Digital Mayhem

Tae: <(What do you want?)>

=====

Patamon: <I love pancakes!>

Salamon:<Your foot if you try to leave. I want to know what happened between you and Hitomi and I'm sure Euryale's family want to know what happened. But that can wait because BlackAgumon should explain why he did nothing to stop whatever happened from happening.>

*Salamon tugs on his pantleg some more.*

Salamon:<Now stop trying to run away before I'm forced to hobble you.>

<I was with Euryale!>

*Tae rolls his eyes and stops walking.*

[If only a little kick wasn't the mean thing to do.]

Tae: <I didn't do anything, all right? Just go and make Hitomi is okay.>

Salamon:<One mystery solved.>

*Salamon keeps tugging on his pantleg as if trying to pull him back.*

Salamon:<I will and you're coming with me.>

[Is he denying that he ever said anything? I know he wouldn't just blurt anything out, but... This is all my fault. I couldn't say anything and instead made him worry. My knees are shaking, I feel like I'm going to fall at any moment. Please Salamon, let him go.]

"I hate myself."

*Hitomi turns away from the house and wanders off. Salamon lets go of Tae's pantleg and faces the others appearing to be embarrassed.*

Salamon:<S... Sorry for causing a scene.>

*Salamon runs off after Hitomi.*

*Tae stares at Hitomi and Salamon as they wander off.*

T"What was that about?"

E"I don't know."

T"Should we go after them?"

E"I don't know."

A<Hmm...let's see what's up. Then if we're a crowd, we can buzz off.>

E"Okay. I'll see you in a bit, Mom. Tsune, are you getting Betamon?"

T"No, he's taking a bath."

*They head off after Salamon, but lingering significantly behind.*

*They follow the two to the park where the Blossomon were fought. The two are sitting by the crater, broken caution tape attatched to road blocks flapping slightly in the breeze.*

Salamon:<Are you okay? Tae made it sound like you were hurt.>

"I'm fine. I don't know why he thought tha... No, I suppose he had a good reason for thinking that."

Salamon:<So he didn't do or say anything?>

"He confessed to me."

Salamon:<Huh? Confessed what?>

"He told me he likes me, but I couldn't say anything, so instead I looked away biting my lip. That's when he became worried. I'm sure he thinks I rejected him."

Salamon:<But you didn't, right? I mean you two were holding hands when you returned to Euryale's. I don't know how human romance works, but holding hands is a good thing, right? *sigh* I was ready to gnaw his foot off.>

"I didn't say anything. That's why I'm sure he thinks I rejected him. This sort of thing never happened to me before. I don't know what to do or say. I was confused and scared. I've been feeling that way a lot lately. Not just about Tae, but about everyone."

=====================================================

*Taiyo squirms and groans before sitting up, stretching and rubbing her eyes.*

"Where am I"

BlackGabumon:<Euryale's house.>

*Taiyo's eyes snap open, the words hitting her like a lightning bolt*

"I said I never wanted to back here! How did I get here? Did someone bring me here?"

BlackGabumon:<It was Hitomi and Tae. There wasn't much choice, you were shivering real badly.>

*Taiyo slouches and stares at the crumpled sheets under her.*

[Figures Euryale wouldn't have come and once was probably enough for Tsune.]

"Those two were so cute cuddling on the front step."

Tae: <Hawkmon!>

*Tae is standing by a tree a block away. A tuft of red and white feathers is sticking out of the leaves.*

Tae: <I can see you, you know.>

Hawkmon: <She's going to kill me. This is bad.>

Tae: <How bad is it?>

Hawkmon: <It's empty. Empty!>

Tae: <She's going to kill you.>

*Hawkmon flies down from the tree, landing next to Tae.*

Hawkmon: <How did it go with Hitomi?>

Tae: <I don't want to talk about it. I need you to fly into Euryale's room and check on Taiyo.>

Hawkmon: <Are you deaf!? She's going to kill me!>

Tae: <Don't be a chicken.>

Hawkmon: <That wasn't funny.>

*They walk back towards Euryale's.*

E"We probably shouldn't listen in. C'mon, let's go back to my house."

*Euryale walks off.*

T"You think there's some corn around here? You could pop it with your Pepper Breath."

*Euryale comes back to drag them away.*

*Hitomi stares at the bottom of the crater. Salamon nudges her.*

Salamon:<Should we go back soon?>

"I don't know. Today alone has been more overwhelming than anything from the past three days."

Salamon:<Even...?>

[No, don't bring that up.]

"I don't know... I don't want tomorrow to come."

=====================================================

*At Euryale's house, they run into Tae and Hawkmon.*

=====================================================

"I don't know what to do. I don't want to stay here, but there's nowhere else to go. I wish I never came here."

BlackGabumon:<You'll patch things up, right? Everything always turns out better in the end, right?>

"That was different. I don't know what to call this. Maybe... Maybe the Euryale that appeared at that ocean place was what the real Euryale was thinking."

*Medusa catches Hawkmon in a net & rushes in the house.*

<Aha! Mom! MOM!>

E"That was about 50 euros in groceries. You guys are in a bit of trouble."

Tae: <50 euros? Seriously?>

*At this point Hawkmon is just shrieking madly.*

Tae: <That's not too bad, knowing Hawkmon. I'll pay you as soon as I get the chance. (Sorry.)>

*Hitomi lays down, curling up into a ball staring at the remains of the bench she was sitting on several hours ago.*

"I think... I'm gonna stay here a little longer."

Salamon:<But won't the other worry?>

"Taiyo's probably still sleeping, Tae's... I don't know. And the others are probably occupied with whatever..."

*She begins to nod off till' Big Ben rings eleven times and her eyes snap open and she cringes.*

"I hate this city."

=====================================================

"BlackGabumon?"

BlackGabumon:<Yes?>

"When did today go bad?"

BlackGabumon:<What?>

"It started out good this morning, but as the afternoon came around, everything began to go wrong."

*Taiyo gets off the bed, her knees shaking, she steadies herself on the bedpost and slowly walks towards the door.*

BlackGabumon:<Where are you going?>

"I think I'm going for a walk. Or something. I just want to be alone somewhere."

BlackGabumon:<...Okay?>

[I woke up and everything was not all right.]

*She walks out leaving BlackGabumon staring in confusion.*

Tae: <I hope Taiyo is okay...>

[I hope Hitomi is okay too...]

*He stands by the doorstep. Hawkmon digivolves once more and starts stomping around the house trying to run out.*

*Euryale's mother is sitting at the kitchen table.*

???<If you don't stop destroying my house, this time, I'll let my daughter shoot you.>
================================================
*Euryale & Tsune open Euryale's bedroom door. Cue awkward silence.*

*Hitomi falls asleep and soon finds herself in the same all black room, in the same chair, under the same pale blue spotlight, with the same book in her lap. It opens showing everyone in the cave, two forms completely blacked out.*

Euryale:<Aww, but I bet that you &-- ...Tsune have plenty in common!>

"No, we don't."

*A few pages turn showing Taiyo helping her after the raft barreled her over.*

"She helped me. Even though she couldn't remember my name. I don't blame her, it's not like I've done anything to be acknowledged let alone remembered."

Taiyo:<Let me help you up. Maybe we can guilt trip them or hope they died in the crash.>

"That was... the first time I smiled while being with them."

*The page flips to Taiyo refering to her as a sexy librarian.*

"I... blushed. I hate blushing."

*The pages turn to their first day in England and Salamon and Tsune are arguing till' Hitomi tells Salamon to stop.*

"Their conflict didn't concern me, but I intervened anyways. It's not like we're friends or anything. What did Zarek say? 'We have to get a long'? How am I supposed to get a long with someone I've never said a single word to? She said we're supposed to be friends, but how is that possible? We have no common ground and can't relate to one another. But doesn't that apply to all of us?"

*The pages turn to later that day when she helped Taiyo with BlackGabumon.*

"I said I was returning a favor, but part of me doubts that. Her and Tae were the only ones to consistently try and interact with me. Perhaps I wasn't returning a favor and instead I was trying to... Be a friend."

*The pages turn showing her and Tae at the park searching for Taiyo.*

"I went to look for her when she left. Whatever caused her to leave had nothing to do with me yet I also went to go look for her. But... I think I got jealous of her because of what Tae was saying. It shouldn't matter, so why did I feel so lousy? This makes no sense at all. I feel horrible. I don't understand how I feel about them or why I'm so confused all of a sudden. Do I want her to consider me a friend? Do I want to be considered her friend? Do I want to be anyone's friend?"

*She lets go of the book and it falls to the floor without a sound and disappears.*

"I don't know anything! Zarek said we have to get a long and respect each other, but how am I supposed to contribute to the team when I don't know what I think about the others or what to contribute? Euryale... Courage. Tsune... Friendship? Taiyo... Love. There are the other two, but I don't know anything about them, but I'm sure they provide something. The only one I can honestly think clearly about is Tae... Hope."

=====================================================

*Taiyo stares at the two and walks out. BlackGabumon remains where he is.*

BlackGabumon:<Hi.>

T"Hello, Black Gabumon."

E"Should we--?"

T"Nah, she'll be fine."

*Aquilamon stops moving, gawking at the woman that I assume is called Helen.*

=====

[We all have so much in our minds, so much to think about, yet none of us really knows what to do. Everything seemed easier in the Digital World... but I guess it doesn't really have to do with the real world.]

*He looks up to the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun with his right hand.*

[And Allina and Patamon... I hope they're okay.]

Tae: <(We need to do something... Just hanging around here, it isn't doing any of us any good.)>

*He turns to the house and steps inside.*

Tae: <Hum, hello? Can anyone tell me if Taiyo's up yet?>

*Taiyo stands on the stairs staring at Tae.*

"...Yes."

=====================================================

*BlackGabumon looks at Tsune like he's just met her and she made the worst first impression ever. Which if you think about it, she did.*

BlackGabumon:<You don't understand people very well.>

T"Maybe I don't like being jerked around so much. You don't see Betamon complaining because I give him too much attention, or too little, or don't laugh at some joke he's made, or whatever Taiyo's all pissed off about now. Where is he, anyway?"

*Betamon hops into the room smelling strongly of strawberries.*

B<Yo.>

*Tae smiles upon seing her and waves.*

Tae: <Oh, hi. How are you feeling? We were worried.>

[What does he mean by "we"?]

"I could feel worse."

*Taiyo looks past him towards the door.*

"Where's Hitomi?"

=====================================================

BlackGabumon:<Maybe he ga->

*BlackGabumon's interupted by Euryale's computer turning on, the screen being all staticy.*

Zarek:<Breaker, breaker, do you copy? Kiddies, do you copy?>

=====================================================

*Hitomi tosses and turns while Salamon tries to push her back.*

Salamon:<Please wake up. This is an awful place to... To do anything.>

*Hitomi is laying on a hill staring at the moon while snow falls around her.*

"He never stopped trying to talk to me. I feel different when I'm around him. It's a warm feeling like his embrace."

*A scene of Euryale hugging her appears on the moon's surface.*

Euryale<Even though you don't talk much & I think that the snowman might have given a warmer hug, I'm very glad to meet you.>

"No, you're not! Her's was cold. The same way I felt around everyone in the beginning. And still do towards some."

*An image of Tsune and a faint image of Allina flash on the moon's surface when she says "towards some". A scene of Taiyo hugging her appears.*

"Her's was... tepid. It happened, but that's about it. It could have gone on forever and nothing would change. But Tae's was nothing like theirs. I don't know what to think about him. These feelings are completely new to me and... I'm scared. I'm scared that none of this is real. I'm scared I'll wake up and find out none of this has happened. Wouldn't that be a good thing though? In the end we'll all be seperated by land, sea, and air. Then that feeling will return, but I don't want that cold feeling to return. I like the warmth. I want it to stay."

*Tae's face appears on the moon staring back at her.*

Tae:<You're pretty.>

"No one has ever complimented me or my appearance before. The closest would be Taiyo, but does that actually count as a compliment or is it just her being her?"

*The scene shifts to Tae confessing to her and plays on a continuous loop.*

"I feel sick. He confessed to me and I couldn't do or say anything. All I felt was my face turning red and millions of butterflies in my stomach trying to get out. I do like him. I wanted to tell him, but instead I made him worry."

*Hitomi curls up into a ball and rolls on to her side, a tear rolling down her cheek and freezing. The snow beginning to cover her*

"I should feel cold, but instead I feel nothing. I want the snow to bury and hide me... Maybe he'll uncover me and I'll be able to make my confession."

Tae: <She... She wandered off. I don't think she was feeling very well. If you don't mind, would you go and see if you can find her? And... be her friend?>

*He points down the street, sighing.*

E"I'm filing a restraining order. You were annoying enough in the Digital World. You are NOT coming into my room at random intervals. Wait...you were watching me get changed, weren't you?! Admit it!"