Chapter 1: Almost Human
Summary:
Takuya and the Legendary Warriors prepare for their first day back at school after their magical summer as they grapple with the reality of the portal finally reopening.
Chapter Text
"It's almost time to get up."
"Oh, we'll be fine. Just give him a second, and everything will work out..."
"I don't think the other people in the house are going to agree."
"Whatever. We'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Wake up, Takuya. You've got a big day ahead of you."
Takuya Kanbara slowly but surely forced his eyes open and stared up at the ceiling overhead. His bedroom was as familiar as it was comforting, and he smiled to himself at the sight. Part of him was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep, completely ignoring the wishes of the voices that whispered in the back of his mind, but he knew that wasn't going to be an option for long. Instead, he simply shrugged with muted surrender before swinging his legs over the side of his bed and rising to his feet. He had a lot to get ready for, and every part of him knew it.
It didn't take Takuya long to slide into his school uniform, and he examined himself in the mirror once he was finished. He slid his goggles over his head and let them rest around his neck, a small smile on his face. He wouldn't be able to keep them on for long given the strict dress code of his high school, but at least he would have the chance to enjoy them for a little while longer. He deserved that much.
Takuya breezed out his bedroom’s door from there, grabbing his phone on his way out. He was going to have to come back for his bag later, but he couldn't bring himself to mind. As long as he had his phone for breakfast, he would be fine.
It seemed that the two other young occupants of the house had come to much the same conclusion, as while Takuya was walking easily down the hallway to the kitchen of the Kanbara household, he was met with the sight of Shinya, his younger brother, and Chihiro, his best friend. Both of them were focused on reading on their own phones, barely seeming to register that Takuya was there at first. He couldn't help smirking at the sight, and he crouched down and gently nudged his shoulder against Shinya's torso. "Morning," he greeted casually.
Shinya instinctively pushed back against him with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. "You don't even need to say it," he told his brother. "I can feel you mocking me for being short."
Takuya grinned at that and reached out with one hand before starting to ruffle at Shinya's hair. "Aw, you caught me," he said easily. He glanced over to Chihiro a moment later, still smiling brightly. "What do you say, Chihiro? Want to join me in making fun of the squirt here?"
"Maybe when I'm sure that we're going to actually get to school on time," Chihiro replied, and Takuya rolled his eyes. Chihiro had always been a bit of a stickler for time contrary to what people might have expected of them at first. It was as helpful as it was counterproductive when it came to poking jabs in Shinya's direction, and both of them knew it.
A few moments later, the trio arrived out in the kitchen in full, and they were met with bowls of cereal and the bright eyes of Yuriko Kanbara from where she stood over by the sink. "I didn't think the summer would go by so fast," she admitted. "It feels like you were finishing up with your last session of classes just a week ago, but I suppose that time always seems to fly by when you're having fun."
Takuya nodded his agreement at that and shared a knowing look with Chihiro. Yuriko didn't know the half of it, and she never would. Nobody ever would. After all, there were some secrets that simply weren't meant to be shared.
As Takuya sat down at the table and focused on eating his cereal, he turned on his phone and navigated his way to a familiar message found within his inbox. He had been staring at it a lot lately, and this morning was no exception, not that this was particularly surprising to him. Saki had meant it when they said that things were changing, and Takuya couldn't help mulling over their words whenever he had the chance to do so.
'The gate to the Digital World is open again.'
In more ways than one, Takuya still couldn't believe it. A month had gone by since the Legendary Warriors had returned from their adventures in the Digital World, and the gate was finally open. The Digital World had seemingly restored itself sufficiently enough to welcome its guests and saviors back within its boundaries, and that meant that the time had come for Takuya and all of his friends to return home.
Well, return to their second home.
"I can't wait to go back. I wonder how much things have changed."
"I never got to see what the Digital World was like after the war ended. I guess now's going to be the perfect time to change that."
"I hope so. I bet that the Digimon are going to be waiting for us when we get back too."
Takuya did his best to shrug off his raging thoughts to focus on both the message and his morning meal. It seemed as if this had been happening a lot lately; he just couldn't seem to get a grip on what he was thinking, and his mind spiraled with countless whispers that sounded something like him while also being entirely different. He wasn't sure where the line was supposed to be drawn, but he supposed it didn't matter all that much. He was getting closer to being able to return to the Digital World, so who could blame him for being excited? Anybody would be happy with the idea of being given the chance to go back to the place that had brought them so much life.
When Takuya glanced over to Chihiro, he saw that they were doing much the same thing that he was. They were looking down at their phone to try and see if they could lift the words from Saki's message and change them into their current plans, and Takuya couldn't help wishing for much the same. A few days had passed since Saki first sent out their declaration that the portal back to the Digital World was finished and opened, but none of them had been given the chance to see it for themselves. The universe had simply been working against them by making all of them busy in preparation for the next semester of their school years. It was hard to plan a trip to another world when they were constantly distracted by making sure they were ready for classes to start again. The timing hadn’t been great for anyone unfortunately, and they could all feel the consequences.
But school wouldn't be able to hold them back forever. Soon enough, they would be back in the Digital World, and Takuya couldn't wait.
He tapped his foot impatiently as he finished the rest of his food, not missing a beat once he was done. He rose to his feet and dashed off towards his bedroom, seeing along the way that both Shinya and Chihiro had already gotten their things together in preparation for the day. He shrugged off their lack of spontaneity and made his way down the hallway before pushing the door open and stepping into his room.
Takuya's backpack was still resting on the floor exactly where he had left it the night before, so it didn't take much time or effort for him to scoop up the bag and position it on his back. He stared at his reflection in the mirror as he went by, smiling back at his own face. Part of him barely recognized the person that he was seeing while another version of him was sure that this was who he was meant to be. It was a strange paradox, but Takuya had grown used to it in the weeks since he had returned from the Digital World. This was simply his life now. Living on one side of the barrier between two worlds was strange, but he was going to fix it soon, and everything would finally be right again.
Soon, he would be able to enjoy both of his homes, and he couldn’t wait.
Takuya glanced over to his desk once he was finished admiring his reflection, and he opened the drawer that he had come to keep his most precious items in. He quickly dug out exactly what he was searching for, feeling the familiar texture of steel beneath his fingertips. Takuya smiled and allowed himself to gaze upon his D-Tector in all of its stunning glory, his reflection staring back at him from the screen.
Ever since the D-Tector had manifested in his room again, Takuya hadn't been able to stop looking at it. This was proof that everything was going to begin again. The Digital World was going to step back into his life once more, and he was ready for it. This time though, the connection would be permanent. He could feel it deep in the pit of his stomach where the fire of his life burned bright and hot. This was what he had been waiting for, and at long last, the time had finally arrived.
Something about having the D-Tector so close to him just felt right. Given the fact that he had spent so many weeks in the Digital World with the small device on him at all times, that made sense. Back then though, his D-Tector had transformed from his phone, and it had changed back to normal after it helped to save Koichi’s life. The fact that it was back now was proof that Takuya was on the verge of going back again. He could feel it. Takuya hated the idea of having to part with his D-Tector, and the longer he stared at his reflection, the more convinced he was that he couldn't just leave it there. The Spirits of Fire were resting within it, and he needed to feel their buzz beneath his fingers. He needed to feel them with him.
"Fire will always be with you, Takuya. The bond has been established, and it'll never disappear again."
"Take it."
Takuya didn't object to his thoughts as he tucked the D-Tector into the front pocket of his backpack. Something told him that the rest of the Legendary Warriors were going to be doing something similar as well. After all, the D-Tectors reappearing was a sign that their adventure was not yet over, and they weren't going to simply abandon these hints of a greater destiny to come. The D-Tectors had brought them together when they were first in the Digital World, and that meant that they had to keep the devices with them now as well. It was the thread that bound them even across dimensions.
"Takuya! You're going to be late!"
The sound of Yuriko's voice pulled Takuya out of his thoughts, and he dashed towards the door of his room while flicking the light switch along the way. "I'm coming!" he cried out before beginning his brief jog down the hallway to the kitchen.
Sure enough, Chihiro and Shinya were both waiting for him, the former impatiently staring at the clock on their phone. As soon as they realized that Takuya was there, Chihiro tucked their phone out of view and offered him a small but knowing smile. A challenge. "Are you ready to go?"
Takuya just grinned back. Nobody else knew what they were referring to, and they didn't have to. As long as he knew the truth, everything would be alright. "Yeah," he replied. "I am."
~~~~~
The walk to school was a simple one, and Takuya stayed with Shinya and Chihiro the whole way there. As soon as the trio arrived at the campus, they split off in separate directions with Shinya leaving to catch up with the friends he hadn't been able to spend time with over the summer. Chihiro, meanwhile, began to navigate through the campus grounds without missing a beat, almost as if there was some invisible force pulling them in the right direction. They knew exactly where to go, and nothing would be able to hold them back from reaching those who were waiting for them.
It didn't take long for the duo to arrive at their destination. Izumi Orimoto and Koji Minamoto were standing under a tree in the courtyard, and they were engaged in what Takuya could only assume was an incredibly important conversation. Their voices were low, their way of ensuring that nobody who was not supposed to know overheard what they were talking about.
Luckily for Takuya, he was already fully aware that he was in on their secret, and he grinned as he strutted up to them in Chihiro's wake. "Hey there, you two," he beamed. "It's nice to see you again."
"Hey, Takuya," Izumi greeted with a gentle wave and a smile so genuine it could block out even the sun with its radiance if she allowed herself to try. "You too, Chihiro."
"What's up with you guys?" Chihiro questioned, noticing the solemn looks on both of their faces. Deep down, Chihiro already knew the answer, but they couldn’t help asking anyways. It was the best way of opening up the conversation they all knew they needed to have, and Takuya was glad for it.
Koji glanced around the area warily to make sure that nobody was watching before he lowered his voice. "Did you guys get them too?" he asked. He reached into his pocket a moment later before producing his D-Tector, his expression solemn as could be. "It came back."
Takuya nodded and patted his backpack where he had hidden the device. His suspicions about the other Legendary Warriors bringing their D-Tectors along had been correct, not that he had expecting anything else. "It happened to me too," he assured Koji. He could already tell by the look in Izumi's eyes that the same had happened to her, and he had heard Chihiro's story previously as well. In other words, it was safe to assume that all of the Legendary Warriors had seen the same strange series of events unfold regarding their D-Tectors, and Takuya's heart swelled with excitement at the thought.
"Saki said that the gate was open again too... We're going to have to use these to get back there. I mean, without any Digimon that possess the power to open the gate, we've got to get in there ourselves," Chihiro said.
"I'm sure Saki will know what we're supposed to do when we're ready to go back," Izumi told the others firmly. She smiled as she looked down at Koji's D-Tector, no doubt wanting to reach for her own where it was resting in her bag but unable to bring herself to do so out of fear of being seen. "I can't wait to see what the Digital World has become in our absence. I'm sure that everything has nearly fully recovered from what Lucemon did by now, so that means we should finally be able to see what the realm was supposed to be like all along."
Takuya nodded his agreement. "I hope so too," he grinned. "The Ancient Warriors told us that the gate was going to be shut for as long as the realm needed to recover, and given the fact that the Digital World is sending us welcoming gifts, I think that means everything is falling back into place again."
"It'll be great to head back there again," Chihiro remarked. "It's been too long in my eyes, and I can't wait to see what the Digimon are up to these days. I hope they're enjoying themselves."
Takuya nodded once more, but before he had the chance to say much of anything else, he found himself falling silent as another group of four teenagers drifted a bit too close to where Takuya and company were standing. Koji immediately moved to shove his D-Tector out of view, though Izumi still took a step in front of him instinctively just in case he needed to be blocked from sight for a few extra seconds. Chihiro perked up as well, a frown heavy on their features.
Three of the quartet were boys, and Takuya vaguely pulled out their names from the last few semesters he had attended classes with them. Katsuharu Suzuki stood at the front of the group. His hair was a light brown color to match his eyes, and everything about him was the very picture of confidence, the same endless self-assurance that Takuya had seen on the soccer team so many times. They had played on the team together for a few years, though Takuya wouldn’t say they had ever grown particularly close.
Teppei Takeuchi was beside him, his brown eyes hidden behind large glasses that barely seemed to fit on his comparatively small face. Teppei's hair was a darker brown color and swept to the side in the gentle breeze of the morning. Takuya didn't know much about him, but he did know that he had wondered countless times throughout his time in school how Teppei had come to be so close with Katsuharu of all people given how inherently different their personalities seemed to be. Katsuharu was extroverted and bold while Teppei was quiet and reserved. Teppei preferred the company of books to people while Katsuharu was the opposite. Takuya had almost given up on finding an answer after all this time, but his curiosity continued to nag at the back of his mind.
Next was Teruo Fuji, who stood slightly behind the initial pair. His hair was somewhere between Katsuharu and Teppei's in terms of shade, and his eyes seemed to glitter with excitement as he continued to chatter with his friends. He was also on the soccer team, though he was nowhere near as outgoing as Katsuharu. Even so, Takuya had still spoken to him a few times during practices despite them not being close friends.
The only girl in the party, Chiaki Miura, was clutching a pair of notebooks to her chest as she listened in on her companions. Her brown hair was tied into a pair of perfectly neat braids that fell down her back in a picture of elegance. She was silent, but Takuya could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she was listening eagerly to what her companions had to say.
Teruo was the first one to recognize the people he had almost walked into, and he smiled as he looked up and offered them a brief wave as he cut off his previous conversation. "Hey, Takuya," he greeted. "You too, Chihiro."
"Morning," Chihiro said bluntly. "You four sure seem excited about having to wake up early to sit in a classroom all day."
"We've had a lot to talk about. The summer was pretty eventful, wasn't it?" Katsuharu questioned. His words were an unspoken challenge, but he didn't allow himself to fully explain the rules of the game. After all, that would give away what advantage he had, and if there was one thing Katsuharu hated having to do, it was surrender in the face of an opponent regardless of who they were.
"It most certainly was," Takuya grinned. That was the simplest way he could put it, though he knew that his reasons for finding the summer to be special were different from what the other four must have assumed. He was bound to catch up with Katsuharu and Teruo again when practices started up again for the new semester, but until then, he was more than happy to offer vague replies about how much he had adored the events of the last month.
Chiaki looked over to Teppei at that, and he dropped his gaze to the books in her arms before clearing his throat. "It's good to know that you've all had fun," he said simply, though it was clear there was something on his mind that he refused to say upright. Takuya wasn't too surprised; after all, Teppei had always been the anxious sort whether he wanted to admit it or not, and that only made his friendship with the headstrong and reckless Katsuharu even more peculiar to outsiders.
"Summer was nice, but I wonder what our classes for this semester are going to have in store for us," Izumi smiled. She had effortlessly slipped back into her old habits of smiling at others as a default state of being, but it felt much more genuine than it had when Takuya first met her a month ago. It was hard to believe that they had technically known one another for so little time, but he supposed the Digital World had distorted their perceptions of many things, and time was just the beginning of it.
"I think it'll be nice," Chiaki told her with a grin of her own. She opened her mouth to continue, but she cut herself off when her phone buzzed with what Takuya could only assume was an alarm of some kind. She offered a weak smile before deactivating her alarm and putting her phone back into her pocket. "I'm afraid that's our cue to get going though. Classes will be starting soon, and we don't want to be late."
"Of course," Izumi assured her. "I'll talk to you later, Chiaki." She and the other girl exchanged brief waves before the quartet of newcomers walked away, and Izumi allowed her hand to fall back to her side once they were out of view.
"You know her?" Koji questioned, seeming almost caught off guard by the idea. His hand was still resting defensively over the pocket where he had shoved his D-Tector, almost as if he was afraid someone would find a way to figure out that he had been hiding it throughout that entire conversation.
Izumi nodded. "We've had a few classes together over the years, and we've gotten to know each other through it," she explained. "She's a nice girl, but we don't get to talk all that much because we have so much else going on. She and Teppei are part of the school's newspaper, so she spends most of her time working on that. She’s done a few reports on the gymnastics team too."
"That makes sense," Takuya commented with a nod. He looked at his own phone for the time before wincing. "They were right about us needing to get going though. We should probably try and meet up a bit later to talk about... You know..." He held up his other hand in the motion of swiping Fractal Code rings around his fingers before letting it fall back to his side, hoping that his companions had picked up on what he was trying to articulate.
Sure enough, Izumi nodded at that and took a few steps away. "Of course. I'll talk to all of you a bit later," she grinned. She briefly bowed her head before retreating, and from there, Koji did much the same with a wave of one hand.
Once they were alone, Chihiro and Takuya shared a brief smile before going their separate ways for the day of classes ahead. They would have all the time in the world to chat after they had finished their primary business for the day, but until then, their musings about the Digital World would have to wait a little bit longer. Takuya didn't mind at all though. After all, they had all the time they could ever ask for.
And soon enough, it would lead them back to the Digital World.
~~~~~
Koichi Kimura hadn't ever been fond of early mornings.
It had taken him years to uncover the reason for his distaste for waking up at the crack of dawn each day, but upon deeper reflection, he recognized that it was because of the nature of his element. As the Warrior of Darkness, he preferred to embrace the nighttime, and that meant staying up as late as he could stand to try and calm himself in the shadows. He enjoyed the silence and the solace that came when the moon rose, and the sun always seemed to break through his tranquility much to his disappointment.
Of course, it wasn't as if Koichi had much of a choice in how to manage his time with the new semester upon him. He had woken as early as he could stand that morning, a frown on his face the whole way through his preparations for the day. Realistically, he knew he was going to be fine when he went to school, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to find a way to go wrong.
This wasn't exactly an unfamiliar sensation for him. Ever since he had slipped into the Digital World by falling down the stairs, he had been terrified of another accident happening again. He had gotten lucky enough to survive before, but he was afraid that he wouldn't be quite so lucky this time. His physical therapy had gone surprisingly well, and he was back to the way that he had been before his fall. In fact, one could even argue that he was doing better than before because of the power of the Spirits of Darkness flowing through his veins. They brought him strength on his hardest of days, and he was glad to have them with him.
Koichi forced himself to breathe carefully with the shadows as he went through his morning routine. He knew he would be fine once he got to school and had something to distract himself from his constant paranoia. Koichi had always loved school and learning, and he could tell that what he needed most right now was a few minutes in the library to indulge in one of the new books that the school had purchased. He hadn't been given much of a chance to read and decompress on his own since his physical therapy was so insistent on eating up much of his previously free time, and he was ready to finally embrace that hobby once again. He deserved that much after all he had been through.
It took Koichi a few minutes to pull a familiar face out of the crowd once he arrived at school. Koichi had never been one for socializing with others openly because of his shyness, and that was something that Hinoka Sakatami was able to relate to. They had discovered through sheer chance that they attended classes on the same campus, and they had started to grow closer ever since the revelation hit so they would be able to survive the rest of the year together. Isolation was a terrifying beast, but as long as they could turn to others who were familiar, they would find a way to pull through.
Hinoka somehow seemed even more anxious about being back in the school building than Koichi was, and that was quite the impressive feat. Then again, he supposed it made sense; Hinoka had an unfortunate history with many people who ranked themselves at the top of the social hierarchy. As long as the chance to see them again existed, she was bound to be anxious.
Koichi approached her carefully before gingerly placing a hand on her arm so as to not startle her. Hinoka nearly jumped out of her skin anyways, though she seemed calmer than Koichi would have expected for reasons he couldn’t define. "Good morning," Koichi greeted with a small but pleasant smile on his face.
"Koichi," Hinoka smiled to him, immediately relieved to have a familiar face at her side. "It's good to see you... But I'm a bit surprised that you're here, if I'm being honest."
"Because of my physical therapy?" Koichi questioned, refusing to say the words 'fall' or 'concussion' out loud even though he knew that was what both of them were thinking. It may have been true, but that didn't mean he wanted to have to face it.
Hinoka nodded. "I know that you've been getting better, but... I don't want you to push yourself too hard after everything that happened."
"Don't worry about me," Koichi assured her. "I've been improving much faster than my doctors even thought to be possible. Plus... I've had a great support system." He let his hand come up to rest on his heart, and Hinoka's eyes immediately softened with understanding. The Ancient Warrior of Darkness had been the one who gave him the chance to survive through his near brush with death, and the healing properties that came with being part Digimon had helped him more than he could ever hope to express over the last few weeks. He didn't even want to imagine how much worse off he would be if he hadn't had that extra boost of magic on his side.
"I'm glad to hear it," Hinoka told him, her smile growing wider and stronger. She looked off to the side, though she didn't seem to be able to find the words necessary to continue the conversation. Koichi was helping her anxiety, but he wasn't an instant cure, and neither one of them knew what to do to ease the burden currently resting on her shoulders.
Koichi was more than happy to continue the conversation though, and he reached for his phone before pulling up Saki's message and turning the screen in her direction. "How do you feel about going back to the Digital World?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Hinoka stared at the message for a beat before her shoulders lost all of their previous tension, and she permitted herself a new brightness to her smile. "I'm excited," she admitted softly. "I hope this goes well... I want to be able to go there and just enjoy myself for a little while, especially after everything that happened before."
Koichi nodded his understanding, but he could sense something a bit deeper hiding in her tone. She was nervous, but she refused to say what exactly had frightened her so much. Something deep in the pit of his stomach told him that it had something to do with the Digital World even though that should have helped her to feel better. Talking about their second home seemed like an easy way to help with her nerves and get her to stand up taller and straighter, but there was a peculiar darkness that made it less true than Koichi would have liked.
"Is... Is there something about going back that's worrying you?" Koichi questioned after a moment of silence. He prayed that he didn't sound too intrusive for pushing on a subject that could have very easily been sensitive, but something told him that what Hinoka needed most was to talk and get it all out of her system, and who was he to object?
Hinoka thought about it for a moment, hesitating like the words were on the tip of her tongue, before she swallowed it all back. "Have... Have strange things been happening to you ever since you got back from the Digital World?" she asked softly, almost as if she was afraid of posing the inquiry to begin with. Everything about her voice was terrified and ghastly in a way that she was struggling to articulate, and Koichi couldn't help but feel even more anxious at the mere idea of her nerves spiking so much so suddenly.
For a long moment—much too long—Koichi faltered. He didn't know how he was supposed to respond to that. He would have been lying if he said that everything had been perfectly normal since he returned to Earth, but he also lacked the words to express precisely what it was that had Hinoka so troubled. His stomach twisted as his desperation to find the proper phrasing got the better of him, but in the end, he wasn't able to force anything out from between his lips.
"I didn't expect to see you around here again, Hinoka."
In the end though, he didn't have to.
Koichi glanced up and was met with the sight of Emon Koyama, one of the school's foremost sports stars and Hinoka's greatest demon. She instinctively looked away, but Koichi allowed himself to continue staring, taking in Emon's light brown hair and how it almost seemed to frame his face a bit too perfectly. He took great care in ensuring that he looked his best, and he refused to be caught off guard regardless of the circumstances. Everything about him was practiced and measured before being twisted beyond the edges of brutality.
But the rest of the world didn't know that, so the other occupants of the hallway simply continued to push past one another in their pursuit of their various classrooms. Emon stalked slowly over to where Hinoka and Koichi were standing, knowing that neither one of them would try to run. There were too many people in the hall, and on top of that, Emon would find a way to track them down even if they tried. That was simply in his nature—to never let his prey escape.
Hinoka didn't even give Emon a response as he grew closer, instead simply staring down at the ground off to the side. He frowned as he crossed his arms, looking down on her with all the contempt in the world. "I would have thought you would have been too ashamed to show your face around here ever again," he remarked. "You always had a good idea of common sense... I was hoping that perhaps it would teach you to stay out of my way from now on."
"I'm not going to throw away the rest of my life simply because I don't want to be around you," Hinoka told him, measuring the weight of each word on her tongue before she dared herself to release it. She still refused to give him the eye contact he so wildly craved, instead finding the tile beneath her shoes to be much more interesting.
Emon simply scoffed and shook his head before turning his attention to Koichi. "It seems you've already moved on from me... You were able to find someone awfully fast. I would have expected it to hurt a little bit more when you let me go, but I see now that I meant nothing to you even after all our years of friendship. You truly do know how to wound a person, Hinoka," he murmured. Beside Koichi, Hinoka grew somehow stiffer, but she didn't move from the spot so as to not provoke him further.
"I think we should get to class," Koichi suddenly interjected, unable to hold himself back anymore. The voice that came free of his lips hardly sounded like his own, instead seeming more like a fragmented imitation of what he had come to know from himself. He was angry, but beyond that, he was defensive, throwing out an arm in front of Hinoka even though he knew that he would never be able to take Emon in a fight. The other boy towered over him, and without Spirit Evolving, Koichi wouldn't have stood a chance.
Emon's expression twisted into a snarl before he scoffed. "Too afraid to fight your own battles... Good to know that some things never change.” He turned on his heel and walked away at that, offering a half-hearted wave to Hinoka over his shoulder. "Good luck making it anywhere in this school. You don't even know the beginning of what could come to you next as long as I have something to say about it." He was so nonchalant with his threats that it made Koichi's rage boil over once more, and for a moment, the Warrior of Darkness was confident that he was going to explode with anger.
However, he was cut off by a small sigh from Hinoka. She shook her head and reached for her phone, desperate to have any distraction she could get her hands on. Her body was shaking, but she was doing her best to keep it hidden under a mask of passive apathy. It was no doubt a learned skill—the way she had come to cope with Emon's cruelty in their many years of companionship—but Koichi still hated the empty look in her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Koichi asked carefully even though he already knew the answer to that question. How could she be okay? All of her struggles with controlling her Beast Spirit stemmed from her awful relationship with Emon, and even after the two had agreed to go their separate ways, it seemed Emon still had a bit of lingering rage he insisted on taking out on her. In other words, she was going to need Koichi's help more than they thought when it came to coping during school hours, even if it was only for the purpose of having a witness to deter Emon from saying anything too sickening.
"I will be," Hinoka muttered. She reached for her D-Tector where she had placed it in her messenger bag and stared down at it with a small frown on her face. Her reflection was so overwhelmed with sadness and grief that Koichi felt as if he was being punched in the stomach just by looking at her. "We'll be able to go back home soon, and everything will finally be okay again."
Koichi simply nodded at that, allowing his eyes to close and the rage to wash over him. He despised Emon, and he hoped the piece of shit knew it.
Deep within him, there was a void, and it raged to be filled with blood.
~~~~~
Tomoki Himi retreated to a corner of the cafeteria as soon as lunch came around, and he immediately let out a heavy sigh of relief. He rather enjoyed the sense of structure that school brought to his life, but he still needed a bit of time to catch up with everything that was happening around him. Returning to his old life once again was jarring as could be after he had spent so long in the Digital World, and somehow, going back to school instead of spending his summer days in peace made the fact that he was on Earth again feel so much more real. He hadn't been able to escape the sensation all day.
But Tomoki knew that he wouldn't have to sit with it forever. After all, the gate to the Digital World was open again, and that meant that he would be able to go back once more. Tomoki had been waiting for this day ever since he returned to Earth. He was desperate to see his Digimon friends again, to feel the rush of ice beneath his fingertips. He had been able to sense the strength of his element when he did mundane things like stand in a cool breeze or open the freezer in his family's home, but he wanted something more. After he had become one with the power of ice, something inside of him had changed for the better, and it didn't feel right for him to ignore the call of his instincts for any longer than he already had. The Digital World was waiting, and Tomoki was yearning for it in return.
"You sure seem excited."
Tomoki must have had his giddy grin written all over his face, because when he looked up, he was met with the sight of Mayumi Reiku smiling down at him with the same look of endless glee stretched across her features. "How are you doing today? Is your first day back going well?" she questioned.
Tomoki smiled and nodded in response. "Yeah... It's certainly different from what I got used to back in the Digital World, but I guess that can't be helped," he told her. What he didn't say was how incredibly jarring it was to see her wearing a school uniform. Somehow, it seemed to fit her the least out of the Legendary Warriors, though Tomoki could easily guess as to why that was. It was the opposite of her personality, and everybody who had ever met her knew it.
"It's going to take a bit of getting used to," came Haroi Tsurumaki's voice a moment later as he rolled up in his wheelchair. He had a small smile on his face, and Tomoki could see the anxiety bubbling over in his eyes. It seemed as if coming back to school after being around a small group of people exclusively for so long was a heavy burden for him as well whether he wanted to admit it or not. Tomoki couldn't blame him in the slightest; it was going to be a learning process again for him too.
"At least we're almost ready to head back there and see what the Digital World is actually like without all of the constant fighting," Mayumi pointed out as she leaned against the table Tomoki was sitting at. Haroi stared at her for a moment, silently asking her why she refused to sit, and she sighed before doing as he wanted her to, her high ponytail swishing all the while. "I've been looking forward to it. I mean, just imagine it! Running through the Digital World for as long as we want while in our Digimon forms just so that we can feel the wind in our hair... I don't know about how the two of you feel, but that sounds like heaven to me."
Tomoki nodded his agreement. "I'm excited too. Plus, this will be the perfect chance for us to learn more about the Digital World. I mean, we found out quite a bit while we were scaling the planet to stop Cherubimon and the Royal Knights, but..."
"Fighting for your life is kind of different from being able to sit down and actually enjoy the culture for what it is," Haroi finished for him when Tomoki felt his words failing him. The Warrior of Ice nodded, and Haroi let out a small laugh of understanding. "I've been looking forward to going back too. I want to see how the Digital World varies from our own in terms of common traditions and daily life."
"And he's been so excited to tell Bokomon all about it that he hasn't stopped putting together a reading list since we got home," Mayumi announced. "I don't think I've ever seen his room looking so disorganized. He's been so ready to talk to the Digimon again that he's dedicated nearly every waking hour to figuring out what he wants all of them to know."
"It's not as if Earth is quite like the Digital World. There, a single book existed about the common laws of the universe, and there were three copies of it as well. Here, there are all sorts of facts about Earth that don't fit into a single volume. I've been compiling books for quite some time, and I don't think I'm anywhere near close to explaining everything that really needs to be known in order for an outsider to understand Earth," Haroi confessed. "Then again, I suppose there are some things that simply need to be experienced. You can't learn everything about a world by simply reading about it. You have to face the world on your own and see what you can find."
"And that's what I'm looking forward to the most. There has to be some great food over there in the Digital World beyond just meat apples, and I can't wait to try them," Mayumi beamed. "It feels like we barely ever got to have full meals while we were in the Digital World, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next... I can already tell it's going to be great."
Haroi nodded his agreement before pulling a small notebook out of his bag. "I'm going to try and keep note of everything that we experience while we're there," he explained to Tomoki. "I've already written down everything that I know happened when we were there just to make sure we don't forget it. I don't think we possibly could, but it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of backup, you know?"
Tomoki nodded. "Of course. Besides, we're going to be learning a lot more about the Digital World when we go back, so it wouldn't hurt to have a way to keep track of everything."
Haroi hesitated for a beat before continuing. "I've... I've also been crafting some smaller theories about how all of us may have changed since we returned from the Digital World," he said carefully.
Tomoki's eyes shot wide open, something defensive already starting to form in his gaze. "What do you mean?" he questioned, refusing to state where his sudden surge of protectiveness had come from.
"Hinoka mentioned to me not long ago that she had discovered that she could breathe underwater. If you ask me, that seems like powerful proof that we're far from being as human as we once were, and I've been wondering what all of it could mean. The Digital World has clearly influenced us in many ways, and while I can't say for certain, I suspect that our elements are making it easier for us to handle them even without Spirit Evolving," Haroi explained. Just to prove his point, he gestured to Tomoki with his free hand. "You've certainly grown much colder since you first Spirit Evolved, haven't you?"
Tomoki nodded. He had known about the group becoming less than human for quite some time now, but it still felt strange to think about in his eyes. In a way, it was like a phantom that existed out of the corner of his eye that he never quite wanted to acknowledge. It was always there, but he didn't know how he was supposed to face it. He loved being a Legendary Warrior and having the power to Spirit Evolve, but he didn't quite know how he was supposed to grapple with all of this back on Earth. The last thing he wanted was for his sudden shifts in humanity to catch the attention of other people and earn him unnecessary eyes. He had seen more than enough of that to last a lifetime, and he didn't want to even think about the consequences if he could avoid it.
Whether Tomoki wanted to admit it or not, Spirit Evolving had not left the Legendary Warriors unscathed. They healed from injuries much faster and relied upon stronger instincts regardless of if they were fighting or not. They had all begun to change in earnest to compensate for their bodies shifting so drastically, and Tomoki wished he knew how to acknowledge it. He couldn’t tell anyone, but he didn’t know if he wanted to sit with the truth on his own either. It was just too much.
Mayumi seemed to notice that Tomoki didn't know how to respond to Haroi’s words though, so she snapped her fingers together to draw attention back to herself. "Hey, I know what we should do!" she exclaimed before reaching for her phone where it rested in her pocket. Tomoki couldn't say for sure, but he could have sworn he saw something in her eyes that was desperate to change the subject as well, and she embraced the distraction she had offered herself wholeheartedly. "Why don't we see how Yumiko is doing? I bet that she's in lunch around this time, so it wouldn't hurt for us to go on and call to say that we're thinking about her."
Tomoki nodded. Yumiko attended a private school that was on the expensive side, and while she lived in the same area as most of the other Legendary Warriors, she had wound up at a more elite academy for high school because of her impressive grades and desires to aim high. Her family's wealth only helped her in that regard, though it had pulled her away from the rest of the Legendary Warriors, much to everyone else's disappointment. They would find a way to keep in contact with her regardless though. No matter what, she was stuck with them for the rest of her life, and every member of the group knew it.
Haroi was on the verge of telling Mayumi that perhaps calling Yumiko wasn't a good idea since they didn't know her schedule, but Mayumi had already hit the call button by the time he was able to glance up and see what she was doing. Haroi fumbled for a moment before trying to protest, but he was cut off by the sound of a voice coming through the phone. "Hello? Mayumi?"
Tomoki couldn't help grinning at the sound of Yumiko's voice, and he pulled his chair around the table so that he was able to look over Mayumi's shoulder at Yumiko Mihara. Mayumi had pulled up a video call, and the other girl was smiling back brightly from the other end of the chat. "Hey, Yumiko!" Tomoki beamed, his happiness unable to be contained at the sight of her. "How are you doing on your first day?"
Yumiko hesitated, and she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side as if she was listening for something, but Tomoki couldn't hear anyone else on the other side of the call. Yumiko was in the bustling central hall of her school, but there was no voice that cut itself above the crowd, leaving everyone to wonder just what she had been trying to find. "I'm doing fine," she finally forced herself to say a moment later.
"Are you sure?" Haroi asked, clearly not buying her attempts to hide her uncertainty. "You don't seem to be acting like yourself. Is everything really okay?"
Yumiko paused once more, but this time, she was careful to control the way that she was carrying herself. She seemed to recognize the steely looks of determination in her friends' eyes that said that they were going to listen to anything she had to say regardless of how ridiculous she thought it was, so she sighed and allowed her eyes to fall shut. "I've felt like somebody has been watching me," she admitted softly, almost as if she was afraid of what was going to happen if she allowed anybody else to overhear her. "I don't know how to describe it. I swear that I can hear someone talking behind me, but when I turn around to see who's there, the space is just... Empty. I don't know what's going on, but it feels like there's someone staring at me all the time."
Tomoki felt himself go still at her words, and Mayumi frowned with dramatic vigor at her words. "I wish there was something we could do to help," she told Yumiko with a bit too much hastiness in her voice. "But I guess that we can't really talk to you all that much in person and figure out what's going on until we're able to find a time to go to the Digital World again."
"That should be happening later this week," Yumiko told her. "I don't know if you saw the most recent messages in the group chat from Saki and Junpei, but it seems like they're hanging out this afternoon and want input on when the best time for us to go would be. They want to go later this week, and I think they're starting to get anxious about how long it's been taking us to come up with a plan."
"I can't particularly blame them in that regard. All of us are eager to go back to the Digital World, and since they were the ones working on the portal, I bet this is stressing them out the most," Haroi agreed with a light nod. "But we'll be sure to respond to them and figure out when we can all go together."
"I'll be looking forward to it," Yumiko smiled. "I think all of us need some time back in the Digital World. As much as I appreciate being here on Earth, there's something about the Digital World that's just... Special. Perfect."
Before Yumiko could continue, she was cut off by a bell ringing out. "I think that's my cue to get going. Class is starting again soon," she explained. "I'll be looking forward to hearing from all of you again when you get the chance to talk more. Have a nice day, you three." She waved at that before hanging up the call, but Tomoki could still see the way her eyes were slightly pinched at the corners from what he could only imagine was stress. He liked to think he knew Yumiko rather well, and that was why it unsettled him so much to notice just how much anxiety she was trying her best to hide.
As soon as the screen went dark, Mayumi put her phone back in her bag and let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I guess we know what we're going to be doing next," she announced. "Why don't we talk about times when we're free to go to the Digital World while we're eating? I think that would be a great way to pass the time."
Tomoki nodded his agreement, and he pretended to not think back on Yumiko's words as Haroi began to put his notebook away in favor of pulling out his lunch. Yumiko had said that she felt as if she was constantly being watched, but when she turned, nobody was there. Something about it sent a shiver sprinting up Tomoki's spine, and he wanted to tell himself that it was just because that wording reminded him a little bit too much of the way that Yutaka had treated him in the past.
Deep down though, Tomoki knew the truth, and he really hated having to admit it.
~~~~~
Saki Fushida unplugged the computer before pushing the power cord back into the wall and rising to their feet. They placed their hands on their hips as they came to stand next to Junpei Shibayama, a small frown on their face. He looked at them out of the corner of his eye but said nothing, instead electing to shift his focus back to the computer screen resting on the table in front of them.
They were closer than ever before to getting back to the Digital World. Junpei could feel it. The message that Saki had sent had been proof of it, but Junpei could sense the Digital World calling for them deep in the pit of his stomach on top of that. The other world needed them to aid in its restoration after the fall of Lucemon, and Junpei was more than happy to listen to its call and go back home. He needed the Digital World too, and he couldn't wait to embrace it with everything he had.
As of now, he and Saki were trying to find a way to move the portal around so that it wasn't locked to a single computer within the lab they had taken to using as much as they could stand. Junpei had always come here after school, so it wasn't as if people found it particularly strange when he swung by over the summer, and from there, it had been easy enough to bring Saki with him. They were a peculiar pair, but nobody in the school seemed to pay them much attention. Then again, Junpei supposed that was for the best. For the first time, his outcast status was paying off.
After all, if anybody paid too much attention to them, they would probably get in trouble for opening a portal to another world on a school-owned device.
Junpei had his laptop sitting just next to the computer, and he could have sworn that he and Saki had messed with it at least three times in the last ten minutes just to make sure that they could get the rift to open there. They wouldn't be at much risk of discovery if they went through the portal somewhere aside from the school, so this was the safest option, though it was still proving to be rather difficult so far. They would figure it out eventually though, and from there, they could transfer the gate over to Saki's laptop and then to the other devices owned by the Legendary Warriors. Junpei and Saki had worked to get the latter a laptop over the course of the summer since they hadn't ever owned one previously, but the device was still a work in progress, hence why they opted to turn to Junpei's laptop for this task instead. Neither laptop was strong enough for their experiments with the portal though, so in the end, a school computer was the best option they could settle for as patient zero for their interdimensional rift.
Saki waited until the portal came up on the main computer screen before starting to type away at the keyboard again, a light frown on their face. Junpei could sense the tension in their eyes a mile away, and he frowned at them deeply. "Is something on your mind?" he asked carefully, almost afraid of the answer he was going to receive.
Saki, for their part, was at least kind enough to not make this a game of cat and mouse. It had been one of their greatest flaws when the two first met, but times had changed since then, and Junpei was beyond relieved for it. He didn’t have the energy to chase them after a full day of classes. "Do you think something is wrong in the Digital World?" Saki questioned in return, not even bothering to look up at him.
Junpei stared at them in ghastly shock for a long moment before blinking, uncertain as to how he was meant to reply to that. "Where is this coming from?" he eventually forced himself to inquire even though he could already tell that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"I don't know," Saki admitted. "I suppose I've just been thinking that something is wrong within the Digital World, and I don't know what to think of it. The easiest way to say it is that I've just had a gut feeling, and I have no idea what it could possibly be pointing to."
Junpei nodded carefully, wishing that he didn't know what they meant. The Legendary Warriors had honed their instincts since they first Spirit Evolved, and it gave them an innate sense of when something was out of balance. It had been helpful many times over the course of their time fighting wars in the Digital World, but now, all it did was make Junpei anxious. He knew that their instincts were rather reliable though, and that was what had him so worried. Saki was never wrong about this sort of thing; if anyone understood the Digital World, it was them. The element of Steel they held was described as the very pulse of the realm itself, and if they thought something was wrong, they were undoubtedly right.
"I guess we'll just have to figure it out when we go back though," Saki told him. They began to type away at his laptop a beat later, letting out a sigh after they were finished. "I think we're going to need a few more days of experimentation before we'll be able to actually get the portal up and running on your laptop. In other words, we're going to have to just deal with going through the computer for our first time tomorrow."
"We're actually going tomorrow then?" Junpei asked, excitement starting to swell in his chest. He had been hoping that the Legendary Warriors would find a time to go to the Digital World as soon as possible, but hearing that they were actually going back the following day didn't even feel real to him. The group had agreed to it via text throughout the school day, and Junpei had to fight to keep himself from smiling like a fool during class when he saw the plan come together. It was all he had asked the universe for over the last few weeks, but he was still anxious over the idea in a way that was both a breath of fresh air and a dip into cold water at the same time.
Saki nodded. "Soccer practice kicks off again for Takuya, Chihiro, and Tomoki again the day after tomorrow, so we're going to have to take care of things quickly so that we don't have to schedule around them like we would later in the week," they explained. "I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to it. We could all use a bit of time back there, especially if the world has really recovered enough to invite us back in."
"I feel the same way," Junpei grinned, but he could tell that there was a lot Saki was refusing to explain regarding their current thoughts. They wanted to go back to the Digital World and perhaps be convinced that their anxiety about something being wrong was all some twisted lie even though they were too smart to actually buy an excuse as weak and flimsy as that. Junpei could hardly blame them though; the Legendary Warriors had only just saved the Digital World once, and the last thing he wanted to have to face next was yet another battle to bring peace again when they hadn't even been able to enjoy the tranquility to begin with. None of them wanted that. How could they?
However, Junpei was kind enough to not betray Saki's true thoughts by saying that out loud, instead simply watching as they hooked up a cord between his laptop and the computer's main console. They examined the school computer's screen while Junpei moved over to examine his laptop with a light frown on his face. He was starting to get frustrated by how long this was taking, though he supposed that was to be expected. They were fumbling in the dark in more ways than one since neither one of them had any experience with otherworldly portals. They would get there soon enough, but until then, Junpei's impatience remained a stark thought in his mind.
But even more striking was his concern for Saki. If they thought something was wrong, then he believed them no matter how much he didn't want to. At the very least, the Digital World was at peace and had recovered from the conflict against Lucemon. The gate wouldn't have opened if the world was still unstable and struggling. That had to mean everything was as it should have been, right?
Liar, Junpei thought to himself with a discontented sigh. And you know it's a lie too.
Notes:
And so, we have arrived! Welcome to "Fates Unbound," everyone!
I've been looking forward to this story for ages now. Even when I was first finishing up with "Frontiers Unexplored," I had a few ideas bouncing around in my head for a sequel, and they wound up manifesting themselves here. I love this universe too much to stay away from it for long, and so, we have returned!
As for an analysis of the chapter itself, I started off with Takuya because I thought it would be fitting given how the first book also began with his perspective. Chihiro is here as well for yet another callback, but this time, we have a new addition to the opener: Shinya! I'm not going to spoil anything, but Shinya is going to be playing a much larger role this time around, and I'm glad I was able to include him here.
Speaking of characters who will be doing more in this story, Katsuharu, Teppei, Teruo, and Chiaki are here! They weren't in the first book since I already said there that Ophanimon didn't allow anyone who was not a Legendary Warrior to roam the Digital World, but they're here now! They're background characters to populate the world as well as being classmates for Takuya, Chihiro, Koji, and Izumi. They'll be doing a bit more later on, but for now, here they are, now with full names since they're important this time! Woohoo!
As for the schools the different characters go to, I want to clear that up really fast. Takuya, Chihiro, Koji, and Izumi all go to the same school and are in the same grade. Tomoki, Mayumi, and Haroi also go to that school and are one year younger than them. Junpei also goes to this school but is one year above the first four. Koichi and Hinoka are one year apart with Hinoka being older, and they go to school together. Saki goes to school on their own, and so does Yumiko.
Moving right along now that we've established that, Koichi and Hinoka's scene was a nice one. The two of them didn't talk all that much in human form after they had been purified, so I decided this would be the perfect chance to establish more of a dynamic between them. They're both kind of anxious, but they still do what they can for each other, and that includes the situation with Emon. Koichi standing up to him is a nice way of showing how far he's come and that he's not as timid as he used to be, so it was tons of fun to write.
After that came the scene with Tomoki, Mayumi, Haroi, and Yumiko, and I like how it turned out. Their banter feels so natural, and I loved being able to write them together. The four of them share the title of being the youngest in the Legendary Warriors group since they're fifteen where the others are either sixteen or seventeen, so it makes sense that they would hang out a lot, and I did my best to show that here.
Last but not least, we have the ending with Junpei and Saki. I love how this one turned out in part because of its signs of how far Saki has come and in part because of its foreshadowing. This chapter actually has a lot of small foreshadowing moments, and I am head over heels in love with all of them. This story has a lot going on, and I wanted to start planting the seeds for that early. I'm looking forward to seeing what theories you all construct, because there are probably going to be a lot more in this story compared to the original. After all, we're not in rewrite territory anymore; this is something new for the timeline, and I can't wait for you all to see it.
With that said, I'm going to leave things off here for now. Next time we meet, it'll be for the group's first journey back to the Digital World, and I hope you're as excited for it as I am! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 2: Homecoming
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors return to the Digital World after what feels like a lifetime away.
Chapter Text
Takuya hadn't been able to keep his nervous but excited energy in check all day. Ever since the decision was finalized that they were going to the Digital World that week, he had been practically vibrating on the spot, unable to hold himself back because of how overwhelmingly ready he was for all of this. He had been waiting for what felt like an eternity to return to the Digital World, and now that he was almost there, he could feel the power of fire starting to burn hotter under his fingers all over again. He couldn't wait to see what the Digital World looked like when it was in a state of peace, and his excitement refused to be quelled as he counted down the minutes to the group's travels to their other home.
They were set to leave for the Digital World from the school's computer room of all places, and while Takuya was mildly confused about why Junpei and Saki had chosen this as the opening position for the portal, he didn't ask questions as he walked as fast as he could without making a scene. He was smiling like a fool, but he couldn't care less about the people that were staring at him for it. He was finally almost back home, and that was what mattered most.
When Takuya arrived, he was only partially surprised to see Saki standing in front of a computer already. He had known they were going to be there without even recognizing that was the case. He supposed that his internal compass towards the Legendary Warriors was always active whether he was consciously thinking about it or not. This had been the case ever since they first fused to become Susanoomon, and in a way, it was comforting. It was a sign that they would never be alone regardless of how far apart they were, and Takuya couldn't have asked for anything better.
Takuya closed the door carefully behind himself as Saki shot him a brief nod. He tucked his hands into his pockets as he watched them work. "So... Why the computer room?" he questioned, figuring that he might as well try to strike up a conversation with them while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.
"This is the device that Junpei and I experimented with to get the portal open in the first place. We're hoping that we'll be able to transfer its programming for the gateway over to another device, but we've been running into a few roadblocks so far, so we're just going to go with this for now," Saki explained. "When we can get it up and running on a laptop, we'll switch to using that instead of a school computer. After all, this is incredibly risky as far as return policies go. We don't want to be spotted on our way out, so we're going to have to budget our time as carefully as possible while we're in the Digital World."
"But when we can get a laptop portal going, we'll have a bit more freedom," Takuya finished for them, and Saki nodded. They immediately went back to typing away at the keyboard, and Takuya simply watched as he set his backpack down beside his feet.
"You might want to put that away somewhere before we leave... Unless you want to drag it all over the Digital World with us, that is," Saki pointed out, not even looking up from their work at the computer. Takuya realized that they didn't have their bag either, and he was on the verge of asking where it had gone, but Saki responded first, almost as if they could read his mind. "Junpei is busy taking mine back to his house since he doesn't live all that far from here, but since you're on a sports team, you might be able to get away with stashing it with the rest of your practice equipment."
Takuya nodded before letting out a sigh. "I can't wait for us to work out how we're going to get there without one of these school computers," he admitted. As excited as he was to go back to the Digital World, the antsy stress that came with all of these small technicalities was starting to bother him, and he could already tell that it was going to be all work and no play until they could find a better method of traveling between worlds. At least Saki and Junpei were working on it. The two of them had opened a portal between worlds in about a month, so it was probably just a matter of time before they could work out the other problems and get the group all suited up with another method of transportation.
With all of that said, Takuya retreated from the computer room, and he dashed back to drop off the rest of his things, leaving Saki alone with their work. He was sure to grab his D-Tector out of his bag before shoving it into the pocket of his uniform. He was doubly looking forward to being able to travel to the Digital World in his own clothing rather than being forced to wear his uniform. As much as he appreciated his uniform, it was nowhere near as comfortable, and if he had to worry about fighting monsters in the Digital World, he wanted something a bit more suitable for the journey.
Then again, he wouldn't have to fight monsters all that much anymore, would he? The war was over, and that meant he would be able to turn his attention to the restoration effort and just enjoying himself in the Digital World. He liked the sound of that either way, so he grinned as he made his way back to the locker room. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to go to the Digital World with more comfortable clothing given that he had no idea what was going to be waiting for him. It was something to consider in the future once Saki and Junpei had finished their mission of moving the portal. Takuya didn’t have much of a choice that day, but he would in the future, and he was going to plan for it however he could.
Takuya really didn't think he was gone for that long, but by the time he returned to the computer room, the rest of the Legendary Warriors were already gathered together, and he stared at all of them in wide-eyed shock. "You guys all move fast, don't you?" he questioned with a shake of his head as he pulled his D-Tector out in full view again.
"Or maybe you just had bad timing," Saki joked with a light smirk on their lips. Takuya rolled his eyes, and the Warrior of Steel simply snickered before going back to work at pulling up the portal on the computer screen.
The gate was much simpler than Takuya would have expected it to be. For the most part, the screen was a light turquoise color, vast and empty. There was a smaller window at the center of the screen that showed what appeared to be a map of the Digital World. The most shocking part of it all was that the Digital World was, for the first time in the Legendary Warriors' memories, whole without any gaping voids to mark broken or stolen Fractal Code. Lines ran vertically and horizontally across the screen, and Takuya realized that it formed a grid with coordinates for where the group would be dropped off. Saki clicked on one specific location before zooming in, and a single image came into view of an open field with clear skies overhead. Something in the back of Takuya's mind told him that it was located in the Wood region.
"The portal should work in a way that lets us come back through the gateway in the same place as where we went through, so even if we have no computer on the other side, as long as we return to the same place, we should be able to get back here without too many issues," Saki explained to the rest of the group. "Of course, since all of this is so new to us, it's in an experimental phase. The best thing for us to do from here is just see for ourselves and test it out."
"In that case, let's get right to it," Chihiro said as they took a step closer to the screen. "All we have to do is hold up our D-Tectors for the portal to respond, right?"
"That's the theory, at the very least," Saki replied. "I believe this part of the Digital World is where we can find our Digimon guides as well. Something tells me they're going to be in this area, and since I've been given no reason to not trust my gut, I think we should go along with it."
"Perfect," Takuya grinned. He held up his D-Tector, and the rest of the group followed suit. The portal immediately sparked to life, and white light exploded forth from the screen before swallowing the Legendary Warriors whole and leaving the computer room empty as if there hadn't been anyone inside to begin with.
The moments that followed were, in a word, disorienting. Takuya felt as if he was being twirled through the skies in free fall while simultaneously being grounded by the flicker of fire within the pit of his stomach. He was getting closer to the Digital World though, and the flame in his core grew in intensity to prove it. He allowed himself to smile even though he could barely see anything through the overwhelming glow that surrounded him, knowing that they were almost there... Almost home again.
When Takuya's body finally found itself grounded once more, he was standing in a field that perfectly resembled the picture that Saki had pulled up before they set out for the Digital World. It took a moment for Takuya to be able to convince himself to move once again, and he looked around with wide-eyed shock at the realm that had unfolded around him. Vast greenery stretched out for as far as the eye could see, and the sky was a gentle pastel blue with the Light Heart burning proud as could be at the center of it all. Takuya smiled up at the star before glancing around to the rest of the group.
"We're really back... I can't believe it," Hinoka murmured. She crouched down to touch at the grass, her hair falling forward to grace the greenery as well. She smiled at the sensation before rising to her feet once more.
"It's all real," Mayumi said breathlessly. She immediately clapped her hands together, letting out a high-pitched squeal of excitement. "I'm so happy that we're finally back! We have to go and find the Digimon! I can't wait to see them again!"
Haroi nodded, and when Takuya turned to face the Warrior of Cosmos in full, he was met with the sight of the other boy standing on his own two feet. His wheelchair had seemingly been left back on Earth, though Takuya supposed this made sense. After all, Haroi had been able to navigate the Digital World without issues before because of the way his data had been translated in the shift between realms. It was certainly a change to get used to, but Takuya had no doubt that Haroi would be alright. After all, he knew what he was doing, and if he needed extra support, he would have everyone else at his back no matter what.
"There they are," Saki announced, pointing in the direction of a nearby village that could be seen on the horizon. "Our Digimon guides are going to be somewhere in that town. We should go and talk to them. I'm sure they'll be excited to hear that we're back."
Izumi nodded before she started walking in the direction of the nearby town, the rest of the group falling in line behind her. Takuya couldn't keep his grin off his face, and he let the breeze fall in around him to rustle at his hair and bring him a gentle feeling of calmness that he never would have been able to understand on Earth. Everything about this was simply perfect, and there was no other word that could ever come close to describing the sensation.
"It's so nice to finally be back... I was worried that it would take us much longer to come here again."
"Nope. Nothing is going to be able to keep us away from the Digital World for too long. We're connected to it, and we always will be."
"The Digimon are close... I can feel them. They're going to notice us soon."
"They're here!"
Before Takuya had the chance to address the raging inferno of thoughts in the back of his mind, he was met with the sound of a familiar voice, and his face broke out in a grin before he hollered and pumped one arm into the air. Bokomon could be seen standing at the edge of the town, Neemon at his side. Patamon flew above the pair while Salamon and Lopmon stood on either side of the original two Digimon guides. Bokomon waved grandly to the Legendary Warriors before he began to dash towards them, the others in hot pursuit.
Izumi crouched towards the ground, her arms stretched wide for all of the Digimon to hug her. They didn't miss a beat in reaching out for her as soon as they had arrived, and Izumi was nearly knocked off her feet and into the grass at their sudden leaps in her direction. She laughed the entire way, holding the Digimon close as tears started to prickle at the corners of her eyes from the jubilation of their reunion. Patamon came to nestle happily on her head, hugging at her ears with his wings. Everything about all of the Digimon was so perfectly content that Takuya never would have believed that they had fought in an endless war for the fate of the Digital World just a few short weeks prior.
"It's so good to see you again!" Salamon cried out as she moved on from hugging at Izumi to leaping into Koichi's arms. "I was worried that you would never be able to come back home!"
At first, Takuya was confused at her words given that the Ancient Warriors had said that their predecessors would be returning one day, but he realized a moment later that she was speaking to Koichi specifically. The Warrior of Darkness flushed at the sudden attention before looking away at the grass, too embarrassed to make direct eye contact with anyone in the group. "You can thank AncientSphinxmon for me being back here," he murmured. "He was able to save my life when his spirit fused with mine, and now... Here I am."
"I can tell that you've all been doing well since we last saw you," Bokomon said next, glancing around to the rest of the Legendary Warriors as he continued to circle through the group in search of any embraces he could find. "It's great to see you again. The Digital World has missed you... And so have we."
"The Digital World is back to the way it should have been all along now, right?" Mayumi questioned. "We saw a map of it come up when we were traveling here, and it looks like all of the gaps that showed up during the wars with Cherubimon and Lucemon have finally closed themselves up."
Bokomon nodded. "The Digital World has made a complete recovery since Lucemon's time here, though a few things have changed as well. All of the Digimon that he absorbed in his final bid to absorb the Digital World were returned to their homes again once the realm regenerated itself. There are barely any signs that Lucemon was here at all because of the way the Digital World has adapted with his absence. These days, the Dark Heart is simply the core of the planet rather than being his prison, and the Grand Spirit seemingly has faded from existence," he explained.
"On top of that, a few new regions have showed up on the planet," Patamon chimed in. "Before, the Energy and Cosmos regions were the atmosphere and moons of the Digital World respectively, but now, they have full on continents the way they used to before the original battle against Lucemon! The moons are a neutral territory now just like they were all that time ago."
"It sounds like things really have changed for the better then," Koji murmured. "I never would have thought that the entire Digital World would have been able to restructure itself like this within the span of a month."
"Because Lucemon was holding onto all of the data from the world to increase his strength, everything returned to the way it had been before once he was gone," Lopmon said. "And that meant that the lost powers of Energy and Cosmos returned as well, so it all fell into place from there. Now... Here we are."
"I can only imagine that there's even more for us to look around at now that we have a complete Digital World on our hands," Izumi smiled. "We don't need to mind the gaps in the planet anymore... Maybe you can give us a tour when we have a bit more time."
"We won't be able to stay for longer than three or four hours for this trip, unfortunately. We need to operate on a tight timeline for right now because of the way that we traveled here to begin with," Junpei elaborated. "But we should have a bit more freedom in the future."
"We're just glad to have you back for now," Neemon assured him with a wave of his hand. "You don't need to worry at all. We can show you around the rest of the Digital World another time. For now, I think we should take you into this village. I bet you're going to love it here. We've been helping the people here to put their lives back together, and all of the kids are loving the stories that we tell about all of you."
Takuya grinned at that, and he was on the verge of taking a step towards the village when he felt as if something was wrong. It was a quick whisper in the back of his mind, but he couldn't fully process the words because of how sudden it was. He just knew that this wasn't right, though it was impossible to decipher why.
That was when the ground began to tremble.
Takuya just about stumbled straight into Haroi because of how forceful the earthquake had been, but Koji threw out an arm at the last minute to steady him. Takuya shot the Warrior of Light a thankful glance, though he could still feel himself shaking from adrenaline. He wasn't entirely sure what the cause of the shaking earth had been, but he could say with certainty that this was far from being a good sign.
"Not again..." Salamon muttered with a heavy sigh and a shake of her head.
All eyes immediately whipped in her direction, and Chihiro's expression shifted to quizzical interrogation. "Again?" they echoed, the word coming out heavy and fearful despite Chihiro's attempts to ground themself.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to return to your Digimon forms to fight sooner than any of us would have liked," Bokomon sighed in lieu of an explanation. "We can explain a bit more after the battle is over, but if I had to guess, I would say that an attack is coming. Please... Be careful."
"We need to stay here and make sure all the Digimon in this village are safe," Lopmon explained, his expression somewhat twisted with guilt. "None of them know how to defend themselves, so we may need to evacuate if this doesn't resolve itself quickly."
"What's going on?" Yumiko questioned, unable to hide the way her voice trembled. "You make it sound as if this has become a regular occurrence, but that couldn't possibly be the case... Right? The Digital World has been at peace ever since we left."
"It's a complex situation, and it's one that I won't be able to explain in detail until after you've finished this battle," Bokomon said, his words hurried and haphazard. "We'll see you again later. I hope that you still remember how to fight, because you're going to need that prowess. I'm sorry for springing this on you so soon, but this is the only choice we have at the moment."
Takuya grinned and let his fist slam into his palm where it was waiting and open in front of him. "You act like we ever forgot in the first place," he pointed out. "I've been waiting for a chance to go back to being a Digimon, and this seems like as good a time as any."
"We move out at once then," Saki announced, gesturing for the rest of the group to follow them. They ran forward by a few short yards before pressing the activation button on their D-Tector. A single ring of data appeared around their fingers, a sign that they were planning on evolving into their Human Spirit form. It made sense; after all, something deep in the pit of Takuya's stomach told him that their foe wasn't going to be strong enough to merit much more than that. On top of that, they were going to need to ease themselves into fighting as Digimon again after they had been in human form for so long. What better way was there to get ready for the potential battles ahead than to go back to the way they had all fought in the beginning?
The other Legendary Warriors seemed to share the sentiments, and they all shifted into Human Spirit form as well. Takuya launched himself into the air before scanning the Fractal Code around his fingers across the top of his D-Tector, and when he landed once again, he was Agunimon. Above him, Kazemon, Blitzmon, Oceaniamon, Lyramon, and Orionmon all took to the skies. Kumamon slid across the grass with ice gathering across his feet for extra traction, almost as if he was skating. The rest of the Legendary Warriors—Lobomon, Lowemon, Aeoelmon, Fioremon, and Kirismon—simply ran in the direction of their enemy who seemed to be waiting in the same field where they had first arrived in the Digital World.
The first thing Agunimon noticed about the new arrival was his bright emerald color. The creature's body was covered in plates of what appeared to be armored scales, and the base color was green. Orange stripes ran across the Digimon's back and sides, and his tail and horn were patterned with dark gray spots the same color as his snout. The underside of his body was brown and somewhat hairy, and his feet held the same bright green armor as his back with three dark gray claws sticking out from each appendage. Finally, he had a set of yellow feathers hanging from around his head like a small mane.
"Parasaurmon," Aeoelmon declared instinctively as the Legendary Warriors finally stopped not far from the bright green Digimon. All of them knew the name to be correct thanks to their Digimon sides; Aeoelmon was simply the first one to say it out loud.
"Beast Digimon," Fioremon said next with a small nod. "Though I wouldn't have thought that a Beast Digimon would be out here of all places... It just feels a bit random. I can sense nothing but empty greenery for miles and miles, and yet, here he is."
"Something about him feels wrong," Blitzmon pointed out next. "I don't know how to describe it, but the way that he's carrying himself doesn't seem right to me."
Blitzmon didn't bother to ask the Legendary Warriors if they felt the same way, already knowing the answer was going to be in the affirmative. Their instincts were all more than strong enough to show that they knew exactly how awful this situation was even if they hadn't said it out loud initially. There was something off about Parasaurmon, and they could feel it deep in the pit of all of their stomachs.
Just to prove the point, Parasaurmon looked up, and his eyes felt so empty that Agunimon could have sworn that he had been punched by that mere glance alone. Parasaurmon didn’t seem to have a single thought in his head, and there was no light beyond his eyes as he glared darkly at the Legendary Warriors. Agunimon felt a rare chill run down his spine. Blitzmon was right; there was something wrong, and nobody understood what it was in the slightest.
Parasaurmon stomped one foot against the ground, and a moment later, the shaking broke out once again. Aeoelmon pressed one hand to the earth to quiet the trembling, and the rock fell still soon afterwards. The Warrior of Earth rose to their full height, a bitter frown splayed across their features. "Something is wrong here, but we still have a duty to protect that village, so let's get to it," they announced.
"Bokomon told us that he would explain whenever we returned, so we'll simply have to take care of this battle quickly so that we can go back and hear him out about what's truly going on here," Oceaniamon agreed with a nod.
"I hope you're ready, everyone," Agunimon grinned. "For the first time in forever, the Legendary Warriors fight as one again... And I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see where this takes us."
As soon as Agunimon was finished speaking, Lobomon launched forward, blade ever at the ready. He attempted to stab at Parasaurmon's side, but he was unable to pierce the thick armor of the dinosaur Digimon's scales. Parasaurmon attempted to head butt him a moment later to knock him off his feet, but Lobomon was too fast for that, launching himself into a backflip to narrowly avoid the attack before landing in a crouch not far away from his foe.
"We're going to have to hit him a bit harder than that then," Orionmon murmured. "I imagine that getting at his underside is going to be our best key to defeating him. He doesn't have as much armor there, so that's where he's going to take the most damage."
"In that case, I'm looking forward to seeing how we can get there," Kirismon grinned. She jumped off the ground and flipped through the air before landing on Parasaurmon's back in a single, swift motion.
Parasaurmon immediately began to buck to try and knock her away, but Kirismon held firm, digging her claws into his scales to keep herself stable. It didn't do much for her sense of balance, but she was able to get what she was looking for regardless. A few pulses of white energy began to pull away from Parasaurmon's body before finding a home deep within Kirismon's fingertips. She was sapping his strength, the perfect way for the Warrior of Energy to overcome a powerful opponent, and as soon as she had done enough damage for the time being, she jumped away from him, just barely missing being struck by Parasaurmon's rogue and wildly flailing tail.
Agunimon and Blitzmon both launched themselves at Parasaurmon next, their elements crackling across the surface of their bodies fiercely. Agunimon dealt a swift upwards punch to Parasaurmon's head while Blitzmon did the same from behind, knocking the Digimon off-balance. Unfortunately for them, Parasaurmon was much heavier than they would have expected, and the Digimon simply rolled to the side before winding up on his back again. The ground seemed to shift to offer him perfect space for his back spike to keep him from getting caught in the grass, and Agunimon quickly figured out that this was because Parasaurmon appeared to have some affinity over the Earth element. That certainly explained where the fierce tremors had come from earlier as well.
Lowemon jumped in Parasaurmon's direction next, his staff ever at the ready. Parasaurmon attempted to strike with his tail, but Lowemon was able to dodge the initial swing, instead allowing shadows to begin creeping up from beneath Parasaurmon's body to lock him in place. From there, the shadows began to push the dinosaur Digimon onto his side to offer Lowemon and the rest of the Legendary Warriors the chance they needed to strike at his stomach.
Parasaurmon wasn't going to let Lowemon get away with this quite so easily though, and the earth beneath the Warrior of Darkness' feet began to shift before starting to swallow him. Unable to move from his current spot, Lowemon was left to endure the onslaught that came from the sole freed part of Parasaurmon's body: his tail. Lowemon raised his staff to try and block Parasaurmon’s slashes, but he was only able to do so much, so when an attack managed to get through, the ground ejected Lowemon and sent him flying backwards, his shadows dispersing as he crumbled into the earth.
"He's not going to give up so easily, I see," Lyramon murmured. They sent out a quick orb of purple magic that exploded at Parasaurmon's side just before the dinosaur could regain his balance, forcing the Digimon to stumble. He closed his eyes as another sphere ruptured not far from his head, though he didn't seem to be all that bothered by the damage because of the armored scales covering up so much of his skull.
"He's much stronger than he should be," Kazemon commented. "I wouldn't have expected a Digimon like that to be able to take so many hits, but I suppose that just means we'll have to try a little bit harder." With that, she offered the rest of her allies a quick smile that ultimately devolved into a laugh as she threw one arm upwards, creating an updraft of wind that sent Parasaurmon sprawling a few feet into the air, though he was able to land on his feet again a few moments later. The earth had shifted to make his fall that much easier on him, and it appeared as if he hadn't sustained any damage at all despite the sheer force that had been put into Kazemon's windswept blow.
Orionmon pointed his staff in Parasaurmon's direction as soon as he processed what Kazemon was saying, and comets began to rain down from a jagged hole in the sky that looked like the starry heavens. The dinosaur instinctively buckled down where he was to keep from suffering significant damages, his emotionless eyes falling shut along the way. He allowed the earth to carefully swallow his feet, and even beneath Orionmon’s onslaught, he didn't move from the spot aside from dropping down by a few inches.
Agunimon, meanwhile, glanced around in desperate search of a plan. Parasaurmon seemed to be at a disadvantage when he was in the air, but getting him there was going to be much easier said than done. Thanks to his Earth elemental affinity, he could manipulate the ground beneath his feet and keep himself rooted, and his element made him much heavier than he looked as well. In other words, the Legendary Warriors were going to have to find a way to turn his firm connection with the ground below against him, but unfortunately, Agunimon didn't have even the slightest idea as to how he was supposed to do that.
As long as Orionmon continued to rain down comets though, Parasaurmon was stuck where he was, refusing to move for the sake of preserving his own safety. Agunimon realized exactly what this was the longer that the attack dragged on: Orionmon was trying to buy all of them the time they needed to come up with a conclusive strategy to take care of Parasaurmon since they wouldn't be able to think much as long as he was thrashing around. Agunimon felt as if all the pieces were there, but he wasn't sure as to how he was meant to pull them together and come up with a cohesive strategy.
Kumamon, on the other hand, had other thoughts, and he let out a gasp before turning his attention towards Fioremon. "Can you use the grass below Parasaurmon to lift him off the ground for a few seconds?" he questioned. "Just lift him about six feet for five seconds. That's all I'm going to need."
Fioremon nodded before snapping her fingers. Orionmon's attack overhead stopped the instant he realized that his comrades had a plan, and Fioremon forced the plants beneath Parasaurmon to wrap around his legs and push him above the ground for a few brief moments. Kumamon dashed straight towards the Digimon, sliding beneath Parasaurmon's splayed legs before arriving on the other side, a trail of ice having followed him all the while. There was now a thin streak of frozen silver across the grass to mark Kumamon's path, and it intersected perfectly with where Parasaurmon was going to land when Fioremon dropped him.
Sure enough, the instant the vines released him, Parasaurmon slammed into the ice, and he began to scramble for purchase against a surface that granted him no quarter. He struggled with everything he had only to be left on his stomach once again. He attempted to rise to his feet, but it was clear that he had been meant to live in forested terrains, not icy ones. Parasaurmon had no experience with finding his footing so far out of his element.
Kumamon's icy path was starting to spread as well, coating the grass around Parasaurmon as well just to make sure that he couldn't find an advantage by attempting to escape the frosted surface. It was a brief distraction, but it was all that Lobomon and Lowemon needed to converge on the dinosaur once more, the latter having regained his balance despite the hit he suffered previously. Their weapons primed at the ready, they moved towards their foe at the same time, both aiming for the same target.
In this case, the target just so happened to be the space just beneath Parasaurmon's tail where the scales met the fluffy hair of his stomach. Lobomon's sword and Lowemon's staff struck true, and Parasaurmon let out a scream of pain as he was sent sliding forward across the ice. This only eviscerated his balance all over again, leaving the Digimon unable to do anything outside of fall to the whims of Kumamon's element.
"I have a plan," Lyramon suddenly said, whirling around to face Agunimon. "I need you to hit that ice with the strongest flame punch you have and melt all of it in a single blow."
Agunimon was on the verge of asking what melting the ice was going to do as long as that was the primary advantage they had against Parasaurmon, but he knew better than to argue with Lyramon as long as they had a strategy in mind. They had been such a formidable foe precisely because of their tactical prowess, and Agunimon knew they were more than experienced with planning than he would ever be. He didn't see the purpose of it yet, but he could tell that the decision had rationale behind it, so he nodded before jumping forward.
While Agunimon was hurtling through the air, Lyramon looked over to Oceaniamon. The single glance conveyed everything that they didn't have time to say, and Oceaniamon simply nodded, ducking down as Kirismon jumped over her head to land on Parasaurmon's back once again. The Warrior of Energy took advantage of the dinosaur's disoriented state to ride on his spine for a few short moments, sucking out all of the power from his body that she could muster. She only retreated when she saw Agunimon coming in hot, flipping backwards and landing behind Oceaniamon once again.
Kazemon flew over in Parasaurmon's direction, quickly taking Kirismon's previous position for herself. She landed on her hands, poising them carefully on either side of his back, and when he attempted to strike her with his tail, she maneuvered perfectly out of the way with a twisting motion. As soon as Parasaurmon's tail was out of the way, she landed just behind him...
...Mere milliseconds after Agunimon's fiery punch turned the entire icy platform to water. Kazemon's foot touched watery grass when she landed from her distraction effort, and she summoned all of the energy she could muster into a single kick that had her leaning so far backwards that it didn't even seem possible. The wind itself seemed to distort as she kicked directly at the weak spot that Lobomon and Lowemon had created for her.
At the same time, Oceaniamon drew a circle with the hand that wasn't holding her staff before tilting her finger sharply upwards. The water on the grass created a column that shot Parasaurmon into the air with the combined power of Kazemon's kick, both strikes hitting the weak point on Parasaurmon’s stomach simultaneously. From afar, Blitzmon contributed to the attack as well, releasing a quick blast of electricity that sent currents of bright yellow energy surging through the water. Parasaurmon screamed as the electricity wracked his body, leaving him immobilized and unable to fight as his body continued to shoot into the skies.
Kirismon looked over her shoulder at where Aeoelmon was standing, and the two shared a knowing glance before they broke off into a sprint straight towards each other. They clapped hands together, Kirismon's claws hitting Aeoelmon's bulky stone gauntlet. The contact sent white electricity surging through their fingertips, and the energy that Kirismon had stolen from Parasaurmon was sent straight into Aeoelmon's body. It was a much-needed boost in power and speed that allowed Aeoelmon to run even faster than before straight for Lyramon.
The Warrior of Steel was prepared for it though, and they readied their shield for Aeoelmon's arrival. The Warrior of Earth jumped towards them, and Lyramon used their shield as a platform to send Aeoelmon higher into the air. Between the boost of momentum and the extra strength that Kirismon's share of energy had provided them, Aeoelmon was sent flying, easily meeting Parasaurmon in the sky at the apex of his flight. Even though Aeoelmon had started their airborne journey later, they arrived at their midair destination at the same time as their foe.
Aeoelmon reared their arm back before administering a single punch to Parasaurmon's prone and vulnerable stomach. The dinosaur Digimon didn't even get the chance to scream as he was sent flying back towards the ground limply, creating a massive dent in the earth as soon as he hit the grass. Aeoelmon flipped to alter the course of their momentum before landing in a crouch nearby, facing away from Parasaurmon with a victorious smile on their face and their massive gauntlets effortlessly bracing them from the landing all the while.
Soon after Aeoelmon touched down, a shadow began to pull away from Parasaurmon's body. It was small, swirling with shades of dark purple, blue, and obsidian, and the darkness floated in the air for a brief moment before shattering into nothingness. The rest of the Legendary Warriors stared in muted confusion before turning their attention back to Parasaurmon. His body had shifted colors ever so slightly, almost as if the shades had previously been exaggerating themselves to look as dangerous as possible. Agunimon blinked a few times to make sure that he wasn't just seeing things, but he could already tell that it had to be real since the rest of the Legendary Warriors had seen it as well. The confusion written all over their faces proved it.
"Something tells me that I know what we were supposed to hear from Bokomon now," Fioremon commented softly. She glanced back towards the nearby village before taking a step in the direction of the house rooftops cresting the skyline. "We should go and see what he knows about all of this. If he can tell us what's going on, then we can come up with a plan for what to do with Parasaurmon next."
Agunimon nodded, and with that, the Legendary Warriors started to walk back towards the village. It wasn't until after the group had arrived just outside the borders of the town that they allowed their Digimon forms to melt away, and Takuya sighed as the Fractal Code around him subsided once more. Even if he hadn't been expecting a fight, he was still glad that he was able to get all of that steam out while he had the chance. He had needed it whether he wanted to admit that was the case or not, and he allowed himself to smile loosely as he continued to push through the village ahead. He couldn’t say he enjoyed fighting out of the blue, but it was still nice to transform back into a Digimon again. Takuya had missed Spirit Evolving more than he could ever hope to express, and he found himself already looking forward to the next time he had the chance to become Agunimon, Vritramon, or Aldamon.
Bokomon and Neemon were talking with the reincarnations of the Celestial Three at the center of town when the Legendary Warriors finally came back into their line of sight, and Bokomon let out a gasp before dashing over to them. "You're back!" he cried out. "Were you able to take care of that Digimon?"
Koji nodded. "It was a Parasaurmon... Though I don't understand why he was attacking in the first place. You said that the Digital World has seen times of peace ever since Lucemon was defeated, so why did a Digimon randomly come up to try and attack this town?" he questioned.
"The Digital World has seen peace since Lucemon's fall... At least, for the most part," Bokomon said with a small sigh. "The Parasaurmon you just fought... Did he happen to reveal a shadow when he was defeated? Did a piece of darkness pull away from his body before shattering?"
Izumi nodded next, worry starting to rise in her eyes. "How did you know?"
"That shadow is called a Void Fragment... Or, at the very least, that's what they're being called these days," Bokomon told her. "Nobody knows for sure where they came from, but they appeared soon after Lucemon was defeated. The Digimon that are infected by them seem to be possessed by a dark power and fight with endless fervor until they suffer enough damage to force the Void Fragment out of their bodies. It's difficult to say what the cause of this could be since these attacks have been taking place sporadically all across the Digital World. People have been trying to get to the bottom of it, but we don't know enough about the Void Fragments to actually pin down what is happening."
"That's certainly strange," Haroi murmured. "But there must be some sort of explanation for it... What if there are traces of Lucemon's power that managed to survive the reconstruction of the Digital World? Lucemon's dark magic could certainly be responsible for something like this, right? We saw it corrupt Cherubimon, and Cherubimon used it to corrupt countless Beast Digimon during the previous war."
"The Digital World was completely purged of Lucemon's presence when the realm was restored though," Lopmon frowned. "Nobody has reported any signs of his power still remaining, and given how powerful of a Digimon he was, you would have expected at least some part of him to be left behind after all of that if there was going to be a trace of it at all. Since no one has found anything, there’s likely nothing to find in the first place."
"In other words, there's no chance that Lucemon's lingering strength is involved," Hinoka confirmed, and Lopmon nodded. The Warrior of Water sighed and shook her head. "Either way, I get the feeling that there's a lot more going on here than any of us would have initially realized. These Void Fragments must be coming from somewhere, and I already have a bad feeling about them."
"They make Digimon much stronger than they should be too, and they can cause a few changes in appearance," Neemon told her, voice just as airy as ever. "But they can't really control themselves either. All they want to do is keep fighting and trying to win some battle... But there's no reason to keep fighting anymore. Lucemon is gone, and there's nobody here that's trying to cause all that many problems."
"We can try to investigate the Void Fragments a bit later on. For now, what are we going to do about Parasaurmon? We can't just leave him sitting out there in the middle of the field. What if he gets possessed by another Void Fragment and starts attacking again?" Junpei pointed out.
"I'll alert the authorities of this town. They're hardly fighters, but I suspect that at the very least, the leaders of the village are going to want to question Parasaurmon on all that took place," Bokomon told him. "You don't need to worry about that."
"The Void Fragment... I could feel its strength for a brief moment," Koichi said softly. "I don't know what's going on with the shadows found inside of them, but... It felt almost familiar to me."
"I suppose that makes sense. You're the Warrior of Darkness, so you probably felt strangely about it because that's your element," Salamon told him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. You're naturally connected with the darkness, but that doesn’t mean the Void Fragments are going to hurt you specifically. Everything is probably fine."
Koichi nodded at that, but Takuya could tell by the look in the Warrior of Darkness' eyes that he didn't quite believe it yet. Koichi could tell that something was off, and he hated having to think about it any more than he had to. Takuya wished there was something he could say to make this easier on his friend, but he could already tell it wasn't going to be that simple, not after everything that had just happened.
"The Digital World has changed a lot since we were last here, huh?" Mayumi questioned, effortlessly changing the subject. "I mean, having two entire regions back on the main planet after they were previously redistributed among the other continents... That's a pretty big difference, and the Void Fragments are certainly new too. For all we know, they could be a lingering effect of the Digital World changing so much, but I guess we don't really have a way of saying for sure what they are specifically."
"The Digital World hasn't had any issues like this from past reconstructions though," Bokomon frowned. "As soon as the Void Fragments began to pop up, I did as much research as I could into the Digital World’s first restoration process from right after Lucemon was sealed away by the Ancient Warriors of Fire and Light. To put it simply, nothing like this happened after that. I suppose there must be something different about the way the planet put itself back together this time that has it behaving strangely compared to last time, but I wouldn't know where to start in terms of decoding what all of it is meant to mean. It’s hard to understand much of anything about the Void Fragments when they destroy themselves before anyone can study them properly."
"There's an answer for us out there somewhere though, and we're going to find it in time," Saki assured him. "For now, I want to know a bit more about how everything has been changing in the last month. There's clearly a lot that we've missed out on, and I believe it would be for the best if we fully acquainted ourselves with the updated circumstances of the Digital World before we went any further in terms of investigating the Void Fragments."
"I agree completely," Patamon chimed in. "Maybe we could go and talk to Alastomon and Biastamon. I'm sure that they would be happy to talk to us about everything that's happened, and they'd be really excited to see you too. I just know it."
"Alastomon and Biastamon?" Tomoki echoed, tilting his head slightly to the side. Takuya resisted the urge to do much the same thing. The names weren't familiar, and when he tried to think back on the knowledge that he had been given by his Digimon side, he still couldn't come up with a face to match either one of the names.
"The Celestial Three ruled over the Digital World for a great many years before the war against Cherubimon and then Lucemon began. There were many who thought that they would be in charge until the Digital World met its end... But since Lucemon orchestrated all three of their assassinations and murders, a power vacuum has been left behind in the Digital World. There are no other leaders for us to turn to at the moment, and so, the Human and Beast Digimon have elected one leader each to stand up for their people as the Digital World reconstructs itself," Bokomon explained. "Alastomon is the leader of the Human Digimon while Biastamon is the leader of the Beast Digimon."
"That makes sense," Yumiko said with a small, slow nod. "Even if the Digital World mostly has smaller settlements and towns, there still need to be a few people in charge to ensure that no wars or massive conflicts break out between the villages or continents."
"Precisely. That's where Alastomon and Biastamon come in. They've been acting as representatives for their people, and they're well-respected by all who are under their command," Bokomon went on. "We met with them soon after they began to rise to power and explained the war against Lucemon, and both of them have been excited to meet all of you. I'm sure they would be more than happy to tell you all about the Void Fragments and what has happened recently in the Digital World."
"I can only assume that they're keeping tabs on the Void Fragments as a public health crisis. After all, if Digimon are being possessed by dark powers that nobody understands, that poses a danger to everyone, especially given how rampantly they attack," Izumi frowned. “Parasaurmon came very close to destroying this entire village, and I bet he would have continued attacking even after that given how violent he was.”
"They're the ones who are keeping track of all of the information about the Void Fragments," Salamon confirmed. "Everybody in the Digital World knows about them by now since there have probably been about one hundred attacks worldwide in the last month, but those two are the experts about everything that's been happening. They’re doing all they can to keep people calm, though I suppose that’s easier said than done with something as serious as this."
"One hundred attacks in the last month..." Takuya muttered, his eyes going wide with shock. He wasn't sure what figures he had been expecting when it came to the number of Void Fragment attacks that had already taken place, but one hundred as much higher than he could have ever anticipated. He was surprised that the Digital World wasn't ringing the alarm bells across the entire planet by this point, though he supposed he wouldn't have even been to see it there if that had happened.
"Given that there are twelve continents, every region has seen less than ten strikes each, so that's why most people are so calm... I suppose they think it won't happen to them, so they've been mostly carrying on with their regular lives," Lopmon said with a loose shrug. "They don't know that they're in so much danger, but I suppose that even if they did know, it would cause a mass panic, making it even harder for them to be kept safe."
"Carrying on through their own denial... Where have we heard that before?" Koji snorted, his voice just barely audible. Takuya couldn't help agreeing that Koji had a point. After all, during the war against Cherubimon, most occupants of the Digital World had been all too happy to press on with their regular lives as if nothing was happening at all. They knew that Cherubimon was dangerous, but as long as the war never knocked on their door, they chose to not acknowledge it. They didn't have to face the harsh realities of their situation, and so, they ignored it for as long as they possibly could.
In fact, the only region that had to fully confront what Cherubimon was doing was the Continent of Darkness because of the fact that Cherubimon's base was within the land of shadows. Every other continent of the Digital World had simply ignored what was happening even as pieces of the earth beneath them began to melt away under the shared influence of Cherubimon and Lucemon. Denial was powerful, and ignorance was even stronger. If they simply pretended nothing was happening, it couldn't hurt them... Or so the Digimon thought. Takuya would have thought that they had learned their lesson by now given how disastrously the war against Cherubimon and Lucemon had ended—with the destruction of the entire planet, albeit only temporarily—but it seemed as if the common Digimon was still all too happy to ignore their reality for as long as they could possibly stand to put up the effort.
"It's not exactly a new phenomenon. Even when the Human and Beast Digimon fought in the times before Lucemon, the common Digimon chose to not acknowledge what was happening. They simply held their hatred close to their chests before pressing on as if nothing was wrong. Unless the war was on their doorstep, they simply admired it from afar, commending the soldiers fighting for their ideals without understanding what was truly happening," Bokomon said. "I imagine that this has happened on Earth as well, but I can't say for sure given that I haven't ever actually been there... Perhaps that's a thought for another time."
"I'd be more than happy to talk to you about Earth if you wanted... Though I suppose that's going to have to wait until after we're finished with the alternate entrance to the Digital World," Haroi pointed out. "Right now, we have to budget our time carefully to make sure that we aren't caught. It's not like any of our families know about what's happening, so we have to make sure that we can keep the secret until we find a better method of transporting ourselves here."
"I suppose your families wouldn't know about this, would they?" Neemon questioned airily, and the Legendary Warriors all shot one another careful glances or shook their heads. "That makes sense. I bet that Earth parents would be scared if they heard that their kids could turn into monsters from another world. That’s normal to us here though. We just call it evolution."
Takuya hummed at that, wishing he knew how he was supposed to address it. He didn't know if his parents were aware that something was wrong, but he was sure that Shinya could sense something had been off ever since his birthday celebration a month prior. Takuya had come home late that night with a completely new understanding of the world, and Shinya had seen the difference immediately. Takuya's parents seemed fine enough with the change of demeanor, but he knew that Shinya wouldn't be quite so easily satisfied, especially since his brother was starting to catch on to the strange glances that he gave candles, lighters, and summertime bonfires.
But Takuya wasn't going to just tell him. How could he? Shinya wouldn't understand. Nobody ever could. The Digital World was his secret, and the rest of the country of Japan had ultimately brushed off Ophanimon's mass distress signal as being little more than a prank. None of them would ever want to believe that the calls had been real, much less that it had ended with the near destruction of the world. Even those that managed to see Lucemon's final battle with Susanoomon through television screens were called rumormongers and liars these days. Just as the Digimon claimed, people were fine with ignoring something so long as it did not disturb their way of life, and the battle against Lucemon proved it perfectly. It was for the best, the cleanest way to keep the Digital World's existence a secret in plain sight, but Takuya could tell that working around the truth of his double life while still appearing like a normal teenager on Earth wasn't going to be easy in the slightest.
"They're not going to know, and as long as we have a say in things, they never will," Junpei told Neemon simply. "Unless we absolutely have to tell them—which is something that I would rather not do—we're going to keep this secret. The Digital World is something that we can't let people know about. You never know what people are going to try and do if they hear about another world full of monsters existing. The consequences could be disastrous, and they just wouldn't understand what we do about this place. Even if it's going to be hard to keep everything under wraps, we have to at least try. There's no other easy solution for any of us."
"In that case, we'll just have to keep an eye on the clock while you're here," Bokomon said simply. "That will be much easier now that Lucemon has been defeated. His presence was distorting the flow of time previously, but as long as he's gone, we'll be able to live with Earth and the Digital World running at the same pace. The twin worlds are acting as twins once again, and if you ask me, this was long overdue."
Saki reached into their pocket before checking their phone. "Only about an hour has passed since we got here, so if Alastomon and Biastamon are nearby, we should be able to reach them without too many issues and hear them out before we have to go back home."
"There's a Trailmon station not far from here. We can use that to go and talk to them," Neemon announced. "We can take you there no problem."
Takuya nodded at that before he sighed and took the first step forward. He had no idea what was going to be waiting for them at the end of this journey, but he would figure that out soon enough. For the time being, his mind was still racing as he processed everything that had changed since he was last in the Digital World. It felt as if the world had twisted on its axis when he wasn't paying attention, and all of a sudden, him not being there for a month felt as if he had been missing out on the Digital World's frequent happenings for at least two years. Then again, he should have seen something like this coming. After all, the Digital World was reconstructing itself, and it wasn't as if a realm in the restoration cycle was going to move slowly. There was work to be done on every front, and everyone had to be ready for it. Even the planet had a lot of heavy lifting to do to ensure Lucemon’s reign was relegated to history.
"While we're on our way to the Trailmon station... I want to hear all about the portal you constructed in order to get here," Bokomon declared as he glanced up to Junpei and Saki. "You two always were inclined towards technology from what I heard, and I can only imagine that worked out perfectly for you when it came time to recreate the gateway here."
Junpei nodded. "It wasn't exactly easy, but we did what we had to in order to come back," he told Bokomon simply. "We're still working out the minor details so that we can get it to function a little bit better, but we'll get there eventually."
"The portal probably functions differently now that the Celestial Three and Lucemon are gone," Lopmon remarked. "After all, the Celestial Three were the ones in charge of opening and closing the gateway previously, so I can only imagine that things have changed quite a bit without them around. Lucemon was the only one with the raw strength to potentially force the portal open too even if we never saw him do it, and if he's dead as well..."
"It certainly took a lot of trial and error for everything to come together, but it's working now, and I think that's what matters most," Saki said with a shrug. "If I had to guess, I would say that the Celestial Three gave us their ability to open the portal when we received our Hybrid forms. Now, we’re the only ones who should be able to travel between worlds… Even if it’s not a perfect system yet. As soon as we can work out the last few details, we should be able to come here whenever we want and stay for much longer. We can find ways to work around suspicious relatives too, so you don’t need to worry about that."
"Perfect!" Patamon beamed. "We've missed you all a lot, and it would be a shame if you could only come by for a few hours at a time every couple of weeks."
"We wouldn't be able to investigate the Void Fragments all that well if that was the case," Koji pointed out. "We're going to figure out a way to make all of this work. Even if it's not easy, we'll find something that helps us."
"Good," Salamon said with a nod. She looked up at the Legendary Warriors with a gleam in her eyes, like the light of the entire world was shining through her irises. "It's really nice to have you guys back."
Takuya stared at her for a long moment, and the wind began to rustle through his hair. When he concentrated, he could feel the way that the breeze bent and swayed with the flame that had been burning inside of his stomach ever since he first became Agunimon. He hadn't realized that he felt offbeat on Earth until he returned to the Digital World, and it was like everything since had fallen back into place. The world around him was once again in perfect harmony, and he was part of its grander designs. Each of the Legendary Warriors was part of it. They weren't simply the defenders of the Digital World; they were the Digital World, and it was incredible to finally be able to return home.
Takuya smiled at Salamon, unable to find words for any of these sensations even though he knew that his comrades understood it all perfectly. Instead, he just let out a small laugh. "Yeah... It's nice to be back."
Notes:
The Digital World is back! Hell yeah!
I really like how this chapter came out, honestly. Just... I adore it. A lot of segments of this chapter were dedicated to catching up the cast on everything that's been happening in the Digital World, and most of them are fairly minor details. The major stuff is going on full display a bit later on though, like Alastomon and Biastamon showing up next chapter. Spoiler alert: that's what's happening next time around.
Also, we got the first fight sequence of the story! Since the opening chapter was on Earth and already pretty packed with us catching up with all of the characters, I wound up pushing back the first fight to this chapter, and I really like how it turned out. I've had ideas for this fight sequence in my mind for ages, and I wanted it to be a grand display of teamwork between the Legendary Warriors. All of them played a part in defeating Parasaurmon, and I think it was a really creative way to utilize the team's different tactics. They've really come a long way compared to the clunky fighters they were at the start of the series, and you can see it. I especially loved the part about Aeoelmon jumping off Lyramon's shield after getting a power boost from the energy Kirismon took from Parasaurmon. It was tons of fun to write, and I adore how it turned out.
The rest of this chapter mostly speaks for itself since this is us getting everybody up to speed on what's happening in the Digital World. I promise that the rest of the story isn't going to be quite so heavy on the lore and exposition, but we need to start somewhere, and it's not like we can use the "show, don't tell" rule one very tiny detail about the Digital World's reconstruction. Larger stuff, like the Void Fragments and Alastomon and Biastamon, that's definitely justified for, but this chapter needed to have background details, so here we are. Speaking of Alastomon and Biastamon, yes, those two are fan made Digimon. I was originally planning on using canon Digimon for their roles but didn't see anything that fit, so I decided to just make new Digimon the same way I did for so many of the Legendary Warriors in the last book. I mean, it's fun to make Digimon, so why not go with it?
On that note, we'll hear more about Alastomon and Biastamon--and the Digital World as a whole--next chapter. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 3: A New World
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors meet with the current leaders of the Digital World, Alastomon and Biastamon.
Chapter Text
The Trailmon ride to the group's next destination was a brief one, but Takuya still greatly enjoyed it. After what felt like a lifetime of living on Earth without the strong influence of his Digimon side, it was incredible to finally be able to breathe with that side of his soul prominently pushing him forward once again. It felt as if he was complete once more, and he absolutely adored every second of it. He could tell that the others were enjoying the familiarity as well, and all of them seemed to be smiling constantly as they exchanged words and kindnesses about everything that had been happening in their lives recently. It almost felt like they were back to traveling the Digital World together again, but this time, they weren't on the run from evil Digimon looking to kill them all. In other words, it was the best of both words, and Takuya was more than happy to take it. The Void Fragments could wait until after they arrived at their destination; for the time being, he was simply glad to be back home.
Bokomon, Neemon, Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon had been up to quite a bit recently as well, he learned. They were leading the restoration effort across the Digital World, and Takuya couldn't help but be impressed at all they had managed to do in such a short span of time. Every Digimon across the realm had come to hail the quintet as heroes since the Digital World was restored, and they were practically celebrities by this point because of their affiliations with the Legendary Warriors. Bokomon explained that he was spreading the word of all that had happened when the Legendary Warriors saved the world as well, telling anyone who was willing to listen about the grand adventures that led to Lucemon's downfall. He was still in the process of writing it all down, but he was making good progress, and Takuya couldn't help but be impressed at his sheer dedication to it all.
Takuya was equally impressed, if not more so, with the castle that came into view outside of the Trailmon's windows as the party arrived at their destination. His jaw practically dropped to the floor in shock, and all he could do was stare. The architecture was beyond impressive, and it was on the same level of architectural splendor as the palaces of the Celestial Three. Takuya couldn't wait to explore the building in full, though he couldn't find the words to say so out loud. He hadn't ever had the chance to see Evergreen Dawn, Abraxas, or Rose Morning Star as castles when he was in the Digital World previously. They had all been battlefields instead, and Takuya regretted not being able to enjoy them properly. This had to make up for it, even if it was a bit belatedly.
"It's beautiful..." Izumi whispered from her place in between Tomoki and Hinoka. She was staring out the window as well, her eyes wide as could be. "Is this palace new with the recreation of the Digital World?"
Bokomon nodded. "These days, Evergreen Dawn, Abraxas, and Rose Morning Star primarily exist as evidence of the Digital World's previous state, though they're more of archives than actual centers of power," he said. "This is the Crystal Citadel, and it's where most political discussions have been taking place ever since the reconstruction efforts began. Alastomon and Biastamon spend quite a bit of their time talking here even though neither one of them owns the space. It's a public area for any Digimon to come in and out of, though the heart of it has become pretty unanimously linked with the happenings of the new world."
"Everything is so different from how it used to be... It hardly even feels like the same place," Saki murmured with a shake of their head. "Then again, I don't know what I expected. A lot has changed since Lucemon was here, and even more has changed since the Celestial Three were in charge. It was always just going to be a matter of time before we wound up here with a completely new set of figures leading the realm to peace and prosperity."
"You're going to really like Alastomon and Biastamon. Both of them are great," Patamon grinned. "They really want to see peace come to the Digital World, and they're working very hard for both the Human and Beast Digimon."
"It's a sense of balance that hasn't been seen in quite some time. Even before Cherubimon waged war against the Digital World, tensions existed between Human and Beast Digimon. They were always hesitant to trust one another, even after the Legendary Warriors tried to unite them… But at least the world is finally healing and making moves towards a brighter tomorrow now that new people are in charge," Bokomon declared.
The Trailmon finally came to a complete stop once Bokomon was finished, and Mayumi launched herself off the bench and onto her feet. She stretched her arms above her head before sighing and letting them fall back to her sides once more. "Well, I can't wait to meet these two miracle Digimon. I hope they live up to everything you've told us about them," she said.
"Well, we won't know until we go and talk to them," Koji told her before looking over to the other Digimon. "Will you be able to lead the way?"
Patamon nodded without missing a beat. "Of course! Just follow me!" With that, he took off, wings flapping excitedly. He was certainly faster with flying than he had been the last time the Legendary Warriors had been in the Digital World, and Takuya couldn't help smiling at the sight. Patamon's little legs still moved like he was running on air whenever he flew, and Takuya realized in that small, mundane detail that he truly was home. The revelation had already hit a few times, but it was the smallest of points that reminded him he was back. All of this was real, and this was where he belonged.
Once the doors to the Trailmon opened, the Legendary Warriors stepped out and moved to follow in Patamon's path. The small orange Digimon knew where he was going easily, and Takuya could only assume the Digimon guides had been there quite a few times since the Digital World's collapse. After all, if they really were hailed as heroes the way they had implied, then they were going to play a crucial role in where the Digital World went next, and that included speaking with the political leaders set to blaze a new path for every creature on the planet.
As Takuya grew closer to the castle, he found himself staring at it with wide, awestruck eyes. Jewels of every color glittered across the exterior, and when the sunlight caught them just right, the gems seemed to shine brighter than most stars. The castle seemed to glow from within too, and Takuya knew it was just as gorgeous a sight at night. The Digital World had created something truly beautiful when it was reconstructed, and Takuya could have stared at it for hours and still not memorized all the tiny details of its splendor.
The Crystal Citadel was just as impressive on the inside, Takuya soon learned, and he couldn't help staring at the small gems that created the castle. The palaces for the Celestial Three had all followed a similar theme of being made of multicolored crystal, and even when Cherubimon turned to the powers of darkness, the pattern had remained, albeit only after darkening itself. The Crystal Citadel, on the other hand, was made up of jewels that could hardly be considered earthly. Takuya could tell these gemstones had never been found back on his home planet, and he was on the verge of asking Bokomon as much as he could about the stones just to calm his endless curiosity. The Crystal Citadel was a sight to see and then some, and Takuya couldn't help wanting to stay there for the rest of his life.
Takuya barely noticed it when the group finally arrived at their destination: a large set of double doors that led into what the Legendary Warriors could only assume was a meeting room. The doors were at least three times as tall as Takuya, and he stared up at them with shock written all over his face. The knocker was four times the size of his hand and made of a bright, otherworldly silver. Takuya had never seen anything like it, and he doubted anything even remotely similar existed in the Digital World or in any other universe.
Patamon, however, was completely undeterred, and he landed on one of the knockers before swinging his body back and forth to hit the metal against the door. It was an awkward thing to attempt, but Patamon made it look so easy that Takuya could only assume it had become habit of his by this point. Patamon pulled away from the knocker a moment later before returning to flying, his wings beating passionately as he looked at the door with a smile. "It's us!" he called out, confident that those on the other side of the door would be happy to hear that.
"Enter," came a deep voice from within the room, and Takuya glanced over his shoulders to the other Legendary Warriors before he reached out and grabbed the knocker with one hand. He pulled on the knob, and much to his surprise, he was able to pry the door open almost effortlessly. He would have expected the door to be much heavier, but he barely even seemed to notice the extra weight. Maybe he was simply stronger after all he had fought for and through during his last trip to the Digital World. Takuya wasn’t sure, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it.
Instead, Takuya's attention wound up locking itself solely on the two Digimon found within the room. He looked first to the taller of two, a large man who Takuya could only assume was Alastomon, the leader of the Human Digimon. His skin was on the pale side, though much of it was covered with a thin layer of black fabric. On top of that, he wore white armor edged with a bright crimson color, and the steel on his legs seemed to shine pale blue in the lighting of the Citadel. His boots were tall and white, reaching his knees before trading off with yet another set of armor patches across his thighs. He wore a white mask as well, and a horn stuck out from either side of the visor. His hair was the same scarlet as the lining on his armor, and it fell to the middle of his back in spikes that were both free and elegant. His eyes were a pastel blue color, and they shone with endless kindness as he regarded the new arrivals. Alastomon’s charisma was clear to anyone willing to see it, and his smile was as bright as the gems that made up the Crystal Citadel.
The other figure in the room appeared to be a lion Digimon, and it was easy enough for Takuya to conclude that this was Biastamon, the leader of the Beast Digimon. Biastamon was a large black lion with streaks of gold spreading across his body in a few places. Golden claws stuck out from each of his paws, and a matching tail flicked around behind him with muted curiosity. A lion mane pattern extended around his head, and it contained shades of countless colors that Takuya struggled to identify. His head armor gleamed with obsidian tints, almost as if he was made of muted rainbow quartz. A band of silver wrapped around his abdomen, and veins of pure gold flowed through the material. His eyes were golden and flecked with the same rainbow quartz pattern as his mane, and Takuya could tell from just a single look that while Biastamon was slightly more reserved than his Human Digimon counterpart, he was still just as sweet and generous, if not even more so.
"Ah, my favorite Digimon!" Alastomon declared, his previous conversation with Biastamon ending as he took a step forward and spread his arms wide in welcome. From those words alone, Takuya could only conclude that Biastamon had been the one to speak previously. "And it seems as if you've brought friends! I don't believe I've ever seen these faces around the Digital World before... Or any human faces at all, for that matter."
"These are the Legendary Warriors," Bokomon introduced as he gestured to them proudly. "I've told you their story before, and I told you they would return to us eventually too. At long last, they're back in the Digital World, and they wanted to meet both of you!"
"I'm honored that the Legendary Warriors, saviors of the Digital World, wanted to grace my humble presence," Alastomon smiled, allowing his arms to fall back to his side. "It's a pleasure to meet each of you. I'd love to know all of your names, but it's hardly polite of me to ask for yours without giving mine first. You may call me Alastomon, and I'm the leader of the Human Digimon. I'm one of two Digimon advocating for the future of our realm, and the other..."
Biastamon nodded solemnly. "My name is Biastamon. I've heard much of the Legendary Warriors, and it's an honor to finally meet you," he declared. Unlike with Alastomon, he didn't bother with excessive pleasantries or mincing his words, though Takuya could still sense kindness in his golden eyes. He wasn't quite as personable, but that didn't mean that he was lacking in care for others. He loved the Digital World deeply; he wouldn’t have been fighting so hard for its future if he did not.
From there, all of the Legendary Warriors introduced themselves to the pair of Digimon, and both Alastomon and Biastamon listened intently. All the while, the Legendary Warriors' Digimon guides stood off to the side, practically overflowing with pride at the fact that they could finally introduce their two sets of friends after all this time. Takuya couldn't help feeling the same way when he introduced himself as the Warrior of Fire. It had been much too long since he was able to say that in front of an audience, and he rather enjoyed being able to tell others his full title without having to hold back. He really was home, and the fire in his chest burned happily to prove it.
"I'm glad to see that you've finally returned to us. Bokomon said you would return eventually once the Digital World began to reconstruct itself, and I'm still relieved to see he was telling the truth," Alastomon smiled once the introductions had been taken care of. "I had every faith that you would return to us eventually, but I didn't realize it would be quite so soon."
"It's nice to be back," Takuya told him, unable to hold back his beaming smile as he spoke. "We should be able to return to the Digital World a lot more frequently in the future too."
"We don't have much time to be here today though, so I'm afraid I must ask us to get back to business," Saki cut in, ever the most focused of the Legendary Warriors.
"You didn't come here merely for the sake of introductions then," Biastamon concluded, closing his eyes in solemn contemplation. "I feared this would be the case, but I hoped perhaps my intuitions were wrong."
"I'm afraid not," Koji said, a frown starting to appear on his lips once more. "We got here earlier today, and soon after we arrived, we were met with a battle against a Digimon that seemed to be possessed... We fought the Digimon off, and when the battle was over, Bokomon explained the hostility was caused by something called a Void Fragment."
"Another attack?" Alastomon questioned, and when the Legendary Warriors nodded, he sighed and let one hand come up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. Or, at the very least, he massaged the skin the best he could while wearing bulky armored gloves and a mask over the upper half of his face. "I suppose that's not too surprising... It seems as if there's always another attack right around the corner regardless of the precautions we take."
"Would you be able to tell us everything from the beginning?" Tomoki asked. "We've heard the basics of the conflict with the Void Fragments, but I think it would be best if we heard it from you two. After all, we heard you're the foremost authorities on the investigation."
Biastamon nodded simply. "That we are... The attacks have been a plague upon the Digital World ever since Lucemon's defeat. Nobody can say where the Void Fragments came from, but they certainly did not exist before he fell. We've never seen anything like it in the Digital World's entire history, and I have to wonder if perhaps they're the direct consequence of Lucemon's defeat in some way."
"Perhaps... But I don't know if I would say that's the truth," Alastomon pointed out. "After all, the Digital World has shown no signs of Lucemon's presence ever since he was defeated, and it wouldn't be right of us to pin this on a dead man. That won't get us anywhere in terms of figuring out what's truly going on."
"The attacks have taken place a few times each in every continent, most of them happening a few hours apart from another attack across the world... We are doing all we can to keep the people calm since we don't wish to alarm them too much, but it's clear that if we can't stop the one behind all of this, we're going to be left with a massive tragedy on our hands," Biastamon explained with a shake of his head.
"Thus far, the Beast Digimon seem to be the ones who are most influenced by it," Alastomon said. "In fact, not a single Human Digimon has been overtaken by a Void Fragment up to this point. It makes one wonder if perhaps there's a difference between the two that makes the Beast Digimon a bit more dangerous..."
"We have no evidence to say something like that is true," Biastamon interjected, his eyes narrowing as he frowned. "We've only seen attacks for a few weeks, and that's much too small a sample size for us to say the Void Fragments only influence Beast Digimon. For all we know, they simply haven't infected any from outside that range yet. It could very well still be a threat to everyone, and we need to address every possibility with as much concern and grace as possible."
Alastomon watched him for a split second before he nodded. "I suppose you're right... We'll simply have to wait to see what happens next, though I'm not entirely fond of just sitting around and waiting. Every day we have to sit here and wait, there could be another handful of attacks. The last thing we want is for anyone to get hurt because of this."
"How do you believe the Void Fragments spread?" Haroi asked. "Are they infectious or contagious somehow? If that's the case, then it could be that no Human Digimon has been infected simply because the two types of Digimon often choose to not associate with one another in confined spaces."
"They don't appear to be a contagion of any kind. It's difficult to say where they come from, but they seem to appear randomly and then vanish as quickly as they came. Dealing enough damage to the Digimon that is under the influence of the Void Fragment usually causes it to shatter and vanish. The Digimon who are possessed by the Void Fragments claim afterwards that they remember nothing of the attack they just orchestrated... It certainly makes one wonder what exactly is happening and how it all works," Alastomon answered.
"We'll simply have to keep an eye out from now on then," Mayumi announced as she put her hands on her hips. "We're not going to let anybody get hurt because of the Void Fragments. While we're here, we’ll do everything in our power to push back and make sure no innocent Digimon are caught up in the crossfire along the way."
"That would be much appreciated," Biastamon said. "It seems right now that Beast Digimon settlements will be the ones in need of defense. If the Beast Digimon are the ones who are being more readily infected—at least in these early stages of the conflict—then that means we must push back against the issue by keeping the Beast Digimon safe before any attacks can take place."
"I believe you may be targeting a different issue here," Alastomon frowned. "The Human Digimon have been the ones who are hit the hardest by the attacks carried out by the Void Fragments. Would it not be better to wait and defend the Human Digimon? After all, the attacks appear to be inevitable right now, and we must keep the innocent Digimon safe so they do not come to harm. If the Beast Digimon are going to be infected regardless, we must do what we can to keep them from harming any others."
"We can make sure everyone stays safe, I'm sure," Yumiko cut in, looking back and forth between the two leaders. The tension in the air immediately seemed to evaporate, and Takuya felt a weight lift off his chest. He hadn't even realized he was feeling so strange about this conversation to begin with until after he finally allowed himself to breathe easily once again. To put it simply, Alastomon and Biastamon were intense, and while Takuya had no doubt that they were strong leaders given how firmly they advocated for their people, he couldn't help feeling a bit troubled by how easily they seemed to slip into arguments when it came to the Void Fragments.
"Of course. That's a splendid idea," Alastomon smiled, and Yumiko returned the gesture with a nod. "Though you said before that you won't be able to stay in the Digital World for long... Would you mind telling us when you'll be able to return? After all, we're more than happy to welcome you here whenever you decide to come back. As the current leading figures of the Digital World, we must do what we can to greet you with hospitality. If I recall correctly, Seraphimon did much the same when he was still ruling over the realm."
"Seraphimon was a good man... I met him a few times, and I don't think the Digital World could have asked for a kinder set of rulers," Biastamon confirmed, his eyes falling shut. "The Celestial Three did a strong job of easing the Digital World out of the era of turmoil brought on by the first war against Lucemon, and it truly is a shame they were unable to follow us through to the end of this last war... Their kindness and generosity certainly would have been a great boon to the Digital World."
"Cherubimon made that impossible when he waged war against the Digital World, I'm afraid," Alastomon said with a shake of his head. "If he truly was as kind and generous as you claim him to be, then I'm certain he wouldn't have tried to destroy our realm and every living creature in it."
"Cherubimon wasn't the one responsible for what happened to the Digital World," Koichi suddenly interjected, a frown on his face. "When he attacked the rest of the Digital World, that was all Lucemon's doing. Cherubimon was a kind Digimon who wanted the best for his people, and it was his fear of the unknown and care for those under his rule that ultimately led to his downfall. He did what he thought was best to the end, and Lucemon took advantage of that."
Takuya could have sworn that he saw the edge of Alastomon's lip twitch at the mention of Cherubimon. He was quick to shake it off though, instead turning his attention to the Legendary Warriors. "My apologies for my rash words. I understand you would know the truth of what happened better than anyone... And if you claim that Lucemon was the one behind it, I believe you," he said, a kind smile spreading across his face. "With that said... If you ever find yourselves in need of anything here in the Digital World, you know where to find us. The least we can do after all you have done is try to keep you satisfied and safe within our realm."
"The Digital World owes everything it is to the Legendary Warriors, and we will do all that we can to repay that debt even though we are a mere two Digimon of many," Biastamon agreed. "Even if you are unable to stay here for long today, we can do our best to prepare for your next arrival and make sure that you have somewhere to call your base of operations."
Takuya turned to the other members of his team, eyes going wide. He hadn't ever considered the idea of the group having a designated base within the Digital World, though he supposed that hadn't been possible when the party was last there. They had constantly been on the run from Cherubimon's forces and then the Royal Knights, and there wasn't any good place for them to settle down and call their own as long as life was so chaotic.
Then again, times had changed since then. Lucemon was no longer in a position of power to cause such mayhem and damage, and the Legendary Warriors were coming here to help with the Digital World's restoration rather than fighting in its wars. It would make sense for them to have a place to call their base, especially given all they had done up to this point. Hadn't they earned something along these lines? Hadn’t they earned a place to truly think of as home within the Digital World?
"You know... That sounds like a good idea," Junpei murmured. "I mean, it's certainly going to be easier than us teleporting wherever we think we're needed on a given day. We can set the gate to primarily drop us off at that base, and we can use it as a place to relax if we're not needed for anything particularly noteworthy within the Digital World."
"Perfect! I'm certain we could all use a place to call our permanent home as well," Bokomon agreed as he looked to the other Digimon gathered around him. "We've been traveling wherever we've been needed for the last month, but we don't exactly have a place to refer to as our own. We stayed in the palaces of the Celestial Three for a while, but..."
"They've become more of historical landmarks than actual homes. With the Celestial Three gone, the Digital World has turned them into the remnants of the past—museums and libraries that can be used to reminisce on our history," Lopmon finished for him. "Perhaps we could use a place that we could actually treat as our home..."
"I don't think we've ever had a home before," Salamon commented, glancing over to Patamon and Lopmon with wide eyes. The two of them hesitated before shaking their heads, and Salamon continued as she looked up to Alastomon and Biastamon. "We were hatched from our eggs while everybody else was marching during the war, so we were constantly on the move. I don't think I even had the chance to sleep indoors until after Lucemon was destroyed!"
"In that case, I suppose the matter is settled," Biastamon declared with a bow of his head. "Alastomon and I will do everything in our power to ensure you have a place to stay as long as you are here. It may take a while for the preparations to be completed in full, but..."
"It will ultimately be for the best," Alastomon agreed, a grin spreading across his features. "I can’t imagine it would be easy having to live two lives between Earth and the Digital World. I never would have imagined the new reincarnations would be humans of all things, and, to say the least... It complicates matters regarding your future."
"We can at least try to make the transition simpler for you by giving you a place to stay in while you are here in the Digital World," Biastamon said. "Until then, you can do as you please and stay wherever you think would be best. You have done much for this realm, and I have no doubt its people would be more than happy to provide for you should the need arise."
"Thank you so much for all of this," Izumi beamed. "We really do appreciate it. We're going to make it up to you by doing everything we can to eliminate the Void Fragments and help the Digimon who are suffering because of them. It's the least we can offer after all the kindness you've shown us."
"You owe us nothing after all you did to save our planet once before," Biastamon assured her. "However, your help will certainly be appreciated. Should you ever need either myself or Alastomon, you may simply come here to speak with us. We would be more than happy to meet with you again."
"Of course," Alastomon confirmed with a nod. "For now, enjoy the Digital World to the fullest extent you can. You're all the reason we can live in peace today, and the least you can do is give yourselves the chance to see what your hard work has manifested as. I'm looking forward to meeting with you again."
Alastomon waved as Biastamon nodded toward the Legendary Warriors. The humans and their Digimon guides returned the favor before moving towards the door. Junpei opened it, gesturing for everyone to file out before him before he took up the rear, closing the door behind him. He sighed once they were out in the hallway, glancing to the rest of his allies along the way. "Wow... I don't know what I was expecting that to be like, but it was certainly something," he murmured.
"With the Celestial Three gone, the Digital World has opened itself up to an entirely new wave of politics," Hinoka remarked. "It's not all that surprising... The people of individual lands weren't going to be able to take care of themselves forever. They needed others who could look after them until peace fully returned to the realm, and Alastomon and Biastamon certainly seem to have the best interests of the people at heart."
"It just astounds me how much everything has changed," Takuya commented. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared up at the ceiling of the Crystal Citadel, a sigh pushing its way free of his lips as he admired the gleaming gemstones that lined the perfect, refined architecture that constructed the palace. "I mean, I knew the Digital World was going to be different when we got back here, but... It almost seems like a completely different place from the planet we used to know."
"It's not all that surprising. With the Celestial Three gone, the government had to completely restructure itself. Besides, we weren't ever really given the chance to enjoy the amenities of the planet since we were on the run and fighting for our lives," Koji pointed out. "Now... I guess we're seeing the Digital World in the form that it should have been in all along. Times are peaceful, and the people are happy."
"As soon as we can resolve the issue with the Void Fragments, the Digital World will be in the best state it has ever seen," Bokomon commented with a smile. "With Lucemon gone, there's no need to fear any dark Digimon crawling out of the shadows with the intentions of destroying the world. Everything has come together the exact way that it should have ages ago, and I'm beyond excited to see where this leads us."
"Plus, now that Lucemon is gone, the pacing of our clock has slowed down to match the Earth timeframe," Patamon chimed in with a smile. "That was a problem in the past, but it's not something we need to worry about anymore. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really happy about it. It means we won't have to wait forever so that you guys can come back when a good moment comes in Earth time."
"I feel the same way," Saki said with a nod. "Though it seems as if we're going to have our work cut out for us, at least for a while. We need to do something about the Void Fragments before we truly relax. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think I would be able to rest in good conscience knowing what's going on with the possessed Digimon elsewhere on the planet."
"I agree," Izumi piped up. "We have to do something to make sure nobody else gets hurt because of the Void Fragments. This world has seen enough suffering, and we should start resolving that pain by trying to figure out what's going on with… Whatever you would call the Void Fragments.”
"Of course, we can save that for the next time we come here," Haroi pointed out. "We're not going to be able to do much about it now given how little time we have here. For now, we should place our confidence in Alastomon and Biastamon that they'll be able to handle this. They know what they're doing, and I have no doubt they'll do everything in their power to keep the Digimon safe."
"For now, we can try and catch up on everything that we've missed in the last few weeks," Bokomon said. "Assuming you have the time for it, that is. I know there's a lot we're going to want to tell you as far as stories from the restoration effort are concerned. The Digital World is at peace, and that means we've been able to enjoy ourselves for the first time in ages as well."
Junpei pulled his phone out of his pocket with a small frown. "Well, I don't know if we're going to have enough time for all of it... We still need to tinker with the portal to make sure we can get back without any problems, so we don't want to stay for too long and risk getting stuck over here. I don't think I want to have to explain to my parents that it took me forever to get back home since I was trapped in another world," he commented.
"Could I see your phone for a moment?" Yumiko suddenly questioned, and Junpei glanced over to her before nodding slowly and passing over the device. She tapped at the screen for a few moments before nodding to herself. "It's just like I thought... I don't think our phones work over here."
"What makes you say that?" Takuya questioned as he removed his own phone from his pocket. He powered it on and stared at the screen, only to be met with an indicator to show that he had no internet. In fact, the only thing his phone was doing was showing him the time.
"If I had to guess, I would say the Digital World is interfering with your devices," Bokomon interjected. "After all, we're currently in an entirely digital space, so any technological devices may be tampered with as a result. It's not as if your traditional networks exist here in the Digital World. You're on an entirely different planet, and that complicates matters significantly."
"In other words, if we have to communicate with each other in the Digital World, we're going to have to be there in person to talk to one another," Hinoka concluded. "I hope that's alright... I mean, we didn't have any problems with it before, but it never hurts to be cautious."
"It certainly would have made it easier for us to meet up again after the encounter with Alphamon if we had been able to talk to one another," Saki agreed. They contemplated the matter for a moment before eyeing their D-Tector. "It wouldn't hurt for us to try and see what we can do with our D-Tectors. If there's a way for us to communicate through them, then that should make things easier for us in the future. They work just fine over here, so if we adjust them as much as we can, we should be able to communicate without any problems."
"You mean... We'll be able to call each other through the D-Tectors?" Takuya questioned, his eyes going wide with shock. He hadn't thought the D-Tectors could ever accomplish anything like that given how limited their range of functions had been. Sure, Spirit Evolving was incredible, but there was a difference between changing forms and calling someone from across the planet.
"I can't say for certain if it'll work, but it wouldn't hurt for us to do what we can to try and make this a bit easier for us. After all, the Void Fragments are an issue across the planet, and that may involve us splitting up to take care of them in the future," Saki replied. "It's worth a shot, at the very least. Junpei and I can add that to our list of things to do after we can find a reliable way to use the portal outside of that one school computer."
"You keep adding things to our to-do list," Junpei muttered with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "You're just lucky that I barely have anything to do with my time outside of school. Otherwise, I would probably have to object to all this extra work you're heaping onto my plate."
"We've saved the world before, and you're worried about a few adjustments to a device that can turn us into otherworldly monsters?" Saki questioned with a snort. They gave him a look that told everyone that they weren't buying any joke Junpei was attempting to dish out, and Takuya had to admit it was refreshing to see Saki openly kidding around with the others given their regularly serious and detached demeanor. They had come a long way since the days they spent fighting the rest of the party as Lyramon, and it had never been clearer than that moment.
"Of course I'm not worried," Junpei countered defensively, clearly a bit surprised that Saki had become so brazen in their joking. "We'll just have to get to it whenever the time comes."
"You like doing this sort of thing just as much as I do, so we're going to be fine," Saki assured him. "Besides, we're the Warriors of Thunder and Steel. If anybody knows their way around a device like this, it would be the two of us, and I intend to make sure these D-Tectors are the most useful things anybody could ever ask for."
"I don't know how you guys do it," Salamon admitted. "I don't think I would ever be able to try something on that scale... And I'm not just talking about the fact that I don't really have fingers to try anything with."
"That's Junpei and Saki for you," Chihiro remarked with a loose snort. "The two of them practically live for this stuff, and they were the ones who were able to get us back here to begin with. I'm sure that they'll figure out a solution with time. All we have to do is give them a bit to find the answer we're looking for."
"We can use that time to wait for this home base of ours to be constructed," Bokomon agreed. "Afterwards, we can begin concocting more concrete plans about what we're going to do in response to the Void Fragments."
"But for now, I suppose it's time for us to bid you farewell," Lopmon frowned. "I just hope you'll return to us a bit faster than you did last time. I don't think any of us like the idea of waiting a month only to receive just a few hours with all of you."
"Don't worry. As soon as we're able to fix everything up with the portal, we'll be right back here like nothing ever happened," Tomoki told him, a grin spreading bright and confident across his features. “Well, as much as we can be without rousing too much suspicion.”
"We should take you back to the place where you came from first," Bokomon declared. "We can take a Trailmon back to that village before sending you off."
There were no objections to Bokomon's words, and with that, the group made the rest of their way back to the entrance of the Crystal Citadel and then out into the rest of the city. Takuya couldn't help smiling the whole way, and his grin remained firm even as they entered the Trailmon and began to exchange stories about how much everything had changed since they last saw one another. It felt as if he was living an entirely different life from the one he had come to know on Earth for the last month, and he was more than fine with it. This was where he had always belonged, and nothing was ever going to change his mind about that.
When the party finally arrived back at the village where they had started their adventures for the day, Bokomon let out a heavy sigh. "Do promise you'll be back soon. You can come and see us again sometime within the next few days, yes?"
"Of course," Mayumi told him. "You don't need to worry about us staying away. Trust me. We're being given a choice between regular old life on Earth and everything we can get here. I don't think there's much of a debate to be had here. We're going to choose this place every single time."
"We'll be counting the days until you can come back!" Patamon chirped, waving one of his small paws at the Legendary Warriors. "And next time you come, maybe we'll have a place of our own to hang out!"
"We'll be looking forward to it!" Takuya called back. He waved with the same bright grin as ever before plastered across his features even as the town shrank out of view, vanishing into the horizon in favor of the field before him. The greenery was impressive even with the slight damages the earth had suffered during the battle with Parasaurmon, and Takuya couldn't help sighing with joy that he was there at all. Only the Digital World would find a way to make a field feel so magnetic and special.
As soon as the Legendary Warriors came to a halt in full, all eyes shifted to Junpei. "How are we going to return this time?" Koichi asked of him. "We don't have a computer to act as the conduit from this end, so what should we do now?"
"Just lift your D-Tector up into the sky, and that should take care of everything for us," Junpei replied. "The portal is still somewhat active here, and it should send us back as soon as it recognizes that our D-Tectors are here and that we're ready to return. The portal is in sync with all of us and our D-Tectors after we warped here earlier, so we shouldn't have any problems if we managed to do everything right in constructing the gate."
"Let's see how it works then," Izumi announced. She was the first to raise her D-Tector, and the rest of the group followed suit. As soon as their devices were all elevated skyward, the world around them began to shift and tilt as a white rift opened in the sky overhead. Soon enough, the portal consumed all of them, and Takuya felt his feet leaving the ground as the light of the rift took him over. For a few moments, he flew, and after that, he spun mercilessly through the gate.
When Takuya could next fully feel his body, the breathless feeling had subsided and was replaced by something hard beneath him. He realized a moment later that his cheek was pressed against the ground of the computer room, and his arms were sprawled out on either side of him. In fact, he had been tangled into a massive pile of limbs, and he vaguely recognized that somebody was on top of him. He had barely even noticed at first because of how disorienting it was to travel through a gate like this, and for a few moments, all he could do was stare at the floor below and once again muse on how wild it was that this was even possible to begin with.
"So..." came Koji's voice from somewhere above Takuya. "I guess that we're going to need a little bit more experience before we'll be able to stick the landing on the way back. I suppose being dropped off in a massive field is different from being spat out of a computer into a regular room."
"We'll get there eventually," Yumiko asserted as she pushed herself to her feet. "Either way, the portal seems to work, so I think we can count that among our victories. We should be able to go back to the Digital World whenever we please now."
"Junpei and I should have the newest version of the portal up and running soon, and that will make it easier for us to move between realms. We can even set it up so we can all go to the Digital World individually," Saki declared. "For now, I think we can consider our most recent meeting as the Legendary Warriors adjourned. It's time for all of us to go home and work out the bruises from that fall."
Takuya let out a groan of agreement as the person on top of him finally found the strength to move. Upon closer examination, Takuya realized that the person in question had been none other than Mayumi, and while she was on the lighter side, it was still uncomfortable for everyone involved for her to have sat on Takuya's spine so gracelessly. She offered him an awkward smile before reaching for his hand and pulling him to his feet with a surprising amount of force. Takuya never would have thought someone as small as Mayumi would have been capable of such feats of strength, but then again, he also never expected to find himself caught between two worlds a month ago. This was hardly the strangest thing he had ever seen.
"We'll come up with another day to go back soon," Junpei told everyone. "We should keep each other updated on our schedules so that we can go back together. Until then, enjoy your evenings, everyone."
With that, the Legendary Warriors began to disperse, and Takuya glanced over to Chihiro as they brushed a few flecks of dirt off their uniform shirt. The two locked eyes before nodding, a sign they were ready to go. Soon afterwards, the pair left the computer room behind, off to retrieve their things from the locker room and return to their ordinary lives and their ordinary homes.
To the untrained eye, it would seem as if nothing had happened, but the Legendary Warriors all knew better.
~~~~~
Takuya and Chihiro returned to the Kanbara home around half an hour before the family was slated to have dinner, and their first order of business was to get out of their uniforms before slipping into something a bit more casual. Takuya was quick to pull his goggles around his head as soon as he was given the chance, tucking his D-Tector into one pocket and his phone into the other to make sure both of them were on hand at all times. He never knew when the others were going to reach out to him, after all, and he couldn't afford to make them wait for any longer than he had to, doubly so since the Digital World was on the verge of another major crisis.
Chihiro knocked on the wall just beside his room’s door once they were finished changing themself, and Takuya turned to face them a moment later, a smile spread across his face. "So... How was it?" he questioned, keeping the inquiry vague so as to not make any eavesdroppers too suspicious. After all, the last thing he needed was for the other occupants of the house to realize something was up so soon after their Digital World adventures had begun once more.
"It was fun," Chihiro told him with a small nod. They stared down at the floor, and while they didn't say anything about it, Takuya could tell there was a lot raging through their mind on the heels of the battle with Parasaurmon. He frowned at the sight, silently trying to probe their mind for any signs of the truth.
Chihiro didn't give him the chance to ask too many questions though, instead glancing up to meet his gaze again a moment later. "Do you feel like... Anything was different while we were there?" they forced themself to ask, though the words were clearly a struggle for them to push out.
Takuya thought about it for a long moment, and while he wanted to deny their words and say everything was fine, he knew better than that. The Digital World had felt different to him, and he wasn't exactly talking about the fact that they had been met with entirely new leaders of a world they had once understood so well. It felt as if he was processing it differently, like the realm itself had shifted in terms of the way he comprehended it. This was the same realm he had once rescued, and he knew that, but he was receiving the information in a completely different way than he had been previously.
When he stood in that field after they arrived, Takuya felt alive in a way he could never hope to describe in words. It was a deep, passive feeling, much more so than his previous moments of coming awake from within his own skin, but he could still tell the change it was there. Something within him had shifted the instant he set foot on the Digital World's soil once more, and he didn't even know how to describe it. All he knew was things had changed, and he could feel the pulse of the realm in his own heartbeat whenever he closed his eyes.
"The Digital World is our home. It welcomed us back."
Takuya wasn't sure of where the words had come from, but they rang true from somewhere within the back of his mind. The voice that spoke them was a permutation of his own, similar but just barely different enough to be considered a new entity. He didn't say this out loud though, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere by chasing phantoms from within his own head. Instead, he simply nodded. "Yeah... Something about it did feel different," he told Chihiro casually, praying he didn't come off as ridiculous as he could have sworn he felt.
"I felt it too," Chihiro agreed with a nod. "But... It's so hard for me to put a finger on why I felt like that or where it came from. I feel like I'm going to understand it eventually, but I don't have any clues about what I’m missing right now." They shifted their focus to the ground, seeming to find the floor far more interesting than anything else in the room. Something in their vision quirked in an offbeat way for a brief flicker of a second, but they corrected themself long before Takuya could realize what was happening and ask about it. The way they watched the ground made it seem as if they were listening for something, but when Takuya tried to strain for a sound, nothing reached his ears.
"You know what they're trying to find. You can feel it too."
Takuya ignored the words once again before he let out a small laugh. That was more than enough for him to earn Chihiro's attention once more, and the two of them locked eyes as he spoke. "I think we'll figure it out soon enough. I mean, we're going to be heading to the Digital World a lot in the future, and we can work out why we feel so strange about it after we've been there a few times. I'm sure the answers will come to us naturally when the time is right," he assured them. "There's nothing to worry about aside from the Void Fragments, and we're going to have all of them under control soon enough too."
Chihiro didn't seem to believe it, but they still nodded. "Yeah... I guess you're right," they said, and Takuya wished they could actually mean it when they said that. "There's no point in dwelling on it right now, at the very least. We've got a lot on our plates, and we had better get into it. I mean, homework is going to start up soon with the new semester, and we have to be ready for it."
Takuya did his best to not wince at the idea of Chihiro being so desperate for a distraction from whatever was on their mind that they turned to homework of all things. Chihiro had always avoided the subject as well as they could, but then again, they always blocked out anything that upset them. It had been their way for as long as Takuya could remember, but he thought they had worked through it at least in part when the group was in the Digital World. It felt wrong looking into their eyes once again and feeling that wave of uncertainty and anxiety as if nothing had changed to begin with.
Everything had changed, and yet, nothing had all the same.
"It's fine," Chihiro said quickly as they took a step backward. "We'll find a plan for how to deal with all of this when the time is right, but until then, we've got a lot to take care of. I'm sure we're going to have a field day trying to keep everything in check between the two sides of our lives, huh?"
"You can say that again," Takuya chuckled. "But we can cross that bridge when we get to it. Everything is going to be fine. It was okay before, and we're not running from our lives this time while fighting in a war. I'm sure we'll be able to figure everything out easily."
Chihiro paused and stared down at the ground once more, their eyes twisting like they were listening for some invisible whisper once again. Eventually, they simply nodded, though the gesture was void of anything even resembling belief or hope. "Yeah... I'm sure you're right."
~~~~~
When Izumi arrived back at the Orimoto home, she hung her backpack on the hook near the door before reaching for her pocket to tuck her D-Tector out of sight. She had held it the entire walk home, but the last thing she needed was for Masae to realize she was up to something. Her sister was much more perceptive than she liked to let the world believe, and if there was anybody that was going to find a way to figure out the truth of Izumi's double life, it was going to be her.
Masae herself was sitting at the kitchen table when Izumi arrived, tapping her pencil against the wood as she stared at a single sheet of paper. She perked up at the sight of her sister, blonde hair shifting around her face. In most ways, Masae and Izumi looked like perfect mirrors of one another, but Masae's chin was slightly rounder. It matched her short hair rather well, and the blonde tresses curled gently around her cheeks and neck. Her green eyes gleamed as she waved at her sister with her free hand. "Hey, Izumi. You're late in getting back," she commented.
"I was staying after school with a few friends. I'm sorry I forgot to text you," Izumi told her apologetically. She walked behind her sister before looking down at the page sitting on the table. "I think it's a bit early in the semester for homework, isn't it?"
"This isn't homework. I've been trying to write a bit more poetry lately since it's been so long since I last did it, but it's kind of hard for me to find the words when I’m not feeling particularly inspired," Masae admitted. "For someone who likes this sort of thing so much, I certainly am not great at it."
"You don't need to worry about being good at something. All that matters is that you have fun," Izumi assured her. "Also, the fact that you're not good at this is a load of crap. I've read what you've written before, and you're much better at it than you're willing to give yourself credit for."
Masae laughed at her sister's choice of words. Izumi had grown slightly crasser since her return from the Digital World, and Masae couldn't get enough of watching her seemingly eternally perfect sister let her guard down just long enough to say something that fell out of the boundaries of politeness. It was a small shift, but it was one Izumi could tell her sister had picked up on following her return. Deep down, Izumi knew it was because of people like Takuya, Chihiro, Koji, and Junpei being around her so much when she was in the Digital World, but Masae didn't need to know details like that. Hopefully, the entertaining nature of Izumi's change would be enough to keep Masae from asking any other questions about it.
"I'll take your word for it," Masae returned with a smile. "I hope your second day of classes went well. It's certainly a bit of a learning experience for me again. I got so used to the freedom of summer that I’ve barely known what to do myself for these last few days. It's barely even felt real."
"I've been doing fine enough," Izumi replied. "It's been easier because of the new friends I've been making. They certainly help to make things a bit more interesting."
"One of them is Takuya Kanbara, right?" Masae questioned, and Izumi nodded, on the verge of asking her sister how she had figured something like that out even though she hadn't been directly told. Luckily, Masae was quick to answer the question for her. "I saw you two talking around the school earlier today. His brother's in my class. Shinya's a nice kid."
"So I've heard," Izumi said with a nod before she let a mischievous smile spread across her features. "Though I also recall hearing from Takuya that he's a bit of a punk sometimes. How did I get so lucky?"
Masae laughed at Izumi's words before tilting her head back so that the sisters locked eyes for a moment. In those few breathless seconds, Izumi felt as if everything was perfectly normal between them. Masae didn't suspect a thing about how much she had changed over the course of just a few hours during that fateful summer day, and Izumi was the same sister that she always had been. They were a family all their own while their father continued to drown himself in work the same as always, and Izumi couldn't have asked for anything better.
"Are you planning on staying after school again soon?" Masae asked as she glanced back down to her paper. She tapped the edge of her pencil against the table once more, and the beat was a steady rhythm that permeated the conversation between the sisters.
"I'll have to see what my friends think," Izumi replied simply. If she had it her way, she would have spent a few hours after school every day going to the Digital World, but she knew that wasn't feasible. Junpei and Saki were still refining the portal, and the others wouldn't like it if she went without them. Maybe she would be able to do that after the gate had been transferred to all of their personal computers. That was a question for another time though. For now, they would go as the same team of twelve that they had been when they fought the war against Lucemon. They were incomplete if they were fewer than twelve, and each of them knew it well.
"What exactly are you doing after classes to begin with?" Masae inquired, and just like that, Izumi was back on the defensive, her sister's probing immediately piercing her straight to the core. Izumi cursed her mother for teaching them both to be so good at reading others, knowing Masae’s seemingly innocent curiosity was going to be her downfall. If any of the Legendary Warriors was going to falter and let the truth slip, it was going to be Izumi when Masae started looking into her emerald eyes for even just a fraction of a second too long.
"Nothing you'd be interested in," Izumi replied easily. She couldn't say that they were studying. Classes hadn't grown intense enough yet to merit something like that, and Masae would know something was up if she used that excuse. Gymnastics practices weren't starting up for another few days, making that yet another idea that failed on the back of her tongue. She hadn't ever stayed after school for any other reason, so her only idea was to cover for her tracks in the vaguest way she knew how.
Masae wasn't buying it, and even though neither one of them said this out loud, Izumi could feel it based on the gleam in her sister's eyes shifting to disappointment at the lack of trust. "I see," she commented simply. She eyed her sister briefly after turning her head over her shoulder to look at Izumi with a light frown. "You should probably get changed out of your uniform. We can talk more at dinner."
Izumi saw the dismissal for what it was, and she nodded at being excused. She left a lingering touch on Masae's shoulder as she moved towards her room, a guilty frown appearing on her features the instant her face was shrouded in shadows. She hated having to keep the truth from her sister, but she knew this was her best option. Izumi couldn’t tell anyone about the Digital World. None of them could. She didn’t like lying, but what other option did she have? Some secrets needed keeping. Izumi could only hope Masae didn't hold too much disdain for her in return.
Meanwhile, Masae turned her attention back to the page before her with a bittersweet exhale. The rhythmic tapping of her pencil finally fell silent as she began to etch the first few letters onto the page. She knew what to write her poem about now, and she wasn't happy at all with the topic.
After all, nobody would be satisfied with relaying the tale of a sister who didn't dare to trust the ones she loved most.
Notes:
And so our third chapter arrives!
This one was a joy to work on for a variety of reasons, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. For one, we were able to introduce two new major players in this Digital World: Alastomon and Biastamon. I really like writing for the two of them, especially with their clashing ideologies. They both want what's best for their people, and that means defending them to the bitter end. Alastomon is much more charismatic and open, a bold leader who wants to charge forward against all odds, while Biastamon is on the quiet side and prefers to keep to himself while opening a compassionate ear to those who are suffering most. They're very contrasting in terms of personality, and that's the very reason I think they work so well together both as foils and as allies.
As for the rest of the chapter, I liked writing the transition that followed the conversation with Alastomon and Biastamon. The Legendary Warriors and their guides are back to talking the same way they did before they were separated, and they're just as determined as ever to do something for those who are suffering. I missed writing this group together, and I already love how things are coming together for them. They deserve to spend time together, damn it, especially after a month apart. They've earned it.
Finally, there are the ending scenes. First, there was the part with Takuya and Chihiro, which I think is a nice contrast to the bliss of the first part of the chapter. The Digital World has resonated with all of them in a different way than they expected it to, and everybody is feeling the influences of it. Of course, change isn't easy to grapple with, and there's a lot that's changed since the group was last there, and they've changed too. No wonder they're so uncertain. There were a few tidbits of foreshadowing in this scene too that are going to be important later, but for now, I hope you enjoyed this scene and all of the theory fuel that came with it.
Last, we have the scene at the Orimoto home, and more importantly, the introduction to Masae! She appeared in a cameo in Izumi's ending segment of the epilogue for the previous book, but she's actually here in the flesh now. She's in the same grade as Shinya, so she's fifteen just like Tomoki, Yumiko, Haroi, and Mayumi. I really liked writing the scene between Izumi and Masae, and it sets up Masae to play a much larger role in this story than she did previously. No, this won't be the last we hear from her, and we're going to see both her and Shinya playing prominent parts in the tale to come. For now though, you get the brief interaction between the Orimoto sisters as we get ready for other greater adventures.
With that said, it's time to wrap things up for this week. Next time, we're going to explore the aftermath of the Legendary Warriors returning to the Digital World and all that entails. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 4: Misfit Pieces
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors think of the Void Fragments and their influences on the Digital World as Katsuharu whispers of a grand secret beyond anyone's comprehension.
Chapter Text
Takuya could still feel the familiar dance of the flame within when the next day came around, and as he went through the motions that came with the start of yet another session of classes, he found himself feeling more alive than the start of school had ever left him before. All he had needed was a few hours in the Digital World to revitalize everything that had started to rest dormant within him, and now, he couldn't go back to normalcy ever again, not that he wanted to. He had been waiting for this for ages, and he could barely wait to return to the Digital World even just a day after he had last been there.
Takuya struggled to keep himself fully focused throughout his morning classes, knowing a bit too perfectly that the Digital World was waiting for him just around the corner. He wasn't sure about when the group was going to be headed there next, but he suspected it was going to be whenever Junpei and Saki were able to iron out a few more details with either communication via D-Tectors or how to move the portals over to the laptops of the Legendary Warriors. They could get to the next step after all of that had been taken care of, he was sure.
Until then, that left Takuya's nerves rattling around beneath his skin, and he could hear echoes of his own voice constantly seeking the Digital World once more. He wanted to return to his second home, to feel that rush of fire course through his veins once again, but for the time being, all he could do was wait. As he sat down for lunch, he tapped his foot as quickly as he could stand, unable to focus no matter how hard he tried. All he wanted to do was go to the computer room and activate the portal. He could have just done it if he wanted, but school prevented him from getting too far into his fantasies. As much as he hated having to admit it, he had work to do for the rest of the day, and he couldn't slack off on it now.
Chihiro, Koji, and Izumi were all gathered together and preparing to eat by the time Takuya arrived. He gave them all a gentle grin as he turned his attention to his own food. "So... Are you guys ready to go back there or what?" he questioned, already knowing what the answer was going to be.
"It's going to be tons of fun, I'm sure... But it'll also be a while," Chihiro pointed out. "We've got soccer practice after school today, and we're going to have a lot more on our plates after that too. The homework load is only going to get more intense after this, and we have to be ready for it... Though it would certainly be much more entertaining for us to ignore our responsibilities and just see what the Digital World has to offer us. I wish that was an option, but..."
"We'll get back there eventually," Izumi assured them with a smile. "You don't need to worry about that. For the time being, we can try and come up with a plan about what we're going to be doing with the Void Fragments. This gives Alastomon and Biastamon the chance to iron out housing arrangements when we go there as well. I would hardly want to ambush them with our return if it came too soon."
"I like the idea of us having a place to stay officially," Koji commented. "I think it's going to be a huge help and a load of stress off our shoulders. We couldn't ever stay in one place for long before now, but we'll have a place to head to by default whenever we need to go to the Digital World from now on. That's going to make things a lot easier for us, and it should do favors for Bokomon, Neemon, and the Three Celestials too."
Takuya nodded at that. "I hope they're able to figure out a bit more about the Void Fragments in the couple of days before we'll be able to go back," he said. "The sooner we can find out what's going on with them, the sooner we'll be able to find a solution. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm looking forward to having them off our plate so we can officially consider the Digital World at peace."
"I agree... Though I'm willing to take the Void Fragments over Cherubimon or Lucemon any day," Chihiro snorted. "Now, we're not trying to kill each other, and we don't need to worry about a ridiculously powerful angel from hell trying to end the world either. That's certainly a step above everything that we've seen up to this point."
Izumi nodded as well, a sigh pushing its way free of her lips. "Even if the Void Fragments are problematic, we're going to find a way to push through them with time, I'm sure. Just like Chihiro said, this is better than having to deal with Cherubimon and Lucemon. We'll be able to handle everything as soon as we know what's going on, and it'll be like there was no problem at all soon enough."
Koji spooned some food into his mouth before swallowing the bite back. "Junpei and Saki are going to be able to take care of things with communication soon too. If there's anybody that can handle something like this, it's going to be the two of them," he said. "I'm confident they'll have everything figured out for us in no time, and then, we won't need to worry about potentially being split up to investigate the Void Fragments."
"Given how widespread the problem is, it's just a matter of time before we have to split up. Having that line of communication is going to make it a lot easier for us to get back with each other after we split too, so I think we're going to have to use that for all it's worth as soon as it's finished," Chihiro agreed. They opened their mouth to say something else, but their eyes shot open halfway through, and they instead chose to tilt their face towards their food. They took another bite, though Takuya could see the paranoia hidden beneath their irises. They were trying to seem as nonchalant as possible, but Takuya knew better than to fall for something like that. Chihiro was worried about something, and Takuya was going to find out what.
Luckily for him, Takuya didn’t have to wait long. Just a moment later, Takuya realized exactly what had distracted Chihiro to such a degree. Teruo, Teppei, Chiaki, and Katsuharu had come into view, all of them engaged in deep conversation. It was hard to guess what they were talking about, but Teppei was taking notes about it in a small notebook that seemed to be filled to the brim with miscellaneous sheets of paper. Takuya was sure it had to be a project that he had been working on for a while given how full it was. There was no way any notebook could have gotten that full after just a few days in school, and the Warrior of Fire silently mused on what could have been so intriguing to the newcomers.
Katsuharu stopped walking as soon as he realized who he was near, and Teruo went silent nearby. "Oh, hey, you guys," Katsuharu greeted. Despite the fact that he was addressing the rest of the group, he barely seemed to notice that they were there at all, instead distracted by something else that Takuya could only imagine involved the notebook Teppei was now clutching to his chest for dear life.
"You seem distracted," Chihiro remarked, not bothering to mince words the instant they took in the whole of Katsuharu's tense and unnerved posture. "Is something wrong?" Their eyes briefly flickered over to Teppei's notebook, but he simply pressed it closer to his chest, refusing to let any information slip to the other students.
"It's nothing," Teruo said a bit too quickly, and Takuya could tell the words had been on his tongue the instant he realized somebody had figured out they weren't entirely focused on the meal at hand. "We're just on our way to sit down and eat."
"Why not sit with us and tell us what's going on then?" Chihiro questioned. It was clearly a bid to obtain information, but nobody dared to call them out on it. Takuya couldn't help but want to know the truth just as desperately as Chihiro, though he hid it much better. "You're not going to be able to do much in soccer practice later if you're so distracted."
Katsuharu thought about it for a moment, but the instant he remembered who he was talking to and all of the years he had known Takuya and Chihiro for, he allowed himself to relax. He glanced around the area before reaching for a chair and pulling it up so that he was sitting with Takuya, Koji, Chihiro, and Izumi. It didn't take long for Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki to follow suit, though Chiaki seemed almost surprised that Katsuharu was behaving so boldly all of a sudden. The Legendary Warriors at the table began to shift closer to one another to make room, and Takuya found himself inwardly glad that Chihiro was between him and Izumi of all people. That certainly made things easier for them given how much Chihiro hated being touched by most people, though Koji didn't seem all that satisfied with the seating arrangements that had him beside Teruo. Still, the Warrior of Light sealed his lips firmly shut and focused his attention squarely on the notebook at the center of the conversation.
Teppei set the book down on the table before looking up to the rest of the teens. "You have no idea what you're getting into," he said softly, treating the words as if they were a sacred prayer of some strange kind. "We've been trying to uncover secrets... Big secrets that most people could never even hope to understand."
Takuya glanced over to the rest of the Legendary Warriors, confusion written all over his face. That certainly explained the strange behavior from Katsuharu and his companions, but he couldn't help wondering what exactly it was that had them so intrigued. "What kind of secrets?" Takuya eventually questioned, struggling to get the words out around his own shock.
"The largest conspiracy you've ever heard of!" Teppei whispered intensely. "You have no idea what this is about... And we probably shouldn't tell you to begin with. It might be too much for you to handle."
Koji raised an eyebrow in his direction. "You were the ones who sat down here. I feel like that implies that you're going to tell us," he pointed out. "Besides, we're asking, and it wouldn't hurt to get it off your chest. Like Chihiro said, you're all too distracted for your own good."
Katsuharu thought about it for a moment before sharing a look with Teruo. The silence closed in around them for a brief moment before Katsuharu stood up once more. "We'll tell you all that we know soon," he eventually said. "But you have to promise to keep this between us, alright? Now isn't a good time... I don't think we have enough time to fully explain everything that we know. If we meet up earlier into lunch on another day... Then maybe we'll be able to share it then."
"For now, you didn't hear anything about us knowing about a conspiracy," Teppei declared. He rose to his feet a moment later, grabbing the sacred notebook before continuing to hold it closely. Upon closer examination, Takuya realized it was the same notebook that Chiaki had been clinging to on the first day of classes. Whatever this secret was, it had all of them wrapped up tightly, and they were using that notebook to catalogue the truth of this grand conspiracy they were unraveling.
Before any of the Legendary Warriors had the chance to comment on what was happening, Katsuharu began to walk away, and the others were quick to follow in his footsteps. Takuya blinked after them, and he couldn't help staring until well after they had disappeared from view. In the end, it was Koji who broke the silence once they were gone. "That... Certainly was an experience," he muttered under his breath.
"That would be one way of putting it," Chihiro agreed with a sigh. "I don't know what I expected, but... I suppose that whatever it is that's bothering them, we're going to figure it out soon enough. I'm going to make sure they keep to their promise of telling us everything about this strange conspiracy."
"They seemed awfully focused on that notebook... I wonder if perhaps the distractions are all because they've been too concentrated on this secret," Izumi remarked. "I bet that's their diary for everything they've been uncovering, though I have no idea what sort of conspiracy they would be able to get into that deeply."
"There will always be people who are interested in that sort of thing, though I somehow doubt this is going to do all that much for us," Koji told the group. "If you ask me, they're probably going to tell us all about some secret that either doesn't matter or isn't even a conspiracy to begin with. Worse yet, it could just be flat out wrong. They're probably going down some ridiculous rabbit hole and don't know what they're getting into."
"Either way, I suppose it's something that we can think about every once in a while until they tell us," Takuya commented with a shrug. "It's honestly just going to bother me that I don't know more than anything else. They don't want to think about much else these days, and that only makes me more curious. What could possibly be eating up all of their attention?"
"There's no point in musing on it for now," Koji pointed out. "It would be for the best if we just set it aside and focused on more important matters. We need to take care of our classes first and foremost, and we need to find a plan for dealing with the Void Fragments too. Neither one of those things is going to be easy, especially given that we have to balance them simultaneously."
Takuya nodded his agreement at that. Even though it was nagging at the back of his mind mercilessly, he knew that he wasn't going to be able to think about this so-called secret for too much longer than he already had. The Void Fragments required his attention first and foremost, and he could give Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki his thoughts another time after all of this had been resolved. Either that, or he would simply have to wait until they came to him to talk all about their strange conspiracy. Regardless, everything would work out eventually, and he wasn't worried about it in the slightest.
Chihiro let out a sigh before taking another bite of their food. When they swallowed it, they glanced up to the other members of the team, their previous hunger for information having fallen to the wayside. They let their free hand come up to lazily cradle at their chin as they spoke. "So... The Void Fragments..."
~~~~~
The rest of the day came and went without much consequence, and as was to be expected, Junpei and Saki found their way to the computer room after most other occupants of the school had cleared out. They had decided to divide and conquer to take care of their two primary goals at the moment: transferring the portal to other devices and altering the D-Tectors to allow for distanced communication within the Digital World. Junpei had taken to the latter while Saki concentrated on the first task. Given how Junpei had always enjoyed inventing and tinkering with small trinkets, the job of messing with the D-Tectors felt as if it was simply made for him, and he studied his own device intently while Saki typed away on the nearby computer.
"It seems to me like we're already making decent progress here," Saki remarked. "It'll probably still take a bit of tinkering, but now that we know that the portal works, we can push forward with what we already know. The sooner we're able to get out of the computer room, the sooner we'll be able to go to the Digital World whenever we want. Besides, we need to have this done if we ever need to go on a day the school isn't open."
Junpei nodded. "This probably isn't going to be a worry for us because of how fast we're working, but the last thing I want is for us to fall behind the curve on the Void Fragments because of our first school break," he told them. "It's nothing we need to be afraid of now, but I don't think it would be good for us to have to sneak into the school each time we needed to go to the Digital World."
"That would be more trouble than it's worth," Saki replied, not even bothering to point out how illegal something like that would be. Junpei couldn't help but smile at their words. It was just like Saki in a strange way that he didn't know how to describe. Loose but strict morals had always been something at the core of their being, and it seemed as if breaking into a school and trespassing into the computer room wasn't something that was high on their list of dangers to avoid. Then again, kicking the shit out of Junpei and the rest of the Risen Warriors had also been just another duty to them at one point, so he supposed this was simply part of Saki’s nature in its own special way.
For a long time, Junpei allowed himself to fall silent as he simply focused on the D-Tector in front of him, but he eventually glanced up in Saki's direction once more. "I have to ask... What do you think of the Void Fragments?" he questioned. "We don't know all that much about them right now, but we're going to have to figure out everything we can if we want to help the Digital World out."
Saki thought about it for a brief moment before shrugging. "I don't think any of us saw this coming. We were all sure the Digital World was going to see peace after we left, but... I see now that we were being a touch too optimistic there. In fact, I should have noticed it sooner," they admitted.
Junpei paused, a frown corrupting his features. "What do you mean?" he questioned cautiously. "You knew that something was going to wind up going wrong eventually?"
"I wasn't sure of it at first, but it makes a lot of sense," Saki said. "Think about the Digital World's history for a moment, would you? There have been problems for as long as the planet has existed. In that way, it's not all that much unlike Earth. First, there was the war between the Human and Beast Digimon. Ever since the Digital World was first created, that's a problem that has existed, and it only stopped when Lucemon took over. Lucemon rising to power only led to another war that ultimately ended with him being dethroned when his peace turned into a stranglehold on anything he could control. After that, the Celestial Three took over, but there were still tensions between Human and Beast Digimon."
Junpei nodded at that. "From what we heard, I got the impression that Cherubimon's paranoia about the Human Digimon betraying him was what gave Lucemon the chance to slip inside of his head and start the most recent war to begin with," he remarked.
"That would be correct. Cherubimon was terrified of the Human Digimon hurting him as the years went by because he knew the peace he saw would not last forever. There would always be a conflict between the Human and Beast Digimon, and he took out his anxiety and paranoia on Seraphimon and Ophanimon as soon as Lucemon pushed him over the edge," Saki confirmed. "Now, the Celestial Three are gone, and the Digital World has been left without leaders the same way that it was before Lucemon showed up all that time ago. Alastomon and Biastamon are something, but they're not everything. They can't handle the entire planet's burdens no matter how hard they try, especially given how new they are to their positions of authority."
"In other words, the peace we created from defeating Lucemon didn't solve the problem Lucemon initially tried to fix all those years ago... The Digital World isn't a peaceful place by nature no matter how much the Digimon try to pretend the wars of the past are long over," Junpei murmured. He looked back to his D-Tector and began to tinker with it once again, a frown ever present on his features.
"Exactly. Right now, the main thing the Digital World can agree on is that we saved it from catastrophe, but that's hardly common enough ground to halt the wave of change that's sweeping over the planet," Saki said. "The Void Fragments appear to be the newest problem we're going to have to put up with, though I doubt getting rid of them is at all going to be simple given the way that the Digital World has been in the past."
Junpei nodded, though he wished with everything he had that Saki wasn't right. Deep down, he knew better than to actually believe it, but there was no harm in optimism, right? "There has to be somebody or something behind all of this," he declared. "Something like this wouldn't just pop up as soon as Lucemon was gone. We have no reason to believe it's contagious given the evidence, so that means there's something that's deliberately infecting Beast Digimon... Isn't that such a strange thing to think about? What makes the Beast Digimon so different that they're the only ones who are impacted?"
"It wouldn't surprise me if the Beast Digimon weren't the only ones influenced," Saki replied. "The Human Digimon are built in the same way that the Beast Digimon are. The only difference is the line that they've drawn between themselves to create a group of 'us' and an enemy of 'them.' There isn't a fundamental difference between the two groups. The fact that it's only impacted Beast Digimon up to this point though... That's something that we're going to have to keep in mind, but I get the feeling that there's a lot more to it than we've been led to believe up to this point. Biastamon seemed to think so too."
Junpei nodded his agreement at that even though he admittedly had no idea what they were supposed to do about the situation given their current lack of information. "I hope that Alastomon and Biastamon are able to figure out what's going on sooner rather than later so that we can take care of it. The Digital World needs stability right now, and the Void Fragments are going to completely destroy that unless we can get rid of them as soon as possible."
"I hope that Alastomon and Biastamon don't cause any problems just by being themselves," Saki frowned. Junpei looked over at them again, and they continued without giving him even a glance. "The two of them are passionate about their people, and I can see that much... But they need to know the peace of the Digital World is not an easy thing to attain. If you ask me, Biastamon needs to start being a bit more assertive while Alastomon needs to learn to compromise. They can be fine leaders, but they're not suited for the positions yet. I don't think anyone is. Leadership is something that is learned, and they need to be able to handle it if the Digital World is to survive. We can't always be there to give the planet something to lean on. We’re children, not leaders, and that doesn’t change no matter how much experience in combat we have."
Junpei thought about their words for a long moment before nodding once again. "You're a lot better at all of this political junk than I am," he remarked. "I always get tired when I try to think of what's going through other people's heads. It's exhausting to try and put myself in their shoes when I know I'm never going to be able to fully understand their situations to begin with."
Saki shrugged loosely. "It's something that I've gotten used to over the years, I suppose," they commented simply. "But it doesn't matter all that much now. The point is that the Digital World is currently at risk, and if we want this peace to last, then we need to work with Alastomon and Biastamon on top of getting rid of the Void Fragments. War is something that fuels the living creatures that comprehend it... Earth is fueled by conflict the same way that the Digital World is, and we need to do something to ease the flames before it can grow to be too much. After all... We both know what that can lead to."
Junpei nodded at that, a heavy frown on his face. He did know all too well what could come of war. The Digital World had brought him much beauty, but at the same time, he didn't think he had ever been quite so unnerved at the thought of conflict. He was certainly happier, but there were some shadows that seemed to live just out of the corner of his eyes that he was constantly forced to keep tabs on for the sake of his own mental state.
He didn't say it out loud, but when he closed his eyes, he remembered what it was like to let the element of Thunder, the beast that lived deep within him, take control of everything. He remembered the rage that came with every emotion he had ever held suddenly swarming and clamoring to take him over from the inside out. He remembered the way that he had seen so many of his friends—his family—beaten and battered on the ground with bruises and scrapes to mark their won and lost battles. They had seen hell and come back standing together, and the least they could do for themselves and others was ensure the nightmare of war never returned.
Junpei pried his eyes open again a moment later before looking back down to his D-Tector. Afterward, he got right back to work, letting the steel whisper beneath his fingertips. He had to finish the D-Tector's communication feature as soon as possible so the Legendary Warriors would be able to handle the next task that fell into their laps. If the Void Fragments were going to be an issue, the least they could do was be ready to rise to the challenge.
If war was going to come once more to the restless Digital World, the best they could do was prepare themselves with everything they had.
~~~~~
Chihiro stopped the soccer ball beneath their foot as it rolled towards them, a frown heavy on their features. Even though it had been a few hours since their conversation with Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki, they couldn't get the group’s words out of their head. No matter how hard they tried, they kept on thinking about that secret all over again, and they couldn't help wanting to know what it was. Something about the way Katsuharu's eyes had gleamed told Chihiro that this was something much larger than anything they could have ever anticipated, and that only made them want to know it more. They had every intention of making sure that Katsuharu stuck to his promise of explaining everything he knew when it came to this unholy conspiracy no matter what the price was. Chihiro’s curiosity wouldn’t have let him drop it after what he had vowed.
Speaking of Katsuharu, he and Teruo had been distracted throughout the entirety of practice. Their coach called out to everyone to take care of drills and passing for the first thirty minutes, and Katsuharu and Teruo had barely been able to bring themselves to focus enough to execute the most basic of routines. A few steps away, Teruo failed to properly receive the ball Katsuharu had kicked in his direction, and he chased after it for a few seconds before sending it back to Katsuharu. Chihiro frowned at the sight before passing their ball back in Takuya's direction, inwardly hating their stubbornness all the while. Their immovability and resolve were two traits that had always defined them, but it was coming back to bite them in the ass now. They couldn't focus on anything else until they heard what was going on, but it seemed as if patience, their greatest bane, was coming around to ensure that they lost any sense of happiness or satisfaction they felt from Katsuharu’s agreement earlier that day.
Takuya caught the ball when Chihiro passed it to him, and he paused before firmly planting his foot on top of the sphere. He pressed down on it slightly, and the sudden break in routine was enough for Chihiro to turn to face him. "What's on your mind?" he questioned even though it was obvious as could be. He already knew; he was simply asking to be polite.
Chihiro sighed and shook their head. "I don't get what it is they're hiding," they muttered. "They suckered us all into thinking that they were going to talk, but now, we have to wait until they decide the timing is right. I don't mean to say they don't have a right to privacy, but... The bait and switch is a dick move, if you ask me."
Takuya passed the ball back to Chihiro and watched as his friend caught it. "Yeah, it's bothering me too. I always knew Katsuharu and Teruo had a bit of a habit toward the fanciful, but I didn't think it was going to end with them getting this focused on something they're so unwilling to share. They're treating that notebook like it's a baby that can't be left unattended without screaming."
Chihiro snorted. "I would almost prefer a crying child to a secret like this," they admitted. They kicked the ball back in Takuya's direction as they let out a bitter laugh. "It's ironic, isn't it? All of us are keeping secrets in a million different ways, but the instant somebody else does the same to us, we can't stop wondering what's going on. It almost makes us a bit hypocritical... Though I suppose we don't have anywhere near as much of a choice as they do. They could just say it if they wanted to, but for us... Well..." They stared down at the ball again, letting themself feel the pulse of the earth beneath their feet all the while. They felt stronger when standing on solid ground these days. The earth knew they were its master, and they constantly whispered to them when they were willing to pay attention to it.
"They'll never understand. They couldn't even if they tried. This is different. We're different."
"Chihiro?"
The Warrior of Earth glanced up at Takuya, realizing along the way they had gotten so distracted that they hadn't even realized that he had kicked the ball back in their direction. It had tapped against their shoe before drifting away by a few inches, and Chihiro hadn't noticed at all. They shook it off again a moment later, pretending nothing had happened to begin with. If they couldn’t brute force the problem, then they were content with ignoring it as much as their mind was willing to let them… Even if that was not at all. "Whatever. We're going to figure it out," they said simply, not bothering to elaborate if they were talking about the secret Katsuharu and his friends were keeping or the Void Fragments within the Digital World. Both situations would find solutions one day or another, and Chihiro would make sure of it themself if they had to.
They could see easily that Takuya was still worried though, so they instead concentrated their attention on kicking the ball back to him. He could tell something was bothering them, but he chose to not push it because of how public their current environment was. If they were going to get into details about the Digital World, it was going to have to be after they got home, not where others were going to overhear them talking about what it was like to feel the elements bend to their every whim. Tomoki was the only one who would understand, and he was on the other side of the field. Chihiro wasn’t going to let anyone else listen in if they could avoid it. The Digital World was theirs to have and to hold, and they refused to give it up for anyone or anything.
Still, Chihiro knew the look in Takuya's eyes. They had felt it themself all too many times over the course of the last few weeks. It was the same look that Takuya gave them whenever they got distracted—a glance of knowing and understanding but not quite knowing where the comprehension was coming from. It was like he knew everything that was happening, but at the same time, he couldn't put his fingers on the details long enough to push it. Chihiro was fine with that; they didn't even know where they would start when it came to describing the situation even if they were given the open forum to discuss it. Everything had grown too complicated in too little time, and Chihiro had never been enough of a wordsmith to make sense of it all verbally or even mentally. They were happy they didn’t need to detail it to anyone either. The Legendary Warriors knew the unspeakable uncertainty perfectly well, and Chihiro wouldn’t have had it any other way even for all the trouble it caused them.
So instead of thinking about it, they decided to simply focus on kicking the ball around again, a frown heavy on their face all the while. There was a bone deep exhaustion sinking into their muscles, and it was about much more than the Void Fragments or Katsuharu's obnoxious secret-keeping habits. Chihiro didn't know how to describe it, but they didn't think they had to.
After all, everybody else understood it already.
~~~~~
Koji had learned many things over the course of his lifetime in the Minamoto household. First and foremost, he had learned how to keep to himself, finding the isolation and solace to be much better than anything Kousei or Satomi could provide for him. Second, he had learned how to keep secrets, knowing others would never understand the depth of his thoughts even if they gave him the chance to discuss them outwardly. Finally, he had learned how to be quiet, and it was only thanks to the first two lessons that he had acquired this skill. If he wanted to keep to himself and keep his secrets hidden, then he was going to have to be quiet.
This was nothing unfamiliar to him, of course, so as he stepped into the Minamoto house, he knew exactly where to hold his backpack so it made as little noise as possible. He knew where to step to make sure the floorboards didn't creak and that he could sneak back to his room without anybody catching him along the way. It was a song and dance he went through each day, though he had become even better at it—if that was even possible—since he returned from the Digital World. He had even more secrets to keep now, and that meant doing everything he could to avoid Kousei and Satomi at all times. He was on better terms with Satomi than he once had been, yes, but he also didn't want to explain to her that he wasn't entirely human anymore and could turn into a Digimon for the purposes of saving multiple dimensions.
Yeah, that definitely wouldn't go over well.
Koji glanced at the flowers resting at the center of the kitchen table as he passed by, silently relishing in his joy to see that they were thriving. He had made a habit of buying flowers for Satomi over the course of the last few weeks, and she adored the blooms with everything she had. It was a sign of their improving relationship, and while it was a small step to most, it meant the world to Satomi. Koji was no longer as harsh with her as he once had been, and that meant life in the Minamoto home was much better, almost bearable.
"Koji."
If only his father made it simpler.
"Shit."
Koji winced to himself at the sound of Kousei's voice as he turned around to face his father, allowing his arms to fall back by his sides. He wasn't going to need to muffle the sounds of his backpack's motion if Kousei already knew he was there, after all. Sure enough, Kousei was standing nearby, having just come out of his office. His expression was difficult to read, though Koji supposed that was simply par for the course. Kousei hadn't ever been one for open displays of emotion, always preferring to stifle and shove his feelings down in the face of hardship. That was what had driven a rift between them to begin with, and Koji still didn't trust him with much of anything. The Digital World had done at least a little bit to mend his relationship with Satomi, but Kousei remained a different story even still.
Koji didn't say a word as he watched Kousei, instead inviting his father to continue to speak. As soon as he realized Koji wasn't going to be talking, Kousei went on. "How was school?" he questioned. It was a surface level question, and Koji couldn't help bitterly musing about how that was all Kousei had. He knew next to nothing about his son these days, and the distant tension of their conversations made that blatantly clear.
"Fine," Koji said simply, keeping his response as short as possible. The last thing he wanted to do was draw out his conversation with Kousei any longer than he already had to. That was just going to make him even more upset because if there was one thing that had changed in Koji since he returned from the Digital World, it was that he loathed Kousei more than he ever had before. Koichi had caused everything in his mind to shift, and soon enough, he had understood just why Duskmon had been so vitriolic towards even the mere implication of Kousei within his shadowed memories.
Koji still hadn't told Kousei or Satomi that he knew about Koichi and being a twin, and he didn't want to tell them either. How could he? Tomoko had met Koji a few times, and her reaction had been so heartwarming that Koji had felt himself tear up each time they crossed paths. However, he knew all too well that Kousei was going to be a different story. Kousei had to know about the way Tomoko and Koichi had spent the last decade and a half suffering in poverty, but he hadn't done a thing. Koji didn't know if Satomi knew the truth about Koichi existing, but he didn't want to ask either. Each day that Kousei didn't talk about Tomoko and Koichi was another nail in his coffin, and Koji was more than happy with letting the gravestone's marker grow greater and grander. He didn't want to approach this subject if he didn't have to, but that didn't hold back his rage. Of course it didn't calm him down—not after what Koichi had said about all the ways he had struggled over the years.
"Fine. Everything is fine. Even if it wasn't, you wouldn't know anything better."
Koji hadn't realized his mind was getting away from him until Kousei adjusted his posture, forcing the Warrior of Light to stand to attention once more. "Are you alright?" Kousei questioned carefully. "You've been acting off lately. I don't think you even told us why you stayed after school so late yesterday."
Koji frowned back at his father, his expression growing dark as could be. "I had business with friends. That's all you need to know," he replied simply. That was the truth, in some vague way. It was the most that Kousei was going to hear about it either way, at least willingly. Koji didn't want Kousei to get any closer to the Digital World than he absolutely had to. After all, the Digital World meant talking about Koichi. Light could not exist without Darkness, and that would mean revealing Koji knew the truth about his brother yet surviving. It would be an absolute disaster to explain, and Koji didn’t want to push it, especially since he knew how upset it would make him. Telling the tale of a world full of monsters was difficult enough as it was without bringing up Koichi, and Koji already knew his twin would be the real focus of a conversation about the Digital World. Kousei had kept the truth of Koichi hidden, and so, Koji would hide the truth that he had discovered it in turn.
"I'm glad to know that you have friends now, but are you sure they're good for you?" Kousei questioned, his expression poisoned by a disappointed frown that sparked a deep rage in Koji's stomach. "You seem so much angrier than usual these days."
"Like he knows what he's talking about. He doesn't understand a damn thing, and he’s never going to as long as I have something to say about it."
"What makes you so sure about my behavior changing?" Koji challenged, unable to hold himself back before the words pushed themselves free of his lips. For a brief moment, he wondered if he was even control of what he was saying, but the sensation was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, and he knew there was no taking it back after he had declared his demand.
Kousei's frown grew deeper. "You always seem so angry around me," he remarked. "Koji, I'm not trying to make you miserable. I have to wonder if perhaps you've fallen in with the wrong crowd because of how upset you are all the time. Having a temper like this—"
"It's what you taught me," Koji snapped back before his father even had the chance to finish. The air between them grew impossibly stiffer and thicker, but Koji didn't bother to wait for Kousei to continue. "I can take care of myself, you know. That's the other thing you taught me, isn't it? When others won't give you the space you need to take care of yourself, then you have to make it on your own."
Kousei was on the verge of speaking, but Koji cut him off by raising a hand and turning around to walk towards his room. "Save it. We're finished here," he declared. With that, he made his way back to his room, letting the door close with a resounding echo once he was inside. He was distantly aware of Kousei sighing in frustration, but Koji didn't bother to acknowledge it, instead setting his backpack down before practically collapsing into his desk chair. No matter how many times he and Kousei argued, it always seemed to tire him out, especially with how angry seeing his father's face made him these days.
Koji's eyes instinctively drifted in the direction of the frame resting on his desk. He stared at the updated picture of Tomoko that stared back at him before he flipped it over, looking at the photo of himself, Koichi, and their mother that had been taken the day Koji and Tomoko met. That had been one of the happiest days of his life, and barely anybody knew about it. If he told Satomi, she would just tell Kousei, and the last thing he wanted was for his father to find out that Koji knew the truth about Koichi. That would only cause more problems than it was worth, and Koji wasn't excited to open that box of nightmares.
The longer Koji stared at the picture, the more his mind seemed to drift away from the situation at hand. He missed being in the Digital World where he didn't have to constantly be on guard. It had taken him a while to lower his defenses, but once the walls were allowed to retreat into the ground, he began to change. The Legendary Warriors had been his family and his closest friends, and he cared for them with everything he had. Now that Koji was back home, it was back to the regularity of daily life, including the constant arguments with a father that didn't know a thing about him. Kousei didn't know what he was talking about when he baselessly claimed the Legendary Warriors were bad influences. Koji was guarded once again, and he couldn't allow himself to relax as long as he was within the walls of the Minamoto home.
The Digital World had been a reprieve, and even with the Void Fragments, it still was. Koji would have taken life in the Digital World as a wandering mercenary any day over life on Earth if he was given the chance. He was happy there, and he could finally be himself without fearing for his mental state in some way or another. Sure, the Digital World had been dangerous, but he was safe internally, and that was something he hadn't been able to experience until he bridged the gap between the two realms. It was everything he needed.
"It would be nice to leave this place behind and go home more often, wouldn't it?"
"I hope we can do that soon... As soon as the portal is done, we'll have much less to worry about."
"Everything is going to be fine as soon as we can find our way back there. I just know it. We only have to hold on a little bit longer."
Koji pressed his hands against his eyes, allowing the pressure to increase until stars exploded against his eyelids. He let his palms retreat again a moment later, a sigh pushing its way free of his lips. He certainly did have an active imagination, didn't he? Talking to himself about how nice it would be to live in the Digital World certainly fit the bill.
But everything was fine. The others probably felt the same way about wanting to return to the Digital World and embrace the sides of themselves they had to hide when they were on Earth. They were going to find a way to fully embrace their Digimon halves with time. Once the portal had been fine-tuned and finished, Koji would be able to go whenever he wanted, the rest of the Legendary Warriors right there by his side. It would be just the shelter he needed from regular life.
After all, as long as he was in the Minamoto home, he was going to need all the breaks and miracles he could get his hands on.
~~~~~
As usual, the Kimura home was empty when Koichi returned from school.
This was nothing new. Ever since his grandmother had passed away, Koichi had gotten used to coming home to an empty apartment. With Tomoko working constantly and the other resident of the home resting beyond the land of the living, Koichi was the only one home most of the time. He had been hoping that perhaps Tomoko would have been able to come home early that day, but he was clearly being too optimistic for thinking such a thing was possible. She had a lot on her plate, and he didn't want to push her beyond what he already did simply by existing.
Koichi sat down on the simple couch in the living room, setting his backpack down beside him. He might as well get started on his homework while he was waiting for Tomoko so they could have dinner together. He didn't have much work because of how early it was in the semester, but since Koichi had always aimed high in school, his more intense classes were getting geared up for a difficult string of lessons ahead, and he wanted to be ready for it. Besides, the sooner he finished his homework, the sooner he would be able to read, and he needed that bit of indulgence. He had borrowed three books from the library that day, and he was excited to get through all of them. They would take his mind off the recent Void Fragment crisis, and Koichi would take any distraction he could get from a new conflict in the Digital World.
Koichi sighed as he set down a few of his things on the wooden table that marked the center of the living room. The table wasn't much, and Koichi was admittedly surprised that the piece of furniture hadn't collapsed or otherwise fallen over its many years of use. Still, it served its purpose, and it was oddly homey despite the wear and tear. It was something that had seen him through all of his childhood, and he liked the reminder of familiarity and that he was loved.
It was a shame the table had been more stable to Koichi than his own father.
Kousei still crossed Koichi's mind often. He had found peace with his brother, yes, but he still didn't like his father much. He had never held Kousei in high graces because of how his father had abandoned him and Tomoko after the divorce. Koichi knew better than to believe that Kousei didn't know what was going on with Tomoko's financial struggles. Of course Kousei had to know, and yet, he wasn't doing anything. Divorce often created a firm line between two sides of a family, but at the same time, Koichi simply wanted a bit of acknowledgement so that Tomoko didn't struggle constantly for the sake of keeping her and Koichi afloat. Was it really so much to ask for?
Koichi didn't know what he wanted to do when it came to his father, but he knew easily that he felt guilty about all Tomoko had endured for the sake of their continued survival. Part of him wanted to know if perhaps forcing Kousei to acknowledge him and Tomoko would force his father to start helping them after all of their difficulties and hardships. However, Koichi knew that wasn't going to end well no matter what he tried. He was going to let his anger get the better of him if he allowed himself to speak with his father with such grief in his heart. Koichi wasn't an angry person on the whole, but Kousei had always been an exception, and Koichi doubted such a fact was going to change any time soon.
Koichi's anger towards his father had only grown stronger since his fall. Physical therapy had been taxing for him and Tomoko for emotional and financial reasons, and Koichi could tell Tomoko felt bad about not being able to take more time off to help her son to recover from his concussion. Koichi wished Tomoko could have spent more time with him as well, but he knew better than to selfishly take her away from work when that was the only thing keeping them held together. He wasn't going to be able to get a job to help her either, not until a bit more time had passed since his injury. Tomoko had been firm about that much, and Koichi knew he wouldn't be able to protest that no matter what he said. Tomoko was trying to keep him safe, and even if it made him feel helpless, Koichi appreciated it.
All of this just made Kousei an even more detestable man in Koichi's eyes. Kousei may not have known about Koichi's injury, so perhaps it was unfair for the Warrior of Darkness to hate him so vehemently over not helping with Tomoko's struggles, but Koichi couldn't help his anger. He wanted to understand why his father had abandoned them so completely. It was a fruitless grief, he knew, since there was little he could do to force Kousei to actually face the truth of his actions from fifteen years prior, but Koichi wished he could do more regardless. He couldn't help himself, and his anger burned hot and angry in the back of his mind.
"I can't wait for him to finally figure out how big his mistakes are. He's going to have to face us eventually, and when he does, he'll realize what he did. He'll see everything he left behind and who he left for dead."
Koichi's hands began to shake at the words that echoed in his mind. They were so familiar to him, but at the same time, he didn't want to face them. He didn't want to embrace the way that violence seemed to fit in perfectly with the rest of his thoughts. He knew deep down that something was wrong, but there wasn't much he could do to fix it, not when he was too caught up in other matters such as his recovery to bother stopping to examine the demons that had existed within his mind ever since he discovered the depth of Kousei's betrayal. He was almost afraid his pencil was going to snap from between his fingers because of how overpowering his rage as, and the words seemed to echo in his mind even more mercilessly than ever before as the seconds went by.
"Did you have a nice day at school, Koichi?"
The Warrior of Darkness snapped out of his trance at the sound of his name, and all his thoughts immediately came to a screeching halt, like he was seeing silence for the first time since he returned from the Digital World. He glanced up to see Tomoko removing her shoes to set them beside the door, her eyes just as tired as always. It was an exhaustion Koichi knew they shared, and he wished there was something more he could do about it.
Koichi nodded, not wanting to let his true thoughts slip. "I did," he replied. "I hope work went well enough for you too. I don't want them to push you too hard."
Tomoko didn't respond to that immediately, instead sighing as she hung up her work bag on the hook beside the door. She closed her eyes for a long moment before she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her son. "Everything is alright as long as I can come home to you," she whispered in lieu of a true answer. That was the only explanation Koichi needed for how her day had gone, and he hated having to think about her misery.
“Kousei could have stopped it if he wanted to. He just never bothered.”
Koichi returned the embrace with a light smile on his face, and all of his rage towards Kousei began to melt away. His father didn't know what he was missing. Even if they were suffering in the depths of poverty, he was glad he and Tomoko had each other. Kousei had left them, and he didn't realize just how much of a mistake he had made all those years ago.
And as far as Koichi was concerned, that was Kousei's cross to bear. He and Tomoko deserved better than that.
~~~~~
Yumiko set her bag down once she arrived in her bedroom, closing the door gently behind herself when she noticed her kitten was curled up on her pillow. It was Briar Rose's favorite spot, and Yumiko was glad her cat enjoyed it so much. It took a moment for Briar Rose to come to terms with the disturbance in the room, and she stretched herself out with a yawn before her feline eyes looked up to meet Yumiko's gaze.
"Good morning to you too," Yumiko smiled. She sat down beside her cat before dragging her fingers gently across the kitten's back. Briar Rose purred and instinctively curled up against her owner, and Yumiko allowed herself to sigh at the sight. She was glad she had at least a bit of peace and stability to return home to after school was over each day. Her life had been tempestuous and active over the course of the last month, and she needed all the security she could find.
"She's a sweet one, isn't she?"
Yumiko paused at the words, immediately going rigid. Her fingers froze upon her cat’s back, her face staining itself with a frown. Briar Rose watched her intently, wondering why she had stopped petting her, but Yumiko took another moment to snap out of it before she continued to stroke her kitten. She would have thought she was used to this by now, but she never seemed to quite fully understand what was happening.
That had been a theme as of late regardless of how much Yumiko hated to admit it. When she allowed herself to become consumed with her own thoughts, she always heard voices that sounded a lot like her but were just barely different enough for her to start asking questions. None of them ever seemed to claim a name or an identity, but it was a new experience to her. At first, Yumiko had thought perhaps it was a byproduct of her internal exploration that came with traveling to the Digital World, but she quickly realized that theory was little more than her failed attempts at self-consolation. This was clearly something much deeper, and she had no other words for it.
Yumiko had wondered a few times if perhaps she should be asking questions of the voices in the back of her mind. This had been a recent occurrence, only starting after she returned from the Digital World. A lot had changed when she was on the other side of the barrier between realms, but she wasn't used to hearing voices at all. This hadn't ever happened while she was still in the Digital World, so what could have changed for her to start feeling so different and offbeat after she got back to Earth?
Yumiko shook it off after a few more seconds of petting Briar Rose. With that, she rose to her feet and walked over to her plants. She was going to have to tend to them a bit more before dinner arrived. She could only hope she was able to get out to the kitchen sink and back to her room with the water her plants required without catching her parents' attention. Her relationship with them had been complicated for many years, but Yumiko had been outright avoiding them ever since she arrived back on Earth. She couldn't say why, but it was still a pronounced shift in her behavior.
"It's because we all know what they've done. They hurt you, and you deserve better than that."
There it was again. Yumiko stared down at the plants in front of her, watching the sunlight from her window dance across the leaves. Should she ask the voices who they were? They had to have some type of identity, right? They couldn't simply be variations of herself. If that was the case, then she would have been hearing these whispers for her entire life, but it had only started after she returned from the Digital World. There had to be some connection between the changes transpiring in her body and her mind even if she didn't understand it.
Yumiko let her fingers brush absentmindedly across her plants, and she realized the third one from the right was more dehydrated than usual. She couldn't say for sure how she knew, but she supposed that it had to do with her element of Wood speaking to her. She had felt her element whispering within the depths of her body ever since she first became Fioremon, and it seemed as if the changes had only become more pronounced since she returned to Earth.
It wasn't entirely unheard of for her to be able to sense the health of the plants around her. After all, Hinoka had claimed she could breathe underwater after returning from the Digital World, almost as if her element was trying to protect her from dying under its weight. Yumiko should have expected this sooner, if she was being honest. The changes were going to become stronger as time went on and she went to the Digital World more often. Spirit Evolving had influenced all of them in fundamental ways, and the very construction of their bodies had changed. If anything, this was one of the lesser side effects.
Still, feeling the leaves of the dehydrated plant was enough to remind Yumiko of her mission. She moved towards her door, off to retrieve her small watering can from the kitchen cabinet before using it to treat her various blossoms. She forgot about the voices in her mind just as soon as they had spoken to her, instead focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and making for the bathroom. She had to stay focused. She couldn't lose her concentration when she didn't know when her parents were going to appear and disturb her plans.
Deep down though, Yumiko knew she was just making excuses for herself at this point. She was trying to tell herself she didn't need to think about the voices in the back of her head so she didn't have to face the truth. She was afraid of what she was going to find whether she wanted to admit it or not, and she wouldn't push herself over the edge until the time was right. She had to play her cards carefully and not step too far out of line. She was going to be okay even if she didn't ask questions, right?
No, it was inevitable. She was going to have to confront her theories and fears soon enough, but at least she was managing to fend off her anxieties for a little while longer. Yumiko allowed herself to go through the simple motions of watering her plants in the minutes that followed, focusing more on the way the fluid left the can and drizzled across the leaves and stems of flowers along the way. After all, if she was thinking about that, she couldn't think about her own mind.
And that meant she couldn't acknowledge just how scared she was of everything she knew she was going to find in her own head.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
Chapter four is here! Woohoo!
I really like how this chapter turned out, and even if it was a character focused chapter, I think that it kept things interesting with how it touched on so many characters. In my eyes, catching up with the characters and the small intricacies of their lives over the course of the month where we weren't with them is important, and we're seeing that come in full force here.
First off, let's talk about the lunch scene with Katsuharu and his friends. In case it's not already obvious, these four are going to be an important part of the plot in their own way, creating an ensemble cast that couldn't really exist in the first book because of its structure. Since the Legendary Warriors were on the run for so much of the story, they couldn't exactly dawdle for too long in any one location, but because this book is structured differently, we're going to get to see a bit more of the surrounding characters and their world on Earth here. Katsuharu's scene is foreshadowing their future involvement, but let's just say that they've got an intriguing conspiracy under their belts.
As for the scene with Junpei and Saki, I want to say that I absolutely love writing for the two of them. They're both the tacticians of the Legendary Warriors, but Saki tends to skew a bit more towards understanding how people are going to respond in regards to emotions while Junpei plays it a bit more hard and true to pure strategy in battle. The political talk was an interesting tidbit as well, and I love how it works in here. It reminds me of a problem that has been brought up both in this book and the previous one about how people won't involve themselves with a conflict if they can avoid it even though war can be just outside their doors. There are a lot of small political tidbits both in this scene and this book, and I'm really excited for you to all see how they play out.
The part with Koji features our first appearance of Kousei Minamoto, and his relationship with Koji is just as strained as ever before. For the most part, everything remained the same during the editing process of the first book, but one thing that did change is that Kousei no longer knows about Koichi. That was a minor detail in Koji's segment of the epilogue, but it was changed when I decided to continue the series. At the time that the first book was finished, I wasn't planning to go on with this story as a full trilogy, but I changed that small detail to work with the new plan. Kousei is a major note of tension for Koji, as is obviously shown by the two of them barely avoiding an argument over something so minor. Koji's relationship with his mother and stepmother is improving, but Kousei is a different story.
And Koichi doesn't like Kousei either. One minor detail about Koichi and Koji I like is how their elements don't fit them at a first glance but make a lot more sense with analysis about them. Koji has a hardened exterior but hides a kind, generous soul of light underneath while Koichi is outwardly patient and sweet but masks his dark rage towards his circumstances beneath it. That rage was what fueled Duskmon in the first book, and even with Duskmon gone, the anger still remains. At least Koichi has Tomoko looking after him, though the two deserve much better than the hand they've been dealt.
Finally, there's the ending with Yumiko. I love writing for her, and I love how her character growth is so similar but different to others as well. She and Tomoki have a lot in common, but they develop in different ways at the same time. Tomoki drew parallels between Yumiko and Izumi in the first book when Calanthemon first appeared, but Yumiko is much more sure of herself than Izumi in terms of internal struggles and shows her newfound assertive nature with her outward desire to understand the echoes in her mind. Others have been avoiding it, but she faces the subject head-on before backing off at the last minute, showing that she's improving while still having a long way to go. I'd love to hear everybody's theories about these italicized bits of dialogue over the course of the next few chapters.
Phew. That was a long author's note. I guess it comes with the character driven chapter since combat tends to speak for itself much more than this. Either way, I'm going to wrap things up here. Next week, we'll get into the group's next adventure to the Digital World and meet the last of our major new players in this book. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 5: Lost Souls
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors are summoned to Rubrum to meet with the mysterious and legendary Arbiter of Souls.
Chapter Text
Koichi let out a small sigh of relief as his shoes touched down on the grass of the Digital World. He closed his eyes for a moment to simply relish in the scenery. The wind rustled his hair gently, and for a moment, Koichi felt as if he was on top of the world. Every piece of him seemed to be more alive all of a sudden, like each nerve within his body was finally at harmony with one another, and it was all thanks to his true home.
It had been a few days since the Legendary Warriors had last been in the Digital World. Specifically, it was a Friday, and Koichi was more than happy to have been given the chance to cross through the gate between worlds after school was over. He had classwork waiting for him at home, but for the time being, he was happy to have the chance to rest and breathe for a moment before continuing with his regular affairs on Earth. He needed this break, and he could tell that the rest of the Legendary Warriors did as well.
The portal was still in progress of being altered though, so that meant that the group was on a tight time limit before they ran the risk of being caught sneaking out of the school after hours. Koichi didn't want to get caught for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones was that he didn't even go to the school where the portal was set up. He wouldn't even be able to get away with the excuse of studying for a long time after classes ended or being there as part of some after school program, and the idea of being caught in a lie like that sent a shiver down his spine given his perpetual loyalty to honesty.
Luckily for him, he didn't have to worry much about wasting time within the Digital World. Bokomon came into view soon afterwards, and Koichi realized Saki had likely decided on their drop-off spot so they would be close to their Digimon guides the same way they had been before. It certainly saved them all a lot of time, and given how little they had on their hands, Koichi was happy for it.
"I'm glad to see you all here," Bokomon declared. "I figured it had to be you. As soon as I saw the pillar of light appear in the air, I was sure it had to be all of you coming back again."
"A pillar of light?" Mayumi echoed. "I guess that's what the portal looks like from this side... We haven't exactly been able to see it for ourselves, so I guess it's not that shocking that we don't know what it's like over here."
"That's not all that important though," Lopmon assured her. "We have other places to be today, and it's a good thing you're here now. You've been requested to meet with somebody else here in the Digital World."
"Someone else wants to see us?" Koji questioned, his eyes going wide with shock. "I suppose that news of our return has been spreading rapidly already... It shouldn't be all that surprising given the circumstances, but..."
"This is going to be something really odd for all of us," Neemon declared. "The person who wants to talk to you all is living on Rubrum, so we're heading off to the moons."
"Rubrum?" Koichi asked. He was shocked to hear that anybody lived on Rubrum to begin with. He was under the impression that the moon was a holy site, the resting place for the Legendary Warriors of old. Nobody dared to commit such a treason by setting foot on Rubrum as long as it was so crucial to the history of the Digital World. Beyond that, Koichi was sure he would have remembered it if he had seen anybody else on Rubrum when he was there previously. He was confident that any occupants of the moon would have wanted to meet with him along with Mayumi, Hinoka, and Salamon as well, and yet, they hadn't encountered anybody else there. Koichi had taken that as proof the moon was as good as empty, but he supposed he hadn’t been able to search the entirety of Rubrum. Someone had clearly slipped through the cracks without him noticing.
Salamon nodded. "I was shocked to hear anybody was living there too, but I guess there is someone up there," she told him simply. "Either way, I think we should go to talk to her about all that's happened. She seems to want to know about it pretty desperately... She sent us a magical message saying that we had to come and talk to her as soon as possible."
"Do we know anything about this mysterious person who wants to talk to us?" Yumiko inquired with a light frown. "I feel like personal details should be our first question when it comes to this Digimon."
Lopmon shook his head. "She didn't elaborate. She simply said that she lives in the primary shrine on Rubrum and would like to speak with us as soon as possible."
"There's a primary shrine?" Takuya questioned. "I was under the impression there were temples for all of the Legendary Warriors, but I didn't realize there was anything else on Rubrum. Then again, I was also under the impression that there weren't any living creatures on the moon at all, so I suppose I was wrong in multiple ways."
"The primary shrine is sacred for all of the Legendary Warriors, though very few have ever set foot in it," Bokomon told him. "I've seen a few old pictures of it before, but it's rather difficult to find any documentation of the temple because of how limited travel to Rubrum is. There isn't even a portal that will take you there."
"That's what I was about to ask about," Junpei frowned. "How are we supposed to get to Rubrum to speak with this mystery Digimon to begin with? It was only thanks to the power of the Ancient Warriors that Koichi, Hinoka, Mayumi, and Salamon were able to get back to the main planet from Rubrum to begin with, and that's not exactly an option for us anymore, not since the Ancient Warriors fused with all of us."
"I believe I should be able to handle that," Saki announced. "I can't say for sure, but something tells me that the power boost I received from fusing with AncientWisemon should be enough to expand the reach of my teleportation powers as Lyramon so we can reach Rubrum. At the very least, that seems to be our only option at this point, so it wouldn't hurt to at least try it. Dawdling and trying to figure out another solution will only waste time, and we don’t have much of it to begin with."
"Let's see how it goes then," Haroi nodded. He watched along with the rest of the Legendary Warriors as Saki pressed the activation button on their D-Tector and then scanned the subsequent Fractal Code across the top of the device. A moment later, light exploded around them, and when it faded, Lyramon had been left in Saki's place.
The Warrior of Steel snapped their fingers before summoning their sword to their hands. They braced the rapier in front of their face, focusing their energy on the tip of the blade all the while. "Come in closer," they announced firmly, and Koichi could tell their eyes were closed from behind their helmet. He didn't object to moving closer to Lyramon though, and the rest of the group followed his lead.
Purple energy began to spark at the hilt of the blade before traveling upwards, and light spread rapidly through the area as soon as Lyramon thrust their sword towards the skies. Immediately afterwards, the world began to spin, and Koichi was overtaken by the familiar sensation of teleportation. He lost grip on the ground below, and the world shifted all around him. Koichi pressed his eyes closed to try and fend off the nausea, and he didn't dare to open his eyes again until after he felt solid earth beneath him again.
Lyramon glanced around the area, and upon realizing the Legendary Warriors were in fact on Rubrum, they nodded to themself before allowing their Human Spirit form to disperse. Saki was left in the aftermath of the Fractal Code's glow, and they glanced around the area with a light frown on their face. "So... This is Rubrum," they murmured.
Hinoka nodded. "It's just as desolate as it always was, I see... Though I suppose that makes sense. There's nothing like the Village of Beginnings or the Moon Base to draw people here, so I suppose everyone would avoid it," she murmured. "And that doesn't even factor in the truth that everybody seems to consider it sacrilegious to set foot on Rubrum to begin with."
"There are temples for each of the Legendary Warriors, but we were only able to go to the shrine of Darkness before," Mayumi went on. "I guess now is as good a time as any to step outside our comfort zone and see what this main shrine has to offer us. I still can't believe there was anybody else on the moon to begin with."
"Maybe this strange Digimon of ours only appeared after Lucemon was killed," Koji suggested. "After all, that would certainly explain why you didn't see anybody here before. Either that, or you just got astronomically unlucky to have not seen her previously."
“The moon is bigger than you would expect. We only saw one shrine in our time here, and we covered a lot of ground when fighting,” Salamon pointed out. “I think it makes a lot of sense that we missed seeing this mystery Digimon of ours.”
"We won't know until we go to talk to her ourselves, I suppose," Izumi said. She took a small step forward at that, not even bothering to ask if she was going in the right direction. She could tell she was doing the right thing because of the innate instincts that came with being part Digimon, and everyone else understood it completely. After all, they had much the same gut feelings she did.
Luckily for the group, it didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination for the day. The shrine that towered above them certainly seemed to be something special, and Koichi found himself staring up at it with wide eyes. The building was primarily gold, though the accents on it were a bright and light blue color. The temple was much larger than the other graves had been, and Koichi could feel a special type of energy emanating from within. This was something much grander than he could have ever anticipated, and he knew this was what they had been searching for.
"Well... I guess it's time for us to get in there," Takuya announced. He pushed on one of the massive double doors at the front of the shrine, and he was able to shove it aside with ease despite how heavy it appeared. Koichi kept his surprise at the sight silent, knowing this wasn't something he should have called attention to when they were so close to figuring out who this mysterious Digimon truly was. They all had greater concerns on their minds than their sudden and recent bursts of strength.
Something deep within Koichi's chest pointed him in the right direction through the splendid golden halls of the shrine, and he could tell they were heading for the center of the building. There were many hallways that led off in countless directions, and Koichi couldn't help wanting to explore the temple more extensively once his business there had been finished for the day. For the time being, he knew their target was on the other side of the primary set of double doors at the heart of the shrine, and when he arrived in front of them, he swallowed dryly before taking a step closer, ready to push through to uncover the truth behind the strange sensation deep within the pit of his stomach.
As soon as the doors opened, Koichi was met with a primarily silver room, and everything about it seemed to glow. Cyan lined the floors, and the earth itself shone in a bizarre way Koichi hadn't expected and couldn’t quite describe either. Even more impressive were the statues of the Ancient Warriors that could be seen around the perimeter of the room, each of them carved in the signature colors of the Legendary Warriors. Koichi stared at AncientSphinxmon for a long moment, offering silent thanks to his previous incarnation for allowing him to be there at all. If not for his predecessor, Koichi knew he would have died soon after his head slammed against the tile of the Shibuya train station, but thanks to AncientSphinxmon, he could live once more, and he fully intended to take advantage of the chance he had been given.
After a moment of staring at AncientSphinxmon's statue, Koichi shifted his focus to the center of the room, and he could see a woman sitting on her knees with her hands folded in prayer. Her hair blew around her in an invisible breeze and a gentle display of fragility and love that Koichi struggled to articulate. Something about her felt familiar to him, but it went far beyond what he understood of his life. Instead, his thoughts on her were instinctive, coming from the darkest parts of his mind and the deepest gaps in his body to say that in some other life, they had met.
No, not some other life. His past life.
The woman rose to her feet as soon as she realized that she was no longer alone, her actions slow and floaty in a way that made her seem almost dreamlike. She turned to face the Legendary Warriors, and Koichi was finally able to take her in for all that she was. Her hair was light blonde and curled gently as it fell down her back. Her cheeks were marked with gentle symbols of a pastel purple color to match the fingerless gloves on her arms. She wore a white dress that flowed in the unseen wind as well. The skirt faded out to a gentle cyan color that almost bordered on being white as well. A golden belt wrapped itself around her waist, the same color as rings that attached her gloves to her middle finger on either hand. Golden gems could be seen on her feet, and they were attached to bottomless sandals made of the same bright blue accent color that lined the temple. A crown of the same bright blue rested on top of her head. Her eyes were cyan as well, and they glowed like precious jewels mined from the purest veins of crystal ever discovered.
For a long moment, all Koichi could do was stare at her, trying to figure out where they had met or how they knew each other in his past life. Despite her appearing roughly the same age as the Legendary Warriors, Koichi knew she had to be much older than that. Her eyes were detached and weary, as if she had seen a thousand lifetimes of strife and knew she was fated to witness a thousand more. Her expression was vacant, and Koichi could barely understand where her troubles came from even though he felt them deep within his own body.
"The Legendary Warriors," the girl greeted the group, her voice rolling and smooth. Everything about her was delicate while also clearly having been hardened and jaded by her past experiences, but she let no details seep through her armored demeanor. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
The strange Digimon took a moment to look over all of the Legendary Warriors, and everything about the temple seemed to fall eerily silent in the time it took her to examine each of them. Koichi felt something in his chest seize up with an impossible to understand sense of recognition when they met eyes, and he was sure she could see it and feel it too. All of them had known her in some way or another in their past lives, and they were facing the depth of that link here and now.
Generally, she had the same response to each of the Legendary Warriors, but her gaze shifted when she saw Saki. Her eyes flashed with a deeper recognition than she had shown to the rest of the group, and Saki could see it. They raised one eyebrow as a silent cue for her to elaborate, but the Digimon hid her surprise as soon as she was able to do so, not even giving Saki the chance to press her on it. Saki frowned but said nothing, seeming to sense this was hardly the forum for them to call out the strange Digimon no matter how much they clearly wanted to.
"Might we ask for your name?" Izumi asked of the blonde Digimon. "I'm afraid we weren't told any details about who you are before we came here to meet with you."
The woman simply nodded. "You may call me Miriamon... Though many others within the Digital World know me by a different name," she replied. "To most Digimon, I am the Arbiter of Souls, but to you, I am simply an ally who wishes to aid in your endeavors. It's a pleasure to finally have the chance to express that to you, Legendary Warriors."
"The Arbiter of Souls..." Patamon murmured. "I don't think I've ever heard about you. Should I know anything like that?"
Miriamon smiled to Patamon with a tired sense of kindness before continuing. "You're rather young, so I can't say that I'm surprised that you don't know who I am. The Arbiter of Souls is the title the previous Legendary Warriors gave me many generations ago when they still walked the Digital World, and I have done my best to uphold their legacy since their passing. I have lived on Rubrum ever since the first war against Lucemon drew to a close, tending to the temples here and doing my best to care for the souls that were left behind by the Ancient Warriors. I am one of very few Digimon who can communicate with them freely, and I use that power whenever I must."
"If you've been here ever since the first war against Lucemon, then that means that you were here whenever Hinoka, Koichi, Salamon, and I were here and fought against Leopardmon," Mayumi remarked, her eyes going wide. "I'm surprised we didn't run into you while we were here."
"The souls of the Ancient Warriors recommended that I stay hidden until you were able to resolve the fight at hand," Miriamon told her. "I'm hardly much of a fighter, and I wouldn't have stood much of a chance against Leopardmon or any other Royal Knight, so I stayed here until after you had left the moon behind. It's unfortunate we weren't able to speak with one another before you departed, but at least we have the chance to do so now. I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time."
"It's nice to meet you, Miriamon," Yumiko agreed with a nod. "I do have to wonder though... Why did you want to see us to begin with? I doubt you wanted to simply exchange pleasantries with all of us. You must have some other reason for summoning us here."
Miriamon hesitated for a long moment before she spoke once more. "I have my reasons," she eventually confessed. "I know a lot about the Ancient Legendary Warriors, and I was hoping to see what had become of their reincarnations... Though I already know quite a bit about each of you. The souls of the original Warriors yet linger here, and I can communicate with them when I concentrate my power. They've told me quite a bit about all of you, and it's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you in person."
"Wait... But how is that possible?" Takuya asked, his eyes going wide. "All of us fused with the Ancient Warriors when we left the Digital World behind, and they said they couldn't manifest over here anymore. How can you still communicate with them?"
"I have an incredibly powerful connection to the Ancient Warriors. That's about the only degree of strength I have, as a matter of fact. I can speak with them regardless of the circumstances or distance simply because of our link. I have done many things in collaboration with the Ancient Warriors for the last few millennia of the Digital World's history. Few understand them the way I do, and they have used this connection of ours to tell me everything I could want to know about all of you," Miriamon replied. "You used your Spirits in the battle against Lucemon, yes? That is the only way that you could have won the war at all."
Koji nodded. "What about them?"
"I was the one who constructed the Spirits’ physical forms to begin with," Miriamon smiled gently. "After the Ancient Legendary Warriors passed on, their souls were left in my care here on Rubrum, and I took fragments of their power before creating shrines of them that later came to be known as the Spirits. Of course, not just anyone can pick up a Spirit and fight with it. The bearer must be a chosen one by the element itself, and if they are not, then the element is doomed to destroy them. Such is the trap that I set for any who would wish to defile the ancient power the original Warriors left in my care. I take my work seriously, and I am glad to see you have all found the manifestations of that power just as your predecessors intended."
Takuya's eyes went wide at that. "You were the one who made the Spirits?" he asked, and Miriamon simply nodded. "I can't believe we didn't hear there was a specific person behind the formation of the Spirits. I would have thought at least somebody would have told us a detail as important as that."
Takuya glanced over to Bokomon, and the white Digimon shook his head. "I wasn't even aware of this, I'm afraid. The Arbiter of Souls was widely regarded as a myth by much of the Digital World since so few people had been to Rubrum and even fewer had actually met the woman behind it all. I thought the Ancient Warriors' souls were the ones who constructed the Spirits," Bokomon said. “I wasn’t ever given any evidence to the contrary.”
"That does not surprise me. I prefer my secrecy and isolation here on Rubrum to communicating with others, and I have much work to do here," Miriamon went on. Something about her eyes seemed to flash with regret and remorse for a long moment, but she didn't allow herself to dwell on it as she looked up to the rest of the group once more. "I am glad you were all willing to come so far though. Regardless of the circumstances, you will always be welcome on Rubrum. Others may see it as sacrilegious, but I would be more than happy to host you here. If anyone belongs here, it would be the Legendary Warriors’ reincarnations After all, you have done much for the Digital World, and the least I can do is honor your legacy in battle."
"Thank you," Koichi murmured before he could hold back his surprise. He was glad to hear Miriamon was willing to let them freely return to Rubrum; he was looking forward to potentially visiting all of the other shrines on the moon to see what the other temples of the Ancient Warriors had to offer. On top of that, if Miriamon could still communicate with the souls of the Ancient Warriors, then that meant the Legendary Warriors of the current generation may have had that power as well. Koichi was hoping that he would be able to reach out and thank AncientSphinxmon for the second chance at life that he had been given, and perhaps he would have that opportunity now that Miriamon was offering them free passage to Rubrum.
Miriamon closed her eyes a moment later, and the invisible wind around her seemed to flow once more. "I can feel the souls of the Ancient Legendary Warriors echoing in all of you... They may have given up what minimal traces of a physical form they possessed, but they are still here. Their spirits live on inside of you, and I am not merely referring to the physical manifestations of their power," she said softly. The words would have sounded heavenly given her gentle cadence and overwhelming kindness had the idea itself not been terrifying. Something deep within Koichi seemed to twist at the thought of the soul of his predecessor thriving within him, almost like there was something just outside of view he didn't want to acknowledge that came from Miriamon explaining her perspective and knowledge.
"You know the truth. You should finally admit it. You can't run forever."
When Koichi looked to the rest of the group in a desperate bid to ignore the voice in the back of his head, he realized that his allies all looked just as uncomfortable as he did. None of them dared to explain why, but Koichi was sure that there was a lot more on all of their minds than they were willing to admit. Koichi swallowed dryly, trying to keep himself grounded so his fears didn't get the best of him, especially given that he had a potential audience all around him.
"Watch out!"
Before Koichi could fully acknowledge this voice—different from the previous one, but primarily in tone—he felt something within his stomach lurch from a sudden new arrival outside the temple. The feeling of something disgusting being near him rose once more, but it had nothing to do with the words that Miriamon had spoken previously, not this time. Koichi knew what it meant without even having to ask the Legendary Warriors, and he could tell from the dread on their faces that they did as well.
"Rubrum is under attack," Haroi declared. He moved towards the entrance of the room, and the rest of the group followed him after he managed to pull the door open. Their footfall echoed throughout the halls of the temple as they pushed through the labyrinthine shrine towards the outside world.
Koichi hesitated after a few steps, turning to face Miriamon. She was staring vacantly down at the ground, and Koichi found himself struggling to decipher her expression. Everything about her appearance made her seem as if she was the same age as the rest of the group, but her manner of speech and her history made it clear that was not the case. Her eyes were haunted and dark, almost as if she knew what was coming and was completely terrified of it.
However, Miriamon didn't let her mask drop for long, and the instant she realized Koichi was watching her, she snapped back into reality before following him out of the room. She closed the door behind herself since Haroi had already bolted off after the bulk of the group, leaving the room of statues completely empty save for the misunderstood, ominous wind that seemed to thrive in the area. Koichi bit down on his bottom lip as he watched Miriamon out of the corner of his eye, trying and failing to decipher what precisely was going through her head.
Soon enough, Koichi's autopilot had taken over, and he slid to a stop as soon as he arrived outside the golden temple. The ground of Rubrum glowed gently with the same scarlet color as always, but it ebbed and flowed ever so slightly as a sign that the Legendary Warriors had to keep moving. Rubrum could feel that it was in danger. The pulse of the Digital World echoed in Koichi's own mind as he slammed his shoes against the ground and launched himself forward in the direction of the unknown danger responsible for the sudden catastrophe.
Neemon, who had somehow managed to make his way to the front of the group, stopped running as soon as the new arrivals to Rubrum had come into view. He held out his arms to stop the others, and they all came to a halt not far behind him as he stared up at the group of about six identical Digimon that had landed on the surface of Rubrum before them. "DoruGreymon," he declared.
"I think it's safe enough to say they're Void Fragment Digimon," Tomoki concluded as he noticed the dark coloration of the Digimon and the lack of love in their eyes. "But how in the world did they get all the way up here? I didn't think there was a portal that would take anybody to Rubrum."
"There is no portal. As for how they got here... I couldn't say for sure, but we can't let them roam free like this," Miriamon murmured. "I suspect they've been taken by the dark power that has been spreading through the Digital World as of late... We must do all that we can to free them from this shadowy state."
"In that case, I suppose we know what we have to do," Takuya announced as he turned to the rest of the Legendary Warriors. "But we're going to need a bit more than our Human Spirits to take care of this. There are too many of them for us to be able to take them in our Human Spirit forms."
"In that case, I say we use our Beast Spirits and try to conserve our energy. If we go home exhausted, people are going to start asking questions, and I'd rather not use a lot of power like that if it can be avoided," Junpei said. He pressed down on the activation button of his D-Tector, and two rings of Fractal Code manifested around his fingers. "Let's purge the Void Fragments and be done with it. We can worry about how they got here after the fight is over."
Koichi nodded before following Junpei's lead in Spirit Evolving, and the rest of the group did the same. A familiar rush of energy surged through Koichi's body before he was replaced by Umbramon, and he allowed himself to relish in the sensation of embracing his Beast Spirit once more. He hadn't been able to use his Beast Spirit much the last time he was in the Digital World because of the unfortunate history he had found himself at the heart of, but he could remedy that now.
The DoruGreymon grew ever nearer in the seconds that followed, and the Digimon guides scrambled to the back of the group. Aquariamon turned her head over her shoulder to look at Miriamon, her red hair flowing gently in the breeze that surrounded her. "Look after the Digimon while we fend them off. You'll be safer back here," she instructed. Miriamon nodded after a moment of nervous hesitation, and she retreated by a few paces with the Digimon guides in hot pursuit at her feet.
Vritramon rushed forward as soon as the DoruGreymon were close enough to attack, and he prepared fire around his fist before punching at the first Digimon to get near him. The DoruGreymon stumbled out of the way, leaving him isolated from the other five members of the pack. Vritramon charged the rest of his body with fire before slamming into DoruGreymon with as much force as he could muster before his foe had the chance to recover or counterattack.
The other five red Digimon watched as Vritramon separated them from their companion and prepared to pursue him, but they were cut off by Bolgmon and Cybelemon appearing in their path, both of them readying their strongest attacks. Bolgmon sent a blast of electricity tearing through the air from the cannon resting on the top of his head, and the DoruGreymon were forced to stagger backward to mitigate the damages. Unfortunately for them, that left them at the mercy of Cybelemon's element when they punched at the ground and created an earthquake that forced all of the Digimon to reconsider the way they were carrying themselves.
"We're going to have to split them up if we want to do any damage to them!" Sheyumon declared. "For now, we can pair up against them and come back together if we need a bit more help later on! I get the feeling they're going to wreck the temple if we let them get to it, so we'll just have to keep them away!"
With that, Sheyumon launched herself forward. A DoruGreymon spotted her and tried to lash out, but thanks to her speed, Sheyumon was able to jump out of the way without any issues. The draconic Digimon followed after her in an attempt to get in a successful hit, but Sheyumon was more than able to dodge each strike that came her way until she was able to lead the DoruGreymon far enough away from the heat of the fight that he wouldn't be able to rely on any of his allies.
DoruGreymon raised one paw, preparing to bring it down on Sheyumon, but the fox rolled out of the way as a kick struck down at DoruGreymon from the skies. Zephyrmon had come streaking into view, one foot outstretched. She kicked at the side of DoruGreymon's head, and he was sent crashing to the ground from the force behind the attack. The ground seemed to shake from the impact when he slammed into the moon below. He was clearly dazed from the attack as well, and even when he tried to raise his head to strike back, he couldn't bring his eyes to focus.
Sheyumon was more than happy to take advantage of his weakness, and she jumped onto him before letting white energy pulse from his body into her paws. She rested easily atop his side, and even as he attempted to rise, he couldn't quite push her off until he regained full control of his silvery wings. He sent one of them in her direction, but Sheyumon jumped out of the way at the last moment before glancing up to Zephyrmon. "Cover me!" the fox Digimon cried.
Zephyrmon offered her a quick nod before pulling her hands in close to her chest and starting to spin through the air like a twister. She hit DoruGreymon before he could rise, manipulating the air around her to make the attack even stronger. DoruGreymon slid across the earth, leaving behind a skid mark where he had been. He let out a groan of pain before trying to get to his feet once again as soon as Zephyrmon gave him a break.
Unfortunately for DoruGreymon, the break wasn't something he should have been celebrating. Sheyumon had been charging up energy within the twelve tails that followed behind her, and a massive shot with orbs of each elemental color surrounding it spiraled towards DoruGreymon. The column of raw energy slammed into his chest, and he screamed in pain before crumbling to the ground once more. A Void Fragment shot out of his spine before levitating in the air for a brief moment and finally shattering, leaving no traces behind that it had been there to begin with.
Nearby, Cybelemon punched at the ground once again, creating a few walls of hard rock to keep the other DoruGreymon separated. They had made three barriers between the remaining four DoruGreymon in the main pack, and they glanced around for someone who was willing to help them take one of the enemy Digimon down. A moment later, their gaze locked on Garummon, and the two nodded to each other before taking off toward one of the DoruGreymon.
Garummon reared his head back, summoning light energy to the back of his throat before letting the blast rip through the skies. The targeted DoruGreymon stumbled backwards, clearly wounded but still standing. Garummon sent out a flurry of lasers from the blasters mounted to his back next, but DoruGreymon slashed through them with his wings and the horn that stuck out on the top of his head. The energy shattered on contact, raining down on DoruGreymon and clearly causing him pain even if the damages weren't as significant as they otherwise would have been had the attacks hit in full.
Cybelemon ran toward the ground under DoruGreymon, and the red Digimon was so busy with Garummon that he didn't even notice. Cybelemon smirked and crouched just beneath DoruGreymon before punching at the ground once again, creating a pillar that surrounded them and pushed DoruGreymon straight up into the sky from below. DoruGreymon let out a cry of shock, the air forced from his lungs, but he couldn't force his wings to correct his course no matter how hard he tried.
Cybelemon took advantage of DoruGreymon's disoriented state to stomp on the ground below them after rising to their feet. They were temporarily protected from the battle by the column that had sent DoruGreymon flying, but Cybelemon’s plan didn’t end there. The stones below their feet created yet another pillar that launched them into the air in a curved path that very closely followed DoruGreymon's trajectory.
Garummon launched himself off the ground by using blasts of light magic around his feet, and he allowed the blades on his back to charge themselves with his element as well. The swords seemed to grow sharper under his influence as he pushed ever nearer to DoruGreymon in a diagonal that would have him colliding with his foe at the same time as Cybelemon. Garummon's eyes narrowed just before impact, determination gleaming in his features.
Garummon's charged swords hit DoruGreymon's abdomen at the same time as a mighty scratch from Cybelemon hit his other side, and the red Digimon was left to fall helplessly to the ground below as Cybelemon told the earthen column to subside and fade away. A Void Fragment pulled away from DoruGreymon's body before shattering as Garummon and Cybelemon landed, shooting one another proud smirks along the way. If they had been in any other Spirit form, they would have taken the chance to fist bump or high five.
Onyxmon had taken to squaring off with the next DoruGreymon, and they let their wings close in around them as their foe sent a powerful blast of fire in their direction. They closed their eyes as their wings fell down to their sides after the attack, and a purple pulse of energy spread through the area, immediately forcing the remaining DoruGreymon to freeze from the sudden psychic pain that wracked their bodies. That was just the chance Onyxmon needed to prepare a grander attack of purple energy that gathered across their body before throwing itself at their current target. DoruGreymon attempted to block the attack with his wings, but he reacted too late because of Onyxmon's previous stun attack, leaving him to slide backwards across the ground. Even if he managed to remain upright, it was clear he was dazed and would need at least a few moments to recover.
However, Blizzarmon wasn't willing to give him such a thing, instead allowing ice to gather across the surface of the arrowheads attached to his hair. The icicles grew jagged before firing themselves rapidly, striking each weak point on DoruGreymon's body with stabbing intensity. The Digimon cried out in pain as he was struck where his wings met his body and in perfect weak points where his joints collided. He was lucky to be able to deflect three of the icicles using the golden spade at the edge of his tail, though he wasn't going to be able to keep the advantage long, not if he couldn't catch a break.
Onyxmon flew into the air, their wings beating powerfully along the way. They inhaled before letting out a massive blast of purple fire that streaked down towards DoruGreymon at breakneck speeds. He didn't even have the chance to scream before the purple energy began to spread across the surface of his body, not burning him but still leaving agony in its wake. He attempted to muster a counterattack, but he didn't get far since he was simply too exhausted to summon the fire necessary to strike back at Onyxmon given how far away they were.
Blizzarmon came up behind DoruGreymon soon afterwards, raising one axe above his head. He brought the weapon down in a mighty slash, and DoruGreymon fell forward after succumbing to the force of Onyxmon and Blizzarmon's attacks. He was left dazed and nearly unconscious on the ground as a Void Fragment tore away from his body and splintered in the moon's air. Onyxmon landed a moment later, their eyes narrowed at the place where the Void Fragment had once been. Blizzarmon stared at the same spot, a frown written all over his eyes, before he moved to look at the other members of the group.
Bolgmon was readying his cannon once again to fire at one of the three remaining DoruGreymon, but it was clear he wasn't going to be able to finish summoning its power before he was attacked. The DoruGreymon he was aiming at was preparing a blast of fire, and he sent it flying towards Bolgmon. Umbramon was more than happy to intercept the DoruGreymon's attack though, creating a matching orb of dark energy that streaked through the sky to collide with the fire. The two attacks shattered against one another, creating an explosion that tore through the air mercilessly.
Umbramon seemed to understand his mission of defending Bolgmon until the Warrior of Thunder could attack without needing to be asked, and he took to dancing around DoruGreymon's feet, using his lesser size to his advantage. DoruGreymon attempted to strike at him with stomps from his feet, but Umbramon was able to avoid the strikes easily. He jumped over DoruGreymon's tail when it came slashing towards him, landing for a brief second before streaking through the air once again, his fangs bared at the ready.
Umbramon's strike was easily able to tear a slash across DoruGreymon's side, and the red dragon cried out in shock before crumbling to try and nurse the wound. He lashed out with his tail once again, but Umbramon jumped out of the way just in time, launching himself to DoruGreymon's other side before releasing yet another attack of dark magic. DoruGreymon groaned from the exertion that came with taking the hit but did not attempt to strike back, too busy favoring his other injury.
Bolgmon, meanwhile, had finally finished charging his attack and sent the blast of electricity flying. The cannon shot slammed into the slash wound that Umbramon had opened on DoruGreymon's side, and the red dragon's eyes went wide with shock before he slumped over. As expected, a Void Fragment pulled itself free of the wound before splintering. Umbramon couldn't help but stare at it, his eyes wide with concern at the sight. Something about the Void Fragment felt strange to him, but he didn't know how to describe the sensation unfortunately.
There were only two DoruGreymon left by this point, and the first one that Vritramon had lured away was currently chasing him through the sky. This was the only DoruGreymon that had mustered the courage to start flying, and Vritramon was weaving between flame attacks and claw swipes to stay safe. He barely managed to avoid having his wing clipped along the way, and he let out a strangled yelp of shock before ducking low, summoning as much fire as he could stand to protect himself from the next flaming strike that came from DoruGreymon's direction. Vritramon absorbed the fire easily thanks to his element following his every command, but he still couldn't safely turn to face DoruGreymon until he could somehow outmaneuver his foe.
Luckily for him, Calanthemon was more than happy to provide him with the chance he needed. The pegasus reared her head backwards before beating her wings twice against the sky, creating a shower of pollen that descended on DoruGreymon from above. As soon as he was hit, DoruGreymon began to slow down, and his wings were no longer able to carry his own weight. Vritramon smirked as soon as he had the advantage, swerving out from under DoruGreymon and flying skyward so he was above his foe.
Calanthemon dove in DoruGreymon's direction a moment later, and on the ground, green vines began to sprout up from where the spare powder had missed its target. The vines were more than happy to reach up and grab at DoruGreymon, and even though he was larger than most targets Calanthemon had attempted to trap in the past, the greenery still served its purpose. DoruGreymon's wings and tail were rendered immobile first while still leaving him suspended in midair atop a cushion of plants. No matter how much he tried to struggle, he couldn't quite break free, and he seethed and screamed in rage as a desperate plea for his allies to come and assist him.
Vritramon didn't give him the chance to finish his cry for help though, instead diving downwards with fire surrounding his body. He hit DoruGreymon once where his wings met his spine, and the Digimon cried out in pain before he went limp. The Void Fragment made itself known a moment later before vanishing in a shattering explosion of shadows, and Calanthemon closed her eyes as a silent way of instructing the plants to move once more. The greenery lowered DoruGreymon to the ground, and Calanthemon finally opened her eyes once the job had been finished.
The final DoruGreymon in the pack was left to Aquariamon and Cygnusmon. The red dragon was inspired by his previous comrade to take to the skies so that he was on an even playing field with the two Warriors where they flew overhead. DoruGreymon sent out a few blasts of fire at Aquariamon, and she created a shield of water to block the strikes. The fire and water mixed to form steam soon afterwards, and Aquariamon dove out of the way just before she could be scorched by the back half of the blast. Her wings were made of water as per usual, and they functioned perfectly despite the pressing and dangerous circumstances of her foe's element threatening to make them dissipate.
While the DoruGreymon was busy trying to shoot Aquariamon out of the sky, Cygnusmon took to flying over them both. He beat his wings against the air before closing his eyes, and a pattern of comets appeared in the sky above his head before slamming down against DoruGreymon's back. The comets, while on the smaller side, were still incredibly powerful for their size, and they were easily able to knock DoruGreymon down toward the earth. He couldn't keep himself aloft under the weight of the constant barrage, forcing him to crash against the rocky ground of Rubrum below.
Aquariamon summoned a column of water to wrap around his body and keep him pinned in place while Cygnusmon concentrated his energy once more on yet another strike. The comet that broke free of the skies this time around was much larger and stronger than even the previous attacks had been, and it let out a high-pitched whistle as it streaked through the air to eventually strike DoruGreymon in the back. The red dragon was unable to escape thanks to Aquariamon's watery power, forcing him to remain perfectly stationary when the comet slammed into him.
As soon as the attack hit, Aquariamon allowed the watery column to subside, offering the perfect path for the Void Fragment to streak up into the air and rupture a moment later. DoruGreymon remained limp after the fact, his energy clearly drained from the fight. Aquariamon came to land not far from the dragon, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors followed suit in gathering around the group of defeated Digimon.
Onyxmon bowed their head for a moment, allowing their form to shift as they became Lyramon. Once the shift had been completed, Lyramon took a step forward, a frown on their features. "Is there anything any of you can tell me about what just happened?" they questioned, somehow managing to keep their voice even despite their adrenaline rush.
The second DoruGreymon was the first one to speak up, though he was clearly dazed and confused as he glanced around the area. "Where am I...?" he muttered. As soon as his gaze found the Legendary Warriors, he blinked a few more times before continuing. "Who are all of you?"
"You're on Rubrum right now, and we're the Legendary Warriors," Zephyrmon explained. "You were possessed by Void Fragments, and we fought you to break you out of their power and give you control over yourselves again. How are you feeling?"
"Awful," the third DoruGreymon admitted. "I can't believe we were taken over by Void Fragments... I didn't think that was... That shouldn't have happened."
"You're right. This shouldn't be happening at all, but as long as it is happening, we're going to need a solution to push through it," Lyramon frowned. "I'll be more than happy to send you back to the main Digital World as soon as you tell me everything you know. What happened before the Void Fragments took over? Do you have any memories of what happened after they took control? How did you get to Rubrum to begin with?"
"We live in a village in the Fire region of the Digital World," explained the fifth DoruGreymon. "We were on scouting duty today to make sure nothing bad was happening near our home... Ever since the Void Fragments showed up, people have been scared of getting attacked, so we were there to make sure everything was alright, but... I guess something must have happened. I don’t even remember what happened for us to get possessed. My memory went dark randomly, and then... We were just here."
"I'm willing to assume that's the story that the rest of you are going to tell as well," Vritramon concluded, and the other DoruGreymon nodded in response. Vritramon frowned before looking over to Lyramon. "In other words, it seems to me like there's nothing of note we're going to be able to learn from them. The Void Fragments really do make it hard for us to figure out anything because of how easily they wipe people's memories."
"It's unfortunate," Lyramon murmured with a shake of their head. "But we're not going to be able to do anything about it now. Thank you to all of you for being so willing to talk to us even if you don't have much information. We appreciate it."
"Can you send us back home now?" came the voice of the sixth DoruGreymon. "I want to get back home and make sure everyone in our village is okay... I don't want them to get hurt while we're not there to protect them."
Lyramon nodded. "Of course." They opened a hole in the sky with the tip of their rapier a moment later, and a portal manifested before the group. They gestured to the rift with a small nod. "Go ahead. We'll handle business here."
"Thank you," the first DoruGreymon said before walking through the rift. The others were more than happy to follow suit, and the portal closed as soon as the last of the dragons had disappeared from view, leaving the Legendary Warriors staring at where they had once been in the moments that followed.
"I suppose they were a bit too distracted with all that happened to want to ask us any questions about being the Legendary Warriors, huh?" Sheyumon commented. "I don't like the picture we've been putting together from the Void Fragment attacks so far, but I guess that I'm glad everybody is okay. It could have been a lot worse than it was."
"You're right... It could have been much worse," Miriamon declared as she took a step toward the group. The Legendary Warriors returned to their human forms as she smiled to them gently, but if anyone was willing to look close enough, they could see her hands shaking even though she refused to acknowledge it outwardly. "Thank you all so much for all that you have done here today... I don't even want to imagine what could have happened if you hadn't been here. I'm not exactly made for combat, and I doubt I would have been able to defend Rubrum alone. Thank you."
"I'm glad we were able to help," Takuya told her. "It's a shame we haven't been able to learn all that much about the Void Fragments though... But I guess that's the tough part of dealing with them. Since they seem to effectively wipe the memory of the host as long as they're in charge, we can't really refine our knowledge unless we can find another way to gather information."
"It was yet another Beast Digimon who was overtaken by the Void Fragment's power too," Bokomon commented. "Alastomon claimed before that Beast Digimon were the only ones who were being possessed by the Void Fragments, but I don't believe they are the only ones influenced. They’re just the only ones we are seeing right now. Digimon are all rather similar even if they are split into categories of Beast and Human. Something like this shouldn't only influence one group while leaving the other completely unaffected. It's something I'll need to look into as soon as the chance comes..."
"I guess that's going to be the end of our adventures in the Digital World for today though. As much as I would love to stick around longer, I don't think that's going to be possible after all the time and energy we had to put into that fight," Koji frowned. He turned back to Miriamon at that. "You never actually had the chance to explain why you called us here though. I doubt it was for only introductions, and while we can’t stay long… We might as well hear what you wanted to ask us here for."
Miriamon stared at him for a split second before snapping out of her trance and nodding, though she still didn't seem to be entirely focused on the situation at hand. "First and foremost, I wished to meet all of you in person. Since I've spent so many years taking care of the graves of the Legendary Warriors, I wanted to speak with you all here. If you ever wish to see me again or simply need the peace of Rubrum, feel free to return. I would be more than happy to host you," she said at first. She paused for a long, heavy moment before continuing. "But aside from that... I wished to call you here to deliver you a warning."
"A warning?" Koichi echoed, his eyes going wide. He hated the sound of that, and clearly the rest of his body did too judging by the way that his stomach immediately twisted itself with distaste and anxiety. He didn't even have to glance to the rest of the group to know they felt much the same way. Miriamon's cryptic words and mysterious aura were combining to leave Koichi with greater dread than he had experienced since he had fought in the war against Cherubimon and Lucemon. He didn’t even need to find words to emphasize how much he hated that.
Miriamon nodded. "There are dark powers at play within the Digital World... I can feel it. I can't say for certain what is going on, but the peace that followed Lucemon's fall will not last forever. Please... Proceed with caution. The Digital World needs you now more than ever, and if you ever need my help, I would be more than happy to provide it. As much as I hate to say it, I believe you will need all the help you can get in the coming battles."
The Legendary Warriors didn't say anything after that, all too surprised with what they were hearing to even bother with filling the silence. Luckily, Miriamon was more than happy to do that for them, and she let her eyes linger on Saki for a long moment before she continued. "You should return home now... Allow me to offer you a path back to the Digital World's main planet," she went on. She closed her eyes and folded her hands together, and a portal appeared in front of the Legendary Warriors a moment later. She let her arms fall to her side as she gave them all a smile that was so weak it was almost laughable. No one commented on it though, including Miriamon herself. "Until we meet again."
The Legendary Warriors passed through the portal in the moments that followed, but Saki took up the rear, a frown on their face. They examined Miriamon for a long moment, but the blonde Digimon refused to yield even an inch of ground. Saki eventually turned away when they realized they weren't going to be earning any new information from Miriamon, and as soon as they passed through the portal, Rubrum was empty once more.
Miriamon stared at the place where the Legendary Warriors had been a moment prior for a long time before she turned around and began to walk back towards the primary shrine on Rubrum. It was known as the Temple of Souls, and it was the first building that had been created in the aftermath of Lucemon's fall. When the Digital World was destroyed the first time by the Angel of Hell, the entire realm had to reconstruct itself, and the Temple of Souls was one of the first things to be forged. Ever since then, it had been Miriamon's home, and more importantly, it was where she could speak with the souls of the Ancient Warriors.
She hadn't been able to feel them quite as strongly ever since the Ancient Warriors had fused with their current incarnations. Miriamon could still communicate with their spirits, but she was the only one able to do so. The rare pilgrims that came to Rubrum had been able to talk to them before, but now, that power was long gone. The Ancient Warriors transcended the boundaries of life and death, and Miriamon was the bridge between them and the rest of the world. They were the ones who had first told her there was something to be feared within the Digital World, and she knew they were right. If anyone knew the Digital World, it was the brave warriors who had saved it so long ago. Miriamon hated having to admit they were right, but after the attack that day, she saw little other choice. The truth was a wicked, terrifying thing, and Miriamon understood it all too well these days.
Miriamon easily navigated her way back to the central room of the temple, and she closed the doors behind herself. The Ancient Warriors were all carved in stone throughout the room, and Miriamon fell to her knees at the center of the space as soon as she could. She clasped her hands together in a motion that would have appeared to be prayer to anyone who didn't understand the truth of her intentions. A moment later though, her magic proved itself as transparent images of the Ancient Warriors appeared around her, though Miriamon was the only one who could see them. Such was the power that came with being the Arbiter of Souls.
"History seems to be repeating itself," Miriamon began as she looked to the souls and their physical forms around her. "The Digital World's fragile peace is already faltering, and we have barely seen a few weeks of rest since Lucemon's fall."
"But the Digital World will not crumble under this unknown power," AncientGreymon declared firmly. When Miriamon listened closely, she could hear echoes of Takuya's voice in his, a small sign of how the two Warriors of Fire had been influencing one another since Takuya had come to the Digital World and confirmed his destiny for all the world to see.
"As long as our successors remain strong—and I have no doubt they will—the Digital World will survive," AncientKazemon agreed. Her hair blew in an unknown breeze much like Miriamon's did. It had always been a hint of the mysticism and connection between the two, and it was as comforting as it was ominous in circumstances as dire as these.
Miriamon nodded hesitantly. "I certainly hope the Legendary Warriors are ready," she said softly. "I have every faith you have given your successors all the power they can hold right now, but... I'm still concerned. I do not understand what dark power is trying to sweep through the Digital World, but I know with certainty that the realm is going to need the Legendary Warriors."
"It's a power of darkness unlike any other... But it feels familiar," AncientSphinxmon remarked, and Miriamon swallowed dryly at his words. "Could you all sense it as well? That Void Fragment's power... It was something we have felt before."
Miriamon nodded. "I didn't want to accept it, but... I felt it as well. But... This shouldn't be happening. Nothing like this should be happening. That power... It should be gone."
"And yet, it remains, so we must be careful," AncientVolcamon said simply, ever the sort to get to the heart of the matter without mincing words. "The Digital World's fate may hang in the balance if that power gets to be too strong."
For a long moment, Miriamon was silent, simply allowing the words to shift around within her head. She eventually glanced up to the circle of the Ancient Warriors, a resolved frown on her face. "I want to know everything you're willing to share with me about your successors," she announced firmly. "You've told me much about them already, but if there's anything else you think I should know... I want to hear it as soon as possible. I need to know how I can help."
The Ancient Warriors all looked to one another at that, and they nodded their understanding and agreement in sync. Miriamon closed her eyes and let her hands fold themselves over her chest once more, preparing herself for everything she was about to hear. She already had an awful feeling about what the future was set to bring, but the best she could do for herself was be prepared.
Let war not ravage this world again... For the sake of those who have suffered so much already, let us find peace at last.
Notes:
And so we meet the final major new character introduced in this story!
I've been looking forward to Miriamon's debut for quite a while. Her story was one of the first things that I concocted after I started working on planning for this sequel, and I'm absolutely in love with how her introduction played out. She's meant to be a rather mysterious and detached figure, and I feel like that got across well. On top of that, I adore the way that she carries herself in terms of foreshadowing and intrigue, and her design is great too. I can't wait for all of you to see more from her going forward because trust me when I say that she'll be here for quite a few of the events to come.
As for the fight sequence--which is the other major part of this chapter--I really liked working on it because of how unorthodox it is. A fight in a vast, empty space doesn't sound all that interesting, so I decided to spice things up by having some strange team ups for the fight. Instead of splitting up the group in predictable pairs, I decided it would be best to go for some odd matchups against the DoruGreymon, and I think it turned out really well. It was tons of fun to work on, and I like really how it turned out.
As for the ending scene, I really like how that went too. It's a small thing, but like many vague details in the earlier parts of the story, it's meant to be theory bait. I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you think of both the finale to this chapter and Miriamon as a whole since both of them will be important in the future.
With that said, I'm going to wrap things up here for the week. Next time, we'll get into a continuation of this chapter's events back on Earth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 6: Twisted Infiltration
Summary:
After a shocking incident, Izumi finds herself caught up in Digimon attacks both past and present.
Chapter Text
The day after the trip to the Digital World to visit Miriamon, Junpei found himself back in the computer lab to tinker away at the portal with Saki. He was overwhelmingly relieved for his lack of popularity given the fact that it meant most people were inclined to stay away from the lab as long as he and Saki were in it. The last thing he wanted was to have to explain away some lie of a reason for why they had been spending so much time there. All it would do was make his life harder, and he had much more important things on his mind, such as other things that made his life harder.
"What do you think of Miriamon?" Junpei questioned as he continued to examine his D-Tector carefully. He was getting closer to a breakthrough, and he had even figured out a program that would probably work in terms of using the devices like phones within the Digital World. They already had speakers, so he just needed to find a way to activate them that would serve his current goal. All Junpei had to do was round off the finishing touches and get it up and running, but that was going to be much easier said than done, and more importantly, it was going to take a while. In other words, it would be the perfect thing for him to do while he talked to Saki about the events of the previous day.
Saki paused for a moment, not looking up from their work on the portal. "What about her?" they asked eventually, their tone blunt and simple. That was the only hint that Junpei needed to know that Saki had figured out something was wrong the day before as well. Of course they had. Junpei would have been a fool for even daring to assume Miriamon’s strange behavior would have gotten past them somehow.
"Something about her just felt... Odd," Junpei replied with a shake of his head. "She was weirdly fixated on you while we were there. I mean, she said that she knew all of the Ancient Warriors, and I believe her given the circumstances, but... She seemed to focus on you a lot more than the rest of us."
Saki nodded slowly. "So I noticed," they muttered. "I wish I knew what was going through her head, but I'm afraid that I'm at just as much of a loss as you and the rest of the group are. I don't have any idea what's going on or why she wants to know more about me of all people. I also don't know what she's trying to figure out about me by staring at me so much."
"I don't get it," Junpei sighed. "She said that she wanted to get to know us better, and she certainly acted like it, but... She seemed so tense and antsy around you. I don't know what the reason for that could have been, but it doesn't make any sense."
"For what it's worth, I don't know a thing about her," Saki replied. They leaned away from the computer screen before them with a frown, staring at it for a moment before getting right back to work. "I've never met her, and I barely heard anything about her when I was working under Cherubimon's command either. I just heard a few vague rumors about the Arbiter of Souls being an ancient and powerful Digimon who had been alive for centuries upon centuries. That doesn't really count for much when it comes to figuring out what's bothering her right now though."
"In all honesty, I'm shocked there's someone aside from the Celestial Three who's been around for that long," Junpei confessed. "I mean, the time of the Ancient Warriors was ages ago. That was probably around eighteen years ago in terms of Earth time, but the Digital World was running on a faster calendar until recently. That means that it would have been thousands of years within the Digital World, and she's still here."
"I could barely even tell how strong she was in terms of combat," Saki remarked. "I mean, she said that she wasn't much of a fighter, but something tells me that's not exactly the case. I could barely get a read on anything when it came to her, and I have to wonder if perhaps that was intentional."
"Do you think she's trying to keep secrets from us then?" Junpei inquired as he glanced up in their direction. "I don't know what reason she would have to hide so much though."
"It's just a theory, but I get the feeling there's a lot more to this Arbiter of Souls than she's willing to tell us during a first meeting," Saki replied simply. They shrugged and shook their head. "We're going to have to figure it out eventually though. She's not going to be able to hide the truth forever as long as the Digital World is in as much danger as she makes it sound."
"The Void Fragments must be the problem there," Junpei concluded. "I can't think of anything else that could be causing so many problems in her eyes, but that means there's a lot more to those than meets the eye too... It's all rather unfortunate, isn't it? It’s just one problem after another, and we’ve only just gotten back there."
"I knew the peace of the Digital World wasn't going to last... But I didn’t think it would splinter this soon. We're just going to have to see what comes of this next," Saki said. "We have no way of figuring out where this is going to lead us next, but we can wait and see what happens. The Void Fragments are a much bigger problem than we realized when we first returned, and we'll have to face that when we can find the time."
Junpei nodded, allowing his eyes to slide shut along the way. He had an awful feeling about all of this, and Miriamon was just the tip of the iceberg. No matter how much they tried to hide it, Saki was on edge too, and he was worried about them too. He wasn't going to force them to talk if they weren't comfortable with opening up, but he feared there was a lot going through their head too whether they wanted to admit it or not. Junpei also didn’t know if he would be able to convince them to talk about it.
Then again, it wouldn't be right for him to just leave Saki to deal with this on their own after all they had been through together. Junpei had been asserting to Saki for quite some time that they could work together in all matters, and that included emotions as well, so he forced himself to speak after a few heavy beats of silence. "Something else is clearly bothering you," he declared. "You're not saying it, but I can tell. Is it Miriamon?"
Saki seemed caught off guard at first, clearly having not been expecting Junpei to hit so close to home right away. They didn't look up to him though, instead turning every ounce of their attention towards the computer ahead. "It doesn't matter," they eventually answered. "Even if Miriamon was bothering me, there's nothing I can do about it right now. She's still going to hide the truth, and it's going to be a while before we can push her to open up."
"But that doesn't mean you have to close yourself off in the meantime," Junpei pointed out. He put his D-Tector down and looked up to them at that, a frown heavy on his features. "Come on, you know that. You don't need to keep secrets like this."
Saki hesitated for a long time before they shook their head. "I don't know," they murmured. "I need a bit more time to think about all of this. I don't know what Miriamon saw in me when we were on Rubrum, but I'm determined to find out. Just... Give me a bit more time to try and figure out what's going on, and we can talk about it then."
Junpei watched them for a few heavy breaths before he nodded. "If that's what you think is best," he acquiesced. "But I want you to be honest and talk to me when you think you've figured everything out. I know that it's not going to be easy to find the truth here, but... I don't want you to hide everything forever. We're here for you, and the instant you're ready to talk, we can listen. All of us."
Saki continued to stare at the keyboard in front of them as Junpei's phone buzzed, breaking the tension immediately. Junpei pulled the device from his pocket before he read the notification on the screen. "Well, that's my cue to get going. My parents are waiting for me back home," he announced as he grabbed his D-Tector and got to his feet. "You should probably leave soon too. You're not going to want to get caught in here when I'm not around to say that we're together."
"I know," Saki told him with a light nod, though everything about them remained rigid and impossible to decipher. "I'll see you again tomorrow."
Junpei nodded before retreating from the computer room, grabbing his backpack along the way, and Saki sighed as soon as they were alone. They practically collapsed onto the chair behind them, letting all of the air rush out of their body along the way. If they were being honest, they didn't know what to think about any of this. They had no idea what was going on with Miriamon, but something about the way she had looked at them was terrifying in a way Saki didn't know how to articulate. Miriamon knew something, and she had no intentions of sharing it no matter how much it was tearing her apart inside. Saki didn't know why Miriamon was so intrigued by them above the rest of the Legendary Warriors, but they could tell it wasn't because of anything good.
Trying to find information on the matter was going to be extremely difficult, but that wasn't going to stop Saki from trying. They had found their way out of impossible situations before. In fact, their time as one of Cherubimon's soldiers came to mind in a similar vein. Saki had gotten out of that in one piece, hadn’t they? Gathering information was easy compared to escaping a tyrant. There had to be someone out there who knew what was going on with Miriamon, and even if Saki couldn't freely go to the Digital World to ask questions, they could still investigate on their own.
Something about Miriamon was odd in a way that Saki didn't know how to put a finger on, but they were still going to try and find the truth behind it. For one, Saki had always been good at guessing the power levels of the Digimon that surrounded them because of their innate psychic abilities that came with being the Warrior of Steel, but Miriamon was a mystery. She could fight as far as Saki could tell, at least to some degree, but she didn't seem to follow the regular power levels of most Digimon. She was simply a void, a mysterious aura of energy that didn't fit into any classification. Miriamon did not belong to any element nor was she entirely a Human or Beast Digimon. She wasn't a Hybrid either; she was simply Miriamon, and everything about her was odd.
There still had to be something out there that would give Saki answers as to what Miriamon truly was, and maybe they would be able to learn just why Miriamon was so intrigued by them along the way. It wasn't much, but their determination had to at least count for something. If there was an answer to be found—and Saki was certain there was—they would be the one to uncover it as soon as possible.
When Saki was finished working for the day, they powered off the computer with the portal on it and rose to their feet with a frown on their face. As soon as they returned home—if the orphanage could even be called a home to begin with—they were going to try and sift through the internet to find something. They weren't sure what instinct was telling them they would be able to uncover information about Miriamon outside the Digital World, but they were sure it had to be the case. There was some evidence to be found even on Earth, and Saki was going to drag it into the light.
Just you wait, Miriamon... You won't be able to keep your secrets forever.
~~~~~
Izumi had been sitting in the living room and flicking through a notebook when she heard the doorbell ring. She had gotten home from school and the gymnastics practice after classes not long ago, and her first task was to read through as many of her notes as possible. Her harder classes were starting to kick it into high gear, and that meant that she had to as well.
If Izumi was being honest though, she wasn't as focused on her studies as she would have liked to be. No matter how many times she tried to snap herself back into concentration, her mind always drifted in Miriamon's direction. Izumi had wondered about the mysterious Digimon many times over the course of the last day, but she found no information that could have helped her. Izumi had replayed the encounter over in her mind at least a dozen times, but the truth remained just out of reach. All she wanted was to understand what was going on behind the mysterious eyes of the cryptic keeper of Rubrum, but each attempt to learn more came up short.
Of course, deciphering Miriamon’s behavior was much easier said than done after the doorbell shattered her sense of focus. Izumi closed her notebook and tucked it away into her backpack before rising to her feet, off to meet the guest that had just arrived. She didn't know who it would have been, but the least she could do was seem ready to greet them.
Masae was waiting on the other side of the door, an apologetic smile on her face. "Thanks for answering," she told her sister. "I forgot to grab my house key when I went out to get the mail. It fell off my keyring earlier, and I haven't had the time to fix it."
"Don't worry about it," Izumi assured her as she shut the door behind her sister. She glanced down and saw a package perched in Masae's arms, and she raised an eyebrow with piqued curiosity. "What's that?"
"Just a couple of books," Masae replied as she set the package down on the counter. "I couldn't find them at the local bookstore, so I decided to order them online instead." She immediately took to glancing around the kitchen, opening drawers occasionally, with a light frown on her face. "Do you know where I could find a boxcutter? I can't exactly claim my prize with this package taped shut."
Izumi hummed to herself, trying to figure out where it could have been. If she had to guess, her father was probably the last one to use it given that she and Masae usually kept it in the same place. She didn't understand much of her father's scatterbrained logic if she was being honest, but she was going to have to try and figure it out for the sake of helping her sister. She couldn't just abandon Masae to look on her own, after all. Her internal sister code immediately dismissed that as an option.
Izumi moved toward a cabinet that rested high above the rest of the storage areas in the kitchen, elevating herself onto her toes when she got closer to it. She slid the door open and let her fingers fumble across the shelf until they curled across something plastic that she knew was the small sheath of the boxcutter. She pulled it down a moment later, glancing over to Masae after she pushed the doors to the cabinet shut. "Found it," she declared.
"Thanks, Izumi," Masae smiled. She walked over the package at the same time as Izumi, watching as her older sister pushed the small blade out and started to cut at the tape that bisected the box on the top.
Izumi watched as the knife gracefully slipped into the tape and started to slide downwards. As soon as her mind wasn't occupied with Masae or the search for the boxcutter though, she was back to thinking about Miriamon all over again. She just didn't understand the Arbiter of Souls, and Izumi had to wonder if she ever would. Something had to be going on inside of her head to make her so desperate to keep secrets this way. Why was Miriamon so intent on hiding so much from the reincarnations of her old friends? How could she look so young and hold so little power if she had been around since the days of the Ancient Warriors? Just how much did she know about the new Legendary Warriors? What was she hiding?
"Izumi—"
The knife slipped as soon as it hit the bottom edge of the package, and Izumi hissed as a small cut opened across her thumb. She set the boxcutter down and went to pry open the box with her other hand, but Masae beat her to it. "Are you okay?" Masae questioned. As soon as the box was opened and Izumi was out of danger of cutting herself again, Masae pulled the blade of the boxcutter back into the plastic and moved towards the sink. "Let me get you a bandage for that."
Izumi nodded, chastising herself inwardly for letting her focus slip so easily. She wasn't normally this clumsy, but something about Miriamon just caught her attention in ways she didn't understand. She just wanted to know what was going through her head, and it seemed as if this was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to her curiosities regarding the Arbiter of Souls.
Izumi glanced down to her finger a moment later, a frown on her face. The cut wasn't a large one, and it would likely heal in a matter of two days, but it would certainly be inconvenient in the meantime. Still, she was sure that everything would be fine with time despite the sight of blood dripping out of the wound gently.
No. It couldn't have been blood.
It was pink.
Izumi's eyes went wide with ghastly shock, and she stared for a moment before she shook her head and started to retreat from the kitchen. "I'll take care of it," she said hurriedly. "Don't worry about me, Masae. I've got this."
Before Masae could even think of protesting her sister's sudden shift of behavior, Izumi had dashed off to her room, her eyes wide as could be. She had left her backpack on the couch, but she couldn't even bring herself to care, instead digging her other hand into her pocket to pull out her phone. Her D-Tector was hidden beneath the shirt of her uniform, and she considered reaching for that too. After all, the reason for this had to have something to do with the Digital World, right?
Izumi made sure at least three times that the door was closed over the course of the next thirty seconds, and she continued to stare down at her finger all the while. This had to be blood, right? That was what came out of cuts. Even in the Digital World, the Legendary Warriors had bled because they were human at their cores rather than being Digimon. It made no sense that she would suddenly be met with the sight of pink instead of red though. There wasn't even a chance that she was mistaking red for pink here; the color was bright, a beaming carnation that matched the shade of her element all too perfectly. This was something new, and she didn't know how she was supposed to face it despite knowing this had to be related to her adventures in the Digital World.
As much as Izumi wanted to sit down and make sure she wasn't just dreaming all of this up, she couldn't stop pacing, her energy hitting rapid speeds while being aided along by her screaming adrenaline. She didn't know what was going on, but she had to find out as soon as possible. All of a sudden, answers about Miriamon could wait, and the Arbiter of Souls was the last person on Izumi's mind. She had to find somebody who would be able to help her while somehow keeping the truth of what had just happened from Masae. She prayed with everything she had that none of her blood had gotten onto the boxcutter before she was able to dash away. That would give away all of this, and that was the last thing Izumi could stand to have happen. She was trying to keep her sister out of her messes, not get her sucked in deeper.
It took a staggeringly long time for Izumi to finally get a grip on herself long enough for her to reach for her phone once more. She wasn't going to be able to solve this on her own, not when she was panicking this way. She could call one of the other Legendary Warriors and see if they could come over. She couldn't just let herself sit here alone. If she did that, her anxiety was going to get the better of her, and that was one of the last things Izumi could afford in that moment.
"Izumi, calm down. It's going to be okay. It's just a cut—"
Izumi cut off the sound of a voice that was just barely not hers as she started to slide through her contacts with her uninjured hand. She eventually settled on Junpei's number, somehow sensing that he would be the best person to call, and she hit his contact before pressing her phone to her ear with a shaking hand. Was the world starting to spin around her? She couldn't tell if it would be better or worse if that side effect was all in her imagination or not.
The phone rang for an agonizingly long time, and Izumi tapped one anxious foot against the floor of her room as she silently pleaded with Junpei to please answer. After the third tone, the sound on the other end of the line shifted. "Hey, Izumi. Is something up?" Junpei asked. Judging by the sound of the wind and the steady beat of his footsteps, Izumi assumed easily he was walking home. He and Saki had likely finished up their investigative work into the portal for the day. Izumi knew she could only put all of that together because of the changes to her body though. She had noticed as of late that her hearing was getting better because of her element of Wind, and she was confident nobody else would have been able to hear such small details without her special abilities.
If only all the ways her body had changed were easy to explain or at all pleasant in her mind.
"Could you come over to my house?" Izumi questioned. She only paused for a quarter of a second, but the breath felt like it lasted a lifetime. "Right now. Please." She knew she sounded completely desperate and even more pathetic, but she couldn't even bring herself to fall silent. Now was hardly the time to maintain appearances. Besides, this was Junpei she was talking to; he wouldn't mind it if she let the perfect mask drop for a few minutes. She could trust him with anything.
"Is something wrong?" Junpei asked, and Izumi heard him start to speed his pace of walking. He didn't ask for directions to Izumi's house; he didn't need to. Ever since the group had first become Susanoomon, they had been able to sense one another's presences, and if Junpei focused enough, he would be able to find her without any issues.
"Something happened, and... There was an accident," Izumi told him quickly, unsure as to how she was meant to phrase this. She continued pacing once more, her gaze never leaving the cut on her thumb. "I cut my finger, and my blood came out pink."
Junpei let out a gasp at that, and he started walking faster still. "What?!" he cried out. "You're sure you're not just seeing things wrong, right? It's actually pink?"
Izumi nodded even though she knew he wouldn't be able to see the motion. "It's bright pink. I don't know what could have caused this or where it came from specifically, but I feel like it at least has something to do with the Digital World in a vague sense," she told him. "This didn’t happen before we came back. It’s new. I haven't bled at all since we returned, so I haven't noticed, but... It's pink. Something is wrong. I don't know what Spirit Evolving did to us in full, but it did something, and now, my blood is the same color as the Warrior of Wind."
"I'll be there as soon as I can be," Junpei told her firmly. "Is anybody else going to be home? I don't want to come barging in if you're not alone." Distantly, Izumi was aware of the way his backpack jostled from its place on his shoulders.
"My sister is here, but I'll let you in," Izumi assured him. "You don't need to worry about that. Just... Please come as soon as possible."
"Are you going to call any of the others?" Junpei questioned. "I'm sure that at least somebody else is going to want to know what's going on. Saki's still back at the school working on the portal, but I'm sure they would come as soon as they heard if you reached out to them."
"I'll call Takuya so he can get Chihiro, and after that, I'll call Saki," Izumi replied. "I don't want to disturb everybody's evening over something like this though. I don't think we're going to need the entire team to look over something like this, especially with how far away Koichi and Hinoka live. I'll be fine."
"They're not going to mind if you say you need them for something like this. It’s an emergency, Izumi," Junpei countered. "But that's your choice to make, not mine. I'll be there in five minutes. Try to calm down until then. Everything is going to be fine."
"Okay," Izumi said even though she couldn't bring herself to believe his words in the slightest. "See you then." She kept her phone up against her ear until after the line went dead and Junpei had hung up on the other end. She sighed heavily before setting her phone down on her desk, and as tempting as it was to sit down in the chair facing her laptop, she couldn't bring herself to do it, not with her heart screaming in her chest at a million miles a minute.
Izumi's pacing renewed its vigor as soon as she didn't have Junpei's voice in her ear as a distraction. She felt sick to her stomach from all of this. She had heard of changes occurring in each of the Legendary Warriors' bodies, and she had even seen it herself. Hinoka had mentioned once that she could breathe underwater without limitations now, her element coming in to protect her from dying at its hand. Izumi's hearing had grown stronger as well ever since she first became Kazemon a lifetime ago. Still, she had thought all the changes would be inclinations towards their elements, and the last thing she expected was for her blood to shift colors. How could any of them have seen it coming?
"Something is wrong... Izumi—"
"Door. Now."
Izumi stopped walking immediately, and the voices in the back of her mind escalated in volume from panic. She barely knew what was happening before she was suddenly thrown to the ground from a jolt beneath her feet. The floor of her room came up to meet her cheek, and everything around her seemed to thrash and scream with the promise of a violence she didn't yet understand. Before Izumi knew it—
She was back in the whirlpool. Oceaniamon had been brutal to throw her at the center of it, and the tempest beneath the seas was more than happy to swallow her ruthlessly. She remembered the way her breath had been shoved and forced from her lungs by the merciless ocean around her, and her wings had seemed to crumple because of how harshly the water was swirling all around her. Her Spirit Evolution was torn apart because of her exhaustion and pain, and she remembered coughing one last time before everything went dark and she was forcefully spat out onto the seafloor. Her head screamed in agony from the contact, but she could not vocalize the ache before every part of her body went numb and dark.
Izumi's eyes remained clamped shut for a long time, and she didn't know if she had the strength to pull herself to her feet once more. All she knew was the darkness, and she could have sworn she heard the churning sounds of the ocean swimming around her the way it had at the base of the whirlpool. She had to stand up and keep fighting. Her Beast Spirit was so close by, and it would save her. Zephyrmon would save her—
"Izumi!"
The door flew open, the knob slamming gracelessly into the wall. Izumi forced her eyes open slowly, and she realized she wasn't at the bottom of the whirlpool at all. She was still in her bedroom on Earth, and she had been thrown to the ground by some unknown force. Her finger was bleeding pink, and she stared at the cut to keep herself grounded until she could find the strength to look up at her sister.
Masae was standing in the doorway, her face overcome with fear and worry. "Izumi, are you alright?!" she exclaimed. She moved to crouch beside her sister and help her to her feet, and Izumi realized just how pale Masae was. Every part of her was terrified, and Masae barely knew how to handle it, but there she was, reassuring Izumi anyway.
Izumi instinctively shoved her cut finger out of view by clenching her hand into a fist as she watched Masae carefully. "What happened?" she asked, pretending to not notice the way her voice shook with a fear that had been effortlessly embedded in her flesh ever since she and Zephyrmon first met. She couldn't let it show. Masae needed someone strong, and right now, all Izumi was being was weak—
"I think it was a small earthquake," Masae replied. "I don't know if there's going to be anything else after that, but it might be for the best if we get somewhere safe. That one didn't do much damage, just knocked a few things off shelves, but it's best to be safe rather than sorry."
"That was no ordinary earthquake. I know there was something else behind it."
Izumi couldn't bring herself to say anything in response to her sister or the voice in the back of her head, too focused on the rushing of her blood through her ears to even think of speaking up. She had seen earthquakes before, but none of them had ever scared her quite like that. She normally knew how to keep her composure even in situations like this, but it seemed as if all of that had been thrown out the window the instant the ground began to shake. All she had been able to think about was the whirlpool and how terrifying it had been to nearly drown to death. That scene had haunted her dreams on a few occasions, but Izumi thought she wasn't letting it bother her anymore. Why did it hit so hard all of a sudden?
"Izumi, step back."
Before Izumi could fully process what had happened, a wave of calm swept through her body, and she stood as if nothing had been wrong to begin with. Her posture was even, though the aftermath of the trembling still wracked the insides of her body. There was something else at play this time though, and while Izumi wasn't entirely sure of what it was, she was glad to be at peace for even a few brief flickers of a moment. She needed to calm down so she could do something to help Masae. That was what she did as a sister no matter how trying her own circumstances became.
When Izumi looked over to her sister once again, it felt as if she wasn't even the primary owner of her own body. It was as if she had been tucked away in a small corner of her own mind, left to stare as autopilot took over. No, it wasn't autopilot. Her default state of being wouldn't have been so calm after she had just suffered from such a violent flashback. There was something else at play here, and she had next to no idea what it could have been.
She didn't have time to ask questions about it either before a voice left her lips that sounded like hers, but she knew couldn't have been. "Stay here. I'm going to check it out," she said simply. Before Masae could object, Izumi moved toward the door of her room, tucking her phone away into her pocket on the way out. Her D-Tector had been hidden beneath her uniform's shirt when she fell to the ground during the quake, but she had seemingly instinctively reached for it and hidden it when Masae arrived. Izumi hadn't even remembered doing that, but she didn't want to ask questions. She was too busy trying to let the wave of calm that was rushing through her body settle over her mind as well.
Masae cried Izumi's name as the Warrior of Wind made her way out of the home, but she did not give chase. Izumi was easily able to round the corner into an alleyway between the Orimoto house and the adjacent building as she reached for her D-Tector. Her actions were casual and nonchalant—as if she had done this a thousand times—as she pressed the activation button on her D-Tector. Izumi hadn't even consciously asked her body to do that, and yet, there she was. Then again, if the earthquake hadn't been caused by something natural—and Izumi was starting to think there was something more to the situation at hand—then she was going to have to investigate it, and that meant Spirit Evolving to get a better look around the area.
Two rings of data appeared around Izumi's hand, and she scanned them across the top of her D-Tector a moment later. As soon as the process of Spirit Evolution had been completed, Zephyrmon stood where Izumi had been a moment later, and she took off into the air after launching herself off the ground. Her strength was impressive, and the first thing that hit her was how lovely it was to be able to fly again. It had been a lifetime since she was last able to enjoy this on her own terms, though she supposed that wasn't even entirely true now. She had a job to do, and that meant searching through the city for any signs of what could have been responsible for the sudden earthquake.
Zephyrmon allowed her wings to beat a few times as she looked down on the city below, searching for any signs at all that could clue her in as to what was happening with the earthquake. The trembling of the ground hadn't been natural at all, and Zephyrmon was sure it was her Digimon instincts that told her this was the case. There was something else at play, and Zephyrmon was going to figure out what it was.
In the minutes that followed, time seemed secondary as Zephyrmon looked over at Shibuya from overhead. She didn't see anything out of note for a long while, though she supposed Shibuya was a large city, much bigger than anybody would have wanted to admit. She still had a lot of ground to cover if she wanted to figure out what was going on, and it wasn't going to be easy to unravel, especially if her target was hiding underground.
"Zephyrmon! Hey!"
Zephyrmon stopped flying immediately when she heard someone call her name, and she turned to see Vritramon and Aeoelmon moving in her direction. Vritramon was flying while Aeoelmon had chosen to bounce from rooftop to rooftop, likely electing against their Beast Spirit form since their Human Spirit had always been faster for the Warrior of Earth. The two sped toward Zephyrmon while the Warrior of Wind simply paused to stare at them, not bothering to get any closer as the air rushed around her.
"You felt that earthquake too, didn't you?" Aeoelmon asked as they looked up at Izumi from the nearest rooftop. Their gaze was stern, and Zephyrmon was sure they already knew the answer before they could even pose the question.
Zephyrmon nodded. "It wasn't caused by anything natural though. That wasn't an ordinary earthquake," she said firmly. She knew just as well as Aeoelmon did that there was more to this story than met the eye, and she made it clear as could be early on just how much there was at stake.
"I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I... I feel like it has something to do with the Digital World," Vritramon remarked with a frown. "I don't have any hard evidence, I know, but... I can just feel this burning presence in my chest like there's a Digimon nearby... No, two Digimon."
"They could have caused the earthquake then," Zephyrmon concluded. "I don't know how any Digimon would have gotten to this side of the barrier, but we can ask questions about that later. For now, we need to make sure we stop them before they can cause any more harm or damage. One earthquake is more than enough."
Aeoelmon paused for a moment, closing their eyes as the ground beneath their feet began to glow. Thin veins of brown spread from the roof of the building down to the ground, creating a network of gentle light throughout the city. Aeoelmon concentrated their energy on sensing everything happening in each rock beneath Shibuya, their features knotting with tension in pursuit of an explanation. As soon as they struck gold, Aeoelmon opened their eyes once again and looked up to the other two Legendary Warriors. "Vritramon was right. There are two Digimon, and they're coming out of the ground," they explained. "They seem to be of the Earth element. Drimogemon, I believe."
"Then let's go after them," Vritramon declared. "I don't know how they got over here, but we can't let them roam freely for any longer. We have to do something to make sure they don't cause another earthquake like that. We don't know for sure if the next one will be catastrophic or not."
Zephyrmon nodded before shooting off like a comet after Aeoelmon. The Warrior of Earth was at the front of the group, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with impressive speed. Despite being the only one in the trio without wings, they were easily able to leap across gaps between the buildings, more than able to keep pace with the rest of their companions. The Warrior of Earth was regularly on the slow side, but as long as they were fueled by their adrenaline, they could easily keep speed with Zephyrmon and Vritramon.
Eventually, Aeoelmon stopped, and Zephyrmon looked down to see a city street with a pair of massive holes in the center. Multiple cars had screeched to a halt near the gaping voids in the road, and the people on the street were running as far away as they possibly could. If Zephyrmon had to guess, she would have said the initial earthquake was caused by the Drimogemon managing to break through the barrier while they had resurfaced only recently. It was awful no matter what, but at least it meant that the Drimogemon hadn't been given too much time to wreak havoc.
Speaking of the Drimogemon, they were shuffling along the street, and Zephyrmon could tell by how ghastly their movements were that they weren't in control of their own actions. "Void Fragments," she muttered, knowing Vritramon and Aeoelmon would hear. It wasn't as if she had needed to say it to begin with though; they were already aware of the situation and what it meant for them.
"We'll just have to snap them out of it then. We can worry about how they were able to get here later on… And believe me when I say I have questions about that," Aeoelmon declared. Before anyone had the chance to object—not that anybody would have to begin with—Aeoelmon launched themself off the building, punching one fist in the direction of the earth below. The cement immediately came up to cradle at Aeoelmon as they landed, creating a small column that then lowered the Warrior of Earth to the ground without creating yet another massive quake.
Zephyrmon and Vritramon glanced to one another before nodding and diving toward the first Drimogemon of the two. Vritramon prepared a barrage of flaming darts across the span of his wings as he sped his descent, and Zephyrmon stretched out her sharpened claws towards her foe. Vritramon reached their shared target first, sending out at least three dozen shots of fire toward the Drimogemon's side. The attacks fizzled out as soon as they made contact with the Digimon, but Drimogemon still felt the pain they inflicted, crying out into the air and making the windows around the battle seem ready to shatter.
Zephyrmon followed up a moment later, letting out a battle cry when she got close to her target. She slashed mercilessly at the places where Vritramon's darts had already hit. She retreated after the first hit before going in once again, and the Drimogemon turned to face her, slashing his horn at the sky to try and knock her out of the air. Zephyrmon's instincts kept her from being slammed in the side, and she ducked beneath the strike before rushing upward, creating a twister around her torso and then sending it free. Drimogemon stumbled backwards at that, unable to regain his balance against the tempest rushing towards him.
The second Drimogemon slashed through the tornado, and the swirling winds were immediately dispersed to little more than a memory. He slammed his foot against the ground, creating a column of earth just behind Zephyrmon. She swerved out of the way at the last moment, and when she felt movement in the air just behind her, she rushed into the sky, knowing she had to get out of the way as soon as possible.
Just as Zephyrmon thought, there was motion behind her. Aeoelmon had been running towards the battlefield ever since landing, and they jumped before pulling one fist back as far as they could manage and striking at the pillar with everything they had. The earth shattered into a thousand sharpened pieces that floated in the air for a moment before readjusting themselves and soaring towards the two Drimogemon like a thousand tiny daggers.
The Drimogemon both closed their eyes and hunkered down against the earth in an attempt to defend themselves from the onslaught, but there was only so much good that could do them. Aeoelmon landed from the punch soon afterwards, and they stomped at the ground to make a few cracks appear in the earth around the Drimogemon. At a moment's notice, the ground would cave in, leaving them trapped and unable to fight back.
Rather than using the cracks as the basis for a pit though, Aeoelmon punched their hand into the air, and tiny pebbles began to fly upwards from the holes in the pavement, this time hitting the Drimogemon from underneath. Given that the Digimon had just finished defending themselves from an attack aimed at them from the skies, they weren't prepared for the strikes from below that followed, causing them to cry out in pain and shock.
Zephyrmon pulled her arms in close to her chest, summoning the winds to cradle at her body. She slashed outward a few moments later, her eyes shooting open along the way. Thin tornadoes shot free from her fingers before rocketing towards the Drimogemon. The first of the two was forced backward, sliding into the second. The second Drimogemon attempted to push his comrade away from him, but it was clear he wasn't having much luck with it because of the relentless winds. Zephyrmon narrowed her eyes to try and pour as much energy as she could into the tornadoes. If she played her cards right, she could use the damage of the two Drimogemon clashing against one another to force the Void Fragments out of their bodies. That way, she would be able to mitigate damages to the surrounding city while still defeating them.
Aeoelmon seemed to understand what Zephyrmon was trying to do, and they closed their eyes as the cement swallowed them for a brief moment. They burrowed through the ground, only resurfacing when they had arrived on the other side of the Drimogemon. They punched their hands into the air, creating a massive wall of stone between themself and the Drimogemon. Aeoelmon only pulled back when they knew that the wall was stable, and they looked up to the skies in preparation for the next strike to come.
Vritramon spun around as quickly as he could before slamming into the Drimogemon closest to Zephyrmon, sending him into his partner immediately. The two Drimogemon continued to cry out in pain as they were pressed tightly together, and Vritramon watched them for a moment before retreating and flying higher into the skies once again, effortlessly sweeping over the battlefield before arriving not far from Aeoelmon. He slowed down when he got close to the wall of stone before pressing his hands out in front of him.
As soon as Vritramon allowed his hands to slide against the large chunk of earth, heat began to spread through the rock, consuming it in the blink of an eye. The Drimogemon that was up against the wall screamed in pain before trying to retreat, but since his comrade was covering his sole avenue of escape, all he could do was try to pull away from the power of the Legendary Warriors in a futile effort to flee.
The Drimogemon's screams hit a peak when a Void Fragment pulled away from its body before shattering. Vritramon pulled back and watched as Aeoelmon dropped the wall of rock a few beats later. Zephyrmon lashed out at the other Drimogemon, slashing once at the Digimon's side. Given the damage he had already sustained, that final attack was enough for the Void Fragment to appear and subsequently crack and break in the overhead air. Zephyrmon watched it for a moment before she slowly eased herself back down to the ground.
Aeoelmon had approached the Drimogemon in the few seconds since the battle had ended, a heavy frown on their face. "Let me guess. You two were brought here because of the Void Fragments and forgot everything that happened along the way," they said. The two Drimogemon looked to one another in confusion, but neither one of them answered. They didn’t need to respond though; Zephyrmon could tell by the look in their eyes that Aeoelmon had hit the nail on the head.
"We have to get them back to the Digital World as soon as possible. Even if most of the people here have evacuated, we can't just leave them in the middle of the street," Vritramon declared. He glanced around before his gaze fell upon a massive electric billboard screen nearby, and he flew towards it before reaching out one hand towards the surface.
"What are we supposed to do about getting them back? We can't just revert to our human forms right now. We don't even have a way to get the portal up and running on any device that isn't the computer in the school lab," Aeoelmon muttered as they glanced over to Zephyrmon.
"Our D-Tectors are how we get to the Digital World to begin with. I believe they might be able to open a gate back there now," Zephyrmon replied. "Our D-Tectors fuse with our bodies when we Spirit Evolve, but they're still part of us, and that means we can call upon their power like this, right? It worked when we were solidifying Fractal Code during the war against Cherubimon."
Sure enough, Vritramon concentrated a bit more of his energy into his fingers from where he flew near the billboard, and the portal sparked to life across the screen soon afterwards. Vritramon turned to look at the Drimogemon, clearly trying to figure out how he was supposed to get the monsters through the billboard where it towered above the city streets. Luckily for him though, Aeoelmon was already on it, creating a pillar of rock that raised the two Digimon to the height of the billboard before delivering them through the gate. As soon as the Drimogemon had passed through the screen, the portal flickered and closed, leaving the billboard to display its regular advertisements on a constant loop.
As Vritramon came to land near the other two Legendary Warriors, he winced at the sight of the damage the battle had done to the street. "This... This isn't great," he remarked. "We got here as soon as we could, but there's still a lot we're going to have to try and fix. The city probably doesn't know how to undo the damage that comes with a monster attack."
"Luckily for us, we have a quick fix to that problem," Aeoelmon said. They stretched their hands out in front of their torso, and the rocks scattered throughout the area began to slide back into their original places. The concrete reformed, and it seemed as if nothing damaging had happened there to begin with. The street itself was eerily crisp in its construction, looking just as fresh as the day the concrete had first been poured in. The only signs of catastrophe were in the surrounding buildings and the abandoned cars that had either crashed or very nearly crashed into one another. Still, there wasn't much the Legendary Warriors could do about that, and repairing the road took up the bulk of the work the officials of Shibuya would have to worry about later. Surely the city would be able to handle the damage done to the surrounding cars and buildings with time.
A flash of light out of the corner of her eye pulled Zephyrmon's attention away from the restoration effort though, and she turned before catching a glimpse of a person who was sitting near the window of one of the nearby buildings. It seemed as if some of the civilians in the area had instead chosen to flee to the buildings rather than running away entirely, though none of the Legendary Warriors had noticed it at first.
Zephyrmon knew what the flash of light had to be though: a camera. She reached out and grabbed Aeoelmon's arm a moment later before turning and taking flight, dragging Aeoelmon into the air along with her. "Come on. We have to get out of here," she said firmly. Vritramon nodded before taking to wing as well, and Aeoelmon started running across the ground with the precious few seconds they had before Zephyrmon carried them away entirely. Once they had built up enough momentum, Aeoelmon launched themself into the air and starting to scale one of the nearby buildings to retreat the same way they had come to the scene of the battle to begin with.
After about three minutes of flying and running to get as far away from the scene of the attack as possible, the Legendary Warriors settled down in an abandoned alleyway. Aeoelmon slid down the side of the building they had been jumping on top of before closing their eyes and allowing Fractal Code to surround them. Chihiro was left in their place, and they shoved their hands into their pockets as soon as the reverting process had been completed. "At least we were able to solve that problem before it got any worse," they commented dryly.
"It shouldn't have been a problem at all though," Zephyrmon pointed out. Beside her, Vritramon returned to being Takuya as she continued to talk. "Digimon shouldn't have a way to get here to begin with outside of the gate we use. To our knowledge, nobody has the ability to make a portal now that the Celestial Three have lost their strength."
"Lucemon is the only one who would have been able to force the portal open," Takuya murmured. "But he's gone now too. How could there be somebody strong enough to force the gate open that we don't know about though? That just doesn't sound possible. We should have heard about them by now. I doubt a power like that would stay a secret for long."
Zephyrmon shook her head as she returned to her human form. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but the point is that the Void Fragment attacks are getting worse," Izumi frowned. "There was an attack on Rubrum too, and that's another place that requires a portal to get to. Whoever is responsible for the Void Fragment attacks must have some degree of dimensional abilities to teleport the affected Digimon to other places both in and out of the Digital World."
"This is bad though. We never know when an attack by a Void Fragment Digimon is going to happen there, and we have to worry about it here now too. Before today, we were led to believe the Void Fragments were a problem only in the Digital World, and that's how it should have been. Instead, we have to be on the defensive here too, and I have no idea what we're supposed to do about that. We can't be on guard at all times to fend off an invasion," Chihiro muttered. “It’ll exhaust us before we can even begin to fight back.”
"It's something we're going to have to consider in the future, and we can bring it up with the others too in case one of them has a solution," Takuya suggested. "For now, I think we should leave that there and start to head back home. I don't want anybody to get suspicious and start asking us too many questions about what just happened."
"I think we all know what's going to pop up on the evening news tonight," Izumi sighed with a shake of her head. "We should be far enough away that people don't ask us anything about what happened, but we still need to be on our guard. The people of Earth shouldn't know anything about the Digital World at all, but here we are... And now, they know too much."
"So much for our plan of keeping this between us," Chihiro scoffed. "If anything, we need to do a better job of keeping this secret from now on. I don't want to imagine what people are going to start asking if they realize we had something to do with the attack, but I don't think we should put ourselves in a position to have to worry about it either. If we have to lie in order to keep ourselves safe, then we had better be ready to come up with a story to keep suspicion at bay."
"Life as a Legendary Warrior is never dull at the very least," Takuya joked dryly. When neither Izumi nor Chihiro laughed, he sighed and tilted his head towards the sky. "We can tell the others about it and see what they think about it. Maybe Junpei or Saki will have a theory when it comes to everything that just happened."
Hearing Junpei's name immediately pushed a gasp free of Izumi's lips, and she clapped her hands to her mouth. "Shit!" she yelped, and Takuya and Chihiro looked to her with concern and confusion written all over their faces. "Junpei is probably at my house right now. I asked him to come over before the earthquake hit, but when the ground started shaking... I just felt like something was wrong, and I ran off to transform and come here before I could tell him that I wasn't going to be there."
Takuya and Chihiro both looked to each other at that as Izumi shoved her hand into her pocket to pull out her phone. She dialed Junpei's number easily, tapping her phone anxiously as she turned the call on speaker and waited for him to pick up. When the ringing finally did end, she heard Junpei's frown from his tone. "Izumi? Where are you? Is everything okay?" he questioned, anxiety laced in every word.
"I'm fine," Izumi answered even though she knew that wasn't true in the slightest. "I'm with Takuya and Chihiro right now. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you got to my house. After the earthquake, I just... I don't know. I had to go and see what was going on. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
"It's alright. I'm just glad to know that you're okay," Junpei admitted, his voice flooding with relief. "When I got to your house, I asked for you, and your sister answered the door. She said you weren't there, so I wound up trying to find you... And that was when I got a breaking news report about a monster attack."
Izumi cringed at his words before nodding even though he wouldn't be able to see the gesture through the phone. "Yeah... Some Void Fragment Digimon managed to get through the barrier between worlds. I don't know how it happened, but Takuya and Chihiro helped me to fend them off," she explained.
"I saw. There are a bunch of people talking about it on social media already. A few people were even streaming the fight as it was happening for a while. I wanted to come and help you out, but my parents wanted me to come home after the earthquake, and I couldn't get out of it," Junpei told her with a sigh. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there."
"It's fine. We took care of it," Chihiro assured him. "We should probably get back home now anyway. I don't think Takuya's parents are going to like it if we're out for too long with an earthquake and a monster attack in the same afternoon."
"That's probably a good plan," Junpei agreed. "We can talk another time about your colored blood problem, Izumi. I wish we could have done it tonight, but we'll get another chance soon. Just... Be safe until then, alright?"
Izumi nodded, though she could tell what he was thinking even if he didn't dare to say it out loud. That was the most afraid I've ever heard you. Don't put yourself in a bad position like that again if you can avoid it. "I'll be fine," she promised. "We'll talk to you again later."
Junpei offered a quick farewell before Izumi hung up the call and sighed, tucking her phone away. Beside her, Takuya shot her a heavy frown. "What was this about a blood problem?" he questioned.
Izumi sighed again. If she was being honest, she had forgotten that was the reason she and Junpei had been planning to meet up to begin with, and she had no idea what she was going to do about it now. When she glanced down to her finger, she saw that her cut from earlier had already healed itself, no doubt a byproduct of her Spirit Evolution. Being part Digimon had always meant her wounds healed faster than any human would ever deem natural. In the Digital World, she had gotten stabbed at Kazemon during her second battle, but she was able to revert back to human form and walk it off within half an hour. It was unsurprising, but she still found it jarring that when she looked to her finger, there were no signs of carnation pink blood anywhere to be found, almost like she had never seen such a terrifying sight to begin with.
"I think this is something we should talk about elsewhere," Chihiro suggested. "Do you want to come back to our place for a while, Izumi? I don't know if I want you walking back on your own right now."
"What?" Izumi questioned, looking up to meet their gaze with a light frown. She didn't think she had ever heard Chihiro sounding worried quite like that, though it was hard for her to define what it was about them that felt so different.
"You're shaking," Chihiro explained. Izumi recognized the tone shift as defensiveness, and she winced at the revelation. Of course she would still be high on adrenaline. The wave of calm that had saved her previously was long gone, and since she had just fought off two Drimogemon, she was understandably still rattled. She was foolish for thinking her panic would go away so easily.
"Come on," Takuya declared, not bothering to hear any protests Izumi might have voiced about returning to the Kanbara residence. Izumi hadn't been planning on protesting to begin with, and if anything, she was glad for the excuse to stay away from her home for a short while longer. She didn't want to have to face Masae yet after she had scared her sister so much. She could send Masae a text saying she was fine when she got back to the Kanbara house. It would be fine.
Izumi had to put too much effort on placing one foot in front of the other as she walked alongside Takuya and Chihiro through the streets of Shibuya. She could see them shooting her nervous glances out of the corners of their eyes, no doubt looking for any signs that her shaking would escalate into potentially collapsing. She barely noticed, too focused on the bloodless finger that had sparked all of her paranoia to begin with.
Takuya was right. There never was a dull day as a Legendary Warrior, but today, Izumi hated how true that was.
Notes:
Phew! Another chapter under the belt!
This chapter has a few unique qualities to it, the first of those being that we're already halfway through act one! The first part of this story will end at chapter twelve, and we've hit the midpoint! Time sure does fly when you're having fun, huh?
As for the chapter itself, it's very much so a direct continuation of the last chapter. Saki and Junpei are still thinking a lot about Miriamon since she's a rather cryptic and mysterious Digimon. Alastomon and Biastamon are comparatively upfront since they have clear-cut motives from the outset: helping their specific faction of Digimon. As for Miriamon, she's got a lot on her mind that she won't talk about if she can avoid it. Her odd connection and familiarity with Saki is primary among those things she doesn't like to discuss, and Saki is as suspicious as it gets about it. The opening scene is much like the other times when Saki and Junpei have been working on the portal, but this time, it serves to set up inciting incidents of Saki and Miriamon's character arcs rather than discuss the politics of the Digital World. I love how it turned out.
Now, let's get to the bulk of the chapter: Izumi. I've been imagining the scene of her with the boxcutter for ages now, and I love how it turned out. Izumi has learned to start holding herself back less, and she's opening up to people much more, but she still has a bit of a complex when it comes to protecting her sister from things that might harm her such as the Digital World. Miriamon being the reason for the cut finger is interesting too since it shows that everybody knows more is up with her and not just Saki, and it's going to be important to setting up relationships between Miriamon and the other main characters since she's, spoiler alert, the most relevant of the new characters on an interpersonal level.
The earthquake scene is where this chapter gets its title from. If you will recall, the first chapter to prominently feature Izumi and Zephyrmon's relationship in the first book was called "Twisted Beasts," and since Zephyrmon is a crucial part of this chapter as well, I decided to call this one "Twisted Infiltration." That title is relevant on many levels, but you'll understand that later on. For now, the earthquake scene... Ouch. As you can quite clearly see, the Digital World has left its mark on the Legendary Warriors in both good ways and bad, and one of the bad is flashbacks. Izumi's flashback to the Zephyrmon incident is important again to the title and to what happens afterwards which is heavy foreshadowing for what is to come.
The fight against the Drimogemon was an interesting one because it was the first time we've featured a fight on Earth in this series thus far. Since the first book spent very little time on Earth, this is our first time making such a drastic shift, and I love how it turned out. I like having strange little groups for fight sequences, and that includes picking random characters out of a hat and having them fight together. Well, it wasn't exactly random here since I wanted to have Takuya there to support Izumi through her crisis and Chihiro worked as an extension of that. It's the first time we've seen the three of them fight as an individual trio since, again, the Zephyrmon incident in the first book. Lots of parallels there, huh? I wonder why...
The last thing I want to touch on is how the Legendary Warriors really are showing themselves as a friend group here. I wanted it to be made quite clear early on that they're not just comrades in combat; they're actually friends, and they hang out often and spend time with one another. The phone calls with Junpei were a small detail, but it shows how easy Izumi and Junpei have gotten with one another, and Takuya and Chihiro offering to look after Izumi at the end of the chapter show their camaraderie as well. I love found families. They deserve it.
Next time, we'll follow up on the aftermath of this attack with Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi returning to the Kanbara household. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 7: Engraved in Blood
Summary:
Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi return to the Kanbara home to discuss the ramifications of the Drimogemon invasion.
Chapter Text
The walk back to the Kanbara household was quiet and tense, not that this particularly surprised Takuya. The day had been, to put it simply, eventful, and he could feel the exhaustion pressing down on him, Chihiro, and Izumi without even needing to look at them. They had fought hard in that battle against the Drimogemon after a full day of classes, and they wouldn't have much time to rest and recover before they had to get up and do it all over again. Takuya was more than fine with combat, but he wasn't a fan of how much it exhausted him, especially given how drained he already was from a long day of classes.
Luckily, when the Kanbara home came into view, Takuya felt his energy return at least to some degree, giving him the strength he needed to close the distance between himself and the front door. He fumbled for his key before shoving it in the lock and twisting it with much more force than he probably should have. He was desperate to sit down and relax for a while. Since the adrenaline had already worn off, he couldn't exactly count on himself to stay upright any longer, and that meant that rest was the best thing he could do for himself. He just hoped his parents and brother didn’t pick up on how exhausted he was all of a sudden.
"I'm home!" Takuya called out to the rest of the house. He wasn't entirely sure who was home, but if he had to guess, both of his parents and Shinya were likely there. It was getting closer to dinnertime, so it was probably only a matter of minutes before his mother started cooking the meal for the night. Takuya would have to ask Izumi if she was planning on sticking around to eat so he could tell his parents just in case they had to set aside another plate. The last thing he wanted was for her to linger long enough for food only to not have a portion because of his lack of action.
"It's about time you got back," Shinya commented, rounding the corner into the entryway with a small frown on his face. He glanced up from his phone, frowning when his gaze caught Izumi. "And it seems you've brought a friend. Here I thought you would never make friends with a girl."
Takuya sighed and rolled his eyes. "She's just going to be here for a little while. You don't need to worry about it," he assured his brother. "Anyways, Shinya, meet Izumi. Izumi, this is my brother, Shinya."
Izumi smiled, immediately slipping back into the same old acting habits as ever, and bowed her head toward Shinya. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said kindly. "My apologies for coming in unannounced. This was a bit of an... Impromptu arrangement."
Shinya squinted at Izumi for a few beats before recognition flickered across his face. "Ah, I get it... You're Masae's older sister, aren't you?" he questioned, and Izumi nodded. "I figured. The two of you have the same face... And the blonde hair, of course. You don't see many people with hair like that around here."
Izumi's smile faltered at the mention of her hair color, but she nodded on regardless. "You two are in the same class, aren't you?" she asked.
Shinya nodded at that. "Yeah. We've been in the same class for a few years now, but I never thought to look into her sister in more detail. I guess Masae and I just run in different crowds," he remarked before looking over to Takuya. "And I didn't think that you and Takuya would run in the same crowd. You don't seem to have all that much in common."
Takuya coughed, a glare mounting in his eyes. "That's none of your business," he asserted firmly. "If you don't mind, Izumi, Chihiro, and I have a lot to take care of before dinner, so we should get to it." He started moving past his brother at that, placing a hand on Shinya's shoulder along the way. Shinya huffed before smacking his hand away, and Takuya laughed at that. This time, it was Shinya's turn to roll his eyes dramatically, and he looked at his brother as he continued to retreat.
Chihiro smiled at Shinya as they walked past him, ruffling his hair with one hand. "It's nice to see you, Shinya," they said softly. Izumi smiled to Shinya from her place behind them before following Chihiro into the hallway as well.
Shinya reached up to try and adjust his hair back into its regular position. "At least Chihiro loves me," he sighed under his breath. He continued to fix his hair even after the three Legendary Warriors had disappeared into Takuya's room with Takuya himself shutting the door behind them.
Takuya gestured to the rest of his room once he was sure they were alone. "Welcome to my room, Izumi," he told her. He winced when he realized just how long it had probably been since he put in a dedicated effort to clean everything up. Takuya liked to think that he wasn't the worst he could be when it came to messes, but he wasn't the best at keeping everything under control either. He knew where most of his things were most of the time, but to others, it probably just looked like a hurricane had run through his room. "Sorry about the floor. I would have cleaned if I knew that I was going to be having a guest come over."
Izumi shook her head as she took a careful seat on his bed. "It's alright. None of us could have seen this coming, so I don't hold anything against you," she assured him. She watched as Takuya settled down in his desk chair, leaving Chihiro to collapse into their favorite beanbag where it sat in the corner of the room. Izumi examined the space carefully, no doubt simply trying to find something to do that would fill the silence before she had to explain everything that had caused the afternoon’s catastrophe to begin with.
Chihiro was more than happy to take the load off her shoulders when it came to starting conversation in a new place though, and they let out a small snicker before glancing over to Takuya. "You can't even blame this on the earthquake," they commented. "This place looked like this even before the ground started shaking."
Takuya picked up a shirt from his floor before throwing it at them, and Chihiro caught it without flinching before once again dissolving into laughter. Takuya sighed before leaning forward in his chair, placing his elbows on his knees as he looked to Izumi. "Speaking of the earthquake... I think we should start from the beginning about what happened," he told her. "I mean, you already explained a lot about it, but... You said your blood was pink."
Izumi nodded, swallowing dryly along the way. "It was," she murmured. "When Masae came back from the mailbox, she was carrying a package, but we couldn't find the boxcutter to open it. I was the one who found it in the end, so I cut the tape for her, but... I got distracted, my hand slipped, and I accidentally cut my finger."
"It's not like you to be distracted like that," Chihiro frowned. "Did something happen that could have left you feeling so offbeat?"
Izumi hesitated before she sighed. "Does Miriamon count?" she questioned even though she already knew the answer was affirmative. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about her ever since we met her. Something about her just felt so strange to me, and... I want to understand what it is about her that strikes me so strangely."
"You were thinking about her when you were cutting the box then, and your hand slipped because you were distracted with trying to figure out what her deal is," Chihiro concluded, and Izumi nodded her confirmation. "Well, I know for a fact that you're not the only one who's been thinking about her. Takuya and I have been trying to figure out what it is that's going on with her ever since we talked to her on Rubrum."
"I don't know what her situation could possibly mean. She's been around since the days of the Ancient Legendary Warriors, but... I could still tell there was something else going through her head that she didn't want to share with us," Izumi frowned. "Either way, she's been on my mind a lot lately, and when my attention slipped because I was thinking about her, I wound up cutting my finger, and that was when I saw that my blood was pink."
"That's the color of the Warrior of Wind," Takuya remarked as he reached for his D-Tector. "I guess that it's just another way our bodies are shifting because of our elements. We've got a lot to deal with these days in terms of our bodily changes, and I guess that this is the newest thing for us to keep in mind... For better or worse."
Izumi shook her head with a heavy sigh. "I didn't realize it was something we should have been considering at all though. I haven't gotten hurt in a while, and that means that I haven't seen my blood... This change could have happened at any point since we've returned. It wouldn't even be all that shocking if things started shifting like this, but... It caught me off guard," she admitted.
"You're right; it wouldn't be shocking," Chihiro agreed. "I could feel the earthquake before the rest of the city felt tremors. Hinoka's mentioned being able to breathe underwater before. Takuya's body temperature has been a few degrees warmer than is natural for ages even though he's perfectly healthy. Tomoki's skin, on the other hand, is cold as ice. The elements have been changing us for a while now... Though I never thought that we would wind up with different colors of blood from it."
"Me neither," Izumi confessed. "After I noticed that my blood was pink, I ran up to my room, and I hid out there before calling Junpei. I figured that he would know what to do about all of this, so I was going to wait for him to get to my house. I was thinking about calling a few other members of our team, but after I hung up from the call with Junpei, all I could do was pace because of how stressed I was."
"Did Masae see what was going on?" Takuya questioned. "I assume that she would have been there when you were opening the package... And I also think that she would have a lot of questions if she just so happened to see your blood come out as pink."
"I left before she could see anything," Izumi assured him. "The last thing I want is for Masae to get wrapped up in all of this. The Digital World needs to stay our secret no matter what, and I don't want her to get involved because of my mistakes. The Digital World is dangerous, and while we can defend ourselves, others can't Spirit Evolve. I'm not going to put her in danger, so I did everything I could to keep it hidden until I could get away."
"The cut seems to have healed now," Chihiro commented, gesturing to Izumi's hand. "I feel like we would have noticed it if you were bleeding pink all over the place. I'm glad it's gone at the very least. Thank everything holy for our passive healing abilities."
"You can say that again," Izumi agreed. "At the time though, I couldn't stop panicking. Junpei said he would be there in five minutes, and... That was when the earthquake hit."
Takuya frowned at that, leaning forward just an extra little bit more. Izumi's voice had shaken a bit at the mention of the earthquake, and he tilted his head to the side to try and persuade her to continue. "Did something happen then?" he questioned carefully, doing his best to leave her all the room she needed to see that answering wasn't required.
Izumi hesitated for what felt like an eternity before she nodded. "I don't know what came over me, but... Before I knew it, I was falling to the ground because of the earthquake, and... I didn't feel like I was here anymore," she confessed. "In my head, it was like I was back in the whirlpool I was sucked into before I found the Spirit of Zephyrmon. I felt like I was going to die. The earthquake throwing me around reminded me a bit too much of what it was like to nearly die in the whirlpool, I suppose, and... It took me a while to bring myself back to my senses after that."
Chihiro and Takuya exchanged concerned glances for a few heavy beats of silence before Takuya found the confidence to continue. "A flashback then," he remarked. "I don't know how you were able to get up and fight after something like that. Most people probably would have been too rattled to even think of standing up and trying to fight a Digimon."
"I don't know how I did it either," Izumi told him. "Masae came to the door to ask if I was alright, and I... I don't know what happened, but there was this whisper in the back of my mind telling me to step back. Afterwards, calm washed through me, and I got up and left. I told Masae something on the way out, but I don't remember what it was. I barely felt like I was in control of my actions. Once I was outside though, I transformed into Zephyrmon and started trying to search for the source of the earthquake."
"You figured out that the earthquake wasn't natural too then," Chihiro concluded. "When Takuya and I were walking home, I felt like something was wrong. The ground started shaking soon afterwards, and I knew there had to be something else behind the earthquake. It just didn't feel right. If that was a normal earthquake, then my element would have warned me about it ahead of time, but since that wasn't the case, we went to figure out what was going on and found Drimogemon along the way."
"Something in the back of my mind just told me there was more to the situation than met the eye, and I believed it," Izumi explained. "I flew for a while before we met up and started to fight the Drimogemon. After that... Well, I guess you know what happened. Spirit Evolving seemingly healed the injury on my hand, so there's no more evidence of the pink blood from when I cut my finger."
"That's probably for the best. I wouldn't want you to be hurting or anything because of that," Takuya told her with a loose nod. "There's probably a lot more going on with our bodies than we realize, and we'll have to figure out how we're going to face that sooner rather than later."
"The others are going to have to know about what's happened tonight," Chihiro pointed out. "The sooner that they all hear what's going on, the sooner we can figure out just what's going on. Nothing that we've seen today should have happened, and yet, it most certainly did."
"I bet they already know," Takuya snorted. "We shouldn't have had to deal with this at all, but because we did, the entire city has probably heard about it by now. I saw people taking pictures of us from inside nearby buildings while we were there, and I imagine that they've been circulated all over social media by this point. Junpei said some people were streaming it, so that probably got the news out even faster."
Izumi winced at that before nodding. "I hate that you're probably right... If we had stuck around any longer, I'm sure we would have been caught by at least a dozen people looking for answers or an interview, and I don't think any of us would have been able to handle talking to people like that after a massive fight," she sighed. "It's just a matter of time before our phones start blowing up with the others asking questions. Junpei has a vague idea of what happened, but..."
Takuya reached for his phone where it was hiding in his pocket as he continued. "Even if they do find out about what we had to do, I'm still going to consider this a victory. Nobody got hurt in the attack because we were able to get there fast enough to stop the Drimogemon from running rampant. We were able to mitigate damages to the city thanks to Chihiro's earth affinity too, and while the city is still going to have a lot to clean up, we at least did what we could. I can only imagine the government officials who are going to have to sweep all of this under the rug are going to be beyond thankful for what we did to make their jobs easier," he remarked.
Izumi pulled her phone out as well, and Chihiro did much the same. Chihiro was the first one to get the group chat with the other Legendary Warriors pulled up, and they cringed as they sucked in air between their teeth. "Yeah, the others know," they muttered. They turned their phone around for the others to see even as they were pulling up the conversation for themselves. Sure enough, a long string of notifications asking what was going on had come up in the chat's log with Mayumi and Koji even dropping a few swears in the heat of their confusion.
Izumi was about to say something in response, but she was cut off by a notification appearing at the top of her screen from a social media app. It was a breaking news alert, and she frowned at the sight of the headline. "'Mysterious monsters lead assault in Shibuya city streets,'" she read aloud. "I'm willing to bet the entire city is going to be talking about this by the time that morning rolls around… Assuming it hasn’t hit that point already."
Izumi clicked on the notification before pulling up the full news page, and her eyes went wide at the pictures that immediately appeared on her screen. There were a few blurry pictures of Vritramon, Zephyrmon, and Aeoelmon marking all sorts of breaking news bulletins, and people who had witnessed the attack from nearby buildings were posting videos of themselves running from the scene of the assault. Others had managed to record the fight itself from where they were hiding away in nearby buildings, and Izumi could tell already this was going to be a massive bit of gossip that lasted for at least the next few weeks if not even longer. They had gotten lucky previously with the Digital World's encounters with Earth since the Ophanimon phone call wave was ultimately covered up as a conspiracy and the Susanoomon versus Lucemon battle was only seen on select screens of select devices. This time, the fight had been incredibly public, and the Legendary Warriors were going to have to deal with the consequences of that whether they liked it or not.
"I'm glad we were able to get away without anybody seeing us revert back to our normal forms," Chihiro sighed. "All of this would be ten times worse if we found out that people had seen us transform from Spirit Evolving. I mean, it's enough of a disaster as it is, but I suppose there's nothing we can do to fix that now. People are just going to have to talk, and we'll do everything in our power to sweep this under the rug in our daily lives so people stop asking questions… Or if nothing else, so they don’t get suspicious of us next."
"I don't think anybody is going to be able to sweep this under the rug, unfortunately," Takuya muttered. "I mean, there were five monsters fighting in the middle of the city, and a bunch of people caught it on video. There's no way for us to worm our way out of something like that. People have already figured out that something is going on, and all we can do is try to keep ourselves unaffiliated from it all."
Izumi nodded vacantly from her place on Takuya's bed, but her attention was still squarely on her phone screen. She scrolled through the news broadcasts, everything about her eyes ablaze with concern. When Takuya looked closely, he could have sworn that he saw her hands trembling. He leaned back in his chair with a loose frown on his face. "Izumi, are you okay? You're shaking."
Izumi looked up at him slowly a moment later before shrugging. "I... I don't know," she murmured. "I feel like I should feel something more seeing all of this on the news, but... It's like I'm paranoid out of my mind and scared of everything while also being perfectly calm at the same time. It doesn't make any sense. I feel like I should be screaming, but... I'm not. Everything just feels... Peaceful. I don't know what's going on."
"You said that was what happened just before you turned into Zephyrmon too," Chihiro pointed out. "Do you think there's some sort of reason for this feeling? It couldn't just come up out of nowhere, right? There has to be something that's making you feel so... Conflicted."
Izumi hesitated before she shrugged once more. "I don't know what to tell you," she admitted. "As weird as this is to say out loud... It feels like everything has changed since we've come back to Earth. It shouldn't have changed so much, but... That's what I feel has happened."
Takuya pressed his lips together in a thin line, hating that he didn't know how he was supposed to respond to that. If he was being honest, he felt much the same way. His entire perspective on the world had completely changed since he first arrived back on Earth. After being in the Digital World, he couldn't just go back to his regular life again. He had been so much more than a regular teenager when he was in the Digital World, and trying to cram himself back into his old life felt like putting on shoes that were at least three sizes too small. Nothing about him felt the same as it had before, and while Takuya welcomed the changes in himself since he knew they were for the better, he couldn't help but feel somewhat off kilter as well. Izumi was right; everything had changed since the group returned to Earth, and he had no idea how they were supposed to handle it, especially if it meant having to fight the Void Fragment Digimon on Earth as well.
"Yeah... You're right," Takuya eventually forced himself to say, though he knew that wasn't going to be sufficient for either one of them. There was much more to this, but he was afraid of having to admit it. No, he was outright terrified, but he couldn't even put a finger on why. There was a storm of fire raging through his mind, and he had no idea how he was supposed to mount a defense against it. For once, he couldn't understand the ablaze sensation that had taken hold of him. He had thought he had conquered the fire within ages ago, but it seemed as if he was wrong. If only he could figure out why.
"You know exactly why."
Before Takuya could try and counter the intrusive thought that seeped in through the back of his mind, Chihiro got to their feet. "If everything really has changed, then I suspect that it's changed for all of us," they declared. They walked over to Takuya's desk, and he rolled away from them using the wheels at the base of the chair. He watched Chihiro in confusion as the pulled a drawer open and began to feel for something. Eventually, they found it, and they pulled out a small plastic container. On closer examination, Takuya realized that it was a box of thumb tacks. He had a pinboard in his room that required them in order to hang things up, but he generally reused the same few tacks over and over for the sake of not having to dig out more of them and potentially lose them along the way. After all, he was far from being the cleanest person, and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally step on a rogue tack that somehow wound up on the floor.
Chihiro opened the box without missing a beat as they approached Takuya's dresser. They set the box down on top of the dresser before pulling out a single orange tack and examining it for a moment. Soon afterwards, they pressed the tack against their thumb, and Izumi winced from her place across the room. Takuya's expression twisted with confusion as he stared up at Chihiro. "What are you—"
Chihiro cut him off by pulling the tack away from their hand and holding up their finger. Sure enough, blood had started to flow from the wound... But it was brown in color. Brown. The same color as the Warrior of Earth. Takuya blinked a few times as Chihiro examined the wound in full. "Hm... It seems I was right," they remarked. "If I had to guess, this has happened to everybody, and we just hadn’t noticed it until today. I would assume that it's a recent development, but I'm not quite certain as to when it could have happened. I suppose that's a question we may never get an answer to, but either way, it doesn't matter right now. This has probably happened to everyone, and that means the rest of the group is going to need to hear about this as soon as possible. The last thing we want is for this to catch someone off guard and lead to an outsider finding out about how we’re not exactly human anymore."
"Damn..." Takuya muttered as Chihiro took to rubbing off the tack, pulling free any traces of brown blood along the way. "I don't know how we're supposed to tell all of them that we're so far from being human at this point that our blood has changed colors... And I'm also hoping that we'll never run into a situation where other people figure out what's going on. That's going to be a pain in the ass to explain, and if you ask me, there's not going to be much of a way out of it."
"Then they won't find out," Chihiro told him simply. "We've kept the secret up until now, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure nobody else hears about this in the future either. We're not going to let anyone find out the truth about the Digital World. Today was just the beginning, but we'll do everything we need to in order to keep the secret. That was what we agreed to when we first came back, and I intend to keep that oath no matter what happens next."
Takuya nodded as Chihiro closed the box of tacks and handed it to him. Takuya slid the box back into its regular place in his desk before leaning back in his chair once again. He was going to be the only one who could get away with bleeding in front of others in the future, though he doubted that would even work out the way he would have liked. After all, the red that matched the Warrior of Fire was much brighter than the dark crimson of blood, and Takuya could tell that even if it was simply a change of shades of red, people were still going to notice. None of them were safe these days as far as injuries were concerned, and he could only hope that they were ready to accommodate what was to come. They could never bleed in front of anyone again, and Takuya couldn’t even begin to explain just how scary it would be to have to worry about something like that in a moment of crisis.
"I think it might be a good idea for us to start logging the changes our bodies are going through," Izumi suggested. "After all, if we're really changing so much because of our Spirit Evolution, then we need to know what to expect so we know what we need to keep secret to begin with. Some things, such as increased instincts for earthquakes, will be easy to hide. Suddenly developing differently colored blood... Not so much."
"We can tell the others about it," Takuya assured her. "I'm sure they're going to want to hear about everything that happened tonight from us anyways. I mean, they've already heard the vague details from the news, but I don't think that anybody is going to be satisfied with just that after they saw us beat the shit out of two Drimogemon on what probably turned out to be public television or every social media news tab on the internet."
"I never would have thought today would be so eventful, but I suppose that's what we get for thinking anything to do with the Digital World would be normal... And these days, we have a lot to do with the Digital World," Chihiro sighed. They examined their finger carefully, and much to Takuya's surprise, the small prick from the tack had already completely healed. He silently thanked their healing abilities for making it easier to hide the wound before dinner. He didn't want anything to go wrong when they left to eat with his parents and Shinya, and Chihiro bleeding brown at the table was certainly going to cause some sort of disturbance they wouldn’t be able to cover up.
A knock came at the door soon afterward, and Takuya looked up to the door even before the sound echoed throughout the room. He had already known that increased instincts were a byproduct of Spirit Evolution, but it seemed as if they were good for more than simply battle. After all, he could tell easily that Shinya was on his way to barge into the room before he could even knock, and judging by the way that Chihiro and Izumi both fell silent, he was certain that they could sense it as well.
"Takuya, Chihiro, dinner's ready," Shinya said just before he pushed the door open. He glanced over to his brother with a disproving sigh. "I thought I told you to tell me if your friend was staying for dinner so that we could set something up for her. I really thought you would come to answer me about that, but since you didn't, Mom went on and made only five portions for us tonight."
Izumi shook her head. "You don't need to worry about me," she assured him. "I should probably be getting home about now anyways. I'm sure Masae is starting to wonder where I am." She rose to her feet before turning to Takuya and Chihiro and bowing her head kindly, immediately slipping back into her perfectly crafted persona that she showed to the rest of the world, most notably when she was nervous. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't been this nervous in ages, so when she smiled to her friends, everything about the grin was strained and weary.
"We'll walk you out," Takuya said as he got to his feet. Chihiro nodded before following his lead. Takuya turned to Shinya afterwards with a light nod. "Tell Mom that we'll be out soon. Just give us two more minutes."
Shinya nodded before retreating, and the trio of Legendary Warriors made their way to the door in the moments that followed. The air was tense and heavy, and Izumi sighed once they had arrived at the entrance of the home. "Well... Thank you for everything that you've done for me tonight," she told Takuya and Chihiro softly. "I know it wasn't exactly what we were expecting, but... I still appreciate it more than I could ever hope to say."
"You don't need to thank us for looking after you, Izumi," Takuya assured her with a shake of his head. "We're friends, and we're going to do what we can to help you out. Today didn't exactly go as we expected, but we're going to work everything out. It might not be easy, but we'll find a solution soon enough. I promise."
Izumi nodded, but once again, her smile was strained and seemed to crumble at the corners. "You're right. Thank you again. I'll see you tomorrow." She offered a faint wave over one shoulder before walking out, and Takuya returned the wave before closing the door behind her.
Takuya sighed, leaning his forehead forward until it touched the door. "We've got a lot to think about these days, huh?" Chihiro questioned from behind him with a heavy frown. Takuya may not have been able to see their face, but he could still assume how stern and worried they looked easily enough just based on their tone.
Takuya rose to his full height as soon as he was able to scrounge together the necessary energy, and he nodded his agreement. "Yeah... You can say that again."
~~~~~
Mayumi reached for the television remote before rewinding the footage onscreen for what felt like the millionth time. Beside her, Haroi stared at the screen with apathy and concern in his eyes. They had been doing this for the last half hour ever since the news broke that there had been a Digimon attack in the city. The two had barely managed to change out of their uniforms after getting back late from classes before they were caught up in everything related to the attack and its news report, and they hadn't moved from the couch ever since then. Their parents would be back soon to push them off to dinner, but until then, all they could do was stare as the attack unfolded on the screen all over again.
"An attack took place in a Shibuya city street earlier today. There were five monsters fighting one another in the middle of the road. No major injuries have been reported thus far, but multiple cars crashed together in the fray. The people in the area managed to escape, and those in surrounding buildings caught pictures and videos of the battle as it unfolded. It's difficult to say what this could mean for the future of our city, but we must approach the future with caution. Here's the fight in its entirety recorded by an eyewitness."
As soon as the familiar recap of the afternoon's events had finished once more, the fight played out across the screen. Vritramon, Zephyrmon, and Aeoelmon were easily able to clean up the two Drimogemon, and even if the battle had been almost effortless for them, their technical skills in combat were hardly the centerpiece of the encounter. This shouldn't have been possible to begin with. Nobody should have been hurt in a monster attack because there shouldn't have been a monster attack in the first place. Both Drimogemon were supposed to stay in the Digital World, but instead, they had wandered through the barrier by some twisted miracle, and it had taken a public fight to send them back after the Void Fragments were shattered. It was going to be the talk of the town for at least another few days as security concerns mounted. Everyone knew it.
Mayumi just wished she knew how to respond to all of this. As soon as the attack hit the headlines on social media, she immediately texted the other members of the group to ask what was going on while Haroi reached for the television remote. There wasn't a full explanation in the group chat containing the Legendary Warriors yet, but Mayumi was certain it would be there by the time the sun went down. If not, then Mayumi was not above going to the Kanbara or Orimoto households to drag answers out of the trio herself. She just wanted to understand, and there was only so much she could understand when there was so little information on hand about the attack.
"This shouldn't have happened to begin with," Haroi murmured, shaking his head solemnly. "I was under the impression the only ones who are able to get through the barrier between worlds are those who have immense strength to the point of being able to force open the gate... Either that, or they're the ones who were granted the power to open the barrier to begin with."
"Lucemon had the raw power to do it at full strength, but it's not like he needed it," Mayumi sighed. "The gate was already open from the Celestial Three trying to find us, and these days, it seems like we're the ones who have the power to decide if the barrier is opened or closed. There shouldn't be anybody who has power on par with Lucemon to tear a hole in the portal like this. That's just... It's not..."
"It shouldn't be possible, but the two Drimogemon still got through the barrier regardless, and they were being possessed by Void Fragments on top of that," Haroi finished for her. "If you ask me, it's starting to seem like either the Void Fragments come with teleportation abilities or the one who is causing these infections to begin with can teleport their forces. I would assume it's the second one though since two regular Digimon shouldn't have been able to tear a hole in the gate. If the Void Fragments made them strong enough to do that, then they wouldn't have been so easily taken out by two Beast Spirits and a Human Spirit today."
"Exactly," Mayumi agreed. "There has to be somebody deliberately causing all of this... Or maybe it's not deliberate, but this is still happening for some reason. Whatever. Either way, we know there's something going on, and we have to figure out what it all means as soon as possible."
"The teleportation abilities would make sense in terms of what happened on Rubrum, at the very least," Haroi commented. "We were attacked while we were on the most inaccessible moon of the Digital World, and it's arguably the most inaccessible part of the realm entirely. The only reason we could get there was because fusing with the Ancient Warriors gave Lyramon the power boost they needed to get all seventeen of us across the gap between the main planet and the moon. The regular Void Fragments wouldn't have had that power."
"So there's somebody else behind this, and if you ask me, they're strong enough to cause a shit ton of trouble for all of us," Mayumi went on. She reached for her phone where it was sitting on the couch beside her before pulling up the chat log with the rest of the group once again. The string of questions from the other nine Warriors had been left unanswered by Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi. In other words, nothing had changed in the three minutes since Mayumi had last checked. "And I'm going to cause a shit ton of trouble for those three if they don't explain what's going on soon!"
"I'm sure something simply happened to consume their focus for the time being," Haroi assured her, ever the soother out of their dynamic. "I'm know they're just as shaken up about this as we are, if not more so, and we can't exactly ask them to explain everything directly after a fight like that. Earth should have been our safe space, and it's completely reasonable for them to be distracted after the day's events, especially since they were the ones fighting. It's going to be fine, Mayumi. They'll answer when they're ready."
Mayumi sighed and leaned her head back so that it was resting on the backrest of the couch. "I know you're right, but that doesn't mean I want to admit it," she muttered. "This is just... Damn it. None of this should be happening, but here we are, and now, we have to go on the defensive. Whatever is going on with the Void Fragments is only going to get worse, and we just have to sit back and watch it all happen."
Haroi nodded before turning his attention back to the stack of books that was piled up on the table in front of the couch. Before the attack had stolen his focus so completely, he had been focused on gathering more information and research topics for Bokomon. When the fortress and portals were finished, the group would have full control over when and how often they went to the Digital World, and Haroi was planning on using this as a chance to talk to Bokomon about all he had come to understand about Earth over the years. Of course, teaching somebody about Earth who had never been there was a much harder task than Haroi had originally expected, so nearly every free minute he had was filled with writing down what he thought was most important to communicate and in what order. The task had occupied much of the month and a half or so since the group had returned from the Digital World the first time, and Haroi was fine with that. It was a perfect distraction in his eyes, and right now, he needed a distraction more than ever.
Unfortunately, when Haroi was reaching for his notebook and the pen resting on top of it, his finger slipped a bit farther than it should have. His pen went rolling off the notebook before spiraling across the table and ending up on the floor on the other side of the furniture piece. Haroi sighed at the sight, and beside him, Mayumi perked up at the noise, pausing where she was rewinding the news report once again. She was ready to get to her feet to pick up the pen for Haroi as she always did when he dropped something, but she was never given the chance.
Instead, Haroi stood for himself and picked up the pen before returning to his position on the couch. Beside him, Mayumi stared, blinking a few times and nearly dropping the remote in her surprise.
It wasn't until after Haroi had sat down again that he realized just what had happened. He looked to Mayumi with shock written all over his face as his skin grew pale from his worry. "Did I just...?" He didn't finish the question, cut off instead by Mayumi nodding, her jaw slackened. Haroi looked first to the pen where it rested in his hand before glancing down to his legs. He had always been weaker than most others his age for a variety of factors such as his mother's poor health during her pregnancy, his weakened constitution and vulnerability to illness, and his prolonged starvation as a child. Haroi could stand for short periods of time, yes, but it was usually exhausting for him, and all he could do afterwards was collapse and rest for at least half an hour before he was ready to get up and do anything on his feet once again.
But he hadn't ever felt quite so good when standing before. Just then, Haroi had felt... Fine. There was no pull of pain from pushing his body in the wrong ways, no sting of exhaustion from standing. There was simply... Nothing. Haroi stared down at his legs for a long while, and all of a sudden, the last thing he was thinking about was his research for Bokomon.
In some ways, it made sense. Haroi's body had been strengthened and changed when he traveled to the Digital World, and he had been able to walk for miles there despite being in a wheelchair for nearly his entire life up to that point. The data translation had granted him unexpected strength in his leg muscles, and thanks to the increased healing abilities that came with being Legendary Warriors, any pain that reached his body ultimately faded soon afterwards. Still, he had been sure this newfound strength extended only to the Digital World. After all, once he returned to Earth, he didn't dare to push himself more than he already had to, knowing that would likely be a recipe for disaster.
But the Digital World had changed all of their bodies, hadn't it? Even if they hadn't noticed at first, it was no doubt an undeniable truth of their current situations. They were stronger than they had been previously because they had become Digimon, and their elements seemed to listen to them even without them Spirit Evolving first. Haroi had felt it firsthand; he felt stronger when the stars were out and the sky was dark, almost like he could do anything so long as he knew the cosmos were watching. However, he had never expected such surges of power to extend to his lifelong disability, and now, all he could do was stare.
Mayumi placed a hand on his, already recognizing exactly what he needed to feel better. All of their years together had done much to help them learn what the other needed in times of strife, and Haroi was beyond grateful for it as she shot him a small smile. "I know all of this is new and scary, but... We're going to figure this out," she said softly. She was clearly pushing through her own shock to get the words out, putting Haroi above herself the same way she always did. They would do anything for one another, and this was no exception.
Haroi nodded, unable to squeak out a response no matter how much he knew he needed to. The other members of the group were going to have to hear about this as soon as possible if it really was because of the Digital World. After Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro explained what had happened that afternoon, Haroi could tell them about how his body had changed. For the time being though, Haroi leaned back against the couch. The room around him seemed to be spinning, and Haroi could only hope he found his answers soon. He had no idea what he was supposed to do as long as he was left in the dark about something so crucial.
Much had changed over the last six weeks, and Haroi wished he hadn't been pushed into such jarring realities so abruptly.
~~~~~
Junpei hadn't been able to calm the bouncing of his foot ever since he arrived back at his house. He understood why his parents were concerned about him; they didn't want him to be out wandering the streets if there was the potential for another earthquake, or, worse yet, a monster attack. It was a valid concern for any parent to have given the events of the day. At the same time though, all Junpei wanted to do was go out and be with the rest of his friends so they could work out what had happened. He had heard the bulk of it from Izumi when they spoke on the phone earlier, but Junpei knew there had to be other details he didn't yet understand. The rest of the group was completely clueless, and it seemed like there was a new paranoid message from somebody else every ten minutes or so, if not less than that. Junpei couldn’t blame them either; if he was entirely in the dark, he would be desperate for information too.
Junpei and his parents had eaten a relatively normal dinner as soon as they were sure they weren't going to be interrupted by yet another earthquake. There hadn't been any other tremors since the initial shake, and Junpei knew why even if he couldn't tell anyone else. The Drimogemon were Digimon affiliated with the element of Earth. Of course they had caused the earthquake. They had arrived on the new planet rather unceremoniously, and the ground below had suffered the majority of the consequences. Explaining that to others though would only earn him more trouble and suspicion in a time when all eyes were shifted to paranoia and fear as it was. He had to be as careful as possible, and that meant biting his tongue in the face of the waves of misinformation surrounding the afternoon.
Since dinner, Junpei had retreated to his room and opted to do what work he could on his D-Tector for the sake of passing the time. He was certain Saki was trying to crank out a few more calculations related to the portal at that moment too. It was difficult to describe, but Junpei could feel all of the other Legendary Warriors, their locations, their elements, and their emotional states when he concentrated hard enough. The last of the three was the hardest to pin down since Junpei had never been an emotional person to begin with, but he could still sense the general rise and fall of the heart when he focused. Saki was worried about the events of the day but no doubt working on the portal on their own for the sake of keeping themself calm. After all, nothing quite relaxed Saki like turning their attention to something that needed to be done.
Izumi, on the other hand, was afraid. Junpei couldn't pin down the specifics of her emotions, but he could sense a rattling type of paranoia from her that seemed to transcend simple fear. There was a lot on her mind, and Junpei was going to try and ask her about it when he had the chance. He wasn't certain as to when that would be since it all depended on when she responded to the messages in the group chat, but he could worry about that later. He didn't want to put any more pressure on her shoulders than the day already had. That would only make things worse for all of them.
Junpei concentrated for a bit longer on his D-Tector, doing his best to numb out the waves of worry that came with thinking about the attack. The symbol of Thunder appeared on the screen soon afterwards, and Junpei smiled to himself, pretending he felt much happier than he actually did. His plan for the communication between D-Tectors was to have the elemental symbols for each member correspond with who was speaking at the time. For example, if Junpei was trying to talk to somebody else, the mark of Thunder would show on their screen while their symbol would appear on his in return. It was a work in progress, and he didn't know what he was going to be doing if they needed to manage group calls in the future, but he would be able to worry about that after he got the basic concepts he had for communication up and running first.
Junpei stared down at the mark of his element for a few more beats of silence before he sighed and set his D-Tector on his desk, pinching at the bridge of his nose with one hand. He was still thinking about everything that had happened that day, and it was increasingly seeming like his mind wouldn't be quite as easily distracted as he would have liked. If the portal was up and running on other devices by that point, then the group could have just met up in the Digital World to talk about all of this after claiming to have gone to sleep so their families wouldn't suspect anything. Of course, since that wasn't an option yet, the group remained isolated.
On the note of the portals, Junpei couldn't help but think about the gate Vritramon had created after the fight in order to send the Drimogemon back to the Digital World. It made sense that Vritramon had been able to pull it off in some ways. After all, Spirit Evolution involved letting the D-Tectors fuse with their bodies for their forms to change, so if the D-Tectors—the keys to going to the Digital World—were part of them, then it made sense that they would be able to open the portals on their own when transformed. Junpei was certain Saki was thinking about this and how it could factor in with getting the portal working on other devices too. He was certain they knew about it; the scene had been all over social media and news networks just earlier that night.
Junpei should have let this information push him in the direction of coming up with a plan for what to do with the portals. He and Saki were working together on all of this, and he didn't want to leave it solely on their shoulders. However, Junpei couldn't even begin to come up with theories about how to use it to his advantage now. He was simply too worried, and the vague echoes of the other Legendary Warriors inside of his body only amplified that concern. Izumi was afraid, and everybody else was concerned for her, Takuya, and Chihiro. It was like a domino effect; when one of them began to spiral, the others started to feel it, and now, Junpei felt like a complete wreck inside out.
Tomorrow, he would be back to school. He would be able to see some of the others around campus even if they weren't in the same class or even year. Junpei would at least be able to speak with them briefly before classes kicked off for the day, and that was the best he was going to get for the time being. Even if he got an explanation for the day's events over text, it wouldn't be enough for him. He had to see them in person and make sure they were alright with his own two eyes.
Until then though, Junpei stared up at his ceiling with a heavy frown. He wished there was more he could do to get rid of this helpless and sinking feeling in the pit of his chest, but he knew that was impossible for the time being. All he could do was wait and see what the others had to say when they were able to meet up again. In the meantime, his anxiety was simply going to eat him alive.
Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Junpei wished he was just a little bit more patient.
~~~~~
Izumi closed the door behind herself carefully as she entered the Orimoto home, a light sigh finding its way free of her lips along the way. Her father was home from work, but if Izumi had to guess, that didn't mean much. The family was still going to eat dinner separately with Izumi and Masae doing much of the heavy lifting by sitting together. That was the same way it had been for years ever since the girls’ mother’s death, and while it was familiar, Izumi still wasn't too fond of it.
She didn't even know how she was supposed to handle seeing Masae after all of that. Her sister had been figuring out for ages that there was more on her mind than she was willing to admit, and Izumi knew that it was just a matter of time before Masae put the pieces together. On the heels of a conversation about how important it was for the Legendary Warriors to keep the truth of their identities secret, Izumi was beyond anxious about having to face Masae. After all, when she thought about it too hard, all Izumi could think about was how difficult it was going to be to have to explain all of this to her sister when the truth inevitably slipped its way out.
And Masae would find out. Izumi knew it wasn’t just her paranoia talking when she thought that. Masae knew her better than just about anyone else, and more importantly, she knew when Izumi was hiding something. The instant she figured out what was going on, she was going to push it, and Izumi’s walls would come crumbling down. It was only a matter of time.
In the present though, Masae was sitting at the kitchen table when Izumi arrived home. She was leaning over a microwaved meal, her fork hanging above the food as she scrolled on her phone. Izumi knew what she was looking at already without even having to ask. So instead of filling the air with nothing but her own anxiety and paranoia, Izumi approached her sister with as much joy as she could stand to without the fear of being seen through striking her core. "Hey, Masae," Izumi greeted, trying to seem like she had herself together much more than she did. Part of her wanted to acknowledge the elephant in the room from when she ran off that afternoon, but she couldn’t find the words to mention it. She wouldn’t have been able to explain it easily even if she did approach the subject. Nothing was easy enough for her anymore.
Masae looked up carefully at the sound of her name, but something about her eyes remained distrustful as she watched her sister. "You're back late," Masae commented after a long and heavy silence had fallen over the two. Masae set her phone down on the table, and Izumi could see glimpses of the fight against the Drimogemon playing out in a video on Masae's screen.
"I'm sorry about taking so long to get back here," Izumi told her sister apologetically. She didn't even bother to come up with an explanation for what had happened. She knew that Masae wasn't going to fall for it no matter what she said. Masae was perceptive, and she could see through any mask her sister tried to put up. That hadn't become an issue until after Izumi returned from the Digital World, and even as Izumi tried to create other barriers to keep her sister from seeing the truth, it had all been for naught. The earthquake and subsequent Digimon attack had made the truth impossible to hide, and Masae had to know there was more to all of this than her sister was willing to share. Masae may have been kind enough to not say anything about it outwardly, but she was most certainly thinking about Izumi’s odd behavior, and she would remember it for as long as it took her sister to come clean.
"It's fine," Masae told her, though anyone could easily tell she was lying through her teeth. She took another bite of her dinner before letting the fork fall back into the same position it had been before, just barely floating above her food thanks to a grip that was as light as air itself. Izumi halfway expected Masae to say something else in response to that, but she was met with nothing. Masae simply looked down to the table once she had examined all that she wanted to see from her sister.
She has to know. She knows that something is going on. I just hope she hasn't connected it to the Digital World.
Izumi glanced off into the living room, noticing along the way that all of her things were still set up there the same way they had been before she cut her finger that afternoon. She hesitated before starting to retreat from the kitchen, desperate to find any excuse to get out of there before her sister figured out everything that was racing through her mind. "I should get this cleaned up," Izumi said. It was a feeble and pathetic excuse but, Izumi couldn't think of anything else. She couldn't just tell the truth. Not yet. She didn't know if she would ever be ready or willing to tell Masae what was going on. How could she do something like that?
"Yeah," Masae murmured, not even bothering to ask if Izumi was going to stay and eat something. She already knew the answer was going to be the same as it had been all those years when Izumi chose to go to bed without dinner back in Italy. It was a tense subject even after it had been forced into the spotlight of their family's internal affairs, and no matter how worried Masae was, she chose to not push the subject too much.
Tonight though, it had nothing to do with Izumi's bad habits, and both of them knew it.
Izumi swiftly pulled all of her things together before setting them in her backpack and walking toward the stairs. She set her backpack down in her room when she arrived, a sigh on her lips as soon as the door was closed behind her. She didn't know what she was supposed to do about all of this. She wasn't going to be able to keep this lie up forever. Hell, Izumi would argue that she had already failed to maintain it all. Still, she couldn't falter now. She didn't know what was going to happen if Masae heard the truth given recent circumstances and how desperate everyone was to understand the monster attack in full. Izumi's paranoia reminded her she couldn't let her sister be dragged into this, and if it meant lying for the rest of her life, then so be it. That was a price she would simply have to be willing to pay.
Izumi pulled her phone out as she sat down on her bed, and she stared at the group chat with the rest of the Legendary Warriors. A few more questioning messages had come through since she started her walk home, and she couldn't blame them for asking for more details at all. Still, Izumi had no idea how she was supposed to respond, so she simply stared at the screen for a long while before sighing and setting her phone face down on the mattress beside her.
Izumi pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs as close as she could as tears started to well up in her eyes all over again. She wasn't going to be able to outrun this forever, and somehow, that was the worst part of this situation. She just wanted to keep Masae out of the line of fire, but the universe didn't want to accommodate her desire for secrecy and security. Izumi had no idea how she was meant to respond to that, but for now, she wasn't going to bother fighting it.
Instead, she simply allowed herself to cry into her knees as quietly as she could stand. Izumi didn't want to let Masae overhear it, after all, and no matter how heartbroken she was, she refused to let others see the truth she hid behind her perpetual smiles.
Maybe things hadn't changed as much since returned from the Digital World as she would have thought.
Notes:
New chapter time! Woohoo!
I have to say that I've absolutely loved working on the last few chapters. I had the idea of this fight in mind rather early in the process of planning this story, and I love how it turned out. It's given me a great chance to flesh out the relationships between the Legendary Warriors while also introducing Masae properly. These chapters have been the most intense so far, but I adore them.
Now, let's get to the meat of the chapter's analysis. Starting off, we have the scene with Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi in the Kanbara home. I loved writing the familial banter Takuya, Chihiro, and Shinya has, and even though Shinya isn't played up as an annoying brother as much in this, he still enjoys poking fun at his brother every once in a while. Also, this offered us with yet another reminder of relationships between surrounding characters since Shinya and Masae are the same age and have been in the same class at school for a while now. The two of them have been acquaintances for a while, but this story is going to give them an excuse to become closer, and I'm looking forward to it.
I don't have all that much to add when it comes to the scene between Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi since I feel like it generally speaks for itself. However, I do like how Chihiro had the guts to just draw blood with a thumbtack for the sake of proving a point. It's a very Chihiro thing to do, and it offers proof that the blood color issue is going to be important for everybody in the future. I love the changes of the Legendary Warriors' bodies since they've returned from the Digital World, and this is a prime example. They're not quite human anymore, and I'm going to love exploring that.
Next up, we have the scene with Mayumi and Haroi. I thought it was a nice little scene that once again shows how close these two are. They're perfect foils for one another as evidenced by their varying responses to the fight from the afternoon. They also know exactly how to help each other in stressful times, and I think it's really sweet. Once again with the changes to their bodies, Haroi is starting to become stronger, something that we'll touch on a bit more in future chapters. Mayumi was nervous at first about it, but she threw that aside when she noticed how stressed Haroi was. These two really are perfect for each other, huh?
The scene with Junpei was actually a last-minute addition to this chapter, if I'm being honest. After doing everything else, I still had about a thousand words to play with, so I decided to flash over to Junpei. As expected, he's still not the best at handling his emotions and has to deal with all of the messiness that involves. It was still nice to see his different perspective on the situation, and I like writing for him just like always. Here's to hoping he gets a break from the universe's bullshit soon.
Last but not least, we have the scene with Izumi and Masae at the end. I think it's an incredible contrast to the easy banter the two had with one another as recent as the previous chapters, highlighting Masae's perceptive nature. Masae wants to know what's going on with her sister, but since Izumi can't let that happen, there's a greater wedge between them now than there was before. Things have been tense ever since Izumi came back from the Digital World, but it's only getting worse now. There will be a resolution to this problem eventually, but for now, poor Izumi has a lot going through her head. She needs a break too.
And that should wrap things up for this week! Next time, we'll continue to explore the aftermath of the Drimogemon attack. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 8: Secret Universes
Summary:
At school the following day, Takuya, Chihiro, Izumi, and Koji finally hear the secret Katsuharu and company have been hiding.
Chapter Text
When the following day arrived, Takuya quickly decided that he wanted to be just about anywhere but school. His mind had been wandering all day, and going through his regular routine of classes was a nightmare when he couldn't even bring himself to focus. It was like his brain was fighting him, not that it would be that surprising. It felt as if he hadn't had a moment of quiet or peace to himself since the battle the day before. There was always some sort of argument taking place between his different trains of thought, and that only made it harder to concentrate. Takuya was more than happy to simply try and endure the rest of the day until he was able to prepare a time for the rest of the group to meet up with him in the Digital World, but simply grinning and bearing it was much easier said than done with so much going on inside his head.
After dinner the night before, Takuya had caught everybody up on what had happened. Izumi didn't respond for the rest of the night, and Takuya wound up sending her a quick text to ask how she was doing. Again, there was no answer. Takuya had been hoping to see her at least for a few minutes before classes kicked off for the day, but she arrived later than usual and thus missed him in the mad dash to make it to class on time. That hadn't been helping Takuya's mental state in the slightest, and throughout the entire morning, he was desperate for lunchtime to arrive so that he could have even just a few precious minutes to speak to Izumi.
Luckily for him, the bell rang out at its regular hour, though it felt as if a thousand years had passed since Takuya had first arrived at the school. He groaned at the distortion of time taking place within his mind as he shuffled his way to the common area, ignoring the way his mind still felt like it was on fire. He was used to clinging tightly to the flame within, but this felt like another matter entirely, and Takuya absolutely hated it. He needed a break, but he knew that wasn't going to be coming for a while yet, so he instead concentrated on meeting up with the rest of the team—or at least, as many of them as he could see for the time being—before heading back to class.
Koji and Izumi were already at their regular table by the time Takuya arrived. Izumi was eating her food in silence, staring vacantly at the table in front of her. Koji was watching her out of the corner of his eye, not that he would ever admit it. Takuya could tell Koji was trying to come up with the right words to help Izumi feel comfortable enough to come out of her shell, but that seemed like a damn near impossible task. The sheen of worry and apathy that had settled over Izumi's irises seemed impenetrable, and all she wanted to do was stare down at the table and wait for the dust to settle.
Takuya could figure out why easily enough. Aside from his impatience and the constant chatter in the back of his mind, the hardest part of the day had been listening to other students talk about the events of the previous afternoon. As he had expected, the rumors about the Digimon attack spread like wildfire, and before he knew it, everyone was talking about it. Takuya found himself resisting the urge to say anything on the matter, and if anybody asked for his feedback, he simply offered a lopsided smile and pretended to not care all that much about it. That was hardly in character for him, but at least it was a bit less exhausting than having to pretend like he was completely unaffiliated with the attack that had nearly destroyed an entire city street and sent the rest of Shibuya into an earthquake induced panic.
Chihiro slid into their seat beside Takuya, draping one arm across the back of the chair as they looked up to Izumi and Koji. They looked over to Takuya next, clearly wanting to say something but unsure of what was the best option to break through the silence. In the end, they simply turned their attention to Koji, seemingly able to sense that Izumi needed a bit more time and space. "So... You've been caught up on what happened?" they questioned.
Koji nodded. "As much as I could be," he muttered with a heavy sigh. "I still can't believe it happened. That shouldn't have been possible to begin with. Nobody should have the ability to cross the barrier aside from us at this point, but if those Drimogemon were able to subvert that... We don't know who else could find a way to come here and wreak havoc."
"At least it gave Saki and Junpei a chance to learn more about how our D-Tectors can open up portals," Chihiro snorted with a shake of their head. "Either way, we're going to have to keep our eyes open for future Digimon attacks... And for more changes happening inside of us."
"Yeah... Pink and brown blood, huh?" Koji asked, and Chihiro nodded. "It matches our elemental colors. In other words, I think it's probably safe to say this is influencing the rest of us too whether we know it for sure or not... I haven't seen any white blood on my end, but it wouldn't surprise me if that became a concern at some point given the circumstances."
"We can talk to everybody about it in full when we next go to the Digital World. For all we know, they could have noticed a couple of other changes in our bodies too," Takuya suggested. It was a poorly masked attempt to push the group to the Digital World to discuss everything that was going on, but he couldn't help it. All Takuya wanted to do was go to the other world and try to get all of this out of his head and into the air around him. Maybe that would finally make the bickering in the back of his mind shut up.
"I think we both know it's not going to be that simple."
Takuya rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his food, glaring daggers at the meal before him since he couldn't find a way to do the same for a voice in the back of his head. He could feel the eyes of the other Legendary Warriors on him, but he didn't bother to look up to them. He would just look and sound ridiculous if he claimed that the voices inside his head were too loud for him to stand today. The last thing he needed was to make himself seem even more out of his mind on a day when he was already miserable enough thanks to recent events.
"I suppose the effects the Digital World left behind were much stronger than any of us could have anticipated," Koji said simply as he took a brief sip of his drink. Takuya's shoulders went tense at that, and he could see the same happen for Chihiro where they sat beside him. Across the table, Izumi let one hand come up to massage at her forehead like she was nursing an oncoming headache. None of the three said nothing in response though, instead simply allowing the silence to hang heavily over them.
In the few beats of quiet, Takuya's mind began to drift to the conversations taking place around them. As expected, the students throughout the rest of the common room were buzzing with the rumors of monsters from the day before. Someone even claimed to have been there filming the fight. Suddenly, Takuya was taken by an overwhelming urge to slam his head against the wall. It wouldn't help, but he still wanted to try it.
Among the haze, Takuya was able to pick out a few familiar voices, and he perked up when he realized they were getting closer. Katsuharu was the loudest among the bunch, and Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki had come to stand around him as was to be expected. Katsuharu was steadily advancing on Takuya's table, and he frowned to himself as he began to watch them fully. His shift in attention was just in time for him to see Katsuharu sit down in one of the available seats at the table with the rest of the group following his lead. Just like before, Takuya, Koji, Izumi, and Chihiro all moved closer to one another on instinct. Chihiro and Koji recoiled at the new arrivals, though Izumi remained completely uncaring as to what was happening around her even as she moved her chair closer to Koji.
"I'm glad we were able to catch you guys," Teruo said, his voice barely above a whisper as he glanced around at the quartet of Legendary Warriors. He shifted his attention over to Chiaki next, and Takuya realized that she had set down the all too familiar notebook on the table in front of her. Somehow, there were even more stray pieces of paper sticking out of it than before, and if the bindings weren't held firm by wire, Takuya was certain the spiral ring would have tried to burst under the weight of all the random scraps shoved in between the pages of the notebook.
"I think it's finally time," Katsuharu declared, and everyone looked up to him with curiosity and wonder in their gazes. Even Izumi forced herself to stop concentrating on her food to watch him. "I told you before that we would tell you all that was going on when we were ready to share it, and I think that this is the perfect time. After all, we've found even more evidence. This massive secret of ours has struck gold."
"Finally," Chihiro groaned, leaning back in their chair in pure relief. "I was starting to think you were never going to spill the beans. I couldn't stop thinking about it after you brought it up before."
"We haven't been able to stop thinking about it either," Teppei admitted. "That was why we decided to tell you guys to begin with. We're tired of this just being between the four of us. We can't tell too many people about this, but Katsuharu and Teruo think you're the perfect ones to hear the truth."
"This is that huge conspiracy, right?" Koji inquired with a frown. "I don't know what it is that you're trying to uncover here, but it's probably not a good idea to dig in a place like this. It sounds to me like this grand secret of yours was hidden for a reason."
"But it's not hidden anymore," Chiaki smiled. "After yesterday, we're sure there's a lot more to this than most people realize. The public can't keep ignoring this forever, and we're going to make sure that they accept what we've managed to find over the last few weeks."
Koji sighed, throwing his hands out dramatically before settling them back down in his lap. His frustration was clear to anyone willing to look at him for long enough, but Koji chose to not acknowledge it in case he somehow gave away the game of everything the Legendary Warriors had to hide after the events of the day before. "In that case, we're all ears. Just what do you think you've found that could change the foundation of society so completely?" he asked.
"It all started about a month ago," Katsuharu began. He looked over to Chiaki, and she happily slid him the notebook sitting before her. Katsuharu started to flick through the pages before he found one that was covered in scrawl of tiny notes that appeared to form a timeline of some sort. "We were all going about our lives and enjoying the summer when we received strange text messages telling us to go to the Shibuya train station. As it turns out, a bunch of other people got this request too, but not all that many people listened."
Takuya tried his best to curate his expression so his eyes didn't go wide from shock at that. He already knew exactly where this was going. That had been the alert Ophanimon sent out to try and get the attention of the Legendary Warriors so they would come to the Digital World and fight back against Cherubimon. It had been the start of Takuya's adventures in the Digital World, and that mass call was how he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had met to begin with. Still, he had thought that barely anybody was willing to acknowledge the calls after the day ended. He had barely heard anything about it since then.
"Better keep listening. Whatever they've found must be big if they're this excited about it."
"But we did," Teppei chimed in. "We wound up at the Shibuya train station and went into the elevator as the voice on the other end of the phone told us. When we got inside, the elevator started to speed up, and it dropped way below the lowest floor before showing us this massive underground train station that nobody had ever seen before."
"We got on a train, and when it departed, we started to speed away from the station... And that was when we wound up in this strange other world like nothing we've ever seen before," Teruo continued. "The land around us was made entirely of metal, and it was an even more futuristic city than anything you could ever find around here. There were even a few strange monsters roaming the area, though none of them seemed to look at the train for too long."
Out of the corner of his eye, Takuya was vaguely aware of tension starting to mount in Chihiro's shoulders, but they did their best to play it off. They focused on their food while feigning a regular amount curiosity for the subject at hand. Koji was doing much the same, and Izumi had taken to staring blankly at the table once again. It looked as if she was trying to pay attention to something else, and Takuya couldn't help but wonder if perhaps her mind was getting to be too loud as well.
"The doors on our train car remained locked, so we weren't able to get out... But one person did escape," Chiaki interjected. "We couldn't see all that many details about them, but... They turned into a monster and ran away."
"And I saw that exact same monster yesterday!" Katsuharu exclaimed, holding up a printed off picture. Upon closer examination, Takuya could see that it was an image of Aeoelmon standing in front of the Drimogemon in the middle of the fight.
Chihiro, who had been taking a drink of their water, nearly choked the instant they saw the picture. They managed to swallow down the rest of their sip, but their face turned bright red from exertion as their regular detached facade faded away in the blink of an eye. "What?!" they yelped.
"It's unbelievable, isn't it?!" Teppei cried out with a bright grin. "As wild as it sounds, we saw somebody step off our train and turn into this monster! A human became a creature like this! And then we were able to see that same creature again yesterday when the monster attack took place in the heart of the city! How cool is that?!"
"How can you be so sure that it was the same monster you saw from before?" Koji questioned, immediately shifting into a defensive, cagey posture that Takuya hadn't seen from him since the beginning of their time in the Digital World. "Hell, I find your argument about having been to a world of monsters to be somewhat questionable to begin with. Can you really be sure that all of this happened?"
"We're sure of it," Chiaki assured him. "Soon after we got back, we started to post on a few forums about it, saying that we had been to another world full of monsters. Other people had been there too, but it was the same story. They got on a train beneath Shibuya Station, but they weren't allowed outside once the train got to its destination of the alternate world. It seems like the only one who was let out as far as we know was that one person who turned into a monster soon after leaving the train... Though there are a few claims the same thing happened with two other people on a different train, though it's hard to say for sure if that's actually the truth."
"The point is that this place is totally real, and there are other people who can back it up," Teruo said. "We printed off all the forum posts we could, but that's the weirdest part of all this. Soon after the posts started going up, they began to disappear. It was like somebody was manually taking them down. I don't know who would want to do something like that, but they were making sure nobody else would be able to hear about this weird world we found."
"These pictures that I took yesterday are proof that all of this is real. Hell, everybody saw it on the news too. I don't think anybody can deny that this is real at this point," Katsuharu grinned. He showed a few more pictures from the battle, and Takuya resisted the urge to wince openly. Sure enough, there were photos from the fight, and while most of them were centered on Aeoelmon on account of them being the most familiar monster to Katsuharu, there were quite a few of the Drimogemon along with Vritramon and Zephyrmon.
"Oh, yeah. That's bad."
"If there's really somebody that wants all of this covered up, then that means that we must have found something valuable with this massive conspiracy," Teppei declared. "You guys might not think that it's much, but if you ask me, this is something that everybody should be talking about. There's another world out there, and it's filled to the brim with monsters like this."
"I wish we could have seen more of it than just what was on the train... I tried to take a few pictures of the surrounding area, but my phone completely stopped working once we got there," Chiaki frowned. "It's kind of a letdown, isn't it? We were able to find a completely new realm, but we couldn't even find a way to prove that we were there at all."
"We wanted to go back there, but we were forced off the trains as soon as we got back to that weird place beneath Shibuya Station. It was like the trains were sentient and didn't want us there anymore," Teruo huffed. "The entire station seemed to want us gone, so we wound up heading back up through the elevator. Afterward, we decided to try and investigate it as much as possible."
"But that's not all," Teppei asserted. "A few hours after the incident on the train, we found out something else. The monsters that we saw... They weren't just in that other world. They showed up on a few screens in Shibuya Station."
Izumi's eyes shot wide open, and Takuya could tell from the dread on her features that she already knew where this was going. "What exactly did you see then?" she questioned carefully, choosing each word like she thought it had the possibility to blow up in her face. It wasn’t that far from the truth unfortunately no matter how little the Legendary Warriors wanted to admit it.
"It was a fight between two other monsters, but they must have been a lot stronger than the creatures we saw," Katsuharu explained. "We were able to get this one picture though, and we have it here." He started to flick back through the notebook, eventually settling on a page that had a few pictures glued to it. He turned the notebook around for everyone else to see, and Takuya's eyes just about popped out of his head from shock.
It was Lucemon and Susanoomon facing off against one another in the final fight for the Digital World. Lucemon had consumed the entire realm by that point and was in his dragon form while Susanoomon was trying to take him out. Takuya had heard a handful of whispers about the fight having been caught on a few electronic devices, but he hadn't expected it to come back to bite him quite like this. After the buzz died down, Takuya assumed most people would forget about it. Then again, he also hadn't been counting on the Digital World to ruin all of his plans by letting a few rogue Drimogemon through the barrier to wreak havoc. Everything had just gotten a hell of a lot harder, and all Takuya could do was stare at the photo of the two Digimon that had been printed out and pasted into the notebook.
"Isn't this just the best?" Katsuharu beamed, seemingly unaware of the dread that had come to hang over the four Legendary Warriors sitting across from him at the table. "This is everything we've ever been hoping to find. It's a conspiracy beyond your wildest dreams, and we're the ones who are going to find and expose the truth behind it all."
"I still can't believe there's somebody out there trying to cover it up. That has to be why all of the forum posts, videos, and pictures to prove that day's events really happened have been erased," Teppei announced firmly. "I don't know who's behind it, but they must have a reason for wanting this to stay hidden, and we're going to have to make sure we drag the truth into the light. The people deserve to know what's going on, especially since there was another fight yesterday. People are going to want to understand now more than ever, and we're going to be the ones who provide them with the answers they're searching for."
"There's still one other part to all of this though," Chiaki said softly, and everyone looked over to her at those words. "I wound up splitting up from the others since I had to go home early after the train station adventure, and... I was outside when the fight between those two monsters took place. You'll never believe what happened when I got out there."
Takuya did his best to shove his dread down into his stomach before it could make him sick. "What happened?" he asked, pretending he didn't feel as weak as he sounded. He was doing a poor job of hiding it all, but he found himself desperate to believe that maybe the quartet of strange investigators would be fooled by his facade.
"The fight that Katsuharu, Teppei, and Teruo saw... It was projected into the sky too," Chiaki went on, and Koji immediately went paler than usual. Chihiro glared daggers into their food while Izumi simply watched Chiaki with vague horror written all over her face. Takuya could only imagine that he looked like a deer caught in the headlights too, but he did his best to hide it for his own sake.
"It was projected in the sky?" Koji questioned, his tone doubtful as could be. He was certainly maintaining his composure the best out of the four Warriors, but given the way the rest of them were struggling so freely, that wasn't exactly a high bar to pass. Still, Takuya was glad at least one of them was able to keep himself together in the face of all this bullshit. So much for keeping the Digital World a secret.
Chiaki nodded. "The fight must have only lasted for about thirty seconds, and it seemed like everything was moving much faster than it should have been, but... It was there," she confirmed. "I wanted to take a picture of it, but I couldn't reach for my phone fast enough. By the time I was ready, it had already faded away. A lot of other people said they saw it too on the forums that we checked out, and it seems like nobody else quite managed to catch it on camera either because of how brief it all was. People were too shocked to respond at first, and by the time they were able to fully process what they were seeing, it was already too late. The fight was over just as soon as it had started."
"We were lucky to even get the picture from Katsuharu, honestly," Teppei admitted. "He had his phone out, so he was able to get a photo before the fight could end. It was on the screen of a ticket dispenser in the train station, and we saw it on our way out... It's all so strange to think about, isn't it?"
"There's another world out there that's filled with monsters, and it seems like there were some people who were able to cross over the barrier to actually stay there," Katsuharu grinned. "That one person who managed to get off our train turned into a monster and ran away, but they didn't get back on again. If you ask me, that means they had to stay in that other world for a while. I don't know how they could have gotten back or if they managed to return at all, but I want to track them down and ask just what that other realm is like."
“They must have come back though,” Teruo pointed out. “We saw the same monster yesterday, and that can’t be a coincidence. I know there were two of the drill monsters, but that one… I just know it had to be the same person. They must be the same human who turned into the monster the day we crossed over. Now we just have to find a way to reach out to them.”
"I don't think contacting them is going to be possible," Koji frowned. "Assuming that person managed to get back to Earth at all, you're going to be searching for a needle in a very large haystack. Let's narrow down your search to Shibuya and the surrounding areas. That's still hundreds of thousands of people for you to search through, and I doubt anybody is going to freely come forward about having visited a world of monsters if they haven't already said it. They must be keeping it a secret for a reason if they’re not talking about it."
"We're still going to try our best to figure it out. The monsters are more relevant now than ever given what happened yesterday afternoon, so we'll just have to do a bit more digging," Teruo asserted. "We're not going to let this chance pass us by. This is the biggest conspiracy in recent memory if you ask me. There's an entire other realm out there, and some of the monsters who live there have managed to make contact here on Earth."
"I'm certain that our mystery person was able to get back here though," Teppei countered as he glanced over in Koji's direction. "We saw that same monster fighting yesterday. You could argue that perhaps it was a different version of the same monster since we saw before that there can be duplicates within species, but I don't think that's likely. This one specific monster was a human at first and changed shape. Now, that same monster was able to stumble into the fight yesterday and do something to help the people who had been attacked? It's too much of a coincidence. That person who got off the train that day was able to get back here, and they're living among us with the ability to transform into an otherworldly creature. In fact, I would argue that there are at least a few of them living on Earth. The three monsters that fought off the invaders didn't go through that weird portal thing after the battle was over. They stuck around here on Earth, and that means there are at least three people who can turn into monsters living among us right here in Shibuya."
Chihiro let out a huff, pretending it wasn't anywhere near as shaky as it actually was. "You guys can get as deep into this as you want to, but I don't think it's a good idea to advertise knowledge like this," they pointed out. "If there really is somebody out there trying to cover this up, then you're going to find yourselves in a shit load of trouble if they figure out what you've been up to."
"Which is exactly why it's going to stay right here at this table," Katsuharu assured them with a firm nod. He looked to Takuya and Chihiro before continuing. "I've known you two for years because of soccer, and I know I can place my trust in you. We've just shared a massive secret with you, and we're trusting you to keep it between all of us. Can you do that for me?"
Takuya nodded. "Of course," he replied, the words coming much easier than he would have thought. "But we want updates on this as you dig them up, okay? If you find anything at all, please tell us all about it. You can't just leave us hanging on this, right?" He offered them a sideways smile, hoping he didn't come off anywhere near as anxious as he actually was. His heart was screaming in his ears, though it was only slightly quieter than the train wreck that was the sound of his own thoughts colliding against one another in his mind.
"You've got yourself a deal," Katsuharu smiled. He glanced up to the clock before his expression shifted into panic. "We should probably eat. Lunch is going to be over soon, and I don't think our excitement is going to be enough to tide us over in the place of food until school ends."
"Take our table then," Koji told him as he rose to his feet. The look in his eyes made it clear to the other Legendary Warriors that he wanted them to come with him, and Izumi immediately took to packing her food up. Chihiro followed suit soon afterwards, their gaze still filled with bitter concern as they glared holes into the table before them. "We should probably get going now anyway. There was something we needed to take care of in the library before classes started again."
"We understand," Chiaki assured him. "Enjoy your time in the library then. If you happen to find out anything else about this conspiracy of ours, please tell us. We'd love to hear about it. We'll see you later." She waved kindly to the Legendary Warriors, and they all returned the gesture before following Koji's lead and leaving the table behind.
Koji led the group out of the cafeteria and into a corner of the school that nobody would dare to traverse during lunchtime. He let out a heavy sigh as soon as he was certain they were alone, letting one hand come up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "That was an absolute fucking disaster," he muttered angrily.
"I guess we're not going to be able to keep the Digital World as quiet as we would have liked," Takuya frowned, wishing he had more to add. "They were on one of the trains that went to the Digital World when Ophanimon sent out her distress signal a month ago. And beyond that..." He glanced over to Chihiro, waiting for them to pick up where he left off.
"I wasn't the only one on my train when I got off and entered the Digital World," Chihiro huffed. "I was the only one in my specific car, yes, but there were others in other parts of the train. I didn't think any of them had noticed me, but I suppose I was wrong. Hell, I didn't think something like the train I got off was ever going to be important or relevant again, but here we are. Now, those four are obsessed with figuring out what's going on with the Digital World, and they know a lot more than they have any right to."
"We know what their secret is now, but... I don't like any of this," Izumi murmured as she looked down to the ground. "The fact that they've already figured out so much from the events when Ophanimon called us and then the attack yesterday... It puts an awful taste in my mouth. I just hope that nothing else with the Digital World happens here on Earth to give them more fodder for their search."
"Our one saving grace right now is that they don't have any solid evidence to connect us to what happened," Koji declared. "It's not much, but I'm willing to consider that a boon at the moment. We're in a lot of trouble right now, and the best thing we can do for ourselves is keep up our plausible deniability. They have no proof that we're at all involved with the Digital World, and as long as they think somebody else is behind all of this, then we should be fine."
"We're going to want to collect as much information from them as we can too," Izumi pointed out. "I don't want to put us in a position where we might betray any other secrets, but... We need to be able to keep tabs on their search just to make sure they don't stumble into anything that could hurt us in the long run. We're going to have to handle this with as much care as possible."
"If all goes well, this will be the first and last time that there's ever an attack here on Earth led by a Digimon," Takuya chimed in. "I know we can't exactly get rid of the information they've gathered up to this point, but we can still hope this doesn't happen again. That wouldn't give them any new information, and we would be able to manage keeping them away from finding us out a lot better if this never repeated to give them more to work with."
"I think we all know it's not going to be that simple. Of course it's not going to be easy," Koji countered. "We have no idea what's going on with the Void Fragments, but it seems as if something related to them—whether it be the Void Fragments themselves or the person responsible for administering them—has the ability to teleport the Digimon that get infected. It's not just limited to the Digital World either, so we're going to have to keep our eyes open."
"I had been hoping that we would be able to keep our lives here on Earth and our time in the Digital World separate for the sake of keeping ourselves and others safe, but... I see that was a vain hope from the start," Izumi whispered with a shake of her head. "I don't think there's much we can do to reverse what they've already gathered at this point. We can just do our best to make sure they don't stumble into anything else that could point the truth to any one of us."
"We could always try destroying that notebook of theirs, but I somehow doubt that's the only place they have information so important to their search," Chihiro sighed. "They're way too deep into this to think that one simple source of information is enough. They've probably backed up everything they have to other places just to make sure that they're as watertight as can be about keeping everything straight. The forum posts and videos going missing has probably only upped their security."
"We can't fix what has already happened, but we can make sure they don't find out anything else. We need to figure out what's going on with the Void Fragments now more than ever, and we're going to need to tell the others about this too so that they know who to avoid talking to in case those four go off their current track with their investigation and start asking around," Koji said firmly. He reached for his phone before he began to type out a message to the rest of the Legendary Warriors, sighing along the way. "I wish there was a bit more we could do to prevent all of this, but I guess we're just going to have to go along with it for now and see where it takes us."
Takuya nodded before letting out a hefty sigh. "I don't like any of this either, but at the very least, we know what they do now. They seemed enthusiastic about sharing all of it with us, so they're probably going to come back to us if they find out anything else in the future," he told the group. "That's going to make it easy for us to keep tabs on them, at least to some degree, but we're going to need to wrap things up with the Digital World as soon as we can so no other Void Fragment Digimon or attacks related to them can cause problems for us."
"The four of them went to the Digital World the day Ophanimon sent out her distress signal, and they saw me transform into Aeoelmon for the first time. Cherubimon corrupted me as soon as I stepped off the train that day, and apparently, I was in full view of all the passengers. I wasn't thinking about it at the time on account of being taken over by the Human Spirit of Earth, but now, we're going to have to face the consequences of that," Chihiro frowned darkly. "They went back to Earth after that, seeing glimpses of the fight between Susanoomon and Lucemon."
"Their phones stopped working in the Digital World too, so I suppose that's at least a bit of confirmation of something we already knew," Izumi offered with a loose shrug. "Our phones didn't work either, so I suppose it's the case for everyone... I'm really happy for that too. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if they had been able to take pictures while they were there. I think that would have added a lot more credibility to these claims of another world, and we really don't want to have to fight that on top of everything else."
"The only Digimon they know at this point seems to be Aeoelmon. Granted, they don't know anybody's names, but since Aeoelmon was the one they saw when Ophanimon called us all to the Digital World, the four of them are a bit more familiar with them over everybody else," Takuya went on. "I have no idea what we're supposed to do with that though. They already know that whoever Aeoelmon truly is can travel between worlds, and that means they're probably on the lookout for their true identity... Trying to hide Aeoelmon from the public eye in the future probably won't help as long as they're already onto the fact that they can travel between worlds."
"If you ask me, they're probably going to start tallying up how many of us live here," Koji pointed out. "You three threw those Drimogemon back through the portal to the Digital World, but you didn't follow them yourself. You were already on this side of the barrier when the fight started. That means they're already aware there are at least three people here that can turn into Digimon to fight off the intruders. They're going to start counting any others in our group who have to unmask themselves in order to attack too, and that's only going to make them want to find out the truth more."
"They hopefully won't think to look right in front of themselves though. If we can just be upfront about not having anything to do with the attacks, then we should be able to clear our names should they ask us questions to begin with," Izumi sighed. "I would have liked it better if we didn't have to put so much effort into keeping our identities as Legendary Warriors a secret, but I suppose that ship sailed the instant the Drimogemon decided to start causing problems for us yesterday."
"We've got a lot to talk about with the others, to say the least," Chihiro huffed. "I hope we can go back to the Digital World soon to work all of this. It's not going to be a short conversation by any stretch of the imagination, but the sooner we can take care of it, the sooner we can come up with a plan for what to do next."
"At the very least, I think there are a few things we can consider facts right now," Koji said. Everyone turned to face him as he held up one finger. "First off, the Void Fragment Digimon have a way of traveling between Earth and the Digital World. Second, there are people who are going to try to figure out the truth behind our involvement with them. Third, we're going to have to put the second thing at risk in order to protect people from the first."
Takuya nodded to himself at that. As much as he wanted to try and bury all of this, he knew they wouldn't be able to afford to hold back if another attack took place. Their duty first and foremost was to protect the people of Earth. He couldn't just stand back and risk putting people in danger because he was too afraid to jump into action. His fear would only make him indecisive, and his emotions mattered little when set against the safety of hundreds of thousands of people. He had no idea what was going to come next, but he knew what he had to do in order to keep the innocent people of Shibuya and the rest of Japan safe. It wouldn't be easy, but fighting as a Legendary Warrior never had been easy to begin with.
Chihiro checked the time on their phone before letting out a hefty sigh and shaking their head. "As much as I would love to continue talking to all of you about this stuff, we're not going to have the time to keep on this way," they muttered bitterly. "Classes are going to start up again soon, and I don't want anybody to ask questions if we're late."
"You're right," Koji agreed. He pushed himself away from the wall before starting to walk back down the hallway the group had come from. "Keep your ears and eyes open for anybody who's trying to figure out the truth of what happened yesterday. No matter what, don't give them any ammunition to suspect that you're involved. We can't take that chance. I don't know what people are going to do if they figure out that we're part Digimon, but I don't think it would be pretty. Stay safe. All of you."
With that, Koji walked away, and Izumi hesitated before sighing and following him. All thoughts of finishing up their lunches had been cast aside in favor of simply not losing their nerves under the weight of all they had just heard. Chihiro shook their head before walking out of the hallway as well, leaving Takuya alone. He sighed and let his head fall backwards against the wall behind him. He didn't know what to do about any of this, and somehow, he doubted that was going to change any time soon.
That would just be too easy, wouldn't it? Heaven knew they couldn't have that.
~~~~~
Koichi didn't have the chance to check his phone until after classes ended for the day, but he had been curious about the light buzz from his bag ever since he felt the vibration during one of his early afternoon classes. As he walked out of his school building and into the grass that surrounded the campus, he turned up his screen's brightness before opening the group chat with the rest of the Legendary Warriors. The message was from Koji, and Koichi couldn't help but wonder what could have prompted his brother to send out a message in the middle of the school day. Koichi hoped it was because of something mundane and casual, but deep down, he already knew that wasn't going to be the case.
Koichi stopped under a tree to read the message, leaning against the wood with a light frown on his face. His expression twisted from shock to panic as he got to the end of Koji's explanation of the events that had taken place at lunch a few hours ago. Four students from Koji's school had been investigating the Digital World for the last month and a half, and they were able to draw connections that most others never would have thought of because of their experience. They knew Aeoelmon had crossed between worlds, and by extension, they knew there were at least a few people on Earth who could turn into Digimon as well. Koichi had known the attack from the day before probably spelled disaster on an unexpected scale, but he hadn't anticipated the fallout would come so soon or so brutally.
"You heard too, didn't you?"
Koichi nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Hinoka's voice, and he nodded as he looked up to face her. She was standing a few feet away, and on a second examination, Koichi realized just how caught up in his thoughts he had gotten while reading the message. He could feel a powerful pulse in his chest that told him Hinoka was close, but he had been so focused on all that Koji was telling him that he hadn't noticed until she spoke up. He was still getting used to all of the changes taking place inside his body because of the Digital World, and grappling with that on top of the new information Koji had shared was difficult at best and terrifyingly daunting at worst.
Koichi nodded carefully in response to Hinoka's prompt. "Yeah... I have no idea what we're supposed to do about it though," he admitted softly. "I had a feeling that a lot of people were going to start asking questions after the attack yesterday, but this... I didn't think there would be people out there who would be able to draw all of the lines to tie it back to what happened when Ophanimon called us."
"This problem runs a lot deeper than just the Digital World, as much as I hate having to admit it," Hinoka frowned. "We're going to have to clean up any Void Fragment Digimon manage to get to this side of the barrier too... I just hope that we don't get into any trouble because of that. We're not going to be able to help anybody if all of this catches up with us and exposes who we really are."
Koichi swallowed dryly at that. He was desperate to speak with the rest of the group about this as soon as possible for the sake of soothing his own nerves. As things stood, his mind was constantly spiraling downward into deeper and greater fear. He wanted to think they would find a way to be alright, but Koichi had always been the anxious sort, and it was really coming back to bite him now. While he knew realistically there was no way for anybody to draw a firm connection between the recent Digimon attacks and the Legendary Warriors, he also knew they would all be in a world of hurt and trouble if the truth did find a way to get out. What were they supposed to do if anyone who could be considered an enemy got their hands on information like the true identities of the Legendary Warriors? It was too awful to even entertain the idea, but Koichi couldn't help his fear of the idea from creeping in no matter how hard he tried to outrun it.
"We can arrange a day to go over there and talk to all of the others about all of this," Hinoka suggested when she noticed just how worried Koichi was. "I'm sure they'll be able to explain it all much better in person, and that means we won't have to just wonder about it on our own... I don't think giving us the chance to muse about this on our own time is a good idea."
Koichi nodded his agreement. "I don't know what would happen if the wrong people found out that we're part human and part Digimon, but I don't think it would be anything good," he murmured. "I can say firmly that there's never been anybody like this before, and that means that anyone curious is going to come right for our Digimon forms to try and find out what's going on."
Hinoka swallowed dryly, and even though she didn't say a word to agree or disprove his fears, he knew she was afraid of much the same thing. What would happen if people found out that they were Digimon? Koichi's immediate worst fear was that they would be taken into captivity for all sorts of questioning and experimentation. The world hadn't ever seen people who could turn into monsters before, and that meant their lives were going to spiral into disaster the instant this information got into the wrong hands. Koichi had no idea how they were supposed to keep themselves safe from such a possibility, but he knew they had to find some method of defending themselves as soon as they could.
"I... I think we should go home and try to relax," Koichi eventually suggested. "I'm kind of tense right now, and I need a little bit of time to breathe. We can think over what we're going to say when we can meet up with the rest of the group and then see them in full in a couple of days to work all of this out."
Hinoka nodded faintly. "Yes... That's probably a good idea," she said softly. "Maybe Saki and Junpei will have finished up with the portal by that point too. That way, we could just go to the Digital World whenever we wanted instead of having to wait for one of them to say that we can come together."
Koichi nodded at that as well, though he knew he was doing a poor job of seeming focused on the conversation at hand in the slightest. Hinoka knew his mind was elsewhere, and he could see that hers was as well. There were a million small factors for them to organize as soon as possible, and that didn't even consider everything else going on in their lives that could have made this harder than it should have been. The Digital World and its affiliated complications were certainly making their lives more interesting, though this wasn't what Koichi had in mind on the matter. He wanted to be able to go back to the Digital World to see his friends again, not to be dragged into another conflict far beyond his control. Hadn’t they seen enough of that already?
"I'll see you tomorrow then," Koichi finally managed to say, waving gently to Hinoka before he started walking toward the street outside of their campus. Hinoka returned the waving gesture, but she didn't follow him. Instead, she simply sighed and leaned against the tree trunk, allowing the shadows to consume her for a few moments longer. She hadn't been able to relax or decompress in her home in years, so she wasn't going to be heading there to try and rest just yet. Maybe she could swing by the public pool on the way back home. Swimming was a perfect way to clear her head where she could be surrounded by her element, and Hinoka was more than willing to take that for the blessing it was.
Both the Warriors of Water and Darkness went their separate ways after that, but their minds were locked squarely on the same subject. Koji had told them quite a bit, and even if it wasn't the full story yet, it was still more than enough to be concerning. They were going to need to come up with a solution to all of this as quickly as possible, but they already knew it wasn't going to be quite that simple.
All they could do now was hope they would be able to spare at least a few hours to talk with the rest of their allies sooner rather than later.
~~~~~
To Saki, this entire situation was nothing more than a massive headache.
They had been thinking about the Drimogemon attack ever since it took place, a constant nagging at the back of their mind they couldn't get rid of no matter how hard they tried. As they sat at a desk in their school's library, they tapped one foot impatiently against the ground below. They were going to have to leave the building soon, but for the time being, they were taking advantage of the peace they had been granted once every other student left campus for the afternoon. There were a million and one questions raging inside of their mind, and in their opinion, the best way to fix such a thing was to take direct action and make sure it couldn't hold them back anymore.
If only that was as easily done as it was said.
First and foremost, they had been trying to figure out how to resolve matters with the portal. The rift had opened easily enough for Vritramon before, and Saki could only assume there was some special quality of their D-Tectors that allowed them to open up a portal anywhere as long as they were transformed. They had a special connection to the Digital World under all circumstances, but when they were in their Digimon forms, they were the embodiment of the realm's defenders and history. Of course the gate would open faster and easier for them as long as they were Spirit Evolved. It made a lot of sense, and keeping that in mind would be helpful when it came to fighting off future Void Fragment Digimon, but it was also a pain in the ass.
After all, the Legendary Warriors couldn't simply transform each time they had to go over to the Digital World. It simply wasn't feasible for them depending on size and the risk of being caught. Besides, transforming into their Digimon forms for only a few minutes was bound to be exhausting, and they were going to need all the energy they could get if they wanted to fight off the Void Fragments. If they had to send any future invaders on Earth back to the Digital World, then they would be able to do so without immediate access to the regular portal. That was a plus, but that didn't change the fact that Saki and Junpei had to finish up the other portal as soon as possible so they could go to the Digital World any time they chose. That was going to be crucial if they were going to continue their investigation and truly understand everything that was going on with the Void Fragments.
Saki had been tinkering away with the portal for about two hours by this point, and they were certain they were getting incredibly close to finally pulling everything together. They were one breakthrough away from seeing all of the pieces come together, and they couldn't wait to finally put this behind them. After they were finished, the Legendary Warriors would be able to freely and individually go to the Digital World whenever they wanted. Given the fact that the Void Fragment situation was only bound to get worse from there, that was a boon the Legendary Warriors needed on their side as soon as possible.
Plus, once that was taken care of, Saki would be able to fulfill their own goals.
They hadn't been able to stop thinking about Miriamon ever since the two met. Even the battle the day before hadn't quite pulled the strange Digimon out of Saki's head. How could it? There was simply so much hiding behind Miriamon's eyes that Saki was desperate to understand. They were certain she recognized them somehow, but they had no idea how that could have been the case, especially since it seemed to run so much deeper with them than any of the other Legendary Warriors. How were they even supposed to go about uncovering the truth behind something like this? It made no sense.
It was this frustration with a lack of answers that ultimately spurred Saki into digging for other pieces of information they didn't yet understand. If they couldn't find what they were searching for directly, then they could at least keep themself composed by trying to uncover other secrets. Meeting with the Legendary Warriors had offered them an increased sense of security, and that had apparently been exactly what they were searching for without even realizing it. As long as they had a support system, Saki was able to start breathing easily, and that meant they could focus their energy on matters other than survival and school. It was a startling change of pace, but at the same time, Saki knew they had to move towards making a difference like that sooner rather than later, and they were more than happy to take advantage of that as soon as possible.
In the end, their frustration with Miriamon's lack of directness led to Saki deciding to investigate one matter that had been nagging at the back of their mind for as long as they could remember: the deaths of their parents. Saki had only been a toddler when their parents first passed away, but they were still certain that whatever had caused their deaths had to be important. They had been simple private investigators, and yet, they were murdered seemingly out of nowhere while researching an unknown case. Saki had tried to dig up answers about this previously, but they always hit a wall when they got too close to understanding just what had happened all those years ago. It was as if all the information related to the case had been wiped off the face of the planet by some third party.
Saki had given up on this before, but the confidence that came with having so many people at their back emboldened them in a way they hadn't thought possible. Just like that, they were back on the search. If Saki had to guess, their parents had been killed because of their investigation, and that meant Saki’s goal now was to try to figure out just what they had been looking into in the first place. The people their parents were researching had likely caused the tragic ending to the tale, silencing the investigators before they could come too close to uncovering the truth of the incident at hand. It wasn't guaranteed to be the truth at this point, but it was the best lead Saki could think of, so they were rolling with it until they were given a reason to believe this wasn't the case.
Saki had started off by searching through their parents' investigation records, or at least what records were available online. There was a blank spot in their career roughly twenty-four years ago in August of 1995, and while it wouldn't have been suspicious to most others, Saki latched onto it as soon as they saw the weakness in the string of cases. The only other time a blank spot existed in their parents' investigations was in the time leading up to their death. They had even been taking on cases around the time Saki was born. That should have been the time they took their main break, but it was not. The hiatus was elsewhere in the timeline, and there must have been a reason for it. It wasn't much, but Saki was willing to see what it could possibly mean. What other options did they have? Even if it amounted to nothing, they could at least say they tried to pursue it.
With this blank spot constantly tugging at the back of their mind, Saki decided to shift their focus to news reports at the time to see if there was anything that could have pointed in the direction they were searching for. They had looked through a few headlines up to that point, but nothing seemed to lead them to anything useful. Most headlines of the time instead favored politics or celebrity drama, but there wasn't much in terms of criminal activity that could have spurred on a random blank spot in their parents' work.
That was, until they stumbled into a headline from August 1, 1995.
'Local boy goes missing in mysterious incident witnesses claim to have been magic.'
Saki couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the article title. The timeline matched up perfectly, and this seemed like the perfect case for a private investigation team to take on. Why would the police believe any claims of a disappearance being caused by magic? Most people wouldn't even bother to entertain the idea, and that meant a separate team would need to look into the facts and eventually uncover the truth. Given their track record, it was just the sort of case Saki's parents would have tackled.
Saki started to read through the rest of the article at that, though they realized something soon afterward. The text was much smaller than they were used to reading, but they weren't having any issues with reading it at all. They shouldn't have been surprised about this given the events of the last few weeks, but it still caught them off guard. Before the Digital World had entered their life, Saki had always needed contact lenses, but that had changed after they returned to Earth. Their eyes started to correct themselves, and Saki's vision was better than ever before. It was a welcome change though, and Saki had no reason to complain. If certainly made this search for information easier.
After about two minutes of sifting through the article, Saki finally struck gold.
'The case is being led by private investigators Anri and Harutaka Fushida at the family's request.'
Saki resisted the urge to laugh into the silence of the library as a smirk spread across their face. It wasn't much, but this article was everything they had been searching for.
If they couldn't find answers about Miriamon, this would have to do, and this was the happiest Saki had been with the search in years.
Notes:
That certainly was a doozy of a chapter, huh?
I've been looking forward to this one for ages now, if I'm being honest. As soon as I started coming up with ideas for how to repurpose Katsuharu, Teppei, Teruo, and Chiaki, I began to imagine this scene. I couldn't use them the same way they were utilized in canon, so I had to get creative, and I'm incredibly satisfied with how this turned out for them. They still went to the Digital World here, and they've been hooked on uncovering information about it ever since then. It's a new way to use their characters, and I'm really loving it.
Unfortunately, the Legendary Warriors aren't loving it anywhere near as much as I am. It was a minor detail in the first book, but Chihiro wasn't the only one on their train when they got off and entered the Digital World. They were the only one in that train car, but there were others in the other areas of the train, and that ultimately shot them in the foot. Now, we've got a group of attentive conspiracy theorists trying to figure out what's going on with the Digital World, and that's going to be an interesting battle for the Legendary Warriors to resolve. This is the big secret Katsuharu and company have been keeping, and I'm so happy that it's out there in the open now.
Next, we have the scene with Koichi and Hinoka. There's not all that much to say about this, but these two are going to be high on their anxiety for a while after this. Poor things. Originally, I wasn't sure as to who would be getting this reaction scene, but I ultimately settled on Koichi and Hinoka taking up this slot. I thought it would make sense to give these two a moment together since they weren't in the last chapter and since Koichi has the extra connection to Koji of being twins. It's a small scene, but I like how it turned out.
Last but not least, we have the ending with Saki. Much like Izumi, Saki hasn't been able to stop thinking about Miriamon, albeit for completely different reasons than Izumi's baseline suspicion. If Saki can't find out the truth behind Miriamon directly though, they're going to try and use that energy on something else, and in this case, it turned out to be their parents' deaths. Much like with others being on Chihiro's train in the first book, it was only a small detail prior to this, but it's going to be playing a much larger role from here on out as I'm sure some of you can already imagine. As for what it's going to mean... Well, I suppose we're just going to have to see with time, huh?
I'm going to leave things off here for now. Next time, we're going to pick up with the aftermath of the first scene between the Legendary Warriors and their conspiracy theorist rivals. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 9: Wavering Light
Summary:
With the completion of the updated portal, Koji, Junpei, and Saki head to the Digital World to ensure everything is in working order only to be met with a brutal surprise.
Chapter Text
Two days had come and gone since the truth of Katsuharu’s group’s conspiracy came out, and Koji's mood still hadn't improved.
He shouldn't have been surprised. When something this awful happened, it wasn't exactly out of character for his mood to sink for at least the next week. For years, Koji had done his best to avoid his problems by simply getting angry at them, and while he had since worked to resolve that problem to the best of his ability, rage was an easy way for him to keep his helplessness at bay. Each time he thought about how much information regarding the Digital World got out against his will, he found himself more frustrated than before. His father was hardly helping matters, and just like that, Koji's month of peace began to fall apart at the seams.
He had thought he was getting better about all of this. He really had. Koji had been trying with everything he had to stop getting so angry when something bad happened, and he had been making good progress. Even when his father pissed him off or otherwise destroyed his good days, Koji had learned to detach himself from the situation and retreat to his room until he had cooled off. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to fully ignore the fact that Katsuharu, Teppei, Teruo, and Chiaki were trying to find the truth about the Digital World. The news was still buzzing about it, and each of his classmates had continued to come up with wild conjecture in hopes it would be the truth as well. No matter where he went, Koji couldn't escape it, and he was exhausted.
After school ended, Koji decided he couldn't go home just yet. That would mean facing Kousei, and that was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. He was in a bad enough mood as it was, and he didn't want his father sinking his ship even deeper into the ocean of turmoil and rage. Koji wouldn't be able to stay away forever, but he could at least take a few minutes to himself to try and get the residual nerves and stress from the day out of his system before he had to see his father again. After all, if Koji didn't take some time off, he was going to snap and just start screaming the instant Kousei crossed a line, and he had already narrowly avoided that outcome as it was over the last few days. Between worrying about the conspiracy theorists and their determination to expose him and his friends as part Digimon, the silent decline and shaky restructuring of the Legendary Warriors' emotional states, and Kousei's regular bullshit, Koji was hitting the wall. The last thing he wanted was to completely crumble because of the man he hated most in the world.
Koji ultimately opted to head for the computer room, and as was to be expected, Junpei and Saki were tinkering around with their laptops there. Koji had bid them goodbye on his way out of the school building a few times on previous days, but this time, he intended to stick around. He set his bag down on the floor beside one of the tables before collapsing roughly into a chair, letting his arms fall onto the table before him. Koji buried his head in his elbows before letting out a groan that seemed to echo in his mind. He still had a headache from trying to focus despite all of his catastrophic fears and the gossip that fueled them throughout the day. Somehow, he doubted the pain was going to be willing to leave him alone for at least another hour unless he could get his hands on an aspirin.
Junpei looked up from where he was typing something on his laptop when he heard Koji come in, and he winced as the Warrior of Light shoved his face into his arms. "Bad day?" Junpei questioned, already knowing the answer. It was obvious that today had been just as bad as the last three had been, and nothing was going to be able to easily remove such a burden from his shoulders.
"That's one way of putting it," Koji replied, his voice muffled thanks to his face still being buried. He remained there for a moment before lifting his head, though it felt like it weighed much more than it had any right to. "How's the portal coming along?"
"It should be ready by the time we get together at the end of the week," Saki answered, glancing over in Koji's direction as they stopped typing. "If you can believe it, seeing the portal open on live television helped me to figure out a little bit more about how it functions. If we ever have to open a rift and we don't have easy access to a device with the portal program loaded onto it, we shouldn't need to worry. All we need to do is transform, and that should solve the problem."
"It'll be nice to have the portal done. Maybe we can go over and get status updates on the Void Fragments more frequently with it finished," Junpei suggested. "That way, some of us can go, and even if not all of us can make it, we can still get things done. I feel like that's going to be a better way to handle the Void Fragments than simply sitting around and waiting for a day when we're all free. As it turns out, coordinating twelve schedules is a bit of a pain in the ass."
Koji groaned again. "I'll say," he muttered crossly. The primary reason the group hadn't been able to go to the Digital World since the Drimogemon incident was because of scheduling conflicts. Takuya, Tomoki, and Chihiro had soccer practice far more often than they should have given that the season was rather limited in the fall, and Izumi had gymnastics most days after school. That didn't even factor in the other eight of them and all of their various scheduling conflicts, and it was more than enough to keep the group stuck on Earth since they couldn't all go together. While they could have technically gone as a smaller team if necessary, there was never a day that worked for even half of them, and at that point, they simply chose to not bother with working it out until the weekend came around.
"Even after the portal is finished, we're going to have to be really careful what we do with it," Saki frowned. "All eyes are looking out for those mysterious monsters that fought earlier this week, and there are tons of people who are looking to track down answers the same way Katsuharu and his posse are. We're going to have to really crack down on how we use this thing to make sure we can keep it a secret from everyone."
"I'm not going to have any problems there," Koji snorted. He didn't have to worry about anybody in his immediate circle putting the pieces together given that the only friends he bothered to spend time with were the Legendary Warriors. Satomi could be a mild concern, but the threat she posed to the truth was minor at the absolute worst and otherwise almost insignificant. Koji chose to not acknowledge Kousei when he could get away with it, so he doubted his father would do anything to interfere either. Kousei knew talking to Koji unprovoked would just lead to an argument, and he was at least somewhat aware of the limits his son had so they didn’t spend every other day screaming at one another. Others in the group would probably have more trouble with keeping this secret stuffed in the closet, but Koji knew he was in the clear no matter what happened next as long as he played his cards right.
"I just wish I knew what we were supposed to do about those four amateur investigators," Junpei sighed. "I can't believe they were able to put so much together from so little information. If I have to give them anything, it's that they're determined and stubborn. I would admire it if it wasn't going to be such a pain in all of our asses."
Saki nodded with a loose hum. "They're passionate, at the very least. I just hope that passion doesn't lead them off a cliff and into something hellish. You never know what you're going to get when it comes to the Digital World," they muttered as they got back to typing away at their laptop.
Koji sat up fully and drew one arm up so it was draped on the backrest of his chair. "Do you think anybody could have seen you transform the day we got to the Digital World?" he questioned of the Warrior of Steel.
"I was the only one on my train, so that would be a no," Saki replied. "If you ask me, it seems like some trains were more populated than others. You were alone on yours, and I was alone on mine. Mayumi and Haroi were the only ones on theirs, and Junpei's team were the only people on another. All things considered, we lucked out in the fact that only three of us were seen getting off trains that day. It could be a hell of a lot worse."
"But right now, people know there are at least three of us here," Koji frowned. "People could start to put the pieces together about Oceaniamon and Fioremon given the similar circumstances to Aeoelmon too. If you ask me, there are a lot of people out there that are going to start counting all of us up with hopes of tracking us down, and that means we have to be on the defensive."
"I'd like to say that we're probably safe given just how many people are in Shibuya, but I guess the fear of something damn near impossible happening never quite goes away. There are a lot more people here that aren't Legendary Warriors compared to the twelve of us, but the danger is still there," Junpei commented. He glanced over to Koji before holding one hand out. "Can I see your D-Tector?"
Koji stared at him quizzically for a moment before he shoved one hand into his backpack and pulled out the device in question. He handed it over easily, and Junpei nodded his thanks before getting to work tinkering with it. Koji watched him for a few beats before letting his head tilt back so he was staring up at the ceiling. "I know realistically that there's no way for anybody to connect the dots back to us. I know that. I keep telling myself that so I don't completely lose my mind. Still... If too much more information gets out, people could get suspicious, especially if our bodies are changing as much as Izumi makes it sound," he murmured.
"We're going to have to be careful, yes, but people still won't jump to conclusions like that if we're careful," Junpei pointed out. "There are thousands upon thousands of people around here, and chances are that people are going to point the finger in the wrong direction before they ever come close to figuring out what's really going on. We're going to be safe. We're very tiny needles in a massive haystack, and no matter what Katsuharu and the rest of his little sleuth crew do, they're not going to find us. We're going to be fine."
Koji nodded to himself, though he still couldn't bring himself to believe it. The odds that the Legendary Warriors would be found out were astronomically low, but the chances still existed. Given how much their bodies were changing on top of that, somebody could use that to connect the dots. After all, if somebody found out another person had pink or brown blood, they would probably jump to the only other supernatural event as of late and accuse them of being the monsters on Earth. That didn't even factor in Hinoka breathing underwater forever, Takuya and Tomoki's body temperatures skewing in concerning directions, or Yumiko's ability to seemingly communicate with plants. The fact of the matter was that all of them were less than completely human now, and they had to be careful to make sure that fact wasn't their undoing.
Before Koji had the chance to fight his way through another doom spiral, Saki's pinky finger slammed down on the enter key, and they rose to their full height with a light smirk playing across their features. "And with that, I believe we have everything figured out with the portal," they announced. "I've got a program that can transfer the portal over to another device, and we should be able to use that to go to the Digital World whenever we want through our laptops."
"Perfect timing," Junpei said. He handed Koji's D-Tector back to him, and the Warrior of Light stared down at the device in confusion. Whatever Junpei had been tinkering with, he must have finished it quickly given the fact that he was already done. Koji stared at the screen for a long time before Junpei went on to explain. "I've been trying to hook up our D-Tectors with a new communication feature so that we can talk to each other from large distances. If we ever need to split up, this will make things a lot easier."
"That way, some of us don't get chased down by a demonic bird that wants to rip us limb from limb," Saki snarked with a light snort. They gave Koji a sideways glance at that, and he simply rolled his eyes. They were trying to cheer him up in their own way, though bringing up one of the many times Velgemon and Malkakomon nearly killed him was hardly the best method of going about things. Either way, he smiled to himself at their teasing tone, and for a moment, he was happy to be thinking about something other than how awful the current situation on Earth was. It wasn't a massive improvement, but it had to count for something.
"How long does it take to get this stuff set up?" Koji questioned as he clipped his D-Tector to his waistband. With the school day over, he didn't need to fear being caught keeping it on his person directly. Even so, he shifted his shirt to shield the device from view out of sheer habit.
"Not all that long. I should be able to get everyone hooked up with the portal on their laptops before we head to the Digital World this weekend," Saki answered. "If we meet up an hour or two before we plan to be there, I can take care of the portal while Junpei works on everything with the D-Tectors."
"Speaking of the D-Tectors, I think it might be for the best if we took them for a quick test run," Junpei announced. "I think I have everything working, but it wouldn't hurt to double check before we got ready to head back to the Digital World. This would be a nice time for us to make sure this version of the portal works with us in human form too."
"You want us to go to the Digital World?" Koji questioned, admittedly caught by surprise at the suggestion. None of them had been to the Digital World with less than the full group yet, and he was under the impression they would be waiting on taking such desperate measures until after all of them could travel between realms whenever they want. In other words, this proposal was the last thing he had expected to hear.
"We're going to have to check out the portal program anyways. I want to make sure it works before we start downloading it onto every other device each of us owns," Saki replied. "The last thing I want is for us to arrange to come here and then end up being caught off guard when the portal flakes out on us."
"I suppose you're right," Koji murmured. He thought about it for a moment, internally thinking through the homework he had to take care of that night. He didn't want to spend too much time at the school and wind up cutting into the other things he had to do later on. However, as soon as he realized that the Digital World would be the perfect reason for him to not go home and have to deal with the headache that was his relationship with his father, Koji realized that the choice was as good as already made for him. "Alright. Let's do it."
Saki turned their attention back to their laptop, typing away at the keyboard rapidly. They raised their D-Tector in the direction of the screen once they were finished, and Koji and Junpei did the same after closing in behind them. Koji shot a quick glance to the door just to make sure it was closed, and when he saw that it was, he allowed his body to melt into the screen before vanishing from view.
As was to be expected, the process of traveling through the rift was just as disorienting as it always had been. Koji did his best to adjust himself to the sensation of everything shifting around him, closing his eyes along the way. This was going to take some time to adapt to, but he would get there with time. For the moment, he just wanted to take care of their business as soon as possible so they weren't caught unaware by someone either entering the computer room or finding them in the Digital World. But beyond that, he wanted something else to think about aside from the recent disasters of the last few weeks and his somehow worse relationship with his father. To get all of that out of his mind, Koji was willing to do damn near anything.
When Koji's feet were finally planted on the ground again, he opened his eyes and glanced around. The land that surrounded the group was rocky and jagged, and it didn't take long for him to realize this had to be the mountainous Earth region of the Digital World. He hadn't ever been here before, and he quickly realized that it was much less prosperous than continents for the elements of Water, Wood, and Wind, just to name a few examples. Still, he supposed this peak-filled desert had to be good for at least something.
For the moment, it was going to be good for testing out the range of the D-Tector communicators. Saki stretched their arms above their head, letting out a hefty sigh along the way. "It seems like the portal works the way it should," they declared. "Now, let's make sure the D-Tectors work as they're meant to."
"For now, the D-Tectors only work here in the Digital World since I thought that would need to be our priority," Junpei explained to Koji. "We can just use our phones back on Earth, and I didn't want to work on the D-Tectors functioning everywhere and draw out the process. What matters is that they work at least well enough for now. We can tinker with them to make them work on Earth later if we absolutely have to."
"So we didn't have any choice as to if we wanted to come here to test them or not. This is the only place they would have worked," Koji concluded. Junpei nodded, and the Warrior of Light glanced down to the device in his hands. "Should we try to move a bit farther apart from one another so we can make sure it works?"
"Yes. We can all spread out in three directions and see if we can communicate with each other," Junpei agreed. He pointed one thumb over his shoulder before nodding. "I'll head this way. You two can just start walking away too, and after we test the D-Tectors, we can go back to Earth."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Koji confirmed. He pivoted on his heel before starting off in the direction he had previously been facing away from. He stared down at his D-Tector each step of the way, a light frown on his face. Even after all that had happened over the last few days, it was good to be back in the Digital World. In fact, coming here was placing a balm over his nerves, finally calming him down after the constant anxiety of the recent conspiracy theories and all of their related messiness. This was exactly what he needed, and he loved it.
Just out of the corner of his mind though, he was still all too aware of the circumstances at hand. The Void Fragment situation was only going to worsen from there, and the fight against the two Drimogemon earlier in the week prior was proof. There was a lot at play here, and Koji knew they had to do everything in their power to try and stabilize the situation as soon as possible. For the sake of both Earth and the Digital World, that was their only option.
Even in this cloud of gloom though, Koji knew there was light at the end of the tunnel. For example, Alastomon and Biastamon had promised the Legendary Warriors a place to stay in the Digital World, and that home base would certainly prove useful with the added benefit of the new portal. Anyone would be able to come to the Digital World whenever they wanted under these circumstances, and they would have a place to stay while they worked on the Void Fragment investigation. Koji got the feeling already that he was going to wind up using the fort for more than that though. If he ever needed a break from his father or to simply get out of the house, he knew exactly where he would go. The fact that the Digital World made him feel more alive than anything else made the decision easy.
Koji stopped walking when he thought he was far enough away from Junpei and Saki, and he let out a sigh before shifting his focus fully to his D-Tector. He pressed the right directional button, passing through the images of his Human, Beast, and Hybrid Spirits before coming to a new screen. It was blank, but when Koji held the D-Tector up to his mouth, the symbol of Light appeared. "Hello? Can you hear me?" he asked.
"Loud and clear, Koji," Junpei replied. The symbol of Light transformed into the mark of Thunder to accompany Junpei's voice. "Everything seems to be in order. I guess that takes care of that nice and quickly."
"I would say so too," Saki agreed. Once again, the mark on Koji's D-Tector screen shifted, this time morphing into the symbol of Steel to represent Saki. "That didn't take anywhere near as long as I was thinking it would. I'm glad for it though. We should probably head back to Earth and vacate the computer room before anybody starts to get suspicious about what we're up to, especially since we've disappeared."
Koji nodded even though he knew neither one of them could see him. He immediately started walking back toward the other members of the group, his ponytail swinging in his wake. It was a shame he couldn't find a reason to stick around in the Digital World a little while longer. He could tell he was going to miss the kiss of the other realm as soon as he left, though he knew just as well that he wouldn't be able to stay. There was too much that needed to be done, and if he stayed out too late, he was only going to earn Kousei's ire in a different way. It was best to play it safe and get home before his father could get too upset with him.
When the trio came back together, Saki was still staring down at the D-Tector, a small frown on their face. "I must say, I'm impressed you were able to figure out how to make this work given that there doesn't appear to be any microphone on it," they remarked in Junpei's direction. "We heard Ophanimon talk through the D-Tectors a few times, but I feel like it would be pretty hard to install something like this without being able to see where the sound is coming or going."
"It took a bit of work, but because we were able to talk with Ophanimon, I knew it had to be possible. The fact that she was able to hear us talk to her in return proved it. The speakers appear to be embedded into the screens somehow as far as I can tell, but I'm just going to go along with it instead of bothering to ask any questions," Junpei replied. "Given the fact that these things can transform us into monsters at will, I feel like concluding that they can make phone calls is a pretty tame revelation."
"You've got that right," Koji agreed. He was still staring down at his D-Tector, and he pressed the directional button that displayed his Human Spirit on the screen. Part of him wanted to Spirit Evolve for a short while just for the sake of feeling more alive than usual. The last few days had been stressful, and he deserved the break. However, he also knew that would only exhaust him, and he didn't want to give his father any fodder for a conversation when he got home. Being unnaturally tired would do just that, and Koji didn't want to risk it when he was in a poor enough mood as it was.
"I suppose it's time for us to get back then," Saki declared. They paused a moment later though, almost as if they were trying to sense something. After a few beats of heavy silence, their expression began to twist into a frown. If that wasn't a sign that something was wrong, Koji didn't know what was.
"What's wrong?" Junpei questioned, his features also morphing with concern, dread, and determination. His finger passively shifted to one of the directional buttons on his D-Tector, and he prepared to press down on the activation button at a moment's notice even though there was no blatant danger.
Well, at least not yet.
"Something feels wrong," Saki frowned. "Call me paranoid, but I think I can sense something off around here... We should take a look around." They began to walk in the direction their senses were pointing them a moment later, their expression just as poisoned by concern as before.
"What do you think it is?" Koji asked, almost afraid of what he was going to hear in response. A voice in the back of his mind morbidly pointed out that he was probably going to be able to transform into a Digimon after all, and he resisted the urge to wince. He may have wanted a moment or two of freedom, but he didn't want that to be because of unfortunate twists of events like a Void Fragment Digimon or some other necessary battle.
"It... It feels like a portal," Saki replied. "But nobody should be able to get through the barrier between worlds but us. It couldn’t be any of the others either. They don’t have the portal program yet…" They paused for a moment, once again testing the air for any signs of catastrophe, before nodding. "We have to get moving. Something is definitely wrong."
Koji and Junpei glanced to one another with worry in their eyes before they nodded. When Saki took off running, the duo of boys was quick to follow them. Wind beat against Koji's face, but he didn't mind it in the slightest. All he wanted to do was make sure that the Digital World was safe, and as far as he could tell, that was up in the air at the moment.
When Saki finally slid to a stop, sand from the ground below kicked up around their feet. They didn't seem to notice though, as their eyes were locked solely on a trio of Digimon standing before them. All three of the monsters were clearly far from being in their right mind, their bodies hanging limply like they were puppets dangling on the end of taut strings. Koji instinctively knew the trio consisted of BlackGaomon, BlackGarurumon, and Grizzlymon.
And he also knew they were under the influence of Void Fragments.
Somehow, though, that wasn't even the most surprising part of this.
A portal hung open in the air not far from the trio, full of thriving and thrashing light. It beckoned for the Digimon to draw nearer, and they did so, taking slow but firm steps in the rift's direction. Anyone could easily assume their intentions, and Koji's heart skipped a beat at the mere thought.
The Void Fragments did have some degree of teleportation power after all, and as things stood, if he did nothing, those three Digimon were going to use this blessing of theirs to travel to Earth and wreak more havoc.
"Hey!" Koji shouted with all the force he could muster. The three Digimon all turned to face him, stopping their advance on the portal in the process. They stared emptily at Koji, and the Warrior of Light couldn't help but realize just how hollow the eyes of Void Fragment Digimon truly were. It was as if they had no control over their actions at all, and while he had been led to believe this previously, the thought still stung like a punch to the stomach.
"You were right about it being a portal, Saki," Junpei frowned. "We can't let them get through no matter what. I don't know how we're supposed to close a rift from this side, but we can at least fight to hold them off with everything we have."
Saki nodded. "I'll handle the portal. You two distract them until I'm finished." Their firm tone offered no room for objection as they pressed the activation button on their D-Tector. Light exploded around them after they scanned a ring of data across the top of the device, and when the glow faded, Lyramon was standing in their place. They summoned their rapier with a snap of their fingers before charging off toward the portal, jumping above the trio of Digimon to get there faster.
Koji and Junpei both understood their duties without needing to be told twice, and they followed Saki's example in Spirit Evolving. Rather than opting for their Human Spirit forms though, Koji and Junpei were replaced by Garummon and Bolgmon. The Void Fragment Digimon were stronger than their regular counterparts, and that meant the pair was going to need all the extra firepower they could get. They had been forced to work together as a full team of twelve previously to fight a band of Void Fragment Digimon that had half their numbers while in Human Spirit form, so this fight clearly called for something a bit more intense.
Garummon was more than happy to rise to the occasion, and he sent out a series of laser beams from his back as soon as he was grounded in his new form. The light blasts spiraled through the air before slamming into the three Digimon. They were sent staggering backward in Lyramon’s direction, but the Warrior of Steel was prepared. They threw up a purple streak of energy that hit each of the Digimon in the back, forcing them toward the other pair of Legendary Warriors once more. Lyramon needed all the space they could get to close the portal, and that meant keeping the trio of possessed Digimon away from the rift in the meantime. This was a defense mission, and the portal was their precious artifact of the day.
BlackGarurumon was the first one to recover his sense of balance after being hit by Lyramon, and he lunged towards Garummon as soon as he had the chance. The Warrior of Light jumped to the side at the perfect moment, but BlackGarurumon adjusted himself before launching himself at his foe once more. The two tumbled for a moment with BlackGarurumon winding up on top in the end, biting down on one of Garummon's legs. He wasn't able to do much damage with the strike because of how thick Garummon's armor was, but it still earned him a hiss of pain from the Warrior of Light.
Garummon didn't let this stop him for long though, instead sending out a quick, sharp blast of light energy from his mouth. It hit BlackGarurumon head on, sending him sprawling up and back across the sand. He rolled for a few yards before coming up on his feet once more, though it was clear the encounter had left him somewhat shaky. He snarled before jumping at Garummon again while his foe was rising to his feet once more. Garummon pressed himself low to the ground as BlackGarurumon soared over his head, coming up with lasers dancing across his body. The light spiraled toward BlackGarurumon, and the wolf Digimon fell to the ground once more, though it took him much longer to get to his feet this time.
Garummon took advantage of this chance to turn his attention towards BlackGaomon. The other Digimon was preparing to slam into Garummon with all the force he possessed, and Garummon prepared to fend him off with a laser blast. Luckily for him, a bolt of electricity streaked into his peripheral vision, knocking BlackGaomon off course. The Digimon cried out in shock and pain before rolling through the grass and eventually rising to his feet once again. Garummon turned to glance in the direction of the electricity, a light frown in his eyes.
Bolgmon was the one behind the blast, and the cannon on top of his head was still sparking. Bolgmon was a slower fighter than Blitzmon, but his powerful shots most certainly made it all worth it thanks to how much raw damage he could do in a single hit. BlackGaomon had learned that firsthand, as when he finally managed to push himself off the ground again, he was wheezing from the pain. In all honesty, Garummon was shocked that one hit wasn't enough to immediately free him of the Void Fragment's control, but as long as BlackGaomon was still possessed, they would have to keep fighting.
Grizzlymon took advantage of both Garummon and Bolgmon being distracted to make a beeline for Lyramon. The Warrior of Steel was using their rapier to try and force the portal shut, but it was taking much more energy than it should have. Since the Legendary Warriors weren't the ones who made the rift, closing it was much harder than it had any right to be, and Lyramon couldn't help but snarl as they used their rapier to stitch the hole in the sky back together. They were so distracted by their anger and their work on the portal that they didn't realize Grizzlymon was coming for them until almost the last moment, and they summoned their shield just in time to fend off the bear Digimon.
Unfortunately, the defense was sloppy, pushing Grizzlymon back but not by enough. The bear jumped towards Lyramon once again, and they pulled their rapier away from the portal to deliver a series of quick stabs in their foe's direction. Grizzlymon once again fell backward, but his raw power was proving to be too much for Lyramon given the fact that they were also defending the portal and trying to seal it shut. Lyramon would have been more than capable of taking him down on their own, but they couldn't make use of their speed as long as they had to defend the portal and close it, forcing them into an unexpected state of disadvantage they didn't know how to work through.
Bolgmon sent a quick punch in BlackGaomon's direction as soon as the Digimon was within his range before rumbling across the arid earth like a tank. As soon as he was close enough to release an attack, he sent an electric pulse through the air from the cannon mounted to his arm. Grizzlymon staggered from the blow before turning to look at his assailant. Bolgmon's eyes invited the challenge, waiting for Grizzlymon to come in his direction, but it didn't work out anywhere near as well as he would have liked. Rather than pursuing Bolgmon away from Lyramon, he jumped towards the Warrior of Steel once more, noticing that they had turned their focus back to the portal in the few moments where he was distracted.
Garummon was more than ready to intervene though, lunging at the perfect time to knock Grizzlymon out of the air. As soon as he had Grizzlymon pinned to the ground, Garummon released explosions of light from his feet, flipping backwards through the air before landing on the ground once more. He released another few lasers that spiraled mercilessly towards BlackGaomon and BlackGarurumon, fending off the three Digimon for a few short moments.
Lyramon used this chance to slash their blade upwards through the portal from where they had left off in closing the rift. The portal shut a few seconds later, and when Lyramon tested the air where the rift had been a few moments later, they remained in the Digital World. They sighed with relief before turning around to face the battlefield, blade at the ready as they surged forward.
Garummon had much the same idea of charging ahead, and he allowed the blades on his body to slash relentlessly at BlackGaomon as he went by. Lyramon instead chose to target Grizzlymon, opening a wide cut in the Digimon's side. The bear screamed in pain before scrambling as far away from Lyramon as he could possibly get. Lyramon continued moving forward though, pulling their rapier and shield in close to their body as they were bathed in Fractal Code.
When the light faded, Onyxmon had replaced Lyramon, and the dragon sucked in as much as air as they could stand before releasing their opening attack. Purple flames crackled across the ground, consuming the trio of Digimon in the blink of an eye. Grizzlymon, already weakened from the cut he had received in the side, screamed in pain. He turned his attention to Garummon, the nearest of the Legendary Warriors, before delivering a mighty punch with all he had. Garummon was caught off guard by the strike, and he was sent flying backward before he could stop himself.
Garummon threw out the blades on his body, trying to take advantage of the changes they offered to his center of gravity. He was able to stutter his tumble a little bit, though his landing was still rough and left him out of breath. Grizzlymon, clearly running off adrenaline and fury, followed him outside the range of Onyxmon's flames to try and pin him down. Garummon dodged at the last moment, turning to face the bear Digimon before opening his mouth and releasing a blast of light that hit its target straight in the chest.
When Grizzlymon was hit, he flew backwards, slamming into the ground a few times before sliding to a stop. As soon as he had come to a halt, a streak of shadow separated itself from the cut in his side, shattering once it was in the open air. Garummon sighed with relief at the sight of the Void Fragment's destruction. One down, two to go.
While Grizzlymon took care of Garummon, BlackGarurumon opted to lunge towards Bolgmon with a slash attack. However, since the Warrior of Thunder was so bulky and massive in this form, the strike did little damage. BlackGarurumon streaked past his foe before landing a few yards behind him, rearing his head back with all the force he could take. When BlackGarurumon's head came forward once more, dark energy flew from his mouth, launching itself towards Bolgmon with all the power he possessed.
Bolgmon could already say for certain that he wasn't going to be escaping the attack in time, so he instead sent out a quick blast of electricity from his arm cannons out at the dark energy. The two attacks clashed in a massive explosion, creating cracks in the dry land below. Bolgmon slid back by a few feet before he managed to catch his balance again, and he silently thanked his lucky stars that this form was meant to sustain hits the same way it could dish them out.
Onyxmon closed their eyes, and purple energy spread from their forehead in a shockwave. Before BlackGarurumon could try to mount another attack against Bolgmon, he cried out in pain. His legs shook from the force of the attack Onyxmon had released, shattering his defenses and leaving him on his knees. BlackGarurumon breathed heavily as the attack ended, pushing himself to his feet even though he was starting to hit the end of his energy the same way Grizzlymon had a few moments prior.
While BlackGarurumon was distracted, Bolgmon pressed his hands into the rocky terrain below to keep himself balanced. He gathered all the energy he possessed into the cannon on his head, and as soon as BlackGarurumon had managed to regain his balance, Bolgmon released the attack. The electricity whistled on its way to its target, creating a screaming noise that sounded a lot like a firework.
Fittingly, the attack looked a bit like a firework when it made contact with its target too. Electricity ruptured outward in a massive explosion, and BlackGarurumon screamed for a few moments before he collapsed to the ground, immediately falling motionless. Darkness yanked itself out of his spine before shattering in a similar explosion, leaving BlackGarurumon back in his normal form. Just like that, only one Void Fragment Digimon remained.
BlackGaomon didn't seem ready to give up despite his overwhelming disadvantage though. He took off running in Bolgmon's direction before slamming into the Warrior of Thunder with his full body weight. Bolgmon groaned from the strain of now having to hold up BlackGaomon's massive weight as well, though he didn't fall over on account of him grinding his treads into the stone to maintain his balance. Even if he was more focused on defense than anything else, BlackGaomon's weight was more than enough to disturb Bolgmon's regular attack patterns, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to fend his foe off as BlackGaomon rained down as many punches as he could.
Garummon was more than happy to stop the assault in its tracks though, opening his mouth to release a massive blast of light that knocked BlackGaomon sideways. Even after being sent flying though, BlackGaomon managed to land on his feet. Desperation was beginning to set in, but he could still tell what had worked before. His best method of victory involved using his speed to increase the force he possessed and overwhelm Bolgmon with it. That wouldn't win the fight as a whole, but it would still get one of the Legendary Warriors off his back.
Garummon refused to give him the chance to try that though, and when BlackGaomon jumped into the air with intentions of ramming into Bolgmon from overhead, Garummon wasn't far behind. He extended the blades on his body as far as they could go before aiming straight for BlackGaomon, using light energy at his feet to increase his speed and perfect his aim. BlackGaomon didn't seem aware of the attack at all, and even if he had noticed, it was much too late to change course. He had already lost.
Garummon hit BlackGaomon straight in the side, opening a pair of cuts across his torso and destroying his intended course toward his target. BlackGaomon fell to the ground just beside Bolgmon, groaning in pain along the way. As soon as he collapsed fully, a Void Fragment made itself known, dissipating a few beats later. Garummon landed not far away, turning to face the three fallen Digimon carefully. He examined all of them slowly and cautiously even though he knew that victory was within his grasp. The Void Fragments had been destroyed, and the Digimon were back to their regular forms. They had won.
Onyxmon took a careful step towards Grizzlymon before nudging at him with one claw. The bear Digimon groaned before turning onto his back. He stared up at Onyxmon with dazed, confused eyes before blinking a few times. As soon as he had a grip on his senses, he pushed himself into a sitting position, grunting in agony along the way. "What in the...?" he muttered, glancing around despite his clear dizziness.
"What happened?" BlackGaomon questioned as he rubbed at his head with a gloved hand. He glanced around in confusion, his gaze eventually falling on Garummon. "Why are we in the Earth region?"
"You were taken over by Void Fragments," Bolgmon explained as he rolled forward a little bit. "Do you remember anything that happened before they took control of you?"
BlackGarurumon, the final Digimon to regain his composure, thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No... We don't live near here at all either," he explained. "I don't know how we could have wound up in a place like this..."
"The Void Fragment must have pointed you in this direction when it took you over," Onyxmon explained. Garummon could hear the frown in their voice at the fact that they had once again been unable to grasp any useful information about the matter at hand. It was a running theme with the Void Fragments by this point, but that didn’t make it any less obnoxious or frustrating to deal with. "It matters little now. You should try to get back home. We have everything under control here."
The three Digimon nodded before starting to limp off in a direction Garummon vaguely recognized as east. He sighed as they vanished from view before glancing back to the other two Legendary Warriors. He wished he knew what he was supposed to say after an unexpected battle like that, but he once again found himself unable to come up with any words. He didn't think any of them knew what could be said given the circumstances.
Bolgmon was the first one to transform back into a human, and Junpei grunted as he twisted his neck from side to side. "BlackGaomon sure is heavier than you would think," he muttered. "It's going to take a few hours for my neck to stop hurting after that." He winced when he pushed the muscles a bit too hard, prompting him to start rubbing at the sorest spot where his right shoulder met his neck on his back.
"Hours is better than days. I suppose we can thank our Digimon sides for making healing from things like that a little bit easier," Koji shrugged. He sighed a moment later, his exhaustion after the battle already starting to close in around him. He rubbed at his eyes with one hand, suddenly wanting nothing more than to go and hide in a corner and not come out until all of this bullshit was over. Beyond that though, Koji needed a nap, and he really hoped he would be able to take one without Kousei giving him shit.
"They were trying to get through the portal to Earth," Saki frowned. "That means that either somebody must have opened a portal for them or the Void Fragments themselves have the power to open rifts. I wish we could study the Void Fragments up close a bit more, but I don't think that's going to be possible. They always fall apart as soon as we defeat the Digimon hosting them, and we're not going to be able to capture any pieces as long as they destroy themselves so quickly."
"It would be nice information to have if we knew if there was a mastermind behind all of this opening the portal," Junpei agreed. "If we were able to look over the Void Fragments and saw that they don't have the ability to open rifts on their own, then that would answer our questions rather quickly... Though I have no idea what we would do when we learned there was somebody else behind all of this. It's not like we know who we're searching for."
"No... I'm afraid not," Koji muttered with an exhale of irritation through his nostrils. "All of this is driving me up a wall, but that's not going to be enough to make whoever or whatever is behind this knock it off. We're just going to need to find another solution for all of it."
"At the very least, we were able to make things easier for ourselves by coming in to stop the attack before it could get any worse," Saki pointed out. "If they got through the portal to Earth, things would have been much harder to fix, especially since people would be watching us constantly... Though I haven't the slightest idea as to why anyone would want to cause problems over on Earth when this should be a Digital World issue. On top of everything else not making sense, we don't have a motive either. There has to be one, but I don’t know how we would go about finding it."
"We can think about that another time," Koji suggested. "Right now, I think I'm going to need at least a week to recover from the last three days. If I can't get that though, then I want as much sleep as I can possibly stand. Maybe all of this will turn out to be some kind of fucked up nightmare and will go away when I wake up." Everybody knew better than to believe that, but Koji couldn't help hoping in vain that it was the truth. He was tired of all of this, and they were only barely scratching the surface of everything happening with the Void Fragments. The battle had only begun, and Koji had a lot of fighting ahead of him before it would end.
"You're right. We need to get back to Earth," Saki confirmed. "the others will need to hear about this fight now that it’s over. We're going to have to get everyone together this weekend to set them up with the portal and the new D-Tector communications program too. We're still meeting at your place, right, Junpei?"
He nodded. "I told my parents that I have some friends coming over. Luckily for us, they're going to be out for a lot of the day since their friends are taking them out for lunch and then what should be a full day of other fun activities," Junpei explained. "In other words, we're not going to need to worry about them realizing we're switching between worlds. That's going to take at least one burden off our shoulders."
"I'll take anything I can get at this point," Koji muttered bitterly. He had been hoping the Digital World would give him a break from the constant activity of life on Earth, especially given what had happened earlier in the week, but at this point, all he wanted was some time to breathe. If Junpei's parents being gone meant he had one less thing to worry about that weekend, then he was more than willing to take it.
"We should get back to Earth and tell everyone about what happened," Saki pointed out. "They're going to need to hear about this, and I don't want to keep them waiting any longer than we have to." They looked down at their D-Tector for a long moment, their exhaustion briefly peeking through their masked gaze, before they raised the device skyward to activate the portal that would return them to Earth.
Koji and Junpei followed suit, though the Warrior of Light felt as if his arm was going to fall off. He hadn't been sleeping well as of late, and that apparently seemed to be a much bigger problem when traveling between worlds so often. It hadn't been as much of an issue when the group was in the Digital World full time, but as far as Koji could tell, switching back and forth so frequently was exhausting. He couldn't wait to crash as soon as he got home for the sake of replenishing his lost strength and finally being able to think about something other than the disaster that Katsuharu and his friends were digging up. They were one of the main reasons Koji hadn't been able to rest well as of late, and he needed to get them off his mind.
The portal brought with it the same disorienting twists as ever before, but Koji welcomed it. He was one step closer to being home and out of this mess for a few hours. He wasn't looking forward to explaining all that had happened to the other members of the group, but he could worry about that another time. For the moment, he simply allowed his center of gravity to change as his eyes fell shut. It wasn't much, but it was something, and he had to take what he could get these days.
~~~~~
Yumiko had just finished watering her plants for the night when her phone buzzed from its place on her dresser. She closed her door behind herself carefully before reaching for the device. She could see a message from Saki pop up first, followed by a few from Junpei. That already left a sinking feeling in her stomach for a reason she struggled to describe. She recognized it soon afterwards as the sensation of the others worrying. Their concern rubbed off on her easily since all of their emotions were so connected nowadays, and she could sense their fears each time she closed her eyes. When she focused in on the others, she could feel Koji's exhaustion, Saki's apathy, and Junpei's vague irritation. That was already a bad sign given that two of the three had sent out messages in the group chat, and Yumiko hesitantly slid her finger across her phone to read what had happened.
By the time Yumiko was finished reading, she had fallen unceremoniously onto her bed. Briar Rose, who had been curled up in a small cardboard box on Yumiko's floor, jumped up beside her owner before curling against her stomach. Yumiko brushed her fingers across her cat's spine absentmindedly, grounding herself with the gentle purrs of her companion. The day had been eventful for Saki, Junpei, and Koji, and even though the portal to the Digital World was working, they had much greater subjects on their minds at this point. Another attack had almost taken place on Earth, and they were barely able to intervene through some divine stroke of luck. Yumiko was glad they had been able to stop the fight from breaking through to Earth, but she was worried about it too. Things were getting worse for there to have been two Void Fragment attacks intended for Earth in the last few days. Even if only one of them was successful, it was still worrying as could be, especially since this was not going to be the last attack the Legendary Warriors could expect.
"We need to end this fight as soon as possible. If our enemies are left unattended, these attacks are only going to get worse."
Yumiko froze at the voice. She had been hearing whispers like that a lot recently, all in one of three cadences that just barely didn't sound like her. It was as if different people were stealing her voice and echoing it back to her, and all she could do was listen. Each time the voices struck her, all she could do was stare blankly at whatever was in front of her. It always caught her by surprise, and she didn't know how she could ever get used to it.
"I agree... Though it's a shame that things have gotten this bad to begin with. The Digital World is supposed to be at peace right now. How could everything have spiraled out of our control so quickly?"
"Something always seems to go wrong. I don't know how to fight it off or change it, but this is just how life is. We've never been the ones in control."
Yumiko swallowed dryly, finally managing to bring herself back to reality. She had no idea what she was meant to think of the voices that echoed in the back of her mind, but she was tired of her lack of understanding. She didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, but at the same time, she wasn't going to be able to find her answers until she reached out. Yumiko knew that she wasn't the one in control of the voices, so that meant there had to be somebody else there willing to explain everything to her... Right? That was the best conclusion she could come to, at the very least.
She still wasn't sure about any of this though. How could she be? There was so much happening, and she didn't know where it was coming from. Countless weird things had begun unfurling around her ever since she returned from the Digital World, and Yumiko couldn't help but feel that perhaps these voices were just another strange occurrence among the swarm of many others. There had to be a reason the voices had come up out of nowhere, right? If that was the case, then what was their purpose? She had to find out the truth sooner or later.
Yumiko couldn't help her fear though. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was going to find a way through this, her anxiety still seemed to creep up on her with all the force in the world. She was going to have to do something in order to understand what was happening, but where was she even meant to start? What if she was just being ridiculous? Hearing voices was considered a sign that someone was losing their mind. Admitting this was happening could change everything she had ever known, and Yumiko had barely found solid ground to stand on in the first place. Yumiko didn't know if she was going to be able to take any more changes, positive or negative, given all that had happened recently. The mere idea made her stomach do flips.
But the fact remained that couldn't learn anything new without reaching out and trying to make a difference. Yumiko was tired of living in nothing but ignorance. She really was. She had been afraid this way before the Digital World too, wanting something more for herself but unsure as to how she was meant to find it. In the end, meeting the other Legendary Warriors had changed the way she looked at everything, giving her the ground to stand on in order to find herself. She had been afraid of change back then too, and yet, it had made her much happier with herself and her life. She wasn't going to accomplish anything by allowing fear to rule her life. She had already learned this lesson, and she couldn't forget it so easily. If she had to confront the unknown in order to improve her life, then she would do it. She had survived once before. What trouble could a second attempt at change be when she knew it would help her in the end?
With that, Yumiko took in a careful breath before speaking softly, her voice barely above a whisper. However, she knew the people inside of her mind could hear her without any issues. "Who are you?" she questioned, each word threatening to shatter like a dandelion on the breeze.
For the first time in a month and a half, Yumiko's mind was perfectly silent. There was no buzz of her thoughts or the words of the voices that lived therein. Everything was still, and Yumiko couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she had made a mistake. Was she imagining all of this? No, she couldn't be. The voices wouldn't have fallen silent the instant she spoke to them if this was just her imagination running wild.
"Are you ready to hear the answer to that question?" This voice was hardened, as if its owner had seen a million battles and survived all of them. Yumiko was almost caught by surprise by how firm the words were, though she wasn't fully shocked. After all, something told her this was still a part of her, and she would never be able to change that. They were not one in the same, but they were still strikingly similar.
Yumiko swallowed dryly in response to the words, and all of a sudden, she felt as if she was going to be sick. Was she ready? If she was being honest, she had no idea, but she wasn't going to make any progress as long as she allowed her fear to push her into submission and silence. Yumiko had made that mistake far too many times, and now that she was finally finding her footing again, she refused to bow to such terrors ever again. She deserved better than that.
Yumiko nodded after a few heavy beats of perfect silence. "Yes... I am," she replied, though she was certain all three of the echoes of herself knew the truth. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to hear the truth, but she wasn't going to let that hold her back any longer than it already had. Her cowardice had doomed her to a life of suffering previously, but she wouldn't silence herself in the name of all that she had found herself to be capable of in the Digital World.
Even though Yumiko couldn't see anything, she felt all of the people within her look to one another for confirmation as for what to do next. Eventually, one of the three nodded, and Yumiko could sense it deep in the core of her chest. Even without clear vision inside of her own mind, she could feel what they were doing, and she could feel how much they cared for her too. It was overwhelming in a way she hadn't expected, but she found it welcome regardless.
"Alright," one of the other voices murmured. Her voice was soft and dreamlike, almost as if she was gliding across a cloud at all times. She didn't say anything else, but Yumiko knew what the voice wanted her to do. They wanted her to close her eyes. She followed the instructions easily, and her fingers fell still where she had been stroking Briar Rose. The sensation faded away, morphing instead into shadows ant static.
Yumiko had no idea what was waiting for her on the other side, but she was going to find out no matter what it took.
Notes:
This chapter sure was a fun one, huh?
One thing I enjoy about the format of this story is how it offers the chance to switch perspectives so frequently in a rather casual manner. For example, the chapter with the Drimogemon attack was able to focus on Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi in an organic way while this one did the same with Koji, Junpei, and Saki. I can pick which characters I think fit certain events most without cramming everyone in where they wouldn't be necessary, and I feel like this chapter is a perfect way of exploring all of that. It's a small thing, but I still adore it.
Now for the chapter itself. Poor Koji. He really can't catch a break. As is to be expected, he's stressed out about all that happened with Katsuharu and company, and the attack in the Digital World didn't help either. I think these three work together rather well as a trio, and writing how they bounce off one another was a lot of fun. The fight scene speaks for itself, but I loved working with these three since they're a rather unusual combination for a fight. We've seen Koji and Junpei fight together with one other person in the first book, but back then, it was Yumiko instead of Saki, so it was nice to switch things up a bit. I also liked the premise of the fight being a defense mission at first until the portal could be sealed. It's a small touch, but I think it helps to add a bit of variety to the encounter compared to the previous Void Fragment fights.
This chapter has another small detail to point out beyond the grand picture too. The fact that it took Saki and Junpei this long to get a new version of the portal working was intentional. I didn't want them to have it figured out right away, so I decided to hold off in them finishing it. The same applies to the communications program in their D-Tectors. In the canon of Frontier, they discovered that feature almost as a matter of plot convenience, so I decided to make it a deliberate choice here, especially since it was cut from the first book. Since phones don't work in the Digital World, this is a nice alternative, and it's a reason for the group to go to the Digital World in this chapter too. Now, the group has most of the tools they're going to need for their adventures, so hopefully things will look up for them from here. Hopefully.
The last thing I want to discuss here is the ending scene with Yumiko. After nine chapters of these little hints with the italicized text, the truth is finally coming out... Next chapter. I find it rather fitting that Yumiko is the one who reaches out because of her arc in the first book. She's been asserting herself and growing more confident since then, and since her main arc in Frontiers Unexplored was working through her impulse to silence herself out of fear, I wanted her to be the first one to make direct contact. She's opening up and decides to use that momentum to hear the truth about the echoes of her own voice in her head. I'm really excited to show you all where this goes, and I hope you're looking forward to it too.
On that note, I'm going to wrap things up here for now. Next week, we're going to jump into the thick of the truth behind the italicized text with Yumiko and the three echoes of herself. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 10: Blossoming Revelations
Summary:
Yumiko learns the truth behind the echoes inside her mind. Soon afterwards, the Legendary Warriors return to the Digital World to discuss the events of the last week.
Chapter Text
When Yumiko next opened her eyes, she was met with a dark void. The realm around her was impossible to understand, as if shadows had taken over every ounce of light around her. Something told her this was not the real life she knew elsewhere though. This place existed inside of her own mind, and that was the only place it truly could be found.
Yumiko took a hesitant step forward, and as soon as she did, the shadows dissipated. Greenery unfurled around her, countless vines layering over the blackness and blocking it from view. Flowers sprouted from a few of the vines, all of them perfect and eternal. Yumiko reached out to touch the petals, shocked with just how soft they were. She pulled her hand away a moment later, turning her attention instead just ahead.
There were three silhouettes nearby, and Yumiko recognized them almost immediately as the darkness subsided to show them in full. Fioremon was the first one to come into view, everything about her just as delicate and gentle as it always had been. Calanthemon was next, serene and careful with eyes that bordered on falling apart from fear. Finally, there was Lyseirmon, her posture perfect and her body balanced in a way that felt both all too natural and not natural at all. All three of them were collections of contradictions that existed within Yumiko herself, and as she stared at them, her jaw began to drop.
It felt so obvious. There had been three echoes of herself within her mind, and they were just barely not identical to her. The comparison felt so crisp now that she was seeing them, though she supposed that hindsight was always perfect. Still, that didn't stop her shock, and for a long moment, all Yumiko could do was stare.
"I'm glad you finally decided to meet us," Fioremon began, a smile spreading across her features. "We wanted to be patient and wait until you were ready. After all, this is... It's certainly a change from what you're used to."
Yumiko finally clamped her mouth shut at that before fumbling for words. "I... How is this possible?" she questioned. "I didn't think that... I don't know..." She didn't know how she was meant to phrase it, but she knew that she was asking how they could have been there. They hadn't always been in her mind. This was a new development that had only become prominent since she returned to Earth from the Digital World for the first time. Where had they been previously? Had she simply never noticed until after she came back to Earth?
"I believe this all merits a bit of explanation," Lyseirmon cut in before Yumiko could stumble over her words any more than she already had. Yumiko nodded, biting down on her lip. Lyseirmon took a careful breath before continuing. "If you will recall, at the conclusion of your adventures in the Digital World, you fused with the Ancient Warrior of Wood."
Yumiko nodded. "Yes... It was the last thing that happened before I came back to Earth," she confirmed. Suddenly, it all clicked in her mind. That was what had changed from the beginning of her adventures in the Digital World compared to how things were now. It was the only explanation for this sudden, drastic shift that would make sense. "Is that... Is that where all of this came from?"
"It is," Calanthemon replied. "The combination of your soul with hers created all of us... Echoes of both you and AncientTrojamon. We're part of you both, and now... We're living on in your body and mind as well."
Yumiko blinked a few times, uncertain as to how she was meant to respond to all of this. Lyseirmon was more than happy to pick up from there, easily continuing the explanation. "In taking up the mantle as the Warrior of Wood, you received the Spirits that housed their power. The Spirits always took fragments of the Ancient Warriors' strength, and in the process, it took fragments of their personalities and memories as well. In fusing with them, you have become part of that history... And it has become part of us," she continued. "We are all pieces of AncientTrojamon, but we are also pieces of you."
Yumiko looked down to the ground before nodding. "I see..." she murmured. She still didn't understand this in a way that felt cohesive in words, but at the same time, she comprehended it in a way that was much deeper than that. The truth simply made sense in the core of her body, like all of the pieces of her existence were finally coming together after an eternity of lacking cohesion. This was what she had been searching for all this time, and she hadn't even realized that was the case to begin with. She hadn’t realized she was incomplete until she finally felt whole.
"I'm sorry about how sudden all of this is," Fioremon frowned. "We didn't want to surprise you with this... I know that it's a lot to take in, and the last thing we wanted to do was startle you. I know this can't be easy to face since you've been... Well... Living in your own mind and body alone your entire life."
Yumiko contemplated Fioremon's words for a long moment before shaking her head. "No... I'm glad to finally understand the truth," she admitted. "I've been so worried about this for ages, so afraid of reaching out because I didn't know what I was going to find. But this... You're... I'm glad that I can understand who you all are now." Yumiko chose to not say that they were much less terrifying than she had feared they would be, but she knew they knew that without her needing to say it.
Fioremon smiled at that, bowing her head in respect. "I'm glad to hear it... We were honestly afraid you might reject us outright," she confessed. She paused to think about it for a moment before glancing over to Calanthemon. "Well, Calanthe was the most afraid of it, but I think it still crossed Lyseir and I's minds every once in a while. It was stressful having to keep you in the dark all the time."
Yumiko tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Calanthe and Lyseir?" she questioned. "What about the 'mon' suffix? I would have thought you would go by the same titles you do in the Digital World."
"That isn't exactly the case," Lyseir replied with a shake of her head. "We all decided to simply go by our names here. The 'mon' suffix you spoke of is a file name in the Digital World. Since the realm runs entirely off the power of electronics, that influence can be seen in many places. The name of every Digimon ends the way it does because that's a file name. But we're very distinctly not Digimon in this body. We're projecting ourselves through a human body, so we don't see much of a need for a file extension. We're simply Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir."
"I understand," Yumiko nodded. "That does make a lot of sense... Are you going to use the file extension with your names when we Spirit Evolve? I feel like that's the next natural question to ask."
"Oh, that's fine," Fiore assured her. "Then, you can call us Fioremon, Calanthemon, and Lyseirmon. For now though, as long as we're just talking inside of your head, you know what to do. I know we all like this a little bit better than adding the file name to the end."
"Okay," Yumiko murmured. She nodded to herself for a few more seconds, trying to find the words to bridge the silence but unable to fully grasp them. There was so much she wanted to say, so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't know where to start with talking about it either. Where was she supposed to begin? This hadn't been what she expected at all, and she had no idea how she was meant to respond to it.
"Is something wrong?" Calanthe questioned, her voice trembling ever so slightly. There was an unexpected dimension of fear to her words that caught Yumiko off guard. Calanthe almost seemed to be anxious as a default state, and Yumiko wished she knew what to do to soothe her fears.
"I... I want to thank you," Yumiko found herself saying. She hadn't been planning on confessing to something like that, but she knew it was the truth regardless. She smiled before continuing, letting the words fall from her lips without any conscious thought from her frazzled mind. "I know this... It can't be easy for you either. I've just been going about my life with no idea that you're here at all, and things haven't exactly been easy in the last few weeks. It's been an adjustment period, and... I'm glad you've all been here for me even if I didn't know you were there."
All three of them appeared to have been caught off guard by the sudden thanks. Lyseir was the first one to speak after it all though, letting out a small chuckle with a shake of her head. "We couldn't abandon you even if we wanted to, and I'm not just talking about the fact that we share a body," she replied. "We share a lot more than you realize. All of your memories, thoughts, fears, dreams, and loves... We know it all. We're echoes of you, and that means that we have just as much of a stake in all of this as you do."
“We’re all alive together, and we’re here to look after each other too,” Fiore chimed in. “Nothing happens to one of us that the rest of us don’t experience. If you’re struggling, then all of us will be there to help you. That’s what it means to be here, and we won’t let you forget it no matter what.”
Yumiko smiled at that, but she knew the grin was shaky. Her heart was pounding in her chest, though she was starting to finally calm down. She had been afraid of this for weeks, but she was starting to realize she had no need to be. Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir were all kind as could be, and Yumiko could feel their love the same way she could sense the emotions of the other Legendary Warriors. They were all parts of her, and she loved them all.
"Thank you," Yumiko repeated. She looked between all three of them before letting out a careful breath. "I must admit that this is going to take a bit of getting used to though... I never thought this... I didn't think this was going to happen."
"You didn't think you were going to wind up in the Digital World either," Fiore pointed out, her voice dreamy and soft. "But no matter what happens next, we're all going to be here for you. We're in this together, sharing a body or otherwise, and we're going to be here to help regardless of how everything unfolds. In a way... We've always been there."
"We're echoes of everything you've ever been... The combination of your past and the history of AncientTrojamon," Calanthe whispered. "We can feel it all... And maybe one day, you'll come to understand it too."
"I hope so," Yumiko told her. "I think we should all try to get to know each other better in the future. I know we haven't had much of a chance to do that up to this point, but... We owe it to ourselves to try."
"That's the spirit," Lyseir beamed. "I'm sure you'll want to tell the others about this as well. I'm confident they've all been experiencing this too. You must have noticed the way that they seem to listen to voices that aren't there. You did it before discovering us as well. Plus, they all fused with the Ancient Warriors the same way you did. They're going through this too, and I'm sure they're going to want to hear what you've discovered. I know it’ll help them to feel better about this."
Yumiko let out a sigh of relief at that. She was glad to have Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir at her back no matter what happened next, but she was doubly relieved to know the other Legendary Warriors understood this new experience as well. She didn't want to be alone in facing all of these trials, and now, she knew that she never would be. It was a relief she hadn't expected she would need, but she adored it now that she knew. Yumiko would be able to tell them all about everything she was hearing, and she could hear the stories of how their other echoes behaved as well. It was something she hadn't ever imagined she could look forward to, but she found herself in love with it all the same.
"We're going to be here for you no matter what from now on," Calanthe reiterated. "If you ever think life is getting to be too much for you, we'll do what we can to help. That's what we're here for... All Warriors of Wood fighting in the name of the same goal: survival."
Lyseir took a step forward, placing her hand on Yumiko's right shoulder. At first, Yumiko flinched at the contact before looking up and meeting gazes with the Hybrid Spirit of Wood. "And if you ever need someone to defend you... We'll be right here," she assured Yumiko. "You'll never be alone again, not as long as we're around."
Yumiko nodded, letting one hand come up to rest on Lyseir's knuckles. "Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you all for everything."
Yumiko allowed her eyes to fall shut once more at that, and the world around her seemed to distort. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in her room, staring blankly at the wall ahead. She blinked a handful of times to try and ground herself once again, though she was only brought back to reality when she glanced down and saw Briar Rose had curled up against her torso and fallen asleep. Yumiko smiled before starting to stroke at her kitten's back, comforted by the softness beneath her fingertips.
When Yumiko was certain she was back in reality, she let out another sigh, turning her body so she was staring up at the ceiling while still taking care to keep Briar Rose close. She had finally unraveled the truth of the voices in her head, and they were the echoes of the Spirits she had claimed in the Digital World. Fusing with AncientTrojamon had removed the lock on it all, and now, she was sharing her body with three others, all of them pieces of the same image known as the Warrior of Wood.
Yumiko had imagined that she would face a situation like this with fear and anxiety in her heart, but now that she understood it all, she was relieved more than anything else. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it hadn't been for the three of them to vow to do all they could to help her from that moment forward. She hadn't anticipated them to watch her with such love and to say they understood her so completely in a way that no others ever could. If others claimed this was a sign of her sanity slipping away, Yumiko couldn't care less. She knew this was what all of them needed. For them, this was what it meant to live.
Yumiko found herself thinking about the other Warriors of Wood in the silence as well, and when she concentrated, she could hear them speaking in the back of her mind. They were murmuring softly, and she couldn't quite pick out the specific words in her hazy state of mind, but she knew all three of them were watching what she was doing. They always would be. This was what it meant to be a Legendary Warrior now, and they were embracing it hand in hand.
Fiore the dreamer, Calanthe the loner, and Lyseir the defender... Each of them were pieces of Yumiko, echoes of who she was and could have been, but at the same time, she was an echo of them. Together, they were something much more complete than they ever could have dreamed of being apart, and Yumiko couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't seen this sooner. They were part of one another, and they belonged together. Of course they did. She felt ridiculous for not having seen this coming from the instant she first snapped to awareness as a child. This was who she was meant to be, one of many blossoms in a field of flowers of their own creation.
Yumiko allowed herself to be lost to the lull of their distant voices as she stroked her fingers across Briar Rose's back. She didn't know much about them yet, but she was determined to understand more about each of them and herself as time went on. Everything would make sense with time. All she had to do was keep pressing on and wait for the right moment to arrive where it all came together.
At least she had taken the first step, and what a beautiful first step it had turned out to be.
~~~~~
When Sunday arrived, the Legendary Warriors did exactly as they had planned. They all set a course for the Shibayama home before settling down in Junpei's room. With his parents out for the day, the Warrior of Thunder was free to do as he pleased, and he chose to use this time to tinker with the D-Tector program a bit more as everyone streamed in. He was hoping to have the D-Tectors up and running on Earth one day as well for the sake of an extra line of communication and perhaps even a way to talk across the barrier between the two worlds. They were probably going to need it with the way the Void Fragment situation was progressing even if it wasn’t necessary yet. Regardless of how needed it was right now, he was more than happy to fiddle around with the code to pass the time. He would get there with time, and at the moment, there were much more important things to focus on.
As the guests arrived, Saki concentrated on transferring their copy of the portal program onto each of their laptops so they could freely move between the two worlds. Saki made it look effortless in a way that would have felt insulting had Junpei not been used to it by this point. Bridging the gap between Earth and the Digital World was so simple these days despite all the trouble it had given them in the earliest stages of their investigation. Junpei was fine with it as long as the group was able to travel freely. That was what mattered most in times like these, and he wasn't going to lose sight of that no matter how much he winced inwardly at how long the process had taken initially.
For the most part, everything seemed to be fine... At least on the surface. Junpei knew better than to believe it for even a second though. He could tell there was a lot going on in all of their heads, and he could feel the pulse of raw emotion in his chest when he let himself stray from his mission for too long. He shook it off in favor of tinkering around with everyone's D-Tectors as they passed the devices in his direction, knowing he needed a distraction in order to keep from being overwhelmed by it all. Of course they were all having a miserable time. The last week had put them all through the wringer, and the group didn't even know the full extent of what had happened when Junpei, Saki, and Koji had yet another run-in on the other side of the barrier. How could anyone even stand to focus at this point?
The strangest of them all had to be Yumiko though, who had taken to sitting in the corner of the room on the floor. Her knees were pressed to her chest with her lengthy skirt swallowing her legs completely. She barely seemed to be focusing on what was happening around her, instead simply staring down at the ground in front of her. Every once in a while, she looked like she wanted to mumble something only to back down at the last moment and instead remain silent. At best, it was unsettling, though Junpei could think of a thousand other terms for it. One of them was creepy. Another was terrifying. He could take his pick whenever he so chose as far as he was concerned, doubly so since Yumiko showed no signs of stopping any time soon.
"Alright," Saki declared, easily breaking through the haze of conversation that had come over the room. "I think I have everything finished." They closed Koji's laptop before passing it back to him, and the Warrior of Light nodded his thanks before tucking the device back into his backpack.
"In that case, I suppose we don't have much of a reason to stick around here anymore, right?" Izumi questioned. "I think it would be best if we discussed everything that's happened recently in the Digital World anyways... We've seen a lot over the last few days, and I don't want to spend too much time here when we have more important business to take care of over there."
"The Digital World is going to need as much of our attention as it can get at this point, and I really hate having to admit that," Koji muttered crossly. "But if this is what we're going to have to face, so be it. Let's get out there and try to talk in a place where people aren't going to overhear us and start asking questions."
"My parents will be out for another few hours, but we're going to need to be careful about our timeline anyways," Junpei announced. "As much as I would like to stay in the Digital World all day, the fact that our phones don't work over there makes this risky. If they try to contact me and I don't respond, they're going to get suspicious, and I don't want us to be caught in the lie."
"All of this feels so dangerous," Hinoka whispered. "Perhaps we should come up with some other way for us to travel to the Digital World without potentially being caught... I know that we've all got portals now, so we have at least one new way of getting there, but when we're going together like this... I don't know. I guess it's just a bit nerve-wracking to know that we could be found out at a moment's notice and not realize what's happening until it's already too late. All it takes is someone trying to enter the room when we’re not here for the illusion to shatter."
"We can work out another solution for all of this once we've gotten to the Digital World. How does that sound?" Chihiro questioned. "For now, I don't think it's natural that there are twelve of us crowded together in Junpei's bedroom. This place was made for maybe four people to hang out in at once, and I'm starting to get claustrophobic."
"We should make the most of the time we've been given anyways," Koichi agreed with a nod. He rose to his feet and pulled his D-Tector away from his hip. He was still wearing his shoes despite being in the depths of the house because of this moment. As long as the group was headed to the Digital World, they were going to need shoes, and while it was yet another thing that Junpei's parents could have found suspicious, it wasn't as if the Legendary Warriors had much of a choice in the matter. None of this was convenient, but they had to take what they could get for the time being.
"Perfect," Saki nodded. They opened their laptop and began to click at the keyboard until the portal had appeared on the screen. Once the portal was present and clear for all to see, Saki stepped off to the side, gesturing to the screen with a light smirk. "And we're off, my group of stalwart adventurers."
Junpei rolled his eyes with a shake of his head and a chuckle before he pulled out his own D-Tector and pushed it toward the screen. Around him, the rest of the group did the same, and when light consumed them, Junpei was barely even surprised. Traveling between realms this way was still a bit disorienting, and he wasn't sure how he was meant to handle it even after the handful of times it had happened, but he simply allowed his center of gravity to twist as he was thrown between realms. He would be fine with it eventually, even if it took a hell of a lot more patience than he would have anticipated.
When Junpei next opened his eyes, he was met with the crisp sights of the Digital World. The sky overhead was a bright blue color, a far from the dreary gray clouds on Earth, and Junpei couldn't help grinning. This was what he called living. It took him a moment to tear his gaze away from the heavens to figure out where exactly they were, and when he did, he realized they were likely somewhere in the Energy region. Both the continents of Energy and Cosmos had been carved from preexisting boundaries after Lucemon was defeated, and they had a unique sensation to accompany their newfound returns to the planet.
"Holy shit," Chihiro murmured from somewhere behind Junpei. He frowned before turning to see what they were talking about, and his jaw dropped on sight. He couldn't help but wonder how he hadn't seen it sooner given how absolutely massive it was.
The subject in question was a massive fortress made from stones that seemed to shine both clear and platinum in the sunshine. It was clearly fashioned after medieval architecture in some way or another, though he supposed that applied to all of the magnificent palaces throughout the Digital World. The fortress was slightly different from the castles he had seen previously, though this was far from being a bad thing. In fact, Junpei couldn't help but be completely infatuated with the sight of the massive structure, and some piece of his inner child seemed ready to run wild the instant he realized he would be able to explore the fortress if he so chose.
"Ah, there you are! We were wondering when you would be returning to the Digital World!"
A pair of figures came out of the fort’s front gate a moment later, and Junpei quickly recognized them as Alastomon and Biastamon. Alastomon was the one who had spoken, and he clapped his hands together with a jubilant smile at the sight of the Legendary Warriors. "So... What do you think?"
Junpei could feel the gears in his mind turning before the pieces finally clicked into place, and his jaw just about dropped to the grass. "Wait... You can't mean..." he stammered before falling silent once more. Alastomon couldn't be implying what Junpei thought he was saying... Right?
Alastomon let out yet another jovial laugh before nodding. "As a matter of fact, I do mean it!" he declared. "It took a bit of work, but this is the fortress we'll be lending you from now on. Rumor has it that this was the stage for a crucial battle in the war against Lucemon centuries upon centuries ago. After the war ended, the fortress was left abandoned since there wasn't as much need for combat-based structures like this. It was rather simple for us to come in, fix up all that had fallen into disarray, and leave it for you and your guides to stay in."
"Bokomon, Neemon, and their trio of companions are all in the fortress," Biastamon said next. "They've been enjoying the facilities and the space they've been given. They have all been incredibly helpful to us in learning more about the Void Fragments and in repairing the wear and tear of time left behind here in the fortress. I imagine they'll be excited to give you a tour."
"Thank you so much for all of this," Haroi told Biastamon with a bow of his head. "I don't think we'll ever be able to thank you enough for everything you've done for us. This truly is amazing, and... I don't have any words."
"You don't need to thank us. We're simply doing what we can to help out the saviors of the Digital World," Alastomon assured him. "You've done more than enough to aid the Digital World, and we owe you this much. I just hope the fortress is to your liking after all the work we've put in." He punctuated the thought with a friendly laugh.
"If you ever find yourselves in need of our aid, all you need to do is send a message. We would be more than happy to come here and speak with you whenever you need us. We can be here within an hour thanks to the Trailmon system having a stop near here," Biastamon interjected. "Until then, we will leave you to look around here. May we meet again soon."
Alastomon and Biastamon departed from there, and Takuya waited until they were out of earshot to let out a cry of excitement. "I can't believe this! After all we've done, we've finally got ourselves an actual home here in the Digital World!" he exclaimed. "As much as I like wandering from place to place, I think this is going to be a lot nicer than having to sleep in a Trailmon station or in the middle of the woods."
"I think the Trailmon station in the Continent of Darkness was nice," Hinoka countered with a smile. "Though I do have to agree that this is a step up from not having a place to sleep some nights... I think we should do all we can to take advantage of the hard work everyone has put in to repairing the fortress. It took a lot of effort from a lot of Digimon to restore this place, and I want to make sure we appreciate every ounce of it."
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Mayumi cried out, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "I want to go in there and see what the Digimon think of it! After we've looked around a little bit, maybe we can talk about everything that's happened over the last week."
"There's no maybe about it. We really need to talk about all of this," Koji pointed out, and Mayumi nodded with a loose shrug. "Let's get in there and talk to them then." With that, he started walking toward the doors, and the other Legendary Warriors followed after him without missing a beat.
Junpei took up the rear, though he wasn't the only one at the back of the pack. Yumiko wasn't far from him, though she didn't seem to be focusing on the fortress at all. Instead, she had that strange look on her face like she was only halfway paying attention, as if she was listening for something else that nobody else could hear. She nodded a few times even though no one had spoken to her in the first place, and Junpei resisted the urge to frown openly. He could ask her for more information about her odd behavior when the group came together in full inside the fortress. He was no good with talking about emotions, but maybe someone else would be able to persuade Yumiko to open up about whatever it was that had been plaguing her thoughts all day.
Bokomon, Neemon, and the reincarnations of the Celestial Three wound up being on the second floor of the fortress in the common room. They were all sitting in couches around a large table as they chattered excitedly to one another. Patamon was the first to notice the Legendary Warriors had arrived, and he jumped into the air before flying around the Warriors' heads and then settling down in Koichi's arms. "It's great to see you all again!" he chirped.
"It's nice to see you too, Patamon," Koichi smiled as he began to stroke the small orange Digimon. "I hope you and the others have been settling in well. I know this is going to be where you all live from here on out too, so I hope it's comfortable."
"This place is great!" Neemon exclaimed. "You're going to love it here. Maybe we can give you a tour after we're finished talking about everything that's happened lately."
The Legendary Warriors all shared looks at that. They knew they had unfortunate events to share with the Digimon, but none of them had thought the Digimon would have to return the favor. Junpei stepped forward with a frown to break the silence. "Has something happened in the Digital World that we weren't aware of?" he questioned even though it was already clear the answer was positive given what Neemon had said a moment prior.
Bokomon and Neemon shared a look as the Legendary Warriors settled down on the couches around the central table. Bokomon sighed when he realized he was going to have to be the one to explain before continuing. "Well... We've had a few issues as of late with Void Fragment Digimon, though I suppose that's just par for the course at this point," he explained with a shake of his head. "I don't know what we're supposed to do with so many Void Fragment attacks taking place. They've seemingly doubled since all of you came back to the Digital World, and we don't know what to do about any of it. Local militias in each region can only do so much to fend off the waves upon waves of battles that have taken place in the last few weeks."
"What a coincidence. We've been having problems with Void Fragments too," Koji snorted. When Bokomon tilted his head in confusion, Koji glanced over to Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi. "Those three can explain it better than the rest of us."
Takuya nodded. "A pair of Drimogemon managed to breach the barrier between worlds earlier this week," he explained. "They caused all sorts of problems for us, but Chihiro, Izumi, and I were able to hold them off and then send them back to the Digital World."
"But that shouldn't be possible," Lopmon frowned. "The only ones who should be able to pass through the barrier between worlds are all of you, and if you weren't the ones to who opened the gate, then..."
"Somebody else must have figured out how to do it, and we don't know where to begin in terms of figuring out who this mystery person could have been," Chihiro finished for them. "We were honestly lucky to be able to hold off the Drimogemon without too much damage being done to the city. They caused a massive earthquake though, and we don't know if something like that is going to happen again or not. It seems inevitable, but I hate the idea of the Void Fragments running wild like that again."
"The Drimogemon showing up is just one weird part of the story too," Takuya said as he nudged Izumi in the side. "Izumi had a bit of a rough day when all of that happened, and... Well... Let's just say that none of us are quite human anymore."
"But you haven't been human for a long time," Salamon pointed out. "After you Spirit Evolved for the first time, you began to adapt to being Digimon as well as humans. You're not one or the other anymore. You're somewhere in the middle, and that's just how life is for you now."
"That may be true, but the changes are becoming much more obvious nowadays," Izumi sighed. "There was an accident before the Drimogemon attack, and I cut my finger open. But... My blood wasn't red at all. It was pink."
The room went silent at that, and Bokomon blinked a few times. "Well... I don't know what I expected you to say, but it certainly wasn't that," he admitted. "You're certain it wasn't just a trick of the light, aren’t you? You know for sure that your blood was a different color from how it's supposed to be?"
"I'm sure of it," Chihiro interjected. "After Izumi said that her blood had turned pink, I decided to see if mine had changed too. Sure enough, it was brown to match the color of the Warrior of Earth. If I had to guess, this is a recent physical change that sunk in after we got back to Earth. Our blood began to change colors to match the associated color of our specific element, and now, here we are. The others haven't tested it out, but I imagine the same is true for all of them too."
"I see..." Bokomon murmured. "I suppose we're going to have to conduct a bit more investigation into the shifts your bodies have undergone since you first turned into Digimon. I realized that things had changed for all of you given how quickly you recover from injuries by human standards, but this is... This is far from anything I could have anticipated."
"I have to wonder just how much all of our bodies have changed over the last few weeks," Junpei confessed. "I mean, I somehow doubt it starts and ends at things like our blood changing colors. There has to be more to it. Not only have we Spirit Evolved countless times, but we've also fused with the Ancient Legendary Warriors. That must have left behind at least a few weird aftereffects, and we need to figure out what they are."
"We already know that I can breathe underwater indefinitely," Hinoka announced. "It was one of the first things I figured out after returning to Earth. No matter how long I stay underwater, I never need to breathe. I suppose it's because of my element of Water. It refuses to kill me because I'm the one who controls it."
"On that note... I guess we haven't been able to tell you about this yet," Mayumi remarked with a light chuckle. Everyone turned to look at her, and she rubbed at the back of her neck with a fleeting laugh that died away almost as soon as it came to be. "It was... Well... After the Drimogemon attack took place, Haroi and I were sitting on the couch and talking about it. He dropped his pen, and he reached down to grab it. When he did, he didn't feel weak at all. It was... Really strange."
"All my life, my legs have struggled because of health issues from when I was younger. I didn't have any problems when I was picking up my pen though. Walking usually tires me out, but that wasn't the case in the Digital World... At least not at first," Haroi explained, and all eyes shifted in his direction at that. "Recently, I've noticed that my legs aren't as strong in the Digital World as they once were. Meanwhile, I seem to be regaining a bit more functioning in them on Earth. I suppose that all of the traveling between realms has caused my body to decide to split the difference between being able to walk full time and not being able to walk for longer than a few minutes."
"I'm sure we'd be able to come up with some alternative for movement here in the Digital World in the meantime," Koji remarked. "If you need help, we can find some way to make it easier for you to get from place to place. You have your wheelchair back on Earth, but it hasn't ever been brought to the Digital World with us, so I suppose we'll have to find something else to use over here."
"I'm glad that it hasn't ever come over here, honestly," Haroi said with a small, weary smile. "I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to it. Wheelchairs are expensive, and the last thing I want to have to do is replace it because of a monster attack destroying it."
"We can work on that in the future then," Izumi agreed with a nod. "It's kind of unsettling to know that your body is starting to change more even all this time after our adventures in the Digital World... I suppose we're going to be facing the consequences of Spirit Evolution for quite some time, if not our whole lives."
"It wouldn't surprise me if this was simply something we had to deal with on a regular basis given all we've been through," Saki commented. "I've noticed something else as of late too, speaking of changes in our bodies. I've worn glasses and contacts my entire life, but after coming back from the Digital World, I've needed them less and less. I can see perfectly fine without them now. It took me a while to notice, but... I'm fine now."
"I never knew you wore contacts," Takuya said, his eyes going wide. "I guess you didn't have much of a choice but to leave them in here in the Digital World, huh? You didn't know when you were going to be able to get others, so..."
"It's not a good idea to leave in contacts overnight, but because of the time compression here in the Digital World, I didn't have any problems with it," Saki explained. "We were in the Digital World for a few weeks, but our bodies acted like it was only a day because we were still accustomed to Earth's clock. I suppose that's why I didn't have any issues with my contacts. Either way, speculating about it isn't going to get us anywhere. The point of all of this is that my eyes are starting to mend themselves, and I haven't done a thing about it consciously. Our bodies are still changing because of Spirit Evolution."
"Turning into Digimon bolsters your strength well beyond what it would be normally. I suppose it's natural to assume that it would begin to change the way you carry yourselves with time," Bokomon concluded before glancing over to Haroi. "And constantly jumping between realms would lead to a strange middle ground that you're not quite sure how to handle. At the end of the day, you're creatures of two universes, and your bodies are starting to change accordingly."
"We're going to have to do what we can to find out as much about all of this as possible," Junpei announced. "There's so much we still don't understand about the ways our bodies are changing, and we need to figure it out immediately." He paused at that before letting out a snort. "When I phrase it like that, it sounds like we're going through some sort of weird monster puberty, but I guess that's not necessarily a thing here in the Digital World due to the way data is reconfigured as part of the life cycle. This is a unique thing because we're part Digimon and part human. We're on our own here."
"I would be more than happy to help you put the pieces together about all of this," Bokomon chimed in. "This is a rather interesting subject matter, and you wouldn't be able to stop me from trying to learn more no matter what you said. I want to find out the truth to this puzzle as soon as possible."
"Then I suppose we have one other thing to look into now," Tomoki murmured. "Between that and the Void Fragments, we're going to be pretty busy thinking about the Digital World no matter where we are in terms of universes."
Koji winced visibly at that. "Speaking of Void Fragments, I suppose Saki, Junpei, and I should tell you all about the other thing that happened this week," he said. Everyone turned to face him at that, and Koji sighed. "There was an attempted Void Fragment attack on Earth a few days ago. Well, it never actually got to Earth, but… Saki, Junpei, and I came here to the Digital World to test out the newer version of the portal and to make sure the communication program on our D-Tectors worked. When we got here, we found a few Digimon preparing to bridge the gap between realms to head back to Earth. They had a rift open and everything. We were able to fend them off, but they were seconds away from entering a portal and wreaking havoc back home."
"If you ask me, it's more likely for there to be one specific person behind all of this than for the Void Fragments to give Digimon the ability to move between worlds," Lopmon interjected. "Void Fragments boost a Digimon's strength, yes, but I don't think the increase in power is enough to bridge the gap between two different universes. That seems like a little bit too much."
"In other words, you believe there's a mastermind behind all of this that we need to expose," Mayumi concluded, and Lopmon nodded. "I guess that would make sense... It's a shame we have no idea who it could possibly be. We need to catch them and bring them to justice as soon as possible if this is the case."
"We'll get there eventually. Alastomon and Biastamon are continuing to conduct investigations into the Void Fragments, and they're going to be able to tell us everything we need to know soon enough. I'm sure of it," Patamon declared. "I have complete confidence they’ll be able to find out everything we've been missing up to this point."
"Until then, I suppose all we can do is try to search for more information on our own. That's going to be much easier now that we have the ability to move between worlds freely," Saki said. "We can come to the Digital World individually or in small groups whenever we want to try and search for the truth. We can still coordinate big group visits like this, but I think we should take advantage of the newer version of the portal to come here as frequently as we can."
"Speaking of trying to find information, you guys still don't know about the worst part of this train wreck of a week," Chihiro told the Digimon guides. All of the Digimon shared anxious glances with one another as Chihiro reared their head back and laughed bitterly to the ceiling. "Oh, this is fucking rich. Void Fragment attacks are bad, but you know what's worse? There are people on Earth who know about the Digital World and are starting to put the pieces together about all of this, and if we get unlucky, it's going to lead right back to us no matter what we do."
Bokomon's eyes just about popped out of his head, and Neemon opened his eyes for the first time the entire day. "What?!" Neemon yelped. "There are other humans who know about the Digital World?! That's not supposed to happen!"
"It's, to put it simply, a really bad situation," Koji confirmed with a nod. "A few kids at our school have started digging. They were on one of the trains that led here when Ophanimon first sent out her distress signal, and even if they didn't get the opportunity to leave the Trailmon they were on, they still saw more than enough to start figuring things out."
"I wasn't the only one on the train that brought me here to the Digital World. The Trailmon let me off and no one else, presumably because I was the only person with a D-Tector, but there were other people on the train, and they saw a lot more than they should have," Chihiro sighed. "They saw me transform into Aeoelmon for the first time when Cherubimon possessed me upon my arrival. I ran off, but they had already seen enough. They said their phones weren't working here too, so there's no doubt about it. They were in the Digital World, and they saw too much about me."
"The people who fought off the Digimon attack were Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro... Well, it was actually Vritramon, Zephyrmon, and Aeoelmon, but you know what I mean," Tomoki chimed in. "A bunch of people caught them on camera and video while they were fighting off the Drimogemon... It was a lot to hear about on the news, and it's a lot for us to process even now."
"There are four people at school who have been trying to learn more about the Digital World ever since they went there for the first time when Ophanimon's distress signal went off, and they're sure there are other people on Earth who can turn into Digimon. They're determined to figure out who these monster people are and talk to them about all of this, citing it as the greatest conspiracy our world has known in decades," Koji sighed. He shook his head before letting one hand come up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "They've been running into trouble though, and I'm choosing to take that as a victory on our end."
"It almost seems to me as if there's someone out there who's actively trying to erase the Digital World from any online files or forums," Haroi frowned. "That was something you mentioned they had said, right? They were trying to learn more, but it seemed as if a lot of the information was disappearing right whenever they could get close to it... That certainly makes it sound like there's someone out there who's trying to conceal everything before they can get too close to it."
"Before anyone can get too close to it, I would assume," Hinoka remarked. "Though I don't know how this could be possible... Maybe the Digital World has an innate ability to erase information about it that surfaces on Earth. I don't think it's too likely, but the other option is that someone high up on the ladder knows about the Digital World and is determined to keep its existence a secret. I don't know how to feel about that idea specifically, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I don't like it."
"Those four aren't going to just stop no matter what we do to try and get in their way," Takuya sighed. "I've known Katsuharu and Teruo for years now, and they're very stubborn when they want to be. It's admirable when they're soccer players, but it's more frustrating than anything else when it comes to something like this."
"Who would have thought they would try to go so far as to uncover the truth behind the Digital World?" Izumi murmured with a shake of her head. "None of us could have seen this coming, and I don't think we ever imagined we would meet other people who still thought about Ophanimon's distress signal over a month later. Barely anybody was talking about it when we first got back."
"And if you ask me, that's probably the result of some kind of cover job," Junpei chimed in. "If there really is somebody who's trying to keep all of this brushed under the rug, then they would want to start off by keeping the phone calls buried. If people started to link that to something out of the ordinary, then there would be a lot more people asking questions than four amateur sleuths in a high school, and that would be way more trouble than it's worth."
"I feel like we're going to have to step carefully no matter what we do next," Tomoki murmured. "We're in a really bad position right now, and we need to try and keep our secrets as close to our chests as possible. It wasn't going to be a problem before, but with the Void Fragments starting to break through the barrier between worlds... We're going to have to jump into action to help people if they're in danger, and that could mean people digging into the private affairs of the monsters that save their lives."
"If we keep ourselves separated enough from everything that happened, maybe we'll be alright," Koichi offered, though anyone could see the anxiety in his eyes. "I don't know what to think about any of this, but we should try to take it one step at a time instead of letting our anxiety get too far ahead of us. That's just going to lead to disaster, and we deserve better than to get so worked up over all that's on our minds."
"I agree," Mayumi said with a nod. "We do have a lot to consider right now, yes, but I don't think we should let all of this bother us too much more than it already has. The last thing we need is to get too caught up in this to the point that we can't do anything to defend ourselves or fight off the Void Fragments when they inevitably come back. We're going to be alright as long as we take everything one day at a time. We're going to be fine eventually."
"Eventually," Saki murmured with a shake of their head. "We're going to have to stay on our toes, and none of us should answer any questions about everything that's been happening recently. Do all you can to keep up the act before all of this comes crumbling down with us still trapped at the bottom of the pile."
Bokomon stared down at the ground for a long moment in the silence that followed Saki's final instruction, and he nodded to himself after he had thought through everything once more. "Alright... I believe perhaps there's one other thing we should try to accomplish soon," he declared, and everyone glanced over in his direction with curiosity in their eyes. "The Void Fragments are becoming an issue even across different universes. I believe that means we should try to do all we can to make communication between these realms easier."
"In other words, you want me to figure out a way for us to be able to talk between Earth and the Digital World without the need to cross through the portal," Junpei concluded, and Bokomon nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. We're not going to be able to hear about anything going on in the Digital World as long as we're on Earth. We need to tread carefully in order to make sure no other Void Fragment Digimon wreak too much havoc. We're not going to be able to stop them all even if we come to the Digital World full time, but we can try to mitigate the damage and keep Earth out of the line of fire."
"The Digital World is still recovering from the war against Cherubimon too, so we're going to need to do all we can to keep the people here safe too," Saki pointed out. "We're not going to be able to stretch ourselves too thin if we want to get anything done, but... Whoever is behind all of this clearly means to drive us into the ground and then take advantage of the chaos to see their desires made real. They're certainly doing well in terms of overwhelming us so far, to say the least."
"Alastomon and Biastamon are still trying to figure out who could be behind the Void Fragment attacks, but they haven't found anything that could help them out yet," Salamon said. "It's hard to find evidence of the attacks since the Void Fragments go away as soon as the fight is over, and you can't really search every nook and cranny of the Digital World when the planet is still trying to recover from everything that happened while Lucemon and Cherubimon were still alive... We're just going to have to be patient even though that's not going to get anything done."
"At the very least, all of us can come here more often with the new developments to the portal," Koji declared before looking over in Saki's direction. "Saki should be able to engineer the portal so that it sends us here each time we cross over the barrier. They've previously been trying to set it to the closest drop-in location to all of you, but it would be much more efficient if we had one specific place to come and go from."
"I'll take care of it when we return to Earth," Saki assured him. "I can try to set up something over here so that we can open the portal from within the fortress. I know that activating the portal from where we crossed over has worked up to this point, but it never hurts to have options."
"There are all sorts of electronics over here that you could repurpose," Bokomon interjected. "The Digital World thrives off devices like that, and if you asked for help with finding something that would work, I'm sure we would be able to figure out a solution easily enough. We'll have a secondary version of the portal up and running here in no time, and maybe we can use that as a way to kick off our communication through the rift."
"And so our next project is decided then," Junpei declared with a nod. "I guess I shouldn't have jumped the gun to think that we would be done with our work so easily, but it's fine with me. I'm always looking for some new project to work on, and this seems like a perfect way of passing the time... Well, all of this and getting the D-Tectors up and running on Earth so we can all communicate over there even if our phones are compromised."
"For all this chaos, I suppose we do have a plan for how to take care of it," Chihiro murmured, and Junpei nodded once more. "That's... Really good to hear. I was starting to worry that we were going to be miserable and shuffling through all of this until we could find out what was going on with the Void Fragments, but I suppose not. I'm glad that we're finally starting to get a better picture of what to do next even if there are still a million questions out there that we still don't understand."
"We'll figure it out eventually. We managed to win two wars the last time we were here, and we were all able to come out stronger on the other side. If you ask me, that's a sign that we're capable of a lot more than we've given ourselves credit for, and it all continues with us winning this next fight too," Takuya grinned, and everyone else's faces seemed to brighten in response. Takuya had always been a natural at cheering people up, and it seemed today was hardly an exception.
No, that wasn't entirely true. There was still one person whose smile was false and uncertain, and Junpei didn't even have to look over to Yumiko to know that her eyes would show that her heart wasn't in it. Tomoki seemed to notice as well, and he nudged her gently in the side from his place beside her. "Hey... Are you alright?" he asked, and all eyes immediately shifted in his direction. "You've been so quiet all day, and... You're not acting like yourself. Do you want to talk about it?"
Yumiko looked like a deer caught in headlights for a long moment, and she hesitated before staring down at her feet once more. "I... There's something I need to tell all of you, but I'm not entirely sure how I'm meant to phrase it," she admitted. "I wish I knew how to make this easy, but..."
"You're scaring me," Chihiro frowned. "What is it that you're so scared of talking about with us? We've been through all sorts of hells up to this point, and I feel like we're going to find a way to work it out no matter how much it sucks. That's what we just talked about, right?"
Yumiko thought about her words before nodding. "Yes, that is true, but... This is a lot to take in for anyone, and it applies to everybody in this room," she went on. She took in a careful breath before letting it out once more through her nostrils. "I know this isn't going to be an easy thing to hear, but we don't really have much of a choice in the matter. You all need to hear what I'm about to say, and... I just hope you're ready to listen."
Junpei's heart skipped a beat before he could stop it, and anxiety began to rear its ugly head in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea what to make of all this, and beyond that, he didn't know how to respond to her cagey behavior from throughout the day. There was clearly something wrong, and he had no idea how to face it. Junpei had been improving as far as understanding matters of the heart, but he still had no clue what to do with this when someone was being so evasive. He could only hope that whatever Yumiko was about to say didn't shake him too much, not when there was already so much stress constantly buzzing in the back of his mind.
"We're going to have to hear it eventually, aren't we?" Hinoka pointed out, and Koichi nodded his agreement. "I think it would be for the best for us to just hear what it is that's going on and think about the consequences later. No matter what, we'll be able to face it together, right? That's what matters most right now even if we have no idea what to do with all of it."
Yumiko nodded after a few moments of contemplation. "Yes... You're right," she murmured. She once again sighed carefully and deliberately before pulling her shoulders back in a show of silent confidence. "I've learned something incredible about who we are as Legendary Warriors, and I know for a fact that all of you are going to need to hear this as well. After all... You've been hearing them too, haven't you? voices that sound like you but not quite?"
Junpei froze. Of all the subjects Yumiko could have breached, he hadn't anticipated that being the one she would choose. He knew his silence was telling though, and the same applied to everyone else in the room. This was something that influenced each of them even if they had no idea how to admit it.
"That's what I thought," Yumiko continued after a few seconds of silence. Junpei swallowed anxiously as Yumiko braced herself to continue, her anxiety palpable enough that it felt suffocating.
Junpei had no idea where this was going, but he would figure it out soon enough... Whether he wanted to or not.
Notes:
I've been really looking forward to this chapter, and now that it's finally here... Wow. Yeah. It was everything I was hoping it would be.
The main star of this chapter is the opening with Yumiko. This is something I've been planning longer than I knew there would be a sequel for this universe at all. If anyone follows me over on Tumblr, they might know about the Spirit Fuse AU post I made last year. Well, spoiler alert, everyone: it wasn't just an AU. All of the Legendary Warriors really do have the echoes of their other forms living within them, and Yumiko was the first one to introduce the concept to us. Here's the truth behind the italicized text, everyone.
I love this scene so much because of how personal it is to me. For the uninformed (in other words, anybody who doesn't follow me on other social media), I'm part of a plural system too. Well, I say 'I', but this story has been penned by many members of our collective up to this point as a joint effort. I wanted the characters to reflect our reality, so here we are. We're going to learn more about all of the echoes of the Legendary Warriors in time, but for now, you get a bit of information about Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir.
As for the rest of the chapter, I feel like it speaks for itself. The remainder of the chapter was mostly a team meeting about everything that's happened over the last few chapters, and wow, I'm realizing just how much I've put this cast through lately. They deserve a break, you know, before things can get any worse, and we all know they will. Since the group was able to sit down and talk for a while though, we were able to open up quite a few avenues of investigation. This story has a lot more mystery elements to it than the previous one, and there's a lot more in terms of plot for us to unravel. I'm looking forward to showing you all where it's going to take us from here.
With that, I'm going to end things off here. Next week, we'll dive into the aftermath of Yumiko's conversation with her teammates about her recent discoveries. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 11: Fortresses of the Heart
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors grapple with Yumiko's revelation about the echoes in their minds.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 8/8/22
Edit Release: 8/31/24
Trigger warning for depictions of panic attacks and minor self-harm near the end of the chapter. Take care of yourselves, everyone.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"...And that's everything I was able to hear from them."
Takuya had slouched forward in his place on the couch as he stared at Yumiko with wide, quizzical eyes. He didn't know what he was expecting to hear from her about all she had uncovered as of late, but this certainly wasn't anything on his radar. On one hand, it made sense. The idea that all of them had voices in their heads to echo their Spirit Evolved forms felt like a final piece of a puzzle slotting in and finding a home at long last, giving them a view of the full picture at long last. On the other hand, Takuya couldn't believe that this truly was his reality. He had gotten used to transforming into a Digimon, but he wasn't anywhere near as accustomed to hearing voices inside of his mind. In fact, he had spent the better part of the last few weeks trying to ignore them. He hadn’t imagined that listening to them would be the best option, much less that one of his friends would suggest it with such confidence and experience.
"So... This is something that's been influencing all of you too?" Izumi questioned, her eyes wide as could be. When she was met with a few slow, uncertain nods, she let out a sigh of relief and pressed one hand to her chest. "I'm glad to hear that... I was worried that I was the only one who was going through all of this... I've been hearing small echoes in my head ever since we got back, though they've been growing in frequency as the weeks have gone by."
"The Spirits are getting used to living in our bodies after our fusion with the Ancient Warriors," Koji concluded softly. "I didn't think it was going to lead to all of this. Honestly, I thought I was starting to lose my mind. What else would you think could be the cause for randomly hearing voices like that out of the blue?"
"I was tired of just sitting there feeling helpless about it all, so I knew I had to ask them about the truth," Yumiko declared. "And... All of them have been really nice and understanding so far. Fiore can be a bit spacey at times, but she cares for all of us and wants to be happy. Calanthe doesn't talk much, but I can see how good her intentions are just the same. Lyseir is a lot like a general would be in the middle of a war, and it makes a lot of sense. They're fragments of me the same way they're pieces of the Ancient Legendary Warrior of Wood. Together, we make... The Warrior of Wood. We're not complete without one another, and that's been the case forever."
"I thought there was something different after we got back, but I didn't think this was going to be it," Mayumi confessed with a small laugh. "I've been hearing those voices too, though I guess they're a bit different for me. It's just like you said; they sound like you, but they're just barely different enough for you to know there's something going on."
"When you get used to hearing your own voice all the time, you would pick up on all of the small inflection changes... That's how we knew it wasn't quite us we were hearing," Haroi murmured. "It's nice to know the truth now though. Something tells me we're going to want to make contact with all of them if we want to press forward."
"Yeah... I guess we will need to talk to them," Takuya admitted with a nod. He continued to stare down at the floor in front of his feet, uncertain as to how he was meant to feel about all of this. He was still reeling from the revelation even though he knew this had to be the truth. There was no way this was false given how perfectly everything lined up. At the same time, this wasn't what he had asked for nor was it anywhere close to what he was expecting. He had no idea what his expectations had been, but this was something completely different from his regular train of thought.
"It's about time you finally learned about us."
"I was starting to think you were never going to figure it out."
"Of course he was going to uncover the truth eventually. It just took a bit longer than we thought it would."
Takuya closed his eyes before he could fully stop himself, and when his vision returned again a few moments later, he was no longer in the fortress the Legendary Warriors had made their own. Instead, he was inside of his own mind, and he was able to identify it without missing a beat. His surroundings were black at first, but soon enough, everything began to come together as flames flooded his vision. Takuya struggled to keep himself upright with the sudden change in scenery, but he somehow managed to maintain his footing by some stroke of a miracle.
A few moments later, three silhouettes came into view. They were completely unaffected by the fire that surrounded them, and Takuya could already see why easily. Aguni, Vritra, and Alda were the embodiment of fire the same way Takuya was. They wouldn't be hurt by their surroundings no matter how hot it got.
"It's nice to finally see you in our little domain, Takuya," Aguni grinned, and Takuya recognized him as the most boisterous and bold of the voices he had heard over the course of the last few weeks. Aguni was loud and seemingly the most talkative of the bunch, and everything about him was the embodiment of endless confidence and belief in himself. Nothing could hold him back, and he liked it that way.
"This is... What exactly?" Takuya questioned, recovering from his shock much sooner than he originally expected. Then again, he supposed it helped that he knew what he was going to be met with when he closed his eyes. He hadn't realized he would be sucked into a void of flame specifically, but he knew that was how he could communicate with the other Warriors in his body more directly. This was all still new to him, but that much came to him like instinct the same way fighting did when he was Spirit Evolved.
"Your headspace," Alda replied. He was much more stoic than Aguni, but he exuded confidence all the same. Much like with Lyseir, he resembled a battle hardened general, and Takuya could only assume Alda had the most in common with how the Ancient Warrior of Fire had acted during the war against Lucemon so long ago. "This is where you can communicate with all of us freely. We can talk to you during the day, yes, but this makes it much easier for us to talk to one another."
Takuya nodded his understanding as Vritra glanced him over with impossible to read eyes. Takuya wasn't quite sure how to describe Vritra, but the first word that came to mind was insecure, like he was constantly afraid of facing backlash. Given how unstable Takuya had been when he first Spirit Evolved to become Vritramon, that made sense in a twisted way Takuya hated having to think about. "This is also where you'll go if you decide to give control of our body over to one of us," Vritra explained. "We could probably all control our body at the same time if we wanted to, but it would take a lot of communication, and I don't think we're there yet."
"You can take control of my body?" Takuya questioned, his eyes shooting wide open. There was another thing he hadn't expected to hear today, though he supposed that list was just getting longer as the minutes crawled by. Of course he was finding more that he hadn't been anticipating given the circumstances. He should have seen that coming after Yumiko began to explain everything she knew.
Alda nodded. "Yes, we can... Though it's our body now," he corrected. "If you Spirit Evolved to become one of our Digimon forms now, you would probably cede control at least in part to whoever you merged the body with. For example, if you became Aldamon, the two of us would probably share control of the body. It's easy for us to share the body when we're a Digimon since that's what most of us are used to, but human affairs... That's a bit more challenging."
Takuya nodded slowly at that, but he wasn't able to say much more than that before Vritra cut him off. "I think maybe we should try to talk about all of this after you're done with the other Legendary Warriors," he suggested. "I don't want you to dissociate all of your time away when it's so hard for you to meet up and go to the Digital World these days..."
Takuya's mind seemed to snap back to reality at that, and he nodded his agreement. "Yes, you're right," he agreed. "Thank you for introducing yourselves though. I hope we can get to know each other a bit better in the future. And... Uh... Welcome to our body, I guess?" He let out an awkward laugh at that, not entirely certain as to how he was meant to respond to all of this. It was definitely going to be a learning process for all of them, but Takuya knew it would take him the longest to get used to it.
"We've been here for weeks, but we accept," Alda told him with a nod. He offered a fleeting wave just as Takuya closed his eyes once more, and the void of flames melted away along with the trio of Digimon. Everything seemed to spin in a brief, disorienting way before Takuya forced his eyes open all over again.
This time, Takuya was back in the fortress, and the other Legendary Warriors were still talking around him. He wasn't sure if he was the only one who had spaced out, but when Takuya glanced up and saw Neemon staring right at him, he knew that at least somebody had noticed his focus disappear. He smiled nervously at Neemon, and the Digimon simply grinned in return with a wave, almost as if he was letting Takuya know for sure he was back in the world he was used to. For a reason Takuya couldn’t find the words to describe, it brought him vast waves of relief.
"I'm glad to hear all of you have been having similar experiences to what I found in myself from Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir," Yumiko was saying when Takuya brought himself back to reality. "I sort of saw it happening when I watched you sometimes... Like you would try to listen to something nobody else could hear. It was always a small shift, but since I could see it in myself, it was pretty obvious. I knew exactly what to look for, and... It was relieving to know I wasn't the only one even if you didn't realize what was happening yet."
Izumi nodded. "I've been hearing those murmurs for a while now, and..." She paused at that, her eyes going wide. "God. I think I just figured it out."
"What are you talking about?" Chihiro questioned, raising a confused eyebrow in her direction. Izumi didn't respond for a few more moments, so they frowned at her lightly. "You can't just say something like that and not elaborate."
"I finally understand what happened the day of the Drimogemon attack," Izumi explained after a couple more beats of silence. "I think I had a panic attack when the ground started shaking, and I melted to the ground. There was this voice in the back of my mind, and she told me to calm down and to step back. I don't know what happened afterwards, but I felt like I was watching myself do things without any actual influence over my actions. It just... I don't know how to describe it. At the time, I thought it was me, but... Now, I don't think it was."
"It must have been Zephyr," Takuya cut in, and Izumi glanced over to him with a frown of her own. "You turned into Zephyrmon after all of that, and I think it's strange you opted for Zephyrmon specifically above any other form. I mean, I would expect your first pick to either be Kazemon, the easiest one to transform into, or Aeromon, the strongest of your Spirit Evolutions. Why pick Zephyrmon specifically?"
"Because she was the one who told you to calm down," Chihiro finished, their eyes going wide with surprise. "You said before that you felt a wave of calm before you left your home, and that was when you took off for the fight. After the battle, you went right back to being a bundle of nerves since Zephyr was no longer in control."
"I think we should all try to reach out to our other sides," Koichi announced. "We're going to be sharing our bodies with them from now on, so it's important that we all get along... I really never thought I would be saying something like that, but I suppose it's nice enough to just know that we're not going at this alone."
"You know, I have to wonder if perhaps Miriamon would be able to help you all to find peace internally with all of these new revelations," Bokomon suggested, and all eyes shifted in his direction at that. "She's the Arbiter of Souls. She was the one who created the Spirits in the first place. I doubt she expected all of this would happen, but… She would certainly know more about all of this if we went to talk to her about it."
"Didn't she say before that she felt echoes of the Ancient Warriors inside of all of you?" Lopmon questioned, and Takuya nodded as the memory resurfaced. "In that case, she probably knew something like this was happening, at least to some degree. It wouldn't hurt to approach her and see what you can learn from her about it all, right?"
"I suppose we've got a plan for the next time we come to the Digital World then," Saki nodded, something almost hesitant in their eyes. "The next opportunity we get to cross over the barrier, we can go and talk to her. For now, I think we should focus on what we have right now. We understand the truth of our circumstances now, and that's certainly quite the revelation to grapple with."
"It would be rude for us to barge onto Rubrum without any warning to begin with," Bokomon pointed out, and Takuya hummed his agreement. "I'll reach out to her and try to plan an audience for when you can all return to the Digital World next. Do you have any ideas about when that's going to be?"
"If I had to guess, I would say Sunday of next week," Junpei replied. "That seems to be the main day that works for all of us since our schedules are so different. I suppose that's what we get for trying to work things out so all twelve of us can come to the Digital World at the same time for these larger meetings."
"I'll talk to her about next Sunday then," Bokomon confirmed with a nod. "For the time being, perhaps we could use our time differently." He gestured to the fort around them, and Takuya's eyes went wide with wonder. He had gotten so distracted with everything the group had discussed up to that point that he had completely forgotten where they were. This was their fortress, not just some random meeting spot, and they needed to learn as much about it as they could. After all, it was as good as their home in the Digital World.
"Bokomon's right! We would love to give you all a tour of this place," Salamon smiled. "There's a lot of space here, and there are even enough rooms for each of you to have your own designated place when you come to the Digital World. Most of the individual rooms are on one of three floors in the east wing, and you can all decide where you want to be with the rest of us."
"All of us have already decided where we're going to be staying, though we haven't spent all that much time in our rooms yet," Patamon confessed with a small smile. "Salamon, Lopmon, and I all have a room, and Bokomon and Neemon share another one. Still, the rooms are pretty big, so we tend to just spend all our time together since it can get a bit lonely sometimes."
"I'd love to see what you've done with the place so far," Takuya smiled as he pressed his hands against his knees and rose to his feet. "I think we've had enough serious talk for one day, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the fortress has to offer. We deserve a break from all of that gloom and doom."
"After the tour, we should probably head back to make sure nobody realizes we're gone," Junpei declared. "As much as I would love to stay here for the rest of the day and into the night, I know better than to tempt fate. We have no idea when my parents are going to be returning to the house, and I don't want to put us at risk by spending too much time talking."
"I hope you're able to come here without any time restrictions one day," Lopmon murmured. "I know we can't exactly pull you away from your home on Earth for as long as we once could, but it would be nice for you to be able to stay here for longer than a few hours."
"We'll have to see about doing something a bit different in the future. All of us would like that too," Yumiko agreed with a nod. "We've got school to worry about now, and we're not going to have as much free time until the next school break comes around, but I'd be happy to see what we can do to come and visit you a bit more frequently."
"Now that we've got the newer version of the portal up and running, we can at least come in small groups. I can't guarantee we'll all be able to come and visit all the time, but it's a step in the right direction," Saki went on. "I'll try to get something set up here too, though I guess it's going to be a bit different to engineer the portal from this side of the barrier... I don't have anything to complain about though. It gives me something else to do, and if it keeps me feeling productive, it’s fine by me."
"For now, maybe we should focus on the time we have at the moment," Hinoka suggested. "We're still in the Digital World, and we have a fort to explore. I'd love to see everything else that was set up here for us, and I'm looking forward to working out rooming arrangements as well."
"Lead the way, you guys," Chihiro told the Digimon as they stretched their arms above their head. Patamon and Salamon shared a smile before they took off towards the hallway, unable to hold back their grins or their joy. It was a lovely sight, and it was just what the Legendary Warriors needed after their dismal and solemn conversation earlier.
If only this peace was slated to last. As long as the Void Fragments had anything to say about it though, the Legendary Warriors had to know better than to be swept up in the splendor for too long.
~~~~~
Junpei was the first one to touch down on the other side of the portal, and he let out a hefty sigh as his eyes adjusted to the dizzying sensation of going through the gate. It was still a work in progress to get himself used to constantly traveling between worlds, but he would get there eventually. For the time being, he simply blinked and walked over to the bed to sit down as the other Warriors came streaming in from the gateway.
All things considered, that had been a successful visit. The Legendary Warriors were given a tour of the fortress after they were finished speaking about the darkest parts of the last week, and it was exactly the levity all of them had needed. Bokomon, Neemon, and the reincarnations of the Celestial Three were more than happy to show them all the amenities the fort had to offer, including rooms for all of them as was previously stated. There was a kitchen on the ground floor as well, and one room on the top floor had a holographic map of the Digital World meant to be used as a strategist's chamber for when they needed to plan out fights. The tallest towers of the fortress still showed the building's initial purpose as a cornerstone of war, and they were prepared to defend from all manner of attacks seamlessly. It was like they had stepped into a palace, though this structure certainly fit their roles as Legendary Warriors much better than the castles owned by the political leaders of the Digital World both in the past and present.
In the end, the Legendary Warriors decided they would talk things over a bit more before deciding on who would get what room. Junpei didn't know how much time they would be spending in the Digital World overnight, but it was still nice to know they had a place to stay if they ever needed to linger in the other realm in the hours of the twilight. It was certainly a considerable step above the ground or miscellaneous abandoned buildings they had been forced to make their abode for the night during their previous adventures.
For the time being, the only thing they knew firmly was that Bokomon and Neemon's room was on the third floor while Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon shared a space on the second floor. The rooms to choose from were on floors two, three, and four of the fortress out of a total five, and there were five rooms on each floor as well. In the end, there would be one left over, though Junpei knew that was fine. A guest room wouldn't hurt even if they were staying in a massive fortress built for military purposes. Maybe Miriamon would be willing to come and stay with them every once in a while if she could be persuaded to leave Rubrum behind.
Speaking of Miriamon, the group's plan to visit her was set in stone now. Bokomon was going to reach out to her as soon as he could, and the party would return to Rubrum in a week to speak with her about what was taking place inside of their minds and bodies. Junpei could only hope she would be able to answer a few of their questions. He hadn't spoken to Blitz, Bolg, or Thundra much yet, but he could only hope there were no issues between the four of them. Having outside experience from someone who knew the Ancient Warriors personally could certainly help to smooth things over for all of them, and Junpei was looking forward to it.
Until then though, the Legendary Warriors had to go back to their regular lives on Earth. It always felt strange to Junpei to come back to Earth after spending some time in the Digital World, almost as if he was stepping backwards because of the way his life had to be structured. He was left stranded between two realms, and he didn't have the slightest idea as to how he was meant to handle it. He wanted to return to the Digital World even though he knew he had no choice but to stay on Earth for the time being. Such was the way of being a Legendary Warrior, he supposed, whether he wanted it to be that way or not.
Mayumi was the last one to step out of the portal, and she nearly stumbled into the nearby wall as she tried to catch her balance. She let out a small laugh and began to rub at the back of her neck nervously. "Uh... Oops," she said softly. "I guess I still need to get used to that a bit more."
Haroi smiled to her before looking up to the rest of the Legendary Warriors. He had settled back into his wheelchair since arriving back on Earth, and he seemed much more comfortable sitting somewhere familiar again. "What's our plan for next week?" he questioned. "I think it would be for the best if we could work out as much as possible before we part ways for the day."
"First and foremost, I think we need another place to go to the Digital World," Saki frowned. "To be more specific, I think we need a jumping point where we're not going to get caught for not being where other people think we should be. Our time was restricted today the same way it was when we were using a portal at the school: because we didn't want to get caught. We've freed up our access to the portal, and we should take advantage of that by traveling to the Digital World from a place that's unlikely to wind up selling us out later on."
Silence fell over the Legendary Warriors at that, and Koichi let out a small sigh. "I suppose you make a good point," he murmured. "We don't want to constantly feel paranoid about being caught while we're in the Digital World, but I don't know where we could go to offset that concern. We can't just jump into the Digital World from anywhere if we're trying to keep from being found."
For a few more beats, the teens were all quiet, simply glancing between each other with concern in their eyes as they waited for someone to speak up. "Um... How about my house?" Hinoka eventually suggested carefully, seemingly hesitating just at the idea of proposing it. "It's not much, but it might be the best option we have."
"Do you think it would be safe for us to go to the Digital World from there?" Koji asked uncertainly. "Going there from a house is what's causing this problem for us to begin with. I don't want to move it somewhere else that's still going to be a problem for us."
"We don't need to worry about anyone from my house finding us, if that's what you're thinking about," Hinoka assured him. "My mother spends a lot of her time in her room. She works in there, and she doesn't leave all that often. There are some days where I don't see her at all, as a matter of fact. She probably doesn't even notice I'm there half the time, so... If we want to head to the Digital World from there, it wouldn't be a bad place for us to consider."
Junpei resisted the urge to wince at Hinoka's descriptions of her mother, and his heartstrings pulled in anguish over everything the Warrior of Water had to go through. However, he did his best to bite it back since Hinoka seemed embarrassed enough about discussing her mother as it was, and he didn't want to do anything to contribute to her grief. Instead, he simply nodded along. "If you're okay with hosting our future group meetings there, that sounds fine with me," he agreed.
"That's more than fine with me," Hinoka assured him with a nod and a small, weary smile. "In fact, it would probably be nice to get a bit more in that house than just constant quiet. I could use the noise every once in a while." She said it with a smile on her face and in her voice, but Junpei could still feel the grief and suffering behind her words. He swallowed dryly, wishing he knew what to say, but he didn't think there was anything he could say to begin with. The damage had already been done, and he couldn't fix all that Hinoka's mother had done so many years later. Not even Hinoka’s mother seemed to want to fix it, and Junpei didn’t think it would have been enough even if she did.
"In that case, I suppose we have a plan for the next time we meet up," Koji agreed with a nod. "For now, we should disperse for the day. I feel like it's just a matter of time before our families start to ask where we are, and... We've all got a lot to think about."
That was certainly one way of putting it, though Junpei couldn't think of any better way to phrase it. There was a lot for them to consider given the events of the day, and most of it came down to the echoes within all of their minds. They had come to understand a lot about themselves in the last few hours, and they more than needed a few hours to let it all sink in before formulating proper responses to the other Legendary Warriors living on inside of them. That didn't even factor in the string of tragedies that made up the past week. In other words, all of them were going to be lost in their own thoughts for quite a while, assuming they weren't gone from the world for the rest of the day.
"We'll see each other again in a week then," Takuya declared with a smile so bright it could block out the sun if he so desired. He was certainly taking all of this well, and Junpei had to admit that he admired Takuya's enthusiasm. He didn't know how he was supposed to face this, but he was glad Takuya's eternal smile was still there as a rock through it all. Everyone needed a bit of certainty in troubling times, after all, and Takuya had always been a perfect source of hope and optimism.
Soon after Takuya's announcement, the Legendary Warriors began to stream out of Junpei's home, and he waved them all off with a smile on his face. His parents still weren't back, but he knew it was just going to be a matter of minutes before they returned. The Legendary Warriors had come back to Earth within half an hour of his parents’ predicted arrival time, and Junpei sighed with relief at how perfect the timing was. He didn't know what excuse he would have had to come up with if his parents had returned without finding them there only for them to randomly manifest soon afterward, but he didn't want to think about it.
After all, he already had a lot to consider as it was. As Junpei closed the door to the Shibayama home, he let out a hefty sigh and began to retreat to his room. He wasn't exactly experienced in communicating with the voices inside his head, but he assumed he needed a bit of peace and quiet for it. With his parents gone, his house was the perfect place for him to test the waters. What better place was there for him to try and make contact than the place he enjoyed the most?
Well, the place on Earth he enjoyed the most.
It was surprisingly easy for Junpei to collapse on his bed and close his eyes once he had pulled the door shut. He hadn't realized just how tired he was until his face hit the pillow, but now, he couldn't seem to bring himself to sit up again. Then again, he supposed that was fine. What use did he have for verticality when he was going to be spending the next few minutes talking to the voices in his head?
God, the more he said it, the more ridiculous it sounded. He couldn't believe this was his life.
"That was rude. Also, come in here already."
Junpei let out a strangled yelp at the intrusion of the voice that sounded so much like his own but just barely didn't seem to fit beneath the umbrella of his name. He allowed the darkness around him to change, and yellow thunder flooded into the void that had previously surrounded him. Junpei could do nothing but stare for a long moment, unsure as to what was happening. This was certainly a new experience, though he supposed it was just one of many since he had already learned there were other creatures living inside his body and mind earlier that day. What was one more weird occurrence for the list?
Once all of the pieces had come together regarding this strange new locale, Junpei was met with the silhouettes of Blitzmon, Bolgmon, and Thundramon. They didn't go by those names here though, did they? Instead, they cut off the 'mon' suffix as Yumiko had previously explained. There was no need for a file extension as long as they were phantoms in the back of someone's head. It was certainly going to be an adjustment, though Junpei supposed it would help to make a distinction between his Spirit evolved forms and the others who occupied his body. It was best to draw the line in the sand sooner rather than later.
"So, uh... Hi," Junpei began, immediately kicking himself for being so awkward. He shouldn't have expected anything else given the fact that he had always floundered in social settings, but it still felt like he was making a fool of himself. Then again, maybe the voices in his head wouldn't mind it so much as long as they were used to his bullshit. They had to be used to him by now, right?
Yeah, this was certainly going to need an adjustment period. Maybe he would stop talking about it so cynically once he got used to it.
Blitz smiled as he took a step forward, and Junpei could immediately tell he was the most talkative of the bunch. Even though he didn't have a mouth to visible smile with, the grin was still clear as could be in his eyes, and Junpei had to admit that he found it rather welcoming. "It's nice to see you here at long last," he declared. "It's great to know we can finally get to know each other now."
"I was honestly worried you were never going to figure it out," Bolg confessed. His demeanor was radically different from Blitz and Thundra, and Junpei found it beyond jarring. Even though Bolg said nothing on the subject, Junpei was certain deep in the pit of his stomach that he despised instability and insecurity above all else. What a coincidence; maybe they had more in common than Junpei could have ever expected. "Though I suppose late is better than never."
"In all fairness, we probably should have tried harder to let you know that we were here and real," Thundra pointed out with a loose shrug. "Then again, I guess we have no way of saying for sure how something like that would have gone over... You might have just thought you were losing your mind if we brought it up by saying that we were other creatures that live in your brain."
"Yeah, I totally would have thought you were pulling my leg," Junpei confirmed. "Then again, I don't know how people in my brain could do something like that, but I would have thought you were full of shit no matter what."
"But you don't need to think that about us now," Blitz pointed out. "You know for sure that we're here, and it's not like we can go anywhere. I mean, where can we go? Unless we want to snatch your meat suit and pilot it around, we're kind of stuck here in the thunder world that is your brain."
"Meat suit?" Junpei repeated with a light snort. "That's certainly a new way to refer to your body, but I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different from you guys... You're probably a bit more used to data and code than whatever the hell this flesh sack is supposed to be."
Blitz shrugged. "We'll get used to it the same way you got used to Spirit Evolving. I mean, it might take a bit of time, but we'll figure it out eventually," he assured Junpei. "Speaking of that, I hope you’re able to figure out how to cope with... You know... Having three otherworldly creatures talking to you constantly."
"We don't mean to cause any problems, if that's what you're thinking," Bolg cut in almost a bit too quickly. Once again, Junpei got the impression that he was constantly riding on the edge of a razor, though Blitz and Thundra seemed completely unbothered by it. They would have probably gotten used to Bolg's behavior by now if they really spent so long in this thunder space waiting for Junpei to notice them. "We need to keep this body safe just as much as you do. After all, if something bad happens to it..."
"I think that's enough of talking about that," Thundra interjected. "The point of this is that we're all going to have to get to know each other and figure out how to get along if we want to make any progress in life. If all of us are pulling the body in separate directions, how are we supposed to get anything done?"
Junpei nodded. "You have a point on that... Though I suppose the best way for us to find a solution to this problem of ours is just through trial and error," he proposed. "We'll figure out what works for us with time, and everything will be fine after that. Until then, we should try not to blow up too many things."
"Aw, that's depressing," Blitz joked, earning him a wild, dissatisfied glare from Bolg. "I'm kidding, okay? Of course we're not going to make anything explode. You know, aside from potential Void Fragment Digimon that cross over the barrier, though I suppose that doesn't even fit the description."
"We'll figure it out," Junpei interjected before Bolg had the time to counter Blitz's words and begin an argument. "For now... Uh... It's nice to meet all of you, I suppose." He sighed after a few beats of awkward silence, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "This is going to take some getting used to."
"And you'll get there soon enough," Thundra assured him with an invisible smile. "Until then, it's nice to formerly meet you too. It feels like I've known you my whole life... And in some ways, I guess I have."
Junpei chuckled at that before allowing the yellow lightning around him to fade away. When his vision next returned, it had replaced the darkness of the void in his mind with the afternoon sunshine streaming in through his bedroom window. He was back in his room all over again as if nothing had happened to begin with. Junpei smiled to himself at that before sighing and tilting his head back to stare up at the ceiling. This certainly hadn't been what he expected, but he was still fine with how it had all turned out.
One way or another, he would work things out. Even if it took some time, he would get there one day. He had overcome greater obstacles than this, and he would prove it however he had to.
~~~~~
Koichi slipped his shoes off as he closed the door behind him. The Kimura apartment was empty the same way it always was at this time of day. His mother wouldn't be home for another few hours, and that meant Koichi had to entertain himself in the meantime. He was fine with that though; it was what he had been doing his entire life, and the routine was familiar to him regardless of how tragic others may have found it.
Today came with a caveat though, and it all came right back to what Yumiko had told the group earlier during their meeting. The echoes Koichi had been hearing in his mind really were signs of other beings, not simply imagined phantoms that had arisen as a result of his concussion. He had briefly entertained that idea, but he had ultimately let it go in favor of ignoring the problem entirely. It was a graceless solution, but up until earlier in the day, Koichi had been sure it was the better option. After all, his other choice was to admit that there was something wrong with him and that he had been hearing voices. That was the last thing he wanted to have to confess since he knew it would do nothing but bring his mother further grief. After all she had done for him, he couldn't do that to her, especially given what had happened earlier in the summer. His concussion and subsequent hospitalization had hurt her enough, and Koichi couldn’t put her through new misery on his behalf. Not again.
Koichi settled down easily enough on the couch in the apartment before letting out a hefty sigh. He felt as if he had aged at least ten years through that one meeting. Who would have imagined there was so much going on between Earth and the Digital World? The Void Fragment attacks were getting worse and more frequent, all of the Legendary Warriors were slowly losing their humanity, and a group of teenagers at a local high school was trying to figure out who all of them truly were behind their Spirit Evolved forms. All of that was enough of a headache on its own, and learning about the echoes inside of his head had only made it worse. He was tired of everything, and he wanted a break, damn it.
One thing that still bothered Koichi though was the different ways everyone had reacted to hearing Yumiko's truth about the voices in their heads. For the most part, they had been relieved, glad to know they weren't the only ones experiencing this. They weren't alone, both in the sense of their experiences and the other souls living within their bodies and minds. Koichi, on the other hand, just felt dread rise in his stomach before sinking down to his feet like it was trying to drown him. Nobody had said much about what the voices told them, but as far as Koichi could tell, most of their remarks had to be on the positive side of the spectrum. After all, they had smiled and laughed about it when half-hearted jokes were told. That had to meant they were hearing good or at least neutral things.
Koichi, on the other hand, had no idea what to think. He didn't like the idea of having to shun other people who lived in his mind because at the end of the day, they were still alive. The fact that they could speak to him at all was proof that they were real and deserved to be treated as people all the same. However, not everything he had heard up to this point had been positive and happy. While half of it had been nice and overall fine to him, the other half was vitriolic and dark, almost as if the ones behind the words absolutely despised him for some reason or another. He had no idea what to make of it all, but Koichi couldn't help feeling that something was wrong, and he didn't know what he was meant to say or do in response. Maybe he had been right before when he thought something was wrong with him. He couldn’t outrun it forever if it was the truth.
"Koichi, breathe. Come and talk to us for a moment."
Koichi hadn't even realized he was holding his breath until he processed the words echoing in his head. He let out a heavy sigh, staring down at his hands along the way. He hadn't noticed his fingers were trembling either, but he did his best to hold back the shaking sensation as he closed his eyes. It all felt so natural to him, simply leaving his regular life behind to meet with the others who lived within his body. In fact, it came instinctually, almost as if he had been doing this forever even though that couldn't have been further from the truth.
The next thing Koichi saw around him was darkness. The void of his own mind was all-consuming, and the shadows seemed to swirl with other muted, deep hues the same way the darkness of the Digital World had. He had been visited by Cherubimon's shadowy power multiple times while working as his agent, and Koichi recognized the sensation. Even now, he felt as if something around him was corrupted, like his own mind had been tainted by powers well beyond his control. The mere thought was nauseating, and Koichi struggled to maintain his composure in the face of such terrors.
All of that began to melt away when Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi came stepping into view. The latter of the three took another few steps forward before smiling to Koichi brightly. "It's nice to finally meet you in person," Rhihi beamed. "We were wondering when you would decide to come and speak with us."
"Um... It's nice to meet you too," Koichi replied after a few heavy beats of silence. He wished he had more to say, but it felt as if the words were all dying away in the back of his throat before he could fully find a way to release them. The startling sensation that all of this was wrong somehow still wouldn't leave him alone, and Koichi was desperate to hide somewhere and escape it all for just a few moments.
"I suppose we should explain a bit more about this place and what it means for all of us," Umbra said hesitantly, though he seemed to be struggling to find the words to explain it as well. "This is the space inside of your head, and it's where we stay as long as we're not in control of our shared body. If you ever decided to hand the reins over to us for a short while, you would come here as well. All of us are aware of what's happening with our body as long as we're here, and we can comment on it as well as see it."
"I'm hoping that we'll be able to talk easily one day without needing to summon you here," Lowe chimed in. "This requires a lot of your concentration, but it would probably be faster and more discreet if we could talk to each other while you were still focusing on piloting the body. As it stands now, we can make as many remarks to you as we want, but it's probably not going to be as easy for you to respond, and you can't have a conversation with one person completely unresponsive."
Koichi's shoulders began to relax. He was still worried there was something strange going on here, but for the time being, he was too distracted by the kindness he was being shown by Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi. He smiled and nodded at Lowe's comment, relieved this meeting wasn't going anywhere near as disastrously as he had initially feared. "Yes... You're right," he agreed. "It probably would be better if we could talk without me needing to concentrate so much. We won't always have that option, and we need to be able to communicate."
"Why bother? You're not going to listen sometimes anyways."
There was that sinking feeling again. The instant the voice cut through the shadows, Koichi felt sick all over again, and he froze immediately. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked up to Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi in desperate search of some comfort. Rhihi reached one hand out towards him, but Koichi didn't have the chance to respond before the world around him began to melt away, and the shadows morphed into something much darker, and Koichi hadn't even thought that to be possible.
When Koichi next found himself grounded, he was in a space that felt both completely different from where he had been before while also feeling somewhat similar. The shadows around him weren't pitch black with shining tints of color though. Instead, the darkness gave way to millions of tiny eyes, each of them so small they could barely be seen among the darkness. The irises were red, the same color as blood, and all of them watched Koichi with an almost hungry fervor that made him feel sick to his stomach.
This time, four silhouettes appeared from the shadows, though it took Koichi a bit longer to recognize them. Dusk, Velge, and Malkako were the ones Koichi had always hoped he would be able to forget. His time as the corrupted Warrior of Darkness had been some of the worst in his life, and he couldn't believe reminders of that dark history were standing there before him. This shouldn't have been possible at all. They had been purified and pulled out of his body whenever the others freed him of Cherubimon's control. More importantly, they hadn’t been there when he fused with the Ancient Warrior of Darkness. How in the world could they be here within Koichi's mind? It didn't make sense. It shouldn't have ever happened.
And yet, there Koichi was. All of a sudden, the acidic voices that made him so nervous made all too much sense, and Koichi couldn't help but want to be sick then and there.
The final image that appeared to Koichi from the darkness wasn't one that he recognized, at least not in terms of memory. No, this figure was someone he sensed deep within the pit of his body, like an existential bit of dread from a life that should have never been brought to fruition to begin with. Erocia was a haphazard collection of shadows and starlight, and when they were pushed together with enough force, a monster was left behind. That was what had happened after Koichi was killed by Lucemon. Koji had been possessed by the Spirits of both Light and Darkness, and he had lost control in grief and rage at his brother’s killer. Koichi hadn't been there for it, but he could still feel the dread that had come with that battle when he concentrated on it for long enough. He may not have been there, but the Spirits of Darkness had been, and their whispers lived on inside of him all the same.
"You..." Koichi murmured, taking a small step backwards. He suddenly yearned to return to Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi, but he knew it wasn't going to be that simple. In fact, it seemed as if there were two entirely separate parts of his mind, and he was the only one who could traverse between them. The Warriors of Void as they had been dubbed recently were stuck on one side while the true Spirits of Darkness waited in the other. Koichi was the bridge between them both, the sole thing they had in common aside from their manipulation of shadows.
After all, both the Void and the Darkness were part of him, and he would never be able to escape that regardless of how fast he ran.
"You can't just run away from us," Malkako said as he took another stalking step towards Koichi. "We're a part of you just as the others are, and you can't just erase something so important."
"True Legendary Warriors or not, we're here to stay," Dusk told him with a shake of his head. "As long as you're reaching out to the others, you had better try to reach out to us. It's going to save you a lot of time in the long run."
"Why... Why have you been saying awful things to me?" Koichi questioned softly. The words of rage were never quite directed at him specifically, but he could feel the acid even when it was pointed at other targets. Dusk and Malkako seemed to want him to be angry at the world the same way he had been when they were the ones in control. They always responded to everything with rage, never bothering to see that there could have been another option. It was a stark contrast from the way the other members of the collective behaved, and Koichi couldn't help but feel sickened at the idea that people like this truly shared a body with him.
"You weren't acknowledging us," Malkako replied with a snort. "It all seems rather obvious to me. You should have known better than to believe that you would be able to escape this forever. We were part of you, and you were part of us. We wouldn’t exist if Cherubimon hadn’t used you to create us. Don’t think you can erase us that easily. We're still one and the same at the end of the day."
Koichi swallowed dryly at that, uncertain as to what he was meant to say. Everyone else had been so much happier about facing the other echoes inside of their bodies and minds because they didn't have to face this. They didn't have corrupted dark sides that were waiting to strike each time they showed a moment of weakness. They could go about the communication process without true fear, but Koichi didn't have that luxury. It was the price he had paid when he first entered the Digital World, and it was the price he continued to pay even after he had managed to leave the other realm behind and return to his own body.
"Please... Don't forget us," Velge whispered, the words so fragile and heartbreaking that Koichi thought his legs were going to give out on him. He wanted to find something to say to any of them that would make this easier for the parties involved, but he couldn't find the words. It was like his body was actively fighting him.
"You can Spirit Evolve to our forms as well, you know," Dusk remarked. "You haven't thought to look before now, but it's the truth. You can fight in our forms whenever you so desire." His voice was smooth and apathetic, the same way it had been when Cherubimon still had a tight grip on his emotions and memories. Back then, Koichi hadn't needed to think; he simply needed to act, and Cherubimon was more than happy to point him in the right direction for what he should have been doing at any given moment. Such was the gift he received by being named Cherubimon's favorite general among the Fallen Warriors… Even though it scarcely felt like a gift in hindsight.
"But that means accepting the power we can provide you truly is your own," Malkako continued as he crossed his arms. Everything about his posture and tone were beyond condescending, and he glared daggers straight through Koichi's chest. "You don't want to do that, do you? I know why. You think all of us are monsters. What does it say about you though that you're one of us too? You're a monster just the same as we are. Accepting our power just means you have to admit it after trying to deny the truth for so long.”
"I... I don't..." Koichi attempted to protest, but once again, he couldn't find the words no matter how hard he tried. It felt like his mouth simply refused to cooperate. Instead, all he could do was stare back at them, feeling tears start to well up in his eyes with the threat of falling. Malkako was the one behind the most targeted remarks, but he had never been this cruel before. It was their first time properly meeting each other too. What was Koichi supposed to do about that? What chance did he stand at smoothing things over with people who wanted nothing to do with him?
"Go on and do whatever you want," Malkako scoffed, brushing Koichi’s failing words off with a wave of his hand. "It doesn't matter to me what you try right now. The fact of the matter is that you're not going to be able to avoid this forever. We're here the same as the others, and if you're going to work with them, you had better start listening to us too. Do I make myself clear?"
Koichi's lungs felt as if they were constricting around his heart, and something in the back of his mind told him that he was having a panic attack. The balance of the world seemed to shift, though he wasn't entirely sure why or how it could have happened. Malkako simply scoffed as Koichi began running off into the void, tears freely streaming down his face and staining the ground at his feet. All Koichi was focused on now was finding a way to get away from all of this. He didn't care how he did it.
"You can run all you like," Malkako declared, not bothering to follow Koichi at all. Even as Koichi ran, all of the eyes in the darkness followed his every move, staring at him with unbending resolve and endless apathy. "You and I both know where this path leads, and it all comes back to right here, right now." His voice seemed to echo from all directions even though he didn't make any moves to pursue his quarry. Koichi felt as if he was being struck through the heart by the words, as if Malkako was deliberately trying to pull him apart for the sole purpose of fulfilling his own desires.
As if he wanted Koichi to meet his own destruction.
The last thing Koichi heard in the world of eyes and shadows was a scream that he knew had to belong to Erocia. The shrill cry echoed in his mind before he let out a strangled gasp and everything began to twist and distort around him. The shadows spun and retreated into nothingness, vanishing into the corners of the world behind Koichi's eyes.
When Koichi next allowed the world to fill his vision, he was no longer in the living room of the apartment. He was in his bedroom, the door slammed shut behind him. That was why his center of gravity shifted so suddenly; he hadn't just been running in the void of eyes but also through his body. He didn't know how he was able to pull that off in the apex of his panic, but he didn't think he particularly cared enough to find out the details either way. He knew why he had started running. His fear of the Warriors of Void had caught him off guard, and all he had wanted to do was escape, and he didn't care what avenues he had to take in order to get away.
Koichi stared down at his hands next, and he realized they were shaking. Tears were still streaming freely down his face, though he didn't know when his body had begun to cry along with his mind’s reflection of himself. The water splashed onto his palms before melting onto the ground below, and all he could do was stare at it blankly. He didn't know what could be said or done to fix the exchange of a few moments prior, but he doubted he would have the energy to do anything to push back even if he wanted to.
Koichi found himself melting against the door to his bedroom before he knew what was happening, his hands coming up to cradle at his temples. He was vaguely aware of Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi's attempts to try and contact him through his panicked haze, to find a way to calm him down, but he didn't bother listening in return. The cacophony of their voices was blocked out by the sobs that slowly but surely pressed their way out of Koichi's throat. The sound seemed to echo throughout his room, and he dug his fingernails into his temples to try and calm himself down. It was a vain hope to believe that perhaps a burst of pain might help, but he didn't have much else at this point.
Not for the first time and not for the last, Koichi wished he was more like the others. If he hadn't been so clumsy that day as to fall down the stairs, he would have arrived in the Digital World the same way as the rest of them. He would have had a body there to house his soul naturally, and Cherubimon wouldn't have been able to corrupt his soul in order to create the Warriors of Void. He wouldn't have struggled so much up to the bitter end of the war. He would have been better, and while it still would have been a hard-won battle, Koichi wouldn't have had to face the tail end of it at the apex of existential dread about if he had died in order to get there.
If Koichi hadn't been so damn clumsy, none of this would have happened. Duskmon, Velgemon, and Malkakomon wouldn't have ever existed, and Erociamon wouldn't have either for that matter. He would have simply been left with his three natural Spirit forms, and the war would have been won much sooner without Duskmon's interference. Without the power boost the Warriors of Void received from their corruption, Cherubimon would have been defeated sooner too, and Koichi wouldn't have been forced to deal with any of this.
But no amount of wishing for a different past was going to be able to save him now. This was the fate he had been handed, and he absolutely despised this outcome. Why did all of this have to happen to him? Everyone else was able to reach out to the echoes of their Spirits with warm smiles on their faces, and even if they didn't quite understand their circumstances yet, they would figure it out with time.
Koichi wasn't that lucky though. Instead, all he got was a bitter dose of hatred from whispers he had thought had been sealed away along with Cherubimon. There was nothing he could do about it but endure their hateful words. Koichi didn't even want to tell the other Legendary Warriors; it would be so damn embarrassing to have to admit that Duskmon and his permutations still existed after all of the grief they had caused him and the rest of his teammates. Beyond that, it would have made them all sick with rage. He certainly would have felt that way now too if he wasn't so fucking upset about everything he had just heard.
If only things had been a little bit different. Maybe none of this would have happened.
If only Koichi had been better, none of this would have happened.
Notes:
That's certainly one heavy hitting chapter. Wow.
The main thing to happen in this chapter involves everyone's different reactions to Yumiko's revelation. I feel like you can learn a lot about each character depending on their varying responses to all of this. For the most part, the Legendary Warriors take the cautious but optimistic approach. Takuya happily approaches the others in the Fire collective without missing a beat, and Izumi falls into gratitude for what Zephyr did for her previously. Their varying responses here are small details, but I love what this does for their characterization. It really does remind me why I love this cast so much.
The two major reactions we see here in a bit more detail are Junpei and Koichi. Junpei takes a bit of a different approach here, cracking jokes about it in his typical dry fashion. He thinks this is all ridiculous and out of the realm of what he initially expected, but he still treats the others in his mind with kindness. After having been outcasted for so much of his life, he doesn't want to do that to others, and I love this little shift in demeanor for him. He's nowhere near as nihilistic as he was before and even extends an open hand to Blitz, Bolg, and Thundra. Character growth really is incredible, isn't it?
The elephant in the room here has got to be Koichi's reaction to the others in his mind though. Just... Wow. It's a lot to take in. Koichi was always a rather complex character, and the difference between the Warriors of Darkness and Void really does just put that on full display. The Darkness group is more than happy to reach out to him and ease him through the transition while offering to help him if he needs to take a step back. They're generally quiet and kinder, acting the same the way Koichi projects himself to the world.
The Void group, on the other hand... They definitely take after their Digimon forms in being abrasive and harsh. Dusk doesn't seem to care about much of anything, Velge is cosntantly paranoid and scared in his own way, and Malkako is outwardly hostile towards Koichi. Erocia hasn't said anything yet, and he doesn't talk much, but I bet it was a bit of a surprise to see him here, huh? Yeah, this won't be the last we see of Erocia, to say the least. In fact, this won't be the last we see of any of the Void Warriors. They've got a very heavy character arc coming up as I'm sure you can imagine, and I'm looking forward to fleshing it out in full when the time arrives to do so.
Next week, we're going to dive into the finale of act one. We're already there, if you can believe it. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 12: From the Void
Summary:
Shibuya is once again attacked by Void Fragment Digimon, but the battle's end brings with it a truth that was perhaps best left buried.
Chapter Text
For the next few days, life carried on as normal. Or that's what Takuya would have said had he not taken the last few days as the chance to embrace the others who lived in his body and mind. He wanted to understand as much about them as possible, and talking to them seemed like the perfect way to do so. He had come to know Aguni, Vritra, and Alda rather well over the course of the last few days, and he found that they all got along much better than he could have ever imagined. Aguni was a confident leader, though he sometimes let his ambition get ahead of what actually seemed to be possible. Vritra was the quietest of the three, tending to keep to himself unless he was approached first. It hadn't come up yet in conversation, but Takuya could sense the emotional instability of the Beast Spirits coming out full force with Vritra. As for Alda, he was stoic and an incredibly powerful general, clearly the one who had inherited the Ancient Warrior of Fire's commanding presence when the fused souls of AncientGreymon and Takuya began to divide.
All things considered, it was all going well. Takuya felt much more secure in himself than he had a few days prior before Yumiko told him about all of this, and he was glad to finally have this weight lifted from his shoulders. He hadn't realized how much the uncertainty and intentional ignorance was holding him back until after he was able to break free of it all by speaking with the other Warriors of Fire. It was refreshing, and while it certainly wasn't going to fix all of his problems, he knew it was a step in the right direction. He was getting closer to being fully at peace, and even if the Void Fragments were still out there, it was a start. That was all Takuya cared about at this point.
Takuya was on the way to his first class of the day, a tune on his tongue and a spring in his step, when Chihiro suddenly stopped from their place beside him. Takuya followed suit and realized Izumi and Koji were leaning up against the wall nearby, engrossed in conversation. Takuya could guess the subject easily even without needing to be close enough to hear it. Given what had happened on Sunday, it was hardly shocking at all what they were focusing on.
"Things are going well," Izumi told Koji with a small nod. "It's still a bit of a work in progress, and Zephyr seems to be a bit hesitant when it comes to talking to me, but... We're all getting along well for the most part. I don't know how I was expecting this to go, but it's perfect. I'm really happy I had the chance to reach out."
Koji nodded his understanding, a smile on his own lips. Takuya could only assume that Koji had already given his update about the Light collective before he approached since Koji didn't bring it up as he shifted his attention up to Takuya and Chihiro. "Hey," he greeted casually. "How have things been going for you two?"
"Even better than yesterday," Chihiro replied simply. "I feel like everything is finally coming into place. I didn't realize this was something I needed to address as soon as possible, but now that we've finally started talking about it, I feel... So much better."
"It's great to finally have this out in the open," Takuya agreed. "Though I do admit that it's hilarious all of us thought we were being ridiculous and somehow making this up before we told each other about it and realized we all had the same things going on. What are the odds of that?"
"We had all just managed to connect with other people who bothered to understand us after lifetimes of loneliness. After something like that, you wouldn't want to mess it up, and telling the truth could have been seen as just that," Koji explained, and Takuya winced at his bluntness. Koji was certainly right in saying so, but he didn't have to be so upfront about it. "It makes sense why we didn't talk about it, but I'm glad we finally did."
"Me too," Izumi smiled. She paused for another moment before looking over to Takuya and Chihiro, a new wave of anxiety making itself all too apparent across her face. "Have you heard anything from Katsuharu and Teruo over the last few days?"
Takuya shook his head. "They're still clamoring over all their new information from before. They want to figure out who the human monsters are, though I feel like it's going to set in soon just how impossible a task like that is going to be," he told her.
"You know, I'm honestly surprised we haven't seen any political figures talk about this at all," Chihiro confessed with a frown. "I mean, you would expect a lot of people to think that reassuring the populace would be a perfect way to get more attention from voters and the media... Though I suppose that's just how it goes. They want to brush this right under the rug the same way they did when Ophanimon first sent out all of her phone calls."
"I still find it strange that everything was hidden so soon after it happened," Koji confessed. "I mean, it might not seem that odd at a first glance, but if entire forums were going missing soon after being posted because they held information about the strange events from a month and a half ago... That's certainly extreme, isn't it?"
"There has to be a reason for it, but we're not going to be the ones to investigate that," Izumi told him. "That's not our job, and if other people want to uncover the truth behind the conspiracy, that's their decision to make, not ours. I'm perfectly happy to just go about our normal student lives and take care of crises when they come up. We have more than enough to worry about right now without having to keep all of this hidden too."
"Izumi's right. If we spent all our time investigating every weird thing that came up, we wouldn't have any time to rescue Earth from danger," Takuya nodded. "I don't know what the rest of you think, but I feel like it would be best for us to focus first and foremost on the Void Fragments. That's not going to be an easy problem for us to take care of, and we should concentrate on it above all else. We can fill in the gaps a bit later on if we still have the steam to investigate the rest of the world. It is weird that so much information has been going missing seemingly out of nowhere, but right now, we have other things to do."
"I suppose so... Though I think we should keep this on our radar in case it becomes important later on," Koji said. "But I guess we can leave it for later, or at the very least, put it off until the Void Fragments are out of the equation."
"All of us have been too focused on trying to work things out with our other echoes to travel to the Digital World and look for more information, so this weekend might be our first chance to actually take a look around and stop another Void Fragment attack before it can happen," Chihiro frowned. "I guess we can organize things as it gets a bit closer though. For now..."
As if on cue, the bell rang overhead to signal the beginning of the first class of the day was approaching. "This needs to be our main priority," Izumi finished for Chihiro. The Warrior of Earth nodded, and Izumi gave a brief glance to the rest of the group. "We can talk again more at lunch. Try to not get into too much trouble before then, okay?"
"You can never promise anything with a group like this," Koji muttered, pausing a few seconds later. "Though... I feel like things aren't going to be that easy. I don't know why I feel that way, but it's something for us to keep in mind, at the very least."
Takuya wished he could have asked for more information about Koji's dark senses, but the dying clamors of the students around him told him that it was time for him to get to class. "We'll talk later," he told Koji before backing away and starting in the direction of his classroom. The others all nodded before going their separate ways as well, and Takuya did his best to block out the rising anxiety that came with Koji's words. He wouldn't have said something like that unless he was sure, but Takuya still hated the implications of it all.
Still, that could wait. For the moment, he had to pretend he was just a normal student like everyone else in the school, and heaven only knew that was going to be much harder than it had any right to be.
~~~~~
Takuya had almost completely blocked out the voice of his teacher by the time two hours came and went. The words were static in the back of his mind that he didn't bother trying to bring into focus. Takuya was too busy trying to think his way through everything that had come up that morning. Even though he and the others had agreed that they weren't going to try and investigate anything about the Digital World's apparent erasure from the public consciousness yet, the thought nagged at him. It shouldn't have been bothering him this much, but he couldn't seem to escape it no matter how hard he tried.
Takuya's pencil slid gracelessly across his notebook's current page as he wrote down as many theories as he could stand about all of this. First, he talked about the Void Fragments, albeit in as vague terms as possible so no one who read his notebook without his permission would pick up on what he meant. Afterwards, he shifted to how so many people had seemingly forgotten about the Ophanimon distress signal and the battle between Lucemon and Susanoomon that was both projected on every screen in Shibuya—and perhaps even beyond that—as well as in the sky. How could people have simply forgotten something so strange? Takuya would have remembered something like that for the rest of his life even if he hadn’t been actively participating in the battle. It didn't make any sense, though Takuya felt that it all went back to the strange truth that information about that day had been erased. There were no surviving news reports or forum posts about it, and with no reminders after the day itself, the memory was bound to fade.
The fact that it had been completely erased at all was certainly a cause for suspicion. Someone knew deliberately that it was something to be kept hidden, and they did all they could to mask it from being uncovered. Takuya had no idea who could have been behind it, but he was certain he was going to have to find out sooner or later. After the Void Fragment investigation ended, that was going to be his next target in terms of a search for information.
God, I sound just like Katsuharu and his gaggle of conspiracy theorists, Takuya thought to himself, though he had to try much harder than he should have needed to keep from snorting outwardly at the comment. Takuya would have said those four sounded ridiculous had he not already known that wasn't the case. There was a lot going on here, and they were the closest out of anyone investigating to discovering the truth. Even if there were others trying to uncover the truth behind the human monsters, those four sat at lunch with some of them at least twice a week, and Takuya thanked every higher power out there that he could act well enough to keep them from finding anything they weren't supposed to know. If he slipped up, he knew the consequences would be drastic and immediate.
"Something's wrong," Aguni suddenly said, and Takuya stopped in his writing to perk up. He glanced around the room, only stopping himself when he remembered that he was supposed to be at least pretending to listen. "You can feel it, can't you? Something's changed."
"Trouble is coming," Alda confirmed. "Takuya you had better be ready to fight soon. I don't think we're going to be able to avoid a battle."
"What?" Takuya questioned, speaking as softly as he could through gritted teeth so as to keep his neighbors from overhearing him. When he received a strange look from the girl to his right anyway, Takuya took to scribbling down his next words on his piece of paper, abandoning his theories in favor of haphazard scrawl for his echoes to read. "What are you talking about? I can't just get ready to fight. I'm in the middle of class."
"You're not going to be in the middle of class for long," Vritra cautioned. "I'm glad we grabbed our D-Tector this morning, because we're going to need it."
Takuya prepared himself to ask what Vritra was trying to imply, but he never had the chance to finish the thought before he heard the gentle whir of the intercom coming to life. "Attention, students," came the panicked voice of the school's head. "At this time, we ask everyone to carefully file out of their classrooms and leave the campus. An emergency has taken place near the school, and we must evacuate. Please leave your classrooms in an orderly fashion and listen to your teachers."
Takuya froze, immediately realizing why Aguni, Vritra, Alda, and even Koji had been so worked up. He had been too spaced out to notice it at first, but there was a Digimon in the area, and Takuya could feel their power deep in the core of his body. No, there were multiple Digimon, and if Takuya's instincts were to be believed, they were three in number. That was the emergency that was forcing the school to evacuate. Koji had no doubt sensed a weakness in the barrier between worlds earlier that day, and now, it had been taken advantage of by a Void Fragment Digimon. It had all been leading up to this.
Contrary to what the announcement had instructed though, screams began to echo from the hallway, and Takuya figured out why a few seconds later. A streaking silhouette of a Digimon could be seen out the window, appearing in the blink of an eye before vanishing like a flash, gone just as soon as it had appeared. As soon as the screaming began, all hell broke loose, and students grabbed their bags as quickly as they could before running for the doors. Takuya could distantly hear his teacher attempt to calm them all, but it was ultimately in vain. The panic had already started to set in, and nobody would be able to reverse its chaotic effects now.
Luckily for Takuya, this was going to play to his advantage. If all of the classrooms had emptied out in a calm, orderly fashion, he wouldn't have been able to get away to fight off the attacking Digimon. He would have no doubt had to remain with his class so as to not give away his true identity, leaving the onslaught for the others to deal with. As long as everyone was in such a panic to get to the exits of the school though, Takuya could slip out of the crowd and do everything he could to take the fight straight to the attacking trio of Digimon.
"I was going to suggest that too. Great minds think alike," Aguni said, and Takuya could feel his grin even without entering their shared headspace. "Now, let's find a back entrance to slip out of before anybody can notice we're gone. If we can meet up with the others along the way, even better."
Takuya made his way out into the hallway as quickly as he could, but unfortunately, the hall was somehow even worse than the screams in his classroom had been. Students from every room were streaming out and making for the stairs that would take them to an exit, and Takuya found himself having to fight against the tide. In the end though, he gave up, realizing that no matter what, he was going to end up out of the school one way or another. If every student that left the building started running in whatever direction they found to be safest, then nobody would miss him if he simply walked into some dark street to transform. For now, Takuya was going to try and wait until some of the crowd had disappeared and then run in a different direction. It felt like the best option even when he had very few good choices. Getting out of the school without being caught wasn't going to be a simple affair, but it was the only option he had, so he waited for the tide of the evacuation to shift in his favor.
As soon as Takuya arrived near a set of stairs, he tucked himself off to the side of a door before ducking into a classroom. He glanced around just to make sure he was alone, praying nobody found his behavior shifty. He assumed most of the students were too busy focusing on their own safety to bother looking at what he was doing, but he could never be too—
"Takuya!"
The Warrior of Fire just about jumped out of his skin at the sound of Mayumi's voice, and when he glanced up, he saw her standing nearby. She waved brightly to him, and Haroi nodded from her side with a relieved smile. They had been hiding out against a wall that blocked them from the view of anyone who may have peered into the room, and it had certainly worked against Takuya. He had been too unsettled with everything going on to even realize he wasn't alone despite having an innate ability to sense the other Legendary Warriors. That was what he got for letting the adrenaline get to him, he supposed.
"Hey, you two!" Takuya greeted once he managed to snap out of his haze. When he looked off to the left a bit more, he realized that he should have said three rather than two. Junpei was pressed against the wall, looking at his phone with a small frown. He was no doubt trying to learn as much as he could from the news reports before the group could charge off to combat, and his irritation was clear as could be.
"I'm glad you decided to come in here," Mayumi told him. "We need to get out there as soon as we can, but that's going to be much easier said than done with so many people running around so much. Haroi could barely get his wheelchair to move, much less enough to get into the elevator with everyone this paranoid. We decided to take a break in here and wait for the crowds to clear out, but..."
"I was already here," Junpei finished for her. He didn't look up as he continued to scroll through his phone. "The others are all downstairs, if I had to guess. I can sense them, at least to some degree. It's good to know they're having a bit more success than we are in getting out of here."
"We're going to meet up with them soon enough," Takuya declared. "There are three Digimon out there, and I don't want to just leave the four of them to take care of this since we're here and able to fight. The others aren't exactly going to be able to come to our rescue given the circumstances."
"Maybe, maybe not," Junpei replied with a shrug. "It's probably getting close to lunch hour for the others, so if they get lucky, maybe they'll be able to sneak out before anyone can figure out what's going on. It's not exactly a huge chance, but it's certainly there."
“I wish we could just jump out the window right here,” Haroi frowned. “But if anyone saw us leaving the school this way, then we would be discovered for sure. My wheelchair being left behind would be an obvious clue as to who I am, and we can’t afford to take the chance of being found too soon.”
Takuya glanced out the door at that, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that the halls had started to clear out. They were still far from being completely vacant, but it was a step in the right direction given the stampede he had endured a few moments earlier. "I guess we should go now," he told the others. "The path to the elevator seems to have opened up, so we should take advantage of this chance while we have it."
"The sooner we can get out there, the better," Haroi agreed. He braced his hands against his wheelchair before starting to roll toward the door, knowing the others were going to follow him without missing a beat. Sure enough, they did.
As the quartet darted towards the elevator, Takuya did his best to focus his senses in on the other members of the group. Junpei was right; Izumi, Chihiro, Koji, and Tomoki were all downstairs, though he couldn't say for sure what they were doing. He couldn't seem to hone his focus enough to pick up on the details of his friends' actions. Still, he was on the way to meet up with them, and he would be able to see what was happening when he got there.
He just hoped the four of them were alright until then.
~~~~~
Tomoki didn't think he had run this fast in a long time.
Not even the soccer field required quite this level of desperation, and Tomoki absolutely hated being slammed first into a crisis so soon after the last major revelation of his life. Finding out about the Warriors of Ice had been stressful enough, and this was only making him feel worse on the heels of something unsettling. Anxiety seemed to push him onwards more as the seconds went by, and he despised it. He knew why he was this worked up: the last time he had been forced to run this hard, it was because Yutaka had been trailing after him. That was the last thing he needed to be reminded of when he was bolting towards an exit with Chihiro, Koji, and Izumi hot on his heels as they prepared to pursue the three Digimon that had broken through the barrier.
This was a time to focus, and Tomoki wished his brain was willing to cooperate even though he knew better than to believe it.
He had found the other three on a matter of random chance, though he was eternally grateful for it. They had been some of the first to make it down the stairs, and along the way, they ran straight into him while he was trying to get out as well. They all seemed to have had the same idea: take advantage of the chaos and get out as fast as possible. Tomoki was vaguely aware of the other members of their team who attended the school being elsewhere in the building, but he didn't bother trying to focus beyond that. He was sure they would meet up soon enough, and they would be alright when the time finally arrived. He just had to stay afloat until they could all move to take on their Digimon foes together.
When the quartet finally arrived outside of a door, Chihiro pulled out their phone and sent a quick text to the group chat of Legendary Warriors. "I don't know if they're going to answer us given the circumstances, but it wouldn't hurt to try," they said simply. "The other four aren't going to be able to come and bail us out of this one, so the rest of us need to take care of this here and now."
"I just hope nobody sees us running toward the chaos," Izumi murmured as she pushed the door open. Normally, she would have objected to opening a door tied to an emergency alarm, but the sirens had started wailing a few minutes prior because of the mass evacuation and students desperately trying to leave any way they knew how. Practically every emergency door had been pushed open by now, so what was one more? Pain was written all over Izumi’s face as she darted outside once the door was open, and Tomoki could easily assume why. Her hearing had grown sharper and more sensitive since the group returned from the Digital World, and the piercing wails of the alarms were no doubt giving her a headache. At least the noise wouldn't be able to hurt her once they made it outside.
Koji was the first one to follow her out with Chihiro trailing behind him and Tomoki taking up the rear. "They're not going to come this way no matter what. The Digimon are close, and nobody wants to head right toward them and risk being caught up in the line of fire," he assured her. "No one is even going to think of following us, and we should take advantage of it."
"Then let's get right down to business," Chihiro declared, reaching for their D-Tector before scanning three rings of data across the top. The others followed suit quickly, allowing their bodies to change form under the glow of the Fractal Code that surrounded them. They were luckily tucked away in an alley behind the school that very few would think to traverse, and while it wasn't the most secure location for them to transform, it was the best they had, so it was going to have to work.
As soon as Beowolfmon, Daipenmon, Aeromon, and Yaiamon had replaced their respective human forms, the four took off. Aeromon burst into the air while the other three all sprinted toward the fight as quickly as they possibly could. It was difficult to make out the three silhouettes of their targets, but the attacking Digimon were close. Even if they couldn't see their opponents, they could certainly sense them, and each of their foes was powerful, made even more so by the Void Fragments.
Roughly thirty seconds after the Legendary Warriors took off in the direction of the fight, the back door swung open once again. Katsuharu was the first to leave the building behind, and he glanced around with a small frown on his face. "Are you sure this is where you saw the light, Teruo?" he questioned.
Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki filed out behind him with Teruo closing the door behind Chiaki. "I'm sure of it," Teruo replied. "I'm sure I saw some weird flash of light under the door while we were running here..."
"It doesn't matter now. We need to get as close to the action as we can," Teppei told him. "There are at least three monsters at the scene of the fight according to the news, and there are going to be a few others soon too. These human monsters of ours are going to come out of hiding to try and fight off the invaders."
"Look up there!" Chiaki cried out sharply, pointing one finger overhead. A streak of a silhouette could be seen against the sky, and while the four teens didn't know it at the time, Aeromon was the one flying above them, following after her allies where they ran through the streets.
"It seems like our friends have already shown up then," Teruo remarked. "Come on! Let's go after them and see what we can find!" He took off running before anyone else had the chance to object, not that they would have regardless. They were more than happy to follow him away from the school in the direction of their promising new scoop.
After all, if this could be the day they finally uncovered the truth behind all they had witnessed over the last few weeks, who were they to turn down the opportunity?
~~~~~
Koichi claimed his place in a corner of his school's cafeteria before unzipping his lunch box. He barely focused on anything at all as he began to eat, taking a few bites out of the crust of his sandwich before going a bit deeper into the meal. It was simple, but he couldn't have been asked to make anything more complex. The last few days had drained practically all of his energy, and Koichi refused to tell anyone why that was. He hadn't spoken much with the echoes inside of his mind, but he still feared having to cross paths with Erociamon and the Warriors of Void once more. He knew they were going to have to speak eventually, but the mere idea was enough to make Koichi sick, so he simply blocked it out as much as he could to avoid having to acknowledge it. What other choice did he have? It was the best way for him to maintain his composure.
"Hello, Koichi."
Hinoka slipped into a seat beside him soon afterward, and Koichi glanced up at her out of the corner of his eye. "Hey," he greeted softly, unable to muster the energy to say much else. He hadn't talked at all about the issues he was having as of late, but he knew Hinoka could sense something was wrong. She knew him too well to let something like this slide; she had simply been too polite up to that point to bring it up. Koichi couldn't tell if that kindness was more of mercy or torture for him, but he ultimately decided that he didn't want to know.
"How are you feeling today?" Hinoka questioned, a subtle way of pushing him to talk about the reason he had seemed so empty since the group's last meeting. Koichi appreciated her attempts to play things carefully and slowly, but once again, he wasn't sure if it was agonizing or perfect for him. Maybe it was both. Was there even a difference?
"I'm fine," Koichi replied easily, taking the response from the regular catalogue of answers he used when people asked him anything about his life. It had always been easier and more socially acceptable than explaining all the reasons he felt otherwise. He trusted Hinoka, yes, but he wasn't ready to talk about this yet. He didn't know if he ever would be.
Hinoka was quiet for another few moments as she turned her attention to her own food. She took a few bites, and Koichi did the same, not daring to disturb the delicate balance of silence hanging between them. "How are things going with the others?" she eventually questioned, and Koichi realized his peace was gone. This was bound to come up sooner or later. Even if Hinoka didn't elaborate on who 'the others' were, Koichi knew what she meant.
And he had no intentions of telling her anything about them.
Koichi opened his mouth to come up with some non-answer, but he never had the chance to reply. Instead, his phone buzzed, and he frowned before pulling it out of his bag to see what the notification was. It was a message from Chihiro. What could they possibly want at this time of day? Wouldn't they be in school by this point?
Digimon attack near school. Check the news. We're handling it.
Koichi's eyes went wide as soon as he read the words. "The Void Fragments are back," he murmured. "There's an attack taking place right now near the school Koji, Chihiro, and the others attend."
"You have to go and do something about it... Or are you just going to sit around and wait for everything to go to shit?" came Malkako's voice, and Koichi resisted the urge to show how sickened he was through his facial expressions. No. He couldn't let anyone know yet, and that included through silent cues. Nobody could hear about this no matter what.
"We need to help them," Koichi said before he could hold the words back. As much as he hated to admit it, Malkako had a point; there was no way of gauging just how strong their enemies were going to be, and Koichi had to do something to try and help his brother and the others near the immediate entry point of the fight. How could he just walk away when he knew his friends—his family—were in danger?
Hinoka thought about it for a moment, a frown on her face. She glanced around before nodding. "If we handle this quickly, we can sneak in and out before anyone notices we're gone," she told him. "It's not going to be easy to get back here before lunch is over, but..."
"Let's get going then," Koichi asserted as he began to pack up his things as quickly as he could. “There’s not a moment to lose.” His fingers were already starting to shake from the adrenaline, but he did his best to hold himself back and calm down. He couldn't let Malkako or anyone else get to him, not right now. There was too much at stake, and he had to get to the scene of the fight as soon as possible.
As soon as his lunch had been packed up again, Koichi ran for the door, Hinoka hot on his heels. They were met with very little resistance as they slipped out through a back door, reaching for their D-Tectors all the while. Koichi pressed down on the activation button before scanning the three rings of data that appeared across the top of the device. Hinoka did much the same, and light exploded around them before leaving Rhihimon and Ceruleamon in their places.
"Come on," Ceruleamon said just before she kicked off the ground and took to the skies. Watery wings found a home at her back to give her the ability to fly, and Rhihimon allowed his own wings to pull him away from the earth. It felt strange to fly on Earth, but it wasn't as if he had much of a choice but to go through with it. How else were they going to reach their destination in time to help end the fight?
Luckily for both of them, they knew exactly where they were supposed to be going. There was a constant pulsing sensation in their chests that pointed them in the right direction. There were three Digimon near the other Legendary Warriors, and as far as Rhihimon could tell, they were already engaged in combat. He and Ceruleamon would be late arrivals, though he supposed it was better that they showed up late rather than never.
"Ceruleamon! Rhihimon!"
The Warrior of Darkness slowed down at the sound of his name, and he turned to see Lyseirmon and Aerismon flying towards him, the former being the one who had spoken. His eyes went wide from shock. "What are you two doing here?" he questioned. "Did you hear—"
"About the Digimon attack? Yes," Aerismon confirmed. "I was able to slip out without anyone seeing me, but we're going to have to move fast if we want to keep things from getting any worse. The news report already says the damage is much greater than last time."
"The Digimon are stronger this time around, and I think everyone else can see it too," Lyseirmon agreed. "My school started to evacuate out of caution, and all hell broke loose. I got out in the midst of the chaos, and I knew I had to do something about it."
"In that case, we can head over there together," Ceruleamon concluded. "I don't know how things are going with the others, but we need to give them as much backup as we possibly can. I know the Digimon attacking this time are much more powerful and dangerous than the Drimogemon from before, and they may need the help."
Aerismon nodded. "You're right. We need to get those Void Fragment Digimon back through the portal as soon as possible," they declared. Something seemed to catch their attention down on the ground, and Rhihimon followed their gaze. A person had raised their phone high above their head to take a picture of the strange monsters, confusion written all over their face. Aerismon winced before starting to fly in the direction of the fight once more. "And the faster we move, the less likely we are to attract a crowd. Nobody's going to be able to keep up with us as long as we keep moving."
Rhihimon didn't object as he followed Aerismon's lead. He had no idea what was going to be waiting for them when they arrived at the scene of the fight, but he already had an awful feeling about it. His stomach was sinking into his feet, and he prayed they were able to power through this battle without too many issues.
The last thing he needed was a destroyed city on top of everything else. He had seen more than enough emotional strife to last a lifetime over just the last few days, and he was praying the universe would be willing to cut him at least a little bit of slack.
~~~~~
Since arriving on Earth, the three attacking Digimon had changed their course ever so slightly. Initially, their path of destruction seemed almost entirely focused on the area near the high school most of the Legendary Warriors attended, but that had since shifted. Instead, they were starting to move at breakneck speeds toward a large government building deeper into the city, and Beowolfmon, Daipenmon, and Yaiamon were all having problems keeping up. Because they were moving in the wake of the chaos, they had to jump over and around piles of debris in order to trail after their targets, two of whom were seemingly locked to the earth. Vajramon and Pajiramon were the names of the two who could only move on foot, something the Warriors' instincts had told them soon after the battle began. Well, it wasn't much of a battle yet; they were struggling to keep up at all at this point, and no attacks had been thrown yet. There was simply too much distance between them and their targets to do something like that.
Aeromon was the only one in the group who wasn't having any issues keeping up with their foes on account of being able to fly where the other three could not. Eaglemon was the final Digimon of the three, and his imposing silhouette blocked out much of the light from the overhead skies. He was massive, much larger than Aeromon or any of the other Legendary Warriors, and any attempts at attacks Aeromon sent out seemed to do next to no damage to him. It was hard to hit him at all because of how fast he was moving, but the few strikes that Aeromon could get off never seemed to do as much damage as she had been hoping.
In other words, they were in for the long haul.
The three fleeing Digimon only stopped once they were in the shadow of the most imposing building on the street they had decided was their target. Eaglemon let out a cry and beat his wings against the sky, and Aeromon released a massive blast of wind to try and catch him off guard. If she could break his defenses, it would be easier for her to rush in with a few follow up attacks. However, Eaglemon didn't seem bothered by the attacks at all, instead simply flying toward the building. Once he arrived, he curled his body around it defensively. The structure shook from his weight but mostly managed to maintain an upright position. Aeromon's eyes went wide as she stared at the building, begging it to not fall.
"We're not going to be able to do much to Eaglemon right now," Yaiamon frowned from their place on the ground. "If we do this wrong, we're going to make that building fall, and I'm willing to bet that it hasn't been evacuated yet. I'm not going to let something like that stain my conscience forever."
"Then we should handle the other two first," Daipenmon suggested as he looked over to Vajramon and Pajiramon. "Afterward, all of us can converge on Eaglemon. Plus, we'll hopefully have backup from the others by that point."
Beowolfmon nodded before he started running towards Pajiramon, light flickering around the twin blades of his sword. Pajiramon pulled back his bowstring, nocking an arrow before letting it fly. Beowolfmon jumped to the side at the last moment before he stabbed his blade at the air. A wolf made of light streaked through the sky before slamming into Pajiramon's chest. The sheep Digimon staggered backwards, a snarl on his lips. He brushed one foot against the ground before he started to rush forward, ready to trample Beowolfmon beneath his weight.
The Warrior of Light jumped out of the way, but Pajiramon had a much better grasp on his speed than it would have seemed at first. He was able to turn around seamlessly, raising his bow above his head. He was preparing to slam it down to knock Beowolfmon off his feet, and the Warrior of Light could see it coming. He jumped backwards once again, summoning a wolf of light to try and knock Pajiramon's bow out of his hand, but he could tell it wasn't going to end the way he had initially planned. He was right in the line of fire, and he wouldn't be able to run away given how close he was to a nearby building. If he ran, the attack would strike the building, and it was bound to start crumbling. What he needed was for someone to block the attack before it could make contact.
Luckily for him, Yaiamon was already on it. They jumped in front of Beowolfmon after using the ground beneath their feet as a springboard of sorts, and they threw one arm up above their head once they had landed in a crouch. The earth below immediately followed their command, creating a massive barricade to keep Pajiramon at bay.
The barrier certainly served its function, something that became abundantly clear roughly two seconds later. Pajiramon slammed straight into the wall, and a massive dent appeared in the stone. Still, Yaiamon didn't flinch at the sudden impact, instead simply sighing and rising to their feet before swinging their arm down once again. The rocks that had made up the wall began to wrap around Pajiramon, pulling his body down towards the earth with all the force they possessed.
Pajiramon thrashed against the stones with all the energy he could, but he still couldn't break free. Beowolfmon glanced over to Yaiamon and gave them a thankful nod, something they returned before preparing their next attack. That hadn't been enough to knock the Void Fragment out of Pajiramon, so the pair was going to have to try a little bit harder. Luckily, their target was in the perfect position to soak up all the damage they could possibly dish out, and so, that was what they prepared to do.
Meanwhile, Vajramon had taken to slashing his blades roughly and forcefully in Daipenmon's direction. The Warrior of Ice threw his axe in every direction necessary to block the strikes while slowly moving backward. Vajramon was pushing the offensive, and because he was so much larger than Daipenmon, the Warrior of Ice was at a disadvantage. With the other two busy with Pajiramon, he could only hope Aeromon could pick up on his desperation even from her place in the sky. He could really use her help before Vajramon dealt enough damage to force him to devolve. Daipenmon didn’t even want to think of how much of a disaster that would be, especially with so many people watching.
Aeromon was already on it, and she pulled her wings in close before streaking down like a comet. She hit Vajramon square in the back, immediately destroying his center of gravity and sending him staggering off to the right. He nearly dropped his blades, but he barely maintained his grip on them. As soon as he managed to muster his strength once more, Vajramon whirled around and tried to strike at Aeromon.
She narrowly dodged by swerving up into the skies, creating a series of thin whips of wind before releasing them. Vajramon was struck head-on, but the attacks didn't do much damage to him because of his sheer bulk. Daipenmon knew this was his time to shine as long as Vajramon was distracted, and he launched himself into the air and fired a series of jagged icicles from the cannon between the blades on his axe. The ice rained down mercilessly on Vajramon's back, and he threw up his blades to defend himself, slashing at the largest bits of ice before they could deal too much damage.
Daipenmon shifted his momentum from there, bringing his axe down against Vajramon's back. Or, at the very least, it would have been Vajramon's back had the Digimon not held up his blades to block the strike before it could hit. The two clashed fiercely, Daipenmon remaining suspended in midair thanks to slight air manipulation on Aeromon's part, before the Warrior of Ice gave up on his offensive and jumped backwards, flipping before landing in a crouch.
Aeromon launched herself into action the instant Daipenmon shifted his focus, and she slashed at Vajramon's exposed chest before flipping for herself, leaving behind merciless cuts. She swerved away before Vajramon could lash out at her once more, noticing his actions were slightly slower than they had been before. He was breathing heavily from the damage Aeromon had just done, and his eyes were tainted by a cruel twist of brutality that craved nothing short of complete vengeance.
He never got the chance to pursue it though.
White lightning streaked in from just behind Aeromon, whistling past her wing before slamming into Vajramon's chest. The Digimon groaned in pain as he slid backwards across the concrete, leaving behind massive ruts where his feet had dragged across the ground. Aeromon and Daipenmon both turned to see who was responsible, and they were met with Aethermon. She had one hand open and outstretched in front of her torso, a light smirk on her face. "Bullseye," she whispered.
Beside Aethermon was Thundramon, who didn't miss a beat as he charged up the cannon mounted to his arm. He let the massive explosion of electricity rocket toward Vajramon as soon as it was ready, and the Digimon groaned in pain as he was forced even deeper into the ground. His blades slid from his fingers, landing just beside his fallen form. He had completely collapsed and now laid on his side. Even so, no Void Fragment pulled away from his body quite yet, showing there was still a little bit of fight within him yet.
Nothing is ever that easy, came the voice of Daipen, and the corresponding Digimon nodded before rushing forward, his three allies at his back.
Nearby, Pajiramon continued to struggle and writhe against the rocks holding his body in place even as Beowolfmon released a powerful slash across his arm, forcing the sheep Digimon to drop his bow. Pajiramon reached for the weapon even as it fell to the ground, and Yaiamon punched at the air, creating a pillar of earth that rocketed the bow to the skies. Yaiamon grabbed the weapon without missing a beat, a mischievous smile wide across their face. Pajiramon snarled in return, redoubling his efforts to escape from the prison of stone around him.
Siriusmon streaked into view as Pajiramon attempted to break free, and the Warrior of Cosmos raised his staff above his head. Stars rained down fiercely upon Pajiramon, and the Void Fragment Digimon cried out in pain despite his attempts to remain composed. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to maintain his sense of dignity for long, as Aldamon streaked into view with his fist pulled back to shatter all of that. All it took was a single punch to the chest for Pajiramon to be sent flying free of his rocky prison. Pajiramon rolled across the pavement before falling still. Once again, no Void Fragment shattered when he hit the ground.
Beowolfmon raised his blade above his head, charging it with all the energy he could, before releasing the magic. The light streaked toward Pajiramon, and as soon as it made contact, the Void Fragment streaked away from his body. The magic shattered immediately afterwards, and Beowolfmon snarled at the sight. He was glad the battle was over at least on one of the three fronts, but at the same time, he wished he could have gotten a few traces of the Void Fragment before it vanished. It was impossible to say if that would have actually worked, but it likely would have been worth the attempt for the mere possibility of revealing the truth behind the way the corrupting darkness functioned.
Daipenmon jumped into the air nearby, spinning around with his axe at the front of his momentum. He slammed the axe straight into Vajramon's side, and the fallen Digimon let out a scream of pain. Vajramon had attempted to defend himself by throwing up his arms at the last moment, but it wasn't enough to fully fend off Daipenmon in the end. As soon as the axe hit Vajramon's body, the Void Fragment made itself known and then disappeared, and Daipenmon stared at it before sighing and glancing over to the rest of the group.
"That takes care of these two," Thundramon declared. "We can send them through the portal when we take care of Eaglemon." He glanced up at that, his eyes locking on the massive silhouette of the bird Digimon latched to the nearby building. Every one of the Legendary Warriors winced at the sight. There was no easy way to pull Eaglemon away from the skyscraper given the situation, and any wrong move could have caused the entire building to crumble. There were still people inside too, so each action had to be carefully considered before they carried it out.
Aeromon was the first one to take off in the direction of the building, and she held out her hands to try and pull at the air around Eaglemon. If she could pry him away from the steel framing of the skyscraper using the air around his body, then she would be able to limit the damages. Unfortunately, between Eaglemon's massive size and the power boost he received from being taken over by a Void Fragment, he wouldn't be pulled away from his target so easily. Eaglemon continued to cling tightly to the building, and when he grew tired of Aeromon's interference, he tilted his head to the sky and let out a fierce scream. The screech rent the air, seemingly tearing it apart. Aeromon threw her hands up to cover her ears, and the other Legendary Warriors were quick to follow suit.
"We need to try something else to get him off that building, but where should we even start?" Aethermon asked, a frown clear as could be on her features. "We can't just pull him off that skyscraper without putting the people inside in danger, and if he falls off, everything is going to break."
Before anyone had the chance to respond, a series of small dark purple energy blasts peppered against Eaglemon's back. The bird Digimon turned at that, trying to see who his target was, and he was met with the sight of the approaching Rhihimon, Ceruleamon, Lyseirmon, and Aerismon. Rhihimon was the one who had attacked, and he held his staff out in front of his torso. Darkness continued to swirl and crackle around the tip of the weapon, but Rhihimon didn't give it a second thought. Instead, he simply glared at Eaglemon with every ounce of hatred he possessed.
Eaglemon turned around, seemingly refusing to give them the time of day since the pain Rhihimon had brought him wasn't significant enough for him to care. However, the metal beneath his claws began to swell, almost as if the building itself was trying to reject him. Aerismon had extended their sword toward the skyscraper, and it was clear to all onlookers that they were trying to kick Eaglemon as far away from the building as possible. Such a massive display of elemental influence was no doubt draining to them, but it was still rather effective, and Eaglemon finally took to the skies once more, leaving behind the terrified people within the skyscraper at last.
The Legendary Warriors who could fly immediately followed after him, leaving Beowolfmon, Daipenmon, Yaiamon, and Aethermon on the ground below to guard the two Digimon they had already purified. Beowolfmon’s eyes scanned the area frantically, trying to glean as much information as possible about the circumstances. His eyes narrowed along the way, and he hesitated when he thought he heard some sort of chattering in the distance.
Voices. There were people talking, and if he had to guess, they weren't from any of the nearby buildings.
When Beowolfmon looked, he was met with the sight of Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki. It seemed as if he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors weren't the only ones who had snuck out of the school in order to see the fight. The four teens were all recording as much of the battle as they could, and Teppei took a picture of Beowolfmon and the five Digimon near him as soon as he realized the Warrior of Light was watching him. Beowolfmon yearned to go over to the teens and tell them to leave, but he couldn't risk having them recognize his voice. For now, he would simply have to pretend he didn't see them, so he turned around to face the rest of the group in the meantime, praying none of them decided to tackle the issue of their stalkers head-on.
Eaglemon, meanwhile, burst through the cloud layer overhead, and the other eight Legendary Warriors followed him without missing a beat. Aldamon pulled his wings in close around his body before he slammed himself against Eaglemon's body. The bird Digimon was sent reeling from the force as flames spread and sparked across his chest. Aeromon clapped her hands together in front of her chest, and the sound echoed throughout the heavens. A massive pulse of air streaked towards Eaglemon, forcing the bird Digimon to fly in a different direction once more.
Rhihimon was left as the closest Warrior to Eaglemon after this attack, and he pulled together his energy before diving at his foe. He stabbed at Eaglemon's shoulder, and as soon as his staff made contact with his foe, something wracked his mind. Why did this feel... Familiar? If he was being honest, he had sensed something out of the ordinary from the previous Void Fragment Digimon as well, but now that he was thinking about it, he was certain he had felt this power before. He wished he could have dropped everything to think about why that was the case, but he knew that wasn't an option. He would simply have to find a path to the truth after the battle ended.
Lyseirmon took over attacking as soon as Rhihimon pulled away from Eaglemon, and she released a delicate powder upon the bird Digimon's body. Seeds immediately began to spread across Eaglemon's torso, growing until they were vines that kept Eaglemon unable to lash out. His wings were the only free part of him, and no matter how much Eaglemon struggled, he couldn't quite break free. Sweat dripped down Lyseirmon's face from the exertion of maintaining the magic, but she didn't bother to hide it, instead concentrating on simply restraining the bird Digimon with everything she had.
Ceruleamon glanced around before her gaze fell on one of the nearby clouds. She stuck her staff into the center of the cloud, allowing energy to pulse from the condensed water into the sapphire at the tip of her weapon. Ceruleamon took in a careful breath before she thrust her staff in front of herself, creating a massive jet of water that slammed straight into Eaglemon's chest. The bird Digimon shrieked as he was forced backwards, and the other Legendary Warriors swerved out of his trajectory to keep from being hit along the way.
Aldamon, however, ducked down below the heat of the fight. He raised his hands above his head, creating a massive shield of fire. The leftover water droplets from Ceruleamon's attack dripped off Eaglemon's slick coat, and they ultimately fell onto Aldamon's barrier. From there, the fluid changed right back into a gas, evaporating and spiraling up to the sky all over again. It kept the massive water droplets from raining down and causing too much damage. Rain may not have harmed anyone at this point, but a massive wave of water most certainly would.
Siriusmon shifted his position so he was directly opposite Ceruleamon on Eaglemon's other side, and he raised his staff above his head before summoning a massive meteor shower that pierced the bird Digimon's powerful feathers. Between the water and the shooting stars, Eaglemon started to move downward, the weight of the damage simply becoming too much for him to stand. His flight was far from being graceful given the circumstances though since he weighed too much for his wings to support him now that he was soaking wet.
Aerismon, however, was prepared for this. They raised their sword above their head before drawing a simple circle with their rapier. A massive portal appeared just beneath Eaglemon, and a corresponding opening formed on the empty ground below. When the rift shut once more, Eaglemon had been spat out on the concrete near the other four Legendary Warriors. Beowolfmon fell into a combative stance at the sight of him, and the other three were quick to follow suit. However, Eaglemon gave them no trouble at all, too distracted with trying to break free of Lyseirmon's vines to even bother giving them a second glance.
The flying Legendary Warriors dove down towards Eaglemon with all the force they had, and Thundramon pulled together as much energy as he could. He charged up his cannon before letting the massive attack fly free. The blast slammed into Eaglemon, and thanks to the water coating his outer layer of feathers, his body was wracked by the electricity as soon as he was hit. Eaglemon shrieked into the skies for a few tense, endless seconds before finally falling silent as his body went slack. Eaglemon's head fell forward, and unconsciousness claimed his body at last. As soon as Eaglemon stopped putting up a fight, a Void Fragment made itself known in the air behind him.
The Legendary Warriors all landed around him, and Rhihimon approached the Void Fragment where it suspended itself in the air. It was bound to disappear in a few seconds, but rather than thinking of capturing it, Rhihimon reached out to touch the condensed magic. Dark energy immediately flooded his body, though it was far beyond what he was used to from his own element. Instead, it felt as if some other power was trying to pierce everything he had ever known, and the dread nearly sent him collapsing to the pavement.
He was right. He had recognized that power.
It was the same dark magic Cherubimon had used to create Duskmon and the other Warriors of Void.
The name wasn't a coincidence at all. The magic was the same.
Rhihimon found himself crumbling to his knees before he could even think of using his staff to stabilize himself once more. He stared numbly at the concrete below, eyes wide as could be. Why did it have to end like this? First, he had discovered that Dusk, Velge, Malkako, and Erocia still lived in his body from his time acting as the corrupted Warrior of Darkness. Now, he was learning the Void Fragments were made from the same power that had tormented him so thoroughly during his initial escapades in the Digital World. How could it get any worse than this?
Beowolfmon approached Rhihimon once the Void Fragment had shattered, and he let one hand come down on his brother's shoulder. "What's going on? What's wrong?" he asked intensely. Beowolfmon was clearly trying to keep himself calm so as to not make the situation any worse, but he couldn't quite maintain his composure given Rhihimon's sudden and dramatic reaction to touching the Void Fragment. He was worried, and he had no idea what to do about it.
Rhihimon didn't even realize he was crying until after he was already blinking away tears. He was vaguely aware of the other Legendary Warriors creating rifts to send Vajramon, Pajiramon, and Eaglemon back to the Digital World, but he didn't bother to look up at them. How could he? This was the greatest shame he could have ever been left with. This was the power he had been cursed with thanks to Cherubimon, and he couldn't even escape it after returning to Earth and reclaiming his body.
"I told you that you wouldn't be able to run forever. We live on, and we'll always be here." Malkako's voice echoed mercilessly in Rhihimon's mind, and the Warrior of Darkness resisted the urge to clap his hands over his ears in response. It wouldn't have helped even if he had possessed the energy to do so; the call was coming from inside of his own mind, and he couldn't block that out no matter how hard he tried or how much he wished he had another option.
"Rhihimon?" Beowolfmon asked softly, clearly resisting the urge to speak his brother's human name as long as they were in public. His voice seemed ready to crack at a moment's notice, but he tried to keep himself together, if not for his own sake, then for Rhihimon's greater good.
"The Void Fragments..." Rhihimon whispered, unable to fully bring himself to answer Beowolfmon's inquiries. "They're made from the same power that created Duskmon. They... They're the same as what I was." A monster. That's what I was.
Beowolfmon froze before he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Rhihimon's body. Even as the rifts around them closed and the three attacking Digimon were returned to the Digital World, Beowolfmon held tightly to his brother's body. No words could make the circumstances any better, and they both knew it. This was simply the reality they would have to live with until the Void Fragments were finally laid low.
Rhihimon wasn't sure when the other Legendary Warriors gathered around him, but he didn't say a word to any of them. His eyes continued to burn hot with shame, and he could feel Malkako's rage pulling at the back of his mind. Malkako was right; there truly was no escape for him, and all he could do was live with that for the rest of his cursed life.
He had to live with being a monster forever.
Notes:
That's one way to end off act one, huh?
This chapter was... So much. I've been looking forward to this battle because of how massive and influential it is, even more so than the previous fights. Just... Wow. I adored writing it, and I'm hoping you all enjoyed reading it too.
The beginning part of this chapter speaks for itself. The Legendary Warriors are just as stressed as ever, and Koji and eventually Takuya both sense something is wrong. All of that manifests as the attack, but as a minor detail before that, I loved having Takuya's little daydreaming segment before he realized what was going on. I feel like him spacing out in class is both an example of his characterization as well as a display of how hard it is to live a double life the way the Legendary Warriors have been. They all deserve a break.
As for the fight itself, or at least the opening stages of it, I wanted to split things up in slightly different selections from just dividing them by grade, so I had Tomoki go with Chihiro, Izumi, and Koji while Takuya went with Mayumi, Haroi, and Junpei. Plus, their staggered arrivals made the fight a bit more unique by introducing consistent waves of reinforcements as the beginning of the fight, the defeat of Vajramon and Pajiramon, and the final encounter against Eaglemon.
Before we get into the bulk of the fight, I want to discuss the scene with Hinoka and Koichi. Writing from Koichi's perspective has only become more fun in this story because of the crisis he's been put through already. Having Dusk, Velge, and Malkako in his mind is already causing problems for him, and having to face with the others who aren't struggling in the slightest on account of being on good terms with their other sides only adds to that. Then you throw in the end of the chapter that only emphasizes the fact that he can't run from the past, and... Yeah, you've got a bit of a recipe for disaster. Koichi has a lot to work through, and we're going to learn that very quickly.
Now let's get into the rest of the fight. I loved writing it, and I hope you all enjoyed it too. Once again, I tried to bring in some unorthodox groups for the fights since having everyone fight in predictable groups gets boring after a while. I think I did a pretty good job of that here, and I like how it all turned out. The fight itself speaks for itself on account of being a battle sequence, but I really do love writing battles for this story. They're just tons of fun, and I adore them all.
Last but not least, let's cover a few lingering details. Katsuharu's group snuck out of school as well to go and watch the fight. Of course they did. They're obsessed with all of this, and they'll do anything to get their hands on information about it all. Unfortunately for them, they don't know just how dangerous all of this is yet. They'll wake up to it eventually, I'm sure. You know... One of these days.
The last thing to cover is the ending with the Void Fragments being related to Koichi's past power. Surprise! Some of you might have suspected a connection given the common name, but it's finally being addressed. The fact that they have a similar name is certainly an interesting thought though, huh? There are a few lingering questions about that, but I can't answer those for quite some time. You know, spoilers. Still, I'd love to hear all of your theories about this story so far since it's got a lot more of a mystery undertone than the first book.
And with that, the first act is done! The introductory segment has been completed, and we're getting ready to jump into the bulk of an investigation arc about everything that's happened up to this point. For now though, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone! I'll see you next week for the kickoff of act two!
-Digital
Chapter 13: Never Ending Cacophony
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors grapple with the aftermath of the recent invasion of Earth, and Koichi battles the demons left behind by the power of the void.
Chapter Text
As was to be expected, the attack was the only thing on the news the next day.
Chihiro was getting tired of hearing about it by this point. No matter what social media page they were chose to look at or how many television channels they scrolled through, there were traces of the attack everywhere. They couldn't escape it. Nobody could. Chihiro had seen the battle against Pajiramon, Vajramon, and Eaglemon play out a dozen different times from at least two dozen different angles. There were a lot of videos circulating online from people who had been trapped inside the skyscraper Eaglemon attacked, and Chihiro couldn't quite tear the screams of the trapped office workers from their mind. Everyone sounded completely terrified, and even though nobody was significantly injured or killed, it was still more than enough for Chihiro to feel sick to their stomach.
School was canceled for the following two days after the attack. The three Digimon had come through the barrier near the school at first, and even after they flew away, the damages remained. The school's grounds had suffered from significant harm by the entrance area, and the school decided to close down for a few days to get the damages under control and decide on a solution for what to do from there. Chihiro was glad for it. They knew everyone was still going to be talking about it when they did get back to school, but a few days off would at least let the dust settle a little bit. There was only so much they could take when it came to the truth of the current situation. Everyone constantly chattered about the battle and nothing but the battle, and Chihiro was tired of it all. Why couldn't they just have a break for a while to work through a solution with the rest of the Legendary Warriors?
The people Chihiro wanted to talk to least were Katsuharu and his posse. They had already received a text from Katsuharu saying that he wanted to talk to them as soon as the chance came up since he had been there with the other members of his investigative team when the attack found its end. Koji had mentioned seeing the group at the scene, but they hadn't been able to intervene without potentially being called out for having voices in common with their Digimon forms. Chihiro liked to hope that perhaps the other students would know better than to accuse them of being one of the Digimon that saved Earth from danger, but given that the quartet had rushed off into the middle of a fight without a second thought as to their safety, Chihiro couldn't be sure. The group only seemed to care about if something would give them more information about their favorite scoop, and there was nothing anyone could say to deter them.
Takuya and Chihiro had both gotten tired of the constant tension by the time the second day of no classes rolled around. They ultimately decided to call the other Legendary Warriors who went to their school and invited them over for the day. Shinya had taken advantage of the time off to go and hang out with a few friends, so Takuya and Chihiro opted to do the same. It wouldn't be a complete meeting of the Warriors since Koichi, Hinoka, Yumiko, and Saki all had other obligations at their own schools, but having eight members of the group there was still a good place to start. They had to do something to try and stop this disaster, and getting together to talk about everything was the best way to form a plan.
As for Koichi, Hinoka, Yumiko, and Saki, they had gotten off the hook even after sneaking out of their schools the day of the attack. Their schools had closed down for the rest of the day after hearing about the attacks, and since so many parents were calling their students out for the sake of keeping them out of danger, there was no point to keeping classes going. School was right back in session again the next day though, so the four of them were occupied with their regular business while the other eight had a few days off. It was unfortunate that they couldn't all come together for a day to talk about this, but Chihiro supposed that was simply going to have to wait until the weekend arrived.
They were most worried about Koichi out of everyone in the group. Rhihimon had sunk to his knees in such overwhelming despair after the battle ended, and once he explained that the Void Fragments drew on the same power that had driven him to take up the mantle as Duskmon, it all made sense. Something about Rhihimon's dark behavior still struck Chihiro as strange, but there was nothing they could do to stop his response to it all. They simply had to have faith that Hinoka was looking after him at school. It wasn't the best option in the world, but it was still something, and Chihiro decided to take it since they didn’t exactly have any other choice.
Irritation and exhaustion had settled in Chihiro's stomach in equal measure by the time the other Legendary Warriors arrived in the Kanbara house. Chihiro was sitting on the couch and bouncing one leg on the spot as they glared daggers at the rug below. Takuya sat beside them while Izumi was on his other side. Haroi and Koji had claimed the individual chairs in the room, leaving Mayumi, Tomoki, and Junpei to sit on the floor. Chihiro wished they knew what to say to break the awkward silence, but they knew an interruption wouldn't come so easily. Of course not. The last few weeks of their life had been a nightmare already, so what made them think this would be any simpler? The day before had ruined any chances at peace for all of them.
"Well... I guess we should try to talk about all of this," Takuya eventually declared. As usual, he was the one to grab the bull by the horns regardless of how inconvenient and awful it was for him. "Everybody in Shibuya is talking about this fight, assuming it's not everyone in Japan asking questions at this point. If people were trying to not focus on the Digimon too much last time, that's definitely been thrown out of the window now on account of it having happened a second time."
"I'm glad we have a few days to ourselves," Izumi confessed. "It's not a good thing that the school suffered damages in the courtyard, but... I don't know if I would have been able to stand having to hear everyone talking about it so soon. We did everything we could, and we stopped the Digimon as soon as possible, but it still feels like there was so much damage left behind."
"I did what I could to try and mitigate the damage done to the ground below, but there's only so much you can do to fix a skyscraper after a giant clingy eagle decided to make it into its personal bird perch," Chihiro snorted. "That's going to cost the city millions, especially since that skyscraper Eaglemon decided to get attached to was a government facility."
Koji sighed, leaning his head back and dragging his hands down his face. "Great. And here I thought it couldn't get any worse," he muttered crossly. "I really sat here thinking the two worst things to worry about were the damages to the city and a certain group of nosey teenagers trying to figure out who all of us are. As it turns out, the government can make it worse."
"Those four students in your grade... They were the ones you were staring at after the fight ended, right?" Mayumi questioned of Koji, and he nodded. "I've seen them around the school a few times, and all they ever seem to do is hold some notebook to their chests like it's some holy artifact. They pass it around every once in a while, but they've always got it on them."
"They're obsessed with figuring out the truth behind the Digimon," Chihiro sighed. "I've really been dreading talking to them about everything they saw. For one, they now have a headcount of how many of us are here on Earth. That fight showed that there are twelve of us, and while that might not be a big deal in the long run, it still has me nervous. Katsuharu already texted me to say that he wanted to talk about everything he found as soon as possible, and that means that he's looking forward to chatting with me when school comes back in session tomorrow." They gave a sympathetic glance to Takuya, Izumi, and Koji, the last of whom rolled his eyes. "Sorry, you three."
"There's nothing to be done about it. We can at least try to do something that could steer them away from the truth. I don't like the idea of them investigating this at all, but the least we can do is try to keep them away from uncovering anything of note that would point in our direction. They could be putting themselves in danger through this, but... I don't know. I doubt they'll be willing to hear us out when we suggest that they back away," Izumi sighed. "We'll have to handle ourselves as carefully as we can from here on out."
"We'll do what must be done," Takuya declared, and the others in the room nodded. "Until then, I think we should try to figure out what our next course of action is going to be. In my eyes, we need to meet up with Alastomon and Biastamon as soon as possible to hear what it is that they've uncovered about the Void Fragments. The more information we have our hands on, the better off all of us will be."
Junpei, who had been scrolling through his phone up to this point, set the device face down on the table at the center of the living room. He reached for the television remote a moment later before pressing the power button. Everyone turned to look at him in confusion, and he explained while switching between channels, never taking his eyes off the screen. "One of the politicians here in Shibuya is giving a speech about everything that's going on, and I feel like we should try to hear as much of it as possible," he explained. "I want to know how the city is planning on handling all of this, and I feel like we should at least try to get a grip on that as a group too."
Chihiro sighed at that, wishing there was something they could do to protest the subject. Junpei was right, but that didn't mean Chihiro liked having to admit it. They didn't want to hear anything else about the most recent fight despite knowing that simply wasn't an option. Even though the Legendary Warriors had succeeded as much as they possibly could have, Chihiro still felt like they failed. Countless people had been left traumatized by the Digimon attack, and they were going to feel the sting of that for the rest of their lives. The Legendary Warriors did what they could, but Chihiro couldn't help the sinking sense of dread that it hadn't been enough, that it never could have been enough.
All of that seemed to fade into the background of Chihiro's mind as Junpei stopped scrolling through the channels. He set the remote down on the table once again, and Chihiro looked back to the screen. A podium sat at the center of the image, and a number of microphones were gathered around the wooden stand. A few camera flashes flickered across the screen, but no person made themself visible until a few seconds later when someone walked up to the podium and stood behind it with a muted frown.
It was a man wearing perhaps the most expensive suit Chihiro had ever seen. Everything about him bled wealth and influence from his charismatic smile to his deep green eyes. His hair was black and slicked down perfectly, not even a single strand out of place. A banner across the bottom of the screen declared that this man went by the name of Botan Yokoyama.
As soon as Chihiro read the name, they remembered everything about him they had ever learned. Botan Yokoyama was a businessman who had shifted his career into politics over the last ten years or so. He had a history as a private investigator, though his primary interests rested solely in business with politics seeming to act as a side job to boost his influence via other means. In fact, Chihiro had met him a few times. Back when they were still living with their parents, they had spoken to him at some important dinners scattered throughout the years, though they had never held a full conversation. Chihiro had simply been treated as a trophy by their parents throughout much of their childhood, albeit a prize they absolutely despised. Still, Chihiro was decent enough at earning the attention of others at high-ranking dinners and parties as long as they remained quiet and submissive enough to be controlled.
Chihiro couldn't have gotten out of that place fast enough.
Botan, however, wasn't the worst person in the world. He hadn't ever been as rampantly irritating as other politicians had been, and for that, Chihiro appreciated him in the vaguest sense. They still held little trust or love for those with too much power, but it was a step in the right direction, they supposed. He wasn't annoying enough to make them want to punch something, and that had to count for something. The longer Chihiro stared at him though, the more grateful they were for having received Saki's help in locking their parents away. Chihiro didn't know what they would have done if their parents had still been free and able to comment on the recent Digimon attacks, but they were thankful they didn't have to think about it. Once again, it was a small victory, but given how sour the last few weeks had been, Chihiro had to take every triumph for what it was worth, regardless of how tiny it was.
Botan paused for a few seconds once he had settled himself behind the podium, and he glanced around at the crowd of reporters gathered beneath him. As soon as the chattering and clamoring had started calm down, he raised one hand and offered a brief wave to the journalists. "Thank you," he declared. "I have come here today to address the recent catastrophes that have wracked Shibuya, leaving our city in chaos and turmoil. Two monster attacks have taken place over the last few weeks, and I want everyone to understand that I am doing all that I can to learn more about the source of the invasions. There are others working alongside me to try and uncover as much as possible too, and we will do all that we can to deliver answers to you as soon as we can. You all deserve to understand the truth of our current circumstances, and I don't want you to be left in the dark for any longer than is absolutely necessary."
"He has to know it's not going to be that easy to figure everything out," Koji muttered bitterly with a roll of his eyes. "Nobody's ever seen massive monster attacks like this before, and there's not exactly a historical precedence for how to calm down a population after they've been met with such rapid invasions from another world."
"For the time being though, I would ask that everyone do all they can to lean on one another and help each other through these dark times," Botan continued. "We have the best detectives investigating the truth of these circumstances, and we will reveal all that we know as soon as we have found something conclusive. Until then, you are a strong people, and I believe that you will be able to help one another. There is hope, and we will find it together."
A reporter raised their hand near the front of the cluster of a crowd waiting before Botan, and he pointed to them with a solemn frown on his face. "What about the monsters that seem to live among us?" the reporter questioned. "It seems as if there are a few monsters here on Earth who have been rushing to defend us and then disappearing right afterwards. They haven't gone back to wherever they came from when fighting against the invaders, so they must be here in Shibuya. Have any efforts been made to track them down?"
Botan shook his head at that. "There's no way any of these monsters could possibly live among us. These beasts are capable of dealing massive amounts of damage to our cities and structures, and I don't believe they would have been able to hold themselves back in circumstances like these," he explained. "Perhaps they have simply returned to the other world out of our line of sight. None can say for sure. But if there are monsters here on Earth, we will no doubt find them in the course of our investigations. The truth will not be able to escape from us. That much I can promise everyone."
"At least he's denying it," Chihiro sighed. "I somehow doubt that's going to deter Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki from trying to dig into the matter a bit more, but hearing that from a well-respected politician has to at least do something to push them away from searching for us. It's not much, but it's a step in the right direction."
"I doubt very many people believe him about that though," Izumi said softly. "They've already noticed that we're coming out of the shadows here on Earth, and I feel like it's just a matter of time before they realize this isn't a coincidence they can cover up. After that, people are going to start searching for us. It's just a matter of time before Mr. Yokoyama and his other investigators start trying to track us down, and we need to be careful when the time comes."
"We're just some random teenagers though. If they try to figure out who's behind all of this, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack," Mayumi countered. "Nobody's going to even come close to figuring out who we are. I'm sure of it. There are hundreds of thousands of people to sift through, and there are only twelve of us. They're not going to find us as long as there are so many other people who could be accused outside of our little group."
"Yes... I suppose you're right," Haroi murmured, though it was clear that he wasn't quite as certain. "It's ridiculous to believe that they're going to track us down with any sort of ease, but I can't help being nervous that they'll find a way to learn more about us."
"I can assure you that we're doing all that we can to find ways to protect the people of both Shibuya and Japan as a whole," Botan continued as the Legendary Warriors looked back to the screen. "You have no need to fear. If there are any other attacks, the government will address it swiftly and carefully. The people of this city will be safe no matter what. Even if times are dark, we can rely on one another and find hope. We will triumph, and the issue will be left in the past soon enough."
Botan made his way offstage with that as a series of camera flashes illuminated the screen once more. Junpei glanced over to the rest of his allies with a small frown on his face. "Well, it seems like people are a bit more paranoid than before, but as long as Yokoyama keeps telling people that everything is fine and that we don't exist here on Earth, then they could start to believe it. I mean, there are a lot of people out there who just swallow up what the news tells them, and we need to take advantage of that," Junpei declared.
"That's still not going to be enough to get a certain quartet of nosy student sleuths off our backs," Chihiro muttered crossly. "They're going to think this is just evidence that all of this is being covered up by the government. I agree that there's probably something going on here that points to people trying to keep all of this under the rug, but a few offhand comments from a politician does nothing to prove all of that. They're going to believe it though, and it's going to be a pain in the ass to get them to stop thinking it."
"I don't think we're going to be able to get them to stop looking into this though," Tomoki confessed. "If everything you've told us about them up to this point is true, then they're just going to keep digging until they've struck gold. They're not going to know what they're looking for, but they're going to keep trying to find it."
"We can stop all of this from getting worse though," Koji pointed out. "All it takes is us going to the Digital World and stopping the problem at the source. If we can figure out who there is responsible for the Void Fragments and their possessions, then we can unravel everything else and stop the attacks in both realms. If there are no more attacks here on Earth, then we can keep all of this under wraps without anyone finding out anything more about us."
"I agree," Izumi nodded. "We have to stop this from slipping even further out of our control. We're in a bad enough situation as it is, and I don't want anything to fall apart beyond that. We should take advantage of this day off to go to the Digital World and investigate what we can about the Void Fragments. That would be a perfect use of our time, and it might even bring us that much closer to everything we've been trying to find up to this point."
"I guess we've got a plan for that then," Takuya declared as he rose to his feet. "Since the portal is done, we can head into my room and open a rift without going back to the school. I'm really happy Saki was able to wrap up the program before all of this. Trying to sneak into the school when there's reconstruction efforts going on would only make our lives harder, assuming we would be able to pull it off at all."
"Speaking of Saki, I was planning on meeting up with them today," Junpei announced. "I might stay behind to get a head start on our current project. Given the recent Digimon attacks and how much worse everything has gotten over the span of the last two days, we decided that we wanted to finish the program for the D-Tectors that would allow them to be used as communication devices here on Earth too. I think it's crucial to have that backup, especially since there are going to be more Void Fragment attacks at this rate. We don't have as much time as we initially thought if there have been two attacks so close together."
"That sounds like a good idea," Mayumi nodded. "We need to be able to communicate through them in an emergency, and given how bad the Void Fragments attacks have gotten as of late, we've got a lot of potential emergencies to contend with. I really wish that wasn't the case, but I don't think the universe really wants to hear what I have to say, so I suppose we'll just have to roll with the punches for now."
"After hearing that classes were canceled a few days ago, I wound up staying up pretty late to try and fix the program up so that it could work on this side of the barrier," Junpei went on. "I had originally been planning to let that sit for a while longer since we didn't expressly need it yet, but since the Void Fragment Digimon are already getting so aggressive... I feel like this is important to handle as soon as possible, and Saki agrees. As soon as they finish up with their classes for the day, we're meeting up at my place to try and work everything out for the D-Tectors."
"You certainly whipped that up quickly if you started it two nights ago and have already made so much progress," Mayumi remarked, her eyes going wide with shock. "I guess that's what happens when you know what you're doing the second time through. After working with them for a month, you probably know how they work pretty well, especially after making the communication program the first time around."
"It's certainly much simpler when you've already gotten a bit of experience, but it's still a bit of a work in progress," Junpei replied with a shrug. "I'm hoping that Saki will be able to help me iron out the last few wrinkles in the program so we can put it into motion as soon as possible. Plus, if all goes well, this should function in tandem with the portal Saki wants to make for the Digital World. It would allow for us to communicate across the barrier between worlds, meaning Bokomon, Neemon, and the others would be able to tell us if we were needed in the Digital World at any given time. I mean, not being able to talk to them while we're on Earth is a pretty big problem, and it's best if we fix it as soon as possible. We should also be able to speak with one another if some of us are in the Digital World while some others are here on Earth. If we have to split up across the barrier between worlds, then that will be a really important advantage to have."
"I have no idea how either one of you understands all of that technology babble, but I'm not asking any questions about it," Chihiro sighed as they rose to their feet. "You know what you're doing, and we all trust you. The rest of us are going to take advantage of the time we've got to see if we can learn more in the Digital World. If all goes well, we should have at least a little something else to share with you and the others when we get back here to Earth."
"Alastomon and Biastamon will want to hear about this on top of the five Digimon in the fort," Koji remarked. "I wish we could send a message ahead for Bokomon to try and contact them, but I guess that's why Junpei's staying behind in the first place. This is going to save us a hell of a lot of trouble later on, but for now, I guess we'll just have to put up with what we've got."
"Good luck out there, everyone," Junpei told the Legendary Warriors. "I'm counting on you to take care of this. If anything happens, just have someone come back through the portal to send a message to the rest of us. I'll do what I can to pitch in where I'm needed, and I'll come if you wind up absolutely needing me."
"Thanks, Junpei," Tomoki smiled to him. He glanced over to Takuya at that, his eyes shining. "Let's go and see what we can find in the Digital World then."
Takuya nodded with a grin, adjusting his goggles where they sat on top of his head. "You don't have to tell me twice."
~~~~~
Koichi felt weightless.
That had been the case all day and the day before too, as a matter of fact. Koichi hadn't been able to properly ground himself since the battle ended two days prior, instead constantly screaming inside of his own mind when he wasn't thinking about everything that he had realized about the Void Fragments. He had barely slept the night before or the night before that, always tossing and turning as he tried to tune out the rest of the world. He wanted a bit of quiet for once, but all he could hear was the worried clamors of the Warriors of Darkness and the distant judgement of the Warriors of Void. There was no such thing as silence in Koichi's world anymore, and he didn't know what to do about it. How had everything gone so wrong in the span of just a few days?
Koichi hadn't truly focused on his classes all day, instead simply going through the motions he had come to know as muscle memory since school came back into session. Every word spoken to him by his teachers seemed to go in one ear and out the other, never quite reaching him the way they should have. Nobody had bothered to ask why he was so upset though, and Koichi didn't explain himself either. He had to be fine. He couldn't let anyone believe otherwise. The last thing he wanted was to completely unravel when he had put so much effort into keeping himself somewhat composed.
By the time lunch arrived, Koichi didn't know what to do at all. He could feel himself starting to lose his grip, knowing that his attempts at masking the truth of his thoughts and demeanor were going to fail soon enough, but there was nothing he could do to change it. He simply sat down simply and started eating even though he wasn't hungry. He hadn't been hungry at all since the attack took place, and for the first time ever, Koichi was glad when his mother wasn't home as much as she usually was. He normally yearned for her presence whenever he was alone, but now, he was glad that he didn't have to lie to her too. That would have just been too much weight for him, a pressure that he wouldn't have been able to withstand.
"Hey, Koichi."
The Warrior of Darkness was unsurprised when Hinoka came into view beside him, but he wound up jumping with surprise regardless. She smiled down at him gently before she sat down, and Koichi offered her a vague nod. Hinoka seemed to be able to sense that he didn't want to be the one to start the conversation, so she decided to continue speaking. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly. Her voice was like a gentle melody against Koichi's raging heart, and he loved it as much as he feared it. With a tone like that, Hinoka seemed as if she could have actually understood how much he was going through, how terrified he was of everything inside his mind. It almost made Koichi want to talk about everything the last few days had brought him.
Almost.
"I'm fine," Koichi assured her with a smile so fake it made him feel sick. He was certain that Hinoka could see it too; she was just too nice to rub him the wrong way after his complete breakdown. The other Legendary Warriors had all tried to push him for the truth, but he refused to let it slip. Not even Koji had been able to find out anything from his brother, and as much as Koichi hated lying to them, he knew he couldn't explain why all of this was happening. He just couldn’t do it.
They probably all thought it was simply because Koichi didn't want to be reminded of the dark power that had claimed him so thoroughly when he first traveled to the Digital World. They probably believed he had collapsed in grief at having to remember everything Duskmon had done both to him and the other members of the party. None of them could have imagined that Duskmon still lived on in the back of his mind, the manifestation of every dark rage Koichi had refused to release. The embodiment of his anger towards the world—towards everything that had dealt injustice upon his weary soul—still survived within his body, and if he wasn't careful, that void would take control once more. The Void Fragments were an outward manifestation of the same power that had created Duskmon, but Koichi could feel the darkness within himself as well. There were no words for something that had done so much damage to him and the people he cared for most, so he simply opted to seal his screams away and pray that nobody heard them, especially not Dusk, Velge, Malkako, or Erocia.
Hinoka fell silent for a few moments, and for one breath of mercy, Koichi was certain that she was going to let him go. "Are you sure?" Hinoka asked eventually, her voice falling dramatically in volume, and Koichi felt his safety shatter all over again. So much for the fleeting mirage of freedom from her concerns. Her eyes were worried and watery, and when Koichi stared at her, he couldn't help thinking of Oceaniamon and the way she had stared up at Duskmon back when they were still the Fallen Warriors. She had been terrified of him, and she had every right to be. Duskmon had torn her to shreds for daring to doubt their mission, something that contributed to her unraveling until there was nothing left. Lyramon may have led Oceaniamon to her purification, but Duskmon was the one that led her to her downfall before that, and he would have to bear that guilt forever where it lived on both in his mind and those watery eyes.
Koichi didn't let any of this show on his face though, instead swallowing back the lump that had formed in the back of his throat the instant he drew the parallels between past and present. "Yes... I'm fine," he reiterated even though he was certain she wasn't going to believe him. Why would she? It was so damn obvious that he was lying, and even if Koichi hadn't been living in his own body, he wouldn't have believed himself either. It was just a matter of time before all of this caught up with him too, and he wouldn't be able to run from it forever. Why was he even bothering to begin with?
Hinoka once again went quiet at that, clearly trying to choose her next words carefully. In the brief lapse of silence, Koichi wondered if she was afraid of him after everything he had done. Had he ever even apologized to her for what he had done as Duskmon? Did she still carry the burden that he had given her by calling her weak? Would she think of those words for the rest of her life the way Koichi was certain he would? Oceaniamon hadn't been the weak one at all; from the start, it had always been Duskmon. He was simply the last one to realize it.
"You do know that you can talk to us, right?" Hinoka eventually forced herself to say. "If there's something on your mind, you don't have to carry this burden alone. We're all here for you, and we want to do what we can to help you. I know the Void Fragments... It's a lot to deal with, but you shouldn't have to face it on your own. If you need us, all you need to do is say the word."
Koichi felt tears start to swell in his eyes at that, but he refused to let them fall. Instead, he simply stared blankly down at the table in front of them, wishing he could have eaten to distract himself from all of this. Unfortunately, food had been resisting him ever since the attack, and he didn't know if he would be able to calm his rampant nerves no matter how hard he tried. Koichi may have hidden it well, but deep down, he was the same beast that Cherubimon had claimed him to be when he was still acting as the foremost general of the Beast army the Celestial One had forged. Duskmon was Koichi, and the reverse was true as well. Koichi was a monster, and he always would be. Nobody ever had the chance to see the darkness and rage that lurked deep within, but he knew it all too well. He was the void, and he would simply have to grapple with that truth for the rest of his life.
"I know all of this is shocking to you, and the rest of us feel the same way," Hinoka continued, letting one hand come down on his shoulder. She didn't move to pull him in any closer than that, and Koichi had to actively resist the urge to lean away from her grip and instead simply let her comfort him. He didn't deserve that after everything he had done. They had forgiven him, but he sure as hell hadn't forgiven himself. "The Void Fragments may be born of the same dark power that created Duskmon, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to what we feel towards you. We still love you all the same, Koichi, and... We're going to figure this out together. No matter what happens next, we'll fight and make sure that we win this battle as a team. We've already won wars and moved continents and saved worlds together, and we're going to do it again this time too. Just... Don't try to carry it all on your own. No person can handle that weight individually, and you are not alone. You never will be again."
Koichi could feel the anxiety in his chest hit a boiling point, and the tears in his eyes threatened to swallow him completely. Still, he did everything he could to bite them back as his mind screamed with a tempest of terror that he knew belonged to him as well as some blend of the echoes that now lived within his body at his side. He was a monster. He didn't deserve Hinoka’s comfort. Why in the world was she bothering to be so nice to him in the first place? He had done so much to hurt her and so many others. Duskmon had torn her apart, and yet, Hinoka didn't seem to care. The group had forgiven him, but Koichi couldn't understand why for the life of him. How could he simply live with everything he had done when he knew he didn't deserve their kindness?
As Koichi's mind continued to scream, his breath grew short. He could hear the words of Duskmon echoing again and again inside of his head, a constant reminder of everything that he had done to his friends, of the cruelty he had visited upon them in the name of his own twisted satisfaction. Duskmon wouldn't have done such awful things if he hadn't been spurred onwards by Koichi's emotions, pushed ever forward by the young boy's hatred of the world around him. Duskmon was a monster, but he had only become one because of Koichi's rage and inability to face the darkest parts of himself. They were both beasts, one and the same at the end of the day, and they had brought unspeakable trauma upon both themselves and the rest of the people they referred to as family.
Fiend. Monster. Beast.
"I'm sorry," Koichi finally said when he was able to get a grip on himself once again. His hands were shaking, but he barely even noticed. He packed up everything he had with him at the table before roughly zipping his bag shut and running away as fast as his legs could take him. He knew exactly what he was apologizing for, and he could only hope that Hinoka understood as well. Koichi had done so much to hurt her and everyone else, but he had never so much as uttered a word of regret for it to her. Of all his sins, that felt like one of the greatest in that instant, and the weight of it was suffocating.
Koichi wasn't quite sure where he was running until after he had bolted far out of Hinoka's line of sight. He wound up in some corner of the library, something he didn't register until after he came back into full control of himself. Koichi wondered if perhaps one of the Warriors of Darkness had taken over his body in his moment of weakness, though he couldn't even bring himself to care about it. He was just glad to have been able to escape Hinoka for a few brief moments.
"Fucked up how you want to run from her," Malkako remarked with a snort. "I thought she was your friend."
Koichi clamped his hands over his ears as he slid against a bookshelf to sit on the floor. He knew covering his ears would do nothing to block out the intrusive sound of Malkako's voice, but he had to try something to make it all stop. Deep down though, he knew that Malkako was right. Koichi shouldn't have been running from someone who would have done anything for him, and yet, there he was, trying to escape the same as always. He was a coward and a fool for thinking that he would be able to run from this, but he ran regardless. It was the only thing he could do when his fear and anger took hold of him. He had never been good for much of anything else. The way he got to the Digital World only acted as further proof of his cowardice and weakness.
Koichi hated himself for all that had happened. He didn't understand how the rest of the group could look at him so kindly with eyes that dared to empathize with his deepest struggles. He couldn't comprehend why they didn't want to exact their revenge against him for all the trauma he had left behind with a thousand eyes and a blade soaked with blood. He hated himself for still having that version of himself living on within his body and mind. He had thought he had eliminated Duskmon once and for all, but that was a vain hope. He could never truly outrun the void, and this was proof. He could never escape the truth. He was a monster through and through, and he always would be.
It wasn't until after Koichi was certain that Hinoka hadn't pursued him that he allowed his head to fall between his knees. He brought his arms up to cover his face so nobody could see his tears or hear him when he began to sob quietly. Koichi had no idea if anyone was there to watch him, but he feared being caught regardless. Everything just felt like too much, like every nerve was on edge and waiting to lash out the instant he was provoked.
That's what Duskmon would have done. That's what he still does.
Koichi didn't respond even when a text from Hinoka made his phone buzz a few minutes later. He didn't move until after the bell had signaled it was time for his next class, and even so, he couldn't fully wipe away his tears. For the rest of the afternoon, his cheeks were stained with red tracks, but Koichi was too numb to notice.
How else was someone supposed to feel when they had surrendered themselves to the void whether they liked it or not?
~~~~~
Hinoka's fingers immediately felt empty as she watched Koichi bolt away from their shared table. She rose to her feet and packed away all of her things as quickly as she could, trying her best to figure out where he would have gone. Koichi couldn't have left the school behind entirely, so he had to be somewhere in the building. She would be able to find him if she concentrated her energy and tried to track him. Given his current condition, Hinoka couldn't just leave him alone. He deserved better than that, and Hinoka would do anything to make him see that. She didn't know what his apology had been about, but she feared it was a sign of a much larger struggle he had been hiding for the last few days.
"You moved on fast, Hinoka. I would have thought you would still be mourning everything you lost when you let me go."
Every nerve in Hinoka's body immediately stood to attention at the sound of the newcomer's voice. When she turned to face the speaker, she was met with Emon. He was standing nearby with his arms crossed and a bored yet condescending look in his eyes. Hinoka's breath grew short before she could fully register what was happening, and as soon as she recognized that apathy that barely hid a deeper rage that glistened in Emon's irises, something deep inside of her began to scream. She remembered the way his fist had looked when he raised it at her, how much his detachment had stung when he first realized her cowardice and made sure she knew it too. She could have sworn that she still felt blood flowing between her fingers sometimes. It was the same phantom sensation that had consumed her whenever her control over her Spirits began to slip back in the Digital World, and she still hated it. She still feared it more than anything.
"Hinoka, come here," came the soothing whispers of Cerulea. Even without completely submerging herself in the aquatic depths of her own mind, Hinoka could feel the Hybrid Spirit reaching out for her, seeking to comfort her host with everything she had. Surrender felt so simple, and Hinoka allowed her eyes to fall shut as she pulled away from her own body. She hadn't been planning on giving up control so easily if she could avoid it for the sake of keeping the secret of her echoes, but she couldn't go on like this. Emon knew where to hit her to make it hurt, and he was going to make sure she knew it too.
When the shared body of the Warrior of Water next returned to reality, Aquaria was the one in control. Her strength and resolve made the tremors of her hands dissolve into nothingness immediately, and she looked up at Emon with a powerful aura Hinoka had never seen before. "Emon," Aquaria greeted simply. "I was under the impression that we were finished and have been for quite some time. Why the sudden possessiveness?"
Emon almost flinched at that, but he managed to hide the jolt at the last moment. He instead opted to snort and shake his head, his imposing figure becoming all too apparent to Hinoka for what felt like the thousandth time. "You forget your place so easily," he remarked softly. "I've ruined you once before, and I could do it again. All it would take is just a few words for everything to come crashing down around you. The people here already think you're out of your mind. Do you want to make it that much worse for yourself?"
That was the same way he had always spoken. Emon claimed that he was being merciful to her for not completely ruining her and driving her into nothingness the way he had before, but Hinoka knew better. Or, at the very least, she hoped she did, but as she shook from within the confines of her own mind, she wondered if she had ever truly understood the way he controlled her. He saw this all as a game, a way to keep himself on top regardless of the circumstances. The problem was that he had been in the advantageous position from the very beginning; he simply wanted to keep her miserable for as long as possible. She had dared to stand her own ground, and to him, that was tantamount to treason. He didn't care what he had to do as long as he was able to keep her under his thumb even after they parted ways.
"We're finished here," Aquaria said before Hinoka had a chance to come up with another thing to interject with. Aquaria walked past him without missing a beat, pulling her shoulder away at the last second so she wouldn't collide with Emon. That would only make things worse for all of them, and even Aquaria, the one who held the most faith in herself and the collective as a whole, knew that would create more problems than it was worth. They were still walking a fragile line as long as they had to interact with Emon, and without Koichi around to act as a witness to his behavior, they had to tread as cautiously as possible. It wasn't enjoyable in the slightest, but it was an act of survival Hinoka had grown tragically used to over the course of her time with him. She knew how to follow the rules of his game for the sake of keeping herself intact. Hinoka hated having to bow to his whims, but she couldn’t lose all she had worked toward now. She had to keep fighting regardless of how difficult it became.
"Fine then. Act how you want. See if I give a damn," Emon muttered, though Hinoka was certain he cared a lot more than he was willing to admit. For the first time ever, Hinoka hadn't immediately fallen silent and fearful under his iron gaze, and he could feel the tides turning against him. If the look in his eyes was anything to go by, he absolutely despised the shift of power, and he was going to make sure Hinoka saw it one of these days. She wouldn't be free to act as she wanted as long as he was still there to watch her from the shadows, but that would change eventually. She would make sure of it.
In the meantime, Hinoka couldn't bring herself to care though. She allowed Aquaria to walk their shared body as far away from Emon as possible, and they peered everywhere they could to try and find a glimpse of Koichi. Hinoka's stress levels were only rising as she realized that they really didn't know where he was. They could have used their inherent connection to him to sense where he had run off to, but Hinoka was too stressed from having to pull herself back from the brink of a panic attack after having to confront Emon. She didn't know if she would have been able to refine her senses to find Koichi even if she had even an ounce of concentration. Everything just felt too suffocating and difficult all of a sudden.
Hinoka pulled her phone from her pocket before she started to key out a message to Koichi. No, she wasn't the one doing it. Aquaria was taking her words and sending them out so Hinoka didn't completely collapse from hyperventilation, something all of them knew was going to happen if she was left unattended and in control of their shared body. Hinoka was glad Aquaria knew how to handle the situation, to say the least, though she wished there was something more she could do.
"I'm sorry for not being able to catch up to you again. If you need to talk, please come find me. You're not in this alone, and I want to do everything I can to help. I'm here for you, Koichi."
With the conclusion of the message, Aquaria tucked the phone back into her pocket. She winced at the sound of the bell, realizing belatedly that they hadn't been able to eat anywhere near as much as they would have liked between Koichi's paranoia and Emon's sudden appearance. It wasn't convenient, but going to class was the only other option they had. As twisted as it sounded, Hinoka was fine with that. If she ate anything more in that moment, she was certain that it would have made her sick.
"We can take care of this after school ends," Oceania suggested. "For now, it's time for us to act as normal as possible and get back to class. I don't want to think about this more than we already have."
Hinoka nodded her agreement, and Aquaria complied as she walked towards their first class of the afternoon. Hinoka still felt nauseous after all that had happened, but at the very least, she wasn't in this alone. She wasn't the only one who had to carry this burden. There were others there for her, starting first and foremost with Oceania, Aquaria, and Cerulea. As long as they were at her back, she would be alright. As long as she wasn't alone, she would persevere.
If only Koichi had the same mindset.
~~~~~
Yumiko had spent much of the day scrawling out various ideas throughout her different notebooks about the Void Fragments. Ever since Koichi declared that the power that strengthened the Void Fragments came from the magic that had created Duskmon, Yumiko had been theorizing whenever she had the chance. There had to be some explanation for all of this, and she was determined to find it. The power of darkness Cherubimon had harnessed to forge Duskmon was a strange one, something spurred on by Lucemon's power over him. With Lucemon's power purged from the Digital World though, it seemed impossible to imagine that he could have had anything to do with the current events and the Void Fragments. Yumiko had seen him die. All of them had. There was no way the Angel of Hell yet lived or that his power had survived his destruction. Still, if that was the case, what was the truth behind the Void Fragments?
"You know, something about the Void Fragments feels familiar to me too," came the dreamy voice of Fiore as Yumiko glanced down to her notebook during her math class. Yumiko had been trying her best to focus, but that was much easier said than done when she was constantly torn between the conversation in her own mind and the words being spoken in the world of the physical around her. Her notes had been lined with theories in the margins while the bulk of the page was taken up by explanations for how quadratic equations functioned. Yumiko knew which subject she was more interested in though, and her gaze drifted to her miscellaneous thoughts about the Void Fragments once again at the sound of Fiore's voice.
"I agree," Calanthe nodded. "I don't know how to describe it, but I really do feel like I've sensed something like that before... And not recently, I don't think. I feel like I would have remembered if I had felt something along those lines before the Void Fragments appeared a few weeks ago."
"I feel the same way," Lyseir chimed in. "As strange as this sounds, I feel like I sensed something along these lines generations ago... Back when we all fought as one as AncientTrojamon."
"AncientTrojamon?" Yumiko echoed, keeping her voice barely above a whisper so nobody would be able to hear her. She hadn't quite mastered the art of responding to the other Warriors of Wood in her mind without speaking out loud yet, but she was getting there. For the time being, speaking as softly as she could manage would simply have to suffice. She managed to get away with it this time, and none of her classmates noticed she wasn’t thinking about math at all.
"We all contain the memories of AncientTrojamon in shattered pieces. We're fragments of the original Ancient Warrior of Wood. When Miriamon divided our souls and power to create the shrines of the Spirits, our memories were divided as well. We may not have a complete timeline of what our past life was like, but we can still latch onto a few minor details," Lyseir explained. "And I'm certain that we've sensed at least something similar to the Void Fragments before. It was a long time ago, but I feel like the memory is just barely out of reach..."
"Maybe it was during the war against Lucemon," Fiore suggested. She was playing with the string of her bow, and even if Yumiko couldn't see it from her place in control of the body, she could still sense it. The tinny echo of Fiore's bowstring shifting beneath her fingertips made it even clearer what she was doing. "I mean, that was the only major conflict we were involved with, right? There was nothing else that could have been responsible for this."
"The war against Lucemon lasted years though," Calanthe pointed out. "It wasn't a clear-cut or easy campaign. Even if we did fight against something similar to the Void Fragments all that time ago, it's not out of the question to claim that some of the details have been lost to time."
"The only one who might have been able to answer our questions about this would have been AncientTrojamon herself, but she vanished from this realm as soon as she fused with your body," Lyseir frowned. "The only one who can contact the Ancient Warriors now is Miriamon, and I don't know if we'd be able to get the answers that we're looking for by communicating with her as a proxy. It's something for us to think about the next time we go to the Digital World, but until then, I suppose this is just one mystery that's going to be left unsolved."
Yumiko nodded at that, and she turned her focus down to her notebook before writing down a quick question beside the first problem she had equation that day. Void Fragments related to Lucemon? Did that power exist during the war of the Digital World? As soon as she had written the words, Yumiko frowned down at the page, wishing she had something even vaguely resembling an answer. Her head was starting to hurt from thinking about all of this, and she forced herself to glance back up to her teacher and pay attention to the lesson at hand.
No, that wasn’t right. Claiming that her head was hurting solely because of her worry for the current circumstances wouldn't have been correct. She was worried about the other Legendary Warriors, and one of them in particular rose above the crowd as struggling the most. Yumiko had been sensing a few sleeping troubles as of late, most of them related to Koichi. She had seen the way the Warrior of Darkness crumpled to his knees as soon as he recognized the truth of the Void Fragments, and she knew a despair like that wasn't natural at all. There was much more to the situation than met the eye, and Koichi was trying to hide it. Yumiko was confident that all of this ran much deeper than simply the initial terror of facing off against Duskmon's power once more, and she had been trying to work out the truth on her own since Koichi wouldn’t talk about it on his own. Maybe Koichi would be a bit more open to the idea of talking to the group about his fears if someone else brought the concept to him first. If he didn't have to explain himself, then maybe he would feel better about the entire situation.
Of course, parsing through all of the details around the Void Fragments was much easier said than done, and Yumiko's circadian rhythm was already suffering for it. She was going to do everything she could to find the truth behind this though. She owed that much to Koichi and the other members of the group. The Void Fragments were dangerous, posing an existential threat to both Earth and the Digital World. They still didn't know how dire the circumstances were, but the sooner they found out the truth, the sooner they would understand everything they had been missing. They had to figure this out one way or another.
If only Yumiko knew where to start. As things stood though, all she could do was stare down at her list of theories and pray that one of them stuck when she threw it at the wall. It wasn't going to be that simple though. Nothing ever was, and the Void Fragments wouldn't be the exception no matter how much she wished to the contrary.
If only saving the world was a little bit easier.
~~~~~
Takuya was the first one to walk into the fortress after his party arrived in the Digital World once again. He glanced around the entrance hall, still not entirely sure how he was meant to believe that this was a place for him to call home. The fortress was for him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors and their team, though to Takuya, it didn't feel real no matter how many times he reminded himself of the truth. It was a gift of heroism, but Takuya still wasn't used to being a savior of worlds yet. None of them were. A month was hardly enough time to cope with becoming a war hero. Takuya was going to need a lifetime, and he knew the rest of his friends would require much the same.
Patamon was the first one to come streaking into view, his ears pumping strongly to keep him aloft from where he flew above the stairs. "I thought I heard company come in!" he chirped. He rushed over to the Legendary Warriors before landing on Koji's head, adjusting himself until he had found a happy perch atop the Warrior of Light's bandanna. "What brings you here? I didn't think you were coming back for another few days."
"We weren't planning on it... But we've run into a bit of a complication," Chihiro replied with a small sigh. "I'm sorry to ask this of you so suddenly, but do you think we would be able to meet up with Alastomon and Biastamon while we're here? We've got a few hours and a lot to talk about."
Patamon nodded before he took off once more, no doubt off to share the news with Bokomon. Patamon had gotten faster with flying since the Legendary Warriors' first adventure in the Digital World, and keeping up with him these days involved jogging instead of simply walking. Takuya was more than happy to dart after him though, desperate to satisfy the chasm in his chest that sought answers above all else. He had a lot to explain to Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three, and he could only hope Alastomon and Biastamon would be able to help fill in the gaps after everything that had happened since their last trip to the Digital World.
At this point, hearing anything was going to help, and Takuya was ready to face whatever was going to come his way next. As long as it would help to end this nightmare that much faster, Takuya would do whatever he needed to.
Notes:
Welcome to the second arc of the story, everyone! Woohoo!
I think this might be one of my favorite chapters so far. I always love the quieter chapters that grapple with the aftermath of major events, and this chapter was a great example of that. The Legendary Warriors have really been put through the wringer as of late, and they deserve a break. It's a shame they're not going to be getting one quite so easily. I'm just the worst.
Starting off with the opening of this chapter, we have the bulk of the group coming together at the Kanbara household to talk about everything that's happened. A lot of this speaks for itself, but I do want to touch on the speech made by Botan Yokoyama. He's a minor character who's going to be popping up a bit more later on, but for now, here he is with a brief cameo. As was stated by Chihiro, he was a friend of their parents', though they haven't seen him in years since running away from home. As such, I thought Chihiro's perspective would be a perfect way to introduce him to the story. As a minor detail, I like the different ways the members of the group refer to him. They haven't really had any major adult characters in their lives aside from parents up to this point, so I haven't had to consider the way they might address said figures until now. The only ones who referred to him by name in the dialogue were Izumi and Junpei, the former of whom opted to use "Mr. Yokoyama" while Junpei simply called him by his surname since he's a bit more casual and lax. Since this story doesn't use any honorifics, I thought this would be a nice little characterization detail for anyone who caught it.
The real star of this chapter has to be the conversation between Koichi and Hinoka. As is to be expected, Koichi is having an absolutely dreadful time right now given everything he's been through with the power of the Void Fragments as of late. Realizing that they share the same power as Duskmon after learning that the Warriors of Void are inside of his mind... Yeah, that would stress anyone out, especially someone like Koichi who already has high enough levels of anxiety as it is. He and Hinoka have been getting a lot closer since the last book, and I love writing the two of them together since they complement each other so well.
As you've probably noticed between this scene and Izumi's flashback earlier on though, this story does delve quite a bit into the trauma the Legendary Warriors faced both before and during their adventures in the Digital World. As of the end of the previous book, Koichi had come to terms with the idea of his friends forgiving him, but the instant everything with Duskmon reentered his life, all of that came crashing down. Koichi had an apology scene with Koji and Saki during the first book, but he and Hinoka didn't get the chance to talk that way, and the guilt is eating him alive. Hinoka forgave him long ago, but he's still facing off with the darkness Dusk, Velge, and Malkako have instilled in him. Poor Koichi. He deserves a break.
The scene with Emon that followed was a bit of a last-minute addition to this chapter. I realized that I had some extra space to play around with, so I added in a moment for Aquaria to take control of Hinoka's body briefly. We've only had this happen one other time with Zephyr back in chapter six, but back then, we didn't know what was going on, so everyone gets to be aware of it this time around. Emon is still a thorn in Hinoka's side even after all of this though since she's finally showing signs of breaking free of his control. That's the last thing he wants, and he's making sure she knows it. As I'm sure you can imagine, this won't be the last we see of him, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes us in the future.
Last but not least, we have the scene with Yumiko. Hinoka isn't the only one worrying about Koichi; Yumiko is stressed about him too. I liked being able to incorporate the banter between her, Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir here to give the latter three a bit more time to shine. They really do work well together as a team, and them theorizing about everything only shows that in more detail, a stark contrast from Koichi's struggles. It's interesting to think that they might have fought against something similar to the Void Fragments during the war against Lucemon though. This book has a lot more mystery elements to it, and I love leaving behind theory bait along the way. On that note, I'd love to hear what all of you have to say about your suspicions when it comes to the plot. That's always a lot of fun for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks.
Next week, we're going to watch as Takuya's party meets with Alastomon, Biastamon, and the Digimon guides to speak about the Void Fragments and their recent attack on Earth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 14: Uneasy Steps
Summary:
In the Digital World, the Legendary Warriors fend off yet another assault from the Void Fragments, finding themselves caught in clashes of worldview along the way.
Chapter Text
Much to the shared relief of the Legendary Warriors, it only took roughly half an hour for Alastomon and Biastamon to arrive at the fortress. Bokomon had been quick in sending a message out to the current leaders of the Digital World, and both of them agreed that speaking with the Legendary Warriors had to be their utmost priority. It felt strange to have such imposing Digimon in the entryway of the palace, but Mayumi did her best to not too be bothered by it. She let one of her feet bounce rapidly against the step below her from where she sat on the stairs, barely listening as the other members of the group recounted the events of the last battle and everything that had happened since. If she listened to their explanation properly, then she would eat herself alive with anxiety, and she had done that more than enough in the last few days already.
"An attack on Earth... I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised given that this already happened once, but it certainly sets a worrying precedent," Biastamon murmured with a shake of his head. "The Void Fragments have been breaking through the barrier much more frequently as of late. We didn't even realize they had that power initially."
"It can only mean one thing as far as I'm concerned," Alastomon declared. "If they seemingly developed this ability at random, the Void Fragments may not have been able to travel across the barrier between worlds all this time. For all we know, it's a recent growth of their abilities, and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. The Void Fragments are getting stronger, and the one behind all of this has to be fueling their power even more."
"You agree with us then," Haroi concluded with a small frown. "You think there's someone out there deliberately trying to bring chaos to the world through the use of the Void Fragments."
"Your previous observations certainly make it seem like there's a mastermind behind it. I don't think the Void Fragments could possibly mutate and grow stronger given the circumstances. They're completely destroyed when the host Digimon is defeated, and we have no reason to believe that they could possibly be contagious," Biastamon pointed out. "Someone must be pulling the strings and causing these attacks... Though I can't quite figure out why for the life of me."
"That's something we'll simply have to investigate in the future then," Alastomon said. "If I had to guess, I would say that the mastermind behind this chaos has been noticing all of your efforts to defeat the possessed Digimon. They can see that they won't be able to win without putting in a bit more strength to the Void Fragments, so that's what they're doing now. It's hardly convenient or ideal for us, but we need to be cautious with this in mind."
"If you ask me, I feel like all of this is somewhat... Controlled," Haroi remarked. "The Void Fragment attacks seem to all follow the same general idea. Only Beast Digimon are being influenced, and only a few select but powerful Digimon have been able to cross the barrier between worlds. I have to wonder if perhaps the mastermind is making sure that everything follows this specific set of criteria for some reason or another."
"In my eyes, Beast Digimon are the only ones being overtaken because... As much as it hurts to have to admit this, they could be the only ones capable of hosting the power of the Void Fragment," Alastomon frowned. "If we were going to see a Human Digimon overtaken by the Void Fragments, I feel like we would have witnessed that already, and yet, we have seen nothing. Perhaps only Beast Digimon can be taken over by that dark power..."
"I don't think that could be possible though," Bokomon interjected. "There aren't enough differences in the way Human and Beast Digimon function for there to be a profound change between them. At the end of the day, every Digimon is made up of the same data, and there’s no stark difference between the two categories on a deeper level. I don't understand what could cause all of this, but... Perhaps there's someone out there—the mastermind, no doubt—ensuring that only Beast Digimon are taken over by the Void Fragments. If there is someone out there controlling everything that happens, then it's fully possible for them to be manipulating even our perception of these events from the shadows."
"We'll have to keep our eyes open for any new developments. That much I can say with certainty," Biastamon announced. "I don't know who could be behind this or what it is that they're planning, but we must tread cautiously... And I believe that caution will need to extend to all of you and the investigation you've begun to carry out. I also think it would be best if you had other reinforcements at your back to ensure you found what you were searching for, and we would be happy to provide you with our services."
"You mean... You want us to help you learn more about the Void Fragments from here in the Digital World?" Mayumi questioned. She knew this was just a matter of time, but she still found herself caught off guard by it. The idea hadn't been proposed up to this point due to the previous lack of easy access to the portal, but since Saki and Junpei had resolved that issue, this felt like the next natural step.
Biastamon nodded. "I can't say that you'll be able to find too much of note given your limited time here in the Digital World, but I think you should try to help us learn as much as possible," he went on. "We've still been missing quite a few pieces of the picture up to this point, and we could use as many hands on deck as possible. As long as you're all willing to help, I see no reason for you to stay uninvolved."
"That's a good point," Chihiro murmured with a nod of their own. "Now that we can come to the Digital World whenever we want, we can take care of any attacks that happen to pop up as long as we're here. Plus, with Saki and Junpei continuing to refine the communication features of the D-Tectors, we'll be able to hear directly from everyone here about when the Digital World is at risk too. We can stop attacks before they can grow too severe if we can manage to get here in time."
"We can start our investigation today then," Takuya grinned. "I mean, we've got a bit of time to spend here, so it wouldn't hurt for us to look around and see what it is that we can find. There's a lot of information about the Void Fragments out there, and even if we haven't figured out how it all fits together yet, we can start to look into that now that we have the chance."
"I would be more than happy to brief you on the situation," Alastomon announced. "I know we could certainly benefit from your help, and I would love to help you to understand the depths of our research up to this point."
Biastamon shook his head at that, regret passing over his eyes. "I wish I could stay and share what I know with you as well, but I'm afraid that I have another meeting to attend to," he said. "Alastomon should be more than able to fill you in on the details of all that we have come to understand about the Void Fragments, and I trust him to handle everything here."
"Where are you going?" Mayumi asked, briefly halting the bouncing of her foot. "It must be pretty important if you're leaving us so soon after asking us to join the investigation."
"I'm setting out for Inaie Island," Biastamon replied. When the Legendary Warriors all regarded one another with poorly-masked confusion, he continued. "The island of Inaie is a landmass that travels across the surface of the Digital World. It roams from continent to continent, traveling at speeds most could never even hope to comprehend. Legend has it that the island was created during the war against Lucemon so many generations ago. When Lucemon began to tear the Digital World apart, a piece of the earth fractured and wound up landing on the base of the planet itself. Still fueled by powerful magic, the island began to propel itself ever forward, traveling across the Digital World without ever stopping. It remained even after the Digital World was regenerated, and it has come to be known as a special place for surviving such drastic changes across the planet. Very few people can predict its movements, but I'm close with the leader of the island, and she wishes to speak with me today."
"The leader of Inaie Island is known as Darcmon," Bokomon chimed in from where he was perched at the bottom of the stairs. "She's a powerful warrior who has earned the respect of Human and Beast Digimon alike. Inaie is a home to Digimon of all origins, and those who live there find it to be a paradise for creatures from all walks of life. Any who dare to shatter the equality between Human and Beast Digimon found on Inaie is promptly discarded from the island and forced to fend for themselves for violating the peace the people have built so carefully. In that way, it's not entirely unlike the Moon Base, though it's arguably even harder to access. Darcmon is an incredible leader and diplomat, and she supposedly led the island to safety during the conflict with Cherubimon thanks to her powerful sense of justice and charisma."
Biastamon nodded. "Darcmon and I have been close for a great many years, and she wants to be kept updated about everything that has taken place over the course of the last few weeks," he went on. "She was the one who initially nominated me to take up the position as the leader of the Beast Digimon following the fall of the Celestial Three. She thought I would be a fine role model going forward, and I could hardly refuse such kindness from someone like her."
"Of course, communicating with someone on Inaie means being incredibly careful with time management, and right now, you have an appointment to get to," Alastomon told his equal and opposite. "Inaie is always on the move, and I wouldn't want you to miss your opportunity to board the island and speak with Darcmon. I can hold down the fort here and explain all of our findings to the Legendary Warriors. You don't have a thing to worry about, Biastamon."
"Thank you, Alastomon," Biastamon nodded. He started toward the doors at that, his tail flicking behind him all the while. "I wish you all nothing but the best of luck in uncovering the truth behind the Void Fragments. Send me any updates you just so happen to find. Until we meet again, everyone."
The group watched as Biastamon left the fortress behind, and the silence was only broken after the door had closed behind the leader of Beast Digimon. Alastomon turned around to face the Legendary Warriors once more, a grand smile on his face. "Now that you're on board with the investigation, I suppose I should start with a synopsis of what we already know," he said. "I doubt there's much I can say here that you haven't already heard before, but the point still stands. The Void Fragments are pieces of dark magic that attach themselves to Digimon and possess their bodies, forcing them into violent rampages that nobody knows how to stop. To destroy the Void Fragment, the host Digimon must be completely exhausted of energy, and afterwards, the darkness promptly shatters. The attacks have been a plague upon the Digital World ever since Lucemon's fall, but nothing like this has been seen in the history of our realm. Up to this point, only Beast Digimon have been influenced."
"Most of the villages that have been attacked have been Human Digimon settlements, right?" Tomoki questioned, and Alastomon nodded his confirmation. "I see... I have to wonder if perhaps someone out there is trying to sow the seeds of discontent between the two factions of Digimon. The tension was bad enough during the war against Cherubimon, and I wouldn't want it to get any worse, but... Maybe that's what the mastermind behind all of this is trying to accomplish."
"I don't know if I would go that far," Alastomon cut in carefully. "I understand that you want to give the Beast Digimon the benefit of the doubt, but... I feel as if we must look upon them with suspicion at this point. They're the only ones who have been possessed, and their power poses an existential threat not only to Human Digimon, but also to other Beast Digimon and the Digital World as a whole. We can't work too much off hypotheticals here, especially since it could easily lead us astray."
"Maybe we should start off by visiting one of the towns that has suffered an attack recently," Izumi suggested. "There are probably at least a few Digimon there who would be open to answering our questions, and we can use any information that we can get our hands on at this point."
"I could take you to a nearby town and let you look around and speak with the occupants of the village," Alastomon offered. "I'm afraid I won't be able to stay much longer than that though since I do have an appointment of my own elsewhere in the Digital World. I would love to hear more from you as you continue to investigate the matter at hand, but I have other places to be much the same as Biastamon."
"We understand," Takuya assured him. "We can take care of this ourselves, and everything is going to be fine when we do. All we have to do is ask a few Digimon what they know about the Void Fragment attacks, and that's not too bad. You've got a lot on your hands, so don't worry too much about us."
"And if anything does go south, we can take care of ourselves," Koji said as he reached for his D-Tector. He let his thumb brush gently across the buttons, but he didn't push down on any of them to begin the Spirit Evolution process. He would need to conserve his strength in case they ran into another fight, and at this rate, it was seeming like a battle was inevitable.
"I have no doubt about that. I've heard much regarding your exploits in combat, and I would never dare to doubt any of you," Alastomon smiled. "For the time being though, we should take advantage of peace as long as we have it, and that means traveling to the nearby village. Shall we be off?"
Mayumi nodded as she and the other Legendary Warriors got to their feet alongside their Digimon guides. She stretched her arms high above her head, pulling out any of the tension that had mounted in her core ever since she had sat down on the stairs. "Just lead the way," she declared, allowing her arms to come swinging back to her sides as she grinned in Alastomon's direction.
He was more than happy to return the favor of a smile. "Of course."
~~~~~
Junpei was better at reading people than he gave himself credit for.
About half an hour had passed since he had welcomed Saki up to his room so they could continue their work on both the D-Tectors and the portal to the Digital World, and in all that time, Saki had barely spoken a word. They were the quiet type on a good day, preferring to observe more than anything else, but something about the silence felt different today. There was an unspoken tension in the air that Junpei yearned to break through, and while he struggled to find the words, he knew he had to do something. He was far from being as emotionally intelligent as he would have liked to be, but that didn't make him a fool, and he had to at least try to say something to break through the heavy, disturbing tension that had collapsed over them both.
"Saki, are you okay?" Junpei questioned, wincing at his own lack of subtlety. He knew it was far from being the most graceful thing he could have said, but it would start the conversation at the very least. The answer was obviously negative, but Junpei doubted Saki was going to admit that so freely even though they were starting to open up to the world at long last.
Old habits died hard, it seemed.
Saki glanced up slowly, gauging Junpei's expression. There was something in their eyes that reminded Junpei of a caged animal. They were angry about something and felt cornered but were trying to hide it as much as possible. When they spoke, the words were measured and careful, clearly trying to keep from accidentally setting off a tripwire they couldn't quite place yet. "Where is this coming from?" they eventually asked in return.
"You know exactly where it's coming from," Junpei countered with a heavy frown. "You've had so much on your mind lately. It's like you just can't focus on whatever it is we're doing at a given moment. I'm worried, Saki. You can talk to all of us, and we'll be there for you no matter what. I've been seeing this for a while, and I'm tired of just sitting back and watching you hide everything because you're afraid of talking about your problems."
Saki paused once more, no doubt trying to figure out how they were supposed to get out of this, but when they realized there was no escape, they sighed and looked back to their laptop. "It's complicated," they acquiesced. "I've had a lot on my mind lately, and the Void Fragments are grating on my nerves. It pisses me off that there's so little we can do to stop them from running rampant and tearing the worlds apart."
Junpei nodded his understanding. "It seems like there's always something new popping up these days," he agreed. "The Void Fragment attacks are getting worse, and we have no idea what to do about any of them... I know what you mean about this being stressful."
"Each time we turn our backs, there's something else that jumps out to attack us," Saki continued with a shake of their head. "The Void Fragments are a concern in the Digital World too, not just over here. We're lucky to have only seen two attacks so far here on Earth, but that's not going to be the case for long. The most recent attack caused massive damages, and that was when we won the fight. What happens if we can't figure it out? What are we supposed to do if the Void Fragments find a way to get out from under our reach? Heaven forbid they wind up on Earth in a place far away from where we are now. We're not going to know there's an attack going on until it's too late."
Junpei nodded once more. "It's a lot to take in... That much I think we can all agree on," he began. "But you can't just bottle up all of this stress. You're already getting agitated because of all this, and I can tell how much it's hurting you. This isn't something for you to face on your own."
Saki paused, letting one hand come up to pinch at the bridge of their nose. "I know that. It's just... I'm still so used to doing everything on my own, and even though there are other people to help me out now, I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do with that," they confessed. "We're doing all that we can, and even when we work together, it still feels like it's not going to be enough. The Void Fragments are out of our reach no matter what we try to do. The mastermind is even farther beyond our line of sight. Even when we do collaborate the way you're saying we can, it doesn't seem to get us anywhere beyond the shit we've already seen and understood this whole time."
"I hope you're not trying to imply that you want to go off on your own," Junpei frowned as he narrowed his eyes in their direction. "Trying to tackle all of this alone isn't going to accomplish anything. It's just going to stress you out, and that's going to make it even harder for us to press on. We need everyone in fighting condition, and that means making sure we can keep ourselves composed enough for our Beast Spirits to not take control when we evolve. Losing control of your Beast Spirit is going to screw with your Hybrid evolution too, and we can't afford for that to happen right now."
"I know," Saki repeated as they collapsed gracelessly onto Junpei's bed. Their elbows rested against their knees from where their legs dangled from the edge of the mattress to the floor below. "We can't afford to lose what we've already managed to get together. Still... It feels like everything is just a domino effect at this point. We have no idea what to do about the Void Fragments, and shit rolls downhill. If we can't stem the bleeding right now, we're going to run into a hell of a lot more problems from here on out. There’s only so much blood loss we can prevent before the situation becomes unfixable."
Junpei paused at that before he set his D-Tector down and sat in the chair positioned near his desk. "You know, Saki... I get the feeling this is about a bit more than just the Void Fragments," he began carefully. "Getting this stressed... It's not like you. Normally, you can come up with a plan to counter a problem fairly quickly, and I trust you to be able to take care of that. This though... I think there's a bit more to this than you're willing to admit. Is there something else on your mind?"
Saki hesitated for a long moment, and Junpei could tell that he had struck gold just based on the silence alone. They glanced up to him, their eyes suddenly tired and weary in a way that he hadn't anticipated seeing from Saki of all people. "I'm still thinking about Miriamon," they admitted softly. "She said that she met all of our previous incarnations, and I believe that. Still... The way she looked at me was different from how she addressed all of you, and I need to know why. We haven't been able to go back and talk to her again because of everything going on, but I can't seem to get her out of my head no matter what I try and do."
Junpei nodded at that. "Yeah... I guess we haven't been able to see her in a while with all of the Void Fragment attacks going on," he agreed softly. "We're going back to see her again soon though. Bokomon said that we would be able to speak with her this weekend when everyone is back together again, and we're going to take advantage of that chance whenever we get it."
"Yeah... I guess that's something," Saki nodded to themselves. They paused for a long moment before looking up to Junpei once more. "Do you think there's something else she's not telling us?"
Junpei paused to think about it, but when he cast his mind back in Miriamon's direction, he couldn't help agreeing with Saki. There was a lot about the Arbiter of Souls that was, in a word, strange, but when it came from someone like her, Junpei was confident there was more to it. Miriamon was an ancient being, one who had lived on since the times of the original Legendary Warriors. She knew many things about the Digital World, and yet, she lived out of the reaches of society in the periphery of the world. Why would someone like her choose to hide away from the universe? She could have done anything with her life if she so chose, but she instead opted for seclusion. There had to be some reason for it, and while it could have been logical and none of Junpei's business, he wasn't so sure he could completely brush the idea off just yet. When he thought of those guarded eyes of her, he was confident she had to be hiding at least something greater from the rest of the Legendary Warriors. They just had no idea how they were meant to figure out what it is.
"Yeah... It wouldn't surprise me," Junpei agreed. "I have no idea what her deal is, but I get the feeling she's got something else on her mind. She didn't share anything with us directly, but maybe there's some truth she's waiting for the right moment to share."
Saki nodded at that, though Junpei could tell that there was much more to it than they were willing to admit. Still, after how much Junpei had already been able to wrest out of their tightened grasp, he knew he wasn't going to have much luck from then on. This was something Saki wanted to keep to themselves, and Junpei wasn't going to bother trying to get in the way of it. They would talk when they were ready, and Junpei would be there for them when the time finally arrived.
"We'll just have to wait and see then," Saki murmured as they pushed themself to their feet once more. They got back to typing at their laptop where the device was perched at the edge of Junpei's desk, though it was clear as could be that there was something else hiding deep within their heart that they weren't quite ready to share. After the conversation he had shared with them though, Junpei was certain that they would talk whenever they were ready. He had no idea when that time would be, but at least he was getting closer.
One day and one step at a time, Junpei thought. That's the best we've got right now.
~~~~~
By the time the Legendary Warriors team had arrived in the village that had been made victim to the most recent Void Fragment attack, Alastomon had already left them behind. It was to be expected, but Tomoki couldn't help feeling a bit strange and uneasy about it all. He liked to think that he had taken a few important steps out of his shell as of late, but fear still tore at his core when he gave it free reign over his actions. It wasn't ideal in the slightest, but Tomoki knew that it was going to take more than just a trip to the Digital World to pull himself together again after all that Yutaka had done to him. As soon as Alastomon left the group behind, that fear came back, and Tomoki couldn't help fearing that perhaps it was a mistake to come and speak with the Digimon of the village to begin with. Alastomon had insisted that they would be friendly, but Tomoki's racing terror told him otherwise. What if they were attacked while they were there? What if the Void Fragments were waiting for the Legendary Warriors specifically to come before they launched their next assault? How could Tomoki live with himself knowing he could have been bringing danger meant for him to the people around him?
"Tomoki," came Kuma's voice. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I could take care of it if that's what you would prefer."
Tomoki, desperate to escape his own fear and anxiety, allowed himself to retreat from control of his own body. The sensation of surrendering power was a strange one, like his limbs were being detached from themselves with a tingling that surged through his body from head to toe. Afterwards, Tomoki was simply left suspended seemingly in the air above himself, but he knew that wasn't quite right. He felt like he was watching himself from the outside, but in truth, Kuma had taken over. Tomoki had no idea what he was supposed to think about it all, but he was relieved to at least be away from his anxiety for a short while.
No, that wasn't entirely accurate. He was still nervous and worked up, but he wasn't as agitated as he had been previously. Detaching himself from his body had seemingly helped to ease the vitriol of his sudden burst of fear, and Tomoki was more than happy to take advantage of that while he had the chance. It was worth a lot even though it wasn’t going to entirely fix the problem.
Kuma was the perfect person to take over for something like this too. Kuma was cheerful and talkative, easily bridging the gap between Tomoki and the social side he had always wanted to have. Blizzar, on the other hand, was a lot more like Tomoki: quiet and careful with everything he did. As Tomoki would have expected of a Beast Spirit, Blizzar was cautious and did everything he could to mitigate damage and harm before it could occur. Daipen was the most soothing of the three, and Tomoki could feel the Hybrid Spirit's hand on his shoulder after he had retreated into his own mind. It was calming, everything he could have asked for when his fear was starting to hold him back so profoundly. When Tomoki felt himself falter, he knew there were others there to help him rise to his feet again, and he couldn’t have been happier to not be alone.
This was something he could get used to. Maybe cooperating with Kuma, Blizzar, and Daipen to pass off control of their body was the perfect way to handle everything. It certainly seemed to help Tomoki when he felt too awful to carry on, and that miserable feeling was coming to him far more than it had any right to these days.
The rest of the world, on the other hand, was continuing to turn and move, and when Tomoki was next able to focus on the rest of the village, Kuma was fully in control. Takuya had his hands tucked behind his head, and he tilted his neck to the right and left to work out any tension that had appeared on the journey there. "There should be a Digimon around here for us to talk to... Alastomon said his name was Boutmon, I think," Takuya told the rest of the group.
"There he is," Koji cut in. He pointed to a tall Digimon with obsidian skin and loose yellow fabric wrapped around his legs. Boutmon was waiting beside a fountain that stood tall and proud at the center of town, though one of the spouts didn't seem to be functioning the way it should have. A few other Digimon were examining the spout for any signs of outward damage, seemingly trying to fix the problem even though its cause was unknown.
"I bet it was the Void Fragment attack," Blizzar said. "I'm willing to assume the attacking Digimon hit the fountain at some point and broke it, and now, nobody knows what to do in order to fix it."
Tomoki nodded at that as Kuma moved toward Boutmon alongside the other Legendary Warriors. Along the way, Tomoki realized that Haroi was currently sitting on Mayumi's back, not that she seemed to mind at all. Tomoki could only assume that it was because of Haroi's legs starting to bother him again. With all the travel between worlds, his legs were growing weak on both sides of the barrier instead of working in one realm and struggling in the other. The Legendary Warriors would need to come up with a solution to the problem soon, but for the time being, this was as good a fix for the issue as any. At least Mayumi and Haroi were both alright with it. Mayumi was more than strong enough to carry Haroi’s small frame, and Tomoki couldn’t help but be impressed with her raw power even when she wasn’t trying to show it off.
"Would you happen to be Boutmon?" Takuya questioned as soon as the Legendary Warriors were within earshot of the leader of the village. Tomoki hadn't realized just how overwhelmingly tall Boutmon was until he got closer, but now, he couldn't unsee it. He was just glad that Kumamon was better at hiding their anxiety than he was. Tomoki didn't know what would have happened if he had let his nerves show in full, but he chose to not ask either for the sake of keeping himself even remotely calm. Well… As calm as he could have been when he felt like he was exploding beneath the surface
"Maybe everything that's happened recently has been bothering you a bit more than you thought," Daipen commented, and Tomoki nodded from within the confines of his own mind. He hadn't realized it either, but it felt like he was constantly riding a razor's edge. That couldn't be healthy.
The sensation reminded him a lot of something, but Tomoki refused to acknowledge it. None of this was about Yutaka. He couldn’t think about him now. The truth couldn't hurt Tomoki if he ignored it, right? Right?
Boutmon turned at the sound of Takuya's voice, and he nodded to the humans, though his expression remained cautious and uncertain. "I am Boutmon... Who might you be?" he questioned.
"We're the Legendary Warriors," Takuya explained with a grin. "Alastomon dropped us off here. We heard that you had suffered from a Void Fragment attack recently, and we were hoping you would be willing to tell us all about what you saw and endured during the attack."
Boutmon's posture relaxed ever so slightly. "I didn't realize the Legendary Warriors, the saviors of the Digital World, would be coming here as guests," he smiled. "My apologies for the lack of preparations and hospitality. I didn't think we would be seeing any company until after we were able to help our town to recover from the recent damages..."
"So there was an attack here," Koji concluded with a heavy frown. He eyed the spout on the fountain, watching as a few other Digimon tried to pull the stone back into position. Their attempts fell short though, and the Digimon sighed in frustration before getting back to work.
Boutmon sighed. "Yes... There was," he confirmed. "It was two days ago now. We've mostly been able to reverse the minor damage left behind by the attack, but there's still a lot that has yet to be done. The fountain is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid. You don't realize how destructive a savage Beast Digimon can be until it's too late."
"So it was a Beast Digimon this time too," Mayumi frowned as she glanced off to the side. From her back, Haroi looked down at the ground below with concern in his eyes. Mayumi seemed to realize Haroi wanted her to set him down from that glance alone, and she found an empty space on the fountain's rim where nobody was standing before setting him down. Haroi was more than happy to ease himself into a properly seated position, sighing to himself along the way, though Tomoki couldn't tell if the sound was born out of relief or frustration.
"It's always a Beast Digimon," Boutmon muttered bitterly. "Ever since the Void Fragments showed up, it's always been the same. I didn't think they would come here of all places though... We're so far from the rest of society, and I had been hoping the Void Fragments would choose to target larger cities."
"Do you have any other information that might be able to help us?" Izumi questioned. "We're doing our best to try and unravel the truth behind the Void Fragments so that we can keep everyone safe from them. Would you be able to tell us anything of note from the fight here?"
Boutmon thought about it for a moment before he turned his attention to a gap between two buildings. He could see the horizon through the hole, and a frown began to pull at his features. "Not long before the attack, we felt the earth shake," he began. "We saw a silhouette in the distance as well... It looked like a massive island was moving across the surface of the realm."
"Do you think it could have been Inaie?" Chihiro asked of the rest of the group even though the answer already seemed clear as could be. What other entity in the Digital World—living or otherwise—would have caused an earthquake and a strange shadow on the horizon?
"That seems fairly likely," Haroi agreed with a nod. "I don't know what that could have to do with anything though. We've already heard that Inaie tends to travel through the Digital World at random, and I somehow doubt that would help us at all with figuring out what was happening with the Void Fragments."
"They're not contagious anyway, so it's not like anyone from Inaie could have gotten infected and then spread the Void Fragments' corruption to others," Koji frowned. "I suppose we'll just have to do a bit more digging if we want to figure out what's going on here."
Boutmon let out an irritated sigh. "I wish the Void Fragments would just stay away... There's nothing here that anyone could possibly want. We're just a regular village, and any attackers aren't going to find anything of value," he muttered under his breath. "It's going to take a long time for us to fully reverse the harm that was done when the attack took place, and we're going to be working for ages before we can finally rest. Damn those Void Fragments..."
The Legendary Warriors fell silent for a few moments at that, but Izumi frowned and perked up after a few beats of pure quiet. She tilted her head like she was listening to something, her hair falling away from her ear to offer her a better way to hear the world around her. For a long time, the Legendary Warriors simply stared at her, trying to figure out what it was that she was trying to ascertain. "Do you hear anything?" Izumi eventually asked.
Kuma was quick to follow suit in trying to listen for anything out of the ordinary, but in the end, he found nothing. He shook his head before replying. "No," he answered simply. "But you have a better sense of hearing than the rest of us, so if you think you hear something—"
"I can hear it now too," Haroi frowned as he glanced up to the skies overhead. His eyes narrowed along the way as he desperately searched for even the smallest sign of chaos from the heavens. "It's coming from somewhere above us... I think it's off in the distance too."
Before anyone else could say a thing, the hair on the back of Kuma's neck stood on end, and he reached for his D-Tector before slamming a finger down on the activation button. "They're coming," he declared. "Three of them, I think... Void Fragment Digimon."
Chihiro groaned at that, rage flashing through their eyes. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," they growled. "This village just saw an attack a few days ago. Why the hell would there need to be something else so soon afterward? It doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not," Mayumi countered. "The fact of the matter is that there are Digimon coming to attack this village, and as long as we're here, we need to do something to keep the people here safe. I think it's high time we took the initiative before the Void Fragments can get the jump on us first. Who's with me?"
Kuma didn't wait to respond, instead scanning three rings of Fractal Code across the top of his D-Tector. After the transformation process was completed, Daipenmon stood in his place, and he grasped at the hilt of his weapon with all the force he could muster. "We need to go," he declared. He allowed ice to charge itself against the soles of his armored shoes just before he skated off toward the exit of the town. The ice vanished in his wake so as to not leave behind an easy surface for others to slip on while still speeding his movement until he was outside the village.
When Daipenmon turned his face toward the sky, he was met with three silhouettes that looked like snakes with massive sets of wings. It didn't take him long to put the pieces together as to who the Digimon were, his instincts identifying them seamlessly as being Airdramon. Just as the group had previously determined, there were three of them, and Daipenmon could feel their increased power levels even from his place on the ground. The Airdramon were most certainly under the control of the Void Fragments, and they were stronger because of it.
Daipenmon summoned a column of ice to launch him into the air, flashing his axe along the way. He slashed at one of the Airdramon, opening a gash across his foe's side. The Airdramon cried out in pain with a shriek that seemed ready to tear the air apart then and there. Daipenmon twisted after he had dealt the slashing attack, and he mentally commanded the cannon mounted to his axe to fire a barrage of snowballs and icicles. Sure enough, the weapon followed his instructions, and Airdramon began to sink toward the ground under the weight of the onslaught.
Unfortunately, the advantage wasn't in Daipenmon's favor for long. One of the other Airdramon streaked through the sky before slamming his tail into Daipenmon's stomach. The Warrior of Ice let out a stilted groan of pain as his landing course immediately took a turn for the worse, and he pulled his axe in close in preparation to summon as many snowballs as he could. If he was going to fall, the least he could do was try and ensure he didn't break any bones along the way.
Luckily for him, Aeromon was looking out for him, and she flicked one hand out to ease the shift of the air beneath Daipenmon's falling body. He landed on his feet thanks to the help of the wind itself, and while his legs felt like they had been turned to mush from the near brush with death, he was still glad Aeromon had been there to bail him out. He shot her a quick thumbs-up to let her know that he was alright, and she nodded before streaking off to the sky to try and take on the Airdramon once more.
"Damn it," Beowolfmon muttered from nearby, and Daipenmon realized that both Beowolfmon and Aethermon had come to stand a short distance behind him while he was distracted. "The Airdramon are too high up for us to be able to do much. We're going to need some ground to stand on or some other way to get into the air so that we're not stranded so far from the heat of the fight. We won't be able to attack them from all the way down here."
"I've got it all under control," Yaiamon assured him. They strolled casually into the center of the group before crouching down, slamming one fist into the earth along the way. A massive platform of rock immediately shot out of the ground, offering the perfect place for the wingless Warriors to fight from. They were still at a disadvantage against the Airdramon thanks to their foes having such impressive maneuverability, but it was at least a step in the right direction.
Aldamon curled his wings in around his body before preparing to slam himself against the Airdramon that Daipenmon had already injured. The Airdramon swerved out of the way, too distracted with trying to attack Siriusmon to even notice Aldamon, and the Warrior of Fire shot off like a rocket toward the place where the Airdramon had been a few beats prior. He was just barely too late, leaving behind streaks of flame in the skies from where he had flown.
Once again, Aeromon was looking out for the rest of the team, and she twisted her arms so that the air currents around Aldamon would redirect his course. The Warrior of Fire continued streaking through the heavens, but this time, he was aimed in the right direction. The Airdramon he was targeting was trying to knock Siriusmon out of the sky with a blast of concentrated energy from his mouth, leaving him too distracted to realize what was happening until it was already too late.
As soon as Aldamon hit the Airdramon, the draconic Digimon was left to crumble from the sky. No desperate flaps from Airdramon's wings could quite save him from hitting the ground, and the earth shook as soon as he crashed into the stones below. Daipenmon winced at the sound, but he made no moves to go after the fallen foe.
Aethermon, on the other hand, had no qualms about diving down after their opponent. She launched herself high off the platform of earth, gaining as much momentum as she could before shooting down towards the fallen Airdramon. She extended one clawed hand in front of her torso, smirking as she readied herself for impact.
Nothing could have possibly prepared the Airdramon for what was about to come next. Aethermon slashed open another gash on his side, and in doing so, pulled the Void Fragment out of his body. The darkness shattered on cue as per usual, but that was far from the only outcome of the encounter. Airdramon's body seemed to grow even limper than before, assuming that was even possible, but when Aethermon rose to her full height, energy was practically crackling at her fingertips. Electric blue light danced across the surface of her body, ready to fly free at a moment's notice. Aethermon had taken as much of Airdramon's energy as she could stand as per her title, and she was more than ready to use it.
Aethermon once again kicked herself off the ground, and she was easily able to close the gap between the earth below and the platform of stone that Yaiamon had created. As soon as she landed atop the pillar, she took off running once more, launching herself all over again. This time though, she wasn't aiming for a fallen target, but rather, a moving one.
The second of the three Airdramon had taken to chasing Aldamon around the skies as revenge for what he had done to the first Void Fragment Digimon. The Warrior of Fire was able to stay ahead of him easily, and as soon as he realized what Aethermon was trying to do, he smirked, launching himself toward the ground. Aethermon landed on top of the Airdramon's back when he gave chase, curling one clawed hand through the ornate hair that framed the dragon Digimon's face.
Airdramon immediately shrieked with panic at realizing there was something on his back, and he twisted his body as much as he could in an attempt to buck her off. Aethermon dug her claws in a little bit deeper, absorbing as much of his strength as she could. Airdramon began to feel the sting of her draining abilities almost immediately, and his panicked wing flaps began to slow down to an almost normal pace. From there, they slowed once more, and Airdramon began to spiral toward the earth below, his point of impact not far from where the previous Void Fragment Digimon had hit the ground and ultimately lost the battle.
Even after the Airdramon slammed into the ground below, no Void Fragment shattered in the air overhead. Beowolfmon raised his sword to the sky, charging energy into the blade, before he jumped off the side of the earthen column. He stabbed the blade down to the Airdramon below, piercing the dragon's skin in his side. The ground shook from Beowolfmon's impact with the earth, and a ripple of energy spread outward and made every combatant tremble for a few beats of silence. The Airdramon left victimized by the attack was also left to shake under the weight of the stab, and his Void Fragment pierced the sky before disappearing. Immediately afterward, Beowolfmon raised his free hand, allowing light to cover his palm. The gash in the Airdramon's side began to heal itself over soon afterward, leaving behind no traces of the damage to begin with.
In the skies overhead, only one Airdramon remained. Yaiamon began to throw their arms forward, and stones rose up from the ground below. The earth had been disturbed by the attacks from the other two Airdramon crashing down, and the rocks left behind made for the perfect ammunition against the final Airdramon. Yaiamon pelted the final Void Fragment Digimon with as many attacks as possible, and the dragon roared in pain as he started to spiral toward the ground against his will. The small rocks were far from being enough to completely ground the Airdramon though, and he attempted to fly out of Yaiamon's reach.
Yaiamon, however, refused to be held back, and they jumped off the earthen platform before punching one fist into the sky. A platform of rocks formed itself from the leftover debris from the past attacks, and Yaiamon grinned pridefully as they launched themself ever forward, springing off the platform and toward their target. They dove toward the Airdramon before punching down at the dragon's side. The Airdramon screamed in agony once more before starting to crumble toward the earth below, one wing left visibly damaged from the stones and the massive punch from Yaiamon. Airdramon naturally had torn wings, but this was simply too much for him to bear, and he fell toward the earth at breakneck speeds.
Aethermon, who had been standing next to Beowolfmon near the second fallen Airdramon of the trio, grinned as soon as Yaiamon pinned the final enemy against the ground. She took off running before kicking off the earth and flipping once she was skyward. When Aethermon slammed into the earth once more with a ground-shaking punch, the Airdramon was left motionless as a Void Fragment tore itself away from his spine. The dragon grunted in pain as the Void Fragment completely shattered, a clear sign that the fight was finally over.
Aldamon, Aeromon, and Siriusmon patrolled the skies for another few moments, trying to see if there were any other traces of Void Fragment Digimon left behind. When they saw no signs that pointed to other attackers, they began to ease themselves to the ground. Yaiamon followed suit, letting one hand flick a small speck of rock off their shoulder nonchalantly. The ground immediately began to repair itself, and the earth appeared as if it had never been damaged to begin with. Even the ruts left behind by the Airdramon were gone now, and Yaiamon sighed with satisfaction once their work was finished.
"Woohoo!" Aethermon cried out as she punched her fists into the air, a victorious grin across her features. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" She was still shaking from the adrenaline that came with the battle, and the energy that she had taken from her enemies continued to rattle around inside her even after the fight was over. She bounced up and down on the spot, her tails moving behind her from the motion.
"I think that taking too much energy from your enemies is like having too much caffeine," Beowolfmon commented. He put one hand on her shoulder to try and keep her still, but it didn't work, as Aethermon continued to bounce on the spot under his grip. He sighed and shook his head, but Aethermon didn't seem to mind at all, instead just smiling up at him with a shine in her eyes.
"Either way, we were able to finish the fight, and that's what matters most," Siriusmon pointed out. "I feel like we already know exactly what we're going to hear out of them... It's always the same story."
"They don't remember anything that happened before they were possessed," Aeromon quoted, and Siriusmon nodded. "It's a shame... That would really help us in an investigation, but I guess this is the best we're going to be able to get."
"The rest of you can head back to talk to Boutmon," Daipenmon suggested as he walked toward the fallen Airdramon. "I want to try and talk to them about everything that happened. I know we're probably not going to get anything new out of it, but I think they deserve to hear at least something from a friendly voice."
"I'll stick around with Daipenmon too," Siriusmon nodded before glancing over to Aethermon. "And maybe she should stay for a bit longer as well. I don't think she would be able to stay still even if she reverted back to human form."
"Then the rest of us will take care of things back in town," Yaiamon declared. Brown light consumed their body before Chihiro was left in their place. They stretched their arms above their head before letting out a hefty sigh. "I had been hoping that we wouldn't have to fight today, but I guess there's no rest for us, especially with how many Void Fragments are still out there causing problems now. Can’t even have a single day of peace these days. Tragic."
Takuya, Izumi, and Koji were quick to follow Chihiro's lead in reverting to human form. Izumi nodded at Chihiro's words as she yawned, covering it up with her hand. "It really is exhausting to fight all the time... It's become harder to constantly engage in combat ever since we've started switching worlds so much," she admitted. "I guess the struggles with strength Haroi has been facing have been influencing the rest of us too. We just didn't notice it."
"We can think about that later," Koji declared. "We have other things to take care of first, and I don't want to keep Boutmon waiting any longer than necessary. Maybe he'll be able to share something helpful with us. We'll just have to see."
Chihiro nodded before they started off toward the entrance of the town. It was strange to think of walking back to the village as a hero, but Chihiro was more than fine with it since that was the boost in morale they needed after all they had dealt with over the last few days. They stretched the muscles in their neck by tilting their head from side to side, shoving their hands in their pockets as Boutmon came into view.
Boutmon had carefully crept out from his previous hiding place since realizing the Airdramon were gone, and he released a heavy but bitter sigh as he shook his head. "Thank everything holy that they're gone," he murmured. "Thank you so much for saving us from those beasts. I don't think we'll be able to say enough how much we appreciate it."
"We were happy to help," Takuya said, though he trailed off awkwardly before he could continue, his smile faltering along the way. "Though... I don't think it's really fair to call them 'those beasts' or anything similar. They're still Digimon the same as you, and the Void Fragments possessing them doesn't change that fact."
Boutmon scoffed as soon as he heard the words before closing his eyes and turning his head off to the side. "As if Digimon like that have anything in common with us," he retorted crossly. "We may all be Digimon, but they've brought so much more harm to the Digital World, more than you could ever imagine. The Beast Digimon were the ones who waged war alongside Cherubimon, you know, and now, they're being possessed by the Void Fragments too. How can you look at them and not think of how absolutely despicable they are?"
"A strong majority of Beast Digimon had nothing to do with Cherubimon's actions," Izumi frowned. "They were simply going about their lives the same way that you do. They were hurt by the war too, and acting like all of them are responsible... It's not right."
"They might as well all be responsible as far as I'm concerned," Boutmon muttered, shaking his head dismissively. "The Beast Digimon and their damn Void Fragments have brought calamity to this village not once, but twice now. How can I not be suspicious of them after all that they've done? I can't just let that go. None of us can."
The air remained heavy for another few moments. Izumi took in a careful breath and let it out a moment later. "I promise you that we're going to do everything we can to stop the Void Fragment Digimon before things can get even further out of control," she eventually said, though her smile was tense and practiced. It was the same lie that she had been telling for much of her life, and Chihiro winced at the sight of Izumi's old grin that they knew to be so wrong. She could tell there was something amiss with Boutmon's words too, and she absolutely hated not being able to address it openly.
"Good. I'll be counting on you to find the answers as soon as possible," Boutmon announced with a nod. "Alastomon comes here often, and he gives me updates whenever something new is discovered... The updates have been slowing down significantly as of late, but I suppose there's little we can do about it now. The Digital World has its faith in you, and we're wishing you the best. Stop the Void Fragments as soon as you can. We're all counting on you."
Chihiro nodded before turning on their heel and walking out of the village, a frown prominent across their features. They scoffed once they were out of earshot of Boutmon. "Well, it's good to know that so many people think so little of the Beast Digimon," they muttered. "Most Beast Digimon had nothing to do with the war Cherubimon waged, and those that were involved were likely taken over by Cherubimon and Lucemon's dark power."
"That hatred still holds true after all this time, I'm afraid."
The sound of Bokomon's voice pulled the Legendary Warriors out of their thoughts, and they realized that the five Digimon guides had taken to hiding within the buildings nearby. Bokomon shook his head as he approached the group of four teens. "Many Human Digimon believe that the Beast Digimon are responsible for the ills the Digital World is currently facing because they were involved with the war against Cherubimon," Bokomon continued. "This Void Fragment business is only making things worse for them."
"We'll just have to prove that everyone's fears are bullshit then," Chihiro declared as they crossed their arms. "We know the truth about it, and it's time for everyone else to figure it out too. The Human and Beast Digimon are too similar for this to only be a Beast Digimon problem. The one behind all of this has to be targeting them deliberately. I can just feel it."
"We can talk about it later on," Koji pointed out. "For now, I think we're going to have to call our investigation here. After that fight, I'm exhausted, and I need to go back home and take a nap. That fight really took it out of me, and I get the feeling all of you feel the same way."
Takuya nodded and tucked his arms up behind his head. "We'll be back later this week anyway. We can talk about any new developments then," he announced. "Let's go and pick up the others and head back home. People are going to get suspicious if we're gone for too long even on a day off, especially since classes are starting again tomorrow."
"Don't remind me," Chihiro muttered sourly. "Maybe we can talk about it more with Miriamon. It's been a while since we heard from her, and it's high time we listened to what she has to say about all of this. Maybe she's figured out something else new."
Izumi simply nodded as she stared down at the earth below. "Yeah... I hope so too," she whispered. She didn't say a word about it, but everyone already knew exactly what she was thinking. Boutmon's words of bitterness and rage were echoing in all of their minds, and they could still feel the sting. The Digital World was a much darker place than they realized, and today had made it perfectly clear.
The peace of the Digital World was much more fragile than they had all thought, and the truth was becoming all too clear.
~~~~~
After the Airdramon had been sent on their way and the other three Legendary Warriors had reverted to their human forms, Haroi let out a sigh. Mayumi's energy absorption sugar rush was starting to even out, and she was sitting on the ground with her fingers pressed against the grass. She was still excited from all that she had done during the fight, but it was a step in the right direction, at the very least.
Haroi glanced between Mayumi and Tomoki for a few moments before his attention was pulled away. He could feel the ground shaking gently in the distance, and when he glanced up, he could see the faraway silhouette of what appeared to be an island moving across the earth. His eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped as soon as he recognized what it had to be.
"So... That's Inaie, huh?" Tomoki questioned. He brushed a few threads of hair behind his ear as he continued. "Who would have thought the island would be so close to where we wound up?"
Haroi hummed his agreement as he watched the island rumble across the horizon. He hoped they would be able to visit Inaie one day, especially given the chaos the rest of the world contained. If the island truly was a utopia the way that Alastomon, Biastamon, and Bokomon had described it, then some time there was what all of them needed. They had seen more than enough stress over the course of the last few weeks, and they deserved a bit of time off.
For the time being though, Haroi simply watched Inaie cross in and out of his line of sight. He let out a small sigh, praying that perhaps one day the rest of the Digital World would see the peace that island had managed to find. He had no idea how it was going to happen, but he could still hold tightly to that hope in the meantime.
One day at a time, Haroi thought to himself. One day at a time.
Notes:
Right on with the second act! Woohoo!
This chapter really kicks off the thick of the second arc's main plot thread which is investigating the Void Fragments. The characters are taking action at long last, and I'm absolutely loving it. This chapter was a nice transition between the emotional sting of the last chapter and the continuation of their search for information going forward, and I had a lot of fun writing it.
Starting off with the opening scene with Alastomon and Biastamon, it was nice to see the two of them again. They're incredibly interesting characters to write for, and I think they're the perfect foils for one another. I thought that was the perfect way to get started with the investigation arc, and it gave me the perfect chance to talk about Inaie too. In case you haven't already figured it out, Inaie Island is meant to be this story's version of the Island of Lost Digimon. Yeah, that's right. We're getting into movie stuff now, and I'm really looking forward to it. I didn't have time to cover this before, especially since the movie is debatably canon at best, but there's more than enough of a chance to discuss it here. This won't be the last we see of Inaie either, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. The story of the island has changed considerably compared to canon, and I really do love it.
Next up, we have the scene with Saki and Junpei. Now that they're starting to open up to people, Saki is letting a lot more of their emotions show, and that includes the negative feelings too. I love having Saki and Junpei talk since they really are great foils for one another, having a lot in common but being different enough to create tension for them to talk. I loved working on that scene in particular, and it was probably my favorite part of this chapter.
The segment in Boutmon's village was certainly something else. The Void Fragment attacks are getting worse, and this is the perfect way to see it. Since all of the Void Fragment culprits have been Beast Digimon so far, the effect of that prejudice is starting to spread. When combined with the tension between Human and Beast Digimon caused by Cherubimon marching with his Beast army, a lot of the Human Digimon have a problem with their opposites. It's tragic to see the Digital World already starting to tear itself apart under a new conflict, this time of the interpersonal variety, but Boutmon was the perfect way to show it. Once again, this won't be the last time we discuss this subject. To put it simply, there's a lot coming your way regarding this unfortunate and tragic topic.
Now, let's tackle the scene with Tomoki and the other Warriors of Ice. I really do have fun working on the scenes with the other echoes of the Legendary Warriors since exploring all of them is such a unique experience. I've written about plurality in stories before (the Water Sprites in Alitia, for anyone curious), but it was always looking at it from an outside party rather than exploring it inside out. It's tons of fun, and I thought this would be a great way to show the chemistry between the Warriors of Ice. It also offers yet another contrast to Koichi's struggles. Poor kid.
Next up, we have the fight. I really do like stepping out of the box with these fight sequences, and this one definitely broke the boundaries of what I'm used to. I loved supercharging Aethermon like the strongest battery ever, and the detail of her having a sugar rush after the fact was incredibly funny to me. I love Mayumi's battle gimmick of being able to take the energy of others and being able to control every element to a minor degree, and she really is a joy to write in fight sequences. The fight as a whole was tons of fun, but Mayumi was the highlight.
Last but not least, there's the ending with Inaie Island. I thought it would be a nice way to close out the segment since we talked about it earlier in the chapter. Like I said before, Inaie's lore is very different this time around, and it's a far cry from being the Island of Lost Digimon as it is in the movie. We'll explore it in more detail later on in act two, but for now, I hope you enjoy the teaser of Inaie and what it will eventually become.
Phew. That was a lot. Next week, we're pressing on with act two, and it's time to return to Koichi once again. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 15: Consuming Shadows
Summary:
Koichi, still weighed down by the truth of the Void Fragments, struggles to push through the world around him. Meanwhile, Hinoka's concerns for him continue to rise.
Chapter Text
Time could heal all wounds.
That was what Koichi had been told throughout his life, at the very least. As time went by, people developed new ways to handle the hardships that were thrown their way, and when the years came and went, the pains of the past would dull before fading away completely. Even if the scars yet remained, the agony would eventually cease. All he had to do was be patient. He just needed to breathe and push on for a little bit longer until it all came together the way he had heard it would so many times.
As it turned out, it wasn't that easy.
A few days had come and gone since the attack where Koichi came to grips with the truth of the Void Fragments, and he still wasn't feeling any better. He could always hear Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi chattering in the back of his mind, at least to some degree. None of them quite knew how to bridge the gap, though Koichi couldn’t say he had any idea of what to do either. Above the cacophony of the Warriors of Darkness, he could hear the Warriors of Void. Dusk was quiet most of the time, and Malkako's words always seemed to be laced with menace whenever Koichi heard them. Velge only ever seemed to scream in agony when Koichi was on the verge of falling asleep, snapping him back awake and leading to hours spent tossing and turning at the edges of adrenaline that eventually succumbed to full restless nights. Erocia was a mystery, seeming to exist just out of the corner of Koichi's eye. He should have done more to reach out, but he couldn't figure out how, and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally stumble into the Warriors of Void while trying to figure out just what was happening with Erocia. That was a headache he wasn't equipped to deal with, and Koichi doubted he would ever be truly ready to face it.
Koichi stared blankly down at his feet as he moved on autopilot toward the exit of his school. He was readying himself for yet another day of this nauseating routine. He would go home and do his homework, read for as long as he could stand until the exhaustion grew to be too much for him, and afterwards, he would go to sleep. He would do as much as he could to prevent the off chance of an actual thought occurring to him outside of his own productivity. He couldn't slow down. If Koichi stumbled, he knew that he wasn't going to be standing back up again. There was just too much holding him down, and if he let the earth get a hold of him, he was going to be down for the rest of the year at least. It was a cruel truth, but it was his reality regardless.
"Hey, Koichi."
The only one who had been a shining light in Koichi's life at this point was also the darkest shadow he could have ever imagined. Hinoka seemed to be sticking close to him even more than usual, a smile always on her features. She was trying to make sure that he was alright, and if he wasn't going to say anything openly, then she would watch him from a few paces away as some way of vaguely reassuring herself things were better than they truly were. Koichi was glad that she cared so much and wanted to see him feel better, but at the same time, he had no idea what to do about all of this. How could he stand to be around her when he knew that it was just a matter of time before something gave in and snapped in full? How could he spend time with Hinoka when she was going to be his undoing if he gave her the chance to push him until he broke?
Realistically, Koichi knew that Hinoka was too nice to really bend him until he completely snapped, but the fear never seemed to want to leave him alone. It buzzed around the back of his mind, an eternal whisper that he could never escape no matter how hard he tried. What was he going to say if Hinoka did find out the truth behind all of this? She was going to hate him, and he couldn't blame her. Duskmon had hurt her so much, and now, he was back within Koichi's mind. Even if she had forgiven him for it ages ago, he couldn't bring himself to be so kind to his past actions, and he was praying with everything he had that he would be able to push through and keep her from discovering the truth.
For the time being, keeping the secret meant lying, so Koichi plastered on a painfully fake smile before looking up to stare at somewhere just over her shoulder. It wasn't much, but if it would keep him from having to make eye contact with her, he was willing to take it. "Hey, Hinoka," he greeted in return. The words sounded so rehearsed that they were poison to his mind, but he tried to not think about that. If he lingered on it for too long, he was going to snap much sooner than he would have liked, and he couldn't stand to falter now.
"How are you feeling?" Hinoka questioned, not bothering to specify what she was referring to beyond vague implications. There was something tense about her expression, something that hadn't been there when they spoke earlier in the day. In other words, there was a way for Koichi to escape this conversation without having to answer her inquiry, and regardless of how dirty he felt having to exploit that, he knew what he had to do.
"I could ask you the same thing," Koichi frowned. "You seem... Anxious." He eyed the way her fingers tightened around the book pressed against her chest, a sign that he was right. Relief flooded his body, though he did his best to not let it show on his face. If they were talking about Hinoka's problems, then that was one more minute that he would be saved from having to think of his own agonies. It was a small blessing, but Koichi had learned to count those in dozens over the last few days.
Hinoka hesitated, clearly caught by surprise by his words, before she nodded. "Yes... I suppose I am," she admitted softly. "Ever since classes ended, I've had this really awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have no idea where it came from or what it could mean, but... I feel bad for some reason."
"Guilt, is it?"
Before Koichi had the chance to fully respond to Hinoka's words, he heard a voice from behind them both. He turned and was met with none other than Emon, his lips twisted in a jeer. "I would have thought that you would know what guilt feels like, Hinoka," he began, his voice smooth and rolling in a way that made Koichi want to punch him. No, it wasn't Koichi that wanted to strike back; it was Dusk, and the revelation made Koichi himself feel sick enough to nearly lose his balance in terror.
"Go away, Emon," Hinoka said softly. Her fingers were starting to shake already as she took a step back, trying to restrict her fight or flight response before it could get her in even more trouble. She swallowed dryly, and once again, that familiar defensive rage swelled up deep within Koichi's core.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Hinoka," Emon countered with a scoff. "Haven't you ever heard of free will? I can do whatever I want, and right now, I want to talk to you." He pressed his hand against the nearby wall, creating an imposing barrier that kept Koichi and Hinoka from leaving the school behind. A quick glance over in Hinoka's direction told Koichi that she felt trapped by that gesture alone, though she did her best to hide it so as to not make the situation any worse.
The light in Hinoka's eyes seemed to shift for a brief flicker, and when she came back, everything about her demeanor had changed. Koichi figured out rather quickly that this was not Hinoka, and the voice that left her lips a moment later proved it. "I can do as I please as well," she pointed out. "And right now, I want to be on my way. I would prefer it if you would make this as easy as possible for me... Am I understood in that?"
Emon stared down at her for a few moments before his expression twisted with rage. "You think that you can push me around?" he asked. Hinoka said nothing, instead simply glaring up at him. She didn't move even when he took a step toward her to try and intimidate her into silence. The two continued to lock eyes for a few long beats of silence, and Koichi could have sworn he felt the temperature in the hallway rise by a few degrees.
"Let me make one thing clear, Hinoka," Emon continued, his voice dangerous and low. "In this world, there are two types of people: the strong and the weak. The strong have full control over those beneath them, and you're beneath even the worst of the strong. I would advise that you stay out of my way in the future... Unless you want to meet with an... Unfortunate fate."
"I'm stronger than you'll ever be," Hinoka snarled up at him, her eyes narrowing and hardening with the words. "It's a shame that you're too caught up in yourself to realize just how pathetic you really are."
Emon froze at that, and he slammed his fist against the nearby wall. Hinoka flinched, but only barely. Still, that was more than enough for Emon to scoff and shake his head. "You're just as cowardly as ever," he muttered. "You can put on appearances as much as you want, but the fact of the matter is that you know your rightful position. Good. I would hate to have to put you in your place myself. I know you wouldn't like that either. Remember it well, Hinoka... It'll make things easier on the both of us."
When Emon stormed off a moment later, Koichi could do nothing but stare. He hadn't realized that he hadn't been breathing until after Emon was gone, and he finally allowed himself to release the tension in his chest with a hefty sigh. His heart was racing in his best, and much to his surprise, Hinoka seemed to be the calmer of the two of them, not that she was saying anything on the matter. Once again, Koichi was hit by the certainty that this wasn't Hinoka at all, though he couldn't quite gauge which of the Warriors of Water had faced off with Emon.
As soon as Emon rounded the corner and disappeared deeper into the building, Hinoka let out a whimper of a breath, her arms cradling the upper half of her body. "I don't think I've ever been so scared," she admitted softly. The Hinoka that Koichi had come to know was back, and she was absolutely terrified of what her echo had done. Hinoka never would have dared to fight back against Emon, and she feared the consequences even when she knew it was right.
"I want him to pay for what he's done," 'Hinoka' muttered, her voice turning cross in the blink of an eye. The enmity that rose on her face could only be described as beastly, and Koichi knew on instinct he had to be faced with the Beast Spirit of Water.
The actual Hinoka took control again a moment later and shook her head. "Aquaria, it's fine. I don't want to get into any trouble with him. I don't know what he could do to us that he hasn't already done, but I don't want to test that theory either."
Aquaria then. Just as he had thought, that was the one who had spoken up against Emon. If Koichi had to guess, Aquaria was the defender of the group, looking after the others and protecting them from any hardships that could have crossed their paths. Aquaria had lashed out from fear in the Digital World, and now, she was putting that fear to good use by using it to drive Emon as far away from her as physically possible. Emon was the greatest struggle in their regular lives, and Aquaria wasn't going to stand for it. After all the pain that Emon had brought to Hinoka previously, Koichi couldn't blame her. He just wished there was more he could do that didn't boil down to rage that made his heart quake.
"Hit him with a car," Dusk's voice whispered into Koichi's ear. "That would certainly show him his place."
Koichi's eyes went ever so slightly wider at that, but he was lucky enough to escape Hinoka's notice. She was too busy trying to communicate with Aquaria to realize that Koichi was having an internal conversation of his own. He shook off Dusk's words with the distant thought that he didn't even know how to drive, though that was the last thing he should have been thinking about given the Warrior of Void's desperation for violence. He should have had a stronger defense than that, but he already knew he never would.
"Do you want to be walked out to the train station?" Koichi asked when he finally managed to get a grip on himself again. "I don't want Emon to come after you again when you're alone."
Hinoka thought about it before she shook her head. "No... I'll be fine," she assured him. "Besides, I don't want to keep you out any longer than necessary. You look... Exhausted."
Koichi held back a wince at that even though he knew Hinoka was right. He didn't feel like his body was his own anymore because of everything that had happened with uncovering the Warriors of Void, and looking at his own reflection these days made him feel sick. Still, when he did manage to meet his own gaze, he realized just how hollow and emptied out every part of his face looked. Dark circles tore at the skin just beneath his eyes, a sign of his exhaustion that he couldn't escape no matter how hard he tried. No single night of sleep was going to be able to fix a problem like this though, and Koichi was giving up on having a night of solid rest at this point given Velge's screams. Life was just a string of distractions that kept him from seeing just how tired he was.
If only that was enough to hide his exhaustion from others as well.
Koichi shook his head as soon as he was able to get a grip on himself again. "I'll be okay if you really want me to come with you," he told her, though deep down, he was afraid of spending more time with her. He didn't want her to probe him more about everything that he had been struggling with over the last few days. He had no idea what he was going to say if she struck gold and realized it had something to do with the Void Fragments. The mere concept of Hinoka figuring out everything that had been weighing on him was simply too much for him to bear. Maybe Koichi was just going to break down then and there if she realized what the heart of the issue was. He had no clue, and he didn't want to test his limits either.
"Coward," Malkako scoffed. "She needs someone to be there for her right now, and all you can think about is trying to hide the fact that the rest of us exist. Do you think about anyone other than yourself? Absolutely pathetic."
"I'll be okay," Hinoka assured him with a small smile, though he was certain she only felt that way because Aquaria had been so happy to step in and take the brunt of Emon's verbal abuse for her. "Just try to go home and get a bit of sleep, okay? I don't want you to tire yourself out, especially since we're heading back over the weekend." She didn't say that their destination was the Digital World, but Koichi knew exactly what she was referring to.
And he had coincidentally forgotten about it until she brought it up. He had been so distracted as of late that he hadn't been given much time to think about the upcoming visit to the Digital World in much detail. Miriamon was waiting for them on the other side of the barrier, but Koichi had no idea what he was supposed to say to her. What were any of them supposed to say? She was a mysterious one, and Koichi somehow doubted that talking to her again was going to make any of this easier.
But he chose to not say any of that, instead simply plastering a smile on his face once again even though it felt foreign and falsified. "Alright," he said with a gentle wave. "I'll see you again later then." Hinoka nodded and returned the waving gesture before she started for the door of the school, and she vanished around the corner soon afterward.
Koichi was quick to pull his things together and leave the school behind from there, though he didn't give himself the chance to fully think about what he was doing. Instead, he let autopilot take control in full, glad that he was just going to be able to spend some time alone. He had been able to avoid his mother as of late, though he knew she had to be getting worried. If only Koichi could explain his reasoning for the secrecy to her. Unfortunately, that meant explaining everything about the Digital World, and he didn't have the time, energy, or ability to share that information with her. It was much too dangerous, and as long as he couldn't tell her about the Digital World and couldn't tell his friends about the truth of the Warriors of Void, this was going to have to stay his secret.
"Coward," came Malkako's voice all over again, though Koichi did his best to block it out. That was much easier said than done, but he had to at least put in the effort for the sake of his pride.
The walk home was ultimately uneventful, and when he twisted the knob of his apartment’s front door, he was pleased to see that the living area was empty. He sighed as he hung up his backpack and slid his shoes off. He closed the door behind him, immediately making a beeline for his bedroom. It wasn't as if he was at risk of being seen elsewhere in the apartment as long as his mother was still at work, but he still didn't want anyone to see him at all. He still felt like a disaster, and until he could pull himself together, he needed to be alone.
Koichi sat down at his desk and let his hands come up to cradle at his forehead. He should have spent this time doing homework, but he had a pounding headache all of a sudden. Okay, maybe calling it sudden wasn't entirely accurate, but Koichi had no other way of describing it. This happened sometimes when he tried to suppress or ignore the voices of his echoes with too much force. It was like they would retaliate against him by pushing him into the darkness, leaving him to suffer and struggle under the weight of the silent pain. He knew that it was only the Warriors of Void doing this though, and he had no desire to reach out to them and make it stop. The wound was still too fresh, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do to fix it either. If he was going to do something like that, he was going to need a plan, and yet, there was nothing.
Koichi let himself sigh as he rubbed circles against his temples. His mind quickly worked its way back in Hinoka's direction despite his desire to think about her as little as possible. After all, he knew exactly where his train of thought was going to head as soon as it set its sights on her: jealousy. As much as he hated to admit it, Koichi was jealous of how easily she had grown to know and love the other Warriors living inside of her mind and body. Aquaria had even come to her defense in a dangerous situation one short hour prior. The rest of the Legendary Warriors were in much the same shoes, yes, but Hinoka was the one Koichi saw most often of the group. He couldn't seem to escape his own inadequacy no matter how hard he tried, and Hinoka was the perfect proof of his failures.
It wasn't as if he held this against her though. That wouldn't be right of him, and he refused to do something so harsh and heartless. Hinoka couldn't help what Koichi saw within his own mind, and she didn't even know of the strife he shared with the other echoes of his mind. He couldn't resent her for something she had no way of understanding or accepting. He liked to think that he was at least logical enough to hold himself back on that front even if the Warriors of Void were, in a word, brutal.
Koichi had no idea what he was supposed to do about them. Dusk, Velge, and Malkako all existed as shadows of the twisted being that Koichi had been when he was possessed by Cherubimon, and as such, they all seemed to share that common pain. That was the problem though. Koichi had found a group of people he could count on regardless of the circumstances, and along the way, he had uncovered the truth that he was never alone. He didn't have to be fueled by only his own agony anymore. He had moved well beyond that, and he was proud of himself for it.
The Warriors of Void, on the other hand, couldn't seem to push through it no matter how far Koichi had come. Dusk was silent unless he was spoken to, but he possessed the same menacing and threatening aura that Koichi knew all too well from Duskmon. Velge was a mystery, but Koichi still heard the screams ricocheting in his mind well after the Beast Spirit had fallen silent late at night. Malkako was the only one of the three who actually seemed to openly resent him, but Koichi had no clue where he was meant to start with that either. There was simply too much for him to grapple with from all sides, and finding a solution was much easier said than done.
The mere thought of trying to work through this gave Koichi a headache, worsening the pain that was already pounding behind his eyes. He didn't know what to do nor did he have any basis to try to reach out to the other echoes of his mind. They were clearly still held back with some dark heart or another, but Koichi didn't know what to do with that. How was he supposed to understand? He had moved beyond the darkest depths of his own agony while the three greatest problems in his life seemed to thrive off the pain of the past. What common ground was there to be found with that?
"We won't get along ever if you keep that attitude up," Dusk snorted, and Koichi could feel him shaking his head from his place within the void of their shared body and mind. "Though I suppose you don't want to fix that either, do you?"
Koichi clamped his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out the noise even though he knew there was no external sound to defend himself from in the first place. He shook his head even though that wasn't going to do him any good either. He simply swallowed to himself and let out a careful sigh, glancing to the door of his room a moment later. He had homework to do. Maybe concentrating on that would keep him from getting caught up in all of this. He couldn't stop to think about it when there was so much that required his attention elsewhere in his life.
"You can't just keep running," Dusk went on. "As much as you want to avoid us and pretend that we don't exist, we both know that's not going to work."
"He just needs some time," Lowe interjected, and Koichi was shocked at the realization that the Warriors of Darkness and Void had bridged the gap to begin communicating with one another. He was even being bested by others within his own body regarding communication. Great. He really couldn’t do anything right, could he? "If we just give him a while longer to work through this—"
"If he was going to try and figure shit out, he would have done it already," Malkako snarled. "He's already made up his mind that we're irredeemable. Do you really think I'm just going to stand back and let him think that? Disgusting."
"A lot is going on right now," Umbra pointed out, keeping his voice as level as possible. "Perhaps it would be for the best if we simply took everything one day at a time and waited until the right moment to address—"
"What right moment?" Malkako interrupted, his eyes narrowing with hate and rage. "I think the instant he discovered us, he should have been readying himself for something like this, but he's not. He's still afraid of realizing that he's got darkness inside of him after all that. For someone who fights with the power of shadows, he hates having to admit it."
"Stop," Koichi murmured as he began to squeeze at a few threads of black hair where they fell over his ears. He could feel the pounding in his head getting worse, all of it sourcing right back to the place where he hit the tiled ground of Shibuya Station when first trying to get to the Digital World. It all came back down to that damn fall, didn’t it? If he had just kept his balance, then Duskmon never would have existed. The Warriors of Void never would have existed. Koichi wouldn’t have died at Lucemon’s hands, and he wouldn’t have been ripped away from his body.
It all came back to that fall, and it was all his fault.
"You can't keep running from the truth forever, and one of these days, you're going to wake up and see it," Velge said softly. He tilted his head back before releasing a scream into the darkness, and Koichi let out a hiss of pain as he moved toward his bed, curling over himself as he tried to massage the agony away. There was no way for him to fully escape the burdens his echoes were placing on his shoulders, but he needed to keep himself going, even if it was just for a little while longer. The world wasn't going to wait for him to pull himself together again, so he couldn't allow his defenses to fall apart in the first place.
"We can address this later," Rhihi declared. "There are other things that require our attention right now, and we can't just—"
"That's easy for you to say," Dusk pointed out. "You're one of the people he's actually decided to accept. You can't just pretend that we're less important than the rest of you. You think that you're protecting him, but you won't be able to block out all of this forever. He's going to have to face the music eventually, and if you would just listen for a moment—"
"We need to keep him together for a little while longer," Lowe insisted. "The mastermind of the Void Fragments is still out there, and if we want to keep the Digital World and Earth safe long enough for us to unravel all of this, then we need to stop them once and for all."
"And if that means ignoring half of the people here, then that's just an acceptable price to pay. I see how it is," Malkako muttered sourly. "The potential for darkness has always existed inside of him. You might think that you're somehow better than the rest of us for the way that you carry it, but the fact of the matter is that we're pieces of his body and mind too. We’re pieces of all of you too. You don't want to recognize just how ugly and disgusting rage can be, so you just want to seal it away. See how long that works out for you when the truth about us knowing Koji finally comes out. See how long that works out when Kousei Minamoto finally realizes that his second son knows that he was abandoned and left to rot in the gutter."
"Stop!" Koichi shouted, not realizing just how loud he had been until he recognized that he had spoken aloud rather than just within the confines of his own mind. "Just... Stop. Please."
Koichi wasn't entirely aware of what happened after that, but he heard chattering from the back of his mind as he forced himself to his feet. He shuffled back to the front door, retrieving his backpack and bringing it back to his desk. If he had been thinking ahead, he wouldn't have hung up the bag at all, and it was just another sign of how unfocused and weary he had grown over the course of the last few weeks. Everything wore on him these days, and he could feel the burden of the world around him with each step he took.
When Koichi sat down at his desk, he sighed and reached for a few of his assignments for the night. He could still hear the others in his mind speaking with one another, but given that their previous argument had nearly sent him spiraling, he chose to not listen in. He blocked out as much of the conversation as he could, instead concentrating on what he had to write for his first assignment.
If he worked himself hard enough, then maybe he would be able to stop himself from thinking. Oh, what a dream that would be.
~~~~~
When Koichi next awoke, the skies were dark, and his thoughts were empty. He blinked a few times, staring up at the ceiling overhead before letting one hand come up to rub at his eyes. It was still the middle of the night, and while Koichi knew that he should have just gone back to sleep, there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that begged him to stay awake just a little while longer. He was certain that he hadn't felt that way when he drifted off earlier—finally succumbing to his exhaustion after hours of struggling through his homework—leaving him to wonder just why the sensation of deep wrongness was assaulting him so suddenly.
Koichi swung his feet over the side of his bed a few moments later, recognizing that he wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep at this rate. He needed to get up and move around a little bit to try and calm down. If he could loosen up his body, then maybe he would be able to rest more. His mind was numbed and distant, almost as if he was moving purely on autopilot. Nothing around him felt real, but Koichi didn't try to bring it into focus either. That would only make him feel worse, and he felt miserable enough as it was.
"Something's wrong."
Umbra's voice quickly brought Koichi right back to reality, and he remembered just how unfortunate the circumstances of his life had become over the course of the last few weeks. He had nothing against Umbra specifically, but the voice of the Beast Spirit marked the end of his brief bliss where he didn't need to think about how much the Warriors of Void made him want to hide from the world around him. Just like that, Koichi felt sick in the midst of his haze, something he hadn't realized was possible, but as soon as it began, he was desperate for it to stop.
"Outside," Umbra continued, choosing to not acknowledge Koichi's rising sense of dread. "Get outside and see what's going on."
Koichi found himself listening before he could fully process Umbra's words, pushing open the front door as quietly as he could so as to not wake his mother. He slipped his shoes on along the way, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas. If something truly was wrong, he suspected that wouldn't matter much in the long run anyway.
Sure enough, Koichi's lack of proper dress didn't matter.
A silhouette was swooping through the skies in the distance, and Koichi knew it had to be another invading Digimon prompted to cross the barrier by the Void Fragments. It was difficult to make out what Digimon it was specifically, but Koichi didn't want to waste time asking questions. He had to get out there and put a stop to all of this before it could get any worse.
Koichi thanked the universe for being kind enough to not have any people awake so late to see him rushing out of his apartment building wearing pale blue pajamas, though he slowed down on the stairs and gripped tightly to the handrail so as to not lose his footing the way he had the day he first went to the Digital World. He only realized halfway down that he had grabbed his D-Tector on the way out of his room without even thinking, and he thanked Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi for giving him the forethought to do that much. If they had known this was how it was going to end, then they had certainly prepared him well when Koichi couldn't bring himself to concentrate enough to try.
Koichi took off running as soon as he hit the ground outside of the building, measuring each step as carefully as he could to make sure it wouldn't end with the disaster of him falling into the concrete below. He needed to find a secluded place to transform, and while he doubted many people were awake as long as it was about 2:30 in the morning, he couldn't take the risk. First and foremost, he needed to get away from his apartment building before anyone could think to ask questions about one of the 'human monsters' living there. That would just be an added bit of stress he couldn't afford to deal with.
"You're not going to be able to Spirit Evolve right now, you know."
And there was another bit of stress Koichi couldn't quite stop to grapple with at the moment. Dusk was the one who had spoken, his voice dark and solemn as he continued. "Your relationship with the rest of us is too unstable. This is tantamount to not being able to control your emotions enough to keep a Beast Spirit under control. You're going to start spiraling if you try to Spirit Evolve right now," Dusk continued.
Koichi faltered at that, though he had no idea if he was going to be able to put his faith in Dusk's words. Duskmon had already brought him more than enough grief, and he couldn't bring himself to listen perfectly to the words his shadow was offering. For all Koichi knew, this was just Dusk's attempt to get into his head. It wasn't as if any of the Warriors of Void were particularly fond of him at this point anyway, so it wasn't entirely out of the question, right? He had to be able to Spirit Evolve. The safety of the people around him was counting on it, and he couldn't just risk something so important because he didn't bother to fight against the attacking Digimon. He had to try even if he failed. That was what it meant to be a Legendary Warrior.
Koichi managed to find an alley in between two empty buildings, and he pulled out his phone—something else that somebody else had thought to grab when Koichi surrendered himself to the haze of his own mind—and sent out a quick text to the other Legendary Warriors asking for help. He didn't expect any of them to be awake or to answer his pleas, but he at least had to try and reach out. He knew that fighting against the Void Fragment Digimon was dangerous even on a good day, and he was tired and running off adrenaline in the middle of the night. He didn't think any of them had been able to reliably fight against a Void Fragment Digimon one on one yet because of the power spike the Void Fragments provided to their hosts, and Koichi didn't know how he felt about being the first one to experiment in such a dangerous way. Still, it wasn't as if he had much time to stop and think about it, so he simply swallowed his nerves back as he tucked his phone away into the pocket of his pajama pants. From there, he happily pressed the activation button on his D-Tector and changed forms to become Rhihimon.
Dusk had been wrong about saying Koichi wouldn't be able to do this given their shaky relationships. Rhihimon easily launched himself off the ground and into the skies overhead, giving him the perfect chance to land on the building to his right before he took off running after the Digimon that had dared to invade Earth. Everything felt fine, and turning into a Digimon felt just as great as it always had. Better than anything else, it numbed out the voices inside of his head since they all had to concentrate their energy on fighting rather than arguing with one another. That was something he needed a break from, and as much as he hated the fact that a fight was at hand, he was willing to take this blessing for what it was. Everything was fine.
Or, at the very least, it was at first.
Rhihimon was near his target when he felt the first twinge of an oncoming headache, and he held back a wince before brandishing his staff in the direction of the invading Digimon. It felt like his body was trying to tear itself apart inside out, like two halves of him were at odds. In some ways, it reminded him of being Malkakomon. Back then, he had been a Hybrid Digimon who was half composed but terrifying Human Spirit and half uncontrolled and wild Beast Digimon. Rhihimon let out a strangled gasp as soon as he realized that this comparison was much more accurate than he wanted to give it credit for. Dusk had been right; even though Koichi's relationship with half of his echoes was stable and held itself together well, the other half was a different story. The Warrior of Darkness half of Rhihimon was more than perfectly fine, but the Warriors of Void were the exact opposite, and sharing a single fighting form and train of thought was much more destructive than anything they could have ever imagined. Somehow, it felt even worse than being Malkakomon. After all, there was far more on the line tonight than there ever had been as Malkakomon.
Rhihimon's clipped groan of pain from the sudden pounds of agony in his head was enough to catch the attention of his target of the night: Mephistomon. The goat Digimon turned slowly to face him before holding one hand out to the side, his expression completely devoid of emotion through the darkness. Between his fingers, a blade made of pure shadows manifested, and as soon as he had a solid grip on the sword, Mephistomon rushed forward, clearly intending to take advantage of Rhihimon's brief moment of suffering to claim the upper hand.
Rhihimon refused to let him take the victory so easily though, and he threw up his staff to block the attack just before it could make contact. Mephistomon pulled his sword away when he realized that he wasn't making any progress, instead choosing to slash in a different direction. Rhihimon met him once more, and the two continued that dance for another few moments as Rhihimon tried to step forward and push Mephistomon backward off the roof they had made their current battlefield. Mephistomon was strong, yes, but he lacked the experience in blade-based combat that Rhihimon possessed, and that was the one thing keeping the Warrior of Darkness from completely falling apart under his foe's sheer might.
This should have been an easy fight. Mephistomon was nowhere near as difficult or dangerous a foe as the previous three Void Fragment Digimon had been, and since he was attacking Earth alone, Rhihimon felt like he should have had the advantage. They were even fighting at night, the perfect time for the Warrior of Darkness to muster all the energy he needed to defeat his foe. Rhihimon shouldn't have been struggling at all, and yet, he was on his back foot anyway. As it turned out, trying to keep himself from completely unraveling because of the two dueling sides of his mind was much harder than he could have ever expected, and the splitting headache that seared through the back of his skull only served to agree with his worried sentiment.
Somehow, Rhihimon was able to push Mephistomon backward though, and the demonic Digimon allowed himself to fall off the building backward. He swerved through the skies before taking to the heavens, his wings gladly keeping him afloat all the while. Rhihimon snarled before kicking into the sky as well to chase after him, the clouds of the night blocking out the moon just enough to keep Rhihimon out of the light for a few brief moments.
Mephistomon continued to slash his blade greedily at Rhihimon as soon as the opportunity presented itself once more, and Rhihimon found that it was much harder to fend off his enemy while he also had to dedicate energy to ensuring that he didn't fall out of the sky. On one hand, Rhihimon was glad that he couldn't hear the other voices within his body since it would have only distracted him more, but on the other, he had no idea how he was supposed to fix this as long as he couldn't communicate with them. Maybe he just had to push through to the end with brute force and see what happened from there. It wasn't a great solution, but what other option did he have at this point?
Down on the ground below, a small crowd of people from a nearby apartment building had gathered just outside the building's front door. They had heard the fight overhead and were now staring up at it with wide, interested eyes. Rhihimon had chased Mephistomon farther from his home than he realized, a fact that made itself perfectly clear when Teppei presented himself in the crowd. He stared up at the fight overhead, his phone pressed firmly in one hand. He growled with irritation when he realized that his camera wasn't able to fully capture the details of the fight due to the lack of lighting. He opted to commit as many details of the battle to memory as he possibly could instead, and while it wasn't the best solution, it was at least something. The others were going to need to hear about this as soon as possible, and Teppei wanted to be able to tell them everything when the time arrived.
Rhihimon was doing his best to maintain his composure up in the sky, but he could tell that he wasn't going to be able to fend off Mephistomon for too much longer than he already had. The screaming of his headache was starting to tear him apart readily from the inside out, and if he kept pushing himself so hard, he was going to wind up breaking apart his Spirit Evolution entirely. He had almost broken completely when he fell down the stairs, so he didn't even want to imagine what might happen if he plummeted to the ground from a height like this. If he was lucky, he would be dead before he hit the ground.
That was when a streak of blue shot through Rhihimon's vision.
A column of water slammed straight into Mephistomon's side, and the demon Digimon grunted in pain as he was sent spiraling through the air. He collapsed onto the roof of a nearby building, groaning all the while. Rhihimon whirled around to face the one responsible for the attack, and he was met with the sight of none other than Ceruleamon. Her watery wings were keeping her aloft, the droplets seeming to glitter in the limited light of the stars overhead. When she looked at Rhihimon, it was with such overwhelming worry that it made him feel sick. He didn't understand why she was wasting all that energy on him after all that he had done to hurt her in the past. He couldn't fathom why she would have even dreamed of being nice to him given their twisted history. He knew he wouldn’t have bothered.
Fortunately, Rhihimon didn't have to look into her eyes long before she dove down after Mephistomon with her staff at the ready. He flicked his wrist in her direction, and a beam of dark magic from his sword flew mercilessly through the night air right toward her. Rhihimon was quick enough to release a blast of his own shadowy energy in the direction of the attack, causing a small explosion that ruffled Ceruleamon's hair and clothing for a flicker of a moment. She recovered quickly though, taking this opportunity to curl around behind Mephistomon as the sapphire at the top of her staff glowed as brightly as the moon overhead.
Another wave of water shot itself from the gemstone before slamming into Mephistomon's back and sending him sprawling forward. Ceruleamon twirled her staff above her head and brought it down as hard as she could against the spot where Mephistomon's wings met the rest of his body. All the air in his lungs was quickly forced free of his body, and he groaned in pain as he slid across the roof of the building once again. Every inch of his form dripped with water, weighing him down and stopping him from taking to the skies.
In fact, his wings looked weaker than usual too. Above the cacophony and shrieking pain in his head, Rhihimon noticed that Mephistomon's back appeared to have suffered much more from Ceruleamon's previous attacks than he would have wanted the world to believe. Rhihimon raised his staff above his head, and black shadows surrounded his head before streaking straight toward Mephistomon's spine, targeting the skin that had been weakened already at Ceruleamon's hands. The darkness was sharpened and hardened, merciless in its endless brutality. No matter how desperate Mephistomon was to escape, he couldn't seem to fend off the darkness completely given his current condition.
Mephistomon cried out in pain before he started to crumble even more into the roof below him. Ceruleamon saw this weakness for what it was and drew a large circle in the air in front of her. A series of daggers made of water formed from the nothingness before streaking toward Mephistomon at Ceruleamon's command. The knives fell apart into soaking puddles as soon as they struck their target, but they were thrown with enough force to make the demonic Digimon groan in pain despite his attempts to maintain his composure.
When the final knife slammed into the weak point between Mephistomon's wings, he cried out in pain before arching his back and falling still. A Void Fragment pulled itself away from the place where his wings met his body, and Rhihimon glared at it—at least, he glared as much as he could as long as his head was pounding so fiercely—before the trace of darkness vanished entirely with a tiny but echoing explosion. Ceruleamon sighed at the disappearance of the Void Fragment before she glanced around, her gaze eventually finding an electronic billboard she could use to send Mephistomon back to the Digital World. She swept him up in a harmless airborne tidal wave before flying over to the billboard and opening a gate. She spoke with Mephistomon briefly before sending him off, waving along the way. The portal closed soon afterward, and Ceruleamon returned to Rhihimon's side.
"He doesn't know much of anything we weren't already aware of, I'm afraid," Ceruleamon explained as she landed on the roof beside Rhihimon. "He was simply going about his regular business in the Continent of Darkness when something took hold of him, and he wound up here. He claims to have heard a rumbling sound just before losing control of himself though. He doesn't remember anything that happened in between then and now either, though that's not particularly surprising."
Rhihimon nodded at that, wishing he had something to say that would make all of this even the slightest bit easier for him. He was impressed with how easily Ceruleamon had been able to take control of the fight as soon as she recognized his weak point, though it was somewhat embarrassing for Rhihimon at the same time. He should have been able to handle that on his own. All logical thought told him that he should have been fine facing off against Mephistomon. He should have had every advantage thanks to the time of day and being in his home territory of Earth, but none of that seemed to matter as long as his headache was trying to pull him apart so mercilessly. Even now, his head was screaming with agony, but Rhihimon did his best to not let it show. That would only make Ceruleamon worry more, and he couldn’t afford for her to look at him with those concerned eyes ever again.
A flash of light intruded on Rhihimon's vision from the ground below, and he winced before rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. He remembered distantly that he and Ceruleamon had a few audience members on the street beneath them, people who had strayed from their homes to come and watch the fight from afar. He had almost completely forgotten they were there at all because of how easily caught up he had become in his own woes and the rush of the battle, though he supposed that was fine. It certainly could have been worse as far as he was concerned.
"Come on," Ceruleamon said. She took his hand carefully before taking to the skies, Rhihimon trailing behind her without missing a beat. At first, he wondered just why Ceruleamon was leading him away from their home district instead of towards it, but given the people below, he was able to put the pieces together rather quickly. Ceruleamon was trying to ensure that nobody tried to follow them or figured out where they were from. Leaving behind a red herring was the best they could do as long as so many people were watching them.
On the ground below, Teppei held up his phone and tried to track down where exactly Ceruleamon and Rhihimon were headed. He wanted to chase after them, but they were moving too fast for him to even attempt it. He sighed and shook his head, his glasses almost slipping free of his nose along the way. He had been in such a hurry to get out the door and see the fight himself that he hadn't realized how loose they were until that moment. Still, that was the last thing on Teppei's mind given the circumstances, and he wished with everything he had that he could pursue the strange monsters and ask them what it was they were doing. He needed answers, but he already knew he wasn't going to get them. When the pair of Digimon finally left his field of vision, he ended the video he was recording on his phone, staring up at the skies long after the pair was gone. It was all he could do given the circumstances, though he absolutely hated having to admit it. He prayed his memory was reliable enough for him to relay all of the details to his friends. Tonight was going to help them to find the truth. He could feel it, and he knew the monsters in the air could feel it too.
Ceruleamon didn't stop flying until she was certain they were out of the range of being seen by anyone who had witnessed the fight, and she touched down on the rooftop of an imposing office building. Rhihimon's legs just about gave way beneath him, but he managed to steady himself at the last minute by flipping his staff around and stabbing the sharpened prongs into the ground beneath him. He hadn't realized just how exhausting it was to maintain his Digimon form while fighting against the others he shared a body with, but he felt ready to pass out and not wake up for at least a week. He knew it wouldn't fully fix his problems, but at least he wouldn't be able to think about everything that was happening as long as he was asleep. Plus, if he just passed out, he wouldn't need to deal with Velgemon's late-night screaming either. It was a victory for everyone, albeit a dark and twisted one.
"Are you alright?" Ceruleamon asked as she took a small step towards Rhihimon. She reached out a hand to hold his shoulder comfortingly only to pull back at the last moment, seeming to be able to sense the way that he didn't want to be touched for the time being. Her hand fell ineffectively down to her side again a moment later.
"I'm fine," Rhihimon forced himself to say even though the lie came out bitter and bloodied on his tongue. He glanced up to Ceruleamon, trying to ignore the way his head was beginning to spin. Now that the adrenaline was starting to taper off and fall away, his migraine was getting worse, his body no longer bothering to block out the pain the way it had previously. He was always going to have to face this eventually, but that didn’t mean he liked it. "What about you? What are you doing here?"
"I was awake finishing up one last piece of homework when I got your text," Ceruleamon replied. "I couldn't just leave you to deal with this alone, so I got here as soon as I could. I don't think anyone else saw the message though, so it's just the two of us. I don't sense any of them in the area."
Rhihimon nodded at that, glad nobody else was going to come and chatter nervously over his lack of energy just like Ceruleamon. Dealing with one person who was so worried about him was going to be bad enough, and she hadn't even started talking about her concern in full. Every once in a while, the world was merciful, it seemed. "Thank you for coming," he murmured. "I don't know what I would have done without you." She had no idea just how true that was, and Rhihimon wasn't going to be the one to tell her. The mere concept of explaining it made him feel sick to his stomach, and he was in enough pain without needing to add nausea to the mix.
"I just did what I could in order to help you," Ceruleamon assured him, and when Rhihimon looked a bit closer at her face, he realized that she wasn't smiling at all. She was worried, and he could already tell exactly what she was going to say next. He wasn't surprised when she continued, her eyes gleaming with endless concern. "But... What happened back there?"
Rhihimon swallowed dryly. He was almost tempted to feign ignorance, but he knew that wasn't going to get him anywhere. Ceruleamon already knew something was wrong, and if he tried to avoid it, she was going to find a way to push through to the truth. It was one of her most admirable features—her undying care of others—but in that moment, Rhihimon couldn't help thinking about how it was one of her most frustrating traits as well.
When Ceruleamon realized Rhihimon wasn't going to be offering an answer freely, she continued. "You shouldn't have had any issues during that fight at all, but... You were slower and weaker than you should have been the entire time. I can tell something else was going on. Is there something you want to talk about, Koichi? If you're really being bothered by anything this much, you should try to talk about it," she insisted. After a beat of hesitation, she stared down at the ground beneath their feet, a gentle breeze rustling her oceanic hair. "You've been so distant lately, and... I'm worried about you."
Rhihimon's throat went tight at that, and he struggled to keep from bursting into tears on the spot. He didn't deserve her concern, and he never would as long as such evils as the Warriors of Void still lived on within him. There was nothing he could do to undo the damage his other echoes had left behind, and because of them, he hadn't been able to defend people in the present either. What could he do? If he couldn't undo the past or fix the errors of the present, then what the hell was he supposed to be good for in the first place?
"Everything is fine," Rhihimon eventually forced himself to say even though he knew it was a poor lie. Ceruleamon already knew he was being dishonest too, and it was only thanks to her mercy that she wasn't calling him out on it as soon as the words left his lips. "I'm just... Having a bad night, I guess. My head's been hurting this entire fight."
Ceruleamon frowned, and Rhihimon knew exactly what was going through her head. She had asked him to go home early after school that day and try to get some extra rest due to his blatant exhaustion, but that hadn't been enough. She was fully aware of the cracks in his story, and with time, she was going to expose them. It was inevitable, and there was nothing Rhihimon could do to stop it. The reminder of his inescapable lies made him feel sick again on top of everything else racing through his mind, but he still refused to bend under the force of her piercing and all too kind gaze.
"I suppose I should let you get back to sleep then," Ceruleamon said after a few heavy beats of silence so tense and thick Rhihimon could have cut them with a knife. He wouldn’t have bothered even if he had one. It was too risky. Everything was these days. "We still have classes again tomorrow, and I don't want to keep you up too late. You need as much rest as you can get."
Rhihimon could have laughed and sobbed from just how relieved he was at Ceruleamon's choice to not push him. This was a temporary mercy, one that was bound to break apart with time, but for the moment, he was safe, and that was something Rhihimon was going to take advantage of with everything he had. He gave her a small smile and a nod before he turned on his heel. "I'll see you in a few hours then," he told her, though it was awful to think of it that way. It was only when he spoke these words that he realized just how utterly screwed he was in terms of his already miserable sleep schedule, not that he could do much of anything about it now.
Ceruleamon took a small step toward him, and Rhihimon went tense but did not turn to face her. "You know that you can talk to us, right?" she asked softly. "If there's something on your mind, you don't need to keep it a secret. We're all here for you, and if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find us... You know where to find me."
Rhihimon hesitated before nodding, but he once again chose to not face her. "I know," he murmured even though he knew that he wouldn't be taking advantage of her offer any time soon. He couldn't admit to everything that he knew, not yet. He wouldn't let himself burden her after everything he had already put her and the rest of their team through. He was better than that, and even if he sure as hell didn't feel like it, he knew that he owed this much to the rest of the people he called friends and family.
Rhihimon was quick to take to the skies again following those two simple yet damning words, and he soared back home easily enough. He found a hidden alleyway to use as a shield while he reverted to human form before entering his apartment building slowly but surely. He felt like a walking corpse all the way up to his room, his body heavy and stubborn in its movements. Maybe he had been right about feeling like he was going to pass out. He wouldn't be able to struggle to sleep if he was completely exhausted, after all.
By the time Koichi wound up in his bed once again, he didn't even have the energy to get under the covers. He curled over himself, his hands pressed near his face as tears began to well in his eyes. His head was still screaming, and every part of his body was trembling both from his pure exhaustion and the strength he had used from his already empty reserves during that battle. Being consumed by the corruption of a Beast Spirit was one thing, but fighting against it was another monster entirely that Koichi prayed he never had to endure again.
"You can't keep on like this. You need to fix it. No more running away."
The sound of Dusk's voice only made Koichi cry harder, though he made no efforts to rub his tears away. All he could do was sob against his pillow, praying that unconsciousness would take him in its grasp before this could get any worse. He was convinced that he was going to be sick if he allowed himself to stay awake any longer, his exhausted body and pounding migraine on the verge of turning against him at a moment’s notice. Everything felt like too much, but there was nothing Koichi could do to lessen the weight on his own shoulders.
Luckily for him, it didn't take long before he began to drift off to sleep once he began to cry. That was the final straw to break the camel's back and send him off to slumber. It wasn't a restless sleep at all, but as long as he wasn't conscious, wasn't thinking, he was fine with that. It was a step in the right direction, and Koichi didn't get to experience many of those these days.
The last thing he heard before sleeping was Velge's agonized screaming, and this time, Koichi didn't even flinch.
Notes:
That was an emotional one, huh? Wow.
Honestly, I absolutely loved writing this chapter. It was a darker one, yes, but I loved it. This sequel has given me the perfect chance to flesh out other dynamics not explored as much in the original book, and Koichi and Hinoka's relationship has got to be one of my favorites. The two of them just mesh so well together due to how similar their personalities are, but while Hinoka is starting to find her footing and pushing to new heights thanks to the other Warriors of Water, Koichi is slipping backward and regressing. It's a great contrast, and I adore writing for them both.
Poor Koichi really can't catch a break here though. Even when Emon shows up, Hinoka has a way of defending herself thanks to Aquaria being bold enough to keep her safe from him. Koichi, on the other hand, fears relying on the others in his body because of his bad experiences being Duskmon, Velgemon, and Malkakomon from the first book. As for if they're actually malicious on purpose... Well, that's a subject for later on, but for the time being, it's easy to understand Koichi's hesitation here. The last time he surrendered control of himself fully, it was when he became Duskmon and nearly drove a world to destruction because of his lack of stability. Of course he wouldn't want to give up the limited control he still has. Where the Warriors of Darkness are willing to be patient with him though, the Warriors of Void criticize him, and that's the driving force of Koichi's conflict here. He can't seem to move on from his trauma from the previous book since he was never really given the time he needed to process it, so Dusk and the other Warriors of Void are making sure he does it through the use of force. It's a complicated situation, one I can't wait to explore in more depth in the future.
As for the fight sequence itself, I had fun working on it since this was the perfect chance for Ceruleamon to show off the extent of her skills. Rhihimon realistically shouldn't have had any problems, but because of how much pressure he was under, he couldn't maintain the upper hand. I loved writing Ceruleamon's display of power here, but poor Rhihimon deserves a break after this.
Speaking of Rhihimon's struggles during the fight, his headache and general weakness are based off my own experiences with plurality and living in a system. For our system, we can feel it whenever there's a major conflict among the primary frontrunners. Usually, it results in migraines and physical exhaustion along with a heavy disconnect from reality, and trying to block it out only makes it worse. It's manageable with the right precautions, but Koichi doesn't exactly know that at this point. Instead, he just views himself as an embarrassment and a failure even though this is just what life is like for him now. He can feel the sting of his disagreements with the other echoes of himself, and he hates himself for it.
The ending scene with Rhihimon and Ceruleamon is there to show that Koichi struggling isn't exactly a well-kept secret. At the very least, Hinoka knows, but the others are going to figure it out soon enough because they're all emotionally in tune with one another. Koichi was able to get away from it all because of the late hour, but this conversation isn't over. He knows it too, but he doesn't want to think of what might happen when he and Hinoka do finally sit down to talk. Please give him a nice bed, warm soup, and some therapy. He's earned it.
Next week, we're going to carry forward with the consequences of this battle in mind, this time taking matters over to Izumi and Chiaki. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 16: Never Look Back
Summary:
Katsuharu and company share their new findings with Takuya, Koji, Izumi, and Chihiro.
Chapter Text
As the weekend drew nearer, anxieties ran higher. It was to be expected, but that did little to mitigate just how frustrating it was that Izumi could barely bring herself to focus in class. She had to at least try to concentrate a little bit longer before the group's next full expedition to the Digital World, though that was much easier said than done given how she could hear the constant buzzing of her other echoes as the minutes crawled by. They were eager to return to the Digital World as well, and Izumi could feel it. She would have dashed out of the classroom then and there to investigate the other realm and its mysteries if she could, but she knew that wasn't going to happen as long as she wanted to at all maintain her reputation and her grades, so she remained still despite the screaming of her mind.
Izumi was currently in her literature class, though she struggled to think much of the literature they had studied up to that point because of just how chaotic her life had been as of late. In the row before her and off to the right by one seat, Chiaki stared up at the teacher intently. She was taking notes with dedication and determination, and Izumi silently thanked the universe for at least making this fun for someone else. Even if she wasn't getting anything out of this, at least Chiaki was. That had to count for something, right?
The teacher of this class, Himari Kikuchi, was looking down at a clipboard with a frown. Her light brown hair fell around her head in a gentle curtain as she chewed on the tip of her pen. She was newer to teaching, and as far as Izumi could tell, she wasn't taking the wrench thrown into her initial plans well at all. The few days off from classes caused by the Digimon attack had caused problems on all levels, and Izumi only had the chance to appreciate that damage after she returned to school in full. Every teacher had to change their schedule around, leading to some classes accelerating their paces while others cut out content entirely. It was certainly something to get used to, though she hoped she didn't need to worry about it ever again. If all went well, there would never be another Digimon attack to merit her shifting her mindset to begin with.
Then again, if life wanted to cooperate with her, this wouldn't have happened at all, and yet, there she was.
Himari sighed and shook her head. "Because of the shift of schedule caused by our... Impromptu break, I'm going to change around our next project," she announced, picking her words so delicately to ensure she didn't say a trio of monsters had tried to tear the school to the ground. None of the teachers wanted to address the problem by name, and Izumi could hardly blame them. "Normally, I would have you all do this first report by yourselves, but since we've already lost three class periods due to the... Unfortunate circumstances of the last week, I'm going to let you work in pairs or groups of three instead. Go ahead and find a partner, and we can discuss the details of the project after that."
"Now there's something I can get behind," Kaze grinned. "As long as we're working with someone else, we won't have to spend as much time on it, and that means focusing more on the issues in the Digital World. I think this is a win for everyone."
"Assuming we can find a partner, that is," Zephyr pointed out. "Izumi, I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't want this to be an extra burden on our plate, so be sure to choose carefully, alright?"
"Izumi?"
The Warrior of Wind had gotten so caught up in listening to the other voices in her head that she hadn't even realized there was a voice coming from overhead until she looked up. Chiaki was standing in front of Izumi's desk, a light smile on her face. "I hope you don't have anyone else in mind for this project," Chiaki began. "I was wondering if maybe the two of us could work together."
"I don't know about this," Zephyr cautioned. "She's already trying to figure out everything that's going on with the attacks here on Earth, and if she gets too close, then she could find something that she wasn't meant to. I don't want her to be the one who blows everything up after we've tried to be so cautious up to this point."
"Maybe we should be thinking about that, but... I still think she has a nice heart," Aero smiled gently. "She's just another girl at the end of the day. Even if she spends time with Katsuharu, Teruo, and Teppei, she's still her own person, and I don't think we should judge her for everything she's doing with them when Izumi knew her before all of this too."
"Plus, if we get lucky, we might be able to get an extra bit of information about the recent attacks and her theories about them out of her while we’re working," Kaze pointed out. "I think this is a perfect place for us to start."
Izumi did her best to not let any of these racing thoughts show on her face as she grinned up at Chiaki, hoping with every ounce of her being that she didn't look as fake as she feared she did. "Sure," she smiled simply. "That sounds great."
"Perfect," Chiaki nodded. "I would be happy to have you come over to my house at some point over the next week so we can work out the details for the project."
"You can come over to my house too," Izumi offered, her stomach doing flips along the way. She was more than happy to have the distraction as far as the Orimoto household was concerned. Her father was working just as much as always, and while that was nothing out of the ordinary, it was still disappointing.
The greater problem was Masae though, and while neither one of them had spoken about the day with the boxcutter, Izumi knew her sister was thinking about it. Masae was still trying to figure out what all of that had been about, and she was scrutinizing every move Izumi made in an attempt to unravel the truth. Masae was terrifyingly perceptive, and even in their most amicable of conversations, Izumi couldn't help fearing that she was lying to her sister in a way that was going to rip their relationship to shreds. It was a terror that never seemed to want to leave her alone, and she had no idea what to do about it. At least having Chiaki over for a short while would give her a reason to not think about Masae's constant and piercing gaze trying to read every thought that crossed her mind.
"Perfect," Chiaki smiled as she began to gather her things. "Do you want to walk to lunch together? I heard from Teppei that he wanted to share a few new details with the rest of our regular group."
Izumi swallowed dryly at that, though she covered up her deep dread with a smile. She had no idea what it was that Teppei could have possibly found, but she had an awful feeling about it already. "Sure," was all she said though, and she slung her bag over her shoulder before starting toward the door. She gave Himari a small wave on the way out, though she could tell her teacher was only halfway paying attention, still trying to work out the details that could fix the broken schedule for the semester.
On some twisted level, it was nice to know that Izumi's life wasn't the only one that had been completely wrecked by the attack. It was a dark way of thinking, but it was still comforting in a way that she refused to discuss openly. At least other people were feeling the sting of the terror too. At least it wasn't something she was having to hide and grapple with on her own.
The rest of the group was already sitting at the lunch table by the time Izumi and Chiaki arrived, and they sat down at the last two available seats. Izumi was between Chihiro and Chiaki while the other girl sat beside Teppei. The boy pushed his glasses up against the bridge of his nose when he realized everyone was there, and he glanced around, almost as if he was making sure nobody was trying to eavesdrop on them. When he was satisfied, he leaned in over the table, his eyes gleaming all the while. "Are you ready to hear the best news of your lives?" Teppei asked dramatically.
Koji simply rolled his eyes as he continued to pick at his food. "I don't think that whatever you're about to say is going to qualify, but go on," he said simply. He was only halfway paying attention to the conversation at hand, and Izumi could only assume that he had already heard about all of this somehow. She frowned at that, praying that it was nothing too awful that could have threatened everything the Legendary Warriors had been working toward up to this point. She flipped the cap off her water bottle before starting to take a drink, already looking to mask her reaction with it in case Teppei managed to catch her by surprise.
"Last night, there was another monster attack," Teppei declared, and Izumi just about spit out her drink from shock. She coughed a few times before forcing the remainder of the fluid down, Chiaki patting at her back to ensure she didn't choke once again. Izumi simply stared at Teppei even as tears started to rise in her eyes from her failed attempt at drinking her water.
"You can't be fucking serious," Chihiro spat out, treating the words like poison. "I would have thought that something like that would be all over the news, but the rest of us haven't heard anything about it."
"It was too dark for anyone to be able to record it clearly," Teppei explained. "I did what I could to capture it on camera though." He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it around so the screen was facing the rest of the table. The camera had been pointed up to the sky at the time, and three figures could be seen clashing distantly, though the only thing Izumi could make out was the way their attacks slammed into one another. Aside from that, everything was too dark on account of the video having been taken in the dead of night from a terrible angle. Izumi could certainly believe that nobody had wanted to report about it because of how bad all of the footage had been; she wouldn't have wanted to touch something like that if she was a journalist either.
"Did you find anything new during this fight?" Koji questioned quizzically, and based on his complete lack of surprise, Izumi could only assume that he had been told of the attack before all of this, though she was at a loss as for who could have shared the information with him. Wouldn't anyone involved with the fight would have wanted to share with it with the rest of the group? Why did they only approach Koji?
That only led to Izumi's next question: just who the hell did Teppei see in that video?
"N-No, but it doesn't matter!" Teppei assured him. "It's all fine, because we're getting ready to jump right into the most important piece of information that we've gotten so far... Everything that happened when the school was attacked earlier this week."
"You know, I've heard that some of the teachers are trying to keep us from talking about it," Teruo said as he took a bite of his meal. "They think it's going to be a distraction, so they're keeping the students from discussing it in detail. Think about it: have you heard anyone that works here actually say what happened specifically?"
Takuya bristled before shaking his head. "As a matter of fact... No," he admitted, though Izumi could tell that having to admit that the group of investigators had a point was much harder for him to do than he initially thought. "I guess I didn't think of it that way, but you might have a point in saying that they're trying to keep us from digging too deep into it."
"Exactly," Katsuharu nodded. "We were all there, you know... We were there when the fight took place." He whispered the words like he was sharing the most important secret ever known to the history of the world, and he grinned with an almost evil gleam in his eyes. "We caught a bunch of it on camera, and we were able to find out all sorts of new stuff. Who cares if last night was a bust? We've already got so much on our plates that we're going to have this case cracked in no time."
"Alright then, Sherlock," Koji frowned as he returned to sifting through his food. "If you've really learned so much about all of this, then go on and enlighten us. Do you really think you're going to be able to figure out the truth on your own?"
"Of course," Katsuharu assured him, seemingly baffled at the idea that Koji would even think of implying otherwise. He cleared his throat before launching into the story in full, and Izumi's stomach went tense with his words. "During the evacuation of the school, we decided we wanted to go and investigate things as they were happening elsewhere in town. We snuck out the back way and followed after the monsters as they started to go towards the heart of the fight. There were a few of them in the sky overhead, so we just followed them to see what we could find."
Izumi frowned at that, though she wasn't entirely surprised. Of course the quartet would have followed her and the rest of the group as soon as they realized what was happening. It was an opportunity they couldn't even imagine passing up on, and thanks to so many of the 'human monsters' being from their school, they had a direct line that took them out to the battlefield. Izumi was just glad none of them had seen the Legendary Warriors transforming. That would have been a disaster she wouldn't have ever been able to live down.
"Once we got there, we saw there were three attacking monsters, and a group of other creatures appeared to stop them," Teruo went on. "In total, there were twelve other monsters that showed up to try and stop the fight. If you ask me, that's probably how many of them there are around here... Twelve. After the battle, that group of monsters sent the others back where they came from too before scattering, so they're definitely still here on Earth in some form or another."
"There were a few of them that weren't familiar, but a few of them had the same armor patterns as others we've seen up to this point," Katsuharu continued. "Even if they didn't look exactly the same, the similar armor and abilities seemed like enough clues to say that they were just different forms of the same monster. In other words, this week has brought our total up to twelve. Somewhere in Shibuya, there are twelve monsters, all of them here to defend us from invasions from another dimension."
"You do realize how ridiculous you sound when you say all of this, right?" Chihiro questioned. "Even if you're right, I feel the need to double check how quick you all were to jump right on board with this the instant you thought something might be wrong."
"You're so skeptical," Teruo groaned. "You do remember that we've seen this monster world, right? You might have stayed home that day, but we were there, and we saw that it was as real as it got. You can see the monsters for yourself all around us whenever attacks happen. There are always other monsters who come to our defense, and it just has to be because they're here on Earth with us before the fights start. How else would they be able to keep everyone safe so easily?"
"It's like they're superheroes," Teppei commented. "They live among us, but they're always waiting for the chance to keep us safe from otherworldly attack. It's like something you'd see in an anime or manga, but it's real. This is the life that we're all living, and they're all real."
Izumi nodded at that, though she said nothing on the matter, not wanting to accidentally give them more fuel to their theory-filled fire. Instead, she simply watched as Katsuharu opened up the notebook that contained their research and slid it in Chihiro's direction. "Here are all of the monsters we were able to catch pictures of during that last fight," he explained. "We've started trying to log their abilities too, and it seems like each of them represents some kind of element. Their powers don't seem to have all that much overlap as far as we can tell."
"I think one of the fighters I saw last night was of the dark element we saw earlier this week," Teppei declared. "I can't think of any other reason I would see so little. Even if I was all the way down on the ground, you would have expected me to at least see a little bit of the battle, but I missed just about all of it. Anyone who summons light when attacking is out of the question."
So Koichi must have been involved with the fight the night before. Izumi pulled out her phone and saw that she had been so distracted that morning that she had completely missed a message from him around 2:30 in the morning saying he was going to handle a Void Fragment attack. She really was out of it these days, wasn’t she? It wasn’t that Koji knew a lot more about this fight than her; it was that she was too unfocused to hear about the fight on her own.
"It makes you wonder just who could be responsible for all of this," Chiaki murmured. "It sounds to me like the human monsters were the only ones allowed off the train in that other world, and they looked around for a while before coming back here. I guess they fought against that giant demonic beast we saw in the sky while they were there, and afterward, they returned, but they can still transform even in this universe. That's how they've been able to keep everybody safe."
"I don't think they're working with the government though," Teruo said. "I know there were a few theories about that floating around online, but I just don't see it. They can't be government funded as long as the people up top are doing so much to try and cover up the fact that they exist at all. I bet the government knows they exist but doesn't want to admit it since they don't know what to do about the problem. If they were behind it, then they would have said that these fighters were countermeasures to the invaders, but that's not what's happening. They're just as clueless as we are, and they're trying to get people off the scent."
"You think that the people who are covering up the online forums and theory boards are part of the government then," Takuya murmured, and Teruo nodded. Takuya thought about it for a moment before he shrugged. "I guess that does make a little bit of sense... I suppose they wouldn't want anyone to panic too much about what was going on since they’re not even close to having all of this under control."
"I think they're trying to find these human monsters too," Katsuharu declared. "That was what I gathered from the press conference earlier this week, at the very least. Nobody actually gave any answers about what they were searching for or if they were close to finding it, so it seems pretty obvious to me that they're trying to figure everything out too. They just don't want to admit that there are human monsters hiding somewhere in Shibuya and waiting for the perfect time to swoop in and save us."
"So what do you think their motivations are?" Koji questioned. "You seem rather confident that these human monsters are lurking around the area, and yet, you haven't come up with any ideas as to what it is they could want to accomplish. I feel like that's a pretty central part of any investigation like this."
"We're not sure yet, but some people seem to think that these human monsters are heroic," Chiaki replied as she glanced over to Teppei. From there, she cast a glance over to Katsuharu. "Others think this could be the first step of these monsters trying to take over the planet."
"Maybe these human monsters are just trying to gather our trust before they decide to tear everything apart and take control by force," Katsuharu offered. "We have no way of knowing for sure, but since they're our only line of defense against monsters from another world, we have to count on them no matter what. They have to know that, and they could use it to their advantage."
"You're getting too deep into all of this," Teppei pointed out. "If they really wanted to take the world down, then they would have done it already. You noticed just how powerful they were, right? One of them can reform earth at their very command, and nothing can stop people who can move the ground itself as they see fit. That's just one example too. Imagine what all twelve of them could do together. If they wanted to take over the world, then the end of the world would already be happening around us."
"I want to believe that they're here to help us out, but I can't help thinking there could be something else we're not understanding yet," Katsuharu frowned. "You never know when the hero is going to stab everybody else in the back in the name of their own gain. People are complex, and there's always going to be somebody out there willing to sell out others as long as it would benefit them."
Izumi bit down on her lip to keep from making a comment about how she didn't think the monsters would do that, knowing that it was only going to make her seem suspicious. The ragtag investigation team barely seemed to trust anyone outside of their innermost circle of four, and Izumi couldn't afford to have suspicion leveled in her direction as someone involved with all of this. Instead, she just smiled and offered a loose laugh. "You all get so excited about this," she remarked. "In some ways, it's almost refreshing to see how happy it makes you."
"This could be the greatest discovery our society has ever known," Teruo grinned. "Think about it. We've seen another world, and these monsters are evidence of that other world existing. If we can pin them down to get more information, then we're going to be able to change everything we've ever known. This could be the start of a brand-new era for humanity. Imagine all of that..."
"And we'd be the ones at the front of it all," Katsuharu finished for him, unable to hold back his prideful smile. "We're not going to let anyone take the glory from us after all we've done to learn about this. The human monsters are out there, and we're going to find them. Beyond that, we're going to learn why all of this was kept a secret to begin with, and we'll make sure it never gets swept under the rug again."
"I don't know if I would go that far," Chiaki murmured under her breath, anxiety starting to show in her eyes. "It was already hidden twice, and I don't know if we're going to be lucky enough to keep things from being swept into silence a third time."
"Don't be such a doubter, Chiaki," Teppei frowned, almost scandalized that she had even implied it. "The evidence is so much more obvious this time around. I mean, look at the pictures we took. There are monsters here in the city, and everybody knows it. That's pretty different from a mass phone call or a show in the sky."
"Hold on a moment," Izumi suddenly interrupted, though she didn't recognize the sound of her own voice when it left her lips. A few beats later, she realized that Zephyr had forcefully taken control to pose a question. "You said that this had been covered up twice. What exactly are you referring to for the second instance?"
"I guess that's the other thing we haven't told you then," Teruo said. "While we had the days off from school, we all decided to get together and see what we could learn about all of this stuff. Along the way, we learned that the incident a few weeks ago wasn't the only time that a show of light has taken place in the sky. This time, it only happened a few hours after the mass phone call that threw off everyone in the city, but when it originally took place, it seemingly happened out of nowhere."
"And it happened a bunch of times," Teppei followed up. "Twelve, to be exact. On twelve different nights over the course of about three years, the sky lit up with different colors, and it seems like that was a sign of what's to come. It looked a lot like the projection we saw of the fight against that massive demonic monster the day of the phone call spam."
"You can't just say that and not elaborate," Chihiro told him, leaning over the table as something intense and almost fearful crossed their expression. "It happened twelve times, and you say that there are twelve human monsters on Earth too."
"We noticed during that big fight that there are colors that correspond with each of the major players here on Earth," Katsuharu began as he flicked to a different page of the notebook. The book had made its way around the table by now and found its path back to his hands, and he was more than happy to take everyone to the next destination within its endless wisdom. "As it turns out, those same twelve colors showed up in the light shows years ago too. It was a while ago now, but... Well, it's a lot of cool stuff. This managed to avoid being covered up entirely, though I think there was still a pretty dedicated effort to hide it."
"The government probably tried to have all of this swept under the rug too, but since it wasn't directly related to anything weird, they didn't get away with it in full," Teruo went on. "We had to do a lot of digging through online archives in order to figure out what happened those nights all those years ago, but it seems like these light shows were pretty rare but still caught a lot of attention when they did happen."
"I've got the list of dates here too," Chiaki remarked as she reached over to grab a spare slip of paper from the notebook. It had clearly been printed, no doubt from one of the online archives Teruo had mentioned previously. "In 2002--seventeen years ago now--there were three dates where this happened. First was April twenty-seventh. Next was August thirteenth. After that, the next day was October twelfth. In 2003, it happened five times. The first time was on March twenty-ninth. The second was exactly two months later on May twenty-ninth. The next one was strange though... Two light shows happened on the same night, and it was June fourth. The last time in 2003 was July twenty-eighth. In 2004, the final four light shows took place. First was February twenty-fourth followed by March seventeenth, April first, and November thirtieth."
For a few heavy moments, Izumi was silent, and she stared down at the lunch table before her as she tried her best to stay grounded and calm. If she wasn't mistaken, those twelve dates matched up with the birthdates of the Legendary Warriors. Hers was on May twenty-ninth, and she had been born in 2003 too. When she glanced over to the other Legendary Warriors at the table, she was met with the same shows of confusion, though they were all trying to hide it for the sake of not being caught in their constant lies.
"The twelve colors of these light shows—purple, yellow, turquoise, red, pink, white, black, brown, blue, orange, gray, and green in that order—followed the same color schemes of the fighters we saw earlier this week," Katsuharu said next. "Their attacks seemed to match up perfectly. If you ask me, it seems like those were the days that our human monsters were chosen to become these elemental powerhouses. They went off to that other world, transformed, and came back with the ability to fight evil. Now, we're here, and they're just as much of a mystery now as they were all that time ago."
Izumi could feel her heart racing and screaming in her ears, but luckily, she didn't need to compose herself enough to speak since Teppei filled the silence next. "These light shows seemed innocent enough, but anybody who did research found that they had no known cause. There was no group that was consciously setting off fireworks or other explosives on these nights. People just thought it was strange. Now that we know more though—and now that we know there was a fight in the sky that was projected the same way—it seems like it all ties back to that other world. That must have been a sign from the other realm, and now, we have all sorts of questions about it," he continued.
"There's so much we still don't understand about all of this, but I think we're getting closer," Teruo grinned. "We're going to have to figure out what happened on those dates back in 2002, 2003, and 2004. It's not going to be easy though since we barely know anything about what we're supposed to be looking for, and most of the forums from that time are probably going to be really tough to track down now."
"The internet was much younger back then, and a lot has changed in all these years," Chiaki shrugged. "But I'm sure that we're going to figure out what's going on when the time is right. There has to be an explanation behind all of this, and we're going to find it. People don't just start turning into monsters out of the blue, and invasions from another world don't happen randomly. There's a reason for everything that we're seeing now, and all we have to do is find the clues to dig it up and drag the truth into the light."
"At first, we were thinking that maybe these light shows took place on the same days that these human monsters were born," Katsuharu interjected. "If you can believe it, that would put everybody as being around the same age as us. They would be mostly a year younger or older, but they would be basically the same age as us. Imagine something like that... Living part of your life as a monster while living the rest of it as a human."
Izumi smiled loosely at that, though she could still hear her heart screaming in her chest from fear and terror. "It would be strange, wouldn't it?" she questioned. "I don't know anybody would balance something like that too. I don't even know if it would be possible."
"We're not exactly setting our hearts on the monsters being the same age us for that same reason," Teppei said. "It would be pretty tough to balance school and saving the world. Imagine having to drop all of your homework to go out and fight a giant monster that was waiting to tear a bunch of other people to shreds. It would be really chaotic to manage."
"Right now, I'm thinking that these human monsters could be recluses and hermits who hide away from the rest of society and only surface when they absolutely have to," Teruo suggested. "Of course, we won't know until we can actually drag them out of hiding, but I guess we'll just have to think about doing that in the near future. There has to be at least a little bit of evidence out there that will point us in the right direction for who we're supposed to be searching for, and we're going to find it."
"You've found quite a few extra details since the last time we were together. I'll admit that it's impressive," Chihiro murmured with a shake of their head, though Izumi could tell it wasn't exactly Chihiro talking. Somebody else from the collective must have taken control, though Izumi couldn't put a finger on who it was given how little she knew about most of the other echoes of the Legendary Warriors. "Still, I don't think all of this is going to really help you out as much as you're hoping. The fact remains that they're only twelve people out of thousands upon thousands, and finding even the slightest inkling as to who you're searching for isn't going to be a simple task."
"You don't have enough faith in us, Chihiro. If there's a truth to be found out there, then we're going to figure it out and make sure that everybody knows just how much is going on," Katsuharu assured them with a prideful smirk. "In fact, you saying that we're probably not going to find anything only encourages me more. I'm going to prove you wrong soon enough, and when I do, you're going to see just how much you've missed out on by not trusting us about all of this. There are human monsters here in Shibuya, and the government is trying to cover them up."
"Your conspiracy has certainly gotten a lot larger since you started your search," Koji muttered. "At first, it was just deleted forums from two months ago, but these days, it really does seem like there's something massive out there that's being actively hidden... Something that's been masked for more than a decade and a half from the sounds of it."
"We're going to get to the bottom of it, and you're all going to hear about it as soon as we find something new," Teruo grinned. "We've been trying to learn the truth ever since we came back from that other world, and I'm sure that it's going to be great when we finally figure it out. There's a greater picture here, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it leads to."
"I think it's awfully bold of you to claim that the government is putting so much effort into hiding something like this though," Koji frowned. "It seems like it would be a perfect publicity stunt. If the government officials could sweep in and save the common people from the invasions of these monsters, then that would be an optimal chance to gain popularity and attention in all the best possible ways."
"Maybe so, but we can't exactly get into their heads to see what it is they're planning or thinking," Katsuharu shrugged. "For now, we've got a lot of information and even more theories that are bound to lead us in an interesting direction. No matter what, we know a few important truths about this entire ordeal. There are monsters here on Earth, and they're trying to defend the people here from the attackers from that other world. The monsters that come here seem to be possessed by those little pieces of dark energy. As soon as they go away, everything goes back to normal, and the monsters from Earth kick them back to where they came from. It's only happened a small handful of times now, but it's important that we keep track of the details for future reference. I know this is going to happen again, and I'm going to be ready when it does."
"Be sure to keep us updated on everything you learn then. If you really think you're going to figure out so much, then I'm waiting to see where this takes you," Chihiro remarked with a small snort. "You had better not disappoint me. My hopes are up now, and I think we all know how rare that is."
"We wouldn't dream of it," Chiaki smiled, her grin so earnest and genuine that it felt like a punch to the stomach in every way Izumi hadn't been expecting. Even if the quartet's investigations had posed a myriad of problems for the Legendary Warriors, the fact remained that they were still teenagers like anyone else. Their actions were frustrating, yes, but they really did want to make a difference in the world, and that desire for knowledge was as honest as it possibly could have been. They wanted to help people, and this was the best way they could think of doing it. In a way, it wasn’t all that different from what the Legendary Warriors had done to fight for the fate of two realms in the Digital World. Izumi smiled through the pain in her gut, desperate to not let anything show just how much all of this was tearing her apart. That was the one thing she couldn't show no matter what. Some secrets were just meant to be kept, after all, and she wasn't going to be the one to mess that up.
From there, lunch wound down easily enough, and Izumi was glad when she was able to dash off to her next class. She could hear the constant clamoring of Kaze and Aero, both of them trying to figure out what to do about all of the new information they had just acquired. Izumi knew they were going to have to sit down and talk to the others about it after school. If they mentioned when their birthdays were in relation to the light shows, then they were going to find themselves on the wrong end of suspicion, and as strange as it was, Izumi was determined to keep the date of her birth a secret as long as she could. She didn't know if she would be able to keep up the ruse forever, but she had to at least try for the sake of keeping everything that had changed her life so greatly swept under the rug.
Izumi could already tell the afternoon was going to be long and torturous as she settled down at her desk once more, and she resisted the urge to let nausea settle in her stomach. All she had to do was survive a few more agonizing hours before she could speak with the rest of the group again. It was going to be much easier said than done, but at least she would be able to get her thoughts out soon enough.
Izumi just prayed she would be able to keep herself together in the meantime.
~~~~~
As was to be expected, the rest of the day dragged itself on as slowly and painfully as possible, and Chihiro couldn't quite get their nerves to calm down. They knew that the four investigators hadn't said anything outwardly accusatory to them, but they still couldn't soothe their anxiety no matter how hard they tried. It was like their skeleton was rattling around inside of their skin, clamoring for freedom and dragging Chihiro down to hell all the while. Their body was being torn asunder in ways they hadn't felt in years, and to say that they were too distracted to focus on schoolwork that afternoon felt like the greatest understatement they could possibly make. They felt like they were dying, but they couldn’t let anyone know the truth.
Chihiro knew what this was like. Back when they had still lived with their parents—a lifetime ago now, but it still felt all too close—they had understood what it meant to be constantly afraid in a way that nobody else could see. Even kind words felt like they were a layer of honey that covered a dagger and dripped to the floor like blood. Chihiro's fears had never quite been assuaged in full, and even after they ran away, they always looked over their shoulder to make sure nobody was trailing after them. They always walked a little bit faster than they needed to, just quick enough to outpace the constant anxiety that tried to eat them alive and then drown their corpse in some distant river or ocean they didn't know the name of.
In the end, the four Legendary Warriors agreed to meet up around the back of the school after texting about it during class. Izumi had suggested talking to the rest of the members of their team about it at first, but they had ultimately decided to keep it to themselves, at least for now. It was a lot of strange information to be slapped with all at once, and it would likely be best for the quartet to explain it to the others whenever they set out for the Digital World over the weekend. It would be easier to explain in person than over text anyway. The date of their departure suddenly felt so far and impossible to reach even though it was less than forty-eight hours away. That did little to calm Chihiro's anxieties, and as they walked around the back of the school to where the shadows cloaked the earth, they glanced over their shoulder out of instinct.
"They're in jail," Cybele reminded Chihiro for what felt like the seventieth time that day alone. "They can't hurt anyone right now. They're in prison since Saki dragged them for the filth they are. You're safe. All of us are safe."
Chihiro nodded at that, though they weren't sure how much they were going to actually believe it in the long run. They tapped their foot anxiously once they had settled to lean against the brick wall lining the outside of the school, and over the course of the next four minutes, the other three Legendary Warriors arrived. They looked over their shoulders too, making sure that nobody had decided to follow them and listen in on the conversation. Realistically, they knew that nobody was going to try and eavesdrop, but the anxiety and paranoia remained even still. It was a difficult fear to best, and Chihiro didn't even bother trying to fight it off in full. They wouldn't be able to win this fight anyway, so why put in the effort?
"Alright," Koji began once everyone had arrived. "I think we all know exactly what we're going to need to discuss first. The dates that those four listed off at lunch line up perfectly with all of our birthdays down to the year and day. It feels pretty obvious to me that we were chosen to be Legendary Warriors on the dates of our births, and those shows in the sky were perfect evidence of it."
"The pink light came on my birthday too," Izumi remarked with a frown. "And I know I'm not the only one that applies to. The colors all match up perfectly. That was the time when the Ancient Legendary Warriors decided that we would be their heirs, and they chose us over the course of the few years of Earth time after the war against Lucemon ended."
"The fight against Lucemon was ancient history in the Digital World because his presence was distorting the flow of time," Takuya started. "It was only seventeen years here between the time of the first Legendary Warrior—Saki—being chosen and our arrival in the Digital World, but it would have been thousands upon thousands of years over there because of the time distortion. Everybody in the Digital World would have forgotten about the effects of us being chosen as the new hosts of the Legendary Warriors because of the influence of time. The only ones who could have told us about all of this were the Celestial Three, and now, they're gone too."
"I'm going to ask my father about the light show when I can," Izumi said. "I don't know if he's going to be able to help much in saying if anything happened that day, but I feel like it's at least worth asking about. If this will lead us to a new bit of information, then we have to take that chance."
Chihiro nodded, a prominent frown on their features all the while. If their parents hadn't decided to be such complete pieces of shit, then Chihiro could have asked them for details about everything as well. Unfortunately, they had decided to be abusive assholes on top of corrupt manifestations of human garbage, so they were locked up where they belonged with Chihiro not wanting anything to do with them. The answer about the light shows indicating the Legendary Warriors' history felt obvious as could be to them anyway, so why bother with digging any deeper? That was for the other members of the group—the ones with intact relationships with their parents—to think about.
"There's one other thing about all of this that's still bothering me," Koji remarked. "You heard what they were saying about even these projections in the sky over fifteen years ago getting covered up. That means there has to be somebody out there who knew there would be something of interest to be found there and decided to cover it up long before any of this conflict with the Digital World started. As much as I hate to say it, I feel like those four might be onto something when they say the government is trying to keep all of this hidden."
"Of course there's somebody out there trying to sweep all of this under the rug," Chihiro snorted. "My parents were part of the worst circles you could ever imagine. There are people out there who relish in covering up the truth as long as it fits their own needs. It wouldn't shock me if there was a person out there who decided seventeen years ago that this shit needed to be hidden, so they did everything they could to bury it. The deleted forums were just the tip of the iceberg, and now, we're seeing all of that again. The connection to the Digital World is much more obvious this time around, but the fact remains that there are people out there who are trying to hide it. I said it was bullshit for the sake of getting those four off the trail, but I think we all know better than to think that it's really just a conspiracy with no basis."
"It's so hard to get them off our trail given how firm they are about learning more about all of this," Izumi sighed. "I want to say that all of this sounds ridiculous, but we know better than that. The reality is that there are Digimon attacks unfolding all around us, and we can't escape the truth. They know it just as well as we do that there's too much to be ignored, especially since we know these attacks are going to continue for as long as the mastermind behind the Void Fragments is out there to perpetuate the damage."
"We might not be able to keep them from investigating, but if they come anywhere close to the truth, then we can do all in our power to throw them off," Koji told her. "I don't know what could happen if they figure out what's really going on with the Digital World, but I don't want to ask either. I have no idea if there are really people out there trying to cover up the Digital World's existence from the people of Earth, but it's a chance we can't afford to take."
"They're advertising their knowledge of all this a bit too loudly," Chihiro agreed with a nod. "Even if they say that they're just keeping it in our little circle, we know that they're going to start talking under the right circumstances, and that could very easily lead to a disaster that spirals out of control way faster than we can control it. I bet there are people out there trying to cover this up, and if there's a group of teens who refuse to give up the search for the truth, then I don't know what they're going to do. It's probably not going to be anything good though. The government has always been full of shady people, and that group is never going to be wrong about that much about the Digimon."
"We'll keep on as we have been then, and if we see any reason to interfere with their investigation, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. That's probably just going to get them suspicious though, so we should stay away from that for as long as we possibly can," Takuya concluded. "For right now, we can wait and talk about the whole light show thing when we meet up with the others in the Digital World. I know we were planning on going to speak with Miriamon when we got to the Digital World, and she's probably going to be the only one who can answer our questions about all of this anyway. She's the only one who's been around since the time of the Ancient Legendary Warriors, and given her connection to them, she has to know at least something about what happened when the sky lit up years ago."
"Maybe we can finally figure out what it is that's really on her mind when she looks at us then," Izumi murmured. "I know it's been a while since we were last able to go and talk to her, but I still haven't been able to get her out of my head. I think she knows something that we're not yet aware of, and she's not sure what to do about it."
"I think you're right," Koji nodded. "Though there's a chance that she was just going to tell us about the echoes of the other Legendary Warriors being inside of our heads. She certainly seemed to imply that before when she said that she felt their souls inside of our bodies. She must have known about that and just didn't know how to break the news, but luckily for her, she doesn't have to. We figured it out on our own."
Chihiro sighed as they leaned their head back and stared up at the sky. "I feel like today has been an even bigger disaster than most days, and given that there have been two Void Fragment attacks this week, that's an accomplishment," they muttered. "I want to take a long nap and wake up when at least half of our problems have been solved. At least we've got a plan for what to do when we next head to the Digital World. I just hope no disaster strikes until then."
"Knock on..." Takuya faltered at that, realizing there was no wood present for him to complete the statement. He ultimately looked to the brick school nearby and roughly cleared his throat before knocking against it. "Brick, I suppose. I hope we don't run into any trouble either. We'll just have to try and seem as normal as possible in the meantime. You know, attract as little attention as we can."
Koji snorted. "That's much easier said than done with a group like ours, but I guess it can't be helped," he remarked. "Either way, we should go and try to rest before we have to go to the Digital World. We've got a lot of important work ahead of ourselves, and I don't want us to be too tired or bogged down by schoolwork when we head over there."
The Legendary Warriors nodded to one another at that and waved their farewells to one another. Chihiro watched as Koji and Izumi stared off in separate directions before glancing over to Takuya. "So... Home tonight, huh?" they questioned. They were lucky enough to not have any soccer practice that afternoon, and that meant they were going to have to use the extra time to catch up on homework as much as possible. Chihiro didn't mind it as much as they usually did, at least not today. Normally, Chihiro preferred kicking a ball around to thinking through equations and historical timelines, but with how clouded and terrified their mind was that afternoon, they knew just sitting down for a while to think was probably their best option. At least they would have something to focus on aside from the Digital World for a while.
"Yeah," Takuya confirmed with a nod. "That should give us a bit more time to iron out our homework and then come up with a game plan for tomorrow. I can already tell we're going to have a lot to ask Miriamon about, and that doesn't even factor in anything she might want to tell us about first."
Chihiro nodded at that before taking in a careful breath and starting to follow him around the school. "Might as well get it over with then," they muttered. Part of them was strangely ready to be done with their homework already so they could concentrate on everything that was bound to come when the Digital World entered their life once again. Still, that wasn't an option, at least not yet, so they prepared themselves for a long night of homework and silent misery as they pushed through piles of agonizing tasks they never asked for.
It wasn't until after Chihiro and Takuya had rounded the corner to the front of the school that Chihiro faltered again. That awful feeling of being watched was starting to sink in again even though they knew there was no one there. They glanced over their shoulder, trying to see if perhaps there was some vague chance their parents had sent someone after them again, but they were met with nothing. Chihiro let out a silent sigh at the sight. Knowing they were safe and seeing it were two different things, and they were certainly in dire need of the latter.
"Are you okay?" Takuya questioned, pausing as soon as he noticed that Chihiro had stopped as well. He turned to look at them carefully, gauging their every action for clues as to what could have been plaguing them so suddenly.
Chihiro snapped themself out of their trance a moment later, shaking their head before trailing after him. "It's nothing," they assured him even though they knew just as well as anyone else that the lie wasn't quite as simple as they would have liked. "Let's just head back home."
Home. That was what the Kanbara household had always been to them. Chihiro had long grown tired of their blood parents, and they could scarcely be considered family after all they had done to them. Chihiro was glad they had such an incredible support system in place after everything they had gone through, and they knew they would never be able to thank Takuya, Shinya, Yuriko, or Hiroaki enough for all they had done. Having them there certainly made everything simpler.
But that little bit of stability did little to stop Chihiro from glancing over their shoulder each time they thought Takuya wasn't watching. They weren't sure if he saw them or not, but they decided it didn't matter. They were tired of constantly feeling insecure in their own skin, and Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki's investigation into the Legendary Warriors had opened a wound Chihiro hadn't even realized was there to begin with. It felt so obvious in hindsight that they would feel awful after being chased down under the threat of being dragged back home, but that didn't mean Chihiro wanted to acknowledge it. They should have been better than this. Damn it, they normally were.
It was a shame their fears didn't want to listen to reason. Oh, how easy it would have made everything else.
~~~~~
Tomoki was tracing the familiar path back to his house after the school day, placing one foot in front of the other in a pattern that was as predictable as it was comfortable. He found himself humming under his breath, filling the air around him with the same tune that was coming through his earbuds. His hands were shoved loosely into his pockets as he took in the last few traces of summer air as it all began to give way to fall. Autumn would be there soon, and Tomoki wanted to enjoy the warmth while it was still there. It made the new cold of his skin stand out all the more, and it comforted him in a way he could never quite put to words.
All things considered, he should have felt on top of the world. Still, he knew something was wrong soon after he began his walk, and his humming fell silent immediately. It felt like someone had poured boiling water down his spine and told him to sit statuesque after the fact, and Tomoki bit down on his lip at the thought. It was a sensation he knew all too well, but he didn't want to admit what was happening at all.
"Tomoki, I need you to walk as quickly as you can without getting hurt," Daipen tried to say, doing his best to keep his voice calm despite the urgency to the situation. It was clear that Tomoki was far from the only one who had noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere and the chill that had settled into their bones. It was all too familiar in a way Tomoki hated having to think about, and Daipen's words did little to calm him down. It didn't matter how calm the Hybrid Spirit's voice was; Tomoki could already feel the panic finding a home in his chest, and it was that same paranoia that made him look over his shoulder.
Sure enough, Tomoki was met with exactly the same sight he had expected.
Yutaka.
He stood in the center of the sidewalk a few yards behind Tomoki, walking along at the same pace as his brother. He was almost casual in a way that made Tomoki feel sick to his stomach. Yutaka's posture was eerily similar to his own between his hands shoved in his pockets and the easy way he took each step forward. It was like nothing in the world had ever bothered him, and the smile on his face only made Tomoki feel worse.
Run.
Tomoki's own voice appeared in the back of his mind, and before he knew it, he had taken off running. His backpack slammed against his spine, clearly not too happy with the sudden change of pace, but Tomoki couldn't help it. An anxiety unlike anything he had known in ages was starting to eat away at him. It had been a while since he last saw Yutaka, and while he had been hoping the restraining order would be enough to keep his brother away for the time being, he should have known it wasn't going to be that simple. Yutaka was nothing if not determined, and Tomoki had come to know that all too well over the years. If Yutaka wasn't determined to make his brother suffer, then Tomoki wouldn't have been made to bear so many scars of the emotional and physical variety over the years.
Tomoki could still remember what it felt like for his brother to touch him, always too rough and harsh while hiding behind a facade of brotherly love. Yutaka had been perfect in their parents' eyes for so long, and even though Tomoki loved them, he couldn't hide his resentment that they hadn't done anything to save him from his brother's cruelty. They knew the truth but were too afraid to admit it for so long, and Tomoki was the one who had been forced to bear the brunt of it all.
Tomoki barely kept track of where he was moving the entire time he was running. He couldn't tell if it was a better idea to go home or to hide out somewhere until Yutaka left him alone, and in the end, he wound up settling on a public library between him and the school. If Yutaka raised too much hell there, then people would hear him and immediately rush to Tomoki's defense... Right? People wouldn't just stand back and let bad things happen, right?
Then again, wasn't that what Tomoki's parents had done in their own home?
Tomoki only managed to calm himself down when he dashed into the library and pressed himself against the wall, his breath fast and hot in the back of his throat. Every part of his body was uncomfortably warm from anxiety, as a matter of fact, and he absolutely hated it. He thrived in the cold, but he was being denied that luxury because of his terror. He tried his best to let the cold sink in to replace his fear and nerves, but it wasn't as easy as he would have liked to calm himself again. When Tomoki looked down, his hands were shaking.
It wasn't until after Tomoki mustered the courage to peer out the door again that he realized everything was fine. Yutaka hadn't chased after him, at least not this far. Tomoki hadn't even bothered to check if his brother had started running when he did, too afraid to give his brother any chance at all to catch up. His mind had been too muddled, every ounce of unprocessed trauma immediately slamming right back into him the moment he least expected it.
Tomoki retreated to the restroom as soon as he could bring himself to move, and the other echoes of Ice clamored at the back of his mind, but he didn't let them take control, too afraid to give up any ounce of power. He instead locked one of the stall doors behind himself and sat down after closing the toilet lid, pulling his legs up to his chest as tears rose in his eyes. This was the safest place he had at the moment. Yutaka wouldn't find him there. He couldn’t find him there.
No... He would. Yutaka always found him. Such was the bond between brothers for better or worse.
Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Tomoki wished he was an only child.
Notes:
Another chapter sealed and delivered!
I have to say first and foremost that I always love writing these chapters with the investigation team. They're tons of fun to work with, and I adore them. I love the new portrayals of them in this universe since they play very different roles both narratively and thematically. In the original, them being somewhat spoiled at the end of Frontier served the purpose of Frontier's philosophy of developing the characters in reverse. It's a mature step to start off with the characters' flaws and then work backwards from there, and I thought the quartet worked perfectly when put up against the main characters. Since I went for a different method of developing the characters though, I didn't really need them (and they didn't fit with the revised plot). Still, I really like where they ended up, even if they're a bit of a pain for the main heroes.
Most of what we heard here is based on things that have already happened onscreen in previous chapters and building information off of that, but there's one exception to this: the shows of light. We're going to get more information out of that subject later on in this arc, but that's the start of learning more about the history of the Digital World in new ways. These dates do all match up with the birthdays of the Legendary Warriors, and we're going to dig more into that soon. For now though, I can tell you which birthday matches up with which character.
For one, this story takes place in 2019. It took a while for me to narrow down a date for the story to take place since it wasn't important in the first book. The first book was just vaguely modern, but here, it actually matters for a few timeline reasons that we'll get into... Eventually. For now, the 2002 birthdays are Saki on April 27, Junpei on August 13, and Hinoka on October 12. For 2003, we have Takuya on March 29, Izumi on May 29, Koji and Koichi on June 4, and Chihiro on July 28. Lastly, in 2004, the birthdays are Tomoki on February 24, Haroi on March 17, Mayumi on April 1, and Yumiko on November 30. I figured out all of these birthdays for the cast when I was first working out details about the characters back in May of 2020. Well, all of them except for Izumi. Her birthday was previously April 29, but I decided to push it back to May so it wasn't right up against Saki's April 27 birthday. Aside from that, all of these are the same as my original character notes for some trivia.
As for other analysis about this chapter, let's go into the scene with Chihiro. It was a pretty small thing, but them being paranoid about their parents is a bit of foreshadowing for where their arc is going to take them in the future. The group's time in the Digital World is over, but their troubles are far from being through, and they're going to see that soon enough. Chihiro's grating anxiety at feeling watched all the time is already starting to get to them thanks to Katsuharu and company, and it made for a perfect way to round up the plot line for this chapter while also fitting with the title of the installment.
As for the reason this chapter was named the way it was, we have the scene with Tomoki. Once again, we have a bit of foreshadowing, though I can't say much more about it than that. There's a lot to be found in this story as far as bringing back old threads, and Tomoki is just the beginning. He deserves so much better than this. He was just starting to feel secure in himself only for Yutaka to ruin it again. I hope Yutaka goes to hell.
That's about it for this chapter (I say after writing a 750 word author's note). Next week, we're going to keep pressing forward with the plot as the Legendary Warriors return to the Digital World to speak with Miriamon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 17: Sacred Lies
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors speak with Miriamon on Rubrum while the investigation team calls another meeting to order.
Chapter Text
When the next day arrived, the Legendary Warriors did exactly what they had been planning. All twelve of them filed into Hinoka's home before retreating to her room. The house was eerily quiet, something that caught Yumiko off guard as soon as she took note of it. Hinoka had stated previously that they wouldn't need to worry about her mother getting in the way of their work on account of her regular bouts of seclusion, but Yumiko hadn't realized just how overwhelmingly depressing it would be to walk into a place that should have been filled with love and joy only to find nothing but silence. She had her own gripes with her parents, yes, but at least they spoke to her.
Hinoka didn't seem to mind it, and as twisted as it was, Yumiko had to agree that the Warrior of Water had been right about it being a nice place to meet up for their journeys to the Digital World. Nobody was going to disturb them as long as they were hiding away in her room, and regardless of how sad it was that Hinoka's relationship with her mother was so strained, it offered the group with the perfect springing off point they needed to go and speak with Miriamon. After how much had happened over the course of the last week, they most certainly needed it.
The process of traveling to Rubrum was a bit more complex than going anywhere else in the Digital World, but it was overall rather painless. Once the Legendary Warriors arrived in the fortress, Bokomon sent a quick message to Miriamon asking for a portal to Rubrum. From there, it only took a few seconds for a rift to appear in the air, and the Legendary Warriors walked through it silently in pursuit of the Arbiter of Souls. Saki didn’t even need to become Lyramon in order for the group to arrive before Miriamon for their audience with her.
The rift opened up near the central temple of the moon, and Miriamon was standing in front of it, leaning gently against one of the columns that held up the stone lining the entrance. "Hello, everyone," she greeted, her face set in a gentle smile, but Yumiko could see the anxiety hiding just beneath the surface. Every one of them knew there was more on Miriamon's mind than met the eye, and she certainly wasn't putting up much of a fight to keep that fact hidden. Even so, no one quite knew how to breach her defenses enough to get her to be honest. They didn’t know if they even had that power to begin with.
"Greetings, Miriamon," Bokomon returned with a smile of his own, though his seemed much more genuine even at just a first glance. "I'm glad to see that you are doing well. I hope the Void Fragments haven't been giving you too much trouble."
Miriamon shook her head. "Ever since the first attack when you all came to speak with me, nothing has happened here," she replied. "I've seen nothing but peace, and I'm glad for it... Though I know the rest of the Digital World hasn't been so lucky. I've heard of the attacks growing more troublesome over the last few weeks, and very few people know what to do about it."
"We're unfortunately part of that group too," Takuya said as he rubbed nervously at the back of his head. "If you can't tell us anything else about the Void Fragments though, I guess we should move on. We're probably going to head out and investigate the Void Fragments a bit more after we're finished here, and there's no point in going around in circles when we're acting on borrowed time already."
"I understand," Miriamon nodded. "Why have you come to see me?" She looked over the group carefully, and Yumiko couldn't help feeling as if Miriamon's gaze was piercing straight through her chest without a second thought. It was almost impressive just how much the Arbiter of Souls could hide behind those clouded cerulean eyes of hers, and Yumiko could only hope she was willing to share her secrets sooner rather than later.
"We've come to understand something new about ourselves," Yumiko began. "We found out that the other versions of the Legendary Warriors live on within us. It seems to have happened after we fused with the Ancient Legendary Warriors following our final battle with Lucemon. We can now speak with manifestations of our Human, Beast, and Hybrid Spirits."
Miriamon contemplated Yumiko's words for a long moment before she nodded. "I see..." she whispered. "I suspected that would be the case. When you first came to visit me, I knew I could sense the whispers of their souls inside of you."
Nobody in the group seemed particularly surprised to hear that, though Mayumi was the one bold enough to ask the question on all of their minds. "If you knew that this was probably going to be how it all ended up, then why bother with hiding it?" she asked. "We would have figured it out eventually no matter what you did, and now, we have… But it would have been a little easier to stomach if you told us about it before we stumbled into the truth on our own, you know?"
"I didn't think it would be appropriate to share so much with you so soon after we met," Miriamon replied. "It was our first time speaking, and I was certain that bringing up too much would only serve to frighten you. If I told you that you were no longer the only ones in your bodies, then I know you all would have been afraid. I thought perhaps it would be for the best if you dealt with that on your own. I feared my interference would only make it harder for you to grapple with."
"I see..." Yumiko murmured with a nod. "Either way, we've uncovered the truth now, and we're all doing what we can to work through it. This is a learning experience for all of us since we're not used to sharing so much of our lives with others, but we're working on it. Every day gets a little bit easier."
"I'm glad to hear that," Miriamon smiled. "If you ever find yourselves in need of help with communication, you can come to me. I would also be happy to just act as a listening ear if you decide that you desire something of that nature as well. All you need to do is say the word."
Miriamon's gaze shifted to Koichi at that, and Yumiko followed her eyes to the Warrior of Darkness. Koichi had been quiet all day, though Yumiko supposed that was to be expected. As far as she could tell, Koichi had been quieter than usual ever since the massive attack Pajiramon, Vajramon, and Eaglemon had launched on Shibuya. He hadn’t been the same since revealing the Void Fragments were similar to the power Cherubimon had used to corrupt him into Darkness. He hadn't been speaking as much in the group chat, and he hadn't been the one to explain the invasion caused by Mephistomon despite being involved with the fight. Hinoka had told the rest of the group about it a few days after the fact. Yumiko could sense Koichi's unease even if the two saw each other rarely outside of official business as Legendary Warriors. Even now, he seemed nervous in a way that Yumiko couldn't quite describe, like a bone deep anxiety was controlling his body like a puppet on a string.
"Koichi... Are you alright?" Miriamon questioned softly, and with those four words, anyone who hadn't been looking at Koichi previously turned their attention in his direction. "I can tell you're struggling with something, and if there's anything I can do to help, I want to try."
"N-No, I'm fine," Koichi tried to assure her, but Yumiko could tell by the look in Miriamon's eyes that she didn't believe him. In fact, none of the Legendary Warriors seemed to fall for the trick, not that Koichi was putting as much effort into it as he probably should have if he really wanted to deceive them. "There's nothing wrong. I've just been having trouble sleeping lately."
"Koichi, it's okay," Koji told his brother, and he placed his hand carefully on his twin's shoulder. Koichi jolted slightly at the contact, but he did his best to hide it. He had already reacted though, and that was more than enough to draw Koji's attention as the Warrior of Light frowned tensely. Koichi normally wasn't the best with talking to people, but this was an entirely new level of anxiety, and Yumiko felt her stomach twist from her own fear she would be unable to help her friend.
"I know something's wrong," Hinoka cut in, her eyes filled to the brim with watery concern. "You've been acting oddly all week, and this doesn't just come from being tired or not sleeping well. If there's something else on your mind, all you need to do is say so. We're here to listen, and—"
"It's okay, Hinoka," Koichi cut in, his voice tense and strained in a way that Yumiko had never heard it before. Koichi shook his head a moment later, looking down at the silt that blew gently across the ground of Rubrum. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing, really. Besides, this isn't about me. We came here to ask Miriamon a few of our questions about the recent investigation into the Void Fragments, and I don't want to hold us up."
It was a poor excuse, but Miriamon took advantage of it to change the subject. The guilt she felt for making Koichi uncomfortable was written all over her face, and she cleared her throat gently to draw attention away from him. "What have you found in your searches for the truth?" she questioned carefully.
"The Void Fragments are still as much of a mystery to us as ever, I'm afraid," Bokomon sighed with a shake of his head. "Since they destroy themselves as soon as they pull away from a target, it's difficult to capture them and conduct any research. Even if we were able to capture them, I don't think it would fix much of anything since they would likely still vanish before we could uncover any facts of note."
"But there is one interesting thing we've started noticing," Salamon continued. "It seems like all of the victims of the Void Fragment attacks, at least the recent ones, have had one thing in common. They all heard this rumbling sound in the distance just before their memories went black."
"If I had to guess, this rumbling is probably Inaie Island," Haroi chimed in. "I'm willing to assume that the island has been passing through a few of the areas attacked by Void Fragments, and that's where all of this is coming from. We even saw Inaie after a fight not long ago, so it's not entirely out of the question to think there could be a connection."
"Do you think there could be a connection?" Izumi asked with a frown. "If so many of the recent Void Fragment victims have pointed out that they heard Inaie in the distance just before their memories went black, then there could be a link between the attacked Digimon and the island."
"Maybe there is a connection, but we don't have any hard evidence of this being the case," Chihiro pointed out. "Even if the island does have something to do with this, we're not going to be able to get any information out of the city's leaders without hard proof to make them hear us out, and we don't have any of that. I don't know how we would even find evidence of anyone's involvement with the Void Fragments as long as those damn things self-destruct as soon as they make themselves known following a fight."
"We should try to go to Inaie and learn more about all of this," Tomoki suggested. "Even if we're wrong and all of this has nothing to do with the island, it wouldn't hurt for us to at least ask around. It's not as if we have any other ideas for what we're supposed to be searching for, so why not take advantage of the lead we have?"
"Tracking down Inaie to request an audience isn't going to be easy," Patamon frowned. "If you want to get on the island, you have to jump on while it's moving, and that's going to be... Well, a bit of a nightmare. We don't even know where the island is going to be on any given day, so how can we be sure where we're supposed to be looking for it to begin with?"
"I may be able to do something to help you with that," Miriamon said slowly. "It was a long time ago, but I spoke with the current leader of Inaie back before she rose to that position. I don't know if Darcmon still remembers me, but I may be able to reach out to her and find a way to get you to the island. If I know where Inaie is going to be ahead of time, then I may be able to help you to board it and then get an audience with Darcmon."
"That seems like one of our better ideas to get there," Neemon remarked. "Well, either that or asking Biastamon to help since he knows Darcmon pretty well... I guess it doesn't matter all that much as long as we're able to get there."
"If you think Biastamon would be a better idea, then you might just want to go on and ask him first," Miriamon pointed out. "I don't know Darcmon anywhere near as well as he probably does, and I don't want to reach out to someone who may not even remember me after all this time."
"What do you know about Inaie, Miriamon?" Takuya questioned. "You must have been alive when the island was first established if it was made during the times of the Legendary Warriors, right?"
"I was alive, yes," Miriamon confirmed. "But I have never traveled there since Darcmon came here when we spoke years ago. I've heard quite a bit about it though. I gather much of my information by listening to the whispers of the souls of fallen Digimon as they travel to the Village of Beginnings, and many of them have spoken of Inaie. They cite it as a paradise. Darcmon has done a fine job of taking over the city and helping the people there to feel safe. Everyone says that they are protected as long as she is the one looking out for them."
"I suppose she's got quite a few fans then," Chihiro muttered. "If Human and Beast Digimon can live there in harmony, then consider me one of her admirers too. It seems like equality is so rare in the Digital World these days. Everybody just wants to find a reason to argue with one another."
"The factionalism is dangerous, and if efforts aren't made to stop it as soon as possible, then it could easily bloom into another war," Saki frowned with a shake of their head. "But Inaie could be a glimmer of hope against all of that along with the Moon Base. We'll need to pay both locations a visit as soon as we can, though Inaie must obviously take priority since it's more important to our investigation."
"Inaie Island, much like the Moon Base, is a safe haven for every Digimon who believes in the power of equality," Miriamon said. "There were quite a few Digimon in ancient times who detested the constant conflict of Human and Beast Digimon since that weakness led to the complete collapse of society on multiple occasions. If the rest of the world wouldn't fix itself, then they would make a safe place for themselves. That was their mindset at the time, anyway, and it was reinforced by the Legendary Warriors as well."
"Inaie was formed when a small chunk of the Digital World broke away from the rest of the planet during the war against Lucemon. In order to give the island the life it needed to survive, AncientTrojamon gave it some of her power. Ever since then, the island has been thriving under the magic she provided the land so long ago," Bokomon went on. "The power of the Legendary Warriors truly does seem to be eternal."
"I never would have thought that I had such a history with the island," Yumiko admitted. "I don't know much about it, but I suspect I'll feel a connection to it whenever we go. It'll be nice to be able to see the history of AncientTrojamon's actions for myself when we finally arrive."
"I wish you all the best of luck in reaching the island. I know there are a few complications involved in reaching it, but I'm sure everything will work out in the end when you do arrive," Miriamon smiled gently. "If you find yourselves in search of company, I would be more than happy to join you in visiting the island. I would love to see Darcmon again if you could arrange a meeting with her."
"We'll be sure to get back in touch with you when all of this has been planned a bit more," Takuya assured her. He glanced over to the rest of the group at that. "Well, I guess that takes care of everything we were hoping to cover here. We should try to take advantage of the time we've been given to look around the rest of the Digital World and see if we can find anything else of note."
"Given how many Void Fragment attacks there have been, I'm sure we'll be able to find at least one village that can offer us information," Izumi said. "It's tragic that so many Digimon are suffering... I hope we can learn something new while we're here today."
"I wish you nothing but the best in your search for the truth," Miriamon nodded. She hesitated afterward, glancing over in Koichi's direction cautiously before her gaze unceremoniously glossed over Saki. The Warrior of Steel narrowed their eyes at her, but Miriamon pretended to not see it. "If any of you wish to stay here for a while longer, I would be more than happy to host you."
Everyone could see exactly what she was trying to do. She wanted to convince Koichi to stay behind for a little while longer so that she could figure out just what was causing him so much grief, but he wasn't rising to the bait. Koichi didn’t want to draw any attention to himself by staying behind even if it would have granted him the privacy he may have sought from her. He instead stared down at his feet passively, waiting for the moment to pass. Yumiko did her best to hold back from encouraging him to linger with Miriamon, praying that perhaps he would be willing to open up to her even if he didn't feel ready to talk to the rest of the group yet. Maybe all he needed was a listening ear outside of the Legendary Warriors. There was no way of saying for sure what would help him, but Yumiko prayed that she would be able to do at least something to help once he had been pointed in the right direction.
Koichi remained quiet as could be, but Saki was more than happy to take advantage of the chance they had been given. "I want to stay here and talk to you for a while longer," they said firmly, and Yumiko could tell they had ulterior motives that a simple conversation couldn't describe. Yumiko knew that Saki had been worried about their strange dynamic with Miriamon ever since the two first met, and as long as the Arbiter of Souls was offering, Saki had to take advantage of this chance to try and press the truth out of them. It didn’t matter that she had aimed the offer at Koichi above all others; it was a chance, and they were taking it.
Miriamon went tense, but she did her best to hide it. She clearly hadn't anticipated Saki to be so brazen, and the Warrior of Steel gave her a brief glance before looking over to Koichi. "Why don't you stick around here with me for a while longer?” Saki asked, and the tension in Koichi’s shoulders multiplied anew. “It wouldn't hurt to take a little bit of time to think everything over from the last few days, especially since you and Hinoka were involved in a fight that the rest of us were not. Why not explain it to me and Miriamon in detail?"
Koichi faltered, clearly able to see that he wasn't going to be able to worm his way out of this the way he had originally planned. He knew exactly what was coming regardless of the path he opted to follow. If he went along with the rest of the Legendary Warriors, they were going to take Miriamon's prodding as the perfect excuse to try and get him to open up about everything he had been hiding over the last week or so. If he stayed behind, Miriamon was going to take advantage of the opportunity to try and get him to talk. Either way, he was going to have to say something. It was just a matter of him picking which option would be ever so slightly less damning to him.
Saki knew this just as well as Koichi did, and Yumiko could see it in their eyes. Sometimes, a bit of pressure was all it took for someone to start talking about their problems. It wasn't always pretty to force them to open up about something, but an uncomfortable friend was better than one falling apart under the weight of their own burdens. Saki had done this once before, back when Koichi realized that his soul and body were separated from one another in the Digital World, because they knew as well as anyone that secrets could come back to bite. If Koichi was looking for someone to talk to, then a neutral third party seemed as good as anyone else, and Miriamon was one of the only options he had for someone who wouldn't hold any bias on the matter for better or worse. She was one of his only options in general; he couldn’t exactly talk to anyone on Earth about this. It would be Miriamon, the Legendary Warriors, or one of the Digimon guides. What other choice did he have in the matter?
"Um... Alright," Koichi said slowly before looking to the rest of the group. "You can all go ahead and look around on the main planet. Saki and I can catch up with you once we're finished here."
"Maybe a few of us Digimon should stay behind," Patamon suggested, his voice wavering with anxiety. "I'd like to see what we can hear from Miriamon too. Don't you feel the same way?" His gaze pierced into Salamon and Lopmon, clearly pleading with them to remain on Rubrum for a little while longer.
"I'm interested in what she could share with us about the history about the Digital World," Lopmon admitted. He looked over to Bokomon, his expression just as solemn as ever. "Will you and Neemon be alright with the others?"
"Of course we will," Neemon assured him with a wave of one hand. "You don't need to worry about us. Just try to stay out of trouble, okay? I don't want to hear anything about you getting attacked while we were back on Earth."
"Rubrum is the location of the Digital World that has seen the least violence. I'm certain everyone here will be the safest they possibly can be," Miriamon told Neemon. "Everything will be fine. You don't need to worry. I'll look after them."
“Worst case scenario, I’ll handle everything in a fight,” Saki chimed in. “Koichi can help me too.”
“Yeah…” Koichi started, something dark rising in his eyes. “Sure.”
"Then that settles that," Takuya declared with a grin. "Let's go and see what we can pull together on the main planet. There's bound to be something interesting for us to find."
"Thank you again for coming to visit, everyone," Miriamon smiled as she drew a circle in the air. A portal opened in the sky, and through it, Yumiko could see a preview of the Digital World down below. "If you ever want to return, all you need to do is send a message. I would be happy to have your company." She refused to look over in Saki's direction as the Warrior of Steel shot her a suspicious glare, not buying a word of her declaration. Miriamon may have liked the company of the other Legendary Warriors, but Saki knew they would be an exception no matter what.
"We'll see you again later," Koji said, pointedly staring at Koichi. He knew just as well as everyone else, perhaps even better than the others, that something was going on with his brother. He didn't know how to approach it, but he could feel the truth in all of its brutality. It was just a matter of time before something snapped and Koji began to push, but for now, Koichi was safe. It was a temporary peace, but all tranquility seemed to be brief at best. When it came to fighting for the fate of multiple worlds, that was simply the price to be paid.
The Legendary Warriors all started toward the portal, Takuya and Bokomon at the front of the group. Hinoka lingered for a few moments longer, staring at Koichi with all the worry in the world. He refused to meet her gaze, and she looked down to the rust-colored silt of Rubrum before pushing forward once again, vanishing through the portal with a flick of her light brown hair trailing behind her.
Junpei was the last to go through the portal, Koji walking through just before him. For a long moment, Junpei and Saki stared at one another, both clearly trying to get a read on what the other was thinking, but neither one of them bothered to explain their thoughts openly. Instead, Junpei just nodded stiffly, a sign that they would be discussing this later whether Saki liked it or not.
None of them would be able to escape the truth forever. Some of them were just taking longer to wake up to it than others.
~~~~~
Katsuharu cleared his throat from his place on his couch, and he raised a small gavel slightly into the air before bringing it down on the table at the center of his family's living room. "I now call this meeting to order," he declared as he looked out over the rest of his companions. Chiaki, Teruo, and Teppei had come over for the day at his request so they could discuss everything they had learned over the course of the last week. They had gathered quite a bit of new information in very little time, and they needed to get everything in order as soon as possible. The school week was already eating up too much of their time for them to meet after classes, so this was the best option for all of them.
Unfortunately for Katsuharu, not everyone was taking it as seriously as he was. Teruo raised a quizzical eyebrow in Katsuharu's direction, arms crossed over his chest. "Why in the world did you get a gavel for this?" he questioned.
"I already had it on hand," Katsuharu replied with a loose shrug. That was only partially true; he had snagged it out of his father's office, but given how much his father was out on work trips or at meetings, Katsuharu was certain that he wouldn't notice. It didn't matter even if he did. Katsuharu didn't expect his father to follow up on asking about it even if he did realize his small display gavel had gone missing.
"It doesn't matter where he got the tiny hammer from," Teppei told Teruo, and the other boy let out a hefty sigh as Teppei pushed his glasses a bit higher up on his nose. Chiaki corrected him that it was called a gavel under her breath, but Teppei did not respond and went on. "We need to restructure everything we've learned over the last week. I think our notebook, while helpful, is in desperate need of a refurbishment."
"It has a bit of charm to it," Chiaki remarked as she looked down at where their sacred notebook sat at the center of the table. Stray pieces of paper stuck out in every direction, only barely kept in place by the closed covers of the notebook. "We've put a lot of love into this thing, and I think it shows."
"Still, we have to go over everything new we've learned," Teruo pointed out. "We need to figure out how in the world the entire light show situation from fifteen years ago is supposed to fit in with all of this. There were twelve of them, and there are twelve monsters now. I know those dates have to be significant, and we're just going to have to figure out how."
"I can't help thinking about the possibility that these monsters of ours being our age," Teppei admitted. "I mean, it's technically possible. I don't know how anyone would balance school and saving the world like that, but it's not like there's any universal law out there stopping them from being monsters from another world."
"They would be able to hide among humans pretty easily regardless of age," Chiaki said. "Based on what we saw on the train, it seems like they can freely shift between human and monster form. All they need to do is want to change appearances. That's what I've been thinking of it, at the very least."
"You know... I think I might have something else for us to bring up before we get into everything we already know," Katsuharu announced, and everyone turned to look at him with excitement in their eyes. "I did a bit more digging into those old forum posts, and I think I might have found the holy grail of it all... The first time this ever happened."
"So there were thirteen different light shows?" Teruo asked, his expression twisting. "But that doesn't make any sense. How could there be one of these monsters that we haven't seen? We already saw a group of twelve that matches up perfectly with everything we know."
"Well, it's a bit different from that," Katsuharu replied. He set down a small stack of pages, each of them printed to hold a series of messages from one of the forum boards he had spoken of. Teppei picked up the stack before he started to thumb through it. "This took place on the last day of 2001. If you ask me, it's a lot like the fight we saw in the sky and on all the screens in the train station the day we got that weird message. There aren't any pictures since the images were all wiped from the web years ago, but as far as I can tell, it sounds a lot like another fight between different monsters."
"In other words, this monster world has existed for a long time... Even longer than any of us have been alive," Teppei concluded as he glanced up from the messages. Katsuharu nodded, and Teppei looked down to the stack of pages. "I suppose it would make sense... Worlds don't just pop into existence. Still, it sounds like the monsters they saw fighting years ago have next to nothing in common with the beasts we've been seeing over here."
"I don't think they really need to have anything in common though," Teruo pointed out. "I mean, there are tons of different types of monsters as far as I can tell. It would be weird if we only saw a bunch of the same kind, you know?"
"We keep seeing the same group here on Earth, though I suppose that's a bit different," Chiaki mused with a shrug. She glanced off to the side, frowning slightly, before turning her attention back to the rest of the group. "I still don't know how we're going to figure out who these human monsters of ours really are. I mean, we know they have to be out there, but there are so many people out there for us to sift through if we want to find out who we're searching for. It's not like we can go door to door knocking and asking if anybody knows about the monsters that have been saving Earth from invasions from another world. Nobody's going to answer honestly even if they do know something."
"Beyond that, there are going to be people after us if we try something like that," Teppei frowned. "I mean, we know for a fact that the government is much more aware of this than they're making it sound. If we step out of line, there's no way of saying what they're going to try to track us down and make sure we stop this search."
"We've been subtle enough up to this point. I don’t think they know yet, but they could if we play this too dangerously," Katsuharu told the group. "Besides, if you ask me, we're going to find the truth sooner or later regardless of if we go out searching and asking door to door for the truth. I mean, these human monsters are still human, and that means they're far from being perfect. It's only going to be a matter of time before something happens and they slip up. If they do mess up in a way that exposes something about who they really are, then we'll be sure to find them and reveal the truth. This is everything we've been wanting ever since that phone call. We know there's a lot more to this than most people could ever understand, and we're getting closer."
"I wonder what's going to happen when we actually do find them," Teruo murmured. "Will we even be able to confront people who can turn into monsters? For all we know, they could turn on us the second we decide to talk to them about this."
"We can figure out the details a bit later," Katsuharu said with a wave of his hand. "Right now, we just know that we're on the cusp of something massive. There's an entire other world out there, and we're some of the only people who have seen it. Everyone who even has tangential details—including people who don't even realize there's another realm of monsters—has been silenced online, and no journalist is going to be able to get away with publishing a story about this. There's so much going on here, and we're the closest anyone has gotten to figuring out the truth. All we need to do is be patient for a little while longer and keep our cards close to our chest."
"I don't think Takuya, Chihiro, Izumi, and Koji are anywhere near as sure that we're going to figure this out," Teppei admitted with a frown. "They always seem to be doubtful in some way or another. I would have thought that they would be right on board with all of this, but it's like they don't want to figure everything out."
"I think it's weird too," Teruo chimed in. "Katsuharu and I have been playing soccer with Takuya and Chihiro for years now, and they've never acted like this. I mean, Chihiro's got a bit of a bitter streak sometimes, but it's never quite like this. I have to wonder if maybe they know something that they don't want to talk about."
"But what would they even know?" Chiaki frowned. "Why would they want to keep all of this a secret from us to begin with? I don't think any of it makes any sense. There's so much about this situation that we still don't understand, and while I suppose that's just how it goes, I... I wish we had at least a few more details to point us in the right direction."
"We'll figure it all out soon enough. You forget that we've put all of these details about the monsters together in less than a month and a half. Of course, there are a few things we still don't know yet, but we're going to find everything out before you know it. The light shows, those dates from fifteen years ago, the fights in the sky, the invading monsters, the beasts who live among us... They're going to come together before you know it, and when they do, everything is going to finally make sense," Katsuharu declared. "We've come this far, and we're going to make sure that everything works itself out along the way."
Everyone nodded at that, though it was clear that nobody could bring themselves to be quite as optimistic as Katsuharu was. The cracks in their plan were starting to show, and even though they had more information than ever before, if anyone thought about it for too long, it seemed like they would realize just how much they were missing. They had uncovered more than they ever could have ever imagined, but there were a few vital pieces in their search for the truth that were still missing. Without those last few bits of information, they weren't going to be able to find out what they were looking for or how they were going to find it. Katsuharu was certain everything was going to work itself out eventually though. They had come that far, and he wasn't going to let anything get in their way when there was so much just barely out of reach. What point would there be in giving up so close to the finish line?
Chiaki cleared her throat before continuing to speak. "You know... I have to wonder if perhaps there's some sort of significance to the twelve different elements of magic that we've seen these human monsters use in combat," she suggested. "I mean, we've seen a lot from them up to this point, some more than others, but I feel like there has to be a reason for those specific powers to be the ones they can manipulate freely."
Teppei reached for the notebook at the center of the table and began to flick through to the page that contained the information Chiaki spoke of. "Heaven above, we really need to work out how we're going to organize this thing," Teppei muttered under his breath before he settled on the page he had been searching for. "Fire, light, ice, wind, some kind of electricity, darkness, earth, plants, water, space, and... Two elements that seem to be virtual mysteries to us."
"You mean purple and orange that are out of our reach, right?" Teruo questioned, and Teppei nodded. "The only thing that I've been able to figure out is that the orange warrior—the one with the cat ears—seems to drain everybody she touches. I mean, you saw the way she fought in that big battle a little while ago, right? It seemed like she could steal anybody's energy just by making contact with them. Nobody else seemed to be able to do that."
"Then it's some transfer of energy ability," Chiaki concluded, and Teruo nodded. "That seems like a fine enough way to describe it, but I still don't have any ideas what that fighter with the rapier could be doing. It seems like some degree of psychic magic, but I don't think that's quite descriptive enough. I mean, there are all sorts of psychic magic according to different books, but that type felt... I don't know. It felt pretty specific in its own way. We just don't know how to narrow it down."
"Maybe we can listen in on what other people around school are saying," Teppei suggested as he started to write down their new revelations on the page. "I mean, everybody always seems to talk about these things right after an attack. If we just pour a little bit of gasoline on the fire, we might be able to get someone else to offer their theory. Even if it's wrong, I think the entire city has been turning their attention to these monsters. Somebody is bound to say something useful if we listen in the right places."
"Before anyone suggests looking through the news for clues about all of this, I've already done that at least three times now. It's pretty easy to find the news reports about the recent fights, and I've read through every single one," Teruo declared. "Did you know that someone in America started covering all of this earlier in the week?"
"Wait, seriously?" Chiaki asked, her eyes going wide. "I never would have thought this would make such massive waves internationally. Have the attacks spread any farther than Shibuya's greater area?"
"No. I don't know what it is, but all of these monster invasions have been exclusively in this area," Teruo said with a shrug. "Nobody has seen anything outside of the few fights that we've already known about all this time. The monster attacks have been centered around here, and I have to wonder if it's because this is where the human monsters can be found."
"If the monsters were trying to cause chaos, then why wouldn't they attack outside the boundaries of the city though?" Teppei questioned. "I mean, it's almost like they're going up against these human monsters with intentions of letting them stop them. It feels weird to think that they're just charging off to their own destruction willingly though. Why would anybody want to do something like that?"
"I have no idea, but I think that would be a perfect point for our next discussion," Katsuharu declared with a small smile. "Let's try and figure out why it is that all of these battles have been centered around Shibuya in particular."
Just like that, everyone's spirits were back to being just as high as they had been before, and Katsuharu was glad for it. He could understand why everyone else was starting to have doubts that they would be able to figure this out, but he refused to let his fears hold him back. There was something great just waiting to be found, and he could feel that they were getting closer than ever before. If so many people were trying to sweep it under the rug and keep the truth out of view, then there had to be a reason, and Katsuharu was determined to figure out what it was.
But first, he and the rest of the group had to work at this from a different direction. If they could uncover the truth of the reason the monsters were attacking, then perhaps everything else would fall into place. That was Katsuharu's hope, at the very least, though he supposed only time would be able to tell if it worked as he had hoped. For the time being though, he was certain that everything was going to come together the way it should have soon enough.
All they had to do was be patient, and Katsuharu was willing to wait as long as he had to if it meant finding the truth behind all of this.
~~~~~
Saki, Koichi, and Miriamon stood in heavy silence for a few long moments after the rest of the group had left. The only sound that dared to pierce the quiet was the gentle flapping of Patamon's wings as he stared at the place where the portal had been. He turned to look at the other members of the group soon afterward, and he flew over to sit on Koichi's head after a few beats of silence. "So... What do we want to talk about first?" he asked.
Saki turned to face Koichi, and they could tell just based on the look that spread across his features that he knew exactly what they were about to do. They had stayed behind to make sure that he talked, and they were determined to follow up on that until at least some of the weight on his shoulders had been cleared. "What exactly has been bothering you so much recently?" Saki questioned firmly, not bothering to dance around the subject with subtlety. As far as they were concerned, there was no point to even trying.
Koichi jolted at that, his eyes going wide, before he shook his head. "N-No... Everything has been fine," he tried to assure Saki even though he was certain that it wasn't going to work. They all knew there was no point to this back and forth, but Koichi was still going to try just so that he could tell himself later on that he put in the effort to keeping all of this hidden. Somehow, that mattered more to him than being honest about his anxieties.
"We both know that you're lying. Why not make this as easy for us both as possible and just talk about it?" Saki asked. Koichi shifted uncomfortably on the spot, and Saki sighed heavily. "You were having trouble controlling your Digimon form when Mephistomon attacked earlier this week. The main reason I can think of you suddenly losing control is that your emotions are starting to spiral. A person can only fight as a Digimon if they can confront their darkest thoughts and win. If they fail that check, then their Beast Spirit runs wild and tears them apart. You haven't been struggling since you reverted from Duskmon back to your human form. What happened for you to start acting that way again?"
Koichi flinched at the mention of Duskmon's name, and for a long time, the two simply watched one another. Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon eyed them from the side, desperately trying to figure out what the Warriors of Steel and Darkness were thinking of one another. Koichi shook his head as soon as he was able to bring himself to move, and he pulled Patamon off the top of his head before pressing the small Digimon to his chest. "It's just... Stress with everything that's been going on," he finally choked out. "You know how much we've had to deal with over the last few weeks. I've been stressed about it."
"Hinoka doesn't seem to think that's all it is," Saki frowned, and Koichi did his best to not show open shock at those words. "I could see the way she was looking at you. She knows there's a lot more to this than you want to admit. It's not just a matter of stress. You've been so distant lately. Ever since the attack where Pajiramon, Vajramon, and Eaglemon attacked Earth, you've been off in your own world."
"We're not trying to hurt you, Koichi," Salamon chimed in. "We're just worried. If there's really so much on your mind, then you should try to talk about it. Hiding everything and bottling it up inside isn't going to help you out."
Saki nodded. "I'm not trying to push you because I want to see you upset. I just know you well from our time in the Digital World during our first adventure," they told Koichi. What they didn't say was that they were referring to the time the two of them had shared as Fallen Warriors and generals under Cherubimon, but everybody knew that was the real subject at hand. "You don't talk about anything that's bothering you unless you have a reason, and if I have to be that reason, so be it. I’ll lay on as much pressure as I have to in order to help you open up."
Koichi shifted uneasily between his feet. "I..." he tried to say, but he could already tell that any excuses he may have tried to make were going to fall on apathetic ears. Saki was right in saying that he had to talk about his issues sooner or later, and it felt like he was an immovable boulder was meeting an unbreakable wall. For all of his quiet kindness, Koichi was stubborn, and it was because of that bitter stubbornness that they had clashed so fiercely as Duskmon and Lyramon. Now, Koichi was staring that firmness in the face from a different pair of eyes, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to win that silent battle.
A comforting hand came down on his shoulder, and Koichi turned to see Miriamon standing just beside him. "It's alright," she murmured. "I can talk to Koichi. I think he might need someone outside of your immediate group to talk to right now. I understand that everything that has happened lately has left a massive weight on his shoulders, and I don't want to add to that or put you in a position to stress him out more. We'll return shortly."
Koichi couldn't tell if he was more relieved or terrified when he nodded numbly and allowed Miriamon to guide him off toward the nearby temple, but he could feel Saki's piercing gaze against the back of his neck like a steel dagger seeking blood. He swallowed dryly, still trying to catch up with the circumstances he found himself in. Of all the ways for the truth of his fears to come out, this had to be one of the worst. He had no idea what to do about any of it though, and he knew better than to believe he would be able to get out of this one easily. Perhaps Miriamon was the lesser of all the evils facing Koichi down.
No, not evils. They were all good. He was the one who was evil.
Saki continued to watch as Miriamon escorted Koichi into the temple, and they let out a hefty sigh once the doors had closed behind the pair. They let one hand come up to pinch at the bridge of their nose, shaking their head along the way. "Damn it," they muttered crossly even though they knew that all the swearing in the world wasn't going to change the situation for the better. Miriamon was avoiding them, and so was Koichi. They both knew Saki was going to figure out the truth sooner or later, but they were choosing to hold it off for as long as possible. It made sense that they wouldn't want to yield their answers without a fight, but that didn't make it any less frustrating.
"What do you think is wrong with Koichi?" Patamon questioned as he floated gently in the space next to Saki. The pounding of his wings against the air was the only sound that dared to pierce the silence that had settled over Rubrum.
"I don't know," Saki admitted softly. They looked back to the door once again, a glare forming in their eyes before they could hold it back. "I don't know what's going on with either one of them, but I'm going to figure it out soon enough. No secret can be kept forever."
"Ironic coming from us," Lyra remarked smoothly from the back of Saki's mind, and the Warrior of Steel frowned with every ounce of strength they possessed. They were hardly the best person to turn to when it came to shining examples of honesty, and they knew it. Still, Koichi's lack of control was going to come back to bite eventually, and that meant Saki had to see a resolution to the issue through as soon as possible.
And unfortunately, that meant waiting a little bit longer. The truth wouldn't be able to escape their grasp once the doors to the temple opened once more though. Saki would make sure of that no matter what.
~~~~~
"Alright," Teppei declared as he examined the notebook once again. He pushed his glasses a bit higher on his nose as a prideful smile spread across his features. "I would say that fixes all of our problems with organization."
Katsuharu had to admit that Teppei was right about that much; even if they hadn't learned too much of note in terms of their search for the human monsters, they had accomplished what they initially set out to do. The notebook was back in order, and Katsuharu was impressed with just how long it had taken them. That was what they got for not keeping things straight the way Teppei suggested from the start. At least they all knew better than to make that mistake again now. Katsuharu didn't want to have to organize that notebook again for as long as he lived.
"Now that we're all done with the notebook, I guess that's it for the day," Teruo remarked. "We're getting closer to something huge, but we don't quite know what we're supposed to be looking for... I guess we'll just have to keep our eyes open."
"The truth can't keep itself hidden forever. No person is perfect, and it's just a matter of time before our targets slip up and let the truth come out," Teppei announced. He set the notebook down on the central table once again, a light smirk on his face. "As soon as cracks appear in the armor, we're going to be there to snatch up the truth, and everything will finally make sense the way it was always meant to."
"For now, all we can do is be patient," Chiaki nodded to herself. She rose to her feet a moment later, stretching her arms above her head even though the motion was stiff and slow. Katsuharu could already tell that she wasn't quite ready to leave yet even if their work was technically finished for the day. This happened each time the group spent time together outside of school, and the fear of returning home was an uncomfortable specter with a stranglehold on her every thought as she walked out the door. Chiaki would have done anything to hold off her return to home for a little bit longer even though she would never dare to admit it freely. Today, she stood in front of the couch for a long time, waiting for everyone else to file out before she left too. Leaving early was something she would never dare to suggest, not when she knew what was waiting for her back home.
"We'll do what we can to look through more forum posts and hope that we can find something new," Teruo said as he reached for his bag. "There's got to be something else out there for us to uncover, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it is. If so many supernatural events have happened over the span of the last two decades, there has to be a reason for it, and we're going to find it as soon as we can."
"Perfectly put," Teppei agreed. He pulled his own backpack over his shoulders, a bright grin on his features. "It's just a matter of time at this point. The clock is ticking for our human monsters, and I'm excited to see what they've been hiding from us all this time."
"Meeting dismissed then," Katsuharu grinned as he brought down his gavel once again. He rose to his full height before stretching out for himself, sighing along the way. "I'm glad that we were able to accomplish so much today. It might not feel like much, but I know it is. I can feel that we're on the verge of something huge. The projections in the sky are just the beginning of it, and if all goes well, this will lead us right back to the truth of that other world we saw."
"Who knows? Maybe that will give us the chance to go back there," Teruo suggested. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd love to see what the rest of the world has to offer us when we're not trapped on one tiny train. I want to know what the people who were let off the trains were able to see."
"We'll figure it out soon enough, I'm sure," Teppei said as he glanced over to the exit of Katsuharu's home. "But I don't think I have time to stick around and fantasize about it. Mom's waiting for me at home, and I'm not going to miss out on one of her famous dinners."
"Oh, that's going to be a treat," Chiaki sighed dreamily. "I don't think anyone in the world could possibly top your mother's food. I don't want to hold you up from that."
"I should get going too," Teruo chimed in as he checked his phone. "My brother and sister have been texting me for the last hour wondering where I disappeared to. Apparently, I didn't give them enough to do before I left the house. I'll just have to deal with the little terrors when I get back home."
"Good luck with that one," Katsuharu snorted. He loved both of Teruo's siblings, but he also knew just how rambunctious Jiro and Miu could be. They were sweet kids in the same way that they were terrifying in their own special ways, though Katsuharu had to admit that both of them had a special kind of charm to their youthful optimism. In a way, it made him wish he could be their older brother too.
"We'll see you again on Monday," Teppei smiled as he and Teruo started toward the door. Teruo offered a wave of his own, and he turned on his heel before walking out, Teppei hot on his heels. Chiaki and Katsuharu waved after them, smiles on both of their faces all the while.
It wasn't until after the door tapped shut after the pair that Katsuharu looked to Chiaki. "So, what's on the agenda for you tonight?" Katsuharu questioned as he reached for the gavel he had taken from his father's office. He started back toward the room in question, Chiaki trailing after him all the while.
"Not much," Chiaki replied stiffly, not that Katsuharu had been expecting anything else. If there was one thing Chiaki hated, it was talking about her home life. The other three members of the group were much more open to cracking jokes about their various misfortunes or the quirks of their family, but Chiaki always responded with a tense smile that betrayed nothing of the truth. She was much more secretive than she wanted people to believe, though Katsuharu had come to know that all too well over the course of their investigation. The quartet had been to every one of their houses by now except for Chiaki's home, and it was obvious that was not a coincidence.
"Your father's going to be home then, huh?" Katsuharu asked, already knowing exactly where this was going. He elevated himself onto his toes to put the gavel back on its perch atop his father’s desk before he turned and placed his palm on the nearby table, leaning his weight onto the furniture with a light frown.
"Yes," Chiaki answered with a sigh. "He's been at work a lot this week, and the lack of time off is starting to bother him. He's been angrier when he's at home since he hasn't had anywhere near as much time with Mom and I as he would have liked. He doesn’t seem to see that there’s a reason I haven’t been spending as much time with him, but… I suppose it just comes with the territory."
"You could stay here for a while longer if you wanted," Katsuharu offered. "I mean, there's going to be an extra spot at the table for dinner. Dad's probably not coming back tonight. When does he ever? It's just going to be me, Mom, and Akihiro when he gets back from his basketball practice later in the evening."
Chiaki hesitated, clearly considering his offer much more than she wanted to admit. She shook her head in the end though. "No, I can't do that," she told him. "It wouldn't be right for me to just drop that on you. I'll be fine. Even if my father's been a bit edgier lately, I can't let that stop me from going home. It's not fair to anyone."
"It's not fair to you that he decides he can dictate the entire mood of the household just because he's pissed off," Katsuharu countered as he glared at the idea of Chiaki's father in the air beside him. Katsuharu had never met the man, and he thought that was for the best primarily because he would have stepped on his foot the instant that he was given the chance. It was a small punishment after all the emotional grief he had visited on his daughter without a scrap of sympathy, but it was the least Katsuharu could do for his friend.
"Maybe not," Chiaki murmured. That was the way she always spoke of her father: always in hypotheticals or uncertainties, never in definite agreement of her friends’ resentment. She didn't want to say that he was harsh or that he crossed too many lines by letting his rage change the way everyone had to behave around him, but Katsuharu knew the truth. Chiaki still loved him even after everything he had done to bring her trouble, and she wouldn't be able to hold herself back from that no matter how hard she tried. If that meant she had to bite her tongue, then that was a price she was willing to pay.
"The offer to stay is still on the table. I'm not going to stop you if you really want to go home, but... I don't want you to push yourself if you don't want to deal with his shit tonight," Katsuharu frowned. He already knew that Chiaki wasn't going to take the offer. She was too afraid to consider that the kindness of others was something she deserved, though she hid it well. She was incredible at masking her problems, so good at it that most people would never even realize she had second thoughts to begin with. Katsuharu wished she would be a bit selfish every once in a while though. Then again, could it even be considered selfishness as long as it was self-care?
"I'll be fine," Chiaki insisted as per usual, offering him a small smile that was so fake it made Katsuharu's head hurt. "I'll see you again on Monday, alright? I'm looking forward to seeing what else we can get out of our current line of research. I'm excited to see what we might be able to find out about these human monsters in the future."
Katsuharu nodded, and he started walking her toward the front door. His rage at Chiaki's father continued to burn hot and wild in the pit of his stomach, and he did nothing to bother with holding it back. He still pressed a smile on his face when he opened the door though, waving as Chiaki crossed over the threshold and started toward the street. "See you on Monday," he called after her.
Chiaki continued to wave even after the door closed, and her smile only slipped away when she was sure that Katsuharu couldn't see her anymore. She sighed and began the walk back to her family’s house. She knew realistically that Katsuharu was right about her deserving better than having to constantly walk on eggshells around her father's rage. Still, she couldn't bring herself to fully believe it. She was lucky to have him. He could have left and never come back, but he was still there, and that was a blessing. She couldn't let herself lose sight of that.
Chiaki would be back with the others again on Monday. She could last until Monday. She always found a way, didn't she?
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
That certainly was a different chapter.
Much of the opening scene with Miriamon speaks for itself on account of the Legendary Warriors passing on information to her about everything they've learned over the course of the last week of in-universe time. The group is starting to narrow their eyes a little bit on Inaie, and that means we get a bit more lore about it. AncientTrojamon had a bit of a connection with the island when it was first established, and that's a nice piece of background information about the world and its development. The Ancient Warriors did a lot more than just fight against Lucemon, and I hope this starts to build on that more.
I wanted to develop the investigation team a bit more in a vacuum outside of the way the main group perceives them, and this is a place for us to add some extra information too. As it turns out, the projection of the final battle against Lucemon wasn't the only time that has happened. That certainly has interesting implications for the future, huh? I wonder where that will lead. (I know. You guys can make theories about it though.) These four are a joy to write, and I like seeing all of their similar drives and determinations bounce off each other. A few cracks are starting to show in their resolve, but they're still pushing through it in the name of the truth. Things aren't perfect as far as their investigation is concerned, and this chapter shows that even if only for a short while.
Their determination to find the truth settles perfectly when placed up against the scene with Koichi, Saki, and Miriamon on Rubrum. Koichi knows that he's not going to be able to keep his secrets forever, and so does everyone else. Saki and Koichi clashed a lot while they were acting as Lyramon and Duskmon, and while they've left that in the past since then, the fact remains that they know how to push one another when they have to. Saki was the one who eavesdropped on Koichi previously to learn about how he didn't have a body in the Digital World because they know he's not going to talk unless someone pushes him. They would rather make Koichi angry with them and solve the problem than have him suffer as the issue grows larger. They have their own way of caring, but Koichi isn't in the mood to face it, hence why he went off with Miriamon. That certainly leaves us in an interesting place for the next chapter, huh? I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you all are too.
The final scene is another example of the investigation team interacting with one another in a vacuum, and I liked giving them something else to discuss for a short while. Their banter is great, and I love seeing them talk to each other. I wasn't sure what to do with them when I first began to consider them in terms of this universe, but I'm really happy with what I settled on. This scene also offered a few more cracks in the armor as far as their personal lives are concerned. I wanted to show more about how they're people with their own lives and problems even if they've done nothing but cause trouble for the Legendary Warriors up to this point. They're all going to get their own mini arcs, and I wanted to start setting the seeds up here since I had the chance to do so.
This offered us a great way to look into their home lives, and while the details were minimal, I like how they fit in here. Katsuharu's father is generally absent from his life and spends a lot of time out of the home, leaving Katsuharu close with his mother and brother. Teruo has two younger siblings the other members of the group are fond of. Teppei cares greatly for his mother. I'll go into this one a bit more later, but he lives with his mother after the passing of his father before he was born. It was a detail that just didn't fit into this chapter, but since I came pretty close to bringing it up, I figured there was no harm in mentioning it here.
Then there's Chiaki. She's probably the one we got the most insight on through her relationship with her father. The two of them don't get along well, and his anger problems bring her a lot of grief whether she chooses to admit it or not (and she never does). The rest of the group is there to support her, but she's hesitant to accept their care. Trust me when I say that we'll go into more detail about her and the others soon enough, but for now, I hope you enjoyed that last snippet of the final two paragraphs of the chapter as far as foreshadowing is concerned. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, and I can't wait to jump into it.
Next time, we'll dive headfirst into the next part of the Legendary Warriors' search for information about the Void Fragments. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 18: Mirrors of the Soul
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors search for more information about the Void Fragments as Koichi and Saki speak with Miriamon.
Chapter Text
The Water continent of the Digital World brought with it the immediate scent of the salty sea and a gentle breeze tinged with cool beauty. Hinoka sighed as she stepped out of the portal, her hair starting to blow around her in the wind. She hadn't entirely been sure where she thought the investigation into the Void Fragments was going to take her and the rest of the Legendary Warriors next, but she hadn't expected the Water continent of all places. If there was ever a place that made her feel right at home, it was the land based around her element, and the relief that flooded her body once she arrived was instantaneous and welcome.
Hinoka glanced around the area slowly but surely, trying to take in every minute detail she could. The Water continent was known for its seas as one might expect, and the land in the region was rather limited. The Legendary Warriors could certainly see that for themselves where they were currently positioned; they stood on a peninsula facing the water, and the long stretch of land before them eventually tapered off into sand and then sea. A settlement could be seen on the horizon, and Hinoka could only imagine that this was their destination for the day.
Everything about the air was so alive to her, and she couldn't help wondering where this had been all her life. She had been so stressed as of late, and this was exactly what she had needed. Of course, she couldn't let this sensation of perfection distract her forever, and she came crashing right back down to reality when she remembered just why she hadn't been feeling on top of things lately. Hinoka's worry for Koichi refused to subside even after he was out of sight, and she found herself frowning guiltily at the thought of everything he could have been going through. Koichi was hardly the sort to talk about his emotions, and that only made this entire affair even more worrisome. Hinoka didn't want to leave him to suffer on his own, but at the same time, she wasn't sure if pushing him was the best idea. It just felt like crossing a line she didn't feel comfortable with. Maybe that was why she had been so alright with leaving him on the moon; that way, she wouldn't have to navigate the minefield that was her worry about boundaries between them.
Saki sure as hell wasn't someone to care about boundaries as long as it fell in line with what they perceived as the greater good. If they cared about the limitations of others, then they wouldn't have eavesdropped on Koichi the first time they were in the Digital World. They certainly wouldn't have pushed him so hard and far while they were Fallen Warriors either. Even though Koichi and Saki had mended the damages of their past, Hinoka couldn't help worrying what could happen the instant they were left alone with one another while Koichi was in such a poor mental state. She didn't want to imagine all of that hard work to mend things between them crumbling, but the fear assaulted her nonetheless. She wanted to be there for Koichi and Saki, but she had no idea where to start without causing something to break for one of them or even the rest of the group. Hinoka knew that she should have been happy to have a break from the chaos of regular life, but instead, all she could feel was passive guilt that refused to worm its way out of her stomach.
The other Legendary Warriors, on the other hand, did not seem to be held back by such anxieties. Izumi sighed dreamily as she let one hand come up to brush a few stray threads of blonde hair away from her face. "This place really is beautiful, isn't it?" she murmured.
"Now that we can come to the Digital World whenever we want, we can fully take advantage of the natural beauties the realm has to offer," Haroi agreed. "I think we should set some time aside after all of this is over to just explore the Digital World. Helping out with the Void Fragments is one thing to help us look around, but I'd prefer something much more personal."
"And you'll get it," Bokomon assured him. "Whenever we have the time to relax and spend our time lazing away, I'd be more than happy to show you all of the best places around the Digital World, especially since we can easily travel from place to place with your ability to open portals anywhere on the planet."
"All the more reason for us to defeat the one behind all of this Void Fragment bullshit and get on with our lives," Junpei remarked with a nod. He glanced around the area with a small frown, trying to pick up on any traces or signs of the recent attack that had prompted Miriamon to send them to this area.
"Speaking of the Void Fragments and all of their obnoxious bullshit, we should start looking around," Koji announced, and he started off toward the nearby town before anyone could say a word to the contrary. It wasn't as if anyone was planning on objecting to begin with, but Hinoka still found herself wincing passively at the bite to his voice. He wasn't normally this crass or rough around the edges, but Hinoka knew exactly what had caused the shift today. Koji was worried about his brother the same way Hinoka was, and his helplessness felt like a chain around his throat. It was an agonizing feeling, and once again, Hinoka wished there was something more she could do to help.
Hinoka was so caught up in her fears regarding Koichi that she didn't even notice that her body had started moving without her direct command. She could only assume that one of the other echoes of the Warrior of Water had taken control without her realizing, not that she particularly minded. The four of them had fallen into a rhythm of sorts, doing what they could to help one another without being overly intrusive. For the first time ever, Hinoka felt like she wasn't alone in the world, and after everything Emon had done to isolate her, she appreciated that more than words could ever hope to describe. If nobody else was there for her, she knew that Oceania, Aquaria, and Cerulea would be. It was an assurance worth its weight in gold, and Hinoka wouldn't trade it for the world.
By the time the group had arrived at their destination of the nearby town, Hinoka had nearly worried herself sick about Koichi. She only stopped walking when everybody else did, and she realized that the town before them was built specifically for the purpose of remaining above the water. Walls upon walls had been built around the outside of the city, not letting in even a drop of the nearby ocean. Despite being so close to the waves, it seemed as if the residents wanted nothing to do with the water, something that raised more than a few eyebrows among the Legendary Warriors. Chihiro shrugged it off before they started forward, entering the town through the outer ring of gates meant to block against any tsunamis or other rogue storms that happened to stray too close to the city.
Hinoka did her best to not wince as the party began to look around, though she knew she had failed in her endeavor. The city was certainly guarded well from any potential water damage, but the same could not be said for an attack that broke through the walls. In fact, Hinoka could see the burn and pock marks left behind by combat across various buildings, and she could tell that the fight that had come to destroy the area had been recent. Instinct told Hinoka to sniff the air, and when she did, she realized that the attack was so fresh that the burn marks on the roofs of the buildings hadn't yet healed. She could still smell the close brush with destruction many of the buildings had endured during the invasion, the rancid stench of something burning still hanging heavily in Hinoka's nostrils.
"I wonder if that other town got attacked too," Tomoki remarked as he pointed off in the distance, and Hinoka followed his gaze to see that there was another settlement at the edge of the peninsula. This other city was certainly made for those who could enter the water though given how low and close it was to the ocean. The town as a whole was much smaller than the Legendary Warriors' current target for investigation, and Hinoka bit down on her lip anxiously. She hoped that other village hadn't seen any attacks; it probably wouldn't have been able to survive even a single strike that hit too hard given how close it was to the water.
"We can head down there after we've taken care of things here," Mayumi suggested. "There has to be somebody around town who could help us to find out just what happened here, right?" She paused at that, looking around the village square with a sigh on her lips. The streets were widely abandoned, no doubt because the town's occupants had all sprinted for safe cover the instant that they realized they were under attack. "Or maybe not."
"Excuse me... Who might you be?"
One Digimon was brave enough to step out into the square, and Hinoka immediately found herself shocked at just how tall he was. His body was covered in a white bodysuit that was as sleek as it was pristine. The man's eyes were hidden behind a visor of the same color. His hair was a periwinkle color and floated around him like the waves themselves. Hinoka could tell that he was some sort of water Digimon even if she didn't have any details about him yet. That much was clear just based off his appearance.
"Splashmon," Oceania offered before Hinoka had the chance to ask. It wasn't as if she would have had to inquire to begin with; her instincts as a Digimon told her all she could have wanted to know about the creatures she encountered. Still, Oceania's whisper in her ear was still helpful as long as she was feeling so off-kilter after thinking about everything with Koichi for so long. Hinoka probably wouldn’t have thought to press her mind for details otherwise, not with how distracted she had been lately.
"Ah, you must be the leader of this settlement," Bokomon declared, taking a few steps closer to the Digimon. The way Bokomon carried himself made him seem much larger than he actually was to the point that Splashmon seemed to regard him with equal parts curiosity and respect when he noticed the small white Digimon at his feet. "My name is Bokomon, and I come with the Legendary Warriors to investigate the recent attack on your home."
Splashmon's eyes went wide at that. "The Legendary Warriors?" he whispered, his voice aghast. When Neemon and Takuya both nodded, Splashmon's expression broke out into a smile. "I never would have thought that we would find help from such great heroes... Thank you so much for coming to our humble home. I don't think I'll ever be able to say it enough."
"You don't need to thank us," Izumi assured him with a smile. "Could you tell us about what happened here? We need to know as much as possible if we want to help you." She looked past Splashmon and saw a few of the other Digimon in the town were starting to come out of hiding, allowing themselves the chance to step into the light now that they realized the newcomers weren't threats to their wellbeing. Still, the caution in their eyes was striking and startling, and Hinoka could feel the fear from a mile away. It took active effort for her to tear her gaze away and not stare at them for any longer than was acceptable.
Splashmon sighed as he stared down at the cobbled ground of the street below. "It was one of the Void Fragments," he replied softly. "It happened before any of us could figure out what was going on. The attack was brutal and sudden, and everyone ran off to find safe cover as soon as it started. The Digimon eventually vanished, and we have no idea what happened after that. We're just focused on trying to keep our town in one piece after all of that."
"It seems like you've got a lot on your shoulders here," Chihiro remarked. It was their polite way of saying that the town was a bit of a wreck as things currently stood, though they didn't want to come out and say it directly. Given how significant the damages were after the attack, that would have crossed the boundary into rude regardless of how accurate was.
"That's one way of putting it," Splashmon admitted, his smile tinged with something self-deprecating at the edges. "We don't have any fighters here, so we didn't have a way of defending ourselves when the worst came to pass. We're just a peaceful village full of regular Digimon going about their regular lives. We didn't think we would need defenses like that until the war with Cherubimon had already ended, and now, the Void Fragments are only hammering the point home more."
"How many Digimon live here?" Koji questioned. He glanced over to the other Digimon starting to come out of hiding, and his eyes narrowed with curiosity. "No, scratch that. What kind of Digimon live here?"
"We're a small group of Human and Beast Digimon," Splashmon replied. "The ways of the rest of the Digital World can get a bit exhausting at times, so we decided to step away from the rest of the chaos to establish our own place here. Still, finding an isolated spot is much easier said than done, and there's a lot of danger to be found so close to the ocean."
Hinoka looked past Splashmon the way that Koji had a few moments prior, and she realized exactly what had caused him to amend his question. The Digimon coming out of hiding weren't only Human Digimon like Splashmon; instead, there were a few Beast Digimon scattered throughout, and when they began to turn their attention to repairing one of the scorch marks in the street, they worked with a familiarity that could only be found in a community far from the rest of the Digital World. Hinoka's stomach clenched at the idea that something like this was rare and involved hiding, though she swallowed it down and focused on the conversation with Splashmon again a moment later.
"In other words, you came out here because you wanted to escape the arguments between the Human and Beast Digimon, but this was the best you could get... Hurricane season was all you could find," Junpei concluded, and Splashmon nodded. "Though I must say that you've done a pretty fine job of guarding against that with the way your town is structured."
"I always thought we would only need to defend ourselves from tidal waves... Not all of this," Splashmon sighed with a shake of his head. "We're a poor town far from most other settlements. Making repairs like this is going to take weeks at best, if not even longer. This is the life we chose, but... It seems as if the universe isn't entirely satisfied with that."
"What about the other village on the horizon?" Tomoki questioned as he looked behind Splashmon at the edge of the skyline. "We know there's at least one other settlement here, so why not ask them for a bit of help?"
"I'm afraid that wouldn't work out the way you might hope," Splashmon replied with a shake of his head. "That village is just as poor as ours, if not more so. Much of that settlement is filled with Beast Digimon who need large amounts of water to survive. In fact, half of the town is submerged beneath the sea, and because of that, they were defended from much of the recent attack. Since there was a barrier between them and the rest of the world, the monster that attacked us stayed away."
"I'm glad they were spared all of this, but it's awful that you were forced to suffer this way," Izumi murmured with a shake of her head. "All of this is awful... But we're going to do what we can to stop the Void Fragments as soon as we can."
"For now, we're going to do our part in helping you to reconstruct your home," Tomoki chimed in. "It wouldn't be right of us to just leave if we knew you were struggling, so let us do what we can to pitch in."
Splashmon smiled wearily at that. "Thank you for the offer," he said kindly. "We would appreciate it. We're much more exposed to the water now than we would have liked. A hole has opened in the wall that guards us from the sea, and we need to repair that before anything can happen for a storm to start. After that, we can worry about everything else."
"What is the barrier around the town made of?" Chihiro questioned. They narrowed their eyes at the barrier, a spark of hope forming in their eyes. "If it's some kind of rock, I might be able to help you out with that."
"It's a special type of rock found underwater in this area," Splashmon replied. "There are a few deposits near here, though it took us a long time to construct a barrier that actually kept the water out. The rock doesn't like to be moved around, so it took us ages to get all of the rock here for the wall, but that was the only way for us to fix the problem of hurricanes."
"In that case, all you need to do is point me in the right direction," Chihiro grinned. "I'll have that wall of yours all fixed up within the hour. No need to worry about it anymore." They reached for their D-Tector before preparing to press the activation button, a mischievous gleam in their eyes.
Splashmon's expression fell into pure relief like he had been hit with the same tidal waves that threatened the town so greatly. "That would be incredible," he said. "If you would be willing to help out, we would appreciate it. At this time of year, storm season is incredibly brutal, and I don't want anything to catch us off guard while we're busy trying to recover from the most recent attack."
"We'll have all of this handled soon enough," Takuya assured him with a smile. "While Chihiro is taking care of the outer wall, the rest of us can talk to you about what you know from that last attack. We're going to stop the Void Fragments as soon as possible, but that means learning as much as we can about the current situation first. We can't stop anything unless we know what it is we're getting into."
"Of course," Splashmon nodded. "As soon as I point out where the reserves of the rocks are, I'll tell you everything I know. Until then, please make yourselves at home. After everything you've offered to do for us, it's the least I can give you."
Splashmon started to walk away with that, Chihiro trailing behind him. Hinoka watched him go before glancing around the rest of the town. Now that the conversation was over, she could truly appreciate just how little there was in the city to begin with. It was a tightly knit community, but there was little they could do to fix the full damage of the attack they had suffered. They were still small in number and lacking in funds, leaving all of them at a loss for what to do next. There weren't any other towns for miles in any direction aside from the smaller underwater settlement farther down the peninsula, but that wouldn't be enough to save them from the Void Fragments. These days, it seemed like nothing would.
The only thing that would fix this was stopping the problem right at the source, but Hinoka had no idea where they would even start in accomplishing something so grand and important. The Legendary Warriors had made a little bit of progress in their search since all of this began, but there was still so much they didn't understand. Hinoka could only hope the pieces came together before anyone else had to suffer a fate like this. The village had endured enough as it was, and Hinoka didn't want the rest of the Digital World to crumble under this weight either.
If only they knew where they were meant to be going next. If only the search for the Void Fragments was a little bit easier. If only destiny had bothered to give any of them a map.
~~~~~
The halls of the primary temple on Rubrum somehow felt more sinister and cavernous today. Koichi knew exactly why this was the case even if he didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to be here, and he especially didn't want to be here with someone who would so easily be able to pull apart every defense had constructed so carefully over the course of the last few weeks. He could feel Miriamon's gaze even when she wasn't looking at him, always searching for any signs of the weaknesses that he had been trying so desperately to hide from the rest of the world. Koichi's throat was tight with anxiety, and he prayed that she would be completely wide of her target when she decided to start pushing him about it.
That wasn't going to matter though, was it? As long as the two of them were together, Miriamon was going to try and learn the truth. She was desperate to help him even though she hid it behind a smile with a thousand secrets of its own. Miriamon was, at her core, kind. She was mysterious and kept to herself, yes, but Koichi could feel her care for the world as well, a light that seemed to dance on the top layer of her skin like the atmosphere of a planet. She hid it well, but she loved the world much more than words could ever hope to describe.
And Koichi was part of the world that she had helped to recreate so long ago. In his own special way, Koichi was the Digital World, and it was him in return. The Legendary Warriors had saved the realm, and in doing so, they had left a piece of themselves behind for the rest of the world to remember. Koichi could feel the pulse of the world beat alongside his own heart when he concentrated hard enough, and he was confident that Miriamon could feel it too. Someone so ancient had to understand the realm much better than anyone else could ever hope to imagine.
That was why he was so afraid of her. Miriamon was going to break through his outer walls no matter what he tried to do. That was the reason for all of this. She was an innocent Digimon with kindness in her heart and a smile on her face, but she was also going to do everything she could to help Koichi. It was a shame the idea of help sounded so unappealing to him. He knew it would come with a healthy dose of breaking down every wall he had ever tried to build, and the mere idea made him feel like he was sinking deeper into the shadows than ever before.
That was the other thing about her. Miriamon had this aura of life and love that Koichi knew he would never be able to replicate. As long as the Warriors of Void still lived within his body and mind, he would be a monster to the rest of the world. It was only a matter of time before everyone else woke up to it and saw just how disgusting he truly was. She was a being of the light, and he was the exact opposite. How long was it going to be before she realized just how much she was meant to despise him? Would he even have the chance to speak a word before she left him? The idea of escaping the day without having to confess to his darkest secrets was amazing, but something about entertaining the thought made him feel horribly guilty at the same time.
Miriamon stopped in front of a door of pure obsidian, the black so deep that Koichi felt like he was staring into his own twisted soul for a few brief seconds. A golden lock sat firmly over the center of the doors, terrifying yet enticing all the same. She pushed the doors open carefully after a gentle shimmer passed over her fingers, and Koichi recognized that the lock was likely constructed of some type of invisible magic. As the master of the shrine and the mistress of the temple, she was the only one it listened to, and that made this the perfect place for some privacy. It would have been appreciated if Koichi hadn't been so afraid of having to admit anything resembling weakness to her.
The room behind the black doors was shrouded in the same element Koichi held so dear. The darkness seemed to beckon for him, and even though the shadows were deep and consuming, they also felt welcoming in a way that Koichi didn't quite know how to describe. He swallowed back his anxiety as he stepped inside, watching as black flames erupted in torches stationed around the perimeter of the room. The aesthetic was in some ways similar to the shrine of the Ancient Warrior of Darkness found elsewhere on Rubrum, but this room was lacking the crucial statues that had earned the other temple such a special place in Koichi's heart. It was just familiar enough that the differences almost felt cruel, like the world was trying to mock Koichi for hoping that he would find anything even vaguely resembling peace. He didn’t deserve it though, and he knew it all too well.
"I figured this was where you would be most comfortable," Miriamon explained as she sat down at the center of the room, tucking her feet beneath her. She was sitting as calmly and maturely as she possibly could have, effortlessly commanding Koichi’s attention without even bothering to try. "Every element has a room within the temple, and I assumed that you would feel the best when you were surrounded by your own power."
Koichi swallowed dryly at that, unsure about how he was supposed to admit that he felt strangely awful having to be reminded that his element existed at all. He found it comforting, yes, but it also forced him to think about how much his element had been corrupted and distorted beyond his desires and control. The Darkness was what had caused all of this. If he wasn't so full of hatred for the world—if Duskmon hadn't taken control—then none of this would be happening. He wouldn't be so wracked with guilt if it hadn’t been for the way his element had been distorted to create the hell he knew bitterly well when he looked into the Void of his own mind.
"I can tell something is on your mind," Miriamon continued, though Koichi wasn't entirely certain about if she picked up on his quiet fear regarding his own power. "You try your best to hide the truth from the world, but I can still see it in your eyes. You don't want to talk about it, but I know you need to. The burden won't fade or alleviate until you can get it off your shoulders."
Koichi opened his mouth, and before he knew what was happening, he felt tears start to well up in his eyes. No, he couldn't cry, not now. He refused to let his weakness get the better of him. He was better than this. He had to be better than this for the sake of himself and everyone else who had suffered so much because of the Warrior of Void. How could he fish for pity when he had committed so many crimes against the rest of the world?
"It's alright," Miriamon whispered, her voice a soft melody in Koichi's head. It was all too tempting to listen to what she had to say even though he knew he couldn't succumb to the temptation so easily. "You don't need to hold back now. I'm more than happy to help you in any way I can. You should try to talk about what's bothering you. If you don't want me to share it with the rest of the group, then I'll keep it between us. I promise."
Something deep in the pit of Koichi's stomach told him that she was being honest when she said that she would keep it a secret as per his wishes. He couldn't tell if it was really his instincts telling him that she was to be trusted or if he was just hoping to be able to count on someone enough to share the truth of his fears with them. His hands were shaking now, and when he looked down at his trembling palms, he realized tears were sliding down his cheeks onto his hands. He couldn't cry. He couldn't do that.
Then why couldn't he stop?
Miriamon's hand came down on Koichi's palm, and when he looked up to meet her gaze, he realized just how much he really did trust her. It must have been because of his residual emotions and memories from AncientSphinxmon's past life as her close companion. AncientSphinxmon knew that she was someone he could rely on, and Koichi could feel it too. Even if he wasn't sure about how he was meant to share the truth of the Warrior of Void with the rest of his allies, he knew he would be able to talk to her. She had said she would stay quiet, and he believed her.
"It's Duskmon," Koichi forced out before he could even think of holding himself. "I-I thought it was over when we defeated him during the war against Cherubimon... I really thought I could leave everything about Duskmon in the past. But... He's still here. He's... He's..."
Miriamon's gaze was patient as she waited for Koichi to collect himself once more. He swallowed dryly before spitting the words out like they were the poison he knew Duskmon to be. "He's inside of my mind," he finally confessed, and a weight immediately felt like it had been lifted from his chest with the admission. "You said before that you could feel the echoes of the Legendary Warriors inside of us, and you were right. They are here, but... Dusk, Velge, and Malkako are here too. So is Erocia. I can't seem to escape them no matter how hard I try. They're still here, and I don't know what to do about it."
Miriamon moved before Koichi could fully register what she was doing, and her hand gently stroked at his upper back. He sniffled, wishing he could hold back his tears but already able to see that it wasn't going to be that simple. He rubbed in vain at his eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to block out his own terror as Miriamon spoke. "How have things been going so far?" she asked softly. "If you want someone else to get involved, I would be happy to help."
Koichi shook his head. "It wouldn't fix anything," he murmured. "It's really bad. I can't even hold myself together when I Spirit Evolve because of how little we all get along. I was falling apart when I was fighting a few nights ago. Ceruleamon had to come in and save me because I couldn’t win on my own. They're upset with me for not facing my problems, but I don't know what to do about it. How can I confront something like that after how much Duskmon did to tear me apart when I was still working for Cherubimon? I can't just forget it. I can't leave all of that in the past."
Miriamon nodded knowingly, clearly thinking of saying something but choosing to hold back at the last minute. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you know that you can come to me," she assured him. "I understand why you want to keep this to yourself for now, but I think you should try to get some of it out of your system when you can find the courage to do so. Holding so much inside is only going to hurt you in the long run."
Koichi nodded, hating that she had a point. "I'm scared of telling the others," he admitted. "We already know that the Void Fragments are made from the same power that Cherubimon used to corrupt me when I was first here as a spirit. I could feel that as soon as I reached out for one of them, and... That was what broke me. I can feel that power causing problems even now, and when you combine that with the Warriors of Void in my head..."
"It was too much pressure for you to try and carry on your own," Miriamon concluded, and Koichi nodded. "I see... At the very least, I want you to understand that this isn't your burden to bear alone. You should try to talk to the others about it if you can. I understand why you're afraid, but I can tell that they care deeply for you. If anyone is going to be there to help you through this, it would be the rest of your team. There's nothing wrong with reaching out to them even if you're uncertain of their responses right now."
"It's humiliating," Koichi muttered, unable to keep the hatred out of his voice. "All of this is humiliating and embarrassing. I can't believe I even mentioned it to you. It's... It's not right. None of this is right. I should be able to leave all of this behind, but I can't escape it no matter how hard I try. There's always going to be something, and I can't get away from it."
"It's a lot to take in at once," Miriamon agreed. "And I think that's exactly why you should try to talk about it with the others. Do you think they're going to hold it against you for having these other souls inside of your body?"
Koichi thought about it before shaking his head. Realistically, he knew they would never do something so cruel, but he couldn't hold back the fear once it took root in the back of his mind. Chances were slim of them hating him, but the chance still felt like it existed, and he hated it more than anything. "No... They wouldn't do that to me," he whispered, trying to make himself believe it. "But I still... I can't do that to them. Duskmon didn't only hurt me. The others all suffered because of him too. I know that they've all forgiven me for it by now, but I don't know how they can just leave it all in the past so easily. I can't do that."
"You haven't forgiven yourself for what you did to them then," Miriamon concluded, and Koichi nodded around the knot in the back of his throat. "You need to take a step back and realize that it wasn't your fault. You had no way of controlling what was happening. Even if it's a difficult pill to swallow... You need to find a way to move past this for your own sake. You deserve to be able to heal from this."
Koichi sighed. "I don't know what to think of any of this," he confessed. "It doesn't even feel right that I brought it up with you. I feel like I've committed some sort of sin by talking about it at all, and now... I don't know what to think of it."
"You don't need to think about it at all right now," Miriamon pointed out. "You should take a few minutes to yourself and try to relax once again. I can tell that you've had quite the burden on your shoulders, and you need to soothe yourself however you can. Perhaps that will do you all the good you've needed since coming to this conclusion."
"I need to calm down, and I need to do it immediately," Koichi agreed. "I can't keep my Spirit Evolved forms under control. All of us... We don’t get along well enough to keep our common body under control when we Spirit Evolve. It's like we're being torn in eight different directions, and I don't know how we're supposed to confront it all. It just feels... Impossible."
"If there's one thing I have come to understand about you and the Legendary Warriors from watching you all, it's that nothing is impossible for any of you," Miriamon said firmly. "You were able to defeat Cherubimon and then Lucemon. That's something only your predecessors were able to do. The rest of the Digital World has been at a loss for how to stop the forces of darkness for ages, but despite the odds... You succeeded. If anyone can find success in this world, it would be the twelve of you. You can rely on each other. You wouldn’t have made it this far if you couldn’t depend on one another. They’ll be there for you. I know it."
The knot at the back of Koichi's throat returned with a vengeance, and he raised one hand to rub at his face. "Thank you," he murmured, wishing he had something more to say to her. The conversation had been emotionally taxing enough as it was, and Koichi could barely keep even a scrap of his composure at this point. It felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside out.
Then again, in some ways, he supposed he was.
"If you ever find yourself in search of someone to talk to, I want you to come to me," Miriamon went on. "I believe that you should tell the rest of your team with time, but... For right now, I want you to know that you can speak with me no matter what. I'm here to aid all of you as you pursue your futures as the Legendary Warriors, and if you need me for anything... You know where to find me."
"Thank you," Koichi repeated, his voice a little bit stronger this time. When he exhaled, his breath was shaky as could be, but he did his best to keep from completely falling apart. "I... I don't think I'm ready to talk about it yet, but... I will be one day. I hope so, at the very least."
"That's better than how you felt when you first came here," Miriamon smiled. "I think that's a success." She fell silent for a long moment, simply watching him sniffle back his tears, before she looked down to the ground in front of him. "Do you think you'll want to stay here for a while longer to collect yourself? I would be happy to stay with you until you feel well enough to go out and meet with the rest of your friends again."
"Yes... I would appreciate that," Koichi forced himself to say. He had honestly forgotten Saki and the Celestial Three were waiting for him outside the walls of the shrine. He had no idea what they were thinking, but he didn't want to entertain the idea either, at least not yet. For the time being, he needed to just breathe and concentrate on his own recovery. He owed that much to himself.
Miriamon kept her promise in sitting beside Koichi for a long while, and he allowed himself to be caught up in the silence that fell over them. He couldn't hear the constant cacophony of his own mind in the minutes where they were together, and at long last, he had found perfect quiet. He knew it wasn't going to last long, but at least he had found a bit of peace even if it was only for a few minutes. After everything he had been through, he knew that meant a lot.
If only the peace would last. If only the silence would stay forever.
~~~~~
An hour later, Aeoelmon had mostly managed to reconstruct the outer wall of the town as per Splashmon's instructions. They stepped back to admire their handiwork, their gauntlets falling back to their sides. It had been a surprisingly easy process, and Splashmon had stated multiple times just how impressed he was that Aeoelmon didn't have any issues with getting the wall up and fixed again. Then again, given the fact that rocks and stones were their forte, it wasn't surprising in the slightest. Still, the work was something to be proud of, and Aeoelmon smirked to themself at the glory of all they had done.
"That should take care of that," Aeoelmon announced as they looked back to Splashmon. The rest of the Legendary Warriors were scatted around the town trying to help out in any other way they could, leaving Aeoelmon and Splashmon as the only ones near the perimeter of the settlement. The air was quiet, the calmest the area had been since the recent attack. Aeoelmon was glad for the moment to breathe and just relax, even if they knew it wouldn't last for long. Their help was going to be required elsewhere soon enough, they were sure, but at least they had a few seconds to themselves for now.
The peace was shattered much sooner than Aeoelmon would have expected, and a sudden tidal wave slammed into the wall they had just constructed. Aeoelmon threw their arms out against the barrier to make sure it didn't cave in under the relentless force of the wave. The wall was going to need a bit more time to solidify, and Aeoelmon didn't want all of their hard work to go to waste so soon after they had put in the effort to rebuild it. They gritted their teeth to keep the wall upright, sighing with relief when the tidal wave finally collapsed against the wall and then faded away.
Splashmon glanced around the area, eyes wide behind his mask. "That wave... It wasn't natural," he murmured, though Aeoelmon could have come to that conclusion even without his words on the matter. "I know the patterns of the tides at this time of year, and that’s not normal at all. Something must have caused it deliberately, but... What?"
Aeoelmon sprung off the ground before landing on the outer wall of the city. They looked out over the water, eyes wide as could be. A serpentine Digimon was weaving in and out of the water, a streak of red against the oceanic waves below. Aeoelmon snarled and glared at the beast, already able to see exactly what the problem had been. Another Void Fragment Digimon was upon them just hours after the most recent attack.
MegaSeadramon was the name of the newest assailant, and his name certainly fit his appearance. He was long and red with a white underside. Green hair stuck slick and firm against his neck where it stuck out beneath a golden helmet with a single jagged silver spike. MegaSeadramon was absolutely huge, and while Aeoelmon didn't know how many times their height would need to be multiplied in order to even hold a candle to a creature of that size, they didn't want to ask any questions about it either. That was sone piece of knowledge best left unasked for to begin with.
"Hey! Everyone!" Aeoelmon declared once they had turned around to face the rest of the village. They could see the Legendary Warriors scattered throughout the town, all of them glancing around in confusion in the aftermath of the tidal wave. "We've got another Void Fragment on our hands!"
The response was immediate as the rest of the Legendary Warriors Spirit Evolved to meet Aeoelmon at the edge of the city. The Warrior of Earth punched the air, and a column of sand sprouted from the ocean below to act as a platform for the Legendary Warriors stuck on the ground. Those that could fly took to the heavens as Aeoelmon changed forms to become Yaiamon for the sake of having some extra punch in a fight. Bokomon and Neemon stared over at the silhouette of MegaSeadramon with wide, terrified eyes.
"What do you think he wants?" Aldamon asked as he looked over to Yaiamon. "There was just an attack here earlier today, so what could he stand to gain from lashing out?"
"I have no idea, but—" Yaiamon cut themself off when they looked off in the distance and realized that Splashmon's home territory wasn't the target at all. Instead, MegaSeadramon was heading straight for the smaller village a bit farther down the peninsula. The water had defended the town from the previous attack, but as long as MegaSeadramon was a creature of the oceans, the waves wouldn't be able to protect them forever.
Yaiamon punched one arm forward, and the sand column started to speed toward MegaSeadramon and the other settlement. Siriusmon raised his staff before drawing a circle in the sky, bringing down a massive rain of comets that slammed against the snake's backside. MegaSeadramon turned to face Siriusmon, his eyes dark but alive with fury. Siriusmon swerved out of the way just in time to keep from being hit with a vicious slash from the spike atop MegaSeadramon's head, and the serpent was struck soon afterward by a series of pink gales from Aeromon that slashed mercilessly at his side. Just like that, MegaSeadramon changed his attention, instead looking to the Warrior of Wind and preparing his next attack.
"When are they going to stop?" Beowolfmon muttered crossly. "The mastermind behind the Void Fragments has to know that none of this is going to work out for them, so why bother with continuing this disaster?" He shook his head before raising his sword above his head, more irritated than anything else. He was still distracted with his worries for his brother, and everyone could see the way it was impacting his already poor disposition.
Still, it mattered little when the outline of a white wolf appeared around the twin blades of Beowolfmon's sword. The wolf streaked toward MegaSeadramon before hitting the serpent in the side. The beast’s silhouette wound around MegaSeadramon's body from there, clamping down in a firm bite on the snake's torso before dissipating into the wind. MegaSeadramon cried out from the pain and tried to rid himself of the burden the wolf brought, but just as the tip of his tail went to swipe the beast away, it turned into a trail of white energy that vanished on the sea breeze.
Aethermon jumped forward as soon as the column of sand was close enough for her to do so, and she shoved one hand into MegaSeadramon's hair before grabbing him with as much force as she could stand. He tried to thrash to get her off his back, but it was clear by the way that he began to slow down after a few seconds that she was already stealing his energy and leaving him with next to nothing to fight with. It was only after MegaSeadramon curled his tail around to swipe at her that the energy transfer process stopped. Aethermon was hit straight in the side and sent sprawling with a small grunt. Ceruleamon raised one hand to create a watery slide that brought her back to the solid ground of the island. Aethermon shot everyone a shaky thumbs-up once she was on the edge of the peninsula again, though it was clear by the dazed away she stumbled on the spot that she would be out of commission for the rest of the fight. She had all the strength in the world when it came to dealing damage, but taking hits from others was another story entirely.
Ceruleamon let her staff rise above her head, and the ocean began to curl around MegaSeadramon's body to keep him still. Since that was his element as well though, he found purchase in worming away, thrashing against Ceruleamon's grip with everything he had. It wasn't until Daipenmon threw his axe out like a boomerang that MegaSeadramon was forced to slow down as the water around him froze to become ice. That was more than enough to keep the large serpent trapped on the spot, though the roar he released into the skies made it clear that he was far from being satisfied about it. Unfortunately, since he had already lost more than enough energy from Aethermon's previous attack, there was little he could do to break free.
Aeromon pulled herself back before diving down, her claws braced together in front of her head as she streaked straight toward MegaSeadramon. She opened a wide cut along the side of his face, managing to break through his armor just enough to leave behind a mark. MegaSeadramon couldn't even shriek in pain because of where the cut was positioned, leaving him to struggle silently under the weight of his pain.
Aldamon followed Aeromon's lead in moving back through the sky before streaking down as fire danced along the surface of his body. He hit the wound Aeromon had opened previously, leaving an even greater gash behind. MegaSeadramon yelped in pain at that, unable to keep himself silent any longer. He tried to pull away from the ice that Daipenmon had used to trap him, but it was clear as could be that he wasn't going to be able to escape no matter how hard he tried.
Daipenmon took advantage of this chance to jump off the sand platform to find a landing place on MegaSeadramon's back. He took off running, the ice clinging to the bottom of his feet all the while to keep him rooted to his target. He dashed up the back of the serpent before jumping up and landing on his head. Daipenmon reared his axe up before slamming one of the blades straight into the armor that sat on the top of the snake's head. MegaSeadramon's eyes went wide at the attack, but once again, he couldn't bring himself to scream, instead simply remaining perfectly still as the world around him seemed to slow.
A Void Fragment revealed itself soon afterward, and it shattered in the skies overhead as MegaSeadramon slumped over. He closed his eyes slowly before letting them flutter open. The ice around him fell away, allowing the serpent to crumple into the waves below. He placed his head on the edge of the peninsula, looking out at the Legendary Warriors as they came to surround him. "What in the...?" he questioned softly.
Aethermon reached one hand out to return his lost energy to him, though she limped on her way over to his side. "You were taken over by a Void Fragment, but we were able to get rid of it," she explained. "Everything is fine now. You don't need to worry at all."
"I didn't even realize... Thank you," MegaSeadramon said. He rose back to his full height once the energy transfer had been completed. "I'm sorry for everything that happened. I didn't know what was going on. I don't remember what happened before this either."
"That's usually how it goes," Yaiamon sighed. "Just try to stay out of trouble in the future, okay? And if you ever happen to find any new information about the Void Fragments that you think is going to help us, be sure to pass it along."
MegaSeadramon nodded before taking off through the ocean once again. The Legendary Warriors watched him vanish before reverting back to their human forms. Mayumi sighed as she dramatically flopped into the sand, kicking up a small dust cloud around her body as she landed. "I'm going to be feeling this for at least a few days," she complained as she curled one arm around the center of her body. "I didn't realize he was going to hit that hard. I would have been a bit more careful if I knew he could hit like a truck."
"At least we have increased healing capabilities thanks to our elemental powers," Yumiko pointed out, and Mayumi nodded her relief and agreement. "Plus, we seem to be getting faster at saving Digimon who have been taken over by the Void Fragments. It doesn't take us anywhere near as long to snap them out of it as it once did."
"I can't tell if that's a good thing or not," Chihiro admitted with a cross shake of their head. "That’s a sign we’re fighting a lot more than we should be. We shouldn't have to deal with this much in the first place, but at least we're able to handle it relatively painlessly... That has to count for something, I suppose."
"I think that's enough of our investigation for the day," Takuya began, though a hand out in front of him stopped him from continuing. He glanced over to the one responsible, Tomoki, with a frown. "What are you—"
Tomoki pointed out to the horizon, and Chihiro's eyes narrowed at the sight of what appeared to be a massive island rolling by against the skyline. Inaie was in the area again, and all of them could see it plain as could be. Chihiro frowned to themself, wishing they had something more to add on the matter than a small, soft, “oh.” It seemed like all the recent reports of incidents with the Void Fragments had something to do with Inaie, and they had no idea what they were supposed to think of it all.
"I think that's something we're going to have to investigate a bit more," Haroi agreed softly. "But for now, we've done quite a bit, and I don't think we're going to be able to accomplish much else before we have to return home. We should try to reach out to Saki and Koichi to make sure they're ready for us to head out too. I hope they're almost finished with talking to Miriamon by now."
Chihiro nodded with a hum as they looked up to the sky. They didn't know what was going on up on Rubrum, but they had an awful feeling about it the same way that everyone else did. Koichi was hiding something, and the truth was going to come out eventually. He seemed to be the only one who didn't want to admit that though.
Chihiro could only hope he would be ready to be honest about it soon. They didn’t know how much more isolation he would be able to take, and they didn’t want to find out either.
~~~~~
Saki had lost track of how much time had gone by when the doors to the temple opened once again. They rose to their feet from where they had been sitting on the stairs outside the entrance of the shrine, and the Celestial Three perked up curiously. "You're back!" Patamon chirped as he watched Miriamon descend the stairs, everything about her the picture of grace.
Koichi was a few paces behind her, his gaze dark and his shoulders hunched. He didn't look up to meet anyone's gaze, but Saki could still see the red circles that tore at the skin around his eyes. He had been crying, and he wasn't going to admit it openly unless he absolutely had no choice. Miriamon had gotten through to him and pushed him to reveal the truth, though Saki doubted that meant Koichi was going to talk about it with anyone else. Talking to Miriamon about it had probably already been enough of a stretch for him, and going any further beyond that was likely asking too much.
"Yes... We are," Miriamon told Patamon with a small nod. "My apologies for how long I've kept you waiting. If you need to ask me anything, I believe now is the time." She refused to meet Saki's gaze, instead looking over the Celestial Three with an evasion that no words could truly capture.
Saki narrowed their eyes. If she was going to run, then they were going to chase her. "Where do you recognize me from?" they questioned, skipping the small talk without missing a beat. Miriamon's shoulders went stiff, so Saki continued. "When we first met, you recognized me. I know that you want to hide it from everyone else, but you can't keep a secret like that from me. You know me from somewhere, and you're desperate to keep it all buried."
"I... I have never met you," Miriamon began slowly. "The two of us never crossed paths before you came here to the Digital World and sought me out yourself. But... If you wish to understand the truth behind my recognition, I would ask that you look to the past."
Saki glared at her, rage starting to leak from the corners of their mask. "I want answers," they muttered darkly. "I've had enough of you dancing around the truth. You might be able to get away with that with other people, but I'm not going to fall for it quite so easily. You and I have never met, but you still know me from somewhere. You know me in a way that you don't know any of the other Legendary Warriors. Telling me to look to the past doesn’t help me to figure out how you know me either. Cut the vague bullshit and just be honest with me already."
Miriamon remained still for another few breaths, statuesque and heavy all the while. "We have never met, and yet, I feel as if I have known you for lifetimes," she murmured. "It runs deeper than your power over the element of Steel. You and I have a connection that few others could ever hope to understand... A connection that you could not comprehend either unless you look to the past."
"You have a connection with Earth then," Saki concluded as they took a step toward her. Miriamon took a step back in response, and the Warrior of Steel knew they had struck gold. "You have a link with Earth that runs deeper than I realized." They paused to think about it for a moment, sizing up Miriamon as much as they could. "You've been here in the Digital World since before I was born. You created the Spirits from the souls of the Legendary Warriors, and that was before any of us were chosen. You were here during the light show that happened on my birthday seventeen years ago. You couldn’t know me anywhere from Earth since you would have already been here before we could have met. Therefore, you must have known me indirectly before I was even born."
Miriamon said nothing, simply pressing her lips together into a thin line as Saki continued to examine her. Their eyes went wide as the pieces finally started to click together. "My parents," they realized softly. "You have a link with my parents. You must have known them before I was born... Before you came here to the Digital World. You're not from the Digital World, are you? This runs much deeper than anyone could have ever expected."
Miriamon looked up, finally daring herself to meet Saki's gaze for a few heavy beats. "Look to the past. That is where you will find the truth," she reiterated. "I can say nothing more to you right now. I would simply ask that you be careful."
Saki watched as Miriamon started back toward the temple, only pausing when she passed by Koichi. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and she whispered something to him that Saki couldn't quite make out. Koichi nodded, and the distant look in his eyes told Saki that he hadn't registered anything of their conversation with Miriamon. They had never seen him looking this out of it, and they couldn't tell if it was a blessing or a curse that he didn't know what they had discussed with Miriamon.
They simply stared as the Arbiter of Souls retreated through the entrance to the shrine once again, and when the doors slid shut, it came with a sense of finality. She wouldn't be leaving the temple again, at least not that day. She had already left her clues behind with Saki, and she was waiting to see how the Warrior of Steel was going to use them.
Saki had started investigating their parents' death again because of their concerns over Miriamon. She had been a problem with no clear solution, and since they were desperate for some truth, they had begun the search hoping to find something down a different path if Miriamon would tell them nothing. They finally had a support system to fall back on, and Saki could spare the time and energy once dedicated toward survival to investigate the past. They never would have imagined that this seemingly unrelated search would be the foundation for them to learn more about Miriamon, but that was the truth that had made itself clear during their conversation. Against all odds, Miriamon had something to do with the past Saki had begun to pursue anew.
Miriamon was from Earth. That was the first thing Saki knew for sure. No other Digimon quite like Miriamon had ever existed in the Digital World's history, and all of a sudden, it made sense why. That was how she had been able to know about Saki even before the two ever crossed paths. She had known their parents a lifetime ago. Miriamon still looked like a teenaged girl no older than eighteen despite no doubt being much older than that both in terms of the Digital World's sped-up clock and Earth's calendar. She probably had something to do with the missing case from her parents' record. She had to know something about that blank spot whether she wanted to admit it or not. There was much more to her than met the eye, and Saki was going to unravel it all.
"Saki? Are you there? We've finished up down here and are ready to go."
Junpei's voice reached Saki's ear, and they pulled their D-Tector off their waistband before looking down to see the symbol of Thunder on the screen. Even if they had wanted to learn more, this was the alarm telling them that time was up. Saki hadn't uncovered much about Miriamon, but everything they had found made them desperate to learn more. The truth was out there, and Miriamon knew Saki was going to find it one way or another. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew it just the same.
Saki raised their D-Tector to their lips before replying to Junpei's words, their eyes dark the whole time. "Yeah... Let's go home."
Notes:
I'm really happy I was able to get this chapter out on time. It's a good one.
Funny story about this chapter: I was really worried that I wasn't going to be able to get it out on Sunday because of technical difficulties on my end. My laptop's keyboard broke on Thursday of this week, so I had to send it in for repairs and resort to using a backup device to write on. I was able to get this chapter done despite all of that though, and I'm very happy for it. I loved this chapter, and it's a really important one for a few reasons.
First off, let's talk about the segment in Splashmon's home village. I wanted to use this as a chance to contrast this location with other places for Human and Beast Digimon in the story that clearly show hatred for their opposite. There are places filled with harmony, but they're few and far between, and the only ones that have truly found success in it are Inaie and the Moon Base, both of which are difficult to reach and rather insulated from the rest of the world. Places like the village Splashmon lives in are left to struggle since they don't fall into one faction or another, and while they need to isolate themselves to prevent other problems, this leads to issues when they suffer damages like in this chapter.
Then there's the conversation Koichi had with Miriamon. At long last, the truth has come out, though Koichi really wishes that wasn't the case. Still, he had to open up to somebody eventually, and Miriamon was the perfect person for that because while he wanted to keep the secret, she's detached from the rest of the Legendary Warriors enough for him to trust her to not share the truth. Plus, since she knows about the matter of the souls of the Ancient Warriors living on in their successors, she might be able to help him. Once again, I need to say 'poor Koichi.' He really deserves better than the poor hand he's been given.
The fight sequence in this chapter was a fairly simple and brief one because at this point, the Legendary Warriors have enough synergy and experience to dispatch of most Void Fragment Digimon without too many problems. They know what they're doing, but they can't defend the Digital World and Earth at all times. Still, if the majority of the group can get together to fight, they see few issues. It comes with the territory of all their experience from the first book.
Last up, there's the scene with Saki at the end. That's a twist, isn't it? The Legendary Warriors aren't the only ones who came to the Digital World from Earth and stayed there. Miriamon is much the same way, though she doesn't seem to Spirit Evolve the way they do. Instead, she's permanently evolved... And she knows something about the past through Saki's parents. It's an interesting question, isn't it? I'd love to hear everyone's theories about this since it's probably my favorite subplot in this story, and I'm really excited to reveal the truth behind it. I hope you're all ready for it too, because it's going to be great.
With that said, I'm going to finish things up here. Next week, we're going to ride the high of this investigation with a new search through the Digital World. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 19: Not A Word
Summary:
Hinoka and Koji try to press the truth out of Koichi as Tomoki, Yumiko, Mayumi, and Haroi lead an expedition into the Digital World.
Chapter Text
When school kicked into full gear again the Monday after the Legendary Warriors' last adventure in the Digital World, messages were quickly exchanged among the members of the group. The battle the last weekend had inspired a renewal of determination in all of them, and it manifested as a desire to see the fight against the Void Fragments brought to an end as soon as possible. It would hardly be a simple affair, but as matters continued to deteriorate, it was their best option. Going to the Digital World every week was quickly proving itself to be too little, and if they were going to get anything of substance or note finished in a timely manner, they would need to crack down and head to the other world every chance they had. That would certainly help their investigation to progress at least a bit faster even if it took some time before they could find the answers they were searching for.
As of then, the plan was for them to go to the Digital World and investigate Inaie in more depth as soon as the chance presented itself. Until then, the group was simply handling each day with caution, taking a step whenever they could but not pushing anything beyond their limits for the sake of safety. The Void Fragments situation was getting worse, but pushing themselves too hard would only invite their own destruction.
The impatience and desperation to stop this madness before it could progress ran hot and passionate though, so when Mayumi sent a message to the group asking who all would be available to go to the Digital World that day, about half of the Legendary Warriors replied within the hour. It would be a brief trip, and they would only be able to stay for a few hours, but it would hopefully help them to make at least a bit more progress in their endeavor to save the world. Now that they had functioning portals on all of their laptops, there was no reason to coordinate full group trips, and as long as at least a few of them could go, it was worth it to at least try and investigate the recent happenings of the other world.
The ones who responded to Mayumi's message in the end were Haroi, Yumiko, Tomoki, Koji, Hinoka, and Izumi. Only the former four would be able to arrive earlier in the afternoon though with Koji, Hinoka, and Izumi coming in later. Takuya and Chihiro had a soccer practice that night while Junpei had to catch up on homework. Saki had said they had other matters to resolve without elaborating, and Koichi hadn't responded at all.
In fact, Koichi's lack of an answer was the very reason Hinoka and Koji were going to be arriving late in the Digital World. Throughout the entire day, Hinoka had been trying to get through to Koichi, to see if he would be ready to talk about everything that he had discussed with Miriamon previously, but he said nothing. In fact, he barely seemed to notice anything of the world around him, instead just staring at the ground like he thought it would give him the answers he was searching for. Hinoka's worries had hit a breaking point after lunch ended, and she texted Koji to ask for his help.
The two currently sat on a bus taking them out to Koichi's side of town. Hinoka had picked up Koji from the train station before the two caught a bus together so that they could talk about their strategy for approaching Koichi. It wasn't going to be easy to convince him to open up when he had been so firm about staying quiet up to that point, but the challenge wasn't going to be enough for them to back down. As long as Koichi was suffering, the two of them knew they had to do something, and they refused to let Koichi stop them from offering the help they knew he so desperately needed.
"Has he been like this for a while?" Koji asked Hinoka quietly as the bus rattled on around them. The two were sitting in adjacent seats, Koji grabbing onto the nearby safety rail to keep himself stable. His knuckles were white under the burden of his rage and worry for his brother, but Hinoka didn't give them a second glance so as to not attract undue attention.
"Something along those lines," Hinoka confirmed. "Something is wrong with him no matter what though. He couldn't keep his Spirit Evolution form together when Mephistomon attacked. It was like he was... Coming undone. I haven't seen anything like that since we first all found our Beast Spirits."
"Emotional control is not permanent," Koji pointed out. "I suppose that if our emotions spiraled out of our reach, it would be possible for us to lose control of our Spirits as well. Hybrid forms come from Beast Spirits in part, so if you couldn't control your Beast Spirit, your Hybrid form wouldn't work either."
"We saw that much with Ceruleamon and Malkakomon," Hinoka nodded. "But I don't understand why it would be happening now... He's been like this ever since the attack from a little while ago that destroyed the area around your school. Ever since he spoke with Miriamon though... He's been even more closed off, and I have no idea what to do about it."
"You've been trying at least, and I'm grateful for it," Koji told her. "I have no idea how it's going to go when we talk to him, but we have to at least try and reach out. He has to know that he doesn't need to bottle this up. We've all been there for each other before now, and I don't see why that would change out of the blue."
"I don't know either," Hinoka admitted with a shake of her head. "But I can say that there's something else about him that's been weighing on me... It was soon after the incident with Eaglemon's posse here on Earth. He seemed really anxious, and then he just... Apologized to me. I don't know what he was saying sorry for, but he seemed to mean it with everything he had."
Koji quirked an eyebrow up. "I wonder what that could have been about," he murmured. "I don't know what he would want to apologize for either. I feel like that could be at the heart of all this though."
Hinoka thought about it for a long time before her eyes went dark. "Do you think it has something to do with Duskmon?" she asked, speaking as quietly as she could. It was almost like she thought even bringing up his name was a crime against every living being in both worlds.
Koji went tense at that, and against his will, images streaked through his mind of when he had been Duskmon's captive. His stomach had mostly healed from the wound the Warrior of Void had left behind, but every once in a while, the searing pain shrieked through his body once again. Little more than a small diagonal scar had been left behind from the attack, but Koji would have been lying if he said he didn't trace it with grief and sadness in his eyes each time he looked in the mirror.
"I don't know," Koji finally forced himself to say slowly but surely. He didn't want to believe it had anything to do with Duskmon. He thought he had managed to help his brother to get over the guilt left behind by his actions as the Warrior of Void. Koji had done everything he could to aid Koichi, and he had assured his brother time and time again that nobody held what he had done against him. He had been so sure Koichi believed him after talking to Saki about it too and realizing that the hatred the others held for him only existed in his mind. Why would Duskmon be a concern now?
Hinoka stared at him for a few moments, and Koji had the awful feeling he was being scrutinized well beyond his expectations. Sure enough, Hinoka proved him right a few moments later. "You still have nightmares about Duskmon," she stated. It wasn't a question; she already knew even if he had never spoken a word of it.
Koji opened his mouth before pressing his lips together into a flat, stiff line. He hadn't wanted to talk about it because it wasn't enough to be significant in his mind, but he would have been lying if he said that he was entirely free of the sting the Digital World had left behind on him from his first trip. Koji did his best to not think about it, but it was hard to completely wipe it from his mind when the evidence of Duskmon's brutality was carved into his skin. The scar was smaller than it would have been without his passive healing abilities, but it was still more than enough to catch his attention on the days when he wanted to ignore it the most unfortunately.
"I try to avoid it," Koji finally forced himself to say in response even though he knew it was a weak thing to say. "I don't want to think about Duskmon more than I absolutely have to. I wasn't the only one who was hurt by him."
"Koji, he almost cut you in half," Hinoka countered, her eyes narrowing in Koji's direction. "You do realize that, right?" Her gaze didn't move down to where his scar was hiding beneath the shirt of his uniform, but Koji felt the scar pulse with pain all the same.
Koji bit down on his lip and looked away, refusing to yield the truth of his emotions to her, at least not so soon. "It's fine," he muttered even though that couldn't have been further from the truth. He didn't have time to think about Duskmon anyway; his brother needed him, and Koji refused to back down as long as there was something he could do to help Koichi. Duskmon would simply have to wait.
When the bus slid to a stop, Hinoka was still staring worriedly at Koji, almost as if she thought she should have been turning around this confrontation on both twins instead of just ganging up on Koichi at Koji's side. The Warrior of Light rose to his feet to bring her train of thought to a halt. "Come on," he declared, and the two started toward the door, all thoughts of strategizing for their conversation with Koichi having been thrown out the window.
The walk to the Kimura apartment was brief and simple from there, a path that Koji had walked countless times over the course of the summer. Since he couldn't bring Koichi to his own home on account of their father not knowing about them having found one another, the two had to hang out at the Kimura apartment for the sake of safety. He knew the path by heart, though Koji wished he wasn't going there for such dismal reasons as dragging the truth kicking and screaming from his brother's lips. Everything had been so much simpler over the summer. Why did the Void Fragments have to come in and ruin it all over again?
Koji and Hinoka looked to one another once they had arrived outside the door, and Koji's stomach twisted with fear and anxiety. He could feel his brother's emotions deep in his core when he concentrated on it enough, and he knew Koichi was terrified of many things these days. The fear ran much deeper than Koichi wanted to admit, but he wouldn't be able to keep the truth of his terrors from everyone forever. The Legendary Warriors understood each other well from their fusion into Susanoomon, and Koji was no doubt closest to his brother on an emotional level. If anyone was going to be able to sense Koichi's agony, it was his twin.
It didn’t even matter that Koichi hadn’t been present when the Legendary Warriors fused to become Susanoomon. The Spirits of Darkness had given Koichi their blessing when they returned to him, and in doing so, they gave him all he needed. The Spirits of Darkness had spent enough time with Koji through Erociamon and Susanoomon to establish a powerful link. In fact, Koji would have said he knew his brother better than anyone. Erociamon was proof of their bond even if they hated having to think about the atrocity of the sun and the moon.
Koji still refused to back down as he reached for the door and rapped his knuckles against it. Koichi had to be home by this point. Hinoka had said before that Koichi had been dashing home as soon as he could every day since the Eaglemon attack, and today was bound to be just the same. Even if Koichi didn't answer, Koji knew he was in there. He just had to be.
About twenty tense seconds later, the door slowly slid open. Koichi appeared in the doorway, and he looked at Koji and Hinoka starting from their shoes before scanning his way up their torsos to their faces. The Warrior of Darkness blanched at the sight of them, swallowing down his fear before he forced himself to speak. "Koji, Hinoka... I-I didn't realize I was supposed to expect company today," he said, though the words came out so forced and staggered they hardly felt real.
"We just felt like dropping in," Koji told him simply even though all of them knew there was much more to it than that. "We're worried about you, Koichi. You've been hiding yourself so much lately, and... We just want to understand why you've been holding so much back."
Koichi fumbled silently for the words he sought before he shook his head to himself. "I... Um... I've just had a lot on my mind lately," he replied. "That's all there is to it. The Void Fragments have been stressing everyone out, and—"
"It's more than that," Koji interrupted, not wanting to listen to his brother's avoidances any longer than he already had. "Anyone with even passing knowledge of you is aware that there's much more to this than you're telling us. We just want to understand, Koichi. You've been struggling, but you don't need to carry the weight of this on your own. It's alright to reach out to others. You know that. All of us have been here for you since we were in the Digital World. Why would we suddenly betray you now?"
Koichi took a step backward, his eyes flashing with desperation. He just wanted to find a way to flee even though he knew he wasn't going to be able to escape the concern for his brother and friend as easily as he would have liked. "I... I don't have anything to say," he whispered. "If there was something I wanted to tell you, then it would have already come out. I promise."
"We're not doing this because we want to hurt you, Koichi," Hinoka assured him. "We're just concerned. If there's really so much on your mind, then you should try to get it out there. Holding it all in is only going to hurt you in the long run, and you deserve better than that. You know you do. Why try to hold it all in?"
"I just can't tell you," Koichi insisted. His eyes were practically pleading with them at this point, begging the pair to leave him alone as soon as possible. "You have to trust me. I just... I can't talk about it yet. I'm sorry."
"Koichi, I..." Koji started, reaching out toward his brother with one hand. When Koichi flinched at the implication of coming contact, Koji's fingers stagnated before falling back to his side. He wasn't going to be able to get anything out of his brother, not like this. Koji was certain that Koichi had spoken with Miriamon about whatever this was about while they were in the Digital World, and he could only hope that the Arbiter of Souls had pointed him in the right direction by asking for Koichi to be as honest as possible with everything that was plaguing him. If Koji and Hinoka weren't going to be able to get Koichi to open up, then maybe Miriamon was just going to have to push him toward the correct path. It killed Koji to think he wouldn’t be able to do what his brother needed from him, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to push this any harder than he already had. If something was going to give, then it already would have ages ago.
"Alright," Koji finally said after an eternity of silence, the word thick and his throat tight. "If you really don't want to talk about it, then we'll leave you be for now." He turned to start and leave, bracing one hand against the doorframe along the way. "We're not trying to hurt you, Koichi. We're worried. If you don't want to talk about this right now, then fine... But the truth will come out one way or another, not out of malice, but of love."
Hinoka nodded her agreement, and she sent Koichi what she could only hope was a comforting smile. "We're here for you no matter what. Just... Be careful with yourself okay?" she asked. "Whenever you're ready, we will be too. I promise."
Koichi nodded, though he couldn't bring himself to speak as he shut the door. Koji and Hinoka stared at the door for a few moments longer, hoping that it would open once again and give them the chance to hear the truth in all of its glory, bloody, beautiful, or otherwise. When the door did not stir, Hinoka sighed and looked over to Koji. "I suppose we should go and pick up Izumi now," she murmured.
Koji nodded as he turned on his heel and started toward the door, shoving his hands into his pockets roughly along the way. It felt like he was pulling teeth over something that should have already been taken care of. Koichi had to know that he could trust the rest of the Legendary Warriors, so why put up such a fight? They wanted to help him, but he was making it so hard to do anything of value. How was Koji supposed to free his brother from his chains when Koichi didn't want to take break out of them to begin with?
But this wouldn't be the end. The truth always found a way to the light, and Koji would be right there in the glow of the sun when that fateful moment finally arrived.
~~~~~
Mayumi's feet were the first to hit the ground as the portal opened in the Digital World, and she stretched her arms above her head as she let out a relieved sigh. "Home sweet home!" she announced into the crisp air of the Digital World. Around her, Haroi, Yumiko, and Tomoki all touched down as well. Haroi stumbled on the landing though, and his knees twisted as he fell comfortably into Yumiko and Tomoki's waiting arms. He sent them both thankful glances, but he said nothing as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"It might be time to negotiate with the Digimon here about getting you a wheelchair you can use on this side of the barrier," Yumiko suggested. "That would probably be safer than risking having your other wheelchair damaged by you coming here for extended periods."
Haroi nodded his agreement. "You're probably right," he murmured. "But for now, we can rest in the fortress. We can hear what Bokomon and the others have found in the way of information about the Void Fragments before we head out for the day’s round of investigations."
The quartet surged toward the castle with that, and they easily settled down in the entrance room of the fortress before sending Mayumi up to retrieve the Digimon guides. She returned a few minutes later, Salamon in one arm and Patamon perched on top of her head. Bokomon, Neemon, and Lopmon all trailed behind her by a few steps. Mayumi beamed as she trotted down the stairs before sitting between Haroi and Tomoki, crossing her legs once she was seated. "Alright. Let's get down to business," she declared.
"Mayumi said you were going to want a wheelchair here when we could get it put together," Lopmon said first as he looked over to Haroi, and the Warrior of Cosmos nodded his confirmation. "We can ask Alastomon and Biastamon for help whenever they next come by. Until then, do you think you'll be alright?"
"I can try my best," Haroi replied with a shaky smile. "Though I might Spirit Evolve even if we don't need to fight since flying is a bit easier on me than walking. Traveling between worlds takes a lot more energy out of me than you would expect."
"We could probably be teleported somewhere else in the Digital World to save ourselves the trouble too," Tomoki suggested before looking back to the Digimon guides. "Do you have any ideas of where we should start our investigation today?"
"There haven't been any massive Void Fragment attacks since you were last here. It’s all been minor skirmishes that were resolved and ended fairly quickly," Salamon began. "But we all think that Inaie could have something to do with the Void Fragments since so many of the recent attacks have taken place right after Inaie came through the area. It might be a good idea to go where Inaie was last seen to see if anything happens in the wake of the island passing through a specific region."
"That sounds like a perfect place to start," Yumiko agreed. "Do you have any idea where Inaie was last spotted? That seems like our best bet if we want to track down the island because of how fast it moves."
"It was last seen in the deserts of the Continent of Earth as of a few hours ago," Bokomon explained. "The air there is desolate and hot, so I hope you're all ready for a hike when we arrive."
"My favorite," Tomoki muttered with a shake of his head. At least his element of Ice would be enough to keep his body temperature down despite the arid conditions.
"At least we know where the island is. I think that's a significant step above us just running into it by coincidence over the course of our last few battles," Yumiko pointed out. "We should go there before the island has the chance to get away. I don't know if we're going to be able to find it again easily if we let it slip through our fingers this time."
"Then let's get down to business," Mayumi announced as she got to her feet once more. "I guess we can leave behind a message for when the others get here. They're probably going to be a bit confused when they see that we're not here, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea for us to wait for them since we have no idea how long they're going to take."
"Are some of the others coming to visit us too?" Neemon asked, eagerly leaning forward in his seat with a smile on his face.
"Koji and Hinoka went off to talk to Koichi since he's been acting so strangely as of late. They were hoping to hear about what has been bothering him so much," Haroi began. "Izumi said that she had a project to work on for school, but once she was finished with her partner for the assignment, she said she would come by. Koji and Hinoka said they would talk to Koichi and then pick up Izumi before coming here to meet us."
"In that case, it would be in our best interests to leave behind a note for them," Bokomon agreed. "I'll get to writing that, and once we're finished with the note, we can head out for the Continent of Earth. The land is vast, but because there are so few terrain features in the desert portion, it should be fairly simple to spot Inaie if it happens to appear on the horizon."
"The Continent of Earth is half arid desert and half mountains," Haroi murmured to himself. "I doubt the island would be able to easily scale the mountains anyway, so we should be alright as long as we search quickly in the desert. The island moves fast, but there aren't exactly any places to hide in a vast, open space like a desert."
"There aren't many sandstorms at this time of year either, so that should hopefully make it even simpler for us to find the island," Lopmon remarked. "I doubt we'll be able to catch up with the island and board it, especially with Chihiro absent today, but we should be able to at least see if any Void Fragment Digimon appear in the path the island has been traveling. If we can see the process of a Void Fragment corrupting a Digimon happening directly, then that should be enough to prove Inaie's involvement in the recent tragedy across the Digital World."
"We're already planning on heading there soon to work out the details of everything going on, but having a bit of extra information in our hands certainly wouldn't hurt," Yumiko nodded. "Let's see what the island has in store for us today."
"I hope it's not a fight," Tomoki whispered with a shake of his head. "But I feel like we all know better than to believe that will be the case."
The room fell silent, though nobody protested Tomoki's words. He was right whether they wanted to admit it or not. All they had at that point was optimism, and they could only hope it would be enough.
If only the Void Fragments were fought away by positive energy. Oh, how simple that would make all of their lives.
~~~~~
Koichi waited until after he heard Koji and Hinoka's footsteps fade away before he finally let himself move again. He curled his arms around his upper body as his knees crumbled from beneath him, leaving him to sink to the floor with tears in his eyes. He hated having to lie to them about all of this, but he couldn't say the truth out loud, not yet. He didn't want to see the way their faces would change and distort with anger and hatred when they realized just how much of a monster he was. He selfishly needed them for a while longer even though he knew better than anyone that he didn't deserve their love. He never could.
"Still keeping the truth a secret," Dusk scoffed. "You won't be able to hide it forever. We both know it. They will find out one way or another. Will you be ready when that day comes?"
Koichi didn't say a word, but he did shake his head as his tears began to flow freely. Miriamon was right in saying that she needed to tell everyone the truth of what was happening sooner or later, but he still feared that with every fiber of his being. How could he tell them that such horror lived on inside of his body and mind? What were they going to think of him when they realized just how much of their pain was still resting inside of him? That Duskmon, the source of so much strife, was still alive despite all they had done to try and destroy him?
Koichi let his tears splash onto the ground in front of the door for an eternity after Koji and Hinoka left him behind. He couldn't tell any of them yet. He still wanted the Legendary Warriors in his life, even if it meant holding them at arm's length to keep this secret. The truth had to remain hidden away no matter how much he wanted to embrace them with everything he had. He couldn't do that to them. They deserved better than him, and he knew it.
But his selfishness would keep him rooted there for a short while longer at the very least. Maybe his greed for their love would tide him over even after the truth came out. He could only hope.
~~~~~
The first thing Tomoki noticed as the portal opened into the desert was the blast of hot air that hit him like a freight train. Yumiko held up one hand to try and shield her face from the sun, and Tomoki prayed with everything he had that the group didn't need to worry about sunburns in the Digital World. That didn't seem to be the case since they had traveled through warm climates during their previous adventure in the Digital World without any issues, but it was still a minor concern whether they wanted to admit it or not. Perhaps their passive healing abilities canceled out the damage a sunburn could do. It was a question for another time, no doubt, but Tomoki couldn't help his curiosity all the same.
The hot air around him quickly subsided though, and Tomoki instead found himself concentrating on the coolness that radiated naturally from his skin. Thanks to his element, his body's temperature remained fairly consistent, refusing to go too warm or too cold. He was protected from the cold on account of his element, and the element of Ice also defended him from extreme heat by being the freeze that never melted. Transforming into a Digimon had left behind many impacts on his body, but this was certainly one of the better changes, definitely superior to his blood turning blue because of his power.
The other members of the group were not quite so fortunate though, and Mayumi let out a hefty sigh as she rubbed sweat away from the back of her neck. Her regular energy was gone in the blink of an eye, and she shook her head to herself. "Of course Inaie would decide to show up in the hottest area of the Digital World," she muttered. "How in the world is this place even hotter than the Continent of Fire?"
"The Continent of Fire contains its element through other outlets to ensure that the temperatures don't rise too much. Much of the fire in that region is contained in a single volcanic mountain or the flaming leaves on the trees," Bokomon explained. "The Continent of Earth has no such control over the element of fire, leaving the deserts hot and desolate among many other things."
"Just like how the Continent of Darkness had no control over the sand and silt storms of the area," Yumiko confirmed, and Bokomon nodded. "I suppose it makes sense... Though that does little to change the fact that this place is blisteringly hot."
Haroi scanned a single ring of data across the top of his D-Tector, and he was replaced by Orionmon a few moments later. He held his staff up to the skies, and dark blue, purple, and black energy began to consolidate before creating a small platform made entirely of galactic power. A string extended from the platform to the tip of Orionmon's staff, and he tested its weight by pulling it forward for a few moments before taking to the skies overhead. "Sit on this. I should be able to pull us through the sand," he announced.
"We could all just Spirit Evolve without leaving too much of a toll on you," Yumiko frowned as she looked down at the platform uneasily and worriedly. "I don't want to push you too hard, Orionmon."
"If we get attacked, it would be for the best if the three of you still had enough energy to fight off our assailants. Leaving the burden on only one of us is for the best," Orionmon replied. "Though I doubt this will be much of a problem for the extended strength I have when transformed anyway. I wouldn't have offered if I couldn't handle it. Besides, I already told you I would need to Spirit Evolve since I can’t handle walking long distances."
Yumiko nodded hesitantly at his words before she sat down on the cosmic platform. Mayumi took a seat in front of her while Tomoki filed in on Yumiko's right. The Digimon guides sat up beside Mayumi, Patamon opting to sit on her head while Salamon relaxed in her arms. Orionmon made sure they were all secured before he took off flying, dragging the platform behind him by the tip of his staff.
The horizon rolled by easily the same way it always did, and Yumiko's hair whipped at her face as the air shrieked in her ears. She kept her eyes on the area around her, pressing a few fingers to her temple to keep her hair out of her face as she scanned the desert sands for Inaie's silhouette. Traveling this way made the heat a lot less stifling because of the breeze kicked up by the platform Orionmon had created, and the sand was directed perfectly to the side to be out of the way without getting in anyone's face. This was the best things were going to get as far as traveling through the desert was concerned, and Yumiko was more than happy with it.
One thing she wasn't quite as happy with though was the fact that Tomoki kept glancing over his shoulder at the wide expanse of desert sand behind them. Yumiko could see him shuffling on the spot out of the corner of her eye, and she hated knowing he was so tense. She doubted there would be anything she could do about it, especially since Tomoki hadn't defined what was bothering him to anyone else, but Yumiko knew it had to be something. He had been like this for a short while, but he never explained his reasoning to anyone.
Yumiko and Tomoki were similar people. That was one of the first things Yumiko had come to understand when she first joined the Legendary Warriors following her purification. It was because of how similar she and Tomoki were that she had felt welcomed in the party to begin with. In the same vein, it was because of how similar she and Tomoki were that she was worried and unsure of how to handle the circumstances at hand. She wanted to tell him that he could talk to her the same way he had eased her into the rest of the party the first time around, but she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Even after Yumiko had started to open up, it took an eternity and a half for her to actually admit the words that described her fears out loud. Trying to get Tomoki to talk wasn't going to be easy, and even if he knew he had the option, he wasn't going to take it until he felt absolutely comfortable doing so. Who knew when that was going to be? Yumiko could only hope it was sooner rather than later.
Because of how loud the wind was, it was hard to hear much of anything that anyone was saying. Yumiko used that as the perfect excuse to focus on watching the horizon instead of trying to coax Tomoki into talking to her, but the more he looked backward, the more nervous she got. She couldn't stay quiet about it forever. Even if it meant shouting to be heard above the tempest around them, Yumiko was willing to try if it would help to ease his fears even just a bit. It was the least she could do for him after all he had done to help her.
Yumiko raised one hand out to touch his shoulder and earn his attention, but her fingers never reached their destination.
Instead, the world was sent spinning.
It was hard to say exactly what had happened, but before Yumiko knew it, she was rolling sideways and backwards through the sand, not quite sure of where her head was in relation to her feet. She clamped her eyes shut to keep sand from obscuring her vision, pressing her lips together for the same reason. Yumiko released control of her body and just let the world around her move her wherever it so pleased for a few moments, not wanting to risk fighting it and getting hurt even more.
When Yumiko finally stopped rolling, she was laying on her side in the desert sun. It took a few moments for her to force her eyes open, and her head was screaming with a sudden migraine from the impact. She could feel small scrapes all across her body, and her shirt and skirt were littered with sandy flakes. When she tried to push herself off the ground, sand fell out of her hair as well before tumbling into the dunes below.
The rest of the Legendary Warriors weren't doing much better. Tomoki was on his back and staring up at the overhead sky, and Mayumi was curled into a ball and holding Salamon tightly to her chest. The other Digimon guides were scattered around the area, all of them in various states of disarray. The platform they had been riding on had been shattered, leaving behind massive fragments in the sand that could cut a person apart if they weren't watching where they were going.
Orionmon was flying nearby, his staff braced at the ready in case a fight broke out. He trained his gaze on the horizon before he shifted his attention to the ground, seemingly realizing that their assailant had come from underground. His eyes went wide when he saw something shift near Tomoki, and he punched one fist at the air.
Swirling energy of gray and purple streaked toward the Warrior of Ice, and it sent Tomoki rolling another few yards to his right. The sand beneath where he had been burst wide open, and a massive scorpion tail broke through the surface of the desert. The tail was tipped with a blade that glittered dangerously in the sunlight.
Soon afterward, the sand gave way to the true identity of the attacker. It was a Beast Digimon, a scorpion with a tan body. He had a few accents of red scattered across his arms and pincers while the spikes that lined his head, back, and tail were all a deep black. Blades littered the scorpion's claws and tail, and it was the most prominent sword of them all—the one on his tail—that had cut through the sand and destroyed the platform a few moments prior before turning on Tomoki. The Digimon’s blue eyes lacked any semblance of emotion, instead simply glaring ahead at the Legendary Warriors for daring to intervene in his attack.
"Scorpiomon," Lyseir told Yumiko. "A scorpion Digimon found in sandy regions. You don't find many in the desert though... Most spend their time in beach areas, though I suppose this one decided to roam away from the pack."
"Why it's here doesn't matter. We have to fight it off," Calanthe declared. On cue, Yumiko reached for her D-Tector and pressed the activation button, ready to scan the three rings of data that would send her into her Hybrid form.
Before she had the chance, the air filled with buzzing sounds that made Yumiko clamp her hands over her ears. When she looked up, she was met with a flock of new Digimon flying in from the distant skies, all of them a sandy tan color. The bugs were, in a word, terrifying, and Yumiko liked to think she was above fearing bugs most of the time. Their pincers were dangerously sharp to match their claws. Their green eyes were, once again, apathetic as could be, and their wings practically vibrated on the spot to keep them aloft.
"SandYanmamon... Five of them," Fiore interjected. "If I had to guess, they're all Void Fragment Digimon with the way their eyes look. They're not thinking; they're just attacking."
"Then let's make sure they stop that too," Yumiko murmured, forcing herself to focus despite the overwhelming screeching of the SandYanmamon's wings. She pulled her hands away from her ears before scanning the data rings across the top of her D-Tector, and light exploded around her body. When the glow faded, Lyseirmon was left in her place, battle ready and bow already nocked with an arrow of vines.
Aethermon and Daipenmon had appeared in the place of Mayumi and Tomoki nearby, and the two of them gathered the Digimon guides together before Daipenmon pressed his hands together around his axe. He created a small box of ice for the Digimon guides to stay in before he set it to float in the air nearby. It wasn't the most stable thing in the world, but it would at least keep the Digimon guides from becoming easy prey in the heat of the battle.
The primary issue at hand was that the attackers were coming from both above and below. There was no safe haven; the Legendary Warriors were truly cornered, and they would have to fight out of it if they wanted to claim the upper hand. It wasn't going to be easy, and Lyseirmon could already feel it. Still, the SandYanmamon were small and lacking in strength on their own. Their power came from their numbers, and if the Legendary Warriors could break them up, then they would be able to focus all their energy on fighting the much larger opponent of Scorpiomon. It was a dangerous ploy, but it was the only option they had.
Lyseirmon closed her eyes and concentrated with everything she had. She prayed Hinoka, Koichi, and Izumi arrived sooner rather than later, and to bring them into the Digital World as soon as possible, she focused on sending out a distress signal via their D-Tectors. It was one of the new features that had come with communication, and while Lyseirmon had no idea if it would work across the gap between worlds, it was still worth a shot. There was no harm in at least putting in the effort.
Tapping into the power of the D-Tector when transformed was hardly as simple as it seemed at a first glance, and Lyseirmon could already feel as much as her heart pounded in her chest from exertion and adrenaline. Once she was sure that she had been as successful as she was going to be, she opened her eyes once more and concentrated on the fight at hand, raising her bow before firing an arrow at one of the SandYanmamon. The bug was immediately consumed by vines heavy enough to start dragging him down to the ground below, his wings completely stilled by the rapid expansion of the greenery. The SandYanmamon slammed into the ground a moment later, shrieking and trying to escape with everything he had but ultimately falling short.
Daipenmon ran toward the SandYanmamon, creating a platform of ice beneath him with each passing step. As soon as he was close enough, he lashed out with his axe and struck the bug with all the might he possessed, sending SandYanmamon flying as the vines turned to ice and then shattered. The tiny ice pellets slashed mercilessly at their target, dealing the last little bit of damage needed to tip him over the edge. A Void Fragment appeared a moment later before dissipating on the breeze, leaving SandYanmamon to fall to the ground once again, this time from exhaustion. The constant buzzing in the air began to lessen, even if it was only by a small amount, and Lyseirmon released a small sigh of relief.
But the fight wasn't over yet. There was still a lot left to do, and the Legendary Warriors couldn't count on reinforcements. They would have to win this on their own and pray with everything they had that it worked out the way they intended. It wasn't much, but it was all they had.
~~~~~
Izumi smiled as she opened the front door to the Orimoto home, effortlessly slipping into her old acts and lies without even realizing it consciously. "Come on in," she told Chiaki, and the other girl nodded as she followed Izumi's instructions and entered the building. Chiaki worked her shoes off and set them beside the door where Izumi and Masae’s shoes were already resting. The two walked easily into the living room before setting their things down and taking a seat on the couch.
When Izumi and Chiaki discussed their plan for taking care of their literature project, Izumi had been more than happy to offer her home as a place for them to work. Chiaki had seemed overwhelmingly relieved at that, though she did her best to not show it. Izumi didn't have as much time for school these days as most of her peers because of her Digital World adventures, so she had to take advantage of the chances she did have to ensure her grades were sharp and high. She would have liked to not have to go to the Digital World so late as long as so many other members of the group were counting on her, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter, and so, she and Chiaki had to get to work on their project.
"Thank you again for having me over," Chiaki smiled. Everything about her seemed shaky and nervous, much more so than usual. Chiaki was generally a confident girl, quiet but sure of herself. Seeing her so anxious was out of character, and Izumi did her best to not let her worry consume her.
"It's no issue at all," Izumi assured her. She paused for a moment, trying to figure out if she should ask if Chiaki was alright, before she decided to bite the bullet and do it. "My apologies if this is intrusive, but... Are you alright? You seem... Tense."
Chiaki hesitated, seemingly warring with herself over if she should answer honestly or not, before she sighed. "My father's been a bit... On edge lately," she answered. "He seems to get upset at the smallest things, and after he got snappy this morning, I... I don't know. I didn’t want to be around him any more than I had to if I could avoid it. He's still going to be picking me up when we're done here, but..."
"I understand," Izumi smiled gently. "You wanted to get out of the house for a while, and him getting upset was the perfect reason for you to come over here. Well, you're always welcome here. I'd be happy to have you over." As long as I'm not off fighting monsters, that is.
"Thank you," Chiaki grinned, though it was clear that her anxiety and shakiness from her previous encounter with her father still remained. "I just hope he's not too difficult when he comes to get me. I don't want him to do anything to bother you while he's here."
Izumi shook her head. "It'll be alright," she assured her friend. "We don't need to think about him right now. If you want to just focus on the project instead of giving him your time, then we can do that. If you want to talk while we work, that's okay too."
"I would rather avoid him for as long as I possibly can," Chiaki admitted. "I see him more than enough as far as I'm concerned, and if I can avoid his rage for even just a little while, I want to do that. We should get right to work."
Izumi hesitated before nodding. "If you change your mind at any point, all you need to do is say something," she told Chiaki even though she was already confident the other girl wasn't going to take her up on the offer. She had already made it clear that she wanted to avoid thinking about her father, and while Izumi wasn't going to push it, she wasn't sure if that was the best course of action either. She would simply have to see, she supposed.
"Thank you," Chiaki said graciously as she reached for a notebook out of her backpack and flipped it open to the appropriate page. "Now, let's get started."
~~~~~
Daipenmon jumped into the air and hit one of the SandYanmamon in the side with the blunt edge of one of his axe blades, immediately knocking the bug out of the sky and sending it crashing down to the ground. The Digimon screamed in pain as it slammed into the sand, leaving it as the perfect prey for a streak of cosmic energy from Siriusmon. He had changed his evolved form soon after the battle began for the sake of dealing as much damage as possible, and it was already paying off. As soon as he struck the fallen SandYanmamon, a Void Fragment appeared and shattered promptly, leaving only three bug Digimon left in the skies over head. Once again, the buzzing sound in the heavens began to dull, though it did not fade away entirely. That wasn't going to happen until after the fight had been finished and all of the bugs had been dealt with.
Lyseirmon had taken to the skies since firing off her first arrow of vines, and she ducked and swerved around attacks from two of the SandYanmamon as they tried to corner her. She cut upwards with the edge of an arrow, slicing one of them across the wing and stopping its flight on the spot. The bug shrieked and started to spiral toward the ground, and Aethermon grinned before running toward the creature, one hand already outstretched in preparation for the transfer of energy.
The SandYanmamon managed to swerve out of the way just before Aethermon could make contact though, instead sliding through the sand before finally coming to a stop a decent distance away from the heart of the battle. The fall damage was more than enough to destroy the bug Digimon's focus, and it whimpered with pain as it tried in vain to rise once more. Siriusmon sent out a meteor attack at the fallen SandYanmamon without missing a beat, and a Void Fragment appeared before vanishing away on the wind the same way the Void Fragments always did. That took one of the remaining assailants out of the battle at the very least, even if Aethermon hadn't been able to boost her strength levels the way she had initially been hoping to.
Luckily for Aethermon, Daipenmon was looking out for her, and he slammed the hilt of his axe into the ground. A trail of ice traveled across the sand before finding a home beneath Aethermon's feet. The ice's position shifted immediately, and it launched her high into the skies. From there, she did a flip through the air, reaching one hand out toward the other SandYanmamon continuing to harass Lyseirmon. This time, she managed to make contact, and white energy pulsed out of SandYanmamon’s body and into Aethermon’s waiting hand. The bug seemed confused for a moment, unable to understand why all of its strength seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye. That moment of confusion was more than enough of a distraction for Lyseirmon to blow out a small amount of pollen that trailed toward the bug Digimon. The pollen spread into green vines that immediately stopped its wings and forced it to the ground. The impact sent sand kicking up in every direction and left behind nothing more than an unconscious SandYanmamon and a Void Fragment that broke into nothingness in a matter of seconds.
It all seemed so easy in some twisted way. Fighting had become part of the Legendary Warriors' daily routines back when they were first in the Digital World, and even after their time apart, it was so easy for them to fall back into their old rhythms. This was what they were made for, and all of them knew it. Their teamwork was unparalleled, and even the strongest of Void Fragment Digimon seemed to fall easily before the power of the full group when they worked together. The SandYanmamon had almost entirely been defeated after just a few minutes, and after the final bug was taken out of the equation, all that would remain was the rogue Scorpiomon.
Aethermon took advantage of her boost in energy from attacking the SandYanmamon, and she took off running toward Scorpiomon. It was hard to make out exactly where the massive Digimon was because of the sand matching the color of its shell so perfectly, but thanks to her heightened reflexes, Aethermon was able to pick up on what she was meant to do easily enough. Once she caught a glimpse of the shifting sand near its head, a mischievous smile spread across her lips. She hurtled herself through the air before slamming into Scorpiomon's head, and the massive Digimon thrashed to try and get her off. Aethermon had already started stealing its energy though, and it was slowing down as a result, even if the difference was so slight that most wouldn't have even registered what was happening.
The final SandYanmamon tried to take off toward Aethermon to get her away from Scorpiomon, but Siriusmon slid into the way at the last possible moment, spinning his staff around to create a portal that looked exactly like the night sky. The SandYanmamon's eyes went wide just before it disappeared into the portal. When the rift opened again, it was overhead, and the SandYanmamon was dropped down from the skies. At first, the bug was too confused to do much of anything, instead just glancing around the area in confusion at how its surroundings had changed so suddenly and strangely.
This moment of weakness was perfect for Lyseirmon, and she pressed her hands to her chest before pressing them forward, creating a blast of green and pink energy that swirled before knocking SandYanmamon out of the sky. The bug Digimon hit the ground hard, and it landed right at Daipenmon's feet. The Warrior of Ice raised his axe high before bringing the hilt down on top of SandYanmamon's head, and that was enough to bring the Void Fragment out of hiding. Just like that, the buzzing in the air was gone, leaving only Scorpiomon as an enemy to be defeated.
Aethermon jumped out of the way just in time as Scorpiomon's tail tried to knock her off its head, and her body seemed to practically buzz with electric energy and excitement. She grinned with mischief shining in her eyes as she glanced up to Siriusmon and Lyseirmon. "Cover me for a moment, would you?" she asked. She didn't bother waiting for a response or even a nod of affirmation, instead just retreating to the back of the battlefield and pressing her hands together over her chest, the air around her practically vibrating under the weight of her raw, limitless power.
Daipenmon skated forward, ice gathering across the bottom of his feet to push him ever onward, before he jumped high into the air and raised his axe above his head. He slammed the blades down hard against Scorpiomon's head, but since the Digimon was so heavily armored, the attack didn't do much damage. Ice began to spread across the surface of Scorpiomon's body though, and that was more than enough to stagger its attacks. Scorpiomon tried to break free of the ice, but everyone could tell it wasn't going to be quite so simple. Daipenmon smirked as he fired off a barrage of snowballs from the cannon mounted at the center of his axe. The flurry forced Scorpiomon backwards while also giving Daipenmon the momentum he needed to pull his axe head free of Scorpiomon's body. Daipenmon flipped once before landing in a crouch atop some of the ice waiting for him nearby.
Scorpiomon had to dedicate his tail to trying to cut through the thick layer of ice that had come to practically trap him in place, leaving him unable to attack the other Legendary Warriors as easily as he would have liked. Lyseirmon nocked another arrow on her bow before aiming for the ground just behind her target. As soon as the arrow hit the desert sands, plants began to thrash and break free of the ground, wrapping around Scorpiomon's body and immobilizing his tail. He struggled against the grip of the greenery, but the vines were simply too strong for him to escape, and when they were combined with the ice and Aethermon's previous attack to steal his energy, Scorpiomon was left without the power he needed to oppose even one of the Legendary Warriors, much less the four of them combining their strengths.
Siriusmon twirled his staff once, and a shower of comets streaked in from the skies to force Scorpiomon into the ground a little bit more. As soon as the attack made contact, Siriusmon pulled backward, and Daipenmon and Lyseirmon did much the same when they noticed just why he was retreating. Aethermon had finished charging her attack, and she was about to let it fly.
The element of Energy came with a small fragment of every other power innately found in the Digital World, and every form of the Warrior of Energy could channel that strength in combat. It was the chaos of the Digital World made real in all of its terrifying and powerful glory. Combining each of the elements made for the strongest attack the Legendary Warriors had access to, though charging it was much easier said than done. Still, Aethermon had managed to pull it off this time, and that was what mattered most.
The attack ripped through the air with a whistling sound that left Lyseirmon's ears throbbing. Scorpiomon didn't even have time to recover from Siriusmon's attack before he was hit head on, the ice and vines around his body disappearing in the blink of an eye. At the heart of the blast, the Void Fragment controlling him appeared before abruptly disappearing, fading into nothing more than a memory. Afterward, Scorpiomon slumped forward, and the Legendary Warriors all gathered around him and the fallen SandYanmamon to ask them the usual round of questions that came with a Void Fragment possession.
Lyseirmon felt something shift deep in the pit of her stomach, and when she glanced up, she was met with the silhouette of Inaie rumbling across the horizon. She glared up at the outline of the island, already knowing that she had found what they had been searching for in coming to the Digital World in the first place. Inaie was all too close to the attack from the most recent victims of the Void Fragments. If the group needed any other evidence of the island's involvement with the attacks, then this certainly felt like it.
They were going to have to set out for the island as soon as they could. Inaie held the secrets they had been trying to uncover so desperately. All they had to do from there was start digging.
It was a shame it wasn't easier to uncover the truth the island held. It certainly would have saved them all a lot of grief, and at this point, they were willing to take any blessings they could get.
~~~~~
Izumi could feel herself cutting it close when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Koji and Hinoka had told her before that they were on their way to her house so they could all set out for the Digital World together, and Izumi was trying to wrap up her work with Chiaki before they arrived. She knew the two of them were smart enough to not say anything incriminating around one of the people trying to investigate the Digital World, but she couldn't help her anxiety regardless. It would be safer if Chiaki was already out of the house by the time they arrived.
As it turned out, she had little to worry about. Chiaki received a message of her own saying that her father was on his way, and while she looked a bit miffed at the sight of his text, she took to packing up her things immediately. Izumi could feel the wordless rage Chiaki had toward her father, but she chose to not comment on it. That was Chiaki's business, not hers. If Chiaki wanted to talk about it, then she would, and Izumi wasn’t going to push it.
A knock came at the door, and Izumi got to her feet before welcoming Koji and Hinoka inside. Koji glanced past her, seeing Chiaki cleaning up from their work session. "Are you almost ready to go?" he asked, keeping his words as vague as he could.
Izumi nodded. "Give us three minutes at most," she began, though she fell silent when she saw a car pulling into the driveway over Koji and Hinoka's shoulders. It wasn't a car she recognized, but she could tell based on the silhouette of the stony man in the driver's seat that it was likely Chiaki's father. She resisted the urge to glare at him, instead simply waiting for Chiaki to arrive.
"Alright. I suppose that's my cue to be on my..." Chiaki trailed off as she fell into position alongside Izumi, her eyes locked squarely on Hinoka. For a few moments, Izumi couldn't quite tell why Hinoka had brought Chiaki to silence, but her mind quickly caught up, and when it did, her heart began to race.
She had never noticed it before, but Hinoka and Chiaki had a lot in common in terms of appearance. They shared light brown hair and high cheekbones, their eyes both finding a way to glitter despite the drastically different colors. In fact, the two of them looked like they belonged on opposite sides of a cracked mirror. Chiaki was shorter and had a rounder chin while Hinoka towered above her and was all sharp edges and lanky joints. Their eyes looked the same despite the different colors, and more importantly, the way their jaws dropped at the sight of one another was identical.
Chiaki was the first to snap out of it. "My father is waiting. I'll see you later, Izumi," she said softly, though she didn't take her eyes off Hinoka even as she started to walk slowly toward the door, almost as if she was afraid of having to acknowledge Hinoka enough to even touch her by accident on the way out. The tension between them could have been cut with a knife.
The temperature of the room only rose when Hinoka glanced over her shoulder at the car out in the driveway. She immediately froze, fear creeping into her features like nothing Izumi had ever seen. Hinoka remained statuesque as Chiaki hurried down the front steps and out to the passenger seat of her father's car, and none of the Legendary Warriors moved until after the car had pulled out of the driveway and left the street entirely.
"Was that...?" Koji began, something in his mind starting to turn with recognition and anxiety.
"My father," Hinoka whispered, the words sacred and terrified. "The man in the car... That was my father."
Izumi could have sworn her eyes were going to pop out of her head from shock. "Then Chiaki..."
Hinoka swallowed dryly. "Chiaki... Is my sister."
They didn't make it to the Digital World that day.
Notes:
Surprise!
So... I doubt any of you guys saw that one coming. That's a twist I've had in the works since I decided there would be a sequel to the first book at all, and I've been looking forward to this moment. Whew. It was a fun one to write.
Before I talk about the big twist too much though, let's backtrack to the start of the chapter. Koji gets to be worried about his brother too, and Hinoka has finally enlisted his help in dealing with Koichi's problems. Unfortunately, Koichi still isn't willing to talk, though everybody knows the truth is going to find a way out eventually. Miriamon warned him about it, and that truth isn't going to change. Koichi is still thick in his own denial though. Poor Koichi. He really can't catch a break.
Koichi isn't the only one with problems though, and we can see that plain as can be through Tomoki. He might no want to admit it, but he has a few fears on his mind now that Yutaka has shown himself again. Tomoki is afraid of having to confess weakness as well, and luckily for him, he was saved from it this time around. Well, I don't know how lucky he could really be since he was saved by a fight happening, but I suppose it works in some way or another.
I loved the fight sequence of this chapter because of how different it is from most of the other battles we've seen up to this point. Desert fight, baby! I will admit that I planned out this fight before remembering that there was a battle in Digimon Adventure 2020 that followed a pretty similar premise, but I decided to go through with it since I thought it was just too good of a fight sequence to pass up on. All things considered, it turned out really well, and it gave us another chance to see Aethermon's glass cannon powers in full action. She has massive punch even if she can't take physical hits anywhere near as well.
Alright, fine. I've held it off long enough. Let's talk about the Chiaki and Hinoka twist. The two of them never really had a reason to interact before this, but there have been a few traces to point to there being something of note there. For one, Chiaki's father problems came up previously, and while we didn't hear much of Hinoka's father in the first book, we knew that he was unpleasant. The two of them have a similar hair color as well, and while it's kind of hard to articulate details like facial structure in a written medium like this, I loved drawing parallels between them for this moment. I wanted to have Chiaki and Izumi work together on that project from the start since I had a vision of Chiaki and Hinoka running into each other in passing and finding the truth along the way. Well, here we are. The time has come, and they've got a lot to deal with from here on out.
Speaking of here on out, we're going to pick up right where we left off next week by diving into Hinoka's new crisis. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 20: The Thickness of Blood
Summary:
Hinoka grapples with the truth of her relationship with Chiaki as Saki makes a last-minute trip to the Digital World.
Chapter Text
Izumi was quick to lead Koji and Hinoka up to her room once she was sure they were alone. Masae had stayed at school after classes that day, and her father was out on a late shift as per usual. In other words, they would have the peace they sought to discuss all that had just happened.
And they needed to discuss what they had just seen.
Izumi and Koji sat on the former's bed once they had managed to escape the seemingly suffocating air near the front door, though Hinoka couldn't calm herself quite so easily. She was pacing the length of Izumi's room, practically wearing a groove into the floor with each passing step. Her footsteps were rhythmic and melodic in a way that made Izumi feel sick to her stomach, though the Warrior of Wind didn't know what to say to slow her friend's racing thoughts and mind. What could anyone even say in a time like this?
Koji swallowed dryly, everything about his body tense as could be. If anyone was going to know how to handle something like this, it was going to be him. He had thought he was an only child only for the truth to come out suddenly and dramatically when he least expected it. Koji had discovered his brother's existence just earlier that year, and it had come in the most unexpected way possible. Chiaki and Hinoka's revelations were hardly the same as Koji being assaulted by Duskmon on multiple occasions, but there were still enough parallels for the Warrior of Light to take it upon himself to say at least something to break the silence. "What do you think?" he eventually forced himself to ask, though the words came out forced and stiff.
For a moment, the Warrior of Water stopped in her pacing, but she picked it right back up again a few beats later. "It all makes sense," Hinoka replied softly, almost as if she was afraid to raise her voice above a whisper. "I never knew why my father left us behind, but I think I'm starting to understand. He didn't leave entirely because he was tired of my mother. He left because he had cheated on her and decided to start a life with his other family... The family that Chiaki now knows and loves."
Izumi nodded slowly as she stared down at the floor for herself. "It all seems so obvious now," she admitted quietly. "You and Chiaki look so alike... Not in the ways you would expect two people to look similar, but there are still parallels to be found between the two of you. You have the same hair color, eye shape, cheekbones... It's so clear now that I'm looking back."
"I wish it had been clearer sooner," Hinoka admitted wearily. "I wish I had known about all of this before today. I... I have no idea what to think of any of this."
Koji swallowed back his anxiety once again, though his nerves still found a way to shine through his voice. "What are you going to do now?" he eventually forced himself to ask. "You won't be able to keep all of this hidden forever. You and Chiaki are going to have to actually talk about it one of these days. She has to know what's going on after that encounter. Even if she doesn't have the hard evidence you do of seeing your father pick up another woman's child, she has to be putting the pieces together after realizing just how similar you two look."
Hinoka hesitated for a long moment, finally stopping her pacing to simply stare down at the ground. "I... I don't know what I'm going to do," she confessed. "I wish I did, but... There's not much I really can do right now. I feel like my entire life is finally making sense after all this time, but... It's a lot to take in at once."
"I can only imagine," Izumi agreed under her breath. "Finding out that your father not only cheated on your mother but has had another family living with him this entire time... I can't even begin to fathom how you must be feeling right now. I'm so sorry, Hinoka."
The Warrior of Water narrowed her eyes where they were looking down at the ground before forcing out a shaky sigh. "I... I don't know what to think of this, but I can say that I don't like him," she said slowly but firmly. "My father is the reason for all of this. He should have known better than to cross a line like this, but he did it anyway. He decided this was something worth doing, and that was his mistake. No matter what I decide to do with this information—that I have a sister—I'm not going to forgive him for everything he did."
"I don't even think he treats her particularly well," Izumi found herself saying before she could hold the words back. Koji turned to face her a bit too quickly, rage already in his eyes at the idea of someone suffering from similar woes to his troubled relationship with his father. "Chiaki didn't say much about her father while she was here, but I can say that she doesn't seem to be fond of him at the moment. He's been struggling with anger issues as of late, and the rage has made it so that Chiaki doesn't even want to go home."
Hinoka let out a dark laugh. "Some things never change, I suppose," she whispered. "He was like that when he was living with me and my mother as well. He always seemed to have something to be upset about... It was my mother most of the time. She loved him with everything she had, and when he left... She didn't know what to do with herself. I haven't seen him since then... Until today, that is."
"I'm going to try and talk to Chiaki about it," Izumi assured Hinoka, though she hesitated after speaking the words. "If that's alright with you, of course. I understand this is your revelation and not mine, so if you don't want me to ask her anything about what you uncovered, then I won't act on it. The decision is yours to make, Hinoka."
"You can do what you want," Hinoka replied casually, though her voice had taken on a dark and strained undertone. "I'm not going to stop you. I want to understand this just as much as both of you do. I just... I don't know what to do about it. I don't think I could talk to her in good conscience anyway. Not without taking a bit of time to figure out how I feel about all of this."
"I could always give you her phone number so you can text each other whenever you feel ready for that," Izumi offered. "I'm more than happy to ask her about what she knows, but if you decide that you would rather opt for something a bit more direct, then I would be more than happy to pass along her number."
Hinoka hesitated at that, but Koji was more than happy to jump in and fill the silence. "Don't do it. Don't leave behind any evidence of the two of you knowing one another," he cut in. "If your father is really as controlling and miserable as you make it sound, then it wouldn't be out of the question for him to try and search Chiaki's phone if he had reason to suspect she was up to something. I would rather keep both of you out of potential trouble by just getting around that roadblock entirely."
"Are... Are you speaking from experience?" Hinoka asked slowly. She had noticed the shaded rage to Koji's tone, a type of grief that she couldn't quite put into words no matter how hard she tried, and she knew it had to come from experience. "Is that what your father used to do to you?"
"When I was younger," Koji confirmed. "He outgrew it around the time he decided to settle down with Satomi, but I still don't like taking chances. Hell, having Koichi's number on my phone is a risk, and that's why I don't even have his name logged in my contacts just in case my father decides to go snooping behind my back. I'm not going to leave a paper trail and risk getting discovered because of it, and I don't think you and Chiaki should take that chance either."
Hinoka considered Koji's words for a long moment, rolling them over in her head slowly but surely, before she nodded. "Alright... I understand," she agreed carefully. For a few heavy moments, the trio remained quiet before Hinoka looked to the Warrior of Light once again. "Your father still doesn't know that you and Koichi managed to find each other, huh?"
"No, and I don't intend on telling him either. He's done more than enough harm and grief to both of us, and it's not worth it," Koji replied bluntly. "He made up his mind when he decided to be a complete piece of shit to me for the last sixteen years. He had the chance to mend things between us, and he never took it. That was his choice to make, and now, he's going to have to live with it. If he wanted to be trusted with significant events in my life, then he shouldn't have acted the way he did toward me. I'll do everything I can in order to make sure that he never finds out about Koichi if that's what it takes."
Hinoka thought about it for a few seconds longer before nodding, allowing her eyes to fall shut as well. "Yes... I want to do the same," she murmured. "I might not be able to do much to help Chiaki since I don't live with her, but... I can't let this get out as long as she still lives with our father. I don't know how he would react if the truth came out about all of this, but I don't think it would end well for any of us."
"If I had to guess, I would say that Chiaki didn't even realize that he had another family if she was so shocked at the sight of you. If you didn't know the truth, then she was probably unaware as well," Izumi chimed in. "I bet that your father just returned to his other family after what he cited as a time away without saying that he had been with his first family... The family that he should have stayed with all along."
"I don't know, but I want to get to the bottom of this," Hinoka concluded. "Just... Not right now. I don't know what to think of any of this at the moment, but... I need a while to think about it. I never thought this was how today was going to go, and I just... I'm not sure of anything anymore. I thought I knew what I was going to be doing this afternoon, but that all fell apart so easily."
"We understand," Izumi assured her. "We don't need to go to the Digital World anymore. I don't think you would be able to focus even if we tried. It's alright if you think it would be for the best if we just stayed here and didn't do much of anything this afternoon. You can stay here for as long as you would like."
Hinoka considered Izumi's offer for a short while before nodding. "Yes... I think I would like that," she whispered. "I know I'm going to have to go back home and talk to my mother about this sooner or later, but... I can't do it yet. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to her. I don't know if she was aware that my father had another family, but I don't want to be the one to tell her... I may not have a choice, but I can still decide when to do it, and now isn't a good time."
"Alright then. I'll just pass along the message to Tomoki and the others that we won't be able to make it tonight," Koji said as he reached for his phone and D-Tector. He winced at the sight of an emergency alert on the screen of the D-Tector before looking over to Izumi and Hinoka. "I didn't even realize that..."
"It seems like they're fine," Izumi told him as she pulled up the group chat for the Legendary Warriors on her phone. "They sent a message explaining everything that happened. I don't think they would have been able to do that if they were still in a state of emergency in the Digital World... Though I suppose we're going to have to talk to Junpei and Saki about what they can do regarding potential upgrades to that program. I think it would do us a lot of good if we could communicate a bit easier across the barrier between worlds."
Hinoka nodded as she leaned over Izumi's shoulder to read the message in the group chat. "Let's see... What did those four get up to...?"
~~~~~
Haroi tucked his phone away once he was finished with his explanation of the day's events, and he let out a hefty sigh as he practically collapsed backward into his wheelchair. He was already sitting down, but the way the air deflated out of his body on the spot still made it seem as if he was a puppet with cut strings. He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes exhausted as could be. "I sincerely hope we never have to deal with anything like that again," he murmured.
After the end of the battle with Scorpiomon and the SandYanmamon, the group went back through the portal to Earth and decided to spend the remainder of the afternoon at the Reiku-Tsurumaki household. They were too tired to continue their investigation, but they didn’t need to anyway. They had found what they needed to know from the search, and it made the path to the future even clearer than before.
"I'm hoping for that too," Mayumi sighed with a shake of her head. "I'm glad we were able to get a bit more confirmation on the Inaie issue, but that fight was an absolute pain. As much as I love turning into Digimon, I don't love the exhaustion that comes with a huge fight like that. All it does is make me tired for the rest of the day."
"All that we learned only helps to hit the point home even harder. The island of Inaie seems to have something to do with the recent happenings of the Void Fragments. All we need to do is find a way to prove it, and that starts with us going there over the weekend," Yumiko announced. She sighed and shook her head. "I don't want to believe that the island could be involved with everything we've seen up to this point, but it seems as if this is our only lead right now. We need to at least try to investigate it."
"We're not going to be able to accomplish much as long as we can only stay there for a few hours at a time though," Tomoki pointed out. "I think we've all noticed by now just how ineffective our strategy of going to the Digital World and only staying there for a short while is. We're going to need a bit more time to stick around and investigate, especially if we're going to be sifting through the entire island to find traces of evidence that could lead us to the Void Fragments."
"But how are we supposed to find a way around that?" Yumiko asked with a frown. "We can't exactly stay in the Digital World for any longer than we have been. If we stay for too long, then we're going to attract the attention and worry of people back here on Earth. Unless we can find a way to get around their concerns, we're not going to be able to fix our recent routine."
"The answer is a rather simple one if you ask me," Mayumi declared. "In fact, the truth has been sitting right in front of us all along. We have a place to go when we want to go to the Digital World as a full unit of twelve. That's been the case ever since Hinoka brought it up. Why not take advantage of that and use it as an excuse for us being in the Digital World too?"
Haroi thought about it for a moment before nodding to himself. "You mean to suggest that all of us should use staying at Hinoka's house for the night as an excuse to get away from the worry of our parents," he murmured. "It could work. If it seems like we're just hanging out with a friend, then they'll have no reason to ask any questions of us at all. They wouldn't have any grounds to suspect we were not on Earth either."
"Of course, we would have to ask Hinoka if it's okay first," Mayumi went on. "But I feel like we could always pack overnight bags like we're going to stay there and then just leave them all in her room. If her mother really acknowledges her so little that she can get away with being gone for hours at a time without being caught, then this might not be as much of a stretch as we think."
"There's one thing that we need to have on our side before we try that though," Tomoki frowned. "We're going to need to have access to the cross-dimensional communication feature to our D-Tectors that Junpei and Saki have been working on. We might not be able to do much about our phones not working in the Digital World, but we need to be able to know when others are trying to contact us here from Earth so that we can respond accordingly and keep the ruse up. All of this is going to be for naught if we get caught the instant one of our parents asks us a question that we can’t answer because we’re in the Digital World."
"I'll message Junpei about it tonight and see how it's going," Haroi offered. "This plan has a lot of moving parts, but I think we'll need to work all of this out sooner or later anyway. Going on the way we have been isn't going to help us in the long run. We need to get to Inaie so that we can figure out what's going on there and what secrets are hiding from us. We also need to solve our problem of not being able to stay in the Digital World for too long due to factors on Earth. On top of that, communication across the worlds is another issue that we need resolved. If we can get all of the pieces to come together the way we were hoping, then this could be the perfect chance for us to knock out three targets with one throw and make our lives much easier from here on out."
"Then it seems we've got a plan," Mayumi grinned as she reached for her phone. "We'll have to see if the others have things going on this weekend, though I suppose that's just a part of getting everyone together for things like this. If all goes well, this will be the weekend we finally get our hands on the truth behind all we've been fighting with the Void Fragments."
"One of us is going to have to head back to the Digital World to tell Bokomon and Neemon about this after we've ironed out all the lingering details," Tomoki remarked. "I mean, we shouldn't ask them to help us secure a route to Inaie until after we've managed to find a clear plan forward, but it's something we'll have to keep in mind as we get ready to go ahead with this."
"We'll get there soon enough, I'm certain," Yumiko assured him. "For now, I'm sure the others will be able to help us in terms of finding a solution to all of our issues. Inaie is going to reveal the truth to us soon enough. All we have to do is find a way to reach out and bridge that gap for ourselves."
The other three Legendary Warriors nodded to her firmly. There was still a lot they didn't understand, yes, but they were getting closer to getting the truth to come together. It was a step in the right direction, and that was something all of them sorely needed.
They could only hope it didn't come with an added dose of violence for them to fight through, though all of them were smart enough to not believe something as peaceful as that would happen easily.
~~~~~
Izumi sighed as she put her phone down off to her side. She had just finished reading through the report of what had happened in the Digital World that afternoon, and she was quietly relieved that the other four had decided to come back earlier than expected because of the battle. It meant she, Koji, and Hinoka wouldn't disappoint them anywhere near as much by having to explain that they wouldn't be able to leave Earth behind that afternoon. Plus, it gave Hinoka a bit more time to gather her bearings about what she was going to tell the other Legendary Warriors about her relationship with Chiaki, and that counted for quite a bit given her current emotional distress.
"So... Inaie is looking more and more like a potential enemy," Koji concluded as he crossed his arms. "If we keep seeing it right after a fight or hearing that it passed through an area just before we got there, then that has to mean something."
"Do you think Inaie could be the reason all of this is happening?" Hinoka questioned with a frown. "I really don't want to believe that an island full of Digimon who want peace for the Digital World would really be working against us like that... It just doesn't feel right to think that of them, you know?"
"It's impossible to say what their link to all of this could mean right now, but either way, it's something we're going to have to investigate. This merits a deeper dive into the truth no matter how you look at it," Koji replied. "We're going to need to find a nice time to go to Inaie when we won't need to worry about being interrupted here on Earth. There's a lot to be found in the Digital World, and going for just a few hours at a time isn't going to do much for us as long as we can't make significant progress in those short bursts."
"Anime and movies make it seem so easy," Izumi commiserated with a shake of her head. "Maintaining a double life is much harder than people would imagine, especially when you need to cross a barrier between worlds to do it. We have no idea what's going on with the other world when we're in the other, and that just makes things even more complicated."
"Earth is going to be safer once we can find a way to push through the Void Fragment issue," Hinoka said. "I'm not entirely certain how we're going to do something like that, but... Well, I suppose we're going to have to figure it out sooner or later."
Izumi opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by a beeping sound from her phone. She pulled the device up and looked at it carefully, reading the message Haroi had just sent to the group chat. He wanted the group to go to Inaie that weekend and stay there perhaps overnight to conduct a full investigation of the Void Fragments. That would no doubt be the best way for the Legendary Warriors to gather the information they were looking for, especially since their previous efforts hadn't seen any notable progress.
"He does realize what he's asking, right?" Koji asked, raising an eyebrow doubtfully as he looked at his own phone. "We can't just stay in the Digital World overnight. Everyone here on Earth would flip out. That seems like the best way to get caught doing something shady, and it's not like we could explain the truth to our families even if we wanted to. I want to make it very clear that I don't want my father to know anything about this, so we can't just—"
Another shrill beep pierced the air, and Hinoka glanced down at her phone. "It's a message from Tomoki," she declared as she opened up the text. She read over the message for a few moments, her eyes growing wider as the seconds went by. She swallowed dryly once she was finished, and Izumi and Koji both watched her in confusion and curiosity as they waited for her explanation. "Well... I suppose we might have our way out of this."
Koji's expression twisted doubtfully. "You can't be serious," he muttered. "Just how are we going to keep from getting caught when staying away from Earth is going to be a one-way ticket to a mass grounding?"
Hinoka swallowed dryly. "They don't need to know that we left Earth at all," she murmured. Izumi and Koji shared a confused look before turning their attention back to Hinoka. "Here's the plan..."
~~~~~
Traveling through the portal to the Digital World always left behind a strange lingering sensation, like crackling just beneath the skin or vibrations on the tip of one's tongue. Saki had grown used to the change of environment over the course of their numerous trips through the rift, but something about it felt different this time. They tilted their head toward the skies overhead, inhaling sharply. When they exhaled, their breath fogged up in front of their nose and mouth before fading into wisps on the wind.
Coming to the Digital World had been a bit of an impulsive decision on Saki's part. They hadn't been planning on going to the Digital World until the full group could come with them, but fate seemed to suggest that they go against that plan, and so, there they were. Saki wasn't exactly there to speak with the Digimon guides nor were they in the Digital World to seek an audience with Alastomon or Biastamon. No, they were there on a private affair, a mission they couldn't run from even if they tried.
With the individual portals up and running, Saki saw no reason to stay away from the Digital World when the whim took them to head to the other realm. This spur of the moment logic had brought them to the Digital World with a sole purpose in mind: to speak to Miriamon. Still, they didn't want anyone to know they were there and start asking questions since they knew already that they wouldn't be able to explain themself or answer any inquiries properly. Miriamon wasn't going to help their case much either given how secretive and cagey she got around the Warrior of Steel. No, this was something Saki had to do alone, at least until they were able to grasp more tangible evidence of everything that was happening.
Saki didn't know much about Miriamon, but they could say a few things for sure: she had met Saki's parents many years ago, and that meant that at one point, Miriamon had been human. Miriamon was a unique Digimon even in a world of strange monsters, and there had never been anyone quite like her before or since she appeared. Her power was difficult to pin down, and she had no easy level of strength to be compared to other Digimon either. She was simply a beast all her own, and nobody knew what to think of her.
If Miriamon had been human at one point though, then that cast everything into a new light. The Spirits couldn't exactly be classified easily within traditional power scaling of the Digital World because of the human side that allowed them to thrive the way they did. The Legendary Warriors hadn't been the first humans in the Digital World though; somehow, Miriamon had come first, though it was impossible to say just how she had gotten there or why she was in the other realm at all. Saki already knew that Miriamon wouldn't just tell them just because they asked. They were going to have to chase the truth themself, and if that was the game Miriamon wanted to play, then so be it. That was her mistake, and it would become her cross to bear.
As soon as Saki was sure that they were alone within the Continent of Ice, they reached for their D-Tector. They had wanted to find a place that was desolate enough for their standards so they wouldn't have to risk being spotted either by some rogue familiar face or by a wandering citizen of the Digital World. The Continent of Ice had the smallest population of the regions in the Digital World since very few Digimon could withstand the harsh cold, and as such, it became the perfect place for Saki to touch down.
Saki scanned a single ring of Fractal Code across the top of their D-Tector as the world around them began to explode into light. Lyramon appeared in their place a few moments later, and they used their rapier to cut a hole in the sky. From there, Lyramon walked through easily, the braided tip of their hair flowing behind them just before the portal closed.
On the other side of the rift, Lyramon stepped out onto the glowing crimson ground of Rubrum. The moon was just as empty as it always had been, just vast expanses of rust-colored silt as far as the eye could see. The only structures that broke up the monotony were the elemental temples, but since there were only thirteen shrines for the entire moon, it was more common to see nothing than it was to see one of the shrines. Still, it didn't take long for Lyramon to adjust to their surroundings enough to set a course for the primary shrine of the moon where they already knew Miriamon would be waiting.
As soon as the main temple came into view, Lyramon allowed light to surround them once again as they reverted back to being Saki. The Warrior of Steel sighed before walking toward the double doors, feeling a pulse deep in the cavern of their chest that told them Miriamon was there. Even if she tried to avoid them, Saki could tell that she was in the area. Her secrets wouldn't stay safe forever.
In the end, Miriamon seemed to realize that hiding was futile as well, and the left door slowly but surely pushed open to reveal none other than the Arbiter of Souls herself. She was pressing half her body weight against the side of the right door as she looked out at Saki. She barely seemed surprised to see them there, instead just looking through them with a bone deep exhaustion that would likely never fade. "If I had known to expect company, I would have welcomed you with a bit more extravagance," Miriamon told them softly even though they both knew the statement was little more than a lie to fill the silence.
"That won't be necessary," Saki assured her with a shake of their head. "I simply wanted to talk to you about a few things... Recent events, old questions. Assuming you would be willing to hear me out, that is." It was a challenge, not outright phrased as such but with an intent still clear as could be. Miriamon knew what Saki was after, and there was little way for her to refuse without letting the mask slip and reveal a detail she had been hoping to keep hidden for a while longer.
Miriamon rolled Saki's words over in her mind for a few long moments before nodding. "Of course," she agreed as she started back into the temple. Saki was more than happy to follow after her, closing the door behind themself along the way. This was a step in the right direction even though it felt like they were riding the thin edge of blackmail just to have this opportunity at all.
It didn't take too long for Saki and Miriamon to settle down in the room meant for the Warrior of Steel within the temple, something Saki was beyond relieved for given their growing impatience. Miriamon took to making tea for them both, not bothering to ask how Saki took it. As it turned out, her assessment was correct without the need for the question. When Saki took a sip, they were surprised by the bitterness of the concoction, and they could only wonder quietly how Miriamon had figured out such a small detail about them. Then again, with how many secrets Miriamon kept on a regular basis, it was hardly surprising that she didn't offer an explanation for it. Instead, she simply sat down on the floor across from Saki, folding her legs up beneath her body as she took a sip of her own drink. Saki could tell by the difference in color that Miriamon's tea was a bit sweeter than theirs, so she had gone out of her way to make something a bit out of the box for Saki. It was suspicious, and Saki was determined to get as close to the heart of this matter as well as every other damn problem Miriamon had caused for them. No matter what it took, the truth would find a way into the light.
"How have things been going on Earth?" Miriamon questioned as she dragged a small spoon through her tea absentmindedly. She focused on the way the drink stirred and shifted beneath her influence as an excuse to not meet Saki's gaze, but both of them knew the truth for what it was. That seemed to be a rather common occurrence with them. Saki and Miriamon knew every little step that came with their dance, but they could never quite bring themselves to say it out loud. After all, information was a valuable resource that was always in high demand, and neither one wanted to show their cards too soon. That was how Saki had managed to survive this long at all. Who were they to betray their old habits now?
"Everyone is feeling the sting of what's been happening lately," Saki replied as they took another long sip of their tea. "Koichi is just as quiet and reclusive as ever, though I suppose that doesn't mean much to you. He actually decided to tell you what has been on his mind even though he hasn't even come close to imagining such a thing with the rest of us."
Miriamon continued to stir at her tea, but Saki's words made her stagger for a brief moment before she went on. "I'm sure Koichi will be comfortable enough to talk soon," she murmured. "I told him that he should try to reach out to the rest of you. No secret can be kept forever, and the truth finds its way out no matter what we may try. Koichi knows this all too well."
"And it seems that you do too," Saki remarked. They were already finishing up with the small talk before getting into the real heart of the matter, knowing that Miriamon's musings of truth and secrets were the perfect jumping off point to get to the facts of their connection. "You know something about me that you don't want the rest of the world to know."
"Look to the past to find the answers you seek," Miriamon said simply, closing her eyes with as much force as she could muster. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she didn't want to look at Saki anymore, not that the Warrior of Steel took offense to it. They were as avoidant as it got, and this was just another piece in that twisted image. They knew what the symptoms looked like all too well even if they hated having to admit it. Saki couldn’t resent Miriamon fully for her secrecy when they had been much the same way for years before they met the rest of the Legendary Warriors. They were reserved, but they were hardly a hypocrite.
"That's the thing though, isn't it?" Saki hummed. "You say that, but you haven't elaborated much on what it means... It really does make a person wonder what it is that you're talking about."
Miriamon remained silent, waiting for the ball to drop the way she knew it would sooner or later. Saki was too smart to let this chance slip away without pressing at least a little more information out of her, and she knew it just as well as they did. As long as she intended on maintaining her silence though, Saki knew this to be the perfect chance to keep talking. "I think I figured out quite a bit about you when we were last talking," they went on. "You knew my parents back when they were still alive, and that logic means that you must have been on Earth at some point. In fact, I would assume that you were on Earth because you were a human at one point. The Legendary Warriors were far from being the first humans to bridge the gap between worlds. You're a human as well, and that's the reason that none of us can quite figure out what your gambit is. You're just like us—not quite Digimon, but not quite human either."
Miriamon said nothing for a few tense moments, and the air between them seemed to grow frigid and percussive, each breath rattling around with the force of an explosion. Miriamon finally forced a careful, deliberate sigh from between her lips as she took another lengthy sip of her tea just to have an excuse to not answer Saki's inquiries for a short while longer. "You are a sharp person, Saki. You know how to uncover the truths that most others would never even begin to explore," she finally said.
"I think we both know that's an understatement," Saki frowned as they leaned forward a little bit more. "You know the truth of the past. You know something about my parents that I was never made aware of. In case you didn't already know, 'looking into the past' isn't quite as simple as you make it sound. My parents have been dead almost as long as I've been alive, and the truth was buried along with them."
Miriamon swallowed dryly before stirring at her tea once again, treating the small teacup like it was the only thing keeping her from splintering like a weak tree at the heart of a hurricane. "I know of their deaths," she confirmed carefully to Saki. "I know of the reason that you're here as well. I don't even think that you fully understand why everything happened the way that it did."
"Maybe not yet, but I'm not going to let this rest. I finally have the chance to investigate everything that led up to my parents' deaths, and given the unnatural circumstances, I have reason to believe they were murdered," Saki went on. They took a long drink of their tea, noticing the way that Miriamon winced at the reference to murder. "You know something about their deaths, and given how readily the truth was erased from Earth, you seem to be my only option. Telling me to look back bears far fewer fruits than you would like to admit. You said before that the truth always finds a way out regardless of what we want. I think it's high time that you confront that fact for yourself as well."
Miriamon bit down on her lip, working the skin between her teeth like she was trying to release blood, before she forced herself to drink her tea instead. Either way, she was occupying her tongue so she didn’t need to speak, and Saki could feel their impatience with her slowly rising in the pit of their stomach. "The Digital World is a complicated place, and it brings out a lot of complicated emotions in the people who come here," Miriamon replied in place of a proper answer. "People change when they come here. You can still feel the sting of the past even after leaving this place behind. You'll continue to feel its power for as long as you draw breath. That much I can say with certainty."
Saki watched her for a long moment, staring over the rim of their teacup as they tried to figure out just where each word fit into the grander puzzle. There was something Miriamon wasn't even coming close to explaining, not that Saki expected anything else from her given her natural secretive behavior. The Warrior of Steel looked up to the ceiling of the room, admiring the way the silvery metal gleamed in the minimal lighting provided by the torches that lined the space. "People change in all sorts of ways for all sorts of reasons," they finally forced out. "But after centuries upon centuries here in the Digital World, you're the same as you were before. Or, at the very least, that's what my instincts from my past incarnation are telling me. You've been frozen in time for as long as the Digital World has lived without Lucemon. Change comes for us all eventually though. You'll have to admit to the truth sooner or later whether you want to or not. If you don't want to come out and say it, then I'll just have to drag the truth out of you kicking and screaming. You know how it is. If you know me as well as I think you do, then you know how this is going to end."
Miriamon once again said nothing, and Saki took the last few sips of their tea before sighing heavily and setting the cup down to their right. "You knew exactly what sort of tea I would like without even needing to ask," they continued. "You know a lot more about me than you want to admit. I would even dare to say that you know just about everything a person could possibly know without the need for a conversation. It runs deeper with me than any of the other Legendary Warriors even though we have never met before. How is that possible?"
Miriamon took another sip of her own tea, drinking it at as painfully slow a pace as she could manage for the sake of maintaining her distraction. If she let the world slow down enough for her drink to drain, then she would have no other defense against Saki's probing questions. If the walls and armor finally fell, the truth would make itself known, and she wouldn't be ready for that for a long time, assuming she ever crossed that threshold to begin with.
"You can feel it, can't you?" Miriamon whispered, treating the words like they were heavy and scared. "The past always has a grip on us no matter what we do. You still think of your time in the Digital World. It changed your life irreversibly, and you'll never be able to forget it. The changes we face control us, and they decide the course of our lives."
"I don't believe in destiny," Saki interjected, raising one hand to cut her off. "I believe in the power that I possess on my own. I believe that I can do whatever I put my mind to as long as it exists within the realm of possibility. I believe in my ability to unravel the truth of a history that you're keeping from me. I don't care how much you want to hide this truth; I will find a way to understand it one way or another."
Miriamon offered them a sad, watery smile, something in her eyes shifting into a thinly veiled blend of grief and terror. "That's what I fear the most," she admitted softly. "But I shouldn't have expected anything less."
Saki raised an eyebrow in her direction, leaning forward a little bit more. "And what does that mean exactly?" they asked. When Miriamon offered no answer, they rose to their feet, leaving their teacup where it rested on the ground beside their shoes. "Alright. If this is the path you've chosen to walk, then so be it. I will find a way to make the future different sooner or later. Your days of secrecy are numbered, and you know it just as well as I do."
Miriamon pressed her eyes closed, almost as if she thought that she could make Saki disappear entirely if she concentrated enough of her energy on the concept. "I know," she whispered to herself. "I could never forget."
"Then engrave it in your mind and heart..." Saki instructed of her. They drifted over to the door that led out into the hallway, pressing one hand against the doorframe as they shot one final glance over their shoulder. Miriamon finally opened her eyes and truly met their gaze for the first time since the conversation had begun. "And be ready."
Saki walked into the hallway without missing a beat, closing the door behind them. Miriamon's grip on her teacup grew ever tighter, and she swallowed around the thick knot that had risen in the back of her throat. "I doubt I ever will be."
~~~~~
As it turned out, working out the details of the plan for the upcoming weekend was a much simpler affair than Tomoki would have expected. Hinoka had been quick to agree to the idea Mayumi had proposed, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors fell in line without missing a beat. They would be setting out for the Sakatami apartment when the weekend arrived, supplies in tow for an overnight mission on Inaie. It was a shame that they couldn't stay any longer than two days and the night in between, but it was the best they had managed to get their hands on in quite some time. If all went well, they wouldn't even need anything else after this.
That was the hope, at the very least, but Tomoki couldn't bring himself to put his full faith in it. In fact, the mere idea of the Void Fragment situation resolving itself so easily after all the grief and trouble it had caused didn't feel real at all. The Void Fragments had to have a much greater story than any of them could have ever imagined. That was the only possible explanation for why they had been such a pain to both Earth and the Digital World. There was much more to this than met the eye, and going to Inaie for the weekend would not reveal the full truth of the matter.
"Well... I guess that settles that for the time being," Mayumi announced as she tucked her hands up behind her head. "The only ones who haven't responded yet to the message are Koichi and Saki, but I'm sure we'll get them to notice it soon enough. Saki has a lot to do just in general, and Koichi..." She trailed off before shaking her head. "I guess we'll have to see what he chooses to do."
"That's a nice way of phrasing what's happening right now," Kuma remarked dismissively. "He's avoiding us and wants nothing to do with anything we try to do to help him."
Tomoki chose to not voice Kuma's words though, instead simply smiling to the other three teens in the room. "It's a step in the right direction though. We haven't heard from everyone yet, but it hasn't been all that long since we sent out the message to begin with. I'm sure that Koichi and Saki will get back to us sooner or later," he said, though he was just as much trying to convince himself as the rest of the group. Koichi was only growing more secretive as time went by, and Saki... Well, Tomoki didn't actually know what was going through Saki's head, but he was aware that it had something to do with Miriamon. At least they were more likely to respond to the call to action than Koichi, for whatever that was worth. Oh, how completely the situation between them had shifted from what the rest of the group would have expected.
"Then we'll just have to talk about all of this a bit later when we've heard from the last two members of the group," Yumiko concluded. She reached for her bag where it rested on the ground near her feet, swinging her backpack over her shoulder easily. "I wish we could have learned a little bit more from today's investigation, but we still did our best, and that has to count for something."
Tomoki nodded as he reached for his own bag. Haroi rolled forward ever so slightly in his wheelchair, adjusting his grip to stop himself a beat later. "We'll figure everything out soon enough, I'm sure," Haroi assured them. "Saki and Koichi probably just need a little bit of time, and it wouldn't be right of us to expect so much from them right off the bat. We can see what happens on Inaie over the weekend. Until then, we should try to get as far ahead on our homework as we can before something happens for all of this to become a much larger issue."
"It's a plan then," Mayumi grinned. "We'll have everything figured out soon enough, I'm sure. All we need is a little bit more time, and this weekend will give us hopefully all the time we need to investigate Inaie and come back with answers about if the Digimon there are really involved with the Void Fragment attacks."
Tomoki hummed, praying with everything he had that Mayumi was right. He wished he could have been a bit more optimistic about all of this, but it was like there was something holding him back, a deep churning in the pit of his stomach that demanded that he hold back and not let his hope get the better of him. In a word, the sensation was nauseating, but the much more pressing matter was that it was familiar. Tomoki just chose to not admit that out loud or internally.
Yumiko and Tomoki made their way to the front door of the Reiku-Tsurumaki home from there, waving one another farewell before going their separate ways for the night. Tomoki began to trace the familiar path back in the direction of the Himi home, trying his best to shake the fear that was starting to run hot and wild in the pit of his stomach. Where was all of this anxiety coming from? The group was going to find a way to handle this no matter what it took. They had already said that. He shouldn't have been as afraid as he was, but he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Tomoki, I need you to run."
It was Daipen's voice that told Tomoki that he wasn't just imagining all of this, and the Warrior of Ice offered a brief glance over his shoulder, already knowing exactly what he was going to find when he turned. Yutaka was leaning against the side of a building, and Tomoki could feel his mouth go dry before he fully registered the sickening taste of bile against his tongue. Yutaka must have been monitoring him. That was the only explanation for his brother showing up so soon after he had left behind Mayumi and Haroi’s home.
Yutaka knew where his friends lived. Yutaka had been following Tomoki enough to figure out where his friends lived. Yutaka was willing to stalk Tomoki to the point of standing outside of his friends’ homes to wait for him.
Tomoki's breathing quickened, and every terrifying image he had tried to ignore over the years came flashing back to him in an internal scream that sounded a lot like the roar of an angry Digimon. No, it sounded like Blizzarmon specifically. Yutaka was the reason he had struggled to control Blizzarmon at first, and his body knew it just as well as he did. There was something to fear now too, and by everything holy, Tomoki sure did fear it.
Tomoki took off running as soon as he was able to bring himself to move once again. He knew Yutaka was continuing to follow him, and while Tomoki didn't know what it was that his brother wanted, he didn't want to ask about it either. If Yutaka's past behavior was anything to go by, it wouldn't be pretty. Nothing with Yutaka ever was. He loved making his brother miserable in the name of a sense of justice and retribution that didn't truly exist, and Tomoki had grown used to it and then some over the years. He hated having to acknowledge the truth for what it really was though, and so, he ran.
It was hard to say who exactly was looking around the area carefully in search of a safe place to hide, but Tomoki knew that his body's eyes were scanning the streets as he ran. There had to be somewhere around there that he could hide out, right? He didn't want to go back home and risk drawing Yutaka into the place where he spent years fighting to feel safe. He and his family had already been forced to move after the restraining order against Yutaka went into effect, and Tomoki had still been aware of his brother trying to find him despite it all. He had to find a way to escape his brother without going back to his house or drawing too much attention to the situation at hand. After all, if someone outside got involved, then Tomoki knew he would have lost already. He knew the story already from what his parents had taught him growing up; to the rest of the world, he was just a dramatic brat of a younger brother. They had never quite phrased it like that, but their biases towards Yutaka from the beginning of the disaster had told Tomoki all he needed to know.
It wasn't until after Tomoki had managed to slide into a busy coffee shop that he allowed himself to fully breathe again. He was more than happy to scurry off to the bathroom at the back of the building, pleased to find that it was a single stall restroom. Tomoki twisted the lock shut and leaned against the door, his eyes wide and his breathing ragged. His chest felt like it was going to vibrate and then explode forth from his body under the weight of the stress.
This afternoon had told Tomoki a few things about the situation with his brother. First, the previous time he had seen Yutaka hadn't been a coincidence. Yutaka still wanted to be in Tomoki's life, and he would do anything to make that happen, including breaking the law as long as the ending result brought him some degree of satisfaction. Second, Yutaka had been keeping enough of an eye on Tomoki to know where his friends lived and when he would be with them. This meant that there was a chance Yutaka was watching Tomoki at school too. There was no sacred space; Yutaka could have known just about everything. Third, Yutaka was going to keep chasing him for as long as he had to in order to get what he wanted. There was no escape. There never had been, and there never would be.
Tomoki didn't realize he was crying until the tears began to slide across his skin and into his palms. His hands were shaking, and Tomoki realized soon afterward that his entire body was trembling as well. It was as if an ancient pain had been disturbed, leaking something sinister onto the tiles of the coffee shop bathroom. He felt as if all the blood was draining from his body, more and more with each passing second. Yutaka was a parasite that wanted nothing more than to take everything from him, and Tomoki could feel it deep in his heart. There was much more to this than he could have ever hoped to describe in words. All he knew was the agony that he didn't quite know how to share with anyone.
But he was going to have to talk about it sooner or later, wasn't he? His parents would have to know about this so they could decide on the next course of action. The rest of the Legendary Warriors were going to need to know in case Yutaka wound up staking out their homes as well. He already knew where Mayumi and Haroi lived, and he could have known anything about the others as well. Tomoki couldn't take any chances, not when it could put the people he loved in danger.
He was going to have to be careful with how he managed his time from then on. He would have to find a way to keep Yutaka off his back without letting any details about his true actions slipping. It wouldn't be easy, especially if Yutaka was really following him as intimately as it seemed, but Tomoki at least had to try.
He couldn't let Yutaka control his life again. He had been afraid for too long, and he refused to let it happen now. Not again. Not ever again.
~~~~~
It wasn't until late that night that Saki found the time to get on their laptop again. They had pulled away from their regular secluded corner of the orphanage—assuming any space there could even be called 'theirs'—to hide in the shadows just around the back of the building. On multiple occasions, Saki had considered just sleeping in the Digital World and manipulating the portal so they could take their laptop in with them without leaving anything behind. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option tonight. They had other things to look into, and it all started with the truth that Miriamon was trying to push them to find in her own special way. They would need internet for that, and so, there they were.
At this point, Saki was convinced that the disappearance of Kage Shiraki had to have something to do with all of this. The strange lack of information about the case couldn't have been a coincidence. Saki had combed through most of the other cases that their parents had taken on, and if they had ever met a teenager with Miriamon's same blonde tresses, then Saki hadn't seen it. That left only one case as the suspect, and Saki was more than happy to get as close to the heart of the truth as they possibly could.
Learning more about Kage Shiraki was a difficult affair, to put it simply, but Saki was eventually able to find a little something that pointed them in the right direction. It was a news article that had been run about two years after his disappearance while people were still searching for him. However, it wasn't the article itself that caught Saki's eye at all. Instead, it was a small picture that was splashed off to the side. The paper was from 1997, but the picture was from two years prior, the year Kage went missing.
That was when Saki saw her.
The picture of Kage didn't only contain him. Instead, there was another girl with him, her smile bright and shy. Even though she was much younger in the photo, Saki would have recognized Miriamon's striking eyes a mile away, and her pale blonde hair made it even easier to identify her. A quick glance at the caption below the photo told Saki that her name was Kana Shiraki, Kage's twin sister.
All of a sudden, the pieces were starting to come together. Saki's parents had met her during the investigation regarding her missing brother. She hadn't always been Miriamon. In the beginning, she had been Kana Shiraki, but something happened, and she began to change until she wound up in the Digital World as the Arbiter of Souls and keeper of Rubrum. Something had changed, and now, she was the biggest thorn in Saki's side they could have ever imagined.
A bit of reading into the article told Saki a bit more about this Kana Shiraki. She and Kage had both been adopted by an older couple when they were children. They were happy throughout their shared childhood, but one day, Kage disappeared. Kana claimed to have seen it, saying that Kage had vanished into a computer screen. Nobody believed her though, instead claiming that it was the coping mechanism of an overactive imagination. That was when they were twelve years old. As the years went by, Kana continued to insist that she had seen her brother fall into a computer screen, but nobody ever took any stock in her testimony.
Aside from Saki's parents, if they had to guess.
Sure enough, a few more minutes of digging told Saki exactly what they had been expecting to hear. Kana went missing six years after her brother did, vanishing in the late summer of 2001. Neither one of the twins were seen again after they initially disappeared. From the sound of it, they had both wound up in the Digital World. That was certainly what the description of being sucked into a computer screen implied. But if Kana was Miriamon, then just what had happened to her brother? None of it made any sense.
At the very least, Saki had some ground to stand on regarding the truth. They would need to investigate a lot more before they would be satisfied with their findings, but it was a step in the right direction. They had been right when they said that Kana was a human, but they had never expected this to be the truth they had been seeking. Even more shocking was the last fact they tucked away into their head for the night, that the politician Botan Yokoyama had apparently helped their parents with the investigation at one point. This strange mystery ran far deeper than they could have ever expected.
But Saki wasn't going to let that stop them. They had come too far to just back down, and they would make sure Miriamon knew that they weren't giving up the fight no matter what. They still had a long way to go before they would have the full truth in their hands, but it was a start. Kana Shiraki was the true identity of Miriamon, and she had been living in the Digital World for years upon years since she disappeared. She had known Saki’s parents, and by extension, she knew them too. She couldn’t outrun that truth forever. Saki wouldn’t let her.
At long last, everything was coming together. They could feel it.
Notes:
Whew. This chapter was a doozy. Everything happens so much.
Let's take things one step at a time then. Poor Hinoka. I know I implied it last chapter, but she deserves better than all this stress. She has a lot to grapple with now that she knows the truth about her and Chiaki, and telling the rest of the Legendary Warriors something like that isn't going to be easy for her. Still, as awful as it is to be hit by such a sudden revelation, it's something that needs to happen, and she's going to find a way to get through it. Still... Poor Hinoka.
Next up is Mayumi, Haroi, Tomoki, and Yumiko's plan to get to Inaie. They're right when they say that the recent idea of going to the Digital World for a few hours at a time isn't working, and they're going to need something different. Unfortunately, that solution comes in the form of Hinoka's complicated relationship with her mother, something that's only going to become more difficult for her to navigate now that she knows what she does about Chiaki. It's a dark parallel to have this be part of Mayumi's plan while Hinoka is having a massive crisis about Chiaki being her half-sister. Still, it's what works, for better or worse.
Now, let's get to the heavy hitting part of this chapter... Saki's talk with Miriamon. The two of them spent a lot of time dancing around each other, and it was a ton of fun to write. They just love being cryptic toward one another. It all comes together well to get ready for the dramatic reveal at the end of the chapter. Speaking of that... Wow. Yeah. I doubt anybody saw something like that coming. I mean, the details are a bit harder to get across in a prose medium like this, and I'm sure the theory would have been a bit easier to construct with animation, but here we are regardless. Still, this is only a small portion of the picture, and there's a lot we have yet to understand. We'll get there eventually, I promise.
Speaking of things we don't understand, poor Tomoki. I just love to make the Legendary Warriors suffer, don't I? Tomoki is no exception. I promise that we're going to actually hear Yutaka speak soon for better or worse, but for the time being, he's just haunting Tomoki in a way that our Warrior of Ice doesn't want to acknowledge. This chapter put a lot of people through the wringer, but I think poor Tomoki and Hinoka need a break the most.
There's only one thing I want to talk about before wrapping things up with this chapter, and that would be the title of this release. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to call it, but I absolutely love the chapter name I came up with in the end. It fits perfectly with Hinoka struggling over her relationship with Chiaki, Saki trying to find out where Miriamon fits in with their blood relatives, Tomoki's escape from Yutaka, and finally the revelation of Miriamon being related to Kage Shiraki. It really is a perfect title for a chapter that contains so many vastly different events, and I love it.
Next week, the moment you've all been waiting for is finally set to arrive: the beginning of the mini-arc on Inaie. I hope you're as excited for it as I am. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 21: Island Kissing Earth
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors arrive on Inaie Island for their investigation into the Void Fragments.
Chapter Text
The rest of the week mercifully passed in peace, and the Legendary Warriors' plans to head to Inaie grew nearer to completion without any outside issues. Hinoka had spoken with her mother briefly about having friends over, but she had said after the fact that her mother didn't seem to recognize the conversation much at all. She had ruefully smiled and said that it was business as usual before inviting everyone to come over at the crack of dawn on Saturday so they would be able to make the most of their time on Inaie. All of them had finished their homework in advance to make sure that they were ready for the upcoming investigation. They wouldn't have the time or energy to think of much else when they returned, and they couldn’t afford to cut their time short with so much on the line for both worlds.
Izumi pulled her things together the night before, and she heard a knock at her bedroom door when she was halfway through packing. Before she could tell the other party to enter, she heard the door open, and she was met with none other than Masae. Her sister's gaze was guarded the same way it always seemed to be these days, a symptom of a fear toward Izumi that she didn't quite know how to articulate or express. To Izumi, the glance felt like a knife to the heart even though she knew Masae would never be so cruel. "So... You're going to a friend's house tomorrow, huh?" Masae questioned slowly as she leaned against the doorframe with a muted, unreadable frown.
"Yeah. A bunch of my friends wanted to hang out, so we're going to have a sleepover party at someone's house," Izumi replied. It was amazing just how effortlessly she could lie to the world and even her own sister despite promising that she would try to be more authentic during her first trip to the Digital World. Then again, this was different. Izumi wasn't trying to fit anyone else's expectations of her anymore; she was trying to keep her greatest secret out of the hands of those who would ruin her for it. She was trying to keep her sister safe from those who could have used her as leverage. Even so, guilt pulled at Izumi’s chest, and she doubted she would ever be truly free of its sway at this rate.
Masae nodded at that, though Izumi could tell that her sister didn't believe her in the slightest. Masae had been catching on more and more to Izumi's small mistakes in acting—the tiny slip-ups that made it clear there was much more to the circumstances at hand than met the eye. Masae knew Izumi better than anyone, so it would stand to reason that she would be able to figure out when her sister was faltering. Unfortunately for Izumi, her inability to tell her sister the truth had been steadily driving a rift between them, and it would only be a matter of time before something cracked. That much she was sure of, as much as she hated to admit it.
"Try to not get into any trouble while you're with them, okay?" Masae suddenly said, and when Izumi looked up, she realized just how worried Masae looked. Her eyes refused to lock on any one location as she instead just watched anything that could keep her from having to meet gazes with her sister. Izumi had no idea where specifically all of this had come from, but if she had been at all uncertain before that Masae knew something was wrong, this was all the proof she needed to figure it out. Masae had figured out something, but Izumi didn't dare to ask if it had anything to do with the Digital World. Too much was on the line for her to even think of entertaining an idea like that.
"I promise," Izumi smiled gently, though she could tell by the doubtful way her sister looked back at her that Masae wasn't buying it in the slightest. Masae didn't push it though, instead just turning around and walking back into the hallway she had come from. Izumi sighed as her sister vanished from sight, and she pressed her hands against her eyes before dragging her palms down her cheeks. She hated having to lie to Masae, but what choice did she have? There was too much on the line for her to tell her sister what was really going on. One day, maybe that would change, but for the time being, the idea of even coming close to the truth was too terrifying for Izumi to even think of it for a second. She had other things to concentrate on, and she couldn't get distracted now.
As it turned out though, this paranoia followed her even after she finished packing, and when she awoke the next morning, Izumi still felt awful. The sun was just barely starting to creep over the skyline, so Masae was no doubt going to still be asleep when Izumi made her way out of the house. Izumi didn't know why that made her feel so guilty, but it was enough to encourage her to leave behind a note telling her sister she loved her. She set the sticky note on the kitchen table, signing a heart behind her name and hoping Masae found it to be genuine as she walked out the front door.
The trip to the Sakatami apartment was a simple one, and Izumi didn't even realize that a familiar face had slid into place beside her on the train until after Koji spoke. "Rough night?" he asked as he tapped his foot against the floor of the car beneath them.
Izumi offered a weak smile before nodding. "Something like that," she admitted carefully. Maybe Koji would have an idea of how she was meant to handle her struggling relationship with Masae. After all, Koji had been put through the sibling struggle a thousand times over in the last few months since first meeting Koichi. If anyone would know what she was supposed to do, it would be him.
But at the same time, Izumi couldn't bring herself to say anything to him about it. He was still stressed over Koichi, and Izumi didn't think it was right to tell him that she was worried about her younger sister not caring for her anymore. It all felt so ridiculous when she thought of it that way, but the pain that came with the idea made every part of her body want to scream and turn itself inside out on the spot. She remained silent for the rest of the train ride instead of saying a word, just holding onto the nearby guardrail with a death grip tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Maybe if she tried enough, she would be able to push all of her negative energy out through her fingertips. She could only hope.
Izumi and Koji arrived at the Sakatami apartment together about half an hour later, and the rest of the group was already there, holed up in Hinoka's room as Junpei and Saki typed away on their laptops relentlessly. A few of the group's D-Tectors were hooked up to the two computers as Junpei and Saki worked, and Izumi remembered that the two of them had figured out the last major update their D-Tectors would need for quite some time. They would be able to communicate across the worlds with this new update, and that meant that if anything happened on Earth, they would be able to hear about it. That way, if a family member or other friend texted them while they were in the Digital World, they would know about it in advance instead of winding up in trouble after the fact. Their phones may not have gotten service in the Digital World, but their D-Tectors most certainly did, so the devices could act as substitute phones as long as the Legendary Warriors were in the other realm. It was a huge weight off Izumi's shoulders, though she doubted it would do much when it came to everything Masae suspected of her. Still, it was something, and she was willing to take it.
As Izumi and Koji passed their D-Tectors over to Junpei and Saki, Takuya began to explain the plan. There wasn't much space with all twelve of them crammed together in the small space of Hinoka's room, but Takuya still found the room he needed to pace around slowly as he spoke. "Alastomon and Biastamon were able to secure us a route to Inaie. The island doesn't stop often, but they arranged a place for us to get picked up when the island stops for the first time in about a week," Takuya began. "Miriamon will be coming with us to help with the investigation, and the Digimon guides will be there too. Our job is to look around as much as we can and figure out just what's going on with the Void Fragments, assuming there's any connection between them and Inaie at all. When we've gotten our answers, we can get off the island tomorrow night, report back to Alastomon and Biastamon, and figure out a new course of action from there."
"If there are Void Fragments on the island, then we're going to need to be careful with how we handle things," Mayumi announced. "We haven't heard of any Void Fragments possessing humans on account of us being the only humans in the Digital World, but bad things could still happen if we find ourselves on the receiving end of their dark magic. Be safe when you're looking around, everyone." Izumi saw Saki and Koichi both go still for a brief moment while Mayumi was speaking, but they hid it so masterfully that by the time Izumi had fully turned to face them, they had gone back to their previous activities like nothing had happened. Given how secretive both of them had been as of late, Izumi shouldn't have been shocked that they had some sort of reaction. She said nothing about it, instead just giving them a frown, unsure as to if they would notice or even care.
"I guess we're ready to set off then," Junpei said. He unplugged Koji's D-Tector before passing it back to the Warrior of Light, and he glanced over to Saki. They did the same with Izumi's D-Tector, and the Warrior of Wind gladly accepted her device back into her hands before tucking it away at her waistband.
"We're using Hinoka's laptop to get there and back. Junpei and I are both bringing our computers so that we can have a communication stream with Alastomon and Biastamon for our reports," Saki explained as they closed their laptop and slid it into their backpack. "They said that Darcmon would be giving us a place to stay on the island for the course of our investigation, but she doesn't know why we're there. Nobody is to say a word about our reasons for being there unless it's absolutely necessary, and even then, I would rather us not have to talk about it."
"We have a plan then," Koji announced. He retied his ponytail, perching it at the top of his head instead of the base of his neck. "If there are no other objections, let's get to it. We're burning daylight." Hinoka nodded before she raised her D-Tector toward the portal. Everyone else followed suit, and they melted into the laptop screen as the world began to twist.
When they next touched down on solid ground, the Legendary Warriors were in the middle of a vast expanse of grass. Miriamon was standing nearby, and the wind rustled her hair and dress. She brushed a few threads of pale blonde hair away from her face as Bokomon and Neemon waved from their places at her feet. Saki remained at the back of the group as the Legendary Warriors approached Miriamon and the Digimon guides, their eyes narrowed in the direction of the Arbiter of Souls.
"So... When is the island getting here?" Haroi questioned. "How are we going to know what to do when the island arrives?" It was good to know Izumi wasn't the only one somewhat anxious about this endeavor. She was doing a much better job of hiding it than Haroi though for whatever that was worth.
Chihiro cut in before Miriamon had the chance to do anything more than open her mouth. "It's coming. I can feel it," they announced. "If all goes well, we'll just be able to board the island when it stops moving."
The island came rolling over the horizon soon afterward, and Izumi's eyes went wide with shock as she took in the scope of the island for the first time. It was much larger than she had initially expected, a massive patch of rock that moved perpetually across the surface of the Digital World. It had to be larger than most suburban cities, and the longer Izumi stared at it, the more shocked she became at the fact that something like this actually existed. It was even more surprising that its existence was possible at all, though she supposed she had her past incarnation to thank for that in part.
The island only seemed to grow larger to her as it came closer, and the patch of land slowly slid to a stop near the Legendary Warriors. Miriamon raised one hand to create a barrier of cyan energy that stopped any stray pieces of sand from hitting the group in the face, only dropping the shield when Inaie was completely stationary. Among the rocks that lined the outer edge of the island, a stone staircase could be seen, and Takuya took the first step before gesturing for the others to follow. From there, the Legendary Warriors, Digimon guides, and Miriamon all walked up the stairway slowly and carefully.
When the group arrived on the island itself, all Izumi could do was stare. The architecture of the island's city was a strange blend of modern technology and her perceptions of a medieval village. A few massive skyscrapers pierced the heavens, but crops lined the space in between, and the houses were much smaller and made from brick and stone rather than steel. The city's streets were lined with light posts, and strings ran between the poles, but they weren't currents of electricity. Instead, they were long sets of fairy lights that no doubt sparked to life on the most exciting knights in the city. Everything about Inaie was strange, but at the same time, it was breathtaking.
And the architecture said nothing of the occupants of the city. Somehow, the Digimon that lived there were even more incredible. Human and Beast Digimon freely lingered together in the streets of the own, speaking to one another with smiles on their face and no cares in their hearts. Izumi could see this place for what it truly was the longer she looked around. It truly was a paradise the way that others had claimed, a place for Human and Beast Digimon to blend in perfect harmony.
The Legendary Warriors remained silent in their awe until two Digimon made their way toward the group. The first was a woman wearing black, gold, and red armor. She gripped firmly at a staff that glowed black and gold in the overhead sunshine, and four wings spread out behind her in a display of grand radiance. A sword was sheathed at her side, a sign of her prowess on the battlefield. Her eyes were the color of sapphires, the one thing she had in common with the Beast Digimon at her side. Said Beast Digimon was a white hippogriff with purple markings on her chest, face, and legs. Her beak was bright yellow, the same color as her back legs. Her claws were black, and a tail of pure white flowed behind her gently.
"Darcmon," Zephyr offered to Izumi as she watched the humanoid Digimon. "The leader of Inaie Island. The bird Digimon to her side is Hippogriffomon, who I can only imagine is one of her helpers in maintaining the island."
The best way Izumi could describe Darcmon was as the embodiment of power. She carried herself with such confidence that it seemed as if she would be able to tear the heavens apart without breaking a sweat. Nothing seemed to bother her, a firm but kind leader who would do anything for those under her rule. Izumi could already see just at a first glance just why so many people had come to admire Darcmon so deeply. She could tell that her opinions would shift in that direction as well soon.
Assuming she didn't find out Darcmon was involved with the Void Fragments, of course.
"Welcome, Legendary Warriors!" Darcmon announced, gesturing one arm out grandly. Her other hand remained clasped around her staff from where she pressed its base against the ground below. "I'm glad to see you have arrived. The people of Inaie have been eagerly awaiting you ever since I told them that you would be coming."
"I'm glad to see that our reputation precedes us," Takuya grinned, and Chihiro rolled their eyes at what was clearly proof of Darcmon's words fueling Takuya's ego. Izumi held back a light laugh, holding up one hand to cover her lips from view.
"Of course. Inaie has respected the Legendary Warriors as the saviors and leaders of the Digital World since times immemorial. Our very land would not exist without the Legendary Warriors and their efforts," Darcmon went on. "We could never go against your request when we heard that you wished to see more of our home. Please, make yourselves as comfortable as possible. Hippogriffomon can take you to the small building we've prepared for you for your time here. It's not much, but I hope you'll find it satisfactory. If you need anything, all you need to do is say so. All of Inaie's people would be happy to help you if you seek our aid."
Izumi nodded at that, and she hoped that Darcmon was telling the truth. She wouldn't know until it was too late if there was something more to this than met the eye, but that was a bridge she could cross later on, she supposed. For the time being, Izumi couldn't help but bask in the confidence and power Darcmon radiated, impressed there was someone with so much power alive at all. Darcmon wasn’t on the same level as the Celestial Three had been, but she remained firm and strong nonetheless, and Izumi couldn’t help admiring her even as her mind told her to be suspicious in case this all turned out to be a lie.
"We'll be holding a festival tonight to honor your arrival on the island. Many of us have been hoping that you would be able to visit after they learned that the spirits of the Ancient Warriors had been reincarnated, so now that you're finally here, everyone is beyond excited to greet you," Darcmon smiled. "Should you need me, I'll be in the town square helping to set up the festivities. Make yourselves at home. Consider our home your home."
With that, Darcmon turned and flew away as the island started to move once again, slowly at first before picking up speed. Izumi would have stared at the passing horizon for hours once the island hit full speed if not for Hippogriffomon turning around to leave as well. "I'll take you to your quarters for the next few days. Once you're settled in, feel free to explore the island to your heart's content," she said. "Follow me."
The Legendary Warriors trailed in her footsteps at that, and Izumi found herself taking in a slow, careful breath. She hoped Inaie had nothing to do with the recent tragedies of the Void Fragments. She wanted nothing more than to be able to consider this a second home just as Darcmon had requested. Perhaps all of this was just some sort of cosmic coincidence. That was what Izumi was praying for, at the very least.
What a shame that the universe never liked to listen to her hopes. Masae was proof of it, and Izumi wished she didn’t have to admit it.
~~~~~
It didn't take the Legendary Warriors too terribly long to set all of their things in the small house they were making their own for the remainder of their trip. After Hippogriffomon dropped them off, she retreated to the town square to help with the decorations for the festival that night. That left the Legendary Warriors to explore the island on their own, and from there, they split up to see what they could find. As incredible as Inaie looked, the fact remained that they were there for an investigation, and they couldn't slack off simply because the island felt reliable and safe based on appearances alone.
Yumiko and Tomoki found themselves in a small park not far from the town square, and an impressive play structure marked the center of the space. A few smaller Digimon were playing around on it, some of them laughing while others let out joyful cries as they chased after their friends in games of tag. Yumiko couldn't help smiling at the sight of them, and her heart warmed and lifted as she realized just how happy they were. The rest of the Digital World was in some state of disarray or strife thanks to the recent war or the Void Fragment attacks, but there was still beauty to be found somewhere. This was proof.
Two Digimon in particular caught Yumiko's eye, and they were sitting on the edge of the play structure and talking to each other with smiles in their eyes. One was a dark gray bear Beast Digimon with a light purple hat and indigo belts across his shoulders and hands. His eyes were a bright blue color and shone like the sky. The other Digimon appeared to be a Human Digimon instead, and he wore black, red, and beige fabric that was clearly much too large for him. His skin was a light purple color, and ears and a tail stuck out from around the fabric that lined his body. A kendo mask covered his face, and all that could be seen of his features was a pair of bright yellow eyes. The two Digimon were laughing with one another when Yumiko suddenly felt the urge to walk up to them, and she smiled to herself as she approached the pair, Tomoki trailing behind her.
"Hello, you two," Yumiko greeted. She crouched down to their level to seem as nonthreatening as possible. She gave them a small smile as well, trying her best to seem as open as she could. First impressions were everything, after all.
The two Digimon looked up to meet her gaze with curiosity in their eyes that morphed into shock a moment later. "Y-You're a human!" the second Digimon stammered. He stared up at Yumiko and Tomoki with all the childlike wonder in the world. "But there are only a few humans in the Digital World, so you have to be—"
"The Legendary Warriors!" the bear Digimon exclaimed as he threw himself to his feet. "I never thought I would meet the actual Legendary Warriors! Darcmon said you were coming, but I didn't think you would come here!"
Yumiko laughed gently at that. "We wanted to see more of the island and the Digimon that live here," she explained. "My name is Yumiko, and this is Tomoki. What are your names?"
"I'm Bearmon, and this is Kotemon," the bear Digimon explained. He couldn't hold back his wild grin from the excitement of meeting Yumiko and Tomoki. Beside him, Kotemon waved, though thanks to his oversized sleeves, it just looked like the fabric was rustling around before falling still once again.
"Well then, Bearmon and Kotemon, what can the two of you tell me about the island?" Yumiko asked. "I'm afraid I'm still new here, so I don't know all that much about it."
"W-We're kind of new here too," Kotemon admitted nervously, rubbing his hands together through the fabric of his shirt. "I don't know how much we would be able to tell you..."
"That's alright. I'd be happy to just get to know the two of you a bit better," Yumiko replied brightly. "I think the best way to get to know what a place like this is like is to get to know the people who live here."
"And we'd be happy to talk to you!" Bearmon cried out, only realizing how loud he had been after the words left his lips. He clapped his hands over his mouth at first before letting them fall to his sides with a quiet giggle like he was holding onto the greatest secret the world had ever seen. "Do you want a little tour of the island? We can show you around for a while if you'd like."
"I would love that," Yumiko smiled. She glanced over to Tomoki at that. "Would you like to join us?" She could tell that he was still tense, his thoughts far from on the mission, and she didn't want to push him in the wrong direction or make him uncomfortable by accident. The least she could do was offer him a way out if he didn't want to come along.
"I... I think I'm going to take a walk. I need to clear my head," Tomoki replied. Yumiko's mind was cast back to the shifty way he had been acting when they were attacked in the Earth region of the Digital World, and she decided quietly that she would find a way to help him open up before the investigation on Inaie was over. For the time being though, if he needed space to sort through his thoughts, she would give it to him. There would be other times for them to talk, after all.
"Of course," Yumiko nodded. Tomoki gave her a weary wave at that before he started to walk away, and Yumiko turned her attention back to Kotemon and Bearmon. "Alright, you two. What can you show me of the island?"
Bearmon took her hand in his own before he started to dash off, a giddy smile on his face all the while. "Just you wait! Inaie is amazing!" he cried out. Kotemon yelped with shock at his friend’s speed before he trailed after Bearmon, practically tripping over himself along the way. Yumiko just laughed under her breath as Bearmon dragged her along. If nothing else, she could tell that she was going to get along perfectly with Bearmon and Kotemon, and that was going to make this trip worthwhile regardless of what the Legendary Warriors found in the end.
But if they found the truth behind the Void Fragments too, Yumiko certainly wouldn’t complain.
~~~~~
When the party's members went their separate ways, Saki and Junpei were the only ones who decided to stay behind at the house. They were still setting up their laptops so they would be able to report back to Alastomon and Biastamon in case they found anything. Saki wasn't entirely sure how fruitful the search of the island was going to be, but for the time being, they were going along with it. Alastomon was confident that this had to lead to something, and as long as the Legendary Warriors had no other leads and way too much evidence for it to be a coincidence, this seemed to be the only option for them to pursue.
When Junpei's laptop sparked to life and presented video feed of Alastomon and Biastamon on the other end, Saki halted their own setup to look over at the other screen. Their job for the time being was to keep some form of communications open with Earth so the Legendary Warriors didn't find themselves in trouble as long as they were gone. There were no messages from Earth thus far—as was to be expected—so Saki could safely turn their full attention over to the call with Alastomon and Biastamon.
"I still don't think this is going to help us," Biastamon was saying as he looked over to Alastomon. "This could all just be a coincidence. I know the people of Inaie, and they would never dare to lash out like this."
"It's our only avenue of investigation right now. We need to take this chance and follow it all the way to the end," Alastomon pointed out. "We have no other leads, so this is our best opportunity to learn the truth."
"Hey there, you two," Junpei greeted. As usual, he cared little for matters of formality, and that included talking to the two de facto leaders of the Digital World. "We're at Inaie."
"I'm glad to hear it," Alastomon smiled. "I suppose it's a bit early for any breakthroughs though. If you find anything out of the ordinary, all you need to do is reach out and tell us. We need to cover all our bases, and this is the perfect first step."
"If you don't find anything, please report that back to us too," Biastamon said. "I trust Darcmon, and I know she wouldn't do anything like this. If you find anything that proves a lack of culpability on the part of Inaie, we need to hear about that as well."
"Of course. We'll get back to you whenever we learn something," Saki told them with a nod. "For now, we're going to head out and begin our investigation. We'll have the others call you through this same channel if we find anything out of the ordinary."
"Perfect. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you," Alastomon said. With that, Junpei hit the button to end the call, and the screen returned to a default waiting screen in preparation for the next time a video message needed to be sent out.
For a long time, Saki and Junpei sat in silence. Saki did one more check on their laptop to make sure the Legendary Warriors hadn't received any messages from Earth. When they saw nothing, they pushed themself to their feet and walked toward the door.
"Hold on," Junpei cut in, and Saki turned to face him. "Why have you been avoiding Miriamon?"
Saki's eyes went wide with shock, and they tried to correct their expression even though they could already tell they weren't fooling anyone. "I'm not—"
"I could see it when we first got here. You two refuse to look at each other. You're avoiding her, and she's avoiding you back," Junpei interjected, holding up one hand to silence Saki mid-sentence. "I just want to know what's going on so I can help. I've told you time and again that you can come to me and the rest of the group if you need help. You know that. I want you to take me up on that offer."
Saki turned to face the door at that, unable to meet his gaze for any longer than they already had. "I'm not ready to talk about it yet," they told him simply. "I'll get there, but... Not yet."
Saki left the building with a tap of the door, and Junpei stared at the place where they had been before groaning in frustration. His hands came up to press at his cheeks before he slid his palms down his skin dramatically. He was getting sick and tired of this shit. Sooner or later, something was going to have to give. He knew it.
If only Saki understood that their ideas of intervening with the lives of others since it was better to be hated by a friend than to have a suffering friend applied to them too. That would have made all of this a hell of a lot easier. Unfortunately though, all Junpei could do was cry out in irritation into his palms as an angry headache pounded at the back of his skull.
He would get to the truth sooner or later. Not even Saki would be able to keep him from that.
~~~~~
Tomoki had been kicking rocks along the surface of the ground ever since he left Yumiko behind, watching the way the small pebbles rolled to a stop after each strike. Inaie was covered in tiny rocks like this, no doubt a result of the island's constant movement. Tomoki couldn't bring himself to object though; it was a small distraction from the eternal screaming in the back of his mind that came with his growing fears of Yutaka, and Tomoki would take anything he could get to escape from that for a little while longer.
"Hey, Tomoki!"
The Warrior of Ice just about screamed at the sound of Takuya's voice behind him, and he whirled around before pressing one hand to his chest. Takuya winced when he realized that he had frightened Tomoki, and Koji frowned nervously from his place off to Takuya's right. Tomoki felt his face either go pale or flush bright red, not that he could particularly tell the difference in his frazzled state. "H-Hey, you two," Tomoki greeted, trying his best to save the conversation before it completely crumbled. It was a shame he was already messing that up massively.
"Are you okay?" Koji asked, getting right to the heart of the matter without missing a beat. Tomoki shouldn't have expected to get away without some sort of push of protest. He should have seen that coming. "You've seemed way more anxious than usual all day."
Takuya nodded his agreement. "You don't normally yell like that when someone just says your name. What's going on?" All of a sudden, Takuya and Koji both seemed much taller, and Tomoki felt like a cornered animal even though he knew they weren't going to hurt him. They were his friends, and they cared about him with everything they had. Of course they wouldn't hurt him.
"I... Well..." Tomoki began. He looked at Takuya and Koji's worried faces for a few moments longer before letting out a hefty sigh, knowing his best option was doubtlessly going to be surrender. Takuya and Koji had been there for him when he was struggling with being in the Digital World before, and they would be there for him now too if that was what he needed. He knew that. He could trust them. With a shaky breath, Tomoki forced himself to continue. "A few days ago, Yutaka... He found me after I left Mayumi and Haroi's house. He started chasing me, and... I don't know. I haven't been able to calm down ever since then."
Koji immediately froze and went pale. "I thought he wasn't supposed to be around you. I was under the impression he had a strict restraining order to keep him as far away from you as possible," he said, trying his best to find any sort of purchase that might be able to defend Tomoki from his wild card brother.
"That's what's supposed to happen, but he doesn't want to comply," Tomoki replied, his words getting higher in pitch and faster in pace. "It's the second time he's done something like this. He knows where Mayumi and Haroi live. Maybe he's been stalking me in other places too. I don't want to think that he might know anything else about the rest of you, but I can't stop thinking about it. I'm tired of always having him on my tail."
"You shouldn't have to deal with him either," Takuya frowned angrily. Tomoki could have sworn he saw fire crackle in Takuya's eyes. "No matter what he tries, I'm going to be here for you. I promise. I'll keep you safe from anything he tries."
Tomoki nodded at that, trying to not let the other boys know just how anxious he was about all of this. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, knowing he was going to start crying the instant he acknowledged the depth of his sheer terror. "Thank you," he managed to choke out. "I just... I want him to leave me alone. It's been so long since I last felt safe. I don't know if I ever did, not until the Digital World. There was always something in the way, and it seems like it was him a strong majority of that time."
"You're safe from him right now though," Koji assured him. "Yutaka can't get to you here, and even if he could, we would make sure that he stays far away from you... By force if necessary." The glare that sparked in Koji's eyes with that dark promise reminded Tomoki just how long the Warrior of Light had been training in kendo, and Tomoki was confident that he would be able to defeat Yutaka if it came to confrontation even if Yutaka was much taller than him. Takuya's skills with kicking from soccer would only make the fight easier on Koji's side. Yutaka wouldn’t stand a chance if he tried to fight the Legendary Warriors, and that was even without them Spirit Evolving.
"Yeah... You're right," Tomoki pointed out, trying to let the optimism sit in the pit of his stomach no matter how afraid he was to allow himself to hope that everything might turn out alright. He wanted to think that he would be able to escape Yutaka's grasp before anything twisted against him, but at the same time, he had no way of saying for sure, and the idea made him sicker than he had been in a long time.
Takuya placed a firm hand on Tomoki's shoulder, and the warmth felt gentle and welcoming against Tomoki's skin. He normally despised the heat, no doubt the power of his element of Ice pushing back against the world around him when it felt threatened. Coming from Takuya though, the heat was a sign of safety, proof that nothing would be able to hurt Tomoki as long as he was there to help. Everything would be alright as long as Takuya was there. It had to be.
For a few brief moments, Tomoki almost believed it with everything he had, but that optimism began to melt away all over again in the blink of an eye. He instead swallowed nervously and rubbed at his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop his tears entirely. He began speaking before he could stop himself, the words tumbling limply from the tip of his tongue. "It felt so much easier when we were only here in the Digital World," he confessed.
Takuya and Koji watched him silently as Tomoki sighed and tried to no avail to recover his composure. "The Digital World feels like a complete break from our problems,” Tomoki rambled on. “We can start to fix everything since we're not in the place that hurt us anymore. I was able to push through my fear of Yutaka through my Beast Spirit since I had that space to get away from him. But... Earth isn't like that. Yutaka is back in my life again, and he's going to force his way in with everything he has if that's what it takes. I don't know if I'll be able to control Blizzarmon if we need him again. I'm terrified of everything, and I... I feel like I'm losing all that ground I used to have against Yutaka. I feel like I’m losing all the ground I ever had at all."
For a few heavy moments, none of the boys spoke, instead just watching one another carefully and quietly. Takuya tightened his grasp on Tomoki's shoulder ever so slightly, and the Warrior of Ice looked up to meet his eyes. "You're right... It's not easy," he agreed. "But we're here for a reason, and we're going to make the most of it. Yutaka can't hurt you here, and even if you're afraid of him still... You have all of us, and we'll do everything we can to keep you safe. That much I promise from the bottom of my heart."
Tomoki threw himself into Takuya and Koji's arms before he could stop himself, relishing in the warmth they both brought. He could feel both Takuya's fire and Koji's light licking at his skin, comforting and gentle like a beam of sunlight that managed to break through a snowstorm. It was everything Tomoki needed, and he wanted to stay there forever, or at least until he knew he could leave his fear of his brother in the past once and for all. That certainly would have made the rest of his life feel much simpler had such a thing been possible.
"We're going to make sure your brother never hurts you again," Koji confirmed, his voice quiet and intense. "And if he tries... I'll be there to stop him, no matter what it takes." Rage seeped into his words, and Tomoki felt a shiver rush up and down his spine from Koji's sheer defensiveness.
Even after the embrace broke apart, Tomoki still felt safe. This was where he belonged, and he would find a way to push through this hardship one way or another. He was terrified of Yutaka, but one day, he would be able to push his brother out of the picture too. It would take time, but Tomoki would get there.
At the very least, that was what he was telling himself to stay calm. Controlling Blizzarmon necessitated it.
~~~~~
Chihiro walked slowly through the streets of Inaie, their hands shoved into their pockets. They could feel the constant rumbling of the island beneath their feet along with the powerful Earth magic that pushed it forward eternally. They had never felt stronger, like a battery from beneath the ground was constantly pushing energy up through their shoes into their body. If anything happened and a fight broke out, Chihiro was certain that they would have been able to stop it. How could they not when they had this much power at their fingertips?
Chihiro was so caught up in the feeling of power—something they hadn't enjoyed in what felt like a lifetime—that they didn't even notice where they were wandering. They only stopped when they realized they had made their way to the back end of Inaie, the edge of the island jutting out in front of them before tapering off into the sands below. Dust was kicked up in every direction as it wandered through the world, but the island was tall enough to keep it from being too much of a concern for anyone on Inaie.
Chihiro wasn't alone either. In fact, Mayumi and Haroi were both sitting at the island's edge, the Digimon guides stationed around them. Patamon was sitting on Mayumi's head while Salamon draped herself across the Warrior of Energy's lap. Haroi had come to cradle Lopmon as Neemon and Bokomon leaned against either side of his torso. The group watched the back of the island passively, none of them saying a word, just enjoying the scenery as the sun continued to creep over the top of the horizon.
"Hey," Chihiro greeted simply as they settled down beside the group. Everyone glanced over to watch them, and Chihiro rested their elbows on their knees before leaning forward a little bit. "How's the search going?"
For a few beats, nobody offered a response. Mayumi was the one who finally answered, and she looked up with concern glittering in her eyes. "Do you think there are any Void Fragments on this island?" she questioned in return.
Chihiro hesitated at that for a few long moments before shrugging. "I don't know," they admitted. "I think it's suspicious that we've seen so many Void Fragment Digimon just after the island passes through the area. I feel like that's something we should investigate, though I'm not sure if the people of the island have anything to do with it. Maybe the Void Fragments are contagious and come from some random power source within the island."
"Do you feel any dark power source here though?" Mayumi asked next, and Chihiro faltered before shaking their head. If there was something disturbing resting in the earth below, then they would have felt it already, and they certainly wouldn't have felt so on top of the world if any darkness was being fed into their body. Mayumi sighed, having expected that answer from the start. "I don't think there's anything here we should be searching for. If you ask me, all of this is a setup."
"I find it questionable as well to think that only Beast Digimon can be possessed by the Void Fragments," Lopmon chimed in. "At the end of the day, all of us are made with the same data. Why would some Digimon be susceptible to that corruption while others are seemingly completely immune to it? That doesn't make any sense at all."
"It wouldn't surprise me if the Beast Digimon were being framed," Mayumi declared as she crossed her arms. "I think Inaie is being targeted because it's a place where Human and Beast Digimon can live together in harmony. There are a lot of people who want the two groups to stay separated because of the war against Cherubimon. Maybe the island is being used as a scapegoat by the mastermind. I mean, there has to be somebody out there behind all of this. It can’t just be a coincidence."
"I guess that's all the more reason for us to look around," Haroi hummed. "It wouldn't surprise me if somebody was trying to directly target Inaie for some reason, especially since there are so many Digimon here who believe in equality across the Digital World."
"Maybe all of this was a mistake then," Chihiro sighed. "I mean, I'm glad to be here in the Digital World instead of back on Earth, but I have to wonder if perhaps this is all going to turn out to be a wild goose chase. For all we know, we could spend two days here, look around with everything we have, and still come up with nothing. Hell, even if the island is behind the Void Fragment attacks, they could hide it well enough for us to not figure it out until it's too late."
"We'll have to look closely and stay on our guard," Lopmon concluded. "We should tread as carefully as possible. I want to believe this island is nothing out of the ordinary, but... I don't know. I can't help feeling as if there's something here that we should be searching for."
Chihiro shrugged. If there was something out there, they had no idea what it was, though they were getting a sinking feeling that Lopmon was right. Digimon had much better instincts than humans, and the process of slipping away from humanity had only sharpened Chihiro's senses. They were almost certain the group wouldn't be able to leave the island without at least one battle, though they had no idea how fighting on the island was going to end up going. Only time would be able to tell, they supposed.
They desperately hoped they were wrong though. The last thing they wanted was to think about being hunted or watched while they were in the Digital World. Damn it, this was supposed to be Chihiro's escape from Earth and their constant paranoia. They couldn't submit to that in the Digital World too. How were they going to hold themselves together if the fear followed them everywhere they went? How could anyone maintain their composure under a weight like that?
"I hope you're wrong," Chihiro muttered to Lopmon. "I really, really hope you're wrong."
~~~~~
Once the Legendary Warriors settled in following their arrival on the island, Miriamon disappeared in the blink of an eye. She was there one moment and gone the next, something that was more than a little irritating to Hinoka. She had been hoping to take advantage of this time—potentially alone time with Miriamon—to ask one of the most important questions that had been weighing on her all week. She had spent enough time waiting, and it was time to take action.
Hinoka's worry for Koichi hadn't lessened in the slightest since the day she and Koji went to his apartment. She had been momentarily distracted from it on account of her own recent crisis regarding her connection to Chiaki, but it was difficult for her to fully forget Koichi's anxieties when she saw him at school each day. There was no way for him to escape the same way there was no way for her to avoid his anxieties.
If Koichi wasn't going to talk about it though, then Hinoka was going to have to take it to the one person who might be willing to help her. Hinoka didn't know if Miriamon would be able to tell her the full story on account of wanting to maintain Koichi's privacy, but she still felt like she had to try, and she was determined to do everything she could to ease the burden on his shoulders. She couldn't leave him to suffer on his own, not when there was something she could do to fix it.
That was how Hinoka found herself wandering through Inaie's streets with Izumi at her side, eyes constantly flickering around the area in search of something that might explain Miriamon's sudden disappearance. No, that wasn't entirely true. Hinoka knew exactly why Miriamon had seemingly vanished into the wind. It was because she didn't want to spend any time around Saki when the Warrior of Steel seemed to have something against her so confidently. Miriamon didn't want to stay anywhere she thought she might wind up caught by Saki's iron gaze and stubborn persistence for the truth. That unfortunately made Hinoka's job much harder than it needed to be, so she scanned the streets as carefully as possible with hopes that perhaps the Arbiter of Souls would make herself known without too many issues.
Izumi tapped at Hinoka's shoulder before pointing over to a small garden. Miriamon was sitting on a bench at the center of the greenery, examining a few of the flowers. The hustle and bustle of the rest of the island faded into dull static all the way out here, so Hinoka could certainly see why Miriamon had chosen this as the perfect spot to get a bit of fresh air. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to give Miriamon the peace she sought, at least not for too much longer.
Hinoka and Izumi approached Miriamon carefully, though the Arbiter of Souls noticed them early. She glanced up carefully, a small frown on her face. "Ah, Hinoka, Izumi," Miriamon greeted. She didn't even bother with hiding the fact that she had something much darker on her mind, seemingly figuring out there wouldn't be much of a point. Everyone knew by now that she was avoiding Saki. It was hardly a secret in the slightest, so why bother with pretending it was? "Do you need anything from me?"
"We were hoping to talk to you about Koichi," Hinoka began. Miriamon's expression made a shift toward the unreadable, and Hinoka instinctively jumped in to explain herself the same way she always did when she noticed the atmosphere around her change. "He's still acting so anxious even after talking to you. All of us are worried about him, and we want to do what we can to help. He... He deserves better than to feel like he needs to bottle everything up inside, and I want to try and get through to him to fix this."
For a long time, Miriamon was silent, and Hinoka knew the Arbiter of Souls was considering her words despite her inevitable negatory response. "I... I'm afraid I can't tell you what Koichi shared with me. He told me about his thoughts in confidence, and I refuse to violate his trust," Miriamon said slowly. It was nothing Hinoka hadn't been expecting, but she found herself disappointed regardless. "I will tell you that I asked him to approach all of you soon enough. He can't bear this burden on his own, and nobody should ask him to do so either."
"We all just want to help him," Hinoka agreed, knowing her words were edging on pleading but not quite sure of how to stop it. She took a moment to breathe, the air feeling frigid and foreign in her lungs. "I... I'm tired of seeing him clam up each time somebody tries to reach out to help him with all of this. We're all his friends, and we want what's best for him. This... He shouldn't have to feel like he has to hide all of this."
"I understand your concern, and I'm confident that Koichi sees it as well,” Miriamon replied gently. “He... He's afraid right now, and I don't want to push him too hard too soon if it can be avoided. He's seen a lot of hardship as of late, and I don't want to make this any harder for him."
"I... I understand," Hinoka forced herself to say around the massive lump in her chest. "I'm glad he was able to talk to you at the very least. That's better than him just keeping all of this locked up inside forever." She could feel Izumi's eyes on her, and Hinoka could tell what the Warrior of Wind was thinking. Izumi didn't want her to bottle up everything either. That was Hinoka's first instinct, and everybody seemed to know it. She didn't want to hide the way she felt, but at the same time, talking about her issues—especially when it came to something as complex as the sister she never knew she had—felt impossible.
Miriamon seemed to be able to tell there was something hanging in the air that she didn't yet understand, and she glanced back and forth between Hinoka and Izumi for a moment. "You know, I didn't just extend my offer to talk to Koichi," she began to say slowly and carefully, picking each word like it had the potential to incite a war. "If you need to talk to me, I would be happy to listen to either one of you or anyone else from your group."
Izumi's gaze grew ever more striking, and Hinoka couldn't seem to hold back anymore. She sighed and pressed her hands against her eyes, pushing down until stars exploded across her vision. "I... I learned something earlier this week that will change the course of my life as I know it," she said slowly. "I... I found out that I have a sister that I never knew about."
Miriamon's eyes widened a fraction. Of all the explanations she had expected, it seemed that was one of the last. What a coincidence; Hinoka hadn't been expecting the hit until it slammed into her headfirst either. The Warrior of Water choked her nerves back before she continued. "My parents split when I was younger. My father left us behind, but I never quite understood why. Now... It all makes sense. He cheated on my mother, and all this time, he had another family. When the truth came out, he ran to his other family in hopes that perhaps they would give him the sympathy my mother and I would not. Now, I have a sister I never knew about because of him, and I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it. I haven't breathed a word to her since I found out about all of this. I don't know what I could even say even if we did run into each other."
Miriamon nodded along all the while, only speaking when she was certain Hinoka was finished. "I wish I had more advice to offer you on the matter, but... I'm afraid I do not," she admitted. "Something like this... It's a lot to grapple with, and I can't blame you for not knowing how to respond to it."
"I'm used to being an only child. I never even began to imagine what having a sister would be like, much less what it would mean if she was part of the reason my family shattered years ago,” Hinoka rambled on. “I don't hate her for it or anything. The actions of our father aren't her fault at all. But... I don't know. How can I react to all of this knowing what I do now?"
"I wish there was an easier way to balance the two sides of our lives," Izumi admitted. "But... We don't know what we're supposed to do in order to move forward. Chiaki wants to find out who we really are as the Legendary Warriors. She's one of the people trying to investigate our true identities back on Earth. Balancing both lives is hard enough as it is, and this... This will only make it harder."
Hinoka nodded her agreement, though she could tell the comment about keeping their lives in balance was only halfway a reference to Chiaki. Miriamon seemed to be able to sense it as well, and she placed a careful hand on Izumi's shoulder. "What are you thinking of today, Izumi?" she asked softly.
Izumi hesitated before shaking her head. "It's not important. It just feels like everything has become so much harder over the course of the last few weeks. There are people who want to know who we are so they can reveal the greatest breakthrough in the last century: the existence of magic. Over here, there are attacks happening on a daily basis, and even if we spent all our time here, we wouldn't be able to stop every fight. We can't save everyone no matter how hard we try, and that's not going to change. We're stuck in the middle with no way to fix this. Not even finding the mastermind will resolve all of our problems. It's hard."
"Yeah... It is," Hinoka agreed softly, unable to raise her voice much louder than whisper. "But we have to find a way through it no matter what happens. That's what we do. We're the Legendary Warriors. We already saved the Digital World from disaster once. We have to do it again. That's our job."
Miriamon took one of Hinoka's hands gently in her own, and Izumi came up behind her friend to give her a hug. "We're here for you no matter what, alright?" Miriamon reminded her. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I would be happy to offer you safe passage to Rubrum. It doesn't matter which of you needs support—I'll be there. I promise you that much."
Hinoka nodded, trying her best to not acknowledge the massive lump that had risen in her throat and chest when she wasn't paying attention. "I... Thank you," she managed to say softly. "Thank you for everything."
Miriamon simply smiled in return. "It's my honor and my pleasure."
~~~~~
Koichi wasn't entirely sure how he had managed to navigate to the edge of the island, but he didn't think he cared much for the details either. He sat down on the cobbled stones that lined the outside of Inaie, pulling his knees up to his chest as he watched the sand roll by below. They would be closer to the mountains of the Earth region soon, and Koichi could only hope the island passed through the area safely.
Still, the movements of Inaie were far from being at the forefront of his mind. Instead, all Koichi could seem to think about was the awful truth he had been trying to fight back against ever since he first uncovered the origin of the Void Fragments. The Legendary Warriors of Void still lived on inside of his mind and body, and there was nothing he could do to change it. He had been trying to run from the truth all this time, and he had always fallen short. There was no escape, and he knew it no matter how much he hated having to admit it.
Miriamon had been right when she said the truth was bound to come out one way or another. The only decision Koichi really had was how he was going to break the news to everyone else. Was he going to wait until the world caught up with him and revealed the truth itself? Or would he finally cave and reveal everything he had been trying to keep hidden ever since he stumbled into the calamity that was his own mind? Either way, he was going to completely crumble. It didn't matter how it ended. It was over for him.
When Koichi looked down at his hands, he realized just how much he was shaking. He shouldn't have been that surprised. Ever since arriving in the Digital World, he had felt the sting of his own fear. He had been struggling to control his Digimon form ever since he first realized Dusk, Velge, and Malkako still existed, but nobody else quite understood the full extent of the damage. If an attack took place while the group was on Inaie, then he would have no choice but to transform to fight back. If he didn’t do that, then he would have to explain himself and why he was choosing to hide like a coward. Either way, the truth would find a way out of his heart and into the light. It felt like Koichi was playing chess with every piece set ablaze. The instant he made any move, everything would go up in smoke and ash.
He wouldn't be able to keep this a secret forever, but he wouldn't be able to tell the rest of the group either. He wasn't strong enough, and he doubted he ever would be. Duskmon, Velgemon, and Malkakomon had done so much to hurt each of them. Koichi still remembered the way Oceaniamon had screamed into her hands, sobbing over her perceived weakness even though she had been stronger than him from the start. He still thought of the bitter arguments he and Lyramon had shared, wondering if Saki still had nightmares of them too. He still found himself struck statuesque and terrified each time his mind drifted back to the time he had nearly cut his brother in half, musing on how big the scar left behind was.
No, he couldn't tell any of them. They would all find him to be the monster he had known he was all along, and Koichi couldn't do that. He wanted them to stay in his life, even if it was just a small lift higher before the inevitable downfall. He selfishly needed the Legendary Warriors, and even if it meant lying to them with words they would never really believe, he would do it as long as he could cling to that light for a short while longer. He would lose it, but if he could draw out his fate even a little bit… He had to try. He had to.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never escape the darkness. No matter how fast he ran, he could never hide from the truth. No matter how much he lied, he could never keep the secret.
They would find out. All Koichi could do was choose how it would happen.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
And so begins the Inaie mini-arc!
I've been really looking forward to this one for a long time. It took me a while to decide on how I was going to repurpose and use the material from the Frontier movie, and I'm really happy with how things stand now. This little arc of ours is going to last for quite a while, and it's a huge point for character development, in case you haven't already noticed. I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope you all are too.
Now, let's get to the scene by scene breakdown! I'm going to admit that the Masae and Izumi scene near the beginning was a bit of a last-minute addition. I started writing it on a whim and just couldn't stop. I really like how it turned out though. Masae is still very much a factor in all of this even though a lot of new plot points have been introduced on Earth. We haven't been keeping up with her as much as with the investigation team, but she's still here, and Izumi is still miserable about it. This chapter was a lot of laying groundwork, and this scene is just the beginning.
Let's talk about the scene with Kotemon and Bearmon now. I loved writing Yumiko here, and I think her being good with kids makes a lot of sense given her kind personality. You can see how much she's started opening up and coming into herself since the first book now that she has a concrete support system. Her helping Kotemon and Bearmon throughout this arc is just the beginning. I adore her character growth here. I've got big plans for these three throughout the rest of the Inaie arc, to say the least.
Then there's the part with Saki and Junpei. These two have a lot to talk about, but they don't quite know how to handle it. Saki is just as secretive as ever, and Junpei can't quite get through to them. As is stated in the scene with Takuya, Koji, and Tomoki, recovery is a rocky journey, and these two show it perfectly.
Speaking of those three, here they are! This is the first time the three of them have been alone together since chapter six of the first book, and I really do like writing their dynamic as a trio. Once again, they're here to talk about Yutaka, and poor Tomoki is going through it. Luckily, he has two older brother figures there for him, and if Yutaka even looks at him again, he's going to face hell. There's a lot brewing with Yutaka, to say the least, and Tomoki unfortunately faces the brunt of it. Poor kid.
Having Chihiro, Mayumi, and Haroi together for the next scene was a bit of a spur of the moment decision when I was planning out this chapter, but I really like how it all came together. The three of them are great together, and they're the perfect group to theorize about everything happening on Inaie. Mayumi has had her doubts about all of this from the start, and I wanted her to discuss them here despite all of the evidence against Inaie. As usual, the Digimon guides are sticking to Haroi like glue, and by extension, Mayumi as well. This is a fairly common group to see together, but with Chihiro, it becomes something new, and I like it. Also, this is a perfect time to show off the influences of their elements in their human forms. If a fight breaks out, Chihiro is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Once again, the scene with Hinoka, Izumi, and Miriamon is an example of a scene with a few characters that regularly interact, but the addition of one other character makes it fresh. I wasn't originally planning for Miriamon to come to Inaie, but I'm glad I decided to bring her along. She fits perfectly for this character driven part of the story. As it turns out, everyone is forced to talk about their feelings when they're stuck on an island together, and Miriamon will hopefully join that soon. For now, she can help Hinoka to feel better about her problems with Chiaki, and Hinoka certainly needs that. Give all of these kids a break.
This arc is, as you can see, a lot, and this author's note took me so long to write that it's now after midnight on October sixteenth, making it now the seventeenth. In other words, it's my birthday! I'm twenty now, baby! I started writing this series when I was seventeen, and... Wow. That's weird to think about. I turned eighteen during the writing process of the first book, and now, I'm turning twenty during the second. Wow. You know what? Nope. Not going to think about it. Time flies. That's what matters.
With all of that said, I'm going to wrap things up here after one of our longest author's notes so far in this book. Next time, we're going to press right on with the Inaie arc and see how the cast evolves on the island of character growth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 22: Strings Pulled Taut
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors learn more about Inaie and themselves as the investigation continues.
Chapter Text
Junpei wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew that he had to go somewhere.
In a word, he was frustrated. That was a common occurrence these days with the way Saki had been acting. Junpei liked to think that his friends had started to open up to him after their shared adventures in the Digital World and all of the chaos that came with fighting for their lives in another universe. Still, even after all of that, Saki was choosing to hide so much from him, and he didn't understand any of it. They had to know that it was okay to talk to him, right? If that was the case, then why keep so much a secret?
Junpei just wanted to clear his head. He knew Saki wasn't going to open up to him easily. That was what he had learned was Saki's instinct. If they could keep something a secret, then that was what they were going to opt for. They feared talking to other people, and Junpei was just another person in that regard. It didn’t matter how much they had bonded or worked together; he was another threat, and he couldn’t fix it. He wouldn't be able to change their mind no matter how hard he tried. There was little he could do to resolve this, but knowing that didn't change the deep anger directed at himself and the rest of the world that churned in his gut. All he wanted to do was help. Why did it feel like nobody else wanted him to try?
Junpei didn't realize that he was at the central square of the island until he caught a glimpse of Darcmon. She hadn't been kidding when she said the people of Inaie would be holding a festival to celebrate the arrival of the Legendary Warriors. The square was covered in decorations in the colors of the Legendary Warriors, and Darcmon was overseeing the preparations. The island had worshipped the Legendary Warriors for as long as it had existed, and having the reincarnations of their ancient heroes come to visit was the biggest occasion they had seen in centuries. Junpei knew the historical significance of all this, but he couldn't quite seem to get over the idea that all of this was partially for him no matter how hard he tried.
Darcmon noticed Junpei before he could say anything to her first, and she turned to face him with a grand smile on her face. She was a large Digimon, naturally towering over even the tallest of the Legendary Warriors by at least a strong foot. Junpei couldn't help but feel intimidated by her presence as she casually walked toward him, every part of her the very embodiment of strength. "Junpei, yes?" she asked. "The Legendary Warrior of Thunder."
Junpei nodded. Of course she would know his name. Darcmon had no doubt heard all there was to know about the Legendary Warriors when they first arrived in the Digital World. She was the one who had allowed them to visit the island in the first place. She just didn't know why the Legendary Warriors had wanted to come and visit. She hadn't understood that they were there because they suspected her of greater crimes than she could ever imagine. All she did was smile down at Junpei like nothing was wrong, and the Warrior of Thunder felt his stomach lurch with a guilt he didn't quite understand. Was he right to suspect her? Or was all of this wrong in a way he could never assess in time to stop it?
"I hope you've been enjoying the island so far," Darcmon went on. "It's an honor to all of us here on Inaie to have the Legendary Warriors here for a visit. I never imagined I would see the Legendary Warriors return here in my lifetime, but all of that changed when you and the rest of your friends saved us from Cherubimon and then Lucemon. Giving you a place to stay for the night feels like a small offer to exchange for all you've done for both the Digital World and Inaie, but I hope you're enjoying what I and the island can give you."
"Of course," Junpei told her instinctively. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to phrase his next question. He would be able to stop thinking about Saki if he concentrated on the investigation at hand, so he opted instead to dig deep in the name of the Void Fragments. He wasn’t the most subtle person in the world, but it beat worrying after Saki’s constant self-destructive isolation. "If you don't mind my asking... How exactly did Inaie end up the way that it is today?"
"Inaie's land was once a piece of the Digital World," Darcmon began. "During one of Lucemon's outbursts during his reign of terror, part of the Digital World was fractured away from the planet, but AncientTrojamon brought it back to the ground and gave the island life. The small chunk of land would have withered away without her help, but since she stepped in, the island was given a new chance. Ever since then, the island has been a safe haven for those who believe in equality across the Digital World."
"The way Lucemon took power in the first place was because of the fighting between the Human and Beast Digimon, right?" Junpei asked even though he already knew the answer. The Human and Beast Digimon had been at war, and Lucemon had intervened to stop the fighting. He had appeared from seemingly nowhere to end the war and rule over the Digital World. From then, he had taken power and control over the planet only for that same strength to twist him until he was naught but a shadow of his former self. That was the reason the Legendary Warriors had to fight and kill him to begin with.
Darcmon nodded. "There were still those who believed in the conflict's truth after Lucemon took control. Inaie, on the other hand, was a safe place for those who wanted to coexist with all Digimon. The island was made to move across the Digital World since there were many out there who hated Inaie for what it did. The Moon Base is hidden from most of the world on Caeruleum for much the same reason. Equality is a dangerous thing in the minds of those who believe in hatred, and Inaie is a frontline fighter in the name of peace for all," she explained.
Junpei hummed and nodded to himself. "You've been leading Inaie for quite some time then," he remarked. "Everybody seems to respect you quite a bit. Even before we came here, we heard a lot about how much people look up to you for all the work you do."
"All I do is in the name of Inaie's safety and peace," Darcmon deflected. "Still, I'm glad to know others think favorably of me. The leader of Inaie changes from Human to Beast and then back to Human again. My predecessor was a Beast Digimon, but he passed on this mantle to me since he found me to be a trustworthy heir. As a matter of fact, you've met him before."
"Is it...?" Junpei began, his eyes going wide. "You can't be talking about Biastamon, right?"
"I am, as a matter of fact," Darcmon said with a small smile. "He lived here for a great many years before deciding it was time to leave. He wanted to achieve peace elsewhere in the Digital World, but even after all that time, we kept in touch. He was a private leader, wanting to do what he could to keep the island self-contained without others harassing us. Tensions have been rising for a long time, and it was just a matter of time before another war broke out. He didn't want it to come to that though, so he set out with hopes of establishing peace across the Digital World."
"And he placed a warrior in charge of the island in his stead," Junpei concluded as he eyed Darcmon from top to bottom. "How long have you been looking after Inaie then?"
"Quite a while now. About twenty years, I would say," Darcmon said, and Junpei's eyes went wide with shock. Darcmon laughed and shook her head. "It's not that long in terms of Earth's time given how compressed the Digital World's time was until recently. Digimon generally age much slower than humans too, so I hardly look my age. I'm well over two hundred years old, but you would never guess it."
"Wow," Junpei muttered, unable to force himself to say anything else. "You've done a lot of good for Inaie over the course of those twenty years, I can assume. I mean, everybody seems to admire you with everything they have."
"I want the best for Inaie, and that's never going to change," Darcmon shrugged simply. "It's been a difficult twenty years. Human and Beast Digimon have been taking shots at one another for much longer than those two decades. Cherubimon grew paranoid that Seraphimon and Ophanimon were going to betray him since time is a treacherous being that stabbed him in the back. Fear is a terrifying thing, and when it turned against Cherubimon, the Digital World was left to pay the price. After he instigated the war, many Digimon were forced to flee to Inaie for the sake of safety. Twenty years ago, our population was much smaller than this, but times are terrifying, and the people need a secure place to live. Inaie is just the best sanctuary many of them have."
"I guess it makes sense that the conflict has been raging for a lot longer than we would have expected at a first glance," Junpei frowned. "I mean, Cherubimon waging war out of the blue wouldn't make any sense. If he had been afraid for quite a while though, then that makes all the pieces come together."
"He was afraid that the world was going to hurt him. Unfortunately, he was caught up under Lucemon's influence before he had a chance to shake his paranoia off, and that was all it took for the world to change," Darcmon frowned. "Many Beast Digimon were forced to join his army, and those who disagreed were sent on the run. It's been hard having to accommodate so many new Digimon, but I'm not going to let that stop me. We have a duty to look after them, and I refuse to leave anyone out to dry as long as there's something I can do to fix it."
"I'm glad to hear it," Junpei smiled to her. "You've got everything under control around here, and it's a relief to hear. I mean, it's certainly a step above what we've seen from the rest of the Digital World."
"That was the reason Biastamon left," Darcmon sighed. "He thought he would be able to make a difference if he stepped out into the rest of the Digital World to try and set it all right. He was tired of the chaos seeping in from every corner, and he was sure that he would be able to change the way things worked. He became an ambassador for Inaie at first, but that eventually expanded into being an ambassador for all Beast Digimon. He wanted everyone to see one another as equals, and I admire him for that. I've never been as skilled as him in the world of politics. My realm is the battlefield, and I doubt I'll ever find the same power he holds with words."
"He seems to be a kind man," Junpei agreed. "He's on the quiet side, but we haven't seen any reason to disagree with him. He wants to look after the people who are suffering, and he's fighting an uphill battle while still staying optimistic. It's amazing, honestly."
"He's a great Digimon, and I hope nobody ever gives him a reason to take to combat. Few are as skilled with diplomacy as Biastamon, and he deserves better than battle," Darcmon frowned. She looked off to the side before shaking her head, seemingly snapping herself out of a memory. "My apologies. I should get back to decorating. It's not every day you get to welcome the Legendary Warriors to your island, and I need to be ready to throw a festival you'll never forget."
"I'm sure we'll never forget it no matter what you do. I don't think any of us have had an entire island throw a party for us just for coming to visit," Junpei smiled to her, letting out a small laugh. At one point, he would have never thought so many people would even give him a second glance, but all of a sudden, there were people who wanted the best for him and then some. Even if he didn't know the occupants of Inaie well, they still cared for him. They still admired everything he had done. Who was he to turn away their kindness?
"I still refuse to disappoint," Darcmon smiled to him. She seemed a lot less intimidating than before when she turned around to face the rest of the square. "I'll see you tonight, Junpei. I hope you enjoy your time on Inaie until then."
With that, Darcmon took to the skies once again to work with the other Digimon scattered throughout the square. It was impressive just how quickly she fell into the work, a smile on her face all the while. Junpei could see the respect others held for her just by the way they looked at her. There were none on Inaie who were as admired or loved as Darcmon, and she deserved every bit of adoration she received.
That only made Junpei feel worse about all of this. It was no wonder Biastamon had been sure that the island was innocent of any wrongdoing. He hadn't mentioned his history as a leader of Inaie, but he still had faith that Darcmon was leading the people well. He knew better than to think that Darcmon would betray him and bring the Digital World harm. After speaking with her, Junpei felt the same way. She was a good Digimon, only ever searching for the best in others. She wanted to help the Digital World, and without that desire, she never would have come this far or done so much.
If Inaie was innocent of the crime of spreading the Void Fragments, then Junpei didn't know who could have been behind it. Still, he hoped that Darcmon was innocent even if it meant their lead would go up in smoke right before their eyes. It was the better option than the betrayal of such a kind ally.
~~~~~
Izumi let out a careful breath after a few moments of silence lapsed between her, Hinoka, and Miriamon. The air around her seemed to shake, though maybe that was just because her hands were trembling ever so slightly. She couldn't quite tell, but she didn't want to ask any questions about it either. There were much more important things to focus on than her own anxieties, after all. The investigation of the island was a massive and daunting task, and Izumi couldn't let her own fears strike her motionless in the face of potentially the greatest breakthrough yet regarding the Void Fragments.
She glanced up to Miriamon and Hinoka with this in mind, trying to seem calmer than she felt. Izumi had been rattled all day ever since her conversation with Masae the night before, but she didn't want anyone else to know that. She couldn't let anyone else know that. She pressed on her best pretend smile, hoping they bought it even though she didn't have high hopes. "I suppose we should get back to the investigation," she declared. "There's still a lot of ground to cover, and we've only got two days before we have to leave to go back home."
"Hold on," Miriamon interjected, and Izumi already knew she was in trouble. "You didn't seem to be entirely focused when we were speaking a few moments ago. I don't want to push you if you're not interested in talking, but... If you want to talk about what's bothering you, I would be happy to listen. I'm sure Hinoka feels the same."
Izumi looked back and forth between Hinoka and Miriamon, trying to figure out if there was a way for her to get out of this. Did she even want to get out of it? She had been bottling up all of her fears about Masae for much too long, and she wouldn't be able to focus on the investigation if she was thinking about her sister constantly. At the same time though, she felt bad for bringing it up. Hinoka was having problems with her sister as well, and all of that made Izumi's issues with Masae feel so comparatively inconsequential. There were much larger issues to handle at the moment, and Izumi didn't feel justified in talking about her smaller problems.
But the longer she looked at Hinoka and Miriamon, the more her stomach began to sink. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep the truth from them forever. Maybe it would be for the best if she just opened up about it and said what was bothering her. At least then she would be able to stop thinking about the way Masae looked at her like she had never trusted her before.
Izumi swallowed down her nerves and nodded to herself. "It's... It's about my younger sister," she confessed. Hinoka tilted her head slightly to the side, and Izumi sighed before continuing. "Masae... She knows something is wrong. She has no idea what's going on specifically, but I'm confident that she's figured out by now that there's more to all of this than meets the eye. Before the Digital World, we essentially told each other everything, and I guess all of that is starting to catch up with me. She knows that I'm hiding something with the way I've been acting lately, and she's going to try and figure it out soon enough."
"Do you think she could find the truth on her own?" Miriamon asked nervously. "If you need help with keeping it a secret, I'm sure the rest of the group would be happy to do something to assist you. I can't say if there's an easy solution to a problem like this, but if it's help that you're looking for, we would be happy to contribute in any way that we can."
Izumi thought about it for a long moment before she shook her head. "I don't know what to do about all of this. I don't know if I can even fix it, at least not easily," she said softly. "My sister has always been slow to trust. I was the one who taught her that. She's not going to just open up right off the bat if I say that I know something is wrong. She’ll turn the tables on me before I can get her to feel secure enough to tell me what she’s been thinking about. She's trying to figure out what's going on for my sake, and I know that, but... I don't know what to do about all of this."
"What do you think she's figured out up to now? Perhaps talking it all out will help you," Hinoka suggested. "I doubt she knows everything that we've been up to since we've done such a good job of keeping the secret, but..."
"She doesn't know anything about who we are or what we've been up to," Izumi explained first and foremost. "I've made sure that she doesn't have any ideas of the truth behind our recent activities. Ever since we got back from the Digital World though... She's been a bit suspicious of me. I think she's figured out that something happened that day even if she doesn't have a simple explanation for it. The... The episode I had the day of the Drimogemon attack probably didn't help my case much either."
"The... Episode?" Miriamon questioned, fear starting to creep into her voice and onto her face. "What exactly happened that day?"
"The ground started shaking from the earthquake caused by the Drimogemon, and... I don't know. I froze. I felt like I wasn't on Earth anymore," Izumi began. She shot an anxious glance over in Hinoka's direction, only realizing too late that she wasn't going to be able to stop now that she had started talking. She just hoped Hinoka didn't still blame herself for something that had happened while she was still under Cherubimon's control. "I felt like... Like I was in the whirlpool."
Hinoka's eyes went wide with shock, and Miriamon tilted her head slightly to the side, a silent prompt to continue. Izumi pressed one hand to her forehead, trying to convince herself to keep talking in the face of Hinoka's worried and guilty expression. "It... It was how I found my Beast Spirit. It was creating a tornado, but since the Spirit was underwater, it was creating a whirlpool. The short version is that I wound up at the bottom of the whirlpool and got my Beast Spirit, but... I almost drowned. I try my best to not think about it when I can avoid it, but... I don't know. When the ground started shaking, I felt like I was back in the whirlpool all over again, and all I could do was just... Stand there. I fell to my hands and knees, and when Masae walked in, she knew something was wrong. I ran out, and ever since then... I don't know. I feel like she's been even more afraid of talking to me. She knows there's more to this than I'm telling her, and she doesn't know what to do about it."
Miriamon nodded along to the story, trying to come up with the words to respond properly. Hinoka, on the other hand, took a step toward Izumi, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. "Izumi, I'm sorry," she murmured. "The whirlpool... I... I don't think there's anything I could say that could make up for what happened that night."
Izumi held up her free hand to stop Hinoka from going any further. "I forgave you for what happened a long time ago. You were under Cherubimon's control, and there was nothing you could have done to push back against all of that. I just... I think about the whirlpool sometimes. That's nothing you should have to carry on your shoulders," she assured the Warrior of Water. "Apparently it bothers me a lot more than I thought if I had a breakdown about it like that. I feel like that day is the reason Masae is walking on eggshells around me. She doesn't know what's going on, and I can't really tell her either. I think she would believe me if I was sincere enough, but... I can't just put her in danger by telling the truth about everything that happened."
"I agree that it's probably for the best to keep the secret from her for as long as you possibly can. If she eventually finds out, then I suppose we won't be able to avoid it, but... I don't want her to learn of the Digital World prematurely. You're right when you say that it's dangerous, and I would rather not get innocent people involved with this," Miriamon said. "But that doesn't mean you can't spend time with your sister at all. As long as you're careful, you can continue to be around her. In fact, I think you should spend more time with her if you can. That might not reverse the effects of her concern, but it should at least soften the blow in some ways."
"I hope you're right," Izumi sighed. "I've been trying to figure out what to do for ages now, but I can't ever seem to find the right answer. Masae knows me better than just about everyone. Aside from the Legendary Warriors, she knows me best out of anyone alive. In fact, the only thing she doesn't know about me in some way is the fact that I'm a Legendary Warrior and part Digimon. I hate having to hide things from her more than anything. Now, she's figured out that I'm lying to her about something, and she's going to find a way to squeeze the truth out. The last time I hid something from her, it nearly killed me. She’s not going to let me get away with keeping secrets after all of that. I know she's going to reach the truth soon enough whether I'm ready for it or not."
"If something like that does happen, we'll be here for you," Hinoka assured her. "I want to help you to keep the secret from her for as long as possible, but if she winds up stumbling into the truth, the rest of us will be here to help you with it." She let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I can't really do much about my relationship with my little sister right now, so the least I can do is try to help you with yours."
"Thanks, Hinoka," Izumi smiled gently. Silence fell over the group once again before the Warrior of Wind looked up at Hinoka slowly and carefully. "I hope you don't still blame yourself for what happened with the whirlpool that night. I meant it when I said that I had forgiven you ages ago, and I don't want you to blame yourself for something like that when I've never held anything against you for it."
Hinoka seemed caught off guard by the words at first, her eyes wide with shock, but she forced herself to concentrate again a moment later. "I... I used to feel way worse about it than I do now," she told Izumi. "You said that you didn't hold anything against me when we first met as our human selves, and at first, I thought it was too good to be true. Now that I've had time to get to know you and the rest of the group though, I know that's just what all of you do. You forgive others. You never hated any of us Fallen Warriors even after all we did while we were under Cherubimon's control. If not for your genuine kindness, I would probably still blame myself for it, but... I know better than that now. You wouldn't have given me a place in your lives if you didn't actually forgive me for all I had done. As long as you hold nothing against me for it... I'm not going to hate myself for it either. You're the one who makes that decision in my mind, and I'm not going to turn against that."
Izumi smiled gently at that, relief flooding her chest. The first time she had met Hinoka, she had feared that the Warrior of Water would never forgive herself for what had happened while she was under Cherubimon's command, but these days, that past version of Hinoka felt so distant. She had come a long way since then thanks to having the rest of the Legendary Warriors there to comfort her through it all, and Izumi couldn't have been prouder. It had taken a while for Hinoka to settle in with the rest of the group, but she was in a great place now, and Izumi loved to see it.
"I'm glad to hear it," Izumi said softly. "I don't want you to hate yourself for something out of your control. We felt the same way toward everyone else too, and... I'm glad all five of you have come to accept it now."
Neither Izumi nor Hinoka noticed it as it was happening, but the mention of all five Fallen Warriors made Miriamon shift uncomfortably on the spot. She turned her attention to the ground at her feet, staring daggers into the pavement like she thought it would right a wrong that nobody else quite understood. She snapped out of it quickly though, instead clearing her throat and offering the two Legendary Warriors a gentle smile. "Perhaps we should continue our investigation elsewhere on the island," she suggested. "We have quite a bit of ground to cover, and we shouldn't delay it for any longer than we need to."
Izumi nodded her agreement. "You're right. We should get back to work," she said firmly before looking over to Hinoka. "Do you feel any better about everything that's happened over the last few days?"
Hinoka smiled. "I feel about as well as I can... Which is to say, much better." Her uncertainty was clear as could be, but Hinoka didn't bother with trying to hide it the way she once would have. Instead, she let the weakness lay open and free, fragile but important nonetheless.
Izumi returned the smile, something tired but relieved finding a home in her eyes. She knew it wouldn't be easy to resolve her issues with Masae, but she was still going to try. At the end of the day, Masae was still her sister, and Izumi loved her more than anything else in the world. No matter how difficult it got, Izumi would persevere in the name of her younger sister. Masae deserved that much. "Yeah... Me too."
~~~~~
As it turned out, Kotemon and Bearmon's tour of the island helped Yumiko a lot when it came to orienting herself with her unfamiliar surroundings. The two knew the island much better than she would have anticipated, and Yumiko couldn't help but smile at their sweet, childlike commentary throughout the trip across Inaie. Something deep in the pit of Yumiko's stomach told her that a lot had changed since her ancient form had first helped to establish the island, like everything was familiar but just barely out of reach in terms of her personal understanding. Still, she rather enjoyed being able to see Inaie in full. The longer she looked around, the more she realized just how accurate everyone's descriptions of the island had been up to that point. The Human and Beast Digimon of Inaie really did work together perfectly, creating a community much like the Moon Base. It was beautiful, and Yumiko could only wonder how much things would have changed if the Digital World was just a little bit more accepting of ideals so precious.
At the end of the tour, Yumiko settled down on a bench with Kotemon and Bearmon. They were in a greener part of the island, expanses of wildflowers and grass stretching out before them. Something about this area in particular felt perfect to Yumiko in a way she knew words would never be able to describe, like a seed deep within the pit of her chest was finally starting to blossom. Inaie felt alive to her in more ways than one, and she could feel its love and life with each breath. Saki had mentioned before that they could feel the pulse of the Digital World as part of their powers over Steel, and Yumiko was finally starting to understand what they meant by that. She understood Inaie perfectly in a way that no other person could ever hope to imagine, like every piece of her life was finally finding a home in a greater image of unexpected but perfect peace.
Yumiko brushed a few stray threads of hair out of her face as Bearmon looked up to her with a beaming smile. "What do you think?" he asked excitedly. "Inaie really is great, isn't it?"
Yumiko nodded with a light smile. "It's incredible," she confirmed. "I never imagined the island would feel this... Cozy. When we first began to plan to come here, I... I don't know what I was expecting, but it really feels like this magic is alive with magic. I suppose I have all of the occupants to thank for that though."
"Everyone on Inaie is great," Kotemon agreed with a nod. "They've been really accepting ever since Bearmon and I first got here." He shifted uncomfortably on the spot, looking down at the ground just in front of the bench as a stray leaf drifted by.
Yumiko hesitated before speaking, unsure as to if she should even ask this question at all. "If you don't mind my asking... How did the two of you arrive on the island in the first place?" she asked carefully. "How did you grow to be so close?"
Kotemon immediately clammed up, going stiff and still as a statue. Bearmon hesitated for a moment, tripping over his words for a few seconds before he offered a quiet reply. "It was because of the war against Cherubimon," he admitted softly. "Cherubimon was trying to expand his Beast army. He had a powerful army as it was from his personal guard, but he wanted more fighters at his side so he would be able to take on the Human Digimon more comfortably. He decided to do that by... P-Possessing any Digimon he could get his hands on."
Yumiko's eyes went wide. She had always been kept fairly distant from the machinations of Cherubimon's main forces because the Fallen Warriors operated on their own. They had their own base because they were meant to defeat the Risen Warriors and other important players in the war. The bulk of the army was under Cherubimon's direct control, out of her reach and scope of knowledge. It made sense though; why would so many Beast Digimon join a cause that would no doubt lead them to their own destruction? There was her answer. They would go along with it if they had no other choice.
"He invaded a few Beast Digimon villages and cities so he would be able to get more soldiers on his side," Bearmon continued, rambling on with a detached fear in his voice. "He wanted the best fighters he could get, and... Well, he gave it everything he had, and... He fought through as many villages as he could."
Yumiko saw the way Bearmon scratched nervously at his lower arm, and she felt a lead weight form in her chest before trying to drag her down to the earth below. "Your home was one of those destroyed villages," she concluded. "You came here because you had no other choice."
Bearmon nodded slowly. "They took over my village so quickly, and... The village elders were possessed and taken under Cherubimon's control before I knew what was going on. The weaker Digimon were killed. I only managed to survive since I hid well enough from the attackers," he murmured. "After taking over my home, they rolled over into the nearby Human Digimon to try and take out more of their enemies."
"A-And that was where I lived," Kotemon whispered. "I-I didn't know what was going on, and before I knew it, the entire village had been destroyed and everyone was gone. It wasn't until all of the Beast Digimon had moved on that Bearmon got there."
"I was hoping there would be someone there able to take care of me after what had happened to my home, but when I got there... The village was already empty and destroyed," Bearmon went on. "I found Kotemon though, and we hid for a while longer to try and wait it out. When we were sure that we were safe, we left the villages and tried to find a place that would take us in."
"I'm so sorry," Yumiko murmured. She hesitated before wrapping an arm around both of their shoulders, pulling them in a little bit closer. Kotemon remained still for a moment before leaning against her side, welcoming the touch. Bearmon gladly curled against Yumiko's other side, closing his eyes and relishing in the comfort she brought. The Warrior of Wood looked down at them with tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I... I'm sorry for everything you went through. I wish there was something I could do to help you."
"Just listening to us is more than enough," Bearmon assured her. "Most people in the Digital World didn't want to give us that grace. When we went to Human Digimon settlements, they said I was responsible for all of their problems because I was a Beast Digimon. Kotemon kept me safe while we were stuck in places like that... But we were never truly safe until we reached Inaie."
"The island had stopped at one point to pick up supplies, and Darcmon found us in an alleyway. It was the only place we could sleep at the time, and it was the safest we were going to be. We knew it too," Kotemon went on. "Darcmon offered to let us join her here on Inaie, and we accepted. Ever since then, we've been living here, and she's been keeping us safe."
"I'm glad you had someone like that on your side," Yumiko said softly, the words sacred and fragile. "I'll have to give Darcmon my thanks when I run into her next. It sounds like she's done a lot for all of the Digimon here."
"She has," Bearmon agreed. "Everyone here wants to be kept safe from the world outside. The Human Digimon hate us Beast Digimon for the war, and the Beast Digimon don't have much of a way to negotiate peace right now. I mean, Cherubimon... The war ruined just about everything for us. At least, that's what it seems like."
"I understand why you feel that way," Yumiko nodded. "I can only imagine that times have only been growing more difficult for all of you since Cherubimon's attacks... I'm sorry for all that you went through."
"It's okay now," Kotemon assured her. "We're here together. We miss all of the Digimon who we lived with before, but... We have one another, and we're going to stay together no matter what happens. We're safe here on Inaie, safer than we've ever been before."
"I'm glad to hear that," Yumiko nodded to herself. She looked down to both Bearmon and Kotemon for a few heavy moments, and her stomach began to sink once again. They were both just children. Digimon lifespans were a bit more complex than human lives, but Yumiko could say certainly that these two were too young to have to deal with all of this. They had already been made orphans and lost everything because of the world around them. The war had torn apart all that they had ever known, but they were still facing the future with smiles on their faces. After all they had suffered through, they were finding a way to be at peace with the world.
It was incredible in more ways than Yumiko could ever hope to describe. She had been terrified throughout much of her time in the Digital World during the wars against Cherubimon and Lucemon. She had known that she was just a child back then—a teen by technicality but still too young to fight in wars. It had taken a long time for her to come to grips with her new reality, a long time to make the world around her something that she could love and accept as her own. She was a soldier from the moment of her birth; she just hadn't realized it until Cherubimon sunk his claws into her mind and body following her arrival in the Digital World. Yumiko knew that she could withstand it though. She had found a way to fight back, and now, she was better off emotionally than she ever had been before the Digital World.
But that wasn't the case for everyone. Kotemon and Bearmon were still children, even younger than she had been the first time she Spirit Evolved. Yumiko had found the Legendary Warriors, and they had eased her through the traumas of the past and present. Bearmon and Kotemon only had one another before their arrival on Inaie though, and even now, they struggled with all they had been through. Damn it, they were children. They deserved so much better than all of this.
Yumiko had been part of the reason that they had suffered so greatly too. Yumiko had snapped herself out of her guilt spirals long ago when it came to her actions as a Fallen Warrior, but the horror still sunk its ugly teeth into her neck when she let her guard down. She had fought alongside Cherubimon even if it had been against her will. Yumiko may not have been directly responsible for what Kotemon and Bearmon had gone through, but she had still been their enemy, albeit only for a brief time. She refused to let herself fall into the grips of darkness ever again though. If anything happened, she would be sure to defend those who she had once hurt. She owed it to both her victims and to herself. She had brought the Digital World pain unimaginable, but she would not succumb to her guilt. She was going to do something about it, and that started with looking after the people of Inaie and giving them the peace they deserved.
"Yumiko?"
Bearmon's voice pulled Yumiko out of her thoughts. She blinked a few times before looking down to the two Digimon sitting on either side of her. They were watching her with wide eyes and concern, worry and fear creeping into their gazes. Yumiko shook her head as soon as she was able to get a grip on herself once again, and she pulled them in a bit closer. "I'm alright," she told them, ignoring the way her tongue felt like cotton against the roof of her mouth. "I'm sorry about everything you went through before you came here."
"It's nothing special," Kotemon murmured, kicking his legs back and forth where they fell over the side of the bench. It was clear he was using the motion as a distraction, but it wasn’t working anywhere near as well as he had hoped. "That was the way Cherubimon handled things during the war. He thought the strong should rule over the weak. He thought he was the strongest of all. I'm sure there are a bunch of others out there who have the same story."
"That doesn't make it right," Yumiko countered. "Even if he thinks the strong should have power over those with less might, that's no excuse to ruin the lives of so many people. It's never been right. People have a duty to defend one another from the evils of the world. Nobody should ever be left to survive on their own. Everyone deserves love and care from those around them. Cherubimon's actions can't change that."
She only realized the weight of her words after she had spoken them. For many years, Yumiko had been alone as well. She hadn't recognized it at the time, but the people around her were only using her for the sake of their own gain. She had been alone whether she processed it or not, and the pain had eaten her alive once she came to that moment of revelation. Yumiko had feared reaching out to others—feared her own weaknesses—for ages after she realized just how little she meant to the rest of the world. It hadn't been until she was freed from Cherubimon's control that she allowed herself to understand that she deserved the love of others as well. Tomoki and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had helped to pull her out of the darkness, and she didn't know what she would have done without them.
Before meeting the Legendary Warriors, Yumiko had struggled to cope with all she had been through. Others had only ever used her, and she didn’t know anything aside from that bitter pain of betrayal. Yumiko thought she needed to be alone because reaching out was too much of a risk. If she was hurt, then others would take advantage of it. That was what people always did… Until Yumiko realized her life didn’t need to come down to the pain she was put through. The Legendary Warriors had given her a new chance, and Yumiko was finally reclaiming her life after believing it was out of her control for so many years.
As Yumiko looked down at Kotemon and Bearmon, two victims of war too young to suffer so much, she knew that she couldn't lie complacent just because she had found support for herself. The world around her was still brutal, and the Void Fragments were proof of that. Kotemon and Bearmon had been alone and defenseless for so long, suffering on their own in a world that didn't give them a second glance. She refused to let them endure that again. If there were victims of horrors untold out there, Yumiko would do all she could to help them. She owed it to the rest of the world, and she owed it to herself as well.
Yumiko took in a careful breath to ground herself once again as she stared at the island ahead of her. "No matter what happens, you're safe here," she murmured, and she hoped Kotemon and Bearmon knew that she wasn't entirely referring to Inaie. "I'll do everything I can to keep you both safe. I promise."
Kotemon looked up at Yumiko in shock, seemingly having sensed some shift in her demeanor but saying nothing about it. Bearmon smiled to her though, the grin as fragile and soft as could be. "Thanks, Yumiko," Bearmon said quietly. "We're happy to have you here."
Yumiko nodded to herself. She prayed no Void Fragments came to Inaie, and she prayed even more that the island itself wasn't the source of the attacks. No matter what happened though, she knew that she had a duty to look after those who had suffered most from the war against Cherubimon. The Digital World was still putting itself back together, and Yumiko would do all she could in order to save those who were hurting under the weight of the conflict. She would not leave others to cry out in silent pain the way she once had. She had grown, and she would show the rest of the world the truth of her evolution.
One day, all would be at peace. Until then, Yumiko would be the defender of the weak, and Inaie was only the beginning.
~~~~~
Koji had been hesitant to leave Tomoki behind after the conversation he had shared with the Warrior of Ice about Yutaka. He knew how awful Tomoki's paranoia could get, and Koji didn't want to leave the younger boy to spiral under the weight of his own fears. Still, he knew Tomoki had a point when he said they needed to search the island for evidence or lack thereof of the Void Fragments' presence. Takuya had suggested Koji go and find Koichi since none of them had seen the Warrior of Darkness since arriving on Inaie, and the Warrior of Light knew the choice had already been made for him. He couldn’t leave his brother alone for any longer than he already had. He had to find him. With that in mind, he set off.
Koji was beyond worried about Koichi. He didn't know how he was supposed to phrase it to his brother nor was he sure of what to do to break down Koichi's walls of defense and fear, but he knew that he had to try. Koji could see Koichi getting worse, and he could feel his brother's spiral deep in the pit of his stomach too. He had to do something to fix this. He was determined to help his brother before he could be fully consumed by the darkness. Even if Koichi didn't want help, Koji would be there to offer it. His brother deserved that much.
Instinct drew Koji to the edge of the island, a pulse in the heart of his body telling him exactly where he could find his brother. He followed the instruction and paused when he had broken through a thick wall of buildings that overlooked the edge of the island. Koji pressed his hand against a nearby building as he picked his brother out from the silhouettes between him and the island’s border. Koichi was sitting on the ground with his legs pulled up tight against his chest. He was motionless as he stared out over the horizon, just watching the island rumble over the land below.
Koji walked over slowly, not wanting to frighten his brother. He sat down carefully, and Koichi finally looked up when he realized Koji was just a few feet away. The Warrior of Darkness went pale immediately, and he forced himself to speak despite the knot of fear and anxiety in the center of his chest. "Koji," Koichi greeted. Anyone could see just how strained he was by having to speak, and the weak smile he offered Koji did little to help his case. He was falling apart, and everyone knew it.
"Koichi," Koji returned, though it was clear that he wouldn't be taking any of Koichi's lies sitting down. When Koichi went to stand up, halfway to finding an excuse as to why he couldn't be there any longer than he already had been, Koji reached out and grabbed his brother's wrist to force him to settle down again. "I'm not here to argue with you. I just... I want to talk."
Koichi hesitated before nodding. "Alright," he said thickly, the word clearly tasting like poison against the tip of his tongue. "What do you want to talk about?"
"You," Koji replied simply. "I know you've been hiding something from the rest of us, and... I hate having to see you like this. It's clear that you're struggling but don't know what to do about it, and I can't just sit here as long as you're in so much pain, Koichi. I want to help you, and even if you don't want it... I want to let you know that I'm here for you no matter what. I'll always be here."
Koichi shook his head. "I'm fine. I don't need to talk about anything," he insisted the same way he had when Koji last tried to push the subject with him. "The Void Fragments are putting a lot of pressure on everyone, and that doesn't make me special. It's nothing for you to worry about."
"That's not true," Koji objected. "I know there's something else wrong. Hinoka can see it too. Ever since that attack on Earth, you've been slipping, and you haven't wanted to breathe a word of it to the rest of us. I can't just sit back as long as you're suffering. Even if you hate me for it after the fact, I at least need to know that I tried my best to help you before it could all fall apart."
"I'm fine, Koji," Koichi repeated, his voice starting to grate on something irritated and terrified in equal measure. "You really don't need to worry about me. It's the same things that everyone else is dealing with. That's all you need to know."
"But that's not all," Koji reiterated. His voice was getting louder and more intense, but he didn't bother to pull himself back in. This was the only way he was going to hear the truth he was looking for, and even if Koichi hated it, Koji knew that he had to try. He would rather his brother hate him than not do anything. That was a reality he just couldn't live with. "You've been struggling so much more than everybody else. What's going on with you? What are you so afraid of? You can talk to us about it. I wouldn't be saying that if I didn't mean it, Koichi."
"I'm afraid of everything," Koichi finally choked out, the words strained at the corners. "I'm afraid of what could happen if the Void Fragments continue on the way they have been. I'm afraid of the mounting tensions between Human and Beast Digimon. I'm even afraid of what might happen if our father finds out that you know about me. He still doesn't know that you know I exist. All of this... I don't know what to do, Koji. I'm afraid of what the future could bring. It's just too much."
Koji faltered at that, and he realized a bit too late that he had gone too far. He looked off to the side solemnly, wishing there was something else he could say that would make this a little bit easier. "I... I can't blame you for being afraid," he admitted. "I think all of us are scared. We thought all of this was finally over when we got back to Earth. I mean, I love the Digital World, and I know I always will. But this... We're still fighting for our lives all over again. It's a lot to handle, and we have to balance the rest of our lives too."
"It's awful... It's so much harder than I would have thought," Koichi admitted. Tears were starting to well up in his eyes, and he shook his head before pressing his face against his arms where they were folded on top of his knees. "I can't stand lying to the world all the time. I can't tell anyone the truth, and it's eating me alive. I'm so tired, Koji. I'm exhausted."
Koji could tell that his brother was no longer talking solely about the worries he had voiced before, and he hesitated before continuing, knowing there would be no going back once he pressed forward. "Koichi, what is this really about?" he asked gently. "Where is all of this concern really coming from? This isn't just about the Void Fragments. What's going on?"
Koichi's breathing increased its pace, and Koji let out a sigh that broke the instant it left his lips. "I just want to help you, Koichi," Koji murmured. "Please. Let me do something to help you. I'm tired of watching you fall apart when there's something I can do. Just... Give me a chance."
Those last few words snapped the floodgates open, and Koichi let out a noisy wail of a sob before he clamped his hands over his ears. "You don't understand, Koji!" he cried out. "I'm a monster! There's nothing you can do to help me because I'm beyond the point of redemption! I have been all along!"
Koji's eyes shot open with shock, and he reached a careful hand out to touch at his brother's shoulder. "Koichi, what are you—"
"Duskmon is still alive, Koji!" Koichi shouted, jerking his shoulder out of Koji’s reach. "I can feel him and the other Legendary Warriors of Void! They're still inside of me! When all of us started to feel our Digimon forms resonating inside of us, I found out that they were there on top of the purified Warriors of Darkness! Duskmon... He's still here, and he's going to tear me apart if I'm not careful!"
Koji was shocked still with those words, and his eyes went wide as he stared at his crying brother. The two matched gazes for a few heavy moments, and Koji felt his heart start to beat a little bit faster. The faint scar across his torso from Duskmon's blow months ago started to pulse with pain, and Koji did his best to not instinctively move to touch it for the sake of keeping his brother calm. He couldn't make Koichi feel guilty that way. His twin had been grappling with such a demon for far too long, and Koji wouldn't be the one who sent him back into hiding all over again.
Koichi continued to cry for a few moments longer before he took in a shaky breath and rubbed at his eyes. "I... I could feel it when we fought against those three Digimon that day," he began softly, the words breakable on the breeze. "The Void Fragments... They were familiar to me. It was only when I got close that I realized they hold the same power that Cherubimon gave to me to twist me into the Warrior of Void. The name isn't a coincidence. It's the same magic that destroyed me the first time we were in the Digital World. The power of the enemy still lives on inside of me. How can you not despise me for that? Everyone should hate me for it."
Koji shook his head. "I'm sorry," he began, and Koichi froze on the spot. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to do anything to help you sooner. If I had known this was what you were dealing with, I... I would have tried harder to reach out to you."
"I don't deserve your sympathy," Koichi countered. "After everything I've done, I don't deserve your kindness. I have the same power as those monsters, Koji. I'm still the same as I was before. I'm the same beast that nearly killed you during our first trip to the Digital World."
"That's not true," Koji cut in. "You don't seem to want to admit it, but Duskmon hurt you too. You weren't in control of yourself all that time. You were suffering because of that dark power too. It's not something that you can force off your own chest. You can say all you want that you don't deserve pity or mercy because Duskmon hurt other people, but he hurt you too. You had no control over yourself, even less control than the rest of the Fallen Warriors. Cherubimon broke you back then. You shouldn't hold it over your own head when it was out of your control."
"But I still let him hurt all of you," Koichi disagreed. "The scar on your stomach... I think about it all the time. I did so much to hurt all of you. Hinoka... I never apologized to her for what I said back then. I never told her how sorry I was for saying things that made her lose control of herself completely. Duskmon did so much to destroy all of us. I could have killed you the day I slashed your stomach. What aren't you understanding about that?"
"Trust me when I say that I understand it perfectly well," Koji assured him. "I think about it a lot more than you realize. I see the mark of that day each time I look in the mirror. But... I don't hold it against you. Duskmon is different from you. Back then, you were under somebody else's control. You had no way of knowing what was going on or stopping your body from acting the way it did. I know you don't want to believe me, but... I know how I feel about it, and I know that you're innocent."
Koichi stared at his brother for a few long moments, his eyes and watery as could be. He shook his head as he rubbed at his eyes with one sleeve. "I don't think I ever quite understood it," he admitted quietly. "I don't know if I'll ever understand it. After each one of us Fallen Warriors was freed from Cherubimon's control, you just... Forgave us. It wasn't even a question to all of you. I don't know how you could forgive so much of that and just... Gloss over it. We did so many horrible things to you, but you don't seem to care."
"Tell me, Koichi... Do you blame the others for what happened when they were under Cherubimon's control?" Koji asked. Koichi hesitated, and that was all the answer Koji needed to see. "That's what I thought. You don't hold anything over their heads for the same actions. We forgave them all along time ago. We forgave you too. I know that you don't want to admit that, but... We care about you a lot more than you realize. We're your friends, Koichi, and we don't want to see you fall apart under the weight of your own fears and terrors."
Koichi felt himself leaning against Koji before he could hold back, and the Warrior of Light gladly welcomed his brother into his arms. "If we still held it against you, then we would have said something by now... But nobody's said a word, have they? Everyone forgave themselves and one another ages ago. I just wish that you would give yourself the same grace you offer to others," Koji murmured.
Koichi sniffled again and rubbed at his eyes. "I... I don't know how," he admitted. "It feels so impossible to look at myself in the mirror after everything I did... I just... I don't know what to do, Koji."
"I'm not going to say that it's going to happen overnight. I think we both know better than that," Koji told him. "But I want you to try and be a bit kinder to yourself. The rest of us have never held anything against you. I'm sorry you've been led to believe all this time that you deserve some self-inflicted punishment. It's not true though. Please... If anything like this happens again where you're afraid to talk to anyone about something, try to open up to me if nothing else. We're all here for you, and we're not going to just abandon you because times get tough. I promise."
"Thank you," Koichi choked out around a massive lump of fear at the back of his throat. "I... I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough for all of this."
"You don't need to thank me," Koji assured him. "I'm here because I want to be. All of us are here because we love each other, and that includes you. We chose to stand at one another's sides. We're here because we want to help you in any way that we can. I know that you're afraid of facing that, but... It's alright. You're not in this alone, and one day, you'll come to accept that for yourself."
Koichi nodded. "I hope so too," he murmured. He took in a careful breath, the exhale coming out shaky and uneven before fading away on the wind. For a long moment, he just stared out at the horizon like he thought it might offer him all the answers he sought to his recent catastrophes. "It's not easy."
"Nobody ever said it would be," Koji agreed with a small exhale through his nose. "But we're not in this alone. We never have been, and we never will be. No matter how terrifying the world gets, we'll be fine as long as we can face it together.”
Koichi hummed, and he leaned a little bit closer against his brother's side. "Hey, Koji?" he asked softly. His brother hummed in return, and Koichi's gaze shied away to stare at the ground beneath the island. "Would you stay with me for a while longer?"
Koji smiled at that even though he knew his brother couldn't see it. Still, he was sure Koichi could feel his grin in the silence. "Yeah... I'd be happy to."
Notes:
Wow, the Inaie arc is heavy. I mean, I knew that going into things since I planned all of this out, but... Wow. All of the subtle character details from up to this point are getting ready to boil over and explode. Welcome to the island of character growth, everyone. Next stop: emotional agony.
Now, let's get into the emotional agony in more detail. I loved writing the scene with Junpei and Darcmon at the beginning. I thought it would be a perfect combination for a conversation since Junpei is naturally inquisitive and wants to learn more about the world around him. Darcmon is a fun character to write too, and I absolutely adore her. Also, she revealed a minor twist to us. Biastamon was the previous leader of Inaie and passed on the work to Darcmon. No wonder he was so set on the island's innocence; he loves the people there and led them himself before passing the torch on to Darcmon. The two have very different leadership styles since Biastamon is an inspiring and charismatic speaker while Darcmon is a natural warrior who earns respect through combat. Still, they get along well, and I'm looking forward to writing scenes with them in the future, but for now, we get the lore about them through Darcmon and Junpei.
Next up, we have a continuation of the scene with Izumi, Hinoka, and Miriamon. Yeah, Izumi wasn't going to be able to escape her problems with Masae that easily. Izumi and Hinoka both have a lot to grapple with when it comes to their sisters, and this is just the beginning. In a way, their problems are exact mirrors of one another with Izumi's issue being too close to Masae for all of these secrets while Hinoka knows too little about her sister after all these years. I'm incredibly excited to resolve these plot points in the future, and I hope you all are just as excited as I am.
Then comes the scene with Yumiko and the child Digimon. Kotemon and Bearmon are incredibly sweet here, and you can see the differences from canon through them. In the canon of Frontier, the two were friends in secret against the rest of the island's factionalism, but here, they're open friends against the rest of the world. The conversation also offers a bit more insight into Darcmon's noble personality and why so many people admire her before diving into Yumiko's issues. Yumiko's arc in the first book was about taking a stand on her own two feet after a lifetime of being made into a doormat as evidenced by her being the first Fallen Warrior to consciously choose to act against Cherubimon by joining the enemy. You can see her growth of confidence here in her defensiveness of Kotemon and Bearmon. After all that she's been through, she refuses to see others suffer the way she once did, and looking after Kotemon and Bearmon is the perfect proxy for her to come to understand her feelings in full. What sweethearts.
Last but not least, we have the biggest scene of them all... Koichi and Koji talking at the end of the chapter. At long last, the truth from the first act's finale is out in the air after all the effort and time Koichi put into hiding it. I was originally planning on splitting up this scene across this chapter and the next one, but I'm glad I was able to put it together. I think it flows a lot better this way, and it gives them both the brother time they've been looking for all this time. Having them talking in the same chapter as Izumi and Hinoka, the other two characters with sibling issues, fits perfectly in terms of overall cohesion. I loved writing this last scene, and I think they both needed it a lot more than they wanted to admit. Koichi deserves to cry his feelings out. He really does.
That wraps things up for this week. Phew. That was a long one. Next week, we're going to continue on with the Inaie arc as the Legendary Warriors investigate the island a bit more. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 23: Unanswered Conundrums
Summary:
The investigation presses on, and suspicions regarding an ally come to light.
Chapter Text
Tomoki was starting to wonder if he would ever calm down.
Tomoki was terrified. Deep down, that was what it all came down to. Even after he had talked to Koji and Takuya about his recent fears and his run-ins with Yutaka, Tomoki couldn't seem to calm his nerves. It was like the inside of his body was rattling and vibrating just beneath the surface, and all he could do was shuffle on through life like everything was fine. That was much easier said than done, of course, but it was the best he had.
He was sure that Yutaka would find a way to track him down sooner or later, and he didn't know what he was going to do when the moment finally arrived. Tomoki knew realistically that the rest of the group would be there to defend him if anything happened, but at the same time, he found himself looking over his shoulder in fear that he would see his brother behind him somewhere. Yutaka didn't know the Digital World existed, and even if he did, he had no way of traveling there to begin with. Tomoki was safe. He knew that. Still, his body refused to believe it, and Tomoki was sure that he was going to explode if he was left on his own for too long. He had feared this same thing when he first went to the Digital World back when all of this began. No matter how many times Tomoki told himself that Yutaka wouldn't be there, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe it.
Tomoki didn't take much notice of where he was traveling until he had arrived at the back side of the island. Chihiro was sitting there alone, staring out at the horizon and watching as the sand below splashed on all sides of Inaie. They turned slowly upon realizing that they were no longer alone, and their eyes were an invitation to sit down. Tomoki hesitated before he followed their desires, curling up his legs in front of his chest once he was settled in.
"Hey," Tomoki greeted even though he knew that was a horribly clunky way of beginning any conversation. He wished he had something more substantial to say, but he couldn't force the words to form no matter how hard he tried. Instead, he just pulled his legs in a little bit closer.
"Hey yourself," Chihiro returned. They picked up a small rock from beside their foot before chucking it out over the edge of the island. The stone vanished amidst the cloud of dust that came with Inaie's regular movement patterns. "How are you doing? Have you found anything with the investigation?"
Tomoki shook his head. "Not yet. I'm sure we're going to uncover something soon enough, but right now... I don't know what to do," he admitted. "I was with Takuya and Koji earlier, but they wound up splitting off so they can go and look around. I was trying to find something of note too, but... I guess I just needed a break."
"You can say that again," Chihiro sighed. They leaned back, bracing their upper body against their palms as they stared at the pristine blue sky overhead. "I was looking around at first too, but I decided that I needed a bit of a break. I've been so tired lately with everything that we've been dealing with. It feels like it's all slamming down on me at the same time."
Tomoki nodded his agreement. "I can't seem to get myself to calm down no matter how hard I try," he admitted. "Right now, it just feels... I don't know. Hazy. I can't focus on what we're supposed to be doing. I know that we're here because we need to learn more about the Void Fragments, but... I can't think about that as much as I would have liked."
Chihiro hummed under their breath, picking up another rock before sending it flying. When the stone vanished once again, they looked over to Tomoki. "What's on your mind then?" they asked. "Maybe it would help you to talk to somebody about it."
Tomoki hesitated for a long moment, trying to figure out how he was supposed to talk about this. He had only opened up about the full extent of his paranoia regarding Yutaka to Takuya and Koji before. The rest of the group was nice, yes, but Tomoki still feared having to talk about it since he thought it would make him seem weak. He didn't want to be treated as small and pathetic just because he was younger than most of his allies. Yutaka had looked down on him that way, and Tomoki knew for a fact that he couldn't go back to that. He had dealt with that enough to last a lifetime.
Tomoki knew he was going to have to talk about it sooner or later if he wanted his fears and anxieties to stop though, so he let out a hefty sigh and shook his head. "Well... It's because... I saw my brother recently," Tomoki began. Chihiro's eyes just about popped out of their head from shock, and Tomoki pulled his legs closer to his chest. He was sure that he was going to be completely swallowed by his own body if he did that again, but he couldn't bring himself to care much either.
"Your brother?" Chihiro echoed. "I thought he was supposed to be out of your life forever. I mean, if you're stalking a child, then you should be out of their life permanently. Why in the world would he be around you again?"
"He was breaking the terms of the restraining order," Tomoki replied, his voice wavering a bit. "He followed me a few times when I was on my way home. I think he's been keeping an eye on me for the last few weeks. He knows where Mayumi and Haroi live. I don't know what he's going to do with all that information, but... I'm scared. I'm really scared of what he could do to get to me."
Chihiro placed a hand on Tomoki's shoulder, and he looked up to them with a brief start. "I don't care what he tries to do," they snarled. "If he wants to get to you, then he's going to have to get through me first. I'm not going to give up any of you without a fight, and if Yutaka wants to cause problems, then he's going to learn that you're not as vulnerable and isolated as he once made you. Now, you have other people by your side, and every single one of us would be more than happy to throw that coward into hell as soon as we get the chance."
Tomoki smiled, hating the fact that he liked that as much as he did. At one point, he would have been appalled at the idea of anybody wanting to hurt his brother, but now, he just thought of it as a natural step. That was what combat did to a person, he supposed. He was desperate to be free of his brother's grip, and if it meant having to fight, then so be it. He was going to do what he had to in order to stay safe regardless of how afraid he was. Tomoki had grown since he last spoke with Yutaka, and he would make sure his brother knew it when they next met.
"I guess the paranoia is really eating at you now, huh?" Chihiro asked softly, and Tomoki could tell from the way their voice had cooled off that they were getting into something personal. "You never know when he could be watching."
Tomoki faltered at that, and he nodded. "When I first came to the Digital World, I was afraid that he was going to find a way to get here and hurt me. It was a ridiculous and unrealistic fear, but I couldn't stop thinking about it... I still don't know what to think of this," he confessed. "I'm afraid of him. I want to be safe in the Digital World. I don't want to have to think about him ever again. If he would stay away from me forever, then that would be incredible. For now though..."
"You're scared," Chihiro finished for him. They reached for another rock, but this time, they rolled the stone over in their hand before throwing it out over the edge of the island. "I understand. I know it's a bit different, but... I've been feeling the same way lately."
Tomoki's eyes went wide. "You... You have?"
Chihiro nodded. "Something like that, anyways. I don't have to worry about my parents being part of my life anymore. Takuya and the rest of his family let me move in with them so that I would be able to stay away from my parents once and fora ll. They've been arrested now too, and that means they'll never be able to hurt me again. Realistically, I know all of that. At the same time though... I can't seem to actually make myself believe it. I'm just so... Afraid of it."
"Even though you know you're safe now, you still feel like you're going to end up being tailed and ruined by the people who have hurt you before," Tomoki said for them. Chihiro nodded, and Tomoki sighed. "I know what that feels like. When I first came to the Digital World, I was afraid of Yutaka finding me. I couldn't seem to get myself to calm down no matter how hard I tried. I just... I felt like he was always going to be there, always trying to find a way to sneak up on me. I didn't know what to do about it. I still don't know what to do about it. I'm just... Scared of him."
"It's amazing how similar situations can remind us of bad things that have happened," Chihiro admitted. "I mean, my parents have been leaving me alone ever since I ran away. Well, for the most part, at the very least. They sent a few people after me the day we went to the Digital World, but that was the exception rather than the rule. But... Knowing that the investigation team back home is so hell-bent on finding us makes me sick to my stomach. They're going to try and find the truth one way or another, and all we can do is just... Sit there. We can't throw them off the trail without them figuring it out sooner. We're just trapped."
Tomoki nodded at that, ignoring the way his jaw clenched up from fear at the mention of the investigation team. He should have known realistically that they were going to be safe even with the investigation team breathing down their necks, but he couldn't seem to make himself believe it no matter how hard he tried. He had barely met most of them, only ever seen Katsuharu and Teruo in passing when they were at soccer practice, but he was still scared of the truth they would find. After all, the quartet of amateur sleuths was set on unraveling the truth no matter what happened, and they wouldn't realize what they were getting into until it was too late for them to go back.
"I hate the fear of feeling like I'm being watched," Chihiro muttered bitterly under their breath. "When I was still living with my parents, they were always watching me. They were determined to keep me in line, and that meant watching as often as they could stand. Now... I know that they're out of the picture. I really do. Still... It feels like there's so much I'll never be able to say for certain about them. I'm scared that they're going to find a way to track me down even though they're locked up and will be for a long time. I keep looking over my shoulder to make sure that nobody's following me."
"I do that too," Tomoki confessed quietly. He started to toy with his fingers, rocking each thumb back and forth. Staring at his hands was much easier than looking at Chihiro, so he watched the motions like they were the only thing keeping him together. "I wish I knew what to do about all of this, but I know it's not going to be that easy. Of course it won't be that simple. Yutaka is still going to try and follow me, and I have no way of really making him stop."
"I'm not going to let him try anything that could get you hurt," Chihiro said quietly, each word a threat and a promise. "If he even thinks of coming close to you, I'm going to make sure he understands all the hell that you've been facing since he first started to hurt you. If it means exposing myself as one of the so-called human monsters in order to make sure he sees retribution, then so be it."
Tomoki's eyes went wide, but he quickly corrected his expression again. "Please don't reveal yourself. That's only going to make our lives harder," he instructed hurriedly. After all, if he focused on something like that, then he didn't have to think about the lengths to which Chihiro had just promised they would go for him. Thinking about that would only serve to embarrass him if he was being honest, and he didn't want to take the chance of embarrassing himself, not then.
"I won't do anything ridiculous, I promise," Chihiro assured him with a wave of one hand. "The point of all this is that if your brother tries anything, then I'm going to make sure he pays for it. I've had enough of letting awful people like him roam free. Saki was able to help me with my parents, and now, I'm going to do the same for you."
"Thank you, Chihiro," Tomoki murmured. He hesitated before he started to lean against Chihiro side. They went tense for a few brief moments before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The two stared out over the edge of the island carefully, Tomoki pressed against Chihiro's body as closely as he possibly could have been. This was the first time Tomoki had ever hugged Chihiro or even come close to it. In fact, this was the first time anybody aside from Takuya had been able to get this close to Chihiro. It was a high honor, and Tomoki was determined to treat it as such.
There was a lot the two of them didn't know. Their fears would hardly disappear overnight, and a bitter battle awaited them no matter what they tried to do next. Yutaka and the investigation team were just smaller pieces of the greater puzzle, and the Legendary Warriors would need to find a solution sooner or later regardless of how difficult it was. Until then though, at least the members of the group had one another. That had to count for something, and Tomoki was going to enjoy it.
He wouldn't let Yutaka ruin this. He couldn't let Yutaka ruin this.
~~~~~
After leaving the back end of the island behind, Haroi navigated slowly but surely through the streets of Inaie. Bokomon and Neemon had informed him that they were working on getting a wheelchair for him to use, but it was taking a bit longer than they would have liked. Haroi would have just Spirit Evolved and flown around, but he wasn't entirely sure if it was a good idea to fly on an island like this. The occupants of Inaie were used to it, but he most certainly was not, and he didn't want to risk getting left behind by the island since it was technically always moving. It was easy to forget if you were at the center of Inaie, but it was still a chance that Haroi decided he would rather not take.
Instead, Haroi found himself in a small town square not far from the center of the island. He sat down on the edge of a fountain that doubled as a bench, looking up to the skies overhead. The sun was starting to creep closer to the middle of the blue above, marking the middle of the day as almost upon them. Haroi almost forgot that they hadn't eaten anything up to that point, but he winced when he was forced to realize just how much time had come and gone. He hadn't even been investigating that much yet, instead choosing to get a feel for the island first, but he was going to need the energy if he was going to pick up with his search. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter anyway.
"Maybe Saki would be able to tell us if they've found something," Neemon suggested airily. "They always seem to find things and come back without the rest of us knowing what's going on."
Haroi winced at that, but he knew that Neemon had a bit of a point. That had apparently been a habit of Saki's back when they were still acting as a Fallen Warrior. They could easily acquire just about any information they wanted between their connection to the Digital World and the book about the Legendary Warriors they had received from Cherubimon, so the rest of their allies found themselves frustrated on multiple occasions by their behavior. If anybody was going to be able to say that they had found something this early, it would have probably been Saki.
"I suppose that's where we're headed next," Haroi murmured. "Maybe Saki would know what we're supposed to do about food too. I mean, dinner is already sorted out, but lunch is... Well, a bit less concrete." The plan was to eat dinner as part of the festival that night, and Haroi was looking forward to it. Apparently, many occupants of the island were working together to prepare a feast fit for kings to welcome the Legendary Warriors to Inaie for the first time in so many years. Haroi couldn't wait to see what else the Digital World had to offer him, especially since he had been hoping to enjoy a more extensive look at the realm's culture ever since his first trip there.
That involved making it to the evening though, and that meant he was going to have to eat. Haroi pushed himself to his feet slowly, trying to not acknowledge the way he shook slightly once he was upright. He agreed with the decision to leave his wheelchair back on Earth to ensure it wasn't damaged while he was in the Digital World, but moving around was still difficult. As it turned out, all of the Legendary Warriors' bodies averaging out to match both worlds came with a few frustrating side effects, and Haroi's general instability was just one of many outcomes. He would be fine for a short trip, but he couldn't wait to get his hands on a wheelchair that he would be able to use in the Digital World.
Luckily, he didn't have to walk far before he found Saki. They were sitting at a table alone in an outdoor cafe, tapping one foot anxiously against the ground. Their cheek was pressed into one hand as they stared blankly ahead, lost in their own world and thoughts. Haroi was hesitant to interrupt them, but he slid into a seat across from them regardless with Bokomon and Neemon filing in on either side of the duo to complete the circle. Saki looked up slowly, their eyes still glossy from whatever it was they had been thinking about beforehand.
"Have you found anything interesting yet?" Haroi questioned. He looked down and realized there were still menus on the table. In other words, Saki hadn't ordered yet, so he, Bokomon, and Neemon would be able to squeeze lunch out of the cafe as long as they were there.
"Not yet," Saki frowned with a shake of their head. They pulled themselves away from their hand as their arm fell to the table before them. "I don't think we're going to find anything here either, if I'm being honest."
"Why not?" Neemon asked. He adjusted himself in his seat, trying to see over the table a bit more conclusively. The humans had no issues with it, which was no doubt the reason that Saki had chosen the table, but Bokomon and Neemon were struggling much more than they wanted to admit.
"I don't feel any of the energy I remember coming from the Void Fragments," Saki replied. "They had a very distinctive signature, and I don't feel any of that in the island. If there are Void Fragments around here, then they're hidden well enough for me to not pick up on them, and that's impressive in itself."
"Do you think it's possible you could have just missed it?" Haroi inquired, leaning forward in his seat. "If you could have glossed over it, then we could scan through the rest of the island later in the afternoon."
"I doubt it," Saki said with another shake of their head. "Our bodies have been changing a lot ever since we first came to the Digital World, and my abilities to sense what's happening in the space around me have grown stronger. If there was something here, then I would have caught onto it already. I can sense things more accurately and in a wider area. I've done all the searching I would need to do in order to figure out if there were any Void Fragments on Inaie, and I've come back empty-handed. There's probably nothing here we can use for our investigation."
Haroi sighed. "I didn't really want us to find anything here," he admitted quietly. "I was hoping that we would be wrong in thinking the culprits behind the Void Fragments were on the island. I mean, we had only ever heard good things about this place, and the idea that all of that was going to be false... I don't know. I hated that idea, so I'm kind of happy that we've come up short. I mean, I'm not glad that we have to keep searching the Digital World to figure out what's going on, but I think you know what I mean."
"I do," Saki confirmed. "Biastamon thinks this is a fool's errand, but Alastomon wants us to cover all our bases. I have no idea if he thinks we're going to find anything here, but he insisted that we at least try. We can go back and talk to them whenever we want, but I don't think there's much for us to update them on. After all, it would be obnoxious to check in each hour and tell them that we've found nothing."
"Alastomon sure seems confident this will bear some sort of clue as to what we've been dealing with as far as the Void Fragments are concerned," Bokomon murmured under his breath. "I wish I could say I shared his self-assuredness. I don't think we're going to find much of anything here beyond what we've already seen, and what we've seen so far... It hasn't particularly been much to begin with."
"Exactly," Saki sighed heavily. "At least we've got a reason to stay here in the Digital World for a while. I don't know about you, Haroi, but I definitely prefer being here to being on Earth. It seems like the Digital World just has a lot more to offer as a whole."
Haroi nodded. He could certainly see why Saki felt the way they did. They didn't exactly have anybody back on Earth to return to each time the group returned from the Digital World, so it was only natural they would prefer the realm where they could express themselves as freely as they pleased. Haroi couldn't quite say that he wanted to leave the Digital World behind or that he liked it more than Earth, though his reasons for continuing to love Earth were admittedly rather few. He wanted to stay with his family as a whole, but that didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. He loved his family, but Earth... Earth wasn't the Digital World. It was home, but it wasn't the Digital World. Haroi didn't think he would ever be able to put his feelings towards the two realms into words, and so, he didn't try, instead just looking at Saki carefully and waiting for them to fill the silence once again.
"Biastamon has certainly been given a difficult hand here," Bokomon remarked after a few heavy pulses of quiet. "The Digital World is in a state of chaos, and he's the one obligated to put the pieces back together."
"The Beast Digimon haven't exactly had a great reputation since the war against Cherubimon," Haroi agreed with a loose nod of assent. "The Human Digimon all seem to hate or fear them because of what happened. Cherubimon didn't even want to do them harm. His paranoia got the better of him, and all it took was one moment of weakness for Lucemon to sweep in and ruin everything without a second thought. I suppose that's what happens when it comes to Lucemon, but... It's still unfortunate that so many people have to bear the brunt of that when he's not around to reap the consequences."
"I'm glad Lucemon isn't here anymore," Saki snorted as they traced at the floral patterns of the black steel table. "I suppose we all feel that way though. It stings that the war still feels like it's not over though. Lucemon screwed everything up, and now, we have no idea what we're supposed to do about all of it."
Haroi sighed and looked off to the side. He couldn't even begin to say how awful he felt for Biastamon, constantly having to fight an uphill battle against the rest of the world. Biastamon couldn't push too hard without the actions of Cherubimon being mentioned to keep him in line, but if he remained complacent, then nothing would ever change. It was an awful situation no matter how he looked at it, and Haroi wished he could do something to help. He knew nothing would be able to erase this overnight, but he could at least try to pitch in.
"I'm going to talk to him," Haroi declared before anybody could stop him. He rose to his feet, hands pressed against the table. "I'm going to talk to Biastamon."
Saki stuck a hand out to stop him before he could fully walk away, fingers wrapping around his wrist. "Eat something first," they instructed, looking up at him with a bored expression that Haroi knew was the closest they could get to showing open care at the moment. "You're pale, and I would rather you not make yourself faint or sick by waiting too long to eat."
Haroi only realized that he was shaking when he looked down at where Saki was holding his wrist. He let in a thin breath between his teeth before he sat down across from them again, crossing his arms and resting them on the table. He supposed that talking to Biastamon would have to wait a little bit longer, but that probably wouldn't matter too much in the end. As long as Haroi was able to get his point across, everything would be fine.
As long as he was able to at least make an offer to help Biastamon with the disaster that was the modern Digital World, everything would be fine.
~~~~~
Mayumi stretched her arms high above her head as she walked, sighing when she let her hands flop back to her sides a moment later. Salamon was perched on her head, Patamon flying just to the right of her face while Lopmon shuffled along near her feet. When she and Haroi split up to search the island on their own, Mayumi had taken the Celestial Three with her while Haroi went off with Bokomon and Neemon. Mayumi was glad to have the company. She didn't exactly do well with new people, and she was relieved she at least had a few familiar faces by her side in this strange, unfamiliar place.
At a first glance, Mayumi was sure that people would think she loved being around others. She could talk a person's ear off for hours without ever bothering to stop to breathe, and when she loved someone or something, she loved so fiercely that she would never let it go. Still, being around people was exhausting at times, and Mayumi had no idea how she was supposed to initiate a relationship or dynamic with others. She had always viewed the world a little bit differently--a bit tilted to the left and lopsided from old pain--and few were truly understanding of those quirks. Perhaps that was one reason she and Haroi were so inseparable. He was loving. He was comforting. He was safe.
The rest of Inaie, on the other hand, was none of those things. Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true. Mayumi thought the island had the potential to be loving and comforting eventually, but for the time being, all she could think about was how alone she felt as she wandered the city streets. She couldn't cling to her brother all the time, couldn't constantly live in his shadow since she was afraid of stepping into the light, she knew that all too well. Still, she was glad she wasn't facing this on her own. She didn't know what she would have done if she was.
Luckily for Mayumi, she found herself admiring a familiar face from afar, and she smiled to herself before taking off after Takuya. He was looking around the rest of the city with a light frown on his lips and contemplation in his eyes. Mayumi didn't miss a beat in dashing up to him, scooping up Lopmon along the way so he wouldn't be lost in the shuffle of the Warrior of Energy's speed. Lopmon let out a small yelp, but he didn't bother to protest as he was pulled into Mayumi's arms and against her chest.
"Hey there, Takuya!" Mayumi declared, easily falling back into the pattern of talking to someone familiar. She offered him a smile as she pulled Lopmon in a little bit closer, relief washing through her as she counted all of the people around her that she knew. She was on a strange island where she knew very few of the occupants, but she at least had Patamon, Salamon, Lopmon, and Takuya. That was four, three more friends than she had six months ago.
Takuya turned to look at Mayumi with a bright grin on his face. "Hey, Mayumi," he greeted. "What are you four doing here? Are you still investigating for any signs of... You know, the thing?" He didn't get into any more detail than that, and his smile communicated everything his words could not without making him suspicious.
Mayumi nodded. "Yeah, we're looking around... But I don't think we're going to find anything here," she confessed. "The Void Fragments feel awfully distinct, don't they? I mean, when we fight against them, their energy is... Rancid. Trust me. I've absorbed enough of it to know how awful it is. I'm not getting any of that from the island though. Maybe I'm just missing out on it, but... I don't think they're here."
Takuya hummed, though he didn't seem particularly surprised by her words. "I guess we can just start off by asking around and seeing what we can find from here," he suggested. "I think Darcmon and Hippogriffomon were in the central square not far from here. I'd be happy to go and talk to them if you would want to."
That wasn't good. It meant talking to people Mayumi didn't know. Darcmon seemed nice enough, but Mayumi wasn't sure yet if she could really place her faith in the warrior Digimon to not stab her in the back. Many people she had met before had seemed friendly at first only to stab her in the back the instant she grew to be too much for them. Still, she had four people with her who would be able to protect her in case anything went wrong. That had to mean something, right?
"Sure," Mayumi said instead of the tangent that immediately slipped into her mind. She took off after Takuya, the Celestial Three joining her by extension. Patamon struggled a bit to keep up with Mayumi, eventually settling down on her shoulders when he was able to catch up to her. Mayumi was glad for the contact. It was a sign that no matter what happened, she wouldn't be alone.
The central square was much fancier than it had been a few hours prior. Mayumi couldn't help but stare with wide eyes and a dropped jaw as she looked around the area. Streamers hung between the lampposts, each strand representing a new color of the Legendary Warriors. Their elemental symbols draped off the tops of buildings and out of windows to make it perfectly clear what the island was celebrating. Upon closer examination, the central fountain was already prepared for the occasion. The statue was small, but at the top of all the light gray stone, a small structure of AncientTrojamon could be seen. Given the fact that she had been the one to give the island life in the first place, it made sense that the occupants of Inaie would honor her above all others.
"I hope the decorations are to your liking."
Mayumi snapped out of her awe at the sound of Hippogriffomon's voice, and the large bird Digimon settled down beside her and Takuya. The Warrior of Fire grinned, tucking his hands up behind his head. "They're amazing!" he exclaimed brightly. "I never thought we would end up in a situation like this... I mean, I knew the Digital World celebrated the Legendary Warriors, but this is... It's something special. I never imagined we would be honored in a festival on this scale."
"It's only natural we would want to honor you," Hippogriffomon pointed out. "The very ideals of the island were established by all of your predecessors. We wouldn't be here without your previous incarnations giving us a standard to live by. They believed that we would be safest here away from the strife of the rest of the Digital World, and they were right. Now, we can see peace, and it's all thanks to them."
Mayumi nodded at that. "This place is incredible," she admitted. "I don't know what I thought I was going to see when I heard Inaie was a safe place for Human and Beast Digimon of all types, but... It's amazing. It's certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the conflict we've seen on the rest of the planet. It seems like everybody else around here can't stop fighting no matter how hard they try."
Hippogriffomon let out a self-deprecating snort at that. "You can say that again," she muttered. "The war Cherubimon waged--or, to be more accurate, Lucemon's war--destroyed the faith the two types of Digimon had in one another. Only Inaie and the other safe haven of the Legendary Warriors' beliefs, the Moon Base, have managed to outlast all of this. The Beast Digimon are afraid of being persecuted against while the Human Digimon find their opposites to be dangerous criminals. There is no middle ground to be found here. Everyone is grieving and suffering in some way or another... The Void Fragments are hardly helping our case."
"Yeah... The Void Fragments..." Lopmon remarked. He had settled in gladly in Mayumi's grasp by this point, though it was strange to see such a regularly solemn Digimon held like a common plush toy. "We've heard many times that they only influence Beast Digimon. Do you find that to be true?"
"Of course not," Hippogriffomon replied with a shake of her head. "That's completely ridiculous. The Human and Beast Digimon are the same at the end of the day. We're all made from the same data. Human Digimon can even become Beast Digimon and vice versa through the process of reincarnation. There is no guarantee that a Digimon will follow the same path of evolution when they are reborn. At the end of the day, there is no difference between us."
"That's what I was thinking!" Mayumi exclaimed, unable to hold herself back. She looked off to the ground at her feet. "I mean... You're all Digimon at the end of the day. What's the reason in mistreating people who are a bit different from you? The world would be pretty damn boring if everyone was the same no matter the circumstances. Variety is the spice of life, and I wish everybody saw it that way."
Mayumi couldn't help but wish that was how life was back on Earth too. That was the reason all of the Legendary Warriors had wound up hurt in the end, right? A lot of them were outcasts from the rest of the world, but when they were in the Digital World, they were the perfect family of misfits. Mayumi had been an outcast from the moment she was born. Even people who didn't know there was something wrong with her--diagnoses be damned--seemed to be able to sense it. They knew something about her was different, and they shunned different simply for existing. If everyone could only view the world the way she did--that they were all humans with flesh and blood at the end of the day--then maybe none of her friends would have had to suffer. Maybe she wouldn't have had to grow up knowing not even her own mother wanted her alive.
Hippogriffomon nodded, either not noticing or not acknowledging Mayumi's moment of reflection. "It would certainly make all of our lives simpler if that was the way everyone viewed the world," she said softly. "But as long as this is the world we live in, we must do what we can to make the most of it. I trust Biastamon to change the world for the better, but Darcmon and I... We belong here on Inaie doing what we can to defend the people."
"Just Biastamon?" Takuya asked with a light tilt of his head. He didn't linger on it for long though, instead letting out a hefty sigh. "You know, we've heard all sorts of unsavory rumors about Inaie. It seems like a lot of people believe you to be behind the Void Fragment attacks."
Hippogriffomon's eyes went wide. "What?" she whispered. When the Legendary Warriors and Celestial Digimon nodded their confirmation, she let out an aggravated huff through her beak. "Of course we're not responsible for it. Why in the world would we do that? Besides, we keep a close record of everyone who comes and goes from the island for the sake of security. If someone goes against our ideals, they're cast away immediately. Darcmon is incredibly strict with the bookkeeping matters, and if anybody had gone missing to cause chaos as a Void Fragment Digimon, we would have known about it. We haven't seen a single attack here on Inaie either. The island moving has kept us safe from that much."
"So... Nothing has changed here over the last few weeks?" Salamon questioned. Hippogriffomon shook her head, and Salamon frowned. "I guess this was a dead end... But that doesn't matter much to me. I'm glad we were able to come here to see what the island has to offer."
"Me too," Mayumi agreed. She didn't think she would be able to look at the rest of the world the same way ever again. It was possible for radically different people to coexist as long as they were willing to put in the effort, but it seemed like most of the Digital World didn't want to bother with that work. It was going to lead everyone to catastrophe if they weren't careful.
"I don't know where you heard that we were suspects in the Void Fragment incidents, but I have no idea what you're referring to," Hippogriffomon said. "You can call me a liar all you want, but the fact of the matter is that nothing has happened here. You can ask anyone. No Digimon have gone missing, and we don't have anything that could make the Void Fragments contagious either if you're thinking of the island traveling and spreading some type of sickness."
"I believe you about that," Mayumi nodded. "I would have known it by now if there was something going on around here. I mean, if it was a reserve of dark energy, I would have sensed it. The Void Fragments have a very distinct sensation, and it's a lot like bile. The island is free of all that though, so I know there's nothing here that could possibly infect others."
"Who in the world told you that the island was a suspect in all of this to begin with?" Hippogriffomon asked. "You must have heard that idea from somewhere, and I want to know who told you. It's not true in the slightest."
Mayumi shared a brief glance with Takuya, and something in the back of her mind feared that perhaps she wouldn't be able to trust Hippogriffomon with this information. It wasn't that she didn't trust her, but it seemed like her instincts were to deflect trust when people offered it. After all, she had been betrayed so many times that she didn't know how to maintain her composure if she walked into it again.
Luckily for her, Takuya seemed to be more confident in this than she was, and he answered Hippogriffomon's question. "It was Alastomon," he replied. "The leader of the Human Digimon in the new era."
Hippogriffomon's expression twisted at that, though the look in her eyes was impossible to pin down with words. "I would advise you to be careful around him," she eventually explained slowly. "I haven't heard much about him, but I can say that what I have heard is hardly pleasant or savory. He's a savvy manipulator as far as I've been made aware. Trusting his words at face value is not the best decision you can make."
Mayumi and Takuya looked to one another at that, and Mayumi felt her heart begin to speed in her chest. She hadn't been given a reason to distrust Alastomon up to this point, especially since he had gone out of his way to help the Legendary Warriors on so many occasions. He had helped them throughout their investigation. He had been the one to point them to Inaie for example, giving them the chance to look around for information in the location of their sole lead. Inaie had seemed suspicious when it crested the horizon each time an attack took place, and Alastomon had reinforced those fears.
These conflicting accounts made Mayumi's stomach churn. Hippogriffomon had never met Alastomon, so perhaps her assessment was simply incorrect on account of being so distant, but Mayumi couldn't stop her fear that perhaps there was a greater amount of truth to it than she wanted to admit. If that was the case, then how was she supposed to face him again? What if he really was up to something beyond what the Legendary Warriors knew about? It was certainly possible, though Mayumi didn't want to think about that possibility. They had seen more than enough strife already, and having an ally stab them in the back... They couldn't stand something like that at the moment.
No, Mayumi couldn't stand that, and she knew her fear was not a temporary arrangement.
"We've seen the island on the edge of the skyline each time an attack has taken place recently," Patamon said slowly, choosing each word like he thought it would destroy him if he wasn't cautious enough. "Do you know why that would happen?"
Hippogriffomon shook her head. "I haven't the slightest idea... But it wouldn't surprise me if somebody was trying to frame us for what they perceive as the crime of us existing," she answered. "Inaie has hardly been popular over the course of the last few decades as the tensions between Human and Beast Digimon grows stronger. There are many out there who would wish for the island's downfall. I would suggest that you choose your next step carefully and wisely. The island has nothing to do with the Void Fragments, and you've seen it for yourself."
For a long time, the group was quiet, and Mayumi faltered before forcing herself to speak up. "I... I'm sorry about this," she whispered. "I don't want you to think that we only came here because we thought you were guilty of a crime by being here on the island. We wanted to come here for other reasons too, I promise. I mean, this is such an important place in our predecessors' history, and..." She trailed off, knowing that she was starting to ramble. She toed at the cobbled stones below, refusing to meet anybody's eyes directly, especially with Hippogriffomon constantly watching her with a naturally piercing gaze. "I'm sorry if you think we're only here because of our investigation."
"Don't apologize," Hippogriffomon assured her with a stiff shake of her head. "I know there's more to it than that. Call it instinct. Regardless of what Alastomon told you--for better or worse--I'm sure you have other reasons for coming here."
"Do you really think we shouldn't trust him?" Takuya asked cautiously. "Are you sure he's dangerous?" There were a thousand other questions racing through Takuya's head, but he didn't put any of them to words, instead remaining perfectly still as he watched Hippogriffomon's every move for any signs of rage or other distress.
Hippogriffomon hesitated, giving the Legendary Warriors and their Digimon guides a wary glance. "I would suggest that you be as careful as you can around him. He sent you here for a reason, I'm sure. I don't know what he's up to, but I haven't heard much about him that could be considered favorable. If he wanted you to come here with hopes that you would pin the Void Fragment cases on us, then he has another thing coming. Still, it's all speculation right now. I have no hard proof of him being against the island, and there's nothing I can do to change that. All I can suggest is that you be as careful as possible. There are many people in this world who aren't worth your trust, and he may very well be one of them."
Hippogriffomon took off a moment later at that, swooping through the overhead skies before working to decorate another part of the central square. Mayumi pulled Lopmon in a little bit tighter before looking over to Takuya. "I... I think we should go and tell Alastomon and Biastamon about all of this," she murmured.
"Do you think it's a good idea to mention that people here are suspicious of Alastomon?" Takuya questioned. Mayumi didn't think she had ever seen him looking this conflicted and uncertain before, and she decided immediately that she despised it.
"I don't think we should tell him anything that Hippogriffomon just mentioned. Instead, we should just say that we haven't found any leads here on the island and that we doubt we're going to find anything either," Lopmon chimed in. "He won't be able to object to that no matter what his true intentions are."
"I don't know if we can say that he's against us when we're still getting used to having him around, especially since we've only just met Hippogriffomon," Salamon declared. "But I'm a bit worried even if we can't take Hippogriffomon's words as fact or anything yet."
"We should at least go back to the main building and try to cool off," Patamon suggested. "Maybe we can talk to Alastomon and Biastamon about everything else we've found... Well, everything we haven't found. That should say easily that there's nothing going on here, and with that in mind, we might be able to figure out what else we should be doing as long as we're here. We've still got another day to look around and enjoy the scenery."
"Then we can turn this into a fun trip after we tell them that there's nothing here," Mayumi announced. She took in a deep breath before starting off in the direction of the house where the Legendary Warriors were settling down for the night. "I'm looking forward to seeing what else the island has to offer, so we should try to make the most of this as long as we have the chance. We didn't find what we were looking for here, but I still think we've learned a lot."
"If you ask me, the fact that the recent attacks have all taken place right after Inaie passed through the area must indicate something," Lopmon remarked. "Maybe somebody out there really is trying to frame the occupants of the island for everything that's happened recently. It wouldn't surprise me given how unpopular their ideals are at the moment."
"And if there really are people out there trying to frame the people of Inaie for the Void Fragment attacks, then we need to figure out who," Takuya finished for him. "I wouldn't know where to start looking for them, but this only feeds more into that theory of everything having a mastermind."
"Do you think it could be Alastomon?" Patamon questioned slowly. When everyone remained silent and uncertain for a few moments afterward, he backpedaled. "I-I'm not trying to say that I think he was behind all of this just because that's what Hippogriffomon said! I just mean that... Well... I don't know. I don't know what to think of any of this. Inaie was our main chance to figure out what was going on, and we still don't have a clue what we're up against."
"You can say that again," Mayumi sighed. "Either way, we should go and report back. We can see what happens next after we've talked to them. Not a word to anybody about what we just heard from Hippogriffomon... Not until we're sure it's something that should be shared."
Everyone nodded their agreement. Mayumi could tell they weren't any happier about the arrangement than she was, but she chose to not let that bother her too much. They had business to take care of even if they didn't like it. Right now, that meant telling Alastomon and Biastamon everything they had just uncovered.
Even if it meant hiding from them that Inaie considered one of them a traitor to the world.
~~~~~
Haroi was waiting for Mayumi, Takuya, and the rest of their group when they arrived back at their home for the night. He was speaking softly to Alastomon and Biastamon when the group entered, and Mayumi's shoulders went stiff at the sight of Alastomon. She prayed she didn't accidentally say or do anything that would give away the truth of what Hippogriffomon had said. It wasn't the right time to start talking about it yet. That was a conversation that needed to happen in person for better or worse.
Haroi looked over his shoulder when he heard the door open. "Hello, everyone," he greeted. Neemon offered the group a lazy wave before he looked back to Alastomon and Biastamon. "Have you been able to find anything on the island?"
Mayumi shook her head. "Nothing," she replied. She settled down behind her brother easily, refusing to look Alastomon in the eye. Given the fact that she hated eye contact even on the best of days, nobody asked any questions about it. "I don't think there are any Void Fragments here on the island at all."
"Saki said the same thing," Haroi confirmed with a small frown. "I went to lunch with them earlier. They said that they hadn't felt anything that could compare to the Void Fragments' energy since we got here. If that's not evidence of the Void Fragments not being here, then I don't know what is."
"I was going to say the same thing," Mayumi nodded. "I know what those things feel like, and it's nasty. If there was a Void Fragment power source around here--whatever that would entail--I would have picked up on it by now. I don't even think that would exist anyway. A center for the power of the Void Fragments, I mean. We haven't really been given a reason to believe that they're contagious, and if they were, we would have seen entire villages get infected by now."
"I see..." came Alastomon's voice from the other end of the video feed. He seemed disappointed by the revelation, and Mayumi tried to pretend it was because the lead was evaporating right beneath their feet and not because he was framing Inaie for his own crimes. No, that was just her jumping to conclusions. There was no hard evidence of him being involved with any of this. Hippogriffomon's suspicions couldn't be considered proof. They needed actual, definitive evidence before they started pointing any fingers. Mayumi couldn't tell if that line of logic was meant to soothe her or not though, and the very thought made her feel sick to her stomach.
"I told you this was a fool's errand," Biastamon sighed. "Inaie had nothing to do with any of this. The occupants of the island are innocent of any crime anyone could have leveled against them."
"If anything, this just gives more credibility to the theory that somebody is trying to frame the island's people for all of this. If there was an easy scapegoat out there, then the culprit wouldn't have to try all that hard to get away with it," Mayumi declared. She deliberately avoided looking at Alastomon once again, knowing she was going to start cracking if she stared at him for longer than a second.
"I suppose it's possible... Though we won't be able to say for sure until we can find the one really behind all of this," Alastomon hummed to himself. "It's going to take time to narrow things down now that our one lead has gone up in smoke though... It'll probably be a while before we can find another avenue forward."
"I'm just glad everyone is finally seeing sense and realizing that Inaie had nothing to do with any of it," Biastamon muttered. "I told you the island was uninvolved with recent events, and now, everyone can see it clear as can be."
"Either way, thank you for investigating. I think that covering all our bases is more important than ever now, especially since we have no way of saying for sure what will be waiting for us just around the bend," Alastomon went on, ignoring Biastamon's cross tone effortlessly. "We'll find another lead soon enough... Or so I'm hoping. I was banking on this being true, I must admit, not because I wanted it to be real, but because... I wanted all of this to be sealed off once and forever."
"You can say that again!" Bokomon chimed in. "Still, if it didn't work, there are bound to be other places out there for us to check out. All we need to do is figure out where we should search first. For now, we can enjoy the rest of our stay here in Inaie. There's set to be a party in the honor of our favorite humans, and it would be rude of us to leave before the festivities could begin."
"In that case, we'll be sure to leave you to your fun. It wouldn't do for us to keep you hung up on this call when there's an entire party out there waiting for you," Alastomon smiled. "I'll look forward to hearing from you again. Until next time, Legendary Warriors."
The call went silent from there, and Mayumi let out a hefty sigh of relief once she was sure Alastomon and Biastamon wouldn't be able to hear her anymore. Haroi looked over his shoulder at her in concern, slowly pulling Saki's laptop shut along the way. "Are you alright, Mayumi?" he asked, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.
Takuya and Mayumi shared a brief look at that. Even if they had agreed to not tell anyone about what they had heard from Hippogriffomon, sharing their story with the rest of their teammates was probably for the best. If it turned out to be important in the end, then they would all need to be aware of it. Mayumi wasn't looking forward to explaining it though, and she knew that Takuya hated the idea too. Then again, it wasn't as if they had much of a choice in the matter.
"Okay," Takuya began with a slow and careful sigh. "There's something we need to tell you..."
~~~~~
Inaie truly was incredible.
Yumiko, Kotemon, and Bearmon had continued their walk around Inaie since their conversation on the park bench, and with each step they took, Yumiko realized again just how amazing the island was. It made sense that she would adore it given her history being so deeply intertwined with Inaie's creation, but she still found herself shocked with how perfect the island felt to her. She was there for a mission, yes, but she didn't think she had ever felt quite this free and on top of the world. It was only in part because of the elemental affinity she possessed; the island felt like freedom even without that fact, and Yumiko loved it.
Yumiko was so caught up in the beauty of the moment that she didn't realize where they were until she felt a light tug on her hand from Kotemon. When she glanced down at him, she recognized embarrassment fused with excitement in his eyes. "There's somewhere I want to show you," he said softly.
Bearmon's eyes went wide. "You're right!" he cried out. "In all of the excitement, I forgot to show you the place you would want to see the most on the island! You absolutely have to see this, Yumiko!"
Before the Warrior of Wood could protest, both Digimon had reached up to grab one of her hands each, and they pulled her a few staggering steps forward while she was still too caught up in her shock to fight back. "W-What are you talking about?" she asked. "What do you want to show me?"
"There's a bit more to the island than meets the eye," Bearmon explained. He pulled Yumiko along for a short while longer before arriving at a large rock that stuck up from the ground. The stone was covered in gentle flowers, and Yumiko could feel the gentle pulse of magic the closer she got. She reached out with one hand, and Bearmon pressed one hand into the side of the rock. "This is a secret only a few people on the island know about. But you... You need to see this for yourself."
Yumiko watched as the rock slowly split in half, revealing a dark stone stairway that led down into the ground below. The rock acted as a curtain to defend it from the outside world, and as Yumiko stepped toward the cave, she felt that pulse of power once again. Whatever was at the bottom of the staircase was important, and it was calling out for her.
"Go on then," Lyseir encouraged. "I know there's something down there. Let's see what it is."
Yumiko took in a careful breath to steel herself before placing one foot on the first step. Under most other circumstances, she would have asked if it was alright for her to go there at all, but she couldn't stop herself after she took that first step. This was where she was meant to be in a way she couldn't quite articulate. A deep, instinctive urge that she knew had to come from her elemental power reminded her that this was the path she was meant to follow.
The island had answers for her that no other place could even hope to describe, and they were waiting for her at the bottom of this staircase. Yumiko confidently descended into the earth with this in mind, Bearmon and Kotemon hot on her heels. Behind them, the rock slid back into place, leaving them with nothing but the path ahead and the determination in their hearts.
Notes:
Another heavy hitting emotional chapter. I really adore these. Inaie's miniature arc was tons of fun to plan and write for me because it gave me the chance to finally cultivate all the seeds that were planted throughout the story up to this point. This story is paced very differently from its predecessor, and that means handling many things differently as well with character development being first among them. I really love how this arc is turning out though, and I hope you all are too.
First up, let's talk about the conversation with Tomoki and Chihiro. This is one of the first times we've been able to see the two of them in a closed setting like this, and I love how it turned out. At this point, they fear the same thing: being pursued. It makes sense that they would sit down to talk about it. With Yutaka back, Tomoki is terrified of his brother pursuing him. Chihiro, on the other hand, feels that the investigation team is opening old wounds from their strained relationship with their parents. Neither one of them has the answers they're looking for right now though, and that's the way it should be if you ask me. There's no easy way for them to push through this at the moment, but they're going to figure it out one way or another. This is just the beginning.
Next is the scene with Haroi, Bokomon, Neemon, and Saki. I wanted to pair this scene with the confrontation Takuya and Mayumi had with Hippogriffomon since I thought their suspicions slotted in well together thematically and literally. It's a deceptively casual conversation, at least on the surface. In more detail, it covers their relationships with Earth and the Digital World in a subtle but important way that I think is crucial to world building and the like. Everybody has their own relationships with Earth and the Digital World that will be explored in more detail later on, but for now, this is starting to let the uncertainty from before blossom into something much great, and I love how it turned out.
For perhaps the first time in the story thus far, we got an extensive scene from Mayumi's perspective! Writing for her is always a ton of fun, one of those reasons being that I get to weave little details of her neurodivergency into the narration. She hates making eye contact, tends to stay with the same familiar people instead of branching out, and is particularly sensitive to rejection. Also, her counting habit from the first book is back.
All of this is pretty small in comparison to what Hippogriffomon said though. Nothing concrete proves Alastomon is up to something else, but her words are enough to strike doubt into the hearts of those who hear what she has to say. This is her first full scene, and I think she certainly came in with a bang. It's certainly a lot of food for thought, isn't it?
And this carries over into the next scene too. Fun fact: the scene back at the house was supposed to take place in the next chapter, but it was bumped up here since I rearranged things last time. With the extended version of the Koji and Koichi scene happening in the previous chapter, I had more time to work with here, and I decided to bring up this scene to this release instead. It generally speaks for itself in serving to increase the wariness brought on by Hippogriffomon's words. Inaie may be the island of character development, but it's also the island of paranoia, just a little bit.
Lastly, we have our hook leading into next week's chapter. Yumiko is off to investigate the tunnels beneath the island's main level with Kotemon and Bearmon. Hm... I wonder what that will lead to. Interesting.
Next time, we'll follow up on the next stage of the group's Inaie adventures, including the truth behind Yumiko's expeditions with Kotemon and Bearmon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 24: Distorted Whispers
Summary:
Preparations for the night's festival continue as Yumiko uncovers an important secret lost to time.
Chapter Text
Throughout Takuya and Mayumi's entire explanation of what they had heard from Hippogriffomon, Haroi simply sat silently and nodded along. The heavy uncertainty in the air grew suffocating as the minutes crawled by, but Haroi didn't allow himself to show just how anxious he was. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, this was something he needed to hear. Hell, it was something all of the Legendary Warriors needed to hear as soon as possible.
"That should cover it all," Takuya declared once he was finished. He was stiff, and Haroi couldn't help but swallow dryly in shock at just how strange it was to see Takuya lacking his regular radiant confidence. "Hippogriffomon wants us to be careful about what we say to Alastomon. She doesn't know what could be happening specifically, but she's sure he's up to something."
"I hadn't ever heard of Alastomon being up to something unsavory before now," Bokomon declared, already knowing what the next question was going to be. "It wouldn't shock me if there were a few details that had escaped my range of knowledge though... Alastomon is a powerful Digimon both in terms of politics and combat. There could easily be something I didn't know about before that still rings true."
"You know, I can't help thinking that maybe Inaie is being deliberately set up," Mayumi repeated, her arms crossed as she frowned. "It wouldn't shock me at all if the one behind this was trying to make it seem like the people on the island were responsible so they would be able to push the idea of the Human and Beast Digimon being against each other. After all, if everybody else believed that those who worked and lived beyond those lines were just bringing disaster and destruction everywhere they went, then nobody would want to side with them."
"It would keep the tensions between both sides alive and well," Lopmon agreed with a stern nod. "I don't want to admit it, but you have a point... We'll need to be careful with what we do with this information though. We have no hard evidence of Alastomon being up to something right now, and if he realizes we're suspicious of him, then it could bite us when we least expect it."
"Right now, we need him for the information he can share with us. We shouldn't take any chances with that," Salamon suggested. "If something else comes up later that makes it seem like he's going to betray us, then we'll handle it when the time comes. For now, we need what he can give us, and it wouldn't be a good idea to just abandon that based on Hippogriffomon's suspicions, especially since she doesn't have any evidence."
Haroi nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Hippogriffomon was right in her worries about Alastomon. Even if there was no hard proof, he was afraid that he knew exactly where this was going, and he hated the idea that the path ahead was going to follow his anxious expectations. Up until that moment, he had been sure they would be able to count on both Alastomon and Biastamon to help them no matter what happened, but it seemed as if that was only wishful thinking.
"We can take this one step at a time and decide what we want to do when we've talked to everybody," Takuya announced. "For now, I think we should try to make the most of our time here on the island. Who knows when we're going to be able to come back here? We're here for other reasons aside from just our investigation, and I want to do all I can to look around while we have the time."
Haroi pushed himself to his feet at that, stretching his arms above his head. Takuya certainly had a point, and Haroi wasn't going to let the rest of their trip to Inaie end up ruined by Hippogriffomon's suspicions. "Let's go and try to enjoy the island for the rest of the night then," he agreed. Haroi wasn't sure how far he was going to get when it came to exploring the island, especially given how little he could walk at the moment, but he wanted to get out of Legendary Warriors' base as soon as possible. Maybe that would help him to clear his head about all of this.
A knock came at the door, and Haroi shared a confused glance with everyone else in the room before Neemon walked over and opened it. Darcmon stood on the other side of the door, her expression determined but kind just like always. "I'm glad to see you all are settling in well," she announced. "I wanted to come by and tell you that the festival for tonight is set to start in an hour. If you want to head over to the central square, I'm sure there will be others there happy to help you prepare for it."
"You've got it!" Takuya exclaimed as he turned to the rest of the group. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I know I could certainly use a bit of break time after today. We can go on and get the party started a bit early. I would say that we've earned it."
Mayumi nodded her agreement, but Haroi cast a brief glance back at Saki's laptop. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't tear his mind away from what they had heard from Hippogriffomon, and he looked up to Darcmon with concern in his eyes. "I... I'll catch up to you," he told the other members of the group. "I'd like to talk with Darcmon for a moment first, if that's alright."
Darcmon seemed perplexed by this decision, but she said nothing to push back against him. Instead, she simply nodded, stepping to the side as the rest of the group streamed out. Lopmon looked over his shoulder to see if Haroi wanted anyone to stay with him, but the Legendary Warrior of Cosmos just shook his head and waved him forward. Lopmon nodded before following the rest of the group out onto the street.
Darcmon waited until everyone else was gone before she sat down on the floor, tapping the door shut with the edge of her staff along the way. "I must admit that I didn't expect you to want to talk to me so suddenly," she confessed. "But I know you wouldn't ask for something like this without a reason. What do you want to talk about?"
"I want to talk to you about the recent rumors surrounding Inaie," Haroi began. He was glad he got the words out early rather than dancing around the subject, knowing that was only going to make him more miserable if he tried.
Darcmon's eyebrow raised. "Rumors? What are you talking about?" she asked. The confusion on her face was genuine enough that Haroi knew she really was clueless. She couldn't have been behind all of this, not that it was a surprise for Haroi to realize this. Mayumi's theory about the island's people being framed was looking more and more realistic by the minute.
"The rumor around the rest of the Digital World is that Inaie is responsible for the recent Void Fragment attacks," Haroi said. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the words never came out. He didn’t know what he would have said if he could manage it anyway.
Instead, he was cut off by Darcmon slamming the top of her staff against the wall behind her. The building shook from the force, and Haroi's eyes shot open with shock. "Excuse me?" Darcmon whispered, her voice dark, quiet, and unreadable.
Haroi nodded around the sudden spike of anxiety stabbing at his chest. "We've heard from many people that they believe Inaie is the reason for all of the recent attacks," he continued. "They think the attacks are happening after the island leaves the area. The Void Fragment invasions have seemed to follow this pattern as of late, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it."
Darcmon shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Search the entire island if you want. If that's not proof of our innocence, then I don't know what is. The Void Fragments aren't contagious, and we haven't been leaving anybody behind. If anyone tries to leave this island, I need to know about it in advance. We can't just throw people off the back of a moving island. I would know if somebody was trying to leave at the perfect time to cause an attack," she told Haroi. "Who the fuck fed you that bullshit? Inaie has nothing to do with any of this."
"It was Alastomon," Haroi replied, and Mayumi's suspicions about him being responsible for a massive framing effort against the people of Inaie felt heavier and realer by the second. "He was sure we were going to find something here, so he asked us to come investigate the island with hopes that we would uncover some nugget of truth to his suspicions."
"That rat!" Darcmon cried out, and once again, the top edge of her staff slammed into the nearby wall. "You shouldn't trust a damn thing that comes out of that man's mouth. I have no idea what he's been telling you to make you think that we, the people of an island known for sheltering people from hatred, are behind this, but he's lying out of his ass."
"Hippogriffomon said the same thing," Haroi confirmed with a small nod. "She talked to Takuya, Mayumi, Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon earlier, and she said Alastomon was hiding something too."
"Because he has to be. Somebody like that doesn't just rise to the top without stabbing people in the back. I know that type. He must have done something awful to earn his position, and now, we're all left dealing with the aftermath of it," Darcmon continued with a hefty, irritated sigh. "Biastamon hasn't said a word against him since they started working together, but I know he has his suspicions too."
"That's right... You two know one another, don't you?" Haroi murmured. "Biastamon mentioned coming here to the island to speak with you on a few occasions, so if anyone would know him..."
"It would be me," Darcmon finished for him. "And I can promise you right now that he has nothing to do with this either. I've heard that Alastomon is up to something, but I don't know what it is. His recent behavior has a few people asking questions, and if there's one thing that man hates, it's when people question his authority."
"So... What do you think we should do about all of this?" Haroi questioned. He was almost afraid of posing the inquiry at all, but he knew it was something he needed an answer for. How were the Legendary Warriors supposed to proceed if they were sure one of their greatest allies was inevitably going to stab them in the back? How could anyone go on with life like that?
"I don't know, but I would suggest staying on your toes," Darcmon told him firmly. "I can’t even begin to imagine what he could be getting up to with all of this, but I'm not going to sit back and let him drag Inaie's name through the mud. I've only met him a few times, but that was more than enough. Don't share anything with him beyond what is absolutely necessary. You have no idea when he's going to take that information and use it to betray you."
Haroi nodded slowly at that, wishing he could come up with a rebuttal that would ease the blow but knowing there was nothing for him to find in the first place. Darcmon sighed as she pushed herself to her feet, using her staff as a grounding point along the way. She turned the weapon over and offered it to Haroi to help him rise as well. "Whatever Alastomon is up to isn't pretty. If he sent you here to look around for information about the Void Fragments, then he must be up to something. This is probably some sort of deflection tactic, and if that's the case, then you had better watch your back. Traitors love to take distractions as a chance to put a knife in where it hurts most," Darcmon went on. "I can't say for sure what's going to come of this, but I can ask you to be as careful as possible. We can't have the Legendary Warriors falling to someone like that... Not after everything else the Digital World has gone through over the last few months."
Haroi stared as Darcmon started toward the door. He wanted to say something else, but a knot had formed firmly at the back of his throat, forcing him to remain silent. Darcmon pressed her free hand against the doorframe and looked over her shoulder at him. "We're counting on you, Legendary Warriors. I know you'll do the right thing," she told him softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Before Haroi could say anything else, she pushed away from the doorframe and kicked off the ground, taking to the skies. She was gone before Haroi could even think of going after her.
For a long while, Haroi just stood in the doorway, watching the place where she had last been. The sun was setting in earnest now, and Haroi could tell the island would be bathed in twilight by the time the festivities started in full. He sighed to himself, hoping nothing came out of the dark to hurt him or the rest of the group. No matter what they did, nobody could ever say for sure what was waiting in the shadows.
Haroi just prayed it wasn't the knife of betrayal.
~~~~~
In the end, Takuya and Mayumi made the decision to split up to search for the rest of the group before bringing them back to the central festival grounds. They could have easily called the other members of the party through their D-Tectors to ask that they come back to the island's main square, but they had a bit of time before the festivities started. Besides, as far as Takuya was concerned, it would be the perfect chance for him to get a better lay of the land. Inaie was at least a dozen adventures waiting to happen, and he was more than glad to use that as a distraction from his worries about everything he had heard from Hippogriffomon earlier in the day.
It didn't take long for Takuya to spot a group of the Legendary Warriors talking on a street corner. Chihiro was leaning up against a nearby building, their arms crossed and their eyes closed in contemplation. A few feet away was Tomoki followed shortly afterward by Hinoka. Perhaps the most surprising presence here was Miriamon, who Takuya hadn't seen since they first arrived at the island. If he was being honest, he had almost forgotten she was there at all, not that he would admit that out loud. Either way, he had four of them in one place now, and that was a quarter of the group accounted for with plenty of time left to find the others before the festivities began. Takuya couldn't have asked for a better outcome.
Takuya tucked his D-Tector back in its regular place at his hip, its duty to guide him to his friends now completed, as he sent the group a grand wave. "Hey, everyone!" he declared. "How have you been doing today?"
"The investigation is a hoax and will only end in misery and failure," Chihiro began, their tone dark but their grin mischievous. Hinoka looked at them with concern, but Chihiro shrugged it off casually. "What are you thinking?"
Takuya let out a laugh, trying to sound surer of himself than he felt. "Yeah, that's what the rest of us are starting to believe too. Still, we can't let that hold us down forever, you know? We're here for other reasons too, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to have as much fun as possible."
"You're coming to pick us up for the festival tonight, aren't you?" Tomoki questioned, and Takuya nodded. The Warrior of Ice let out a heavy sigh with a small, frail smile. "I'm glad to hear it. I don't know how the rest of you are feeling, but I want a break after everything we've already had to do today."
"Given the fact that we learned pretty quickly that our one lead about the Void Fragments was wrong, we deserve a break," Chihiro agreed. "Besides, it would be rude of us to pass up on a festival being thrown in our honor. The island has put a lot of effort into this, and I don't want to just waste all that."
"We're going back to the central square for the start of the celebration. It should be kicking off in about an hour," Takuya said. "I was going to just call everybody and have them come back together, but you guys were close, and I want to try and get a better idea of the island’s layout. I need to satisfy myself somehow when the spirit of adventure failed us today in our investigation."
"I'm hoping we'll be able to return to the island one day under better circumstances," Hinoka said. "From what I've seen, the people here are incredibly nice, and I would love to get to know them when we're not... Well..."
"Trying to figure out who's behind a massive rampage of violence across the planet?" Chihiro finished for her. Hinoka nodded, and Chihiro snorted before continuing. "You and me both. Even if we can enjoy ourselves for reasons other than our original planned investigation, I feel like the fact that we fell short in the first place is kind of putting a damper on our fun, you know?"
"I understand," Miriamon nodded. "At least we have conclusive proof now that nothing is wrong here. It's a shame we couldn't learn anything new, but it proves all our previous suspicions about Inaie being responsible for this were wrong. That's a step in the right direction if you ask me."
Takuya nodded, tucking his hands up behind his head. "I'm glad we're able to leave all of this in the past. I like the island too much to suspect its people of wrongdoing like that," he confessed. "And we can enjoy the festival for as long as we're still here."
"I agree... But I would still suggest that everyone remain as careful as possible," Miriamon cautioned. "I want to believe that everything will end peacefully here, but I fear that won't be the case in the end. I have no evidence to make me think we will be attacked, but... It would still be best for us to be safe rather than sorry."
"Do you think anyone is going to try and attack us while we're here?" Tomoki asked, a frown spreading across his features. "I suppose it's possible somebody could lash out, but... Well, if Inaie was responsible for the attacks, then we would have seen a Void Fragment invasion by now. The Digimon completely lose track of themselves when they get possessed, and they wouldn't be able to fight back against the infection."
"There's a lot of evidence to suggest Inaie is innocent. I agree completely with that. Still, I fear perhaps a potential mastermind behind this—assuming our suspicions are right about someone like that existing—would want to strike at us if they realized their attempts to frame Inaie had fallen short," Miriamon pointed out. "I believe someone out there was using Inaie as a scapegoat for their own wrongdoing, and now that the truth is coming out that all of that was a lie... I don't know what they could try to do next, but it would be best for us to remain on our guard."
Takuya sighed, wishing he could disagree but knowing he wouldn't be able to object. Miriamon’s concerns were grounded in too much reality for his liking, and there was nothing he nor the rest of the group would be able to do to push back against that. "It would be nice for us to enjoy a day in the Digital World without the need to fight, but I guess that might be a bit too much to ask," he agreed, ignoring the way his energy seemed to leave his body with those words. "We'll try to be careful during the festival. If anything happens, then we'll fight our way out of it. The people of the island are no doubt on our side given everything we've seen up to this point. I don't think they could pull off a massive betrayal on that scale now, especially since we have reason to believe somebody else might do that instead."
Tomoki's shoulders went tight, and Takuya only realized how morbid his words were after he had already spoken them. "What are you talking about?" the Warrior of Ice whispered softly, and Takuya resisted the urge to cringe openly. That certainly hadn't been his finest choice of words, especially around some of the most paranoid Legendary Warriors out of the bunch.
Takuya sighed and looked off to the side. "You're not going to like what I say next, but I think it's something that needs to be said," he began carefully. "We heard something from Hippogriffomon earlier today..."
~~~~~
The rest of the Legendary Warriors were a bit more spread out than Mayumi would have liked, but she didn't let that get her down. If she was routing correctly—which she was sure she was—then it wouldn't take too long for her to snag a few other members of the group while also mapping out her surroundings a bit more than before. All she had to do was stay focused, and she did so by staring at the radar on her D-Tector intently.
Koji came into view soon afterward, and Mayumi smiled as she approached him. He was staring down at his own D-Tector, clearly lost in thought. He jumped when Mayumi appeared at his side, something he never would have done if he had been completely focused. He was normally too alert to fall for something like that, and while Mayumi didn't say it openly, she felt her heart drop a little bit from worry for the Warrior of Light.
"Mayumi," Koji greeted carefully. "What are you doing here? I would have thought you would be in the center of town. The sun is going down." That was his way of saying that he thought nobody was going to bother him if he was so far from the heart of Inaie’s coming festival. Mayumi had no idea why he didn't want to be bothered like that, but she was once again confident there was more on his mind than he was willing to openly admit. She wished she knew how she was meant to get him to open up about it, but she doubted he would make it easy for her. Even now, Koji struggled with emotional intimacy, and Mayumi could see it in his deep blue eyes.
"I was looking for you and the rest of the group," Mayumi replied, nudging gently at him with her shoulder. "We're getting ready to kick off the rest of the festivities in the center of town, so I figured I would come by and pick you up. I could have just called you with our D-Tectors, but... Well, this is a bit more fun, isn't it?"
Koji hummed, not offering any solid agreement or objection. Instead, he just tucked his D-Tector away and shoved his hands into his pockets, the perfect stance for him to seem closed off from the rest of the world. If that wasn't proof that he had a lot on his mind he didn't want to talk about, then Mayumi didn't know what was. She wasn't going to push it without his permission, but she was sure she was going to have to talk to him about it one way or another. It might take some time, but she would get there eventually.
"Hey there, you two!"
Izumi's voice cut through the air before Mayumi had the chance to negotiate how she was going to talk to Koji. The Warrior of Wind waved as she drew nearer, Saki a few paces behind her. Saki's posture was much the same as Koji's, all hunched shoulders and hands in pockets. Mayumi tried to calm the crackling of lightning in her stomach when the desperate urge to help them rose up in her chest since she had no idea how to reach out in full. She didn't know Koji or Saki as well as she would have liked, and that was only going to make it harder for her to convince them to open up. She probably wouldn't even come close to success, at least not as things currently were. If the two were going to start talking, then somebody else was going to have to push them in the right direction, as much as Mayumi hated to admit it.
She didn't let her anxiety show on her face though, instead offering a bright grin to Izumi. "Hey!" Mayumi chirped back. "I'm glad to see you. We were just getting ready to head back to the center of town for the festival. It's starting within the hour."
"That sounds like fun," Izumi smiled as she looked over to Saki. The Warrior of Steel offered a curt nod of agreement, though it lacked the regular passion Mayumi would have expected given the circumstances. Mayumi did her best to remain calm at the idea that her friends, no matter who they were, had decided to keep secrets from the rest of the party rather than talk about their issues. She knew how hard it could be opening up about her fears and worries, but she still wanted the others to try it so that she could help them. It was awful to see them suffer in silence, especially when she didn't have the tools or knowledge needed to build a bridge over the gap. Mayumi couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not that she seemed able to sympathize with her woes for better or worse. Why couldn’t things be as easy now as they had been during the group’s last trip to the Digital World? Why couldn’t they just talk about their feelings without consequence or fear holding them back? It would have made life much simpler.
"Where are the others?" Mayumi questioned. She checked her D-Tector again, seeing that Takuya had met up with Tomoki, Hinoka, and Chihiro since they parted ways. Haroi was back at the center of town where they had left him speaking with Darcmon. As long as Mayumi was with Izumi, Koji, and Saki, that left only Junpei, Koichi, and Yumiko unaccounted for elsewhere on the island.
Mayumi squinted down at her D-Tector, and her eyes went wide with shock as she realized the others were scattered at different points on the island. It shouldn't have been that shocking for the group to be split up as part of their investigation, but regardless, Mayumi had an awful feeling about it in the pit of her stomach. With the way Koichi had been acting lately, she didn't know if it was a good idea to leave him alone for extended periods of time. Junpei and Yumiko were mysteries on their own, but Koichi... She couldn’t help but worry about him specifically.
Koji was quick to jump in with an explanation though. "I left Koichi a little while ago. He and I talked for a bit, and he wanted some more time to think everything through," he said, seeming to have picked up on Mayumi's worry for the Warrior of Darkness. "I don't know about Junpei and Yumiko though... Junpei's not far from here, it seems. We could go and pick him up before we head back to the center of town."
Mayumi checked the clock on her phone, and when she realized they had time to spare still, she nodded. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea," she agreed. "We can tell Koichi and Yumiko what the plan is too so they'll be able to meet up with us when they're ready."
With that, Mayumi pulled her D-Tector up to her lips, using the buttons to narrow down the scope of the following message to send only to Koichi, Junpei, and Yumiko. "Hey, you guys. The festival in the town square is getting ready to start, so you should head back in that direction when you can. We don't want to keep Darcmon or anyone else waiting for too long. We'll see you there." She hung up soon afterward, but none of the other members of the group responded to her, at least not immediately.
Izumi had pulled out her own D-Tector and was looking at the radar carefully. "Is it just me... Or does it seem like Yumiko's signal is pretty weak?" she asked. She held out the D-Tector for the others to see, and a full diagram of the island blew itself up above the screen as a hologram. The buildings constructed themselves from light with small orbs to represent each of the Legendary Warriors scattered through the streets to mark their locations. Yumiko, on the other hand, was a faint green pulse deep beneath the surface of the earth. It was like the D-Tectors were struggling to communicate with one another because of the distance even though they should have easily all been within range of one another.
"It could be because she's underground," Saki frowned. "I didn't realize that was a shortcoming of the D-Tectors and their radar system... It's something for me and Junpei to look at when we get the chance. For now, all we can do is hope she got our message."
"I have a weird feeling about this," Koji admitted with a frown. "Why in the world would Yumiko be underground? I wasn't even aware there were underground tunnels on this island. Wouldn't that be a bit risky as long as the island is, you know, moving constantly?"
"We can go and find her in a little while if she still hasn't responded to our message," Mayumi suggested, though part of her wanted to go and search for Yumiko right then and there. She trusted the Warrior of Wood to be able to handle herself, but a deep anxiety was starting to churn in the pit of her stomach that ignored all ideas of trust and faith. After all, belief probably didn't mean much if Yumiko was suddenly struck by an unexpected catastrophe beneath the earth.
"For now, let's go and pick up Junpei," Izumi declared. Mayumi nodded, and the rest of the group followed the Warrior of Wind off in the direction of the Warrior of Thunder. Even though they said nothing else about it beyond what had already been mentioned, all of them were worried about Yumiko. There must have been a reason for all of this, but they didn't have any way of figuring out what it was.
Mayumi just hoped it wasn't an indicator of something too awful, and unfortunately for her, hoping was just about the best she could do at the moment.
~~~~~
As soon as the rock slid back into place behind Yumiko, Kotemon, and Bearmon, the tunnel sparked to life. Torches lined the hallway that led deeper into the earth, and flames manifested in the beds of the torches before Yumiko could fully process what was happening. She blinked a few times, her eyes halfway between processing the sudden dip into darkness and coping with the explosion of light that followed a moment later. For a brief moment, she wished she had increased vision like Koji or Koichi. Light or dark vision would have certainly been helpful in some way or another right about now.
Instead, Yumiko braced one hand against the wall to her right. When she had a grip on her sight again, she took a careful step forward, trying to move as cautiously as possible to make sure she didn't slip and fall. The stairs leading into the bottom of the island were stable, but Yumiko's vision most certainly wasn't at the moment, so she remained on her guard. Behind her, Kotemon nudged gently at her leg. "You're safe," he assured her quietly. "Everything is fine down here."
Yumiko nodded and focused on placing one foot in front of the other around the anxiety that had knotted itself in her chest. Soon enough, she arrived at the bottom of the steps, Kotemon and Bearmon filing in on either side of her. The torches lining the space only increased in number at the bottom of the staircase, and there were at least ten of them around the edge of the landing area. It still wasn't as much light as Yumiko would have liked though, so she reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. She pressed a button to bring up the flashlight, glad the device hadn't been entirely disabled when she traveled to the Digital World. The internet connection may have fallen through, but at least other features still worked the way they should have.
When Yumiko held her phone up, she realized the torches weren't the only things on the wall. Instead, there were many carvings drawn into the stone, art from a time long gone. She blinked a few more times, trying to convince herself that what she was seeing was real. Of all the things she had expected to find at the bottom of the tunnel, this was certainly one of the last. Yumiko reached out to touch the wall with her left hand, her fingers finding the stone to be surprisingly smooth. This place had been created carefully a long time ago, and yet, the craftsmanship was just as impressive as it had been when the art was first brought to life.
"What is this place?" Yumiko questioned as she glanced around the area. She was going to have to take a closer look at the carvings when she got the chance, but for now, she turned her attention down to Kotemon and Bearmon. They must have brought her here for a reason, and she was determined to hear what it was.
"I'm not entirely sure," Bearmon admitted. "Kotemon and I found it not long after we came here to the island. Darcmon found us when we came out and told us to keep it a secret. She said it was something that held the history of the island."
Yumiko hummed as she looked to one of the nearby carvings. She could see art inscribed into the stone in a wide myriad of colors, certainly a far cry from the ancient drawings on the walls of caves found on Earth. Somebody had come here with artistic utensils and a sense of purpose, determined to talk about the history they were seeing, living, and experiencing. Yumiko was about to ask when this had come from in the island's long history when she caught a glimpse of a drawing that resembled Lucemon a little bit too much. There was her answer. This carving was as old as the island itself, and it had no doubt been left behind by someone who had lived during the war against Lucemon so many years ago.
"I don't know what to say..." Yumiko forced herself to choke out, though it took her a while to find the strength to speak the words. She looked down to Kotemon and Bearmon warily. "Why did you want me to come here?"
"You were the one who established the island, weren't you?" Bearmon asked. He was smiling up at Yumiko, a childhood innocence in his eyes that Yumiko didn't think she had ever understood for herself. "You should see what happened when you first brought the island to life."
"It was her previous incarnation who brought the island to life," Kotemon corrected him. "AncientTrojamon did a lot for the people of Inaie, and if anyone deserves to see that... It would be you. After all, you're the one with her power."
"Thank you for bringing me here," Yumiko smiled, though she still felt oddly uncertain about being in the cave at all. Something told her this was wrong, like she wasn't meant to have set foot here to begin with. She did her best to shrug it off as she looked at the nearby carvings. Come to think of it, this was probably far from being the only drawing on the wall of this nature. Mayumi and Haroi had mentioned seeing art similar to this when they first found their Human Spirits. It felt like so long ago now that Yumiko had heard their side of the story from when they entered the Digital World for the first time, but it was all coming back to her now. If she had to guess, the concepts were so similar since they were relics of the same era: the war against Lucemon.
"Of course!" Bearmon exclaimed, his smile just as bright as ever. "You should look around and see if you can find anything interesting. Just... Don't tell anybody about it if you can avoid it. I know we're not supposed to come down here. At least, that's what Darcmon says. I think she wants to keep others from potentially destroying things."
"We're careful though," Kotemon said, though his tone told Yumiko that he was trying to convince himself rather than her. "We're not going to do anything that could cause lasting damage. We just... Wanted you to be able to see the carvings here."
Yumiko smiled to him with a light nod. "I appreciate that," she told him. "I didn't know all that much about the island until recently, and this... I feel like it's going to do a lot to fill in the gaps for me. I don't have many memories of what my previous incarnation was like, so I'm mostly hearing about her from other people."
"Everyone on Inaie worships the Legendary Warriors, but AncientTrojamon is the most important of them all," Bearmon explained. "Everyone is thankful to her for giving us the chance to live here in the first place. If she hadn't given the island life, then we wouldn't have been able to do anything. The island would have just been a massive hunk of rock that couldn't sustain any Digimon."
Yumiko smiled as she looked at a carving that seemed to depict the very spell that had given life to the island. The Digimon on the ground near the island bowed down to AncientTrojamon happily, smiles on their faces. AncientTrojamon herself was smiling as well, albeit for a different reason. Even though Yumiko's features were constructed completely differently from those of the Ancient Warrior of Wood, she couldn't help but feel herself reflected in the kind eyes of her predecessor. AncientTrojamon looked at the world with the same love in her heart that Yumiko did. Even in times of fear and terror, they tried their best to care for those who needed it most.
"AncientTrojamon did a lot for everyone here, didn’t she?" Yumiko murmured. It was far from being a question, instead a mere statement of fact. "I never would have imagined everyone admired her so much when I first arrived, but... Now..."
"I bet Darcmon is going to have something special to say to you about AncientTrojamon when the festival starts tonight," Kotemon said. Even though his face was hidden largely by shadows, Yumiko could still hear the smile in his voice. "Even if you don't remember what AncientTrojamon was like... I know you deserve the recognition for everything she did for us."
"Thank you," Yumiko whispered. At times, it was difficult for her to believe that she had lived an entire other life before the one she currently knew so well. AncientTrojamon still lived on within her in a strange way through the Spirits that had been created from her soul, but it was different from the way it had been when she was alive on her own. Yumiko may not have remembered it completely, the Spirits unable to fill in the gaps fully due to their own fragmentation, but there was something out there from before she had been born. She had been someone else, and now, she was seeing the most tangible evidence yet of everything that her past incarnation had done for the world.
"It was AncientTrojamon's idea for the island to move," Bearmon remarked. "She thought it would be safer if the island was always moving. In her mind, a moving target would be harder for Lucemon to hit. The Legendary Warriors couldn't help everyone, but they did what they could for those who were struggling the most. After the war, everyone who admired them came together to form a new community, and that was how Inaie became what it is today. Now, we're in a better state than ever before. That's just how I like it too."
Yumiko nodded as she glanced over to the next carving. This image was meant to depict Inaie moving for the first time as AncientTrojamon left the people to their new lives. She was off to fight in the rest of the war alongside the Legendary Warriors if the next image was anything to go off. The picture that followed showed all twelve of the Legendary Warriors banding together to fight Lucemon, seemingly before the Warriors of Energy and Cosmos could stab their allies in the back to side with their foe. Yumiko didn't think she had ever seen any historical images or texts that had all twelve of them together. That fact alone was proof that these carvings went back to the same time period as the images found beneath Ophanimon's palace.
Yumiko's gaze next shifted over to another battle against Lucemon, though this one was much more detailed. In fact, this was one of the largest carvings in the cave, second only to the one showing AncientTrojamon's blessing toward Inaie. The fight was tense, and Yumiko could feel the terror of the day even through the filter of the stone before her. All twelve of the Legendary Warriors had fought together against Lucemon and his Royal Knights. These days, none of the people in the carving were still alive. The Ancient Warriors had been reincarnated into new bodies from a new world, and the Royal Knights had all been killed when the Legendary Warriors had set off to defeat Lucemon once and for all. The mural truly was a piece of history unlike anything else, and Yumiko could see why Darcmon defended the cave so fiercely. She was trying to protect the past in any way she could, to defend the proof that all of this had happened to begin with in a world that had moved on after the years started to drift by.
There was one odd fact about this picture though, and Yumiko walked a bit closer to the wall before reaching out with one hand. There was a figure here she didn't recognize, and her eyes went wide at the realization. She would have thought that she knew just about everything there was to know about the war against Lucemon. At the very least, she knew the basic details, and she hadn't heard of anyone else fighting against the Legendary Warriors aside from—
Miriamon.
The blonde Digimon stood at the back of the group of Legendary Warriors. In fact, her position was a perfect mirror of where Lucemon was poised with the Royal Knights. Lucemon stood at the back of his allies' group, pointing ahead as he commanded them to march off to battle in his name. Miriamon, on the other hand, offered no command, instead simply standing passively at the back end of the Legendary Warriors' party. Something about her seemed distant though, and Yumiko had barely even recognized her at first. This barely felt like the Miriamon that Yumiko had come to know even if she didn't really know Miriamon all that well to begin with.
The pieces clicked together with the force of a punch to the stomach.
Yumiko held up her phone’s flashlight a little bit closer to the drawing of Miriamon. Her blonde hair was colored the same shade as Lucemon's own bob cut, and the rest of Miriamon's clothing—pastel blue, pale purple, and white—matched Lucemon's color scheme perfectly. They mirrored one another in terms of positioning on the battlefield in the picture, but they also matched in terms of colors. It was such an uncanny comparison that Yumiko could do nothing but stare for a long moment, confused as to how it had come to this at all.
Digimon didn't seem to have color schemes in common all that often. She had never met anyone with the same green and sunset pink and orange theme she did in her Spirit Evolved forms, and not even AncientTrojamon fell into that category. Contrary to what one would expect, the Ancient Spirits bore little resemblance to the splits of their souls. Something like this couldn't have been a coincidence. Yumiko was sure there had to be something more to it than just a matter of chance. She didn't hold many memories from her previous incarnation, but she still held the Digimon instincts of her predecessor, and those gut feelings were telling her this was not what it seemed. There was a reason for Miriamon to look so similar to Lucemon. There had to be.
In fact, the more Yumiko thought about it, the more she realized just how much Lucemon and Miriamon had in common. Their hair was the same pale blonde color, like all the color had been sucked out until there was barely anything left. Their eyes were pastel blue but still piercing, always searching for something nobody else could even hope to understand. Miriamon's outfit even looked somewhat angelic with the overwhelming presence of white, a perfect parallel to Lucemon's aesthetic as the Angel of Hell. Miriamon's body was covered with small markings as well, matching the way Lucemon had looked before he evolved to his higher forms. Yumiko hadn't seen Lucemon's base form much before he evolved and unleashed his rage upon the Digital World, but she could still draw perfect comparisons from the way he had initially appeared to what she now knew about Miriamon. The common use of color in the mural made too much sense for it to just be a coincidence. The two Digimon looked so much alike. Too much alike. It couldn't have been natural or a coincidence. Yumiko could just feel it.
Yumiko reached out to touch at the picture with her free hand, not realizing when her other hand was staring to shake where it clasped at her phone. She didn't know why she felt so anxious at the sight of this, but something deep in the pit of her stomach told her there was much more to this. Beyond that, she knew this wasn't something she was supposed to be seeing. There was no way she was meant to be here to see this. It had been hidden away for a reason, and even if the details were out of reach for the time being, Yumiko knew it would all come streaking into the open soon enough. This image would change everything the Legendary Warriors thought they knew about Miriamon. She couldn’t outrun the truth forever, not if Yumiko knew she and Lucemon had to be connected somehow.
"Yumiko?" Kotemon asked nervously from his place beside her. "A-Are you okay?" He hadn't sounded this afraid all day, not even at the idea of breaking the rules Darcmon had placed out for him previously.
Bearmon reached out to take Yumiko's hand in his own, hoping that would do at least something to calm her down, but it ultimately fell short. Yumiko reached for her phone and turned it sideways, moving to a picture of the graphic before her. Unfortunately, her camera was full of static and wouldn’t show an image on the screen. Instead, Yumiko opted to open her notes app, and she began to write down as many details as she could have. It would have been better if she could take a picture, but that wasn’t possible. The investigation team had said as much when they returned from the Digital World ages ago. Yumiko knew even taking notes like this had to be some sort of sacrilege, but how treasonous could it be when this was her own history? She didn't remember it because of the reincarnation process, but this was about who she once had been. That had to count for something in her favor, right?
Yumiko tucked her phone back into her pocket, only realizing after the device was out of view that she had made the wrong decision because of how dark the area was all of a sudden. Before she could pull her phone out once more, the ground lurched, and Yumiko let out a cry of shock before she was thrown to the stones below, barely throwing her hands out in time to stutter her tumble.
Kotemon fell against her legs while Bearmon slammed into the floor gracelessly, groaning in pain as he rubbed at his sore jaw. "W-What was that?" Kotemon asked, looking up at Yumiko with wide, fearful eyes.
Yumiko shook her head, wanting to say that she didn't know but already sure it wasn't going to be that simple. She didn't know the details, but she was confident something had gone horribly wrong. The longer she sat there on the ground, the more wrong all of this felt. Her fingertips were no longer rattling on the spot from the natural motion of the island. In fact, everything had felt ominously still, something that hadn't been possible since the group had arrived on Inaie. The island was always moving, and everyone on the surface of Inaie could feel it.
But all of a sudden, everything was still.
The island had stopped.
Yumiko pushed herself to her feet, and she glanced around the area carefully to try and test her theory. Sure enough, the walls were still, and the torches' flames no longer danced in the silence. The island had come to a screeching halt for some reason... But surely Darcmon would have mentioned it if they were planning on stopping that night. Why in the world would everything have fallen still so suddenly?
"We have to get out of here," Yumiko said before she could process the words. She realized belatedly that Calanthe had claimed her lips to speak into the heavy silence of the underground room. "I don't know what's going on, but we have to get back to ground level. That should give us a least a bit of an explanation for what we're seeing. Let's go."
Yumiko darted toward the stairway a moment later, Kotemon and Bearmon hot on her heels. The island shouldn't have stopped, but if there was another big jolt like that, then they were all at risk of the cave falling down on top of them, burying both the trio and the history within the cavern in one fell swoop. They had to get to higher ground. They had to see what was going on.
The rock near the entrance of the cave slid out of the way automatically as soon as it realized there were people inside the area that demanded to be freed. Yumiko almost winced at the sudden influx of light that assaulted her eyes, though the streetlights of the city streets were much more damaging than the dusky skies overhead. The three moons sat prominently in the heavens, and sure as could be, everything was still. The clouds didn't even move overhead, instead having fallen statuesque to fit with the atmosphere of the ground below. Everything about this was wrong, and Yumiko was sure something was going to give way before she could fully register what it was going to be.
"What should we do?" Kotemon asked in fear, looking up to Yumiko for even the barest traces of reassurance. "Y-You do know what we should be doing now, right? Please tell me you have some kind of plan..."
Yumiko hesitated, wanting to say she had a plan in mind but knowing that was just going to be a lie. "I'm not sure," she forced herself to say. "But no matter what happens, I'll be here for you both. I promise."
She just hoped that was a vow she would be able to keep.
~~~~~
As soon as the island jolted to a stop, Takuya was thrown from his feet. The other members of his small group hadn't fared much better, and he wound up in a massive pile of limbs alongside Chihiro, Tomoki, and Hinoka. Miriamon was the only one among them who had been spared by the brutality of the island's halt, and she reached out one hand to help the other members of the group to their feet. Hinoka gladly accepted her help, brushing off her leg with her free hand. Tomoki scrambled up as well with Chihiro pulling away from all touch like everyone else's skin was made of fire.
Takuya rubbed at his temple, realizing too late that he had fallen on a stray rock that had opened a small cut along the side of his face. He groaned as he rubbed at it, wincing when bright red blood came back on his fingers, a much bolder color than regular blood should have been. That was the least shocking thing about the current situation though, and Takuya glanced over to the rest of the group as he adjusted his goggles with his free hand. "Is everyone okay?" he asked cautiously.
"Define ‘okay,’" Chihiro muttered crossly as they brushed a few pieces of debris from the hem of their jacket. "What in the world was all of that about? The island shouldn't have stopped like that. This doesn't make any sense."
Tomoki glanced around the area before pointing down a nearby alleyway that would take them closer to the edge of the island. Takuya silently thanked the rest of the group for having stopped off somewhere close to the outskirts of Inaie when he went off to find them earlier in the day since that saved them at least a little bit of energy when it came to seeing what was wrong. Takuya took off sprinting after the Warrior of Ice with the rest of the party hot on his heels.
When Tomoki slid to a stop at the edge of the island, his jaw dropped, and soon enough, Takuya saw why.
The island had stopped just as the group had already figured out, but it wasn't because of natural causes. In fact, the island should have kept on moving throughout the entire night. Chihiro could feel the magic continuing to churn up from the earth below, but now, it was thrashing against something. The island was being stopped.
And the culprits were over twenty massive turtle Digimon.
It was hard to see the details of the Digimon in the darkness of the night, but Takuya could tell it was the same Digimon again and again around the edge of the island. It was like they had sprouted up from nowhere to pin Inaie in place. The group had moved from the Earth region of the Digital World to the Water continent, and as far as Takuya could tell, that had brought them right into the sandy, beach-filled domain of the turtles that now had the island trapped. The group of turtles remained motionless around the outside of the island, determined to keep Inaie where it was no matter how much the island desperately struggled for freedom.
"ElDradimon," Miriamon explained as she looked over the turtles below. "They're massive turtle Digimon who roam coastal regions of the Digital World. Their backs are large enough to house entire cities, but these days, they spend much of their time underwater. This group... They must have come from the deep seas of the Digital World. Beyond that, they're all on the small side for their species to ensure they can effectively capture the island. That has to be the reason they're here. We're far from their regular home of the deepest regions of the ocean. They're here for a purpose, and if I had to guess, it has something to do with the reason we came to the island to begin with."
"If framing Inaie isn't going to work, then turning it into a death trap is the mastermind's other option," Hinoka realized, her eyes going wide. She squinted as she looked down at the ElDradimon below. "It looks like there are a bunch of Digimon gathered on the backs of those ElDradimon too."
Takuya's eyes shot open, and he took another few steps closer to the edge of the island. As soon as he was at the last rock at the border of Inaie, a group of Digimon riding on the back of the nearest ElDradimon looked up to him. Takuya could tell by their lifeless expressions that they were Void Fragment Digimon. There must have been at least ten of them just on the one ElDradimon's back, and there had to be twenty of the turtles circling the island. In other words, the total number of Void Fragment Digimon was looking something like—
"Two hundred of them?!" Tomoki gasped, his expression immediately growing pale. "There's no way we're going to be able to fight two hundred Void Fragment Digimon while also freeing the ElDradimon from the possession! That's absolutely ridiculous!"
"But it's not as if we have much of a choice at this point," Hinoka frowned. She reached for her D-Tector and prepared to push down on the activation button, her finger shaking ever so slightly along the way. "I don't know what they want here, but we can't let them do this. Surely there will be at least a few warriors here on Inaie who will be able to help us fight them off. At the very least, Darcmon and Hippogriffomon should be able to do something to pitch in."
"Until then, we need to get ready to fight," Chihiro announced. They had their D-Tector in their hand already, and they glanced to the other members of the group. "I somehow doubt that the festival is going to happen as long as we've got more than two hundred Void Fragment Digimon breathing down our necks, especially if the island is stopped. We need to find a way to get them off our backs as soon as possible so the island can get moving again."
"And we need to make sure they don't peel away to attack the nearby settlements either," Miriamon chimed in. "The people of this area have seen more than enough strife because of the Void Fragments. The entire Digital World is struggling enough as it is, and this... A fleet like this could easily wipe out half the continent if we're not careful."
Takuya felt a shiver run up his spine at the mere thought. Whoever was behind this attack had been preparing it for quite some time. They had just chosen tonight as the perfect time to spring their trap. Takuya couldn't tell if it was because the person was or wasn't aware of the Legendary Warriors being there though. On one hand, they could have been thinking of wiping out the Legendary Warriors along with the rest of the island if they played their cards right. On the other, the Legendary Warriors made this fight a hell of a lot more dangerous for the mastermind. The Legendary Warriors were the only ones who stood a chance to win a fight like this. It was a high risk and high reward situation, one that could easily ruin any party involved when they weren't paying attention.
"We know what we have to do," Takuya announced. "No matter what happens, we can't let them get away with all of this. The fact that we're here at all is giving Inaie a better chance than it would have otherwise, and we need to take advantage of that. No matter what, we can't let them ravage Inaie."
"Then let's do what we do best," Chihiro smirked. "Let's give them all as much hell as they can possibly stand. They'll see the depth of their mistake when shit really hits the fan for them." They created three rings of Fractal Code around their hand before sliding it across the top of their D-Tector, and when the explosion of light around them began to fade, Yaiamon was left in their place.
The sudden outburst of light had caught the attention of all the nearby Void Fragment Digimon though, and any Digimon in the area that hadn't already noticed the Legendary Warriors immediately made a beeline for the quintet once the glow faded. The Digimon from the backs of the three nearest ElDradimon took to the skies and started diving straight for the teens, and Takuya realized belatedly that all of them were flying Digimon. That was why they had tried to stop the island first. This way, they could scale the sides and the skies without any hassle or without being left behind by the constant movement of Inaie. It was terrifyingly well thought out. If there was ever a doubt about the battle being premeditated, it all melted away then.
But Takuya refused to let that hold him back now. He scanned his own rings of Fractal Code across his D-Tector, and Aldamon took his place a few moments later. Beside him, Ceruleamon and Daipenmon appeared with Miriamon taking a few steps behind them. Takuya didn't know much of Miriamon, but he had gotten the impression up to this point that she didn't know how to fight, at least not against difficult foes like Digimon possessed by Void Fragments. In other words, it would be for the best if she got out of the way and went off to find help rather than remaining in the immediate area.
For the time being, Aldamon flashed flames across his fists when he punched them together, and he dove forward at a nearby Digimon before they could reach the island. With a pair of quick punches followed by a downward kick, the Digimon was sent falling back to the nearby ElDradimon, their Void Fragment shattering into the wind on contact. Aldamon couldn't even tell what Digimon it had been because of the low lighting of the area, but he figured it didn't matter either. As long as he could keep the Void Fragment Digimon at bay, everything would be fine.
That night was going to mark one of their greatest battles yet, and Aldamon could only hope they were ready for it.
Notes:
Cliffhanger time! Aren't I just the worst?
We're in the back half of the Inaie arc now. This miniature arc (and act two as a whole) are slated to end with the conclusion of chapter twenty-six. I decided to give everything and everyone as much time to breathe as possible, not that they're going to get that much in the next chapter. We're gearing up for a massive fight, and I'm really looking forward to it after the relative peace everyone has seen recently.
Before that, we've got the chapter analysis! Haroi talking with Darcmon was a great way to start things off in my opinion, especially since Haroi is a character who prefers to interact with Digimon in general. A lot of his best moments have been either with Mayumi or with the Digimon members of the group, so he felt like a natural choice to talk to Darcmon about their findings. A lot of this was stuff we already knew from the past few chapters, but I still liked having this moment in there, and I think it's a great transition from the character focused moments into the heat of the plot.
The reunion scene with Takuya, Chihiro, Tomoki, Hinoka, and Miriamon was a bit of padding before things get more intense too. Everyone is sure now that the Void Fragments aren't on Inaie, and that means their main lead has officially dried up. Plus, we got a bit more screen time from Miriamon... Ever the mysterious character, isn't she?
Next up was the part with Mayumi, Koji, Izumi, and Saki. I wanted to have a somewhat irregular group together here so we can get an unorthodox team working together as part of this next battle, and this scene doubles as a perfect chance for all of them to talk about their recent woes involving other people. Saki is still distant because of Miriamon, and Koji is worried about his brother. It's a final bit of establishment and character time before the fight sequence while also saying where everybody is as we get into the finale of the act.
And that included listening to where Yumiko is. This scene sure was a big one, huh? Lots of tiny world building details here along with the return of the underground pictures from ancient times. Going back to Miriamon, it sure is strange that she shares a color scheme with Lucemon, huh? That seems like the perfect thing to prompt an entire storm worth of theories. Like I said, she's certainly a mysterious one, and writing for her has definitely been one of the highlights of this story so far. Kotemon and Bearmon are great too, and I love their dynamic with Yumiko. You couldn't ask for a better group to uncover ancient history with.
Last but not least, we have the closing scene with Takuya and friends. Since the next fight is such a big one, I wanted to get all of the establishing details out of the way at the end of this chapter. This next battle is going to be the biggest one of the story thus far, as I'm sure you can imagine, and I'm definitely looking forward to it. To say the least, the Legendary Warriors have a lot ahead of themselves in terms of fighting off the Void Fragment Digimon. Their lead is gone, and they've been cornered. Not great circumstances for them to end up in... But I love my cliffhangers, so here we are.
Next week, we'll resolve that loose end with the battle for Inaie's future. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 25: Blooming Skies
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors fight against the invaders for the fate of Inaie.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 11/14/22
Edit Release: 9/19/24
The scenes with Aldamon's group and Lowemon near the middle of the chapter are new to the edited version. Scenes added on 11/1/24.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Haroi hadn't stopped running since the island came to a halt.
His legs were burning, and his chest ached fiercely in a way that told him he wasn't going to be bouncing back from this sprint easily. Still, he couldn't bring himself to slow down, a creeping sense of dread at the core of his body that refused to leave him alone. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened for the island to stop. Somebody was trying to interfere with Inaie somehow, and they were determined to ruin each and every person on the island as long as it would further their ambitions.
Haroi had left Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three behind in a building where he thought they would be safest. The five had all protested and wanted to come with him, but Haroi knew that was far from a good idea. They didn't know what had caused the island to stop or what other forces were out there waiting to take advantage of the chaos. Haroi couldn't put them at risk when they didn't know how to fight, so he had them wait back in the temporary base of the Legendary Warriors, promising to be back as soon as possible. He had no idea when that was going to be, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. In the meantime, he had to keep moving.
Junpei was the closest member of the group to his current location, and Haroi was determined to meet up with him and see if he knew anything. Haroi had been running ever since the idea hit him, his D-Tector clasped firmly in one hand. He was too panicked to rely on his natural sense of instinct to figure out where the other Legendary Warriors were, and that was the only reason he hadn't yet transformed into Siriusmon. His legs had been protesting this decision from the start though, and the longer Haroi ran, the worse he felt. He had a wheelchair for a reason, and he was starting to hate that he didn't have one in the Digital World yet. That certainly would have made all of this much easier.
Haroi stopped to catch his breath, practically collapsing onto a park bench when his legs couldn't take any more pressure. He pressed one hand to his chest to try and steady his breathing around the knot of terror in his lungs as he looked down at his D-Tector. He was close to Junpei. Another minute or so would have brought him to his destination. If he could just hold on for a little bit longer, then—
"Haroi!"
The Warrior of Cosmos perked up at the sound of Junpei's voice, and he watched as his friend rounded a nearby corner and continued sprinting toward him. "Junpei!" Haroi shouted, shocking even himself with how strangled and anxious the word was. He felt the coughing fit before it hit him, and Haroi wheezed as he pressed his hand even closer to his chest to try and calm himself down. He normally didn't suffer adverse effects like breathing problems because of his disability, but he had been pushing it the instant he decided to start running. Haroi could only walk for small distances at a time, and running had been out of the question for his entire life. What in the world was he thinking?
He was afraid. That was all he could think about, and even as he looked up at Junpei, Haroi was still terrified.
"Are you okay?" Junpei asked, placing one hand on Haroi's back to try and ground him. Haroi just coughed once again, and Junpei winced before continuing, clearly seeing the answer to his question. "Okay, bad question. Do you know what's going on? Why did the island stop?"
Haroi shook his head. "I don't know... But we have to figure it out," he said as he reached for his D-Tector where it had fallen to the ground in front of the bench. He wasn't sure when he had dropped it, but if he had to guess, it was probably when his coughing fit slammed into him like a tidal wave. Haroi's fingers were shaking as he stared down at the device, and he silently thanked the universe for giving him a massive boost of strength when he was in his Digimon form. It was necessary in order for him to fight, but beyond that, it would help him to push through his sudden lack of energy as it tried to suffocate him.
"Then let's get going," Junpei declared. He reached for his D-Tector with the hand that wasn't touching at Haroi's back, concern flashing in his eyes. "You should stay here for a few more minutes to try and catch your breath. I don't want to leave you on your own, but I can't have you pushing yourself too far either."
Haroi shook his head. "I'll be fine," he promised Junpei. He wasn't entirely sure if that was true, but it was just about the only hope he could hold onto at this point. He took in a careful breath, the air feeling like ice against his lungs, before he pressed the activation button on his D-Tector. Junpei continued to eye him carefully, but he didn't give the Warrior of Thunder any time to protest what he was doing before he scanned three rings of data across the top of the device.
Light exploded around Haroi, and when he returned from the glow, Siriusmon had taken his place. Beside him, Thundramon replaced Junpei, and the two gave one another a quick nod before they took to the skies, all of their previous reservations melting away in the blink of an eye. They didn't have time to sit or wait around, not when there was so much on the line. They had to get going. They had to get fighting.
As soon as they were high up enough in the air to see what was going on, Siriusmon's eyes went wide. There were at least twenty massive turtle Digimon pinning Inaie in place. If he had to guess, he would say that they had all come out of the sand below with perfect timing to try and knock the island off course. Siriusmon couldn't figure out for the life of him why anybody would want to deal such massive damages to Inaie, but he supposed that didn't matter at the moment anyway. He had to make sure it stopped before it could spiral out of control beyond what had already happened.
Before Siriusmon could come up with a plan to free the ElDradimon from their possession though, he noticed the darkness around the island peeling back to give way to countless flying Digimon. It was difficult to make out the details of the assailants because of the darkness of the dusky evening, but Siriusmon could tell there were far more of them than he could have ever imagined or expected. The lights of the island could only do so much to illuminate the skies so far above the ground, so Siriusmon relied instead on his slightly increased vision in the dark as he dove toward his first target. Siriusmon raised his staff high before slamming it against the closest Digimon's side. The attacker cried out in pain before hurtling toward the earth at breakneck speeds. Siriusmon almost flinched as the enemy hit the ground, but they swerved around and took to the skies once again just before they could brace for impact.
Thundramon was already prepared for the attack though, and he charged electricity around his fist before punching at the air. Thunder streaked forward with the motion before slamming into the Digimon. This time, the enemy remained still in the skies as a Void Fragment pulled itself away from their body. Siriusmon dove forward just before the Digimon could start to fall toward the ground, grabbing at their body the best he could. He eased the Digimon to the streets below, and he barely caught a glimpse of a Beast Digimon's face before he took to the skies once again. Siriusmon couldn't quite identify the other Digimon before he had taken off like nothing had happened at all, too focused on the situation at hand to bother with sticking around for long. As much as he would have liked to stay and talk with them, he knew he couldn’t afford to waste time like that with the battle still raging on around him.
As soon as Siriusmon was up in the sky again, he took a moment to examine the situation as it currently stood. There were countless Digimon rising to the heavens from the backs of the countless ElDradimon down below, leaving the skies swarmed with shadows that blocked out the minimal light from the three moons overhead. Siriusmon couldn't even begin to count all of the attacking monsters, but he was sure he didn't want to know at the same time. If there were too many for him to count, then that was undoubtedly a bad sign.
When Siriusmon looked over the rest of the island, he realized that other Digimon from Inaie were taking to the skies as well. In fact, everyone who could fight across Inaie was starting to fly around and defeat as many Void Fragment Digimon as they possibly could. Siriusmon didn't think he had seen so many Digimon fighting at the same time. The only time that could possibly come close was the encounter against the bulk of Cherubimon's Beast Digimon army just before the final battle at Rose Morning Star. Somehow, the odds felt much more oppressive and daunting this time though, no doubt because the enemy Digimon were stronger in general. The Beast Army had been a distraction the last time Siriusmon was part of a battle on this scale, but this time, the Void Fragment Digimon were out for blood.
"If this isn't proof of there being a mastermind out there, I don't know what is," Thundramon snarled. “An attack like this must have been coordinated in advance. This couldn’t happen out of the blue.” Thundramon charged toward a pair of Digimon that dared to stray too close to him, and he punched forward with all the effort he could muster. Electricity crackled across both Digimon for long enough to pull Void Fragments away from their bodies. The Digimon fell for a short while before correcting themselves and flying down to the ground below, too exhausted from the fight to bother with pushing back against the other Void Fragment Digimon once they had changed sides.
Siriusmon nodded his agreement. "This must have been in planning for quite some time," he murmured. "The mastermind put a lot of effort and time into making sure this went off as flawlessly as possible, and right now, we're the ones paying the price for it." He ducked low before stabbing his staff off to the side and taking out the wing of a nearby Digimon. That sent the enemy falling just long enough for Siriusmon to summon a series of comets that streaked through the air and knocked the Void Fragment out of his target. A few other Digimon were caught up in the crossfire, leaving them as perfect vulnerable marks for the Warrior of Thunder to take out of the picture.
But in the end, it wasn't Thundramon who struck at them.
Instead, a roar pierced the air, and Siriusmon turned to see Hippogriffomon flying just behind him. She was the one who had cried out, and the damaging sound waves had freed three Void Fragment Digimon in one fell swoop. Her eyes were intense and on fire from pure rage, not that Siriusmon was particularly surprised to see this. Hippogriffomon would have done anything to defend her home and her people, and combat was hardly out of the question for an experienced Digimon like her.
"We fight as one," Hippogriffomon declared. "Darcmon is elsewhere on the island, and there are many fighters on the ground level trying to escort everyone to safety at the center of Inaie. Those that can fly are set to take care of as many Void Fragment Digimon as possible."
"How many people from Inaie can fight?" Thundramon questioned. "I was under the impression it was a place for peaceful Digimon to live without any worries of being interrupted by others who don't share their views."
"Fighters are definitely in the minority, but there are enough to keep everything under control," Hippogriffomon replied. "As long as you and the rest of the Legendary Warriors pull your weight, that is." She offered a sideways smirk over her shoulder at the pair of Legendary Warriors, a challenge and an invitation.
Siriusmon smiled in return and nodded before twirling his staff, creating three more comets that searched confidently for more Void Fragment Digimon to purify. It would take more than just the comet attacks to free the Digimon, but it would deal enough damage for others to swoop in and deal the finishing blow. Besides, any damage was good at this point, especially with how many Void Fragment Digimon there were.
At this point, Siriusmon was sure that their greatest enemy was their own stamina. The Legendary Warriors were going to have to last as long as possible regardless of how exhausted they got, and that wasn't going to be easy. Still, they owed it to themselves and to the other occupants of Inaie to at least try.
They were on the island for a reason, and right now, that reason was to keep everyone safe no matter what that meant.
~~~~~
Aethermon launched herself off a nearby Digimon, taking as much energy as she could in the handful of seconds she was on his back. She flipped effortlessly before landing on a platform made of pastel pink and yellow light nearby. The small disk was the only source of illumination in the immediate area, not that she minded it much. As long as she was able to see her targets, she would be able to take their energy and consider this battle a victory.
Beside Aethermon, Beowolfmon pulled his arm back and punched forward, releasing a barrage of light beams that honed in on a variety of targets. The bullets struck true and hard, knocking around a few Void Fragment Digimon but not fully pushing them out of the sky. Still, they were perfect targets for Aeromon to pick off from there. The Warrior of Wind reared herself back before diving down and cutting at each of the Digimon in the places they would be most vulnerable, leaving behind grand slices as a show of her overwhelming strength.
Aerismon pressed their hands together to create an orb of purple magic before hurling it up to the sky. The violet energy exploded once it was in place, creating a massive shockwave that left ten nearby Void Fragment Digimon staggered with ringing ears. While the Digimon staggered due to the sudden pain in their heads from the noise, Aerismon dove through the air with their rapier at the ready. They cut at each of the weakened Digimon, forcing them all to retreat as their Void Fragments made themselves known and then shattered.
Aethermon breathed heavily before looking to Beowolfmon. "There are so many of them!" she exclaimed. Even if the two were close, she had to yell in order to be heard because of how loud the rest of the battlefield was around them. "I don't know how we're supposed to fight through all of them!"
"A few Digimon from Inaie are joining in on the effort," Beowolfmon told her as he raised his sword skyward before slashing it down. A wolf made of light streaked forward before grabbing a nearby Void Fragment Digimon and biting at their shoulder. Aeromon dealt the finishing blow as a quick kick to the back as Beowolfmon continued. "We need to focus on what's right in front of us for now. The others should be able to carve a chunk of our enemies out of the picture at the very least, and we can worry about the rest of them when we can meet up with the other members of the team."
Aethermon nodded her agreement. She charged back one hand before punching against the air, creating an outline of white energy that streaked toward a nearby Void Fragment. The Beast Digimon spiraled out of the sky and toward the ground, giving Aethermon the perfect chance to launch herself off the platform she and Beowolfmon had created. She hooked one arm around the Void Fragment Digimon's body and drained as much energy as she could before she wound up too far down to the point that she couldn't recover enough to get back up to the platform. Not having wings made fighting a lot harder, though usually her acrobatic skills more than made up for it. That didn't exactly apply when she was hundreds of feet above the ground, well above the tallest skyscrapers of the island.
Aethermon's fingers gripped the edge of the platform tensely when she just barely managed to reach it after jumping off her target. She hoisted herself up slowly with Beowolfmon creating a surge of white light that fought off a Void Fragment Digimon trying to take advantage of her brief moment of dangling. She sent him a thankful glance, and he nodded in return before jumping back into the heat of the battle once again.
As far as Aethermon was concerned, she was their best bet when it came to defeating the ElDradimon that surrounded the island. The other Legendary Warriors could hit hard, yes, but when Aethermon was fully charged with the energy she stole from her foes, then she could deal the most damage out of them all. Given how thick the ElDradimon’s shells were by nature, Aethermon would have to be the one to knock them off course. It wouldn't be easy, but she had to at least try.
Until then, she had to be as careful as possible. She dealt massive damage when she was fully charged, but her defensive skills had always been lacking in favor of raw power. If she was hit too many times, then their plan would go right out the window, and she had no idea how they would free Inaie from the circle of ElDradimon if that happened. She would have to stay focused until all of this was over, even if staying focused meant fighting through a massive hoard of at least two hundred Digimon.
She supposed things could have been worse. At least the Legendary Warriors were strong enough to handle multiple Void Fragment Digimon on their own. With the help of the other fighters from Inaie, they would be fine. What could possibly go wrong?
~~~~~
Koichi couldn't do this.
He pressed his back against the steel of a nearby building, his lungs screaming in his chest. As soon as the island stopped, he had heard Lowe in the back of his mind instructing him to run. Koichi had done as he was told, and now, he was hiding in the shadow of one of the skyscrapers of Inaie. He knew realistically that he had to join the fight sooner or later, but he had no idea how he was supposed to do something like that.
Koichi knew he should have been fine. He had spoken with Koji about his struggles earlier in the day, and that had already started to ease the burden on his shoulders that came with battling the Warriors of Void inside of his head. Still, one conversation couldn't undo all the problems Koichi had been having. The last time he got into a fight with an enemy Digimon, it had been when he should have been at his strongest. It had been nighttime, and the darkness should have fueled him enough to make his victory swift and painless. Instead, he had lost control of himself as Rhihimon, and he had needed Ceruleamon to come around and save him from the danger he posed both to himself and others around him. His internal disputes with Dusk, Velge, and Malkako had hindered his control back then, and as far as Koichi could tell, that truth still remained. He would have known it if he was in control of himself again, and he knew just from tuning in to the rapid beating of his heart that he was not.
Koichi stared up at the night sky overhead. He could feel the strength it offered him, and if he jumped into the fight now, he would likely be able to defeat many Void Fragment Digimon as long as he was able to maintain his sense of stability... But what control did he have at this point? Something deep in the pit of his stomach said that his conversation with Koji earlier that day hadn't fixed the heart of the problem even though he wished it had. How could he have expected a single exchange to mend all the damage he had already seen? He had been a fool for thinking it would be that easy. His optimism had no purpose, and it wouldn’t be enough to save him now with so much on the line.
Koichi stared down at his hand, clenching his fingers tightly into a fist. He had to do something. The others were going to start to wonder where he was, and if he didn't join the fight, then he was going to have to explain himself afterward. Who knew how that was supposed to go? Koichi sure didn't, and he was too afraid to ask. He didn't want the rest of his team to know the truth about the monsters lurking inside of him. If he lost control during the fight, then he would have no choice but to tell them. But if he didn't join the fight, then they were going to ask questions anyway. Either way, he was as good as doomed.
Koichi pulled his D-Tector out of his pocket and stared down at it, his own reflection watching him from the screen. He gripped at the device tightly enough to make his hands start shaking, and he let out a strained sigh and shook his head before looking off to the side. He couldn't just stand around here helplessly no matter how easy and tempting it felt. He knew there was so much more to all of this than met the eye, and he had to at least try and put up a fight. Even if it earned him the suspicion of his allies, he had to try.
Koichi pressed the activation button on his D-Tector, but instead of three rings of Fractal Code appearing around his fingers, only one did. Beast Spirits were known for being difficult to control, and in his current unstable emotional state, Koichi didn't trust Umbramon to cooperate with him fully. Hybrid Spirits were formed in part from Beast Spirits, so that was out of the question too. His only option was to fight as Lowemon, and Koichi could only hope that went well for him. Unlike everyone else, he hadn't been given a wide range of fights to understand his skills as Lowemon. He had been under Cherubimon's control for long enough that he had only fought as Lowemon a small handful of times. He had far more experience as Duskmon… But he knew how to fight well enough. He had to. Still, Koichi could only hope that his limited practice was enough as he scanned the data across the top of his D-Tector. This wasn't the time to worry or regret his actions. He had only one option now, and it was to fight.
Transforming into Lowemon was a slightly jarring experience for Koichi, but he refused to let it hold him back. When he had finished shifting forms, Lowemon looked at his shield of darkness before he dashed out of the shadows of the nearby buildings. He wouldn't be able to fly in this form since only his Beast and Hybrid forms could fly, but hopefully he would be able to do at least something when it came to keeping the occupants of Inaie safe. That wouldn't be him fully joining the fight, but it would still be productive, and at this point, Lowemon was willing to take it.
Most of the occupants of the city were gathering together at the center of town, so that was where Lowemon headed. If he played his cards right, then he wouldn't run into any issues. The rest of the group was probably fighting in the skies overhead, not that he could see them from his place on the ground. Lowemon looked up for a few brief moments, trying to catch any traces of his allies. Between the tall buildings that surrounded him and the distance between himself and the battle in the sky, Lowemon couldn't make out anything more than a few streaks of bright light, but he suspected that was all he really needed to see.
He had other things to focus on anyway. It would be fine. He just had to concentrate on the matter at hand—the evacuation—and everything would be okay.
Or, at the very least, that was what he was choosing to tell himself. After all, as soon as this fight ended, he was confident that everything would, in fact, no longer be fine. If he had to guess, it never would be again.
~~~~~
Yumiko took in a hefty breath as soon as she broke through to ground level once again, her chest heaving with the effort. Behind her, Kotemon and Bearmon left behind the tunnels as well, and the rock behind them slid back into place as if they had never been there to begin with. Yumiko knew that her body had changed since she first Spirit Evolved, and as far as she could tell, it had helped to increase her stamina well beyond its previous limits. Still, an increase in stamina did little to help the sudden rush of adrenaline and terror that came with the island stopping, and running was just about the only thing Yumiko could do with the new onslaught of nervous energy.
The Warrior of Wood glanced up to the sky, desperate to find any traces of an explanation. She could see silhouettes descending on the island from overhead, and she could only assume they were invaders of some kind. The rest of the details escaped her though, and Yumiko knew she was going to have to ask about it later. She needed to meet with the rest of the group and hear what they knew. The island must have stopped for a reason, and it no doubt had something to do with the attack. Not understanding why this was happening was eating Yumiko inside out already, and with how much her stomach was twisting with anxiety, she was shocked she hadn't made herself openly sick yet… But she needed to keep her composure for a little bit longer. She couldn’t lose her grip yet.
"What are we going to do?!" Kotemon cried out in fear. He looked ready to launch himself straight into Yumiko's arms for any comfort she could provide, but he remained where he was, shaking furiously. Even though his mask hid the details of his face, Yumiko knew tears were welling up in his eyes from pure, unfiltered fear.
"I don't know!" Bearmon shouted, trying to be heard above the general clamor and chaos of the world around them. "The island wasn't supposed to stop like that, and I think we're under attack now!"
"We have to hide," Yumiko said quickly. "I'm going to find a place for you two to stay before I go to join the fight. I'm sure the other Legendary Warriors are already involved, and they must be wondering where I am. As soon as I can find a safe place for you both, I need to go and meet with the rest of them."
"But what if you end up hurt?!" Bearmon roared, running toward her and watching her with wide, watery eyes. "We can't just leave you to them! We don't even know who's attacking to begin with!"
"I have combat experience though. You two don't," Yumiko countered. "I should be able to do at least something to fight them off. I don't know why these Digimon are here, but I refuse to let them destroy Inaie without a fight. Before that though, I need to get you two somewhere safe."
Yumiko began to herd them off toward the closest building as soon as the words had left her lips, though she realized too late that they weren't exactly near any buildings. Since the entrance to the underground tunnels were essentially in the middle of a park, the space was vast and lacking in any defensive structures to speak of. Yumiko resisted the urge to swear under her breath, remembering at the last minute that she was around two children. They would have to move fast if they were going to get away with this without being caught. Going back into the tunnels was out of the question because of how disastrous that could have ended if the caverns fell in on themselves. This was their only option.
Yumiko’s anxiety felt like it was devouring her, and she wanted to give in and let it swallow her more than anything. Fighting off her panic was only making her feel worse… But she needed to stay strong. Kotemon and Bearmon were counting on her to look after them, and Yumiko couldn’t fail them. She could let herself fall apart after they were safe. Right now, she needed to keep moving. Right now, she needed to protect them.
Kotemon and Bearmon ran much slower than Yumiko on account of their much shorter legs. It wasn't exactly a surprise, but it worried Yumiko regardless. She wouldn't be able to carry them if something attacked. They would just have to keep moving as quickly as possible even if it wasn't easy. Yumiko refused to let anything happen to them regardless of how difficult the circumstances became. They deserved so much better than that, and damn it all, they were still only children.
Yumiko watched Kotemon and Bearmon as she continued to sprint, and a million and one thoughts spun through her mind in a dizzying carousel she couldn't find a way to escape. She couldn't leave either one of them alone without first ensuring their safety. Yumiko knew what it was like to feel abandoned and disposable in the eyes of the rest of the world, and she wouldn't wish it on anyone. She had been alone in the face of others who wanted only to take advantage of her for their own personal gain, and back then, she would have done anything to have someone on her side. Kotemon and Bearmon were alone in the world too, only able to rely on one another in the face of a universe that had once sought their destruction. If Yumiko could be an ally to them, people who had next to nothing but each other, then she had to do it. For the sake of her past self who had been alone in all of her hardships, she had to fight for them.
Yumiko had made countless mistakes since she first entered the Digital World, and acting as one of Cherubimon's Fallen Warriors had been her greatest error. Yumiko knew she didn't have a choice in the matter because of the possession involved, but after hearing what had happened to Kotemon and Bearmon because of the war, she knew she had to make up for it. Hating herself would get them nowhere, but she had to try and make amends for her past actions. It may not have been her fault, but she still had to take responsibility, and in that moment, it meant keeping Kotemon and Bearmon safe. She had failed them before without even knowing it, but now that she was aware of the truth, she was going to make it right.
Yumiko felt the winds above her shift before she saw the Digimon diving for her. Three Harpymon were descending on her, Kotemon, and Bearmon, all of them flying much faster than the trio could run. They only had three seconds at most before the Harpymon would be on them, and Yumiko knew she didn't have time to grab her D-Tector in those few precious moments. It was already too late.
Yumiko launched herself forward, throwing her body to the ground and tackling Kotemon and Bearmon along the way. She shielded them with her own body, gasping as the air was forced from her lungs when she hit the ground. Her adrenaline rush was starting to get to her once more, leaving her body too shaky to act with the swiftness she needed to reach for her D-Tector. She had bought herself a few more seconds, but it wouldn't be enough.
At least I can keep them safe. I refuse to let other lives be lost because of my failures. Life is too precious to be thrown away so haphazardly, and I'll make sure the world knows it.
The hit from the Harpymon never came.
Instead, a series of green vines sprouted from seemingly nowhere, creating a cage around Yumiko, Kotemon, and Bearmon. The plants were partially transparent but held fast even as the Harpymon continued to rain down attacks against the thorns. If anything, the damage seemed to just make the vines stronger, doubling their strength again and again until the Harpymon decided to attack with a bit more force. They reared up into the sky, determined to break through, before diving down against the vines.
Green light started to spread outward from the inside of the vine cage, and Yumiko looked down at her hands before realizing she was the source of the glow. Kotemon and Bearmon stared into the heart of the light for as long as they could stand it, though they were eventually forced to avert their eyes as the shine grew to be too much for them. Yumiko continued to watch her hands until her eyes closed themselves by force, and the world around her seemed to slow as the light consumed her.
At the center of the light, Yumiko's hair grew by about three inches, falling around her shoulders in gentle curls. A single streak of green broke through her strawberry blonde tresses near her face. A crown of pink flowers nestled in green leaves sat atop her head, loose but secure all the same. Her simple shirt began to morph, creating a green top that wrapped around her neck and left her arms bare. The base of the outfit created an outline like the top of her heart at her chest, and above that, the fabric went transparent before reaching up to a pink choker at her neck.
Tall pastel pink gloves tinged with orange worked their way up her arms. A matching pastel green belt wrapped around her waist just above a pink skirt. The waist of the skirt was a light pink color and faded out to be darker at the edges with the different layers resembling the petals of a flower. Brown sandals formed on her feet and wove around her legs. Ribbons from the shoes extended upward in a green vine pattern with pink and orange accents.
The symbol of the Warrior of Wood appeared on her collarbone beside her top in a gentle green color. Yumiko's hair parted ever so slightly behind her to allow space for wings like gossamer to sprout from her shoulder blades. In the right lighting, the wings glowed pink, orange, and green.
When the light finally faded away, the vines unfurled, allowing Yumiko to look at the world for the first time in her new form. She stared down at her hands for a few beats, wondering just how her previously plain palms were now covered with gloves. She blinked a few times just to make sure her change of outfit was real, and when she looked to either side, she saw Kotemon and Bearmon were staring at her in shock as well. None of them had ever seen anything like this. The green light was a lot like the glow of evolution, but as far as Yumiko was aware, that was something that only happened to her when she Spirit Evolved. Why in the world had it happened when she was still in her human form? Her D-Tector was gone though, having fused with her during the transformation process though. That implied this was some form of Spirit Evolution, but how was that even possible?
Yumiko was desperate to sift through her thoughts, but she was brought back to the moment as soon as she heard the Harpymon above her shriek in rage. They had been driven backward by the light from before, but now that the glow was gone, they were preparing to close in on their target once again. Yumiko narrowed her eyes up at them, and before she could stop herself, she threw her arms forward, her eyes flashing with a bright green color along the way.
Vines burst from her palms before thrashing toward the Harpymon. The greenery pinned the three Digimon in place, and they thrashed against Yumiko's grasp with everything they had. Flowers started to sprout from the vines, exploding in small puffs of pink and orange petals and golden pollen. The explosions made the Harpymon scream in pain, and when each of the flowers had unfolded, the Digimon fell silent. Void Fragments pulled away from their bodies before shattering, and Yumiko released the Harpymon from their thorny prison. The three Digimon flew away as soon as they could find the energy, though they continued to watch Yumiko out of the corner of their eyes.
Yumiko pulled her hands back to her sides a moment later, and she stared at her gloved fingers once more. "What in the...? How did I...?" she whispered. Her mind was racing, but at the same time, she felt calm, like a strange sense of soothing satisfaction had settled over her when she wasn't paying attention.
"That was amazing!" Bearmon cried out, clapping his hands together three times before he threw himself at Yumiko's legs in a grand embrace. She almost fell over from pure surprise, but she managed to catch herself at the last moment, a smile spreading across her lips.
"You saved us!" Kotemon exclaimed as he rushed at Yumiko from the other side. She reached down and stroked at both of the Digimon's heads, and they gladly moved deeper into her touch, seeking any comfort she could possibly offer them.
"I... I suppose I did," Yumiko murmured. She looked up to the skies overhead and saw that the fight was continuing to rage on even still. As much as she wanted to stay with Kotemon and Bearmon forever, to understand why all of this had happened and what she was meant to think of it, she knew she wouldn't be able to remain there for too much longer than she already had. She needed to jump into the fight. She had waited long enough already.
"Alright," Yumiko told them, and the two Digimon slowly pulled themselves away from her legs. "I think it's time we found somewhere safe for you two. I need to go and fight off the rest of the Void Fragment Digimon after that."
"And you'll do great!" Bearmon shouted, pumping one fist into the air. All of his previous doubts about Yumiko staying safe had melted away the instant she transformed and fully proven herself more than capable of defending them. "You've got this, Yumiko!"
Kotemon nodded his agreement, and Yumiko smiled before taking in a long breath. She started to lead the pair of Digimon off toward the buildings at the center of town, and they gladly followed her all the while. It didn't take anywhere near as long as Yumiko would have expected for them to arrive at their destination, and she left the two Digimon in the entryway of a building being used as a safe haven for the people of Inaie. The other Digimon in the building tried their best to get a look at her, and when they finally got a glimpse of her in full, all they could do was stare in shock.
Yumiko didn't give any of her admirers a second look though, instead smiling as she crouched down in front of Kotemon and Bearmon. "I'll be back soon," she assured them. Both Digimon smiled to her as she gave them one final pat on the head. Yumiko took a few steps back before eyeing the sky and taking off into the heavens, her wings easily carrying her despite her lack of experience with them. It was all second nature to her even if she felt she was still a bit clumsy with her new abilities. She would need some time to adapt to her new form, but it still felt natural enough for her to handle herself easily enough in the meantime.
Everything about it felt right, and even if it was unfamiliar, Yumiko knew it was meant to be. She would understand soon enough, she was sure. Until then, she would fight.
~~~~~
Aldamon’s heart screamed in his chest as he swerved in between streams of attacks all aiming to knock him out of the sky. He sent out flares of flame behind him to try and deter his pursuers, but it wasn’t working as well as he would have liked. They refused to let up, and as long as Aldamon was forced to flee, he couldn’t turn and face them. If he stopped, he would be sent hurtling toward the ground, and Aldamon couldn’t take that chance.
Thin whips of water lashed out to knock a few of the pursuing Digimon out of the air. Aldamon glanced up to see Ceruleamon had done her part to grab the Void Fragment Digimon before sending them toward the ground. The flying Digimon disappeared into the darkness at the edge of Inaie, and Aldamon could only assume they had been set free from their possession when they hit the ground. Aldamon cast Ceruleamon a grateful glance, but she didn’t return the favor as she turned back to the rest of the fight.
Ceruleamon barely had a moment to recover before another streak of reinforcements surged after her. She let out a thin hiss before she forced herself to take off through the sky to try and outrun them. Aldamon took this as his prompt to save her, and he released a wave of fire to knock the Void Fragment Digimon off course. They hurtled out of the air, but Aldamon’s attack wasn’t as successful at sending them to the ground. Another blow was going to be needed to free them from their possession.
Luckily, Daipenmon and Yaiamon were more than ready to do their part down on the ground. They stood on either side of Miriamon, lashing out at any Digimon who tried to target her directly. Daipenmon noticed the Void Fragment Digimon falling out of the sky, and he created daggers of ice to soar through the air to knock them off course. The Digimon were left unable to recover as they fell over the edge of the island and then disappeared into the darkness below Inaie’s border.
One Digimon tried to dive at Miriamon next, and she threw up her arms to deflect the blow. Blue energy mounted across her arms to create a shield, but it did little to help keep her safe. Yaiamon finished off the attacker in an instant though, kicking off the ground and dealing a hefty kick to the Digimon’s head. The Digimon flew out of view before vanishing into the shadows. Yaiamon panted after the fallen Digimon before turning to Miriamon. “Are you alright?”
Miriamon nodded. “As fine as I can be.” She pressed one hand to her chest and let out a grounding breath to try and refocus her energy. “I’m nowhere near as good at fighting as all of you. I could handle one attacker or two, but this…”
“It’s a lot for anyone,” Daipenmon assured her. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll do what we have to in order to keep you and the rest of Inaie safe.” He released another barrage of ice at a nearby Void Fragment Digimon, and the attacker disappeared seconds later.
Yaiamon let out a heavy sigh as they turned their attention to the skies overhead. The attack was showing no signs of slowing down, and they had already been fighting for a while. There was no end in sight. Yaiamon didn’t even know how many attackers there were. The battle wasn’t going to end until they could get the upper hand, but not even the force of all twelve Legendary Warriors combined seemed to be enough.
No… They couldn’t think like that. They had to keep fighting. They had to find a way to set all of this right. If that meant going until they transformed back into a human due to raw exertion, then so be it. Yaiamon had won countless wars already. All of them had. This was nothing. They just needed to believe they would be able to pull through it.
Miriamon sent out a laser of light blue energy at a Digimon pursuing Aldamon. The attack didn’t stagger the Digimon completely, but it gave Aldamon the chance he needed to turn around and deliver a strong headbutt to his pursuer’s stomach. The Digimon fell out of the sky and vanished seconds later, and Yaiamon watched them disappear before turning their attention to another attacker lunging at them on the ground.
Yaiamon could only hope the rest of the group was holding up well enough. They were only doing as well as they were because there were four of them in one spot, but the rest of the island wasn’t so lucky. What if one of them had been caught alone while having to fight? Yaiamon wanted to go after the rest of the group and make sure they were alright, but they couldn’t do it as long as it would put Inaie’s people in danger. They had to see this through. After the battle was over, they would check up with their friends. They just needed to hold on a little bit longer.
All of them did.
~~~~~
Lowemon couldn’t do anything.
He had done his best to handle the attackers from the ElDradimon lining the edge of the island, but Lowemon was quickly realizing there was next to nothing he could do that would actually help anyone. He simply wasn’t strong enough as Lowemon. If he wanted to be able to deal significant damage, then he was going to need to transform into his Hybrid form.
But if he did that, then he would put himself in danger. If he transformed into his Beast or Hybrid Spirits, then Lowemon would lose control of everything. He couldn’t risk hurting the people of Inaie because he had lost his grip. They were in enough danger as it was, and Lowemon refused to contribute to that. If that meant he was left at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the Legendary Warriors, then so be it.
Lowemon did what he could to stay hidden as Void Fragment Digimon swarmed all around him, but it was much easier said than done. There were Digimon everywhere, and Lowemon could have sworn it felt like they were searching specifically for him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors. He didn’t know why they would be doing that, but he was sure they were. This wasn’t just a trap. It was a trap specifically for the Legendary Warriors.
Lowemon’s energy was already starting to abandon him, and even when he remained in the shadows and took cheap shots when he could, it was draining him. He just couldn’t do enough damage to help anyone. He couldn’t do anything of value.
But he couldn’t search for the rest of the Legendary Warriors to ask for their help either. If he did that, then they were going to realize he was holding back. That would lead to them asking, and Lowemon couldn’t stand for them to do that. It would hurt everyone involved, and he couldn’t explain something so miserable in the heat of a fight. There was more than enough going on as it was. He couldn’t concern them with his own fears as long as the people of Inaie needed him.
But how much good was he when he could barely do any damage? Was he even really helping at all when his only option was hiding in the shadows and unleashing tiny blows up at the sky. It didn’t seem like he was hurting the attackers at all. Lowemon was only enraging them to make it harder for the rest of his team to sweep through the attackers. He wasn’t helping at all.
And somehow, that wasn’t even the most miserable thought he was having. Lowemon wasn’t helping at all, but the worst part of it was that he was making it worse. He was putting his friends in danger because he couldn’t pull himself together. Inaie was a place of peace, and it needed all the defenders it could find. Lowemon couldn’t even take out a single Void Fragment Digimon. He was losing his grip as he stood there, and it would only get worse if he tried something else.
Not even being under the darkness of the night sky was helping him. Lowemon felt stronger at night when there was no sun to hold his magic back, but it didn’t matter now. Not even an elemental affinity was going to save him. He was useless, and there was nothing he could do to change any of it.
In the back of his mind, Lowemon heard Erocia scream, and he wanted nothing more than to scream right along with him.
If only screams alone could end a war.
~~~~~
Their odds were not looking good.
Thundramon sent out a blast of electricity to immobilize an enemy Digimon, offering the perfect chance for Hippogriffomon to sweep in with her claws outstretched. Siriusmon, meanwhile, released a rain of comets that knocked another three Void Fragment Digimon to the ground, and Hippogriffomon let out a loud shriek that freed the trio from the control of the darkness. All of them were starting to slow down though, the constant onslaught of enemies draining their energy reserves the longer the fight dragged on.
As it turned out, their estimations of there being two hundred Void Fragment Digimon were a massive understatement. There had to be at least three hundred enemies, if not more, and Thundramon could feel it. He, Siriusmon, and Hippogriffomon had been giving it their all the same way he was sure the other Legendary Warriors were, but it was starting to wear on them. Even if the Void Fragment Digimon hadn't done too much damage, their sheer numbers made them a massive problem. Trying to defend Inaie at the same time only complicated matters further. There was too much happening at once, and Thundramon had no idea what to do about it.
He took advantage of a momentary lull in the fight to look around at the rest of the sky. He could see two main clusters of fights taking place, but the enemies who weren't close to either skirmish were diving toward the island. The occupants of Inaie were taking care of those diving for the island directly, but the fact remained that they were all stretched thin. They weren't going to be able to win if this continued for too much longer.
"Darcmon!"
The sound of Hippogriffomon's voice pulled Thundramon from his thoughts, and he turned to see the leader of Inaie was flying toward them at breakneck speeds. She twirled her staff, releasing five light bullets that whistled through the air before slamming into their targets. The Void Fragment Digimon cried out in pain before starting to fall toward the ground, offering the perfect gap in their defenses for Siriusmon to knock them out of the fight entirely with a massive explosion of cosmic magic.
"The evacuation effort is almost finished," Darcmon declared. "I took out as many Void Fragments as I could on the way up here. They're swarming onto the island now, so we've set up a defensive perimeter to the best of our ability. We need to get rid of those ElDradimon to free the island. I'm hoping that starting to move the island will give us an advantage. After all, these enemy Digimon have no idea how to fight against something like that. They’re not used to flying while the island is moving."
Thundramon nodded. "We need to take any chance we can get right now. They're going to claim the island if we can't stop them soon," he told her. "We're running out of fighting power, and even if they're not strong, there are too many of them for us to win this battle right now. If we can get the island moving again though..."
"That should turn the tides in our favor," Hippogriffomon agreed. "How are we going to get rid of the ElDradimon? We need to come up with a plan soon if we want to claim the upper hand again."
Darcmon opened her mouth to reply, but she stopped before the words could come out. Instead, she looked over Hippogriffomon's shoulder. Thundramon turned to see what she was staring at, and his eyes went wide when he saw a figure he didn't recognize taking to the skies. He squinted against the darkness of the night, desperate to pick out anything even vaguely familiar in a time when he didn't know where the other Legendary Warriors were. Maybe this was another member of the team. That would certainly be one worry off his back. Still, this newcomer didn't look at all like any of the Spirits Thundramon had come to know and love over the course of his time in the Digital World. In fact, it looked a bit more like—
"Is that... Yumiko?" Siriusmon questioned, and as soon as he heard the word, Thundramon knew he was right. He had no idea how Yumiko had come to look so different from her regular Spirit Evolved forms, but he figured he would have time to ask questions about that after the fight was over.
For the time being, Thundramon watched as Yumiko raised one arm above her head. Vines started to creep up from the bottom of the island's perimeter, grabbing at every Void Fragment Digimon trying to close in on the center where all the island's residents had evacuated. The possessed Digimon cried out in shock before they were thrown to the ground, releasing their Void Fragments in a massive wave of shadow that swept through the sands before fading away just as soon as it had come. The vines continued to wrap around the island even after that, starting to suspend the land above the ground and away from the ElDradimon’s backs.
"How in the world is she doing that?!" Darcmon whispered, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. "I don't think I've ever seen a single person change the tide of a battle so quickly and effortlessly..."
"I have no idea how she's doing it either, but we can't afford to ask questions right now," Hippogriffomon pointed out. "If she's taking care of the Digimon creeping around the edge of the island, then we need to continue to clear out the skies. I'm sure we can speak with her after the battle about all that has happened."
Darcmon nodded before she cut one hand, the one that was not holding her staff, roughly through the air. "Alright, everyone! Continue forward and defeat every Void Fragment Digimon that crosses your path! This is our chance, and we must take it!"
Thundramon nodded his understanding before he charged up as much electric energy as he could into his cannon. With a quick pull on his arm, he released a spiral of thunderous power that screamed as it flew toward its target—a Void Fragment Digimon—nearby. He sighed as the Void Fragment made itself known before shattering. Afterward, he looked over his shoulder in Yumiko's direction, his heart skipping a beat. He had no idea what she was trying to do or how she was pulling it off at all, but he was glad they at least had something resembling a plan now. It was a step above how disastrously aimless they had been a few moments before.
There would be a time for questions later. For now, it was a time for action.
~~~~~
Aethermon's body was practically vibrating on the spot from the overwhelming energy rocketing through her veins. She breathed heavily with impressive power, a smile on her face. She was almost at her limit with how much magic she had taken in, and that meant it was time for her to let it all rip. It wasn't going to be easy to take out so many Digimon in just a few short bursts of energy, but she had to try.
"Are you ready for this?" Beowolfmon asked from his place beside her. "We're not going to get another chance at this. You have to take care of as many of those ElDradimon at once as you possibly can."
"I know," Aethermon assured him, breathing heavily. It was getting hard to restrain all the power rushing through her. She had never charged herself up this far. In fact, she would say this was well beyond what she usually considered applicable for a massive explosion of her power. She understood why this was necessary, but it still made her body feel like it was screaming. Her ears were ringing, and she could tell that once all of this had been taken care of, she was going to be left to face an exhaustion unlike anything she had ever known. Still, if it would save Inaie, she had to try.
"What's that?" came Aeromon's voice from nearby. Her gaze was trained on the ground below, not that Aethermon could particularly figure out why. The Warrior of Energy forced herself to stare down, to figure out what was going on, and she finally caught a glimpse of just what Aeromon had noticed.
Massive vines had coiled around the base of the island, lifting it out of the reach of the ElDradimon. The island was suspended by the greenery, and that meant Inaie was no longer resting right on top of the turtles' backs. In other words, this was the moment they had been waiting for. There would be no better chance to finish things than right then. Aethermon wouldn’t be at risk of harming the island if it was suspended in the air above the ElDradimon. This was it.
Aerismon noticed this as well, and they glanced over to Aethermon to make sure she was ready. The Warrior of Energy allowed her eyes to narrow into determined slits, and Aerismon nodded before twirling their rapier and stabbing it skyward. Purple energy kicked up around Aethermon's feet, and she felt her body tear itself apart before reassembling itself on the ground below.
Aethermon was positioned on the sand right in front of the first ElDradimon a few moments later, and the teleportation had given her the last push she needed to finish this. With a fierce battle cry, she pushed her hands forward, and a circle formed in the air in front of her. The trails of magic behind her started to spin on the spot, something that had never happened before. When she punched her fists out just a little bit more, twelve streams of energy slammed out of the circle, each of them wailing as they streaked through the sky. They each latched onto an ElDradimon, effortlessly taking out half of the circle in one fell swoop.
That one attack had taken quite a bit out of her, but it hadn't been all of her energy. There were still a few more ElDradimon left, and she had to take care of them before this high faded. This last attack was going to drain everything else she had gathered over the course of the battle, but if it would take the rest of the ElDradimon out of the fight in one fell swoop, then it was worth it.
Once again, Aethermon pushed her hands out, and a circle of energy formed in front of her torso. With a dual punch from both fists, twelve energy beams streaked forward again, and that was all it took to get rid of the rest of the ElDradimon. Aethermon had created more energy beams than were necessary though, so four of the streams of magic instead turned their attention upward in desperate search of a target. They hit a few Digimon each, purifying them in the blink of an eye. The Void Fragments shattered and fell into nothingness, and just like that, the island was freed, and a massive chunk of the Digimon attacking it had been liberated from the Void Fragments as well.
Aethermon barely had any energy left by this point, and she breathed heavily as she looked up at the nearby ElDradimon. All of them were staring at their surroundings in confusion, unsure as to how they had even ended up here. Aethermon's vision was growing dark at the corners from pushing herself, but she did her best to ignore it as she took a step toward the first of the turtles. "You need to get out of here. Something dangerous is happening, but we're going to take care of it," she assured him. "Just retreat. We've got everything under control."
The first ElDradimon seemed confused at first but seemed to recognize her a moment later upon seeing the symbol of the Warrior of Energy emblazoned on her armor. With that, he ducked down into the sand and vanished into the world below. The other ElDradimon started to follow his lead, and the ground shook from the disturbance of them all moving so suddenly. Aethermon stumbled but managed to steady herself with a hand that she pressed against the sand.
When the earthquake had ceased, Aethermon rose to her full height once again and looked over to the island. The vines were still holding it up, and Aethermon didn't want to be there when they let Inaie fall. Luckily, she didn't need to worry about that, as purple energy consumed her a moment later before dropping her back off on the island. Aethermon sighed with relief as soon as she fell back to the city streets, though her happiness didn't last for long. Her knees gave out from beneath her as light surrounded her body.
Mayumi pressed her hands against the stones below as she returned to her human form, still breathing heavily. She was used to taking in the energy of others and using it for her own purposes, but she had never been in a battle massive enough to merit eating up that much power. She was going to have to test the limits of her skills a bit more in the future. Doing something that massive again was certainly inadvisable, and she would need to work up to trying something of a similar scale in a future battle. For the time being though, she was just glad to know that everything was fine. Every part of her body was hurting, but she was going to be alright. She just needed a bit of time to rest.
Mayumi crawled over to a nearby light post before turning her attention to the skies above. She could see streaks of light dancing around the heavens, and Mayumi turned her focus primarily to a glow of green against the darkened skies. That had to be Yumiko, not that Mayumi could say for sure how the Warrior of Wood had managed to pull off something as grand as picking up the island with her magic. Mayumi figured that was a question for later though. Right now, she was too tired, and she let her eyes fall shut. The battle was dangerous, yes, but she needed to rest. All would be well soon enough.
~~~~~
In the skies overhead, Yumiko allowed her magic to drive her forward. She flicked her hands and punched at the air to create thrashing green vines that slammed into Void Fragment Digimon and freed them from their possessions on the spot. Everything came to her so easily, and it was like she had Spirit Evolved for the first time. It had been so long since she first felt the rush of a new form, and yet, this time, it was different in a way she could never describe. She loved it more than anything though. This was meant to be, and she could feel it.
Yumiko must have charged through at least two or three dozen Void Fragment Digimon when she heard the ground begin to shake below. She looked down and saw that the ElDradimon had left the area behind, meaning her vines were the only things keeping the island in place. Yumiko prepared to set Inaie down once again, but a small squadron of flying Digimon diving toward her forced her to pause that plan for a few more moments. They didn't last much longer than the others thanks to Yumiko's overwhelming elemental strength, but she didn't mind it at all. Instead, she just let her magic carry her forward, releasing as many attacks as her body would allow.
Yumiko watched the skies around her for a few moments after the current onslaught had been taken care of, and when she was sure that she was safe, she let out a small sigh. Thundramon, Siriusmon, Darcmon, and Hippogriffomon were taking care of the remaining Digimon in the area, and that meant she was safe. She would be able to handle this without any problems, she was sure.
Yumiko pressed her hands down, and the vines began to lower the island to the ground below. Inaie touched down with a massive groan of the earth, but Yumiko didn't let it rattle her. The shaking wasn't enough to do serious damage, or at the very least, the harm was much less severe than the harm the island stopping in the first place had caused. As soon as Inaie was back on the ground, the land began to stir, like it was trying to move once more. Yumiko gave the island her blessing, and slowly but surely, Inaie began to pick up speed. In a matter of moments, it was hurtling across the Continent of Water like nothing had happened, leaving behind the location of the battle and letting it fade away into nothing but a memory on the horizon.
Yumiko pressed her hands close to her chest, and the air around her began to glow yellow. Pollen settled near her body before she spread her arms out, creating a massive rain of gentle golden flecks that settled across the entire island. Each Void Fragment Digimon that was hit by the pollen began to scream in pain before the darkness inside of them pulled away and shattered on the spot. Those that hadn't already been defeated were taken care of in one fell swoop with that single attack, and just like that, the battlefield fell silent.
For a long moment, all Yumiko could do was stare out at the world around her. She made sure there were no other Void Fragment Digimon intending on pursuing her before she sighed, the breath coming out calmer and more peaceful than she had ever thought possible. Yumiko closed her eyes as her wings slowly eased her to the ground below. She remained silent and still the entire journey down, and when her feet finally touched the stones of Inaie's streets, she opened her eyes and allowed herself to smile.
She had won. They had all won.
"Yumiko!"
Mayumi was already on the ground, and she ran toward her friend as quickly as she could. The Warrior of Energy looked completely exhausted, but all of that seemed to melt away as she stared at her friend. "How did you do that? What happened to you? Where did you get that new outfit? What's going on?" she asked, rattling off the words at light speed despite her own reservations.
Yumiko thought about it for a moment before she let out a small laugh. "I... I have no idea," she admitted. "It just... Happened. And now that it has... I feel like everything has changed."
The other Legendary Warriors gathered around her in the moments that followed, having followed the green light overhead to see what had happened with their savior. The rest of the group was all in their Hybrid forms save for Koichi, who had opted for using Lowemon as a way of helping people out on the ground. Yumiko would have asked questions about it, but she didn't think she had the energy to bother, so she remained silent. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon were hot on their heels, and all of them gathered around Yumiko.
"Of all the things I expected to see tonight, the evolution of a Legendary Warrior was hardly one of them," Darcmon murmured as she approached Yumiko carefully. She brushed a hand across Yumiko's shoulder, examining the vines wrapped around the girl's body. "Inaie owes you its life. Thank you for all you have done for us." She fell to one knee a moment later, head bowed to Yumiko.
The Warrior of Wood stared for a long moment as Hippogriffomon also dropped her head in a bow of honor and gratitude. Yumiko blinked off her nerves before shaking her head. "You don't need to thank me at all. I'm happy I was able to help," she assured them. "I'm relieved Inaie is safe."
"I take it the festival is canceled for the night, huh?" Aldamon asked, and Darcmon nodded. The Warrior of Fire shrugged it off a moment later before looking back to Yumiko. "That’s fine with me. I just want to know how in the world you did all of this! Where did this even come from?"
"I have no idea," Yumiko admitted once again. "It just sort of... Happened. I wanted to protect people, and the evolution just... Sparked." She stared down at her hands for a long moment, noticing the way her pink gloves glowed in the streetlights of Inaie's square.
"I think we can ask our questions tomorrow," Darcmon suggested. "For now, we all need to rest and recover. That was a long, difficult battle, and you have an entire other day here. We can speak more then. For the time being, you must rest. All of you."
Yumiko nodded her agreement, and she closed her eyes as green light showered over her, reverting her into her normal clothing. The rest of the group reverted back to their human forms as well, and they all looked at one another tiredly. They all had a million and one questions about what had just transpired and how they had managed to endure it all, but they could ask more of those inquiries later. For the moment, they deserved to rest and celebrate. They had managed to survive, and they had saved Inaie as well. The battle had been bitter and difficult, but they were finally okay again.
That was the best Yumiko could have asked for, and she loved it more than words could ever hope to say.
Notes:
That was... Quite a doozy of a chapter. Wow.
I absolutely loved writing this one. It's the biggest fight scene we've had in ages, and I've missed writing this stuff. I loved the perspective shifts since it was just enough to keep things fresh without getting too overwhelming. This also offered great characterization for people like Koichi and especially Yumiko, and I adored it.
Speaking of Yumiko... That certainly was a twist, huh? I'm sure you all have a healthy dose of questions about what happened with her this chapter, but we'll get there soon enough. For now, I just want to say that nobody should have expected a Digimon story to come and go without any new evolutions. It may have taken a while for us to get there, but since I wanted to use them as the culmination of different character arcs, I had to set up a few conflicts and get them to resolution before I could introduce this. Yumiko has had a lot of attention in this story, and she's learned to advocate for herself and others a lot more in this story. She had the confidence to reach out to the other Spirits where the others faltered, and here, she sought to defend those who had no one else on their sides since she knew that was what she needed at one point. Yumiko has come a long way, and this evolution is meant to signify that.
But it's not an evolution to become a Digimon... It makes you wonder, doesn't it? I'll get to it all soon enough, but for now, I hope you liked the incorporation of this new evolution. I want to highlight the design really fast since I absolutely loved designing this form. A few of these other evolutions for the rest of the team have already been worked out, and I love them too. Yumiko's was one of the first I worked on, and I love how it turned out.
This entire chapter was a joy from top to bottom, and I can't say it enough. Since a lot of it was a fight, I don't have much to say aside from the obvious. I do want to take a moment to highlight Koichi though since he also got his own scene here, and... Well, he's going to see a bit more in the remainder of act two as well. He's earned it.
Speaking of the end of act two, that's coming up next chapter! At long last, we're at the conclusion of the second arc. I've loved writing this arc, especially since it follows in the footsteps of the first book's second act in being very character centric. I'm looking forward to get into act three too, but for now, I hope you've enjoyed act two. We'll officially wrap it up next week.
Until we get ready to end our second arc, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter at least half as much as I did. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone! I'll see you next week for the end of both the Inaie arc and act two!
-Digital
Chapter 26: Branches of Fate and Love
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors return home from the battle on Inaie with its impact still weighing heavily on their hearts.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 11/20/22
Edit Release: 9/21/24
Trigger warning for gaslighting and discussions of eating disorders. Proceed with caution and bear this in mind.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The previous night felt like a dream.
When Yumiko awoke, a headache pounded at the corners of her head, and she massaged at her temples in a bid to alleviate the pain. She sat up slowly and glanced around, finding herself in the small building the Legendary Warriors had been given as a base for their time on Inaie. She had been so exhausted the night before that she hadn't even remembered coming back there. Even after a night of rest, she was still tired in a way that sunk deep into her bones and refused to let her go. Yumiko sighed heavily and rubbed at her eyes, wanting to go back to sleep despite the sunlight that streamed in through the windows. She liked to consider herself an early riser on most days, but she couldn't bring herself to care today.
As Yumiko settled back into her bed, she thought of the night before. She still didn't understand any of it. She shouldn't have been able to evolve like that, much less use that new power to fight off so many enemies at the same time. She had brought an end to the battle the instant she stepped onto the field, unleashing more magic than she had ever seen before. Had that power really been resting within her all along, just waiting for a moment to fly free? Yumiko stared at her hand uncertainly, knowing that if she began to bleed, the liquid would be green. She swallowed dryly before looking up to the ceiling, a frown on her face. Answers would have to wait until the rest of the group awoke, she supposed.
Luckily for her, it didn't take long for the Legendary Warriors to rise from their own slumbers. As it turned out, it was much later than Yumiko had thought. In fact, the sun was growing closer to its apex in the sky overhead. The island had been moving quickly all night, all of the people of Inaie desperate to leave behind the site of the battle from the night before. Yumiko remembered Darcmon saying the night before that everyone was safe, and she thanked the universe for its kindness on that front. She didn't know what she would have done if anyone got hurt.
Speaking of Darcmon, the Digimon knocked at the door about fifteen minutes after Yumiko woke up. Koji was closest to the door and pulled it open, allowing Darcmon to step inside. None of them had bothered to change out of their clothes from the day before, too tired the previous night to bother. Darcmon didn't seem to mind, and she didn't ask any questions as she looked out over the rest of the group. "I'm glad to see you're all awake," she announced. She faltered a moment later. "Well, most of you."
Mayumi was still sound asleep, holding Salamon close to her chest. The small dog Digimon was relishing in the embrace, a smile on her face, and she didn't try to squirm out of Mayumi's grasp. Yumiko couldn't blame the Warrior of Energy for being asleep still. She had used a lot of power the night before to free the ElDradimon from the control of the Void Fragments, and something like that would wear anyone out. If anything, Yumiko was jealous that her friend was still asleep while she was up and moving around already.
"How's the island doing?" Koji asked as he sat down again, leaning over so his elbows were propped up on his knees. "You said last night that everyone was okay. Is that still true this morning?"
"It is," Darcmon nodded. "Any injuries we sustained were minor and could easily be healed before the sun rose again. Everyone is back in their homes now, rattled but alive. None of us expected something like that to happen."
"I can't blame you," Haroi sighed with a shake of his head. "It shouldn't have happened at all... I think it was some sort of trap. I don't know how, but I feel like this happened because we figured out that Inaie wasn't responsible for everything with the Void Fragments. The second the mastermind realized they couldn't use you and the rest of your people as a scapegoat anymore, they decided to clamp the jaws of a trap shut on all of us. If they couldn’t use you, then they wanted to destroy you."
"And we wouldn't have escaped from that trap without all of your help," Darcmon declared. "I agree that it was a targeted attack, and it was a dangerous one at that. The one behind this knew what they were doing, and they would have succeeded if not for you all being there to help us. Inaie owes you its life. Once again, we fall indebted to the Legendary Warriors..." Her gaze wandered over to Yumiko. "But especially the Warrior of Wood."
"Now that we've all slept and no longer feel like dead Digimon walking, I think it's time for us to ask a few questions about last night," Chihiro said as they looked over to Yumiko. "Just what was it that you did last night? I've never seen anything like it."
"I... I have no idea," Yumiko admitted. "I was with Kotemon and Bearmon, and we were attacked by a few Harpymon. I remember thinking that no matter what happened, I had to protect them. They had nothing but each other, no one else to lean on, and... I know what that's like. No matter what, I had to do what I could to keep them safe. I thought we were doomed since I couldn't Spirit Evolve in time, but... Before I knew it, I had transformed in a different way, and everything that happened after that was instinct."
"Sounds like what happened when we all got our Spirits for the first time," Junpei commented. "It took us a while to fully get used to them, yes, but we sort of understood what to do even when we transformed for the first time. It was like something deep inside of us was kicking it into high gear to make sure we didn't die."
"That's exactly what it felt like this time too," Yumiko confirmed. "I don't know how to describe it entirely, but it was some form of evolution. It might even be a branch of Spirit Evolution that just waits outside the boundaries of what we previously thought we could do. The Ancient Warriors did countless amazing things while they were still alive, and assuming that something like this is within the realm of their power... It wouldn't be out of the picture at all for us to use their magic in new, inventive ways."
A wave of change washed through Yumiko's body, and she could feel herself being pulled away from the control center of her mind. When she opened her eyes again, Lyseir was the one in control with Yumiko watching on from the sidelines. The rest of the group seemed to recognize the change as well and listened intently for what Lyseir was going to say next. Nearby, Darcmon's eyes widened ever so slightly at the sudden shift.
"This comes with the territory of being a Legendary Warrior," Lyseir explained. "You've all begun to internalize the power of your elements in your bodies. The changing of the color of your blood was just the beginning. There are all sorts of side effects from Spirit Evolving, and this is one of them. You blur the line between being human and Digimon, and the magic that comes with being a Digimon is starting to leak over into your human forms. This new form is a new version of Spirit Evolution, but it focuses more on your human sides rather than falling being a branch of what the Legendary Warriors can do as Digimon."
"If we've all started to internalize this power, does that mean that all of us will be able to Spirit Evolve that way one day?" Izumi questioned. "That would make a lot more sense than this being exclusive to Yumiko..."
"You all have the potential for it, yes," Lyseir confirmed. "But I believe it will require the right timing in order to unlock this power. After all, you've had the potential for this for quite a while—ever since you returned to Earth from the Digital World, as a matter of fact. Fusing with the souls of your predecessors left behind a lot of residual power inside of you, and this new form is probably just a way to funnel all of that."
"How did you figure this out in the first place?" Junpei asked. "I know that you've got a bit more experience with it than the rest of us by nature, but this all feels like... A lot for you to figure out in so little time."
"I started noticing small things, and after Yumiko's transformation last night, I put the pieces together about it," Lyseir replied. "I noticed that plants seemed to gravitate toward our body, and it was like we could communicate with them. At first, it just seemed like a change that came with Spirit Evolution, but it seemed to run a bit too deep for that... And last night proved what it was all building toward."
"So we're all going to hit that point one day as long as we fulfill the right conditions," Takuya concluded with a small nod. "That sounds like a plan to me. I'd love to do even half of what Yumiko pulled off. That was some carnage."
Sensing that Yumiko had something to say, Lyseir took a small step back to offer the girl some control. "You know... I can still feel some of that power," Yumiko murmured. "Even though I'm not transformed, I feel like the fact that I shifted at all pulled the lock off a door I didn't even know was sealed." She looked down to the floor and pressed her hands together, folding them outward a moment later. A plant grew from nothingness, blooming into a delicate flower.
For a long time, the room was perfectly silent as they stared at the flower. "Damn," Chihiro eventually muttered. "I guess you were right about it unsealing some other power within you. If you can manipulate plants without even needing to transform..."
"That opens a lot of possibilities both for Yumiko and the rest of us," Saki finished for them, cupping one hand around their chin as they closed their eyes. "We're going to have to keep an eye out for any other changes to our bodies that take place over the course of the next few months."
"What should we even call this new type of evolution?" Hinoka questioned. "It's not like it's Human, Beast, or Hybrid Spirit Evolution. It might be a branch of Spirit Evolution, but it's not all that similar to the other three types we already know and love."
Bokomon thought about it for a moment, humming to himself. "I think we should call it something grand," he declared. "This is a new discovery that changes everything we thought we knew about Spirit Evolution and its affiliated processes. I think we should name it something that fits the weight of that change."
Yumiko's mouth moved before she could fully track what she was saying. "Resplendent Spirit Evolution," she murmured. When the rest of the group turned to face her again, she flushed in embarrassment. "That was the way I felt when I first transformed. Like... Nothing could ever hope to pull me back down once I had reached that high. It was like nothing else."
Bokomon looked around the room, waiting for any objections, but nobody had any to offer. After all, Yumiko was the only one of them who knew what it was like so far, so there were no protests to be raised in the first place. "Resplendent Spirit Evolution it is," Bokomon announced. "I'll have to write about this when we return to the fortress. I'm sure this is something we'll learn more about in the future, but for now, I have a lot to jot down..."
"Are you leaving early then?" Darcmon asked. The Legendary Warriors looked to one another tiredly, and that answered her question easily. "I suspected as much. You were here for an investigation and to have a good time. You never thought you would end up having to fight like that, and... Well, it tired all of us out. I still don't think I'll ever feel rested again after last night."
"I hope you're not too upset with us for leaving early," Patamon frowned. He was perched on Koichi's head and staring up at Darcmon with wide, watery eyes.
"It's fine. I understand," Darcmon assured him. She laughed hollowly as a good-natured smile spread across her lips. "As long as you can all promise to come back here for a real Inaie festival when we're no longer in danger of being pursued and attacked by a bunch of rogue turtles, I think we can call it even."
"I think that's a compromise we can all make," Koji agreed with a smile of his own. "Thank you again for hosting us here, Darcmon. I wish things didn't end the way they did, but I guess life never goes the way you would like."
"Don't start saying your goodbyes yet," Darcmon scolded gently. "Hippogriffomon will want to see you off as well, and I have no doubt Kotemon and Bearmon have a few things to say to Yumiko before you head back to Earth too."
Yumiko gasped lightly at that, realizing belatedly that in her exhausted haze the night before, she hadn't been able to check up on them again. "I would love that," she beamed as she pushed herself to her feet.
"Maybe we can go on and change into our clothes for the day too," Junpei suggested as he ran one hand through his hair. "Now that we've slept, I feel like we don't have an excuse for walking around like this, and I don't want the Digimon to look at us weird."
"I don't think they'd care. I mean, I wear the same pair of pants every day, and nobody gives me a second glance," Neemon pointed out from his place on the floor. "Digimon have different customs than you humans do, and some of yours are a bit silly."
Yumiko laughed to herself at Neemon's words before she reached for her bag. "We'll be out within the next half hour," she told Darcmon. "Try to make sure the island doesn't get attacked until then, okay?"
Darcmon let out a loose scoff. "I'll do my best."
~~~~~
Less than an hour later, the Legendary Warriors were gathered in the city square, all of their bags having been packed and set aside in preparation for their return journey to Earth. A small crowd of Inaie's residents had come to see them off even though most of them hadn't been given a chance to speak with the Legendary Warriors personally. At the front of the crowd, Darcmon stood with Hippogriffomon, and Yumiko couldn't help wondering if Hippogriffomon had slept at all the night before. Neither she nor Darcmon looked well-rested in the slightest, and Yumiko could only hope that the Legendary Warriors leaving early would be a chance for the leaders of Inaie to catch up on sleep a little bit. They deserved a break from their hosting duties given all that had happened the night before.
Kotemon and Bearmon stood a few feet away from the leaders of Inaie, both of them watching Yumiko with wide, watery eyes. "Is it true that you're leaving soon?" Bearmon asked as he took a step toward his new friend.
Yumiko crouched in front of him, reaching out to cup at his cheek with one hand. "It is... But this isn't the last time I'll be here on the island. I'm going to be back soon. I promise," she assured him. "I don't think I could leave this place behind forever even if I tried."
"You had better come to visit us when you come back!" Kotemon exclaimed, trying to hold back his emotions and ultimately failing. "We can show you more of the island! I'm sure there's something else for us to teach you about here!"
"I'm looking forward to it already," Yumiko smiled. "One day, all of us are going to come back, and we're going to celebrate our victory over the Void Fragment Digimon too. Until then, you two had better do your best to stay safe, okay?"
Bearmon nodded with a sniffle, remaining silent for as long as he could stand so as to not let his tears fall. "We promise!" he eventually managed to choke out. He let one hand come up to rub at his eyes, and Yumiko pulled him into a tight embrace. Kotemon was quick to join in, and the Warrior of Wood smiled gently to them both. No words could properly express the emotions they were feeling, that was just the way Yumiko wanted it. Sometimes, the strongest of emotions were the ones that went well beyond the limitations of conversation.
After a few long moments, Yumiko finally pulled away and rose back to her full height. "I guess that's it then," she declared as she looked over to Darcmon and Hippogriffomon. "It's time for us to go back home."
"Be sure to visit when you get the chance. I meant it when I said that we would host a true festival for you one day," Darcmon smiled fondly. "You had all better be here in one piece when you come back though. I don't think any of Inaie's people will want to honor another dead Legendary Warrior after we've been doing that for centuries."
"We'll be fine," Takuya assured her with a loose wave of one hand. "We've made it this far, haven't we? Besides, after what happened last night, I feel like we're damn near indestructible. What are our enemies going to do that we haven't already managed to overcome?"
"Especially now that we know what's coming next for us in terms of evolution," Izumi chimed in. "No matter what, we're going to be fine. That much I promise you."
Darcmon nodded as Hippogriffomon spoke softly and solemnly. "All we ask is that you be careful. I have no idea who is behind this or what they could be planning, but you should proceed with as much caution as possible," she advised. She didn't say his name directly, but Yumiko already knew she was referring to Alastomon. None of them knew what he was up to aside from vague rumors that he was not to be trusted, and the idea sent a chill down Yumiko's spine. They would have to handle him with time even if it felt like they didn't have all that much of it on their hands.
"Until then, everyone," Darcmon called with a wave. The Legendary Warriors were quick to return the favor, and the other people of Inaie joined in as well. Even as Takuya started to lead the rest of the party away from Inaie's town square, the Digimon of Inaie continued to wish them a hearty and happy farewell. The trip hadn't ended the way any of them had expected, but it was still worth a lot in the way of hope.
They had no idea what was coming next, but they would face it with smiles on their lips and faith in their hearts.
~~~~~
After the Legendary Warriors arrived back on Earth, they decided to split up for the rest of the day. They were still thoroughly exhausted from the battle the night before. They hadn’t realized it at the time, but the fight had kept them awake until nearly two in the morning, and settling back in at their base had them up even longer. None of them were quite sure of how long they had been distracted by the fight, but they were all too aware of the fact that they had a day of school to look forward to in the morning. In other words, they were going to have to take advantage of the resting time while they had it since it wasn't going to last long.
Hinoka lingered by the door to her apartment for a long time even after the rest of her friends had left, her fingers pressed against the doorframe. She had enjoyed the break in the Digital World even if it hadn't ended the way she would have liked. It had opened her eyes to quite a bit as well. Speaking with Izumi and Miriamon had forced Hinoka to realize that, as much as she hated to admit it, she was going to have to do something about her strained relationship with Chiaki. She had to try and reach out first even if she had no idea what to do with the situation at hand. Her sister deserved that much.
That didn't mean Hinoka was looking forward to it though. She stayed in the doorway of the apartment for such a long time solely because she didn't want to have to text Izumi to ask for Chiaki's phone number. Realistically, Hinoka knew everything was going to be fine and that there would be no harm in reaching out to her sister. Still, an upbringing of anxiety and terror had left its mark behind on Hinoka, and she had no easy way of fixing that, especially not so soon. She wasn't going to feel better until she had gotten this over with, as much as she hated to admit it.
Hinoka passed wordlessly by the door to her mother's room, knowing she hadn't even realized her daughter was gone at all. Many years had passed since Hinoka had a stable relationship with Fujie Sakatami, and Hinoka really hadn't been able to speak with her mother on normal terms since her father was still in her life. As far as Hinoka was concerned, it was good riddance to lose her father. It was just a shame Hinoka had just pawned her suffering off to her mother without even knowing it.
Hinoka ignored Fujie's door and made her way to her own bedroom before sitting down on her bed, the mattress rattling slightly under her weight. The Warrior of Water looked down at her phone, swallowing dryly and doing her best to drown her nerves before they could do the same to her first. She would just have to get it started. There was no guarantee as to when Izumi would reply, and that was fine. Hinoka would have time to get her emotions under control before the opportunity arose to meet with her sister.
With a shaky breath, Hinoka keyed out a message to Izumi:
When you have time, can you send me Chiaki's number?
As soon as Hinoka hit send, she felt a wave of anxiety rush out of her body as another tide of nerves flooded through her. She sighed and laid back, not realizing just how emotionally spent she was until her head hit her pillow. Maybe some extra rest was in order. She had taken care of all her homework on Friday night in preparation for the journey to Inaie, and that meant the rest of her day was as free as could be. She was certainly going to need the rest before school the next day.
Hinoka had no idea where any of this was going to lead, but she could figure that out when the time was right. Until then, this was a start, and the first step was always the hardest.
~~~~~
Izumi opened the door to the Orimoto home slowly, tapping it shut behind her carefully. Her father was bound to be out at work for the day, and Izumi could only hope Masae was out of the house for some reason or another as well. She was desperate to get away without her sister starting to press her for information, especially after the awful night she had endured. She didn't think she would be able to endure Masae's pleading eyes if the two confronted one another.
"Izumi."
Damn it.
The universe didn't want to listen to Izumi's pleas, it seemed, as Masae appeared in her line of sight seconds after she entered the house. Izumi didn't think she had ever seen her sister looking so closed off and apathetic, her eyes grieving in a way the Warrior of Wind could never hope to describe. For a long moment, all Izumi could do was stare, pretending Masae's tone didn't feel like a punch to the stomach. "Good afternoon, Masae," Izumi greeted, plastering on a smile that was so painfully fake it nearly stabbed her in the neck. "How are you doing today?"
"I thought you would be out longer," Masae said, ignoring Izumi's question and taking a small step closer to her sister. "I was under the impression you would be out for the entire day. I guess not."
"Plans changed," Izumi replied, trying her best to ignore the exhaustion that was already starting to tear her to shreds. She didn't know if she had the strength to face Masae, not like this. She was still tired from the battle the night before, and Masae was trying to press information out of her that she couldn't give. What was she supposed to do about it? How could she respond?
Masae hummed noncommittally, though Izumi could tell this still wasn't over. The Warrior of Wind tried to figure out how she was going to make her exit without earning any more suspicion from her sister, but she knew that wasn't going to be happening. Masae had been worried for too long now for her to just drop it the instant there was any sort of pushback. She had been preparing for this. She had to be.
Just before Izumi could let out some haphazard and half-assed excuse about being tired, Masae spoke again. "What's wrong with you lately?" she asked bluntly, and Izumi felt like the knife in her neck had been twisted.
Izumi turned to face her sister once again, opening and closing her mouth a few times in a desperate attempt to choke the words out. Each time, she fell short, and Masae sighed heavily. "You can't think I haven't noticed. Of course I have. I'm not a fool, Izumi," Masae went on. "There's something else going on here that you don't want me to know about, and you're going out of your way to keep the truth away from me."
Izumi faltered, her stomach churning anxiously. "M-Masae, I—"
"I'm not here to listen to another one of your excuses," Masae cut in, holding up one hand to silence her sister. "I'm worried about you, Izumi. It seems like there's always something new for you to hide, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do about that. You're struggling, and you won't tell anyone about it. You're afraid of something, but you've been bottling it all up inside. I'm tired of just standing here and watching you keep all of this from me. Do you not trust me?"
"That's not it at all!" Izumi assured her, only realizing after she had spoken just how loud she had been. "It's not that I don't trust you, Masae. It's that... This shouldn't have to be your problem. It's not something you should have to carry on your back. I'm your older sister, and that means—"
"I don't care what you think that means!" Masae snapped back. "I'm worried about you, and there's nothing I can do to help you as long as you're just hiding from me all the time. I know you probably have your reasons for keeping all of this hidden, but I have my reasons for pushing back against you too. I'm worried about you, and I'm tired of pretending nothing is happening. You've been keeping secrets from me, and all I can do is just watch you crumble."
Izumi tried to say something, but the words refused to come out. Masae just shook her head as she let her hands come up to her face. Masae dragged her palms across her cheeks like she thought that would help her to run away from all of this, sighing after she realized it was a vain effort. "I'm worried about you, and... I'm really hoping you'll let me in so I can help you soon," Masae murmured. "You don't need to hide everything from the world, Izumi. You always told me that I could count on others if I needed help, but you've never really been the best at teaching by example. Try practicing what you preach every once in a while, would you?"
Izumi reached one hand out toward her sister, only realizing halfway through that tears were starting to well up in her eyes. Izumi let her fingers fall back to her side a moment later, and she let out a small choke of a sob before she could fully register what was happening. "I... I'm sorry," Izumi forced herself to say. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to tell Masae everything that had happened to her over the course of the last few months. She was desperate to share the entire story from start to finish, to finally make her sister understand, but Izumi couldn’t do it. She couldn't put her sister in danger like that. The entire city was clamoring to understand the truth of the 'human monsters,' and Izumi wouldn't put Masae in a position to be victimized by her mistakes. She had done that more than enough over the course of her life, and she refused to make that error again.
Masae turned away from Izumi, her eyes downcast like she couldn't even stand to look at her sister anymore. "You know... The last time I felt like this, you ended up in a hospital bed," she murmured. "You just kept running when I asked you what was going on. I didn't know it at the time, but you were tearing yourself apart because of what others thought of you. I... I remember thinking I just wanted to help you. I was desperate to do something, anything, that would fix it because I was too late the first time. Now... It's happening again, and you're not showing what's wrong. I didn't want you to learn to get better at lying from that incident, Izumi. I wanted you to realize that it doesn't work that way. I wanted you to learn you could trust me."
Izumi swallowed dryly, knowing she was going to break down if she gave herself the chance to speak once again. Even years after her hospitalization from her eating disorder, she still felt guilty for how it had all ended. The first person to snap her out of her spiral had been Masae when Izumi realized she couldn't set an example like that for the person she loved most. The damage had already been done though, and when Masae looked up at her sister now, she saw the eyes of monstrous treachery.
Monstrous wasn't all that far off the mark, was it? Masae just didn't know the reasons why it was so miserably true.
"I'm sorry," Izumi repeated like she thought the words would save her. She grabbed at her upper arms with all the strength in the world to stop her trembling, but she shook like a leaf in the wind anyway despite her efforts.
Masae leaned against the nearby column, her grip growing tight. "Yeah... I know," was all she whispered before she walked off to her room, leaving Izumi alone in the entryway of their home.
Izumi stood there in the silence for what felt like an eternity before she retreated to her own room. She closed the door tightly and locked it even though she knew her sister wouldn't come knocking anyway. Izumi curled up on her bed after dropping her bag to the floor, just letting the tears gush from her eyes. Her previous plans of trying to fix things with Masae before they could get any worse had already fallen apart. Her sister wanted the truth, and the worst part was Izumi couldn't even blame her. Izumi couldn't say what was happening, but she couldn't fault Masae for being angry with her either.
No matter what, she lost. Even as Kaze, Zephyr, and Aero tried to comfort Izumi, she didn't respond. Her room was filled with the sound of sobbing until her exhaustion finally consumed her and she drifted into the most restless sleep she remembered having since her mother had died.
~~~~~
"We're home!"
Takuya's voice rang easily through the entryway of the Kanbara home as he and Chihiro crossed through the front door’s threshold. Chihiro closed the door behind themself before kicking off their shoes and sighing heavily. Even after changing clothes and fixing their hair, Chihiro still looked thoroughly disheveled, and the only reason Takuya didn't look the same way was because he was wearing a grand smile for the sake of keeping people from asking questions. Takuya had always been the better actor and liar of the two anyway.
"I didn't think you were going to be back so soon," Shinya remarked as he appeared in the hall between the foyer and the kitchen. He had one hand pressed against the wall as he looked at his brother and essentially adopted sibling, a frown starting to spread across his features. "You made it sound like you were going to be gone all day."
"Things changed," Takuya shrugged. He stretched his arms high above his head. "And right now, I need a nice long nap before dinner. We'll talk to you later, Shinya." He reached out to ruffle at his brother's hair with Shinya sticking a hand up to stop Takuya's wrist in its tracks. This was a long game between them, but somehow, Shinya's eyes felt different today as he watched his brother warily in a way he never had before.
Takuya was too tired to notice the strange way Shinya was watching him though, instead letting his hand fall away without messing with his brother's hair. He started back toward his room with a hefty yawn, rubbing at his eyes with his other hand. Chihiro gave a passing glance to Shinya as well before heading to their own room, saying nothing in their exhaustion. Shinya watched the bags beneath Chihiro's eyes for a long moment before his frown grew even deeper. The Warrior of Earth didn't give him any chances to ask them questions though, instead vanishing through the door into their room and closing it behind them.
Just before Takuya could vanish from sight though, Shinya's eyes narrowed at the back of his brother's neck. It was small, but a bruise could be seen beneath a tuft of Takuya's brown hair. The skin was discolored in a way that didn't seem natural to Shinya, though he couldn't quite put a finger on what about it felt so off to him. He just knew that it was wrong on a fundamental level. Somehow, Shinya doubted his brother had gotten the bruise from a pillow fight. Takuya had claimed he was going out for a sleepover, but what normal hangout with friends ended with a nasty wound like that?
For a long while, Shinya stood alone and silent in the entrance of the Kanbara home. He reached for his phone where it rested in his pocket before he moved to his own bedroom. He closed the door behind himself not because he thought he would be disturbed but because he sought all the privacy he could get. He opened a text log with a familiar friend before typing out a message easily:
Something is wrong. Takuya had a bruise on his neck when he came home.
Three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen as Masae Orimoto started to respond. Shinya tapped his foot impatiently as he sat at the foot of his bed. This had become a habit of theirs over the course of the last few weeks. Previously, Shinya and Masae hadn't known each other well, but that had all changed when their brother and sister started to hang out more. Shinya could see it in Masae's eyes that she was worried for Izumi, and as soon as he got the chance, Shinya lunged on the subject to try and ask her for answers. Unfortunately, Masae seemed just as lacking in the truth as he was, but she was the best chance he had. They exchanged phone numbers as soon as they realized their siblings’ odd behavior must have been connected, and ever since then, they had been texting each other daily about their strange circumstances. It was a shame that wasn’t enough for them to find the truth without needing to put more pressure on Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi.
Soon enough, Masae replied:
Izumi just got back. She's still acting odd. I don't know what's going on, but she's not talking about it.
Shinya sighed. He shouldn't have been surprised to hear that, but it still hurt him in a way he didn't quite know how to describe. He was just worried about his family, but they insisted on pushing him away. Takuya would just laugh off any attempts at concern as his brother being ridiculous no matter how serious Shinya really was. Chihiro was too defensive to let the armor fall the instant they felt attacked too, and Shinya already knew that trying to press the truth out of them was a losing battle. There was nothing out there that would make this easier, and the brutal truth stung like a hit to the face or maybe like whatever attack had left behind that bruise on Takuya's neck.
He began to type out a response to Masae, desperate for anything he could get his hands on at this point:
They won't be able to keep it a secret forever.
Masae's reply was nearly immediate, and Shinya could only assume she had been typing before he sent his own response:
Do you think it has something to do with the monsters?
Shinya stared up at the ceiling of his room blankly. He wasn't a fool. He knew that Takuya had only started acting differently on the day that a silhouette of a battle had appeared in the sky. The same monsters that now attacked Shibuya on a terrifyingly regular basis had been there when Takuya began to change. From the sounds of it, the same was true for Izumi. It was as if they had both become completely different people in a matter of hours, happier but still unsettling to those who had known them so well over the years. Shinya was glad his brother and Chihiro were doing better, but at the same time, he wanted to understand what was going on with them. It was a shame they were making it so incredibly difficult to do that.
He began to type furiously, though he didn't know why he bothered. Masae already knew what he was going to say:
It has to. We'll just have to keep our eyes open. They've got to slip up eventually.
Masae responded with agreement, and Shinya turned his phone off before sighing angrily and flopping back onto his bed. He was going to find the truth behind all of this one way or another. Takuya would only be able to hide from him for so long.
All he wanted to do was help. Unfortunately, Takuya and Chihiro were making it way harder than it needed to be.
~~~~~
The worst part about going to the Digital World was coming home.
It was a cynical way of looking at things, and Koji knew it. Still, he knew it was true. He loved being in the Digital World, loved being in a place where he was accepted for who he was without exception or question. There, he was a hero. He was strong. He was everything he had ever aspired to be.
On Earth though, Koji hid from his father. He tried his best to slip in quietly through the front door, though that fell apart when Raika bounded up to him with an excited bark. Koji winced, realizing she was probably eager for attention since her best friend in the house—him—had been gone all day. Koji decided to shove his reservations aside though, instead crouching before his dog and stroking gently behind her ears. Raika nuzzled into the touch, and for a few moments, Koji felt... Normal. He was on Earth, and he was fine with it.
All of that ended the instant he heard footsteps on the tile, and Koji bit down on his lip with enough force to draw blood. He pulled his teeth back at the last minute though, refusing to let any of his white blood show to the rest of the world. That would destroy everything. Even something as small as a snag on his lip would reveal something as being wrong, and that wasn't a battle Koji wanted to fight, especially not against Kousei.
Koji looked up slowly to face his father and saw Kousei standing tense but casual nearby. Well, it was an attempt at being casual, but in Koji's eyes, it fell pathetically flat. Kousei's hands were shoved into the small, tight pockets of his trousers as he looked down at his son, and Koji was glad there was enough space between them for him to be out of his father's shadow. Kousei's presence was still intimidating the same way it always had been though, and part of Koji wanted to jump out the window with Raika and never come back again.
He restrained himself though, instead continuing to pet Raika as he looked up to his father. "Father," was all Koji said in response. Raika, completely unaware of the tense circumstances, licked at Koji's hand, and the Warrior of Light smiled down at her fondly. The way he looked at his father was the complete opposite of the way he looked at Raika, and that was just the way he liked it. After all, if he was given an option as for whose company he would keep, it would be Raika each and every day. Raika couldn't yell at him. Raika couldn't start any fights.
Raika couldn't emotionally scar his brother.
Kousei looked down at Koji for a long time, and the tension between them was thick enough to be cut with a knife. "How was your time out?" Kousei asked carefully. He could feel the weight of the conversation just as much as Koji. It was just a question of if he would be careful enough to avoid shattering it.
"Fine," Koji answered simply. He continued to stroke at Raika’s head, using his dog's body as the one tether keeping him grounded to the world. He wanted to run into his room and not even consider leaving until all of this was over, but as long as that wasn't an option, he would stay with her.
"I wish you would have given me a bit more warning before you went out though," Kousei went on, and Koji knew something was about to break. "It's not like you to spend the night somewhere else, and you barely gave me any warning before you left."
"It doesn't matter anyway," Koji snorted. "You're off at work enough as it is that you would probably barely notice. I'm fine. I had a nice time. That's all that matters." Raika seemed to recognize the way he was growing stiff, and she hit her head against his hand to try and coax him into stroking her more. Koji gladly followed her advice and scratched at the space between her ears to ensure he didn’t ball his fingers into a fist made of pure, unfiltered fury.
Kousei's eyes narrowed. "Koji, I'm not trying to start a fight here. It just feels like you never tell me anything anymore."
"That assumes I told you anything to begin with," Koji pointed out.
"That's the problem. I'm your father, but it seems like you never give me the time of day. I just want to know what you're doing, but you make it into a huge problem," Kousei replied, his voice slowly starting to rise in volume.
"It feels like you're not my father at all half the time," Koji fired back, looking up at his father with a glare. "You're at work more often than not, and even when you are here, it feels like all you ever do is get on my back for something you don't like about me." He was halfway tempted to bring up his mother and how Kousei had never given him the time to grieve, but Koji didn't trust himself with that. If he got upset, he could slip up and admit to having met Tomoko and Koichi, especially with how tired he already was. His defenses were lowered enough for it to be a risk, and Koji refused to take that chance.
"It feels like you don't respect me," Kousei countered. "In most other families, children actually acknowledge their parents, but all you ever want to do is ignore me. You can't stay hung up on the past forever, Koji."
"I'm not getting hung up on the past. I'm responding appropriately to it, and you're acting like that's the greatest sin I could ever commit," Koji retorted. He rose to his full height slowly before letting out a scoff and shaking his head. "You can't control everyone to make them do what you want. You can try, but there will always be another way forward. If you can't figure that out, then... Well, what have you been doing with your life?"
Kousei didn't have the chance to bite back before Koji moved back to his room, Raika hot on his heels all the while. As soon as both he and Raika were inside, Koji closed the door and let out a heavy sigh. Nearly arguing with his father always took it out of him. Reminding himself that it was okay to be upset was exhausting, and Koji really wished that wasn't the case. When Kousei started to point the finger of blame back at Koji, there was a part of the Warrior of Light that wanted to believe it. At the end of the day, Kousei was still his father, and Koji knew that his rage and hatred was a defense mechanism more than anything else. He didn't know what would happen if he let himself believe what his father was saying about him being responsible for all of this, and Koji didn't want to ask either. That was one matter that was best left unresolved. It was a box he was more than happy to tape shut and kick under his bed to be forgotten for as long as he could stand to ignore it.
Koji settled down onto the floor near his desk, and Raika happily laid down beside him. She placed her head on his lap, all too familiar with comforting Koji after a fight between father and son. She hadn't been there the last few times due to chance—oftentimes because of Satomi taking Raika out for a walk since Koji was back at school now and had less time for it—but this time, she was determined to make sure Koji knew it was different. He smiled gently down at her and continued to scratch between her ears. Raika always knew exactly what to do to keep him calm, and he was beyond relieved for it.
"What are you going to do about your father?" came Lobo's voice in the silence. Koji nearly jumped in surprise at the reminder that there were, in fact, other people in his mind. He was still getting used to that, and when he focused as he was at the moment, he completely forgot. Kousei tended to do that to him, unfortunately.
Koji shrugged jerkily, not wanting to risk talking out loud in case his father overheard him. Koji didn't think it mattered if he was silent anyway. After all, Lobo, Garum, and Beowolf could all hear his thoughts. It was the consequence of sharing everything down to a brain and body. He had no idea what to do when it came to his father, and this had been true for as long as he could remember. Kousei seemed to enjoy making him miserable for not being able to move on. Kousei wanted to look forward no matter what, and that meant sweeping everything from the past under the rug. Koji, on the other hand, knew that the past was what had made him into the person he was today. He couldn't forget it no matter what, and he wouldn't let Kousei fool him into believing that ignoring it was possible either, especially not now that he had met Koichi and Tomoko for himself.
Koji hated having to think about it, but when his defenses were lowered on days like this, he wanted to believe what his father was telling him. It wasn't that Koji thought his father was right. Of course Kousei was wrong about countless things in his son's life. His assumptions almost always missed the mark. Kousei hadn't been involved with Koji’s life in a long time, always too busy working to give Koji the time of day he needed. Still, Koji couldn't help thinking that Kousei was his father. Surely children should respect their parents, right? Maybe he should start listening. Maybe that would make it easier.
But would it really help? If Koji looked only to the future, then that meant forgetting everything his father had done to him over the years. Koji wasn't going to just ignore all of that in the name of some false forgiveness his father preached. Koji knew he was far from perfect and definitely had a penchant for starting fights just to feel something, especially before he went to the Digital World, but he couldn't help thinking that maybe his father shouldn't have done all of this. It was a constant push and pull of blame and hate, and Koji couldn't decide which side deserved it more.
Koji reached one hand up to his desk and pulled down the picture he had taken with Koichi and Tomoko the day they first came together as a family. Kousei still didn't know about it, and that was the way Koji wanted to keep it. Koji didn't want to let him ruin the family twice. The Warrior of Light pressed the photo to his chest and leaned his head back against his desk, sighing as he pet Raika with his free hand. Damn it, he was tired. He was tired of everything, and he had no idea what to do about it.
And after all these years, Koji didn't think it was something that could be fixed either.
~~~~~
Koichi closed the door quietly behind himself as he slipped into the Kimura apartment. His mother was supposed to be home from work by now, and he didn't want to disturb her. In a way, Koichi was relieved that the group had opted to go home from the Digital World early. Tomoko didn't get days off work often, and Koichi wanted to enjoy the time he had with his mother while he could. Besides, it was an excuse for him to get away from the rest of the group without them asking questions about his behavior from the night before. He needed that brief allowance of peace now more than ever.
It was only thanks to the group's collective exhaustion that Koichi had been able to get away from the battle without anyone asking him about why he had stayed on the ground. They had been too tired to realize what he was doing or to push him for his logic, and Koichi couldn't have said enough just how relieved he was for that. He didn't think he would have had the strength to tell them. His doomsday timer was constantly ticking above his head, but he was still afraid of breaking the silence and telling the group what was going on before it was absolutely necessary. He was terrified, more than he had been of nearly anything else in his life.
Koichi wasn't the only one who had reaped the rewards of the group's exhaustion either. Miriamon had joined the fight against the Void Fragments from what Koichi had heard, and yet, nobody had bothered to ask her about her experiences in combat. Koichi had been under the impression previously that she couldn't fight, but he supposed he was learning new things every day. Sometimes, those things were better than others for better or worse.
"Koichi?" came Tomoko's voice from her bedroom. Koichi smiled as he slipped his shoes off and started to follow the sound of his voice. He had missed being able to spend time with her. Tomoko's rigorous work schedule kept her away from home too often in his opinion, and he always enjoyed it when she could be with him for even just a few extra minutes a week. It was a treat he would never stop loving.
"Hey, Mom," Koichi greeted as he arrived in the doorway of her room. She was sitting on her bed as she read a book, and she tucked her bookmark in between her current two pages before placing the volume off to the side when she saw her son. Koichi sat down beside her, a smile on his face. It was nice to just forget about the Digital World for a little while in favor of just spending time with his mother. His life would probably have been much less stressful if he could do this more often, but unfortunately, her busy work schedule wouldn't allow it.
Tomoko hugged Koichi gently, and the Warrior of Darkness smiled to himself. Tomoko moved aside after she was finished with the embrace to give him the space that he needed to lay down beside her. "I didn't think you would be getting home so early," Tomoko admitted. "You made it sound like you were going to be out all day."
"Plans ended up changing," Koichi replied vaguely. There was a small part of him that wanted to tell his mother everything, to finally get it all off his chest, but he knew that wasn't an option. He wanted to keep her safe, and that meant keeping secrets from her. It was a shame he couldn't be honest while still keeping her out of danger. That would have been another massive burden off his shoulders, but the world had other plans. It seemed like it always did.
"I'm sorry your friends cut your gathering short, but I'm fine with it if it means we can spend a bit more time together," Tomoko smiled. She placed one hand on top of Koichi's, and he gladly turned his fingers to grasp at hers. This was the breath of peace he had been seeking for as long as he could remember, and it felt sweet against the bitter sting of his thoughts over the last few weeks. Finally, he could let himself live, even if it was only for a few brief moments.
"It's alright. I'm happy to be here too," Koichi assured her. He stared up at the ceiling of the room, letting the silence settle in around him. It was perhaps one of the few times since his adventures in the Digital World that his mind had actually been quiet. No anxiety screamed into his ear, and the Warriors of Darkness and Void were silent as well. Everything just felt... Normal. For a few beats, Koichi wasn't a monster, inside or out. He was just a person, and he was able to enjoy the comfort his mother brought him.
The silence didn't last forever though no matter how much Koichi wished it would. Tomoko looked over at him slowly, worry in her eyes. "Are... Are you alright, Koichi?" Tomoko asked softly. "You've seemed so stressed lately. If you need anything, you know you can come to me. I'm worried about you."
Koichi didn't know what it was about those words that made him feel like he had been punched, but all of his defensive walls came crumbling down. Even in the times when he thought he could escape the Digital World, he couldn't fully get away from it all. Tomoko had noticed that he was struggling, and she was trying to help him the same way the rest of the Legendary Warriors were. No matter what, Koichi couldn't seem to escape the stranglehold the darkness inside of him had on his soul.
Before Koichi knew what was happening, tears began to well up in his eyes, and they streaked mercilessly down his cheeks soon afterward. Tomoko's eyes went wide, and she pulled Koichi in close. "It's okay..." she murmured into his hair, and Koichi was desperate to believe her even though he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. There would always be more out there for him to fear, and he wouldn't be able to share any of it with his mother.
He hated burdening her. That was one reason Koichi had kept his investigations about Koji to himself for so long. It felt like he was being convicted of a criminal offense when he made her worry about him. The same was true even now, and guilt twisted at his heart as he cried in her arms. She didn't ask again what he was crying about, seeming to know that he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. What he needed most was a shoulder to lean on, and Tomoko would do that for her son any day no matter what was happening in her own life.
If there was one thing Koichi knew in that moment, it was that he wouldn't be able to hide forever. The clock was counting down, and when it finally reached zero, the lie would shatter. He was almost at the end of the line, and he could feel it.
Soon, he would have to tell the rest of the Legendary Warriors the truth. He no longer had a choice... As if he ever did in the first place.
But until then, all he could do was cry and wish in vain that his mother would be able to protect him forever.
~~~~~
Yumiko glided easily enough into her room in the Mihara home, closing the door behind her. Briar Rose sat on her bed, staring upward in anticipation for her owner to return. Yumiko smiled and sat beside her kitten, stroking gently at her back. Briar Rose was growing larger now, but she was just as affectionate as ever, leaning against her owner with a soft purr. Yumiko cooed in response and continued to pet the cat, glad to have some semblance of normalcy after the events of the last day and a half. She had needed it more than she realized.
For a long while, Yumiko just sat on her bed and relished in the company of her cat. No matter how many times she thought through the events of the previous day, Yumiko still couldn't bring herself to believe it. She had uncovered a new version of Spirit Evolution and used it to save Inaie from invasion in a way none of them could have ever expected. The power lingered with her even when she was in human form. It was proof that as each day went by, the Legendary Warriors were becoming less and less human, and yet, Yumiko found it to be beautiful.
On a whim, Yumiko reached for one of the plants sitting on her windowsill. She pulled it in close and held one hand against the leaves. She knew her power transferred to her human form when she was in the Digital World, but Earth was another matter entirely. She would have to test the limits of her skills with time. After all, nobody had ever experienced this before, so she was diving into unexplored territory.
Sure enough, the plant followed Yumiko's desire and grew a week's height in just a few seconds. She stared down at the potted plant and examined it from all angles, sighing to herself when she realized that it was, in fact, real. She could fight even without needing to Spirit Evolve now. Hell, she could even do this in front of other people without being caught if she was careful enough about it.
Yumiko looked up to the window, seeing her own reflection staring back at her in the glass. When she moved toward another plant and prompted it to grow by a few inches, Yumiko noticed something change in her reflection. Her eyes glowed bright green for the duration of her spell, and Yumiko blinked a few times in confusion before realizing just how much sense it made. Green was the color of the Warrior of Wood, and it seemed to follow her everywhere. When she was using her magic, her eyes glowed green to fit in with the pattern of her predecessor. Her eyes were already green, albeit a different shade, so the change was discreet but not entirely unnoticeable. She would have to keep that in mind for future reference.
Yumiko continued to test her skills with the plants for what felt like another few hours, but she knew realistically that it couldn't have been that long. She lost herself to the tides of time, too infatuated with her own power to mind what was happening around her. This was all that mattered, and she was fine with that. She had a new power now, and she would have to figure out how to use it with time. It wouldn't be easy, but she would find the path ahead soon enough.
Yumiko eventually collapsed backward into her bed once again, continuing to stroke at Briar Rose's back. Her cat had fallen asleep while she was playing with her plants, though the kitten instinctively curled against Yumiko when she felt her owner grow near to her. Yumiko smiled to herself at the sight before closing her eyes. The last day had been filled to the brim with action and excitement, and she had no idea what to think of it all. Still, she knew this was how it was meant to be. This was the version of herself she was meant to be. She could feel it.
This was just the start of the battle against the Void Fragments' true mastermind. It was a step in the right direction though, and Yumiko would take it. No matter what happened next, she would be ready. She was sure of it.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
I don't think I can say enough how much I adore this chapter. I've joked before about Inaie being 'character development' island by finally bringing the characters' various issues out in a way that forces them to address the problems, and this chapter shows that they still have a long way to go. Inaie might have forced them to look at their issues, but this chapter is proof that they're still in an uneasy position and will need a lot of time to fix that.
With that in mind, let's take this analysis from the beginning. First off, we have the farewell scene on Inaie. I wanted to offer one final bit of closure before we cap off this miniature arc, and here it is. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are again offering their warnings to the rest of the group, and the two of them, along with Kotemon and Bearmon, are waiting for the time when the group comes back. The festival didn't happen the way the group had planned, and that means they're going to need to figure out another time for it. That will happen later in the story, I promise, but for now, it's a sweet moment and another beat of Yumiko's characterization regarding her evolution.
On the note of evolution, I want to take a moment to discuss the way I'm handling the new evolutions in this story. It's very different from the first book since rather than there being three notable steps the characters can take as the Human, Beast, and Hybrid Spirits, there's only one here. The characters aren't finished growing when they hit their evolutions, of course, but since there's only one evolution, they new forms are paced very differently when the characters are at the height of their arcs. Yumiko's character arc is more front heavy than the others because part of her story in the first book was learning how to take action for herself and standing on her own two feet on the merits of her confidence. As such, she takes a much more active role in her character development than a lot of the other characters, so she wound up being first. There's still more for her to come--the same way there will be more for everyone else after their evolutions--but I wanted to talk about it here anyway. This is definitely a different story from the first in terms of structure, but I think it works well for the slow burn idea I'm going for.
The conversation between Izumi and Masae ripped my heart out and stomped on it. I really like writing the relationship between the two of them. The first book highlighted just how much Masae means to Izumi since Izumi essentially raised her sister after their mother's death. Izumi wanted to become a better person specifically for her sister, but now, she has to keep the truth a secret from the one she cares about most. It's understandable why Masae is upset about all of this since it's driving a wedge between them without either one being able to give up their ground. You can feel the tension between them, and it's so tragic to read and write. These two deserve the world.
On the note of Masae, she's in contact with Shinya as was shown in the following scene. Takuya is doing a mostly good job at lying, but Shinya still isn't buying it. Shinya knows that he and Chihiro have something to do with the Digimon on Earth too, and Masae is aware of the truth as well. The two of them are in the same grade at school, and they've picked up on the fact that their siblings have been acting weird since the monster fights have started. It's a small moment, but I really like the twist that shows the two of them aren't as clueless as the Legendary Warriors believe them to be.
Okay, one last thing before I wrap this off. I wanted to talk about the chapter name and purpose for a moment. "Branches of Fate and Love" is meant to be a reference to Yumiko's power (branches) while also talking about the future (fate) and the characters' relationships (love). In case you didn't notice, there's a heavy focus on family, both found and blood related, in this chapter, and I wanted to highlight that in the title. This chapter took me ages to name (and it was only solidified the day before I finished writing it, as a matter of fact), but I really like how it fits in here. The chapter is slower in pace and calmer despite the quiet turmoil found in every piece of the narration. I think it all comes together beautifully to create a perfect conclusion to both the Inaie arc and the second act of the story.
Phew. Okay, that was a really long author's note. Thank you for reading this far, everyone. Next week, we're going to start off act three as the Legendary Warriors continue to pursue the truth behind the Void Fragments in light of their only lead running dry. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 27: Melting Away
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors return to their regular lives on the heels of the battle on Inaie. Meanwhile, Tomoki and Chihiro continue to feel eyes on them from the shadows.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 11/27/22
Edit Release: 9/21/22
Second Edit Release: 12/21/24
Trigger warning for abuse from a sibling, gaslighting, and discussions of stalking.
Two scenes were added to this chapter near the middle. The scene of Yumiko talking to Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir is new, and the end of Miriamon's conversation with Alastomon and Biastamon is too.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Unsurprisingly, going to school the next day felt like putting together a shattered window.
Getting out of bed was painful, and every injury Takuya had sustained during the battle was starting to sting. He only noticed the massive bruise on the back of his neck once he sat up, and he rubbed tenderly at the injured skin. It was just a matter of time before his Digimon healing kicked in and removed the wound entirely, but until then, he felt like he had been hit with a baseball bat a minimum of ten times. The exhaustion from the battle against the Void Fragment Digimon was still tearing at his body and threatening to rip him in half. It would be a while before he could fully bounce back from this.
If anyone noticed that he wasn't paying as much attention as usual in class, they didn't comment on it. Takuya was fine with that, and he was able to shuffle through the first half of his day relatively painlessly. His head had started to pound at some point, and Takuya could barely say he was surprised. One night of good sleep wasn't going to change the fact that he had been forced to fight off an army of at least two hundred invading Digimon. Nobody ever figured out how many Void Fragment Digimon there actually were that night, and Takuya didn't want to ask either. As long as he was still able to keep moving forward, it was fine.
It was dreadfully demoralizing, Takuya had to admit. He hadn't exactly held much faith in Inaie being the lead they were looking for in the first place, but it still stung to know that they had sunk so much time and energy into investigating only for it to turn out to be nothing. If anything, it had been a trap from the start. The mastermind had attacked that night when they realized the ruse and scapegoat attempt had both ended in failure. That was what it looked like to Takuya, at the very least, not that he really knew what he was supposed to think of it in full.
Takuya couldn't figure out for the life of him how the one behind all of this was supposed to have known about the twist of Inaie's innocence anyway. After all, everyone on the island had been handpicked by one of the leaders of the island from the past or present, and Takuya somehow doubted any of them would have colluded with a madman to see their home reduced to rubble. That left the question of any other ways the person behind all of this would have known what was going on. An attack on that scale had to have been planned far in advance, but who was behind it? How had they known when to spring the jaws of the trap shut? How had they orchestrated all of this without even needing to be there to see it through?
Takuya had a feeling he knew at least something about it, but he chose to not entertain that train of thought. It was too early for him to think about that crap even though it was already almost noon. Lunchtime had arrived at his school, and that meant it was time for him to put on a fake smile to rival even Izumi's acting skills and speak with the investigation team. At least he wasn't going to end up punched in the stomach by any new revelations today. After all, there was nothing for the group to have found as long as the most recent attack took place in the Digital World only.
By the time Takuya arrived at the lunch table, just about everyone else was already there. Izumi was smiling in the same false way she had when they first met, and Takuya pretended the sight didn’t eat him from the inside out in an instant. Koji picked mindlessly at his food, distracted by something even though he didn't say a word about it. Somehow, he had gotten even more distant since Inaie. He did a fairly decent job of hiding it, but Takuya knew there was something else on his mind that he wasn't talking about. The only Legendary Warrior at the table Takuya even vaguely understood in that moment was Chihiro, and they just stared blankly down at the table while turning their fork over between their fingertips. They didn't look up to acknowledge anyone, seemingly too exhausted from the last few days to bother with trying.
"Is everyone here?" Teruo asked with a quick look around the table. He and the rest of the investigation team at least seemed to be in a good mood. Takuya was glad there was someone out there who could feel fine today, because as things stood, he felt like he was going to fall asleep if he was left unattended for too long. The pounding of his head and the aching of bruises across his body weren't helping in the slightest.
"We're still waiting on Chiaki," Teppei told him. He pushed his glasses up his nose with a heavy frown. "Is it just me, or has she been acting strange lately? I don't know what it is, but it's like she doesn't want to talk to any of us."
That was enough to earn Takuya's attention, and he perked up with a small frown. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Koji's grip on his fork tighten, and Izumi looked to Teppei with eyes that were completely empty. Takuya made a mental note to try and ask them about it later, but he somehow doubted it had anything to do with either of them directly. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, but Takuya was confident this was about someone else. They would have mentioned it sooner if it was something that fell solely to them. If only he knew where to start when it came to finding the truth behind who it was linked to.
"Sorry I'm late," Chiaki suddenly declared as she sat down beside Izumi. The two looked at one another for a long moment before Chiaki averted her gaze by force and tried to concentrate on eating. Takuya didn't think he had ever seen her this frazzled, and the longer he stared at her, the more confident he was that something else was going on.
"Great. On top of everything from Inaie, the Void Fragments, Koichi keeping secrets, and the investigation team, we have to deal with Chiaki too," Vritra groaned from back of Takuya's head. "Can't someone just be honest every once in a while?"
Takuya chose to not comment on Vritra's words as Katsuharu cleared his throat. "I take it you four haven't heard the news from last night," he announced, and everyone turned to face him with confusion written on their faces.
"What news?" Chihiro asked, a glare starting to solidify in their gaze. "Is there something we should be aware of?"
"There was another monster attack last night," Katsuharu said, lowering his voice drastically. Before anyone had the chance to react with shock, he continued. "It was in America. I hear the military was able to deter it, but that only happened after it destroyed a few abandoned buildings. Afterward, a portal opened, and it was sucked back through. There weren't any other monsters there to defend the people from what was happening. The military had to deal with it on their own, and it took them a really long time to figure out what to do to fix it. They had no idea what they were doing."
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Chihiro muttered. They resisted the urge to slam one hand against the table in a fist, instead taking in a careful, miserable breath between their teeth.
"It's real," Teppei confirmed. He pulled up a news article on his phone before passing it around the table. "I guess we're the only ones lucky enough to have defenders from the monsters from another world. Other parts of the world are on their own since they don't have human monsters who can fight back too."
"I'm surprised you didn't hear about this," Teruo confessed. "It was all over the news last night. It seems like that's all anyone was talking about. America’s government is trying to reach out to Japan to hear what we know about the monsters, but nobody knows how to handle it. I mean, most of the monsters here were taken care of by other monsters."
That explained why Takuya hadn't heard about it then. He had been so exhausted after getting back home from the Digital World that he had passed out and only woke up to eat dinner and get ready for bed before going right back to sleep. He hadn't even given his phone a glance in all that time, and he could only imagine the rest of the Legendary Warriors were busy with their own ways of coping and hadn't checked the news either. They were still grappling with the aftermath of Inaie, and that was all it took for their enemies to strike.
It wasn't as if they would have been able to get through to America in a timely manner anyway. Takuya had no idea how they were supposed to travel between different parts of Earth that quickly. Maybe it would be possible with the portal to the Digital World, but each time they went over to the other realm, they came out in the same place where they went in. This was another question that would take a while to unravel, and Takuya could only hope Saki and Junpei were able to figure it out. He felt bad for putting more weight on their shoulders, but it wasn't as if they had much of a choice at this point. If there were attacks happening in other parts of the world, then they needed to figure out a way to get there in case of another emergency.
"We were busy," Chihiro said bluntly. They shook their head and started to pinch at the bridge of their nose, no doubt to fend off the warning pounds of a migraine. "Whatever. The point of all this is that we're in trouble. What are we supposed to do now that the monster attacks are spreading to the rest of the world?"
"I have no idea, but I think we need to figure out what's going on now more than ever," Katsuharu declared. "This is going to be the most important breakthrough of our lifetimes, and we have to be ready to face it, whatever it's going to mean for us."
The table once again fell silent at that, and Chiaki shook her head before rising to her feet. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore," she admitted. Takuya did his best to hide his wince, but he knew it was obvious anyway. Chiaki started to walk away, and he knew for a fact that her sudden loss of appetite had nothing to do with the monster attacks. It was just a convenient excuse for her to get away before this could get any worse.
Izumi hesitated before standing and following Chiaki as well. "I'll see you later," she told the group with a loose wave. They all nodded in her direction, and Takuya resisted a sigh. Why did it feel like everything only got more complicated with each passing day?
~~~~~
Izumi continued to follow Chiaki out of the common area, and once they were alone, the brown-haired girl let out a sigh. They were in a hallway far from the eyes of most other students at this time of day. In other words, it was the best option they were going to get for a private conversation as long as they were still at school. "I... I don't know what to do," Chiaki admitted, not bothering to dance around the subject. They both knew what this was about, and they had to face it head on.
"I understand," Izumi murmured. Her left hand came up to grip at her right upper arm, and she squeezed tightly against her muscles. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"
"That's one way of saying it," Chiaki agreed with a snort. "It makes too much sense to just be a coincidence. That friend of yours... She looks just like me. She's just a bit taller than I am. The fact of the matter is that we're sisters. I don't know what to do about it though."
Izumi hesitated before forcing herself to speak. "She... She wants to talk to you," she said slowly. "Hinoka, I mean. She's hoping to work all of this out with you when you get the chance to talk. Would you be alright with me passing along her phone number?" Chiaki remained silent for a few heavy breaths, and Izumi went to cover her tracks on instinct. "I didn't want to just give her your number without your permission. You have as much of a say in this as she does."
"I... I think I'd like that," Chiaki eventually confessed. She let out a dark laugh and shot Izumi a wary smile. "I don't think I have much of a choice in the matter anyway. The truth is going to find a way out no matter what I do. I might as well go into it willingly instead of waiting for my father to come out and share everything he's been hiding for all these years."
Izumi nodded, and Chiaki sighed heavily, pressing her eyes together forcefully as she continued to speak. "He was gone for a long time when I was growing up. At the time, I only had my mom there to look after me. I don't know what happened between them, but they weren't together for long before he went missing. Years later, he came crawling back, and... I think my mom started to realize just how much of a mistake letting him into her life was," Chiaki went on. "He's... He's not the man she thought he was. I mean, he had an entire other family. That's where he was. He came to us because he had no other choice after seemingly losing his other family. They hated him, and he wasn't going to just live on his own. We were his second plan at best. He didn't care at all."
"I'm sorry," Izumi whispered, wishing there was something more she could say to make this easier. "It's hard. I know it is. I don't think something like this could ever be easy."
"You can say that again," Chiaki agreed. "Still, I... I want to try and talk to her. Hinoka, right?" Izumi nodded again. "I don't know what's going on with her, but I feel like we have to try and smooth things over. I can't imagine it's going to be a pretty conversation, but we can't run from it forever, can we?"
"I'm sure she'll be happy to know that you want to talk," Izumi assured Chiaki. "She wants to get to know you, and you don't have to make your relationship to your father a part of that."
"I hope you're right... He has a habit of ruining just about everything he touches anyway," Chiaki laughed bitterly. "Thank you for this, Izumi. I... I'll try to talk to her when I'm ready. I don't know if I'll ever really be ready, but I have to try. I'm going to try. One of these days."
With that, Chiaki walked away, and Izumi sighed. No matter how she looked at it, this situation was awful, and there was no way of fixing it. Chiaki and Hinoka would have to work through this on their own terms and their own time.
Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Izumi wondered when life had grown so complicated.
~~~~~~
Tomoki wasn't surprised in the slightest, and that might have been the worst part.
When the school day ended, he walked back to his home, not bothering to linger and talk to any of his friends. He was too tired after everything that had happened the day before to even entertain the idea of staying at school longer than necessary. Tomoki would have to go back for soccer practice, but first, he had to catch a bit of rest. What he needed right now was sleep, and Tomoki was more than happy to listen to his body's needs.
What he did not need, however, was Yutaka on his heels.
Sure enough, all three of the echoes in his mind told him that Yutaka was following him, and Tomoki forced himself to put one foot in front of the other just so that he wouldn't crumble. It was a constant cycle, something that should have been easy but was far harder than it had any right to be. Tomoki wanted to find stability and peace in the consistency of it all, but he just couldn't bring himself to calm down. No matter what, Yutaka was going to keep following him. There was no getting out of this, at least not easily.
Tomoki was getting tired of this. How could he not be? He just wanted peace for once—peace that had been taken away from him years prior because of his brother. Now that he was finally doing better, he still couldn't seem to escape Yutaka. No matter what, he just couldn't find freedom. There was always something in the way, and Tomoki despised it. He was tired of not feeling safe. He was tired of constantly feeling threatened by the world around him. He was tired of his brother not being able to accept that he was breaking free of his control. Tomoki had seen hell and more because of Yutaka, and he wouldn't let it happen any longer than it already had.
Deep down, Tomoki was terrified. Of course he was. Still, he knew that he had to at least try something to get Yutaka to leave him alone even if it didn't work. All this time, Tomoki had been running away, and he couldn't help wondering if perhaps that was provoking Yutaka into making this worse. Tomoki had always chastised himself for doing things that made him a better target for his brother's animosity, and even though he had moved past that for the most part, the thought still slipped into his mind every once in a while. Maybe what he needed now was to turn around, face the monster behind him, and finally try to change things. Tomoki had no idea if that would be a good idea or not, but if he did it here in public, then at least there would be witnesses. Tomoki didn't like the implication that he had to air out his family issues in public in order to not be torn apart for it, but what choice did he have?
The difference between now and then was that Tomoki had something to defend now. In times long gone, Tomoki wouldn't have cared what Yutaka did to him. After all, Yutaka could do everything he wanted to Tomoki without it spreading to other people, and that was all the Warrior of Ice seemed to care about. Even if he was bearing the brunt of his brother's rage, it was alright. No one else was getting hurt, and Tomoki knew that if he let his brother run rampant, then someone else would end up suffering. It was better if he faced the brunt of it alone back then. Nowadays though, Tomoki knew he had to confront Yutaka to make sure that his brother didn't even think of pursuing one of his friends. Tomoki wouldn't put them in danger as long as there was something he could do to make this right. It was an awful mindset for him to have, taking all of this on as his responsibility alone, but he couldn't see another way out of this. Yutaka wasn't going to leave him alone, and Tomoki couldn't let his brother hurt anyone else. He refused to let it happen.
When he was finally ready—or at least as ready as he could have possibly been given the circumstances—Tomoki stopped and turned to face his brother. Yutaka stopped walking, and the two stared at each other for a long time. Tomoki finally took in the image of his brother in full for the first time since they had been driven apart by the law and Tomoki's truth. Yutaka looked the same as ever before, his hair still dark and shaggy around his cheeks. Yutaka shoved his hands into his pockets, a glare in his eyes. Just like he had when they last saw one another, he made it clear with his glare that he wanted to rip Tomoki to pieces. Yutaka had always hated his brother, and Tomoki didn't think he had ever noticed just how deep the rage was until that moment. He felt frozen to the ground, like his element had turned against him.
"What do you want, Yutaka?" Tomoki asked, surprised by how even his words came out. He was sure the other echoes in his mind were trying to calm him down, to make sure he didn't snap the instant any pressure was placed on his shoulders. He knew he would have come close to completely breaking down without their help.
"Is it so wrong for me to want to spend time with my brother?" Yutaka smiled, and the grin was so fake it made Tomoki feel like he was going to retch. "Besides, it's been a long time. I think I've more than earned—"
"You haven't earned anything," Tomoki snapped back. "I deserve better than what you've done to me. I deserve better than you." Tomoki wished more than anything in that moment to have the power of his element at his fingertips the same way Yumiko did. He couldn't have used his magic in such a public space even if he did have access to it, but that didn't matter. He just wanted a small buffer of peace that would have made him feel a little bit safer even if it didn't end up meaning much in the long run. The chilled touch of a few snowflakes against his fingers would have gone a long way, and Tomoki yearned for it even though he knew he could not have it.
Something in Yutaka's expression faltered at that before twisting, and Tomoki felt like he was going to melt before his brother shook his head. "Family wants the best for one another," Yutaka went on, his voice smooth and calm. That was the same tone he had used to convince so many other people that he wasn't abusing his brother. After all, he was Yutaka. Everyone loved him. Why would he do anything wrong? It had worked for too long though, and Tomoki wouldn't give him that ground again. He was finally safe for the first time, and Tomoki refused to yield any of the space he had fought to find for himself.
"You don't know anything about what's the best for me," Tomoki countered. "After everything you did, you're lucky I'm standing here talking to you at all. If you wanted the best for me, then you wouldn't have done everything you did years ago. I'm not going to listen to anything you have to say."
"I'm here with a warning, Tomoki," Yutaka said, and something in his words bordered on being dangerous before slowly walking itself back from the edge of a cliff. "I've heard that you've been making a few friends lately."
"You've been stalking me," Tomoki corrected. "You didn't 'hear' anything. You saw it because you've been following me everywhere."
Yutaka didn't give those words the time of day, instead just continuing on like nothing had been said at all. "It's just a matter of time before all of them abandon you too, you know," Yutaka went on. "It's just a matter of time before they all see just how obnoxious and unlovable you are. Nobody wanted to be your friend when you were little either. It's all going to catch up with you soon enough."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Tomoki fired back, though he could hear the fight in his voice starting to melt away. He was all too aware of the way his heart was slamming against his chest, desperate to escape, and he wondered just how long the pounding had been droning on in his ears. He hadn't even noticed it at first.
"The world turned its back on me, and it's only a matter of time before it abandons you too," Yutaka continued, his voice all too casual. Every nerve in Tomoki's body stood on edge when his brother took a few steps toward him, and the Warrior of Ice felt his blood go warm for the first time since he had gone to the Digital World. "Just you wait. You're on thin ice, and one of these days, it's going to crack."
Tomoki's arms shot out before Yutaka could get any closer, and he pushed his brother as far away as he possibly could. All thoughts of speaking with Yutaka faded away in the blink of an eye, and Tomoki turned on his heel and ran. He was desperate to be somewhere, anywhere, that would be safer than the middle of the street. He had been wrong. He couldn't just confront Yutaka about all of this even in public. It wasn't safe, and Tomoki somehow doubted it ever would be. Yutaka was going to try and ruin him over and over no matter what he did.
All of that had to be a lie. That was what Tomoki kept telling himself over and over, at the very least. He had gotten used to loneliness years ago because of everything that happened with Yutaka. His brother had kept him isolated from a young age, and Tomoki didn't have much of a choice but to curl in over himself and try to survive on his own. He was afraid of reaching out, afraid of what Yutaka would do to anyone he tried to speak to, afraid of what might happen if the truth finally came out.
Now, Tomoki was safer than ever before. He knew there were people who loved him in ways Yutaka had told him he could never be cared for. Tomoki knew that. He kept repeating it over and over in his mind, but no matter what, he just couldn't seem to bring himself to believe it. Nothing could fix this. At the end of the day, Tomoki was just as much of Yutaka's puppet now as he always had been. He wasn't getting any better. The instant Yutaka showed his face again, Tomoki was back to cowering and hiding in the corner, desperate for the isolation to suffocate him before his brother could get close enough to do the deed himself.
The rest of the walk home, Tomoki ran, and he didn't look back over his shoulder. He could hear his brother laughing in the distance though, and Tomoki was sure that Yutaka was proud of himself. He had gotten his message across even if Tomoki didn't understand it and didn't want to. Tomoki couldn't figure out for the life of him why Yutaka was doing all of this no matter how many times he tried to think through it. His brother had always wanted to control him, and it seemed as if that was the case even now. That must have been it. Still, the idea made Tomoki want to be sick, and when he arrived back at the Himi home, it took everything he had to not run to the bathroom and lose his lunch in the toilet as soon as he could lock the door.
Instead, Tomoki sat down on the floor of his room beneath the window. He pressed the curtains firmly closed and resisted the urge to tape them shut just to have one more line of defense against Yutaka's eyes. It wouldn't do much in the long run, and he knew that. Still, it was all he had, and Tomoki's desperation couldn't be understated.
After all this time, he was the same scared kid he always had been. No matter how much Kuma, Blizzar, and Daipen tried to soothe him, Tomoki wouldn't listen. Yutaka had been right, and he always would be.
Just as weak as ever.
~~~~~
Miriamon had never been to the fortress before.
It was a spur of the moment decision to travel there to begin with. After the battle on Inaie, Miriamon had vanished quietly into the wind and returned to Rubrum. Nobody seemed to notice her departure because of the constant shuffling of activity in the aftermath of the battle, and Miriamon was fine with that. She needed a bit of time to think through it all anyway. What better place was there for her to think than Rubrum?
Looking after the shrines of the Legendary Warriors was calming work to Miriamon. It was penance as much as it was peace, and as dark as it was, she liked it. Many generations had passed since she last had the time to embrace her friends in the forms she had remembered them having, and even with the new generation of Legendary Warriors in the Digital World, it simply wasn't the same. Miriamon doubted it ever could be. After returning from Inaie, Miriamon went to AncientTrojamon's shrine and prayed before her statue for what felt like a lifetime. Miriamon didn't even know what she was asking for. She just liked being somewhere that she knew her friend could see her, at least in the loosest sense.
Things had changed since the Ancient Warriors fused with their current incarnations. Their souls couldn't be easily spoken to anymore, but Miriamon was an exception. She had been the one to divide their souls into Spirits to begin with. She had been the one to heed their wishes and leave behind beacons of hope for future generations to flock to. She had been the one to carry on their legacy even when they were relegated to a distant history few remembered beyond legends and tales passed down through time. She had always been different, and she was glad for it if it let her speak with her friends just a little bit more.
But the restlessness weighed her down much more than she expected, and it was this sense of debilitating helplessness that forced Miriamon to teleport to the fortress of the Legendary Warriors where it rested on the main planet of the Digital World. Bokomon and Neemon lived there with the reincarnations of the Celestial Three, and Miriamon was sure they would all be happy to welcome her. She needed to get to know them better anyway, especially if they were set to be working together more in the future, and that was inevitable. As long as the circumstances remained as they had been all this time, they were destined to need to work together.
When Miriamon arrived at the fortress, Neemon was the one who first greeted her, his voice airy and nonchalant as always. From there, Bokomon had arrived, and they had led her around the fortress in an impromptu tour. The fortress was starting to look lived in, at least as much as it possibly could with only five small Digimon as its occupants. Bokomon had told her that the Legendary Warriors were planning on decorating their rooms when the Void Fragment business had cleared up a little bit and they could spare some time in the Digital World for themselves instead of just investigating. Miriamon hoped that time came soon. The Legendary Warriors certainly deserved to be able to embrace the Digimon sides they had to hide while on Earth as long as they had the chance to do so on this side of the barrier.
After the tour ended, Miriamon sat down in the front area of the fortress with all five of the Digimon that lived there, her fingers gently stroking at the top of Patamon's head. It was hard to believe such a small, affectionate Digimon had once been Seraphimon, a leader of the Digital World and a pillar of hope for all. Miriamon didn't think any of the reincarnations of the Celestial Three knew who they once had been. If they did know, then no one had mentioned it. Nobody had ever found the heart to tell them. The three of them had torn themselves and each other apart in every way they knew how, and losing their memories through rebirth was the best way for them to find peace. Miriamon didn't know if they would have been able to live with themselves if they knew what they had done to each other. In some way or another, each of them was guilty, and they didn't deserve to feel that sting.
Before anyone could ask Miriamon about why her expression had gone so stormy and downcast, the doors to the fortress opened. She perked up and saw two familiar figures enter the building. Alastomon and Biastamon stood side by side. As per usual, Alastomon wore a bright smile while Biastamon was quiet and contemplative. Panic flashed through Miriamon's mind at the sight of Alastomon, but she forced herself to ignore it. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon's suspicions of him did not directly equate to guilt. She had no evidence that he was behind anything even if that would have made this so much harder and so much easier at the same time. He was just another Digimon, and they were meant to be working together to solve the Void Fragment crisis. For the time being, that had to be enough.
"Ah, Miriamon," Alastomon greeted with a smile, and Miriamon wondered when they had gotten on such casual terms with one another. Alastomon didn't seem to notice her muted confusion though, instead spreading his arms in a grand, welcoming gesture. "It's nice to see you here."
"Alastomon, Biastamon," Miriamon nodded to the two newcomers. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your arrival? I didn't realize I was to be expecting guests during my visit."
"We didn't expect to see you here either," Alastomon admitted with a lopsided grin that felt personable in a way that made Miriamon resist the urge to shift on the spot. She wasn’t used to speaking with people in general, and she especially wasn’t used to her conversation partners being so open and casual. "I was hoping to hear a few direct updates from all of you about the Inaie operation. I heard things took a turn for the worst after your last progress report while you were there."
"That's one way of saying it," Bokomon said miserably. "It was a massive assault. There were over two hundred Digimon swarming Inaie, maybe even closer to three hundred. They were trying to destroy the island entirely as far as I can tell. They were all possessed by Void Fragments too, and the way they struck told me that it was a collaborative, planned assault. This wasn't matter of random chance. Someone told them to do this, and they listened."
"I see..." Alastomon murmured. "It's a shame that our thoughts about Inaie being responsible for all of this turned out be incorrect, but at least we have something else to point us in the right direction. The fact that a battle took place there at all is proof of there being more to this than meets the eye."
"I could have told you that without the need for all of this," Biastamon frowned. "If you look at all of the evidence, it seems very clear that someone else is trying to coordinate this through deliberate malice. There's a mastermind responsible for all of this, and Inaie wasn't going to be the path to the truth no matter what. This was an intentional framing effort. It must have been."
"I suppose you're right... That's what I get for not listening to you, I suppose," Alastomon commented, though something about his smile and his eyes was strained at the corners in a way that made Miriamon feel as if she had been punched. Before she knew it, he had changed his expression once again, and she wondered if perhaps she had imagined it. Perhaps she was seeing fault where it was not there simply because she was thinking about what Darcmon and Hippogriffomon had said. Either way, Miriamon did her best to push it from her mind. "We'll simply have to turn our attention elsewhere. I'm willing to do anything for the sake of my people, and that means finding the truth behind the Void Fragments as soon as possible."
Biastamon gave him a confused look at that, and Miriamon resisted the urge to follow suit. Alastomon's people. The Human Digimon? They had been the victims of the attacks at least on a surface level, but the Beast Digimon had suffered just as much by being the ones who had been possessed. Miriamon was confident that only taking over Beast Digimon was a ploy by the mastermind somehow, but she didn't have the words to explain it. She didn't think she wanted to push it to begin with. It would have been too dangerous for a reason she couldn’t define.
"Something else happened on the island too," Lopmon chimed in before anyone had the chance to use Alastomon's strange choice of wording against him. "I don't know if you heard about it, but Yumiko achieved a new form of Spirit Evolution. It was something we’ve never seen before."
"We heard something along those lines, yes... Though I think it would be for the best if perhaps you caught us up on all the details," Biastamon suggested. "Would you be willing to share everything that happened over the last few days with us?"
Miriamon shared a quick glance with the residents of the fortress before nodding. She understood more than enough about this to share the full story with Alastomon and Biastamon. Her powers of connecting with the souls of the Ancient Warriors certainly came in handy in times like these, and Miriamon could only assume that she was going to need that blessing more in the immediate future as times grew darker. It was the best way for her to understand the horror that had come to be so constant in the Digital World over the last few weeks.
In the meantime, she was more than happy to tell Alastomon and Biastamon everything she knew. All the while, she kept one eye on Alastomon, hoping he didn't notice she was watching him. If he did pick up on it, he chose to not call her out, and Miriamon couldn't have possibly been more grateful for that. Now was hardly the time for her to stray into such dark territories as betrayal and paranoia.
The Void Fragment Digimon did that enough as it was. It could wait just a little bit longer. For now, she had a story to tell.
~~~~~
Yumiko couldn’t make any sense of it.
On her walk back from school, she had decided to look at the thing that had been haunting her in between classes: the drawing she had made in the underground cave of Inaie. Yumiko wished her phone worked in the Digital World so she could have taken a picture of it. Unfortunately, her phone was little more than a glorified watch as long as she was there, and Yumiko couldn’t change it no matter what she did.
Yumiko couldn’t help staring at the tiny scrawl that was meant to resemble Miriamon. She had to wonder if she was right about thinking it was Miriamon. The mural had been in a dark room, and for all Yumiko knew, her memory could have been betraying her… But the colors made too much sense for it to be false. Miriamon wore white, light purple, and light blue.
But so did Lucemon, and that was the part that bothered Yumiko most. How in the world could Miriamon look so similar to Lucemon? It was too great of a coincidence for her to just shrug it off. There had to be a reason for this, and Yumiko had to get to the bottom of it. She couldn’t expect Miriamon to be honest with her though. If Miriamon was going to tell the truth, then she would have shared it with the Legendary Warriors ages ago. Trying to convince Miriamon to be honest about something was like pulling teeth, and Yumiko doubted she had the strength or resolve to pull it off.
Yumiko frowned and held back a sigh. All of this would have been easier if she could just speak with the Ancient Legendary Warriors… But Miriamon was the only one who could do that now. The Legendary Warriors had fused with their hosts after their previous adventures in the Digital World. Yumiko had Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir now, but none of them were AncientTrojamon or the other Ancient Warriors. No one else who had been alive in that time period was able to answer her questions. Miriamon was the only one who could still contact the souls of the Ancient Warriors, and Yumiko doubted she would be able to convince Miriamon to tell her the truth if she was going to have to act as a proxy.
But if Yumiko had Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir there with her, then maybe she would be able to get to the bottom of this. The three of them were pieces of her, but they were pieces of AncientTrojamon at the same time. Maybe they still had memories from their days as an Ancient Warrior. It was worth a shot if nothing else.
“What do you three think of this?” Yumiko asked, not caring if she looked like she was out of her mind to the passersby around her on the street. “Does any of this feel familiar to you?”
“I’m afraid not,” Fiore answered, and Yumiko could feel the Human Spirit shake her head within their shared mind. “We only hold memories from the time we shared together. All of our memories as AncientTrojamon are long gone. I doubt we could access them even if we wanted to.”
“We are pieces of AncientTrojamon just as we are pieces of you. We all exist on the same spectrum, but we don’t have the ability to reach far enough back to remember the war against Lucemon from centuries ago,” Lyseir added. “I wish there was something we could do to help you understand what is going on with Miriamon, but we don’t know her any better than you do.”
Yumiko sighed and shook her head. “It was worth a try, I suppose.” As it stood, Yumiko had no idea what she was meant to do about any of this. She would have loved to get to the bottom of this, but she couldn’t do that as long as Miriamon was fighting to keep the truth a secret. Yumiko hadn’t asked her for the truth yet, but she knew better than to think she would answer any questions. Miriamon couldn’t even look Saki in the eyes, and the last thing Yumiko wanted was to end up added to the list of people Miriamon couldn’t stand to be around.
The fact that Miriamon was so uncomfortable around Saki was another sign of something being wrong, but Yumiko didn’t know what to do about it. No one seemed to understand. Saki didn’t even understand why Miriamon had put so much distance between them. If Saki themself was clueless, then what chance did Yumiko stand of getting to the bottom of that question or any others that came to her mind?
Yumiko was going to have to bring the mural up with the other Legendary Warriors soon. She had forgotten to do it in the haze that followed her new evolution, but Yumiko couldn’t forget it forever. She had to tell them what was going on. Maybe they would have some information she didn’t have access to. Yumiko doubted it, but it never hurt to have a little bit of hope.
And at this point, Yumiko thought hope was the only way any of them would ever learn what was going on with Miriamon.
~~~~~
“And that should cover all of it.”
Miriamon let out a slow sigh once she finished telling Alastomon and Biastamon about everything that had happened during the Legendary Warriors’ trip to Inaie. The Digimon guides all wore frowns on their faces, lost in thought as they remembered all that had happened. To say what had transpired was troubling was an understatement, and they all knew it well.
“I see… Your trip to Inaie turned out to be incredibly dangerous,” Biastamon frowned. “I never would have thought something like that would happen to you… Everyone managed to get out of it unharmed, yes?”
“They did,” Miriamon confirmed with a nod. “It was frightening, but Darcmon and Hippogriffomon confirmed that there were no casualties. We were able to liberate all of the possessed Digimon as well.”
“I never thought something like that would happen,” Alastomon sighed. “You truly think the mastermind is behind all of this?”
“It must have been a coordinated attack,” Bokomon chimed in. “I cannot imagine this happened by coincidence. It was planned, and if I had to guess, it was planned very far ahead in advance.”
“Then we’re going to have to be as careful as possible going forward,” Biastamon concluded. “It feels like the least we can do after everything you had to endure… If there is anything we can do for you, then all you have to do is say so. We would be happy to help.”
Miriamon felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I… I appreciate the offer, but I fear I’m not the right person to accept it.”
“Then we can pass the message along to the others when they next come to the Digital World!” Patamon exclaimed. “I know they have a lot on their minds these days balancing both of their lives at once.”
“I can only imagine how stressful it must be to live in two worlds at the same time,” Alastomon murmured with a shake of his head. “The Legendary Warriors are very powerful, and they prove it to us each and every day… We are lucky to have them as our saviors.”
“Yeah,” Miriamon whispered. When the word left her lips, it came out shockingly weak, and Miriamon couldn’t help but feel weak right along with it. “They’re doing a lot for all of us.”
A few seconds more passed in silence before Alastomon clapped his hands together. “I believe this conversation was very productive, but it would be best if Biastamon and I returned to our work elsewhere. We have a lot to do, and we can’t waste any time.”
“Of course,” Miriamon said quickly, snapping herself out of her self-deprecation before it could grow too much worse. “I understand. I wish you both the best of luck.”
Alastomon offered her one last smile before he started toward the door of the fortress. Miriamon stared after him, only waiting until the door had closed before sighing. She hadn’t realized just how nerve-wracking it could be to talk to people. She supposed she hadn’t done much of that in the last few centuries, but it still caught her by surprise when she truly gave herself the chance to think about it.
Miriamon knew she was going to have to get going soon too. She couldn’t just spend the rest of her time in the fortress when she was not truly a resident there. For now though, Miriamon remained still and silent in a space that she knew she did not belong in. Her fingers clenched together tightly, but Miriamon didn’t look down at them. She wished she had the words to explain the horrible feeling in her chest, but she doubted she would ever be able to describe it.
And so, Miriamon opted to not try. It wouldn’t have changed anything even if she had.
~~~~~
The weather was getting colder, and the sun was setting sooner across Shibuya. Even staying a few hours after classes was starting to become a merciless sentence for students to have to walk home in the dark. Even so, the soccer team practiced on, getting ready for their next game. They were getting closer to starting off the fall season, albeit a bit later than usual. The Digimon attacks had left massive shockwaves all across Japan, and a few sports teams had suffered from calendar shifts for the sake of safety. It was only after enough time passed without a Digimon attack—at least in Japan—for everyone to deem it safe enough to play again. As such, everyone on the soccer team was doomed to stay late after school ended even as the sun crept over the horizon and vanished all too early to give way to the moon. The first few stars were already starting to dot the sky even before the pinks and oranges of dusk fully transitioned into the black of the night.
At soccer practice the following evening, Takuya easily kicked the ball in Katsuharu's direction before looking at Chihiro out of the corner of his eye. They hadn't said anything about it—not that he really expected them to—but they had been acting cagey and secretive all day. They had something else on their mind, something they were terrified of speaking with anyone else about. It had gotten worse when the investigation team started to narrow their range of sight in on the Legendary Warriors like they were going in for the kill. That was seemingly all it took for Chihiro to start feeling like their world was going to end, and Takuya wished there was something he could do to fix it. As things stood though, all they could do was try to hide while he tried to reach out.
Tomoki was there at practice today too. He was still only in training, not an official member of the team even though he showed up for most of their practices to hone his skills, but he was close enough that it counted. Tomoki hadn't been able to concentrate on much of anything all day either, and Takuya couldn't help but wonder just what could have happened for him to start acting strangely too. Tomoki had even gone home for a spell before practice started, but he refused to explain why to anyone. Takuya knew that the middle of the soccer field was hardly the place to start asking questions if he wanted answers, but he was going to push it as soon as he had the chance. All he had to do was wait for the proper time to come.
Luckily for Takuya, he didn't wind up having to bring it up at all. Teruo, who was kicking the ball in Chihiro's direction, let out a hefty sigh and crossed his arms. "What in the world is with you today?" Teruo asked. "Normally, you're all over the idea of trying to wipe the floor with me, but today, it's like you don't care enough to try. What are you so focused on?"
Chihiro pulled themself out of their trance, though Takuya could tell that they still didn't want to talk. The Warrior of Earth groaned quietly before kicking the ball back to Teruo with a lot more force than was necessary. He stopped the ball from rolling away by slamming his foot down on top of it. Katsuharu and Tomoki both glanced in Chihiro's direction with frowns on their faces, and Katsuharu let out a small whistle between his two front teeth. "If that's not proof something's upsetting you, I don't know what is," Katsuharu muttered.
"Nothing's upsetting me," Chihiro snapped back even though everyone could see it was a lie. They let out a sigh of their own before shaking their head. "Nothing is going on. It's fine." They deliberately didn't make eye contact with anyone, instead looking over Teruo and Katsuharu's shoulders in the direction of the nearby school. Their eyes narrowed into the shadows, and everyone turned to see what it was that had caught their attention.
When Takuya tried to follow Chihiro's line of sight, he was met with... Nothing. There wasn't anything there, at least not at a first glance. Takuya didn't have the blessing of increased sight like Koji or Koichi, so all he could do was stare into the shadows and hope that Chihiro was wrong about believing there was something there. It wasn't exactly productive, but what other choice did he have?
Tomoki looked down at the ground, and he started to fiddle with the hem of his shirt. "Do... Do any of you ever get the impression that you're being followed?" he asked softly. Everyone turned in his direction, and Tomoki immediately flushed, looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him and never spit him back out.
"What do you mean?" Teruo asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction. "I mean, there's always going to be someone watching you when we're out in a place like this. We're at practice. Coach has his eye on us, and everyone else is probably staring at you out of the corner of their eye too. That's just what comes with the territory."
"That's not what I mean," Tomoki corrected, stammering through the words like they were trying to trip him up and send him sprawling to the ground. "I-I mean that... I don't know. It just feels like there's always someone watching me even when there shouldn't be. Do any of you ever get that impression too?"
Chihiro scoffed, shoving their hands into the pockets of their shorts roughly. "Every damn day of my life," they muttered. Their irritation was written clear as could be on their face, and Takuya was sure that if they had been given the chance, they would have crushed any soccer ball they could get their hands on just to get the extra aggression out of their system.
Takuya thought about what they were saying, and he couldn’t help thinking about if there really was someone in the shadows waiting to strike when they were left alone. It was harder to see for sure if there was anyone there as long it was getting darker earlier in the evening, but Takuya still wondered if maybe they were right. He didn't want that, of course, but he wanted to be sure for the sake of his friends. After all, if they were really struggling with it so much, then the least he could do was try to help them through it.
Takuya knew what Tomoki was afraid of, at the very least. He still hadn't forgotten that Tomoki had mentioned Yutaka following him while they were on Inaie, and Takuya was determined to do what he could to help with it. He had no idea where he was supposed to start as long as he knew so little of Yutaka's actions, but he had to try, and right now, that meant staying on guard. Takuya saw no one in the darkness, and he hoped with everything he had that there really was no one to be found. He didn’t know if Yutaka was really there, but Takuya would give him all the hell he could if he ever dared to show his face around the Warrior of Fire.
"I... I don't know," Katsuharu confessed as he looked back into the shadows near the school. "I don't know why anyone would want to follow me in the first place, but if they were there... I don't know. I guess I would just have to deal with that on my own time."
Tomoki hummed at that, and Takuya could already tell that wasn't the answer the Warrior of Ice had been hoping to hear. "Thanks," Tomoki said instead of explaining his fears, and he focused back on the balls on the ground. "We should get back to practice. I don't want to get any of you in trouble."
Takuya hesitated before he decided to follow Tomoki's suggestion of getting back to their practice. He kicked the ball carefully across the grass, trying his best to not show how much it was rattling him that there could have been someone hiding in the shadows nearby. He didn't want to even begin to imagine what this would mean, but he was sure he would have to eventually. After all, if two of the Legendary Warriors were sensing it with their increased instincts, then that meant there was probably something waiting for them in the present or near future.
Takuya just couldn't figure out why anyone would want to follow them. Yutaka following Tomoki was one thing, but why would anyone chase after all of them? There must have been someone tailing Chihiro too if they were this paranoid, but who was it? It wasn't as if any of them had let the truth slip that they had anything to do with the recent outbreak of human monsters. Nobody had a reason to suspect them. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, they were just regular teenagers going about their regular lives. That was all there was to it. If someone really thought there was more to it than that, then... Well, there was something else Takuya didn't know how to handle.
He would have to face it eventually though. For the sake of his friends, Takuya would give it everything he had when the time came. Until then, he didn't have enough information, so he just kicked at the ball when it came back to him. He didn't know who was following them, but when the time came to dig up the truth, he would be ready for it. He had to be.
~~~~~
Hinoka's anxiety hadn't been this bad in a long time.
She was, by nature, a very nervous person. For as long as Hinoka could remember, she had been worked up by even the smallest of problems, everything seeming to snowball and spiral in her mind until the original problem was but a distant memory in the face of her distorted and terrifying expectations. Her time with Emon had made it worse, telling her that she was worthless and paranoid in a thousand different ways she couldn't even begin to unpack. Since cutting things off with him, Hinoka had been getting better, or at the very least, improving as much as they could when she still saw him too often for her liking. She had been allowing herself to breathe and understand her emotions regardless of how messy they were, and that was exactly what she needed.
Unfortunately, breathing when it came to this had only made everything worse. Hinoka hadn't done anything with Chiaki's number since receiving it from Izumi the day before, and the constant waiting was driving her up a wall. Hinoka knew that this was her own fault since she had been too anxious to do anything at first, but the anticipation of not knowing how the conversation was going to end still made her feel like she was boiling alive. All she had to do was send a text to Chiaki to explain what was going on. All she had to do was reach out. They could work everything out from there once they had at least established a connection. It wasn't as if Hinoka could form a meaningful friendship with her sister if they never had the chance to speak.
Hinoka sat on her bed and stared down at the contact on her phone, willing herself to do something, anything, that would force her to reach out to her sister. In the end, she remained still, unable to persuade her fingers to move and type out a message. It wasn't even a phone call. It was just a text. There would be no pressure in the moment. All Hinoka had to do was say that she wanted to talk, and everything else would work itself out from there. If she could just reach out, then everything would be okay.
At the very least, that was what she was hoping. Hinoka hadn't spoken to Chiaki since the day the truth came out, and she had no idea what her sister was going to think of it all either. Maybe Chiaki wanted nothing to do with her. Then again, would Chiaki have given Izumi permission to share her number if she really didn't want to speak with her sister at all? Hinoka was being ridiculous. She was letting her anxiety get to her, and she knew it.
She just didn't know how to stop it.
"Hinoka, we have to do something with this sooner or later," Cerulea pointed out, and Hinoka wished the Hybrid Warrior was wrong about it. Of course she was right though. They couldn't just sit with Chiaki's phone number and expect that to make a meaningful difference in fixing all of this. It wasn't going to be that easy. They had to actually reach out and try to change things. It wasn't going to be easy, but that was the only way anything was going to get better.
Hinoka's fingers danced toward the button to send a text to Chiaki. She had been brave enough to make that move four times over the course of the last thirty-six hours or so, but she hadn't ever typed out a message with any real meaning. In the end, Hinoka just wound up hating everything she said because she didn't know where to start with phrasing her thoughts. How was one supposed to reach out to a sister they hadn't known existed? How could any conversation like that be normal?
For a brief moment, Chiaki envied Koji and Koichi for having found one another in the Digital World. It had been an awful set of circumstances at the time with Koichi only able to share the truth after being possessed by what was essentially a digital demon, but at least they had been able to talk without having the option to dance around each other constantly. They had been forced to sit down and address their issues for the sake of saving multiple worlds, and as tense as it had been at first, Hinoka couldn't help but wonder if perhaps it was a better outcome than everything that she had put up with alongside Chiaki thus far.
Hinoka pushed all of that out of her mind as she started typing though. Some small voice in the back of her mind told her that this didn't need to be perfect. All she had to do was try and make a connection with Chiaki. What happened next would be her sister's decision, and that was okay. It may not have been easy, but they were going to have to work it out one way or another.
Eventually, Hinoka finished the message:
Hey, Chiaki. This is Hinoka. I was hoping to talk to you about everything that happened at Izumi's house last week. I want to meet up with you in person if that's okay. Are you available later this week?
Hinoka stared at the words for a long time, trying to find any hole that she could fill in for the sake of her own comfort. In the end, she found nothing, instead letting out a long sigh and forcing herself to breathe easily for the first time since she had started keying in the message. She had intentionally tried to keep it vague for Chiaki's sake. After all, Hinoka knew her father all too well even if they had been apart for so many years. He was intrusive when he wanted to be, always getting his hands on information if he really wanted it. Hinoka didn't know if Chiaki would be safe from impromptu phone checks or not, and the last thing she wanted was for their father to figure out that they were aware the other existed. She didn't know what hell that would unleash upon them, but she didn't want to ask the question to begin with either.
Before Hinoka could betray herself, she hit send on the message. Surprisingly, the world did not explode or otherwise rupture around her, and she let out a loud sigh before pushing her face into her pillow. Hinoka knew that no noise would have been loud enough to drag her mother out of her room to check on her, but she wanted to be as quiet as possible anyway. After all, if the Legendary Warriors were going to continue to use Hinoka's strained relationship with her mother as their excuse to get through the Digital World and its affiliated travels without being caught, then she had to tread carefully.
Hinoka eventually swung her feet over the edge of her bed, deciding to get up and try to find something to do until she heard a response back from Chiaki. She couldn't just sit there. The anticipation felt like it was going to suffocate her. For all she knew, Chiaki was busy, and Hinoka didn't want to sit there staring at her phone when she could have been spending her time elsewhere. Chiaki would reply when she had the chance. Patience was a virtue, and Hinoka just needed to embrace it.
Just then, she heard her phone ding, and Hinoka immediately dove to read Chiaki's response, her stomach doing no fewer than four backflips along the way:
I think that talking in person would be a good idea. Are you free on Thursday? We can go and get ice cream or something.
Hinoka let out a sigh at that. The quick response was certainly a mercy from the universe, but she wasn't going to pass up on it. She took note of Chiaki's vague phrasing and getting straight to the point, and Hinoka bit down on her bottom lip. Chiaki's phone usage had to be monitored to some degree. That was probably why she was being so tense. Once again, Hinoka cursed Daishi for his awful habits. She wished there was something more she could do to help her sister, but as things currently stood, she had no other options, so she just focused on keying out a reply:
Okay. Does four work for you?
Chiaki was quick to reply:
That's fine with me. I can send you the address of a place I like.
Hinoka smiled through the anxious tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes:
Sure. I'll see you then.
After receiving a thumbs-up to her last message, Hinoka let out a long-suffering sigh and set her phone down on her bedside table. She pressed her face into her hands, dragging her palms down her cheeks in desperation. That had gone far better than she had expected, and Hinoka was glad for it. Her anxiety had all been for nothing. She was fine. All she had to do was go and talk to Chiaki when Thursday arrived. It would all be okay.
Waiting until Thursday was bound to be difficult, but Hinoka was going to have to figure it out. It was Tuesday evening, so she didn't have all that long to wait. She just needed a distraction until Thursday came, and then she could go and speak with her sister. Surely there had to be something else for her to do in the meantime.
That was the hope, at the very least. Who could say for sure?
~~~~~
Saki had gotten used to living on their own.
It wasn't as if they lived alone in the building they loosely called 'home.' The orphanage was, to put it simply, a shitty place, and they had gotten used to it. Even though there were countless other children their age and younger, Saki felt alone no matter where they went. They didn't relate to most of the people there, and half of them were waiting to stab them in the back the instant they had the chance. Being an orphan was hard, and Saki knew it better than anyone. They had been forced to learn it from experience. Life was a cutthroat thing, and Saki had taught themself to keep one step ahead of the rest in order to survive. After all, that was their only option. If they wanted to live to see another day, then they had to dance carefully between the edge of disaster and beauty.
Saki had been in the foster system ever since they were about ten. That was when their extended family on their father's side had given up on them and labeled them an outcast. Nobody wanted to deal with them due to their heritage, and even if it was ultimately unsurprising, it still hurt when the time came for Saki to start fending for themself. Fight and flight were their best friends, and the orphanage was the place that best facilitated it. They had lived this way for years. They were used to it. How couldn't they be?
Still, there came a point where they got tired of it all. It wasn't as if they had much of a choice in their circumstances, but hiding all of their belongings and living on the edge while carrying everything they could stand with them each day was exhausting. Everything felt like some battle or another, and some dark part of Saki wished that Chihiro was still there. The two of them hadn't spoken much or even interacted vaguely before the Digital World, but Chihiro used to live there. They had moved out when they wound up with the Kanbara family after finally revealing the truth behind their circumstances. They had hidden the truth for years out of embarrassment, but when the lie no longer held up, Chihiro wound up with Takuya.
Saki was jealous, as much as they hated to admit it. Still, they were too afraid of reaching out to others and letting themself be vulnerable—even when it came to the other Legendary Warriors—to find a different living situation. It was an awful thing to say, to admit that they didn't know if they could trust much of anyone enough to live with them, but it was the truth. Saki's faith in humanity and the world had been worn thin over the years, and even the people they loved the most terrified them whether they wanted to admit it or not.
The doors had closed early that night, and Saki couldn't get into the building no matter how hard they tried. They groaned and pinched at the bridge of their nose. They should have seen this coming. They had been out late researching at the library to try and learn more about Miriamon since she still wasn't talking to them, and they had wound up being caught on the receiving end of an early closing night back at the orphanage. There was never any warning or explanation for when the orphanage decided to shut prematurely for a night, and Saki despised it. They had stayed out on the streets for a few sleepless nights over the years when they wound up on the receiving end of this brutality, but tonight, they weren't going to stand for it.
Saki moved into the alley behind the building and raised their D-Tector toward their laptop screen. They had another world to stay in if they wanted to, and as long as they managed their time properly, they would be able to get back in time for school the next day. Hell, if this went well, maybe they would just make it into their permanent living arrangement. Who could say for sure? They might as well try it.
Before they could travel into the Digital World, Saki turned their attention to the sky above. The night was chilly, colder than the last few days had been, and there was only one moon in the sky. Hopefully, the Digital World would have more to offer in terms of temperature and the heavens above. The Digital World was more familiar to Saki anyway. It was, as far as they were concerned, better, and they should have done this sooner.
Saki shook the thought off. They could think about the future later. For the time being, they just wanted to get through the night without freezing half to death. Everything else could wait. They would be back on Earth when morning came, and if all went well, tomorrow would be the last day they needed to try and learn the truth about who Miriamon really was. They were so close. They could feel it.
But until then, they headed to the Digital World, hoping that perhaps it would prove to be friendlier than the realm they had been born into.
Notes:
And so we begin the third arc of the story! Woohoo!
We're gearing up for a lot of character development here, in case you haven't already noticed. I love writing these character focused chapters, and I think it's the perfect way to come down from Inaie and get ready for everything to come. Oh, this story is great. I love it so much.
Now, let's get into the analysis. First off, we have the scene with the investigation team. So... A Digimon attack happened internationally. The Void Fragment situation is getting worse, and Inaie was just the beginning. Interesting implications for the story, huh?
And on that same note, we have the scene with Izumi and Chiaki. I was originally planning on making this a part of the previous segment, but I wound up going against that since I thought it would be more impactful on its own. Izumi and Chiaki have a lot going on in their own ways, and this gives us a chance to see the latter's perspective on all of this. She hasn't had the chance to talk much about her sister issues, and this scene gives us a bit of an insight into what she's thinking now. Poor Chiaki. I wish her father didn't suck so much.
Speaking of people who suck, Yutaka is here. I wanted Tomoki to confront him on the heels of Yumiko's evolution to show that he was inspired by everything Yumiko did while they were on Inaie. After all, the two of them are elemental opposites and narrative parallels, so I thought it would make sense if she was the one who spurred him onward this way. Yutaka didn't have anything good to say though, and Tomoki's backsliding here once again plays into the overall theme of this story that recovery is not linear by any stretch of the imagination. When Yutaka strikes a nerve in Tomoki again, it all starts to unravel again. Yutaka deserves to be punched, and Tomoki deserves better than this.
The scene with Miriamon is a fairly small one that's mostly narration rather than anything too deep, but I wanted to address what she was doing after the previous arc. After all, she kind of disappeared following the battle due to her quiet nature not prompting her to speak much with the rest of the group, so here we are working to remedy that. Plus, we got to see a bit more of Alastomon and Biastamon. They've both got a lot going on, as I'm sure you can imagine. I really do like the Digimon characters in this story, and Miriamon, Alastomon, and Biastamon are definitely highlights in that regard.
Next up, we've got the soccer practice scene. This one is again rather understated, but I think it's still important because of what it means for Tomoki and Chihiro. Tomoki is still afraid after everything that happened with Yutaka, and Chihiro is paranoid because of their issues with their parents. As for if someone was actually there... That sure is a good question, huh? Maybe it's Yutaka. Maybe it's someone else. Maybe it's no one. The Legendary Warriors certainly don't know, and that's why they're so on edge.
I really liked writing the segment with Hinoka debating over texting Chiaki. She really does want to try and reach out to her sister, but she has no idea how to do it. After all, the two have been separated for so long without knowing the other exists that it's hard to find a way to bridge that gap. I like how it wound up happening though. They're working on it in their own way even if it's not going to be easy for anyone involved. I'm looking forward to writing the scene of them making contact with one another in the next few chapters. It's going to be great.
Last up, let's look at the part with Saki at the very end. It offers a few more details about what Saki's home life is like since, unlike the rest of the Legendary Warriors, they don't live with any specific family. Them being orphaned is a strong reason that they act the way they do personality wise, and I wanted to look at it for a while. Plus, it gives us the chance to look into their relationship with the Digital World a bit more. Oh, Saki... Ever an incredibly interesting character.
Next week, we're going to press right on where we left off, starting off with Saki in the Digital World. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 28: When Thunder Roars
Summary:
Junpei's irritation and concern with Saki boil over at an inopportune moment.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 12/4/22
Edit Release: 9/22/24
Second Edit Release: 12/29/24
The scene of Yutaka following Mayumi and Haroi in this chapter is new to the edited version.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
By the time Saki arrived on the other side of the portal, they were well beyond exhausted. They let one hand come up to rub at their eyes, and they silently thanked the Digital World for recovering their faulty vision enough for them to no longer need glasses or contacts. That was one thing they hadn't been able to grab before they were locked out earlier in the night, and Saki didn't want to deal with the headache of trying to see without them. At least that wasn't a concern anymore. After all, Saki's eyes were fine on their own these days, and they couldn't have possibly been more grateful for it.
They were fully expecting the castle to be empty when they arrived. The Digimon were hardly night owls with perhaps only Bokomon and sometimes Lopmon as the exceptions. Still, Bokomon considered himself a parent to some degree when it came to the Celestial Three, and he had to set a good example in order to make sure they got to sleep on time. Saki was confident that he had already taken his children of sorts to bed, and they were glad to know they wouldn't have to talk to anyone at the moment. The last thing they wanted was to have to explain the truth of why they were in the Digital World. It would have been much more frustrating than it was worth.
Saki started up the stairs toward their room, hoping nobody had messed with it since they were last there. The Legendary Warriors hadn't been given much time to decorate the fortress, and while it was unfortunate, Saki was fine with it as long as nobody was going to get between them and a good night of sleep. They hadn't realized just how tired they were from all their researching until after they arrived in the Digital World, and now, there was no going back.
"Saki? What are you doing here?"
Saki winced at the sound of their name, and they turned to see Bokomon in one of the nearby hallways. It seemed they had arrived just before he could tuck in the Celestial Three for the night, as the trio of young Digimon poked their heads out from a nearby door to see Saki. Neemon wandered out a moment later, and Saki did their best to not freeze under the sudden weight of having an audience.
Instead, they simply ran one hand back through their hair, trying to seem a bit more put together than they actually felt. "I... I wanted to stay here for the night," Saki replied simply. It was the truth, at least to some degree. The Digimon just didn't need to know that they were there because they saw no other choice. That just didn't feel important enough to mention.
Neemon scrutinized them, somehow finding a way to glare in Saki's direction despite having perpetually closed eyes. "Is that it?" he asked, and somehow, his words felt much more striking than Saki could have ever imagined. "You don't just come here for no reason. You've never done that."
Saki hesitated, and when they realized that there was no getting out of this without sharing the truth, they let out a sigh. "My living situation back on Earth has been... Compromised, at least for the night. I thought I would stay here until morning came. I can go back to take care of classes when the time comes," they explained. What they didn't say was that part of them wanted to just stay there permanently. Maybe they wouldn't ever have to put up with the orphanage again if this was a nicer living arrangement. The Digital World was better than Earth to Saki in just about every way, so they were already anticipating their thoughts would be swayed, but they didn't freely admit that yet. They could share the truth at a later point when they weren't completely exhausted.
"I guess we're just having a party here tonight with all our guests!" Patamon beamed, not bothering to ask Saki any questions about what they meant when it came to their living situation being compromised. Instead, they flew over to Saki and settled down happily in their arms, relishing in the touch their fingers brought.
It took a few moments for Saki's mind to catch up with what they were hearing, and they looked to the rest of the Digimon with a small frown. "Is there someone else staying here tonight?" they asked, unsure of what to even expect.
"Yep! And there she is!" Salamon chirped as she looked past Saki. The Warrior of Steel went still, somehow already knowing who they were going to find before they turned around.
Miriamon stood nearby, one hand pressed against the wall. She seemed just as exhausted as Saki, albeit in a different way. She both went pale and flushed pink at the sight of Saki before forcing a strained smile onto her lips. She couldn't exactly avoid Saki as long as they had an audience, after all. Saki would have relished in this encounter if they had the energy to fight with Miriamon and make her start talking, but as things currently stood, they didn't know what to do about any of it, so they remained silent.
"Ah, Saki... I didn't realize you would be staying here tonight," Miriamon murmured. Her fingers began to clench, and Saki was confident her knuckles were turning white from the stress even though she didn't let it show easily.
Saki considered their words for a long time, unsure as to how they were even meant to explain this to her. "It was a... Last minute change of plans," they eventually settled on saying. "But as long as you're here, I think we should talk. I have a few questions for you, and if you wouldn't mind, I'd like some answers."
Miriamon's eyes went wide, and she stumbled over her words for a few beats before shaking her head. "I-I'm afraid I should be returning to Rubrum," she told them. "My apologies for being unable to stay as originally planned, but I have other business to attend to. Thank you for hosting me, everyone."
Before anyone could object, Miriamon darted down the stairs, descending the steps at breakneck speeds. Saki snarled under their breath once she was gone and the door to the fortress tapped shut behind her. Nobody else seemed to notice their enmity though, and Patamon let out a small whimper. "She said she was going to stay the night... We have the room for her," he muttered. "But I guess we'll just have to invite her over for a sleepover another time."
Saki sighed, biting back a comment about how Miriamon only left because they showed up, before turning back to the rest of the Digimon. "So... Are there any other plans for the rest of the night?" they asked, expecting the answer would be negative. They didn't think they would be able to deal with any extra stress anyway.
"We were just about to tuck in the kids," Bokomon explained, and Saki raised an eyebrow at his peculiar phrasing. They had never expected him to be so forward with saying that the Celestial Three were practically his children by this point, much less 'their' kids, referring to Neemon as the other party. Still, as long as it made the two of them happy, Saki supposed they couldn't protest it. After all, if anyone was going to be considered parents to the Celestial Three, it would be the two of them no matter how strange it was to say.
"I'm glad to hear it," Saki admitted. "I feel like I'm dead on my feet. I'm going to try and get some sleep before school starts tomorrow. We can talk a bit more in the morning before I leave."
"Alright," Neemon agreed, and Patamon flew out of Saki's arms and into his. Patamon immediately nestled against Neemon's grasp, and the latter Digimon offered a small smile to his 'child' as Bokomon had phrased it. In a better world, Saki was sure that Bokomon and Neemon would have never set foot on a battlefield again, instead just taking advantage of the peace they had been granted to raise the Celestial Three alone. If only that had been possible. If only the world hadn't chosen to go to hell.
The Digimon had started to go back the way they had come while Saki moved toward their own room, but they were cut off by Salamon stopping to turn and face the Warrior of Steel. "Are you sure it's really nothing?" she asked softly. "The reason that you're here, I mean. It's okay to talk about it if you want. We can listen."
Saki bit down on their lip, working the skin between their teeth, before they shook their head. "It's fine. Maybe we can talk about it another time. Right now, I'm exhausted," they said, and it was only halfway a lie. They didn't want to think about this at all if they could avoid it. The orphanage had been the worst part of each day for years up to this point, and as long as Saki was away from the place for the night, they wanted to try and enjoy it. That may not have been worth much to others, but to them, it was a gift nothing could ever hope to replace or replicate.
The Digimon didn't bother with pushing the subject after that, instead turning and going back in the direction she had come from. Saki, meanwhile, navigated easily to the room they had been designated when the Legendary Warriors were first given the fortress to begin with, and they sat down on their bed heavily. They had a few changes of clothes in their bag, but they were too tired to bother with getting out of the outfit they were already wearing. They needed to sleep, damn it, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.
Saki's bed was unfamiliar to them, but at the same time, it was everything they could have ever asked for, not too stiff but not too soft either. The Digital World really was a special type of blessing, and nothing could ever match up to it. This was what they needed most, and they were going to enjoy it as long as they could. They were already hoping to make this a permanent arrangement, though they would have to see how it worked out in the morning. After all, dimensional travel was bound to throw a bit of a wrench into their regular routine of getting ready for school. They could see if it was worth the hassle when morning came.
In the meantime, Saki fell asleep almost as soon as their head hit the pillow. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, they felt safe while in the embrace of slumber. They didn't fear anyone coming in and stabbing them in the back while they were otherwise distracted. They were going to be alright, and when they woke up, everything would be okay then too. It was going to be fine.
Saki wished that the feeling would come more frequently, but until then, it was nice. At long last, all felt calm the way it should have a lifetime ago.
~~~~~
The night and following morning came and went without much consequence. Or, at the very least, that was what Tomoki wanted the rest of the world to think. He had different feelings on the matter, and his nerves were vibrating on the spot no matter how much he tried to calm them. He had been like this all day. No, that wasn't true. It had been an issue all week, ever since he confronted Yutaka and even before that if he really wanted to be honest, and it wasn't getting any better.
Lunch had arrived, and Tomoki was sitting with Mayumi and Haroi as they worked through their meals. The three of them were silent, though Tomoki knew the other two were slipping glances at him out of the corners of their eyes even if they didn't want to admit it openly. Tomoki's stomach growled, but he refused to take a bite of his food. He hadn't been able to eat much without feeling sick ever since he faced off against his brother. He couldn't seem to stem his anxiety for long enough before he felt like he was going to collapse or get sick from eating too much. It had been a long time since his anxiety had persisted for this long at a time to keep him from eating, and he certainly hadn't missed the sensation. It was familiar, yes, but that did not make it welcome.
Eventually, the quiet grew to be too much, and Mayumi forced herself to speak up. Beneath the table, her leg tapped thunderously against the ground. "Tomoki, are you okay?" she asked. It was a moot question. Of course he wasn't okay. Still, it was the best way to introduce the idea of Mayumi and Haroi worrying about him, and as long as it was the only option she had, Mayumi was going to go for it.
Tomoki looked up slowly, like he was only just starting to remember where he was, and he forced himself to nod. "I... Yeah. I'm fine," he lied through his teeth, and Mayumi narrowed her eyes doubtfully in his direction. Tomoki shriveled under her gaze, already knowing that he wasn't going to even come close to getting away with this. He let out a sigh soon afterward, caving in with minimal pressure. "Out of curiosity, do... Do you two feel like there's someone following you?"
Mayumi and Haroi shared a brief glance of confusion before the former shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't really noticed it if there is someone following me," Mayumi replied. "I don't know why anybody would want to follow me. I mean, I'm just... Me. I'm a regular teenager."
"Nobody's been following me either," Haroi agreed. "If someone was trying to pursue either one of us, I'm certain that we would have noticed it by now, but we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary."
"Good... I'm glad to hear it," Tomoki murmured. Some of the pressure in his shoulders started to melt away, but it did not vanish entirely. Instead, he turned his attention to his food, picking around with a few more bites before pushing one of them into his mouth. He cringed at the taste but forced the bite down anyway.
Mayumi and Haroi looked to one another once again, communicating entire conversations with just a bit of eye contact. Tomoki pretended they weren't silently talking about him as he continued to stare down at his food. Mayumi was the first one to look away from her brother as she shifted her attention back to Tomoki instead. "Why do you ask?" she questioned. It was a test to gauge his response, and all of them knew it. They were just hoping to see if Tomoki would share the truth and, by extension, pass the test.
Tomoki refused to meet either of their gazes for a few long, heavy moments. In the end, he realized just how fruitless his evasion effort really was, and he let out a sigh that shook his entire body. "My brother... My brother has been following me again lately," he said softly, halfway fearing that Yutaka would come sliding out of the shadows the instant he let his guard down or said it out loud. On Earth, he wasn't as safe as he was in the Digital World. He had no way of saying for sure if his brother would find a way to track him down or not. There was no certainty when it came to Yutaka, and Tomoki knew it.
"Your brother?" Mayumi echoed, her eyes going wide. "B-But he can't just do that! I thought your family had done things to make sure that he couldn't be around you anymore after—"
"He doesn't listen," Tomoki cut in. "He never has. I guess he thought I was too happy with my life and needed to be knocked down a peg. He's been jealous of me for as long as I can remember, and he takes it out on me with anger. I just... I don't want him to spread his range of vision to the rest of you. I can't stop him from doing anything without getting other people involved, but I can tell everyone to keep an eye out."
"Why not get others involved?" Haroi suggested. "I understand that this is a terrifying situation to be in, but... I think this is something your parents need to know about. They won't be able to help you if you don't say anything that could help them to understand the issue. You need to be kept safe from him, and that might mean taking part in uncomfortable conversations."
"I haven't known how to bring it up with them," Tomoki admitted. "I want to do something to try and reach out to them, but I have no idea where to start. They thought Yutaka was out of their lives permanently, and I... I'm a bit nervous about having to be the one to break the news to them. They didn't want their son to be like this to begin with, and I hate having to put them in a position of choosing between the two of us."
"Choosing between you? Tomoki, that's ridiculous. Your brother abused you, and your parents are doing right by you by making sure that he can't be in your life anymore," Mayumi pressed, her eyes narrowing in Tomoki's direction. "You're not putting them in an uncomfortable position by forcing them to step up and look after you. They're your parents. You're their child. They're obligated to take care of you, and if they don't... They don't deserve the title of parent." Her grip on her drink went tight, splashing a few droplets of water over the rim of her cup. She forced herself to breathe slowly before downing a sip. She rubbed at her mouth with the back of her hand, trying the best she could to keep herself calm and failing in a million tiny ways.
"I know that, but... I still get nervous about it," Tomoki told her. "You're right. They should be looking after me. I know that. But at the same time... They never wanted to have to deal with this. They wanted to believe in Yutaka to the bitter end, and I can't blame them for that. I wish I could have done something to make this easier for them, and now... I don't know. I'm just afraid of talking to them."
"What were they like when Yutaka was still in your life regularly?" Haroi questioned carefully. "You say that Yutaka was pushed out of your life when he crossed a line, but... He was acting this way for years. Where were your parents during all of this? They should have been there to look out for you and keep you safe from your brother's temper."
Tomoki hesitated, and the silence told the pair everything they needed to know. He fumbled for his words for a few long beats before finally finding the strength to speak. "They wanted to believe in him," Tomoki forced out slowly. "Yutaka is a lot older than me, and he was the only child they had for a long time. They were desperate to believe in him no matter what. I... I wanted them to be able to believe in him too. I wanted to believe in him myself. For a long time, I stayed quiet because Yutaka told me to not break their hearts. I didn't want to shatter their worlds even after I decided I had dealt with enough. I stayed quiet about it for a long time because I was afraid of hurting them."
"They should have protected you though!" Mayumi cried out, her voice cracking halfway through. She forced herself to put her drink down so she didn't splash any other water droplets over the rim, and she slammed her hands against the table, forcing the cup to tremble anew beneath the weight of her fury. "They're your parents, and they're supposed to look after you! If Yutaka was a danger to you, then they should have done something about it! This isn't something you should be ashamed of or need to hide because they don't want to accept the truth of the matter! Whether they want to see it or not, their older son is a rotten piece of human garbage, and they have to own up to that. If you ask me, they owe it to you to keep you safe now since they failed to do so in the past."
Tomoki stared at Mayumi for a long time, and Haroi's eyes went wide with shock. Mayumi only seemed to realize the weight of her words—and how loudly she had been speaking them—a few moments after she finished speaking. She immediately shriveled away and looked to the ground. "Sorry. I... I didn't mean to snap like that," she murmured. "All I'm trying to say is that you deserve better than this. You shouldn't have to care for your parents when they're the ones in charge of looking after you."
"I agree with that," Haroi said with a nod. "They're the ones with the power in this situation, and they should be using it to look after you. I understand that you're afraid to talk to them about Yutaka, but I think you should. If you need any support, then we would be more than happy to help you. It may not count for much, but I think it could help you."
Tomoki stared down at the lunch table, desperate to find anything to focus on aside from Mayumi and Haroi's eyes. "I... Thank you," he muttered, though he wasn't entirely sure if he meant it. There was a part of him that agreed with what Mayumi was saying. His parents hadn't intervened when it came to Yutaka's actions until they were hurting because of him. When Tomoki alone was hurting, they did nothing. It didn’t matter until Yutaka turned his fury against them. Before that, they had just passed it off as siblings getting into fights, something they considered normal. They had no reason to get involved if what was happening was just another part of regular life, after all. That had been their logic, at the very least, and Tomoki had believed it. He thought he was being dramatic the entire time, never being given a reason to think otherwise. That was all Yutaka had ever told him, after all.
But now, Tomoki knew better than that. It was hard to unlearn everything that he had taught himself over the years, but he deserved to be able to stand his ground and be taken care of by his parents and friends. He wasn't alone in facing off against Yutaka, and he deserved to be able to lean on other people. They would be there for him if he would just let them stand at his side. He deserved that.
Well, he didn't exactly believe it yet, but if he said it enough, maybe he would finally start.
Haroi's hand came down gently on Tomoki's shoulder, and the Warrior of Ice looked up to meet his gaze. "We'll do our best to stay as cautious as possible to ensure that nothing happens with Yutaka," Haroi assured him. "If we think that he's watching or following us, we'll be sure to tell you and the others about it as soon as possible so that we can handle this as a team. You're not alone in facing him, and you shouldn't treat yourself that way either. We're going to be okay as long as we stick together."
Tomoki hadn't even realized he was crying until the tears started to streak down his cheeks, and he raised one hand to wipe the water away. "Thanks," he choked out. "I'll be sure to pass along the message if anything happens too. I don't want to deal with him alone."
"And you're never alone as long as we're all here for you," Mayumi chimed in. Her posture was still guarded and unbalanced the same way it had been when she first had her outburst, but the care in her voice was still clear as could be. Tomoki would have to talk to her again when she was feeling less tense, but in the meantime, he was glad to have her and the rest of the Legendary Warriors there for him.
Heaven only knew what he would do if he was alone.
~~~~~
After school, Mayumi and Haroi began the walk back to the Reiku-Tsurumaki home. Mayumi was pushing Haroi’s wheelchair along with a hum on her lips and a skip in her step. Haroi was looking at the path ahead with a small smile on his face. He enjoyed school more than most of his peers, but he was glad to be able to step away from classes for the afternoon. Haroi would have had more fun at school if he didn’t have to balance his life as a Legendary Warrior with his time as a student, but unfortunately, he didn’t have that option.
Haroi let out a slow breath, trying to go through everything he was going to have to do that night. His homework load was set to be pretty light, so after he was finished with everything, he would be able to go to the Digital World. Mayumi was in the same situation, and Haroi was looking forward to being able to look around more for evidence or clues around the recent battles with the Void Fragments. He would feel much better getting out and doing something than sitting in his home alone just thinking about his situation.
“Do you feel that?”
Orion’s voice cut through Haroi’s thoughts, and he snapped back to reality all at once. He looked over his shoulder with a frown, trying to figure out what Orion was talking about. “What do you mean?” Haroi asked, fighting to speak within his own mind instead of out loud.
“I feel it too… It’s like someone is following us,” Sirius explained, and Haroi’s eyes went wide. Panic rushed through his skin in an instant, and Haroi’s mind flashed back to everything he had discussed with Tomoki that day. Tomoki had told him and Mayumi that Yutaka was following him around. Beyond that, Tomoki was afraid Yutaka could do something like that with the other members of the team.
“Mayumi,” Haroi whispered, fighting to keep his voice even and quiet. “Do you think someone is following us?”
Mayumi’s humming stopped all at once, and she stopped pushing him for a flicker of an instant before picking up with it again. “I… Uh…” She thought about it for a few seconds before nodding. “I think so.”
Haroi bit down on his lip, and he adjusted his position in the chair so he could turn to look over his shoulder without Mayumi getting in the way. “Give me a second.” Mayumi stepped to the right ever so slightly to give Haroi the room he needed to peer around her, and it was exactly what he needed.
Behind them on the street, Haroi could see a man roughly ten years older than them. His hair was the same dark brown color as Tomoki’s hair, and his eyes shone with a similar color… Though everything about this man felt dark by comparison. Haroi knew immediately who the man had to be, and it sent new fear flooding through his body.
“Yutaka,” Haroi breathed, and Mayumi fell back into place centered behind the wheelchair. “He’s following us. It’s just like Tomoki thought.”
“Damn it,” Mayumi muttered. “What do you think we should do? We can’t just give him the chance to figure out where we live. I don’t know what he’s going to do if he can get his hands on information like that, but…”
“I don’t know either,” Haroi admitted. “But I don’t want to give him that power over us either.” He thought about it for a few seconds, pressing his backpack closer to his chest where it was sitting on his lap. When he felt something hard and smooth, Haroi gasped. His laptop was in his bag, and he would be able to use it to go to the Digital World if need be. All he and Mayumi had to do was shake Yutaka off their back for a little while, find a private spot, and then go into the Digital World. Yutaka wouldn’t be able to pursue them, and they would be safe in the other world.
A crowd was approaching from the opposite direction, and Haroi recognized it as a tourist group. “Go right through them,” Haroi instructed. “They’re not going to like it, but we need to go between them so we can shake Yutaka off. After that, find an alley. I’ll handle the rest.”
Mayumi nodded, and she pushed Haroi’s wheelchair straight through the crowd. “Sorry! Excuse me! Coming through!” Mayumi said, her voice quiet but urgent. The tourists all frowned at them, and a few even told them to get out of their way. Haroi and Mayumi didn’t care though, and they kept moving forward without a second thought.
Haroi opened his laptop after pulling it out of his bag, and he quickly set up the portal program Saki and Junpei had set up on the device. “Alright,” he told Mayumi. “I’m ready. Find an alleyway, and we’ll go.”
Mayumi nodded, and as soon as she managed to break through the crowd, she shifted the wheelchair hard to the left. They pushed through the nearby passersby and into the shadows between the nearby buildings. Haroi reached for his D-Tector and held it up to the screen, pouring a bit of extra energy into it so he could bring his wheelchair too. Mayumi pulled her own D-Tector out, and she pushed it toward the laptop screen for herself.
A flash of light exploded around the two, and they vanished into the laptop’s screen. As soon as they were finished traveling through the portal, Haroi’s laptop followed them through it. Haroi pressed his eyes closed in the face of the light distorting all around him. His heart was still racing, but he knew everything was going to be alright. As long as they managed to escape Yutaka, they would be fine.
Back on Earth, Yutaka finally managed to push his way through the crowd of tourists. He glanced around in search of Mayumi and Haroi, but he found nothing. He stared down the alleyway they had vanished into, and Yutaka narrowed his eyes at the shadows. They revealed nothing about what had happened to his quarry though, and Yutaka was left to sigh bitterly with their disappearances.
It was fine. There were others he could pursue instead. He would find them again when the time was right. He could be patient for a little bit longer.
~~~~~
That afternoon after classes ended, Junpei walked to the back of the school building and pulled out his D-Tector. He pulled up the radar with a small frown on his face. He hadn't seen Saki on Earth when he checked earlier in the day. It had become instinct and habit for him to check to see where the rest of the Legendary Warriors were when he had the chance just so that he could contact them if need be. That morning, Saki hadn't been on Earth, and Junpei needed to see if they were there now. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why Saki would randomly go to the Digital World seemingly overnight, but he was going to find out. He would meet up with them in person if he had to.
In fact, Junpei was already planning to go and find them in person as soon as he could. Saki had been getting more and more closed off lately, and it was driving Junpei up the damn wall. He knew that they wouldn't be able to keep secrets forever, and they had to be aware of it as well, but they still tried to obscure the truth with just a bit too much effort. He wanted them to know that it was safe to talk about their problems even if they weren't used to that yet. Junpei was desperate to make them understand that they weren't in this alone. If Saki wouldn't listen or would block him out via text, then Junpei would just have to find them in person and make sure they heard him out.
Sure enough, Saki wasn't on Earth when he checked this time either, and Junpei let out a long-suffering sigh. They wouldn't just skip school for a day, so chances were high that they had been on Earth during the school day—the one time when Junpei couldn't check their location—and then headed back to the Digital World as soon as they were able to get away from classes. Still, Junpei couldn't figure out why, and he was determined to fill in that gap of information before the day ended.
It didn't take long for him to cross over to the Digital World. At this point, it was like second nature to him. He didn't bother with changing out of his school uniform either, knowing that Saki wouldn't have done so either. He could deal with that later on. Besides, what was a few more hours in his uniform? Nobody would care. At least, that was what he was hoping. He prayed inwardly that he didn't run into a battle that could mess up his clothes too much, especially since he still had classes for the rest of the week. It was only Wednesday, and messing up his uniform so soon would only serve to be a pain in the neck he wasn’t in the mood to deal with right now.
Junpei tucked his laptop under his arm as he walked into the fortress, pushing the doors open and letting them close behind him. He already knew that Saki had to be there in the fortress. He could feel their presence deep in the pit of his stomach, and he would follow that instinct with everything he had if that was what it took. He was sick and tired of Saki keeping secrets. It all ended today.
Luckily for him, Junpei didn't need to look for long before he found the Warrior of Steel. They were in the common area on the second floor of the fortress, typing away at their laptop and reading some article at the same time. It didn't look like homework to Junpei. If anything, it looked like a newspaper clipping that had been scanned onto the computer at some point years prior. Junpei didn't bother with trying to figure out what it meant though, instead knocking a fist against the doorframe of the room. "Busy?" he asked simply.
For perhaps the first time since Junpei had met them, Saki looked caught off guard and visibly startled by the sound of his voice. They practically jumped on the spot before looking up to face him. "Junpei... I didn't realize I had company," Saki said, though they could both hear just how strained the words were. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Don't give me that," Junpei frowned. "What in the world are you doing here? It's not like you to just randomly pop over to the Digital World. You were here this morning too. I would have thought that you would at least tell us if you were coming here."
"I don't have to share everything with you guys, you know," Saki countered, narrowing their eyes into something confrontational. "I'm just here because I wanted a change of scenery. That's all there is to it. You don't need to worry about it."
Junpei sighed heavily, but before he could say anything to push back against them, he heard footsteps from behind him. When he turned, he was met with the sight of Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three walking down the hallway to greet him. "Junpei," Bokomon began. "What are you doing here? I didn't realize you were coming to the Digital World today."
"I'm here because I want to talk to Saki," Junpei explained. He turned to face Saki, and they pointedly refused to meet his gaze, instead glaring daggers into the floor. "They've been acting weird for ages, and I'm tired of just sitting back and letting it happen. I'm worried about you, Saki, and I know everybody else is too. You need to talk to us if there's something going on. You don't have to keep everything a secret anymore. This isn't your fight to face alone anymore, and it's okay to rely on other people every once in a while."
"I'm not hiding anything," Saki insisted. "I came to the Digital World because I wanted some time to myself. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm fine."
"Then why are you investigating Miriamon on your own?" Junpei retorted. "I know there's something else going on that you're not telling us about. All of us know that. We can't do anything to help you though if you just keep hiding the truth all the time. You have to let yourself open up to us so that we can do something to fix the problem."
"It's nobody's business but my own that I want to know more about her. I'm sure that she knows something that the rest of us aren't aware of yet, and it’s my decision to look into it. I'm not dragging the rest of you into something that isn't your problem," Saki fired back.
"Not our problem? Saki, we've saved the world together no fewer than three times by now. I feel like it's certainly our problem if you think there's something wrong with a person on this side of the barrier. If Miriamon is up to something else that she's not telling us about, then you have to tell us about it so that we can try to fix the problem. No person is an island, and I wish you would understand that," Junpei told them, his voice starting to verge on pleading. "You just have to be honest with us. I need you to be honest with me. I'm tired of just sitting here and watching you fall apart because you won't open up. I'm not trying to hurt you. I need to fix it, and that's why I'm here. I can't solve anything unless you talk to me, and I can't keep chasing you to make you say it."
"Saki wasn't telling the truth earlier," Patamon suddenly chimed in, and everyone looked over in his direction carefully. "They said that everything was fine and that they just wanted to come to the Digital World because they could. That's not what happened at all. Saki is here because they said their living situation at home on Earth has changed."
Saki's eyes went wide, too shocked that Patamon had said anything to bother with being angry. Junpei turned to face them slowly. "What happened?" he asked softly. "You don't need to hide the truth from us, you know. If you need a place to stay on Earth, I'm sure the rest of us would be able to figure something else out for you, but—"
"It's fine," Saki cut in, their voice strained. "I know what I'm doing. I just need to work it all out on my own. I'm investigating Miriamon right now, and I'll be able to use that to keep going and find some other solution to—"
"To the fact that you have nowhere else to go?" Junpei finished for them. "You can't just work your way out of something that daunting, Saki. You're still a teenager. I know that you're scared. I know why you're hiding all of this. Still... I want to try and do something to help you out of this bad situation you’re in, but I can't do that if you won't tell me what's going on. Please, Saki... Just be honest with me."
Saki stared down at the ground for a long time, uncertain as to how they were meant to respond to that. "I... I'm going to see school through," they admitted softly. "After that, I don't know what I'm going to do. I like staying here in the Digital World though. I think I might just make that my permanent plan. It's so much nicer here than on Earth. It might be a change of routine for me to come here each night instead of spending the night on Earth, but I was able to make it work today, and I'll figure it out in the future too."
Junpei wished he had an easy response to that, but his words failed him again and again in the seconds that followed. He eventually pressed his lips together and forced himself to exhale through his nose. "You can come to all of us if you need a place to stay, you know," he murmured. "I don't want you to come here because you're too afraid of trusting the rest of us. I told you before that we're all here for you, and I meant that. After everything we've been through, I feel like we can all say without a shadow of a doubt that we're here to support one another."
"It's nothing about me not trusting all of you," Saki assured him. "I'm still not used to all of this. I'm not used to talking to people. I don't know what to do when I'm not in survival mode. I'm safer now because I have other people who care about me. I know that. But at the same time, my entire life has just been one long string of shitty coping mechanisms. Who am I when all of that gets stripped away? I don't know the answer to that, and to be quite frank with you, I'm afraid of having to find out."
Saki only seemed to realize what they had said after the words had come out, and for a long time, they stared at Junpei in perfect silence. Not even the Digimon dared to break through the quiet, unsure of what could even be said. Saki eventually forced the silence to end though, coughing vaguely just for the sake of making noise. "Spending more time in the Digital World will give me the chance to learn more about Miriamon too. I don't know what exactly she's up to, but I can tell you confidently that there's a lot more to her than she wants us to believe," they said softly. "I'm going to tell you and the rest of the group when I come up with the answers to all of it, but right now... I just need a little bit more time."
"Maybe you could try to work through it by talking about it," Junpei suggested. "I'd be happy to listen if you wanted to discuss it. After how quiet you've been all this time, I'd welcome being able to hear this from you, as a matter of fact. All you need to do is say the word."
Saki remained silent for a long time, considering the proposal heavily. They bit down on the inside of their lip and chewed on the skin before looking back up to Junpei. Their eyes were worn and vulnerable, and Junpei knew that they were going to explain everything from the start, regardless of how ugly the truth really was. His chest finally settled down in relief at the sight. After all this time, all this struggling, he was going to be able to help them. Thank the heavens for that.
A small flashing noise came from elsewhere in the castle, and Junpei immediately froze up. He looked to Saki, wondering if they had heard it too. They offered him a small nod, and they left the conversation on hold for the time being in favor of going to investigate the sound. That flashing noise reminded Junpei of what it sounded like to travel through the portal. Had another member of the team come to the Digital World for the afternoon?
When Junpei, Saki, and the Digimon arrived downstairs, they were met with the sight of a thoroughly flustered Mayumi and Haroi. Mayumi was easing Haroi into a seat off to the side of the room, and Junpei realized belatedly that it was Haroi's wheelchair for when he was in the Digital World. At long last, it was finished, and it was there waiting for him to use it for the first time. It wasn't anywhere near as elaborate or fancy as his wheelchair on Earth, but it would still serve its purpose well, and Haroi smiled as he settled down. Still, everything about him looked strained, and Junpei could tell something was wrong before he even had the chance to ask.
"Oh, hey," Mayumi greeted once Haroi was comfortable. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled up at Junpei and Saki, pretending everything about her wasn't far too stiff for any of their likings. "What are you two doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Saki deflected, not in the mood to explain that their life had been turned upside down in the course of the last day. "I didn't realize that you were planning on coming into the Digital World today."
"It was... An impromptu arrangement," Haroi explained slowly, choosing each word like he feared it could come back to destroy him. He began to nervously fiddle with his hands, refusing to meet anyone's gaze directly.
Mayumi sighed, and all of her outward facades melted away to show a girl who was completely and utterly exhausted. "We talked to Tomoki yesterday. He said that he's been worried about being followed by his older brother," Mayumi started. "Ever since he said that, we've been on the lookout to make sure that Yutaka isn't following us too. Tomoki said that he could have been. I didn't want to believe it at first, but... I think Yutaka has been following us, at least to an extent."
Junpei's eyes went wide. "You have got to be kidding me," he muttered. He absolutely despised Yutaka Himi from everything he had heard of the man, and that had been when Junpei thought everything about him was in the past. Despite it all though, he was back and somehow worse than ever before. Great. Yutaka was just another problem to add to the list. That was exactly what they needed.
"It's just a suspicion right now, but we didn't want to sit around and wait for him to watch us, you know?" Haroi remarked. "We figured we would come here to try and unwind for a few hours. Maybe we could go out and take care of a Void Fragment attack if something like that happened. We weren't exactly hoping for it, but if it meant that we could get away from Yutaka potentially following us, then we were willing to take it."
Saki sighed and pinched at the bridge of their nose. "I swear, if he ever tires to cross me, he's going to be dead meat," they mumbled crossly. "If he's going to cause problems, then he's going to have to deal with problems."
One of Lopmon's ears perked up, and beside him, Salamon glanced around as well. The two shared a look before starting up the nearby set of stairs. Bokomon and Neemon were quick to chase them with Patamon swerving around on his wings in their wake. "Where are you going? Come back!" Patamon cried out.
Junpei and Saki wound up following Mayumi and Haroi over to the elevator that led up to the higher levels of the fortress. Somehow, Saki already knew exactly where they were going, and Junpei was more than happy to follow them in the right direction. Mayumi and Haroi took up the rear, trying their best to hold back their anxiety all the while and falling pathetically short. They were all terrified whether they wanted to admit it or not.
The Digimon had wound up in a small room that contained three computer screens and a matching console, and Junpei recognized it immediately as the communications room for the fortress. It allowed the Digimon to contact the Legendary Warriors when necessary, but that wasn't all it was good for. The room also offered the group the chance to speak with Alastomon and Biastamon. One screen was covered in fifteen stripes of color, one for each of the Legendary Warriors with Alastomon, Biastamon, and Miriamon tacked on at the end. At the bottom, there were lights to show how stable the signals were, and Junpei could only assume that Alastomon had helped to set this up for the sake of easy communication.
What likely hadn't been part of the plan was the fact that Alastomon's light was flashing red with an ominous beeping noise. It was a distress signal. If Junpei had to guess, it could only be indicative of one thing.
"Alastomon is under attack," Haroi concluded. He turned to look at the rest of the group with determination gleaming in his brown eyes. "We have to go and help him."
"He's probably at the Crystal Citadel at this time of day," Saki declared. "I can teleport us there as soon as possible, and we can start fighting once we get there."
Nobody objected to that suggestion, and Saki quickly scanned a ring of data across the top of their D-Tector. When the light faded, Aerismon stood in their place, and they summoned their rapier to their fingertips. Aerismon drew a circle in the air above their head, and light consumed each of the Legendary Warriors before teleporting them away from the fortress and toward the Crystal Citadel.
When the glow faded, Junpei, Mayumi, and Haroi had all been replaced by their Digimon forms. Thundramon, Aethermon, and Siriusmon were all on their guard and ready to launch into action the instant they saw any signs of combat. The signals of a fight were incredibly easy to spot from where they had wound up. They were about ten yards away from the Crystal Citadel, but the distance didn't hamper their ability to see what was happening in the slightest.
There were countless Void Fragment Digimon swarming at the castle, each of them desperately trying to find a way in. The palace had been shut down in a defensive maneuver to try and keep everyone inside safe, though there was no way of saying just how successful that was going to be against such a massive onslaught of foes. Thundramon snarled under his breath before he took to the skies, gesturing for everyone else to follow him. "Come on."
Thundramon didn't get close enough to see what Digimon were knocking at the doors, instead releasing a massively powerful blast of electricity on a small cluster of possessed attackers. The single blow sent them all knocking into one another, and between the thunder magic itself and the knock back of the strike, all four of them were left without their Void Fragments a moment later. The Digimon addressed one another with confusion and curiosity, but nobody had the chance to explain what was happening. Instead, the group of Legendary Warriors just ran onward with Siriusmon scooping the Digimon guides up into his arms to ensure they weren't attacked while unattended.
After a few more moments of silent examination, Thundramon realized that there were two dedicated groups of Digimon attacking the palace. One party consisted of a wide variety of Digimon, none of them having much of anything in common aside from being Beast Digimon. That was the group trying to sneak in through the front of the castle. The other party was made up of only SkullSatamon, and all of them were trying to break in through the back. Thundramon couldn't help staring at the SkullSatamon in confusion once he noticed them. What in the world were residents of the Continent of Darkness doing so far from home? That was what happened with Void Fragment Digimon, he knew, but it still caught him off guard. The mastermind must have had grand plans for them, whatever the hell that meant.
"The front group is a diversion," Bokomon said. "If I had to guess, I would say that the heavy hitters are the SkullSatamon. They're probably trying to strike at Alastomon and Biastamon while they believe they are undefended. We need to defeat them as soon as possible."
"Split up," Aerismon instructed. "We won't be able to win if we don't split our attention. We need some people to take out the Digimon trying to break down the door while the others turn their attention to the SkullSatamon and defeat them from behind. We can meet up in the center of the citadel and defend Alastomon and Biastamon."
"Siriusmon and I will take the front door," Aethermon declared before anyone could object. She took off running toward the entrance of the citadel, and Aerismon reached one hand out to her before swearing under their breath. The one person they hadn't wanted to be left alone with was Thundramon, but unfortunately, that was the hand had been given thanks to Aethermon’s reckless declaration.
Thundramon looked at Aerismon with a frown before he sighed and turned his attention back to the SkullSatamon. "Don't think our conversation from earlier is over," he told them. "I'm sure you know better than that, but I need to make sure that you don't forget about it."
Aerismon nodded stiffly, though anyone who dared to look could see just how unhappy and stiff they were. "Alright," they forced out through gritted teeth. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
Thundramon and Aerismon flew toward the back of the castle, and Thundramon charged one fist with electricity before punching at the air, releasing a wave of lightning that slammed straight into the first SkullSatamon. Aerismon was quick to follow up with their rapier, stabbing at the SkullSatamon with just the perfect amount of force to draw out the Void Fragment. Afterward, they slashed outward at the next SkullSatamon, opening up his defenses enough for Thundramon to punch him across the chest and expose the Void Fragment for all to see.
The SkullSatamon that had already been freed were pushed out of the fray by some of Aerismon's telekinetic magic while they turned their focus to the rest of the herd. Aerismon snapped, and a pulse of purple energy ripped through the sky. All the SkullSatamon in the area screamed in pain at the sudden noise ringing in their heads, and they temporarily gave up on their assaults to cover their ears even though the sound was coming from inside of their own minds instead of anywhere outside.
Even if the SkullSatamon had no idea how to defend themselves, Thundramon couldn't bring himself to care. Instead, he charged his cannon with more energy and sent the attack flying at three of the SkullSatamon, hitting them in one clean shot. All three of them stumbled when the Void Fragments showed themselves, and they flew away from the battlefield in a desperate bid to escape being attacked again. Thundramon was more than happy to let them go, and he turned his attention back to the battle at hand soon afterward.
The relief didn't last for long though. A few of the SkullSatamon had managed to tear open a hole in the wall, and they were using it to rush through the halls of the citadel. Rather than chasing after the SkullSatamon immediately though, Aerismon created a barrier of purple energy that separated the inside of the castle from the outside. That was all it took to lock out most of the SkullSatamon, and in dividing the groups, Aerismon had made it much easier to defeat them. While the group inside had easy access to their targets, the group outside was in a perfect position to be ruined by Aerismon and Thundramon. They could handle the group inside once they had managed to stem the flow of attackers once and for all. It would just take patience.
Aerismon drew a circle in the air with the tip of their rapier, and a series of small purple bullets appeared before firing themselves like comets at the SkullSatamon. The attacks alone were not enough to destroy the Void Fragments, but with the SkullSatamon distracted and staggered for a few moments, Thundramon was able to follow up on the attack with a few punches charged with electricity. The SkullSatamon he hit were sent flying in every direction as their Void Fragments shattered.
At this point, there were only about four SkullSatamon still in the area. Aerismon drew a line in the sky that opened as a rift, and they passed through with their sword raised high above their head. While the SkullSatamon were busy wondering where they had gone, Thundramon released an attack from his cannon that tore through the air and earned screams from all of them. Aerismon reappeared behind the SkullSatamon with their rapier primed for a strike, and when they brought the blade down, nobody was ready to counter the attack. All they could do was stand there, eyes wide as their Void Fragments appeared and then splintered.
Aerismon landed on the ground in a crouch as the last of the SkullSatamon were forced to flee. They sighed under their breath and snapped, the barrier over the hole in the citadel wall tearing itself open and rupturing. Aerismon was the first to pass through with Thundramon hot on their heels. Once they were inside, Aerismon recreated the wall just to make sure no other SkullSatamon would be able to break through and attack the pair while they were attacking those that had already snuck into the castle. Aerismon let out a small exhale after the barrier was back up before they started to fly toward the center of the castle.
Thundramon took to the air as well, and the two were perfectly even with one another despite their drastically different sets of wings. Thundramon was glad for that; it made it much easier for him to talk to Aerismon. This was the only chance that they were going to get to talk before the fight ended, and he needed to get at least a little bit of his internal monologue off his chest as long as he had the opportunity.
"I don't hate you, if that's what you're thinking," Thundramon told them. "I'm worried about you. If I didn't care, then I wouldn't be pushing it this hard. I know that you're going to hurt yourself if you keep bottling up the truth, so I'm going to do all that I can to make things right. I know you might not like it, but that's the fact of the matter. I'm here because I care about you, and... I want to understand what's going on with you."
Aerismon tilted their head away from him a little bit, and Thundramon sighed before continuing. "I care about all of you a lot. I've never had the chance to connect with people this way, and I don't want to mess it up. I know I'm not the best when it comes to understanding the way other people feel, but I don't want that to hold me back forever. I’ve had enough of being alone, and I’m not going to let any of you drift away from me now that you’re here. No one ever bothered to understand me, but I want to understand all of you. Even if all I can do is make a small difference, I feel like I have to try and make it. That starts with you. I want to help you no matter what. You don't need to hide the truth from us. I care about you, and... I wish you would let me in. I wish you would let me be your friend."
Aerismon looked over to him, and even though their eyes were hidden from view, Thundramon knew that their irises were showing complete vulnerability beneath the mask. Eventually, they let out a shaky breath, a small sign of anxiety and insecurity that Aerismon normally hid with an obsessive fervor. "I... I'll tell you about everything I've found after this fight is over," they told him. "I didn't mean to do so much to hurt you and the rest of the group. I'm not used to this either, and I'm still figuring out how to trust people."
"That's okay," Thundramon assured him. "It might not be perfect, but when are people ever? We’ve all fucked up a fair share of times, and we've still saved the world multiple times over before even turning eighteen. If that's not proof of how much we can do when we put our minds to it... Well, I don't know what is. Even if it's not perfect, we're doing our best, and we're going to figure it out together. That's how we've gotten this far, right?"
Aerismon and Thundramon shared a smile at that before the Warrior of Steel gasped. Thundramon didn't have the chance to ask them what they were looking at before his body forced him to stop flying. Yellow light sparked up around his torso before spreading outward, and all Thundramon could do was stand there as it happened. Deep down, he already knew what was happening. He didn't need anyone to tell him.
Resplendent Evolution.
Thundramon reverted back to Junpei first and foremost, and the changes began to spread outward from there. Junpei's light brown hair styled itself simply atop his head as per usual, though it grew a little bit longer along the way. A single streak of yellow appeared near his face, a byproduct of his longer hair. Dark purple fabric appeared on his legs to create pants that were ever so slightly loose, not that anyone would be able to notice it at a first glance. At the top of his pants, a silver metallic belt hung somewhat lopsided on his frame. His pants were tucked into tall black boots with silver laces and golden decorations like thunderbolts on either side. The lightning pattern spread down the sides of his pants as well.
Junpei's shirt was a bold yellow color. The top near his neck was lighter than the hem thanks to a gentle gradient pattern. Junpei also had a black jacket over the top of the rest of his outfit, though the inside of it was dark purple and faded out to silver and then gold at the bottom. The bottoms of his sleeves were yellow, and the lining of his hood followed the same pattern. The jacket was heavy and thick, and golden thunderbolts traveled up his arms and torso. On closer examination, the thunderbolts were both part of the design and separated from the fabric, a sign of Junpei's primary method of attacking and constantly churning with tiny circuits of electricity. Deep gray gloves with a few silver pieces of metal on the fingers appeared on Junpei's hands, and they were just as heavy duty and thick as his jacket. The fabric was built to resist electricity so that his element didn't tear him apart. At the same time, everything about him brought together the power of the element of Thunder, ready to release a powerful attack the instant he was given the reason to do so.
The finishing touch was a small splash of a tattoo on Junpei's left cheek. It was the symbol of Thunder, proof that this was his power to use as he saw fit. Since the streak in his hair was on the other side of his face, he had yellow framing his features perfectly even if the effect was asymmetrical. Everything about him was the embodiment of electric power, and he could feel it.
When the yellow light faded, Junpei stared down at his hands. Aerismon was watching him intently as well, and they let out a hearty laugh at the sight of him. "Impressive," they remarked. "Let's see what that power of yours can do when it's pushed to the limit."
Junpei nodded, but before he could take off running, his body lifted itself from the ground. Yellow electricity condensed itself to create a buzz of energy on his back that, while not directly resembling wings, reminded Junpei of the sensation of flight that he enjoyed when he was Spirit Evolved as Blitzmon and Thundramon. It allowed him to fly, and that was all that mattered. If he could fly, then he would be able to make up the lost ground on the SkullSatamon that much faster.
Soon afterward, Junpei and Aerismon arrived in the central meeting space of the Crystal Citadel. Alastomon and Biastamon were there together as was to be expected, and they were fighting off the SkullSatamon with everything they had. Alastomon was the first one to notice the new arrivals, and he broke out into a smile. "Legendary Warriors!" he exclaimed. "It's a pleasure to see you here!" Beside Alastomon, Biastamon's eyes went wide at the sight of Junpei as he put together the pieces that this was Resplendent Evolution.
"I wish we could meet on better circumstances," Junpei shrugged. "Let me fix that." He landed easily, and the electric current that had fueled his flight reshaped and followed his commands to surge forward and strike at the SkullSatamon all at once. The sudden wave of electricity sent each of the SkullSatamon tensing up on the spot, and Junpei punched at the air to create another blast that pulled the Void Fragments from their bodies in one fell swoop.
The SkullSatamon that had gathered on the other side of Alastomon and Biastamon had managed to avoid the attack, but Aerismon was more than happy to fix that. They drew another circle in the air, but this time, the result was not their bullets of magic. Instead, small pieces of metal appeared before slamming into the SkullSatamon and spreading across their skin, small steel prisons to keep them trapped on the spot. The SkullSatamon shrieked in pain but were unable to free themselves of the metal, leaving them as perfect targets to be picked off easily.
Junpei knew what to do before he even needed to be asked, and he smirked before sending out yet another surge of electricity. The thunder sparked across the surface of the metal, electrocuting all of the SkullSatamon in an instant, and that was all it took to free all of the SkullSatamon from the control of the Void Fragments. The remaining assailants crumbled, and they all glanced around the area in confusion before preparing to retreat.
After the SkullSatamon had been taken care of, Alastomon smiled and took a step toward Junpei and Aerismon. "Our saviors," he murmured. "I don't think we could possibly thank you enough. We were holding our own against them to the best of our ability, but there's only so much we can do when there are so many of them attacking us at once."
"It's fine now," Aerismon assured him. "But we're not out of the woods yet. There was another group of Void Fragment Digimon fighting at the front of the castle, and we need to go help Aethermon and Siriusmon to clean them up. We can talk more after that's been finished."
"And we will talk, right?" Junpei asked as he glanced in their direction with determined eyes. Even if they had come to an agreement previously about their upcoming discussion, he wanted to make sure they were committed to it.
Aerismon nodded, and that was all Junpei needed to see. He condensed his electricity against his back once again, and he felt his feet lift from the ground effortlessly. "In that case, let's get down to business. I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can do. Those Void Fragments won't know what hit them."
Notes:
And there's the second Resplendent Evolution!
This chapter was one of the harder ones of this story to write honestly, and I absolutely did not expect that to be the case. I've had the conflict between Junpei and Saki brewing for a while now, and it was finally going to boil over here, but it took me a while to figure out how I wanted it to look. All things considered though, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think this is a realistic way for everything to finally snap, and I really like how it all came together in the end.
Now, let's get into the scene by scene breakdown. First up, we've got the opener of Saki talking to the Digimon guides. For a while, I was kind of tempted to leave off the Saki in the Digital World idea off after the end of the last chapter, but I think this makes a lot more sense in the long run. I really like how this turned out, and it continues to hint at how much Saki's been hiding out of fear for the sake of later in the chapter.
Next up is the scene of Tomoki talking to Mayumi and Haroi. I wanted to follow up on the confrontation with Yutaka from the previous chapter, and this is how I wound up doing it. Since Tomoki mentioned before that he's afraid Yutaka has been following Mayumi and Haroi specifically, I thought it would make sense for the two of them to be the ones to talk to him about it. There's still more to this plot, as I'm sure you can imagine, but for now, they're starting to talk about it even if Tomoki hates it. I also thought this would be a perfect reason for Mayumi and Haroi to go to the Digital World on top of that, so here we are. It all works out.
I really liked writing the confrontation scene between Junpei and Saki. It's a lot of the same back and forth we've seen from them before, but it's been bumped up to eleven since both of them, are understandably, getting irritated with their circumstances. Junpei wants to help Saki out, but they're intent on denying any and all help for as long as they can get away with it. It's realistic, and it perfectly hints at the conflict that eventually leads to Junpei Resplendent Evolving.
And then Mayumi and Haroi showed up. I was always planning on making this the first fight sequence after Inaie, and I wanted it to be with a slightly unorthodox group. I wanted Junpei's evolution to be next, and that involved having both him and Saki there, so I mixed things up by giving Mayumi and Haroi--relatively overlooked characters--the time they need to show off what they can do. Plus, Mayumi is probably my favorite character to write for in a fight. It's a shame we didn't get to actually see her fight this time, right? Don't worry; that's next chapter.
This chapter is only part one of the fight sequence here since I didn't want to rush it too much. I was planning on condensing it all down to this chapter originally, but when push came to shove, I decided it needed a bit more time in the oven, so we're going to wrap up the fight sequence next week. We got the first half in here, and Junpei and Saki finally talked out their problems, at least as much as they can in the middle of a fight. They really do care for each other, and you can see that here. They've got a lot to talk about next chapter, and I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, here we are with the two of them working things out enough for Junpei to get his Resplendent form.
I'm going to say upfront that designing some of these Resplendent Evolutions has been a pain in the ass. Some of them came to me relatively easily (Yumiko, Hinoka, and Saki for example) while others have been a much greater struggle for me. Junpei was one of the harder ones for me to work out, but I really like how it turned out. This design is very different from Yumiko, who has a medieval fantasy aesthetic, but I think the rough around the edges leather design works perfectly for Junpei. Electricity is much harder to use for a design basis than plants (plus his main color is yellow, which is a horribly difficult color to work with in character design), but I love how it is now. I'm going to draw these designs one day, I swear, but in the meantime, I hope you like the descriptions for his design. Junpei deserves everything, and I will not tolerate any criticism.
Next week, we'll wrap up the second half of the battle at the Crystal Citadel. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 29: Out of Reach
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors hesitantly plan their next steps with Yutaka chasing the phantoms they leave behind.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 12/11/22
Edit Release: 9/23/24
The scene with Koichi and Tomoko in the middle of the chapter is new to the edited version of the story.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
At the front of the Crystal Citadel, Siriusmon and Aethermon were easily sweeping through their opponents. There were a lot more Void Fragment at the front of the castle than there had been sneaking in through the back, but Siriusmon and Aethermon were still putting up a good fight against them. There may have been more Digimon here, but they were weaker than the SkullSatamon trying to sneak in from the back, and all it took was a few good hits to take the enemy Digimon out of the battle.
Aethermon jumped out of the way when one of the Void Fragment Digimon tried to slash at her, and she lunged forward before stealing enough energy from her foe to force the Void Fragment out immediately. As soon as she had internalized the magic, she allowed white lightning to crackle along her fingertips. She smirked and turned around to blast one of the other Void Fragment Digimon to the ground...
Only for him to fall before she had the chance.
Junpei stood behind the Digimon, one hand outstretched with a small smirk playing at his lips. Between the yellow streak in his hair, the mark of Thunder on his cheek, and his sudden change of outfit, it was clear what had happened to him. Aethermon beamed at him, but she didn't get the chance to say a word about his new evolution before another Digimon tried to jump for her. She instead refocused her energy and sent the white lighting blast at the Digimon lunging for her throat, and that was all it took to fend him off.
Siriusmon flew high into the sky and tore a hole in the air above him, creating a rift that rained down comet threads onto the ground below. All the Void Fragment Digimon in his reach were staggered by the attack, and all it took was a single strike from Aerismon's rapier to free them from their possession. That took out at least a third of the remaining attackers in one fell swoop. Siriusmon and Aerismon shared a glance, ready to repeat the motions once again, but they were cut off when most of the remaining Void Fragment Digimon were knocked out by one of three attacks.
Junpei was responsible for the first, a column of yellow lightning sprouting from his outstretched palms. The remaining two attacks, on the other hand, were unfamiliar to each of the Legendary Warriors. Alastomon and Biastamon were both on the offensive now, and between Alastomon's extended arm and Biastamon's bowed hand, it was clear the two of them had been responsible for the remaining strikes. Alastomon's attack had been a silver blue color so pale it edged on being white. A few red threads danced through the length of the beam. Biastamon, on the other hand, concentrated his power into a black beam that glowed dark purple, silver, and gold depending on the lighting.
The differences between Alastomon, Biastamon, and Junpei ultimately mattered little though, and they were all easily able to push the Void Fragment Digimon out of the equation in a matter of seconds. Just like that, the battle ended, crumbling beneath their heels in the blink of an eye. The Void Fragment Digimon all looked to one another in confusion, their grips on reality finally returning.
Alastomon looked over to the Legendary Warriors, and he offered them a small smile. "You four have a lot to talk about, I can see," he remarked. "I'm going to talk to the Digimon. We can discuss this again in a moment."
The four Legendary Warriors nodded and started back toward the castle, settling down to stand near the front entrance. It was a miracle that the doors hadn't caved in under the determination of so many Void Fragments fighting toward a single cause, but none of them were complaining about it. The fewer repairs they had to make, the better off all of them were going to be. They had too much on their minds to focus on petty things like this to begin with.
Aethermon planted her hands firmly on her hips as she took a step toward Junpei. She was taller than him through the sheer advantage of being a Digimon, but Junpei's powerful aura more than made up for his lack of verticality. Aethermon whistled as she examined him from every angle. "You look great!" she remarked. "I didn't expect us to go home with another Resplendent Evolution on our sides, but who am I to complain? That was amazing!"
"It felt amazing too," Junpei smiled as he looked down at his gloved hands. Electricity danced across his fingertips, and he clenched his fingers into fists. "I know what Yumiko was talking about before when she said that this feels like nothing else. It's incredible. I don't think I could say enough just how great it is."
"You're certainly stronger than you were before," Siriusmon commented. "I think all of us can sense the difference in your abilities. You were able to take out so many Void Fragments without even needing to blink."
"I understand how Yumiko was able to liberate all of Inaie so easily now," Junpei told him. "I've never felt this great. I feel like the very fabric of reality could bend under my fingertips. It's incredible. I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can do with all of this power when the time comes."
"It's amazing how easily you were able to get the hang of it too," Aerismon chimed in. "With how much power you unleashed during that fight, I would have thought you had already taken the time necessary to practice and master it, but I suppose that didn’t end up being necessary."
"It's like turning into a Digimon. What you're supposed to do just comes to you as instinct," Junpei explained. "I don't know how to explain it. I just know that this is right. It's what I've always been meant to do. I can't say I understand why I'm so much stronger in this form than I am when I'm Thundramon, but it's amazing to have so much energy at my disposal."
"If I had to guess, I'd say that it functions a bit like how my power does," Aethermon suggested. "I can fight with a lot of energy at once, but it tires me out really quickly if I push it too hard. I'm willing to bet that our Hybrid forms are better for longer fights, but if we're able to wrap something up quickly, then we can go for Resplendent Evolution. You know, once the rest of us get access to that power too."
"We'll just need time to get used to it so that we can handle its full power," Siriusmon said. "It's okay if we have to be patient though. We can figure it out with time. We still don't understand everything about this type of evolution since only two of us have reached it, and I know for a fact we don't have Bokomon's book to guide us now the way we used to."
"I'm going to do all the research I can to make up for it though! I promise!"
Bokomon's voice cut through the conversation before the Legendary Warriors could continue, and he dashed up to the group with the rest of the Digimon hot on his heels. He was writing on a small notepad, the replacement for the books about the Legendary Warriors since he regularly left the volumes from the Celestial Three at the fortress these days. Bokomon began to jot down every detail he noticed about Junpei, and the Warrior of Thunder grinned proudly before starting to turn around, giving Bokomon the view he needed from every angle.
"We're going to work it out together one way or another," Siriusmon agreed. "In the meantime, I think we should try to figure out just what happened here today. I didn't ever expect the Void Fragment Digimon to try and attack such an important location so brazenly."
"If I had to guess, I would say this was something the mastermind planned."
Alastomon and Biastamon had just finished with speaking to the Digimon recently freed of the Void Fragments' possession, and they were approaching their saviors as the other Digimon retreated. Alastomon was the one who had spoken, and he brushed his hands together to get rid of any lingering dirt even though there was nothing for him to wipe away in the first place. "I can't imagine any other reason the Void Fragment Digimon would collaborate to attack a major stronghold like this," Alastomon continued.
"The Void Fragments tend to take away most of the critical thinking skills of their victims," Biastamon frowned. "They follow orders to wreak as much havoc as possible, but that's about all they can do. I agree that the mastermind behind all of this pointed them in our direction, but I can't for the life of me figure out why."
"They were trying to get rid of the two most important leaders of the Digital World," Alastomon said simply like he couldn't believe that Biastamon was asking the question to begin with. "They want to take us out of the picture for some reason or another. They just didn't expect us to be able to fight back."
"That's the problem though," Biastamon frowned. "We wouldn't have made it this far in the world if we couldn't handle ourselves in a battle. What made them think they would be able to get away with attacking us without anything happening? The mastermind must have known that we would push back against them, but they still tried this. I can't understand why they would attempt it if it was blatantly going to end as a failure."
There was a question none of the Legendary Warriors had an answer to. They all let Fractal Code wash over them as they reverted to their human forms, though Junpei was covered in yellow light rather than data. Once all of them were back in their regular forms again, Saki let out a heavy sigh. "If the Inaie incident wasn't evidence enough that we need to redouble our efforts to find the mastermind, this certainly is," they declared. "We're going to have to crack down as much as we can as soon as possible."
"We can start to investigate it as soon as we get the chance away from school," Mayumi suggested. "I know we don't have any solid leads the way we thought we did with Inaie before, but we still need to try it. There has to be some evidence out there for us to follow, and if we can uncover it, then we'll be headed in the right direction."
"I'll try to ask around for information as soon as I've fixed our Miriamon problem and unraveled the truth behind what her deal is," Saki nodded. "Until then, we're just going to have to work with what we have, as awful as that's going to be with our current cluelessness."
"Thank you for everything you've done for us here today," Biastamon interjected with a nod. "Other Digimon are going to start asking Alastomon and I for information about the attack, and we need to be ready to answer their questions. It pains me to leave you so soon, but... I don't want the Digital World to devolve into a state of panic."
"Things are bad enough as it is," Junpei finished for him, and Biastamon hesitated before nodding. Junpei smiled fondly and sent Biastamon a loose waving motion to shoo him. "Don't worry about it. We have something else to talk about before we finish up here anyway. We'll talk to you another time."
Alastomon and Biastamon retreated into the Crystal Citadel a moment later, and Junpei turned to face Saki with a heavy sigh. "Alright... Now that the battle is over, I think it's time for us to talk about everything you've been looking into with Miriamon," he said.
Mayumi and Haroi looked uneasily between Junpei and Saki, and the Digimon glanced to one another in fear, unwilling to forget the argument the pair had shared earlier in the afternoon. Saki took in a slow breath before nodding, and the honesty on their face was sobering in a way none of them had expected. "Alright," they replied. "I'm on the cusp of a breakthrough with Miriamon. I know something about her, and it's going to change everything we ever thought we knew."
"That's a terrifying way to open this conversation," Mayumi laughed nervously. "What exactly did you find out about her that would be so life-changing? Can you at least tell us that much?"
Saki hesitated before shaking their head. "Not yet," they responded. Junpei looked ready to interfere when they continued. "I'm going to talk to her first, and I'm going to make sure she can tell everyone the story herself. There are too many details I'm still missing even though I know where the story started and where it ended. As soon as I can get my hands on the truth, I'm going to reach out to all of you and get her to tell you what's going on."
Saki looked over to Junpei at that, trying to gauge his reaction after he had been so violently opposed to their secrecy earlier in the afternoon. Much to their surprise though, he responded with a light smile. "That's fine," he murmured. "As long as you're going to be honest with us soon, that's okay with me. Be sure to tell us everything that’s going on though. You shouldn't try to bottle so much up."
"I wouldn't dream of hiding it all," Saki assured him. "I've already learned my lesson there, I promise you."
"I'm glad we all understand one another then," Neemon grinned. "All's well that ends well... Even if it started with arguments and yelling."
Junpei and Saki both shifted uncomfortably at that with bright red spiraling across Junpei's cheeks before he could hide it. He cleared his throat to try and shift attention away from his embarrassment. "A-Alright, everyone. I think it's time for us to head back home. We deserve a break after that fight," he announced. "We can tell the rest of the group about this later this evening. We can plan our investigation's next steps then too."
"You've got it," Mayumi grinned. "Earth awaits, everyone. Let's go."
~~~~~
Koichi didn’t know how he was supposed to bring this up.
It had been a while since the subject of the lights in the sky first came up from the investigation team. They declared there had been lights dancing in the heavens on eleven specific dates over a period of three years, and those dates happened to match up perfectly with the birthdays of the Legendary Warriors. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Koichi was sure there had to be something to it, and he had to get to the bottom of it.
Tomoko Kimura had a rare night off today, and Koichi wanted to take this chance for himself. He knew most of the rest of his friends had grown too stressed as of late and forgot to reach out to their parents to ask for information. For a lot of them, they didn’t even have the option to reach out. Saki’s parents were gone, and Chihiro couldn’t speak with theirs unless they went to prison. That didn’t even begin to disqualify the other members of the team who had a strained or otherwise uncomfortable relationship with their parents.
Koichi knew he had a million other things to think about right now, but he also felt like this was something he would be best equipped to handle. If he spoke with Tomoko about the lights in the sky, then he would get answers about more than just his birth. If there had been lights to represent both him and Koji, then that would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of this had to do with the Digital World. Koichi was willing to accept it as a conclusion already, but he wanted to do something a bit more to prove it. Maybe it was because he felt guilty about not being able to do anything else to help anyone. Koichi was falling behind in every other way he could ever imagine, and talking to Tomoko… It certainly wouldn’t solve all of his problems, but it would at least help him to feel like he was doing something useful.
Tomoko slid into her seat at the kitchen table with a light sigh. “Thank you for making dinner tonight, Koichi,” she smiled. “I didn’t realize you had grown to be such a talented chef.”
Koichi felt pink rise in his cheeks. “It’s nothing.” He had been forced to get better at making food for himself after his mother started picking up longer hours at the hospital, and Koichi’s skills had been improving accordingly. He hadn’t been given the chance to show that to Tomoko until tonight though. Deep down, Koichi felt guilty for using this as a chance to express his skills improving. Tomoko deserved better than to simply receive Koichi’s kindness as an extension of the anxiety he didn’t know how to alleviate otherwise.
Tomoko took her first bite of the food, and her face immediately broke out into an even wider grin. “It really is delicious. You’re amazing, Koichi.”
“It’s nothing,” Koichi repeated, his cheeks growing redder and warmer. He didn’t deserve all the kindness his mother was giving him. He didn’t know how he ever could after everything he had done. The thought that she could be so nice to him was uncomfortable, and it made his chest suddenly feel like it was made of lead. Koichi shook his head to chase the feeling away and move the conversation along. “I had a question for you though… It’s about the day Koji and I were born.”
Tomoko paused her eating at that, her eyes going wide in surprise. “What about it?”
“The night we were born… Were there any lights in the sky?” Koichi questioned. Tomoko blinked in surprise, and Koichi found his tongue getting the better of him before he had the chance to stop it. “Koji’s friends at school mentioned it a while back, and he… He didn’t know how to ask our father about it, so…”
Tomoko nodded in understanding. “Yes… There were lights in the sky,” she began. “I could barely believe what I was seeing. In all honesty, I thought I was delirious after going through labor for so many hours. It wasn’t until Kousei said he saw them too that I knew they were actually there. It was strange… There was white light, but it was mixed with black too. I didn’t even know black light could show up against a dark sky like that, but… It was magical. It makes me wish cameras had been better back then. We tried to get a few photos of it, but none could really capture the beauty of the lights.”
Koichi nodded slowly. So the Legendary Warriors had been right to think that had something to do with their birthdays. It must have had something to do with the Digital World. There was no way all of it was a coincidence. But there was one more question on Koichi’s mind, and he leaned over the table as he asked it like he thought that would get the answer to him a little bit sooner. “Was there ever any explanation for it given by the media?”
Tomoko shook her head. “No, never. It happened a few times over the next few years, but we never figured out why it was happening. There were a few reports of it from time to time, but there was no way of predicting it. I think the last time it happened was around fifteen years ago. You and Koji were still babies back then,” she explained. “There were some people who tried to get to the bottom of what was happening, but they never seemed to have any luck with it.”
“I see…” Koichi’s gaze dropped to the plate before him. He wished he could say he understood the situation a bit better now, but he didn’t think he really did. The group already knew most of this, and while it was nice to have that confirmation, Koichi knew it wasn’t going to help them much. Unless they could hear from someone who knew the other side of the story—the Digital World’s side of it—the story was going to be just that: a story and a legend on Earth.
“I can’t believe I never told you that story,” Tomoko admitted with a small laugh. “Back when it happened, I felt like the heavens must have been blessing both of you. It felt too perfect to be true… Like something out of a fairy tale.” Her face grew sober and sad. “I guess I forgot about it in the midst of the divorce. It was hard for me to tell stories about anything that happened before the split once it happened.”
Koichi felt that old, unholy rage spark up in his chest at the mention of Kousei. It was hard for him to believe sometimes that Kousei hadn’t always been such a horrible person. There had been a time many years ago where their family was united. There had been a time before Koichi came to resent his father so completely. It felt impossible to him now, and Koichi didn’t know how he would ever feel about it. His emotions were too complicated for his lips, rattling against his ribcage in search of an escape he knew he would never be able to provide them.
Tomoko distracted herself by taking another bite of the food, and she hummed in approval once it was in her mouth. “But that’s enough of that. We should be enjoying tonight. I don’t get enough time off, and I want to spend it being happy with you.”
Koichi forced that anger back where it had come from and nodded, swallowing away the bile in his throat. “You’re right.” He didn’t know how much he deserved this, and he found some self-deprecating voice whispering in his ears something vague about how he shouldn’t be doing this. Koichi didn’t know what words it was saying specifically, but he didn’t press the point either. Tomoko was right. This was a night to be happy.
Koichi may not have felt like he deserved it, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Tomoko did. She had some rare time off work, and Koichi wasn’t going to ruin that by dragging his mood through the mud and then deeper into the crust of the earth for good measure. Tomoko deserved joy, and Koichi was going to give it to her. Maybe he was being selfish and acting like it was an act of charity when it was not, but he didn’t let that taint his smile.
Even if Koichi deserved nothing, he knew his mother deserved everything, and for her, he would do anything.
~~~~~
The rest of the evening passed with little consequence for Mayumi and Haroi, something they were both glad for. The day had been much more stressful than either one of them had originally anticipated, and they were feeling the weight of it as the hours rumbled by gracelessly. What should have been a regular day at school followed by a casual evening in the Digital World had turned into a spiral of paranoia and a battle against unexpected attackers. They had both more than earned a night of good sleep after all that.
But before they settled in for the night, the two sat together in Haroi's room. He was already halfway tucked into bed, his blankets pressed over his legs as he stared ahead blankly. Mayumi sat backward in his desk chair, her arms draped off the back so she could face her brother. Neither one of them wanted to be the one to say it, but they knew they had to. That day had proven something to them loud and clear, and as much as they hated having to acknowledge it, they had no other options.
"Do you think he was really there?" Mayumi asked softly. As soon as she forced the words out, she started bouncing one leg anxiously, desperate to get as much energy out as possible without having to think about Yutaka.
"You could feel it, couldn't you?" Haroi returned, unable to bring himself to give her a straight answer. "You knew just as well as I did that we were being followed. I don't know who it was, but the entire way home... There was someone watching us."
"It must have been Yutaka. I can't imagine it was anybody else," Mayumi sighed, clenching the back of Haroi's desk chair a bit tighter between her fingers. "He's been following Tomoki around, and that apparently extends to other people he cares for too. I don't know what Yutaka is trying to do or why he thinks following us is a good idea, but I have a really bad feeling about all of it."
"We're going to have to be more careful from now on," Haroi frowned. "I really don't like to think that he could figure out the truth behind everything we've been up to lately, but... It's very possible. If he finds out about the Digital World, then he's going to do something bad with that information. I can't say for sure what, but it's not going to be good for any of us."
"Yeah," Mayumi agreed with a hum. Her foot's tapping against the floor only grew more violent as the seconds ticked by, and she swallowed dryly in an attempt to banish her nerves. It didn't work. She shouldn't have expected it to, but she was disappointed all the same.
Neither one of them spoke for a long time, unsure of what could even be said, before Mayumi broke the silence with the same clumsy bluntness she always did. Even in private conversations where there was no pressure to conform to the rules of society, she still felt like she was doing everything wrong. "I don't know what I'm going to do if he really is following us," she confessed. "Why in the world would he go out of his way to make other people that miserable? Does he hate his brother so much that he would destroy everything he loves just for the hell of it?"
"I don't know," Haroi confessed. "Tomoki deserves better than this, and so do the rest of us. I can't say for sure what Yutaka could want from all of us, but we're going to have to figure it out. As soon as we can tell the others, I'm sure they'll give it their all to make sure Tomoki is kept safe. We can look after each other too, and we'll make sure nothing bad happens because of him."
"I wish I could believe that," Mayumi sighed. "I want to think that it'll be that easy, but I'm scared that's not going to be the case. If Yutaka doesn't buzz off and leave us alone soon, then what in the world are we supposed to do? You know what he did to Tomoki. He practically tore his brother apart because of jealousy. He knew he could get away with it, and he was right. Even now, it seems like there's nobody who cares enough to get in the way before he can make things worse."
"That's not true. All of us care, and we're going to make sure Tomoki is kept safe no matter what," Haroi reminded her. "It might not seem like much, but we've saved the world before—multiple times, as a matter of fact. We're capable of incredible things, and Yutaka... As awful as he is and as daunting as it is to try and fight him off, we're going to be able to handle it."
Mayumi snorted, allowing herself a good-natured smile even if she didn't entirely believe in it. "I guess there's not much that can possibly top us killing an evil angel dead set on destroying multiple worlds, huh?" she asked. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded. "Alright. We can talk to Tomoki about it tomorrow, and after that, we'll figure out a solution for what to do with the rest of the group."
Haroi nodded. "I'm glad we can agree on that much," he smiled. He fell quiet for a few heavy beats before shaking his head. "I can't believe Yutaka would act like this either, but as long as he insists on doing it, we'll just have to fight back with everything we have. He shouldn't have crossed this line, and he shouldn't have ever laid a hand on his brother. If he tries either one again, then we'll do what we have to in order to defend ourselves."
"I wish we could just turn into Digimon, blast him to hell, and be done with it," Mayumi sighed. "I know that's not an option for a variety of reasons, including the law, public opinion, and morality, but... I hate him for everything he did to Tomoki. I think all of us have a right to hate him. I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for Tomoki."
"I feel the same way," Haroi assured her. "Honestly... The helplessness feels like a weight on my chest. I wish I could do something to help him with all he's been through, but... Tomoki doesn't want us to get involved, and I don't know how to approach the subject with him. He's suffering because of Yutaka coming back, and I wish he could talk to his parents about it."
"But they only bothered to help him when Yutaka started to lash out at them too," Mayumi finished for him. "Would they really do anything if Yutaka hadn't shown back up to them? Would they even think of trying to defend him if they heard the truth?"
Haroi once again went silent before shaking his head. "I don't know," he murmured. "But no matter what happens, we're going to have to be there for Tomoki. No matter what Yutaka tries next, we have to be ready. I won't let him do anything to hurt our friend again."
Mayumi nodded, and she stared down at the floor in front of her. She wished she knew what to do, but the helplessness weighed on her shoulder like a ton of bricks. She didn't have the slightest idea as to what she was meant to do to fix this, much less if she could even help at all. She hated Yutaka for coming back to harass his brother after so long. She hated Tomoki's parents for not doing anything until it inconvenienced them. She hated the world for failing Tomoki so many times that he felt like he had to deal with his brother on his own.
Mayumi just wanted to help. She had been an outcast her entire life, and she finally had something going for her—a place she could call her home, a group she could call her friends. She needed to return the favor and help all of them the way they had helped her out of her own darkness and fear. Her conscience wouldn't let her go if she didn't try to push through and help her friends. It was as much for her own sake as it was for theirs. She needed to do this.
But until she could do something more, Mayumi tapped her foot against the floor and wished she could blast Yutaka to pieces. It may have been illegal and a criminal thought in a dozen different ways, but she didn't mind. For the moment, it was a wish unlike anything else, and as long as it brought her solace in the face of bitter hatred, who was she to complain?
~~~~~
By the time the next morning rolled around, the rest of the Legendary Warriors had been filled in on everything that had happened in the Digital World. They had all passed around a few questions about Junpei's Resplendent Evolution, and it was clear as could be that the rest of the group was beyond eager to reach that level too. They still didn't understand the technicalities behind it even after two evolutions, but it was something they would be able to figure out soon enough. They could draft up theories when they next met to go to the Digital World as a full team of twelve.
That was another thing that had come of the night before. Saki was planning on setting up a mandatory group meeting so they could all hear the truth behind what Miriamon was up to. Takuya wasn't entirely sure of the details when it came to Miriamon's odd behavior, but he supposed he would find out soon enough. If Saki thought it was important enough to merit a required team meeting, then he would go along with it. He trusted their judgement more than enough to justify this, especially since they had been going out of their way to investigate Miriamon for so long.
It was only Wednesday, but both the week and day felt like they were moving agonizingly slowly by the time Takuya arrived at lunch. He was used to sitting with the investigation team at this point, and as much as it stunk that he couldn't talk with the other Legendary Warriors about Digital World affairs, he supposed that was for the best. Nobody could overhear them if they were forced into silence by a few extra bodies. As long as Yutaka was following Tomoki and other members of the group around, it was best to be safe rather than sorry. Takuya had no idea what Yutaka had heard in the past or if he knew anything at all, but he wasn't going to ask questions about it either. He was just going to prepare for the worst by being as quiet as possible.
The investigation team, however, had no qualms about talking all they wanted, and Katsuharu fed a quick bite into his mouth and swallowed before speaking. "There was another attack internationally yesterday," Katsuharu said. "Apparently, it was in the United Kingdom. Not even the rowdiest of Londoners knew how to face off against two rampaging monsters."
"Two?" Koji echoed, his expression contorting with shock and rage. "I would have thought there would only be one. Shibuya is the only place that's seen multiple Digimon at once."
"There's only been one international attack before this, and a single incident doesn't exactly set up a good pattern for us to follow," Teppei pointed out. "But there were two of them. They were fairly small, and as soon as the military pushed back against them enough to make those black shadows come out of their bodies and shatter, they were gone. The military couldn't even take them in for questioning. I don't know how you would question a monster like that in the first place, but it didn't matter in the end."
"A portal showed up at the last minute to whisk the monsters away, and that's how they were able to get out of trouble," Teruo went on. "I feel like that's just kind of how it goes at this point though. They come through a portal, cause some chaos, and then go back through a portal once their job is done. The difference is the portals seem to open up automatically when there are no human monsters around to do the dirty work and clean up the aftermath of the fight. After all, Japan is the only country that has other monsters to defend the people from otherworldly invaders."
"If you ask me, it sounds like they're testing the waters," Izumi remarked with a frown. "The monsters want to see how much chaos they can bring and still get away with it. They appear and disappear quickly enough that nobody can figure out how to fight back against them or capture them. It's all about experimentation and testing the limits of what they can reasonably do, and they know how to handle it."
Takuya nodded, though he wished he could bring himself to disagree. Deep down though, he knew Izumi was right. The Digimon were testing the waters, though he couldn't quite say what they were building up to. Could they have been planning an invasion of Earth? Lucemon had wanted to take over both Earth and the Digital World at one point. It wouldn't be out of the question to assume there were others who had ideals of world domination and conquest. That certainly posed frightening implications when it came to the mastermind behind the Void Fragments, but it wasn't any worse than what the group had already heard. Takuya only realized after the thought hit him just how messed up that was.
"All the more reason for us to look around for more information," Koji said vaguely. To the investigation team, it would look like a call to action, but the Legendary Warriors knew what he was really talking about. They were going to have to head to the Digital World as soon as possible to look around for any clues that could point them to the mastermind. Between the attack on Alastomon and Biastamon the previous day and the international Digimon attacks, everything was getting more dangerous, and they had to find the truth before it could get any worse.
"I agree," Katsuharu beamed. He pulled out the group's massive notebook full of information about Digimon, and he slammed it onto the table. "You never know where you're going to find something interesting. As soon as I woke up this morning and heard about the attack, I started combing through news reports to see if I could dig up anything interesting. As a matter of fact, I did. I've got a few pictures on hand if you want to see them."
Katsuharu was quick to pass the notebook around the table, offering anyone who was curious the chance to see what he had collected. Takuya looked in passing, but he didn't bother with examining most of the details. There were two Digimon in the pictures, alright, but they were small, and the pictures were so blurry that it was difficult to say for sure what type of monsters they really were. Not even Takuya’s heightened instincts could tell him which Digimon he was looking at because of how hazy and fuzzy the shots were. At the very least, Takuya knew they were Beast Digimon. That trend still hadn't been broken after all this time, and it was beyond worrying.
The notebook was passed off casually from person to person with each recipient expressing varying degrees of interest in the photographs and newspaper clippings. Unexpectedly, the person who cared the least was Chiaki, who barely spared the pages a glance before moving on and handing the notebook to Izumi. Chiaki's eyes had been glazed over in apathy ever since the conversation began, and she hadn't even spoken a word. She had been acting this way for a while now, and to say that it was concerning was an understatement.
Luckily, the Warrior of Fire was far from being the only one who had noticed this disturbing trend. "Are you okay, Chiaki?" Teppei asked before Takuya had the chance. Teppei pushed his glasses up his nose, a learned nervous habit, as he went on. "You've been so quiet for the last week or so. It's a bit worrying."
Chiaki perked up at the sound of her name, and she glanced around anxiously like she was trying to find evidence of where she was. Once she was satisfied, she let out a heavy sigh. "I'm fine," she forced herself to say even though it was very clearly a lie. "I've just... Had a lot on my mind lately."
"Having a lot on your mind is one thing, but you've seemed spaced out for the last week," Teruo countered. "If it's something about your dad, then you know you can—"
"It's nothing!" Chiaki interrupted before he had the chance to finish. As soon as she had spoken, she realized just how loud she had been, and her cheeks flushed pink. She cleared her throat to ground herself once again, and she sank into her seat like she wanted it to swallow her and never return her to the world again. "It's nothing. I just need a bit of time to think, and I'll be fine. Give me a few more days. It'll be back to normal soon."
Everyone at the table exchanged nervous glances at that, but Chiaki didn't give them the chance to push the subject beyond that. Instead, she just rose to her feet, grabbing the remnants of her lunch and her backpack. "I'll see you guys later," she said abruptly. She shuffled away a beat later, vanishing into the crowd and then from sight entirely.
The people still at the table remained silent for another long minute as they tried to figure out what had just happened. Katsuharu and Teppei stared at where they had last seen Chiaki before she disappeared into the shuffle of the school. Izumi squirmed on the spot, and Koji pointedly avoided looking at Teruo since he had been the one to make the comment about Chiaki's father. Chihiro continued to stare over their shoulder like they were sure there was something there to find at all, and Takuya drummed his fingers against the table. That wasn't how he had expected the conversation to end, and his stomach did flips at the idea of Chiaki's blatant apathy for everyone else's concerns. She had a lot on her mind, but Takuya was sure there was more to it than that.
He didn't speak again after that, and nobody else did either. They came up with half-hearted excuses to leave the lunch table behind, none of them willing to breach Chiaki's privacy or the silence that hung over them. Takuya and Chihiro were the last ones left behind, and Chihiro continued to look around even once they were alone, staring into the crowd with a glare even though they barely seemed to know what they were looking for. Takuya let out a silent sigh, and he did his best to not get too bitter about the exchange with Chiaki or worried about Chihiro’s recent spike of paranoia.
In a lot of ways, it was like the group was going right back to the way they had been when they first entered the Digital World. They were afraid to trust one another and themselves, always looking for a hidden motive no matter what was happening around them. They knew they were safer than they ever had been, but the fear still threatened to suffocate them. They were supposed to have faith in each other, but they didn't seem to want to let themselves do it. Takuya reached for his D-Tector and looked at it as Chihiro threw away their trash from lunch even though they hadn't eaten much of anything. It seemed like they didn't eat anywhere near as much as they normally did these days, no doubt because of their consistent anxiety over their parents and the lingering fear of being followed by someone. Takuya just wished he could do something about it. He wished he could help everyone in the group.
Takuya stared down at his reflection in the screen of his D-Tector, desperately praying that it would offer him the answers he was searching for. When the device remained silent and still, he sighed and tucked it away once again. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other as he pushed on to his next class, but that sinking feeling in his stomach never quite went away. He didn't know what he expected, but it disappointed him anyway.
There was no time to rest when it came to saving the world, themselves, and each other, it seemed.
~~~~~
Tomoki felt like he was going to explode.
The night before had, to put it simply, brought him a lot more surprises than he was comfortable with. First, it had been the text from Junpei saying that he had reached the level of Resplendent Evolution while on an impromptu trip to the Digital World with Saki, Mayumi, and Haroi. Then, Saki had said they were staying in the Digital World somewhat permanently and coming over to Earth during the day for school. A moment later, Saki had declared the group would be hearing the truth of Miriamon's history that weekend as long as all went to plan.
All of that had been enough of a punch to the stomach as it was, but when Tomoki read the last message of the night from Mayumi, he felt like his world was ending. She had told the group she was confident Yutaka was following both her and Haroi. That was the reason they had gone to the Digital World in the first place; they had wanted to get away from him. Tomoki had been right in assuming Yutaka would put them in danger, and the idea made him want to be sick.
Beyond that, Tomoki felt guilty for the fact that it had come up at all. He had been hoping to not have to talk about it if he could avoid the truth. He was afraid of having to admit to the depths of everything Yutaka was capable of and had done to him in the past. Tomoki was over his embarrassment of sharing the details of Yutaka's abuse of him with the rest of the Legendary Warriors, but talking about it still made him feel sick to his stomach. He wasn't like the rest of the group. He couldn't handle talking about his problems like nothing was wrong the way he had been able to back in the Digital World. He was on Earth again, and that meant it was time for him to deal with Earth problems appropriately no matter how anxious it made him feel.
"It's okay to talk to them, you know," Kuma reminded Tomoki as he weaved his way through the halls of his school. "You can trust them. They know Yutaka treated you poorly, and they're trying to help you."
"I know that," Tomoki said in return for the tenth time in the span of the last day. "But... I'm afraid. I don't want Yutaka to be involved with all of this. I wish he would just leave me and the rest of my friends alone. I'm so sick and tired of him."
"I know," Blizzar nodded. "We all wish we could just get rid of him... Though perhaps you talking to your parents would make it a little bit easier to—"
"No," Tomoki cut in. They had discussed this a myriad of times too, and each time, Tomoki felt worse. He didn't want to have to tell his parents again that Yutaka was back to ruin all of their lives. They had struggled enough when they first learned their son was a monster, and Tomoki still hadn't shaken the guilt of having to be the one to break it to them. He didn't know what to do when it came to talking to them about present struggles. It was just an impossible feat he didn't even want to consider.
"They should have protected you," Daipen said next, his voice darker than Tomoki was used to hearing it. "They're your parents. I know they love Yutaka, but they care about you too. They should know when to stand up for you. They knew Yutaka was a problem and just didn't do anything about it because he wasn't inconveniencing them specifically."
Tomoki opened his mouth to retort before he swallowed the words back. They were right. Of course they were. How could they not be? His parents should have done more to help him, and there were some days when Tomoki hated that they hadn't intervened until Yutaka had turned on them specifically. At the same time, he knew being upset that way wasn't productive, and it sure wasn't going to help him solve his current problem of facing his brother. He could get as upset as he wanted, but it wasn't going to give him a way out of this disaster.
"They failed you. Everyone failed you," Blizzar agreed. "You were a child, and you had to face your brother alone because they were too afraid of stepping in. They were too afraid of disciplining him even when they knew he was in the wrong."
"They didn't know how bad it was," Tomoki countered. "They just... Didn't know about it. I can't get mad at them for not helping with something I never told them about. It's not right of me to hold that against them."
"It wasn't right of them to leave your brother unchecked when they could see how much it was hurting you," Blizzar countered. "You were a child afraid of everything because of him, and they willfully chose to not notice the truth. They should have been there to look out for you, but because they didn't catch on until it was too late, you've spent all those years suffering."
"How in the world is it your fault for having to be the bearer of bad news when they would have figured it out ages ago if they didn't live in a world of denial?" Kuma agreed. That was how Tomoki knew this was an important conversation; Kuma never got serious like this. Normally, he was happy and laidback, everything Tomoki wished he could have been. Now though... Everything was different, and Tomoki hated it. He had to confront the darkness of his situation whether he felt ready for not, and he was absolutely not ready for it.
"I... I should have tried harder to defend myself," Tomoki said even though he knew it was a flimsy excuse. How could he have defended himself against his brother? Yutaka was probably the tallest person he knew, and he had always used both his age and size to intimidate his brother in every way he could. Tomoki wouldn't have been able to fight that. There was no way for any child to push back against behavior like that.
"We need to talk to them, and we have to do it soon," Daipen concluded before Blizzar could protest Tomoki's words. "I know you're afraid of your brother, but we can't just let him roam freely like this. He's expanding his range of vision to hurt other people now, and that includes your friends. Mayumi and Haroi were so afraid of being followed that they had to escape into another world. As much as we might hate to admit it, Yutaka is following us and the rest of the Legendary Warriors, and we need to try and stop him before it gets any worse."
Tomoki swallowed dryly at that, hating that he was being put in a position where he had to admit something so brutal. Of course he knew it was the truth. He wasn't a fool. Yutaka was putting all of them in danger because he was a terrible person. Tomoki knew his brother was awful... But knowing something and believing it were two entirely different things, and Tomoki wasn't going to push himself beyond his limits when he was in such an awful position already. He didn't want to add to his stresses when there was more than enough going on in his life as it was.
"You have a week," Blizzar said after a pause that dragged itself on for what felt like an eternity. "If you haven't told your parents by the time that week is up, then I'll do what I have to in order to intervene. I'm not going to let Yutaka put us or anyone else in danger. You forget that the three of us are along for the ride too, and we have to be able to look out for you. If we don't get other people involved, then it could come to a fight of you against Yutaka, and if he threatens your life… I doubt you want this to be the way your parents find out about you being a Digimon."
Tomoki screwed his jaw shut as tightly as he could. Blizzar was right about that much. He didn't know what Yutaka was thinking of doing, but he was terrified of any outcomes that could end with the truth being exposed to the world at large. Tomoki didn't have a way to defend himself that didn't involve turning into a Digimon. He was getting better at soccer, yes, but that wasn't going to be enough, especially when his brother was so much larger than him. He didn't have a Resplendent form either, which meant the depth of his elemental powers were still sealed away out of his reach unless he Spirit Evolved to access them. He was in an awful position no matter how he looked at it.
They were cornered. Each and every one of them was trapped. Yutaka was after something—no doubt just the goal of making his younger brother miserable—and that was going to hurt everyone Tomoki loved. He had never understood his brother's obsession with hurting other people, but he didn't need to comprehend the depths of Yutaka's depravity in order to know he had to do something to stop this. If it meant talking to his parents, then he was just going to have to stomach it.
He had a week. That was what Blizzar had said. Tomoki was going to do his best to stick to that promise no matter how difficult it was. He owed that much to himself and everyone else who was counting on him.
If all went well, then he wouldn't have to deal with his brother at all after this week through sheer force of luck and a miracle. Tomoki wasn't naive enough to believe in that though, so he started the countdown to his own doom as he settled down in his seat for his first class of the afternoon.
~~~~~
Yumiko raised her cup to her lips and took in a long sip, her eyelashes sweeping closed along the way. She sighed and set the cup down on the wire table before her as she looked up to Junpei where he sat opposite her. Yumiko had chosen a strawberry bubble tea for their meeting, but Junpei had opted to have a simple coffee, though Yumiko didn't know the details of it beyond that. She had never been much of a coffee person, and trying to understand it always seemed to give her a headache.
Junpei had been the one to suggest they come together for the afternoon. Ever since he had reached the Resplendent level, he had been constantly thinking about the extra abilities that came with embodying an element, and Yumiko was the best person to offer him the answers he sought. It had been an impromptu meeting, but they needed to talk about their new abilities in detail. That was the only way they were going to make any progress when it came to the truth behind all that had happened.
The weather was getting colder now, and since the two were sitting outside, they were both bundled up in two layers each. Yumiko's earmuffs had been placed on the table to her right while Junpei hid his hair in a simple beanie. At a first glance, nobody would have ever expected them to be friends given Junpei's generally darker ensemble—all blacks, purples, and grays with a few hints of yellow—and Yumiko's pastel color palette. Still, Yumiko couldn't bring herself to care much when it came to how others viewed them. She knew what she and Junpei were there for, and she wasn't going to let herself slack off when the truth was closer than ever before.
"Alright," Junpei started. "You said you've noticed your powers work even here on Earth, right? If you're untransformed and try to manipulate your element, it still works?"
Yumiko nodded. She glanced around to find any semblance of plant life, though it was much easier said than done since all the greenery was turning orange for the late autumn and subsequent transition into winter. Eventually, she spotted a small blade of grass peeking up from between different panels of concrete on the sidewalk, and she stared down at it. Soon afterward, the grass sprouted into a small blossom barely smaller than Yumiko's pinky fingernail. Her eyes flashed bright green throughout the process before her magic subsided, leaving the regular emerald hue of her eyes to take hold once more.
"That would be a yes then," Junpei nodded. "I've noticed that too. I don't know the extent of what I can do, but it's definitely less than when I'm in my Resplendent form. I guess that makes sense. Resplendent Spirit Evolving is exhausting, and it takes up a lot of my energy."
"We’re going to have to get used to it," Yumiko pointed out. "It took us a while to start controlling our Beast Spirits, but we were able to take care of that eventually too. Our Hybrid forms were the same way. We just need some time before it'll start making more sense to us."
"You're right," Junpei agreed. "Though I don't think we can risk using our Resplendent forms here on Earth. I mean, we kind of have a secret to keep, and I would prefer it if nobody started coming after us to ask questions. We've got more than enough to deal with right now between that investigation team and Yutaka. At least we have a little bit of plausible deniability when we’re in our Digimon forms. No one is going to draw the line there unless they see us transform, and we won’t let that happen."
Yumiko winced at the mention of Yutaka. She had learned the night before that Yutaka was a major concern for Tomoki and, to a lesser extent, Mayumi and Haroi. Ever since then, she had been keeping one eye over her shoulder just in case he decided to come after her too, but she hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary yet. It made sense that Yutaka wouldn't want to follow her so much though; she went to a private school far from the rest of the Legendary Warriors, and if Yutaka was trying to stalk those who were close to Tomoki, then she would be comparatively out of the way. She was glad to have a little buffer so he wasn't pursuing her directly, but she feared for the rest of the group and what that could mean. She knew how terrifying being followed could be, and she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemies.
Yumiko's grip on her cup tightened, but she didn't raise it to her lips yet. "Have... Have you felt him following you at all?" Yumiko questioned. "Yutaka, I mean. I know Tomoki is worried, and Mayumi and Haroi are too. They wouldn't have brought it up in the group chat last night if it wasn't something they thought we should be thinking about."
Junpei bristled, sucking in air between his teeth. "I don't know," he confessed. "I can't tell if I'm just being paranoid or if there's actually something I should be concerned about. I keep looking over my shoulder to see if he's there, but I haven't seen anything yet. I know that's not definitive proof he's not there, but... I just don't know what to do about it. It’s hard to say for sure if he’s watching us or not if we can’t even catch a glimpse of him when he’s tailing us, you know?"
Yumiko took a brief sip of her drink, chewing on one of the bubbles when it was sucked up through her straw. After she swallowed it, she started swirling around the fluid in her cup with a small circular motion of her wrist. "I'm worried," Yumiko murmured. "I want to believe that all of this is going to be for nothing and that we're worried about something that won't mean anything. But... I know better than that. Tomoki is afraid. He didn't want to talk about it until he absolutely had to. The fear Yutaka instills in him is like nothing else, and I can see it in his eyes when he talks about his brother."
"The first I heard of it was from Mayumi and Haroi last night," Junpei nodded. "When they sent a message in the group chat, I don't think Tomoki necessarily wanted them to say it. He was afraid of what they were going to say, and now that the rest of us know, I don't think he has an idea for what to do. He's scared. He doesn't want anybody else to know what's going on."
"I got that impression too," Yumiko sighed. She turned her attention up toward the sky where a few large, puffy clouds were rolling across the heavens. "I don't like the fact that he feels obligated to hide it. He's struggling, and he deserves to have help to deal with all of that."
"I agree. I just don't know how much he's going to want to talk about it with the rest of us," Junpei frowned. "He didn't say a word about any of this before until he had no choice. Back when we were in the Digital World the first time, I mean. He said that being there, being chased by Cherubimon's goons... It scared him because it reminded him of Yutaka. Even now that we're back, he's not safe from that. Yutaka just wants to keep making him miserable."
"I don't know how people can do this," Yumiko muttered, tightening her grip on her cup. "I don't understand how Yutaka can act this way without caring about his brother. How can you do that to another human being? How can you willingly bring someone else pain like that?"
"He thinks he's justified," Junpei snorted. "That’s the reason all people act the way they do: they’re convinced they’re in the right or that this is the best course of action. In his own fucked up way, Yutaka thinks he's doing the right thing. Beyond that... He just thinks Tomoki deserves it. He's convinced he's getting his vengeance on someone who wronged him. I'm not saying it's right, but... That's what he's got on his mind right now. Apparently, that's enough for him to justify stalking all of us as long as it's going to get him to drag Tomoki down."
Yumiko opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off before she had the chance.
"Behind you," Fiore whispered intently. "I swear I sensed something moving."
Yumiko whirled around before she could stop herself. She saw a few bushes nearby, all of them losing the luster of spring and summer. The leaves stirred even though no breeze blew through the area. She glared at the spot, and Junpei looked past her over her shoulder at the same spot. He had sensed it too. There was something there.
For a while, the two just stared at the spot, waiting for somebody or something to make themselves known. Yumiko hoped a small animal would jump out of the leaves as the culprit, having made the noise while gathering food in preparation for their upcoming hibernation. In the end, no such thing happened, and Yumiko knew she was still being watched. She only needed one guess to figure out who the culprit was.
Junpei snarled under his breath, and Yumiko turned to face him once again. Electricity danced across his fingertips before subsiding into his skin. "If he tries anything with Tomoki, I'm going to make sure he pays," Junpei muttered crossly. "He can't get away with this. I won't let him get away with this. If that means giving him a shock unlike anything he's ever seen before, then so be it."
The true intentions of his words were clear, and Yumiko nodded her agreement. She wasn't going to do anything so bold as to reveal herself as one of the human monsters saving Shibuya from peril, but if Yutaka pursued Tomoki, then she would do what she had to in order to keep her friend safe. Tomoki had done more for her than she could ever hope to express in words, and the least she could do was try to help him with his struggles. She owed it to him, and she wasn't going to let anyone stomp on him as long as she was around.
That was how she had evolved to the Resplendent level in the first place. Yumiko couldn't undo the strife of the past, but she could make a difference in the present, and she was determined to be the sort of person a past incarnation of her would have needed. She and Tomoki were too similar for her to ignore his struggles in good conscience, and on top of that, they were friends. If she could help, then she had to do something about it. If that meant facing off against Yutaka, then she would do it. No price was too low if it would help her to save one of her friends.
The bushes stirred once again, but this time, it was because of Yumiko. A dangerous promise flickered in her electric green eyes. "If anyone tries to hurt Tomoki, I'll do everything in my power to stop them," she vowed quietly. The plants only fell still after Yumiko had spoken the words and allowed the green light in her eyes to dissipate.
Junpei's eyes flashed yellow as electricity sparked across his fingertips. The lightning was just enough to singe a small patch on the outside of his coffee cup. Before anyone could notice what he had done, the electricity vanished, and Junpei gripped even tighter at his cup. "They won't get the chance to try anything... Not as long as we're around."
~~~~~
The door opened and closed easily behind Teruo, and he kicked his shoes off. "I'm home!" he cried into the seemingly empty house. He hung his backpack up near the door and shook his head, messing his hair up a bit but getting the windswept sting off his cheeks for a few seconds.
"Teruo!" came the cry of Akira Fuji as she dashed around the corner to greet him. She was full of energy even among the ranks of ten-year-olds, and she ran into him full speed. She was a mass of childhood joy and muscle, both of which had been well honed on the playground in her decade of life. She threw her arms around her older brother, and Teruo was more than happy to return the embrace.
"Welcome back!" Ryo Fuji exclaimed. He was quick to round the corner as well, albeit with much less grace than his older sister. The eight-year-old was on the verge of slamming his chin into the ground when Teruo rushed forward, still clinging to Akira with one arm, and grabbed his wrist to steady him. Ryo smiled up at him with a lopsided grin that showed off a few of his missing teeth from where his adult set had yet to grow in.
"Sorry it took me so long to get back," Teruo apologized as he slowly made his way over to the living room. The television was on, and Teruo could only assume the two had been watching some anime or another to pass the time until he returned. Teruo didn't recognize the show, but he didn’t try to either, instead turning his attention on collapsing gracelessly onto the couch. "Soccer practice ran long."
That was the main downside of the soccer season, Teruo found. He loved the sport, and he could play it all day, but he wasn't quite so fond of being forced to stay away from home for so long. Their parents both worked important jobs in massive corporations, so they were out of the house frequently as well. Teruo was the one there for his siblings most often, but the soccer season—especially one distorted by recent monster attacks—got in the way of him being there for Akira and Ryo as much as he wanted to be. They didn't seem to mind it much, though Teruo still wished with everything he had that their parents could spare enough time off to look after their two younger children at the very least.
"What are we doing for dinner?" Akira asked as she sat down beside him, her brown eyes shining with excitement. Looking at her and Ryo was like looking in a mirror for Teruo; they all looked exactly like their father between their bright light brown hair and matching irises. Akira and Ryo just looked like younger versions of Teruo, and pictures of the children at the same age looked more like one person than three separate kids. "Mom and Dad aren't going to be home tonight, so we can do have whatever we want."
Teruo held back a wince, and even though he had expected to hear that, it still made him want to throw something. He didn't care if their parents weren't there for him, but Akira and Ryo were still young, and they deserved better than that. He didn't say this out loud though, instead smiling brightly to them both. "Don't you worry. I can make us something good tonight," he assured them.
Akira and Ryo cheered, and Teruo turned his attention to the television. Ryo explained before Teruo had the chance to ask for elaboration about what they were watching. "It's a show about monsters," Ryo told him. "Since there have been a bunch of monster attacks, Akira and I have been watching everything we can to learn more about them!"
Teruo's fingers clenched slightly, but he was quick to relax them before his siblings could catch on. He hadn't told them about the investigation for the sake of keeping them safe in case anything went sour with the search for the truth, but they were the reason he wanted to learn more. He wanted them to be as safe as possible, and for the time being, that meant eliminating as many potential threats as he could. He never expected that to end up meaning he would spend so many hours searching for monsters he had thought would never exist, but life had a way of happening the way it was meant to, and he wasn’t going to fight it. As long as he could find the truth behind all of this and make sure the world Akira and Ryo grew up in was safe, it would all be worth it.
"Don't you two worry a bit," Teruo assured them. "The monsters are going to be taken care of before you know it. I'll make sure there's nothing for either one of you to worry about. Promise."
Akira and Ryo both clapped excitedly before turning back to their show. Teruo knew they were watching a show that depicted their monsters as far less dangerous than the beasts of reality, but he wasn't going to tell them that. He didn't want to scare them, and that meant keeping them in the dark for the time being. So be it. It wasn't going to matter in the end anyway. He would keep them safe no matter what the cost was. They were counting on him, and he refused to let them down.
After all, if he wasn't there for them, who else would be?
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
And there's our next chapter! Woohoo!
We definitely got a lot done this time around. First off, we finished the fight sequence from the end of last chapter with the opening scene with Junpei, Saki, Mayumi, and Haroi. They've all got a lot on their minds because of the battle and everything it means, but they're getting closer to something big. The mastermind is acting more openly than ever before for better or worse. Also, we finally got Saki and Junpei to talk, and Saki is going to make sure they hear the truth behind Miriamon's past as soon as possible. That's going to be coming up in the next few chapters, and I'm beyond excited for it.
Next up, we have the scene of Mayumi and Haroi on Earth. These poor kids are terrified of everything now that they know for a fact Yutaka is after them. They deserve a break. I have to say though, it's really nice giving Mayumi and Haroi a bit more of the spotlight this time around since they didn't get as much screen time in the first book due to not being with either one of the two main parties for the first two acts. Now though, they've got more than enough time to break out of their shells, and it's awesome to write and see. On that note, I've really enjoyed exploring Mayumi's neurodivergence specifically, and this scene puts a highlight on her strong sense of justice and how that fuels her hatred for Yutaka. I love both of these characters to pieces, and they deserve all the love in the world.
Moving right along, we have the scene at the lunch table. At this point, these scenes with the investigation team are regular check ins to show what's going on with the investigation into the Digimon and the rest of the world. The attacks are happening in other places around the world now; the first one wasn't just a fluke. The stakes are getting higher, and the Legendary Warriors have to be ready to face it. On top of that, everyone is starting to drift apart because of their own issues, and while Chiaki might be the most obvious case of it, she is far from the only one. I'm really excited to show you all where everyone in the investigation team goes from here on out actually, and Chiaki is just the tip of the iceberg.
After that, we have the scene with Tomoki, Kuma, Blizzar, and Daipen. Hoo boy. I will admit that this one wasn't originally going to be included here, but since I had extra time and space, I wound up sneaking it in, and I'm very happy I did. I love the way it turned out. It gives a great insight into Tomoki's internal conflict regarding Yutaka and how his years of neglect have led him to being afraid to speak out when he's being mistreated. Poor Tomoki, seriously. I know I say that about a lot of characters in this series, but it's definitely applicable here.
I really enjoyed the scene of Junpei and Yumiko in the cafe, and if you'll remember, this actually mirrors a scene from the first book. In the Moon Base portion of act four, Junpei, Koji, and Yumiko were stranded on Caeruleum and wound up eating in a restaurant there with Junpei and Yumiko sitting opposite each other at the table. Beyond just being a callback though, this scene offers a bit more insight into the way the Resplendent Evolution powers work in human form along with reiterating just how far the group has come. They're struggling, but they still want to do all they can to help each other. Yumiko and Junpei have both reached Resplendent Evolution, so they're currently a step ahead of everybody else in terms of character arcs, and I think that shows here. There's a theme to Resplendent Evolution and what triggers it, and I'm going to explain it later, but for now, let these two be your theory bait.
Last but not least, we have the scene of Teruo going home after school. I wanted to include a flash sideways to a member of the investigation team aside from Chiaki since she's been getting most of the spotlight out of the quartet lately, and I wound up settling on Teruo. He's really been handed the short end of the stick in life with his parents never being around, but he doesn't mind it at all because he would rather his younger siblings get the attention. I mentioned Teruo having two younger siblings a while back, and here they are. All three of them deserve better than the neglect they've had to deal with, but at least they have each other.
Next time around, we're finally going to arrive at the fated rendezvous of Hinoka and Chiaki. Hoo boy. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 30: Converging Waves
Summary:
Hinoka reaches out to Chiaki to discuss the past only to find herself in very real danger in the present.
Chapter Text
Hinoka woke up early on Thursday morning. Her alarm wasn't set to ring for another hour, but no matter how much she tossed and turned, she couldn't bring herself to settle down again to rest. The day had finally come. That afternoon, she was finally going to talk to her sister for the first time. Properly. Face to face.
It had been a long time coming, but the more Hinoka thought about it, the queasier she felt. Her stomach was constantly twisting and tying itself into knots, and she was sure she was going to lose her dinner from the night before even though she had been too nervous back then to eat much of anything either. She tapped her foot anxiously against the floor as she tried to force herself to stand up and face the day. All she wanted to do was bolt to the ice cream shop she and Chiaki were going to after school so they could talk, but she had to make it through classes first, and that was unfortunately going to be much harder than Hinoka wanted to admit. There was no point in going there early since Chiaki wouldn’t be there, but it was all she could think about.
Her morning routine was simple enough at least. Hinoka didn't expect her mother to stir or come out of her room, and sure enough, she was alone all throughout her regular motions of preparing for school. Hinoka put in her earbuds and blasted some calming piano music to try and drown out her own thoughts, but it was never quite loud enough to ease her nerves. Maybe her first bad decision was trying to make piano music louder so she could think straight. She didn't question herself on it though, instead concentrating on just getting ready for the rest of the day.
Hinoka walked to school easily, though her mind never quite focused where it should have. Instead, she found herself spiraling through everything that could have gone wrong that afternoon. What if Chiaki didn't show up? Worse, what if Chiaki did show and then decided she wanted nothing to do with her sister? Worse still, what if their father found out about it and tried to keep Chiaki away from Hinoka for the sake of blocking out his old life? Hinoka knew he wasn't going to take kindly to hearing that his younger daughter had uncovered the secrets of the past, and she worried about what could happen to Chiaki if Daishi figured out what they were up to, but she couldn't let her anxiety pull her away now. She had to do this. She wasn't going to be able to force herself to reach out again if she faltered this time.
It was hard enough for Hinoka to get herself to do all of this. She knew all too well how easy it would have been for her to just block everything out and go back to hiding everything. She didn't want to confront the truth of the past even though she knew she had no other choice. Chiaki deserved this much, and so did she. Nobody ever said change was going to be easy to face though, and Hinoka was seeing that in stark, terrifying clarity now.
When Hinoka arrived at school for the day, she made her way to her first class without missing a beat. She slid into her seat long before anyone else entered the classroom, and she started to tap her foot against the floor once again. After what felt like an eternity, Hinoka reached for her phone. It had only been two minutes since she had arrived, but that was as good as forever as far as she was concerned.
Hinoka easily navigated to her text conversation log with Chiaki. She had read over it at least half a dozen times that morning alone, and throughout the week, she must have looked at it fifty times. She wanted to make sure she was getting all the details right just so nothing went wrong. She was perhaps being a bit dramatic with her paranoia, but Hinoka hadn't ever been known for being calm. When she was young, she was afraid of accidentally upsetting her father and spurring him into a rage. After that, she wound up stumbling straight into Emon's arms where he proceeded to make her life hell for the next few years. From there, Hinoka had wound up as a Legendary Warrior, and while she was doing better than ever before, it was still exhausting having to fight against the end of the world on such a regular basis. Her nerves were constantly rattling around threatening to suffocate her, and Hinoka didn't even want to bother with fighting it at this point. She knew it was going to end in failure anyways.
As the rest of her classmates trickled into the classroom, Hinoka took to speaking with Oceania, Aquaria, and Cerulea. As it turned out, all of them were just as nervous as she was, but they were doing their best to hide it. They were trying their best to reassure Hinoka that everything was going to be fine. Unfortunately for them, they shared a brain with the person they were trying to soothe, so she could see straight through their transparent attempts to calm her with empty words. She appreciated the effort, at the very least, even if it didn't do much for her.
The morning crawled by agonizingly slowly, and Hinoka checked her phone under her desk more times than she would care to admit. She liked to consider herself a good student most of the time. At the very least, she was enough of a rule follower to not spend her time on her phone in class. Today though, she couldn't have forced herself to focus on her lessons if she tried. There was just too much on her mind, and Hinoka was sure she was going to explode if she tried to take any extra information on top of everything else screaming in her head.
When lunch arrived, Hinoka was relieved as could be to have somehow survived half the day. She got ready for her meal robotically, leaving her classroom behind to make for the common area. She sat down at her table corner as per usual, waiting for Koichi to join her. Once she sat down, Hinoka went right back to tapping her foot all over again, and she desperately resisted the urge to shake the table out of a desperate hope that it would release her anxiety from her body.
By the time Koichi arrived, Hinoka had only really succeeded in picking her food around her plate without making any real progress. He did his best to not cringe at the sight of her, but his worry was still written plainly on his face. "Are you alright?" Koichi questioned carefully, clearly trying to not strike a nerve he feared would blow up in his face.
"Ironic of him of all people to ask that, huh?" Aquaria remarked, and Hinoka bit her tongue before the Beast Spirit's words could reach their shared tongue.
"I... I will be," Hinoka promised him. "After the day is over, I'll be okay. I've got an important meeting waiting for me after classes end."
"A meeting?" Koichi echoed, his features quirking up in confusion.
"Yeah," Hinoka replied, though a 'meeting' felt like the understatement of the year. She was about to set off to speak with her sister for the first time after not knowing she existed for her entire life. This time though, there was no interference by the Digital World to cushion the blow as there had been with Koji and Koichi, and Hinoka almost wished for the Digimon to somehow make this simpler even though she knew it was a vain hope. "I'm going to talk with Chiaki after school."
Koichi's continued look of confusion reminded Hinoka that she hadn't explained the full situation to him yet. She hissed and winced before forcing herself to take a sip of her water. "It's... Well..." she started. She forced herself to breathe before continuing, knowing that she wouldn't be able to communicate much of anything if she kept on this way. "Through an unexpected series of events, I found out that I'm not the only child in my family."
Koichi's eyes went wide, no doubt a result of the direct parallels to his own situation, and Hinoka nodded. "My father used to live with me and my mother when I was young, but he left one day after the two got into a massive argument. I didn't know it at the time, but... I think it was because my mother found out that he had cheated on her," Hinoka explained. "He has another family. As soon as he was caught by my mother, he ran off to his other family. As it turns out, his other family consists of another wife and daughter... And said daughter just so happens to be part of the investigation team that's after the truth of the monster attacks. We met by complete accident, and she doesn't even realize that I'm the one she's chasing after."
Hinoka let out a nervous laugh as Koichi's expression distorted into greater fear and worry as the seconds passed by. She cringed as the seconds crawled by in silence, ultimately forcing herself to speak just to fill the quiet. "I haven't been able to calm down since we set up a plan to meet this afternoon," she explained. "I don't know how anybody could possibly relax after planning something like that. I'm... I'm trying my best to keep my cool, but it's much harder than you would expect."
"I understand. It is hard," Koichi assured her. "It took me ages to speak to Koji after I found out the truth, and that was only thanks to the Digital World in the end. I... I'm sorry you have to deal with all of this though. I know firsthand just how hard a situation like this can be to go through, and I'm sorry about all of it."
Hinoka shook her head, a sudden fear rising in her stomach at the idea of receiving his sympathy. "N-No, you don't need to worry about it," she told him despite knowing how blatant and terrible a lie it was. "We're going to work everything out, I'm sure. It won't be easy, but we'll figure it out... Hopefully without our father realizing we’ve found each other and started to talk."
Koichi looked down at his own food, his expression unreadable. "It sounds like your father is a terrible person," he murmured. He only realized what he had said after the words had left his lips, and he looked up to Hinoka with bright red cheeks as the embarrassment set in. "I-I mean... I didn't mean to imply—"
"No, you're right," Hinoka cut in. "He cheated on my mother when I was still just an infant. I was probably only a few weeks old at the absolute oldest when he went behind her back. And then... He ran off the second his secret was discovered. He hasn't done anything for me or my mother since then either. He just... Left. He decided that would be easier than trying to fix what he had done. It completely shattered my mother's world. He was the only thing keeping her held together in her worst moments, and then he was gone."
Koichi glared daggers into the table once again, and Hinoka already knew who he was thinking about. Koichi's animosity toward Kousei Minamoto was hardly a secret, especially after his escapades as Duskmon. The Warrior of Void had been fueled primarily by Koichi's hatred toward his father for abandoning him and his mother. Cherubimon had just turned that anger and grief into something that could be used tangibly in battle. Hearing about the atrocities of Daishi Sakatami—assuming he even thought of that surname at all anymore—was bound to strike a nerve in him because of how much it resembled Kousei’s behavior from many years prior.
"I'm scared of what could happen if he figures out that Chiaki knows," Hinoka admitted softly. "He's always had a temper, and I remember being afraid of it when I was younger. I... I loved him because he was my father, not because he was someone that I really enjoyed sharing company with, if that makes any sense. It was an obligation more than anything else. I'm sure Chiaki is dealing with that same temper now, and that means this has to be our secret."
Koichi and Hinoka continued to sit in silence for a long time, just staring at their food and waiting for something to happen to pull the attention away from the darkness of their all too similar circumstances. Hinoka took another sip of her water when she found herself unable to stomach a bite of her food, and she sighed softly. "Have you ever considered trying to tell your family about it?" she asked him, the words as fragile as glass. "The secret of you and Koji knowing about each other, that is. Your father and stepmother... Have you ever thought about telling them?"
Koichi remained quiet as he contemplated how to answer, but he eventually shook his head. "Koji said it would cause too many issues," he replied simply. "I despise our father, so I'm fine with keeping the secret. Koji is getting closer with his stepmother now, but our father... He's the reason he can't talk to her about it. I don't know how our father would respond to Koji knowing, but I don't want to ask about it either. The two of them have never had a good relationship, and I get the feeling it would all blow up in both of their faces the instant the truth came out. I don’t know if I would be able to stomach looking my father in the eyes even if I was given the chance. Not after everything he did."
Hinoka nodded. "I understand," she murmured. She wished she had a piece of advice that would make all of that easier, but she knew better than to think any nugget of perfect wisdom like that existed in the first place. Koichi and Koji had kept the secret for this long for a reason, after all.
Koichi took a bite of his food slowly and carefully before speaking once again. "What about you?" he questioned. "I know you said that telling your father is out of the picture because of his anger problems, but what about your mother? Do you think she would want to hear about all of this?"
Hinoka shook her head. "I know it would upset her," she answered. "My father leaving was the one thing that broke her in this world. He was her everything, and after he vanished... She didn't know how to take it. She's been hiding up in her room for ages, and I don't even think I've seen her in the last three days. If she heard that Chiaki and I met... I don't know how she would react, but it wouldn't be anything good. I feel bad for having to keep her in the dark since she's technically a part of all this too, but... I can't do it."
"That's probably for the best," Koichi agreed. "You're worried about putting Chiaki in danger too, and that means keeping the secret as close to your chest as possible. I don't want anything bad to happen to her either because of your father. You both deserve better than that."
Hinoka nodded, her thanks left unspoken. She forced herself to start eating, though each bite felt like agony. All she wanted was to leave school and go to the ice cream place already, but she knew that wasn't going to help her in the slightest. Besides, if she ate nothing but ice cream on an empty stomach, the sugar rush was sure to give her a headache. She had to hold on for just a few more hours. She just had to be patient.
Most of the rest of lunch passed in silence, and Hinoka forced herself to eat just enough to make sure she didn't end up sick later. She took another drink of her water before speaking, desperate to break through the quiet that had fallen over her and Koichi. "How are you doing?" she questioned softly.
Koichi looked up at her like a cornered animal, fear rising in his eyes before he managed to shove it deep into his stomach. "What do you mean?" he asked, almost like he was afraid of the answer he was going to receive.
"I know you've been having a tough time lately," Hinoka told him. "I'm not a fool. I can see it in the way you've been carrying yourself. And... I'm worried about you. Do you want to talk about it?"
"When we hang out with the rest of the group this weekend, there's something I need to tell you," Koichi suddenly declared, and Hinoka's eyes went wide in surprise at the outburst. Koichi only realized what he had said after he had spoken, and he looked like a deer in the headlights again. When he recognized that it was too late to take the words back, he looked down to his food. "Yeah... I guess it's high time I told you and the rest of the group."
Hinoka was halfway tempted to push the truth out of him then and there, but she didn't want to rub him the wrong way when this was already a massive step for him. Instead, she just nodded, a small smile on her face. "I'll be sure to pass along the message to everyone else," she said softly. "And... I'm proud of you for deciding to come out about this secret of yours. I know everyone else will be too."
As Hinoka turned her attention to cleaning up her food so she could get to class, Koichi continued to watch the lunch table, hating himself for what he had just said. He hadn't wanted to promise he would share the secret out of the blue like that, but there was no going back now. He wouldn't be able to keep the secret forever, and he knew that well. Sharing it with Koji had been a massive step for him, and the only place for Koichi to go next was to share the truth with the rest of the Legendary Warriors.
There was no way for him to take it back now. He had said he was going to tell them the truth, and Hinoka was going to make sure the rest of the group knew it too. Koichi had to confess to having the voices of the Warriors of Void in his head whether he wanted to or not, and if this was the end of everything as he had feared, then he would just have to face it. Koji had been willing to work with him even after all of that, even though Koichi thought his brother should hate him for it, so maybe there was still some hope for it yet.
No matter what happened when Koichi told them though, he was going to relish in this peace as long as he had it. He wanted to enjoy the normalcy while it lasted. It may have been selfish for him to want to keep the secret to himself for the sake of just being able to keep the other Legendary Warriors in his life, but he didn't care. His countdown to doom had already started, and he would just have to find a way to deal with it.
Koichi had gotten awfully used to making peace with his tragic fate, and he really, really hated it.
~~~~~
Hinoka would have liked to say that the rest of the day passed with little consequence, but that didn't end up being the case. It was Hinoka's last time out in the halls before the school day ended, and she was trying her hardest to keep herself calm as the minutes ticked by. She was getting closer to meeting with her sister, and her desperation and impatience were like ropes around her neck. She needed to find a way to remain composed, but that was much easier said than done with so much at stake set to happen in the next few hours.
Hinoka was halfway ready to declare herself in the homestretch as she navigated through the bustling halls back to her classroom, but all her thoughts screeched through a halt when a familiar silhouette appeared in front of her. Emon was leaning against the wall in the perfect way that it stopped her from entering her nearby classroom. He knew it too, wearing a proud and twisted smirk as he regarded her with apathetic eyes. He just wanted to bother her. After all, there was nothing he loved more than seeing her suffer.
"Hinoka," Emon greeted casually. He waited for her to say something in return, but as had become routine at this point, Hinoka was taking a backseat while Aquaria rose to prominence. Her helpless and longing gaze toward her classroom door hardened into a glare in his direction. Her eyes were steely even though she knew she wouldn't be able to do much to fight back without transforming into a Digimon. Still, she did her best to make her enmity known.
Emon certainly felt her hatred, and he hissed between his teeth as he swept his eyes over Hinoka from head to toe. "You're awfully bold today," he muttered. "You've got a lot of undeserved confidence. I thought I had made it clear just how little anyone wanted to see that from you."
"Go away," Aquaria told him simply, her eyes not softening from their pure rage. "We know where we stand, and I think it's time you stop chasing my shadow just because you need something to do. Is bullying and picking on people all you’re good for?"
Emon's features twisted at her snarky remark, and he took a step toward her. Aquaria would not be cowed though and remained where she was, continuing to just glare at him with everything she had. Emon let out a dark chuckle that almost sounded entertained, but Hinoka knew better than to fall for it. She was glad Aquaria was in control, because if she had been, her heart would have been screaming in her ears.
"You can play the part of bravery all you want, but that won't change the fact that you're a coward through and through," Emon snarled. "You've never been worth anything, and you know that just as well as I do. I was doing you a favor to pick you up from nothing, and you ruined all of that for yourself."
When Hinoka looked up at Emon, she remembered something she had thought many times in the days after they had split up. Emon was exactly like her father. They both knew how to play the part of someone kind and loving, but the instant their targets stepped out from beneath their thumbs, they asserted the full scope of their power for the sake of their own egos. Hinoka had managed to escape one monster only to end up in the arms of another. It was familiar. In a way, that was all she had ever known growing up.
But Hinoka wasn't in the same place she once had been. She wasn't alone the way she had been as a child and a teen, and she was going to make a difference for the sake of herself and everyone else she had ever loved. Chiaki deserved better than to struggle under the thumb of their father for the same reason that Hinoka deserved better than to have to deal with Emon. He could try and intimidate her all he wanted, but she was going to make sure things were different this time. She refused to let history repeat itself.
Or, at the very least, that was what she would have done if she could wrestle her courage together. In the end, Aquaria was the only one who had the strength to speak, and she let out a long, drawn-out sigh of disappointment. "You know, Emon," Aquaria began, "I think you talk a lot of smack for someone who's never going to have power over anyone again after school ends. You step on others because you know that your power is going to die out the second you leave this building behind once and for all. You have nothing, and so, you exert as much power as you can over other people. It's a shame power and control are no replacement for passion and confidence. You can't get far without either."
Emon was too stunned to even speak as Aquaria started to walk away. Inside her own mind, Hinoka had clapped her hands over her mouth, unable to believe what Aquaria had just said. Cerulea smirked to herself, clearly having thought that was a long time coming, and Oceania bit down on her lip like she was afraid retribution was going to come for her the instant she let her guard fall. Emon didn't follow them though, instead just remaining stuck on the spot as Aquaria piloted their body away.
Hinoka didn't come out of her haze until after Aquaria had gotten them out of Emon’s reach and into their seat in their classroom. "I'm tired of the way he's treated us," Aquaria said simply when nobody else had the confidence to speak. "He's done so much in the name of hurting people for his own satisfaction, and I've had enough of it. Me telling him off might not be enough to make him stop, but at least it makes us feel a little bit better."
"I don't think I've ever felt worse," Hinoka confessed. She let her arms wrap at her midsection, and she was glad the world of water in her mind didn't allow her to get sick. If it did, she would have lost her lunch on the spot, and given that she had barely eaten anything, that was certainly impressive.
"I've proven here today that we can do it," Aquaria explained. "No matter what, he's going to know that we can do something to push back against him. We're not as helpless as we were when he isolated us from the world. We have a support system now, and he's going to see it soon enough."
Hinoka nodded numbly, and Aquaria simply smiled. "Now, if you're all ready, we have to finish up the day's classes and then go to catch a train. Chiaki won't wait all day."
That was right. They still had to go and meet with Chiaki even after all of that. Hinoka's sinking feeling returned all over again, but she did her best to push through it. She would have to be fine by the time they arrived at the ice cream store after school was over. Hinoka was determined to be the one to talk to Chiaki. After all, this had started as her fight, and she was determined to push through it to the end.
No matter how hard it got, she would endure. Aquaria had proven it, and Hinoka would have to make it real.
~~~~~
By the time Hinoka fully settled in her seat in her classroom for the afternoon, her stomach had finally calmed down, and ice cream was starting to sound like a perfect treat for surviving the emotional turmoil to come. Hinoka darted out the school building as soon as she could stand both to reach her destination sooner and to outrun Emon. She didn’t see him on her journey to the ice cream shop, and Hinoka let the world turn to mist around her as she navigated to the place where her life would be forever changed.
Chiaki was sitting at a table near the window inside, looking out onto the street with troubled eyes that clearly hadn't seen enough sleep over the last week. Chiaki had been struggling just as much with the revelation as Hinoka had been, and they were both desperate to solve the problem at hand no matter what it meant. Chiaki didn’t realize when Hinoka entered the building and moved toward the table, too spaced out to snap out of her trance.
Chiaki perked up when Hinoka slowly slid into the seat across from her, only realizing her sister was there when she sat down. "You're here," Chiaki breathed, her eyes wide and panicked. "I was a bit worried you weren't going to show up."
"No, I'm here," Hinoka assured Chiaki as she set her bag down at her feet. She looked down at the table between them, trying to come up with the best thing to say. She had to try and break through the silence somehow, but Hinoka had no idea where to start. Where was anybody supposed to start when it came to talking to the sister they didn't know they had? Silently, Hinoka kicked herself for not asking Koichi for more tips about how to fix a relationship like this, not that there had been much of a relationship in the first place because of Daishi.
"So..." Chiaki eventually forced herself to say. "What's your story with him? My father, I mean... Though I suppose he would actually be our father, wouldn't he?"
"Yeah... Daishi Sakatami," Hinoka sighed.
"Though I always knew him as Daishi Miura," Chiaki interjected. "When he came back to my family, he took my mother's surname. It's unusual, but... I didn't mind it at the time. I was just happy to have a father in my life after all those years without one."
"He was trying to cover his tracks," Hinoka concluded. "My mother clung to his last name even after they divorced. She was desperate to remember him in any way she could. I guess he wanted to stay away from her in any way he could, and that meant changing his name."
Chiaki hummed at that. "What exactly was he running from when he left your family?" she questioned. "It's not like we've had all that much time to talk in person or over text. I wanted to ask you about it before today just to get it off my chest, but it's not exactly beyond my father to check my phone when I'm asleep. He's always been a bit... Intrusive, I suppose you could say."
"Abusive," Aquaria cut in. "Emon used to do that to our phone too."
Hinoka didn't respond to Aquaria for the sake of maintaining some appearance of normalcy in front of her half-sister. "Yeah... I get it," Hinoka assured her. "My... Our father married my mother after they graduated from high school. She fell hard for him. She didn't really have much of a support system since both of her parents were never really around. My grandparents divorced when she was young, and they both fell on hard enough times that she had to essentially raise herself. Our father was the main person there to comfort her through all of that since he was her boyfriend at the time. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and they wound up marrying. Soon afterward, things began to fall apart, but my mother thought having a kid would fix it. You can see where that got us."
"They were arguing around the time you were born?" Chiaki asked, her eyes going wide. She didn't seem all that shocked, but she was at least sympathizing with her sister's plight, and Hinoka could certainly appreciate that.
"Yeah. My mother tried to shove it aside for the sake of staying with him, but it didn't work," Hinoka went on. "I guess he went behind her back and had an affair with your mother around this time. My mother was desperate to ignore it in favor of her fairy tale romance, but... It came back to bite."
"My mother said she met my father by complete coincidence, and the two spent a night together. That's where I came from," Chiaki confirmed. "Afterward, he went missing for ages, only coming back years after the fact when I was about six or seven. He's been around ever since then, and... I think my mother is regretting letting him back into her life because of the way he's been treating us."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Hinoka murmured. "I know how he is... My mother loved him though. I can't say I understand what she saw in him, but it doesn't matter much now. The two of them had a massive falling out when I was about seven, and that was it. He left, and my mother started to fall apart. I haven't seen him since... Or, at the very least, I hadn't seen him until he picked you up from Izumi's house."
"He probably never thought we would find each other," Chiaki laughed dryly. "But I don't know how he thought he could get away with this. We look so similar. You're taller than I am, and your face is a bit more angular, but... We still look too similar for it to be a coincidence."
Hinoka pressed her fingers against one another for a long beat of silence, and she clenched her hands together. Her knuckles turned white as she spoke. "I'm sorry," she told Chiaki hurriedly, and the other girl's face went dark with confusion and understanding. "I'm sorry for all the time you had to spend with him. I know how he is, and... I wouldn't wish him on anyone."
Chiaki brushed a few threads of hair away from her face awkwardly, refusing to meet Hinoka's gaze. "He... He's never laid a hand on me, if that's what you're afraid of," she whispered. "He's temperamental and spends a lot of his time upset, but he hasn't hurt me or my mother, at least not physically. I just... It's something you learn to live with as time goes by."
"It's not something you should have to live with," Hinoka countered. "You deserve better than to have to fear his reaction to everything you do. You're, what, sixteen? He's still looking through your phone when you're sixteen. That's not something you should have to put up with. It’s not something anyone should have to put up with."
Chiaki faltered at that, her one line of defense falling away in the blink of an eye. She went back to playing with a few threads of her hair in a desperate bid to distract herself. "I know," she confessed, barely managing to choke the words out. "For the record though... I'm sorry for all the time you've had to live without him. He's not a good person, and I know that. At the same time though... It sounds like him leaving really hurt your mom."
"It did," Hinoka confirmed. "But there's nothing I can do to fix it now. He made his choice, and... I just wish she could move on from it after all this time. I... I'm sorry he treated you and your mother like backups though. He's a terrible person, and I know that, but you shouldn't just be somebody's second choice out of convenience."
"I still hate him for that," Chiaki admitted. "We weren't enough for him. He decided we were his second picks, and even though I don't love him beyond the obligation of family... I wish I could get more out of him sometimes."
Hinoka nodded her understanding, and she reached out to slowly take Chiaki's hands in her own. "We both deserved better than him, I think," she said. "And if it's alright with you, I think we should try to make something out of this for ourselves. We might not be able to undo or fix everything he did to us, but if you're up for it... I want to get to know you as Chiaki. I want to get to know you the way sisters should know each other."
Chiaki's jaw dropped at that, and the two locked eyes for a few tense breaths. Hinoka was about to retract the offer, fearing she had overstepped, but she was cut off by the sight of tears starting to well up at the corners of Chiaki's eyes. She rubbed at her face with a shaky exhale, a sad smile spreading across her face. "I was hoping you would say that," Chiaki confessed. "I didn't want to just assume this was what you wanted though. But I... I don't want our father to control everything about my life anymore. He's done so much to try and manipulate me over the years, and it's time that all stops. I want to get to know you as Hinoka. This is unfamiliar territory for us both, but I want to try."
Hinoka couldn't hold back her own tears at that, so she rubbed at her eyes with a laugh of her own. "I'm glad this is how it ended too," she told Chiaki. "I didn't want to assume anything either, but... I guess this is my way of rebelling against our father too. He wanted us to stay separate no matter what, and I've had enough of it. I won't let him control my life anymore either."
"I figured out how to get around our father's sweeps of my phone, you know," Chiaki said as she reached for her phone. "It's not much, but when I started talking to Katsuharu, Teruo, and Teppei about our monster investigation, we decided to use a texting app that hides itself on your phone and requires a password to get into. Teppei made sure it was secure too. This way, I can talk to them without anybody else getting in the way. It keeps our conversations hidden while also making sure my father can't read what we're saying. We can start talking on there if you'd like. That way, we don’t have to always choose our words carefully to keep from accidentally setting our father off."
"I'd love to," Hinoka smiled, doing her best to push back her curiosities about the Digimon investigation. She knew Takuya, Koji, Izumi, and Chihiro had that covered and then some, but Hinoka couldn't help her musings on the matter. She let a few beats of silence pass before she put them to words though. "So... Speaking of that monster investigation, how is it going?"
"We're no closer to figuring out who the human monsters are," Chiaki sighed, letting her hand cup at her cheek as she leaned forward against the table. "Katsuharu feels like we're going to figure it out soon enough, but there's still so much we don't understand, and that's making our jobs a lot harder than they need to be. We'll figure it out soon enough though. I refuse to give up on it when things are getting worse. Everybody needs to know the truth. They deserve it."
Hinoka nodded, and in the back of her mind, Oceania shifted uncomfortably. Hinoka tried to figure out a way to change course, but Chiaki took control of the conversation before she had the chance. "Okay, it's my turn to ask a question," she declared. "How did you and Izumi meet? You live really far away from her, and I doubt you would have just run into each other by accident."
There it was. Hinoka hadn't realized she was dreading that question until it was asked, but as soon as the words were out there, her stomach sank. She thought quickly to try and come up with an answer that would both satisfy Chiaki and throw her off the trail. Hinoka knew Chiaki had no reason to suspect her as one of the 'human monsters' defending Shibuya, but she refused to take any chances. She had to say something to make sure that secret was never discovered. She had to.
"We met over summer vacation," Hinoka eventually settled on saying. "It was... Um..." Before she knew it, her mind went blank, and she couldn't come up with anything that would fill in the gaps. She just needed to say something, anything to get Chiaki to stop asking questions. Why couldn't she come up with anything? Why hadn’t she thought to prepare for this question when it seemed so obvious in hindsight that it would be asked?
"Hinoka, there's a—"
Cerulea never got the chance to finish her sentence or her explanation as to why Hinoka's thoughts had suddenly abandoned her. The ground shook for a few seconds, and everything suddenly made sense. There was a Digimon in the area, and Hinoka's mind had gone blank because she was subconsciously sensing that she was no longer the only monster near the ice cream shop. They were under attack, and Hinoka already knew it was because of a Void Fragment. What else would it be?
"Is that what I think it is?!" Chiaki cried out, her eyes going wide. A massive shadow darkened the street outside the ice cream shop, and Chiaki threw herself to her feet despite her legs trembling fiercely from the sudden dose of adrenaline. "It's another monster!"
Hinoka reached out to grab Chiaki's wrist, and her sister turned to face her. "We have to hide!" Hinoka proclaimed. She didn't know how she was going to get out of this so she could fight, but she had to focus on getting Chiaki to safety first. She could come up with an excuse to leave Chiaki to go and fight the Void Fragment after she had gotten her sister out of the line of fire.
"Are you kidding me?! I have to go and see this!" Chiaki declared. She pulled her wrist away from Hinoka's grasp and dashed out to the street to investigate the Digimon. Hinoka watched Chiaki for two seconds of stunned silence before she chased her sister out of the ice cream shop.
People were running and scrambling for safe cover up and down the block, and Hinoka glanced around desperately to try and catch a glimpse of the Digimon responsible for the attack. In the end, she was cut off by another shadow streaking through the skies overhead, and Hinoka threw her arms up instinctively to block herself from the blow. She never felt the hit though as the shadow instead passed over her easily.
Hinoka strained her head backward to see the Digimon in question, and her instincts told her the assailant was Gigadramon. To put it simply, he was massive. Gigadramon was gray and purple with a long tail instead of legs and steel wings sticking out of his back. His torso was clearly meant to resemble some kind of dinosaur while the rest of his body was built like a dragon. He was covered in metal too, all of it armored and gleaming darkly in the autumn sunshine.
"That thing is huge!" Chiaki exclaimed. She reached for her phone and aimed it up to take a video of Gigadramon. Hinoka's hands were starting to shake, and her mind spun as she figured out what to do. She had to get Chiaki out of there before Gigadramon could attack, but beyond that, Hinoka had to Spirit Evolve without attracting any attention so she could fight off the enemy Digimon. The safety of everyone in the area was counting on it.
"Chiaki, we have to hide!" Hinoka insisted again. "It's not safe for us out here! If that thing starts attacking, then it's not going to have any targets, not as long as there are no other monsters around here to defend us!"
Chiaki refused to move even when Hinoka pulled on her arm. "They're going to show up soon, and I have to be there to catch it on video!" Chiaki retorted. "This is everything we've ever wanted! Katsuharu, Teruo, and Teppei are going to flip when they hear about this!"
Hinoka went to retort for a third time, but she was cut off by Gigadramon suddenly turning his gaze toward her and Chiaki. For a long, dangerous moment, Hinoka and Gigadramon locked gazes. She felt her blood run cold, and her spine stiffened until she was completely motionless and breathless.
And then he charged.
Hinoka tackled Chiaki to the ground, and they barely managed to hide under a nearby awning before Gigadramon could hit them. Gigadramon slammed his claw into the ground only a few feet away from Hinoka and Chiaki, sending concrete splintering everywhere. Hinoka and Chiaki threw up their arms on instinct to block themselves from the debris, and a few pieces opened a cut on Chiaki's right arm. She hissed in pain but didn't drop her phone where it was pressed tightly in her fingers.
Gigadramon pulled away when he realized he hadn't struck anyone on the street, and Hinoka and Chiaki both looked to one another with wide, terrified eyes. "Was... Was that thing after us?!" Chiaki cried out.
Hinoka didn't reply at first, instead just letting her chest rise and fall heavily. Chiaki seemingly had been too distracted with recording to see that Gigadramon was after Hinoka specifically, and the Warrior of Water already knew why. The mastermind behind the Void Fragment attacks was starting to target the Warriors when they were on Earth and wouldn't be able to fight back as well as they could in the Digital World. The Legendary Warriors were restrained by the need to keep their identities a secret on Earth, and it was the perfect weakness to exploit. Hinoka just so happened to be the first target.
When Hinoka finally got a grip on herself once again, she grabbed Chiaki by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet. "We have to go," Hinoka insisted. "That monster is definitely after us, and if we stay here, we're going to be sitting ducks. Come on."
Chiaki was too rattled by her close brush with death to protest. She continued to grip tightly at her phone as Hinoka grabbed her by the wrist and ran under the awnings of the nearby storefronts. Hinoka was hoping with everything she had that she would run into some alleyway where she could leave her sister while she dealt with Gigadramon. It was hardly a perfect plan, but Hinoka had only just managed to establish a relationship with her sister, and she refused to let a Digimon attack ruin that less than ten minutes after they had talked everything through.
Gigadramon continued to pursue them from up in the sky, blocking out the sun and creating a massive streak of shadow on the street. The road was almost entirely empty by now with everyone having run for safe cover wherever they could find it. Everyone who had been in a car had run into the nearby buildings, leaving Hinoka and Chiaki as the only ones around. Hinoka was happy with that. This was as safe as the people of Shibuya were going to get. She just had to worry about keeping Chiaki out of trouble, and as impossible as that seemed, it was better than it could have been. Hinoka had certainly seen worse.
Gigadramon's hand raised high before slamming down on the concrete below, and Hinoka grabbed her sister's arm before yanking her into a small crevice in between two buildings. There were a few dumpsters lining the area, and while it wouldn't be foolproof, it was probably the best hiding place they were going to get. If Hinoka could get Chiaki out of sight, then everything would be fine. From there, she could Spirit Evolve and set everything right at last.
"I need you to get in there," Hinoka instructed, pointing to a nearby dumpster.
Chiaki, who had finally put her phone away to focus on their escape, shook her head. "I can't just do that," she retorted. "You make it sound like you're not going to hide with me."
"I can't do that right now," Hinoka finally confessed, unable to hold herself back any longer. "You need to trust me. I want you to hide for just a few minutes. We're going to be fine. You just... Need to have faith that I know what I'm doing."
"But Hinoka—" Chiaki tried to protest.
Hinoka silenced her by taking her sister's hands in her own. "I know none of this is what we expected," she began. "We never thought there would be someone out there like us... At least not like this. Now that we've found each other though, I can't let it end so soon. Our father has made your life miserable for so long, and... I can't just leave people to suffer alone anymore. I've been left out to dry too many times to abandon someone in need now. I don't know what to do about our father or what we're supposed to do now that we've found each other. However, I do know that I can keep you safe right now, and that's the least I can do. I'm your sister, and I should be keeping you safe whether it be from monsters from another world or the monsters of humanity. This is the least I can do."
Chiaki once again opened her mouth to argue the point, but Hinoka shook her head to silence her. "I know this is terrifying. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared myself. At the same time... I know what needs to be done, and it starts with me," Hinoka continued. "I've had enough of letting others decide my life for me. I've been living at the whims of other people for so long that I barely know who I am without their control. I want to change that though, and it starts right here. I'm going to make a difference and do something on my own for once. I'm done being a follower. I'm done being aimless. I'm done being afraid. It's time to take action, and right now, that means keeping you safe. One day... Maybe you'll understand. But for now, you just need to trust me."
Chiaki looked into Hinoka's eyes, and for a long moment, the world went still. Gigadramon seemed to vanish from their minds, and all that mattered was each other. Eventually, Chiaki broke the trance by nodding, her hands still shaking wildly. "Alright... I trust you."
Hinoka moved to usher Chiaki into the nearby dumpster, but she was cut off by turquoise light sparking up around her shoes and then rising to cover her body. Chiaki threw her arms up instinctively to try and block out the light, but Hinoka couldn't bring herself to move. Instead, she simply allowed the light to consume her body. Something in the back of her mind already knew what this was, and she allowed herself to smile despite the circumstances.
Resplendent Evolution.
Hinoka's hair freed itself from its previous style with the two braids wrapped around her head unraveling and falling over her shoulders. A single streak of turquoise appeared in Hinoka's hair near her face, and her hair waved like water around her. A delicate silver crown sat gently atop her head, and a pale teal shell sat at the center of her forehead and the tiara. Pastel blue weaved around her torso in a corset accented with cerulean. Silver laces wrapped themselves through the front and back of the corset, though they didn't pull tight enough to restrict Hinoka's movement.
A pastel mint green dress manifested beneath the corset, covering Hinoka's torso under the blue. The mint green dissolved into a skirt that fell short of her knees by a few inches. The skirt consisted of ruffles that looked like the waves of the ocean, offering the appearance of constant motion despite being perfectly still.
A silver belt appeared at Hinoka's waist just beneath the corset, and it gave way to a turquoise trail that fell behind her legs. At the waist, the trail was a deeper hue, but it faded out to a light teal color at the edges. Once again, the trail looked like the movement of the ocean even when it was completely still. Silver wound around Hinoka's legs to create bottomless sandals made of the same wire as her tiara. Once again, the spiraling silver was accented by turquoise gemstones near her big toe on either foot. The finishing touch to the ensemble was a pastel mint green string wrapping around her left wrist. The string surrounded a turquoise symbol that showed Hinoka was the Warrior of Water with the marking resting on her lower arm just above the green trail.
With that, the light around Hinoka faded, and she looked down at her hands in muted confusion. She knew what was happening, but she was surprised by it just the same. She hadn't realized Resplendent Evolution could happen on Earth, though given that other types of Spirit Evolution worked just fine in either realm, she should have seen this coming. This was just another part of what it meant to be a Legendary Warrior for better or worse.
Chiaki's hands had come to rest over her mouth as she stared at her older sister in surprise. No matter how many times she tried to force herself to speak, she couldn't get the words out. Each time, Chiaki sputtered and then fell silent again. Eventually, she was able to push out a single word. "You..."
Hinoka shook her head and placed a hand on Chiaki's shoulder. "We can discuss this more later," she assured her sister. Hinoka had been hoping to keep the secret from Chiaki at least a little bit longer—preferably forever—but as long as this was the direction the universe was pushing her in, she had to offer her sister the truth. "Let me handle this. I'll be back for you shortly."
Chiaki didn't even have the chance to ask what Hinoka was talking about before the Warrior of Water instinctively clenched her fingers together. All the water in the surrounding air became physical immediately, and it condensed itself into a pair of wings on her back. Hinoka launched herself off the ground afterward, taking to the skies and putting herself parallel with Gigadramon.
As soon as he realized where his prey had gone, Gigadramon charged forward, one claw outstretched. Hinoka whirled her arm in a circle, and the water from the surrounding area created a shield that blocked his claw and slowed his movement before he could hit her. While Gigadramon was stunned from his attack missing, Hinoka curled around behind him and pressed her palms forward, hitting him right in the back with a massive column of water.
Gigadramon hit the ground hard when the water slammed into him, and he groaned a few times before falling still. He pushed himself up and went to fly once again, but Hinoka attacked before he had the chance. She flicked her wrist apathetically, and that was all it took for the water she had summoned before to slow his claw to come rushing back toward him. The fluid wrapped around Gigadramon and pinned him to the ground easily. No matter how much he tried to thrash against his bindings, he couldn't escape, leaving him as an easy target for the Warrior of Water.
Hinoka raised her left hand high, and her symbol of Water glowed like a lighthouse in a hurricane. Turquoise light erupted throughout the area as the water in the air pushed down against Gigadramon with all the force in the world. Gigadramon screamed as the waves suffocated any sense of resistance he had left. When he finally stopped moving, a Void Fragment ripped itself out of his spine and splintered at the center of the glow.
Hinoka took that as her cue to stop, and she sighed as Gigadramon rose to his full height. She glanced around and found a billboard screen nearby. She flew toward the screen and tapped her hand against it to open a portal. While Gigadramon rubbed at his head in confusion, Hinoka whistled shrilly. He glanced up at her, and that was all it took for the pieces to come into place for him. He streaked toward the screen and entered the Digital World once again. The portal closed behind him, leaving no signs of his presence aside from the massive destruction the street had suffered. It would take weeks for damage like this to be repaired, and that was likely a generous estimation with all the havoc Gigadramon had wreaked in his brief time on Earth.
Hinoka flew over to Chiaki, finding that her sister was still staring at her with wide, terrified eyes. Hinoka took Chiaki's hand in her own and closed her eyes, allowing her element to consume them. The two sisters morphed into water before sliding through the earth below, effortlessly escaping the scene before anyone could start to ask questions about what had happened. Hinoka would already have to reveal her secret to one person that day, she refused to be pressured into sharing the truth with anyone else. People were going to start coming out of hiding soon, and she was going to get out of there before they could arrive.
Hinoka only released herself and Chiaki from the grip of the water after they had gone at least three miles from the site of the attack. From there, they appeared in an alleyway as themselves again, and Hinoka sighed heavily as her element abandoned her, leaving her in her regular outfit in a flash of turquoise light. Hinoka rubbed at her temple with one hand, realizing too late that Yumiko and Junpei hadn't been kidding when they said Resplendent Evolution was exhausting. She was going to be feeling the weight of evolving for the first time for at least a few hours, assuming it wouldn’t take her a few days to recover.
"How... How did you do all of that?" Chiaki asked. She had gotten a grip on herself in the last few minutes, though she was still pale and trembling from the adrenaline rush. "You can't... You're human. No, you can't be. You're... You're..."
"One of the human monsters," Hinoka finished for her. "And that's one way of putting it. I... I didn't want to have to share this with you, much less like this. It's a long story, and I need you to promise to keep it a secret no matter what. Can you do that for me?"
Chiaki's hand instinctively went to her pocket, searching for her phone out of anxiety and habit. "I... I don't understand any of this," she admitted. "But I can say that I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life."
"Yeah... That doesn't surprise me," Hinoka laughed darkly. "You get used to the near-death experiences after a while, but... This was your first time."
"Multiple times... You've been doing this for months, haven't you?" Chiaki asked, her voice getting louder and more afraid with each passing word. "You're the water fighter. You're one of the twelve human monsters we've seen this year."
Hinoka nodded, holding one hand up to try and calm her sister enough to stop nearly yelling the truth to the rest of the world. "I am... Though the proper term is Legendary Warrior of the Digital World. I can tell you everything you want to know, but you have to promise to not tell anybody. That includes Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and anyone else you might want to tell about this. It has to be our secret."
For a few heavy moments, the world stopped again. Chiaki's fingers remained pressed over her pocket like she wanted to pull her phone out and tell her friends everything she had seen that day. Chiaki hadn't caught the latter half of the fight on video since she had been too shocked to record it, but she had still seen more than enough. If she wanted to, she would be able to end the investigation then and there. She could end the search if she just texted the rest of her friends. She could end everything if she told them what she had witnessed. They would believe her. What reason did they have to doubt her?
But when Chiaki looked up and met Hinoka's gaze, she knew she wouldn't be able to do that. She didn't know what she was stumbling into, but she couldn't just stab her sister in the back so soon. Hinoka had put her life on the line to defend Chiaki from a monster that could have killed them both in a single hit. After all the time Chiaki had spent aimless and confused, she finally had her answer, and it was that she had to keep the secret.
Chiaki hadn't ever been given the chance to enjoy the company of others, at least not for long. The investigation team was her first time branching out enough to make friends... But she wanted more. She needed more. Hinoka was standing in front of her with pleading eyes and a promise of the truth Chiaki had sought with the condition of secrecy. Even if it would have changed her life, Chiaki couldn't bring herself to share the truth with the others. Hinoka was what she needed. At long last, Chiaki had someone else to rely on, someone to call family, and if it meant keeping one little secret to enjoy a connection like this... Well, the choice had already been made for her.
Chiaki took a few breaths in the heavy silence. Hinoka continued to watch her all the while, her heart slamming in her chest. Ironically, Hinoka was more afraid of what her sister was going to say than she had been of Gigadramon when the massive monster almost killed her. Hinoka had gotten used to monsters trying to kill her by now, but she didn't think she would ever get used to the spike of anxiety that came with speaking to people—that came with speaking with her sister—like this.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Chiaki finally nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "I promise." Her hands were still shaking, but Chiaki pulled her fingers away from her pocket and left her phone where it was. Hinoka could tell by the look in her sister's eyes that this would be alright. Chiaki wasn't going to break this promise no matter what. It had only been one afternoon, but they both knew they could trust each other. This was only the beginning, and while it was hardly the opening to their relationship they had wanted, it was what they had, and they had to work with it.
Hinoka inhaled deeply on her own with the promise and exhaled slowly. At long last, her racing heart began to calm. "Okay. Let me tell you about a place called the Digital World..."
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
I've been looking forward to this one for a while, and I really like how it turned out. This is our first chapter that's focused on one character's perspective almost exclusively, and I think framing it as a day in the life for Hinoka works perfectly with accomplishing her Resplendent Evolution. We're up to three now just in time for the exact halfway mark of this story! Woohoo!
Okay, let's get to breaking this baby down. I like the opener of this chapter a lot since it goes a long way to establishing the sinking sense of dread Hinoka feels throughout all of this. She's been through a lot already, and this first scene is priming us for a long day like what she's expecting.
Next, we've got the scene with her and Koichi. I wanted to have Hinoka talk to him here because they've both been through the same situation, albeit under very different circumstances. The secret sibling reveal is different between them, but it still comes down to the same basics, and Hinoka needs all the support she can get for it. You can feel the heaviness and tension throughout their entire conversation, and I think it helps to build the dread from the opener well as we get closer to the climax of the chapter. Also, Koichi is finally going to tell the rest of the group the extent of his secret when it comes to being connected to the Warriors of Void. There's no going back now.
Then there's the scene with Emon. I wanted to have a confrontation with him in this chapter to show that Hinoka has come a long way from where she once was with him. Even though she's terrified, she still wants to try and make a better life for herself without him, and this is the first step. The fact that she's afraid is important, especially when it comes to the evolution sequence. Also, we get more action from the other Warriors of Water here. They deserve it, so here they are.
Alright... Let's get into the big one. I really liked working on the scene with Hinoka and Chiaki at the ice cream shop. Despite it all, they still want to try to be friends even though their father would hate it. After all they've been through, they're finally stepping out from beneath his thumb, and connecting with one another is the first step. These two are so sweet. I love it.
It's a shame that Gigadramon had to ruin it, huh? I wanted this to be the chapter where Hinoka got her Resplendent Evolution, so that meant their peace had to be disturbed, and in this case, it was by Gigadramon. I really liked writing this fight sequence because of the unique setting and also the unique objective. Hinoka wanted to get Chiaki to safety while still keeping the secret behind her identity as a Legendary Warrior, and the tension rises before the secret can't stay hidden anymore. There's a reason why Gigadramon attacked right at the moment that Chiaki asked about how Hinoka and Izumi met. It's all about the dramatic irony.
Hinoka and Chiaki's conversation during the Gigadramon fight was a great one and a real highlight of this story for me. Hinoka wants to keep her sister safe even though she knows the situation is dangerous, and she needs to be there for Chiaki since she wasn't able to be for so long. For many years, Hinoka was isolated with nobody to turn to because of the abuse of both her father and Emon, but she's determined to be different for Chiaki's sake. She may still be afraid, but she refuses to let that hold her back forever. Even if she's terrified, Hinoka is going to fight.
And fight she most certainly does! As is a trend with Resplendent Evolution, she absolutely destroyed Gigadramon. That adds to the awe factor with Chiaki at the end while also showing off the extent of Resplendent Evolution's power. Chiaki is finally seeing her sister for who she really is: one of the 'human monsters' and a defender of worlds. They're both being fully honest with each other and opening up for better or worse.
So... Yeah. Chiaki was sworn to secrecy about the truth when it comes to the Digital World, but she knows now. She's the first person outside the Legendary Warriors team to be aware of the truth. I wonder what implications this is going to have with the rest of the investigation team. They've been searching for the truth for so long, and now, Chiaki knows but can't say a thing about it. I bet Shinya and Masae are jealous of Chiaki being told the truth before them; they've been struggling with it for a while only for a previously unknown sibling to steal their spotlight.
Phew. Okay. This chapter was a lot. Next time, we're going to pick up with the aftermath of the Gigadramon attack. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 31: A Welcoming Embrace
Summary:
Hinoka processes the aftermath of sharing her true identity with Chiaki. Meanwhile, Koichi prepares to share his darkest secret with his team.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 12/26/22
Edit Release: 9/28/24
The opening scene with Hinoka and Chiaki is new to the edited version of the story. Another scene near the middle of the chapter with Hinoka and Koichi is also new.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“The Digital World is the name of the realm you went to alongside Katsuharu, Teruo, and Teppei the day of the mass phone calls,” Hinoka began. “That was the world you saw outside the train, but you were never let off to see the rest of it.”
“We had to stay on. There was only one person let off the train, and they were in a different car,” Chiaki confirmed with a slow nod. “And when they did leave… They turned into a monster.”
“Those monsters are called Digimon,” Hinoka replied. “It stands for Digital Monster. They live within the Digital World as its only occupants. All of the monsters that have been attacking Earth lately have been Digimon sent here through the barrier that separates Earth from the Digital World. They’ve been possessed by things called Void Fragments. Those are the little shadows that come out of them when they’ve taken too much damage in a fight.”
“I see…” Chiaki nodded slowly. “And you… You can become one of them?”
“I can,” Hinoka confirmed. “I am one of twelve beings known as the Legendary Warriors. We’re fighters with the power of a specific element. We have a duty to protect the Digital World from danger, and right now, that extends to Earth as well. We have to look over all of the residents of both worlds and make sure they stay safe.”
“So you’re the same as the water monster that everyone has been seeing on the news, right?” Chiaki asked. “I mean, I assume that your power is over water. That was what it looked like during the fight.”
Hinoka nodded. “I am the Legendary Warrior of Water. There are eleven others like me, each with the power of a different type of magic. Together, we work together to defend the worlds from danger.”
“Where did it come from?” Chiaki questioned. “The power you’ve got now, I mean.”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Hinoka confessed. “We all were simply born with it. You mentioned hearing about the lights in the sky from a series of specific dates fifteen to seventeen years ago, right? That was likely because of us. We were chosen from birth to become the Legendary Warriors, or if nothing else, it seems like that. I’m not entirely aware of the details.”
“I knew that had to mean something,” Chiaki murmured triumphantly. She looked back up at Hinoka, and her confidence began to waver and shake. “So you… You’ve always been able to do that?”
“We unlocked the ability to become Digimon during our trip to the Digital World. The twelve Legendary Warriors were the ones who were let off the trains to explore the Digital World,” Hinoka said. “There are idols known as Spirits that allow us to transform. When we become Digimon, we Spirit Evolve and fuse with those shrines to transform. They give us their power, but we are the only ones who can use it. Nobody else has this ability since they were not chosen for it.”
“The Digital World chose you to do this then,” Chiaki suggested, and Hinoka nodded slowly. In truth, Hinoka wasn’t entirely sure of how the Legendary Warriors were selected to hold their positions. It had happened so long ago now that barely anyone in the modern Digital World would be able to answer that question. Hinoka didn’t know if anyone would be able to fill her in on the gaps of information at this point.
“Something along those lines,” Hinoka shrugged. “We didn’t think it was going to cause any problems here on Earth, but… The recent attacks have made it clear that something else is going on. It seems like someone is deliberately trying to come after us here on Earth. The attacks aren’t just monsters going on rampages. They’re being possessed by dark magic in order to fight here.”
“And one of them came after us today,” Chiaki concluded, and Hinoka nodded once again. “I-I can’t believe they would actually target us… Why in the world would they do something like that? Do you know?”
Hinoka hesitated for a long moment before offering an inconclusive shrug. “There have been attacks happening in the Digital World for a while too. I can only assume that whoever is pulling the strings behind this in the Digital World knows who we are and decided to take advantage of that here. If we were under attack while in our human forms, then we would run the risk of either exposing ourselves or having to just take the damage. Being a Legendary Warrior and fighting for the good of both worlds is dangerous, and there are a few people out there who would want to see us killed for trying it.”
Chiaki shuddered at the thought, and she pressed a few shaking fingers to the grotesque blue bruise across her cheek. “I… I never realized how dangerous all of this was,” Chiaki confessed softly. “I thought it was interesting, and I wanted to learn about it more than anything, but now… I-I don’t know if I’ll be able to look at it the same way again. We could have died if you hadn’t decided to reveal yourself to me.”
“It’s dangerous business,” Hinoka nodded. “But that’s why I need you to keep it secret. I don’t know how much worse today would have gone if something had gone wrong, and I don’t want to think about it either. This is something we’re going to have to keep hidden for as long as possible.”
“I…” Chiaki trailed off, and Hinoka could see the conflict rise in her eyes. For months, Chiaki had been chasing the Legendary Warriors with the hope of finding them and revealing who they were… But now, she couldn’t keep up the pursuit. Trying to find out who the Legendary Warriors were beneath their masks was dangerous at best and life-threatening at worst. Chiaki could have easily died that day, and she would have had nothing to show for it.
Even so, it was hard to let go of something she had been looking to find for so long. All of her immediate friends were yearning to find the Legendary Warriors too, and Hinoka couldn’t blame her for hesitating. If she had been in Chiaki’s position, she probably would have been worried about what to do next too.
But Chiaki didn’t let her conflict last for too long. She pressed her shoulders together and nodded. “Alright,” she said slowly. “I’m going to keep it a secret.”
Hinoka felt her face relax into pure relief. “Thank you so much. I can’t say it enough.”
Chiaki reached out to take Hinoka’s hand in her own. “But I want to be there for you however I can be. I know that might not mean much, and I might not be able to help you as much as others can, but… I’m your sister. Now that I know it, I want to be here for you however I can be.”
Hinoka couldn’t help but stare at Chiaki for a long moment, shock written all over her face. No one but the Legendary Warriors had been this kind to her in a long time. Hinoka had grown used to wandering through life entirely unsupported by the people who should have been in her corner. Her own mother didn’t seem to want much to do with her these days, and Hinoka had thought she was fine with that…
But looking Chiaki in the eyes now, Hinoka knew that she wanted to have others around. She and Chiaki had only just started to connect, but her sister wanted to be there for her however she could be. It was a kinder gesture than anything Hinoka had felt from her mother in ages. Hinoka knew she was going to be thinking about it long after she and Chiaki parted ways that night. It would probably haunt her for the rest of the month.
Hinoka forced herself to nod, and she allowed a smile to spread across her lips. “Alright,” she said thickly. “Thank you for the help, Chiaki.” Hinoka squeezed tightly at Chiaki’s hands to bring herself back to the situation at hand. “But I want to help you too. How about I escort you back home?”
Chiaki’s eyes went wide. “But you…”
“I won’t come inside,” Hinoka assured her. “But I can’t just leave you alone in good conscience right now. I… I hope that’s alright.”
Chiaki shook her head to rid herself of any doubts that may have lingered in her eyes. “Of course it is. Thank you for everything, Hinoka… I promise to not let you down.”
Hinoka felt tears start to sting at the corners of her eyes. “You won’t do any such thing. I know it.”
~~~~~
To say it felt wrong to drop Chiaki off was a grave understatement. Hinoka hadn’t realized just how desperate she was for company until she was faced with the fact that she was going to have to leave. She couldn’t even go into the Miura home. After all, Daishi could have been there, and Hinoka didn’t even want to imagine what might happen if she ran into her father today on top of everything else.
Hinoka paused on the other side of the street from the house, and Chiaki came to a stop just beside her. The two stared up at the Miura home for a long moment before Chiaki turned to look at her sister. The bruise on her cheek had only grown more obvious on the train ride over there, and it was practically all Hinoka could bring herself to look at now. “Thank you for bringing me back here,” Chiaki smiled softly. “I know you didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” Hinoka assured her with a shake of her head. After a few moments passed in silence, Hinoka offered Chiaki a small smile. “Thank you for being willing to keep all of this a secret. I appreciate it.”
“Of course,” Chiaki replied immediately. “I hope we never have to worry about the truth coming out again… Though I guess I’m going to have to find a way to keep it secret from the other members of my group.”
“I’m sorry you have to lie to them,” Hinoka murmured. “I know you don’t want to do that, but—”
“If that’s what it takes to keep you safe, then I’ll do it,” Chiaki assured her. She looked back up at her house, squeezing her fingers together into tight fists. “Thank you for everything tonight, Chiaki. It means a lot that you can trust me with this.”
Hinoka bit back her words about not wanting to trust her with this at all. So long as this was the only choice she had been given though, Hinoka supposed it could have been worse. “You’re welcome.” Chiaki took her first few steps back toward her home, and Hinoka waved after her. “Good luck.”
Chiaki cast a bittersweet smile over her shoulder at her sister. “Thanks. You too.”
Hinoka remained rooted to the spot watching her sister even after Chiaki vanished into the Miura home. Hinoka couldn’t linger there for long and risk having her father spot her. She had to get back home and rest after what had happened. Even so, Hinoka stayed there for as long as she could justify it. It felt like all she could do to make herself feel better now.
Hinoka sighed when she finally started moving again, and she pulled her phone out of her pocket. The group chat with the Legendary Warriors had blown up while she was distracted with Chiaki. Everyone wanted to know what she had been up to when the attack happened. Right. They had a right to hear the truth. They were no doubt curious about how the battle had unfolded. Hinoka couldn’t blame them at all.
Hinoka began to key out an explanation as she walked to the train station. She didn’t know how she was going to get all of the details out, but she would find some solution. She needed to get this out of her system anyway.
Especially since that day had proven to be one of the scariest of her life, and with a history like hers, that was certainly saying something.
~~~~~
Koichi paced the length of his room, forging a groove in the floor beneath his feet. It had been three hours since he returned home from school, but he hadn't brought himself to stop moving in all that time. He hadn't been able to calm himself since lunch, as a matter of fact, and he couldn't help dancing around in dizzying circles of his own rage and devising.
He had offered to tell the truth. There was no way out for him now. Koichi had been bottling the secret of the Warriors of Void for ages now, but he had volunteered to share it with the rest of the Legendary Warriors at last. He had told Hinoka he was going to be honest, and she had vowed to tell the rest of the group. He wouldn't be able to escape it this time. If Koichi didn't share the truth, then Koji probably would in his place. Of course he would. Koji probably had the same train of thought that Saki did when it came to these sorts of things. Saki would rather somebody break boundaries a little bit and keep their friends in one piece than keep the secret and let the world tear them apart. If Koichi came close and then backed away, Koji would just say it.
Koichi couldn't let anybody else take this from him. He had to try and talk. He had to be the one to say it after all the time he had spent keeping the secret as a rock in his chest. The lead of truth was suffocating him, but he couldn't let that be the case any longer. He had to be honest. They deserved that much even if it was damning to have to admit it. Koichi couldn't keep the secret forever, and he was stabbing himself in the back by confessing to it. Even if this ruined his friendships, he owed it to them to at least be honest about the thing he thought would drive all of them to ruin and hatred.
Koichi reached for his phone and found himself under attack from at least three dozen text messages from the rest of the Legendary Warriors. He winced at the sudden onslaught of light from the screen as he navigated his way through the long strings of exclamations and questions. Something had happened while he wasn't paying attention. He had been too caught up in his own thoughts to realize it, but that was all about to change.
Koichi pressed his phone to his chest for a few moments, breathing carefully and slowly to try and steady himself. He was going to have to tell the truth soon enough, probably when the group came together over the weekend, but he would be fine. If they had survived this long and remained by his side through it all, then he had to be okay. Koji hadn't left him after hearing the truth even though he was the one Duskmon had hurt the most. That had to mean something good for Koichi, right?
He was going to be fine.
The Warrior of Darkness repeated the words over in his mind like a mantra as he forced himself to read the messages from the rest of the group. He welcomed the distraction even though he doubted it would help him much. It would do something to take his mind off his own calamity, and that had to count for at least a little bit of false, fragmented value.
"You had better get ready," Dusk whispered from the back of Koichi's mind. The Warrior of Darkness went stiff on the spot, but Dusk went on anyway. "This is where everyone's true colors come out. This is where you finally stand up to the truth. Are you prepared? Are you strong enough to face it?"
Koichi shook his head. Of course he wasn't ready. He was going to have to figure it out though.
In the meantime, he read all the group chat had to offer him, and his paranoia only got worse.
~~~~~
Hinoka got home at about seven that evening, and she rubbed at her eyes with one hand. The day had been, in a word, completely exhausting, and it still wasn't over. She had explained the situation to the rest of the Legendary Warriors over text to the best of her ability, though that hadn't gone as well as she would have liked. As things currently stood, everyone was more anxious than ever before, and she hadn’t even thought that to be possible.
Gigadramon had targeted her specifically. That meant the mastermind was all too aware of who the Legendary Warriors were, and they were trying to turn their secret identities into a weapon. The Warriors hadn't ever bothered to keep their true names a secret in the Digital World since they had assumed they would be safe there. Now, Hinoka was seeing just how much of a mistake that had been. They hadn't known, but she wished they had. If they had done more to keep themselves hidden, then all of this could have been avoided.
At this rate, the investigation team wasn't the greatest danger to the group when it came to exposing their identities. The Void Fragment Digimon attacking Earth didn't want to just cause widespread chaos anymore, assuming that had even been their goal to begin with. Now, the Digimon were trying to attack with everything they had to specifically get rid of the Legendary Warriors. There was someone out there who wanted all of them dead, and they had to be careful if they wanted to live long enough to see another day.
Then there was the greatest elephant in the room. Chiaki knew the truth behind the Legendary Warriors now, at least to a limited degree. Chiaki hadn't asked about who the other Legendary Warriors were when Hinoka started her explanation, so the Warrior of Water was able to say safely that the rest of her team was safe. Hinoka had explained the fight in the Digital World in as limited terms as she could, saying that there were twelve Legendary Warriors of the elements destined to save both worlds from danger. It was a blessing that had been bestowed upon them when they were born by the higher powers of the other realm, not that Hinoka could explain the finer points. She just knew the wars against Cherubimon and Lucemon, and everything before that was a mystery.
It was enough for Chiaki though, and by the time they arrived back at the Miura household, her questions had been asked and answered. Chiaki had pressed her phone against her chest as she bid her sister farewell, thanking Hinoka for trusting her with all of this. Hinoka had waved with a nervous smile before retreating to hide, knowing that she couldn't be seen there when Daishi realized Chiaki was back. This had to stay their secret for as long as they could stand it, just another anchor around Hinoka's neck trying to drag her to the seafloor.
Terrified didn't even begin to describe the sensation of having the truth out there, Hinoka had to admit. She was petrified at the idea that somebody could target Chiaki to get to her even though the secret was just between thirteen rather than twelve. That wasn't a massive difference, or so Hinoka kept trying to tell herself. If one more person new, how much harm could that do? It was fine. It all had to be fine. She just had to stay calm.
If only it was that easy.
Hinoka sat down on her bed and fell backward as her phone continued to vibrate off the hook. She had explained as much as she could to her friends on the train ride back to her part of town, and she had left the rest for the news to cover. It was all over every major media outlet. People wanted to know who the mysterious water sorceress that had saved the city from danger really was. A few people had managed to capture grainy photos of Hinoka while she was in action, but it was never enough to trace back to her directly.
The veil of safety over Hinoka's head was fragile and growing thinner, but she couldn't let it hold her back now. Her hands shook as she curled over herself in her bed, not even bothering to eat dinner. She would have felt sick from her anxiety if she tried, so why bother? She could figure out food in the morning when it didn't feel like her body was going to rupture under the weight of her new Resplendent power.
Hinoka blinked a few times before she remembered what Yumiko and Junpei had said. Resplendent Evolution gave them the power to manipulate their elements even in human form. Hinoka sighed and raised one hand, trying to pull the moisture from the air around her as she had during the fight. Sure enough, water manifested on her fingertips, perfectly still and refusing to fall to the ground. Hinoka pressed her hand into a fist, and the water bled throughout the creases of her palm. She had magic too, and she was less human than she ever had been.
Hinoka stared up at the ceiling, closing her eyes and ignoring the way her phone continued to vibrate wildly. She could talk more in the morning. All she wanted to do was sleep off her anxiety and pray nothing happened overnight. Maybe she would be lucky enough to find that Chiaki hearing the truth was all a dream.
Hinoka checked her phone one last time before she drifted off, slipping into the private messaging app Chiaki had set her up with on the train ride back to the Miura home. Chiaki had sent her a single text. Hinoka took in a deep breath before reading it:
'Thank you for today. I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe we can actually get ice cream next time.'
Hinoka smiled bittersweetly at that. They hadn't ever ordered their ice cream because of the attack. They certainly deserved it after all they had gone through that day, so she typed out her own response with a watery sigh:
'I hope so too.'
Hinoka turned her phone over on her bedside table before closing her eyes once again. It wasn't perfect, but she was alive, and that had to mean something.
One step at a time.
~~~~~
When morning came, the plan for the Legendary Warriors to meet up in the Digital World on Sunday was made. Saki was sure they would be able to talk to Miriamon about the truth of her origins, and if all went well, the group would then have the chance to turn their focus to the investigation into the Void Fragments. The international attacks were grating on everyone's nerves in the background, and they had to do all they could to fix it.
In the meantime, they had to survive until Sunday. Waiting that long to talk about everything was declared to be an awful idea though, so the group instead decided to meet up that evening to discuss all they could regarding what had happened. Given the context of the international attacks and Hinoka's Resplendent Evolution, they had to speak as soon as possible. Miriamon could wait a few extra days, but this could not.
Going through the motions of a Friday morning was exhausting for Takuya, and he couldn't help getting distracted against his best efforts to focus. He stared off into space far more often than he had a right to, always expecting to find something blurring out of the corner of his eye. Hinoka's news about Gigadramon targeting her directly had terrified him, and Takuya couldn't stand the idea of his identity being exposed because of that incident repeating with him as the victim instead. The investigation team was dangerously close to the truth as it was, and if Takuya was attacked while they were around...
"Focus," Vritra cut in, and Takuya shook his head before trying to concentrate on the lecture his teacher was giving at the head of the class. Vritra and Alda had told him to stay on topic at least half a dozen times each, and he hadn't even reached lunchtime yet. In a word, the day was slow, though Takuya could think of other, darker ways of putting it too.
By the time Takuya arrived at his regular lunch table, he was completely drained from the day's events despite him not doing anything out of the ordinary. Everyone else filed into their regular spots around him, and Takuya watched them out of the corner of his eye. Once again, he anticipated something attacking him from the shadows. No Digimon would have been able to sneak into the school without being caught, he was sure, but the anxiety lingered no matter what he did. The fact that he hadn't slept well the night before because of his paranoia wasn't making his life any easier, and Takuya was desperate to just make it all stop for a few seconds.
Takuya only really looked up when Chiaki sat down at the table. She was different from how she had been in the last week, carrying herself with a bit more confidence than before. Takuya could only assume that was because she had spoken to her sister after all this time, though he was impressed with the fact that she had pulled herself together at all after the attack the day before. She was sporting a few bruises from the battle against Gigadramon. One particularly nasty wound colored her cheek blue, and despite her attempts to hide it under a bandage, the purple, mottled skin stuck out from beneath the white.
Katsuharu was pointedly ignoring the injuries sprawled across Chiaki's body, no doubt trying to avoid making her uncomfortable. Teppei pushed his glasses up on his nose at least twice as often as he usually did, a sign that he wanted to approach the subject but didn't know how to do it in a way that wouldn't upset his friend. Teruo looked at Chiaki through his peripheral vision whenever he could sneak in a glance, but she never returned it, instead just staring down at her food with a laser-like determination Takuya had never seen from her before.
The first person to break through the heavy silence was Koji, who cleared his throat as he looked up to Chiaki. "How are you feeling?" he asked. He played the part of distance and ignorance well, and if Takuya didn't know better, he never would have suspected that Koji had already heard the story of how this happened from Hinoka the day before. "Those bruises look pretty nasty."
Chiaki opened her mouth before she clamped it shut again a moment later. She rubbed at the bruise on her cheek slowly, almost like she was testing the waters for if she should speak at all. "I... I'll be fine," she assured Koji. "Yesterday was just a lot. I didn't expect to find myself at the scene of a monster attack."
"I can only imagine," Izumi agreed with a shake of her head. "Hinoka told me about it. She was really worried about you."
"Hinoka..." Teppei muttered, unable to hold back his curiosity. "What exactly did you do yesterday afternoon that landed you in the middle of a monster attack? I know you were hurt along the way, but you didn't really elaborate beyond that."
Chiaki went stiff, and she glanced around the table before letting out a heavy sigh. "Okay," she said slowly, drawing out both syllables. "I need you to promise to not tell anybody what I'm about to say. Can you do that for me?"
Takuya's shoulders went tense. Chiaki couldn't have meant that she was going to share the truth behind the Digimon attack and Hinoka's identity as a Legendary Warrior, right? Hinoka had said in no uncertain terms that Chiaki had sworn herself to secrecy and vowed to not say anything. Would she really break that promise less than a day after making it?
Teppei and Teruo shared a brief look at Chiaki's fragile words, and Katsuharu let out a playful scoff. "We've kept our investigation a secret this long, haven't we?" he pointed out. "We're pretty good at keeping things under wraps if that's what we want to do. I'm sure we're going to be fine."
Chiaki smiled frailly at that before nodding. "Alright... You're not going to believe this, but..."
With that, Chiaki launched herself into the tale of how she had discovered that she had a sister. Katsuharu, Teppei, and Teruo were entranced by the entire tale, and they stared at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Chiaki laughed along at the worst parts to try and cushion the blow, and Takuya nodded in response to make it seem like he didn't know what was going on. If he said that he knew the truth—that he knew Hinoka—then that would open himself up to questions regarding how they were connected. That wasn't something he could afford, especially so soon after Hinoka was forced to reveal her true beastly nature.
As it stood, Chiaki only knew of Izumi and Koji being friends with Hinoka. Those were the two who had been there when Chiaki first found out since Koji and Hinoka had been coming from checking on Koichi. Izumi was the one who had greeted them. Still, if Chiaki had made the connection about Takuya and Chihiro probably being acquainted with Hinoka too, she hadn't said it out loud. In fact, she gracefully skirted around the truth of the attack from the day before, explaining that she had been attacked alongside Hinoka and witnessed the end of the fight with her.
That was enough to satisfy the other members of the investigation team. All three of them were too caught up in the drama of it all to ask questions about the attack itself, no doubt because they were trying to avoid upsetting Chiaki along the way. Takuya didn't thank Chiaki for her silence, knowing that would cross every line he had set up for himself, but he made a mental note to tell Hinoka about this later. She had a right to know Chiaki had committed so fiercely to keeping the secret as far as he was concerned.
"Wow..." Katsuharu murmured once it was over. "I can't believe all of that actually happened. It sounds like something you'd hear about in a drama show."
"That's what I thought at first, but I guess I jumped to conclusions by thinking all of that only happened in fiction," Chiaki confessed with a nervous laugh. "Either way, I'm glad we were able to get out of all that in one piece. It was scary for a minute there."
"I'm glad you're okay too," Izumi smiled, placing one hand on Chiaki's shoulder. "No matter what, if you need help, you can come to all of us for it. You don't need to bottle up something like this if it's bothering you."
Chiaki sent Izumi an unreadable smile, and for a moment, Takuya wondered if she had figured out that Izumi was a Legendary Warrior too. Either way, Chiaki said nothing on the subject, instead just nodding like her world hadn't come crashing down the day prior. "Thanks, Izumi. You're the best."
~~~~~
Unsurprisingly, Hinoka didn’t feel fantastic the following morning.
The battle was still wearing heavily on her body, and she could feel every ounce of energy she had expended dragging her down. Hinoka shuffled through her morning routine with a headache. She had never been the type to skip classes, but all of a sudden, she was very tempted by the idea. Maybe she could just stay in and get the extra rest. Her mother wouldn’t care much if she stayed at home, Hinoka was sure. Fujie Sakatami barely seemed to notice her daughter most of the time, much less if she was or wasn’t at school.
In the end though, Hinoka’s morality won out, and she decided to go to school. She regretted it fairly quickly when her headache got worse from all the noise. Hinoka did her best to push through it though. She had to find Koichi and talk to him about everything that had happened. He deserved an explanation regarding the day before.
Hinoka’s crisis that morning about if she really wanted to go to school had slowed her down though. She couldn’t find Koichi before classes started, forcing her to wait until the lunch break halfway through the day to track him down. Koichi was waiting in his regular spot, and he looked up when he saw her approaching. “Hinoka,” Koichi greeted, his expression tired but otherwise hard to read. “How are you feeling today?”
“Not the greatest,” Hinoka admitted. She sat down next to him with a heavy sigh, and Koichi watched her with sympathy. “So… Last night, I talked to my sister.”
“And you told her about the Digital World,” Koichi finished for her, and Hinoka nodded. “I know you didn’t make that choice lightly. You didn’t have any other options, did you?”
“I’m afraid not,” Hinoka answered with a shake of her head. “If I could have done something else, then I would have. She knows about it all now though. I couldn’t keep the truth away from her after everything happened when she was right there. I had to transform to keep us both safe. She was going to have to hear about it, and… Now here we are.”
“How do you feel about it?” Koichi asked. “I know that must be a lot to deal with.”
“It’s… It’s a lot to think about,” Hinoka settled on saying after a few seconds of contemplation. “I’m not entirely sure of how I feel about it, but… I guess it feels a bit like a pressure has been taken off my chest. I didn’t realize how anxious I had become from bottling all of this up until I was able to talk about it with someone outside of our circle. I’m not happy with the fact that it came to that at all, but… I suppose there are worse ways it could have gone.”
“She agreed to keep the secret, so I think that’s a good place to start,” Koichi pointed out. “I’m glad she’s willing to help us even though she was trying to expose us just a few days ago. It’s good to know at least someone else is on our side.”
“I don’t think she’s going to betray us,” Hinoka confirmed. “Still… I don’t know. I guess I wish I had been given the choice to tell her instead of having the decision made for me. I also wish I didn’t have to send her back home to our father once everything was said and done. I didn’t want to do that to her, but…”
“You had no other choice,” Koichi completed for her, and Hinoka nodded. A few seconds passed in awkward silence before Koichi began to toy with his food. “How are you feeling about your father now? I know that it’s… A lot to think about.”
“You can say that again,” Hinoka muttered with a hum of agreement. “I haven’t been fond of him for a long time, but I never realized just how low he could sink. Chiaki seems miserable in his house. I can’t even do anything to help her because of him being around, and… I don’t know. It bothers me a lot.”
“You’re supporting her how you can,” Koichi reasoned. “And she wants to do the same for you as far as I can tell. I know this might not be what we thought was going to happen, but I’m proud of the way you’ve been handling it so far.” He offered Hinoka a weak smile at that.
Hinoka returned the favor with a nod. “Thanks, Koichi… And thank you for listening to me talk about all this too. I know it can’t be fun to hear me ramble about how badly everything went yesterday.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I’m happy to be here for you however I can be,” Koichi assured her. His eyes grew overcast and stormy, but he did his best to blink the darkness away. “I know how hard it can be to find out you have a secret sibling. The Digital World always makes things more complicated too. Even if she isn’t one of us, it’s… It’s a lot to handle. I understand. If anyone gets it, I think it would be me. With that in mind, if you end up needing any help, you can come to me. I’d be more than happy to pitch in however you need me to.”
“Thanks, Koichi,” Hinoka repeated, her smile growing wider. “I’m not sure of where all of this is going to lead, but… I think it’s all going to be alright. Maybe that sounds strange with everything that happened yesterday, but I believe we can find a way to make this work. We’ve made it this far, haven’t we?”
“That we have,” Koichi confirmed. He stared down at the table for another long moment, lost in thoughts Hinoka could never hope to hear. Koichi shook it away as quickly as he could, hiding the rattled exhaustion finding a home in his eyes. “We’re going to be fine. I believe that without a shadow of a doubt.”
Hinoka nodded. “You’re right.” Regardless of where all of this was going to lead her, Hinoka was going to do her best to keep her spirits high. She had fought long and hard to make it this far, and she wasn’t going to let monsters from the Digital World or Earth tear her apart. Hinoka was going to fight to make sure her friends and family were kept safe. This battle was one worth fighting for the sake of those she loved, and Hinoka would never let that care flicker and fade.
The tides of fate and love were strong, and Hinoka was going to make sure their hurricane of protection outlasted anything that tried to splinter it. She would be alright. Even if she had to fight for it, she would see calm waters where none of this was necessary again. She would make sure of it no matter what it took.
In her chest, Hinoka felt soothing waves collide, and she knew this was the battle she had always been meant to fight… And she wouldn’t have traded it for anything.
~~~~~
When the afternoon came, the Legendary Warriors gathered in the Sakatami home for their impromptu meeting. Hinoka was surprisingly well put together given the circumstances, greeting everyone at the door with a bright smile that told little of her struggles. Koichi could tell that Hinoka was glad the truth was out there when it came to her relationship with Chiaki, and he had seen the joy in her eyes earlier that day at lunch too. Even though the Void Fragment attack had asked more questions than it had answered, it was a step in the right direction for Hinoka. Her Resplendent Evolution made it a net positive, and Koichi was glad something good had come of that disaster in the end.
Koichi's stomach was still twisted in a firm knot when he settled down on the floor of Hinoka's bedroom. He had been getting strange looks ever since he arrived with everyone trying to figure out what they were going to be hearing from him when he finally confessed to what had been weighing on him all this time. They knew Koichi was battling something else he didn't want to talk about, but they had no way of knowing what it was.
That was all going to change soon enough though, and Koichi was terrified. He was going to have to talk about it no matter how much he wanted to get up and run until he could forget about Dusk, Velge, and Malkako having ever existed in the first place. As long as that wasn't an option though, he remained quiet and contained to himself in the corner of the room. He had no doubt the group was going to ask him about it as soon as they went through their regular motions of a status report. He was running out of time, and his attempts at reassurance weren't enough to keep him together anymore. Koichi wondered if they ever had been in the first place.
Saki closed the door behind themself once everybody had arrived in the room, and they opened their laptop swiftly. "Alright, everyone," they announced. "I think it's time for us to take this to the Digital World. We have a lot to talk about."
D-Tectors were raised across Hinoka's bedroom, and the Legendary Warriors dissolved into blurs of light that streaked into Saki's laptop. Koichi relished in the sensation of weightlessness for as long as he felt it, and when his feet touched down on solid ground once again, his stomach did three flips in as many seconds. His hands were starting to shake from adrenaline, so he shoved his fingers in his pockets to try and keep himself calm. It was a vain effort, but he had to at least make an attempt for his own sake.
The Legendary Warriors streamed easily into the fortress, and they settled down in the main lounge area with their five Digimon guides. Patamon flew to land happily in Koichi's arms, almost sensing that the Warrior of Darkness needed a bit more comfort. Koichi raked his fingers carefully across Patamon's head with the young Digimon nuzzling up against him with a smile. At least he had Patamon there to comfort him for a little while longer. It was a small blessing, but Koichi would take it.
"Okay," Saki declared after everyone had settled in. The Warrior of Steel opted to stand for as long as they were offering their update, and everyone watched them intently. "I've arranged a meeting with Miriamon on Sunday where we can all finally hear the truth from her lips. My investigation into her past has been going well, and I'm confident I'll be able to push it out of her tomorrow."
"You're going to talk to her tomorrow?" Haroi echoed, his eyes going wide.
"I am," Saki confirmed with a nod. "I want to try and get her to talk to me specifically first. I know she knows something about me that she hasn't been saying, and I need to hear it as soon as possible. After that, I'm going to get her to tell the rest of you. I'm not going to hide it from you for any longer than I have to. I just... I need to know why she's been avoiding me since we met. I have to do this."
"You don't need to justify yourself to us," Junpei assured them as he rose to his feet to place a hand on their shoulder. Saki looked over to him with a small smile. "We know you have a personal stake in this. Just... Try to not hide it from us, would you?"
Saki snorted. "I thought I just told you I wasn't going to be doing that," they countered. "But I appreciate the concern. You have nothing to worry about though. I promise."
Junpei and Saki continued to laugh mutedly to one another for a few more seconds, and Bokomon let out a small sigh to gather all the attention in the room on himself. "Alright. I suppose that takes care of the Miriamon situation," he announced.
“Actually, there’s one other thing I wanted to address,” Yumiko cut in. She was pulling something up on her phone, and she turned the device around once she found it. “I almost forgot to mention it, but… I found something while we were on Inaie.”
Yumiko’s screen was set up to display a sketch of something. It looked like the outline of a greater picture, but the details were difficult to pick out on account of the lack of tools at Yumiko’s disposal when she was drawing it out. “Sorry about how it looks,” Yumiko went on. “My phone’s camera wasn’t working because I was in the Digital World, but I found this in a cave under the island’s surface. It seems to be a mural that depicts the fight against Lucemon, but… There was something else strange about it. Miriamon was with the Legendary Warriors, but she looks just like Lucemon here.”
Saki leaned toward the drawing, squinting to make out all of the details. They frowned and pulled away when they realized Yumiko was right. “They have the exact same colors used for their portrayals in the picture,” Saki confirmed with a frown. “That has to mean something.”
“But what could it mean?” Takuya questioned. “I don’t get why Miriamon of all people would look anything like Lucemon. It’s not like the two of them have anything in common. If they do have something in common, then we don’t know about it yet.”
“All the more reason for Saki to try and hear the truth from her when the time comes, I guess,” Koji remarked. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to get much theorizing in right now.”
“I can do a bit more research into it if you would like,” Bokomon chimed in. “I know that may not mean much since Saki is planning to get the truth from Miriamon soon, but… There must be a reason for this. Lucemon always looked very distinctive and different from the rest of the Digimon in the Digital World. I’m sure there’s a reason for the connection between them.”
“We’ll be looking forward to hearing more from you,” Hinoka nodded to Saki. “I wish there was something more we could do to get to the bottom of this before then, but…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Saki assured her with a wave of their hand. “I’ve got it all under control.”
“Then I guess we should talk about the next matter on our list, and that would be everything happening on Earth,” Junpei concluded. "The sooner we can start the investigation into the attacks on Earth, the better off all of us will be."
"If you ask me, it almost seems like the mastermind behind all of this is trying to test the waters," Haroi remarked. "The attacks have been brief, and the Digimon responsible flee almost as soon as someone turns around to try and fight them. The culprit doesn't want to cause any massive conflicts, at least not yet."
"But they're attacking places they know we won't be. We can say that for sure because the recent attacks across the globe have been much less intense than the battles in Shibuya," Mayumi pointed out. "I mean, we've been giving it our all when we find ourselves under attack, and the Digimon there have been tough. That hasn't been the case with everything happening internationally. The military of the targeted nations has been able to handle it since we haven’t been able to get involved directly."
"You're right," Takuya agreed with a nod. "But we're still going to have to figure out why all of it is happening as soon as possible. Even if the attacks internationally have been tamer, that could all change soon, and if it turns on us too soon, then a lot of people could get hurt."
"We'll figure out a way to fix it," Junpei announced. "We've come too far to fail now. All we need to do now is figure out who the mastermind is and take them out from this side of the barrier. It has to be a Digimon since they know to target us specifically. We haven't seen a reason to hide our identities here in the Digital World, and the mastermind is using that to their advantage."
"If Gigadramon went after me specifically earlier this week, then there's no way of saying if the people around us will be safe as these attacks continue to ramp up," Hinoka murmured. "I've been thinking about it a lot. Chiaki could have died during that fight if I didn't evolve when I did. That battle could have ended terribly. If we don't take out the mastermind as quickly as possible, then everyone we've ever known could end up in trouble so they can get to us. We were worried about targeting like that happening because of events on Earth, but we should have been fearing it because of things happening here in the Digital World too."
The room went quiet at that, and Koichi swallowed dryly. He didn't think he would have been able to take it if someone else he cared about ended up in danger because of him. It was a different situation compared to how things had been when he was Duskmon, but he still didn't want to take the chance. It was too much. He had hurt the people he loved too much, and he was desperate to change it as soon as possible. It was the least he could do.
Nobody seemed to know how to follow up on Hinoka's words, no doubt because they were afraid of what admitting she was right might mean for them. Instead, Yumiko cleared her throat and looked over to Koichi. "Hinoka said you had something to say when we next met up. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
Koichi froze on the spot. He had been right about Hinoka telling the rest of the group about it. She wanted to make sure he didn't run away anymore since he had spent more than enough time doing that. He wouldn't be able to get away this time, and he knew it. This was the moment he had been dreading for so long. They were going to hear the truth.
Koichi nodded, and he swallowed dryly in an attempt to calm his nerves. He wasn't at all surprised when it didn't work. "I... There is something I need to tell you," he admitted slowly. "Ever since we returned from the Digital World, things have been... Different. We've all been changing. Our blood is changing colors, our elements come to us naturally, and those of us who have Resplendent Evolved can even control our elements in human form. It's... It's a lot. The first major change however came with us hearing the Legendary Warriors' voices in our heads."
"What about it?" Yumiko questioned, leaning forward a little bit. She seemed to recognize Koichi's dread as soon as the words left her lips, and she was on the verge of asking him if he was alright. Koichi didn't want to hear it. He knew his response would have been a negative answer, and that would have been the one crack to finally shatter the dam of his emotional defenses. He had to do this quickly before he started to break all over again.
"I've been hearing the voices of the Warriors of Darkness," Koichi began. "But that's not all. I... I've also been hearing the echoes of the Warriors of Void. Dusk, Velge, Malkako, even Erocia... All of them. They're still in my head, and I don't know what to do to get rid of them. I don't know what to do about it."
All of a sudden, the pieces seemed to click into place for everyone else in the room. "That's why you struggled during that one fight in the middle of the night," Hinoka realized. "And it's why you didn't fight with the rest of us during the siege of Inaie."
Koichi nodded. "I don't know how I'm supposed to Spirit Evolve when I have all of this holding me back. I can't use my Beast Spirit or Hybrid form because I'm afraid of them taking control and doing something to hurt other people. I hurt so many people when I was possessed by the power of the Void element, and I... I can't do that again. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you would hate me for it. Duskmon destroyed so many of you in so many ways."
"How long have you known?" Saki asked, their expression unreadable. Their outward detachment was nothing out of the ordinary for them, but it struck a deep nerve in Koichi's stomach that made him feel like his world was ending.
"Ever since Yumiko said we should try to reach out to the other echoes in our minds," Koichi replied. "But it got a lot worse after that massive battle in the city. I reached out for the Void Fragment just before it shattered, and I knew what power it was made of. That's the same magic the Warriors of Void used. The name isn't a coincidence. I can't say for sure how anyone knew that was the title to use, but... That's where they come from. The Void Fragments use the same dark power that took me over during our first adventure in the Digital World. It's the same hellish magic Lucemon gave to Cherubimon to possess me with. And... That same power is living inside of me right now."
Koichi's eyes started to fog with tears before he could hold himself back, and a strangled sob pushed its way free of his lips. "I couldn't even blame you for hating me after everything Duskmon put you through. You deserve to hate me. I'm not who you think I am, and I... I did so much to hurt each of you. I was afraid of admitting that they're still here because I thought it would break all of this. I wanted to keep you around so much, and... I lied in order to do it. I'm so sorry."
Patamon shifted in Koichi's grasp to nuzzle against his chest. "What makes you think we'd hate you for that?" Patamon asked. Koichi blinked in shock and confusion at that. What sort of question was that? Duskmon had hurt all of them so many times. How could they not hate him?
"Of course we wouldn't hate you," Izumi chimed in next with a shake of her head. "We forgave you for everything that happened when you were Duskmon a long time ago. When you first joined us, we agreed to put everything in the past. We don't hold it against you. We never did."
Koichi stared at her with wide eyes as tears continued to streak down his cheeks. Takuya's hand came down on Koichi's shoulder, and the Warrior of Fire smiled comfortingly. "This isn't something you can control. You were taken over by Cherubimon when all of that happened, and we know that. What happened when you were Duskmon is in the past. You didn't mean to hurt us, and we know that. You had no other choice. You don't need to feel guilty for still feeling the pull of all that. It wasn't your fault, Koichi," Takuya assured him. "If we hated you, I could promise you that you would have noticed it by now."
"You don't hold anything like that against the rest of us for what we did as Fallen Warriors, right?" Chihiro questioned, and Koichi shook his head. "Of course not. I turn into Aeoelmon and Cybelemon on a pretty regular basis even though I sent half our team falling off a mountain in those forms. Nobody holds that against me. Why would we hate you for something you had even less control over?"
"Cherubimon was using you as his puppet the entire time you were Duskmon," Yumiko chimed in. "We don't hate you for still carrying all of that with you. Cherubimon hurt a lot of us, but we're not in the same place we once were. We're here, and we're making a difference now."
"Even if you have Dusk, Velge, and Malkako all living in your head, you're still you. That didn't suddenly change just because of the Warriors of Void hitching a ride in your body," Mayumi agreed with a bright grin. "You're still Koichi. You can try and push us away all you want, but we're not going to fall for it because we're your friends. You don't need to be afraid of sharing the truth with us no matter what happens."
Koji wrapped an arm around Koichi's shoulders and pulled his brother in closer. "I told you, didn't I?" Koji asked softly. "We don't hold anything against you for what happened. It's okay to let the past stay in the past. A lot of us said and did things that hurt each other the first time we were here in the Digital World. We still mess up sometimes. That's what happens when you're human. But you're not just the culmination of every mistake you've ever made. You're a person first and foremost, and we love you for being who you are. You're still Koichi no matter what, and we still love you."
That was the last straw for Koichi, and all attempts at restraint went out the window as he leaned against his brother and sobbed. Koji rubbed gentle circles on Koichi's back, a tender smile on his face all the while. The rest of the Legendary Warriors offered supportive smiles from around the circle, and the Digimon guides did much the same. Patamon continued to press his body tightly against Koichi to offer as much love as he could, wrapping his ears around the Warrior of Darkness' torso for that added bit of affection.
It took a while before Koichi was able to bring himself to speak once again, and he let out another sob before rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Thank you so much," he whispered. "I was so sure that when I told you the truth, you would all hate me for it."
"Of course we don't hate you," Bokomon assured him. "We're your friends, aren't we? I feel like we're well past the point of hating you for something like getting possessed. Where would we be if we hated every one of us who was possessed at this point?"
"It would mean that we would all hate each other because of our Beast Spirits," Mayumi supplemented. "You can leave all of that pain in the past where it belongs. We're all okay now. We're here for each other, and that's what matters most."
Koichi rubbed at his eyes once again. "Thank you... All of you," he choked out. "I... I've spent all this time thinking you would hate me for being a monster, but... I'm glad I was wrong. I didn't want to lose this. All of you... You're the best things to ever happen to me. I was afraid of losing that."
"You'll never be able to get rid of us," Neemon assured him with a mischievous grin. "We're going to be stuck with you forever. That's what happens when you save the world with people! You're a team for the rest of time!"
"And I'm glad we are," Koichi smiled to himself. Patamon abandoned him a moment later and flew off to find a tissue box. He returned a moment later with a box much too large for his body hanging from his tiny paws, and he dropped it gracelessly into Koichi's lap when the weight grew to be too much for him to bear. The Warrior of Darkness laughed at the sight before taking a tissue out and rubbing at his face. "Thank you." Patamon just smiled contently before settling back down on Koichi's legs, this time leaning against the tissue box on one side.
Koichi rubbed at his eyes for a few more minutes with the rest of the group watching him proudly, and when he finally managed to regain his composure, he let out a long sigh and crumpled up his last tissue before setting it aside. As soon as he had done that, Koji pulled him into yet another hug, this time embracing his brother with both arms and pulling him in tightly. "I'm so proud of you," Koji whispered into Koichi's ear.
For a long moment, Koichi was stunned statuesque to the spot, but he eventually managed to return the embrace with a small smile on his face. "I am too," he returned.
From there, Patamon climbed on top of Koichi's head to hug at the Warrior of Darkness with his ears. That was seemingly all it took for the rest of the group to surge toward Koichi, each of them layering on with their own embraces. Takuya wrapped his arms around Koichi from behind since he was closest. After that, Koichi lost track of when everyone came into the hug and from what direction, but he decided it didn't matter. He knew they were there, and he knew just as well that they loved him. His fears of being abandoned had been wrong, and he couldn't have been happier. This was what he had needed all this time, and he deserved to enjoy it after denying that love for so long.
When the Legendary Warriors finally parted, Koichi's tears had dried, but his cheeks were still worn and red from crying. He took in a careful breath and went to rub at his eyes once again to dispel the lingering irritation, but he was cut off by Hinoka reaching for a tissue. She pressed it between her fingers, and water filled the tissue just enough to leave it damp. She passed it back to him a moment later, and Koichi nodded his gratitude before pressing the tissue over his eyes. The relief was immediate, and he knew that if he had been able to speak around the lump in his throat, he would have thanked her a thousand times over.
"I suppose that's it for today then," Chihiro said. They were looking toward the door with paranoia in their eyes, though the fear was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. When it came to Chihiro, vulnerability never lingered for long. They never let their guard drop long enough for anyone to truly notice it, much less comment on it. "Unless there's something else one of you needs to say."
"I... I have something to say," Tomoki chimed in, raising one hand to earn the attention of everyone in the room. The Legendary Warriors turned to face him slowly, and Koichi realized the Warrior of Ice's hands were shaking ever so slightly. "I-I'm sorry to keep everyone, but... There's something I really need to tell you all."
Everybody shared a knowing look at that, and Koichi immediately figured out where this was going. He had heard a few days ago that Tomoki was sure his brother was following him again, but this time, he was extending his reach to the rest of the Legendary Warriors. Yutaka wasn't pulling any punches when it came to making sure Tomoki was miserable, and the other members of the group were starting to feel the sting as well. Or, at the very least, that was what Koichi had gleaned, and the uncomfortable way Mayumi and Haroi shifted from their corner of the circle only confirmed it.
Tomoki took in a shaky breath before pushing it out with a bit too much force. "My brother... I need you all to be careful," he started. "I know Yutaka is following people around, and he's not just after me this time. He was targeting Mayumi and Haroi earlier in the week. I don't know what he's trying to do, but he's dangerous. I don't want any of you to end up in trouble because of him."
"I guess now is as good a time as any to say this," Junpei sighed. "I think he was following me and Yumiko when we went out earlier this week. We were going to try and talk about our new abilities, but it didn't go the way we would have liked. We thought someone was eavesdropping on us, and I'm sure it was Yutaka."
Tomoki shriveled at that, but he didn't seem surprised in the slightest. "It wouldn't shock me if he was there," he murmured. "I don't know what Yutaka is after right now, but... I'm begging all of you to be careful. Yutaka has done a lot to hurt a lot of people in the past, and I don't want him to try and harm any of you. He's done more than enough damage as it is."
Saki looked at Tomoki for a few long beats before they reached one hand a bit closer to him. They didn't touch him, but the invitation was there. "Do you want me to walk you home after all of this?" they asked. "I'm staying in the Digital World, so it's not like he can really do much to follow me as long as I can get to a portal in private. I'd be happy to take you back after all of this is over."
Tomoki considered the offer for a handful of moments. In the end, he nodded. "I would like that," he agreed. "I don't want anything to happen with him. I... I confronted him after we got back from Inaie, but he didn't say a word about why he was doing all of this. I think he's just upset that I'm happy. He always wanted me to be as miserable as possible, and I suppose that me having friends after all this time is bothering him."
"Maybe it would be safer for you to just go straight back to your house then," Saki suggested. "I'm sure I would be able to rig it so that we can get you back home through your computer at your house. You would have to stage coming home so your parents don't ask any questions, but that mitigates the risk of him following you through the city."
Tomoki nodded, and Salamon tilted her head to the side. "Do your parents know about all of this?" she asked. "I know things work differently on Earth from the Digital World, but... I think they would want to know about this. Bokomon and Neemon would want to know about it if Patamon, Lopmon, or I were in trouble."
Bokomon flushed at the implication of being considered Salamon's parent, and Neemon just smiled like he either hadn't noticed or had caught on but just didn't mind it enough to be embarrassed. Given the way the two of them behaved, Bokomon and Neemon might as well have been the parents of the Celestial Three. They may not have gone by that title formally, but everyone knew that was the way they behaved, and that was more than enough to prove their love and dedication.
Tomoki just threaded a few pieces of his hair between his fingers before shaking his head. "No... I haven't been able to tell them yet," he confessed. "I don't know what I would even say to them. They've suffered enough because of Yutaka, and talking to them... It's terrifying. I don't want them to get hurt too."
"But they won't be able to help you unless you talk to them about it," Takuya pointed out. "I know they care about you, and you deserve to have the help you need. They should have gotten involved with you and Yutaka years ago, and even if they were late, they still did the right thing. They can pull you out of it this time too."
"I'm just afraid," Tomoki said with a heavy sigh. "Yutaka turning out the way he did completely destroyed them both. They wanted to believe Yutaka was good for so long, and I... I don't know. I guess I just don't want to ruin his reputation more than I already have."
"What about you telling them the truth is ruining his reputation?" Chihiro cut in, their eyes sharpening into daggers. "They were the ones who didn't give a damn for years while he tore you apart. He ruined his own reputation. You didn't do shit to earn their ire, and if they can't see that, then it's their problem. They should have helped you years before they did, but because they were too cowardly to intervene, you're suffering now. I doubt Yutaka would even be following you around now if they had gotten involved when all of this started."
The room went quiet at that, and Takuya stared at Chihiro with wide, aghast eyes. None of them had expected that outburst, least of all Takuya, the one who knew them the best. Chihiro felt the eyes on them but clearly didn't care, instead just pushing themself to their feet. "It's going to get dark soon. We should get back home before anyone notices we're gone and starts to ask questions," they went on. Their voice offered no room for objections, and they didn't turn back after moving to leave.
The rest of the group shared nervous glances in response to Chihiro's rage, but nobody seemed to know how to approach the subject of calming them down. Tomoki ultimately nodded to himself, trying to soothe his fears after the Warrior of Earth's outburst. "Yeah... I guess they're right," he agreed. "I don't want anything to happen after it gets too dark. We won't be able to see Yutaka coming as easily if we run into him after the sun goes down. We can come back together on Sunday and see what to do from there."
"Then let's do it," Saki nodded. They looked to the Digimon guides warily, and Bokomon frowned up at them, no doubt worried about Chihiro. Saki said nothing on the subject, but it was clear that they wanted to ask Takuya to check up on them. Nobody knew Chihiro as well as he did, and he would have had the best chance of getting through to them if they were really as upset as they made it seem. They would have to trust that he knew how to handle this since the rest of the group was bound to hit a wall as soon as they tried to push Chihiro in the wrong direction. The Warrior of Earth was stubborn as could be, and it would take a similar brand of stubbornness from Takuya to counteract it properly.
Koichi's legs were still wobbling by the time he got to his feet, and he couldn't tell if it was because of his earlier breakdown or because he was afraid of Chihiro for snapping that way. Koichi was no stranger to seeing Chihiro's angrier side since Cherubimon had been constantly stoking that piece of their personality when they were a Fallen Warrior. Back then, Duskmon had thought Aeoelmon was too temperamental to get anywhere of note. Now, Koichi knew that was the kind of rage that came with being failed by everyone in the world for as long as a person had been alive. He wanted to be able to help, but he had no idea where he could even start. He doubted he even knew enough about Chihiro to be able to reach that hand out to them in the first place.
Koichi was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a hand come down on his ankle. He glanced down and was met with none other than Lopmon. The rabbit Digimon's dark eyes seemed to pierce straight through Koichi's soul, not that he could put a finger on why. "I'm sorry for what happened," Lopmon told him. "I'm sorry for the way Cherubimon treated you."
Koichi stared at Lopmon for an uncomfortably long time, but he couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze away. Oh, how ironic this was. Lopmon didn't realize it, but this was the ultimate apology from the universe. Lopmon's memories of being Cherubimon had been stripped away by Saki after his death in his past life, and now, he lived on in blissful ignorance of all that he had done after falling under Lucemon's control. Lopmon had been in part responsible for Koichi’s pain, and he had no idea of the truth.
And yet, Koichi thought that this was the apology he needed. It wasn't the same as hearing it from the original Cherubimon that had torn him to pieces and left him as the corrupted Warrior of Void to fight through the fallout, but it was still a step in the right direction. It was proof there was still something beautiful to be found out there, and Koichi couldn't help smiling at the thought. He reached down and stroked one hand across the back of Lopmon's head. "Thank you," he murmured. "I appreciate the thought." He bit back the urge to tell Lopmon to not blame himself, knowing that would only risk revealing the truth of who Lopmon had once been. The group had agreed to keep the identities of the Celestial Three a secret from them for the time being since there was no way of saying how they would react. It was a barrier none of them wanted to push, and Koichi especially wanted to leave it in the past now that he had been given permission to do so. The Celestial Three had brought unspeakable pain to not only the Legendary Warriors but to each other, and as long as they loved each other as deeply and fiercely as they did, they deserved to move past it. If they knew of what they had done to one another, they would hate themselves. The reincarnations of the Celestial Three were innocent, and they deserved to go on without knowing the truth of their past transgressions against themselves, each other, and their friends.
Lopmon's expression was unreadable, but he nodded up at Koichi with the same wide eyes as always. The Warrior of Darkness smiled gently at Lopmon for a few more seconds before he moved to follow the rest of the group back to Earth. They couldn't afford to stay in the Digital World for any longer than they already had if they wanted to avoid being followed by Yutaka, and they all knew it.
Saki had already set them up with a portal to go back through by the time Koichi had returned to the rest of the group, and the Legendary Warriors all raised their D-Tectors to the screen. The world around Koichi tilted, and he let it. This time, the feeling of weightlessness was liberating rather than restricting.
He was safe. His friends all loved him, and he was safe.
~~~~~
Tomoki was the last of the Legendary Warriors to arrive back on Earth from the Digital World with Saki opening a special gate for him that would lead back to his room in the Himi house. Tomoki had given them one final bid of thanks before traveling through the portal, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his bedroom like nothing had happened. It took him a few seconds to calm down from the reminder of being back on Earth—back in the same world as Yutaka—but he soothed his fears with a handful of deep breaths. It was by no means a perfect solution, but it was a step in the right direction.
Tomoki gave himself a bit of time to let his hands stop shaking, and he reached for the bottom edge of his window. He lifted it up and clambered out, thanking the universe for making him short enough to escape without being caught. He closed the window behind himself and tucked his D-Tector on his waistband where his jacket hid it from view. Realistically, Tomoki knew he wouldn't be able to Spirit Evolve to protect himself even if he wanted to since he still had a secret to keep, but he didn't care. Having his D-Tector on him made him feel a little bit safer, and when he was dealing with something like Yutaka, that was what he needed.
Tomoki easily slipped around to the front of the house and pushed through the front door using the house key he had shoved in his pocket before he left to meet with his team. He locked the door behind himself, looking over his shoulder one final time to make sure nobody was following him. Tomoki didn't see anyone thankfully, and he sighed silently with relief before walking in through the entryway of the house.
Tomoki's mother, Kotori, was in the kitchen cooking something, and while he couldn't put a finger on what it was, Tomoki knew it smelled incredible. She didn't look up from what she was doing, instead just calling out in his direction while he walked back to his room. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes," Kotori told him. "You'll have to tell us how school went when we sit down."
Right. Tomoki had been to school that day. With the enormity of his adventure to the Digital World, he had almost forgotten. "I will," Tomoki replied. "I'm going to work on a bit of homework first." He ignored the fact that he had left his backpack in his room and darted back before anyone could notice. He closed his door behind himself and practically collapsed onto his bed, his heart still screaming in his chest. Realistically, he knew he was fine. Yutaka hadn't been there to see what he was up to, and everything was alright.
However, Tomoki couldn't bring himself to think in purely realistic terms. He was still afraid of his brother, and he doubted that paranoia would ever go away. It might have faded a little bit if he could bring himself to tell his parents, but he still didn't know how he was supposed to do that. He didn't want to break their hearts any more than he already felt he had by being honest with them.
"You're still on the clock, Tomoki," Blizzar reminded him. "If you don't want to tell them, I will."
Tomoki nodded as he pressed his hands up to his face. He pushed down against his eyes until he saw stars, and that was enough to make him tear his fingers away. He stared up at his ceiling blankly, wishing he could just jump into his homework like nothing was wrong. It wasn't going to be that easy though, so he took a few more breaths in a desperate bid to calm himself. He would be fine. He just had to take it one day at a time.
It was a shame he couldn't bring himself to believe it.
In the shadows of the Himi home, Yutaka watched as he always did. He had started to wonder what his brother was up to after he had gone to hang out with a friend and never returned home. Eventually, Yutaka had gotten bored of waiting and decided to go back to the Himi residence. It was different from the place where he had grown up since the rest of his family had moved away after the restraining order against him was put into place. As a result, Yutaka had no love for the place, only hatred.
But it offered a few interesting secrets, and the most important one right now was that Tomoki had slipped home when he should not have been able to. More than that, he had appeared in his room randomly, snuck out his window, and then staged coming back. He shouldn't have been there, and yet, there Tomoki was. It should have been impossible, but Yutaka knew exactly what he was seeing.
This was bound to be an interesting and important piece of information. He could just feel it.
And he couldn't wait to use it to his advantage.
~~~~~
"What in the world was that about?" Takuya questioned as he closed the door to his bedroom behind himself. Chihiro was already inside, and they had sat down heavily in his desk chair before starting to tap their foot thunderously against the ground below. "I haven't seen you snap like that in a long time."
"I didn't say anything wrong, did I?" Chihiro asked, their voice edged with rage. "If Tomoki's parents were actually trying to look after him, then they would have done something about Yutaka ages before they did. They only acted against Yutaka after he started to inconvenience them. They didn't even care about what Tomoki was going through. It was all about them."
"I never said I didn't agree with you," Takuya corrected. "Of course I agree. I'm just... I'm worried about you, Chihiro. You've been losing focus more and more, and it's not... It's not like you to act this way. You haven't been this defensive in a long time."
"What do you want me to say?" Chihiro inquired, their expression twisting into something terrified and tired. "That I hate the investigation team for the fact that they've forced us into hiding each time we go to school? That I want to kick Yutaka's face in for hurting Tomoki so much? That I want to tear this entire world apart sometimes for every way it's failed every single one of us? Because those are all pretty damn obvious answers."
"I understand why you're upset," Takuya assured them. "I'm just worried about you. I don't like that you're bottling everything up again. You were getting better about this after the Digital World, and now..."
"It's like I'm Aeoelmon again?" Chihiro cut in, and Takuya's eyes went wide at the implication. He didn't respond right away, so Chihiro just snorted. "Maybe I am acting like Aeoelmon again. I don't know what to do about any of this. I hate feeling powerless more than anything, and we have next to nothing on our side right now. What's the point of being able to destroy mountains in a single punch when we can't do anything about what actually matters? The Void Fragments are getting worse. The attacks have gone international. Tomoki's batshit older brother is following us around because he's an abusive asshole who doesn't know when to let go of jealousy. The investigation team is a breath away from figuring out who we are because they have our birthdays written down. We're so close to crumbling no matter where we look, and... I'm fucking tired, Takuya."
The Warrior of Fire was quiet for a long moment, and he walked closer to them. He reached out a hand to touch their shoulder, waiting for them to protest in the silence. When they did nothing, he touched Chihiro's shoulder as gently as he could, and the Warrior of Earth practically folded under his grip. "I don't know what we're going to do about all of this," he admitted. "But we're going to figure out what to do about it together. I promise."
Chihiro gripped their hands together so tightly Takuya was sure they were going to draw blood. Their knuckles turned white and started trembling. "I'm tired," they repeated, their voice much softer this time. "I don't know what to do. I'm afraid. I'm tired of feeling powerless, and... I'm tired of being chased. I don't give a damn whether it's the investigation team or Yutaka. I'm fucking scared, and... I want it all to stop."
Chihiro's eyes finally fogged with tears at that, and they rubbed roughly at their face with the heels of their hands. Takuya's hand on their shoulder transformed into a full embrace, and he pulled them in tight against his chest. "We'll find a way out of this," Takuya assured them. "I promise." Chihiro said nothing, instead just continuing to sob silently into his torso.
Outside Takuya's bedroom, Shinya stood in the hallway, looking at his phone and pretending to not be listening to what Takuya and Chihiro were talking about. He hadn't ever seen Chihiro this upset before, and he had to do something about it. However, his brother and friend had retreated into Takuya's room before he could intervene, and that left Shinya to listen in silently… And that was when he finally heard the truth of the secret Takuya and Chihiro had been keeping.
Shinya was halfway tempted to knock on the door and ask what he could do to help, but he ultimately resisted the urge in favor of clenching his fingers together around his phone. "The Digital World, huh..." he murmured. He kept track of every important term or name he was hearing even if he didn't know the significance. Digital World, Aeoelmon, Yutaka... It all had to mean something, and Shinya was going to figure out how it all came together.
Shinya turned away and started back to his room. He opened up his messenger app and found a familiar number. Masae's name and face appeared at the top of the screen as the contact. With that, Shinya began to type:
'You'll never guess what I just heard.'
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
I'll be the first to admit that my original vision for this chapter ended up very different from the finished product, and I think it was definitely a change for the better. I had been expecting the meeting of the Legendary Warriors to take up a lot more time than it wound up needing, so I was able to use the extra wiggle room to expand on other aspects of the world, and it turned out amazingly. Oh, and it gave us two separate cliffhangers. How about that?
I struggled for a long time to figure out where Koichi's confession to the rest of the group was going to sit, and I decided to place it here for closure before we start the full scramble of act three. Things have been hectic so far, but chapter thirty-four is going to be when things get a hell of a lot worse, and this is the last chance for me to wrap this up before that. I think this is a great place for it, and Koichi finally gets to ease his struggles regarding the Warriors of Void.
As we all knew they would, the Legendary Warriors accepted him with open arms. They were happy to have him in their lives despite his history as the Warrior of Void, and at long last, Koichi can see it too. He got the support he's been needing for all this time, and he's finally starting to feel better. It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. His arc is going to keep going for a while before it manifests as a Resplendent Evolution, but he's finally on the path to recovery, and the rest of the group can at last support him as he needs it. As a minor detail, I loved having Lopmon approach him here. It's small, but it means a lot to Koichi, and as such, it's very important in my eyes.
Tomoki opening up is another side of the group protecting each other and helping one another no matter what. Yutaka has been a massive problem for a while, and Tomoki needed to talk about it with them here. They might not have a solution for the problem, but they're going to do what they can to help. Tomoki has been getting more and more paranoid because he's been followed, and if you'll remember from the first book, that's one of his biggest triggers. The same applies to Chihiro who was actually chased into the Digital World in the first book. It was a minor detail, but that's the reason for their growing rage and eventual outburst here. Ever since the investigation team started getting too close for comfort, Chihiro has been getting closer to snapping, and it all came out here. Tomoki and Chihiro are a strange set of characters to have so much in common, but I think it works well, especially given their polar opposite temperaments in the face of danger. Also, Yutaka knows that Tomoki seemingly teleported back home, and he's going to use it to his advantage. The secret might not have gotten out officially, but it's close, and that's dangerous.
Speaking of the secret, Shinya is getting awfully close to it too. Chihiro had the complete opposite response from Tomoki since they explode with rage the instant they feel threatened. Tomoki is afraid of authority because of the power his brother held over him. Chihiro is afraid of not being in control because of what their parents did to them as a child. They have similar struggles but different responses to it, and that anger is the reason Chihiro acted the way they did as Aeoelmon back in the first book. Hell, that was the reason for the driving conflict between Aeoelmon and Lyramon early on in "Frontiers Unexplored." I wanted to give Chihiro a bit of an outlet so they could finally talk about how much this is weighing on them, so here a small scene with Takuya is to save the day. Unfortunately, it's not as much of a secret as they would have liked, and Shinya was listening in. Beyond that, Shinya is still in contact with Masae. Where will this go? That's an incredible question... And a secret. Oops. I'm evil. Just a little bit.
I said before that Koichi's secret had to come out here since this was the last chance for the truth to be revealed before chapter thirty-four. Why is that? Chapters thirty-two and thirty-three will be a two-part special of sorts that reveals something new to us... The history of Miriamon and the previous Legendary Warriors. Yep. Saki's conversation with Miriamon next chapter is going to take up two chapters worth of lore details and worldbuilding that will completely change the way you all look at this story and universe. I hope you're ready for it because trust me, you definitely are not.
With that said, we're going to start the Miriamon story next time with a chapter entitled "The Stars and the Souls" followed up by "Tragedy of Heaven and Earth." Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 32: The Souls and the Stars
Summary:
Miriamon tells the tale of Kana and Kage Shiraki.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 1/1/23
Edit Release: 9/28/24
The scene with Kana and Kage set in 1993 is exclusive to the edited version. The birthday scene in 1996 is also new to the edited release.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Lyramon stepped out of the purple rift and onto Rubrum with a light frown on their face. As soon as they were finished with the portal, they closed it with the tip of their rapier and reverted back to human form. Saki tucked their D-Tector on their waistband and started the walk to the main temple of Rubrum. This was going to be the day they heard the truth. They would make sure of it.
Less than ten minutes later, Saki stepped through the front doors of the main shrine, and they easily navigated to the back room of the temple. They could feel a pull in their chest that told them where Miriamon was waiting for them, and they were confident it was their connection to their predecessor that was pointing them in the right direction. Miriamon had been heavily linked with all of the original Legendary Warriors, and Saki was hardly an exception. If anything, they were linked most with Miriamon out of all of them. They were glad for the connection now. It gave them purpose and forward motion in a time when that was all they could have asked for.
Miriamon was standing in the back room of the temple and staring up at the many statues of the Legendary Warriors when Saki arrived. She didn't turn to face Saki when they stepped into the room, instead just pressing her hands to her chest. "I didn't realize I was meant to expect company today," she murmured. "I would have preferred it if you had warned me ahead of time."
"You wouldn't have let me come if you knew I was planning to speak with you," Saki countered. Miriamon said nothing, and they knew they had spoken true. "I need to talk to you. I'm sure you already know where this is going."
Miriamon remained silent, and Saki reached into their pocket to pull out their phone. They couldn't access the internet from the Digital World, but they could still look at their camera roll, and that was what they cared about most for now. "I know the truth about who you are," Saki went on. "You're not simply a Digimon who was close with the Legendary Warriors. You're a human. Or, at the very least, you once were. Now, you're the Arbiter of Souls. Before you were Miriamon though... Your name was Kana Shiraki. Am I correct?"
A breeze blew through Miriamon's hair even though there was no wind in the room. She turned to face Saki slowly, her eyes unreadable and bittersweet. "I knew you were going to figure it out eventually," she admitted. "You were always going to learn the truth. It was set in stone even before we first met. You're just like her."
"Her?" Saki echoed, their eyes going wide. Of all the ways Miriamon could have responded, that was one of the last ways Saki had anticipated she would react.
"Your mother," Miriamon smiled gently. "You look just like her. It's been a long time since I last saw her, but the instant I saw you... I knew you had to be her child. Anri Fushida's child."
Saki's shoulders went tense. "You knew my mother," they said softly. "How?"
"That's a long story, though I suppose it's the reason you've come," Miriamon replied. She took a step toward Saki. "You want to know the truth behind my relationship with you and the rest of the Legendary Warriors, don't you? You've been trying to learn more about me ever since we met, and now... It's why you're here. You know I'm the only one who can tell you the truth."
"And I want to hear it," Saki confirmed. "I've been going around in circles for ages, and I want to know what you've been doing all this time. I want to know where you came from. I want to know how Kana Shiraki transformed into Miriamon."
For a long time, the Arbiter of Souls was quiet. She pressed her fingers together a little bit tighter before letting her hands fall to her side. "Tell me, Saki... Have you ever dyed your hair?" she asked.
Saki's fingers drifted instinctively to their hair. They had always kept it short because that was easier for them to manage. Even if they could control the length, they hadn't been able to do anything about the color. For as long as Saki could remember, their hair had been a gentle gradient that looked like the sunset. Their hair went from red at the roots to pink and then finally orange. It wasn't natural in the slightest, but if they told everyone that they dyed it, then nobody would ask questions. It was the best way they could push attention away from themself even though the bright colors automatically seemed to earn them the eyes of anyone who looked their way.
"No," Saki replied. "Never. I always told people it was dyed since it's not exactly natural to have pink and orange hair, but... This is my natural color."
"I figured as much," Miriamon hummed. "That was how it was for Anri as well. Your facial structure looks just like her too. You're practically her spitting image. I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Before Saki had the chance to say anything else, Miriamon sat on the ground, crossing her legs. "If you're ready to hear the truth, then I'll tell you everything you want to know. I promise," she said. "I've held onto the secrets of this world for far too long."
Saki sat slowly, and they couldn't help noticing just how honest Miriamon's eyes looked all of a sudden. After all the time she had spent hiding so much, she was finally being open with the truth even if she was hesitant to say it out loud. It was progress, and apparently, all it had taken was her old name to bring her to honesty. "I'm ready," Saki confirmed. There was no going back from here, but they didn't want to retreat to begin with. They needed to hear this, and Miriamon was the only one who could give them the truth they sought about their parents and their history.
Miriamon's pastel blue eyes slipped closed. "Then let me take you back to the year 1983..."
~~~~~
On May 13, 1983, Kana and Kage Nakamura were born.
The Nakamura twins were welcomed into a world that loved them. Their parents, Hana and Aoki, held them tenderly the night of their birth and smiled like they had never seen anything more precious or beautiful. At the time, the Nakamura twins were unaware of the cruelty of the world they had been brought into. All they knew was the gentle embrace of parents who adored them and would have done anything for their twin angels. All there was and all there ever could be was care and perfection.
Eight months later, on January 27, 1984, Hana and Aoki Nakamura died in a car accident.
The details were always hazy, but the aftermath was clear. The wreck had been violent and sudden, tearing apart a loving family and leaving two children unaware of all they had lost. They would never remember the parents they had lost, but they would know one crucial fact in the face of their tragedy: they needed to stick together. After all, they were all the other had.
And so it was that two pale blonde-haired twins wound up in an orphanage within Tokyo's greater area. With no other family to turn to, they were placed in a home that was set to look after them until they were either adopted or old enough to take care of themselves. The orphanage maintained a silent rule that the twins didn't even know they had yet, and because of that, they remained together. Kana and Kage were the only shoulder the other had to lean on for as long as they could remember, and they clung to one another as such. Who else could they turn to when all they had ever been given was gone? What were they meant to do when the love they had been granted that beautiful night of their birth had been ripped away and left shattered on the concrete of a forgotten highway?
One would have expected young twins who were still less than a year old to be the perfect targets for adoption. If any couple wanted to grow their family just a little bit more, then Kana and Kage would have been an ideal choice. They were well-behaved, or at the very least, they were as well-behaved as infants of their age could have been. In a perfect world, they would have found the love they hadn't been granted since they lost their parents that fateful January night. In a perfect world, there never would have been a void of loss left behind in their young hearts to begin with.
But the years wore on, and Kana and Kage remained in the orphanage. They stuck out against the crowd with their blonde hair so pale it almost seemed to border on being white. Everything about the twin was strange at a first glance, but at the same time, they were alluring and haunting. Their eyes were pastel blue as well, so bright and full of love for the world. They were different, but they had never minded it at all. As long as they could be together, they were okay.
They were all the other had left, after all. They had to stick together. It had been a silent rule for as long as they could remember, and it would remain that way until the day they died. They never said it, but they knew it even before they could speak. They were Kana and Kage, and they were inseparable.
~~~~~
The year was 1987, and Kana Nakamura stood in front of a mirror in her room at the orphanage. She brushed her hair as well as she could with her clumsy four-year-old fingers. She continued to comb until she was satisfied, and she pressed out the wrinkles in her bright purple dress. She had to look her very best for the day ahead. After all, this could have easily been the most important day of her life.
She was finally going to be adopted.
No, it wasn't set in stone yet. Not technically. This was still set to be a foster arrangement to see if the parents got along with Kana and her brother. If all went well though, they would finally have a forever home. Many potential parents had come by to look at them over the years, but none had ever committed to taking the twins home. There was always some reason or another for them to turn their attention elsewhere, whether it be the twins' strange appearances, their desperate need for codependency, or—
"Kage, stop tapping your foot."
Kage's behavior.
The owner of the orphanage was known only as Ms. Tanaka in Kana's mind. She knew the woman had to have a first name, but she didn't know what it was, and she didn't want to learn it either. After all, knowing the woman's first name could have been a slippery slope to disrespecting her, and disrespectful children didn't get adopted. Disrespectful children would never find families to call their own. Disrespectful children would never have a home if they didn't stay in line.
Kage Nakamura sat on the bed nearby, and somehow, he had already managed to mess up his nice outfit despite only being dressed for fifteen minutes. He stopped moving as soon as Ms. Tanaka called him out, and he pressed his shoulders back tensely. "S-Sorry," he apologized, the word coming out stilted. Kage had taken longer to learn how to speak than the other children, and he still seemed to be getting a grip on external communication. On top of that, he was fidgety, and that was the one thing Ms. Tanaka hated most. She requested that everyone in her orphanage be perfectly in line at all times, always ready to speak with anyone who approached them. Kage was nervous and never seemed to be able to sit still for longer than a few seconds. Even on the brink of such an important day, he remained uncertain of how to handle himself.
Ms. Tanaka smiled as she approached Kana, taking the brush from the girl's fingers and running it through her blonde hair. "Aren't you two excited?" Ms. Tanaka asked brightly, though she only seemed to smile when she was addressing Kana specifically. "You're finally going out to be fostered."
"Are they gonna adopt us?" Kage asked, his eyes going wide at the mere idea. After all the time he and Kana had spent alone with no one but each other, all he wanted was to have a family of his own. He dreamt about it each night, and he shared his wondrous fantasies with Kana again the next day. He wanted more than any of them to get out of the orphanage, to finally have a place to call his own. More than that, he wanted a place where nobody would scorn him for his shiftiness or inability to concentrate. Kana could see it in his eyes each morning when she woke, and she could always tell when he was thinking about it throughout the day.
"That depends on if you're on your best behavior or not," Ms. Tanaka told him. She set the brush down and moved toward Kage, pulling him to his feet and adjusting the button at his shirt's collar. "And you're not going to make a good impression if you keep slouching like that." He went to adjust his shirt once again to make it a bit more comfortable against his skin, pulling at the collar that was trying to suffocate him. Ms. Tanaka rolled her eyes and batted his hands away. "You need to look your best. Stop it."
Kage clenched his hands into fists at his sides, and Ms. Tanaka let out a small sigh. She resisted the urge to call him out on his odd behavior once again, instead turning her focus to Kana. "You know what to do. Now, let's go and meet them. They're waiting downstairs."
Ms. Tanaka led the twins out of their room and down to the main lobby of the orphanage. There was a parlor reserved specifically for potential parents meeting with children, and Kana was finally able to go inside. The process had never gotten this far along before. She had dreamed of it for as long as she could remember. This was everything she had ever wanted, and now, there she was.
A couple waited on a couch on the other side of the door, and they waved to Kana and Kage when they entered. Kana returned the wave with a smile, but Kage didn't look up at them. Instead, he tried to adjust his collar once again, only stopping when Ms. Tanaka's hand came down on his shoulder. He glanced up in a panic, fear sinking into his eyes, before he waved at the couple across the room, though the motion was strained all the while.
"I'm so glad you two are here," Ms. Tanaka smiled. She moved to the couch opposite the couple and sat down, waiting for the twins to do the same. "Mr. and Mrs. Nakaya, allow me to introduce Kana and Kage. Say hello, you two."
"Hello," Kana greeted. She straightened her pretty purple dress before sitting beside Ms. Tanaka on one side.
Kage stared down at the ground, watching a small stain on the carpet. It was the only imperfection in the entire room, and more importantly, it was an excuse for him to not look at the Nakaya couple. Ms. Tanaka's grip on his shoulder tightened, and he tore his gaze up. "H-Hello," Kage repeated, and he sat down, his posture tense and uncertain all the while.
"It's nice to meet you," Mrs. Nakaya said kindly. She looked up to Ms. Tanaka a moment later. "They seem rather sweet."
"They are," Ms. Tanaka beamed. That wasn't true. She said all the time just how much Kage got on her nerves. In Ms. Tanaka's mind, Kana was sweet, and Kage was not. She just didn't want to admit it, not as long as she wanted to get rid of one of her least favorite children at the orphanage. "If you have any questions, feel free to go ahead and ask. I know the children will be happy to answer anything you want to know, and so will I."
Kana tried to hang onto every word as it was spoken, but the adults spoke with complicated phrases she didn't understand. She looked up to them kindly, pretending the eye contact didn't make her feel like she was being eaten alive. Kage talked about that a lot. He used to think eye contact was evil, that other people were going to try and suck up his soul if he looked at them for too long or in the wrong way. Ms. Tanaka had told him that was wrong along with a slap on the wrist one day, and he never brought it up again. That didn't change the truth to the sentiment though.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kana saw Kage start to tap his foot again. He always did that when he had too much energy or when he was stressed, and there was nothing more stressful than an interview with their potential adoptive parents. Ms. Tanaka had moved her fingers from his shoulder to his hand, and she squeezed tightly as a reminder to stay still. Kage's shoulders pressed together, and he forced himself to look up despite the look of complete paranoia and terror in his eyes. Ms. Tanaka would have snapped at him for looking unsightly if they weren't with potential customers at the moment. Kana could almost hear it even as Ms. Tanaka spoke personably with the Nakaya couple.
A few times, the Nakaya parents asked Kana and Kage questions. Kana would always smile and try her best to answer, but Kage would shy away and refuse to make eye contact, and Ms. Tanaka would have to cover his tracks with the excuse that he was just shy. That wasn't entirely true. Kage was talkative when he was somewhere safe, but he didn't feel safe here, not in a shirt that was much too tight for him, not where he had to stay perfectly still or risk ruining his life. Of course he was quiet. He was afraid.
Eventually, Ms. Tanaka got up with Mr. Nakaya to go and talk about the logistics of the fostering. They retreated into the nearby office, leaving Mrs. Nakaya with the twins in the parlor. For a few moments the room was silent, and Mrs. Nakaya got to her feet. Kana took that as her cue to do the same, and Kage followed her lead out of fear of being yelled at for not understanding instructions. That happened a lot, and he never knew what he had done wrong.
"Why are you so shy, Kage?" Mrs. Nakaya questioned. "You don't need to be afraid. We're happy to talk to you. You're going to be part of our family, after all, at least for the next few months."
Kage squirmed on the spot. "I... Um..." He struggled to answer for a few moments before he swallowed back his nerves and forced himself to look up and meet her gaze. "I'm not used to being around people."
"That's okay," Mrs. Nakaya assured him. "We'll fix that."
She stepped forward and hugged Kage, and Kana didn't get the chance to tell her to stop before it was too late.
Kage burst out crying on the spot, and Mrs. Nakaya recoiled with shock on her face. Kage fell to the floor as soon as the support was gone of Mrs. Nakaya’s embrace was gone, and he curled into a ball with his fingernails digging into his hair. Tears streaked down his face as his sobs escalated into yells. The forced stillness, the tight shirt, the eye contact, the scolding, and finally the unwanted touch had all been too much.
Kana crouched beside her brother and tried to say something that would soothe him. She was the best person to calm him down when he got this way. Nobody else ever understood how to help him, but Kana knew what to do. Kage wasn't hearing her though, and he just kept clawing at his scalp. Even when Mr. Nakaya and Ms. Tanaka came out, Kage was clawing, and he pulled apart the button around his neck as his sobs quieted into whimpers. He didn't move from his spot on the floor, staring at the stain he had noticed before all the while.
The foster never went through. Kana never heard anyone say it out loud, but she didn't have to. Mr. and Mrs. Nakaya hadn't wanted to deal with a child so high maintenance, and so, they had left. As Ms. Tanaka would put it later, Kage had ruined it for them with another one of his tantrums. She had chastised him again and again for not being able to be a good child like his sister, and Kage had just apologized with that vacant, terrified look in his eyes over and over until she left. After that, he cried himself to sleep.
Kana decided that she didn't like the parlor anymore.
~~~~~
There were a few other attempts at fostering over the course of the next five years, but nothing ever stuck. As the twins got older, fewer parents wanted to take them in. Most adopting parents were hoping to find toddlers or infants who would know nothing but their new families, not older children who were starting to become people in their own rights. Time and time again, Kana and Kage would be visited by potential parents, but they were never fostered. Their ages were working against them even though they were still in elementary school. They were already too old though, and so, they remained with Ms. Tanaka.
It wasn't until January of 1992 that anything changed. Kana had gotten used to her routine there at the orphanage. She and Kage went to school each day and then came home to do chores and homework until it was time to sleep. It was an easy routine, and Kage liked it. Still, it wasn't perfect. They were outcasts at school since they didn't have any families to call their own, and they couldn't hang out with any potential friends outside of school because of the orphanage's rules. It was hard, but at least they had each other.
Kana would have been lying if she said she didn't want something more though. She wanted other friends to call her own, but nobody ever seemed interested. She was fiercely loyal to her brother, and not many people liked that. Kage didn't do the best academically or socially, always lacking the focus he needed to succeed or missing the casual cues of conversation others understood effortlessly. Bullying had become common in their lives, but it was okay. It was nothing they couldn't handle as long as they were together, right?
Luckily, fate was smiling down on Kana that January. Hayate and Yua Shiraki arrived at the orphanage one day, and after a single afternoon with the twins, they decided to adopt them without even going through the cycle of fostering. It was immediate stability, and to Kana, it almost felt too good to be true. Still, it was real, and so, she had happily packed up all her things and prepared to leave for her new home. She and Kage gave the orphanage one final bittersweet smile before they left behind Ms. Tanaka's building and never went back, wishing they could forget about all that had happened while they were there.
The twins walked home with their parents—their parents!—for the first time on the anniversary of their biological parents' deaths, and Kana hadn't stopped smiling even as the winter winds stung at her nine-year-old cheeks. Kage had allowed himself to be openly happy for the first time in years, skipping along and flapping his hands gladly. Ms. Tanaka had told him to stop fidgeting so much when he was younger, but Kage couldn't hold himself back this time. He was happy, and he wanted the world to know it.
"Are you excited?" Yua questioned with a bright smile, and Kana nodded. She wondered how they had gotten so lucky to have a kind mother who loved them so completely. After their years of being pulled in and out of prospective foster families’ false enthusiasm, it all finally felt worth it to see her smiling down at them.
"Yes!" Kage exclaimed, his voice just a little bit louder than he had intended. He didn't bother to hold himself back though, instead just continuing to bounce along the snowy path. Finally, he had a family. Kana was one thing, but parents were another matter entirely, and he had never been this overjoyed.
"We can help you to set up your new rooms," Yua promised. "We'll spend the entire afternoon together, and when you go back to school for your next semester, you can tell everyone about your amazing new family." Kana nodded, and Kage let out a shrill squeal of excitement in between rapid hand flaps.
The rest of winter break was everything Kana had ever wanted. The family of four spent all the time in the world together, and for the first time in ages, Kana felt like maybe she could actually thrive instead of just trying to survive. It was perfect. Kage was shy just like always, but he seemed to be enjoying it too. He was a bit slower to open up, but by the time winter break ended, he was happy too.
Kana didn't think she had ever been happier. She hadn't felt parental connection since she was too young to remember, and spending time with her new mother and father seemed to fill in a hole in her chest she hadn't even realized was there. She couldn't stop smiling for the next few weeks, too happy for her cheeks to stand it each time she remembered that everything was okay now. She had a family. She had a home. She had people who cared for her. This was all she had ever wanted, and at long last, she had it.
Hayate and Yua had expectations for the twins, and both of them came to know it very quickly after school began again. Their parents wanted them to get good grades in the name of becoming successful adults. The family was set to spend at least one night together so they could bond, especially since the twins were so new to connecting with other people. Kana loved it. At long last, she was finally being given the attention she needed so desperately, and it was perfect. This was where she belonged, and she knew it.
Kage was much less fortunate. He still struggled to focus in school even after being adopted, and it seemed like he could never quite live up to the expectations placed before him. When he found something that he adored like reading fantasy stories, he could sit there and do it for hours. However, school didn't interest him anywhere near as much as it should have, and so, his apathy began to wear away at his life. He just wanted to find something he could love, but it seemed as if that was little more than a distant dream. It was unfortunate, but what other choice did he have than to put up with it?
The end of the honeymoon phase brought with it frustration and difficulties for them all. Each failure of a report card brought home would end in Kage receiving a heavy sigh and being sent up to his room. There was always some comment or another that called him what the school believed him to be: a lost cause. Kana didn't understand how anyone could be so mean to her brother. Even if he was a bit different, he was still Kage, and she loved Kage. Their parents had thought he would grow out of his odd behaviors like his inattention in school or his hand flapping, but he never did, and each new scolding for it seemed like another nail in the coffin. They barely wanted to try with him, and everyone knew it. After all, why bother with a lost cause?
Years in the future, Kana would look back on their time in the Shiraki household and wish she had done more. Years in the future, she would remember the way her brother had always glared down at the carpet when he was scolded for being too loud or too quiet or too asocial or too talkative in all the wrong places and times. She didn't realize it at the time, too caught up in her own joyful fantasy to realize it, but her brother was slipping. His hatred was written all over his face, but he always covered it up before anyone could remember to look in his direction for long enough to see the blossoming resentment.
When Kana remembered her childhood long after it had ended, she would reflect on the way her brother had closed himself away and hidden because of his treatment. Nobody ever seemed to understand him correctly, and it felt like every misstep was an excuse to find fault in him on a personal level. Even when he just spoke incorrectly, people found aggression in it. He had been labeled as a problem from a young age, and the branding followed him around everywhere he went, hanging heavily over his head like a lead weight. They had both lost track of just how many times they had heard the phrase, and Kana wished she had told people to stop talking each time they spoke the words.
"Why can't you be more like your sister?"
Maybe things wouldn't have ended the way they had if Kana had done something. Maybe she wouldn't have lost everything if she had tried to help him. Maybe she wouldn't be here if she had just spoken up.
~~~~~
Kana did not think she had ever been happier.
It was the summer of 1993, and she and Kage both had time off school before their next semester of classes was set to begin. Kana loved being at home for the first time ever. When she and Kage were at the orphanage, she had struggled a lot with the idea of going back home. At the orphanage, she knew she would be walking out of school, a place she loved dearly, and into a place that was not friendly to her or Kage. School was a safe haven from all of the misery that came with being in a place that Kana felt she did not belong in.
Now that she was a member of the Shiraki family though, Kana was happy. She knew she would be cared for no matter what. She could come home from school with a smile on her face. Her parents would be there to take care of her, and she knew they loved her. Kana and Kage were the only children in the home for once, and Kana was more than happy to enjoy her own space. As much as she liked the other kids at the orphanage, being around them was overwhelming, and Kana was happiest when it was just her and her brother. That was the way it was meant to be.
Kana was drawing out a picture in her sketchbook with a smile on her face. She had decided to start drawing a few years ago, and she loved making art with just the power of her pencil and a piece of paper. When Kana closed her eyes, she imagined all sorts of fantasy worlds stretching out around her, and she wanted to put them to paper. They deserved to live under her power, and Kana was happy to act as the vessel for her imagination.
In the distance, Kana heard something noisy fall to the ground and shatter. She winced at the sound but did not leave her room. She heard the distant echo of her father shouting, but Kana didn’t stand up. She could already guess well enough what had happened. It was Kage’s job to dust the house now, and he had probably accidentally knocked something over. He was clumsy and struggled sometimes with chores, and their parents knew that. Still, Kage kept ending up with assignments for things that he struggled with, and Kana wasn’t supposed to help him. Kage had to do it on his own so that he could learn how to be independent one day. She hated it, but she knew there wasn’t much she could say or do to convince her parents otherwise.
A few minutes later, the door to Kana’s room opened, and she knew it was Kage long before she looked up from her sketchbook. Kage’s eyes were brimming with teras, but he was doing his best to not let him fall. After all, he was ten now, and ten-year-old boys were not supposed to cry. Kana patted the bed beside her, and Kage shuffled over to her side before sitting down. “Are you okay?” Kana asked softly.
Kage nodded even though it was clear he was not fine at all. “I… I’ll be fine.” He went quiet after that, letting his head fall over onto Kana’s shoulder. She gladly continued to draw, knowing that was what he wanted more than anything. When Kage struggled to keep his emotions in check, he wanted to spend time with Kana. She calmed him, and she was more than happy to soothe him however she could. That was what it meant to be twins; they understood each other better than anyone else.
Around seven minutes passed in silence before Kage let out a slow sigh. “Kana… Are you happy here?”
Kana paused, and her pencil lead caught on the edge of the page. “What do you mean?”
“Now that we’ve been adopted,” Kage explained. “Are you happy with us being here? Do you think it’s better than being back at the orphanage?”
Kana nodded, and she forced herself to keep drawing, brushing away the stray pieces of graphite from where her pencil partially snapped. “I am happy,” she admitted. “It feels like we’re finally living a normal life for the first time ever. We have parents who love us. We have our own space. We don’t have to dread leaving school every day. They’re taking care of us… And we still have each other. That’s all I could ever want.”
Kage nodded along to her words, though the darkness in his eyes remained bitterly prominent. “I…” He bit down on his bottom lip before he had the chance to say much beyond that, and he nodded. “I get it. I guess it is better than the orphanage was.”
“And we’re able to spend all our time together. There’s nothing to tear us apart from each other,” Kana smiled. She knew they couldn’t spend every second of every day together, but they were together even still. They had feared for years that they would be separated by the adoption process, but that had all been for nothing. The Shiraki couple had taken them both in, and they would be together for the rest of forever too.
That seemed to convince Kage a little bit more, but uncertainty remained prominent in his eyes. He set his head back on Kana’s shoulder. “I feel like they don’t like me sometimes,” he admitted. “That’s… That’s silly, isn’t it? Our parents wouldn’t just… Hate me, right?”
“Of course not,” Kana replied immediately. Why would their parents have adopted them if they didn’t love them both? Sure, their parents were a bit tougher on Kage sometimes, but Kana knew they still cared for him at the end of the day. She figured that was just what parents were like sometimes. They could be a bit intense to make sure the rules were followed and everything was in order, but they still loved their kids at the end of the day. Kana certainly felt loved, and she loved Kage with everything she had.
Kage considered Kana’s words for a long moment, and he nodded. He pressed himself a bit closer against Kana’s side, glad that he was on her left so that he wouldn’t get in the way of her sketching. “Keep drawing,” he instructed of her, and Kana nodded with a smile. Even when they didn’t have the words to express themselves in the ways they would have liked, they could still understand one another through the power of pencil and paper. That was all that really mattered, wasn’t it?
Years later, when all of this was just an ancient memory, Kana would wish she had heard Kage out. She would wish that she had trusted him when he said that their parents didn’t seem to like him much. She would wish that she had realized that he was right. She had been biased by the love they showed her and didn’t realize that their care didn’t extend quite so deeply to her twin. For now though, Kana was only ten years old, and she didn’t know just how much things like bias could stain the world in the brilliant pink of roses.
Rose-tinted glasses could make even the reddest of flags and darkest of cues appear normal… And Kana wouldn’t realize it until the rosy remembrance of childhood looked less like scarlet flowers and more like crimson blood.
~~~~~
The year was 1994, and Kage was afraid.
He fidgeted nervously with the hem of his shirt, desperately trying to hide his fears as he walked into the Shiraki home. His report card had come back that day, and Kage already knew his parents were going to be disappointed. They always seemed to find a reason to be upset with him, and his grades were the most common example. He hated it, and he wished with everything he had that all of it would just stop. It was a shame the universe never seemed to listen to him.
Hayate was sitting at the kitchen table when Kage walked inside. Kana had come back already, and she was up in her room reading. Kage had taken the long way home instead of walking back with his sister and her friends. That was the difference between them. Kana actually had friends. Kage couldn't find anyone who wanted to speak with him beyond passing conversation in the hallway. They all seemed to think the same thing of him. He was different, and even if they couldn't put a finger on why he was so strange, they knew he was wrong somehow. There was just something off about him, and for it, he was shunned. Of course he was. He would have been a fool to assume anyone would want to spend time with him when he was so weird.
"I heard your report card came back today," Hayate said. He didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading as he took a long sip from his coffee. "Can I see it?" His voice offered no room for objection. He always spoke that way around Kage, so harsh and cruel like he didn't see any reason he should show love for his adoptive son. Kage had given up on trying to get his approval years ago, but that didn't mean he didn't still want it. How could he not?
Kage reached into his backpack and pulled out the report card. He passed it to Hayate slowly, his fingers shaking all the while. Hayate snatched the envelope out of his hand, and Kage flinched. Hayate never did that to Kana. He never did a lot of things to Kana that he always justified doing to Kage. Hayate opened the envelope and stared at the report found within, sighing and shaking his head along the way. "Kage," he muttered. "You need to start paying more attention."
"I-I'm trying," Kage tried to explain even though he knew it wasn't going to help him at all. Nobody ever believed him when he said he was doing his best. Why would they? As far as they were all concerned, Kage was a screw up, a mistake, a sin for the mere fact that he was alive at all. He should have gotten used to it by now. He doubted he ever would.
"You're not trying hard enough," Hayate insisted, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "If you just put in more effort like Kana, then we wouldn't be here right now." Kage gripped at the hem of his shirt, and that rising urge to scream and cry welled up in his stomach. He couldn't cry though. That would just make him more unlovable. Everybody had told him that. He had to act his age. Eleven was supposed to be grown up, after all.
"Just... Go to your room," Hayate went on. He folded the report card and tucked it away into its envelope. "We'll discuss this when your mother comes home." He pointed away dismissively and returned to the newspaper, and Kage felt as if his entire body had been hollowed out. He couldn’t say this out loud though, instead just biting down on his lip and nodding so he wouldn't start to cry.
When Kage arrived in his bedroom, he closed the door behind himself and sunk to the floor. He had told himself he wouldn't cry, but he couldn't help it. He was so tired of just being referred to as the inferior version of Kana all the time. He didn't know how she had gotten the hang of all this so quickly, but he was desperately jealous. If he had been just like Kana, then nobody would have had a reason to hate him. If he had been just like his sister, then he would have been fine.
Kage lost track of how long he cried that night, but when he went to sleep, he was exhausted, and it had nothing to do with how long he had been tearful. He was tired of the way he had been treated all his life, and he was tired of constantly being the one in the wrong. He was tired of being hurt, damn it, and his heart couldn't take it anymore.
Maybe Hayate and Yua would love him one day. Until then, Kage would never show his true personality in front of them. It was too dangerous, and Kage knew where he stood. He was a delinquent and a problem, and he would be for the rest of his life.
~~~~~
Kana and Kage sat together in their father's office in the summer of 1995, both of them working on their separate assignments for summer classes. They were getting older, and that meant they had to work harder even when class wasn't in session anymore. Kana was fine with it. She liked learning since it gave her something to focus on. Kage, on the other hand, hated the extra work. Their parents wanted him to catch up so he would finally be able to work hard when the new semester started. As such, he was given more work than Kana did even though it took him twice as long to complete. Neither Hayate nor Yua saw the problem, and they rolled their eyes when Kage tried to explain it.
They needed to use a computer for their current assignment, and since the only computer in the house was in Hayate's office, the twins were settled on the floor of the room, their schoolwork scattered around in random piles that only made sense to them. Kage was looking at the computer, and he typed away at the keyboard with a fascination that Kana hadn't seen from him in a long time. A lot of the luster in Kage’s life had gone away after the honeymoon phase of their adoption ended. He would never say it out loud, but he felt bad, and everything he did felt like a small act of tangible proof he was struggling.
Kage suddenly stopped typing, and he let out a small but confused hum. Kana looked up from her place on the floor and saw that the computer screen was starting to change. The previous display of the internet browser was pinching and melting away, instead surrendering to bright white light. When it got to be too much, Kana shut her eyes, but Kage just kept staring.
Years later, Kana would learn what her brother saw at the heart of the light. He was given a glimpse into another world full of monsters and fantasy. Two opposing sides warred furiously for control of the land, doing all they could to tear each other apart. It was like something straight out of the books Kage read, the only things that gave him any passion for life.
And so it was that Kage Shiraki reached one hand out for the screen. And so it was that he reached for his escape.
Kana pried her eyes open and reached out to her brother. "Kage!" she cried out, not quite sure of how she had become so sure this was dangerous but knowing it to be true regardless. She went to grab at his hand to pull him back...
But it was too late. The white light of the screen swallowed Kage entirely, and he fell headfirst inside. When the glow vanished, he was gone, and Kana was alone.
For a long time, Kana couldn't do anything but stare. She watched the screen as her heart pounded in her ears, praying all of this was some kind of dream. It had to be. Computer screens didn't just swallow little boys. That wasn't possible... But if it wasn't possible, how had it happened? She had seen it with her own two eyes.
When Kana finally snapped out of her haze, she let herself cry for the first time in more years than she could ever hope to count. She cried with everything she had, finally allowing herself to break down the way her brother had so many times. She clawed at her hair, and it was like every condition of society that had kept her in line meant nothing to her. A voice that sounded a lot like her parents told her to not act like Kage, but Kana couldn’t stop herself. She was just like him, and she was the only person who seemed to be able to see it. She just wanted her brother—her one ounce of stability in the world—back.
"Kana? What's going on?" Hayate questioned as he and Yua rounded the corner. "Where's your brother?" Not Kage—your brother. That was all Kage seemed to be to them, an extension of their golden child. He had never mattered as much as keeping Kana around, and if they had to put up with him to get her, then they would. Kana hated herself for not seeing it sooner. She would for the rest of her life.
Kana didn't answer him. She just kept crying, and she would wonder for hours how she could ever stop.
~~~~~
Kage's disappearance was plastered all over the news by the end of the week. Kana had told her parents everything she knew—that he had vanished through the screen of the house computer, and they had said it was ridiculous. They had echoed her thoughts from when it was happening. Little boys couldn't just vanish into computer screens. They were sure Kage had run away or otherwise been kidnapped, that this was all something Kana was making up to cope with his disappearance. After all, if she imagined he had been taken away into a fantasy world, then there was a chance he would come back. Kage had been unhappy for a long time. It was hardly out of the question for him to run away.
Kana wanted to scream at them whenever they said it. How could they say Kage had run away? How could they not believe her? More importantly, how could they acknowledge the pressure they had put on his shoulders and not do anything to change it? They knew they had been pushing him too hard, and they didn’t care. They didn’t care about him at all, and Kana wished she had woken up to the truth of it sooner. She wished she had been there for her brother when he needed her most.
But she had failed, and she wasn’t just talking about grasping his hand when he began to disappear through the portal in the computer screen.
The Shiraki household was a lot less lively after that day. Hayate and Yua did their best to help Kana through her grief, but there was only so much they could do when it seemed like they didn't care enough about their son to try and actively search for him. The bubble burst all too quickly for Kana, and she realized that Kage had never really been his own person to them. He was just an irritation, the price of having a perfect daughter like Kana. He was an inconvenience worth dealing with to have her shine for them. She was barely a person to them either. She was starlight, fleeting and fading without her moon to shine alongside her.
She didn't feel perfect though. She felt like a failure. She should have done more to defend him. She should have tried to help Kage when he was struggling since she had known he was having a hard time. It seemed like she was the only person in the world who had ever bothered to understand him at all. If she had done something more, then maybe none of this would have happened. That was the mantra she kept repeating over and over for the rest of her life. She just wanted her brother back, damn it.
Later in August, Kana came home from school—one of her first days at school without Kage—to find her parents speaking with two people she didn't recognize in the living room. Kana left her shoes by the door and walked in to find a couple wearing formal clothes and holding notepads. The man was clearly Japanese, and his black hair was combed neatly on top of his head. Beside him was a woman who clearly came from another country. Kana would later learn her family consisted of immigrants from Vietnam. In the moment though, she admired the woman's tanned skin and dark brown hair cut close to her face. A few freckles scattered themselves across the bridge of her nose to accentuate her friendly smile.
"Kana," Yua greeted as she stepped aside to gesture to her guests. "Allow me to introduce Harutaka and Anri Fushida. They're private investigators, and they're going to help us to figure out where your brother went." Not Kage. 'Your brother.'
Kana bowed her head kindly and pressed on a smile that was much more fake than she had intended it to be. "It's nice to meet you," she said politely. She wished she had more to say, but she was too focused on trying not to cry to come up with any other words. The longer she was left without Kage, the more she felt like she was suffocating.
"You too," Anri returned. She took a step toward Kana before looking over her shoulder to Hayate and Yua. "Could we have a moment alone with her? I want to ask what she knows about Kage's disappearance." She was using his name. That was automatically a victory in Kana's mind. Maybe Anri and Harutaka would actually care enough to find him if they cared enough to know his name.
"Of course," Yua confirmed. She took a step out of the room, bringing Hayate with her. She waved gently to her daughter, and Kana returned the gesture. She sighed inwardly with relief after her parents rounded the corner, but she would never admit it out loud. How horrible would it be of her to be glad her parents were gone? What kind of wayward child was she behind her mask of perfect smiles?
Kana sat down with Harutaka and Anri on the couch after Hayate and Yua left, and Harutaka drummed the tip of his pencil against the edge of his notepad. He tapped one foot on the spot, and Kana wished that habit didn't remind her of Kage. "What do you know about Kage's disappearance?" Harutaka asked, his voice gentle while still not looking down on her. Kana appreciated that a lot. She was tired of being treated like she was made of glass because of Kage's disappearance. She wanted to help, and she couldn’t do that if people weren’t letting her.
Kana hesitated for a long moment, unsure as to what she could even say to that. She wanted to tell him that she had seen her brother vanish through a computer screen, but she didn't want anyone to call her crazy or childish for saying it. That had been real. She knew it… But why wouldn't anyone believe her?
"Take your time," Anri reassured Kana, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "We'll wait for as long as you need us to. It's okay."
Kana looked up to meet Anri's gaze, and when she saw just how honest and genuine the woman was, she nodded. "I'll tell you," she said, and Kana wondered if she had ever trusted anyone this quickly. She hadn't even grown infatuated with her parents so fast. This... This just felt right though. She knew it was where she was meant to be.
The truth came out in a ramble Kana would barely remember after it was over, but she told them everything. She and Kage had been sitting in their father's office when the computer exploded with light and swallowed him. Kana never met either of their gazes, sure it was going to stab her in the back, but it never did.
They believed her. Anri and Harutaka both nodded along and listened like this was the most important thing they had ever heard. It wasn't fake either. They weren't just being nice to try and placate her. They were listening, and they knew she was being honest. Somehow, being believed was worth more than anything Kana had ever experienced aside from her brother's love. Not even her parents had done that.
After Kana had shared all the details of what she had seen, Anri smiled to her. "Thank you for talking to us," she told the young girl. "We're going to do everything we can to find your brother. I promise. That computer of yours must have taken him somewhere, and we're going to figure out where. I promise."
Anri and Harutaka shared one last conversation with Hayate and Yua before leaving, and Kana watched them from the archway of the living room. She didn't move until after the two private investigators were out of view. Somehow, she knew the case was in good hands. She could trust them.
After all, they had trusted her first.
~~~~~
Time stretched on, and the Fushida private investigators continued their search for Kage. The media had long since forgotten about him by the time a few months had come and gone, and hope was starting to fizzle and die out. Hayate and Yua still didn't believe what Kana had told them about Kage vanishing into the computer, and she somehow doubted they would ever listen to her on the matter. They thought she had made it all up as some coping fantasy since that was what twelve-year-olds did. She wished she could have shown them how wrong they were, but the time came where she hit the wall. She gave up on trying to convince them, knowing there wasn't going to be much of a point to it. How could there be? They would never listen. They had never listened to Kage when he was still there.
Anri and Harutaka were different though. They still came by at least once every two weeks to speak with the remaining members of the Shiraki family, but they always carved out special time just for Kana. She didn't think she would ever have the world to express how much that meant to her. Anri and Harutaka were starting to treat her more like family than her parents ever had, and now that her rose-tinted glasses had been shattered by the facts of Kage's disappearance, she could see the truth for what it was. Anri and Harutaka cared for her the way one would love their own daughter, and she treasured it more than she could ever hope to put to words.
1995 passed by and eventually morphed into something new as the years always did. Kana maintained her close relationship with Anri and Harutaka for ages even after the investigation began. The two had turned their attention to other cases as their work dictated, but they always had the investigation into Kage's disappearance sitting in the backs of their minds just in case something came up. They believed Kana when she said the computer had taken her brother, and they were determined to find the truth. She would do anything to help them, to bring her brother back to her side, and they knew it. They would have done the same in her situation, and that sympathy bound them closer than Kana ever had been with her parents.
Kana always struggled around the time of her birthday in May of 1996. It was set to be her first birthday without Kage by her side, and Kana didn’t know how she was meant to handle any of it. Kage should have been there by her side. Kana had planned to spend her birthday moping alone in her room and waiting for the day to pass her by. She and Kage had always shared the day with one another so they could find joy in each other even when the rest of the world shunned them. Now though… Kana didn’t even want to go out with her parents for her yearly birthday dinner. She didn’t know if she could stand to look them in the eyes after they hadn’t listened to her retelling of Kage’s disappearance.
Kana had been content to sit in her room silently, but before she could lose herself to the tides of despair in full, she heard the doorbell ring. Kana pried herself out of her thoughts and padded downstairs to the front door. She opened the door slowly, and her eyes went wide at who she saw there.
Anri and Harutaka were both wearing casual yet nice clothes, and Harutaka was holding a small wrapped box in one hand. Anri waved at Kana with a grin so bright it could have robbed the sun of its light. “Happy birthday, Kana!” Anri and Harutaka chorused.
Kana felt tears spring to her eyes immediately, and for a long moment, all she could do was stare at them and blink in disbelief. “But… I never told you… How did you…?”
“It was listed on your brother’s file,” Harutaka explained. “We had a feeling today was going to be hard for you, so we thought we would do a little something to make it easier.”
“What do you say we go out and get some dinner?” Anri smiled. “I know you could probably use the chance to get out of your own head. I know how low you can sink when you start to think too much.”
Kana certainly couldn’t protest that. She was fully aware of her bad habits when it came to her depressive episodes, and they only got worse when she was reminded of her missing brother. Kana had surrendered herself to letting this be one of the worst days in the last year… But Anri and Harutaka weren’t going to leave her on her own. They hadn’t ever left her behind before, and they weren’t going to do it now either.
Kana sniffled before she had the chance to stop herself, and she found her tears starting to stream down her cheeks in endless rivers. “I… I don’t know what to say…” Kana whispered. She rushed forward into Anri’s arms, pulling the older woman into a tight embrace. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank us. We’re more than happy to do this for you,” Anri assured her. She squeezed Kana tightly for a few seconds before pulling away. “You should go and get dressed. We can go anywhere you want tonight.”
“But before we go, there’s something we want you to add to your outfit.” Harutaka held out the box in his hands for Kana to take. “Our treat.”
Kana started to peel off the wrapping paper, and she was met with a small wooden box. She opened it to find a velvety blue with a golden locket resting on top. The locket was a heart shape, and a small latch on the right marked the spot where it opened. Kana fiddled with the lock before it sprang open to reveal two tiny pictures of her and Kage on either side.
“I know today is going to be hard as your first birthday without him, but… We were hoping that maybe having something to keep him close with would make it easier,” Anri explained. “What do you think?”
If Kana had been crying before, she was openly weeping now, and she pressed the box to her chest as her body shook with sobs. “I love it,” she managed to choke out. “Thank you so much.”
Anri guided Kana’s hands away from her chest, and she pulled the locket out of the box. Kana turned away and pulled her hair out of the way so Anri could fasten the locket around her neck. Kana let her hair fall back into place, and she turned to look at the small mirror attached to the coat closet by the door. The locket made the pale blonde of her hair shine even brighter, and Kana beamed at the sight. Her heart had always been two in one, and if her brother couldn’t be there to act as her other half, then she would simply have to remember him however she could.
“Go on and get dressed!” Harutaka exclaimed, shooing Kana away with a smile. “We’ve got a birthday dinner to get to, and we have to head out if we want to beat the evening crowds!”
Kana nodded, and she darted up the stairs in an instant. She hadn’t ever imagined anyone would be kind enough to look after her like this, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. She had thought her birthday would be a depressing and miserable thing without her brother there to make it brighter… But now, Kana knew she had nothing to fear.
She would not be alone. Anri and Harutaka wouldn’t leave her behind. Kana knew this wasn’t the family she had expected, but she was glad this was the family she had now.
If only Kage had been there to enjoy it along with her.
~~~~~
Time passed, and the world began to morph into something new.
Kana found herself getting closer and closer with Anri and Harutaka as the years passed by. Soon enough, most of her time spent at home was spent in silence, and the most she offered to her parents was a distant hum. The sting of betrayal that had come when they did not believe her about Kage’s disappearance never quite faded, and Kana found that the wound still ached from time to time. She had faced one of the most difficult pains a person could ever imagine, and her parents hadn’t cared enough to help her through it.
Kana found herself starting to understand Kage a bit better through her strained relationship with them. She couldn’t say she knew exactly what Kage had felt like, but Kana knew that it had been harder for him to settle into their new life than it had been for her. He struggled with it for a long time, and it had been hard for him right up until the day he went missing. Kana found that her relationship with her parents was starting to mirror the strained dynamic Kage had known with them, and much to her own surprise, she didn’t want to fix it all that much.
Kana was much happier spending her time with Anri and Harutaka. The two of them listened to her talk about anything and everything. When they weren’t helping her with Kage’s disappearance or the many other cases that had fallen into their laps, they were with her. Kana had a room at their apartment that she gladly enjoyed whenever she felt she needed to get out of the Shiraki house. Anri and Harutaka listened to her when she talked about school, her plans for the future, or anything else that passed through her head. They were just glad to have her company, and Kana was glad to have people who could support her with everything they had as she grew older.
Kana had changed a lot in the four years since her brother had gone missing. It was the summer of 1999 now, and the days were drifting too uncomfortably close to the date Kage had vanished through the Shiraki family's computer screen. She had grown apart from most of her friends when they tried to push her out of her grief prematurely, and she had pulled away from her adoptive parents for much the same reason. They wanted Kana Shiraki rather than Kana and Kage, and that was something she couldn't stand for. She knew her brother was still out there. If he had been gone, there would have been a void in her chest, but that wasn't the case. He was alive, and she was going to find him.
And that was how a sixteen-year-old Kana found herself in her father's office once again. The room had collected a thick layer of dust over the course of the last four years since Hayate had opted to stay away from the space after Kage's disappearance. He seemed to think Kage had darted out the window and run away like the obnoxious and ornery child he was, and yet, Kana's rumors of a phantom realm within the computer screen were enough to keep Hayate away. She was glad for it. That way, she could come in here and tinker with the computer without being bothered. She knew Hayate and Yua would have tried to stop her if they knew what was going on. She got this way every year around the time of Kage’s disappearance, and they told her to finally grieve for him each time the calendar neared August first. She didn't care. She had to keep trying. As long as her chest was still full, there was still a chance.
Kana would gladly admit to anyone who asked that she knew next to nothing about computers. She had tried to learn after Kage went missing, but the information just didn't stick in her head the same way it did for Kage. This wasn't something that intrigued her, and so, she couldn't bring herself to focus. The cloud of her grief only made it harder. No matter how many online tutorials or how many general smashes of buttons she tried, it never seemed to get any easier. She never got closer to figuring out how the computer had taken her brother away, and the guilt and loneliness was a weight of lead around her heart.
A knock came at the front door, and Kana immediately launched herself to her feet. Anri and Harutaka had offered to come by and see her even though her parents were set to be out for the day. The Shiraki couple tended to cope with Kage's disappearance by getting out of the house as much as they could at this time of year, but Anri and Harutaka were different. They would come and spend time with Kana when she needed it, and she desperately needed it more at this time of year than any other. If she couldn't count on her parents, she knew she could count on them.
Kana opened the door with a smile on her face and dark circles tearing at the skin beneath her eyes. "Come in," she told the pair as she gestured to the entryway of the Shiraki home. Anri and Harutaka were glad to follow her instructions, taking their shoes off along the way. "I was just tinkering with the computer in the office if you want to see what I've been doing."
"Of course," Anri smiled. She looked down at Kana and reached one hand out to rustle the girl's blonde hair. "I swear, you seem to grow at least three inches whenever we come by to see you. I don't know how you're still growing this much."
"She's the same height she was when we were here three days ago, Anri," Harutaka pointed out as he pulled his jacket off and hung it on the coatrack near the door. Even in the summer, Harutaka always wore a jacket, and in Kana's mind, that only made him look more like a detective from an old foreign show. She was more than fine with it though; she couldn't have imagined a better picture for a father figure.
"If you say so," Anri shrugged. She ran one hand through her dark brown hair since the wind had disturbed her curls a little bit. She had decided to grow her hair out a bit over the last few years, and it now sat in curls over her shoulders. Her hair wasn't particularly long—certainly nowhere near as long as Kana's blonde tresses that reached her hips—but it was still new for her, and it looked nice.
"We have a few solutions for you to try while we're here," Harutaka went on. He pulled a small notepad out of his jacket pocket and started back toward the office. "If that computer is holding any secrets, then it's going to give them up today. I promise."
Kana nodded and led them in the direction of the office even though they already knew how to navigate the Shiraki home like the back of their hands. She turned around the seat at the desk and gestured for one of them to have a seat. Anri wound up taking it, and she accepted the notepad from her husband graciously before she got to typing. Her skill with electronics was something Kana had admired for years, and she found herself infatuated by how quickly Anri's fingers flew across the keyboard. The sound was hypnotizing and comforting, and in Kana's mind, it was the sound of what a mother's love should have been.
"I see your parents aren't home again," Harutaka frowned. He had said something along these lines each year since Kage had gone missing. 1996, 1997, and 1998 hadn't been any different, but he had been hoping for a change in 1999 for Kana's sake if nothing else. He always thought about Kana first in situations like this the way a father should have.
Kana shook her head. "They went out for a few days," she answered. "I think they wanted to get some fresh air in the countryside. They asked if I wanted to join them, but... I said I wanted to stay. I told them I was hoping to spend time with friends, but I think they knew the real reason. They didn't push me about it though. I guess it's easier to ignore it if they're not here."
"They should treat you better than this," Anri remarked as she always did when the subject came up. She didn't look up from her work on the computer, reaching for the mouse as she continued. "They should have done more to make sure everything was okay with you and your brother."
"Yeah... I agree," Kana murmured. She wanted to say that she missed the days when she didn't see the problem, the days when everything seemed fine, but she knew that hadn't been the case since January of 1992. As soon as the honeymoon phase ended and Yua and Hayate started to hold a grudge against Kage, everything had changed. Kana just hadn't noticed it until she started looking back. Hindsight was always much crueler than the present moment, and she wished there was something she could do to fix it for her brother’s sake.
Anri's pinky finger came down hard on the enter key, and she stared at the screen for a few seconds, waiting for something to happen. The room was silent, and everyone watched in anticipation. Kana knew how it was going to go. They were going to try something, and it wasn't going to work. Then, Harutaka would cross off the possibility on his notepad, and they would go to the next. It happened every year. Why would she think this would be any different?
That was when light started up at the center of the screen.
Kana's heart could have stopped right there, and she wouldn't have noticed. She couldn't bring herself to move, and Anri and Harutaka were still as well. It wasn't until the light expanded and sparked to life in full, covering the office in a multicolored glow, that any of them acted to stop it. Kana threw her arms up over her eyes to try and keep herself from temporarily losing her vision, and Harutaka did much the same.
Anri was the only exception, and she reached one hand out toward the screen. Before she could touch it though, a comet of energy came streaking away from the surface, and she let out a gasp before flinching. She didn't move from her place in the chair though, instead just turning her face away. None of them looked at the screen directly for a few moments after that, but Kana forced herself to focus. If this was the same thing that had happened four years ago—and gods above, it was looking like it was—she had to pay attention.
And then, she saw it.
At first, Kana didn't know what she was looking at, but she put the pictures together after a few heavy breaths. There were monsters there, and they were roaming freely. They were fighting one another as far as she could tell, though she couldn't pick out the details of the conflict. All she knew was that something was happening, and she was one of the only people to bear witness to it. She had seen it four years ago too, but that time, it had ended with Kage being swallowed by the screen.
Before Kana could reach out to the monsters as her brother had, the light started to die away, and the center of the screen absorbed the light before the office returned to the way it had been a few moments before. Kana stared at the screen with wide eyes and her jaw dropped. She had been right. All that time, she had been right, and nobody had believed her. She had known it, but seeing it for a second time was a different matter entirely.
There was another world in the computer screen, and it had opened its gates once again for a few brief moments. If it had done that twice, then it could do it a third time. There was hope. She could finally find her brother.
Anri and Harutaka were still beside Kana as well, but Harutaka was the first one to snap out of his trance. His eyes went wide as he shifted his attention to his wife for the first time. "Anri..." he murmured, the word coming out just above a whisper. "Your hair..."
That was all it took for Kana to pry her gaze away from the screen. She looked to Anri, and her jaw dropped. The woman's previously deep brown hair had been dyed brightly and fiercely. The hair was bright scarlet at the roots before fading through shades of bold pink and orange. Her hair looked like a sunset, a far cry from the darkness Kana had seen on her each other time they had crossed paths.
Anri picked up a few strands of her hair and stared with wide, shocked eyes. She didn't even seem to know what to say at first, and when she finally managed to force the word out, it was strained and shocked. "God..." Anri whispered because that was all anyone could have said in response to something like this. "It was real... You saw it, didn't you?"
"That world is real," Harutaka confirmed. "Kage vanished into the computer screen and into another world... A world full of monsters and magic."
Kana stared down at her hands, finding that they had started to shake since the light had faded away. Harutaka was right. It was real. If she had ever doubted herself, all those fears had melted away when she saw the other world through the screen once again. Beyond that, Anri was living proof of something supernatural. People's hair didn't just change colors, and hair especially didn't become bright pink when a person interacted with a normal computer. All of it had been real, and she had proof now.
Kana stared up at the screen, and she begged for the light to ignite once again so it could take her to her brother. The computer remained still though, and even as Harutaka went to type in the same commands that Anri had keyed in, nothing happened. The response of the gate opening had come from the other side. There was nothing they could do from Earth but sit there and wait to see when the portal would open once again.
Kana was willing to wait though. There was proof of this other world existing, and she was going to follow it to the bitter end. Her brother was on the other side of that gateway. She had been right to not give up hope after all this time. The fullness in her chest expanded, enveloping her in warmth and shivers despite the sunlight streaming in through the window. There was hope, and she could feel it in every piece of her fragmented body.
I'll be there soon, Kage... I promise.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
Wow. This chapter was... So much. I've been looking forward to this for ages though. Ever since I decided to write a sequel, I've been thinking about this chapter and the next one. I wanted to expand on the world and its lore in a meaningful way, and this was how I decided to do it. I adore the backstory of the Shiraki twins. It's by far one of my favorite parts of this story and universe as a whole.
I feel like a lot of this chapter speaks for itself since it's being told in a way that clearly reflects on the past rather than being about the present but told in past tense. There is one thing I wanted to clarify here: Kage is undiagnosed with autism and ADHD. I wanted to make it blatant throughout the narration and general way people treat him, but I needed to be sure to clear it up here just in case. In the first scene of the flashback, Kage has a meltdown because of overstimulation, and everyone labels him as a problem and an inconvenience, a trend that runs throughout the entire chapter. He's used to being sidelined and treated like he's not worth it, and he internalized it hard.
Kage and Kana are both neurodivergent, as a matter of fact, and while the coding is much more subtle with Kana, it's still worth mentioning. They responded to the world around them completely differently though. Kage was treated as a problem from the start, and he began to believe that he would never be worth anything else. He struggles with social interactions and school due to shyness and disinterest respectively, instead turning to escapism in fiction so he can survive. Kana, on the other hand, has a massive fawn response and turned into a perfectionist caring for both her brother and making herself seem as flawless as possible so nobody betrays her. They're fiercely codependent on one another despite their different ways of interacting with the world, and they've been a package deal for much of their lives.
As such, Kana changes a lot after Kage vanishes. She closes in on herself and pushes her parents away since, looking back, she blames them for Kage wanting so desperately to escape from his life that he would go through the computer screen willingly. She knows he wasn't taken against his will. He chose to go inside, and she hates that their parents treated him poorly to the point of disappearing to get away from them. At this point, her only companions and allies in life are Anri and Harutaka, and they're full-grown adults who aren't even related to her. In other words, they're hardly the allies a teenaged girl would want as her first choice when going through something this traumatic.
Speaking of Anri and Harutaka, I bet some of you are surprised to see so much of them. I had to put them in this flashback for the sake of the lore, so here they are. They treated Kana like their own daughter when she had nothing, and she came to rely on them heavily when she lost her main support system. If you check Anri's description the first time she appears, you can see that Miriamon wasn't kidding about her looking just like Saki. In fact, Saki is kind of a miniature clone of Anri with their skin tone, freckles, and the dyed hair they got from Anri's contact with the Digital World. Even though Saki didn't grow up with their parents since they died before the story, you can see traits from both Harutaka and Anri shining through in the way they act. For example, Saki types really fast and is tech savvy like Anri. Harutaka wears a jacket even in the summer, and Saki's design from the first book consisted of a hoodie despite the story taking place in August.
Let's discuss that last scene really fast on the note of those little quirks. You can see just how at ease Kana has become around them even though they shouldn't have ever met if life had gone well. Anri and Harutaka are Kana's support system since Hayate and Yua won't believe her. They understand each other so easily without even being related or living together, and it all comes to a head with the portal opening again. They feel like a family in a strange way you would never expect, and I think that adds a special dimension to the relationship Miriamon has with Saki in present day.
This chapter was a lot from start to finish, and it's definitely the sort that you might need to read a second time to catch all the details. Well, you can read it a second time after the next chapter releases, because next time, we're going to finish up the flashback of the Shiraki twins in "Tragedy of Heaven and Earth." I've been hyping this chapter up on my Twitter accounts for ages, and the time has finally come. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is appreciated as always, and this week more than ever, please drop your theories in the comments. I'd love to see them. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 33: Tragedy of Heaven and Earth
Summary:
Miriamon recounts the second half of her story as Kana Shiraki.
Notes:
Chapter Release: 1/8/23
Edit Release: 9/29/24
The scene of Kana speaking with Wisemon near the middle of the chapter is new to the edited version of the story.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Time passed the way it always did, but the search continued.
That fateful summer day in 1999 changed Kana Shiraki's life forever. She had proof at last that another world existed, and she was determined to find it. She had seen a glimpse of the realm that had taken her brother away from her, and she needed to find a way to pry its gates open long enough for her to slip inside. She had been trying with everything she had to fight back against the world, to open the portal and finally see Kage again, but the fact remained that she had next to no idea what she was doing. She didn't understand how she was meant to even start with searching for a way back to Kage's side. The portal seemed to open at random, and she had no way of activating it.
Anri and Harutaka had been trying to help her with everything they had too. They were desperate to figure out what they were missing too. Their search for the other realm had only increased in intensity since the day Anri's hair was dyed pink, and they spent much more time with Kana than ever before. She had even been gifted a key to their apartment. She swung by whenever she could as long as they weren't working on a case. Her parents never asked her where she was or why she was spending so much time away from the house. They had already come to understand that their daughter was out of reach, assuming she had ever been theirs in the first place. Kana was fine with that. They had pushed Kage away whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not, and she would never forget what they had done to send him over the edge.
Kana's search was a desperate thing, but that didn't make her progress come any faster. If anything, that just made the waiting feel even more slow and agonizing. She didn't know what she was doing. She had tried again and again to figure out how to work with computers in a way that would solve all of her problems, but she just couldn't find a way to make the pieces slot together. Everything happened at the whims of chance and the decisions of that other world, and she couldn't change that no matter how hard she tried or how much she hoped Kage would come back to her.
Two years came and went, and they were the slowest and hardest of Kana's life. Somehow, knowing that there was hope just out of reach—that there was a way to find her brother if she could just find her answers—made it even harder than she could have ever imagined. Knowing there was a way to find her brother again should have brought her hope. In many ways, it did. At the same time, it made her even more impatient than ever before. Damn it, she just wanted Kage back, and the wait was like a stab to the chest each day she woke up without him.
When the summer of 2001 arrived, Kana had turned eighteen. She was officially an adult in the eyes of the universe. She had graduated from high school, and she was set to take her first few steps into the working world soon enough. She hadn't been sure of what she was going to do with her life for a long time, but the truth had made itself known to her with time. She wanted to be just like Anri and Harutaka, and even if they weren't her official parents, she wanted to follow in their footsteps. If they would allow her, she would become a private investigator, work at their sides, and help out with their search for the truth. That would make it easier for her to search for Kage. It was the path that let her be with the people she cared for most on Earth, and it would help her to find her brother. It was perfect.
As it turned out, life was perfect for the Fushida couple too. The news had only come recently—a few days ago, as a matter of fact—but Anri was pregnant. She and Harutaka had been hoping to start a family for a while, and at long last, they had been given that chance. Kana's face had lit up at the idea. If all went well, she and Kage would be able to look after the Fushida child like they were a little sibling. It was everything Kana had ever wanted and more, and her heart swelled with joy each time she thought about it.
If only her happiness was enough to help with her impatience. Unfortunately, the universe wasn't giving her any breaks in terms of her search, and Kana's desperation had only grown worse in the months leading up to Anri's announcement. Kana sat in her father's office as she had countless times over the course of the last six years, tapping her foot against the floor and waiting for something to happen. She had keyed in countless combinations of code and letters and numbers that day since that was what she always did at this time of year. Maybe she would be able to replicate the magic that had changed Anri's hair color if she was lucky. It was a vain hope, but she prayed for it regardless. Anri and Harutaka were supposed to come by again soon, and Kana had even given them her spare key in preparation for their research that day. After all, her parents were gone the same way they always were at this time of year, so who was going to stop her?
Kana tapped her fingers against the desk, drumming out a familiar tune she remembered Kage had always hummed under his breath. It was a song he had heard on the radio when they were children, and he had latched onto it fiercely and refused to let go even after so many years. Kana didn't want to let go of it either, especially since it was one of her only connections to him. Maybe he would find a way to hear the song if she hummed loud enough. She could hope, at the very least.
Kana closed her eyes and let out a sigh, but as soon as she allowed herself to relax, something before her changed. Her eyes shot open, and she realized light was starting to kick up around the screen of the computer. She reached her hands out, already knowing what this was going to mean. Please, please, please...
She was right.
The portal was opening.
Distantly, Kana was aware of the front door opening and her name being called. She didn't have the power to respond though, and she instead looked closer at the screen. Before she knew it, she was stretching one arm through the light. She could see it again. There was the glow of the other world that had taken her brother. It was still there, and it was waiting for her.
Footfall entered the room behind Kana, and it was the last thing she heard before the light consumed her and the world began to tilt.
For a few breathless moments, Kana felt like she was in free fall. Every piece of her body was taking itself apart before coming back together just as it had been before, but she couldn't even bring herself to mind. She knew where she was going. She was closer to the truth than ever before. This was it. This was where she would find her brother.
When Kana opened her eyes once again, she was on the ground. She didn't know when she had fallen off her feet and onto her side, but after blinking a few times, she realized she was in some sort of grassy field. The greenery was tickling at her cheek, softer than any blades of grass she had ever felt back on Earth. She turned her attention to the sky next and found the sun shining bright overhead alongside three moons—red, blue, and yellow—each of them looking down at her fondly and gently.
If that wasn't proof that she wasn't on Earth anymore, the monsters that appeared in her periphery most certainly were. She couldn't pick out any details about who or what they were, but she could say with certainty that they were not human. They weren't the same monsters she had seen the other times she had glimpsed into this strange new world, but they were still hardly human. Kana's jaw would have dropped if this wasn't what she had been hoping for from the start in some strange way.
It was hard to pick out what the monsters were saying specifically, but they were interested in her. She was surrounded by a wide circle of a crowd by the time she had pushed herself up into a seated position. Kana glanced around carefully, and she tried to find the words she needed to ask if they had seen her brother. She must have been around there somewhere, right?
Unless the fighting of this world got to him first.
Kana shut down that pessimistic line of thinking as soon as she could, instead tuning in on what the nearest monster was saying. "Looks just like him..." they murmured under their breath.
Kana snapped out of her trance on the spot, and she looked up to the monster that had just spoken. She pushed herself to her feet as quickly as she could, though she threatened to lose her balance along the way. She hadn't expected the teleportation process to destroy her sense of stability quite that much. "I want you to take me to him," she said quickly. There was only one person she had looked so much alike back home, and it had been Kage. They had to be talking about him. He was here. He had to be.
The monsters looked to one another carefully, but they ultimately nodded their agreement. Kana followed them on her unsteady legs, trying her best to ignore the way her hands were shaking from the adrenaline rush. At long last, she was there.
Hang on, Kage... I'm coming. I promise.
~~~~~
The monsters led Kana to a massive palace, and her jaw dropped when she realized this was where they were guiding her. She had to crane her neck backwards to see the building in its entirety. It was made of a million different colors Kana had never seen and glittered like a jewel in the afternoon sunshine. It was as if the world was smiling down on this one piece of the realm to bless it with all the love it possessed.
And this was where she could find her brother.
The interior of the palace was even more splendid, and Kana struggled to keep herself focused with how completely awestruck she was. Still, she concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other, reminding herself over and over that this was how she was going to see her brother again. Kage was waiting for her, and she was finally going to reunite with him after all those years spent alone searching for him.
The monsters only left Kana behind when she had arrived at the throne room’s doors. She took in a shaky breath, only realizing how nervous she was when she went to push the air out through her lips again. Why was she so afraid? This was everything she had wanted for the last six years. After all this time spent alone—a third of her life without her brother around to support her—they were going to meet once more. She should have been excited, but instead, all she could do was fear how much he could have changed. He could have been completely different, and she wouldn't have realized it. She had certainly grown a lot since they last saw one another. She was taller, and her blonde hair was much longer than it ever had been when they were kids. Would she even recognize him after all this time? Would he recognize her?
There was only one way to find out, and so, Kana reached for the knocker and hit it against one of the double doors.
After a few moments of silence, the doors pushed themselves open. Even though the doors looked as if they should have been scraping across the floor heavily, they were silent. Kana swallowed back all her nerves as she got her first glance into the throne room.
And that was when she saw him.
He was small, barely any taller than he had been the last time Kana had seen him. His blonde hair remained close to his face, outlining his pale features and pastel blue eyes the same way it always had. In fact, he almost looked identical to Kana's memories of him. His clothing was a different story though. He had a white piece of cloth wrapped around his body, and his exposed skin was lined with pastel purple tattoos. A single golden ring hung from one ankle, and six pairs of angel wings fanned out around his body.
For the first time in six years, Kana Shiraki saw her brother, and Kage watched her too.
Tears streamed down Kana's face hot and fast, but she didn't bother to stop them. Instead, she took a few steps into the throne room, barely believing that this was real at all. She wanted to talk, to say anything to him after all these years spent apart, but her mouth refused to move. She clapped her fingers over her lips and sobbed, and all he did was watch her.
All it took was a few seconds before Kage threw himself off the throne and rushed into Kana's arms. He held her tightly around the waist, and Kana fell to her knees so she was closer to his height. She pulled him in as close as she could stand, and Kage returned the favor. "It's been a long time," Kage whispered into her ear. He even sounded the same as he had when they were children. It was as if he had been frozen in time, suspended against the laws of the living all for this fateful moment.
"I... I thought I would never see you again," Kana managed to choke out between her sobs. "I-I've been trying to find you for so long, and I... You're really here. You're still alive. I-I can barely believe that we're..."
"We're together again?" Kage finished for her, and Kana nodded. He pulled her in a bit tighter. "You don't need to worry about us being apart anymore. You're here now, and everything is okay again."
The two remained pressed close against one another for a long time after that, and Kana relished in all the love she had wanted to give and receive for the last six years. Suddenly, it felt like a lifetime ago that she had last seen her brother at all. Nothing mattered but that moment. Her search had meant something in the end. She had found that which had been lost, and she would never lose him again.
When the twins finally parted from one another, Kana looked Kage in the eyes once more just to make sure this was actually real, that he was actually there. "Where have you been all this time?" she whispered, the words fragile on her lips. "Y-You've been gone for so long, I..."
She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, but luckily, Kage didn't expect her to. "You were worried?" he completed for her, and Kana nodded. "Well, you don't need to be anymore. Everything is fine now."
"Where exactly are we?" Kana questioned as she rubbed at her eyes with the side of her hand. "I never stopped searching for you, but I... I don't understand anything about this place."
"Welcome to the Digital World," Kage replied with a smile. He spread his arms out wide, and the castle around them seemed to shimmer with new light. "You won't believe everything I've found here. It's beyond your wildest dreams."
And with that, Kage launched into an explanation of everything Kana could have wanted to know. The Digital World was a realm that ran parallel to Earth, and it rested on the other side of a thick barrier. Every once in a while, the shield would weaken, often as a result of conflict between the worlds. When that happened, the people from both sides of the rift could see what was taking place on the other side, and they could even travel through the portal. That was how they had both gotten there. Kana had been right in assuming the occupants of the world weren't human. They were known as Digimon, a shortened name for digital monsters. There were two types of them, Human and Beast, and it was their conflict that had drawn Kage there in the first place.
"I was the one who stopped the fighting between them, as a matter of fact," Kage told her, his eyes lighting up in a bright grin. "They had been fighting for as long as anyone could remember by the time I showed up, but I was able to stop it. Afterwards, they named me as their ruler, and I've been here ever since."
All of a sudden, the fact that they were standing in a palace made so much sense. It wasn't just any castle; it was Kage's castle, and he had come to own it after saving the Digital World from turmoil so many years ago. Kana's jaw dropped. She never would have thought her brother would have been able to stop the suffering and fighting of two factions that had been warring for longer than they'd been alive. Then again, if anyone was going to do the impossible of surviving and thriving in an alternate world, Kana knew it would have been her brother. "That's incredible, Kage," she murmured.
His face immediately pinched at the sound of his name. "That's not my name anymore," he told her. Kana's expression twisted in shock. "The Digital World has changed me, and I've changed it too. Now, I go by a different name... Lucemon."
"Lucemon..." Kana repeated to herself. Somehow, it fit his appearance, though she couldn't quite put a finger on how. It was no wonder he looked so different. The influence of the Digital World seemed to ooze out of everything he did no matter how small the action was. He was still her brother at the end of the day, but he was different as well. The Digital World had made sure of it.
"Yeah," Lucemon nodded with a bright grin. "And I'm the ruler of the Digital World. I've been looking after everyone for ages. They love me. I'm so happy here, and I... It's amazing."
"I guess that means you don't want to come back home, do you?" Kana questioned, a small frown on her face. That had always been her hope. She wanted to find her brother and bring him back to Earth with her, but now... Well, that didn't seem like it was going to be happening now or ever.
Lucemon's face twisted again. "No," he said simply. "I can't ever go back there. I'm happy here. For the first time in my life, it feels like I matter. The Digimon here love me, and I'm happy to have them around too. This is where I belong, Kana. I can't go back when this is the only place I feel like I've ever been happy."
Kana nodded slowly. It didn't seem all that shocking when she looked back on it. He was smiling more now than he ever had back on Earth. Without their parents around to kick him when he was down, he was thriving. How could she ask him to just walk away from that? It didn't feel right even if it had been everything that she sought for so many years.
"What about you?" Lucemon asked before Kana could reply. "What have you been up to all this time? You've been back on Earth, right? I'm surprised you're still so young..."
"What do you mean?" Kana questioned. "It's been six years back on Earth. I've grown so much since we last saw each other."
"It's been hundreds of years here," Lucemon told her, his eyes going wide. "I suppose time flows differently between Earth and the Digital World... I guess that makes sense. Who would have ever thought?" He shook his head a beat later. "Still, I want to know what you've been up to all this time. How have the last six years been?"
Kana didn't waste a moment in telling him all about it. She had been searching for him ever since he went missing, and she made sure he knew it. She avoided the subject of their parents for as long as she could before confessing that they had grown distant and eventually pulled away from her entirely. Afterward, Kana told him about Anri and Harutaka, the ones who she felt should have adopted them in the first place. She was going to have to find a way to tell them that she had accomplished her mission. She was sure they had already figured it out, but she still needed to tell them when she found the chance.
"I didn't realize you were looking for me," Lucemon confessed after Kana had finished talking. "But now that you're here, you don't need to search anymore. You can stay here in the Digital World. When I tell everyone who you are, they're bound to do anything they can for you. They love me, and they'll love you too. I know it. I'll make sure this is your perfect home too. I promise."
Kana smiled as Lucemon's fingers wound around her own. He wasn't exactly in the position she had expected to find him, but she was happy all the same. At long last, they had reunited, and she wasn't going to let him go no matter what. Her mission had been completed, and they were together.
~~~~~
Reality was not as kind as Lucemon had claimed it to be.
As promised, Kana had been given all the freedom she could have wanted in the Digital World. Her relationship with Lucemon had won her more power than she had imagined possible. She met with Lucemon's foremost generals, the Royal Knights, and they had treated her with all the kindness she hadn't realized she needed. After that, she had taken to exploring the place she was set to call her new home. It still didn't feel real, accepting that she was in a world of magic well beyond her wildest dreams. Still, this was her new reality, and she wanted to do as much as she could to enjoy it.
Months came and went before Kana had even noticed. Along the way, she could tell there was something her brother was keeping from her, but she was never quite able to put a finger on it. Kage had always been a private person, but Kana had always expected that didn't extend to her. When she looked at Lucemon, she liked to think she still saw her brother the way he had been six years ago, but the closer she paid attention, the more she realized how wrong she had been. He had changed just as much as she had. He had been suspended in time at twelve years old seemingly forever, but he was not the same boy he had been when he first vanished into their computer screen on Earth.
The shadows of the Digital World were easy enough for Kana to ignore though. After all, she was finally back with her brother, and that was all she had ever wanted, right? She felt like she knew him less and less as the days went by, but this was what she had been searching for all those years. She wanted to be back with her brother, and she was. He was happier than he ever had been. She should have been glad. Instead, Kana felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach for reasons she couldn't describe each time she had to call him Lucemon instead of Kage. Something about it just felt wrong, and she couldn't even put a pin on why. He had changed, and she knew that… But somehow, he was feeling less and less like Kage and more like Lucemon these days, and she hated wordlessly.
Kana walked casually through one of the fields of the Digital World near Lucemon's castle, a sigh on her lips. He and the Royal Knights had been busier than normal lately, though Kana couldn't say why. He refused to tell her. It was proof that he was hiding something, but Kana barely had the heart to push him about it. She should have been happy, and she hated that deep down, she really wasn't.
A shadow suddenly streaked out of her peripheral vision, and Kana held up her hands instinctively to defend herself. She hadn't run into any combat since she had returned to her brother's side, but that didn't necessarily mean she was safe. This was still a realm full of monsters, and anyone could have attacked her when she wasn't paying attention. She didn't know how to take care of herself on her own. She was just a human, and she was a scrawny one at that. The Digital World hadn't changed her the same way it had changed her brother, and so, she was as good as on her own against whoever was after her.
Kana was on the verge of calling out to ask who was there when she saw the shadow dart by again. She held up her hands in fists, hoping they would be enough to save her from any combat despite knowing that wasn't going to be the case. Her voice was trapped in her throat, sealed away by a knot that kept her from trying to confront her assailant. What would happen if she died here? Lucemon had told her the process of death and rebirth in the Digital World was different than on Earth. But she wasn't a Digimon. She was a human. How in the world would it even work?
"It's you."
Kana whirled around to see a Digimon standing before her. They were tall and wore a green cloak that easily consumed their body in its entirety. Gold hemmed their robes, and a mirror made up the middle of their torso. Their eyes were shrouded in darkness, but irises of yellow pierced through Kana's chest with their intensity. She was shaking openly now, and she wished that she had thought to learn how to defend herself before running into a world she knew was full of monsters.
"W-Who are—" Kana tried to ask, but the words fizzled away on her tongue before she could continue.
The Digimon took another step toward her, though on closer examination, Kana realized they weren't walking at all. They were levitating. She staggered away, her breathing hitching into hyperventilation, but the Digimon still showed no signs of attacking her. "You look just like him. It's just as the rumors say," they murmured. "You would be the human by the name of Kana, yes?"
Kana faltered at that. She saw no point in hiding it though, especially since she was the only human in the Digital World at this point. Lucemon didn't consider himself human anymore, and Kana doubted he ever would again. She simply nodded, knowing any attempts at a lie would catch up to her immediately after she spoke the words.
"Would you come with me?" the Digimon asked. They extended a hand toward her, and Kana realized the appendage was a purple fan tacked onto the tip of their arm and nothing more. "We have much to discuss. This is about Lucemon."
Kana should have said no. She knew that. She had no reason to talk about her brother behind his back. He was a good person. Her insecurities meant nothing in the end. He was still Kage even if he refused to accept that name anymore. And yet, her fears of not speaking with the Digimon, of not hearing more about her brother, caught up with her before she knew it. Kage had changed, and the fact that he was Lucemon now was proof.
And so, Kana Shiraki nodded. She reached out her hand toward the Digimon, and her life changed forever from that moment forward.
She would not know it until it was too late, but this was the moment the Digital World crumbled.
~~~~~
Kana followed the Digimon back to their hideout, yearning to ask a million questions but unable to make any of them form on her tongue. None of this felt right, but she knew she had to do as he said. Somehow, she knew this was what she was meant to do even if it made her feel like she was being torn apart from the inside out.
When they finally came to a stop, the Digimon directed Kana into a trapdoor hidden in the grass to an underground tunnel. Kana slipped down first, and the Digimon followed her lead. “What’s going on?” Kana asked, her voice suddenly trapped in the back of her throat and refusing to give her the space she needed to speak. “What is this place?”
“This is the hideout of the resistance,” the Digimon replied, and light burst across the room. Kana found eleven other Digimon all sitting in the room, each of them tall and powerful. Kana could feel how strong they were without even needing to ask. Suddenly, she felt weak and tiny, and she knew that any one of these Digimon could have snapped her in half if they felt so inclined. None of them moved, but Kana’s fear remained.
“What’s going on?” Kana repeated, her voice laced with much more fear this time. She turned to look at the Digimon that had guided her there. “Who are you?”
“My name is Wisemon,” the Digimon responded with a bow of their head. “I am one of the twelve leading members of this underground resistance force. We are fighting against Lucemon for control of the Digital World.”
“Why are you fighting him?” Kana asked even though she already knew what the answer to the question was going to be. “And why am I here?”
“You are his sister, are you not?” Wisemon questioned, and Kana nodded slowly. “We wanted to speak with you as soon as we learned that he had a sister. We never imagined something like this would be possible, but… I believe you have a right to know the truth.”
“The truth about what?” Kana inquired, her words growing antsier and louder with each passing second. “What are you hiding from me?”
“Your brother is not the person you think he is,” Wisemon answered. “Once upon a time, Lucemon was a kind ruler who looked over the Digital World. He even brought it back from the brink of its own destruction during a war between the Human and Beast Digimon. Since then though… He has grown dark and twisted. He has become a tyrant, ruling over the Digital World with an iron fist and crushing all those who dare to stand in his way.”
“That’s… No…” Kana protested weakly, but she already knew she would not be able to find the words she was searching for so desperately. “He wouldn’t… He wouldn’t do that…”
“You have already come to have your doubts. I can see it on your face,” Wisemon retorted, and Kana fell silent. “Lucemon is not the kind, generous ruler who looked after the Digital World years ago. Now, he wants to destroy all those who stand against him. If he continues down this path, then this world is as good as doomed. We are here to stop him however we can. We will not let this be the end of the Digital World. We will fight to make sure our future is secured even if it leads us against the one who once saved us from destruction.”
Kana’s heart was racing in her ears. She knew Wisemon wouldn’t have been saying any of this unless it was true, but that didn’t mean she wanted to believe it. She felt the Digital World was not as clean or simple as it had been made out to be, but… She didn’t want to think her brother was a tyrant. Kage was… He was her little brother. They had grown up together. Even now that they looked different and no longer seemed like twins, Kana knew who he was. She loved him for who he had once been.
But he wasn’t the same person anymore, was he? Kana had been away from Kage for six years of time in the human world, but in the Digital World, it was much longer than that. In that time, Kana and Kage had grown out of step with one another, and now… Kana was the only one who seemed to cherish the memory of who they had once been.
“We want you to try and talk to him,” one of the other Digimon spoke up. Later on, she would come to know her as Silphymon. “If you’re really his sister—and let’s face it, you look exactly like him—then you might be able to get through to him. If you can do that, then maybe we can stop all of this before it can turn into a full-on war.”
“I…” Kana swallowed and shook her head. “I don’t know…” Would Kage even want to listen to her anymore? They had been away from one another for so long, and Kage… He seemed different now. Kana could try to convince herself otherwise all she wanted, but she knew that this was not the same brother she had once known. Neither one of them belonged in the Digital World. None of this should have ever happened, and yet… And yet…
Wisemon shook their head quietly. “You can stay with us for as long as you would like. How about you rest here for the night? I know this is a lot to take in, and we would be happy to answer any of your questions.”
Kana nodded slowly. She knew she was betraying Kage by agreeing to stay with Wisemon and the rest of their allies… But she couldn’t bring herself to go back to Lucemon’s castle. Her greatest fears felt like they were all being blasted back in her face, and Kana couldn’t confront them right now. She needed time. She needed rest. She needed answers.
So Kana was granted a corner of the base for her personal use, and she began to settle in. Her eyes remained glassy and distant throughout the rest of the day. None of this felt real, and she didn’t know if it would ever come into clarity no matter how hard she tried or what she yearned to do.
Kana wanted to deny it more than anything. She wanted to say that all of this was some kind of twisted joke, a secret that was being used to test her loyalty to her brother… But that couldn’t have been the case. Kana had been bottling up her doubts for far too long for it to all be a matter of coincidence or loyalty. There was something miserable brewing here, and it went well beyond what Kana ever could have thought possible.
Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Kana grieved for her brother, and she wondered if she would ever find him again even when she looked into Lucemon’s eyes.
~~~~~
That night, Kana struggled to sleep. She was exhausted after everything she had heard that day, but she couldn’t bring herself to calm down enough to rest. She stared up at the darkened ceiling of the base long after the rest of the team had either gotten ready for bed themselves or taken to guarding the base from any potential attacks. Lucemon was after them, and they couldn’t let their guard down when there was a chance that he could launch a sneak attack overnight. Kana’s brother was their enemy, and she had no idea what she was meant to do about it.
The Digimon all introduced themselves to Kana, and she slowly processed who all of them were and what they now meant to her. In the future, they and the rest of their comrades would come to be known as Legendary Warriors, and their names would receive the addition of an ‘Ancient’ prefix. For the time being though, all Kana knew was Wisemon and the rest of their company, and she listened to everything they told her no matter how much she didn't want to believe it. They answered her questions in return, laying every truth out in the open for her to do with it as she pleased.
Kana replayed everything she had learned in her mind ad nauseum. Her bad feelings about the Digital World had been right. There was much more to it than Lucemon had claimed. He was nowhere near as adored as he had told her. In fact, he had become a tyrant in recent years. For a long time, the people of the Digital World had loved him for finally bringing an end to the conflict between the Human and Beast Digimon, but with power came responsibility, and Lucemon abused his strength to hurt any who dared to defy him. He wasn't the same as he once had been. His previous kind and caring nature had been warped to the point of no return.
The group around her tonight consisted of the leaders of an underground rebellion trying to stop him. They didn't want to see Lucemon rip the world apart, and so, they were fighting him with everything they had. It wasn't easy, but it was the best they could do for the sake of their futures. They had sought Kana out after hearing she was Lucemon's sister. The knowledge of Lucemon having originally been a human had been lost with time, buried with his lost desire to acknowledge his history as Kage Shiraki, but Kana's appearance had brought the past to light once more. Wisemon had psychic abilities, and they had used their gifts to find Kana so they could talk. After all, if Kana could be convinced to speak with her brother to stop all of this, then maybe they could have avoided a war.
Kana didn't want to believe it. Damn it, she was desperate to think they were wrong, but she knew better than to believe it. Lucemon had been hiding things from her lately, and she could tell. The Royal Knights were his own personal army, five menaces that could rip apart entire continents if they so decided. He had wanted to keep her sheltered so that she didn't turn against him too. Many small settlements had already tried to rebel against him, and he had crushed them all without so much as a second thought. That was why he was so busy. He was preparing for a war too, and he was determined to not be stopped.
Lucemon was the reason Kana had come to the Digital World at all. His tyranny had caused the conflict that tore a hole in the barrier for her to travel between realms. She never would have arrived there if not for him, and he was a monster for that very same reason.
Kana would have been lying if she said she wanted it to be true, but it made too much sense to be a lie. When it was about time for her to go back to the castle to be with Lucemon again the following morning, she decided not to. She wanted to hear it from his mouth, to understand why he was doing all of this, but she couldn't bring herself to return. She needed time to think this over. They could talk soon enough, but this wasn't the time yet. She had to be patient. She had to wait just a little bit longer for her own sake.
Wisemon's comrades were all kind people, and Kana was glad for it. They didn't seem to hold anything against her for her relationship with the tyrant of their world. If anything, they treated her with even more dignity and respect because of it. She hadn't asked for her brother to slip out of her grasp this way, and they knew it. In a way, it was refreshing. Kana never would have thought she would be able to enjoy something like this, but there she was. She was glad they were treating her like she was just any other person. She hadn't been able to enjoy the luxury of friendship for a long time, not since before Kage went missing, and this... It was nice. She never would have expected to say such a thing, but it was true.
She just wished the reason she was there to begin with was as nice. Unfortunately, the universe didn't give a damn about her wishes. She had found her brother, but at what cost?
No. She hadn't found her brother. Kage was long gone. All that remained was Lucemon, and they were not the same.
~~~~~
The Digimon went introduced themself as Wisemon. In the future, they and the rest of their comrades would come to be known as Legendary Warriors, and their names would receive the addition of an ‘Ancient’ prefix. For the time being though, all Kana knew was Wisemon, and she listened to everything they told her no matter how much she didn't want to believe it.
Her bad feelings about the Digital World had been right. There was much more to it than Lucemon had claimed. He was nowhere near as adored as he had told her. In fact, he had become a tyrant in recent years. For a long time, the people of the Digital World had loved him for finally bringing an end to the conflict between the Human and Beast Digimon, but with power came responsibility, and Lucemon abused his strength to hurt any who dared to defy him. He wasn't the same as he once had been. His previous kind and caring nature had been warped to the point of no return.
The Legendary Warriors were the leaders of an underground rebellion trying to stop him. They didn't want to see Lucemon rip the world apart, and so, they were fighting him with everything they had. It wasn't easy, but it was the best they could do for the sake of their futures. They had sought Kana out after hearing she was Lucemon's sister. The knowledge of Lucemon having originally been a human had been lost with time, buried with his lost desire to acknowledge his history as Kage Shiraki, but Kana's appearance had brought the past to light once more. Wisemon had psychic abilities, and they had used their gifts to find Kana so they could talk. After all, if Kana could be convinced to speak with her brother to stop all of this, then maybe they could have avoided a war.
Kana didn't want to believe it. Damn it, she was desperate to think they were wrong, but she knew better than to believe it. Lucemon had been hiding things from her lately, and she could tell. The Royal Knights were his own personal army, five menaces that could rip apart entire continents if they so decided. He had wanted to keep her sheltered so that she didn't turn against him too. Many small settlements had already tried to rebel against him, and he had crushed them all. That was why he was so busy. He was preparing for a war too, and he was determined to not be stopped.
Lucemon was the reason Kana had come to the Digital World at all. His tyranny had caused the conflict that tore a hole in the barrier for her to travel between realms. She never would have arrived there if not for him, and he was a monster for that very same reason.
Kana would have been lying if she said she wanted it to be true, but it made too much sense to be a lie. When it was about time for her to go back to the castle to be with Lucemon again, she decided not to. She wanted to hear it from his mouth, to understand why he was doing all of this, but she couldn't bring herself to return. She needed time to think this over. They could talk soon enough, but this wasn't the time yet. She had to be patient. She had to wait just a little bit longer for her own sake.
Wisemon's comrades were all kind people, and Kana was glad for it. They didn't seem to hold anything against her for her relationship with the tyrant of their world. If anything, they treated her with even more dignity and respect because of it. She hadn't asked for her brother to slip out of her grasp this way, and they knew it. In a way, it was refreshing. Kana never would have thought she would be able to enjoy something like this, but there she was. She was glad they were treating her like she was just any other person. She hadn't been able to enjoy the luxury of friendship for a long time, not since before Kage went missing, and this... It was nice. She never would have expected to say such a thing, but it was true.
She just wished the reason she was there to begin with was as nice. Unfortunately, the universe didn't give a damn about her wishes. She had found her brother, but at what cost?
No. She hadn't found her brother. Kage was long gone. All that remained was Lucemon, and they were not the same.
~~~~~
Kana stayed with the Legendary Warriors for a long time after first being taken in by Wisemon. She knew she was going to have to return to Lucemon eventually since she needed to hear the truth from his lips, but she held it off for as long as she could. In that time, it seemed like nobody was trying to search for her. Maybe Lucemon didn't want her around for the sake of being able to act openly. After all, if Kana wasn't there, then he wouldn't have to try and hide what he was doing. It was a dark way of viewing the situation, but what other options did Kana have?
In that time, the fight against Lucemon only grew more severe. He was cracking down harder than ever, and Kana learned that Lucemon had been in power for what seemed to be the equivalent of five and a half years on Earth. His reign had been slipping lately though, and as far as she could tell, a small rebellion against him was what had opened the gate that dyed Anri's hair pink. The rebel faction had been swiftly put down before they could cause any issues for him, but the damage had already been done by that point.
Kana couldn’t help but wonder how Anri and Harutaka were doing back on Earth. She didn't know what the time difference was exactly, but she was sure they were looking for her still. It couldn't have been that long on Earth, right? She had no way of knowing even if she wanted to though. The portals still opened sporadically, and Kana hadn’t been able to geta message through any of them. Lucemon was the one with the power to open the gates between realms at this point, and since he wanted to torch his past life, he wasn't exactly eager to return. The portals were random because of his hatred of the past, and Kana had no way of predicting them. No one did.
And it was that knowledge that had Kana standing before Wisemon about three months after she had come to live with the Legendary Warriors. She didn't know how it had already been three months, but she didn't want to object either when this was what happiness seemed to be like these days. She yearned for something different though, so she clenched her hands into fists as she spoke to the tactician of the rebellion. "I need to go talk to him."
"Lucemon?" Wisemon questioned, and Kana nodded. They faltered for a moment, trying to come up with a delicate way to phrase the ugly truth. "I don't think he would be willing to listen to you. He has changed. He's no longer the same person you once knew."
"I know that," Kana assured him. "But... I have to do something. I can't just stand back and watch him destroy so many innocent lives. If he wants to tear the world apart, then I'm going to be the one to stop him. I don't know what happened to him for him to tip over the edge like this, but I have to try something to make sure it doesn't continue this way. I need to... For his sake and my own."
Wisemon paused for a long moment before nodding. "I doubt he would hurt you no matter how this conversation went," they eventually settled on saying. "You're still his sister, after all. Even if he wants to ignore that he was once human, you're still his flesh and blood."
If that's what he's even made of anymore, Kana thought bitterly. She shook the thought away quickly though. "I'll be back as soon as I can be. I'm going to try and stop this. Even if I fail... I at least need to know that I tried for my own peace of mind."
Wisemon smiled gently, and even though Kana couldn't see their grin, she could feel it. "I'll be waiting for you."
The journey to Lucemon's palace was agonizingly long for Kana, but she refused to be deterred. Nobody got in her way, his guards still recognizing her from when she had lived there three months prior. She easily entered the building once she had arrived at her destination, and she ignored her aching legs and hurting heart as she navigated the familiar path to the throne room. She raised the knocker and let it fall against the door, waiting for an answer from the other side.
The doors flung open, but this time, they lacked the slow deliberation they had possessed the first time. Instead, everything about the motion was full of rage and spite. Lucemon sat on his throne just as he had the last time, and he watched Kana with detached, apathetic eyes. "Kana," he greeted, his voice flat yet icy. "I was wondering where you had disappeared to."
"We need to talk, Kage," Kana interrupted.
"Lucemon," the angel corrected, his voice twisting into a snarl.
"Kage," Kana countered. Lucemon fell silent, his lips pressing into a thin line. "What in the world are you doing to this world? Why are you hurting so many people? All of this isn't going to help you. You can't just step on people and ruin their lives as you see fit. Someone in charge should take care of those under their rule. This isn't right. It's not okay."
"You say that's what authority figures should do, but I don't believe you," Lucemon spat out. "Do you really think that's what actually happens in practice? Do you really think any of the adults back on Earth did anything for us? Or were they just acting out of their own convenience and desire and not caring what happened to us along the way?"
Kana took a small step back in shock. "That's not... It's not always like that," she tried to tell him.
"Yes, it is!" Lucemon fired back. "Of course you wouldn't see it! They always liked you so much more than me! You were always too caught up in your own fantasies to see the truth! I was worth nothing to them! I was nothing compared to you!"
Kana's eyes went wide, and Lucemon rose to his feet. "Do you really think this world is a just place? Do you think those in charge actually look after those beneath them with kindness in their hearts? It's all about control. Back on Earth, I had no power of my own. I was just an accessory to people who would do anything to me as long as it would serve them in the long run. I was always just your inferior copy. It was always about you, and I got tired of it."
"K-Kage..." Kana tried to stammer out, her expression distorting with horror.
"Our parents got sick of me after a matter of weeks, and after that, I was just a pathetic imitation of you. Everybody said it. At school, everyone told me to be more like you. Our parents only liked me because of my relationship to you. I was never good enough for anyone. I never had any friends, my own family despised me, and the world wanted to ruin my life! I was alone, and nobody gave a damn about me! I was always just a shitty version of you! I couldn't ever be Kage; I was just a knock-off version of Kana that nobody wanted anything to do with!" Lucemon continued.
He started down the steps in front of his throne, standing just high enough on the stairs that he was above his sister’s height by a few inches. He jabbed one small finger into her chest, and Kana paled immediately. "I got tired of just being an inferior version of you, and so when I had a chance to get out, I took it. Here, I matter to people. I saved this world from being torn apart by its own hubris. I saved everyone from the war between the Human and Beast Digimon, and they finally gave me a place to belong. I mean something here. Back on Earth, everyone overlooked and hated me, but here, I'm a savior! I rescued everyone! I'm worth so much more than what they told me I could be back on Earth! Everyone failed me back there, and now, I'm finally making something I can be proud of! I'm finally worth something here!"
"You can't do this to people though," Kana countered. "You can't hurt people just because you have the power to do it. I know you're better than this. You can't just step on others now that you have the chance. Others hurt you, but that doesn’t mean you can keep the cycle of pain going."
"I had no power over anything back on Earth. I was treated like shit, and nobody ever did a thing to help me. People only ever encouraged it because they agreed and would have done it too if they were given the chance. They all hated me, and you... You were the only one who was different, but that just made it worse. You were the only person who was nice to me, and for that... I loved you. But I hated you too. You were one of the reasons people hated me, and I can't ever forget that. I wanted to get out of your shadow just as much as I wanted to get away from Earth. Now, I'm something. I'm a king, Kana, and you're nothing next to me. Finally, I'm someone," Lucemon went on.
"But it's not worth hurting people," Kana reiterated. "None of this is worth it."
"That's easy for you to say! You haven't been kicked down by everyone for things you can't control! You haven't been treated like you're worth nothing because of the way you were born! You haven't been shunned by the people who were supposed to love you the most! You haven't been through what I have!" Lucemon snapped. "I finally have the power here to do what I never could before, and if people want to push back against that after all the fighting that I had to do to get here... They're going to pay for it."
"You're better than this! I know you are!" Kana exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes and starting to fall. "Y-You're my brother! I love you more than anyone else, and I just want you to stop all of this! Kage, please!"
Lucemon screamed, and sharp pain exploded in Kana Shiraki's abdomen.
She looked down to see a blade of white energy embedded in her chest in the weak point at the center of her ribcage. Blood was slowly trickling down from the knife, and her entire body began to shake. Lucemon was on the other end of the blade, rage in his eyes and his old love and sympathy nowhere to be seen.
"I have no sister," Lucemon snarled. "Kage Shiraki is dead, and I killed him myself. Now, I can finally lay my greatest love and my worst enemy to rest too."
Lucemon yanked the knife free of her chest, and Kana's body ate itself from the inside out. Data consumed her, and in a matter of seconds, there was nothing left to show that she had existed at all.
Lucemon stared down at the knife's tip, blood still staining the white energy of the blade. "The world told me I was a failure and a monster," he murmured. "So that's what I've become. They brought it on themselves. If it's a monster they want, then it's a monster they'll get."
~~~~~
The world crumbled in full after that.
It didn't take long for the Legendary Warriors to catch wind of what Lucemon had done to their ally, and that was the final push they needed to wage war against the tyrant of the Digital World. The Legendary Warriors charged off to combat against the Royal Knights, and the Digital World was split in two once more. This time, it was a matter of Lucemon's supporters fighting his enemies. For the first time in the Digital World's history, the war was not a matter of Human against Beast. It was simply about bloodshed and control.
The Legendary Warriors fought valiantly for many years, but nobody could ever quite put a finger on how many. The truth of why they fought—to avenge a friend who had been killed at the hands of her own brother—was lost to the mists of time just as Lucemon's heritage as a human had been. The Legendary Warriors were the only ones who knew the truth, and they began to fall at the hands of the Royal Knights. The Warriors of Energy and Cosmos betrayed their allies to find safety only to be murdered by Lucemon the same way Kana had been. The world was rapidly deteriorating into a shell of its former self, and nobody seemed to recognize the realm they had once known and loved anymore. The only reality before them was made of bloodshed and tears, and nobody would ever dare to forget it.
When Kana next opened her eyes, she knew that everything had changed. She remembered what happened as soon as consciousness returned to her, and she was sure it was going to make her sick. Or, at the very least, it would have made her sick if she had a body to get sick with. When Kana looked down at her hands, she saw them surprisingly transparent, as if all the color had been drained from her form before leaving her as a ghost.
It shouldn't have been surprising. She had been murdered. Her own twin brother, the one who she had spent years searching for, had stabbed her through the chest and killed her. She had wanted the old Kage back so badly that she hadn't realized just how far Lucemon had fallen. She was dead. She should have been dead, at the very least. Instead, there she was, a ghost left to stare at the Digital World from afar.
Kana was on the moon of Flavo when she returned to her half-alive state, and she could see the entire Digital World when she looked out over the horizon. The world looked like it had been shredded a thousand times over with how many holes peppered the surface. Kana felt like she was going to be sick all over again, and she was brutally reminded of the fact that she had no body to give her those concerns anymore. Her brother had done this.
No. Lucemon had done this. There was no Kage Shiraki. Not anymore.
Kana wished she could understand. She had heard the truth straight from his lips about why he had done all of this. He had lost everything when he was on Earth. He had been treated like he was nothing more than a failure and a monster, and so, that was what he had become. The world had asked for it, and he had followed up on its wishes. Still, no matter how much she hurt inside—whether it be over his disappearance, her struggles with their adoptive parents, or her ever-present need for perfection—she could never imagine doing something like this. Had Kage held this potential all along? Had he been Lucemon from the start? Had she just been too foolish to realize the truth until it was already too late?
Kana didn't have to be told that the Legendary Warriors were gone. She could feel it. The void in her chest where her instincts for Kage once had been replaced with her feelings toward the friends who had taken her in when she had nothing in a strange new world. They were gone, or at the very least, most of them were. God, what had her brother done?
No matter how many times Kana repeated to herself that she wished she had seen him struggling sooner or that she should have known, the situation never fixed itself. Instead, Kana just fell to her knees as a phantom of her former self and wished there was something she could do. She had failed him. Everyone had. She just wished there was a way for her to fix it.
~~~~~
Two days after Kana returned to life as a ghost, AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon came to her with a favor to ask.
~~~~~
Kana hadn't been there for the final battle. She didn't know how she could have been. She would have only held her allies back when they were fighting against her brother. She didn't want them to have to defend her when she was a ghost, helpless and an easy target. She remained on Flavo in a corner far from the Village of Beginnings as she waited for it all to end.
AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon had asked for her help in constructing a lock to keep Lucemon sealed away. He was too strong for them to kill, and so, they would have to settle for the next-best thing: imprisoning him. No ordinary cell would have done though, and with the Digital World torn apart as it was, there was no secure place for him to be kept. The best option was the center of the planet itself: the Dark Heart of the Digital World.
The seal was known as the Grand Spirit. It drew upon power from each of the twelve Legendary Warriors' souls to trap Lucemon in the center of the Digital World, never to escape again. Apparently, Kana's deep instincts as to if the Legendary Warriors were alive or not was no mere coincidence or normal intuition. The Digital World had started to change her the same way it had changed her brother. She was part Digimon now, but since so much of her time had been concentrated on being around the Legendary Warriors, she had taken from them to understand her new form. She was part Digimon, and to be more specific, she was in touch with all of the Legendary Warriors’ souls even after they were killed.
After the war ended and Lucemon had been sealed away, the Digital World put itself together again. The reconstruction process of the realm itself was much faster than Kana had expected, and the planet's deep holes filled themselves in before her very eyes. The entire universe was reconfigured to fit the new realm and its new image. Lucemon's old palace was torn to shreds and destroyed by the Digital World itself. Three rulers claimed the thrones of the planet now, and they were known as the Celestial Three. AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon had come to trust them a lot over the course of the war, and the other Legendary Warriors had felt the same before their passings.
Kana was reconfigured as well, and her body changed to fit with the new world she was living in. Her ghostly form morphed into something new, and after the world pulled itself together again, she had a body again, but she didn't look the way she had before. Instead, her body was marked with pastel purple tattoos, and she wore an outfit of angelic white.
She looked just like Lucemon.
Kana didn't know who she was anymore, but just as her brother had abandoned the name Kage so long ago, she felt that her human title didn't fit her the way it once had. As soon as she had been fully reborn as a Digimon, she moved far from the prying eyes of the world. She drifted naturally to Rubrum, a place that had been carved out as a shrine to the Legendary Warriors. It was sacred ground, and no one would dare to travel there or disturb her for the sake of honoring their fallen heroes.
That was exactly where she belonged. The Legendary Warriors had given her a place to belong in the Digital World, and even if she hadn't been able to stay with them for as long as she would have liked, she had a duty to carry out in their names. She owed it to them to look after that which had been left behind. The shrines housed the remnants of their souls, and she looked after them all. There were no other grave keepers for the heroes of the Digital World, so she would take up the mantle herself.
It took a long time for her to make contact with the souls of the Legendary Warriors in a way that satisfied her. She knew that if any dark force like Lucemon ever rose again, the Digital World would be helpless without its saviors, especially since AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon had died shortly after the fighting ended. They needed a way to keep hope alive even with the deaths of those who had rescued the world in the past.
The resolution in the end came in the form of the Spirits. Her connection with the Legendary Warriors had allowed her to understand them in a way that no other could ever hope to comprehend. She could barely even describe it through words. When it came time to divide up the power of the Legendary Warriors into new forms, she created the Spirits effortlessly. The Warriors had walked the fine line between Human and Beast, brought together two warring people for the sake of fighting a greater foe, and so they were divided in half the same way. It earned her the title of 'the Arbiter of Souls,' and it fit in a way she couldn't quite say aloud. That was who she was. It felt much more accurate than the name of Kana Shiraki did these days.
She needed a new name though. It took her a while to come up with one, but when she did, it felt perfect. It was like slipping into a new glove, or more accurately, slipping into a new life. She wondered if Kage had felt this way when he first became Lucemon. There was no way for her to know now. He had killed her, and now, he was trapped in the center of the Digital World for all eternity. They were no longer twins torn apart by the cruelness of the world they lived in. They were as good as strangers, enemies by virtue of circumstance.
Miriamon was the name she decided on, and it felt right. It felt better than anything else had since she first arrived in the Digital World, and she really hated having to admit that. Still, as long as this was the life she was living, so be it. This was where she belonged, the eternal grave keeper of the friends who had died fighting for a cause that killed her and the only living memory of the past nobody could ever hope to understand. If no one else would remember, then she would.
At one point, Kana Shiraki had been human.
At one point, Kage Shiraki had been too.
Now, neither were human at all.
~~~~~
The Digital World was at peace. All should have been well. That was what Miriamon kept telling herself, at the very least. The world was finally back to the way it should have been. The Human and Beast Digimon were no longer fighting, and the Celestial Three had reclaimed control of the Digital World in a way that satisfied everyone. The peace was young, but it had the potential to last lifetimes if handled correctly.
It should have been fine, but Miriamon knew it wasn't safe yet.
She needed a backup plan. All of the Legendary Warriors did. The Digital World had never been a peaceful place, not forever. Before Lucemon, the Human and Beast Digimon had been fighting for centuries. They had always been preparing for the next conflict because it was all the world had ever known. They needed a way to move forward in case something happened. As long as there was a chance the Digital World would descend into war once again—and the chance was bound to be there in a realm like this—they needed a way to fight back.
The Legendary Warriors wanted to find heirs for their power. The Spirits were powerful, yes, but if they fell into the wrong hands, the consequences could have been disastrous. They needed to find designated successors for the Spirits they could trust to use their strength correctly. It was a daunting thing to ask, finding twelve heirs of ancient power who wouldn't use it to hurt the rest of the planet. After what had happened with Lucemon, it was difficult to trust anyone anymore.
When the time finally came to talk, Miriamon's jaw dropped the instant the conversation began.
"What?" she said, her eyes going wide as she looked around at the souls of the Legendary Warriors around her. She was in the central shrine on her knees, her hands in front of her chest. She had never been religious until she came to the Digital World, but now, it felt like all she could do was pray to the souls of the dead.
"We want our successors to be human," AncientWisemon repeated.
"Lucemon was a human," Miriamon countered. "How are you sure that you can trust one again with power like that? This... I don't want the Digital World to suffer because of a human. That has already happened once, and—"
"You're a human too," AncientGreymon countered. "We have faith in you. Lucemon may have been human, but you are too. We want our heirs to be like you."
"Digimon are just as prone to fighting as any other creature," AncientGarurumon chimed in. "Given the lengthy history of our realm and how many times Human and Beast Digimon have fought... It doesn't feel right to give them our power, not when it could be used for war."
Miriamon's eyes fell on the floor. "So," AncientWisemon began. "Do you have any ideas in mind?"
Miriamon was silent for a long moment before her eyelids pressed shut. "I may have one idea..."
~~~~~
On April 27th, 2002, Saki Fushida was born.
On April 27th, 2002, the skies above Japan blossomed to life with purple light.
Anri and Harutaka sat in the former's hospital room and looked out the window at the illumination overhead. Saki sat gently in Anri's arms, sound asleep for the first time. They looked exactly like their mother between their warm tanned skin and small tufts of pink hair. Anri and Harutaka hadn't believed their eyes at first, but they knew what they were seeing. Saki was just like them. They carried a piece of that alternate world with them too.
Miriamon never got the chance to see Anri and Harutaka again after taking the plunge to follow her brother into that strange other world. She never had the opportunity to get to know their child when they were finally born. When AncientWisemon asked her for suggestions for humans to take up the power of the Legendary Warriors, Miriamon spoke of the only people she had trusted when she set out for the Digital World, and she suggested the child of theirs set to come soon. As it turned out, the process of choosing heirs for the Spirits matched up perfectly with the end of Anri's pregnancy. Time really did go by faster in the Digital World. It was a blessing that allowed young Saki Fushida to become the first of the Legendary Warriors, the inheritor of Steel, and the pulse of the Digital World.
As Anri and Harutaka looked up at the skies overhead, they wondered if perhaps that brilliant light had come from Kana somehow. They hadn't seen her since she vanished in August of the year before, but they never stopped looking. They recognized the lights in the skies as the same that had dyed Anri's hair in the first place, and they hoped Kana knew what was happening to them that night. They hoped she loved the child she should have been there to see.
Less than a year later, Anri and Harutaka Fushida would die under mysterious circumstances no doubt related to their investigation of the Digital World. Upon learning the truth thanks to her psychic abilities and connection with the Legendary Warriors, Miriamon would cry herself to sleep for two weeks. There was nothing left for her on Earth, and she didn't know if she belonged in the Digital World either. She had lost everything, and the grief was a chasm in her chest.
But this was not an ending. It was the beginning of Miriamon's centuries long wait for the new Legendary Warriors to come to the Digital World. She lived forever thanks to the power granted to her by the Legendary Warriors, and she held their souls close as she waited for their successors.
In time, the Arbiter of Souls would become a legend very few knew of anymore. Those who mattered knew the truth though. Kana Shiraki was gone, and in her place, was Miriamon, the caretaker of Rubrum and the last living memory of the war against Lucemon.
And as the tragedy of heaven and earth, she would never forget.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
Surprise! Lucemon was a human! Welcome back to me taking a single line of dialogue from the anime (Lucemon appearing seemingly from nowhere to save the Digital World) and turning it into a plot point with a lot of lore behind it. Lucemon appeared from nowhere. He came from Earth and used the Digital World as his own escapism fantasy that turned into a horror story for everyone on the planet.
Let's talk about Lucemon a little bit. I really like his story, and I think it makes him pretty interesting even though he's obviously out of the picture now. He spent his entire life being told that he was nothing but a failure and a disappointment, and if that was what the world told him he was, then that was what he was going to become. It's all he's ever known, and eventually, it got to him. I want to say that this backstory of his isn't meant to redeem him or anything. It's just to add a bit of dimension to his character. Lucemon did a lot of awful shit, and that shouldn't be forgotten. It was all caused by the neglect and abuse he suffered combined with a mind that never aged past twelve because of the touch of the Digital World, and it warped him to the point of no return.
His fight with Kana really is the turning point here. Kage's relationship with Kana is something that was hinted at a lot during the previous chapter, but it's very overt here with how he feels about her. Kage loves Kana for being the only person who was there for him when they were growing up, but at the same time, he's been compared to her all his life, so he hates her for being the "superior" version of him in everybody else's eyes. He wanted to get away from her shadow, and that was one reason he stayed in the Digital World without ever trying to go back. He didn't care when she left because he was so tired of being around her and the way others treated him because of it. In the end, all that jealousy and hurt manifests with him killing her, and that's the tragedy as noted in the chapter title. Yeah. It's really messed up. These two have been through a lot, and they deserved support instead of being neglected and compared to the point of turning on each other.
After being regenerated, Kana didn't feel human anymore, and a lot of it came down to her relationship with her brother imploding. That's the reason she became Miriamon to begin with. Her powers are a sign of the Digital World changing her too, though the change was a lot faster since she was killed and regenerated through the Digital World rather than evolving slowly the way Lucemon did. She wanted to bury her life and her failures as Kana, and she took on a new name because of it. Her magic just gave her more ground to stand on throughout all of it. Kana also stopped aging when she became Miriamon, so she's essentially been eighteen years old for the last eighteen years of in-universe time.
The last thing I want to discuss about this utterly heart-wrenching chapter is Kana's relationship with Anri and Harutaka. It's not as highlighted here for obvious reasons of them being in different worlds, but it's still a very important detail about Kana's character. She didn't know who the Legendary Warriors should have selected as heirs, but she first suggested their child she never got to know due to her death. Saki is the oldest of the Legendary Warriors, and that's no coincidence. They're the first Legendary Warrior and the one most connected to the Digital World on a fundamental level due to sharing blood with Anri who was changed so much through her brief contact with the other world. It was all important from the start. Kana's grief is what drives her through this entire story, and it's why Saki became the Warrior of Steel. Even as Miriamon, Kana still feels the touch of her origins on Earth, and that's how Saki got their start as a Legendary Warrior. It's even more heartbreaking since Anri and Harutaka die months after Saki's birth, leading to the past of Kage and Kana Shiraki essentially being completely erased. Their adoptive parents are still alive, but it's been eighteen years since Kana went missing and even longer since Kage disappeared with both children unable to return to Earth.
Yeah. This was a really big one. I'm in love with this story as tragic as it is, and I hope you enjoyed it too. Next time, we're going to start off with the aftermath of Miriamon sharing the truth with Saki, and we'll proceed with the main plot again from there. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed these last two chapters. They're a bit different, but I hope you've had fun with them all the same. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 34: Traces of Truth
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors hear the story of the Shiraki twins and find themselves far more similar to the Digital World's felled tyrant than they could have ever expected.
Chapter Text
Neither Saki nor Miriamon spoke for a long time after the tale of the Shiraki twins drew to an end. Miriamon's hands clenched a bit from where they rested on her lap, the only motion in the perfect stillness of the shrine’s main chamber. "And that is the full story," she said softly.
"Lucemon was a human from the start," Saki murmured, unable to believe what they were hearing. When they thought about it, they realized just how similar Lucemon looked to the pictures of Kage they had seen from decades-old newspapers, and it all made sense now. Kage had been Lucemon all along. It hadn't mattered much when he died, but that was where he had come from. In the beginning, he had been a human too, and he had lost that humanity when he sacrificed it for power.
"After Lucemon was sealed away, the Legendary Warriors took to searching for heirs to their power. They refused to leave the Digital World unprotected," Miriamon went on. "They could watch all of you after selecting you as their hosts. It was AncientWisemon who first told me of your parents' death. I had trusted them to raise you well until you were old enough to come here for yourself, but... Now I see I was wrong to think that could ever happen. I was wrong for thinking I would ever get a chance to tell them of everything I had found after we separated."
Saki reached out for Miriamon's hand slowly before pulling their fingers away, only realizing too late they were shaking slightly. "I... I would like to think there's a world out there where we were able to live together when I was growing up," they murmured. "I would like to think there's a world where my parents didn't die when they did. I hope the Saki and Kana of that universe are happy."
"Kana..." Miriamon repeated under her breath. "Before you showed up, I hadn't heard that name in a long time. I buried it when I became Miriamon because I couldn't stand the mistakes and pain that came with being Kana Shiraki. I could never outrun it forever though. As long as the damage I did remains, so too must the memory of who I once was."
"You didn't do as much wrong as you make it sound," Saki countered. "People should have looked out for you and your brother. The adults in your lives should have made sure it never got to this point. If they had just paid attention and listened long enough to understand what was going on... None of this would have happened."
"It's a nice thought," Miriamon confessed with a fragile smile. "I would be lying if I said I disagreed with you. Still... I can't do a thing to change it now. The past must stay where it always has, and I cannot undo the mistakes of my history… But I want to do what I can to make this world a better place now. My brother... I would like to think that Kage had that intention originally. I didn't see him when he was first starting his rule over the Digital World, but I believe he wanted to protect this realm in the start too."
"The world told him he was a monster, and so, that was what he became," Saki remarked. "That was what he said, and he was right. If the world tells you that you're worth nothing, then it's only a matter of time before you start to believe it. He should have had people there for him to stop all of this."
"You should have had people there to protect you too," Miriamon said softly, and Saki froze. "I know everything you and the other Legendary Warriors have ever gone through because of my connection with your predecessors. I could see through their eyes for a long time. You deserved better than what you were granted. I'm sorry it ended the way it did."
Saki looked down at their hands once again, realizing halfway through that their fingers were still trembling. They didn’t know how it could ever stop. They clasped their hands together in a vain effort to stop the shaking before replying. "Thank you," they murmured, the words quiet and raw. "That means a lot to me."
"I think Anri and Harutaka would be proud of you if they could see you now," Miriamon went on, her features gradually easing themselves into a smile. "Even though they're no longer here, I can still see traces of them in you. I swear, you and Anri could be twins, and you really do act like a blend of them both."
Saki closed their eyes, blinking away tears they hadn't even noticed. "I hope they're proud of me too," they confessed. They had heard many stories of their parents when they were growing up, though few of the tales were ever favorable. Their extended family on their father's side hated him for his marriage to Anri, and they had made clear from the start that they felt the same way for the product of their love as well. Saki had grown to block out the unwanted comments, choosing to believe there was love out there that they had simply never seen themself.
And they had been right. Beyond that, Anri and Harutaka had loved someone else with everything they were too, and Saki could see it in Miriamon's eyes. Miriamon was taking that care she had become so familiar with and giving it back to the child they had never gotten to see grow up. Saki opened their eyes slowly, and as soon as they locked gazes with Miriamon for longer than a few seconds, they collapsed forward into her arms. Miriamon just held them close as they cried, running her fingers through their hair gently. In another world, they would have met as siblings rather than as comets just barely missing one another, but for the timeline they were in, this was as sweet as it got.
Saki remained in Miriamon's arms until their tears had dried and their face had been stained pink with the aftermath of brutal sobs. Neither one of them knew how much time had passed, but they didn't mind it either. Saki sat up slowly once they had collected themself, still allowing Miriamon's hands to rest over their own. "Tomorrow... I'm going to bring the rest of the Legendary Warriors here," they told Miriamon softly. "I think they deserve to hear the truth of where they came from too, and you know it better than anyone."
"I understand," Miriamon nodded. "I've been keeping this secret on my own for too long. I'm glad to be able to step outside of it after all these years. It's time to be open for the first time since I got here."
Saki rose to their feet slowly, and Miriamon followed their lead to ensure their knees didn't give out. "Thank you for all of this," they whispered. "It means a lot to me. I wish we could have been siblings, but... I'm glad we're together again, whatever the hell that's worth to you."
Miriamon smiled and nodded. "It's worth a lot," she confirmed. "You're welcome here any time. I mean it this time. It's time I stepped up, and I won't run anymore. I promise."
Saki pulled her in for one more hug, pressing the lower half of their face against her shoulder. "I'll be back," they murmured, their voice muffled by Miriamon's skin. "I promise."
Miriamon returned the embrace, her eyes falling shut. "I know."
~~~~~
The story was just as painstaking the second time around when the following day arrived. The rest of the Legendary Warriors went to speak with Miriamon just as Saki had said they would be able to, and they had listened intently and silently throughout the entire tale of the Shiraki twins. None of them had been investigating the case as intently as Saki, and to say they were caught off guard by the truth felt like an understatement.
Saki scanned the circle of her friends and took in their shocked expressions. Some members of the group were paler than usual from the horrifying truth of Lucemon being a human who was warped to the point of no return. Others' jaws were dropped as they stared vacantly at Miriamon. The Arbiter of Souls herself had her hands pressed to her chest to hide the fact that she was trembling. No matter how many times she told the story of her history, it never got any easier.
"Lucemon was a human all along..." Takuya murmured. "I never would have guessed it from the way he fought. He never really seemed like any other Digimon, but he... I still thought he was from the Digital World."
"The histories of the Digital World say Lucemon appeared from nowhere to stop the fighting," Bokomon pointed out. "I suppose he really did come from nowhere... At the very least, he came from nowhere within the Digital World. He was from Earth all along."
"And the Digital World distorted him until he became... That," Mayumi said quietly, her voice catching on itself. "I... Are we going to end up like that? Are we destined to repeat what he did and tear the Digital World apart?"
"The Digital World changes everyone who lives in it regardless of who they are," Miriamon corrected. "It turned me into Miriamon, and it transformed all of you into fully fledged Legendary Warriors as well. If not for the Digital World changing you, then you would never have been able to Spirit Evolve. You have to change in order to live in this world. Kage... He was an extreme case. Just because it happened to him doesn't mean it will happen to all of you. I've managed to avoid it all this time."
"But he destroyed the entire world! Twice!" Mayumi countered, her eyes already filling with tears. "I-I don't want any of us to end up like that! I don't want to hurt anyone because of who we are!"
"You won't do that," Miriamon assured her. "What Kage did was his decision. He chose to actively hurt the people around him so he could maintain control. You've chosen time and again to save this world from the dangers that face it. You've already risen above him. You're not the same as Kage. You've found better ways to cope with and handle everything you have gone through rather than becoming a monster. Your predecessor fell for his words, but you have proven yourself stronger than that. You rose above that and fought for the Digital World in a way the previous Warrior of Energy gave up on doing. You are stronger than you think, and you have proven it time and again. You can do amazing things, and I'm glad for it. The Digital World needs you now more than ever."
"Lucemon... His power was what fueled Cherubimon, wasn't it?" Koichi asked. "He possessed Cherubimon before any of us arrived in the Digital World, and that was all it took for half of us to end up under Cherubimon's thumb. When we defeated Cherubimon, he said there was a greater evil out there."
"What you're trying to get at is that Lucemon's power was what created the element of Void," Junpei concluded, and Koichi hesitated before nodding. "I think you're right... He was just using Cherubimon to channel that power who then used you to give it a vessel."
"I know a lot about the powers my brother possesses. When I sealed him away in the Dark Heart with the Grand Spirit, I learned quite a bit regarding his abilities," Miriamon began. "And I can say with certainty that he was the one responsible for the element of Void. His power is likely what fuels the Void Fragments as well."
"In other words, Lucemon isn't as gone as we thought he was," Chihiro realized, their features immediately going pale. "We were under the impression that every trace of Lucemon was purged from the Digital World when it was reconfigured after our final battle as Susanoomon, but..."
"The power should have been purged. When the Digital World reformats itself, it moves to a state of what it needs to be in the aftermath of a massive distorting event. After Lucemon was sealed away, the Digital World sectioned itself according to the ten elements of the Legendary Warriors that had stayed true to it in the war. Lucemon's old palace was destroyed as well, and Evergreen Dawn, Abraxas, and Rose Morning Star were created instead. The Digital World does what it needs in order to survive," Miriamon explained. "By all definition, that means that when you killed Lucemon, his power should have been destroyed and left to rot, but... If the Void Fragments really come from his magic, then..."
"There's a piece of him that's still out there somewhere," Koji concluded. "And if I had to guess, I would say that's the reason we've had so many troubles with finding out where the mastermind of the Void Fragments is."
"We have to find him then!" Chihiro exclaimed, their voice cracking along the way. "If Lucemon is still out there—regardless of if it's actually him or just some remnant of his magic—then we have to pry him away from this world. He's done enough damage, and I'm not going to just sit back and let him wreak havoc after everything else he's already done."
"We're going to have to change our plan when it comes to searching for him," Haroi agreed. "We barely even knew what we were looking for when it came to the mastermind, but now... It feels like we have no idea of what to do when it comes to searching for Lucemon specifically. We don't even know what form he has taken since the end of the last war. He certainly isn't in any form to be fighting right now."
"Yeah. If he was in the proper body to fight, then he would have already come here to pick us all off like flies," Koji sighed. "He has to be hiding in some other form, and we need to figure out what it is as soon as possible. The Void Fragment attacks are getting worse, and if I had to guess, he's preparing to head to Earth to take everything over if the international attacks are anything to go off."
"Did you ever know why he wanted to attack Earth when he was released from his prison again?" Izumi questioned as she looked to Miriamon. "Maybe that could help us with finding out where he is now."
Miriamon shook her head. "I have no idea... But if I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with revenge for the way he was treated. He was terrified of not being in control after the way authority figures treated him when we were growing up, so his best solution was to be the one looking over everyone. Our adoptive parents are still alive on Earth to my knowledge, and he would probably want to get back at them. Aside from that, I'm not sure."
"That certainly sounds like a good reason he would do that," Yumiko frowned. "He just wants to be in control, and if it means sacrificing others, then that's a price he's willing to pay. After all, he was taught growing up that he was just a sacrifice to others."
"He went through so much to hit that low point..." Hinoka murmured. She shook her head to dismiss the thought. "But he made his decision to take over the planet, and now, he could be trying to do that again. Without the Royal Knights around, he has to take the fight to us directly through the Void Fragments. We need to find out where the Void Fragments are coming from so we can defeat Lucemon directly and permanently."
"I'll begin my own investigation to try and learn the truth behind all of this," Miriamon assured the Legendary Warriors. "I remember a lot about the power he has, and if I ran into a strong enough source of it again, I'm confident I would recognize it. I won't be able to check every single Digimon on the planet, but I can at least try to help you find the one behind this."
"Thank you for the help, Miriamon," Saki nodded. "If you need anything, I'm going to be staying in the Digital World outside of school hours from now on, so you can just reach out to me, and I'll do all I can to try and help. Now that I've finished my investigation into my parents' missing case, I feel like I won't have much of a reason to go to Earth aside from for school anymore. Unless I'm with the rest of the Legendary Warriors, I'll be here in the Digital World, and you can call for me whenever you need backup."
"Thank you," Miriamon smiled to them. "In the meantime, I believe it would be for the best if the rest of you returned to Earth. I know I can't keep you here for too long at once. If you have any questions about what to do, all you need to do is approach me. I can only hope that by the next time you come to the Digital World, I will have already found the answers you are looking for."
"We'll be hoping for that too," Bokomon chimed in. "May our search for the mastermind look up from here."
Miriamon nodded and turned her attention to the main planet of the Digital World where it rested on the horizon. "I can only hope for the same."
~~~~~
After the Legendary Warriors arrived back on Earth, they split up rather quickly in preparation for the school day coming the following morning. They couldn't afford to linger for long since classes were waiting for them when the morning came, so they bid one another farewell and went their separate ways. Mayumi and Haroi walked quickly back to their home, careful to make sure no one was following them all the while. They didn't notice anyone tracing their steps, but that didn't do much to reduce the paranoia of knowing Yutaka could have been pursuing them at any point. Neither one of them mentioned it, both afraid that if they spoke about him too much, then he would appear for the sole purpose of making them miserable.
When the two returned to the Reiku-Tsurumaki household, it was time for dinner, so they remained quiet as they got ready for the upcoming meal. Their parents were already prepared, and they asked with smiles on their faces what the siblings had been up to all day. Mayumi and Haroi had lied through their teeth about it all, not willing to say they had been in another world for the same reasons they had lied about it every other time. Their parents didn't notice the falsities nor did they ask any questions, so the meal passed peacefully enough.
Both Mayumi and Haroi were too exhausted after dinner to even think of staying awake any longer than they absolutely had to. They had too much on their minds to even think of doing anything else, and they were both silently glad they had already taken care of all their homework before heading over to the Digital World. Neither one of them would have been able to muster the power to work on their assignments as long as they were thinking about Kana and Kage Shiraki even if they had tried with everything they had. Something about the twins was too haunting for anyone to push through once they knew the truth.
Soon enough, the stepsiblings agreed to turn in early for the night, and Mayumi went into her room to swap her day clothes for a simple nightgown. Haroi did the same before he sat down in his bed, resting his hands on top of the covers on his bed blankly. He stared at the nearby windows and the stars starting to speckle the skies outside the glass. He sighed to himself, and each time he blinked, his mind flashed with images of everything Miriamon had told him that day.
When Mayumi arrived in his room, Haroi took in a deep breath and tried to ground himself. "How are you feeling?" he questioned. It was clear he didn't have the energy to believe what he was saying at all even if there wasn't much of anything to believe in to begin with when it came to a simple inquiry like that. The story had taken a lot out of him, and he hadn’t realized it would be so draining until it was far too late for him to stop it.
"I don't know," Mayumi confessed. She sat at the foot of his bed and pressed her hands against her eyes, only stopping when her vision went blurry under the influence of the pressure. She sighed and leaned back, feeling Haroi's eyes on her asking her to be a bit more careful about hurting herself on accident. "The Digital World is changing us a lot, isn't it?"
Haroi nodded. "That's one way of putting it," he murmured. "I never would have thought the Digital World would be capable of so much. I always enjoyed our time there, but this..."
"It's so much," Mayumi finished for him, and Haroi nodded again. Mayumi sighed and shook her head. "I should have realized it when my blood came back orange that there was something wrong. I mean, I already sort of knew it by that point given the circumstances, but... I don't know. I feel like the Digital World is always influencing me. In some ways, it's comforting because I can feel it always granting me strength. In other ways... It makes me feel kind of sick to my stomach."
"You're afraid of ending up like him," Haroi concluded, and this time, it was Mayumi's turn to nod. "You heard what Miriamon said. She wouldn't have told us we were alright if she didn't mean it. You know that."
"I know, but... I'm still scared," Mayumi confessed. "I guess I went into all of this just thinking it was going to be a quirky little adventure with silly little monsters. It was a journey of self-discovery and happiness, but now... It feels like the Digital World is holding us back in ways we never expected. I'm glad I went to the Digital World. Don't get me wrong. Of course I'm happy with it. I just... I didn't think it would have this many strings attached."
"None of us did," Haroi agreed. His hands went tense atop his blankets. "I... I don't know how I feel about my disability, if I'm being honest. It's always been so complicated in my mind. On one hand, I hate it. I know it's out of my control, but... I blame myself for having it even though it's not my fault. I blame myself for making my father leave because of it. I blame it for breaking up the family I never had a chance to know. Realistically, I don't want him in my life at all if he's going to run away like that at the first sign of difficulty. Still... It's hard for me to not hate it sometimes."
"I understand," Mayumi murmured. "I feel the same way. Because I look at the world differently, I drove my mother away. It doesn't matter how many times Dad says it wasn't like that. I still feel like it was, and I can't seem to convince my brain to think otherwise. It's awful. I want to love myself and the way I look at everything, but... It's so hard sometimes."
"The Digital World just makes it more complicated," Haroi said, and Mayumi nodded vigorously. "I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it. In the Digital World, I... I could finally walk again. I felt normal for the first time in my life. My disability was so alienating to me for so long, but... I felt normal. It was amazing. Now... I'm back where I was before. I'm happy with myself, but I miss it too. I don't know. It's all so complicated."
"The Digital World is trying to pull us in a completely different direction from Earth, it seems," Mayumi commented. "You could walk when we were only in the Digital World even though you can't here. Now, you have to split the difference, and... That's hard too."
"I want to be proud of who I am. I don't like being ashamed of myself for existing. At the same time... It's hard to not feel ashamed," Haroi confessed. He pulled his legs in a little bit closer, and they shook with the motion. "I don't know how to feel about it."
"I understand," Mayumi nodded. "I wish there was an easy way for me to help you with all of this, but... I don't think there's anything I can say to help you with it in the way you need. The Digital World is changing us, and we have to figure out if we can keep up enough to change with it."
"I don't know if I can," Haroi murmured. "I have no idea how anyone can. We're not just human anymore. We're part Digimon, and we can feel the influence of that every single time we wake up. I like the Digital World, and I wouldn't trade away my experience for the world. At the same time... I'm not sure of how to feel. It's a lot to take in."
Mayumi sighed and pressed her eyes closed. "I don't know what to do either," she admitted. "No matter how much I try to push the thought out of my head, I have a lot in common with Kage. When I was growing up, I was told I was obnoxious and an inconvenience too. It was practically all I heard from my mother. I... I don't want to turn out like him. I've been treated as an outcast for so long, and I know how awful that is. But... I don't want it to turn me into a monster. I don't want to be like him no matter what happens."
"You're not like him," Haroi assured her. "You're not going to turn on us and destroy the Digital World. That was what Lucemon did. Kage made a choice to hurt people, and that was how it ended the way it did. You know that. Miriamon told us that."
"I know, but... If I was in his situation, would I have done the same? If I had been surrounded by awful people who were supposed to look out for me but instead betrayed me at every turn, would I have ended up like that too?" Mayumi questioned. "I know it's ridiculous to think about when I'm not in that situation, but... It scares me. You heard the way Miriamon was describing him, didn't you? That sounds so much like everything I went through as a child, doesn't it?"
Haroi nodded slightly. "I would be lying if I said what we were hearing didn't remind me of you," he admitted. "The way Kage acted... He was just like you, but unlike you, he decided he wanted to get revenge on the world. He hurt people because he was hurting, and that's not... That's not okay. More importantly, that's not you."
"But are we sure about that?" Mayumi countered, her voice getting a little bit louder. "You know what our predecessors did, don't you? They betrayed the rest of the Legendary Warriors at the first sign of danger because they thought it would save them. It didn't end that way. Lucemon killed them too, and our predecessors were forgotten by and erased from history because of it. Betrayal is in our blood now. My blood is orange just like the color of that traitor, and… I... I just don't want to hurt people."
Haroi leaned forward and put a hand on Mayumi's shoulder. She looked over to face him, and the two of them met watery, tearful gazes. "It's okay," he murmured. "I understand that you're afraid. I know I'm scared too. But... I want you to know that I've never been afraid of you hurting me. You accepted me when it felt like nobody else was. Even when it feels like we tore our families apart... We brought them together too, and we're here now. No matter what, we can lean on each other."
Mayumi smiled gently at that. "Thanks, Haroi," she whispered. She took his hand in her own and let their interlocked fingers fall down to the bed's surface. "I guess it's just a lot to deal with, huh? I never thought a whimsical adventure would have done so much to change the way we think. We probably never would have had this conversation without it."
"And we're going to find a way to make the most of it too," Haroi agreed. It was clear by the way his smile shook at the corners that he still didn't believe what he was saying, but Mayumi didn't call him out on it. Haroi was beyond grateful for that in ways he could never hope to put to words. As long as he could let himself be at ease for a little while longer, he would take it.
The two sat in silence for about ten minutes after that, just enjoying the happiness that being with their sibling brought to them. They had always found more solace in one another than anyone else, and it helped to ease their darkest fears in times when no others could understand them fully. Mayumi and Haroi had been looking after each other for years, and they would continue to do so for as long as they could. They belonged together, and they would never let anyone tear them apart.
Mayumi bid Haroi goodnight after the ten minutes had passed, her eyes torn apart by dark circles and a desperate need to sleep all of this off. Haroi returned the favor, and he closed his eyes once she flicked the light switch off on her way out. His stomach was still churning, and his mind flashed with constant images of everything the Digital World had endured in years long gone. He doubted he would ever forget the story Miriamon had told that day. The tale of the Shiraki twins would haunt him forever.
Haroi stared down at his legs for a few heavy moments, and he wished there was any way for his raging emotions regarding them to calm. Regardless of how much he had said when talking to Mayumi about their different but still similar experiences with disability, it felt like there was still so much he couldn't articulate. Haroi had thought he was used to it. He had been sure he was fine with his own body and the ways in which it was different. He had been sure before the Digital World.
Now though, it felt like nothing would ever quite make sense for him again. Haroi wanted to love himself again, but at the same time, he wondered if he had ever felt that way to begin with. He didn't think he even had an answer. Instead, he was left with only questions that refused to see explanations or replies no matter what. It was agonizing, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Damn it, Haroi missed when life was simpler, and it had barely been simple to begin with.
~~~~
It usually didn't last this long.
Takuya had come to know Chihiro incredibly well over their many years of friendship. The two had met when they were only about five years old, and ever since then, they had been attached at the hip. Spending more than ten years with a person allowed anyone to understand them, and Takuya knew Chihiro better than anybody else. He had seen them at their best and their worst, and this certainly fell into the latter category.
Takuya had gotten used to dealing with Chihiro's issues with paranoia a long time ago. When he started to battle dysphoria, Chihiro would be there for him. He would do the same when they started to suffer from paranoia as a result of everything their parents did to them. Chihiro had started to hide it more after they ran away from home to follow the Kanbara family when they moved elsewhere in Japan, but Takuya still remembered the signs.
The spirals never lasted this long though. Maybe Chihiro would be upset for a few hours or a couple of days before they started to calm down again after realizing everything was safe. This time though, Chihiro was full of anxiety even weeks after Yutaka had started following the Legendary Warriors around, and the events of the day hadn't helped in the slightest.
Takuya shouldn't have expected Miriamon's story to make this any easier for them to deal with. The tale of the Shiraki twins had been a heavy one, and each of the Legendary Warriors could feel that sting long after they left the Digital World behind. Takuya liked to think he could bounce back fairly easily when he struggled with something, but this was on an entirely different level. How could it not be? Learning Lucemon had been a human all too similar to the Legendary Warriors hadn't come as a nice surprise to any of them. He had been misunderstood and hated the same way the Legendary Warriors were. It was a difficult truth to grapple with, and Takuya wished he knew what to do about it.
For the time being, his main priority was helping to ease Chihiro's paranoia, so after they arrived back at the Kanbara home, Takuya followed Chihiro into their room. They didn't throw him out though, clearly already having expected this. Chihiro sat down on their bed and let their head fall into their hands after they roughly removed their hat, revealing flyaway hairs from beneath the accessory. They said nothing, but Takuya didn't need to hear them speak anyway. He already knew where this was going. Sometimes, fears like this went well beyond the need for spoken words.
After the two sat in silence for an uncomfortably long time, Takuya let out a slow sigh through his front teeth. "Do you want to talk?" he questioned cautiously, not wanting to accidentally cross a line along the way. He schooled his tone carefully to ensure Chihiro knew they had a way out if they didn’t want to speak, but he may as well have not bothered. Chihiro knew he would never push them too far no matter what happened.
Chihiro looked up to him slowly and shrugged. They forced a deep breath in and out of their lungs. "I don't know," they confessed. "I don't know what I thought was going to happen when we heard the history of the Digital World. Of course it sucked. Of course it wasn't pretty. I just..."
"Didn't expect Lucemon to remind you so much of us," Takuya finished, and Chihiro nodded around the knot in their throat. "I wish he didn't make me think of all of us honestly. But... I guess that's what happens when you don't have anyone to count on."
"He thought the world was out to get him, and in some ways, he was right. Nobody wanted to try to understand him, so he was made out to be a monster," Chihiro muttered. They began to tap one foot anxiously against the ground below. "I don't think any of us want to be like that. It's hard to not think of it though when you've been in that same position. My parents thought I was a monster too. That was how they justified everything they did to me. They said I deserved it. The worst part is I started to believe it. I have to wonder if I would have ended up like him if I had been isolated from the world any more than I already was."
"You heard Miriamon," Takuya countered. "She trusts all of us to not be like him, and we have to believe that she's right. And... We can all believe in each other, right? Even if we can't quite trust ourselves, we can count on one another to check us if we ever start to cross a line."
"Yeah... You're right," Chihiro agreed. Takuya could tell they had more to say, so he remained quiet for a few moments longer. They dragged their hands down their cheeks before slapping lightly at the skin to force themself to stay on track. "You know... I wish there had been people there for all of us when we were growing up too."
"Me too," Takuya nodded. All of the Legendary Warriors would have benefitted from having even just one extra person on their sides when they were going through their darkest moments. None of this would have happened if they had just been looked after by those who were meant to protect them. They would have all been happier if people had just been there for them.
Chihiro stared at the ground for a few moments longer before sighing heavily. "I... I wish I could fix it," they admitted. "I just... I get so upset when I hear about everything Yutaka is doing to Tomoki. It's terrifying. Nobody's on his side who can make a difference about all of this, and they never have been either. It's awful. I wish there was something I could do because I know what it's like to be left to fend for yourself. What my parents were doing to me was an open secret among those high in the government. Nobody ever tried to get involved, and look at how it ended."
"You're right. People should have been there for you," Takuya confirmed. "I know my family did what we could, but that's still not enough to fix it when you're going through so much."
"Nothing a child does can make it easier when adults should be looking after you," Chihiro continued. "I... I think I'm still angry about all of it. Getting angry at the world is easier than admitting just how terrified I was. I'm still afraid. That's where all of this comes from. I'm so scared of something bad happening. We still don't know what Yutaka wants, and he's been following us for ages. I feel like there's always going to be someone there watching us or trying to exploit us for their own gain. It's like there's no escape sometimes."
"We're going to be there for each other no matter what happens," Takuya assured them. "We survived multiple wars in another world by looking after one another, right? I feel like that has to be proof that we're doing something right."
"I know... And I'm really happy to have all of you here for me," Chihiro murmured. Their fingers clenched into fists. "I just wish there had been people there to look after us. I wish people had bothered with taking care of us when we were struggling. I'm so fucking angry that people knew we were struggling and willingly turned the other cheek. It shouldn't have ended the way it did. We shouldn't have to fear for our safety because of some random guy who can't get over having to share attention with his little brother. We shouldn't have to be afraid that way at all."
"You're right," Takuya repeated. "I wish we didn't have to do this either. You're right when you say people should have been taking care of all of us. If there had been even an ounce of support for Kage Shiraki years ago, then maybe he wouldn't have become Lucemon."
Chihiro went quiet for a few moments at that, and their foot tapping stopped. "I hate feeling out of control," they confessed. "That was the reason I didn't get along with Lyramon. Cherubimon was taking advantage of that to make us fight and draw out my anger. And this... I'm out of control again. I have no power over anything Yutaka does. I can't stop the investigation team from coming after us either. The Void Fragments are trying to kill us now too. You know what happened to Hinoka. Gigadramon was out for her blood. The situation is just getting worse. No matter what, there are always going to be people who want to hurt us, and there's nothing we can do about any of it. We don't have the power or control to fix any of it."
Takuya looked off to the side with a small frown, wishing he had a way to respond to that to ease Chihiro's fears. He knew there was nothing he could say though, so he remained quiet as they continued. "I hate being followed. I hate being out of control. I hate feeling unsafe. We should never have to put up with any of that shit, but because other people can't do their damn jobs, we're sitting here wondering when people are going to come in here and ruin our lives. I've been terrified of getting hurt for as long as I can remember, and I... I thought I was finally free of that. I thought that running away from my parents and having Saki arrest them could be the end of it. But it wasn't. There were just other people waiting to take their places to make all of us miserable."
"Miriamon is going to help us to find the Void Fragments' source," Takuya pointed out. "If we can get rid of them, then we'll be halfway to solving our problems."
"But we can't just get rid of the investigation team. We can't just get Yutaka off our back. There's supposed to be a restraining order in place, but that doesn't matter. He's still causing problems for us. He's still in the way. Where the hell does he even find the time to do all of this? Doesn't he have a damn job? He's getting away with it because other people have decided this isn't a problem worth fixing. And... I'm mad about it. I'm so fucking angry that nobody wants to take care of us when we're at our most vulnerable."
Chihiro's hand came up to their eye, their fingers still balled into a fist as an angry sob pushed its way through their lips. "I don't know how to keep myself or anyone else safe since there's no way for us to defend ourselves. I don't know how to handle any of this because the world won't step up and try to help us. I'm so tired, Takuya. I just want to be able to live for once, but that's not going to happen any time soon, so who gives a damn, am I right?" They laughed bitterly around their tears, shaking their head along the way. "Fuck this world for failing every single one of us. Fuck all of it."
Takuya sat down beside Chihiro, hesitating before wrapping an arm around their shoulder. They leaned against the touch gladly, staring at the floor all the while. Their sobs eventually faded, replaced instead with silent tears that streaked down their cheeks in uncontrolled rivers. Takuya was halfway to tears as it was, and the truth of Chihiro's words sunk in more with each passing second. Somebody should have been there to look out for all of them, and the fact that they had suffered alone was a failure of cosmic proportions.
But the world would never see it as that, would it? Instead, they were just failures and problems the same way Kage Shiraki had been. They were all outcasts and screw-ups in their own ways, and that was how they would be remembered whether they liked it or not.
A knock came at the door a moment later, and Chihiro immediately reached for their hat, sliding it on their head so the brim could hide their puffy eyes from view. Shinya poked his head into the room as Chihiro silenced their sniffling, though most of his body was hidden behind the door. "Dinner's ready," he told them. If he noticed Chihiro had been crying, he chose to not say anything about it. Shinya disappeared around the corner again just as quickly as he had appeared, his head low and his eyes following the outline of his feet on the floor as he kept one hand on the doorknob.
Takuya and Chihiro both got to their feet as that, their previous conversation fading but not forgotten. They followed Shinya out into the hallway leading to the kitchen and dining hall. Shinya closed the door behind them, his eyes narrowing at their backs along the way. He would never admit it so openly and so soon, but he had seen everything, and he had heard a lot more than he wanted to confess too. He had gotten very good at that over the last few weeks.
Shinya wouldn't be sharing this part with Masae. He didn't have to. They both knew there was something seriously wrong with their families, and no amount of accidental eavesdropping was going to change how much they had figured out.
It was just a matter of waiting for when the confessions came out, and no secret could last forever.
~~~~~
Miriamon stayed in the main shrine of Rubrum for a long time after the Legendary Warriors left. She found the gentle influence of the Ancient Warriors comforting, and even though none of them spoke to her openly, she was happy to sit there with them. They had been her first real friends, and she would cling to every piece of them she could even after they had passed and then left the Digital World behind save for in her mind.
Night had fallen by the time Miriamon felt alright again. She was still drained from sharing her story twice in as many days. She needed a good night of sleep to fix it, though she doubted she would be able to rest until she spoke with Alastomon and Biastamon. The two of them were coordinating the search for the Void Fragments, and since she could sense the power Lucemon possessed, she would need to get in contact with them. She would be their most valuable asset in the search for the truth, and she needed them to know it as soon as possible.
Miriamon had stopped caring about the dark circles under her eyes by the time she teleported to the Crystal Citadel on the main planet of the Digital World. The surrounding area was cloaked in shadow, but the castle itself gleamed brightly against the night sky. Miriamon stared up at the beacon-like structure before sighing to herself and walking inside. The sooner she spoke with Alastomon and Biastamon, the sooner she would be able to return home to sleep off the reminder of her eternal misery.
Alastomon and Biastamon were thankfully easy to find with both of them stationed together in the central chamber of the castle. It appeared they had chosen to stay up late to focus on the investigation, and Miriamon was beyond glad for it. She didn't want to have wasted the trip no matter how late it was.
"You're certainly here late," Alastomon commented as Miriamon entered the meeting hall dedicated to the investigation. He seemed exhausted, and Miriamon could only assume he had spent much of the day working on the search for information about the Void Fragments. It was to be expected given the circumstances, but she still wished she could do more to help him. She wished she could do more to help anyone.
"My apologies for disturbing you," Miriamon said as she bowed her head slightly. "I met with the Legendary Warriors today, and I wanted to pass along a message."
"And what would that message be?" Alastomon questioned, raising one eyebrow beneath the armor of his helmet.
"I can help you to find the one behind the Void Fragment attacks," Miriamon replied, and both Digimon froze on the spot. "The dark power of the Void Fragments is... Familiar to me, and I should be able to track it when given the right time and instructions. I doubt I would be able to cover the entire Digital World to find out who is behind this, but with time, I should have the ability to pinpoint a few details that will let us narrow it down. From there, we can find the mastermind and strike."
Alastomon took a step toward her, and his brief shock and horror twisted into a bright smile. "That's amazing to hear," he beamed. "I'm glad to know we have someone so incredible who can help us out like that on our side. The Void Fragments have been causing more issues than ever before lately, and I know the Legendary Warriors are concerned about it."
"I'm going to ask them to help with the investigation whenever they can as well," Miriamon went on. "We should be able to find the mastermind soon enough, and as soon as we can bring them to justice, the Digital World will be free."
"Thank you for this. We appreciate it more than words could possibly say," Biastamon said, and he closed his eyes in brief contemplation. "I am sorry you had to get involved with this though. This shouldn't have been your fight from the start, but here you are anyway, doing all you can to assist us."
"I seek the peace of the Digital World, and if I must leave Rubrum behind to find the truth, then I will do just that," Miriamon assured him. "As long as the Digital World is safe, I will do whatever I must."
"We should overturn as many stones as possible when the morning comes," Biastamon suggested. "If you really can sense the source of the Void Fragments' power, then we'll need all the help we can get from you. Right now, it's incredibly late, and we should retire for the night."
"My apologies again for the lateness of the visit," Miriamon winced. "I didn't mean to disturb you, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I passed along the message to you. We can begin to search for the truth when morning comes. Until then, I wish you nothing but the best."
Alastomon hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes... Return here in the morning, and we can start to look around for any signs of the Void Fragments," he agreed. "We'll see you again then. Rest well, Miriamon."
The Arbiter of Souls nodded, and she turned toward the door once again before leaving. She navigated to the exit of the castle easily enough before letting out a small sigh. She had never expected herself to get so involved with the affairs of the Digital World, in all honesty. After the Legendary Warriors died in the conflict against Lucemon, she had been sure she would spend the rest of her days alone and miserable. At the time, her thought process had been that she didn't deserve to have kindness in her life after she had failed so many people so miserably.
But Miriamon refused to allow herself to wallow in her own negativity anymore. She had done that for long enough. She needed to step out of her comfort zone, and that started with trying to track the truth behind the Void Fragments. She was the only one who would be able to fix this and see the truth through to the end. The Digital World was counting on her, and she refused to fail it now. She wished she had intervened sooner instead of hiding the truth for as long as she had, but there was no time to change it like the present, she supposed. The Legendary Warriors had even arrived on Rubrum during their first expedition to the Digital World, but rather than facing them, she had hidden out of fear and uncertainty. She had been so afraid of reaching out to help others that the Digital World had seen pain and suffering time and time again, but no longer. Everything was about to change, and she would prove it however she had to.
Miriamon pressed her hands together and returned to Rubrum in a flash of cyan light. When she was back on the moon once more, she sighed and started toward the main shrine once more. Exhaustion was starting to pull at her body, and her eyes felt as if they were going to slide shut against her will if she stayed awake for any longer than she had already. She had many unshed tears left behind from sharing her story twice in two days, and she was sure she would have let them out if she wasn't too tired to bother.
Miriamon easily found her way back to the central room of the shrine where all the Legendary Warriors' statues waited for her. She could have just gone back to her bedroom, but she couldn't bring herself to go that far when she had greater comfort elsewhere in the shrine. She curled up on the ground instead, and even though the gathered souls around her said nothing, she could feel the presences of the Legendary Warriors just enough to soothe her into the land of dreams.
The last few days had been rough, but things were starting to look up. Miriamon was going to make sure everything was different from then on. She would make a difference for the sake of the Digital World starting tomorrow. She had stayed hidden for long enough. It was time for the Arbiter of Souls to rise from the ashes of legend, and she could barely wait.
~~~~~
He was being watched.
It was hard for Takuya to put a finger on where the eyes were coming from, but they were following his every move. He didn't know for sure where he was going or what he was running from when he took off sprinting, but he figured that was one question best left unanswered. He just knew that he had to get as far away from there as possible.
A quick glance down told Takuya that he wasn't 'Takuya' anymore. His hands, once human and simple, had been replaced with claws that scratched eagerly at the ground below. He was running on all fours, and the revelation could have stopped his heart then and there. He knew where he was now, and he knew why he was being watched.
He was Flamemon, and he was reliving his darkest day and worst nightmare.
Flamemon whipped his head over his shoulder and was met with the sight of fog pursuing him. After a few seconds of Flamemon's staring, Duskmon appeared from the mist. Blood dripped off his sword onto the ground below, and the world distorted and pinched around Flamemon to change from a neighborhood into a train station. He had been so disoriented that he hadn't even realized he had been on the street outside his house at first.
That was all in the past now though. The Shibuya train station was crowded around him, and people constantly jostled and bustled around Flamemon. He was pushed by every person who dared to get too close, causing him to stumble. It took a surprising amount of effort to rise back to his full height, though that did next to nothing to fend off the sensation of being trapped. Everyone was too close. They had to get out of the way so he could get out of there, so he could run—
It took an eternity for the crowd to part enough for Flamemon to try and escape. Duskmon appeared in the opening, his blade still shining crimson in the fluorescent lights of the train station. Flamemon didn't realize his breathing was picking up in pace until the room started to spin around him. When his vision went black, images flashed behind his eyes of a thousand horrors he wished he could bury. Koji getting stabbed by Duskmon, Tomoki crying in Blizzarmon's footprint after first Beast Spirit Evolving, Izumi comatose on beachside sands, Junpei screaming in pain from his Beast Spirit, over and over and over and over and—
Duskmon's blade raised, and Flamemon didn't have the chance to dodge before it slashed him across the chest. Flamemon screamed in pain and—
~~~~
Woke up in his bed.
Takuya pressed one palm against his chest and breathed heavily, desperately willing his body to get up and run. Duskmon was there, and he wasn't safe. He blinked rapidly to force the tears from his eyes so he could start moving, but his legs refused to move. They had turned to jelly under the influence of his adrenaline even when he was so sure Duskmon's silhouette was there in the corner watching him and waiting to strike and—
"Takuya! Breathe!"
Clarity cut through Takuya's skull like a knife, and he let out a strangled gasp before being pulled out of his own body from the back of the neck. Aguni took control a moment later and glanced around the bedroom. The phantom of Duskmon that Takuya had been fearing so much was gone, replaced by an empty wall cast in shadow from the nighttime darkness. There was nothing there at all. It was just Takuya's bedroom, familiar, cozy, and empty.
Takuya let out a careful, slow breath within his own mind, and he allowed himself to reclaim control of his body deliberately and cautiously. He looked down at his hands and found them shaking furiously. He sighed and let his fingers rest in his lap limply as he looked over to his alarm clock. It was three twenty-three in the morning, far too early for him to be up and about for the day. He didn't know how he was supposed to get back to sleep after all that though. How could anyone just roll over and try to sleep again if they thought that was waiting for them?
Takuya stared blankly at his hands, letting tears roll silently and unbothered down his cheeks. He had dreamt about his run-in with the Dark Trailmon before, but it hurt each time he was caught up in it again. Out of everything that had happened in the Digital World, that day haunted him the most. He had finally fallen victim to every mistake he had ever made, and he had paid dearly for it. His trip with the Dark Trailmon through the depths of his own mind had been the worst day of his life, and remembering it always sent a chill down his spine like ice was being poured down his shirt to try and extinguish the fire he was known for and loved so much.
It was strange in some ways. Takuya was glad the Dark Trailmon incident had come after he found his Beast Spirit. He doubted he ever would have been able to control Vritramon if he had gone through the hell of his own mind first. Everything that happened that day just scared him too much, and dreaming about it was a special type of hell too. He had hurt the people he loved most, and the Dark Trailmon made sure he would never forget.
Takuya had never brought it up with the others though. He didn't want them to feel uncomfortable talking to him about their issues or to find him too fragile to lead. He had been their beacon of hope for so long, and even though he had taken himself down from that pedestal after realizing the harm it had done to him through his Dark Trailmon trip, it still didn't feel right to put so much on his friends. Takuya couldn't just admit that what he feared the most was seeing everyone else suffer. If they knew that was what haunted him when the lights were off, then they would never want to talk to him about their issues again, and he just couldn't have that. He refused to be the reason the rest of his team suffered after he had already put them through so much. He had been responsible for some of the pain they endured at Duskmon’s hands, and Takuya wasn’t going to let anyone or anything convince him of his incorrect innocence.
Takuya finally reached up to rub at his eyes, and he forced himself to stare at the wall where Duskmon's phantom had been. There was nothing there. He had hallucinated it. The worst part of knowing that was the fact that Takuya was barely surprised at the implication that he had hallucinated the idea of Duskmon haunting him late into the night. If anything, it made a lot of sense to him. The Dark Trailmon had shown Takuya everything he feared the most, and the day Koji had been struck down had sent Takuya into a tailspin he had only barely managed to pull himself back from.
It was clear his recovery was far less permanent than he would have liked though. If he was completely fine, then he wouldn't have been dreaming about everything he had seen that day so many months later. Takuya wanted to leave it all in the past, but he doubted that would ever be possible.
He was glad these breakdowns only happened at night though. Takuya didn't want to risk letting the truth show to other people. He refused to put that burden on anyone else when they were going through enough as it was. Besides, how in the world was he supposed to explain his greatest struggles to those who didn't know about his history as a Digimon? What was he meant to do if he had a nervous breakdown in front of people who didn't know about the Digital World? It was a risk he didn't even want to entertain the idea of, and so, Takuya was fine with dealing with it at night even at the cost of his sleep.
Takuya had never slept in complete darkness since that day. Instead, he always had a nightlight in his room. The small flame-shaped plug-in rested near the floor beside the door, and Takuya stared at the gentle white light for an uncomfortably long time like he thought it would soothe his nerves. It didn't work the way he was hoping. Instead, he had to wait for his heartbeat to calm itself on its own before he eased himself back into a fully horizontal position.
Takuya already knew it would be a while before he got back to sleep again, but he could figure out a solution to that problem later. For the time being, he just wanted to keep himself sane after that awful dream. Coming down from a nightmare like that was never easy, especially when it involved the darkest day of his life. He needed to be slow and kind to himself. He could do that. He had to.
On Takuya's bedside table, his phone buzzed, but he did not reach for it, instead staring up at the ceiling until sleep finally claimed him once more.
Notes:
Alright! There's the response chapter to the story of the Shiraki twins!
I really like the opening scene with Miriamon and Saki. This is where the subplot of Saki searching for the truth behind their parents' deaths ends when they finally accept the past and allow themselves to grieve with Miriamon doing much the same. It's so heartbreaking to think about how they could have meant so much to each other in another life, and I wanted to address that upfront. Despite that though, they were able to come back together and find peace together, and I think that's a truly beautiful part of their story. The two of them have a familial relationship in a very strange way, but I like the way it turned out. I thought this was the perfect way to ease everybody back into the present, and it also perfectly leads into the next scene.
Now, the rest of the group knows the truth about Kana and Kage too. As anyone can imagine, hearing all of that shook up everybody since they never would have seen something like that coming. Lucemon was a human just like them who went through a lot the same way all of the Legendary Warriors did. Feeling that insecurity and fearing being like him makes a lot of sense even if it's incredibly sad. Miriamon is finally being fully honest with them at the very least, and that's a step in the right direction. She wants to reassure everybody that they're not like Kage, but that's much easier said than done given their concerns.
I think the highlight of this chapter for me was the scene with Mayumi and Haroi. I love writing these two characters together which is why they share so many scenes. At the end of the day, they became close because of bonding over their experiences with their different disabilities, and since Kage was facing mistreatment for his disability as well, it's unsurprising that they would draw that connection. Well, Mayumi drew the connection while Haroi is just afraid of what it means for his body to be torn apart more than everybody else's by moving between the two worlds. These two character plots are going to be important from here on out as I'm sure you can imagine, and I'm really looking forward to it. Even their conversation here didn't really end up resolved, leaving a lot of room for them to move on in the future.
Next up is the conversation with Chihiro and Takuya. Chihiro is still having an awful time, and much like Mayumi, they're struggling with feeling like they're a lot like Kage. That insecurity sends them into a tailspin they don't know how to snap out of given the circumstances. Takuya is there to try and help them, but a lot of it comes down to Chihiro hating being out of control and feeling helpless as a result. There's so much they can't change, and the idea of not being able to help terrifies them. It's always been one of their greatest insecurities, and given the connection with Lucemon... They've got a lot on their mind, and none of it is gone.
The scene that follows this one with Miriamon on the main Digital World to speak with Alastomon and Biastamon was originally going to be the last one of the chapter, but it wound up going by a lot faster than I expected. This is a little bit of plot advancement after the last few chapters of flashbacks and backstory, and it's going to act as a driving force throughout the next few bits of act three. Act three is a lot longer in this story than it was even in the first book since in the first book, we would be five chapters away from the end of it. Yeah, that's not happening here. This is the first step toward the end of act three, and... Yeah. It's going to be a lot, but I can't wait.
The ending here of Takuya's nightmare followed by him snapping awake was something I added with the extra space I had from the previous scene being shorter than anticipated. I wanted to offer a bit of insight into Takuya's headspace since he's been doing so much to comfort Chihiro recently. As it turns out, he's not feeling great either, and a lot of it comes down to his worst day and darkest moment. Unlike most of the others who are tormented above all else by their trauma from Earth, Takuya is terrified of that one event from the Digital World that completely rocked his world. He was able to pull himself together, but ending up in a hell of his own mind was a lot to take in, and he still doesn't know what to do about it. Poor Takuya. He needs a break, but given what's going to come next... Yeah, he's not getting one. Sorry, Takuya.
Next time, we're going to do something a little bit different with an unorthodox fight sequence after all this backstory. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 35: Pulses of Midnight
Summary:
A late-night attack on Rubrum sends Saki to Miriamon's aid against the strangest wave of Void Fragments yet.
Chapter Text
In all honesty, Saki hadn't been expecting to sleep that night. They had struggled to sleep the night before after hearing the story of Kana and Kage Shiraki for the first time, and the issues only persisted into their second night of knowing the truth of everything that had brought them up to this point. There had been so much of Saki's own history packed up into that story that they barely knew what to do with themself. They understood so much now, but they couldn't help wondering if perhaps it would have been better for them to remain in the dark about it all given how terrible most of it was. They had never imagined the truth behind Miriamon’s secrecy would be miserable and morbid.
Saki had a sister figure before they were even born. Well, that was the way it should have been, at the very least, but intervention from the Digital World and Kage had stopped all of that from playing out the way it was meant to. Beyond that, Miriamon was confident that Saki's parents had died because they were involved with the Digital World's investigation by looking into Kage's disappearance for so many years. She didn't know the details behind their deaths since Saki hadn't been present to hear the truth in the first place. They had simply been told after their parents passed on that something had happened, and they had chased the truth for years before finally finding that they were right. Something had gone wrong. They just couldn't pin down the details beyond that.
Saki was more than happy with leaving all of that in the past for the time being though. They had no doubt that they would return to the search for information about what happened to their parents one day, but in the meantime, they were too exhausted to pursue it fully. Beyond that, the Void Fragments required their attention too desperately for them to fully take a break to focus on something else like that. Stalling by learning more about Miriamon had already put them behind to the point of the Void Fragment attacks getting worse and Hinoka and Chiaki almost dying in a targeted strike. Saki refused to make that mistake again, especially now that the Legendary Warriors had a guaranteed way to find the mastermind and take them out.
That wasn't to say Saki blamed themself for everything that had happened though. They couldn't have known the world was going to take advantage of them being distracted to target the people they cared about, and they weren't going to criticize themself for not understanding something they couldn't have known. That was inefficient and a waste of time, and self-pity did not solve problems. Saki was going to have to take this into their own hands and find the mastermind first. After that, they could get back to searching for the truth behind what really happened to their parents.
They trusted Miriamon's judgement when she said their parents had died because of their involvement with the Digital World. Nobody would have known the truth better than her. If she was convinced the Digital World's existence and their research into it had ultimately claimed their lives, then Saki was sure that had to be true. They had no idea what to do with that information though, especially since the one who had ordered their deaths had to know about the Digital World too. There was an unsettling thought they didn't even want to consider. Most of the world was in blissful ignorance about the Void Fragment Digimon and monster attacks, and they didn't even know what their assailants were really called.
But the one who had seen Saki's parents killed knew all of that and then some. They had to be aware of a lot more than they were letting off. Nobody Saki had ever met seemed to know more than they should have though, and without a hint like that, they had no way of figuring out who was responsible for what had happened all those years ago. If they tried to find the truth as things were now, they would have been fumbling around in the dark, and Saki knew better than to try something like that. They would just have to be patient. They were just glad the world being terrible to them for so long had taught them that virtue.
Saki let out a slow and heavy sigh before rolling over in their bed. Sleeping in the Digital World was comfortable in a way sleeping on Earth never had been. Even though there was always the risk of a potential monster attack, Saki feared the monsters of the Digital World a lot less than they feared the monsters of Earth. There was a headache they just didn't want to put up with no matter what. They had dealt with those more than enough to last a lifetime in their opinion.
Unfortunately for Saki though, they couldn't just wish away all of their morbid nighttime thoughts, and wanting to only made their insomnia worse. They wanted to push what had happened to their parents out of their mind, but that was much easier said than done. They had been hoping that hearing the truth from Miriamon would have reduced their curiosity, but instead, the story of the Shiraki twins had only made it worse. Somebody had murdered their parents deliberately, and they had been left to suffer because of it. Nobody had given a damn about them after their parents died, and as such, they had been deprived of the people who could have given them a chance to thrive in the world.
Saki would never admit it to Miriamon, but hearing her say that they looked almost exactly like their mother with such love in her eyes was strangely comforting. They had been raised by their extended family on their father's side who had hated him for falling in love with someone with Vietnamese origins, and they had taken that rage and bigotry out on the manifestation of Harutaka's adoration for Anri. Countless times growing up, Saki had wondered if perhaps their family would have treated them better if they had looked like Harutaka rather than Anri. When they came to the Digital World, they had even initially hidden their true appearance as Lyramon under an illusion to make it look as if they had paler skin because they didn't want anyone to look down on them for not fitting in with the crowd.
But Saki didn't need to worry about any of that anymore, or at the very least, not to the same degree they once had. Miriamon was right; they did look like Anri, but for the first time ever, Saki saw it as a blessing rather than a curse. They didn't need to hide who they really were for the sake of impressing or pleasing others. There was no one there who would target them for not fitting their narrow definition of what a person was supposed to be. They were safe for the first time, and they were finally allowing themself to feel it. The monsters of the Digital World were far less terrifying than the monsters of Earth, and Saki was happy to fight the former over the latter any day of the week.
Saki slowly tried to ease themself into sleep, and once they had gone around in circles about fifteen times regarding their thoughts regarding their parents' deaths, it finally started to work. Their body was exhausted, and their mind was finally starting to catch up to it. They let out a numbed sigh and allowed their eyes to fall shut. From there, sleep claimed them in a matter of minutes, and everything seemed to be at peace...
~~~~~
If only it had lasted.
Saki couldn't say for sure how long they had been asleep when they started hearing a beeping sound through their D-Tector, but they were tempted to roll over and ignore it as soon as the noise started to grate against their eardrums. The ringing was like a thousand needles being driven into their skull, and they groaned to try and push the migraine away before it could manifest fully. They were exhausted, and they hadn't realized it until they were forced awake again.
When the sound didn't stop, Saki flung one arm out to grab at their purple D-Tector before pulling it in close. There was an unfamiliar symbol on the screen, so the one trying to communicate with them wasn't one of the Legendary Warriors. Saki blinked a few times to make sure they weren't dreaming despite the very real sound feeling like a bat against their brain. Upon closer examination, the symbol was a variation of the kanji for 'Soul.' It wasn't a traditional Legendary Warrior marking, but it was incredibly close.
And there was only one person who would have something like that.
Saki's heartbeat picked up in pace as they pressed a button to hear the message from the other side. "Hello?" they questioned, trying to keep the panic out of their voice. They hadn't even realized it was possible for Miriamon to communicate with them this way, but they were confident that she wouldn't have tried to call in the middle of the night if it wasn't important.
"Saki, you need to come to Rubrum," Miriamon said quickly. An explosion rocked the world in the distance on the other end of the call, and Saki's heart skipped a beat. "There are Void Fragment Digimon here. I don't know what they're doing here, but they're after me. I can't fight them off on my own. Please, I need your help right now."
Saki's eyes went wider at that. "I'll be there as soon as I can," they assured her. They swung their legs over the edge of the bed, halfway considering telling the rest of the Digimon where they were going but knowing they weren't going to have time. If the situation was anywhere near as dire as they had been led to believe, then they would have just been putting their friends in danger by bringing them. They were the only one in the fortress who knew how to fight, and that meant they had to take care of this on their own.
The call went silent a moment later, and Saki quickly slid over to the Spirit selection screen on the D-Tector. They went through the arrow buttons before settling on Lyramon. Objectively, Aerismon would have been a better choice for combat given how much stronger they were than Lyramon, but Saki just knew their Human Spirit was the option they were meant to select. They pressed the activation button and scanned the single ring of resulting Fractal Code across the top of their D-Tector.
Light surrounded the Warrior of Steel, and when the glow faded, Lyramon was standing in Saki's place. They snapped their fingers to summon their rapier to their hand before cutting a hole in the sky and jumping through it, thanking every higher power that existed in the Digital World that they were the one who was there to help Miriamon. None of the others would have been able to get to Rubrum quickly without Lyramon there, so if anyone was going to be called there alone, they were glad it was them.
When the portal opened, Lyramon landed in a crouch on the ground of Rubrum. They glanced around in thinly veiled paranoia, ears straining to pick up on any signs of combat. Eventually, they heard another explosion off to the east, and they created a platform beneath their feet before stepping on it and rushing in the direction of the noise. Small purple diamonds came off the edges of the platform, disappearing in the wind a few seconds after they made themselves known.
By the time Lyramon had arrived at their destination, they had heard another two explosions, and they doubted their heartbeat could get any faster from sheer horrified paranoia. Soon enough, they caught a glimpse of Miriamon in the center of the chaos. She was concentrating her attention on jumping out of the way of each attack sent her way. The Arbiter of Souls didn't bother with striking back at her opponents, instead just evading them since it allowed her to conserve her energy for a while longer. Even so, it was clear that she was on her back foot and wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.
Lyramon jumped off the platform as soon as they were close to Miriamon, and they drew a circle in the air with their rapier to create another rift in space just in front of them. A matching portal opened behind the one who had struck in the first place, forcing the magical blast to hit them in the middle of their back. That was enough of a distraction for Lyramon to reach out behind themself and grab Miriamon's arm, and they concentrated their power to teleport them both out of the eye of the fight and to somewhere safer.
Lyramon's magic released them a good quarter of a mile away from the battle, and Miriamon let out a heavy sigh before looking up at their savior with relieved eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "I was trying to fight them off on my own, but I knew I wouldn't make it if I kept that up."
"Of course I'm here. I had to save you," Lyramon replied simply. Miriamon's expression softened, but the Warrior of Steel didn't waste even a moment on pleasantries beyond what they already had. "There are a lot more of them than I would have thought." Lyramon looked up to the rest of the army, squinting along the way. "Hold on for a moment... Is that...?"
"That's what I was thinking too," Miriamon confessed with a frown. "I didn't even believe it at first, but... That one at the back is a Human Digimon. For the first time, we're seeing Void Fragment take over a Human rather than a Beast Digimon."
Lyramon looked a bit closer at the last fighter in the crowd. It was hard to make out any details about the commander because of how far back they were compared to the rest of their allies, but they were far from behaving anything like those they were instructing in the heat of the battle. The one behind all of this was definitely a Human Digimon, and they were commanding an army of Beast Digimon to attack Miriamon with everything they had. It didn’t even look like they had been possessed; they seemed to be in perfect control of their movements in a way no other Void Fragment Digimon ever had been. If that was the case, then…
"Do you think that could be the mastermind?" Lyramon questioned as they shot Miriamon a brief glance out of the corner of their eye. Meanwhile, the Void Fragment Digimon had noticed where the two had disappeared to, and the enemy forces were now swarming toward the duo with a feverish desperation for bloodshed.
Miriamon shook her head. "I'm not sure. I was never able to get close enough to see any details about who they are," she admitted. "I've been trying to teleport away from them, but it isn't working. It's like they're out to kill me specifically."
"That surprises me a lot less than it probably should," Lyramon muttered. "Hinoka already told us about a targeted attack against her and Chiaki back on Earth. I don't know why anyone would want to target you next, though I suppose being our ally is enough of a death sentence."
"I won't let this be where it ends though," Miriamon assured them. "I'm going to fight by your side to the end. I'd hardly say I'm the best when it comes to combat, but I refuse to let the Void Fragments destroy this sacred place. No matter what, I'll be here with you. I promise."
Lyramon cracked the barest traces of a smile in Miriamon's direction. "I'll be counting on it," they told her. "I know I can trust you, and I'm honored to fight at your side. Now, let's—"
Before Lyramon had the chance to finish the sentence, Miriamon staggered back by a few paces, and she pointed down at the rest of Lyramon's body. For a moment, the Warrior of Steel tilted their head to the side in confusion, but they couldn’t find the words to ask anything of her. Soon enough, their question was answered, and purple light sparked around their chest where their heart was before spreading to the rest of their form. Lyramon instinctively closed their eyes, and the world around them seemed to melt away in favor of the light of evolution.
Soon enough, Lyramon was no longer themself, but rather, Saki once again. A purple and silver headband of a circlet appeared at the top of their head, cutting under the top layer of their hair but going no deeper. At the center of the tiara, a pearly red gemstone could be seen. Saki's hair straightened with the appearance of the headband, giving it an extra two inches as its regular curve at the bottom smoothed out. A single purple streak appeared in their hair off to the left where their bangs flattened against their skin.
In a matter of seconds, Saki's entire body was covered in a base layer of purple armor. Lavender accentuated the edge of the metallic plates with red jewels appearing here and there as accessories. A particularly prominent stone rested at the center of their chest just over their heart. Not an inch of skin was visible below their neck. Their gauntlets were silvery and bore the same scarlet gemstones as the rest of their outfit. Saki's boots were silver as well and reached up to their knees.
The final touch of the outfit was a cape that appeared around their shoulders and reached their hips. The fabric was transparent with a gradient pattern between lavender at the top and crimson at the bottom, curling around their upper arms in uniform, organized ruffles before evening out. A purple tattoo of the mark of Steel appeared on Saki's cheek just below their left eye, putting it in the perfect position to mirror Junpei's own marking of his corresponding element.
When the light around Saki faded, they stared down at their newly armored hands. They hadn't expected something so dramatic as Resplendent Evolution to happen over simply admitting to Miriamon that they trusted her, but who were they to complain? Saki could feel a new pulse of power rushing through their body, and they gladly welcomed it. The magic was far stronger than anything they had experienced before then, and it sought an outlet above all else.
"You... You did it!" Miriamon breathed. She pressed her hands together over her chest, and proud tears formed in her eyes though she refused to let them spill over. "You reached the Resplendent level!"
"So it seems I did," Saki hummed to themselves. They admired their armor for a few more seconds before turning their attention back to the fight at hand, a small smirk on their face. "I've been told Resplendent Evolution is incredibly helpful when it comes to massive fights like this... So what do you say I go on and put that to the test?"
Miriamon was quick to nod, and she reached out one hand for a high-five. Saki was quick to follow up on it just before the monsters that had been pursuing them finally caught up to them. Saki and Miriamon shared a look before diving off to the right to avoid the first magical attack being sent their way. Saki allowed purple energy to consume them both before the next strike arrived, and the duo teleported a short distance away.
Saki was quick to lash out as soon as they were back on the ground. They pressed their hands together and tried to summon as much of the Digital World's natural power as they could. The element of Steel was more than just the manipulation of metal, after all; it was the very pulse of the Digital World, and that was why they had been selected as the first of the Legendary Warriors. The innate energy of the realm was theirs to command, and they fully intended to do just that in the name of defending Miriamon.
Saki flicked their hands out as soon as they had concentrated the energy in the air, creating a massive purple explosion at the center of the crowd of Void Fragment Digimon. Screams tore through the nighttime skies, and Saki launched themself into the air after kicking off the ground, purple powder following in their wake. They created the rapier they used as Lyramon from nothingness before using it to lash out at every enemy they passed on their right side, sending out small lasers of magic to release the Digimon from the possession of the Void Fragments. On Saki's left, they flicked out tiny comets of purple energy as well, and both types of attacks relentlessly pursued their targets until they had gotten a hit in.
When Saki landed again, they were as good as cornered by the Void Fragments. The Digimon that were left ignored those that had been snapped out of the spell, instead lunging straight for the Warrior of Steel. Saki had been counting on that though, and they waited until their targets were close enough before pressing their free hand up to their temple and closing their eyes.
The Void Fragment Digimon were almost on top of Saki when they allowed the attack to fly free, and a pulse of purple energy ripped through the area. The psychic attack made its victims scream in pain and stagger backwards, hands flying up to their heads to stop their sudden migraines. That gave Saki all the space they needed to stab the tip of their rapier into the glowing red rock beneath them. As soon as the sword hit the ground, it created a massive shockwave of purple energy that once again pushed the Digimon away and left them too weak to do much of anything else.
Miriamon had been spared from the attack since Saki hadn't been deliberately going after her, and as such, she was easily able to create spells of her own to follow up on the Warrior of Steel's massive stunning strike. Miriamon sent out comets of cyan magic that streaked toward the nearest Digimon, striking them just hard enough to snap them out of their trances. Void Fragments ripped away from the Digimon they had been possessing, and even more innocent creatures were left to slump to the ground motionless and exhausted after the thorough defeat they had seen.
Miriamon had managed to clear out about half of the Digimon Saki's attack had left stunned when she felt somebody coming closer from behind her. She turned around to see who it was, and she realized there had been one Digimon that escaped Saki's previous onslaught. As a matter of fact, it was the most important Digimon of them all: the one that had commanded the attack in the first place. They were still far enough away that Miriamon couldn't make out any details about who they were, but they knew that gap would be closed in a matter of seconds if they didn't start running back to Saki's side.
Saki quickly cleared out the rest of the Void Fragment Digimon with a few more flicks of their hand and charges of their magic. Afterward, they let out a small sigh, but they didn't have time to rest for long before Miriamon was coming up just beside them. Miriamon pressed her hands together before creating a knife of glowing silver and gold energy, pointing it in the direction of the new arrival. It was a quiet threat, and while it wasn't bound to be the most effective, it still got the message across. Saki and Miriamon had managed to defeat the rest of the commander's forces, and if they tried anything, they would be the next one to fall beneath the weight of their shared power.
The closer the commander got, the easier it was to see more about them. Their humanoid shape filled out to resemble that of a monkey more than anything else. His skin was brown, though most of it was hidden beneath a pair of white pants and patches of silver armor. He wore black flat shoes on his feet, a purple scarf around his neck, and a simple hat atop his head. His face was a lighter tan color, and his eyes stuck out starkly and darkly against the rest of his body. In a word, he was off-putting, though Saki had a million other words in mind that would have been far less polite.
"Makuramon," Miriamon murmured even though Saki could have figured that out in a matter of seconds thanks to their own Digimon instincts. "Though something about him feels different from the others. You can see it too, right?"
Saki nodded slightly. The difference was small, but it was still very much present. The rest of the Void Fragments moved like puppets at the end of strings, their movements coated with an edge of jerkiness that made them stick out like sore thumbs against regular Digimon. Makuramon, on the other hand, still looked unsettling, but he was moving far more naturally. He walked toward Saki and Miriamon with a practiced ease, almost as if he had known this encounter was coming ages ago and had decided to make sure he looked his best for his grand debut.
"What do you want?" Saki was quick to demand as soon as Makuramon was in earshot. They pointed their rapier in his direction, and with the edge of the blade came a promise of violence the instant Makuramon dared to cross any lines. After leading a massive invasion on that scale, Saki should have just attacked him then and there, but they had to hold back for a little bit longer if they wanted information. At the moment, a lack of knowledge was the greatest issue the Legendary Warriors were facing, and pushing the truth out of Makuramon could have ended all of that.
"I was wanting this to be an easy mission, but it seems I was wrong in assuming it would be that simple," Makuramon groaned with a roll of his eyes. "This was a failure of massive proportions. You shouldn't have been here. I was under the impression my target was going to be alone."
Miriamon's eyes went wide for a moment as the truth sunk in. "Your target was meant to be alone... You came here for me?" she realized. Makuramon was silent, and the Arbiter of Souls' hands began to tremble slightly. "But why? I don't know you. I've never even heard of you."
"That doesn't matter now though, does it? You know who I am now," Makuramon went on, and Saki resisted the urge to roll their eyes. He wasn't going to give them a straight answer unless they dragged it out of him by force, and they could see it written all over his obnoxiously confident face. "And I thought you would be the only one on Rubrum."
"Let me guess," Saki started as they took a small step toward Makuramon, never letting their blade drop. "You were sent here by the mastermind behind the Void Fragments to get rid of Miriamon once and for all. You were under the impression this would be a clean assassination, so you didn't count on me showing up. Unfortunately for you, that was your greatest mistake."
"You're a sharp one, I see," Makuramon smirked. "My master has big plans for the Digital World, but none of that is going to be possible as long as she's still in the way. As long as she's still alive, none of this is going to work."
"What about me is such a thorn in your side then?" Miriamon questioned. "I told you before that I don't know you. I have no idea who your master is either, and if I don't know who I'm up against, then I don't understand how I can be a threat to you."
"The truth is simple. You're important to the Digital World, and you're going to get in the way of anything we try to do next," Makuramon replied. That was hardly an answer at all, and he was relishing in just how much his vagueness was starting to get under his foes' skin. "I thought this would be simple... But I suppose that was my mistake. I know that I won't be able to beat you no matter what I try now. You certainly made quick work of the rest of my battalion, after all."
"You're an agent of the mastermind," Saki declared. "We thought you were the first ever Human Digimon to be taken over by a Void Fragment, but that was wrong. You're working with the one behind all of this willingly. Even if it means an assassination, you were willing to go along with their plans."
"I know when I benefit from something," Makuramon shrugged a bit too casually. "And this has the potential to be the greatest change in the Digital World since the days of Lucemon... Though I bet this is going to end much better than that ridiculous angel's rule did."
Miriamon's shoulders went tense on instinct, and Saki was quick to press the advance against Makuramon with their rapier still at the ready. "I'll give you one more chance to answer our questions before I drag them out of you myself," they started. "Who are you working for? How did your master get their hands on the power of the Void Fragments? Just what is this goal you've been hoping to accomplish?"
Makuramon thought about answering for a moment, and his tail flicked behind him four times to show it. At the end of the fourth swing, Makuramon's face twisted into a mocking smile. "I'm not going to tell you!" he proudly announced. "That would ruin a lot of the fun, wouldn't it? I think it'll be a lot more entertaining for me to watch you and the rest of your friends scramble around trying to figure it out. It’s been a lot of fun already, you know."
"Then you had better start looking for better sources of entertainment," Saki muttered. They raised their rapier high, and a column of purple light appeared from the skies to try and strike at Makuramon from overhead. The monkey Digimon effortlessly rolled out of the way, a laugh on his lips all the while.
However, he didn't realize the initial attack had been a diversion until it was too late. Saki pressed their free hand against the air, creating a percussive echo of energy that sent a pulse of psychic power through Makuramon's body. The monkey screeched in pain and stumbled backwards, his gloved hands flying to his head. He was left breathing heavily a moment later, and Saki took advantage of the distraction to draw a circle with their rapier, creating a series of purple comets that streaked relentlessly toward their target.
Makuramon tried to dodge as many of the attacks as he could, but he was hit in the shoulder by the fourth blast, and that was enough to destroy his balance for the other darts of amethyst magic to strike him as well. Saki rushed forward in a haze of purple magic, kicking him to the ground and planting one foot down on his chest. They pointed their sword at his neck, eyes narrowing along the way. "I believe I asked you a few questions," Saki reminded him. "You can answer them now or let me show you what else I can do. The rest of the army you sent my way clearly wasn't strong enough to do the job when all fighting together, and I doubt you’ll be much of a threat on your own."
Makuramon held his hands up in mock surrender for a few moments, and he swallowed dryly to try and ease his nerves. That only made Saki's sword wander closer to his throat. For a long moment, the two simply stared at one another this way, and Makuramon allowed himself a weak but confident smile. "We'll be in touch." The ground opened up beneath him in a flash of dark light, and a portal swallowed him whole before Saki or Miriamon had the chance to react. The rift closed again in the blink of an eye, leaving behind no signs that Makuramon had been there at all.
Saki snarled and glanced around the area for any lingering signs of the monkey Digimon, but when they found nothing, they sighed and returned to looking at Miriamon. "He's gone," they muttered angrily. "I don't feel his energy anywhere around here."
"He used the same teleportation magic as the other Void Fragments, didn't he?" Miriamon questioned as she walked over to Saki's side. The Warrior of Steel simply nodded as they allowed their rapier to vanish in a mist of purple energy. "If that isn't proof of him working with the mastermind, then I don't know what is."
"He was here to kill you on orders from his master," Saki repeated to themself. "Do you have any idea who could consider you enough of a threat to order your death? You've barely left Rubrum at all in hundreds upon hundreds of years. I would assume that anyone who had a grudge against you lost that hatred a long time ago."
Miriamon thought about it for a moment before sighing, the breath coming out shaky and ragged. She looked down at the magical dagger in her hand, only realizing too late how much the blade resembled the one that had taken her human life so many years ago. She allowed the weapon to dissipate and fade away before turning her focus back up to Saki. "I can tell you, but first, we should take care of our... Other guests." She gestured to the wide variety of Void Fragment Digimon that now littered the area, all of them sluggish and exhausted from suffering so much damage over the course of the fight.
Saki nodded. "I can teleport them back to the main planet. After that, I want to hear what you're thinking," they said. They started to walk back toward the Void Fragment Digimon but paused a moment later. "I... I want you to stay close while we're sending them back. I don't know who wanted you dead tonight, but the threat of an attack is still here. We have to be careful."
Miriamon let out a bitter laugh. "I don't think you could have paid me to be alone right now even if you had all the money in the world," she confessed under her breath. "I'll help you to open the portals you need to send them back. The sooner they're gone, the sooner we can finally talk. I would rather not have any company when I start to tell you about my theory."
"Then let's get to it," Saki declared. "This work isn't going to take care of itself."
~~~~~
The process of sending the newly freed Digimon back to the main planet was long and monotonous. Saki was used to opening portals by this point, and they had been honing their skills in such an art since their days as a Fallen Warrior. Normally, opening so many rifts would have been exhausting, but thanks to their power as a Resplendent Legendary Warrior, it was all pathetically easy to them tonight. They were starting to hit the wall of their magic by the time everyone had been sent back though, so when it was time to stop, they were beyond grateful.
The entire time they were working on sending back the former Void Fragment Digimon, Saki's mind was racing through everything they had heard from Makuramon. The mastermind behind all of this was aiming to reform the world in a way that would benefit him, and that was why he was working for them in the first place. Makuramon seemed to think it was going to be a dramatic shift that hadn't been seen since the days of Lucemon's rule, and he was looking forward to it on top of all that. Given what Saki had seen from Makuramon, that was indisputably a bad thing, and the fact that he was fighting with so many Void Fragment Digimon at his back was only more proof of that.
The mastermind was confident that they wouldn't be able to change the world to fit their ideals and image in such a dramatic way as long as Miriamon was still alive. If not for Saki appearing and evolving to the Resplendent level when they had, the assassination likely would have been a success simply due to Miriamon being overwhelmed with no way of fighting back on account of her comparative lack of experience in combat. The mastermind wanted her dead no matter what, and they were willing to stake massive numbers of their army on the idea of just getting rid of her in one clean sweep. It should have ended in their favor, and if not for Saki, it certainly would have.
The one thing Saki couldn't figure out was who in the world would want Miriamon dead in the first place. The Arbiter of Souls had been on her own on Rubrum for years and years, long enough that her very title was left as obscure legend some Digimon didn't even believe in. The only ones she had interacted with over the course of the last few months had been those within the Legendary Warriors' inner circle along with the Warriors themselves. It was impossible for anyone to hold a grudge against her from the last time she was on the main planet either; centuries had gone by since then, and the mere idea was completely unfathomable. This had to be a recent grudge, and the mastermind was determined to not take any chances with leaving her alive.
Saki had gone through this train of thought at least ten times by the time all the Digimon had been sent back, and they let out a heavy sigh as they brushed a few droplets of sweat away from their forehead. The rest of their team hadn't been kidding when they said that evolving to the Resplendent level was exhausting. The form was powerful, yes, but it took a lot of energy to sustain. Saki felt as if they had been hit by a bus by the time everything was said and done, and they were on the verge of collapsing and just falling asleep then and there in the silt of Rubrum when the final portal closed in their wake.
Saki allowed purple light to wash over their body, and when the glow faded, they were back in their regular clothes once again. They sighed heavily and looked over to Miriamon as she started to walk toward them. "I hope we never have to do that again," they muttered crossly. They rubbed at their eyes with the heel of their hands. "I could sleep for a week after that disaster."
"I would offer to let you stay on Rubrum for the night, but I think we both know that's not going to be safe given the circumstances," Miriamon frowned. She hesitated before gesturing for Saki to follow her back to the main shrine. "At the very least, we should try to talk somewhere private. I doubt anyone is here with us now, but I would feel safer if we weren't out in the open. The last thing we can afford right now is being overheard."
Saki nodded their understanding and followed in Miriamon's footsteps toward the main shrine of Rubrum. Their mind was hazy, and even when the echoes of the Warrior of Steel tried to speak to them, Saki couldn't make out the words. Their exhaustion was interfering with just about every functioning skill they had, and there was nothing they could do about it. Still, the idea of hearing Miriamon's theory and finally understanding what was going on pushed them ever forward, and they allowed that determination to force them to put one foot in front of the other all the way back to the shrine. From there, Saki allowed their stubborn desire to hear the truth navigate them back to the room of statues near the opposite end of the building, Miriamon in front of them all the while.
Saki sat down on the floor at the center of the room, resting their elbows on their knees and letting their head fall forward limply. They closed their eyes for as long as it took Miriamon to shut the door to the room behind them. It took much longer than anticipated though, and Saki didn't realize why until they felt a nudge against their shoulder. They opened their eyes and saw Miriamon standing over them with a cup of tea in one hand. Saki cracked a smile and took a sip, glad to know it was their favorite flavor when the liquid washed down their throat. While the tea did little to fix the exhaustion of Saki's body, it woke them up, and they let out a small sigh once they were fully grounded once more.
Miriamon settled down across from Saki with her own teacup in hand, and she held the porcelain tenderly with one hand on either side of the cup. "First and foremost, I want to say that my suspicions about Lucemon's magic were correct," she started. "That is the same power Lucemon once used when he waged war on the Digital World centuries ago. The portals aren't natural either. They're taking advantage of the damage in the barrier caused by the conflict, but they aren't random the way I knew them to be. The mastermind is manipulating them deliberately."
"In other words, the worse this gets, the more power the mastermind can use to mess up the barrier," Saki muttered. Miriamon nodded, and Saki let one hand come up to rub at their temple. "It makes sense. The barrier between worlds was getting really weak when the war against Cherubimon took place too."
"This time though, the mastermind is trying to take deliberate advantage of it to further their own ambition. You were summoned through the barrier. The ones responsible for all of this are tearing the shield apart themselves," Miriamon went on. "The power was a lot weaker before. These days though... It seems like the magic is overpowering enough to eat both the Digital World and Earth alive if we're not careful."
"We're on a very heavy time crunch then," Saki said. Miriamon nodded again, and Saki rubbed at their temple with a bit more force. They could feel a migraine coming on from their lack of rest. No matter how much their Digimon abilities healed their body, they were still sleep-deprived, and their body needed to take it easy even though that wasn't an option.
"We are," Miriamon confirmed. "Lucemon's power is definitely responsible for this, and his magic is getting stronger the longer we leave it alone. If we don't do something about this as soon as possible, the gate between the Digital World and Earth is going to completely crumble. I have no idea what would happen if it came to that, but I don't want to even entertain the idea either."
"So we have to find the one responsible for this," Saki concluded. "But who in the world is it? You seem to have a theory. Don't keep me in the dark any longer than you already have."
Miriamon hesitated before letting out a slow, measured breath. She took another sip of tea to punctuate their exhaustion, everything about her posture seeming tired well beyond her apparent years. Then again, given how many years she had really lived, it was perfectly fitting. Miriamon had lived for far longer than any other person in the Digital World, and she bore the scars of it on her heart, body, and mind. "I told two people last night about my abilities to sense the power behind the Void Fragments," she started. "Since I know what my brother's magic was like when he was trying to take over the Digital World, I should be able to track down the mastermind and expose them once and for all. I shared that truth with two people."
"And that means one of them has to be behind it," Saki finished slowly. "But who... Who did you tell?"
"Alastomon and Biastamon," Miriamon replied, and Saki's eyes went wide. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to pay them a visit to tell them what I know. I needed them to know about my abilities since they're the leaders of the Void Fragment investigation. Aside from you, the rest of the Legendary Warriors, and your Digimon guides, those two are the only ones who know the truth. I somehow doubt your guides would randomly stab the rest of you in the back and turn to the dark side, so that means either Alastomon or Biastamon is a traitor. One of them has to be the mastermind or working with the mastermind."
Saki wanted to boldly say that it had to be a lie. They wanted to declare that Miriamon was wrong. However, they knew better than that. Miriamon never would have said something so dark unless it was the truth. One of the two leaders advocating for the future of the Digital World was a traitor. One of the two eagerly hoping to rule the realm had stabbed them all in the back. It didn't matter just how much power they could have gotten by acting as a political leader in the tumultuous aftermath of the world dying to war and then returning to life. One of them was aiming to seize power by force, and if it meant killing others along the way, then that was a sacrifice they were willing to make.
One of the leaders of the Digital World was a monster.
And the Legendary Warriors had trusted them all this time.
"You have to be right," Saki murmured when they were able to find the strength to speak again. "They were the only ones you told about your ability to sense the magic of the Void Fragments. Whichever one of them is responsible for all of this wanted to have you killed so you couldn't find the truth and use it to turn everybody else against them."
"Precisely," Miriamon nodded. "One of them has been a traitor from the start. They've been orchestrating these attacks from the beginning to try and take control of the Digital World. We heard on Inaie that the people there don't trust Alastomon and believe him to be up to something else, but..."
"Biastamon is closely tied with the island, and they could be pointing fingers to get the suspicion away from him," Saki finished for her. "I don't want to believe either idea, but I know you have to be right about the mastermind being one of those two. When you say it out loud... It makes too much sense to be a lie."
"Yeah... And that's the worst part of it," Miriamon laughed darkly. "The attack on Inaie only came after we told Alastomon and Biastamon that we were sure the mastermind behind the Void Fragments wasn't on Inaie. They probably decided to turn the island into a death trap as soon as they realized they couldn't use it as a scapegoat anymore. It wasn't a coincidence at all. It was a trap, and we didn't understand that we were feeding information to the one behind it until it was too late."
"Every single thing we've learned this entire time has been fed right back to the people who can use the truth against us," Saki murmured. "There were no secrets this entire time. It was all about keeping us in the dark, and if it meant betrayal, then they were willing to cross that line."
"It makes too much sense to be a coincidence. One of them is a traitor, and they've been planning on taking over the Digital World by force from the outset," Miriamon declared. "And the traitor among them is either working with the mastermind or is the one in charge of everything we've been fighting against."
"Do you think they could be working together?" Saki asked. "At this point, I feel like we have to entertain every possibility. I don't want to target only one of them if the other is a traitor too."
"I don't think they're both responsible for this," Miriamon frowned. "The two of them don't get along as well as I would expect from full allies. I wouldn't say they dislike one another, but it seems as if they're... Wary of each other. I doubt they would feel that way if they were working together to take over the Digital World. Besides, if they were doing this together, then why would they need to orchestrate all of this? They could have just taken the Digital World by force from both sides."
Saki nodded. "You're right. Only one of them has betrayed us... Though I don't even know if I can call it a betrayal if this has been their plan from the start," they muttered with a snort. "We can't let them get away with it. Whichever one of them is a traitor, we have to find them and make sure they see justice. The Digital World is struggling enough as it is, and we can't afford to make that any worse."
"I agree," Miriamon nodded. "We need to come up with a plan to lure them out of hiding. If we can just get one piece of evidence that shows which of them is responsible for this, then we can lash out and stop all of this once and for all."
"I'm going to tell the rest of the Legendary Warriors," Saki told Miriamon firmly. "I don't want any of them to accidentally share an important piece of information with our enemies. We've done that enough up to this point, but we need to stop it before it comes back to bite us more than it already has."
"One of them wanted to make sure I died tonight, and I imagine they'll hear soon enough of what happened here from Makuramon," Miriamon said with a heavy frown. "One of them is going to be aware of the fact that you were here and fought against the army of Void Fragments. The other will have no idea of what took place as long as we keep this information close to our chests. We need to use that to our advantage to drag the truth out of the one who knows too much."
Saki nodded and pressed their fingers against the bridge of their nose, pinching at the skin. "When I look back on it all now, I can't believe we didn't see this sooner. It feels so painfully obvious now. One of them was using all of this against us from the beginning, and we fell for everything," they whispered. "We were so desperate to help the Digital World that we didn't realize what was happening."
"You can't blame yourself for not noticing," Miriamon assured them. "None of us could have known. Besides, hindsight always gives us a different view than what we're experiencing in the moment. The fact of the matter is that we know the truth now though, and we have to use this to turn the tides against them without them noticing."
Saki continued to stare down at the ground of the room for another handful of beats. Miriamon reached one hand out to rub at their trembling knuckles, pulling it away from their face along the way. Saki looked up to meet her gaze. "We're going to find a way out of this. I promise," Miriamon vowed softly. "What we need right now is a plan. Thinking about how angry we are won't fix what's happening. There's a way for us to figure out which one of them is a traitor, and we need to come up with a strategy to drag it out of them. Can you help me come up with that? I've been told you're a good tactician."
Saki took another moment to stare at Miriamon before nodding, grounding themself with a low, deep breath. "You're right... I got caught up in the moment, but you're right," they agreed. "And I can help you to come up with a plan. At the moment, one of our potential targets knows what happened here tonight, and the other does not. The person who knows is our mastermind. They can’t just tell the other as long as it would reveal the fact that they orchestrated the assassination attempt, so as long as we strike quickly before the news spreads, we can catch them in their lie. We need to figure out who knows about the attack, but it can't be either one of us who asks about it."
"You're right," Miriamon nodded. "We need someone who can talk to them innocently and in a way that will make their guards drop. In other words, it probably shouldn't be another member of the Legendary Warriors. They won't know what's happened here tonight either, and if they suddenly hear about it, then that's bound to put our target's defenses up."
Saki contemplated a response for another moment before snapping as the pieces slid into place. "Bokomon and Neemon," they said firmly. "I've been staying with them at the fortress back on the main planet. They can try to talk to Alastomon and Biastamon under the guise of me having left earlier tonight and not coming back by morning. That'll open questions about where I went without any warning, and them going to Alastomon and Biastamon about it will make sense."
"Perfect," Miriamon nodded. "If we can get them to talk to Alastomon and Biastamon, then they can look for any clues that will pull the truth out. An extra bonus would be if they could get our suspects out of the Crystal Citadel."
"That way, I can go in and look around to see if anything is lying around that could point us in the right direction," Saki finished for her. "I doubt they would just leave evidence out in the open, so I would need to do some digging when they're not there. If I can get Bokomon to ask them both to come to the fortress to talk instead of going to the citadel, then I'll be able to sneak in behind their backs and try to find any evidence I can that will point to the real mastermind."
"It's not guaranteed to work, but it should be a step in the right direction even if you don't find anything. Plus, we have the backup plan of Bokomon and Neemon talking to them to fall back on, and they might learn something during that conversation," Miriamon chimed in, and Saki nodded once again. She took a moment to let out a heavy breath of her own, and she grounded herself with another sip of her tea. "I never would have thought this would be the way the night ended... There's a traitor in our midst, and we have to weed them out if the Digital World is to survive."
Saki tilted their teacup around in their hands, and the liquid sloshed around slightly. "Yeah... But it all makes too much sense to be wrong," they murmured under their breath. "The fact that you were attacked was the final nail in the coffin. The mastermind was really confident in their ability to get rid of you tonight, and they didn't even bother to hide it with sending Makuramon here."
"This wasn't just a normal battle. It was an assassination attempt using information the mastermind knew couldn't get out," Miriamon frowned. "And we have to turn this around on them to make sure the secret stays between us and is the knife at our traitor's back. Tomorrow... We have to put this plan into effect tomorrow. We can't afford to wait any longer than we already have."
"I agree," Saki nodded. "I refuse to put the rest of the Legendary Warriors in danger. Hinoka was in enough trouble being attacked on Earth specifically and out in the open. We can't defend ourselves as easily on Earth without being at risk of unmasking ourselves, and that's just as dangerous in the long run."
"And Alastomon and Biastamon know better than anyone how to target you directly and where it'll hurt," Miriamon laughed bitterly. "They know where to point their weapons to make sure they actually strike you, and that's one reason they've gotten away with this for so long. They knew exactly how to go after Hinoka, and they used it to try and kill her that day."
"But that all ends tomorrow," Saki announced. "I'm going to head back to the castle to tell the others the plan, and afterward, I'm coming back here. I can't go to school tomorrow if we want to pull this off. That's just going to put us behind, and this is going to be our one chance. We won’t get an opportunity like this again. Besides, I need to keep you safe, and we can't leave you alone for too long without risking another attack."
"When you see the Digimon back at the fortress, I need you to tell them to say that I went missing after the battle last night," Miriamon insisted. "The mastermind won't know what that means, but we will. I'm going to pull together my things and get out of here for the time being. I need to go into hiding to make sure I'm not targeted again. We can meet up again just before we put our plan into motion tomorrow."
Saki nodded. "You've got it." They took another long sip of their tea, emptying the cup in the process. Afterward, they sighed and stared down at the empty porcelain in their hands. "I suppose it's too late for us to back out of this now. The truth is finally right in front of us, and we have to grab it before it fades away again."
"Tell the rest of your team to not say a word to anybody outside of your direct circle," Miriamon instructed. "We can catch them up on this after the fact. Right now, it's too dangerous to get other people involved."
"I'm going to tell them to be on their guards though," Saki said. "I don't want them to end up attacked while all of this is going on. We're playing a dangerous game here, and the last thing I want is for any of them to end up in the line of fire because of our gambit."
"Perfect," Miriamon nodded. She rose to her feet and accepted Saki's teacup back from them. "Do you think you'll be able to open a portal back to the fortress? I can make it for you if need be."
Saki shook their head. "I'll have to make a rift to come back here anyway. Wherever we decide to hide out for the night, I'm going to need to catch some sleep. I won't be able to fight tomorrow as I am now. That Resplendent Evolution took it out of me."
"I'll start preparing to leave then," Miriamon concluded. She looked at Saki for a long moment before setting the teacups aside and throwing her arms around their torso. "Please... Stay safe."
Saki was still for a moment before they returned the embrace, their expression tight from exhaustion and fear. "I will," they assured her. They remained in her arms for another few moments before pulling away and reaching for their D-Tector. "It's time to put this plan into motion then. If all goes well, the mastermind will be unmasked by this time tomorrow."
"I certainly hope so," Miriamon nodded. "I'll be waiting for you. The future awaits."
Saki snorted as they scanned a ring of Fractal Code across the top of their D-Tector. "Whether we're ready for it or not."
~~~~~
When Lyramon arrived back at the fortress, they immediately ran for the rooms where the Digimon guides stayed. They took the stairs two at a time while remaining as quiet as possible. They didn't want to risk reverting into human form since they would have to transform back again, and the burst of energy from Miriamon's tea wasn't going to last them all night. They had to be fast.
Lyramon opened the door to the room quickly and firmly, and Lopmon woke up as soon as the door hit the wall. He rubbed at his eyes with his tiny paws, trying to make sense of the late hour as his irises focused on the Warrior of Steel. "Lyramon...? What in the world are you—"
"No time to explain," Lyramon replied as they crossed the room to wake up Bokomon and Patamon. "Just wake the others. I have a lot to say and very little time to say it."
Lopmon nodded without missing a beat and was quick to rouse Neemon and Salamon from slumber. Less than three minutes later, all five of the Digimon were awake and watching Lyramon with wariness and concern. They were halfway asleep still, but the anxiety was quick to snap them out of their slumbers.
Lyramon reached for the window and drew the curtains shut firmly before making sure the door was locked. Afterward, they let out a small exhale and looked to the Digimon before them. "I know who the mastermind is, and I need your help so I can prove it."
Notes:
That was one beast of a chapter, huh?
I've been looking forward to this one for a while. It took a bit of time for my vision of this chapter to come into focus, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. Saki living in the Digital World part time is a very important plot point, and it's the reason for this entire chapter. Wow.
So, let's get to the analysis since, as usual, I like to make readers wait as long as possible for me to talk about the big twists. The opening scene is meant to continue the idea of the consequences behind the Shiraki story coming to light. Saki got what they were searching for about their parents' missing case, but the truth behind their deaths is still vague. Anri and Harutaka died because of the Digital World, but the details are still murky. This will be addressed later as I'm sure you can imagine, but for now, here we are.
Though the answers haven't quite come out yet. Instead, Saki was dragged into another fight. I wanted to start things off with a bang since it's been a while since we got a big fight sequence like this. Miriamon being under attack makes perfect sense given what happened last time as well as what we learn later on. I'll get to Miriamon being able to communicate with the group via D-Tector later on, I can assure you, but for now, that's just a minor detail that leads up to the fight scene.
And one hell of a fight scene it is! I'm really happy to finally have Saki's Resplendent design written down since it's one of my favorites. I'm really going to have to draw all of these designs out one day since they're all incredible in my head, and I need everyone to see them. Saki Resplendent Evolved because of what happened with them and Miriamon over the course of the last few chapters, so it's a delayed emotional resolution to them hearing the truth of their history that works well in my mind. And it makes for a great fight sequence with Miriamon taking to the battlefield for the first time. She's nowhere near as skilled as Saki, so she acts as a sidekick more than anything else, contributing without taking the focus away from where it needs to be. These two fight very well together since they both have general psychic abilities, and I liked working on this battle a lot.
Makuramon is an interesting Digimon to show up here, isn't he? Contrary to expectation, he isn't the first Human Digimon to be taken over by a Void Fragment. He's working with the mastermind willingly and even came as an assassin and, failing that, a messenger. He served his purpose in pissing off Saki and Miriamon along with delivering a message just to mess with them. He may have gotten a bit overly confident though since that tipped them off as to who the mastermind is.
Speaking of the mastermind, let's finally talk about that. I've been sitting on that for a long time. Now that it's out there, it feels painfully obvious. Alastomon and Biastamon are the ones in charge of the Digital World's restoration, and they're in the perfect position to cover up any shady dealings. Only one of them is a traitor though, and there's evidence to back up both of them being the mastermind. It's an interesting situation to place the cast in, isn't it?
It's also an incredibly messed up situation. Everything the group has been fighting toward has been distorted from the start since one of the people feeding them information and advice was a traitor all along. Inaie was a scapegoat and then a death trap, and Alastomon and Biastamon would have known how to transform it from one to the other. They would know better than anyone who the Legendary Warriors are and how to target them on Earth. And the last nail in the coffin is that they know about Miriamon's abilities and see them as a threat to the truth. Everybody in the group has a lot to rethink now, and that's going to be a driving force over the next few chapters.
Before I leave things off here, I want to offer one little comment about last chapter. Takuya's phone went off in the middle of the night after his nightmare, but he didn't look at it. Well, that message he got was from Saki who was telling the Legendary Warriors to not trust Alastomon and Biastamon. He doesn't see it until the following morning, but that's what it says for a nice little continuity bit. Just a bit of trivia for you.
Phew. Okay. That was a lot, and it's about to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets any better. Next chapter, it's time to deal with the consequences of the assassination attempt and explore Saki's gambit to catch the mastermind. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am, because this one is going to be great. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 36: Strike While the Iron is Hot
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors question Saki's sudden disappearance as the Warrior of Steel and MIriamon carry out a dangerous gambit against the mastermind.
Chapter Text
Takuya was lucky enough to be granted decent sleep after his one brush with a nightmare. It took him a long time to get back to sleep, but once he went down for the night, it was like he crashed to the point of no return. When his alarm went off the following morning, he was still drained, and he rubbed away a headache pounding at his temples. He needed a break, but he doubted he would end up getting anything of the sort until all of this was solved, and there was no way of saying how soon that would be.
Takuya reached for his phone to turn the alarm off, and he was met with a message from Saki that had arrived at around three in the morning. That must have been the notification he received just before he went back to sleep. He frowned before pressing a button to open the text:
'Don't trust anyone with anything right now. Do not say a word about the Void Fragments to anybody outside of our group. Nobody. We need to talk as soon as possible, today or tomorrow if possible. Don't say anything to anybody. I'll be in touch later. Right now, I have business to take care of. Stay quiet. Say nothing.'
A few messages from other members of the group had come in since then, all of them asking questions about what Saki was talking about. They never elaborated though, and when Takuya checked the radar on his D-Tector, he found that Saki wasn't even on Earth. They were still in the Digital World even though they should have been back already to get ready for school. Were they skipping on purpose? Had something happened the night before to prompt them to say so firmly that none of the Legendary Warriors could take the chance of trusting the people around them? If so, why wasn't Saki talking about it?
Takuya dropped a question in the chat about what Saki was talking about, though he wasn't entirely expecting a response. He was hoping for one, yes, but he doubted he was going to end up receiving anything productive. He sighed and shook off his anxiety as soon as he could, starting to get ready for the day once he could peel himself off his bed. He still felt like curling up and hiding somewhere at least until he could get the answers he was looking for, but if that wasn't an option, he could at least try to prepare for the day to come. It was hardly the distraction he needed, but it was a start, at the very least.
Takuya and Chihiro arrived at school as early as they could to try and find Koji and Izumi. The two were already on campus by the time the Warriors of Fire and Earth arrived, and Takuya could tell what they were talking about even before he approached them. Koji had his phone in one hand, and he was speaking as softly as possible with Izumi. There was only one thing they could have been discussing in a situation like this. They were trying to make heads or tails of Saki's message even though that was much easier said than done.
"Hey, you two," Takuya greeted as he approached them. He tried to put a smile on his face, but he wasn't able to maintain it for longer than a few seconds before the grin melted away. "I guess you saw it too, huh?"
"Yeah," Koji confirmed. "Saki isn't here on Earth. They're still in the Digital World. I don't know what they're up to, but they wouldn't do something like this without reason. It seems to me like they're skipping class, and as far as I'm concerned, that's out of the question for someone like them, especially with how close to graduating they are."
"I agree that it's weird," Chihiro nodded. "I wish they would just be upfront about what they were talking about. I know they probably have a reason for hiding it from us, but... I don't know. It worries me that they're being so vague when we don't know what happened to prompt this at all."
"I know Saki has been sleeping in the Digital World for the last few days. I suppose that something happened while they were on the other side of the barrier," Izumi frowned. "I bet that whatever happened to prompt this was at some time in the middle of the night given when the timestamp of when the text came through... Though all of this still worries me. Nothing should have happened like this. All of it is just..."
"Whatever happened must have required their immediate attention, and it was important enough to justify skipping classes today," Koji chimed in. "And they didn't have the chance to elaborate on any details with us. I don't like the idea of that, but for now, the best we can do is wait until we can meet up with them to hear their side of the story directly."
"I have to wonder why they're so insistent about us not talking to anybody about the Void Fragments all of a sudden," Takuya mused. "I know for a fact that this wouldn't have just come out of nowhere. Something must have happened for them to think sharing that information with other people was dangerous, and that's somehow even more terrifying than everything else… I just don’t get why they can’t even talk to us about it."
"After school today, we should try to talk with the other Legendary Warriors about going to the Digital World," Chihiro said. "I don't know what Saki is up to, but I have an awful feeling about all of it. They have to be up to something right now, and if they're not talking about it, then that's even worse. We need to get over there."
"Right now though, we have a full day of classes to look forward to, so we're going to have to sit here in the dark for a while longer," Koji sighed with a shake of his head. "I just wish Saki had given us some other bit of information instead of just saying to not trust anyone. It's not like we've been talking about the Void Fragments with many people to begin with. It's been primarily kept in the Digital World, but from the sound of their text, it seems like we shouldn't even talk about it with anybody outside of our innermost circle, human or Digimon."
"I hate to have to admit this, but... I feel like Saki would only say something like this if they were afraid of betrayal," Izumi murmured. "The sudden focus on not talking to anybody outside of the Legendary Warriors and our Digimon guides has me worried. It wouldn't surprise me if they thought someone was trying to stab us in the back based on what they've said."
Chihiro's shoulders went rigid at that, and they gripped tightly at one of the straps on their backpack. "Great. Because that's exactly what we needed—another thing to be downright terrified of," they muttered. "Perfect! We need to be afraid of something else when we've already been scared of so many other things for ages!" They let out a dark and bitter laugh before shaking their head. "Whatever. Who gives a damn about us? Let's just get the day over with so we can go and see what Saki is talking about." They looked over Izumi's shoulder at something else in the courtyard, and a snarl appeared on their lips.
Chihiro started to walk away before Takuya or anyone else could stop them, and the bell rang over the courtyard. He sighed and shook his head, feeling his headache pound at his temples once again. Koji reached one hand out to try and follow Chihiro before stopping, already seeing that there would be little point in pushing it. When Chihiro got this way, nobody had a chance of getting through to them. The Legendary Warriors hated to admit it, but there wasn't much they could do as long as Chihiro refused to let them in to help to begin with. Their best option right now was to be patient and hope they were willing to talk sooner rather than later.
"Do you think Chihiro is going to be okay?" Izumi asked. "I didn't mean to scare them, but... That was where my brain went when I first saw what the message from Saki said."
"I'll make sure they don't get into any trouble," Takuya assured her with a shake of his head. "But I get why you're worried. They've been really paranoid lately because of the investigation team getting so involved with our lives. Chiaki hearing the truth has only been making things worse. I guess the Void Fragments implicating a traitor would just pile on top of all of that."
"I hate to think there could be a traitor here too," Koji confessed. "I don't think anybody would want to admit to the idea of somebody stabbing them in the back. Of course not. I wish Saki had been more specific in their message, but no matter how many times I say that, it won't change what they actually communicated to us. We have to be as careful as possible."
Izumi glanced over her shoulder with a small frown. She was about to ask what Chihiro had seen to make them run off so suddenly, but her question was answered almost immediately afterward. Katsuharu was walking closer alongside Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki. The former three were engaged in lively conversation while Chiaki was touching at the remnants of the bruise on her cheek from the Gigadramon encounter. That alone made it easy to figure out what the quartet was discussing.
"Hey, you guys," Takuya greeted. Izumi and Koji looked ready to say something else, but Takuya glanced in their direction before they had the chance. "You can go on to class. I'll catch up and try to help Chihiro before everything starts. I don't want you to be late."
Koji and Izumi hesitated at that, sharing uneasy glances before they started to walk away. Chiaki stared at Izumi as she retreated, and Takuya could read her mind effortlessly. Chiaki knew Izumi was one of the Legendary Warriors through the power of deduction, and even though she wasn't saying anything out loud about it, she thought of the truth each time she saw the Warrior of Wind. In other words, it was all the more reason for Izumi to leave before anyone else in the investigation team could pick up on the truth behind the strange tension between her and Chiaki.
"What's up, Takuya?" Katsuharu asked with a bright smile. There was something else on his mind whether he wanted to admit it openly or not, and if Takuya had to wager a guess, he would assume it had something to do with Chiaki's quiet behavior. Even if Katsuharu didn't know what was going through her head, he knew she was struggling and didn't have a clue what to do about it. In that way, Takuya could relate to him a lot more than he wanted to admit.
"Nothing much," Takuya shrugged. "How has your recent search for information about those monsters been going? I know things have been eventful lately with the attack last week." He glanced over to Chiaki, and she briefly stopped rubbing circles on her bruise to look up at Takuya. The two stared at one another for a moment, and Chiaki tried to work through if his curiosity was innocent or a matter of prying for his own sake. She couldn't find the answer she was looking for though, so she went right back to staring at the ground again a few moments later.
"It's been a bit slow since that attack," Teppei confessed as he pushed his glasses up his nose with one finger. "I think we can use a bit of a break from it after what happened to Chiaki though. We didn't think it was going to end like that, and we're going to be a bit more careful from here on out so no one else ends up putting themselves in danger."
"I'm glad to hear it," Takuya smiled. "I wouldn't want any of you to go walking into trouble because of your curiosity, especially with what happened before." Inwardly, he breathed the loudest sigh of relief known to human history. If the group was taking a break from their investigation, then he could consider himself safe, at least for the time being. It wasn't a massive marker of security, but at least he could take a moment to breathe, especially after the tragic tale he had heard over the weekend. He needed a break from having to constantly monitor the investigation team's progress, and he was glad they were pulling back for the sake of Chiaki even if their break probably wasn't going to last for too long.
Beyond that, Takuya just didn't want them to get in trouble because they were friends. It was a strange thing for him to think about given how little they actually knew about him, but it was true. He had known Katsuharu and Teruo for years thanks to them being on the soccer team together, and the last thing Takuya wanted was for any of them to end up hurt or suffering because of the recent Digimon attacks. They were curious, but that shouldn't have been an automatic sentence for severe harm. Takuya couldn't defend them directly without exposing himself, but he would still do what he could in the short term as long as it would keep them safe.
"We're going to find something big soon though," Teppei announced as he crossed his arms, a prideful smile weaving its way across his lips. "The sooner we can expose the people behind all of this, the better. I know it's been a bit... Dangerous here in Shibuya recently, but if we can find the reasons behind all of this, then maybe we can stop it from getting any worse."
"Finding out who the human monsters are will be one of the greatest discoveries in modern history, but it'll also help to keep everyone safe," Katsuharu agreed, his smile more genuine this time. He looked at Chiaki out of the corner of his eye, but she either didn't notice or chose to ignore it. "That's what everybody wants, right? We need to keep people safe."
Takuya nodded. "Yeah," he agreed vaguely, knowing that if he said anything else, he was going to end up exposing himself whether he wanted to or not. "Just be careful that you don't charge into danger at any point, okay? I don't want any of you to get hurt. We haven't seen any major injuries because of the attacks yet, but I wouldn't want someone here to be the first."
"We'll be fine," Teruo assured him with a shake of his head. "We know what we're doing, and we won't cross any lines." Takuya noticed he was holding the notebook in front of his chest, and Teruo gripped it a little bit tighter at that. "Everything is going to be fine."
Takuya smiled and nodded, but before he could say anything else, he realized just how empty the courtyard was. He winced at the sight. "I think we should get to class now," he said. They were cutting it really close now, and he still had to go and find Chihiro. He knew they had run off in the opposite direction to their classroom, and he had to go and check up on them to make sure they were still feeling up to the idea of attending classes at all. He wouldn't have blamed them for not wanting to be there, but he still had to check on them. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he ignored them now.
"We'll see you at lunch then," Katsuharu told him. He sent a wave in Takuya's direction, and the Warrior of Fire was quick to return the gesture. The investigation team went off in one direction, and Takuya took off in the other. He could only assume Chihiro was planning on hiding out near the soccer field. They had a habit of running off there if they needed time to think, and even if they couldn't kick a soccer ball around to get their frustration out at the moment, it would still offer them the security and isolation they needed to work through their thoughts. That was what they needed, and Takuya was happy to give it to them as long as he could make sure they were alright.
Sure enough, Takuya found Chihiro in a matter of seconds after arriving in the vicinity of the soccer field. They were sitting behind the bleachers and playing with a few rocks resting in the dying grass. They picked up a stone before throwing it as hard as they could, nearly leaving a dent in the dirt along the way. Takuya sat down beside them slowly, trying to not set off their fight response if he could help it. He trusted Chihiro to not lash out at him, but he didn't want to frighten them either.
"Hey," Takuya greeted casually. It was a poor way to start a conversation like this, but it was the best he could think of.
Chihiro reached for another rock and threw it. "Hey," they echoed. Their grip on the stones was strong enough to nearly crush them, and the glare in their eyes could have killed if they were willing to point it in anyone's direction at that moment. They were barely holding themself together, and Takuya could see it. All they wanted to do was curl up somewhere and cry, but as long as that wasn't an option, they were going to just keep throwing rocks.
Takuya took a few moments to let Chihiro think about what to say next before he spoke up. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Once again, it was a poor way of opening a conversation about something Chihiro was so obviously trying to ignore, but it was the best he could do.
Chihiro's bottom lip began to shake immediately, but they did their best to hide it. "I don't know what to do," they admitted. "No matter what, it seems like things just keep getting worse. First, it was the investigation team trying to figure out who we really are. That was bad enough on its own. Then, Yutaka started following us around for some reason we still don't understand. Now, we can't even trust the people we've been relying on this entire time. That's what Saki makes it sound like, at the very least."
Takuya nodded, and Chihiro reached for another rock before hurling it even farther than the previous stones. "I'm so tired of being paranoid all the time," they admitted. "I'm terrified of not being in control, and I haven't been able to control a single thing for the last few months. Everything just keeps getting worse, and we're expected to just sit here and deal with it. I don't know how we can save the world when it feels like we can barely manage our lives without wanting to tear our hair out."
"It's certainly not easy," Takuya agreed. He closed his eyes for a moment, and the wind blew through his hair gently. "I don't think it ever could be. We're doing what's best for the world, but..."
"It's shitty! We shouldn't have to worry about so many people wanting us dead, betraying us, or stalking us!" Chihiro exclaimed. "I'm so tired of all of it! I don't have any energy left because of how scared I am constantly, and even if I had energy, I know it would just end up feeding right back into making me feel worse. There's nothing I can do to make this easier, and it makes me so... Angry! I'm so mad about all of it, but I can't fix it! I just have to sit here and feel shitty because we can't fix it!"
"I wish there was something I could say to make it easier," Takuya admitted. "But I get the feeling nothing is going to fix this until we can just get rid of the mastermind and move on with our lives again."
"It's not going to get better until all three of our problems solve themselves, and that's much easier said than done when two of them are here on Earth. That means we can't just take care of it with a fight, and that's all I want to do right now. I want to punch something until I don't feel anything anymore. I want it all to just... Stop," Chihiro sighed. Their breath came out as a strangled sob, but they did their best to suppress it again. "In the Digital World, I really thought I was getting better. I was making progress. I wasn't afraid all the time. Even when we came back here, Saki was even able to get rid of my parents for me. But now... I feel like I'm just going backwards. I'm getting worse again, and there's nothing I can do about it."
"It's hard," Takuya agreed. "I wish I knew what to do about it. Everything felt so much easier in the Digital World. Even though we were fighting a war and had no idea how it was going to end, we were able to get away from everything we were struggling with here on Earth. We needed space to get better, but..."
"We're right back to where we were before, and that means all that old pain is coming back like nothing happened for us to get better in the first place," Chihiro finished for him. "It's so hard to actually feel like I've been getting better when there's so much going on to make me feel like the opposite is happening. And it's not going to get any better until all of this is over. It's not going to fix itself until the investigation team stops trying to learn about us. It's not going to fix itself until Yutaka decides to stop chasing all of us around because of his power complex. It's not going to fix itself until we can kill the monster behind the Void Fragment attacks once and for all."
"We're going to get there soon," Takuya assured them even if he knew the words were far emptier than either of them would have liked. "I'm going to do what I can to help you, and everybody else will too. I promise."
Chihiro sighed and pushed themself to their feet. "Thanks, Takuya," they murmured. "I guess we should get back to class. I bet our teachers are going to be pissed when they realized we skipped out on the first part of the day."
"Are you ready to go back?" Takuya questioned as he rose to his full height as well.
"I don't know how I could be," Chihiro confessed. "But I don't have time to mope forever. We have to get today over so we can figure out what Saki is up to, and if that means ignoring my feelings for a while, then so be it. Let's just go and get this over with."
Chihiro started back toward the school building a moment later, and Takuya let out a sigh. He wished there was more he could do to help, but he knew nothing was that easy. He shoved down the growing feeling of sickness and hatred for the world before trailing after them, counting down the hours until the day ended all the while.
Please, Saki... Tell me you know what you're doing.
~~~~~
After school ended a few hours later, Koji got on the train and went off to meet with his brother. He and Koichi had already been planning on hanging out to discuss everything they had learned over the last weekend, but the sudden message from Saki had only given them more of a reason to talk. Even though their texts didn't have a way to convey tone easily, Koji could feel Koichi's anxiety a mile away. It wasn't all that dissimilar to his own concerns, and Koji was looking forward to getting all of that off his shoulders.
On the train to the Kimura apartment, Koji tapped one foot against the floor and looked out the window. Even beyond the recent outburst of information about the Digital World, Koji had a lot on his mind. He was worried about Chihiro too and hadn't been able to stop thinking about them all day. They struggled to talk about their feelings on the best of days, and Koji wished he knew how to bridge the gap to reach out to them. They didn't want to talk, and he knew it, so he didn't want to intrude, but he had to wonder if perhaps he should just cast caution to the wind and try to talk to them. After all, that had worked with Koichi, and even if it had been uncomfortable, it had been necessary. He would just have to think about that before classes the next day. Hopefully, Chihiro would be feeling better by then.
The train slid into the station, and Koji grabbed his backpack and started the familiar walk to the Kimura apartment. Over the summer, he had spent tons of time there with his brother, but ever since the school year had started, the twins hadn't been given anywhere near as much time as they would have liked to hang out with each other. That had in part been caused by Koichi's recent anxieties over the Warriors of Void, but now that the truth was out in the open and that issue had been mostly resolved—at least as much as it could be for the time being—there was no reason for Koji to not go and see his brother when he could.
And Koji most certainly wanted to. Even when they didn't have business with the Digital World to discuss, it was nice to be able to spend time with Koichi. They needed a bit of time to talk after everything that had happened recently, and Koji was desperate for the weight to be taken off his shoulders even for just a little while. The Void Fragment investigation was going to really ramp up soon, and he had to be ready for it. That meant making sure he was stable enough mentally to handle whatever the world threw at him next, and resting was the first step to accomplishing that.
Koji reached for his keyring when he arrived outside the Kimura apartment, easily sliding his spare key into the lock. He had been given access to the apartment after he met Tomoko for the first time. She wanted him to be able to come by whenever he wanted to, and Koji was glad for it. He hadn't been given as much time as he would have liked to visit his mother and twin, but that was all going to change. Even if Tomoko wasn't home, Koji was looking forward to this, and he was going to make sure he enjoyed it.
Koichi was sitting on the couch in the apartment when Koji arrived, and he looked up to his twin with a small smile. "Hey, Koji," he greeted. "How are you doing?" He set down the notebook he had been writing in, and Koji realized Koichi had been working on homework prior to his arrival.
"I'm about as fine as I can be," Koji admitted with a loose shrug. He slid his shoes off and sat down next to his brother, letting his head fall backward to rest on the backrest of the couch. "I feel like you already know what I'm going to talk to you about."
"I bet I do," Koichi agreed. "I talked with Hinoka about it at school today, but we can't figure out what could be going on. We know that Saki is staying in the Digital World overnight now, but... I don't know how that could spiral into something like this."
"You wouldn't be the only clueless one," Koji sighed. "I asked Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi about it too. None of them had any ideas as to what this could have been about either. I sent Saki a text this morning, but they haven't gotten back to me. I've been checking my D-Tector all day too, and I can say with certainty that they're still in the Digital World. I don't know if they're even planning on coming back here today."
"It wouldn't surprise me if they were planning on staying over there... But I still don't know why all of this is happening," Koichi murmured. "I can only assume something happened while they were in the Digital World last night, but why keep it a secret if that's the case? We need to know what's going on if we're going to be sure we're keeping our secrets well."
"I know for a fact that there's nobody here on Earth we should be worried about that with," Koji began. "We wouldn't even think of telling people here about the Void Fragments for the sake of their safety and ours. That means they must have been talking about somebody from the Digital World that we shouldn't be sharing our secrets with right now."
"Given the fact that they're in the Digital World right now, I agree," Koichi nodded. "But I don't understand any of this. It feels like this is meant to indicate something massive, but what are we supposed to do about it if Saki isn't coming back to Earth to talk to us about it?"
"The end of that message makes it sound like they have a plan of some kind, but I don't know what it is," Koji muttered. "I guess that's part of the point. If not for that part of the message, I would be running to the Digital World right now to get them to talk, but if this is as serious as they're making it sound, then I don't want to get in the way of whatever they have planned."
"Saki has to be doing this for a reason if they do have a strategy in mind," Koichi agreed. "If there was one thing I learned from my time as a Fallen Warrior, it's that Saki was the team's tactician for a reason. Nobody can match up to their plans when they put their mind to something."
"And that was exactly why they were such a pain in the ass to fight against," Koji snorted. "I'm going to trust them for the time being, but I'm still worried about it. I guess all we can do is wait and see where it goes, but I don't like it."
"You wouldn't be the only one," Koichi sighed. He went quiet for a moment before meeting his brother's gaze fully. "How has everyone been handling the story we heard from Miriamon? I know that was... A lot to take in."
"You can say that again," Koji murmured with a shake of his head. "But I think we're doing well enough. I'm fine, at the very least. I don't like knowing that Lucemon was human, but not knowing wouldn't have changed the fact of the matter. He was always a human, and that's been true since long before any of us were born."
"Though it doesn't matter much anymore... He's gone, and we were the ones responsible for it," Koichi said. He hesitated and winced. "The rest of you were responsible for it, that is. I was already in a coma by that point."
"Yeah," Koji hummed noncommittally. If there was one thing that he hated thinking about, it was his brother's coma from a few months prior. It still haunted him when he let his defenses down far enough, and if Koji was given the option to avoid it forever, he would have taken it in a heartbeat. "There's nothing we can do about it now. He was the one who decided to turn to violence, and we did what we had to in order to save the Digital World. I don't regret it, and I don't think anyone else should either."
Koichi nodded once again. "I'm glad you feel that way... I agree," he confessed. "I suppose it's easy for me to be detached from it since I wasn't there though. I bet this is hitting some of the others hard though."
"It was a lot to take in," Koji agreed. "Though we don't have much time to think about that. It's all in the distant past now, and we can't undo it, especially when the Void Fragment attacks are getting worse. We haven't had any close calls since Hinoka and Chiaki were attacked, but that was enough. Chiaki still isn't back to her normal self. It's only a matter of time before those attacks start targeting the rest of us too."
"I hate how right you are," Koichi whispered. "I don't want to think that we're going to be targeted directly by the Void Fragments, but Hinoka knows firsthand how dangerous all of this is, and we're going to end up in that position whether we like it or not. She hasn’t mentioned it when we’ve talked at school, but I can tell she’s always thinking about it."
"And things are complicated even beyond that," Koji sighed. "Izumi hasn't mentioned her sister in ages, and I can only assume it's because she's trying to not acknowledge that she’s having problems with her. She and Masae have been having issues for a while because Izumi has to keep secrets from her for the sake of keeping her safe from the Digital World. Chihiro is even more paranoid than ever before because of the Void Fragment attacks on top of Yutaka and the investigation team trying to follow us around. I don't know if that's going to get better with anything but violence, as much as I hate to admit it."
"I hope you don't mean violence against the investigation team," Koichi winced. "I don't know them, but they seem nice enough, and I don't want them to end up caught up in all of this. I know I can't exactly prevent that, but..."
"I think it's more of Yutaka and the Void Fragments than anything else. It's enough pressure to make someone feel like they're going to burst, and given how bad Chihiro's paranoia problems have always been, it's just the straw that broke the camel's back," Koji explained. "I don't know what we're going to do about it, but I guess we'll have to address that at some point whether we want to or not."
"It seems like there are a lot of things we don't want to address but have no other choice but to think about," Koichi remarked. He hesitated before speaking once again, and Koji could feel the question coming even before the words were released. "How have things been with you and our father?"
There it was. Koji thought about how he was going to respond for a few beats, but nothing quite felt right. He eventually shook his head and shrugged. "The same as always, I guess," he replied. "He still thinks I'm a temperamental problem child. I still think he's obnoxious for not doing anything to help me when I was struggling. I'm not going to tell him that I know about you under any circumstances. He hasn't earned that right, and I doubt anything is going to change that."
"I'm glad the feeling is mutual then," Koichi sighed. "I don't think I would be able to stand looking at him after everything that happened. Mom is doing better these days, but I know things have been hard for her in new ways ever since I got my concussion. And... He still hasn't done anything to help. He has to know something is going on, but he won't intervene at all. I think I'm always going to hate him for that."
"No skin off my back if you don't want to be around him. I don't want to deal with him either half the time," Koji confessed. "Satomi and I are starting to get along better now, but when your marker for a positive relationship is scaled by how I feel about our father, that's kind of a low bar to clear."
"But it's progress," Koichi pointed out, and Koji nodded. Koichi smiled to himself, though the grin was bittersweet. "I wonder if I would be able to meet her one day. Satomi, I mean. I wouldn't push for it if you thought it wasn't possible, but it's a nice thought to have every once in a while."
Koji nodded, though he didn't really have much of a response for that. It was still a slow, difficult job for him to mend his relationship with Satomi after all the years he had spent shutting her out. Satomi wasn't his mother, and she never would be, but he didn't want to hold grudges against her anymore for something that Kousei held responsibility for. Satomi wasn't the one who refused to give Koji the room he needed to grieve for his mother's supposed death. There was no reason for Koji to hold that against her, and he felt much better after realizing that.
Kousei was a much more complicated subject though. Koji had no idea where he wanted to go with his relationship with his father, but for the time being, he was just tired of fighting all the time. They still had the occasional spat, and while Koji was getting better at shrugging it off and not letting it ruin his day, he didn't want to have to worry about that. He wished he could just get along with his father without the need for dancing around each other, though that was much easier said than done. It was tragic, but what other choice did he have?
Koichi was quick to backpedal when he noticed Koji getting clammy though, and the Warrior of Darkness took his brother's hand with a small smile. "But we're not here to talk about him. We can worry about our father another time," he pointed out. "For now, we need a break from the activity of regular life, and I think we should take it."
"Agreed," Koji nodded. "What do you want to do first? Are we going to wait for Mom before we do anything for dinner tonight?"
"She's going to be off early this evening, so she will be here for dinner," Koichi confirmed. "In the meantime, we can do just about anything we want. I don't know about you, but I need a distraction from the Digital World for a little while. We can think about it later on. Stressing ourselves out about Saki not responding to our messages won't do us any good. They'll get back to us when they can."
"You're right," Koji agreed. "It's time to have some fun. We don't get to do that enough these days."
"It's a shame," Koichi said with a shake of his head. "It really is a shame."
~~~~~
Bokomon paced the length of the meeting room in the fortress, and Neemon watched him with passive, detached eyes. The time had come for them to put their plan into motion, and to say they were anxious felt like the world's greatest understatement. Bokomon hadn't been this afraid since the battle against Lucemon, and he had been hoping to leave that paranoia in the past where it belonged. He had gotten a bit ahead of himself in thinking his life would be peaceful though, and today was proof.
Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three were set to be hosting a meeting with Alastomon and Biastamon in less than ten minutes. Saki had explained their plan in express details in the middle of the night, and none of them had slept since then, too wound up to even bother with trying. Saki had told the Digimon to claim that they had vanished without a trace in the middle of the night, leaving behind no signs of where they had gone or what they were doing. Bokomon had rehearsed a script in his head at least ten times in as many minutes to make sure he didn't mess it up. This entire plan hinged on that lie, and if it fell through, he had no idea how it was going to end. All he knew is it would end badly, and that was motivation enough to make sure he got it right.
Bokomon was absolutely terrified of what could happen if the plan wound up falling through. He had faith in Saki's strategy, of course, but he and the rest of the Digimon were going to be in the same room as a known traitor for this entire discussion. They were counting on the other Digimon leader that had remained loyal to the cause to keep them safe through the power of social graces, and Bokomon hoped with everything he had that it was enough. He needed it to be enough for his own peace of mind.
Patamon was flying by the window, and he let out a gasp before suddenly swooping in and landing on the central table. "They're outside!" he exclaimed. "They'll be up here in about two minutes."
Bokomon swallowed dryly, shoving aside the sudden urge to be sick. He couldn't afford to get cold feet now when so much was counting on him. The good thing about Saki's plan was that he had an excuse if anyone called him out for being nervous. He could just cite Saki's sudden disappearance as a reason for his fear, and nobody would be able to protest beyond that. It was still risky, but it was the best Bokomon was going to get, so he was willing to take it.
Sure enough, Alastomon and Biastamon arrived in the meeting room about two minutes later. Biastamon's expression was grim, and Alastomon wore a frown on his lips. "We received your message," Alastomon began. "You needed to speak with us?"
"We did," Neemon confirmed. He was a surprisingly good actor thanks to his consistent aura of obliviousness, and Bokomon was glad he didn't need to worry about the other Digimon breaking their facade and revealing the plan by accident. "Something happened last night, and we want to talk to you about it."
The two Digimon leaders shared a glance at that before Biastamon spoke up. "What happened?" he questioned, his words fragile like he was afraid of what he was about to hear.
"Saki was staying here in the fortress with us last night," Bokomon started. "They've been here on and off for the last few weeks, and they were here last night... But they randomly went missing in the middle of the night. Normally, they at least leave us a note to say where they're going if they have to go somewhere, but there was nothing. They were here when we went to sleep, but when we woke up in the morning, they were gone."
"We've been trying to contact them, but no messages are going through," Salamon chimed in. "They haven't gotten back to us all day, and it's been ages. We're really starting to worry about what happened to them."
"I see..." Alastomon murmured, nodding to himself. "Do you think anything happened here that would spur Saki to leave of their own free will? I somehow doubt there could have been an attack here at the fortress in the middle of the night without any of you noticing. They must have left on their own terms."
"Maybe they left on their own in the beginning, but the fact that they aren't back here makes me think something is keeping them from returning. It may have been willing at first, but who's to say it is now?" Lopmon asked, his eyebrows furrowed with fear.
"This is quite the dark situation... We need to find out where Saki has gone as soon as possible to bring them back to safety," Alastomon announced. "Perhaps we can discuss everything that has happened over the course of the last few days first. Afterward, we can narrow down what to do next."
The five Digimon guides shared brief glances at that, and Bokomon's stomach finally began to calm down. This was by no means proof they were in the clear, but it was a good sign. If they could drag out this conversation long enough, then they would be able to cover for Saki long enough for them to get their hands on the information they needed. As terrifying as it was, this seemed like it was the best way the meeting could have gone.
With this in mind, Bokomon nodded. "Yes... Let's start from a week ago. We'll share anything you think is necessary as long as it will bring Saki back."
And if it'll reveal which one of you is trying to stab us in the back.
Biastamon closed his eyes in contemplation. "Then let us begin."
~~~~~
Kousei Minamoto was not a man who enjoyed interruptions.
He worked long hours, and when he had a rare day off, he wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. This Monday morning, he had been granted time to himself, and he took this chance to watch as much television as he could stand in between reading law books. One could have considered that to be him working for his job as a lawyer, but he found it interesting enough to justify reading even on his days off. What better way was there to pass the time than to learn more about the world around him?
Kousei had only just settled down with his book after an afternoon snack when a knock came at the door. He frowned and slammed the book shut. He had already fought through calls from work throughout the entire morning even on his day off. The last thing he needed was another interruption. All he wanted was a single day for himself. Was that too much to ask?
Kousei pushed himself to his feet and started toward the door. He hadn't been expecting any guests. He checked the peephole to see if he recognized the person on the other side, but much to his surprise, he didn't know anything about the other party. It was a young man who seemed to be in his twenties. His hair was brown and cut short and close to his face. Something about the young man planted a deep seed of unease in Kousei's stomach, but his curiosity was too much for him to ignore. He reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open.
"Who might you be?" Kousei questioned, his gaze already hardening into a glare. He was halfway expecting the young man to try and sell him something, and if that happened, Kousei would just slam the door in his face. He wasn't above pettiness in situations like these.
"My name is Yutaka Himi," the young man explained. He seemed to notice Kousei's hesitation, and he instinctively stuck one foot out to stop the door from closing in case Kousei tried to push him out. "I'm here because I know something I think you should be aware of."
That was enough to catch Kousei's attention even if he had no idea what to anticipate to hear. He raised an eyebrow, though his expectations remained low. "What exactly are you talking about?" he asked. His grip on the door went stiff, and he prepared to throw it shut the instant Yutaka said anything to dissatisfy him.
"It's about your son," Yutaka said quickly before Kousei could close the door on him.
Kousei's shoulders filled with tension. He certainly hadn't expected here to something like that. Koji had been spending even less time at home than ever before recently, and Kousei would have been lying if he said he wasn't curious about it. Koji would never tell him the truth upfront though, and so, Kousei was left to wonder...
Until Yutaka showed up.
Kousei's lips fell into a thin line. "I'm listening."
~~~~~
Laying low was comically easy with the power of dimensional magic, Saki found.
After explaining the plan for the next few days to Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three, Saki and Miriamon had gone into hiding. They were out of the reach of Alastomon and Biastamon, but they remained close enough to know when the two left for their meeting with the Digimon guides. Sure enough, the two Digimon leaders left around midway through the day to speak with the Legendary Warriors’ guides after receiving a call for help. Everything was going according to plan.
Saki gladly took advantage of their new abilities to use their magic even in human form, and they created illusions to hide behind for both themself and Miriamon as they snuck through the Crystal Citadel. Getting around the guards had been easy enough thanks to invisibility spells, and all that remained now was to try and find any remnants of evidence that would point to who was the traitor. Nobody was allowed in Alastomon or Biastamon's private quarters, so it would be the perfect place to hide something while still keeping it close enough to keep an eye on. That was what Saki was counting on, and they were determined to find at least something to point them in the right direction.
Saki sighed after arriving in Biastamon's room, and they allowed the illusions of invisibility covering themself and Miriamon to fall away. The Arbiter of Souls looked down at her hands, shocked to see them visible again, before glancing in Saki's direction. "I never would have expected you to get the hang of that so quickly," she admitted. "It took me decades to get used to using my magic."
"I had a lot of practice," Saki replied with a loose shrug. "There's one thing Cherubimon was good for when he had all of us possessed. Him making us fight all the time certainly helped us to figure out how to handle our abilities faster than we would have otherwise." They started to look around the room, moving as briskly as possible without catching outside attention from the guards on the other side of the door. "We need to be fast. I don't know how long Bokomon and the others are going to be able to keep them distracted."
Miriamon nodded and started to sift through the items scattered through the room. There was a cabinet of files at the far end of the room, and Saki could only assume Biastamon looked through the contents using psychic powers since he lacked the opposable thumbs to do so normally as a Beast Digimon. They turned their attention to his bedside table and started to look through everything inside, shoving aside any guilt they may have felt about invading someone else's privacy. They knew what had to be done, and if it meant sacrificing the privacy of a potential traitor, then so be it.
Miriamon's fingers moved quickly and clumsily as they looked through the files in the cabinet. She let out an agitated sigh after about two minutes of searching. "I don't see anything," she told Saki. "If there are any suspicious files, they're not in here."
"Maybe he thought that was too obvious," Saki frowned. "Check to see if there are any signs of correspondence with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon over on Inaie. I don't know if they're working together with all of this or not, but I want to double check."
"I don't know if Biastamon is the one behind all of this," Miriamon admitted. "We concluded on Inaie that the residents there were uninvolved with all of this. I would have thought that would be enough, but..."
"That was before Alastomon or Biastamon tried to kill you," Saki countered. "Right now, I'm not counting anything out of the lineup of possibilities. If there's something here that can prove to us who was responsible for the assassination attempt, then we need to find it. If there's nothing in here, then we can look in Alastomon's room."
Miriamon nodded and got back to searching. Saki, meanwhile, felt their fingers brush against something that felt an awful lot like paper in the drawer of the table beside Biastamon’s bed. They pulled it out and started to look through the pages, a small frown on their face. The pages were worn, much more so than they would have thought.
But that was hardly the most notable fact about the papers. When Saki started to read the scrawled writing lining the page, they realized exactly what it was: correspondence with someone planning out the Void Fragment attacks. Saki flicked through the pages to one of the last ones, and they were met with a note that outlined the plan behind Gigadramon's attack against Hinoka. It's too dangerous. We need to get rid of them, it read. Behind that page, there was a note seemingly from Makuramon if the monkey's paw drawing at the bottom of the paper was anything to go off. Saki's eyes widened. This was it.
"Miriamon, I've got it," Saki announced as they glanced over at their partner in crime. "This letter is about the assassination attempt from last night. This is the proof we've been looking for. There's no name for the mastermind here, but I know what it has to be. It was hidden under a bunch of other random items in the drawer."
Miriamon pulled away from the cabinet, and she came over to look at the pages. "You're right..." she murmured. "These are all handwritten too. The other files were all typed up, but this one..."
"It's something the mastermind couldn't risk leaving behind any files about," Saki finished for her. "Biastamon's handwriting can be whatever he wants it to be since he has psychic abilities. He writes through the power of telekinesis and a pen. Nobody would know it if he was trying to disguise the way he really wrote. This is proof of him being a traitor."
"This is what we came here for. We need to take this and get out of here as soon as possible," Miriamon said as she looked over to the door. "I don't even want to imagine what's going to happen if we end up caught here. That's probably just going to prompt the mastermind to attack, and we can't let that happen."
"First, we need to look through Alastomon's room too," Saki told her. "I know that we have to get out of here, but we need to check all of our bases. That means making sure Alastomon doesn't have anything hidden that we could use."
Miriamon nodded as Saki folded up the pages and tucked them away into their pocket. Afterward, they created yet another illusion and used it to make the door appear shut as they slipped out into the hallway again. All the while, the Warrior of Steel's eyes shone bright purple, a stark contrast from the dark brown they were used to. Saki shifted the illusion soon afterward to keep both them and Miriamon obscured from the eyes of any guards roaming the castle. With that, the two took off once again, this time dashing as quickly as they could to Alastomon's room without running the risk of being caught.
Saki pushed the door open behind an illusion and closed it behind themself, allowing the image drop once they were both safely inside the room. They sighed once more and moved to the file cabinet to look through it. Their heart was pounding in their chest from the weight of what they had uncovered in Biastamon's room, and they couldn't seem to calm their nerves no matter how hard they tried. Saki shook their head and forced themself to concentrate once again, focusing on the files above all else. They needed to make sure there was nothing in Alastomon's room that could have pointed back to him too. They had to be careful.
Miriamon, meanwhile, moved to the other table in the room and started to pull at anything she thought could be useful. At the bottom of the drawers, she found nothing that even slightly resembled the handwritten letters Biastamon had left behind. In fact, Alastomon's room was perfectly clean, and there was not a single item out of place to speak of. Miriamon winced as she started to put everything back where it belonged, doing her best to ensure each object was exactly where it had been before. If Alastomon knew they had broken into the citadel, their plans would have collapsed long before they could set this right.
"Nothing," Saki announced after they had finished going through the cabinet. They dashed back to Miriamon's side and touched at their pocket tenderly. "I think that's all we're going to be able to find here. We got what we came here for. Biastamon had these letters in his room, and that has to mean he's involved with the mastermind."
"We can read over the letters after we get out of here," Miriamon nodded. "Come on. Can you teleport us out of here? I don't want to sneak out if we can avoid it."
Saki nodded. They had been forced to sneak inside since Saki didn't know exactly where they would have teleported within the castle due to being unfamiliar with the layout. Now that they had what they needed, they could just use magic to get out and avoid the risk of being caught along the way. Granted, there hadn't been many guards in the castle, and it was almost laughable how easy it had been for the duo to break in. Still, it was a chance they couldn't afford to take any more than they already had.
Saki pressed their hands together in front of their chest, and their eyes flashed purple as energy sparked around their feet. Miriamon stood close as the amethyst light consumed them, leaving behind no evidence they had been there in the first place. The light deposited them in the shadows of a town nearby, and it wasn’t far from the abandoned building the pair had hidden away in the night before. The pair approached the building as quickly as they could, using the shadows to disguise themselves along the way. They snuck into the darkness completely as soon as they were sure nobody was going to follow them, and Saki closed the door behind them once they were inside.
"This is it then," Miriamon murmured as she looked to Saki's pocket where the letters were hidden. The folded pages made Saki's leggings swell awkwardly at their hip, something they quickly remedied by pulling out the paper and unfurling them for a closer look. "Biastamon is the traitor."
"So it seems," Saki hummed. Something about all of this still struck them as wrong, like the truth had come out too easily, but they shoved all their doubts aside as quickly as they could. This was what the evidence had pointed them to, and they couldn't afford to back down now. They had to communicate the truth to the rest of the group as soon as possible. The rest of the Legendary Warriors needed to hear about this.
Saki reached for their phone and stared at it with a thin hiss. Right. They still hadn’t solved the problem of being able to communicate in the Digital World, at least not fully. If they wanted to contact people on Earth, then they needed a stable connection to Earth, and something like that could only be found through a portal that had been set up for such a thing previously. In other words, they would need to go back to the fortress in order to tell the rest of the team what they had found, but there was no way of saying when that was going to be safe. They had to give it more time. They had to wait until Bokomon and Neemon gave them the signal that it was okay to go back. They would contact Saki through their D-Tector once Alastomon and Biastamon were both gone, and Saki could explain everything after that. The rest of the group would just have to wait in suspense for a short while longer.
"Just hold on a little longer," Saki murmured to the screen of her phone. "You'll understand soon. I promise."
~~~~~
Koji was being followed.
He was barely surprised, and he hated that. He held his phone tightly in one hand, refusing to look over his shoulder in case it somehow goaded Yutaka into doing something dangerous. Koji didn't know much about how Yutaka would react when confronted, but he didn't want to risk it. The sun had set early, and Koji didn't want to put up with the other man at the moment regardless of how much he despised Yutaka Himi. He had to be careful, and right now, that meant remaining silent no matter how much he hated it.
When Koji walked into the Minamoto home, he sent a quick text to the rest of the group to say that Yutaka had been following him. He hit send as soon as the door shut behind himself, and he glanced up to find Kousei and Satomi both staring at him with unreadable but undoubtably negative expressions. Raika was nowhere to be seen, and she didn't bound up to greet her best friend.
The atmosphere was thick and hot, and Koji put his phone away slowly, not wanting to provoke anyone into saying something they would regret. "What's going on?" Koji asked slowly. His heart was screaming in his chest, and every instinct in his body told him to run.
Kousei took a step forward, and his rage finally boiled over. "Koji, what have you done?" he asked, and the Warrior of Light felt his heart sink into his feet and then even deeper into the ground beyond them. He glanced over to Satomi on instinct, but she looked away from him, her cheeks pale and her eyes empty.
Koji wanted to say something, but the words refused to come. Instead, Kousei pulled his arm from behind his back, and when he did, he revealed something that made Koji's world splinter.
It was the photo he kept of himself, Koichi, and Tomoko in his room. It was from the day they had all met after he returned from the Digital World.
Kousei had found the picture.
"Koji, why didn't you say anything?" Kousei went on, his voice rising in volume uncomfortably quickly. "Why didn't you say that you knew about your brother and mother?!"
And just like that, Koji's world shattered.
Notes:
The cliffhangers just get worse!
Okay. This chapter is a lot to take in. We're getting into the thick of everything now, and I cannot say enough how much I'm looking forward to it. I'm in love with this story. I think about it every single day, and I regret none of it.
Let's get right into the dissection since there's a lot to chew on here. The rest of the Legendary Warriors have no idea what Saki is up to, and they're scared out of their minds... Something that only makes Chihiro's paranoia worse. They're only struggling more as the days go by, and it ends with them running off after sharing their theories with Izumi and Koji. They don't know enough to come to any meaningful conclusions about what Saki is up to, but they're still terrified. They ran off when the investigation team showed up, so they couldn't even see that the group has been holding back because of what happened to Chiaki. Poor Chihiro. They just can't catch a break.
I liked writing the scene of them with Takuya out on the soccer field too. I love the dynamic these two have. They really are best friends, and Chihiro's issues are both an excuse for them to spend time together and a note of character regression. They're falling back on only spending time with Takuya even after getting so close with the other members of the group. It's an unfortunate paradox, and they deserve better.
Next up, we've got the scene with Koji and Koichi. That scene really has a different feel when you've finished the chapter, huh? They talk about their father a lot without knowing what's coming. This is the happiest they've been together since the start of the book now that Koichi isn't hiding his feelings quite so much, but everything is about to blow up in their faces. They get to relax a little bit, or at least as much as they can as long as they're still worried about everything with Saki. I thought this would be the perfect scene to contrast with the ending of the chapter, and... Yeah. It definitely is.
Speaking of Saki, their plan goes into effect throughout this chapter, starting off with Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three talking with Alastomon and Biastamon. It kind of happens in the background since the details aren't important, but it's exactly what Saki and Miriamon need. Bokomon is absolutely terrified, and understandably so. All's well that ends well though... At least for now.
Saki and Miriamon were able to get their hands on the evidence they were looking for too. The letters in Biastamon's room show that he's the traitor. Twist time! This chapter is a big one, and this scene is one reason for it. I really like the dynamic between Saki and Miriamon here, though I wish they had time to be normal siblings instead of just panicking constantly while trying to figure out who's out for their blood. That'll have to wait until later, I suppose, because right now, they have a traitor to expose, and the rest of the group will hear about it soon enough.
Okay. Fine. I'll talk about the ending twist too. Kousei knows that Koji knows about Koichi and Tomoko now. Yutaka told him. Yutaka has been following around the group for ages now, and he would figure out the truth eventually. To put it simply, that puts Koji in an absolutely awful position. This is one thing I've been waiting to bring up since the story started, and... Yep. Here it is. Back when I thought this was going to be a standalone story with just the first book, I had it planned that Koji and Kousei were going to try and mend their relationship after the end of Frontiers Unexplored. Thanks to this being a series though... Yeah, that didn't happen. Now, Koji gets to have the worst crisis of his life. He's had it too good for too long throughout this book.
For the sake of letting the cliffhanger sit with you guys, I'm going to leave things off here. Next week, we're going to pick up with the nightmare the Legendary Warriors are currently living through. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 37: Breaking Point
Summary:
Koji grapples with the weight of his father's revelation. Meanwhile, Mayumi and Haroi chart a course for the Digital World to find the missing Saki.
Chapter Text
"Well?" Kousei pressed as he took another step forward. "How long have you known about this? Why didn't you say anything? Koji, what's going on?!"
Koji just stared, his eyes flickering back and forth between Kousei and Satomi in a wild frenzy. Kousei was too close, and Satomi was too quiet. He didn't understand. He had been so sure that everything was fine. He had thought Kousei wouldn't invade his personal space to check on the picture. He had hidden it on the other side of the frame he had been using to store Tomoko’s old picture for years. Why had Kousei gone so far? How had he known to look there in the first place?
"How did you...?" Koji questioned, the words coming out frail and breakable. If Koji spoke too loudly, he was going to crumble. He could feel it from the tightness in his chest, the lack of air in his lungs, and the shakiness of his knees. He was going shatter, and he had no idea what to do about it.
"I was visited by someone today who said you knew something you shouldn't have," Kousei went on. "I wasn't sure of what he was talking about, but I see it now. You know about your mother and brother, and you hid it from us. I didn't want to believe that you were hiding this, but here we are. Yutaka was right."
Yutaka.
And suddenly, everything made sense.
Yutaka had been following him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors around for ages by now. Koji hadn’t realized it would run this deep, but clearly, it did. Yutaka had been following them more than Koji realized. Yutaka knew just about everything a person could want to know about them aside from the fact that they were part Digimon. He had been stalking them for ages. If Koji had thought Yutaka wouldn't stoop so low as to tell their parents about things behind their backs, then he had clearly been mistaken. Yutaka had been wanting to hurt all of them from the start, and now, he had the perfect opportunity to do so.
Kousei's irritation only continued to rise as Koji refused to offer him an answer. Kousei took another step forward, and Koji's back pressed against the door. He was trapped. "Well?" Kousei asked again. Koji looked to Satomi, desperately trying to figure out what she knew or how she had uncovered it, but she remained silent and motionless. Kousei, on the other hand, was just too close, and the Warrior of Light's chest grew tighter. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like the world was on the verge of destroying itself with him still inside. He had to get away. He had to be safe. He had to—
Koji ran.
He wasn't entirely sure of where he was running or what he was going to do, but he was confident that he had to get away. Kousei's presence was stifling and suffocating, and every loss of Koji's space was another punch to the stomach that only made him feel worse. He didn't even bother to ask questions about where Raika was or how he was supposed to reconcile with the fact that his father was now aware that he had been keeping so may secrets. He just had to escape his father for a little while longer. He needed time to himself. He needed to be okay even though he knew nothing was ever going to be okay again, not as long as Kousei knew the truth.
Koji reached for his phone and started to send a text to Koichi, his fingers fast and frantic. Koji barely processed what he was saying above the panic in his mind and the spinning of his vision. He was confident that one of the other Warriors of Light was instructing his hands to ask Koichi for help while Koji himself continued to collapse in like a star on the verge of death. He certainly wasn't the one strong enough to be of any help with all of this. All Koji wanted to do was hide and wait until this nightmare ended even though he knew that ship had sailed the instant Yutaka had arrived at the Minamoto home earlier that day.
Cna I come over tnoight?
Koji ignored the typos in his plea of a text as he hit send, continuing to dart away from his house as quickly as possible. He could hear Kousei and Satomi crying out for him in the distance, but he didn't look back, instead just allowing muscle memory to guide himself to the nearest train station. The sun had set early on account of the autumn season, but the station would still be open for a while longer. He just had to get there and then go to see his brother.
Koji's phone went off, and he looked down to see a response from Koichi. Thank goodness his brother had replied so soon. Even so, Koji could barely read the message around the tears in his eyes:
Yes. What's going on? Are you okay? Why do you ask?
That was all it took for any other defenses Koji had to come crumbling down, every wall falling with him trapped under the rubble. He couldn't hold back his sobs any longer, and he forced his fingers to move against the panic in his chest. He needed to keep moving. He had to run, but he couldn't convince his body to move. Nothing wanted to cooperate with him, not as long as he had done so much to stab his father in the back. He had kept a secret, and he was being punished for it inside and out.
I'll explian when I gt thre.
Koji hit send again and wondered if perhaps he would feel better if he called his brother. At the same time, he couldn't bring himself to entertain the idea too much, knowing that he would have barely been coherent at all. Something in the back of his mind told Koji that he was having a panic attack, but he ignored the whispers of his brain to instead just focus on getting to the train station. He could worry about all of this when he was safe. He could worry about this when he was with his brother and mother, his true family.
Koji bought a ticket quickly and quietly, his body acting without his commands as he retreated into his own mind. He wasn't certain which of the Warriors of Light had taken control to look after their shared body, but he didn't ask questions about it either, too distracted with keeping himself from openly hyperventilating or crying to bother. Another piece of his mind told him that he was dissociating now, and while that wasn't much better than having a panic attack, Koji was willing to take it. At least that would shut off the awful feeling of tension and terror in his chest. If it would give him peace, no matter how brief, he needed it.
Koji sat down on one of the benches of the train as soon as it arrived, and he thanked the universe for its mercies in not making him wait too long. The longer he was left on his own, the worse he felt. He needed to get back to his brother and mother. He didn't know what would happen if he was abandoned to the horrors of his own thoughts for any longer than he already had been, but it was a thought best left ignored. He was going to be fine. He just needed to be patient.
The conductor of the train announced that they were departing soon, bit Koji didn't even bother to listen. He knew the stop that would take him to the Kimura apartment by heart, and he had never been happier for it. The car was largely empty, and Koji made sure everyone else on the train was busy before he pressed his face into his hands, covering his eyes as much as he could. The tears refused to stop now, flowing freely down his cheeks and leaving his face irritated and reddened. Koji couldn't bring himself to care about how he looked or what people would think of him though; he was just glad to be away from his house. He was just glad to be away from the piercing glare of Kousei and the detached fear of Satomi.
He wouldn't be able to escape his father forever though. Sooner or later, Koji was going to have to tell the truth about knowing about Koichi. Well, he would have to tell part of the truth. He couldn't just tell his father about the Digital World. That was out of the question, especially given the increased frequency of Digimon attacks over the course of the last few months. Koji would have to come up with some lie about how he found his brother and mother, and he would need to do it as soon as he got home.
But that was something that could wait as far as Koji was concerned. Right then, he was just focused on surviving, and so, he continued to cry silently into his hands. He hadn't cried like this since Koichi had woken up from his coma. Koji liked to think of himself as someone who didn't cry often primarily because of how much it exhausted and drained him. Anger had always been easier than letting his sadness and grief run rampant, and so, he turned to rage in his hour of need.
But now, Koji couldn't even bring himself to be angry with Yutaka. He was just terrified. If Yutaka had gone behind his back to tell his father that he was aware of Koichi's existence, then what else had he said? Did Yutaka know about him being one of the human monsters as the media had come to call them? What other secrets was he keeping about the Legendary Warriors?
Koji's mind hadn't stopped racing even when he arrived at the station that would lead him to the Kimura apartment. He got off the train quickly, darting through the station and putting all of his miserable adrenaline to good use. He would be okay soon. He had to be. If he could just get into the Kimura apartment, then everything would be alright. He would be home. He would be safe.
Koji's fingers fumbled clumsily for his spare key when he got to his destination, and he jammed it into the lock as soon as he could find the dexterity. Koichi and Tomoko were both talking in the kitchen when Koji finally got inside, and they fell silent as soon as they realized he had arrived. The room went perfectly still, and Koji watched them for a few seconds, his heart screaming in his ears.
But that was all it took for Koji's knees to finally give way beneath him. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, his arms cradling his torso as gently as he could manage in his state of breakdown. Koichi and Tomoko rushed forward to hold him, and Koji happily melted into their grasp. He had been wrong to assume that finding them would bring him salvation right away, but he was feeling better already. As long as he had the two of them there at his side, he would find a way to be okay. He just had to.
"Koji, what happened?" Tomoko questioned. She rubbed gentle circles across Koji's back, and he grounded himself against her fingers. She was there with him, and she would make sure he was safe. He just wished he could believe it so easily.
"Dad... He..." Koji began, the words faltering and flaking away from his lips like ashes on the wind. He couldn't stop the sobs that wracked his body again a moment later, and he shook his head. "H-He found out... He knows."
Koichi's eyes went wide, and Koji continued, a new wave of adrenaline crashing against his body and nearly ripping him apart in the process. "I-I got home, and he was waiting for me. He said s-someone had come by to tell him that I k-knew about you, and he started y-yelling, and I just... I couldn't be there anymore. I had to g-get away."
"Oh, Koji..." Tomoko whispered. She took his hand in her own and squeezed it gently. "Can you breathe with me? In and out... In and out..."
Koji followed his mother's instructions for a few minutes, though it took an agonizingly long time for him to finally bring himself back to the present again. He swallowed back his lingering fears and sighed, allowing his body to melt into Tomoko's arms fully. She continued to rub circles on his back, and Koji forced that to be enough to pull him back to the present.
When Koji had finally managed to calm himself for the most part, he let out a heavy sigh. His eyes were still filled with tears, and he was exhausted from his sudden flight from the Minamoto household, but he was feeling a little bit better. He shook his head and pressed his eyes closed. "I... C-Can I stay here for tonight? I can't g-go back yet... I just c-can't," he murmured, the words shattering again and again with each passing moment.
"Of course," Tomoko assured him. "We were just about to have some food, but I'll set out an extra portion for you. It's going to be okay, Koji. We can figure out what to do in the morning. You don't need to worry about that right now."
Koji nodded, and he allowed Tomoko to guide him to the couch. She retreated back to the kitchen to make food from there, and Koji leaned his head over on Koichi's shoulder when his brother sat down beside him. Koichi continued to hug Koji as tightly as he could stand, and the Warrior of Light let out a strangled sigh. "It was Yutaka," he whispered.
Koichi froze on the spot. "What?" he asked, all the color draining from his face in the blink of an eye.
"The one who told Dad that I know about you... It was Yutaka," Koji explained. "I don't know why he decided to do it now, but Yutaka... He was the one who did it. Dad told me himself. Yutaka's been gathering information as he stalks us, I guess."
"Damn it," Koichi muttered. He shook his head and pulled Koji in a bit tighter. "Mom is right. We can figure out what to do tomorrow. For right now, you need to rest. We're going to find a way to find a way out of this. I promise."
Koji nodded. "Thanks," he murmured. He would have been lying if he said he didn't hear the underlying dread in Koichi's voice. Of course he did. He knew his brother well enough to understand when Koichi was afraid, and right now, they were both terrified. Yutaka's involvement only made the situation worse for them both, and it opened countless questions about where the Legendary Warriors were meant to go next as long as their covers had potentially been blown. If Yutaka knew this, then what else did he know too? What else would he say if he was provoked in even the slightest way?
There was no peace for the Legendary Warriors. Koji should have known this. And yet, the reminder still caught him off guard, and all he could do was cry and hope the fear went away soon.
It never did.
~~~~~
For the fifteenth time in the last hour, Mayumi checked her phone.
More than sixteen hours had passed since Saki's last message in the group chat with the Legendary Warriors. They had told the rest of their team to not trust anyone, and after that, they had gone completely silent. No matter how many times Mayumi checked the chat, she was never greeted with a new message or an explanation for Saki's sudden lack of responses. She kept hoping there would be something, anything, that would ease her fears, but she was disappointed each time.
Mayumi wanted to send another text. She wanted to ask if everything was okay or if there was something she could do to help, but she knew the answer would be neither. If Saki was okay, then they would have said something by now. If there was something she could do to help, then she would have already been made aware of it. All she could do now was have faith that Saki knew what they were doing no matter how much the suspense was killing her. Mayumi didn't think she had ever been this afraid, and the paranoia and horror was like a knife against her throat, a constant threat even when she was able to breathe against the blade.
"Still nothing?" Haroi asked from his place on the couch next to her. She didn't know why he was bothering to ask; the answer was going to be the same as it had been all day. They had both checked countless times for any signs of a response from Saki, and they had always been met with nothing. Why would this time be any different?
Mayumi sighed and nodded. "I'm getting really worried," she murmured. "I know Saki can handle themself, but it's not like them to send something like that and then just go completely silent... Maybe we should do something to help them."
"It's too late for us to go to the Digital World tonight," Haroi pointed out. "We still have school tomorrow, and if we go to the Digital World right now, we're probably not going to sleep all night. I'm worried about Saki too, but..."
"We can go in the morning before school then," Mayumi suggested. "If they still haven't gotten back to us twenty-four hours after the message was sent, then we can go and find them ourselves. I know they said that they have a plan, but why would it take them this long to fill us in? What could have possibly gone so wrong that they're being forced to stay quiet about it for this long? It's a bad sign, and I'm tired of just sitting here feeling scared. We have to do something about it."
Haroi thought about it for a moment before nodding. "If we're going to sneak off to the Digital World before school starts, then we're going to need to get some sleep as soon as possible," he told her. "We need to go to bed early so that we're not completely exhausted when we go to help Saki."
"I can do that," Mayumi nodded. "I'll do just about anything at this point to make sure they're safe. All of this is giving me an awful feeling I just can't shake, and I refuse to sit with it any longer than I already have. We have to help them. I just... I need to make sure they're alright."
"I understand," Haroi agreed. "If we're a bit late to school, then so be it. As long as we can make sure Saki is safe, it'll be worth it... But first, we have to get some rest. We won’t be able to help anyone if we're exhausted."
Mayumi hummed at that, wishing Haroi was wrong. She checked her phone one more time, finding nothing there that would be able to help her to understand what was happening with the Warrior of Steel. It was an unsurprising result, but the cut was bitter and deep regardless. "I'm glad worrying all day drained me so much," she admitted softly. "That certainly makes this next part of having to sleep much easier."
"Then let's get to bed," Haroi said. "We have a lot to do tomorrow, and school doesn't have anything to do with it anymore."
Mayumi nodded, tucking her phone into her pocket before starting off toward her bedroom. No matter how many times she read over the message Saki had sent—reminded herself that they had a plan—it was never quite enough to make her feel better. She knew Saki was in trouble, and she would do anything to make sure they were okay.
She finally had a family of seventeen, and she refused to let that number drop.
~~~~~
Hours upon hours went by before Saki and Miriamon were safe enough to return to the fortress. Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three had been able to take care of their end of the plan, and they had successfully distracted Alastomon and Biastamon long enough for the reconnaissance mission to go off without a hitch. Still, Saki and Miriamon waited for as long as they possibly could before going back to the fort, not wanting to risk being caught when they had just managed to grasp victory. If they were caught back there after the Digimon had claimed they had gone missing, then all of them would have been in more trouble than they knew how to fight off. They were taking enough chances as it was, and Saki didn’t want to see it get worse than had already been proven absolutely necessary.
Saki let their hand drop as they appeared with Miriamon in the entryway of the fortress. They sighed and offered a glance to the front door over their shoulder. Coming in via teleportation was safer and didn't draw any attention from the outside world in case there were spies lurking outside, but the paranoia from the night before still ate away at their nerves. No matter how many times they told themselves everything was fine, they still feared being watched. They couldn't let the plan fall apart now. They had come too far to let something like that happen. Everyone had.
"I'm so glad to see you two are okay!" Bokomon exclaimed as he came dashing down the stairs as quickly as his tiny legs could stand. He crashed straight into Saki, and the Warrior of Steel sunk into a crouch to embrace him and the rest of the Digimon guides as the quintet bombarded them. Bokomon looked up at Saki with watery, tearful eyes as he continued. "Were you able to do it? Did you find what you were looking for?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Saki nodded. They reached into their pocket as soon as the embrace around them was dispelled, and they held up the folded letters they had acquired in Biastamon's room. "I read over these earlier while we were waiting to come back to the fort. I can say with certainty now that we were right about there being a traitor among our allies. These letters were found in Biastamon's room, and as far as I can tell, they're correspondence and communication between the mastermind of the Void Fragments and those working under them."
"Biastamon was the traitor, huh?" Lopmon questioned, and Saki hesitated before nodding. Lopmon looked off to the side, an uncertain frown on his face. "I... I don't know how I feel about that."
"You wouldn't be the only one," Saki admitted in return. "But the evidence doesn't lie. This is clearly a sign of someone planning something awful. The mastermind was in contact with many other Digimon who were helping them to orchestrate the Void Fragment attacks. We even found a letter here between the mastermind and Makuramon, the one responsible for the assassination attempt on Rubrum last night. They were planning to attack Miriamon to keep her quiet for the exact reasons we anticipated. This is the proof we've been looking for, and as far as I can tell, it's going to push us forward to finally end this nightmare once and for all."
"I don't like how Biastamon is the traitor," Neemon confessed. "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right to me. We heard so much about him after first meeting him, and I didn't think he would be the type to stab us in the back like this. Does it bother anyone else?"
"Yeah," Miriamon admitted with a shake of her head. "We heard a lot about him while we were on Inaie, and hearing that he's a traitor now just... I don't know. It doesn't sit well with me. I know there's nothing we can do to change it now though. The letters were found in his room, and that means he must have been at least vaguely involved with all of this. Even if he's not the mastermind, he was clearly speaking with those who were behind all of this. The letters are proof of it."
"We need to share these with the rest of the Legendary Warriors as soon as possible," Saki announced. "I understand why everyone is unsure, but we have to stay focused. I would be lying if I said I liked what we found, but this is what we've been given, and we have to go with it until we see some evidence that this was all wrong."
"I feel like there's more to this than meets the eye, but we'll just have to see," Patamon murmured. "I was hoping he would be our ally... Then again, I was hoping for that with Alastomon too, and one of them must have betrayed us. The letters..."
"We don't have any other evidence right now. That's all we have, and it has to be true... Right?" Salamon asked. Everyone went quiet at that, exchanging nervous glances but not daring to speak up on the matter. They knew where they stood, and whether they wanted to admit it or not, Biastamon appeared to be the traitor. They could deny it all they wanted, but that was the path that had been presented to them. They had no choice now but to face it and bring this nightmare to an end.
Saki took in a thin breath and pushed it out through their nostrils. "We can talk to the others about this tomorrow. I want to stay in hiding for a little bit longer so we don't blow our cover by accident. I told all of them that I have a plan and that they just need to trust me. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep them from getting involved and revealing our gambit prematurely."
"I understand," Miriamon nodded. "If we come out of hiding too soon, then Alastomon and Biastamon are going to get suspicious, and that's not something we can deal with right now. We can wait until tomorrow, explain everything to them, and then mount a counterattack."
"Besides, if they realize we took the letters, then someone is going to get upset, and I don't want to be made the target of another late-night assassination attempt," Saki sighed. "We can leave it alone for now, and we'll see what to do tomorrow. I don't want to leave this be for too long, of course, but..."
"We understand," Bokomon assured them with a shake of his head. "You and Miriamon should leave this place just to be safe. It would probably be for the best if you hid where you were before for the night. We can come back together tomorrow and come up with a plan of what to do next."
Saki nodded and turned to Miriamon. "Are you ready?" they questioned, and Miriamon hesitated before nodding. Saki glanced back to the rest of the Digimon. "We'll be in touch. Stay as safe as possible, okay? We don't know what's going on, and we have to be careful."
"Of course," Lopmon said. "We'll look forward to hearing from you again tomorrow."
Saki took in a careful breath and pressed their hands in front of their chest, creating a flash of purple light around their feet. The glow consumed them and Miriamon in a matter of seconds, leaving behind no signs they had been there in the fortress at all. When the light faded once again, they were back in the abandoned building the had been hiding in the night before. Saki did a quick check outside to make sure nobody had found them, and once they were sure they were safe, they let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the floor.
Miriamon sat down as well, leaning her head against the wall behind her. "I have a weird feeling about all of this," she admitted. "I don't know. It just feels like all of this is too convenient and easy. Biastamon was nothing but kind to us, and... I know the same applies to Alastomon, but I'm worried. It feels like this isn't right."
"We should talk to the others about it when tomorrow comes," Saki agreed. "I would be lying if I said I liked what we found today. Of course I don't like it. Nobody wants to admit they were betrayed by someone they trusted. At the same time though... These letters talk about the attempt on your life. There was someone out for your blood, and the two of them are the only ones who would have had the information that would lead to someone wanting you dead. This is what we have right now, and we have to go with it."
Miriamon nodded once again despite her reservations, and she allowed her eyes to fall shut. "I'm exhausted, but I don't know how I'm going to sleep," she confessed. "I'll figure something out though. We have too much ahead of us tomorrow to stay up all night."
"You can say that again," Saki hummed. They stared up at the ceiling of the building for a few moments, wondering darkly just how they had gotten to this point. They had hoped to leave their lack of trust in others and their struggles with opening up to people in the past, but here they were. Somehow though, Saki felt at peace with it. They didn't like this outcome, but they weren't anywhere near as afraid of it as they would have expected themself to be. Maybe the truth hadn't truly sunk in yet. It was hard to say. They would figure that out when morning came.
In the meantime, Saki laid down on the hard ground of the building and sighed once more. They were exhausted, and it didn't matter how uncomfortable their accommodations for the night were. They needed sleep, and they were going to get it one way or another.
Part of them hoped they would wake up from this nightmare of treachery when morning came. They already knew that wasn't going to happen though. Nothing was ever that easy, especially for the Legendary Warriors.
~~~~~
To put it simply, the air was heavy and awkward.
Izumi didn't know what she had expected. She hadn't been able to share a meal with her sister in quite a while between her work as a Legendary Warrior and her paranoia about what would happen if Masae pushed her too hard. Izumi had tried her best to distract herself so she wouldn't have to think about how complicated her relationship with Masae had become these last few months, but it didn't mean much in the long run. Masae still wanted to ask questions, and Izumi still couldn't say anything to ease her fears.
The two ate in tense silence for much of dinner. Izumi had prepared something somewhat nice for them since their father was out late working, but she knew better than to think a single meal would be enough for her to fully earn her sister's forgiveness. What Masae wanted was honesty, but that was the one thing Izumi couldn't offer. It was too great a risk, and Izumi wished with everything she had that she could fix it even though that would be too easy.
They had gone through a few simple questions at the start of dinner, asking one another how their days had gone. They didn't offer detailed answers though, instead just giving one or two words in response. Izumi was desperate to just ask what she could do to make it up to her sister, but she knew that wasn't going to help her situation at all. If anything, it would probably just upset Masae more. And so, she resolved to eat in silence instead, wishing the quiet didn't have a death grip on her body inside and out.
"Why are you hiding so much from me?"
Izumi only had about five bites left of her food when Masae broke the tension hanging around them. The question immediately drained the remainder of Izumi's appetite, and she almost dropped her fork from sheer shock. She wanted to answer honestly, to say that she was trying to keep her sister safe no matter what it took, but the words died away on her lips. It was too dangerous for her to tell the truth. It was too dangerous to even say she was trying to protect Masae from forces beyond their control. Izumi didn't know what would happen if the wrong person figured out that she was a Legendary Warrior, but she couldn't risk it either. Hinoka had been attacked directly because of her identity since people in the Digital World knew the truth. Izumi refused to put herself or her sister in danger by talking about her secrets any more than she absolutely had to.
And so, Izumi returned to the game she knew so well. She pressed a smile on her face and pretended the action didn't feel like acid against her fragile heart. "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine," she tried to assure her sister. She attempted to take one of her remaining bites of food despite the way her stomach was twisting in her torso, threatening to destroy her from the inside out if she pushed herself too far.
"You're lying," Masae countered immediately. Her gaze hardened into a glare as she leaned forward by a few inches. "You've been lying to me constantly for months now, and you expect me to just... Be okay with that? The last time you were hiding so much, you could have died. I don't know how to tell you that I'm not going to let you get away with hiding so much after what happened back then. I'm worried about you, Izumi, and you won't let me do anything to help. What, do you not trust me? Are you scared of talking to me?"
"That's not it at all," Izumi tried to reassure her even though she knew it was pointless. The words refused to come easily, and she opened her mouth before pressing her lips together repeatedly, though she never found what she was searching for. In the end, she forced herself into silence once again, refusing to meet her sister's eyes.
"Then what is it?" Masae questioned, her voice cracking at the edges. "I just want you to be honest with me, Izumi. I'm scared. I don't know how many times I can tell you that before you'll finally get it. I don't want you to get hurt, but I can't help you if you don't let me. Please, just... Just give me the chance."
Izumi bit down on her bottom lip. It shouldn't have been her sister's problem. Izumi had gotten better about accepting help from other people, but it still didn't feel right for her to place so much on Masae's shoulders. Izumi was the one who should have been looking after Masae, not the other way around. Masae deserved better than to have to deal with this. Even if it didn't place her sister in danger, Izumi still wouldn't have wanted to tell her the truth, not when it could have been too much for Masae to handle. She was the older sister. She was supposed to set a good example. She was supposed to keep her sister safe, damn it, even if the monster and the threat was Izumi herself.
Masae was able to sense that she wasn't going to be receiving the answer she wanted, and she let out a sigh that broke Izumi's heart in two. "I just want you to be honest," Masae whispered, the words so raw that Izumi could have mistaken them for a knife to the chest. The Warrior of Wind watched Masae for a few moments, tears welling up in her own eyes, before the younger girl rose to her feet and walked out, leaving Izumi alone at the kitchen table.
Izumi waited until she heard the distant tapping of Masae's door when it closed behind her. Afterward, she allowed herself to start crying in full, burying her face in her arms and slumping over the table, her food forgotten. She just wanted to help her sister, but she couldn't do that as long as she had to lie. She wanted to keep Masae safe, but in doing so, she was only making the rift between them larger. She couldn't even protect those she cared about without somehow messing it up.
Izumi remained there at the kitchen table for a long time, crying until she had no choice but to get up to wipe at her face with a tissue. She put the dishes from dinner in the sink slowly and silently, and once she was finished, she retreated to her bedroom and practically collapsed onto her mattress. Her tears rushed back as soon as she was alone in the comfort of her room, and all Izumi could do was sit there and sob. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did it have to be this way?
She knew why. She just wished she could make Masae understand too.
~~~~~
He was there again.
It wasn't surprising to Flamemon at all. Or, at the very least, it shouldn't have been. He had fought off this dream countless times over the course of the last few months. It was only getting worse though. It felt like nearly every night these days dropped him off here to wait for the end of his life.
Duskmon stood at the far end of the train station's platform, and deep gray smoke swirled around his feet. Blood fell from his blade, leaving behind ominous echoes of endless dripping in Flamemon's mind. The Warrior of Fire clapped his hands over his ears on pure instinct, unable to bring himself to move beyond that. He was so, so tired. He couldn't fight anymore. He had forgotten how.
The world was made of static around him, but Flamemon didn't dare to bring it into focus. If he dragged others into this nightmare, then he would never forgive himself. He would be fine. He just had to stay focused. It was just a dream. He knew it was just a dream...
Then why couldn't he stop it?
Flamemon sunk to his knees, and all chances of escape were thrown out the window as if they had ever existed in the first place. Duskmon's blade continued to drip blood onto the steel floor below, and Flamemon forced himself to not think about where the liquid had come from. It was Koji's blood. Koji had taken a hit for him. Koji had known there was a chance he would die, but he jumped in front of the blade anyway. He had been a fool for thinking his optimism and good heart would be enough to save the world, but Koji had seen the truth.
If Duskmon's hand hadn't been swayed to mercy at the last second, Koji would have died.
It should have been Flamemon instead.
A train passed between Duskmon and Flamemon, and the Warrior of Fire breathed heavily as he saw Duskmon's silhouette appear in brief flashes between the cars of the train as they whirred by. After about four cars though, Duskmon vanished, and the other side of the station was left empty. Flamemon felt the air leave his lungs, and the world around him began to blur from a loss of oxygen and from the formation of tears. Where had he gone? How could he escape this nightmare? Why couldn’t he run away? Why couldn’t he tell Duskmon to just leave him alone? Why couldn't Flamemon speak those words out loud?
The next drop of blood came from behind Flamemon, and he forced himself to whirl around despite the agony that shrieked through his body with every movement. He looked up just in time to see Duskmon standing there, his sword raised high. Flamemon didn't even try to run. He knew he wouldn't have the energy even if he wanted to. So instead, he just raised his arms high—
As the sword came down—
~~~~~
And he woke up in his room.
Takuya sat up quickly, adrenaline coursing through his veins at breakneck speeds. He pressed his hands against his chest to make sure no gaping wound was going to greet him, and when he found himself uninjured, he let out a sigh. That wasn't enough to fully calm him though, and his hands continued to shake despite his best efforts to calm himself. The trembling soon spread to the rest of his body, and Takuya collapsed gracelessly into his bed, pulling his blankets in close like he thought they would save him from the potential of death that had come with his dream.
Takuya forced himself to breathe slowly when he recognized fully that he was in no danger, but that was much easier said than done. Each time he blinked, the backs of his eyelids would play his dream back to him, reminding him of how close he had come to death at the hands of Duskmon. Even if his trip to the world of the Dark Trailmon had all been a figment of his imagination, a manifestation of his darkest demons, he still remembered it like it had really happened. He had felt trapped, and when he recalled it all... He couldn't escape then either.
Takuya stared up at the ceiling, only blinking when his eyes felt like they were going to rupture from the force with which he was glaring at the world above him. Part of him was considering going and getting Chihiro or Shinya just for the sake of having somebody there to talk to him after all of that. Shinya wouldn't be able to understand what he had endured on account of not knowing about the Digital World, but it would be nice to have someone with him.
As soon as the thought entered Takuya's mind, he threw it out. Getting Shinya was pointless since it would just get his brother to ask questions about what had woken him up in the first place. As for his other option, Takuya would feel guilty for waking Chihiro up given how many issues they had been having with their paranoia as of late. He needed to be there for them, not the other way around. They needed him, and he needed to support them however he could.
All of the Legendary Warriors were struggling, as a matter of fact, and Takuya couldn't force them to do anything for him. They needed his help, and he was happy to offer it. Takuya wasn't suffering in the same ways his friends were, and so, he would give them what they required whenever they asked. He would be fine. He just needed to get one night of good sleep, and then everything would come back together. He had been enduring this nightmare too often for too long, but he would be okay. He had to be.
Takuya reached for his phone, hissing when the bright light flooded his eyes. 2:56 AM. In other words, it was much too early for him to be getting up for the day. He would just have to go back to sleep. He would be fine. He just needed to calm down.
Takuya noticed another message in the group chat on his list of notifications, but when he saw it was from Koichi and not Saki, he put his phone down again. He could worry about that in the morning. The last thing he wanted was to end up more freaked out than he already was given Saki's disappearance. It could wait a few hours.
Everything would be fine. It had to be. It just had to be.
~~~~~
The first thing Haroi did when he woke up the next morning was check his phone.
All things considered, he shouldn't have been surprised when he saw that the group chat was almost entirely empty of new messages, and none of the new texts had come from Saki. There was one message from Koichi that stuck out to Haroi though, primarily because it was the only one that wasn't pleading with Saki for an answer and an explanation. Instead, it seemed to be an explanation in itself:
Something happened last night with our father. Koji is staying with me for now. Don't go to the Minamoto home for a little while.
That only opened more questions than it answered, and Haroi's stomach sunk into his feet and then into the ground below at the sight of the message. He sighed and shook his head, forcing himself to get ready for school as quickly as possible. Koji went to his and Mayumi's school, and even if he was in a different grade, perhaps one of them would be able to find him and convince him to explain what had taken place. Haroi didn't think he could have stood the suspense of waiting for answers from two separate Legendary Warriors at the same time. He was anxious enough as it was without even factoring in Koichi's concerning text. Saki was enough of a source of anxiety, and Haroi didn’t even know if they were trying to be.
Mayumi had finished getting ready by the time Haroi arrived out in the main area of their home. She had one hand pressed on her hip as she looked over the chat once again, no doubt trying to figure out just what had happened to prompt Koichi to say something like that. A quick dinging sound from Haroi's pocket told him that she had asked for answers, but Mayumi didn't wait for a response. Instead, she just tucked her phone out of view. "Alright. We should get going," she told Haroi. "We need to act fast if we want to be back in time for school."
Haroi nodded. He reached for a small notepad sitting on the table at the center of the living room before scrawling out a note about him and Mayumi leaving earlier so their parents wouldn't worry. He left the page out on the table and started for the door, Mayumi hot on his heels. They exited the home into the bitter autumn air a few moments later, and once they had retreated into the shadows their home cast across the surrounding area, Haroi opened his laptop and raised his D-Tector.
When Mayumi and Haroi arrived in the Digital World, they were dropped off just outside the fortress. Mayumi took a step forward, a frown spreading across her features. "I don't think anyone's in there," she murmured. "I would have thought I would at least sense someone's energy, but... There's nothing. Even the Digimon are gone."
"I see..." Haroi said with a frown. Somehow, the situation had gotten worse, and he had been sincerely hoping that wouldn't even be possible. He glanced over to Mayumi after forcefully snapping himself back to the present. "We should try to ask around for information. Maybe we could go to the Crystal Citadel and see what we can find."
Mayumi nodded, and after a brief flash of light, the two had been replaced by Kirismon and Orionmon. Flying and running as Digimon was going to be a lot faster than walking, and they were limited on time, so they took off as soon as they were able. The Digital World bled into an indistinct blur around them, but they paid it no mind, instead concentrating only on the mission ahead of them. Nothing mattered but the truth, and they wouldn’t let anything keep them from reaching it.
When the two arrived in front of the Crystal Citadel, Kirismon tilted her head to the side, trying to sense if anyone was inside. She clapped her hands together in excitement a moment later, clearly striking gold and sensing a familiar face was there. "Let's go in," she told Orionmon. With that, she pushed through the front doors, and Orionmon followed hot on her heels.
Kirismon led them through the castle to the central room, only stopping outside the audience chamber where the Legendary Warriors had first met Alastomon and Biastamon. She knocked twice and paused, waiting until she heard a voice from inside instruct her to enter. With that, she pushed the door right open, and Orionmon did the same for the left.
Inside the room, Biastamon stood alone. He was lost in thought, his eyes closed, but he opened them when he realized who his company was. "I wasn't expecting any guests today," Biastamon confessed. "This is a rather unusual time for you to be in the Digital World. What brings you here?"
"We're worried about Saki," Kirismon began. "They went missing a few days ago, and we haven't heard anything from them since. We know they were here in the Digital World though, so we were hoping maybe you would be able to point us in the right direction."
"I see..." Biastamon hummed. "I knew of Saki's disappearance. The rest of your Digimon friends told me and Alastomon yesterday that they had gone missing. They vanished without a trace in the middle of the night, and nobody knows where they are now. I want to try and find them, but I'm afraid I'm at a loss for what to do next... It's difficult to search for them when we understand so little of what is happening."
"We should try to find them together then," Kirismon suggested. "If they had gone back to Earth, then we would have known about it already. That means they have to be here in the Digital World, and if we look around, then we might be able to find them. I haven’t sensed them anywhere near here yet, but having an extra set of eyes helping us to search won’t hurt, right?"
"Would you be able to help us search for them?" Orionmon asked of Biastamon. "I understand that you have a lot going on, but we need all the help we can get. All of us are incredibly worried and don't know what to do about it."
"I would be happy to help," Biastamon nodded. "I wanted to help when I first heard of what was going on, but I've been at a loss for what to do. Now that you two are here, we can work together to ascertain their location."
"We're on a bit of a time crunch, so we might not be able to stay for as long as we would have liked," Kirismon told him. "We have to get back in time for school, so we need to move fast."
"I understand," Biastamon said. "For now, we should look around the immediate area and see if we can find any signs of them around here... Unfortunately, since Saki has the ability to teleport when Spirit Evolved, we may run into a few issues with finding them. They could be anywhere in the Digital World by now."
Kirismon and Orionmon shared an uneasy glance at that. Biastamon was right, but none of them wanted to admit it. Saki could have been long gone by this point, and they never would have known it since they had been so terrible at maintaining contact with the rest of the group. To say it was worrying was a grave understatement, and it made both the Warrior of Energy and the Warrior of Cosmos tremble inwardly with anxiety. Just what had Saki done to get into this much trouble?
More importantly, why did it almost seem like they had orchestrated some of this on purpose?
"We had better get started then," Orionmon concluded. He started back toward the doors, and Kirismon nodded before trailing after him. Biastamon took in a careful breath and followed them toward the front of the castle, none of them saying a word along the way. They knew what needed to be done, but it wasn't going to be easy.
In the silence, Orionmon's mind cast itself back to the last message he and the rest of the group had received from Saki. They had been firm about telling everyone to not trust anyone outside of their inner circle. If Biastamon already knew about Saki's disappearance though, then that had to mean it was alright to speak with him on the matter. That begged the question of why Saki had brought up such a concern in the first place, and Orionmon could only hope the answer wasn't too much of a punch to the stomach.
Until Saki was found though, the best Orionmon could do was try to track them down. They had to be out there somewhere, and he would make sure they were found no matter what it took. He refused to abandon one of his friends in their hour of need, especially with so much on the line. Everything had to be alright, and he would make it so by force if the universe tried to refuse him.
Come on, Saki, Orionmon thought anxiously. Please be safe. For everyone's sake, please be okay.
~~~~~
Tomoki hadn't stopped worrying for the last two days, but somehow, this was the worst it had been.
He was on his way to school after a restless night, deciding that if he was going to be forced to stay up by the whims of his body and mind, he might as well put his energy to good use by going to school early. Tomoki gripped at the straps of his backpack and tried to focus on the chill sinking into the air with the arrival of autumn. It wasn't the weather he would have liked since it wasn't yet snowing, but he liked the cold much better than the stifling heat of summer. He was one step closer to having his element always around to console him, and right now, that was what Tomoki wanted more than anything.
Tomoki just wished that the increasing chill was enough to calm his raging nerves. He hadn't been able to soothe himself since receiving that text from Saki the day before, and he was still worked up well beyond what he was comfortable with the following day. Hearing from Koichi that something had happened to Koji the night before without any elaboration only worried him more. There had to be something going on, and Tomoki wished he knew what it was so he could find a way to help.
All of that was bad enough, but that morning, the universe decided to present Tomoki with something worse just to make his life that extra bit more miserable. He could feel Yutaka following him, and while Tomoki was doing his best to ignore his brother, that was much easier said than done. He was sleep deprived, irritable, and worried about his team. All Tomoki wanted was a bit of space to try and work through his feelings while he was struggling from so many different angles, but Yutaka was going to put an end to all thoughts of peace. Nothing could ever be serene as long as Yutaka was around.
It was this boiling frustration that prompted Tomoki to turn around and face his brother. Yutaka was walking quite the distance away from him, leaving the span of a few yards between them. When Tomoki stopped walking, Yutaka continued on, his breath fogging up in the chilled morning air in front of him. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he watched his brother with eyes that lacked any sense of care for those around him. Tomoki had learned early just how apathetic Yutaka could be when he so chose it, but in that moment, he was too tired to even argue about Yutaka's detachment from others.
"Yutaka," Tomoki began, and Yutaka finally stopped walking. There was a small distance between them still, but it wasn't enough. As far as Tomoki was concerned, no distance would ever be enough when it came to keeping his brother as far away from him as possible. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't I just come to visit my little brother every once in a while?" Yutaka questioned. Something about his tone was a bit too innocent, like he was forcing it even more than usual. Yutaka was used to putting on a facade for the sake of deceiving others, to ensure they didn't understand what he was doing to hurt his younger brother. This felt even more exaggerated than ever before though, the sort of tone he only took on when he had done something truly atrocious that needed to stay hidden. Something about it was almost mocking in a way that struck a nerve deep in the pit of his stomach, and he hated it more than words could ever hope to say.
"You can't," Tomoki countered. He stared at Yutaka and the ways in which his brother was trying to seem like a much better person than he actually was. His posture was too relaxed, but his eyes were filled with a darkness Tomoki couldn't describe or understand. The Warrior of Ice found his mind being cast back to what he had read that morning about Koji ending up in trouble, and Tomoki realized why his brother was acting so strange in the blink of an eye. The revelation was like a punch to the stomach, and he glared up at Yutaka with all the vitriol in the world. "What did you do?"
"Me?" Yutaka echoed, his eyes going wide in feigned surprise. He had been hoping Tomoki would ask about this. He wanted to lead his brother to the truth in the way that would make it hurt the most. That was how Yutaka had always played these games; if he could earn the misery and suffering of others, then he was doing it right. "I didn't do anything."
"That's not true," Tomoki snapped back. He took a step forward against all the fear churning in his stomach, and he realized just how much Yutaka was putting on a show. Beyond that, he was enjoying it. He liked being able to make his brother squirm so miserably. He relished in every bit of pain that streaked across Tomoki's face as the seconds ticked by in all their slow agony. "What the hell did you do?"
Yutaka cracked at that, and he allowed his hands to fall out of his pockets and to his sides. "I shared some common knowledge with someone who wasn't yet aware of it," he explained. "Many others were aware of the truth, and I thought it was only right that he heard about it too. If anything, he should have learned about it a long time ago."
Tomoki's stomach churned with rage, and as much as he wanted to ask his brother what he had done specifically, he knew Yutaka was hardly the person to count on for a truthful answer. All that exhaustion and worry from the last day started to boil over, and in doing so, it sparked against the fear that came with Yutaka having followed him and his friends around constantly for ages now. The result was an explosive reaction deep inside Tomoki's body like a blizzard on the verge of tearing apart the city, but he couldn't bring himself to temper the storm. They were well beyond that point.
"I don't understand you!" Tomoki shouted. "Why are you doing this?! Do you just like making me miserable?! Are you that upset that I exist?! You did so much to hurt me when we were growing up, but that just wasn't enough for you! Now, you're trying to ruin the lives of people you've never met just because you have it out for me! What is your problem?!"
Yutaka's previous detached expression shattered, and he took a step forward with all the rage in the world starting to flicker behind his eyes. There was the Yutaka that Tomoki had come to know so well over the years. The sudden return of the brother who had done so much harm to him forced Tomoki to step backward twice, but Yutaka's rage would not be quelled so easily. "You've always been so naive," Yutaka muttered, his words quiet and terrifying. "Our parents gave you everything you could have wanted, and that wasn't enough for you. After that, you just had to move on and take what I had from me too."
"Take what?!" Tomoki cried out. "You're my older brother! You should have been taking care of me and protecting me! Instead, you hurt me constantly because you couldn't get over being jealous of a child over ten years younger than you! Now, you've moved on to hurting my friends, and you don't even know them!"
"I'm only doing this because you're around them," Yutaka countered. "If you would just leave them alone, then you could prevent all of this. You're the one who's selfish here, Tomoki. You should walk away now and spare us both the pain. You need to understand all that you're worth. You're a parasite, and you do nothing but take from those around you. I've had enough of it."
Tomoki's hands began to shake due to a combination of rage and grief. He didn't have a proper response for that as much as he wished he did. He had heard things to that effect from Yutaka many times over the years, but it never fully explained or justified what Tomoki had gone through. How could it? All he had wanted was to be understood and loved by his family, but Yutaka had taken that away from him. And now, Yutaka was only making things worse by hurting his friends. Tomoki didn't know what his brother had done to Koji, but he wasn't going to stand for it.
Before Tomoki had the chance to say anything else, to tell his brother to leave him alone permanently, the ground shook, and it took everything the Warrior of Ice had to not fall to his knees. He looked up on pure instinct, and he realized immediately that this was no normal earthquake. No, this was something far more sinister.
It was the Digital World.
Wide holes appeared in the sky, tears promising violence from another realm. Digimon came flooding out of the rips in the heavens, and Tomoki didn't need to wait to see them up close to know they were all possessed by Void Fragments. His heart sank, and he froze.
Why now?
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
And there's the next chapter! Woohoo!
This chapter was a lot of setting things up for the next string of chapters. I'm looking forward to it, but first, we have a chapter to analyze, and this one... Wow. It's a lot.
I feel like any chapter is going to be when it starts off the way this one does. Kousei knows that Koji knows about Tomoko and Koichi, and Yutaka was the one who told him. That was established in the last chapter, but picking up right here... Yeah, it's a lot. Koji's panic attack was heartbreaking to write, and it's one of the only times we see him fully breaking down with all of his defenses shattered. He's usually so guarded, but this is a very different side of him we don't get to see often. Luckily, he was able to get to Koichi before he could completely fall apart, but it's still an awful situation. Poor Koji. I would hope for him to get a break from this soon, but given what comes next... That's not happening for a while.
Next up, we have the first scene with Mayumi and Haroi. Since the two of them live together, they get to talk about Legendary Warrior things on a regular basis, and that means they get the confidence to do things like this. Chihiro is currently having a mental breakdown that has lasted for multiple weeks, so they haven't gone to Takuya to talk about all of this, hence why it happened with Mayumi and Haroi instead. Plus, going to look for Saki gives these two an extra thing to do, and who doesn't love that?
Speaking of Saki, they're still in hiding. I really like this scene with them and the rest of the Digimon even if it's not the highlight of the chapter by any means. Once again, it's a note of build up for what's to come, and I love how it turned out. Everyone is uncertain about the idea of being betrayed given what has happened, and who can blame them? This scene also explains why they haven't followed up with the rest of the team yet. Their gambit is still going, and that means they need to stay in hiding for a little bit longer. They intended to follow up with the rest of the group the following day, but... Well, we all know how that turned out.
And on the note of needing therapy, Takuya has a martyr complex along with his severe nightmares. These nightmare scenes have been small pieces of the chapters they're part of, but they're important to show one key thing about Takuya's character: he's just as prone to putting himself on a pedestal now as he was during the first book. He learned to stop running away from his problems when he went to the realm of the Dark Trailmon, but he still wants to idolize himself and act as "the reliable one" by never talking about his issues. That is not helpful in the slightest, but here he is anyways. Takuya hasn't let go of his complex about being the team's beacon of hope, and since he's in close proximity to Chihiro who is struggling so much and so openly, he seals away his issues for the sake of helping them. Once again, I diagnose him with needing therapy really badly.
Now, let's follow up on the scene with Mayumi and Haroi from before since this is where the action happens. There was no answer from Saki, and Koichi vaguely alluded to something bad happening to Koji, so they decided to head to the Digital World. When they get to the fortress though, it's empty. Interesting, isn't it? We'll get to that later on, but for now, the two of them go to see Biastamon. Knowing what Saki does, that doesn't bode well, does it? This scene is a lot of dramatic contrast between the earlier scene with Saki, and it's a bit terrifying. Hm... I wonder how this one will end. Well, I already know, but I like torturing my readers, so... Sorry.
Lastly, we have the ending scene of Tomoki and Yutaka. Everyone is getting stressed because of the lack of information from Saki, being stalked by at least three different groups, and the worsening Void Fragment attacks. That stress finally makes Tomoki snap, and it gives us a minor insight into Yutaka's mindset. The secret is that he's just a shitty person. He perceives his brother as having stolen something from him just by existing, and everything he did to Tomoki is his idea of "getting back" at his brother. Yutaka sucks. A lot. And the situation sucks even more since we have yet another cliffhanger with Digimon showing up en masse on Earth. Surprise, everyone! I still love cliffhangers and torturing everyone who reads my stories. What can I say? It's fun.
Next week, we'll pick up right where we left off with the arrival of the Void Fragment Digimon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 38: Frozen Heart
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors scramble as the Void Fragment invasion of Earth begins.
Chapter Text
After ten seconds, Tomoki lost count of how many there were.
Void Fragment Digimon continued to stream in through the tears in the skies for at least two minutes, all of them ready for a fight and showing it in their quick, determined actions. Tomoki's shoulders went tense, and he was sure the world had to be ending. What other explanation could there be? He had never seen so many Void Fragments in one place, and yet, there they all were. The Legendary Warriors had barely managed to fight off the previous waves of Digimon that attacked Earth, so how could they be expected to keep so many of them at bay at once? They had only managed it on Inaie thanks to Yumiko’s Resplendent Evolution, and the number from the Inaie siege was nothing compared to this.
"How do you feel, Tomoki?" Yutaka questioned, his tone a bit too casual for the situation. He shook his head and let out a low chuckle. "Feel like running away again? I know you want to. You're terrified of the world the same way you always have been."
Tomoki clapped his hands over his ears, and his breathing began to increase its pace. "Go away!" he shouted, hoping that if perhaps he made enough noise, all of this would go away. Instead, the air overhead shook with the battle cry of one of the Void Fragment Digimon, and Tomoki was left staring at his brother as Yutaka drew nearer, his obnoxious, horrible smile never fading from his lips.
"I think we're well beyond that point, Tomoki," Yutaka said. "We have unfinished business, and as long as you want to start a fight, then I'm going to finish it. That means taking care of things here and now... Unless you're too much of a coward to face me."
In that moment, Tomoki couldn't have cared more if his brother thought of him as a coward. His mind was ringing with everything he had heard from Hinoka about being targeted directly by the Void Fragment Digimon. He couldn't imagine the new invaders were here for any other reason than to take the Legendary Warriors out of the picture. Given the fact that Saki had gone missing just a few days prior, Tomoki could only assume this was a planned assault in ways he could have never anticipated. The mastermind was after them again, and it was probably a direct result of Saki's disappearance. This was the biggest attack since Inaie, but this time, all eyes were locked solely on Earth, and that only made it worse.
Tomoki heard another battle cry overhead, and he knew the Digimon from the skies were patrolling the city to try and find their targets. He had to get out of their line of sight if he wanted to keep his body in one piece. Tomoki glared at Yutaka one last time, not caring how weak the action was, before he took off running in the opposite direction, letting the chilled autumn air fill his lungs and grant him strength. He needed a place to hide, and he would find it no matter what.
Yutaka would not be pushed away so easily though, and he shook his head as he continued to follow his brother, his slow and all too casual walk from before quickly fading into a sprint. He said nothing, but he didn't need to in the first place. Tomoki knew the danger he was in, and he would never be able to forget it. Yutaka was going to take advantage of the attack to try and cause even more problems for him, and quite frankly, that was the last thing Tomoki could afford.
"Why isn't he running from the Void Fragment Digimon?" Kuma questioned. "There are monsters descending from the sky. That should be enough to make anyone run away, especially those who aren’t used to this, but he's still coming after us. I don't understand any of it."
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this," Blizzar frowned. "We need to find a safe place to Spirit Evolve without him seeing us. If he sees that we're a Digimon, then he's going to expose us..."
"But if we stay in human form, then the invading Digimon are going to tear us apart," Daipen finished for him. "There has to be someplace around here that we can use as cover. All we have to do is find it."
Tomoki nodded as he ran, though in all honesty, he had no idea where he was going in the first place. All he knew was that he had to get away from the Void Fragments and Yutaka. He wasn't going to survive the day if he couldn't find a way out of this. As for how he would escape... That was the question for him to figure out when he had a moment to think through it.
It was a shame the moment had already arrived, and there would be no escaping it now.
~~~~~
Takuya got to school early when morning came, setting out before Chihiro and Shinya were up for the day. He hadn't been able to sleep well after his nightmare, and so, he decided to leave early for the sake of doing something and not feeling suffocated by his own restless helplessness. He had left behind a text to Chihiro and Shinya saying he was going to school early to talk with Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki. Chihiro didn't want to be around any of them at the moment given their worsening paranoia spiral, and Takuya wasn't going to push them into it. Instead, he would just take matters into his own hands.
The four teens were standing out in the courtyard, all of them chattering amongst themselves happily. Chiaki seemed a bit more distant than usual, not that this was shocking to Takuya. She hadn't been the same since the attack that nearly killed her and Hinoka, and Takuya couldn't help wondering if she would ever return to being the person she once had been. He wasn't sure if it was even possible. He had certainly changed after he had gotten involved with his first battle, and it was only in part because he had transformed into a Digimon. He still saw Cerberumon's jaws in his nightmares sometimes even if that fight felt so petty in the grand scheme of everything he knew now.
"Hey, guys," Takuya greeted with a smile he pretended wasn't forced. He just hoped none of them could see exactly how tired he was. That would only make his life harder. "What are you guys up to?"
"Nothing much," Teruo replied with a shrug. He glanced around Takuya, his expression twisting through different stages of confusion and misunderstanding. "Wait, where's Chihiro? I would have thought they would be here with you."
"I woke up early," Takuya answered simply. He didn't dare to say a word about how Chihiro didn't want to be around the investigation team anymore because of their worsening mental health, knowing that would only complicate the situation more. No one needed to know that detail aside from the Legendary Warriors. "And I was hoping to talk to you guys about your investigation. Have you found anything else interesting recently?"
"Not really," Katsuharu sighed. "Though we're going to get there eventually. I'm more determined than ever to figure out who's behind all of this. After what happened to Chiaki... I want to make sure nobody else ends up hurt because of this mess. If we can figure out who the human monsters are, then maybe we can stop something like that from happening again."
"I get it," Takuya nodded. He looked over to Chiaki and found her playing with a few threads of her hair. The bruise on her cheek was starting to fade a bit more, but she couldn't stop herself from touching it at least a few times a day, pushing down just to feel the pain and remind her that what had happened had, in fact, been real. "How are you holding up, Chiaki?"
The girl snapped out of her trance on the spot, though she still wasn't entirely concentrating on the conversation at hand. "I'm fine," she eventually forced herself to say. "It's just a lot to take in at once. I haven't been sleeping well since the attack, but I'll get there eventually."
"Maybe you should talk to someone about it," Teppei suggested. "I don't know how much we'd be able to help since you've already told us everything about it, but... If it's making you lose so much sleep, then it might be worth talking about."
"I agree," Takuya nodded. "I always feel better after I talk to others about the bad stuff on my mind. It helps to get it out of my own head, and it snaps me out of it too. That's really important in times like these." A distant piece of his mind told him that he was a hypocrite, especially since he wasn't talking to the rest of the group about his nightmares at all. A larger part of him shut that down quickly. The others were struggling a lot more than him, and he wouldn't pull attention away from their issues by trying to talk about his. That would only make him feel worse. They were counting on him, and he couldn't let them down.
Once again, his mind called him a hypocrite. This time, Takuya didn't respond to its goading. After all, he had no answer for it.
Chiaki thought about it for a moment, swallowing down as many of her nerves as she could. Eventually, she forced herself to nod. "Yeah... I think that would help," she confessed. She glanced around the rest of the circle, anxiety written all over her face. "I want to try."
"Then go ahead," Katsuharu assured her. "We're more than happy to listen."
Chiaki took in a deep breath and opened her mouth. She was on the verge of speaking when the ground began to tremble, and the sky tore itself apart. Chiaki stumbled into Teppei, and Teruo nearly knocked both himself and Katsuharu to the ground. Takuya barely managed to keep his balance as he whipped his head up to look at the sky overhead...
And that was when he saw them.
Dozens upon dozens of Void Fragment Digimon were streaming out of the clouds from rips in the very fabric of reality itself. Their desire for bloodshed was clear, and it sent a shiver sprinting through Takuya's body. This couldn't be happening... Right? He hadn't seen this many Void Fragments in one place since the battle on Inaie, and that had been in a comparatively safer place to fight on since it was an island in the middle of nowhere.
But with this many Digimon on Earth, they were going to destroy the entire city—if not the entire country—in a matter of hours. Nobody on Earth could defend themselves, and there were no other fighters who could enter the fray aside from the twelve Legendary Warriors. Even then, they were down to eleven as long as Saki was still missing, which they were. Against numbers like this, the only chance they stood was through Resplendent Evolution, but Yumiko, Junpei, and Hinoka couldn’t stretch themselves all across Shibuya to defeat the Void Fragment Digimon in a thousand places at once. There was no way the Legendary Warriors would be able to cover that much ground and keep everyone safe.
They were absolutely fucked.
Screams erupted across the campus, and Takuya dragged himself back to reality through sheer force of will. He looked to the rest of the investigation team, finding that Chiaki's expression was painted with horror while the others all looked scared and excited at the same time. They still yearned for the truth, and every new incident was another chance to discover that which was out of their reach. They were afraid, but they were curious as well.
But Takuya refused to let their curiosity get the better of them. Instead, he gestured for the group to follow him. "Come on! We have to find a place to hide!" he announced. He started running toward the school, hoping that perhaps they were going to find some degree of safety inside...
Only for a massive bird Digimon to land right on top of the building. Takuya's mind told him it was a Birdramon, and while it would have been easy for him to defeat them while Spirit Evolved, he stood no chance as a human. As soon as the Birdramon saw him, they tilted their head back to the sky and shrieked, and a vast number of Void Fragment Digimon from overhead turned their attention in Birdramon's direction. Once they noticed Takuya, they all started to dive, apathetic to the damage they were leaving in their wake.
That's right. The Void Fragment Digimon were targeting the Legendary Warriors directly now. Hinoka had told him that. Still, Takuya had been hoping he wouldn't end up pinned down quite like this, especially when there were other people he had to defend. All of a sudden, he understood Hinoka's dilemma from the day when she had reached the Resplendent level, and he absolutely hated being able to relate.
"This way!" Takuya called over his shoulder. The rest of the investigation team began to chase after him, and he tried to find any signs of a place they could hide while he came up with a plan. He needed to contact the rest of the group so they could meet up. If they were all on their own--which he knew most of them were--then they would all crumble in the blink of an eye thanks to the sheer number of the enemy forces. They needed to stick together and stem the flow of Digimon at the source.
Beyond that though, Takuya had to find a way to keep the rest of the investigation team safe without cluing them in on his identity as a Legendary Warrior. Chiaki already likely knew the truth, but he couldn't risk having anyone else find out. The secret was dangerous enough as it was, and if the investigation team learned who he was... Takuya didn't know what they would have done, but he didn't want to find out either. He had to keep them safe without giving them a path to the truth.
But he could figure that out after he had gotten them somewhere to hide. For the time being, he needed to get them out of the line of fire. Everything else could wait a little bit longer. It wasn't ideal, but it was the only choice he had. What else could he do?
Just keep running the same way he always had.
~~~~~
Yumiko had counted at least three hundred Digimon so far, and the invasion still wasn't anywhere close to being over.
The Warrior of Wood flew through the skies above Shibuya, her wings carrying her easily and quickly. She searched for any signs of her teammates, but when she found nothing, she instead turned her attention to attacking any Digimon that dared to get too close to her. Thanks to the power boost she gained in her Resplendent form, she was able to push most of her assailants out of the fight relatively quickly, allowing them to fly back up through the holes in the sky and then vanish from sight. She wanted to make her own portal for the sake of getting them back a bit safer, but she couldn't do that as long as she was constantly moving, and she had no choice but to keep herself on the run. If she stopped for too long, then she was going to end up cornered, and she had no idea if she would be able to fight her way out of that.
As soon as the sky began to tear itself apart, Yumiko had ducked into the closest alleyway she could find. She pressed her back against the building behind herself and reached for her phone, fingers shaking wildly all the while. She had sent out a message to the rest of the Legendary Warriors saying that they needed to meet up, but as was to be expected, none of them were on their phones. They were too busy focusing on the crisis to bother checking their notifications, and as such, Yumiko was left alone. She tried to sense where the rest of the group was using the link they had created as Susanoomon, and she quickly discovered that everyone was scattered. None of them were in the same place. Beyond that, Saki was missing, but so were Mayumi and Haroi. No matter how hard Yumiko tried to find them, she never could, meaning all three of them had to be in the Digital World. There were nine Legendary Warriors on Earth, and if she had to guess, all of them were under attack.
Yumiko had tried to count how many Digimon there were from her hiding place, but she quickly realized it was a pointless effort. She needed to start pushing back against them and getting them away from Earth. She could already tell based on the sheer number of the invaders that she was going to need the power of her Resplendent form. It was exhausting to use so much energy at once, but it was the strongest Spirit Evolution she had access to, and she needed all the power she could get if she wanted to win this fight.
And so, Yumiko allowed green light to consume her, and as soon as she was in her Resplendent form, she took to the skies. The Digimon were coming from tears in the clouds, so if she wanted to stamp out the problem at the root, then she would need to stop them up in the sky as well. On top of that, the farther she was from the ground, the better. Nobody would be able to recognize her if she was high enough in the air, and Yumiko couldn't afford to be spotted in a time like this. The fate of Earth was at stake, and it was more important now than ever to keep her identity as one of the Legendary Warriors a secret. She hated having to risk being spotted by being in her human form when Resplendent Evolved, but it was the only choice she had. If she held back, Shibuya would not survive, and she could not afford to take that chance.
Only five minutes had passed since then, but Yumiko had already sent countless invaders back to the Digital World. The assault was still ongoing too with a seemingly infinite number of Digimon continuing to stream in through the holes in the heavens. Whoever was behind this had coordinated the attack well, and they intended to destroy everything in their way as long as it would grant them victory. Yumiko had been sure the Inaie battle would be the largest fight she was ever involved with in terms of the sheer number of combatants, but she had clearly been wrong. At least fighting so many enemies at once back then had prepared her for today. That had to count for something no matter how miserable the thought was.
Yumiko threw up a barrier of vines to try and deflect an attack coming her way, but while she was distracted with forming one defense, she was struck from behind by another beam of energy. Yumiko let out a strangled cry of pain as she fell forward, forcing her wings to adjust their course so she could keep flying. It was a long way to the ground, and nobody would be able to survive a fall like that. She had to get a grip. Everyone was counting on her.
But before Yumiko could force herself to concentrate again, a body collided with her own, and Yumiko realized she was being carried. She blinked a few times to make sure she knew what was seeing, and her eyes went wide. "Junpei?!"
Sure enough, the Warrior of Thunder was cradling Yumiko carefully in his grasp, breathing heavily with a relieved smile on his face. He was quick to release her, letting Yumiko fly on her own at his side. "I'm glad I found you," he told her with a weary grin. He was surprisingly calm for someone flying without wings, but Yumiko very quickly figured out why. Electricity crackled around his back to form an orb of lightning that kept him afloat despite his lack of wings.
Yumiko looked at Junpei from head to toe and realized she didn't recognize his outfit. He had earned his Resplendent form when she wasn't around, and she was happy to be able to see it now even if the circumstances were less than ideal. It certainly fit him, and beyond that, it was a comfort to see him again after the nightmare she had already endured. In a perfect world, she would have stayed there in his arms until adrenaline stopped making her legs feel numb from her free fall, but she had no such time, so she instead just forced her wings to keep her afloat.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Yumiko questioned as she gestured up to the invading Digimon overhead. The flow from the holes in the sky was starting to slow down, though that wasn't saying much given how many Digimon had already been released into the city. This fight eclipsed the battle for Inaie by an exponential degree, and Yumiko's stomach felt sick at the mere idea.
"No, but it seems to me that the mastermind decided to strike again," Junpei sighed as he released a bolt of electricity to strike down a Void Fragment Digimon that wandered a bit too close to them for comfort. "If I had to guess, I would say Hinoka meant it more than she realized when she said the Void Fragments were starting to come after us specifically."
"I would also wager a guess that this has something to do with Saki's disappearance," Yumiko frowned. "I can't imagine this is a coincidence. They went missing only for a massive battle like this to happen a few days later? It has to be connected somehow."
"I agree. I don't know how it all comes together, but we can think about that later. Right now, we need to find the rest of the group. Unless everyone else unlocks their Resplendent forms really fucking fast, they're going to get overwhelmed, especially since they're alone," Junpei told her. "We should split up to try and find them. Hinoka will probably be able to hold her own for a little while, but the rest of them..."
"You're right," Yumiko nodded. "I can sense everyone much easier now that I've reached the Resplendent level. I can use that to meet up with you again once we've found the others. From there, we can come up with a plan to get rid of the Void Fragments on this side of the gate."
"And after that, we're going to want to strike at the heart of the issue... The mastermind in the Digital World," Junpei concluded. Yumiko nodded once again, and the two combined their magic for a massive blast of an attack that took out ten Void Fragment Digimon in a single hit. "But we have to find the others first. At least we can reliably find each other thanks to the power boost from reaching the Resplendent level. It made our tracking skills from becoming Susanoomon a lot more reliable."
"I promise I'll find you again once I've picked up a few of the others," Yumiko assured him. "Don't bother with looking for Mayumi or Haroi though. They're definitely not here, though I don't know why they're in the Digital World. We can't waste time trying to figure out why though, at least not until all of this is over."
"We'll have to go to the Digital World eventually to stop all of this. We can focus on defeating the intruders here first and think about finding Mayumi, Haroi, and Saki later," Junpei agreed. He flew backward by a few feet before stopping, his eyes going soft. "Just... Stay safe out there, okay? I wish we didn't have to split up, but as long as we have no other choice, you had better keep yourself out of trouble."
"I'll be fine," Yumiko promised him with a smile. She had no idea whether she would be able to keep to her word or not, and she was confident Junpei knew it too, but she refused to let her doubt show on her face. Instead, she just allowed her wings to take her away, and Junpei took off in the opposite direction. If they could find the rest of the group and meet up again soon, then they would be fine. All they had to do was be careful.
Yumiko just wished that was as easily done as it was said.
~~~~~
The Digital World streaked by on either side of Mayumi and Haroi as Biastamon continued to sprint through the open plains. The Legendary Warriors were both trying to use their natural instincts as Digimon to sense where Saki had gone, but they hadn't picked up on anything yet. It was as if the Warrior of Steel had vanished off the face of the planet entirely, but they couldn't have been back on Earth. If anything, Mayumi had to wonder if perhaps Saki was trying to hide from the world on purpose. If that was the case though, wouldn't they at least want to let the rest of their team know what the plan was? Why go so far to not communicate anything?
"Do you feel anything?" Biastamon questioned. He began to slow down to take a break from his constant movement, glancing around the area as he did so. Mayumi and Haroi were the navigators of this trip while he acted as a method of transportation. He was just as eager to figure out where Saki had gone as the other two were. They had agreed that this would go much faster if Biastamon was the only one moving, and on top of that, Mayumi and Haroi staying in human form would be safer if they ran into any trouble. They needed the energy to fight if it wound up coming to that, though none of them thought they would end up requiring such a thing.
"Not yet," Haroi replied with a shake of his head. "I wish there was something that would point us in the right direction, but... Everything is hazy. Maybe this is just me, but I get the feeling something here is deeply wrong."
"Me too," Mayumi nodded. "It's not quite as bad as it has been in the past, but... I don't know. The energy of the Digital World has been getting a lot harder for me to stomach lately. It's strange to describe, but... I feel like something is going on."
"The Void Fragment attacks have been getting worse, especially since what happened on Inaie," Biastamon explained. "The Digital World is struggling massively to withstand all the pressure, and we have no idea how we are meant to fix it aside from stopping all of this outright, but until we know who the mastermind is…"
Mayumi sighed at that, and she turned her attention to the horizon once again. She tried to reach out as far as her energy could stand to figure out where Saki was, but she came up empty. It was like there was some barrier in the way of her finding the truth. Maybe Saki was trying to hide from everyone. It would certainly explain why Mayumi was having such a rough time finding them. Beyond that, the Digital World itself felt like it was twisting. The distortions were coming a lot slower than they had in the past, but this did not make them any less severe. It was worrying just how much the realm had withstood over the last few months with no signs of progress in sight, especially so soon after Lucemon’s defeat and a massive global reconstruction.
"Speaking of Inaie, we heard a few interesting things while we were there," Haroi remarked. "Darcmon and Hippogriffomon told us that you used to be the one in charge of leading the island, but you decided to leave in favor of helping Beast Digimon all around the world."
Biastamon hesitated for a few moments before nodding. "That is correct," he confirmed. "I love Inaie more than anything in the world. It has been my home for as long as I can remember. Still... The rest of the world needs me right now, and I refuse to be cowed in a time of such dire tension."
"How did you end up on Inaie in the first place?" Haroi questioned. "I never would have thought you had a connection to the island at first, but... The more we hear about the island, the more incorrect I realize that assumption was."
"For a long time, I had no place to belong in the Digital World," Biastamon replied. He started to move forward once again, though he was walking much slower than he had been previously, his sprint replaced with an easy trot. "I was alone with no one to rely on. In my little piece of the world, the tensions between Beast and Human Digimon were at an all-time high. Everyone could pretend there was peace with the Celestial Three in charge, but that was always a simplification of a very dark situation. The people of the Digital World still hated one another; they had simply gotten better at hiding it."
"And... You felt like you were alone?" Mayumi asked, the words nearly dying away on the wind around her. She wasn't sure why Biastamon's vague descriptions of the past were hitting so hard, but her stomach twisted into a knot regardless of her feelings on the matter.
Biastamon nodded once more. "I had no one to rely on back then. I was fighting on my own to survive. Then... I wound up on Inaie. The leader at the time found me alone and struggling, and he decided I belonged there on the island," he explained. "Agreeing to follow him was the best decision I could have made. I found a home on Inaie, and with time, I was named as the leader of the people there. I wanted to do what I could to give vulnerable people a place to belong. I had needed that, and I knew there were others who needed it too."
"Wow... I can see why so many people respect you now," Mayumi smiled to herself. "I bet the people of Inaie appreciated that. I'm sure a bunch of others would like to hear about that too."
"Why hide that you're from Inaie though?" Haroi inquired. "Is there any reason you didn't want the rest of the world knowing that?"
"I didn't want anyone to believe I was picking favorites in my leadership," Biastamon answered. "I am proud of my heritage as a warrior of Inaie, but these are complicated times. Human Digimon hold grudges against Beast Digimon because of what happened when Cherubimon took power by force. They don't care that Cherubimon only sunk so low because he was being possessed by Lucemon. Beast Digimon are feeling more insecure than ever before and may bite back at Human Digimon. We are living in fragile times, and if we do not tread carefully, then we could end up with another war of the Digimon factions as we did before Lucemon appeared. Our peace has always been delicate, but now, it feels as if the slightest misstep could shatter it. I need to give everyone the best impression of my people as possible. That may mean keeping secrets from them at the same time. As long as it will bring us peace though... I will do what I must."
Mayumi listened intently as he spoke, letting out a sigh once he was finished. "The Digital World is lucky to have you," she told him. "You're doing so much to stand up for those who have no one on their sides. It's incredible." Her tone was heavy, conveying an indescribable slew of emotions Mayumi couldn't even begin to comb through without giving herself a headache.
Biastamon tilted his head slightly. "Is there something on your mind?"
Mayumi shook her head. "I don't know. I just... It bothers me how quick everyone is to jump to assumptions," she confessed. "I know that sounds obvious and ridiculous to say out loud, but... Everyone is so caught up in what they've heard about other people that they're not bothering to make their own judgements. I hate how it seems like everybody in the Digital World has assumed all Beast Digimon are bad because of what happened with Cherubimon. I especially hate how easy it was for everyone to fall for the idea that only Beast Digimon can be possessed by the Void Fragments. There's no difference between the two types of Digimon in practice, so why would this be any different?"
"It's unfortunate," Biastamon agreed. "I wish the Void Fragment attacks would stop... I know for a fact that there has to be more to this than meets the eye, but I don't know what I could be missing. The mastermind must have a reason for only targeting Beast Digimon, but I don't know what it is. All I know is that it has led to people judging us even harsher than ever before."
"It's not fair," Mayumi huffed. She stared down at her hands and clenched them into fists. "I know what it's like to be judged by someone without ever being given a chance. It seems like my entire life has been one massive string of disasters because people assume I'm bad without ever trying to learn differently. I've always felt like something was wrong with this whole idea that only Beast Digimon can be possessed. They're just Digimon at the end of the day. They shouldn't be hated for something they didn't do. They shouldn't be judged for rumors rather than who they actually are. It's terrible that people are making such wild assumptions about a person being good or bad without bothering to go beyond that."
Biastamon paused for a moment and cast a glance over his shoulder at both Mayumi and Haroi. "I never would have assumed that you had experience with these matters," he confessed. "If you would like to discuss it in more detail, I'm more than happy to listen."
Mayumi hesitated before pushing out a frustrated sigh. "It's just... I don't know. I've been treated as an outcast for most of my life because people made assumptions about me and never bothered to learn more about me beyond gossip and petty resentment. There's even an argument to be made that it was enough to make me unlovable even to my own mother. I thought I was getting better at being proud of who I am regardless of my past when I was here in the Digital World the first time, but now... I don't know if I really am getting better. I can't tell. Seeing the Beast Digimon getting judged so harshly for things that aren't their fault just puts me right back where I started, and I feel so pathetic for getting caught up in all of that."
"You're not pathetic," Haroi chimed in before she had the chance to continue her self-loathing spiral. "I've been thinking a lot about it too. I don't believe the Beast Digimon are the only ones who can be possessed by the Void Fragments either. What you said was true. Everyone is making assumptions about people without looking any deeper, and the Digital World is being torn apart because of it both figuratively and literally. No person wants to be pushed away from the world because others are too stubborn to admit to being wrong. No person deserves to be treated this way either."
"It sounds as if life has hardly treated either one of you kindly," Biastamon murmured. Mayumi and Haroi shared a glance at that but offered no commentary. "I pray the Digital World is a better place for us all—including the both of you—once all of this is over. We have more than earned our right to peace by now."
Mayumi bit down on her bottom lip and stared at her fists once again. She wanted the Digital World to be a better place, but her mind kept going back to what she had heard from Miriamon. No matter how many times she remembered being told that she wasn't like Lucemon, that she wouldn't fall into the same traps he had, she could never quite believe it. There were just too many similarities between them for Mayumi to brush it off. She wanted to be good, but after being treated as anything but for her entire life, she couldn't quite bend herself into a position to be who she wanted. It didn't feel right. If anything, it felt as if she was offending every major law of the universe for even thinking she could be different than what she had been told.
"It's... Hard," Haroi started from behind her. "The world was never meant for either one of us. If anything, it punishes us just for existing. I was so sure I knew where I stood after our first adventure in the Digital World as well, but now, I can see just how wrong I was. I don't understand who I am or what I'm supposed to be. All of us are changing, and I don't know if I can keep up with it. I have to go above and beyond just to lag behind the rest. Nothing has ever been enough. I don't know if it ever will be enough. It doesn't feel like it."
Biastamon paused at that, glancing around the area for a short while. The fields the group had started in had given way to forests, and Mayumi realized how familiar the area was. They weren't far from where Haroi had found his Beast Spirit. She hadn't even realized how close they were until reality punched her in the stomach. Haroi gripped her stomach a little bit tighter from his place behind her, and Mayumi leaned back a little bit to comfort him in return.
"I wish I had an easy solution to your issues," Biastamon confessed. "I wish there was a simple way to make all of this just... Stop. But even if there is not... Know that there will always be people there to help you. I thought I was alone and a burden for much of my childhood, but now, I have many incredible allies, and they're the reason I was able to make it so far. The world is overwhelming if we stare at it and the responsibilities it presents alone, and so, we must not shoulder its burdens on our own backs alone. That means little in the face of all you have gone through, but... Perhaps it is a small consolation to know that you do not need to be alone anymore. I wish it could do more."
"You're already doing enough," Haroi assured Biastamon. His forehead came forward, and he rested it at the base of Mayumi's neck for the sake of both their comforts. "Thank you for all of this. It means a lot."
Biastamon smiled. "I'm more than happy to help." With that, he took off running once again, and the Digital World continued to streak by the trio. They could still feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, but they were releasing it little by little. It was a small step, but it was an important one all the same.
If only that was all it took to fix this mess, Mayumi wondered as she continued to stare at her clenched fists. If only it was that simple.
~~~~~
Tomoki dodged to the right of a blast from an overhead Digimon, barely missing the scorch mark left behind on the concrete beside him. He let out a small squeal before launching himself forward once again, narrowly avoiding another attack meant to tear him apart from the inside out. He needed to get out of there. He needed to Spirit Evolve. He needed to start fighting back, but—
"Rough day, isn't it, Tomoki?"
Yutaka was still following him. Tomoki couldn't believe his brother hadn't turned tail to run yet. He had to know the danger in the immediate area was centered around Tomoki, but he refused to back down. Instead, Yutaka just kept following and watching him, walking along at a casual peace befitting of an afternoon stroll rather than the middle of an interdimensional monster invasion. Yutaka didn't seem to care at all about what was happening around him, and that only made Tomoki fear him more. He hadn't even thought something like that was possible.
Tomoki glanced over his shoulder at Yutaka once more before he took off running again, using his Digimon side’s instincts to avoid attacks just before they could strike him. He was playing a dangerous game. If he was hit, then he would be the perfect prey for the overhead attackers. If he tried to fight back, he would have to Spirit Evolve, and that would expose his identity to the person who wanted to use it against him the most. Yutaka may not have been aware of his brother being a Legendary Warrior, but Tomoki refused to lead him any closer to the truth. He had to get away and transform before his brother could catch up to him and realize who and what he was. Unfortunately though, Tomoki wouldn't even be able to escape via the air if he was able to find a place to hide and Spirit Evolve. He was one of very few Legendary Warriors who couldn't fly in any form, and that meant he would have to run away via the ground. Yutaka was going to be a problem no matter what he did. He was trapped.
Tomoki was so focused on outrunning his brother that he didn't realize there was someone around the corner until he had already sprinted off to the left and straight into another person. Tomoki let out a shriek of shock and fear as he fell backwards, but when he looked up, he found his accidental assault victim was no one to be afraid of. "Koji?!"
The Warrior of Light had fallen backward as well, hitting the concrete of the sidewalk hard. He looked notably disheveled, even more so than Tomoki would have expected in the middle of a fight like this. Koji rubbed at his temple before turning his attention to the Warrior of Ice. "Tomoki?"
Before either one of them had the chance to explain, Yutaka rounded the corner behind Tomoki and stood over his younger brother with a chilling smile on his lips. His smirk only grew darker and eerier as he registered who else he was staring at. "Hello, Koji."
Tomoki didn't even have time to register what was happening before Koji was on his feet again and lunging past him straight at Yutaka. "You!" Koji roared as he stretched his hands out in front of his torso. Yutaka's eyes went wide, and for the first time ever, Tomoki saw his brother stagger in shock. Yutaka fell backwards to the concrete with Koji on top of him, and the Warrior of Light had his target pinned beneath his weight. Angry tears had sprung to life in Koji's eyes as he glared down at Yutaka with all the rage in the world.
Tomoki froze for a long moment, his heart screaming in his ears as he glanced back and forth between his brother and friend. "W-What in the—" he tried to say, but the words refused to form the way he would have liked.
Yutaka let out a haphazard laugh even though a thin stream of blood was starting to leak from a cut on his cheek. "I see you've heard," he remarked all too calmly up to Koji. He remained unbothered even as the Warrior of Light's hands shifted from pinning his wrists down to looping loosely around his throat. Koji didn't tighten his grip, but the threat of strangulation remained all too present in the stiff air around him.
"How could you do this?!" Koji screamed. A few tears began to fall from his cheeks in enraged streams, and Tomoki realized he had never seen his friend looking this angry. Koji was hardly the calmest of people when something started to grate against his sense of justice, but this had to be a new high for the Warrior of Light's pure fury. "Do you have any idea how much harm you could have done?! Or do you know and just don't care?!"
Tomoki glanced back and forth between his brother and friend, his hands continuing to shake from pure fear and adrenaline. "What... What did you do, Yutaka?" he questioned, unsure as to if he even wanted to hear the answer in the first place. Koji didn't respond this way to just anything. Whatever Yutaka had done, it was even worse than Tomoki could have ever imagined or guessed his brother would consider.
Yutaka let out another snicker at that, but he did not let the extent of his rage toward his attacker show, at least not yet. "I simply shared some common knowledge with someone who was not yet aware of it," he explained all too easily. "Someone didn't understand the truth, and so, I decided to share it with him. That's all there is to it."
Koji's grip began to tighten around Yutaka's throat, and he began to cry even harder, though he did not allow himself to sob openly. "He told my father that I know about Koichi," Koji explained, his voice both deathly soft and all too loud and Tomoki's ears. "He could have destroyed both of our lives! He has no idea what damage he could have caused, and he doesn't care either! He went behind both of our backs to tell our father that we found out about one another!"
Tomoki's eyes went wide, and he felt something inside his chest shatter. He had known something had happened with Koji the night before thanks to the text he had received from Koichi, but he never would have expected it would be anything like this. He didn't know how his brother could be so heartless... No, that wasn't true. Tomoki had known for years just how terrible Yutaka could be, but he had been hoping Yutaka wouldn't go so far in the name of hurting those Tomoki cared for. He had been naive to believe the rest of his friends would be spared from the greatest force of the rage and hatred Yutaka had for him… But he had been wrong. Yutaka had seen all of them around Tomoki and saw it as an excuse to drag them into hell along with his brother.
"Was it worth it, you bastard?! Are you proud of yourself, you piece of shit?!" Koji continued to say, his voice finally escalating into a scream that drowned out the battle cries and shouts of the Digimon swooping in from the skies. "Answer me!"
Yutaka just laughed. "I did what I had to," he told Koji simply. "I needed to do something in order to show my brother what he's worth. If you're going to blame anyone for this, it should be Tomoki. He should have known better than to do something like get close with other people. That was his mistake. He's the one to blame for this."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Koji shouted, his grip growing tighter. Yutaka let out a strangled gasp, but he did not try to push the Warrior of Light off him quite yet. "How in the world could this be Tomoki's fault?! You were the one who used a secret to hurt people! You were the one who could have destroyed my fucking life! You were the one responsible for all of this! You've been stalking all of us for weeks! What are you even trying to accomplish?! Do you hate your brother enough to ruin the lives of everyone he has ever loved?!"
"Tomoki took a lot from me, you know," Yutaka replied, his voice hoarse but still cool. "If anything, this is justice. He ruined my life the day he entered it, and now, he has to face the consequences of his actions. That's all there is to it. If he wanted to help you, then he would have left by now, and yet, here he is."
"Enough!" Tomoki cut in. His entire body was quaking with rage by now, tears streaking down his cheeks in angry rivers. The water was on the verge of freezing over even without the influence of the autumn temperatures, leaving behind extra red trails like ice scraped across his skin. "You've done enough damage, Yutaka! I've had enough of you!"
Yutaka's expression twisted with rage at the idea of his brother standing up to him. Tomoki refused to give him the chance to speak though, instead just stomping toward Yutaka. Each step against the concrete left behind patches of ice thick enough to bring anyone to their knees in a matter of seconds, but Tomoki barely seemed to notice. "I don't know what goes through your head, but I've had enough of listening to it! There's nothing you can say that will justify what you've done to me and my friends! For years, I sat there and just let you hurt me because I thought you were right when you said it was what I deserved! But I've had enough of that."
Tomoki raised one hand toward his brother, and his eyes flashed blue as a pulse of snow overcame his fingertips. "I'm done letting you push me around. I'm done listening to everything you've told me. I'm done giving you chances because I'm too afraid to stand up for myself. This is where it all ends. You've done enough to hurt me, and I won't let you do anything like that to my friends ever again. Your damage ends here and now. I'll make sure of it myself no matter what it takes."
Koji, who had turned to look at Tomoki when he began speaking, loosened his grip on Yutaka's neck as the weight of the Warrior of Ice's words sunk in. Before he had the chance to fully process what Tomoki was saying though, Yutaka's leg came up to kick him in the stomach. Koji let out a strangled yelp of pain as Yutaka braced his hands against his assailant's shoulders. In the blink of an eye, Koji had been thrown backwards, sliding across the ice left behind by Tomoki's enraged footsteps. He gasped sharply in pain and curled a hand around his stomach when he hit the concrete. He could already feel a massive bruise starting to form, and it was enough to force the air from his lungs for a few seconds.
Yutaka pushed himself to his feet, touching tenderly at the bruises Koji had left around his neck. He was on the verge of pursuing his target once again when Tomoki stepped in between them, his arms stretched out wide. Koji looked up at Tomoki in shock while Yutaka just glared down at him. "Out of my way, you little punk," Yutaka snarled.
"No," Tomoki countered, his eyes narrowing in rage. "It ends today. I'll never let you hurt my friends again. I'll never let you hurt me again. If that means I must fight you, then so be it. I'm finished with you, and you will be the first to understand what that means."
Yutaka's eyes went wide, and he stepped away from Tomoki with his hands held up in an almost defensive stance. Tomoki didn't realize why his brother was suddenly so afraid of him until blue light sparked from around his feet and consumed his body and vision in full. Tomoki allowed the sudden sensation of weightlessness to hit him, and he recognized what it meant immediately.
He had reached the Resplendent level.
Tomoki's school uniform jacket was quickly replaced with a blue winter coat lined with white fur around the hood, neck, hem, and sleeves. A pair of puffballs hung around his neck. Dark gray gloves peered out from the edges of his sleeves. At his left shoulder, a small slit of transparent green fabric appeared, and beneath it, the symbol of the Warrior of Ice was inscribed in blue on his shoulder. The sleeve below the slit turned green as well.
Tomoki's trousers morphed into white pants that clung tightly against his skin. The fabric had a gradient pattern and faded out to light blue starting at the middle of his thighs and getting to a cerulean shade at his calves. The pants had a pattern of diamonds that gleamed like snow in morning sunlight. Dark gray boots matching the color of his gloves appeared on his legs with silver laces going up the front. A long, lone piece of green fabric hung from his right hip with white fur lining the edge.
Tomoki's hair grew ever so slightly longer, the difference so tiny that most people wouldn't have even noticed it. A piece of hair near the left side of his face dyed itself blue, and it was lighter at the root while fading out to a deeper azure hue next to his cheek. A few snowflakes fell in his hair, making it look as if he was constantly gleaming silver. The silver pattern of snowflakes crept up his right cheek, leaving a gleam near his chin.
The blue light faded when the transformation was completed, and Tomoki was left to stand between his brother and Koji. He glared up at Yutaka with all the rage in the world, completely ignoring what he had just done. His Resplendent Evolution had exposed who he was to his brother, and yet, he did not care in the slightest. He knew what needed to be done, and he would do it no matter what it meant for him.
A few Digimon overhead had been drawn to the scene by the sudden explosion of blue light, and the nearby monsters swept down with their claws at the ready to slash at Tomoki. He didn't give any of them a second glance as he flicked one hand forward, creating a massive gust of snow and wind despite the temperatures not being below freezing yet. The snowflakes ate away at the bodies of the Digimon like acid, easily destroying the Void Fragments and leaving behind few signs of the possession. The Digimon who had been freed of the possession glanced around in confusion. A few looked to the skies, hoping they would be able to go back through the rift, but the portals had closed at some point during Tomoki and Koji's confrontation with Yutaka. Tomoki didn't care enough to investigate when exactly that had happened. All he could think about now was how much he absolutely despised his brother.
As soon as Koji managed to snap out of his trance, he reached for his D-Tector and transformed into Beowolfmon. All ideas of keeping their identities a secret had been thrown out the window by now, so he instead opted for what would keep him safest from the hoard of Digimon. Tomoki had easily managed to fend off the first wave of invaders, but there would be more, and Beowolfmon needed to be ready to face them.
Yutaka looked at Tomoki and Beowolfmon with a twisted smile. He was terrified, but rather than letting it show openly, he was preparing to bite back like a cornered animal. "What do you know? The monsters show their true colors," he remarked, trying and failing to hide the way his voice trembled ever so slightly. "It would be a shame if someone were to find out about—"
Before Yutaka had the chance to finish his sentence, Beowolfmon sent out a blast of light energy that sent him backwards. Beowolfmon surged toward his target, one arm outstretched. He caught Yutaka by the neck just before he could hit the ground, and Beowolfmon turned before pinning the man against the nearby wall of a building. "You will never say a word of what you have seen here today to anybody," Beowolfmon snarled. "If you even think of speaking of this to anyone, I will do what I should have done a long time ago. I will relish in killing you if you dare to remember this again. The world will not mourn your death."
Yutaka's eyes were wide in true fear and shock now, and Tomoki knew for a fact that he had never seen his brother this scared. Yutaka had never seemed afraid of anything. Instead, he responded to terror with anger, and that same rage had destroyed Tomoki's life before he even understood what was happening. Yutaka's previous confidence had long melted away by now though, and all he could do was nod in response to Beowolfmon’s very present threat. The motion was slight thanks to Beowolfmon's tight grip on his neck, but it still got the message across.
Beowolfmon threw Yutaka to the ground as soon as he was satisfied with the answer he had been given. Yutaka groaned with pain, but neither Beowolfmon nor Tomoki bothered with looking in his direction again. Instead, the two just looked up to the skies overhead. There were still far too many Void Fragment Digimon for them to take care of even with Tomoki's new Resplendent Evolution. Not even the closing of the rifts from the sky would give them the strength they needed to defeat so many Digimon when it was just the two of them.
Tomoki's rage and defensiveness continued to blow through the air, and dark, stormy clouds formed overhead. Snow began to fall across the city, the first signs of winter coming. The change in weather was far from natural, but Tomoki could hardly bring himself to care. It would give him a leg up in the battle to come, and he was going to need it. There were only four Resplendent Evolutions on the field, and not even the combined power of Yumiko, Junpei, Hinoka, and now Tomoki would be enough to save everyone from the attack as the situation currently stood.
Tomoki crouched down, creating a platform of ice from nowhere. He stepped onto it and gestured for Beowolfmon to do the same. "We need to find the others," he told the Warrior of Light. Beowolfmon just nodded, and the ice beneath their feet started to raise into the skies. A few moments later, they had left Yutaka behind entirely, and neither one of them looked back. Yutaka stared up at them with a snarl on his lips and pain pounding against the various bruises he had sustained, but he made no efforts to try and chase after Tomoki and Beowolfmon.
One could have called them heartless for what they had just done. Tomoki thought it should have happened years ago.
~~~~~
Chihiro hadn't stopped running.
They weren't sure how long it had been since the invasion first started, but they didn't care enough to find out either. The world was bleeding together into a mass of nothingness around them, but they concentrated only on placing one foot in front of the other. They thanked their past self for growing so interested in sports at such a young age so they could run for so long without being held back by the limitations of their stamina. This was hardly the time to run out of energy. They needed to keep moving if they wanted to stay alive, and they knew it.
Chihiro ducked under the awning of a nearby building and reached for their phone. They had managed to avoid being recognized thus far, but they knew that wasn't going to last for long. Chihiro was hoping to remain hidden in human form for as long as they could get away for it so they could then strike back with some of the other members of the group after meeting up with them. Chihiro knew better than to think they could stand a chance on their own against so many Digimon at once. They had to come up with a plan, and they needed backup no matter what that plan ended up being.
They checked their phone quickly, scrolling down through the notifications they had received. Most of them were emergency alerts telling everyone to stay inside and safe. They had one text so far in the Legendary Warriors group chat from Yumiko asking where everyone was. Nobody had sent a reply, and the message had been sent more than twenty minutes ago. Chihiro swore under their breath and continued to scroll until another message caught their eye.
'I need help. Monsters everywhere. Come quick.'
Chihiro's eyes went wide. The message had come from Shinya. They didn't know why he would have thought to text them of all people in the midst of his panic, but they didn't want to ask questions about it either. Shinya was in danger, and they had to find him as soon as possible.
As soon as Chihiro thought about it for longer than a few seconds, they realized why Shinya was being targeted. He was close to both Takuya and Chihiro. The mastermind was targeting the Legendary Warriors directly now, and they had to know that Shinya was an easy way to get to them. It was probably some kind of trap.
But Chihiro had to go and see what it was about. They refused to leave Shinya alone in danger for any longer than they already had. It didn't matter if it was a trap. They had to save him. They pulled up another app on their phone to track his phone and took off running in the direction their screen pointed them in. If they moved quickly, then maybe they would be able to get to him in time.
As Chihiro started running again, the paranoia from before began to rear its ugly head again. Something pounded at the edges of Chihiro's skull, and they recognized it as a migraine in the making. When they blinked, quick streaks of red and brown coated their vision, but they shook it off. They had to keep moving. Everything else could wait until after they knew Shinya was safe.
I'll be there soon, Shinya. Just hold on a little longer.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
Once again, we're picking up right where we left off with Tomoki and Yutaka. The situation still sucks, though this isn't surprising to anyone. Yutaka not leaving Tomoki alone even in the midst of a Digimon attack is an awful sign. Maybe he's just overly confident. Or maybe there's something else to it. Who knows? Either way, this is one hell of a way to start off the Earth invasion arc.
Takuya's scene with the investigation team places him a few minutes before the invasion starts in full. Everyone is still curious about everything going on, but they're hesitant in some ways because of what happened to Chiaki while it only emboldened them more in other ways. Takuya being put in a situation that mirrors what happened with Hinoka and Chiaki a while back is intentional. They both have to defend members of the investigation team from an attack targeting them directly. Takuya and Hinoka are the only elemental opposite pair who didn't have any meaningful interactions in the first book, so I'm giving them a lot more to work with here. Ironic how that worked out since Takuya is the main character, but here we are. Parallels or not though, Takuya is having a terrible time. Sounds like business as usual.
We're getting into the big guns now with the scene of Biastamon with Mayumi and Haroi. Putting Biastamon with members of our main cast right now given what Saki knows is a painful stab of dramatic irony, but I'm in love with it. I think the three of them have a very interesting dynamic, and as is shown throughout this conversation, they have a lot in common. Mayumi has been labeled as bad and a failure all her life, and seeing herself in Kage/Lucemon has brought all of that to the forefront again. Haroi doesn't know how to grapple with all the sudden changes to his body and mind caused by the Digital World, and he feels ostracized from himself as a result. Biastamon was abandoned by society because of assumptions years prior, and he wants to ensure that never happens to anyone again. He's a perfect foil to Mayumi and Haroi here, and writing all three of them has been a joy. I'm looking forward to writing their next few scenes since they will be getting more. I hope you like those stabs of dramatic irony, because they're not going to stop any time soon.
Okay. This is the big one. This scene is the reason this chapter was written in two days. I started it and then couldn't stop once I had gotten going because it's just... Incredible. I think we can all agree this is more than overdue. Let's talk about Tomoki, Koji, and Yutaka. Koji is pissed at Yutaka for exposing him and potentially ruining his life, and Tomoki is terrified. But that fear turns to rage pretty damn quickly when he realizes what Yutaka did. Yutaka sees all of this as justice for what Tomoki "took" from him by existing, but Tomoki isn't listening anymore. He's suffered through enough and is finally taking a stand instead of letting his fear hold him back. His terrified still, but he doesn't want to see Yutaka ruin those he cares about. The buildup to this Resplendent Evolution might be my favorite of all of them so far. Tomoki starts to freeze everything around him even before transforming when he goes to defend Koji. I feel like this is a perfect payoff for both of them since Koji has been fiercely protective of Tomoki since they first met and he heard about Yutaka. Koji has hated Yutaka for ages and vowed to defend Tomoki no matter what. Tomoki keeps Koji safe from Yutaka, and in return, Beowolfmon threatens Yutaka into silence to keep both of their secrets. Some people would argue that a monster threatening a human who can't fight back is a bad idea. I say Yutaka deserves it. Also, if any of you think that Tomoki's Resplendent Evolution mirrors Yumiko, you would be absolutely right. The elemental opposites mirror will all each other, but I'll get into the details later on and in the text. For now, just know that it isn't only you making that connection. It's absolutely on purpose, and I adore it.
Lastly, we have the closing scene of Chihiro texting Shinya. This scene may not do much this time, but it sets up a lot of important things for next chapter. I am so excited for where this is going to take us next. You have no idea. I've been hoping to do something like this in Horizon Wars since Echo, as a matter of fact. This is like if the second arc of Echo was turned into a lategame scramble. It's so much fun to plan and write, hence why this chapter was written start to finish in two days. I might be a tad obsessed.
Next week, we're going to keep following this forward momentum into the next step of the invasion mini-arc. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 39: Unravel
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors try to fend off the army of Void Fragments to varying degrees of success.
Chapter Text
The island of Inaie crested the horizon in the distance, and Mayumi and Haroi watched it pass by before it faded away a few seconds later. Biastamon had stopped as soon as he sensed they were near the island, and neither of his passengers had bothered to question him. Instead, they simply sat together and watched Inaie pass them by in the silence. It was an excuse for them to take a break when they had been searching for about an hour by now, a perfect time for them to breathe.
Mayumi closed her eyes and tried to reach her energy out to see if Saki was on Inaie. She had no idea why they would be, but it was at least worth considering. After a few moments of trying to sense them though, she realized she had been right to assume Saki wasn't there. She could distantly sense Darcmon and Hippogriffomon on Inaie, but that was it as far as familiar faces were concerned. Mayumi let out a sigh at that and shook her head. "They're not there," she murmured. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected that, but it was worth a shot, I guess."
"I have to wonder how Saki has been able to hide themself from us so well," Biastamon murmured. "You said before that you could sense the presence of the other Legendary Warriors, yes?"
"Something along those lines," Haroi confirmed. "After we all fused to become Susanoomon in the final battle against Lucemon, we were left with traces of one another inside of our bodies. We can figure out where anyone is just by thinking about it for a few seconds as long as we're in the same world as them. But this... It's strange. It's like something is keeping Saki from being discovered. I feel like they have to be here in the Digital World, but I can't find them no matter how hard I search."
"Same here," Mayumi sighed. "I just want to know that they're safe. If they vanished a few days ago, then they could be in all sorts of trouble by now, but we would have no way of knowing it. They've been unable to contact us for days now, and I... I can't find them anywhere."
"I have to wonder if perhaps Saki doesn't want to be found," Haroi confessed. "I don't want to believe they would want to hide from us, but if we still can't find them after all the land that we've already traversed... I'm starting to think something else is going on here."
"But why would Saki want to avoid us?" Mayumi questioned, and Haroi simply shook his head in the place of a response. "All we want is to know that they're safe and alive, but that's so much harder than it has any right to be... Why did everything have to happen this way?"
"I'm sorry," Biastamon sighed. "I wish I could have done more to help, but... I fear I've done all that I can. I don't know how else we can try to track them down beyond what we've already tried."
"It's okay. It means a lot to us that you tried in the first place," Mayumi assured him with a weak smile. Tears were starting to spring to life in the corners of her eyes, but she did her best to blink them away. She was getting overwhelmed, and she could feel it. She couldn’t let it boil over, not now, not when Saki could have needed her help and protection. "I just... I wish there was more I could do to help. I hate feeling helpless like this."
Biastamon bowed his head for a moment before he started walking. Inaie had vanished against the skyline, leaving behind no signs that it had been there to begin with. Biastamon took that as his cue to keep moving, trying to distract his passengers as much as possible as their sadness continued to bubble over. "I'm going to do what I can to help you. We may not have seen success yet, but there is still something to be found out there, and we can search for them no matter how long it takes," he said. "I understand you need to return to Earth soon, but I wouldn't want you to go back feeling unsatisfied. As long as you are willing to continue the search, then I am as well."
"I think we can afford to stay for a little bit longer," Haroi said. It was difficult to say how true that was; they were already pushing it with how long they had been searching, but neither Haroi nor Mayumi wanted to go back quite yet. They had a school day ahead of them back on Earth, but it felt wrong to return as long as they were still in the dark about Saki’s whereabouts and safety. If there was a chance they would uncover the truth in the next few minutes of searching, then the least they could do was try. They would never forgive themselves if the truth would have come right after they left the Digital World.
Mayumi let out a shaky sigh. Her tears were coming faster now, and she couldn't fight them off no matter how hard she tried. She shook her head and forced herself to breathe, but her body just didn't want to cooperate with her mind. She liked to think of herself as a laidback person most of the time, but this... It was too much for her to take. The pressure had been mounting for ages, and she didn't know what to do about it. Finding Saki wouldn't put all of her fears to rest, but it would at least be a step in the right direction, and she needed every step she could get desperately.
As much as she hated to admit it, Mayumi felt like a failure. She just wanted her friends to be safe, but she couldn't even make sure of that. All of her previous doubts regarding what Miriamon had told her about Lucemon came rushing back full force, a tidal wave threatening to suffocate her the instant she dropped her guard. She sucked in a careful breath, trying to not let anyone know she was crying, but she knew that ship had already sailed. She was tired of feeling like a failure. She was tired of feeling bad.
Biastamon hesitated, considering his words, before speaking. "You know, there were many people who labeled me as bad once too," he whispered. Mayumi looked up, her mind casting itself back to earlier in their conversation. She had said she was afraid of being bad, and now that she was crying, she could only assume Biastamon had figured out where her fears were stemming from. He may not have known the details of why Mayumi was so afraid, but he could still see the issue, and he wanted to help as much as possible. He was too kind to let her cry without doing at least something to try and assuage her anxiety.
"There were?" Haroi questioned. "I don't understand how that could be possible. You've done so much to help both the people of Inaie and Beast Digimon all across the planet. How could anyone think of you as bad?"
"It was because of that very work that so many people came to hate me," Biastamon replied. "I was advocating for the people of Inaie and for Beast Digimon all across the world. The end of the war against Cherubimon brought about even darker times of prejudice than I had ever seen before, and I wanted to change it. That was why I stepped up the way I did. But that didn't stop people from calling me treacherous for working with Inaie. There are those who view the island as sinful and evil because it allows both Human and Beast Digimon to live on it. I knew better than that though, and I knew I would do anything to keep the people there safe. So when the time came to make a difference in the world, I left the island in the care of Darcmon and came here to work with Alastomon."
"I never would have thought people would have hated you for something like that," Mayumi admitted, her eyes wide. "You only ever wanted to help those around you, but instead, they used it as an excuse to push you aside... I don't understand how they can be so heartless."
"The heart is a stubborn thing. It takes a long time to change once it has set its sight on something regardless of how true it really is," Biastamon answered simply. "The way others perceive you can feel like a poison you do not know how to cure. But you are more than the culmination of what others believe you to be. Each of us has a unique version of every person we have ever met in our minds. Some perceptions are more accurate than others. Some opinions matter while others do not. Only we have the chance to understand ourselves in a way nobody else can, and we need to step up and understand what that means for us without their judgement rather than letting it hold us back."
Mayumi took a moment to think through everything he said, processing each word slowly to make sure she was truly listening and not just hearing it. "So... You mean to say that we should just ignore what other people think of us?" she asked.
"If only it were that simple," Biastamon replied. "We want to listen to the people around us. We want them to believe in us. It's not easy to discard the opinions of those around us regardless of how much they hurt. It stings deeper than we want to admit. But... There are those whose views we should not listen to. It took me a long time to overcome the rumors people were spreading about me. Some days, I still feel the need to listen regardless of how wrong I know they are. But listening to them or letting their opinions bother me won't help anyone, least of all myself. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's something you deserve to do. Don't indulge those who only want to hurt you... Even if that opinion comes from yourself."
The last sentence hit Mayumi like a punch in the stomach, and she stared down at her hands once again. They couldn't seem to stay still, instead tapping out an idle rhythm against Biastamon's back. She hadn't even realized she was doing it until she glanced down, but now, she couldn't unsee it. She bit down on her bottom lip, only pulling back when she feared she was going to draw blood. "I just... I don't want to be bad," she murmured. "It's such a vague thing to say, but I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to be the reason they suffer. I don't want to be a problem."
"You're not a problem," Haroi assured her. "I wish there was more I could say to make you believe it, but... You've never been a problem. You being the way that you are doesn't automatically set you up to be a bad person, Mayumi. If someone chooses to treat others poorly, then it's their decision. You haven't chosen that, and I know you never will."
"I don't think Lucemon actively chose to be bad though... Or, at the very least, he didn't think he was bad," Mayumi pointed out. "Every person thinks they are justified. If they didn’t think that, then they wouldn’t act the way they do. I think I’m doing the right thing, but… What if I end up crossing a line like him without realizing it? He lashed out at everybody else because he was hurt, and it feels like I've been hurting in some form or another for my entire life. I don't want to hurt people... Though I guess that ship sailed years ago."
"What are you talking about?" Biastamon questioned carefully. After a brief pause, he amended his statement. "You don't need to answer if you don't want to. I won't pressure you if it makes you uncomfortable."
Mayumi took in another careful breath, sniffling halfway through. She rubbed at her eyes with the heel of one hand, and her other hand continued to tap out the rhythm she couldn't quite identify aloud but understood as well as her own heartbeat. "When I was younger, my mother left me and my father behind. It was because of me. I was born different than everyone else, and I was too much for her to handle. She got sick of being around me, and so, she left. I know my father really cared about her, and before we knew it... She was gone. She hated me so much that she broke everything so she wouldn't have to be around me anymore," she explained. "If I could just be normal, then none of this would have happened. Maybe things would still be okay. It feels like it's all my fault."
"That's hardly your burden to bear," Biastamon countered. "If she left her own child over something like that, then her attachment to you and your father wasn't as strong as you believed it to be. She made her decision to hurt you. Her idea of you is wrong, and I understand why it hurts you so deeply. I just hope that one day, it won't hurt you as much as it does now."
"I hope so," Mayumi whispered. "I'm tired of feeling like an outcast no matter where I go. It hurts to know that I'm never going to fit in quite like anyone else. I-I don't want to hurt people or push them away, but it feels like before I met the rest of the Legendary Warriors, that was all I knew how to do."
"If others cannot accept you at your lowest, then they do not deserve you at your highest," Biastamon told her. "Though I would hardly call you existing as a whole being 'low.' You are a person like any other, and you deserve to be treated as such. If other people cannot see you as a person, then that is their issue, not yours."
Mayumi let out another sob, and she rubbed at her face as she pushed out a careful exhale in an attempt to ground herself. When it didn’t work, she turned to another tried and true method. She counted how many people were there to bring her mind to a halt in its panic. Mayumi, Haroi, Biastamon. Three. She was okay. She would be okay. "Thank you," she whispered. "I just wish it was as easy to accept myself as it is for others to not accept me. I don't want it to be my issue to treat myself kindly because others can't, but it's the hand I've been dealt, so what choice do I have?"
"It shouldn't have to be your burden to take care of yourself on your own. You have a powerful group of friends here with you, and I know each of them would be happy to let you lean on them when you need it most," Biastamon assured her. "The Legendary Warriors are good people. You both are good people. They're here for you no matter what... And for what it's worth, so am I."
"Thank you," Mayumi repeated. She brushed her hands gently across Biastamon's back, relishing in the comforting coolness of his steel armor. "That means a lot to me. I want to try and be better, and if this is what it takes, then... So be it. I'll find a way to move forward even if it makes others hate me."
Biastamon smiled proudly at that, but before he had the chance to vocalize his confidence in her, he came to a stop. He glanced around the immediate area, slipping into a defensive stance in the blink of an eye. Mayumi felt her instincts hit her like a punch to the stomach, and she began to scan the region for any signs of intruders as well. Even though she couldn't see anything, she knew they were being followed. There was someone else there, though if she was being honest with herself, it was actually a large number of attackers. She just didn't want to have to admit it.
"We need to go," Haroi whispered, his voice certain and fearful. Before he had the chance to urge Biastamon forward though, a portal opened off to the group's right, and a stream of Void Fragment Digimon came out, all of them ready to surge toward Biastamon and the pair of Legendary Warriors on his back.
Biastamon gripped tightly at the ground below, and bullets fired from the steel around his ankles before honing in on the first wave of assailants. The bullets exploded on contact, creating a smokescreen as a diversion. As soon as Biastamon was sure their escape was covered, he took off running once again, sprinting as quickly as he could in the opposite direction of the Void Fragments.
"Do you think we would be able to take them in a fight?" Mayumi questioned. She craned her neck to try and get a better look at the Digimon pursuing them, but thanks to the smokescreen and the portal, it was difficult to make out any details about their attackers. All she knew was that there were a lot of them, and they were still coming out of the portal too.
"Not with that many of them on our tail," Haroi replied. Behind them, the fog began to clear, leaving behind the collective silhouette of a massive number of Digimon, far too many for anyone to count. "We need to find a place to hide until all of this blows over. Biastamon, can you get us somewhere safe?"
"Of course," Biastamon replied. He pushed himself to run a little bit faster, and Mayumi and Haroi gripped at his armor that much tighter. Adrenaline pounded in Mayumi's ears, but she forced herself to focus. They were under attack, and she needed to pull herself out of the past and back into the present once again. How else could they be expected to survive?
Mayumi just wished it wasn't an expectation in the first place.
~~~~~
Hinoka swayed her hands in front of her torso, dragging a stream of water along with her fingertips before she flung a blast of the fluid at an attacking Digimon. She ducked in low, using wings made of water to keep herself aloft, before punching one arm up, creating a column of water that knocked another three Digimon off guard. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her ears, and she couldn't seem to calm herself. All she could hear was the screaming in her chest, not that there was much else to hear aside from screaming in the outside world in the first place. Hinoka pulled her arms against her chest to create a shield before blasting another column of water forward a moment later, opening a space in the invading army just wide enough for her to squeeze through.
As soon as the invasion had begun, Hinoka had transformed into her Resplendent form and started to fight back. It was much easier said than done given just how many Digimon there were, but she had to try no matter what. She didn't know where the others were, but she had to find them as soon as possible. Hinoka knew she could have just followed her instincts to figure out where they were, but she couldn't ground herself long enough to reach out and find them. She was just too paranoid, as much as she hated to admit it, and the attacking Digimon all around her were only making it harder for her to focus her attention on finding her friends and allies.
Hinoka pushed through another quartet of Digimon before her gaze fell on the ground below. Her eyes gravitated toward a group of people still out and about on the streets. Most of the city's people had retreated into any building they could find for the sake of having safe cover, and seeing someone out still was at best rare and at worst horrifying. Hinoka couldn't bring herself to look away from them though, and she figured out why soon enough.
Takuya was leading a group of four through the streets of Shibuya, all of them running as quickly as quickly as their legs could carry them. Upon closer examination, Hinoka realized the four people following Takuya were the members of the investigation team. They were all desperate to escape the onslaught from another world, but that was far easier said than done given the circumstances. The Void Fragment Digimon were after the Legendary Warriors specifically, and as long as Takuya was with them, then they were in danger. It wasn't as if he could have just run off without an explanation though. They would want to know why he was leaving, and Takuya couldn't just tell them, especially as long as they were still trying to figure out who the 'human monsters' were. Hinoka knew the dilemma all too well, and her stomach twisted with the reminder of the day she had been forced to share the truth with Chiaki.
Part of Hinoka was tempted to approach the group so she could hide the rest of the teens and pull Takuya away, but she knew that would only earn her more suspicion. She was just going to have to fend off the Digimon after her from up in the sky while also getting rid of the monsters chasing Takuya. It was going to be much easier said than done, but what other choice did she have? Takuya was counting on her, and the rest of the investigation team as was even if they didn't know it. Ideally, they would never know who she was or why she was doing this, but that wasn't Hinoka's decision to make, and she knew it.
So instead, Hinoka turned around to face the Digimon attacking her. She continued to use the stream of water she had summoned at the start of the fight to fend off anyone who got too close, striking the Digimon just hard enough to free them of their possession but not hard enough to cause severe damage. She could worry about opening a portal back to the Digital World later. She didn't have time for any of that, especially when there was the chance more enemies could come racing through any rift she created. She needed to concentrate on staying alive first and foremost, but unfortunately, that was much easier said than done.
At least she and Takuya were safe for now. That had to count for something, right?
~~~~~
Down on the ground, Takuya gestured for the investigation team to keep following him. His chest was burning vaguely, but he knew his stamina was working with him thanks to his Digimon side. The other teens following him, on the other hand, were struggling much more. Teppei in particular had started to wheeze ages ago, his body unable to withstand the constant pressure of running for its life. They weren't going to be able to keep running forever. They needed to find somewhere to hide. On top of that, Takuya desperately needed to join the fight, especially when the group was missing three of its twelve fighters, but he couldn't do that until they were safe. He just couldn't leave them behind, and he couldn’t expose himself as a Digimon in front of them either.
It was a shame Takuya couldn't escape the pursuers on their tail. He knew they were after him specifically. Of course they were. This attack was no doubt being orchestrated for the sole purpose of destroying the Legendary Warriors as a group, and Takuya, being a part of the team, was one of the foremost targets as a result. He could feel the Void Fragment Digimon chasing him, their eyes piercing through his body no matter how fast he ran. He wouldn't be able to get away from them no matter what. He needed to turn and fight... But how could he even do that? Even when he ignored the fact that he needed to defend the investigation team, Takuya knew not even Aldamon was going to be able to stand a chance against an onslaught of Digimon like this. There were just too many of them, and he knew it bitterly well. He would need extra reinforcements. He would need to Resplendent Evolve, but unless he could figure out how to do that in a matter of minutes, he was doomed.
"In here!" Takuya exclaimed as he gestured into a nearby store. He opened the door and tried to hurry everyone else inside, not quite sure of what he was going to do to get away from them but figuring that was a problem for the Takuya he would be in about twenty seconds. His chest heaved with adrenaline and exertion, and as much as he tried to relish in the burning sensation, it could only fuel him so much when he wasn't allowed to let the flame within run wild. He needed to stay focused. He needed to just get everyone out of there as soon as possible so he could—
A blast hit the ground nearby, but Takuya only registered it after he had been sent flying. He tucked his body against itself carefully to minimize damages as he hit the concrete and started to roll. Snow was beginning to fall from the skies overhead, but he barely noticed. He winced as he tried to push himself up, but the world still felt like it was spinning. Takuya groaned to himself, rubbing at his temple in a desperate bid to rid himself of his headache before it could fully manifest.
Takuya forced his eyes open slowly and saw the rest of the investigation team had been scattered by the blast as well. Katsuharu and Teppei had landed in a mass of limbs nearby while Teruo slammed into the outside wall of the shop the group had been trying to escape into. He gripped at his abdomen defensively, and Takuya could already tell he must have cracked a rib from the impact, if not outright broken multiple ribs. Chiaki was sprawled out on the ground as well, motionless and dazed.
Takuya tried to force himself to move, but his body was sluggish, refusing to cooperate with him the way it should have. He needed to transform into a Digimon so his faster healing abilities could kick in again. Kazemon had healed from a stab wound in a matter of minutes when she was transformed. If Takuya could just become Aldamon, then he would be fine. If Takuya could just become Aldamon, then he could defend the rest of the group. It wasn't a matter of keeping secrets anymore. It was a matter of not fucking dying.
Overhead, a passing Void Fragment Digimon—a Mihiramon—focused in on the fallen Takuya and his entourage. Mihiramon reared his head back, energy building up in the back of his throat, before he released a blast of magic straight toward the prone and fallen teenagers. Takuya tried to focus in on the strike, to force himself to concentrate, but he couldn't reach for his D-Tector in time with the way the world was spinning around him.
Takuya closed his eyes to brace himself for impact, but the hit never came.
Instead, an explosion rocked the air, and when Takuya opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of Hinoka flying above the group in her Resplendent form, her arms braced up and a shield of water blocking her and the quintet of humans from damage. As soon as she had deflected the hit, Hinoka punched forward, and water streaked through the air to strike at Mihiramon like a thousand tiny daggers. A Void Fragment ripped itself out of Mihiramon's body, and Hinoka breathed heavily for a few seconds before she turned around to look at the rest of the group. "Are you okay, Takuya?"
Takuya blinked a few times, finally forcing himself to focus on reality once again, and he nodded. "Yeah," he confirmed. "I'm fine." He reached for his D-Tector as soon as he had a grip on himself once more, and he started to key through the commands before he reached the selection for Aldamon. His finger was about to come down on the activation button when—
"What's going on?" Teppei questioned. He was slowly pushing himself off the ground, having untangled himself from Katsuharu in the few seconds Takuya was distracted with Hinoka's arrival. He glanced up to Hinoka where she was sending back another trio of Void Fragment Digimon, his eyes wide as could be. "Did she just say your name, Takuya?"
Chiaki rose to her full height, ignoring the way her body trembled along the way. "Hinoka, what's going on?" she asked. "What is all of this? Where did they come from?"
Katsuharu's eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped. "Chiaki, do you know her?" He paused for a moment, his face going pale from shock. "Hold on a moment... Isn't Hinoka the name of your sister?"
"Your sister is one of the human monsters?!" Teruo yelped from his place over by the building. He forced himself up carefully, not letting go of his stomach out of fear and horror. He limped over to the rest of the group slowly, ignoring the cut that had opened on his cheek when he was sent flying. Blood dripped down his chin, but he refused to give it a second thought.
Katsuharu looked back and forth between Hinoka, Chiaki, and Takuya. The Warrior of Fire's finger hesitated above the activation button, but before he could even think of pressing it, Hinoka landed beside him. She had cleared out the immediate group of Digimon, so she instead focused on creating an orb of watery magic that kept the five teenagers out of danger. "It's too late for secrets, Takuya," Hinoka told him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression exhausted and sobered. "Tell them. I'll hold off the Digimon. I promise."
Takuya's finger continued to hesitate over the activation button of his D-Tector, his hand starting to tremble fully, but he nodded and allowed himself to retreat into the sphere Hinoka had created. The inside was hollow despite its exterior being made of water, so breathing was hardly a concern. Takuya gestured for the rest of the group to follow him inside, and the four teens glanced to one another uneasily before following his lead. They didn't have any other choice, and they knew it.
Takuya took in a shaky breath, not letting go of his D-Tector or putting it back on his waistband even as he began to speak. "Let me tell you a story of another world. It’s called the Digital World..."
~~~~~
Saki tucked themself away in the corner of a building, Miriamon off to their right with the Digimon to their left. Outside, the streets of the city they had been hiding in were chaotic as could be. Every citizen had been sent running for safe cover by a sudden invasion of Void Fragment Digimon, and Saki had known immediately who they were targeting. The invaders were hoping to find Saki and Miriamon, no doubt because the mastermind had realized what they were up to. Their gambit had worked, but it was starting to bite them in the ass. No plan could keep them safe forever.
That morning, Saki had been on the verge of sharing the truth with the rest of the group. They had a message almost finished and typed up to request the Legendary Warriors to meet them and the Digimon guides in a town where nobody would think to look for them. Saki had been a bit too slow though, and the attacking Void Fragment Digimon had snuck up on them while they were distracted. In a matter of minutes, the fortress was overrun. The message had been left unsent in Saki's desperation to escape the intruders, and the rest of the group was left out of the loop for even longer than they already had been. The Void Fragment Digimon chased them out of the fortress, but it was too late to double back and communicate with the rest of the team now.
They had been running with Miriamon and the Digimon guides ever since the attack began that morning, trying to gather information without letting anyone know where they were. That meant Saki was leading the rest of the group through the streets of the city, hiding in whatever building they could find that would offer them safe cover. Saki was halfway tempted to just attack outright and see if they could figure out who the commander was on their own, but they didn't know if that was a good idea. There were too many Digimon attacking at once, and something told them the assault wouldn't end just because they cleared out this one town. Their instincts told them the Void Fragments were everywhere, that no matter where they went, they would be followed. They needed to conserve their energy for the instant it was necessary. They needed to be ready to face the mastermind when the time finally came.
As such, Saki had been dedicating their newfound Resplendent Evolution abilities to ensuring they were untraceable. They couldn't afford to have anyone figuring out where they were, at least not yet. They held their breath as a few Digimon passed by outside, pulling in the rest of their companions a bit closer to make sure their magic was influencing the other members of the group as well. None of the Void Fragment Digimon stopped to investigate the building further though, instead just pressing right on with hopes that the next place they checked would be hiding the Warrior of Steel.
As soon as Saki realized they were in the clear, they let out a sigh and allowed themself to relax, at least to an extent. This was the closest thing they had gotten to a break since the attack had begun, and they needed to use this chance to gather information while they had it. Saki pressed their eyes closed, trying to figure out how widespread the attacks were. They needed to meet up with the rest of the Legendary Warriors as soon as possible. The fate of the Digital World depended on it.
When Saki attempted to figure out where the rest of their teammates were, they were hit by a wave of familiarity. Some of them were in the Digital World. Upon closer examination, they realized Mayumi and Haroi were the two they were sensing. Saki hoped with everything they had that the two were safe as they reached for their D-Tector, casting a small invisibility spell to make sure nobody outside could see the light the screen cast into the darkness of the building.
Saki could see that the pair of Legendary Warriors were on the move, and they were traveling at breakneck speeds. They tried to reach out a bit more, to see what exactly was going on with them, but as soon as they did, they struck upon a familiar source of energy with the duo. Their eyes went wide as two equally horrifying revelations struck them.
"Oh, no," Saki whispered.
"What is it?" Neemon asked, his expression distorted with worry. "What's going on?"
"Mayumi and Haroi are here in the Digital World," Saki murmured. "They're under attack from Void Fragment Digimon, and... They're with Biastamon."
"What?!" Bokomon yelped, only barely managing to keep himself quiet. He clapped his hands over his mouth as soon as he had spoken the words, staring up at Saki in hollow horror.
The Warrior of Steel felt for the folded letters resting in their pocket, a swear pushing its way free of their lips. They glanced out the window, seeing more Void Fragment Digimon pressing on through the city streets outside. "Forget gathering information about the ones attacking us," they told the rest of the group. "We need to find Mayumi and Haroi and get them away from Biastamon as soon as possible. They don't know the danger they're in."
"Can we teleport there?" Miriamon questioned.
Saki shook their head. "They're moving too fast. I can get us in the general area, but I won't be able to teleport quickly enough to catch up to them right now," they replied. "It's time for us to get out of here. They need us."
Nobody had the chance to process what Saki was saying until it was too late. They pressed their hands together, creating a teleportation spell that took them all to another corner of the Digital World. As soon as the group touched down on the ground, Saki pressed down on their D-Tector's activation button, and purple light consumed them a moment later. When the glow faded, Saki was in their Resplendent form. They summoned their rapier and drew a circle on the ground, creating a platform for everyone to stand on. As soon as each of the group's members had been secured on the amethyst ground, Saki commanded it to fly, and they took off through the heavens in search of Mayumi and Haroi.
Please be safe... I'll be there soon. I promise.
~~~~~
Koichi held his breath as another Digimon swept through the skies overhead, pressing one hand against his mouth to make sure he remained silent. He was fully shaking, but he refused to allow himself to break down quite yet. He needed to stay calm for a while longer. He needed to hold on just long enough for another member of the team to come and help him. He would be fine. He just needed to stay calm and focused.
Or, at the very least, that was what Koichi was telling himself. Actually committing to remaining calm was much easier said than done, and the way the Warrior of Darkness shook like a leaf was proof of it. He knew confidently that he wouldn't stand a chance if he tried to fight back on his own. He hadn't tried to Spirit Evolve in ages because he was so afraid of losing control, and the horrifying idea of falling apart remained all too present in his mind even as he hid in the shadows. He couldn't remain in hiding forever, but he wouldn't stand a chance if he went out there to try and fight. Koichi doubted he would be able to keep himself together if he Spirit Evolved. His conflict with Dusk, Velge, and Malkako was going to tear him apart if he wasn't careful. He needed to just hide and wait for someone else to get there.
"Koichi!"
The sound of his name being called overhead pulled Koichi's attention out of his own head, and when he looked up, he was met with the sight of Junpei flying above him, electricity crackling across his body. Junpei blasted another handful of Void Fragment Digimon with a column of lightning before he dove toward the ground, landing in a crouch that made Koichi stagger backwards from its sheer force. Junpei rose to his feet once he had touched down, looking at Koichi with worry in his eyes. "Are you okay?" Junpei questioned.
"I'm about as okay as I can be," Koichi said with a bitter laugh. That couldn't have been further from the truth, especially since he couldn't even trust himself to Spirit Evolve, but how could he just say that? They were already missing Saki, Mayumi, and Haroi for reasons none of them understood. He couldn't just tell Junpei he was going to be useless in a fight. That would only make things worse.
"I saw Yumiko earlier. We're going to try and round up the rest of the Legendary Warriors so we can come up with a plan," Junpei explained. "If I had to guess, I would say this is the mastermind's way of trying to get rid of us once and for all, but I'm not going to give them the chance. We need to find the others."
Another explosion in the distance made the ground shake, and Koichi fell into the wall of the building behind him. Junpei responded by punching at the sky, creating a massive streak of lightning that sent a few Void Fragment Digimon spiraling out of the sky as their possession was shattered. "We need to stay alive," Koichi pointed out. "Where do you think the rest of the group is?"
"As far as I can tell, just about everyone is split up," Junpei said. He glanced up and felt at one of the snowflakes falling from the sky, wincing when it touched his hand. "I would also say Tomoki is probably in trouble if this sudden snowstorm is any indication."
"We had better get going then," Koichi nodded. He reached for his D-Tector, hesitating as he stared down at it. He needed to try and fight back. He may not have stood a chance on his own, but now that he was with Junpei, he would at least be able to help the Warrior of Thunder by picking off the weaker foes. Not being at the Resplendent level was a massive disadvantage, but Koichi still had to try... Right? Even if he couldn’t trust himself to Beast or Hybrid Spirit Evolve, he could do at least something as Lowemon, couldn’t he? No, he had to take the chance and try to fight as Rhihimon. It was the only way he would stand a chance at winning this fight… But what if it failed? What if he failed?
Before Koichi had the chance to debate it with himself any more than that, he was sent flying backwards by an explosion that struck the ground in front of his feet. Koichi couldn't hold back his scream as he fell freely through the air, his hands instinctively going through the motions of Spirit Evolution along the way. Fractal Code surrounded him, and when the light faded, Rhihimon had taken his place. Rhihimon's wings quickly corrected his course, allowing him to land on the ground on his feet instead of breaking every bone in his body from the impact.
The peace didn't last long though. Rhihimon let out a scream of pain as he fell to his knees, his hands coming up to cradle at his head. A migraine was already starting to pound at his skull like needles being driven into his skin. No matter how hard Rhihimon tried to ground himself, to breathe, he couldn't force himself to relax. The ground before him was starting to blur in and out of his vision. Pulses of black came in from the edges of his eyes while blood red veins consumed the corners of his vision as a finishing touch. He was losing touch with reality, and he could feel it. All of a sudden, he wasn't in the street, but instead—
He was in a void of pure darkness with a pair of hands cupped around him. Cherubimon's laugh echoed throughout his head, and he shook his head. Get out get out get out of my head—
"You don't know what you're running from."
"It's not going to work no matter what you try."
"Where is the line between human and beast?"
"Which one are you?"
The voices of Dusk, Velge, and Malkako layered on top of one another in the back of his head, a thousand tiny accusations continuing to peel apart his brain. He wasn't on Earth anymore, and he wondered if he ever had been. Instead, he was back in the Digital World, back in Cherubimon's hands, with puppet strings attached to his hands and rage in his heart. All he had ever known was anger. The world had never treated him with respect. The world had never treated any of them well. They couldn't even treat themselves right without fighting over and over about who was right as if morality mattered when you had been a monster for as long as you could remember—
"Rhihimon!" Junpei's voice cut through the darkness, warbled and distant but still present. "Koichi, I need you to listen to me. You're going to be fine. Breathe. Focus on the sound of my voice. It's okay."
He could feel hands on his shoulders trying to bring him back to reality, but he couldn't follow them home no matter how hard he tried. The world was bleeding into darkness, and he was going to end up swallowed if he didn't focus. But he couldn't focus because everything was falling apart and so was he and there was no hope and—
At the ground near Rhihimon's feet, darkness was starting to spread. It ate away at his body, leaving behind a sensation like the stinging of acid. Junpei hissed when the shadows spread to him as well, slowly creeping up his legs. Junpei didn't back down though, instead just tightening his grip on Rhihimon's shoulders. "You're going to be alright. I'm here with you. Come back to me, Koichi. It's all okay. You're safe."
He forced his eyes open slowly, trying to drag himself out of the darkness pulling at every piece of his body. He was met with the mocking eyes of Dusk, Velge, and Malkako in the darkness, but he didn't focus on them. Instead, he reached out for the mental image he had of Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi. He could be safe. He just needed to reach them. He would be fine if he could just—
Fractal Code surrounded Rhihimon's body, and when it faded, Koichi was left in his place once again. The darkness that had been eating away at his body had faded when he reverted into human form. Now, the only threat to Koichi's safety was his hyperventilation, but when he blinked, he started to come back to the world around him. Junpei was crouched in front of him, eyes full of concern and love. Koichi forced himself to lock gazes with the Warrior of Thunder, and Junpei smiled to him gently.
"You're okay," Junpei whispered. "Breathe with me, alright? In and out. In... Out..." Koichi continued to blink to try and focus, lining his breaths up with Junpei's words no matter how much his body tried to resist. After a few moments that dragged on for a lifetime, Koichi was grounded fully again, though tears flowed freely from his eyes and left his cheeks crimson and stained. He slumped forward, falling gracelessly into Junpei's arms. The Warrior of Thunder rubbed gentle circles on Koichi's back, pulling his friend in close for the sake of comfort. Koichi continued to cry, hoping the sound of his sobs would drown out the distant cacophony of battle in the skies overhead.
"I've got you," Junpei reiterated as he pulled Koichi in a bit tighter. He winced when the air shook with another roar, punching one fist into the sky to defeat the culprit with a blast of electricity. "Whenever you're ready to go, I'm going to take you with me to find the rest of the group. Take all the time you need. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
Koichi nodded weakly. Part of him hated himself for needing to sit there against Junpei's chest, just grounding himself with the sound of the other boy's heartbeat, especially since Junpei was one of the only three Legendary Warriors that stood an active chance in this fight. The other half of Koichi's mind was too tired to be upset, instead just allowing himself to wait for as long as he needed it. He felt as if his energy had been sucked out from a hole in his chest, leaving him hollow and miserable. He had been right when he thought he wouldn't be able to fight. He couldn't even Spirit Evolve without running the risk of having a breakdown. As far as Koichi knew, the only form that was safe to Spirit Evolve to was Lowemon, but he was too tired to even think of trying that at the moment. He needed to rest even though he wanted to fight.
Koichi pulled himself away from Junpei slowly, allowing the Warrior of Thunder to create a hole in the skies overhead for them to escape through. Afterward, Junpei turned to Koichi. "Are you ready?" Junpei asked. Koichi nodded even though he doubted he would ever be truly ready. They had to keep moving, and he knew it. He couldn't wait forever.
Junpei curled one arm around Koichi's waist, creating a small stream of electricity around the Warrior of Darkness. From there, thunder magic condensed itself behind Junpei to allow him to fly, and when he took off, the electricity connected to Junpei's body through a thin wire of yellow energy. The feeling of flying this way was disorienting, but Koichi knew he had no other choice. He ignored the way his stomach did flips in the center of his body, instead just allowing himself to be dragged along through the sky.
"We need to find the rest of the group as soon as possible," Junpei called out over his shoulder as the duo took flight. "There are too many Digimon here for us to take care of them all, especially if there's another wave on the way. We have to go to the Digital World and stem the flow of invaders at the source."
Koichi nodded. "I wish we knew who we were supposed to be fighting against," he murmured. He knew there was no point in hoping for something like that, especially when there were other more pressing matters to handle at the moment, but he couldn't help wishing. The group didn't know the truth, but maybe they would soon. Koichi needed them to figure it out soon. They wouldn’t last much longer if they couldn’t find the truth.
"There are other Legendary Warriors close by. Let's go find them," Junpei announced. Koichi nodded once again but otherwise did nothing, instead allowing the Warrior of Thunder to pull him through the skies. He was too numb to say or do anything else. His eyes were threatening to close on him because of his exhaustion, but he wouldn't let them. They had a fight to win, after all, and he couldn't back down now.
He may have been helpless, but he wouldn't let that stop him. A distortion of his magic was causing all of this, and so, he would do his part to end it. It was the least he could offer.
~~~~~
Izumi held up her arms to block her head as a blast of magic struck the building behind her. She waited for a few seconds before she let her hands fall to her sides once again, heavy breaths wracking her lungs all the while. A moment later, she took off running again, staring down at her phone's screen along the way. Izumi had left home about ten minutes before the attack started, and in that time, she had been away from her sister. Ever since the invasion began, Izumi had been thinking about Masae, and she refused to leave her sister alone. Izumi had to do something to help her no matter how dangerous it was. She couldn't let Masae get hurt as long as there was something she could do to change it, and so, she was tracking Masae's phone as she ran through the carnage, praying the chaos ended sooner rather than later.
"Izumi!"
The Warrior of Wind looked up at the sound of her name and saw Masae running toward her as well, her cheeks red from exhaustion and her chest heaving with exertion. Izumi could have cried then and there, but she instead forced herself to focus. "Masae!" she exclaimed, tears starting to swell in her eyes from pure relief even as she fought to stem their flow.
Izumi didn't have long to relish in the moment though. Another blast of energy came shooting toward her and Masae as they dashed toward one another, and it took every ounce of effort Izumi possessed to not crash into the ground from the force exploding behind her. She stumbled before returning to balance once more. Masae slid to a stop in front of her, eyes filled to the brim with a fear no words could describe.
Izumi grabbed Masae's wrist before she dashed into a nearby convenience store. The shop had been completely abandoned when the attack started since the windows had shattered from the force of a Digimon’s power, offering Izumi and Masae an easy way inside. They ran through one of the empty window frames where glass should have been and hid behind one of the aisles, crouching against the ground as they tried to catch their breath.
Neither one of them spoke for a long time, instead just sitting there and waiting for the world outside to calm down. When it never did, Izumi sighed and moved to hold her sister's hand. Masae said nothing, instead just looking up at Izumi with tears streaming down her face like rivers. Izumi pulled Masae in close, all thoughts of their argument from the previous day forgotten. Masae gladly fell against her sister's body, letting Izumi cradle her as she sobbed.
The ground shook from another attack, and Izumi flinched on instinct. It was just a matter of time before they were found again, and she knew it. She couldn't keep Masae safe forever. That ship had long since sailed. She was going to have to either stand and fight or wait for someone else to come and save her, and the chances of the second were astronomically low. Everyone was just too far away, and they wouldn't reach her and Masae in time.
Izumi swallowed nervously. She had no idea where this was going to end, but she needed to be ready. Until then, she continued to hold Masae tightly against her chest. No matter what, she would keep her sister safe. Izumi refused to let anything happen to Masae no matter what. She hadn't been there for her sister before, but that was all about to change. Izumi would make sure of it.
The ground trembled again, and Izumi blinked away her own tears as she held Masae a little bit closer. They would be fine. They had to be.
~~~~~
"Chihiro!"
The Warrior of Earth tucked their phone into their pocket as Shinya appeared on the horizon, running toward them with one arm waving high above his head. Chihiro took in a quick breath to steel themself before they took off running, dashing toward Shinya as quickly as their legs could stand. The two nearly ran into one another just as the massive tail of an overhead Digimon slammed into the ground less than ten feet away from them, kicking up fragments of concrete and sending the shards raining down on the pair. Chihiro ignored the cuts that formed across their uniform from the debris and slid to a stop just in front of Shinya. A small slice had opened on his cheek, but he barely seemed to notice it.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Shinya told Chihiro quickly, a weak and tearful smile spreading across his lips. "Do you know where Takuya is? I haven't been able to get in contact with him."
Chihiro shook their head, a new fear starting to mount in their chest. Takuya was unaccounted for too. In the midst of hell, they had no idea where Takuya was, and they couldn't figure out how to find him either. Even if Chihiro had wanted to go to him, they couldn't fly in any of their Spirit Evolved forms, and they wouldn't be able to go underground without risking causing another dangerous quake because of how much punishment the earth had already taken that day. They were stuck alone with Shinya, and they had no idea what to do about it.
Tension had been mounting in Chihiro's chest ever since the fight began, but it was only getting worse as the seconds passed by. They were so tired of being out of control. First, it had been the investigation team trying to learn more about the Digimon. After that, it had been Yutaka chasing after all of the Legendary Warriors for no reason other than wanting to make them all miserable. From there, it had been the Void Fragment Digimon themselves directly targeting the Legendary Warriors in their human forms at the command of the mastermind. Chihiro hadn't felt safe in ages, and the pressure was like there was an entire planet pressing down on their shoulders. That wasn't even too far off from the truth; there were two worlds counting on them at any given moment, and they couldn’t afford to falter unless they wanted it to tear them apart.
Chihiro had been targeted directly by all of this, and by being around Shinya, they were just putting him in more danger. He was afraid enough as it was, and that fear was only going to get worse the longer he was around Chihiro. They wouldn't be able to keep him safe no matter what. Their element was unstable thanks to the way the fight had been unfolding around them, and there was nothing they could do to change that. They were as good as helpless, and they couldn't save anyone they cared about.
In all honesty, Chihiro had never felt safe in the first place. Their entire life had been one long string of disasters that ended with them always being on the receiving end of the knife. Their parents had just been the beginning, and even after they were out of Chihiro's life, it felt like they were still there. Chihiro always looked over their shoulder with fear in their eyes because they thought they were being followed even months after their parents had been incarcerated. No matter how far they had come, they couldn't escape the weight of their past. No matter how fast they tried to run, they were still caught in the crosshairs of others. No matter how much they wanted to survive, they were never able to accomplish their goal.
Another blast from an overhead Digimon sent Chihiro and Shinya sprawling. Shinya hit the ground hard, a groan pushing itself free of his lips when his back slammed into the street. He was left breathing heavily as he reached for his head, pushing down against a cut that had opened across his temple. It wasn't a massive injury, but it was still prominent enough to leave drops of crimson on the ground below.
Chihiro, meanwhile, was sent flying into a nearby building. Their skull cracked against the bricks behind them, but they refused to allow their blurred vision to stop them. The world was spinning all around them, but Chihiro pushed themself to their feet regardless. A stray rock had struck them in the leg, cutting open their trousers and leaving blood to drip down their skin. Brown blood fell greedily from the wound, but Chihiro barely noticed it. Instead, they just reached for their D-Tector and let the light of Fractal Code consume them, not caring who saw them. They needed to protect Shinya. That was all that mattered.
When the glow faded, Chihiro had been replaced by Yaiamon, but the peace didn't last long. Yaiamon reared their head back to the sky and screamed, the sound animalistic and primal. Images flashed through their mind of everything they had endured throughout their life ranging from the sensation of blood dripping from wounds left behind by those meant to love them and the overwhelming paranoia of being chased into the Digital World on that fateful day months prior. The sound of their heart pounding against their ribcage was the only thing Yaiamon could hear, but to the rest of the world, all that could be heard was their screaming.
Shinya pushed himself up slowly, his eyes locked on Yaiamon where the Warrior of Earth stood nearby. Yaiamon's claws glistened sharply in the limited sunlight as snow cascaded all around them. Once Yaiamon had run out of breath to scream with, their eyes shot open wide in a terrifying display. A Digimon dove toward them, and Yaiamon started to attack without any rhyme or reason. They weren't focusing on the battle at all. They were running on emotions and smoke, and any sense of logic they may have possessed was long gone. They were afraid, and they did what any animal did when cornered: they lashed out regardless of how senseless it was.
Shinya pressed one hand against his chest, trying to keep himself calm against the hyperventilation quickly consuming his lungs. "C-Chihiro... Please..." he whimpered. "Y-You have to listen to me, Chihiro... I-I know you're in there..." Shinya reached out with his other hand as tears continued to slide down his cheeks. His entire arm was shaking freely, but he did nothing to try and stop the trembling. There was nothing he could have done in the first place, and he was all too aware of that truth.
Yaiamon didn't care at all about what Shinya was saying though. It was impossible to say for sure if Yaiamon could hear him at all, but if they could, they didn't acknowledge him. Instead, they just continued to launch themself through the battle, roaring angrily at anyone who dared to cross them. They were losing the fight already, but they didn't care at all. It didn't matter if they were losing or not. They just wanted to fight as long as it had a chance of easing the aching pain in their heart and mind.
Shinya let out a full body sob that shook him from head to toe as he curled his arms around his torso. "Chihiro..." he whispered. He wanted to apologize for everything, to say that he had known about Chihiro being a human monster for ages now, but he knew it was far too late. He wished he had said or done something when he noticed Chihiro's paranoia getting worse. He had known they were slipping, but since he hadn't known how to approach the subject, he had left it alone for too long. Now, it was too late. Chihiro had fully crumbled, and they weren't hearing anything anyone was saying anymore. They were gone, and Shinya knew it.
Shinya fell forward, his forehead pressing itself against the thin layer of snow that had built up on the ground in front of him. He ignored the stinging sensation of snow against his skin as he cried, praying Chihiro would come back to him all the while. Yaiamon just kept fighting though, their screams piercing Shinya's heart like a million bullets.
It was too late. They were gone. They had unraveled.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
This chapter was... So much. I love it. Once again, I wrote this entire chapter in two days because of how much I fell in love with it while writing it. Yeah, it's amazing.
I really like the dynamic between Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon once again, and if you ask me, it's the culmination of the way Mayumi has been treating the Beast Digimon from the outset. She always thought it was ridiculous that Beast Digimon were supposedly the ones responsible for the Void Fragment attacks since she knows what it's like to be labeled as irredeemable without being given a chance. Hell, that's why she has such a complex about relating to Kage. It's dark, but I love how it turned out, especially since Biastamon is such a good foil for her and Haroi.
The full investigation team knows now. Hinoka had no choice but to jump in to try and defend Takuya and the rest of the group when they were attacked, and in doing so, the truth was exposed. Chiaki already knew, but the other three know about it now too. That attack also messed them all up royally. Teruo has a few fractured ribs now, and Takuya is sporting a very fashionable concussion. Takuya is having the worst time since he has to explain being a human monster to the group while Hinoka fights. Remember last week how I said Hinoka and Takuya interact more this book to make up for not talking much last time? Yeah. Here's what I was talking about.
Next up, we've got the scene with Saki and the Digimon in the Digital World. They haven't been spared from the attacks either, so when the rest of the group goes to the Digital World to try and stop the invasion, they're in for a rude awakening. Also, we get more low key horror with Saki knowing that Biastamon is a traitor while Mayumi and Haroi are with him. Wish luck to Saki and the Digimon in catching Biastamon, Mayumi, and Haroi. They're going to need it.
Speaking of needing help, let's talk about the scene with Koichi and Junpei! These two don't get much time together, but I thought this was the perfect time to change that. Koichi is still having a hard time because even after talking to the Legendary Warriors about having the Warriors of Void in his body, he doesn't know how to feel about it. What happens when people don't have control over their emotions? Their Beast Spirits spiral out of control, and since Beast Spirits make up Hybrid Evolutions... Yeah, you can see how that ends. I wanted Junpei to be the one to calm Koichi down when he started having a panic attack because Junpei's Resplendent Evolution was all about him trying to help others and reach out to them. Back then, it was Saki, and this time, it's Koichi. Junpei claims to be clumsy with emotions, but he's better than he thinks, hence why he was able to help Koichi out of this situation here. And now, we have another pair of Legendary Warriors together again. Woohoo!
Next, we have Izumi and Masae. Here, our Warrior of Wind is meeting up with her younger sibling in the midst of massive attacks. Izumi wants to keep her safe even though she knows she's drawing the attention of the enemy. Despite their previous disagreements, they set it all aside to make sure the other is safe. It's pretty dark, and somehow, it only gets worse from here. Fun times.
And then we've got Chihiro and Shinya. Here, our Warrior of Earth is meeting up with their younger sibling figure in the midst of massive attacks. Chihiro wants to keep him safe even though they know they're drawing the attention of the enemy. Sound familiar? Yeah, these two scenes are right next to each other for a reason. The difference is that while Izumi and Masae's situation gets worse later, Chihiro and Shinya's gets worse right now. Chihiro's constant paranoia problems result in the same problems that Koichi has been having with them not being able to control their Beast Spirit, prompting Yaiamon to spiral out of control. Koichi turned his hatred inward because his struggle has been internal while Chihiro, afraid of losing control, turned their hatred outward because fighting is all they know how to do when they get scared. Yaiamon doesn't have a Junpei there to calm them down though, so they just keep fighting even though it's going to drive them into the ground and ruin them. There are too many enemies for them to stand a chance, but they don't care as long as they can fight. It's really bad. With this and everything else that happens in the chapter, I feel like you can figure out pretty easily why this one is called Unravel, huh?
Next time around, we're going to pick right up where we left off in the middle of the invasion. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 40: Tempests of Love
Summary:
In the chaos of the attack on Earth, Izumi finally speaks with Masae.
Chapter Text
The world streaked by in a speedy haze around Aethermon, Siriusmon, and Biastamon. Siriusmon sat on the edge of Biastamon's back with his staff primed at the ready, and he twirled the weapon to fend off an oncoming attack, causing the magic to fizzle out just before it could strike its target of Biastamon. He let out a heavy sigh when he realized he was in the clear even though the peace was not set to last. This was just the beginning, and he knew it.
Ever since they had come under attack, the three had been on the move. Biastamon was still carrying both of the Legendary Warriors instead of letting Siriusmon fly so they could all stay together, but unfortunately, their opponents weren't eager to offer them any sort of security or break from the constant chaos. Whenever a Digimon dared to get too close, Aethermon would pull them in and drain their energy, freeing them of the Void Fragment that controlled them while also giving her a boost in power. She was using that blessing to keep Biastamon energized so he could continue running away from their pursuers. Without Aethermon's help, he would have lost the strength to run a long time ago. The three of them rested in a delicate balance, but they had no choice but to see it through to the bitter end.
It had become apparent very early on in the fight that they weren't going to be able to win this fight if they had to battle their opponents on equal footing. They didn't have the power they needed to take out so many Void Fragment Digimon at once. Aethermon could unleash powerful strikes when she was properly charged, but that took time and aim in order to execute properly, something that wouldn't have been possible with so many small opponents swarming them constantly. Beyond that, once she burned herself out of energy and emptied her reserves, there would be no coming back for any of them. The best option was to keep running, and so, that was what they did.
The trio had long since left behind their original location, and the fortress and Crystal Citadel were little more than distant memories despite the fact that the Legendary Warriors had been there only a few short hours ago. The grasslands and deserts of the earlier portions of the morning had bled into a massive expanse of silt covering the ground below. For a while, none of them were certain where they were headed next, but as the silt grew thicker and winds blew the upturned debris through the air, Siriusmon figured it out.
Shadows obscured the Continent of Darkness even from afar, coating the entire land in a layer of perfect obsidian. There was no sunlight that managed to penetrate the thick clouds overhead, leaving the land in a perpetual state of night nobody could ever hope to survive without the proper guidance. The Continent of Darkness was no longer surrounded by a perimeter of clouds now that the Beast Spirit of Thunder had been removed and given to its host, leaving the land easy to enter. It was a small blessing, but it was still a significant one given the circumstances.
And entering the Continent of Darkness was, at this point, the only choice the trio had. The Digimon chasing them had no intentions of giving up any time soon, and all three of them knew it. Biastamon had previously been running in any direction he could to get away from the onslaught, and all of that aimless wandering had brought them straight to the border of the Continent of Darkness. It was hardly where any of them had expected to end up—and it certainly wasn't their first choice for a hiding place—but it would have to do. Turning back would only send them straight into enemy fire. They needed to charge forward above all else.
None of them could bring themselves to say the truth behind their relocation though. The Continent of Darkness would only accentuate the elemental affinity of the Void Fragments, making each of their pursuers stronger along the way. If all went well, the group would be able to skirt around the edge of the region and then continue on their merry way, but somehow, the chances of that were seeming increasingly slim. They had been running for long enough as it was, and even with Aethermon's generous donations of energy, Biastamon was losing steam and speed. Whether they liked it or not, they were going to have to stop and take a break soon.
"Where should we go?" Aethermon questioned as she glanced in Siriusmon's direction. Another Void Fragment Digimon lunged toward them, and Aethermon used her magic to pull them in close before she drained all their energy and threw them aside. Her victim rolled along the sand before coming to an unceremonious stop a few yards away, but a matter of seconds later, the Digimon was out of view entirely.
"Biastamon can't keep running like this forever," Siriusmon replied. "We need a place to hide and wait all of this out. We need a place to stay until the rest of the group can come and help us. At this point, the only chance we have of getting out of this is if someone with a Resplendent Evolution shows up. We don't know enough about how they work to trigger one in ourselves, and we don't have the power to fight our enemies off right now either. We need to get the others here as soon as possible, and right now, that means playing a waiting game."
"Great," Aethermon muttered crossly. "I've always been known for my patience." When another Void Fragment Digimon jumped toward Biastamon, latching firmly onto one of his legs, Aethermon raised one foot and kicked downward violently, draining her target's energy and continuing to funnel it into the leader of the Beast Digimon. No matter what, her right hand never left his back, and a gentle white glow surrounded her fingertips to show the transfer of magic.
"Where should we go?" Biastamon forced himself to ask around heavy breaths. His adrenaline was keeping him going enough that he didn't need to slow down in order to speak, but even having all the energy in the world couldn't fix his depleting stamina. He hadn't needed to run like this in a long time, and it was starting to take its toll on him.
Siriusmon considered it for a moment before he snapped his fingers with the hand not holding onto his staff. "Rose Morning Star," he instructed. "The castle is more like a museum now that Cherubimon isn't around to live there, so it should be mostly empty for us to hide out inside until help gets here. Do you know how to get there, Biastamon?"
The leader of the Beast Digimon nodded. "As soon as we get there, we'll need to barricade ourselves inside. It makes for a fine defensive point, but that only means something if we can keep all of the invading Digimon out," he told the pair of Legendary Warriors. They shared matching nods at that. Biastamon would be too exhausted to barricade the castle when they arrived, so that duty would have to fall to them. Given how much Biastamon had already done to help them by acting as their ride across the Digital World, it was the least they could do for him.
Aethermon punched at the air, creating a quick shockwave to fend off a few more of the trio's pursuers. Siriusmon created a circle in the sky before sending spirals of comets hurtling down on his enemies, creating a small but important buffer between Biastamon's tail and the attacking Void Fragment Digimon. Still, that extra space between the two opposing groups wasn't going to hold for long. There had to be at least a hundred Void Fragment Digimon chasing after Siriusmon, Aethermon, and Biastamon, and that was a generously low assumption. No matter how anyone looked at it, they were in trouble.
All they needed to do was hold on until they could reach Rose Morning Star. After that, they could barricade themselves inside and send a distress signal out to the rest of the group. Their attempts to locate Saki may have fallen short, but there were still nine other Legendary Warriors who could come to help them. All the trio could do was hope at least someone would be able to reach them in time.
After all, without hope, what did they have?
~~~~~
Shinya had never felt this hopeless.
He was practically frozen to the spot as Yaiamon continued to launch themself through the air at any Digimon willing to put up a fight. They were outmatched, and everyone but Yaiamon themselves knew it, but that wouldn't stop the Warrior of Earth. They roared with rage, grief, and fear each time they were given a moment to breathe, screaming to the skies like the heavens might offer them some degree of salvation if they begged enough. They never received any gifts from beyond though, instead only ever being met with silence and apathy amidst the falling snow.
Shinya had long since given up on trying to say something to pull Yaiamon back from the brink. No matter what he tried, it never seemed to be enough. They weren't even hearing him as far as he could tell. Shinya's entire body was shaking, and it had nothing to do with the cold. He just wanted Chihiro back, but he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Of course not. That ship had more than sailed by now.
The entire city seemed to shake when Yaiamon took a particularly rough punch to the stomach, and they let out a strangled gasp of pain and shock as they were sent flying backward. Shinya reached out a trembling hand toward them, his voice cracking as he cried out their name. "Chihiro!" he screamed, his throat growing hoarse from the raw force. Yaiamon offered no answer though, instead just slamming into the concrete...
Well, that was what Shinya had expected, but that wasn't what happened.
Instead, an intricate layer of vines wove itself across the earth just in time to cushion Yaiamon's fall, and even though the Warrior of Earth hit the greenery hard, it was better than breaking the stone of the street. The Warrior of Earth was too dazed to do much of anything after hitting the plants, instead just staring up at the sky as the vines wrapped around their body, bringing them up into a crouching position. Yaiamon's head fell forward limply as they struggled against the vines, though they didn't use any of their elemental magic to break free. Instead, they relied solely on the power of their own muscles, not that it meant much when measured against the raw strength of the vines.
Shinya's gaze turned to the sky on instinct, and when he looked up, he was met with the sight of none other than Yumiko. The Warrior of Wood had one hand stretched out in Yaiamon's direction to ensure the strength of the vines restraining them remained firm as her wings delivered her gently to the ground below. She touched down just in front of Yaiamon, and as soon as she was on the concrete, she crouched so she was on the Warrior of Earth's level.
"Yaiamon..." Yumiko whispered. She reached out to cup at Yaiamon's cheek, and the Warrior of Earth practically melted against her touch. As soon as Yaiamon registered who was holding them, they began to cry, their body fully going limp in the vines. It was like a switch had been flipped, changing the rampant violence of a few moments prior into the truth. At their core, Chihiro was scared, and Yumiko and Shinya both knew it.
"Can you hear me?" Yumiko cooed to Yaiamon. Shinya took a few cautious steps forward, crouching down beside Yumiko to be at eye level with Yaiamon. The Warrior of Wood regarded him with shock but said nothing, deciding to save the explanation for after Yaiamon had been brought back to their senses. Shinya was thankful for that; he knew they would have a lot to talk about once Chihiro had come back.
Yaiamon nodded slowly, though they refused to move too much since they didn't want to lose the sensation of Yumiko's fingers on their cheek. Tears were streaming down their face readily and quickly at this point, practically drowning their face in salt and terror. The Warrior of Earth refused to look up to address either one of their companions though, too exhausted and embarrassed to even bother.
"It's going to be okay," Yumiko went on. "I know you're scared, but it's alright. You're not in this alone. I'm here, and I always will be. Just... Breathe with me for a moment, okay?" She breathed in and out slowly, making sure her breaths were audible enough for Yaiamon to know what she was doing without needing to look directly at her. Yaiamon followed her directions slowly but surely, letting out choked sobs in between heavy, trembling breaths.
"I'm here for you too, Chihiro. I'm always going to be here for you," Shinya assured them. "I... I should have told you sooner, but... I've known about this secret of yours for a long time. I just didn't want to see you hurting because of it. I didn't know what to do... But I wish I had said something now. I don't want you to suffer. If there's something I can do to help, I want to try."
That confession only seemed to make Yaiamon cry harder, and it took them a few long moments to compose themself once again. They continued to press their cheek against Yumiko's hand even as they properly spoke for the first time since Spirit Evolving. "I... I'm scared," they admitted, their voice coming out softer and more terrified than Shinya had ever heard from them. "I-I'm so afraid, and I don't know what to do about it... I'm tired of b-being scared, but... I can't change it. Nothing can change it. I just... I-I'm scared, Yumiko. I really am."
"It's okay to be afraid," Yumiko assured them. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against theirs, and Yaiamon bowed into the contact as well. "You're not alone. The rest of us are all here for you no matter what. Even if you're afraid, you'll always be able to rely on us. I promise. I'm not going anywhere."
Yaiamon nodded gently against Yumiko's forehead, and their body consumed itself in gentle blue light patterned with data. The glow faded a few moments later, leaving behind a completely exhausted Chihiro in Yaiamon's place. The vines that had been restraining the Warrior of Earth fell limply to the ground thanks to Chihiro effectively shrinking compared to their previous form. Chihiro didn't seem to notice though, instead just letting themself slump forward into the waiting arms of Yumiko and Shinya. Their friends just held them for a long time, and Chihiro cried softly into Yumiko's shoulder, unable to find the energy to do anything else.
When Chihiro finally found the strength to sit up a little bit, their cheeks had gone pink from tear stains, and their eyes were puffy and irritated. They let out a slow sigh and looked over to Shinya, a few stray tears working their ways down their face. "You... You knew about all of this?" Chihiro asked, finally catching up with what they had heard a few moments prior.
Shinya went stiff at that, not having expected the conversation to be turned around on him so quickly, before he nodded. "Yeah... I did," he murmured. "I heard you and Takuya talking about it a few times, but I didn't want to say that I knew about it until the time was right. I guess the right time didn't end up coming though."
Chihiro's previous exhaustion gave way to a new layer of fear as their eyes went wide with what could only be described as delirious paranoia. "I-If you figured it out, then who else knows?" they questioned. "If the wrong person finds out about all of this, then it could be a disaster! Y-You didn't tell anyone else, did you?"
Shinya held up his hands defensively. "T-The only person I told was Masae Orimoto," he replied. "She and I started hanging out around the time you and Takuya became friends with her older sister, Izumi. She was worried something was going on, and when we talked about it... Everything just kind of came together."
"You didn't say a word to anyone else then?" Chihiro questioned just to make sure. Shinya didn't think he had ever seen Chihiro looking this afraid. He had been vaguely aware they had issues with paranoia and anxiety thanks to their conversations with Takuya over the course of the last few months, but he hadn't expected it to manifest quite like this. Chihiro looked like they had barely slept in weeks, too afraid to close their eyes for longer than they had to. They were desperate as could be, and it was as if they had been sitting on the edge of a razor blade for longer than they could remember. That wouldn't have even been entirely inaccurate, as painful as it was to admit.
"No. I mean it," Shinya promised them. He raised one hand and made an X pattern over his heart to show he was serious. Chihiro watched him for a few cautious seconds, processing his words and actions slowly, before they allowed themself to nod. The motion was slow and unsteady, but it was a sign of them feeling better, and Shinya was willing to take it.
Yumiko pressed her hands gently against Chihiro's chest, and they looked down to see a soft green glow spreading across their body. The light healed up the lingering scratches and bruises left behind from their brief battle as Yaiamon. Most of the physical damage was already gone since a lot of the wreckage had been on an emotional level above all else, but being a Digimon could only do so much for the recovery process. Yumiko was more than happy to step in and finish the rest though.
Chihiro let out a careful sigh as the green light subsided. They looked down at their hands a moment later, checking to ensure the injuries really were gone. "Thanks, Yumiko," they murmured, the words coming out tired and the syllables threatening to slur together.
Yumiko simply smiled. "It's alright," she whispered. "Whenever you're feeling better, we should go to find the others. The sooner we can stop all of this, the better off we're all going to be. That will probably help you to feel better too."
Chihiro winced and looked up at the sky. The Digimon overhead were too preoccupied with the snowfall to bother with attacking the two Legendary Warriors on the ground at this point. Something about the snow was off, and the Digimon could feel it. Chihiro could sense it as well, but they had no idea what the truth was or what was happening to prompt such a shift in the first place. It wasn’t supposed to snow for another few weeks if not over a month, but there the sky was, offering frozen flakes regardless of the time of year. How in the world was that possible? That was a question for later on, Chihiro supposed, even if it wasn't convenient to put something so crucial off for long.
"Takuya and Hinoka aren't far from here," Yumiko told them. "I can sense them. We should meet up with them and then try to come up with a plan for what we're going to do with the attacking Digimon. If you ask me, the best way for us to get out of this in one piece is to stem the invasion at the source, and that means going to the Digital World."
"Yeah... You're probably right," Chihiro nodded. "I probably won't be much help in a fight right now, but I want to come with you. I can't just hang back if I know you and the others are risking your lives for the sake of keeping everyone safe."
"Then let's go to find them," Yumiko declared. She turned her attention to Shinya next, a reassuring smile on her face despite her rampant anxiety. She refused to let her nerves show around someone vulnerable and in need of help though, so instead, she distracted him with her words. "If you'd like, we can explain everything to you along the way. I feel like you've more than earned that, especially after everything you did for Chihiro before I got here. Thank you."
Shinya hadn't realized there was a weight on his shoulders until Yumiko said all of that. He had seen a lot of Chihiro's mental breakdown before Yumiko arrived, but he hadn't even been given the chance to process it until just then because of how chaotic the day had been. It had been horrifying, and he hadn't known what to do at all. Before he knew it, there were tears in his eyes all over again, and all he could do was let out a weak, wet laugh in her direction. "It was nothing."
Yumiko continued to smile to him gently like a sister talking to her younger sibling. Shinya didn't even care that he was being treated like a child by someone his age; in a way, it was the boost of positivity and reassurance he needed to keep going. "It wasn't nothing," she insisted. "It means a lot to me." She reached out one hand to Shinya after helping Chihiro to their feet. "My name is Yumiko."
Shinya reached out and took her hand in his own with a small, fragile smile of his own. "Shinya."
“It’s nice to meet you, Shinya,” Yumiko smiled. “Now, how about we tell you our story from the beginning?”
Shinya nodded. “Yeah… I’d appreciate that.”
~~~~~
When Rose Morning Star crested the horizon, Siriusmon could have started crying from pure, overwhelming relief.
The Warrior of Cosmos blinked a few times when he saw the castle just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but once he was sure of what he was witnessing, he let out a heavy sigh of glee before turning his attention back to the fight. He just needed to create a large enough buffer between Biastamon and the attacking Digimon for them to get into the castle and close the doors. After that, they could think about other details once they were sure they were safe.
The next four minutes were perhaps the tensest of Siriusmon's life, and he could feel Aethermon's anxiety from beside him as well. She lashed out with far more fierce desperation than before, and the white glow around her hand only grew in intensity and size as she channeled more energy from her absorbed reserves into Biastamon's body. The Beast Digimon himself knew no other focus but the world straight ahead and the castle that waited as his salvation.
Rose Morning Star's doors were closed by the time the group arrived there, so Siriusmon waved his staff in the air to create matching arms made of cosmic matter. The arms pried the doors open and held them there for a few seconds. When the trio managed to break through the threshold, the arms slammed the doors shut behind them before forming a wall of stardust just outside the entrance. The magic would not hold for long, but it would be enough of a distraction for the Warriors of Cosmos and Energy to set up the barricade, and that was all that mattered.
Biastamon collapsed gracelessly onto the ground as soon as he was safe inside the castle's entryway. Aethermon, meanwhile, used the energy she had stolen from the group's enemies to start picking up various pieces of furniture stationed in the castle's lobby to press up against the door. Siriusmon was quick to follow suit, creating more arms of cosmic energy to pick up the furniture and place it in front of the door for the sake of the barrier. After they had run out of everything in the entryway, Aethermon darted off into adjacent rooms before continuing to pile up as many things as she could in front of the door to lock the Void Fragment Digimon out. Even when Siriusmon's barrier of magic outside the doors finally caved, the weight of the barricade was enough to keep Rose Morning Star secure.
At least, for the time being.
Aethermon breathed heavily for a few long moments before letting out one final exhausted exhale. When the air had been fully released, she was coated in Fractal Code, and the white, blue, and purple light faded out to show Mayumi. She collapsed onto her knees almost immediately, pressing one hand against her chest as she reached for her D-Tector. Her fingers continued to tremble as she sent out a distress signal to the rest of the Legendary Warriors. She was so breathless that she didn't even pair it with a vocal message, especially when she saw no other signals aside from hers and her brother's in the Digital World at all. Saki was still in hiding, and the other nine were still on Earth. Absolutely fantastic.
Siriusmon reverted back to Haroi a few moments later. He approached Biastamon carefully, ignoring the way his entire body throbbed from the combined force of exertion and his disability. His legs burned wickedly, and Haroi could have sworn he was going to collapse. Still, he shoved those concerns aside as he crouched beside the leader of the Beast Digimon, finding Biastamon breathing heavily and desperately where he had fallen onto his stomach on the ground. Haroi placed a comforting hand on Biastamon's shoulder, and the Beast Digimon looked up to him with a weary, exhausted smile that only barely reached his eyes.
Nearby, the pounding against the barricade continued to make the door rattle on its hinges. Mayumi took a few steps away from the door after pushing herself to her feet, ignoring the way her body shook all the while. "We should get to higher ground," she suggested. "I don't know what's going to happen if they get in here, but we need to put as much distance between them and us as we can."
"There should be a security panel on one of the upper floors that will seal every door and window on the spot," Biastamon chimed in. "We need to activate it before they get the bright idea of coming in through the windows. We can't fight them off as we are right now."
"Okay. Let's go up then," Haroi announced. He was about to ask Biastamon if he could stand, but the Beast Digimon forced himself to his feet just before he had the chance. Haroi leaned against the Beast Digimon's side slightly, feeling guilty for silently asking for even more from the Digimon that had already done so much for him but knowing he had no other choice. Haroi and Mayumi had been in such a hurry to try and find Saki that morning they hadn't thought to grab his wheelchair from the fortress, and even if they had, it would have been left behind when the chase began anyway. He would just have to find a way to tough it out while walking.
Luckily, Haroi was spared from needing to exert himself on the stairs. Mayumi found an elevator soon afterward, and the trio started their slow descent up to the higher floors of Rose Morning Star. Seeing the castle from the inside before it could be destroyed was certainly a unique experience in Haroi's eyes, but he wished he could have come on happier circumstances. Instead, he was just left theorizing about how long the barricade would hold, praying it lasted long enough for them to activate the security system.
The trio stepped out of the elevator and onto the highest floor of Rose Morning Star after what felt like an eternity, and Mayumi dashed over to a panel on the opposite wall. They were in the top of the central tower of the castle, and perfectly enough, the same room where the security system's controls were located. Mayumi may not have known much about technology, but she was still able to figure out the details of the security system in a matter of seconds, and she hit the switch to activate the barriers as soon as she knew what she was doing.
Metal screeched as it slid out from the glass of the walls and ceilings, covering up every window and exterior door in the castle with a thick sheet of steel. A few lights cast gentle light throughout the room, but the tower was much darker now than it had been a few moments prior. Haroi couldn't bring himself to care though, instead just letting his legs give out from beneath him as soon as he was sure he was safe. Biastamon did much the same, and Haroi leaned against the leader of the Beast Digimon as his eyes slid shut from sheer exhaustion.
Mayumi sat down beside the other two after shuffling across the room, a sigh on her lips all the while. She said nothing, but Haroi knew what she was thinking. Mayumi wanted to stay optimistic, but that was much easier said than done given their circumstances. They were under attack from a massive army that refused to give in, and they wouldn't stand a chance if the intruders managed to breach the castle. There was no way of saying for sure how long the steel barriers would hold under the weight of so many attackers at once. They were playing a dangerous game, and even though it was their only option, it still tasted bitter on their tongues when they thought of it.
Haroi stared up at the ceiling, his eyes blurring from tears born of exhaustion and horror. He refused to let them fall though, instead just pushing a grounding breath in and out of his lungs. He had no idea how any of this was going to end, but in the meantime, the best he could do was count on the rest of the Legendary Warriors to get there in time. It may have been a vain hope, but what else did he have?
What else did any of them have?
~~~~~
They were running out of time.
About ten minutes had passed since Izumi and Masae had ducked into the abandoned convenience store to hide from the attacking Void Fragment Digimon. In that time, the remaining windows had been completely destroyed, and every product that could be seen from the street had been struck by some attack or another, leaving behind little more than ash across the floor. The lights had gone out thanks to the sheer force of the Digimon slamming against the building, and the ground seemed to quake every other second.
Izumi had seen many stressful days in her time, but the last ten minutes had to be somewhere near the top of her list of the worst ten minutes she had suffered through. It was right up there with the day her mother died, the day she was admitted to the hospital for her eating disorder, and nearly drowning while trying to retrieve Zephyrmon's Spirit. It was impressive just how quickly today had fallen apart, and Izumi almost wanted to laugh at it.
But she couldn't crack a joke or force herself to be optimistic. Her sister was there with her. Masae was in danger because the Digimon were after her. Izumi had been so desperate to defend her sister from the intruders that she hadn't thought through the consequences before rushing in to help. Masae would be in more danger as long as Izumi was around to attract more Digimon to her side. Izumi couldn't even Spirit Evolve to fight them off; not even Aeromon or the strangely powerful Zephyrmon would have stood a chance against enemy numbers like this. They were trapped, and they were going to die.
Izumi couldn't hold back the tears when they started to well in her eyes, and she let out a few strangled sobs before holding one hand up to cover her mouth to stifle the noise. "This is all my fault!" she choked out. The words were a sad attempt at reparations after how badly she had messed this up, but she had nothing else to offer, and so, she had to settle. “I’m so sorry!”
Masae said nothing, just staring down at the tiled floor in silent concern and fear. Izumi continued with a shake of her head. She looked down at her trembling hands, begging the shaking to calm itself just long enough for her to offer her sister one last paltry reassurance. When Izumi couldn't ease her fears and guilt though, she just shifted her attention to Masae, her vision blurred by tears. "Masae, there... There's something I need to tell you."
"I already know," Masae said without looking up. Izumi's eyes went wide as she froze. Masae finally tilted her gaze up so they were watching one another as she continued. "Did you think I was that clueless? Of course I know."
Izumi blinked a few times, and the rivers of tears streaming down her cheeks only seemed to grow in strength. "H-How did you—"
"The boxcutter had pink blood on it," Masae replied. "From the instant I saw the blade, I knew something was wrong. Then, you ran off later that day when there just so happened to be a monster attack. It was easy to figure out, honestly."
The Warrior of Wind couldn't hold back her wince at that, but Masae wasn't finished. Tears had started to rise in Masae's own gaze as she looked up at her sister with pleading, desperate eyes. "I just wanted you to be honest," Masae confessed. "The last time you were that adamant about hiding something from me, you ended up in a hospital bed. Everyone may have tried to hide the truth for the sake of sparing my feelings, but I know what was going on. You almost died, Izumi. Do you have any idea how much that scared me? We had already lost Mom, and then you... You almost fell into a coma. When you started hiding things again, I had no idea what to think. I just wanted to make sure my sister was safe, but you wouldn't talk to me about it. I was scared out of my mind, and I still am. I just... I don't know what to do about it."
By now, Masae was openly crying, one hand rubbing at her eyes in a vain attempt to hold back her tears even though both sisters knew the effort was doomed to fail. Izumi reached a careful hand out to her sister, eventually letting her fingers fall on Masae's shoulder. Masae practically melted into the touch as Izumi swallowed dryly and forced herself to speak. "I'm sorry," she murmured, knowing she had never meant anything more in her life.
"You changed so much without me," Masae whispered in the place of a proper response to the apology. "The day of those spam calls... You left the house as one person and came back someone else. Others may not have noticed it, but I did. Seeing that... That scared me too. I wanted to understand why. You've done so much for me over the years, and I want to support you too. We're sisters, Izumi. We're family. This isn't a one-way street of you supporting me and never getting anything in return. I know you want to protect me, but it's okay if you let me protect you every once in a while too. I just... Need you to let me in."
"I didn't mean to push you away," Izumi admitted. "I just wanted to protect you. All of this... It's dangerous. I was worried that if I told you the truth, you would end up getting hurt. I thought I was doing you a favor by keeping it a secret, but I guess I was wrong. You're right when you say that I want to protect you. But... You're also right when you say that I can't keep treating myself like an idol for you to look up to."
"You're my hero, Izumi. You always will be," Masae confessed. "But you're still a human. You're still flawed. You still suffer sometimes. As hard as it is to accept, no person can be perfect all the time. I don't want you to put yourself on a pedestal just for my sake. I love you for who you are, not for who you pretend to be. I want you to let me in so I can show you that. You mean the world to me, and... I want to help you."
"I'm not going to do this again," Izumi promised her, a somber smile spreading across her features. "No matter what, I'm going to stay true to that promise. I swear. I don't want to lie to you. I told myself I would be more authentic, and I want to stick to that. From now on, no more idol complexes. No more perfectionism. And most importantly..."
"No more secrets," Izumi and Masae said in sync. They embraced one another at last, and the hug was everything Izumi needed it to be and more. For a few moments, the rest of the world fell away. There were no Digimon attacking them in her mind. All that mattered was her sister sitting there in her arms. They would be alright, and she was sure of it.
When Izumi and Masae finally pulled away from one another, they were holding hands. Masae's eyes went wide as she shifted her gaze down to Izumi's fingertips. The Warrior of Wind followed her lead and saw that pink light had sparked from their joined hands and was beginning to travel down the full length of her body, concealing her from view along the way.
And at the center of it all, Izumi smiled.
Izumi's hair was the first thing to change. Her blonde tresses tied themselves back with small twin braids wrapping around the top of her head to come together as a bun at the back of her skull. Thin strands of hair among the blonde shone with every color of the rainbow. The most prominent streak of the bunch was pink though, and it fell near Izumi's face off to the left.
Tall fingerless gloves raced their way up Izumi's arms, the purple fabric only cutting off just beneath her shoulders. Pink fabric appeared over her chest as a cropped sleeveless shirt that hugged her body tightly and cut off at the top of her neck. The hem of the shirt ended about halfway down her torso, leaving a bit of skin exposed before a pair of high-waisted pastel purple shorts began at her core. A silver stripe across the top of the shorts acted as a belt of sorts aesthetically despite not having any buckles or clasps. The lavender shorts also stuck close to Izumi's body for the sake of ensuring she could move around as easily as possible without being hindered.
Mint green swirls began to spread up Izumi's legs next, creating a pattern across her body that looked like gusts of wind. Her legs were covered in the tattoos from ankle to thigh with the markings only stopping a small distance below the hem of her shorts. Silver ankle-high boots appeared next, and a stripe of lavender marked the top of each shoe, making them the opposite of Izumi's shorts. A lavender heart accent appeared at the center of Izumi's top where her collarbones met as well.
A single mint green trail of fabric stuck out from Izumi's right side. The fabric was transparent and reached her calves, and it always flowed in a breeze that may or may not have even existed. The bottom edge of the fabric was the same purple color as her gloves. A final dash of pink appeared on her left thigh just below her shorts. The color weaved together to form the mark of the Warrior of Wind, and thanks to the stark color contrast, the pink stuck out easily among the mint green.
A few touches of makeup appeared on Izumi’s face next. Her eyeshadow transitioned from pink to purple, and it was patterned like butterflies coming away from her eyes. A few strings of green eyeliner resembled wind for the butterflies to take wing on across the sides of her face.
The final touch of Izumi's new form was a pair of wings that sprouted easily from her shoulder blades. The wings looked exactly like those she had when Spirit Evolved as Kazemon, but instead of being tinted green, they were slightly pink here. Much like the glittering threads in Izumi's hair, her wings seemed to gleam with every color in the world depending on the lighting, always casting her in the perfect glow to accentuate her radiance.
When the pink light of evolution faded, Izumi was left standing in front of her sister in pure shock. She glanced over her shoulder to examine her wings just to make sure her transformation hadn't been a dream. Sure enough, this was all real, and she could feel the resulting power coursing through her body more and more as the seconds went by.
Izumi had Resplendent Spirit Evolved.
All Masae could do was stare at her sister in awe. Izumi didn't think she had ever seen Masae looking this impressed, and she wanted to capture that moment and remember it forever. Unfortunately, she couldn't remain still long enough to commit every detail of her sister’s wonderstruck face to memory. The ground shook once again, and as if on cue, a Void Fragment Digimon darted through the storefront, destroying part of the wall along the way with shocking brutality.
Izumi was ready for it this time though. She snapped her fist against the air in a punching motion, and a pulse of wind rocketed forward to slam into the Digimon with enough raw power to force the Void Fragment from his body. The Digimon groaned in pain as he fell to the ground, and Izumi just allowed herself to smile. She could certainly see why Yumiko, Junpei, and Hinoka had emphasized the raw strength of Resplendent Evolution in the past; she had never felt this incredible, and she doubted the sensation would ever truly be replicated again either.
Izumi allowed the adrenaline rush and glee to pull her through the fight that followed, and she knocked every invading Digimon out of the store as soon as they came in through the massive hole in the wall. From there, Izumi began to push the offensive back out onto the street. Since her element was air, she could use the world around her enemies against them easily. To prove this, she concentrated her energy on creating immensely high winds just outside the shop. Any smaller Digimon would be pulled around by the tempest with no way of escaping, leaving Izumi with the perfect opportunity to hit them with everything she had and free them of the Void Fragments' possession.
Sure enough, this strategy worked exactly as Izumi had been hoping. After she picked off the smaller Digimon, she turned her attention to the larger invaders. All it took was a quick snap of her fingers for the air around her targets to betray them, immediately moving to shred any visible piece of flesh until there was nothing left. She stopped her assaults each time she was sure a Digimon had been freed of their possession, but her raw strength was still not to be underestimated. Every monster attacking her would come to know it too; she was a fighter to be feared, and if they weren't afraid of her yet, they would be with time.
Masae followed her sister slowly but surely back out onto the street. She was careful to hide behind what aisles or other barricades she could find along the way so as to not expose herself completely, but her eyes never left Izumi. Masae had heard about the monster attacks from afar previously, but she had never seen one up close before. This was an entirely different experience from viewing the battles on the news, and she far preferred this. She may have been in immediate danger, but she was seeing her older sister—her hero—completely destroy each of the monsters that had been giving them so much grief a few seconds prior. Masae may not have understood everything going on, but she was awestruck by it all the same. How could she not be amazed?
After clearing out the area immediately outside the store, Izumi turned her attention to the skies. She allowed her wings to carry her high above the city streets, and as soon as she was on the same level as the airborne Void Fragment Digimon height wise, she started to attack once again. It didn't take long for her to win those battles either, especially since her power only seemed to increase the farther she was from the ground. Turning the frigid air of the snowstorm against her opponents added to her attacking strength as well, and soon enough, no Digimon remained near her. Those that had been close previously had retreated out of fear. The Void Fragments had the barest traces of self-preservation skills, it seemed. That would be enough to save them from Izumi's wrath for the time being, but she would be back for them. As long as the city was in danger, she would be back to stop all those who remained under the influence of possession.
Izumi returned to the ground when she was sure it was safe, finding that Masae had completely stepped away from the convenience store in the time since she had departed. Masae was trembling from another rush of adrenaline, but she barely seemed to notice as she looked at her sister up close again. "That was amazing!" Masae exclaimed. "I never knew you could do something like that!"
"Me neither," Izumi confessed. "This is new for me, but... I know I never would have been able to make it this far without you. So..." She pulled Masae in for another hug, and her sister gladly returned the gesture. "Thank you for being in my life, Masae."
A few tears slid from Masae's cheek down onto Izumi's bare shoulder, but the Warrior of Wind didn't comment on them. "You're welcome," Masae whispered. "Thanks for being in my life too, Izumi. You're the best sister I could ever ask for."
The two held each other for another few moments before Izumi pulled away. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew they had to keep moving before they were attacked again. Izumi closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to tune in as much as possible to the world around her. She may not have had her D-Tector to point her in the right direction to find the other Legendary Warriors, but she could still sense them thanks to their time as Susanoomon. The sooner they met up, the sooner they could fix all of this and leave it in the past.
After a few seconds of searching, Izumi finally managed to find something. Junpei and Koichi weren't far away, and she could reach them in a matter of minutes if she left immediately. She nodded to herself before turning to her sister. "Come on. We're going to find a few of my friends," she said. "Everything is going to be fine. We just need to keep moving."
Masae nodded. Her shakiness was clear, but she tried her best to not let it show. "Okay... I trust you." She reached out one hand, and Izumi gladly took it. The Warrior of Wind kicked off the ground from there, easily bringing her sister along for the flight thanks to their interlaced fingers and her manipulation over air. They would arrive at their destination soon enough, and when they did, they would be able to plan for the end of this disastrous battle.
Izumi couldn't say it out loud because of the rushing winds, but this was the best she had felt in ages. Her entire body was light, and her soul no longer burdened her with the weight of crushing guilt. She was okay, and it was all thanks to Masae. When all of this was over, she would need to thank her sister again. Until then though, she would fight, and she would do everything in her power to make sure she won too.
~~~~~
To say the investigation team was shocked felt like an understatement.
Takuya had given them a quick crash course to his history with the Digital World and what it was going to mean for their future battles, rushing through every detail that wasn't important to the current situation just so he could leave all of this in the past as soon as possible. Hinoka was still fighting in the skies overhead, and while Takuya was thankful that he had been given a chance to catch his breath, he knew he would have to join her soon. He couldn't leave her to handle all of this alone in good conscience, not after all she had done for him.
But before he could join the fight, he had to handle the wide eyes and dropped jaws of Katsuharu, Teruo, and Teppei. Chiaki had already heard all of this before, so she instead just looked up to the sky where her sister was continuing to fend off the swarms of invaders. Takuya focused in on the other three members of the group when he spoke, a loose and lopsided smile on his face. "So... That's about it," he finished. "There's another world full of monsters, and a bunch of them have decided to invade Earth at the request of some unknown mastermind who probably wants all of us dead."
"How can you be so calm about this?!" Teppei cried out. He was the first to speak of the group, and his horror was clear as can be. He had gone deathly pale since the start of the story, all of his previous excitement around getting to the bottom of the ‘human monsters’ mystery long gone. "You could have died so many times, but you're still... Okay with everything?!"
"I got used to it after a while," Takuya replied in place of an actual answer. If he thought about how messed up it was that he had gotten used to people trying to kill him, then he would never be able to focus enough on the battle at hand to finish it. "Right now, we can't dwell on that though. There are still Digimon attacking us here, and that means more reinforcements could come in from the Digital World. The mastermind isn't messing around this time, and that means we need to get there as soon as possible to stop all of this from getting worse."
"I want to come with you," Teruo said impulsively, and Teppei looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "I need to see more of the Digital World. We... We've all been there. Back on the day when the phone calls came through from... Ophanimon, you said her name was? We have to see it again."
"Not today," Takuya frowned with a shake of his head. "It's too dangerous for you to come with me right now when there are so many Void Fragment Digimon roaming around. If things are messy here, I can guarantee you that they're even worse over there. Right now, I need all of you to stay safe and in hiding. We can talk about this more later, and when we do, I'll explain all the other details. For the moment, you could be in danger just because you have something to do with me. This is a targeted attack, so you need to run while it's still safe to do so."
"Run where?" Katsuharu countered. "It's not like there's anywhere safe in the city for us to stay. Look around. No matter where we go, we're going to end up in trouble somehow. That's just what the situation is like right now."
"Hide in one of the nearby buildings. Go as deep in as you can and don't come out until you're absolutely positive there's nothing else out here that could hurt you," Takuya instructed. "Hinoka needs my help right now, and I can't leave her to deal with this alone. You'll be fine if you can get out of their line of sight. They want me and Hinoka right now, and if you get away from us, then it'll be fine. We can handle ourselves in a scuffle, but you guys can't fight them. I just need you to trust me until all of this is over. Can you do that?"
"Takuya! Hinoka!"
Before anyone had the chance to reply, Takuya heard his name, and he glanced around frantically to figure out where the source of the sound was. In the end, his gaze settled on the skies overhead where a platform of greenery was descending to his general area. Yumiko was the one responsible for the shifting vines acting as the stairway to the concrete below, but she wasn't alone. Chihiro stood on one side of her, and Takuya couldn't help but notice how thoroughly exhausted they looked. On Yumiko's other side, Takuya saw—
"Shinya?!" Takuya cried out in shock. The barrier around him and the rest of the investigation team fell apart as soon as he ran through it to try and get a little bit closer to his brother. Shinya, meanwhile, dashed down the staircase of plants with Chihiro. Yumiko stayed up in the skies overhead, releasing every attack she possibly could to lessen the strain on Hinoka's shoulders. The two fell into an easy rhythm of fighting side by side, and together, it seemed as if nothing could stop them. The remaining attacking Digimon stood no chance as long as they were there as a team.
But Takuya wasn't paying attention to the fight at all anymore. All he cared about was the fact that his brother was there with Yumiko who was transformed and actively fighting. That meant Shinya knew what was going on and had probably heard the truth from Yumiko and Chihiro at some point before he could escape the onslaught of monsters.
Heaven above, Shinya knew about the Digimon.
"Takuya!" Shinya shouted in return. He surged forward and practically threw himself into his brother's arms, and Takuya held him like he never had before. Takuya didn't think he had ever been more relieved and terrified to see someone in his life, and his heart screamed its agreement as a pounding in his ears. Damn it. None of this was supposed to happen. Shinya wasn’t supposed to know about this. He shouldn’t have been dragged into this mess, and yet—
Takuya's confusion and ghastly shock must have been written all over his face since Chihiro was quick to jump in and shake their head to quiet his worries. "I told him everything I could," they explained. "It wasn't pretty, but I did what I had to, especially since—"
"I already knew," Shinya cut in, and Takuya felt as if he had been stabbed in the stomach. "I heard you and Chihiro talking about the monster attacks a few times, and it was pretty easy to figure out what was going on from there."
Takuya resisted the urge to swear, only barely managing to hold back a curse for the sake of not being a poor influence on his brother. Instead, he drew in a careful breath before pushing it out through tense, strained nostrils. "We can talk about this more later. For now, I need you to hide with these four, okay?" Takuya instructed, tilting his head toward the investigation team. "Chihiro, Yumiko, Hinoka, and I have business to attend to."
"You're going to the Digital World, aren't you?" Shinya questioned, and Takuya nodded. "I guess that makes sense... You need to make sure no more Digimon come through to this side of the barrier to destroy things."
"You catch on quick," Chihiro hummed as they nodded their confirmation. "But you're right. We don't have much of a choice in the matter. We're going to have to leave Izumi, Junpei, Tomoki, Koji, and Koichi to handle things on this side of the barrier. We don't know where a quarter of our team is, and four of us being in one place is probably the best we're going to be able to do for a while. We have to go and take care of business in the Digital World before it gets any worse for anyone involved."
"I know we can trust the five of them to defend Earth," Takuya nodded in agreement. He looked up to the snowy skies, holding out a hand as a snowflake drifted down into his hand. "Especially since I think we both know this snowstorm means Tomoki reached the Resplendent level. I don't think anything else could have brought on a storm this suddenly, and given how thick it is..."
"It has to be him," Chihiro agreed. "We can ask him for the details later though. Right now, we need to get to the other side. Are you ready for the fight of your life when we get there?"
Takuya nodded as he reached for his D-Tector at last to initiate the Spirit Evolution process. "I don't think I've ever been more ready for a fight," he confessed. "I'm going to make sure everything ends here and now. The mastermind behind the Void Fragment attacks has caused more than enough problems for us, and I'm going to make sure it stops today."
Takuya's finger came down hard on the button to activate his Spirit Evolution, and when the glow of Fractal Code faded, Aldamon was left standing in his place. The investigation team looked up at Takuya in awe and shock, unable to put words to the emotions that came with seeing one of their friends transform into a Digimon. "Wow..." was all Katsuharu could choke out, and he was the most vocal of the group by far.
Aldamon looked up to the skies, realizing that Hinoka and Yumiko were on the verge of finishing their battle overhead. They would only need a few more minutes to clean up the remaining monsters. In other words, Aldamon would have to get the quintet of humans to safety as soon as possible before he was taken from them to go and handle his business in another world. But first, there was something else important he needed to resolve.
Aldamon crouched down in front of Shinya and opened his arms wide, a small smile on his face. Shinya was quick to rush into his arms, and Chihiro joined the embrace a few seconds later. "I have the coolest older siblings ever," Shinya whispered, his voice muffled by Aldamon's armor. He was still loud enough to be heard by both Aldamon and Chihiro though, and they held him a little bit tighter in response. They may not have had the time to discuss their situations at the moment, but they would get there with time, and when the moment finally arrived, they would hold nothing back. They owed it to themselves and each other to be honest, and Aldamon was confident they finally would be when the time came for them to reunite.
Aldamon pulled away from Chihiro and Shinya after a few moments, letting out a small sigh along the way. He gestured toward a nearby building, and Chihiro opened the door to let the group inside. "Go as far back as you possibly can. Make sure nobody can see you. Stay away from all windows," Aldamon instructed. He took a moment to exhale, exhaustion suddenly kicking in and draining him of any emotional energy he may have had left. "And... Be safe. All of you."
"We'll be fine," Chiaki assured him with a shake of her head. "As long as you're fighting to make sure we can stay safe, the least we can do is return the favor. I wish there was more we could do to help you, but... At least we know the truth now."
"And we'll talk about it more once all of this is over," Aldamon said. Chihiro looked away at those words, and even though Katsuharu and Teppei both noticed their sudden shiftiness, they said nothing to comment about it. Instead, they focused in on Aldamon as he gestured into the building again. "We'll be back as soon as possible. Until then, stay safe. We're counting on you."
The investigation team was quick to dash into the back of the building, Shinya hot on their heels. Aldamon closed the door as they faded out of view, sighing once he was sure they were out of earshot. He would have a lot to answer for once all of this was over, but that was an issue he could address when the time was right. Until then, he had to end this battle, and that meant going to the Digital World to stem the flow of intruders permanently.
Hinoka and Yumiko arrived on the ground soon afterward, and when Aldamon looked up, he saw the skies had cleared from the tail end of the battle. "This is the best chance we're going to get," Yumiko told him and Chihiro. "We should open a portal and get over there before the clear skies change for the worse."
Chihiro nodded, and they reached for their D-Tector before holding it out in the direction of a nearby ATM. The screen lit up on the spot, and the pixels quickly rearranged themselves to show the Digital World after recognizing the activation coding in Chihiro's D-Tector. All that was left was for the Legendary Warriors to take the plunge and go inside.
The four of them shared an uneasy glance before nodding. They had no other choice, and they all knew it. This would not be an easy battle to win, but they would have to find a way out of it. For the sake of every person who had suffered over the course of the last few hours, they would win this battle and bring the mastermind to their knees.
With that in mind, they all lunged toward the ATM, and in a flash of light, both they and the portal were gone.
Notes:
I adore this chapter. Wow.
I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. I came up with the idea for the Izumi and Masae conflict and its turning point in this chapter very early in the planning process, and I've been so excited to finally bring it to fruition. I adore the way it turned out too. This chapter is so busy, and I love it. This arc is fantastic.
Okay. Now, let's take this one from the top. The opening scene with Aethermon, Siriusmon, and Biastamon was meant to be both the original opener and their other scene later on, but I felt it would make more sense to split it up, so I did. These two are the least important scenes this chapter even though they set up a lot for the next time we'll see those three. They have a lot going on, and they're cornered and exhausted. Poor Aethermon and Siriusmon. They both need a break, and Biastamon needs one even more. It's a shame they won't get time off for a while. Oops.
Next is the scene with Shinya, Yaiamon, and Yumiko. Poor Shinya. He's got a massive boatload of trauma now because he saw Yaiamon's mental breakdown. Yumiko was able to help to calm them down, and while it was something Chihiro needed after all the time they've spent bottling up their feelings, it's still awful that they needed to go through it to begin with. Yumiko helping to soothe them is a great culmination of her arc, and it shows how far she and Chihiro have come from being rival Fallen Warriors. Chihiro needed to let all of that out, and Yumiko and Shinya were there to help them through it. Even though some of the Legendary Warriors are getting better and hitting emotional breakthroughs that allow them to Resplendent Evolve, others are struggling. This isn't a perfect high point for them, and Chihiro is a perfect example. Speaking of struggling, I want to point out Yumiko reaching out to Shinya to help him. Witnessing Chihiro's mental breakdown was traumatic for him. It wasn't Chihiro's fault they had such a massive breakdown, but it still hurt Shinya, and Yumiko addressing that is important. It's a small moment, but it means a lot to me, so I wanted to highlight it here.
Alright. Here's the big one. Izumi and Masae. Like I said before, I've been planning this for a long time, and I adore the way it turned out. Izumi and Masae have been having a difficult time for a long while thanks to Izumi's issues with secrecy. You can see why she had to hide all of it, but you can also understand why Masae was so upset with her for keeping things hidden. Neither side is entirely right or wrong, and that nuance is what makes this so interesting. At the end of the day though, they can put that aside as long as they love each other so much though, and that's what matters most. It's a perfect contrast to Chihiro's struggles to let Izumi finally flourish after how long she's been having a bad time. As a side note, I love Izumi's design for her Resplendent Evolution. This entire scene is one of my favorites in the book. It's just... Amazing.
Last but not least, we have Takuya and Hinoka's rendezvous with Chihiro and Yumiko. I wanted to spend a lot of this time talking about the investigation team's reactions and Shinya's reunion with Takuya. It's a bit of a kick in the teeth for the Legendary Warriors and the people who are discovering the truth about them. None of them expected to end up in this situation, and grappling with it is difficult for all of them. It'll take a while before they can talk about what happened, but they'll get there with time. In the meantime, the Legendary Warriors are off to the Digital World... But only after Shinya gave Takuya and Chihiro a hug. They're both his older siblings. Yes, including Chihiro. They're family, and they deserve to be happy together. It's a shame they don't have that chance right now.
That chapter was amazing, and I adore it. Just... Wow. This story is great. With that said, I'm leaving things off here. Next week, we'll continue into the next part of the invasion arc. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 41: All Eyes Forward
Summary:
Aldamon's group meets with Alastomon as the remaining Legendary Warriors try to clear out the invaders on Earth.
Chapter Text
Aldamon didn't know what he expected.
The gate to the Digital World closed behind Aldamon, Hinoka, Yumiko, and Chihiro, leaving them on the other side of the barrier. They all glanced around to try and get more information about where they were, and in doing so, they realized just how deep the rot had sunk its teeth into both worlds. Aldamon didn't know what he had anticipated to see when he arrived in the Digital World, but he certainly hadn't thought he would see it in just as awful a state as Earth.
There were Void Fragment Digimon running rampant everywhere, and Aldamon bitterly wondered just how there could be so many Digimon—all of them Beast Digimon as per usual—possessed at once. He didn't think he had ever seen this many Digimon in one place aside from maybe the night of the attack on Inaie, but even that didn't seem like a suitable comparison. The longer he looked around, the worse he felt, and it took all the effort in the world to force himself to start moving. Somehow, this all felt like it would become real if he began to attack, and that was the last thing Aldamon could stand of thinking of right now.
"We need to fend them off," Yumiko announced. She closed her eyes in contemplation for a moment. "I'm trying to figure out where Saki, Mayumi, and Haroi are, but it's hard to focus as long as there are so many Digimon around here. Wherever those three are, it's very far from here."
"We can get rid of the attacking Digimon then," Hinoka nodded. She shot a wary glance to Chihiro, trying to gauge if it was safe for them to join the fight. "You can stay here on the ground. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. If you don't feel ready to fight, then you can just stay behind."
"I don't think I would be of much use right now anyway," Chihiro agreed, though they were far from happy about it. Aldamon didn't know what had happened before he met up with Chihiro and Yumiko again, but he was confident it was nothing good. Chihiro wouldn't have been this bitter and closed off if they were feeling emotionally stable. Then again, 'emotionally stable' was relative with them as long as there were so many problems pressing down on them from all directions and making their paranoia worse. It was no wonder they were struggling so much.
Hinoka hesitantly nodded, clearly still concerned about Chihiro's detachment and apathy. She said nothing about it though, instead turning her attention back to the battle at hand and starting to overwhelm every attacking Digimon with as much water magic as she could. Aldamon couldn't help but stare for a few moments, shocked at just how much power came from reaching the Resplendent level. He had seen it before on the night of the battle on Inaie, but witnessing it up close like this really was something else.
Aldamon didn't have the benefit of allowing himself to be distracted for long though, so he launched himself right into the battle as soon as he had a grip on his attention once again. He punched his hands against one another, sparking flames across his fists that released themselves as darts. The small daggers of fire stabbed at anyone who dared to get too close, and Aldamon gladly pushed the nearest attackers back. He may not have been able to handle this battle with the same grace and strength as Yumiko or Hinoka, but he was still going to do his part to end this as soon as possible, and at the moment, that meant fighting.
The battle didn't have the chance to truly blossom into something impressive though. Before anyone knew what was happening, a laser cut through the crowd of Void Fragment Digimon, sending many sprawling in different directions and creating a pathway through the battlefield. Aldamon was too stunned to do anything but stare as he tried to figure out just what he was seeing. The attack didn't look like anything he had seen from any of his friends before. He didn't sense any of the other Legendary Warriors in the area either. If that was the case, then just who could have—
Alastomon started to walk through the path the blast had created. Each step was slow and measured, but he still moved with purpose to reach the Legendary Warriors as soon as possible. Aldamon was far from being the only one caught off guard by Alastomon's sudden appearance. In fact, Yumiko, Hinoka, and Chihiro had all gone as still as statues from their shock, and all they could bring themselves to do was stare. Once again, Aldamon didn't know what he expected, but he was confident he hadn't anticipated seeing Alastomon now of all times.
The leader of the Human Digimon stopped when he was in front of the Legendary Warriors. His body was set as the picture of grace despite the war raging all around them, and Aldamon couldn't help wondering just how he could stay so calm. Alastomon offered no explanation though, instead just looking at Aldamon with a firm, determined gaze. "We need to talk now."
~~~~~
Izumi slashed at the air with one hand, easily creating a massive blast of wind that soared toward an attacking Void Fragment Digimon. The monster was knocked out of the sky on the spot, the Void Fragment tearing itself from their body. They righted themself just before they could hit the ground, and their wings swerved before pulling them up to the sky once again. Izumi sighed with relief and urged her body to move a little bit faster. They were getting closer to Junpei and Koichi now, and Izumi couldn't have expressed her gratitude for that enough. The sooner she found them again, the sooner she would be able to turn the tides on this fight. She doubted she would feel fully secure until well after all of this was over, but she at least wanted to take the first few steps to peace and safety, especially with her sister there.
Masae trailed behind Izumi thanks to the latter's dominion over wind, and she was completely awestruck as she watched her sister fight. Every new attack seemed to earn Izumi even more points of wonder and awe from Masae, and Izumi couldn't help but think about how happy she was that they were there together at all. They were under attack, yes, and the circumstances behind their union were far from ideal, but it was still an improvement in Izumi's mind. After all the time they had spent dancing around one another because of the issue of the Digimon, this was a massive relief for them both. At long last, they were being honest with one another, and even in the middle of a battle, that was enough to make them feel better about what they were enduring.
Another Void Fragment Digimon appeared in their path, and Izumi pulled one hand back to try and strike at her opponent. Before she had the chance though, a string of lightning tore through the air, slamming into the Digimon and forcing them out of the sky. Izumi couldn't help smiling as she registered the golden sheen to the electricity. She knew exactly what that meant, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
As soon as the Void Fragment Digimon was sent careening down and away from the heavens, Izumi was able to see Junpei and Koichi. Junpei was in his Resplendent form, and Koichi was riding on a small platform of electricity behind him. Both looked as if they had never been so relieved in their lives when they finally caught a glimpse of Izumi, and Junpei practically rocketed them both over in her direction.
"Junpei! Koichi!" Izumi cried out in return. She threw her arms around Junpei and pulled him in close as soon as she was close enough to do so, and he gladly returned the favor. This was easily the second-best hug Izumi had ever received followed only by the embrace she and Masae had shared when they finally settled the matter of the Digimon in the destroyed convenience store less than an hour prior. The day had been an emotional rollercoaster for the ages, and Izumi would never forget it.
But at the moment, she was relieved the world was being so kind to her. She continued to press herself gladly against Junpei's torso for a few moments, and he held her close in return. Nothing seemed to matter aside from the fact that they were there together, and time seemed to stop around them. Izumi smiled to hold back her tears created from overwhelmed relief, and she let out a small sigh before finally pulling away from the hug to take in Junpei fully. She had never seen his Resplendent form, and she had to admit she was impressed. It certainly fit him.
Junpei, meanwhile, analyzed Izumi's new form in much the same way, staring at her from head to toe in stunned silence. Izumi offered him a smile and a light wave in response, and that was enough to pull Junpei out of his trance. "I'm so happy to see you," he murmured. "And I'm especially glad to see you've reached the Resplendent level too."
"It's been a long time coming," Izumi replied with a grin brighter than the sun. She gestured behind herself to Masae, though her younger sister offered no explanation or response. Instead, all she could do was stare in awe at Junpei's effortless command over lightning and weather. "This is my sister, Masae. Masae, these two are Junpei and Koichi. They're two of the other Legendary Warriors, and right now, they're going to help us to stop all of this from getting any worse."
That was enough to pull Masae from her thoughts, and she nodded vigorously to make up for her late response. "It's nice to meet you," she told Junpei and Koichi, though her eyes never left the Warrior of Thunder.
"I guess she knows everything now, huh?" Junpei asked, and Izumi nodded. Junpei smiled at that and lightly punched at Izumi's shoulder, earning him another smile from the Warrior of Wind. "I'm proud of you, Izumi."
The Warrior of Wind returned the favor of gently punching his shoulder. "Thanks, Junpei." Their casual demeanors made it so easy to forget they were in the middle of a battle trying to save Earth from a massive invasion of possessed monsters. If Izumi didn't know any better, she never would have assumed that was where they were.
Koichi, however, was quick to get them back on track. "Do you know where the others are?" he asked. "We're still trying to figure out where everyone else is."
Junpei looked up to the skies. Gray clouds filled with snow still hung heavily over the city, and massive snowflakes drifted down around the quartet. "If I had to guess, I would say you're not the only one to reach the Resplendent level for the first time, Izumi," Junpei commented as he gestured all around them. "I can only imagine this snowstorm is being caused by Tomoki reaching that form too. There's no way anyone else would be able to make a snowstorm this strong, especially if they're not even a Legendary Warrior."
Izumi nodded her agreement. "I think most of the rest of the group went to the Digital World too," she said. "I don't feel Takuya, Chihiro, Yumiko, or Hinoka here on Earth anymore. They're probably on the other side of the barrier trying to fight to the source of the Void Fragment Digimon."
"I was thinking the same thing," Junpei nodded. "That means only the three of us, Tomoki, and Koji are still on this side of the barrier. We should focus our attention on trying to clean up the rest of the Void Fragment Digimon so we can go and meet up with the others in the Digital World."
"The Digital World is the source of the attack," Koichi chimed in. "I can only assume the mastermind decided now was the perfect time to strike, but I can't figure out why. The timing behind this doesn't make any sense... Unless we consider that all of this has something to do with Saki suddenly going missing."
"I feel like those things have to be connected," Junpei frowned. "I can't imagine Saki would just up and vanish without a reason, and the mastermind wouldn't decide to invade Earth with this many Void Fragments without a cause. One could have prompted the other, but we won't know until we can go to the Digital World for ourselves to investigate it on our own."
"All the more reason for us to try and defeat as many of the Void Fragment Digimon as we can in as little time as possible," Izumi concluded. "We can't just leave any of them here on Earth. If we work together with Tomoki and Koji, we should be able to sweep out the rest of them and open a portal of some kind for them to travel through. After that, we can follow them to the Digital World and try to figure out where the rest of our friends went."
"First, we should figure out where your sister is going to go," Junpei said as he looked over Izumi's shoulder to where Masae was resting on a platform of her own. "It wouldn't be a good idea for us to drag her around with us everywhere we go. It's too dangerous for her to be anywhere, as a matter of fact."
"I agree," Izumi nodded. "If we can find somewhere safe for her to hide, then we can drop her off there. I just didn't want her to be targeted because of me when I wasn't there to protect her. If we can figure out an alternative though, then we should embrace it."
Masae opened her mouth to say something on the matter, but she was cut off when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She reached for the device and turned it on, her eyes going wide when she realized what had prompted the reaction. "I just got a text from Shinya," she declared. "He's in hiding with a few of your friends, Izumi."
"Friends?" Izumi echoed, her eyes going wide in confusion. "But who in the...?" Her mind flashed over to the investigation team suddenly and quickly, and the realization hit her with all the grace of a tidal wave. "Oh. I see."
"And they know all about the Digimon now too," Masae went on. "Takuya and Hinoka had to tell them, I think... Though I don't know who this Hinoka person Shinya mentioned is. I guess that's another one of your friends, right?"
Izumi nodded. "Yeah, she is... Those two must have ended up backed into a corner with no choice but to reveal everything to the investigation team," she concluded as she glanced over to Junpei and Koichi. "But that's as safe a place as any to take her. From there, we can start to look around for the rest of the Void Fragment Digimon."
Koichi frowned as he watched Izumi speak. Izumi felt as if his eyes were piercing straight through her chest, but she didn't say that out loud, instead just focusing on the matter at hand. "You're nervous about leaving your sister alone," Koichi suddenly said, and Izumi's shoulders went tense. She wouldn't admit it out loud when there was so much else that she needed to worry about aside from Masae, but it was true. How could she not worry when Masae had been in danger just a few short minutes ago because of her? Izumi wouldn't feel safe until the mastermind behind the Void Fragment attacks had been defeated, and at best, that couldn't happen for another few hours. All she could do was sit with her discontent and hope it didn't try to smother her along the way.
"She's going to be fine, Izumi," Junpei assured her. "I know this isn't ideal, but we both know what has to be done for the sake of everyone here. Masae will be safe with Shinya and the rest of the group. I know it's not what we want, but if they've managed to avoid getting hurt so far, then that's the best place for us to take them."
Izumi nodded to herself, still not entirely convinced but not wanting to admit it. Koichi hesitated for a few heavy breaths before breaking through the silence. "If it would make you feel any better, I would be happy to look after her," Koichi offered. "I could stay with her in the hiding place and try to fight off anyone who comes after her or the rest of the group."
Izumi stared at Koichi in shock at that, and she realized a bit too late that he wasn't even Spirit Evolved. He was just wearing his regular clothes. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed that sooner, but now that she had seen it, she couldn't force herself to look away. Koichi squirmed under her gaze before offering half of an explanation. "I haven't been able to Spirit Evolve to join the fight," he said carefully, choosing each word like he thought it had the potential to cause an explosion. "But I can go on defense duty if that would make you feel better."
"It would probably be safer to leave him down on the ground while we fight anyway," Junpei pointed out. "We can think about the rest of the details later on. Right now, we have to take care of the rest of the Void Fragment Digimon so we can go to help the rest of the group. Time is of the essence and all that."
Izumi thought about it for a moment, looking back to her sister with a rising sense of anxiety and dread in her stomach. She didn't want to leave Masae alone at all after everything they had been through that morning, but she knew she had no other choice if she wanted to save both Earth and the Digital World from the invaders. Instead of following her wishes though, she let out a small sigh and nodded. "Alright," she agreed thickly. "Let's go."
With that, the trio of Legendary Warriors took off with Masae trailing behind them on her platform of wind. Izumi's mind raced with anxiety at the thought of leaving her sister anywhere without her, but she knew there were no other options. This was the hand they had been given, and all they could do was play it whether they wanted to or not.
Once all of this was over, Izumi would come back for her sister. Of course she would. All she needed was time even though that was the one thing nobody wanted to give up in the midst of the war.
~~~~~
Tomoki's breath fogged up in front of his mouth as he let out a heavy sigh. He and Beowolfmon had been flying over the city for the last hour or so, taking out every Digimon they saw. Most of the monsters had yet to go back to the Digital World though on account of Tomoki not wanting to risk any humans with no self-preservation following them through a gate at ground level. The good thing about the invasion coming in from the sky was that all of the Digimon involved could fly, so they were far beyond the reaches of any humans who wanted to follow the path they had come from.
Unfortunately, that left the skies thick with Digimon even though many of them had been cured of their possession and freed from the grasp of the Void Fragments. It was difficult for Tomoki to chart a course for him and Beowolfmon to follow as long as there was so much going on. He was starting to get tired too, and even though his newfound burst of power had adrenaline racing through his veins, his mind was exhausted. The encounter with Yutaka had taken more out of him emotionally than he wanted to admit, and all he could do was try to focus on the path ahead despite the way he just wanted to shut down until this was over.
Tomoki lowered himself and Beowolfmon down onto the roof of a nearby building, and he let out a sigh before dispersing the platform of ice they had been standing on. The roof beneath their feet was covered in a layer of snow that was far thicker than it had any right to be. Two inches of snow had fallen in the last hour since Tomoki had first started the storm, and the blizzard was only continuing to rain grief and rage from the skies. Tomoki had never realized he would be strong enough to cause an entire snowstorm with his emotions, but he wasn't asking any questions about it either, not when there was so much else that he needed to focus on.
The Warriors of Ice and Light looked out over the city streets beneath them, trying to see if there were any Void Fragment Digimon they had missed. Nothing stuck out to either of them though, and Tomoki let out another sigh, glad to know they had at least managed to clear out their portion of the city. They had flown over at least a quarter of the impacted area by now, and there was still more for them to do. At least they had a few moments to breathe before they needed to keep going. That had to count for something.
Beowolfmon looked over to Tomoki out of the corner of his eye, and Tomoki could feel the question coming even before it was released into the air. "How are you feeling?" the Warrior of Light asked. "I know you didn't expect what happened when we ran into Yutaka, and... It was a lot."
Tomoki thought about that for a moment. He would certainly agree with the sentiment that it had been a lot to take in. Even when he and Beowolfmon had been flying over the city for an hour, Tomoki had been deliberately avoiding thinking about it since it was just too much for him to handle at the moment. How could he face all of this when he hadn't wanted it to happen in the first place? Yutaka did nothing but try to make his life worse, and Tomoki had no idea what he was supposed to do about it.
Tomoki took a long time to reply, and when he did respond, the words came out heavy and thick, barely managing to escape his tightened throat. "I... I don't know," he confessed. His voice was soft and ready to shatter at the first sign of resistance. He took a small step closer to the edge of the roof, a breeze blowing through his short hair along the way. The snowflakes in his hair glistened with each whisper of the wind. "I'm going to need to think about it once all of this is over, but... I think I feel better. In a weird way, I feel like what happened is... An improvement."
Beowolfmon's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "I'm glad to hear that," he murmured. "I know I was scared out of my mind when we saw him there. I was afraid something was going to end up going wrong somehow, though I suppose that happened anyway. He knows about who we are."
"But he's going to know better than to say anything now that you've put a sword to his throat," Tomoki pointed out. He didn't say that he was trying to convince himself of that just as much as he was trying to convince Beowolfmon, knowing that would only bring their worst fears to life once again. Tomoki was desperate to believe that Yutaka would be smart enough to not try to expose who they really were to the world even though he had no idea about if his brother would go that far or not. It was hard to judge much of anything when it came to Yutaka's intentions. He was, at best, a complicated person, though Tomoki had many other words in mind that also would have fit the bill. All of those words would have made his anxiety markedly worse though, so Tomoki didn’t let himself put a voice to any of them.
"Yeah," Beowolfmon agreed, though his anxiety was clear as could be as well. He didn't want to think Yutaka would put his life on the line to expose them, but there was no way of saying if Yutaka would be willing to go along with the mutual blackmail or not. Tomoki certainly hoped so, but he wouldn't know until it was too late, and that absolutely terrified him.
Tomoki raised one hand and watched as a few large snowflakes drifted down into his palm. He watched them melt slowly but surely on his hand before he let out a heavy sigh. "I never wanted it to come to this, but now that it has... I feel a lot better," he confessed. "I feel like this was deserved. Yutaka has been ruining my life for years, and on top of that, he tried to hurt you and the rest of our friends. I can't just stand by and watch him do all of that, especially after what happened last night."
Beowolfmon hummed, unwilling to say anything on the matter. Tomoki took a small step toward him, wanting to break the silence but not quite sure of where to start. "Do... Do you want to talk about what happened?" Tomoki asked gently. "It's your choice, but... I don't want you to feel like you need to hide all of this for my sake."
Beowolfmon hesitated for a long time before he sighed and shrugged. "I don't know how I feel about it either. I want Yutaka dead for what he's done to you and now me, but I know that's not going to happen no matter how much I want it. I'd like to think I'm above killing a human even if I really want to get rid of him after everything he's done," he said. "I'm angry at him though. I don't think I've been that angry at anyone since my father first brought Satomi into our lives. Yutaka ruined everything."
"He told your father about you and Koichi... That certainly seems like it would ruin everything," Tomoki agreed. He let out a heavy sigh, the breath shaking his entire body. "I wish there was something I could have done to stop him. I know it's not that easy, especially since I didn't even know he was going to try that in the first place, but... It hurts knowing that all of that happened without me even knowing until it was too late."
"None of us could have known. We didn't realize just how much he was watching us, and now, it's too late for us to fix it," Beowolfmon muttered. "All we can do is face the consequences no matter how little we want to. That means waiting until this train wreck of an invasion is over so that I can talk to my father about it. I can already tell that's going to be one of the worst conversations of my life, but I don't have much of a choice at this point, do I?"
Tomoki clenched his fingers into a fist, and his hand trembled from the force. "I won't let Yutaka do something like this again," he vowed softly. "No matter what happens, I'm going to make sure Yutaka stays away from the rest of you from now on. If he ever tries something like this again... It's over for him. I swear."
Beowolfmon sent Tomoki a small smile. "I'm glad to see you finding your footing, Tomoki," he confessed. "I know it's not easy to stand up and fight against someone who hurt you in the past. It feels like all you ever want to do is run away, but... I guess there comes a time when you know you have to fight."
"Yeah... And I'm going to fight no matter what," Tomoki announced. "If Yutaka tries anything like this ever again, I'm going to make sure he pays for it. After all of this is over, I'm finally going to talk to my parents about what he's been doing. He's done enough damage, and if I have to drag him to court or something to make sure he finally stops, then so be it. I'm not afraid of him the way I used to be... Or, at the very least, I'm not right now. I suppose being able to freeze him would help my confidence though, huh?"
Beowolfmon chuckled. "I imagine it would," he agreed. "Though there's no way we can freeze him right now as long as he's run off with his tail between his legs. We still need to clear out the rest of the city and get to the Digital World to stem this invasion at the source too, so we couldn’t chase after him even if we wanted to… And there’s a part of me that really wants to."
"You're right," Tomoki nodded. He took a step forward, readying his hand to create another platform of ice, but he cut himself off along the way to look at Beowolfmon with worry in his eyes. He couldn't hold back the words until it was too late, and all his worst fears came spilling out a moment later. "Do you really think we're going to be okay? Yutaka knows who we are now, and I... I don't want us to get hurt."
Beowolfmon reached for his blade and tilted it slightly. The silvery sunlight streaming through the overhead clouds struck the sword, making it look like it was glowing gently. "If he tries anything, I'll make good on my promise," he swore. "I don't want to have to take a human life, but as far as I'm concerned, he's barely deserving of that title after everything he did to you. It's only through mercy that he lives right now, and if he ever decides to show me that I made the wrong decision, then that will be that. The world will not mourn his death, and neither will I."
All Tomoki could do was stare in shock at Beowolfmon's blade for a few long moments, and he became overwhelmingly aware of the way his heart was pounding in his ears. No one had ever been this defensive of him before. When Tomoki was growing up, he had wanted someone there to look after him so Tomoki couldn't hurt him anymore, but his pleas with the universe were never answered.
The Legendary Warriors were the response to all of those years spent suffering in silence. Tomoki hadn't known where to find the confidence to stand up to his brother until Yutaka started to hurt his friends. He hadn't known what it was like to be protected until his friends appeared to help him, and now, he would never forget it. Tomoki didn't know how to feel about the idea of Beowolfmon threatening murder for his sake, but he didn't bother to put his emotions to words either. Instead, he just watched his friend for a few long moments, waiting for something to fill the silence either from Beowolfmon's lips or his own.
Tomoki had to drag himself out of his trance by force in the end, and all he did was nod. "Thank you," he murmured, knowing he didn't have any other words to express his emotions on the matter. Tomoki wanted to feel shameless over wanting his brother out of his life once and for all, but instead, all he could think about was how guilty he felt for wishing something like that on Yutaka in the first place. There was a traitorous part of his mind that demanded he feel sympathy for Yutaka even after all that had happened, to love him as family was meant to love one another through thick and thin. That doubtful piece of Tomoki's thoughts always made him forget how cruel his brother could be until it was too late, and he had fallen for its tricks many times. He had no idea if he would be wise enough to escape this time though. He would just have to wait and see what he did after this massive invasion had been brought to its natural end.
"You're welcome," Beowolfmon said, choosing to not comment on the clear conflict flickering across his friend's face. Instead, he just adjusted his grip on his blade where it rested in between his fingers as he looked back to the city below. "We should keep moving. We still have other Void Fragment Digimon to get rid of before we can meet up with the others."
Tomoki nodded at that, and he flicked one hand out to create a platform of ice beneath their feet that pulled them off the ground and into the sky. Snow continued to fall all around them, and Tomoki allowed his element to calm him above all else. It wasn't easy, but he knew he would need to be grounded if another fight broke out, and he was sure it was just a matter of time before he had to take to combat again. He needed to stay focused above all else. Yutaka could wait. He had more important things to think about than his brother.
And as far as Tomoki was concerned, that was one of the best things he had ever thought about Yutaka: that he had better things to do.
~~~~~
Clearing out the rest of the battlefield was a surprisingly easy job when Aldamon, Yumiko, and Hinoka worked together with Alastomon. The leader of the Human Digimon was powerful, though saying that felt like a grave understatement. The Legendary Warriors had never seen him fight at full strength before then, but they could all agree that it had been well worth the wait. Alastomon's laser attacks cleared out entire swarms of Void Fragment Digimon in the blink of an eye, and the stress of winning the fight was immediately relieved from Yumiko and Hinoka's shoulders. Given how much they had already done, that was a massive weight off their backs.
Once the area had been cleared away and emptied of any Void Fragment Digimon, Alastomon let out a heavy sigh. "I think that's the last of them," he announced. He turned to face his allies, exhaustion beginning to creep into his expression. "I'm glad to see you here. The Digital World needs you right now, and in all honesty, so do I."
"You said we needed to talk before the fight broke out," Chihiro said with a heavy frown. "You can't just say something like that and then not elaborate. What do you know? What do we not know?"
"Something happened a few days ago, and I believe it has something to do with Saki’s recent disappearance," Alastomon explained. That was enough to earn everyone's attention immediately, and they all perked up in shock and glee. With all the chaos of the last few hours, they hadn't been able to think about where Saki had vanished to beyond a few surface level concerns, but that was going to end now thanks to Alastomon. At long last, they would know peace regarding their friend. At long last, they would be able to learn where Saki had gone off to.
"Are they okay?" Yumiko asked immediately, grief and concern washing across her face in equal measure. She looked ready to fall from her knees thanks to the stress and relief that came with hearing Saki's name again, but her body did not collapse now. It had no choice but to keep itself upright as long as a battle was waiting for her around the next corner.
"I cannot say for sure, but I think I know what happened to them, at least vaguely," Alastomon went on. "I think Biastamon did something to try and eliminate Saki. That attempt failed though, so they went into hiding. Saki must have provoked him somehow, and that forced them to hide their location until all of this blew over."
"Why would Biastamon do something like that to Saki?" Hinoka asked. Her expression quickly took a turn for the worse though, and her eyes went hollow with horror. "Unless..."
Alastomon nodded. "I believe Biastamon is the mastermind responsible for the massive invasion and the Void Fragment Digimon as a whole," he finished for her. "I don't know where Biastamon is, but we need to find him and stop him before this can spiral out of control more than it already has. I can't say I know where Saki is either, but I'm confident Biastamon had something to do with their disappearance."
"I'm going to see if I can find Saki," Yumiko declared. She closed her eyes and concentrated her energy on reaching out to the Warrior of Steel, trying to place them in the vast expanse of the Digital World. They had to be out there somewhere, and Yumiko was determined to find them.
Aldamon, meanwhile, let out an agonized whine. "I can't believe this," he muttered. "Biastamon was the mastermind all along? He was right in front of us while we were trying to figure out who was responsible for all of this! If we had just thought to look around at the people closest to us, then we would have realized that!"
Chihiro let out a hiss between their teeth as they slammed a fist into their forehead. "Saki told us to not trust anyone outside of our innermost circle. They were talking about Biastamon. They knew something was wrong, and they were counting on us to stay away from him while they had to hide and wait for this all to blow over," they realized. "Saki definitely figured all of this out, and they had to hide for as long as possible until they could come up with a plan to fix all of this."
"You're right," Aldamon realized with a wince. It made too much sense now that he was hearing it out loud, and the mere thought of Saki figuring all of this out on their own and having to hide because of it made him feel sick. They knew Biastamon was up to something, and that was the reason they had gone missing. Aldamon was confident they were still alive since he would have felt their energy fade if they were dead, but them being alive was little consolation when they had been targeted by the mastermind directly when they were alone. The other Legendary Warriors needed to find them, and they needed to do it fast.
"Oh, no," Yumiko suddenly murmured. Her hands came up to her mouth as she stared vacantly and worriedly at the ground ahead.
"What do you mean, 'oh, no?'" Chihiro asked, agitation slipping into their tone easily. "Do you know where Saki is? Where should we be looking?"
"It's not Saki," Yumiko replied. "I tried to find them, but I came up short. However... I was able to find Mayumi and Haroi."
"That's great news!" Aldamon exclaimed. He had been wondering about the two of them as well, especially since they had vanished into the Digital World so suddenly when morning came. Hearing they were together on this side of the barrier was a massive relief, especially given the awful news Alastomon had shared about Saki.
"It's not great news," Yumiko corrected. "They're in Rose Morning Star, and they're not alone. Biastamon is with them, and there are over a hundred Void Fragment Digimon there in the surrounding area. As far as I can tell, they're cornered with no way of escaping."
"Fuck!" Chihiro cried out. "We have to get them out of there! We need to head to Rose Morning Star right now!"
"You're right," Alastomon agreed with a nod. "We have no idea what Biastamon could do to them as long as they're cornered in the castle. The sooner we can get to Rose Morning Star, the better."
"I can take care of that," Hinoka announced. She pressed her hands together, and water began to rise from the ground beneath the group's feet. The waves condensed around them, swallowing all five of them in the tidal wave. When Hinoka pushed her hand forward, the water began to move at breakneck speeds, taking everyone else along with it. The water did not drown them though, and Aldamon once again found himself easily able to breathe just as he had been able to when he was in the bubble Hinoka had created back on Earth. The wave was hollow on the inside, but it still got the job done of transporting the group as quickly as possible.
The tidal wave continued to rumble through the Digital World mercilessly, passing by many Void Fragment Digimon along the way. Yumiko was quick to lash out at them where she could, creating threads of vines that struck at the possessed Digimon before they had the chance to react. Alastomon did the same with blasts of laser-like energy from his palms, striking at every Void Fragment Digimon along the way. The two of them were easily able to clear out any potential enemies left behind from their previous battle, opening the path forward without much of an issue.
Aldamon, meanwhile, just focused on watching the horizon pass him by. There was so much none of them understood about the situation at hand, and the thought of all he didn't know made him nauseous. Mayumi and Haroi were with Biastamon, and they had no idea what was going on at Rose Morning Star. Saki had gone missing because they were trying to run from the mastermind after some unspecified disaster forced them into hiding. Biastamon had betrayed the group and had been planning on taking over the Digital World through force with the Void Fragments all along. All of this came right back to the identity of the true mastermind, and it was terrifying. Aldamon just wanted the rest of his friends to be safe. He would have given anything to know for sure they were okay in that moment.
But he had no such options to ensure their safety, so he just watched as Yumiko and Alastomon took care of all their enemies on the way to Rose Morning Star. Aldamon shoved his own feelings of bitter helplessness as far down as he possibly could and clenched his hands into fists. They would get there soon. He just needed a little more time... Though whether he had it or not was up for debate and then some.
~~~~~
Times were as tense as ever in Rose Morning Star.
About fifteen minutes had passed since Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon had barricaded themselves on the top floor of the castle, and nothing had happened to change the situation for better or worse. There were still Void Fragment Digimon trying to burst their way inside, but that was completely unsurprising. It was still enough to scare all of them out of their minds, but by this point, they were used to the pounding noises from all around them. All they wanted was to be saved, but unfortunately, help would not come for them, and they knew it.
Mayumi wanted to look out the window more than anything to see if her friends were there by some stroke of a miracle, but she forced herself away from it. The entire building was on lockdown, and that meant steel plates were still covering every opening to the outside for the sake of safety. Opening the window would only invite danger, and she knew better than to do something that foolish. All she could do was be patient even though that was one of the things she was the worst at in this world. She had been shaking from the adrenaline rush for what felt like the last three hours, and she just wanted to be calm for once.
The one positive note in all of this was that Biastamon was starting to improve. He had fallen asleep for a short while, but he woke up soon afterward due to the noise surrounding the castle. He seemed to be feeling a bit better than before, but that wasn't saying much given how completely exhausted he had been when the group first arrived. Biastamon couldn't have fallen asleep again even if he tried between the noise and his own nerves, so he instead opted to stare at the ground as Mayumi watched the window and Haroi stared at his D-Tector in desperate hope of someone coming to save them.
"Any updates?" Mayumi questioned of Haroi even though she already knew what he was going to say. There wouldn't be anything new the same way there hadn't been anything new the last three times she had asked. Still, she kept hoping for something to change for the better for the sake of her, Haroi, and their current Digimon defender.
"Takuya, Chihiro, Yumiko, and Hinoka just got to the Digital World," Haroi replied. "But they're nowhere near us right now. Saki is still off the grid. No matter where I look or how hard I try, I can't seem to track them."
"They're hiding on purpose," Biastamon hummed. "I can't say I understand why, but I suppose we'll simply have to ask them about that whenever we see them again. Until then, all we can do is wait."
"The mastermind has to be behind all of this, right?" Haroi questioned. "The sudden Digimon invasions, Saki going missing, us not being able to find them... I can't imagine it's just a coincidence. There has to be a common denominator behind this, and if I had to guess, I would say it's because of the mastermind. Something must have caused this, and even if we don’t know what it is, we know where it has led us to."
"I would agree," Biastamon nodded, though the motion drooped with exhaustion. "There's little we can do to find out more about them right now though. If we leave Rose Morning Star, we'll be destroyed in a matter of minutes. It's a risk we can't afford to take. If there are other Legendary Warriors in the Digital World now, then we can count on them to come and help eventually. Our best chance of survival right now involves just waiting here until they arrive. It won't be easy, but it's the only choice we have at the moment."
Haroi leaned his head back so that he was staring up at the ceiling of the castle. The ground shook slightly from the weight of the Digimon outside trying to rattle the doors and break them down. Haroi didn't flinch though, instead just allowing his eyes to slip shut for a moment. This was the most peace he had felt since the attack began, and he wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible before everything began to fall apart again.
It was just a matter of time before something gave. Ideally, the enemy forces would crumble when reinforcements came to cleave through them and liberate Rose Morning Star and the people hidden inside. Haroi and Mayumi needed to be patient until the other Legendary Warriors arrived, but that was much easier said than done. There was too much riding on this for them to back down now, but there was no escape all the same.
The ground shook again. Biastamon closed his eyes. Haroi didn't even flinch. Mayumi just sighed.
~~~~~
Izumi let out a heavy sigh as the last of the Void Fragments pulled away from the Digimon they had possessed. She tried her best to ignore the sound of countless Void Fragments shattering on the wind, flinching slightly from the noise but blocking it out as much as she could. She, Junpei, Koichi, and Masae had been flying around for a while since they set their sights on the place where Shinya and the investigation team were hiding out. They had defeated every Digimon they came across too even if it was slowing their forward progress considerably.
And as far as Izumi could tell, they were finally finished with the battle. She tried to put a finger on any Void Fragment Digimon in the city, but she was met with nothing. Her senses wouldn't lie to her, so she decided to believe they had managed to defeat every invader. All that remained was to open a portal and send them all back to the Digital World. It would be a remarkably easy feat after everything that had already happened that day, but the idea exhausted Izumi all the same.
She pushed that out of her head as she settled down on the ground though, and Masae sighed once she was back on the concrete. "Oh, sweet ground," Masae murmured. She glanced up to her sister with a tired sideways smile. "I love flying as much as the next person, Izumi, but I'm really happy to be done with that for now. I hope that's not offensive."
"Not at all," Izumi assured her. Nearby, Junpei landed as well, and Koichi stepped onto the concrete with shaking legs. He practically collapsed from the shock that came with being back on solid ground, but he maintained his composure through some miracle, and he pushed out a sigh to show it. They were all exhausted, but they were alive, and that had to count for something.
Masae's gaze found the door to a nearby building, and she started to approach it with a small frown. She reached one hand out to the knob before she pulled it open. She blinked into the darkness of the building, and Junpei stepped up beside her with a small orb of electricity in his hand. The thunder magic cast the room in golden light, and in doing so, it exposed the five occupants of the space.
Shinya was the first to peer out with Katsuharu following a moment later. "Masae!" Shinya exclaimed. He looked ready to dart out to greet his friend, but he was cut off when Chiaki took his wrist in her hand. Shinya immediately understood the silent message about how they needed to stay hidden, and he nodded before taking a step back.
"I'm glad you're okay," Masae smiled. She gestured for Izumi and Koichi to join her and Junpei in the entryway of the building, and they did so happily. "I was really worried when I realized what was happening."
Izumi nodded, but she fell still as soon as she saw the investigation team. She had already made peace with having to see them now that the truth was out, but somehow, standing there before them after the secret came to light was an entirely different beast, and it hit her like a punch to the stomach. She was met with the sight of Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki all staring at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws, and Izumi suddenly remembered she was still in her Resplendent form. She waved to them shyly, brushing her hair behind her ear with her other hand. "Hi." She kicked herself inward for being so awkward even though she knew there probably wasn't a better way for her to show her friends she was a magical half-monster chosen by the gods of another world. It was something, at least. At least she was trying to make the blow of learning all of this a bit easier to stand for them.
"I was wondering when you would show me the truth," Chiaki remarked softly, and Izumi's eyes went wide. Chiaki was quick to explain with a look in her eyes that reminded Izumi a lot of how Masae had looked when she cited how obvious the truth really was. "I figured that was how you and Hinoka met. It just made too much sense in my mind for me to ignore it."
"So... All four of you, huh?" Teppei asked as he pushed his glasses higher up on his nose. "You, Chihiro, Takuya, and probably Koji too... No wonder you were so interested when we started talking about the investigation."
"You caught me," Izumi laughed vaguely, though the sound came out hollow to her ears. The world sounded far out of her reach, and she had no idea how she was meant to bring it close enough for everything to come into focus. "We'll have more time to explain all of this later on. Right now, I'm just here to drop Masae off. The rest of us have a lot to do elsewhere."
"Koji and Tomoki are close," Junpei suddenly told her. Izumi turned to face him with wide, shocked eyes. "I guess they're coming to meet up with us now that the city is all cleared out."
"Tomoki?" Teruo echoed. "You mean... Soccer team newbie Tomoki?"
"Yeah," Izumi replied. "There's a lot for us to talk about after all of this is over. We don't have time right now though. We still need to send the Digimon back to the other side of the barrier. After that, we have to go and track down the person behind this."
"And find Saki," Junpei cut in. "They've been missing for too long now, and I'm not going to leave them alone for any longer than we already have."
Izumi nodded. Before she had the chance to say anything else though, Koichi stepped away from the door, instead turning his attention to the skies overhead. Izumi was quick to follow suit alongside Junpei. All three of them noticed the irregularity in the heavens immediately, and for a long while, all Izumi could do was stare.
Tomoki and Beowolfmon were standing on top of a platform made of ice. Sure enough, Tomoki had reached the Resplendent level while he was away from the rest of the group. They had all been correct in assuming that was the cause of the snowstorm. Izumi would have to ask for details later on, but for the moment, all she could think about was how proud she was of Tomoki for making it this far. She wanted to hear the full story as soon as possible, but she knew there were more important things to focus on first.
Tomoki allowed the platform of ice to dissipate as soon as he and Beowolfmon touched down on the snowy concrete. The Warrior of Ice let out a heavy sigh as Beowolfmon surged forward, pulling Koichi into a tight embrace. For a moment, the Warrior of Darkness was too stunned to respond, but he returned the gesture as soon as he had returned to his senses. "I'm so happy you're okay," Beowolfmon murmured, and Izumi could have sworn she saw the glistening of a few tiny tears in the corners of his eyes.
Koichi hugged Beowolfmon a little bit tighter, fighting away the tears threatening to spill over from his own eyes. "I'm happy you're safe too," he murmured, the words coming out muffled and suffocated. The two pulled away from the hug a moment later, smiling to one another in exhausted relief.
Katsuharu couldn't follow his rationality any longer when he saw Beowolfmon and Koichi together, and he stepped out from his hiding place to point a finger at the twins. "Wait... Koji?" he asked as he pointed to Beowolfmon. The Warrior of Light nodded. Katsuharu pointed to Koichi. "Not Koji?" Koichi nodded. Katsuharu hissed. "Wow."
"We can explain it after all of this is over," Beowolfmon said. "I was really hoping you wouldn't have to find out about all of this, but I guess we're well past that point. It’s fine. Just keep this a secret, and we'll explain everything you need to know later on. After that, we can call it even."
"We heard a lot of the details from Takuya earlier, but there's still a lot we don't get," Teruo confessed. "We're just going to have to wait until you can fill us in on all the little details, I guess... Though that's not going to happen until after you've been able to take care of all these Digimon, right?"
Beowolfmon was shocked to hear Teruo use the correct term for Digimon, and he sent Izumi a mystified glance to show it. She just shrugged, assuming that had been a piece of Takuya's earlier explanation about the monsters. "He has a point," Izumi pointed out. "There are a lot of Digimon here, and we need to get rid of them as soon as possible so we can go to the Digital World and stop the mastermind."
"Everyone else is already there," Tomoki nodded. "I felt them leave earlier. I don't know how we're going to catch up with them given the massive head start they have, but we can figure that out when we get to the Digital World, I suppose."
Izumi nodded as she looked to Masae. The younger blonde looked anxious as could be now that she was finally allowed to relax. The battles were behind her, and the weight of what had taken place was starting to catch up to her at last. She took in a heavy breath before pushing it out slowly to ground herself, though Izumi knew she was still worried. How could she not be worried after everything that had happened that morning?
Izumi rested her hands on Masae's shoulders, realizing all too suddenly that she didn't want to leave her sister behind. She had no other options, but she still hated the idea of having to abandon Masae on Earth while she went to the Digital World. Izumi shoved past all of that though, tightening her grip on Masae's shoulders. "Please... Stay safe," she pleaded. "I need to go to the Digital World to stop all of this before it can get worse. I'm going to come back soon, but until then... I just need you to stay safe. Can you do that for me?"
"I'll be fine, Izumi," Masae assured her sister with a shake of her head. "You took care of all the Digimon here already, and even if there are more, we're safe as long as we’re hiding away. If these five were able to stay out of trouble hiding in here for as long as they did, I think we can consider ourselves fine."
Izumi pulled Masae in for one last hug at that, letting out a shaky breath in the place of what she knew would have been a sob otherwise. "I'll be back soon," she assured Masae. "I promise."
"I'll hold you to it," Masae vowed. "When you come back, you need to be honest with me too. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course," Izumi replied without missing a beat. "All secrets are a thing of the past. I mean it."
Masae nodded as she pulled away from the embrace, and she sent Izumi a gentle wave with a bittersweet smile. "Knock 'em dead," she instructed.
"I wouldn't dare to do anything less," Izumi replied. She walked out of the abandoned building and closed the door behind her, ignoring the way tears were starting to streak down her cheeks. She didn't bother to rub them away, and no one else gave her a second glance for it either.
Instead, Izumi just looked over to Tomoki and Junpei. "Are you ready?" she asked, not bothering to specify what she was referring to. There was only one thing for them to do next anyway, and all of them knew it.
Sure enough, Tomoki and Junpei nodded, and the three took off into the sky using their various modes of flighted transportation along the way. Once they were up high enough, they held hands in a circle, creating a rift in the skies overhead. A portal to the Digital World opened without the need of an electronic device as a proxy. Together, they had enough raw power together to open a portal wherever they wanted, and that was all they needed in order to finish all of this once and for all.
The formerly possessed Digimon from throughout the city took to the skies as soon as they saw the portal, and they vanished back into the world they had come from. Izumi closed her eyes and tried to focus on the signals of various Digimon stationed throughout Shibuya. All of them knew about the portal thanks to its size, and they were making their way over to the gate. Everything would be resolved in a matter of minutes. This massive display of power would likely earn her the attention of everyone in the city, but that didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was finishing this, and Izumi would do whatever she had to in order to see this through.
Sure enough, once all the Void Fragment Digimon had traveled through the portal, the trio of Legendary Warriors returned to ground level. Beowolfmon and Koichi were waiting for them there. Their eyes gleamed with determination and resolve regarding what they had to do next, and Izumi let out another careful breath before she created a small gust of wind to pull the pair off the ground and into the sky.
That was all it took to bring the pair along toward the gate where it rested in the heavens. Izumi looked up at the rift, eyeing the Digital World on the other side with equal confidence and fear. She had no idea what they were going to find in the other world, and she could only hope it was something good. As long as they were searching for the mastermind though, that was probably optimism spent in vain. Still, it wasn't as if they had much else at that point, so she might as well indulge in it.
Izumi exchanged a brief glance with the rest of her friends, and they all shared a nod. They were ready whether they wanted to be or not, and they knew they couldn't hold this off any longer than they already had. The Digital World was waiting for them, and they needed to face it. The mastermind was on the other side of the gate too, and the time had come for them to strike them down once and for all. The fate of both worlds depended on it.
Without missing a beat, the five Legendary Warriors flew toward the portal, and they vanished through the rift. As soon as they passed through the gate, it closed behind them, and Earth was abandoned in favor of their next pursuit.
The end was drawing near, and they could all feel it whether they wanted to admit it or not.
Notes:
And so everyone goes to the Digital World! Woohoo!
This chapter was another big one, so let's get right into our breakdown. First off, we had the opener with Aldamon, Hinoka, Yumiko, and Chihiro arriving in the Digital World and then meeting up with Alastomon. He's the only major player we haven't seen up to this point in the invasion arc, and here he is. This scene is a short one, but it gets the point across and sets things up nicely for the rest of the chapter.
Next, we have the rendezvous between Junpei, Koichi, Izumi, and Masae. You can already see the change in Izumi's demeanor now that she and Masae have made up, and she's a lot happier now than she has been throughout this entire story. The character moments are the highlight of this scene in my opinion since a lot of this is just catching up these four with things we as the audience already know. Takuya's group left the cleanup of Earth in their hands, and that was a good decision. Junpei and Izumi are a good team, and they accomplished everything they needed to after this scene. Things are looking up for them, and given how miserable things have been recently, that's certainly a blessing they can't afford to pass up.
My favorite part of this chapter was definitely the scene with Beowolfmon and Tomoki on the rooftops. We haven't had much time to explore Tomoki's thoughts since the Yutaka encounter because of just how much has been going on, so here we are. He's terrified after everything that happened when he saw Yutaka before, and Beowolfmon is too. They're hoping their mutual blackmail over Yutaka will be enough to keep them out of trouble, but they don't know for sure, and that's terrifying for them. This won't be the last we see of Yutaka as I'm sure you can imagine, but for now, Beowolfmon and Tomoki are at least able to make peace with what happened. This is also a nice note of growth for Koji to show how far he's come from his introduction. He's always been protective of Tomoki, and here, it manifests as the promise to murder Tomoki's abuser if he has to. I think these two might have issues, but it's so interesting that I love it a lot more than I should.
Next, we catch up with Aldamon's group again. They know everything that happened with Saki now... Or, at the very least, they know about as much as they can given the fact that Alastomon is out of the loop too. Saki is still out of reach, and in fact, they're the only Legendary Warrior to not make an appearance in this chapter to hit the point home. Everyone in this group is going through the belated but very real sinking dread of realizing Mayumi and Haroi are with Biastamon too. They're part of the rescue party now too, and all eyes are set squarely on Rose Morning Star.
But things are relatively calm at Rose Morning Star. Well, they're as calm as they can be with so many Void Fragment Digimon banging down the door. Mayumi and Haroi don't feel like they're in danger at all and are just tired after everything that happened. Biastamon is tired too, and all of them are counting on the other Legendary Warriors coming as backup. Sure enough, the rest of the group is coming to help them out... Just not in the way they thought. I love putting scenes with Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon right next to scenes of everyone else worrying about them. I can't help but throw in a little bit of dramatic irony. It's in my nature.
Last but not least, we have the ending scene with Izumi, Junpei, Koichi, and Masae arriving at the hiding place for Shinya and the investigation team. Tomoki and Beowolfmon get there soon too, and the entire gang is there. The investigation team has been promised a full explanation no fewer than three times now, and they're looking forward to it. In the meantime, the rest of the group has much more important things to do. I loved the piece of this scene specifically with Izumi and Masae bidding one another farewell. You can feel their hesitation since they don't want to be apart from each other so soon after they've reconciled, but they know they have no other choice. They'll be back together soon enough, but waiting is agony until then.
And so, we end the chapter with all of the Legendary Warriors in the Digital World in four distinct groups. Takuya, Chihiro, Yumiko, Hinoka, and Alastomon are rushing to Rose Morning Star. Saki, Miriamon, and the Digimon are doing the same. Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon are waiting for salvation that won't come in the way they expected. And last but not least, Koji, Tomoki, Izumi, Junpei, and Koichi are arriving last but planning to catch up soon. It's a lot to manage, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I love this arc so much, and I hope you're all having fun with it too.
Next time, we'll pick up where we left off in the Digital World with our four teams. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 42: Strike at the Head
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors scramble to meet with Mayumi and Haroi so they can stop Biastamon.
Chapter Text
When Junpei touched down in the Digital World, he let out a hefty sigh and tilted his head back toward the sky. The portal overhead had already closed, and the previously possessed Digimon were all scrambling for safe cover. Junpei didn't even need to ask to know that another attack was taking place on this side of the barrier. The newly freed Digimon wanted to find some degree of safety before they could be taken over again, and he couldn't blame them at all.
Unfortunately, Junpei couldn't waste his time thinking about safety. The first thing he did once he was focused once again was try to concentrate his energy on finding Saki. He closed his eyes and tried to extend his power into locating them. They had an inherent link thanks to their time as Susanoomon, and on top of that, Junpei knew what their aura felt like. It should have been easy to figure out where they were.
But in the end, Junpei came back with frustratingly little. In fact, there was nothing at all to point him toward Saki or even the general direction he could find them in. He let out a heavy sigh and looked back toward Izumi and Tomoki. "Do you know where they are?" he asked, not bothering to elaborate about who he was talking about. Given that all of the Legendary Warriors had been worrying constantly about Saki's location over the last few days, it was obvious.
Izumi and Tomoki both took a moment to try and find Saki for themselves while Beowolfmon stood off to the side with a frown. Both Izumi and Tomoki’s expressions remained painfully neutral all the while though, and Junpei already knew what answer he was going to receive. "No," Izumi eventually replied. "I don't know where they are, but I'm confident they're here in the Digital World somewhere."
"Do you think they're trying to hide from us?" Tomoki questioned, and Junpei winced even though he had seen this coming. "I don't know why they'd want to keep themself hidden so badly, but maybe something happened to make them want to hide."
"If they're trying to hide, then we'll just have to pull the curtain back and show that something like that isn't going to fly," Junpei declared. He had really thought he was making progress in getting Saki to open up to the rest of the group. He had told them to talk to the rest of the team if they had any issues, and yet, here they were, keeping even more secrets. To say he was annoyed was an understatement, but he was going to save the bulk of his frustration for when he actually saw them again and could talk to them about it. As much as he liked stewing in his emotions, it wouldn't do him any good when it came to tracking Saki down or finding the rest of the group.
"We should try to hear their side of the story," Izumi suggested when she noticed Junpei's steadily increasing irritation. "I'm sure they would be happy to share it if we asked them what was going on. They have to be here in the Digital World. All we need to do is find them."
"That's going to be much easier said than done, but I agree," Junpei nodded. He had no idea how they were going to find Saki, but he would figure it out with time. He wasn't going to let them hide forever when he needed to hear what they were keeping secret. He wouldn't give the truth time to slip between his fingers.
"I can't believe they're trying to hide so much from us even now," Beowolfmon frowned. "I'm sure there's a reason for it, but they could have at least let us in on the plan before they ran off." He shook his head as he let his sword come to rest at his hip.
"That's the bare minimum," Junpei muttered. Despite his attempts to temper his bitterness, his worry for Saki sliding back when they were finally making progress caught him off guard much more than he thought it would. He just wanted them to talk to him, but that was apparently too much to ask for. He would need to talk to them as soon as possible if he wanted to understand their motivations, but in the meantime, he would yearn for any sense of comprehension he could find in the midst of the mass attack.
"Come on," Tomoki declared. He pressed a hand against the ground to create a thin platform of ice, and it began to float a few moments later. He could tell Junpei's anger was starting to rise thanks to Saki's secrecy, so he easily diverted the group's attention toward their next destination.
Beowolfmon followed up on that effort by stepping onto the platform of ice beside Tomoki. Izumi and Junpei, meanwhile, both took to the skies. Electricity condensed itself behind Junpei to keep him aloft, and he sighed before turning his attention to the path ahead. They would find Saki soon enough, he was sure. He just needed to be patient.
Unfortunately, he had never been a patient person.
~~~~~
Haroi continued to stare up at the ceiling of Rose Morning Star as another attack made the palace tremble. The blows to the outside bricks were starting to spread out a little bit, but they still made him feel awful. He wouldn't feel safe until the ground beneath him was finished shaking, but he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. All he could do was wait even though that was the last thing he wanted to do.
Mayumi's anxiety was boiling over nearby too. She had pressed her thumb in front of her mouth, exhaling between her lips just to feel the warmth of her own breath against her fingernail. She was staring off into the distance vacantly, and Haroi could tell she was almost at the end of her rope. She was getting overwhelmed, and if she didn't calm down soon, she was going to melt down. Haroi wished there was something he could do to help, but he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Of course not. The castle was under attack, and he couldn't fix that.
Haroi especially couldn't fix it since he didn't have his wheelchair with him. He wouldn't have been able to bring it along when he, Mayumi, and Biastamon were attacked earlier anyway since the fastest method of escape was riding on Biastamon's back. Even so, the emptiness it left behind by not being present made Haroi feel even worse. He could barely stand without collapsing once again, and pain was pounding dimly at every muscle in his body. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to, but it kept him from being able to help the people he cared for regardless.
Haroi tried to push himself up despite knowing it wasn't going to work, and he had to practically hug the wall throughout his entire journey over to the nearby window. He pressed his ear against the steel and listened for any signs of outside attacks, and he heard faraway clamoring from the ground below. The details were impossible to make out because of the distance, but it remained undeniable proof of the current circumstances. He was trapped, and that hadn't miraculously changed in the last few minutes.
"Are you alright, Haroi?"
Biastamon had been recovering slowly but surely since the trio settled down in Rose Morning Star, and by now, he looked undeniably better. His eyes remained exhausted, but his gaze was piercing enough to catch Haroi off guard. The Warrior of Cosmos squirmed for a moment as he tried to come up with a response. When nothing came out, Biastamon explained why he posed the question in the first place. "You're shaking."
Haroi looked down and realized that Biastamon was right. It didn't surprise him at all given the general weakness of his body. He had known what he was doing when he got up and walked to the window, but it still hurt him to have to see just how little his body was cooperating with him. He let out a sigh as he slid down the wall and back into a sitting position on the floor. "I'm tired," he confessed softly. "I'm not used to putting this much pressure on my body... And I feel like I've barely done anything today."
"Everyone has their own limits. You shouldn't punish yourself for something you can't control," Biastamon told him. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard if it's going to hurt you either." He looked pointedly at the window with that, a silent instruction for Haroi to stay put no matter how desperate he was to try and escape the confines of their fortress and prison.
Haroi tilted his head back so he was looking up at the ceiling once again. "I feel bad for being tired though," he murmured. "You were the one who did all the running for us to make it this far in the first place. You put in so much work so we could get to Rose Morning Star, and I... I shouldn't be this tired."
"Every person has their own limits," Biastamon reiterated. "It's not some moral failing of yours if you're tired after everything that happened. I may have been running, but you were fighting. We didn't think this was going to happen, and that made it difficult for us all to face. Nobody blames you for that, especially not me or Mayumi."
"I know," Haroi said even though it took a lot more effort than he wanted to admit to make him believe what he was hearing. He paused for a long moment, allowing his eyes to fall shut. "It's hard. I've always had a complicated relationship with my body, but coming to the Digital World has only made it worse. It's weird for me to say that out loud, but..."
"You should talk about it," Biastamon suggested. He let out a dark laugh when Haroi looked at him in muted concern. "It's not as if we have much else to do but talk right now. Your friends are on the way, but until they arrive, we need some way of passing the time, don't we?"
Haroi hummed humorlessly at that, and Mayumi snorted her agreement under her breath. "I suppose you're right," Haroi agreed. He let out another sigh before continuing. "I don't know how to feel about my body honestly. I thought I had come to terms with being disabled a long time ago. I really did. But... It's so much harder now that the Digital World is involved with it."
Haroi looked down at his hand and found it was still shaking from when he had stood a few moments prior. "My father left when I was young because he didn't know how to handle the fact that I was born disabled. To be more accurate, he hated it. I blamed myself for that for a long time, and I only started to get over that when I came here to the Digital World. I thought I was finally secure with who I was, but... Then I went back."
"That seems to be a theme with all of us, huh?" Mayumi remarked dryly. "We think we're perfectly fine, and then we leave the Digital World. I was so sure I had come to terms with who I was. I thought I was okay with being myself since I finally had more friends. But then... I went back home. Now I can't seem to figure out how to get that confidence back."
"Exactly," Haroi agreed. He let his hand fall back down to his lap. "My body was changed when I came here for the first time. I could walk around freely here thanks to the ways in which my data was reconfigured. When I returned to Earth, all of that changed. I'm in a weird middle ground now where I can do some things but not everything. It's hard. I thought I was finally able to make peace with who I was and what it meant for me, but... Then it changed again. I was so sure it would be the same way forever, but then that didn't happen, and I don't know what to do about it."
"How did you feel before you came to the Digital World?" Biastamon questioned. "I know being here has changed your body a lot more than you expected, but... How was life before all of that?"
Haroi thought about it for a moment before he allowed himself to crack a smile. "I was... Alright with myself," he whispered. "It took a long time for me to get there. I couldn't stop blaming myself for making my father leave even though I knew that was his choice and not mine." He paused, and his voice caught before trying to slip away from him. "I guess it was more a matter of me trying to not acknowledge it. Thinking about it stung since I blamed myself for something out of my control. Then coming here to the Digital World... It's easy to think you're at peace with something when you don't need to deal with it at the time."
Haroi felt as if he had punched himself with those words, but he knew it was true. He had been able to find peace with who he was because he had been given the chance to escape it for a short while. He didn't know how he felt about his disability, but he had faced it when he was able to step away from it for a while. That no doubt influenced the ways in which he looked at it. The details of that were complicated and difficult to put to words, but he knew it was true.
"I don't want to hate myself for this," Haroi confessed next. "It's painful feeling like I'm a burden all the time. It feels like that feeling has followed me forever though. I don't know how to break away from it. In some ways, I hate my disability for everything it's put me through. I've been so isolated from my peers because so many people can't accept me for who I am. At the same time, I know I wouldn't be the person I am today without it. I want to be able to accept it, but... I don't know how to love myself. It feels like all I know is shame for... Existing."
Haroi didn't realize he had started crying until the tears began to slide down his cheeks and onto his shaking hands. He shook his head to try and banish the tears even though he knew it was already too late. "It's a lot to deal with," he finished simply even though that was a drastic understatement. "I don't know how to feel, and I don't know how to fix it either."
Biastamon thought about it for a long time before he offered Haroi a bittersweet but sage smile. "For whatever it's worth, there are people who care about you regardless of what others have claimed about you being a burden. I would never think of you that way, and I know your sister feels the same way," Biastamon started. "I can't say I can help you with making peace with your struggles with having these issues, but I think you should give yourself the chance to just... Feel it. Maybe it'll be ugly. I know it's going to be hard. Sometimes, those are the things that need to be let out the most though."
Haroi nodded. "Yeah... You're right," he agreed. He clenched his fingers into a fist. "I'll think about it more later on, and when I have an answer, I'm going to come to you to talk about it."
"Because we will get out of this," Mayumi finished for him, and Haroi nodded. Technically, they had no confirmation they were going to survive this, but the least they could do for themselves was try to hope that everything would be alright. Hope was all they had when their safe haven had become their prison.
"We'll survive," Biastamon declared as he cast a wayward glance over to the nearby plated window. "No matter what, we'll survive. I swear it."
~~~~~
Saki could sense each of the Legendary Warriors as they arrived in the Digital World. It was a gift they had been granted as Susanoomon when the team first fused to form the Warrior of Heaven all that time ago, and even though they hadn't fought fused together in one body in a long time, Saki could still sense the other members of the party. Their senses were the strongest of the group thanks to their magic being tied to the Digital World on a fundamental level, so the instant anyone from their team traveled between realms, they could sense it.
In other words, Saki could feel it when Takuya, Chihiro, Yumiko, and Hinoka arrived. They were halfway tempted to change course to go and meet up with them, but a quick examination of their current position told Saki they were too far away for that to be practical. With that in mind, they noted it in the back of their head and kept moving towards Rose Morning Star.
Teleportation was, unfortunately, out of the picture when it came to reaching Rose Morning Star faster. Saki wanted to move as quickly as possible, yes, but they also knew their limits. They had been running and fighting for hours now, and if they wanted to have any strength left to fight against Biastamon when they arrived at the castle, they would need to hold off on teleporting for the time being. It was agonizing knowing they wouldn't be able to reach their allies as soon as they would have liked, but they had little other choice in the matter, so they ignored it and tried to push forward.
The other Digimon with them were watching the skyline with worried but determined expressions. They may not have known specifically what was waiting for them at the end of this path, but they were smart enough to know it wasn't going to be anything good. They were on the verge of reaching the mastermind. All they needed to do was keep moving for a little bit longer. Saki wasn't exactly confident in their skills to fight Biastamon and win in a one against one battle, but they didn't need to. For the time being, their main priority was extracting Mayumi and Haroi from Rose Morning Star and then from Biastamon’s grasp. Fighting Biastamon could wait until they had reinforcements. As long as Saki could keep their friends safe, everything would be fine eventually in their mind.
The anxiety in the air was palpable, and Saki wished there was something they could say to ease the fears of their friends. They knew it wasn't going to be that simple though. They were all too worked up thinking about what could happen to Mayumi and Haroi to bother with commentary about their unfortunate circumstances. Saki was desperate to break the silence just for the sake of saying something, but they couldn't find the words no matter how hard they tried to search. They opted to remain quiet for a while longer with this in mind, though they hoped they would be given a reason to speak and think about anything else for even a moment soon.
It didn't take long for their fears to be answered much to their shock and glee. Saki felt something in the Digital World shift, and a bit of internal investigation revealed that the final five members of the Legendary Warriors' team had crossed over into the Digital World. They tried to figure out where the quintet was as soon as the revelation hit them, and their search revealed that the party was close by. In fact, they were in between Saki's group and Rose Morning Star at the moment. It would be easy for them to run right into one another on the way.
"We're close to some of the others," Saki told their companions. "If all goes well, we should be able to meet up with Koji, Tomoki, Izumi, Junpei, and Koichi in a matter of minutes." They pushed the platform of purple energy all of them were standing on to move just a little bit faster for the sake of getting them to their destination faster. It wouldn't make much of a difference, but given how paranoid Saki was at the moment, they knew they had to put in the effort at least. For their own sake and for Mayumi and Haroi, they had to do everything they could.
"Will they be able to find us?" Miriamon questioned above the howling of the wind around them. Saki knew what question she was really asking though: was Saki still putting energy into keeping their presence masked? It didn't take a huge amount of magic to hide themself, and Saki had been doing it all this time for the sake of keeping the gambit against the mastermind alive for a little while longer.
As long as they were meeting up with the other Legendary Warriors though, there was no reason to keep their location hidden. Saki nodded their acknowledgement to Miriamon before closing their eyes. All it took was an internalized flick of a switch for them to stop hiding where they were. As soon as it was finished, Saki pried their eyes open once again to focus on moving forward even still. It was so tempting to just close their eyes and fall asleep for hours upon hours, but they knew that wasn't an option. Regardless of how tired they were getting from running and fighting, they needed to stay alert and on top of things. The safety of their friends was counting on it, and Saki refused to fail them when they needed a savior most.
"Alright," Saki muttered, speaking for the sake of keeping themself alert since they knew it was just a matter of time before they lost focus if they allowed themself to stay quiet. "We're going to meet with Koji's group and keep going to Rose Morning Star. After that... We'll see what happens."
"I hope Mayumi and Haroi are okay," Neemon frowned. He was clinging to Patamon, who nodded from his place in Neemon's grasp.
Saki sighed and narrowed their eyes. "Yeah... Me too."
~~~~~
As it turned out, the power of the Resplendent Evolutions made traveling through the Digital World much easier than Aldamon had ever thought possible.
The difference between his current adventures through the realm and his previous escapades during their first trip to the Digital World was like night and day. It had taken his group weeks to arrive in the Continent of Darkness the first time around, but thanks to the raw power Yumiko and Hinoka commanded, they were easily able to carve a path ahead without any issues. Aldamon was mostly dragged along for the ride since there was little that he could do when compared to the rest of his allies. Alastomon was ridiculously powerful too, and Aldamon couldn't help but be impressed by just how strong everyone around him was. They had come a long way since their first days in the Digital World, and Aldamon could see it.
Unfortunately for all of them though, the constant fighting was starting to take its toll. Even as she carved through every Void Fragment Digimon that dared to cross her, Yumiko's eyes grew weary, and Aldamon knew she was going to need to refuel soon. He had no idea how he was going to help her recover her energy when Resplendent Evolutions in particular seemed to take so much out of the people who used them, but he was still desperate to do something. They wouldn't be able to win against Biastamon if she was exhausted, especially since they didn't know how the others were doing.
Speaking of the others, Aldamon knew they had arrived in the Digital World a short while ago, but he couldn't quite put a finger on the details. They seemed to be moving in the same direction as Aldamon's group, and that was certainly a good sign. Aldamon wanted to try and contact them, but he knew reaching out to speak with them psychically without his D-Tector would just drain his energy more. He couldn't afford to spare any extra energy at this point, especially with how tired the other members of the group were getting. They would just have to keep moving.
"How are you feeling, everyone?" Aeoelmon questioned from their place near the ground. The group had changed positions to give Hinoka a break from using her element constantly when sweat began to bead at her forehead. She needed to conserve her strength, and so, she dropped her tidal wave in favor of a new plan. Yumiko and Hinoka were flying overhead so they had the best view of the upcoming horizon, and Aldamon was a few feet beneath them. Aeoelmon was carrying both themself and Alastomon forward on what looked like a tidal wave of rock that shifted constantly with the changing terrain. Even in their Human Spirit form, Chihiro's affinity with their element was impressive.
"I'm starting to run out of steam," Yumiko confessed as she sent out another blast of plant magic at a nearby Void Fragment Digimon. "But I can't stop. If we stop for even a moment, I'm going to lose my energy entirely. I can rest after we've rescued Mayumi and Haroi."
"I would object to that line of thinking, but I feel the same way," Hinoka confessed. "Fighting in Resplendent form is exhausting. It's a lot of power for a short while, but it's not as sustainable as our Hybrid forms. Unfortunately, just being at the Hybrid level isn't going to cut it when there are so many enemies on the field."
"We're getting closer to Rose Morning Star at least," Alastomon pointed out. Aldamon looked down at his words and realized the grass below was starting to transition into the silt that marked the Continent of Darkness' borders. They were getting closer. Once they arrived in the Continent of Darkness, they would just need to push on for a little while longer. After that, everything would be fine.
Or so Aldamon was telling himself. There had to be at least a little bit of truth to the sentiment though... Right?
"I'm worried about it though," Aeoelmon frowned as they continued to channel their energy into the tidal wave of stone beneath their feet. "Doesn't it bother you just how little resistance we've seen? Every Void Fragment Digimon we've seen has been easily taken care of with just a hit or two. I know Resplendent Evolution is powerful, but this feels like it's a bit... I don't know... Much. You said yourselves that your energy is starting to drain. If that's the case, then how are we getting away with all of this without anyone trying to get in our way?"
Aldamon hesitated at that. He had to admit that Aeoelmon had a point there. It was strange just how little resistance they had seen since arriving in the Digital World. The battle had been far harder when they were still on Earth even though they were closer to the mastermind than ever now that they were on the other side of the barrier. Just what could have caused the shift? Beyond that, what if it meant something bad? Was this some kind of trap meant to lure them into a false sense of security?
"You're selling yourselves short," Alastomon protested. "You were able to dispose of the entire invading force on Earth before coming here. You're incredibly powerful, and you should remember your strength now as well. You've come a long way, and you have the power to prove it. The Void Fragment Digimon folding beneath your power is a natural outcome. Together, you can accomplish anything."
"I guess so," Aeoelmon muttered, though it was clear that they weren't entirely convinced. They said nothing on the matter though, instead just continuing to push forward. They knew as well as anyone else that they couldn't stop for even a moment when there was so much on the line. They needed to reach Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon as soon as possible. The mastermind could have destroyed their friends in the blink of an eye if he so chose, and they needed to stop Biastamon before he could get that far.
Hinoka sent out a blast of water at a Void Fragment Digimon before releasing a thin but heavy sigh. "We're getting closer," she murmured under her breath, though it was impossible to say if she was trying to reassure herself or the rest of the group. "We're almost there. It's almost over."
Aldamon urged himself to fly a little bit faster even though he knew he didn't have the stamina to spare. They had to stop all of this before it could get any worse, and right now, that meant moving. Everything else could wait. Rose Morning Star was once again slated to be the scene of their final battle, and Aldamon was going to give it everything he had.
For the sake of Mayumi and Haroi, he had to be ready.
~~~~~
Junpei felt them immediately.
He held up his hand to stop Izumi and Tomoki's current flight paths, and they followed his lead immediately. "Hold on." Junpei's eyes scanned the skies for a few frantic moments. Saki was close, and they were finally done trying to hide their presence. They had to know other members of the group were nearby. Why they had taken this long to reveal themselves was anyone's guess, but the fact that they were unmasking themself at last was good enough for Junpei at least until he could talk to them.
"They're close," Junpei declared, once again not bothering to elaborate since he knew the others understood what he was saying without needing to go into detail. He started toward the ground a moment later, and the others were quick to follow his lead. Tomoki landed in a crouch, and the platform of ice beneath his feet melted away and faded into the dirt a few moments later, leaving no signs it had existed at all.
Izumi was the last one to touch down, and she glanced around the overhead air with a light frown on her face. "I feel them too. They're close, but where are they?" Izumi murmured. She cupped her hands around her mouth and was on the verge of calling out their name when—
"I'm so glad you're all here."
Junpei's eyes shot open at the sound of Saki's voice, and when he turned to face the source of the noise, he was met with the Warrior of Steel at long last. Miriamon stood to one side of them while the Digimon guides were gathered on their other side. The first thing Junpei noticed about them was their appearance having completely changed, and he knew immediately this was their Resplendent form. He had no idea when that had happened, but he could ask that question later. For the moment, there were much more pressing concerns for him to address. First and foremost—
"Where the hell have you been?" Junpei questioned as he took a step toward them. "You've been missing for days, and you didn't tell any of us where you were going. I thought we were done with this. What have you been hiding, Saki?"
"It's not their fault!" Miriamon suddenly interjected as she stuck one arm out in front of the Warrior of Steel. "This was... A last-minute arrangement." She winced as she spoke the words, and Junpei couldn't help raising an eyebrow in confusion. That seemed like a strange way of phrasing things, and somehow, it only opened more questions than it answered.
"I can explain everything," Saki assured Junpei. "I didn't mean to hide all of this from you guys. It just sort of... Happened that way. It wasn't necessarily my decision. We weren't given much of any other choice given the circumstances."
"It's true," Bokomon chimed in. "The last few days have been a disaster for us too."
"Can you tell us what happened then?" Beowolfmon asked. "Don't skip any details. We've been really worried about you, Saki. The sooner you can fill us in, the better."
Saki nodded. "Of course." They took a careful breath before beginning to explain. "Two nights ago, I was here in the Digital World asleep when I received a distress signal from Miriamon saying something was happening on Rubrum. Countless Void Fragment Digimon were attacking her. I went to her rescue, and we fought them off together. I reached the Resplendent level while the two of us were fighting them off." She eyed Tomoki and Izumi at that. "And I see that I'm not the only one who transformed over course of the last few days."
"We can get into that later," Izumi assured them. "Keep talking."
"The one responsible for the attack was a Human Digimon named Makuramon. He said the massive attack was meant to be an assassination organized by the mastermind, but the plans fell through the instant I showed up," Saki went on. "He got away, but Miriamon and I started coming up with theories. She realized the mastermind had to be one of two people, and after that, we started planning about how to draw them out of hiding."
"I have the ability to sense the magic Lucemon once possessed because of how well I came to know it years ago," Miriamon chimed in. "I told you all that when I shared the story of my brother's life with you. After you left, I shared the same information with Alastomon and Biastamon. The assassination attempt happened that night. I knew the mastermind had to be one of them scrambling to kill me before I exposed them for having the same magic that was left behind when Lucemon died."
"And as soon as we realized that, we started planning," Saki said. "We pretended I had gone missing out of the blue. Bokomon, Neemon, and the other Digimon baited Alastomon and Biastamon into talking with them about me supposedly disappearing while Miriamon and I dug around to figure out which one of them was guilty."
"And the day after we figure it out, there's a massive invasion all across the planet!" Bokomon declared, throwing his arms up in frustration. "The mastermind isn't making this easy on us at all! They know that we know, and this is meant to get rid of us before we can stop them!"
"There are Digimon on Earth too," Tomoki told him. "Well, there were now. We managed to take care of all of them and send them back here. The Digimon were targeting us openly too. They know we're the Legendary Warriors, and they're going to make sure we're taken out of the picture if they see us again."
"If all of this was a gambit to stop the mastermind, then that means you know who's behind all of this," Junpei realized, his eyes going wide as he looked to Saki and Miriamon. "One of the two leading Digimon is a traitor... Which one is it?"
"Biastamon," Saki replied with a heavy frown. "And right now, we need to get to Rose Morning Star as soon as possible. Mayumi and Haroi are there with him as we speak. I was on the way to try and get them out of there when I realized you four were here. Now that we're together, we can set a course in that direction as a team."
"Biastamon is the traitor?!" Tomoki yelped, his features growing pale. "And he's with Mayumi and Haroi right now?!"
"Yes," Miriamon confirmed with a dire nod. "I don't know what's going on with them right now, but we need to reach them as soon as possible. I doubt they'll stand a chance against him in a fight, especially given how many Void Fragment Digimon he has on his side. If he decides to fight them without restraint, then they won't be able to hold out long enough for us to help them. We need to get to them immediately."
"I can't believe Biastamon is the one responsible for all of this..." Izumi murmured as she looked off to the side. "I was so sure he and Alastomon were on our side, but I guess it was all building up to this..."
"I know my message to all of you was vague, but when I said that I didn't want you to speak to or trust anyone, I was thinking about Biastamon specifically," Saki said. "The last thing I wanted was for us to lose this chance to figure out who the mastermind was. We had valuable information in our hands that could have changed everything if used properly, and I couldn't just give that up. It meant keeping a few secrets from you guys, but... I would like to think it was worth it. I can only hope you agree."
"I'm not upset anymore," Junpei assured them since he knew they were mostly trying to earn his forgiveness. They had said they weren't going to keep any secrets after he reached the Resplendent level, and they were desperate to prove themselves after that. Even so, desperate times had called for desperate measures, and Junpei knew that. He wasn't going to judge them for something he knew so confidently was well out of their control. If he had been in their position, he likely would have made a similar dangerous gambit to bait the mastermind out into the open.
"I'm glad to hear that," Saki admitted, and a weight seemed to lift off their shoulders on the spot. They let out a small sigh as they looked to the other members of the group. "Right. Either way, we have to go and find the others. I don't know where they are specifically, but I think they're on the way to Rose Morning Star too."
"I bet so. I mean, our first priority when we came here was to find you specifically, but if they couldn't find you, then they're probably going to turn their attention to Mayumi and Haroi regardless of what they know," Tomoki pointed out. "We can probably count on meeting up with them when we get to the castle."
"Good," Saki nodded. "We should keep moving. I don't think I'll be able to teleport us there without draining too much of my energy, so we'll just have to fly or walk." They snapped to summon their rapier before they drew a circle at the ground. A platform of purple energy rose up from the dirt immediately, and Saki stepped onto it before gesturing for the other members of the group to follow their lead. Miriamon, Tomoki, Koichi, Beowolfmon, and the Digimon gladly joined them as they started to raise the platform into the sky.
"While we're on the way, I think we have a lot to catch up on," Junpei told them. "There have been three Resplendent Evolutions since we were last together, and I need to hear the story behind all of them." He looked pointedly to Izumi and Tomoki at that, and they both nodded.
"You've got a deal," Saki agreed. "I'd like to hear the story too. It'll be a nice way for us to stay entertained while we're getting ready to fight against the mastermind. What better way is there to pass the time?"
Junpei let out a scoff. "I'm glad you can be so optimistic," he muttered. "Now, start talking. What happened the night of the assassination attempt?"
Saki took in a careful breath before forcing it out through gritted teeth. "I was in the Digital World waiting for morning to come when I received a distress signal from Miriamon..."
~~~~~
For the first time since the attack had started, Rose Morning Star was quiet.
Mayumi's throat had long since gone dry from her exhaustion, but she swallowed in the vain hope that it would replenish her energy somehow. Beyond that, it gave her something else to focus on aside from the overwhelming fear coursing through her body. She had gotten used to the ways in which the ground shook and the castle screamed under the weight of the assault from the Void Fragment Digimon outside. It wasn't something she was happy to have to deal with, but she had done her best to numb it out over the last hour or so.
But now, it was gone. Mayumi couldn't say for sure why it had suddenly faded, but she knew it had to mean something was wrong. The palace had been eerily still and quiet for the last few minutes, and the air itself seemed ready to crush Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon under its weight. Mayumi wanted to think this was just the end of the attack, that they were finally out of the woods, but she knew better than to believe in something so simple. If it was that easy, then she and Haroi wouldn't have found themselves in a position like this in the first place.
Mayumi didn't want to be the one to say something weird was going on, but she knew better than to think she would be able to hold it off forever. Instead, she let out a heavy sigh and looked over her shoulder at Haroi and Biastamon. "Do you think it's weird?" she asked. "The Void Fragment Digimon could have just pinned us in and broken through a wall or something, but they haven't been doing that. They've just been standing outside the castle."
"I agree... It's strange," Haroi hummed. "I didn't want to say anything about it in case it wound up making it real, but I guess we're well past the point of hoping all of this is a dream. We know it's real, and we need to find a way to stop it from getting any worse."
"The fact that they haven't come in for the kill yet means they must be planning something," Biastamon frowned. "The mastermind has to be setting us up somehow if we're still in here alive. I fear the outcome will be much worse than any of us could have expected."
Mayumi shivered. "In other words, they were hoping to box us in here without a way out," she realized. "All of this was planned from the start. They were hoping to set us up for something, but we have no idea what that's going to be, so all we can do is just... Sit here and wait."
"It's unfortunate, isn't it?" Biastamon agreed, and Mayumi nodded. "At the very least, the rest of the Legendary Warriors are getting closer. That means we should be able to count on them coming to help us soon. Hopefully, they'll be able to break through the enemy ranks to defeat the Void Fragment Digimon."
Haroi reached for his D-Tector and stared down at the screen before letting out a sigh. "They're getting closer, but it's still going to be a while before they arrive," he announced. "Though something else new happened... Saki has come out of hiding after all this time."
"What?!" Mayumi yelped. She reached for her D-Tector with fumbling hands before checking the radar for herself. Sure enough, a purple signal had appeared on the radar, and it was steadily moving alongside the pink, yellow, white, black, and blue dots. In other words, Saki was with Izumi, Junpei, Koji, Koichi, and Tomoki. Mayumi was glad to see them safe, but at the same time, all they could do at the sight of the purple signal was groan. "They couldn't have come out of hiding when we were looking for them, could they? Of course not. That would have been too easy."
"They must have had a reason for the secrecy," Biastamon pointed out. "Bokomon, Neemon, and the other Digimon made it sound like Saki vanished out of the blue overnight. The message they sent you implies they were planning something by disappearing when they did too. I don't know what they could have had in mind with going this far, but I suppose that question will have to wait until after they get here."
"And they're going to arrive soon enough," Haroi declared. "All we need to do now is wait for them to get here with the rest of the group... But in the meantime, I suppose we can hope the mastermind isn't planning something too gruesome for us. The area outside is too quiet still."
"Do you think you'll be able to Spirit Evolve to fight off the Digimon if push comes to shove?" Mayumi questioned. She didn't know if she was feeling up to it, but she didn't have any other choice in the matter. If she wanted to stay alive, then she would do what she had to. If that meant pushing her body to its limits so she could keep fighting, then she at least owed it to herself to try. She could rest if she got out of this in one piece.
"I don't know," Haroi confessed. "I'm going to try and rest as much as possible while we're here though. I have no idea how much time we're going to have left before they start trying to ram the door in again, and I want to recover as much as I can until then." He glanced over to Biastamon with a frown on his face. "What about you? Do you think you'll be able to fight?"
"If I must, yes," Biastamon nodded. "Digimon naturally recover much faster than humans. Since you're still partially human, that piece of you is holding you back from being able to return to the battlefield as soon as you would have liked. I'm not held back by that restraint. Even though I'm exhausted, I should be able to try at least something if I need to fight."
"It sounds like our best bet is still going to be to wait for the rest of the group to get here and bail us out. We can fight as little as possible so that we can rendezvous with them and leave the rest of the enemy forces to the others," Mayumi announced. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall behind her. "In the meantime... We might as well enjoy the quiet. It's unsettling, but I know it's not going to last."
"We need to be ready," Haroi agreed. "And we will be... One way or another, we will be."
Mayumi hummed. "Yeah... No matter what it takes."
~~~~~
Saki eased themself to the ground when Rose Morning Star arrived on the horizon. They stepped off the platform of purple magic, and Tomoki, Beowolfmon, Koichi, Miriamon, and the rest of the Digimon were quick to follow suit. Izumi and Junpei, meanwhile, landed on the silt nearby. All of them stared up at the palace against the skyline. It was hard to make out any of the details in the distance, but they knew well that there were countless Void Fragment Digimon gathered around the palace. The truth would make itself blatantly clear the closer they got.
"Is there anything anyone wants to say before we charge off to the biggest battle we've seen since we fought Lucemon?" Junpei questioned, his voice grating at the edges with concern he didn't know how to explain in words.
Saki hesitated, preparing to say something, but they were cut off when they felt something inside them shift. A swift glance over their shoulder revealed another group of figures steadily growing closer from behind their party. The rest of the group was quick to turn around when they realized Saki was distracted, and they were met with the sight of none other than—
"Hinoka! Yumiko!" Izumi cried out. Sure enough, the Warriors of Water and Wood were flying through the overhead skies. Aldamon was beneath them but still aloft while Aeoelmon pushed themself forward on a tidal wave of stone and rock. Alastomon stood next to them, but he didn't go so far as to touch them for the sake of extra security. Instead, he stood tall on his own, the distance between himself and Aeoelmon small yet massive.
"Perfect timing," Miriamon sighed with relief. "I feel much better that we're going into this all together instead of split up... Though I imagine they're going to have a few questions for us."
"We can answer them once all of this is over," Junpei pointed out. "Between them and the investigation team, I feel like we should start getting punch cards for explanations we need to make."
"We can print them off later," Beowolfmon assured him. He took a few steps forward, but he quickly discovered he wouldn't need to put much effort into reaching the other members of the group. Instead, the quintet arrived so quickly that even though Saki's party was staying still, the two halves of the group reunited in a matter of moments.
Aeoelmon crouched down with a small frown, and their wave of earth sunk into the ground. They rose to their full height and took a step toward the other Legendary Warriors. "I'm glad you're all here," they admitted. They looked to Saki with a pointed glare. "Even if a certain someone here has been keeping a lot of secrets these last few days."
"It's a long story," Saki said simply since they knew explaining the full details of the assassination attempt would take far too much time and energy in a moment when they could not spare it. "I can tell you after all of this is over. Right now, we need to get in there and help Mayumi and Haroi. They're in trouble."
"We know. Alastomon filled us in on everything that happened," Aldamon assured them. He looked to Saki, Tomoki, and Izumi, taking note all of their new Resplendent forms in between confused blinks. "Though I will say you three having Resplendent Evolutions is new."
"We can explain that later too," Izumi told him. "As long as you know what's going on, we should head for Rose Morning Star. The longer Mayumi and Haroi stay with Biastamon, the more danger they're in. We can't leave them at risk for any longer than we already have."
"Then we march on the castle at once," Beowolfmon declared. He glanced over to Koichi with a small frown. "If you need to stay behind, you can. Nobody's going to hold it against you if you need to—"
Koichi pressed the activation button of his D-Tector, and a moment later, he was surrounded in a thin layer of data. The Fractal Code dispersed and left behind Lowemon in Koichi's place, and he summoned his staff before slamming the base of it against the ground. "I'm not going to stay behind when they need us," Lowemon declared. "If Aeoelmon is going to fight, then so am I."
"Alright," Beowolfmon nodded before glancing over to Miriamon and the Digimon guides. "What about you all? Are you going to stay behind, or are you planning on coming with us too?"
"We're coming," Miriamon said quickly. "I'm not going to let Biastamon get away with all of this. I don't know what he did to deceive so many people, but I... I'm not going to stand for it. The mastermind tried to have me killed, and I can't just stand by knowing that. I'm helping you. Besides..." She glanced around her feet at the Digimon guides. "I doubt they would like to be left behind while you were taking care of one of your largest battles yet."
"That solves that then," Beowolfmon muttered. He looked back to Rose Morning Star with a light scoff. "We're once again planning a rescue mission in Rose Morning Star... I just hope this rescue ends better than last time."
"Don't talk like we're going to fail. We're going to fix this. We have to," Yumiko declared. She rose into the air a moment later, her eyes locked on the castle in the distance. "Come on. Mayumi and Haroi are waiting for us."
That was all it took for the Legendary Warriors to charge off toward Rose Morning Star, flying and running through the silt like their lives depended on it. In many ways, that was true. Their job was to cleave through the remaining Void Fragment Digimon, reach Mayumi and Haroi, and defeat Biastamon. It was far easier said than done, but they needed to try for the sake of the people waiting for them at the end of this long, trying journey.
There were at least a hundred Void Fragment Digimon waiting for them outside the castle, but it didn't take long for the group to carve a path through them. In fact, it was almost laughably easy for the combined might of the Resplendent Warriors to push forward and win the poor excuse of a battle. Saki took out around ten Digimon in a matter of seconds, and none of them even put up a fight. In fact, none of the Void Fragment Digimon were putting up a fight. They were just standing there waiting to be purified when they were hit hard enough. To say it was odd would have been an understatement, but Saki refused to give it too much thought. The sooner they could push through the Void Fragment Digimon, the sooner they would reach Mayumi and Haroi.
Saki stood in front of the massive doors at the front of the palace with a frown on their face. Steel plates had slid down to bar off all the doors and windows from the outside world, and Saki wondered if it was a trap Biastamon had sprung for the sake of trapping Mayumi and Haroi inside. Either way, they pushed the thought aside and pressed their hands against the metal. The steel pinched and distorted as they clenched their fingers into twin fists. Saki pushed their hands down in the direction of the ground, and the metal plate fell along with their movements before clattering to the ground. Saki cast the metal aside with another flick of their wrist before starting into the entryway of the castle. "Come on, everyone!"
The Legendary Warriors dashed through the winding halls of Rose Morning Star and darted toward the staircase. It would be faster to go up that way given how many of them there were. They wouldn't all be able to fit in the elevator, so dashing up the stairs would have to do instead. Biastamon was waiting for them on the top floor, so while it wouldn't be an easy journey, it would be an important one.
For Mayumi and Haroi, they had to push on.
~~~~~
As soon as the noise outside the castle returned, Mayumi and Haroi jumped to their feet. Mayumi instinctively went to the window, preparing to look out at what was happening on the ground below, but the metal plate in the way kept her from seeing the world outside. Instead, she reached for her D-Tector and stared at the radar. Her eyes went wide on the spot.
"They're here!" Mayumi cried out. "Everyone else is fighting through the Void Fragment Digimon, and they're going to be here soon!"
"I don't think I've ever been so relieved in my life!" Haroi confessed. He reached for his own D-Tector before sliding through the settings until he reached the screen that would let him Spirit Evolve to become Siriusmon. "We should prepare for their arrival. There could be other Digimon we need to fight, especially if they try to follow the others up here."
Mayumi nodded, and both she and Haroi transformed a moment later. They were replaced with Aethermon and Siriusmon respectively. Aethermon let out a sigh as she popped her knuckles and stretched her neck. "I don't think I've ever been so ready for a fight in my life," she confessed. "It's not going to be easy, but I know it's the best things are going to get right now. I'm willing to take that."
Biastamon pushed himself off the ground and nodded. "I hope they've found a path for us to escape through," he said softly. "I've recovered enough to fight if that's what it comes to, but I don't think it will be fun for any of us."
"I'm past the point of finding fighting fun," Aethermon muttered. "But we can at least meet up with the others and get out of here. Once they get up here, we can hit the road."
As if on cue, the door to the room burst open. Saki stood at the front of the party, Miriamon and Alastomon behind her on either side. They were breathing heavily but trying to hide it. No one could say how long they had been fighting and running for, but the battle was starting to take its toll on their bodies, and everyone could see that easily.
Saki stalked into the room, their rapier in one hand as they examined everyone in the room. Biastamon just so happened to be the closest one to the door with Aethermon and Siriusmon positioned behind him. As soon as Saki noticed this, they raised their blade and pointed it at Biastamon, their eyes narrowing. "Step away from them at once."
The tension in the room was thick enough to be cut with their blade, and everything fell silent. Biastamon's gaze flickered nervously between Saki and the rapier in their hand. "What are you talking about?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice level in the face of their unspoken threat.
"We know the truth," Saki told him, their glare only gaining more intensity as the seconds passed by. "For a long time, we've searched for the one behind the recent calamity sweeping through the Digital World, but we've figured everything out now. You sent a group of assassins to Rubrum to kill Miriamon as soon as you realized she could destroy your plans. All this time, you've been responsible for the Void Fragment attacks. You're the mastermind, Biastamon."
Aethermon and Siriusmon's eyes went wide as their jaws dropped. "You... You can't be serious..." Siriusmon murmured as he glanced over to Biastamon. "How can you be so sure, Saki? It doesn't... I don't..."
"Miriamon and I found documentation of it in his room at the Crystal Citadel," Saki told Siriusmon simply. "He was in contact with people who were aiming to kill all of us. If I had to guess, I would say the recent attack on Earth was his doing as well. He wanted to get rid of all of us by any means necessary, and if that meant murder and mass invasion, that was a price he was willing to pay."
"But we've been with him all day!" Aethermon cried out, her voice cracking with bewildered grief. "How could he have planned all of this while Haroi and I were with him? Why would he order an attack that left us all trapped in here?"
"He was trying to kill you," Alastomon replied. "He wants to get rid of all you. The Legendary Warriors are a threat to his plans, and he decided to strike today to eliminate each of you. After all, Saki figured out the truth behind his plans, and he couldn't have that."
Biastamon's body went stiff, and he lowered himself to the ground in a defensive stance. "I don't know what you think you know, but you're wrong," he said quietly. "I have done nothing to hurt anybody. I didn't order anyone's death, and I didn't plan this invasion either. I'm not the mastermind."
"We know the truth, Biastamon," Alastomon insisted. "You can either deny it and make this harder for yourself, or you can come with us quietly. The decision is yours to make. Either way, this won't be easy for you. I hope you understand that."
Biastamon shook his head, and his tail flicked back and forth dangerously behind him. "I have done nothing wrong," he repeated. "I would never order harm to be done against the Legendary Warriors. Whatever it is you've uncovered, it must be wrong. This is all part of a ploy to frame me for the recent Void Fragment attacks."
"I don't understand..." Aethermon murmured as she looked back and forth between Alastomon and Biastamon. "We should talk about this before we jump to any conclusions. Siriusmon and I were with him this entire time, and he didn't attack us once. If he was going to try and kill us, then he would have done it ages ago when he had us trapped or surrounded. There has to be something else wrong that has you thinking he's—"
"We already know he's responsible," Alastomon corrected her, his voice dripping with malice. "And if he refuses to come quietly, then we'll simply have to take him by force. The Digital World has suffered greatly because of his crimes, and I won't give him a chance to escape after everything he's done."
"Don't do this," Biastamon pleaded. "I don't want to fight with any of you. If I was the mastermind, then I would have already attacked Mayumi and Haroi. I did nothing of the sort though. I'm not the one behind this."
"Save your breath," Alastomon instructed. "If you refuse to tell the truth, then you'll be getting a fight. Just remember that you asked for this when you feel the sting of our strength later."
Biastamon bowed his head and shook his head. "I never wanted this... But if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you're going to get. I had hoped we would be comrades to the end, Alastomon... But it seems I was wrong. So long as it has come to blows, I won't hold back."
Alastomon let out a scoff of a laugh as his hand crackled with energy waiting to be released. "It's a shame that won't be enough to win this fight. It all ends here and now."
Notes:
And here's our last chapter of buildup before the true finale of this mini-arc and of act three as a whole!
There's a lot to cover here, so I'm going to jump right into it. The opening scene speaks for itself for the most part with Junpei and company starting to search for Saki. They're a bit late to the Digital World party, but they're not going to let that stop them. Junpei's low key irritation throughout this conversation is a small but important detail in my opinion. He thought Saki was over keeping secrets after his Resplendent Evolution, and the idea that he was wrong about that grates on him a lot. Of course, he talks it all out later, but at first... Yeah, it's certainly frustrating for him.
Next, we have the scene of Haroi talking with Biastamon in Rose Morning Star. Haroi is a bit quieter about his issues than Mayumi, but he still has issues to deal with, and he needed to talk about it at some point. Much like with Mayumi, there's no clear answer or solution to all of this, but he's still trying to get better. It'll take time, but Haroi wants to find a way to not feel ashamed of himself. Biastamon is the perfect person to help the two of them through their identity crises, and I really do love their dynamic even if it brings them into a castle surrounded by attacking Digimon.
The next scene was something of a last-minute addition, I will admit. I realized it had been a while since we saw or heard anything from Saki, so I decided to give them a bit of time to shine before we moved on with the rest of the plot. It's a small scene, but I think it flows in nicely with the next time they appear, especially since we haven't seen them in a while.
Next up, we have the scene with Aldamon, Aeoelmon, Yumiko, Hinoka, and Alastomon. There are a lot of tiny details that make this scene important, but unfortunately, I cannot discuss any of them at this time. Everyone is starting to hit the wall in terms of energy after all the fighting they've had to do though, and that's not good. They still need to face off against the mastermind after all of this, and they're losing their strength. They're not in a great position right now, to say the least. As a side note, Aeoelmon got to talk with Alastomon. There's another dynamic that hasn't been explored before, and even if it's a small thing, I like that i was able to include it. Aeoelmon deserves a little conversation about something that isn't about their paranoia-induced mental breakdown.
At long last, we have a reunion between Saki and other members of the Legendary Warriors team! They've got a lot to catch up on, but they were at least able to get out what they needed to tell each other for the time being. Junpei's worry about Saki's secrecy comes back in full here, though he backs off when he realizes they weren't trying to hide anything for the sake of malice or breaking trust. It's a nice bit of characterization for them both, and Miriamon gets to show how close she and Saki have gotten by coming to their defense. This arc has done a lot for everyone's character growth, and I love it. This piece in particular is just... Chef's kiss. It's great.
The next scene is another bit of foreshadowing with Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon. The castle is growing quiet as the Digimon outside begin to hold back. None of them have a good feeling about it though. It's more build up for the ending, and it's a lot to take in. Mayumi and Haroi deserve a break.
And then we have the final scene before the ending confrontation. The Legendary Warriors are back together, and even though they still have a lot to explain to one another, they know what needs to be done. It's funny how the ten Legendary Warriors from the elements of canon are here to carry out a mission together without Mayumi and Haroi. That hasn't happened since Evergreen Dawn, and back then, half of them were possessed. Wow. Everyone is determined to win this battle though, and even Koichi, who has been avoiding Spirit Evolving for ages, decides to join the fight. The final confrontation is coming...
And it arrives in the form of the group facing off against Biastamon. There are a lot of tiny details about this scene that will only make sense after next week's chapter, so for now, you'll just have to trust me when I say everything here is intentional. Alastomon is the most intense of the group's members when it comes to pushing back against Biastamon, and in the end, it's Biastamon's current political parallel who starts the final battle against him. Fate is a cruel thing, isn't it?
Next week, we're going to pick up right where we left off, and it's going to be great. You're not ready for it, and neither am I. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 43: Stab True to the Heart
Summary:
A battle for the fate of the Digital World rages outside Rose Morning Star.
Chapter Text
Alastomon punched at the air with a fist surrounded by energy, and a comet of magic streaked toward Biastamon at breakneck speeds. The leader of the Beast Digimon managed to jump out of the way at the last second, but he wasn't ready for a follow-up attack from Saki that came in the form of a purple laser directed right at his feet. Biastamon glanced around desperately, already seeing that he wasn't going to be able to win this fight as things currently stood. There were too many enemies on the field, and the space around him was too small for him to even come close to victory. He had to escape.
Biastamon closed his eyes and concentrated his energy into his forehead, creating a curve of energy that pushed him forward like a comet. Biastamon darted in between the Legendary Warriors and Alastomon to the window just behind them, shattering steel and glass alike in a massive rain of debris sending shards to the ground outside and inside the room. Cries of shock and pain rose into the air to fill the silence left behind by Biastamon's escape.
Alastomon raised his arms to try and block the attack, but he only made it so far, and the glass slashed at the skin exposed by his armor. He snarled under his breath before turning to the window. "We need to follow him!" he declared. Without even waiting for the responses of the Legendary Warriors, Alastomon hurled himself through the window after Biastamon, punching at the ground to speed his descent. The earth trembled from the force when he hit the ground, and Biastamon stumbled slightly before managing to regain his balance by clenching his claws into the dirt. Desperation was written all over his face, but he refused to yield in the face of the battle.
"I had been hoping it would never come to this, you know," Alastomon remarked. "I was under the impression we were working together for the sake of making the Digital World a better place, and yet, you still gladly stabbed everyone in the back the instant you thought you wouldn't be strong enough to rule this world on your own. I was wrong to place any faith in you at all, and I see the severity of that misplaced trust now."
"I did nothing to harm you or anyone else," Biastamon insisted. "Why in the world would I do something like that? The Beast Digimon were in a poor enough position even without me theoretically deciding I wanted to destroy the Digital World. What reason would I have to lash out in a way that would only make us seem worse than we were? Why would I possess only Beast Digimon with the Void Fragments if I knew that would make the Human Digimon hate us even more than they already did?"
"You can save your excuses for another time," Alastomon interrupted, holding up a hand to silence him. All Biastamon did was glare up at him. "You had the chance to back down, and you chose to destroy everything and everyone in your path for the sake of claiming power for yourself. That is a sin that cannot be forgiven no matter how desperately you ask for it."
Nearby, the rest of the Legendary Warriors eased themselves to the ground outside Rose Morning Star as well, though none of them interrupted the conversation taking place between Alastomon and Biastamon. The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a blade, but no one even dared to move to destroy it. Biastamon was deathly calm, watching Alastomon carefully like he thought even one word out of line would end in his demise. In many ways, that wasn't far off from the truth, but neither one of them allowed themselves to admit it out loud. Speaking the truth felt like a curse they would never be able to escape from once it had been released into the world for the first and final time.
"I ask you to think about this," Biastamon insisted. "For what reason would I go so far as to do all of this? Why would I intentionally destroy the reputation of the people I've fought for throughout my lifetime? The war against Cherubimon did enough to stir up hatred against us, and this would have been the final nail in the coffin. I know better than to invite genocide upon myself because of greed... Though I have to wonder if perhaps you ever learned that lesson. All you have ever done is goad others into believing the Beast Digimon were in the wrong."
"Are you accusing me of something there, Biastamon?" Alastomon questioned. He let out a haughty laugh at the mere implication, and energy began to crackle across his fists once again. "If I recall correctly, I was not the one who decided to destroy the Digital World for the sake of claiming power over it. You were the one who decided the Legendary Warriors had to die. You have no right to lecture me about anything. If you wanted that right, then you should have made better choices leading up to this moment."
Biastamon glanced around the area with a thin hiss before he shook his head. "There's no way I'll be able to convince you of the truth, and I see that," he murmured. "I wish you hadn't already made up your mind about the truth of the situation before all of this began. If you had proceeded with a bit more caution, then perhaps it wouldn't have come to this... Perhaps it wouldn't have ended with combat rather than peace."
"It was destined to end in combat the instant you decided to spark all of this in the first place," Alastomon scoffed. "I've had enough of listening to your excuses. You made your decision, and you must live with it now. I'll ensure you know nothing short of hell for everything you've done, and I know the Legendary Warriors all agree. Make your peace with this world at once... You won't have much of a place left in it once we're done with you."
Alastomon punched at the air once again at that, and a comet soared toward Biastamon before striking the ground at the Beast Digimon's feet. Biastamon nimbly jumped out of the way, his tail flicking desperately for the sake of keeping him balanced. He closed his eyes once he had managed to avoid another two strikes from Alastomon, and energy concentrated itself into his forehead. A powerful laser tore through the air toward Alastomon, and the Human Digimon swerved out of the last moment. However, the blast still clipped his shoulder, prompting him to hiss in pain and irritation. He glared at Biastamon and moved to create yet another blast of magic to force his opponent back.
Biastamon knew he wouldn't be able to win this fight if it was a matter of raw strength given how exhausted he was and how many foes he would need to contend with, so for the time being, his best method was to simply exhaust them. Alastomon and the Legendary Warriors were every bit as exhausted as he was after the many battles they had fought in order to make it this far, and that was something Biastamon could take advantage of so long as he played to his strengths. Biastamon jumped out of the way of Alastomon's next few strikes, and he continued to avoid darts of fire and light from Aldamon and Beowolfmon respectively. However, Biastamon wasn't prepared for the earth to shift beneath his feet. Stones came up to swallow his legs, keeping him anchored to the spot for a few seconds. Biastamon gasped in shock as he glanced down at his restrained feet, though his attention soon turned in Aeoelmon's direction instead.
The Warrior of Earth had been responsible for the sudden restrictions just as Biastamon had expected, though they were straining to try and keep him in one spot. Since they couldn't Spirit Evolve any higher than their Human form, they were severely limited in terms of options and power. Their element was willing to listen to their command, yes, but they could only do so much with it. Sweat was already starting to bead across their temples from the strain of keeping Biastamon in one spot for just a few seconds.
In other words, Biastamon knew escape would be an incredibly easy feet, so he did his best to find solid ground even absorbed in the earth as he was, and he kicked into the air with all the force he could muster. Aeoelmon hissed in pain as if the rocks seeing pushback had hurt them physically, and they staggered backward by a few feet. Biastamon jumped toward them and landed a few inches in front of them. Aeoelmon's eyes went wide just before Biastamon pawed at them, sending them sliding backwards across the ground. The blow hadn't hit particularly hard, but it was still enough to disorient them and leave them out of the heat of the battle for a few moments.
"You're a coward," Alastomon snarled. "You attacked a Human Spirit knowing they wouldn't be able to push back against you? You're pathetic, Biastamon."
"I don't want to hurt any of you, but you're not giving me much of a choice," Biastamon countered. "I don't want to just roll over and die either, and so, I will fight as much as I have to, but I will not push this more than I need to. I don't want to fight any of you, and if you would just listen to me for a few moments, then you would understand that I—"
Alastomon sent another blast of energy in Biastamon's direction, and the Human Digimon scoffed. "There's your answer," Alastomon said scornfully. He earned a snarl from Biastamon in response, and the Beast Digimon lunged for him with his fangs bared. He had never opened his mouth enough to show off his sharpened teeth until then, but it was a sight none of the Legendary Warriors would soon forget now that they had glimpsed it once.
Biastamon didn't miss a beat in biting down against Alastomon's armor, and the Human Digimon tried to shake him off but to no avail. It wasn't until Alastomon managed to get a powerful punch in on Biastamon's stomach that the Beast Digimon finally released his grip. Biastamon twisted his body while he was in the air so that he landed on all fours, kicking up silt as he slid backwards through the sand. Biastamon's glare was clear as could be, and his gaze primarily remained trained on Alastomon.
"You did something, didn't you?" Biastamon muttered under his breath. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Alastomon, but I've had enough of it. You're trying to make the Legendary Warriors betray me. I don't know what lies you told them, but I want you to be honest with me. What in the world have you—"
"Alastomon told us nothing," Saki interrupted. They drew a circle in the air with the tip of their rapier, and purple energy surged forward from the orb. Small threads of magic streaked toward Biastamon, and the Beast Digimon darted in every direction he could to avoid the attacks. He wasn't able to escape all of them, but he was able to minimize the damage at the very least, and that had to count for something. "We found out about the truth on our own terms because of the letters that showed correspondence between you and an assassin sent to kill Miriamon a few days ago."
Junpei stepped forward and aimed a punch at the ground. He stayed in a crouching position as yellow electricity darted around him before streaking toward Biastamon. The Beast Digimon tried to escape, but he couldn't quite avoid the onslaught in time. A few thin tendrils of lightning wrapped around his front legs, keeping him anchored to the spot whether he wanted to be there or not. Biastamon let out an angry cry of pain as he thrashed against the lightning, but he was never quite able to find the purchase he needed to escape. Once again, he was trapped.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Biastamon insisted, his voice edging on desperation. "What letters are you referring to? I don't send letters at all. If I need to communicate with someone, I make sure to do it in person without any potential obstacles."
"We found letters in your room though," Miriamon pointed out with a small frown. "You were supposedly communicating with the people who were sent to try and kill me on Rubrum. That was what started all of this. it could have only been you or Alastomon, and you were the one with the letters in your room."
"I don't know what you think you found, but it's not real," Biastamon countered. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. I didn't even know about the assassination attempt until you told me about it a few minutes ago. If I really knew the truth, then I would have done a better job of hiding it."
"It doesn't make any sense... Why in the world would you do something like this?" Aethermon questioned as she took a step closer to Biastamon. She reached out one hand toward him, but she refused to touch him, pulling back at the last moment with a guilty frown on her face and fear in her eyes.
"We never thought you would go this far," Siriusmon agreed. "You protected us from the attack when danger came to us here in the Digital World. You wanted to do what you could to help us find Saki when we said something was wrong. I don't... I don't understand. Why would you go this far?"
"I wouldn't do this," Biastamon reiterated. "If I was trying to build an army, I wouldn't have done it this clumsily. I'm not trying to say that I am building an army, but I want you all to think about it from my perspective. Doesn't it all just feel a little bit too convenient? Doesn't it feel like there's something more going on here that you aren't seeing?"
"Only Beast Digimon have been possessed by the Void Fragments before now," Izumi frowned. "If you were trying to hide your identity as the mastermind, then you wouldn't have done something so on the nose. When you take a step back, it feels so painfully obvious that something is wrong."
"Exactly!" Biastamon agreed. "Why in the world would I need to possess them to begin with? The Beast Digimon are loyal to me. If I needed their help, then I wouldn't have needed to possess them in order to make them do it. Having all of the possession victims be Beast Digimon only makes me seem like the top suspect. It happened with Inaie too."
"You're close with Inaie's leaders though," Alastomon snarled. "You would have been able to plan an attack with them, and none of us would have been at all the wiser. You knew what you were doing when you went into this, and you're angry you got caught more than anything. You knew it would end this way, but you're upset we found out the truth."
"We already established Inaie's innocence in all of this," Yumiko interrupted as she took a step forward. "We already knew Inaie wasn't responsible for the attacks. The people of the island could have been destroyed when the massive invasion took place at the end of our investigation. They wouldn't have had any reason to invite chaos onto themselves like that for the sake of proving their innocence. We thought Inaie was involved, but closer investigation told us that was wrong."
"Possessing Beast Digimon has only increased distaste towards me and the rest of my people all across the planet," Biastamon went on. "Human Digimon have seen their villages attacked, and they've come to hate Beast Digimon as a result. I want to help my people, and if I possessed them for the sake of using them as scapegoats, that would only hurt them. The public perception of Beast Digimon has already changed after the war against Cherubimon, and I didn't want to make that worse. If I was trying to destroy the reputation of the people I lead, then there would have been other ways to do it. All of this just feels like a massive setup for the sake of making me seem like the culprit."
"You talk pretty, don't you?" Alastomon scoffed. "Though I suppose that's how you were able to rise through the ranks of Inaie all those years ago. You knew that you could manipulate the people around you if you told them what they wanted to hear, and that was all it took. Now, you're responsible for the suffering of so many people, and you barely care at all. It's impressive just how easily you were able to change... But if I had to guess, I would say that you were always this hungry for power. You just did a good job of hiding it until the instant you had no other choice but to reveal the truth."
Biastamon looked up at Alastomon at that, and rage filled his eyes as the seconds passed by. He seemed to see something in Alastomon's gaze that none of the Legendary Warriors did, and by the time the tense silence had drawn to a close, there was a new hatred burning behind Biastamon's irises. "You... You monster!" he shrieked with rage. "Everything that's happened has all been because of—"
"You just love to sling accusations around the instant you feel things aren't going your way, don't you?" Alastomon shot back. He shook his head and let out a dark laugh as his body began to burn with flames desperate to be released in his rival's direction. "You think that accusing me of being responsible for all of this will stop this battle from ending with your humiliating defeat? You have no evidence... Meanwhile, the rest of us know the truth of your actions. You've been preparing for this war for months if not years now, and this was just the time you chose to strike. How much lower can you sink?"
Alastomon didn't get the chance to taunt Biastamon much more than that though as the leader of the Beast Digimon let out a fierce roar and kicked off the ground, shattering the confines of electricity keeping him locked in place. Biastamon's gaze was filled with a new rage, and the sole target of his hatred was Alastomon. It was as if the Legendary Warriors and their Digimon guides had vanished. All that mattered to him at this point was tearing Alastomon's throat out and treating it like a trophy once the battle had ended.
Alastomon concentrated as much energy as he could into his forearm to deflect the oncoming attack, and when Biastamon's fangs clamped down on his armor, Alastomon barely seemed to feel it at all. Instead, he just smirked at his opponent. "Upset, are we?" he questioned softly. "Are you worried because you were finally caught? You won't be able to escape this now... Though I suppose you knew that when this began."
Biastamon concentrated his energy into his forehead once again, and a thin blast of magic slammed straight into Alastomon's chest. A burn mark was left behind in the wake of the attack, and Biastamon kicked backwards off Alastomon's body to land on all fours nearby. "You have no right to speak!" Biastamon roared. "After everything you've done, you should be relieved to simply be alive right now! I'll be certain to fix that before the sun sets today though! I should have known this was how it was going to end!"
Aethermon stared at Alastomon and Biastamon with wide eyes as the leaders of the Human and Beast Digimon lunged at one another, both readying their strongest attacks in a desperate bid to bring the other to their knees. Even though Biastamon had been weakened by the journey to Rose Morning Star, he refused to yield anything, and hatred burned bright and strong in his eyes. Aethermon had never seen him this upset, and her heart screamed in her chest at the realization. So much had changed in so little time, and she didn't know what to do about it.
Before she realized what was happening, Aethermon had started to shake, and her arms wrapped around her torso in a desperate bid to stabilize her trembling. That could only do so much though, and Aethermon knew she wasn't going to be able to find salvation quite so easily. She had been so sure she could trust Biastamon after everything that had happened that day, but Saki said—
And Alastomon had said—
But Biastamon had disagreed, and—
"Aethermon, are you okay?"
Aldamon's voice hit her ears like a punch to the stomach, and Aethermon glanced up to see the Warrior of Fire standing nearby. He was looking down at her with worry in his eyes, standing in between her and the battle for the sake of shielding her from it. Neither Alastomon nor Biastamon was targeting her directly, but the mere fact that she was there in the first place was already a massive weight on her psyche. Her bond with Biastamon was coloring her outlook on the fight in a far darker way than she could have ever imagined. Every single one of them knew it whether they knew what to do about it or not.
"I... I don't understand," Aethermon murmured under her breath. "I-I was so sure that we were all g-going to help the Digital World together, but Biastamon... I-If he really wanted to do anything to hurt us, then he would have attacked me and Siriusmon when we were with him in Rose Morning Star. We were alone with him for hours, but he never did anything. Y-You would have expected him to at least try something if he wanted us gone, but... He never did..."
Aldamon glanced over his shoulder at the nearby battle, and he snarled under his breath at the sight of the growing intensity between Alastomon and Biastamon. He seemed like he wanted to intervene in the fight and try to do something to help out one of the two Digimon leaders, but he ultimately came up with no ideas, prompting him to let out a heavy sigh of exhaustion instead. Aldamon turned back to Aethermon a moment later, worry written all over his face. "The letters Saki found said—"
"Biastamon said he doesn't write letters though," Aethermon countered. "We already heard that. Besides, we saw it ourselves too. Did he ever write a letter to anyone after we met him? We heard of him going to Inaie to talk to Darcmon in the past, but he always wanted to see her in person. Besides, if he was really responsible for this, why would he leave a paper trail? It doesn't make any sense."
"He could have been lying," Aeoelmon remarked. They had recovered since the earlier hit they had taken from Biastamon, and they approached Aldamon and Aethermon as they rubbed at their arm with a frown on their face. "For all we know, that could have been a story to cover up what was really going on."
"How do we know Alastomon isn't the one lying though?" Siriusmon countered. "Again, if Biastamon was trying to do something to hurt me or Aethermon, then he would have done it when we were alone and had no reinforcements. In fact, it would have been incredibly easy for him to get rid of us without anyone there to fight against him. He didn't even think about it though. The fact that we're still alive is proof of that."
"One of them has to be the traitor we've been searching for since all of this started... But who could it be?" Miriamon murmured. "I-I was so certain it was Biastamon before all of this happened today, but now..."
"You were never sure," Saki corrected her. "I was the one sure of it. You thought it was somewhat strange, but you stopped asking questions when you realized the mastermind was trying to track us down and have us killed. Anyone would want to stop asking about it after that, but I know there was more to it on your end."
Miriamon took in a careful breath before she pushed it out as a sigh. "If I'm being honest, I found it strange because I still think there's something odd going on here... Biastamon is right about a lot of the things he said. Why in the world would he want to try and cause so many problems for us? Him trying to possess all those Beast Digimon would only reflect poorly on him and the rest of his people. We’ve seen how much the people under his leadership adore him. Everyone on Inaie had glowing praise for him too. If he said this was the best course of action, then they would have believed him without a second thought."
"It doesn't make any sense!" Aethermon exclaimed. "Alastomon's explanation doesn't work at all if you think about it critically! There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, and I'm sure of it. I don't know if that means Alastomon is the one behind it, but I need you all to look at the facts. He's the one pushing for us to fight against Biastamon, isn't he? If he hadn't been here to egg us on, then you wouldn't have all had a reason to fight him in the first place. You know what that means in this context, right?"
"One of the two is a traitor. We know that with certainty. The attempted assassination of Miriamon on Rubrum makes that much clear," Junpei frowned. "They both seem to have fingers to point at each other, but there's evidence for and against them both... Though I believe Aethermon and Siriusmon are right when they say something is odd here since they weren't targeted while they were cornered and alone. That would have been the perfect time for Biastamon to take them both out of the picture, but that's not what he did. Instead, he kept them safe long enough to bring them here and so the rest of us could get here to help."
"Killing us wouldn't have made much of a difference if he was trying to lure the rest of you into a trap. If anything, it would have been better for him to just get rid of us before the rest of you could arrive to save us," Siriusmon chimed in. "The fact of the matter is that he wouldn't have a reason to behave the way he did. He wouldn't have had a reason to possess so many Digimon, especially those that would only reflect poorly on him. Human Digimon have been the ones suffering from the majority of the wreckage while Beast Digimon have been being possessed."
"If this is really some elaborate effort to frame Biastamon, then Alastomon was the one responsible for it," Aldamon murmured, though if he was being honest, he had no idea what to think of it. He glanced back to the fight nearby. Alastomon had pushed Biastamon backwards, and the Beast Digimon slid through the silt before concentrating his energy into the heart of his forehead. He released a blast of energy as soon as he was grounded once again, and Alastomon narrowly avoided it by stepping out of the way. The rage in Biastamon's eyes was impossible to express in words. He despised Alastomon in a way that no one could ever hope to comprehend, and to say that it caught Aldamon off guard was a grave understatement.
Alastomon snarled as he glanced over to the Legendary Warriors. Even though they had been trying to speak quietly so as to not attract too much attention from the nearby fighting Digimon, Alastomon had still heard them, and he wasn't satisfied in the slightest with what he was hearing. He barely managed to keep his composure as he whirled to face them in the few seconds of peace he had until Biastamon arrived on top of him to try and strike him down again. "You heard what I said, didn't you?!" he cried out. "Biastamon was the one who ordered the attack against Miriamon! He was trying to silence her before she could figure out that he was reaching out to the power of Lucemon! She found the letters in his room that proved he was trying to have her killed! How in the world can you object to that?!"
Biastamon was quick to lunge at Alastomon while he was distracted, biting down on the Human Digimon's arm and kicking with his back legs. Alastomon slid through the silt with his arms braced up over his head as Biastamon landed roughly with a fire burning in his eyes all the while. A streak of energy appeared across Biastamon's back before it launched itself at Alastomon. The Human Digimon summoned a sword of light to try and slice through the phantom, but he didn't make it far before he was once again sent sliding through the dust of the Continent of Darkness. The phantom only stopped its relentless assault when Biastamon decided to redouble his efforts to strike at Alastomon himself. A matter of seconds later, the two were back to flashing steel at one another as quickly as they could, desperate to keep the other at bay regardless of how evenly matched they were.
"The letters are the main reason we thought Biastamon was responsible for this in the first place," Izumi remarked. "And he has a point when he says that it's possible that they were forgeries. If that's the case, then that would make Alastomon the one responsible for all of this."
"Alastomon led us here to begin with," Aeoelmon frowned. "Maybe this was all part of his plan... He could have decided he wanted to get rid of Biastamon by setting us against him. After all, if we were sure he was putting Mayumi and Haroi in danger, then we would have come running. Hell, that's exactly what happened. If this was a setup, then it was all trying to make sure we fought against Biastamon instead of him."
"Tensions between Human and Beast Digimon have been high ever since the end of the war. We've seen that firsthand through our investigations into the Void Fragments," Beowolfmon remarked. "It's not impossible to believe that one of them would have tried to get rid of the other... And right now, it feels a lot like Biastamon was the target while Alastomon was the one holding the knife."
"You know, when I first reached the Resplendent level, I went to the Crystal Citadel because of rumors that there was an assassination attempt taking place there," Junpei frowned. "In fact, that was exactly what I ran into. There were tons of Void Fragment Digimon trying to break in to get rid of Alastomon and Biastamon... Or, at the very least, that was what I thought at the time. Now, I have to wonder just how true that assumption really was."
"If I had to guess, I would say the mastermind was fishing to have the Void Fragment attackers kill the other Digimon while they could be cited as a miraculous survivor to the ambush," Lowemon suggested. "After that, they would be able to take full control of the Digital World. The power vacuum left behind by the Celestial Three is massive, and I know there would be many people out there selfish enough to try and fill that gap even if it meant resorting to murder."
"It's difficult to know for sure who to trust right now though," Beowolfmon murmured. "I want to think that we'll respond correctly if we pick to fight alongside Biastamon, but we won't know for sure until it's too late. One way or another, we're taking a chance here, and we need to be careful to not cross any lines we’ll end up destroying when we do that."
Nearby, Alastomon raised one arm high above his head before he swung it down, creating a massive wave of energy that caught Biastamon across the chest. The Beast Digimon cried out in pain as he was sent sprawling backwards. He rolled a few times before landing on his stomach, groaning as he desperately tried to push himself to his feet. Biastamon had pushed himself too hard before this when he was trying to run to Rose Morning Star with Mayumi and Haroi, and his adrenaline rush and rage toward Alastomon weren't enough to bring him back to his regular levels of energy. He was going to need more than that if he wanted to fully bounce back, and he knew it. The way his body shook was just more proof of it. He wouldn't be able to win this battle on his own.
Alastomon let out a small chuckle as he stalked toward his opponent. "Running out of steam, are you?" he asked, condescension dripping from each word. "I had a feeling you would... After all, the weight of your sins was bound to come back to bite you with time. If anything, I'm amazed you were able to last this long without crumbling under the pressure of everything you've done. Are you proud of yourself for all the pain you've brought the Digital World? Are you glad you went this far for the sake of dragging yourself into a better position?"
"You're a lying bastard, Alastomon..." Biastamon snarled. He tried to push himself up once again, though it took an agonizingly long time for him to finally rise to his feet. "You can say all you want that I'm the guilty party, but we both know the truth. You're trying to point the finger at me so that you can get away with your crimes. You've never cared about the Beast Digimon. I always thought you were just clumsy in your wording, but I see the truth now. You want to get rid of us all. The Void Fragments were just your way of doing that. If you couldn't get rid of us by force, then you would wait until every remaining ally we had turned on us and decided to leave us for dead."
"It's not my fault Beast Digimon are simply too violent to be left alone," Alastomon told him with a shake of his head. "There must be a reason for all of you to have the potential to be possessed by Void Fragments. If anything, I would say that it's proof of everything you deserve. You're all wicked creatures, and that wickedness comes out the instant it is given an outlet... How tragic. You're rotten to the core, every last one of you."
"It was you who proposed that Inaie was responsible for everything happening!" Biastamon cried out. "You said that the island must have been spreading a contagion, but you were distorting the information to make them seem guilty! You knew they were innocent, but you needed someone to pin it on! The instant you realized that wasn't going to work, you sent all of your possessed Void Fragments after the island to try and kill everyone there! Our ideals are a threat to you because you want to eliminate every last one of us as long as it will boost you up by a few steps!"
"What an active imagination you have! I would be impressed... If it wasn't coming from someone who insisted so firmly that I'm a war criminal," Alastomon said next. He sighed dismissively with another shake of his head. "You love to go too far for the sake of proving yourself, but you're going to see the fault in that soon enough. You can hurl accusations at me as much as you want, but I won't just sit here and take it... Though I suspect this battle will end in my favor. You can't keep going for much longer. I can see it in your posture. You're running out of steam, and I'm still feeling on top of the world."
Biastamon's body continued to tremble as he pushed himself to his feet. "You can say that I've run out of steam all you want, but that won't stop the fact of the matter... I will see you torn down after everything you've done. You used my people as scapegoats for the sake of your rise in power. You knew everyone would come to hate us if they thought we were dangerous. They hated us enough after the war against Cherubimon. We don't want to hurt people. We're not inherently violent. That's why you had to paint us as something we're not for the sake of your own success. It's disgusting. You disgust me."
"If you still have fight in you, then I'd be happy to continue this little dance of ours for a while longer... Though I don't think it's going to end the way you would like," Alastomon sighed. He punched at the air, and an outline of silver energy surrounded his fist before shooting itself toward Biastamon.
The Beast Digimon jumped out of the way, but he was caught by complete surprise when Alastomon punched with his other arm. He let out a limp groan of pain before his legs gave out once again. Despite his best efforts to rise and continue fighting, Biastamon couldn't find the strength he needed to press on. The battle he had fought earlier in the day was taking its toll, and he didn't have the energy to keep pushing forward. Alastomon had won, and every single one of them knew it.
"Which one of them is it?" Saki questioned of Miriamon, keeping their voice as soft as possible to ensure they weren't overheard. "You said you know Lucemon's magic anywhere. Can you feel it on either one of them? Which one of them has the power he left behind?"
Miriamon's eyes flickered back and forth between Alastomon and Biastamon as the Human Digimon approached his fallen quarry. Her panic only rose as the seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly, and she let out a whimper before slamming her hands into her temples and shaking her head. "I can't tell!" she cried out. "We're too far away, and I know they're trying to hide it! Whoever has been using the power minimized their contact with it to make sure I couldn't detect them!"
Saki growled under their breath as they glanced to Alastomon and Biastamon once again. They were desperate to join the fight as well to just buy the group a bit more time to figure out who was telling the truth, but they didn't know if they had the power they needed. The battle against the Void Fragment Digimon throughout the day had worn their energy to its limits, and even just staying in their Resplendent form was starting to take its toll. The rest of the group was hardly in any better condition after everything they had gone through. Every single one of them was well and truly exhausted, and in all honesty, they had hit that wall ages ago, long before they arrived at Rose Morning Star.
Alastomon reached for his blade once again after manifesting the sword of light in the air in front of him. He began to walk toward Biastamon with a dark gleam in his eyes, though he paused a few seconds later and turned to face the rest of the Legendary Warriors. "It's high time we finished this farce once and for all, wouldn't you say?" he asked. "You know what must be done... It's time to finish off the traitor and lead the Digital World into a brighter era."
The Legendary Warriors were quiet for a long moment as they glanced to one another, trying to figure out how they were meant to respond to Alastomon's bold invitation. Truth be told, there was no good way to answer it. He wanted them to kill Biastamon, but how could they agree to something like that when it seemed as if Alastomon could have been the traitor too? They had a fifty percent chance of choosing wrong, and if they did, the Digital World would be left in a state of chaos. How could they grapple with something like that in the heat of the moment? How could anyone handle that?
In the end, Aethermon was the first one to step forward. "No," she countered.
Alastomon stared at her in shock. "No?" he echoed, his tone unreadable but insulted. "What are you talking about? He's the traitor. We already know that. We've established long before this that he was the one behind the recent attacks. How can you see all of this and just say no to stopping him? If we don't end this now, the Digital World is going to suffer more than any of us could have ever imagined. We need to stop the mastermind behind the Void Fragments and end this fight once and for all."
Aethermon shook her head. "No," she repeated. "I haven't seen enough evidence here today to make it seem as if Biastamon is indisputably the traitor. Until I get that proof, I'm not going to say or do a thing that could hurt him. You could just as easily be the one behind all of this, and you need to answer for that. Biastamon gave us reasoning that he wouldn't do this. Why in the world would he be under attack if he was responsible for this? It would only put him in danger. What about you, Alastomon? What proof do you have that you're innocent in all of this?"
For a long moment, the air remained heavy. No one dared to shatter the silence, afraid of what speaking could possibly do to alter their circumstances for the worse. Alastomon was the first one to move, and he let out a heavy sigh before shaking his head. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," he muttered. His tone had completely changed, growing far darker than any of the Legendary Warriors had ever heard it. Any glint of light in his eyes vanished before the group could register what was happening, instead showing them only complete apathy.
Aethermon took a step toward him, an awful feeling starting to rise in her chest. "What are you—"
Alastomon raised his blade high before he brought it down on Biastamon's back. The Beast Digimon cried out in pain before he fell fully limp once again. The massive slash across his spine revealed flakes of Fractal Code that peeled away from his skin before drifting away on the wind. Biastamon breathed heavily in an attempt to manage his agony, but that did little to aid him in escaping from his attacker. He had long since lost the strength to fight back, and he knew it bitterly well.
"Biastamon!" Aethermon screamed. She ran to his side as quickly as she could, and Siriusmon did the same. Aethermon fell to her knees beside Biastamon, and she felt for his face with clumsy fingers that shook under the weight of her fear. Still, she did nothing to move even as she was left to stare up at Alastomon and his blade of light.
"You're going to be okay," Siriusmon whispered. "We're going to find a way to—"
Before Siriusmon even had the chance to finish that sentence, Alastomon raised his sword once again. He stabbed deep in Biastamon's back and twisted the blade, sending even more flakes of Fractal Code into the air. However, the Fractal Code soon fell still as a ring of data appeared around Biastamon's center, and his silhouette went black. His heavy breathing and cries of pain fell silent, and the entire world went still. Alastomon was the only one who dared to move, and he raised one hand to absorb Biastamon's data into his hand. The Fractal Code began to follow the path into his palm—
But Alastomon was knocked aside before he could begin the process in full. Aethermon shrieked in rage as she lunged toward Alastomon, sending him to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs. She scrambled to try and restrain him, but the effort was fruitless. Alastomon had much more energy, and beyond that, he was much taller than her. Aethermon was frail even in the best of times, and it didn't take long for Alastomon to send her flying to the ground with a single blow. When she landed, a puff of silt followed her, leaving her hunched over and coughing in a desperate attempt to ease her lungs of their agony.
While Alastomon was distracted with Aethermon, Siriusmon raised his own hand on instinct. Biastamon's memory data flowed into his palm, and the blackened silhouette left behind by the Beast Digimon leader gave way to an egg that spiraled into the skies. Siriusmon closed his fingers into a fist as the egg vanished into the darkness overhead, and he stared up at the glowing orb with wide, terrified eyes. As soon as the egg was gone, Siriusmon looked down at his shaking hand. He had done what was necessary to keep Biastamon's memories from being taken in by Alastomon, someone who would have spat on his legacy even after murdering him, but the action still caught Siriusmon by surprise. It had been necessary, but he still feared all it could have meant for him and his friends.
Alastomon snarled as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing a few pieces of sand and silt off his armor along the way. "I had been hoping you would have more sense than that, though I suppose that ship sailed the instant you decided to stand against me," he muttered. "I gave you a choice to fight with me or against me, and you made the wrong decision."
"How could you do that?!" Aethermon roared. Tears had started to well in her eyes, though it had little to do with the silt that continued to float in the air around her. The grief in her voice was palpable, and her final word cracked under the weight of her agony. She tried to push herself to her feet, but her body trembled, and she collapsed to her knees again before another coughing fit wracked her lungs. She pressed her hands against her chest in an attempt to ease her pain, but the gesture did little to aid her.
"He was an obstacle to be discarded," Alastomon replied simply. "I knew that keeping him alive would be more trouble than it was worth. I tried so many times to get rid of him once and for all, but it never worked... Not until today. I must thank you for your part in keeping him distracted and weakened."
"How can you thank us...?! You just killed him!" Siriusmon exclaimed, still in shock as he looked up from his hand and unable to stop his shaking. His exhaustion was coming back in full force, and the grief from Biastamon's sudden death was only making it worse.
"Yes, and it was only possible thanks to all of you," Alastomon went on. "You were there to distract him and run his energy into the ground. I didn't anticipate the two of you to be with him when the attack began, though I suppose it's better that way. He tired himself out by trying to keep you safe... And it worked out especially well since none of you did anything to help me get rid of him. I had been hoping you would be smarter than that."
"You were the one behind all of this," Saki snarled. "From the very beginning, you were the one pulling the strings. It's all been a setup to try and get us to turn on Biastamon. This entire invasion—"
"Was all a part of my plan? Yes, it was," Alastomon smiled. "Though none of you did what you were supposed to when it came to ending the battle quickly and easily... If you were powerful enough to survive the Digimon I sent after you, then you should have been strong enough to help me put Biastamon in the ground. You got too smart at the last moment though... What a shame. You still couldn't stop me from killing him in the end. Nothing could have stopped that."
"I want answers," Miriamon said as she took a small step toward him. "You did all of this for a reason... Was it because you wanted to take over the Digital World? Did you use the Beast Digimon as scapegoats so you would be able to take over while everyone else was distracted with hating them?"
Alastomon let out a small snort. "Oh, please. I was hoping to destroy the Beast Digimon, not use them as a distraction. They're all incredibly dangerous, you know. Cherubimon's war is proof of that. He decided to bring the Digital World to its knees alongside an army of Beast Digimon, and that told me clear as can be that none of them are to be trusted. If they wanted me to side with them, then they should have chosen a better leader than an angel who fell into hell and ruin."
"They were being possessed by Lucemon! Everyone knows that!" Tomoki cried out. "Lucemon was the one who started the war because he was trying to break out of the Dark Heart! He was the one who destroyed the Digital World! Cherubimon was just his vessel to do it!"
"The evil in the Beast Digimon cannot be denied no matter how hard you try. They've done much to wage war with the Human Digimon over time, and I cannot forgive them for it. The Digital World has long been a place of conflict and agony. The Human and Beast Digimon fight in an eternal cycle, and neither one ever finds victory. One of them is evil and must be destroyed if the Digital World is to ever see peace... And the Beast Digimon are the ones who will fall before I am finished with this realm," Alastomon declared.
"The letters in Biastamon's room were forgeries. You wrote them to communicate with your allies, and you planted them for the sake of making it seem like Biastamon was responsible. You claimed Inaie was the cause of the Void Fragment infections, and the instant we realized that wasn't the truth, you decided to get rid of them. You were only possessing Beast Digimon so everyone would hate them even more. Every piece of this was planned from the start to foster as much hatred between the different factions as possible. You're trying to orchestrate a genocide," Saki growled.
"Genocide is such an ugly word," Alastomon sighed with a roll of his eyes. "If you ask me, this is what the Digital World needs. Consider it… A cleansing. This world has suffered far too much throughout its long history, and the best thing I can do to help the suffering Digimon is to get rid of the ones responsible for the problem. The Beast Digimon are the one behind it all, and if I can get rid of them, perhaps we will finally see peace... How incredible that would be. I can rule over the Digital World and usher it into a new era where all the conflicts of the past are forgotten."
"I would ask if the sacrifice of half of this world is worth it to you, but I already know how you're going to answer," Aldamon scoffed. "You've been manipulating all of us from the beginning. You were stringing us along so we would do what you wanted us to, but the instant you realized we wouldn't fall into line so easily, you decided it would be better to have us killed."
"And you've certainly proven yourselves incredible thorns in my side," Alastomon finished for him before turning to look at Saki. "Especially you. It took a long time for me to come up with an idea to outsmart you after that assassination attempt failed. Miriamon was the greatest threat to my plot, but you threw a wrench into my plan of killing her. You forced me to move up my massive invasion plans considerably... The attack wasn't anywhere near as large as I would have liked. You've done a lot to bother me since this began, though I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less of the Legendary Warriors, saviors of the Digital World. When you believe you see a threat, you will do everything in your power to see it destroyed. You proved that with Cherubimon, the Royal Knights, and Lucemon."
"We're not going to let you get away with all of this, you know," Beowolfmon told him. "I don't know what you think you're going to do from here, but it's not going to work. You've done enough harm to this world, and we need to kill you before you can do anything more to hurt anyone. If destroying you is what it takes to set this world on the right track, then we won’t hesitate in doing what must be done."
"I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions if I were you," Alastomon countered. "In fact, I would like to extend my hand to all of you... Consider it a final offer. You've proven yourselves worthy after surviving every single attack I've sent in your direction. Not everyone would be able to live through all of that and still come out standing and fighting. I've been impressed with you from the start, and that's why I would like to offer you all a place at my side. You can join me, and we can bring the Digital World to a new era of peace... A new age where the worthy will finally rule this realm as they have always deserved."
The air was heavy and still as the weight of Alastomon’s proposal settled in. Aethermon was still sitting on the ground where she had been thrown after Alastomon's attack, and even though the dust had settled around her and she had stopped coughing, she couldn't bring herself to rise to her feet. Instead, all she could do was glare up at Alastomon with tears in her eyes and her heart pounding with rage in her ears. The rest of the world seemed to fall away, and all that mattered was being able to defeat him and destroy the empire he was attempting to build on the corpse of her friend.
"Go to hell," Aethermon snarled. "We'll never side with you after everything you've done. You're trying to kill half of the people of this world because of your own hatred. You say that this will lead the Digital World into a new age of peace, but all you're going to do is start another war."
"It's all about what will do the most to bring about peace in the long term," Alastomon told her with a shake of his head. "What's a bit of war now if it will bring the Digital World to a longstanding time of peace? I think it's more than worth the sacrifice. You need to think about this from a logical perspective. This realm has been doomed to a cycle of war and hatred from the dawn of its creation. The only way to fix that is to remove the problem by force. From there, everything will change for the better. You may see it as destroying half of the population, but I see it as finally stopping the cycle of bloodshed we have all come to know so well over the course of this realm’s history."
"I don't know what fucked you up to make you think this is a good idea, but we're not going to fall for it," Junpei snapped. "We're not going to destroy the Digital World and its people just because of your selfishness. I don't care how far you were able to come in order to become a leader of the Human Digimon. You're less than dirt on the bottom of my heel. You're a murderer and a piece of shit. For someone who uses Cherubimon's war as justification for all of this, you're a hell of a lot worse than he ever was. At least he had to get possessed in order to wage war. You're just drunk on your own ego and hatred."
"You're concerned about a war that will shake the Digital World and destroy its people, but I believe we can mitigate that problem by working together," Alastomon said with a dark smile. "You're strong enough to have survived this long. Your power is unparalleled, and you all fight incredibly well. If we worked together, we would be able to end this battle incredibly quickly. It would hardly be a war at all if you were able to use the power of your Resplendent Evolutions to wipe out all of the Beast Digimon in a matter of days. The power of the Legendary Warriors ended the war against Lucemon so long ago, and it will end this war quickly as well... Assuming you are willing to follow my lead."
"We'll never stand at your side!" Izumi cried out. "Why in the world do you think we would agree to something like that?! We're trying to save the Digital World, and no matter how noble you think your goals are, we know what you’re really wanting us to do! You're asking us to destroy everything for the sake of staying on your good side!"
"I would advise that you follow my advice and not make an enemy of me. After all, I have an entire army at my disposal... And I'm not just talking about the Void Fragments," Alastomon told her. "There are many Human Digimon who agree with me and want to stand by me. They believe in my cause, and you should follow their lead… But if you truly wish to stand against me, then you'll simply have to live with your sins. This is your final chance to back down."
"I'll kill you with my own two hands," Aethermon snarled. "How about that?"
Alastomon sighed. "You're so attached to that ridiculous Beast Digimon... Biastamon was going to have to die no matter what, you know. You were lucky enough to witness his last moments, at the very least. Since he means that much to you, I suppose I'm happy for you on that front," he murmured with a shake of his head. "Though it won't help you now. You made the wrong decision, and I'm not the merciful sort. I'm not afraid to kill each and every one of you if it will help me succeed in my goals. After all, times change, and it's high time a new savior of the Digital World rose to tear apart the wickedness we have all come to know so well."
"You're going to use Lucemon's power to destroy the Digital World again," Miriamon whispered. "You claim to hate Cherubimon so much, but at least he was innocent. He was possessed by Lucemon, and that was how it spiraled so far out of control. You... You just want to use Lucemon's power for your own sick gains."
"I will admit that using Lucemon's power is far from ideal," Alastomon confessed. "I don't have any fondness for him, truth be told. He wanted to unify the Digital World before he went off the deep end, and that's something I despise. He didn't see the evil in the Beast Digimon, and giving them a chance to live... That's a mistake I can't agree with. He was a Human Digimon himself, but he still sided with the enemy. Still, I can use his power in my own ways now, and I intend to do just that for the sake of the Digital World's future. I'll do anything to save my people from evil."
"How did you even get your hands on a power like that?" Lowemon asked. "Everyone believed Lucemon's magic had been destroyed when the Digital World reconfigured itself after the battle against him."
"Nothing in the Digital World is ever truly destroyed, you know," Alastomon reminded him. "The data simply changed shape and found its way into a massive chasm in the new region of Energy. I found it by accident, but it was the perfect source for me to draw new power from... It was the perfect way to kickstart my plans of wiping out the Beast Digimon. All it took was a bit of experimentation to refine his power into Void Fragments, and from there, everything clicked right into place. No one suspected a thing when I started dedicating my magic to masking its traces on my body. It would have been perfect... Until Miriamon confessed to having an extra ability I didn't know about."
Miriamon took a small step back at that, but Alastomon did not follow her, instead just shaking his head. "It matters little now though. The truth has been revealed, and Biastamon is gone. You stand face-to-face with the traitor you were trying so hard to find these last few weeks, and I intend to win this battle once and for all," he went on. "As long as you stand against me, I will need to kill you. I hope you understand that it's nothing personal."
"We're not going to let you win so easily," Aldamon said as he summoned flickers of flame to his fists. "No matter what, we're going to fight until the Digital World is free of your tyranny. We'll send you to the hell you deserve. We're going to avenge Biastamon and every other Digimon you've stomped on and killed to get this far in your damn war."
Alastomon let out a laugh. "You're bold for believing it will be that simple. I set up this invasion to drain you of your energy just in case you chose to stand against me when the moment of truth arrived. I think we both know that none of you will be able to survive long in a fight against me. Still, if you insist on testing your luck, I would be more than happy to return the favor." He snapped his fingers, and white spheres of energy appeared in a ring in front of him. "I cannot let you escape so easily. This is where you will make your own graves, Legendary Warriors. Pray for your own souls... They will not live to see the dawn."
Once again, Alastomon laughed.
And then, he struck.
Notes:
Wow... That was a heavy one.
So... This is the plot point I've been looking forward to revealing since the very beginning. Alastomon was the traitor, not Biastamon. I've been leaving lots of tiny crumbs of foreshadowing along the way for sharp readers so we could reach this moment. Alastomon was always the one saying only Beast Digimon could be taken over by Void Fragments. He was also the one who pointed the Legendary Warriors to Inaie. He planned the attack on the Crystal Citadel when Junpei got his Resplendent. He orchestrated the attack against Miriamon after hearing the truth about her abilities. He played the Legendary Warriors like fiddles to ensure they turned on Biastamon so he could claim the upper hand. And now... The truth is out.
All things considered, I don't have as much to say about this twist as I thought I would since Alastomon explained a lot of it during his ending conversation with the Legendary Warriors. He wants to get rid of all the Beast Digimon at any cost, and that brings us here. He was always planning on stabbing Biastamon in the back. He saw Biastamon as a threat, and he was right to. As soon as Biastamon realized what he had done, he started attacking, and that's where we get to the main conflict of the chapter. Alastomon was egging the Legendary Warriors on in one direction since he had already primed them to turn on Biastamon. He's a manipulative piece of shit in case you couldn't already tell. He got this far through lying to people and manipulating them until they fell into his hands. Everything has been a part of his game from the start, and he outwitted even the sharpest strategists in the Legendary Warriors (Saki and Junpei). He sucks... But he's certainly an interesting and charismatic villain, huh?
The only other thing I want to comment on here is Biastamon's death. It hit Mayumi and Haroi really hard for obvious reasons. Biastamon was such a perfect foil to them both, and you could see their relationship building throughout the recent chapters. Mayumi has always been defending the Beast Digimon since she knows what it's like to be labeled as a problem without anyone standing up for her. Haroi has always been closer with the Digimon than the rest of the group. Their connection with him was deep and important... And now, it's gone. I have more in mind for these three in the future, but for now... God. This chapter hurt.
Next week, we're going to embrace our new revelations and finally battle the true mastermind in the finale of act three. At long last, the invasion mini-arc and act three as a whole end next chapter. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 44: Aether's Requiem
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors battle the true mastermind behind the Void Fragments in a bid to avenge Biastamon's death.
Chapter Text
A wave of energy rippled through the air, threatening to send Beowolfmon and Lowemon both crashing to the ground. It was only thanks to pure luck that they managed to avoid the attack when Izumi slashed her hand through the air, creating a blade of wind that intercepted Alastomon's blow before it could make contact. Beowolfmon and Lowemon took that as their cue to retreat and get out of the line of fire until they could come up with a plan. They were at a disadvantage in terms of power level when compared to the Resplendent Warriors, and they both knew it. Lowemon especially was in an awful position, and he would need to be careful to ensure Alastomon didn't take him out of the fight in a single strike.
Tomoki flicked his wrist at Alastomon, and ice began to consolidate on the ground around the Human Digimon's feet. The icicles mounted on top of one another quickly, doing all they could to try and restrain Alastomon before he had the chance to release another attack. Alastomon barely seemed to notice though, and when he looked down at the ice, all he could do was sigh and shake his head in disappointment. "I had been hoping you would make this battle at least a bit more interesting than that... But I suppose it doesn't matter much now."
Alastomon raised his blade high before he struck at the ice, freeing himself and sending shards of frozen water flying in every direction. Izumi once again punched at the air to create a rippling tempest that destroyed the icicles before they had the chance to strike any of the Legendary Warriors. Alastomon was pushed back by about an inch from the blow, but Izumi hadn't done much damage at the end of the day. Once again, Alastomon simply shook his head before rushing toward her.
The Human Digimon pulled one arm back before punching Izumi in the stomach with all the force he had. Izumi's eyes went wide with shock, but she didn't even have time to scream before she had been sent sprawling backwards onto the ground. She hit the silt roughly, and she groaned as she tried to push herself up once again. However, her long day of fighting was starting to get to her at last, and her energy was abandoning her quickly and recklessly. When Izumi pressed her hands against the ground, her arms were shaking. She willed her wings to pick her up and adjust her position so she could stand and keep fighting, but they refused to move at the speeds she required. Instead, they just gave a few weak flaps before falling still.
Alastomon dashed toward Izumi where she was waiting prone on the ground, and he tilted her head up so that she was forced to look into his eyes. "You made the wrong decision," he murmured to her. "You had every opportunity to make this easier on yourselves, but you chose the opposite... Now, you must face the consequences of that."
Before anyone had the chance to react, Alastomon curled his fingers around Izumi's neck, and he picked her up with one arm. Izumi tried to claw his grip away, but she didn't get far before volts of energy surged through Alastomon's arm and into her body. Izumi cried out in pain despite the lack of air in her lungs, and a few seconds later, pink light bathed her body. When the glow faded, she was left in her human form. Alastomon took that as his cue to drop her, and Izumi fell gracelessly to the ground. She pressed her hands against her neck to make sure she could breathe without disturbances, coughing wildly along the way. A small cut had opened on her cheek from when she hit the ground, and silt was tangled in her blonde hair.
Alastomon took another step toward Izumi and raised his blade high in preparation to deal the finishing blow, but Saki intervened before he got the chance. They teleported just behind Izumi before picking her up and warping a small distance away once more. Saki set Izumi down next to Miriamon and sent her a look that instructed the Arbiter of Souls to look after the Warrior of Wind. Miriamon nodded her understanding before she crouched down next to Izumi, pressing her hands against the blonde girl's stomach. She shared as much energy as she could, healing the cut on Izumi's cheek to the best of her ability. Slowly but surely, Izumi's breathing evened out, though tears had formed in her eyes thanks to her excessive coughing. Bokomon took her hand gently for the sake of extra comfort, and Izumi smiled weakly but gratefully in his direction at the gesture.
Nearby, Alastomon had turned his attention to Aeoelmon. The Warrior of Earth was trying to follow in Tomoki's footsteps from earlier in the fight by restraining Alastomon's legs, but since they were only in their Human Spirit form, they lacked the strength needed to hold Alastomon back. He didn't even bother to slash at the rocks beneath his feet with his blade. Instead, he just stepped out of the way, barely caring at all about what Aeoelmon was trying to do. In fact, he seemed more humored by the attempt than anything else.
As soon as Alastomon had dealt with enough of Aeoelmon's failed attempts to restrain him, he rushed toward them, raising his blade high. Aeoelmon raised their gauntlets to summon a barricade of earth with hopes of blocking the strike, but they only got so far before Alastomon's sword had cut straight through the rock shield. Aeoelmon didn't even have the time to mount a secondary defense before they had been cut across the chest by Alastomon's blade. Aeoelmon cried out in pain as they were sent flying. They had already reverted back to Chihiro before they hit the ground, and they groaned as they pressed one hand to their abdomen. The sword cut had been reduced to a scratch when they reverted back to human form, but the pain the strike left behind was still prominent and pounding.
Aldamon rushed to Chihiro's defense on instinct, and he released a barrage of fiery darts in Alastomon's direction. The Human Digimon used his sword to deflect most of the attacks, and Aldamon's flames were left to dance across the ground before hitting the ground near the other Legendary Warriors. Just like that, Aldamon's attempt to fight back had turned into friendly fire, and that was the perfect distraction for Alastomon to exploit. He lunged toward Aldamon without missing a beat, and with a single kick, Aldamon had been sent into the air, his wings failing him almost immediately.
Before Aldamon even had the chance to regain his composure, Alastomon jumped up after him and swung his sword down on the Warrior of Fire. Aldamon's eyes went wide with shock, but he didn't have the opportunity to mount a defense before he had been sent spiraling toward the ground. Fractal Code covered his body soon afterward, and Takuya was left groaning in a massive crater left behind in the dirt from his rough impact.
"You're starting to feel it, aren't you?" Alastomon asked as he glanced around at the rest of the Legendary Warriors. "You spent the whole day fighting the Void Fragments, and now, you don't have the energy you need to withstand a battle against me. My plan worked out perfectly the same way it has every other time up to now." The Legendary Warriors refused to back down in the face of his threats though, and Alastomon simply sighed when he noticed the glares in their eyes. "I gave you the chance to pull out of this battle and fight at my side. You would have saved yourselves a lot of pain if you had taken me up on that offer. Now, you need to deal with the consequences of your actions. That's the way the world works."
Aethermon continued to glare at him with untold fury in her eyes. She hadn't stopped shaking from rage and pain ever since Alastomon started his assault in full, and she doubted her body would fall still any time soon. She still couldn't believe what he had done to Biastamon. All this time, Alastomon had been stringing them along and playing them for fools. Aethermon despised being treated like she wasn't smart. She had seen that infantilization more than enough in the past. Others always found a way to figure out that she was different, and when they did, they always left or treated her as less than dirt. That was what she had been used to.
Biastamon had been one of very few people to not give her the cold shoulder the instant they realized she was different. Aethermon had only ever been able to find solidarity in the Digital World. It had been the method through which she found the Legendary Warriors and their Digimon guides, and that was how she first realized she didn't need to spend all her time isolated with only her family for company. There was more to life than hiding all the time because of the shame others foisted onto her, and the Digital World had shown her that. Biastamon had shown her that.
He never cared at all that she was different. They were connected in a way that Aethermon couldn't quite put into words as a result. She knew what it was like to be labeled as a lost cause or a villain without any grounds for the accusations, and she refused to see that pain pushed onto the Beast Digimon after everything they had already endured. Biastamon wanted people to see justice for the wrongs of the past and present, and that was why he had stepped up to the position of leader to begin with. He wanted to change the world for the better. He wanted to help people...
And Alastomon had ruined that.
It shouldn't have been this way. Alastomon could have been an ally to help the Digital World see peace and tranquility, but instead, he had decided to weaponize his hate for the sake of rising to the top of the world. If he had to hurt and kill people in order to reach that point, then so be it. No sacrifice was too small in his eyes, and that included Biastamon. Now, Biastamon was gone, and it was all Alastomon's fault.
But even if Biastamon was no longer alive, Aethermon refused to lose sight of everything he had left her with. He had told her that she deserved better than what the world had given her in the past, and Aethermon would not spit on his memory by denying his words. He had been nice enough to give her a chance when most others would never even dare to consider the idea, and Aethermon needed to relish in that joy. It was the least she could do to honor him after his death.
Biastamon had been one of the first people—or Digimon in this case—to give her a chance. He had told her the world was in the wrong for treating her so poorly, and she had believed it. Aethermon had blamed herself for the way others looked at her for years. She had even shouldered the unwarranted guilt of forcing her mother to leave even though that had been her mother's decision and not hers. The knowledge that she was simply unlikeable to so many people had been a weight on Aethermon's mind and heart for so long.
But it didn't need to be. It wasn't her fault other people decided she wasn't worthy of kindness. She deserved to be treated as a human the same as everyone else. She deserved to be proud of herself without it coming with a condition that made others more comfortable. Why did the comfort of others have to come above her needs? That shouldn't have been the case. Aethermon was just as deserving of confidence and love as everyone else. Biastamon had left her with that legacy. She was more than just what others told her she was worth, and she would remember it to the bitter end. She owed that much to Biastamon after everything he had done for her.
Before Aethermon, Alastomon was striking at Beowolfmon. The two were fiercely clashing blades, but Beowolfmon was losing ground quickly. The raw power Alastomon had pulled from Lucemon's remaining magic was far beyond anything the Legendary Warriors had seen since they fought the fallen angel months ago, and without Susanoomon, they weren't prepared for what Alastomon was going to give them. They were too exhausted to mount a proper defense, and without the backup plan of the Grand Spirit to fall back on, it seemed failure was inevitable. It was just a matter of time.
Alastomon pushed energy through the tip of his blade, and the tendrils of magic quickly wrapped around Beowolfmon's body. The Warrior of Light thrashed against the energy with everything had, but he couldn't escape no matter how hard he tried. Soon enough, Alastomon was able to use that distraction to claim the upper hand, and he raised one leg to deal a swift kick to Beowolfmon's stomach. Alastomon cut at Beowolfmon once the Warrior of Light was airborne, and unsurprisingly, he transformed back into Koji before he could slam into the dirt below.
Aethermon pushed herself to her feet slowly but surely. Her body was still shaking from a mix of exhaustion and anger, but she refused to let that stop her. Alastomon had killed Biastamon when the tides turned against him. He had possessed countless Digimon for the sake of fueling his own desire for power. He would kill the rest of the Legendary Warriors if he was given the chance. As long as it would help him to accomplish his goal, Alastomon was willing to do anything and hurt anyone. His brutality was as impressive as it was terrifying, and Aethermon despised it.
She refused to let him get away with anything else after all that he had already done. She owed it to Biastamon to fight to the bitter end. She needed to keep pushing for the sake of avenging one of the only people who had ever shown her compassion and understanding. Biastamon had given her the ability to understand that she was worth more than what others claimed her to be, and she would hold that to her chest for the rest of her life. She was not a moral failure for existing, and she was not corrupt for being proud of herself.
The fact of the matter was that Aethermon couldn't change who she was. No matter how much she tried to hide and make herself small for the convenience of others, she would never be what they wanted her to be. She needed to accept that... And she needed to spit on it too. Why did the ideas of others need to come over her confidence? She had every right to be proud without that joy being treated as a sin of the highest order. The best thing she could do was accept who she was regardless of how others felt about her. She owed it to herself and Biastamon to not hate herself for existing. She was allowed to be happy, and she would never let that go. Biastamon would never forgive her if she allowed the opinions of others to dictate her life forever.
And right now, the best thing Aethermon could do was prove that she was stronger than others had given her credit for. The best thing she could do was get revenge for Biastamon. The best thing she could do was kill Alastomon for what he had done. The Digital World needed it, and so did she.
"You..." Aethermon murmured, and Alastomon looked over at her with a small raise of his eyebrow. "You won't get away with this... I won't let you."
Alastomon couldn't hold back a chuckle at that, and he shook his head dismissively. "What are you going to do to stop me then?" he asked. "You won't be able to win this fight. You have to know that."
"You killed Biastamon for the sake of your own sick gains. How many people have you led to their deaths so you could further your ambitions? Do you even bother to think about your victims?" Aethermon went on. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done, and I'm going to make sure you never get the chance to hurt anyone ever again. For Biastamon's sake... This is where it all ends."
Alastomon opened his mouth to retort, but he was cut off by a sudden burst of light from Aethermon's direction. An orange glow sparked at her chest before consuming the rest of her body. He held up one hand to shield his eyes at first, but when he realized what was happening, he let out a humored laugh. "Oh... What's this?"
As for Aethermon, she was too caught up in her own world to care at all for what Alastomon had to say about her. Before she knew it, her Hybrid form had fallen away, leaving her as only Mayumi at the heart of the orange light. She hadn't ever seen someone Resplendent Evolve for the first time, but she knew what the glow around her body meant for her regardless. The legacy Biastamon had left behind had sparked something new inside of her, and it would lead her to the strength she needed to end this war once and for all.
Mayumi's hair tied itself in two small buns on the top of her head, and bejeweled orange clips kept the new style in place. Long streams of hair that far exceeded the length she was used to fell down to the center of her back. A single orange streak could be seen near her cheek, and it framed her face effortlessly. A few strands of hair transformed themselves until they gleamed with every color of the rainbow, bringing a little bit of extra light to her new appearance.
The next change came in the form of Mayumi's top. It had a halter style that wrapped around the back of her neck before wrapping around her upper torso in three rows with space between each one. As the fabric went down to her stomach, it transformed from dark pink to dark orange to pastel orange to light pink in a gradient pattern. The top looked silky and smooth and glittered just like the occasional rainbow threads in Mayumi's hair.
Cyan shorts appeared on Mayumi's legs. A pink sash marked the top of the shorts in a belt pattern. Beneath the sash, twelve thin streams of fabric followed behind Mayumi to mark the various colors of the Legendary Warriors. She gained boots soon afterward that traveled up her legs before stopping just above her knees. The boots were soled with white and followed the same orange and pink gradient pattern as her top, though this time, the orange was on bottom while the pink was left closer to her shorts. A white stripe marked the top of the boots. On the outside of Mayumi's left thigh, the symbol of Energy engraved itself into her skin in orange ink.
The finishing touches on Mayumi's new outfit came in the form of arm accessories. Her left wrist gained a small orange bracelet to match the clips keeping her hair in place right down to the silver jewels across the surface. On her right arm, a long stream of fabric wrapped around her skin. The fabric was dark pink at the top before moving into dark orange and then reversing the color pattern in pastel near her wrist. With that, a final layer of sparkles appeared on the twelve tails that followed her from behind, and the transformation was complete.
When the light faded away, Alastomon allowed his arm to fall by his side. He couldn't help staring at Mayumi with a strange blend of awe, shock, and irritation. "I'm impressed," he remarked. "I thought you would fall easily just like the rest of your friends. It seems you at least intend to put up a good fight."
"I won't let you get away with everything you've done," Mayumi reiterated. "I said that before, didn't I? No matter what, I'm going to stop you. For the sake of the people you've hurt, I'm going to make sure you're defeated here and now. I don't care what it takes. This is where your war ends, Alastomon."
Alastomon shrugged nonchalantly. "If you want to make this into an actual battle, then so be it," he said casually. "I don't mind making this a difficult fight if that's what you want. That will certainly be more fun for me than just walking through all of your allies."
Mayumi scoffed. "Of course you'd just think of it as fun... I'll just have to change your mind on my own," she muttered. She braced herself for a moment before launching forward, her twelve trails following behind her and making her look like a comet dragged down to earth. She summoned all the energy she could get her hands on before pushing her arms forward, releasing a massive column of magic that caught even her off guard with its strength. She had seen the power of Resplendent forms in the past, but she hadn't expected it to feel so exhilarating when she was given the chance to enjoy it for herself.
Alastomon looked at Mayumi with a snide smirk when she first kicked off the ground, but as soon as her column of energy was released, his smile fell away, and his eyes went wide. He realized how dangerous the attack was going to be a few moments too late, and when he went to raise his sword to block the strike, it was instead destroyed on the spot. From there, the blast of energy endured, piercing straight through the remains of the blade to slam into his chest. For the first time since this fight had begun, Alastomon was stunned, and he fell onto his back on the ground below. A cloud of dust and silt rose into the air around him, briefly obscuring him from the view of the battle's onlookers.
Mayumi, however, would not be deterred so easily. She continued to push onward, easily changing the course of her forward rush through the manipulation of her own energy. She ignored the cloud of silt around Alastomon, instead landing just outside the dense fog before jumping as high as possible. She reared her fist back in preparation for a punch as she set her sights on the vague silhouette to outline Alastomon at the heart of the dust. Her hand felt like it was vibrating from the sheer force of the power at her disposal. If all went well, it would be enough to pierce his chest clean through and end the war then and there.
Alastomon barely managed to roll out of the way from the strike, coming up on one knee in a crouching position. Mayumi, meanwhile, wound up punching the silt below. She barely felt the stinging in her hand from hitting the ground with so much force. Instead, she turned all her attention to Alastomon, and she whirled up to face him with a glare unlike anything she had ever done before.
"You're certainly stronger than I gave you credit for. I would even go so far as to say that I like your fighting spirit and passion," Alastomon remarked as he forced himself onto his feet once more. "I would have thought you would have long since run out of steam after everything I put you through earlier today... But if you want to fight, then I would be more than happy to oblige."
Alastomon snapped his fingers, and Mayumi's eyes went wide. She could feel the vibrations in the ground almost immediately, and she forced herself back to her full height. There was something coming, and it was massive... No, it wasn't just one thing. It was an entire army.
The pieces clicked into face quickly and brutally. The other Legendary Warriors hadn't run into many issues once they arrived in the Continent of Darkness because Alastomon wanted them to arrive at their destination. At that point, he had given up on trying to kill them, so his goal was to set them up against Biastamon. They were already tired, so he conserved their remaining energy in time for a battle against the leader of the Beast Digimon, but he kept them exhausted enough to be easy targets for when he turned on them. To reach this end, Alastomon had sent all of his Void Fragment underlings into hiding until the moment they were needed.
And Mayumi's Resplendent Evolution made them necessary.
Alastomon laughed when he saw the dread flickering across Mayumi's face as she figured out just what he had done. "You wanted a battle, and I'm more than happy to oblige. Who would I be if I denied you the chance to fight when that was what you wanted?" he questioned. "I have an entire army for you to fight, as a matter of fact... I wonder just how strong a Resplendent Evolution really is when it's been pushed to its limits."
Mayumi glanced around the area desperately. The Void Fragment Digimon were closing in quickly, and the injured Legendary Warriors were already clustered together to try and defend themselves. There was strength in numbers, after all, even if they couldn't use their individual powers. The other members of the group were quick to rush to their aid as well, mounting a defensive wall around them to hold off the invaders for as long as they possibly could.
"You won't get away with this," Mayumi snarled to Alastomon once she turned her attention back to him. "I don't care what you think you're going to do with the Digital World once all of this is over. We won't let you."
"You don't have to give me permission to do anything. In case you haven't already noticed, this entire battle was a trap, and you fell right into it. You were right where I wanted you from the start, and now, that will lead to your doom," Alastomon told her with a playful smirk. "I've heard Resplendent Evolutions have the power to clear out entire armies with their raw strength... Will that still be the case when each of you is pushed to the brink? I think I've proven where we stand, and you're at a disadvantage with no way of coming back from it."
"You're irredeemable," Mayumi told him as she took another step forward. "You might think you're saving this world, but all you're going to do is lead it into an early grave. I won't let you get away with this. It doesn't matter how strong you think you are. We need to keep fighting for the sake of every person you've killed. After what happened with Biastamon... You're as good as dead the instant I can get my hands on you."
"Then I invite you to try," Alastomon shrugged nonchalantly. "In order to do that though, you'll have to get through the army I have at my disposal. And for the record, I'm not searching for redemption in your eyes. I'm doing all of this because I believe it to be a cause worth fighting for. I want to change the Digital World for the better, and if you will not stand by my side, then you'll have to pay the consequences. That is the decision I have made, and you have made your choice just the same. What happens next... Well, you asked for it by standing against me, didn't you?"
Mayumi barely had the chance to open her mouth in response before the waves of Void Fragment Digimon converged upon her and the other Legendary Warriors. Siriusmon threw up one arm to create a barrier around Izumi, Chihiro, Takuya, Koji, and the Digimon. Miriamon jumped out of the way of the shield at the last moment before drawing a circle in the air. Beams of cyan energy shot forward from the sketch before launching themselves at the nearby Void Fragment Digimon. It was a trick she had learned from Saki, and everyone was certain it would come in handy for better or worse.
It was difficult to tell apart the various Void Fragment Digimon with how quickly they dove at the Legendary Warriors. Siriusmon put as much of his energy as possible into defending the quartet that had been forced back into human form. Takuya had pulled out his D-Tector once he was safe under the barrier, and he had taken to pressing furiously at the activation button to try and transform once again. However, no Fractal Code appeared around his fingers. His D-Tector knew just as well as he did that he was completely exhausted, and he wouldn't be able to transform if he had no energy to pull from. Chihiro tried the same, but they came up short as well. They were able to create a ring of data for a flicker of a second, but the Fractal Code had dispersed just as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind no traces that it had been there at all. They groaned in clipped irritation under their breath before looking up at the rest of the battlefield.
Tomoki sent out a column of ice to stop one particularly determined Digimon from rushing straight at Siriusmon and disrupting his concentration. The Digimon slammed headfirst into the column, and Bokomon flinched at the sudden explosion of noise. From there, Tomoki sent out a dagger of ice at the attacking Digimon to free them from the Void Fragment's control. The Digimon blinked in confusion before looking around at the battlefield around them. Once they recognized what was going on, they took to the skies and vanished once again, leaving the fight behind as quickly as possible.
Saki drew a circle in the air in front of their body as a blast of fire rocketed in their direction. A similar rift opened a few seconds later, and the flames soared forward before slamming straight into another Void Fragment Digimon. That was enough to disorient them for long enough for Saki to stab at their target with their blade. They drew another circle with the tip of their sword to fire out another twelve streams of energy at the opposing Digimon, but it took three blasts to free each Void Fragment victim near them. Like everyone else, Saki was losing steam, and it took much more effort than before to free the enemy forces from their possession.
Lowemon raised his shield to block a slash in his direction, but the attack came with more force and brutality than he had been expecting. He was sent flying backward thanks to the raw strength of the strike, and he hit the ground hard enough to force all the air from his lungs. Another Digimon stepped on him in a single, brutal stomping motion, and Lowemon gasped in shock before Fractal Code surrounded him. As a Human Spirit, he didn't stand much of a chance against the enemy forces, leaving him as Koichi a few seconds later. He scrambled backwards, and Siriusmon gladly allowed him to hide beneath the barrier once he had gathered his bearings enough to flee. Koji took to examining his brother for injuries. Koichi didn't bother with objecting; all he could do was stand there and shake.
Mayumi's focus was narrowed in on only one objective: stopping Alastomon. She could only assume the rest of the battle would get easier after she managed to take him out of the picture, so she would just have to target him. He was still there on the battlefield. He had simply retreated to the back of the area to see how the rest of the fight played out. He was testing the Legendary Warriors to see how much they could do while operating on nothing but steam, determination, and broken dreams. As was to be expected of someone so twisted, Alastomon thought of all this as a game, and he was happy to watch it with a smile on his face.
So Mayumi decided to carve out a path toward him as soon as possible. Her body was already starting to scream at her from exhaustion after her battle alongside Biastamon earlier in the day, but she couldn't let that get to her yet. She needed to keep fighting for the sake of her friends. They were counting on her. Biastamon was counting on her. She wouldn't let any of them down. As long as she could still stand, she could still fight, and she would use that power to tear Alastomon apart until there was nothing left of him but a bitter memory.
Mayumi pulled her arms back before pushing forward, creating a searing column of energy that gleamed with every color of the rainbow. The blast was predominantly white, and it tore through the crowd of Void Fragment Digimon before her. Every Digimon struck with the blow was sent flying backwards, their possession shattering on the spot. Mayumi went to move the column of energy to widen her range, but it died out on her fingertips before she could even think of tilting the blast. She growled angrily but refused to let that deter her from her mission. Instead, she rushed toward the nearest Void Fragment victim and slammed her palm against their body. In an instant, she drained their energy, and some of her lingering exhaustion began to fade. It was a temporary solution to a problem that required rest and recovery, but it would let her keep fighting for even a little bit longer, so she was willing to take it.
Mayumi ducked beneath a swing from another Digimon before she jumped upwards and planted her hands on their body. She drained their power quickly as well, finding that she was able to absorb much more energy and a lot faster with her new abilities. All she had to do now was put her skills to the test. Fighting in her Resplendent form reminded her a lot of what it was like to be Aethermon. All she had to do was run around and drain as much energy as she could from her enemies until she had stored up the power that she needed to unleash a massive blast to end the battle then and there. That was how she had freed Inaie from the ground level all that time ago. It had to work here too.
While Mayumi got to work in draining the energy of every Void Fragment Digimon she could, Siriusmon winced as a few other enemies tried to batter at the barrier he had created. He tried to maintain the barricade with everything he had, but that was much easier said than done given how thorough the beating against the shield was. He could feel his strength fading quickly. It was just a matter of time before he was forced back into his human form. As long as he tried to keep the shield up, he was going to lose energy, but if he let the barrier drop, the other members of the group would be put in even more danger. There was no winning for him.
Yumiko was quick to come to his aid though. She pressed one hand against the ground, and vines began to rise from the silt to surround the injured Legendary Warriors and their Digimon guides. Soon enough, the greenery had covered Siriusmon's shield, giving the Warrior of Cosmos a brief break from the onslaught of enemy forces. He shot her a weak smile, and she simply nodded before moving on to try and trap as many Void Fragment Digimon as she could.
As Yumiko allowed her vines to spread and grab at the enemy army, Hinoka flew into the air with wings made of water and pushed one hand high above her head. She summoned as much strength as she could, and the atmosphere around her rippled with a slight turquoise tint to show her rising magic levels. Once she had hit her breaking point, Hinoka let out a fierce battle cry, and a massive wave of water rose up from the ground below. She had been drawing on liquid beneath the surface of the earth, and in a matter of seconds, it washed through the area and slammed into the Void Fragment Digimon Yumiko had been restraining.
Between Yumiko and Hinoka's combined efforts, another two dozen Digimon were freed from their possession, and they took that as their cue to leave the battlefield behind. The two shared a brief glance, a silent pact to try and repeat that process to the best of their ability of the sake of disposing of the enemy forces. However, when Yumiko went to summon more vines to wear away at the opposing army, nothing happened. She gasped in shock and tried to use her magic once more, but her efforts fell short again. She was officially running on empty, and there was nothing she could do but sustain the barrier she had created earlier in the fight.
Junpei was happy to take advantage of the remnants of Hinoka's wave though, and he let out a battle cry before slamming an electrically charged fist into the standing water in the area. Figuring out what he was doing, Miriamon kicked off the ground where she was picked up by Yumiko and Hinoka as the two flew close to the silt to retrieve her. Saki teleported over to Tomoki and picked him up just before electricity tore through the water below. The two reappeared high in the air on a platform of purple energy. Every Digimon still covered in water screamed in pain from the surge of lightning, and Junpei smirked as the tides of the battle shifted around him.
Mayumi was the only member of the group still on the ground outside the barrier, and she allowed the sudden surge of thunder magic to give her more strength. Ironically, it only made her symptoms of exhaustion more pronounced, and her eyes were desperate to close more than ever as she absorbed the energy, but she pressed on regardless. Once the electricity died away and the newly freed Digimon had been given the chance to flee from the scene, Mayumi pressed both of her arms high into the sky, creating a massive sphere of multicolored energy. An uninhibited scream tore its way from her lips as she threw the orb onto the ground.
The earth rocked from the force of the explosion, and light spread outward as a massive inferno. Mayumi couldn't tell up from down or right from left as her spell caused an outright earthquake. Her vision seemed to abandon her, and stars filled her line of sight for a few seconds she couldn't quite describe. She was vaguely aware of Digimon around her screaming from the pain that came with the massive blast, but she barely heard them at all. They were little more than a distant distraction when compared to the overwhelming ringing in her ears. She had overdone it with that last attack, and she could feel it.
When the explosion had finally ended and the earth fell still, Mayumi collapsed to her knees. She was breathing heavily, but no air entered her lungs. She was on the verge of passing out, and she could feel it. Her body was turning against her, and no amount of energy she absorbed could fix just how tired she was after the earlier battles in the day. Alastomon's plan had worked. She was too tired to fight, and everyone else would be too in a matter of minutes.
Saki teleported once again and dropped Tomoki off near the barrier Yumiko and Siriusmon had made. Their platform of purple from before vanished along the way, and they sighed heavily as they touched down on the ground. Yumiko, Hinoka, and Miriamon returned to the earth as well, and Junpei approached the rest of the group. He kept his fists up and braced in a defensive position in case he had to attack once again. Everyone could tell he wouldn't last long if another altercation broke out though; dark circles were tearing at the skin beneath his eyes, and his strength was about to fail him in full as well.
The Legendary Warriors glanced around the area, and Junpei swore under his breath. Even after all those massive attacks, they hadn't even managed to get rid of a quarter of Alastomon's army. He knew they were exhausted, and he was more than happy to overwhelm them until they collapsed. There was no chance for them to fight their way out of this. Everything had gone exactly as Alastomon had planned. They had lost.
"We have to get out of here," Saki declared. They pointed two fingers in Mayumi's direction, and Yumiko and Hinoka flew over to the Warrior of Energy before picking her up and dropping her off with the rest of the group. Meanwhile, Siriusmon allowed his barrier to drop, and without the shell to lean on, Yumiko's vines crumpled as well. The rest of the Legendary Warriors joined their allies, following Saki's instructions without a second thought.
"No... We have to... Keep fighting..." Mayumi murmured. She wanted to put up more of a fight, to insist that they had to stay and defeat Alastomon, but she couldn't find the strength. Her vision was going dark at the corners, proof that her consciousness was on the verge of abandoning her in full.
"There's nothing we can do to win this fight," Saki countered. "If we're going to defeat Alastomon, we need to retreat so we can come up with a plan. This was a trap, and there's nothing we can do to get out of it. We don't have the energy to win right now. We have to run."
Mayumi barely registered that she was crying until after the tears had already spilled over onto her cheeks. She wanted to keep pushing back until Saki agreed to stay and keep fighting, but she knew it was a fruitless effort. She wasn't even able to stand anymore. How could she stand a chance against Alastomon when she couldn't find the energy to throw a punch? Saki was right, and she knew it. The battle was as good as over. They had lost.
Off in the distance, Alastomon laughed. "Run all you want, Legendary Warriors... It won't change a thing. You will die, and I will usher in a new era of the Digital World that has no need for saviors of the past," he declared. "Running will not save you. That much I promise."
A flash of purple magic filled Mayumi's vision after that, though she could have sworn she heard Alastomon's laughter ringing in her ears long after she had left the battlefield behind. The world seemed to tilt around her as the teleportation process carried itself to its end. Somehow, it was both all too fast and agonizingly slow, and Mayumi was confident she was going to be sick.
When she found herself on solid ground once again, Mayumi immediately fell onto her hands and knees. Orange light surrounded her in the blink of an eye, and she was left in her human form once again. She breathed heavily around the tears in her eyes and the exhaustion in her lungs. Behind her, Siriusmon also fell to his knees before he reverted to become Haroi. He leaned against the nearby wall, and Mayumi realized they were back at the fortress. It was the safest place they could have gone in light of the results of the battle. Ironically, it was a place they had been granted by Alastomon himself. Fate was a twisted thing that way.
Yumiko, Hinoka, Tomoki, and Junpei ran out of energy as soon as they realized they were safe, and they were surrounded by green, teal, blue, and yellow light respectively as their Resplendent forms faded. Saki glanced around the castle one last time just to make sure there were no enemies lurking about before sighing and letting themself return to normal as well. They were shaking violently by this point, though that could also be said about everyone else in the group. None of them were alright. There was no way for them to even come close given the circumstances.
Somehow, being away from the battlefield made the weight of everything that had happened hit Mayumi even harder. Biastamon was dead. Alastomon had murdered him for the sake of taking over the Digital World. Everything that had happened with the Void Fragments had been calculated for this moment. The Legendary Warriors had been strung along all this time as pawns in Alastomon's game. He had asked them to join him in taking over the Digital World. He was twisted enough to believe they wanted anything to do with him after what he had done. Their refusal meant the outbreak of yet another war, and he didn't even care. As long as he was able to take over the planet, nothing mattered to him.
Mayumi curled over herself as the truth hit her again and again, wrapping her arms around her torso as she leaned toward the ground. She couldn't stop the tears that forced their way from her eyes, and she began sobbing openly soon afterward. They had all lost. They had thought this would finally be the end of their battle against the mastermind behind the Void Fragments, but instead, they had just been led into another trap and an even greater lie. Nothing had gone the way they had wanted, and Biastamon had been the one to pay the price for it.
No one wanted to say anything even after they finally managed to convince themselves that they were safe. Even though they had left the battlefield in the Continent of Darkness behind, the memory of what had taken place there yet lingered, and moving beyond that was much easier said than done. For a long time, the only sound that pierced the silence was Mayumi's crying, and she didn't even bother to stifle the noise. She was too tired to try. She just wanted everything to stop even though she knew it wouldn't be that simple. Nothing was easy anymore, and it wouldn't be until Alastomon had been eliminated once and for all.
Izumi took in a careful breath before she forced herself to speak once again. "We should do what we can to rest," she announced. "I don't think any of us is in a good position to go back to Earth right now. We should stay here in the Digital World for a while longer and do what we can to try and recover from our wounds."
Tomoki nodded vacantly at that, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. He opened his mouth to try, but the words refused to form. He let out a heavy sigh and pressed one hand against his forehead as he shook his head. "It wasn't supposed to end like this..." he murmured when he could finally muster the strength to speak up. It was clear as could be, but he still had to say it. None of them had wanted this. Alastomon had played them all for fools, and there was nothing they could do about it now. He had won the day, and he would use that momentum to win the rest of the war if he was given the chance to do so.
Yumiko crouched down next to Mayumi, placing one hand on the other girl's back. The Warrior of Energy didn't flinch away or sink into the touch though, instead just continuing to cry where she was curled over herself on the floor. "Come on, Mayumi... I can help you to your room," Yumiko whispered soothingly. She was just as exhausted as the rest of them, but she still wanted to put on a brave face for the sake of her suffering friend. It wasn't a perfect solution to the problem at hand, but what else could she do? She couldn't just sit there and not try to help.
Mayumi remained still even as she heard Yumiko's words though. She couldn't find the strength she needed to rise from the floor and go to her room in the fortress. She hadn't ever spent the night in the fort, but she knew today would be the first time she tried it. Mayumi wasn't in any position to return to Earth just as Izumi had said before. She needed to stay there with her heavy emotions and her even heavier heart until she was able to ease herself out of her state of breakdown.
All of them needed to rest, as a matter of fact. The Resplendent Evolutions from earlier in the day were starting to take their toll, and that didn't even factor in the rest of the battle that had warranted the transformation to begin with. Using a Resplendent form was exhausting on the best of days, but this was well beyond what any of them could have imagined. They needed all the time they could get to breathe and rest. It wouldn't be easy, but they owed it to themselves to try.
Yumiko carefully eased her other hand under Mayumi's stomach before she helped to pull the Warrior of Energy up to her feet. Once Mayumi was up again, she stumbled as a wave of nausea slammed straight into her stomach. She hadn't realized just how much energy she had expended during the battle against Alastomon until after it was over. She needed to sleep this off and then eat as much food as she could stand when she woke up.
Yumiko was happy to escort Mayumi over to the elevator and then to her room on one of the upper floors of the fortress. Mayumi barely registered what was happening at all. Her legs ached, and each step felt like a trek up a mountain. Her vision was still darkened at the corners, a sign of her pending loss of consciousness. Mayumi felt awful for burdening Yumiko when she was sure the other girl was just as exhausted, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize openly. Her mouth couldn't have formed the words even if she wanted to talk. She was just too tired. All of them had been pushed well beyond their breaking points in a way none of them had known since their first encounter with the Royal Knights. What was it about battles just outside Rose Morning Star that seemed to so readily invite catastrophe?
As soon as Yumiko eased Mayumi onto her bed, the Warrior of Energy folded in on herself once again. Her tears began to stain the pillow beneath her head on the spot, but she didn't wipe them away. Instead, Mayumi just melted into Yumiko's touch as the other girl brushed a few threads of hair away from her face. Yumiko whispered something indecipherable to her friend before she started toward the door, leaving Mayumi alone.
The Warrior of Energy looked over to the window with vacant eyes that processed none of what she was seeing. The sun had almost completely set by now, and Mayumi could only wonder just how long she had been there in the Continent of Darkness with no way of understanding just how much time was passing. She let out a shaky sigh at the thought before deciding it didn't matter. She needed to rest, and she was happy to do so.
As soon as Mayumi's eyes closed, her sobbing began anew. She cried for everything that had been lost that day and wished for Alastomon's death all the while. Alastomon's defeat wouldn't bring Biastamon back, but it would at least be a step in the right direction. The Digital World needed that peace as soon as it could get it, and Mayumi wanted to do all she could to help those who needed her help the most. She owed it to them. She owed it to Biastamon after she had failed him so thoroughly that day.
All Mayumi wanted to do was cry, but she knew that wouldn't be possible for much longer. Sure enough, it only took her a minute to doze off once she had closed her eyes. Her breathing evened out as the world of darkness consumed her in full. The last thought to cross her mind was a distant musing about if this was what Biastamon had felt when he died.
And then, everything was gone.
~~~~~
Once Yumiko returned from escorting Mayumi up to her room, Takuya let out a sigh as he addressed the other Legendary Warriors. "We should all try to get some sleep. It's getting late," he declared. He glanced over to the nearby window with a frown, and he was met with the sight of the sun barely cresting the skyline in the distance. "We've had a long day."
"What about the people back home?" Junpei asked. "I know we left the investigation team in that abandoned store, but our parents are going to wonder where we went if we don't come home tonight."
"We can worry about that tomorrow. We're not in any condition to go back home right now anyway," Koji pointed out. "I don't want to leave them to worry about us for a day either, but going back is dangerous right now. We're safer here. We need to restore our energy in a world that can heal us as much as possible. We’ll recover faster here than we would if we were on Earth."
Junpei nodded. He didn't need much convincing to stay in the Digital World at all, and no one else did either. "Alright then... I guess that settles that," he murmured. "I feel like I've been put through a meat grinder. I'm going to bed. Maybe I'll feel better in the morning." The unspoken ending to his statement hung heavily in everyone else's mind: I probably won't though.
"You can stay with us for the night too," Saki told Miriamon. "I don't want you going back to Rubrum on your own right now. I have no idea what Alastomon is going to do next, but we're going to be safer together. We've got spare rooms." Miriamon nodded, humming her thanks under her breath even though the word was barely audible.
With that, the Legendary Warriors began the shuffle up the stairs and into the elevator to head up to their rooms. Haroi walked into the elevator alongside Izumi and Koji, and he noticed the former grasping at her abdomen to try and lessen the lingering sting of a bruise. All of them had taken too much damage during their final battle, and they couldn't keep themselves composed anymore. They needed a break, and they needed rest.
Haroi pressed one hand against his chest, biting back tears as the elevator began to carry him up through the fortress. He had absorbed Biastamon's memory data in the heat of the moment. When he realized what Alastomon was trying to do, Haroi had acted without thinking. If a Digimon was killed with their memory data intact, then they would remember everything when they regenerated. However, if their memories were absorbed, then they would start over from square one, a blank slate once they hatched from their egg. Saki had absorbed the memories of each of the Celestial Three, so none of their reincarnations remembered who they once had been. Haroi had been surprised when he first saw that lack of memory in action, but somehow, it felt all the more bittersweet now.
Haroi knew what Alastomon had been going for. He wanted to spit on Biastamon one last time by ensuring all memories of his past life were erased. It was a final act of violence that erased the history Biastamon had worked so hard to accumulate over the years. Alastomon hated his opposite, and anything he could do to make Biastamon's life worse was not only acceptable but welcomed in his eyes. Calling him disgusting was a grave understatement, and just the thought of Alastomon's laughter chilled Haroi to the bone.
Haroi had heard before that there was no way to restore a Digimon's memory data if it was absorbed by someone else. If he recalled correctly, Bokomon had mentioned it at one point. Even so, Haroi wasn't going to let that stop him. He owed it to Biastamon to try and return his memories to him. There was no way of saying when he would be able to visit the Village of Beginnings, but Haroi had been meaning to see Swanmon again at some point anyway. He might as well use that as an excuse to learn what he could about memory data and how he could potentially give Biastamon his old life back. It wouldn't be the same as long as his history was living on in the body of a child, but Haroi refused to let the rules of the world get in his way. As long as there was hope for things to go back to the way they had been, Haroi was willing to try.
Until then, he would need to stay safe and careful. He couldn't let anything bad happen to him for the sake of keeping Biastamon's memory alive. The upcoming battles would be dangerous, but Haroi would find a way to be ready for it. He owed that much to himself and to the people he was trying to save. There was too much on the line for him to be consumed by the tides of battle. The Digital World needed to be rescued, and Haroi was more than happy to rise to the occasion.
For the time being though, the best thing he could do was rest. All of the Legendary Warriors needed to rest. Nothing had been the same since Saki was forced into hiding, and the consequences of the assassination attempt against Miriamon could still be felt. They were too tired to come up with a plan, but when morning came, that would hopefully change. Haroi knew the wounds from the day's battle would hardly heal overnight, but he needed to do something to try and heal the gaping hole in his chest left behind by Biastamon's death. He couldn't keep going when there was no energy with which to continue in the first place.
Izumi and Koji shuffled off the elevator first, and Haroi took up the rear. He walked to his room limply, realizing too late just how much his legs hurt from the strain of the day. He hadn't been in his wheelchair since he left Earth behind, and he was starting to gravely regret that decision. At least he would be off his feet for the rest of the night. That had to count for something.
Haroi practically collapsed onto his bed once he had closed the door behind himself, and a heavy, rattling breath pushed its way out of his lungs. He had never been this exhausted before, and that was certainly saying something. The last twelve hours felt as if they had been twelve years with the constant agony of wars and waiting games, and he was desperate to escape in any way he could. He just needed everything to stop long enough for him to breathe.
Haroi's eyes fell closed easily enough, and he allowed sleep to rush in around him. All the while, he kept one hand pressed against his chest. When he focused enough, he could almost imagine the familiar sensation of Biastamon's magic surrounding him. It was a deep sense of peace that he needed more than anything. Biastamon's words from earlier in the day would stay with Haroi forever, and he would never allow himself to forget. Even if his friend was gone, his memory would live on. Haroi would make sure of that no matter what it took.
When he finally fell asleep, he did not dream. He lacked the strength necessary to see phantoms in the night. All that mattered was the darkness that surrounded Haroi and the comfort it brought him. This was not the end, but rather a new beginning. It was terrifying, but it was all he had.
After all, when he awoke, a war would be waiting for him once more.
Notes:
Whew. That was an emotional one.
This chapter very much acts as an extension of the previous one. In fact, a lot of the content from the previous chapter was originally planned to be here, but things wound up changing thanks to variations in pacing between my original outline and putting everything into writing. It's definitely a two-part special, and it should be viewed as such.
And it's definitely an intense way to end both the two-parter and the entirety of act three. Alastomon has revealed himself to be the traitor, and he's willing to wage war against the Legendary Warriors as long as he can claim leadership over the Digital World. Everything leading up to this point has been telegraphed by him to some degree, and he's absolutely terrifying. He's a manipulative bastard of a mastermind, and he uses that to his advantage gladly here.
My favorite part of this chapter was definitely Mayumi reaching the Resplendent level. It's very different from what the other Resplendent forms are like because of the darker circumstances, but I love the way it came out. Her design is adorable, and it definitely fits her chipper personality even if she doesn't feel quite so bright and cheerful right now. I had a lot of trouble figuring out how I wanted it to look, but I'm very happy with the final product.
The battle that took place after Mayumi reached her Resplendent form is very different from most other fights in this story because of the underlying theme of exhaustion. Everyone is very tired from the long battles that preceded this, and it shows. There's a reason so much happened after the start of the invasion arc; it was all building up to them completely crumpling here. Alastomon was counting on that, and the Legendary Warriors suffer for it. Like I said, he's a manipulative bastard, and everything worked out in his favor. The group was forced to retreat and they're in a terrible position now. Not even the arrival of a new Resplendent form was able to help them. As Mayumi mentions in the chapter, it's a lot like the battle against the Royal Knights to kick off act four from the first book. The two fights take place in the same area just outside Rose Morning Star, and they follow a massive battle that saw the death of a major leading Digimon. This time though, things feel a lot darker. It's a loss rather than a victory here.
And that theme of loss carries over into the final two scenes. Mayumi and the rest of the group collapses from exhaustion as soon as they're away from the battlefield, and all they can do now is try to recover their lost energy for the sake of the battles ahead. This is just the start of the war rather than the end, and they know it. This is the lowest point they've been at since the start of the book, and it shows. Morale is through the floor, and that's one hell of a way to end off a major arc.
The only positive in all of this is that Haroi was able to absorb Biastamon's memory data before Alastomon had the chance to finish the job. It's a very small blessing, but it's still something, and that's all the group has at this point. The circumstances just keep getting worse for them, but this is at least a small victory for them. Haroi is determined to do something with this too even if it won't be easy. Bokomon even claims it to be impossible. Haroi certainly has his work cut out for him, and so does everyone else.
Next week, we're going to begin the fourth act of the book and pick up right where we left off in the midst of the exhausted depression of the Legendary Warriors. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 45: The Hour of Despair
Summary:
Back at the fortress, the Legendary Warriors grapple with everything that took place in the last three days.
Chapter Text
When Mayumi next came to, the first thing she noticed was the bone-deep ache that had spread throughout her body. She stared up at the ceiling of her room as she blinked rapidly, trying to ground herself and remember just where she was. Her memories were hazy and distant, refusing to get close enough for her to grab at them and put the full picture together.
As soon as Mayumi looked over at the nearby window and the night sky beyond the glass, everything came rushing back to her. She was in the Digital World in the Legendary Warriors' fortress. She had spent the night there after the battle in the Continent of Darkness against Alastomon.
Alastomon.
He had killed Biastamon. He had asked the Legendary Warriors to join him in taking over the entire planet. He had ordered them killed when they decided to go against him. The reason for the entire invasion had been Alastomon's greed. He was twisted enough to spark such a massive battle for the sake of his own ambitions. To say Mayumi was disgusted at the thought of him was an understatement and then some. The mere memory of what he had done made anger spark and boil in her stomach with the threat of an oncoming explosion.
Mayumi forced herself to sit up despite the many ways in which her body protested. She was alone in her room, and she could barely even remember getting there in the first place. She was still tired and didn't think she was ready to face the rest of the day, but she already knew she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. Her stomach hurt not only from her rage but from hunger. As soon as she heard her stomach rumble, Mayumi winced, wondering just when she had last eaten anything. As it turned out, the answer to that question was not one she wanted to hear. The last thing she had eaten was the night before she and Haroi went off to find Saki. In other words, it had probably been a good thirty hours since she last got anything in her stomach. No wonder she felt so miserable.
Mayumi had to force herself out of bed slowly but surely, in desperate need of food but knowing that retrieving it would be much easier said than done. She shuffled over to the elevator with one hand braced against the wall. The world was starting to spin around her, but she moved onward regardless. She needed to stay focused. After she ate something, she could go back to sleep. If she was asleep, she wouldn't be able to think about how completely she had failed Biastamon.
Before Mayumi knew it, she had started to cry. She only noticed this after the tears had started rolling down her cheeks, and she used her free hand to rub at her face desperately. That did little to stop her from crying even more though, and by the time she arrived at the elevator, her eyes were pink, and her chest was heaving with sobs. She fumbled for the button to open the doors, hoping she didn't wake anyone else up. She was confident the other Legendary Warriors were there in the fortress too, all doing their best to sleep off the aftermath of the battle from earlier in the day. Gods above, the battle had been that day. Somehow, it felt both like a fresh wound and an eternity ago, and Mayumi's heart once again ached with grief old and new.
She had reached the Resplendent level. She should have been proud of herself to some degree for that much, but she couldn't bring herself to be happy at all. Alastomon had killed Biastamon. The leader of the Beast Digimon had brought her so far, and she couldn't have possibly thanked him enough. He was the reason she had been able to accept herself in the heat of the moment, but it had come at the price of his death. This didn't feel like a victory in the slightest. It was a loss, and Mayumi felt it through her entire body.
"Mayumi?"
The Warrior of Energy went quiet and still at the sound of her name, and she looked up to see Haroi approaching her. He was leaning against the wall as well. He barely looked any better than Mayumi, though he was incredibly pale since he didn't have his wheelchair. It had been left downstairs in the shuffle following the group's return to the fortress. He had been too exhausted to bring it up to his room, though he was no doubt starting to regret that decision now.
Mayumi tried her best to say something to her brother, but the words died out on her tongue before she could force them into the air. Instead, all that pushed its way out of her lips was a sob, and she hugged a little bit tighter at her upper body. She was miserable, but she doubted any words would ever be able to express the degree of her agony to the people around her. All she could think about was how she had failed Biastamon and the Digital World as a whole. She had been deceived by someone who wanted to hurt others, and she hadn't known it until it was too late. How could she not be a failure after falling so short in so many metrics?
"Come on," Haroi suggested when the doors to the elevator opened. "I think we should both try to get some food and water. I woke up feeling awful since I haven't done enough to look after myself today. I get the feeling you the same way."
Mayumi just offered a wordless nod as she walked into the elevator with Haroi. He pushed the button to take them down to the bottom floor, and Mayumi stared down at the place where her shoes met the ground. She had been so exhausted when she got up to her room that she hadn't even bothered with taking off her jacket or kicking her shoes away. That was certainly a testament to how awful the day had been, though Mayumi didn't know how much she wanted to acknowledge that. At this point, all she really wanted was to get some food in her stomach. Her other spirals of grief and doubt could wait until later.
When the elevator doors opened again, Mayumi and Haroi were on the main floor of the fortress. They walked out slowly, and Haroi made a beeline for his wheelchair. He practically collapsed into the seat, sighing with relief along the way. He started to wheel himself in the direction of the kitchen, and Mayumi followed him. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly, and each movement pushed her a little bit closer to another complete collapse. Her exhaustion went deeper than needing food, water, and sleep, and somehow, that was the worst part.
When Mayumi entered the kitchen, she was surprised to see that she and Haroi weren't alone. Saki of all people was already inside and sitting at the counter with a small protein bar in one hand. They looked up with a shocked sheen in their eyes before forcing themself to hide their surprise once again. "Morning," they greeted casually.
Mayumi cast a brief glance over to the clock on the oven and winced. The digital display read 3:35. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep or when she had even gotten back to the fortress in the first place, but she ultimately decided to not think about it. Instead, she made her way to the refrigerator before reaching for a trio of cheese sticks. She picked a meat apple out for Haroi before passing it in his direction. She sat down at the other countertop seat beside Saki as Haroi rolled over to them, leaning his elbows onto the granite.
For a while, the three of them ate in silence. There wasn't much they could say to make the situation any easier, so they instead opted to focus on their bodies' needs first and foremost. Mayumi wanted to bounce her leg on the spot for the sake of making a distraction for herself, but a cramp in her calf quickly cut her short. She was too tired to even stimulate her mind and body that way. She really had reached rock bottom whether she wanted to admit it or not.
"I'm sorry."
Mayumi glanced over to Saki at the sound of their voice, her jaw dropping and her eyes going wide in shock. She wanted to ask what they were sorry for and why, but she couldn't force the words out no matter how hard she tried. Instead, all she could do was stare. She gave up on talking after a few moments, instead turning back to her cheese sticks and taking a mighty bite out of the second one as she waited for an explanation.
"I'm sorry for being tricked so easily," Saki elaborated. They refused to meet eyes with Mayumi or Haroi, instead glaring daggers into the countertop before them. "I really thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong. It was all part of Alastomon's game from the start. I can't believe I let myself get sucked in so easily. I... I didn't mean for it to cost you Biastamon. I'm sorry."
Mayumi shook her head as she swallowed her bite of her cheese stick. "It's not your fault," she murmured, finally managing to choke words out for the first time since she woke up. "Alastomon was always planning on killing Biastamon. If he hadn't acted today, then he would have done it later on. He had all of us tricked, not just you. Even if you hadn't found the letters in Biastamon's office, Alastomon would have found a way to get us all on his side. He manipulates people. That's what he does."
"I wish I had been able to see through it though," Saki confessed. "I always thought I was good at this. I should be good at this. I know all the ways people can hurt each other for their own gain. I've seen it firsthand so many times, and still... He caught me unaware."
"He caught all of us unaware," Haroi corrected. "It's not your burden to bear because he tricked us. You didn't ask for him to deceive you. Besides, Mayumi's right. Even if he hadn't planted the letters for you and Miriamon to find, he would have found some other way to get us on his side. He was planning this for ages, and we were pawns in his game. We didn't know it until it was too late, and that's not something we can hold against ourselves. I'm not going to say it's easy for us to not blame ourselves for it, but it's the truth."
"I wish it hadn't ended that way," Mayumi murmured. She set down her final cheese stick before she could take a bite of it, instead pressing her arms against the counter and placing her forehead on top of them. "Alastomon was dragging us along for so long, and it ended with him killing someone we care about. I know we couldn't have known what he was going to do until it was too late, but... It still hurts. I wish we had been able to fix this and make it right. I wish we had been able to save him."
Before Mayumi could hold herself back, she started to cry once again, her sobs shaking her entire body. "He understood me," she went on. "I've hated myself for so long because of the way others see me. I thought it was my fault when other people decided I was irredeemable and a problem. I was so sure I was the one to blame, but... He helped me to realize that maybe I deserved better than that. That was how I was able to reach the Resplendent form at all. He showed me that I'm worth more than what others think of me. He taught me that I can be a person, and now... He's gone."
Haroi pressed one hand against his chest as he swallowed dryly. "I was able to get Biastamon's memory data before Alastomon absorbed it," he reminded Mayumi. "I want to see if there's a way to transplant it into Biastamon's egg once he hatches. He has to be in the Village of Beginnings as an egg now, and if we can go there to talk to Swanmon about it, then she should be able to help us find him. From there, it's just a matter of figuring out how to transport his memory data back into his body."
"I've never heard of something like that working," Saki frowned. "As far as I've heard, absorbing a Digimon's memory data is it. They can't ever get it back, and it's stuck with you for the rest of your life."
"I'm going to find a way around that," Haroi told them. "We've done things others see as impossible before. One could even argue that us being both human and Digimon is impossible, but here we are. We defeated Lucemon and saved the Digital World countless times. This is just another thing for us to add to our resume of doing the impossible."
Mayumi smiled as she looked up to her brother. Her face was still streaked with tears, but she didn't wipe them away. "Thank you, Haroi," she murmured. "If anyone can figure this out, I know it's us... We just need to figure out how to do it."
"And we will," Haroi promised her. "One way or another, we're going to make this right... For Biastamon's sake, we'll fix this. I swear it."
~~~~~
Miriamon's knuckles rapped against the doorframe marking the entrance to the room the Digimon guides shared in the fortress. "Can I come in?" she questioned. She was partially afraid the night had completely swallowed the quintet and that they would all be asleep, but she couldn't help wanting to at least pay them a visit. She was too wound up to go back to bed for herself, and she didn't want to bother Saki when they were going through more than enough as it was. After Saki, Miriamon knew the Digimon guides best thanks to the events of the last few days, so they were her first targets for conversation.
To say that Miriamon was struggling was a grave understatement. She hadn't been able to focus on much of anything aside from Alastomon and Biastamon ever since the battle outside Rose Morning Star. She was still exhausted to the core from everything that had taken place, and trying to snap herself out of it was damn near impossible. She had slept for as long as she could stand, but it wasn't long before her body pulled her up once again. There wasn't much she could do protest that, so she just decided to go along with it. That would at least save her time since she wasn't battling her body and mind anymore.
Miriamon was about to just leave the Digimon where they were, suspecting they were all still asleep, when she heard Bokomon's voice from inside. "Come in," he instructed. He sounded surprisingly alert, and if Miriamon had to guess, she would have assumed he was struggling to sleep just the same as everyone else.
Sure enough, when Miriamon pushed the door open and stepped inside, she was met with the sight of Bokomon, Neemon, and the reincarnations of the Celestial Three gathered together on the same bed. They looked like they were huddling together for warmth, though Miriamon knew it was a matter of emotional comfort more than anything else. She closed the door carefully behind herself as she approached them. "I see I'm not the only one struggling to sleep," she began casually.
"I don't think anyone here is sleeping well at the moment," Lopmon pointed out, and Miriamon nodded her agreement. She had heard Saki shuffling around earlier, and she could only guess they weren't the only one. So much had happened ever since the attack on Rubrum a few days ago. It was difficult to keep track of it all, and Miriamon felt dizzy when she just tried. They were all exhausted, and she could feel it deep in the pit of her stomach.
Miriamon sat down beside the five Digimon, watching them all with her tired eyes. "How are you doing?" she asked gently. "I know that's probably a pointless question since we all feel miserable, but... I at least want to ask."
Bokomon and Neemon shared a look before the latter sighed. "I miss Biastamon," he murmured.
"Yeah... Me too," Miriamon agreed as she looked down at where her hands were folded simply and purposelessly on her lap. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Biastamon ever since Alastomon stabbed them all in the back. It wasn't surprising at all, but it stung regardless. She just wanted to help people, but instead, she had been met with the sting of betrayal. There was nothing she could do about it now, but that did nothing to lessen the pain.
"I miss being able to trust people," Patamon confessed. "I know we were going to have to find the truth behind all of this eventually, but... I hate not knowing who I can count on anymore. We all thought Alastomon was going to help us out no matter what, and instead, he did... All of that. I don't know what to do now."
"I feel the same way," Salamon chimed in. "I hate that we're always going to be worried about this now... I don't want to fear people betraying me no matter what. I want to be able to live and be happy."
"Biastamon wanted to help us do that... Even when we thought he had stabbed us in the back, he wanted to help us," Bokomon murmured. "He didn't try to fight us until we started to push back first. He was trying to stand with us, and the instant Alastomon realized our faith was shaking..."
"It makes a lot of sense now," Miriamon whispered bitterly. "I thought something was strange when we first saw the letters in Biastamon's room. It just didn't feel right. I ignored all of that when the massive invasion began the next day though. I couldn't focus on my gut instincts with so much on the line, so I shoved it to the side. I convinced myself we were right about thinking Biastamon was behind all of this even though I knew better from the start... Alastomon was counting on that. Well, he was expecting me to die first and foremost, but he thought we would be able to convince ourselves when we were put under pressure. He knew how to put us in a bad position, and he knew how to take advantage of it on top of that."
"We need to stop Alastomon as soon as possible," Salamon announced. "We can't just leave him alone and expect everything to be okay. He's going to find a way to come back and make our lives miserable if we give him the chance. We have to track him down and make sure he doesn't get the opportunity to hurt anyone ever again."
"I just wish we knew what to do about that," Patamon sighed. "We don't know where his headquarters are, and even if we could find them, we would be at a major disadvantage if we tried to fight him there. He's got an entire army, and he could start possessing other Digimon to join his Void Fragment vanguard if we leave him alone for too long."
"We need to act fast," Miriamon agreed. "I don't know what we're going to do in order to pull that off, but there has to be some path forward that will help us... There must be."
The room fell silent for a long while, and Lopmon shook his head. "It makes so much sense to think that Alastomon is behind all of this," he murmured. "The situation with Biastamon... It felt too convenient, didn't it? There was something else behind all of this from the start, and I could feel it. I didn't realize I was right at the time, but now..."
"We only realized just how deep a hole we had dug for ourselves once it was too late," Miriamon finished for him. "Saki thought the hard evidence wouldn't lie, and I went along with it since I didn't have the room to fight back in the midst of the invasion. We had no reason to believe the letters were wrong... But Alastomon planned out everything from the start. He knew how we were going to respond to the assassination attempt, and he trapped us before we even knew we were in danger to begin with. All of this was so well planned, and we didn't have a way of getting out of it until after..."
"It was too late," Neemon said, picking up right where Miriamon had let off. The Arbiter of Souls nodded gently and imperceptibly, and Neemon sighed. "I just wish we had the chance to talk to Biastamon about all of this... I want to say sorry to him for not believing him sooner. Now, it feels so obvious that he wasn't involved with what happened, but we didn't believe him until it was too late."
"That's impossible though... And that's one of the worst parts," Bokomon sighed. "We burnt one of the main bridges for alliance we had at our disposal, and we can't even make things right now that everything has changed. Biastamon won't remember anything of his past life when he regenerates since his data was absorbed by Haroi. I would much rather his memory data end up in Haroi's hands than Alastomon's, of course, but... It's still not a good situation regardless of how you look at it."
"For all we know, this could have destroyed any potential relationship we had with the people of Inaie too," Miriamon frowned. "I wouldn't blame Darcmon or Hippogriffomon at all if they decided they hated us after hearing about all of this. I don't think anyone could hold it against them, as a matter of fact. They warned us about trusting Alastomon, and we didn’t listen. Now, their friend is dead, and he won’t remember them when he goes back through the cycle of reincarnation again."
"We'll need to go talk to them to hear what they think of the current situation," Neemon said. "Plus, we need to warn them about the upcoming battle. They're not going to want to hear it, but it would be better if we told them about it sooner rather than later."
"Especially since I can only imagine they'll end up being targeted by Alastomon at some point in the very near future," Lopmon chimed in. "They preach equality for all people in the Digital World, and that will no doubt put them in danger once Alastomon is able to gather his bearings once more."
Miriamon couldn't help sighing at that. She could feel a headache starting to pull at the sides of her head, but she did her best to ignore it. She had never imagined the world would fall apart so completely in just one short day. Everything had been under control to some degree even just twenty-four hours prior, but Alastomon had broken all of that. Even when he was at a disadvantage and looked like he was on the ropes, he still managed to win out. Everything had been planned from the start, and there was nothing any of them could do about it.
The more Miriamon thought about it, the more she hated Alastomon for everything he had done. The assassination attempt would have gotten rid of her under the best set of circumstances. Even though Saki intervened before the assassination could end in murder, the situation was still exactly as Alastomon had wanted it to be. Miriamon and Saki began to hide for the sake of learning more, and Alastomon was more than happy to plant false evidence in the perfect place for it to be discovered and used against Biastamon. He had predicted everything exactly.
And that didn't even begin to mention the invasion. That made it look like Saki and Miriamon were being targeted for finding the truth, only increasing their distaste for Biastamon and leaving them to charge after Alastomon's rival. Meanwhile, the rest of the Legendary Warriors were exhausted to the point of not being able to fight. Mayumi and Haroi being with Biastamon hadn't been part of the original plan, but Alastomon had still been able to spin it in a way that benefited him effortlessly. Mayumi and Haroi were the perfect motivation for the rest of the group to target Biastamon and lead him to his death. Even when the truth began to make itself known through Biastamon's words and logic, Alastomon had the upper hand.
The thought of everything that had happened made Miriamon want to cry. She hadn't recognized Lucemon's power when it was right in front of her because Alastomon was doing all he could to mask it. He limited his exposure to Lucemon's magic for the sake of keeping the ruse alive until the instant he could fully embrace everything the Angel of Hell left behind. He had been waiting for this, and it had gone exactly as he had hoped. Miriamon's ability to detect her brother's power didn't do her any good. In the end, it was just another piece on Alastomon's chessboard, and there was nothing she could do but watch as he claimed checkmate and won the game.
It felt even worse because it was the same gambit Miriamon and Saki had relied on to make their own plan work. Saki had been masking their own magic, and they had tried to use it so they could win… But they didn’t realize their enemy had come up with the same plan. Alastomon had been doing it for even longer than they had, as a matter of fact, and he was doing a better job of it too. Every step of the way, Alastomon had been ready for the unexpected, and he was happy to destroy anyone who dared to stand in the way of his complete victory. He had offered to let the Legendary Warriors join him, but he hadn’t given a damn for them when they decided against him. Alastomon didn’t care about any of them. He didn’t care about anything but his own bloodlust and thirst for power.
Before she knew it, Miriamon felt tears in her eyes, and she pressed her face into her hands. She felt Bokomon's hand against her arm, but she didn't look up to him. Instead, all she did was sob into her palms. Everything had been planned against her from the start, and she had been too much of a fool to see it. The world was on the verge of ending, and there was nothing she could do to fix it. Alastomon had played her and everyone else like pawns in the world’s largest chess game, and it was just a matter of time before he caught up with them again.
That was another part of all this that made Miriamon miserable. Alastomon had let them go before, but it was only because he was gearing up for something even greater. They had barely managed to survive in a fight against him once he showed his true colors, and as soon as he pulled together the full extent of his power to use against the Legendary Warriors, it was as good as over. The Legendary Warriors had only won against Lucemon's magic the first time because of the Grand Spirit, but it was unreliable and couldn't be summoned with any degree of ease. That was part of the point; it had previously been locked securely in place for the sake of keeping Lucemon in his prison at the center of the Digital World. Now, things were different since there was no physical form of Lucemon to restrain in the first place, but the power of Susanoomon continued to evade them. Not even Miriamon knew how to bring its magic to the forefront, and she was the one who had created the damn Grand Spirit.
Miriamon hadn’t tried to find it that hard either. She had been hoping it would be unnecessary. The Grand Spirit was a last resort, and while it had been needed before, she had thought this time would be different. She thought the Legendary Warriors would be able to handle it this time. She had been certain they were acting quickly enough for all of this to be a preventative measure rather than the setup for a massive war. Now, it was too late for her to start searching for wherever the Grand Spirit had wound up after the Digital World restructured itself from Lucemon’s fall. It was too late for any of them to do anything to fix this.
They were all as good as dead. They had managed to escape once, but that didn't mean much of anything. Lucemon's magic had been repurposed for the sake of bringing the universe to ruin, and if the Angel of Hell's previous resurrection was anything to go off, it was just a matter of time before the Digital World crumbled in full. Alastomon was a different vessel, but he was just as cunning and manipulative, and he would find a way to win.
Miriamon continued to cry even as the five Digimon with her gathered close, all of them doing what they could to comfort her in the silence. They didn't bother with speaking, knowing there were no words that could make this right in the first place. All of them had failed, and they would have to live with that reality until the day they died. Biastamon was gone, Alastomon was at large, and the army of Void Fragments was continuing to grow. Things had never looked bleaker for the Legendary Warriors, and it was sickening.
Miriamon wanted to have hope. She so desperately wanted to believe there was a chance they could come out of this on top. She knew better than to pin her optimism on something prematurely though. That was how she had ended up as the Arbiter of Souls to begin with. Her own brother had murdered her, and the world had fallen apart around her. No matter how much Miriamon wanted to think this could all work out somehow, she knew better. They were all going to die, and it was all her fault for not seeing the truth sooner.
And so, she simply cried, for there was nothing else she could do.
~~~~~
Elsewhere in the castle, Koji rose from his slumber and rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. He wasn't sure what time it was, but if he had to assume, it was probably close to four in the morning. The sun hadn't even started its climb over the horizon again, and Koji was fine with that. As much as he liked the light that came with his own element, he knew it would have only given him a headache when he was sleep-deprived, dehydrated, and hungry. He needed to eat something even though he doubted his stomach would cooperate with him willingly.
Until he was able to get some food in his stomach, Koji decided to walk around the castle and try to clear his head. He needed to do something to get rid of the lingering traces of energy that continued to claw at the back of his mind after the events of the day and all its battles. The best way for him to do that was to distract himself, and so, he shoved his hands into his pockets and started to make laps around the fortress. He stared down at the ground where his shoes touched the floor below, never quite able to find the energy to lift his head.
Somehow, waking up again made it feel even more real. The day had been a complete disaster. Alastomon had won the battle in the Continent of Darkness, and he had gotten away with killing Biastamon. That was only a small part of the catastrophe too. There had been a massive attack on Earth on top of that, and the investigation team knew the truth about the Digimon now. Tomoki had reached the Resplendent level, and Koji had threatened to kill Yutaka in cold blood.
There was a subject Koji didn't want to think about. Yutaka hadn't been on his mind much since he went to the Digital World to try and defeat the mastermind behind the Void Fragments, but now that the battle was over, Koji had all the time in the world to think about Tomoki's older brother. Yutaka had quite possibly ruined his life by revealing that Koji knew the truth about Koichi's existence. Koji didn't know how Kousei was going to react when he inevitably went back home, but he didn't want to think about it either. That would only give him an even worse headache, and he couldn't deal with that right now. He needed a break, not to think about how much he despised his father in his greatest moment of weakness.
"Koji?"
The Warrior of Light glanced up and realized he wasn't alone in being awake at the ridiculously early hours of the morning. He should have expected the other Legendary Warriors to struggle with sleeping too. They had all been through a lot. How could they just lay down and pretend none of it had happened?
At the moment though, Koji was only faced with Koichi. Unsurprisingly, the Warrior of Darkness looked just as haggard and exhausted as his twin. Koji took a few steps toward Koichi, unable to shake his frown away. "Can't sleep?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.
"I don't know how anyone could," Koichi confessed. He paused for a moment, and Koji already knew what he was about to ask before he could pose the question. "Are you thinking about things back on Earth?"
"You could say that," Koji sighed. "I figured out the way our father found out about me knowing about you. As it turns out, Yutaka hasn't just been stalking Tomoki. I don't know why he did it, but he was the one who revealed to our father that I know you. He's the reason for this entire train wreck."
Koichi shook his head at that, but before he could say anything on the subject, he glanced over his shoulder. Koji realized the reason for the distraction a moment later as the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Tomoki, Junpei, and Hinoka were all walking closer to the twins. As was to be expected, all three of them looked completely exhausted. They had slept for a few hours after getting back to the fortress, but it wasn't enough to stave off the aftermath of the battle from earlier in the day. No single night of sleep could cure all their current issues regardless of how good it was.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything," Junpei remarked. He had his hands shoved into his pockets as he stood primarily on his right foot. If Koji had to wager a guess, he would have said Junpei sprained his left ankle at some point in the scuffle of the day and didn't notice it until he pulled the weight off the muscles. Adrenaline was one hell of a drug in the heat of a battle, after all, though whether that was a good thing or not had yet to be decided.
"Not at all," Koichi assured them. "We were just talking about..." He glanced over in Tomoki's direction warily, trying to figure out if he should admit to discussing Yutaka behind the Warrior of Ice's back.
Tomoki was quick to pick up on it though, and he let out a sigh. "My brother?" he asked, and Koichi nodded. Tomoki allowed his eyes to fall closed as he leaned against the nearby wall tiredly. "I can't say I'm particularly surprised."
"What happened with Yutaka?" Hinoka questioned as she glanced back and forth between the twins and Tomoki. "I can only assume this happened when I was with Takuya back on Earth, right?"
"Yeah," Koji confirmed. "Yutaka's been following all of us around, and he's learned a lot about us as a result. He snitched on me to my father and revealed that I know about Koichi. We were trying to keep that a secret, but I guess it doesn't matter now. My father found out, he yelled at me, and I ran off. That was the night before the invasion began."
"We found out about it during the attack," Tomoki went on. "He was chasing me down, and when Koji arrived, everything came clicking together... It was when I Spirit Evolved to the Resplendent level too. I was so angry at him, and I just... Changed."
"D-Did you Spirit Evolve in front of him?" Junpei asked, his eyes going wide as his face somehow got even paler.
"I did," Tomoki admitted as he pried his eyes open once again. "Yutaka barely even seemed surprised when I Spirit Evolved though. I would have thought seeing his younger brother change so drastically would have at least caught him off guard a little bit, but... No."
"I don't want to be the one to say this, but... Is it possible Yutaka already knew part of the truth before the invasion began?" Junpei questioned. "He's been following all of us around for ages. It's not impossible to believe he would have picked up on a few of the details we were trying to hide."
"I'm not sure," Tomoki admitted with a shake of his head. "I guess it's possible that's the case, but... I have no idea for sure. If Yutaka did know about this before the invasion began, then that leaves us in a really weird position. If he knew the truth, then why didn't he use it as blackmail material sooner? I don't get it."
"Don't worry about him trying to screw any of us over with the truth, by the way," Koji told the anxious, terrified, and pale Junpei, Hinoka, and Koichi. "I turned into Beowolfmon when I realized our cover had been blown, and I told him that if he told anyone about this, I would kill him. I can't say I'm keen on the idea of murdering a human, but if anyone out there deserves to die, it would be Yutaka Himi. After everything he's done to Tomoki, he doesn't deserve to live, though I suppose I'm a bit too human to act as the judge, jury, and executioner. If it comes to that though… I’m willing to do what I have to in order to keep everyone safe."
"I hope he doesn't try anything, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Tomoki sighed. "I hope our mutual blackmail will be enough to keep him quiet, but I don't know for sure. My brother always finds new and inventive ways to make my life miserable. I'm sure you've already figured that much out."
"We'll figure it out together," Koji assured him. "Just like we can figure out how to handle the situation with my father. I doubt he's going to be happy when I have to go home and talk to him about having known the truth for months without saying anything to him. That's a headache I don't think I'll ever be ready to deal with."
"You don't have to think about it yet then," Junpei said. "We're here in the Digital World for a reason, and part of it is about us needing to take a moment to breathe. To put it simply, the last seventy-two hours have been a fucking dumpster fire. We can think about what's going to happen after we go back home later. For now, we should focus on not completely falling apart. I know that's much easier said than done even if we don't want to admit it."
"You can say that again," Koji sighed. He stared daggers at the floor for a few long moments before shaking his head. "I'm going to get some food and water. It's been too long since I got out of my own head."
Koji started to walk away at that, and the rest of the group trailed after him, though none of them dared to say a word on the matter. There wasn't anything they could say to make this easier even if they wanted to, so the best thing they could do was focus on their own health and try to get out of this disaster in one piece. Everything else could wait. It was hardly a perfect system, but it would at least do something for them.
Try as they might, they couldn't undo the events of the last day. They could, however, do all they could to look out for themselves and each other. It would push them a bit closer to the dawn of the next day, so who were they to object?
~~~~~
A few hours had passed since Chihiro settled down to try and get some rest, but they couldn't exactly put a finger on how much they had actually slept. Their head was pounding dully, and they had no idea what to do about it. They just wanted their brain to stop screaming at them for even a moment, and they would do anything in their power to reach that point.
Chihiro wound up secluding themself in a corner of the fortress on one of the upper floors. They sat gracelessly in a chair and pulled their legs up to their chest. As much as they wanted to hide in bed until all of this went away—even though they knew fully well that wasn't going to happen—they felt too restless and miserable just staring at the ceiling. Walking to another part of the fortress hadn't entirely fixed that, but it was something. At this point, Chihiro was willing to take what progress they could get, embittered and pissed off as they were.
Hours had come and gone since the battle against Alastomon and the death of Biastamon, but Chihiro couldn't say they felt any better than they had before all of this. A hole had opened in their chest when they realized just how dangerous the investigation team was to their plans, and the situation with Alastomon only made them feel worse. Their paranoia had reached a high point even before all of this began, and the situation was only continuing to get darker. How could they snap themself out of their raging thoughts when there was no peace in the future as far as they could tell?
Chihiro hated feeling like this. They had been overwhelmed by their own helplessness so many times before, but they had thought they were getting better about moving past it after they ran away from home. Their parents hadn't cared enough to look for them, and Chihiro had used that to their advantage to hide away until they could make a new life for themself. Now, their parents were in prison for all the illegal activities they had been getting up to while acting as politicians, and Chihiro was safer than ever before... At least, they were safer from their parents specifically.
The investigation team had been the start of the castle of cards caving in, and Chihiro hadn't been able to put it back together even after all this time. The investigation team was constantly hot on their heels, always looking for a truth Chihiro didn't want to reveal. The four of them could have ripped everything to shreds if they wanted. In the end, it hadn't even mattered. All four of them knew the truth now anyway, and Shinya and Masae did too. Even though that should have been a weight off Chihiro's shoulders—to know they finally didn't need to worry about this as much as they had been these last few months—they couldn't bring themself to enjoy it. For all they knew, this was going to come back to bite them again in the near future, and what were they going to do about that when the time came?
The Void Fragments had only been another invader intent on destroying Chihiro's peace. They had thought it was a problem in the Digital World alone, something they could leave alone when they returned to Earth, but that had been false. The possessed Digimon began to target the Legendary Warriors before they knew what to do to fight back, and now, they were stuck with no choice but to fight for their lives in both universes. Hinoka being directly targeted had been just the beginning of it, and everything else was only continuing to crumble as time went on.
And that brought Chihiro to the current issue on their mind. Alastomon's betrayal somehow made all of this even worse, and they hadn't even thought things could sink any lower. The one behind the Void Fragments had been someone the Legendary Warriors had all trusted, and he had been using them as pawns from the start. There had been no escape for them no matter what they did. Alastomon had wanted to stab them in the back from the outset, and he had been priming them for the perfect moment to ruin their lives. To say it was twisted was an understatement, and Chihiro hated it with every fiber of their being.
The Warrior of Earth stared down at their hands, noticing the way their fingers shook along the way. They had been running on fumes for ages now, and they didn't know what to do to fix it. How could anyone fix it? Their fears of being stabbed in the back had been made real. They weren't living with their parents anymore, but that didn't matter as far as their mind was concerned. Their brain was still convinced they were in danger, and the worst part of all was that it was right. They were in danger, and they couldn't just push the idea of it all out of their mind until it worked itself out. This wasn't going to fix itself. Chihiro was stalled like a car in a snowstorm, and they couldn't escape this no matter how hard they tried. The universe was out for their blood, and there was nothing they could do to fix that.
"Chihiro?"
The Warrior of Earth looked up at the sound of their name, and they were met with three familiar faces drawing near. Takuya, Izumi, and Yumiko stood in front of them, all three watching them with concern in their eyes. Izumi was the one who had spoken, the word so fragile on her tongue that it threatened to fall apart at a moment's notice. The overwhelming worry and empathy on her face made Chihiro feel sick to their stomach. How pathetic were they to have everyone looking at them like they were made of glass?
That self-loathing thought was all it took for the earth to collapse beneath Chihiro's feet, and they began to sob before they could hold their cries back. They let one hand come up to hide the upper half of their face even though they knew it wouldn't work. They couldn't stop crying no matter how hard they tried, and they couldn't speak either. There was a weight in their chest that refused to let go, strangling their heart and leaving them with no choice but to sit there as their friends watched them in silent fear and horror.
"It's okay, Chihiro," Takuya murmured as he came to stand beside them. He put a hand on their shoulder carefully to test the waters, and Chihiro practically melted against the touch. They leaned against his arm, but they didn't bother with trying to embrace him. They were too busy trying to hold back their sudden flood of tears to even entertain the idea. Their heart was screaming in their chest, and their mind was slinging all the hatred it could in their direction. Chihiro didn't think they had felt this bad in a long time.
So when they spoke again, their words came out as a harsh bark. "No, it's not!" they shouted. "The investigation team knows who we are, Earth is in chaos from the invasion, Alastomon stabbed us in the back, Biastamon is dead, and the Digital World is in more danger than ever! There's nothing we can do to fix any of it! The world is falling apart around us, and we can't do jack shit! Our only option is sitting around and waiting for this fucking train wreck to destroy us!"
"That's not true," Yumiko countered with a shake of her head. "I know things are bad right now. All of us know it. Still, we're not going to let that stop us. We've come too far to give up now. The Digital World and Earth both need us, and we're going to keep fighting no matter what it takes.
"All of us are here for you if you want to talk," Izumi agreed. "I know you're going through a lot right now... But you don't need to hide everything. We're all here to help you no matter what. We've come this far together, and we'll keep fighting no matter what comes our way."
"I know you're not going to want to hear this, but... I think it would help you to talk about your issues with using your Beast and Hybrid Evolutions," Takuya said carefully. "Beast Spirits are fueled by strong emotions, and if you can't access that form, then it must be because of issues internally. You don't need to bottle everything up, Chihiro. We're here to talk if you need it. In fact, I think it would help you."
Chihiro pulled away from Takuya at that, instead burying their face in between their knees as they put their arms up as a barrier between themselves and the outside world. They couldn't bring themself to speak up no matter how much they knew they needed to. Their friends were worried, and Chihiro wanted to alleviate their anxieties… But they couldn't just make the words form, and even if they had that power, they wouldn't have been able to make this right. They knew that all too bitterly well. Their friends wouldn't be able to fix just how fucked up and broken they were.
As much as Chihiro hated to admit it, they were afraid. They didn't want to open up about everything they were going through in case it invited the universe to hurt them again. They had been through enough leading up to this, and they didn't know how much more pressure they could take. Chihiro had spoken of their fears about the investigation team finding out the truth behind all of their identities as the Legendary Warriors, and then it had happened. What if they had spoken it into existence by bringing it up? They knew it was ridiculous to blame themself for all of this, but they couldn't help it. Their mind just wanted to tear them apart so much, and Chihiro wanted it too. It felt like they deserved it at this point.
They were scared of being helped. Chihiro had been self-reliant for so long, hiding so many secrets from even Takuya, and opening up felt like it was just asking for everything to crumble around them. They couldn't take the weight anymore. Chihiro had to wonder if they had ever been able to withstand the pressure to begin with, and they doubted it. They were a coward, and the universe terrified them. Everything terrified them, as a matter of fact. They couldn't fix any of this, and they couldn't talk to anyone else about it either. The world was ending around them, and all Chihiro could do was sit there and watch it fall.
Chihiro didn't realize how hard they were crying until they felt Takuya's hand come down on their shoulder again. They jerked away immediately, and they could feel Takuya's shocked eyes on them. Takuya knew when to not push their boundaries, but he was upset about it anyway. He didn't want to just abandon Chihiro when they were struggling so clearly. At the same time though, that was all Chihiro wanted. It was what they deserved. They couldn't think about their own feelings without believing they were going to explode into a million pieces that could never be put back together again. Why couldn't they just be normal for a while? Why did they insist on just being so miserable all the time?
"I know it's scary," Yumiko went on, choosing each word carefully in light of Chihiro's open rejection of Takuya's kindness. "But you're not in this alone. You know that. All of us are here for you no matter what. And..." She took a careful breath in before pushing it out just as slowly. "I don't like seeing you this way. I know my opinion isn't a reason for you to get better, but... I don't think I've ever seen you struggle as much as you did yesterday. You lost control of yourself as soon as you Spirit Evolved, and when I found you... All you did was cry. I can't say I completely understand what you're going through, but I want to do what I can to feel this pain along with you."
"You've never been in this alone," Izumi agreed. "I know it may seem like that sometimes, but you're not on your own. All of us are here for you, and we'll be at your side no matter what happens from here on out. It's intimidating to be left to deal with so much, but you're not alone. We're happy to help you. We can't do that unless you talk to us though, so... Would you please be honest with us?"
"We're here because we want to help you," Takuya chimed in. "It's so obvious that you're struggling, and we want to do what we can to fix it. I know it's not going to magically repair itself overnight, but we can help you to carry this burden. It's not something you need to shoulder on your own."
"All you need to do is tell us what you need," Izumi said. "Just... Talk to us. We want to help, but that involves you saying what we can do. No matter what it is, we'll do it. Even if you need time alone, we're happy to do it."
"I don't know what I need," Chihiro confessed, the words coming out fragile and shaky. They shook their head from where their face was still pressed firmly against their arms and knees. "I have no idea what could fix this. I don't know if anything even can. All of this started because of my parents, and even though I know they're not going to be able to come back and make my life miserable again... I can't seem to snap myself out of this. I've been free from them for so fucking long now, but I can't seem to escape them in full. It's like they're always going to have a chokehold on my life. I want to get better, but how can I do that when they're constantly dragging me right back to the hell that they made me live through over and over?"
Chihiro heard something shift from Izumi's direction. In truth, the Warrior of Wind had taken a seat on the ground beside the chair Chihiro was sitting in, crossing her legs as she stared at the floor below. "I've been struggling a lot with something similar," she admitted. "It's not exactly the same, but... I haven't admitted it to anyone. Maybe it could help you."
"What is it?" Takuya questioned. He and Yumiko both sat down as well, giving Chihiro all the space they needed to escape if that was what they decided they needed, but they remained close all the same. It was a difficult medium to strike, but they somehow hit it perfectly.
"Do you remember the day we had to deal with a Drimogemon attack back on Earth?" Izumi questioned, and Takuya nodded. She let out a heavy and shaky sigh at that. "When the ground began to shake, I felt like I was back in the whirlpool again... The one where I got my Beast Spirit. I felt like I was going to die again. I was so trapped in my own head that I couldn't register that I was safe. It wasn't until Zephyr took control of our body that I realized I was okay. At first glance, an earthquake has nothing to do with the whirlpool that nearly killed me. But... I still felt like that was where I was. The situations may not have been necessarily the same, but it took me back there anyway. I didn't think I would ever be able to snap myself out of it once it started. I was just... Scared."
"I had no idea..." Takuya murmured as he looked down at the floor for himself. "You seemed a bit shaken-up when we fought against the Drimogemon, but... I never would have thought it would be quite that bad."
"In some ways, it was like being back to not having control over my Beast Spirit all over again," Izumi confessed with a shake of her head. "And if not for Zephyr specifically so firmly taking control, I bet I would have lost my grip too. I know it might not be exactly the same as feeling constantly reminded of the situation with your parents, Chihiro, but... It scared me back then too. In the end, all I need to do was lean on someone else. Talking to Masae proved that to me yesterday."
Chihiro wanted to pull their head up so they could look at Izumi at that, but they couldn't force themself to move no matter how hard they tried. When Chihiro didn't say anything in response, Izumi took that as their cue to continue. "I can't say my solution will help you for certain, but I think it's at least worth trying. We've been there for each other through our darkest times before now too, and we can do that now too. You don't need to bottle all of this up as long as the rest of us are here. I promise."
Once again, Chihiro wanted to respond to that. It felt like the rock in their chest was finally starting to give way to a fragile gemstone at the center. There was still a knot in their throat, but they felt at least a little bit better. They couldn't say they knew what to say in response to Izumi's words or how they were meant to pull themselves out of this in full, but it was at least a step in the right direction. For the first time, they felt like maybe they could survive this. All they had to do was talk about it, and they could—
The ground shook.
Chihiro forced themself to unfurl from their previous curled-up position, ignoring the fact that their face was probably bright red from crying. Yumiko let out a small yelp of surprise before glancing to the other Legendary Warriors. "What was that?" she asked even though all of them already knew what the answer was going to be.
The quartet was quick to dash toward the nearest balcony overlooking the ground below, doing their best to remain inconspicuous along the way. Chihiro saw the army as soon as they looked out over the edge, and they felt their stony heart drop into their feet. There must have been hundreds of Void Fragment Digimon all gathered around the perimeter of the castle. Four Digimon in particular stood in front of the army, and if Chihiro had to guess, they were the commanders of the enemy forces. Among them was the infamous Makuramon that Saki and Miriamon had fought on Rubrum. In other words, Alastomon had finally sent them a message to make sure they paid for their treachery.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Takuya muttered. He sighed before reaching for his D-Tector and letting his finger press the activation button. Three rings of Fractal Code surrounded his hand, and he went to scan the data across the top of his D-Tector.
"Do you really think we're going to be able to win against them?" Yumiko questioned warily. "We're still exhausted from how many battles we had to fight yesterday, and I don't think a few hours of sleep is going to fix that. Half of us haven't even eaten anything in almost a full day."
"They're not going to back down no matter what we do," Takuya told her. "The only way we're going to survive this is by trying to fight back. We could try to run, but they're going to find us eventually anyway. There's no escape for us. We might as well take our fates into our own hands."
Chihiro sighed as they reached for their own D-Tector. As Takuya, Yumiko, and Izumi transformed with three and four rings of Fractal Code, Chihiro was left with only one string of data. They didn't trust themself to be able to use their Beast Spirit in any form as they currently stood, so they would just need to settle with their Human Spirit. It wasn't ideal, but what other choice did they have? Takuya was right; they had to fight no matter how hard it was going to be. For Chihiro, that meant relying on Aeoelmon even if it felt like they were going to be useless.
"You should stay here," Izumi told Chihiro once she had transformed into her Resplendent form. "I don't want you to get hurt. The enemy forces are strong and many. We'll keep you safe. Go to find the Digimon and look after them, alright?"
Chihiro wanted to object, but before they had the chance, all three of their friends had darted off through the air to take care of the battle to come. They reached one hand out but didn't chase them, not that they would have been able to even if they wanted to. They allowed their ring of Fractal Code to fade away with a bitter sigh as they stormed back into the fortress. It shouldn't have gone this way, but there was nothing they could do to fix it. They were helpless in this battle, and they knew it.
Chihiro punched at the nearby wall as tears started to stream down their cheeks once more. They were helpless all over again. Of course they were.
"Just like fucking always."
Notes:
Welcome to act four, everyone!
We're certainly off to a dark start, huh? This was a heavy chapter, and it fits very well with the recent string of depressing installments we've had. The Legendary Warriors are at their lowest point in the book, and it's the worst they've felt since Koichi was killed by Lucemon at the end of the previous book. Everything is miserable for them, and they can feel it. You can see where the chapter title came from, huh?
This entire chapter acts as a transition of sorts between the constant action of the back half of act three and the battles to come. Everyone is feeling melancholy and heavy from their loss since, unlike the previous book, they didn't win the big battle at Rose Morning Star. They're in a worse place than ever before, and everything is slowed down and tense for the sake of letting it sink in. This chapter takes place in the middle of the night and accentuates everyone's terrified restlessness to hold up this mood. They've hit rock bottom, and they have no idea how to climb back up to the surface again.
Now, let's break down all this angst and misery scene by scene. First off, we have Mayumi, Haroi, and Saki's conversation. I really wanted to have Saki apologize to Mayumi and Haroi for what happened with Biastamon since, while it's not their fault, they were the first one to believe Biastamon had betrayed them. Saki has a very strong sense of justice and a strict moral code to protect those they love, and that was turned against them by Alastomon. Mayumi knows it wasn't Saki's fault, of course, but there's still a lot of exhausted tension in the air because of what Alastomon did. He's a manipulative bastard, and that's the reason all of them are in this situation in the first place.
Speaking of Alastomon's manipulation, that's the main subject of Miriamon's conversation with the Digimon guides. Since Miriamon was also heavily involved with the discovery of the letters, she also feels like she holds a lot of the associated guilt, and she's not handling it well. Miriamon realizes just how much Alastomon had planned out for this nightmare and that she was just a pawn, and she completely falls apart under the pressure. She's sliding back into her perceived hopelessness just as she felt after she was reincarnated as Miriamon in the first place, and the Digimon guides can do nothing but watch and listen. To put it simply, it's miserable for them all.
And Alastomon isn't even the group's only problem. It's pretty easy to get caught up in the midst of everything that happened in the Digital World and forget about the events on Earth, but the fact of the matter is that things suck back there too. Koji, Koichi, Tomoki, Junpei, and Hinoka's scene is meant to focus on specifically that. Yutaka ruined Koji's life, and none of them know what to do about that. Tomoki is afraid of what Yutaka could do now that he knows the truth about him being a Legendary Warrior, and Koichi is nervous about what Kousei knowing about all of this could mean for him. To say the group is in a bad position because of Yutaka is an understatement. Yutaka deserves to get punched in the face and then some. He's asking for it at this point.
Last up, we have the scene with Chihiro, Takuya, Izumi, and Yumiko. Act three offered emotional payoffs for many characters in the main cast, but Chihiro was not one of them. They lost control of their Hybrid form and went on a rampage until Yumiko was able to arrive and heal them. Even now, their paranoia continues to hold them back from being able to make any meaningful progress. They're terrified and don't know what to do about it. Chihiro in this book really embodies the idea of recovery not being linear, and they're afraid of opening up to others in case it ends up making things even harder for them. The other three were able to start to tease something out of them, but unfortunately...
Cliffhanger ending! Yeah, I'm still the worst. The group has another battle waiting for them now. This was some downtime before we get ready for another massive fight, and that's going to be our next chapter. It'll be the first battle of act four and lead us into the final quarter of our story.
Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 46: Rend the Earth
Summary:
With the fortress under attack, Chihiro has a long overdue revelation.
Chapter Text
Aldamon flew high above the fortress, his wings beating steadily to keep him afloat. Beside him, Izumi and Yumiko both used their own wings as they surveyed the battlefield below. There were countless Void Fragment Digimon swarming toward the fortress, far more than Aldamon could have ever imagined. He had been hoping this battle would be somewhat simple, though he was starting to see that was a vain piece of optimism. Of course it was. Alastomon was out for blood after the Legendary Warriors had left him behind, and the best way for him to take over the Digital World was to get rid of its saviors so no one would dare to stand in his way. He knew they would retreat to the fortress since that was the safest place they could hide until all of this blew over.
Aldamon winced at the thought. Alastomon and Biastamon had been the ones to give the group the fortress to begin with. Alastomon had been planning all of this for ages, so it wouldn't have at all been out of the realm of possibility to believe he had been waiting for this day. Alastomon knew there was a chance this was how it was going to end, and he decided to turn the fortress the Legendary Warriors called their safe space and home base into their prison. After all, if they were completely surrounded, they would have no other choice but to flee, and if they tried to fight, they would be killed in the invasion to follow. Everything had been planned out ages in advance, and the mere idea of it made Aldamon groan. He was tired of this psychological warfare with Alastomon even though he knew he wouldn't be able to end it just because he thought it was obnoxious.
As soon as Alastomon came to mind, Aldamon began to search through the enemy Digimon for any signs of him. Aldamon could only assume Alastomon was the one responsible for this attack given that the invaders were all Void Fragment Digimon... But Aldamon couldn't find him anywhere. In fact, Alastomon wasn't commanding the enemy forces at all. No matter how many times Aldamon scanned through the Void Fragments, he saw no traces of Alastomon. He wasn't there at all, seemingly having left the charge up to others within his army.
"I don't see Alastomon anywhere," Yumiko frowned. She had started searching for him as well, but just like Takuya, she ultimately came up short. "I would have thought he would want to take us out of the picture himself given how much of a thorn in his side we've been this entire time, but I don't see him at all... Could it be he left this up to some of his other generals?"
"It's certainly seeming that way," Izumi agreed with a sigh. "It makes a lot of sense. Saki said Makuramon was one of the generals of the mastermind. That was what he said when he decided to attack Rubrum a few days ago to try and get rid of Miriamon. It would make sense if there were other generals as well... All of them waiting for the perfect time to strike."
"Alastomon is probably preparing himself for the final attack against the rest of the Digital World," Aldamon muttered crossly. "He thinks we're going to be wiped out in this invasion, and he's getting ready to take over the rest of the planet as soon as we're out of the picture. After all, there were no armies left behind after the Celestial Three went down. They were the ones leading all the major defensive forces, and with them out of the picture..."
"I would say that I'm impressed with how thoroughly he thought through all of this, but I don't want to give him any credit at all after what he did," Yumiko whispered. "Even if he's not leading this attack, he ordered others in his army to come after us, and that's enough of a reason for us to fight. We can't let them get away. If they do, they're just going to steamroll through the rest of the Digital World, and we have enough problems on our hands even without Alastomon sending his generals to kill everyone who dares to stand up to them."
Aldamon nodded as he turned his attention back to the battlefield before him. There were four Digimon who stood in front of the crowd. The first of them was Makuramon, and as much as Aldamon hated to admit it, he appeared to be the weakest of the bunch. That was just his luck. Alastomon had sent his weakest general to get rid of Saki and Miriamon, so all of his real trump cards were kept secret until the instant he was getting ready to strike against the rest of the Legendary Warriors. He thought Makuramon would win, but even if he failed, he had others in his back pocket as a secret.
Oh, that bastard.
The second Digimon of the four wore primarily white armor lined with gold over a simple sheet of black fabric. A golden horn stuck out from the top of his head, and two trails of greenery moved behind him after sprouting from his helmet. He had massive pink flowers with yellow centers on either shoulder acting as shields. One arm dissolved into a purple shield that appeared to be made of petals while the other became a red and white blade with a green hilt. Green vines trailed out of his boots from turquoise accents. His eyes glowed bright blue beneath his helmet, piercing as could be even from Aldamon's high vantage point above the main battlefield.
Next up was a Digimon with a pirate aesthetic. His body was primarily black with a few gold accents on his shoulders and lengthy arms. In fact, he had four arms, each one of them falling limply to the ground in front of his black and scarlet wings. He wore a massive black hat on his head, and a red scarf covered his chest. The Digimon's hands looked like weapons much to Aldamon's surprise, almost as if he was a combat machine made specifically for the battlefield. The Digimon completed the look with a loose set of blue pants and boots that looked like brutal points where they stood atop the ground. Everything about him was sharp in a way that terrified Aldamon. All it would take was a single hit for him to knock any Spirit below the Hybrid level out of a fight, and that was a terrifying thought, especially since nobody knew just how strong he really was.
The last Digimon of the four was the least human of the bunch, though Aldamon could only assume he still fell under that classification. He wouldn't have willingly sided with Alastomon as long as he was a Beast Digimon. Why would he go along with someone who wanted him to die? Either way, the details mattered little, and Aldamon found himself wincing the longer he stared at the strange Digimon. He was terrifying, and that was a generous description. The Digimon had many limbs of pure black with purple undersides. His claws were bright red and dangerously sharp. Eyes marked some of his joints, all of them looking in different direction. His head had no eyes and was instead obscured almost entirely by a purple helmet and a red collar. Draconic green wings stuck out from his back.
Once Aldamon had taken in all four of the Digimon, he did his best to focus on the battlefield once again. That was much easier said than done, but he still tried. He couldn't just look at the four Digimon leading the army when there were at least two hundred other Void Fragment victims gathered behind them. Each of the Void Fragment Digimon remained still, waiting for the command to attack the fortress. It was terrifying just how statuesque they appeared before they were given their orders. Alastomon's magic had effortlessly turned them into walking husks that existed only for the sake of listening to what their superiors had to tell them. Aldamon's stomach twisted at the thought.
Another quick glance at the rest of the battlefield told Aldamon that the other Legendary Warriors had arrived on the scene. Everyone was there in their highest form aside from Chihiro and Koichi, the latter of whom had no doubt stayed behind because he didn't want to risk getting severely injured when he could only use his Human Spirit. It was the same logic behind Chihiro not getting involved. Much to Aldamon's surprise, Miriamon was there ready to face the battle as well, and her hands glowed slightly with light blue energy. She was hardly the best fighter of the group, but that wasn't going to stop her from at least putting in the effort to defend the fortress.
"Legendary Warriors," the second Digimon declared. Something in the back of Aldamon's mind recognized him as Bloomlordmon and his two allies as Boltboutamon and Ogudomon. Aldamon thanked his Digimon side for being able to identify his foes for him, though he wasn't entirely sure how much good knowing their names would do him in the long run. That information wasn't going to be enough to bring them to their knees.
"It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Bloomlordmon went on. "We have been waiting quite some time to cross blades with you. Now that the truth is out in the open, we can finally be here... Unfortunately, we have come for your heads."
"You have two options," Makuramon announced as he took a step forward. "You can surrender, and we can take you in without a fuss. The battle will end before it starts, and everything will end well... You'll die painlessly too. It's perfect."
"Or... You can make this into a war, and we will have to destroy you for it," Boltboutamon continued. "I get the feeling I know which choice you're going to select already, but there's no harm in giving you the option. Perhaps you'll make the right decision when push comes to shove."
"We'll never give in to the likes of you," Saki replied from their place on one of the balconies of the fortress. They stood with Mayumi as Siriusmon flew above them both, his staff at the ready. Saki snapped their fingers and summoned their rapier before pointing it down at the Digimon below. "If we must fight you in order to survive, then so be it."
Ogudomon let out a laugh at that, though the sound came out distorted and unnatural. "I've been curious about how well you fight for quite some time... You won the war against Cherubimon, you defeated the Royal Knights, you finally killed Lucemon where your predecessors failed... You have quite the impressive track record," Ogudomon remarked. "But will that be enough to save you from an entire army?"
"We're going to give it everything we can no matter what," Beowolfmon told him. "We won't back down no matter what you say. We've made up our minds, and if that means we must fight, then that's simply the way it has to be."
Makuramon smiled at that, his grin extending far too wide for Aldamon's liking. The monkey Digimon began to crack his knuckles together before letting his arms fall back to his sides. "Fine then. If that's what you want, then we would be more than happy to oblige your desires." He raised one hand above his head, and all the Void Fragment Digimon immediately stood to attention. "Let us fight!"
As soon as Makuramon's arm fell, all hell broke loose. The Void Fragment Digimon positioned around the perimeter of the castle rushed forward with all the speed they could muster. The ground shook from the force, and Aldamon felt the tremble even though he was in the air. He shook off the thought as soon as possible though, instead summoning flames to either hand before sending fiery comets down to the ground below. The flames sparked against a few of the Void Fragments before extinguishing, none of them quite able to make enough of a dent to free the opposing Digimon from their possession.
Aldamon snarled at that and started hurling even more fireballs down on the battlefield below, but much to his chagrin, none of them were putting a dent in the enemy forces. He didn't want to say the Void Fragments had grown stronger and risk manifesting something like that to become honest and real, but that was certainly starting to seem like the truth. He should have at least freed one Digimon from their possession by now, but instead, he was left at a loss for words by how little he had done thus far.
"If I had to guess, I would say the Void Fragments have been refined to be harder to get rid of," Izumi frowned. "Alastomon doesn't need to hide who he is or what his intentions are anymore, so he can be much more overt with everything he's doing. That seems to mean leaning as hard as possibly can into the darker aspects of his possessions."
"That's... Bad," Aldamon muttered. It was obvious, but he didn't have much of anything else to say on the matter. He took in a deep breath before letting out as an irritated huff. He couldn't let this get him down too much. There was a lot on the line still, and Aldamon wasn't going to be forced onto his back foot because he was caught by surprise. He needed to keep fighting no matter what it took. He could figure out the details later.
"We need to at least try to fight through them though," Yumiko said. "I don't know how strong they are, but I'm not going to let that stop me. We need to protect the people in the fortress, and we need to get rid of as many of Alastomon's soldiers as possible before they can start charging through the rest of the Digital World. We won't be able to defeat them all if they split up to advance Alastomon's plans."
"I wasn't planning on backing down anyway," Aldamon assured her. He summoned as much energy as he could to his palms before he sent down a particularly powerful pair of flaming comets. That was enough to free two Void Fragment Digimon from their possession, and while that wasn't much of a victory, it was still something. The two Digimon in question began to retreat as soon as they registered what was going on, and the Digimon commanders responsible for the attack just watched them go.
In fact, the apathy of the quartet of Alastomon's generals caught Aldamon by surprise. He would have expected them to be at least a bit bothered by him freeing some of the Void Fragment Digimon from their possession. Instead, they didn't seem to care at all. They knew they had the upper hand, and they were making sure nobody forgot it. What did it matter if they lost a few Void Fragments in their army? As long as they were still able to win the day, nothing else mattered. That was what Alastomon wanted from them, and they were happy to follow his commands.
It didn't matter at the end of the day, Aldamon reminded himself. He needed to free as many Void Fragment Digimon from the possession as possible. He could focus on the enemy commanders after that. None of the generals were joining the fight just yet, no doubt because they were trying to watch how the Legendary Warriors fought. They had said they were interested in seeing what their opponents were capable of, and that seemed to start with observing them from afar. It was less of a burden on Aldamon's shoulders for the time being, and he was willing to take that.
It was just a matter of time before the generals joined the fight though, and the best thing the group could do until then was clear out the Void Fragment Digimon to give themselves as much of an advantage as possible. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was something. Aldamon nodded to himself at the thought and clenched his hands into fists before calling upon his element once again. He could do this. All he needed to do was focus.
No matter what, he couldn't give in to someone like Alastomon. He was better than that, and he would prove it.
~~~~~
Chihiro retreated to one of the lower floors of the castle after being given the word to hide, a sigh on their lips on the way down the stairs. They were careful to not go all the way down though, knowing that would just put them in danger. If the doors gave in, they wouldn't stand a chance. Being up high was a risk too, so they settled for the middle ground. There was no realistically safe place for them to be in the middle of a fight like this, but they did their best to not let it bother them.
Well, they were trying to not think about it, but that was much easier said than done. Chihiro's heart was screaming in their ears as they practically ran a groove in the ground from their constant pacing. They knew they should have been out there with the rest of their friends trying to defend the fortress. Everyone else had been right when they said it wasn't a good idea for them to fight as long as they could only use their Human Spirit, but that did little to help Chihiro feel better.
After all, this was exactly the situation they had been fearing for so long. They didn't want to end up stabbed in the back, and they didn't want to get hurt. They had seen more than enough agony to last a lifetime, and Alastomon was just piling on more than they could stand. They didn't want to be betrayed, but there Alastomon was with a knife in his hand and a laugh on his lips. He had been planning all of this from the outset, and the Legendary Warriors were the ones to pay the price of it.
The Digimon guides found Chihiro soon after they started pacing, but none of them were able to get through to them. The Warrior of Earth was left constantly grabbing at their upper arms, rubbing at the fabric of their jacket keeping them safe from the outside world. When they weren't rubbing at their arms, Chihiro was resisting the urge to scratch at what little visible skin peered out around their clothing. They wanted to draw blood on their cheeks just for the sake of feeling something even though they knew it wasn't a healthy train of thought. Nothing they did was healthy these days, so they might as well double down on it.
They felt helpless. That was what it all boiled down to. Chihiro hated feeling like there was nothing they could do to help themself or others. That was the main thing they had felt when they were still living with their parents, and running away from home had finally taken the weight off their shoulders for the first time. Slowly but surely, Chihiro realized they could take control of their own life and live for themself. It was a long process that revealed the worst parts of them, but it was worth it. After all, they finally had control.
They should have known it was too good to last. The day Chihiro went to the Digital World, everything fell apart, and all they had been able to do was stand by and watch. Their parents went after them again for the sake of preserving their own reputations, and even once Chihiro managed to get away from them, they wound up in the Digital World. Cherubimon had corrupted them on the spot and forced them to fight against their morals, constantly using their rage and hatred of their own helplessness to string them along. They were a fighting machine and a walking juggernaut as long as they were angry, and so, Cherubimon kept control out of their hands. Chihiro and Saki felt like natural enemies to Cherubimon, so he set them against each other and watched as the Warrior of Earth fell apart.
It was so exhausting to not have any control over their own life. Chihiro had learned that years ago, but it never quite managed to get any easier. They just wanted to be able to live for themself without others doing anything to hurt them. Why in the world was that so much to ask for in the eyes of the universe? They had never been able to trust anyone when they were growing up, at least not until they met Takuya and Shinya. Chihiro had grown used to their parents treating them like an item and holding their helplessness over their head. Every adult was bound to stab them in the back at some point and report them right back to their abusers, and there was nothing they could do about it.
That all changed when Chihiro met the Kanbara family, and that was what finally inspired them to push back for their own sake. They realized there were futures worth fighting for, places in the world where they would finally be allowed to belong. When the Kanbara family moved away, Chihiro ran away to follow them. It was hardly legal or advisable, but it worked for them. For the first time, they weren't being hurt anymore... And then it all fell apart.
That was what always happened. Chihiro thought they were getting better, and then, the universe found a way to tear them back down. Even after Chihiro was purified from Cherubimon's possession, they had to deal with the aftermath. It took a long time, but they managed to put the pieces together again with the help of the Legendary Warriors they knew now as both their closest friends and their family. When they went back home, Chihiro felt like they would actually be happy in the long run.
And then the investigation team showed up to ruin everything. The constant paranoia of being followed and watched was too much, and there was nothing they could do about it. There was always something new being added to the top of the pile, and Chihiro couldn't do anything but sit there and watch. First, it was the investigation team. After that, the Void Fragments started directly targeting the Legendary Warriors, making it clear that none of them would be safe anywhere. As the final cherry on top of the cake, Alastomon stabbed them in the back and killed Biastamon. Now, the entire group was under attack, and Chihiro couldn't do anything about it.
Their hands drifted up to their cheeks, but before Chihiro could start to scratch, they noticed there were tears sliding down their face. That was enough to make them hesitate, and they finally stopped pacing to stare down at their hands as small drops of water fell into their palms. Before they knew it, their vision went blurry, and Chihiro felt their body shake like they were the world's largest earthquake. All they wanted to do was help, but they couldn't even get that right. What kind of Legendary Warrior were they if they couldn't do something to help the people they loved? What savior were they when they couldn’t save anyone?
"Chihiro?"
Patamon's voice somehow managed to break through the static, and the Warrior of Earth went still, doing their best to restrict the tremors to the inside of their body. It was much easier said than done, but it at least kept them from scratching at their face as their body seemed to want. "I know something's wrong," Patamon went on. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Chihiro thought about that for a long time, and as much as they hated to admit it, they didn't think they had an answer. They stared down at the floor before a choked sob pushed its way free of their lips along with a few words they had been too terrified to speak up to this point. "I'm afraid," Chihiro confessed. "I-I don't think I've ever been this paranoid before... I'm so tired of getting hurt, but I don't know what to do about it. So much happened in the past, and now... I can't stop thinking about it no matter how hard I try. I'm terrified, and I... I wish I could just turn it off."
"But... You can't just turn it off," Salamon pointed out. "And that's not a bad thing. You don't need to hold your feelings back because you think it's easier. In fact, I bet bottling everything up like that is doing you more harm than good. It's okay to open up and say that you're hurting, Chihiro. I think you should, as a matter of fact."
Chihiro thought about that for a long moment. Their mind was still full of chattering from a million different sources, none of which they could easily access and flip off. They had a lot to say, but they couldn't seem to form the words no matter how hard they tried. Some of the voices belonged to the other Warriors of Earth, but the words were too distant to be brought to focus and stability. Chihiro swallowed dryly, allowing their arms to curl a little bit tighter around their torso. Eventually, they finally managed to speak up, though they barely noticed what they were saying at first. "I'm scared of my parents," they admitted.
Before any of the Digimon had the chance to ask what Chihiro was talking about, the Warrior of Earth let out a sigh and shook their head. "A long time ago, my parents did a lot of bad things... They hurt me in more ways than I could possibly say. Even now that they're gone and will never reenter my life again, I'm terrified of something bad happening. I don't want to go back to being the person I was when they were in my life, and the idea that I could backslide that much... It scares me so much. I want to be free, and I want to feel safe and loved, but how can I let myself feel safe when everything just feels like another chance for me to end up getting stabbed in the back?"
"I can only assume everything that happened recently hasn't been helping your paranoia much," Lopmon frowned. "It is scary. You're right. We've all been through a lot, and we shouldn't have to be afraid of people betraying us. It's not right at all. I know Alastomon isn't going to care about that, but... You deserve better than that."
Chihiro didn't realize how much they needed to hear that until the lump in their chest started to thaw out, giving way to something far warmer. "I... I don't think I had ever been happier than when I first came to the Digital World. It was so nice to be able to trust people for once. It took me some time to get used to, but... fighting the war against the Royal Knights, defeating Lucemon... It was the best off I'd ever been, and I only realized it after it ended. In an ideal world, I would have wanted to stay with you and the Legendary Warriors forever, just going on adventures and helping those in need until the end of time. But... I know that's not possible. It's not that easy no matter how much I want it to be."
"Because you need to go back to Earth at the end of the day, right?" Neemon questioned. He clearly wanted to step toward Chihiro, but he held himself for the sake of giving them the space they clearly needed.
Chihiro nodded. "But... I'm glad I have all of you in my life," they murmured. "I need all of you, I would even say. I never knew what it meant to trust people enough to consider them as my family. My parents stabbed me in the back so many times, and I... I hated it. But with all of you, I know I can feel safe. Even if the rest of the world turns on us, I'm going to be okay as long as I have everyone here. I guess I'm afraid of that too. I don't know what it's like to be supported unconditionally, so when something bad happens... It's so easy to push all of that away."
"You do know what it's like to feel supported though," Bokomon countered. "That was how you felt during your first trip to the Digital World, right? You were happy then, and you were able to open up to the rest of us. You were even able to settle your differences with Saki after you spent ages hating one another."
"I... I guess you're right," Chihiro murmured. They hadn't ever thought about it that way, but it clicked perfectly in their mind as soon as the idea was proposed. They took in a deep breath and swallowed down as much of their anxiety as they could before finally letting their arms come down to their sides. "All this time, I've been the biggest obstacle to my own happiness. I've been so afraid of something bad happening when I let my guard down that I've just never tried. But... I need to be able to take that chance."
Chihiro glanced over to the nearest window looking outside the castle. They saw a few streams of energy pass through the sky, a sign of the battle raging beyond the fortress’ walls. They turned on their heel and started to walk closer, a loose and bittersweet smile on their face. "I might be afraid, but that can't stop me from fighting back. I have a family to defend, and I'm not going to let my own fear get in the way of that," Chihiro murmured. "I can't stop myself from being happy just because I'm scared. I deserve better than that, and the people who care about me do too. Today... I'm going to make sure everyone knows it."
Chihiro walked over to the window and pressed their hands against it. The glass was warm beneath their palms as the dawning sunlight hit the windowpane. When Chihiro looked out over the battlefield, they could see a massive army of Void Fragment Digimon swarming closer to the castle. More importantly, they could see the Legendary Warriors and Miriamon fighting for the sake of defending the fortress. Even though they were at a massive disadvantage, they were giving the battle everything they had. No matter what, they would fight to the bitter end. It was the least they could do for themselves and for the people they cared about waiting in the castle.
Chihiro clenched their hands into fists as they stepped away from the window. "It's time to finish this," they told the Digimon guides. All five of them looked at one another in confusion and worry, but Chihiro didn't give them the chance to ask what they were talking about. "Don't follow me."
"What are you going to do?" Neemon asked, taking a small step toward Chihiro despite the Warrior of Earth's instructions. Bokomon followed Neemon forward as well, though he stopped when he noticed just how tense and firm Chihiro's posture was, a sign they wouldn't be hearing any objections no matter what.
"I'm going to end this," was all Chihiro said in response. That was enough to silence all of the Digimon immediately, and they watched quietly as Chihiro walked out of the room.
The Warrior of Earth set their sights on the nearest balcony of the fortress. They reached for the latched doors and undid the lock before stepping out onto the stone outcropping. They looked up at the sky overhead and saw the flying Warriors weaving in and out of attacks sent up at them from the ground. The four leaders of the enemy army were still standing at the front of the invading group, all of them laughing and smiling without a care in the world. Chihiro sent the quartet a glare but said nothing to them. They were too far beneath them for Chihiro to care. All they wanted to do was to defend their family from getting hurt, and even if that meant fighting until their body failed them, so be it.
That was what all of this was about. Chihiro wanted to protect their family. Their parents had never meant anything to them beyond the title or vague obligations of blood, and Chihiro wouldn't have even given them that honor if they could get away with it. They deserved better than what they had been given both by others and themself. Chihiro had a right to care for themself, and that included relying on the people around them. They couldn't remain isolated forever if they wanted to do right by their own health.
If Chihiro was being honest, they were still afraid. How could they not be? They didn't want to be stabbed in the back again, but they couldn't conclusively save themself from that no matter what. They needed to connect with others though, and they couldn't let their fear stop them from reaching out to those they cared for. They were more than their fear, and they needed to treat themself like it. Chihiro needed to be kind to themself, and at the moment, that meant reaching out and letting their family help them. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing worth doing was ever simple. That hadn't stopped them before though, and it wouldn't stop them now either.
"I'm done running," Chihiro murmured as they reached for their D-Tector. "For the sake of my family, I'm going to fight, and I'm going to win. This is where it ends."
Before they had the chance to press the activation button on their D-Tector, Chihiro was consumed with a sudden flash of brown light. Their eyes went wide, and something in the back of their mind whispered to them that this was Resplendent Evolution. Chihiro hadn't expected this to be the outcome of their declaration, but they couldn't complain at all. If this would help them to save their family, then it was worth it.
The first change Chihiro noticed as the Resplendent Evolution process began was their clothing. Their jacket and shirt were replaced with a thin dark brown shirt, the layer of fabric so thin it barely felt like anything against Chihiro's skin. A chest plate manifested over the shirt, and the steel shone brown. Orange outlines marked the top and bottom of the metal, and matching shoulder plates appeared while attached to the top edge of the chest plate. On Chihiro's right arm, the dark brown shirt transitioned into being a fingerless glove as it went down their arm. The lower segment of the glove faded out to purple and then turquoise, cleaning dividing their sleeve into thirds.
Chihiro's left arm gained much more ornate decorations though. Rocks clung to their body to create a massive gauntlet that traveled up the entire length of their arm and only ended below their shoulder plate. The rocks were constructed in a way that allowed them to easily bend their elbow and wrist, and small jewels of turquoise and purple marked their joints both on their arm and fingers. The layer of rock was thick enough to deflect just about any hit sent in their direction, easily using the full power of the element of Earth that Chihiro had come to feel so connected to ever since coming to the Digital World.
A turquoise belt wrapped around Chihiro's waist where their shirt ended, and jewels adorned the surface of the belt. Chihiro's pants were quick to change as well, and the section near their waist turned orange. Near their calves, their pants shifted from orange to brown. The belt had one other accessory though, and it came in the form of a simple transparent piece of purple fabric that hung behind and beside Chihiro's left leg. The fabric had different lines going through it that made it look like layers of sediment, and the purple got darker with each new layer. A purple diamond stuck out as a brooch on the belt to show where the fabric attached itself to the rest of their outfit.
The purple and turquoise theme continued in Chihiro's shoes as well. Their somewhat tall boots were predominantly turquoise with lines of purple running along the top. The soles of their boots were brown to match the primary color of their element, and small jewels could be seen along the bottom of their shoes as well. The element of Earth was a part of them, and it made that clear.
One final change marked Chihiro's outfit, and that came in the form of three claw-like slashes in their shirt across the right side of their torso. The slashes were covered by transparent orange fabric, showing off the muscle they had accumulated through their years of participating in sports and other physical activities. Beyond that, the largest claw mark showed off the symbol of Earth on their hip just above their belt, putting it in the opposite position to where Izumi's mark of Wind was in her Resplendent form.
Last but not least, Chihiro's hair began to change. Their hair fell out of its regular ponytail, and their hat was forgotten. Instead, their hair tied itself up in a bun at the top of their head. A comb made of silver steel kept their hair in place, and jewels of orange, purple, and turquoise lined the accessory. A single streak of lighter brown for Chihiro's element broke through the regular color, and that streak fell to the right side of their face to frame their features.
With that, Chihiro opened their eyes, and the process of evolving to the Resplendent level was completed. They stood on the balcony of the fortress just as they had before, and they let out a small sigh as they reveled in the moment. They hadn't imagined their resolve would be enough to push them over the edge to reaching their Resplendent form. They couldn't say they were unhappy with it though.
However, Chihiro was unhappy with the circumstances surrounding them, so they clenched their hands into fists as they punched up at the air. Their body felt like it was moving on its own, commanding the element they knew so well without any issues at all. The earth began to shake at their desire before creating a massive column of rock that proudly spiraled toward the sky, knocking every Void Fragment Digimon in the area off their balance. Some unlucky victims were even sent flying upward from the hit.
Before Chihiro had the chance to do anything to defeat the possessed Digimon they had sent flying, blasts from the other Legendary Warriors cut through their field of vision, slamming into each of the Void Fragment victims before they could figure out what was happening. With that, each of the struck Digimon was freed from their possession, and Chihiro smirked to themself at the sight. Teamwork did wonders in fights like this, and their new Resplendent abilities didn't hurt either. They couldn't wait to see what else they could do with this new power, though they doubted they would be able to experiment much with their fresh evolution in the heat of battle. There was too much on the line, and they couldn’t take any chances of letting the enemy commanders get away with their crimes.
"Chihiro!"
The Warrior of Earth glanced up at the sound of their name, and they watched as Izumi, Yumiko, and Aldamon swerved down to be closer to their height. Izumi was the one who had spoken, and her eyes were wide as could be as she looked down at Chihiro. "Did you—" Izumi began.
"Resplendent Evolve?" Chihiro questioned. They didn't wait to hear if that was what their friends were talking about, already knowing what the answer would be. Instead, they just smirked and pushed their lighter brown hair streak away from their face. "Yes, I did."
"I'm glad to see it," Yumiko smiled gently. "What happened? What prompted you to be able to do this in the first place?"
Chihiro's pride sobered at that, and their shoulders went tense. "I... I got sick of letting my fear control me," they confessed. "Being scared of everything is only hurting me, and I deserve better than that. The best thing I can do for myself is finally take a stand for my own health, and I'm going to let myself count on others from now on. My paranoia has done enough damage, and I want to let myself feel safe for once. It won't be easy, but... I have an amazing family here to help me through it, and I don't think I can say enough how grateful I am. I'm not going to let the people who brought me into this world hold me back forever. They've done enough damage, and I'm taking a stand for my own sake. Things are going to change, and it's thanks to all of you... My real family."
"Chihiro..." Izumi murmured, her eyes wide as could be. She was quick to recover with a shake of her head. "Thank you for saying that... It means a lot." Before she had the chance to say anything else though, a blast of energy came streaking through the air in her direction. The Warrior of Wind drew a circle in the air with one arm, creating a massive tempest that deflected the magic and sent it back where it came from. If the explosion that followed the attack making contact was any clue to go off, that deflection had been enough to free at least a few Digimon from their possession.
"This conversation isn't over," Aldamon told Chihiro as he pointed a finger in their direction. "For now though, we have a fight to win, so let's go deal with that and then think about where we're going to take this after that."
Chihiro nodded. "You've got it. I was looking forward to experimenting with my powers as much as possible anyway." They cracked their knuckles at that. Maybe they wouldn't need to wait until after the fight ended to show off what they could do in full, and that made them happier than they could ever express in words. They had earned this, and they were going to make the most of it.
With that in mind, Chihiro punched their gauntlet arm up once again, creating another massive column of earth in the center of the battlefield. From there, they kicked off the nearby balcony, taking advantage of the fact that the fortress was made of stone to give them a bit of extra momentum, and landed on top of the column. From up there, they could easily see just about everything taking place on the battlefield. It was a risk to be out in the open like that, but they were fine with it. Living on the edge was something they hadn't allowed themself to do lately, and they were more than happy to change it now that they had their confidence back.
As soon as Chihiro was stabilized on the column of earth, they launched themself into the air once again, and when they came down, they slammed their gauntlet fist into the ground. The column they stood on was sent back into the ground with Chihiro crouched on top of it. A massive shockwave spread throughout the area with that, bringing up rings of other earthen columns and knocking every Void Fragment Digimon on the ground off their feet. The attack came so quickly and mercilessly that no one had the chance to prepare for it, and the entire enemy army was left stunned from the blow.
That offered the perfect chance for each of the Legendary Warriors to start picking off the disoriented Void Fragment Digimon from afar. They started with the strongest among the enemy army, hitting them with as much power as they could without getting too dangerously close. Mayumi, meanwhile, launched herself into the army, the only one to get close to the opposing forces. She jumped around between countless Digimon, draining as much of their energy as she could while weaving in and out of blasts from the sky. She grew faster and stronger with each Void Fragment Digimon she defeated, taking their energy with a bold smile on her face. This was her first chance to experiment with the power of her Resplendent Evolution too, and she was enjoying it every bit as much as Chihiro was.
The leaders of the enemy army were easily able to see what was going on too, and Bloomlordmon jabbed his sword forward as energy gathered across the surface of his petaled armor. The streak of power flew toward Mayumi, but she was able to avoid it at the last moment. She entertained the idea of following him for a few seconds, but she ultimately decided against it, instead continuing her dance of evasion as the other three commanders began to target her in earnest.
None of them were able to hit Mayumi though. Chihiro stomped one foot against the ground, and a cage of rocks rose up from the earth to trap the four generals. It wouldn't be enough to keep them distracted forever, but it still offered the chance Mayumi needed to finish gathering up all the energy she could stand. Meanwhile, the other Legendary Warriors fired down attacks from overhead to take care of the Void Fragment Digimon Mayumi couldn't easily reach or didn't have the capacity to drain.
Bloomlordmon slashed his blade sideways to shatter the earth cage that surrounded him, and even though his face was hidden, his snarl was clear from the rage in his eyes. However, his anger melted away soon afterward as he realized just what he was looking at. Mayumi had fully charged up her attack, and she let it rip with a giddy smile on her face. She slowly began to turn around, striking every Void Fragment Digimon in her line of sight before finally turning her massive column of magic on the four commanders. From there, she reared her hands back a little bit more before sending forward the rest of her power in the form of a massive explosive sphere that left the ground shaking when it made contact.
After that, only a few Digimon were left behind, and Chihiro allowed the other Legendary Warriors to take care of the stragglers. Instead, Chihiro turned their focus primarily to the commanders, and they dashed forward using the ground below to speed their momentum. They punched upward once they were close enough, and jagged pieces of rock rose from the ground to try and restrain the generals. Chihiro liked to think they were normally above outright killing an enemy Digimon, but as far as they were concerned, these four were on the same level as the Royal Knights. If they weren't destroyed, then there was no way for the Digital World to see peace. In order to save the world, the four of them had to die.
For a long time, the quartet remained still as could be. Eventually, Boltboutamon began to laugh with a shake of his head. "I'm impressed," he confessed. "I was under the belief this battle would be hilariously one-sided. It's nice to see that was not the truth."
"It doesn't matter how one-sided you thought it was going to be. The fact of the matter is that you're not going to be walking away from this," Chihiro snarled to him. They began to clench their fingers tightly into a fist, forcing the earth around the four generals to begin pressing in on them a little bit tighter. They were all injured from Mayumi's previous attack, and there was no easy way for them to fight their way out of Chihiro's onslaught thanks to their newfound exhaustion.
"You're awfully rude to say that, you know," Makuramon scoffed, though it was clear he was struggling to get the words out against the overwhelming weight of his energy abandoning him so suddenly. "If that's how you want to play it though, then fine. We'll just have to make sure we can see each other again. I think we deserve a rematch... And next time, we won't underestimate you. Consider that a promise."
Before Chihiro had the chance to go in for the killing blow, the air around the four generals flickered, and when the buzz in the atmosphere was gone, so were the Legendary Warriors' assailants. All that was left behind was a jagged pile of rocks that had previously been pressing the four of them together as Chihiro got ready for their final attack. The Warrior of Earth sighed bitterly and shook their head as they flicked their hand down to dispel the rocks and return them to the ground below. It was hardly ideal, but they couldn't exactly say they were surprised by this outcome either.
Around them, the rest of the Legendary Warriors were finishing up the remainder of the battle, and Chihiro decided to turn their attention to Mayumi. She was clearly drained from the massive attack she had unleashed with the hopes that it would end the fight, but she was still on her feet, so that was a step up from how she had felt after the battle on Inaie. "I think... I think we've earned another break," Mayumi murmured. "I don't know if we're going to have time for a chance to breathe as long as those four are on the loose, but..."
"Pushing ourselves as we are right now isn't going to do us any good," Chihiro agreed. "The best thing we can do right now is try to recuperate..." They trailed off at that, already knowing where the journey to recovery was going to take them. The Legendary Warriors couldn't avoid going back home to Earth forever, and if they thought it would be that easy, they would have another thing coming. They needed to go back to see their families, and that was bound to be another headache none of them were ready to deal with.
"By going home," Mayumi finished for them, and Chihiro nodded. The Warrior of Energy sighed. "I'm not surprised, but I don't like it at all... Then again, I guess we were never going to be able to keep all of this a secret forever. Our families are going to wonder where we've been all this time, and we're going to need to tell them something."
Chihiro sighed once again. Shinya already knew about Takuya and Chihiro's involvement with the recent monster attacks, but explaining that story to the Kanbara parents wasn't something Chihiro could say they were looking forward to. In fact, the mere idea made them sick to their stomach. They shook their head in an attempt to banish the thought, but it didn't work as well as they would have liked. They would just need to get it over with once they got back to Earth no matter how little they wanted to do it. At this point, Chihiro and Takuya both owed the Kanbara parents an explanation about everything that had happened. It was more than warranted after everything that had happened.
Yumiko and Izumi touched down on the ground soon afterward, allowing their Resplendent forms to fall away. The rest of the Legendary Warriors were quick to follow their lead, though Miriamon remained in her Digimon form due to a lack of options. The air around the group was tense, and all of them knew the truth of what had to be next. It was the last thing any of them wanted, but it was what needed to be done. Their desires on the subject didn't matter at all when placed next to raw necessity.
"I guess we should get ready to go back home then," Izumi murmured. "It's been over a day since the invasion started, and we need to go back to tell our families that we're okay. They're bound to be worried about everything we've been up to since we went missing."
"It wouldn't surprise me if the news heard that we had vanished and labeled us as missing," Tomoki frowned. "I don't want that to be true, but given the circumstances... It feels like it's just bound to be our reality."
"Are we sure it's a good idea to leave the Digital World as things currently are?" Koji questioned nervously. Everyone knew what he was trying to get at even if he refused to admit it. He didn't want to go home if he could get away with it. After all, if he went back to Earth, he would have to talk to his father again, and that was the last thing Koji wanted even on a good day, much less in the aftermath of multiple massive Digimon attacks.
"You don't need to worry about that," Saki assured him. "Miriamon and I are going to stay here, and we can look after the Digimon guides. If anything happens or the generals strike again, we'll be sure to tell you guys. We'll do what we can to spread the news about what Alastomon is up to when we get the chance too. The last thing we want is for anyone to end up in danger because they didn't realize what was going on until it was too late."
"I guess that takes care of that," Haroi murmured. "I'm a bit nervous about going back home though... Our parents are going to wonder where we've been all this time, and if we tell them, that means we're going to be exposing ourselves to the truth... I don't know what that's going to do to them either."
"What choice do we have?" Izumi asked with a frown. "I don't want to talk about it either, but... I know that keeping the truth hidden isn't going to do us any good at this point. We have to be honest if we want all of this to end well. It won't be easy, but we survived an entire invasion to get here. I feel like the least we can do is tell them the truth about what we've been doing. We've kept this secret for so long as it is."
"I... I think there are some secrets we can keep if we don't want to share them though," Hinoka said. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to tell my mother the truth about everything that's been happening. I don't know how caught up she is with everything going on, but I... I don't know. I'll just have to think about it."
Silence fell over the group at that, and Chihiro knew everyone else was thinking through their options too. Some were bound to share the truth while others did what they could to keep it secret for a while longer. It was a choice that could only be made on an individual basis, and even though Chihiro was confident their decision had already been made for them, they supported whatever choices everyone else made going forward.
"Let's go take care of it then," Junpei declared, finally ending the silence that hung so heavily around the Legendary Warriors. "Standing around here isn't going to help fix our situation, and we need to get this over with sooner or later. I'll be looking forward to hearing how it all goes once this is over."
Chihiro nodded to themself and started back toward the fortress. They would never even dare to look forward to the conversation they were about to have, but they would figure it out sooner or later. At least they would have Takuya and Shinya there with them physically, and the rest of the group would be with them in spirit.
After all, Chihiro loved their family more than anything, and nothing would ever be able to change that.
~~~~~
Koichi looked out over the battlefield below from one of the higher areas of the castle, a frown on his face. He had been told to go and stay with the Digimon guides after the battle began, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to go find them. The rock in his chest was just too heavy, and the last thing he wanted was to talk with anyone when he was in such a poor place emotionally. That just felt like setting himself up for failure.
Chihiro had reached the Resplendent level at long last. That meant eight of the twelve Legendary Warriors had unlocked the full potential of their element, leaving only Takuya, Koji, Haroi, and Koichi in the dust. The more Koichi thought about it, the worse he felt. There was a sickening pool of jealousy in the pit of his stomach that refused to leave him alone no matter how desperate he was to avoid it, and he hated feeling this way. He had been jealous of Koji so many times when they first met, and it had led him into a downward spiral that prompted him to transform into Duskmon. Koichi was tired of being reminded over and over about every bad thing he could do when he was pushed far enough. He just wanted a damn break. Was that too much to ask?
"You're the one making this harder for yourself," Dusk snorted. "There's an easy solution, but you're ignoring it because you don't want to admit it exists. That's your problem, and you trying to pin that on the rest of us is a coward's move."
Koichi didn't respond to that, knowing there was nothing he could say that wouldn't make the argument even worse. Everything Dusk said always seemed like a targeted attack, and Koichi didn't know how he was supposed to stop it. He had been told by teachers growing up that the best way to handle bullying was to just ignore the other person. They would leave him alone once they realized he wasn't giving them any attention... Or so they claimed. Koichi couldn't just not give Dusk attention. As much as he hated having to admit it, Dusk lived inside his brain and could hear everything he thought. If Koichi reacted at all, Dusk would know, and that response would become ammunition for the next round of insults. It was a constant cycle, and Koichi couldn't escape it no matter how hard he tried.
Koichi was so tired. He just wanted to be left alone until he could find a way to manage all of this. He didn't know how he would keep it all under control, but he was desperate to find a solution that would end the way he liked. He wanted Dusk to stop harassing him, and he wanted to be able to freely Spirit Evolve again. Being so limited in his options of transforming into a Digimon felt like he was trapping parts of himself without any way of freeing them. He deserved better, and he owed much better to the Digimon side of him. He didn't want to feel caught up this way, but he had no solution. All he could do was sit there and feel the void in his chest threaten to consume him.
The rest of the group was getting ready to go back to Earth, and Koichi would have to go with them. He knew better than to hide in the Digital World in times like this. He may have been afraid, but he needed to see his mother again. He didn't even want to imagine how afraid she was after he had gone missing the previous day. Koichi couldn't just abandon her like that, and even if talking to her was bound to mean he had to share the truth behind everything that had happened these last few months... Well, that was just an obstacle he was going to have to face.
Koichi hadn't ever told Tomoko the truth behind his concussion. She just thought it was an accident, and while that was true, she didn't realize it had drawn him into another world that showed him everything he could have ever asked for. The Digital World was terrifying, but it was a piece of him, and he couldn't outrun that forever. Koichi hated keeping all of that a secret from Tomoko and forcing himself to lie to her... Though he supposed that wouldn't be a concern anymore. Not after today.
His stomach sank into his feet at that, and Koichi wrapped his arms tightly around his abdomen. He had been running for ages, but he wouldn't be able to escape any longer. He knew what was going to have to happen next, and he would just need to face it. Koichi would have been lying if he said he was ready, but... Well, he had to wake up from his dream eventually, though with Dusk, Velge, and Malkako around, it was more like a nightmare.
Either way, the morning was waiting for him, and Koichi had to rise to meet it whether he wanted to or not.
Notes:
Another Resplendent Evolution in the bag!
This chapter is definitely one that's been a long time coming. Chihiro's emotional struggles have been getting worse throughout the story, and they definitely hit their lowest point at the end of act three. Act four is a new start though, and that gave them the chance they needed to reach the next level. At long last, they're on the road to recovery again.
Now, let's get into the in-depth breakdown. As the first scene shows us, Makuramon wasn't the only one of Alastomon's generals. In truth, he's one of four, and the others are Bloomlordmon, Boltboutamon, and Ogudomon. I chose four Human Digimon for this one since that would make the most sense given the context of what Alastomon is trying to accomplish. Alastomon is off getting ready for the rest of the war, so he left his generals to try and get rid of the Legendary Warriors. The quartet of generals also came to the fortress with a strengthened army. It was only briefly touched on here, but I'll be going into it a bit more later. The Void Fragment Digimon are getting stronger, and that's another beast for our main cast to deal with in the future.
Chihiro finally had their emotional turning point after that first scene too, and they woke up in full to how much the rest of the group means to them. Chihiro's main issue emotionally is that when they get scared, they completely cut themselves off from the world. They're very close with Takuya, yes, but he didn't even know about them running away from their parents to stay with him. When there's something that scares Chihiro, they bottle it up until they fully explode, and they've been at their breaking point for a while now. They needed to allow themselves to accept help though, and that's where the greatest issue came from for them. When they finally started thinking through things differently though, it all clicked, and they were able to reach their Resplendent form.
On a minor side note, Chihiro's Resplendent was a massive pain to figure out design wise because of their odd color scheme (brown, orange, turquoise, and purple). Brown is a strange color on the best of days, but here... Yeah, it was a lot to work with. I really like how it turned out though. My favorite part of their design is definitely their rock gauntlet. Left-handed Chihiro for the ages!
As for the battle that followed Chihiro's Resplendent Evolution, I decided to split the attention between them and Mayumi since she was the only one to have a loss as her first battle after reaching the Resplendent level. It was under understandable circumstances, but it's still a shame. Instead of leaving her with that, she and Chihiro work together to win the day and send the generals packing. The others fall into the background by comparison so Chihiro and Mayumi can save the day. They're an odd pair to win a fight together, but I love mixing things up, so I'm happy with how it turned out.
Next, we've got the Legendary Warriors realizing they won't be able to keep their secret forever. They've been in the Digital World for a while now, and before that, they were fighting in secret to fend off the attackers on Earth. Their parents have definitely noticed that they've gone missing, and now, they have to tell the truth about everything going on. How this happens and how much they say will vary on an individual basis, but it's still a lot for them to take in. There comes a point in a story like this where the heroes of the otherworldly adventure need to tell their families about this, and their time has come whether they like the idea or not.
Last but not least, we have the scene with Koichi to end everything. He's been in emotional distress for the longest out of the group's members, but he still hasn't seen any degree of relief from it. Going back to Earth is only stressing him out more, and Dusk tormenting him isn't helping at all. Koichi is one of the last four Legendary Warriors to reach the Resplendent level, and he's starting to take it to heart since his ability to Spirit Evolve has been hampered for so long. Chihiro was able to break free of that issue, but Koichi is still struggling with it. For the millionth time this story, poor Koichi. He deserves better.
Next week, we're going to pick up with the Legendary Warriors going back to Earth at last... And finally telling the truth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 47: Latches and Keys
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors return home after their bitter battles in the Digital World.
Chapter Text
As was promised, the Legendary Warriors returned to Earth after they got back into the fortress. Saki stayed behind with Miriamon and the rest of the Digimon to hold down the fort and listen in for any news about what was happening with Alastomon. Takuya couldn't say he was entirely comfortable with the idea of going back home as long as Alastomon and his generals were still on the loose, but it wasn't as if he had much of a choice in the matter. He needed to go back to Earth eventually, especially because of what he had seen happening there before he left.
The group had wound up leaving through a portal Saki had forced open using their magic, and the exiting side was stationed in an abandoned building of some kind. In other words, nobody was around to see the Legendary Warriors when they arrived back on Earth. It was a relief in many ways. Takuya didn't want to have to deal with being spotted on top of everything else, so he made a mental note to thank Saki for their foresight when he next went back to the Digital World. He didn't know when that would be, but something told him it was going to be soon. He wouldn’t be able to get away with staying away from the Digital World for long.
The first thing Takuya did when he stepped outside was wince. The city was an absolute wreck. The damage left behind by the invading Digimon hadn't been as severe as it could have been, but there were still notable dents in the ground and in the sides of buildings that acted as proof of what had happened. Massive construction cranes towered into the sky as city workers did everything that they could to clear away the debris and begin the recovery effort. It would take time, but that wouldn't stop them from trying their best.
The second thing Takuya did after stepping outside was reach for his phone. He felt it vibrate in his pocket, and he realized a bit too late that he had completely forgotten to check it throughout his entire stay in the Digital World. He didn't exactly know how communication between the different realms worked, but now that it was working at last, there would have been at least some way for him to stay up to date on what was happening on his home planet. However, he had forgotten about it in the midst of his exhaustion and the attack on the fortress, so all he could do was carefully scroll through the massive list of messages that had been left behind on his home screen.
From there, Takuya was able to put together the story of everything he had missed fairly easily. The investigation team had stayed there in the abandoned building with Shinya and Masae long after the Digimon had been cleared out. It wasn't until after a rescue team came through to help them that they left, and after they were examined for injuries, they were allowed to go home. In the end, the investigation team, Shinya, and Masae all stuck together, not wanting to leave one another behind until they had the full explanation they had been promised. All six of them were waiting back at the Kanbara household to hear the truth behind everything.
In other words, Takuya was long overdue for a conversation with the investigation team when he got back to his house. Izumi was also going to be coming back home with him to pick up Masae before she returned to the Orimoto house, not that he had any complaints about that. If anything, it was good that he read about that sooner rather than later and spared himself that little bit of trouble while he could.
"Look at this," Yumiko whispered as she turned her phone around for the rest of the group to see. She had received a government alert not long ago that listed out all the people who had gone missing since the start of the attack. Takuya didn't need to look twice to know he was going to be on there somewhere, and that was all the more reason for him to get home as soon as possible. He didn't even want to imagine how terrified his parents must have been, and he had to talk to them before they completely lost their minds. Shinya may have known where he was, but his parents sure as hell didn't.
"I guess that settles that," Junpei sighed. "We should split up and go to see our families. We can meet up and talk about everything more once we've explained all we need to share with them. What you all choose to say is up to you. I just know I've got a long night ahead of me."
"You can say that again," Mayumi muttered with a shake of her head. She extended one arm for Haroi to take, and he gladly accepted it, leaning against her as they started the journey back home. They couldn't just fly back, so the best they could do was have Mayumi try to escort Haroi back. It wasn't perfect, but in a moment like that, nothing was perfect in the first place.
The Legendary Warriors split up easily enough from there, though Takuya couldn't shake the desire of wanting to stay with them forever. He just would have felt safer as long as he had the rest of the group around, especially since he knew they were being directly targeted by the enemy at this point. Alastomon was going to come after them again, and Takuya needed to be with the others if he wanted to stand a fighting chance in case of an emergency or fight. He didn't have his Resplendent form yet, after all, and he didn't want to take the risk of fighting alone as Aldamon if he could at all get away with it.
For the time being, he would have Chihiro and Izumi there with him at least. Izumi must have seen through a message on her phone that she was supposed to go to the Kanbara home with Takuya and Chihiro since she hadn't walked away yet. She let out a sigh and glanced up to her two friends, unable to shake her nerves despite her best efforts. "Well... I guess we should get going," she murmured.
"I'm not looking forward to this at all," Chihiro muttered. "I had been hoping to not have to tell anyone about this, but... I guess that ship has sailed by now. We can't just walk away from this without saying why we went missing for an entire day. The fact that we've been plastered all over wanted lists by the government is worrying too."
"They deserve the truth after all that's happened," Takuya concluded, though he was more so saying it for himself than either of his friends. If he convinced himself that he needed to tell his parents and friends everything, then maybe it would be a little bit easier for him. There was no guarantee of that, of course, but he wanted to try at least.
Neither one of his friends objected to that sentiment, and they started back toward the Kanbara home. The walk was much longer than it had any right to be, and the air was thick with melancholy fear. Nobody wanted to have to be the one to say it even though they had no other choice. The decision had been made for them the instant Alastomon decided to pull the trigger on invading Earth. All they could do now was deal with the aftermath whether they liked it or not.
When Takuya's home was finally in sight, he let out a careful sigh. It didn't even feel real that he was back there. So much had happened over the course of the last day, and it felt as if he had lived an eternity in just twenty-four hours. Time had been slowing down ever since Saki went missing a few days priori, and the issue was only getting worse. This moment was everything Takuya had been waiting for, but he hated having to face it. He didn't know what to do now that he was there, and he didn't know if he ever would.
His anxiety and uncertainty wasn't going to help anything though, so Takuya let out another grounding breath before he approached the door. He grasped at the knob carefully just to feel the coolness of the metal beneath his fingertips. Afterward, he fished his lanyard out of his pocket and inserted the proper key into the lock. Takuya felt his throat grow tight as he turned the key and opened the door.
He couldn't help but cringe at the sudden onslaught of noise. There were so many people talking at once—too many, Takuya would argue—and he felt like his brain was going to explode if they all kept yelling at the same time. Takuya couldn't quite make out the exact words being spoken, but he could guess the context of the conversation well enough. Everyone knew that only two people would be able to open the door with a set of keys like that, and those two were Takuya and Chihiro. At long last, one of the two missing residents of the house had come back home.
Yuriko was the first one to round the corner, her face marred by exhausted emptiness and the stains left behind by tear tracks. She gasped, and her hands flew up to her mouth. "Takuya! Chihiro!" Yuriko cried out, and she surged forward in one fluid motion.
All Takuya could do was stare at her, though he snapped out of his trance when he felt her arms wrap around his body. He hadn't realized just how much he missed normalcy until he stepped back into his home and saw his mother's face. She had been crying, and it looked like she had barely slept. How could she? Her children had been missing. Takuya wouldn’t have been able to sleep if he had been in a similar position.
That was enough to make Takuya tear up too, and before he knew it, he had started to cry into her sleeve. His throat was dry from a dehydration he hadn't even registered until that moment, and it was the only thing keeping him from openly sobbing. So much had happened since he had last been home. When he had last left the Kanbara house behind, he had thought he was going off for a normal day at school. Alastomon hadn't announced his betrayal back then, and Biastamon hadn't been dead yet either.
So much could change in just one day, and Takuya hated it more than anything.
Takuya was so caught up in the weight of the moment that he didn't realize Hiroaki had arrived on the scene as well until after he felt a second set of arms wrap around his body. Takuya felt something wet drip onto his forehead, and he knew his father was crying regardless of if he wanted to admit it openly. Takuya had never known his father to cry, but he wasn't surprised by this turn of events either. It was expected if nothing else after everything that had happened, though that didn't make it any easier for Takuya to stomach what he was witnessing.
It wasn't just Hiroaki that had joined the embrace though. Chihiro had been pulled in as well, no doubt after expressing a desire to be hugged by the Kanbara parents for the first time ever. They had always respected Chihiro's boundaries of not wanting to be touched, but special occasions called for special exceptions. In Chihiro's case, they were happy to accept an embrace from the ones who had treated them as family in their darkest hour. Takuya could have sworn he heard Chihiro sob gently into the quiet, but he didn't say anything about it. He knew it wouldn't have been right for him to make the observation vocally regardless of how correct he was.
An eternity later, the hug finally disbanded, and Takuya rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hands. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to find the words. Luckily for him, Izumi was still standing there after having witnessed the entire embrace, and she was happy to swoop in and save him from the silence. "We should sit," she suggested. "There's a lot to talk about."
"You're right," Takuya agreed. He looked up to his parents hesitantly before starting to walk into the living room where all the rest of the noise was coming from. Yuriko and Hiroaki trailed after him, clearly fighting off the urge to ask a million and one questions. They were relieved Takuya and Chihiro were home above all else, but they were still curious about what had happened to lead them to this situation in the first place. How could they not be?
As was to be expected, the investigation team was gathered in the living room with Shinya and Masae. Takuya didn't think he had ever seen so many people in his living room made for five that was now being forced to hold eleven. The room felt smaller because of the weight of the emotion from the day before, and Takuya felt like the air was going to try and suffocate him if he gave it the chance. Still, everyone did their best to make do with the cramped quarters. Half the investigation team had taken to sitting on the floor while Shinya and Masae were practically pressed up against one another to make room on the couch. The investigation team still looked incredibly banged up, and their wounds from the battle the day before hadn't yet faded. At the very least, the injuries weren't severe enough to put them in the hospital, though Takuya had to wonder if perhaps that was because there were others who were hurt worse. For all he knew, there were others who needed hospital beds more, and that could have forced the investigation team to fend for themselves. It wouldn't have surprised him if that was the case, and he hated having to admit that.
"We were so worried after you didn't come home last night," Yuriko confessed when she finally found the strength to speak. "We stayed up all night waiting for you, but... You never came back. There was a list of missing people sent out, and we were hoping that would bring you back home if you saw it, but—"
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Takuya said softly. He couldn't bring himself to look up at his parents as he sat down on the floor across from his brother and friends. Chihiro and Izumi took their places on either side of him, clinging to the warmth his element brought even long after they left the Digital World.
"What do you mean?" Hiroaki questioned. "What could have kept you from coming home? Were you hurt? Should we be taking you to the hospital?"
"It's nothing like that," Takuya promised him with a shake of his head. "I... We have a lot to tell you, but you need to promise to listen no matter what we say. It's not going to be easy, but you have to believe us. Can you do that?"
Yuriko and Hiroaki shared a look of worry at that, and the investigation team pointedly avoided their gazes, already having figured out where this was going. After a few moments of silently watching one another, Yuriko nodded. "Alright... If that's what you need, then we can listen. Just... Tell us what's going on."
Takuya took in a slow, deliberate breath, doing everything he needed to in order to keep himself grounded. He felt like the earth was going to swallow him if he wasn't careful, though that fear quickly vanished when Chihiro took his hand. Izumi gladly took his fingers in her own as well, and she leaned her head over on his shoulder. Both of them were giving him the reassurance he needed, and he couldn't have been happier to have it.
Takuya allowed himself a few more seconds to think through what he was going to say before he threw caution to the wind and just decided to say it. He needed to get it out there above all else, and if it wasn't perfect, he didn't care. He knew what needed to be done, and he wouldn't shy away from that. "Let me tell you about a place called the Digital World..."
~~~~~
This had to rank as one of the things Koji wanted to do least in the world.
Realistically, he knew what needed to happen. Koji had to go home and talk to his father and stepmother about everything that happened. It wouldn't be right for him to just vanish into the wind after a monster attack no matter how desperately he wanted to hide from the consequences of all that had happened. Part of Koji wished he had just stayed in the Digital World with Saki, but he couldn't do that. It wouldn't be right.
Unfortunately for him, doing what was right meant facing off against everything he wanted to deal with least. For a while there, Koji had been lucky enough to forget about everything Yutaka had done to ruin his life. Now that Alastomon wasn't distracting him with attempts on his life though, Yutaka was the only person on Koji's mind. Some dark piece of his brain told him he should just go and kill Yutaka then and there to spare them all the trouble, but he forced himself not to. Koji was exhausted and operating on little food and sleep. His murderous urges were probably just a manifestation of the universe doing everything in its power to screw him over. He needed to get some food in his system, and everything would be fine.
But was that really all there was to it? Koji had to wonder. He had wanted to kill Yutaka back when the truth first came out and he saw the man making Tomoki's life miserable again. What good did Yutaka serve to the world? All he ever did was make the people around him miserable, and he had torn Tomoki down countless times over the years to the point of it manifesting in multiple mental breakdowns in the Digital World. Maybe things would be better if Koji killed Yutaka. It would certainly be better for his mental health than going to talk to his father.
"Are you alright, Koji?"
The sound of Koichi's voice snapped Koji out of his thoughts, and he glanced over to see his brother walking beside him. When the Legendary Warriors had gone their separate ways, Koji had offered to walk Koichi back to the train station so he could go back home. Hinoka had chosen to take some time to walk around the city and clear her head while assessing the damages, and Koji didn't want to force his brother to walk back to the train station on his own. Plus, escorting Koichi to the train was a perfect way for Koji to avoid the responsibilities that came with speaking to his father and stepmother for a little bit longer. Who was he to refuse something like that?
Koji sighed at his brother's words. "I'm as fine as I can be, I guess," he muttered. "I'm not looking forward to having to address the Yutaka situation when I go home though. The monster attack is one thing, but Yutaka..."
"We don't know what that's going to mean for either one of us," Koichi finished for him, and Koji nodded. Koichi sighed as well and began to wring his fingers against one another. "I almost forgot about that honestly. I feel like it's just a matter of time before it comes back to bite us both. I don't know what our father is going to do in response to what he heard, but I have a bad feeling about it."
"You're not the only one," Koji agreed. "I'm going to be able to expose that our father lied to me about our mother being dead for years. He's never been the kindest person even on a good day, and this is bound to put him in an even worse mood than usual. The Digimon invasion isn't going to help anything. No matter what, I'm in for hell when I go to talk to him."
"You could come back and see our mother with me," Koichi offered. "I know you won't be able to avoid going back there forever, but... Maybe it would be a good idea for you to take a bit of extra time to yourself. You've been through a lot lately."
That was certainly a tempting idea. In fact, Koji had been halfway thinking of it himself. He would have loved having a chance to spend time with his brother while also avoiding the inevitable shitty questions he was going to get from Kousei over everything Yutaka had told him. Tomoko's kindness was something Koji treasured, and he needed more of that gentle love in his life these days.
But at the same time, he couldn't keep running away from Kousei forever. Koichi was right about that whether Koji wanted to admit it or not, and the longer the Warrior of Light held off on it, the worse the inevitable confrontation was going to end up being. The best thing Koji could do for himself at this point was just to go back home and get this nightmare over with before it could give him yet another headache.
"I'll be fine," Koji assured Koichi with a shake of his head. "I can't hold off on this forever, and I'd rather rip the bandage off now than spend another few hours worrying about what he's going to say when I go back. It's not like I can prepare for something like this either. How he responds is entirely out of my control, and I just need to deal with that."
"I understand," Koichi nodded. "I wish you the best of luck. If you decide that you need to come visit me and Mom, you can." He took a moment to breathe before he let out a heavy sigh that seemed to shake his entire body. "I'm going to tell her everything about the Digital World. I feel like I owe her an explanation after everything I've hidden from her up to this point."
"You don't need to do that," Koji frowned. "It's your decision if you want to tell her or not."
"And I do," Koichi said. "I've been hiding a lot of things for a long time, and I think I need to open up to her about it. She's been really worried about me these last few months, Koji. I don't want to leave her to suffer with all of that if I can avoid it. I'm not going to like having this conversation, but... I owe it to both of us."
Koji nodded as he closed his eyes in quiet contemplation. "I understand," he murmured. "I'm wishing you the best of luck with that then. Be sure to text me to tell me how it goes, alright? I doubt she's going to completely flip out on you or anything, but... I'd just feel better hearing from you once everything is over."
"I can do that," Koichi assured him. "I'd like to hear from you how everything goes with our father too. That's not going to be easy either, but I'm hoping it goes well for you somehow. You deserve that much after everything that has happened."
"Thanks," Koji hummed under his breath. He still wasn't entirely sure how he was meant to feel about everything going on, but he knew he had to focus on the path ahead. He took in a deep breath as the train station came into view at last. The time had come for him to drop Koichi off and go even though that was the last thing he wanted to do.
"I'll talk to you later, Koji," Koichi smiled gently. "I'm rooting for you. I know this won't be easy, but... You're the strongest person I know. You've got this. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you."
Koji smiled in return and waved to his brother. "Same to you." Koichi returned the waving gesture before he started to walk toward the train station. Koji continued to wave even after his brother had vanished around the corner into the depths of the station.
When Koji finally let his arm fall back to his side, he let out a heavy sigh. His chest was tense in a way he didn't want to acknowledge. He was terrified of going back home and seeing what was waiting for him there even though he knew he had no other choice. Koji took in another deep breath when he realized he was shaking before he turned on his heel to leave. He needed to go back home regardless of if he felt ready for it. Koji doubted he would ever really feel prepared for this, but he knew there was no other choice. He might as well get this over with.
Koji could only hope he was able to explain everything to Koichi after it was over. He would hate to end up in too much trouble to be able to talk to his brother or the rest of his friends after he explained the truth to his father. Koji didn't want to think it was a possibility, but he knew better than to believe his father was entirely a kind man. The idea made him sick to his stomach.
"Only one way to find out how this is going to end," Koji muttered. He forced air into his lungs once again and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. "Might as well get this over with."
~~~~~
After Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi finished explaining their full story, the living room of the Kanbara home went silent.
Takuya wished he could have said he was surprised. He wasn't shocked at all though. His friends and parents deserved an explanation about what had happened when he went missing, though he doubted any of them could have ever expected what he would share with them. Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi had gone through everything from start to finish, including all the strange little intricacies of their trip in the Digital World. They didn't spare a single detail, though whether that was a good thing or not had yet to be seen.
"So... What do you think?" Chihiro questioned. Their expression was impossible to read as they scanned their eyes throughout the room. Every person in the area was shocked aside from the three Legendary Warriors themselves, not that this was at all surprising. If Takuya hadn't been there to experience it for himself, he would have found it absurd. Since he had been there though, all he could do was wish he had a comment to break through the silence. If nobody else knew what to say, then he could have chimed in, but nothing came to mind. For the first time in ages, his words failed him so completely that he couldn’t even muster the barest traces of humor.
"This is..." Yuriko started. She had gone pale ever since the explanation started, forcing herself to not interrupt the story despite her desire to say at least something to make herself feel better. Takuya knew that was much easier said than done though. After all, how could she assure herself that everything was fine when she had so clearly just been told that wasn't the case?
"I know it's a bit hard to believe, but it's the truth," Izumi chimed in. "We would never lie to you about something like this. That's what was happening with the monster attacks, and it's how the city ended up destroyed. This is real."
"I never would have thought this would be what was waiting for us at the end of our investigation," Katsuharu confessed. He let out a loose laugh at that and shook his head. "I also didn't think the Digital World would be so dangerous. All we ever wanted was to get back there and see what else it had to offer us, but we never thought it had the power to be..."
"Terrifying?" Chihiro snorted, and Katsuharu winced before nodding. "You wouldn't be the only one who didn't realize what you were getting into. None of us realized what was going on until after we had already been dragged under. I don't think we would have changed it for anything, but it's not like we expected it would spiral out of control like this."
"I can't believe you can be so casual about all of this," Yuriko burst out, finally managing to pull herself out of her trance. "You've been put in so much danger, and you're so..."
"We're used to it, I suppose," Chihiro shrugged. "We've been used to it for a while. It took a bit of time for us to adjust, but this is just what life is like for us now."
"So every single time you've been out hanging out with friends after school... You were getting ready to go to this other world?" Hiroaki asked, his eyes wide. "I don't want to believe this is real. If I hadn't seen so many monsters attack the city, I would have thought this was some elaborate prank you were pulling on me."
"But you know it's not just a prank," Teruo frowned. "All of us know that. I mean, if it was just a matter of jokes, then we wouldn't have been holed up in an abandoned store for so long while we waited for people to come and help us out. The entire city was under attack for hours."
"And a lot of passersby caught things on video and photo," Teppei commented as he reached for his phone. He began to scroll through a social media feed, though Takuya couldn't figure out which one app was specifically that he had chosen. "I've been seeing it constantly ever since the attack started yesterday."
"You can't just think we can let you go back out to fight against these monsters after everything you told us!" Yuriko exclaimed. "None of this is right! You're children, and it shouldn't be your job to look after the safety of the world!"
"I know you're not going to like hearing this, but you can't really stop us from it at this point," Chihiro frowned. "Like we said, there's a mastermind in the Digital World who wants to take over the entire realm, and he's going to move on to Earth after he's laid claim to the Digital World. Alastomon isn't going to wait for us to get permission to fight back against him."
"He was hoping we would end up trapped by all of this," Izumi murmured with a shake of her head. "He planned all of this out from the start, and any distraction he can use to keep us from fighting against him..."
"He's going to take advantage of it," Takuya nodded before he looked up to his parents once again. "I know you don't like hearing about this. It's a lot to take in, and I know that. But... We need to keep fighting for the sake of both worlds. We're the only ones who can do anything to stop what's going on."
"You can see it for yourself," Shinya agreed. He passed his phone over to his parents, showing off a few pictures that had been gathered from throughout the battle the day before. None of the pictures were able to pin down the details about the people they were displaying due to the motion of the subjects, but the general idea was still clear. When a picture of Izumi was shown, it was clearly her regardless of how far away the person who took the photo was. Her blonde hair and manipulation of wind was clear in a few video clips. If that wasn't proof of what the Legendary Warriors were saying, then Takuya didn't know what was.
Yuriko and Hiroaki stared at the screen for a long time at that, just watching as different photos and videos played out across the device. Neither one of them knew what to say, so Masae took it upon herself to break through the silence. She cleared her throat and smiled over to her sister. "I know this is scary... I would be lying if I said I wanted to watch you march off to battle," Masae admitted. "But I trust you to be able to handle this. I'm scared, and I don't think there's any way I couldn't be. Still... I know what Izumi can do, and she's going to give us a future no matter what that means."
"I've seen a lot of fights up close over the course of the last few weeks," Chiaki chimed in as she rubbed at her cheek. "Honestly, it's been one of the scariest experiences of my life. In seeing all of this, I guess I've realized something..."
"We've been investigating a lot lately for the sake of trying to gain something from these fights, but... We're not cut out for this role of saving the world," Teppei admitted with a lopsided smile. "We can pretend we're the heroes in all of this, but we're not. That's what you guys are here for."
"The best thing we can do now is try to help you out from the sidelines," Teruo agreed. "I don't like feeling useless like that, but that just means I'll have to do what I can. If you say you need me, then I'll be there. All you need to do is give me the word."
"Yeah," Katsuharu chimed in with a nod. He looked over to Chihiro at that, his expression sobering into something overwhelmingly genuine. "I'm sorry for all the problems we caused for you. We didn't mean to scare you like that. I know me saying that is probably too little too late, but... I still wanted to say it."
Chihiro froze at that, and they just stared at Katsuharu for a long time in pure shock. Once they were able to drag themself back down to earth, they smiled gently, pressing their hands against their chest. "Thank you," they murmured. "I... It means a lot to hear that. I've been struggling with it a lot lately, but that helps me to feel better. Beyond that, I... I'm in a better place than I was yesterday. I really am."
"We're proud of you," Takuya smiled as he nudged Chihiro in the side with his elbow. Chihiro returned the gesture, and they began to laugh to one another. The Digital World was hardly a laughing matter, but in times like these, they had to take what little joy they could get from whatever sources they could find. After everything that had happened the day before, they deserved a bit of time to sit and laugh with one another, and Takuya loved it. Warmth blossomed in his chest at the thought, and tears started to sting at the corners of his eyes. He didn't think he was actually going to cry, but the freedom of relaxation caught him by surprise even so.
Takuya was so caught up in the moment that he completely forgot his parents were watching him until after he looked up to them once again. Yuriko and Hiroaki were both staring at him like they had never seen anything quite as ridiculous as this. Takuya realized a bit belatedly that laughing in the face of hardship like that wasn't something his parents were used to. They wanted to take something like this seriously, and while that was an appropriate response, Takuya had adjusted for the sake of keeping himself held together in the face of his hardship. For him, that meant smiling and laughing through even the greatest of trials. The Digital World had changed him a lot, and he would never be able to go back to the person he had been before he traveled to the other realm. Whether that was a good thing or not had yet to be seen, but his parents didn't seem fond of it.
"I... I can't believe how much you've grown up," Yuriko murmured as she looked at the three Legendary Warriors sitting before her. "I thought it was strange at the time honestly... You went away on a whim on Shinya's birthday, and when you came back, you were completely different..."
"It was because of the Digital World," Takuya confirmed. "It changed me a lot, and I think it was for the better. I feel more alive now than ever before. The Digital World is just as much my home as Earth is, and I need to fight for them both. I've done my part in the past, and I'm going to keep fighting now too. The people there are counting on me whether they realize it or not, and that applies to everybody on Earth too."
The room went silent once again at that, and Shinya smiled. "You know... You're the coolest big brother I could have ever asked for," he beamed. "I'm proud of you for everything you've done before this, and if you ever need my help now that you've told me, all you need to do is say so."
"Exactly," Katsuharu reiterated. "We all feel the same way. We might not be able to fight the same way you and the rest of your team can, but we're going to do what we can to help you here. After all, you've been tasked with saving the world, and it would be wrong of us to leave you to do that on your own."
Yuriko and Hiroaki looked over to one another at that, and when they turned their attention back to Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi, they let out sighs at the same time. "Alright," Hiroaki relented. "If this is what you need to do, then we trust you."
"But you need to be honest with us from now on, okay?" Yuriko pressed. "It's safer if we give you permission to fight instead of forcing you to go behind our backs. That way, if you need something, you just need to come to us instead of trying to hide it. If you need something, you have to promise you’ll come to us and let us help instead of lying about it from now on."
"It’s a deal… And I'm glad you understand," Takuya murmured. "I was really nervous about telling you guys honestly. We... We didn't want you to find out this way at all, if I'm being honest. We were hoping we would only have to tell you when we were ready, but everything that's happened lately has pushed us to move faster than we would have liked, so..."
"We understand," Hiroaki assured him. "You didn't think this was going to happen, and dealing with that is much easier said than done. I'm not going to hold it against you for not seeing this coming."
"We thought it would be dangerous if we told people the truth honestly," Izumi confessed. "We believed our enemies would use that as an excuse to target the people we care about. As it turns out, that belief was somewhat close to the truth, but Alastomon wasn't waiting for us to be honest with others. Instead, he just needed to know who we really were at all. That was all it took for us to end up in trouble."
"But we're not going to let him control our lives forever," Chihiro announced. "I don't like having to tell the truth about this either, but... I think it's for the best. There's a massive weight off my shoulders now that I'm not being forced to hide something this massive. Of course, I need this to stay between all of us since we can't let the truth get out too far. That will only make things more dangerous. Even so, I'm glad to have the truth out there. I think this is what I needed from the start."
"You can count on us to keep this hidden," Shinya assured them with a shake of his head. "I told Masae what I knew before all of this, but she's the only one I told. We thought it was weird you guys had started hanging out suddenly when you began acting completely differently, so we turned to each other for answers."
"And that's how you wound up figuring out the truth," Izumi finished for him. She winced and shook her head. "You know, on top of me messing up and leaving my pink blood on a boxcutter. That might just be the most ridiculous slip-up I've ever made."
"Don't be so mean to yourself about it," Masae told her. "You were just as freaked out about as I was. Besides, it's all been resolved now. We talked everything through, and you know that we're going to keep this a secret. Even if you didn't want to have to open up about it, that's what you had to do, and we've figured everything out now."
Yuriko nodded slowly at that. "I'm glad to know about it now too," she said. "I'd like to meet the rest of your friends soon. I know that might not be possible with everything going on, but... When you're ready, I'd like to talk to them about everything."
"We should be able to arrange that," Takuya nodded. "Though it'll probably have to wait until after all of this is over. We need to focus on defeating Alastomon first. After we've taken care of that, we can go back to our regular lives."
"You're right," Izumi agreed. She reached for her phone where it was resting in her pocket, and she stared at the screen for a moment before powering the device off again. "Saki hasn't said anything about there being an attack in the Digital World. I think that means we're safe for now, but the instant we see any signs of Alastomon striking back at us..."
"We're going to have to go back to the Digital World," Chihiro finished for her. "We can do that. For now, I just want to breathe though. I don't know when we're going to get the chance to relax again, especially with everything that has already happened over the course of the last day."
"We haven't slept or eaten since fighting off the attack at the fortress," Takuya realized with a wince. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled at that, and he buried his face in his hands with a groan. "Well, I know where my stomach stands on that subject."
"We can make some food for everyone," Hiroaki offered as he rose to his feet. Yuriko nodded and followed him into the kitchen. Hiroaki stopped in the entryway to the kitchen, bracing his hand against the wall as he turned to face Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi. "Just... Try to rest until then, okay? I don't want any of you to push yourselves too hard."
Takuya nodded and watched as his parents walked out. Once they were gone, he let out a sigh and tilted his head back so that he was staring up at the ceiling. That had been absolutely terrifying, but he had managed to survive it against all odds. He would even go so far as to argue that the conversation had ended far better than he had expected it to. That was something he could be proud of, and Takuya was more than happy to applaud himself for this minor victory. He deserved a bit of a cheer after everything he had endured recently.
"We'll keep an eye on Earth when you have to go to the Digital World again," Teppei told Takuya. "You said you were able to figure out how to communicate between worlds, so we should be able to reach out to you if anything bad happens on this side of the barrier."
"Thank you for that," Izumi smiled. For the first time, when she smiled at the investigation team, her grin was genuine. The sight was refreshing after how much time she had spent hiding her true feelings around them, and as such, hiding her true smile too. "It means a lot to us. We could certainly use the extra help. As it turns out, fighting against practically the entire world isn't easy."
"For now though, you're not fighting," Chiaki pointed out. "So you should try to relax. After all, you won. The attack on Earth is over, and you're here in one piece. That's a good thing."
Takuya nodded gently, though he wished he could believe it the way he wanted to. Even if the Legendary Warriors had managed to fight off the invasion force, they had still fallen short when it came to helping Biastamon. Alastomon had won in terms of getting rid of his greatest rival, and that wasn't going to be an easy blow to come back from. Takuya bit his lip at the thought, working the skin between his teeth. He needed to stay calm, but that was much easier said than done.
At least he was okay in the moment. He had explained the truth to his friends and family, and they understood. That was a victory, and he deserved to treat it as such.
~~~~~
The journey back to the Tsurumaki-Reiku household felt less like a homecoming and more like a funeral march. Haroi leaned against Mayumi on the way back, and she gladly supported his weight. She had said before that he was impressively light and easy to carry, but she made no such comments today. Haroi knew why. She was still thinking about Biastamon and the cruel fate that had befallen him. How could she not be thinking about that? Biastamon had changed both of their lives, and just as quickly, he had died. There was no easy solution to that.
Haroi wasn't going to let that stop him though. Perhaps it was ridiculous and foolish of him to pin all his hopes on something he wasn't even sure was possible in the first place, but he was determined to at least try to learn more about what the life cycle for Digimon was like. If there was a chance that he could return Biastamon's memories to him, then Haroi had to try. He owed it to himself, Mayumi, and Biastamon. It was the least he could offer.
Haroi didn't say this to Mayumi though. He knew she wasn't in a place to listen to him speak about saving Biastamon as long as there was a chance it wouldn't work. Haroi was happy to keep it to himself in the meantime. He would be able to tell her everything when the moment was right, or preferably, when he had figured out how to bring Biastamon back or had succeeded in doing so. Until then, he could wait.
By the time the duo arrived back at home, Haroi was halfway convinced his legs were going to give out beneath him. He needed to sit down as soon as he got inside. Maybe he would be able to crash on the couch while he and Mayumi told their parents about everything they had gone through over the last day. Haroi knew they wouldn't be able to get away without explaining what they had been up to. The time had come for them to just be honest whether they felt like they were ready or not.
Haroi was far less against the idea of telling them than he would have thought. He had anticipated feeling like he was going to be sick if he had to talk to them about what was really going on, but in the end, it just felt right. Haroi hadn't realized what the truth had been doing to him until he was given the chance to relieve himself of that burden. He would have to tell them, and he was fine with that. He would be fine soon enough. He knew it.
Mayumi reached for her keys and fumbled with them before she pushed the door open. Afterward, she let Haroi walk in first while she held the door for him. Mayumi trailed after him and took her position at his side once more after shoving her keys into her pocket. She said nothing throughout the entire process, and Haroi resisted the urge to stare at her in worry.
Haroi found it odd when neither Daizen Reiku nor Katsumi Tsurumaki came rushing to the door to greet them. Soon enough, he found his explanation for why they hadn't come immediately. The two had fallen asleep in the living room. Daizen had the television remote in his hand, and the news was playing across the screen. They had probably drifted off while waiting for their two children to come home. The idea of that made Haroi feel horribly guilty, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fix it. He had done what was necessary at the time, and he would simply need to live with that.
Mayumi eased Haroi down so he was sitting in one of the other chairs in the living room before she approached her father. She poked Daizen in the shoulder, and he slowly opened his eyes. He hadn't even bothered to pull his glasses off before he fell asleep. He blinked a few times before realizing just who he was looking at. Mayumi offered him a lopsided smile and a half-hearted wave. The exhaustion in her features was clear as could be, but she did her best to hide it.
Daizen's gasp was enough to pull Katsumi out of her slumber, and she rubbed at her eyes before looking up at Mayumi. "You're finally home!" Katsumi exclaimed. She pulled Mayumi into a hug immediately, and the teen girl gladly returned the gesture. "We were so worried when you and Haroi didn't come back! What happened?! We reported you missing, but—"
"We're okay," Haroi assured her with a shake of his head. He wasn't entirely sure if that was the truth, but he needed to at least put in the effort to ease her into the darker subject of the Digital World. He couldn't just drop it all on her at once, at least not in good conscience. "But... I think we have a lot to talk to you about."
"I agree," Daizen nodded. "Just what happened? You left early for school, but you never came back. Did you end up getting caught up in the monster attack? I know this was the largest attack yet, but... You could have at least sent us a text. We were so worried."
"It's... It's a long story," Mayumi murmured as she pulled away from her embrace with Katsumi. Daizen shot her a confused frown, and Mayumi sighed as she practically collapsed into the other chair in the living room. "I hope you're ready to hear this... It's not going to be pretty, but I know I need to get it out there sooner or later."
"What are you talking about?" Katsumi questioned, her voice shaking slightly. "You make it sound like you went through something horrible after you were separated from us... Is that what happened? We can help. Please, tell us everything."
Haroi and Mayumi shared a long glance at that before the former took in a careful breath and let it out. "There's a bit more to the recent monster attacks than you realize..." He looked at both Daizen and Katsumi quietly, watching as they eased themselves back onto the couch slowly but surely. "Let me tell you where all of this started... In another realm known as the Digital World."
~~~~~
Hinoka couldn't say she was surprised when she walked inside her apartment and found the lights out. She glanced around for any signs of her mother, but she was met with nothing aside from a pair of shoes set beside the front door. In other words, Fujie was there, but she hadn't come out of her room even in the midst of a monster attack. Instead, she had hidden away in her room to wait it out. It made sense, but Hinoka didn't like it at all.
In all honesty, Hinoka hadn't been planning on talking to her mother at all about what was going on. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Fujie after everything she had been through, and if that meant she had to be quiet, then so be it. Staying quiet was better in this situation, and Hinoka understood that. She wasn't going to disturb the way of the world if she could at all avoid it. She and her mother had barely spoken over the course of the last few months, and while that was normal, it still hurt.
Hinoka didn't realize just how much she wanted to go home to a welcoming embrace until she wasn't given that chance. She sighed heavily at the thought and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her eyes. She normally wasn't the type to get so upset over something like this. She knew what her mother was like. Ever since Hinoka broke things off with Emon, she hadn't spoken much to Fujie. Her mother believed she had ruined her own life by shattering her true love. Fujie was known for projecting her issues onto her daughter, and Hinoka knew that, but she still wished her mother could break through that just long enough to support her in her hour of need.
But Hinoka knew there was nothing she could do to change any of that, so she instead retreated to her room quietly. She reached for her phone once she had fallen onto her bed, and she opened up her chat log with Chiaki. The two were still restricted to just one app for the sake of keeping their interactions a secret from their father. It was for the best, but the reminder of Daishi's past behavior made a cauldron of rage boil over in Hinoka's stomach. Why did everything always have to be so complicated? Why couldn't she rely on any adults in her life? Why did it feel like the world had failed her for seventeen years until she found the Legendary Warriors? How had it been allowed to get that bad in the first place?
Hinoka pushed all of that out of her mind as quickly as she could, instead typing out a message to Chiaki for the sake of keeping her brain busy. It wasn't a perfect distraction, but at least it would do something to get her to focus on something else for a little while. As long as Hinoka was caught up in her depression because of her horrible relationships with her parents, that was about all she could ask for. She started to type, not caring much for how desperate she may have looked to her sister in the message:
I hope you're okay after everything that happened. We should hang out soon, preferably without the monster attacks this time. Wishing you the best.
Hinoka punctuated her message with a light blue heart symbol before she sent the text. Afterward, she pressed her phone against her chest and stared up at the ceiling. She had known what to expect even when she was on her way home. Still, that did nothing to stop just how much it wound up hurting. She just wanted to feel loved for once. Was that too much to ask for?
It wasn't that she was entirely unfamiliar with love. Of course that wasn't the case. Hinoka had come to value the Legendary Warriors as her family, and Chiaki was just as much a part of that as the others Hinoka loved. Still, as the Warrior of Water looked up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if perhaps people had thought to support her throughout her earlier days instead of leaving her to fight through the world on her own. She had deserved better than this, and while it had taken her a long time to admit it, she knew it now.
Hinoka put her phone down on her bedside table and walked out of her room. She leaned against her doorframe and stared across the hall to where her mother's bedroom was. Hinoka couldn't help but wonder when the last time she had actually spoken with Fujie had been. She had lost track, if she was being honest. Hinoka had gotten used to using that to her advantage by using her apartment as a perfect center for Legendary Warrior meetings, but it still stung. Just because it was an old wound didn't mean it wasn't still prone to hurting every once in a while. Oh, and it was one wound that just loved to hurt on the worst of days.
It hurt in every way Hinoka had always wanted to be loved by her mother, and it was on the verge of eating her alive.
Maybe Hinoka was just caught up in the tide of everything that had happened to her recently. She knew a lot had changed her life over the course of the last few days. Between her Resplendent Evolution, Saki's disappearance, the attack on Earth, Alastomon's betrayal, and Biastamon's death, her life had been a damn disaster lately. Maybe that was why she was so upset by this all of a sudden.
Then again, Hinoka knew the reasoning behind it didn't matter all that much. The fact of the matter was that she just wanted to be loved, and recent open wounds had just made it more obvious than she was used to. She had always wanted someone to care for her the way she deserved, but nobody had ever stepped up. She loved her friends, but she needed a parent to look after her, and it stung to know that no one ever would. While the rest of the Legendary Warriors figured out how to tell their families the truth about what they had gone through, Hinoka was left standing alone in an empty apartment. Maybe she should have just stayed behind with Saki and Miriamon. That would have at least given her some noise to listen to so the silence didn't try to suffocate her with its clawed grip.
Hinoka shook her head and retreated back into her room. She knew the door to her mother's bedroom wasn't going to open, and Hinoka wouldn't have known what she was supposed to do even if it did open. She had forgotten what her relationship with her mother was like years ago. It felt like a proxy for her other miseries before she broke up with Emon, and now, it was just silence.
At least she had people to count on now. It was a shame that honor didn't extend to her parents though. Making peace with that didn't matter; it still stung, and Hinoka rubbed away her tears again even though she knew there was no point in trying to stop them to begin with.
~~~~~
Koji wasn't ready.
He had arrived back at the Minamoto house, and he stared up at the door silently. He wanted to turn around and walk back the way he had come, but he knew that wasn't an option. He wouldn't be able to avoid it forever, and trying to avoid this conversation was just going to make him more miserable in the long run. The best thing he could do for himself was try and get it over with.
Koji wished he knew what to expect. He hadn't checked his phone since getting back to Earth again. He had turned his phone off when he arrived back, as a matter of fact, desperately wanting to avoid having to acknowledge his father for as long as he could get away with it. He would have to face Kousei sooner or later though. The consequences of Yutaka's actions would make escape impossible, and Koji knew that bitterly well. He didn't like it, but he knew the truth well enough to not bother with putting up a fight against it.
This was new territory for Koji, and he hated it. He had gotten used to feeling angry when it came to his father, and sometimes, he deliberately avoided coming back home for the sake of not getting into an argument. This was different though. Koji was afraid. He was normally tough enough to at least put up a strong front long enough for his argument with his father to die down and fall to the wayside, but he knew it wouldn't be so easy this time. Kousei was going to be beyond enraged with him, and Koji could feel it. Yutaka had ruined his entire damn life, and there was nothing Koji could do about it.
The lights were on inside the house, proof Kousei and Satomi were home. Raika was waiting for Koji inside too. That was enough of a reason for Koji to want to go in. He needed some quality time with his dog to try and melt away the remaining anxiety and stress from the attacks over the last few days. At the very least, there was light at the end of the tunnel for him. After he finished talking to Kousei, he would be able to enjoy himself to some degree. That had to count for something, right?
Koji took in a deep breath and forced the air to circulate deep in his lungs before he pushed it out again. He could feel himself shaking inside and out, but he wasn't going to be able to do anything about that as long as he just stayed there outside the house. He would only find peace and relaxation on the other end of this impossible task. He had to get it over with one way or another.
Him telling himself that didn't change his tune about hating the idea though. Koji shook off the thought to the best of his ability before he reached for his keyring and inserted the proper key into the lock. His hands were shaking all the while, but he forced them to remain still. He had to push forward. He had survived an entire war before this. Multiple wars, as a matter of fact. He could handle a conversation with his father.
With that in mind, Koji twisted his key in the lock and finally walked inside.
Notes:
Oh boy... The Legendary Warriors are finally telling the truth.
This is probably something some of you have been waiting for. In every season of Digimon that takes place on Earth, there comes a point where the Chosen Children have to tell their families what's going on. Our group here has gotten away with hiding the truth for a long time, but that's all finally melting away. It's time for them to be honest whether they're ready for it or not... And let's be honest here, none of them are.
First off, we've got Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro going back to the Kanbara household. Since Shinya was with the investigation team and Masae at the time of the attack ending, they were all invited back to the Kanbara home to wait for Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro. None of the kids said anything to Yuriko or Hiroaki about what they knew, but they had to know the truth was going to come out sooner or later. Sure enough, that's where we leave off in this scene. I thought it would be appropriate to start off with the truth coming out with the Kanbara family since they were the first relatives we saw back in the first book.
We take a break from them though to look at Koji and Koichi. The twins are having an equally bad time, and they're having crises about having to tell their parents too. Yutaka telling Kousei the truth about Koji knowing about Koichi only threw another wrench into their plans. While neither one of them is looking forward to telling their parents about what's going on, they know they don't have much of a choice, so they're willing to get it over with anyway. Koji wants to avoid going home for as long as he can get away with it though, so he walks Koichi back before heading toward his house again.
And that's our cue to go back to the Kanbara home. Yuriko and Hiroaki are the parents I wanted to focus on most with their reactions in this chapter, hence why they got such a long scene about it. They don't like what their children are having to do here, but they understand they have no other choice but to go along with it. Note here that I said their 'children.' Chihiro is just as much a member of the family as Takuya and Shinya. There are three children in the Kanbara family, and I will not be taking any feedback at this time.
On the note of that scene, I want to touch on the investigation team for a moment. They all wanted to learn the truth behind the Digimon attacks for the sake of personal gain and the fame that would come from it. They put that aside for the sake of helping the Legendary Warriors. They're allies, and they finally see that. It's a small detail, but I really like it for how it fits in with the four of them and their shared arc leading up to this point.
Next, we have Mayumi and Haroi going home. I admittedly wasn't going to have them tell their parents at first, but that wound up changing. I haven't had the chance to show off Daizen and Katsumi before now, but since Mayumi and Haroi's family is so tightly-knit, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. And so, Mayumi and Haroi tell them the truth. The only other detail I have about this scene is that Haroi is still determined to find a way to bring Biastamon back. No one can say for sure if he's going to be successful or not, but he's not going to let the idea of impossibility stop him.
The scene with Hinoka going home was a last-minute addition. Since she doesn't really have anyone to tell, I was planning on leaving her out, but I decided to include her for the sake of contrasting the happy reunions in the other scenes of this chapter. Hinoka doesn't talk much about her relationship with her mother since she has bigger issues to deal with, but she has an incredibly complex set of thoughts about Fujie. That's a matter for another day though. For now, Hinoka just gets to feel bad about it. Poor girl.
I was going to do more with Koji's ending scene in this chapter, but I decided to leave it off here as a cliffhanger. Spoiler alert: he gets a lot of focus next chapter, so I thought it would be appropriate to end things there to set up for next time. He's having a crisis as I said before, but he knows he can't hold it off any longer. So here he is whether he wants to be or not, and I can assure you, he does not want to be there.
With that in mind, next week, we're going to follow Koji into the Minamoto house at long last. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 48: Pacts of Radiance
Summary:
Koji prepares to face his father for the first time since Yutaka went behind his back.
Chapter Text
Kousei and Satomi were both waiting for Koji when he crossed over the threshold and into the Minamoto house. He closed the door carefully behind himself, and when he looked up, he saw his father and stepmother standing in the kitchen. The two were speaking quietly and tensely with one another, but when they realized Koji had returned, they fell silent. Raika came bounding around the corner almost immediately, her tail wagging so fast Koji was afraid she was going to burst a hole in the wall with her enthusiasm. She nuzzled against Koji's hand immediately, desperately seeking attention when she realized her favorite person was home.
Koji stroked fondly at Raika, a smile on his face, but his expression melted into darkness when he looked up and was reminded of Kousei and Satomi staring at him. Satomi was the first one to move, coming out from behind the counter to approach Koji. Worry was written all over her face, and she pressed her hands against his shoulders while giving him a thorough examination from head to toe. "I'm so glad you're home!" Satomi exclaimed. "I was so worried about you after you ran off! And then there was the attack, and we couldn't figure out where you were! Are you—"
"I'm fine," Koji assured her with a shake of his head. "I was able to figure out a way to get out of everything happening. I just... Needed a bit of time." That wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't entirely the truth either. Even so, if Koji could avoid talking about the Digital World, he was more than happy to do so. In fact, his ideal ending for this conversation involved him escaping without having to explain his monstrous side at all. That way, he wouldn't need to worry about Kousei's response. He would just need to focus on keeping himself from falling apart after everything that had taken place.
Kousei walked out from behind the counter as well, though he was much slower with it. He seemed tempted to wring his hands together, and Koji couldn't help realizing this was the most anxious he had ever seen his father. That revelation was enough to send shockwaves of surprise throughout his mind, but he was quick to bring them to silence as Kousei spoke. "I... I owe you an apology."
If Koji had anything in his mouth, he would have spit it out from pure shock. For a long moment, all he could do was stare up at his father with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. "What?" he eventually forced himself to ask, though the word came out far softer than he had intended.
"I've had a lot of time to think about what happened before," Kousei continued, choosing each word carefully. "It wasn't right of me to blow up at you for what I heard from that man. You should have told me what was going on, but... I shouldn't have snapped at you the way I did."
Koji didn't know how to respond to that, and once again, he returned to staring as he processed what he was hearing. He didn't think he had ever heard his father apologize for anything. Each argument ended in stubborn bitterness from both sides since that was one trait Koji had inherited from Kousei. He had never seen his father say sorry regardless of the circumstances, much less to him. To say Koji was surprised was a grave understatement. He didn't think he had ever been this shocked, and he had just gotten back from a trip to a world filled with monsters and betrayal.
"We... We talked about it a lot," Satomi explained when she realized Koji didn't know how to respond. "I didn't know anything about this, I promise you. Kousei explained everything to me after you ran off, and when we were hiding in the house during the attacks, we... We had a lot of time to discuss it."
Kousei hesitated before he forced himself to continue to speak. "I was wrong to not tell you the truth about your mother and brother," he said softly, choosing each word with extreme deliberation and care. "I never thought about twice it before a few days ago, but it wasn't right of me to lie to you. I see that now."
Koji glanced back and forth between Kousei and Satomi, still unable to form words in response to all of this. Part of him was convinced this was some cosmic joke, some prank where the rug was going to be ripped out of him at any given moment. His father never apologized for anything. Could Satomi really have convinced Kousei to not only be honest for once, but also consider that he might have been in the wrong? Koji had seriously underestimated her if that was the case. He never would have imagined this was possible to begin with, much less that Kousei would extend the honor in his direction.
"I..." Koji finally managed to choke out before he swallowed dryly. "I had my reasons for not saying anything about it. You never talked about it, so I didn't either." He left out the part about how he never would have told Kousei if he could have gotten away with it. Yutaka had ruined that plan with a smile on his face, but Koji had been hoping this would be one secret he kept away from his father. That would have been an ideal outcome, but this was far from the worst way it could have ended. Granted, that was only true because Kousei had finally apologized, but Koji was willing to accept it. He took what he could get, especially since this was far better than what his imagination had told him would be waiting for him when he got home.
Satomi took a small step backward to give Koji extra space, pressing her hands over her chest. "I want to know how it happened," she said. "All we know is that you met your brother without either one of us knowing. If you don't mind... Could you tell us the full story?"
There it was. Koji had been expecting this question, and he knew he was going to have to answer it one way or another. He wasn't looking forward to mentioning the Digital World in all of this, but maybe he would be able to get away with not bringing it up. There was a chance he could just not talk about it. That would be ideal. He had told Koichi he would tell their father the truth, but Koji was fine with changing his mind at the last minute if it would make his life a bit easier in the future.
With that in mind, Koji took in a careful breath and let it out between his teeth. "Alright... It all started over summer break..."
~~~~~
Koichi turned the doorknob carefully as he walked into the Kimura apartment, pulling his key out of the lock once he was inside. He glanced around for any signs of his mother as he took his shoes off, and he eventually struck gold when he saw her work shoes sitting beside the door. Koichi opened his mouth to call her name, but he never got the chance.
Instead, Tomoko appeared from the hallway leading off from the main area of the apartment. There were tears in her eyes, and her face was visibly red from crying. "Koichi!" she exclaimed. She surged toward him in one fluid motion before pulling him into an embrace. Koichi returned the gesture immediately, practically burying his face against her shirt as soon as he got the chance. He hadn't realized just how much he missed the scent of his mother, the scent of home, until he was given the chance to return to it. Now, it was enough to rip tears from his eyes.
"I'm so happy you're home," Tomoko whispered, burying her face into his hair as she pulled him in closer. Her tears quickly fell into his dark and disorganized hair, but he couldn't bring himself to care at all. "I kept trying to call you, but you wouldn't answer the phone. I've been so worried."
"I'm alright. I promise," Koichi assured her. He couldn't help crying at the sound of her open sobbing, and his tears began to stain her shirt as they slid freely and gladly down his cheeks. "Everything is okay now."
The two remained together for a long while, and when they finally pulled apart, Tomoko let out a shaky sigh before rubbing at her eyes with one hand. "What happened?" she asked him softly. "Did you end up caught up in the attack? I know there was a lot going on, so I'm not upset if you were, but..."
"It's... It's a long story," Koichi replied hesitantly. "First, what happened with you? Were you okay? I hope nothing happened for you to get hurt." His mind cast itself back to what he had learned from Chihiro and Izumi after the initial invasion took place. Alastomon had told his Void Fragment Digimon to deliberately target people close to the Legendary Warriors for the sake of taking them out of the fight. If Shinya, Masae, and the investigation team had been targeted, then it wasn't out of the question to believe Tomoko had been attacked as well.
"I was working a shift at the hospital at the time," Tomoko began. "I tried to call you and Koji to see where you were, but neither one of you answered. So many people were coming in injured and wounded, and I couldn't tell if I wanted one of you to arrive in the emergency ward or not. I didn't want you to be hurt, but I wanted to know you were safe. Once we were able to stabilize every new patient that was coming in, I was sent home. Nobody wanted to push me too hard as long as you were missing, so I came back here to wait for you to return... And you're finally here."
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long," Koichi told her softly. "I'm here now though, and I'm not going to leave again. We're okay." He pulled her into another hug, and she gladly accepted it. Koichi felt like a small child all over again, clinging to his mother for support whenever the woes of the world grew to be too much for him to handle. He hadn't realized just how much he needed this, but he was glad to have it again.
Tomoko sat down on the couch carefully once they broke away from their embrace. "What happened after you and Koji left yesterday morning?" she asked, and Koichi remembered like a punch to the stomach that it had only been about a day and a half since all of this began. It felt like it had been much longer in his distorted mind. "Is he alright?"
Koichi nodded. "He's back home now. Everything is fine," he assured her, ignoring how Koji going home and being fine seemed like a contradiction after his fight with Kousei. He could get to that later on though. For now, he had something much more important to address. With that in mind, Koichi took in a deep breath. "But... There's something I need to tell you about everything that's been happening."
Tomoko stared at him in muted confusion. "What do you mean? Did something bad happen?"
"It's... It's a long story," Koichi said in lieu of a true response. She would understand soon enough. "Before, I told you that Koji and I found one another by chance... That's only partially the truth. There's a lot more to it than that, and... I think it's time for you to finally hear what really happened when we found each other."
Tomoko continued to watch Koichi in shock and bewilderment as he forced a deep breath in and out of his lungs. Afterward, he looked up to her gently, allowing his hand to slip into hers. "The day I met Koji, I didn't meet him in the train station at all..."
~~~~~
"It was a matter of chance," Koji started. He had settled down on the couch facing Satomi and Kousei where they were angled on the other end of the piece of furniture. Raika had parked herself just beside Koji, and she gladly accepted all the affection he was giving her as he began to explain everything. "Koichi and I just so happened to catch the same train on the day when all the weird phone messages were being sent out over the summer. We realized that we looked the same, and after that, we started talking. The truth came out from there, and I found out that Koichi had been following me around for a while."
"He knew about you first then?" Satomi questioned.
Koji nodded. "Yeah. When his grandmother passed away, she told him the truth. After that, Koichi started searching, and he eventually learned enough about me to try and reach out. The day he finally had the confidence to talk to me was the day we met each other at the train station. From there, everything just sort of... Came together."
"I spoke with Tomoko yesterday," Kousei admitted softly. "I figured that was where you had gone after you ran off, so I called her for the first time in years. She said that the story of how you and Koichi met was your story to tell, not hers... But she did tell me that Koichi wound up with a concussion that same day. Is that true?"
"Yeah," Koji nodded. "He tripped and fell down the stairs. He wound up being rushed to the hospital after that, and I went to find him there. He was able to go home soon enough, and once he was in the clear to go about his regular life again, we started hanging out more regularly."
"That's where you were going all the time over the summer then... That makes a lot of sense," Satomi realized. "You were never out of the house quite so much before that, but if you were trying to help Koichi through his recovery, then that would explain everything."
Koji nodded once again before shifting his attention to Kousei. His eyes hardened into a glare, though he wasn't quite as angry as he expected himself to be. Kousei's apology had at least somewhat softened the edges of Koji's rage, though given how much pent-up aggression he had accumulated toward his father over the years, that wasn't saying much. "What about you?" Koji questioned. "You kept all of this hidden from me for ages. Why did you go so far to hide what was happening? This entire explosion could have been prevented if you had just been honest from the start. The fact that you hid it is the reason all of this happened."
"I thought it was for the best," Kousei snapped back. His previous calmness from his apology had melted away with the accusation, and he glared daggers back at his son. "I didn't want to think about the divorce either. It was easier to pretend Tomoko and Koichi were gone forever. They were as good as it since we didn't have anything to do with each other after that."
"You didn't want to think about the divorce so much that you decided to act like they were dead?" Koji asked as his rage continued to boil over. "You wanted me to forget they existed to begin with. You never mentioned Koichi in the first place, and you told me my mother was dead. You lied to me for sixteen damn years, and you expect me to just be okay with that because you were uncomfortable with having to explain grief?"
"The divorce was difficult for me too, you know," Kousei countered. "You kept asking about your mother. You were still only a toddler, and you didn't understand why every other child had a mother and you never did. What did you expect me to say? The more you asked about it, the worse I felt."
"I can assure you that it's easier to explain the idea of divorce to a child than lying and saying their mother was dead for over a decade and a half," Koji fired back. Each objection in the argument was louder than the last, and Koji was on the verge of yelling by this point. "You lied because you wanted me to stop asking questions, but all you did was make it worse."
"I did what I thought was best at the time. I already told you that," Kousei insisted. "You would have kept asking if I had told you your mother was still alive. I couldn't deal with that. I just couldn't face it, Koji."
"I just wanted to be given the chance to feel something during all of that!" Koji shouted. "You never let me feel my way through my grief! You just wanted me to move on! You were so desperate to forget everything that happened that you forgot you had a child to look after through all of that too! You weren't the only one who suffered because of the divorce! Every issue we've ever had with each other has come down to you not letting me express my emotions! It started young, and it started with you lying!"
Satomi opened her mouth to try and interject, but she was cut off by a sharp beeping sound from each of the three phones in the room. She reached for her device where it rested in her pocket, and when she read the notification on her screen, her eyes went wide. She was too shocked to speak, and her hands began to tremble almost immediately.
Koji took that as his cue to read the notification for himself, so he dug his own phone out and pressed the power button. It didn't take him long to figure out what had caught Satomi by surprise. In fact, it made him feel nauseous too.
‘Another monster has been sighted in the city. All citizens are advised to take shelter as soon as possible.’
Koji just snarled at the notification. You have got to be fucking kidding me.
As soon as he managed to conquer his rage, Koji pushed himself to his feet, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He was halfway to the door by the time Kousei realized what he was doing, and he shoved himself off the couch with a bitter clip to his voice. "Where are you going? Didn't you see that message?"
"Stay here," Koji instructed, unable to hold back the growl in his voice. He didn't know if the other Legendary Warriors would be available to take care of this next attack from Alastomon, and he didn't want to waste time by asking them. He was happy to storm out in the middle of an argument with Kousei since his father had messed up their attempt at reconciliation so thoroughly. As far as Koji was concerned, he was one of the best people who could have taken care of this because of how little he cared about what he was leaving behind.
With his path made clear, Koji slid into his shoes, not even bothering to adjust them when they didn't sit properly on his feet. He darted out into the street a moment later, closing the door behind himself with a slam. Raika watched him in confusion from her place by the couch, and Kousei and Satomi stared as well.
However, Kousei and Satomi did not remain still for long. Kousei growled under his breath before he took off after Koji, sliding his shoes on and darting out the door. Satomi was quick to follow him, her hands shaking all the while. Neither one of them understood why Koji had run off at the mention of a monster attack, but they couldn't let him go in good conscience. If there was a chance he would get hurt while wandering on his own, then they would have to drag him back home where he was safest. Regardless of the argument they were having, they were his parents, and they needed to act like it.
Koji, on the other hand, didn't bother with entertaining the idea of Kousei and Satomi following him. Instead, he just wrapped around one of the nearby houses where the lights were off. He hid in the shadows as he reached for his D-Tector and pressed the activation button. He slid three rings of Fractal Code across the scanner at the top of the device, and when the blue and purple light around him faded, he had been replaced by Beowolfmon. Before anyone had the chance to investigate the flash of light, Beowolfmon took off running on the nearby rooftops, his blade at the ready for the moment the enemy Digimon made themself known.
The alert had made it sound like there was only one attacking Digimon. That was an incredible gift, and Beowolfmon thanked Alastomon for only sending a single messenger to destroy Earth this time around. Beowolfmon wouldn't have stood a chance against an entire army, and he knew it. He hadn't yet reached the Resplendent level, and that put him at a massive disadvantage compared to the rest of his allies who had crossed that milestone. He needed to be realistic with his skill level, and at the moment, that meant limiting himself to smaller skirmishes until he had full control over his element. The fact that there was likely only one Void Fragment Digimon there was perfect for him, and he would easily be able to fight them off either until backup arrived or he was able to win the battle.
A streak of darkness appeared in the sky overhead, and Beowolfmon stopped running to tilt his head upward. As soon as he caught a glimpse of the Digimon that had arrived on Earth, he swore under his breath. He had been hoping he would be able to take care of this on his own, but he was starting to think it wasn't going to be quite that simple.
In a word, the attacking Digimon was massive. The beast was a red dragon longer than at least two city blocks, though Beowolfmon would have estimated his target as being even larger. There were twin streams of light blue hair across the Digimon's body, and the hair eventually gave way to two tails that flicked dangerously behind the bulk of the monster. Its mouth was massive, and Beowolfmon estimated there were at least two hundred teeth waiting within to bite him the instant he made himself known. Purple armor covered the top of the Digimon's mouth along with its eyes. Blue webbing stuck out between the monster's claws on its admittedly small legs.
Beowolfmon was able to identify the Digimon as Leviamon almost immediately, though he knew that knowing his opponent's name wasn't going to do much to help him. The fact remained that Leviamon was massive, and Beowolfmon had to wonder if he had ever fought against a Digimon this large aside from the obvious exception of Lucemon's final form. Even when the Legendary Warriors faced the hoard of ElDradimon, Beowolfmon hadn’t been the one to actually fight them; that had been Mayumi and Yumiko. Either way, Beowolfmon didn't have time to think about how Leviamon compared to his past opponents. He had to focus on the battle at hand, and that meant putting his blade to good use and fighting.
Leviamon continued to streak through the sky for a few seconds before turning around, though his turn was wide and graceless. Beowolfmon knew immediately after Leviamon turned around that he had been spotted, and he slipped into a defensive stance so he would be ready to dodge an attack at a moment's notice. He didn't like fighting here of all places in a residential area where so many people were bound to come out and investigate the fight while he was taking care of Leviamon, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Beowolfmon was one of the few Legendary Warriors who didn't have access to the air when fighting, so the best he would be able to do was distract Leviamon until the rest of the group got there. Hopefully, at least someone else would recognize the need to fight back when they heard about the attack. Beyond that, Beowolfmon prayed it was someone who already had access to their Resplendent form. That would make this even easier for him.
But in the meantime, Beowolfmon jumped up when Leviamon sent out a blast of blue fire in his direction. Beowolfmon thrust his sword into the sky, and a wolf outline appeared across the two blades. From there, the wolf streaked toward the fire, slamming into it and creating an explosion in the air that kept the flames from licking at any of the houses below. If Leviamon set one of them on fire, the inferno was bound to spread, especially in an area like this. Beowolfmon was at a massive disadvantage, and he knew it. His only choice was to play the defender, and he had never been great at that, much less when he had so many other lives to look after on top of his own.
Then again, he supposed bitterly, that was probably the reason for Alastomon sending Leviamon here in the first place. Alastomon had gathered a lot of information both as the mastermind and through pretending to be an ally of the Legendary Warriors, so he knew how to use their weaknesses against them. Of course he wouldn't give them the time they needed to recover. Alastomon wanted them all dead, and he would do anything in his power to accomplish that goal.
Beowolfmon sent out yet another wolf silhouette after the explosion, and he targeted the blast directly at Leviamon's underside. The top of Leviamon's body was too well armored for Beowolfmon to be able to do significant damage, so he would just have to use his lack of wings to his advantage. If he was stuck on the ground, then he was more than happy to strike from below.
Unfortunately for Beowolfmon, the light attack did little to actually hurt Leviamon, and the wolf instead fizzled out after striking the massive dragon. Leviamon didn't even flinch, and given how small the attack was compared to the sheer size of the enemy Digimon, Beowolfmon shouldn't have been surprised. He scoffed in irritation regardless, and he launched himself off the roof to try and stab at Leviamon with his blade. Hopefully, he would be able to open a cut and use that to send the Void Fragment out of Leviamon's body. That would end the fight quickly, and at this point, all Beowolfmon could ask for was a speedy victory.
Down on the ground, Kousei and Satomi had come to stand out in the street. Satomi's hands flew to her mouth as she stared up at Leviamon. "What is that?!" she cried out. She already knew it to be one of the monsters that had been attacking Earth as of late, but the details beyond that were out of her reach.
"Where's Koji?!" Kousei shouted as he glanced around the area. He searched for any signs of his son, but there were no traces to find in the first place. After all, Koji was long gone, having been replaced by Beowolfmon the moment he was able to get away from his parents. Searching for him was pointless at this point.
Beowolfmon primed his sword for a massive strike at Leviamon's weakened underside, but before he had the chance to stab his blade into its target, his foe decided to counterattack. Leviamon slashed his claws at Beowolfmon, and the Warrior of Light let out a strangled cry of pain before he was sent sprawling to the ground. When Beowolfmon hit the earth below, his body left a massive dent of concrete in the middle of the street. He was sent hurtling with enough force to set off a few car alarms from the vehicles unlucky enough to be parked nearby, and the shrieking noise only made Beowolfmon's new headache worse. He groaned in irritation and pushed himself to his feet, turning his sword over to use as a crutch so he could stand.
Beowolfmon's scream had predictably caught the attention of Kousei and Satomi. The latter threw her arms up in an attempt to keep any stray pieces of debris out of her face, and Kousei winced as he looked away. The ground shook slightly from Beowolfmon's impact with the ground, but neither one of them cared much for the tiny earthquake. Instead, they were far more concerned with the voice that had come out of Beowolfmon's mouth when he screamed. They had never heard Koji yell like that before, but they knew his voice well enough to be able to identify it.
"Koji?!" Satomi yelled in shock. She stared at Beowolfmon where he was slowly rising to his feet at the heart of the dent in the street, and she seemed halfway tempted to rush toward him. However, Satomi held herself back, uncertainty rearing its head just long enough to make her doubt her choices and circumstances. How in the world could that truly be Koji? She would have known it if her stepson could transform into a monster like that... Right?
Then again, she hadn’t known that her husband had another son until two days prior. There was a lot that Satomi didn’t know.
"But that's..." Kousei started. He continued to stare at Beowolfmon as the gears started to click together in his head. Koji hadn't just been staying away from him over the course of the last few days. Kousei knew what his son's voice sounded like, and he could easily identify it as belonging to that monster in the middle of the road. He had seen Beowolfmon on the news multiple times before now as videos of the 'human monsters' fighting off the invaders from another world played across his television screen. It seemed impossible, and yet, the truth standing before Kousei did not deceive him. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, that was Koji, and he would never be able to outrun a truth like that.
Beowolfmon looked over to Kousei and Satomi when he realized they were watching him. All it took was one glance for him to figure out that they knew exactly who he was, and Beowolfmon felt his heart sink into his feet. He had done everything in his power to keep them from figuring out just who he was as a Legendary Warrior, but none of it had mattered. Kousei and Satomi had followed him, and now, they knew the truth. He wouldn't be able to erase that from their minds no matter how hard he tried. The damage had well and truly been done, and he could never escape that.
Beowolfmon was halfway tempted to yell at Kousei and Satomi to back off and leave this to him, but he knew it wouldn't have a point. They weren't going anywhere until they had their answers, and that was a problem he would have to contend with whether he wanted to or not. Before he had the chance to fully consider his options, he heard the air whistle overhead, and when he looked up, Beowolfmon was met with yet another streak of blue fire soaring in his direction. Once again, Beowolfmon raised his blade to create a silhouette of white light that clashed with the flames just in time to explode against the strike and keep it from hitting its intended target.
The explosion didn't deal anywhere near as much damage as Beowolfmon expected it to though, and when he looked up, he realized it was because a massive stream of water had appeared from nowhere to try and douse the flames. Beowolfmon already knew who he was going to see before he turned his attention skyward, but even so, he searched overhead for one of his allies. Relief pounded at the corners of his mind, dulling his headache in an instant. He had successfully held off Leviamon long enough for one of the other Legendary Warriors to arrive. If he couldn’t defeat Leviamon, then that was the next best outcome he could ask for.
Hinoka was panting when Beowolfmon finally caught sight of her, and her face had gone red from exertion. "Sorry I'm late!" she cried out. "I got here as fast as I could, but living so far away has its downsides on days like this!" Hinoka caught notice of Kousei and Satomi a moment later, and after making a few seconds' worth of eye contact with Beowolfmon, she nodded to him. "Talk to them. I'll take care of Leviamon."
Before Beowolfmon had the chance to object, Hinoka had already flown off and was giving it her all against Leviamon where he waited overhead. Beowolfmon watched her for a long moment, wishing with everything he had that he could have fought alongside her. However, he knew it wasn't going to be that simple. He couldn't deal any damage to Leviamon even if he wanted to, and as long as Kousei and Satomi were standing in the middle of the street as such easy targets, Beowolfmon and Hinoka would both be in even more danger. He needed to get them to leave even if that meant having the worst conversation of his life.
Beowolfmon walked over to Kousei and Satomi slowly, though he kept his sword in his hand all the while. Neither one of them seemed particularly threatened by it. Instead, they just stared at him in horrified confusion as they resisted the urge to stare at Leviamon where he soared through the overhead skies. Beowolfmon didn't want to be the one to start this conversation, so he opted to stay silent and instead looked down at them both impatiently.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Kousei finally shouted when he was able to get a grip on his tongue once again. "Koji, are you—"
"Yes," Beowolfmon replied without even giving him the chance to finish. "I had been hoping you wouldn't find out this way, but I suppose we don't always get a choice about when the truth comes out." Inwardly, he wished once again that he could have just stabbed Yutaka when the invasion of Earth was taking place the day before. It certainly would have helped him to sleep easier at night.
"You're one of them... You're one of the human monsters," Satomi whispered. She had gone even paler than before, and given how terrified she had been when all of this began, that was certainly an accomplishment. "How? I don't understand."
Beowolfmon gripped at his sword a little bit tighter. "That's a long story," he confessed. "All you need to know is that this is the real me. I'm not who you thought I was, and I'm fine with that. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's a good thing. I'm better this way, and I always will be. Nothing will ever be able to change that."
"How long have you been hiding this from us? Why didn't you say anything?" Kousei continued to question.
"Can you blame me?!" Beowolfmon snapped back before he had the chance to stop himself. "You started screaming at me when you learned I had found out about my brother! You keep coming up with excuses for everything you've done without ever bothering to listen to me! This... This is what it means to feel something for me! This is freedom. I've had to hide everything I've ever felt for so long for your sake, but I finally have a chance to express myself now. This is who I really am, and I'm happy with it. I want to be able to live without having to constantly conform to your rules about what you want from me. I deserve that much."
Kousei went silent at that, and he looked up at Beowolfmon with his lips pressed into a thin line. The Warrior of Light took in a slow, careful breath before letting out a sigh. "I want the chance to be able to express how I feel without it turning into a punishment. I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around, but that's what happens when you stop your child from being able to express themself. I've had enough of bottling everything up and keeping secrets for your convenience and happiness. I deserve better than what I've been given, and this is proof of that. If you can't take this for what it is, then that's your problem, not mine."
The air went tense with silence at that, and both Kousei and Satomi stared up at Beowolfmon as they waited for someone to say something to break through the quiet. Satomi inhaled anxiously before forcing the air out a moment later. "I never knew you were hiding so much," she admitted. "I never would have guessed you had all of this on your shoulders every second of every day. You've been helping to keep so many people safe, but nobody ever knew the truth. You never had the chance to tell them."
Beowolfmon's eyes went wide with shock. He wasn't entirely sure what he had been expecting to hear in response, but it certainly hadn't been something sympathetic. In fact, he had been certain Kousei was going to start yelling at him for having the audacity to be so angry and irritable. Instead, Satomi seemed... Understanding. She wanted to help him in any way she could. Beowolfmon had spent years despising her for trying to fill a hole in his heart she never could have fixed to begin with, but he had been wrong. It had taken him a long time to see it, but she cared about him in her own way, and to act like she didn't was a disservice to all the work she had put in over the years.
Beowolfmon swallowed back his nerves before allowing himself to reply, though he didn't bother to think through the words before speaking them. All that mattered was trying to push through the bundle of raw emotion that rattled around in his ribcage. "I've had to hide a lot for the sake of the people I care about," Beowolfmon began slowly. "I'm tired of having to bottle up everything for the convenience of those around me though. I deserve better than that. I deserve to have a chance to let myself feel everything regardless of how ugly it is."
He looked to Kousei at that, his gaze pointed but for once not hateful. "I need the room to feel my grief and rage from everything I've lost. Keeping it inside is only going to make it worse. I've been stuck for years because I didn't know how to stop hating the world. I need the chance to let everything out so I can stop feeling like everything is against me. All this time, I needed the time to let myself be upset, but you never let me. It was too hard for you, so I was kept from being able to let everything out too. I deserved better than that. I don't want to be angry anymore. There's more to life than just being full of spite at everything and everyone who has ever wronged you. I want there to be more to life than that. I just need you to give me that chance, and if you can't do that... I'll do what I have to in order to give it to myself."
Kousei remained silent for a long time at that, and he looked up at Beowolfmon with an unreadable expression. There was something like grief in his eyes, and Beowolfmon couldn't help but feel suffocated at the sight of his own reflection in Kousei's irises. After another long moment of silence, Beowolfmon sighed once more. "I've seen a lot these last few days. I know how suddenly everything can be ripped away from a person, and I don't want any regrets. I want to try and make things right no matter how uncomfortable it's going to be. If that means finally fixing the bridge between us, then... So be it. I don't want to be angry anymore. I don't want to hate everything anymore. I want to try, so long as you're willing to do the same."
Kousei took in a careful breath of his own, and when he exhaled, he shook slightly along the way. "I never knew you felt this way," Kousei confessed. "If I had realized this was what you were going through, I wouldn't have acted the way I did. You're right. I never gave you the room to feel anything. I was too caught up in my own misery to let out my own grief, and I didn't let you release it either. I suppose we always argued so much because we were always so similar."
"For better or worse," Beowolfmon agreed with a light scoff. "The divorce was hard on both of us. I think we should stop using that as a reason to hate each other and start treating it like a way to fix this. I've grown a lot these last few months, and one of the most important lessons I've learned is that there's more to life than just wanting to fight the world all the time. I want better than that, and no matter what, I'm going to do what I can to give that to myself. I need the space to feel through everything I've suffered with, and I'm going to look after myself no matter what it takes."
"And I want to help you too," Kousei interjected. "I've made a lot of mistakes in raising you, and I wish it hadn't taken me so long to see it. We can't erase everything we said or did to one another over the years, but we can try to fix things in the future." He reached out and took Beowolfmon's hand in his own, and for the first time in years, the Warrior of Light did not flinch away. "I'm sorry, Koji."
Beowolfmon closed his eyes slowly. "So am I."
Satomi gasped sharply a moment later, and Beowolfmon took that as his cue to open his eyes once again. However, when he did so, he realized he could no longer see Kousei or Satomi. Instead, a massive field of white illumination had consumed his vision, and Beowolfmon felt his Hybrid Evolution fading away, leaving him instead as a human at the heart of the light. He had heard from the other Legendary Warriors that when a Resplendent Evolution took place, they knew it long before they saw the fruits of their development. Koji knew now that they were right. He could feel the truth of his situation deep in his stomach, and it brought the first smile in days to his face at last.
With the armor of Beowolfmon now gone, Koji's clothing was free to change in every way it needed to. First and foremost, a white shirt formed on his torso. Its sleeves were loose before coming together tightly under black braces on his forearms. Gray gloves peeked out from beneath the braces to cover his hands, leaving only the tips of his fingers visible. A belt of a paler gray color wrapped around his hips, and thin strips of gold marked the top and bottom of the strip of fabric.
Koji's new pants were black and followed a similar pattern to his shirt. The trousers were loose before coming together suddenly as white boots appeared on his calves. Golden laces traveled up the front of the boots to keep them in place. A sun emblem of the same color could be seen on the outside of his boots. Yet another sun settled itself on his chest just above his heart, and a fourth appeared at the center of his belt.
A piece of blue fabric cascaded down from the right side of the belt, and it cut off just below Koji's knee. The fabric was lined with a strip of pale yellow as it wrapped around the upper half of his right leg like half of a skirt. However, the fabric would not restrict his movement if he needed to fight, and given what this form was for, it was just a matter of time before he had to take it into combat.
As the half-skirt fully formed, a small cutout appeared on Koji's right boot on the outside of his ankle. The hole was quickly filled with transparent pale yellow fabric to match the lining of the blue cloth draping down from Koji's hip. Beneath the hole, the symbol of the element of Light carved itself into his skin in a bright white color that seemed to practically glow when the light hit it just right.
The final change to Koji's appearance came in the form of his hair. His black hair tied itself into a high ponytail. Two braids wrapped around his head before cutting off as they joined the ponytail. A sun emblem was attached to the band that kept his hair out of his face. A few strands of black hung out of his ponytail though, and they framed his face carefully. A streak of white appeared near his cheek to show off the color of his element.
A few seconds later, the light faded away, and Koji was left standing back on the street near his house once again. He instinctively looked down at his hands before taking to admiring the rest of his outfit. He couldn't help the laugh that pushed its way free of his lips at the sight. It had taken him a long time to finally reach the Resplendent level, but after all this time, he had done it. The weight in his chest he had come to know so well over the years had faded as well, though Koji knew that didn't have much to do with his new evolution. Instead, it was all about the conversation he had shared with Kousei and Satomi.
Both Kousei and Satomi were staring at Koji in shock, their eyes wide and their jaws dropped. Koji realized a bit too late that this wasn't normal for them and that it was only natural they would end up caught off guard by everything he had just shown himself to be capable of. He knew they wanted an explanation, and he was about to offer it when a shadow streaked through the skies overhead. When Koji looked up, he was met with the sight of Hinoka continuing to fight off Leviamon. She used her water magic to disperse his fire before it could strike any of the buildings below, but his raw size had her at a disadvantage by forcing her to fight on the defensive just as Beowolfmon had earlier in the battle. Hinoka hadn't been able to get in any good attacks because Leviamon was targeting the homes on the ground, and Koji knew that was going to remain true for as long as Hinoka was the only one in the fight. If they were going to win, they would need to work together.
And at long last, Koji would be able to help her.
"I'll explain later," Koji told Kousei and Satomi. "Right now, I have some business to take care of." He didn't wait for either one of them to potentially object as he kicked off the ground, leaving behind a small current of wind when he took to the skies. He still couldn't fly, but he was more than happy to use his new burst of energy to his advantage in other ways.
Koji started off by manifesting a sword of light in one hand, and he pointed its tip straight at Leviamon's underside. He gladly slashed open a massive gash across Leviamon's body, and the Void Fragment Digimon cried out in pain on instinct. It had been trying to summon another blast of fire, but that plan fell short as pain surged through its body.
That was enough of a distraction on Leviamon's part to give Hinoka the chance to look over her shoulder at what Koji was doing. She smiled as soon as she registered what she was seeing. She didn't say anything yet though, instead summoning a thin stream of water that she slammed into Leviamon's new injury. Once again, the dragon Digimon screamed in agony, but there was nothing it could do to stop the assault until it was able to get a grip on its faculties once again.
Koji didn't give Leviamon the chance to do anything like that. Instead, he flicked his wrist forward, and tendrils of light appeared to grab at Leviamon's body. The light gladly kept Leviamon tied up on the spot, unable to fly away no matter how hard it tried. The Digimon thrashed mercilessly against its confines, but it couldn't quite break free despite its best efforts.
Hinoka concentrated her water into a single column before she pushed her hand upward at the wound Koji had left behind a few moments prior. The water gladly wore away at the dragon's energy, taking advantage of the opposing element advantage to claim the upper hand. Leviamon tried to scream, but its mouth was firmly stuck together by the power of Koji’s magic, meaning it could not make a sound. That didn't stop it from trying though, and luckily, that was all the distraction Koji needed to finish this.
Koji kicked off the ground once again, and he raised his blade high as he flipped through the air. He continued to push himself onward and upward through the constant output of newfound energy, and he didn't allow himself to start coming back down until he was above Leviamon's head. When Koji landed again, he was on the top of Leviamon's mouth, his blade raised high for half a second before he slammed it down. The sword pierced the armor lining Leviamon's body effortlessly, and at long last, the draconic Digimon was given the chance to scream in pain. A moment later, a Void Fragment soared out of the wound on top of Leviamon's head, and the darkness shattered into nothing but a memory an instant later.
Leviamon's body slowly began its descent toward the ground as Koji eased the dragon down using his tendrils of light. Hinoka didn't give Leviamon the chance to land though, instead approaching Kousei and Satomi and holding out one hand to silently ask for one of their phones. Kousei seemed baffled but handed over his phone anyway, unable to protest in his current shocked state. A moment later, Hinoka activated a portal on the screen, and she took to the skies once again to pull Leviamon's body through the rift. After Leviamon had vanished in the flash of light, Hinoka landed once again and returned Kousei's phone to him.
Koji landed in a crouch once Leviamon was no longer there for him to stand on, and he sighed as he rose to his full heigh. Koji allowed his blade to dissipate and vanish, and once it was gone, he approached Kousei, Satomi, and Hinoka. The Warrior of Water wore a proud smile, and Koji couldn't help mirroring it. He had done it. At long last, he had reached the Resplendent level, and beyond that.. He had talked to his family. He had gotten through it even though he had thought it impossible.
"I'm proud of you," Hinoka smiled gently. She glanced back to Kousei and Satomi after she had spoken. "But I think it's time for me to leave. I wouldn't want to eat up all your attention right now. I get the feeling you have a very important conversation ahead of you."
Koji nodded, and he waved gently as Hinoka took off into the air once again, her watery wings carrying her away from the scene effortlessly. He sighed once she was out of sight, and he finally let himself look over to Kousei and Satomi again. They still seemed overwhelmingly shocked by what they had seen, not that Koji could say he was surprised. He would have been stunned to silence if he had been in their position too.
"How... How did you do that?" Kousei asked. His voice was softer than Koji had ever heard it before, and the gentleness with which his father spoke to him caught him off guard. Never had he expected Kousei to look at him so kindly. He had been sure they were doomed to hate one another forever, but he couldn't say he was upset to have been proven wrong.
"I told you. I'm one of the human monsters," Koji replied easily. "I've been fighting against the invaders on Earth for the last few months." He paused as he looked down at his new Resplendent form. "This is new for me though. I've never transformed like this before."
"It happened after you told us what you really wanted from a family relationship... Do you think that caused it somehow?" Satomi questioned. "You just started glowing, and..."
"Evolution is often tied to emotional growth. I guess me finally being honest about what I needed sparked all of this," Koji answered with a loose shrug. He took in a careful breath before letting out yet another sigh. "I've seen a lot of awful things these last few days. And... I don't want to regret anything going forward. I needed space to feel everything that's been hurting me all this time, and when I gave it to myself... Everything changed for the better. I don't want to be angry anymore. I want to make things better between us even if it's not easy."
"I don't want to be angry with you anymore either," Kousei admitted. "I suppose all we needed for all those years was to just talk to one another... Imagine that. We spent all our time arguing, but the solution was so much simpler than that."
Koji nodded carefully. "I've kept a lot of secrets from you for the last few months, but... I'm willing to move past that, at least to an extent. I'm never going to forget the way you treated me or how much it hurt. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully forgive you for it either. Still, I want to at least try to go beyond it. For both of our sakes... I want to fix this."
"I'm glad to hear you say all of that," Satomi smiled softly. "I know I can't ever fill the shoes your mother left behind, and I'm not going to pretend I can. Still, I want to be able to treat you like my son. You've been opening up a lot to me lately, and I appreciate it. If you want to turn over a new leaf with your father, then... I want to do the same."
"I'd like that too," Koji agreed. "I don't think I'll be able to forgive and forget everything that happened, but... It's a start. That has to count for something."
"Thank you, Koji," Kousei told him as he placed one hand on his son's shoulder. For the first time in what felt like forever, Kousei was proud of his son, and Koji felt lightning race through his body from shock. "I'm going to try and do right by you from now on. I promise."
Koji smiled to himself at that, and he placed one hand over Kousei's knuckles. "Thank you." It wasn't perfect, but it was a start, and Koji was willing to take that. He didn't know if he would ever be able to consider this fully resolved, but he was taking the steps he needed to, and for that, he could be proud of himself. He deserved peace, and at long last, he was on his way to finding it.
~~~~~
By the time Koichi finished sharing the full story with Tomoko, a terrified numbness had found a home firmly in his chest. Tomoko had been quiet throughout the entire story, just listening intently to what her son had to say. She didn't want to upset him by crossing any lines or pushing him too hard, and he appreciated that. At the same time, he desperately wanted to know what she thought of all this, and her silence sent a shiver up his spine even as he tried to suppress it.
When the silence finally shattered, it was thanks to a stifled sob from Tomoko. She let one hand come up to rub at her eyes as she shook her head. "I had no idea," she murmured. "I never realized you were going through so much, Koichi... You and your brother both... You're only children, but you've done so much for the sake of others."
"I didn't want to put you at risk by telling you the truth," Koichi confessed. "I thought it would be too dangerous... But it's not right for me to disappear for over a day in the middle of a massive invasion and not say anything to you when I get back. I couldn't do that to you. We all agreed that we had to share the truth with the people who need to know, and I wanted to tell you."
"I'm glad you did," Tomoko said. She wrapped her arms around Koichi's body and pulled him in close. "Thank you for being honest with me, Koichi... I'm honored you felt safe enough to share this with me. I can only imagine how terrified you've been holding onto all of this and not knowing what to do with it."
"I... It has been hard," Koichi confessed as he hugged her back as tightly as he could stand. "All of it has been hard. I never thought this would be my life, and now that it is... It's been a lot to grapple with. So much is changing. I'm not the person I was a few months ago, and the fact that I'm here at all is proof."
"So... These other 'Warriors of Darkness' who live in your body and mind are the reason you're still here today?" Tomoko questioned. "They're the reason you didn't..." She trailed off, unwilling to say the word die about her son. "The reason you were able to come back from your head injury?"
Koichi nodded. "They've done a lot for me. We work together to get through everyday life. I don't know where I'd be without them, but I'm glad we're here together even if it's not easy."
Tomoko pulled away from their embrace and brushed a few loose threads of Koichi's hair out of his face. "Well... I hope they all know just how grateful I am to them for saving you," she murmured. "They've done so much for us both, and I can't thank them enough. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you, Koichi... And I'm glad they were there to look after you when I couldn't help. Please... Thank them for everything they've done... For my sake."
Koichi couldn't help smiling at that. "I will," he whispered, the words threatening to shatter under their own weight. He couldn't believe Tomoko was being so understanding about Lowe, Umbra, and Rhihi. He had been terrified of telling her about them, but he had apparently been scared for nothing. He wasn't complaining about that, but it still caught him off guard.
"As for the others... I hope they're willing to share their stories with me one day too," Tomoko went on. "Dusk was the name of one of them, yes? I think there's more to him than you realize, and if he's ever willing to talk... I'd be happy to listen. That extends to all of them. I feel like it's the least I can offer. I want to give them the chance to talk if they want it."
"Talk..." Koichi echoed. He had never thought about talking to Dusk, Velge, or Malkako. Their hostility was just too much for him to handle, and he didn't even know what he would have said to them if he had the chance to reach out to them in full. He admired his mother's forwardness in wanting to get to know them even if he couldn't say he shared her enthusiasm. Still, he didn't say that out loud, instead just thinking about what it could have been like if he was actually able to speak with those who had caused him so much grief. He doubted they would react to it well, but it was a nice thought if nothing else.
"For now though, I think you should rest," Tomoko suggested. "You look exhausted, and I don't want to keep you awake any longer than I already have. I have the day off tomorrow, so we can have breakfast together if you'd like. I think we've more than earned it after everything that happened these last few days."
"I'd like that," Koichi nodded with a smile. He reached out and hugged Tomoko once again, relishing in the love that came with being at home in his mother's arms. This was all he had needed throughout the recent conflict, and he was beyond relieved to have been given the chance to enjoy it at last. He was safe. He was loved, and that was what mattered most.
Koichi didn't know what he was going to do next nor was he sure about what would be waiting for him in the weeks to come, but he would face it no matter what. He wouldn't let the world defeat him after how far he had come to reach this point. He would win this battle, and he would find permanent peace. He would do whatever it took, and no one would ever be able to stop him.
And if he could find it with Dusk, Velge, Malkako, and Erocia… Maybe that would be even better.
In the back of his head, Koichi could have sworn he heard Erocia sob.
Notes:
At long last, Koji gets the chance to talk with Kousei!
We were long overdue for a chapter focusing on the twins honestly. Koji's been stewing ever since Yutaka revealed the truth about him knowing about Koichi, and the recent invasion has kept him from being able to handle that in full. Now that everything has been taken care of regarding the attacks on Earth though, Koji can finally be honest with Kousei and Satomi...
Not that he was originally planning to do that. Even when Koji sits down to try and handle things with his father, they can't see eye to eye. Given their rocky relationship leading up to this point, that's not exactly surprising. Koji and Kousei are unfortunately very similar with how stubborn they are, and that's one issue neither one of them knows how to handle. They're a lot alike, so they end up butting heads way more than they should. They struggled greatly with the divorce and losing Tomoko and Koichi in their own ways, and that led to a massive rift between them because their instincts are to repress their emotions on both sides, something that causes way more problems than it solves. Even after the truth comes out--sans Digital World, of course--Koji and Kousei still can't figure each other out, and that fuels the conflict of this entire chapter.
Koichi is having a much easier time with Tomoko though, and he chooses to be fully honest with her from the start. Koichi is incredibly close with his mother, and he's been keeping a lot of secrets from her. That would start to eat away at anyone after a while, especially given how much they've relied on one another in the past. There are a lot of parallels between Koji and Koichi's different explanation scenes to really highlight the stark contrasts in their situations.
For example, Koji's ends with him storming out when Leviamon attacks while Koichi is too caught up in his conversation with Tomoko to realize what is happening. Kousei and Satomi follow Koji outside though, and the truth about the Digital World comes out for better or worse. Once again, we have Hinoka covering for someone who needs to explain the Digital World situation to another person, though this time, it's Koji rather than Takuya. Since Hinoka doesn't have much to do with her time back on Earth given her strained relationship with her mother, she was the perfect person to swoop in at the last minute, giving Koji the time he needed to be honest with Kousei and Satomi.
I really liked this scene because of how overwhelmingly necessary it was for Koji. He desperately needed to be honest about everything he's been struggling with and what to do about it. Repression led to rage for him for many years, and what he needed most was the space to just let himself feel everything that was holding him back. He kept that hidden because of his issues with Kousei, but he finally snaps here and tells Kousei to step it up. Koji doesn't want to be angry all the time anymore, and he finally makes that change here, leading to his Resplendent Evolution.
I really like the conversation between Koji, Kousei, and Satomi after the fight sequence too. It's clear that even though Koji wants to try and make things better going forward, he's not going to just forget everything that happened before this. He can't ignore the past nor can he ignore the damage Kousei did to him by not properly caring for him. Koji is willing to make a difference in their relationship, but he's not going to forgive Kousei for treating him like garbage for years either. That's a very important thing to consider with this chapter: Koji is not forgiving and moving on. He's still upset with the way Kousei treated him. It's a step down a different path rather than a complete shift in their dynamic. It'll take a long time for Koji to be able to fully move on from the damage Kousei did when he was growing up, but it's a start.
Last but not least, we have the ending with Koichi and Tomoko. Once again, I wanted to highlight just how close the two of them are. Tomoko loves her son more than anything in the world, and she wants to do everything in her power to support him regardless of how terrifying it is. Koichi finally being honest with her about everything--including Dusk, Velge, and Malkako--is a massive step for him. They love each other a lot, and it all comes through here. They deserve the world even if they're not going to be able to find peace for quite a while, not as long as Alastomon remains on the loose.
Next time, we're going to press on with act four and prepare to fight against Alastomon's four generals. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 49: As War Breaks
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors slip into their old routine as best they can in the midst of threats against both worlds.
Chapter Text
When Takuya woke the following morning, he was pleasantly surprised by a notification on his phone that all classes at his school had been canceled for the foreseeable future. The damages caused by the Digimon attack were enough to force everyone to stay at home while the school and the city worked on repairing everything that had been broken in the attack. Takuya didn't know just how bad the damages were, but if it would get him out of school, he was more than fine with it. At this point, the last thing he wanted to do was go to school and suffer through his regular routine when he knew there was another world out there that needed his help far more than his school needed him to go through the motions of classes and homework.
Takuya gladly shuffled into the kitchen to make some breakfast once he managed to pry himself out of bed. His stomach was hurting wickedly, a sign that he hadn't eaten enough to recover his lost energy after the battles in the Digital world. He started to make a scrambled egg once he was in the kitchen, glancing around to figure out where Shinya and Chihiro were along the way. As far as Takuya was aware, his parents had gone out to pick up a few groceries for the household. He had seen as much through a text on his phone that had come through along with the announcement about school being canceled. He was fine with that; he needed a bit of time with Chihiro and Shinya to discuss everything that had had happened anyway.
Takuya had to admit that he really liked not having to hide the truth about his Digimon connections anymore. It would take him some time to get used to not needing to keep secrets after he had spent so much time getting used to that way of life, but he was fine with making the change. After all, he knew his parents supported him unconditionally now, and he was willing to take that in exchange for revealing everything he had been struggling with.
Takuya hummed as he poked at his eggs, but he fell silent when he heard noise coming from the television. When he was sure he could leave his eggs unattended for a few seconds, he decided to poke his head out into the living room. Chihiro and Shinya were both sitting on the couch, though the former seemed considerably more annoyed than the latter. The screen was showing some kind of public announcement about the attack, and Takuya figured out just why Chihiro was upset once he caught a glimpse of the name across the bottom of the screen.
Botan Yokoyama had once again taken to local media stations so he could share everything he knew about the recent monster attacks. There was a lot that was yet out of his reach, but he wanted to at least try something to soothe the masses. Chihiro had their arms crossed, and Shinya's gaze flickered back and forth between looking at them and watching the screen. Botan hadn't started talking quite yet, but it was just a matter of time before he began his explanation of all he had learned.
"You don't look happy," Takuya commented offhandedly even though he knew Chihiro had no reason to be in a good mood as long as Botan was on the screen. He reminded them of their parents, and even if Botan hadn't known directly about the abuse Chihiro was suffering through, he had still been there and never intervened. That was more than enough for Chihiro to find a reason to hate him, and Takuya couldn't blame them at all.
"Seeing his face always puts me in a bad mood," Chihiro replied. "But if we're going to learn more about what the people here think of the Digimon attack, then we need to hear what he has to say. He's here to make some kind of announcement about what the plan is for the near future, and I know that ignoring it isn't going to help anyone."
"Even if he reminds you of your parents?" Shinya questioned with a small frown. "If you'd rather not listen to his voice, I can take care of this for you. I'd be happy to watch the report and tell you anything new he says that could help your investigations here or in the Digital World."
"It's fine," Chihiro sighed with a shake of their head. "I'm going to have to deal with it sooner or later, so I might as well just bite the bullet and get it over with. He might be a bit of a pain, but we're going to need the information he can provide us as we look to the next few steps of our investigation."
Takuya nodded as he returned to the kitchen. Even so, he could hear the television from the other room, and he did his best to focus on what he was hearing. Takuya couldn't say he was enthusiastic about hearing what the people of Earth had to say about the recent attacks, but much like Chihiro, he knew that ignoring it wasn't going to help anyone. The best he could do was try to listen and hope it pointed him in the right direction for what to do next.
"Over the last few days, we have seen the most intense monster battles out of every attack from the last few months," Botan began. "I understand that everyone is afraid of what could come next from these otherworldly invaders. However, I promise that you are all in good hands. I have many incredible people investigating these incidents as we speak, and they will come back with the truth soon enough."
"What do you think of the human monsters?" one reporter asked. The question was accompanied by a series of camera flashes that made Chihiro wince on instinct from just how strangely and overwhelmingly bright it all was.
"We owe a great debt to the fighters who managed to turn back the invasion," Botan replied, though it was clear through his tone that he was choosing his words carefully. "However, we are no closer to identifying them now than we were a few months ago. I have many other investigators working on figuring out just who these human monsters really are."
"What do you plan to do after they have been found?" came the voice of yet another reporter. Once again, Takuya heard camera noises from the kitchen as he poked his egg a little bit more like he thought that would make it cook faster somehow. The egg remained stubbornly slow in cooking, and Takuya narrowed his eyes at it.
"I am still uncertain," Botan answered. "However, I can assure you that we are doing all we can to handle the situation even in these dark times. I advise everyone to turn to the company of their neighbors and to lean on one another through thick and thin. These are terrifying times we are living through, and we will only endure if we do what we can to help each other through it. There will always be hope as long as we continue to live and work together. None of us is alone, and we must remember that always."
Chihiro reached for the remote and turned the screen off with a heavy sigh as Takuya walked into the living room with his plate of scrambled eggs, ketchup lazily scattered across the top. Shinya looked away from the eggs on instinct, having always hated the way Takuya 'ruined the sanctity of eggs' by splattering ketchup over them. Takuya didn't acknowledge Shinya's wincing, instead sitting down next to Chihiro on the couch. "Sick of hearing his voice, huh?" he asked as he spooned some of the eggs into his mouth.
"Yep," Chihiro confirmed. "All of his talk about sticking together and counting on one another just gives me a headache honestly. He never did anything for me when my parents were treating me like crap. I know he didn't know what was going on, but I just... I really don't want to hear that right now. We're going through enough as it is, and I'd rather he not make it any worse."
"I understand," Takuya nodded. He set his plate down on his lap before turning to look at Chihiro and Shinya once again. "Besides, it's kind of hard to want to stick together when we were stabbed in the back by one of the people who we thought we could trust."
"Luckily for us, Alastomon isn't going to get the chance to see the end of the week," Chihiro snorted. "I'm not going to let him get away with what he did. If that means going to the Digital World and tearing him to shreds myself, then so be it. That certainly beats sitting around here and listening to some piece of shit politician talk about how important it is for us to stick together. People like that only know how to stab each other in the back to get on top."
"He seems pretty popular with most people," Shinya remarked. "I guess that's the reason he's been on so many news channels sharing all of these messages about what the government is doing about the monster attacks."
"He's always been a bit strange even for a politician," Chihiro confessed after a brief pause. "In fact, I'm pretty sure he used to work as a detective. I don't know what prompted him to change his career choice so completely, but he had quite the good reputation as a detective before he moved into the world of politics. My parents always wanted to keep him at arm's length because of that. He knew how to find information if that was what he really wanted, and for that, he was dangerous to them."
"And for all of his detective skills, he couldn't see the truth of how your parents were treating you," Takuya concluded. "That's the reason you're so bitter about him. If he was really so good at his detective job, then he should have been there to help you when there was nobody else on your side."
"Instead, he missed all the obvious signs that I was being abused, and he never did anything to help me. I understand that it's polite to turn the other cheek when it comes to things like this, but politeness never helped me when I felt like I was going to die if I kept living with my parents," Chihiro said. "It doesn't matter now though. He's made his place in the world as a politician, and my parents are in prison. It's a victory for everyone... Or something like that."
"I think it's good that we turned it off," Shinya admitted. "I think we could all use a break after everything that happened. If you're going to have to go back to the Digital World again soon to fight Alastomon, then you're going to need all the energy you can get."
"Especially since Alastomon has decided to not hold anything back when it comes to making the rest of us completely miserable," Takuya sighed as he took another bite of his eggs. He swallowed before he continued. "He sent another Void Fragment Digimon over to this side of the barrier yesterday too. Koji and Hinoka were able to take care of it, but the fact that this is becoming so common doesn't exactly bode well for us."
"At this point, nothing he does bodes well for us," Chihiro muttered with a roll of their eyes. "But Shinya is right here. The best thing we can do right now is try to rest. We've got a lot of work ahead of ourselves, and we need to conserve our energy so we're ready for whatever ends up happening next."
"In that case, I'm going to sit here eating my eggs for the next few minutes, and I'm going to enjoy it," Takuya smiled to himself. "I've earned this." He tilted his head back against the backrest of the couch so he was looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't say he necessarily felt great about anything that was happening, but at least they had survived. As long as the Legendary Warriors were alive, there was a chance for them to defeat Alastomon, and it all began with resting until they had the energy needed to fight him. The final battle wouldn't be easy, but one way or another, they would win. They had to.
After all, the fate of two worlds was counting on it.
~~~~~
Katsuharu was, in a word, restless.
Over the course of the last two days, Katsuharu had been doing his best to return to his regular life once again. It wasn't easy, but he knew he had to at least try. He owed it to himself to get back to the way things had been. He wouldn't be able to fully forget the monster attack or what he had learned in the midst of it all, but he needed to give himself some sort of routine to ensure he didn't completely crumble under the weight of everything that had happened. Otherwise, his life was only going to continue to fall apart, and he really didn't want that. He had lost enough of his grip already, and he wasn’t keen on losing anything more.
Katsuharu had gone back home after he finished hearing the full truth from Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro, and his parents had been happy to see him. Most other people in the city had been given the chance to step away from work while the damages were evaluated and fixed, but Katsuharu's parents were already back to their jobs again. That left him alone in the house with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling and think about everything that had happened.
To put it simply, Katsuharu had been bored out of his mind all day. He knew it was wrong of him to be so caught up in his boredom after what he had witnessed the day before, but he just couldn't help it. He needed something to do with himself, but there was nothing for him to do in the first place. The city was putting itself back together, so Katsuharu was left stuck in the house unless he wanted to go and find the rest of the investigation team. As far as he could tell though, Chiaki and Teruo were out of the question when it came to hanging out with someone. Chiaki's parents probably weren't going to let her leave the house again any time soon, and Teruo was still recovering from his injuries from the battle. He was doing better than he had been before, but it was still advised that he not push himself too hard. That left only Teppei, and Katsuharu doubted Teppei would be able to get away from home either. He was incredibly close with his mother, and she would probably want to keep him in the house until she was sure it was safe for him to go out again.
Katsuharu reached for the notebook he and the other three members of his team had compiled over the last few months, and he started to flick through it for the seventh time that morning. He couldn't seem to keep himself away from it no matter how hard he tried. It was entertaining in a twisted way to look back through all of his notes and see what had been right and what had been wrong. He had been frighteningly close to the truth, but he didn't see that until he looked back on his notes after the fact. Katsuharu couldn't believe he hadn't realized the odd ways in which Takuya, Izumi, Chihiro, and Koji behaved when the subject of the monster attacks came up. Now, it seemed so glaringly obvious, but at the time, he had missed it. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, he supposed, and there was little he could do to reverse the clock and figure out the truth any sooner than he had.
In fact, Katsuharu knew it was for the best that he never figured out just who the Legendary Warriors were before he was told by them directly. He didn't know what his past self would have done with that information if he had uncovered it before the invasion on Earth, but he didn't want to think about it either. Katsuharu knew he had gotten caught up in the idea of glory to the point of potentially hurting other people, and he wasn't going to deny it. He had only truly woken up to the truth after he was forced to confront it, and he was happy to have finally seen the light. This was about so much more than just finding glory and scientific success as the first person to discover who the human monsters were. There were lives on the line, and he couldn't forget that no matter how excited he got about how this could impact his future.
Katsuharu was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone beeping, and when he reached for it, he was met with a text message from Teppei. Katsuharu's eyes went wide, but he forced himself to hide it, not that he knew who he was trying to hide it from considering the fact that he was completely alone in his home. He shook off his own odd behavior as he opened the message:
I can't just sit around here doing nothing. I want to learn more about what's happening here on Earth. The Legendary Warriors are going to need to go back to the Digital World to win the fight there, so we need to keep tabs on everything happening here on Earth. Do you want to come over and dig a bit more into news reports with me?
Katsuharu didn't need to be asked twice. He practically hurled himself off of his couch before darting up to his room to gather everything he would need. He doubted he would need that much considering the fact that this would likely just be a chance to decompress and assess everything they knew, but he was still fine with that. Given how desperate he was for a distraction, he couldn't wait.
Katsuharu may not have been able to be the hero of this situation as he had hoped he would become when all of this began, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He wasn't a Digimon who could fight against monsters from another world, but he could still support his friends through all of this. It wouldn't be easy, but Katsuharu had done harder things before. Besides, this was the least he could do after all the trouble he had given them. If they needed an ally on Earth, then he would be the best ally they could have ever asked for. He promised that much no matter what.
~~~~~
Junpei let out a careful sigh as he eased himself into his desk chair. He had woken up about an hour ago after the best night of sleep in his entire life, and he was feeling on top of the world... Physically, at least. He had to admit to still feeling pretty shitty mentally after Biastamon's death and Alastomon's betrayal, but at least his body wasn't actively fighting him anymore. That was a victory in his eyes, and he was going to take it, especially since he didn't know when he would next get his hands on a win like that.
He had told his parents everything the day before, and it had been, in a word, difficult. Junpei hadn't ever been open or honest with his parents about what happened in his personal life. It wasn't because he didn't trust them though; in fact, Junpei trusted them more than most other Legendary Warriors trusted their parents. However, he had gotten used to bottling up his emotions years ago, not wanting to inconvenience anyone when he finally exploded. His parents had been kept out of the loop for ages when he was suffering through his massive depression spiral years prior, and he had never quite convinced himself to open up to them after that.
Sharing the truth about the Digital World felt like Junpei's way to finally break the curse he had cast on himself regarding trusting others. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it certainly took a weight off his shoulders, and he would take that. With how many awful things he had been forced to hide recently due to the Digimon attacks, this was a break he needed, and he could feel the relief in his body too. He hadn't realized just how stiff he was until the tension was gone, and he was beyond glad his body was at least relaxing even if his mind was still constantly racing.
Junpei had been left to his own devices after waking up that morning, and he was glad for it. As much as he loved spending time with his parents, he had other matters to attend to at the moment, and it all started with reaching out to Saki. They had stayed in the Digital World overnight and were planning on continuing that streak for as long as the rest of the group was on Earth. Junpei was sure that he would have already heard from Saki if something bad had happened, but he wanted to double check. It never hurt to be extra sure, after all.
Saki's face appeared on the other end of a video call bridging the two worlds, and Junpei thanked his past self for working so hard to establish communication networks across the dimensional barrier. He waved to Saki with a smile that was far brighter than it had any right to be before he began to speak. "Hey, Saki. Has anything happened over there since we were last in the Digital World?"
Saki shook their head. "Not yet... But I don't think we should wait around for something bad to happen," they told him. "It's just a matter of time before Alastomon's generals strike again—or even Alastomon himself, for that matter—and I don't want to sit around waiting for them to make the first move. If we act after they've already sprung into action, then we'll be putting ourselves at a massive disadvantage. We need to be ready for them to attack, and that means being on guard in the Digital World."
Junpei resisted the urge to wince. "I had a feeling you were going to say that," he muttered. He hadn't expected this break on Earth to last long, but he had at least been hoping for a bit more than a day. In fact, it hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet since the Legendary Warriors returned, much less since the battle against Leviamon. They had gotten a full night of sleep, but that was the only blessing they had been granted by Alastomon's steadfast obsession with war.
"I'm taking Miriamon and the Digimon with me to meet with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon on Inaie later today," Saki went on. "It might be worth it to have the entire group meet up there so we can start coming up with a strategy for what to do next. In fact, I think that would be the perfect way for us to get all our plans ironed out sooner rather than later."
"Alright then," Junpei nodded to himself. He couldn't say he was surprised to hear the group had to go back to the Digital World so soon, but he wasn't exactly fond of the idea. Alastomon wasn't going to just sit back and wait for the Legendary Warriors to regain their energy before he began his final push to claim the entire planet for himself. Still, Junpei was exhausted after everything that had happened, and he needed more time to breathe before he could go back to fighting. As long as Alastomon didn't care what he thought though, Junpei wasn't going to have much of a choice in how or when he fought back.
"I know you're tired," Saki told him after a beat of silence passed between them. "I am too. I think everyone is. I don't know how we couldn't be. Still, we have to keep pushing just a little bit longer... Alastomon and his generals are going to destroy everything if we don't get to them first, and that means we have to get moving as soon as possible."
"I know," Junpei assured them. "I'm going to tell everyone to get ready so we can come back together to meet with you and the others... Though I must admit that I'm a bit worried about leaving Earth alone without any supervision. Yesterday after we got back, there was another attack. Koji had to fight off Leviamon with Hinoka. The good news is he was able to reach the Resplendent level after that. The bad news is that Alastomon doesn't want to give us a chance to breathe. He knows we're trying to recuperate before we go after him, and he's not giving us the time we need to recover."
"I agree that leaving Earth alone for an extended period is going to be risky. Still, we don't have much of a choice at the moment," Saki sighed. "If you ask me, this is the perfect time for the investigation team to make good on their word. If they're really loyal to us no matter what and willing to do anything to help us, then they can keep an eye on Earth and reach out to us in case we end up needing to come back here."
"I'll tell Takuya, Izumi, Chihiro, and Koji to pass the mission on to them," Junpei nodded. "I'm sure they'll be happy to help out in any little way they can. It's not going to be easy for them to take care of all this, but given how much of a pain they've been to us over these last few months..."
"I feel like this is the least they can offer us," Saki snorted. "We'll keep in touch with them, something that will be even easier since we're experienced with communication between worlds by now. If anything happens, we can go back to Earth and fight off the Digimon attacking the people there."
"Alastomon knows that we're at a disadvantage with all of this," Junpei muttered. "If he can put us on our back foot by forcing us to play the defensive role on top of having to fight him off, then he's going to have the upper hand. All he needs to do is lure a few of us to the Digital World before he destroys Earth."
"You're right... After we figure out our plan for what to do next, we should send a few people back to Earth," Saki agreed. "We should be able to spare a few hours to go to Inaie and meet with the people there, but after that, we should send a few Legendary Warriors back to make sure nothing happens on Earth. Alastomon is going to start playing more aggressively now that he has nothing left to lose in the way of secrets. We have to be ready to accommodate that even if it means we're going to be struggling a lot from now on."
"All we need to do is pick off a few of his generals. That should make it a lot easier for us to go after him directly," Junpei concluded. "We came so close to defeating them in the battle at the fortress, and we've gained another Resplendent since then. Compared to the Royal Knights, they're a bunch of pushovers. Then again, I guess that's what happens when you get so much stronger through a new evolution."
"We shouldn't underestimate them though. We need to be careful going forward," Saki cautioned. They took in a deep breath before pushing the air back out again. "Either way, we can strategize more about what to do next after everyone is here in the Digital World. Talking about this isn't going to help us much right now. We need to figure out what they're going to do next and then attack. We're going to Inaie in three hours. I'll be waiting for you until then. Get the rest of the group together. I'm counting on you."
"I'll see you then," Junpei finished with a nod. He turned off the video call a moment later and sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He had been hoping to have a bit more time to recover from everything going on, but he had been wrong to think it would be that easy. Instead, he was preparing to go back to the Digital World all over again. He should have known it would come to this.
Junpei reached for his phone and began to type away at the group chat with the Legendary Warriors. He had to pass on the message to them as soon as possible. The sooner they heard what the plan was, the sooner they could get ready. More importantly, that would give Takuya, Izumi, Chihiro, and Koji the time they needed to reach out and talk to the investigation team to get them on board with the new plan. Junpei didn't want to have to go into this without having any eyes on Earth. That was just asking for things to go south, and Junpei wasn't going to invite more chaos when times were tough enough as it was.
After the message had been sent out, Junpei took another moment to breathe. He was exhausted, and he could feel his lack of sleep pulling at his eyelids as he sat there in front of his computer. He needed to get more rest. The last night had been helpful, but it wouldn’t be enough to make him bounce back completely. Even after the Digital World and Earth had been saved, he would need quite some time to recover fully. He didn't have time to wait though. They were in the final rush to the end, and he had to be ready for anything to come his way.
The joke about the Royal Knights was certainly close to the mark regarding how this was going to end up heading. The Royal Knights had been the final rush to the finish before the Legendary Warriors fought against Lucemon, and more importantly, they had been a sign that the group wouldn't get much time to rest until the war was over. Junpei slept like a rock when he finally got home after the final battle against Lucemon, and that was in part because of how little rest he had gotten since the various fights against the Royal Knights had begun. He had few complaints about his work in the Digital World, but he wished he could get a bit more sleep in the middle of everything going on.
There was no time to complain yet though. Junpei still had a world to save, and he wasn't going to let his own struggles stop him from pulling his weight. He would be able to rest after the Digital World and Earth were both safe from the power Alastomon commanded. Until then, he would just have to keep pushing. He owed it to everyone he loved to do that much.
Once this was over though, Junpei wanted to sleep for a week. He had more than earned that much.
~~~~~
Teruo hated being stuck at home.
He was hardly the type to mind being at his house. In fact, he was more than fine with it. Akira and Ryo were fun company even if they got on his nerves sometimes, and Teruo wasn't going to complain about spending time with people who loved him unconditionally. He was happy to be able to go back home after the events of the battle earlier in the week, and when he finally crashed in his bed, he didn't think he was ever going to get back up.
However, Teruo hated being at home when he had no other choice. At the moment, that was the exact description for his circumstances at the present moment. He stared up at the ceiling of the living room in his home with a heavy frown on his face and pounding pain in his ribs. Teruo had been given the all clear to go home after the attack took place, and there were even a few medical professionals who looked at him just to make sure everything was okay. He had been told, however, to not push himself too far given the state of his ribs. He had bruised them terribly when he was struck during the attack, and he needed time to rest so he could fully recover. That meant sitting in his house and waiting for the pain to subside.
Teruo had been feeling terrible ever since the attack took place if he was being honest, but he was overly aware of the pain searing through his stomach now that he wasn't distracted by anything else. He felt better, yes, but he wished he had adrenaline to numb the pain at least slightly. That would make his life a bit easier even though he knew it was a bad idea to get too caught up in what the heat of the moment could give him.
At the very least, Akira and Ryo were there to try and talk to him so he could at least focus on something else half the time. They had been at school when the attack took place, and the entire building had gone on lockdown when the Digimon were spotted. As such, they hadn't seen much of anything, and it was that lack of awareness that allowed them to be so chipper about everything that had happened. Teruo, meanwhile, was sure he was never going to forget the events of the last few days for the rest of his life, and he meant that in the worst way possible. He was glad his siblings had been spared from it though. He would never forget it, and neither would his ribs, but at least Akira and Ryo were okay. As a brother, that was all he could really ask for.
Teruo hadn't told them much about what happened, and they hadn't pried either. He didn't know how to tell them everything honestly. He couldn't be honest with them since that would only put them in danger, and he wasn't going to do something like that. It wouldn't be right. Teruo was a horrible liar, so if he had to talk about what he knew, he was just going to end up causing problems for himself, and at the moment, that was the last thing he wanted. He couldn't have snuck out of the house even if he wanted to as long as he was feeling so miserable. He wouldn't be able to take advantage of his break from school as long as his ribs were so banged up, and he hated having to admit that.
"Teruo?"
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Akira's voice from nearby. She was watching him with wide, curious eyes, and Teruo knew what was coming next from just that look alone. "What happened for you to get hurt?" Akira went on to ask. "I know you said you don't want to talk about it, but..."
"We're worried about you," Ryo explained, picking up right where she had left off without missing a beat. "I know you want to go out and be with your friends or just anywhere but here while we're off school... But you're stuck at home. We want to know why."
Teruo hesitated for a long moment. He wouldn't be able to tell them the truth, and he knew that. He could only hope he was able to get away with this without having to openly lie. Akira and Ryo were incredibly perceptive even for children, and they would figure him out before he had the chance to push back against them. Teruo needed to be careful, and he needed to get out of this while earning as little suspicion as possible.
He didn't have to lie to them entirely though, right? They knew he had gotten hurt, and as long as he didn't tell them about the Legendary Warriors, he could at least be somewhat honest. Teruo getting attacked by a monster didn't have to be directly related to what he had heard from Takuya while Hinoka fought off the invaders. He would be fine. As long as he didn't talk about Takuya, Teruo would be able to get away with this. That was his best option at this point anyway.
Teruo allowed himself to smile to Akira and Ryo, resisting the urge to lean forward since he knew that would just make his ribs feel worse. "I got attacked by a monster," he told his siblings. Akira and Ryo looked to one another in shock at that, unable to hold back their surprise. Teruo laughed at their shocked excitement before continuing. "I was running with my friends to find a place to hide, and we wound up being attacked. I managed to get away though, and the human monsters came to save me! They helped me get somewhere safe, and they made sure I was alright before leaving to keep fighting!"
"Wow!" Akira and Ryo cried out in unison. Ryo's eyes lit up as he darted over to Teruo's side at breakneck speeds. "I didn't know you saw a monster fight in person! How was it? Were the monsters cool? How did they look up close?"
"Tell us everything!" Akira chimed in next. She was smiling brightly too, and she practically vibrated on the spot from her excitement as she waited impatiently for Teruo to explain everything.
That was enough to make Teruo laugh, though he was careful about not going over the top for the sake of not hurting his ribs more. "It was amazing," he confessed. "They handled it very well, and the human monsters fought off the attackers before sending them back where they came from. I saw a lot while I was hiding out in that shop. They promised to keep me safe no matter what, and after that I saw... I know they were telling the truth. They're going to look after all of us no matter how many monsters come here."
"That's amazing!" Akira exclaimed, clapping her hands together rapidly. "I never would have thought you would have such a close view of a fight! And the human monsters kept you safe from the invaders too! It's like something straight out of an anime! You have monster friends now!"
Teruo couldn't help but smile at that. She had no idea. "Yeah... I guess I do," he agreed. "But even without monster friends, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure both of you are safe from now on. I know times have been scary lately, but... You're going to be alright. I'm sure of it. You're in good hands with these human monsters looking out for all of us."
Akira and Ryo went jumping immediately to chattering excitedly with one another, and Teruo watched them with a fond smile. He was glad to know they were both just as sweet as they always had been even after the monster attacks. The last thing he wanted was for either of them to end up suffering because of what had happened. If any one of them was going to end up wrapped up in all of this, he was glad it had been him rather than either one of them.
He meant what he had said too. No matter what, he would make sure they stayed safe. As long as he knew the Legendary Warriors, he was sure he could keep his promise. Teruo would do his part too, and he would make sure the future was one Akira and Ryo could grow up happily in. They deserved that much, and Teruo would do everything in his power to make sure they had the peace they needed. After all, what else were big brothers for?
It was beyond ironic to him just how quickly he had changed his tune about all of this. Just a few days ago, Teruo would have been beyond excited to have heard the truth about the human monsters, albeit for the wrong reasons. He knew better than to just treat the Legendary Warriors as tools of his personal gain through. They were his friends, and he knew he could rely on them through thick and thin. This was a far better position to be in though, and Teruo wouldn't have traded it for the world.
As long as he could keep Akira and Ryo safe, everything would be okay. He was sure of it.
~~~~~
Chiaki would have been lying if she said she wanted to go home after everything that happened.
In all honesty, she had never felt quite this liberated before. She didn't need to carry the secret of the Legendary Warriors from her friends anymore, and that was a massive weight off her shoulders she hadn't even realized was there. Now that Katsuharu, Teruo, and Teppei knew the truth too, Chiaki knew she had other people to turn to when she began to fear for the future and what the monster attacks could mean for their lives. This didn’t need to be her secret alone anymore. She had loved being able to sit with them all to talk about the truth they had uncovered even if it was in the midst of another invasion. On top of that, she had been able to get to know Shinya and Masae, and she had gone back to the Kanbara household after the fact too.
When Chiaki left, she couldn't fight off the emptiness that rushed in to fill her chest. She didn't want to go back home. More importantly, she didn't want to see her father again. Chiaki had raised her standards significantly over the course of the last few months, and she didn't want to have to spend any more time with her father than was absolutely necessary. For the sake of her own self-respect, that was the least she could do for herself. She didn't want to be around him, and she was sick of having to put up with his temper every time she stepped through the front door of a place that she barely thought deserved the title of being her home.
However, Chiaki knew she wouldn't be able to stay away from him forever. She wanted to just dart up to her room before he realized she was home. That was what she had done the night before. Chiaki was fine with speaking to her mother at this point, but Daishi... He was another story entirely. She wanted nothing to do with him at this point. After hearing the truth about what he had done to Hinoka and her mother, Chiaki could barely stand to be in the same room as him.
Chiaki closed the front door carefully and quietly behind herself, slipping her shoes off without making any noise. She had grown used to doing so years ago after her father first moved in, and she was beyond glad to have the skill now. She wished she didn't need it in the first place, but at least she knew how to handle herself without attracting too much attention.
"You're home."
Chiaki nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised to hear him there seeing as this was his house too, but when she turned to face Daishi, her blood ran cold regardless. He was staring at her with a blank and unreadable expression. He didn't seem worried about her though. She had been missing for a long time on the day of the attack, and the night before, she had stayed out late to sneak in after he went to sleep deliberately to hold off this conversation. She knew she wouldn't be able to run from this forever, but seeing him made her nauseous regardless.
"I am," Chiaki forced herself to reply. She knew he was waiting for an explanation, and even though she told herself over and over internally to not say anything incriminating, her mouth got the best of her anyway. "I wound up being caught in the monster attacks, and I stayed with a few friends until everything blew over."
Daishi hummed at that, but he didn't seem entirely convinced. "I hope you were staying out of trouble," he said, his words just vague enough to send a shiver sprinting up Chiaki's spine. He had no way of knowing what she had been doing. She knew that realistically her secret was safe. That didn't stop her fear though, and in fact, that only made it worse. Chiaki was going to lose it if she had to stand there and look at him for too much longer. He was going to end up guilting her into spilling everything without even meaning to, and she couldn't let him do that. Too many people were counting on her for a single moment of weakness to squander it for everyone.
"I was," Chiaki assured him, choosing her words carefully even if there were just two of them. She wasn’t outnumbered, but she felt she was anyway. "I went out for a walk this morning just to see how everything was going around the city. It seems like life will be back to normal soon enough." She internally chastised herself once again for saying too much, for letting her anxiety convince her to run her mouth, but she couldn't take the words back. Hopefully, Daishi wouldn't find them too suspicious.
"Good," was all Daishi said in response. With that, he started off toward his room, and Chiaki watched him leave for far longer than she needed to. As soon as he was gone, she darted to her bedroom and pushed the door shut behind her, only allowing herself to sigh with relief when she was confident that she was alone. Being around her father had never been easy for her, but she was doing her best to hide it so that he didn't ask too many questions. The last thing she wanted was for him to figure out just what she had been up recently. Realistically, Chiaki knew she was fine. There was no way Daishi could uncover the truth. Still, with how much he had snooped into her private life in the past, she could never quite feel fully safe around him. As long as he checked her phone when she wasn't paying attention, she wasn't in the clear. She doubted she ever would be.
Learning more about the Digimon had always been so exhilarating to her because it allowed her to step away from her regular life for a while. She didn't need to worry about hiding herself from her father so as to avoid his rage. She just needed to focus on that which she was passionate about, and the rest would fall into place as it had always been meant to. Chiaki's enthusiasm had admittedly been numbed when she realized just how dangerous all of this was, but she still felt good about being able to take a step out of her shell to learn more about the world around her. The investigation team had offered her an escape, and she had gladly taken it.
Now that the truth was out there though, Chiaki couldn't get away from her regular woes quite so easily. She was going to keep having nightmares about the monster attacks for the rest of her life, and the bruise on her cheek was probably going to end up leaving some kind of scar on her both inside and out. Nothing had gone how she had wanted it to, and she had no idea how to respond to any of that. She just wanted to have a place to belong where she didn't need to worry about her father finding a way to ruin her life the same way he always did.
Chiaki sat down on her bed carefully, rubbing at her cheek on instinct along the way. She had been doing that a lot lately, practically ever since she first was attacked while out with Hinoka. It was a nervous habit she knew she would need to break eventually, but for the time being, she couldn't bring herself to bother. She just wanted a bit of time to feel safe where she didn't have to think about her father. In a way, she wished she could go back to the time of danger with the Digimon invasion just so she would have an excuse to spend more time with her friends. They felt a lot more like family than her father did, after all, and she wanted to enjoy their company as much as possible.
Chiaki had only barely started to tap her foot in quiet agitation when she heard her phone beep, and she pulled it out of her pocket with a small frown on her face. She was met with a message from Katsuharu, and her eyes went wide in surprise. It made sense that she was receiving a text from him given everything that was happening, but she wished he had done something before she arrived at home and had to run into her father. There was no use in complaining about it now though, so she clicked on the message and read it to herself:
The Legendary Warriors need our help. Can you come out to see us in the next few hours?
That was the only cue Chiaki needed to grab her bag and head for the front door again. If Daishi was busy with other things, then she wouldn't have any issues with slipping out. Who was going to complain about her being gone? Daishi hadn't even asked if she had been in danger when she was out during the monster attacks, and he hadn't said much about the prominent bruise on her cheek from the previous assault either. He didn't seem to care at all, and Chiaki was fine with using that to her advantage. If she could get away without anyone minding her absence, then she was going to be fine. In fact, it was ideal for her.
Chiaki took in a deep breath before she opened the door to her room and darted for the front door. This was everything she had ever wanted, and she couldn't say it enough. Fighting was hardly ideal, but it gave her the time she needed to breathe away from her father. At this point, she would take that above staying with Daishi. It may not have been ideal, but she was fine with it. After all, she had to spend time with her real family, and even if she had only acknowledged them as such for a day, the truth of her statement remained.
For the first time since getting home, Chiaki smiled to herself as she slipped on her shoes and left her house behind. She didn't know what Katsuharu wanted to talk to her about, but she would find out soon enough, and she could hardly wait until then.
~~~~~
A few hours later, the Legendary Warriors gathered together in the same abandoned store where the investigation team had stayed during the attack a few days prior. It was hardly the best place for them to meet, but it got the job done, and more importantly, there was room for everyone there. The group had briefly considered meeting at Hinoka's apartment, but there was a massive difference between fitting twelve people in her room to talk about business and fitting seventeen. There was a greater chance of being caught out here, but it was the only choice they had.
All of the Legendary Warriors minus Saki had come together just as Junpei had told them to, and at present, they were preparing themselves to go back to the Digital World for the battle against Alastomon. The investigation team was there too along with Shinya and Masae who, at this point, might as well have been considered members of the group. They had certainly learned enough of the truth to merit being considered part of the team by now. Plus, their extra sets of eyes would be helpful when it came to carrying out the current mission.
Junpei had told everyone what the plan was as soon as he got off the call with Saki, and from there, the next step was to reach out to the investigation team and get them on board. All of them had been happy to come, though Teppei had been forced to swing by Teruo's house to pick him up in cases his rib injuries started flaring up again. In all honesty, him being up and about in the first place was an awful idea, but Teruo couldn't be held back from helping out. Besides, in his words, it was fine as long as he didn't push himself too hard. If he stayed in the store after the group sent the Legendary Warriors off, he would be okay. Nobody entirely knew if they should believe him, but they chose to go along with it anyway, already having figured out that arguing with him was probably going to end up pointless. Teruo was stubborn as could be, and no one could talk him out of something once he set his mind on it.
After everyone arrived in the abandoned store, Shinya let out a small sigh and looked around the rest of the group. "I guess there's no more holding it off, huh?" he asked shakily. "You're going to have to go back to the Digital World to keep fighting."
"I wish we didn't have to leave again so soon," Chihiro told him. "But if we're going to stop Alastomon, we have to act fast. That means jumping into action as soon as possible and stopping him from making his army any larger. He's going to just keep attacking if we give him the chance, so we'll have to strike back first."
"We're heading to Inaie Island to talk with the leaders there about what we're doing next," Koji declared as he secured a small bag over his shoulder. It had a few supplies in it that would hopefully help the group to fight back against Alastomon. For the most part, he had just gathered a few medical supplies in case anyone wound up getting hurt along with a notebook to write down anything important and a laptop to open a portal anywhere in the Digital World if that wound up being necessary.
"After we speak with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon, we should be able to come up with a conclusive plan to move forward," Takuya agreed. "Unfortunately, we're going to end up leaving Earth unattended while we're there, so for the few hours when we're gone..."
"We're going to have to keep an eye on things here," Masae finished for him with a firm and conclusive nod. "And we can do that. As long as all of you stay safe, we can ensure the people of Earth are safe. I expect all of you to come back in one piece."
"We will," Izumi assured her with a smile. "We're going to have to start the fight if we want to make any progress though, and that means going to the Digital World. Hopefully, we'll be able to iron out a plan in the next few hours and then send a few people back here just for the sake of safety. I don't feel good about leaving Earth alone for the entire fight, so we're going to have to divide our forces to make sure everyone here stays safe."
"I really wish we didn't have to worry so much about Alastomon trying to attack Earth behind our backs," Chihiro sighed. "I know that's the reason he's such a pain in the ass, but... I wish we just had to focus on one thing or the other. Then again, he wouldn't be that successful of an enemy if he wasn't putting us on the ropes at least some of the time."
"We're counting on all of you to do what you can to look after Earth until we can come back," Hinoka chimed in next as she looked to the investigation team, happy to bring the atmosphere back up after Chihiro's moment of rightful complaining. "We'll tell you everything that happened when we get back."
"You had better find a way to get through all of this," Teruo declared. "If you think I'm just going to sit back here and listen to you talk about the Digital World forever, then you've got another thing coming. If I bruised every single one of my ribs, I think I deserve a little bit of compensation like a tour of the Digital World."
"We'll get there soon enough," Tomoki promised him. "We just need to make sure it's safe enough for us to start having fun there in the first place. Right now, that means getting rid of Alastomon. He's not going to make this easy for us, but I'm not going to let that stop us."
"We'll be waiting to hear from you guys again," Shinya said. "I'm never going to forgive you if you take ages to respond to us if something happens. I'll especially never forgive you if you don't come back if a Digimon ends up attacking."
"We're going to do what we can to avoid that," Takuya replied with a weak, loose laugh. "I'm really hoping it doesn't end up coming to that, but we'll be here as soon as possible if we end up needing to rush back and fight."
"I'd like to meet your friends in the Digital World after all of this is over. Be sure to look after them too," Katsuharu told Takuya. Nearby, Mayumi and Haroi both went stiff, but they did their best to avoid acknowledging the situation at hand. There was nothing they could do about Biastamon's fate at the moment, and the guilt lingered in the back of their minds no matter how hard they tried to fight it. When Haroi found the time to research what he could do a bit more, he would do everything in his power to reverse the memory loss that came with Biastamon's death. No matter what it took, he would keep fighting to make a change. If the investigation team wanted to meet their friends, then they were going to meet all of them, and that included Biastamon once he was returned to the beginning of his new life cycle.
"We will," was all Junpei said, not wanting to get into the nitty gritty of what had happened with Biastamon or Mayumi and Haroi's response to it. He didn't know how much the investigation team knew, and this wasn't the time to talk about that either. He needed to take the group back to the Digital World so they could continue to fight against Alastomon. Everything else could wait.
"We should get going," Takuya declared next. "I bet Saki is going to start getting impatient if we take too long, and I'd rather not put them in an even worse mood when they've probably been on their guard all night. That doesn't even begin to get into what Darcmon is going to say when we get to Inaie."
There was something else Junpei didn't want to think about for as long as he could get away with not acknowledging it. Darcmon was going to be beyond pissed when she learned what had happened, and the Legendary Warriors would be lucky if they could learn back even a fraction of the trust she had once placed in them. She was right to be resentful, and that was the worst part. If she hated them, then she was right for it, and Junpei hated it.
Junpei shook off his other concerns to the best of his ability and took in a deep breath before turning his attention to his laptop. He opened a portal swiftly and without any issues before reaching for his D-Tector. Around him, the rest of the Legendary Warriors followed suit, leaving the investigation team to simply stare at them.
"We'll be back the instant you say you need us if something happens," Izumi told the group. "Keep your eyes open, and be sure to stay out of trouble. I don't know if the Void Fragment Digimon are going to try and target you even if we're in the Digital World, but it's a chance I'd rather not take. Be careful, okay?"
The investigation team offered nods in response as the air around the laptop began to glow. From there, the Legendary Warriors turned into streaks of light that danced and then vanished into the screen. Threads of each of their colors marked the process of them teleporting from Earth to the Digital World, and when the glow faded once again, the investigation team was left in the darkness of the abandoned store without their friends.
The path ahead was uncertain for them all, but they were making the most of their circumstances even so. When Alastomon was finally defeated, they would be able to see peace. In the meantime, they would keep fighting in any way they could. The war against Alastomon would be trying for everyone, but they would see it through one way or another. They had to keep pushing forward through it all.
Soon, the Digital World would be at peace, and Earth would as well. The Legendary Warriors were no longer alone, and hopefully, that would be enough to deliver them to victory. Alastomon would not maintain the upper hand forever, and the Legendary Warriors would be the ones to lay him low. After all he had done to Biastamon, it was the least they could do.
War was on the horizon, but soon, there would be peace. They would make sure of it.
Notes:
Update time!
This chapter is meant to function as something of a break before we get into the final stretch. We're getting pretty damn close to the end of the story now since we're only eleven chapters out, so this is going to be one of our last major breaks before the final battle against Alastomon. That won't be until act five, but we're sprinting to the finish at this point, and the rest of act four awaits.
With this break, I wanted to give as much attention to minor characters as possible. Shinya appeared in the opening scene of Takuya and Chihiro watching the news, and we were able to see Botan again too. Botan has just kind of existed in the background for a long time, but here he is again, and Chihiro responds to him a lot better than they have in the past. They're getting better, and this scene is proof of it, even if they definitely deserve to punch him in the face for not helping them. Just a little bit.
The highlight of this chapter was being able to write the investigation team again though. It's been a while since we've been able to see them going about their regular lives like this, and I'm happy to be able to go back to them. Katsuharu was the first of the three we looked at in more detail here, and I think that's perfect given how willing he was to throw himself into all of this headfirst. He's a far cry from how he was in canon, but he was still a bit selfish in his wishes to learn more about the Digimon for his personal gains, but all of that is different now. He wants to help in any way he can now, and I love being able to see his development here. Even if the investigation team isn't the focus of the story, it's nice to give them a bit of attention every once in a while.
Next up, we've got the scene with Junpei and Saki. It's been a while since we last focused on Junpei since he got his Resplendent so early in act three. This was the perfect chance to take a step back and look at him again. He and Saki are tired and worn out, but they're still doing their best to keep fighting for the sake of the rest of the group. As per usual, they're the ones getting everything done and pushing the plot forward. Where would we be without the two of them?
Next up, we've got the scene with Teruo and his siblings. This is a small part of the chapter as a whole, but I'm really happy with how it turned out since I wanted to visit Teruo's family again at some point. They've got such a sweet dynamic, and it's a very different way from how we're used to seeing Teruo when he's focused on his investigations. He's come a long way too, and that really shines through here. I adore the way he interacts with his siblings, and it's so much fun to see. He's a sweetheart deep down, and that shows here.
Someone who is considerably less sweet though is Daishi. This is our first time seeing him up close since he's just existed in the background up to this point, and he's every bit as miserable and upsetting to be around as Chiaki and Hinoka have made him sound. Chiaki has been outright avoiding him for as long as possible since she doesn't know how to deal with him. He doesn't know that she knows, but the idea that he'll figure it out is scary enough for her. It's not surprising she jumped at the chance to help the Legendary Warriors as long as it would get her out of the house and away from him.
Last up, we've got the scene of the investigation team sending the Legendary Warriors off. This chapter was mostly focused on the supporting cast, so it only makes sense that they'd be here for the final sendoff too. The Legendary Warriors will get a lot more time to shine next chapter, but for now, I had fun with the brief break of exploring the side characters. They needed a bit of extra attention before we rushed into the final sprint.
Next week, we're going to press forward with act four as the Legendary Warriors return to Inaie for the first time in over twenty chapters. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 50: The Island of Sorrow
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors arrive on Inaie to meet with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon and share the truth of the last week's events with them.
Chapter Text
Saki, Miriamon, and the Digimon were already waiting for the rest of the Legendary Warriors when the portal deposited them in the Digital World. Nobody seemed eager to speak about the situation at hand, not that this was at all surprising. Given what they were walking toward, it made sense that they wanted to stay quiet.
They would have to go to Inaie eventually to explain everything that had happened to Darcmon and Hippogriffomon. They weren't going to want to hear the truth about the fate that had befallen Biastamon, but there was no keeping it from them forever. The Legendary Warriors would put themselves in a better position by willingly talking about it instead of just waiting for some of their allies to find out about it behind their backs. Plus, Inaie was the perfect place for the group to come up with a plan without being immediately targeted by Alastomon's army. The fortress was too obvious, and even worse, it was stationary. As long as they were on Inaie, the Legendary Warriors would be moving, and hopefully, that would be enough to keep them out of Alastomon's hands for a little bit longer. Unfortunately, taking advantage of Darcmon's hospitality meant having to tell her everything that had happened, and nobody wanted to be the one to have to explain it.
Beyond that, the Legendary Warriors were still beyond exhausted after everything that had happened over the course of the last few days. They had fought off Alastomon's forces many times, but they hadn't been given enough time to fully recover their energy, and they wouldn't have that time until well after the war ended. Nobody openly commented on just how tired they looked now, especially since they didn't have an incentive to hide it anymore. They had masked the truth around the investigation team for the sake of not worrying them, but none of that mattered now. The Legendary Warriors were on their own in the Digital World, and they couldn't put up a mask around each other. They needed to focus their energy to survival above all else, and trying to hide their feelings would only make their lives harder.
Saki led the group out to the planned meeting spot where Inaie would be picking the group up, and the Legendary Warriors stopped walking in the midst of a large field not far from the fortress. The entire journey there had been silent as they contemplated what they were meant to say to Darcmon when they finally arrived at their destination. Somehow, explaining what had happened to Biastamon was sounding almost as bad as witnessing it in the first place. For all they knew, telling Darcmon what happened could effectively burn their bridge to Inaie. None of them would be surprised, and more importantly, none of them could blame her for it. This was their cross to bear, and without any distractions to keep them focused on other things, all they could do was march dismally toward the path ahead.
When Inaie appeared on the horizon, the Legendary Warriors all looked up to it carefully. They knew what was waiting for them when they stepped aboard, and they could only hope it didn't end too poorly for them. At this point, they didn't have much of a right to ask the universe for any kindness, but it was all they could do at the moment.
Inaie slid to a stop in front of the Legendary Warriors, and a massive dust cloud appeared around the base of the island. Saki raised one hand to create a shield of purple energy around the group to ensure none of them were swallowed up by the sand. Thanks to their Resplendent Evolution, they could use the magic of their element effortlessly even when in their regular form. It was a useful skill to have, and nobody was going to complain about less sand in their hair from Inaie's eternal stream of movement.
When the dust finally settled, Saki dispersed their shield and started up the pathway leading to the center of Inaie. The rest of the group trailed after them silently. It felt like they were walking to their own executions, and in many ways, that wasn't too far off from the truth. They had no idea how Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, or the other people of Inaie would respond to hearing about Alastomon's actions and how the Legendary Warriors had helped him. There was nothing they could say to make this easier or better, and they knew it. They just had to wait it out and see what came of the conversation to come.
Inaie started moving again as soon as the Legendary Warriors had all stepped away from the edge of the island, the rocks churning against one another slowly before beginning to pick up speed as the seconds ticked by. As the winds around them began to rush in earnest, the Legendary Warriors continued on the path to the town square at the heart of Inaie, the air tense and suffocating all the while.
Darcmon and Hippogriffomon were waiting for the group when they arrived, and the Legendary Warriors could tell by the stony set of Darcmon's face that they had already heard the truth. Her gaze held little rage in it though, instead just containing stowed grief she was forced to hide for the sake of ensuring the people of Inaie remained as hopeful as possible. She grieved for Biastamon more than words could ever hope to describe, but she couldn't express it openly. Instead, she just watched the Legendary Warriors passively, waiting for the conversation to take a step into the darkest corners of her agony at last. She was dreading this just as much as they were even if she was doing a much better job of hiding it.
"Welcome," Darcmon greeted, though her voice lacked the exuberance the group had come to know so well from her during their last visit to Inaie. "I'm glad you're here. We have a lot to talk about." For just a moment, she allowed herself to sigh, and the mask hiding her true emotions slipped away. All her bottled grief spread across her features, showing just how close she was to breaking with the news of Biastamon's death. The raw rage and agony that came with the truth was eating away at her inside and out, and she couldn't share it with a soul. She was quick to hide it again a moment later, but the Legendary Warriors would not forget what they had seen. Darcmon knew it well, but she refused to admit it aloud.
"Thank you for having us, Darcmon," Saki said in return. They were doing the best job of hiding just how drained and exhausted they were, but that wasn't saying much given just how dreary and dismal the mood around them was. "We have a lot to discuss."
"We already heard about Biastamon," Hippogriffomon interjected. "Alastomon announced that he was killed in the midst of the invasion. We managed to avoid the brunt of the attacks due to being on the move, but we heard of the damage... Including Biastamon's death."
"Don't trust a word that comes out of Alastomon's mouth," Koji advised, his eyes narrowing into a nondescript glare. "I know you already know better than to believe him without any caution, but... There's a lot more to this than you could have ever imagined."
"Start from the beginning," Darcmon told him carefully even though the look in her eyes made it loud and clear that she didn't know if she would ever be ready to hear what was bound to come next. "I'm listening."
~~~~~
And just like that, the full truth came out.
The story was graceless and tragic, jumping all over the place as the Legendary Warriors offered their different perspectives of the buildup to Alastomon's betrayal and Biastamon's murder. They started with the explanation of Saki's encounter with Makuramon on Rubrum when they first reached the Resplendent level. From there, the group explained Saki's continued disappearance, and that led swiftly into the story of the general invasion. The gaps were filled in easily enough, but nobody wanted to have to explain it. They had no other choice, but they hated their circumstances even so.
All the while, Darcmon listened in quietly and intently. Her rage continued to boil beneath the surface the longer the story was shared, but she said nothing. She didn't seem as surprised at the truth of Alastomon's betrayal as the Legendary Warriors would have expected, but given that she had already held her suspicions about him close to her chest, it made sense in the worst way possible. If they had just listened to her sooner, perhaps none of this would have happened.
"Damn it," Darcmon snarled under her breath. "I wish I could say I was shocked to hear you say Alastomon did all of this, but... I'm not surprised at all. He's been gearing up to take over the Digital World for ages, and he was just waiting for the perfect moment to stab Biastamon in the back. He knew Biastamon would be a threat to his plans, and he knew he would have to get rid of him too."
"I wish we had seen what he was doing before he put his plans into motion," Saki murmured with a shake of their head. "I should have known the planted evidence in Biastamon's office was too obvious. Looking back now, it feels so clear that there was something more to it than met the eye, but I didn't see the truth until it was too late."
"It's not on you," Darcmon assured them. "Alastomon knew he would be able to turn you against him, and he was waiting for the perfect moment to do it. He's been planning this for a while, and if I had to guess, I would say he was keeping an eye on all of you so he would know the best way to turn you against Biastamon. If he planted the letters and waited for you to find them, then everything would take care of itself."
"It's not shocking to hear he did all of this, but at the same time, we're not angry with you," Hippogriffomon supplied. "You were being manipulated, and I doubt that any warning you heard from us would have fixed the ending to this tragedy. He knew he was going to have the upper hand to the bitter end, and he was planning on using it against you."
"If we said anything about knowing he was up to something, he would have just killed us for it," Miriamon agreed. "He was planning on using this against us from the start, and there was nothing we could do to fight back until it was already too late. The best we can do now is try to stop him. He's in a position of power, and that's obvious. Still, that doesn't have to be the case forever, and we can still defeat him if we push on."
"And that's why you're here today," Darcmon concluded. "You know this is the best place to come up with a plan. All of us do. Now that you know the truth about Alastomon's intentions, he's going to target you all and make sure you can't get in the way of what he does next. The best option for you is to keep moving as much as possible, and given that nobody knows where Inaie is going to be at any given moment..."
"It's the perfect place to hide," Hippogriffomon finished. "Also, this is a fine place to gather information about what Alastomon plans to do next. He's not going to remain idle for long, and that means we must take action against him as soon as possible."
"Since the invasion, he's already sent an incredibly powerful Digimon to Earth to try and get rid of me," Koji frowned. "It's just a matter of time before he manages to put together another army of that size or even larger. I don't know what he wants with Earth, but he's willing to kill anyone in his path for the sake of accomplishing his goals there. We have to take action and stop him as soon as possible."
"There's a lot more to this than meets the eye," Darcmon hummed to herself. "I don't know what he's trying to do either, but there's certainly a lot to it. He's been planning this for a while, and chances are high that he's prepared for just about every eventuality. If the rest of the Digital World finds out about what he's trying to do, then he's going to have to contend with a lot of people trying to push back against him. He's keeping the truth a secret for now because he's waiting for the proper time to go mask off and kill every Beast Digimon alive."
"He said Biastamon died as a result of his own actions," Hippogriffomon frowned. "Alastomon claimed that Biastamon was the one responsible for the recent attacks and that he had paid for his criminal behavior in blood. We didn't believe it for a second, and we knew there must have been something more to it... Alastomon being the one to kill him and then lying to cover it up makes a lot more sense than I'd like to admit."
"Hippogriffomon is right. It makes a lot of sense, but there's nothing we can do about it right now," Darcmon declared. "There will be time for grief later. Right now, we need to stay focused on the task at hand. Alastomon is waiting for the moment to strike when he can kill the Beast Digimon and claim his 'rightful' place as the leader of the Digital World. If any of us steps forward with the truth, then he's going to find a way to deny it because he knows that he's filling a power vacuum. War is the perfect way to fix camaraderie issues among a collective of people, and he's going to use that to his advantage."
"For the time being, we should keep our ears and eyes open for any signs of what he's planning to do next," Hippogriffomon went on. "You can stay on the island for as long as you need as we come up with a plan moving forward from here. I understand we have no clear path ahead, but we'll get there in time. We have little other choice at the moment."
"For now, I'm going to take some time to think through what we should be doing next," Darcmon said. "I need a bit of time to come up with a plan. This is a lot to take in, and I'm not going to let Alastomon get the best of me because I was indecisive and took too long to respond. I have no idea what he's trying to do from here, at least when it comes to specifics, but I'll figure it out. Stay here for as long as you need to. We'll be here to help you, and the rest of Inaie's people will as well. We need to stick together in times like these. After all, it's not like we have much else to rely on at this point."
Before anyone had the chance to respond to Darcmon, she turned on her heel and started to walk away, the base of her staff clicking against the cobbled streets alongside her footsteps. Hippogriffomon watched her leave with a heavy sigh. "She's doing her best to keep her composure, but I know she's rattled by what you told her," Hippogriffomon murmured. "Biastamon was her mentor, and he left Inaie in her care. The idea that he's gone now has been hitting her hard for the last few days, but learning that Alastomon was responsible..."
"It would tip anyone over the edge," Miriamon agreed with a heavy sigh. "I can't say I'm surprised to see her struggling with it. She's been through a lot recently, and Biastamon's death is just the cherry on top of it all."
"We should give her a bit of time to work through all of that. I don't want to disturb her right now if I can avoid it. We just delivered some awful news, and if she needs time to process it, then that's fine," Saki said. "For now, we should try to come up with a plan for how we're going to fight back against Alastomon's generals. There are four of them in total, and we have to strategize how we're going to handle them in a battle."
Before Saki could continue, Yumiko glanced over her shoulder. "I don't want to leave you guys, but... Would it be possible for me to take a few minutes to go and talk to Bearmon and Kotemon? It's been a while since I was last here, and I want to see them before we get too deep into planning what we're going to do next," she explained.
"We can handle this without you," Takuya assured her. "Go on and talk to them. We'll take care of things around here, and if we hear anything about where the generals are, we'll be sure to come get you."
Yumiko nodded with a grateful smile at that. "Thanks. You guys are the best." She darted off at that to search for Kotemon and Bearmon. Soon after her departure, she vanished around a corner to look around the street waiting for her off in that direction.
Mayumi watched Yumiko go before she took in a careful breath of her own. "I think I want to go and talk to Darcmon about everything," she confessed. "I know I didn't have a connection with Biastamon in the same way she did, but... Maybe it'll help her to have someone else to talk to. Biastamon's death hit me hard too, and I want to do what I can to help her out of it." She didn't say that she thought it would do her some good too, but everyone else knew that was what she was thinking even if she didn't openly admit to it.
"You can come with me, if you'd like," Hippogriffomon offered. She caught a glimpse of Haroi biting his bottom lip and eyed him curiously. "You're welcome to join me as well. If Biastamon meant something to you, then I'm sure Darcmon would be happy to hear from you."
"I'd like to join you then," Haroi confirmed. "The three of us can go and talk to her, and after that, we can come back here to listen to what the others have come up with in terms of a plan. I know a lot is going on right now, but we still need to do what we can to support those who are struggling."
Hippogriffomon nodded at that, and she started walking off in the direction where Darcmon had gone. Haroi wheeled himself after her with Mayumi taking up the rear. The rest of the group watched the trio depart before turning back to one another, knowing they couldn't afford to send anyone else to talk with Darcmon at this point. She had left because she needed some time away from the crowd to work through her feelings, and sending everyone after her would only make her feel worse and more pressured. Besides, they needed to come up with a plan for what to do next, and they couldn't do that if they were caught up with helping Darcmon. Hippogriffomon, Mayumi, and Haroi could take care of her. They just needed to have faith in that.
In the meantime, the rest of the Legendary Warriors had to turn their eyes to the future. There was a grand war waiting for them, and they needed to be ready for it. Alastomon wasn't going to hold back, so neither could they. Coming up with a plan to defeat him wasn't going to be easy, but that had never stopped them before. As long as they still stood, there was hope for the Digital World to survive, and they would prove it no matter what it took.
Saki took in a careful breath before pushing it out once again. "Alright, everyone," they declared. "Let's go over what we know from the beginning..."
~~~~~
Yumiko walked through the streets of Inaie with a small frown on her face, taking note of every small change that had marked the city since she was last there. There were many buildings that still showed minor signs of damage from the massive attack against the island back when she first earned her Resplendent Evolution. It felt so long ago now even though Yumiko knew the difference was really only a handful of weeks. It had been less than two months since she first reached the Resplendent level, but after the massive attack on Earth, it felt so distant. The battle against Alastomon had exhausted her in more ways than she could ever hope to express in words, and the heaviness in her heart was more than happy to make up for the difference.
At the very least, Yumiko was glad to see the people of Inaie had managed to pull their lives together after all was said and done. She had feared they would be left to struggle with the aftermath of the attack on the island for ages, but most of the damage had already been fixed. There were traces of the past left behind, yes, but it wasn't anything too massive. Yumiko was willing to consider that a victory, and she made a mental note to ask around for who had been responsible primarily for the reconstruction effort after the assault.
Yumiko couldn't help but think of how even the attack on Inaie had been a part of Alastomon's plan. He had been fully aware there was a chance the Legendary Warriors would figure out he was wrong in pointing them to the island, and he turned it into a death trap to try and kill those who would oppose him the instant they figured it out. He hadn't been able to finish the job thanks to Yumiko discovering the power of Resplendent Evolution, but he had still tried his hardest to kill every single Digimon there without any care at all for their lives. He was a monster to the core, and just thinking about him made Yumiko sick to her stomach.
Her thoughts were quick to fall silent when she saw a pair of similar silhouettes on a nearby bench though. Yumiko's face slipped into a familiar, easy smile at the sight of Kotemon and Bearmon. The two young Digimon were chattering with one another excitedly, still managing to maintain their innocence and love of the world even after everything they had gone through. They had survived a war and an invasion on their home, and they were bound to have to live through another in the near future, but they remained positive even so. Yumiko's heart swelled with love and broke with tragedy at the same time at the thought, but she forced herself to push it aside. She wasn't there to emotionally unload on them. She wanted to help, and she was going to do everything in her power to succeed in that goal.
Yumiko stepped in front of the two Digimon with a wave in their direction. "Hello, you two," she greeted. Kotemon and Bearmon looked up at her immediately, their previous conversation falling silent as they turned their attention in her direction. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yumiko!" Bearmon cried out. He threw himself off the bench and darted in Yumiko's direction. The Warrior of Wood let out a laugh as she hugged him before they could topple to the ground in a pile of haphazard limbs. She staggered backwards by a few paces, but she stabilized herself soon enough and was able to gladly return his embrace. Kotemon was much more careful with approaching Yumiko, but he gladly hugged her leg as well, pressing his head against her knee gently.
Yumiko held them both close for a few long moments before she pulled away from the embrace, her smile just as bright as ever. "I'm glad to see the two of you are still doing alright," she told them. "I wish I had more time to come back and visit you before now. It's been too long, and I would have come back sooner if I had the chance..."
"It's alright," Bearmon assured her with a shake of his head. "We've been doing fine... Though I think Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are having a rough time. They've been a lot quieter recently, and I get the feeling the older villagers are trying to keep something from us. No matter how much we ask though, they never tell us what's going on."
Yumiko hesitated at that, wishing she had been given at least a bit of time to think about just reuniting with her friends before she was thrown into the heaviness of the situation at hand. She took in a careful breath, knowing her hesitation was only bound to scare Kotemon and Bearmon more. "Something bad is coming," she confessed carefully. "War is on the horizon, and the Digital World will soon be swallowed by it once again."
Kotemon's shoulders sagged immediately. "But... We just got away from the fight against Cherubimon," he murmured. "I thought we had more time before we were caught up in that again. It's only been a few months, and we're still not... We've barely been able to rest at all." His eyes were sad and exhausted as he looked up at Yumiko, and the fear on his face practically split the Warrior of Wood's heart in half. He deserved better than this, and she wished she could offer it.
"I... I'm sorry," Yumiko told him. "I wish we had been able to relax for a bit longer too. You deserve better than this. Every person on this island does. Unfortunately... There are bad people out there, and they're happy to hurt those who get in their way. Inaie will likely be one of their earlier targets if they decide to fight."
Kotemon and Bearmon shared a worried glance at that, desperately hoping Yumiko would follow up on that with something considerably more positive. Luckily, she was glad to do just that even if it made her heart skip a beat from worry. "But I'm going to protect all of you no matter what," Yumiko went on. "I did everything I could to keep the people of the island safe before, and I'm going to do that now too. It's the least I can offer. I'm not going to let anyone hurt any of you."
"You did a lot to help us when you were last here," Kotemon remarked. "I know everyone appreciated it at a lot... It took us a while to put everything back together after the attack, but we're okay now."
"And you're going to be okay again soon," Yumiko assured him. "I know this is scary. Nobody wants to hear about war coming back, especially since barely any time has passed since last time. But... I'm going to be here for all of you. We're going to be okay. I promise." She smiled to them both before crouching down so she was on their level. "I'll look out for everyone on this island no matter what happens next."
"Thank you, Yumiko," Bearmon smiled. He leaned forward for Yumiko to hug him again, and she was glad to return the favor as he went on. "I've been trying to avoid thinking about everything going on, but it's harder than you'd think... I just want to be able to rest before something bad happens again."
"The fact that you're able to stay hopeful at all in the face of this is impressive, you know," Yumiko reminded him. "These are dark times, and it's okay to admit that it's hard to move forward. But you're going to be alright. I promise. You've got a lot of great people here to look out for you, and they're not going to let anything bad happen."
"And you're here now too," Kotemon chimed in. "I know you're probably going to have to leave again soon, but... You're here right now, and we're happy to have you. After all of this ends, you should come back and visit us again. You won't have a reason not to once the Void Fragment Digimon are taken care of, right?"
"You're right," Yumiko agreed. "I know we never had the chance to enjoy a traditional Inaie festival... The rest of the Legendary Warriors and I have heard a lot about these parties, but we've never been able to enjoy them for ourselves. I think it's high time we change that. After all of this has been resolved, we can come back to enjoy a celebration with you two, Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, and everyone else on Inaie."
"You have to!" Bearmon exclaimed with a bright smile. "We need something to look forward to. We can't do anything about the war since we're too small and young to fight, so... We have to figure out other ways to be happy with so much going on. We can definitely help to set up for a party."
"It's going to be a while before we have that chance," Yumiko pointed out. "I have no idea how long it's going to take us to fix everything with the enemy... We're going to do our best to end this as soon as possible, but it could take a while."
"We can wait," Bearmon continued to tell her. "I know this is going to be hard, but we're going to find a way to be okay. I know it. We just have to. You've done a lot to help everyone here on Inaie, and I know they'd all be happy to pitch in to help you too."
"And once we've helped you to end the war, you can come back here and join one of our famous celebrations!" Kotemon finished for him. "Even if it takes a while, we'll be okay to wait. We know how to be patient. You're going to do a lot to help everyone in the Digital World, and we can wait for you as long as you need us to."
Yumiko smiled and opened her arms for another embrace, gladly welcoming both Bearmon and Kotemon into the hug. "I'm really glad I have you two in my life," she confessed, the words coming out more genuine than anything else she had ever said before. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I'm going to make sure everything is alright soon enough. The war is going to end one day, and when it does, I'll be back here to check on you again."
"We'll be waiting for you when that time comes," Bearmon nodded to her. "But first, you should tell us everything that's been going on with you since you were last here. It's been ages, and we want to hear all about it." Beside him, Kotemon nodded eagerly, and when the pair pulled away from the hug, they settled back on the bench they had been sitting on prior to Yumiko's arrival.
As the pair of Digimon looked up at Yumiko, their eyes were overflowing with adoration and love that made her heart melt. This was why she fought for the future of the Digital World. She wanted to protect people like this—sweet and genuine hearts who deserved better than the horrors they had been forced to face. Bearmon and Kotemon were just children, and they had still been given no choice but to watch as the world they knew and loved fell into war time and time again. They were so young, but they had seen conflict consume the entire planet twice now.
Yumiko wasn't going to force them to see combat again if she could avoid it. No matter what, she would keep Kotemon and Bearmon safe. She would keep every Digimon on Inaie safe if she could. Even if it wasn't easy, she would find a way to make it work. She owed this much to the ones who had shown her such kindness in the past. Yumiko could save those who had been put in danger due to no fault of their own, and she wasn't going to back down in the face of her duty. As long as she could keep fighting, she would do so. Nothing would stop her regardless of how difficult times became.
This was why Yumiko fought, and she would never forget it as long as she lived.
~~~~~
Saki was, to put it simply, exhausted.
They had been ever since they first went back to the fortress after the battle against Alastomon. When the rest of the Legendary Warriors returned to Earth to spend time with their families, Saki was the one who kept their attention on the battlefield for the sake of preparing for the inevitable next fight against Alastomon. He was going to show himself soon enough, and Saki wanted to be ready to fight back against him as soon as he stepped out of the shadows again.
They had been keeping their ears open to any secrets that may have been passed around by the Digimon who just so happened to learn more about Alastomon's current actions. The Digital World at large didn't know what he was up to, but since he could still hide under the guise of innocence for the most part, he could get away with most things without anyone asking any questions. He mostly operated in secret for the sake of not drawing the attention of the Legendary Warriors, but Saki knew how to gather information. That was how they had survived on Earth for so many years, and they wouldn't be beaten at their own game twice.
Saki opened contact lines for Digimon across the planet to tell them what they knew about Alastomon's current actions, and while they were mostly waiting for answers as to the truth, there were a few tidbits that had already been passed their way. To be more specific, Saki had heard whispers of strange Digimon appearing on Caeruleum and Flavo. They knew easily enough that the suspicious Digimon in question were Alastomon's generals, and that meant they had targets in mind for the next few days when they started their attacks.
It was obvious just why those two places were being targeted first. Flavo was the home of the Village of Beginnings, and if Alastomon's army targeted the baby Beast Digimon before they could grow up, then he would be able to keep any of his victims from regenerating. If Alastomon was able to claim control over Flavo, then he would be able to firmly take the upper hand over the Legendary Warriors through the power of horrible blackmail. Caeruleum, on the other hand, was the home of the Moon Base, and their technological advancements could have done a lot to help Alastomon's war effort. Beyond that, the residents of the Moon Base operated under the ideals of the Legendary Warriors, and they would no doubt try to fight him when they realized what he was trying to do. Alastomon was trying to mitigate damages and enemy numbers, and that started with striking at the places where his foes were most likely to gather. Beyond that, if Alastomon targeted the moons first, then he would be able to continue operating without earning any suspicion from the people of the main planet, at least for the time being. It was as genius as it was frustrating, and not for the first time, Saki wanted to punch Alastomon in the face. They hoped they had that opportunity soon; heaven only knew they needed it.
Saki was quick to outline all of this to the remainder of the group after Yumiko, Mayumi, and Haroi left. The rest of the party just listened intently, waiting for them to offer their strategy so they would know how to proceed. "Alastomon is trying to target the locations most likely to generate opposition to his takeover, so we need to be ready to counter him when he arrives there," Saki began. "That starts with us splitting up. I know it won't be easy for us to divide our forces given everything that happened recently, but..."
"If Alastomon is going to split up everyone under his command, then we're going to have to meet his strategy with one of our own," Junpei finished for them, and Saki nodded. "I think it would be best for us to split up into four groups of three."
"I was thinking the same thing," Saki confirmed. "We can send one group to Caeruleum and one to Flavo. Out of the remaining members of the group, we can split them between Inaie and Earth. When the time comes to target the main planet, I'm confident Alastomon is going to turn his attention to Inaie first, especially when he realizes that we're hiding out here. As for Earth, the planet will be defenseless if we leave it alone for too long, and Alastomon is going to take advantage of that when he can. We have to be ready to face any and every possibility he decides to throw at us. It won't be easy, but it's our only option."
"Then we split into four groups," Koji nodded. "From there, we can divide the Digimon amongst ourselves to make sure they're kept safe. We can't send any of them back to Earth since we don't know what that could do to them in the long term, but we shouldn't need to go that far either."
"I would be happy to stay here on Inaie to look after everything happening here," Miriamon offered. "I think it would be best if Saki remained here as well. We need to keep our ears open for any signs of Alastomon's plans changing, and we'll probably be in the best place to send out messages to the others if we stay here. This is the most secure location of the four, and we need to be here in the Digital World if we have to rush to anyone's defense in their hour need."
"I think we should also consider the members of our group who don't have their Resplendent forms," Chihiro suggested. "There are only three of us who can't reach the Resplendent level right now, but we need to split them up so they're in different groups. We can't afford to have that much of a power deficit working against us if we have to fight against Alastomon's generals."
"It would be a lot easier if we knew what prompted Resplendent Evolution in the first place," Koichi confessed softly. "We've got nine Resplendent Evolutions on our side at this point, but we don't know what causes a person to reach that level. It's a bit of a pain to try and solve the puzzle when we don't know where we're supposed to be looking for the truth."
"That could be a secondary goal of one of the groups that will be waiting for Alastomon to attack first. Since they'll already be taking a more passive approach, we can give them an extra task looking to the path ahead," Koji suggested. "Since Saki is going to be trying to track down Alastomon's generals from Inaie, I think that goal is going to have to go to the Earth group."
"We were able to push Alastomon's generals back when they were all together and we were a complete unit too, so if we split them up and play our cards right, we should be able to take them out of the equation while they've been split up," Hinoka pointed out. "We should do our best to consider who would be best to work together to make all of this work. I know we can't exactly predict which general is going to be waiting for us at any given location, but..."
"We can sure as hell come close to finding a way to defeat them," Chihiro finished for her. "We just have to be careful with our party divisions, and we should be able to take care of things. All it takes is a bit of teamwork and investigation into team chemistry. If we choose everything carefully, then we'll be fine."
"From here, it's just a matter of figuring out the finer points," Saki concluded. "And given what we know right now, it should be easy enough to figure that out from here. Let's take this from the start and see where it takes us." The rest of the Legendary Warriors around them nodded, and Saki pulled out a piece of paper from their pocket before starting to write. "Alright... Here we go..."
~~~~~
Hippogriffomon led Mayumi and Haroi to the edge of the island. She already seemed to know where Darcmon would be waiting for them, and sure enough, the leader of Inaie stood at the back boundary of the island. The base of Darcmon's staff was grinding a hole in the silt beneath their feet, and she stared off at the horizon with a distant glare. It was clear just who her rage was directed at, and Mayumi felt much the same way. She had thought time would make it easier for her to think about what had happened to Biastamon, but that had not been the case. Instead, her hatred for Alastomon only seemed to burn hotter and stronger in the pit of her chest the longer she let it fester. She needed to defeat him as soon as possible, but until the moment arrived where she could fight him, all she could do was sit there with her hate.
Darcmon turned slowly when she heard Hippogriffomon take a step closer to her, and she watched the trio for a split second before hiding her grief and rage once again. She didn't want to show Mayumi and Haroi how torn up she was, but the fact of the matter remained that they already knew how she was feeling. How could they not? They had lost Biastamon as well, and they would never be able to forget that fact.
"I didn't realize I should have been expecting company," Darcmon started slowly, clearly choosing each word with as much care as possible so as to not show what she was really feeling. "I would have gone somewhere a bit more presentable if I knew you would be joining me."
"We were worried about you," Hippogriffomon told her. "I know that hearing the truth of what happened to Biastamon hurt you, and it's alright to admit that. You shouldn't hide yourself from the rest of the world because you don't know how to respond. There are people here to listen if you're willing to talk about it."
Darcmon hesitated for a long moment before sighing. "I just want Alastomon dead. That's the easiest way I can put it. I feel like every one of us is hoping for that at this point though. After what he did... He doesn't deserve to live. He doesn't deserve peace after he so gladly took it away from Biastamon." Her grip tightened on her staff. "I wouldn't stand a chance if I tried to fight him, not as long as he has been given so much power by the Void Fragments. I know that. Still... I want to go and track him down for myself and make sure he pays for what he did."
Mayumi took in a shaky breath as she took a step forward. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "We should have done more to help Biastamon. I believed in him from the start, but I... I should have stood up for him more. If we had done a bit more to help him, then maybe—"
"It's not your fault," Darcmon was quick to cut in. "You didn't know Alastomon was going to decide to kill him. Even if you had, the blame lies with the one who dealt the killing blow. Alastomon was the one who killed Biastamon, and even if you say you feel responsible, we both know that's not true. I'm not mad at you, but... I'm beyond pissed at Alastomon for what he did. I'm just... I miss him."
Darcmon pulled her staff in close to her chest and twisted it between her fingertips along the way. "He told me to look after Inaie in his stead years ago. He believed his purpose was in the rest of the Digital World where he could work on the ground with those who were suffering the most from the conflict between the Human and Beast Digimon. He knew Inaie was important, but he was meant for more, so he left it in my hands. He guided me to this path, and he taught me how to look after those who had no one else on their side. Everything I've done since being promoted to this position... It's all thanks to him. He was the one who showed me how to help people."
Darcmon stared down at her hand for a few seconds before she rubbed at her eyes roughly. She was clearly trying to hide the fact that she was crying, but she wasn't doing a great job of it. "I had nothing before I came to Inaie. I was alone with no one on my side. Biastamon was the first person to change all of that. He took care of me, and I don't know what I would have done without him. Now... I don't know what to do without him. I know death is inevitable for every living creature, but... He was murdered. He died because he wanted to help people and someone selfish decided he was just an obstacle to be pushed aside. It makes me sick to my stomach. I despise Alastomon for what he did, and I wish there was more I could do for Biastamon... To make sure he knows just how much he meant to me. I wish I had been able to tell him that before he died. I wish I had been able to save him from this fate. I really do."
Mayumi remained quiet for a long moment before she stepped toward Darcmon and placed a hand on her arm. Darcmon looked down at her in shock, and she let her tears show themselves for a few heavy seconds. "Biastamon meant a lot to me too," she confessed. "The day of the massive invasion... He took me and Haroi in under his wing. We were trying to figure out what was going on with Saki, and he helped us to search. We were chased all over the planet by the Void Fragment Digimon, and we hid out in Rose Morning Star with him. When we were there, he... He did so much to help us. I don't think we could ever say enough how much he meant to us."
"I should have known he would have connected with all of you," Darcmon murmured. "You were working with him to try and help the Digital World... It makes sense that you would have spoken to him before he passed."
"There was more to it than that," Mayumi told Darcmon with a shake of her head. "For a long time, I hated myself. I did my best to hide it, but... The fact of the matter was that I hated who I was. Other people made my life miserable just because I existed the way I did. I hated being so unlovable in the eyes of the people around me. Biastamon... He told me it wasn't my fault, and I realized he was right. I deserved better than what I had been given, and when I was at my lowest, he was glad to tell me what I needed to hear. He's the reason I was able to reach the Resplendent level in the first place. I don't know where I would be now without him. Even if he's gone now... He did so much for me before he was killed. I'm a different person now, and I wish I could show it to him."
Haroi stepped up to stand on Darcmon's other side as he nodded. "He helped me a lot too," he chimed in. "Mayumi and I became so close in the first place because the world saw us in the same way. We were labeled as lost causes before we had the chance to prove ourselves in any way, and it was exhausting. We didn't have any place to go, and... It was awful. But then we had each other."
"But sometimes, you just need someone else to look at you and remind you that there's nothing wrong with you," Mayumi continued. "Biastamon told us that we're not bad people for existing. We might not be the people others want us to be, but that doesn't matter. We deserve better than to be punished just because we're alive. We were labeled unfairly for so long, and Biastamon... He said that we deserved better than that. I knew from the start people were being too harsh on the Beast Digimon by saying they were the only ones who were influenced by the Void Fragments. Being told that you're evil for just existing... I know that feeling too well, and I didn't want to bring it on anyone else. I’ve seen how much it hurts more than enough."
"When we were trapped in Rose Morning Star, Biastamon looked after us. He did a lot to make sure we were okay. I don't think we would be standing here if not for his help," Haroi told Darcmon. "He saved us in the physical sense, but he also told us that we're deserving of love. When you've believed for so long that isn't true... It's exactly what you need to hear."
Darcmon sniffled at that, and she rubbed at her eyes with her forearm. "He told me the same thing a long time ago, you know," she murmured. "I had nobody to lean on. I was isolated from a young age, but Biastamon found me. He told me I deserved better than to be treated like I was worth nothing, and I was glad to finally be accepted somewhere. Inaie was the first place I ever felt safe, and he was the one who made it so comforting to me in the first place. He gave me a home, and he was the first person who showed me I could be something more than just what others told me I would be worth."
"Biastamon did a lot for everyone living on Inaie... He did a lot for the entire Digital World," Hippogriffomon said softly. "I don't know where the world would be without him. He helped us all in more ways than we could ever put to words. His death is a tragedy... But I believe we can honor his memory in a way that would make him proud. This island is his legacy, and we need to continue to protect it to the bitter end."
"You're right," Darcmon nodded. "It's so hard to think I'm going to be looking after Inaie when I don't have him to fall back on though. I know we were both busy with our own lives after he left the island behind and told me to lead its people, but... We still talked sometimes, and I don't know how I'm supposed to face the future when I don't have him to lean on when I need help most."
"Every single one of us is here for you to help you," Mayumi assured her. "I know we couldn't save Biastamon from Alastomon, but... We can still do something to help you move forward. It's not going to be easy, but I don't think any of us ever thought it would be. At least we're here for one another now."
"I hope to make all of this right as soon as possible too," Haroi hesitantly chimed in. "I know it's not considered possible to return a Digimon's memory back to them after it's been taken from them by somebody else, but... I was the one who absorbed Biastamon's memory. I was able to stop Alastomon from taking his data. Maybe I'll be able to find a way to give it back to his reincarnation."
"I don't know if that's going to be possible," Darcmon frowned. "I want to believe it could happen, but... Everyone has been told for years upon years that it's not possible. Not even the leader of the Village of Beginnings knows how to do something like that, cand caring for eggs is her job. Even if the data still exists, we don't have a method to pass it back to the person who originally held it."
"As long as the data exists though, there's a chance it could be possible," Haroi pointed out. "Even if we don't know the method through which to give the data back, it's still possible to give it back. Nothing is impossible in my opinion. Biastamon did so much for us, and I... I want to do what I can to return the favor to help him now. It's not going to be easy, but I have to try."
Darcmon let out a wet laugh at that. "Your determination is admirable if nothing else... Most people I know would have given up already, myself included," she confessed. "But if you think it's possible, then... Alright. You can try it. I can't say I have high hopes given what I know about this world, but if you believe there's a chance, then I'll trust you to at least try and follow through. Excuse my pessimism, but... I don't want to get my hopes up only to end up disappointed if it doesn't work."
"I understand," Haroi nodded. "I'll come back to tell you what happens after we go to the Village of Beginnings. Until then, you should focus on looking after the people of Inaie. I understand you have a lot of weight on your shoulders, and I'm not going to distract you from that."
"Regardless of what you all end up doing next, I need you to be careful," Darcmon said, her eyes narrowing with intensity and grief. "I don't want to be hosting a funeral for any of you next. Inaie is going to be doing something for Biastamon once all of this calms down, but I don't want to drag anybody else into it if at all possible."
"We'll be careful," Mayumi assured her with a smile. "We have no intentions of joining the ranks of the dead either. We'll be back here as soon as we get the chance, and we'll do everything we can to help you both before and after the fact. I promise."
Darcmon offered her a smile of her own, and for the first time since hearing the news about Biastamon, she wasn't forcing herself to grin at all. "I'm counting on you... All of us are."
~~~~~
Figuring out the divisions for where the party was going to head next was a pain in the neck just as was to be expected, but Saki was able to pull the pieces together much faster than they expected. With the feedback of the other Legendary Warriors and Digimon guides, they put the puzzle together soon enough, and all that was left was to actually go their separate ways for the next few days. All they had to do was put the plan into motion.
Luckily, Yumiko, Mayumi, and Haroi all returned at around the same time, and that was the only cue Saki needed to start explaining everything they had figured out. The first group was to be Koji, Izumi, and Mayumi with Neemon and Salamon to accompany them. They would fight off whichever general of Alastomon's set their sights on Caeruleum and the Moon Base. They were the strongest group of the four since they were the only party to have all three members at the Resplendent level, and hopefully, that would be enough for them to win the fight swiftly and handily. Afterward, they would be free to reinforce anyone who needed a bit of extra help in their battles.
Next up, Haroi, Tomoki, Hinoka, Bokomon, and Patamon would go to the Village of Beginnings on Flavo. Haroi was still determined to try and help return Biastamon's memories to him through the use of the data he had absorbed, and Tomoki and Hinoka would be able to fight well thanks to having the power of ice and water respectively. The synergy of elements would hopefully be enough to help them win the battle to come even if Haroi wasn't yet up to the Resplendent level.
Thirdly, Saki, Koichi, Chihiro, Miriamon, and Lopmon would be staying on Inaie in case of any other attacks there. They would turn their attention to gathering information about anything else the enemy army was planning, and they could pass that off to the other groups if need be. They could defend Inaie from assault or reinforce the other teams if necessary, leaving this party as the most flexible of the bunch.
Last but not least, Takuya, Junpei, and Yumiko would be returning to Earth to ensure Alastomon didn't send any Void Fragment Digimon after the people there. Junpei and Yumiko had been at the Resplendent level for the longest, so they knew how to use their powers the best, and that would hopefully cover for Takuya not being able to reach the highest form of evolution yet. The three of them were to stay put and communicate with the investigation team to make sure nothing bad happened on Earth as retaliation for the others defeating Alastomon's generals.
Nobody felt particularly great about being forced to split up in such trying times, but they knew they had no other choice. They all had faith in one another to survive long enough for them to see one another again, but the suspense was still agonizing. They could count on each other, yes, but they could not depend on Alastomon to play fair, and that was easily the most terrifying part of this affair. He would do everything in his power to bring the Legendary Warriors to their knees, and they needed to be ready to face that rage regardless of their circumstances.
"Alright," Saki declared once everyone had pulled apart into their various teams. They raised one hand and created a trio of rifts in the air. One portal led to Flavo, another went to Caeruleum, and the last would take its group to Earth. With that, Saki turned to the rest of the party. "Be careful out there. We'll be here if you need anything. Once you're finished with your mission, come back to Inaie, and we can plan out our next steps together."
The Legendary Warriors nodded their understanding, but before any of them could move toward the portals or otherwise depart from Inaie, a massive wind kicked up overhead. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon had flown to meet the Legendary Warriors, and they landed just beside the portals. Darcmon used her staff as a grounding point as she pulled herself up to her full height from the crouch that she had touched down in.
"Be careful," Darcmon reiterated once she was standing once again. "We're counting on you, and we won't stand for any of you getting killed out there. If you need to retreat, you can come back here. We'll do what we can to set up a defensive perimeter while you're gone."
"We'll be okay," Mayumi assured her with a smile. "We'll be back before you know it, and we'll hopefully be able to consider Alastomon's generals out of the picture by then too. We won't let anything bad happen. I promise."
Darcmon nodded firmly, her eyes going dark and stern. "I'll be holding you to that." With that, she gestured toward the portals with her staff, waiting for the Legendary Warriors to go their separate ways in preparation for the battles to come.
The four groups shared one last glance with each other before they stepped off in their respective directions. The three portals Saki had created flashed as people stepped inside, and the rifts closed as soon as the group in question had vanished through it. When the light died down, only Saki, Koichi, Chihiro, Miriamon, and Lopmon were left with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon. None of them dared to say a word, but they didn't need to speak either. They knew their circumstances well, and they would never dare to forget where they stood.
They could count on their allies to take care of the other battles. All they needed to do was be patient. Alastomon would fall soon enough, and this was the first step they could take to bring him to his knees. As long as they lived, the Digital World would do the same. They would make sure of it.
Even when apart, they were as one, and Alastomon would know it soon enough as he was forced into his grave once and for all. There was no other choice for him, and there never had been.
Notes:
And so we reach the final ten chapters! Well, that technically starts next week, but we're in the homestretch now. Only two and a half months of installments remain for this story... Man, where does the time go?
Before we can get into the very end of this story though, we need to dig into this chapter. We're back on Inaie after all this time. We haven't had much time to go back there since act two for obvious reasons related to Alastomon, but now that the massive invasion arc is over, we have time to spare and a moment to breathe, so everybody gets to go back to Inaie. It's nice to be able to check back in with our friends there even if none of them are in a particularly good place.
Darcmon is a perfect example of this. She's having an awful time because of how much Biastamon meant to her. He was her mentor, and he was the one who left her in charge of Inaie. Of course she would feel like she was failing him after he died. She wants to be strong for the Legendary Warriors especially given their connection to Biastamon's fate, but she can only keep up the mask for so long. That's why I wanted to give her a bit more time here. It helps both her and Mayumi a lot as characters, and I couldn't resist that.
Speaking of giving some characters a chance to breathe, Yumiko gets to see Kotemon and Bearmon again! As long as the group was going back to Inaie, I had to give Yumiko a chance to talk to them. They meant a lot to her given that they sparked her Resplendent Evolution. Her being able to cheer them up through raw charisma and confidence really testifies to how far she's come since she first went to the Digital World, and it melts my heart to see her doing so well. She's thriving nowadays since she's let herself up open up more, and this is proof of it. They're all so sweet, and more importantly, they're perfect for each other.
The scene following Yumiko's reunion with Kotemon and Bearmon is mostly about pushing the story forward where the rest of the chapter focuses on emotional beats. The group needs to split up, but it's under a very different context from their divide in the Royal Knights arc in the first book. You can make a lot of comparisons between the two segments of the different stories, but this is a matter of voluntary division, and that puts a different spin on it. The group still has a lot to handle, but they're ready to face it. They're not afraid anymore even if they're at their lowest and very demoralized. They won't let Alastomon defeat them no matter what, and that bleeds through every aspect of this conversation.
Next, we have Mayumi and Haroi going to talk with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon. They were the members of the group closest with Biastamon before his death, so they needed a bit of time to talk through everything. Mayumi's had a lot of unresolved emotional tension since Biastamon's death, and I wanted to focus on it here where possible. Haroi will get the chance to breathe a bit later on, so Mayumi got the attention here. Even so, it's nice to see Mayumi and Haroi reaching out to talk more with Digimon. They seem to do that the most, and I love them for it. It's tons of fun to write honestly.
Last but not least, the group is splitting up. Like I said before, this is under a very different context than it was in the Royal Knights arc, and everybody is promising to come back together soon enough. As is to be expected, the next few chapters leading up to the end of act four will follow the group's split, and I'm really looking forward to it. There's a lot of good stuff coming in the near future, but for now, the group gets to breathe in this chapter. Granted, that's over now, but they needed this while it lasted.
Next time, we're going to press on with act four and get into the group's split up adventures starting with Izumi, Koji, and Mayumi on the Moon Base. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 51: Overdue Reunions
Summary:
Koji, Izumi, Mayumi, Neemon, and Salamon reunite with Gotsumon on Caeruleum in preparation for a battle.
Chapter Text
Koji stepped out of the rift Saki created and onto Caeruleum. He let out a small sigh as he felt the air around him go still. As was to be expected, there were no winds around the moons of the Digital World, and that was certainly refreshing given how noisy the tempests around Inaie could get. As much as Koji appreciated the island's ability to travel freely across the surface of the planet, the winds loved to give him a headache when he spent too much time near the edge of the isle.
Regardless, Koji was glad to be able to take some time to breathe on Caeruleum. He knew he wasn't going to be able to rest for much longer under these circumstances, but he could live with that. Regardless of which of Alastomon's generals came after the Moon Base, Koji would be ready. Now that he had full control over his Resplendent form, he could handle anything Alastomon tried to throw in his direction. His battle against Leviamon was proof of that, and he wouldn't soon forget it.
Mayumi stretched her arms high above her head before letting them fall back to her sides. "I've never been to the Moon Base before," she remarked as she turned to Koji. "The only ones who have are you, Yumiko, Junpei, and Patamon."
"I guess you're right," Koji hummed. He had been meaning to return to Caeruleum for a while, but since the Digital World had been so readily consumed by conflict even before the Legendary Warriors returned, he hadn't been able to find the time. None of them had much of any free time these days, as much as he hated to admit it.
"What should we expect?" Izumi questioned. "I've heard the Moon Base is incredibly technologically advanced compared to the rest of the planet, and considering what we've seen throughout our adventures, that's impressive. Even if the Digital World has a few cities that look hundreds of years old, they still find a way to look modern."
"The Moon Base puts every other city to shame when it comes to technology," Koji replied. "There's a lot of valuable equipment here. That was how Yumiko, Junpei, and I were able to get back to the main planet after we finished fighting up here. We wouldn't have been able to return if not for the technology found here."
"I guess we'll just have to see it for ourselves then," Izumi smiled. "There should be a bit of time for you to show us around before we have to mount our defenses against one of Alastomon's generals. I'd be happy to make the most of this chance as long as we have it."
Koji nodded, and he started off in the direction of the Moon Base from there. Both Izumi and Mayumi were happy to trail after him without a second thought. Neemon, meanwhile, waddled along with Salamon sitting happily in his arms. The dog Digimon seemed overwhelmingly enthusiastic to be able to see more of the Digital World, her smile practically permanently etched upon her features.
Meanwhile, Koji couldn't help but wonder who they would end up fighting in the battle to come. He knew they wouldn't be able to get away from Alastomon's generals forever, and at this point, the only particular factor of note was who wound up being sent their way. There were four generals working with Alastomon, and all of them would end up fighting against the Legendary Warriors sooner or later. Koji didn't think he had much of a preference for who they had to battle on Caeruleum. He didn't know enough about any of them to be able to pick out who would be the best for this environment. In many ways, Koji was almost disappointed by the generals Alastomon had selected. None of them had left a particularly strong impression during the battle at the fortress. Then again, that just seemed like a natural result of so many of the Legendary Warriors having reached the Resplendent level.
Koji couldn't help but think about how many similarities his current situation had to the initial war against Lucemon and his Royal Knights. The Royal Knights had made a powerful first impression by so easily defeating the Legendary Warriors after they managed to bring Cherubimon down. This time around though, Alastomon's generals didn't feel like anything special. All that mattered was the fact that they could finally point the Legendary Warriors in the direction of Alastomon so they could finally kill him for everything he had done. They were means to an end more than actual threats. Perhaps Koji was selling their skills short by being so harsh about it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He had too much on his mind to bother with changing his outlook on the situation.
Before Koji could think through too much more about the battle to come, he saw a familiar figure walking across the blue planet. His eyes went wide as he tried to figure out if what he was seeing was real or just a trick of the light. "Is that...?"
The truth made itself clear soon afterward though, and the figure was quick to dash toward the Legendary Warriors with a smile on their face. From there, Koji was able to conclusively realize that Gotsumon had been out on his patrols once again, and he had spotted the party of five before they could reach the Moon Base. Beyond that, he recognized Koji's silhouette enough to want to greet him.
"The Legendary Warriors!" Gotsumon exclaimed as he dashed up to the group and then slid to a halt in front of them. "What are you doing here? If we had known you were coming, we would have prepared a place for you to stay! This is so embarrassing! I can go and talk with the elders to see what they have to say, but for now—"
"You don't need to worry about that, Gotsumon," Koji assured him with a shake of his head. "We won't be here for too long. We're here to defend the Moon Base from a potential attack. After that, we'll be on our way once again, and we'll get out of your hair."
Gotsumon blinked in confusion at that. "An attack?" he echoed. "Is Caeruleum in danger? We didn't realize there was anything we needed to be looking after..."
Behind Koji, Izumi and Mayumi shared an uneasy look about having to be the ones to break the news to Gotsumon. Neemon remained unbothered as per usual, but Salamon shrunk back a little bit, also hoping she wouldn't have to be the one to say it. Gotsumon caught onto their reactions though, and he glanced back and forth between Koji and the rest of his companions in desperate search of an explanation.
Koji let out a sigh, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep the truth hidden for any longer than he already had. "How much have you heard about the events on the main planet over the course of the last few weeks?" he asked cautiously. He didn't want to have to repeat himself, though judging by Gotsumon's confusion, he doubted he would need to worry about that. Chances were high that the news hadn't gotten all the way out to the moons yet. There was yet another reason for Alastomon to target the people of Caeruleum and Flavo as if he needed more motivation to strike there.
"Is there something I should know about?" Gotsumon questioned in return even though he already knew what answer he was going to receive in response. "Things have been tame around here, and we haven't heard much from the main planet in a while. We've just been focused on other things, I suppose."
Koji sighed again, resigning himself to another half an hour spent explaining just how miserable and terrible Alastomon had proven himself to be over the last few weeks. Koji would have thought he would get used to this after having to talk about it so many times, but as it turned out, he was wrong to believe it would be that easy. "Let me just start from the beginning... This disaster started because of an attack on Rubrum about a week ago..."
~~~~~
By the time Koji finished explaining everything to Gotsumon, he could have sworn the rocky Digimon had grown at least three shades paler. Granted, it wasn't exactly possible for a Digimon made of literal stone to change colors like that, but Koji was still certain he knew how Gotsumon was feeling about all of this. After all, he had been feeling much the same way when he first experienced all of this firsthand. Koji doubted he would ever be able to think about the events of the last week without feeling awful right up to the day he died. Too much had happened, and he could never escape it no matter how desperate he was to start running and then never stop.
"Alastomon is really trying to destroy the Digital World...?" Gotsumon questioned, and Neemon and Salamon nodded from their places beside Gotsumon. The rock Digimon let out a sigh and shook his head. "I don't know all that much about him, but I can't believe he would go that far... I know you wouldn't lie to me about something that serious, but... It's still horrible to have to hear about."
"It wasn't any easier for us to see it than it is for you to hear about it, I can assure you," Mayumi told him with a shake of her head. "We wanted to be able to stay on his side. He did so much for us leading up to this, but he was just manipulating us with hopes that we would choose his faction in the war he wanted to start. When we decided we couldn't go with him, he turned on us, and... You know how it ended."
Gotsumon sighed. "Biastamon came here many times leading up to his death, you know. He wanted to support us in any way he could," he murmured. "All of us admired him. Biastamon was so kind to everyone who crossed his path... He found a way to change the lives of each person he spoke to, and that's no easy feat. I met him a handful of times, and I... I can't believe he's really gone now."
"Yeah... It hasn't been easy for us to face either," Mayumi admitted softly. "Still, we're going to do everything in our power to make sure Alastomon's plans fail. He might want to bring the Digital World to its knees, but he's not going to get away with it. After what he did to Biastamon... Stopping him is the least we can offer."
"We appreciate the help too. We wouldn't have known to watch our backs if not for you guys coming to tell us directly," Gotsumon replied. "We've been fortifying our defenses a lot since the attack by the Royal Knights a few months ago. We should be able to use that to our advantage to keep any potential attackers at bay. I don't know how strong they're going to be, but we know how to take care of ourselves now."
"You've been honing your technology, I assume," Koji concluded, and Gotsumon nodded. "I figured as much. Nobody in the Moon Base seemed all that inclined to fighting when I was last here with Junpei and Yumiko. The three of us had to do a lot of the heavy lifting... Not that an amateur fighter would have been able to help us in fighting off one of the strongest Digimon the world has ever known."
By now, the group had arrived at the outside border of the Moon Base's city, and Koji could certainly tell how much work they had been putting toward fortifying their borders. There were new metallic structures that lined the boundary of the area, and upon closer examination, he realized they were turrets. The Moon Base's people had certainly gotten to work as soon as the war against Lucemon ended and the Digital World was reconstructed.
"We're scholars and scientists here, not fighters," Gotsumon confirmed. "I do my regular patrols, but most of the time, nothing stands out as being particularly noteworthy. Most people don't come all the way out to Caeruleum if they're just doing some exploring. We can, however, use our technology to make sure we're prepared to handle any attacks that come our way."
"Since we don't have Yumiko's plants to keep the city safe from any damages this time around, I think we're going to have to take advantage of that before the battle begins," Koji told him. "I can't say I'm the best with technology, but I should be able to help you fortify your defenses to some degree. It's the least we can do before Alastomon's general shows up to make our lives miserable."
"We can all help out!" Salamon chirped. "I don't know all that much about technology either, but I still want to do what I can to pitch in. I don't get to do much to help the Legendary Warriors when they start fighting, so I have to at least offer to help out every once in a while, and this seems like a perfect place to start."
"You three go ahead," Izumi told Koji, Neemon, and Salamon. "I want to talk to Mayumi for a moment before the battle begins. We can catch up with you once we've finished discussing everything. Don't wait up for us."
Neemon seemed hesitant to leave Izumi and Mayumi alone, especially when he noticed how confused Mayumi was at the suggestion. Koji was quick to fill the silence though, nodding to himself. "We don't have a moment to lose, so we need to get started while they're talking," he pointed out. "We can trust them to come and meet up with us after they're finished. For the time being, we need to get the city's defenses up and running to make sure we can fend off any army. I don't know if the general of Alastomon's is going to be coming alone or with a group, but we need to be prepared regardless of if he has reinforcements or not."
"I can show you to the control room for the turrets then," Gotsumon declared with a swift and excited nod. "We haven't had a reason to activate them before now, and while we should be happy about that... I can't wait to see how they actually work in a fight. I'm sure they'll do a lot to help you out. We've all worked really hard on them."
Gotsumon led Koji, Neemon, and Salamon deeper into the city from there, leaving only Izumi and Mayumi standing at the outer edge of the city. For a long moment, the duo just watched the rest of their friends walk away. Izumi shattered the silence once the quartet was out of sight though, and she turned to face Mayumi with a frown on her face. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly but firmly.
Mayumi's expression shifted to shock almost immediately, and she blinked off her residual surprise at the question before replying. "I... I've been feeling better," she confessed. "I was able to talk with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon about everything going on, and it was nice to hear from them how much Biastamon meant to so many people. I still miss him, and I don't think that's going to change for a long time. Still... It's a step in the right direction."
Izumi couldn't help smiling at that. "I'm glad to hear that," she began warmly. "I was a bit worried you were going to start spiraling when Gotsumon brought him up again. The last thing I want is for you to suffer over something like this. I know how difficult grief is to work through, and... I wanted to let you know that you're not alone. It seems like you've already figured that out though. I'm glad you didn't need my help in that regard."
Mayumi sighed. "You're right... It is hard to work through grief," she agreed. "But I'm doing my best to push forward. I know I don't have time to be caught up in it right now. I wish I could pause and think through everything I've been going through lately, but... Alastomon's not giving me that chance, so I'm just going to have to turn my rage into action. The Digital World is counting on me to do that."
"Just be careful to not forget that you're a person beneath all of that," Izumi reminded her. "I know you want to turn your anger into positive energy so you can fight back against Alastomon, but there's a lot more to it than that. You can't just turn off your emotions no matter how much you want to. You're not in this alone, and it's okay to lean on other people for as long as you need their help."
"Thanks, Izumi," Mayumi smiled. "I mean it when I say I'm feeling a lot better, but... I know you're right about me needing to be careful with what I do about all of this. I am upset at Alastomon, and I don't think I ever won't be. I shouldn't forget about that just because I know there are other things to focus on first."
"If you ever find yourself in need of a shoulder to lean on, you can always come to me," Izumi told her. "I can't say I understand your exact circumstances, but... I know how awful it can be to feel consumed by your own grief with no way of letting it out. I felt the same way after I lost my mother, and it took me a long time to pull the pieces of my life back together. I was trying to put on a brave face for my sister at the time, and it wasn't until I let myself express how I was really feeling that I started to make meaningful progress."
"That was when you got your Beast Spirit, right?" Mayumi questioned, and Izumi nodded. Mayumi offered her a gentle smile at that. "I'm glad you were able to pull through all of that. I know how tough it can be to fight off your Beast Spirit when you're already going through a lot without the emotional spiral making things worse. I know I struggled with it a lot more than I had any right to when I was first looking for its power."
"Sometimes, the best thing a person can do for themself is just let their emotions be released into the world," Izumi smiled softly. "It's not easy to admit that you're struggling, and it's even harder to actually talk about it with other people. Still, it's important for us to be honest if we want to make progress in our lives. It's crucial, I would argue."
"Yeah... I guess that's what Biastamon taught me before he died," Mayumi realized. "He told me it was alright for me to be proud of myself regardless of how other people have treated me. When he and I talked... I think I finally gave myself the chance to feel everything I needed to about my mother. I'm still mad at her for what she did, but... I'm moving on from it too. I'm more than she led me to believe when I was younger, and I'm going to thrive even if it makes her upset. In fact, I'm going to live on specifically because I know it will make her mad. I'm better than she made me out to be, and I deserve to feel that way openly."
"That's the spirit!" Izumi beamed. "I'm glad to hear you're finally feeling better. I know you can't just turn off your feelings or ignore your grief forever, but... If you're making progress in your feelings towards your mother, I think you're making great strides toward the future. I'm proud of you, Mayumi. This isn't an easy thing to face."
"You're telling me!" Mayumi laughed loosely. "I'll be the first one to admit that it's been tough for me to work all of this out. I don't know what I'm going to do when this massive war of ours is over. Still, I'm going to do everything I can to push forward. There's a future waiting for us after this fight against Alastomon, and I'm going to power through to the end of it no matter what that takes. I deserve to see the dawn, and I'm not about to let someone who killed my friend take that away from me."
"You're doing a fine job of upholding his memory and legacy, Mayumi," Izumi told her as she took Mayumi's hand gently in her own. "Just... Be careful to not let it weigh you down too much. If you find that you need someone to talk to about everything going on, I would be more than happy to listen. All you need to do is say the word."
"Thanks, Izumi. That means a lot," Mayumi nodded. "But for now, we don't have much time to talk. We told Koji and the others we'd catch up with them after we finished talking, and we have to go meet up with them sooner rather than later. As much as I would love to dump out all my feelings here and now, we need to be ready for the attack from Alastomon's general."
"I really hate having to admit that you're right," Izumi sighed. "Then again, I guess that's what he's trying to do. He wants us to be exhausted so we can't fight back against him as easily or well as we would have liked. We're not going to let him have that satisfaction, but it's still a bit of a pain to deal with."
"You can say that again," Mayumi snorted. "But there's nothing we can do about it now. Come on. We have a battle to get ready for, and I'm not going to let that piece of shit get the upper hand over us as long as we have time to prepare ourselves."
Izumi couldn't help snickering at that, and she followed Mayumi deeper into the town. The air between them had grown significantly lighter, and even if they were still concerned about the past and how it would influence their present, they were confident they would be able to come out of it all the stronger on the other side. It wouldn't be easy for them to withstand the war Alastomon was trying to start, but if they had made it this far, then they could survive anything. Alastomon may have been trying to pull them into an early grave alongside Biastamon, but he wasn't going to succeed as long as the Legendary Warriors had something to say about it.
The path ahead was bound to be difficult, but as long as they were there to support one another, they would be alright. They were there for one another, and that was something Alastomon wouldn't be able to take away no matter how hard he tried. They wouldn't let him win, and they would make sure he knew it.
~~~~~
Takuya had to wonder when the last time he actually breathed had been.
He had returned to Earth as he had been instructed, but he didn't feel right just sitting around and waiting for something bad to happen. As long as there was a chance Alastomon was going to try and stab him in the back, Takuya wanted to be ready. He didn't know how prepared he could really be though when he didn't know when Alastomon was going to attack or where he was going to turn his attention first. He had sent Void Fragment Digimon to other parts of Earth in the past too, and none of the Legendary Warriors had been there to do anything about it. What was Takuya supposed to do if that incident wound up repeating? How could they protect the entirety of Earth if Alastomon decided to target a city well outside their reach?
At the very least, he needed to get out of the house and clear his head. He had sent out a quick message to the investigation team saying that he, Junpei, and Yumiko were back before turning his phone off and going for a walk around the city. He needed some time to think, and he wasn't going to be able to actually sift through his thoughts if there was too much going on in the group chats related to the Digital World. What he needed at the moment was time, and Takuya wasn't going to ignore his needs as long as he had the chance to help himself.
In all honesty, Takuya was well beyond nervous. He had no idea what was going to come of the next few weeks or even if they would be able to make it that long without being wiped out by a surprise attack on Alastomon's part. Having to guard two entire worlds made this battle so much harder than it had any right to be, and Takuya was already exhausted just having to think about it. He needed a break even though he knew he wasn't going to get one. Alastomon wasn't merciful, and Takuya knew better than to think that any of this would be easy. Nothing was ever that simple these days.
Beyond his nerves though, Takuya was worried. Of course, he was concerned about the same regular things related to Alastomon and his recent declaration of war, but there was more to it than that. He knew he would have to fight when the time finally arrived to finish the battle, but there wasn't much Takuya could do to help. Nine of the Legendary Warriors had reached the Resplendent level, but he was still being left behind. It was hard for him to not feel useless when he compared his contributions to all of theirs. He hadn't been left in the dark for months on end the last time the group achieved a new evolution. He had been in the first half of the group to earn their Human and Beast Spirits, and he had figured out how to control his Hybrid form fairly early on too. This time around though, he couldn't even come close to unraveling the truth behind how to reach the Resplendent level. To say he was exhausted was a massive understatement, and he had no idea how he was meant to fix it.
Takuya wanted to understand how he was meant to help the rest of his friends when he wasn't even on the same level as most of them. The Resplendent Evolutions were much stronger than the Hybrid forms, and he knew that bitterly well. What contributions could he offer when he was falling behind in such a glaringly obvious way? He needed to figure out how to reach the Resplendent level, but he didn't know where to start. Even after all this time, they still hadn't figured out how to actually spark that evolution. When it came to past types of evolution, it had been obvious. Human and Beast Spirits were earned through finding the designated statues Miriamon had left behind. Hybrid Evolutions were granted through a blessing from the patron Celestial Digimon for the respective element. It had been so simple before. Why couldn't the same apply to the Resplendent Evolutions?
As far as Takuya could tell, it had something to do with emotional distress. What else could it be? The rest of his friends had grown stronger when they managed to overcome a deep emotional issue. Tomoki had stood up to Yutaka, Hinoka had rescued Chiaki, Izumi had fixed her relationship with Masae... They repaired damage that had been done over the course of the last few months, and that was enough to set them on the right path.
But Takuya felt fine. He didn't think he had faced any particular issues as of late. If that was the case though, then why hadn't he been able to reach the Resplendent level? It didn't make any sense. If there was nothing stopping him from leveling up, then why hadn't he done it yet? There had to be something he was missing, but he didn't even know where to start when it came to figuring out what he hadn't seen yet. Why didn't any of them know what sparked Resplendent Evolution? It was starting to get a bit ridiculous, and Takuya hated just how helpless it made him feel.
There wasn't much he could do about it though. He would just have to sit there with his uncomfortable emotions and wait for all of this to get better. He didn't know how to ease his fears over not having a Resplendent form yet, and he doubted anyone else did either. How could they help him if they didn't even know what they were doing? Takuya was tired of having to sit back as Aldamon while the rest of his friends were able to so handily defeat entire armies of Void Fragment Digimon in their Resplendent forms. Why was he being left in the dust?
At this point, only Takuya, Koichi, and Haroi hadn't yet reached the Resplendent level, and Takuya was halfway tempted to reach out to the other two to see if they knew what to do about this current predicament. As it stood, they would only be liabilities in a battle against Lucemon. That much was obvious. If they were going to help the rest of the group in the fight, then they needed to push themselves to get better... But where were they supposed to start? It didn't make any sense, and Takuya hated just how much he felt like he was fumbling in the face of all this.
In the meantime, all he could do was wait for the truth to make itself known. He didn't know when that would be or how it would happen, but he hoped with everything he had that it was soon. Takuya couldn't just sit on the sidelines and watch the rest of his friends fight in the war for him. Both of his homes were at stake here, and Takuya was not one to back down in the face of that which scared him. He needed to fight, and even if it wasn't going to be easy, he had to at least try.
Takuya stopped and looked down at his hand, clenching his fingers into a fist. He just needed to go over everything he knew. There had to be some stray piece of information out there that would inform why he hadn't yet reached the Resplendent level. If the others could do it, then he knew he could too. All he had to do was take it from the beginning. Maybe that would finally illuminate the path he was meant to follow.
That was the hope, at the very least. As for if it actually worked... He would have to wait and see.
Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Takuya wished he was a more patient person.
~~~~~
By the time Mayumi and Izumi arrived at the control center for the Moon Base's defensive turrets, Gotsumon had already given Koji, Neemon, and Salamon the explanation as to how everything worked. The people of the Moon Base had put together the entire defensive system over the course of the last few months since the Digital World's reconstruction following Lucemon's fall. Koji was well beyond impressed with how quickly they had been able to completely change the structure of their city, but beyond that, he was relieved by it. This would certainly make his life much easier when it came to handling the battles to come.
The control room itself was impressively large, and the walls were lined with either computer consoles or massive screens. Electronics whirred gently, working together to create a symphony of their collaboration to break through the silence. The control room as a whole was dark, only lit up by the screens that showed the events taking place in the main square of the city. The turrets could be seen around the edge of the Moon Base's border on a few of the screens, all of them a silvery black color and clearly new given the lack of wear and tear seen on the outside surfaces. Koji had been impressed when he first came to the Moon Base months ago, but nothing could have prepared him for just how far the city had come since he had last passed through the area. Gotsumon had meant it when he said everyone here had kicked it into overdrive to make sure they stayed safe from then on. The shift was as stark as it was incredible.
"The turrets will automatically fire if they recognize somebody or something is trying to attack," Gotsumon said as Mayumi and Izumi walked inside. "We've set up an impressive and powerful sensor system that knows when our enemies are trying to strike. This is the best way for all of us to stay safe, and we're not going to back down as long as there's something we can do to keep fighting."
"How do you know it's going to work?" Neemon asked with a frown. "Some of us have never been to the Moon Base before. What if the towers decide to blast us to bits when we turn our backs?"
"They've been coded to make sure they don't step out of line," Gotsumon assured him. "We wouldn't be using these towers if we weren't confident that they were going to work. If all goes well, this should be able to act as the perfect defensive system just in case we end up getting attacked. We'll be ready for it, and the turrets can send the enemy forces packing before they have the chance to hurt anyone. That'll give everyone time to pack up and hide until the fight ends too."
"You really thought all of this through," Izumi remarked with wide eyes. "I suppose I should have known better than to try and underestimate any of the people here. You wouldn't have survived on the moon on your own for so long if you didn't have some impressive technology to back you up."
"All of us know exactly what we're doing, and we're not going to let anyone get in the way of that," Gotsumon nodded. "I don't know what Digimon Alastomon is going to send after us, but they won't get far as long as we have something to say about it. Our defenses won't be so easily ignored no matter how hard he tries to push us to the side."
"I'm glad to hear that," Salamon grinned. "I was a bit worried we wouldn't be able to help anyone when we came here, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. As long as all of you are able to look after yourselves, we should be able to clean up the enemy forces and send you back to your regular lives in no time."
"All that remains now is for our enemy to arrive here," Mayumi concluded. "I can't say I'm looking forward to this fight necessarily, but if that's what it's going to take for us to be able to see peace, then I'm more than happy to give it my all."
"We haven't heard all that much about the generals working with Alastomon, but I bet they're incredibly dangerous," Gotsumon said, his expression sobering at the imminent reminder of the battle. "I didn't realize he was going to stab everyone in the back like that for the sake of taking control over the Digital World, but..."
"These days, none of us can really trust anybody's intentions," Koji finished for him with a shake of his head. "Alastomon may not have put all of his cards out on the table yet, but that's fine with me. We're not going to let him get away with this no matter what he tries next, and I'm happy to make his life as miserable as possible until we can finally lead him into his grave."
Mayumi opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by the distant sensation of the earth shaking. Gotsumon's eyes went wide, and he immediately shifted his attention back to the control panel. "If that's what I think it is..." he began.
"Then we've got company," Izumi finished for him. She reached for her D-Tector and pressed the activation button after selecting her Resplendent form from the revolving list of evolutions. In a flash of pink light, she had been replaced by her highest evolution, and she kicked off the ground before flying as quickly as she could manage back toward the door. Behind her, Mayumi and Koji were quick to follow suit, transforming into their Resplendent forms with their own D-Tectors, though they ran on the ground behind her rather than flying on account of their lack of wings.
Gotsumon, meanwhile, stayed in the control center with Neemon and Salamon. The rock Digimon flicked every important switch that would start up the security system, and all the while, Neemon and Salamon watched him work with wide, infatuated eyes. "I want to hear more about how the Moon Base works after all of this is over," Salamon murmured.
Gotsumon let out a prideful smile at that. "I'd be happy to pass along everything I know to you. It might take some time since we've got a war to worry about right now, but I'm looking forward to it. For now... Let's see what we're up against." He pressed another button to activate the advanced cameras stationed around the border of the Moon Base, and the view of the city's interior on the many screens positioned throughout the room immediately changed gears to show what rested outside the boundaries of Caeruleum's sole city.
Koji, Izumi, and Mayumi all slid to a stop just outside Caeruleum as their foe finally made themself known. Ogudomon looked just as disconcerting as he had during their last battle, though he was somehow even more terrifying up close. Previously, none of the Legendary Warriors had been able to see the details on his black, purple, and red body, but the distance they had been offered from the fortress during the last fight was gone now. Ogudomon was far scarier without the lens of distance and space, and the unnatural ways in which his body moved only made him stranger and more horrifying.
Ogudomon continued to scurry closer to the Legendary Warriors once he realized they were there, a snarl already spreading across his lips all the while. "What are you doing here...?" he questioned, his voice dark and haunting. He had never spoken during the previous battle, and Koji could certainly see why. His tone was downright terrifying, seeming to echo even though there wasn't much room for a resonating effect in the middle of space.
"We heard the people of the Moon Base could be expecting an attack from Alastomon's army soon, and we couldn't just let that happen without a fight," Mayumi replied with a shake of her head. "You've made a mistake by coming here, and we're going to show you just how badly you messed up." She slammed her fist into her other hand where it was waiting as an open palm. "I hope you're ready for this. There won't be any holding back today."
Ogudomon let out an ugly growling noise at that, and Koji resisted the urge to shudder at the sheer unpleasantness of the sound. He liked to think he was far from being squeamish, but that noise grated on his nerves in a way he couldn't even begin to describe. "Alastomon gave you a chance... You should have taken it..." Ogudomon murmured. "But since you have not... You will die." The symbols of magic appeared in the air around Ogudomon's body, each of them moving slowly while still maintaining a decent enough clip to promise violence the instant any of the Legendary Warriors stepped out of line.
"You were easily defeated outside the fortress before, and that was when you had an entire army at your back. What are you going to do to us now?" Mayumi scoffed. She knew it was a bad idea to try and goad Ogudomon into attacking more ferociously, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. If anything, the fact that all he could do was stand there and snarl at her was entertaining. Until he made the first move, Mayumi was more than happy to continue taunting him.
As if on cue though, the ground began to shake once again, and the trio of Legendary Warriors realized just what had caused the initial earthquake in the first place. It hadn't just been because of Ogudomon. He had brought an army with him just as Mayumi had teased him for not doing, and he had simply been waiting for the perfect chance to show it. There were likely at least fifty Void Fragment Digimon at his back, and while that seemed like a lot at a first glance, the group was willing to take it. After all, this small army was nothing when compared to the massive onslaught they had fought through outside the fortress not long ago. They didn't need to resort to fear as long as they knew they could win, and with a force this tiny, it was just a matter of time before the Legendary Warriors claimed the upper hand.
"You wanted an army... I have one," Ogudomon went on, his voice continuing to roll and echo in a way that felt disturbingly unnatural in every sense of the word. "How shall you fare...? You made your choice... And you will die by it."
Koji was the first one to strike as soon as the army of Void Fragment Digimon was within his range. He drew a circle in the air before punching through the center of it, creating a massive column of light that short forward with surprising speed and strength. Every Digimon caught up in the blast was sent sprawling backwards, leaving them knocked off their feet and unable to fight back. Even if only eight or so Digimon were struck out of the fifty total, that was the perfect way to begin a fight. After all, it opened up the enemy army to be struck where it hurt most.
And that was where Mayumi came in, using her natural inclination toward speed to dart around the battlefield. She slammed her palms against the Digimon Koji had already knocked aside, and from there, she began to drain their energy the same way she always did. Even as the Digimon thrashed around, Mayumi continued. She only pulled her hands away from her targets when she felt there was little left to be found there in regards to their remaining power. Beyond that, she was able to effortlessly free the Void Fragment Digimon from their possession along the way. When they came to again and saw themselves in the midst of the fight, that was the only cue they needed to run away, immediately diminishing Ogudomon's forces by quite a bit.
Lastly, Izumi rushed straight toward Ogudomon, forcing her wings to push her onward that little bit faster to ensure she reached her destination as soon as possible. Ogudomon raised one hand to try and slash at her, but Izumi swerved out of the way at the last second, successfully dodging a strike from one of Ogudomon's magical symbols along the way. From there, the Warrior of Wind came down hard on Ogudomon from above, slamming her leg into his back to force him to his knees. Rather than completely buckling though, Ogudomon's limbs just spread themselves out. He flattened himself against the ground of his own free will to keep from being completely forced out of the fight by Izumi's opening blow. From there, he ordered his floating symbols to go after Izumi while he recovered.
The first strike came dangerously close to clipping Izumi's wing and knocking her out of the sky, but she avoided it just in time. After that, she summoned a massive tempest between herself and Ogudomon, creating a barrier that deflected his next attack. Instead of hitting her, the strike from Ogudomon was forced to spin around mercilessly in her tornado, only being released when Izumi was sure she was out of the line of fire. The attack vanished into the crowd of Void Fragment Digimon nearby, and judging by the telltale groans of Digimon that followed the impact, Izumi could only assume she had struck gold and knocked at least a few of her other opponents out of the fight, at least for the time being.
Koji snapped his fingers and created a sword made of light just before a laser attack soaring in his direction could make contact. He twirled the blade around to deflect the strike, rushing forward as soon as he was certain he was safe. From there, he spun his sword in a wide arc, fending off the Digimon that tried to swarm him once he was in their range. He couldn't help but feel exhilarated at the heart of the battle, surrounded by foes but confident he would be able to handle himself. His years of training in kendo had prepared him for melee combat, though Koji hadn't expected to apply his knowledge in a situation like this up until recently. He was happy with it even so, and he cut at each Digimon that dared to come too close. From there, the dazed Digimon were left as easy targets for Mayumi to pick off with her energy draining abilities. The pieces fell into place shockingly easily, and Koji couldn't help smiling at just how thrilling it all was. Fighting at the Resplendent level really was something else, and he loved it.
Izumi dodged another trio of attacks from Ogudomon's magical symbols as the general finally managed to recover, pushing himself up to his full height as his many limbs clicked against the ground of Caeruleum. Every noise he made was like nails on a chalkboard in Izumi's mind, but she did her best to block it out. As unnatural as Ogudomon was, she knew she couldn't let that stop her, not when so much was on the line.
"What exactly is Alastomon planning?" Izumi asked when Ogudomon was on his feet once again. For a few brief seconds, neither one of them struck, and Izumi let her question hang heavily in the air. "He wants to take over the Digital World, and we know that. Why is he attacking Earth though? What does he stand to gain from making an enemy of another realm?"
Ogudomon slashed one of his claws at Izumi, and she threw up her arms to create a barrier of wind to defend herself. She slid back by a few paces, but she was still close enough to send a blast of air in his direction so that he was forced to retreat too. Ogudomon looked up at her with that eerie face of his before replying. "Earth... Has a friend," Ogudomon began. "There is someone there who seeks the same as Alastomon."
Of all the answers Izumi would have expected, that was one of the last. Alastomon was working with someone on Earth. That was part of the reason for all of this. Somebody on Earth was working with Alastomon for the sake of wiping out the Beast Digimon. Alastomon had attacked Earth multiple times up to this point, but that didn't seem to mean much to his ally. As long as they were able to stay on one another's good sides, everything was fine… But what sense did that make? Who would ever want to work with Alastomon? How had anyone on Earth even found out about the Digital World to the point of being able to contact him?
"Who is it?" Izumi demanded as she stalked toward Ogudomon, raising one hand with the promise of another attack. "Who is Alastomon working with? What are they trying to accomplish together?"
Ogudomon looked over to Izumi's hand, but he said nothing for a long time. "Alastomon has said nothing... They are a mystery," Ogudomon replied carefully. "They want the same thing... The extermination of all Beast Digimon."
Izumi couldn't help snarling at that. It didn't make any sense for someone on Earth to work with Alastomon for the sake of wiping out all the Beast Digimon, especially considering the fact that most humans didn't even know the Digital World existed. In fact, that was the greatest and most horrifying question of all when it came to this mystery. If Alastomon was working with someone, then who was it? Why were they working together? How had they found out about the Digital World to begin with? How had they met Alastomon? What were they trying to do in the long run? Izumi somehow doubted it was as simple as Ogudomon made it sound, though she didn’t think he really knew anything that could have answered her questions. Alastomon kept his secrets close to his chest, and apparently, that meant even hiding who his associates were from his generals.
Izumi punched at the air once again, creating a ripple effect of wind magic that sent Ogudomon sliding backward. His floating symbols were quick to pursue Izumi the instant she broke their stalemate, and she flipped backwards before taking to the skies with her wings. Izumi didn't know what Ogudomon was going to do next, but she could say fairly confidently that he wasn't going to be answering any of her questions. If he didn't know the truth, then trying to push him for it was going to prove to be pointless very quickly.
Around Izumi and Ogudomon, Koji and Mayumi were making quick work of the Void Fragment Digimon surrounding the area. Koji knocked every Digimon aside with wide strokes of his sword while Mayumi freed the remaining soldiers from their possession with quick touches to their bodies. She was starting to vibrate with energy now, her threshold for absorbed power having increased greatly since she had reached the Resplendent level. Normally, she would have been pushing her limits by taking in this much, but she didn't bat an eye this time, instead just smiling to herself as she absorbed countless pieces of energy.
Only about five Void Fragment Digimon remained by the time Izumi finished dodging the flurry of attacks Ogudomon had sent her way. Koji slashed his sword in one final arc before Mayumi darted around the battlefield to grab all of the spare pieces of magic that she could get her hands on. Her hands were glittering slightly with a cyan sheen, but she was quick to solidify the energy into a sword that she grasped with both hands. The sword was far larger than Koji's blade, and she was only able to carry it around so easily thanks to the energy she had taken throughout the fight. Koji was stronger than her under every other circumstance, but when she was carrying this much stolen power, she could do just about anything. Mayumi shared a grin with Koji, and the two dashed over to Ogudomon together.
Izumi swept under another blast from Ogudomon's symbols before kicking at the air, creating a tempest of wind that forced him to block the strike with his arms. Izumi swerved around behind him quickly though, kicking down at Ogudomon from the top and forcing him to the ground soon afterward. He groaned as he struck the blue stone ground of Caeruleum, but he was quick to push himself to his feet before Izumi could follow up with another strike.
Unfortunately for Ogudomon though, his attempts to escape Izumi would bring him to his death. Koji and Mayumi had come up behind him while he was distracted with standing, and in the blink of an eye, they both shoved their swords into his body with all the force they could muster. Ogudomon's eyes went wide with shock, and he let out a few strangled gasps of pain before his body began to fail him. His silhouette slowly but surely began to fill out with black, the darkness starting at the tips of his limbs before spreading inward.
Izumi didn't give him the chance to disappear in full though. She landed in front of Ogudomon and grabbed him roughly just below his face. "Tell us everything you know about what Alastomon is planning," she demanded, her voice offering no room for objection.
Ogudomon stared up at her, letting out a few more choking noises before forcing himself to speak. "I know... Nothing else..." he started. "Alastomon's associate... Is a secret even to us..."
"But they want to work together for the sake of exterminating the Beast Digimon," Izumi muttered as she glared at him. "Alastomon was planning to betray us from the start, and he's been working toward a takeover of the Digital World since before he met any of us. Is that correct?"
Ogudomon nodded slowly. "They met... A few months ago... I do not know how... Does it even matter...?" he asked. Before Izumi had the chance to ask anything else, he let out one last weak scoff. "They will win... We will win... You cannot defeat us... You will see... Soon enough..."
Ogudomon was completely consumed with darkness from there, and a ring of Fractal Code appeared around the center of his body. Izumi sighed before she held up one hand, allowing his data to stream into her palm. From there, Ogudomon's egg spiraled up into the sky, off to be reborn at the Village of Beginnings. Without his memories, he wouldn't be able to cause any issues on par with what he had done over the last few weeks, but Izumi still didn't like leaving him be. She hadn't heard anything else from the Royal Knights since they had been turned into eggs, but the idea of taking the chance made her feel nauseous even so. At least they were free of danger for the time being. That had to count for something.
"That takes care of that," Mayumi sighed as she allowed her sword to dissipate. She sighed and rubbed at her eyes as light flared around her body, leaving her in her human form once again. "To no one's surprise, I need a nap after that. I love being able to take energy from others for the sake of saving them from their possession, but it gets tiring after a while. Void Fragment energy is rancid."
"We've got a bit of work ahead of ourselves yet," Koji pointed out. "Before we go back to the main planet to report in with the Inaie group, we're going to need to send all of the newly freed Digimon back to where they came from. They're not going to be able to get back there without our help, and I somehow doubt the Moon Base will be able to take care of all of them unless we pitch in. Their technology is advanced, but they'll want the extra help, I'm sure."
Mayumi groaned at that. "I don't think I'll be able to do much to help you," she admitted. "I hope that's alright. I'm more than happy to come up with a report to give back to Saki for when we get back to Inaie though. I bet they're going to want to hear all about this."
"There was a human working with Alastomon this whole time... But we have no idea who it is," Izumi murmured. "We're going to have to start our search for them as soon as possible. If there's somebody out there who's working with Alastomon, they could try to stab us in the back when we let our guard down."
"Do you think they know who we are?" Mayumi asked softly. "I don't want to believe Alastomon shared our secret with them, but I feel like we're already well past that point. Alastomon already decided to try to kill us countless times, and he..."
"He must have already told his associate the truth," Koji confirmed, his grip on his light sword going tight before he released it into the wind, letting flakes of pastel yellow magic fade away on the breeze. "We need to be careful with how we proceed from here on out. I don't know what this associate is going to do next, but we have to prepare for the worst."
"You won the fight!"
The sound of Salamon's voice was enough to pull the Legendary Warriors out of their dark conversation, and the trio turned to face Gotsumon, Neemon, and Salamon. The dog Digimon was still perched firmly in Neemon's arms as the other two dashed up to the group, and Izumi allowed herself to smile despite not feeling great about their circumstances in the slightest. She crouched down to Neemon's level before stroking at Salamon's face, and the dog Digimon wagged her tail enthusiastically all the while.
"We did," Mayumi confirmed. "But we've got a bit of other work waiting for us from here on out. We need to send all of the Digimon here back to the main planet. After that, we're going to have to come up with a plan for how we're going to break the bad news about this to the others."
"What bad news?" Gotsumon questioned with a tilt of his head. "There was so much going on in the middle of the fight, and we couldn't really hear it when you started talking with Ogudomon at the end of the battle..."
"Alastomon isn't working alone," Koji replied. "He's got an associate on Earth, and they're apparently on his side when it comes to wiping out all the Beast Digimon. We don't know who it is or what their motivations are since Alastomon never told his generals the story behind that, but it sounds to us like whoever Alastomon is working with has been readying themself for this war for a while too."
"That's... Not good," Neemon said simply, and Salamon let out an anxious whine from her place in his arms. "Maybe the others will know what to do when we go back to Inaie. We can come up with an idea for how to deal with this together."
"That's the plan," Izumi confirmed as she rose to her full height once again. "Of course, we need to help the freed Digimon to get back home first. I don't want any of them to get stuck here when one of the other generals could target this place again. We have to minimize the damages, and that means sending everyone home as soon as possible."
"What are you guys going to do?" Gotsumon asked. "Do you really think there's a chance Alastomon is going to send somebody else after us?"
"We're not sure," Koji confessed. "We're going to report back to Inaie and wait for more information to come in though. The others could end up needing help, and we need to be ready for anything and everything at this point. We have no idea what's going to come next, but we have to brace ourselves."
"We've got a bit more information now than we did before though," Salamon pointed out. "We can use that to our advantage after we get back to Inaie. I'm sure everybody there is going to want to hear about what we've learned. It's not good news, but we need to know about this if we're going to make any of this better or easier in the future."
Izumi nodded at that. "You're right... But first, we have to take care of getting the rest of these Digimon home. They scattered during the fight, but we should be able to round them up fairly quickly and take them back to the main planet," she said. "After that, we can think through our plan a bit more."
"I'll go and get the teleportation unit up and running," Gotsumon declared. "It might take a while for us to get everyone home, but I bet the portal we've got here will be better in the long run. If you need to be ready for another attack, then we might as well save you the energy."
"Thanks, Gotsumon," Mayumi smiled wearily. "We appreciate it."
"Stay safe out there, okay?" Gotsumon instructed as he started back to the city. The Legendary Warriors nodded and watched him go, the air around them all falling silent and still. Nobody wanted to be the person to break through the quiet, knowing there wasn't much of value they could have said in the first place.
This was far from what any of them could have expected, but they had learned something valuable that day. Alastomon was working with someone on Earth, and they needed to be ready to face them regardless of who they were. In the meantime, the group would need to focus on stopping Alastomon above all else, but they wouldn't be able to escape this battle against Alastomon for quite some time, not as long as this associate was still alive.
They weren't in the clear just yet, and if this was any indicator, they wouldn't be for quite a while.
The war just never ended, did it?
Notes:
And that's the first of Alastomon's generals down! Woohoo!
This chapter is definitely the biggest victory the group has had in a while, and it's very refreshing to be able to have the Legendary Warriors win without a shadow of a doubt. Sure, they still have to contend with the details of Alastomon's associate, but for the time being, they're in a much better place than they were before.
It's been a long time since we were last on the Moon Base, and I wanted to give it a second appearance here. The group will hopefully be able to come back here under better circumstances (and as a full party) one of these days, but for now, Gotsumon is back! He's become a lot more confident in himself since the group was last there, and he's helped to develop the Moon Base's technology too. He's cheerful even if the Legendary Warriors can't find it in themselves to be, and that's incredibly refreshing for them, to say the least. This is just what they need.
Speaking of what the group needs, I really liked writing the small scene with Mayumi and Izumi talking about Biastamon. It's clear the issue hasn't been completely resolved, but Mayumi is making good progress, and everyone can see it. She's come a long way, and everyone is proud of her for it. It's nice to see her talking with someone she doesn't speak with one on one all that often, and since Izumi knows a lot about grief from losing her mother, it just felt perfect to put the two of them together here.
Next up, we have the scene with Takuya on Earth to talk about. He's going through it. He may not be struggling quite as openly or obviously as the rest of the group, but he's got a lot going through his head too. Being one of the last members of the group to earn his Resplendent form is starting to take its toll on him whether he wants to admit it or not, especially since he feels helpless as a result. Poor Takuya. He's still trying to figure out what prompts Resplendent Evolution, which is actually a great question. We still don't know the truth, but we're getting closer to it, I can assure it.
The group on Caeruleum got to fight against Ogudomon after Takuya's moment of musing, and they were able to defeat him easily and handily. Since they've got three Resplendent Evolutions in one group, they're at a strong advantage here, and that certainly made their lives easier here. Koji and Mayumi were able to push the envelope a bit with their new display of abilities here, and I really like how it turned out. Izumi was able to push things with Ogudomon too, specifically showing off her acrobatic abilities.
However, this victory does end on a somewhat bittersweet note. The group was able to defend Caeruleum and defeat Ogudomon without too many issues, but they learned something miserable along the way. Alastomon has another associate who has been helping him to fight the Beast Digimon, and they're a human on top of that. Alastomon has a backup plan and a failsafe in place just in case he ends up losing in this war. It doesn't bode well for the Legendary Warriors at all, but they know this accomplice exists now, so they're one step closer to pushing the truth out of Alastomon. It won't come easily, but it's still progress.
Next time, we're going to flash over to Flavo and see how the group at the Village of Beginnings is doing. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 52: Dreaming in Starlight
Summary:
Haroi, Tomoki, Hinoka, Bokomon, and Patamon arrive on Flavo to warn the Village of Beginnings and hopefully return Biastamon's memories to his new incarnation.
Chapter Text
Haroi let out a small sigh as he crossed through the portal to the Village of Beginnings. He thanked the world for its generosity when he found the ground beneath him to be even enough for his wheelchair to have few issues traversing it. Behind him, Tomoki, Hinoka, Bokomon, and Patamon fell into place, the final member of the group flying overhead by a few feet. Tomoki couldn't help but stare in surprise and awe at the moon before him, his gaze falling to the glowing yellow rocks below. "So this is Flavo..." he murmured before looking over to Haroi. "Do you think you'll be able to lead us to the Village of Beginnings without any issues?"
Haroi nodded. "I believe so... I didn't have too many problems with finding it last time, though I suppose it can't be too difficult to navigate Flavo as long as there's only one real settlement here," he replied. "We should be able to talk to Swanmon and get more details about the upcoming attack. I don't know if she'll be able to tell us anything, but we can at least take advantage of her knowledge of the terrain to get the baby Digimon into hiding ahead of time."
"It's been a while since we've had a chance to see a baby Digimon," Hinoka smiled to herself. "Perhaps it's wrong of me to say this since we're here on business and not just to enjoy ourselves, but I'd really like to relax with the babies for a little while. I guess that's all the reason for us to come back here after everything has been finished with Alastomon."
"If you're looking forward to seeing the babies, then I'm certain Swanmon will love you," Bokomon told her. "She loves having extra company to look after the children. She's the only adult here most of the time, so she can use all the help she can get. Haroi and I had a lot of fun the last time we were here, as a matter of fact. We promised we would return to her at some point..."
"Though I don't think any of us expected it to be under circumstances like this," Tomoki sighed. "Still, if this is the hand we've been dealt, we might as well make the most of it. We're here to get her help so we can hide all of the baby Digimon and keep them safe from the next general of Alastomon, and she can help us with that."
"We're going to need to hide all of them," Haroi frowned. "If I had to guess, I would say that Alastomon is targeting Flavo because all of the baby Beast Digimon will be reincarnated here. If he can stop the 'problem' at the root, then..."
"His life will get easier in the future," Hinoka finished for him. She shook her head. "This is such a miserable path to follow... But we need to get rid of the generals if we're going to strike at Alastomon directly, so we'll just have to press through this to reach him. I don’t like putting the babies in danger over something they have no way of understanding, but… I guess we don’t really have much of a choice in the matter."
"I hope the others are able to handle things on Caeruleum," Tomoki murmured. "I know they can take care of themselves in a fight, but I'm still worried something will end up going wrong. Perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions, but..."
"They'll be fine," Patamon told him. "We've been fine fighting against the generals before, and that was when they were all together. When they split up, I'm sure they'll get even easier to get rid of just like the Royal Knights. We're in a better position than ever. We can handle this."
"Your optimism is refreshing as always, Patamon," Bokomon beamed. "I'm sure Swanmon will think so as well. She will no doubt be sad she missed out on spending time with such a sweet Digimon since you grew up with the rest of us instead of coming through the Village of Beginnings."
Tomoki opened his mouth to say something else, but he cut himself off when he realized Patamon was there. Haroi shot a confused glance over in Tomoki's direction, but the Warrior of Ice offered no explanation. Instead, he just sent a loose sideways smile in Haroi's direction. "Lead the way, Haroi," he instructed.
Haroi nodded at that and started to wheel himself forward, doing his best to not think about the way Tomoki's demeanor had shifted to worry so suddenly. They were going to be fine either way. The others were right when they pointed out they had been fine even when the generals were all together. The Royal Knights had been much stronger opponents, and yet, they had won those battles as well. All they needed to do was keep their attention on the future. Everything would work out from there... Or so Haroi was telling himself, but he didn't have much of a choice but to stay positive. How else was he supposed to keep everything even slightly under control?
Haroi was nervous for countless other reasons though, and if he was being honest, thinking about the issues with Alastomon's generals was a welcome distraction from his current fear. He didn't want to think anything bad would happen while they were there on Flavo, but at the same time, he feared it may have been inevitable. It wasn't even a matter of him fearing being stabbed in the back; he just didn't want to be disappointed, though he knew that was always a possibility.
Haroi was fully aware he was playing a dangerous game by saying he wanted to find a way to return Biastamon's memories to his reincarnated baby self. Such a thing had never been proven possible before, and Haroi had no idea how Swanmon would respond to hearing of his resolve. He was determined to at least try to work through this, but he admittedly didn't know where to start. The memory data from Biastamon's life was still stored within his body, and Haroi knew it had to be possible to draw it out. If Lucemon's power had remained even after what should have been a complete purge of his control over the old Digital World, then there had to be a chance for Biastamon too. All Haroi needed to do was find a way to make the pieces fit together. He had no idea how to do that, of course, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.
Soon enough, Haroi was pulled out of his thoughts by the sight of the Village of Beginnings appearing on the horizon. He couldn't help but smile at the sight, and relieved familiarity bloomed in his chest. Haroi had promised he would return one day, though it had taken far longer than he would have liked. He had a lot to make up to Swanmon given his extended absence, and he could only hope his words were enough to bridge the gap between them once more.
The trees were just as lively as they had been the last time Haroi was there, and they all swayed gently in the cosmic wind that circled the three moons of the Digital World. Baby Digimon were nestled between branches and blades of grass, all of them happy and at ease in a way no words could ever hope to describe. The Village of Beginnings was the perfect place for every Digimon to begin their life because of how carefully it had been developed for the sake of ensuring everyone thrived while there. Swanmon worked hard and well, and no one would ever dare to forget it.
Speaking of Swanmon, she was hurrying around the village with a tune on her lips and a baby Botamon tucked against her right wing. She was clearly rocking the child to sleep, and they were more than happy to be taken in the arms of slumber as their eyes drooped shut. Swanmon smiled before setting the small Botamon into a nearby crib. Afterward, she reached for a toy that had fallen on the ground and handed it to another Digimon—this time a Leafmon—that had dropped it while in their cradle higher in the tree. The Leafmon went quiet immediately, their cries falling silent as they curled around the plush. From there, it was just a matter of seconds before Leafmon drifted off to sleep as well. Swanmon smiled to herself and allowed her tune to fall silent as she turned her focus instead to cleaning up the nearby grounds.
Swanmon had only picked up a few items before Haroi broke through her train of thought with a weary smile. "I hope you don't mind us dropping in unannounced." Swanmon looked up with a gasp, and Haroi offered a wave to her, and behind him, the rest of the group did much the same.
Swanmon dumped the toys in her wings into the nearest basket before dashing up to greet Haroi. "It's so nice to see you again!" she beamed. She opened her wings for an embrace, and Haroi leaned forward to meet her. After they pulled away from one another, she glanced to the rest of the group. "You'll have to introduce me to the rest of your friends though. I don't believe we've all met."
"My name is Hinoka, and this is Tomoki," Hinoka explained. She glanced over to Patamon next before deciding he probably didn't need an introduction. She chuckled at that, certain Swanmon understood her sudden silence. "I feel like you've probably seen many Patamon before now."
"I have, but it's always nice to meet another," Swanmon told her with a dismissive flip of her wing. She gestured for the group to follow her through the village, speaking quietly so as to not accidentally awaken any of the sleeping baby Digimon around her. "If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared myself a bit better. Is there any reason for the sudden visit? It's been so long since you were last here, and I somehow doubt you would come here without a reason."
"I'm afraid there is a reason for us coming here," Haroi replied with a heavy sigh. "The Digital World is in danger again, and we have reason to believe the ones behind the recent issues are going to come here in the near future."
"What?" Swanmon questioned, her eyes going wide. "But I thought everything had gone back to normal after Cherubimon was defeated." She let out a small laugh when she noticed the anxious looks the Legendary Warriors gave one another in response to her words. "I'm a bit out of the loop here, I'm afraid. There aren't any blatant holes in the planet for me to see from Flavo, so I can't say I have an easy way of being told there's something wrong on the main planet."
"It's a long story," Tomoki confessed. "I assume you've at least heard of Alastomon and Biastamon, the two current leaders of the Digital World... Well, Alastomon stabbed the rest of us in the back and killed Biastamon. He's trying to lead a genocide against all Beast Digimon, and we need to stop him. We know he's going to target Flavo since the baby Digimon here are the future of the planet. He wants to get rid of Beast Digimon at the source before they can grow up, and we can't let him get away with it."
Swanmon stared at Tomoki in ghastly shock for a long moment before snapping herself out of her surprise through raw force. "I see... I never would have imagined that to be the explanation for all of this..." She let one of her wings come up to cradle at her chin as she looked at the ground before her. "Though I suppose it would make a lot of sense..."
"What are you talking about?" Bokomon questioned. "Has something strange happened here on Flavo recently? I do hope none of Alastomon's generals came through here trying to start trouble before we arrived..."
"No, that's not it at all," Swanmon assured him. "A new egg arrived here a few days ago, and something about it struck me as incredibly odd... I couldn't quite figure out what about it was so bizarre though, so I've been keeping it in my quarters far from the other babies. I would hardly want any of them to get into trouble because they got too close to something potentially dangerous."
Haroi looked over to the rest of the group, his eyes going wide on the spot. "Take us to see the egg!" he cried out, his heart skipping a beat. If he was right, then this egg was no doubt the one that held Biastamon's reincarnation. Haroi could think of no other explanation for a strange egg arriving at the village a few days prior. That was the egg he was looking for, and hopefully, it would offer him a clearer path forward regarding what he was meant to do with it in order to restore Biastamon's memories to him.
"O-Of course!" Swanmon agreed, unable to hold back her surprise at Haroi's sudden forwardness. When she started walking once again, she was much faster than she had been before, and the rest of the group followed suit. Haroi remained just behind Swanmon, pushing his wheelchair forward as quickly as he possibly could. The sooner he could reach the egg, the sooner he could start coming up with a plan to return Biastamon's memories to him. He needed that more than anything at the moment, and Haroi wasn't going to let anything get in his way when he was so close at long last.
Swanmon pushed aside the curtains leading into her chambers, and the rest of the group followed her inside before she dropped the fabric behind Hinoka. Haroi gasped at the sight of a single egg resting in a special cradle on the central table. Something about the egg felt like it was practically glowing to him, and when he stepped toward it, his chest began to stir with the promise of familiarity. The memory data he had taken from Biastamon was responding to the egg. This had to be the one. He could just feel it.
"The egg arrived here a few days ago, and while I thought it was odd, I didn't know what to do about it," Swanmon continued. "I didn't want to risk putting it with the rest of the babies in case it was dangerous somehow. I could tell just by touching it that the Digimon that reincarnated into it was incredibly powerful, though there was more to it than that... It almost felt familiar somehow."
"Biastamon... Did he ever come here in life?" Haroi questioned as he picked up the egg and pressed it close against his chest. A deep part of himself felt at home for the first time ever, and Haroi knew that had to be the remnants of Biastamon's memories responding to their old body. They wanted to return, and Haroi wanted them to return just the same.
Swanmon nodded with a fond smile. "He did... It's been a long time since he passed through here, but he loved visiting the babies whenever he could find the time," she replied. "Even all these years later, I still have glowing memories of him. I can see why he was able to find such a high-ranking position in the Digital World. Anyone who works at his side is lucky to have him with them." Her smile melted away a moment later, and she looked down to the egg in Haroi's grasp. "But now... This is all that remains of him."
Haroi pressed the egg a bit closer to his chest, watching it for any signs of change. When the egg didn't move, he instead looked up to meet Swanmon's gaze, his eyes sharp with determination. "I want to make all of this right," he told her, and Swanmon raised her eyebrow in his direction. "I was able to get my hands on Biastamon's memory data before Alastomon could absorb it, so I have the data inside of me. I know there has to be a way to pull it out of my body so it can be put in the egg Biastamon reincarnated into. The data hasn't been destroyed, so there has to be a chance. As long as the memories are still alive, then they can be reused. That's the way the Digital World works, isn't it?"
Swanmon hesitated, uneasiness taking hold in her features. "I don't know... Nobody has ever done something like that," she began slowly. "It could very well be possible, but I've never seen it. If it is possible, then the technique must be incredibly difficult for it to have never been discovered even after all these years. I understand what you are saying, Haroi. No data in the Digital World ever gets destroyed. Instead, it is simply reconfigured. Biastamon's memories still exist inside of you, albeit in a different form..."
"And that's why I have hope this can still work," Haroi finished for her. "It's going to be a challenge, but I want to try. Biastamon was a dear friend to us all, and I know there's a way to help him remember. He meant so much to so many people, and... Alastomon robbing him of his memories is beyond cruel. He wanted Biastamon to forget everything so he would no longer be an obstacle, but I'm not going to let him win. Biastamon deserves to live, and I'll do everything in my power to see that dream become reality once again."
Swanmon couldn't help but smile and nod at that. "If you want my help to bring Biastamon back once again, then I would be happy to offer my support," she told him. "I cannot say how to do something like this, but if the possibility exists, then we must try. Beyond that... It will be revolutionary to the Digimon who pass through this village. If we can replicate it in the future, then that would change the Digital World as we know it."
"It sounds amazing..." Patamon murmured. "I know we haven't proven something like this can be done yet, but I hope it's possible. I bet a lot of Digimon out there would like to know where they came from... I don't remember who I was before all of this, and I wonder what it would mean for me."
The room went still immediately, and Haroi felt as if he had been punched. Back when Patamon first hatched from his egg as Poyomon, the group was under the belief that returning memories to reincarnated Digimon was well beyond impossible. They had been given no reason to believe it was possible, and so, they chose to leave it be. They collectively agreed, albeit without ever discussing it openly, to keep the truth of the Celestial Three's pasts a secret from them. They had suffered greatly thanks to their roles, and they had hurt one another horribly as well. They would only be able to find peace if they left their pasts behind, not that they had much of a choice in the matter. All three of them no longer had their memory data since it had been with Saki for months. Keeping the secret in full felt like mercy and the best decision they could have ever made.
Nobody had ever brought up the idea of Patamon, Salamon, or Lopmon wanting to reach into their pasts until that moment, and Haroi couldn't help but wonder how they had gone so long without it being mentioned. Of course they were curious. How could they not be? They had no memories of who they used to be, and even though they were happy with their current lives, that didn't mean they couldn't wonder about who they had been once before. If anything, it was natural... But it was also a question no one quite knew how to answer.
"Swanmon!"
The cry of a voice from outside the curtains of Swanmon's quarters was enough to pull everyone out of their thoughts, and Haroi welcomed the distraction readily. If it would keep Patamon from asking questions, then he was happy to have something get in the way, even if it was just for a few seconds. The others all seemed to feel the same way, though none of them dared to express their relief at the sound of the newcomer's voice.
The curtains of Swanmon's room parted a moment later, and a small Digimon made himself known in the entryway. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were wide with terror. The bulk of the Digimon's body was a deep royal blue color, and white fur lined his neck. His claws were all pastel blue and looked like they were made of ice. The upper half of his head was much the same, creating a helmet shape that dissolved into sharp daggers of ice. He was the largest Digimon in the Village of Beginnings save for Swanmon, but it was still clear by his gait that he was young. He was clearly a new addition to Flavo too; Haroi certainly didn’t remember him from his last trip to the moon. His eyes were an exhausted maroon, and they desperately searched the room before falling still upon seeing Swanmon.
"What's wrong, Bulucomon?" Swanmon questioned as she dashed to his side. "Has something happened?"
"Some of the babies are getting anxious," Bulucomon replied. "They think something is coming, and I believe there's a chance they're right. Something about the air just feels wrong all of a sudden, and I have to wonder if we could be under attack."
Swanmon winced at that, glancing over to the rest of the Legendary Warriors along the way. "It seems you were correct about us needing to prepare for an assault in the next few hours," she told them. "We should split up to take the babies to safety. I don't know who could be here, but we need to get everyone somewhere protected before they can come to harm."
"I agree," Bulucomon nodded. He glanced around at the rest of the group, seeming to register their presences a bit later than he would have liked. His eyes went wide as soon as he saw Tomoki and Bokomon together, and he took a few steps toward them on instinct. "Hold on... Bokomon?"
The white Digimon gasped in surprise as soon as Bulucomon spoke his name, and he closed the distance between himself and the newcomer. "Is that... Sorcermon?!" he cried out.
Bulucomon let out a laugh that bordered on hysterical at that, and he rubbed one of his claws against his eyes. "I never would have thought I would see you again here of all places," he admitted. "I would have imagined you would be on the main planet still. You always wanted to go out on an adventure across the realm even if you didn't want to admit it."
Bokomon couldn't help but laugh as well, and he nodded. "Consider this another leg of my recent adventure then," he told Bulucomon. "A lot has happened over the course of the last few months, though I'm glad to be able to see you again. Much has changed since we were last together, and I hope we can catch up in full after all of this has ended."
Haroi blinked in confusion from his place near Swanmon, and Hinoka bit down on her bottom lip while desperately trying to avoid Bulucomon's gaze. Bokomon saw their wide range of responses and cleared his throat. "My apologies. I suppose I forgot not everyone here is as aware of the opening stages of our adventure as I am," he began. "This is Sorcermon, though I suppose he is known as Bulucomon now. He was once the retainer of Seraphimon in Evergreen Dawn, though he unfortunately perished during the previous war against Cherubimon. And now..."
"I work here on Flavo," Bulucomon finished for him. "I didn't really have much of anywhere to go after the attack on Evergreen Dawn, so I..." He fell silent when he noticed Patamon, having not registered the small Digimon was there until that moment. Bulucomon's eyes flashed with recognition and grief, and he was on the verge of speaking before he realized it would be pointless. Patamon didn't recognize him and had said nothing when he mentioned who he once was. Even now, Patamon continued to fly near Hinoka's head, his expression written in distant confusion. He didn't understand why everyone was regarding him so strangely all of a sudden, and there was no easy way to explain it to him either. He would simply be left to wonder, and Haroi had to ask himself if perhaps it would be best to tell the Celestial Three who they once had been.
"Bulucomon has been a great help here in the village," Swanmon interjected with a smile, glad to change the subject when she realized just how uncomfortable everyone was. "I don't know what I would do without him. He could have gone back to the main planet, but he settled down here instead when he grew up a few months ago, and I'm glad he did. He's the best assistant I could possibly ask for."
"It's nice to be able to care for the baby Digimon," Bulucomon confessed, his grin shaky after the sudden revelation about Patamon. "They're the future of the Digital World, and we need to make sure they understand that. They have a great burden on their shoulders, but they can handle it. I know it."
"We need to keep them safe too," Haroi chimed in. "If one of Alastomon's generals is really coming here to try and lay waste to the Village of Beginnings, then we need to get all of the children out of here. I don't know how the general is going to pick out the eggs of Human Digimon from Beast Digimon, but I don't want to find out either. We should prepare ourselves for a battle."
Bulucomon hesitated for a long time at those words, clearly trying to figure out just what had happened on the Digital World's main planet when he hadn't been able to see it for himself. He nodded slowly when he got a grip on himself again though. "You're right. I can help to get the baby Digimon out of the line of fire. If we work together, we should be able to get everyone to the shelter."
"Shelter?" Bokomon questioned with wide eyes. "I didn't realize there was a shelter here. That certainly would have made our lives much easier when we were under attack from the Royal Knights last time we were here."
"It's a new development," Swanmon confessed. "I reached out to a few of the Digimon living in the Moon Base, and when I asked for a bunker to be made for the sake of protecting the babies in the case of an invasion, they were happy to help me out. They suffered an attack from the Royal Knights too, so they knew how terrifying it could be to be attacked with no place to run to. The shelter is close by, so if we get everyone moving quickly, then we should be able to get everyone there."
"In that case, I think we have our plan laid out," Tomoki concluded, finally shaking off the shaken worry that had arisen in his gaze when he first realized who Bulucomon was. "Hinoka and I can go to prepare to fight off the general, and the rest of you can take care of the baby Digimon here."
"Perfect," Haroi nodded. Even though he was a Legendary Warrior, he was under no impressions that he would be able to do as much to help in the fight as his comrades. They were already up to the Resplendent level, and he was still waiting to cross that threshold. If he wanted to be helpful, then he would have to stay behind, and he was fine with that. He didn't want to part with Biastamon's egg yet anyway, and this was the perfect excuse to keep it with him.
"Good luck, everyone!" Hinoka called out before she darted back to the curtains. She pushed her way through them a moment later, and Tomoki trailed after her. A matter of seconds later, they were both gone, and Bulucomon watched them with an unreadable expression for what felt like an eternity. Haroi could only imagine this was a complicated situation for him; beyond Patamon not remembering who he was, Bulucomon had last seen the Legendary Warriors during their first major battle at Evergreen Dawn. Haroi hadn't been there, but he knew Hinoka had still been under Cherubimon's control back then, and Bulucomon had given his life for the sake of helping Tomoki and the others to escape in one piece. Seeing them again had to be a shock to his system in more ways than one.
"Alright, everybody," Swanmon started as she turned to the quartet before her. "We have a lot of work to do and very little time to do it. We need to gather as many baby Digimon as possible and move them to the shelter. Be careful to keep them calm along the way. We don't want the panic to spread too far."
Haroi nodded. "Of course. Let's go."
~~~~~
Tomoki and Hinoka had transformed into their Resplendent forms before they even crossed the outer border of the Village of Beginnings, and the two soared through the sky freely. Tomoki stood atop a floating platform of ice, fueling its forward motion with his element while Hinoka let her wings of water carry her ever onward. The worry knotted into her brow caught Tomoki's attention immediately, so once he was certain they were out of the earshot of the baby Digimon, he allowed himself to speak. "I... I didn't expect that," he confessed.
"Me neither," Hinoka admitted. "I know I wasn't the one to deliver the killing blow against Sorcermon, but... I still feel really guilty about that. I know I was possessed and that everyone else was too, but... It's still not great to have to remember everything that happened back then."
"I think we all need a chance to catch up with him," Tomoki told her. "A lot has happened since the battle at Evergreen Dawn, and we shouldn't leave him out of the loop if we can at all avoid it. He's been through a lot too, and... I bet he would want to know all about our adventures from the last few months."
"I agree," Hinoka nodded hesitantly. "I can't say I'm looking forward to talking to him necessarily, but it has to happen eventually. I'm just glad I was the one here to see Bulucomon for the first time after all these months and not Koichi. I don't think he would have taken it very well."
Tomoki winced at that. Hinoka was certainly right there even if he didn't want to admit it. Koichi had been struggling for ages now, and while he was getting better, there was still a lot more on his mind than he wanted to say openly. If Koichi had been faced with Bulucomon when he had already been so fragile over the last few months, he likely would have broken down in tears on the spot. After all, Oceaniamon may not have been the one to deal the finishing blow against Sorcermon, but Duskmon most certainly had been, and given how much Koichi had been struggling with regarding Duskmon over the last few months... They had certainly lucked out by not having him in the group sent to Flavo.
"We should bring the others back here later on," Hinoka suggested next. "I know we don't have much time to spare right now, but I bet Takuya and Saki would like to see Swanmon again after all these months. I think the others would like it here too. Something about it just feels so... Homey."
"We're going to have to plan a full planetary road trip at this point," Tomoki said with a light laugh. "Koji will probably want to take us all back to the Moon Base after this too, and we'll have to go back to Rubrum on top of that. I bet Darcmon is going to make sure we follow up on going to one of the famous festivals of Inaie once this is over, so..."
"We've got a lot of good times ahead of ourselves," Hinoka finished for him. She sighed. "I'm not entirely happy with what's going on with Bulucomon, at least not right now, but it's fine. We'll get to a place where we can handle it soon enough. For the time being, we have a few Digimon to fend off."
Tomoki paused at that, and he touched down on the ground below at last. They had arrived in a wide, open segment of Flavo, and there were no signs of life as far as the eye could see. In other words, it was the perfect place for a fight when Alastomon's general arrived. If the baby Digimon were already getting scared though, then they must have sensed the attack coming. With that in mind, Tomoki pressed one hand to the ground, doing his best to tune into the ground below. He couldn't say he was anywhere near as experienced at it as Saki or Haroi since he didn't have as deep of a connection with the Digital World or the moons that revolved around it, but he was still a Legendary Warrior, and that had to do him some good.
Sure enough, Tomoki felt a deep tremor in the ground a few seconds later, and he rose to his full height again a moment later. "They're already here," he told Hinoka. She nodded, not particularly surprised but still upset by the announcement. She slashed one arm through the air, creating a tidal wave for her to manipulate when their opponent finally showed their face.
Tomoki turned around in a slow circle, watching the skies for any signs of an attack. He made it three quarters of the way through his revolution before he finally caught sight of something interesting. To be more specific, it was BloomLordmon, walking toward the pair with an entire army at his back. Just as Tomoki had expected, BloomLordmon had teleported there to an empty part of the planet before making his move on the Village of Beginnings. That way, he had some time to get his troops together. In his mind, it didn't matter just how prepared the people of Flavo were by the time he arrived. As long as he was able to kill the baby Digimon standing in his way, he would be satisfied.
Tomoki felt icy energy dart to his fingertips, just waiting to be released at the first signs of danger from BloomLordmon. Above him, Hinoka tried to gauge just how to unleash her opening strike against him. Neither one of them moved though, instead just waiting for him to get closer. They needed to see just how many Digimon they were dealing with, and from there, they could come up with a plan. Since there were only two of them, they would need to handle themselves carefully. Their elements had powerful synergy, yes, but they still needed to proceed with caution if they were to succeed.
BloomLordmon continued to walk toward them without much of a care. In fact, he barely seemed to mind the fact that the two of them were standing before him at all. He let out a sigh at the sight of the pair before shaking his head. "I should have known it wouldn't be as easy as I had been hoping," he murmured. "You and the rest of your ragtag group just love to make our lives harder, don't you?"
"It sounds to me like you're scared of us," Hinoka countered. "And you should be. We already almost sent you into an early grave back at the fortress. We're not going to be holding back now either, and you should know better than to try to cross us."
"You talk impressively, but I doubt it will be enough to save you," BloomLordmon sighed with a shake of his head. "You can say all you want that you will win this fight, but the fact remains..." He snapped his fingers, and the entire Void Fragment army behind him stood to attention on the spot. "That I am the one with an army, not you. On the other hand, you have something to protect. Playing the defensive game against a force this large won't be easy. In fact, you're at a massive disadvantage here... To the point that I was considering asking if you would like to surrender."
"Go choke," Tomoki retorted, narrowing his eyes along the way. His chest went tight with the threat, though he didn't allow himself to show it on his face. He never would have imagined himself to be confident enough to tell someone that, but he was glad he had mustered the strength. BloomLordmon most certainly deserved it for daring to side with someone as dangerous and powerful as Alastomon in this conflict.
BloomLordmon stared at him for a long time before scoffing. "I had a feeling my offer would be left to fall on empty ears," he muttered. "But it doesn't matter much now. As long as you stand here, you are my enemy, and I look forward to bringing you to your knees. You chose the wrong side in this war, and you will see such soon enough."
Hinoka just laughed. "I'd like to see you try and show us. We're not afraid of you, and we never will be."
"With only two of you? Oh, you certainly should be," BloomLordmon chuckled. "But if this is the foolish decision you have made, then so be it. Let this moon of beginnings mark your end and be your grave." He snapped once again, and the entire army at his back converged on Hinoka and Tomoki.
But they would not surrender so easily. As long as there was hope, they would continue to fight. BloomLordmon would understand that soon enough, and until he did, they would press on even so. This was only the beginning, and he would see that before the day drew to a close. Tomoki would make sure of it no matter what.
~~~~~
Siriusmon could feel it the instant the battle began elsewhere on the moon. His connection to the celestial bodies of the Digital World had always been strong thanks to his elemental affinity, but he could feel it even more now than ever. Tomoki and Hinoka were fighting, and the moon was responding accordingly. Since the moons of the Digital World were far smaller than the main planets, they were much more responsive when something bad happened. Chunks couldn't be taken out of the moons since they all shared one pool of Fractal Code, but when the moons suffered damage, it was noticeable almost immediately, and Siriusmon couldn't push the feeling away once it began to swell and settle in his chest.
He and the others had luckily made great progress in getting the baby Digimon into the bunker by this point though. Bulucomon's few minutes of advance warning had worked wonders to change the outcome of the battle, and that was all it took for the rebels against Alastomon to claim the upper hand. The older Digimon were able to make their way to the shelter on their own, and that meant Siriusmon, Swanmon, Bokomon, Patamon, and Bulucomon only had to worry about the eggs and newborns. Granted, there were still countless eggs and babies in the Village of Beginnings, but this was a better outcome than it so easily could have been, so Siriusmon was fine with this ending.
All throughout the relocation process, he kept Biastamon's egg held close. He had Spirit Evolved for the sake of moving that much faster while moving the young Digimon, and he tucked Biastamon's egg against the crook of his arm all the while. He couldn't bring himself to put it down even though he knew that would have made him a bit more productive. He just wanted to be able to feel the familiar tingle of Biastamon's presence for as long as he possibly could, and even if it made the relocation effort take a bit longer, he was willing to do it. They were still going to be fine, especially if the general of Alastomon's army was as far away as Siriusmon believed them to be. He had pinpointed their foe as being on the other side of the moon, giving the group all the time they could have asked for to take the baby Digimon to safety.
"There should only be one more group left," Swanmon said after about four trips back and forth between the shelter and the main segment of the village. "Bulucomon and I can handle it. For now, I want all of you to stay with the babies and keep them calm. I know the attack is starting to scare them, and they need all the reassurance they can get right now."
Before anyone had the chance to protest, Swanmon and Bulucomon dashed off once again, leaving Siriusmon with Bokomon, Patamon, and more baby Digimon than any of them could have hoped to count. Most of the eggs had been placed in one corner of the shelter, and the baby Digimon all huddled against one another in the other three corners for the sake of finding as much comfort in each other as they possibly could. Children were perceptive whether others wanted to admit it or not, and they needed to be cared for with that in mind.
Patamon flew over to a few of the youngest Digimon and started to talk to them about everything going on. Bokomon did the same with another cluster of babies, though he seemed far less confident in reassuring the children they would be safe. Bokomon had always been a Digimon of facts and honesty, and the idea of softening the truth for the sake of cheering others up was somewhat foreign to him. Still, he was willing to try, and Siriusmon knew that meant a lot to all of them.
Siriusmon was halfway tempted to revert back to his human form since he expected Haroi to be far more comforting to the baby Digimon than Siriusmon ever could be, but he knew he couldn't take that chance. If Alastomon's general managed to get past Tomoki and Hinoka, then he needed to be ready to fight them off for the sake of defending the children. He didn't want to have to waste even a few precious seconds on Spirit Evolving, so he would just have to stay in his current form. It was for the best even if he didn't particularly like admitting that.
Siriusmon raised Biastamon's egg up to eye level so he could stare at it once more. He hadn't felt it stir yet, not that he was surprised. Siriusmon wasn't exactly familiar with the regular hatch cycle of Digimon. The Celestial Three had hatched much sooner than most other Digimon on account of the incredible power they had held in their previous lives, but with regular Digimon, it took much longer for them to begin the life cycle once again. Siriusmon would have expected Biastamon to have hatched by now given how strong he had been in life, but it seemed that he had been wrong to assume that. He would just need to be patient regardless of how agonizing it was to have to sit there and stare at the egg without knowing when it would finally give way to a new Digimon.
Siriusmon pressed the egg against his chest and allowed his eyes to fall closed. If he was somehow able to transplant Biastamon’s memories into his reincarnation, the first thing he wanted to do was thank him. Siriusmon had been struggling for months to face the ramifications of the ways in which his disability had changed since he first went to the Digital World. Even now, he wasn't entirely certain about how he was meant to feel about it all. He wanted to be proud of his disability, but at the same time, that was much easier said than done. He had been hurt because of it so many times in the past. Beyond that, when he had finally started to get used to this different life of his, the Digital World had thrown a wrench in his plans and changed the ways in which his disability worked. Just like that, he had to start the acceptance process all over again, and he knew he still had a long way to go.
Biastamon had been there to help push him in the right direction though. He had said with such confidence that Siriusmon deserved better than the ways in which he had been treated poorly in the past, and Siriusmon had believed him. He didn't understand how he was supposed to feel about his disability, but he thought everything was going to be alright as long as there were people there to support him. When he was with Biastamon, he believed he deserved better than the world had offered to him. He finally allowed himself to think that maybe there was more to life than just bending to the wills of others because he was too afraid to step out of line.
But just as quickly as that confidence had appeared, it had been taken away when Alastomon killed Biastamon. Siriusmon had felt lost ever since then, not that he wanted to say so out loud. The others were struggling too, and he didn't want to tell them he was hurting when they had their own issues to deal with at the same time. He missed Biastamon more than he could ever hope to say though. Siriusmon honestly didn't know what he was going to do if his attempts to transfer Biastamon's memories into his reincarnation failed. He had been staking so much on that working over the course of the last week, and if his attempts fell short... How was he supposed to handle losing the only frail hope he had been able to provide for himself?
No... He couldn't think that way. He had already survived multiple battles against Alastomon and his generals for the sake of Biastamon's legacy and the future of the Digital World. Siriusmon wouldn't falter as long as he had a torch to carry on. There was still hope for the future, and there was hope for him as well. Siriusmon was worth more than what others made him feel he did, and he would never forget that again. He deserved better than what he had been given, and even if Biastamon was gone, Siriusmon could carry up the mantle of confidence he had received from the older Digimon. His disability was a part of him, and like every piece of him, it was deserving of love and care. Even if others such as his father had been cruel enough to not accept that piece of him, Siriusmon would be better for his own sake. He deserved love like every other person, and if others didn't treat him that way, then they had no right to be in his life.
Siriusmon deserved happiness, and he deserved to love himself. His father had been wrong, and he would never forget it now. Siriusmon was more than any cruel person had ever led him to believe, and he would use that power to save the world... And himself.
Siriusmon closed his eyes and pulled Biastamon's egg in a little bit closer to his chest. Biastamon had taught him an important lesson in respecting himself, and he would never dare to forget it again. All that was left was putting his ideals to action, standing on his own without others trying to drag him down to their level with their hate. He had earned his place within his own heart, and he would never allow others to convince him he was undeserving of that again.
Before Siriusmon had the chance to register what was happening, he felt Biastamon's egg grow warm, and the air around him glowed with gentle silver light. Just as quickly, Siriusmon's armor had fallen away, leaving Haroi at the center of the gleam as he clutched tightly at Biastamon's egg. His feet seemed to leave the ground, and he allowed them to with a smile on his face. This was what was meant to happen, and more importantly, he deserved it.
He deserved his Resplendent Evolution, and no one would ever convince him otherwise again.
The shirt that appeared on Haroi's body was a neutral gray color, and the right sleeve went all the way down to his wrist before giving way to black fingerless gloves. On the left side, a cut went across his collarbone to abruptly end the gray fabric. Instead, a patch of royal purple appeared in its place, going down to his wrist just like his other sleeve. The purple seemed to shimmer ever so slightly when the light caught the fabric just right, though most people wouldn't notice it if they weren't paying attention.
On Haroi's legs, his pants underwent a similar transformation, but the gray base was a much darker color than his shirt. This time, the cutout was on the right side and showed a royal blue color to finish out the rest of his trousers. Once again, the blue gleamed slightly, though it took an observant eye to see that. Black boots appeared on Haroi's legs, and they went halfway up his calves before giving way to silver accents around the top edge. The same silver accents could be seen on the soles of his shoes as well, making them stick out against the midnight black of the leather.
Another thick stream of fabric appeared around Haroi's waist soon afterward as a large sash that tied itself up on his right side next to the blue leg of his trousers. The sash was purple and blue, holding the pattern of the cosmic skies across its full length as it went down to Haroi's calves. A matching scarf quickly manifested itself around his neck, and its length hung down on the left side of his torso. With every movement he made, the cosmos within the sash and scarf seemed to morph in new ways, giving the illusion of space itself.
Haroi's hair grew slightly longer before braiding itself together at the back of his head. The braid tucked itself up against his scalp, creating a steady pattern that went across the base of his neck. A single streak of silver appeared through his bangs near his face. As a final touch, a pair of draconic wings appeared on his back. The base of the wings was a black color, and the webbing between each major segment of the wings was a bold indigo color, the midway point between his purple and blue on his shirt and trousers.
When the light faded in full, Haroi was standing on the ground of the shelter, Biastamon's egg pressed against his chest all the while. He looked down at his new form, his Resplendent Evolution, with wide eyes and shock written all over his face. He hadn't expected his determination to prompt his Resplendent Evolution, but he had nothing to complain about. Nearby, the baby Digimon in the bunker were watching him with admiration, their fear entirely forgotten. Both Bokomon and Patamon had bright smiles on their faces, too stunned to speak on the new evolution they had just witnessed.
"What was that light about—" Swanmon's voice questioned, and when Haroi turned to the entrance of the shelter, he saw Swanmon and Bulucomon standing together. They fell silent when they saw Haroi, and he simply smiled at them, uncertain as to what he was meant to say either.
Haroi felt something shift between his arms, and when he glanced down, he saw the silver light of his Resplendent Evolution had transferred to Biastamon's egg. He held it up to eye level, watching it curiously for a few seconds, before he was cut off by the ground shaking. Clearly the battle against BloomLordmon was growing more intense, and Tomoki and Hinoka were going to need his help, especially now that he had reached the Resplendent level.
"Here," Haroi said quickly, pressing Biastamon's egg into Swanmon's arms. "I'll be back. I promise." He didn't give Swanmon the chance to object, instead running out of the bunker and taking off into the skies. He would be able to explain himself to them after he finished this battle once and for all.
What Haroi didn't see, however, was the crack that was quickly growing across the surface of Biastamon's egg as he flew away.
~~~~~
On the other side of Flavo, Tomoki punched at the air, creating a series of jagged icicles that streaked toward BloomLordmon. They were enough to catch him off surprise, but when he kicked off the ground and into the air to doge Tomoki's follow up, he punched at the planet upon coming down. Tomoki was left stumbling, forced to summon a haphazard ice spell to try and steady himself once again. That was enough of a distraction for BloomLordmon to lunge after Tomoki in an attempt to take him out of the battle—
But BloomLordmon never reached his destination. Instead, a blast of energy slammed into his chest before he had the chance, sending him flying backward at the last moment. Upon closer examination, it became clear that the attack was based on the Cosmic element.
Tomoki glanced up to see Haroi flying through the overhead air, his Resplendent form on full display and a smile on his face. "Impressed?" Haroi questioned with a small laugh, and Tomoki nodded up at him. Haroi turned his attention to BloomLordmon at that, his eyes sharpening with determination. "Let's finish this, shall we?"
BloomLordmon recovered while Tomoki and Hinoka were watching Haroi arrive on the scene, and he let out an angry scowl. "You won't get away with this," he snarled. "I won't let you win this fight."
"You don't need to let us do anything," Haroi told him with a shake of his head. "We're going to defeat you no matter what. You don't need to give us permission to win here and now. Fight us as much as you want. It won't change anything." With that, he punched at the air, and a comet appeared before streaking toward BloomLordmon with a noisy whistle.
BloomLordmon, still off his balance from the earlier hit he had sustained, wasn't able to jump out of the way in time, and he took the hit from the comet head on. Haroi flew toward him, but before he could make a follow up attack, Hinoka hit BloomLordmon with a massive tidal wave. Tomoki slid one foot forward after the fact, sending a stream of ice toward BloomLordmon and freezing all the water on his body. Despite BloomLordmon's attempts to escape, he couldn't get away before Haroi landed in front of him, planting one foot on his chest and pointing a churning orb of Cosmic magic in his face. Haroi's message was clear; if BloomLordmon moved, his fate would be sealed.
"Alastomon," Haroi started, not wasting even a moment once BloomLordmon had surrendered, albeit against his will. "What is he planning? He has to be doing all of this for a reason."
BloomLordmon looked at Haroi before his eyes shifted over to the sphere of churning magic in the Legendary Warrior's hand. He let out a resigned groan before continuing. "Alastomon is the good person here, you know," he said. "Alastomon seeks peace in the Digital World. The Human and Beast Digimon cannot coexist. If they could, then we would have found a method for it years ago. It simply isn't possible. If it's not possible, then we need to get rid of one of the groups so the other can live peacefully. He was the one who made the difficult decision since no one else wanted to have to do it."
"That's it?" Hinoka questioned as she walked up behind Haroi with disgust written all over her face. "He did all of this because he wants to establish his version of peace? And that means killing half the people on the planet?!"
"How in the world could that ever be considered peace?!" Tomoki added. He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "I shouldn't have expected him to think logically or well of the future... This makes a lot of sense. It’s typical of someone so miserable to be willing to sacrifice so many for the sake of their ambition."
"He accepted the facts long before any of you did," BloomLordmon told him. "The Digital World is doomed to an eternity of war unless you can make the difficult decisions here... Unless one of you can propose another solution to all of this."
"So you sided with him because you decided you wanted to be on the winning side if the Digital World really can't live in peace," Haroi concluded. He didn't wait for BloomLordmon to say anything else, instead just shaking his head. "Unfortunate." He allowed his attack to fly free at long last, though he looked away at the exact moment it made contact. Soon afterward, darkness began to fill out BloomLordmon's silhouette, and Hinoka took in the memory data as the resulting egg spiraled off toward the village elsewhere on the planet. Once he was gone, all three of the Legendary Warriors let out a sigh and looked to one another, uncertain as to what they could say to break the silence after being told something like that.
"Haroi!"
The trio turned at the sound of Haroi's name, and when they did, they were met with the sight of Bokomon, Patamon, Swanmon, and Bulucomon all running closer. They barely seemed to notice that BloomLordmon was no longer there at all. Instead, Swanmon was focused on the egg in her wings, and she slid to a stop just in front of Haroi before pressing it into his hands. "The egg! It's hatching!" she cried out.
Haroi felt his eyes go wide, and he gladly accepted Biastamon's egg from Swanmon. The connection he had felt with it before had started to fade, like the memory data was no longer calling out for its original owner. That could only mean one thing. "Is he...?"
The egg splintered in full, the crack across the center opening wide to show a small indigo Digimon at the heart of it all. Haroi immediately recognized the Digimon as being named Dodomon, and he cradled the monster as gently as he could, feeling his hands shake gently from the tail end of the adrenaline rush that came with his Resplendent Evolution. This was the moment of truth. Did Dodomon remember who he was? Had the memory transfer worked despite the claims of its impossibility?
Dodomon opened his eyes slowly as he took in the world around him. He looked up at Haroi with massive pupils rimmed in dandelion yellow, and the Warrior of Cosmos felt himself swallow from anxiety. And then, Dodomon spoke. "Haroi...?"
That was all it took for the tears to finally fall from Haroi's eyes. He let out a wet laugh before pressing Dodomon's small body against his chest in earnest. He had no idea how he had done it, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. He had successfully transferred Biastamon's memories into his reincarnation. Dodomon wouldn't have recognized him otherwise. Against all odds, Haroi had done it.
To say the least, it wasn't surprising when Haroi's legs crumbled under the weight of his own shakiness. He continued to hold Dodomon tightly all the while, refusing to let any harm come to the newborn Digimon. Bokomon and Patamon settled in on either side of Haroi, leaning against his torso with smiles on their faces. Tomoki and Hinoka lowered themselves to their knees as well, and they embraced Haroi and Dodomon as well. In that moment, nothing in the world mattered aside from the fact that Dodomon remembered both who they were and who he had once been. Haroi had been told it was impossible countless times before, but those claims had all amounted to nothing, and he couldn't have been happier for it.
Dodomon continued to nuzzle closely against Haroi's chest as the Warrior of Cosmos cried openly, not saying anything else on account of being shaken from having to restart the life cycle. Haroi didn't need to hear him say anything else though. He was just glad to be there with Dodomon in the first place, and nothing could have torn that joy away from him. His hope had brought him to joy and liberation, and he couldn't have been happier for it.
For the first time since Alastomon's betrayal, everything felt perfect in Haroi's mind, and all he could do was cry about it.
Notes:
Another Resplendent Evolution down! Woohoo!
I've been looking forward to the return to the Village of Beginnings. It's a shame it took us this long to come back here given how much there is to be found here, but at least everyone is back now. There's a lot to talk about here too.
For one, Swanmon is back! It's nice to see her again after all this time. It's a lot like coming to see an old friend after ages away, and that's definitely how Haroi feels especially since he and Bokomon are the only ones who have met her before this. She's more than happy to greet them even if she's a bit behind the curve with what's happening on the main planet. And she's also happy to show them to Biastamon's egg. There it is... And Haroi had a connection to it from the start. Swanmon doesn't know how to transfer memories, but she's still willing to give him a chance and encourage him to at least try. She's a great friend even if she's one of the less sunk Digimon in this universe.
On the subject of having connections, let's talk about Bulucomon. I wanted to have Sorcermon come back eventually, but since I couldn't do that easily given... Well... What happened to him, I settled on something a bit different. Bulucomon is Sorcermon's Child/Rookie form, and he's taken up work on Flavo as Swanmon's assistant ever since the fall of Evergreen Dawn. He can help Digimon there in his own way, and that's a perfect position for him. It's a bit rough for him to be there in the same place as Seraphimon's reincarnation though, especially since Patamon doesn't remember what happened in his past life. Saki is holding onto the memory data of all three Celestial Digimon if you will remember, and since memory sharing was previously thought impossible... Well, you can see where the issue came in. Given how this chapter ends, this has interesting implications for Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon in the future, but we'll get to that in time.
For now, let's talk about the real thriller of this chapter: Haroi reaching the Resplendent level. There are a lot of mirrors here to how Mayumi reached the Resplendent level back when Biastamon first died, and that's very intentional. Biastamon offered a lot of commentary about them deserving better than they were given, and finally allowing themselves to accept that and understand themselves went a long way for them, pushing them over the edge to evolution. It may have taken Haroi longer to catch up, but catch up he certainly did, and here he is at the Resplendent level at long last. This leaves only Koichi and Takuya to follow suit, and we'll get to the two of them with time.
The last bit of the chapter had a lot of bombshells for us, to say the least. BloomLordmon says that peace on the Digital World is impossible as long as both Human and Digimon exist on the same planet, and that's not a good thing to hear given what the Legendary Warriors are trying to do. The Digital World has a lengthy history of factionalism and war, and working through that is much easier said than done. Alastomon took a horrible approach to it, and that's why he needs to be stopped, but the group has to wonder if perhaps the idea of the Digital World being doomed to eternal conflict may have some merit to it.
But most importantly, Biastamon remembers Haroi. The memory transfer was successful. I'll be explaining that a bit more next time around, but for now... There he is. It took me a while to settle on a baby form for BIastamon, but I think Dodomon works perfectly. We'll see a bit more of his evolutionary line going forward, and he'll be able to explain himself more in the future too as he gets older.
Next week, we'll go back to Inaie with Dodomon in tow. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 53: Every New Beginning
Summary:
Haroi, Tomoki, Hinoka, Bokomon, and Patamon return to Inaie with a young Dodomon in tow.
Chapter Text
Haroi wheeled out onto the ground of Inaie from the portal Saki had summoned, letting out a small sigh along the way. The last few hours had been exhausting between helping the baby Digimon relocate back to the village after the bunker was no longer necessary for them to stay safe and recovering from the emotional shift of having Biastamon back. No matter how many times Haroi tried to tell himself everything was fine, he never quite seemed to believe it, so he looked back to baby Dodomon and smiled to himself. The sensation in his chest that had connected him to the egg on a deeper level than words could describe was gone. The memory transfer had been a success, and he knew it. Dodomon had said his name to prove it.
After bidding Swanmon and Bulucomon goodbye, Tomoki, Hinoka, and Haroi reached out to Saki to get them to open a portal back to Inaie. They responded quickly and invited the group from Flavo to come back along with a message saying the group that had come to Caeruleum was already back. Everyone was back on Inaie save for the group that had been sent back to Earth to look after any attacking Digimon. Haroi was well beyond exhausted by this point, but he couldn't tear his smile away from his face even so. He had succeeded in transferring Biastamon's memories into his reincarnation, so even if times were still dark and tumultuous in the face of Alastomon's impending attack, Haroi knew he would be fine. He had hope, and he would never dare to let it go again.
Saki was waiting for the group when they stepped through the portal, and they closed it after Patamon flew through. "Welcome back," they greeted casually. They were about to ask how the mission to Flavo had gone when their gaze caught on Dodomon, and their eyes went wide. "Is that...?"
Being asked was enough to make tears spring to Haroi's eyes once more. He had been crying damn near constantly since the memory transfer had succeeded, and being reminded of the miracle he had managed to pull off only made the tears rise all over again. "Allow me to introduce Dodomon... The reincarnation of Biastamon," Haroi told Saki. He didn't hand the Digimon over to them, not wanting to do too much to jostle the baby when he probably shouldn't have been moving around this much in the first place, but Saki was more than content to watch. In fact, they offered Dodomon a half-hearted wave that told Haroi they would be talking with the baby Digimon a lot more once he evolved to a higher level.
"I'm glad to see everything went well for your group," Saki said when they forced themself to look away from Dodomon. "I talked with Koji, Izumi, and Mayumi about how things went on Caeruleum. As it turns out, the generals under Alastomon's command have a lot more to tell us than we could have ever expected."
"What did they learn?" Bokomon questioned as he walked closer to Saki. "We heard something from BloomLordmon when we were fighting him on Flavo too. I wonder if perhaps this could help us to put together a picture of what Alastomon is really trying to accomplish..."
"Alastomon isn't working alone," Saki told him, their eyes narrowing with intensity. The new arrivals all looked to one another in confusion and horror as they tried to process what they had just heard, and Saki took that as their cue to continue. "He has an accomplice helping him on Earth, it seems. We have no idea who it is since even the generals were kept away from this associate, but we can say with certainty that they're helping him to eradicate all the Beast Digimon."
"That..." Tomoki tried to say, shaking his head when he found himself lacking in the words that he needed to express his disgust. "I don't understand. Why in the world would a human want to work with him for the sake of wiping out the Beast Digimon?"
"Think about the ways in which Digimon have been portrayed in the media recently," Saki started. "They've been seen as violent creatures who need to be stopped if humans are to see any degree of safety. It seems Alastomon and his accomplice have been banking on that belief so they can try to use it to push the Beast Digimon into extinction. I can't say I understand why the two of them are working together, but it feels like it makes sense, at least in a vague sense."
"There's a lot to this we don't understand yet though. That much is for sure," Bokomon murmured as he cupped one hand around his chin. "Perhaps a conversation with the group from Caeruleum is in order."
"Luckily, you can have just that," Saki replied. "Everyone is here aside from Takuya, Yumiko, and Junpei. It seems everything is calm over on Earth, so if you want to talk to the others, you can do so without consequence. We're still not comfortable with bringing those three back in case it ends up leading to an attack when we're not in easy range to defend the people there, but we're feeling at least slightly better about all of this."
"If they were able to get that information out of one of Alastomon's generals, then I take it that means the Caeruleum group was successful in getting rid of one of the leaders of the enemy army. Is that correct?" Hinoka questioned, hope swelling in her eyes.
"Yeah. Ogudomon is gone now. That just leaves two generals for us to take care of, though I haven't been able to pay attention to any rumors across the Digital World for where the others will be striking next. Unfortunately, the talk of Alastomon having an associate on Earth has kind of taken up a lot of our attention," Saki told her. They let out a heavy sigh and pinched at the bridge of their nose. "Forgive me for that."
"There's nothing to forgive," Haroi assured them. "This is an awful situation, and we need to talk to the others about it before we make any other plans for what to do next."
"Most of us are in the meeting hall," Saki declared. "It's me, Koji, Izumi, Chihiro, Miriamon, and Lopmon in there right now. The others have all scattered around the island for some much-needed rest and relaxation. We have no idea when we're going to get another chance for that under circumstances like this, so I can hardly blame them."
Haroi looked down to Dodomon at that, casting Saki an awkward smile when he looked up. "I'll probably leave the talking with the others to the rest of you. I think Dodomon needs his first meal after hatching. We were in such a rush that he didn't get the chance to eat anything before we came back here."
"Take your time," Hinoka told him gently. "We'll handle everything with the others, and we can fill you in when you're ready to come and meet with the others."
Haroi nodded his thanks, and Tomoki offered him a light wave. "We'll see you later, Haroi."
The Warrior of Cosmos returned the parting words before he returned his attention to Dodomon. He was using a blanket borrowed from Swanmon to keep the baby Digimon comfortable, and to his credit, Dodomon seemed to be loving it. He was still wide awake even after all the activity for the day, and his chin was nuzzled firmly in the crook of Haroi's arm. The Warrior of Cosmos couldn't help smiling at that, and he started off for the nearest restaurant in Inaie. "Come on. We need to get you something tasty." His stomach growled in response, and Haroi laughed wetly. "Okay, maybe we need to get us both something tasty."
Haroi wheeled into the restaurant carefully, doing his best to balance Dodomon in his arms while not jostling around too much. When he crossed the threshold into the restaurant though, his thoughts swiveled in a different direction. Mayumi was sitting at one of the tables, and she waved brightly upon seeing Haroi. "Hey!" she called out, gesturing for him to join her. Haroi didn't really need the encouragement, and he crossed the restaurant before stopping his wheelchair across the table from her. "I noticed you and the others got back. You popped up on my D-Tector's radar again."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything by joining you," Haroi told her with a shaky smile. He was starting to realize just how exhausted he was in every sense of the word, desperately in need of food and a long nap to recover from the emotional turmoil and physical strain of the day.
"Of course not. I gestured for you to come join me, didn't I?" Mayumi pointed out. She fell silent when she looked down to Dodomon, and her eyes went wide. "Wait... Hold on... Is that...?!"
Haroi nodded, barely managing to hold back his tears once again. "This is Dodomon," he started. "I... I was able to do it, Mayumi. I transferred Biastamon's memories back to him. He's still a baby, but... I did it."
Mayumi's hands flew to her mouth, and tears immediately sprung to life in the corners of her eyes. "B-But I thought... I was so sure it was impossible! That's what everyone was saying, and I didn't know how to get around that!" she cried out.
"We also thought transforming into Digimon and saving two worlds from destruction was impossible at one point," Haroi pointed out as he eased Dodomon onto the table. "I can tell you everything that happened while we were on Flavo over some food. I think both me and Dodomon need a bit of time to eat and relax before we do anything too strenuous."
"Of course," Mayumi agreed. "Take it from the start. I'm listening."
~~~~~
Saki pushed open the door to the meeting hall and gestured for Tomoki, Hinoka, Bokomon, and Patamon to walk in before them. After a quick walk into the deeper areas of the building, they arrived in a grander meeting room where Koji, Izumi, Chihiro, Miriamon, and Lopmon were all waiting for them in various seats around a massive wooden table. Izumi sent the new arrivals a loose wave with a smile on her face, though anyone could see it was a strained grin. She was afraid of what she had learned on Caeruleum even if she didn't want to admit it.
"Alright," Saki started as they returned to their seat at the long meeting table. "Now that those five are back, I think we should go over everything we know. As it turns out, there was even more information to be found on Flavo."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Chihiro muttered. "Given how much damning information we were able to pick up from the group that went to Flavo, I feel like this was going to end up happening naturally. Alastomon has given his generals pieces of the puzzle, and it feels like he's drip feeding them to us just for the sake of taunting us."
"Given how he has behaved in the past, that doesn't surprise me at all," Koji snorted. "He was confident his plan would work, and that's most of the reason he's acted the way he has up to this point. Granted, most of his plans actually did work, but that doesn't matter right now."
"We need to be coming up with a way to stop him," Bokomon finished for him as he looked around the meeting room. "Where are Neemon and Salamon? I would have expected them to be here after everything that happened."
"The two of them decided to take a nap once we got back," Izumi replied with a small laugh. "They helped Gotsumon to set up the defensive turrets back on Caeruleum, and I guess that took a lot more out of them than they wanted to admit."
"Either way, we can catch them up later," Patamon pointed out. He settled gladly on Koji's head, and the Warrior of Light pulled him into his arms. Patamon nuzzled against Koji's fingers as he stroked across the orange Digimon's back, both of them smiling contently all the while.
"We got our hands on a less than fortunate piece of information while we were on Flavo," Hinoka started carefully. "We heard from Saki that Ogudomon told all of you about Alastomon having an associate on Earth who was helping him carry out his mission... I don't like the sound of that at all."
"You wouldn't be the only one who hates it," Koji confirmed with a nod. "We don't know what to do with that information at this point. We have no hints or evidence as to who the associate could possibly be, and that's made this much harder to deal with than we would have thought."
"We can't just go around asking people if they know about the Digital World. All that's going to accomplish is spreading information we really can't have getting out," Chihiro said. They were cradling their cheek in one hand as their elbow rested on the table. "We don't know of anyone who knows the truth and isn't supposed to either, and that's not an easy hurdle to jump over. It would be easier if we had even the slightest hint as to who this person is supposed to be, but..."
"We've got nothing," Lopmon finished for them. "But if the others learned something new while on Flavo, then perhaps we can use it to our advantage. That could help us to illuminate the truth behind this accomplice Alastomon has."
"I'm afraid that's not the sort of information we learned," Tomoki frowned. "I wish it was, but... BloomLordmon mostly talked about how Alastomon believes the Digital World can never see peace. In his mind, the Digital World is doomed to an eternal cycle of war. As long as that's true, he wants to be the one who survives at the end of it all... And to him, that means getting rid of all the Beast Digimon."
"But the Digital World doesn't have to be condemned to eternal war," Izumi argued. "Peace has been possible in the past. In fact, there was a lengthy period of peace under the Celestial Three before Cherubimon was taken over by Lucemon."
"But it gave way to war in the end, didn't it?" Hinoka murmured. "That seems to be a running theme in the Digital World. In ancient times, the Human and Beast Digimon were at war. They only stopped when Lucemon showed up. After that, there was peace... Until Lucemon wound up becoming evil and turning against the Digimon to claim power for himself. The Celestial Three took over from there, but... Even if Lucemon hadn't interfered with Cherubimon by possessing him, I believe conflict would have come eventually."
"Cherubimon felt as if he couldn't trust Seraphimon and Ophanimon on account of being outnumbered in terms of Human and Beast Digimon," Miriamon frowned. "I don't know if it would have come to full-on war if not for Lucemon, but there was still conflict to be found there. Lucemon just fanned the flames of it by taking over Cherubimon."
"And that leads us here," Koji concluded. "There was a power vacuum left behind by the Celestial Three all dying, and Alastomon and Biastamon took over... Only for Alastomon to stab Biastamon in the back and decide to claim the Digital World for himself and his kind."
"It should still be possible for the Digital World to see peace one day though... Right?" Izumi countered. "I know what the history of this world is like. We've all lived it for ourselves whether it be in this life or the last one. Alastomon may be right about the Digital World having a history of conflict, but that doesn't mean he has to doom half of it for the sake of his own desires."
"You're right," Bokomon nodded. "I've studied the history of the Digital World extensively, and while I can confirm just how dark our past has been leading up to now, that doesn't mean our future must be. If Alastomon wishes to bring 'peace' through murdering half the people of this realm, then it isn't peace at all. We'll do what we must in order to defeat him."
"And right now, that means defeating his other two generals so we can get rid of him once and for all. When he has no other backup and no other options, we should be able to finally pin him down and finish him off," Chihiro declared. "I've had enough of letting him run around doing whatever he wants, and I'm not going to let him get away with it anymore."
"We've got an added advantage now too," Tomoki chimed in. "Haroi was able to reach the Resplendent level too, so that means we're working with ten of them now. Maybe that will be enough for us to finally push Alastomon over the edge."
Bokomon let out a sigh at that. "And yet, even after all this time, we don't seem to understand how the Resplendent Evolutions work," he muttered. "I've been doing my best to work it out, but I just can't seem to put the pieces together. The circumstances were similar for everyone, yes, but it's just barely different enough that I can't find the common denominator that must explain all of it."
"Right now, we don't need to worry about that much," Saki told him. "We have to keep our eyes and ears open for any signs of another attack led by Alastomon or one of his two remaining generals. He's not going to let us get away with anything easily, and he's bound to send his other two generals out soon. If he was trying to divide our forces, then he has to know that he can't wait too long before sending the others out to attack us."
"And once he's finally gone, we can start to think about how we're going to find his accomplice," Hinoka sighed. "I can't believe he was working with someone from Earth this entire time... And we have no idea who it could possibly be on top of that."
"At the very least, it seems to me like he was trying to get the humans to side with him somehow," Lopmon chimed in. "If I had to guess, I would say that Alastomon was trying to paint the Beast Digimon as horrible monsters on both Earth and the Digital World. From there, he would just need to tell the humans how to get rid of his enemies... And that would give him free control over Earth while also getting the Beast Digimon out of the picture."
"Perfect. He keeps finding new ways to get even worse," Chihiro groaned with a roll of their eyes. "Still, he's not going to get away with this, and if he thinks it'll be that easy, then he's got another thing coming."
"We'll listen for any other signs of an attack, and if we learn something strange is going to happen, then we'll go on the defensive," Saki declared. "Until then, the best thing we can do is be patient. Alastomon has to know that we need to attack soon if we want to stop him, so he's probably counting on us getting desperate. We need to be calm for as long as possible."
"He just loves being inventive about how he wants to be an absolute pain in the neck, doesn't he?" Izumi murmured. "But you're right. We need to stay focused and careful. He's going to attack again soon, and we have to be ready for it."
Saki nodded. "Things are only going to get harder from here... I can only hope we're ready to see it through to the end."
~~~~~
"...And that about sums it up."
In the time since Haroi had begun his explanation of what happened on Flavo, his and Mayumi's food had arrived at their table. Neither one of them had touched it quite yet though, too focused on the story they were telling to even notice it for a long time. Mayumi had her elbows pressed on the table as she cradled her chin in her hands, and she nodded to herself once Haroi finished talking. "I see..." she murmured.
Haroi finally forced himself to turn his attention back down to his food, and he picked up a small fry before passing it over to Dodomon. The baby Digimon gladly indulged in the snack, taking more bites as Haroi eased it into his mouth. Dodomon couldn't exactly handle the fry on his own on account of not having hands quite yet, but Haroi was more than happy to take care of him. The Warrior of Cosmos even smiled as he helped to feed the baby Digimon.
"I honestly can't say how it happened," Haroi confessed as he watched Dodomon eat. "I picked up the egg and felt a strong connection with it. I don't remember much of what happened after that since I was a bit distracted with my Resplendent Evolution. I... I remember thinking about how much Biastamon means to me though. I held the egg close as I was evolving, and when I pushed it into Swanmon's hands after the fact, it apparently carried on the same silver glow I had a few seconds before. When Dodomon hatched, he recognized me immediately. I don't know how I even did that, but I'm certainly not complaining if it worked."
Before Mayumi had the chance to reply, white light sparked around Dodomon. Both humans flinched and closed their eyes on instinct, and when the glow subsided, a new Digimon was sitting in Dodomon's place. This Digimon was blue and had cat ears and a matching tail that flicked back and forth behind him, and his eyes were wide and amber. Haroi immediately realized the new Digimon's name was Wanyamon, and he smiled before stroking at his head.
Wanyamon curled up against Haroi's fingers, glad to have that little bit of connection and touch, before he spoke. "I think I'll be able to explain that," he said, and Haroi nodded gladly. He had been hoping Dodomon would be able to explain how the memory transfer worked when he evolved, and luckily, Wanyamon was there to fill in all the details Haroi could have asked for.
Haroi turned his attention back to eating after his stomach rumbled once again, realizing a bit belatedly that he had been neglecting his own needs while focusing on the story from Flavo and feeding Wanyamon. Mayumi followed his lead as Wanyamon spoke, albeit in a much higher pitched voice than Haroi was used to associating with Biastamon. "For a long time, I didn't really feel or notice anything when I was in the egg," Wanyamon started. "When you picked me up though... Everything started to come into focus. I knew there was something good out there—someone who loved me—even if I couldn't exactly describe it on account of being in the egg. You pulled me in closer, and when you started thinking about me... It was like there was this light in my mind. I knew somehow that the light was life, so I reached out for it, and... And then everything was so warm."
"I felt a connection with you as soon as I picked up the egg too," Haroi agreed with a nod. "It was like there was some deep instinct drawing me closer, and when I focused on how much I loved you... That warmth and love just overflowed, and I suppose it led to the memory transfer."
"I believe the transfer was only possible because of how much we care about each other," Wanyamon told him. "If we didn't have that emotional connection, I doubt it would have worked. But since we were reaching for each other... Since we loved each other..."
"That was how it worked," Mayumi finished. "It seems to me like the ability to transfer memories from the person who absorbed the data into a new egg comes with a deep emotional connection. As long as the two parties involved care for one another, they can establish that link and eventually push the data between them."
"But it's admittedly exhausting," Haroi confessed with a heavy sigh. "I think I'm going to need some time to rest before we go off on our next mission. I don't know if we'll be sent out again since we already fought against one of Alastomon's generals, but... If we do end up getting wrapped up in that, I'm going to need some time to breathe before I go out and try something."
"I can take care of Wanyamon for you," Mayumi offered. "If you need some time to yourself, I'll handle talking to Darcmon and Hippogriffomon too. I'm sure they're going to want to hear all about this now that Wanyamon is back with us. I want to hang out with Wanyamon for a while anyway, so this works out perfectly. Once we've eaten, we'll take care of everything."
"Something tells me I have a lot to be caught up on," Wanyamon chimed in, and Haroi nodded. "Even before I was turned into an egg, there was a lot going on in the Digital World, and I know that all too well. Perhaps now would be the perfect time for you to fill in the gaps I don't know about since I was asleep."
"We can do that," Mayumi nodded. "Let's take things from the top after the battle outside Rose Morning Star..."
~~~~~
It took about half an hour to catch Wanyamon up on everything else that had been going on in the Digital World since he was first transformed back into an egg, and by the time the conversation was over, Haroi was thoroughly exhausted. He was drained enough from the energy transfer, and talking on top of that was taking what little strength he had left. With that in mind, he decided to take Mayumi up on her offer to look after Wanyamon while he went to get a bit of rest before their inevitable next battle.
Haroi was starting off in the direction of the house Darcmon had loaned the Legendary Warriors when he saw Koichi walking through the streets of the city. Haroi was halfway tempted to just leave Koichi be since he was clearly on his own for a reason, but he couldn't do that in good conscience, and he already knew it. Koichi had been struggling enough recently, and it wouldn't be right for Haroi to leave him with that as long as there was something he could do to help. With his mind made up, Haroi wheeled over in Koichi's direction.
Koichi barely seemed to notice he wasn't alone for a while, too busy staring into shopfronts to bother. Anyone could see he wasn't registering what he was seeing at all though, instead just treating the stores as a convenient excuse to pretend he was looking at something despite not paying attention to the world around him in the slightest. Haroi could tell he was going to have to pull Koichi out of his own head verbally, so he prepared to say the softest thing he could so as to not scare the Warrior of Darkness. "How are you feeling, Koichi?"
Sure enough, Koichi jumped at the sound of Haroi's voice, and he slowly turned to face the Warrior of Cosmos. It didn’t matter how many preventative measures Haroi took; Koichi was always going to be frightened by his arrival. "Haroi," Koichi breathed. "I didn't realize you were there. I didn't mean to ignore you."
"That's alright. I haven't been here long," Haroi assured Koichi with a shake of his head. "I was hoping to talk to you for a minute, if that's alright. I know you've been going through a lot, and I thought you might appreciate being able to talk to someone about everything."
Koichi hesitated for a long moment, clearly weighing the blessings and banes of sharing what he was thinking about, before he nodded. "I... Alright," he eventually agreed. He walked over to a nearby bench that offered a fine look at the edge of the island between the peaks of the nearby buildings, and Haroi gladly followed him. Once Koichi was comfortable, Haroi stepped out of his wheelchair and locked it in place before taking a seat next to the Warrior of Darkness.
Haroi let out a small sigh once he was stable on the bench. "You've been awfully quiet recently," he said gently. It was hardly the best way to start a conversation like this, but it was something, and Haroi was willing to take it. "Is this about the Warriors of Void?"
Koichi nodded. "I... I finally told my mom everything that I've been going through," he confessed. "It was back when we got back home after the mass invasion and the fight against Alastomon. I couldn't just bottle it up anymore, so I finally told her, and... She accepted me."
"That's great to hear," Haroi smiled. "But I somehow doubt that's what you're worried about now. You wouldn't be this tense if you had resolved everything when you spoke to her after getting home."
Koichi bit down on his bottom lip, only retreating when he knew he was about to spill blood in his thoughtlessness. "I... I'm worried," he admitted. "I know I don't need to keep secrets anymore now that I've told everyone about the Warriors of Void still living on inside of me. I'm fine. Everything is fine. But... I don't know. I'm still scared one of them is going to do something to hurt the rest of you. I know how much damage Duskmon did back when we were all being possessed by Cherubimon, and I... I'm scared."
"You don't need to be nervous about that anymore," Haroi assured him. "All of us are here for you now, and if you need help working through something, we're happy to ease you through it. That's been the case for as long as we've been together."
"I know that, but... You never know when something bad could happen, and as long as Dusk still exists, it feels like I'm just asking to end up hurting the people I love. It doesn’t feel right that all of you are just okay with me being here. Duskmon did so much to hurt everyone in our group, and I know that. I'm not going to claim it's all in the past when I know it's not that simple," Koichi insisted. "What if something happens and everything goes back to the way it was before? I don't want to hurt anyone. I've had enough of that. But as long as Dusk still exists... It's always possible, and I'm scared of that."
Haroi paused for a long moment, letting the heaviness of the silence rush in to cradle both him and Koichi. Eventually, Haroi allowed himself to nod. "You know, Koichi... You and I have a lot more in common than you'd expect," he began. Sure enough, Koichi tilted his head in muted confusion, prompting Haroi to continue. "For a long time, I wanted to isolate myself from others because of my issues too. I was scared of my disability dragging them down. That was the only truth I felt comfortable believing in. In my mind, my father left because of me, and even though the truth is not that simple... That thought still kept creeping into my head. I was afraid of connecting with others because I didn't want to hurt them. There were people who treated me horribly too, but... I know I let that fear hold me back from actually reaching out and connecting with the people who would one day love me."
"But that wasn't your fault," Koichi argued. "I was aware of what I was doing while I was working for Cherubimon, and I hurt so many people while under his command."
"You were possessed, Koichi," Haroi reminded him. "That's not a matter of you choosing what you do, and I know for a fact you didn't want to hurt the rest of us. You wouldn't be here if you wanted us to suffer. There's nothing you can say or do to convince me otherwise."
Koichi tried to come up with a retort, but when nothing came to mind, Haroi decided to continue with what he had been saying before. "Biastamon helped me to realize that I deserve love regardless of the ways I've been treated in the past. There are some people who are set up to fail from the start, but that doesn't mean they're unworthy of care. In fact, those are the ones who need love more than anyone else. Right now, Beast Digimon are being set up to be hated, and it's not right. In the same vein, it's not right that we were set up to fail and hate ourselves by a world that never wanted to have compassion for us. I wish it was easy to change the world, but... We can still try to change our views of ourselves. It's not easy since there's so much working against us, but we can still take care of ourselves. In a way, that's its own act of rebellion."
"But I—" Koichi tried to say.
Haroi shook his head. "Whether people like it or not, I'm only myself as long as I have my disability. I can't just escape it. I'm not just my disability, but I'm not Haroi without it. That's what I've learned over the last few months. The Digital World complicated my feelings towards it, but I'm feeling better now. My disability shouldn't be treated like something to get rid of. Whether I like it or not, it's a part of me, and I need to make peace with every part of myself if I really want to be happy. I'm not going to say it's easy when it's never going to be, but... It's still important. It took me a long time to be happy with myself in a world that has given me so few chances, and... I'm finally confident enough to say I deserve better than what I was given in the past."
Koichi went quiet for a long time at that before he nodded. "My mother suggested that I try to talk to the others," he murmured. "She said maybe it would be best if I tried to establish a connection so we can understand each other."
"Do you want to do that?" Haroi questioned slowly.
Koichi thought about it, and he stared down at the concrete in front of the bench as a few leaves blew by. "I... I don't know," he confessed. "It could help me a lot, but at the same time... I'm afraid of what I'm going to end up getting myself into. Something bad could happen if I end up digging too deep."
"None of us ever got anywhere by playing it safe," Haroi pointed out. "If we hadn't taken a step into the unfamiliar, we would have never come here in the first place. We would have never learned to control our Beast Spirits. We would have never saved the Digital World."
Koichi sighed, trying to find the words but falling short each time. Haroi placed a gentle hand over his as he continued to speak. "When you were Duskmon... You were hurting a lot. That was the reason Cherubimon was able to assert his power over you in the first place. You were suffering, and you didn't have a healthy outlet for it since Cherubimon was controlling you. Maybe Dusk, Velge, and Malkako are hurting now too. You took the form of the Warriors of Void since you were in a constant cycle of pain you couldn't escape. They started as manifestations of your pain, and... They could be hurting now too."
"So... You really think that me talking to them will make all of this easier?" Koichi questioned.
"We can't say for sure until you try it," Haroi replied in the place of an answer. "Sometimes, you need to be willing to take a chance in order to make a change in your life, and I believe now is the perfect time for you to try and break through your comfort zone. There's a lot of beauty to be found in this world as long as you're willing to grab it for yourself, and I think trying to reach out to the Warriors of Void is a great place to start."
Koichi closed his eyes in muted thought before he nodded. "I... I think I want to try," he murmured. "I have no idea if it will work that easily, but... If you're right about me needing to accept every part of myself in order to be happy, then that includes the three of them too. I can't go on like this. I haven't been able to Spirit Evolve any higher than a basic Human Spirit in ages, and if we're going to win against Alastomon, I need to fix that as soon as possible."
"I don't want you to make this choice solely because of that," Haroi amended. "This should be a decision you make for yourself above all else. The rest of us can fill in any gaps if you find that you don't want to do this. I know you need to push your comfort zone in order to make any progress in life, but I'm not going to make you do anything you really decide you're not ready for."
"No... I have to do this," Koichi said firmly. "I'm tired of letting my fear control me. As soon as I can, I'm going to try and reach out to Dusk, Velge, and Malkako. I don't know if they're even going to want to listen to me after everything that has happened, but I have to at least try. The Digital World needs us to make this right, and I need it too."
"I'll be here for you every step of the way. All of us will," Haroi assured him. He squeezed his fingers a bit tighter around Koichi's hand. "All you need to do is say that you're struggling, and we'll all be there as soon as possible. I know you've felt alone in the past, but that's not the truth of your life anymore. I promise."
Koichi nodded to himself, and he offered Haroi a weak smile as he took the Warrior of Cosmos' hand in his readily. "Thank you for talking to me, Haroi," Koichi told him. "It means a lot to me. I'm going to try and make this right. I don't know if they'll be willing to listen to me after everything that happened, but... I have to try."
"You can at least put in the effort. How it ends is up to them, but as long as you're all trying, I believe you can make this right," Haroi smiled. "If you end up needing someone to lean on along the way, know that you can always come to me. I'll be here for you no matter what, and I know the others will be too."
"I'm going to remember that. I've kept enough secrets recently, and I've had enough of it," Koichi murmured. He squeezed Haroi's hand a bit tighter. "I hope you're right about this being the solution I've been searching for. I need to fix this for everyone's sake, and the sooner I can, the better off everyone will be."
"You can do this, Koichi," Haroi assured him. "I know you can."
Koichi swallowed back his nerves and offered Haroi another shaky grin. "I hope you're right."
~~~~~
"Alright... That should be about everything you need to know."
Mayumi had sat down with Wanyamon in the midst of the Inaie city square, cradling at the baby Digimon with her hands as she explained her tale to him. It had taken her a while to get through everything, but she was happy to have been able to share it all. Much to her surprise, the words coming out of her mouth helped to soothe her nerves and keep her grounded. She had needed this just as much as Wanyamon.
She still couldn't believe he was really there. Mayumi knew realistically this was Biastamon's reincarnation, and she could feel the power rushing through his body to prove it. She felt perfectly comfortable with Wanyamon just to act as extra proof that he was the one she had sought. Mayumi felt bad about having claimed the memory transfer was impossible before Haroi could even try it. Now, she was seeing just how foolish she had been to believe the idea of impossibility would bend to her thoughts of how the world worked. She was fine with this outcome, of course, but she wished she had held a bit more faith in her brother.
Wanyamon offered Mayumi a small smile. "I didn't realize I left that much of an impact on you," he confessed. "You say I was the reason you were able to reach the Resplendent level... I'm glad I was able to help you in that respect, though I don't know if I'll ever be able to live up to that idea you have of me."
"Don't say that," Mayumi told him with a shake of her head. "I only managed to make it this far because of you, and I'm not going to forget what you did for me. You're a great person, and you're the reason all of us are here. I just... I wish we had been able to look after you."
"You don't need to feel guilty for how everything ended," Wanyamon frowned. "You had no way of knowing what Alastomon was planning. I wish I had seen the truth sooner... And I wish I could have shown the world every horrible thing he did before he stabbed us all in the back."
"You can't hold that above your own head," Mayumi reminded him. "You figured it out at the same point as the rest of us, and you couldn't have learned the truth before that. I'm just glad you're here now."
"And I intend to make this right," Wanyamon pressed. "I knew there was something strange with Alastomon long before he betrayed everyone. I simply thought I was paranoid, but... Now, I wish I had said something. I was hardly prone to bouts of paranoia, and the one time my instincts were trying to tell me something, I failed to listen until I had already been killed."
"You're not the one to blame for that though," Mayumi insisted. "Alastomon was the one who killed you, and he's going to pay for it. We're going to stop him and make sure the Digital World is kept safe. He has done enough damage already, and I'm not going to let him get away with it."
"Be careful with this, Mayumi," Wanyamon cautioned her. "I understand you want to get your revenge on him, but it's a dangerous path to go down. I'm here now, and that's what matters most. Wouldn't you agree?"
"It's not about revenge anymore," Mayumi assured him. "Instead, it's more about saving the Digital World. The entire planet is in danger because of him, and he doesn't care what he's doing to hurt people. I know what it's like to be pushed aside and judged for the sake of something you can't control, and he... He doesn't care at all about who he hurts. As long as he can have what he wants, he's content to leave others to die."
"He wants to tear the Digital World apart because he believes it to be doomed... It's horrible," Wanyamon agreed. He looked wistfully past Mayumi at the rest of Inaie as it stood around her. "So many people have given their blood, sweat, and tears for the sake of making this realm a better place. Inaie is the product of so many people's love, and we can't let anything bad happen to it."
"You fought for the sake of making the Digital World a better place, and none of us are going to let that go to waste. Alastomon isn't going to get away with hurting anyone as long as we're around here to stop him," Mayumi grinned darkly. "He may think this world is doomed, but there's still hope to be found for everyone. Inaie is proof of just how much a place can thrive when the people all work to make the world better. The Moon Base thrives because the people there help one another. Even if the world is full of war and horror, there is light to be found, and we're going to prove it."
"I see you and Wanyamon are having a lively discussion."
The sound of Haroi's voice pulled Mayumi out of her conversation, and she smiled as she turned to face her brother. Haroi had wheeled over, and a tired smile was pressed across his features. Mayumi waved, and Wanyamon let his tail swish back and forth in greeting. "What are you doing here?" Mayumi questioned. "I thought you were planning on going back to get some rest."
"I was, but I wound up getting a bit distracted," Haroi replied. "Koichi needed someone to talk to, and now that I'm finished speaking with him... I want to go and talk to Darcmon and Hippogriffomon, assuming the two of you haven't already shared the exciting news with them. I know they're going to want to hear that Wanyamon is alright after I promised them that I would return his memories to him."
"Alright," Mayumi agreed with a nod. "But you had better go and get some rest right after we talk to Darcmon and Hippogriffomon, alright? I'd rather you not end up falling asleep in your wheelchair, especially when we don't know when the next attack is going to take place."
Haroi nodded before he started off to find Darcmon and Hippogriffomon. He was already confident he knew where they were based off his previous discussion with them. If they needed time to think through everything that had happened recently, then they were no doubt out at the edge of the island, and Haroi was more than happy to meet them there.
Sure enough, the two leaders of Inaie stood together at the boundary of the island, filling their time by watching the way the sand beneath the island churned as Inaie passed over it. Hippogriffomon was the first one to realize they had company, and she turned to face the new arrivals. Darcmon followed suit, and Haroi waved with a tired but easy smile.
Mayumi was holding Wanyamon tightly against her chest, so she couldn't wave quite as easily, but she approached the pair regardless. "I'm glad we were able to find you," she smiled. "There's someone I think you should meet."
Darcmon's eyes fell on Wanyamon immediately, and her eyes went wide. "Hold on a moment... Is that...?"
"Biastamon?" Haroi finished for her. "Yes, it is. Well, it's his reincarnation, though I'm sure that much is obvious. I don't think any of us ever saw Biastamon when he was quite this small."
"Hello again, Darcmon. You too, Hippogriffomon," Wanyamon said with a grin. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
Darcmon and Hippogriffomon shared a shocked glance before they darted over to greet the small Digimon. "But... How?" Darcmon whispered. She offered her hand for Wanyamon to sniff at it, but he did no such thing, instead just nuzzling his cheek against her palm. Darcmon gladly accepted the gesture, a light smile spreading across her features along the way.
"I was able to figure out the secret to ensuring baby Digimon remember their past lives," Haroi smiled. "I told you I would find a way to give him his memories back, and I did. As it turns out, the person holding onto the memories just needs an emotional connection with the Digimon in question, and as long you try to reach out for one another... The memories will be able to jump from the person holding them to the one who had them before."
"I can't believe it..." Darcmon murmured. She accepted Wanyamon into her grasp as Mayumi shifted so the small Digimon was left in Darcmon's arms. The leader of Inaie smiled as she brushed her fingertips across Wanyamon's head in the softest, gentlest gesture Haroi had ever seen her carry out. "I never thought this would even be possible, much less..."
"Nothing is impossible as long as you're determined to make it a reality," Biastamon told her. "And we have Haroi to thank for all of this being proven. I doubt we would have ever come close to understanding this if he hadn't insisted it was possible."
"Thank you," Hippogriffomon declared as she turned her attention to Haroi. "I don't think we could ever say enough just how grateful we are to you... This is an incredible development, and I have no doubt everyone will be taking advantage of this for generations to come."
"And we'll be enjoying it for as long as we're alive too," Darcmon chimed in as she finally looked up to Mayumi and Haroi after focusing her gaze on Wanyamon. "Thank you for everything... Both of you. This means the world to us."
Wanyamon glanced up to Darcmon before nodding to Mayumi and Haroi, though the motion was somewhat awkward on account of nearly his entire body consisting of his head. "You two should go and get some rest. I imagine you have a long road ahead of yourselves if you wish to stop Alastomon, and I don't want to get in the middle of that," he told them. "I'm sure Darcmon and Hippogriffomon would be alright with looking after me in the meantime."
"We'll make sure he's safe," Darcmon confirmed with a nod. "We'll keep him here on Inaie until Alastomon has been defeated. I don't think it would be a good idea for the rest of the world to hear Biastamon is alright at the moment anyway. There's too much going on, and Alastomon is only going to target Inaie even more if he learns we're keeping Biastamon safe here."
"Then it'll be our secret," Mayumi agreed. "We're counting on you to look after him... Though I don't think we'll have any issues with that."
"All will be well from now on... I can feel it," Hippogriffomon smiled. She glanced over to Wanyamon where the small blue Digimon was curling up against Darcmon's chest, and the leader of Inaie looked as if she was on the verge of tears as she held him as closely as she could.
Haroi smiled back, and his heart filled with a warmth he hadn't felt since before the mass invasion of Earth. "I think so too."
~~~~~
"I guess we'll be splitting up again, huh?"
Saki was sitting in front of their laptop in the meeting hall of Inaie, and the rest of the group they had met with earlier was gathered around them. Junpei was on the screen, and he was the one who had spoken. His eyes were downcast and dark, not that Chihiro had expected anything else. If anything, that was the proper way to respond to all of this.
Saki had been listening for more rumors about the next moves Alastomon's army would be making, and a few informants across the Digital World had finally gotten back to them. Apparently, one of Alastomon's generals was set to be heading to Rubrum soon, and the fourth of the bunch was still unaccounted for. That left only two potential outcomes in Saki's mind, and they had been quick to put them to words, especially after receiving a message from Junpei.
The final general of the quartet was bound to either launch an attack on Inaie or Earth next as far as Saki could tell. Inaie was a place that cared greatly for Beast and Human Digimon, and that was bound to be seen as a threat to Alastomon. In fact, it already had been seen as a threat, and that was the reason the group was there in the first place. Inaie was difficult to track on account of always being on the move though, and since Alastomon had no spies there, he would have an even harder time with finding it. Biastamon had tracked it for him before, but with Biastamon gone now, Alastomon was going to have to do the hard work for himself this time. Hopefully, that would slow him down enough for the Inaie group to prepare for any fight that could have broken out on the island.
Earth, on the other hand, had an important role to play in all of this, especially given the information that Alastomon had an accomplice there on the other planet. Alastomon was trying to turn the people of Earth against the Beast Digimon for the sake of carrying out his genocide, and that meant he would need ammunition and hatred on his side. Attacking on the heels of the recent invasion would only increase the animosity there, and as long as the Legendary Warriors were forced to be split up to contend with his generals, Earth would be an easy target. Its size made it difficult to defend on top of everything else.
And as soon as Saki came to that conclusion, they were met with a call from Junpei on Earth, and that was the best timing any of them could have asked for. Saki explained the plan to Junpei from there, and he was left nodding along before asking his question of the hour. They would need to divide their forces once again to handle this new threat along with the consistent danger Inaie had to contend with due to its very existence.
"Well, it's not going to influence you at all," Saki replied to Junpei. "You, Takuya, and Yumiko are going to stay on guard on Earth. Everyone who went out for missions today is going to need time to recuperate before they go out to try and fight again. I'm going to take Chihiro and Koichi with me to Rubrum, and we'll handle things there. After the others have been given a break, we can reevaluate where we want everyone. How does that sound?"
Junpei nodded. "The three of us will do everything we can to keep Earth safe," he assured them. "Though we've had a few issues keeping in touch with Takuya. I don't know what's going on with him, but he hasn't been replying as quickly as we would have liked."
Saki thought about that for a moment before sighing. "Try to reach out to him again, and if it's really an issue, then you can track his D-Tector and make sure he listens to you that way. For now, I need to grab Koichi so we can go. I don't know what Alastomon is going to have his general do since Rubrum is empty, but I'd rather not wait and find out."
"We'll keep you up to date with anything else that happens here," Junpei told everyone. "Be careful out there, alright? I don't want anything bad to happen if we can at all avoid it."
"We'll be fine," Miriamon assured him with a shake of her head. "We know how to handle ourselves, and we won't let Alastomon get to us quite so easily. As soon as we're finished with everything here, we'll reach out to you and see what we want to do about the next step of our plan... Taking on Alastomon directly."
"We can handle that beast when we get to it," Chihiro said as they rose to their feet and stretched their arms above their head. "Right now, we should go and check out Rubrum to make sure Alastomon isn't trying to defile any religious sites for the sake of his own pride."
Miriamon sighed. "I wish I could say that wasn't happening," she murmured. "Unfortunately, you're right. Let's go find Koichi. If he isn't feeling up to coming, then we're going to need to find someone else to fill his spot."
"I'm going to try calling Takuya again. I'll get back to you later," Junpei chimed in from the other end of the call. "Good luck, everyone." With that, he pressed the button to end the conversation and the call, and the screen went dark.
As the call ended, Chihiro let their arms fall back to their sides. Saki turned off the computer before pushing away from the table and rising to their feet. "Back to the nightmare we go," Chihiro remarked.
Saki let out a humorless laugh. "I really wish that was an exaggeration. I really do."
~~~~~
Takuya just wanted to understand.
This was the third time he had gone off on a walk through Shibuya since he had been sent back to Earth with Junpei and Yumiko, and he had to wonder if he was ever going to be able to force himself to stay home for longer than an hour again. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about Resplendent Evolution in all this time, and letting his mind wander seemed to be the worst decision he could have ever made. Still, he had already started down this rabbit hole, and he wasn't going to be able to snap out of it yet.
Takuya had thought through it at least a dozen times by now, but he still couldn't figure out what the common thread was between all of the Resplendent Evolutions. It was sparked by some emotional shift in the person who evolved, but Takuya knew there had to be more to it than that. If it was that simple, then all of them would have discovered their Resplendent forms back when they were first in the Digital World. If it had taken this long for them to realize this existed at all, then there had to be a lot more to it than they could see at a first glance.
Above all else, Takuya wished he could reach the Resplendent level too. His friends needed someone to rely on, and he wanted so badly to be that pillar for them. What kind of leader was he if he was letting something like this get in the way of him helping the people he cared about? They needed the extra power his Resplendent Evolution could provide, and the fact that he couldn't give it so easily was eating him alive. Takuya didn't know what he was doing wrong. There had to be something that would explain why he was stuck without it, but what in the world was the secret? Why couldn't he figure it out?
Takuya's vision was starting to go dark at the corners, but he barely noticed it at all. Instead, he just wondered more how in the world he was meant to save anyone if he couldn't figure out what was going through his own head. How could he help the people he cared about when he couldn't reach the Resplendent level? Everyone else made it look so effortless, so what was he doing wrong? What in the world was his problem? Why couldn't he just make this work?!
A buzzing sensation from his pocket cut Takuya off, and the darkness in his vision started to subside before fading away. He pulled his phone out and saw Junpei was trying to call him. Takuya blinked a few times to try and fully ground himself after he had gotten lost in his own thoughts, but he didn't get far.
Instead, a sudden rushing current overhead pulled Takuya's attention away from his phone. He glanced up and saw the silhouette of something he already knew was a Digimon streaking through the sky. Takuya sighed and shook his head. He could already guess what Junpei was trying to tell him, and he didn't see the point in wasting time by picking up the phone. If there were Digimon attacking Earth, then he needed to get on it as soon as possible.
So instead of pressing the button to accept the call, Takuya reached for his D-Tector and dashed off into a nearby alleyway where he was sure he wouldn't be seen. Once Takuya was sure he was out of view, he pressed the activation button. Three rings of data appeared around his fingers, and as Takuya slashed the Fractal Code across the scanner of the device, his vision grew dark at the corners once again. The familiar glow of evolution was enough to fight it off, at least for a short while, but when Aldamon replaced Takuya, the darkness began to creep in at his periphery once again.
But he didn't have time to be distracted with minor illusions in the corners of his vision. Earth was in danger, and Aldamon would do everything he could to help save it. He was at a massive disadvantage compared to his friends, but he couldn't let that stop him. He would prove he was worthy enough to fight. He had to.
After all, how was either world supposed to survive if he failed?
Notes:
We're getting closer to the end than ever!
This chapter was a lot of fun for me, I must admit. I greatly enjoyed being able to write Haroi and Mayumi here, especially since this chapter acts as the end of the character arcs they started back when they first spoke with Biastamon in the midst of the attack in act three.
I really do love writing Mayumi and Haroi as a duo because of how well they bounce off one another. Since they're the pair with the closest relationship even before the story began, it bleeds through in every interaction they have. Their relationship with Biastamon only reinforces their existing dynamic while also showing off how much they relate with the Beast Digimon in general because of their histories. Their arcs are meant to be parallels of one another, and it comes through with the way Haroi got his Resplendent Evolution too.
Just because I love writing the two of them together doesn't mean they don't talk to anyone else though, and I had a blast with Haroi talking to Koichi in this chapter too. I've been planning this one for a long time since I thought Haroi was the perfect person to offer Koichi that added bit of guidance in the right direction. Koichi has been struggling with this one issue for the bulk of the story, and he really needs someone else from the group to point him toward the future so he's not quite as caught up in the past. Haroi felt like the perfect person to slide in there, and I've had this conversation in my back pocket for a long time. This chapter acting as downtime and the end of Haroi's character arc was the perfect place to slot it in, and we'll be able to see the outcome of it shortly.
Speaking of finishing off character arcs, we were able to see Darcmon and Hippogriffomon again in this chapter, and they're going to be looking after Wanyamon from here on out. I couldn't just throw a baby into the plot heavy fights we're going to be seeing in the future, and even though he has the memories of his past life, Wanyamon is still physically a baby and needs to be looked after. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are the perfect ones to fill that role in my eyes, and I'm glad to be able to give them a bit more depth here. It's times like these where I'm glad I changed their roles to be allies instead of enemies as they were in the enemy.
But times can't be peaceful forever, and the Legendary Warriors are facing yet another set of attacks going forward. Over the next few chapters, we're going to jump into the twin attacks on Rubrum and Earth while the others hang out on Inaie in preparation for Alastomon's next strike. Takuya saw the opening stages of the attack on Earth, but things aren't entirely right with him... I wonder what that's about. Well, I already know, but you all do not. You're going to have to wait a while to find out though since our next destination will be Rubrum. Sorry to any Takuya fans out there; we'll get back to him soon enough, I promise.
We're getting close to the end of act four now, and after that, we'll have the final battle in the form of act five. There are only seven chapters left... Wow. Granted, that will round out to 80,000 words total, but... We've come a long way. I hope you're all as excited as I am, because I can't wait.
Next week, we're going to follow Chihiro, Saki, Koichi, Lopmon, and Miriamon to Rubrum for the third battle against Alastomon's generals. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 54: Union of Shadow and Void
Summary:
Koichi, Saki, Chihiro, Lopmon, and Miriamon arrive on Rubrum in preparation for a fight, and Koichi has a long overdue conversation.
Chapter Text
Koichi let out a small sigh as he stepped out onto Rubrum, leaving Saki's rift behind in the process. The Warrior of Steel closed the portal behind him, and Chihiro, Lopmon, and Miriamon gathered around the pair as well. As soon as Saki tracked down Koichi and told him about their plan for the next few hours, they had set out for Rubrum. They needed to be ready for the inevitable next attack bound to take place on the third moon of the Digital World, and that meant arriving at their destination as soon as possible.
Miriamon took a small step away from the group and let out a heavy sigh that trembled slightly with exhaustion. "It's been a long time since I was last here," she murmured. "I never would have imagined I would be forced away from home for so long, but I suppose that's simply what fate had in store for me over the course of the last few weeks."
"The last few days have been a disaster for everyone on both sides of the portal," Chihiro agreed. "Ever since we heard the truth behind Lucemon's history, it feels like we've been in a massive earthquake, and the aftershocks still seem to find ways to hurt us now."
Miriamon nodded. "I wish I had never said anything to Alastomon after that... I know there wouldn't have been a way for me to know I needed to stay quiet, but it's still a shame I wasn't able to prevent all of this by never speaking with him in the first place," she murmured.
"You’re right. There's no point in blaming yourself when you had no way of knowing this was how it was going to end," Saki chimed in. "Besides, I'm confident Alastomon would have done something eventually regardless of what you wound up saying or doing with and around him. He was always planning on claiming the Digital World for himself. We just started the ripple effect a little bit sooner by having him hear the truth after you told us about your history with Lucemon."
"The best thing we can do now is try to stop Alastomon," Koichi declared. "Makuramon and Boltboutamon are the two generals left, and one of them is going to try and follow us here. I'm sure of it. We just have to find a way to be ready for it."
"We should spread out and see if they're already here," Chihiro suggested. They crouched down and pressed one hand against the rocks below before shaking their head. "I don't feel them here, but it's just a matter of time before they come by to try and destroy everything. Alastomon hardly seems like the type who would leave the temples here untouched."
"He's petty. If he can get back at you all for turning against him by destroying the monuments here, then he's going to do it," Lopmon agreed. "We should split up for now. You have your D-Tectors to keep in touch with one another even after we've gone our separate ways."
Koichi nodded as he reached for his own D-Tector. At this point, it might as well have just been a glorified phone for all the good it could do for him. As long as he couldn't Spirit Evolve reliably, communication was about all it could do to help him. Koichi needed to find a way to work out his issues with Dusk, Velge, and Malkako as soon as possible. He wanted to believe Haroi was right about this needing to be for him above all else rather than just being for the sake of other people, but Koichi knew there was more to it than that. He had to resolve this issue of his as soon as possible so he could actually help to fight against Alastomon. How much could he do if he couldn't even Spirit Evolve without thinking he was going to spiral out of control?
But Koichi didn't say any of this out loud. Instead, he just nodded to himself while looking down at his reflection in the screen of his D-Tector. "I'm going to head to the shrine of the Warrior of Darkness," he declared. "I think I need a little bit of time to think." He didn't bother to explain why he needed a few minutes to himself; the others already knew. He was one of only two members of the group at this point who hadn't reached the Resplendent level, and the best way Koichi could think of to fix that was to go and try to connect with his predecessor.
Nobody objected to his proposal, and with that, the five of them stepped away in different directions. Chihiro went off with Lopmon, but aside from that, everyone was alone... Or, at the very least, they would have all been alone if not for Miriamon setting her sights on Koichi and jogging slightly to catch up with him. He knew she was there before he even turned to face her. Even so, Miriamon broke the silence between them quickly. "How are you doing?" she asked softly, not wanting to disturb the others even though they were well out of earshot already.
Koichi thought about it for a long moment before he allowed himself to nod slightly. "I feel better," he confessed. "I was able to talk through everything with my mother, and that helped me a lot. Still, I... I don't know what I'm going to do about this."
"Why don't you try and go through all the potential paths you could take with me? I would be happy to talk through it with you," Miriamon offered with a small smile. Koichi looked over to face her and saw everything about her was so overwhelmingly genuine that he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this hidden for long. It was such a stark contrast from what Koichi had gotten used to seeing from her when they first met. Back then, Miriamon was hiding just as much as him, but all of that had melted away when she finally shared the truth of her past with Lucemon.
Koichi wanted to be that genuine more than anything, if he was being honest. He hated having to hide so much. He had been playing this game for long enough to know that he was sick of it, and the best way to work through his fears was to put them to words whether he thought he was ready for it or not. With that in mind, he took in another grounding breath before forcing himself to reply. "I... I think I'm going to try and reach out to them," he began. "The Warriors of Void, I mean."
Miriamon's eyes went wide at that, though Koichi couldn't say he was surprised by that response. "What made you start considering that?" she asked. "Before, you seemed so firm about hiding from them."
"I talked to Haroi about it before we left. He told me that I need to learn to accept even the darkest parts of myself if I am to find happiness, and... I think he's right," Koichi confessed. "I can't just bottle up everything and expect to still feel okay. I'm terrified of doing this, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But... If I want to really make peace with myself and them, then I have to try and actually reach out to them. Whether I like it or not, they're here to stay, and I have to try and make this right one way or another."
"I'm glad to hear you were able to figure out what you need to do next," Miriamon smiled gently. "It couldn't have been easy to realize this was what you needed to try. I know how resistant you've been to reaching out to them all this time, and... It's not easy to break through that uncertainty."
"You can say that again," Koichi agreed with a shaky laugh. "I'm afraid of what I'm going to find, but I can't just run away from this forever. If I want to make this right, then I owe it to myself and them to try."
"So you're going to the shrine to try and talk to them," Miriamon concluded, and Koichi nodded. She smiled and placed one hand on his shoulder, though she didn't squeeze tightly in case he decided he didn't want to be touched. "I know you'll do the right thing. And... If you need anyone to talk to, all you need to do is come and find me. I'll wait out here if you'd like."
Koichi thought about it before shaking his head. "I think it would be best if you helped the others to search for Makuramon and Boltboutamon. Besides, they could use the extra fighting power if one of them shows up," he pointed out. Miriamon went to protest, but he held up his hand to silence her. "I know you're worried about me, but... I'll be fine. I want you to go and help Chihiro and Saki. Besides, someone will need to look after Lopmon and keep him safe when the next battle inevitably breaks out."
Miriamon considered his words for a long moment before realizing he had a point. With that, she nodded. "Stay safe, alright?" she told him. "And if you need anything—"
"I know you're all happy to help," Koichi finished for her as he raised a hand to silence her. "I'll be fine. I promise. Go help the others."
Miriamon offered Koichi a fleeting smile before she turned to walk away, her blonde hair swaying gently in her wake. Koichi watched her go for a few seconds, his smile melting away. He couldn't hold this off any longer than he already had. He needed to speak with the other pieces of himself, the other souls in his mind. It had taken him ages to even realize this was what was necessary, and he had to start reaching out eventually. For the sake of both worlds, he needed to take the plunge. He owed that much to himself and every other person he had hurt... Including Dusk, Velge, and Malkako.
Koichi walked into the shrine carefully, not realizing just how slow he was taking all of this until he heard his footsteps echo throughout the interior of the temple. He held back a wince but shook it off as he made his way over to the statues of the Warrior of Darkness that he had come to know so well during his first visit to the shrine. Back then, Koichi had been wondering what was wrong with him, and AncientSphinxmon had been the one to offer him some degree of understanding and clarity. Koichi's life had changed completely when he was last in the shrine, and he wasn't looking forward to repeating that pattern.
Still, he hoped that this time it would be a change for the better. Fear had never gotten Koichi anywhere during his first trip to the Digital World, and he knew the same was true this time as well. He needed to stay focused on the path ahead. Beyond that, he needed to finally make a difference in his life. He had been struggling and suffocating for long enough, but the streak had to end eventually, and if all went well, this would finally be the day the change took hold.
With that in mind, Koichi swallowed back his nerves and sat down on the ground in between the statues of AncientSphinxmon's various evolutionary forms. He recognized Lowemon, Umbramon, Rhihimon, and AncientSphinxmon as the pieces of himself that they were, but there was more to it than that. They may have been pieces of Koichi, but they were far from the only ones, and he needed to try and reach out to the others. Haroi was right; if Koichi wanted to truly find satisfaction with himself and his life, he would need to accept every part of himself no matter how ugly or unsightly he found it to be.
Koichi took in one last breath, and he closed his eyes.
~~~~~
When Koichi next came to focus on the world around him, he was no longer in the shrine... No, that wasn't entirely true. His body was still there in the temple sitting among the statues of his history and future, but his mind had retreated into itself. The world inside of his head resembled his element perfectly, and there he stood in the center of it all. He was in a dark void, the epitome of the element of Darkness...
But more than that, he was in the home of the element of Void.
It wasn't as if Void was a true element to be considered in regards to the Legendary Warriors. After all, there had been no Warrior under that title back when the world was in desperate need of saving from Lucemon's tyranny. Still, that was the name that Koichi had come to know for Duskmon, Velgemon, and Malkakomon since he was first possessed by Cherubimon so long ago, and he couldn't ignore that fact. As long as he was a Legendary Warrior, they were as well in some strange way. He had denied it for long enough, but no longer.
At first, there was no one there, but Koichi could feel the eyes of the others following his every move. They were shocked to see him in the void willingly, and they were waiting to see what he would do first. Koichi was halfway tempted to wait for them, but he knew he would lose his nerve if he gave himself the time to decompress before calling out for companionship. With that in mind, he cupped his hands around his mouth, not that he needed to bother. They would be able to hear him no matter what he said or did. "Hello?"
Lowe was the first one to appear, and Rhihi followed suit soon afterward. Umbra was a bit slower to come forward, but he arrived soon afterward nonetheless. Koichi blinked a few times once all three of them had made themselves known. It had been a long time since he last tried to contact any of the Warriors of Darkness either. His fear of the Warriors of Void had kept him from trying to reach out to those who he had expected to be there. They didn't seem upset by his presence at all though. Instead, Lowe took another step out of the darkness that had previously hidden them from view. "Hello, Koichi," he greeted kindly.
Koichi returned the favor with a wave of his own, his smile frail and shaky all the while. He cleared his throat before looking around the rest of the void, waiting for the others to make themselves known. When they did not come forward, he frowned, knowing he would have to take matters into his own hands. "Dusk?" he started. "I want to talk to you too... All four of you."
The atmosphere in the darkness shifted ever so slightly, and Koichi could feel Umbra tense up from what he could only assume was fear of some sort. Beyond that, the eyes following Koichi's every move seemed to transform into something curious. Dusk, Velge, and Malkako hadn't expected Koichi to ask for the three of them to show themselves, and they didn't know how to respond to him asking for their presences. Erocia was silent too, his churning skin the only movement in their mind.
After a few seconds passed in heavy silence, Koichi swallowed back the rest of his nerves and spoke once more. "I want to talk to you," he continued. "I... I understand if you want nothing to do with me. I wouldn’t blame you for that. But... I want to at least try to make this right."
The silence returned again after Koichi fell silent, and just when he was about to give up, the darkness began to distort. Dusk was the first to appear, and Velge and Malkako followed on his heels soon afterward. The Human Spirit of Void was perfectly silent for a long time, shifting his gaze down to Koichi but otherwise not daring to move a muscle. "I'm shocked you wanted to talk to us," he confessed, though his voice was edged with something snarky. "I was under the impression you thought we were nothing more than a burden or a problem."
Koichi bit his bottom lip for a long moment, trying to come up with a meaningful response but realizing there was nothing he could really say to that. Instead, he took in a careful breath and pushed it out. "I wanted to talk," he began. "And more importantly... I wanted to apologize."
The air went stiff at that, and Malkako froze from where he stood nearby. Koichi stared down at the ground in front of his feet, ignoring the way his anxious tears were already starting to blur his vision. He forced air in and out of his lungs, somehow knowing his body was breathless without needing to check in directly, before he went on. "I'm sorry for pushing all of you away for so long. I was afraid, but that's no excuse to go so far and hurt you so much. I know I hurt you, and I'm not going to deny that. But... I want to try and make it right if I can. If you're willing to give me a chance... I want to fix this."
Dusk let out a loose snort at that. "You want to fix this?" he echoed. "You could have said something like that before you decided all of us were nothing but burdens and problems. You could have changed your mind before you made our lives miserable. You could have told us how you were feeling before you pushed us away."
"I know I was wrong," Koichi told him quickly. "It took me a long time to realize the truth, but... I see it now. I know all of you are hurting too, and it's not right for me to ignore that just because I'm scared. You've been through the same things I have both before and after our time in the Digital World. It makes sense that you would hold onto a lot of awful things. You have feelings too, and I know I've hurt them by pushing you aside so deliberately. But... I want to fix it now. If you're ready... I want to hear what you have to say about all of this. We've been through a lot together, and I want to know how you feel about it."
Dusk went quiet for a long time at that, and he looked away from Koichi to instead stare at the floor below. He let out a loose snort, and while most would have assumed that was a sign of hatred, Koichi knew better than to believe it was that simple a symbol of resentment. Somehow, this was a symbol of progress. Koichi could feel it. He didn't know if Dusk would follow him to the end of this path, but Koichi was giving him the space he needed, and that may have just been enough to make all of this right.
Dusk finally spoke with a thin sigh, though he still refused to look up at Koichi directly. "I hate him," he began. "Our father... I despise him. He tore us all apart for the sake of his convenience. He may have been able to just go on like we didn't exist, but we didn't have that option. We couldn't just escape the consequences of our actions. We had to sit there and live with his mistakes because there was no way for us to run from that."
Koichi nodded. He couldn't say he was surprised to hear Dusk was angry with Kousei for the way he had treated them in the past. That had been the main issue pushing Dusk ever forward when he was possessed by Cherubimon. When they stood there, face to face, Koichi could see just how easily Dusk had been pushed over the edge by Cherubimon's words. Cherubimon had drawn this rage to the surface, but he had not created it; this anger and hatred had always been there for all of them. They had suffered greatly under the actions of their father and the rest of the world, and they could not pretend that had not been the case.
Velge let out a screeching sound, and Koichi flinched, but he didn't cover his ears. Instead, he simply watched as the mighty form of Velge crumpled to the ground of the void, his wings spread out in a massive expanse of muted feathers. Upon closer examination, Koichi realized the screech wasn't meant to be a scream at all; it was a cry, and Velge began to sob quietly once he was fully stretched out on the floor. "I... I want safety..." Velge whispered, his voice so fragile it felt like a punch to the stomach just to hear it.
"Why is it that we have never been allowed to feel hurt by what he did?" Malkako questioned as he looked up to the darkness overhead. "Why is it that we need to hide our emotions for the sake of not inconveniencing others? Maybe I want to scream. Maybe I want to punch something. Maybe I want to make that man miserable for every second of my life until he knows what he put us through."
Lowe swallowed dryly as he took a step forward. "I wished we had been given the chance to reconcile with ourselves," he confessed. "Despite it all, there's a part of me that still wants to be loved by him."
"It's hard not to want that," Umbra confessed. "We've seen the harm not having him around has done, and yet... We can't help thinking it might be fixed if everything somehow reverts to the way it was when we were young."
"It's funny, isn't it?" Dusk scoffed. "We don't even remember what it was like to have a father around, but we want it anyway. That's what he has done to us, and he's never going to even see the depth of the blow he dealt."
"I never thought about it like this, but..." Rhihi started, and Koichi glanced over in his direction slowly, all too aware of the pounding of his own heart in his chest. "We never truly got the chance to grieve that which was taken from us, did we?"
Koichi opened his mouth to reply, but before he could force the words out, he found that nothing could properly explain how he felt about this. They were right. All of them were. Koichi had been hiding his emotions for years so he wouldn't inconvenience or burden anyone, but it was just a matter of time before that started to tear him apart as well. Even if he was able to maintain the mask of normalcy, the others within his mind couldn't be asked to do the same. They held onto all the pain he refused to voice, and they wanted to finally be free after all these years of shame and silence.
"It hurts..." Velge's voice came out as a weak wheeze, and he remained mostly motionless on the ground of the void. His chest rose and fell with the promise of rasping breaths, but that did little to soothe Koichi's fears as to what he was going through.
"As easy as it is to pretend everything is fine, that's sometimes not the case," Rhihi went on. "And we've been pretending for a long time... I have to wonder just how much we've lost because we were too afraid to tell others about what we were going through."
Koichi looked down to Velge and took a small step toward the bird. "I... I was afraid," he admitted. "I was terrified of hurting other people, so I just let that pain bottle up until it exploded. That was how Cherubimon was able to take advantage of me... Of all of us. It was so easy for him to finally make everything boil over because we hadn't ever looked after that agony before we could be pushed so far over the edge."
"I've had enough of pretending everything is fine," Dusk declared with a heavy sigh. "I'm sick and tired of acting like the world is perfect when we know just how much it can hurt. We've pretended for the sake of others for too long, and we don't need to do that anymore."
"You're right," Koichi confirmed. "And I don't need to hide any of you from the world anymore. In pushing you away, I suppose I was trying to push away all of the pain I had bottled up over the years... But I'm not going to make that mistake again. This is where it all ends."
Koichi fell to his knees beside Velge's head, and the bird looked up at him with his many eyes. For a brief flicker of a moment, Velge almost seemed afraid, but Koichi was quick to put those fears to rest. Instead, he gently eased Velge's head onto his lap before running his fingers through the feathers. Velge's breathing slowly but surely evened out from there, like all he had really needed all this time was a small note of comfort to prove he wasn't alone.
The others in the darkness went still with Koichi's gesture, and they simply watched as he brushed out all the irregularities in Velge's feathers. Koichi smiled softly, ignoring the way tears threatened to spill over even within the domain of his own mind. "We all deserved better than we were given... But pretending everything is fine isn't going to fix our circumstances," he started. "We've been hurt, and that's okay to admit. The world has done a lot to hurt us, but we're still standing. We can still help one another, and from now on... I'm not going to keep any other secrets. I'm going to give myself the room to finally feel everything I bottled up, and that starts right now."
Koichi turned to look at Dusk with that, and he reached one hand out toward the Human Spirit of Void. For a long moment, all Dusk could do was stare down at him, and everyone waited with bated breath to see how he would respond. Koichi offered Dusk a soft smile of encouragement, but he didn't force the Human Spirit of Void to do anything he wasn't ready for. When he was ready though, Koichi would be there for him. They hadn't been taking care of each other as they should have been, but that was all about to change. They were there together now, and they would help each other after all their months of never doing so.
Dusk reached out slowly, and after what felt like an eternity, he finally allowed Koichi's fingers to slip between his own. He remained still for a long time after taking Koichi's hand, just testing the sensation of another set of fingers against his own, before he allowed himself to draw nearer to the human boy. Dusk slowly eased himself down to his knees, and when he did, he carefully wrapped his arms around Koichi's body.
Erocia let out a shaky sob before he sat down not far from Velge. He was curled over himself, but he was leaning against Velge too, enjoying the warmth that came with embrace another piece of his mind and body. Erocia said nothing, but as Velge began to relax, he began to curl up closer to the Beast Spirit of Void’s deep maroon feathers.
Malkako was the next one to move, and he sat down beside Velge near his wing. He started to stroke at the massive Beast Spirit's feathers as well, mirroring the same motion Koichi had found so comforting a few moments prior. "I'm tired," Malkako finally admitted after a few heavy seconds passed in the darkness.
Koichi nodded, his forehead still pressed against the cool steel of Dusk's shoulder plate. "I know," he murmured. "I am too." How could he not be exhausted? All of them had been tired for longer than they could ever hope to express in words. The world had made them miserable with no hope of reprieve, but they could still make their pocket of life as right for them as it could have been. They could still thrive on their own. All they had to do was reach out for one another and be willing to offer their support.
Lowe sunk down to his knees on Velge's other side, and he started to run his fingers through the deep mahogany feathers as well. "Hiding has never helped anyone," he murmured. "What we have always needed is the space to feel everything we were forced to suppress. We're safe with one another, and we deserve to enjoy that. It took us a long time to make it this far."
Umbra curled up not far from Lowe, nodding as he sunk down to the ground. "We don't need to be afraid of each other anymore," Umbra chimed in. "We stand here together, and we will continue to survive together as well. As long as we can lean on one another, we'll be fine."
Last but not least, Rhihi sat down on the ground near Malkako, and the two shared a long glance before Rhihi's face lightened with a smile. Even though all of them had seen their fair share of differences and issues with one another previously, that was all in the past now. They had come to understand each other at long last, and they would not forget it.
Koichi gently cradled Velge's head from his place in Dusk's embrace, and he let out a small smile. He never would have imagined this to be possible even just a few short days ago, but everything could change before anyone realized, and he was fine with that. This was what they had all needed from the start, and he wished he had seen it sooner.
Koichi lost track of how long they sat there together, just enjoying one another's company in the silence. Koichi already knew they wouldn't be torn apart because of their struggles and issues with one another as they had been in the past. As long as they made an attempt to understand each other, they would find peace. As far as he was concerned, they were already there. They would endure, and they would do so together.
Koichi closed his eyes, just relishing in the peace of the moment, and the world around him began to fade away. He was returning to his body in full... No, not just his body. It belonged to all of them. They lived together, and they needed to lean on each other if they were to survive all the hardships that crossed their path. As long as they stood together, they would make it to a better tomorrow. Koichi could feel it.
~~~~~
When Koichi opened his eyes once again, he was back in the body he shared with the other Legendary Warriors of Darkness and Void. He recognized the dark obsidian that marked the inside of the shrine belonging to his element. He had almost forgotten where he sat down to talk with the others in his mind because of how distracted he had grown to be in the midst of their conversation. It didn't matter much now though. They were alright, and they always would be as long as they had each other. Koichi wished he had reached out sooner, but even if it took longer than he would have liked, he was fine with it. They had found peace together eventually, and they would never forget it again.
In the end, all he really needed was the space to process his emotions, and as soon as he gave himself that, everything fell into place like there had never been an issue in the first place.
Koichi was preparing to rise to his feet at that, but he was cut off by a glow sparking in his chest. He looked down with wide eyes and a gasp as black light began to spread around him. For a long moment, all he could do was stare, still as could be, but when he realized what was happening, he allowed himself to smile. At long last, he was going to do it.
He was going to reach the Resplendent level.
With that in mind, he allowed the dark light to consume him. He knew he would be at peace as long as he could rely on the others and his own emotions... And he would never dare to neglect either again. That was what it meant to evolve.
The first change Koichi took note of was his new hairstyle. His hair had grown a few inches longer and was now tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck by a golden ribbon, though it was only barely long enough to be held together in such a way. A streak of black ran through his hair near his cheek, the color somehow even more impossibly dark than Koichi's regular color. The streak seemed to glow under the proper lighting, almost like it was desperate to be set apart from the rest of his hair.
Koichi's new shirt was a pale gray color, so gentle one could have easily mistaken it for white. At his neck, one side of the shirt crossed over the other in a gentle diagonal pattern. The sleeves were somewhat loose down his arms before the edges clung to his wrists abruptly thanks to black braces keeping the fabric in place. The sleeves had a purple gradient starting near his elbow, and the braces that kept the sleeves pinned down were pitch black. The gloves that peered out from beneath the braces were the same purple as the gradient on his sleeves. At the bottom of the shirt, a thick velvety red ribbon wrapped around Koichi's waist. Beneath the ribbon, there was a thin strip of gold to mark where his shirt officially ended.
Koichi's new pants were the same deep red color as the ribbon around his waist, though for the most part, they were hidden by his boots. His shoes were black and went most of the way up his legs, only cutting off halfway through his thighs. The boots had golden lining across the top edge, and a similar accent could be seen on the soles. On the outside of the boots, there were cutouts to make room for a pattern of crossed black laces that went down his legs. Beneath the laces, transparent gray fabric could be seen to cover his skin. On the outside of his right ankle, the symbol of the Warrior of Darkness was carved into his skin in black, and it peered out between the laces and transparent fabric that tried to hide it from the rest of the world.
A pair of golden strings wrapped around Koichi's shoulders, and two clasps appeared just in front of his right shoulder. A black cape wrapped around Koichi's right shoulder as the clasps fell into place, pinning the fabric down so it flowed gently around him. The cape's interior was dyed the same deep red as the ribbon at his waist, and it reached his upper legs before tapering off beneath a golden hemline.
When the light faded, Koichi's position had changed from sitting to standing, and that offered him an even better view of his new outfit. He couldn't help but stare at his evolution, a smile spreading across his features along the way. Somehow, this felt more right than he could have ever imagined. Evolution always clicked with him in a way he couldn't describe to those who hadn't experienced it, but today, it felt even sweeter than ever before.
In many ways, Koichi found it hilarious. He had been so worried for months about why he couldn't Spirit Evolve, afraid of what he assumed were demons within his own mind, but when he finally tried to face it all, he realized it wasn't as terrifying as he had thought. They were people just like him, albeit Spirits and remnants of a past life, but they deserved space to feel their darkest emotions and work through their worst memories together. Koichi had been terrified for ages, but when push came to shove, it was all rather simple. All they needed to do was try to reach out to each other, and everything came together.
Koichi closed his eyes and tilted his head up to the ceiling of the shrine. This was what they had all needed, and he loved it... Though he wasn't entirely sure what he was meant to use his new Resplendent form for as long as Alastomon's general hadn't yet attacked Rubrum. He would need to go back to meet with the others though. Maybe they were preparing for a battle elsewhere on the moon. It wouldn't hurt for him to go and talk to them about the fight to come.
As if on cue, the ground began to shake, and Koichi let out a strangled gasp in his shock. He knew what that meant. Alastomon's general, whether it be Makuramon or Boltboutamon, had finally struck, and the others were no doubt engaged in combat with them. It was perfect timing too; Koichi didn't think he would have been able to help much until he made peace with the others in his mind. Now though, he could finally push through and fight for the first time in months... And he looked forward to his first target being the general Alastomon had sent to Rubrum.
With that in mind, Koichi took off running through the shrine, his cape trailing behind him all the while. He didn't have a specific direction in mind as to where he should search for the attacker, but he didn't mind that at all. He would be able to figure it out soon enough. If the others were already fighting, then it wouldn't take him long to track them down.
For the first time in ages, Koichi could fight, and he couldn't wait. He smiled despite his circumstances as he ran onward to find the rest of his friends. This was what he lived for, and he couldn't believe it had taken him so long to realize.
But no more. Alastomon's general would fall then and there, and he would make sure of it by any means necessary.
~~~~~~
Saki felt the new arrival before they saw them.
The rest of the group had split off into pairs after Koichi decided to go to the shrine of the Warrior of Darkness. Saki had been walking with Miriamon as they explored Rubrum together for the last fifteen minutes, both of them silent with their eyes eternally locked on the horizon. They were the most in touch with the moon, and if anything changed, they would sense it long before they saw the attackers.
So when Saki felt the balance of Rubrum shift hard in a different direction, they immediately stopped walking and turned to face Miriamon. They didn't need to bother with asking if Miriamon had sensed the sudden change as well; the look on her face told them everything they could have wanted to know. Their attackers had arrived, and the time had come to fight.
Saki didn't even take a moment to blink as they reached for their D-Tector and pressed the activation button. The world around them twisted in the midst of their evolution before depositing them on the ground in their Resplendent form. Saki snapped their fingers once they were grounded so they could summon their rapier, and they took firm hold of it in their left hand. Miriamon had stepped back to give them some space to evolve, but after the fact, she returned to their side, summoning her strength already in preparation for the battle.
The ground began to rumble a moment later, and Saki's suspicions were confirmed. They snapped once again, and a platform of purple energy appeared at their feet. They jumped on it swiftly with Miriamon close behind. After they were both safely on the platform, it began to accelerate toward their destination where the attackers had arrived on Rubrum. Saki knew the others would be there as soon as they realized what had happened. There was no need to contact them when they would be drawn to the site of the attack as soon as they felt the ground shake.
Before Saki even had the chance to wonder which of Alastomon's generals would be waiting for them, the silhouette of an army appeared on the horizon. At the front of the crowd stood none other than Boltboutamon. He was the very picture of pride there in front of his army, and Saki was looking forward to finally dragging him down to an early grave whether he wanted that or not. Chihiro and Mayumi alone had given all four of the generals a thrashing back at the fortress; with Saki and Miriamon's added power at Chihiro's back, the battle would be quick, easy, and merciless.
Saki stepped out onto the ground once they arrived on the battlefield in full, and Miriamon followed suit. Saki turned their rapier around so the very tip of the blade was touching the ground, allowing them to fully tune in with everything happening elsewhere on the moon. Saki felt the rocks of Rubrum tremble distantly, and they knew Chihiro had figured out that Boltboutamon had arrived and was on their way. Saki didn't know if Koichi had realized the truth of their circumstances or not, but they supposed it didn't matter. They would be able to handle this even without him.
"I had been hoping the moon would be empty," Boltboutamon remarked as he took a few steps toward Saki and Miriamon. "It seems I was wrong to believe it would be that simple. You love to get in our way by coming here specifically, don't you?"
"What can I say? I wouldn't be a Legendary Warrior if I didn't annoy people on a daily basis," Saki replied with a shrug. They changed the positioning of their blade so they were prepared for the battle at hand. They didn't need to pay attention to Chihiro's impending arrival anymore; the Warrior of Earth would be there soon. "And right now, I want to irritate Alastomon more than anyone else. Unfortunately, you just wound up caught in the crossfire."
"If you had just stayed where you belonged—away from here—then we could have all gotten along," Boltboutamon sighed. "You weren't supposed to be here the night of the assassination attempt, and you weren't supposed to be here today either. What is it with you and coming to Rubrum when you should have higher priorities?"
"I like to keep people like you from destroying the home of my friend," Saki answered casually. "And as long as you're going to be a thorn in my side, I'm going to fight back against you. How about we finish this swiftly? Maybe I'll even be able to take care of your army before Chihiro shows up. They certainly gave you a run for your money last time."
Boltboutamon snarled under his breath. "You seem eager to charge to your death... So be it. I'm happy to act as the agent of the reaper," he told them. He pointed toward Saki and Miriamon, and the entire army of Void Fragment Digimon started to stampede toward the pair.
Saki remained still even in the face of the onslaught though, a smirk playing across their lips. Just before the army could converge upon them and Miriamon, a massive wall of stone appeared from the ground to keep the Void Fragment Digimon at bay. Saki looked off to their right and saw Chihiro standing on top of a wave of rocks, Lopmon just by their feet. Chihiro stepped down carefully, and Miriamon darted over to Lopmon before picking him up and retreating to the back of the battlefield.
"You took a lot longer than I thought you would," Saki remarked to Chihiro. "I was almost starting to think I would have to try in this fight. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that's not going to be the case."
"I can't do all the heavy lifting for you," Chihiro countered. "Though I do agree that this fight is going to be a bit boring if we just let ourselves go all out... How about we turn it into a competition? Whoever can free more Digimon from the possession of the Void Fragments has to buy the other dinner after this disaster is over."
"Deal," Saki nodded. They drew a circle in the air with their rapier before stabbing through the lining of purple energy. The wall of stone exploded immediately, sending barrages of jagged stones raining down on Boltboutamon and all the Digimon that surrounded him. That was enough to rattle most of the possessed Digimon, leaving their focus on anything but the battle at hand.
Chihiro jumped high into the air and punched at the ground with a clenched fist, creating columns of rock that stabbed upward from the ground at the weakened Digimon. Void Fragments ripped themselves away from some of the Digimon before shattering in the air. As Chihiro rose to their feet, they whistled. "How many do you think that was?" they crowed. "Not that it matters. I'm already in a commanding lead. How do you think you're going to top that?"
Saki thought about it with a small hum so playful it was insulting to Boltboutamon, who was glaring daggers at the bantering pair of Legendary Warriors. Eventually, Saki opened their mouth and drew another circle in the air with their rapier, but this time, the purple energy flew forward in streams of magic that slammed into the enemy Digimon with speed and force. Any possessed Digimon who had been staggered by the rain of rocks but hadn't already been freed from their dark influence by Chihiro were released immediately. In just a few short minutes, Boltboutamon's army had almost been cut in half.
"I don't know if I would say this is an easy win for you anymore," Saki told Chihiro with a shake of their head. "I feel like I came pretty close to evening it out right there. We don't even know the exact numbers of either attack. We'll just have to debate who wins this battle after it's over. What do you say?"
Before Chihiro had the chance to respond, a massive void of dark magic appeared over the remaining Void Fragment Digimon, consuming them in the blink of an eye. The darkness shrunk to ensure everyone caught inside was trapped before the energy exploded outward. When the explosion rocked the earth, every Digimon that had been trapped under the sphere of darkness was left crying out in pain as Void Fragments tore themselves away from their hosts and shattered in the sky overhead.
Saki and Chihiro both took that as their cue to turn and face the one responsible for the spell. Neither one of them was surprised when Koichi made himself known with a small smile on his face. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he told them. "I didn't want to steal your thunder or anything."
Saki and Chihiro shared a glance at that, and the Warrior of Earth let out a long, heavy sigh. "I think you've probably got us both beat," they mumbled. "I suppose the two of us are going to have to treat you to dinner after all of this ends."
Koichi tilted his head to the side in muted confusion, but he quickly shook it off. "We can discuss this in more detail later. Right now, I have different priorities," he declared. He pointed to Boltboutamon where the general was seething with rage at how easily his entire army had been pushed out of the picture. Saki, Chihiro, and Koichi barely needed to try in order to win the battle, and he couldn't even hope to put his anger to words.
Koichi pointed his hand forward, and dark threads rose up from the ground to try and grab at Boltboutamon. He avoided the first few swipes in his direction, but he couldn't keep up the dodging act forever, so it was just a matter of time before one of Koichi's attacks got a hold of him. The first tendril grabbed Boltboutamon's ankle and dragged him down to the ground forcefully. A second later, an eye appeared just behind the general, and it looked identical to the many eyes that had lined Duskmon's armor back in the day. The eye sent out a powerful laser blast that slammed straight into Boltboutamon's back, forcing the general into the dirt before he could process what was happening.
Saki and Chihiro shared another glance at that, shocked at the sight of Duskmon's power even though they had been so certain Koichi didn't want to use it again if he could at all avoid it. A lot had happened in the shrine of the Warrior of Darkness as far as they could tell, and they couldn't wait to get the answers they needed to hear all about it. In the meantime though, they had a fight to resolve, so they launched themselves forward to help Koichi restrain Boltboutamon for the time being.
Boltboutamon struggled with everything he had against the darkness that was pinning him to the ground, but before he had the chance to fully escape, Chihiro touched down just in front of him. They stomped one foot against the ground, and pillars of rock appeared from the earth to pin Boltboutamon down. Somehow, his struggles were even less fruitful now that Chihiro was pinning him down, and all he could do was glare daggers at the Legendary Warriors' shoes as they stared at him. Luckily, Saki was happy to end his struggle, and they pointed their rapier at his head to ensure he got the message. Sure enough, Boltboutamon understood, and he went still as soon as he recognized the gravity of his circumstances.
"We want information," Saki told him, not bothering with the banter that had been so prominent in their previous conversation with Boltboutamon. "What do you know about Alastomon's current plans for the Digital World? What else is he trying to accomplish beyond just destroying all the Beast Digimon?"
Boltboutamon was quiet for a long time, and Saki took that as their cue to nudge their rapier a little bit closer to him. He scowled at that but since he knew there was no escaping this, he forced himself to answer. "Alastomon really hoped he would have all of you on his side, you know," he began. Chihiro and Koichi shared a worried glance at that, and Boltboutamon went on with a bitter scoff. "He had been hoping to have the Legendary Warriors backing him up. He believed that would make all of this easier, especially since he had to take advantage of Lucemon's power in order to get this far."
"Lucemon's old data was never truly destroyed the way we thought it was," Saki remarked. "Instead, it was alive and thriving all this time. You can't really destroy anything in the Digital World. It will always come back in one form or another... And Alastomon fed the lie of Lucemon's complete destruction to everyone so they wouldn't go looking for the power he had stumbled upon."
"Alastomon doesn't like Lucemon much, you see," Boltboutamon said in the place of a proper response. "He hated how Lucemon once fought for equality across the planet. In his mind, all would be worth it as long as he could get the Legendary Warriors on his side. He has his fair share of issues with them too, but... It failed. You all chose the losing side in this war."
"I would say we're on the winning side," Chihiro cut in. "After all, you're going to die in a matter of minutes, and we've managed to maintain Rubrum's safety. You attacked this place because you were hoping to get back at us. If you could destroy Rubrum as part of Alastomon's conquest, then you would be able to go on pretending none of us existed."
"He planned on ensuring the world forgot about us after we betrayed him," Saki chimed in. "We didn't want to stand with him in this ridiculous war of his, so his solution was to pretend we never existed at all. Destroying Rubrum and its shrines was the perfect first step to take in all of that."
"It's not going to work," Koichi told him as he took a step closer to Saki. "No matter what, we're not going to let Alastomon win. The Digital World deserves peace, and so do all of us. If he intends on depriving the people of this realm of the tranquility that they fought so hard for, then so be it. He'll see what that will lead to soon enough."
Boltboutamon scoffed and shook his head. "I should have known you would never side with us," he complained. "You still have so much righteousness in you. This world doesn't deserve it. As long as this planet exists, it will be prone to war. There is no peace to be found here. No matter what, it will crumble under the weight of its own conflict. You simply need to accept that."
"I'll accept nothing unless I can fight for it first," Koichi declared. "We've done too much and fought too hard to see this planet crumble under the weight of its own conflict. No matter what, we will keep the Digital World safe. You won't see that world come to reality though... After all, you don't believe in it."
Boltboutamon looked up at Koichi, at least as much as he could as long as he was being pressed against the ground at such an awkward angle with Saki's blade still pointed at his head. "I'm surprised to see you using that power... From what I heard of your first adventure in the Digital World, I would have expected you to never want to touch the magic of Void," he remarked. "You barely seem to care at all about how much it hurt you. I never would have imagined you would be so easily swayed to use it... Especially given how Alastomon wields its power now."
"Power is made by the person who uses it. I want to use the power I gained as Duskmon to help people, and so, it will be used in a positive way," Koichi replied simply. "Alastomon using it, on the other hand, is terrible and cannot be excused because he is using it in horrific ways for the sake of harming people. I will do everything in my power to fight for a better future, and if that includes using the power that was once wielded against me, then so be it."
Boltboutamon let out a heavy sigh. "You shouldn't have ever been given the chance to side with us in the first place... It would have been so much safer to destroy all of you at the beginning. Claiming the Digital World by force would have been safer. Alastomon risked too much when he decided that he wanted to try and get the strongest fighters alive on his side," he muttered. "I wish I could go back and change that... Though I suppose it's too late now."
"Yes, it is," Koichi confirmed. "The world will change as long as we have something to say about it, and that means defeating you. As long as you refuse to believe in the idea of peace for the future, then we will be at odds. You made this decision yourself, and you will have to live with it... And die with it."
With that, Saki stabbed their blade forward, and Boltboutamon let out a staggered scream that quickly faded off into nothingness. Darkness filled his silhouette, and a ring of Fractal Code appeared around his torso even as the rocks and tendrils of shadow holding him down faded away. Koichi held out his palm and took in the data, sighing as an egg spiraled off into the sky. He watched the orb of white energy until it disappeared from view before he turned back to the others.
"That takes care of that," Saki declared as they morphed their sword into nothing more than a memory on the wind. Purple energy pulled away from the rapier as it dissipated before vanishing soon afterward. "Three of Alastomon's generals have been defeated..."
"And we have something else to discuss now that Boltboutamon is out of the picture," Chihiro finished for them as they turned to face Koichi. "It seems you finally figured out how to reach the Resplendent level. How did you do it?"
Koichi went pink at the sudden shift in attention, and he rubbed at the back of his neck with an anxious laugh. Miriamon was approaching as well, Lopmon still in her arms, and they no doubt had the same question as Chihiro and Saki. "Ah... Well..." Koichi began, tripping over his words far more than he wanted to have to show publicly. "I decided to take some good advice that suggested I talk to them. Dusk, Velge, Malkako, and Erocia, I mean. I'd been repressing them without ever realizing I was hurting them so much. When I actually reached out, I realized how much they were hurting. I did a lot of awful things to them, and I see that now. But we're going to make it right in the future. No matter how long it takes, we're going to do everything we can to work together and fix this for the sake of everyone involved."
"I'm glad to hear you're taking steps in the right direction," Miriamon smiled gently. "I was hoping it would end positively for you. I know this has been a struggle for you for a long time now, and it's nice to be able to see you moving past it after all these months."
"I'm looking forward to showing off my new form to the others when we return to Inaie," Koichi confessed with a grin of his own. "But for now, we should probably help everyone here on Rubrum to return to the main planet. I know that's where they must have come from, and we need to get them back home."
Chihiro groaned at that. "You're right... I feel like that's going to be the longest and most obnoxious part of today. We took care of that battle in record time, and Boltboutamon didn't even get the chance to hit one of us. Getting everyone back to the main planet is going to be the part that sucks the most."
"We'll find a way to make it work," Lopmon assured them. "Besides, it's for the best if this is the hardest part of the visit to Rubrum. That means we're all at peace after the battle, and everything here is fine."
"This shouldn't take too long since we can make portals wherever we want thanks to our Resplendent forms. We can just send them back to the main planet and then return to Inaie so we can tell the others about what happened," Saki chimed in. "Plus, I think we're going to need to check in with Junpei and the others back on Earth about if there's been an attack there yet. We're not going to be able to escape Alastomon's reach forever."
"And Earth is a far harder place to defend than Rubrum," Koichi sighed. "We may have to go right into another battle after we finish our business here... I'm not looking forward to that. I've seen just how awful we can all crash if we have to push ourselves too hard."
"We can worry about that later," Miriamon told him. A light smile spread across her features once again, and she took a step closer to Koichi with mischief gleaming in her eyes. "For now, I want to hear more about you finally reaching the Resplendent level. Any and all details are much appreciated."
Koichi's face went red again at that, but he could tell by the curious looks on everyone's faces that he wouldn't be able to get away without explaining everything that had happened in as much detail as he could stand. Instead of trying to come up with an excuse, he cleared his throat and nodded. "Alright... I would be happy to share then," he agreed.
For the first time in ages, Koichi felt warmth fill his chest, and he couldn't help smiling as he began to share the story in full. This was what he had needed more than anything, and he wouldn't be forgetting it no matter what. This was what peace felt like, and he would allow it to carry him forward.
He had earned this. All of them had earned this.
Notes:
The events of this chapter were very long overdue. At long last, Koichi has reached the Resplendent level.
I've been looking forward to this one for a while. Obviously, the heavy hitter of this chapter is Koichi's conversation with the others in his mind. I've been planning this ever since I decided to involve the other versions of the Legendary Warriors in the heads of the kids we know so well. All he really needed was a push in the right direction for everything to come together. At the end of the day, the reason for all of this was because Koichi was pushing others out because of fear. As soon as he realized he wasn't the only one who was afraid, he was able to sympathize with the others in his head, and they finally managed to establish common ground. Their issues are rather similar, and they needed to finally talk to each other to make that click. When Dusk doesn't feel like he's being threatened, he's actually willing to talk, and that goes a long way.
The rest of this chapter feels a bit like nostalgia in an odd way. At the very least, that's how I felt while I was writing it. Saki and Miriamon haven't been on Rubrum since the start of the invasion arc, and they're finally back where they connected with each other after so much time. Saki and Miriamon go together during the split up because they're siblings, and I love their dynamic even if it's not the focus of this chapter by any means.
On that note, I love the casual banter between Saki and Chihiro in this chapter. They've come a long way from their initial butting heads as Lyramon and Aeoelmon, and this chapter is proof of it. If they can laugh and tease one another after spending so long either despising the other party or not caring about them at all, then anything is possible in terms of interpersonal relationships.
This chapter has a lot of balance between heavy subjects, such as Koichi's conversation with the others in his mind, and light-hearted banter with the other members of the group. It feels like a break in a strange way, and that's mostly because of the fact that for the first time in ages, the battle isn't a defense mission. As long as the Legendary Warriors aren't being forced to look after others, they're incredibly good at what they do, and the battle is meant to be easy as a result. They don't have anything holding them back, and with the overwhelming strength that comes with their Resplendent Evolutions, they can take care of any fight in a matter of minutes.
Of course, the fun times can't last forever, so next time, we're going to head back to Earth, the worst place to have a fight because there's the most to defend there. This is also where we'll see Junpei and Yumiko in action for the first time in a while... And Takuya. He's the only one who hasn't reached the Resplendent level at this point. Some of you may have seen this one coming since he's the protagonist who hasn't had enough certified protagonist issues yet. Let's just say he's going to get a lot of attention over the next two chapters.
For now, we're going to leave things off here. Next week, we return to Earth for the battle against our final general of Alastomon's army. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 55: Brink of Destruction
Summary:
Junpei and Yumiko try to formulate a plan only to remember their main obstacle to stopping Alastomon: their own team leader.
Chapter Text
"Alright, everyone. Let's get this started."
After getting off the call with Saki, Junpei decided it was time for him to take action and help out as much as he could. If Alastomon was going to end up leading an attack on Earth, then he would be ready for it. In the meantime though, there was time for him to try and learn more about everything else the others had uncovered in the Digital World. He had heard everything about how Alastomon supposedly had a human accomplice, and Junpei wasn't going to take that sitting down. He was determined to find out just who this accomplice was and bring them to justice before they got any bright ideas about trying to mimic Alastomon's actions further.
But he wouldn't be able to figure everything out on his own, so Junpei asked the investigation team to report to his house as soon as possible to help out with the search. They had done a fine job of watching over Earth to make sure nothing happened when the Legendary Warriors were in the Digital World earlier, and Junpei was confident they would be a great source of help now too. All he had to do was gather them all in one location.
Roughly an hour after he got off the phone with Saki, Junpei sat in his bedroom with Yumiko, Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki. Shinya and Masae would be there shortly, and Junpei hoped Takuya would be too. He hadn't been able to get a hold of Takuya unfortunately, not that Junpei was particularly surprised by that. The Warrior of Fire had been oddly elusive ever since all of this began, and Junpei doubted it would be as easy as he would have liked to drag him back to meet with the rest of the group. It was unfortunate, but he didn't know what could be done about it. They were operating on borrowed time though, and Junpei was sure Takuya would see his message eventually. In the meantime, he would turn his attention to the previous search for information with the rest of the investigation team and Yumiko. It was the best way for him to fill his time, and he was happy with it.
"We've received some... Disturbing news about our enemy over the last few hours," Yumiko began, choosing her words carefully with a light wince. "Apparently, Alastomon isn't the only one who has been working on getting rid of all the Beast Digimon. He has an accomplice who's been going out of their way to help him here on Earth... A human accomplice."
"A human is working with him?" Katsuharu echoed, his eyes going wide. "Why in the world would they do something like that? More importantly, how did they find out about the Digital World in the first place?"
"We have no idea," Junpei replied. "I wish we knew where to go with this search, but... We don't know who could be working with Alastomon or what their motives are. Right now, our main priority is to figure out who it could be and narrow down our scope for the search at least a little bit. It's not going to be easy, but I think I know a good place to start."
With that, Junpei pulled up a file on his computer, and Teppei leaned in to get a closer look. "That looks like an old file... What is it?" he asked carefully. "More importantly, how did you get your hands on what looks like classified information?"
"Saki," was all Junpei said, and Teppei nodded, not wanting to protest after having heard vaguely of how much Saki was capable of in the field of gathering information. "This is the file about the disappearance case that led to a lot of our issues in the Digital World today. A boy went missing, but he was really drawn into the Digital World. After that, a lengthy investigation opened up into the incident, and Saki's parents were the ones who looked into the case. However, they abruptly died while working on their investigation, and nobody knows for sure what happened. Saki seems to think there could have been foul play behind it."
"And if there was foul play behind the incident, then that would mean there was another person on Earth who knew about the Digital World years ago," Teruo concluded. "Meaning they would probably know about Alastomon to some degree, and they could work together after reaching out and making contact with each other."
"Exactly," Junpei confirmed. "We need all the leads we can get, and this seems like the best place to start. Unfortunately, the file seems a bit incomplete. There was information missing even when Saki was looking through it, and there was only so much Miriamon was able to fill in for us later on."
"You think someone deliberately tampered with the file," Chiaki realized, and Junpei's face went dark and solemn. "If there was somebody out there working with Alastomon, then they would want the Digital World to be kept secret so no one would know about their involvement with all of this. It's not out of the question to think someone tampered with the file for the sake of keeping this secret."
"It's possible," Junpei said simply. "I don't have any hard evidence about the file being tampered with, but there are enough details missing that it feels strange. Saki had to dig in order to find even half the story, and Miriamon still had to share most of the truth with them. Chances are that someone figured out the truth behind the Shiraki disappearance case from over twenty years ago, and they've been trying to sweep it under the rug ever since then. That includes hiding the truth and covering up the case file so that no one asks questions about the Digital World existing."
A knock came at the door, and Yumiko and Junpei shared a glance before the latter rose to his feet and let the new arrivals in. Shinya and Masae were standing together on the other side, and they slipped into the bedroom swiftly as Junpei closed the door behind them. "Sorry we're late," Masae apologized. She took a seat on the floor just beside Chiaki, and Shinya sat on her other side.
"We were looking for Takuya," Shinya explained with a shake of his head. "He's been spending a lot of time walking around the city to survey the destruction lately. He hasn't been home in hours, and we were trying to see if we could bring him back here, but..."
"We couldn't find him," Masae finished for him with a heavy sigh. "I don't know where he's at, but he's somewhere in the city. I guess we'll just have to wait until he realizes we've been waiting for him and comes here. Maybe then we'll finally be able to figure out what's going through his head."
"I'm worried about him," Yumiko confessed. "He's been keeping to himself so much more than usual lately, and I know there's a reason for it. Takuya loves being around people, and him hiding away from the world... It feels like a sign of something awful."
"I bet I can guess what he's so worried about," Junpei remarked, and Yumiko bit her bottom lip in anticipation of what she knew he was going to say. "At this point, he's one of the only members of our group who hasn't reached the Resplendent level. Before now, he has been one of the first people to evolve to any given level, and now, he's one of the last. If I had to guess, I would say he's been worried about not being able to help out as much as the rest of us."
"He shouldn't worry about that though," Yumiko frowned. "The rest of us can handle this, and he doesn't need to stress himself about things out of his control. I know that's probably not going to stop him from getting worked up about all of this, but..."
"You're right. It's not going to stop him," Junpei sighed with a shake of his head. "We need to get him to talk about it, but I don't know how that's going to happen or how long it's going to take. Takuya likes hiding things a lot more than he wants the rest of us to see, and it's hard to say for sure if he's actually going to tell us what he's so worried about no matter how obvious it is."
"Takuya can't reach the same level you two can, right?" Katsuharu questioned, and Junpei and Yumiko nodded. "That's probably going to be a problem in the future. I mean, if he can't fight as well as you and the others can, then how can he be expected to hold his own in the inevitable final battle against Alastomon?"
Junpei admittedly didn't have an answer to that, and he shared an anxious glance with Yumiko. As much as he didn't want to have to admit it, Katsuharu had a point. Takuya would need to be at his strongest if they were to stand a chance against the enemy army. By now, everyone except for Koichi and Takuya had reached the Resplendent level, and they needed everyone on the same page if they were going to win. Junpei didn't know how to push them in the right direction since they didn't know the specifics of what triggered Resplendent Evolution even after all this time, but they were going to have to figure it out sooner rather than later. If Takuya was still only at the Hybrid level by the time the final battle began, then they would be at a massive disadvantage compared to how they could have been if he and Koichi were on the same level as everyone else. Takuya was one of their strongest fighters, and Junpei didn't think they could sustain that loss.
During their only battle against Alastomon, he had completely destroyed all of them regardless of how many of them were at the Resplendent level. At the time, they had all been exhausted and unable to give the battle their full strength, but the fact remained that Alastomon was no slouch in a fight. Everyone needed to be ready, and the group couldn't afford to have anyone fall behind, especially if Alastomon absorbed Lucemon's power in full now that he didn’t need to hide his true identity anymore. They were playing a dangerous game as it was, and things would only get worse if the final two members of their group couldn't catch up to the others by reaching the Resplendent level.
Yumiko pulled out her D-Tector with a small sigh, and she clicked on the radar button to bring up a hologram map of Shibuya. "Takuya isn't that far from here," she murmured as she pointed out the only other dot on the map aside from her and Junpei's signals. Takuya's red signal was moving slowly, proof that he was on a walk through the city to survey the damages just as Shinya had said before. "Maybe we should go and talk to him. I know we need to learn more about Alastomon's accomplice, but I'm worried about Takuya. Katsuharu is right. We need to figure out what he's struggling with so we can get through to him and find a way to help him to the Resplendent level."
"We can't exactly force an evolution, but we need to get him on the right path," Junpei agreed. "And we can start that today. Come on, everyone. We'll continue our investigation later. It's not like we're going to be able to make much progress as it is now."
"If the file was tampered with, then we won't be able to learn anything more than you've already read," Teppei chimed in. "So we might as well take advantage of this time to see if we can get Takuya to talk to us. I don't know how willing he'll be, but..."
"We have to try," Teruo finished for him. "We could use the extra fighting power in order on our side if something happened here on Earth. After all, we're not going to be able to defend everyone with just two of you at that level."
Junpei and Yumiko shared another uneasy glance at that. They didn't want to admit just how right Teruo was, but the fact of the matter remained the same. Takuya needed help, and they needed Takuya's help too if they were to keep Earth and its people safe from the inevitable attack that they were certain would happen sooner or later. If they could talk to him now, then maybe they would be able to save themselves some trouble later.
Before either of them had the chance to say anything on the matter though, the sky outside Junpei's window went dark. Chiaki, who just so happened to be closest to it, peered out through the glass. She gasped and went pale as soon as she saw what was waiting outside, and when she spoke, her voice was muffled since her back was turned. "We're going to have something else to take care of before we go to talk to Takuya," she said simply. "As far as I can tell, that other Digimon attack we were afraid of is happening now."
Junpei swore under his breath and reached for his own D-Tector. "Fine then. If this is the game Alastomon wants to play, then we'd be more than happy to play it right along with him. I'm not going to let him get away with any of this. He has done enough harm, and it stops today."
Before he pressed down on the activation button of his D-Tector though, Junpei reached for his phone. He was confident Takuya would be made aware of the battle soon enough, but until then, he wanted to at least try and reach out. Takuya hadn't responded to him before, but maybe he would answer a message about a battle arriving on their doorstep. Junpei typed out a quick warning text before sending it to the group chat of the Legendary Warriors. Afterward, he tucked his phone back in his pocket and gripped tightly at his D-Tector once again. "Alright, everyone," he declared. "We've got a city to save."
~~~~~~
Aldamon didn't think he had ever been quite this dizzy.
He has been flying through the skies above Shibuya as quickly as he could manage, but it was nothing he wasn't used to from his time in the Digital World. He didn't know why he was having this reaction to what should have been a normal fight, but there was no time for him to respond to it now. There were at least half a dozen flying Digimon swarming after him, and he needed to focus on getting as far away from them as possible.
Aldamon swerved below a strike from one of the Digimon on his trail, snarling under his breath along the way. He didn't even know what Digimon were following him, and he didn't particularly care enough to find out anyway. All he needed to do was free them from the possession of the Void Fragments, and he would be home free. It would be fine. In theory, it was easy. What did he have to worry about?
Unfortunately, the practice of actually freeing the possessed Digimon was much harder than it had any right to be. Aldamon's vision was still going dark at the corners, and he couldn't focus anywhere near as well as he knew he needed to. His aim was off the few times he managed to send out a blast of flames at the Digimon pursuing him, something he only knew because the monsters following him never backed down even when he was sure he should have hit them. As it turned out, flying with impaired vision was a much worse idea than he could have ever realized. He didn't know why it was so hard to see all of a sudden, but he didn't want to know either. It would only distract him from being able to fight, and he had enough on his shoulders as it was.
Before Aldamon had the chance to consider how he was going to shake the attackers off his trail, an explosion tore through the air like a thunderclap. Aldamon slowed himself to a stop as well as he could as long as he was flying so quickly, and he allowed himself to turn around fully to see what had happened to his pursuers. All of them were left still as could be as Void Fragments pulled themselves out of their bodies before shattering. Aldamon smiled to himself, glad to know the others had arrived to help him. He couldn't think of anyone who could have released an attack that sounded like thunder but—
"Aldamon! There you are!"
Junpei's voice echoed through the skies, and Aldamon looked up to see him approaching with a churning sphere of electricity crackling behind him. Yumiko was flying at his side, and a chorus of footfall told Aldamon they had other company down on the ground. The Warrior of Fire's face burst out into a smile. "Man, I'm glad to see you two!" he declared as he flew toward them. For a few moments, the darkness began to subside from his vision, and he glanced back and forth between Junpei and Yumiko gladly. He wasn't sure what about them had caused such a change in his issues of sight, but he would take what he could get.
"We're glad to see you too," Yumiko replied, but something about the unsettling evenness of her voice even in the face of a massive onslaught of Digimon left Aldamon thoroughly anxious. "We tried to get a hold of you before we met with the others. We've got a lot of new information to share with you, and we have to talk about it."
Aldamon glanced down at the ground below, and his suspicions as to the identities of the other new arrivals were confirmed. The investigation team was gathered together, and Shinya waved up at him. Aldamon wanted to return the gesture, but something stopped him, and the darkness in his vision returned full force. Something about seeing everyone there made him feel nauseous, and all of a sudden, all he wanted to do was hide.
"What's going on?" Aldamon forced himself to ask, ignoring just how distant his voice sounded even to his own ears. "I noticed there were Digimon attacking us here, but I can't figure out what could have happened to draw them out in the first place. Is Alastomon here? Did he send one of his generals after us?"
"We're not sure yet," Junpei replied. "But if I had to guess, I would say it's the latter. We should prepare ourselves for a long and brutal fight against whoever is responsible for this. I suppose we'll just have to talk about everything going on after the fact."
"I can do that," Aldamon nodded. For the time being, they would have to go off and handle the rest of the battle together. He was happy to have the distraction... Not that it would really take his mind off everything that had been bothering him recently. After all, how was he meant to escape his worries about not reaching the Resplendent level when he was forced to fight alongside his friends who had achieved that goal long ago?
Before Aldamon could fly off toward their next destination, Yumiko grabbed his wrist as he passed by. "First, I need to ask you something, and I want you to answer as honestly as you can," she began, her voice stoic and low. Somehow, Aldamon already knew he wasn't going to like whatever she had to say next. "What has going through your head over the last few days? You've been so distant, and we're all worried about you. We can't help unless you allow us to reach out to you."
Aldamon's eyes went wide, and his gaze flickered back and forth between watching Junpei's eyes narrow in his direction and Yumiko stare at him with such overwhelming worry on her face that it made him feel sick. Somehow, he didn't think the air was the best place to have this conversation, and the way his vision continued to grow dark showed that his body agreed. It felt like the shadows were trying to creep out and consume him in full, but there wasn't much he could do to counter it. Instead, he just flew there on the spot staring at them.
"I..." Aldamon tried to say, not that he knew where he was going to be taking the latter half of the sentence. He swallowed dryly, pushing all of his anxiety away for as long as he possibly could before his mouth got the better of him and ran off without his permission. "I'm worried about not being able to reach the Resplendent level." Just saying that he was 'worried' felt like an understatement given how much it had been haunting him ever since he was sent back to Earth when the team split up. It was on his mind damn near constantly, and he didn't know how he was supposed to snap himself out of it. Beyond that, he didn't know why it was causing him so many issues in terms of focus, aim, and vision. Normal insecurities and worries shouldn't have done so much damage.
Junpei and Yumiko shared a knowing look at that, and Aldamon knew they had been talking about it in his absence. He didn't know where they had been before this, but he supposed that was a question he could ask another time. For the moment, he watched Junpei fly a bit closer to him, worry written all over his face. "Do you think there are any mental blocks keeping you from doing it?" he asked. "I know we don't understand how it works, so the process could be more complicated than we've been led to believe, but... It just seemed to come naturally for the rest of us. There could be something in your way internally though. Is there anything that could be holding you back in terms of the way you're thinking?"
Aldamon didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't know what he had been expecting Junpei to say, but it certainly wasn't something as open as that. Hell, Aldamon hadn't even been planning on saying why he had been so agitated lately. It felt wrong for him to put his problems with evolution onto his friends just because they had all done something before him. Why was he getting so upset about this? He didn't have any reason to be held back. What in the world was stopping him from evolving? He didn't think there were any mental blocks keeping him from reaching the Resplendent level. What was the problem? What was his problem? Why couldn't he just do it already?!
Aldamon wanted to answer those questions more than anything. He needed it more than he needed air as his friends stared at him with such desperate confusion in their eyes. They wanted to help him, but he didn't even know how he could get help. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just do it?
Screams reached Aldamon's ears before he had the chance to come up with an answer to the damning question of the hour. He let out a gasp as his gaze flickered down to the ground. Teruo had nearly fallen over thanks to the ground starting to shake, but Chiaki and Masae had steadied him at the last minute. Aldamon's eyes went wide as soon as the noise from the quake reached his ears. He had fought enough Digimon on Earth to know that this was no normal earthquake. Of course it wouldn't be. Right now, they were worried about winning a war against Alastomon, and he—
"Fancy seeing you here, Legendary Warriors."
Aldamon snarled as he whirled to face the sound of a new voice calling for his attention. He was barely surprised when he was met with the sight of a humanoid monkey Digimon that his mind told him immediately was Makuramon. The monster was standing on top of a nearby building with a smirk spread across his face. He looked like he had never been happier with himself, and judging by the fact that he was leading a faction of Digimon to attack Earth, Aldamon knew that probably wasn't too far off from the truth. All he wanted to do was punch that damn monkey and tell him to leave once and for all, but somehow, he already knew he would miss. The darkness in the corners of his vision grew worse, and Aldamon's wings nearly failed him in his shock. He had to actively remind himself to keep flying, and he knew that was an indicator he had been pushed well over the edge in terms of what he could control.
"I should have known you were behind this," Junpei scoffed. "You've always been a thorn in our sides. It was just a matter of time before you made yourself known again. You love raising hell, don't you?"
"I think you should be thanking me. I started all of this off, didn't I?" Makuramon asked with a laugh. "The invasion on Earth, the revelation about Alastomon's true loyalties, your recent progress in evolution... It never would have happened if I hadn't decided to come to you."
"I'm not thanking you for nearly killing Saki and Miriamon," Junpei told him flatly. "Instead, I'm going to give you one chance to surrender and tell us everything you know about Alastomon's plans. If you do not comply, then I'm going to have to kill you. No hard feelings. That's just the way it has to be."
Makuramon whistled and shook his head dismissively. "I should have known you wouldn't see things the way I do," he remarked. "It would have been easier if you did, but considering the fact that you even rejected Alastomon's offers of peace and collaboration, I shouldn't be surprised."
"I've had enough of listening to talk," Yumiko decided, her eyes narrowing. "You've brought danger and war to our home, and we won't stand for it. As long as you wish to stand in our way, then you must face the consequences. I'm perfectly fine with tearing you to shreds here and now, but I figure I should at least give you a chance to stop this before it gets any worse for you."
Makuramon sighed. "How cute... You think you're the ones in charge here," he hummed. "It's a shame you're trying to play the hero instead of just standing down and surrendering. I believe that would save more people than this ridiculous game of pretend you want to play. After all, you have no idea what you're up against."
"We fought you once before, and we would have killed you if not for you running like the coward you are," Junpei pointed out. "And that doesn't even factor in the battle you had against Saki and Miriamon when the rest of us weren't around. You're not in a good place here, especially if you want to talk about being the inevitable victor."
"Say what you want. It won't change the fact of the matter... That I have something you never will," Makuramon countered. "You shouldn't have turned against Alastomon, but now that you have, you'll never get the chance to understand the power... Of this." Makuramon opened his hand, which had previously been clenched in a fist at his side. In doing so, he showed off what appeared to be a Void Fragment, but something about this one felt different from all the others Aldamon had seen. Just looking at it made him feel sick to his stomach for reasons he couldn't quite describe.
"A Void Fragment isn't going to scare us," Yumiko told Makuramon. "We've freed over a thousand Digimon from their possession by now, and you won't be able to win just because you have something like that on your side."
"This is no ordinary Void Fragment though," Makuramon grinned, excitement exploding across his face. "Alastomon uncovered a unique property of the power of Void recently. He discovered that when pushed in the right ways, it can allow a Digimon to evolve to a higher level regardless of their regular strength. We allowed constant Digimon to evolve in order for them to join our army. We wouldn't stand a chance without that added strength, after all."
That certainly made sense, as much as Aldamon hated to admit it. If Alastomon had figured out how to force Digimon to evolve, then he could build his army however he liked. The power of the Void Fragments forcing Digimon to reach a higher level would explain exactly how he had managed to gather so many strong Digimon without even batting an eye. He hadn't been finding them on his own; he had been forcing them to evolve. It made perfect sense, and that was why Aldamon despised it so much.
Makuramon saw the way Aldamon's expression twisted with disgust and hatred, and he couldn't help laughing in response. "We've been using these improved Void Fragments for ages to try and strengthen the Digimon under our command... But this one is something special. As soon as I fuse with this, I will grow far stronger than you could ever hope to imagine. You Legendary Warriors may think yourselves powerful, but you could never match up to the strength I hold. All I need to do is just press this little thing against my body... How easy it will be."
Yumiko reacted before Makuramon could move again, flicking her wrist forward and forcing a blade of grass peering out between plates of sidewalk below to rise up and rush toward her enemy. The monkey Digimon raised his hand at the last second, and the vine changed its direction to follow him. Even after the vine wrapped around his wrist and threatened to drag him down to the ground, Makuramon simply laughed. "You have no idea what you're fighting against... But I would be happy to show you." With that, he grounded himself against the vine and swung around it, slamming his torso into his open palm. As soon as the Void Fragment made contact with his chest, Makuramon began to laugh, and his excitement echoed in the air as the plant around his wrist grew tight before snapping and fading away entirely.
A small sphere of black light had surrounded Makuramon, and it only continued to grow as the Digimon's shape changed as well. Aldamon held up his eyes to try and keep his vision at least partially intact—especially since it was impaired enough already—but the damage had already been done. Aldamon blinked furiously, doing his best to keep vision from fading to black in full. Stars were dancing across the world before him, but he forced them to clear.
When the light faded, Makuramon was standing atop the building once again, but he had been consumed by a dark aura that threatened to eat away at anyone or anything that dared to step too close to him. He hadn't evolved in the traditional sense, but he was far stronger than he had been before. Aldamon could feel the power radiating off him, and just being near Makuramon made him feel sick. Alastomon had certainly charged the Void Fragment with powerful energy, and Aldamon hated it.
Makuramon laughed as he looked down at his hands, taking in the measure of his new power in full. "Isn't this just incredible?!" he roared, not at all realizing just how loudly he was speaking. "This is what you all could have gotten if you had thought to side with Alastomon! You made your choice though, and there's only one punishment that can come to traitors in the new world we will create... Death to those who do not stand at our backs!"
With that, Makuramon punched at the air in front of his torso, creating a wave of energy that streaked through the air at breakneck speeds. Junpei was quick to jump in the way before the attack could hit anyone or anything. He pushed back with a punch of his own, creating a blast of lightning that countered Makuramon's own strike. The two different energies clashed fiercely, and an explosion echoed in the air with a resounding clap that made Aldamon's ears burn and ring for far longer than he wanted to admit. Between the interference with his vision and the ringing in his ears, part of him was left to wonder if he was even still conscious at all.
Makuramon continued to laugh even as his attack was fully destroyed by Junpei, and he took a few steps closer to the edge of the building he was standing on. "You won't stand a chance as long as I have this power on my side!" he cried out. "I wonder what this will lead to... We'll just have to wait and see!" His eyes fell on the investigation team where they were standing on the ground below, and he whistled in an eerie imitation of something almost human. "And those kids look like the perfect target practice!"
Aldamon was quick to launch himself at the ground as soon as he realized what Makuramon was trying to do. Luckily, he didn't need to worry about countering the strike on his own. Instead, Yumiko created a massive shield of vines to keep Makuramon from attacking directly. In the meantime, Aldamon was left to glance around the area with wide, terrified eyes. He had to find a way to get the others out of the line of fire as soon as possible... But there wasn't anywhere for them to run. They couldn't consider themselves safe until Makuramon was gone, but they couldn't outrun him long enough for Junpei and Yumiko to take care of him either. As long as he had so much extra power at his back, the group would be in danger. This wasn't going to be as clear cut as Aldamon would have liked, and he could only assume Alastomon had played his cards that way on purpose. If he could lure the Legendary Warriors into a false sense of security, then it would make it all the easier for Makuramon to secure his victory.
Aldamon needed to focus on keeping the investigation team as safe as possible. He wouldn't fail his brother as long as there was a way for him to keep on fighting. The battle promised to be a long one, and he had to be cautious. Shinya would be fine. He just had to be. If Aldamon could just think, then he would be able to find a way out of this. He had to.
He ignored the way the shadows in the corners of his vision were steadily creeping up on him, and his body shook in response. Aldamon didn't know what his body was doing or why it was reacting this way, but he knew it couldn't have been anything good. He could think about it later though. For the moment, he needed to hold on just long enough for the battle to end. He could ask more questions after that.
But first, he was no fool. Aldamon knew this battle was going to end in a loss if it went on for much longer, and they couldn't afford to let that happen. If the other Legendary Warriors knew what was going on, then they would be able to come help. Aldamon may not have had his phone or D-Tector while he was Spirit Evolved, but he could still try to reach out to them using the connections he had established through his D-Tector. It had worked before, and it had to work now too.
Come on, guys, Aldamon pleaded, not knowing who would respond or when but desperate for an answer regardless. I really need your help. Please... Don't let me down now.
~~~~~
Something was wrong.
Koji's eyes shot open, and he sat up in his bed on Inaie. He had decided to take a nap as soon as Saki's group set out for Rubrum, knowing he would need to be at the peak of his strength if he was to be helpful in the next battle. The fight on Caeruleum had drained his energy a lot more than he thought, and he needed to try and bounce back from that as soon as possible.
But all of that was far from Koji's mind as he fumbled for his D-Tector. He didn't know where his gut feeling of something being wrong had come from, but there must have been some cause, and he had to find out what it was. Luckily, Koji didn't need to wait long before the truth made itself apparent. He had received a distress signal from Takuya back on Earth. That could only mean one thing, and Koji hated it more than he could have ever described.
In the blink of an eye, Koji was on his feet, his plans for a nap forgotten in favor of retrieving the others. They had to get back to Earth as soon as possible. Koichi, Saki, Chihiro, Lopmon, and Miriamon still hadn't returned from Rubrum, but he knew they couldn't afford to wait for them. If the battle on Earth was serious enough to merit a distress signal from Takuya, then Koji knew he and the others on Inaie had to get moving immediately. He didn't even want to imagine what an enemy that could outmatch Yumiko and Junpei's Resplendent Evolutions was like, but he didn't want to think about it either. He would see the truth for himself in a matter of minutes if he moved quickly enough.
For their extended stay on Inaie, the Legendary Warriors had received an upgrade to their accommodations compared to their first visit to the island. Before, they had been given a single room building with enough beds for all of them but not much in the way of personal space. It had been a haphazard last-minute arrangement, and their housing certainly reflected that. This time, they had a building with three stories all to themselves, and their rooms were spread out in pairs throughout the mansion. Koji loved having the extra space after how crowded his first trip to Inaie had been, but now, he was regretting the change of scenery. After all, it wouldn't have taken anywhere near as long had he been just asking the others in the same room to wake up and join him for an impending battle.
Before Koji could even get halfway to the other rooms in the mansion on the upper floors though, he was cut off by the door to Mayumi and Haroi's room slamming open. The knob hit the wall roughly, and Mayumi dashed out with Haroi hot on her heels. "You sensed it too, didn't you?" she asked Koji. He nodded, and Mayumi snarled under her breath. "I'm willing to bet Alastomon sent his fourth general to Earth to try and get us in two places at once. That's what he did before."
"We need to get the others and go back," Haroi chimed in. "But what are we going to do about Saki, Chihiro, and Koichi? They haven't returned from Rubrum yet, and it would feel wrong to just leave them without any indicator of where we're going."
"We can leave them a message with the Digimon," Koji replied. "We can't exactly take Bokomon and the others back to Earth with us, so we can let them hang onto the message and pass it along when the others get back. Right now, we have to get moving. I don't know how long ago the fight started, but we have to go and help as soon as we can."
Before any of them had the chance to say anything else, Izumi, Hinoka, and Tomoki came dashing down the stairs from the upper levels of the mansion. Neemon rubbed his eyes as he followed behind them, groaning as he was pulled from his nap prematurely. "I'm glad we're all up and ready to go already," Izumi said as she slid to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "We have to go back and make sure the others are alright. Takuya wouldn't have sent out that distress signal without a good reason, and I'm really nervous about what it could be."
"You're not the only one," Haroi agreed. He glanced past Izumi to Neemon. "When Saki, Chihiro, and Koichi get back, I want you to tell them to come and meet us on Earth. You know how to get in contact with us while we're on Earth. If Alastomon attacks Inaie while we're gone, then you can send us a message, and we'll come running as soon as we can."
"We don't know how big this attack is, and the suspense is already killing me," Tomoki murmured. "I hope Takuya has the help of the other two at the very least... I don't know how well he would be able to handle himself in a fight if he was on his own."
"I'm not even going to think about that for the sake of my health," Hinoka confessed, her voice overrun with anxiety. "Come on. We can get there in a few minutes if we hurry, and at this point, we don't have time to do anything but hurry."
"Did you catch that message, Neemon?" Mayumi questioned. The Digimon was still exhausted as he tried to pull himself from sleep. He had always been a slower riser than most of the rest of the group, and the consequences of such were starting to make themselves glaringly apparent.
After a few more seconds of silence though, Neemon nodded. "When the others get back, I'll tell them you went back to Earth," he declared. "I don't know how long they're going to be before they come back here though... I don't think Alastomon wanted to give them a break on Rubrum, especially after the fight that started all of this in the first place."
There was something Koji had come close to forgetting about. It felt like Saki and Miriamon's fight against Makuramon was decades ago now even though it had been less than two and a half weeks since the battle. Since then, nearly the entire group had reached the Resplendent level with only Koichi and Takuya lagging behind at only the Hybrid level, and that alone made the battle feel like it was damn near ancient compared to the present day. Koji had Alastomon to thank for the distortion of time in his mind, but he wasn't ever going to even think of being so kind to the leader of the opposing army. Alastomon didn't deserve any degree of kindness, and Koji would never let him forget it.
He couldn't afford to think about how strange his train of thought was these days though. There was a battle waiting for him, and he had to face it head on. If Earth was truly in danger from an attack led by one of Alastomon's generals, then he had to be there to defend it. Yumiko and Junpei were powerful, yes, but if there were too many enemies, then they were going to need reinforcements. Koji didn't like the idea of having to leave Koichi, Saki, and Chihiro behind in the Digital World while he and the others returned to Earth, but there was little room for patience or thinking through other options at this point. He had to act fast, and that meant waiting for his brother to catch up with him later. There would be time for that after he made it to Earth to help the trio waiting for him there.
"I'm glad we all understand what we have to do," Izumi said next, cutting through the haze in Koji's mind immediately. "Right now, we need to open a portal. We might want to go on and Resplendent evolve before we go through to Earth. I don't want to waste any time trying to hide from other people who might give us unwanted attention."
There was something Koji could agree with. He pressed the activation button of his D-Tector, and a flash of white light consumed him. The others were quick to follow suit, and Koji sighed once they were all in their Resplendent forms. Part of him wanted to comment that he liked the look of Haroi's new outfit since he had never seen it before now, but he knew there was no time for that. They would be able to talk about it later on after they cleared out the attackers on Earth.
"Tell Darcmon and Hippogriffomon where we've gone when you get the chance," Hinoka instructed of Neemon. "They're bound to wonder where we went off to when they realize they can't find us, and we don't have time to tell them what's going on right now. It's just going to have to wait. We can ask them to let us back onto the island after we've cleaned up the invaders back on Earth."
"I can do that," Neemon told her. He finally seemed to be pulling himself out of the drowsy aftermath of his nap, but his eyes didn't open, not that anyone expected as much. "Good luck in fighting back on Earth. We'll all be waiting to hear from you again when you come back."
Koji nodded conclusively before he dragged one finger through the air off to his right. A portal to Shibuya opened from the thin line, and Koji gestured for everyone else to follow him. "Come on." As soon as Koji was sure the others were following him, he jumped through the rift, and the world around him spun.
He didn't know what to expect on the other side of the portal, but he already knew it was going to be bad.
~~~~~
Aldamon punched at a stray attack that dared to soar a little bit too close to him and the members of the investigation team. He kicked at another blast of energy, a snarl pulling its way free of his lips. He didn't like having to fight so close to the heart of danger when there were people he needed to defend. Fighting in general when his vision was so overwhelmingly impaired for no reason was just another irritation on top of a pile of problems Aldamon really didn't want to deal with. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter though, so he prepared himself for the next attack before it could catch him off guard too much.
He was vaguely aware of Yumiko and Junpei up in the skies trying to fight off Makuramon. Even with his power boost, he shouldn't have been too much of an issue for them both as long as they were working together. Still, they were left at a disadvantage when the army of Void Fragment Digimon Makuramon had brought with him began to swarm in their direction. Trying to play the defensive game was difficult, especially against such offensive and aggressive enemies. For the most part, the attacking Digimon could fly, but there were a few heavy hitters down on the ground too, and Aldamon was left trying to fend off the handful of Digimon on ground level that tried to rage toward his friends.
Of course, that was much easier said than done, and Aldamon knew his grip on the battle was slipping fast. Normally, he would have been able to handle something like this easily, but his mind was spinning too much for him to have a solid grip on the battle. His vision was so damn blurry for no reason, and the darkness was only getting worse as the seconds crawled on. He was exhausted even though he hadn't been fighting for all that long. Something was wrong, and he knew there was far more to it than just the suggestion of a mental block that Junpei had brought up when they were talking before the fight. There was an explanation to this recent shift, and Aldamon was already terrified of what it was going to end up being.
The investigation team had been pushed into a corner by now, their backs pressed against the outer wall of the nearby building. They were in an alleyway, which luckily left them primarily covered from any attacks, but there were still a few directions through which a stray blow could hit. The nearest door was on the other side of the wall of Digimon that was blocking them off in the alleyway, and neither Junpei nor Yumiko could spare a moment to open a portal to the Digital World for long enough to get them out of danger. Aldamon couldn't open portals without electronics since he hadn't yet reached the Resplendent level, and there was nothing in his range that he could use without drawing attention to his friends and leaving them scattered and covered in blood all over the concrete. He wasn't going to take that chance. He would just have to buckle down for as long as he possibly could.
Aldamon sent out yet another attack in the direction of a Digimon that dared to come a little bit too close to him, but when he did so, he noticed just how horribly impaired his vision had become. He hadn't been kidding when he thought it was getting worse, and by now, his hearing was getting worse too. He was vaguely aware of someone calling his name from behind him, but he couldn't exactly orient himself well on where anything was anymore. His senses had abandoned him suddenly and ruthlessly, and Aldamon didn't know how he was supposed to fight when he had never thought to train himself in combat when he couldn't rely on his senses. At this point, it felt like all he really knew was that he was in danger from Digimon trying to pursue him from all directions. That wasn't enough though. How could it be?
Aldamon punched at the air, sending out a blast of fire in what he assumed was a brighter world than the one he was seeing. As far as he could tell, he was fighting in a void, but he knew that wasn't true. There had to be more to it than that... Right? Why was this such a problem? Why was his vision gone? Why could he barely hear anything? It didn't make any sense.
Before Aldamon could properly assess what was happening, he was hit by a sudden sensation of pain that came like a punch to the stomach. Everything hurt, and he didn't even think he had been struck in the first place. All of a sudden, he felt like darkness was starting to creep through his limbs, pulling him apart from the inside out. Somehow, he already knew Fractal Code was fizzing away at his Hybrid form, like he was being forced to return to his human form. He hadn't experienced a pain this intense since his first battle against Lucemon, and that was something he would rather not repeat.
But the world didn't care what he wanted, and as soon as he realized just how dark the world was, his mind took a dive for the worse. What if he was back there in the Dark Heart of the Digital World? It was possible, and he didn't have any evidence otherwise. What if he had been attacked with enough force to sever the connection of his body and soul? Was this what Koichi had felt when he was attacked by Lucemon during that final battle?
Suddenly, pain hit Aldamon with all the force in the world. He knew he was screaming, but he didn't hear the sound. All he felt was the pavement below and the overwhelming agony of someone trying to drain his energy while he still held it. He felt like he was dying.
And then, he felt nothing.
~~~~~
Izumi had naturally wound up at the front of the group of six arriving on Earth from the Digital World. Her element being Wind allowed her to fly far faster than the others, and not even Haroi or Hinoka could even hope to keep up with her. The other three were all being pulled onward by a platform of energy Mayumi had created, and Koji and Tomoki stood close to her to make sure they weren't thrown from the ground by the force of the wind around them. They hadn't seen any signs of an attack, at least not yet, but they hadn't gotten to the scene of the distress signal yet. The six of them had gone through a portal that put them in the center of Shibuya, and from there, they had to fly to the place Takuya had sent the signal from. It was their safest option to make sure they weren't immediately attacked and left out of commission before they had the chance to assess the danger of the situation at hand.
Unfortunately, waiting so long to see what was going on was agonizing in its own way. Izumi urged her body to move just a little bit faster, to get her to the scene of the battle just a few seconds sooner, but she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. She needed to just be patient and breathe. She wouldn't be able to help anyone if she was stressed out like this. Everything would be fine. It had to be.
Soon enough, the outline of a battle began to take shape on the horizon, and Izumi realized they had arrived at their destination. There had to be at least a dozen Digimon flying in the air above one specific location, and Izumi could guess easily enough just why this had led to a distress signal. Alastomon wasn't holding back in targeting the Legendary Warriors directly anymore. He knew what his plan was, and as long as they knew too, he would go after them without holding back. He had probably sent one of his generals after Takuya and the others directly, and the enemy numbers had been too overwhelming for them to fight and win alone.
Izumi sent out a blast of wind as soon as she was within range, and she struck one of the Void Fragment Digimon in the wing. The monster roared in pain but fell silent when a bolt of lightning slammed into them a few seconds later. A Void Fragment appeared and shattered seconds afterward, and the Digimon was left to fall limply to the ground. Izumi summoned another gust of wind to slow their descent, deciding to take care of sending the Digimon back home after all of this was over. She didn't have a moment to spare right now, but she would get there soon enough.
"Izumi!" Junpei called out after realizing who the source of the sudden wind gust had been. He flashed a tired grin in the direction of the new arrivals before turning his attention back to the battle. "One of you needs to go down and help Aldamon! And be careful about engaging Makuramon directly! I can explain everything after this is over!"
Izumi nodded, and as Mayumi set down Koji and Tomoki on a nearby roof, she darted over to the alleyway that seemed to act as the center of the battlefield. She knocked at least three Void Fragment Digimon off balance on her way before she finally managed to catch a glimpse of Aldamon. He was standing in between the attacking Digimon and the investigation team, and anyone could see he was stretching himself thin. His attacks only seemed to hit half the time, and he didn't realize when a Digimon was coming after him until it was almost too late. Izumi couldn't say for sure what was going on with him, at least not directly, but she knew what that haphazard fighting style meant. In the past, she had seen her friends fight that way before they gained control of their Beast Spirits. They hadn't been able to handle themselves alone, and it had taken time before they were able to work through their hardships and reclaim the upper hand.
Aldamon was sliding back into that state of no control though, and he couldn't seem to focus on anything happening around him. He wouldn't be able to outlast the enemy forces, at least not on his own. With this in mind, Izumi darted over in his direction as quickly as she could to try and help him fight off the impending attacks. As she got closer, she realized the Fractal Code on his body was starting to unravel, flaking away from his body in small chunks he barely processed.
"Having trouble? Let me help you with that."
Makuramon's voice echoed through the area, and Izumi looked up to see him larger than his normal size and consumed by a dark aura. He pressed one hand forward, and a blast of deep purple energy exploded from his palm and soared through the air toward Aldamon. The Warrior of Wind reached out one arm, already seeing the outcome even before it could come to pass. "Aldamon!" she yelled.
But she was too late.
Nothing could have changed this.
The dark energy exploded against Aldamon's body, and he slammed into the back wall of the alleyway before slumping to the ground. He had already reverted to his human form before he hit the concrete, and blood was starting to drip from a cut on his temple. The investigation team ran after him, doing their best to ease his rough journey to the ground even though they knew it was in vain. "Takuya!" Izumi screamed.
But she already knew he wouldn't hear her.
She was too late.
Nothing could have changed this.
~~~~~
When Takuya next opened his eyes, he was surrounded by darkness.
The ground beneath him was cool against his cheek, and his body ached with a pain that gnawed at his bones. He pushed himself up slowly, knowing any sudden movements would only make the pain worse. His head throbbed with a dull reminder of what he had been through. He could barely remember what had sparked this, and he had to wonder if he even wanted to remember in the first place. Dark light shone across the silvery ground beneath Takuya, and somehow, he already knew what he was going to see when he sat up.
He was barely surprised when he saw the Dark Trailmon expanded out in front of him. The train station was the same as he remembered it, not that Takuya had ever wanted to visit this place again. He hadn't thought it would happen either. As far as he was concerned, this issue had been resolved after his first visit. He had learned to stop dwelling on his mistakes and try to make a better future. Wasn't that enough?
"Welcome back, kid."
He had to be here for a reason though. Takuya still hadn't reached the Resplendent level, and there had to be a reason for that too. Maybe going on a trip down memory lane would help to push the final bricks of his mental wall out of the way so he could finally evolve. He couldn't keep holding back his team like this. He had to fight to be better for the sake of everyone he loved. They deserved that much, and so did he.
"Alright," Takuya said slowly, his tongue feeling like cotton when he forced the words out. "Let's get this over with." His body felt wrong somehow, like he was watching himself move without any actual input from him. Suddenly, he was all too aware of how alone he was. Aguni, Vritra, and Alda were all gone. It was just him. He was just Takuya.
He had to find a way to get back somehow though, so Takuya boarded the Dark Trailmon and sat down, bitterly thinking it had been ages since he last was on a Trailmon. He wished this didn't need to be the way he finally indulged in that nostalgia again, but he couldn't fight it now. Whether he liked it or not, he was there, and he needed to find a way back to reason.
And for him, memory lane was his only way forward, so he simply watched out the windows as the Dark Trailmon took off and the world distorted around him.
Notes:
Surprise!
As much as I want to talk about that cliffhanger ending, I have an entire chapter to discuss first, so let's get to that one first. It's been a while since we last properly checked in with Junpei and Yumiko specifically since all of our sideways flashes to Earth have focused on Takuya above all else. The two of them aren't just sitting around though, and they're ready for whatever is bound to come next.
The plot point of Saki trying to learn the truth behind their parents' deaths has come back at long last. I hope you didn't think I had forgotten about that, because I most certainly did not. The fact that the file was tampered with and hidden so much is why Saki had to turn to Miriamon in the first place, and now, it's proof of something being seriously wrong with Earth. Alastomon's accomplice has been actively messing with the file, and that's the best starting point the group has for learning more about who was responsible for all of this.
Unfortunately, because of Takuya and the attack at hand, they didn't get far in learning about that. Takuya not having evolved yet is a very big issue, and they want to try and work through it... Not that Makuramon wanted to give them the time to do that. If anyone has been wondering how Alastomon got such a strong army, Makuramon's explanation here is the reason for it. These high-level Digimon aren't just sitting around as easter eggs like they were in the anime canon; they've been forced to evolve, and Makuramon is taking advantage of their full power to make this fight tough since he's a lower level than the other generals. It'll make for an interesting battle, especially after our last three fights have been such complete wipes of the enemy team. Not every fight in the later stages of the story is going to be easy, after all.
As a minor side note here, a lot of people here say that Koichi hasn't evolved yet. Obviously, we know that isn't true as members of the audience, but the characters haven't been made aware of that change since Saki, Koichi, and Chihiro are still on Rubrum and haven't delivered the good news yet. I just wanted to go on and clear the air with that here before anyone started asking questions about it.
The scene with the other Legendary Warriors deciding to reinforce the Earth team was one I added in on a whim, and I think it helps this chapter a lot in terms of bulk. My original outline only came to about two thirds of the length I wanted this chapter to be, so I added in a little something new. The entire team will be reuniting on Earth soon enough, but in the meantime, we've got three-quarters of the group together on Earth. Plus, adding in the others arriving on the scene of the battle let me put in the aftermath of the scene where Takuya gets attacked in there from a third party. That's always a treat.
Speaking of Takuya getting attacked... Let's finally talk about that. I've been waiting to pull this one out for a while, and I'm very excited to finally have it out there. The Dark Trailmon wasn't explained much in canon, but there's a lot more lore for it both in the first book and here. Takuya is going on his second soul searching journey, and if you ask me, he really needs it. He's been repressing his emotions for a long time, and while he's done a better job of keeping his secret than the others, he still needs to open up if he's going to reach the Resplendent level. There's quite a bit on the line for him in this next chapter, and I can't wait to share it all with you.
Next week, we'll follow Takuya into the realm of the Dark Trailmon once again to understand how much he's been hiding. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 56: Whispering in Firelight
Summary:
Takuya tries to uncover the reason he can't Resplendent Evolve during another journey in the Dark Trailmon's realm.
Chapter Text
The world was distorted.
That was to be expected in the dimension of the Dark Trailmon. Takuya had learned the first time around that this was not a place that could be taken at face value. Everything around him was swirling together in an ominous blend he couldn't quite put to words. He had no idea where he was specifically, but as far as he could tell, that didn't matter. There was more to this than simply where he was at the moment. Why else would he have been summoned here again after all this time?
Takuya couldn't say when exactly the Dark Trailmon around him faded and gave way to a new scene, but the change had been instant. He closed his eyes for a split second to blink, and when he opened them again, he was no longer sitting in the train car. Instead, he was somewhere all too familiar: Flame Terminal. It had been months since Takuya was last there, but he would recognize it anywhere. After all, it was the place where his first Spirit Evolution had taken place. It had been the backdrop of his first ever battle too. How could he not remember a place like that?
Takuya stared down at his hands in confusion, and when he did, he found them shockingly beastly. He didn't need to find a reflective surface to be sure he had transformed into Flamemon. Such was simply his fate when he was dragged through the universe of the Dark Trailmon. As he examined his new features, he became all too aware of the fact that he had never actually seen another Flamemon in the Digital World. If he had, then he would have remembered it if only for the sake of moments like this.
Flamemon pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard a battle nearby, and the sound of steel colliding with steel rang in his ears. He looked up to see green fire burning all around him, but he wasn't being scorched by it at all. Instead, he was completely immune to the flames. Flamemon reached out to touch one, and he found that his hand partially went through the fire. He wasn't entirely there, at least not in the way he had been when he had gone on his first journey through this alternate dimension. He had been able to interact with the world to some degree back then, but now, that was not the case. He was simply standing there, and even that was too much for him.
A battle cry forced him to focus again, and Flamemon followed the noise to see himself. No, that wasn't entirely accurate. He saw Agunimon fighting off Cerberumon. Tomoki was on the ground nearby, his body shaking with a fear he had learned all too well growing up. Izumi and Junpei were nowhere to be seen, but Flamemon knew they were safe. They were just up on the higher platform of the train station. More importantly, they were safe with Bokomon and Neemon.
Flamemon could do nothing but stare as his past self dealt the killing blow against Cerberumon, absorbing the resulting memory data and securing the Fractal Code in the area like he had been doing it all his life. Back then, everything had come so naturally to him—to all of them. This was what they were born to do, and they could feel it as they worked to defend the Digital World from danger. The realm felt like an extension of them on an intimate level no words could ever describe. Flamemon remembered feeling that long before he was able to put it to words, and he didn't know if he had even managed to articulate the sensation properly even when he was able to talk about it in full.
Flamemon took a small step forward, hoping he could find some degree of truth in Agunimon or Tomoki, but he found nothing. Instead, his fingers passed right through his targets, leaving him to stagger backwards in surprise. Not being burned by fire was one thing, but not being able to touch other people was a different matter entirely. It shouldn't have been shocking, but it caught him off guard regardless. At least him not being burned by the fire made sense given his element, but not being able to touch other people was shocking no matter how much sense it made. Everything in this odd parallel dimension was bizarre, and he had no idea what he was meant to do about it. This trip felt so different from his previous journey through the realm. He didn't understand why he was there at all. At least he had accepted the Dark Trailmon's offer to go home when he was last drawn into this realm. That made sense. This did not.
Before Flamemon could be too shocked by his fingers passing through Agunimon and Tomoki, the world around him began to melt together. He closed his eyes on instinct, not wanting to have to bear witness to whatever it was that had brought him here in the first place. He felt the ground beneath his feet change, and he let out a gasp of shock as the sounds of yet another battle reached his ears.
Somehow, Flamemon already knew what he was going to see even before he opened his eyes. Even so, he forced himself to look at the world around him, and his stomach dropped into his feet at the sight of Evergreen Dawn. The palace was the same as he remembered, and that was not a good thing.
After all, the Evergreen Dawn that Flamemon remembered was a battlefield.
He took a few cautious steps forward, and his chest went tight with each involuntary movement of his body. He didn't want to have to see this again. Looking back, Evergreen Dawn was among the less traumatizing major battles of his first trip to the Digital World, but that still didn't mean he wanted to have to see the palace fall. For so long, Evergreen Dawn had been his goal. It was a point for all of the Risen Warriors to strive for. If they could just get to Evergreen Dawn, then they would be safe. They could recruit Seraphimon to their side of the war, and the pieces would fall into place from there.
Flamemon wished he could have warned his past self about just how wrong he would be.
Seraphimon summoned a blast of energy, and Flamemon's eyes flickered over to Lyramon. He knew how this was going to end. All it would take was one flash of Lyramon's shield for Seraphimon to die. Seeing Lyramon like this in general was sickening to him. He knew Saki as a friend, but back on the day of Evergreen Dawn's fall, they had been one of his greatest enemies. That was the price Seraphimon's Fallen Warriors had to pay. They had no choice in what they were doing, but there they were acting as his pawns regardless.
Flamemon practically tripped over his own feet as he ran toward Seraphimon. He didn't know exactly he was trying to accomplish, but he was sure he couldn't just stand there and watch this happen again. This was a memory, and there was no way for him to change it. He knew that. Logically, he knew this was going to end the same way it had during the battle that drove the rest of his team into true hopelessness for the first time. He had already seen it once, and at the time, it had been one of the worst days of his life.
But logic had no place in Flamemon's mind, not right now, so he reached out one desperate and helpless hand toward Seraphimon even though he was already too late. No change in his moment of arrival could have gotten him to Seraphimon's side in time. Even so, tears rose to his eyes, and his voice came out cracking. "No!"
Just as he knew he would be, he was too late. Lyramon threw their shield up, and Seraphimon's attack glowed against the silver of the steel. The energy fired itself back at its caster before Flamemon had the chance to make himself heard by force. Seraphimon let out a wordless cry before his silhouette went dark and his memory data was absorbed by Lyramon.
Seeing it coming didn't help the situation at all, Flamemon soon found. How in the world could that make it any easier? He had thought he would be ready to see it again because he had been through it once before, but there was nothing that could have told him just how wrong he was. How could it be that simple? Seeing someone die was difficult no matter who they were, regardless of if they were human or Digimon.
Flamemon felt his knees go weak as Seraphimon's egg was caught by the memories of his friends standing nearby. He wanted to curl up in a hole and forget about all of this. Why the hell was the Dark Trailmon showing him all of this again when it had done enough damage the first time? Flamemon had learned his lesson back then about not messing with the Fallen Warriors, even now, he was careful to not try to let them intrude on his thinking too much. It would just make him feel worse. That was how it had always been.
As if on cue, Flamemon felt someone pass through him, and he let out a guttural cry of shock as he looked down at the offending party. It had been Izumi as she dashed for the back exit of Evergreen Dawn and the Trailmon waiting there. Flamemon turned to see what was happening around him in full, and he looked up just in time to see what he knew would be Sorcermon's final moments. Duskmon was already getting closer to him. It was just a matter of time before his sword came down and took yet another life. That was what Duskmon was best at, after all. He loved crushing and ruining everyone he came across.
Flamemon could do nothing but stare at Sorcermon as the blade of the executioner fell upon his body, and tears streamed down his face. He wanted to beg the Dark Trailmon to stop all of this, to take him back home where he belonged, but he knew it wasn't going to be quite that simple. Of course it wouldn't be that simple. He was here for a reason he didn't understand, and he was going to be stuck there until he could find a way to work through everything that had happened. That was his only option at the moment.
So Flamemon remained still as Sorcermon's Fractal Code condensed itself into an egg and spiraled into the sky. He stared up at Duskmon, and his legs threatened to collapse beneath him. Flamemon had dreamed about Duskmon countless times since getting back to Earth, and he wouldn't pretend otherwise. How could he not be terrified of Duskmon? After everything that had happened both in the Digital World and during his trip to the realm of the Dark Trailmon, it would have been shocking if he wasn't completely terrified of Duskmon.
The Warrior of Void looked up slowly, breaking through the memory for the first time since all of this had started. Flamemon felt his heart stop as Duskmon met his gaze, and the Warrior of Fire was certain he had been stabbed through the heart from the sheer enmity in his foe's eyes. This wasn't how it normally played out. Normally, the train had already left, and—
The train.
Flamemon scrambled backward before he had the chance to figure out what he was doing. The Trailmon was still there, and that was different too. Even so, he gladly boarded it, passing right through the closed back door in the process. When he arrived in the train car, Flamemon practically doubled over from his exhaustion, heavy breaths making his entire body tremble with a force he should have never needed to face in the first place.
Flamemon's legs gave out from beneath him in full as the train started to speed away from Evergreen Dawn, and he didn't bother with trying to push himself back up again. He needed a moment to breathe after everything he had seen. He bitterly wondered against his tears if it had been better to not know what was going on or to understand it perfectly. Somehow, both versions of the Dark Trailmon's nightmare realm were horrifying, and he had no idea how he was meant to fight his way out.
Nearby, the Takuya of his memories was standing just in front of the door. He slammed his fist against the door, cursing the destiny that had killed Seraphimon and Sorcermon in one fell swoop. Soon afterwards, his energy abandoned him, and he fell to his knees in vacant sobs. Flamemon looked at his old self darkly. Oh, how little had changed. The first war against Cherubimon, the Royal Knights, and Lucemon had ended and been replaced with yet another conflict for the Digital World. And yet, despite it all, there he was, still crying on the floor of a Trailmon in the midst of a mental breakdown. He was the same as he always had been, and he couldn't outrun that.
It was difficult to say how long he was there on the floor, and his surroundings certainly weren't helping him to gather his bearings. While he had been distracted with forcing air back into his lungs from the verge of a panic attack, the world had shifted again. It was similar but just slightly different, and Flamemon realized he was later in that same day. He and the rest of the Risen Warriors spent all day on the Trailmon as the world passed them by. None of them had known what to say in response to everything they had just witnessed, and he had been foremost among them.
In all honesty, the aftermath of the battle at Evergreen Dawn was just as miserable to Flamemon as the fight itself. He remembered crying as he stared out the window that showed him the final moments of the palace before it crumbled along with any hope he had. Koji had been left unconscious throughout the entire train ride, and Bokomon and Neemon clung to Seraphimon's egg like it was the only anchor they had left to their old lives. In many ways, that was true. There were few days that stuck out in Flamemon's mind as having hurt him more, and a strong majority of them had also come with horrible battles in the Digital World. Coincidentally, one of them had also been the battle that led him to the realm of the Dark Trailmon the first time.
Flamemon looked up slowly, and he saw himself—saw Takuya—standing in front of the rest of the group with a weary smile on his face. "We've hit rock bottom, so... The only direction we can go is up," he declared. "I know that times are hard right now, but we can do this. We've gotten this far, and we have too much to fight for already to back down. What do you all say?"
Flamemon resisted the urge to bark out a laugh in response. He remembered saying that. He had been terrified out of his damn mind with no way of knowing what their future would hold. Still, he knew he needed to keep his friends in good spirits, so he painted on a smile and believed he would be able to put the pieces of their path back together. The optimism had been false, and it had been the start of the issue that drove Koji to end up slashed across the chest by Duskmon. Takuya had lied, and it had nearly cost him everything in more ways than one.
Thinking about that incident seemed to curse Flamemon to the next scene in his past, and he closed his eyes against the swirling of the world around him. For a moment, he was afraid his mind would show him the day Duskmon had nearly cut Koji in half, but mercifully, the realm of twisted remembrance instead spat him out underground. When Flamemon first touched down, he didn't recognize the place he found himself in.
That mercy didn't last long.
Screaming echoed in Flamemon's head, and he cried out himself before clapping his hands over his ears in desperation. He remembered this now. Of course he did. This was the cave he had been in when he first found his Beast Spirit. Cybelemon had chased them there after deciding they were finished following Lyramon's orders, and when the two fought, their memories began to blend together.
There was another scene that haunted his nightmares. It wasn't Chihiro's fault, of course, but Flamemon didn't think they would ever forget what they had seen when their minds collided that day. He remembered the sensation of hands against his body and their clear desire to tear him apart from the inside out. He had felt like there was no way out, that he was going to die there in a prison of his own memories mixing with those of another. Everything had just hurt, and that had been even before he started clawing at himself with hopes of pulling his skin off and leaving it to burn to ash.
The sensation of clawing arms wrapped around his body quickly morphed into something new, but this time, the hands braced against his shoulders were comforting rather than harmful. The ground beneath his knees shifted once more, and as soon as he registered what the texture was, Flamemon pushed himself up and tried to run. He wasn't sure which direction he was meant to run in, but he was sure he had to run away. He couldn't help here, not in the theater of his own memories and torment.
The sound of waves lapping greedily at the shore echoed in his ears, and Flamemon's body stilled when he heard screaming once again. More importantly though, he heard gasping for air. If there had been any doubt as to where he was, it vanished the instant he heard water trying to slip into the lungs of someone he loved.
In the distance, a whirlpool thrashed, and Kazemon disappeared beneath the surface, too drained to escape. She was replaced with Izumi a moment later, and the girl cried out in shock, pain, and fear as she tried to reach one hand out in desperation. No one would be able to save her. She already knew it. Even so, the horror of dying was written all over her face, and that raw terror was the last thing Flamemon saw before she disappeared beneath the waves.
Nearby, Takuya was reaching out one hand, too exhausted to Spirit Evolve and help her but wanting so deeply to do something. Chihiro's hands were braced against his shoulders to keep him from hurling himself into the sea after Izumi, and eventually, he relented and fell to the sand in screaming sobs. His throat had felt hoarse in the morning, but he barely cared. All he remembered was the deep feeling of pain and anger that someone he loved could be taken from him so quickly. Flamemon didn't think he truly understood what grief meant until that day, and he still thought about it sometimes. It terrified him each time he did.
Flamemon remained still as could be for a long time, just watching as the waves continued to dance on the shore, completely apathetic as to the atrocity they had committed mere moments prior. Eventually, his gaze shifted down to Takuya and Chihiro, and he missed the sensation of being held and loved more than anything in the world. He reached one hand out for Chihiro, wishing they would just hug him until all of this was gone like the bad dream it was at its core. He knew it wouldn't help him at all though. His hand would pass right through them like he wasn't even there. In many ways, he wasn't there at all. He was just reliving his memories, wasn't he? He may as well have not been there.
Instead of letting himself reach for Chihiro in full though, Flamemon forced his hand back to his side. He let out a bitter bark of a laugh and gestured widely with both arms, though his limbs barely felt like they belonged to him anymore. He was so damn tired, and he wanted the world to know it for just a few moments for the sake of his own sanity. "Are you happy now?" Flamemon snapped even though he knew there was no one there directly to hear him. "Is this what you wanted? Do you like seeing me suffer? You've already gotten that quota filled. Let me go home already." He went quiet at that, and his tongue suddenly felt too big for his mouth. "Please."
Pleading had been a poor choice, Flamemon learned, and the world pinched around him all over again. He didn't bother with holding back his tears when he closed his eyes this time, and he let himself sob in the middle of the shifting scenery. He didn't understand. He had a mental block that was keeping him from Resplendent Evolving, but this wasn't the way to go about solving it. Forcing him to relive the worst moments of his life wouldn't help anyone.
He let out a shaky sigh even when he felt the world fall into place fully around him. He still didn't feel safe enough to see where this memory would place him in the timeline of his horrifying adventures in the Digital World. He just wanted to be safe, but he knew that wouldn't be happening until after all of this was over. He needed to see through the twisted test of the Dark Trailmon before he could return home. That was the rule of the game, wasn't it? He just needed to follow it... Though he wanted more than anything to be able to Spirit Evolve to force himself through it without any of this extra drama involved.
No... That wouldn't have been possible. He couldn't have Spirit Evolved even if he wanted to. He had felt his form of Aldamon unraveling around him when he was fighting against the Void Fragment Digimon on Earth. This was the first time since being brought to the shadowy realm that Flamemon actually registered what had happened prior to the darkness closing in around him. He had been fighting, and his senses had gone dull because of some dark force he couldn't describe. He had been losing control, albeit in a different way than he was used to. He had lost.
He wouldn't be able to get out of this nightmare if he dwelled on his past mistakes forever though, so Flamemon forced himself to pry his eyes open. He already knew where he was going to find himself after the fact. He just hoped he was ready to face it.
He knew he never would be though.
The world around Flamemon was dark, the skies perpetually stuck in a state of black with very few rays of light managing to permeate the shadow to illuminate the sandy ground below. Silt shifted in every direction whenever the wind blew, and the horizon was empty of any signs of life or any hope. Such was the way of the Continent of Darkness, especially during the Legendary Warriors' first ever adventure there. All they knew how to do was run back then. They were either running from someone or toward something. It was their perpetual state of being whether they wanted to admit it or not.
But on this day in particular from Flamemon's memories, they had been running constantly.
After all, how else were they supposed to stay out of Duskmon's reach?
It hadn't worked though, and they had to face the corrupted Warrior of Darkness in the midst of their journey to Rose Morning Star. Flamemon remembered rallying everyone together with that false optimism he had come to praise as his lifeline and condemn as his greatest mistake. He didn't want to see the others fall apart under the weight of their own hopelessness, so it had seemed like the best option for him at the time. Looking back though, Flamemon knew just how right Koji had been when he said he needed to knock it off.
Koji.
Flamemon's memory seemed to put itself together at the first reminder of Koji and his fate from that day. The figures of his friends placed themselves around the area, most of them exhausted from their failed attempt to fight Duskmon off. He was too strong for him, and Flamemon had known it. He had thought his optimism, his position as the hero of this story, would be enough to save them, but it didn't work that way. Nothing ever did. Even heroes could fall, and Duskmon proved it that day.
Flamemon took off running as soon as he saw Duskmon raise his blade above Vritramon, ready to bring it down and kill him at long last. Lobomon was running too, and he desperately threw himself in front of Vritramon just before the blade could come down. The scream that tore through the air made Flamemon flinch even though he had heard that cry so many times before. His nightmares were hardly kind when reminding him of his failures from this day in particular, not that he expected them to be. This had been his greatest mistake, and he would never forget it.
Flamemon couldn't hear much aside from the pounding of his own heart in his ears as Vritramon cradled Koji's unconscious body and screamed with a rage and grief that consumed every person who heard it. Duskmon screamed too, and darkness started to creep across the sand, thoroughly draining each of the Legendary Warriors until they had been left limp in their human forms on the ground below. The ground beneath Flamemon's feet went dark, and he waited for the shadows to consume Duskmon too.
But they never did.
Instead, Duskmon simply turned his head up to Flamemon, and the two once again stared into one another's eyes for an eternity. This wasn’t real. Flamemon knew that. Duskmon wasn't real anymore, at least not in this state. Duskmon couldn't hurt him. Still, telling himself that and believing it were two entirely different beasts, and Flamemon didn't think he would ever be able to conquer the latter.
Flamemon couldn't say for certain where exactly he was trying to run to when he wound up on all fours launching himself forward. He hadn't even realized he had been running on his hands and feet ever since being sucked into the Dark Trailmon's realm until that moment. He had done that the last time he was forced into this world too. He hadn't noticed it for a while that time either, but once he did, the truth seared itself across his mind that he wasn't human anymore.
That was arguably even truer now than it ever had been before. None of the Legendary Warriors were human anymore, and they never would be again. The Digital World had changed them into hybrids of humans and Digimon, a shift that had proven itself irrevocable over the last few months. Flamemon wouldn't have wanted to go back to the way he had been even if he was given the option, but the changes in his body and mind still caught him off guard far more often than he wanted to admit. His trip in the realm of the Dark Trailmon had burned the truth in his mind, and he had never quite recovered from that. Then again, he hadn't recovered from his journey in the alternate world in far more ways than just the one.
Just to prove the point, the world around Flamemon began to change once more. He closed his eyes on instinct, but something in the back of his mind screamed at him to pay attention. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes again all of three seconds later, Duskmon was still there, not having faded away with the shift in location. He stalked toward Flamemon, and the Warrior of Fire breathed heavily as the promise of a panic attack filled his chest and then slammed into him hard enough to steal the air from his lungs. He was running again before he could fully register what his body was doing. He couldn't face Duskmon again, not like this. He couldn't fight back when he was Flamemon. His elemental power was still present, but something about it felt wrong, and it was out of his reach to harness it openly. It was like the flames were sticking to the pads of his fingers but never quite expelling themselves outwardly to fend off his foes. He couldn't fight in this form, so running was his only option.
As Flamemon ran, the world around him expanded and solidified itself once more. This was undoubtedly the most concrete location the realm had constructed for him since he arrived for this second trip, and that worried him more than he could ever hope to say. The intimate details of the Shibuya train station formed effortlessly, and the place that Flamemon had come to know so well throughout his childhood quickly made itself out to be his prison. There was no escaping this place. Of course not.
It was ironic in more ways than Flamemon could count, and if he had been able to breathe, he would have laughed about it. He had been pointedly avoiding the Shibuya train station ever since he got back from the Digital World. It didn't feel right to go back there when just thinking about the place made him fear the realm of the Dark Trailmon was going to find him again. He wished that fear had been proven unfounded instead of coming to life around him, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He was trapped.
This time though, the world around Flamemon was different from how he normally remembered it. The train station was completely empty. Before, he had been taunted with visions of the people in the station watching him with disgust and hatred in their eyes, and those horrible stares had made him want to melt into the ground and never come back out of it again. Somehow, the train station being empty was worse though, because that meant Flamemon was all alone with him.
Duskmon stared at Flamemon with apathy in his eyes, barely seeming to see his target at all. If anything, he thought of Flamemon as a bug to be crushed. In this state, there wasn't much Flamemon could do but let Duskmon kill him or run for as long as his muscles would allow him. His strength would give out on him eventually, and when it did... There would be no surviving whatever this phantom of Duskmon had to throw his way.
Part of Flamemon wanted to plead with the Dark Trailmon for answers about why this was happening. He had been brought there for the sake of learning some lesson or another, but Flamemon was afraid that he was going to end up dead before he could process much of anything about his recent mistakes. How was he supposed to learn from his past missteps when it seemed as if he was going to die before he had the chance? What was the point of putting him through the worst memories of his past when he had no way of changing what had already happened? All he could do was stare as every horrible event he had ever survived played out in front of him again in excruciating detail. There was no escape for him, and there never had been. It had just taken him longer to see it this time.
Flamemon's muscles burned even before he forced himself to take off running away from Duskmon again. He was exhausted from everything he had already seen, and he doubted that would change even if he had all the time in the world to rest. The worst events of his adventures in the Digital World had been miserable enough the first time, and he had at least been given the grace of a few days in between each awful loss to recover from the last one.
But had he really recovered from any of it? He wouldn't be here staring down Duskmon if everything was as fine as he wanted to believe. He wouldn't have needed to worry about any of this in the first place if he had resolved everything from his first trip to the Digital World, but there he was, knowing he needed to run but being just as aware that he didn't have the energy to keep pushing on forever. His body ached down to the core, and Flamemon was convinced his lungs were going to completely collapse if he put too much pressure on them.
What was even the point of running at this point? If he was going to end up dying at Duskmon's hands anyway, he might as well go out on his own terms. He couldn't run when there was no one around to help him and his elemental power refused to follow his commands. This was where it was all going to end. He needed to acknowledge the truth and find a way to cope with it as soon as possible. He owed himself at least that much dignity if he wasn't going to be able to find a way to pull through this. It had to count for something, right?
Flamemon slowed to a stop, not bothering to look over his shoulder at Duskmon. He could feel the Warrior of Void stalking toward him even now, and the darkened mist he had always brought with him in these nightmares was fully consuming Flamemon now. The Warrior of Fire didn't bother to try and escape it though. Instead, he just let his eyes slip shut. He could give himself at least the barest traces of dignity before it all ended. He had earned that much even though he had earned nothing at all.
Flamemon knew what was coming.
Duskmon raised his blade high—
Flamemon braced for the blow to take his head—
"Takuya!"
The sound of a familiar voice pulled Flamemon out of his trance, and he forced his eyes open. Above him, Duskmon was completely frozen, his blade glimmering as blood dripped off the edge. He wasn't even breathing anymore, instead just staring down at Flamemon like he was waiting to see what the Warrior of Fire would do next.
Flamemon's gaze flickered to the hallway of the train station just past Duskmon. Koji had appeared, and his skin glowed with a gentle white light that fought off the darkened mist that surrounded Duskmon. Koji started walking toward Flamemon carefully, not even seeming to realize Duskmon was there at all. "Koji!" Flamemon cried out desperately, wishing his muscles would follow his damn desires and walk over to Koji in return. Instead, any attempts to push himself back onto his feet failed, and Flamemon was sent crashing right back down to the ground again. His palms burned from holding himself up after a rough landing, and Flamemon's lungs wheezed with the desperate need for air, and more importantly, freedom from this agony.
Flamemon let out a shaky sigh as tears slid from his eyes against his will, splashing down on the ground near his hands. Another light source had appeared while he was distracted, and Flamemon forced himself to investigate by turning his head in the direction of the newcomer. A gentle brown glow covered Chihiro's body as they walked closer, their hands tucked in their pockets and their eyes hidden by the shadow their hat always cast across their face.
Koji arrived at Flamemon's side while he was distracted with Chihiro, and a gentle hand came down on Flamemon's shoulder. He jumped on instinct, but when he looked up, he only saw Koji, a reassuring smile on his face and the light of hope and love in his eyes. For a long time, all Flamemon could do was stare into Koji's eyes, barely processing that he had actually been touched. For once, his body wasn't completely transparent when he tried to touch the people he loved. Koji was holding him. Koji was there.
Chihiro arrived at Flamemon's other side soon afterward, and their hand came to rest gently on the small of his back. Flamemon practically melted into the touch, his tears flowing freely down his cheeks now. He tried to hold back his sobs at first, but he soon found it to be a pointless endeavor. He was afraid, and he needed his friends there to console him. He didn't want to be alone. Not now, not ever.
Izumi appeared once Flamemon allowed himself to start crying in full, and she approached him slowly with a smile on her face. It was a real smile too, not the fake one he had seen her wearing when he was last dragged into the Dark Trailmon's dimension. She cupped Flamemon's cheek in her hand, and he allowed himself to press his skin against her palm. She rubbed away a few of his tears with her thumb, and the small gesture of love only made Flamemon cry harder. He hadn't realized just how much he needed this, but now that the love had been shown to him... He couldn't be on his own again. He wanted his friends to be there to ease him through every challenge that came his way. He needed them to be there for him.
While Flamemon was distracted with just crying into Izumi's hand, the other Legendary Warriors had all appeared around him, each bathed in a gentle aura of their element's color. Flamemon felt them all place their hands against his back gently, the best way they could offer comfort without completely crowding him. That wasn't enough for Flamemon though, and he practically launched himself forward into Izumi's arms. She continued to hold him tightly as Koji and Chihiro dropped to their knees to join the embrace. Soon enough, the others had all wrapped their arms around Flamemon as well even if they couldn't directly touch him.
For the first time since arriving in the world of the Dark Trailmon, Flamemon felt a fire in his chest, and it wanted him to use it.
Flamemon opened his eyes slowly once he had cried out every tear in his body. He hadn't realized just how much he needed that until he was given no choice but to admit it thanks to the nightmare realm around him, but he couldn't forget it now. He needed his friends... But he hadn't been doing a great job of showing that recently, had he? When he began to doubt himself and if he would ever be able to reach the Resplendent level, he had closed himself off and refused to say a word about it to them. He hadn't told anyone about his nightmares either. In his mind, it had always been justified, but had it ever really been alright?
Previously, he had used any excuse he could get his hands on to ensure he didn't confess to the rest of his friends just how much he was struggling. For a long time, Flamemon had felt obligated to look after Chihiro, and he had been certain that talking about his issues when they were going through so much would be insulting. How could he expect them to care for him when they were having a hard time too? It wouldn't have been right in his mind... But that was what friendship was all about. Everyone had to be on equal footing, and they needed to care for one another no matter what.
Had... Had he done that since going to the Digital World?
Flamemon could still remember the primary revelations he had come to when he was in the realm of the Dark Trailmon the first time. He had realized he struggled to move on from his mistakes, and discovering he could make things right was what had allowed him to push through to return to the Digital World. He had also concluded that Koji was right about him lying to the others. In truth, it had manifested itself as him placing himself on a pedestal in front of his friends. He had believed they would need a beacon of hope, and when times grew dark, he needed to step up to the plate and be that light they all craved so desperately. He had to lie in order to make them happy, but it had been a necessary evil at the time. They needed to stay hopeful in order to press onward.
But had he ever really taken a moment to work through the aftermath of that?
No.
No, he hadn't.
The truth hit Flamemon like a punch to the stomach. He had been putting himself on a pedestal even long after he escaped the realm of the Dark Trailmon. He had seen it as his only choice at the time, but that wasn't true. He had been afraid to open up to them and admit that he had weaknesses too. It was easier to consider all of his burdens already resolved and in the past so he would never have to acknowledge them again... But that had never been true. Even now, he was keeping his deepest struggles a secret from the people he loved because he was afraid of hurting them. He had been there for them through their darkest hours, but he had never given them the chance to do the same.
It wasn't right.
A gentle red light sparked in Flamemon's chest at that, a fire that slowly spread across the surface of his skin. He had never given his friends the chance to help him. He needed them more than anything, but he had locked up his emotions and hidden them away out of fear. He didn't want to appear weak to those he loved, but they would never think that of him. They wanted to help him... And he had deprived them of the chance to do so. He had deprived himself of the chance to get the help he needed.
But no more.
The red light fully consumed Flamemon, and he let his eyes gently flutter shut in the face of the glow. When he opened his eyes once more, he was Takuya again, and he didn't even need to look down at his hands to be sure. Around him, the rest of the Legendary Warriors had pulled away from him, and they now stood at his back. The flash of red light had transformed them as well, and they were in their Resplendent forms behind Takuya.
Throughout all of this, Duskmon had remained frozen on the spot, his blade still raised like he was going in for a killing blow. His eyes were blank, unblinking as they stared down at Takuya. They were waiting for a response—waiting for judgement.
"I was wondering why I was brought here, but I understand it now," Takuya began softly. "It took me a while, but... You had a lesson to teach me, and I'm finally accepting it."
The flame burning in Takuya's chest began to spread outward.
"I'm not going to hide myself from the people who love me most," Takuya went on. "They deserve better than that, and so do I."
The red light crept across Takuya's skin readily, excitement and determination gathering in the air in equal measure.
"Everything changes today," Takuya whispered as he looked up at Duskmon. "I'm changing today."
The fire fully consumed Takuya as soon as those final words slipped free of his lips, and he allowed his eyes to slip closed along the way. He had been battling a mental block keeping him from the Resplendent level for far too long, but that was all in the past now. He wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in his way anymore, and that included his own issues. He deserved better than what he had been giving himself, and he would embrace his new future with everything he was.
At long last, he had figured it out. The way to reach the Resplendent level had been clear from the start; he simply hadn't seen it for what it was. Every member of the group had given themselves what they needed in their darkest hour, and evolution came to free them. The elemental opposites were the same as well. Yumiko and Tomoki had needed someone to defend them from those who would hurt them. Junpei and Saki had needed to allow themselves to trust and connect with others. Izumi and Chihiro had needed to understand and accept what family meant to them. Mayumi and Haroi had needed to accept themselves for who they truly were. Koji and Koichi had needed space to feel through every ugly emotion they had ever battled.
And Takuya and Hinoka had needed to extend a hand of friendship to themselves and others.
And now, it would take Takuya home at long last.
Takuya's regular shirt and jacket were replaced quickly with a new bright red one piece. The edges of the sleeves clung to his shoulders, and the fabric faded out slightly to a stark orange color as well. His shirt's neck segment was cut low enough to put part of his chest on display. The red on his torso spread down to his upper legs where the fabric cut out as shorts lined with a thin layer of orange ruffles.
At Takuya's shoulders, two golden clasps shaped like wisps of fire held a cape in place that flowed freely behind him. The fabric of the cape was transparent and looked like fire too, starting as red up at the top before fading out to orange and yellow near the bottom. Even throughout the transformation process, the cape never stopped moving like it was made of the very fire it was designed to represent.
A black corset appeared around Takuya's torso next, and its exterior was covered in golden designs that imitated fire as well. The details were exquisite and fine, and the golden lining seemed to glow in every light that found it. The front of the corset was laced up by golden string that tied itself together firmly to ensure the rest of the accessory was kept in place. In a similar vein, red string wound itself around his right hand, and a golden flame accessory kept it all pinned in place. On his wrist, the symbol of the Warrior of Fire made itself known, carving its power into his skin with crimson ink.
At the lowest point of the V-shaped cut at Takuya's neck, a new piece of fabric appeared. It was red near the top but faded out to pastel yellow at the bottom where it reached his hips. Thin strings of red, orange, and gold lined the entire strip of fabric that flowed freely and gladly in front of his torso. Thanks to the added details, the fabric looked like a wisp of fire similar to so much of the rest of his outfit.
Takuya's new boots were tall, reaching up to his knees with firm black leather. Golden laces went up the front of the boots, and his soles matched the color of the string. Matching golden goggles appeared on his head, and his brown hair tied itself into a ponytail at the base of his neck. A single stripe of red cut through his hair near his face. Small flakes of red and orange pulled away from his skin, and as the particles floated away, Takuya found himself warmer than ever before. He wasn't just the Warrior of Fire; he was fire, and he could feel the flame in his chest burn greedily in search of the world itself.
When the red light faded once again, Takuya stood with the phantoms of his friends there in the train station. He was no longer alone, and he knew he would never be alone again as long as he had the people that he loved most there to help him. "This is where it ends," Takuya told Duskmon with a smile. He was still afraid, but that didn't matter the way it once had. As long as the rest of the Legendary Warriors were there for him, he could be afraid all the time and it wouldn't truly matter. They would be able to help one another out of their darkest times and their worst struggles, and that included helping to pull each other out of the depths of fear. That was what friends were for, and Takuya wished he hadn't deprived himself of that love for so long.
But he would never make that mistake again. Not anymore.
Takuya punched one fist against the air, and a comet of fire slammed straight into Duskmon. The Warrior of Void faded away like ash on the wind, and Takuya couldn't help but grin at the sight. He was free, and he was safe. That was what it meant to be able to rely on other people, and he wouldn't let himself forget it ever again. The more he thought about how much he loved his friends, the more the world around him began to crumble. The dark mist that followed Duskmon around was the first to go, and the train station melted away after that. Even as the illusions of the other Legendary Warriors faded, Takuya remained strong with his head held high. He had learned his lesson, and he was ready to go back now to see his friends for real. They were waiting for him, and he would be with them soon enough.
When the distortion of the world set Takuya down once again on the ground of the Dark Trailmon's loading platform, he looked up at the train with a smile on his face. "I've figured it out," he declared even though he was certain that was obvious. He wouldn't have reached the Resplendent level if he hadn't unraveled the truth already.
"Go to them," the Dark Trailmon told Takuya simply. "Good luck, kid." Takuya was halfway tempted to ask the Dark Trailmon as many questions as he could, knowing he wouldn't get this chance again for a long time if it ever came at all, but he was just as aware that he couldn't afford to waste any time. The rest of his friends were waiting for him, and he had to go help them as soon as possible. He didn't know how they were faring in the battle back on Earth, but he would see for himself soon enough.
And for the first time in ages, he would finally be able to help.
The world around Takuya went dark again, but he leaned into the darkness rather than trying to fight it. He didn't need to be afraid of the shadows anymore. There were other people to help him through his fears, and he wouldn't let the horrors of the past consume him ever again. When he woke, he would be back with them, and by extension, he would be home. It had taken him ages to see the truth, but that was in the past now. He had changed, and he wouldn't let anyone forget it, least of all himself.
When Takuya next opened his eyes, he felt the rough and unforgiving ground beneath his body. He couldn't entirely remember what had happened just before he lost consciousness earlier, but he didn't care enough to find out at the moment either. Instead, he stared up at the people who were gathered around him for a few seconds before starting to push himself up. Upon closer examination, Takuya realized the people around him were the members of the investigation team with Shinya and Masae foremost among them in watching over him. All of them were beyond shocked to see him awake again, and they didn't seem to know what to say. Takuya could figure out the source of their shock fairly easily; he had Resplendent Evolved while seemingly unconscious, and they didn't know what it meant.
There would be time for explanations later on though. For the moment, Takuya shook off his nerves and started to walk toward the battle at hand. He was vaguely aware of the rest of the group fighting above him, all of them on the other side of the pink barrier that had been set up on the ground to make sure no harm came to him. The shield had been Izumi's doing, Takuya recognized. She may not have been able to spare the time to wait for him to wake up, but she could keep him and the rest of their human friends safe, and Takuya certainly appreciated that.
The Warrior of Fire passed through the barrier without any issues, and with each step he took, flames licked at his boots. The fire within was desperately seeking an outlet, and he was all too happy to provide one. He kept his eyes on the sky, watching as the rest of his friends busied themselves with both fighting off the attacking Digimon and keeping up the defensive. Fighting a defensive battle was difficult when there was no real ground to hold in the first place, and they were at a massive disadvantage as a result. Anyone could see that they were losing ground remarkably quickly with no easy way of fixing the issue. Their Resplendent Evolutions were powerful, yes, but if they let themselves attack all out, then they would end up damaging the very city they were trying to protect. Restraint was a dangerous beast and a fine line to walk, and that was the greatest issue keeping them from winning the battle in record time.
At the heart of the enemy forces stood Makuramon. Hinoka and Haroi were fighting against him at the moment, flying as they traded blows with the monkey Digimon. Makuramon moved far faster than he had any right to, and he easily dodged most strikes sent his way thanks to the boost in strength and agility he had been given by the powered-up Void Fragment Alastomon had sent with him. As long as he could see an attack coming, he was going to avoid it.
So the best way to get rid of him was to make sure he was hit by something he couldn't expect.
Takuya laid low as he crept around the street, always keeping his eyes on the sky in case a rogue Digimon decided to blow his cover by sending an attack his way. He managed to avoid being spotted thanks to having eight other allies already fighting off the invading army, giving him the perfect chance to slip around to the back side of the building Makuramon was standing on. From there, Takuya allowed the fires beneath his feet to roar on, giving him a boost off the ground and the momentum he needed to reach the top of the building. He was careful to slow his descent as much as possible to make sure Makuramon didn't overhear him before stalking a bit closer to the monkey.
As soon as Takuya was in range, he punched one fist forward, and a comet of fire left his hand before slamming into Makuramon's back. It was the same move Takuya had used against Duskmon, and it was just as effective in the real world as it had been in the realm of his nightmares. The comet hit Makuramon square in the spine with all the force in the world, and the monkey Digimon cried out in pain before he went still and collapsed to the ground. He had increased strength and agility, yes, but he was lacking in the defensive department.
Hinoka and Haroi both looked up to Takuya with wide eyes as soon as they realized what had just happened, and he sent them a quick wave before he got right back to business. He ran up to Makuramon and kicked the monkey high in the air, leaving him to scream all the while. Hinoka took off into the sky after him, drawing a line in the sky and creating a portal to the Digital World before slamming Makuramon through the gate and following after him. The other Digimon who had already been freed of their possession started to follow Hinoka through the gate.
Takuya watched Hinoka through the small gap in the barrier he could see. Hinoka hit Makuramon once with a blast of water before commanding the tides to swallow and crush him in one fell swoop. Seconds later, his silhouette had gone dark, and Hinoka took his memory data before sending his egg spiraling up into the sky. Afterward, Hinoka swerved right back through the gate and whistled to get the attention of everyone on the battlefield. The message was clear: any purified Digimon were to return to the Digital World as soon as possible.
Hinoka's whistle had doubled as a distraction too, and the few Digimon that were still left under the control of the Void Fragments looked up at her when they heard the noise. From there, they were hit where it hurt and sent back where they came from in the seconds after the whistle fell silent. Less than four minutes later, the entire street was empty like nothing had happened there in the first place, much less a massive battle. There were a few dents left behind in the roads and buildings, but save for those scarce reminders of combat, the city was clean and safe.
"Takuya!"
The Warrior of Fire turned at the sound of his name and saw the rest of the group running toward him. Izumi was the one who had called out for him, and she landed at his side as her wings eased her to a stop on the roof of the building. "You did it!" Izumi went on as she threw her arms around him. Takuya laughed and accepted the hug, returning it with an embrace of his own. Izumi pulled away a moment later, instead pressing her palms against his shoulders. "Look at you!"
"Resplendent level and all," Takuya finished for her with a bright grin. "It took me a while to figure everything out, but here I am. I've finally realized what causes Resplendent Evolution too. I don't know how much help it'll be now that so many of us have reached that level, but..."
"It's still impressive," Junpei countered with a bright smile as he clapped one hand against Takuya's back. The Warrior of Fire staggered forward slightly, but Izumi was there to keep him steady, her hands the anchors through which he rooted himself to reality. "Now, tell us all about it. How much did you figure out? How did you reach the Resplendent level? What even happened to you in the first place? Last I saw, you were unconscious on the ground after getting hit."
"Oh, you won't believe it," Takuya began. His mind raced as he tried to figure out which detail to share first. So much had happened in the realm of the Dark Trailmon even before his revelation, and going through it all would take a while, but he would get there. They had time now that Makuramon was out of the picture permanently. "It all started with—"
Takuya stopped. All of them stopped.
Something was coming. They could feel it.
Takuya instinctively sunk into a defensive position, ready to charge into another fight the instant he was given reason to do so. He could feel a battle on the horizon. Their fight against Makuramon was over, but there was something else headed their way that was planning to tear them all apart. The portal to Earth hadn't even opened yet, but Takuya knew it was coming. He could probably guess who was coming too, and he held back a snarl at the idea.
Their war wasn't over yet. In fact, it was only just beginning.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while. I couldn't leave the realm of the Dark Trailmon be for the entire book. There's so much to be found there, and it wouldn't be right to up and ditch it. Takuya got dragged right back there to have another adventure as Flamemon, and it sparked a very necessary revelation for his character development. Oh, the memories.
I feel like this note will work best if I go backwards. Takuya realized what sparks Resplendent Evolution, and that would be the person in question embodying what they needed at their darkest hour. If you noticed the elemental opposite pairs' evolutions were starting to seem somewhat similar, you would be right. The elemental opposite characters have a lot in common on purpose, and that includes what they needed when they were struggling the most. Being what they needed most is what sparks evolution here.
Going back through the other elemental pairs: Yumiko and Tomoki felt alone and like they had no one when they were being bullied and abused. They needed someone to step up and keep them safe, so they took matters into their own hands and decided to defend others from danger, and that caused them to evolve. They needed a defender.
Junpei and Saki both have trust issues and spent ages struggling to open up to people about their issues because they feared being pushed away or betrayed for their honesty. They opened themselves up to trusting others and acted as that emotional rock for the people they love and evolved. They needed trust and connection.
Hinoka and Takuya have a bad habit of dealing with all their issues on their own without letting themselves rely on others. They turn themselves into martyrs because they believe they're undeserving of the help others can offer them, Hinoka because of how she was treated by Emon and Takuya because he has an idolization complex with his own optimism. They both opened themselves up and accepted help or offered it to others who needed it too. They needed friendship.
Izumi and Chihiro also bottle up all of their problems and hide how they really feel until they explode. Izumi does it for the sake of easing the fears of others while Chihiro doesn't trust others enough to trust them to be able to help them. They reached out to the people they care about to try and make things right for themselves, finally easing the burden on their own shoulders by relying on the people they love most: their family in both the blood and found sense. They needed family.
Mayumi and Haroi have spent years struggling because of their disabilities isolating them. They came to believe their disabilities were the cause of all their issues and struggles, and they wanted to change for the sake of others accepting them. However, they also realize that they deserve better than they have been given and accept their disability as part of them and something that deserves love too. They needed acceptance.
Koji and Koichi have hidden their emotions for years because they either couldn't trust others or didn't think they deserved to open up. When they were at their lowest, they were not only alone but also repressing and ignoring every negative emotion they had, making them even more miserable. They only evolved after they opened their hearts up to realizing that they can express themselves in dark times. They needed space to feel.
Every character had to embody what they needed most in their darkest hour in order to evolve, and that's where Takuya sets himself apart. Every other character had their darkest moment before entering the Digital World, but with Takuya, he was hit hardest by what happened there out of everything in his life. He needed to face the demons of the Digital World and realize that he hadn't actually done much to try and ease those pains. That was why he was shown all of the images of his time in the Digital World. It hurt him, but since it didn't influence his ability to Spirit Evolve, he didn't say anything about it. He never really stopped putting himself on a pedestal. He acknowledged it when Koji pointed it out, but he didn't ever fix it, and changing that is what finally allowed him to Resplendent Evolve.
So with that out of the way, all twelve of the Legendary Warriors have reached the new level just in time for the end of act four. Makuramon's defeat marks the end of our fourth arc, and for the final four chapters, we'll be focusing exclusively on stopping Alastomon and wrapping up the story once and for all.
Next time, we'll follow up on the impending attack on Earth following Makuramon's defeat. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 57: Treacherous Hearts
Summary:
Alastomon arrives on Earth in the wake of Makuramon's defeat.
Chapter Text
The sky pulled itself apart.
Takuya clenched his fists even tighter as the Digital World appeared overhead. Most of the Void Fragment victims had already been sent back to their home world, but the few who were still left on the ground looked up in horror just the same. The entirety of Shibuya seemed to stand still as the Legendary Warriors waited to see who their opponent was set to be. If Saki, Koichi, and Chihiro had succeeded in fighting off Alastomon's other general back on Rubrum, then there were no other prominent enemy leaders who could have been left to fight.
There was only one option as to who they would be facing, and they already knew exactly who it was.
Alastomon stood atop a small platform of red energy as he passed through the rift to Earth. He spotted the Legendary Warriors quickly even from a distance, and as soon as he saw them, his gaze shifted to a glare. He was far away, but Takuya could see farther than ever before thanks to his new evolution and the extra abilities it brought him. As a result, he could see the way Alastomon resisted the urge to scoff in irritation as he cast a spell. Takuya figured out a moment later that it was meant to amplify his voice so he would be heard all across the city. How else was he meant to make his demands?
"Legendary Warriors," Alastomon began, his voice echoing throughout the skies. Takuya wanted to launch himself up into the sky and punch Alastomon with all the new power he had acquired, but he forced himself to remain still to ensure he didn't put his friends in danger. "I'm impressed with how well you've handled yourselves. I wish now more than ever that you had taken me up on my offer to join me in this quest... Though I suppose it's a bit too late for me to offer you a place at my side now."
Takuya snarled, wanting to be able to snap back at Alastomon with a snide comment of his own. However, he knew that amplifying his voice would end poorly in the long run. There were other people in Shibuya, after all, and if anyone recognized his voice and turned him in, then that would be the end of everything he had been working so hard to accomplish. Alastomon would come down to fight him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors soon enough, and Takuya would be able to rub it all in his face then.
Alastomon seemed to be able to sense that he had already earned the ire of the group, and he continued to speak while he had the advantage of silence. "You fought well to defeat all of my generals. I'm impressed with how well you've handled yourselves... But you haven't won this battle yet. As long as I still stand, the war continues... Though I will give you one last chance to change your minds and stand with me going forward. Imagine how much we could do if only we worked together instead of fighting on opposite sides... The world would change for the better in no time at all."
Junpei shook his head, also clearly resisting the urge to amplify his voice and snap back with all the rage that had been boiling up in his stomach throughout this speech. "The only way we'll ever be on the same side is if you decide to hurl yourself off a bridge, but I somehow doubt you’re ever going to agree to that," Junpei muttered. "He already knows we're not going to side with him. What's the point of even asking?"
"He must be desperate now that all of his generals have been taken out of the picture," Izumi murmured. "He has no chance of winning as long as all of us are as strong as he knows we are. He knows the only way to beat us is to join us... But he's too proud for that, so he's trying to get us to join him instead."
"If he wants me to do anything for him, then he has another thing coming," Koji snarled. "After everything he has done, he deserves nothing short of death. He has earned it given what he's put both worlds through."
Just as Takuya expected, Alastomon heard everything the Legendary Warriors said despite the distance thanks to the spell he had cast before the conversation began. "It's a shame... I was giving you another chance so you wouldn't be killed beneath my heel... But if you don't want to take it, then I suppose we'll simply have to do this the hard way. Each and every one of you has been a thorn in my side for far too long, but that ends today. Just remember that after this battle ends, you will have only yourselves to blame for the destruction to come."
Alastomon snapped, and the portal behind him began to widen. Void Fragment Digimon of all shapes and sizes streamed through the open rift. Beyond that, thin traces of darkness shot through the city streets before slamming into the Digimon that had been left behind after the previous fight. Takuya wished they had thought to send each of the Digimon back home before they tried to talk about everything that had just happened, but there was nothing they could do to change the facts of the situation now. They would have to fight off Alastomon's new army along with every Digimon he had forced back under his thumb when he arrived.
"You will all die here and now, and it will be the happiest moment of my damn life!" Alastomon declared as he spread his arms wide above his head. "At long last, the Digital World will be mine, and there's nothing any of you can do about it!" He pointed down at the Legendary Warriors, and the army gathered behind him perked up on instinct. "Go! This is where the war ends, and I shall emerge the victor!"
Takuya kicked himself off the roof, taking advantage of his element to give himself a little bit more momentum. If Alastomon wanted a fight, then that was exactly what he was going to get. No matter what, Takuya was determined to win and defend the people of Earth from the incoming invasion. Hopefully, this battle would also end with Alastomon's death, but he would have to wait and see. Takuya would fight with everything he had to win the war no matter what it took. Alastomon would see the depth of the mistake he had made, and Takuya would make sure of that with his own two hands.
This was where it ended, and nothing would stand in the way of his ambition... Not even Alastomon.
~~~~~
Koichi stepped out of the portal carefully, afraid of putting his foot down in case the ground moved out from beneath his feet. He knew realistically that Saki wouldn't have let him step through the portal leading from Rubrum back to Inaie if it wasn't safe, but a greater part of Koichi's mind told him that the island was perpetually in motion and only stopped if Darcmon gave it a command to do so. As soon as his foot touched down on the stone street of Inaie though, all his fears evaporated, and he stepped out of the portal as the others all trailed behind him.
It had taken quite some time to send the former Void Fragment Digimon back home after the battle on Rubrum. There were a lot more of them than Koichi had expected, though he supposed that misconception was to be expected given the fact that he hadn't arrived until halfway through the battle. He was relieved to have them all back where they belonged, especially because it meant he could go back to Inaie to see the Legendary Warriors. He couldn't wait to pass on the good news about his Resplendent Evolution. Koichi had been so excited that he hadn't reverted back to his regular human form after the battle ended.
In fact, none of them had gone back to normal yet. Saki and Chihiro were both still transformed as well, Saki because they had to open the portal and Chihiro because they didn't want to change back until after they were sure they were safe. The Warrior of Earth let out a heavy sigh and stretched their arms high above their head. "I'm glad to finally be back," they declared. "If I had known it was going to take so long for us to send all those Digimon back, then I would have held back a bit during the fight so I could have extra energy to help them go home."
"At least we can take a break now," Koichi told them. He didn't know when they would next be called out to action, so he wanted to take advantage of the break for as long as they had it. Chances were high that once they started fighting again, they wouldn't get much of a chance to stop until after Alastomon had already been defeated.
"I don't know if I would go that far."
Darcmon's voice cut through Koichi's thoughts a moment later, and he glanced up to see her walking closer with Hippogriffomon on one side and the Digimon guides all clustered together on the other. Worry was plastered across Bokomon's features, and that was enough of a warning to Koichi that they wouldn't be able to rest even without hearing the full story. They had a long road ahead of them, and it all started with a piece of news Koichi could only assume was absolutely horrible.
"What's going on? Where are the others?" Chihiro asked, sinking into a defensive stance immediately. They were right; the other Legendary Warriors were nowhere to be seen, and Koichi doubted only the Digimon would come by to deliver a message to the new arrivals. If the other members of the group were there, then they would have come by to explain what was going on.
"They're all back on Earth," Bokomon explained. "The last thing we heard from them was that they were following a distress signal from Takuya. He was in danger, and he needed all the help he could get. They told us to tell you to go and meet them on Earth when you got back."
Koichi shared an anxious glance with Miriamon as Saki took a step forward. "What about all of you? If Inaie is attacked while we're gone, you won't have an easy way of defending yourselves. If Alastomon decides to make this place his next target, then we could have another disaster on our hands."
"We'll call for you if anything happens," Darcmon assured them. "We haven't heard any news back from Earth yet, so I can only assume that all of them are still fighting as hard as they can. You should go and see how things are going on Earth, and if you think it's safe to come back, then you can return here. Until then, we can look after the island on our own and summon you if we find ourselves in danger."
Koichi couldn't say he liked this idea in the slightest, but he knew there was no easy way of arguing with Darcmon. She was right about the group needing to go back to Earth to make sure the rest of the Legendary Warriors were safe. If they were fighting against Makuramon, then they probably would have been able to handle themselves. He was a lower level than the rest of Alastomon's generals, so it should have been easy to defeat him... And that could mean only one thing.
Alastomon himself had attacked Earth, and he was hoping to kill the Legendary Warriors in one fell swoop.
"We have to go then," Koichi declared quickly. He glanced over to the Digimon, regret hitting him like a tidal wave. "I'm sorry we'll have to leave you here, but it wouldn't be a good idea for you to come with us. We don't know what could happen if Digimon stay on Earth for an extended period of time."
"You have no reason to worry about us," Bokomon assured him, though Koichi knew he was putting on a mask of confidence so no one else saw just how wound up he was about all of this. "If Inaie is attacked, then we will tell you as soon as possible. If anything, I would spend this time worrying about what you will be doing on Earth. The battle ahead is bound to be a dangerous one."
Koichi couldn't argue about that. He didn't know what could have caused Takuya to send out a distress signal, but he wished he had recognized what was happening sooner. If he had to guess, the signal had likely been sent out when he, Saki, and Chihiro were distracted with the aftermath of their battle on Rubrum. They wouldn't have been able to focus on the distress signal even if they realized it was being sent their direction. Spirit Evolving when someone was trying to contact them via D-Tector always made the communication shaky, and unfortunately this time, it had put them all behind by what Koichi could assume was at least an hour. He didn't know what the state of the battle was back on Earth, but he hoped they were able to get there in time to somehow save the rest of the group.
"You know what to do if anything happens here," Saki told Miriamon with a stern nod. "Contact me or anyone else as soon as possible, and we'll come running back. Be careful until then. I know the island is safer now than ever since Alastomon isn't tracking it, but—"
"You don't need to worry," Miriamon assured her with a small smile that put her older sister instincts on full display, placing her hands on Saki's shoulders. "We can take care of ourselves, and everything will be fine. If anything happens, we'll be alert and ready to respond to it. Now go back to Earth and look after your friends. I know you'll be strongest when you're all together. You can come back as a full team, and we'll come up with a plan then."
Saki nodded once again before dragging their finger through the air to create a gap in the barrier for the group to travel through. "We'll be back as soon as possible. Be careful," they cautioned one last time before dashing through the rift. Koichi and Chihiro gave their own farewell waves to the Digimon, and as soon as they had finished the farewell gesture, they ran through the portal and vanished from view.
Even as the world shifted, Koichi's stomach twisted. He didn't know what to expect on the other side of the portal, but he could only hope it wasn't too awful. He needed his friends to be alright more than anything.
It was time for them to be twelve once again. They had been apart for long enough.
~~~~~
Takuya countered a strike from an enemy Digimon before punching at the air, sending out a stream of fire that freed three enemies from their possession. He didn't wait long enough for them to respond to being released from Alastomon's control though, instead using his fire abilities to kick himself off the ground and focus on the other Digimon that made up the enemy army. He didn't have a moment to lose, and he could feel it deep in his chest. The sooner this battle ended, the better off all of them would be.
The Legendary Warriors had been forced to split up after Alastomon declared the start of the fight. He knew the advantage he was at, and he was pushing it with all the power he could. If he pushed the Legendary Warriors onto their back foot and forced them to play the defensive game, then he would be able to win in no time. Shibuya was a massive city, and that meant it would fall all the more gracelessly if he was able to get in the right hits in the right places. The city was weakened already because of the previous attack he had demanded. Nobody had been given the time they needed to recover yet. They needed more time, and more importantly, they needed to stay safe.
When the battle first began, Takuya had gone down to tell the members of the investigation team to hide. It wasn't like they needed any encouragement to dash into the nearest building and hide in the back room, but Takuya still wanted to make sure they were alright. After all, each of them had been placed in danger when he wasn't able to defend them. They were just lucky Izumi had gotten there when she did. If she had been even a few moments later, then they would have all been a world of trouble, and the danger was awful enough as it was.
Takuya glanced over his shoulder at the street standing behind him. The downside to his most powerful form being his Resplendent Evolution was that if anyone got the wrong glimpse of him on their phone's camera, then everyone would know exactly who he was. In a game of secret identities, Takuya wished he had the forethought to wear a mask. The revelation may not be a surprise to his family and friends anymore, but it would have shocked other people who weren't already aware of the truth, and Takuya didn't want to be chased into the Digital World forever. There were people on Earth he loved, and he wouldn't let Alastomon take that from him.
Takuya followed his fist forward in a quick punch at the air. A stream of fire came away from his body before slamming into the Digimon that was trying to approach him from the right. The monster was immediately left staggered, and Takuya took that as his chance to deal another mighty punch to his opponent's side. He was glad for the boost in physical strength his evolution brought him. It wasn't as helpful at range as his elemental abilities, but it was still helpful, and he could use that to his advantage.
Even as he watched the Digimon be freed from their possession though, Takuya knew he couldn't stop for long. He could feel cameras on him constantly, and he just hoped he was far enough away for the phones' video features to not pick up on his face. Just for the extra bit of security, Takuya pulled his goggles down over his eyes. They were a nice aesthetic detail, but beyond that, they were the last line of defense he had against the people of Shibuya.
The other person fighting on the ground level with Takuya was Koji. He had created a small sphere of light just above his head that followed him with every step he took. It was a subtle way of making sure nobody was able to catch him on camera, ensuring the phones' video feeds would instead attach themselves to the sphere of light rather than his face. That was the only thing keeping him from being exposed... Well, that and his beyond impressive speed. Koji had summoned a simple sword made of light, and he fought with it like he had been trained in the blade for as long as he had been alive. To say Takuya was impressed was a grave understatement. He couldn't believe he had never seen the extent of Koji's experience with a sword on full display before. Not even his actions as Lobomon or Beowolfmon could match up to this.
It was only Takuya's last line of restraint that kept him from calling out to Koji that he was happy to see him fighting so well. He knew that would only draw more attention to him though, and he really couldn't afford that right now. Instead, Takuya turned that energy to releasing another blast of fire through his open palm, slamming into another Digimon that was trying to charge him. Koji traded places with him quickly, sword glinting from its makeup of pure light. Koji slashed the blade freely with all the strength he could muster, and he rose to his full height only after he was certain the Digimon had been freed from their possession. When a Void Fragment tore away from the Digimon and then shattered, Koji considered himself satisfied and went right back to the battle, running off past Takuya to take care of the other Digimon gathered in the streets.
Something in the back of Takuya's mind told him to duck, and he was happy to follow its instructions if it would keep him alive for a short while longer. He fell to the ground before kicking forward in a roll just as Tomoki sent down a blast of ice from above. That was enough to stun a Digimon that had almost gotten too close to Takuya, leaving them thoroughly disoriented and staggered for a few moments. Takuya was on the verge of summoning another blast of fire to fully take them out of the battle, but he was cut off when Mayumi appeared in his peripheral vision. She landed heavily on the Digimon, draining as much energy from them as she could before their Void Fragment appeared. Mayumi was gone just as soon as she had appeared, off to take even more energy from her enemies.
Takuya knew exactly what she was planning. If Mayumi could get enough power stored up, then she would be able to use it against Alastomon. Of course, he would already be wise to her tricks given how many times she had used that strategy to defeat him in the past, but if the Legendary Warriors played their cards right, then they would be able to use it to push him back regardless. All they had to do was ensure their strategy was tight before they went after Alastomon directly. Takuya trusted the other Legendary Warriors to be able to figure something like that out. Junpei was an incredibly talented strategist, and Koji would be able to help him when it was time to take on Alastomon directly. Saki usually helped out with planning strategies like this too, but as long as they were still back in the Digital World from being tasked to guard Inaie, Junpei and Koji would have to handle it themselves.
Takuya released another blast of fire at a Digimon that threatened to knock him off guard, but before he could follow up, a massive column of rock speared out of the ground. The Digimon was sent flying into the air, and Takuya couldn't help staring. That was not how he had expected that to go. Even more shocking still was the blast of darkness that quickly pulled the Void Fragment out of their body. Izumi was paying enough attention to ease the Digimon to the ground instead of just leaving them in free fall, so Takuya only felt the street shake slightly beneath his feet as he looked up at the new arrivals.
"If we had known you were having a party, we would have come sooner," Takuya heard Saki say in the back of his head. He had known their control over the element of Steel came with some degree of psychic abilities, but it caught him off guard even so, and he let out a small yelp of surprise before forcing himself to focus on the battle once again.
Takuya wanted to respond to Saki, but he knew they wouldn't be able to hear him anyway, so there wasn't much of a point. Instead, Takuya focused on the battle once again, but before he could free any other Digimon from the possession of the Void Fragments, Chihiro came crashing down to the ground. They punched at the center of the street, sending the earth around them into rumbles and quakes. Chihiro rose to their full height soon after, leaving behind their crouch as they brushed their hands off apathetically. "Fancy seeing you here," Chihiro remarked, making sure they kept their voice quiet enough to not be heard by anyone recording the fight nearby.
"I was wondering when you would show up," Takuya replied. He looked to Chihiro carefully, waiting for them to notice their face was on full display so close to the ground. They were quick to remedy that, and they snapped their left hand, the one covered with the gauntlet of stone. A mask appeared over the top half of their face after the fact, gemstones coming together to block their eyes from view while not getting in the way of their field of vision at all. Their way of handling the idea of being spotted was far more graceful than Takuya's plan, but as long as it worked, neither one of them had any room to complain.
"We had a bit of cleaning up to do," Chihiro explained. "And I don't think you should be asking me about what I've been up to. You're wearing a new outfit. How's the new evolution treating you?"
Takuya flashed Chihiro a grin as he went right back to the battle, punching at the air with columns of fire with every free second that he was granted. "Oh, it's amazing," he answered. "I don't think I've ever felt this incredible, and I've certainly never fought this well. It feels like my view of life has been turned on its head."
"Doesn't it just?" Chihiro agreed. "And now that you've managed to reach the Resplendent level, all of us are finally there, and it's just in time for us to start planning for the final battle against Alastomon." Takuya opened his mouth to pose a question, but Chihiro knew what he was going to ask even before he spoke the words, and they gladly took the idea right out of his mouth. "Koichi? He figured out how to evolve on Rubrum. He was able to make peace with himself at long last as far as I can tell, and he has been doing much better ever since then. Do you really think he would have been able to summon that massive blast of dark magic if he was still caught up in his own head? That took effort, especially after the battle we fought. It wasn't a hard fight, but it was still obnoxious."
"That seems to be the name of the game when it comes to Alastomon," Takuya snorted. "We would wipe the floor with him and his army if we were given the chance to do so, but that's why he decided to attack us while we were on Earth. There's not as much we can do to fight back against him right now. It's smart, but it makes me want to punch him in the face."
"As far as I can tell, you'll be able to do that fairly soon," Chihiro told him in between stomping on the ground and summoning massive slabs of rock to fight off the enemy Digimon with. "The others are doing a good job of holding our position from the roofs of the nearby buildings, and we're going to have the ground level cleared out in no time. After that, we'll be able to join them in focusing on the Digimon coming at us from the sky, and everything will fall right into place."
Takuya nodded, rolling out of the way when an attack from the battle in the sky managed to reach the city streets. The strike was enough to separate him and Chihiro, but as far as Takuya was concerned, that was for the best. They would fight better when they were split up and couldn't talk to distract each other in the heat of the battle. They would have all the time in the world to catch up after this was over and they had finally won their place in the world. Until then, Alastomon's forces needed to be fought off as soon as possible.
Just to prove the point, one of the enemy Digimon started to charge toward a massive skyscraper that Takuya could only assume was a business building of some kind. Just before the Digimon could make contact though, Takuya threw his arms out and grabbed them by the tail. He sent flames crawling across his foe's body, consuming them in the blink of an eye. The fire only stopped its relentless path forward when a Void Fragment spat itself out from the Digimon's body. It shattered in the sky, and Takuya smirked to himself before continuing the battle. He needed to play more defensively, but as far as he was concerned, the best defense was a good offense, and he was damn good at playing offensively. If it was a fight these Digimon wanted, then Takuya was happy to give it to them.
He kicked off the ground when three Digimon tried to charge at him from different directions. They had been hoping to catch him off guard, but Takuya was too smart for that, and he let his element carry him into the air just long enough for the Digimon to crash into each other. From there, he began to turn himself around, using the flames that naturally danced around him to do so. He dove down toward the ground as a comet, his arms stretched above his head. The ground shook from the explosion that resulted when he finally hit the street below, and the Digimon were sent sprawling. Two of them were left without their Void Fragments after the initial strike, and Chihiro gladly stepped up to the plate to deal the finishing blow. As the third Digimon came hurtling toward them, Chihiro turned around and dealt a firm kick to their abdomen. Sure enough, a Void Fragment appeared seconds later, and Takuya barely had time to register the shattering sound of the piece of darkness before he was off running again to take care of the next Digimon that dared to cross him.
Takuya had to admit that fighting this way felt good. He had always loved taking to combat with his Spirit Evolutions to give him strength, but something about fighting at the Resplendent level was deliciously different in a way that made Takuya feel even better about what he was doing. Not only was he at his strongest, but he was having a lot of fun with it. This was what it meant to be the Warrior of Fire, and he wouldn't have traded it for the world. He was at his happiest when he was able to fully let his element push him forward, and he wouldn't have traded it for anything.
Unfortunately, not wanting to trade away his evolution no matter what happened did little to help him in the present. He needed to fight through the remaining ground forces in order for it to be safe to engage with Alastomon directly. Takuya was making good progress, and having the added help of Chihiro on the ground level of the city was helping out even more. Takuya couldn't say he was looking forward to having to fight Alastomon again though. He wanted to believe the Legendary Warriors would be able to handle it without any issues, but he knew better than to get caught up in the idea of how he thought a battle should go. That was how he had wound up in the Dark Trailmon's dimension the first time, and Takuya knew better than to make that decision again.
Alastomon still hadn't moved from his place in the sky above Shibuya. He was simply staring down at the battle below. Takuya knew it was just a matter of time before he did something that would change the tides of the fight once and for all. Alastomon wouldn't have come here if he had just been planning on watching the fight until it ended. He wanted to defeat the Legendary Warriors permanently, and if that meant killing them, then so be it. Takuya didn't know what he was planning, but he could only hope he was able to keep up with the battle long enough to find out the truth. Takuya didn't want to see what Alastomon had in store for all of them, but when the moment came, he would be ready.
Perfectly enough, Chihiro finished taking care of the final Digimon on the streets of Shibuya right as Takuya thought that. The Warrior of Earth let out a heavy sigh and brushed their hands together to get rid of any stray pieces of debris sticking to their gauntlet of stone. They had fought an entire other battle before this one began, and this fight starting just after the previous one ended didn't put Chihiro, Saki, or Koichi in a great position. They were still able to fight, but they didn't necessarily want to. Takuya couldn't blame them. He didn't want to have to do this either, but he hoped the battle would work in his favor. If all went well, then he and the others would be able to get rid of Alastomon then and there with no need for other pretenses. They needed to keep their eyes on the future no matter what, and that started with finishing this fight and figuring out just what their enemy was planning.
Alastomon was still flying there in that one spot in the sky overhead, but something about his posture had changed slightly. Takuya couldn't quite put a finger on what had shifted when he wasn't paying attention, but he knew they were going to have to take the fight straight to Alastomon very soon. The other Legendary Warriors on the roofs of the nearby buildings were almost finished with clearing out the other invaders, and they would be ready to go after Alastomon soon enough.
"Come on," Chihiro told Takuya. They gestured for Koji to come over and join them as well, and he did so gladly, bringing along his orb of light all the while. Takuya deliberately looked away from the sphere, not wanting it to temporarily steal his vision when they were about to begin the most important charge of the battle. Instead, Takuya looked down as Chihiro sunk into a crouch just beside him.
A large chunk of earth pulled itself up from the ground to create a floating platform fueled by Chihiro's power. Takuya had grown desensitized to fighting up in the sky when he was forced to flee from Oceaniamon and Lyramon on an ice column during his initial journey to Evergreen Dawn, but he found himself anxious at the idea of going up into the air for this battle. Izumi, Junpei, Yumiko, Hinoka, and Haroi would be at an advantage if they fought in the sky since they all had wings or an easy way of flying, but the rest of the group would need to bunch together on different platforms made of their elements. If Alastomon decided to attack the platforms like a coward—and Takuya certainly wouldn't put that past him—then they would be in a world of trouble.
There was nothing to be done about it though, not really, so Takuya shoved his hesitation as far into the back of his mind as he could. Chihiro pulled the platform of rock up from the ground with one hand as their fingers clenched into a fist. Koji allowed his sphere of light to fade and flicker out of existence as the trio continued to ascend, though he only did so when he was certain they were out of the reach of any cameras that could have caught their faces. Takuya pushed his goggles back up onto his forehead, and with their free hand, Chihiro made their gemstone mask disappear.
As soon as the mask faded, the trio arrived on the same level as the other members of their team. The flying Legendary Warriors were in the sky on their own, but the others who were stuck on their own two feet were gathered throughout the nearby rooftops. Koichi and Saki were both noticeably less energetic than the other members of the group, no doubt tired from their earlier battle. They had probably had an easy time of defeating their foes on Rubrum, but the fact remained that using a Resplendent Evolution was exhausting. They hadn't expected to be forced to fight other Void Fragment Digimon again so soon after their previous battle ended, and that worn exhaustion was written all over their faces.
As for the others, Tomoki was handling himself well and didn't seem to be having any issues. He was taking advantage of his ranged abilities to strike down the Digimon that tried to reach the city streets below. He was a surprisingly accurate shot with his blasts of ice magic. He knocked one of the flying Digimon overhead off course, leaving Izumi to deal the finishing blow before working to keep them from hitting the ground too hard. Hinoka and Junpei were taking advantage of simpler tactics that allowed them to use their elements in tandem with one another. When Hinoka struck an enemy Digimon with water, they were left struggling to fly from the extra weight and not to mention completely soaked. From there, it was simple for Junpei to swoop right in and take them out of the battle with a blast of lightning. Afterward, they jumped right into the next small skirmish, never missing a beat.
Haroi and Yumiko were working together as well. Yumiko could restrain the enemy Digimon using her vines, and that left her foes as easy targets for Haroi to pick off with comets he called down from the sky. Afterward, the vines eased the freed Digimon down to the ground before going right back to work. It was incredible just how easily the Legendary Warriors could fall into this rhythm of understanding in a fight. They were at their best when they fought together. It was no wonder Alastomon had struck when he knew they would be alone during his initial invasion.
Last but not least, there was Mayumi, who took advantage of her natural ability and inclination toward acrobatics to swing around the battlefield to take the energy of any enemy Digimon that dared to get too close to the other Legendary Warriors. By now, Mayumi was practically vibrating on the spot thanks to all the energy she had laid claim to. Takuya was always amazed Mayumi could handle herself in battles like this without completely bursting. If he had been in her position, he probably would have lost his mind ages ago, though that was the beauty of Mayumi's specific fighting style, he supposed. It was catered specifically to her abilities, and the limit of energy she could take had only increased with her evolution to the Resplendent level. She would be able to do a significant amount of damage to Alastomon when the time came to take the fight up to him, and all of the Legendary Warriors knew it. They just had to figure out how they should play their cards in order to come out as the victors.
Takuya glanced up to Alastomon once again, and for a brief moment, he was sure he had made eye contact with the Digimon. Takuya went still, waiting to see how Alastomon would respond. As it turned out, the response came in the form of Alastomon finally deciding to bring himself down to the level of the Legendary Warriors. He had grown weary of watching his foes tear his army to shreds, and the time had come for him to try and take them out of the picture himself.
As soon as Alastomon started moving, the aura of the battle changed completely, and in Takuya's humble opinion, it took a turn for the worse. The other Legendary Warriors looked up on instinct and saw Alastomon drawing nearer. They took this chance to push away the current Digimon they were fighting before turning their attention back to the skies. Alastomon would destroy them if they gave him the chance, so they needed their focus on him until the battle ended.
"Well, I must admit that you've handled yourselves far better than I expected you to," Alastomon began as he came to float a small distance above the heads of the Legendary Warriors. Even in the midst of a battle, he needed to assert his perceived superiority over them. He would never be caught off guard, and that included each and every second of a fight. "I had been expecting you to cave under the onslaught, but I suppose what I've heard about Resplendent Evolution is true. You can do all sorts of things with power like that at your disposal."
"It's awfully nice of you to come to us directly," Koji scoffed. "We've heard a lot about you over the last few days... Such as you believing the only way for the Digital World to survive is through killing off every inhabitant who would dare to oppose you. Right now, your target is the Beast Digimon."
"You must know that this world is governed by conflict and war. There will be no peace unless people step up and create peace through force," Alastomon replied, his voice chillingly calm in a way that made Takuya want to rip him to pieces even more. "I am more than happy to be the one who intervenes to ensure the future is a peaceful one. Of course, there need to be sacrifices, and given what happened during the most recent war of the Digital World... Well, the choice feels obvious as to who should be destroyed for this brighter future."
"How can you say any of that in good conscience?" Izumi questioned. "I know I can't expect you to have any sense of conscience after everything you've done, but you still find ways to surprise me with your complete lack of care for the people you share the planet with."
"The war against Cherubimon proved a few truths to me, and I see no way to argue with the facts," Alastomon said simply. "The Beast Digimon are not to be trusted. If left unattended, they will tear this world apart. You saw what happened when Cherubimon was given extra power by Lucemon. He very nearly reformed this world in his image, and if he had succeeded, countless Digimon would have lost their lives. Many Human Digimon already did die in the war. You met a few of the victims yourselves. Seraphimon, Ophanimon... They were the ones who should have ruled over the Digital World rather than Cherubimon."
"Extinguishing the Beast Digimon isn't going to fix anything. Cherubimon only acted the way he did because he was given no choice and was being possessed by Lucemon," Takuya countered. "It wasn't a matter of the Beast Digimon giving into their 'dark instincts' or whatever else your excuse is."
"Lucemon's power should be used by someone who deserves it," Alastomon shot back. "I don't like the Angel of Hell in the slightest, but it matters little. His power will serve me well in winning this battle. I want to wipe out the Beast Digimon, the depraved monsters who have been attacking Earth for months now, and bring greater power to the humans of both worlds. We deserve everything we have lacked up to this point, and I would be happy to act as the messenger for our greater future."
"This isn't going to fix anything. You're just continuing the same cycle of war you claim to hate so much," Junpei snarled. "Even if this is the final war for the Digital World, you're going to find quickly that it's not going to last. There will always be conflict, but that doesn't mean you need to kill every single Digimon who dares to exist outside the boundaries of what you like."
"I can bring this world peace after everything it has suffered through. Why would I be standing here with Lucemon's power if I was not meant to save the innocents who do not understand the position they are in?" Alastomon asked. His expression sobered, and he shook his head. "The war against Cherubimon and his Beast Digimon army ruined my life. I lost everything because of him. He ruined countless Human Digimon in his conquest, and you expect me to simply move on after that? We were in the right. We are the righteous. We deserve to be the rulers of this world."
"There are other ways to work through the aftermath of war than this," Saki told him. "Hurting other people because you're suffering is never going to fix anything. They're innocent and did nothing to you... Though I suppose that saying such isn't going to help much now. You've already made your choice."
"I have," Alastomon confirmed. "And it seems you have as well... I will admit that I have mixed feelings about all of you. The old Legendary Warriors fought for the sake of stopping Lucemon and bringing equality to the Digital World once again. You, however, fought on the side of the Human Digimon to purge this world of the blight known as Cherubimon. I was willing to give you a chance to make the right choice, but... I see now that I was wrong for even entertaining the idea of gaining your loyalty."
"Tell us who you're working with to do all of this," Koichi demanded. "You're working with a human. We heard as much from your other allies. Who is it?"
Alastomon couldn't help laughing in response. "I see my generals told you about my other ally," he responded all too casually. "I was hoping they would do so, as a matter of fact. At one point, I was planning on having you meet with my human ally so you could construct a plan for the future. Unfortunately, you chose to stand against me, and that squandered all chances of me going through with that. Should I fall—which I highly doubt—I will be tasking my ally to finish the job for me. That means keeping them safe through any means necessary."
"You're going to fail in your mission. We're going to make sure of it here and now," Haroi promised Alastomon. He summoned a cluster of comets that revolved around him overhead as his wings beat against the sky. "Do you have any final words before we tear you to pieces?"
"You defeating me here will matter little," Alastomon told the Legendary Warriors with a shake of his head. "One way or another, I will succeed in my mission. My plan is already well underway in the Digital World, and soon enough, the entire planet will crumble to pieces under my heel. I will remake the realm in my image, and Earth and the Digital World will come together at long last."
Haroi didn't bother waiting for Alastomon to continue at that, instead pressing one hand against the air and instructing his comets to streak off toward his target. Alastomon avoided the first three comets before he put together a shield he balanced against one arm and held up when the other streaks of starlight dared to get too close to him. The initial comets came curling back around to try and attack him again from behind, and Alastomon only realized they were there a few moments too late. The comets knocked him forward, briefly staggering his defenses and leaving him at the whims of the Legendary Warriors.
Mayumi took advantage of the chance as soon as she saw it, and she let out a fierce battle cry before throwing her hands out in front of her. She aimed the resulting blast of energy straight at Alastomon, and the true extent of Mayumi's new limits became all too clear as the air tore apart with a whistling noise that echoed in Takuya's ears loud enough to make him wonder what was even real anymore. He did his best to not flinch though, instead forcing himself to stare at the heart of the light where Alastomon was struck by the massive attack. Takuya couldn’t see what happened to Alastomon specifically, but he strained his vision to catch even a glimpse of Alastomon’s suffering regardless.
When the blast finally drew to a close and Mayumi had emptied her body of all the energy she had stolen throughout the battle, Alastomon was left doubled over with one hand pressed against his chest as he breathed heavily. He wasn't going to be able to take another hit like that, and he knew it. He glared up at the Legendary Warriors, all his previous sympathy long gone. "You devilish children... Too idealistic to see what I'm trying to accomplish," he growled. "You shouldn't be standing against me in the first place... I'm going to prove how wrong you are, and you won't be able to win this battle."
"You say that, but I think you're already on your back foot," Junpei countered. He sent out a blast of lightning that hit Alastomon backward a short distance. Alastomon raised his shield to try and block a firm tempest Izumi sent in his direction as a follow up attack, but the force of the wind still pushed him back a short distance.
Yumiko was quick to take his shield out of the picture though, pointing ahead as vines rose up from the ground to restrain Alastomon's body and force his shield bearing arm as far away from his torso as possible. Saki drew a circle with their rapier, and twelve streaks of purple energy flew forward before slamming straight into Alastomon where his arms were spread forcefully. He let out a few strangled groans of pain as the purple magic hit him and again.
Alastomon closed his eyes with another snarl, and when his eyes shot open again, dark fire consumed his body, breaking away at the plants keeping him down and giving him the chance to fly back from the Legendary Warriors to get a bit more precious space between himself and his opponents. "You're awfully powerful..." he hummed. "I'm impressed. That won't be enough to stop me from my mission, but it matters little. If you want to give me everything you have, then I would be happy to do the same... So long as you can take it."
Takuya prepared a blast of fire around his clenched fist, ready to send it flying the instant Alastomon dared to challenge him. Instead, Alastomon created a rift in the air just beside him. He must have picked up the ability to create rifts from Lucemon's power. Previously, the portal was only left open when the Celestial Three willed it so, but with the gate forced to be open constantly for the Legendary Warriors to travel between worlds easily enough, he could travel anywhere between the realms without anyone being able to stop him. It had once been a mystery as to how he could do it, but now, Takuya found it all too obvious. Alastomon had Lucemon's power at his disposal, and he was using it freely to accomplish any goal that he desired.
"If you believe you can win, then you can come to face me at dawn tomorrow," Alastomon instructed. "My conquest will begin in full when the sun shines upon the Digital World with the promise of a new day... The first day of the new world. Let us see if your new evolution can stand up to the power of Lucemon's raw magic... I doubt it."
Before any of the Legendary Warriors could call him a coward for his challenge, Alastomon vanished through the rift, and the world seemed to fall still for the first time since the battle began. There were still many Digimon on the ground freed from the power of the Void Fragments, and they would need to be returned to the Digital World as soon as possible. The time had finally come for the final battle, and they couldn't risk leaving any Digimon on Earth to potentially be attacked by the confused people living there. The Digital World was far from a safe place to be at the moment either, but in this case, it was the lesser of two evils.
Takuya turned to the rest of the Legendary Warriors and let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding in. "That's it then," he murmured. "Tomorrow, we have our final chance to defeat Alastomon."
"He was weakened by our attacks. His overconfidence was his downfall," Koji declared. "He thought he would be able to handle us without needing to muster all of his power, but he was proven wrong, and he wants to take the time to absorb all of Lucemon's magic. He's going to destroy the Digital World as soon as he's fully powered up by Lucemon's remains."
"Then we have to go and stop him!" Tomoki exclaimed. "If we have until tomorrow at sunrise, then we have around twelve hours to prepare. We should take advantage of the time we've been given and go back to Inaie to get some rest."
"Once we leave for the Digital World, there will be no going back," Saki agreed, their eyes narrowing with intensity. "We need to go to the Digital World and stay there until Alastomon is dead. We can't return to Earth or Inaie until we've won and ended this war by any means necessary."
"We should tell the investigation team at least," Hinoka pointed out. "I know we have a lot to do and not much time to do it, but we need to at least get them to pass the message along to our parents. My mother doesn't know about this, but Chiaki does, and I don't want to worry her for ages when we pass through a portal without warning and never come back."
"We're going to be back," Chihiro corrected her. "One way or another, we're going to kill Alastomon and win this war. I've had enough of letting him stomp on the people he deems his enemy, and I'm going to make sure he dies this time. It has been too long since the Digital World saw peace, and we need to change that once and for all."
"Chihiro is right," Yumiko nodded. "But I also agree that we should tell at least the investigation team what we're doing. I don't think we're safe enough to go down on the ground without being spotted because of all the people who have been recording this. We can try to communicate with them from up here though."
"I've got it," Saki told her before closing their eyes and summoning a small device that looked a bit like a phone, but it was clearly different in some finer ways. "This should let us talk to them for at least a few minutes. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to keep this up since Chihiro, Koichi, and I had another fight to take care of even before we came here to help with Alastomon, but it should do for now."
Soon enough, an image of the investigation team appeared on the screen. All six of them were gathered together around what Takuya could only assume was a duplicate of the device Saki had summoned. Katsuharu was the first one to speak, grabbing the device and picking it up to get a closer look. "What is this thing? How are you doing this?"
"Not important, don't have time to explain anyway," Saki replied simply. "We need you to pass on the message to our families that we're going to the Digital World and won't be able to return until all of this is over. As long as Alastomon is roaming free, both worlds are in danger, and we need to kill him to make sure no one else gets hurt."
"So you want us to tell everyone in your families that you're not coming home tonight..." Chiaki whispered before nodding. "We can do that. All you need to do is give us the information of the people we need to tell."
"I wish we could do more to help you," Teruo confessed. "It feels weird that we're just sitting here waiting for you to save the world. We can't do anything to help you in a fight, but... I wish we could pitch in a little bit more."
"You'll be helping by telling our families where we are. We're going to be back safe and sound in a few days, but until then, we need them to know what's going on," Takuya told them. He didn't know if he was being honest about him and the rest of the group coming back in one piece since they hadn't yet faced off against Alastomon when he was at his strongest, but he had to give them a little bit of hope. It was a bad habit to fall into, yes, but Takuya knew better than to overindulge in optimism that had no basis. He had learned his lesson and then some. That had to count for something.
The investigation team shared an unsteady glance at Takuya's words before Masae stepped forward. "You have nothing to worry about. We'll take care of everything on this side of the barrier. Go and win the war for us... All of us," she smiled. "We'll be rooting for you every step of the way. I promise."
"Just promise us that you're going to come back in one piece in return," Shinya pressed. "You already said it, but I need you say it again. I'm not going to let all of you go off to the other world and die without coming home. You had better be alright. Do you understand me?"
"I do," Takuya assured him with a smile and a nod. "Be safe, everyone. We're going to win this fight once and for all, and Alastomon isn't going to even get a chance to fight back. If the fight ends up broadcast in the sky again, be sure to take lots of pictures. I want to know how cool we look after the fact."
The investigation team nodded with hearty smiles at that, and Saki allowed their device to vanish as purple mist on the wind. "Alright, everyone," they declared next. "The next day is going to be rough, but this is what we have to do if we want to win this war. Alastomon has had the run of the Digital World for too long, but all of that is going to end here and now. Are you ready?"
"I don't know how we couldn't be ready," Mayumi confessed with a smile. She was clearly exhausted from her earlier blast of magic, but she still did her best to put up a front of excitement. "When the sun rises on the Digital World, we'll be ready, and Alastomon will fall once and for all."
"I hope Earth will be okay in the meantime," Haroi frowned. "We won't be able to come back and help the people who end up attacked as long as we need to fight off Alastomon. All of this will end when we can finally kill him, but we'll have to leave both worlds largely unattended until then so we can rest."
"We just need to have faith that everyone can hold on long enough for us to brave ourselves for the fight," Saki told him with a shake of their head. "Right now, we have two worlds to save, and we need to be ready. The Digital World awaits. Are you ready?"
Takuya nodded with a grin at the repeated question. "We've saved both worlds more times than we can count on both hands. I think we'll be able to handle one warmonger and his inherited powers from hell," he teased. "As long as we're together, we can handle anything. Alastomon will see that soon enough... And it will be the last revelation he ever has."
Saki nodded in response before cutting a hole in the sky with the tip of their rapier. They started towards the rift, the light of the portal splashing across their stony face. "Then let it end at dawn. May both worlds see peace at long last."
With that, Saki stepped through the rift, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors followed suit. Takuya was the last one left in Earth, and he nodded at the rest of Shibuya with a smile. When he returned, he would be a hero of war once again. Alastomon would fall, and it would be by his hand. The worlds would be saved, and Takuya would make sure of it. He stepped into the portal with a smile. The battle was almost over, and he would win no matter what it took.
That was what it meant to be a Legendary Warrior.
Notes:
I had a lot of fun working on this one. It's really starting to hit me that we're in the final stretch of the story. This is the first chapter of four for our fifth and final act of the story. I can't believe we're finally here. More than two years after I started planning out this story and a year after I started writing... We're almost at the end of the line. Only three chapters are left. Wow.
I can't let myself get too ahead of myself though. I need to talk about this chapter first. Most of this battle was watching Takuya go overboard with his abilities now that he's finally at the Resplendent level. He didn't get to prove himself during the Makuramon fight because he was caught up in the Dark Trailmon's realm, so this was the perfect time for him to let loose. It's amazing to be able to write the Legendary Warriors all at the same level and fighting together for the first time since... Act two. That's when Yumiko reached the Resplendent level and Koichi lost the ability to easily Spirit Evolved. Wow, it's been a while. It's nice to have all of that back though. This fight was a hell of a lot of fun, and it really is the full display of what the Legendary Warriors can do when they push to their limits and work together.
Alastomon was able to give his villain monologue about his ideals at long last too. He really thinks he's in the right for all of this and that the Legendary Warriors just don't understand him. He's a very interesting villain for all the same reasons that I despise him and want to punch him in the face. He's a horrible person, and he deserves to be torn to shreds by the Legendary Warriors. He may have gotten the upper hand during the fight at the end of act three, but the Legendary Warriors were able to get back at him at long last. I would go so far as to say that Alastomon's biggest mistake was killing Biastamon. That was what sparked Mayumi to Resplendent Evolve, and she was the one who gave him the most trouble in this fight. Poor Alastomon... Facing the consequences of his own actions.
The Legendary Warriors are finally at the end of their ropes too, and they know what has to come next whether they're ready or not. There was a lot of apprehension in the air when they were gearing up to fight Lucemon at the end of the previous book, and while they're more confident in their skills now, they essentially need to face Lucemon again, albeit with his power channeled through Alastomon. They're ready to do whatever they can to win though. They may not have easy access to Susanoomon to win this time around, but they can still find their own way to come out on top thanks to their new evolutions.
Whew. I'm so excited. Next time, we're going to have the last moment of rest before the battle against Alastomon. He's waiting for the group, and he won't be patient for long... But he has to wait until the cast gets their last beats of character development. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 58: A Soul Reborn
Summary:
The Legendary Warriors return to Inaie to prepare for the final battle against Alastomon.
Chapter Text
Izumi let out a heavy sigh as she stepped onto Inaie. She stretched her arms high above her head, doing her best to ignore the gentle pull on her muscles that came with the movement. She hadn't realized just how tired she was after that long battle until she was given a chance to let her adrenaline rush finally end, and now, she was grateful for the chance to rest before the final battle against Alastomon. Izumi didn't know if she would have been able to handle another fight so soon, especially when she had no idea just how much power Alastomon had at his disposal. All of them needed a break, and Izumi was happy to take it.
Takuya was the last one to come out of the portal, and when he did, Saki gladly closed it before letting out a long sigh. Purple light surrounded them, and when it faded, they were back in their regular clothes once again. The other Legendary Warriors followed their lead of reverting back, and their D-Tectors manifested in their hands when they were back to normal. Izumi clasped at her device, finding it vibrating slightly with activity. The heat was comforting against her hands, a small anchor for her to ground herself with. She needed it far more than she wanted to admit.
But much to Izumi's surprise, the vibrating didn't slow down and fade away. Instead, it only grew more intense as a group of silhouettes appeared nearby. Izumi recognized them as Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, Miriamon, and the Legendary Warriors' Digimon guides. They were somewhat difficult to make out though. Izumi's D-Tector wasn't the only one that was vibrating and emitting light corresponding with its element. Every other D-Tector in the area was as well, and as far as Izumi could tell, they were building up to something, though she couldn't say she knew what it was going to be or what any of it meant.
Luckily, Izumi didn't have to wait long to get her answer. She held her hand up over her eyes to block out the sudden rush of light as twelve streaks of illumination twisted and twirled through the air before hitting Miriamon in the chest. She was just as shocked as the Legendary Warriors, and she took a few seconds in bewildered silence as she stared down at her body. She watched her hands in confusion before the light grew to be too much for her, prompting her to close her eyes.
Everyone else in the area instinctively covered their eyes as well, and light filled the area for a few bright moments. The glow soon changed from being rainbow colored to strictly cyan, and Izumi couldn't help opening her eyes briefly to see just what was going on. At the heart of the gleam, she saw Miriamon's silhouette change slightly, and as the light began to die down, Izumi realized just what all of this meant. Her eyes remained wide, unable to believe just what she was seeing.
Miriamon was no longer wearing the white clothing that made her look so much like Lucemon. Instead, she was wearing a simple light blue shirt with a pair of jeans and white sneakers. She stared at her hands in bewilderment, her eyes locked on her blue wristbands, before she realized just what had happened. She pressed her palms to her chest and let out a strangled sob as something manifested in her hands. When she pulled her hands out in front of her body, a D-Tector rested in her palms. The body of the device was cyan while the grips were a bold gold color. Tears began to stream down Miriamon's cheeks, but she made no attempt to stop them.
No, that wasn't entirely true. She wasn't Miriamon anymore.
For the first time in over seventeen years, she was Kana Shiraki again.
Kana let out another sob before she sunk to her knees and fell to the ground, cradling her D-Tector to her chest. "How...?" she managed to choke out in surprise. She forced herself to look up at the Legendary Warriors gathered around her, doing her best to keep her composure even though they all knew that wouldn't be possible. "I-I thought... I didn't realize..."
"I don't know how it happened either," Saki confessed as they looked down at their own D-Tector. "It seems like you reacted to our D-Tectors. Now that all of us are up to the Resplendent level... I suppose they had the power to bring you back to normal."
"It was the will of the original Legendary Warriors," Koichi chimed in. "I'm sure of it. They were close friends with you years ago, and now, they can finally return you to your human form after all this time."
"I never even thought it would be possible," Kana confessed. "I was sure I would be left as Miriamon for the rest of my life, but... Here I am. I-I suppose all of the Legendary Warriors felt bad for what happened during the war to leave me as Miriamon... I can't believe it..."
"What are you going to do now?" Takuya asked. "You've got your human form back, so if you wanted to, you could come back with us to Earth. I'm sure there would be a place for you there. If you wanted, we could even help you to get in contact with your adoptive parents again." He didn't say anything about visiting the graves of Anri and Harutaka Fushida even though they all knew that was one thing Kana would want to do as soon as she returned to Earth. Even if she had technically been adopted into the Shiraki family, Kana did not feel much of a connection to them, not after everything that had happened with her brother. Any time she spent with her adoptive parents would have been out of obligation and nostalgia above all else.
Kana hesitated at Takuya's words before she shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted before looking down to her D-Tector once more. "This is proof that I'm not entirely a human. I still have the power of my Digimon form. I think I can Spirit Evolve to become Miriamon again if I want to, but it's not quite the same type of evolution you all know so well. I don't have any Human or Beast Spirits, but..."
"In a way, it's proof of what the original Legendary Warriors knew so well," Saki said as they held one hand out to Kana to help her stand. "You're one of us whether you want to admit it or not. You've always been one of us, and this is proof."
Kana smiled at that and accepted Saki's hand. They gladly pulled her to her feet, and Kana stumbled for a moment before regaining her balance. "I never would have thought about it like that, but...I suppose you're right," she murmured. "This D-Tector is hard evidence, but... I never imagined I would be faced with... All of this."
"We're happy to help you through the transition period, you know," Koichi told her. "Though we may have to wait until after the final battle against Alastomon ends before we do too much for you. We don't have much time at the moment, I'm afraid."
"I understand," Kana assured him with a shake of her head. "Plus... I believe I'll be able to help you in the fight. I was never as strong as any of you when I was Miriamon, but... Something tells me all of that is about to change." She pressed the navigation buttons on her D-Tector before the screen showed an option for Resplendent Evolution. "I don't know what I can do with this, but... I want to at least try and help you defeat Alastomon."
Izumi felt her eyes go wide for the third time in as many minutes. "We could certainly use the extra help..." Izumi murmured. "But be sure to not push yourself too far with all of this, alright? The last thing any of us wants is for you to end up getting hurt."
"You don't need to worry about me," Kana told her, though Izumi didn't know how she couldn't worry as long as the other girl was still crying. She was finally starting to stem the flow of her tears, but Izumi still felt bad about the idea of leaving her alone. "For now, all of you should try to get some rest. I imagine you have a lot to catch us up on, but you look exhausted."
"Alastomon told us that he's going to start his conquest of the Digital World in full when the sun comes up tomorrow," Yumiko told her. "I don't know what time he could be referring to though... The Digital World seems to have time zones similar to Earth since they're sister realms, and I don't know if we would be able to check every possible location before he started to tear the planet apart."
"If I had to wager a guess, I would assume he was talking about the first time zone of the Digital World," Bokomon replied. "The sun first rises on the Continent of Light each morning. After that comes Energy, Wind, Steel, Fire, Wood, Darkness, Cosmos, Earth, Thunder, Water, and finally Ice. I believe we should make our way to the Continent of Light so we can be ready to face him when the dawn arrives on the first continent."
"I can direct Inaie in that direction. At the speed we're going, we should be able to make it in time, but only by a few minutes," Darcmon chimed in. "Inaie travels fast, but I'll need to route our pending path carefully to make sure he doesn't beat us there when the sun comes up."
"We're counting on you, Darcmon," Mayumi smiled to her. "In the meantime, we need to get ready for this fight... And that means getting as much sleep as we possibly can. There's not much time left, and we have to be ready for anything Alastomon could try to throw at us."
"Let's get all of you off to bed then!" Patamon cried out. He started to fly off in the direction of the house, waiting for the rest of the group to trail after him. They did so gladly, though Kana hung behind by a short distance as she pressed her D-Tector to her chest. Saki stayed at her side all the while, not saying anything but knowing the promise of being there to talk if Kana needed it hung heavily in the air between them.
Izumi, meanwhile, let out a sigh as she looked down at her D-Tector. By this time the following day, the battle would probably be over, and the fate of both the Digital World and Earth would have already been decided. She didn't know what to expect from this final battle, but she was going to give it her all no matter what it took. She and the rest of the Legendary Warriors owed it to themselves and the rest of the Digital World to make sure peace reigned by the time the sun set the following day, and Izumi wouldn't back down from her mission. She had made a promise to her friends and her family, and Izumi would never let anyone stand in her way.
Alastomon would see the truth of her determination firsthand, and when he did, he would die.
~~~~~
Koji sat down in the couch in the common area of the house once the group arrived back there, and he let out a heavy sigh along the way. His entire body still hurt from having to fight so many battles in such a short span of time, but he knew the pain would fade soon enough. He just needed to be patient and get some sleep. Still, he couldn't let himself rest, at least not yet. He had something else to take care of first, and that meant talking with his brother.
Luckily for Koji, he didn't need to go out of his way to get Koichi's attention. The Warrior of Darkness followed him into the common space silently and sat down beside Koji. The air between them was heavy, no doubt a side effect of their exhaustion, but Koji forced himself to speak regardless. "I saw you finally reached the Resplendent level," he started. "I'm proud of you, Koichi. It's nice to see you've finally started to come out of your shell after hiding for so long."
"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you and the others," Koichi confessed with a small smile. "I needed all of you to be there for me in order to have the confidence to finally reach out." He paused for a long moment and let out a sigh that made his entire body tremble for a moment. "I talked to Dusk, Velge, Malkako, and Erocia. They told me they were hurting because of everything our father did to us, and I... I understood it then. They needed someone to be there to let them feel every ugly emotion they wouldn't show on their own. They're a part of me, and I'm a part of them. We need to work together in order to survive, and if we can't do that, then... There's no way for us to press onward."
"You talked about our father then," Koji concluded, and Koichi nodded. Koji bit down on his bottom lip before he forced air in and out of his own lungs. "I... I'm feeling better about my relationship with him now. I had to talk to him about it after I reached the Resplendent level, and while it wasn't easy... It was something that needed to happen. I can't say everything is fixed, but it's at least a start."
"I don't know if I'll even be able to offer him that much," Koichi confessed. "I'll have to get there one of these days since he found out about me knowing about him, but... It's going to be a while before I can get to that point. I need to have some space to sort through how I feel now that I'm finally letting myself be angry."
"I understand," Koji assured him with a nod. "I'm glad you were finally able to reach the Resplendent level by making peace with them. In a way, that's what happened to me too. I realized that our father had been keeping me from letting me express myself in a healthy way, and when I forced him to listen to me... Everything fell into place. I needed to let all of that out, and now that I have... I feel like the burden on my shoulders is a little bit lighter."
Koichi couldn't help laughing at that. "I suppose we really are brothers," he teased. "We Resplendent Evolved in such similar ways. It almost feels like this was meant to be... And in many ways, it was. I'm really happy that I have you at my side. I feel like I can do anything as long as we're together." He reached out and let his fingers intertwine themselves with Koji's as he leaned over and placed his head on his brother's shoulder.
Koji leaned his head on top of Koichi's with a content smile of his own. "If you need anything when it comes to dealing with our father as you sort through your feelings... You know where to find me. I know a thing or two about how hard it is to deal with him, and I'm happy to give you the outlet you need... The outlet we both need."
Koichi smiled at that, letting out a small sigh as his eyes fluttered closed. "Thank you, Koji... I don't think I could ever ask for a better brother."
Koji closed his eyes as well. "Me neither."
~~~~~
After the Legendary Warriors got back to the house, they all split up to take care of their own lingering business, but contrary to expectation, they didn't immediately beeline for their respective rooms and beds. Instead, they spread out throughout the house to talk and handle any last important conversations before the battle against Alastomon. Takuya settled down on the floor just outside the rooms on the second level of the house, and around him, the Digimon guides gathered. Chihiro, Izumi, Junpei, Hinoka, and Tomoki were all there too, and they were watching Takuya with eager, anticipating eyes. They wanted to hear the story behind everything he had gone through in the Dark Trailmon's dimension, not that they knew that he had been there in the first place, at least not yet. Either way, Takuya was more than happy to share the story with them, so as they all sat down on the floor, he began to talk.
By the time Takuya had finished his story, all of the members of his impromptu audience were watching him with worried eyes. They hadn't realized just how much Takuya had been bottling up, though in his mind, that had been the point. It wasn't necessarily a good idea on his part, but that had been what he was going for, and he would have to bear the price of that one way or another. He was glad to be able to talk to them about it so openly though. Takuya knew that no matter what, they would be able to help one another through dark circumstances, and that began here and now. They had been fighting together ever since their initial arrival in the Digital World, and they would keep fighting together well into the future. That meant being there for each other when their friends were struggling most, and Takuya couldn't help but wish he had been more honest with them before now. He couldn't go back and change the past, but he was going to tell the truth from then on out. He could promise himself that much, at the very least.
"Why didn't you tell us you were struggling so much?" Izumi asked, her voice soft and fragile. "If we had known you were bottling up so many of your emotions, then we would have tried to help you ages ago. You didn't need to keep this secret from the rest of us."
"Exactly," Chihiro agreed. "I know you want to seem like the bearer of hope, but everyone needs a break every once in a while. You don't need to keep everything hidden just because you're afraid of the rest of us stumbling because of it."
"I know that now," Takuya assured them with a smile and a shake of his head. "I wish I had figured it out a bit sooner too, of course, but... I've already come a long way, and I'm proud of myself for it. I needed that trip to the Dark Trailmon's dimension whether I realized it or not at the time. I needed to get a reality check so I could snap myself out of the bad cycle I was in."
"I have to wonder just what about you specifically makes you so prone to being taken there," Bokomon murmured. "I somehow doubt the rest of the Legendary Warriors are immune to it, but you're still the only one who has been taken there up to this point."
Takuya couldn't help frowning at that. "Now that you point it out... I'm not entirely sure how this works either," he confessed. "I'd love to find out, of course, but... I don't know where it comes from. Maybe it's just something about me that has me in a weird position to be dragged off there more often, but... None of you have had this problem at all. It's bizarre."
"We can consider that a bit more after we've managed to stop Alastomon," Junpei pointed out. "We don't have time to research it right now. For the time being, I'm curious in hearing what your theory about Resplendent Evolution is. You said you've figured everything out, and I have to wonder just what that means."
Takuya smiled and nodded. "That I can do. As far as I can tell, it involves us embodying what we needed most in our darkest hour. I was hiding my emotions a lot when I was in the Digital World the first time. Once I got my Beast Spirit under control, I just kept putting myself on a pedestal and not really accepting help when I really needed it. What I needed was to finally give myself the chance to reach out to my friends. As soon as I decided I was done hiding things from all of you... Everything just clicked for me."
"You know... That makes sense," Izumi murmured. "I realized that I was shutting Masae out without ever fully processing it, and what I needed most was for my family to be there for me... That was what I didn't have when I lost my mother so many years ago, but everything is different now. Masae has made sure everything is different. I owe her a lot for that."
"I'm going to have to conduct a bit more research into this after we finish our final battle against Alastomon," Bokomon declared. "I'm certain this is one subject that will yield incredible information when we have the chance to examine it in a bit more detail... Though we need to be patient first."
"I agree," Junpei chimed in. "Also, after all of this ends... I think we should try to talk to each other more about our problems." He hesitated for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "I know we've been going through a lot over the last few months, but it feels like we've gone back to how we were when we first met. We kept a lot of secrets from each other because we were afraid, but we don't need to do that anymore. We deserve better than to treat ourselves like that."
"You're right," Hinoka confessed. She looked down at her hands and sighed. "I still have nightmares about what the Digital World did to us the first time. I know we had to come here if we were to save both worlds, but it scares me just how much damage it can do when we let our guards down for too long."
"You wouldn't be the only one who has bad dreams about it," Tomoki confessed. "I dream about what happened when I first got my Beast Spirit sometimes. I remember being so overwhelmed by my emotions and feeling like the world was going to end with me at the middle of it all. When I've had a bad day, I'm more prone to having bad dreams, but... It feels like I can't escape them sometimes."
"We should all try to make an effort to make this right," Izumi agreed. "If we're struggling, then we don't need to bottle it up. We realized that the first time we were in the Digital World, but it's hard to retain the best parts of your recovery when something else comes up to try and break you all over again."
Takuya nodded his agreement and swallowed his nerves back dryly. "You know... I didn't realize it at the time, but... I've been hiding a lot ever since this mess began," he murmured. "I didn't even register that I was blocking out Aguni, Vritra, and Alda until they were forced away from me when I went to the Dark Trailmon's dimension. I felt so alone all of a sudden, and I knew they were being blocked from reaching me."
"I can definitely say I had the same problem," Izumi nodded. "Zephyr took charge before when I was struggling, and that was even before I knew all of them were there to help me. As soon as I started panicking about Masae though... I just buckled down on it all and didn't bother to let any of them help me."
"I guess that's all of us acting at our worst then," Hinoka said. "When we get scared, all we want to do is be on our own even though others would be able to help us before we completely fell apart. We need to do our best to break that bad habit as soon as possible."
"And we'll do it together," Junpei declared. "We've been fighting for the Digital World for ages, and I think it's time we started to fight for ourselves too. We've earned that right. All we have to do is commit to it."
"I can get behind that," Chihiro nodded with a smile. "We might have our own bad habits, but that doesn't mean we necessarily need to stick to them. In fact, I would argue that being aware of it so we can make a change in the future is the best way to go about all of this."
"After the war against Alastomon ends, we should all try to talk to each other... And I mean really talk to each other," Tomoki suggested. "We've been hiding too much for too long, and it's time for us to fix that once and for all."
"Then here's to the start of our new lives and the end of Alastomon's reign of terror," Takuya grinned as he put his hand in the middle of their circle. "Here's to the Legendary Warriors and everything we can do when we don't let ourselves stand alone."
A chorus of agreement rose up from the group, and Takuya couldn't help grinning. As he did, he heard Aguni laugh from the back of his mind. "I knew you'd get there eventually. Don't forget about any of us when the final battle starts. You got that?" Aguni asked with a smile Takuya could feel in the silence.
Takuya nodded firmly in response, knowing his thought response would reach the others in his mind without any need for extra effort. I wouldn't dream of it.
~~~~~
Yumiko closed her eyes and tilted her head up to the sun overhead as she ran her fingers gently through Bearmon's fur. After the rest of the Legendary Warriors split up, Yumiko went off to find her friends from Inaie for one final farewell. Bearmon and Kotemon sat on either side of her on the bench, both of them leaning against her like the children they were at heart. Even though they put on brave faces, they were too young for any of this, and the least Yumiko could do was try to reassure them that everything would be alright. No matter what, she was going to make sure it ended happily. That was the vow she had sworn to herself when she first joined the Legendary Warriors, and she wasn't going to break it now.
"I'm scared," Kotemon confessed softly. "This is really going to be the final battle against Alastomon, right...? What if something bad happens? How will we know everything is okay until you come back? Are you sure you'll be able to win against him?"
"I promise you that everything will be fine," Yumiko assured him. "I can handle myself in a fight, and so can the rest of the Legendary Warriors. No matter what happens, we're going to come back in one piece. You two have nothing to worry about. We're going to win, and Alastomon won't get a chance to hurt either of you or anyone you care about."
"I'm nervous too... But I trust you," Bearmon smiled as he looked up to Yumiko with eyes full of youthful optimism. "You were there to save Inaie when we were attacked months ago, and we owe you a lot for that. You've only gotten stronger since then, and if anyone will be able to teach Alastomon a lesson, I know it'll be you and your friends."
Yumiko blinked away her tears at Bearmon's endless praise and affection before pulling them both in closer. "Thank you," she whispered tenderly. "You two mean a lot to me, and I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm going to make sure everything is okay no matter what it takes. Alastomon will fall, and all of you will be safe. Inaie will never need to deal with this again. I promise."
"Thank you for everything you've done for us, Yumiko," Kotemon said as he looked up at Yumiko as well. "You've helped us all, and... You saved our lives. More than that though, you've made us both so happy, and we can't thank you enough. You've given us a chance when the world turned against us, and... It means a lot to me."
"I'm glad I've been able to help," Yumiko smiled. "There was a time in my life when I never imagined I would be able to help people like this. I really never imagined I would end up coming to the Digital World or being a Legendary Warrior, but now that I'm here... I wouldn't trade it for the world. It has given me the chance to meet incredible people, both of you included. No matter what, I'm going to come back to you and the rest of Inaie after this battle ends, and I'm going to make the most of the time we have together."
"We're counting on you telling the truth!" Kotemon cried out as he swallowed down his tears. "I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but... We still don't want anything bad to happen to you when you're not there to help you."
"Yumiko will be fine!" Bearmon assured him. "She saved all of Inaie when she helped us the first time, and she's only going to help us out more from now on. We're going to sing songs and read stories about tomorrow for the rest of our lives, and every Digimon that comes after us will too."
Yumiko blushed at the idea of such excessive attention, and she let out a hearty laugh that filled her chest with warmth. "I'm glad I met both of you... And I promise to come back to you in one piece after all of this is over," she vowed once again. "No matter what, I'll return to Inaie, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors will too. We wouldn't dream of leaving you all behind. Everything will be fine."
"Good," Kotemon nodded, doing his best to hide the way his voice shook as he spoke. "You should go and get some rest for now, right? You have a long battle waiting for you in the morning, and we don't want you to end up tiring yourself out before you even start fighting."
"You're right," Yumiko agreed. "I'm glad I was able to give you two my well wishes one last time though. I feel a lot better about the fight now too. I know I'm going to come back. I don't have a choice to not come back as long as I made a promise to the both of you. Everything is going to be fine. Consider it my solemn promise as a Legendary Warrior."
"And we'll hold you to it!" Bearmon reminded her. "You had better tell us everything about the fight when you come back after it's over, okay? We're going to need to hear about it if we're going to compose songs or write stories about it!"
Yumiko couldn't help the hearty laugh that escaped her lips at that, and she nodded. "Of course. No matter what, I'll come back, and I'll tell you every little detail about the battle when I do," she assured them. She slowly rose to her feet, finding that she wanted to go back to the warmth of the bench and her Digimon friends as soon as she left both of them behind. "For now, I need to get some sleep. I'm honestly exhausted after everything that has happened over the last few days."
Bearmon and Kotemon both offered their enthusiastic farewells as Yumiko walked away, and she offered them a wave they gladly returned. When Yumiko turned away and started her journey back to the house, she found that not much in the world bothered her in that moment. For a few seconds, she didn't need to worry about Alastomon, his human accomplice, or the final battle that would be waiting for her when the sun came up. All that mattered was the fact that she was alive against all odds. She had been through so much, but she was still there, and she would come back from this final battle alive again. That was what the Legendary Warriors did. Even in the face of impossible battles and even harder to best foes, they found a way to win, and they always came back home.
Yumiko was going to do the same when the dawn finally arrived. She would defeat Alastomon alongside her comrades, and they would return home to Inaie for the festival they had been denied by their foe for so long. Yumiko knew they had all more than earned this, and she was going to make the most of it when the time finally came for them to celebrate. Nothing was going to stop her after everything she had been through, and if Alastomon wished to challenge that ideal, then he would face the consequences soon enough. The Legendary Warriors had very nearly won against him earlier that morning, and no matter what it took, they would win again.
Alastomon wouldn't know what he was up against until it was too late, and Yumiko was happy to be one of the reapers that finally sent his soul to the hellish prison it belonged in.
~~~~~
Saki sat down on their bed and let out a heavy sigh. They sunk their fingertips in deep to their hair, pulling at their scalp slightly before forcing themself to relax. They were looking forward to taking a long shower after all of this was over. Saki needed a bit of time to think everything through, especially with how chaotic the last few weeks had been. Until then though, all they could do was wait for the final battle to arrive.
"I hope you don't mind the company," came Kana's voice from the door of the room. Saki glanced up, unable to stop themself from staring at her. They had seen Kana Shiraki before in headlines and newspaper articles from both before and after her brother's disappearance, but somehow, seeing their sister in all her glory in person was a different matter entirely. Kana hadn't aged a day since she first went missing at eighteen years old. By every logic of time, Kana should have been thirty-five, but instead, she looked just a year older than Saki. Being a Digimon for so long had entirely halted her aging, and Saki couldn't have expressed their shock enough.
They forced themself to shake it off before they responded though. "Yes... Of course," they choked out. "Stay for as long as you'd like... So long as you're not pushing your limits or anything like that." Kana approached the bed before sitting down beside Saki, and for a long time, they were both silent. Saki forced themself to break through the quiet again though, and they offered Kana a gentle smile. "How are you feeling? I imagine it's strange to be back in your human form for the first time after all these years."
"You can say that again," Kana replied with a dry, strained laugh. "I... I'm honestly not sure about how I feel though. For a long time, I wanted nothing more than to be a human again, but I also thought that being the Arbiter of Souls was my... Penance, I suppose. I wasn't there when Kage needed me most, and being a Digimon... It felt like the only way I could make everything up to him and the rest of the world. He killed a lot of people as Lucemon, and I know that."
"You're not the one to blame for that though," Saki countered with a shake of their head. "He was the one who chose to do all of that. I can't say he was in his right mind at the time, of course, but... It's still not something you should carry around everywhere you go. It wasn't penance. That was just... The hand you were dealt. You did a lot of good things as Miriamon, and I know you'll continue to do that. I doubt you have much interest in going back to Earth after everything that happened."
"That much is true," Kana confirmed. "I may want to go and say hello to my parents again, but... I don't think I'll stay. Every person in Kage's life failed him, and looking back on it now, I think they may have failed me too. I appreciate our parents for what they did, but I don't think I can entirely forgive them for it either."
"I understand," Saki assured her. "I feel that way too. I spent a long time struggling, and there wasn't much I could do to make it better. I taught myself to survive for better or worse, and now... I don't know what to do with all of this. I doubt I ever will. I'm happier in the Digital World than being pushed around by people on Earth though. When I graduate, I'm going to stay here permanently, I think. It gives us the chance to catch up on lost time since we really should have been sisters from the start."
"It's nice to have my family back after all this time, I must admit," Kana confessed. "This is going to sound odd, but when I was fighting against Lucemon with the rest of the Legendary Warriors... I really felt at home. I knew that was where I was meant to be. I was happier than I ever had been. Even when I was confused and lost, there were people who would let me lean on them, and it meant the world to me. It still does, as a matter of fact. I know none of you are the same Legendary Warriors I remember from all those years ago, but you're still my friends, and I'm glad you're all in my life."
"I'm glad to be here with you too... Though I suppose I have you to thank for that," Saki smiled as they nudged Kana with their elbow. She returned the gesture with a melancholy smile. "You were the one who gave me the chance to become a Legendary Warrior in the first place. The Ancient Warriors wouldn't have known about me at all if you hadn't suggested me to inherit the Spirits of Steel."
"You were a good choice," Kana pointed out. "All of you were. I've made a lot of lackluster decisions in my time, but having all of you around... I feel like everything is going to be okay one way or another. It might not be easy, and it might take us years to finally see peace again, but... We're going to get there eventually. As long as we have each other, I think we're going to be fine."
"And you'll be able to help us see that peace you want too," Saki told her. "You said it yourself. You can feel the strength to Resplendent Evolve, and that means you're going to be able to help us in this last fight. Of course, it's up to you, but—"
"I couldn't do much of anything to fight my brother myself. I understand that Kage is long gone, but Alastomon inherited the magic he used as Lucemon. The least I can do to make all of this right is to fight against Alastomon and save the Digital World from his reign of terror," Kana cut in, her eyes sharp as steel. "Back then, all I could do was divide up the souls of the Ancient Warriors to create the Spirits and then the lock on Lucemon's cage. That won’t be the case this time. I won’t let it be."
"Honestly... I really wish we had the Grand Spirit to fall back on here," Saki confessed. "I don't think you're going to be able to do anything about that, but... None of us have been able to call upon the power of the Grand Spirit for a long time. I guess it has gone back to guarding the Dark Heart again... Not that there's any real reason to have a lock on a jail that no longer has a prisoner."
"The Grand Spirit is out of my control, I'm afraid," Kana frowned. "When I first made it, I was afraid it was going to fall apart because of how much raw power it commands. It remained stable though, and it held firm throughout all of Lucemon's long years of imprisonment. Now that there's no prisoner to keep in the Dark Heart though... There's a chance it could have found a new home elsewhere in the Digital World. I mean, we already know that Lucemon's magic found some common source elsewhere on the planet, and that was how Alastomon found it in the first place."
"Then that's going to have to be one of our first priorities after all of this ends," Saki concluded. "I don't want to think we'll need the Grand Spirit again, but if we ever do, then we need to have it on hand. There's no time for us to search for it before the final battle against Alastomon, but... If he's really bringing every ounce of dark magic Lucemon ever had, then we're going to have a long battle ahead of ourselves. We barely managed to win against Lucemon with the Grand Spirit, and we're not going to have that advantage this time. We've done major damage to Alastomon without it, but... If he's really so intent on tearing us apart when the sun comes up, then we're going to have to be careful."
"You're right," Kana nodded. "I don't think it's a bad idea for us to try and search for the Grand Spirit when we have more time, but it's difficult to say where we'll find it. I haven't been around the main planet enough since the restoration of the Digital World to be able to sense it, and we're going to have to go without it for this one battle. I just hope we'll be able to win anyway. Then again, you won against Lucemon with an incomplete version of Susanoomon, so that seems optimistic for us given how much stronger Resplendent Evolutions are than Hybrid Spirits."
Saki went quiet for a moment before turning to face Kana fully. "What do you mean?" they asked carefully. "The version of Susanoomon we fought with was... Incomplete? How could we have evolved at all if Susanoomon was incomplete?"
"It was Koichi," Kana answered. "He was killed by Lucemon before you could claim the Grand Spirit and use it to win the day. Without him around, your evolution to Susanoomon was incomplete. The real Susanoomon should take inspiration from every one of the Ancient Warriors rather than just the two who survived the war. I hope we never need to use the complete form of Susanoomon, of course, but... I designed the Grand Spirit. I created it. I know what it should do, and the version all of you fought with was not the intention of the Spirit I forged so many centuries ago."
Saki nodded at that quietly. "I understand... I'll second your hope of never wanting us to have to use power like that though. It would be a huge pain in the neck for us all, and we would be better off not needing to take advantage of the Grand Spirit again. We should find it just for the sake of having that added power on our side if we ever need it. Alastomon is right about one thing, and that would be the fact that the Digital World has been consumed by war for many years since its creation. There will be another war after this one, and we need to be there to nip it in the bud as quickly as possible before things get any worse."
"You're right," Kana agreed. "But for now, I would say that we're getting a bit too far ahead of ourselves. We need to focus on stopping Alastomon first and foremost, and that means resting to prepare for the battle. He's not going to hold back on us when we arrive to fight him, and if he wins, the Digital World is doomed. He's going to destroy everyone who doesn't fall under his thumb, and that will end up being a much higher number than he wants to admit. There won't be any second chances here. We need to win, and we need to do it in a few hours."
"I can do that," Saki confirmed. "And I know you can do it too. We just need to work together... As the thirteen Legendary Warriors."
Kana's eyes went wide at that, and her cheeks flushed with pink embarrassment. "I-I'm not—"
"As far as I'm concerned, you are, and I know the Ancient Warriors would agree," Saki countered. "If you're going to fight with us, then you're one of us. You've done more than enough to prove yourself. All we have to do is work together as a full team when the sun comes up, and the Digital World will be saved... Assuming you're up to the challenge."
Kana laughed as she caught a glimpse of the smirk Saki was casting her direction. "I would never back down from a fight... Especially not now. Legendary Warrior or not, I'll be there."
Saki took Kana's hand in her own, and the two squeezed their fingers together tightly in a show of silent love only siblings could understand. "Legendary Warriors, now and forever."
~~~~~
Mayumi and Haroi broke away from the rest of the group to head to the peak of the island when the rest of their teammates made for the house. They hadn't said anything about it to each other, but they knew what they were trying to do. They needed to talk to Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, and Wanyamon one last time before the final battle began. Those three were the future of the Digital World to both Mayumi and Haroi, and if anyone needed one last conversation with the Legendary Warriors, it was them.
"We're going to make it, Darcmon," Hippogriffomon assured her leader as Mayumi and Haroi approached. "You already told them we would make it in time for the sun to come up, and you're right. There's nothing you can do to make the island move any faster. We'll make it, and when we do, Alastomon will finally fall."
"I know," Darcmon sighed. She was on the verge of saying something else when she noticed Mayumi and Haroi had arrived. She turned to face them quietly, gesturing for them to come closer. "We're going to make it in time. As soon as we drop you off though, we're going to have to leave. We don't want to be caught in the crossfire, especially since we're bound to be one of Alastomon's main targets. Inaie has suffered more than enough damage over the last few months, and I don't want him to pin us down when we're struggling enough as it is."
"We understand. Don't worry," Mayumi assured her with a shake of her head. "It's great that you're willing to help us like this in the first place. We could just open a portal and get there that way, so if you're worried about Inaie suffering damages—"
"You need all the energy you can get before the battle begins," Darcmon reminded her. "I don't want you to waste too much of your power before you face off against Alastomon. He's powerful enough as it is, and if he has truly absorbed all of Lucemon's magic... He's going to be even more dangerous than ever before."
"We'll be alright," Wanyamon chimed in. "We can handle ourselves. Inaie is an island of resilience, and the Digimon will be safe too. We're going to make sure of it. Alastomon has done enough, and we'll find our own ways to stop him from hurting others even if we can't fight the way you can."
"All of you gave us this chance by believing in us up to this point," Haroi declared. "I don't think we could possibly thank you enough for all you've done. We owe you all the thanks in the world, honestly, and I hope defeating Alastomon will be enough to make it up to you."
"Don't worry about that," Darcmon scoffed. "When all of this is over, we're going to be in debt to you since you're giving us a chance to live in the first place. Inaie throws amazing festivals, and since you weren't able to enjoy our party the first time you were here, we're going to make up for that. Consider that our final bash after the enemy has been defeated."
"Before any of this begins in full, I want you all to know just how proud I am of you," Wanyamon chimed in with a smile. "You fought long and hard to reach this point, and you're going to give it your all when the sun rises too. We all owe you our thanks, and even if most of the people of the Digital World won't be able to offer it... I want to thank you on their behalf. Thank you for being here... Thank you for everything you've done."
"I could say the same to you," Mayumi grinned as she crouched down to scoop Wanyamon up into her arms. "I was only able to reach the Resplendent level because of you. When we fell for Alastomon's tricks, you never hated us for it. You did so much to help all of us out, and I know the others want to thank you for it too. You had better be there at that festival when the time comes. All of us need to thank you, but we can only do that if you're at the party once this is all over."
"Don't worry about that," Hippogriffomon assured her. "Darcmon and I are going to look after Wanyamon while all of you are busy with fighting off Alastomon. We're going to take care of everyone on Inaie, as a matter of fact. Don't worry about defending anybody but yourselves in the battle. We can handle the rest."
"It's nice to know we have such incredible allies on our side," Haroi admitted. "But about that party... Would you mind it if we invited a few other guests to come and join the festivities? I think we owe this victory to all of our allies, including those who don't live here on Inaie."
"Of course," Darcmon nodded. "All you need to do is give us the word, and we'll gladly set out a place for them at the feast and following festivities. If you say you owe your victory to them, then we believe you. It's the least we can give them."
"Who are you thinking?" Mayumi asked as she turned to her brother. "You can't just say something like that and then leave me in the dark about who you want to invite to the party."
Haroi smiled brightly with a laugh. "Well, there are a few people I had in mind..."
~~~~~
An hour before the sun rose over the horizon, the Legendary Warriors were roused from their slumbers and told it was time. None of them bothered to ask what it was time for specifically; they already knew, and they hadn't been able to escape their thoughts of this battle even in dreams.
The meal that greeted them was surprisingly simple, all things considered. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon had a full spread prepared, and all of Inaie was feasting to try and motivate the Legendary Warriors. Their breakfast took place in the dark though, and all the while, the island continued to rush ever closer to its destination at the border of the Continent of Light. Alastomon would be waiting for them there, and when they arrived at the edge of the next continent, the final battle would begin at long last. There was no turning back now, not that there ever had been in the first place.
"Alright. Showtime."
Takuya took in a small sigh as he finished his meal, and Vritra's voice echoed in the back of his mind. It was nice to have fully established contact with the other Spirits again, and Takuya couldn't help but kick himself for letting himself lose that connection in the first place. There was nothing to do about it now, of course, but he owed them a proper apology after all of this was over. In the meantime, he needed to press onward and prepare himself for the final battle. Alastomon wouldn't be holding back, and Takuya wouldn't be either.
Around Takuya, the rest of the Legendary Warriors were finishing their meals as well. Despite it all, they had found a way to get a decent night of sleep before this final fight, no doubt the direct consequence of them having to overuse their Resplendent Evolutions as of late. They didn't have much of a choice in the matter, but Takuya was fine with that. If it knocked him out a little bit sooner and kept him from thinking about all the little ways this final encounter could go horribly wrong, then who was he to complain?
The Digimon guides followed Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, and Wanyamon out to the front edge of the island, and the Legendary Warriors trailed after them. Nobody had said anything to Bokomon about the suggestion of the guides staying back on the island, but Takuya knew it would have been a moot point anyway. Bokomon wouldn't want to miss the greatest battle the Digital World had seen since the Lucemon fight, and beyond that, he was incredibly stubborn about not leaving the Legendary Warriors out to dry. If there was one thing all of the Digimon had in common, as a matter of fact, it was stubbornness. No matter what, they would find a way to end up on the battlefield with the rest of their allies, and there was no real reason to try and argue about it.
When Takuya finally managed to catch a glimpse of the Continent of Light ahead, he felt his stomach flip deep inside his body. This was it. He had known it was coming, yes, but knowing a battle was coming and finally being there to face the challenges it brought were two entirely different issues, and Takuya was not ready for the latter... No, that wasn't true. He was ready. All of them were ready. They had reached the Resplendent level, and they were going to use that as leverage to make sure they came out on top during this final battle against Alastomon. There was no turning back now, and none of them would have wanted to abandon their posts even if they had been given an option to retreat.
"Nervous?" Koji asked Takuya with a light smirk as he nudged the Warrior of Fire in the stomach with his elbow. "Since your Resplendent Evolution is so new, I figured you'd be a bit nervous about the idea of letting it all loose in a big fight like this. Do you think you'll be ready for it?"
"If you want to see me buckle under the pressure, then you've come to the wrong place and the wrong fight," Takuya countered with a smile of his own as he nudged Koji back. "There's too much on the line here for us to fail or back down, and I'm not going to let a little inexperience get in my way. We won against Lucemon, didn't we? How bad can this fight be when Alastomon is just a shadow of what Lucemon once was?"
"I don't know if I would get that confident so soon," Saki said from a few feet away. "We don't know just how much power Alastomon is going to have on his side here, and we don't have the Grand Spirit to fall back on. I somehow doubt it's going to just drift to us if we end up needing it again. We got lucky before since the Dark Heart was already falling apart and released it from being a lock, but that won't happen this time."
Takuya resisted the urge to wince at that. As per usual, Saki got right to the heart of things, saying what everyone else refused to acknowledge or didn't want to have to say out loud. They didn't have the advantage of using Susanoomon this time since they didn't know where the Grand Spirit was or even how to tap into its power. At this point, all they had to rely on were their Resplendent Evolutions, and while they were incredibly powerful, Takuya had no idea if that would be enough or not. He was hoping for it though, and no matter what, he was going to give this battle his all. He wouldn't let Alastomon win just because the Grand Spirit was out of reach. No way in hell would Takuya let Alastomon win in general.
"There it is," Tomoki breathed before Takuya had the chance to reply to Saki aloud. Sure enough, when the Warrior of Fire turned his attention ahead, he saw the edge of the Continent of Light, and more importantly, he saw the warning change in the color of the sky that beckoned the start of a new day. Alastomon was going to begin his assault soon, and the Legendary Warriors had to be ready to face it no matter what.
"After we drop you off on the battlefield, we're going to get the hell out of here," Darcmon declared. "We can't afford to stick around and risk being blasted to bits by Alastomon. You can handle this, and we believe in you. After this is over, be sure to come back to Inaie to tell us everything that happened in the final battle. We're all going to be looking forward to the story."
"Stay safe out there, will you?" Wanyamon chimed in, his words sage for someone so small. "I know how strong Alastomon is. I've felt his power firsthand. He's dangerous and not someone to be trifled with. We know you can handle this, but we need you to keep yourselves safe if you are to save the rest of the Digital World. Can you at least promise that?"
"I don't think we can guarantee much of anything at this point," Chihiro confessed. "But we're going to do everything in our power to win this fight and come home as heroes. After all, we need to look forward to having yet another heroic story to put on our future resumes."
"We'll get started on the folk songs while we wait," Hippogriffomon joked in perhaps the first show of open humor Takuya had ever seen from her. "Be careful out there."
Takuya nodded with a solemn and bittersweet smile on his face as Darcmon pointed up to the sky. "There," she snarled, and when Takuya looked up, he saw a silhouette against the darkness of the sunrise sky. It was Alastomon, and he was ready for a fight just as he had promised he would be.
"Let's go, everyone," Izumi declared. She pressed the activation button on her D-Tector, and four rings of data appeared around her fingers before she slashed them across the scanner. In a flash of pink light, she transformed into her Resplendent form, and around her, the rest of the Legendary Warriors followed suit, shifting into their strongest evolutions in preparation for the battle to come.
As soon as the light had faded, Takuya sent one final salute over his shoulder at Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, and Wanyamon. "See you on the other side." With that, he kicked off the ground, letting his fire magic carry him ever forward to the ground below. Around him, other members of the group picked up the Digimon guides before following suit. As soon as the Legendary Warriors had all departed, Inaie changed directions and sped off swiftly into the distance, leaving behind nothing but kicked up sand and the distant rumbling of the earth.
This would be where the war finally ended. Takuya was sure of it. No matter what, he was going to ensure the Digital World was saved through Alastomon's death. Everyone on both Earth and the Digital World was counting on him, and Takuya had never been the type to buckle under pressure. He couldn't as long as he was a Legendary Warrior.
And that determination would carry him to victory. He was certain of it.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
There's a lot to talk about with this one, so let's get right into it. First off... Miriamon is Kana again. All of the Resplendent level D-Tectors were able to restore her human form, and she got a D-Tector of her own in case she wants to evolve to Miriamon again or take advantage of her Resplendent Evolution. She may be technically unlocking it now, but I think the key for it has been there ever since she first told the truth about her connection to Lucemon back when Saki reached the Resplendent level too. Just siblings things, I suppose.
Let's get to the other character scenes. Koji and Koichi haven't really been able to talk since Koji got his Resplendent, but they've really needed to, especially because their Resplendent Evolutions both came down to their relationships with Kousei. They needed space to figure out how they felt about him specifically, and finding a way to pursue a relationship with him in the future is going to be difficult. Still, it's nice to have the two of them talking about that with some degree of closure. They've certainly earned it, and they've needed it for ages.
Next, we have Takuya and company talking to the Digimon about his Resplendent Evolution. This is the scene where we address the giant elephant in the room that's been hanging over everyone's heads this entire story: their issues with relying on each other. They made great progress in letting themselves get help in the first book, but all of that started to fall apart here when they were forced back into those environments that hurt them in the first place on top of grappling with the pain of the Digital World and their adventures there. They all have an instinct to hide themselves off alone when something happens, and that hurts them a lot in the long run, such as Takuya completely shoving out the other Spirits of Fire when they would have been able to help him sooner if he had just let them help. It's something that needed to be addressed, and it's very overdue for all of them, but at least they're going to make an effort to make it better. This story is all about the rocky road to recovery from trauma, and they're doing their best, and that's what matters most now.
Next is the scene with Yumiko, Kotemon, and Bearmon. I thought that having her talk to them was a great way to make her character arc come full circle. She's become a lot more confident in herself, and she's going out of her way to be the inspiration for others she needed when she was struggling. Yumiko is the embodiment of what Resplendent Evolution means in my eyes. She needed a defender, and no one was there to look out for her, so she's taken it upon herself to help everyone else around her instead. There's a reason she earned the form first, and it's all in this scene here.
Yumiko has been making great progress in recovering from her trauma, but not everyone can have an easy time of it, and that leads us right into the next scene with Saki and Kana. They talk a lot about the logistics of the upcoming battle against Alastomon and the circumstances behind it, yes, but they also address how Kana doesn't know what to do now. She never gave herself the chance to think about what she would do if she could return to Earth, and she doesn't know what to do now that she has the chance. Kana has always had a horrible guilt complex after everything she went though, and she only barely scratched the surface of it here. For anyone curious, Kana's need in her darkest hour was love, unconditional and deep, and Saki helped her to see it. Kana is one of the most tragic characters in this version of the Digital World, and she's still got a long way to go, but she's making good progress so far.
Next, we have the scene with Mayumi, Haroi, Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, and Wanyamon near the end. Darcmon is a character I've gained a lot of love for over the course of this story, and I needed to give her a little bit of attention at the end of the line here. I'm glad I changed her from the anime; she's tons of fun and a very complex character. Mayumi and Haroi have always had the greatest connection to the Digimon characters, especially Biastamon, so I had to put them here. Plus, we get a bit of teasing for who Mayumi wants to invite to the festival after the final battle ends. The scene really feels perfect leading into the end of the chapter as the group heads out for the final battle. They're at the end of the line now, and everyone knows it.
There are only two chapters left now, though chapter sixty is going to be double the length and also contain the epilogue. Next week, we'll begin the final battle with chapter fifty-nine: "Cycles of Life and Death." Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 59: Cycles of Life and Death
Summary:
The final battle for the fate of the Digital World begins.
Chapter Text
Takuya let the flames licking at his palms push him ever forward as he looked up at Alastomon's silhouette on the horizon. It was hard to see him against the darkness of the sky, but as the sun rose, more of his features came into the light. His armor had changed colors from the red, light blue, and white Takuya had come to know so well. Instead, Alastomon's armor was a deep crimson with highlights of black and gold. Takuya recognized the colors as being the same ones found on both Lucemon's true form and all of the Warriors of Void. They were the colors of Lucemon's true powers of hell, and now that Alastomon had absorbed all of the magic left behind following Lucemon’s defeat, he had taken on his appearance too.
The Legendary Warriors dropped off the Digimon guides on the ground not far from Alastomon, though they still took enough care to make sure the five young Digimon had as small of a chance as possible of being caught up in the crossfire of the battle. Kana had been holding tightly to Lopmon on the way out to the battlefield, and when she stopped to set him on the ground, Takuya took the chance to fully take in the details of her new Resplendent form. Her new outfit certainly fit the description of the evolution level well. Kana's long blonde hair rested against her back in soft curls. A blue butterfly clip kept her hair halfway tied back, and the wings of the small accessory almost seemed to flap gently in the stiff breeze that blew around the Legendary Warriors.
Kana's outfit primarily consisted of a dress with a few accents and accessories here and there. The bodice was a bright cyan color to match the base tint of her D-Tector. Her skirt was dark blue at the top and faded out through lighter shades of blue before becoming white at the edge. The skirt reached her ankles and had a slit cut out just in front of her right leg. A strip of loose silver ruffles marked the slit before fading out and lining the bottom of the skirt. Silver metal wrapped freely around Kana's stomach to offer an accent to her bodice. A golden accessory made of similar steel covered much of her left arm, winding up and down in gentle swirling patterns that looked a lot like the twist of magic. The accessory shifted up to her shoulder eventually, and from there, it expanded out to her collarbones where a cyan symbol that Takuya could only stood for her abilities over souls was etched onto her chest. Kana had a silver bracelet on her other hand marked with a dark blue gemstone, and it matched the same pattern as her other golden accessory.
On her right leg, there was yet another golden accessory that went up her thigh and down to her ankle before giving way to a dark blue slipper. Her other leg only had a shoe on it, not that anyone would have noticed that if they hadn't been looking closely at Kana in the first place. Her left leg was hidden by her dress most of the time, so there was no need for too much ornamentation there in the first place.
Kana let out a small sigh as she pulled herself up to her full height, shaking off her nerves along the way. She wasn't doing a great job of hiding just how anxious she was about all of this, but she didn't say a word about it as she started to walk back in Alastomon's direction. Takuya followed suit a moment later, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat in his chest. This wasn't the time to get cold feet. One way or another, Alastomon needed to fall, and Takuya was happy to be there to make sure it happened.
Slowly but surely, Alastomon eased himself onto the ground as the Legendary Warriors approached. "So you came," Alastomon hummed. "I shouldn't be too surprised about that. You said you would be here, and here you are... Though I must admit that there was a small part of me that was hoping you would choose to not come by. I was hoping I would be able to begin my conquest without any other confrontations."
"You'd be kidding yourself if you thought we'd really stay away forever," Mayumi scoffed. "You gave us a time to finish this fight, and we're more than happy to rise to the challenge. There's too much on the line for us to just let you walk away."
Alastomon went quiet for a long time before he shook his head. "You've always been thorns in my side," he murmured. "I had been hoping I would be able to sway you to my side, but I was a fool for believing it would be so easy. Of course you wouldn't want to stand by the sides of the Human Digimon you worked so hard to protect... Perhaps I should have gone to you sooner. It may have made this a bit easier."
"There's nothing you could have ever said or done to change our minds about this," Saki assured him. "We were going to oppose you no matter what you did to try and persuade us. Even if you came to us sooner, we wouldn't have even entertained the idea of standing with you. As long as you seek the death of half of this world, we will seek your demise in turn."
"You should at least try to understand though," Alastomon argued. "I was hurt by the war against Cherubimon as many others were. I've seen how evil those wretched beasts can be. You need to understand where I'm coming from and why I'm doing this. If they can roam freely, then they may start another war and kill even more Digimon. This will be the safer option in the long run. This will save more lives if you just give it the time to run its course."
"I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth. Forgive my bluntness, but there's no point to talking. Not anymore," Koji told Alastomon. He summoned a blade made of light to his hand before he pointed it at his opponent. "I'll never agree with you on this, and neither will the rest of my allies. We're here to stop you, and no matter what you try to say to convince us, you're not going to be able to change it."
Alastomon let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "You suffered from the war too... I had been hoping that would make you a bit more flexible with all of this, though I suppose there's not much I can say now to change your mind," he murmured. "So be it then. If you want to fight, then I would be happy to give you a battle you'll never forget." He clenched his fingers into a fist, and a flame that burned both white and black appeared around his hand. "The powers of Lucemon are incredibly strong. He figured out how to hold opposing elements in equal balance so he could use them to destroy any and all who opposed him. You've seen this magic before... Though I suppose you're excited to see it again now."
"You absorbed every piece of Lucemon's magic you had access to before coming here," Koichi said flatly. "That was the reason you retreated and decided to wait on this fight. You knew you would need a bit of extra power if you were going to beat us."
"I wanted to give you the dignity of heroic deaths," Alastomon corrected him even though Takuya knew he was full of shit. All of them knew it, as a matter of fact. Alastomon had almost failed the day before, and he had retreated because he had no other choice. "Lucemon's power has been calling to me for quite some time, and I wanted to follow its wishes to finally tear this world to shreds."
"With how many Digimon you've been possessing lately, I would guess that you've drained quite a bit of your reserves," Chihiro scoffed. "Every Void Fragment is a piece of that magic that you're not getting to use here in this fight. You giving the Digimon Void Fragments that could make them evolve only ate into your supply even more. I don't think this power you've absorbed is quite everything you've cracked it up to be."
"You're a fool for thinking Lucemon's power would be so easily depleted," Alastomon countered. "Lucemon's magic is a grand thing. It had to be restrained in the Dark Heart because without a lock on it, it would have just kept growing forever. Now that it has been set free with no chain and no lock to hold it back... It will continue to thrive and spread. I didn't need to worry about losing any potential power. It all came back in no time at all, and it will continue to do so for as long as this magic exists in the first place... And I will gladly use that power to rip all of you apart until there is nothing left of you but a feeble memory."
Alastomon laughed as he threw a blast of his dark and light fire at Kana. She threw up her arms and created a shield of flickering blue energy for the flames to eat away at instead. When the fire finally faded, the shield had been absorbed entirely, but at the very least, Kana had been left unharmed. Even though she lacked experience or any practice with her new abilities, she still knew how to control them on instinct just like the Legendary Warriors.
"I found Lucemon's power rotting away in the Continent of Darkness soon after the Digital World's reconstruction," Alastomon continued. "It sought a wielder so desperately, and when I realized what it was and how it could be used... Well, there was no way for me to refuse its desires. I just had to take advantage of the gift I had been granted. I didn't take all of the magic right away though. It would have been too risky especially with all of you around all the time. If you figured out that I had started to change, then I would have been done for... So instead, I waited... And then, the moment to strike finally arrived."
"Miriamon told you that she could sense the power of Lucemon, and you knew she couldn't be left alone for any longer than she already had been," Saki finished for him. "You got desperate, so you ordered the biggest Void Fragment invasion yet, and both words nearly fell apart under the weight of the attack."
"It was a glorious battle... Though I really wish I could have stomped out all of you little bugs before it ended," Alastomon sighed in muted disappointment. "That certainly would have made my life a lot easier going forward, but it simply wasn't meant to be... What a shame. At least we're here now, and I would be more than happy to let this power of mine out to play. It has been waiting far too long to take the lives of new targets... Especially those who were responsible for its previous vessel's death."
"You mean... Lucemon's magic seeks vengeance against us too?" Tomoki asked warily as Alastomon summoned yet another light and dark fire to look at in the silence. Takuya felt his body fill with a deep, primal fear he couldn't describe upon hearing those words. He didn't want to admit such a thing was possible, much less that it was happening, but at the same time, Takuya knew better than to try and start an argument about it. Alastomon knew what he was saying and doing, and as much as Takuya didn't want to admit it, he knew just as well that Alastomon was right about all of this.
As if he could read Takuya's mind, Alastomon let out a small, low rumble of a chuckle. "You can feel it, can't you?" he asked, his voice just barely above a whisper. "This flame is just a small piece of Lucemon's greater power, but it seeks your destruction just as I do. It knows that you were the ones to kill Lucemon, and it wants every single one of you dead." Alastomon laughed once again as he extinguished the fire. "And I believe the time has come to let it have its way. We have talked more than enough. As long as neither side is willing to yield, we must be ready to fight... And I cannot wait to see how this ends."
Alastomon let out a fierce battle cry at that, and the air around him began to distort and twist as dark red fire sparked around him, consuming his body in the blink of an eye. Takuya threw his arms up on instinct to try and block the light from reaching his eyes, but he only partially succeeded. He felt the ground start to shift beneath him as well, and as Takuya slid backwards, he dug his heels into the earth as much as he could to ground himself. He felt rocks pile up around his feet and ankles to keep him in place, and Takuya made a mental note to thank Chihiro for their help later.
The entire world seemed to be distorting around Takuya, and it took every ounce of effort he had to not end up swept up in the chaos. Alastomon was no doubt transforming into some stronger form that could handle the full force of Lucemon's magic in a fight. Even Lucemon himself had transformed twice during his final battle, and he was the one who had owned all that power in the first place. An outside party taking up the mantle of that magic was bound to struggle with it, and Alastomon was far from being an exception no matter how much he claimed to have conquered and harnessed Lucemon's magic.
When the fire around Alastomon finally faded, Takuya allowed his eyes to open, and he looked up at the towering figure of Alastomon that easily eclipsed all of the Legendary Warriors. Alastomon had grown to twice his original height, and considering the fact that he had already been taller than all of the Legendary Warriors originally, his size was beyond impressive and had tipped effortlessly into the territory of horrifying. His armor had grown more elaborate in the transformation, and the black, deep crimson, and gold steel covered much of his body, including his eyes that had always been exposed in the past. Massive draconic wings sprouted from his back, and a smaller set of angelic wings wrapped around the lower half of his body, though they appeared to be decorative more than anything else. There were twelve spheres of energy following his body around as well, all of them constantly shifting and churning. Lucemon's final dragon form had used those energy orbs as well, and Takuya could tell they were going to be painful to deal with in this fight too. As far as he was concerned, the spheres were concrete physical forms for the resentment Lucemon's magic had toward the Legendary Warriors, and if given the chance, they would tear their foes to shreds without hesitation.
Alastomon took a step forward, and when he did, deep red fire licked at his boot and the ground below before sizzling out after a few seconds of high-pitched squealing. "This is where you will all take your final bows... But there will be no funeral to honor your failures! There will only be a world without any of you traitors in it!"
Alastomon created a blast of black fire in one hand and sent it flying out toward the Legendary Warriors. Takuya held out one hand and absorbed the fire half of the attack while Koichi did the same with the Darkness piece of the spell. The fire crackled away for a few more seconds before fading away entirely. Takuya launched himself forward with the new power fueling him, and he sent out a comet of searing flame that streaked toward Alastomon. However, Alastomon would not be stopped so easily, and he threw out one hand to absorb the fire with a loose scoff and a roll of his eyes.
Koji darted forward with his sword of light at the ready as Saki summoned their own rapier and tried to strike at Alastomon from behind. He grabbed the edge of Koji's blade just before it could strike him, barely even seeming to notice that he was supposed to be in pain from holding a sword's blade at all. Saki slashed at him from behind, but before they could follow up with another attack, Alastomon grabbed the tip of their rapier as well. Koji took advantage of the distraction to make his own sword explode, sending a hot and sudden flare of light out to consume Alastomon's vision for a few seconds. Saki took this chance to stab at Alastomon once again before jumping out of the way before he could punch them with a fist charged up with dark energy.
Izumi pressed her hands together in front of her chest to create a massive tornado before she directed it after Alastomon. He stepped to the side of the twister and pressed one palm out to his right to try and redirect its power back at Izumi. Tomoki responded quicker though, and he sent a blast of cold wind straight at the tornado to freeze it on the spot, trapping Alastomon's hand in a block of ice connected to the rest of the twister. Alastomon snarled before setting his hand ablaze and pulling it out of the tornado by force. The icy statue of the twister melted into nothing but water on the spot, falling ineffectively to the ground below.
Hinoka wasn't going to let that be the end of it though, and she summoned a scepter that looked a lot like the weapon she had used in her past Spirit Evolved forms. She used the scepter to manipulate the water, creating a massive tidal wave that gladly slammed into Alastomon and sent him staggering. Koji, who had recovered and recreated his sword, took this chance to slash at Alastomon fiercely before retreating. Junpei forced Alastomon to stagger backwards once again with a harsh blast of lightning directed straight at his chest. Since Alastomon was already covered in water, he let out a cry of pain as the fluid was electrocuted all across his body.
Alastomon snarled as he rubbed one hand across his mouth to rid it of any lingering traces of water. His rage was palpable, but he didn't stop to talk. Instead, he rushed forward, pulling his fist backwards as he aimed to knock Hinoka off balance and keep her from influencing the water again. She released a blast of water before he could hit her though, and a tidal wave appeared from the gem at the top of her scepter to slam into Alastomon's body. Since he had charged up his fist with fire magic, the water turned to steam that blasted him in the face immediately, giving Hinoka the time she needed to fly out of the way on her watery wings.
While Alastomon was distracted, Mayumi dashed up behind him and slammed her hand into his back. He was sent jolting forward as she stole his energy, but before he had the chance to turn around and force her away from him, Mayumi jumped onto his shoulders with her added boost of energy and kicked off his torso. She flipped freely through the air before landing in a crouch far enough away that Alastomon would need to charge up an attack if he wanted to hit her.
Yumiko sent out a few thrashing vines to try and restrain Alastomon, and for a few seconds, they succeeded in keeping him held down. He was quick to fight back though, setting himself ablaze and consuming the thin layer of water on his body in the process. When the flames died down again, he was completely dry, and he had no intentions of falling for the same tricks a second time. In other words, the Legendary Warriors would need to take advantage of other types of elemental synergy if they were to get the upper hand.
Izumi and Haroi were happy to take him up on that challenge though, and Izumi created yet another tornado as she pressed her hands together in front of her chest. Haroi created a comet that wound itself into the twister as she released it, and the tornado carved a harsh and destructive path through the air before arriving at its target. Alastomon pressed his hands together just as Izumi had to create the twister, and he did his best to absorb it and mitigate the tempest it had created. However, doing so just set Haroi's comet free from its previous gravitational pull, allowing it to streak through the air before hitting Alastomon in the back and forcing him to the ground.
Chihiro had been preparing for this exact moment, and they jumped high into the air before coming down with their left hand pulled back in preparation for a punch. Alastomon allowed the earth to swallow him just before Chihiro landed on him though, and a jagged column of rock sprouted from the ground a few feet away. Alastomon was forced out of his underground hiding place immediately, and judging by the way he cradled his side, Chihiro had managed to hit him even when he tried to hide out of their sight.
While Alastomon was distracted with Chihiro, Koichi drew a circle in the air before pressing his hand through it. A series of white eye shapes appeared around the perimeter of the circle, and they all opened in sync as he pressed his hand forward. The eyes created a series of lasers that gladly struck at Alastomon's weakest points, deliberately targeting the spots just between his various plates of armor. Alastomon held up one arm to try and defend himself, but it didn't go anywhere near as well as he would have liked, and he instead just soaked up all the damage on his right arm, leaving him struggling to fight with it.
Alastomon melted into the earth once again, appearing as nothing more than the darting silhouette of a shadow on the surface of the ground. Junpei waited for the shadow to stray a bit too close to him before he slammed one fist into the earth, creating a shockwave that shook the ground and sent electricity reverberating through the rocks beneath his feet. Alastomon changed directions abruptly, though it was clear that he had been weakened by the attack. In other words, the other Legendary Warriors could easily hurt him even when he was trying to hide underground. That didn't need to be a matter that only Chihiro could resolve.
When Alastomon appeared above ground again, he was right next to Junpei. He pulled one arm back, his fingers clenching into a fist before he punched at the Warrior of Thunder. Junpei threw up his arms to try and block the force of the attack as much as he could, creating a thin barrier of electricity between himself and his opponent. Alastomon sent Junpei sliding backwards across the ground, kicking up dust all around them. Junpei tried to follow up with a kick in Alastomon's direction, but the dust limited his visibility to the point that he couldn't see it when Alastomon moved behind him instead and unleashed yet another punch of dark fire against Junpei's back.
The Warrior of Thunder groaned in shock and pain as he was sent flying forward, throwing his arms out to catch himself. He redirected his momentum to the best of his ability, using his lightning magic to spring off the ground with his hands before letting a sphere of electricity appear on his back to lift him into the air. Junpei was clearly winded and struggling to regain his grip on the battle at hand, but he was at least in a somewhat decent place to keep fighting, and that had to count for something.
Before Alastomon had the chance to pursue Junpei and weaken him further, Chihiro appeared just behind Alastomon. They traded a few punches before Chihiro sunk into the ground to avoid a sweeping motion from Alastomon's arm. When they appeared again a few seconds later, they were behind him, and they stepped to the side to avoid a roundhouse kick from Alastomon before punching forward and kicking off the ground, allowing them to cut upwards and sending Alastomon into a stagger.
Izumi was there to follow up on Alastomon's brief moment of weakness, and she streaked through the air with her foot outstretched. She kicked as roughly as she could at Alastomon's chest, and he stumbled backwards once again. Izumi kicked off him in a flip before using her element of wind to accelerate her descent so she beat Alastomon to the ground. She swept one leg out beneath his feet to knock him off balance. Alastomon's legs abandoned him, and he fell backwards onto the ground. He slammed a hand into the ground, creating a hand made of dark indigo energy that pursued Izumi gladly.
Before the Warrior of Wind could counterattack, the hand shot out and grabbed at her leg, quickly throwing her to the ground. Koji tried to slash at the hand with his blade of light, hoping his opposite element would dispel the attack, but it didn't work anywhere near as well as he would have liked. Instead, the hand absorbed his blade whole, taking advantage of the power of opposites that Lucemon had once been known for. Tomoki was there to make sure the hand didn't continue on a rampage though, and he started to freeze it from the bottom up. The hand was able to get in one last swipe at Koji though, and the Warrior of Light was sent sliding backwards across the ground.
While the rest of the group was distracted with the hand he had summoned, Alastomon pushed himself up to his feet once again. He punched at the air, creating an outline of light magic that streaked toward Koichi. The Warrior of Darkness blocked the attack with a shield of his own element before he started to retreat, knowing Alastomon was going to try and follow up on the previous attack. Sure enough, Alastomon rushed toward him with his arm outstretched with the promise of an attack. Koichi sunk into the ground, transforming into a darting shadow that moved across the surface of the earth in a desperate bid to escape.
Yumiko was there to stop Alastomon from pursuing Koichi again though. She created a set of vines that wrapped around Alastomon's body and dragged him down to the ground with no way of escape. Alastomon set one arm ablaze before he grabbed at Yumiko's wrist, throwing her over his shoulder effortlessly. Yumiko let out a cry of shock, but because of the awkward angle at which she had been thrown, she couldn't convince her wings to regain their balance and start carrying her on their own. Koichi came up from the ground below, pushing himself away from the shadow he had created, but Yumiko struck him from the side before he had the chance to recover. They fell into a pile of limbs on the ground, groaning and trying their best to pull away from one another.
Saki and Kana teamed up on Alastomon as he tried to escape from the vines wrapped around his body. Saki stabbed at a weak point in his armor after he set himself ablaze to get away from his thorny confines. Kana struck him with a condensed sphere of cyan energy, and Alastomon stumbled backwards in what appeared to be a struggle to maintain his balance. He was falsifying it though, and while Saki caught on and saw the ruse before Alastomon could follow up on it, Kana didn't realize what was happening. Alastomon managed to snag the edge of Kana's wrist just before she could escape, and he sent hot energy pulsing through his arm and up to her body. Kana screamed in shock and pain before stumbling backwards, cradling her injury close even though she knew that wasn't going to help her much.
Tomoki slid one foot across the ground, creating a long strip of ice that gathered just beneath Alastomon's feet. He instinctively burned the ice away so it wouldn't interfere with his ability to maneuver through the area, but in doing so, he created a pool of water at his feet. Alastomon didn't think much of it at first since Junpei was still disoriented from before, but Mayumi was there to show just how grave of an error he had made. She sent out a small blast of energy at the pool of water, electrifying it and sending a shock through Alastomon's body. Alastomon screamed in pain before he crumbled to the ground once more, pressing a hand against his chest as he glared up at Mayumi with all the rage in the world.
"Thorns in my side as per usual... I should have expected as much," Alastomon muttered. He rose to his feet slowly, and when he did, he let out a fierce scream and clapped his hands together in front of his chest. A massive shockwave of deep red energy spread through the air, sending all of the Legendary Warriors flying backwards immediately. The blast seemed to sap their strength as well, leaving them scattered and weakened in a vague perimeter around Alastomon.
Takuya groaned as he rubbed at his head, feeling a bruise forming on his cheek that would take at least a few weeks to heal. He blinked as he looked up at the rest of his team, finding they were all in similar states of disarray. Alastomon had grown panicked when he hit them with that massive blast, and his desperation was much stronger than it had any right to be. In fact, Alastomon was much stronger than he had any right to be in general. It shouldn't have been so overwhelmingly difficult to defeat him, and yet, it was regardless. What a pain.
Takuya could pinpoint the exact reason for the issues in the battle too. Alastomon had the ability to control every element the same way Lucemon had during the final battle in the Dark Heart. For the most part, he had taken advantage of the hostility between the elements of light and darkness in order to claim victory, but he technically had the ability to control every one of them, and he was ruthless in striking out with the powers he had taken so many years to master. Alastomon had less experience, but the magic he was using sought the deaths of the Legendary Warriors enough to make up for all the time he hadn't been able to practice like Lucemon.
And that was where the problem was. Alastomon had the ability to summon every element when he wanted to, and even if he was most heavily inclined to use darkness and fire, he could do what he wanted when push came to shove. He had every ability he needed to counter the abilities of the Legendary Warriors. All he needed was the chance to push them back, and he had been given plenty of chances when there was nothing any of them could do against him.
Takuya hadn't thought about just how awful the lack of the Grand Spirit could be until that moment, but he was all too aware of how much they were missing out on now. He knew they had needed that one common vessel to combine the powers of the spirits to defeat Lucemon the first time, and without that, they were at a disadvantage. If Alastomon could play unfairly by summoning every element to his side, then the Legendary Warriors were going to be in a difficult position until they could find a way to fix all of this and prevail through similar means... But they couldn't do that without the Grand Spirit. It just wasn't possible. Giving Spirits to another person was impossible outside of incredibly specific circumstances, and Takuya wasn't going to ask one of his friends to die for this, especially since he knew Koichi's Spirits had only gone to Koji the first time around because they couldn't return to the Digital World. The Digital World was still intact this time around, and the point was to keep Alastomon from destroying it, not to goad him into forcing them into a desperate position by ruining the realm once more.
"You've been wrenches in my plans for far too long," Alastomon snarled as he brushed a few flakes of dirt off his shoulder. "If you want to play rough, then I would be more than happy to oblige... But I'll warn you now that you're not going to like the person I become when I'm pushed in the wrong direction." He let deep crimson energy crackle across his arms, though he barely seemed to notice when his skin and armor began to distort under the weight of the power. It was morphing him, but he couldn't be asked to care. All he wanted to do was plan out his next attack against the Legendary Warriors, and he was more than happy to do that rather than worrying about his own potential changes.
Nearby, Kana rubbed at a cut that had opened in her cheek. She knew she wasn't anywhere near as experienced with fighting as the Legendary Warriors, and she didn't want to hold them back even though she knew they needed her extra power. To be more accurate, they needed the strength she could provide them as far as the Grand Spirit was concerned. Kana had known going into this fight that they were going to need some degree of the powers of heaven Susanoomon possessed through the combination of all twenty-four Spirits alongside their own. She had been hoping she would turn out to be wrong, but she could see now that she had been wrong to hope at all. They needed Susanoomon, and they needed their power now.
But there was no way to just summon Susanoomon. Kana hadn't been given the chance to search for where the Grand Spirit had gone after the Digital World reconstructed itself. She had been busy with a thousand other things, and when she finally had the courage and resolve to leave Rubrum and consider looking for it, Alastomon had already started his massive invasion of both Earth and the Digital World, giving her none of the time and space she would have needed to track it down. Susanoomon could have been anywhere, and Kana couldn't go finding the Grand Spirit now. The rest of the Legendary Warriors needed her, and she couldn't afford to leave them when the search would likely end up being in vain anyway. What she really needed was to be able to replicate Susanoomon's power without needing to leave.
Wait... Was that possible?
"Cover for me!" Kana declared to the rest of the Legendary Warriors as she scrambled to her feet and retreated gracelessly. She pressed her hands together in front of her chest like she was praying, not bothering to check if the Legendary Warriors had actually moved to defend her from Alastomon. She knew she could trust them, and she was fine with leaving this in their hands. For the time being, Kana had much more important matters to focus on, and if all went well, she would be able to solve their problem about not having the Grand Spirit at their ready access soon.
After getting back on their feet, Chihiro was the first one to rush toward Alastomon, and they shared a glance with Izumi and Mayumi before the other two darted after them. Izumi cast a quick wind spell on Chihiro while Mayumi offered them a bit of extra energy. Seconds later, Chihiro arrived just in front of Alastomon, and when he went to punch at them, they swerved out of the way. Alastomon tried again, and just like before, they avoided the attack. The small spell Izumi had cast on them was one of evasion, giving Chihiro the extra bit of swiftness like the wind they needed to avoid the bulk of Alastomon's attacks. Out of all the Legendary Warriors, Chihiro had the most in terms of raw defense, so even if they got hit, it wouldn't hurt them as badly as it would most of the other members of the group.
Alastomon tried to strike at Chihiro with a flurry of other punches, but the Warrior of Earth avoided each and every one with a smug smirk on their face. "What's wrong, Alastomon? Struggling a bit, are you?" they asked. "I would be happy to lend you a hand... What do you say?"
The teasing only made Alastomon more upset, and he tried to kick at Chihiro to break up his previous rhythm. They stepped out of the way of the attack but grabbed at the base of his foot with their gauntlet of stone. From there, they tossed Alastomon high into the air, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors saw the strike for what it was: the opening stages of what could have easily been a finishing move.
Mayumi started sprinting off toward Alastomon, and Saki summoned a shield made of purple energy before offering it as a platform for the Warrior of Energy to step on. Mayumi launched herself into the air at breakneck speeds, meeting Alastomon in midair before punching at him with a fierce battle cry. Alastomon was sent back to the ground faster than a speeding Trailmon, and when he finally hit the earth once again, he left behind a massive crater from the impact.
"What did I tell you?" Chihiro taunted as they looked down at their gauntlet. "I said I would give you a hand if you wanted it back when we were still allies. I'm glad you decided to take me up on that offer. It makes things much easier for the both of us."
While Alastomon was on the ground, Hinoka decided to take advantage of him being down to hit him with a blast of water. Alastomon was quick to burn it all away, already knowing what she was trying to do, so Tomoki hit him with a barricade of ice magic to counter the fire. The flames, predictably, created water that tried to extinguish the fire. It was a harsh, drastic fight, but pieces of Alastomon's body ended up covered in water regardless. Junpei punched at the air, and a massive crack of thunder echoed throughout the area as the lightning hit its target, once again forcing Alastomon to his knees.
When Alastomon looked up next though, his eyes were glowing with a new dark enmity Takuya hadn't seen in him before. The dark red energy that had consumed his form throughout the fight crept up his neck, leaving behind black vein patterns in his skin. Alastomon fell to all fours and growled before letting the noise devolve into a shriek. He tilted his head back to the skies and continued to scream, allowing the dark red magic to swallow him whole.
Takuya threw up his arms on instinct, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors retreated to ensure they weren't pushed away from the heart of the battle by force. Saki created a shield in front of Kana to ensure she wasn't interrupted in whatever it was that she was currently doing, not that Takuya could quite say what it was. Still, he figured he would find out soon enough, and he was fine with leaving the question unanswered for a while longer if it would keep him alive.
As it turned out, staying alive was a much greater concern than Takuya could have ever expected. Alastomon's dark red energy was starting to grow, and his silhouette was expanding along with it. Massive legs pulled themselves free of the deep crimson, but they weren't the human limbs Takuya had known Alastomon to have. Instead, the legs looked almost like those of a dragon. The spheres of energy that had been following around the Legendary Warriors continued to churn as they grew larger along with Alastomon.
With one final echoing boom, the dark red energy subsided, leaving behind Alastomon's new form. He had become what Takuya could only describe as a demonic dragon, his scales the same deep red color as before with veins of dark black across his body. Alastomon's wings were gray, almost as if they had once been the same pure white color of his old armor only to end up dyed with the hatred he had come to possess throughout the battle. His eyes were a piercing purple, and his pupils were a strange gold color. The churning spheres of energy around Alastomon gladly whistled along with Alastomon when he let out a massive roar that made the ground shake and the air tremble.
It was ironic in more ways than Takuya could count. Alastomon had taken on the power of Lucemon in order to defeat his enemies, and in doing so, he had ultimately lost the humanity he had held so close and maintained such rigid ideals of all this time. Now, he was a dragon, a beast by any other name. The line between Human and Beast Digimon had always been thin and arbitrary in Takuya's mind, and he could see that now more than ever. Alastomon had become a beast, the very thing he had despised for so long, and he barely seemed to care.
In fact, if Takuya had to guess, he would have said that Alastomon barely even realized what was happening. A transformation like this couldn't have been predicted or planned. Alastomon hadn't realized he was going to lose his grip on his sanity, and he hadn't expected to transform into a Beast Digimon in the midst of the battle either. It was Alastomon's own fault for letting himself lose his mind and grip so completely, and it was beyond ironic and hilarious to Takuya. It was a fitting punishment for Alastomon... But he wouldn't be alive to enjoy it. He would die soon enough, and the Legendary Warriors would be the ones to kill him.
Koji was the first one to react upon seeing Alastomon's transformation. There was no point in talking about it; the Legendary Warriors would have to fight him either way, and discussing it would only slow them down. Koji summoned a flare of light magic before sending it flying at Alastomon. The dragon cowered away from it, and the orb of darkness swirling around him ate the light on the spot, liberating Alastomon from the inconvenience of the attack.
Immediately afterwards, the orb of darkness went after Koji, and he flipped out of the way before sending another flare directly at it. The sphere would not be deterred though, and it continued to charge straight toward him. The attack wound up doing nothing though when Koichi stepped in the way and turned the sphere back with a blast of his own dark powers. The twins shared a nod of gratitude and understanding before they returned their full attention to the battle at hand. They knew they couldn't afford to get distracted, and so, they wouldn't let themselves focus on anything else until this had been finished.
The rest of the elemental orbs started surging through the air, each of them desperately searching for their opposite so they could kill the corresponding Legendary Warrior. As Alastomon's rage grew, so too did the hatred resting in Lucemon's old magic, Takuya found. It was all the more reason for them to finish this as soon as possible. He didn't want to be drowned under the tides of a magical sphere. That would just be an insulting way to die.
Alastomon himself swung his tail out at Mayumi with all the force he could. She flipped out of the way, almost landing on the crackling orb of cosmic magic in the process. Haroi was there to redirect her course though, creating a comet to guide her to the ground where she would be safe. The two crossed paths effortlessly from there, both of them taking on the orb that matched up to their element. If the Legendary Warriors wanted to stand a chance of defeating the spheres, then they would need to hit them with the opposite element, but it was too risky for them to try right off the bat. Kana was planning something, and if she was able to find a way to get them out of this through other means, then they would much prefer that to risking everything by fighting off their opposing orb of concentrated magic.
Takuya ducked when the water orb appeared in his line of sight. A massive jet lashed out from the center of the orb, trying its best to consume him in one simple motion. Takuya was too fast though, and he released a fireball back at his opponent. The sphere absorbed the flames, suffocating them on the spot. Takuya snarled at the sight before he prepared himself to strike back with a stronger attack. He needed more time to ground himself if he was to hit the orb with everything he had. Takuya was starting to really feel his lack of experience from his Resplendent Evolution even though he wished that wasn't the case. His body instinctively knew a lot of what he needed to do in order to stay alive, yes, but the extra practice would have made this much easier, and it would have gone a long way to keeping him in one piece.
Hinoka sprang into action before Takuya could be fully knocked aside though. She slammed the top of her scepter straight into the orb, and much to Takuya's surprise, the sphere was solid enough to be hit in the first place. The sound of steel against the bizarre material of the energy orb echoed like thunder in Takuya's mind, but he gladly took the chance to retreat and instead strike at the sphere of fiery energy that had been pursuing Hinoka. He punched at it hard enough to push it backwards by a few feet, but as was to be expected, it still would not be deterred no matter what he did.
Takuya tried to use other blasts of fire to push the sphere back so it wouldn't be able to hit Hinoka, but he wasn't having much luck. As much as he hated to admit it, his magic just wasn't effective against a source of its own element. The sphere gladly absorbed any attack that wasn't strong enough to break through its outer shell, and while it never grew stronger from Takuya's extra strikes, it wasn't getting any weaker either, and that was a pain in Takuya's side in its own miserable way.
The Warrior of Fire glanced over to Kana and saw that she was still pressing her hands together tightly over her chest. Since she didn't have an element that matched up with a continent of the Digital World, she had been spared from the onslaught of the orbs swirling through the sky. That left her with just enough time to focus on whatever spell it was she was trying to cast, though Takuya couldn't quite say what it was. He wanted to understand, of course, but he knew he wasn't really in a place to ask. There was too much happening all around him for him to even think of entertaining the idea of speaking with her in the midst of the battle.
Just before Takuya could think of asking her what was going on though, Kana let out a sharp breath, and her hands went above her head before spreading themselves out and falling down to her side. A deep pulse of cyan energy was surrounding her body, and something about the gentle light pulled Takuya's attention in her direction. For some reason he couldn't define, he wanted to go over there... But he couldn't afford to do so in the midst of a fight. He knew that. Why did he suddenly have an impulse he didn't understand?
Takuya wasn't the only one who was suffering from such a thing though. As far as he could tell, the other Legendary Warriors were battling the urge to approach Kana and stand at her side even as Alastomon continued to push towards them. Takuya eventually gave up and decided to retreat back towards Kana. Whatever that magnetic energy was, it had to be helpful somehow. She wouldn't have spent so much time casting a spell if she didn't think it was going to help the group in their fight against Alastomon.
As soon as Takuya was within the range of the spell though, he felt the world around him began to distort. At first, it was his hearing, and every sound seemed to echo far more than it had any right to. From there, his vision began to twist and pinch in a way that reminded him a lot of what it was like to travel between realms... But Kana hadn't summoned a portal. Rifts between Earth and the Digital World didn't look like that.
Then just what had she done?
Cyan light soon swam through Takuya's line of sight, and he made the wise decision to close his eyes and wait it out. His body began to shift with the distortion though, and Takuya didn't try to fight it. A part of him already knew there wasn't going to be much of a point, and something told in the back of his mind told him to calm down and let it happen. He couldn't communicate directly with Aguni, Vritra, or Alda when he was Resplendent Evolved, but he knew that whisper had to have come from them. They knew everything would be fine, and they were hoping Takuya understood that too.
When Takuya next opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by pale blue light and unable to move from his current spot. He glanced down and saw that he was in his Resplendent attire still, but his entire body was glowing with a gentle red light. He stared at his hand for a moment before realizing there was no ground for him to stand on in the first place. He was floating in place... But this wasn't real. He knew this wasn't real. Even so, it was familiar to him.
A quick glance around told Takuya that he wasn't the only one there either. In fact, all of the Legendary Warriors were there, and they were standing in a circle in their Resplendent forms. At the head of the circle was none other than Kana. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around with a small, satisfied smile. "I'm glad it worked," she said, the words echoing in Takuya's mind in a way that he immediately recognized.
This was what it had been like to be Susanoomon.
The spell Kana had cast had fused all thirteen of them into one body.
"What... What is this?" Koichi asked in surprise. He seemed a bit distressed by the fact that he couldn't move his legs, and he looked around in desperate search of an explanation. That was right. He hadn't been there when the rest of the Legendary Warriors fought together as Susanoomon to defeat Lucemon the first time. By that point, he had already been forced back into his own comatose body on Earth.
"We're all in one body now," Kana explained. "This is only temporary, and I can undo it after the battle ends. I tried to reach out to the Grand Spirit to see if it would come here and heed my call, but it's too far away and couldn't answer me. Instead, I decided to do something else... My connection to the Spirits you all have was enough to allow me to fuse all of us together into a single body for the time being. Fighting as individuals against Alastomon isn't enough, especially with his new form. We have to work together, and right now, that means all sharing a single body just as you did when you were all Susanoomon."
"And you used yourself as the base for the new form," Saki concluded. "We wouldn't have been able to pull this off without you being able to reach out to the Spirits we have, so you need to be here as a conduit for the rest of us."
"Something along those lines," Kana answered with a loose shrug. "But the explanations can wait until later. Alastomon is still out there, and he wants to fight us more than ever now that we've combined. I can only imagine that Lucemon's magic is even angrier now that we're all in one single body just as the rest of you were when you defeated Lucemon the first time. We have to be ready to counter everything Alastomon can throw at us. This is one fight we have no choice but to win."
Takuya nodded before allowing his eyes to open... His body's eyes. When he did so, the rest of the Legendary Warriors followed suit. It had been a long time since they fought together as Susanoomon, but they still remembered how it worked. As long as they worked in tandem, they would be able to fight and win. Koichi and Kana may not have been there the first time, but they would figure out the finer points soon enough. There was no teacher quite like experience, after all.
The Legendary Warriors' new form was incredibly tall, easily standing at the same height Alastomon had been prior to his transformation into a dragon. Their skin was an easy mixture of all of their tones, coming out at a warm peachy tint. They wore very little with only a silver pair of shorts and a golden breastplate appearing on their shared body. Their hair was a light brown color and tied into a high ponytail. Their hair trailed behind them in a single razor like stream, and streaks of all thirteen of their elemental colors ran through their tresses. A few strands hung out near the left side of their face, easily marking the place where most of their streaks of color could be found in their Resplendent form. Beyond that, they had adopted a trend of Mayumi's Spirit Evolutions, and their shorts had thirteen pieces of transparent fabric hanging from the waist segment, one for each of the natural colors of the Legendary Warriors along with Kana.
The rest of their body was marked with the symbols of the Legendary Warriors corresponding to where they were on the various members of the team in their Resplendent form. On their left cheek was the symbol of Thunder, and the mark of Steel was on their right cheek. Both symbols were surrounded by threads of yellow and purple respectively that crawled down their neck before stopping where their shoulders began. After all, that was where the symbols of Wood and Ice appeared. The marks were centered around their collarbones and stretched outwards in fans of green and blue with Yumiko's sign being on the right while Tomoki's was on the left. The markings spread down their upper arms.
From there, the marks of Fire and Water appeared on their right and left wrists respectively. Creeping sketches of red and turquoise gladly covered their fingers and lower arms centered around the specific symbols. On their hips, the markings of Wind and Earth made themselves known. Brown etchings covered their left side while pink sprawled down their right half. At their thighs, new colors took hold in the form of orange and gray. The orange surrounded the symbol of Energy and covered their left thigh while gray spread out from the mark of Cosmos on the right side. Their lower legs were covered in black symbols on the right and white markings on the left. They surrounded the marks of Darkness and Light respectively, and the specific symbols were found on the outside of their ankles.
Last but not least, a bright cyan symbol standing for the power of Souls appeared at the center of their chest to prove Kana was the heart of this entire evolution. Light blue markings spread down their chest and upper back, only stopping just above the golden breastplate. Their eyes gleamed the same bright blue color that had come to be associated with the element of Souls over the course of the battle.
Alastomon had noticed what was happening after catching a glimpse of the cyan light that Kana had used to draw in the rest of the Legendary Warriors. Throughout the evolution, he had cowered, shrieking in rage and pain at the sight of the overwhelming light. Now though, he looked at the new incarnation of the Legendary Warriors in full. His orbs of magic all stood to attention, each of them ready to rip their foe to pieces the instant they were given the chance.
This new form of theirs didn't have a name yet, and it felt wrong to refer to themselves as a Digimon. This was very much a human form, or at the very least, it skewed towards being human out of the many forms they had come to take since taking up the title of Legendary Warriors. They were not a Digimon in that moment, but they weren't entirely a human either. This was their Master Resplendent Evolution, but there was more to it than that. Master Resplendent Evolution may have been the title of the form, but it was not their name, and it never could be. There was more to it than that.
The name sprung to mind almost instantly after they realized they did not have a collective name in this form. Apart, they were the Legendary Warriors of the Digital World in their Resplendent Evolutions. When they combined all of that power into one single body though, they were something far more than the sum of their parts. Much like being Susanoomon, they were something new, and they needed a name that would confirm and reflect that.
Together, they were the Resplendent One.
Alastomon snarled as he took a hulking step towards them, his claws digging into the earth beneath his feet. The Resplendent One did not flinch though. Instead, they simply drew a circle in the sky, creating thirteen spheres of energy, one for each of their elements. The orbs were far smaller than Alastomon's were, but it mattered little. Each piece of the Resplendent One had the full, raw power of the given element. Size didn't mean much when they knew they would be stronger thanks to their experience and destiny.
Alastomon didn't seem to realize he was outmatched though, so he took yet another hulking step towards the Legendary Warriors with a glare in his eyes. He still intended on fighting just as the Resplendent One had known he would. If that was what he wanted, then they were more than happy to oblige. After all, they had come all this way for a fight, and it wouldn't be right for them to deprive themselves or Alastomon of the opportunity... Especially when the fate of the Digital World hung in the balance.
"This will be your last day, Alastomon," the Resplendent One declared as they took a step forward. Their voice echoed with each of the Legendary Warriors’ cadences, fusing together to create something beautiful and new. The Resplendent One pointed one hand in Alastomon's direction, energy crackling across their fingertips as a warning. They didn't bother with giving Alastomon the chance to surrender. He wouldn't have taken it anyway, and sure enough, he just stepped forward as his wings prepared to take off into the sky in response to the threat.
The Resplendent One smirked to themselves and sunk slightly into a defensive stance. No matter what, this would be where the war ended. They would stop Alastomon regardless of what it took. The Digital World had suffered enough at his hands, and he could not be allowed to survive if the world was to ever see peace again. He had made his choice, and they had made theirs.
Only one could survive, and they would make sure it was them. Nothing could stop them now.
Notes:
And there's the start of the final battle!
It amazes me how it's almost over. I've been writing this story for over a year now, and I know that, but... It's almost over. I can't believe it. I know I can do all my babbling about that in the afterword coming next week after the final chapter, but still. Wow. Next week. Time sure does fly when you're having fun, huh?
Since the bulk of this chapter is a battle sequence, I want to offer a bit of a look into my creative process going into this book. I was originally planning on having the group evolve to their Ancient forms in this book and Resplendent forms in the third and final book, but upon looking back through the themes of the story, I realized it would make more sense to switch them. This book is about the group adapting to being back at home and their trauma from the Digital World, and since it focuses so much on what it means to be human, I thought including the more human form in this book made a lot more sense.
And I think that was definitely the right decision! I love the Resplendent Evolutions in terms of story, characterization, writing, combat, and design. They're just so much fun... But I wanted to push things a little bit further than that, so we ended up with the Resplendent One. The Grand Spirit isn't easy to access, and since the Legendary Warriors haven't been able to go and search for it with everything going on, they had to turn to something else, and that just so happened to be Kana manipulating her ability over Souls and Spirits to transform the group into the Resplendent One. I absolutely adore this design, and much like with every other design in this story, I really need to draw it out one day. It's so much fun, and I'm really looking forward to writing the fight with the Resplendent One in it next chapter.
Okay, back to my freaking out about how the story is almost over. There's one chapter after this, and it'll wrap up this fight along with showing off the epilogue. The first book ended with a chapter twice the normal length of this story's chapters because of the included epilogue, and the same will be true here. I'm really excited to show off everything the characters have learned there since they've come a long way since the start of this story. God, I love this universe and these characters so much. No matter what happens, I always find myself crawling right back here where I started. They're so much fun, and I never stop thinking about them.
Alright, ramble over for now. Next week, we'll finish off the final battle with Alastomon and see what happens after the fact as "Fates Unbound" finally comes to a close. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Chapter 60: Barely Human
Summary:
The Resplendent One and all of their pieces fight for the future of the Digital World.
Chapter Text
After the Resplendent One had finished transforming, Alastomon let out a mighty roar, and all at once, his twelve spheres of energy went darting toward them. The Resplendent One flipped up out of the way of the initial attack before summoning a thin whip made of white magic. They cracked it against the air, immediately dealing massive damage to the sphere made of the element of Darkness on account of the spell coming from light magic. Afterwards, the Resplendent One pulled the whip into a sphere and sent it hurtling towards the orb of Darkness. As soon as the new attack made contact with its target, the sphere splintered and shattered in a brief blaze of black fire that left behind no traces the orb had been there in the first place.
When the Resplendent One landed, another sphere was waiting for them. The orb of Wind sent out a blast of air that sent them flying into the air, but the Resplendent One didn't let this fluster them. Instead, they twirled in a circle before creating a boot of rocks on their left foot. They slammed down against the orb of Wind magic, breaking it in half before it went up in pink smoke. The Resplendent One ducked backwards when the orb of Fire drew a little bit too close to them, and they responded with a sharp blast of Water magic that dried out the sphere and left it as the perfect vulnerable target for yet another kick attack. The stones surrounding the Resplendent One's feet flew away and embedded themselves into the orb of Fire, eating away at its hardened shell before it caved in on itself and exploded.
Alastomon reeled backwards at the sight of his energy spheres being destroyed so readily and easily, and he prepared to release a blast of fiery magic from his mouth. The Resplendent One remained still just long enough to bait the attack out of him before they launched up into the air as the flames licked the ground where they had just been standing. They twirled around after creating a platform of purple energy to spring off as they turned back to Alastomon. They created a sphere of energy and sent it flying. The orb slammed into his cheek, forcing him to stop his fiery attack and sending him staggering despite the stark difference between their sizes.
Alastomon took this chance to kick off the ground and begin flying, his wings beating mightily against the air. The Resplendent One was barely bothered by this and began to levitate for themselves. None of the people inside the mind of the Resplendent One had realized that was something they could do, but then again, they didn't know a lot of what this new form of theirs could do. All they knew for sure was that if they kept fighting and working together, then they would be able to come out on top. Fighting as a unified combatant was easy for them. They had been taking advantage of their synergy as a team for ages now, and fighting in a single body was effortless as a result.
Another set of energy spheres came after the Resplendent One, and they let out a small chuckle before they prepared their counterattack. The first orb to fly in their direction was that of the Energy element, and the Resplendent One placed their hands together in front of their chest before spreading them apart slowly, creating a rift of Cosmic magic between their fingers. When the attack was finally ready, the Resplendent One launched it forward just before the orb of Energy could pull together an attack to fire at them. The rift consumed the orb on the spot, leaving behind just a pocket of a galactic portal in the air before the Resplendent One. The rift pinched and distorted a few times as the Energy sphere fought desperately to escape its new cage, but it made no progress in the end. Instead, the rift opened once again, spitting out only a few ashes left behind from the orb of Energy. That was all that remained of it after its brief time in the cosmic portal, the space within having completely eaten it alive.
The Resplendent One had grown stronger when the sphere of Energy was destroyed too. In fact, they could slowly but surely feel themselves getting stronger as the orbs Alastomon had summoned were ruined. They were pieces of Lucemon's power, and in destroying their malice, then the Resplendent One could grow stronger through the magic of hope they embodied. At this point, it didn't matter what Alastomon tried to throw at them. It would never be enough to defeat them, and he would see that brutal truth soon enough.
The orbs of magic swirling around the Resplendent One started to converge on Alastomon a few moments later, relentlessly tearing away at his scales with blasts of their respective elements. Alastomon slashed at a few of them instinctively, but the Resplendent One didn't let him destroy them. Instead, they whistled sharply, and the endangered spheres came rushing back to their side. It was a strategic move too. The spheres of Ice and Thunder had arrived just then, and the Resplendent One had summoned back their orbs of Wood and Steel. What better way was there to counter Alastomon's newest attempt at winning the battle?
The Resplendent One reached out for the sphere of Wood, and after touching it, they pulled their hand away as a dagger made of vines, leaves, and thorns appeared in their hand. The knife was surprisingly sharp for something made only of greenery, and Alastomon's sphere of Ice magic was going to find that out soon enough. The Resplendent one let out a fierce roar of rage and determination as they stabbed straight through the icy sphere. It spurted out a few puffs of snow in a desperate bid to be useful even in its final moments, but it was all for naught. The Resplendent One twisted the knife with all the brutality they could muster, and that was it. The orb of Ice seemed to power down before blue flames consumed it, destroying the Resplendent One's knife of nature magic in the process. They didn't care about that too much though. They were going to need something else if they were to defeat their next target.
The sphere made of Thunder magic let out a powerful pulse of electricity as soon as it was close enough to its target, and the Resplendent One flipped away from it before regaining their balance a few seconds later. All the while, they remained suspended in the air, playing the part of a gymnast without any need for outside materials and only using their techniques when it was absolutely necessary. The sphere of Thunder refused to be deterred even after seeing the strength of its opponent though, and it darted forward with yellow magic crackling across its surface.
The Resplendent One raised one hand, creating a small purple spell that slowed the orb of Thunder to a crawl. It couldn't do much more than desperately attempt to escape the field of violet magic, but that wouldn't be enough to save it now. The Resplendent One pressed their free hand to their temple while keeping the spell active through their splayed fingers on their other hand. The Resplendent One closed their eyes for a few moments as a massive pulse of psychic power washed through the area, causing the orb of Thunder to explode into nothingness on the spot.
The sphere of Thunder magic wasn't the only one that was stunned by the attack though. In fact, nearly all of Alastomon's smaller spheres had been forced to pause when the psychic attack struck them. The only one that was left immune to the strike was, naturally, the Steel orb that couldn't have its power used against it in such a way. Alastomon didn't think to send it out to attack while the other spheres recovered though. He was far too distracted by the sudden pulse of pain that had seared across his body at the Resplendent One's command. For a moment, Alastomon dipped a bit lower in the sky, too stunned to remember to flap his wings for the sake of staying afloat. He recovered quickly though, and when he did, he let out yet another snarl before sending out a massive column of energy that churned with dark purple and black ichor.
The Resplendent One ducked low and swerved off to the right to avoid the impending attack, throwing up a shield to deflect one small fragment of Alastomon's blast back at him when the assault appeared to be at its end. Alastomon avoided the attack with a swift swerve to the left before he dove after the Resplendent One. Their eyes went wide with surprise for a split second before they remembered themselves and started to dash away, taking advantage of their smaller size to make a quick escape.
It took Alastomon a while to turn around and face the Resplendent One once again after that, his body too bulky to keep up with them readily. He snarled before scratching in their direction, and the Resplendent One pulled away using their levitation. They rushed toward Alastomon while he was recovering, charging up one fist with white energy before punching up across the bottom of his foot, sending small fractures across the claws on that foot in the process. Alastomon roared in pain before trying to push his limb down on top of the Resplendent One to pin them to the ground. A quick explosion of light magic was enough to give the Resplendent One the room they needed to get away though, and they settled on floating a short distance away from Alastomon.
He could see that the Resplendent One was too fast for him at this point though, so he decided to change his strategy. He roared as the spheres of energy around him darted after his target. His supply of orbs may have been cut in half by the Resplendent One's previous efforts, but at the very least, the remaining spheres would offer the distraction he needed to recover his energy and come up with a plan to push back against his foe. He needed to remain calm and rational despite the rage screaming as a flame against the walls of his heart. Even in this state, Alastomon knew the importance of remaining calm in the middle of a crucial battle, and that was something not even the Resplendent One would be able to take away from him.
The Resplendent One barely cared about his ideas for his upcoming strategy though. As far as they were concerned, Alastomon sending out his other spheres of magic in their direction was just asking for every last one of them to be destroyed, and that would just make the battle easier. If Alastomon had nothing left to defend himself with, then he would have no choice but to face the Resplendent One head on, and with how much slower he was compared to his opponent, that wouldn't end well for him. The Resplendent One was smaller, but they were just as powerful, and their extra maneuverability would be the saving grace that delivered them to victory.
But in the meantime, if Alastomon wanted a fight, then the Resplendent One was more than happy to offer it. They had come here to win this battle, and they wouldn't let Alastomon win now. No matter what it took, both Earth and the Digital World would be saved. There was no question as to how this would end as long as the Resplendent One had something to say about it.
They would win.
~~~~~
The sky was changing colors.
Katsuharu couldn't say he was surprised at all. He looked out through the window of his bedroom, his eyes locked on the heavens overhead. Behind him, the rest of the investigation team watched him carefully. They had delivered the message of the Legendary Warriors to their families the night before, and as soon as the sun came up, they decided to meet with one another to watch out for any signs of weakness in the barrier between Earth and the Digital World. Katsuharu didn't want to think the barrier would get weak enough for them to see the fight even from a different world, but he wanted to be safe rather than sorry, and more importantly, he wanted to be with his friends so they could try to alleviate their fears as a team rather than suffering through it on their own.
As it turned out, Katsuharu had been wrong to be so optimistic about the barrier between worlds holding firm even in the middle of a battle. The day Lucemon fell, the show in the sky had started with a splattering of various colors of light across the clouds. From there, the colors came into focus and showed Lucemon fighting against Susanoomon. Katsuharu remembered it perfectly even months later, and he had even watched videos of that day when he had been too anxious to fall asleep the night before. There were a lot of parallels between that final battle and this one, and Katsuharu really wished he had been wrong about all of this.
But if he was going to be right, then he was at least going to preserve the battle as a memento for the Legendary Warriors to remember it by once all of this was over. He pulled out his phone and started recording as he looked up at the sky. He was about three seconds into his video before Teppei spoke up. "Maybe we should go outside," he suggested. "We can all see it from out there, and there won't be anything to get in our way there in case the fight ends up too big to catch from the window."
Katsuharu nodded. He had been too caught up in the heat of the moment to think about the next logical course of action, but he didn’t hold it against himself. He had a lot to think about as it was, and he needed to handle this with as much grace as possible. Katsuharu started towards the door as quickly as his legs could carry him, the rest of the investigation team hot on his heels. They pulled on their shoes as quickly as they could before stepping out onto the street just outside Katsuharu's house and turning their attention up to the clouds.
The sun was just barely rising, its warning rays for the new day cast across the tops of the tallest buildings and nothing else. Despite it all though, the colors in the sky managed to appear bright and vibrant. Katsuharu already knew those colors were going to transform into actual figures soon enough, and when they did, he would be able to see the end of the war against Alastomon for himself.
Katsuharu started recording again just as the colors began to consolidate themselves into clearer shapes. It took about thirty seconds longer for the fight to fully clear up, but the sight was enough to make Katsuharu's heart skip a beat. One of the Digimon involved was massive, a deep and dark dragon. It took up a massive part of the sky where the fight was playing out, and if Katsuharu knew anything about the first battle that had been projected across the sky, it was that the horrifying dragon was the villain, not the one to cheer for.
After a short while longer, the dragon's opponent came into focus, and Katsuharu couldn't help smiling at the sight. He knew without needing to ask that his friends were all there in the shape of that other person. They were small and barely made a dent in the dragon's massive height, but they were still putting up one hell of a fight. That had been the case during the battle against Lucemon too. Susanoomon had practically wiped the floor with Lucemon despite being a fraction of his impressive size.
"That's them... I can feel it," Masae whispered as she pressed her hands against her chest. "Izumi told me everything there was to know about the Digital World, but... It's still strange to think everyone we know as part of that team is there in that one body."
"It happened when they turned into Susanoomon too... Though that's definitely not Susanoomon," Teruo remarked with a frown. "I have to wonder what that new form of theirs could mean... Though I suppose that's a detail I'm just going to have to wait until later to hear. I bet they'll explain everything when the time comes for them to give us a glorious retelling of what it was like to kill Alastomon."
"This is going to be all over the news soon," Chiaki realized. "That was what happened before... But it was all suppressed for some reason. There hasn't been a way to keep everything quiet since Alastomon started sending out his attacks here on Earth. I feel like more people are going to start connecting the dots soon."
"We can connect dots too," Teppei told her. "For example, now that we're looking back on everything that happened when the fight against Lucemon was erased from the world, I know for a fact that Alastomon's accomplice was the one to cover it up. Who else would have had a reason to sweep all of it under the rug right away?"
"We're dealing with a powerful opponent then... Alastomon chooses his allies carefully," Katsuharu murmured, keeping his voice quiet so as to not overwhelm the video footage as he continued to record the fight on his phone. "We'll have to start investigating that as soon as all of this ends."
"But for now, let's just sit back and enjoy the show," Shinya suggested, cutting through all other conversation immediately. "They're going to need all the support we can give them even if they don't know we're cheering them on." He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "No, they definitely know we're rooting for them. This way though, we can catch it on video, and they're going to love watching this later."
Katsuharu didn't know if they would necessarily love it since that would likely just remind them of how horrible everything had gotten to the point where the battle could leak through between worlds. Still, he was willing to be optimistic for as long as he could, and that started with following Shinya's advice to cheer on their friends for as long as he possibly could. They had more than earned the extra voices in their corner as far as he was concerned. To the rest of the world, the Legendary Warriors were unsung heroes, but they would always be remembered and honored by the investigation team, and that had to count for something.
"You can do this," Katsuharu whispered into the speaker of his phone. "We're all counting on you, and we all believe in you too. Go get him."
~~~~~
As Alastomon's six other spheres came chasing after the Resplendent One, they surveyed the area to see which orb they should try to fend off first. In the end, they settled on the orb made of Wood magic. All it took to fend off that sphere was a sudden, sharp blast of cold air pointed straight at it. The sphere began to wither away, its plant magic dying at the concept of winter, before the Resplendent One dealt a firm uppercut to the frozen orb. It splintered into thousands of tiny fragments of ice before melting away in a matter of seconds. No pieces of the ice even had the chance to hit the ground before they were already gone thanks to the heat the Resplendent One gave off in the midst of the fight.
Next up, the sphere made of Earth came darting toward them. The Resplendent One was ready for it though, and they slashed both arms outward with enough force to create twin strikes of air magic that eroded at the orb's thick shell. A series of other quick movements created other tempests that continued to eat away at the sphere until it was left without any of the rocky defenses provided by its element. The sphere tried to summon a barrage of earthen knives to send at the Resplendent One, but they shattered all of the blades with a quick kick. Afterward, they kicked off against the ground, planting their hands firmly against the sphere before twisting around while doing a handstand on top of it. In doing so, the Resplendent One was able to avoid a blast of fluid soaring toward them from the sphere of the Water element. After they landed on the other side of the orb and had returned to fully levitating, the Resplendent One dealt a firm kick to the sphere, sending it flying up into the air where it was sliced to pieces by yet another series of blades made of air magic. That was all it took to destroy the orb, and pieces of stone rained down around the Resplendent One, but they destroyed every remaining fragment with a simple combination of a punch and a kick.
Alastomon was glaring at the Resplendent One with rage burning at his eyes as he continued to recover nearby. He was feeling better than he had been a few moments prior and was just about ready to jump back into the fight, but his hatred of the Legendary Warriors threatened to consume him entirely. Between his own vendetta against them and the natural hatred that fueled the magic he had taken from Lucemon, Alastomon was little more than a puppet to his own rage at this point, and he barely tried to fight it. There was no way for this hatred to play to his advantage anymore, especially when it would only rob him of his control even further, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.
Alastomon rushed at the Resplendent One in one quick motion, calling back his remaining four spheres along the way. He opened his jaws wide in an attempt to swallow them whole, but the Resplendent One avoided the attack and created a blast of light as they retreated, briefly stealing Alastomon's vision as he shrieked in pain and desperately tried to recover. He tried the same attack again a few moments later though, his rage no longer something he could calm. He wanted the Legendary Warriors to die for not standing at his side in this war, and the magic he had come to command was just as desperate to rip them to shreds. He had been losing control throughout the earlier stages of this battle, but now, it was completely gone. All Alastomon could focus on was killing the Resplendent One even though he was at a severe disadvantage and wouldn't be able to win as long as he was thrashing around mindlessly.
Even so, a cornered beast was often a beast at its most dangerous, and that continued to ring true in the heat of the battle. Alastomon darted after the Resplendent One as soon as he recovered from the explosion, and he slashed his front claws after them. The Resplendent One backed out of his range at the last moment, but they needed to once again throw up an explosion of energy so they could escape. Alastomon refused to be deterred quite so easily though, especially after they had already used the trick against him multiple times, so he created a portal of cosmic energy to swallow the blast, leaving the air humming with the percussion of the blast. Alastomon continued to follow the Resplendent One all the while, his jaws spread wide from the desire to swallow them in just a single bite.
The Resplendent One avoided a few attempts on their life with a series of swift movements before Alastomon snarled once again. The dark fire that had consumed his body continued to eat away at his scales, transforming him slightly and strengthening his body. Alastomon's rage was only changing him more, and while it was making him stronger, it also seemed to be eroding at his stability and control slowly but surely. It wouldn't be much longer before he completely lost the ability to decide what he was doing and just raged after the Resplendent One mindlessly, and that already appeared to be his plan.
"We need to try to find a way to use his lack of control against him," Junpei declared from his place in the Resplendent One's mind. "That dark fire seems to be what gives him his extra strength... Perhaps we can fight it off with our own abilities. If it comes from the element of Darkness, then we can counter it with some Light magic, right?"
"That's not just Darkness magic he's using," Koichi corrected him, and Kana nodded her confirmation. "That power comes from the Void element, and that appears to be the embodiment of Lucemon's hellish magic."
"Normally, we would be able to use Lucemon's heaven abilities to fend that off, but we don't have the Grand Spirit right now," Haroi hummed. "Instead, I believe we're going to have to turn to something else..."
"It may work even without the Grand Spirit," Kana pointed out. "We may not have the Grand Spirit, but the fact remains that Susanoomon is made of all the elements coming together into one single body. That's what we've done here, and even if it's slightly different, we can still use it to our advantage if we push it in the right direction. All we have to do is push forward with everything we have. That should help everything to fall right into place."
"Then we all work together on a single blast that will cut through his scales," Mayumi concluded. "While he's staggered, we should send our energy orbs after him while cutting his away. I don't want him to try and destroy us with those later in the fight."
"Are you ready, everyone?" Takuya asked, and around him, the rest of the Legendary Warriors nodded. They all reached their hands out to one another and grabbed tightly to those next to them in the circle. Energy coursed through all of their bodies, and the Resplendent One could feel it too. All that remained was to let it fly free.
The Resplendent One avoided an attempt from the dark fire to lash out at them before they cried out fiercely and thrust one palm forward. The resulting blast of energy whistled as it streaked through the air towards its target, slamming into Alastomon's side and eating away at his dark fire immediately. When the flames were destroyed, Alastomon was left crying out in pain and pulling away from the Resplendent One as quickly as his body could carry him.
Meanwhile, the Resplendent One commanded all of their energy spheres to pursue Alastomon while they decided to clear out the remaining four orbs that surrounded his body. They started with the sphere of Cosmos, and the Resplendent One slammed an open palm against the orb. Energy coursed through their fingertips, and the raw power of the strike was enough to make the Cosmos sphere explode on the spot. The Resplendent One flipped backwards with perfect timing to avoid being injured by the blast.
When the Resplendent One went to retreat though, they found themselves almost being knocked out of the air by a blast of fluid from the Water sphere. The Resplendent One donned a grin not at all unlike Takuya's impish smile just before they released a particularly powerful attack before punching both hands forward, creating twin comets of fire that spiraled toward the orb before slamming into its side, causing it to completely rupture in a matter of seconds. The Resplendent One blew off their fingers after the fact, and a small trail of smoke flaked away from their palm before vanishing on the wind.
The sphere of Light had gotten the same idea the Resplendent One had earlier in the fight and pursued the Legendary Warrior, trying to create an explosion that would disorient them enough to win the battle. The Resplendent One was ready for it though, and they created a thin swipe of dark magic just in front of their eyes to block out the bulk of the light. Afterward, they expanded the dark strip to create a full shield that they then pushed toward the orb. The sphere struggled to escape or otherwise retreat, but the shield wrapped around it firmly, crushing the orb on the spot and leaving behind nothing but a memory.
Alastomon recovered just before the Resplendent One could reach the orb of Steel, but luckily for them, Alastomon's lack of thought and strategy as his sanity continued to slip played right into the hands of the Resplendent One. They were already prepared for the attack when the orb of Steel was sent after them with all the rage it had after its siblings fell. The Resplendent One filled their fingertips with lightning before clapping their hands together, creating an echo like thunder throughout the area. The orb of Steel was immediately stunned as its opposite was used against it, making up for earlier in the battle when it was the only sphere left unbothered by a blast of its own element. The Resplendent One didn't give it the chance to survive again though, instead rushing straight towards the sphere with their fingers still crackling with electricity. They slammed their palms onto the orb as lightning ripped it to pieces. A high-pitched squeal pierced the air before the sphere finally went silent, leaving behind only a pile of ashes that fell to the ground lifelessly.
The Resplendent One called their spheres of energy back to their side once they were finished with taking care of Alastomon's added assistants. The orbs immediately heeded their call and retreated back to the side of their master. Alastomon had taken significant damage from the orbs though, and he was far less composed now than he had been a short few minutes ago. The dragon was breathing heavily but clearly trying to regain his sense of control. He let out a roar of anger and agony, and the dark fire around him redoubled its efforts to try and heal his injuries.
"Of course he can heal himself," Koji scoffed. "Lucemon knew how to do that when we fought him, and I shouldn't have expected anything different. Alastomon might wear a different face, but at the end of the day, he's a lot like Lucemon."
"We'll just have to deal enough damage to him to the point that he won't be able to recover from it," Izumi said simply. "He was the one who wanted to make this a fight, and I'm happy to make sure it ends in failure for him."
"If we work together the way we did before, then we'll be able to pierce through his defenses without him having a chance to fight back," Yumiko pointed out. "Let's keep doing that, and we can go from there after we've gotten rid of more of the dark fire."
The Resplendent One nodded their head as the rest of the Legendary Warriors did. Once again, the thirteen souls within the Resplendent One linked hands and gathered all the strength they could. The Resplendent One held their hands out in front of their body, creating a massive column of energy that extended from their palms and scorched the air around it. Alastomon's eyes went wide in a show of fear, but he already knew he wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. Alastomon could do little more than stare as the column of churning white light slammed into his chest, and he cried out in pain as the dark fire around him began to deteriorate.
Alastomon refused to go down without a fight though, so he opened his mouth wide and breathed out a blast of dark fire at the Resplendent One. They didn't run from the attack though, instead creating an aura of white fire that would defend them. The Resplendent One held their arms out in front of them, and the two opposite flames ate away at one another in desperate search of victory. They were flames of hope for a better future and surrender to eternal tragedy, and neither refused to back down just as their bearers did not.
"You may not think the Digital World is worth fighting for, but we know better than that!" Tomoki cried out. His voice alone left the lips of the Resplendent One when he spoke. "There will always be hope as long as there are those willing to hold it!"
"We've proven the world is more than it has been in the past. Us being humans is all the evidence you need!" Chihiro pressed, and the Resplendent One pushed out the white fire a bit farther away from their body. Alastomon redoubled his efforts to keep the flames at bay, but it was a losing battle.
"The two worlds can exist in harmony, and they all its people can as well so long as you are willing to fight for it!" Haroi exclaimed.
"Life is a beautiful thing, and regardless of how you believe this world will end, no one deserves to be denied that hope!" Hinoka shouted. "We won't let you take that away from us!"
"War has ruined many lives, but it does not need to be eternal!" Saki proclaimed. "As long as we stand here, it will not last forever!"
"There is no reason for you to harm others simply because you have suffered!" Koji went on. "You can make this world a better place and use your pain to aid those who need it most!"
"For the sake of everything we have found along the way..." Kana started as the white fire began to lick at Alastomon's scales with far more passion than ever before.
"For hope!" Mayumi declared.
"For salvation!" Yumiko exclaimed.
"For trust!" Junpei continued.
"For family!" Izumi shouted.
"For a chance!" Koichi cried out.
"For every person we have ever loved..." Takuya began.
"This is where your battle ends!"
The Resplendent One let out a fierce battle cry as their white fire consumed Alastomon, eating his body alive in a matter of seconds. Alastomon was forced to stop summoning his dark fire, and a scream tore its way from his lips as white light spread across the area in an explosion that made the Resplendent One's ears ring. Even so, they remained firm, their arms stretched out in front of their body. They would not surrender until they knew for sure this battle had been won, and that began with destroying every remaining piece of Lucemon's power.
When the light finally faded away, Alastomon was left standing at the heart of the white light. All traces of Lucemon's power were gone from him now, the darkness of the Angel of Hell having been chased away by the light the Resplendent One had to offer. He had reverted back to his regular form as a Human Digimon too, and he looked down at his hands apathetically. "It seems... I have lost," he murmured. His voice had no rage behind it. Instead, he seemed resigned to his own fate. He let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes.
"The Digital World will always have a chance so long as there are people willing to fight for its future," the Resplendent One said, their voice layered with each of the Legendary Warriors' when they spoke. "You may not have seen it, but I always will. I will forever believe in this world and its people."
Alastomon laughed as he looked up to meet the Resplendent One's gaze once again. He was bordering on hysterical as darkness began to eat away at his body, slowly filling his silhouette with black. "You think this is a victory, don't you?" he asked. "Of course it's not! You haven't won! My ally is still there on Earth, and they will win this war for me. My ideals will live on even with my death. There are many Human Digimon who believed in my purpose, and they are still out there waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The Digital World is right back to where it began before I appeared alongside Biastamon. In a matter of moments, the leaders of this world will both be dead, and there will be a power vacuum left to fill. The Legendary Warriors won't be able to bring peace no matter how hard they try. This world has always been doomed... I simply wished to bring salvation to the most people I possibly could."
"Your answer was never justice," the Resplendent One countered. "There will always be hope for this world as long as people are willing to carry it... And we will not allow your lack of faith to tear it apart. The people of the Digital World deserve better than that, and they always will."
Alastomon laughed and shook his head. "This world is doomed to an eternal cycle of war. That is the truth of existence: suffering, hurting others, and fighting wars. Conflict will always exist, and you cannot stop that. You will see the depth of your failures one day, and when you do, you will see that I was right... You have not won, and you never will. Good luck, Legendary Warriors... You will need it."
Alastomon's silhouette filled itself with darkness in full with those final words, and a ring of Fractal Code appeared around his still body. The Resplendent One reached out one hand before absorbing his memory data. They watched quietly as Alastomon's egg spiraled high into the sky, off to join the other eggs in the Village of Beginnings. The Resplendent One stared up into the heavens for an eternity even after Alastomon's egg vanished permanently. The world seemed to fall still around them, and they didn't want to be the one to shatter the silence. Alastomon's words hung heavily on their shoulders and in their mind, but they did not let it show. Instead, they simply sighed, allowing their body to ease itself to the ground slowly but surely.
The sun had begun its climb across the sky in earnest by now, and the light splashed across the Resplendent One's cheeks as the Digimon guides dashed up to them. Patamon practically launched himself into the Resplendent One's arms, and the Legendary Warrior laughed as they scooped him and the rest of the Digimon into their arms. Various cheers of victory rose up from the mouths of the Digimon, and the Resplendent One relished in them but didn't entirely hear what was being said.
Instead, the Resplendent One was still thinking about what Alastomon had said. He had been doing all of this with horrible intentions, and wiping out half of the Digital World's population because of his ideals about war and conflict was wrong. He hadn't even seen the hypocrisy in his plan. He declared that there would always be war in the Digital World, but he didn't seem to realize that killing all of the Beast Digimon wouldn't be able to fix that. He may have had the population he wanted if he had won this battle, but he wouldn't have saved the Digital World as a whole. No one could do something like that as long as the realm was truly doomed to war as he said it was.
He was right about the Digital World's extensive history with conflict and war though. No matter who appeared or how hard they fought, the Digital World always seemed to be caught up in some war or another, and the people were the ones who suffered from it the most. There would always be conflict, and the Legendary Warriors couldn't change that. Alastomon was right about the state in which the Digital World was being left too. Not much had changed since he and Biastamon first took charge a few months ago. The planet was still lacking in central leadership, and those who had filled those positions previously were dead. There was yet another power vacuum that needed to be filled, and if the wrong people took control, then the world would fall into chaos.
But were there even good people to fill those positions? Could anyone be trusted with looking after the Digital World after everything that had happened? Was the planet truly doomed to eternal conflict and horrible leadership that would never be able to save them from their cycle of war and bloodshed? Alastomon had been right, at least to an extent... And the mere implication of that was horrifying.
For the moment though, the Resplendent One chose to not think about that. They had won the final battle, and in doing so, they had saved the Digital World from Alastomon's desire to tear it apart. The people of the Digital World and Earth were safe. Alastomon's accomplice was still out there, and the Legendary Warriors would have to find and stop them as soon as possible, but that was something they could save for another day. For the moment, they had won, and they deserved to celebrate their victory.
"I think it's time to go home," the Resplendent One whispered, and they set down the Digimon guides carefully. Now that the fight was over, the Resplendent One was completely exhausted, and when they closed their eyes, light of all colors washed over their body. When the glow faded, the Legendary Warriors were left behind in their human forms, all of their energy from Resplendent Evolving earlier having been drained by the intensity of the battle. They would need quite some time to recover from that fight, not that they minded. They had earned the rest and then some.
Neemon smiled up at the Legendary Warriors even as half of them collapsed gracelessly into the dirt below, barely managing to stay in seated positions on account of their exhaustion. "You did it," he smiled. "You should be proud of yourselves."
"I can't wait for the festival to celebrate!" Salamon chimed in. "I know Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are going to make sure it's a night we'll never forget! It's going to be amazing!"
"Yeah... We've certainly earned it," Takuya agreed with a small exhale. He tilted his head back so he was staring up at the sun as it continued to rise overhead. "But first, we have to get back home... Everyone is waiting for us, and I don't want to leave them hanging for too long."
"You're right," Izumi nodded. "I bet the investigation team is wondering what happened to us after we said we would be back once we won the battle..."
"I get the feeling they already know," Saki frowned. "Something tells me the barrier between the worlds weakened during the fight. I could feel it begin to distort when we were fighting against Alastomon. The corruption of the barrier may not be as bad now as it was when we fought against Lucemon, but it's still nothing good."
"The Digital World is in one piece this time at the very least," Koichi pointed out. "That's not something we could say about our fight against Lucemon after our initial adventures here."
"I'll keep an eye on the Digital World here. All of us will," Kana assured the Legendary Warriors as she gestured over to the Digimon guides. "We'll be in touch with all of you. For now..." She allowed herself a small smile as she opened a portal to Earth with one hand. "It's time for you to go home."
~~~~~
Takuya let out a heavy sigh as he stepped out of the rift and onto the ground behind a house. There was no one around to see him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors return to Earth, and Takuya thanked the universe for its grace in that regard. Instead, everyone else in the area was gathered up by the street, all of them murmuring to one another about something that had happened recently. The day was only just starting, but it seemed like nearly everyone on the street was awake and staring up at the sky. Takuya remembered what he had heard about the Lucemon battle and held back a wince. Saki had been right about the barrier weakening during the battle. Chances were high that the fight between the Resplendent One and Alastomon had once again been projected against the skies of Earth, and everyone there was trying to see the action. It was over now on account of Alastomon having been killed, but Takuya hoped no one had seen the Resplendent One split up into their thirteen components once again. That would only make all of their lives harder going forward, and Takuya’s life was bound to be tough enough as it was.
"There you are!"
Takuya snapped out of his thoughts and observations at the sound of Shinya's voice, and he glanced over to see the investigation team gathered together on the street. Takuya realized belatedly that Kana had dropped the Legendary Warriors off just behind Katsuharu's house, no doubt having sensed that this was where the group was meant to be after the battle. Takuya made a mental note to thank her later for that as he jogged as quickly as he could manage over to the investigation team.
"What's all the commotion about?" Koji questioned even though something about his tone told Takuya he already knew. Saki had been right in thinking the barrier had gotten weak enough for the fight to project itself in the sky on Earth again. Why else would so many people be out on the street so early in the morning? They had heard the chaos and went outside to try and investigate it.
"You can see for yourself," Katsuharu replied as he passed over his phone to Koji. The Warrior of Light didn't even bother with watching the video on the screen, instead just wincing as soon as he saw the previews pop up. "I bet this is going to be all over the news for the next few weeks. I hope you're ready for that."
"It won't be fun, but it'll be something, I suppose," Chihiro shrugged. "I'm choosing to not think about anything else that's happening right now. We deserve a break after all that, especially since I imagine it's just a matter of time before we have to go back to school again. I'm going to crash first and ask questions later."
"The rest of the world might not know the truth of what you did, but it still means a lot to us," Shinya smiled as he nudged Takuya with his elbow. "They might not see you as heroes, but we certainly do. It doesn't matter if they don't know the truth. We do, and we're proud of you."
"Thanks, Shinya," Takuya grinned. "I could get used to you being sappy and constantly praising me. I don't think you've been quite this adoring since you were a little kid." He reached out to ruffle Shinya's hair, and Shinya scoffed playfully before pushing Takuya's hand away from his head, prompting the Warrior of Fire to laugh.
"Okay... It's time for us to all go home and get some rest," Izumi declared as she let out a careful sigh. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted after everything that has happened today, and it's only been a few hours since we woke up." Takuya resisted the urge to cringe at the mention of it having been a few hours. The fight had made time feel like it was slowing down and speeding up simultaneously, but in truth, they had been fighting Alastomon for long enough for the sun to noticeably change its position in the sky overhead. It had been far longer than Takuya wanted to admit, and he could only hope that didn't hold him back or otherwise bother him in the near future.
"We can go back to the Digital World when we're ready to see what's going to happen there next," Hinoka suggested. "And when we do, we can enjoy the festivities the Digimon have planned for us."
A bright grin spread across Mayumi's face as she turned to face the investigation team. "On that note... You wanted to learn more about the Digital World, didn't you?" she asked, and they all shared excited but confused glances before Chiaki nodded. Mayumi let out a small laugh. "I might be able to make good on that wish... How do you all feel about parties?"
"I'm in!" Shinya chimed in with a smile of his own. "You've told us so much about the Digital World, and I think it's high time we finally had the chance to go there and meet your friends for ourselves."
"Consider it done then," Mayumi nodded. "But for now, it's time for all of us to rest. We'll get back to you when the time is right. Stay out of trouble until then." She flashed the investigation team a wink before she started to walk away, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors took that as their cue to go their separate ways at long last.
Takuya, Chihiro, and Shinya started walking back in the direction of the Kanbara household, all three of them quiet for the first few minutes. Soon enough, Chihiro let out a heavy sigh to break the silence. "We did it," they murmured. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... We actually did it."
"I'm proud of you," Shinya said, unable to pull his smile from his lips. "I meant what I said before. You should all be proud of what you did today. I know there's still a lot for you to take care of over in the Digital World, but it's nice to know things are getting better."
"Yeah..." Takuya murmured. He felt the fire in his chest burn a little bit brighter as he nodded, tilting his face up to the rising sun. "I guess they are."
~~~~~
The next few days were chaotic beyond imagination, not that Takuya expected anything different. He was completely exhausted after the final battle with Alastomon, and he had slept for nearly twelve straight hours after getting back home. He didn't know how he hadn't just collapsed into bed as soon as he returned to his house after the Lucemon fight. Then again, it had been a different time for him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors. They were still adapting to living on both Earth and the Digital World, and finding a middle ground was tiring in an almost indescribable way.
The reconstruction effort following the massive invasion was going well. The people of Shibuya were giving it their all, and the government was doing its best to maintain peace in the face of all that had happened. Takuya had gotten used to seeing reports about the attacks on television at this point, and he found himself smiling proudly when it came up each time. He was still a mystery to the world, but he was glad he had been able to contribute to the victory of his team even if no one understood the truth. Takuya would remain an unsung hero for the rest of his life, and he was far more okay with it than he could have ever expected.
Just as the investigation team had implied, the fight between the Resplendent One and Alastomon's dragon form had been projected across the sky on Earth. Practically everyone in Shibuya had seen the details of the battle by now. Alastomon's accomplice had seemingly given up on trying to keep the truth about the Digital World hidden, no doubt because the facts were already well out of their control. Everyone in Shibuya knew there were monsters living in a parallel world to Earth, and they were grateful to the 'human monsters' for saving their lives so many times. The details behind the Legendary Warriors' true identities remained mysteries that many people were intent on solving, but Takuya knew they would fail. After all, most of the journalists and broadcasters compiling evidence had never met any of the Legendary Warriors. How could they learn the truth when there was no solid proof for them to pull from in the first place?
Takuya woke up slowly four days after the end of the final battle, stretching his arms high above his head as he got ready for the day to come. He was still tired from the fight, but he was starting to bounce back. Resplendent Evolving was draining on a good day, and combining with the rest of his team to become the Resplendent One had only tired him out more. However, Takuya knew he wouldn't be able to linger in his exhaustion forever. Later that day, he would be going to the Digital World with the rest of his friends to enjoy the festival on Inaie. The investigation team had been invited too, and they couldn't wait to see what the Digital World had to offer. Of course, them being allowed to come had only been cleared if they limited their time in the Digital World as much as possible to ensure they didn't start to lose their human traits the way the Legendary Warriors had over the last few months. Even if the investigation team didn't need to worry about transforming into Digimon and changing because of that, being in the Digital World could still morph them into something less than human, and that wasn't a chance anyone wanted to take. Lucemon had already made it clear that this wasn’t a risk worth pressing after it had pushed him beyond the limits of humanity and then even further too.
Takuya collapsed gracelessly onto his couch and leaned his head back so he was looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't say he was entirely satisfied with how the last few weeks had gone, but at the very least, he had come out of it on the other side. That was an accomplishment to be proud of whether he wanted to admit it or not. Takuya had a lot to think about still when it came to Alastomon's final words, and he would no doubt need to work through his concerns about if Alastomon's philosophy had at all been correct. That was a worry for another day though. Takuya knew this was a day to celebrate, and he was going to enjoy it to the best of his ability.
The rest of the Legendary Warriors would too, Takuya was sure. They had gone through just as much as him, and they would no doubt be looking forward to the party coming later in the day. They really hadn't been given the chance to enjoy themselves in the Digital World even after saving it countless times thanks to so much happening in so little time, but all of that was about to change. Inaie's people had promised them a day they wouldn't forget, and Takuya intended to take them up on it.
For the moment though, Takuya just let himself breathe. He had earned it. The rest of his friends had too, and he hoped they were enjoying their brief moments of peace as long as they had the chance to do so.
~~~~~
The train ride back home was exhausting and longer than it had any right to be. Koichi knew realistically that it wasn't any longer than it had been every other time he needed to take the train to get home, but he was tired enough for time to pinch and distort around him. Luckily, the trains were largely empty on account of the early hour and the vast majority of people interested in riding the train being up on solid ground to watch the sky and the fight projected across it. Even though the battle was long over, everyone was still curious as to if it would start up again. Koichi knew the truth, but he couldn't afford to share it with anyone else. He had to return home where his mother was waiting for him. Everything else could wait.
Koichi felt as if he was on the verge of collapsing when he arrived back at the Kimura apartment, and he fumbled with his keys for a few moments before managing to push the door open. He wondered for a moment if he would end up returning to an empty apartment. It wouldn't surprise him at all if his mother was already out at work. There were more people than ever who needed help after the invasion, and Koichi couldn't have blamed her for being busy at all.
Much to his surprise though, Tomoko was waiting there for him when the door opened. The television was on in the living room, and she was standing beside the couch, no doubt after having paced out much of her anxieties after realizing Koichi was involved with the fight projected in the sky. She was watching a report about that very battle, and the news anchors offered their commentary as videos of various perspectives from the fight played out across the screen.
Their voices faded into the background quickly though, and Tomoko looked up when she heard the door open. Koichi met her gaze immediately, and he allowed a smile to spread across his face. Tears sprung to life in his eyes on the spot, and he kicked off his shoes haphazardly before rushing forward into an embrace. Tomoko gladly waited for him where she stood, and they melted to their knees in a hug tighter than any other Koichi could ever remember.
Despite everything Koichi had been through, he felt alright. As long as he had those who he loved there for him and willing to support him through his darkest hour, he would continue to survive. Tomoko was just the tip of the iceberg, but Koichi couldn't have been happier to be there with her.
"This... This is nice," Dusk murmured, his voice soft and fragile in a way Koichi couldn't quite describe. Dusk hadn't ever experienced true affection like this, had he? In the past, he had been too focused on survival to ever come close to reaching out to others as he so desperately needed to.
At the very least, everything was different now, and Koichi nodded within the dark realm of his own mind before responding. "Yes... It is."
~~~~~
Returning home from the final battle was difficult.
Haroi practically collapsed into his bed as soon as he got back home, gladly leaving his wheelchair behind near the entrance of his room before letting his eyes drift shut. He couldn't believe it was finally over. Against all odds, he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had managed to win their final battle against Alastomon. The Digital World was safe once again, and Haroi had played a major role in the fight to reach that point. He was proud of himself, but he was shocked all the same.
Haroi never would have thought he would turn out to be capable of something like this. Sure, this was his third time saving the entire Digital World, so he should have known he could do it, but he found himself surprised by it even so. He had never thought he would amount to much on account of what he had been told growing up. Everyone around him save for his family was convinced that he would never go anywhere because of his disability. Not only had he proven them wrong, but he had done it on his own terms. He was proud of his place in the Digital World, and even if the people who had mistreated him so greatly would never know the truth, Haroi did, and that was what mattered.
He was looking forward to being able to enjoy the Digital World without the pretenses of having to fight in a war. That had always been exciting to Haroi, and that rang true even after he had been put through the hellish final battle against Alastomon. There was hope for both worlds once again, and Haroi had been one of the people to ensure everyone was delivered safely to the dawn. He would have laughed at the idea if someone had told him that he would do this even just a few short months ago, but a lot could change in a short period of time, and Haroi saw that all too clearly now.
For the moment though, Haroi knew he had something else to take care of. His body was exhausted, and even though he wanted to stay awake and celebrate his recent victory, he knew to not push himself too far. That would only end in disaster, and Haroi knew just how horrifying that could be from experience. The best thing he could do was rest. He had a festival to look forward to in the near future too, and Haroi didn't want to end up running himself into the ground before that.
Haroi hoped he would be able to remember all of this when he awoke. He never wanted to forget the sensation of being able to help those he loved most. No matter what, he would treasure this feeling for the rest of his life. Nobody could ever take that away from him, and that included those who had spent so many years doubting and hating him.
Haroi was more than he had been told, and he would never forget it again.
~~~~~
Takuya found himself waking up in the middle of the night after he arrived back at home, and he rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. He was still exhausted, and his body protested even the suggestion of being awake, but he pushed himself into a somewhat upright position before staring into the darkness. Takuya knew he had been disturbed by a less than fortunate dream, but he couldn't quite tell what he had seen in his slumber. The memory of the dream was slipping through his fingers like sand, and Takuya didn't bother with trying to grasp at the pieces enough to make them stay.
Instead, Takuya just let himself sit there in the darkness and breathe. He had come a long way since he was last pulled from his nightmares by a disturbing vision of his past, and he was proud of just how much he had changed. Takuya didn't know if he would ever fully be able to shake off the pain he had endured in the Digital World, but he would survive it no matter what. He had a group of incredible people there with him, and they wouldn't fail him. They never had, and they never would.
Takuya had all of his friends to thank for him being there at all. He wouldn't have ever escaped the realm of the Dark Trailmon if not for them. Takuya couldn't say he entirely understood just what it was that drew him into that alternate world in the first place, but he didn't care enough to investigate it either. He had his friends there to pull him out of the darkness, and he would be thankful for that as long as he was alive. Takuya could ask questions when he had fully had the chance to celebrate his victory. Until then, he deserved a break.
Against his better judgement, Takuya sat up in his bed and stared into the darkness. He halfway expected to see a phantom of Duskmon there waiting for him, but he was met with nothing. Perhaps Takuya had finally managed to leave the pain of the past behind when he left the realm of the Dark Trailmon for the second time. Takuya somehow doubted it would be that easy, but he was willing to face whatever it was that came with braving the future regardless. He deserved to look onward with hope in his heart, and he wouldn't let any reminders of the past hold him back from that. He had earned his Resplendent Evolution, and even if it had taken him longer than he would have liked, he was there now, and that was what mattered most.
One day, Takuya would face the future and past with his friends at his side. Until then, he would rest and revel in the peace he had brought through saving both worlds. He deserved it.
~~~~~
The day after she returned from the final battle against Alastomon, Izumi was completely exhausted. It was to be expected even if she wasn't happy to feel her energy taken from her so readily. She had slept for as long as she could stand, and her body put itself back together while she slumbered. When Izumi next opened her eyes, the sun had almost set on the horizon, and the smell of something delicious reached her seconds later.
Izumi pushed herself out of bed and went out to the kitchen to find Masae standing near the stove. She was humming a tune as she made dinner, and Izumi leaned against the wall with a smile spread proudly across her features. "I didn't realize I could look forward to a home cooked meal when I woke up," Izumi remarked.
"I felt like it was the least I could do," Masae replied with a shrug. "You've done a lot lately, and no one else will ever know it. Besides, you need to keep your energy up if you want to keep fighting. I figured I would make you something nice and simple so you could digest it easily."
Izumi pressed a hand against her chest with a smile. "That means a lot to me. Thank you, Masae." She knew the other reason Masae was going out of her way with this. Masae had seen Izumi crumble when she didn't let herself rely on others, and her eating disorder had hit its peak when she was closed off from the world. Of course Masae would worry about her on the heels of such a life-changing battle. This was Masae's way of looking after Izumi after she had been stopped form doing so countless times, and it meant more than Izumi could ever hope to say.
Minutes later, Masae finished cooking their meal, and she put the dishes of the hour down on the kitchen table. Masae and Izumi slid into seats opposite one another as the former reached for her glass of water. She raised it high, inviting Izumi to do so the same. "Here's to the Legendary Warriors," Masae began. "And to the best older sister I could ever ask for."
Izumi felt tears fill her eyes at her sister's kind words, but she forced herself to fight them back as she reached for her own glass. The two tapped glasses gently, and Izumi beamed against the tears in her eyes. "And here's to the best younger sister I could ever ask for."
The two sisters enjoyed their drinks before turning their attention to their food. Izumi was glad to have finally been given the chance to spend time with her sister again after she had been hiding herself for so long. Izumi had needed this for longer than she could ever hope to describe, and she was glad she wouldn't have to keep herself from it anymore.
Her Resplendent Evolution had been right; more than anything, she needed family, and now, she finally had it.
~~~~~
Junpei awoke to find sunlight streaming through his window. He yawned and stretched himself out the best he could, finding that he had been asleep for so long that his body had started to go stiff. He let out a sigh as he worked out the lingering tension in his body before he walked over to his computer and powered it on.
As was to be expected, the story about the battle in the sky had been plastered all over the news for the last day. Countless witnesses had captured it on video, all of them refusing to be caught off guard as they had been the first time this happened during the final fight with Lucemon. The truth wasn't suppressed on the media this time either, and everyone seemed to have their own opinions about what had really happened. Nearly everybody agreed that this was the work of the human monsters who had been defending Shibuya over the last few months, but the details were where people disagreed. They all agreed the human monsters would be making themselves known again sometime soon though, and Junpei knew he couldn't dispute that.
There was something else on Junpei's mind after all of this though. He wanted to be able to leave all of it in the past and just breathe for a while, but he knew that wasn't an option as long as Alastomon's ally was still at large. Junpei wished he knew what to look for when it came to tracking them down, but he was at a loss for the truth. Whoever Alastomon had been working with knew how to hide themselves. They knew the Legendary Warriors would be after them soon enough, and they were ready for whatever that would mean for them.
Junpei didn't think he would be able to stop thinking about the mastermind until after they had been defeated. He had no idea who they were or what they could have been trying to accomplish by working with Alastomon, but he had the sneaking suspicion the truth would come out soon enough. He wasn't looking forward to it, but he was ready for the battle to come regardless. Junpei would do anything to see the Digital World and Earth delivered to safety, and if that meant spending the next few months tracking down Alastomon's accomplice, then so be it.
In the meantime, Junpei hoped he would be able to leave all of that behind. He and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had won their battle, and they deserved a chance to celebrate. The festival on Inaie was bound to be fun, and Junpei couldn't wait to see what else it brought him. He still had a few days to rest and recuperate until then though as Darcmon and Hippogriffomon planned the festival, and he intended to use them.
No more thinking about the accomplice. He had a break at long last, and he was determined to enjoy it.
~~~~~
Koji sat in his room staring at the picture of him, Koichi, and Tomoko in the frame on his desk. He had woken up a few hours ago after sleeping through a majority of the previous day, and his mind was finally starting to clear itself. At first, the battle against Alastomon hadn't even felt real to him. He was still getting used to thinking that he had managed to win that fight for the fate of the Digital World. It wasn't his first time saving the world, but it caught him off guard a lot more than the first time had.
Koji knew that was because of what he was going back to. He had told his father and Satomi the truth about his recent strange behavior. He hadn't been given much of a choice, but the thought still haunted him. Koji had promised he was going to try and give his father a chance even if he wasn't ready to entirely forgive and forget the way Kousei had treated him for so many years. Now that the battle against Alastomon was over, Koji was going to have more than enough time to try and put effort to fixing his relationship with his father.
In all honesty, the thought of trying to mend his connection with Kousei was terrifying, and Koji didn't know how he was supposed to grapple with that. He had promised he would at least make an attempt, and he intended to stand by it, but he didn't know where to start. Koji would give it his all when he could, at the very least. He hadn't been able to talk to Kousei or Satomi much the day before thanks to his deep exhaustion over fighting Alastomon, but he would have to fix that soon enough.
Koji was anxious about it, yes, but he found that he was oddly at peace with the idea as well. He had no guarantee that his conversation with Kousei was going to end well, but he wanted to try. He had been struggling on his own for too long, and it was time for Koji to try and fix this for his own sake. Koji didn't know if he would ever be able to fully forgive Kousei, but he would at least do his best to reach out. That had to be worth something.
Koji let out a small sigh as he reached out to brush his fingers across the glass on the picture frame. He hated Yutaka for exposing him, yes, but he was going to do his best to make this situation right somehow. Maybe this would be the start of Koji finally coming to peace with everything he had been pushing away over the last few years. He didn't know for sure, but he was ready for it against all odds.
Somehow, Koji was going to make this right. He owed it to himself if nothing else, and if his father benefited from it too... Then it would just be an extra bonus. This was about Koji first and foremost though, and he wouldn't forget it.
~~~~~
Mayumi hadn't imagined she would be able to pull herself together so soon after she arrived back on Earth. She had slept through much of the day after she fought Alastomon, but she woke up nice and early the following day. After that, she started to dart around the house, desperate to fill her time with something productive that would make her feel better about everything that had happened recently.
Each time Mayumi thought about the Digital World, her mind instinctively drifted back to Biastamon. He hadn't been a baby in decades upon decades, and Mayumi could only imagine how bizarre it was to be reborn with only a fraction of his power. The best she could do was try to make his life as easy as possible through this difficult and bitter transition. If he ever wanted to visit the fortress, then she wanted him to have a place to call his own. Mayumi imagined he would spend most of his time on Inaie, but she wanted to have a solution if he decided to come see the Legendary Warriors at any point.
Mayumi sat down on her bed with a small pile of old blankets she had found around the house. Her father had a hobby of thrifting, but not all of the materials he bought wound up being used right away, and she doubted he would object to her taking the older items to make something new with them. Mayumi and Haroi had told their parents as much as they could about the Digital World, but the details had been saved for later. Mayumi couldn't wait to tell her father about Biastamon while showing off the new baby sized bed for Wanyamon.
Mayumi was halfway through planning out what she was going to do with the old blankets when she finally allowed herself to stop and stare down at the materials scattered out before her. She tilted her head back so she was staring up at the ceiling above. Mayumi never would have expected her life to change so completely thanks to a creature from another world... Though she also hadn't expected to find out there were any other worlds out there in the first place. Life was full of surprises, she supposed, and Mayumi was fine with that. The twists and turns of life had brought here to the Digital World and her friends, and Mayumi couldn't have asked for anything better.
Biastamon had taught her a lot, and she wasn't going to forget it. She wouldn't ever be able to erase her disability, and she shouldn't have been thinking about doing so in the first place. Instead, she was going to work with it however she could. Mayumi was going to use it to her advantage now to fixate on finishing up this gift for Wanyamon. He was going to love it because she had made it. She was sure of it.
He would love her no matter what, after all, and that was worth more than she could ever hope to express.
~~~~~
Unsurprisingly, the news ate up the story about the fight between the Resplendent One and Alastomon being projected into the sky. Chihiro had seen it on every social media platform they were active on, and they had been shown a few previews of other websites too that featured the same clips from the fight. A few people had been awake early enough to see the battle as it happened, and from there, they got the attention of others to come out and watch it with them. Many people thought to record the battle this time since the first fight had passed without most people having high quality footage. There were countless angles of the Resplendent One’s battle against Alastomon, and each one of them brought a strange smile to Chihiro’s face.
"What are you watching?" Shinya asked as he sat down next to Chihiro on the couch in the living room of the Kanbara home. Chihiro didn't know why he asked; the truth was already clear based on the headline stretched across the bottom of the screen.
"You'll never guess," Chihiro answered with a loose shrug as they set the remote down beside them. "A lot of people seem interested in this fight... I can't say I understand the hype." They cast a mischievous smirk in Shinya's direction, and he laughed in response before shaking his head, already very used to Chihiro's particular brand of humor.
"I think it's nice to see this everywhere," Shinya confessed. "It might not be what any of us would have liked, but it's still nice to see that there's proof of everything that happened. No one is going to forget it... And honestly, I think most people are going to be grateful to these human monsters for as long as they live. How could they not be?"
"It's a shame they'll never know who they are," Chihiro hummed. It was for the best that the general public didn't know the truth to ensure the Legendary Warriors' safety, but they still wished they could have gotten in on the fame. It would have given them the perfect opportunity to rub in their parents' faces that they could thrive even without them around.
"But I will," Shinya pointed out. "And I think they did a great job." He leaned in a little bit closer against Chihiro, and much to the Warrior of Earth's surprise, they didn't pull away from the touch. "And I want them to know that they're the best older sibling I could ask for."
Chihiro found tears springing to their eyes before they realized what was happening. If Takuya was the best brother Shinya could have asked for, then that meant they were the best sibling. Chihiro had been acknowledged as a member of the Kanbara family many times, but hearing it that way made them sentimental in a way they couldn't quite describe. They sniffled and wrapped an arm around Shinya's shoulders before pulling him in a little bit closer. "You're the best little brother," they murmured. "And no matter what happens, you had better not forget it."
After all, Chihiro already knew they never would.
~~~~~
Hinoka stood in front of the mirror in her room, brushing the wrinkles out of her skirt. She had put on a turquoise dress that swished gently around her legs when she spun, a smile on her face all the while. As she stared at her own reflection, Hinoka found herself far happier than she had been a few short months ago. Color was finally starting to return to her pale features after her years of isolation, and the hollow circles beneath her cheeks were gone. For the first time in ages, Hinoka cared about the way she looked, and for the first time in even longer, she thought she looked beautiful.
Hinoka left her home far earlier than she technically needed to in order to arrive on time to the festival on Inaie. She didn't have to go and pick up Chiaki before meeting the rest of the group to go to the Digital World. She didn't need to dress up for this party either. Still, this was the best Hinoka had felt in ages, and she wanted to spread that feeling as much as she possibly could, and that started with reaching out to her sister. Chiaki had suffered enough under their father's influence massively over the last few months, and Hinoka couldn't wait to give her a little break from the constant suffering and misery. She couldn't exactly go to Chiaki's house to pick her up in case she was spotted and recognized, but Hinoka was more than happy to meet her in the middle.
Chiaki was waiting just outside the ice cream shop the two sisters had gone to so long ago when they first decided to establish a connection with one another. She was watching the people pass her by, a smile on her face. She was looking far healthier now too on account of having finally found someone she could trust with her truth after being forced to hide her father's behavior from others for so long. Connection with one another and their other friends had saved both sisters, and they would never dare to forget it.
"I hope I wasn't keeping you waiting for too long," Hinoka smiled as she approached Chiaki. Her sister was dressed up a bit too, not to the point of it being excessive but just enough to feel tasteful and exciting for the party to come in the next few hours.
"Not at all," Chiaki assured her with a smile and a shake of her head. She held out her hand to Hinoka. "Shall we?"
Hinoka gladly took Chiaki's hand, and the two started to walk back to Junpei's house to meet him and the others so they could go to the Digital World. They were bound to be some of the earliest people there, but Hinoka could barely be asked to care. This was everything she had ever needed, and she would never be able to go without it again.
~~~~~
Yumiko hadn't stopped humming since she woke up that morning. The festival was fast approaching, and she couldn't stop thinking about it. Bearmon and Kotemon had been beyond excited when they heard about the party to come, and Yumiko couldn't blame them. She wished she and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had been able to enjoy the party the first time they visited Inaie all that time ago. There was no use in dwelling on it now though. Alastomon was gone, and he wouldn't be able to interrupt their festivities no matter how hard he tried. That was the way it should have been, and Yumiko was happy each time she remembered the truth.
It had been a long time since Yumiko went to any kind of party. She had retreated into herself after she started being bullied at school, and that made it hard for her to want to reach out to anyone long enough to be invited to a party in the first place. She was starting to come back into her own skin though, and she knew she had the Digital World to thank. The residents of Inaie had done a lot for her, and the rest of her team was much the same. They meant the world to her, and Yumiko couldn't wait to show them how much they meant to her.
Yumiko knew she didn't technically have to dress up, but she chose the cutest green and pink dress she had in her closet anyway. At a first glance, it just looked like she was just wearing her regular type of outfit, but Yumiko knew the truth. Green and pink were the colors found on her Spirit Evolutions, and they were symbolic of everything she had grown to become since going to the Digital World. Her friends would know the truth, and they would love it.
Yumiko bent down to brush her fingers across Briar Rose's back as she reached for her D-Tector, and the cat purred against her hand. Briar Rose had grown considerably since Yumiko first got her, and the Warrior of Wood couldn't have been happier at the sight. She made a mental note to take a few pictures with her cat after she returned home from the festivities. She looked cute enough to justify the pictures, and she would love having them later on.
Yumiko placed her D-Tector on her belt as she rose back to her full height. She stared into her reflection's eyes as she turned to her mirror, and she couldn't help smiling at the sight of herself. She was so much happier now than she had been a few months ago, and she had the Digital World to thank for all of it. She wondered if she would ever be able to express in words how much her friends and family in the Digital World meant to her. Even if she never had the chance though, Yumiko knew she would be alright. The people who mattered to her most understood the truth.
And that was what mattered most to her now and forever.
~~~~~
Tomoki packed a small bag as he listened to music through his earbuds. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the upcoming festival on Inaie ever since Darcmon and Hippogriffomon first brought it up. The Legendary Warriors hadn't gotten a proper celebration after they defeated Lucemon and saved the Digital World the first time, so this was going to be the party to finally make up for every festival they hadn't been able to hold on account of keeping their secret safe. They had won this, and Tomoki intended to make the most of it.
He had bought a few treats from Earth to show the Digimon. He was confident Bokomon was going to love learning more about candy from Earth since he had always shown such an interest in the sister realm of the Digital World, and Tomoki couldn't wait to introduce him to it. Technically, Tomoki didn't need to do anything like this since there would already be a massive feast waiting for him on Inaie. He could rely on Darcmon and Hippogriffomon to handle the food, but Tomoki still wanted to do something for the Digimon guides. They were the unsung heroes of this war, after all. The Legendary Warriors never would have been able to get so far without having a support system, and their Digimon friends were the perfect symbols of the love that had gotten them so far.
Tomoki spared a brief glance over his shoulder as he zipped his bag, biting down on his bottom lip along the way. He hadn't told his parents the truth about the Digital World yet, and he didn't know if he would ever feel comfortable enough to do so. He hadn't ended up having time to explain the Yutaka situation to them either, though Tomoki's problems with his brother had seemingly taken care of themselves. Yutaka hadn't bothered him or the rest of the Legendary Warriors ever since Beowolfmon threatened him into backing off. Tomoki doubted Yutaka would be staying away forever, but he could at least enjoy the peace as long as he had it.
"We can tell them later," Kuma told Tomoki. "For now, we have a party to get to. No more anxiety. Let's go have fun."
There was something Tomoki could get behind. He nodded and pressed a smile across his face. This was a day he was meant to enjoy, and he intended to make the most of it. The rest of the Legendary Warriors were waiting for him, and Tomoki didn't want to keep them waiting any longer than he absolutely had to. He could worry about everything else after he had taken some time to have fun and relish in the victory he had won with the rest of his friends. They had earned a break, and Tomoki was going to make the most of it.
Their bravery had gone unappreciated for too long, but today was going to change that at long last.
~~~~~
Katsuharu and Teppei stood together just outside the Fuji house as they waited for Teruo. The three of them had agreed to go to the Shibayama home together before the festival began. The trio had been instructed to dress up a little bit but still be prepared for the heat even though autumn was starting to roll in earnestly now. Katsuharu could feel the chill of the coming season as he waited for Teruo, and he took to tapping one foot against the ground to try and keep himself warm and focused.
"I wonder what he's doing in there," Teppei remarked with a frown. "He could be saying goodbye to his siblings, but we really need to get going."
Katsuharu couldn't help but snort. "We're going to be early as it is. I think you might be exaggerating a bit." That was one thing Katsuharu had learned about Teppei since they started to get closer. Teppei was incredibly strict about time, and he refused to be late no matter where he was going. Early was on time in his mind, and that included when they were headed to another world. That little detail arguably made him even stricter about arriving on time.
The door opened a moment later, and Teruo slipped out as he shoved his foot into his sneaker to make sure the heel segment came up to hug the back of his ankle. "Sorry about that," he told the duo. "I had to tell my siblings what I was doing. You know... As vaguely as possible."
"Don't worry about it," Katsuharu assured Teruo before Teppei had the chance to let his impatience get the better of him. "We're going to be fine... You know, unless everyone else decided to get there early too."
"I couldn't blame them," Teruo confessed. "Going to a party in another world is beyond exciting. I can't believe we're actually going to go back there. I was so sure we had seen the last of it when we were there for a few minutes the first time."
"As long as we don't spend too much time in the Digital World, it can't change us, and that should put us in the clear," Teppei told him. "I don't think one night is going to kill anyone... And I don't think a few extra minutes there if we get to Junpei's place early will hurt either."
Katsuharu nodded with a grin. "This is going to be a night to remember." He hadn't ever imagined he would be freely given a chance to go back to the Digital World like this. He had been certain he would have to fight for a place in the alternate world, but there he was, preparing for a festival to celebrate his friends saving the world. Life loved to take unexpected turns, but Katsuharu wasn't complaining about it in the slightest.
This was everything he could have ever asked for, and he was going to enjoy it.
~~~~~
Kana stared up at the door of the Shiraki home, working the skin on her bottom lip between her teeth. It had been nearly two decades since she was last at home, though she didn't know if she would necessarily call it her 'home' as she would have when she first vanished into the Digital World. A lot had happened since then, and Kana had been given a lot of time to sit with the truth about her adoptive parents and the way they had treated her and her brother. These days, Rubrum was her home, and she was happiest there when surrounded by her friends.
Still, Kana knew she would never truly know peace until she faced the past, and with that in mind, she reached up and knocked at the door gently. The sound was so soft that Kana at first feared no one would hear her. She didn't knock again though, instead just letting her fingertips drift to the bottom of her skirt. She fidgeted with the hem far more than she should have, and she was halfway afraid the fabric was going to fray and fall apart beneath her fingertips if she continued to worry away at it too much more.
Before Kana could think too much more about the past, the door opened, and she looked up to see the familiar but aged faces of Hayate and Yua Shiraki. The years had worn them down, but they still looked similar enough to how they had eighteen years ago for Kana to recognize them immediately. She felt her heart stop for a moment, but she forced herself to press forward regardless. They stared at her in aghast shock, trying to pull together a logical reason to explain how their daughter who had gone missing nearly two decades prior could be standing before them without looking as if she had aged a day.
Kana swallowed back her nerves and offered a nervous wave to her parents. "Hello... Mother. Father." Her voice was hoarse from anxiety, but none of that mattered when Hayate and Yua rushed forward and pulled her into an embrace. Kana began to cry before she could fully register what was happening, and before she knew it, she was one of three people sobbing in the entryway of the Shiraki home. She was all too aware of the pounding of her heart in her ears, but she didn't fight the sound away. Instead, she sat in the discomfort it brought, knowing it was the best she could do for herself at this point.
Kana wasn't sure of how long she stood there with her family, holding them close as they cried out every tear they had been hiding for the last twenty years. When she finally pulled away, her breathing was shaky and rattled in her ribcage before finding a way out through her lips. Meanwhile, Yua looked her over from head to toe, practically delirious in her surprise at seeing her daughter again after so many years. "How... How is this possible?" she murmured. "You look the same as you did back..."
"That... That's a long story," Kana started softly. She had known she was going to have to tell her parents everything when she first decided to go back to Earth. It had been a spur of the moment decision, and she had no idea if it was the best call. Even so, it was the decision she had made, and she would have to live with that. She took in a heavy breath once again, desperate to keep herself grounded, before she continued. "Let me start from the beginning..."
And just like that, the truth came out, and it was every bit as graceless and clumsy as Kana had expected. Hayate eventually led his wife and daughter deeper into the home so they could sit on the couches together as Kana painted the picture of her life over the course of the last eighteen years. She fidgeted anxiously on the spot, unable to fully calm her nerves no matter how hard she tried. She eventually gave up on seeming at all calm, instead just letting the truth take up her full attention. Her parents stared at her in ghastly shock. Of all the explanations they had expected to hear from Kana about everything that had happened when Kage went missing, they certainly hadn't anticipated they would learn that she had been right when she said her brother was drawn into a portal to another world. Kana could barely blame them for not believing her. If she had been in their shoes, she wouldn't have believed herself either.
Kana told them everything she had learned in the Digital World, starting with her alliance with the Legendary Warriors and ending with her new powers as the Arbiter of Souls. She spoke of the home she found there in the other world, how she wanted to stay there even after she had returned to see them. She couldn't go back to Earth again permanently no matter how hard she tried, and Kana wasn't going to push herself to do it either. That wouldn't have been right for her, and she knew better than to try and go past her limits. She was meant to be in the Digital World, and she wouldn't neglect her needs no matter how much her parents wanted her to stay with them. She had another home now, and she couldn't abandon it no matter what.
"You can't just leave us after saying all of that!" Yua exclaimed, reaching out to take Kana's hand in her own. Her vibrant hair was lined with silver now, and she brushed her fingers across Kana's knuckles. "How are we supposed to go back to our regular lives when we know that you're in some other world? How can we live not knowing if you're safe or not?!"
"I've been fine all this time, haven't I?" Kana questioned softly, but she didn't pull away from Yua's grasp right away. Instead, she simply shook her head. "I know what I'm doing, and I'm going to keep pressing on. I'll be back to visit other times too. I can't just walk away forever. Right now though... I know where my home is, and it's not here."
Hayate was quiet for a long moment before he looked up to meet Kana's gaze. "There's somewhere else you want to be," he murmured. "You wouldn't be this distracted if you didn't have somewhere else to be."
Kana hesitated at that. He was right, but she had been hoping she wouldn't have to tell him that outright so soon. She wanted to see the other members of her family who she hadn't been able to see in almost two decades. She swallowed down her nerves to the best of her ability before nodding. "You're right," she confirmed. "This isn't the last time I'm going to come here. I just... I have another place to be right now. The Digital World is my home, and I can't abandon it. Right now though... There's someone else I need to see."
Kana pulled her hand away from Yua's carefully, and her mother reached for her briefly only to let her hand fall down to her lap when she realized there was no point to trying to keep her there. Kana pushed herself to her feet and started toward the door, hesitating halfway there to look over her shoulder at her parents. "I'll be back again soon," Kana reminded them. "Until then... Stay safe."
Kana walked away and closed the door behind herself before either of them had the chance to object. She couldn't quite say if she felt better or worse after going to speak with them, but she at least felt as if the pressure in her chest was finally starting to alleviate. As she had expected, going to speak with Hayate and Yua hadn't completely solved her problems, but it was a step in the right direction. She could think about where she wanted to go with this another time. Until then, she had somewhere else to be, and she didn't want to leave her sibling waiting.
Kana walked on autopilot to the cemetery address she had been given by Saki. Soon after she arrived, she saw the Warrior of Steel standing over a pair of graves lacking in any decoration or glory. No flowers had been left there, not that Kana had expected anything of the sort. She had learned the dark truth behind the lives Anri and Harutaka led. They only had one another, but in the last few years leading up to their deaths, they had Kana too. They had died before they had the chance to know their birth child fully on top of that, leaving them largely forgotten by the world and its people.
But now, their two children were there watching over them. Saki's hair rustled gently in the breeze as they turned to see Kana approaching. Neither one of them said a word for a long time, and Kana eased herself down to her knees before pressing her hands together over her chest. "It's been a long time," she whispered to Anri and Harutaka. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come and see you again."
"I'm sure they understand," Saki assured her with a shake of their head. They sat down on the ground in front of the graves beside Kana, reaching out one hand to take her fingers between their own. "You didn't have any other options for a long time, but... At least you're here now. We both are. There's nothing to complain about there."
Kana let out a wet laugh and rubbed at her eyes with her free hand. "Still, I had been hoping I would be able to come a bit sooner... But I suppose that late is better than never." She sighed as she looked down at the graves. "I'm sure they would both be happy to hear we were able to find each other even without them. Your parents made it sound like we would really be siblings after you were born, but... I went missing before we had the chance."
"At least we're here together now," Saki reiterated. "I bet you're right about them being happy to see us here together. I doubt they ever thought we would find each other quite like this, but... Late is better than never. You're right about that."
Kana nodded and continued to look down at the graves as she worked the skin of her bottom lip between her teeth. "I hope they know how much I cared about them," she murmured. "I know I didn't get the chance to say it before they passed away and I was pulled into the Digital World, but... I always thought of them as my parents. I know I had others who officially adopted me, but... They never treated me as their child the way your parents did. They were family to me in a way I could never quite put to words."
"You're right," Saki confirmed. "I didn't get the chance to know my parents, but from what you told me... I know that's how they thought of you too. The fact that you were planning on following in their footsteps when you turned eighteen is proof enough of that to me. I know you weren't able to talk to them again before they died, but... I bet they knew you were safe out there somewhere. It may not have been clear right away, but they would have known that you were okay. Perhaps I'm getting sentimental about it, but..."
"You don't need to apologize," Kana assured them with a shake of her head. "I'd like to think they knew I was alright too. There's no way of reaching out to them now though. It's funny. I have the ability to manipulate the souls of my friends in the Digital World, but I can't do the same here. I suppose that would give me just a bit too much closure. We can't have something like that, can we?"
"I would say that you can still get the closure you need here," Saki pointed out. "We're here together, and we're going to make sure this is a moment to remember. Our parents might not be here to see us now, but we can still live on in their name. I'd like to think that's enough. It took me a long time to accept that this could be where the story ends, but I think that's just what we're going to have to live with."
"And much to my own surprise... I'm fine with that," Kana smiled gently. She sighed and leaned over so her head was resting on Saki's shoulder, and the Warrior of Steel returned the favor. "Thank you for coming here with me, Saki. I don't know if I would have had the guts to come by myself."
"Don't worry about it. I've been meaning to come here ever since you told me the truth of what happened eighteen years ago," Saki answered. They reached out towards the graves with their free hand, and small flowers made of metal sprouted up from the ground before dying themselves purple and cyan, the trademark colors of the two children left behind by the Fushida couple. Saki smiled at the sight of the blossoms, letting their hand fall back into their lap again a moment later. "I think they'd like these flowers a lot better than normal ones."
Kana couldn't help but laugh as she nodded. "I agree. Your mother never liked the idea of picking flowers. She thought it was wasteful," she remarked. "Maybe we could have Yumiko plant a few here. I don't know if we'd be able to get away with it as long as we're on cemetery property, but..."
"I think what we have here is fine," Saki assured Kana with a shake of their head. "Besides... They're symbolic of us. I feel like that has to mean a lot more than they could have ever wanted."
Kana nodded gently, squeezing Saki's fingers a little bit tighter along the way. "We're going to have to leave to go and meet with the others soon," she pointed out. "Do you think you'll be ready to leave?"
"We can stay here for a little bit longer," Saki countered. "They can wait a few extra minutes."
Kana couldn't help smiling, and she let her eyes slip shut. She hadn't ever expected this to be the end of her story, but she couldn't have asked for anything better. This was what she needed, and she was going to enjoy it for as long as she possibly could. The rest of the world could wait a little bit longer. She was willing to let it.
~~~~~
"Takuya! Are you ready to go?"
The sound of Chihiro's voice snapped Takuya out of his thoughts, and he sat up before stretching himself out. "That time already?" he asked, and Chihiro shot him a playful glare, silently chastising him for having the audacity to lose track of time on such an important day. "I'm joking. If you're ready to go, then so am I."
"This is going to be great," Shinya grinned. "I was hoping I'd be able to convince you to take me to the Digital World one of these days, but I guess I didn't need to ask you in the first place. Your Mayumi friend took care of it for us."
"You're going to like her," Chihiro told him. "She's got just as much as energy as you, if not even more. Then again, that just comes with the territory for her. Our elements were always well selected for us, but Mayumi is on another level."
"We should thank her for thinking to invite the others into the Digital World for this party though," Takuya said as he pushed himself to his feet. "I think they've earned it. The investigation team has been tracking us for long enough to earn a little prize."
"And they can have it now that they know to not go blabbing about us to the media," Chihiro finished for him. "For now, let's go to meet with Junpei and the others. I'm really looking forward to this party, and I don't want to keep anyone waiting any longer than we have to."
Takuya nodded, and the trio set off from the Kanbara home from there. The deeper chills of autumn were starting to set in, but Takuya, Chihiro, and Shinya were dressed for summer anyways. Darcmon had promised perfect weather to the Legendary Warriors for this party, and Takuya intended to see that promise fulfilled. He wanted a party more than anything, and this wasn't a chance he intended to pass up on.
When the trio arrived at the Shibayama home, the living room was practically overflowing with teenagers as the Legendary Warriors and investigation team prepared to leave for the Digital World. Takuya found that he was one of the last people to arrive, and a quick glance through the area told him that only Saki and Kana hadn't yet arrived. Somehow, the two of them not being there yet didn't surprise him. A quick check using his instincts as a Legendary Warrior told him they were coming from the nearby cemetery, no doubt because they had gone to visit Anri and Harutaka's resting place. Considering the fact that today was the first chance Kana had ever been given to come back to Earth, it made sense that she would want to go back to places of particular importance to her, and nowhere was more important than the cemetery where Anri and Harutaka had been laid to rest.
Junpei sighed as Chihiro closed the door behind themself. "Now we're just missing Saki and Kana," he remarked. "And here I was under the impression that those two knew how to arrive on time to things like this."
"I don't know if I'd start making snarky comments quite yet," Saki suddenly cut in, and Takuya turned to see the Warrior of Steel peeking in through the door, using their foot to keep it from fully closing in Chihiro's wake. The Warrior of Earth opened the door fully, offering the perfect chance for Saki and Kana to slip inside.
"Sorry we're late," Kana apologized with a sheepish smile. Her eyes were slightly red from what Takuya could only assume had been a recent bout of tears, but she didn't seem bothered by it at all. "We're ready to leave whenever the rest of you are."
"Perfect," Junpei nodded before he activated the portal on his laptop screen. Technically, the Legendary Warriors could just create portals leading to the other world whenever they wanted on account of having their Resplendent Evolutions, but that took a lot more energy than it was worth, and they wanted to conserve their strength. After all, this was sure to be one night they never forgot, and there was no reason to spend their energy on getting to the Digital World when they had a party to enjoy.
The world spun and glowed around Takuya in the moments that followed, and when he found himself on solid ground again, the first thing he noticed was that the weather was just as warm as Darcmon had promised. He grinned at the realization before looking up to the horizon, wondering just when Inaie would appear on the edge of the sky and earth. He had been looking forward to this ever since the final battle ended, and he wasn't going to let it slip out of his grasp now.
It didn't take long for Inaie to arrive, and all the while, the investigation team stared up at it with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Izumi flashed them all a smile before she started up the stairs on the side of the island once Inaie had come to a stop. "You're going to love this," she assured them, and the investigation team finally pulled themselves together enough to recognize that she was speaking to them. From there, they started after Izumi up the stairs and toward the heart of the island.
The streets of Inaie were decorated intricately, and streamers of all colors had been strung freely between the streetlights. A few lanterns hung from the streamers too, all of them glowing with countless colors to represent the Legendary Warriors. Darcmon hadn't been kidding when she said the festivals were something to behold. She hadn't held back at all in decorating the city for the party.
The city square was where everything really came together though, and the fountain was covered in spotlights that dyed it bright colors. A few massive tables stretched through the area as well, most of them bearing food but some of them being left empty to offer people the space they needed to sit down. To say the feast was impressive was an understatement. Takuya didn't think he had ever seen so much food in one place.
"Welcome, everyone," Darcmon declared as she approached the Legendary Warriors and the rest of their entourage. "I'm glad to see you were able to make it here alright." Her gaze shifted to the investigation team at that, and she laughed when she realized just how shocked they were to see her. "I don't bite. I promise."
"This is amazing!" Teppei cried out, clapping his hands together as he practically vibrated on the spot. "I never thought there would be so much to see and do!" The real intention of his words was clear even if he didn't say it out loud. He couldn't believe he was speaking to an actual Digimon. He had heard about the Digital World in the past, but he hadn't seen a full Digimon up close like this before. The Legendary Warriors were one thing, but this was another matter entirely, and it was a moment he would never forget.
"We go all out for our festivals," Darcmon answered simply. "Feel free to mill about and talk to everyone. Soon, we'll feast, and after that... Well, all that will be left for us to do is party until the sun comes up."
"That's perfect," Takuya grinned. He glanced over to see the Digimon guides gathered together with Wanyamon, Kotemon, and Bearmon. All of them were clearly getting along swimmingly, no doubt trying to make up for lost time with not being able to speak to one another. They were all friends with the Legendary Warriors, but they hadn't ever been able to kick back and relax with one another despite their common thread of friendship.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," Masae admitted. "I never would have thought the Digital World would be so... Vibrant. I mean, all we heard about for a long time was the war, and while I understand why... I guess it's different being here and seeing so much life at once."
"Inaie is a great place even when they're not hosting a party. We were supposed to come for one of their festivals before the massive invasion of Earth, but that didn't wind up happening. Now that Alastomon is out of the picture though, we can do whatever we want, and I couldn't be happier," Izumi grinned. "How about we show you around and introduce you to everyone? It'll be great."
Masae nodded, and Izumi smiled as she led her sister away. The rest of the investigation team followed the pair a moments later, and Takuya couldn't help but smile at them before he trailed after them. He never would have imagined he would have the chance to enjoy himself in the Digital World like this, much less that the investigation team would be there. So much had changed since the Void Fragments first appeared, and he was happy with the resolution. This was what he had needed for ages, and he was glad he had finally been given the chance to see that.
The investigation team was, unsurprisingly, excited to be able to speak with even more Digimon as they were introduced to the other major players there for the party. Bokomon and Neemon couldn't stop chattering to one another excitedly at the sight of the new humans. Patamon and Salamon were happy to have new people to sit on and more perches to enjoy. Lopmon and Wanyamon were comparatively on the shy side, but they were teased out of their shells with time. Mayumi offered Wanyamon a gift in the form of a small bed she had made herself, and she told him she would be leaving it in the fortress in case he ever decided to pay the Legendary Warriors a visit. Bearmon and Kotemon finally got a formal introduction to the rest of the group thanks to Yumiko, and Takuya spent the entire process smiling like he had never smiled before. His cheeks were starting to sting as the minutes crawled by, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was too happy to mind it.
Darcmon hit the base of her staff against the ground to earn the attention of everyone in the area, and they all turned to face the leader of Inaie as Hippogriffomon came up to stand beside her. "Attention, everyone," Darcmon started, and all eyes fell solely on her. "We've been given an incredible chance here today, and we need to make the most of it. The Digital World has been saved once again, and just as before, we have the Legendary Warriors to thank for it. Alastomon has been defeated, and we can finally see peace once more. Tonight, we celebrate everything that led us to this point. The road may not have been an easy one, but we managed to reach the other side, and that's what matters most."
Darcmon reached to the nearby table and picked up a glass filled to the brim with a red liquid that Takuya could only assume was a Digital World brand of wine. She grinned as she held it up and out toward the Legendary Warriors. "Tonight, we prove that life is worth living, and we thank those who have given us this chance. A toast... To the Legendary Warriors. To the peace they have brought us. To the future of the Digital World." Darcmon took a sip of her drink before she put it down once again and hit the base of her staff against the ground. "And now, we feast!"
Excited clamors rose up from the crowd at that, and everyone surged toward the food. Takuya hung back for a little while longer though, knowing that he could save himself some time in line if he just let the rest of the crowd take care of their own food first. Instead, the Warrior of Fire let out a heavy sigh and tilted his head back so he was looking up at the sky. The sun was starting to set now, dying the sky in an ombre of red, pink, orange, and purple twilight. The sight was beautiful, far more so than Takuya felt any other sunset ever had been. He was going to remember this the same way he was going to remember everything else that had happened that night.
Takuya couldn't help but smile at the thought of everything that had happened recently. He couldn't say he was entirely satisfied with the way the final battle had ended since he still had to worry about Alastomon's accomplice who was roaming through the world freely, but the Warrior of Fire knew it would be fine. No matter what the accomplice did next, the Legendary Warriors would be there to stop them. They wouldn't be able to get far in carrying out Alastomon's mission before they were halted in their tracks. After all, that was what the Legendary Warriors did: they saved lives, and they would do it as many times as they had to.
This battle had been far from clean, and it certainly felt a lot messier than the original confrontation against Lucemon had been. There were a few loose threads that had yet to be resolved, but Takuya found that he minded it a lot less than he would have expected. He had a lot to think about, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors did too, but that was alright. No matter what, they would find a way to push through all of this by working together just as they had before. They had saved the Digital World before, and they would do it again as long as there was a need for them to do so.
Even if there was a lot that Takuya still couldn't say he understood about the confrontation against Alastomon, he wasn't going to let his uncertainty make him sell himself short. He had come out of this on the other side, and even if he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had made a healthy dose of mistakes along the way, it was fine. They had survived, and the Digital World was in a far better condition now than it had been when Lucemon rose to power. They had avoided completely planetary destruction once again, and they had helped Earth on top of that. Even if the war hadn't gone the way they would have liked, they still had a lot to be proud of themselves for, and Takuya wasn't going to let them forget it.
"All's well that ends well, right?" Aguni remarked.
"There's a lot we still don't understand," Vritra started.
"But I think we can put the responsibilities of the future to the side for one night," Alda finished for him with a shake of his head. "I'd like to think we've earned that much."
"I agree," Takuya nodded. He looked down to his hands and pressed them together. He sparked a small fire between his palms, and he cradled it with a smile. The war against Alastomon may not have ended as cleanly as he would have liked, but he was okay with that. He was still alive, and that was something for him to be proud of. The Digital World was safe, and Takuya would make sure it stayed that way no matter what came next.
The flame in Takuya's hands burned a little bit brighter, and he felt his heart sing in the harmony of the firelight.
Notes:
(Note had to be cut short due to character restrictions; please refer to the chapter labelled 'Author's Notes' for the full version)
And here we are once again... The end of the line.
First off, the fight against Alastomon was won... But unlike the fight against Lucemon, it has a much more bittersweet undertone to it. The Legendary Warriors prevailed, but they're left thinking about everything Alastomon claimed to know about the Digital World before his death. His insistence that the realm was doomed to chaos and the cycle of war is bound to hang heavily on their minds even though they were able to come out on top of this battle.
In fact, the entire epilogue sequence seems to be obscured by this general fog as well. Much like in the first book, this epilogue has the same idea of not necessarily being in chronological order. Takuya starts to think about how the Legendary Warriors are doing, and while everything after that leading up to the present is in chronological order, it's still a jump back compared to how Takuya is in the present. This book ends very similarly to the first book, but rather than being purely hopeful for the future, there's a constant theme of uncertainty that hides beneath the surface of everything people say and do. Alastomon's accomplice is still out there, and the Digital World is essentially right back to where it started when all of this began. The Legendary Warriors are doing their best to look to the future after everything they've been through, but it's much easier said than done when there's so much left weighing on them.
My favorite part of this epilogue sequence is without a doubt the segment with Kana and Saki. It's the longest piece of the epilogue because it honestly needs to be. Kana finally has the chance to go back home after being given a human form again, and while she has a lot of unresolved baggage around her adoptive parents, she was at least able to start the process of finding closure. There will be more of this dynamic in the next book, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
For now, I want to talk about the scene in the cemetery with Kana and Saki. The two of them have different histories, but they still think of themselves as siblings because of everything Saki's parents did over the years. They were able to fix a lot of harm done to the Digital World, but not everything is perfect since they still carry that grief. However, they can both work toward leaving it in the past at long last though thanks to having one another. Developing the dynamic between these two was one of my favorite parts of the story, and it's incredible to see them finally letting their defenses down around one another after being so masked for so long.
The last important piece here is the festival on Inaie. It's been promised for ages now, and at long last, it's time to deliver on the party everyone has been waiting for. The investigation team got to come along at Mayumi's suggestion because they're important to this journey too. They might not be able to fight the same way the Legendary Warriors can, but they're a support system the group definitely needed. They love having each other there when they need help, of course, but keeping a secret that massive has its consequences, and the investigation team acts as an extra bit of support for the team. Plus, it gives the investigation team the chance to enjoy the Digital World the way they always wanted to, and that includes talking with actual Digimon for the first time. It's really sweet to see their dreams fulfilled after all this time.
This book ends in a very similar way to the first one in that Takuya feels that fire within, the very power that fuels his element even just beyond his magic, continue to burn. I love wrapping around to the start of a story when I finish it, and having Takuya talk with Aguni, Vritra, and Alda again is a perfect way of doing that. A lot has changed, but a few things have stayed the same too, and Takuya still has that passion and courage that push him onward through every difficulty.
Last but not least, I want to talk about the chapter title here. The first book, and the English version of Frontier as a whole, had an incredible naming scheme for the first and last episodes. All Aboard and End of the Line are just so perfect, and I couldn't bear to change them. For this book, I decided to mimic that, and so, the first and final chapters are Almost Human and Barely Human respectively. It shows how the Legendary Warriors have changed over the course of the story, and while they're not quite human the way they once thought they were, they've come a long way, and they've been able to make peace with that too. It's a triumph for them even though the story ends on a somewhat bittersweet note thanks to the unresolved tension.
Okay, I'm finished here for now. I'll see you all in the afterword to discuss the future of the story going forward!
-Digital
Chapter 61: Afterword
Chapter Text
So... Here we are once again. The end of the line.
I don't think I could even begin to say just how astounded I am that this story has made it so far. This universe has come a long way from being my pandemic brain child, and it has since turned into a massive series I absolutely adore. I love this story even more than I did when I first began it, and I fall in love with it again each time I open my laptop to write more on it.
Thank you all so much for your support in helping the story reach this point. Every view, kudo, bookmark, and comment means the world to me. I love knowing there are people out there who enjoy my art, and it gives me the motivation to keep going. In a time when art is growing more soulless and less loving, every bit of appreciation I receive means its weight in gold to me. Your support has helped me to get this far. Thank you so much. I can't possibly say it enough.
I've said many times throughout this story that there will be a sequel to this book. I plan on releasing the third and final book in this series, "Futures Unseen," in 2024. That will be the end of the Legendary Warriors' journey and the conclusion of this fic verse. I have a lot of ideas for it already, and I'm looking forward to delivering them to you one day.
Before that though, I'm going to take some time away from this series to fully plan out the final book in the trilogy. Beyond that, I have another story I've been wanting to write for ages now, and I plan on giving it a bit of appreciation. For the first time since 2020, I won't have any Digimon stories in my regular update rotation. Instead of replacing this story with another Digimon story, I'll be using this chance to work on "Dreaming of Dawn," a full reimagining of The Owl House's third season to fit a full twenty episode structure. I've had this fic in the planning phase since October of 2022, and I'm excited to finally release it to the world. In fact, as of the time of this chapter being posted, the first chapter is already out. I hope anyone interested will go to check it out.
I'm planning on giving this story a sweep for editing after I've had some space away from it. This will almost definitely result in added scenes, and just as I did in the first book, I'll put together a guide for those new sequences. I won't be doing that until I'm fairly deep into "Dreaming of Dawn" and its writing process though, so it'll be a while before that time comes around. I'll announce edits to chapters in my Discord server and on my Twitter, so if you want information about when new content comes out, feel free to check me out there. Links will be down below.
If you want to check out other works of mine, I have stories for a plethora of fandoms on my page. I have original works like Morix (a murder mystery series) and Alitia (a magical girl series) along with fan fiction for Fire Emblem, Octopath Traveler, and Triangle Strategy. I also have the massive rewrite of Digimon Tri I posted in between the release of the first and second books of this series if you haven't checked that out yet. There's sure to be something there for you, and as I said before, you can also follow me on Twitter.
Regardless of what you choose to do from here, thank you again for reading this story and following me through the next step of the endless tale. I can't possibly say it enough. Thank you for making this labor of love into something that can be loved by other people as well. You helped this story to get this far, and it means the world to me. I hope to see you again for the third and final story of this trilogy come the summer of 2024 and the fourth anniversary of this universe. Count down the days until May 31, 2024... For that is when I will return with "Fates Unbound."
Until then, for a final time, I hope you have enjoyed this story. I appreciate each and every piece of feedback I get, and I love reading it when I get it. I hope the future treats you well. Have a nice day, everyone.
May we meet again when the endless tale continues.
A final time,
Digital
Story Statistics
Planning Phase: October 18, 2021-May 27, 2022
Writing Phase: May 28, 2022-July 16, 2023
Posting Phase: May 31, 2022-July 16, 2023
Word Count (Plot): 617,072
Page Count (Plot): 1,803
Word Count (Author’s Notes): 52,804
Page Count (Author’s Notes): 146
Word Count (Total): 669,875
Page Count (Total): 1,949
Fates Unbound
End
Chapter 62: Author's Notes
Summary:
This is a compilation of all the author’s notes in the story. A few notes had to be cut down to fit the character limit of the author’s notes on Archive of Our Own. As such, I have put together the full versions here for everyone to read. As a bonus, chapters have release dates after their titles for anyone curious. I'll update this chapter throughout the story. I admittedly wasn't expecting to hit the character limit so early (as in by chapter four), so this is being added a bit sooner than I would have liked, but here it is regardless.
July 2023 Edit: The appearances of the Resplendent Evolutions have been added at the end of this chapter!
Chapter Text
Original Story Description (5/31/22)
With the war against Lucemon over, the Legendary Warriors have returned to Earth, waiting for the gate to the Digital World to open once more. However, when they return, they find that the fall of the Celestial Three has left a power vacuum in the realm's central structures, leading to chaos in what should have been a time of peace. The party is forced to grapple with their new positions in the regenerated world, including moderating politics between opposing leaders. Meanwhile, the Digital World has left its mark on all of them, leaving them with the side effects of becoming Digimon imprinted on both their bodies and minds. From the cacophony, a new mysterious Digimon by the name of Miriamon rises, and her reflective eyes and jaded words tell of histories long gone that she refuses to share despite her unknown connection to the Legendary Warriors. Between keeping their double lives a secret, resolving the sudden shifts that have arisen in their path, and bringing about a new era of prosperity, the Legendary Warriors have their work more than cut out for them, but all will be worth it to keep their fates unbound.
Revised Story Description (11/19/22)
With the war against Lucemon over, the Legendary Warriors have returned to Earth, waiting for the gate to the Digital World to open once more. However, when they return, they find that dark phantoms known as Void Fragments are possessing innocent Digimon and running rampant, leading to chaos in what should have been a time of peace. Meanwhile, the Digital World has left its mark on all of them, imprinting them with the side effects of becoming Digimon on both their bodies and minds. The Digital World has made itself known to Earth, forcing each of the Legendary Warriors to hide their stories from those that pursue the truth. From the cacophony, a new mysterious Digimon by the name of Miriamon makes herself known, and she hides the histories of times long gone and an unknown connection to the Legendary Warriors. Between keeping their double lives a secret, resolving the new conflicts of both worlds, and working through the changes the Digital World has brought them, the Legendary Warriors have an undetermined path stretching before them, but all will be worth it to keep their fates unbound.
Episode One: Almost Human (5/31/22)
And so, we have arrived! Welcome to "Fates Unbound," everyone!
I've been looking forward to this story for ages now. Even when I was first finishing up with "Frontiers Unexplored," I had a few ideas bouncing around in my head for a sequel, and they wound up manifesting themselves here. I love this universe too much to stay away from it for long, and so, we have returned!
As for an analysis of the chapter itself, I started off with Takuya because I thought it would be fitting given how the first book also began with his perspective. Chihiro is here as well for yet another callback, but this time, we have a new addition to the opener: Shinya! I'm not going to spoil anything, but Shinya is going to be playing a much larger role this time around, and I'm glad I was able to include him here.
Speaking of characters who will be doing more in this story, Katsuharu, Teppei, Teruo, and Chiaki are here! They weren't in the first book since I already said there that Ophanimon didn't allow anyone who was not a Legendary Warrior to roam the Digital World, but they're here now! They're background characters to populate the world as well as being classmates for Takuya, Chihiro, Koji, and Izumi. They'll be doing a bit more later on, but for now, here they are, now with full names since they're important this time! Woohoo!
As for the schools the different characters go to, I want to clear that up really fast. Takuya, Chihiro, Koji, and Izumi all go to the same school and are in the same grade. Tomoki, Mayumi, and Haroi also go to that school and are one year younger than them. Junpei also goes to this school but is one year above the first four. Koichi and Hinoka are one year apart with Hinoka being older, and they go to school together. Saki goes to school on their own, and so does Yumiko.
Moving right along now that we've established that, Koichi and Hinoka's scene was a nice one. The two of them didn't talk all that much in human form after they had been purified, so I decided this would be the perfect chance to establish more of a dynamic between them. They're both kind of anxious, but they still do what they can for each other, and that includes the situation with Emon. Koichi standing up to him is a nice way of showing how far he's come and that he's not as timid as he used to be, so it was tons of fun to write.
After that came the scene with Tomoki, Mayumi, Haroi, and Yumiko, and I like how it turned out. Their banter feels so natural, and I loved being able to write them together. The four of them share the title of being the youngest in the Legendary Warriors group since they're fifteen where the others are either sixteen or seventeen, so it makes sense that they would hang out a lot, and I did my best to show that here.
Last but not least, we have the ending with Junpei and Saki. I love how this one turned out in part because of its signs of how far Saki has come and in part because of its foreshadowing. This chapter actually has a lot of small foreshadowing moments, and I am head over heels in love with all of them. This story has a lot going on, and I wanted to start planting the seeds for that early. I'm looking forward to seeing what theories you all construct, because there are probably going to be a lot more in this story compared to the original. After all, we're not in rewrite territory anymore; this is something new for the timeline, and I can't wait for you all to see it.
With that said, I'm going to leave things off here for now. Next time we meet, it'll be for the group's first journey back to the Digital World, and I hope you're as excited for it as I am! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Two: Homecoming (6/5/22)
The Digital World is back! Hell yeah!
I really like how this chapter came out, honestly. Just... I adore it. A lot of segments of this chapter were dedicated to catching up the cast on everything that's been happening in the Digital World, and most of them are fairly minor details. The major stuff is going on full display a bit later on though, like Alastomon and Biastamon showing up next chapter. Spoiler alert: that's what's happening next time around.
Also, we got the first fight sequence of the story! Since the opening chapter was on Earth and already pretty packed with us catching up with all of the characters, I wound up pushing back the first fight to this chapter, and I really like how it turned out. I've had ideas for this fight sequence in my mind for ages, and I wanted it to be a grand display of teamwork between the Legendary Warriors. All of them played a part in defeating Parasaurmon, and I think it was a really creative way to utilize the team's different tactics. They've really come a long way compared to the clunky fighters they were at the start of the series, and you can see it. I especially loved the part about Aeoelmon jumping off Lyramon's shield after getting a power boost from the energy Kirismon took from Parasaurmon. It was tons of fun to write, and I adore how it turned out.
The rest of this chapter mostly speaks for itself since this is us getting everybody up to speed on what's happening in the Digital World. I promise that the rest of the story isn't going to be quite so heavy on the lore and exposition, but we need to start somewhere, and it's not like we can use the "show, don't tell" rule one very tiny detail about the Digital World's reconstruction. Larger stuff, like the Void Fragments and Alastomon and Biastamon, that's definitely justified for, but this chapter needed to have background details, so here we are. Speaking of Alastomon and Biastamon, yes, those two are fan made Digimon. I was originally planning on using canon Digimon for their roles but didn't see anything that fit, so I decided to just make new Digimon the same way I did for so many of the Legendary Warriors in the last book. I mean, it's fun to make Digimon, so why not go with it?
On that note, we'll hear more about Alastomon and Biastamon--and the Digital World as a whole--next chapter. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Three: A New World (6/12/22)
And so our third chapter arrives!
This one was a joy to work on for a variety of reasons, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. For one, we were able to introduce two new major players in this Digital World: Alastomon and Biastamon. I really like writing for the two of them, especially with their clashing ideologies. They both want what's best for their people, and that means defending them to the bitter end. Alastomon is much more charismatic and open, a bold leader who wants to charge forward against all odds, while Biastamon is on the quiet side and prefers to keep to himself while opening a compassionate ear to those who are suffering most. They're very contrasting in terms of personality, and that's the very reason I think they work so well together both as foils and as allies.
As for the rest of the chapter, I liked writing the transition that followed the conversation with Alastomon and Biastamon. The Legendary Warriors and their guides are back to talking the same way they did before they were separated, and they're just as determined as ever to do something for those who are suffering. I missed writing this group together, and I already love how things are coming together for them. They deserve to spend time together, damn it, especially after a month apart. They've earned it.
Finally, there are the ending scenes. First, there was the part with Takuya and Chihiro, which I think is a nice contrast to the bliss of the first part of the chapter. The Digital World has resonated with all of them in a different way than they expected it to, and everybody is feeling the influences of it. Of course, change isn't easy to grapple with, and there's a lot that's changed since the group was last there, and they've changed too. No wonder they're so uncertain. There were a few tidbits of foreshadowing in this scene too that are going to be important later, but for now, I hope you enjoyed this scene and all of the theory fuel that came with it.
Last, we have the scene at the Orimoto home, and more importantly, the introduction to Masae! She appeared in a cameo in Izumi's ending segment of the epilogue for the previous book, but she's actually here in the flesh now. She's in the same grade as Shinya, so she's fifteen just like Tomoki, Yumiko, Haroi, and Mayumi. I really liked writing the scene between Izumi and Masae, and it sets up Masae to play a much larger role in this story than she did previously. No, this won't be the last we hear from her, and we're going to see both her and Shinya playing prominent parts in the tale to come. For now though, you get the brief interaction between the Orimoto sisters as we get ready for other greater adventures.
With that said, it's time to wrap things up for this week. Next time, we're going to explore the aftermath of the Legendary Warriors returning to the Digital World and all that entails. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Four: Misfit Pieces (6/19/22)
Chapter four is here! Woohoo!
I really like how this chapter turned out, and even if it was a character focused chapter, I think that it kept things interesting with how it touched on so many characters. In my eyes, catching up with the characters and the small intricacies of their lives over the course of the month where we weren't with them is important, and we're seeing that come in full force here.
First off, let's talk about the lunch scene with Katsuharu and his friends. In case it's not already obvious, these four are going to be an important part of the plot in their own way, creating an ensemble cast that couldn't really exist in the first book because of its structure. Since the Legendary Warriors were on the run for so much of the story, they couldn't exactly dawdle for too long in any one location, but because this book is structured differently, we're going to get to see a bit more of the surrounding characters and their world on Earth here. Katsuharu's scene is foreshadowing their future involvement, but let's just say that they've got an intriguing conspiracy under their belts.
As for the scene with Junpei and Saki, I want to say that I absolutely love writing for the two of them. They're both the tacticians of the Legendary Warriors, but Saki tends to skew a bit more towards understanding how people are going to respond in regards to emotions while Junpei plays it a bit more hard and true to pure strategy in battle. The political talk was an interesting tidbit as well, and I love how it works in here. It reminds me of a problem that has been brought up both in this book and the previous one about how people won't involve themselves with a conflict if they can avoid it even though war can be just outside their doors. There are a lot of small political tidbits both in this scene and this book, and I'm really excited for you to all see how they play out.
Next is Chihiro and Takuya at soccer practice, and I think this is a nice but understated segment. Chihiro is just as stubborn as ever, both in wanting to understand other things about the world and wanting to keep their own secrets. Also, the italicized text is starting to pop up more regularly for other characters, starting with Chihiro. Interesting, isn't it? I'd love to hear your theories about that and its various appearances in this chapter.
The part with Koji features our first appearance of Kousei Minamoto, and his relationship with Koji is just as strained as ever before. For the most part, everything remained the same during the editing process of the first book, but one thing that did change is that Kousei no longer knows about Koichi. That was a minor detail in Koji's segment of the epilogue, but it was changed when I decided to continue the series. At the time that the first book was finished, I wasn't planning to go on with this story as a full trilogy, but I changed that small detail to work with the new plan. Kousei is a major note of tension for Koji, as is obviously shown by the two of them barely avoiding an argument over something so minor. Koji's relationship with his mother and stepmother is improving, but Kousei is a different story.
And Koichi doesn't like Kousei either. One minor detail about Koichi and Koji I like is how their elements don't fit them at a first glance but make a lot more sense with analysis about them. Koji has a hardened exterior but hides a kind, generous soul of light underneath while Koichi is outwardly patient and sweet but masks his dark rage towards his circumstances beneath it. That rage was what fueled Duskmon in the first book, and even with Duskmon gone, the anger still remains. At least Koichi has Tomoko looking after him, though the two deserve much better than the hand they've been dealt.
Finally, there's the ending with Yumiko. I love writing for her, and I love how her character growth is so similar but different to others as well. She and Tomoki have a lot in common, but they develop in different ways at the same time. Tomoki drew parallels between Yumiko and Izumi in the first book when Calanthemon first appeared, but Yumiko is much more sure of herself than Izumi in terms of internal struggles and shows her newfound assertive nature with her outward desire to understand the echoes in her mind. Others have been avoiding it, but she faces the subject head-on before backing off at the last minute, showing that she's improving while still having a long way to go. Again, I'd love to hear everybody's theories about these italicized bits of dialogue over the course of the next few chapters.
Phew. That was a long author's note. I guess it comes with the character driven chapter since combat tends to speak for itself much more than this. Either way, I'm going to wrap things up here. Next week, we'll get into the group's next adventure to the Digital World and meet the last of our major new players in this book. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Five: Lost Souls (6/26/22)
And so we meet the final major new character introduced in this story!
I've been looking forward to Miriamon's debut for quite a while. Her story was one of the first things that I concocted after I started working on planning for this sequel, and I'm absolutely in love with how her introduction played out. She's meant to be a rather mysterious and detached figure, and I feel like that got across well. On top of that, I adore the way that she carries herself in terms of foreshadowing and intrigue, and her design is great too. I can't wait for all of you to see more from her going forward because trust me when I say that she'll be here for quite a few of the events to come.
As for the fight sequence--which is the other major part of this chapter--I really liked working on it because of how unorthodox it is. A fight in a vast, empty space doesn't sound all that interesting, so I decided to spice things up by having some strange team ups for the fight. Instead of splitting up the group in predictable pairs, I decided it would be best to go for some odd matchups against the DoruGreymon, and I think it turned out really well. It was tons of fun to work on, and I like really how it turned out.
As for the ending scene, I really like how that went too. It's a small thing, but like many vague details in the earlier parts of the story, it's meant to be theory bait. I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you think of both the finale to this chapter and Miriamon as a whole since both of them will be important in the future.
With that said, I'm going to wrap things up here for the week. Next time, we'll get into a continuation of this chapter's events back on Earth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Six: Twisted Infiltration (7/3/22)
Phew! Another chapter under the belt!
This chapter has a few unique qualities to it, the first of those being that we're already halfway through act one! The first part of this story will end at chapter twelve, and we've hit the midpoint! Time sure does fly when you're having fun, huh?
As for the chapter itself, it's very much so a direct continuation of the last chapter. Saki and Junpei are still thinking a lot about Miriamon since she's a rather cryptic and mysterious Digimon. Alastomon and Biastamon are comparatively upfront since they have clear-cut motives from the outset: helping their specific faction of Digimon. As for Miriamon, she's got a lot on her mind that she won't talk about if she can avoid it. Her odd connection and familiarity with Saki is primary among those things she doesn't like to discuss, and Saki is as suspicious as it gets about it. The opening scene is much like the other times when Saki and Junpei have been working on the portal, but this time, it serves to set up inciting incidents of Saki and Miriamon's character arcs rather than discuss the politics of the Digital World. I love how it turned out.
Now, let's get to the bulk of the chapter: Izumi. I've been imagining the scene of her with the boxcutter for ages now, and I love how it turned out. Izumi has learned to start holding herself back less, and she's opening up to people much more, but she still has a bit of a complex when it comes to protecting her sister from things that might harm her such as the Digital World. Miriamon being the reason for the cut finger is interesting too since it shows that everybody knows more is up with her and not just Saki, and it's going to be important to setting up relationships between Miriamon and the other main characters since she's, spoiler alert, the most relevant of the new characters on an interpersonal level.
The earthquake scene is where this chapter gets its title from. If you will recall, the first chapter to prominently feature Izumi and Zephyrmon's relationship in the first book was called "Twisted Beasts," and since Zephyrmon is a crucial part of this chapter as well, I decided to call this one "Twisted Infiltration." That title is relevant on many levels, but you'll understand that later on. For now, the earthquake scene... Ouch. As you can quite clearly see, the Digital World has left its mark on the Legendary Warriors in both good ways and bad, and one of the bad is flashbacks. Izumi's flashback to the Zephyrmon incident is important again to the title and to what happens afterwards which is heavy foreshadowing for what is to come.
The fight against the Drimogemon was an interesting one because it was the first time we've featured a fight on Earth in this series thus far. Since the first book spent very little time on Earth, this is our first time making such a drastic shift, and I love how it turned out. I like having strange little groups for fight sequences, and that includes picking random characters out of a hat and having them fight together. Well, it wasn't exactly random here since I wanted to have Takuya there to support Izumi through her crisis and Chihiro worked as an extension of that. It's the first time we've seen the three of them fight as an individual trio since, again, the Zephyrmon incident in the first book. Lots of parallels there, huh? I wonder why...
The last thing I want to touch on is how the Legendary Warriors really are showing themselves as a friend group here. I wanted it to be made quite clear early on that they're not just comrades in combat; they're actually friends, and they hang out often and spend time with one another. The phone calls with Junpei were a small detail, but it shows how easy Izumi and Junpei have gotten with one another, and Takuya and Chihiro offering to look after Izumi at the end of the chapter show their camaraderie as well. I love found families. They deserve it.
Next time, we'll follow up on the aftermath of this attack with Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi returning to the Kanbara household. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Seven: Engraved in Blood (7/10/22)
New chapter time! Woohoo!
I have to say that I've absolutely loved working on the last few chapters. I had the idea of this fight in mind rather early in the process of planning this story, and I love how it turned out. It's given me a great chance to flesh out the relationships between the Legendary Warriors while also introducing Masae properly. These chapters have been the most intense so far, but I adore them.
Now, let's get to the meat of the chapter's analysis. Starting off, we have the scene with Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi in the Kanbara home. I loved writing the familial banter Takuya, Chihiro, and Shinya has, and even though Shinya isn't played up as an annoying brother as much in this, he still enjoys poking fun at his brother every once in a while. Also, this offered us with yet another reminder of relationships between surrounding characters since Shinya and Masae are the same age and have been in the same class at school for a while now. The two of them have been acquaintances for a while, but this story is going to give them an excuse to become closer, and I'm looking forward to it.
I don't have all that much to add when it comes to the scene between Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi since I feel like it generally speaks for itself. However, I do like how Chihiro had the guts to just draw blood with a thumbtack for the sake of proving a point. It's a very Chihiro thing to do, and it offers proof that the blood color issue is going to be important for everybody in the future. I love the changes of the Legendary Warriors' bodies since they've returned from the Digital World, and this is a prime example. They're not quite human anymore, and I'm going to love exploring that.
Next up, we have the scene with Mayumi and Haroi. I thought it was a nice little scene that once again shows how close these two are. They're perfect foils for one another as evidenced by their varying responses to the fight from the afternoon. They also know exactly how to help each other in stressful times, and I think it's really sweet. Once again with the changes to their bodies, Haroi is starting to become stronger, something that we'll touch on a bit more in future chapters. Mayumi was nervous at first about it, but she threw that aside when she noticed how stressed Haroi was. These two really are perfect for each other, huh?
The scene with Junpei was actually a last-minute addition to this chapter, if I'm being honest. After doing everything else, I still had about a thousand words to play with, so I decided to flash over to Junpei. As expected, he's still not the best at handling his emotions and has to deal with all of the messiness that involves. It was still nice to see his different perspective on the situation, and I like writing for him just like always. Here's to hoping he gets a break from the universe's bullshit soon.
Last but not least, we have the scene with Izumi and Masae at the end. I think it's an incredible contrast to the easy banter the two had with one another as recent as the previous chapters, highlighting Masae's perceptive nature. Masae wants to know what's going on with her sister, but since Izumi can't let that happen, there's a greater wedge between them now than there was before. Things have been tense ever since Izumi came back from the Digital World, but it's only getting worse now. There will be a resolution to this problem eventually, but for now, poor Izumi has a lot going through her head. She needs a break too.
And that should wrap things up for this week! Next time, we'll continue to explore the aftermath of the Drimogemon attack. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Eight: Secret Universes (7/17/22)
That certainly was a doozy of a chapter, huh?
I've been looking forward to this one for ages now, if I'm being honest. As soon as I started coming up with ideas for how to repurpose Katsuharu, Teppei, Teruo, and Chiaki, I began to imagine this scene. I couldn't use them the same way they were utilized in canon, so I had to get creative, and I'm incredibly satisfied with how this turned out for them. They still went to the Digital World here, and they've been hooked on uncovering information about it ever since then. It's a new way to use their characters, and I'm really loving it.
Unfortunately, the Legendary Warriors aren't loving it anywhere near as much as I am. It was a minor detail in the first book, but Chihiro wasn't the only one on their train when they got off and entered the Digital World. They were the only one in that train car, but there were others in the other areas of the train, and that ultimately shot them in the foot. Now, we've got a group of attentive conspiracy theorists trying to figure out what's going on with the Digital World, and that's going to be an interesting battle for the Legendary Warriors to resolve. This is the big secret Katsuharu and company have been keeping, and I'm so happy that it's out there in the open now.
Next, we have the scene with Koichi and Hinoka. There's not all that much to say about this, but these two are going to be high on their anxiety for a while after this. Poor things. Originally, I wasn't sure as to who would be getting this reaction scene, but I ultimately settled on Koichi and Hinoka taking up this slot. I thought it would make sense to give these two a moment together since they weren't in the last chapter and since Koichi has the extra connection to Koji of being twins. It's a small scene, but I like how it turned out.
Last but not least, we have the ending with Saki. Much like Izumi, Saki hasn't been able to stop thinking about Miriamon, albeit for completely different reasons than Izumi's baseline suspicion. If Saki can't find out the truth behind Miriamon directly though, they're going to try and use that energy on something else, and in this case, it turned out to be their parents' deaths. Much like with others being on Chihiro's train in the first book, it was only a small detail prior to this, but it's going to be playing a much larger role from here on out as I'm sure some of you can already imagine. As for what it's going to mean... Well, I suppose we're just going to have to see with time, huh?
I'm going to leave things off here for now. Next time, we're going to pick up with the aftermath of the first scene between the Legendary Warriors and their conspiracy theorist rivals. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Nine: Wavering Light (7/24/22)
This chapter sure was a fun one, huh?
One thing I enjoy about the format of this story is how it offers the chance to switch perspectives so frequently in a rather casual manner. For example, the chapter with the Drimogemon attack was able to focus on Takuya, Chihiro, and Izumi in an organic way while this one did the same with Koji, Junpei, and Saki. I can pick which characters I think fit certain events most without cramming everyone in where they wouldn't be necessary, and I feel like this chapter is a perfect way of exploring all of that. It's a small thing, but I still adore it.
Now for the chapter itself. Poor Koji. He really can't catch a break. As is to be expected, he's stressed out about all that happened with Katsuharu and company, and the attack in the Digital World didn't help either. I think these three work together rather well as a trio, and writing how they bounce off one another was a lot of fun. The fight scene speaks for itself, but I loved working with these three since they're a rather unusual combination for a fight. We've seen Koji and Junpei fight together with one other person in the first book, but back then, it was Yumiko instead of Saki, so it was nice to switch things up a bit. I also liked the premise of the fight being a defense mission at first until the portal could be sealed. It's a small touch, but I think it helps to add a bit of variety to the encounter compared to the previous Void Fragment fights.
This chapter has another small detail to point out beyond the grand picture too. The fact that it took Saki and Junpei this long to get a new version of the portal working was intentional. I didn't want them to have it figured out right away, so I decided to hold off in them finishing it. The same applies to the communications program in their D-Tectors. In the canon of Frontier, they discovered that feature almost as a matter of plot convenience, so I decided to make it a deliberate choice here, especially since it was cut from the first book. Since phones don't work in the Digital World, this is a nice alternative, and it's a reason for the group to go to the Digital World in this chapter too. Now, the group has most of the tools they're going to need for their adventures, so hopefully things will look up for them from here. Hopefully.
The last thing I want to discuss here is the ending scene with Yumiko. After nine chapters of these little hints with the italicized text, the truth is finally coming out... Next chapter. I find it rather fitting that Yumiko is the one who reaches out because of her arc in the first book. She's been asserting herself and growing more confident since then, and since her main arc in Frontiers Unexplored was working through her impulse to silence herself out of fear, I wanted her to be the first one to make direct contact. She's opening up and decides to use that momentum to hear the truth about the echoes of her own voice in her head. I'm really excited to show you all where this goes, and I hope you're looking forward to it too.
On that note, I'm going to wrap things up here for now. Next week, we're going to jump into the thick of the truth behind the italicized text with Yumiko and the three echoes of herself. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Ten: Blossoming Revelations (7/31/22)
I've been really looking forward to this chapter, and now that it's finally here... Wow. Yeah. It was everything I was hoping it would be.
The main star of this chapter is the opening with Yumiko. This is something I've been planning longer than I knew there would be a sequel for this universe at all. If anyone follows me over on Tumblr, they might know about the Spirit Fuse AU post I made last year. Well, spoiler alert, everyone: it wasn't just an AU. All of the Legendary Warriors really do have the echoes of their other forms living within them, and Yumiko was the first one to introduce the concept to us. Here's the truth behind the italicized text, everyone.
I love this scene so much because of how personal it is to me. For the uninformed (in other words, anybody who doesn't follow me on other social media), I'm part of a plural system too. Well, I say 'I', but this story has been penned by many members of our collective up to this point as a joint effort. I wanted the characters to reflect our reality, so here we are. We're going to learn more about all of the echoes of the Legendary Warriors in time, but for now, you get a bit of information about Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir.
As for the rest of the chapter, I feel like it speaks for itself. The remainder of the chapter was mostly a team meeting about everything that's happened over the last few chapters, and wow, I'm realizing just how much I've put this cast through lately. They deserve a break, you know, before things can get any worse, and we all know they will. Since the group was able to sit down and talk for a while though, we were able to open up quite a few avenues of investigation. This story has a lot more mystery elements to it than the previous one, and there's a lot more in terms of plot for us to unravel. I'm looking forward to showing you all where it's going to take us from here.
With that, I'm going to end things off here. Next week, we'll dive into the aftermath of Yumiko's conversation with her teammates about her recent discoveries. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Eleven: Fortresses of the Heart (8/7/22)
That's certainly one heavy hitting chapter. Wow.
The main thing to happen in this chapter involves everyone's different reactions to Yumiko's revelation. I feel like you can learn a lot about each character depending on their varying responses to all of this. For the most part, the Legendary Warriors take the cautious but optimistic approach. Takuya happily approaches the others in the Fire collective without missing a beat, and Izumi falls into gratitude for what Zephyr did for her previously. Their varying responses here are small details, but I love what this does for their characterization. It really does remind me why I love this cast so much.
The two major reactions we see here in a bit more detail are Junpei and Koichi. Junpei takes a bit of a different approach here, cracking jokes about it in his typical dry fashion. He thinks this is all ridiculous and out of the realm of what he initially expected, but he still treats the others in his mind with kindness. After having been outcasted for so much of his life, he doesn't want to do that to others, and I love this little shift in demeanor for him. He's nowhere near as nihilistic as he was before and even extends an open hand to Blitz, Bolg, and Thundra. Character growth really is incredible, isn't it?
The elephant in the room here has got to be Koichi's reaction to the others in his mind though. Just... Wow. It's a lot to take in. Koichi was always a rather complex character, and the difference between the Warriors of Darkness and Void really does just put that on full display. The Darkness group is more than happy to reach out to him and ease him through the transition while offering to help him if he needs to take a step back. They're generally quiet and kinder, acting the same the way Koichi projects himself to the world.
The Void group, on the other hand... They definitely take after their Digimon forms in being abrasive and harsh. Dusk doesn't seem to care about much of anything, Velge is cosntantly paranoid and scared in his own way, and Malkako is outwardly hostile towards Koichi. Erocia hasn't said anything yet, and he doesn't talk much, but I bet it was a bit of a surprise to see him here, huh? Yeah, this won't be the last we see of Erocia, to say the least. In fact, this won't be the last we see of any of the Void Warriors. They've got a very heavy character arc coming up as I'm sure you can imagine, and I'm looking forward to fleshing it out in full when the time arrives to do so.
Next week, we're going to dive into the finale of act one. We're already there, if you can believe it. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twelve: From the Void (8/14/22)
That's one way to end off act one, huh?
This chapter was... So much. I've been looking forward to this battle because of how massive and influential it is, even more so than the previous fights. Just... Wow. I adored writing it, and I'm hoping you all enjoyed reading it too.
The beginning part of this chapter speaks for itself. The Legendary Warriors are just as stressed as ever, and Koji and eventually Takuya both sense something is wrong. All of that manifests as the attack, but as a minor detail before that, I loved having Takuya's little daydreaming segment before he realized what was going on. I feel like him spacing out in class is both an example of his characterization as well as a display of how hard it is to live a double life the way the Legendary Warriors have been. They all deserve a break.
As for the fight itself, or at least the opening stages of it, I wanted to split things up in slightly different selections from just dividing them by grade, so I had Tomoki go with Chihiro, Izumi, and Koji while Takuya went with Mayumi, Haroi, and Junpei. Plus, their staggered arrivals made the fight a bit more unique by introducing consistent waves of reinforcements as the beginning of the fight, the defeat of Vajramon and Pajiramon, and the final encounter against Eaglemon.
Before we get into the bulk of the fight, I want to discuss the scene with Hinoka and Koichi. Writing from Koichi's perspective has only become more fun in this story because of the crisis he's been put through already. Having Dusk, Velge, and Malkako in his mind is already causing problems for him, and having to face with the others who aren't struggling in the slightest on account of being on good terms with their other sides only adds to that. Then you throw in the end of the chapter that only emphasizes the fact that he can't run from the past, and... Yeah, you've got a bit of a recipe for disaster. Koichi has a lot to work through, and we're going to learn that very quickly.
Now let's get into the rest of the fight. I loved writing it, and I hope you all enjoyed it too. Once again, I tried to bring in some unorthodox groups for the fights since having everyone fight in predictable groups gets boring after a while. I think I did a pretty good job of that here, and I like how it all turned out. The fight itself speaks for itself on account of being a battle sequence, but I really do love writing battles for this story. They're just tons of fun, and I adore them all.
Last but not least, let's cover a few lingering details. Katsuharu's group snuck out of school as well to go and watch the fight. Of course they did. They're obsessed with all of this, and they'll do anything to get their hands on information about it all. Unfortunately for them, they don't know just how dangerous all of this is yet. They'll wake up to it eventually, I'm sure. You know... One of these days.
The last thing to cover is the ending with the Void Fragments being related to Koichi's past power. Surprise! Some of you might have suspected a connection given the common name, but it's finally being addressed. The fact that they have a similar name is certainly an interesting thought though, huh? There are a few lingering questions about that, but I can't answer those for quite some time. You know, spoilers. Still, I'd love to hear all of your theories about this story so far since it's got a lot more of a mystery undertone than the first book.
And with that, the first act is done! The introductory segment has been completed, and we're getting ready to jump into the bulk of an investigation arc about everything that's happened up to this point. For now though, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone! I'll see you next week for the kickoff of act two!
-Digital
Episode Thirteen: Neverending Cacophony (8/21/22)
Welcome to the second arc of the story, everyone! Woohoo!
I think this might be one of my favorite chapters so far. I always love the quieter chapters that grapple with the aftermath of major events, and this chapter was a great example of that. The Legendary Warriors have really been put through the wringer as of late, and they deserve a break. It's a shame they're not going to be getting one quite so easily. I'm just the worst.
Starting off with the opening of this chapter, we have the bulk of the group coming together at the Kanbara household to talk about everything that's happened. A lot of this speaks for itself, but I do want to touch on the speech made by Botan Yokoyama. He's a minor character who's going to be popping up a bit more later on, but for now, here he is with a brief cameo. As was stated by Chihiro, he was a friend of their parents', though they haven't seen him in years since running away from home. As such, I thought Chihiro's perspective would be a perfect way to introduce him to the story. As a minor detail, I like the different ways the members of the group refer to him. They haven't really had any major adult characters in their lives aside from parents up to this point, so I haven't had to consider the way they might address said figures until now. The only ones who referred to him by name in the dialogue were Izumi and Junpei, the former of whom opted to use "Mr. Yokoyama" while Junpei simply called him by his surname since he's a bit more casual and lax. Since this story doesn't use any honorifics, I thought this would be a nice little characterization detail for anyone who caught it.
The real star of this chapter has to be the conversation between Koichi and Hinoka. As is to be expected, Koichi is having an absolutely dreadful time right now given everything he's been through with the power of the Void Fragments as of late. Realizing that they share the same power as Duskmon after learning that the Warriors of Void are inside of his mind... Yeah, that would stress anyone out, especially someone like Koichi who already has high enough levels of anxiety as it is. He and Hinoka have been getting a lot closer since the last book, and I love writing the two of them together since they complement each other so well.
As you've probably noticed between this scene and Izumi's flashback earlier on though, this story does delve quite a bit into the trauma the Legendary Warriors faced both before and during their adventures in the Digital World. As of the end of the previous book, Koichi had come to terms with the idea of his friends forgiving him, but the instant everything with Duskmon reentered his life, all of that came crashing down. Koichi had an apology scene with Koji and Saki during the first book, but he and Hinoka didn't get the chance to talk that way, and the guilt is eating him alive. Hinoka forgave him long ago, but he's still facing off with the darkness Dusk, Velge, and Malkako have instilled in him. Poor Koichi. He deserves a break.
The scene with Emon that followed was a bit of a last-minute addition to this chapter. I realized that I had some extra space to play around with, so I added in a moment for Aquaria to take control of Hinoka's body briefly. We've only had this happen one other time with Zephyr back in chapter six, but back then, we didn't know what was going on, so everyone gets to be aware of it this time around. Emon is still a thorn in Hinoka's side even after all of this though since she's finally showing signs of breaking free of his control. That's the last thing he wants, and he's making sure she knows it. As I'm sure you can imagine, this won't be the last we see of him, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes us in the future.
Last but not least, we have the scene with Yumiko. Hinoka isn't the only one worrying about Koichi; Yumiko is stressed about him too. I liked being able to incorporate the banter between her, Fiore, Calanthe, and Lyseir here to give the latter three a bit more time to shine. They really do work well together as a team, and them theorizing about everything only shows that in more detail, a stark contrast from Koichi's struggles. It's interesting to think that they might have fought against something similar to the Void Fragments during the war against Lucemon though. This book has a lot more mystery elements to it, and I love leaving behind theory bait along the way. On that note, I'd love to hear what all of you have to say about your suspicions when it comes to the plot. That's always a lot of fun for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks.
Next week, we're going to watch as Takuya's party meets with Alastomon, Biastamon, and the Digimon guides to speak about the Void Fragments and their recent attack on Earth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fourteen: Uneasy Steps (8/28/22)
Right on with the second act! Woohoo!
This chapter really kicks off the thick of the second arc's main plot thread which is investigating the Void Fragments. The characters are taking action at long last, and I'm absolutely loving it. This chapter was a nice transition between the emotional sting of the last chapter and the continuation of their search for information going forward, and I had a lot of fun writing it.
Starting off with the opening scene with Alastomon and Biastamon, it was nice to see the two of them again. They're incredibly interesting characters to write for, and I think they're the perfect foils for one another. I thought that was the perfect way to get started with the investigation arc, and it gave me the perfect chance to talk about Inaie too. In case you haven't already figured it out, Inaie Island is meant to be this story's version of the Island of Lost Digimon. Yeah, that's right. We're getting into movie stuff now, and I'm really looking forward to it. I didn't have time to cover this before, especially since the movie is debatably canon at best, but there's more than enough of a chance to discuss it here. This won't be the last we see of Inaie either, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. The story of the island has changed considerably compared to canon, and I really do love it.
Next up, we have the scene with Saki and Junpei. Now that they're starting to open up to people, Saki is letting a lot more of their emotions show, and that includes the negative feelings too. I love having Saki and Junpei talk since they really are great foils for one another, having a lot in common but being different enough to create tension for them to talk. I loved working on that scene in particular, and it was probably my favorite part of this chapter.
The segment in Boutmon's village was certainly something else. The Void Fragment attacks are getting worse, and this is the perfect way to see it. Since all of the Void Fragment culprits have been Beast Digimon so far, the effect of that prejudice is starting to spread. When combined with the tension between Human and Beast Digimon caused by Cherubimon marching with his Beast army, a lot of the Human Digimon have a problem with their opposites. It's tragic to see the Digital World already starting to tear itself apart under a new conflict, this time of the interpersonal variety, but Boutmon was the perfect way to show it. Once again, this won't be the last time we discuss this subject. To put it simply, there's a lot coming your way regarding this unfortunate and tragic topic.
Now, let's tackle the scene with Tomoki and the other Warriors of Ice. I really do have fun working on the scenes with the other echoes of the Legendary Warriors since exploring all of them is such a unique experience. I've written about plurality in stories before (the Water Sprites in Alitia, for anyone curious), but it was always looking at it from an outside party rather than exploring it inside out. It's tons of fun, and I thought this would be a great way to show the chemistry between the Warriors of Ice. It also offers yet another contrast to Koichi's struggles. Poor kid.
Next up, we have the fight. I really do like stepping out of the box with these fight sequences, and this one definitely broke the boundaries of what I'm used to. I loved supercharging Aethermon like the strongest battery ever, and the detail of her having a sugar rush after the fact was incredibly funny to me. I love Mayumi's battle gimmick of being able to take the energy of others and being able to control every element to a minor degree, and she really is a joy to write in fight sequences. The fight as a whole was tons of fun, but Mayumi was the highlight.
Last but not least, there's the ending with Inaie Island. I thought it would be a nice way to close out the segment since we talked about it earlier in the chapter. Like I said before, Inaie's lore is very different this time around, and it's a far cry from being the Island of Lost Digimon as it is in the movie. We'll explore it in more detail later on in act two, but for now, I hope you enjoy the teaser of Inaie and what it will eventually become.
Phew. That was a lot. Next week, we're pressing on with act two, and it's time to return to Koichi once again. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifteen: Consuming Shadows (9/4/22)
That was an emotional one, huh? Wow.
Honestly, I absolutely loved writing this chapter. It was a darker one, yes, but I loved it. This sequel has given me the perfect chance to flesh out other dynamics not explored as much in the original book, and Koichi and Hinoka's relationship has got to be one of my favorites. The two of them just mesh so well together due to how similar their personalities are, but while Hinoka is starting to find her footing and pushing to new heights thanks to the other Warriors of Water, Koichi is slipping backward and regressing. It's a great contrast, and I adore writing for them both.
Poor Koichi really can't catch a break here though. Even when Emon shows up, Hinoka has a way of defending herself thanks to Aquaria being bold enough to keep her safe from him. Koichi, on the other hand, fears relying on the others in his body because of his bad experiences being Duskmon, Velgemon, and Malkakomon from the first book. As for if they're actually malicious on purpose... Well, that's a subject for later on, but for the time being, it's easy to understand Koichi's hesitation here. The last time he surrendered control of himself fully, it was when he became Duskmon and nearly drove a world to destruction because of his lack of stability. Of course he wouldn't want to give up the limited control he still has. Where the Warriors of Darkness are willing to be patient with him though, the Warriors of Void criticize him, and that's the driving force of Koichi's conflict here. He can't seem to move on from his trauma from the previous book since he was never really given the time he needed to process it, so Dusk and the other Warriors of Void are making sure he does it through the use of force. It's a complicated situation, one I can't wait to explore in more depth in the future.
As for the fight sequence itself, I had fun working on it since this was the perfect chance for Ceruleamon to show off the extent of her skills. Rhihimon realistically shouldn't have had any problems, but because of how much pressure he was under, he couldn't maintain the upper hand. I loved writing Ceruleamon's display of power here, but poor Rhihimon deserves a break after this.
Speaking of Rhihimon's struggles during the fight, his headache and general weakness are based off my own experiences with plurality and living in a system. For our system, we can feel it whenever there's a major conflict among the primary frontrunners. Usually, it results in migraines and physical exhaustion along with a heavy disconnect from reality, and trying to block it out only makes it worse. It's manageable with the right precautions, but Koichi doesn't exactly know that at this point. Instead, he just views himself as an embarrassment and a failure even though this is just what life is like for him now. He can feel the sting of his disagreements with the other echoes of himself, and he hates himself for it.
The ending scene with Rhihimon and Ceruleamon is there to show that Koichi struggling isn't exactly a well-kept secret. At the very least, Hinoka knows, but the others are going to figure it out soon enough because they're all emotionally in tune with one another. Koichi was able to get away from it all because of the late hour, but this conversation isn't over. He knows it too, but he doesn't want to think of what might happen when he and Hinoka do finally sit down to talk. Please give him a nice bed, warm soup, and some therapy. He's earned it.
Next week, we're going to carry forward with the consequences of this battle in mind, this time taking matters over to Izumi and Chiaki. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Sixteen: Never Look Back (9/11/22)
Another chapter sealed and delivered!
I have to say first and foremost that I always love writing these chapters with the investigation team. They're tons of fun to work with, and I adore them. I love the new portrayals of them in this universe since they play very different roles both narratively and thematically. In the original, them being somewhat spoiled at the end of Frontier served the purpose of Frontier's philosophy of developing the characters in reverse. It's a mature step to start off with the characters' flaws and then work backwards from there, and I thought the quartet worked perfectly when put up against the main characters. Since I went for a different method of developing the characters though, I didn't really need them (and they didn't fit with the revised plot). Still, I really like where they ended up, even if they're a bit of a pain for the main heroes.
Most of what we heard here is based on things that have already happened onscreen in previous chapters and building information off of that, but there's one exception to this: the shows of light. We're going to get more information out of that subject later on in this arc, but that's the start of learning more about the history of the Digital World in new ways. These dates do all match up with the birthdays of the Legendary Warriors, and we're going to dig more into that soon. For now though, I can tell you which birthday matches up with which character.
For one, this story takes place in 2019. It took a while for me to narrow down a date for the story to take place since it wasn't important in the first book. The first book was just vaguely modern, but here, it actually matters for a few timeline reasons that we'll get into... Eventually. For now, the 2002 birthdays are Saki on April 27, Junpei on August 13, and Hinoka on October 12. For 2003, we have Takuya on March 29, Izumi on May 29, Koji and Koichi on June 4, and Chihiro on July 28. Lastly, in 2004, the birthdays are Tomoki on February 24, Haroi on March 17, Mayumi on April 1, and Yumiko on November 30. I figured out all of these birthdays for the cast when I was first working out details about the characters back in May of 2020. Well, all of them except for Izumi. Her birthday was previously April 29, but I decided to push it back to May so it wasn't right up against Saki's April 27 birthday. Aside from that, all of these are the same as my original character notes for some trivia.
As for other analysis about this chapter, let's go into the scene with Chihiro. It was a pretty small thing, but them being paranoid about their parents is a bit of foreshadowing for where their arc is going to take them in the future. The group's time in the Digital World is over, but their troubles are far from being through, and they're going to see that soon enough. Chihiro's grating anxiety at feeling watched all the time is already starting to get to them thanks to Katsuharu and company, and it made for a perfect way to round up the plot line for this chapter while also fitting with the title of the installment.
As for the reason this chapter was named the way it was, we have the scene with Tomoki. Once again, we have a bit of foreshadowing, though I can't say much more about it than that. There's a lot to be found in this story as far as bringing back old threads, and Tomoki is just the beginning. He deserves so much better than this. He was just starting to feel secure in himself only for Yutaka to ruin it again. I hope Yutaka goes to hell.
That's about it for this chapter (I say after writing a 750 word author's note). Next week, we're going to keep pressing forward with the plot as the Legendary Warriors return to the Digital World to speak with Miriamon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Seventeen: Sacred Lies (9/18/22)
That certainly was a different chapter, huh? I loved it.
Full disclosure, I was intending on this chapter being dedicated almost entirely to the conversation with Miriamon on Rubrum. The outline I had for it in my notes seemed like it would take up almost the entire chapter, but in practice, it took up much less time, so I decided to take advantage of all the extra time and add in a few new bits of information, and more importantly, new scenes. Whew. It was a great one.
Much of the opening scene with Miriamon speaks for itself on account of the Legendary Warriors passing on information to her about everything they've learned over the course of the last week of in-universe time. The group is starting to narrow their eyes a little bit on Inaie, and that means we get a bit more lore about it. AncientTrojamon had a bit of a connection with the island when it was first established, and that's a nice piece of background information about the world and its development. The Ancient Warriors did a lot more than just fight against Lucemon, and I hope this starts to build on that more.
The tail end of the scene with Miriamon at the start of the chapter was a great part to write. Everyone knows something is up with Koichi at this point, and that's forced him into an awkward position. No matter what, people are going to try and learn more about everything on his mind, and in the end, he decided that Miriamon was the best person to stay with. Saki has other plans, but it's the lesser of two evils in Koichi's mind. He won't be able to escape Hinoka and Koji quite so easily, but it's the best he's got right now.
The two scenes I added in this chapter with my extra words and time were the two with Katsuharu, Teruo, Teppei, and Chiaki. I wanted to develop them a bit more in a vacuum outside of the way the main group perceives them, and this is a place for us to add some extra information too. As it turns out, the projection of the final battle against Lucemon wasn't the only time that has happened. That certainly has interesting implications for the future, huh? I wonder where that will lead. (I know. You guys can make theories about it though.) These four are a joy to write, and I like seeing all of their similar drives and determinations bounce off each other. A few cracks are starting to show in their resolve, but they're still pushing through it in the name of the truth. Things aren't perfect as far as their investigation is concerned, and this chapter shows that even if only for a short while.
Their determination to find the truth settles perfectly when placed up against the scene with Koichi, Saki, and Miriamon on Rubrum. Koichi knows that he's not going to be able to keep his secrets forever, and so does everyone else. Saki and Koichi clashed a lot while they were acting as Lyramon and Duskmon, and while they've left that in the past since then, the fact remains that they know how to push one another when they have to. Saki was the one who eavesdropped on Koichi previously to learn about how he didn't have a body in the Digital World because they know he's not going to talk unless someone pushes him. They would rather make Koichi angry with them and solve the problem than have him suffer as the issue grows larger. They have their own way of caring, but Koichi isn't in the mood to face it, hence why he went off with Miriamon. That certainly leaves us in an interesting place for the next chapter, huh? I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you all are too.
The final scene is another example of the investigation team interacting with one another in a vacuum, and I liked giving them something else to discuss for a short while. Their banter is great, and I love seeing them talk to each other. I wasn't sure what to do with them when I first began to consider them in terms of this universe, but I'm really happy with what I settled on. This scene also offered a few more cracks in the armor as far as their personal lives are concerned. I wanted to show more about how they're people with their own lives and problems even if they've done nothing but cause trouble for the Legendary Warriors up to this point. They're all going to get their own mini arcs, and I wanted to start setting the seeds up here since I had the chance to do so.
This offered us a great way to look into their home lives, and while the details were minimal, I like how they fit in here. Katsuharu's father is generally absent from his life and spends a lot of time out of the home, leaving Katsuharu close with his mother and brother. Teruo has two younger siblings the other members of the group are fond of. Teppei cares greatly for his mother. I'll go into this one a bit more later, but he lives with his mother after the passing of his father before he was born. It was a detail that just didn't fit into this chapter, but since I came pretty close to bringing it up, I figured there was no harm in mentioning it here.
Then there's Chiaki. She's probably the one we got the most insight on through her relationship with her father. The two of them don't get along well, and his anger problems bring her a lot of grief whether she chooses to admit it or not (and she never does). The rest of the group is there to support her, but she's hesitant to accept their care. Trust me when I say that we'll go into more detail about her and the others soon enough, but for now, I hope you enjoyed that last snippet of the final two paragraphs of the chapter as far as foreshadowing is concerned. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, and I can't wait to jump into it.
Next time, we'll dive headfirst into the next part of the Legendary Warriors' search for information about the Void Fragments and Saki and Koichi's interactions with Miriamon on Rubrum. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Eighteen: Mirrors of the Soul (9/25/22)
I'm really happy I was able to get this chapter out on time. It's a good one.
Funny story about this chapter: I was really worried that I wasn't going to be able to get it out on Sunday because of technical difficulties on my end. My laptop's keyboard broke on Thursday of this week, so I had to send it in for repairs and resort to using a backup device to write on. I was able to get this chapter done despite all of that though, and I'm very happy for it. I loved this chapter, and it's a really important one for a few reasons.
First off, let's talk about the segment in Splashmon's home village. I wanted to use this as a chance to contrast this location with other places for Human and Beast Digimon in the story that clearly show hatred for their opposite. There are places filled with harmony, but they're few and far between, and the only ones that have truly found success in it are Inaie and the Moon Base, both of which are difficult to reach and rather insulated from the rest of the world. Places like the village Splashmon lives in are left to struggle since they don't fall into one faction or another, and while they need to isolate themselves to prevent other problems, this leads to issues when they suffer damages like in this chapter.
Then there's the conversation Koichi had with Miriamon. At long last, the truth has come out, though Koichi really wishes that wasn't the case. Still, he had to open up to somebody eventually, and Miriamon was the perfect person for that because while he wanted to keep the secret, she's detached from the rest of the Legendary Warriors enough for him to trust her to not share the truth. Plus, since she knows about the matter of the souls of the Ancient Warriors living on in their successors, she might be able to help him. Once again, I need to say 'poor Koichi.' He really deserves better than the poor hand he's been given.
The fight sequence in this chapter was a fairly simple and brief one because at this point, the Legendary Warriors have enough synergy and experience to dispatch of most Void Fragment Digimon without too many problems. They know what they're doing, but they can't defend the Digital World and Earth at all times. Still, if the majority of the group can get together to fight, they see few issues. It comes with the territory of all their experience from the first book.
Last up, there's the scene with Saki at the end. That's a twist, isn't it? The Legendary Warriors aren't the only ones who came to the Digital World from Earth and stayed there. Miriamon is much the same way, though she doesn't seem to Spirit Evolve the way they do. Instead, she's permanently evolved... And she knows something about the past through Saki's parents. It's an interesting question, isn't it? I'd love to hear everyone's theories about this since it's probably my favorite subplot in this story, and I'm really excited to reveal the truth behind it. I hope you're all ready for it too, because it's going to be great.
With that said, I'm going to finish things up here. Next week, we're going to ride the high of this investigation with a new search through the Digital World. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Nineteen: Not A Word (10/2/22)
Surprise!
So... I doubt any of you guys saw that one coming. That's a twist I've had in the works since I decided there would be a sequel to the first book at all, and I've been looking forward to this moment. Whew. It was a fun one to write.
Before I talk about the big twist too much though, let's backtrack to the start of the chapter. Koji gets to be worried about his brother too, and Hinoka has finally enlisted his help in dealing with Koichi's problems. Unfortunately, Koichi still isn't willing to talk, though everybody knows the truth is going to find a way out eventually. Miriamon warned him about it, and that truth isn't going to change. Koichi is still thick in his own denial though. Poor Koichi. He really can't catch a break.
Koichi isn't the only one with problems though, and we can see that plain as can be through Tomoki. He might no want to admit it, but he has a few fears on his mind now that Yutaka has shown himself again. Tomoki is afraid of having to confess weakness as well, and luckily for him, he was saved from it this time around. Well, I don't know how lucky he could really be since he was saved by a fight happening, but I suppose it works in some way or another.
I loved the fight sequence of this chapter because of how different it is from most of the other battles we've seen up to this point. Desert fight, baby! I will admit that I planned out this fight before remembering that there was a battle in Digimon Adventure 2020 that followed a pretty similar premise, but I decided to go through with it since I thought it was just too good of a fight sequence to pass up on. All things considered, it turned out really well, and it gave us another chance to see Aethermon's glass cannon powers in full action. She has massive punch even if she can't take physical hits anywhere near as well.
Alright, fine. I've held it off long enough. Let's talk about the Chiaki and Hinoka twist. The two of them never really had a reason to interact before this, but there have been a few traces to point to there being something of note there. For one, Chiaki's father problems came up previously, and while we didn't hear much of Hinoka's father in the first book, we knew that he was unpleasant. The two of them have a similar hair color as well, and while it's kind of hard to articulate details like facial structure in a written medium like this, I loved drawing parallels between them for this moment. I wanted to have Chiaki and Izumi work together on that project from the start since I had a vision of Chiaki and Hinoka running into each other in passing and finding the truth along the way. Well, here we are. The time has come, and they've got a lot to deal with from here on out.
Speaking of here on out, we're going to pick up right where we left off next week by diving into Hinoka's new crisis. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty: The Thickness of Blood (10/9/22)
Whew. This chapter was a doozy. Everything happens so much.
Let's take things one step at a time then. Poor Hinoka. I know I implied it last chapter, but she deserves better than all this stress. She has a lot to grapple with now that she knows the truth about her and Chiaki, and telling the rest of the Legendary Warriors something like that isn't going to be easy for her. Still, as awful as it is to be hit by such a sudden revelation, it's something that needs to happen, and she's going to find a way to get through it. Still... Poor Hinoka.
Next up is Mayumi, Haroi, Tomoki, and Yumiko's plan to get to Inaie. They're right when they say that the recent idea of going to the Digital World for a few hours at a time isn't working, and they're going to need something different. Unfortunately, that solution comes in the form of Hinoka's complicated relationship with her mother, something that's only going to become more difficult for her to navigate now that she knows what she does about Chiaki. It's a dark parallel to have this be part of Mayumi's plan while Hinoka is having a massive crisis about Chiaki being her half-sister. Still, it's what works, for better or worse.
Now, let's get to the heavy hitting part of this chapter... Saki's talk with Miriamon. The two of them spent a lot of time dancing around each other, and it was a ton of fun to write. They just love being cryptic toward one another. It all comes together well to get ready for the dramatic reveal at the end of the chapter. Speaking of that... Wow. Yeah. I doubt anybody saw something like that coming. I mean, the details are a bit harder to get across in a prose medium like this, and I'm sure the theory would have been a bit easier to construct with animation, but here we are regardless. Still, this is only a small portion of the picture, and there's a lot we have yet to understand. We'll get there eventually, I promise.
Speaking of things we don't understand, poor Tomoki. I just love to make the Legendary Warriors suffer, don't I? Tomoki is no exception. I promise that we're going to actually hear Yutaka speak soon for better or worse, but for the time being, he's just haunting Tomoki in a way that our Warrior of Ice doesn't want to acknowledge. This chapter put a lot of people through the wringer, but I think poor Tomoki and Hinoka need a break the most.
There's only one thing I want to talk about before wrapping things up with this chapter, and that would be the title of this release. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to call it, but I absolutely love the chapter name I came up with in the end. It fits perfectly with Hinoka struggling over her relationship with Chiaki, Saki trying to find out where Miriamon fits in with their blood relatives, Tomoki's escape from Yutaka, and finally the revelation of Miriamon being related to Kage Shiraki. It really is a perfect title for a chapter that contains so many vastly different events, and I love it.
Next week, the moment you've all been waiting for is finally set to arrive: the beginning of the mini-arc on Inaie. I hope you're as excited for it as I am. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-One: Island Kissing Earth (10/16/22)
And so begins the Inaie mini-arc!
I've been really looking forward to this one for a long time. It took me a while to decide on how I was going to repurpose and use the material from the Frontier movie, and I'm really happy with how things stand now. This little arc of ours is going to last for quite a while, and it's a huge point for character development, in case you haven't already noticed. I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope you all are too.
Now, let's get to the scene by scene breakdown! I'm going to admit that the Masae and Izumi scene near the beginning was a bit of a last-minute addition. I started writing it on a whim and just couldn't stop. I really like how it turned out though. Masae is still very much a factor in all of this even though a lot of new plot points have been introduced on Earth. We haven't been keeping up with her as much as with the investigation team, but she's still here, and Izumi is still miserable about it. This chapter was a lot of laying groundwork, and this scene is just the beginning.
As a small detail, the communication between worlds is now up and running! I thought this would be a perfect time to introduce that since the Legendary Warriors definitively need that right now if they're going to keep up the ruse across different universes. They can now receive texts from Earth while in the Digital World as long as it's connected to a laptop with the portal program. By no means is this a foolproof plan when it comes to keeping everything set up for their alibis, but it's important and a step in the right direction. Plus, it's all they've got, so they deserve this.
Next, I want to address an elephant in the room: Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are different entities here. In case you haven't already noticed, a lot has changed from the Island of Lost Digimon movie. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are just one example of that, and I'm excited to show off what else I have in store for them.
Let's talk about the scene with Kotemon and Bearmon now. I loved writing Yumiko here, and I think her being good with kids makes a lot of sense given her kind personality. You can see how much she's started opening up and coming into herself since the first book now that she has a concrete support system. Her helping Kotemon and Bearmon throughout this arc is just the beginning. I adore her character growth here. I've got big plans for these three throughout the rest of the Inaie arc, to say the least.
Then there's the part with Saki and Junpei. These two have a lot to talk about, but they don't quite know how to handle it. Saki is just as secretive as ever, and Junpei can't quite get through to them. As is stated in the scene with Takuya, Koji, and Tomoki, recovery is a rocky journey, and these two show it perfectly.
Speaking of those three, here they are! This is the first time the three of them have been alone together since chapter six of the first book, and I really do like writing their dynamic as a trio. Once again, they're here to talk about Yutaka, and poor Tomoki is going through it. Luckily, he has two older brother figures there for him, and if Yutaka even looks at him again, he's going to face hell. There's a lot brewing with Yutaka, to say the least, and Tomoki unfortunately faces the brunt of it. Poor kid.
Having Chihiro, Mayumi, and Haroi together for the next scene was a bit of a spur of the moment decision when I was planning out this chapter, but I really like how it all came together. The three of them are great together, and they're the perfect group to theorize about everything happening on Inaie. Mayumi has had her doubts about all of this from the start, and I wanted her to discuss them here despite all of the evidence against Inaie. As usual, the Digimon guides are sticking to Haroi like glue, and by extension, Mayumi as well. This is a fairly common group to see together, but with Chihiro, it becomes something new, and I like it. Also, this is a perfect time to show off the influences of their elements in their human forms. If a fight breaks out, Chihiro is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Once again, the scene with Hinoka, Izumi, and Miriamon is an example of a scene with a few characters that regularly interact, but the addition of one other character makes it fresh. I wasn't originally planning for Miriamon to come to Inaie, but I'm glad I decided to bring her along. She fits perfectly for this character driven part of the story. As it turns out, everyone is forced to talk about their feelings when they're stuck on an island together, and Miriamon will hopefully join that soon. For now, she can help Hinoka to feel better about her problems with Chiaki, and Hinoka certainly needs that. Give all of these kids a break.
Last but not least, we have the closing with Koichi. I specifically wanted this scene to be placed right against the previous scene where Izumi, Hinoka, and Miriamon said that he wouldn't be able to keep the secret forever. Koichi knows it too, as much as he wishes he could deny it. He's treading on thin ice here, and something is going to crack soon. It's just a matter of how and when.
This arc is, as you can see, a lot, and this author's note took me so long to write that it's now after midnight on October sixteenth, making it now the seventeenth. In other words, it's my birthday! I'm twenty now, baby! I started writing this series when I was seventeen, and... Wow. That's weird to think about. I turned eighteen during the writing process of the first book, and now, I'm turning twenty during the second. Wow. You know what? Nope. Not going to think about it. Time flies. That's what matters.
With all of that said, I'm going to wrap things up here after one of our longest author's notes so far in this book. Next time, we're going to press right on with the Inaie arc and see how the cast evolves on the island of character growth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Two: Strings Pulled Taut (10/23/22)
Wow, the Inaie arc is heavy. I mean, I knew that going into things since I planned all of this out, but... Wow. All of the subtle character details from up to this point are getting ready to boil over and explode. Welcome to the island of character growth, everyone. Next stop: emotional agony.
Now, let's get into the emotional agony in more detail. I loved writing the scene with Junpei and Darcmon at the beginning. I thought it would be a perfect combination for a conversation since Junpei is naturally inquisitive and wants to learn more about the world around him. Darcmon is a fun character to write too, and I absolutely adore her. Also, she revealed a minor twist to us. Biastamon was the previous leader of Inaie and passed on the work to Darcmon. No wonder he was so set on the island's innocence; he loves the people there and led them himself before passing the torch on to Darcmon. The two have very different leadership styles since Biastamon is an inspiring and charismatic speaker while Darcmon is a natural warrior who earns respect through combat. Still, they get along well, and I'm looking forward to writing scenes with them in the future, but for now, we get the lore about them through Darcmon and Junpei.
Next up, we have a continuation of the scene with Izumi, Hinoka, and Miriamon. Yeah, Izumi wasn't going to be able to escape her problems with Masae that easily. Izumi and Hinoka both have a lot to grapple with when it comes to their sisters, and this is just the beginning. In a way, their problems are exact mirrors of one another with Izumi's issue being too close to Masae for all of these secrets while Hinoka knows too little about her sister after all these years. I'm incredibly excited to resolve these plot points in the future, and I hope you all are just as excited as I am.
Then comes the scene with Yumiko and the child Digimon. Kotemon and Bearmon are incredibly sweet here, and you can see the differences from canon through them. In the canon of Frontier, the two were friends in secret against the rest of the island's factionalism, but here, they're open friends against the rest of the world. The conversation also offers a bit more insight into Darcmon's noble personality and why so many people admire her before diving into Yumiko's issues. Yumiko's arc in the first book was about taking a stand on her own two feet after a lifetime of being made into a doormat as evidenced by her being the first Fallen Warrior to consciously choose to act against Cherubimon by joining the enemy. You can see her growth of confidence here in her defensiveness of Kotemon and Bearmon. After all that she's been through, she refuses to see others suffer the way she once did, and looking after Kotemon and Bearmon is the perfect proxy for her to come to understand her feelings in full. What sweethearts.
Last but not least, we have the biggest scene of them all... Koichi and Koji talking at the end of the chapter. At long last, the truth from the first act's finale is out in the air after all the effort and time Koichi put into hiding it. I was originally planning on splitting up this scene across this chapter and the next one, but I'm glad I was able to put it together. I think it flows a lot better this way, and it gives them both the brother time they've been looking for all this time. Having them talking in the same chapter as Izumi and Hinoka, the other two characters with sibling issues, fits perfectly in terms of overall cohesion. I loved writing this last scene, and I think they both needed it a lot more than they wanted to admit. Koichi deserves to cry his feelings out. He really does.
That wraps things up for this week. Phew. That was a long one. Next week, we're going to continue on with the Inaie arc as the Legendary Warriors investigate the island a bit more. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Three: Unanswered Conundrums (10/30/22)
Another heavy hitting emotional chapter. I really adore these. Inaie's miniature arc was tons of fun to plan and write for me because it gave me the chance to finally cultivate all the seeds that were planted throughout the story up to this point. This story is paced very differently from its predecessor, and that means handling many things differently as well with character development being first among them. I really love how this arc is turning out though, and I hope you all are too.
First up, let's talk about the conversation with Tomoki and Chihiro. This is one of the first times we've been able to see the two of them in a closed setting like this, and I love how it turned out. At this point, they fear the same thing: being pursued. It makes sense that they would sit down to talk about it. With Yutaka back, Tomoki is terrified of his brother pursuing him. Chihiro, on the other hand, feels that the investigation team is opening old wounds from their strained relationship with their parents. Neither one of them has the answers they're looking for right now though, and that's the way it should be if you ask me. There's no easy way for them to push through this at the moment, but they're going to figure it out one way or another. This is just the beginning.
Next is the scene with Haroi, Bokomon, Neemon, and Saki. I wanted to pair this scene with the confrontation Takuya and Mayumi had with Hippogriffomon since I thought their suspicions slotted in well together thematically and literally. It's a deceptively casual conversation, at least on the surface. In more detail, it covers their relationships with Earth and the Digital World in a subtle but important way that I think is crucial to world building and the like. Everybody has their own relationships with Earth and the Digital World that will be explored in more detail later on, but for now, this is starting to let the uncertainty from before blossom into something much great, and I love how it turned out.
For perhaps the first time in the story thus far, we got an extensive scene from Mayumi's perspective! Writing for her is always a ton of fun, one of those reasons being that I get to weave little details of her neurodivergency into the narration. She hates making eye contact, tends to stay with the same familiar people instead of branching out, and is particularly sensitive to rejection. Also, her counting habit from the first book is back.
All of this is pretty small in comparison to what Hippogriffomon said though. Nothing concrete proves Alastomon is up to something else, but her words are enough to strike doubt into the hearts of those who hear what she has to say. This is her first full scene, and I think she certainly came in with a bang. It's certainly a lot of food for thought, isn't it?
And this carries over into the next scene too. Fun fact: the scene back at the house was supposed to take place in the next chapter, but it was bumped up here since I rearranged things last time. With the extended version of the Koji and Koichi scene happening in the previous chapter, I had more time to work with here, and I decided to bring up this scene to this release instead. It generally speaks for itself in serving to increase the wariness brought on by Hippogriffomon's words. Inaie may be the island of character development, but it's also the island of paranoia, just a little bit.
Lastly, we have our hook leading into next week's chapter. Yumiko is off to investigate the tunnels beneath the island's main level with Kotemon and Bearmon. Hm... I wonder what that will lead to. Interesting.
Next time, we'll follow up on the next stage of the group's Inaie adventures, including the truth behind Yumiko's expeditions with Kotemon and Bearmon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Four: Distorted Whispers (11/6/22)
Cliffhanger time! Aren't I just the worst?
We're in the back half of the Inaie arc now. This miniature arc (and act two as a whole) are slated to end with the conclusion of chapter twenty-six. I decided to give everything and everyone as much time to breathe as possible, not that they're going to get that much in the next chapter. We're gearing up for a massive fight, and I'm really looking forward to it after the relative peace everyone has seen recently.
Before that, we've got the chapter analysis! Haroi talking with Darcmon was a great way to start things off in my opinion, especially since Haroi is a character who prefers to interact with Digimon in general. A lot of his best moments have been either with Mayumi or with the Digimon members of the group, so he felt like a natural choice to talk to Darcmon about their findings. A lot of this was stuff we already knew from the past few chapters, but I still liked having this moment in there, and I think it's a great transition from the character focused moments into the heat of the plot.
The reunion scene with Takuya, Chihiro, Tomoki, Hinoka, and Miriamon was a bit of padding before things get more intense too. Everyone is sure now that the Void Fragments aren't on Inaie, and that means their main lead has officially dried up. Plus, we got a bit more screen time from Miriamon... Ever the mysterious character, isn't she?
Next up was the part with Mayumi, Koji, Izumi, and Saki. I wanted to have a somewhat irregular group together here so we can get an unorthodox team working together as part of this next battle, and this scene doubles as a perfect chance for all of them to talk about their recent woes involving other people. Saki is still distant because of Miriamon, and Koji is worried about his brother. It's a final bit of establishment and character time before the fight sequence while also saying where everybody is as we get into the finale of the act.
And that included listening to where Yumiko is. This scene sure was a big one, huh? Lots of tiny world building details here along with the return of the underground pictures from ancient times. Going back to Miriamon, it sure is strange that she shares a color scheme with Lucemon, huh? That seems like the perfect thing to prompt an entire storm worth of theories. Like I said, she's certainly a mysterious one, and writing for her has definitely been one of the highlights of this story so far. Kotemon and Bearmon are great too, and I love their dynamic with Yumiko. You couldn't ask for a better group to uncover ancient history with.
Last but not least, we have the closing scene with Takuya and friends. Since the next fight is such a big one, I wanted to get all of the establishing details out of the way at the end of this chapter. This next battle is going to be the biggest one of the story thus far, as I'm sure you can imagine, and I'm definitely looking forward to it. To say the least, the Legendary Warriors have a lot ahead of themselves in terms of fighting off the Void Fragment Digimon. Their lead is gone, and they've been cornered. Not great circumstances for them to end up in... But I love my cliffhangers, so here we are.
Next week, we'll resolve that loose end with the battle for Inaie's future. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Five: Blooming Skies (11/13/22)
That was... Quite a doozy of a chapter. Wow.
I absolutely loved writing this one. It's the biggest fight scene we've had in ages, and I've missed writing this stuff. I loved the perspective shifts since it was just enough to keep things fresh without getting too overwhelming. This also offered great characterization for people like Koichi and especially Yumiko, and I adored it.
Speaking of Yumiko... That certainly was a twist, huh? I'm sure you all have a healthy dose of questions about what happened with her this chapter, but we'll get there soon enough. For now, I just want to say that nobody should have expected a Digimon story to come and go without any new evolutions. It may have taken a while for us to get there, but since I wanted to use them as the culmination of different character arcs, I had to set up a few conflicts and get them to resolution before I could introduce this. Yumiko has had a lot of attention in this story, and she's learned to advocate for herself and others a lot more in this story. She had the confidence to reach out to the other Spirits where the others faltered, and here, she sought to defend those who had no one else on their sides since she knew that was what she needed at one point. Yumiko has come a long way, and this evolution is meant to signify that.
But it's not an evolution to become a Digimon... It makes you wonder, doesn't it? I'll get to it all soon enough, but for now, I hope you liked the incorporation of this new evolution. I want to highlight the design really fast since I absolutely loved designing this form. A few of these other evolutions for the rest of the team have already been worked out, and I love them too. Yumiko's was one of the first I worked on, and I love how it turned out.
This entire chapter was a joy from top to bottom, and I can't say it enough. Since a lot of it was a fight, I don't have much to say aside from the obvious. I do want to take a moment to highlight Koichi though since he also got his own scene here, and... Well, he's going to see a bit more in the remainder of act two as well. He's earned it.
Speaking of the end of act two, that's coming up next chapter! At long last, we're at the conclusion of the second arc. I've loved writing this arc, especially since it follows in the footsteps of the first book's second act in being very character centric. I'm looking forward to get into act three too, but for now, I hope you've enjoyed act two. We'll officially wrap it up next week.
Until we get ready to end our second arc, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter at least half as much as I did. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone! I'll see you next week for the end of both the Inaie arc and act two!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Six: Branches of Fate and Love (11/20/22)
And there's the end of act two!
I don't think I can say enough how much I adore this chapter. I've joked before about Inaie being 'character development' island by finally bringing the characters' various issues out in a way that forces them to address the problems, and this chapter shows that they still have a long way to go. Inaie might have forced them to look at their issues, but this chapter is proof that they're still in an uneasy position and will need a lot of time to fix that.
With that in mind, let's take this analysis from the beginning. First off, we have the farewell scene on Inaie. I wanted to offer one final bit of closure before we cap off this miniature arc, and here it is. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are again offering their warnings to the rest of the group, and the two of them, along with Kotemon and Bearmon, are waiting for the time when the group comes back. The festival didn't happen the way the group had planned, and that means they're going to need to figure out another time for it. That will happen later in the story, I promise, but for now, it's a sweet moment and another beat of Yumiko's characterization regarding her evolution.
On the note of evolution, I want to take a moment to discuss the way I'm handling the new evolutions in this story. It's very different from the first book since rather than there being three notable steps the characters can take as the Human, Beast, and Hybrid Spirits, there's only one here. The characters aren't finished growing when they hit their evolutions, of course, but since there's only one evolution, they new forms are paced very differently when the characters are at the height of their arcs. Yumiko's character arc is more front heavy than the others because part of her story in the first book was learning how to take action for herself and standing on her own two feet on the merits of her confidence. As such, she takes a much more active role in her character development than a lot of the other characters, so she wound up being first. There's still more for her to come--the same way there will be more for everyone else after their evolutions--but I wanted to talk about it here anyway. This is definitely a different story from the first in terms of structure, but I think it works well for the slow burn idea I'm going for.
Getting back to the analysis of the chapter, let's talk about the scene with Hinoka next. Her conversation with Izumi and Miriamon is still ringing in her ears, and she's going to take action about it. You can see how far she's come from the timid Oceaniamon we first met her as, and I love the way it's shown through this scene. She still has a long way to go before she and Chiaki can smooth everything over in full, but it's a step in the right direction and an important one at that.
Hinoka texting Izumi about Chiaki is a perfect transition to talk about Izumi and Masae next, and I want to say that this conversation ripped my heart out and stomped on it. I really like writing the relationship between the two of them. The first book highlighted just how much Masae means to Izumi since Izumi essentially raised her sister after their mother's death. Izumi wanted to become a better person specifically for her sister, but now, she has to keep the truth a secret from the one she cares about most. It's understandable why Masae is upset about all of this since it's driving a wedge between them without either one being able to give up their ground. You can feel the tension between them, and it's so tragic to read and write. These two deserve the world.
On the note of Masae, she's in contact with Shinya as was shown in the following scene. I wanted to keep things somewhat nebulous with whose perspective it was when the scene first opened, and that eventually narrows down to Shinya rather than either of the Legendary Warriors. Takuya is doing a mostly good job at lying, but Shinya still isn't buying it. Chihiro, meanwhile, is defensive because they're still afraid of being pursued thanks to the investigation team. You can tell that they're all dancing around the truth, and it's as dark as it is important to the story. Shinya knows that they have something to do with the Digimon on Earth too, and Masae is aware of the truth as well. The two of them are in the same grade at school, and they've picked up on the fact that their siblings have been acting weird since the monster fights have started. It's a small moment, but I really like the twist that shows the two of them aren't as clueless as the Legendary Warriors believe them to be.
Next up is Koji, and I can say right now that his scene was the hardest one for me to write in this entire chapter. I think it came out well though. Koji and Kousei don't get along, and they're very prone to arguing because of just how hardheaded they are. Koji wants to believe his father and just agree that he's been wrong precisely because Kousei is his father, but he also knows he won't be able to forgive and forget so easily. It's a complex mindset that comes with being in a situation like this, of wanting to believe that you're wrong just so it can all stop for a moment, and it's a new side to Koji we don't see often behind his defensive hatred toward his father. Also, we got a cameo from Raika, the Minamoto family dog! It's been a while since we've heard from her, but the family does in fact have a dog as was shown in one of Koji's flashbacks in the first book. Raika is most attached to Koji out of everyone in the family, and he adores her with everything he has. They're perfect, and I will not be taking criticism at this time.
The scene with Koichi and Tomoko is next, and I really like how this one turned out too. It's a fairly simple scene, but I love it to death because of that. Koichi knows that he's going to have to talk soon and that he's only gotten away with his silence because of pure luck, and that's all going to end before he knows it. Him breaking down in Tomoko's arms is a great sign of their relationship. It's like how you can be holding yourself together for the most part on a rough day, but when someone asks you if you're okay, the floodgates just slam open. Poor Koichi. I've said that at least a dozen times by now, but I still think it's true.
Our last scene here is the one with Yumiko in her room. I thought it was an appropriate way to wrap off this arc given the fact that she reached her Resplendent Evolution form for the first time as the way to finish this segment of the story. The scene gives a few details about her new power as well as offering a bit of hope going forward after the darker scenes with Izumi, Koji, and Koichi earlier in the chapter. It's not all bad even if some of the Legendary Warriors aren't in great places, and Yumiko's scene proves that.
Okay, one last thing before I wrap this off. I wanted to talk about the chapter name and purpose for a moment. "Branches of Fate and Love" is meant to be a reference to Yumiko's power (branches) while also talking about the future (fate) and the characters' relationships (love). In case you didn't notice, there's a heavy focus on family, both found and blood related, in this chapter, and I wanted to highlight that in the title. This chapter took me ages to name (and it was only solidified the day before I finished writing it, as a matter of fact), but I really like how it fits in here. The chapter as a whole is rather melancholy to fit the vibe of coming home from a trip out of town and just reflecting after you're back in your own space. It's slower in pace and calmer despite the quiet turmoil found in every piece of the narration. I think it all comes together beautifully to create a perfect conclusion to both the Inaie arc and the second act of the story.
Phew. Okay, that was a really long author's note. Thank you for reading this far, everyone. Next week, we're going to start off act three as the Legendary Warriors continue to pursue the truth behind the Void Fragments in light of their only lead running dry. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Seven: Melting Away (11/27/22)
And so we begin the third arc of the story! Woohoo!
We're gearing up for a lot of character development here, in case you haven't already noticed. I love writing these character focused chapters, and I think it's the perfect way to come down from Inaie and get ready for everything to come. Oh, this story is great. I love it so much.
Now, let's get into the analysis. First off, we have the scene with the investigation team. So... A Digimon attack happened internationally. The Void Fragment situation is getting worse, and Inaie was just the beginning. Interesting implications for the story, huh?
And on that same note, we have the scene with Izumi and Chiaki. I was originally planning on making this a part of the previous segment, but I wound up going against that since I thought it would be more impactful on its own. Izumi and Chiaki have a lot going on in their own ways, and this gives us a chance to see the latter's perspective on all of this. She hasn't had the chance to talk much about her sister issues, and this scene gives us a bit of an insight into what she's thinking now. Poor Chiaki. I wish her father didn't suck so much.
Speaking of people who suck, Yutaka is here. I wanted Tomoki to confront him on the heels of Yumiko's evolution to show that he was inspired by everything Yumiko did while they were on Inaie. After all, the two of them are elemental opposites and narrative parallels, so I thought it would make sense if she was the one who spurred him onward this way. Yutaka didn't have anything good to say though, and Tomoki's backsliding here once again plays into the overall theme of this story that recovery is not linear by any stretch of the imagination. When Yutaka strikes a nerve in Tomoki again, it all starts to unravel again. Yutaka deserves to be punched, and Tomoki deserves better than this.
The scene with Miriamon is a fairly small one that's mostly narration rather than anything too deep, but I wanted to address what she was doing after the previous arc. After all, she kind of disappeared following the battle due to her quiet nature not prompting her to speak much with the rest of the group, so here we are working to remedy that. Plus, we got to see a bit more of Alastomon and Biastamon. They've both got a lot going on, as I'm sure you can imagine. I really do like the Digimon characters in this story, and Miriamon, Alastomon, and Biastamon are definitely highlights in that regard.
Next up, we've got the soccer practice scene. This one is again rather understated, but I think it's still important because of what it means for Tomoki and Chihiro. Tomoki is still afraid after everything that happened with Yutaka, and Chihiro is paranoid because of their issues with their parents. As for if someone was actually there... That sure is a good question, huh? Maybe it's Yutaka. Maybe it's someone else. Maybe it's no one. The Legendary Warriors certainly don't know, and that's why they're so on edge.
I really liked writing the segment with Hinoka debating over texting Chiaki. She really does want to try and reach out to her sister, but she has no idea how to do it. After all, the two have been separated for so long without knowing the other exists that it's hard to find a way to bridge that gap. I like how it wound up happening though. They're working on it in their own way even if it's not going to be easy for anyone involved. I'm looking forward to writing the scene of them making contact with one another in the next few chapters. It's going to be great.
Last up, let's look at the part with Saki at the very end. It offers a few more details about what Saki's home life is like since, unlike the rest of the Legendary Warriors, they don't live with any specific family. Them being orphaned is a strong reason that they act the way they do personality wise, and I wanted to look at it for a while. Plus, it gives us the chance to look into their relationship with the Digital World a bit more. Oh, Saki... Ever an incredibly interesting character.
Next week, we're going to press right on where we left off, starting off with Saki in the Digital World. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Eight: When Thunder Roars (12/4/22)
And there's the second Resplendent Evolution!
This chapter was one of the harder ones of this story to write honestly, and I absolutely did not expect that to be the case. I've had the conflict between Junpei and Saki brewing for a while now, and it was finally going to boil over here, but it took me a while to figure out how I wanted it to look. All things considered though, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think this is a realistic way for everything to finally snap, and I really like how it all came together in the end.
Now, let's get into the scene by scene breakdown. First up, we've got the opener of Saki talking to the Digimon guides. For a while, I was kind of tempted to leave off the Saki in the Digital World idea off after the end of the last chapter, but I think this makes a lot more sense in the long run. I really like how this turned out, and it continues to hint at how much Saki's been hiding out of fear for the sake of later in the chapter.
Next up is the scene of Tomoki talking to Mayumi and Haroi. I wanted to follow up on the confrontation with Yutaka from the previous chapter, and this is how I wound up doing it. Since Tomoki mentioned before that he's afraid Yutaka has been following Mayumi and Haroi specifically, I thought it would make sense for the two of them to be the ones to talk to him about it. There's still more to this plot, as I'm sure you can imagine, but for now, they're starting to talk about it even if Tomoki hates it. I also thought this would be a perfect reason for Mayumi and Haroi to go to the Digital World on top of that, so here we are. It all works out.
I really liked writing the confrontation scene between Junpei and Saki. It's a lot of the same back and forth we've seen from them before, but it's been bumped up to eleven since both of them, are understandably, getting irritated with their circumstances. Junpei wants to help Saki out, but they're intent on denying any and all help for as long as they can get away with it. It's realistic, and it perfectly hints at the conflict that eventually leads to Junpei Resplendent Evolving.
And then Mayumi and Haroi showed up. I was always planning on making this the first fight sequence after Inaie, and I wanted it to be with a slightly unorthodox group. I wanted Junpei's evolution to be next, and that involved having both him and Saki there, so I mixed things up by giving Mayumi and Haroi--relatively overlooked characters--the time they need to show off what they can do. Plus, Mayumi is probably my favorite character to write for in a fight. It's a shame we didn't get to actually see her fight this time, right? Don't worry; that's next chapter.
This chapter is only part one of the fight sequence here since I didn't want to rush it too much. I was planning on condensing it all down to this chapter originally, but when push came to shove, I decided it needed a bit more time in the oven, so we're going to wrap up the fight sequence next week. We got the first half in here, and Junpei and Saki finally talked out their problems, at least as much as they can in the middle of a fight. They really do care for each other, and you can see that here. They've got a lot to talk about next chapter, and I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, here we are with the two of them working things out enough for Junpei to get his Resplendent form.
I'm going to say upfront that designing some of these Resplendent Evolutions has been a pain in the ass. Some of them came to me relatively easily (Yumiko, Hinoka, and Saki for example) while others have been a much greater struggle for me. Junpei was one of the harder ones for me to work out, but I really like how it turned out. This design is very different from Yumiko, who has a medieval fantasy aesthetic, but I think the rough around the edges leather design works perfectly for Junpei. Electricity is much harder to use for a design basis than plants (plus his main color is yellow, which is a horribly difficult color to work with in character design), but I love how it is now. I'm going to draw these designs one day, I swear, but in the meantime, I hope you like the descriptions for his design. Junpei deserves everything, and I will not tolerate any criticism.
Next week, we'll wrap up the second half of the battle at the Crystal Citadel. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Twenty-Nine: Out of Reach
And there's our next chapter! Woohoo!
We definitely got a lot done this time around. First off, we finished the fight sequence from the end of last chapter with the opening scene with Junpei, Saki, Mayumi, and Haroi. They've all got a lot on their minds because of the battle and everything it means, but they're getting closer to something big. The mastermind is acting more openly than ever before for better or worse. Also, we finally got Saki and Junpei to talk, and Saki is going to make sure they hear the truth behind Miriamon's past as soon as possible. That's going to be coming up in the next few chapters, and I'm beyond excited for it.
Next up, we have the scene of Mayumi and Haroi on Earth. These poor kids are terrified of everything now that they know for a fact Yutaka is after them. They deserve a break. I have to say though, it's really nice giving Mayumi and Haroi a bit more of the spotlight this time around since they didn't get as much screen time in the first book due to not being with either one of the two main parties for the first two acts. Now though, they've got more than enough time to break out of their shells, and it's awesome to write and see. On that note, I've really enjoyed exploring Mayumi's neurodivergence specifically, and this scene puts a highlight on her strong sense of justice and how that fuels her hatred for Yutaka. I love both of these characters to pieces, and they deserve all the love in the world.
Moving right along, we have the scene at the lunch table. At this point, these scenes with the investigation team are regular check ins to show what's going on with the investigation into the Digimon and the rest of the world. The attacks are happening in other places around the world now; the first one wasn't just a fluke. The stakes are getting higher, and the Legendary Warriors have to be ready to face it. On top of that, everyone is starting to drift apart because of their own issues, and while Chiaki might be the most obvious case of it, she is far from the only one. I'm really excited to show you all where everyone in the investigation team goes from here on out actually, and Chiaki is just the tip of the iceberg.
After that, we have the scene with Tomoki, Kuma, Blizzar, and Daipen. Hoo boy. I will admit that this one wasn't originally going to be included here, but since I had extra time and space, I wound up sneaking it in, and I'm very happy I did. I love the way it turned out. It gives a great insight into Tomoki's internal conflict regarding Yutaka and how his years of neglect have led him to being afraid to speak out when he's being mistreated. Poor Tomoki, seriously. I know I say that about a lot of characters in this series, but it's definitely applicable here.
I really enjoyed the scene of Junpei and Yumiko in the cafe, and if you'll remember, this actually mirrors a scene from the first book. In the Moon Base portion of act four, Junpei, Koji, and Yumiko were stranded on Caeruleum and wound up eating in a restaurant there with Junpei and Yumiko sitting opposite each other at the table. Beyond just being a callback though, this scene offers a bit more insight into the way the Resplendent Evolution powers work in human form along with reiterating just how far the group has come. They're struggling, but they still want to do all they can to help each other. Yumiko and Junpei have both reached Resplendent Evolution, so they're currently a step ahead of everybody else in terms of character arcs, and I think that shows here. There's a theme to Resplendent Evolution and what triggers it, and I'm going to explain it later, but for now, let these two be your theory bait.
Last but not least, we have the scene of Teruo going home after school. I wanted to include a flash sideways to a member of the investigation team aside from Chiaki since she's been getting most of the spotlight out of the quartet lately, and I wound up settling on Teruo. He's really been handed the short end of the stick in life with his parents never being around, but he doesn't mind it at all because he would rather his younger siblings get the attention. I mentioned Teruo having two younger siblings a while back, and here they are. All three of them deserve better than the neglect they've had to deal with, but at least they have each other.
One thing you've probably noticed me saying a lot is the line of "this will get covered later" in these author's notes. This installment is, at its core, very different from the first book in terms of overall structure. "Frontiers Unexplored" was focused on easy to mark objectives at different points in the story, like reaching Evergreen Dawn, defeating Cherubimon, fighting the Royal Knights, and so on. It's very Digimon Adventure. This story, meanwhile, has smaller arcs but also holds a focus on overall plot developments in the background. Everything leads into a greater conspiracy. It's like Digimon Zero Two. Everything will get covered soon enough, but for the time being, you get what I'm drip feeding you. Hey, the theories come easier that way, and that's the way I like it.
Next time around, we're finally going to arrive at the fated rendezvous of Hinoka and Chiaki. Hoo boy. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty: Converging Waves (12/18/22)
Wow. That was a doozy of a chapter.
I've been looking forward to this one for a while, and I really like how it turned out. This is our first chapter that's focused on one character's perspective almost exclusively, and I think framing it as a day in the life for Hinoka works perfectly with accomplishing her Resplendent Evolution. We're up to three now just in time for the exact halfway mark of this story! Woohoo!
Okay, let's get to breaking this baby down. I like the opener of this chapter a lot since it goes a long way to establishing the sinking sense of dread Hinoka feels throughout all of this. She's been through a lot already, and this first scene is priming us for a long day like what she's expecting.
Next, we've got the scene with her and Koichi. I wanted to have Hinoka talk to him here because they've both been through the same situation, albeit under very different circumstances. The secret sibling reveal is different between them, but it still comes down to the same basics, and Hinoka needs all the support she can get for it. You can feel the heaviness and tension throughout their entire conversation, and I think it helps to build the dread from the opener well as we get closer to the climax of the chapter. Also, Koichi is finally going to tell the rest of the group the extent of his secret when it comes to being connected to the Warriors of Void. There's no going back now.
Then there's the scene with Emon. I wanted to have a confrontation with him in this chapter to show that Hinoka has come a long way from where she once was with him. Even though she's terrified, she still wants to try and make a better life for herself without him, and this is the first step. The fact that she's afraid is important, especially when it comes to the evolution sequence. Also, we get more action from the other Warriors of Water here. They deserve it, so here they are.
Alright... Let's get into the big one. I really liked working on the scene with Hinoka and Chiaki at the ice cream shop. Despite it all, they still want to try to be friends even though their father would hate it. After all they've been through, they're finally stepping out from beneath his thumb, and connecting with one another is the first step. These two are so sweet. I love it.
It's a shame that Gigadramon had to ruin it, huh? I wanted this to be the chapter where Hinoka got her Resplendent Evolution, so that meant their peace had to be disturbed, and in this case, it was by Gigadramon. I really liked writing this fight sequence because of the unique setting and also the unique objective. Hinoka wanted to get Chiaki to safety while still keeping the secret behind her identity as a Legendary Warrior, and the tension rises before the secret can't stay hidden anymore. There's a reason why Gigadramon attacked right at the moment that Chiaki asked about how Hinoka and Izumi met. It's all about the dramatic irony.
Hinoka and Chiaki's conversation during the Gigadramon fight was a great one and a real highlight of this story for me. Hinoka wants to keep her sister safe even though she knows the situation is dangerous, and she needs to be there for Chiaki since she wasn't able to be for so long. For many years, Hinoka was isolated with nobody to turn to because of the abuse of both her father and Emon, but she's determined to be different for Chiaki's sake. She may still be afraid, but she refuses to let that hold her back forever. Even if she's terrified, Hinoka is going to fight.
And fight she most certainly does! As is a trend with Resplendent Evolution, she absolutely destroyed Gigadramon. That adds to the awe factor with Chiaki at the end while also showing off the extent of Resplendent Evolution's power. Chiaki is finally seeing her sister for who she really is: one of the 'human monsters' and a defender of worlds. They're both being fully honest with each other and opening up for better or worse.
So... Yeah. Chiaki was sworn to secrecy about the truth when it comes to the Digital World, but she knows now. She's the first person outside the Legendary Warriors team to be aware of the truth. I wonder what implications this is going to have with the rest of the investigation team. They've been searching for the truth for so long, and now, Chiaki knows but can't say a thing about it. I bet Shinya and Masae are jealous of Chiaki being told the truth before them; they've been struggling with it for a while only for a previously unknown sibling to steal their spotlight.
Speaking of Chiaki knowing, that's where the chapter gets its name from. Chiaki may not be a Legendary Warrior here, but her coming together with Hinoka has the same effect. At long last, these two sisters are together. They're converging as Hinoka evolves. I like it a lot as a title.
Phew. Okay. This chapter was a lot. Next time, we're going to pick up with the aftermath of the Gigadramon attack. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-One: A Welcoming Embrace (12/25/22)
Wow. Bombshell chapter, huh?
I'll be the first to admit that my original vision for this chapter ended up very different from the finished product, and I think it was definitely a change for the better. I had been expecting the meeting of the Legendary Warriors to take up a lot more time than it wound up needing, so I was able to use the extra wiggle room to expand on other aspects of the world, and it turned out amazingly. Oh, and it gave us two separate cliffhangers. How about that?
Let's take this one from the top now. You know, because I like torturing my readers and making them wait as long as possible to hear about the cliffhangers. The opening scene with Koichi is a short one, but I felt it was an important situation to follow up on after he agreed to talk in the previous chapter. I couldn't talk about it there since the entire chapter was dedicated to Hinoka, so I slapped it in here. Poor Koichi has been having a crisis for almost twenty chapters now, and it's all about to reach its climax. He's got a lot on his mind, and you can see that in this scene. It's a short one, but I find it very effective.
My original plan for this chapter didn't have the scene with Hinoka in the outline at all, but since I had so much extra wiggle room, I decided to add it in, and I think it helps out a lot. I would feel weird about just leaving her conversation with Chiaki off without following up on it, so here we are. I'm really happy I improvised and brought this scene in since I think it adds greatly to the flow of Hinoka's arc and the story as a whole.
The idea of 'it wasn't in the outline' applies to the scene of the Legendary Warriors at lunch too. I didn't think I would have space for it, but lo and behold, here we are. I wanted to follow up with Chiaki's side after the attack by Gigadramon, so that's the main reason this is here. True to her promise, Chiaki is keeping the secret, and she's none the wiser about the rest of the group being Legendary Warriors. She might suspect Izumi, but that's as deep as it goes. In other words, the secret is safe with her, and she's finally opening up about her issues with her father to the rest of the investigation team too. Hinoka isn't the only piece of her arc, so I wanted to have a chance to let Chiaki shine in the aftermath too.
Alright, now we get into the main thing I had planned for this chapter. I struggled for a long time to figure out where Koichi's confession to the rest of the group was going to sit, and I decided to place it here for closure before we start the full scramble of act three. Things have been hectic so far, but chapter thirty-four is going to be when things get a hell of a lot worse, and this is the last chance for me to wrap this up before that. I think this is a great place for it, and Koichi finally gets to ease his struggles regarding the Warriors of Void.
As we all knew they would, the Legendary Warriors accepted him with open arms. They were happy to have him in their lives despite his history as the Warrior of Void, and at long last, Koichi can see it too. He got the support he's been needing for all this time, and he's finally starting to feel better. It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. His arc is going to keep going for a while before it manifests as a Resplendent Evolution, but he's finally on the path to recovery, and the rest of the group can at last support him as he needs it. As a minor detail, I loved having Lopmon approach him here. It's small, but it means a lot to Koichi, and as such, it's very important in my eyes.
Tomoki opening up is another side of the group protecting each other and helping one another no matter what. Yutaka has been a massive problem for a while, and Tomoki needed to talk about it with them here. They might not have a solution for the problem, but they're going to do what they can to help. Tomoki has been getting more and more paranoid because he's been followed, and if you'll remember from the first book, that's one of his biggest triggers. The same applies to Chihiro who was actually chased into the Digital World in the first book. It was a minor detail, but that's the reason for their growing rage and eventual outburst here. Ever since the investigation team started getting too close for comfort, Chihiro has been getting closer to snapping, and it all came out here. Tomoki and Chihiro are a strange set of characters to have so much in common, but I think it works well, especially given their polar opposite temperaments in the face of danger.
The ending of the chapter shows the different responses of Tomoki and Chihiro to danger. Tomoki is paranoid and shaky but says nothing about it before falling apart from anxiety in his room. He's still scared of talking to his parents about everything, and everyone can see it too. One person that can see it is Yutaka. Yeah. Yutaka knows that Tomoki seemingly teleported back home, and he's going to use it to his advantage. The secret might not have gotten out officially, but it's close, and that's dangerous.
Speaking of the secret, Shinya is getting awfully close to it too. Chihiro had the complete opposite response from Tomoki since they explode with rage the instant they feel threatened. Tomoki is afraid of authority because of the power his brother held over him. Chihiro is afraid of not being in control because of what their parents did to them as a child. They have similar struggles but different responses to it, and that anger is the reason Chihiro acted the way they did as Aeoelmon back in the first book. Hell, that was the reason for the driving conflict between Aeoelmon and Lyramon early on in "Frontiers Unexplored." I wanted to give Chihiro a bit of an outlet so they could finally talk about how much this is weighing on them, so here a small scene with Takuya is to save the day. Unfortunately, it's not as much of a secret as they would have liked, and Shinya was listening in. Beyond that, Shinya is still in contact with Masae. Where will this go? That's an incredible question... And a secret. Oops. I'm evil. Just a little bit.
I said before that Koichi's secret had to come out here since this was the last chance for the truth to be revealed before chapter thirty-four. Why is that? Chapters thirty-two and thirty-three will be a two-part special of sorts that reveals something new to us... The history of Miriamon and the previous Legendary Warriors. Yep. Saki's conversation with Miriamon next chapter is going to take up two chapters worth of lore details and worldbuilding that will completely change the way you all look at this story and universe. I hope you're ready for it because trust me, you definitely are not.
With that said, we're going to start the Miriamon story next time with a chapter entitled "The Stars and the Souls" followed up by "Tragedy of Heaven and Earth." Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Two: The Stars and the Souls (1/1/23)
And there's the first half of our flashback!
Wow. This chapter was... So much. I've been looking forward to this for ages though. Ever since I decided to write a sequel, I've been thinking about this chapter and the next one. I wanted to expand on the world and its lore in a meaningful way, and this was how I decided to do it. I adore the backstory of the Shiraki twins. It's by far one of my favorite parts of this story and universe as a whole.
I feel like a lot of this chapter speaks for itself since it's being told in a way that clearly reflects on the past rather than being about the present but told in past tense. There is one thing I wanted to clarify here just in case people didn't catch onto it though: Kage is undiagnosed with autism and ADHD. I wanted to make it blatant throughout the narration and general way people treat him, but I needed to be sure to clear it up here just in case. In the first scene of the flashback, Kage has a meltdown because of overstimulation, and everyone labels him as a problem and an inconvenience, a trend that runs throughout the entire chapter. He's used to being sidelined and treated like he's not worth it, and he internalized it hard.
Kage and Kana are both neurodivergent, as a matter of fact, and while the coding is much more subtle with Kana, it's still worth mentioning. They responded to the world around them completely differently though. Kage was treated as a problem from the start, and he began to believe that he would never be worth anything else. He struggles with social interactions and school due to shyness and disinterest respectively, instead turning to escapism in fiction so he can survive. Kana, on the other hand, has a massive fawn response and turned into a perfectionist caring for both her brother and making herself seem as flawless as possible so nobody betrays her. They're fiercely codependent on one another despite their different ways of interacting with the world, and they've been a package deal for much of their lives.
And that's why it's so heartbreaking when Kage goes missing through the computer screen. Obviously, we as readers know that he's wound up in the Digital World given the context, but Kana is completely unaware of it at the time. It's a turning point for them both, and in a way, it's the inciting incident for everything that happens afterward in the universe. How? I'd love to hear your theories before next week, because it's all going to come out next chapter. There's a lot more to Kage than meets the eye, and we're going to jump right into it next time around.
In the meantime, Kana changes a lot after Kage vanishes. She closes in on herself and pushes her parents away since, looking back, she blames them for Kage wanting so desperately to escape from his life that he would go through the computer screen willingly. She knows he wasn't taken against his will. He chose to go inside, and she hates that their parents treated him poorly to the point of disappearing to get away from them. At this point, her only companions and allies in life are Anri and Harutaka, and they're full-grown adults who aren't even related to her. In other words, they're hardly the allies a teenaged girl would want as her first choice when going through something this traumatic.
Speaking of Anri and Harutaka, I bet some of you are surprised to see so much of them, huh? Given the lore, I had to put them in this flashback, so they're probably going to be some of the most developed parents of the gang solely for the part they play in this chapter and the next. They treated Kana like their own daughter when she had nothing, and she came to rely on them heavily when she lost her main support system after Kage vanished. If you check Anri's description the first time she appears, you can see that Miriamon wasn't kidding about her looking just like Saki. In fact, Saki is kind of a miniature clone of Anri with their skin tone, freckles, and the dyed hair they got from Anri's contact with the Digital World. Even though Saki didn't grow up with their parents since they died before the story, you can see traits from both Harutaka and Anri shining through in the way they act. For example, Saki types really fast and is tech savvy like Anri. Harutaka wears a jacket even in the summer, and Saki's design from the first book consisted of a hoodie despite the story taking place in August.
Let's discuss that last scene really fast on the note of those little quirks. You can see just how at ease Kana has become around them even though they shouldn't have ever met if life had gone well. Anri and Harutaka are Kana's support system since Hayate and Yua won't believe her about what happened to Kage. They understand each other so easily without even being related or living together, and it all comes to a head with the portal opening again. They feel like a family in a strange way you would never expect, and I think that adds a special dimension to the relationship Miriamon has with Saki in present day.
Wow. This chapter was a lot from start to finish, and it's definitely the sort that you might need to read a second time to catch all the details. Well, you can read it a second time after the next chapter releases, because next time, we're going to finish up the flashback of the Shiraki twins in "Tragedy of Heaven and Earth." I've been hyping this chapter up on my Twitter accounts for ages, and the time has finally come. I hope you're as excited for it as I am, because I haven't been this ready for a chapter in a long time. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always, and this week more than ever, please drop your theories in the comments. I'd love to see them. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Three: Tragedy of Heaven and Earth (1/8/23)
Holy shit. That was one doozy of a chapter.
So... Surprise! Lucemon was a human! That's quite a curious thing, isn't it? Welcome back to me taking a single line of dialogue from the anime (Lucemon appearing seemingly from nowhere to save the Digital World) and turning it into a plot point with a lot of lore behind it. Lucemon did appear from nowhere. He came from Earth and used the Digital World as his own escapism fantasy that turned into a horror story for everyone on the planet.
Let's talk about Lucemon a little bit. I really like his story, and I think it makes him pretty interesting even though he's obviously out of the picture now. He spent his entire life being told that he was nothing but a failure and a disappointment, and if that was what the world told him he was, then that was what he was going to become. It's all he's ever known, and eventually, it got to him. I want to say that this backstory of his isn't meant to redeem him or anything. It's just to add a bit of dimension to his character. Lucemon did a lot of awful shit, and that shouldn't be forgotten. It was all caused by the neglect and abuse he suffered combined with a mind that never aged past twelve because of the touch of the Digital World, and it warped him to the point of no return.
His fight with Kana really is the turning point here. Kage's relationship with Kana is something that was hinted at a lot during the previous chapter, but it's very overt here with how he feels about her. Kage loves Kana for being the only person who was there for him when they were growing up, but at the same time, he's been compared to her all his life, so he hates her for being the "superior" version of him in everybody else's eyes. He wanted to get away from her shadow, and that was one reason he stayed in the Digital World without ever trying to go back. He didn't care when she left because he was so tired of being around her and the way others treated him because of it. In the end, all that jealousy and hurt manifests with him killing her, and that's the tragedy as noted in the chapter title. Yeah. It's really messed up. These two have been through a lot, and they deserved support instead of being neglected and compared to the point of turning on each other.
A lot of the events surrounding the fight is kept to narration because I wanted to accentuate the relationship between the two of them in this chapter. Kana grew close with the Legendary Warriors behind his back though, and that was just another point against her in his eyes. You can see the traces of what is going to happen even before it does through their reunion scene and what comes between them meeting again and then fighting. It's heartbreaking, really, and the Legendary Warriors are just a background detail, albeit a very important one, in all of this.
After being regenerated, Kana didn't feel human anymore, and a lot of it came down to her relationship with her brother imploding. That's the reason she became Miriamon to begin with. Her powers are a sign of the Digital World changing her too, though the change was a lot faster since she was killed and regenerated through the Digital World rather than evolving slowly the way Lucemon did. She wanted to bury her life and her failures as Kana, and she took on a new name because of it. Her magic just gave her more ground to stand on throughout all of it. Kana also stopped aging when she became Miriamon, so she's essentially been eighteen years old for the last eighteen years of in-universe time.
The last thing I want to discuss about this utterly heart-wrenching chapter is Kana's relationship with Anri and Harutaka. It's not as highlighted here for obvious reasons of them being in different worlds, but it's still a very important detail about Kana's character. She didn't know who the Legendary Warriors should have selected as heirs, but she first suggested their child she never got to know due to her death. Saki is the oldest of the Legendary Warriors, and that's no coincidence. They're the first Legendary Warrior and the one most connected to the Digital World on a fundamental level due to sharing blood with Anri who was changed so much through her brief contact with the other world. It was all important from the start. Kana's grief is what drives her through this entire story, and it's why Saki became the Warrior of Steel. Even as Miriamon, Kana still feels the touch of her origins on Earth, and that's how Saki got their start as a Legendary Warrior. It's even more heartbreaking since Anri and Harutaka die months after Saki's birth, leading to the past of Kage and Kana Shiraki essentially being completely erased. Their adoptive parents are still alive, but it's been eighteen years since Kana went missing and even longer since Kage disappeared with both children unable to return to Earth.
Yeah. This was a really big one. I'm in love with this story as tragic as it is, and I hope you enjoyed it too. Next time, we're going to start off with the aftermath of Miriamon sharing the truth with Saki, and we'll proceed with the main plot again from there. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed these last two chapters. They're a bit different, but I hope you've had fun with them all the same. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Four: Traces of Truth (1/15/23)
Alright! There's the response chapter to the story of the Shiraki twins!
I really like the opening scene with Miriamon and Saki. This is where the subplot of Saki searching for the truth behind their parents' deaths ends when they finally accept the past and allow themselves to grieve with Miriamon doing much the same. It's so heartbreaking to think about how they could have meant so much to each other in another life, and I wanted to address that upfront. Despite that though, they were able to come back together and find peace together, and I think that's a truly beautiful part of their story. The two of them have a familial relationship in a very strange way, but I like the way it turned out. I thought this was the perfect way to ease everybody back into the present, and it also perfectly leads into the next scene.
Now, the rest of the group knows the truth about Kana and Kage too. As anyone can imagine, hearing all of that shook up everybody since they never would have seen something like that coming. Lucemon was a human just like them who went through a lot the same way all of the Legendary Warriors did. Feeling that insecurity and fearing being like him makes a lot of sense even if it's incredibly sad. Miriamon is finally being fully honest with them at the very least, and that's a step in the right direction. She wants to reassure everybody that they're not like Kage, but that's much easier said than done given their concerns.
I think the highlight of this chapter for me was the scene with Mayumi and Haroi. I love writing these two characters together which is why they share so many scenes. At the end of the day, they became close because of bonding over their experiences with their different disabilities, and since Kage was facing mistreatment for his disability as well, it's unsurprising that they would draw that connection. Well, Mayumi drew the connection while Haroi is just afraid of what it means for his body to be torn apart more than everybody else's by moving between the two worlds. These two character plots are going to be important from here on out as I'm sure you can imagine, and I'm really looking forward to it. Even their conversation here didn't really end up resolved, leaving a lot of room for them to move on in the future.
Next up is the conversation with Chihiro and Takuya. Chihiro is still having an awful time, and much like Mayumi, they're struggling with feeling like they're a lot like Kage. That insecurity sends them into a tailspin they don't know how to snap out of given the circumstances. Takuya is there to try and help them, but a lot of it comes down to Chihiro hating being out of control and feeling helpless as a result. There's so much they can't change, and the idea of not being able to help terrifies them. It's always been one of their greatest insecurities, and given the connection with Lucemon... They've got a lot on their mind, and none of it is gone.
The scene that follows this one with Miriamon on the main Digital World to speak with Alastomon and Biastamon was originally going to be the last one of the chapter, but it wound up going by a lot faster than I expected. This is a little bit of plot advancement after the last few chapters of flashbacks and backstory, and it's going to act as a driving force throughout the next few bits of act three. Act three is a lot longer in this story than it was even in the first book since in the first book, we would be five chapters away from the end of it. Yeah, that's not happening here. This is the first step toward the end of act three, and... Yeah. It's going to be a lot, but I can't wait.
The ending here of Takuya's nightmare followed by him snapping awake was something I added with the extra space I had from the previous scene being shorter than anticipated. I wanted to offer a bit of insight into Takuya's headspace since he's been doing so much to comfort Chihiro recently. As it turns out, he's not feeling great either, and a lot of it comes down to his worst day and darkest moment. Unlike most of the others who are tormented above all else by their trauma from Earth, Takuya is terrified of that one event from the Digital World that completely rocked his world. He was able to pull himself together, but ending up in a hell of his own mind was a lot to take in, and he still doesn't know what to do about it. Poor Takuya. He needs a break, but given what's going to come next... Yeah, he's not getting one. Sorry, Takuya.
Next time, we're going to do something a little bit different with an unorthodox fight sequence after all this backstory. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Five: Pulses of Midnight (1/22/23)
That was one beast of a chapter, huh?
I've been looking forward to this one for a while. It took a bit of time for my vision of this chapter to come into focus, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. Saki living in the Digital World part time is a very important plot point, and it's the reason for this entire chapter. Wow.
So, let's get to the analysis since, as usual, I like to make readers wait as long as possible for me to talk about the big twists. The opening scene is meant to continue the idea of the consequences behind the Shiraki story coming to light. Saki got what they were searching for about their parents' missing case, but the truth behind their deaths is still vague. Anri and Harutaka died because of the Digital World, but the details are still murky. This will be addressed later as I'm sure you can imagine, but for now, here we are.
Though the answers haven't quite come out yet. Instead, Saki was dragged into another fight. I wanted to start things off with a bang since it's been a while since we got a big fight sequence like this. Miriamon being under attack makes perfect sense given what happened last time as well as what we learn later on. I'll get to Miriamon being able to communicate with the group via D-Tector later on, I can assure you, but for now, that's just a minor detail that leads up to the fight scene.
And one hell of a fight scene it is! I'm really happy to finally have Saki's Resplendent design written down since it's one of my favorites. I'm really going to have to draw all of these designs out one day since they're all incredible in my head, and I need everyone to see them. Saki Resplendent Evolved because of what happened with them and Miriamon over the course of the last few chapters, so it's a delayed emotional resolution to them hearing the truth of their history that works well in my mind. And it makes for a great fight sequence with Miriamon taking to the battlefield for the first time. She's nowhere near as skilled as Saki, so she acts as a sidekick more than anything else, contributing without taking the focus away from where it needs to be. These two fight very well together since they both have general psychic abilities, and I liked working on this battle a lot.
Makuramon is an interesting Digimon to show up here, isn't he? Contrary to expectation, he isn't the first Human Digimon to be taken over by a Void Fragment. He's working with the mastermind willingly and even came as an assassin and, failing that, a messenger. He served his purpose in pissing off Saki and Miriamon along with delivering a message just to mess with them. He may have gotten a bit overly confident though since that tipped them off as to who the mastermind is.
Speaking of the mastermind, let's finally talk about that. I've been sitting on that for a long time. Now that it's out there, it feels painfully obvious. Alastomon and Biastamon are the ones in charge of the Digital World's restoration, and they're in the perfect position to cover up any shady dealings. Only one of them is a traitor though, and there's evidence to back up both of them being the mastermind. It's an interesting situation to place the cast in, isn't it?
It's also an incredibly messed up situation. Everything the group has been fighting toward has been distorted from the start since one of the people feeding them information and advice was a traitor all along. Inaie was a scapegoat and then a death trap, and Alastomon and Biastamon would have known how to transform it from one to the other. They would know better than anyone who the Legendary Warriors are and how to target them on Earth. And the last nail in the coffin is that they know about Miriamon's abilities and see them as a threat to the truth. Everybody in the group has a lot to rethink now, and that's going to be a driving force over the next few chapters.
Before I leave things off here, I want to offer one little comment about last chapter. Takuya's phone went off in the middle of the night after his nightmare, but he didn't look at it. Well, that message he got was from Saki who was telling the Legendary Warriors to not trust Alastomon and Biastamon. He doesn't see it until the following morning, but that's what it says for a nice little continuity bit. Just a bit of trivia for you.
Phew. Okay. That was a lot, and it's about to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets any better. Next chapter, it's time to deal with the consequences of the assassination attempt and explore Saki's gambit to catch the mastermind. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am, because this one is going to be great. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Six: Strike While the Iron is Hot (1/29/23)
The cliffhangers just get worse!
Okay. This chapter is a lot to take in. We're getting into the thick of everything now, and I cannot say enough how much I'm looking forward to it. I'm in love with this story. I think about it every single day, and I regret none of it.
Let's get right into the dissection since there's a lot to chew on here. The rest of the Legendary Warriors have no idea what Saki is up to, and they're scared out of their minds... Something that only makes Chihiro's paranoia worse. They're only struggling more as the days go by, and it ends with them running off after sharing their theories with Izumi and Koji. They don't know enough to come to any meaningful conclusions about what Saki is up to, but they're still terrified. They ran off when the investigation team showed up, so they couldn't even see that the group has been holding back because of what happened to Chiaki. Poor Chihiro. They just can't catch a break.
I liked writing the scene of them with Takuya out on the soccer field too. I love the dynamic these two have. They really are best friends, and Chihiro's issues are both an excuse for them to spend time together and a note of character regression. They're falling back on only spending time with Takuya even after getting so close with the other members of the group. It's an unfortunate paradox, and they deserve better.
Next up, we've got the scene with Koji and Koichi. That scene really has a different feel when you've finished the chapter, huh? They talk about their father a lot without knowing what's coming. This is the happiest they've been together since the start of the book now that Koichi isn't hiding his feelings quite so much, but everything is about to blow up in their faces. They get to relax a little bit, or at least as much as they can as long as they're still worried about everything with Saki. I thought this would be the perfect scene to contrast with the ending of the chapter, and... Yeah. It definitely is.
Speaking of Saki, their plan goes into effect throughout this chapter, starting off with Bokomon, Neemon, and the Celestial Three talking with Alastomon and Biastamon. It kind of happens in the background since the details aren't important, but it's exactly what Saki and Miriamon need. Bokomon is absolutely terrified, and understandably so. All's well that ends well though... At least for now.
Saki and Miriamon were able to get their hands on the evidence they were looking for too. The letters in Biastamon's room show that he's the traitor. Twist time! This chapter is a big one, and this scene is one reason for it. I really like the dynamic between Saki and Miriamon here, though I wish they had time to be normal siblings instead of just panicking constantly while trying to figure out who's out for their blood. That'll have to wait until later, I suppose, because right now, they have a traitor to expose, and the rest of the group will hear about it soon enough.
Okay. Fine. I'll talk about the ending twist too. Kousei knows that Koji knows about Koichi and Tomoko now. Yutaka told him. Yutaka has been following around the group for ages now, and he would figure out the truth eventually. To put it simply, that puts Koji in an absolutely awful position. This is one thing I've been waiting to bring up since the story started, and... Yep. Here it is. Back when I thought this was going to be a standalone story with just the first book, I had it planned that Koji and Kousei were going to try and mend their relationship after the end of Frontiers Unexplored. Thanks to this being a series though... Yeah, that didn't happen. Now, Koji gets to have the worst crisis of his life. He's had it too good for too long throughout this book.
For the sake of letting the cliffhanger sit with you guys, I'm going to leave things off here. Next week, we're going to pick up with the nightmare the Legendary Warriors are currently living through. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Seven: Breaking Point (2/5/23)
And there's the next chapter! Woohoo!
This chapter was a lot of setting things up for the next string of chapters. I hope you liked the middle of act three of the first book where everyone was scattered and frantically fighting three battles simultaneously. We're going back to that, but this time, it's going to lead into the ending of the third act directly. I'm looking forward to it, but first, we have a chapter to analyze, and this one... Wow. It's a lot.
I feel like any chapter is going to be when it starts off the way this one does. Kousei knows that Koji knows about Tomoko and Koichi, and Yutaka was the one who told him. That was established in the last chapter, but picking up right here... Yeah, it's a lot. Koji's panic attack was heartbreaking to write, and it's one of the only times we see him fully breaking down with all of his defenses shattered. He's usually so guarded, but this is a very different side of him we don't get to see often. Luckily, he was able to get to Koichi before he could completely fall apart, but it's still an awful situation. Poor Koji. I would hope for him to get a break from this soon, but given what comes next... That's not happening for a while.
Next up, we have the first scene with Mayumi and Haroi. Since the two of them live together, they get to talk about Legendary Warrior things on a regular basis, and that means they get the confidence to do things like this. Chihiro is currently having a mental breakdown that has lasted for multiple weeks, so they haven't gone to Takuya to talk about all of this, hence why it happened with Mayumi and Haroi instead. Plus, going to look for Saki gives these two an extra thing to do, and who doesn't love that?
Speaking of Saki, they're still in hiding. I really like this scene with them and the rest of the Digimon even if it's not the highlight of the chapter by any means. Once again, it's a note of build up for what's to come, and I love how it turned out. Everyone is uncertain about the idea of being betrayed given what has happened, and who can blame them? This scene also explains why they haven't followed up with the rest of the team yet. Their gambit is still going, and that means they need to stay in hiding for a little bit longer. They intended to follow up with the rest of the group the following day, but... Well, we all know how that turned out.
Next is the scene of Izumi and Masae. It's been a while since we've seen something extensive with the two of them, and they're as much of a joy to write as usual. One of the more tragic pieces of this story has been the steady downfall of their relationship, and seeing it happen in real time is like a stab to the chest. They're both going through it, but they can't talk about it because of the roadblock of the fact that it revolves around Digimon. These two need therapy and to talk to each other as soon as possible.
And on the note of needing therapy, Takuya has a martyr complex along with his severe nightmares. These nightmare scenes have been small pieces of the chapters they're part of, but they're important to show one key thing about Takuya's character: he's just as prone to putting himself on a pedestal now as he was during the first book. He learned to stop running away from his problems when he went to the realm of the Dark Trailmon, but he still wants to idolize himself and act as "the reliable one" by never talking about his issues. That is not helpful in the slightest, but here he is anyways. Takuya hasn't let go of his complex about being the team's beacon of hope, and since he's in close proximity to Chihiro who is struggling so much and so openly, he seals away his issues for the sake of helping them. Once again, I diagnose him with needing therapy really badly.
Now, let's follow up on the scene with Mayumi and Haroi from before since this is where the action happens. There was no answer from Saki, and Koichi vaguely alluded to something bad happening to Koji, so they decided to head to the Digital World. When they get to the fortress though, it's empty. Interesting, isn't it? We'll get to that later on, but for now, the two of them go to see Biastamon. Knowing what Saki does, that doesn't bode well, does it? This scene is a lot of dramatic contrast between the earlier scene with Saki, and it's a bit terrifying. Hm... I wonder how this one will end. Well, I already know, but I like torturing my readers, so... Sorry.
Lastly, we have the ending scene of Tomoki and Yutaka. Everyone is getting stressed because of the lack of information from Saki, being stalked by at least three different groups, and the worsening Void Fragment attacks. That stress finally makes Tomoki snap, and it gives us a minor insight into Yutaka's mindset. The secret is that he's just a shitty person. He perceives his brother as having stolen something from him just by existing, and everything he did to Tomoki is his idea of "getting back" at his brother. Yutaka sucks. A lot. And the situation sucks even more since we have yet another cliffhanger with Digimon showing up en masse on Earth. Surprise, everyone! I still love cliffhangers and torturing everyone who reads my stories. What can I say? It's fun.
Next week, we'll pick up right where we left off with the arrival of the Void Fragment Digimon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Eight: Frozen Heart (2/12/23)
Wow. I think I'm in love with this chapter. You can tell because I wrote this entire chapter in two days.
There's a lot to cover here, so let's get right into it. Once again, we're picking up right where we left off with Tomoki and Yutaka. The situation still sucks, though this isn't surprising to anyone. Yutaka not leaving Tomoki alone even in the midst of a Digimon attack is an awful sign. Maybe he's just overly confident. Or maybe there's something else to it. Who knows? Either way, this is one hell of a way to start off the Earth invasion arc.
Takuya's scene with the investigation team places him a few minutes before the invasion starts in full. Everyone is still curious about everything going on, but they're hesitant in some ways because of what happened to Chiaki while it only emboldened them more in other ways. Takuya being put in a situation that mirrors what happened with Hinoka and Chiaki a while back is intentional. They both have to defend members of the investigation team from an attack targeting them directly. Takuya and Hinoka are the only elemental opposite pair who didn't have any meaningful interactions in the first book, so I'm giving them a lot more to work with here. Ironic how that worked out since Takuya is the main character, but here we are. Parallels or not though, Takuya is having a terrible time. Sounds like business as usual.
Next is the scene of Yumiko and Junpei. The two both Resplendent Evolved when they saw what was happening, but unfortunately, they were alone when they need to team up with the others in smaller groups as soon as possible. Them meeting up and then splitting up is a mirror of something that happened in the first book, as a matter of fact. The Legendary Warriors split into three groups to find the Beast Spirit of Energy, purify Ceruleamon, and rescue Koji while trusting that they're going to reunite soon. The same happens here. Yumiko and Junpei need to spread out and rescue the rest of their team since they're two of the Resplendent Warriors who actually stand a chance against the hoard with their raw elemental power. They think they're two of the three since they don't know about Saki being at that level yet, so they can't stay together if they want to save everyone from their ambushes in a timely fashion. Even if they knew about Saki, it wouldn't matter since they're not on Earth. It's an awful situation, but they have no choice but to split up, so they do so. Plus, this is an interaction between a pair of characters not often associated with each other, and I'm always a sucker for those to expand more on the group dynamic.
We're getting into the big guns now with the scene of Biastamon with Mayumi and Haroi. Putting Biastamon with members of our main cast right now given what Saki knows is a painful stab of dramatic irony, but I'm in love with it. I think the three of them have a very interesting dynamic, and as is shown throughout this conversation, they have a lot in common. Mayumi has been labeled as bad and a failure all her life, and seeing herself in Kage/Lucemon has brought all of that to the forefront again. Haroi doesn't know how to grapple with all the sudden changes to his body and mind caused by the Digital World, and he feels ostracized from himself as a result. Biastamon was abandoned by society because of assumptions years prior, and he wants to ensure that never happens to anyone again. He's a perfect foil to Mayumi and Haroi here, and writing all three of them has been a joy. I'm looking forward to writing their next few scenes since they will be getting more. I hope you like those stabs of dramatic irony, because they're not going to stop any time soon.
Okay. This is the big one. This scene is the reason this chapter was written in two days. I started it and then couldn't stop once I had gotten going because it's just... Incredible. I think we can all agree this is more than overdue. Let's talk about Tomoki, Koji, and Yutaka. Koji is pissed at Yutaka for exposing him and potentially ruining his life, and Tomoki is terrified. But that fear turns to rage pretty damn quickly when he realizes what Yutaka did. Yutaka sees all of this as justice for what Tomoki "took" from him by existing, but Tomoki isn't listening anymore. He's suffered through enough and is finally taking a stand instead of letting his fear hold him back. His terrified still, but he doesn't want to see Yutaka ruin those he cares about. The buildup to this Resplendent Evolution might be my favorite of all of them so far. Tomoki starts to freeze everything around him even before transforming when he goes to defend Koji. I feel like this is a perfect payoff for both of them since Koji has been fiercely protective of Tomoki since they first met and he heard about Yutaka. Koji has hated Yutaka for ages and vowed to defend Tomoki no matter what. Tomoki keeps Koji safe from Yutaka, and in return, Beowolfmon threatens Yutaka into silence to keep both of their secrets. Some people would argue that a monster threatening a human who can't fight back is a bad idea. I say Yutaka deserves it. Also, if any of you think that Tomoki's Resplendent Evolution mirrors Yumiko, you would be absolutely right. The elemental opposites mirror will all each other, but I'll get into the details later on and in the text. For now, just know that it isn't only you making that connection. It's absolutely on purpose, and I adore it.
Lastly, we have the closing scene of Chihiro texting Shinya. This scene may not do much this time, but it sets up a lot of important things for next chapter. I am so excited for where this is going to take us next. You have no idea. I've been hoping to do something like this in Horizon Wars since Echo, as a matter of fact. This is like if the second arc of Echo was turned into a lategame scramble. It's so much fun to plan and write, hence why this chapter was written start to finish in two days. I might be a tad obsessed.
My last little detail for this chapter is about the title. "Frozen Heart" alludes to Tomoki's Resplendent Evolution since he has the element of ice. It also refers to Yutaka's frozen heart since he exposed Koji and potentially ruined his life. It can also refer to Tomoki and Beowolfmon kicking the crap out of Yutaka and leaving him in the brewing snowstorm, but I think that's justified. I would go so far as to argue that we all think that's justified, as a matter of fact.
Next week, we're going to keep following this forward momentum into the next step of the invasion mini-arc. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Thirty-Nine: Unravel (2/19/23)
This chapter was... So much. I love it. Once again, I wrote this entire chapter in two days because of how much I fell in love with it while writing it. Yeah, it's amazing. Everybody else should agree with that too. This arc is fucking fantastic.
Okay, let's get down to the nitty gritty. I really like the dynamic between Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon once again, and if you ask me, it's the culmination of the way Mayumi has been treating the Beast Digimon from the outset. She always thought it was ridiculous that Beast Digimon were supposedly the ones responsible for the Void Fragment attacks since she knows what it's like to be labeled as irredeemable without being given a chance. Hell, that's why she has such a complex about relating to Kage. It's dark, but I love how it turned out, especially since Biastamon is such a good foil for her and Haroi... And then they get attacked because of course they do. I hope you didn't think they were going to miss out on all the fun. Of course not. Everybody gets to suffer in this miniature arc.
And speaking of suffering... Hoo boy. The full investigation team knows now. Hinoka had no choice but to jump in to try and defend Takuya and the rest of the group when they were attacked, and in doing so, the truth was exposed. Chiaki already knew, but the other three know about it now too. That attack also messed them all up royally. Teruo has a few fractured ribs now, and Takuya is sporting a very fashionable concussion. Yeah, they're not having a good time, and Takuya is having the worst time since he has to explain being a human monster to the group while Hinoka fights. Remember last week how I said Hinoka and Takuya interact more this book to make up for not talking much last time? Yeah. Here's what I was talking about.
Next up, we've got the scene with Saki and the Digimon in the Digital World. They haven't been spared from the attacks either, so when the rest of the group goes to the Digital World to try and stop the invasion, they're in for a rude awakening. Also, we get more low key horror with Saki knowing that Biastamon is a traitor while Mayumi and Haroi are with him. Yep. They finally figured it out, and it's really bad. Wish luck to Saki and the Digimon in catching Biastamon, Mayumi, and Haroi. They're going to need it.
Speaking of needing help, let's talk about the scene with Koichi and Junpei! These two don't get much time together, but I thought this was the perfect time to change that. Koichi is still having a hard time because even after talking to the Legendary Warriors about having the Warriors of Void in his body, he doesn't know how to feel about it. What happens when people don't have control over their emotions? Their Beast Spirits spiral out of control, and since Beast Spirits make up Hybrid Evolutions... Yeah, you can see how that ends. I wanted Junpei to be the one to calm Koichi down when he started having a panic attack because Junpei's Resplendent Evolution was all about him trying to help others and reach out to them. Back then, it was Saki, and this time, it's Koichi. Junpei claims to be clumsy with emotions, but he's better than he thinks, hence why he was able to help Koichi out of this situation here. And now, we have another pair of Legendary Warriors together again. Woohoo!
The last two scenes here have a lot in common. Let's start off with Izumi and Masae. Here, our Warrior of Wind is meeting up with her younger sibling in the midst of massive attacks. Izumi wants to keep her safe even though she knows she's drawing the attention of the enemy. Despite their previous disagreements, they set it all aside to make sure the other is safe. It's pretty dark, and somehow, it only gets worse from here. Fun times.
And then we've got Chihiro and Shinya. Here, our Warrior of Earth is meeting up with their younger sibling figure in the midst of massive attacks. Chihiro wants to keep him safe even though they know they're drawing the attention of the enemy. Sound familiar? Yeah, these two scenes are right next to each other for a reason. The difference is that while Izumi and Masae's situation gets worse later, Chihiro and Shinya's gets worse right now. Chihiro's constant paranoia problems result in the same problems that Koichi has been having with them not being able to control their Beast Spirit, prompting Yaiamon to spiral out of control. Koichi turned his hatred inward because his struggle has been internal while Chihiro, afraid of losing control, turned their hatred outward because fighting is all they know how to do when they get scared. Yaiamon doesn't have a Junpei there to calm them down though, so they just keep fighting even though it's going to drive them into the ground and ruin them. There are too many enemies for them to stand a chance, but they don't care as long as they can fight. It's really bad. With this and everything else that happens in the chapter, I feel like you can figure out pretty easily why this one is called Unravel, huh?
Next time around, we're going to pick right up where we left off in the middle of the invasion. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty: Tempests of Love (2/26/23)
I adore this chapter. Wow.
I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. I came up with the idea for the Izumi and Masae conflict and its turning point in this chapter very early in the planning process, and I've been so excited to finally bring it to fruition. I adore the way it turned out too. This chapter is so busy, and I love it. This arc is fantastic.
Okay. Now, let's take this one from the top. The opening scene with Aethermon, Siriusmon, and Biastamon was meant to be both the original opener and their other scene later on, but I felt it would make more sense to split it up, so I did. These two are the least important scenes this chapter even though they set up a lot for the next time we'll see those three. They have a lot going on, and they're cornered and exhausted. Poor Aethermon and Siriusmon. They both need a break, and Biastamon needs one even more. It's a shame they won't get time off for a while. Oops.
Next is the scene with Shinya, Yaiamon, and Yumiko. Poor Shinya. He's got a massive boatload of trauma now because he saw Yaiamon's mental breakdown. Yumiko was able to help to calm them down, and while it was something Chihiro needed after all the time they've spent bottling up their feelings, it's still awful that they needed to go through it to begin with. Yumiko helping to soothe them is a great culmination of her arc, and it shows how far she and Chihiro have come from being rival Fallen Warriors. Chihiro needed to let all of that out, and Yumiko and Shinya were there to help them through it. Even though some of the Legendary Warriors are getting better and hitting emotional breakthroughs that allow them to Resplendent Evolve, others are struggling. This isn't a perfect high point for them, and Chihiro is a perfect example. Speaking of struggling, I want to point out Yumiko reaching out to Shinya to help him. Witnessing Chihiro's mental breakdown was traumatic for him. It wasn't Chihiro's fault they had such a massive breakdown, but it still hurt Shinya, and Yumiko addressing that is important. It's a small moment, but it means a lot to me, so I wanted to highlight it here.
Alright. Here's the big one. Izumi and Masae. Like I said before, I've been planning this for a long time, and I adore the way it turned out. Izumi and Masae have been having a difficult time for a long while thanks to Izumi's issues with secrecy. You can see why she had to hide all of it, but you can also understand why Masae was so upset with her for keeping things hidden. Neither side is entirely right or wrong, and that nuance is what makes this so interesting. At the end of the day though, they can put that aside as long as they love each other so much though, and that's what matters most. It's a perfect contrast to Chihiro's struggles to let Izumi finally flourish after how long she's been having a bad time. As a side note, I love Izumi's design for her Resplendent Evolution. This entire scene is one of my favorites in the book. It's just... Amazing.
Last but not least, we have Takuya and Hinoka's rendezvous with Chihiro and Yumiko. I wanted to spend a lot of this time talking about the investigation team's reactions and Shinya's reunion with Takuya. It's a bit of a kick in the teeth for the Legendary Warriors and the people who are discovering the truth about them. None of them expected to end up in this situation, and grappling with it is difficult for all of them. It'll take a while before they can talk about what happened, but they'll get there with time. In the meantime, the Legendary Warriors are off to the Digital World... But only after Shinya gave Takuya and Chihiro a hug. They're both his older siblings. Yes, including Chihiro. They're family, and they deserve to be happy together. It's a shame they don't have that chance right now.
That chapter was amazing, and I adore it. Just... Wow. This story is great. With that said, I'm leaving things off here. Next week, we'll continue into the next part of the invasion arc. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-One: All Eyes Forward (3/5/23)
And so everyone goes to the Digital World! Woohoo!
This chapter was another big one, so let's get right into our breakdown. First off, we had the opener with Aldamon, Hinoka, Yumiko, and Chihiro arriving in the Digital World and then meeting up with Alastomon. He's the only major player we haven't seen up to this point in the invasion arc, and here he is. This scene is a short one, but it gets the point across and sets things up nicely for the rest of the chapter.
Next, we have the rendezvous between Junpei, Koichi, Izumi, and Masae. You can already see the change in Izumi's demeanor now that she and Masae have made up, and she's a lot happier now than she has been throughout this entire story. The character moments are the highlight of this scene in my opinion since a lot of this is just catching up these four with things we as the audience already know. Takuya's group left the cleanup of Earth in their hands, and that was a good decision. Junpei and Izumi are a good team, and they accomplished everything they needed to after this scene. Things are looking up for them, and given how miserable things have been recently, that's certainly a blessing they can't afford to pass up.
My favorite part of this chapter was definitely the scene with Beowolfmon and Tomoki on the rooftops. We haven't had much time to explore Tomoki's thoughts since the Yutaka encounter because of just how much has been going on, so here we are. He's terrified after everything that happened when he saw Yutaka before, and Beowolfmon is too. They're hoping their mutual blackmail over Yutaka will be enough to keep them out of trouble, but they don't know for sure, and that's terrifying for them. This won't be the last we see of Yutaka as I'm sure you can imagine, but for now, Beowolfmon and Tomoki are at least able to make peace with what happened. This is also a nice note of growth for Koji to show how far he's come from his introduction. He's always been protective of Tomoki, and here, it manifests as the promise to murder Tomoki's abuser if he has to. I think these two might have issues, but it's so interesting that I love it a lot more than I should.
Next, we catch up with Aldamon's group again. They know everything that happened with Saki now... Or, at the very least, they know about as much as they can given the fact that Alastomon is out of the loop too. Saki is still out of reach, and in fact, they're the only Legendary Warrior to not make an appearance in this chapter to hit the point home. Everyone in this group is going through the belated but very real sinking dread of realizing Mayumi and Haroi are with Biastamon too. They're part of the rescue party now too, and all eyes are set squarely on Rose Morning Star.
But things are relatively calm at Rose Morning Star. Well, they're as calm as they can be with so many Void Fragment Digimon banging down the door. Mayumi and Haroi don't feel like they're in danger at all and are just tired after everything that happened. Biastamon is tired too, and all of them are counting on the other Legendary Warriors coming as backup. Sure enough, the rest of the group is coming to help them out... Just not in the way they thought. I love putting scenes with Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon right next to scenes of everyone else worrying about them. I can't help but throw in a little bit of dramatic irony. It's in my nature.
Last but not least, we have the ending scene with Izumi, Junpei, Koichi, and Masae arriving at the hiding place for Shinya and the investigation team. Tomoki and Beowolfmon get there soon too, and the entire gang is there. The investigation team has been promised a full explanation no fewer than three times now, and they're looking forward to it. In the meantime, the rest of the group has much more important things to do. I loved the piece of this scene specifically with Izumi and Masae bidding one another farewell. You can feel their hesitation since they don't want to be apart from each other so soon after they've reconciled, but they know they have no other choice. They'll be back together soon enough, but waiting is agony until then.
And so, we end the chapter with all of the Legendary Warriors in the Digital World in four distinct groups. Takuya, Chihiro, Yumiko, Hinoka, and Alastomon are rushing to Rose Morning Star. Saki, Miriamon, and the Digimon are doing the same. Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon are waiting for salvation that won't come in the way they expected. And last but not least, Koji, Tomoki, Izumi, Junpei, and Koichi are arriving last but planning to catch up soon. It's a lot to manage, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I love this arc so much, and I hope you're all having fun with it too.
Next time, we'll pick up where we left off in the Digital World with our four teams. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Two: Strike at the Head (3/12/23)
And here's our last chapter of buildup before the true finale of this mini-arc and of act three as a whole!
There's a lot to cover here, so I'm going to jump right into it. The opening scene speaks for itself for the most part with Junpei and company starting to search for Saki. They're a bit late to the Digital World party, but they're not going to let that stop them. Junpei's low key irritation throughout this conversation is a small but important detail in my opinion. He thought Saki was over keeping secrets after his Resplendent Evolution, and the idea that he was wrong about that grates on him a lot. Of course, he talks it all out later, but at first... Yeah, it's certainly frustrating for him.
Next, we have the scene of Haroi talking with Biastamon in Rose Morning Star. Haroi is a bit quieter about his issues than Mayumi, but he still has issues to deal with, and he needed to talk about it at some point. Much like with Mayumi, there's no clear answer or solution to all of this, but he's still trying to get better. It'll take time, but Haroi wants to find a way to not feel ashamed of himself. Biastamon is the perfect person to help the two of them through their identity crises, and I really do love their dynamic even if it brings them into a castle surrounded by attacking Digimon.
The next scene was something of a last-minute addition, I will admit. I realized it had been a while since we saw or heard anything from Saki, so I decided to give them a bit of time to shine before we moved on with the rest of the plot. It's a small scene, but I think it flows in nicely with the next time they appear, especially since we haven't seen them in a while.
Next up, we have the scene with Aldamon, Aeoelmon, Yumiko, Hinoka, and Alastomon. There are a lot of tiny details that make this scene important, but unfortunately, I cannot discuss any of them at this time. Everyone is starting to hit the wall in terms of energy after all the fighting they've had to do though, and that's not good. They still need to face off against the mastermind after all of this, and they're losing their strength. They're not in a great position right now, to say the least. As a side note, Aeoelmon got to talk with Alastomon. There's another dynamic that hasn't been explored before, and even if it's a small thing, I like that i was able to include it. Aeoelmon deserves a little conversation about something that isn't about their paranoia-induced mental breakdown.
At long last, we have a reunion between Saki and other members of the Legendary Warriors team! They've got a lot to catch up on, but they were at least able to get out what they needed to tell each other for the time being. Junpei's worry about Saki's secrecy comes back in full here, though he backs off when he realizes they weren't trying to hide anything for the sake of malice or breaking trust. It's a nice bit of characterization for them both, and Miriamon gets to show how close she and Saki have gotten by coming to their defense. This arc has done a lot for everyone's character growth, and I love it. This piece in particular is just... Chef's kiss. It's great.
The next scene is another bit of foreshadowing with Mayumi, Haroi, and Biastamon. The castle is growing quiet as the Digimon outside begin to hold back. None of them have a good feeling about it though. It's more build up for the ending, and it's a lot to take in. Mayumi and Haroi deserve a break.
And then we have the final scene before the ending confrontation. The Legendary Warriors are back together, and even though they still have a lot to explain to one another, they know what needs to be done. It's funny how the ten Legendary Warriors from the elements of canon are here to carry out a mission together without Mayumi and Haroi. That hasn't happened since Evergreen Dawn, and back then, half of them were possessed. Wow. Everyone is determined to win this battle though, and even Koichi, who has been avoiding Spirit Evolving for ages, decides to join the fight. The final confrontation is coming...
And it arrives in the form of the group facing off against Biastamon. There are a lot of tiny details about this scene that will only make sense after next week's chapter, so for now, you'll just have to trust me when I say everything here is intentional. Alastomon is the most intense of the group's members when it comes to pushing back against Biastamon, and in the end, it's Biastamon's current political parallel who starts the final battle against him. Fate is a cruel thing, isn't it?
Next week, we're going to pick up right where we left off, and it's going to be great. You're not ready for it, and neither am I. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Three: Stab True to the Heart (3/19/23)
Wow... That was a heavy one.
So... This is the plot point I've been looking forward to revealing since the very beginning. Alastomon was the traitor, not Biastamon. I've been leaving lots of tiny crumbs of foreshadowing along the way for sharp readers so we could reach this moment. Alastomon was always the one saying only Beast Digimon could be taken over by Void Fragments. He was also the one who pointed the Legendary Warriors to Inaie. He planned the attack on the Crystal Citadel when Junpei got his Resplendent. He orchestrated the attack against Miriamon after hearing the truth about her abilities. He played the Legendary Warriors like fiddles to ensure they turned on Biastamon so he could claim the upper hand. And now... The truth is out.
All things considered, I don't have as much to say about this twist as I thought I would since Alastomon explained a lot of it during his ending conversation with the Legendary Warriors. He wants to get rid of all the Beast Digimon at any cost, and that brings us here. He was always planning on stabbing Biastamon in the back. He saw Biastamon as a threat, and he was right to. As soon as Biastamon realized what he had done, he started attacking, and that's where we get to the main conflict of the chapter. Alastomon was egging the Legendary Warriors on in one direction since he had already primed them to turn on Biastamon. He's a manipulative piece of shit in case you couldn't already tell. He got this far through lying to people and manipulating them until they fell into his hands. Everything has been a part of his game from the start, and he outwitted even the sharpest strategists in the Legendary Warriors (Saki and Junpei). He sucks... But he's certainly an interesting and charismatic villain, huh?
The only other thing I want to comment on here is Biastamon's death. It hit Mayumi and Haroi really hard for obvious reasons. Biastamon was such a perfect foil to them both, and you could see their relationship building throughout the recent chapters. Mayumi has always been defending the Beast Digimon since she knows what it's like to be labeled as a problem without anyone standing up for her. Haroi has always been closer with the Digimon than the rest of the group. Their connection with him was deep and important... And now, it's gone. I have more in mind for these three in the future, but for now... God. This chapter hurt.
Next week, we're going to embrace our new revelations and finally battle the true mastermind in the finale of act three. At long last, the invasion mini-arc and act three as a whole end next chapter. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Four: Aether's Requiem (3/26/23)
Whew. That was an emotional one.
This chapter very much acts as an extension of the previous one. In fact, a lot of the content from the previous chapter was originally planned to be here, but things wound up changing thanks to variations in pacing between my original outline and putting everything into writing. It's definitely a two-part special, and it should be viewed as such.
And it's definitely an intense way to end both the two-parter and the entirety of act three. Alastomon has revealed himself to be the traitor, and he's willing to wage war against the Legendary Warriors as long as he can claim leadership over the Digital World. Everything leading up to this point has been telegraphed by him to some degree, and he's absolutely terrifying. He's a manipulative bastard of a mastermind, and he uses that to his advantage gladly here.
My favorite part of this chapter was definitely Mayumi reaching the Resplendent level. It's very different from what the other Resplendent forms are like because of the darker circumstances, but I love the way it came out. Her design is adorable, and it definitely fits her chipper personality even if she doesn't feel quite so bright and cheerful right now. I had a lot of trouble figuring out how I wanted it to look, but I'm very happy with the final product.
The battle that took place after Mayumi reached her Resplendent form is very different from most other fights in this story because of the underlying theme of exhaustion. Everyone is very tired from the long battles that preceded this, and it shows. There's a reason so much happened after the start of the invasion arc; it was all building up to them completely crumpling here. Alastomon was counting on that, and the Legendary Warriors suffer for it. Like I said, he's a manipulative bastard, and everything worked out in his favor. The group was forced to retreat and they're in a terrible position now. Not even the arrival of a new Resplendent form was able to help them. As Mayumi mentions in the chapter, it's a lot like the battle against the Royal Knights to kick off act four from the first book. The two fights take place in the same area just outside Rose Morning Star, and they follow a massive battle that saw the death of a major leading Digimon. This time though, things feel a lot darker. It's a loss rather than a victory here.
And that theme of loss carries over into the final two scenes. Mayumi and the rest of the group collapses from exhaustion as soon as they're away from the battlefield, and all they can do now is try to recover their lost energy for the sake of the battles ahead. This is just the start of the war rather than the end, and they know it. This is the lowest point they've been at since the start of the book, and it shows. Morale is through the floor, and that's one hell of a way to end off a major arc.
The only positive in all of this is that Haroi was able to absorb Biastamon's memory data before Alastomon had the chance to finish the job. It's a very small blessing, but it's still something, and that's all the group has at this point. The circumstances just keep getting worse for them, but this is at least a small victory for them. Haroi is determined to do something with this too even if it won't be easy. Bokomon even claims it to be impossible. Haroi certainly has his work cut out for him, and so does everyone else.
Next week, we're going to begin the fourth act of the book and pick up right where we left off in the midst of the exhausted depression of the Legendary Warriors. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Five: The Hour of Despair (4/2/23)
Welcome to act four, everyone!
We're certainly off to a dark start, huh? This was a heavy chapter, and it fits very well with the recent string of depressing installments we've had. The Legendary Warriors are at their lowest point in the book, and it's the worst they've felt since Koichi was killed by Lucemon at the end of the previous book. Everything is miserable for them, and they can feel it. You can see where the chapter title came from, huh?
This entire chapter acts as a transition of sorts between the constant action of the back half of act three and the battles to come. Everyone is feeling melancholy and heavy from their loss since, unlike the previous book, they didn't win the big battle at Rose Morning Star. They're in a worse place than ever before, and everything is slowed down and tense for the sake of letting it sink in. This chapter takes place in the middle of the night and accentuates everyone's terrified restlessness to hold up this mood. They've hit rock bottom, and they have no idea how to climb back up to the surface again.
Now, let's break down all this angst and misery scene by scene. First off, we have Mayumi, Haroi, and Saki's conversation. I really wanted to have Saki apologize to Mayumi and Haroi for what happened with Biastamon since, while it's not their fault, they were the first one to believe Biastamon had betrayed them. Saki has a very strong sense of justice and a strict moral code to protect those they love, and that was turned against them by Alastomon. Mayumi knows it wasn't Saki's fault, of course, but there's still a lot of exhausted tension in the air because of what Alastomon did. He's a manipulative bastard, and that's the reason all of them are in this situation in the first place.
Speaking of Alastomon's manipulation, that's the main subject of Miriamon's conversation with the Digimon guides. Since Miriamon was also heavily involved with the discovery of the letters, she also feels like she holds a lot of the associated guilt, and she's not handling it well. Miriamon realizes just how much Alastomon had planned out for this nightmare and that she was just a pawn, and she completely falls apart under the pressure. She's sliding back into her perceived hopelessness just as she felt after she was reincarnated as Miriamon in the first place, and the Digimon guides can do nothing but watch and listen. To put it simply, it's miserable for them all.
And Alastomon isn't even the group's only problem. It's pretty easy to get caught up in the midst of everything that happened in the Digital World and forget about the events on Earth, but the fact of the matter is that things suck back there too. Koji, Koichi, Tomoki, Junpei, and Hinoka's scene is meant to focus on specifically that. Yutaka ruined Koji's life, and none of them know what to do about that. Tomoki is afraid of what Yutaka could do now that he knows the truth about him being a Legendary Warrior, and Koichi is nervous about what Kousei knowing about all of this could mean for him. To say the group is in a bad position because of Yutaka is an understatement. Yutaka deserves to get punched in the face and then some. He's asking for it at this point.
Last up, we have the scene with Chihiro, Takuya, Izumi, and Yumiko. Act three offered emotional payoffs for many characters in the main cast, but Chihiro was not one of them. They lost control of their Hybrid form and went on a rampage until Yumiko was able to arrive and heal them. Even now, their paranoia continues to hold them back from being able to make any meaningful progress. They're terrified and don't know what to do about it. Chihiro in this book really embodies the idea of recovery not being linear, and they're afraid of opening up to others in case it ends up making things even harder for them. The other three were able to start to tease something out of them, but unfortunately...
Cliffhanger ending! Yeah, I'm still the worst. The group has another battle waiting for them now. This was some downtime before we get ready for another massive fight, and that's going to be our next chapter. It'll be the first battle of act four and lead us into the final quarter of our story.
Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Six: Rend the Earth (4/9/23)
Another Resplendent Evolution in the bag!
This chapter is definitely one that's been a long time coming. Chihiro's emotional struggles have been getting worse throughout the story, and they definitely hit their lowest point at the end of act three. Act four is a new start though, and that gave them the chance they needed to reach the next level. At long last, they're on the road to recovery again.
Now, let's get into the in-depth breakdown. As the first scene shows us, Makuramon wasn't the only one of Alastomon's generals. In truth, he's one of four, and the others are Bloomlordmon, Boltboutamon, and Ogudomon. I chose four Human Digimon for this one since that would make the most sense given the context of what Alastomon is trying to accomplish. Alastomon is off getting ready for the rest of the war, so he left his generals to try and get rid of the Legendary Warriors. The quartet of generals also came to the fortress with a strengthened army. It was only briefly touched on here, but I'll be going into it a bit more later. The Void Fragment Digimon are getting stronger, and that's another beast for our main cast to deal with in the future.
Chihiro finally had their emotional turning point after that first scene too, and they woke up in full to how much the rest of the group means to them. Chihiro's main issue emotionally is that when they get scared, they completely cut themselves off from the world. They're very close with Takuya, yes, but he didn't even know about them running away from their parents to stay with him. When there's something that scares Chihiro, they bottle it up until they fully explode, and they've been at their breaking point for a while now. They needed to allow themselves to accept help though, and that's where the greatest issue came from for them. When they finally started thinking through things differently though, it all clicked, and they were able to reach their Resplendent form.
On a minor side note, Chihiro's Resplendent was a massive pain to figure out design wise because of their odd color scheme (brown, orange, turquoise, and purple). Brown is a strange color on the best of days, but here... Yeah, it was a lot to work with. I really like how it turned out though. My favorite part of their design is definitely their rock gauntlet. Left-handed Chihiro for the ages!
As for the battle that followed Chihiro's Resplendent Evolution, I decided to split the attention between them and Mayumi since she was the only one to have a loss as her first battle after reaching the Resplendent level. It was under understandable circumstances, but it's still a shame. Instead of leaving her with that, she and Chihiro work together to win the day and send the generals packing. The others fall into the background by comparison so Chihiro and Mayumi can save the day. They're an odd pair to win a fight together, but I love mixing things up, so I'm happy with how it turned out.
Next, we've got the Legendary Warriors realizing they won't be able to keep their secret forever. They've been in the Digital World for a while now, and before that, they were fighting in secret to fend off the attackers on Earth. Their parents have definitely noticed that they've gone missing, and now, they have to tell the truth about everything going on. How this happens and how much they say will vary on an individual basis, but it's still a lot for them to take in. There comes a point in a story like this where the heroes of the otherworldly adventure need to tell their families about this, and their time has come whether they like the idea or not.
Last but not least, we have the scene with Koichi to end everything. He's been in emotional distress for the longest out of the group's members, but he still hasn't seen any degree of relief from it. Going back to Earth is only stressing him out more, and Dusk tormenting him isn't helping at all. Koichi is one of the last four Legendary Warriors to reach the Resplendent level, and he's starting to take it to heart since his ability to Spirit Evolve has been hampered for so long. Chihiro was able to break free of that issue, but Koichi is still struggling with it. For the millionth time this story, poor Koichi. He deserves better.
Next week, we're going to pick up with the Legendary Warriors going back to Earth at last... And finally telling the truth. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Seven: Latches and Keys (4/16/23)
Oh boy... The Legendary Warriors are finally telling the truth.
This is probably something some of you have been waiting for. In every season of Digimon that takes place on Earth, there comes a point where the Chosen Children have to tell their families what's going on. Our group here has gotten away with hiding the truth for a long time, but that's all finally melting away. It's time for them to be honest whether they're ready for it or not... And let's be honest here, none of them are.
First off, we've got Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro going back to the Kanbara household. Since Shinya was with the investigation team and Masae at the time of the attack ending, they were all invited back to the Kanbara home to wait for Takuya, Izumi, and Chihiro. None of the kids said anything to Yuriko or Hiroaki about what they knew, but they had to know the truth was going to come out sooner or later. Sure enough, that's where we leave off in this scene. I thought it would be appropriate to start off with the truth coming out with the Kanbara family since they were the first relatives we saw back in the first book.
We take a break from them though to look at Koji and Koichi. The twins are having an equally bad time, and they're having crises about having to tell their parents too. Yutaka telling Kousei the truth about Koji knowing about Koichi only threw another wrench into their plans. While neither one of them is looking forward to telling their parents about what's going on, they know they don't have much of a choice, so they're willing to get it over with anyway. Koji wants to avoid going home for as long as he can get away with it though, so he walks Koichi back before heading toward his house again.
And that's our cue to go back to the Kanbara home. Yuriko and Hiroaki are the parents I wanted to focus on most with their reactions in this chapter, hence why they got such a long scene about it. They don't like what their children are having to do here, but they understand they have no other choice but to go along with it. Note here that I said their 'children.' Chihiro is just as much a member of the family as Takuya and Shinya. There are three children in the Kanbara family, and I will not be taking any feedback at this time.
On the note of that scene, I want to touch on the investigation team for a moment. They all wanted to learn the truth behind the Digimon attacks for the sake of personal gain and the fame that would come from it. They put that aside for the sake of helping the Legendary Warriors. They're allies, and they finally see that. It's a small detail, but I really like it for how it fits in with the four of them and their shared arc leading up to this point.
Next, we have Mayumi and Haroi going home. I admittedly wasn't going to have them tell their parents at first, but that wound up changing. I haven't had the chance to show off Daizen and Katsumi before now, but since Mayumi and Haroi's family is so tightly-knit, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. And so, Mayumi and Haroi tell them the truth. The only other detail I have about this scene is that Haroi is still determined to find a way to bring Biastamon back. No one can say for sure if he's going to be successful or not, but he's not going to let the idea of impossibility stop him.
The scene with Hinoka going home was a last-minute addition. Since she doesn't really have anyone to tell, I was planning on leaving her out, but I decided to include her for the sake of contrasting the happy reunions in the other scenes of this chapter. Hinoka doesn't talk much about her relationship with her mother since she has bigger issues to deal with, but she has an incredibly complex set of thoughts about Fujie. That's a matter for another day though. For now, Hinoka just gets to feel bad about it. Poor girl.
I was going to do more with Koji's ending scene in this chapter, but I decided to leave it off here as a cliffhanger. Spoiler alert: he gets a lot of focus next chapter, so I thought it would be appropriate to end things there to set up for next time. He's having a crisis as I said before, but he knows he can't hold it off any longer. So here he is whether he wants to be or not, and I can assure you, he does not want to be there.
With that in mind, next week, we're going to follow Koji into the Minamoto house at long last. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Eight: Pacts of Radiance (4/23/23)
At long last, Koji gets the chance to talk with Kousei!
We were long overdue for a chapter focusing on the twins honestly. Koji's been stewing ever since Yutaka revealed the truth about him knowing about Koichi, and the recent invasion has kept him from being able to handle that in full. Now that everything has been taken care of regarding the attacks on Earth though, Koji can finally be honest with Kousei and Satomi...
Not that he was originally planning to do that. Even when Koji sits down to try and handle things with his father, they can't see eye to eye. Given their rocky relationship leading up to this point, that's not exactly surprising. Koji and Kousei are unfortunately very similar with how stubborn they are, and that's one issue neither one of them knows how to handle. They're a lot alike, so they end up butting heads way more than they should. They struggled greatly with the divorce and losing Tomoko and Koichi in their own ways, and that led to a massive rift between them because their instincts are to repress their emotions on both sides, something that causes way more problems than it solves. Even after the truth comes out--sans Digital World, of course--Koji and Kousei still can't figure each other out, and that fuels the conflict of this entire chapter.
Koichi is having a much easier time with Tomoko though, and he chooses to be fully honest with her from the start. Koichi is incredibly close with his mother, and he's been keeping a lot of secrets from her. That would start to eat away at anyone after a while, especially given how much they've relied on one another in the past. There are a lot of parallels between Koji and Koichi's different explanation scenes to really highlight the stark contrasts in their situations.
For example, Koji's ends with him storming out when Leviamon attacks while Koichi is too caught up in his conversation with Tomoko to realize what is happening. Kousei and Satomi follow Koji outside though, and the truth about the Digital World comes out for better or worse. Once again, we have Hinoka covering for someone who needs to explain the Digital World situation to another person, though this time, it's Koji rather than Takuya. Since Hinoka doesn't have much to do with her time back on Earth given her strained relationship with her mother, she was the perfect person to swoop in at the last minute, giving Koji the time he needed to be honest with Kousei and Satomi.
I really liked this scene because of how overwhelmingly necessary it was for Koji. He desperately needed to be honest about everything he's been struggling with and what to do about it. Repression led to rage for him for many years, and what he needed most was the space to just let himself feel everything that was holding him back. He kept that hidden because of his issues with Kousei, but he finally snaps here and tells Kousei to step it up. Koji doesn't want to be angry all the time anymore, and he finally makes that change here, leading to his Resplendent Evolution.
I really like the conversation between Koji, Kousei, and Satomi after the fight sequence too. It's clear that even though Koji wants to try and make things better going forward, he's not going to just forget everything that happened before this. He can't ignore the past nor can he ignore the damage Kousei did to him by not properly caring for him. Koji is willing to make a difference in their relationship, but he's not going to forgive Kousei for treating him like garbage for years either. That's a very important thing to consider with this chapter: Koji is not forgiving and moving on. He's still upset with the way Kousei treated him. It's a step down a different path rather than a complete shift in their dynamic. It'll take a long time for Koji to be able to fully move on from the damage Kousei did when he was growing up, but it's a start.
Last but not least, we have the ending with Koichi and Tomoko. Once again, I wanted to highlight just how close the two of them are. Tomoko loves her son more than anything in the world, and she wants to do everything in her power to support him regardless of how terrifying it is. Koichi finally being honest with her about everything--including Dusk, Velge, and Malkako--is a massive step for him. They love each other a lot, and it all comes through here. They deserve the world even if they're not going to be able to find peace for quite a while, not as long as Alastomon remains on the loose.
Next time, we're going to press on with act four and prepare to fight against Alastomon's four generals. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Forty-Nine: As War Breaks (4/30/23)
Update time!
This chapter is meant to function as something of a break before we get into the final stretch. We're getting pretty damn close to the end of the story now since we're only eleven chapters out, so this is going to be one of our last major breaks before the final battle against Alastomon. That won't be until act five, but we're sprinting to the finish at this point, and the rest of act four awaits.
With this break, I wanted to give as much attention to minor characters as possible. Shinya appeared in the opening scene of Takuya and Chihiro watching the news, and we were able to see Botan again too. Botan has just kind of existed in the background for a long time, but here he is again, and Chihiro responds to him a lot better than they have in the past. They're getting better, and this scene is proof of it, even if they definitely deserve to punch him in the face for not helping them. Just a little bit.
The highlight of this chapter was being able to write the investigation team again though. It's been a while since we've been able to see them going about their regular lives like this, and I'm happy to be able to go back to them. Katsuharu was the first of the three we looked at in more detail here, and I think that's perfect given how willing he was to throw himself into all of this headfirst. He's a far cry from how he was in canon, but he was still a bit selfish in his wishes to learn more about the Digimon for his personal gains, but all of that is different now. He wants to help in any way he can now, and I love being able to see his development here. Even if the investigation team isn't the focus of the story, it's nice to give them a bit of attention every once in a while.
Next up, we've got the scene with Junpei and Saki. It's been a while since we last focused on Junpei since he got his Resplendent so early in act three. This was the perfect chance to take a step back and look at him again. He and Saki are tired and worn out, but they're still doing their best to keep fighting for the sake of the rest of the group. As per usual, they're the ones getting everything done and pushing the plot forward. Where would we be without the two of them?
Next up, we've got the scene with Teruo and his siblings. This is a small part of the chapter as a whole, but I'm really happy with how it turned out since I wanted to visit Teruo's family again at some point. They've got such a sweet dynamic, and it's a very different way from how we're used to seeing Teruo when he's focused on his investigations. He's come a long way too, and that really shines through here. I adore the way he interacts with his siblings, and it's so much fun to see. He's a sweetheart deep down, and that shows here.
Someone who is considerably less sweet though is Daishi. This is our first time seeing him up close since he's just existed in the background up to this point, and he's every bit as miserable and upsetting to be around as Chiaki and Hinoka have made him sound. Chiaki has been outright avoiding him for as long as possible since she doesn't know how to deal with him. He doesn't know that she knows, but the idea that he'll figure it out is scary enough for her. It's not surprising she jumped at the chance to help the Legendary Warriors as long as it would get her out of the house and away from him.
Last up, we've got the scene of the investigation team sending the Legendary Warriors off. This chapter was mostly focused on the supporting cast, so it only makes sense that they'd be here for the final sendoff too. The Legendary Warriors will get a lot more time to shine next chapter, but for now, I had fun with the brief break of exploring the side characters. They needed a bit of extra attention before we rushed into the final sprint.
Next week, we're going to press forward with act four as the Legendary Warriors return to Inaie for the first time in over twenty chapters. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty: The Island of Sorrow (5/7/23)
And so we reach the final ten chapters! Well, that technically starts next week, but we're in the homestretch now. Only two and a half months of installments remain for this story... Man, where does the time go?
Before we can get into the very end of this story though, we need to dig into this chapter. We're back on Inaie after all this time. We haven't had much time to go back there since act two for obvious reasons related to Alastomon, but now that the massive invasion arc is over, we have time to spare and a moment to breathe, so everybody gets to go back to Inaie. It's nice to be able to check back in with our friends there even if none of them are in a particularly good place.
Darcmon is a perfect example of this. She's having an awful time because of how much Biastamon meant to her. He was her mentor, and he was the one who left her in charge of Inaie. Of course she would feel like she was failing him after he died. She wants to be strong for the Legendary Warriors especially given their connection to Biastamon's fate, but she can only keep up the mask for so long. That's why I wanted to give her a bit more time here. It helps both her and Mayumi a lot as characters, and I couldn't resist that.
Speaking of giving some characters a chance to breathe, Yumiko gets to see Kotemon and Bearmon again! As long as the group was going back to Inaie, I had to give Yumiko a chance to talk to them. They meant a lot to her given that they sparked her Resplendent Evolution. Her being able to cheer them up through raw charisma and confidence really testifies to how far she's come since she first went to the Digital World, and it melts my heart to see her doing so well. She's thriving nowadays since she's let herself up open up more, and this is proof of it. They're all so sweet, and more importantly, they're perfect for each other.
The scene following Yumiko's reunion with Kotemon and Bearmon is mostly about pushing the story forward where the rest of the chapter focuses on emotional beats. The group needs to split up, but it's under a very different context from their divide in the Royal Knights arc in the first book. You can make a lot of comparisons between the two segments of the different stories, but this is a matter of voluntary division, and that puts a different spin on it. The group still has a lot to handle, but they're ready to face it. They're not afraid anymore even if they're at their lowest and very demoralized. They won't let Alastomon defeat them no matter what, and that bleeds through every aspect of this conversation.
Next, we have Mayumi and Haroi going to talk with Darcmon and Hippogriffomon. They were the members of the group closest with Biastamon before his death, so they needed a bit of time to talk through everything. Mayumi's had a lot of unresolved emotional tension since Biastamon's death, and I wanted to focus on it here where possible. Haroi will get the chance to breathe a bit later on, so Mayumi got the attention here. Even so, it's nice to see Mayumi and Haroi reaching out to talk more with Digimon. They seem to do that the most, and I love them for it. It's tons of fun to write honestly.
Last but not least, the group is splitting up. Like I said before, this is under a very different context than it was in the Royal Knights arc, and everybody is promising to come back together soon enough. As is to be expected, the next few chapters leading up to the end of act four will follow the group's split, and I'm really looking forward to it. There's a lot of good stuff coming in the near future, but for now, the group gets to breathe in this chapter. Granted, that's over now, but they needed this while it lasted.
Next time, we're going to press on with act four and get into the group's split up adventures starting with Izumi, Koji, and Mayumi on the Moon Base. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-One: Overdue Reunions (5/14/23)
And that's the first of Alastomon's generals down! Woohoo!
This chapter is definitely the biggest victory the group has had in a while, and it's very refreshing to be able to have the Legendary Warriors win without a shadow of a doubt. Sure, they still have to contend with the details of Alastomon's associate, but for the time being, they're in a much better place than they were before.
It's been a long time since we were last on the Moon Base, and I wanted to give it a second appearance here. The group will hopefully be able to come back here under better circumstances (and as a full party) one of these days, but for now, Gotsumon is back! He's become a lot more confident in himself since the group was last there, and he's helped to develop the Moon Base's technology too. He's cheerful even if the Legendary Warriors can't find it in themselves to be, and that's incredibly refreshing for them, to say the least. This is just what they need.
Speaking of what the group needs, I really liked writing the small scene with Mayumi and Izumi talking about Biastamon. It's clear the issue hasn't been completely resolved, but Mayumi is making good progress, and everyone can see it. She's come a long way, and everyone is proud of her for it. It's nice to see her talking with someone she doesn't speak with one on one all that often, and since Izumi knows a lot about grief from losing her mother, it just felt perfect to put the two of them together here.
Next up, we have the scene with Takuya on Earth to talk about. He's going through it. He may not be struggling quite as openly or obviously as the rest of the group, but he's got a lot going through his head too. Being one of the last members of the group to earn his Resplendent form is starting to take its toll on him whether he wants to admit it or not, especially since he feels helpless as a result. Poor Takuya. He's still trying to figure out what prompts Resplendent Evolution, which is actually a great question. We still don't know the truth, but we're getting closer to it, I can assure it.
The group on Caeruleum got to fight against Ogudomon after Takuya's moment of musing, and they were able to defeat him easily and handily. Since they've got three Resplendent Evolutions in one group, they're at a strong advantage here, and that certainly made their lives easier here. Koji and Mayumi were able to push the envelope a bit with their new display of abilities here, and I really like how it turned out. Izumi was able to push things with Ogudomon too, specifically showing off her acrobatic abilities.
However, this victory does end on a somewhat bittersweet note. The group was able to defend Caeruleum and defeat Ogudomon without too many issues, but they learned something miserable along the way. Alastomon has another associate who has been helping him to fight the Beast Digimon, and they're a human on top of that. Alastomon has a backup plan and a failsafe in place just in case he ends up losing in this war. It doesn't bode well for the Legendary Warriors at all, but they know this accomplice exists now, so they're one step closer to pushing the truth out of Alastomon. It won't come easily, but it's still progress.
Next time, we're going to flash over to Flavo and see how the group at the Village of Beginnings is doing. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Two: Dreaming in Starlight (5/21/23)
Another Resplendent Evolution down! Woohoo!
I've been looking forward to the return to the Village of Beginnings. It's a shame it took us this long to come back here given how much there is to be found here, but at least everyone is back now. There's a lot to talk about here too.
For one, Swanmon is back! It's nice to see her again after all this time. It's a lot like coming to see an old friend after ages away, and that's definitely how Haroi feels especially since he and Bokomon are the only ones who have met her before this. She's more than happy to greet them even if she's a bit behind the curve with what's happening on the main planet. And she's also happy to show them to Biastamon's egg. There it is... And Haroi had a connection to it from the start. Swanmon doesn't know how to transfer memories, but she's still willing to give him a chance and encourage him to at least try. She's a great friend even if she's one of the less sunk Digimon in this universe.
On the subject of having connections, let's talk about Bulucomon. I wanted to have Sorcermon come back eventually, but since I couldn't do that easily given... Well... What happened to him, I settled on something a bit different. Bulucomon is Sorcermon's Child/Rookie form, and he's taken up work on Flavo as Swanmon's assistant ever since the fall of Evergreen Dawn. He can help Digimon there in his own way, and that's a perfect position for him. It's a bit rough for him to be there in the same place as Seraphimon's reincarnation though, especially since Patamon doesn't remember what happened in his past life. Saki is holding onto the memory data of all three Celestial Digimon if you will remember, and since memory sharing was previously thought impossible... Well, you can see where the issue came in. Given how this chapter ends, this has interesting implications for Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon in the future, but we'll get to that in time.
For now, let's talk about the real thriller of this chapter: Haroi reaching the Resplendent level. There are a lot of mirrors here to how Mayumi reached the Resplendent level back when Biastamon first died, and that's very intentional. Biastamon offered a lot of commentary about them deserving better than they were given, and finally allowing themselves to accept that and understand themselves went a long way for them, pushing them over the edge to evolution. It may have taken Haroi longer to catch up, but catch up he certainly did, and here he is at the Resplendent level at long last. This leaves only Koichi and Takuya to follow suit, and we'll get to the two of them with time.
The last bit of the chapter had a lot of bombshells for us, to say the least. BloomLordmon says that peace on the Digital World is impossible as long as both Human and Digimon exist on the same planet, and that's not a good thing to hear given what the Legendary Warriors are trying to do. The Digital World has a lengthy history of factionalism and war, and working through that is much easier said than done. Alastomon took a horrible approach to it, and that's why he needs to be stopped, but the group has to wonder if perhaps the idea of the Digital World being doomed to eternal conflict may have some merit to it.
But most importantly, Biastamon remembers Haroi. The memory transfer was successful. I'll be explaining that a bit more next time around, but for now... There he is. It took me a while to settle on a baby form for BIastamon, but I think Dodomon works perfectly. We'll see a bit more of his evolutionary line going forward, and he'll be able to explain himself more in the future too as he gets older.
Next week, we'll go back to Inaie with Dodomon in tow. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Three: Every New Beginning (5/28/23)
We're getting closer to the end than ever!
This chapter was a lot of fun for me, I must admit. I greatly enjoyed being able to write Haroi and Mayumi here, especially since this chapter acts as the end of the character arcs they started back when they first spoke with Biastamon in the midst of the attack in act three.
I really do love writing Mayumi and Haroi as a duo because of how well they bounce off one another. Since they're the pair with the closest relationship even before the story began, it bleeds through in every interaction they have. Their relationship with Biastamon only reinforces their existing dynamic while also showing off how much they relate with the Beast Digimon in general because of their histories. Their arcs are meant to be parallels of one another, and it comes through with the way Haroi got his Resplendent Evolution too.
Just because I love writing the two of them together doesn't mean they don't talk to anyone else though, and I had a blast with Haroi talking to Koichi in this chapter too. I've been planning this one for a long time since I thought Haroi was the perfect person to offer Koichi that added bit of guidance in the right direction. Koichi has been struggling with this one issue for the bulk of the story, and he really needs someone else from the group to point him toward the future so he's not quite as caught up in the past. Haroi felt like the perfect person to slide in there, and I've had this conversation in my back pocket for a long time. This chapter acting as downtime and the end of Haroi's character arc was the perfect place to slot it in, and we'll be able to see the outcome of it shortly.
Speaking of finishing off character arcs, we were able to see Darcmon and Hippogriffomon again in this chapter, and they're going to be looking after Wanyamon from here on out. I couldn't just throw a baby into the plot heavy fights we're going to be seeing in the future, and even though he has the memories of his past life, Wanyamon is still physically a baby and needs to be looked after. Darcmon and Hippogriffomon are the perfect ones to fill that role in my eyes, and I'm glad to be able to give them a bit more depth here. It's times like these where I'm glad I changed their roles to be allies instead of enemies as they were in the enemy.
But times can't be peaceful forever, and the Legendary Warriors are facing yet another set of attacks going forward. Over the next few chapters, we're going to jump into the twin attacks on Rubrum and Earth while the others hang out on Inaie in preparation for Alastomon's next strike. Takuya saw the opening stages of the attack on Earth, but things aren't entirely right with him... I wonder what that's about. Well, I already know, but you all do not. You're going to have to wait a while to find out though since our next destination will be Rubrum. Sorry to any Takuya fans out there; we'll get back to him soon enough, I promise.
We're getting close to the end of act four now, and after that, we'll have the final battle in the form of act five. There are only seven chapters left... Wow. Granted, that will round out to 80,000 words total, but... We've come a long way. I hope you're all as excited as I am, because I can't wait.
Next week, we're going to follow Chihiro, Saki, Koichi, Lopmon, and Miriamon to Rubrum for the third battle against Alastomon's generals. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Four: Union of Shadow and Void (6/4/23)
The events of this chapter were very long overdue. At long last, Koichi has reached the Resplendent level.
I've been looking forward to this one for a while. Obviously, the heavy hitter of this chapter is Koichi's conversation with the others in his mind. I've been planning this ever since I decided to involve the other versions of the Legendary Warriors in the heads of the kids we know so well. All he really needed was a push in the right direction for everything to come together. At the end of the day, the reason for all of this was because Koichi was pushing others out because of fear. As soon as he realized he wasn't the only one who was afraid, he was able to sympathize with the others in his head, and they finally managed to establish common ground. Their issues are rather similar, and they needed to finally talk to each other to make that click. When Dusk doesn't feel like he's being threatened, he's actually willing to talk, and that goes a long way.
The rest of this chapter feels a bit like nostalgia in an odd way. At the very least, that's how I felt while I was writing it. Saki and Miriamon haven't been on Rubrum since the start of the invasion arc, and they're finally back where they connected with each other after so much time. Saki and Miriamon go together during the split up because they're siblings, and I love their dynamic even if it's not the focus of this chapter by any means.
On that note, I love the casual banter between Saki and Chihiro in this chapter. They've come a long way from their initial butting heads as Lyramon and Aeoelmon, and this chapter is proof of it. If they can laugh and tease one another after spending so long either despising the other party or not caring about them at all, then anything is possible in terms of interpersonal relationships.
This chapter has a lot of balance between heavy subjects, such as Koichi's conversation with the others in his mind, and light-hearted banter with the other members of the group. It feels like a break in a strange way, and that's mostly because of the fact that for the first time in ages, the battle isn't a defense mission. As long as the Legendary Warriors aren't being forced to look after others, they're incredibly good at what they do, and the battle is meant to be easy as a result. They don't have anything holding them back, and with the overwhelming strength that comes with their Resplendent Evolutions, they can take care of any fight in a matter of minutes.
Of course, the fun times can't last forever, so next time, we're going to head back to Earth, the worst place to have a fight because there's the most to defend there. This is also where we'll see Junpei and Yumiko in action for the first time in a while... And Takuya. He's the only one who hasn't reached the Resplendent level at this point. Some of you may have seen this one coming since he's the protagonist who hasn't had enough certified protagonist issues yet. Let's just say he's going to get a lot of attention over the next two chapters.
For now, we're going to leave things off here. Next week, we return to Earth for the battle against our final general of Alastomon's army. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Five: Brink of Destruction (6/11/23)
Surprise!
As much as I want to talk about that cliffhanger ending, I have an entire chapter to discuss first, so let's get to that one first. It's been a while since we last properly checked in with Junpei and Yumiko specifically since all of our sideways flashes to Earth have focused on Takuya above all else. The two of them aren't just sitting around though, and they're ready for whatever is bound to come next.
The plot point of Saki trying to learn the truth behind their parents' deaths has come back at long last. I hope you didn't think I had forgotten about that, because I most certainly did not. The fact that the file was tampered with and hidden so much is why Saki had to turn to Miriamon in the first place, and now, it's proof of something being seriously wrong with Earth. Alastomon's accomplice has been actively messing with the file, and that's the best starting point the group has for learning more about who was responsible for all of this.
Unfortunately, because of Takuya and the attack at hand, they didn't get far in learning about that. Takuya not having evolved yet is a very big issue, and they want to try and work through it... Not that Makuramon wanted to give them the time to do that. If anyone has been wondering how Alastomon got such a strong army, Makuramon's explanation here is the reason for it. These high-level Digimon aren't just sitting around as easter eggs like they were in the anime canon; they've been forced to evolve, and Makuramon is taking advantage of their full power to make this fight tough since he's a lower level than the other generals. It'll make for an interesting battle, especially after our last three fights have been such complete wipes of the enemy team. Not every fight in the later stages of the story is going to be easy, after all.
As a minor side note here, a lot of people here say that Koichi hasn't evolved yet. Obviously, we know that isn't true as members of the audience, but the characters haven't been made aware of that change since Saki, Koichi, and Chihiro are still on Rubrum and haven't delivered the good news yet. I just wanted to go on and clear the air with that here before anyone started asking questions about it.
The scene with the other Legendary Warriors deciding to reinforce the Earth team was one I added in on a whim, and I think it helps this chapter a lot in terms of bulk. My original outline only came to about two thirds of the length I wanted this chapter to be, so I added in a little something new. The entire team will be reuniting on Earth soon enough, but in the meantime, we've got three-quarters of the group together on Earth. Plus, adding in the others arriving on the scene of the battle let me put in the aftermath of the scene where Takuya gets attacked in there from a third party. That's always a treat.
Speaking of Takuya getting attacked... Let's finally talk about that. I've been waiting to pull this one out for a while, and I'm very excited to finally have it out there. The Dark Trailmon wasn't explained much in canon, but there's a lot more lore for it both in the first book and here. Takuya is going on his second soul searching journey, and if you ask me, he really needs it. He's been repressing his emotions for a long time, and while he's done a better job of keeping his secret than the others, he still needs to open up if he's going to reach the Resplendent level. There's quite a bit on the line for him in this next chapter, and I can't wait to share it all with you.
Next week, we'll follow Takuya into the realm of the Dark Trailmon once again to understand how much he's been hiding. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Six: Whispering in Firelight (6/18/23)
And there we have it! Takuya is at the Resplendent level at long last!
Okay, first and foremost, I want to apologize for this chapter going out late. I've been sick the last few days, and posting this completely slipped my mind even though it's been done for two weeks now. Sorry again about the delay.
I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while. I couldn't just leave the realm of the Dark Trailmon be for the entire book. There's so much to be found there, and it wouldn't be right to up and ditch it. Takuya got dragged right back there to have another adventure as Flamemon, and it sparked a very necessary revelation for his character development. Oh, the memories.
Speaking of that revelation actually, I feel like this note will work best if I go backwards through the events in the Dark Trailmon realm. Takuya realized what sparks Resplendent Evolution, and that would be the person in question embodying what they needed at their darkest hour. If you noticed the elemental opposite pairs' evolutions were starting to seem somewhat similar, you would be right. The elemental opposite characters have a lot in common on purpose, and that includes what they needed when they were struggling the most. Being what they needed most is what sparks evolution here.
So let's think back through the other elemental pairs: Yumiko and Tomoki felt alone and like they had no one when they were being bullied and abused. They needed someone to step up and keep them safe, so they took matters into their own hands and decided to defend others from danger, and that caused them to evolve. They needed a defender.
Junpei and Saki both have trust issues and spent ages struggling to open up to people about their issues because they feared being pushed away or betrayed for their honesty. They opened themselves up to trusting others and acted as that emotional rock for the people they love and evolved. They needed trust and connection.
Hinoka and Takuya have a bad habit of dealing with all their issues on their own without letting themselves rely on others. They turn themselves into martyrs because they believe they're undeserving of the help others can offer them, Hinoka because of how she was treated by Emon and Takuya because he has an idolization complex with his own optimism. They both opened themselves up and accepted help or offered it to others who needed it too. They needed friendship.
Izumi and Chihiro also bottle up all of their problems and hide how they really feel until they explode. Izumi does it for the sake of easing the fears of others while Chihiro doesn't trust others enough to trust them to be able to help them. They reached out to the people they care about to try and make things right for themselves, finally easing the burden on their own shoulders by relying on the people they love most: their family in both the blood and found sense. They needed family.
Mayumi and Haroi have spent years struggling because of their disabilities isolating them. They came to believe their disabilities were the cause of all their issues and struggles, and they wanted to change for the sake of others accepting them. However, they also realize that they deserve better than they have been given and accept their disability as part of them and something that deserves love too. They needed acceptance.
And last but not least, Koji and Koichi have hidden their emotions for years because they either couldn't trust others or didn't think they deserved to open up. When they were at their lowest, they were not only alone but also repressing and ignoring every negative emotion they had, making them even more miserable. They only evolved after they opened their hearts up to realizing that they can express themselves in dark times. They needed space to feel.
Every character had to embody what they needed most in their darkest hour in order to evolve, and that's where Takuya sets himself apart. Every other character had their darkest moment before entering the Digital World, but with Takuya, he was hit hardest by what happened there out of everything in his life. He needed to face the demons of the Digital World and realize that he hadn't actually done much to try and ease those pains. That was why he was shown all of the images of his time in the Digital World. It hurt him, but since it didn't influence his ability to Spirit Evolve, he didn't say anything about it. He never really stopped putting himself on a pedestal. He acknowledged it when Koji pointed it out, but he didn't ever fix it, and changing that is what finally allowed him to Resplendent Evolve. All it took was a little push in the right direction, and everything came together. We'll be coming back to the Dark Trailmon realm again in the third and final book of the series, but for now, Takuya has finally caught up with the rest of the party, and it's been a long time coming.
So with that out of the way, all twelve of the Legendary Warriors have reached the new level just in time for the end of act four. Makuramon's defeat marks the end of our fourth arc, and for the final four chapters, we'll be focusing exclusively on stopping Alastomon and wrapping up the story once and for all. We're in the final stretch now, everyone... I don't think I'm ready.
Next time, we'll follow up on the impending attack on Earth following Makuramon's defeat. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Seven: Treacherous Hearts (6/25/23)
I had a lot of fun working on this one. It's really starting to hit me that we're in the final stretch of the story. This is the first chapter of four for our fifth and final act of the story. I can't believe we're finally here. More than two years after I started planning out this story and a year after I started writing... We're almost at the end of the line. Only three chapters are left. Wow.
I can't let myself get too ahead of myself though. I need to talk about this chapter first. Most of this battle was watching Takuya go overboard with his abilities now that he's finally at the Resplendent level. He didn't get to prove himself during the Makuramon fight because he was caught up in the Dark Trailmon's realm, so this was the perfect time for him to let loose. It's amazing to be able to write the Legendary Warriors all at the same level and fighting together for the first time since... Act two. That's when Yumiko reached the Resplendent level and Koichi lost the ability to easily Spirit Evolved. Wow, it's been a while. It's nice to have all of that back though. This fight was a hell of a lot of fun, and it really is the full display of what the Legendary Warriors can do when they push to their limits and work together.
Alastomon was able to give his villain monologue about his ideals at long last too. He really thinks he's in the right for all of this and that the Legendary Warriors just don't understand him. He's a very interesting villain for all the same reasons that I despise him and want to punch him in the face. He's a horrible person, and he deserves to be torn to shreds by the Legendary Warriors. He may have gotten the upper hand during the fight at the end of act three, but the Legendary Warriors were able to get back at him at long last. I would go so far as to say that Alastomon's biggest mistake was killing Biastamon. That was what sparked Mayumi to Resplendent Evolve, and she was the one who gave him the most trouble in this fight. Poor Alastomon... Facing the consequences of his own actions.
The Legendary Warriors are finally at the end of their ropes too, and they know what has to come next whether they're ready or not. There was a lot of apprehension in the air when they were gearing up to fight Lucemon at the end of the previous book, and while they're more confident in their skills now, they essentially need to face Lucemon again, albeit with his power channeled through Alastomon. They're ready to do whatever they can to win though. They may not have easy access to Susanoomon to win this time around, but they can still find their own way to come out on top thanks to their new evolutions.
Whew. I'm so excited. Next time, we're going to have the last moment of rest before the battle against Alastomon. He's waiting for the group, and he won't be patient for long... But he has to wait until the cast gets their last beats of character development. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Epsiode Fifty-Eight: A Soul Reborn (7/2/23)
Only two chapters remain! Wow!
There's a lot to talk about with this one, so let's get right into it. First off... Miriamon is Kana again. All of the Resplendent level D-Tectors were able to restore her human form, and she got a D-Tector of her own in case she wants to evolve to Miriamon again or take advantage of her Resplendent Evolution. She may be technically unlocking it now, but I think the key for it has been there ever since she first told the truth about her connection to Lucemon back when Saki reached the Resplendent level too. Just siblings things, I suppose. Kana's got a lot of baggage to sort through as a human though, so she's going to have tons of problems to think about in the sequel when that comes out in... 2024. Sheesh.
That aside, let's get to the other character scenes now. Koji and Koichi haven't really been able to talk since Koji got his Resplendent, but they've really needed to, especially because their Resplendent Evolutions both came down to their relationships with Kousei. They needed space to figure out how they felt about him specifically, and finding a way to pursue a relationship with him in the future is going to be difficult. Still, it's nice to have the two of them talking about that with some degree of closure. They've certainly earned it, and they've needed it for ages.
Next, we have Takuya and company talking to the Digimon about his Resplendent Evolution. This is the scene where we address the giant elephant in the room that's been hanging over everyone's heads this entire story: their issues with relying on each other. They made great progress in letting themselves get help in the first book, but all of that started to fall apart here when they were forced back into those environments that hurt them in the first place on top of grappling with the pain of the Digital World and their adventures there. They all have an instinct to hide themselves off alone when something happens, and that hurts them a lot in the long run, such as Takuya completely shoving out the other Spirits of Fire when they would have been able to help him sooner if he had just let them help. It's something that needed to be addressed, and it's very overdue for all of them, but at least they're going to make an effort to make it better. This story is all about the rocky road to recovery from trauma, and they're doing their best, and that's what matters most now.
Next is the scene with Yumiko, Kotemon, and Bearmon. I thought that having her talk to them was a great way to make her character arc come full circle. She's become a lot more confident in herself, and she's going out of her way to be the inspiration for others she needed when she was struggling. Yumiko is the embodiment of what Resplendent Evolution means in my eyes. She needed a defender, and no one was there to look out for her, so she's taken it upon herself to help everyone else around her instead. There's a reason she earned the form first, and it's all in this scene here.
Yumiko has been making great progress in recovering from her trauma, but not everyone can have an easy time of it, and that leads us right into the next scene with Saki and Kana. They talk a lot about the logistics of the upcoming battle against Alastomon and the circumstances behind it, yes, but they also address how Kana doesn't know what to do now. She never gave herself the chance to think about what she would do if she could return to Earth, and she doesn't know what to do now that she has the chance. Kana has always had a horrible guilt complex after everything she went though, and she only barely scratched the surface of it here. For anyone curious, Kana's need in her darkest hour was love, unconditional and deep, and Saki helped her to see it. Kana is one of the most tragic characters in this version of the Digital World, and she's still got a long way to go, but she's making good progress so far.
Next, we have the scene with Mayumi, Haroi, Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, and Wanyamon near the end. Darcmon is a character I've gained a lot of love for over the course of this story, and I needed to give her a little bit of attention at the end of the line here. I'm glad I changed her from the anime; she's tons of fun and a very complex character. Mayumi and Haroi have always had the greatest connection to the Digimon characters, especially Biastamon, so I had to put them here. Plus, we get a bit of teasing for who Mayumi wants to invite to the festival after the final battle ends. The scene really feels perfect leading into the end of the chapter as the group heads out for the final battle. They're at the end of the line now, and everyone knows it.
Whew. That was a lot. There are only two chapters left now, though chapter sixty is going to be double the length and also contain the epilogue. Next week, we'll begin the final battle with chapter fifty-nine: "Cycles of Life and Death." Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Fifty-Nine: Cycles of Life and Death (7/9/23)
And there's the start of the final battle!
It amazes me how it's almost over. I've been writing this story for over a year now, and I know that, but... It's almost over. I can't believe it. I know I can do all my babbling about that in the afterword coming next week after the final chapter, but still. Wow. Next week. Time sure does fly when you're having fun, huh?
Since the bulk of this chapter is a battle sequence, I want to offer a bit of a look into my creative process going into this book. I was originally planning on having the group evolve to their Ancient forms in this book and Resplendent forms in the third and final book, but upon looking back through the themes of the story, I realized it would make more sense to switch them. This book is about the group adapting to being back at home and their trauma from the Digital World, and since it focuses so much on what it means to be human, I thought including the more human form in this book made a lot more sense.
And I think that was definitely the right decision! I love the Resplendent Evolutions in terms of story, characterization, writing, combat, and design. They're just so much fun... But I wanted to push things a little bit further than that, so we ended up with the Resplendent One. The Grand Spirit isn't easy to access, and since the Legendary Warriors haven't been able to go and search for it with everything going on, they had to turn to something else, and that just so happened to be Kana manipulating her ability over Souls and Spirits to transform the group into the Resplendent One. I absolutely adore this design, and much like with every other design in this story, I really need to draw it out one day. It's so much fun, and I'm really looking forward to writing the fight with the Resplendent One in it next chapter.
Okay, back to my freaking out about how the story is almost over. There's one chapter after this, and it'll wrap up this fight along with showing off the epilogue. The first book ended with a chapter twice the normal length of this story's chapters because of the included epilogue, and the same will be true here. I'm really excited to show off everything the characters have learned there since they've come a long way since the start of this story. God, I love this universe and these characters so much. No matter what happens, I always find myself crawling right back here where I started. They're so much fun, and I never stop thinking about them.
Alright, ramble over for now. Next week, we'll finish off the final battle with Alastomon and see what happens after the fact as "Fates Unbound" finally comes to a close. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
Episode Sixty: Barely Human (7/16/23)
And here we are once again... The end of the line.
I'm going to force myself to save all of my rambling about finally being finished with this story for the afterword, so first, let's dive headfirst into everything that happened in this chapter. First off, the fight against Alastomon was won... But unlike the fight against Lucemon, it has a much more bittersweet undertone to it. The Legendary Warriors prevailed, but they're left thinking about everything Alastomon claimed to know about the Digital World before his death. His insistence that the realm was doomed to chaos and the cycle of war is bound to hang heavily on their minds even though they were able to come out on top of this battle.
In fact, the entire epilogue sequence seems to be obscured by this general fog as well. Much like in the first book, this epilogue has the same idea of not necessarily being in chronological order. Takuya starts to think about how the Legendary Warriors are doing, and while everything after that leading up to the present is in chronological order, it's still a jump back compared to how Takuya is in the present. This book ends very similarly to the first book, but rather than being purely hopeful for the future, there's a constant theme of uncertainty that hides beneath the surface of everything people say and do. Alastomon's accomplice is still out there, and the Digital World is essentially right back to where it started when all of this began. The Legendary Warriors are doing their best to look to the future after everything they've been through, but it's much easier said than done when there's so much left weighing on them.
My favorite part of this epilogue sequence is without a doubt the segment with Kana and Saki. It's the longest piece of the epilogue because it honestly needs to be. Kana finally has the chance to go back home after being given a human form again, and while she has a lot of unresolved baggage around her adoptive parents, she was at least able to start the process of finding closure. There will be more of this dynamic in the next book, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
For now, I want to talk about the scene in the cemetery with Kana and Saki. The two of them have different histories, but they still think of themselves as siblings because of everything Saki's parents did over the years. They were able to fix a lot of harm done to the Digital World, but not everything is perfect since they still carry that grief. However, they can both work toward leaving it in the past at long last though thanks to having one another. Developing the dynamic between these two was one of my favorite parts of the story, and it's incredible to see them finally letting their defenses down around one another after being so masked for so long.
The last important piece here is the festival on Inaie. It's been promised for ages now, and at long last, it's time to deliver on the party everyone has been waiting for. The investigation team got to come along at Mayumi's suggestion because they're important to this journey too. They might not be able to fight the same way the Legendary Warriors can, but they're a support system the group definitely needed. They love having each other there when they need help, of course, but keeping a secret that massive has its consequences, and the investigation team acts as an extra bit of support for the team. Plus, it gives the investigation team the chance to enjoy the Digital World the way they always wanted to, and that includes talking with actual Digimon for the first time. It's really sweet to see their dreams fulfilled after all this time.
This book ends in a very similar way to the first one in that Takuya feels that fire within, the very power that fuels his element even just beyond his magic, continue to burn. I love wrapping around to the start of a story when I finish it, and having Takuya talk with Aguni, Vritra, and Alda again is a perfect way of doing that. A lot has changed, but a few things have stayed the same too, and Takuya still has that passion and courage that push him onward through every difficulty.
Last but not least, I want to talk about the chapter title here. The first book, and the English version of Frontier as a whole, had an incredible naming scheme for the first and last episodes. All Aboard and End of the Line are just so perfect, and I couldn't bear to change them. For this book, I decided to mimic that, and so, the first and final chapters are Almost Human and Barely Human respectively. It shows how the Legendary Warriors have changed over the course of the story, and while they're not quite human the way they once thought they were, they've come a long way, and they've been able to make peace with that too. It's a triumph for them even though the story ends on a somewhat bittersweet note thanks to the unresolved tension.
Okay, I'm finished here for now. I'll see you all in the afterword to discuss the future of the story going forward!
-Digital
Resplendent Evolutions
I received a request to compile all of the character appearances for the Resplendent Evolutions, so I will be doing so here. You can find them in evolution order along with the chapter they first took place in. As a minor note, all of their evolution chapters are named after their elements. I will eventually be drawing these out and putting them on Tumblr. Eventually. I'll get there.
Yumiko Mihara, Warrior of Wood (Episode Twenty-Five: Blooming Skies)
At the center of the glow, Yumiko's hair grew by about three inches, falling around her shoulders in gentle curls. A single streak of green broke through her strawberry blonde tresses near her face. A crown of pink flowers nestled in green leaves sat atop her head, loose but secure all the same. Her simple shirt began to morph, creating a green top that wrapped around her neck and left her arms bare. The base of the outfit created an outline like the top of her heart at her chest, and above that, the fabric went transparent before reaching up to a pink choker at her neck.
Tall pastel pink gloves tinged with orange worked their way up her arms. A matching pastel green belt wrapped around her waist just above a pink skirt. The waist of the skirt was a light pink color and faded out to be darker at the edges with the different layers resembling the petals of a flower. Brown sandals formed on her feet and wove around her legs. Ribbons from the shoes extended upward in a green vine pattern with pink and orange accents.
The symbol of the Warrior of Wood appeared on her collarbone beside her top in a gentle green color. Yumiko's hair parted ever so slightly behind her to allow space for wings like gossamer to sprout from her shoulder blades. In the right lighting, the wings glowed pink, orange, and green.
Junpei Shibayama, Warrior of Thunder (Episode Twenty-Eight: When Thunder Roars)
Junpei's light brown hair styled itself simply atop his head as per usual, though it grew a little bit longer along the way. A single streak of yellow appeared near his face, a byproduct of his longer hair. Dark purple fabric appeared on his legs to create pants that were ever so slightly loose, not that anyone would be able to notice it at a first glance. At the top of his pants, a silver metallic belt hung somewhat lopsided on his frame. His pants were tucked into tall black boots with silver laces and golden decorations like thunderbolts on either side. The lightning pattern spread down the sides of his pants as well.
Junpei's shirt was a bold yellow color. The top near his neck was lighter than the hem thanks to a gentle gradient pattern. Junpei also had a black jacket over the top of the rest of his outfit, though the inside of it was dark purple and faded out to silver and then gold at the bottom. The bottoms of his sleeves were yellow, and the lining of his hood followed the same pattern. The jacket was heavy duty, and golden thunderbolts traveled up his arms and hoodie. On closer examination, the thunderbolts were both part of the design and separated from the fabric, a sign of Junpei's primary method of attacking. Deep gray gloves with a few silver pieces of metal on the fingers appeared on Junpei's hands, and they were just as heavy duty and thick as his jacket. The fabric was built to resist electricity so that his element didn't tear him apart. At the same time, everything about him brought together the power of the element of Thunder, ready to release a powerful attack the instant he was given the reason to do so.
The finishing touch was a small splash of a tattoo on Junpei's left cheek. It was the symbol of Thunder, proof that this was his power to use as he saw fit. Since the streak in his hair was on the other side of his face, he had yellow framing his features perfectly even if the effect was asymmetrical. Everything about him was the embodiment of power, and everyone could feel it.
Hinoka Sakatami, Warrior of Water (Episode Thirty: Converging Waves)
Hinoka's hair freed itself from its previous style with the two braids wrapped around her head unraveling and falling over her shoulders. A single streak of turquoise appeared in Hinoka's hair near her face, and her hair waved like water around her. A delicate silver crown sat gently atop her head, and a pale teal shell sat at the center of her forehead and the tiara. Pastel blue weaved around her torso in a corset accented with cerulean. Silver laces wrapped themselves through the front and back of the corset, though they didn't pull tight enough to restrict Hinoka's movement.
A pastel mint green dress manifested beneath the corset, covering Hinoka's torso under the blue. The mint green dissolved into a skirt that fell short of her knees by a few inches. The skirt consisted of ruffles that looked like the waves of the ocean, offering the appearance of constant motion despite being perfectly still.
A silver belt appeared at Hinoka's waist just beneath the corset, and it gave way to a turquoise trail that fell behind her legs. At the waist, the trail was a deeper hue, but it faded out to a light teal color at the edges. Once again, the trail looked like the movement of the ocean even when it was completely still. Silver wound around Hinoka's legs as bottomless sandals made of the same wire as her tiara. Once again, the spiraling silver was accented by turquoise gemstones near her big toe on either foot. The finishing touch to the ensemble was a pastel mint green string wrapping around her left wrist. The string surrounded a turquoise symbol that showed Hinoka was the Warrior of Water with the marking resting on her lower arm just above the green trail.
Saki Fushida, Warrior of Steel (Episode Thirty-Five: Pulses of Midnight)
A purple and silver headband of a crown appeared at the top of their head, cutting under the top layer of their hair but going no deeper. At the center of the tiara, a pearly gemstone could be seen. Saki's hair straightened with the appearance of the headband, giving it an extra two inches as its regular curve at the bottom smoothed out. A single purple streak appeared in their hair off to the left where their bangs flattened against their skin.
In a matter of seconds, Saki's entire body was covered in a base layer of purple armor. Lavender accentuated the edge of the metallic plates with red jewels appearing here and there as accessories. A particularly prominent stone rested at the center of their chest just over their heart. Not an inch of skin was visible below their neck. Their gauntlets were silvery and bore the same scarlet gemstones as the rest of their outfit. Saki's boots were silver as well and reached up to their knees.
The final touch of the outfit was a cape that appeared around their shoulders and reached their hips. The fabric was transparent with a gradient pattern between lavender at the top and crimson at the bottom, curling around their upper arms in resplendent ruffles before evening out. A purple tattoo of the mark of Steel appeared on Saki's cheek just below their left eye, putting it in the perfect position to mirror Junpei's own marking of his corresponding element.
Tomoki Himi, Warrior of Ice (Episode Thirty-Eight: Frozen Heart)
Tomoki's school uniform jacket was quickly replaced with a blue winter coat lined with white fur around the hood, neck, hem, and sleeves. A pair of puffballs hung around his neck. Dark gray gloves peered out from the edges of his sleeves. At his left shoulder, a small slit of transparent green fabric appeared, and beneath it, the symbol of the Warrior of Ice was inscribed in blue on his shoulder. The sleeve beneath the slit turned green as well.
Tomoki's trousers morphed into white pants that clung tightly against his skin. The fabric had a gradient pattern and faded out to light blue starting at the middle of his thighs and getting to a cerulean shade at his calves. The pants had a pattern of diamonds that gleamed like snow in morning sunlight. Dark gray boots matching the color of his gloves appeared on his legs with silver laces going up the front. A long, lone piece of green fabric hung from his right hip with white fur lining the edge.
Tomoki's hair grew ever so slightly longer, the difference so tiny that most people wouldn't have even noticed it. A piece of hair near the left side of his face dyed itself blue, and it was lighter at the root while fading out to a deeper azure hue next to his cheek. A few snowflakes fell in his hair, making it look as if he was constantly gleaming silver. The silver pattern of snowflakes crept up his right cheek, leaving a gleam near his chin.
Izumi Orimoto, Warrior of Wind (Episode Forty: Tempests of Love)
Izumi's hair was the first thing to change. Her blonde tresses tied themselves back with small twin braids wrapping around the top of her head to come together as a bun at the back of her skull. Thin strands of hair among the blonde shone with every color of the rainbow. The most prominent streak of the bunch was pink though, and it fell near Izumi's face off to the left.
Tall fingerless gloves raced their way up Izumi's arms, the purple fabric only cutting off just beneath her shoulders. Pink fabric appeared over her chest as a cropped sleeveless shirt that hugged her body tightly and cut off at the top of her neck. The hem of the shirt ended about halfway down her torso, leaving a bit of skin exposed before a pair of pastel purple shorts began near her hips. A silver stripe across the top of the shorts acted as a belt of sorts aesthetically despite not having any buckles or clasps. The lavender shorts also stuck close to Izumi's body for the sake of ensuring she could move around as easily as possible without being hindered.
Mint green swirls began to spread up Izumi's legs next, creating a pattern across her body that looked like gusts of wind. Her legs were covered in the tattoos from ankle to thigh with the markings only stopping a small distance below the hem of her shorts. Silver ankle-high boots appeared next, and a stripe of lavender marked the top of each shoe, making them the opposite of Izumi's shorts. A lavender heart accent appeared at the center of Izumi's top where her collarbones met as well.
A single mint green trail of fabric stuck out from Izumi's right side. The fabric was transparent and reached her calves, and it always flowed in a breeze that may not have even existed. The bottom edge of the fabric was the same purple color as her gloves. A final dash of pink appeared on her left thigh just below her shorts. The color weaved together to form the mark of the Warrior of Wind, and thanks to the stark color contrast, the pink stuck out easily among the mint green.
The final touch of Izumi's new form was a pair of wings that sprouted easily from her shoulder blades. The wings looked exactly like those she had when Spirit Evolved as Kazemon, but instead of being tinted green, they were slightly pink here. Much like the glittering threads in Izumi's hair, her wings seemed to glitter with every color in existence depending on the lighting, always casting her in the perfect glow to accentuate her radiance.
Mayumi Reiku, Warrior of Energy (Episode Forty-Four: Aether's Requiem)
Mayumi's hair tied itself in two small buns on the top of her head, and bejeweled orange clips kept the new style in place. Long streams of hair that far exceeded the length she was used to fell down to the center of her back. A single orange streak could be seen near her cheek, and it framed her face effortlessly. A few strands of hair transformed themselves until they gleamed with every color of the rainbow, bringing a little bit of extra light to her new appearance.
The next change came in the form of Mayumi's top. It had a halter style that wrapped around the back of her neck before wrapping around her upper torso in three rows with space between each one. As the fabric went down to her stomach, it transformed from dark pink to dark orange to pastel orange to light pink in a gradient pattern. The top looked silky and smooth and glittered just like the occasional rainbow threads in Mayumi's hair.
Cyan shorts appeared on Mayumi's legs. A pink sash marked the top of the shorts in a belt pattern. Beneath the sash, twelve thin streams of fabric followed behind Mayumi to mark the various colors of the Legendary Warriors. She gained boots soon afterward that traveled up her legs before stopping just above her knees. The boots were soled with white and followed the same orange and pink gradient pattern as her top, though this time, the orange was on bottom while the pink was left closer to her shorts. A white stripe marked the top of the boots. On the outside of Mayumi's left thigh, the symbol of Energy engraved itself into her skin in orange ink.
The finishing touches on Mayumi's new outfit came in the form of arm accessories. Her left wrist gained a small orange bracelet to match the clips keeping her hair in place right down to the silver jewels across the surface. On her right arm, a long stream of fabric wrapped around her skin. The fabric was dark pink at the top before moving into dark orange and then reversing the color pattern in pastel near her wrist. With that, a final layer of sparkles appeared on the twelve tails that followed her from behind, and the transformation was complete.
Chihiro Ayumu, Warrior of Earth (Episode Forty-Six: Rend the Earth)
The first change Chihiro noticed as the Resplendent Evolution process began was their clothing. Their jacket and shirt were replaced with a thin dark brown shirt, the layer of fabric so thin it barely felt like anything against Chihiro's skin. A chestplate manifested over the shirt, and the steel shone brown. Orange outlines marked the top and bottom of the metal, and matching shoulder pads appeared while attached to the top edge of the chestplate. On Chihiro's right arm, the dark brown shirt transitioned into being a fingerless glove as it went down their arm. The lower segment of the glove faded out to purple and then turquoise, cleaning dividing their sleeve into thirds.
Chihiro's left arm gained much more ornate decorations though. Rocks clung to their body to create a massive gauntlet that traveled up the entire length of their arm and only ended below their shoulder plate. The rocks were constructed in a way that allowed them to easily bend their elbow and wrist, and small jewels of turquoise and purple marked their joints both on their arm and fingers. The layer of rock was thick enough to deflect just about any hit sent in their direction, easily using the full power of the element of Earth that Chihiro had come to feel so connected to ever since coming to the Digital World.
A turquoise belt wrapped around Chihiro's waist where their shirt ended, and jewels adorned the surface of the belt. Chihiro's pants were quick to change as well, and the section near their waist turned orange. Near their calves, their pants shifted from orange to brown. The belt had one other accessory though, and it came in the form of a simple transparent piece of purple fabric that hung behind and beside Chihiro's left leg. The fabric had different lines going through it that made it look like layers of sediment, and the purple got darker with each new layer. A purple diamond stuck out as a brooch on the belt to show where the fabric attached itself to the rest of their outfit.
The purple and turquoise theme continued in Chihiro's shoes as well. Their somewhat tall boots were predominantly turquoise with lines of purple running along the top. The soles of their boots were brown to match the primary color of their element, and small jewels could be seen along the bottom of their shoes as well. The Earth was a part of them, and it made that clear.
One final change marked Chihiro's outfit, and that came in the form of three claw-like slashes in their shirt across the right side of their torso. The slashes were covered by transparent orange fabric, showing off the muscle they had accumulated through their years of participating in sports. Beyond that, the largest claw mark showed off the symbol of Earth on their hip just above their belt, putting it in the opposite position to where Izumi's mark of Wind was in her Resplendent form.
Last but not least, Chihiro's hair began to change. Their hair fell out of its regular ponytail, and their hat was forgotten. Instead, their hair tied itself up in a bun at the top of their head. A comb made of silver steel kept their hair in place, and jewels of orange, purple, and turquoise lined the accessory. A single streak of lighter brown for Chihiro's element broke through the regular color, and that streak fell to the right side of their face to frame their features.
Koji Minamoto, Warrior of Light (Episode Forty-Eight: Pacts of Radiance)
With the armor of Beowolfmon now gone, Koji's clothing was free to change in every way it needed to. First and foremost, a white shirt formed on his torso. Its sleeves were loose before coming together tightly under black braces on his forearms. Gray gloves peeked out from beneath the braces to cover his hands, leaving only the tips of his fingers visible. A belt of a paler gray color wrapped around his hips, and thin strips of gold marked the top and bottom of the strip of fabric.
Koji's new pants were black and followed a similar pattern to his shirt. The trousers were loose before coming together suddenly as white boots appeared on his calves. Golden laces traveled up the front of the boots to keep them in place. A sun emblem of the same color could be seen on the outside of his boots. Yet another sun settled itself on his chest just above his heart, and a fourth appeared at the center of his belt.
A piece of blue fabric cascaded down from the right side of the belt, and it cut off just below Koji's knee. The fabric was lined with a strip of pale yellow as it wrapped around the upper half of his right leg like half of a skirt. However, the fabric would not restrict his movement if he needed to fight, and given what this form was for, it was just a matter of time before he had to take it into combat.
As the half-skirt fully formed, a small cutout appeared on Koji's right boot on the outside of his ankle. The hole was quickly filled with transparent pale yellow fabric to match the lining of the blue cloth draping down from Koji's hip. Beneath the hole, the symbol of the element of light carved itself into his skin in a bright white color that seemed to practically glow when the light hit it just right.
The final change to Koji's appearance came in the form of his hair. His black hair tied itself into a high ponytail. Two braids wrapped around his head before cutting off as they joined the ponytail. A sun emblem was attached to the band that kept his hair out of his face. A few strands of black hung out of his ponytail though, and they framed his face carefully. A streak of white appeared near his cheek to show off the color of his element.
Haroi Tsurumaki, Warrior of Cosmos (Episode Fifty-Two: Dreaming in Starlight)
The shirt that appeared on Haroi's body was a neutral gray color, and the right sleeve went all the way down to his wrist before giving way to black fingerless gloves. On the left side, a cut went across his collarbone to abruptly end the gray fabric. Instead, a patch of royal purple appeared in its place, going down to his wrist just like his other sleeve. The purple seemed to shimmer ever so slightly when the light caught the fabric just right, though most people wouldn't notice it if they weren't paying attention.
On Haroi's legs, his pants underwent a similar transformation, but the gray base was a much darker color than his shirt. This time, the cutout was on the right side and showed a royal blue color to finish out the rest of his trousers. Once again, the blue gleamed slightly, though it took an observant eye to see that. Black boots appeared on Haroi's legs, and they went halfway up his calves before giving way to silver accents around the top edge. The same silver accents could be seen on the soles of his shoes as well, making them stick out against the midnight black of the leather.
Another thick stream of fabric appeared around Haroi's waist soon afterward as a large sash that tied itself up on his right side next to the blue leg of his trousers. The sash was purple and blue, holding the pattern of the cosmic skies across its full length as it went down to Haroi's calves. A matching scarf quickly manifested itself around his neck, and its length hung down on the left side of his torso. With every movement he made, the cosmos within the sash and scarf seemed to morph in new ways, giving the illusion of space itself.
Haroi's hair grew slightly longer before braiding itself together at the back of his head. The braid tucked itself up against his scalp, creating a steady pattern that went across the base of his neck. A single streak of silver appeared through his bangs near his face. As a final touch, a pair of draconic wings appeared on his back. The base of the wings was a black color, and the webbing between each major segment of the wings was a bold indigo color, the midway point between his purple and blue on his shirt and trousers.
Koichi Kimura, Warrior of Darkness and Void (Episode Fifty-Four: Union of Shadow and Void)
The first change Koichi took note of was his new hairstyle. His hair had grown a few inches longer and was now tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck by a golden ribbon, though it was only barely long enough to be held together in such a way. A streak of black ran through his hair near his cheek, the color somehow even more impossibly dark than Koichi's regular color. The streak seemed to glow under the proper lighting, almost like it was desperate to be set apart from the rest of his hair.
Koichi's new shirt was a pale gray color, so gentle one could have easily mistaken it for white. At his neck, one side of the shirt crossed over the other in a gentle diagonal pattern. The sleeves were somewhat loose down his arms before the edges clung to his wrists abruptly thanks to black braces keeping the fabric in place. The sleeves had a purple gradient starting near his elbow, and the braces that kept the sleeves pinned down were pitch black. The gloves that peered out from beneath the braces were the same purple as the gradient on his sleeves. At the bottom of the shirt, a thick velvety red ribbon wrapped around Koichi's waist. Beneath the ribbon, there was a thin strip of gold to mark where his shirt officially ended.
Koichi's new pants were the same deep red color as the ribbon around his waist, though for the most part, they were hidden by his boots. His shoes were black and went most of the way up his legs, only cutting off halfway through his thighs. The boots had golden lining across the top edge, and a similar accent could be seen on the soles. On the outside of the boots, there were cutouts to make room for a pattern of crossed black laces that went down his legs. Beneath the laces, transparent gray fabric could be seen to cover his skin. On the outside of his right ankle, the symbol of the Warrior of Darkness was carved into his skin in black, and it peered out between the laces and transparent fabric that tried to hide it from the rest of the world.
A pair of golden strings wrapped around Koichi's shoulders, and two clasps appeared just in front of his right shoulder. A black cape wrapped around Koichi's right shoulder as the clasps fell into place, pinning the fabric down so it flowed gently around him. The cape's interior was dyed the same deep red as the ribbon at his waist, and it reached his upper legs before tapering off beneath a golden hemline.
Takuya Kanbara, Warrior of Fire (Episode Fifty-Six: Whispering in Firelight)
Takuya's regular shirt and jacket were replaced quickly with a new bright red one piece. The edges of the sleeves clung to his shoulders, and the fabric faded out slightly to a stark orange color as well. His shirt's neck segment was cut low enough to put part of his chest on display. The red on his torso spread down to his upper legs where the fabric cut out as shorts lined with a thin layer of orange ruffles.
At Takuya's shoulders, two golden clasps shaped like wisps of fire held a cape in place that flowed freely behind him. The fabric of the cape was transparent and looked like fire too, starting as red up at the top before fading out to orange and yellow near the bottom. Even throughout the transformation process, the cape never stopped moving like it was made of the very fire it was designed to represent.
A black corset appeared around Takuya's torso next, and its exterior was covered in golden designs that imitated fire as well. The details were exquisite and fine, and the golden lining seemed to glow in every light that found it. The front of the corset was laced up by golden string that tied itself together firmly to ensure the rest of the accessory was kept in place. In a similar vein, red string wound itself around his right hand, and a golden flame accessory kept it all pinned in place. On his wrist, the symbol of the Warrior of Fire made itself known, carving its power into his skin with red ink.
At the lowest point of the V-shaped cut at Takuya's neck, a new piece of fabric appeared. It was red near the top but faded out to pastel yellow at the bottom where it reached his hips. Thin strings of red, orange, and gold lined the entire strip of fabric that flowed freely and gladly in front of his torso. Thanks to the added details, the fabric looked like a wisp of fire similar to so much of the rest of his outfit.
Takuya's new boots were tall, reaching up to his knees with firm black leather. Golden laces went up the front of the boots, and his soles matched the color of the string. Matching golden goggles appeared on his head, and his brown hair tied itself into a ponytail at the base of his neck. A single stripe of red cut through his hair near his face. Small flakes of red and orange pulled away from his skin, and as the particles floated away, Takuya found himself warmer than ever before. He wasn't just the Warrior of Fire; he was fire, and he could feel the flame in his chest burn greedily in search of the world itself.
Kana Shiraki, Arbiter of Souls (Earned in Episode Fifty-Eight: A Soul Reborn; First Appears in Episode Fifty-Nine: Cycles of Life and Death)
Kana's outfit primarily consisted of a dress with a few accents and accessories here and there. The bodice was a bright cyan color to match the base tint of her D-Tector. Her skirt was dark blue at the top and faded out through lighter shades of blue before becoming white at the edge. The skirt reached her ankles and had a slit cut out just in front of her right leg. A strip of loose silver ruffles marked the slit before fading out and lining the bottom of the skirt. Silver metal wrapped freely around Kana's stomach to offer an accent to her bodice. A golden accessory made of similar steel covered much of her left arm, winding up and down in gentle swirling patterns that looked a lot like the twist of magic. The accessory shifted up to her shoulder eventually, and from there, it expanded out to her collarbones where a cyan symbol that Takuya could only stood for her abilities over souls was etched onto her chest. Kana had a silver bracelet on her other hand marked with a dark blue gemstone, and it matched the same pattern as her other golden accessory.
On her right leg, there was yet another golden accessory that went up her thigh and down to her ankle before giving way to a dark blue slipper. Her other leg only had a shoe on it, not that anyone would have noticed that if they hadn't been looking closely at Kana in the first place. Her left leg was hidden by her dress most of the time, so there was no need for too much ornamentation there in the first place.
Chapter 63: "Futures Unseen" Update
Chapter Text
So... This is a bit unexpected.
I know what you all probably think this is going to be: an announcement for the last book of this trilogy, "Futures Unseen." Unfortunately, that is not what I'm here to give you. I was originally planning on releasing the third book of this series in about a week and a half on the series' fourth anniversary, and I said as much during the last major update of this story. I was planning on it for a long time, but over the course of the last year, I've been dealing with an absolute nightmare in my personal life and have wound up kind of burnt out on writing because of it. The short version is that I was planning on coming out with a book that would actually get published this year, but that went up in smoke back in February and left me struggling to write. I still want to release the final book of this series soon, but I recognized that I wouldn't be able to put out a quality product if I stuck to my original timeline. I don't want my burnout problems to hurt the last part of this series that I adore so much.
I've been working on a story for The Owl House known as "Dreaming of Dawn," and that story wound up taking a lot longer than expected to end up finished because of the problems I've been having personally. I was originally thinking I would have the time to finish "Dreaming of Dawn," edit "Fates Unbound," and then plan "Futures Unseen" before the fourth anniversary of this series... But after realizing how much longer "Dreaming of Dawn" was taking than I anticipated, I decided it would be best to wait. I'm sorry to anyone who was eagerly awaiting the release date of "Futures Unseen" at the end of this month, but it won't be coming out as planned anymore.
So what does that mean? I'm still planning on releasing "Futures Unseen" this year. It'll just be a bit later than anticipated. Right now, I'm planning for the release date of December 1 so that I'll have time to edit "Fates Unbound" and then plan everything I need for this story. It's unfortunate and definitely not what I wanted to do, but the last thing I want is to give you guys something sloppy and half-assed for a project we all love so much. I want to take the time I need in order to make "Futures Unseen" as good as it can be, and at the moment, that means waiting a little bit longer.
I'm going to come back to this story with a proper announcement for the sequel when I've started on the next book later this year, but for the time being, I just wanted to give you all an update on how things are going on my end. It's not the happiest update out there, but I wanted to be as transparent as possible. I'll start editing "Fates Unbound" over the summer, and if you want to stay up to date on new scenes that I write for this story, you can follow me over on Twitter or Tumblr or join my Discord server where I give updates on that stuff. Until then, thank you all for understanding, and I look forward to seeing you in December for the last book of this series.
Digital
Chapter 64: Sequel Announcement
Notes:
So... Here we are. Finally.
I'm very happy to finally be here to announce the release of the sequel... Except I forgot to do the preview here ahead of time. Oops? So the first chapter of the sequel, "Futures Unseen," is already out. If you want to read it, then you can follow the series tag to the third and final installment!
I'm still working on the edited version of this story as of the time of this chapter's release. I have a small handful of added scenes I still want to go through and add. There are a lot less of them now than there were the first time, but I wasn't able to get around to all of them. I'll add a guide for the added scenes to the author's note at the start of this story once I'm finished. If nothing else, the basic edits are all finished.
For now though, we've got a sequel to celebrate. Welcome, everyone, to the final frontier... And the final part of the "Horizon Wars" series. Let us see what the future has in store for us all.
-Digital
Chapter Text
The air was cold, but he was warm.
Takuya Kanbara awoke slowly, blinking away the bleariness of sleep tearing at the corners of his eyes. For a long moment, he stared up at the ceiling overhead, forcing his mind to reckon with all his eyes were seeing. Right. He was in his bed back at home. He had just slept through a long night, and he felt absolutely exhausted even after enjoying all that rest. Beside him, his alarm chirped noisily, and Takuya shot out his left hand to try and silence it. After a few clumsy seconds, his fingers came to rest on his phone screen, and he silenced the alarm with a heavy sigh.
The sting of the chilly January air caught Takuya by surprise even though he was indoors. His window was not helping the situation in the slightest, and when Takuya looked out through the glass, he could see a few drifts of snow on the ground outside. He supposed that was to be expected given the time of year, but it still caught him off guard in a strange way, and he blinked at the snow for a few seconds more. When Takuya finally moved again, he forced a massive breath out through parted lips, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He had to get the day started sooner or later, and this was one day he couldn't afford to procrastinate on beginning.
Takuya's body moved on autopilot as he went through the motions of pulling on his winter uniform. The trousers were warm, but they weren't quite enough to chase away the chill of the colder weather. Takuya technically wasn't supposed to wear his goggles at school, and he knew he could get in trouble for it, but he grabbed them anyway. They served the extra purpose of helping to keep his eyes out of the elements when he had to walk to school, and he needed that more than anything right now. He was cold enough as it was, and he didn't want it to get any worse.
Takuya's mind was loud all throughout the process of getting ready for the day, not that he could say he was surprised by that. He could hear Aguni, Vritra, and Alda all clamoring for attention, but Takuya wasn't able to muscle together the capacity to respond to any of them. He was too tired for this. Normally, Takuya was good at facing mornings, but he couldn't say he felt much like a morning person these days. Every day seemed to exhaust him in a way the last could never imagine, and he hated it more than anything. His energy was fading with each step he took, and his only choice was to try and fight through it with what little strength he had left.
Today was the start of a new semester at school. Well, he supposed it would technically be a trimester since there were three of them, but he didn't care enough for the specifics to change his internal perspective on the matter. Takuya hadn't been at school in a long time, and he wasn't looking forward to going back to it, especially since he already knew exactly what was going to be waiting for him when he arrived. He was no fool, and even if he had been, he would have been able to see the writing on the walls leading up to today.
A few months had come and gone since Takuya's final battle against Alastomon. Since then, all of Japan had been buzzing and chattering with information about the strange hero that had fought off a dragon projected in the sky. No one new had learned the truth about who the Resplendent One was or who the 'human monsters' were, but that didn't matter much to Takuya. It was tiring to have to pretend everything was fine when he knew it very clearly was not. He had drained too much of his energy on something like this, and it wasn't getting any better either.
Takuya had never been too fond of winter for a variety of reasons, and he found himself hating it even more now that he was the Warrior of Fire. He didn't have to worry much for bundling up in the cold since his natural heat would fend off the chill of the elements, but he still hated it. Takuya liked the warmth of summer much more. It made him feel more in touch with his abilities, and more importantly, it gave Takuya some idea that he was in control of his circumstances. Unfortunately, Takuya had control over absolutely nothing now, and the snow was just another sign of that which he could not change.
In the two and a half months since Alastomon's downfall, Takuya hadn't gone to school once. The repairs after the massive invasion on Earth had taken much longer than expected, and that left Takuya out of school for the rest of the semester. An entire wing had caved in by a rogue attack during the invasion, and that meant Takuya was given all the time he wanted in the last few and a half months. Takuya loved it, but he had known it would have to come to an end sooner or later. Today was the end of it all whether he liked it or not, and he was going to have to go back to pretending his life was that of a regular teenager.
Takuya shuffled through the cold air into the kitchen of the Kanbara home. "Morning, Shinya. Morning, Chihiro." He barely realized he had spoken until after the words left his lips, and he recognized that it had been Vritra. Getting in contact with Aguni, Vritra, and Alda had been getting easier over the last few months, and they seemed to bleed into each other in a way they never had before. Now that they were less concerned with hiding everything all the time, they could express themselves, and that meant the other Warriors of Fire felt secure enough to speak up and offer their opinions every once in a while. Today though, Vritra was filling the silence when he realized that Takuya was too tired to do the heavy lifting for himself.
"Morning, Takuya," Chihiro greeted before taking another bite of their breakfast. They were wearing a warm hat even though they would have to take it off when they got to school. Chihiro looked up at Takuya as he sat down, and a shudder sprinted down their spine and then spread throughout the rest of their body. "You're so lucky you don't have to dress warm for the cold. I always hated having to do that, and yet..."
"I don't have to," Takuya finished for them, and Chihiro nodded. Takuya sat down with a heavy sigh, reaching for a nearby box of cereal and starting to pour it into a bowl that either Chihiro or Shinya had set out for him. "If you'd like, you can take one of my jackets. You look like you could use the extra layers."
"I might just have to take you up on that," Chihiro replied. "It's too damn cold for anything, much less walking to school."
"Don't remind me," Shinya winced from his place across the table. "I was really hoping the repair process would keep us out of classes for at least a little bit longer, but I guess not. We're just going to have to grin and bear it, huh?"
"Nothing to grin about in a situation like this," Takuya muttered. He had been hoping for a while that the rumors about the final battle with Alastomon would have calmed down by the time classes started up again, but he knew better than to believe it. Everyone and their best friend was going to be talking about the final battle between Alastomon and the Resplendent One. If they weren't talking about that, then they were going to be talking about the attack that had happened a few days before that. School had gone out of session because of a massive monster invasion across Japan. Even months later, something like that didn't exactly lose its gossip appeal, and Takuya knew he was going to be plunging straight into a lot of conversations he didn't want to have when he arrived on his school's campus once again.
"It's a shame we weren't able to learn a little bit more before we had to go back to classes," Shinya commented. "I had been hoping we'd... I don't know... Figure out who we were supposed to be looking for in the first place."
Takuya groaned at Shinya's words. "You're telling me." Thanks to classes being out of session for so long, the Legendary Warriors had been spending the last few months working on tracking down as much as they could about Alastomon and his accomplice as possible. So far, they had found absolutely no luck. They were no closer to figuring out who Alastomon had been working with than they had been when they first learned there was an accomplice to find at all. The search effort had been extremely organized and even more thorough, but they had come up hilariously short, and now, they were losing almost all of the time they could have used to search.
There had been three primary goals on everyone's minds after the fall of Alastomon. The first was to figure out who his accomplice was and bring them to justice. If there was truly a human working with Alastomon, then that meant someone on Earth knew about the Digital World. That was dangerous in itself, but them working with Alastomon for such destructive attacks on Earth was even worse. The Legendary Warriors had to figure out who Alastomon's comrade was and see them stopped as soon as possible. There was no way the world would ever know peace as long as they were still out there.
The other two goals were connected in premise, and they were the two the group had been working toward far more: finding out where both the Grand Spirit and Lucemon's power had gone off to. When the Digital World reconstructed itself after Lucemon and then Alastomon's defeat, the sources of Heaven and Hell's power had been sent somewhere else in the Digital World. The Legendary Warriors managed to defeat Alastomon before the Digital World reached the point of having to be completely reconstructed, but since Lucemon's magic had vanished after Alastomon's death, they had to find it. The power of Hell had to be around there somewhere. They simply needed to figure out where Alastomon had sent it in his final moments, assuming Alastomon had been able to influence its new location at all. It was difficult to say for certain.
The Grand Spirit was another question, and Takuya could only hope finding it turned out to be a much simpler affair than trying to figure out who Alastomon's accomplice was. He was hoping with everything he had that the Grand Spirit turned out to be entirely unnecessary. In a perfect world, the Legendary Warriors would be able to nip all of this in the bud, get rid of Alastomon's accomplice, and bring peace to both words without any problems. However, the world was not perfect, and that meant they were going to have to find the Grand Spirit just in case it turned out to be necessary. They would regret it if they never found it. They most certainly had regretted it back when they had to fight against Alastomon without it.
"We'll just have to keep looking whenever we can find the time," Chihiro announced. "I know it doesn't look great right now, but we're going to find out where everything is and then lay this to rest. We won't have as much time, but we can still look every once in a while. Plus, Kana and the rest of Inaie will be able to look for Lucemon's magic and the Grand Spirit without us. Since they don't have to worry about going to school, we can use their extra time to our advantage."
Takuya nodded around another bite of cereal. Chihiro was right about that being an important advantage; now that Kana had come forward about who she was and what she knew, she could use that power to her advantage. Kana had been human ever since the Legendary Warriors' D-Tectors returned her to her old state, and she was using this new lease on life to search for Lucemon's power and the Grand Spirit. She was living on Inaie with Darcmon, Hippogriffomon, Wanyamon, and the rest of the Digimon guides until she was able to figure out what was going on. Takuya suspected this was going to turn into a permanent arrangement unless their circumstances turned around soon. As far as he was concerned, if something was going to change, it already would have.
Takuya liked to think of himself as a positive person. He was one of the most optimistic people he had ever known, as a matter of fact. Unfortunately, there was only so much his hope could do for him when he had been looking for ages for three different things only to find none of them. He was getting tired, and he knew the rest of his team was too. They were getting closer to hitting the wall. They wouldn't be able to keep on like this forever. Takuya didn't even know if they would be able to keep doing this for just a few more weeks. Maybe school would change that, but Takuya doubted it would be for the better.
"Maybe we should get to school," Shinya suddenly cut in. "It's going to take us longer to walk there as long as we're in the cold like this, so we should go." He pushed himself to his feet, but Takuya could tell by the lack of speed to his movements that he wasn't excited for it. Shinya didn't want to go to school at all; he simply wanted to get it over with so he could come back home and return his attention to the search for Alastomon's accomplice. Shinya had been helping the Legendary Warriors as one of the new members of the investigation team, and he had taken the search as a new source of purpose. It hadn't gotten him anywhere productive yet, but he was still desperate to do what he could to help.
"You're right," Chihiro agreed as they finished off their breakfast. Takuya took his last bite a moment later, and the two took to putting their dishes in the sink. Afterward, they walked to the door and grabbed their backpacks. The weight was unfamiliar on Takuya's back after all the time he had spent without it, and he was not happy to go back to it. Chihiro looked over at him as they tucked their D-Tector onto their hip beneath their uniform. "Are you ready to go?"
Takuya checked to make sure his own D-Tector had been secured to his waistband before he nodded. "As ready as I can be."
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AvidLeori on Chapter 1 Wed 24 Apr 2024 02:03AM UTC
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AvidLeori on Chapter 2 Wed 24 Apr 2024 02:53AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 2 Mon 29 Apr 2024 07:55PM UTC
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EatTheShoe (Guest) on Chapter 62 Thu 22 Jun 2023 09:22PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 6 Sun 03 Jul 2022 09:38PM UTC
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AvidLeori on Chapter 6 Thu 25 Apr 2024 01:29AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 6 Mon 29 Apr 2024 09:39PM UTC
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CassiNoelle on Chapter 7 Sun 22 Oct 2023 03:36AM UTC
Last Edited Sun 22 Oct 2023 03:41AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 7 Sun 22 Oct 2023 06:51AM UTC
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CassiNoelle on Chapter 7 Sun 22 Oct 2023 03:08PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 23 Oct 2023 12:53AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 7 Mon 23 Oct 2023 05:37AM UTC
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CassiNoelle on Chapter 7 Tue 24 Oct 2023 05:01PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 7 Tue 24 Oct 2023 07:41PM UTC
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CassiNoelle on Chapter 7 Tue 24 Oct 2023 09:53PM UTC
Last Edited Tue 24 Oct 2023 10:09PM UTC
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AvidLeori on Chapter 7 Thu 25 Apr 2024 04:05PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 7 Mon 29 Apr 2024 09:41PM UTC
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AvidLeori on Chapter 9 Tue 30 Apr 2024 04:56PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 9 Thu 02 May 2024 08:20AM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 12 Sun 14 Aug 2022 01:45PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 12 Sun 14 Aug 2022 08:17PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 14 Sun 28 Aug 2022 03:25PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 14 Sun 28 Aug 2022 04:29PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 16 Mon 12 Sep 2022 10:03AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 16 Mon 12 Sep 2022 05:25PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 17 Sun 18 Sep 2022 05:29PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 17 Sun 18 Sep 2022 07:39PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 18 Sun 25 Sep 2022 11:12PM UTC
Last Edited Sun 25 Sep 2022 11:12PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 18 Sun 25 Sep 2022 11:57PM UTC
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CassiNoelle (Guest) on Chapter 18 Sun 28 Jan 2024 03:45AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 18 Mon 29 Jan 2024 08:35PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 20 Mon 10 Oct 2022 02:46AM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 20 Mon 10 Oct 2022 05:53PM UTC
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CassiNoelle (Guest) on Chapter 22 Sun 28 Jan 2024 11:06PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 22 Mon 29 Jan 2024 08:36PM UTC
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Jejejeje on Chapter 27 Thu 01 Dec 2022 11:09PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 27 Fri 02 Dec 2022 07:33AM UTC
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CassiNoelle (Guest) on Chapter 28 Tue 30 Jan 2024 06:06PM UTC
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digitaldreams on Chapter 28 Tue 30 Jan 2024 07:03PM UTC
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New_York_Times_Books on Chapter 50 Mon 08 May 2023 06:29AM UTC
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