Kyuuketsuki: Illusions of Blood and Darkness
Co-Written By: Dana-cha' and Ice-cha'

Chapter Four
    Tentomon blinked as rain began to hit his back, suddenly realizing someone
was missing. "Ermm Gomamon..? Where's Jyou..?"
    This was not good, Tentomon thought dryly.
    Gomamon turned around and started to reply, He's right there, only he couldn't because he WASN'T there! The rain was pounding onto them both, and the frantic Gomamon rushed back, searching for Jyou. "Jyou! JYOU!!! Where are you?! Jyou!!"
    Maybe he'd fallen back... He had to be okay. This couldn;t be happening again. Not again... "JYOU!" He cried again... Yet didn't let himself cry. "Jyou, Jyou... You have to..." He came to a stop, moving over a fallen tree. A pair of items sat in the mud, under the harsh falling rain.
    He moved closer, and nudged one of them with a paw.
    "Tentomon.." His voice cracked, and he looked back to the other Digimon, before pushing the Digivices before him, hopelessness in his eyes.

~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~     Taichi nodded, "Yeah... Ne, Yamato, you're well enough to go back, right?"
    "I'm not going to let you finish this by yourself, Taichi."
    "Hikari's asleep, and we need to get this done... Koromon and I can get the fruit. You can take the others back to camp..."
    "Taichi..."
    "Saying no will only make me take you there myself, and then I'll come back and get the fruit. I don't want you to risk anything, okay? The camp isn't that far away..."
    "Taichi..."
    Takeru frowned and looked at Taichi. "B-but what about you..? What if something happens..? Koromon's too weak to defend you!"
    Koromon sighed and looked down. The boy was right... He had no way to protect Taichi, and he held back tears that threatened to pour from his eyes. What if something happened while the others were gone..? What would become of him and Taichi..? The little Digimon was afraid, but he was far from going to admit it to the others.
    Taichi shrugged, "Look, we'll be fine. It's not that much further, and I have to do this..." He picked up Koromon...
    "Taichi?! This is stupid.. You're being stupid!" Yamato had sat up, and pulled himself to his feet... And found himself staring at Taichi's receding back.
    "TACIHI?!"
    The boy paused, and turned back, smiling in the rain, "I'll be back soon, I promise... Please get Hikari back to camp... Please..." He bowed his head for a moment, and before another word could be said, he turned and moved away from them, a melting figure in the rain.
    "Taichi..." Yamato sighed, and moved to Hikari and Tailmon. He knelt, and picked the girl and Digimon up, blinking back frustrated tears, tears that were lost in the rain.
    "Come on.." ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~     "I know... I wonder if Jyou and the others have found anything about them..."

Palmon sighed. "I hope it's nothing bad... These cubs deserve parents.."
Of course, she had no idea that her hope was completely useless...

~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~     Tentomon stared at them, wide eyed. "T-this isn't possible! They both disappeared! And they were both right behind us..." The insect Digimon sighed. "Can you pick up the trail still... or should we try and go back to find the
others...?" It was their best hope, since they were likely to be taken too. Especially since they were seperated from their DigiDestined and could not defend themselves if they were attacked.....
    This can't be happening Tentomon.. It can't... But instead of speaking, he nodded, and spoke, "Come on, we need to get back to the others... The trail is gone. The rains too heavy..." He picked up Jyou's Digivice in his mouth, and pushed Koushiro's to Tentomon.
    He nodded towards the camp, trying his best not to break. He started forwards...
    Takeru nodded and took one last glance at Taichi, and then shouting into the gailing winds. "BE CAREFUL!!"
    Patamon shouted as well. "AND DON'T GET HURT!!!"
    Gabumon turned to Yamato to make sure that he felt good enough to carry the girl and her Digimon. He watched the boy for any sign that he was weaker than he lead the wolf-like Digimon to believe. ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~     "They do..." Sora mused, silently. "Oh well, Tentomon and the others will surely bring back some good news..." Piyomon nodded, and leaned against her child.
    "I sure hope so..." Palmon agreed, sitting down near the hat which the cubs were in. "They just have to have good news!"
    As if. ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~     Tentomon sighed and picked up Koushirou's Digivice. Koushirou... What was happening to his small ten-year old DigiDestined..? Or did he truly even want to know...? Shaking his head, he sighed once more. "R-right... Oh God, I hope they're okay..." He followed Gomamon silently. ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~     Taichi waved back to the group before he was swallowed completely by the rain, and as he did Yamato turned his gaze to Gabumon, Patamon and his brother. "Okay... Let's go..." Holding the girl close, he moved through the muck and rain, careful not to trip. He knew Taichi cared about Hikari, as much as he did for Takeru... If he let something happen to her - Something else happen to her... He sighed, and pushed those thoughts away from him, and headed towards the camp. I'll get you there safe, Hikari. For Taichi...
    He seemed well enough as he went along, and thanked the fact that he was far to stubborn to let the exhaustion take him until he had safely delivered the girl... ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ "They just have to have good news!"

Piyomon nodded, "You're right!"
They were so very, very wrong.

~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~ ~~~*~~~

    He awoke to a pounding headache, and opressive darkness. It weighed down on him, and Jyou knew it made his breathing difficult. Where was he? Where were the others? Where was Koushiro? He tried to sit back, and other for the spinning of his head, he was all right... He was sitting on a gravelly floor, and it was cold... Darkness blending with the cold...
    "Is anybody there?" He asked, his voice weak. The faint scent of death curled about him, lingering... The chill only seemed to heithen the smell.
    He tried to stand, but his knees were weak. He fell to the ground, knees skidding along the small, sharp rocks... Fresh blood, fresh pain. He tried to support himself, but only found his hands pressed into the gravel... He tried, so hard. He didn't have the strength.
    The room was becoming lit, bit by bit, soft luminiscense that added a edge of fear. It had been bad enough in the dark... But being able to see it.
    He forced himself to his feet, and fell again, but this time strong arms caught him, strong arms that kept him standing. He shivered, the touch was cold, he could feel it through his clothes.
    "Who are you?" He gasped, and the form moved around, supporting him from the front.
    "I am me..." She replied sweetly, evil glinting in her eyes. He tried to push away from her, but the eyes captivated him - Reeled him in.
    "It won't hurt.. I promise..."
    He stumbled back, moving with her - He felt the wall, cool, behind him, She smirked, fangs glinting in the soft light. Didn't the... His thoughts were wiped clear, as she descened, his mind blurring as the kiss took hold of him. Trailing away from his lips, soft nibbles,
    "No..." He gasped, futile in his resistence.
    She descended, draining the "him" from him.. And when she rose, her eyes were crimson glowing. "I promise you'll like it..." (End of Chapter Four, no..?)