At 8:05 AM EST this morning, two Boeing 767 jets collided with the WTC in New York City.  Onlookers watched stunned as at 10:05 AM EST the southern of the twin towers collapsed soon to be followed by the northern tower.  At approximately the same time, another Boeing collided with the west wing of the Pentagon in Washington D.C.  These acts of terrorisme have shocked and appalled the American People.  President Bush....

   Matt paced the room back and forth as the telebroadcast droned on, repeating the same thing and showing the same horrifying pictures.  He was worried sick.  Come on Mimi...you have to be okei.  You survived Apocolymon, the four dark masters, your tougher than that.  You just have to be okei.
   BRRRRRRRRRRRRINGGGGGG!!!
   Matt nearly leaped out of his skin as he raced for the telephone, slipping on the carpet twice, running into the corner of the doorjamb, and nearly breaking his fool neck as he fell down the last 6 or so steps.
   “Mimi!?”
   “Sorry Matt, it’s only me, Tai.”
   “Oh...hi Tai.”
   “No word yet?  I’m so worried, don’t her parents live right in downtown Manhattan?”
   “Yeah, her dad’s real big on the Stock Exchange...I sure wish she would call, I just wish I knew that she was okei.”   
   “Yeah buddy, I know.  Tell you what, I’ll let you go, so we can keep the phone line clear just in case.  Sora and I will head over to your place a little later.”
   “Okei, thanx Tai.  You’re a real friend.”
   “No problem, see ya later.  Bye.”
   “Bye”
   Matt hung up the phone and continued pacing a little while longer.  Getting frustrated with that, he went back to the TV, astonished at the chaos and disorder.  It was frightening, even all the way in Japan.  It defied everything, how is anyone supposed to feel safe anymore?


   In New York City

   “Oh Matt, I wish you were here. I don’t–I don’t want to die alone...” a lonely voice drifted off into a coughing fit in the dark dustiness.  Why did I have to pick today to visit the World Trade Centers?  I’ve lived here for 7 years and I had to pick today.
   Sobs began to fill the air, as tears streamed down a blood and dust covered face.
   “I’m sorry, Mimi.”
   “Huh?” Mimi’s eyes snapped open, looking for the source of the voice.  It was a child’s voice.  Unfortunately she couldn’t find the source of the voice, as she was pinned down by rubble.  She tried to turn her head, but a screaming pain coursing through her entire body quickly quelled her effort.
   “Don’t try to move.  I’m really sorry it had to be like this, I need you to understand,” the child’s voice pleaded.  As she had been talking, she had walked around so that Mimi could see her.
   “Winter?”
   “I need you to believe that I would never have chosen this way for anybody, I am truly sorry,” tears were trickling down the little girl’s face as she picked up one of the bloodied hands which stuck out of the rubble.
   “I’m scared, Winter,” she said, her voice cracking as more tears gathered in her eyes, “I don’t want to die alone.”
   “You won’t be alone.  This I promise you,” the girl reached out with her other hand to stroke the side of the other girl’s dirty, blood covered face.
   When the tower’s had collapsed, Mimi had been in another one of the buildings composing the WTC complexe about to leave in her car.  The blast had knocked down part of the underground parking and she had been pinned down by the rubble.  Winter shuddered at the horrific sight in front of her.  She was quite sure that Mimi was completely unaware of how broken her body was.  She sincerely hoped that she had broken her back and was not feeling any pain.
   “Winter? I know that you’re holding my hand, I can see it, but why can’t I feel it?” her voice shaking like a terrified child’s would.
   “It’s okei,” the little girl answered softly, “It will all be okei.”
   “I’m so tired...I just wish I could go to sleep...”
   “I’ll be here when you wake up, you should sleep now,” Winter choked back a sob, knowing what kind of sleep the girl would have.  She watched, her heart breaking as Mimi closed her eyes, and a strange kind of peacefulness took over her face.  Her last breath whispered through the entire complex, floating on the dust like the sigh of an angel.


   Sora and Tai had arrived at Matt’s place.  All were nervous wrecks as they listened to the names of the casualties that were being released over the television.
   “Did you just hear that?” Sora asked suddenly.
   “Hear what?” Tai asked.
   “That...” Matt answered for her as he followed the sound of the tapping to the sliding door of the balcony.
   “Demi-veemon? What are you doing here?” Tai asked, surprised.
   “It’s Davis.  He’s gone!”  the little in-training digimon answered, out of breath.
   “Gone?!  Whadaya mean, gone?!”  Matt asked in shock.
   “ I mean gone. POOF! No more! G-O-N-E!  One minute he was sleeping the next minute there’s this blinding light and then nothing...”
   “I don’t understand...” Sora mumbled, backing away towards the couch, shaking her head.  Once in the living room, she saw Winter standing there, covered in dust, and...
   Is that blood? Sora couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  “Uh...guys...you’d better come in here.”
   The two boys and the little digimon came running into the room.
   Tai was the first to speak.  “Did you...”
   Winter shook her head, “It was Koneko.  They are together now.”
   Totally misunderstanding what she was saying, Sora snapped.  “Are trying to tell us that he killed himself?!  I can’t...no...I won’t believe that!  You lying little...”
   “Sora! Calm down!  That’s not what she said at all,” Matt said in the girl’s defence.  He turned to look at her, “They’re in the dream world aren’t they?”
   Winter nodded quietly, a tear trickling down her grimy little face.  
   Tai was shocked at how much she really did look like a little girl at that very moment.  Suddenly he understood, “And Mimi...?”
   She nodded again, more tears trickling down her face.  She looked up at Matt with the most haunted eyes he’s ever seen.  “She didn’t die alone, Matt.  I couldn’t let her, not alone.  I’m sorry I couldn't do more.”
   Matt stood there staring at Winter, totally numbed into shock. 
   Sora’s knees simply let go from under her as she collapsed on the couch, her eyes filling with tears.  “Not Mimi...” she moaned, her body shaking with sobs. 
   She crawled to the floor where Matt had fallen and Tai joined them.  The three of them just sat there, holding onto to each other as the reality of the horrible pain and suffering of their friend hit them like a tsunami.
   “It is time for you to join with her, and Davis and Koneko and Glynn and Mishka,” Winter said, her voice still cracking.
   The three looked up at Winter, stunned.
   “Do you mean that we have to die too?” Tai asked uncertainly.
   Winter shook her head, “I don’t know why Koneko and Mimi had to suffer the way that they did in order to cross, but that , I guess, is Destiny’s way.  You will cross through me.  The suffering ends, now.” she finished, her eyes blazing in anger.  She began to whisper under her breath, and try as they might, the three could not make out what she was saying.
   Suddenly the room began to glow with a brilliant white light.  When the light faded, the three found themselves seated in the middle of a garden.
   “It’s the garden from the dreams...” Matt whispered.
   Suddenly, they heard a footstep behind them.  Tai turned to see who it was and was stunned by what he saw.
   “Koneko?”
   “Welcome,” she said.

---

   “You know why I’m here!” Kari yelled at the shadowy figure approaching them down the beach, “This ends here!”
   “Does it?” the slithery voice answered mockingly.
   “Yes. It does,” T.K. stepped up glaring at the figure.
   The figure chuckled evilly, “You’re too late you know.  The darkness has always reigned in the human heart.  You can’t stop it.”
   As he spoke, a spot of light was opening in the sky.  Through it the four could see two very tall towers in the middle of a great city.  They watched in horror as first one, then the other were hit by airplanes, engulfed in flames and collapsed.
   “Why are you doing this!?” Kari screamed, tears streaming, despite her. “What do you have to gain!?”
   “Why, my dear queen, nothing at all.  That’s the point.  Nothing.”

---

End of Chapter 13

I'm truly sorry for those of you who might think that it was distasteful to write this chapter like this, but to me, it was the truest way that I know to honour the innocent.
takarigato@lycos.com

To Chapter 14