Death's Insincerity

Matt lay on his back, staring at the now familiar night sky of the Digiworld.

Gomamon snored in his resting place between Matt and his brother T.k.

The young boy mumbled something about a cotton candy Digimon before

turning over and returning into deep sleep. On the other side of the camp fire Izzy

slept peacefully, clutching his laptop close to his chest, Tentomon snored gently

next to Gabumon and Joe, who was just far enough away from the fire to prevent

himself from having an allergic reaction to the smoke. Tai and Sora, as well as

Agumon and Biyomon slept a little further away, in a small huddle for warmth.

Matt's consciousness paused on the idea of Tai and Sora for a while. Those

two would get it together, soon, hopefully. He grimaced slightly, hadn't he

been saying that almost eversince they had arrived in the Digital World?

Sighing he sat up and and scanned the small, mismatched group, it wasn't right.

It slowly dawned on him that a young lady in a pink dress wasn't with them.

Palmon slept peacefully on Mimi's empty bedroll, but the girl was gone.

Standing up quietly, so as not to disturb a soul he scanned the vicinity

carefully, before finally noticing a slim silhouette by the lake. He walked

silently closer, taking in the sight she made.

Her hat was clutched by the brim in her small, delicate hands, her

illuminated by the silver highlights of the moon, which reflected in

her huge brown eyes, her chestnut hair fell from a ponytail down

her back. Over the three years he had known her she had retained

the 'princess' attitude, although, he conceded, there had been times

when she had proven herself equally tough as himself and Tai.

Her pink dress was now bordering on too small, and the cowgirl

boots were wearing in holes. He looked down at his own familiar

faded blue jeans, now ripped at both knees and threadbare at

the pockets, and the torn green t-shirt and smiled. If he'd

known he would be here this long he'd have at least packed some underwear!

As he got closer to Mimi he noticed gentle tears falling down her cheeks,

she shut her eyes tight, as though in pain. He stood right behind her

and reached out to touch her shoulder. She jumped at his fingertips and turned her face away to hide her tears.

'M-m-matt, I thought you were asleep.'

' I felt restless.' He replied gently, sitting next to her on the boulder. ' Mimi, what's

wrong? Why are you crying?'

She paused as though debating whether to tell him or not, before drawing in

a shuddering breath. 'Gennai visited me whilst you were all asleep, he told me it was necessary to leave by morning.'

' Leave?' Matt questioned, ' As in leave the DigiWorld?'

' No, leave the group.' Her words fell like pebbles in the silence.

'W-what?! Mimi are you out of your mind?! You can't leave us! You and Palmon could never make it alone!'

Mimi shut her beautiful eyes and whispered, ' I know, that's why I'm leaving Palmon with you.'

Matt felt his heart plummet, and inexplicably he felt like crying at the sense of loss that had begun to dawn on him. Without thinking he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and declared, ' I'm not letting you go!'

' You don't have a choice!' She sobbed, ' Please don't make this harder than it already is!'

Breaking free of his grasp she rose to her feet, and gazed down into his fathomless blue eyes,

her own shining brightly with unshed tears, before she turned away and walked up to the campsite. Regarding the group she sniffed back her tears and whispered, ' Goodbye guys, and good luck. I'll miss you.'

'I'll miss you too.' Matt whispered in her ear before turning her around to face him and cupping her

chin in his hands. Carefully he brushed his lips across hers, savoring the taste and delicate petal softness that was Mimi. 'Good luck.'

' You too Yamato, you too.' She squeezed his hand reassuringly, and turned away, walking

one foot in front of the other into the dark forest that surrounded them.

Part of Matt screamed for him to follow her, to protect and comfort her, but his body was

frozen in shock and denial, all he could do was sink to the ground, bereft, and curl up, his eyes never leaving the spot where she had been.

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Mimi swiped the tears from her face and tried to concentrate on the uneven

forest floor before her. For the first time in her life she was completely alone, independently responsible for her own life. The reality of how much she had relied on her friends fell on her like a landslide, causing her near physical pain.

She would miss them all so much! Tai, the courageous, friendly, sometimes

stupid leader, Sora the constant, steadfast friend. Izzy, the voice of reason

in her life. Joe, always the sarcastic pessimist. T.K. what an angel.and Matt.

Unconciously she touched her lips, even though the kiss had been brief,

it was all she had needed. There would be no more protection from her friends

Digimon either, she realized, and abruptly thought of Palmon. ' I'm sorry Palmon,'

She wailed out loud, The levity of what had happened weighing like a ten ton weight on her heart.

A faint apparition of Gennai to her right made a cry of alarm rise in her throat, but she choked it back before it was voiced.

' You have done well Sincerity.'

' Why did I have to leave?' She questioned miserably.

' Next to courage your crest is the strongest, it is for your protection, as well as your friends.'

' But alone Gennai?' Her eyes filled up with tears once more.

The old man heaved a sigh of irritation, ' You are a weak character with a strong crest, you must learn independence.'

He snapped before fading from view.

' Weak!' She yelled, ' I am not weak!' The tears receeded as strength fuelled by anger flowed through her,

straightening her frame she sucked in a breath and marched at a brisk pace, navigating carefully over roots and vines that tried to tangled around her ankles and trip her to the ground. After a while her head began to pound a staccato beat against her temples and her feet were tired and sore. Wearily rounding yet another corner she froze at what she saw. A huge scorpion like Digimon stood in a clearing. It saw her almost instantly and flicked it's poisonous tail towards her with deadly accuracy.

Adrenaline surged through her blood as she took off at a dead run, leaping over

objects in her paths as she listened to it crashing along behind her, gaining on her

every second. Her breath rasped in and out of her lungs, she tried to pace herself, to scrounge

more energy, to run faster, but the fear consumed all reason. Glancing behind her she saw the tail whiplash forward and stumbled, falling to the ground as pain seared down her arm.

Rolling over to face it she saw it's pincers snapped together in front of her nose, raising her

arm to cover her face and protect her head she cried at the thought of never seeing her friend

or family again, and cowered from the delirious words of hunger from the animal, before gathering her last scraps of courage and facing her certain death.

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The sun rose slowly over the horizon , illuminating the campsite, the weak rays rose Matt

from his guilt ridden daze, he glanced around, blinking blearily wishing it was all a dream.

But no, Mimi was gone, almost as though she had never existed, never been a part of the

digi destined. The others slowly began to wake up to the sunlight, Tai last up, rubbing

his eyes and running his fingers through his brown, sticky up hair, his brown eyes fell

on Matt's hunched form, frowning he wondered what could be wrong, he and Matt

might not be the best of friends, but the older boy looked, well, as though a part of him had died.

The others all rose and walked over to him, but it was Sora who touched Yamato on the shoulder,

jerking him from the deep reverie he had once again sunken into.

' Matt, what's wrong?' She asked gently.

' Yeah dude, what's with the grim face?' Tai added.

Matt tried to speak, but had to clear his throat first, even then it was gravelly and hoarse. 'Mimi's left.'

' WHAT?!' The whole group yelled, digimon included.

' She said Gennai told her she had to go.'

' Alone? Mimi?!?' Joe exclaimed.

' It is highly improbable.' Izzy commented, cringing at the thought of the none too bright Mimi alone in the DigiWorld.

' Why without me?' Palmon wailed, her eyes filling with tears.

'Princess has gone off alone? Is she out of her mind? Did one of us offend her? I don't understand!' Tai said, his voice rising in panic and confusion.

Sora stared at Matt her eyes calculating. ' You saw her leave, didn't you?' She accused. Matt's only rely was a stiff nodding.

' THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HER?' She yelled. 'MIMI DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE ALONE!'

The blonde boy stood up slowly, glaring at Sora, ' I JUST COULDN'T SOMETHING STOPPED ME!'

Sora's eyes sparked fire and tears, as did Matt's. Seeing an ensuing fight, Izzy interrupted.

' It is essential that we locate her and intercept her navigational trajectory.'

' Find her and stop her.' Tentomon interpreted.

' I'll use my laptop to find her digivice, that will lead us straight to her. The small boy sat on the ground and tapped at buttons for a few seconds. ' How irregular.'

' What is it Izzy? T.K. questioned, eyes wide with worry.

' According to this Mimi is.....'

' Yes?' The others prompted anxiously.

' Right here.'

They all scanned the area for a familiar figure in a pink dress, all they found was Gennai,

standing slumped in the center of the clearing. In his hands he held a battered and bloody pink Stetson and a torn khaki purse, a digivice beeped quietly to itself, attached to the strap. He looked at the Digidestined with mournful eyes.

' Gennai, where's Mimi.' Tai whispered, almost afraid to ask.

' I am sorry Digi Destined. Sincerity met a Scorpiomon in the forest, she tried but...' He trailed off. ' This is all we found.'

The hologram-like apparition laid the items on the ground. Everyone stared, shocked, dead to everything but the inky tide of grief.

' She's.............dead?' T.K. gasped, his voice trembling.

Gennai looked into the young, innocent blue eyes, seeing the light of the future fade in the pain of the present.

' Yes, I am sorry, She is gone.' The last words echoed around the small glen as he faded from view.

Palmon made a small sound as he collapsed onto the cold ground, her sobs were the trigger to the other's grief.

The other Digimon crowded around her, comforting her as their tears fell. Sora sobbed into Tai's shoulder as silent

ears rolled down the dark haired boy's face. T.K. sat where he was, crying loudly as he looked through the rippling tears at his brother. Matt was several shades paler than dead white, he sank to the ground, tears blurring the scene before him. Joe and Izzy stood either side of him, trying to get through to him. He ignored their miserable pleas and buried his head in his hands . For the first time since he was seven, sobbed as his salty, crystalline tears fell to the unforgiving earth. His mind screamed in denial as his heart tore into pieces.

' Why Mimi, why not me?' he asked quietly. T.K. looked up, two pairs of blue, bloodshot, brimming eyes met. The younger boy charged to his brother, and held him tight as the tears continued to fall.

The sun was high in the sky before the final droplet of water had fallen, leaving behind the hollow shell of grief that only time could heal. One by one they all went down to the lake, to sit in solitude along it's shore. The Digimon mourned the loss of a friend and a savior, Palmon clutched the pink hat and Digivice whilst staring at the water, her mind conjuring up a smiling image of Mimi and her voice rang in her ears.

' Once this is over, I'll take you to all the malls and buy you every dress you want Palmon!' Clutching the hat tighter Palmon sank into her memories.

The Digidestined each had their own images of Mimi. Izzy remembered her frustration at him when they found the ruins.

'Hello, Izzy are you listening? I'm hungry and I hate these stupid black gears.'

In his mind he saw her small boot kick the rotating wheel, it ground to a halt and spun the other way. ' Mimi, you did it! We're moving back towards Infinity Mountain!'

Sora remembered the little princess who had arrived with them, and marveled at the change that had occurred. She gave as one phrase drifted back.

' I don't like walking in dirt, so don't you even begin to think I'll sleep in it either!'

Tai remembered her singing, first in the sewer, the flat, wobbly tune of 'home, home on the range.' and then the clear voice she had used as the true Princess Mimi.

T.K. saw the gentle side, she had looked out for him, like Matt, but more.....girly. She had hugged him and kept him warm when he was freezing to death.

He remembered he joking words at one point:' This is getting bad, I'm starting to miss my little brother!' The boy thought of the brother he didn't know, and realised people other than the Digidestined and Digimon had lost someone they loved, the grief returned in a fresh wave, compounded by this thought.

Joe thought of all the times she had agreed with his plaintive pleas for a rest, or a drink, or not to go there without thinking, He'd lost his partner in whining, as well as his friend.

Matt sat staring at the waters, remembering her touch, that brief kiss, the only kiss he'd ever receive from her. If only he'd truly known! He could have helped her,

maybe even saved her...... Rising to his feet he stated in a monotone, hoarse voice. ' We ought to keep moving, whatever happens, we still have to get home.

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End Of part 1.

What will happen to the Digi Destined now, Did Mimi really die, or did she miraculously survive the encounter with

the Scorpomon?

Will Palmon ever see her again? and will this fic ever get published.? Find out soon in ' Touch of Evil'