked at her eyes. Those intelegent blue grey eyes, behind her glasses.

  ~ They look sad. ~ he thought.

    " My name is  Koushiro Izumi..." he extended his hand to Katina, but all he recieved was a strange look from the girl.

    " Katina Ashton..." she took his hand. And felt her stomache do flips.

    ~ He's very sweet.~

    ~ My heart rate just doubled... Is it because I'm touching her?~

    He let go of her hand.

    For some reason, she seemed familiar, what was it, though, that made her seem that way though? He found himself staring at her eyes.

    " Uhh... Koushiro..." Katina started silently.

    " Please... My friends call me Izzy."

    " Your computer is beeping..." she finished.

    Izzy looked down, and pointed to the screen, " I have an e-mail. This'll just take a second."

    Katina watched as he quickly took care of the problem.

    For some reason, she found herself thinking of a day about four years before, when her real parents brought her to this same place... But they were living in a different part of the city... She couldn't quite remember where it was... Something about heights... but she couldn't quite....

    " Katina?"

    " I'll only call you Izzy, if you call me Kat." she glanced down at the ground.

    ~ She wants me to call her... wait! That's it! Kat! I knew a girl named Kat when I lived in Heighten veiws terrace! That's why she seemed so familiar, it's her name...~ He looked down at his computer, and thought for a moment, back to a rainy day about four years ago.

 

    FLASHBACK...

 

    Someone was crying... He couldn't see the source. All he could do was hear it.

    He followed the sound, untill he reached the end of the hall. There was a little girl, perhaps his age, perhaps a little younger, she had dark hair, and cinamony skin. The crying soon gave way to singing a song, in an exotic voice.

    The singing was every now and again, interupted by a cough, or a sniffle.

    He was almost enchanted.

    He sttod where he was, listening to the girl, untill he coughed, himself.

    The singing abrubty stopped, as the little girl turned around, and gasped.

    She turned white, and looked as though she might begin to burst into tears again. But she just sat there, frozen.

     " Hello." he said, " What's your name?"

     " Kat... everyone calls me Kat."

     Her blue grey eyes watched him as he eased his way to her.

    " I won't hurt you..."

    " What's your name?"

    " My friends call me Izzy." he was now standing within a foot or so of her.

    " Why were you listening to me?" she asked, in her quiet voice.

    " Because you were crying.." He answered, " Why were you crying?"

    Katina looked down the hall, " Just because."

    Izzy looked at her, his expression one of curiosity, " That isn't logical, you were crying, there must have been a reason for it."

    The girl looked up at him, and sighed, " I don't have any friends here." she finally said, " My mom and dad brought us here, but I don' know anyone. I'm lonley."

    She stared at Izzy as he sat down next to her, and rested his arms on his legs.

    " You don't have to be..."

    The little girl looked up at him. Even sitting, he was taller than she was.

    " I'll be your friend."

    She smiled. She had a pretty smile....

    " Then I'll be yours."

 

    PRESENT DAY...

 

    Izzy watched Katina, as she closed her eyes, and smiled.

    " I know that perhaps this is an odd question, but have you ever lived around here before?" he asked.

    Katinas' eyes snapped open, as she nodded.

    " Might I ask where?"

    Katina stared at him, " Why." she said. It was not a question, it was a statment.

    " I... I'm not sure... I guess it was just curiosity." he shrugged.

    Katina relaxed.

    She wiped an eye.

    " Why were you crying?" asked Izzy. It was a trick question. ~ It's very logical,~ he thought, ~If she is the same Kat I knew back then, then she'll give me the same answer, I'm sure of it.~

    Katina looked at him.

    Where had she heard that question before?

 

  FLASHBACK....

 

    " Why were you crying?"

    " Just because."

    " That isn't logical, you were crying, there must have been a reason for it."

    " I don't have any friends here... My mom and dad just brought us down here, but I don' know anyone, I'm lonley."

    " You don't have to be... I'll be your friend."

    " Then I'll be yours."

 

    PRESENT DAY....

 

    Katina looked past him, remembering the conversation with the only freind she had ever had, except for Foxx, but Foxx was in the U.S.

     Izzy held his breath, waiting for an answer.

    " Just because."

    Izzy felt his heart beat even faster, as he recited his lines to a T.

    " That isn't logical, you were crying, there must have been a reason for it."

    Katinas' head popped up, and now she was looking at him, " I don't have any friends here, My mom and dad, they left my brother, Jules, and I... They left us at a home... Mrs Hatek took us in, and brought us back to Tokyo. I don't know anyone... and..."

     Izzy was shocked... It was his friend, but she was... different... more closed up than ever before.

    " Kat?!" he replied to the answer in shock, " Kat! It's me... You remember me?"

    Katina stared at him in amazment, " Izzy? MY Izzy? That same kid who found me crying...?" she began to cry, " Oh... my Father, I never thought I'd ever see you again!!"

     Izzy looked at her tears falling, ~ Why is she crying?~ he thought.

    " Are you alright?" he asked, moving closer to her.

    Katina nodded, " I'm fine, I'm just a little... " she coughed, " I'm just so happy that you know who I am... I just didn't know what to do when she brought me here... And I didn't know anyone here... The people at the apartments, told me you moved shortly after the bombings, and... well. I was just so lonley, because I didn't know anyone around here...." she shook her head.

    Izzy inched his way closer to her.

    " You don't have to be lonley... You know... I'll be your friend." he put a hand on her shoulder.

    Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him, tightly.

    " I missed you so much.." she said in her lower voice.

    Izzy turned crimson himself, and hugged her back, " I missed you too... But Kat..."

    " Yeah?"

    ~ What am I supposed to tell her? That I have no idea what's been going on for the past four years? Not that it isn't true, but I don't think that's what she wants to hear.~ he shook his head.

    " Nevermind."

    Katina finally let go of Izzy, But he held on for a few seconds longer, and then he scolded himself for doing such.

    Katina turned red.

    " I'm sorry." she said, in her once again quiet voice.

    " What for?"

    She shook her head, and put her hands in front of herself, on the grass, " I shouldn't have hugged you... It was inaproriate."

    Izzy was somewhat surprised, " It was alright. I didn't mind... You just kinda caught me off gaurd, as Matt says, No biggie."

    ~ I guess somethings never change.~ She looked up at the darkening grey sky.

    Her knees hurt. It was going to rain soon. She could feel the pressure, pressing behind her knees. If she didn't leave now, she wouldn't hardly be able to move when it did come time for the rain to fall.

    " I need to leave." she said getting up, and dusting herself off.

    " But why?"

    " I hafta go back to where I live now, before it starts to rain." she looked down at him, sitting there on the grass.

    She couldn't stand it anymore, She knew that if she didn't leave, she would do something very stupid.

    She then turned and ran off, without looking back.

    Leaving poor Izzy sitting in the grass, wondering what went wrong.

    He looked over where she had been, and saw her drawing book, and a little wooden pencil box.

    ~ I don't think she'd mind if I just took one little peek.~ he thought, reaching over, and grabbing the book.

    He opened it, and stared in awe, as he saw real-as-life pictures of people, and animals and things that Katina had seen, both in Tokyo, and where she used to live.

     They were all dated, and the further to the fron he went, the older the pictures were.

    They dated all the way back to... 1987... That was before he met her the first time!

    ~I wonder if there are any pictures from the couple of years she was here...~

    He flipped forward, and came accross some that were dated '90' Those would be the ones that she would have drawn when she lived here.

    He looked through them, slowly, being careful not to touch the pencil of which she had drawn them in.

    They were increadable! Drawings of her brother, Jules, and the veiw from the floor she had been on, when they lived in Heighton Veiws... He could even make out the expressions of the people who must have been walking on the sidewalks at that time.

    " Prodigus." he stated, " Truely increadable..." He flipped through more pictures.

    And stopped as he came to one, that was vaguly familiar... There was a young boy, perhaps eight or nine, smiling.

    ~It's me...~ he realised, in amazement,It was a practicly perfected picture of himself, drawn by the young girl. He turned the page, to find another, of a younger him on the computer... is laptop, one of him laughing, another of him from  sitting point of veiw, offering a hand. And then there was one more, that he saw before it began to rain.

    He could tell where she had taken the scene from.. It was from the backseat window of her fathers old car. It was of him, running down the wet sidewalk, in the rain, waving to her... It was that sad day, when her parents decided to move, after the bombings, ( Though he knew better than to call them that..) He knew that she had drawn that picture of him, a little time after she had left.

    He remembered her mom putting the book into the trunk.

   A little wet drop landed on the paper.

    Izzy looked up. The sky had almost turned black. And it was begining to rain.

    " Tentomon.." he shook the little Digimon, "Tentomon, It is imparative that we leave now."

    Tentomon rolled over, and looked up at his partner.

    " What's wrong, Izzy?"

    " It is begining to rain. And I need to go home." he gathered his laptop, and Katina book, and pencil box.

    Tentomon: " Where is the girl who was here earlier?"

    Izzy: " She ran off. I am assuming she went home."

    Tentomon: "Oh. I see." He motioned to the book that Izzy had tucked under his arm, " What is that?"

    Izzy looked down at the little book.

    " It is a book she left behind, before she ran off. I will take it to her, Monday at school."

    ~ Will she be angrey with me, for not bringing it back to her immedietly?~ he wondered.

    The rain became steady now, as he reached the front of the apartment complex he lived in.

   He, with his laptop, and Katinas book, and pencil box and Tentomon, ran up the stairs to the apartment that he stayed in with his ( Adoptive ) mother and father.

    " I'm home!" he called out, coming in the front door, and taking off his shoes.

    His mother came out from the kitchen, " Hello Izzy, OH! Look at you, you're soaked! You stay right where you are! You too!" she said motioning to Tentomon, as she hurried off to get a towel for them.

    Izzy looked down at Tentomon. He wasn't sure that he needed a towel, the rain seemed to just run right off of his shell like covering.

    His mother came back into the hall, and handed him and Tentomon, both towels.

    " Thank you, mom." said Izzy, begining to dry off.

    " Thank you, Mrs. Izumi." said the beetle-like creature.

    Izzys mom hesitated, She wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to Tentomon, but she was getting better at it.

    " You're welcome..."

    Tentomon looked up at Izzy, after she had left them alone, " I think she is getting better."

   Izzy nodded, " Undoubtibly. Though she is not quite used to you... I imagine she'll get there."

    " I think I like her better when she doesn't run away, or faint every time she sees me."

    Izzy grinned, " I can understand that." he said, remembering the reaction his mother'd had when Tentomon told her that he had to stay with Izzy, there was no comprimsing to it.She had practicly gone through the floor when she went out.

    After they had dried off, and gotten something to eat, Izzy left Tentomon to his sleeping, and walked out on the covered walkway that connected each of the homes of the apartment.

    He leaned on the railing from thethird floor, and looked down.

    Even in the rain, Tokyo was a busy place, The now pouring rain did not stop anone from their daily buisness.

    Izzy watched the sea of different coloured  umbrellas moving around beneath him. Sometimes it was nice to be able to look at the world from a view that few other people had.

    He stood there, and watched the rain falling on the people below, untill he heard fighting, not to far from where he was.

    " I SAID I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU WERE!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TWO HOURS AGO!!!"

    He barely heard the softer voice reply, " I was in the park..."

    " AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING THERE??!"

    " Drawing.."

    " THEN WHERE'S YOUR BOOK???!"

    " I....I dont' know.... Jules...."

    There was the sound of a slap, and a small cry.

    " SHUT UP BEFORE I GIVE YOU A REASON TO CRY!"

    Another slap.

    Izzy made his way down the hall, to where the augruing was coming from.

    " What did I tell you? Didn't I warn you? No one here is gonna be your friend... I'm the only one you have left...." The voice that had been yelling, was now softer, but still somewhat raised.

    " I know... I'm sorry..."

   " You're damn right you're sorry..."

    " No need to swear..."

    Another slap.

    " Scince WHEN do YOU tell me what there is and is not reason to do things?" the voice demanded.

    Izzy looked around the corner, where the fighting was coming from.

    Tentomon, who had awoken to find Izzy gone, had come outside to talk to him, he saw him go around the corner.

    He followed, silently.

    Izzy watched as a tall, burly boy was pushing at someone whos face he could not see.

    " I want that book back here, TOMMOROW, or else." he gave the girl another shove, and Izzy could now see that it was Katina.

    " HEY! Leave her alone!" he said, rather loudly, out of nowhere.

    Izzy was shocked at his own reaction.

    The burly kid turned, from Katina, to face Izzy.

    " Who are you?" he demanded.

    " I don't believe that it matters... I do suggest, on the other hand, that you leave her alone." He began to fidget.

    ~ What am I doing? I'm going to end up getting myself killed...~ one part of him asked, ~She is much more important than that... And she is also helpless... Therefore, I should help her.~ the other part reasoned.

    The second part of him won out, as he stood there, defiantly.

     " I think you'd better get lost, kid, before you find you've gotten into more trouble than you can handle." The taller boy advanced to Izzy, who stood there, watching him.

    Katina looked up, and saw her friend, Izzy standing up in her defense.

    She tried to run past her brother, Jules, to him, but Jules saw her coming, and brought his hand out to stop her.

    " Stay here, I'm not done with you yet."

    Katina stopped, and tried to push his hand out of her way. His only reaction to that, though, was turning to her, and throwing her behind him.

    Unfourtunatly, He had forgotten just how small Katina was, and threw her into the rail.

    Katina flipped over the rail, and held on tight, as she found herself dangling a ways up from the ground.

    She sqeezed her eyes shut, and tried to pull herself up.

    She couldn't do it.

    " Help..." She managed to wheeze...

    Jules grabbed Izzy by the collar, and pulled him forward, not realising what he had done.

    " I do not think that violence will solve the problem at hand, " came Tentomons voice,
" But if you wanna fight..."

    Jules looked up from his captive, and saw the beetle-like digimon hovering beside Izzy.

    " What the hell...?????!!!"

    He dropped Izzy.

    " What the hell are you?!"

    Izzy allowed himself this moment, to see if Katina was alright.

    All he saw were two sets of finger hanging on to the railings.

    " Kat!"

    He got up, and almost flew to the edge of the the overhang.

    He grabbed a hold of Katina's hands.

    " Hang on!"

    Jules turned, to see the kid he was just getting ready to beat up, pulling his sister over the edge of the banister.

    " Katina! Are you alright?" he demanded.

    Katina was to afraid to say anything, she just sat, on the cement floor, and shook all over.

    " KATINA ANSWER ME!" he raised his vioce far above that of needed be.

    Izzy sat next to Katina, and put his arm around her shoulder, " Katina?"

    Katina began to sob.

    " I SAID... answer me, idioso." Jules grabbed Katina by the arm, and yanked her to her feet.

    Izzy jumped to his, " HEY! Leave her ALONE!" He yelled, allowing blind fury to cloud his logical thinking.

      " I think you need to but out...."

     Tentomon hovered next to Izzy, " Don't talk to Izzy that way!"

     " Bug off you stupid beetle." Jules glared at him, " As for you Katina... I think we need to to go home." He tried to yank her to him, to literally drag her home.

    Katina fought him, " No." she shook her head no.

    " ....what..."

    Katina didn't say anything, scilence befalling he once again.

    " .... what did you SAY?..."

    Katina looked over at Izzy... ~ Help me...~ she thought.

    Izzy saw the look Katina gave him, for a split second. She looked as though she wanted to run away.

    ~ This is not logical.... I should not be here...~ once again, there was the argument from his sensible side, ~ And what of Katina? She needs me.... Therefore, I must be here for a reason...~

    " She said no." he said, for her.

    ~ Izzy to the rescue! Thank you Izzy!~ Katina almost sung out.

    " I wasn't talking to you, go home, and take your beetle with you... This is none of your buisness... Come on KATINA." he pulled on her arm.

     Katina did not have enough strength to fight him, but she struggled anyway.

     " ...please.... jules..."

     Izzy saw her struggle, and ran up to Jules. Grabbing the arm he was using to drag Katina along, he yanked it away from Katina.

    "I suggest that you leave Katina alone, before I am forced to do something very unruly." he said in a calm tone of voice.

     Tentomon watched his friend doing this.

    ~This is not the way Izzy usually acts... I think it must be this girl....~ he thought, looking over at a very surprised Katina, who was standing stone still.

    That is, untill Jules shoved Izzy, who fell into Katina, who in turn, was shoved into the wooden rail.

    There was the sound of cracking wood, as it broke, from the sudden weight, giving way.

    And throwing Katina off of the third floor.

    " KAT!!!" cried Izzy, diving for Katinas hand, but just  missing it.

    His crest began to glow.

    There was a moment of a very high pitched sound, as Tentomon began to fly down to get her, and then there was a bright flash of light.

     The next thing that Izzy and Jules saw, was Kabuterimon, with Katina on his back.

    " YES!" Izzy jumped up in the air.

    Katina was white in the face.

    Kabuterimon placed her on the open pocket on he third floor, and then de-evolved back to Tentomon.

     Izzy turned around to see what Jules' reaction would be, but Jules was LONG gone.

    " Hey! Hello?" It was Tentomon.

    Izzy turned back around to see Katina laying in a wet heap on the concrete.

    ~ She's out... No wonder... She just found out something that may change her veiw on people, for the rest of her life.~ He leaned over her.

    " Is she..." asked a very worried Tentomon.

    Izzy shook his head, " No... She just fainted. She should be fine... I think you just startled her."

    " Oh. Better that I startle her than to do something REALLY bad..."

    Katina was shivering. The rain, and cool was begining to get to her.

    " We really should take her inside..." he said, " Before she catches something."

    Tentomon nodded.

    Izzy slid his arms under her, and tried to pick her up. She wasn't nearly as heavy as most people her age were.

   

*******************************************************************************

 

    LATER.....

 

    Katina turned her head, in a restless sleep. Sweat broke out on her brow.

    Izzy stayed next to her the entire time... He was typing furiusly on his laptop. Tentomon watched, as Izzy would look over at Katina every few minutes, and stare.

    Tentomon had never seen Izzy so worried over something before. ~ It IS this girl that makes him act this way.~ he realised

    At one point Izzy slammed his laptop shut, and began to walk around the room aimlessly. Untill his mother came in and pointed out that wearing the floor down into a paperthin board would not do anything for her. She would come to when she would, and there was nothing more they could do about it.

    Every now and again, Katina would moan in her sleep, and roll over.

    ~ Is she having a nightmare?~ wondered Izzy, ~ And if she is, I wonder what it's about?~

    His laptop beeped. Izzy flipped it open, and saw the mail button blinking... Looking up at the clock, he saw that it was nearly eleven o'clock. ~ Who could be e-mailing me at this hour?~ he wondered.

    It was from Genni.

    It read something like this:

  

    Izzy:

    Good news my boy! I have something for you to do! I'm just joking. I have discovered an old tablet that has a very strange message written on it... I thought you might find it intruging. Scince it is about your crest!

   

    Izzy was indeed very intruged.

 

   A picture of a very old tablet appeared on the screen, bearing the words,

    " Of the eight digidestined,the one bearing the crest of knoledge shall find that they must find the child bearing the gifts of  pure heart... This child is the one who will have no one to help her bare her burdens, being as she has no digimon partner, and so the one bearing the crest of knowledge shall be her friend when there are no others to be there for her... It is told, she is the one who speaks not, but sings with the voice of the nighting-gale, who wears the scars of her heart on her arm, and remembers the world in papers."

 

    That is all that is needed to know about this child. But you need to find her. I know it's kind of confusing, but I'm sure you'll find her.

     The only help I can give you is that when you find her, and she sings, your digivice will react.

     I would try to help you more, but I cannot, as even I have to follow the rules....

     Good Luck!

                Genni

 

    Izzy raised an eye brow,~ That was helpful.~ he thought, ~ Not. How am I supposed to find this girl?!~ He sighed.

    He looked down at Tentomon, He was asleep.

    Izzy was thankful it was a Friday night.

    He yawned.

    Did he even know any girls who did not speak, but sang...? Was there even such a girl?

    He wasn't sure... He was to tired to care... His eyelids began to droop.

    He fell asleep.

    When his mother came in, to check on the strange girl, who Izzy had found, she saw the boy asleep next to her, on the floor.

    She smiled to herself, and shut the light out.

 

 *******************************************************************************

 

    THE NEXT MORNING....

 

    Izzy streched, and looked on his bed. Katina was still there, asleep.

    He looked up at the clock.

    It was about nine-thiry.

    His mother came into the room about five minutes after he had awoken.

    " Oh... You're awake!" She looked down on him, and smiled, " You were so worried last night about her," she motione to the sleeping girl, " That you compleatly forgot to go to sleep yourself, untill very late."

    Izzy nodded, " I know. I had not intended to..." he began, standing up.

    His mother nodded, " I know... " she smiled, and left the room.

    Katinas' eyes opened, And she sat up.

    Izzy looked back at her, and right into a set of perfect slate/blue eyes.

    " Oh!" he jumped back, somewhat startled.

    " You're awake!"

    She smiled.

    " Are you alright?"

    Katina nodded, as a roll of thunder passed the area that the apartments were located. It was still raining outside.

    " You've been out scince yesterday afternoon..."

    Katina tried to get up, and stumbled, right into Izzys' arms. She turned crimson, as did he.

    " You really shouldn't try to walk around yet..." he helped her back into the bed.

    ".... I ...." she began, " ... need to find my book... "

    Izzy gave her a strange look, and he smiled, " Oh, yes, Your book... Funny you should mention that..."

    He reached into the drawer he had put it in, along with her pencil box, and handed the items to her.

    " I believe these are yours." he said.

    Katina was shocked, "... I.... i... thank you, Koshiro... I mean... Izzy.." she blushed harder.

    " Quite alright... I didn't mind..."

    Katina looked down at her book. ~ Did he look in it?~ she wondered.

    Izzy watched Katina facial expressions, ~ Does she know I looked through it?~ he wondered.

    Katinas' head suddenly shot upward, "... my bbrother.... he's gonna be mad at me...."

    " What for?" asked Izzy, "  You didn't do anything to him, did you?"

    Katina shook her head no.

    " Then if I may incline, Why would he be upset at you?"

    " It... isn't what I did.... It's what you did..." she said in her usual silent tone.

    Izzy was surprised, " I have never met your brother, so how could I...?" Then it hit him... That boy from the afternoon before... Katina was refering to him...

    " That boy from yesterday that was picking on you.... That was him, wasn't it?"

    Katina looked down, not saying anything.

    That seemed to answer it all.

    " Why was he doing that to you?"

    No answer.

    " I heard him mention something about your book... Was it because you left it out in the park?"

    Still no answer.

    Katina didn't even look up from where she was sitting.

    Tentomon rolled over in his sleep.

    Izzy looked back at him.

    " I can understand why you would not want to talk about it.... But I think you would feel better if you did."

    Katina looked up at him, her face was red, and she looked as though she might begin crying at any moment.

    " Jules isn't really my brother... He's my step-cousin.... he was just living with my family when it happened.... He doesn't like me very much.... and really never has." she sighed.

   Izzy leaned back, by the sudden quiet emburstment by Katina, " uh...."

    She looked away for a moment, and coughed, " He has never liked me, except for to help him with his homework..." she alowed herself a short, half hearted laugh, " But now... Now he helps me with mine...."

    " Why?"

    Katina looked at him, and then back down at the floor, ".... I..... "

    " You can tell me... I won't say anything."

    Katina looked at him for a moment, " Perhaps not, but you'll laugh... everyone else has.."

    " I won't laugh, I promise." Izzy said it very solemly.

    Katina turned a very bright shade of red, and looked back down to the floor.

    She muttered something in Spanish, and then said, " I can't read or speak Japanese."

    A single tear of embarrasment rolled down her cheek.

    She allowed it to sit there, and put her hands down in front of her.

    She began to wring them.

    Izzy stared at her in surprise, " You can't.... what?"

    She didn't say anything.

    " So... I see."

    " You can laugh now if you want to.... I don't care, and I honestly couldn't blame you." she wiped away the tear that had rested on her cheek.

    Izzy leaned forward, " I'm not gonna laugh."

    Katina looked at him, " I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

    " It's alright."

    " It's just... I don't know what to do.... He hangs it over my head like bait... He knows that I need to be able to do my work, or else I have to change schools... But I don't wanna change schools." She shook her head.

     " You don't know any at all?"

    " Not enough to help out."

    " So why does he treat you this way? If he knows it, then why does he...?"

    " It's because he used to need me, and now I need him. He likes the idea that he has me over the fire, and I have no other choice than to do what he tells me to." she shivered.

    Tentomon woke up, " Good morning, Izzy. Good morning, Katina."

     Katina looked at Tentomon for a moment, and turned white, " Holy....."

     Izzy jumped up, " It's alright... He isn't going to hurt you...."

     Katina clutched at her heart, her breathing became painful, " It wasn't a dream.... Good Father, in heaven... It wasn't a dream.... Holy shit....."

     Tentomon looked at Katina, " Really, I will not harm you..."

    Katina began to speak rapidly in Spanish, and she reared back on the bed.

    Izzy grabbed her by the arms, " It's alright... Really..."

    " Really?"

    " Hai."

    Katina looked at  him funny, " eh?"

    " Hai... yes, really."

    Katina calmed down, but the color did not return to her face.

    Izzy sat down next to her on the bed, " Where are you staying?"

    " At the other end of the floor."

    " I have an idea..."

    Katina turned to him, not taking her eyes off of Tentomon.

    " I'm listening..."

    Izzy turned her face to meet his eyes, " You don't have to take that from him... If you're willing to listen."

    Katina now took her eyes off Tentomon, " I'm listening."

    " Now... If I have this straight, Jules tourtures you because you cnnot read or speak Japanese... He holds it over you... Hai?"

    " eh? Yeah... Soo?"

    Izzy looked down at his hands, " If you want... I can teach you. " He motioned in front of himself, " If you come here after school, I'll help you out... I don't mind...."

    Katina looked at him over her glasses, " You're serious...." she stated, in a quiet voice.

    Izzy shook his head.

    " I have no way to repay you."

     Tentomon watched Izzys' reaction to this, his ears turned red, and he began to fiddle with the cover of his laptop.

    " That's alright. I don't mind."

    Katina looked at Tentomon again, and shivered.

    " You saved me..." she said in a low voice, " And for that... I probably owe you my life.... I'm sorry."

    Tentomon returned her gaze, " That is alright, there is nothing to be sorry about. You should have seen Izzys' mother when she first saw me." he waved a claw-like hand in front of himself.

    Izzy smiled.

    Katina eased herself to the edge of the bed, " What.... what are... you?"

    " A digimon."

    Katina looked up at Izzy, who was watching her, " He is the same one who...?" she swept her hand down in front of herself, to sybolize flying.

    Izzy nodded.

    " You look different..."

    Tentomon nodded, " Yes.. I know. I was Kabuterimon, and now I am Tentomon again."

    Katina nodded, " I see."

    " You do?" asked Izzy.

    Katina shook her head, " Huh? No... I ment I understood that he is still the same.... as he was."

    Izzy nodded, " I see."

    " I should go home."

    Thunder rolled above them, in the clouds, above the apartments.

    Izzy nodded, " Uhhuh."

    ~ Walk me home, Izzy, Jules is waiting for me... and I don't want to go alone.~ She thought, looking at the floor. ~ I'll never live this down! He's gonna KILL me!~ Katina folded her hands.

    Izzy saw how nervouse Katina was, ~ I wonder what's wrong... She looks half terrified.... I wonder if it isn't Jules.~

    " Would you mind if I walked you home?" he asked. He immedietly bit his tounge, Katina wouldn't want him to walk her home... What was he thinking?!

    " Of course I compleatly understand if you don't want me to..."

    " Please... Do." Katina answered at the same time.

    Izzy looked over at her, she was afraid, it showed in her brilliant blue grey eyes.

    The two got up, and headed for the door.

    ~ He really likes her,~ thought Tentomon, ~ Izzy has a crush on this girl!~

 

*************************************************************************************

 

    THE NEXT AFTERNOON....

 

    Katina looked up at the rain, falling at her from above, and then going below her, hitting on the people below.

    She was crying, her face was bruised, and her arm hurt.

    Jules had gotten a hold of her alright. And he had not been happy that she had been gone all night, either.

    The bruises and welts that were formed on her face and arms, and legs, were proof of that.

    The doorbell rang.

    She looked up.

    Jules and the older woman had left earlier to go get some groceries, not to long ago, so surely it wasn't them already.

    She got up, from her place of sitting, and walked over to the door. She looked through the peephole.

    It was Izzy, and Tentomon.

    Izzy was kinda scuffing his foot on the cement floor.

    Katina unlocked the door, and peered out, " Hello, Izzy."

    Izzy could only see half of her face, " Uh... Hi Kat..."

    Tentomon waved, " Hello, Katina."

    Katina smiled. Tentomon was not as scary as he had been only the day before.

    Katina hesitated before opening the door the rest of the way, but the two guys were standing out there on the mat in the cold, waiting for her to do so.

    But she did unlock the door, and allow them in.

    " Please, come in." she motioned past herself, looking down at the floor, so as to partially hide her bruises.

    Izzy removed his shoes, and steped in.

    Izzy noticed how she kept her head low.

    " Are you alright?" he asked.

    " Yes."

    " huh."

    Katina motioned to the living room, " Please, have a seat." she said, in her usual low voice.

    Tentomon climbed up on the couch.

    Izzy on the other hand, remained standing. He looked at Katina, curiously.

    ~ Somethings wrong.~ he thought.

    He reached out to Katina, and tilted her chin, so he could see her face.

    Katina did not struggle.

    Her hair covered the half of her face that was most hurt.

    Izzy swept it to the side, and gasped as he saw the painful marks left by Jules.

    Katinas' eyes were red, with crying.

    After a split second, she jerked her head in the other direction.

    " Please...." she whipered, " Don't say anything."

    " He did this to you?"

    Thunder rolled overhead.

    The power flickered, and Katina shivered.

    She did not say anything, for a moment. Then she nodded, " Yes."

    Tentomon now looked up at Katina, " I don't understand... Is Jules an evil Digimon?" he asked out of genuine curiousity.

    Katina laughed, somewhat, and shook her head, " What is a Digimon?" she asked.

    " I'll answer that, " said Izzy, Motioning to Tentomon, " Tentomon is a Digimon. He is  a Digital monster..."

    Katina smirked, " A monster, yes, but not one of your kind."

     She turned her back to Izzy, and his little Digimon.

    Her shoulders began to shake... Then the phone rang.

     She cleared her throat, and answerd.

    " Yes?"

    - I that you, Katina?-

    It was Mrs Hatek,.

    " Yes ma'am."

    - I'm afraid that your brother and I are stuck here in this mess for a while... I think perhaps we may be stuck here overnight, do you think you'll be alright on your own?-

    Katina hesitated.

    " I think so... I should be fine by myself..."

    - Well if you need anything the neighbors are all friendly, just go to them.-

    " Mmmhmmm."

    -Dinner is in the refridgerator. All you have to do is heat it up.-

    " Okay."

    - I'll be home as soon as possible, alright, Kat?-

    " Yes ma'am. Goodnight."

    The phone on the other end hung up abrubtly, and Katina hung up her line.

    She sighed. Then she muttered something in Spanish.

    Turning to Izzy and Tentomon, she did not lift her head, " I think you need to go home..."

0    " Are they on their way home, Kat?" asked Izzy.

    Katina shook her head, " No, They're stuck wherever it is they are at the moment. But I don't want for you to get into trouble with your folks because you're over here..."

    Izzy tilted his head to one side, " Why? They know where I'm at. "

    Katina was surprised.

    "Oh."

    " Now... About this problem you have..."

    Katina put up her hand, " If you just want to discuss my brother... I don't..."

    Izzy shook his head, " No, I ment that on your arm..." he motioned to the cut on her right arm, that ran from the elbow, down to the back of her wrist.

    Katina looked down, "... huh .... I'm not even sure of where I got that... But I guess I'd best bandage it before it gets to awful bad." she lied.

    She headed down the hall, to the bathroom.

    Turning on the faucet, she began to wash her wound.

    Wincing in pain, as the peroxide hit her bare skin, she yelped.

    She began to sing, to keep her mind off of the pain, a little trick she learned many years before.

   

    Izzy watched as the attractive teenaged girl began to wash her arm.

    He noticed her singing in her exotic voice, and he imedietly became absorbed into it.

    Izzy noticed the singing, But it was Tentomon who noticed Izzys digivice reacting.

    " Izzy.. I think you should see this."

    Izzy looked down at his Digipartner.

    And imedietly noticed his digivice reacting. He grabbed the digivice, and exsamined it. Then he looked up at Katina who was still singing.

    " It's her... Katina is the one who the tablet was written of... and that means..." he stared at her arm.

    Katina stopped her singing, and looked up, someone was watching her.

    She turned, and saw Izzy staring.

    He saw the blackened eye she had. He could see the tears that had been falling not long before he had come in. Suddenly he could see something he knew he had never seen before.

   

    She was cowering in a corner, and Jules was towering over her, with a knife.

    " Never do that again! DO you UNDERSTAND?"

    Katina nodded.

    Jules turned away from her, and she stood.

    " No matter how mean you get, Jules, I will never forget how kind you used to be when we were little.... I will always remember how we would stay up untill the sun came up, and talk about how we would never let each other down..."

    He turned to her, the knife at his side.

    " I will always be there for you, nomatter how awful you treat me, I'll always love you..."

    Jules lifted the knife, and Katina brought her hands up to her face, to protect herself.

    The knife came down, slashing her arm open.

    Katina screamed out in pain, and began to cry.

    Jules walked away.

 

    " Izzy? What is it?"

    " Where did you get that?" he motioned to her arm.

    " It's an old scar that broke open I guess... Nothing to worry about..." she shook her head, This was the truth, It was an old scar, from back when they lived in the United States... From when Jules got mad because she had run off, and told one of the teachers that she was having family problems.

    But she didn't tell Izzy, that the damn thing broke open every time she got into a physical fight with her cousin.

    ~ The scars of her heart on her arm.~ thought Izzy, ~ The scars of her heart... on her arm... It's KATINA!!~ He walked over to Katina.

    " You are her..." he said.

    Katina stopped washing, and stared at him, " What are you talking about Izzy?"

    " You'd best sit down... It's a long story. And not one you're likely to believe, either."

   He took her arm, and led her to the couch, and sat her down.

   He sat down next to her,and opened his laptop, he began to type rapidly.

    " What is it?"

    " I'm bringing it up on my laptop. Just a moment."

    An image appeared. It was an island...

    And Izzy began to explain. Katina was in for a long story.

 

************************************************************************************

 

    ELSEWHERE....

 

    A pair of darkened eyes opened. The child had sung.

    And it was ready... Wherever she was, it would find her, and take her over... and then, the eight Digidestined, would be DESTROYED!

    An evil grin played its' evil lips, and it laughed into the emptiness that surrounded it.

 

************************************************************************************

 

    Katina stared at Izzy wide eyed.

    She didn't say anything.

    " You're her..." Izzy motioned to the tablet on the screen.

    Katina felt her hands and feet grow cold. The color had drained from her face, making it even more obvious that she had a black eye.

     She stood, and walked to the kitchen. The lights flickered again.

    " Will you be alright, Katina?"

    She nodded, not saying anything.

    She came back into where they were sitting, and sat back down.

    The power went out, as another roll of thunder passed overhead.

    Katina shivered. She hated thunder.

    The three sat there in the dark, in scilence. Katina coughed, and shivered again. The dark was not her friend either.

    Her breathing became shallow, and ragged.

    " Kat? Are you alright?"

    "... yeah...."

    Suddenly, there was a bright light in the dark, that flashed before them, and they were no longer sitting on the couch in Katinas' living room.

    But instead on soft, damp green grass.

    Izzy and Tentomon stood, and Izzy helped Katina to her feet.

    " Are you alright?"

    She nodded.

    There was a sound from behind them.

    The three of them whipped around, and met face to face, with a gargantuan shadow... A living shadow with red eyes.

      " Darkmon!!" exclaimed Izzy, getting in front of Katina.

    The shadow laughed, " Very good, the knowledgable one does not easily forget..."

    Tentomon hovered next to Izzy.

     " What do you want?" he demanded.

    The shadow pointed to Katina, " I want her... She is all I desire, and no more." he moved tward the two in front of Katina, " So MOVE! So that I might gain my prize...."

    Izzy stood defiantly in front of Katina, " No! Tentomon, Digivolve!"

    Once again, there was the sound, and a flash of light.

    Kabuterimon stood in front of Izzy.

    " You gotta get through me to get to Izzy...."

    " Very well... If that's how you want it..." Darkmon raised his claw-like hand... " DARKWAVE!!" he cried.

    A shadowy blast went past Kabuterimon, and hit Izzy, throwing him back, into a tree.

    There was a sickening crack as his arm broke from the force.

    " Izzy!!" cried Katina, she ran over to him.

    Izzy was lying on the ground, holding his arm, moaning.

    " My arm.." He groaned, " It's broke..."

    Katina went directly to the arm, and ran her cool hand over it. Izzy gasped at the coolness of her hand, and how relieving to the pain it was.

    Katina reached into her pouch, ( Which Izzy had not noticed until this very moment..) that went from over one shoulder, on the other side of her.

    She pulled out a greyish looking root, and rubbed it on the arm.

    His arm went numb.

    Darkmon was trying to get past Kabuterimon, while Katina was taking care of Izzys' arm.

    He was failing, and finally gave up in a dark puff of smoke.

    " I WILL HAVE HER!!!" he cried.

    Now everything was quiet. There were the sounds of birds, and the wind in the strange, tropical trees.

    Kabuterimon de-digivolved back to Tentomnom.

    " Izzy?"

    " I'm okay... I think..."

    Katina tore a part of her shirt off, along the bottom edge, and used it to make a sling for Izzys' arm.

    He watched her carefully tie a knot in the peice of  yellow fabric, and gently placed his arm in it.

    Katina looked around, confused.

   " Where are we?" she wondered outloud.

    Tentomon flew up and looked around, when he came back down, he shrugged, " I don't know... I've never seen this place before..."

    Izzy looked at his digipartner, " Could it be that we're back in the Digiworld? " he asked.

    Tentomon shook his head no, " This is not the Digiworld..."

    " He's right..." came the other reply.

    Katina stared at the two, " You said that when you were in the Digiworld, that the plants were larger than that of earth, look around, all of the plants are the right size... for earth..."

    Izzy saw that this was true, and looked back at Katina, whos' eyes were filled with worry.

    " I see..."

    ~ I know this place... But what is it?~ she thought.

    " I need to find some water, so I can fix a painkiller for that arm of yours..." she got up.

    " My arm is fine..."

    He reached up for Katina, and grabbed her hand...

    " Huh?" she looked down into his worried face.

    " You shouldn't go off by yourself..."

    Katina smiled, " I'll be fine..."

    Izzy shook his head, " Kat... Listen to me... none of the three of us knows this place... You do not know what may be out there," he motioned with a jerk of his head, " If we're wrong, and we are in the Digiworld, you're not safe without a Digimon to protect you. And even if we're right, and we aren't in the Digiworld, you have no idea where we are, and what might come along."

    Katina sighed...

    She looked at him, and nodded, " Perhaps, and usually you are right... But if I do not find something for that arm of yours, it's gonna get infected, and..." She didn't say anything more.

    Izzy sighed, Katina was right on that point... But he couldn't let her go alone...

    She was unable to fight for herself... he had learned that during the time that she had lived in Heighton Veiws...

 

     FLASHBACK....

 

    She ran, unable to do anything more...

    Unfourtunatly, she wasn't fast enough, the older kid grabbed her arm, and threw her up against a wall.

    " So where's my money?" he demanded.

    Katina didn't say anything, she wasn't sure of what to say.

    Izzy and Tai saw her being pinned by the kid, and went to her aid.

   " Let her go!"

    The older kid turned to see, two smaller kids, running to him.

    One had a soccerball in his hands. the other had a laptop.

    The older kid smirked.

    " And what are  you gonna do about it?"

    He laughed out loud.

    " Well... we might be forced to become very hostile." said Izzy.

    Laughing, the kid turned back to Katina. " You hear that mute-girl? The wiz kid says he might have to get hostile... hehe... two little kids.. hehe... OUFF!"

    He suddenly doubled over.

    The soccerball rolled away, down the street, as Katina fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

    Izzy ran to her side, and helped her up.

   " We need to leave." He said.

    " Let's get outta here, before the big guy gets over the soccerball impact." said Tai

    " I agree compleatly..." Replied Izzy.

    Katina stood quietly between the two.

   

    PRESENT....

 

    Even then she was withdrawn, and silent, Izzy noted.

    " Tentomon, " he said, " Go with her."

    " But Izzy..." Both the digimon and Katina protested.

    " Izzy, I'll be fine. Really."

    Izzy shook his head, " You must not go off by yourself. I'll be fine with out Tentomon for a few minutes."

    Katina crossed her arms.

   " Izzy..."

    " Katina..."

    " But I have to find some water..."

    " And you cannot go alone."

    " I'll be fine."

    ~For not being physicly capable of much... She has alot of persistance.~ he thought, ~ Almost to much.~

    His head hurt.

    He looked up into Katina eyes. They sparkled defiantly in the sun.

    Izzy sighed.

    " You cannot go out there by yourself, It's to dangerouse....."

    Tentomon hesitated. As much as he hated to admit it, Izzy was right.

    And he could clearly see that Izzy cared about this girl.

    Katina could not go alone. But he could not leave Izzy.

    " I have an idea, Izzy, " Katina spoke up after a momentary silence, "I'll stay within earshot."

    Izzy shook his head no.

    " Uh uh... Darkmon would have you in his clutches, before you could cry out, for help." He braced himself up against a tree, and got himself to his feet.

    It was painful, even though he was using his good arm to do it.

    Both Katina and Tentomon, rushed to his side.

    " I'm alright, " he intook a sharp breath, " Now... Let's go find some water."

    " You shouldn't be up and..."

    " And you shouldn't be out and around without someone with you." Finished Izzy, " I can't stay here, obviously, you two wont let me, so the only other alternative is to go with you."

      He watched Katinas' eyes search him, " Besides, it's better that we should continue moving."

    Katina admired his inner strength, and courage.

    ~ He'd do this... To protect me?~ she thought,~ No one has ever cared that much about me... But then again, It's not just me he has to worry about, It's himself and Tentomon as well, so It isn't just me he's thinking of. Kat, You get to worked up over little things, that's what gets you teased... Think about it... Why would any one care about street trash like you? Get over yourself, girl.~

 

************************************************************************************

 

    A river was all they came accross... A river, and a whole lot of bugs. Bugs looking for a buffet.

    There was a small raft, not far from where the three stopped next to the banks of the river.

   " I don't believe the water here is sanitary, Kat." said Izzy staring at the muddy waters of the river.

    ~ I know this place, Indeed! I'm near where mom and dad took us when they went on the expadition to find the rare animal years ago..... In the AMAZON!!??? No WAY!!!~

    Katina shook her head no, " You're right, but I know of different ways to get good water, so be patient with me.  But I want to see this raft... I just wanna check it out, I'll be right back."

    She ran to the raft, And then, her eyes widened with fear, she almost flew back.

    " I got good news, I got bad news..."

    " GOOD NEWS FIRST!!!" both Tentomon, and Izzy said at the same time.

    " Sorry guys... good news is gonna hafta wait, bad news at two o'clock!" she pointed back in the direction she had come running from.

    There, climbing up the bank of the Amazon River, were twelve or thirteen crocodiles.

    And no telling how many were in the water.

    They were fast though, even on land. And they were headed straight for the three unwilling travelers.

    " What are they?" asked Tentomon.

    " Oversized lizards, with very big, very sharp teeth." Katina said quickly, " RUN!!!"

    " You don't have to tell me twice!"

    Two ran, and one flew, very fast in the opposite direction of the Crocodiles.

    They stopped just as fast when they found themselves trapped, by more crocs, in front of them.

    The one formost to them snapped its jaws very hungrily.

    Katina did not like the way it seemed to smile, as though welcoming the very thought of flesh between its teeth.

    She shuddered.

    " SUPERSHOCKER!!" Tentomon cried, letting lose a bright ball of electricity, at the croc.

    The crocs all began to wriggle away. They did not like this one, It seemed dinner was not worth getting fried for.

    Katina was silent.

    " Let's keep moving..." said Izzy taking her by the arm.

    ".... yeah..."

   

************************************************************************************

 

 YEARS BEFORE.....

 

    Katina watched as the doctor read her test results.

    He looked over at her, and her mother rested her arm on Katinas' shoulder.

    " And how do you feel?"

    Katina buried herself into her mother.

    " I tell you Mrs. Ashton... I have never seen such a thing in any child before.... It isn't asthma. The signs would be more... aparant." He squinted through a set of bushy eyebrows, " I think perhaps the problem is that her lungs are just weaker than most children her age."

    Her mother nodded.

    Katina could her the hidden something in his voice. Wether her mother could or not, she was unsure.

    " Young lady, why don't you go out to Nurse Shylo, and see if she wont give you a sticker for good report."  The doctor suggested, " I need to talk to your mother."

    Katina climbed down off of the table.

    She heard snatches of the conversation.

    " I... Abnormalties... cancer.... anything, but at this point.... bet... two years...."

    Her eyes widened with fear, when she heard her mother say, " My daughter is just as normal as ANY OTHER child."

    " I think you do not understand... Your daughter is not as capable as other children. She may not be able to take the strains of any other child her age."

    There was a long drawn out argument.

    But Katina would never forget the words that the doctor told her mother that day, not as long as she lived.

    " If you do allow her to continue on as you do, your daughter will never make it through her teen aged years."

 

PRESENT TIME......

 

    They were deep into the jungle when the pains hit her.

    Katina stopped abrubtly in her steps, gasping for air.

    Izzy stopped mid-stride, and turned to face her.

    " Kat?"

    ".... I'm.... i'm... fine..." she managed to gasp, "... keep...moving... i'll be... fine...."

    Air. She needed air. She couldn't breath....

    ".... really...." was the last word she uttered before she hit the ground.

    " Kat? Are you? KAT!!!"

    Kat... it echoed through her mind, even as the world became black around her.

 

-You WILL be mine...-

 

    "She's coming to..." she heard.

    " Thank God..."

    Silence.

    " Katina?"

    She groaned.

    Her chest and head hurt.

    "... I'm alright..."

    She opened her eyes, to immedietly meet with two sets of worried ones.

    "Are you sure?" asked Tentomon.

    " You didn't seem to fine a moment ago..." said Izzy, " What was that about? What happened? Are you alright?" He pummeled her with questions.

    Katina rolled over on her side, and tried to sit up.

    Almost immedietly, there was a large gloved hand on her back.

    " Kat..."

    Tentomon stood in front of her, and tried to help steady her.

    " I'm... fine, really."

    " You need to rest."

    " Not here... to many snakes... Spiders... all of them poisonus..." she said, haltingly and softly.

    Tentomon motioned around them, " Where could we possibly go to get away from these... "

    Izzy nodded, " Yes.. We all need to rest."

    Katina shook her head, no, " You two still don't know... We're in the AMAZON.... There are no such places, to do that... Even the little bugs are dangerouse."

    Izzy winced as the pain in his arm began to return.

    " The Amazon? But how?"

    " How should I know? I thought this kinda stuff was your genere."

    Katina sighed, " First things first, though, Izzy, lemme see your arm..."

    Izzy moved tward her.

    Katina ran her cool hand over it, and took the grey root from her pouch, and rubbed more against it.

    The pain almost instantly faded away to nothing.

    " Look, guys, I know what it's like here, We need to find food, and fresh water."

    " But we do not know what here is safe to consume and what..."

    Katina shook her head again, " Perhaps you don't Izzy, But I do..."

    She pulled a knife out from her pouch, and out of its sheath.

    Izzy stared at her, " huh?"

    " Please, stay here for a moment."

    She rolled up to her feet, Izzy helping with his good arm.

    " NO."

    Katina was momentarily shocked by the forcefullness in his tone.

    " But, Izzy..."

    "No."

    Katina looked at Tentomon, hoping for a little bit of help.

    He only shook his head, " If Izzy says no, then it goes."

    Katina looked back at Izzy, and sighed in defeat.

    " Alright, but... look... we need to find food, and a high place to sleep before nightfall."

    Izzy looked over at Tentomon, " A high place to sleep... You can find that, while we get the food."

    Tentomon watched the light in Izzys eyes.

    " Just don't wander to far... Keep us within eyesight."

    The digimon nodded.

    " Alright Izzy...."

    Izzy looked over at Katina, who was watching, the sun... It was already begining to fall tward the late afternoon sky.

    " Kat..."

    " Come on, Izzy.  I'll show you what's safe to eat..."

    The two began to ravage through bushes, and the such.

    Katina showed Izzy which fruits were good to eat, and where to find the fresh water that the flowers stored in their gourd-like stems.

    Izzy watched at Katina would every now and again swing down and grab a fruit.

    " Katina..."

    " Hmm?"

    " I want to ask you a question..."

    Katina looked up from what she was picking, and right into Izzys dark eyes.

    " Certainly.... what is it?"

    " well... That is, I really..."

    "Izzy?"

    It was Tentomon.

    ~ TENTOMON!!!!!!~ thought Izzy, slightly irritated.

    " Yeah?"

    " There is a very large creature headed this way... I think it's a snake..."

    Katina was paying attention now... And so was Izzy as a constricter slithered very fast up tward them.

    " Oh shit..." muttered Katina.

    The three of them ran off in the other direction, untill Tentomon stopped and turned on it.

    " SUPERSHOCKER!"

    The snake dodged the atack easily as it continued to them.

    Katina swore again, ( A word I dare not even write for fear it might become more than a PG 13 fic. Although it may become just that before it's over...) as she found that they had run right up to a cliff.

    Izzy and Tentomon stood at her side.

    The snake advanced, and the group took a step back.

    Izzy lost is balance, and fell, right off the side of the cliff.

    " IZZY!!" Katina dove for his hand.

    Tentomon flew down, leaving Katina alone.

    " Noo..." she moaned.

    The snake hissed, forcing her to look back at it.

    It had come even closer, but Katina knew it was either face the snake, or fall off the cliff....

    ~ Izzy's gone, and Tentomon's gone, I'm alone, again... It's either die or die... and I'm not gonna run. Better for it to be quick and painless than the anticipation...~ " SO EAT ME ALREADY AND GET IT OVER WITH YOU GIANT WORM!!!" she yelled from where she was crouched down.

    She squeezed her eyes shut, and waited for inflicting bit.

    It never came, and when it did not, she opened her eyes, just in time to see the end of the snke retreating into the jungle.

     She collapsed the rest of the way onto the ground, and let herself sob.

    " Izzy... Tentomon..." she moaned.

    " Yes?" came a familiar voice.

    Katinas head shot up, as she saw Izzy sitting on Kabuterimons back.

    " IZZY?!!!! You guys are alright!" Katina cried.

   He nodded.

    " I couldn't let him fall..." said Kabuterimon.

    " Thank you Father!"

    " Climb on." said Izzy.

    Katina hesitated.

    Izzy watched her eyes, as they searched him over. But what was it that he saw buried within them... Was it fear?

    " Katina?" Izzy looked down at her, " It's alright."

    Katina chewed her bottom lip. She was afraid of heights. And last she checked, flying, involved heights.

    " I'm not going to hurt you." said Kabuterimon.

    Katina nodded, " I know... it's... it's not that..."

    " What is it then?"

    Katina intook a deep breath, and bit her lip again.

    " It's... just.... how do  get.. up... there?"

    Kabuterimon took her gently on his hand, and placed her on his back.

    Izzy, however was not fooled by the hidden question, in Katinas voice.

    " What is it, Kat?"

    " I'm afraid of heights.." she whispered, in a barely audible voice.

    She was telling the truth... Aside from that, normaly, riding a gargantuan beetle would have bothered her... but this had not been a normal couple of days... So it didn't bother her as much as it  should have.

    Izzy reached out with his good arm, and took Katinas hand in his own.

    She climbed up next to him, as Kabuterimon took off with a jerk.

    " Hold on..." he said.

    " To what?" muttered Katina.

    Izzy watched her face turn white, as they came further up from the ground.

    She began to shake.

    He let go of her hand for a moment, and she turned ashen.

    He replaced it, around her waist, " You can hold on to me, if you like."

    Katina was now no longer ashen... no... on the contrairy, she was now crimson red.

    "It's okay... I wont let you fall, and really, I doubt that Kabuterimon would either." he reasurred her, blushing himself.

     Katina looked at him for a moment.~ He's serious... my Father in Heaven.. He's serious.~

     " Are you gonna be alright?" asked Izzy.

     Katina nodded.

    Just before they flew into yet another bright light.

    Suddenly, they were  no longer flying, but falling.

    A whole six feet.

    Katina shook herself, to try and regain her senses, " Where now?" She asked herself, aloud. Though somehow, from the looks of the place, she knew...

    " The Digiworld." both she and Izzy said at the same time.

    Tentomon flew up next to Izzy.

    " We're back in the Digiworld."

    " I know."

    Katina picked herself up, and brushed herself off.

    " That was insane." she muttered, " Let's never do it again."

    Izzy laughed, " I agree... But how did we get here?"

    " Good question." said Tentomon.

    " That light." said Katina, softly.

   Izzy reached down and touched his arm. To his surprise.. It felt fine.

    He took off the sling.

    " What are you doing? IZZY!"

    He motioned for Katina to calm down.

    " It's alright." he said.

    He moved his arm around. There was no pain, not even a tingle to represent that it had ever been hurt.

    Katina watched him like a hawk.

    Motioneing for him to come toher, she continued to watch.

    "May I?" she asked, motioning to his arm.

    " Yes.. By all means..."

    Katina pushed his sleeve up, and began to exsamine the wound, or was-wound.

    " Nothing..." she muttered, " Not even a scar.."

    She brought it out to herself.

    " Does this hurt?" she asked.

    " No." Izzy was still somewhat surprised by the coolness of her hands.

    She now bent it to himself.

    " Does this?"

    He shook his head.

    " Does this?" she asked, pinching his arm.

    " Ow! Yes! What did you do that for?"

    Katina smiled, " Just making sure you still had feeling in your arm."

    Her face became solemn again within the moment, " I can't believe it though... It's compleatly healed.. like nothing ever happened..."

    Izzy watched as her eyes went from his arm to his own eyes.

    ~ What is she thinking behind those slate colored eyes? I wonder. It's amazing how those same eyes, filled now with only concern and kindness, were only moments ago filled with fear.They must truely be the gateways to her soul...~ he stared into her eyes.

    Katina stared at him for only a moment, and then tore her eyes from him.

    What was she thinking?! He could never feel anything for her!

    " Kat..."

    She looked down at the ground...

    " Yes, Izzy?"

    " I saw how afraid you were, earlier."

    Katina turned redder than before. He had seen the fear in her eyes.

    " I just wanted you to know," he saw Katina face, the red and all, and tilted to him, so that he could see all of it, " I want you to know..."

    He was broke off by a loud crash, and a booming voice.

    ~Damn,~ he thought, ~ Now what?~

    " So... You thought you could defeat me?" came the voice, " Perhaps on that worthless rock you call earth, but not here in the Digiworld..."

    " Darkmon.." said Tentomon.

    The evil laughet rang through the air.

    " This is MY territory, Digidestined. I am the one who shall win this bout." he extended his claw out to motion to Katina, " Now... GIVE ME THE GIRL!!!"

    Once again, Izzy stood defiantly in front of Katina.

    The evil Digimon laughed again.

    " How utterly sweet.." he smirked, " It all gets so terribly dull you know..."

    Tentomon placed himself in front of Izzy.

    " Go away Darkmon, leave us alone..."

    " I want her..."

    " What do you want with her?" demanded Izzy.

    " You will give me the girl, or I shall kill you all!!!"

    Katina gasped. " ...no..." ~I can't allow that to happen.. Izzy and Tentomon are more of my friends than anyone else I have ever known, and even if Izzy does not like me in the same way I care for him, I can't allow that to happen.~

    A single tear rolled down her cheek as she set her hand on Izzy's shoulder.

    He looked back at her, she was now crying a stream, silently and steadily.

    " Kat?"

    "... let me go by... Izzy."

    " WHA??!!! NO! You musn't!!"

    Katina looked up at the evil digimon, and then back to Izzy.

    "... I must... You are the... Digidestined... not me.." she grasped him firmly, and hugged him, "Don't forget me...." she whispered.

    In that moment, she shoved him out of her way, roughly, and ran past him, and Tentomon.

    " YOU WANT ME????!!!" she yelled up at the Digimon, " THEN COME AND TAKE ME!!!"

    " KAT!!! NO!!!"

    The evil Digimon laughed, cruelly.

    "... take me then..."

    " Yes... oh... yes!"

    Darkmon smiled, as he grabbed her up in his shadowy claw, and disapeared.

    The only thing left of either him or Katina, was the last single tear, Katina shed before he took her.

    It stopped as if frozen in midair, for a moment, hanging like a jewel, in the midday sky, and then... It dissipated into nothing.

    "KAT!!!" Izzy ran to where she had been only the moment before, "... no... she's gone..."

    " Izzy?" Tentomon placed his hand on Izzys back.

    Izzy looked at his digimon partner, " We have to rescue her, Tentomon... We have to..."

    " We will, Izzy. I promise." said the Digimon.

 

************************************************************************************

 

    Katina was thrown onto a table in the middle of a small, poorly lit room.

    " I knew you'd do that..." That voice...

    " It's your pure heart..." He practicly spat the last word out, but he began to laugh, afterwards, "But... Pure hearts are vounurable, weak and easily courupted by hate and spite..."

    The maniacal laughter continued, and echoed in the small room.

    Katina cringed in fear.

    "... what... What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

    More laughter was the only response to this.

 

************************************************************************************

 

    Izzy and Tentomon ate, and began to walk throughout the Digiworld, looking for Katina.

    They soon came across what was left of ToyTown.

    They heard a loud sound, as the two saw Monzemon walk up.

    " Hello, my friends, and welcome to ToyTown... or what's lefft of it anyway..."

    Izzy ran up to the giant teddy bear, " What happened?" he asked.

    " What happened?" the bear retorted, " Darkmon is what happened."

    He raised a giant paw, and motioned around ToyTown, " He came tearing through here with a human girl... Demanding I pledge fealty to him and his new supposed Queen. When I refused.. Well... what you see is not a result directly of Darkmon, but of that Human girl with him."

    " A human girl?! KAT?!" exclaimed Izzy.

    " Do you know her?"

   " Yes! Yes! I do! Can you tell me? Is she alright?"

    Monemon stared at Izzy, a blank look on his gargantuan fuzzy face.

    " Izzy. " said Tentomon, " I think you need to see this."

    Izzy looked to where his freind was pointing. And saw the note that was hammered into a door.

 

    BEWARE!!! To all those who read this. Pledge you fealty to me and my new Queen, Darklady Katina, or face the concequences. DEATH!

  

                           His Majesty, DARKMON

 

     Izzy took a step back, "... what?...." His logical thinking was clouded in that moment of fury, as he saw red, " WHAT HAS HE DONE TO HER?!!!" he cried out, " Darkmon is mine..."

 

************************************************************************************

 

    " Darksong!!" the liquid voice ran through the forest where Katina was at, as she sang.

    The sweet song eveloped the two Digimon in front of her.

    They were under her power now.

    And there was nothing that would stop her. Not Izzy, not Tentomon, nothing and noone.

    She smiled evily, and soon, she would make all those people who were cruel and hearless, pay...

    ~ I will rule the earth, and they shall tremble when they see me pass, instead of me~ she thought, ~ And those who shunned me, shall be shunned, those who teased me will be teased, and those who chose to beat up on me...~ she laughed evily.

    But through all this evil, the real, the kind, quiet, Katina still resided, struggling to break through.

    ~ I'm sorry, Izzy... please forgive me...~ she thought, ~ I love you, Izzy... Please know that.~

 

***********************************************************************************

 

    Izzy was riding on Kabuterimons back, as the two headed for Infinity mountain.

    He was thinking of her.

 

    " I'm lonley... and I have no friends..."

    " I'll be your friend..."

    " Then I'll be yours...."

    " Forever..."

    " And ever...."

 

    He forced himself not to cry out in misery. He began to feel the same wrenching pain he had felt the day she moved, those years before.

 

    FLASHBACK...

 

    He ran to her door, only to be greeted by two large men carrying out the old sofa from the apartment she lived in.

    " Kat?!!"

    There was no reply, as he ran into the now mostly empty home, and into her room.

     She was sitting at the window, looking out over the city.

    Her shoulders were shaking.

    " Kat...?"

    She didn't look at him, "Hello, Izzy."

    " What's going on? Why are they taking all of your belongings away?"

    " Daddy said that we have to move away. Back to America." she still didn't turn around to face him.

    " But why?"

    " After the...." She hesitated, " You know... you saw them..."

    Izzy shook his head, he knew what she was talking about. The mosters. She had not been a part of it, but she had been able to see them, while others had not.

    The rain was coming down steadily. There was no thunder, no lightning. Just rain. Cold, dreary, sad rain.

    " It's as if the heavens know how I feel today." she said, in her quiet voice.

    There was silence for a moment, and then...

    She snapped around, and threw herself into Izzys arms, " I don't want to leave! I don't know anyone there, only here... only you and the others." she was refering to a few of Izzys friends, Jyou and Tai, and Matt.

     She was crying her heart out.

    Izzy did the only thing he could think of, and held her back.

    " The adults couldn't see them..." she said, " They think it was a bombing, by terrorists. My momma said that I was sleep walking again, and that's how I ended up outside, when it happened. She says that's why I saw them...." she shook her head, " Noone believes us, Izzy."

    " Katina!!! It's time...!" came an adults voice.

    Izzy found it hard to controll the urge to cry.

    " It's alright, everything will be okay." he said, and then holding Katina from himself, he looked her in the eye, " I'll always be here for you. Always, and we can write each other, and call, and there is always e-mail..." he hugged her again.

     Katina coughed.

     He mother came into the room, " Come, Katina, say good-bye to your little friend, and come outside, it's time to leave, or else we might miss the airplane."

    " Izzy..." she trailed off, unable to say the words.

    Her mother grabbed her up by he arm, and drug her downstairs, Katina struggling all the way.

    Izzy ran down the stairs, but by the time he got down, to the parking lot, the old car, had already begun out the drive area.

    The rain was still coming down... but he didn't care, he ran, after the car, waving, calling out her name.

    When he could no longer keep up, and the car faded into the distance, he finally stopped, where he was, in the driving rain.

    He stood there for a few moments, and then, after holding it inside of himself for that long, he finally broke down, there on the sidewalk, and began to cry.

    He was still crying when his father came outside, holding an umbrella.

    He wiped away his tears, and looked up at the older mans face.

    " You'll see each other again, son. Believe me, she'll see to that."

 

    PRESENT.....

 

    ~ Well, Dad, you were right, she did see to that. She came back, just like you said she would.~ Izzy could almost hear her melodic voice at that very moment.

    " Wait a minute! That is Katinas' voice! Kabuterimon, do you hear that?"

    " Yes I do."

    " It's Katina! I'd know that voice anywhere!" said Izzy, " Let's go in for a better look."

    " I'm on it!"

 

    Katina stood proudly, her head up, and her shoulders back.

    It was something Izzy had never seen before.

    Katina had never stood like that before. She was always looking at the sky, but she never held her head up proudly, and she was just never found in such a stance.

    It even intimadated him.

    And the quiet, kind, knowing look, was now replaced by a sly look. One that made him afraid of what had really happened to her.

    "... Kat.."

 

    Kabuterimon landed between Katina, and the two digimon.

    " Kat!!"

    Katina looked down at Izzy, from her place on a boulder, and smiled.

    It was an evil smile.

    " Izzy..."

    ~ What are you doing, Kat, girl?~ her good heart cried out, ~ Don't hurt him!!~

    ~ I'm not going to hurt him.... He's going to love me...~

    ~ You can't force him to love us...~

    ~ Hehehehe... Watch and learn little girl...."

    " Kat! Are you alright?" Izzy climbed down off of Kabuterimon, " Kat?"

    " Izzy..." ~He won't even see it coming....~ her evil heart thought.

    ~NO! Izzy! Run!! Run away! As far as you can!!!~ her good heart fought, ~Please, RUN!!!~

    Her good heart was growing weaker, as the evil one grw stronger over her.

    Izzy was almost to her, when she began to sing.

    The sweet notes rang through the still air.

    Kabuterimon saw Izzys reaction before the affects began to take place on himself.

    " ELECTROSHOCKER!!!"

    The blast landed between Katina and Izzy, and the singing abrubtly stopped, as Katina flew backwards.

    Izzy snapped out of his stupor.

    " Huh?"

    He staggered for a moment, unaware of what had just taken place.

    " What happened?" he asked.

    " She had you under her spell..." answered Kabuterimon.

    " Spell?" he turned to Kabuterimon.

    Katina picked herself up off the ground, angrily.

    "... you...." she growled, looking at Kabuterimon.

    Izzy turned back to find himself face to face with a very, very, mad Katina.

    " Kat, what are you doing?"

    Katina smiled.

    ~ No! Don't do it!!~ her good heart cried out, with everything she had,  ~IZZY!!!~

   " IZZY!!!" Katina clamped her hand over her mouth, unable to beleive what just happened. Had she just cried out Izzys name without intending to?

    Inside of her, the good heart cheered, ~ I did it! I got through! But how?!!~

    " I'm coming to my senses,"

    " What do you mean?"

    " I've joined the winning team..." said Katina, the evil taking over again.

    " WHA?!!! NO! Kat, say it's not true!!"

    Katina circled him like a vulture circles prey, " I'm tired of being laughed at. And teased. And shunned. And Beat up on... But most of all, I'm tired of being alone..."

    Izzy stared at her unbelieving, as she said this, " You can't be serious..."

    " Oh.... But I'm very serious."

    " But.. Katina..." he tried to think of something to say...

    " I'm no longer Katina, I'm that Darklady Katina..."

    " You can't do it!!" Izzy cried out.

    She froze where she was, and whpped around to face him. Her eyes were as cold as space.

    " I can't do it?! Can't!!! I can... I have.. And there's not a thing you can do about it."

    Izzy was hurt. He felt his heart break apart.

    " You have noidea whart I've had to go through.... no idea... nothing at all." she continued, " I've lost all the people I've ever known. And even then.... Not even they knew.. or cared. And the only true friend I've ever had... was you..." she motioned to him, " And now you want to stand in my way of revenge?! What kind of friend are you, anyway?  I lost everything, everyone, so I became silent, reclusive, obedient... and still people did not care. I did it to hide behind that mask, so I didn't have to tell anyone what was happening... To mask my phsical and mataphysical pains. Do you have any idea what it's like? To have to hide the way you truely feel? When they started to me in Tokyo..." she stopped. Her breath became short and harsh, " And then... then there was you..."

    She stopped again.

     Izzys eyes were filled with tears.

 

    " I'm so alone, Izzy, why am I so alone?"

    " You're not alone, I'm right here with you..."

    " That's right, you are..."

    "I'll always be your friend... You can tell me anything."

    " I know..."

 

    " My God, you do know..."

     She fell to her knees.

    Darkmon apeared.

    " Darklady Katina, what is going on here?" he demanded.

    Katina looked up at him, " Sir Darkmon..."

    " Why are you not destroying him?"

    " He knows, Sire... he knows how it is..."

    " No! He does not... He does not know, he does not care... All he wants is for you to not have your revenge on those who have hurt you..."

    Katina brought herself to her feet, and looked up at the shadowy digimon. He stared at her unblinking.

    " He does not care, get rid of him, before he ruins your plans.." he gestured to the boy, " Before he hurts you like everyone else has.

    Katina looked at Izzy, her hatred began to show through her cold eyes again.

    The evil part of her wanting to destroy him, the good, not.

    Kabuterimon watched as Katina raised her hands into the air, and cried out " Darksong!!"

    As she began to sing, the wind began to blow, and the sky began to darken.

    Rain began to fall. No.

    No.

    Not rain.

    Now it was hail.

    The trees began to bend, as the wind became more desperate.

    Izzy struggled to continue standing.

    " Kat! Stop!!" he yelled.

    She continued to sing, not hearing him.

    The hail and wind were becoming a full blown tornado now.

    " Kat PLEASE STOP!!!" Izzy cried out, over he wind, and hail.

    Kabuterimon de-digivolved to Tentomon.

    He went flying into a tree.

    " KAT!!! KATINA!!! I know what it's like! I've been there!!!"

    Katina put her arms down to her sides.

    The wind and hail continued.

    She stopped singing, and it still continued.

    She walked to Izzy, the wind not affecting her, at all. It was as if wherever she was, the wind was not blowing at all. not even the slightest breeze. Her hair hung softly around her shoulders, just as it had always done. She was not wet from the rain, or the hail.

    The wind did not alter her walking at all... Whereas, Izzy was grasping a tree for dear life, and not letting go, for fear he would blow away.

     " You have no idea... Noone does..." she said, in a growling voice, that would have given even Leomon the chills.

    " But I do know, Kat..."

    Katina stared at him... The truth in his voice was getting to her...

    The evil began to fade, and the good heart began to beat stronger.

    " You do?"

    " YES! I do!" Izzy cried over the noise of the storm that she had somehw conjured up.

    As Katina got closer to him, he found that he no longer had to hold onto the tree, and soon, it was as though there was no wind at all.

    He stood in front of Katina, just as steadily as she was standing.

    It was like being in the eye of the tornado.

    " NO!! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM DARKLADY!!" cried Darkmon, " HE DOESN'T CARE, NOONE CARES BUT ME!!!"

    " But I do care... I care alot about you." Izzy was about two foot from her, " Darkmon is the one who doesn't care."

    Katina fell toher knees again, holding her head in her hands.

    " WHAT!!?? NO!! Darklady, Listen to me.. I am your friend, I am..." he was cut off suddenly by a tree crashing down to him.

    " SHUT UP!!" yelled Izzy.

    "... you... care...?" Katina was crying.

    " ARHG!!!" the tree that had fallen twards him was now fire wood.

    " He doesn't care... He's not your friend!!"

    Izzy was now about a foot away from her, " He's the one who doesn't care. He's just using you..."

    Izzy watched as Katina looked up at him.

    He could see the two struggling sides inside of her, fighting for controll.

    The pain showed through those two crystaline eyes.

    And still... They were beautiful.

    He was about six inches from her now.

    " LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!" she cried out, shoving him away from her, "... just leave me..."

    Izzy got back up, and moved back to Katina.

    When he was within a foot of her again, he looked down at where she was, and said " Hottokenia yo."

    Katina looked up at him again, her pain raged face was red.

    " What?"

    " I can't leave you alone..."

    " DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!!!"

    " I will not leave you alone."

    " YOU MUST NOT LISTEN TO HIM!!!"

    "... I don't understand... why?"

    " Because I am you friend."

    Katina cried ou in pain, clutching her head, " No... NONONO!!! I'm so confused.... What am I supposed to do?!!"

    Izzy crouched down next to Katina.

    " You must do whatever the right thing to do is." he said.

    " NO!! DARKLADY!!! HE IS MAKING YOU WEAK!!!"

    Katina watched as Izzy sat down on his knees in front of her.

    "Kat, I am your friend. I will not leave ou..."

    Katina raised her hand to attack.

    Izzy grabbed it, and held on to it.

    He pulled her up against himself, and hugged her.

    She went limp in his arms, and began to cry.

    " Oh... Izzy... what have I done...?"

    " It's alright..." he said, stroking her hair.

    She looked back at Izzy again, and this time, her eyes were clear.

    The good had won out.

    " NOOOOOOO!!!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MINE!!!!" Darkmon dissapeared into nothingness.

    The wind died down, but not very much.

    Tentomon was able to fly over to the two of them, though.

    The hail stopped, and turned back into a steady rain.

    The first drops hit Katina and Izzy in the faces.

    The wind broke the stillness that had surrounded them, as Katinas hair began to flow out behind her in dark streams.

     "... I'm sorry..."

    " It's alright..."

    That was the last thing Katina heard before she passed out.

    " She was compleatly drained." stated Izzy, looking over at his digipartner.

    " Well, Izzy, look at what she had done." the Digimon motioned around them.

    There were several felled trees, and others that would probably never grow straight again. The once knee high grasses were matted down, to the ground.

    There was still hail laying on the ground, just then begining to melt.

    " It would have taken everything she had." he said, looking back at Izzy.

    Izzy nodded, " Yes, you are right, It would have... I'm surprised she survived such a thing."

    " Hello, Izzy..." a familiar voice made him jerk his head up in surprise.

    " Genni!" he exclaimed in surprise.

    " Yes.. I see you have found her.." he motioned to an unconcious Katina on the ground.

    Izzy nodded, " Yes, we did. But it was Tentomon who first realised it was her.."

    " Did your digivice not react?"

    " No.. It did, but I was so absorbed in her, I didn't notice it. Tentomon had to show me. Other wise I would have never realised it was her." Izzy looked down at her.

   " And now you understand why it was so important for you to find her?"

   " Yes. I do."

    " Then you will understand when I tell you that you that she is a digidestined, such as yourslf..."

    Izzy was shocked, " Well... Yes, I understand, but the legend said that She had no Digimon partner to..."

    " But it did not say that she was not a digidestined." the old man looked as though he were going to laugh at some private joke, " And it did not say that she would not get one in the long run..."

    " But, Genni...." Izzy looked at Genni, and then to Tentomon, and then to Katina, " If she must find her digimon partner, then..."

    " You and Tentomon mmust keep an eye on her. All in all, she is your responsiblity." he said, as though reading Izzys mind.

     " But here in the digiworld, there is no way that...."

     " You're going home now, so you don't need to worry about that." the old man waved his hand, and there was yet another bright flash of light.

     And then...

 

    They were back in Katinas' living room.

    The rain was still falling.

    The power was still out.

    They were all three on the couch.

    Thunder rolled over them.

    Katina was leaning up against Izzy, still out from the fight. Izzy did not seem to mind, he placed his arm around her.  Tentomon fell asleep.

    Not five minutes they had been like this, when Katina awoke.

    "...Izzy...?"

    " Kat? You're awake."

    " Yes.. and..." she opened her eyes, they were in her apartment, on her couch.

    " What is it?"

    "Uhh... nevermind, Izzy."

    She pulled her knees up to herself, and wrapped her arms around them.

    She tried to think about what had just happened.

    Izzy looked down at Katina.

    She looked... afraid.

   " Kat? Are you alright?"

   "... Yes... I'm okay, Izzy..."

    A look of concern crossed his face.

    " Are you sure?"

    Katina nodded in the dark.

    ~I'm okay.... now anyway. But what in the Multiverse just happened?~

    She sighed.

    " I'm jst trying to put into perspective what just happened." she said, " Thank you though Izzy..."

    Izzy  nodded, " Alright."

    Katina thought for a moment.. What a strange dream she had just had. Mosters and spells, and songs, and Izzy...

     " Izzy?"

    " Yes, Kat?"

    " Have you ever heard the phrase Hottokenia yo?" she asked.

    Izzy looked at her.

    She thought It was a dream... So what did he need to do now?

    ~Tell her...~ he thought to himself.

   

    So, he did.

 

 

    You have just wittnessed my first Digific, I hope you enjoyed it. It was kinda weird, wasn't it?

    There will be a sequel. But not for a little while yet.

    Right now I already have three other Digifics waiting for me to get to them, so you gotta wait for those three to come out. THEN you get to hear more about Izzy an Katina.

    By the way, I do wanna know what you think of my fanfic, so e-me, I don't care if you think it sucked,  I don't mind it much. You can e-ma and tell me excactly what you think, wether it be,       " KATINA MUST DIE!!!" or " WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!?? IZZY BELONGS WITH MIMI!!!" It's up to you... It's [email protected]  Who knows, you might even want to give good comments on the thing...

       THANKX FOR READING!!