Episode Three: Beneath the Deep

Cameron:<You are the two everyone seems to want to kill.>

R"Yeah. You have a sped crest. It's been heavily suggested that yours are more significant than the rest of ours."

Azuma: "Wendigomon didn't single us out. Neither did the sea monsters that were running up the place. Everything is out to get us."

Cameron:<Yet the major stuff does.>

R"Yeah. Bottom line, we can't do anything about the fancy vacation world you keep disappearing to if we can't even see it. Disregard what Aroma says."

Azuma: "IceDevimon also wanted us all dead. Guarantee the next one will too."

Fastforward to a time when everyone stops arguing like bitches and resolves to sleep. Taiyo wakes up to find her blanket draped over her, Euryale, and possibly Aroma, the moonlight reveals nearby footprints resembling those of a humanoid dog.

Taiyo: "I slept too late."

*Kylie and Cameron are using Biyomon as a pillow, while Eve stares up at the sky*

R"Uh...."

*Roatha stumbles upon Guilmon, sleeping buried up to his neck in the sand. Dorumon is curled up some distance away.*
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*Aroma is clutching Lalamon in her sleep, Euryale Taiyo.*

Azuma stares at the dead fire, while his eyes are wide open, he still sleeps. Beside him Hitomi trembles in her sleep.

Taiyo stretches, her joints cracking and popping before cuddling up to Euryale again.

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Azuma stands in the circle of statues, creatures like the ones in the forest only taller and not bound by some kind of spiral. They take a step towards the inside of the ring then back up, stumbling as if something caught them doing something wrong.

Patamon and Salamon stand on either side of him looking about before their gaze locks on the statue of the rabbit, Salamon's ring glowing.

Salamon: "This is the same place as before, isn't it?"

Azuma: "Yes. What are those things and these statues?"

Salamon stares at the rabbit, backing up, Patamon doing the same. Images of armor clad angels and a large-rabbit looking creature flash through their minds.

Salamon: "These aren't statues. They're...living Digimon. The rabbit is...angry."

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The three wake up, the Digimon startled.

Patamon & Salamon: "Cherubimon!"

*The weird cracking noises startle Euryale, who jerks awake, forming a fist & looking around.*

"What's that?! Who's there?!"

*This also causes Aroma & Lalamon to wake up. They sit up, clutching each other & looking around.*

"Oh God, what is it?!"

<What is it? Oh, Sovereigns...!>

*Everyone wakes up*

Eve:<What's going on?>

Azuma: "Huh? Nothing."

Azuma holds the trembling Hitomi close to him, although she doesn't stop trembling.

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Disturbed by Euryale sitting up, Taiyo sits up.

Taiyo: "What's going on?"

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Hitomi finds herself in the same cave the Digimental of Light was found in. In its place is a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] object. The dark image of herself sits on the floor of the cave, its legs contorted in some impossible manner until it stands, its joints popping and snapping in a sickly manner.

Dark!Hitomi: "I told you we'd meet again. But you didn't need me to remind you of that, did you? While you sleep and dream and even while you're awake, you'll end up here eventually."

Hitomi: "What is this place?"

Dark!Hitomi: "Beneath the world where the soulless dwell. A place that the damned call home. A place where the virtuous hide in fear. A place we see only in our nightmares. A place where the sun is silent."

Hitomi: "Hell?"

Dark!Hitomi cracks a half grin which she holds for a few seconds before her mouth starts to droop as if her skin is melting. Hitomi steps back.

Dark!Hitomi: "That is one interpretation of this place. The inhabitants of the Digital World would see it that way."

Hitomi: "What are you?"

Dark!Hitomi: "I am you. I am Hitomi Alla. Or at least the Hitomi Alla that resides deep within the darkness of your heart."

Hitomi: "The darkness of my heart?"

Dark!Hitomi: "Yes. If 'Light' is understanding or enlightenment, then 'Darkness' is ignorance. It is what we cannot know or understand. Do you know why you and Azuma are haunted by visions of this place?"

Hitomi: "No."

Dark!Hitomi: "Can you understand why you are haunted by visions of this place?"

Hitomi: "Not if I don't know why."

Dark!Hitomi smiles again her whole mouth drooping.

Dark!Hitomi: "He is not important. The Priest wants nothing to do with him, but he is bound to you. He is just an interloper."

Dark!Hitomi points a bony finger at Hitomi.

Dark!Hitomi: "The Priest wants you. He wants to uncage the darkness that lies within your heart."

Hitomi: "But if you're the darkness in my heart, why doesn't 'The Priest' settle for you?"

Dark!Hitomi laughs, its laughter echoing through the cave.

Dark!Hitomi: "I do not truly exist. I am much like the creatures that dwell outside. I am only darkness and void. I do not exist to The Priest. I exist only to you for the time being."

Dark!Hitomi approaches Hitomi, its body rotting away and its horrid face nearing hers, its glasses falling off as its ears decay and nkse decay, it reaches out and grabs Hitomi by her jacket.

Dark!Hitomi: "The darkness inside of you is crawling its way to the surface and will expand like a web. When you hear The Call, you will answer."

Hitomi shakes awake with a gasp and falls back as if she had been trying to push something away and lost her footing.

*Eve sits up*

Not this again.

Kylie:<Is Hitomi alright?>

E"I heard noises!"

Azuma helps her up.

Hitomi: "Y...Yes."

Azuma: "Let's just...go back to sleep."

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Taiyo: "Sorry. I guess I was a little stiff."

E"...I could probably fix that."

*Eve crosses her arms*

<If something happened you need to tell us.>

Azuma: "It's been established it doesn't concern you. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. It's not after anyone, but us."

Hitomi: "It's not after us. It's after me."

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Taiyo bites her lip.

Taiyo: "Okay."

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The two stare at each other, having not seen one another in a long time. Not parting ways on good terms didn't help matters either, but during conflict, differences are set aside for the good of the common goal.

Wizardmon: "It's been some time since the three of us have been in one."

Sorcerymon: "Witchmon is here too?"

Wizardmon: "Yes, she's resting upstairs. She exhausted herself flying her from Overdell. The Myotismon she'd been with was slain yesterday."

Sorcerymon: "I was unaware she'd moved on after we all parted ways."

Wizardmon: "Yes. She'd been residing in Overdell for some time. She used her magics to aid Myotismon is perfecting its ability to control Devidramon as well as raise an army for when it desired to take Infinity Mountain. She had shown me the destruction brought on by Myotismon's killer. And with its death, she believes her purpose died as well."

"Wait, really?"

*Euryale looks around.*

"But where would we go?"

*Eve stands up, crossing her arms*

<We're a team, which means we handle things as one. So stop keeping what could be important information from us.>

Azuma: "Your definition of team differs greatly from mine. We do not work as one like a team should. We work as splinter groups that happen to be going in the same direction."

Patamon: "We had a bad dream. I guess Hitomi's was different from the rest of us because she wasn't there."

Azuma: "Patamon..."

Patamon: "What? I don't know what it's about, but that place gave me the creeps. That Digimon was totally something else and those black inky things...What were those? And that statue...Or not statue."

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Taiyo looks around.

Taiyo: "Here?"

She then looks at Aroma and Lalamon.

Taiyo: "Although I guess that'd be weird."

A"We can...just go somewhere else...if you want...."

E"I don't know, I don't particularly want to get sand in strange places."

L<I don't get it, what's happening?>

Eve:<Well, we need to work as a team. We're the chosen children.>

Azuma: "Easier said than done."

When Hitomi seems calm, Azuma stands up to collect some branches to rebuild the fire as he feels the need to constantly do.

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Taiyo: "We have my blanket. And you have one."

She looks at Aroma, feeling guilty about apparently trying to drive her off.

E"I guess that's true."

A"I'll just...yeah...."

*Aroma takes Lalamon & heads off towards the others. Euryale frowns.*