By Steph O'Dell
(Based on the Fanfiction "United We Stand" by Anime Master Zero)
Kanabara Takuya pulled his body up onto the ledge. Struggling to clear his feet, he strained and fell forward. Groaning, he rolled onto the stone ledge, and breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath.
"This climb sucks!" Takuya groaned. "Why are we climbing up this cliff again?"
"Be…cause," Minomoji Kouji panted, hauling himself onto the ledge as well. "It beats…the alternative."
One by one, the Legendary Warriors climbed up onto the ledge, until Takuya wondered how the ledge could possibly support them all.
Takuya turned his head to see his friends. "Listen up, guys," he started. "It's a bit farther. But we're almost there." He took a deep breath. "We have to be ready for anything once we get to the top. Remember that we don't really know where the Royal Knights are at any given time, so…uhh…we have to be ready…for anything…" Takuya scratched his head. "Uhh…what I'm trying to say is…"
Kouji shook his head and sighed. "What Takuya's trying to say is that when we get to the top of this cliff, we'd all better be ready to fight."
"Way to go, Niisan! Nice save!" Kimura Kouichi beamed.
Kouji looked at his brother, irritated. "Yeah, sure…whatever…"
Orimoto Izumi raised her hand and waved it wildly. "Ooh! I have a question!"
"Everyone looked at Izumi blankly.
"I don't think you need to raise your hand, Izumi," Kouji deadpanned.
Izumi blinked. "Oh…yeah…right! Okay, well, I know that the bridge was out and all, but why are we climbing this cliff? Couldn't we just, I don't know, make a new bridge?"
There was silence for a moment. "Yeah, we could," Takuya said slowly. "But this was also gives us the element of surprise. They'd expect us to try the road, but they'd never think we'd try to climb the cliff."
"Well, I always wanted to rock climb," Shibita Junpei joked weakly.
"I'm tired," Himi Tomoki whined.
The form of Patamon came into sight over the edge of the ledge. It struggled to lift Bokomon and Neemon up high enough to put them on the ledge, but it just didn't have the strength in its wing-like ears.
"Help!" it called. "I can't do it! Someone get them for me!
Everyone leapt to grasp the three Digimon and hauled them onto the ledge. Patamon collapsed onto the rocky self and panted heavily.
"Good heavens!" Bokomon exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I had a feeling you couldn't carry both of us, my dear little Patamon!"
"It's okay, Papamon…" Patamon panted. "I overestimated myself."
"I knew you couldn't! I even told you not to!" Neemon spoke up.
"Oh, shut up!" Bokomon fired back. "You never said anything! And besides, I won't have you putting down Patamon like that!" Bokomon seized hold of Neemon's bright red pants and snapped the waistband viciously.
Everyone tried their hardest to quell the fight.
Except Kouichi. He stared off towards the top of the cliff. The wind rustled his clothes and hair. His eyes grew cloudy.
"They're…here…" he whispered.
The top of the cliff was a flat plain. At first, there wasn't much to look at, except large boulders half-buried in the ground, and flimsy bushes that clung desperately to the sandy soil. Then, they saw it. Scorch marks on the ground and rocks. A battle had occurred in that area.
"Someone had a fight here?" Izumi questioned.
"Looks like it," Kouji stated dryly.
"But…who?" Takuya looked around, totally amazed. "There's so much damage…"
Junpei shaded his eyes and looked into the distance. "Maybe this is why the bridge was out…"
Kouichi crouched down and touched the burnt soil. He rubbed some between his fingers.
"Well, this was almost a waste of time," Kouji grumbled. "I mean, what were we expecting anyway?"
Bokomon's ears drooped. "Oh dear…and I really thought she's be here…"
"Do you mean Sirenmon?" Izumi asked.
Bokomon nodded. "Sirenmon said that she would meet me here to inform me of the rest of Lucemon's legend…it might have provided us with some very valuable clues…"
Takuya took off his hat and goggles and wiped his brow. He sighed. "Now what?" he asked as he put his headgear back on.
"We can't stay here…" Kouichi whispered.
"Huh?" Izumi turned, confused.
Kouichi stared blankly at the burns on the ground, his eyes clouded over. "They're here. There's no stopping them. They'll take what they want and move on…like locusts…"
Takuya started to go over and try to snap Kouichi out of his trance, but Kouji stopped him.
"Who, Kouichi…who's here?" Kouji asked gently.
Kouichi didn't answer right away. Then, he looked up at everyone, his eyes glazed and clouded.
"…The SoulHunters…"
A sound captured everyone's attention. Turning towards the trees down the slope, a figure stumbled out of the shadows.
Bokomon gave a cry of astonishment. "SIRENMON!"
Sirenmon leaned heavily on a tree, clutching her side, which was bleeding profusely. She coughed, and more blood streamed out of the corners of her mouth. Her wing-ears curled close to her head in pain. Her long blue hair was matted with blood.
Bokomon wailed, horrified. He ran towards his friend. "Sirenmon! What happened? Who did this to you?!"
Sirenmon coughed, and it wracked her body viciously. The Warriors ran over to support her.
Takuya slowly lowered Sirenmon to the ground, where she sat heavily against a tree.
"The…the little black creatures…they came from the shadows…so many…they…overwhelmed me…" Sirenmon struggled to speak. "So powerful…as a group…not even…Lucemon…is so strong…"
"…The SoulHunters…did this…" Kouichi whispered.
Sirenmon grasped Takuya's arm. "Their…weak spot…the emblem…on their chest…"
Bokomon's eyes flowed over. "Oh…oh…Sirenmon…"
Sirenmon leaned back, her eyes closing. She gave one last ragged breath, and then was silent. She slowly faded into data that formed an egg and disappeared.
Takuya trembled, his eyes hidden in the shadows of his bangs. Then he reared back and cried savagely in pain and frustration, his fists clenched, his eyes squeezing out tears of fury. Then, he fell silent, his arms falling to his sides.
"Here they come…" Kouichi said. Then he snapped back to normal.
A second later, the SoulHunters started swarming out of the shadows. They rushed the children, their little red eyes blazing.
"What the--?" Takuya was not prepared for what he was seeing, and fell backwards.
"Quickly!" Bokomon commanded, panicking. "Use your spirits!"
"Right!" the children acknowledged. Pulling out their D-Tectors, they shouted their war cries.
"EXECUTE! Fusion evolution! ARIDRAMON!"
"EXECUTE! Fusion evolution! BEOWOLFMON!"
"EXECUTE! Spirit evolution! KAZEMON!"
"EXECUTE! Spirit evolution! BEETLEMON!"
"EXECUTE! Spirit evolution! KUMAMON!"
"EXECUTE! Spirit evolution! LOWEMON!"
The six warriors stood tall in front of the swarm of Shadows. The SoulHunters hissed and shrank away for a moment, and the Warriors took advantage.
"ATOMIC INFERNO!" Aridramon cried, unleashing a rain of fireballs.
"CLEANSING LIGHT!" Beowolfmon howled, firing off a fierce laser-and-missile attack.
A cluster of SoulHunters scattered, but couldn't escape the barrage. They disintegrated instantly.
"HURRICANE WIND!" Kazemon unleashed ten miniature tornadoes, which ripped apart a small group of SoulHunters, and toppled many more.
"THUNDER FIST!" Beetlemon slammed his charged fist into another large group of SoulHunters with devastating results. Little shrieks of terror were all that could be heard as the Shadows vaporized.
"BLIZZARD BLASTER!" Kumamon fired round after round of snowballs at the SoulHunters, causing many to disintegrate as the snowy missiles impacted.
"SHADOW LANCE!" Lowemon swept through the crowd of SoulHunters, mowing down countless Shadows in his wake.
But, still, there always seemed to be more.
"They won't stop coming!" Beetlemon cried, horrified. (Junpei always seemed to be the first to cave under pressure.)
"You knock one down, three more pop up!" Aridramon agreed. "They're like some mutant Hydra monster on crack!"
"I'd say something," Beowolfmon retorted, "But now's not a good time."
"Alright, then, time for the big guns!" Kazemon called. "Everyone, get back!"
The group made room, and Kazemon dropped onto her hands and started to spin. "TORNADO GAMBA!" she yelled. Using her legs as weapons, she beat down a large number of SoulHunters, while the whirlwind the attack created wiped out many more.
Kazemon gracefully flipped herself back onto her feet, and flicked a long strand of hair as the crowd of SoulHunters disintegrated into nothingness.
"All right!" Kumamon cried happily.
"Nice work!" Aridramon agreed.
"Gratzi," Kazemon replied.
Suddenly, the shadows spawned more SoulHunters. The Warriors groaned inwardly.
"More?" Beowolfmon complained. "Haven't they had enough yet?"
But instead of the SoulHunters attacking the Warriors, they all bunched together into a large, seething mass that morphed into an even bigger SoulHunter. This one was much, much, MUCH bigger, and bore pitch-black armor on its arms, legs and back. It roared savagely, then stepped forward. The whole plain shook.
"WHOA!" everyone cried, trying hard not to loose their balance.
The SoulHunter swung his arm and knocked over the whole group, slamming them into trees and rocks. Everyone cried in pain, and then de-digivolved.
The SoulHunter bore no interest in the helpless children. Instead, it unleashed a huge fireball from its mouth, and proceeded to torch the forest.
Dazed and hurt, Takuya sat up slowly, holding his head. "Why..." he wondered, "Isn't it attacking us?...It knows we're hurt...so why?..."
Takuya looked around. He'd been thrown rather near the edge of the cliff, and he was thankful he hadn't fallen over the edge. It was a long way down...
The rest of the group was near the forest, which was now burning fiercely. They seemed unconscious.
"What are you doing, you ungrateful bag of shit?!" a voice yelled. The SoulHunter turned towards the sound. Takuya looked, too.
Standing on a bluff over the plain was a young man, no, just a boy, really; no older than Takuya himself. He was garbed in black clothes, and a long black jacket. His platinum blond hair was spiky and shoulder-length. But most surprising of all, the boy wore a black bandana over his eyes. And yet, he seemed to still be able to see everything that was happening.
The boy pointed a finger at the SoulHunter. "Kill them, if you know what's good for you! That's why you're here!"
"Who...who ARE you?" Takuya yelled angrily. "And what do you think you're doing?!"
The boy turned to 'look' at Takuya. Not being able to see the boy's eyes really creeped Takuya out.
"Who am I?" the boy retorted curtly. "Why, that's none of your business. And as for what I'm doing...I'm watching." He indicated the SoulHunter. "HE'S about to kill you. And all your little buddies, too."
The SoulHunter turned to face the children. Takuya felt panic rise in his throat. "Oh great," he thought, "Now what do I do? I'm pretty sure I can't Digivolve again...so what's left?" Takuya stood, unsteadily.
"NO! Don't hurt them!" he cried, holding his arms wide in a pleading gesture. "Whatever it is you want, I'm sure we can work this out!"
The boy laughed hysterically. "Yeah, right, whatever. You don't get it, do you? We're only here to destroy everything, get it? There is no 'work things out'." The boy made mocking hand gestures like brackets to emphasize his point. "I couldn't care less about you or your little friends. All I want are their Heart Crystals." He signaled the SoulHunter. "Kill them," he said, as if he was tired, and wanted it all to end so he could go home. "Kill them all."
Takuya screamed as the SoulHunter brought his giant hands down on his friends. Takuya could hear their fragile bodies being snapped like twigs. He cringed, and choked back bile. "Oh God...I can't do anything...oh my god..."
The SoulHunters lifted his hands, and Takuya watched as the bloody, broken bodies of his friends disintegrated into nothing, leaving behind beautiful crystals, all of which seemed raw, uncut, jagged. But all with a stunning radiance.
"Oh God...Kouji...Izumi...Junpei...Tomoki...huh? Wait! Where's Kouichi?!" Takuya's guilt and agony were suddenly replaced with fear and anxiety. "Where the hell is Kouichi?!"
Takuya cast his gaze around desperately, and saw Kouichi laying not far from him, unconscious. As Takuya watched, horrified, the shadows seemed to move in and swallow Kouichi up.
"KOUICHI!!!" Takuya cried, utterly horrified.
The boy laughed behind Takuya. "Believe me," he said, "He's gone to a better place." The boy leapt down off the bluff and onto the plain, and walked towards the crystals.
"I think, without a doubt, these are the best crystals we've ever harvested!" he crowed, chuckling.
But as he reached down to pick up the crystals, Takuya slammed his fist full force into the boy's head, sending him reeling. Takuya glared at the boy with a death glare. Fire burned in his eyes, which had gone hard.
"You...sonoffa bitch...I'll...kill you..." he whispered fiercely.
The boy stood up, slowly dusting himself off. "Bastard...you hit me!"
Takuya scooped up the crystals, and hurriedly stuffed them in his pocket. "I'll do a lot worse to you yet."
"Kill him already!" the boy screamed at the SoulHunter. "Or I'll use you as dog food!"
The SoulHunter slammed Takuya with his fist, sending Takuya flying towards the edge of the cliff. He gasped, and dug in his feet. His sneakers lost an inch of rubber, but he stopped before he fell off.
"Just DIE ALREADY!" the boy screamed, infuriated.
Takuya wiped his bloody lip, and braced himself. The next one hit him like a truck. He flew off the edge, and time seemed to slow to a crawl.
"Oh my god...I'm going to die...I'll fall and hit the bottom...and that'll be that. They'll find my body, all broken and bloody...oh god..."
Takuya suddenly became aware of a strange sensation taking over him. It felt warm, and slightly painful.
In his weakened state, Takuya didn't have the strength to fight it off.
He slipped into unconsciousness.
"Takuya..." a voice called faintly, waking Takuya from his dark sleep.
Takuya groaned, and pried his eyes open.
His vision was blurred, but only for a moment. Slowly, a brunette boy came into focus. The boy smiled, and his brown eyes were warm and comforting.
"Hi," the boy said. "Sleep well?"
"Were...am I?..." Takuya groaned, and sat up slowly. Every part of him ached.
"Hey, whoa, easy there," the boy braced Takuya. "You're still pretty weak yet. Just take it easy." The boy smiled again, and Takuya felt a little more at ease. Somehow he felt like he could trust this boy.
"My name is Ryo," the boy explained. "And this place is the AMGDI--the Anime, Manga and Game Defense Initiative. Don't worry if you're not sure what that means exactly."
Takuya blinked, his face blank. "I have NO idea what you're talking about."
Ryo smiled. "That's okay...like I said, don't worry about it. The main thing is, you're safe." He gave a deep breath. "Okay, let me explain what happened to you. The SoulHunters--creatures spawned from the shadows, whose only objective is to destroy everything, attacked you. They consume the purest of heart crystals to fuel themselves. Heart crystals," he continued, "Are the person's soul--all of their emotions and memories--locked into a solid form. The purer the heart, the purer the crystal, and the more powerful it is."
You mean...those crystals I have are...my friend's souls?" Takuya asked, disbelieving.
"That's right. We put them away, in the vault, where they'll be safer. Just in case you're wondering where they went," Ryo explained.
Takuya's hand immediately went for his pocket, and, sure enough, the crystals were gone.
"Okay..." Takuya chose his words carefully. "Now that I know what attacked me and why, how did I get here?" He looked around the medical ward. "Wherever here is."
Ryo smiled. "Okay that I can explain..."
Takuya was plummeting towards the ground at a high rate of speed, and Ryo wasn't sure he'd be able to catch Takuya in time. He strained his arm, trying desperately to reach.
"A little bit more, Cyberdramon!" he urged his partner on.
Just as Ryo's fingers brushed Takuya's sleeve, however, Ryo noticed Takuya was stopping his fall. An orangey-red aura appeared around him, and the form of a phoenix enclosed Takuya's unconscious body in its embrace. The phoenix's strong wings kept them both in the air.
"He is!" Ryo gasped. "He is a Stoneholder!" Ryo recovered face long enough to grab hold of Takuya, and pull him into a supportive grip. The phoenix disappeared in a scattering of flame.
"Let's go, Cyberdramon! Hightail it outta here!" Ryo cried, and Cyberdramon complied. The three took off towards the rendezvous coordinates.
Takuya stared. "I'm supposed to believe that a phoenix came out of me, and saved me from falling?"
Ryo shrugged. "That's what happened. Believe it, or not. It proves that you're a Stoneholder."
Takuya's brow knitted together. "Stoneholder?"
Ryo nodded. "Look at your left hand."
Takuya pulled his glove off, and gasped. Embedded deep in the back of his left hand was a deep, red-red stone. It seemed to flicker inside, like a live flame had been trapped inside of it, and was trying to escape. Tilting it slightly, a kanji flickered into view. Hi; flame.
"Wha...what is that?!" Takuya cried.
"The Stone of Fire," Ryo explained. "Having it in your possession means you are the one chosen to hold power over the element. There are 13 others like you, all with similar stones, all with different elements. Our job, here at the AMGDI, is to find them all."
Takuya looked shocked. "It...doesn't hurt..."
"Of course not," Ryo chuckled. "It's a part of you. It's like your nose, or your fingers. It's just an extension of yourself."
A device on Ryo wrist crackled to life, and a voice came through. "Ryo! Where are you? Susanou's asking for you, sir!"
"Thanks, Ritchie," Ryo replied, speaking into the device. "Tell him I'm on my way." Ryo stood up, and looked at Takuya. "I've got to go for a moment--my boss wants to see me. Try not to go anywhere, okay? You're still not strong enough yet."
Takuya gave a thumbs up. "It's okay, BUD-dy! Don't worry! I'll be okay here!"
Ryo smiled, and left the room.
Takuya looked around the ward. There were several clean beds, but they were all empty. Save one, on the far end of Takuya's row. A young boy--at least, Takuya thought it was a boy (his hair was so long, and his features were so delicate)--lay asleep under the white sheets. He had several IV's in his arms, and a breathing apparatus in his nose.
In the chair beside the bed was another boy. He was slumped over, his head on his arm, laying on the sick boy, sound asleep. His dark clothes were dusty and torn, and his long white scarf was tattered in several places.
Takuya eased himself to his feet, and padded over to the boys. The sick boy lay, his long raven hair spread around his face. He seemed pale and cold, and his breathing was shallow. Takuya glanced down at the IV's and shuttered.
That's when he noticed the stone in the boy's left hand. It was a pale green color, and it seemed to have a bolt of lightning trapped inside that darted around, seeking a way out. The kanji for thunder flashed in the light.
Takuya slowly reached out to touch the stone. Another one, just like me... he thought. His fingers brushed the stone, and he felt a spark.
"Ow!" he whispered. It hadn't hurt, it had only startled him.
Suddenly, the other boy's strong hand clamped around Takuya's wrist. Takuya gave a sharp cry of pain. He looked at the other boy.
The boy's cold, gray eyes frightened Takuya more than the grip on his wrist, which was so tight, he could feel the small bones grind. The boy's eyes snapped dangerously.
"Get away from him," he hissed.
Takuya tried vainly to free himself from the vice grip. "I...I'm sorry!" he stammered. "It's just that—"
The boy half threw Takuya to the floor. Finally free, Takuya rubbed his sore wrist, whimpering. The boy glared at Takuya.
"I never want to see you near him again. Got it?" he spat at Takuya, threateningly. "You're not good enough to be anywhere near him!"
"I…didn't mean…I was just…" Takuya was terrified. This boy was fierce.
"I don't care if you ARE a StoneHolder! If you come near him again, I'll kill you." The boy pulled out what Takuya first thought was a gun. But on closer inspection, he realized it was some kind of device for launching a beygoma, or spinning top. And it looked sharp. The top, not the launcher.
Takuya felt it best to hightail it out of the room at that moment. Unfortunately, the boy had other ideas.
"GET BACK HERE!" the boy yelled, chasing after Takuya.
Takuya ran out the door of the medical ward, and shot down the hall as fast as he could. Behind him, he heard the sound of the top being launched, and he took a sharp left. He heard the top impact the wall, shattering a piece off, and causing a large hole to be created. The boy, however, willed the top back into his hand and prepared to refire.
Takuya glanced over his shoulder as he ran, and saw the boy at the end of the hall, preparing to shoot. Takuya screamed, and turned his head back around, searching for a fast exit.
"STOP!" a voice yelled. Takuya turned to see a short boy with dark hair tackle the first boy to the ground. The larger boy growled savagely.
"Get off me, Sora! This has nothing to do with you!" The boy tried to shove the other one off of him.
"No way, Kai! You can't hurt him! It would be bad! We need the StoneHolders!" the boy called Sora cried, clinging savagely to the older boy's legs.
"He pissed me off! I need to teach the little punk a lesson!" Kai fired back. He pushed at Sora, but the small boy was stronger than he appeared. He held fast.
Takuya stared at the two boys blankly. What in the world is going on here…? he wondered.
Ryo stepped inside the large office of his superior. He glanced around nervously. The room was rather cold, and the many dangerous objects that adorned the walls made him wonder.
The large chair behind the huge oak desk rotated, and Susanou turned to face Ryo. The celestial being smiled painfully at Ryo.
"Do you know why you're here, Ryo?" he asked.
Ryo sighed. "We lost another world to the SoulHunters," he replied wearily.
Susanou sighed as well, and massaged his eyes. "Well, that, and we almost lost a StoneHolder." Susanou looked up into Ryo's grim face. "What kept you? You showed up late. Because of that, we lost four valuable fighters, and possibly another StoneHolder. We're lucky we have Takuya."
Ryo winced and looked at his shoes. "I…I had some…trouble…with the natives…"
Susanou closed his eyes. After a moment's silence, he spoke. "You were the best person for the job. I trusted you. I told everyone you could do it, and you let me down." He brought his hands down on the desk as he stood up. "Dammit, Ryo! Hien's going to rub this in my face until Doomsday!"
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," Ryo assured Susanou quietly.
"It had better not. Takuya almost didn't make it. Hien would kill me if something happened to the Warrior of Fire all because SOMEone I hired couldn't do his job!" Susanou's silver eyes flashed.
Ryo gave a weak smile. "Relax, sir. Takuya's fine. I'm sure he's sleeping right now. I'm sure he's staying out of trouble."
Takuya screamed and ducked to avoid Kai's fist.
"Stand still, you piece of garbage!" Kai growled. He took another swing, and Takuya leaned sideways to avoid it.
Takuya held up his hands in a pleading manor. "Look, can't we just talk? I'm not sure what I did to make you angry, but I'm positive if we just try to work it out—"
"YOU work it out!" Kai screamed. He decked Takuya in the head. Takuya bounced off the wall, and Kai grabbed him by the shirt.
"Take this!" he yelled, winding up to deck Takuya at point-blank range. Sora grabbed his arm.
"Stop it! Stop it, Kai!" Sora pleaded. "This isn't what he would have wanted!"
Takuya winced, and waited for impact. But suddenly, he felt the stone in his hand grow warm. He opened his eyes, and saw the stone was glowing. And down the hall, in the medical ward, the other stone was reacting as well. The room was filled with a bright green light, and the sleeping boy's body lifted off the bed and into the air.
…Kai…
The soft voice echoed through Takuya's head. At first, Takuya thought he was imagining it. But then, Kai's face went pale, and his eyes grew large with fright.
…please…stop…no more…
"…R…Rei…" Kai stuttered, sweat beading on his brow. "REI!" Kai let go of Takuya and dashed down the hall to the medical ward. He stopped inside the door, gasping.
Takuya and Sora came up behind Kai, and were also amazed by what they saw.
Rei's limp body was levitating a foot off his bed. His whole body was engulfed in the light of his stone.
…Kai…
Kai stepped forward. He stared at Rei, amazed. "Rei…please! I need you back! Come back to me! Please!" Tears gathered at the edges of Kai's eyes.
Rei was still deep in sleep. His voice echoed through the minds of all those present.
…I…I'm lost…oh Kai…it's dark…and cold…help…help me, Kai… Panic made the voice grow louder. Kai…I'm alone…and so frightened…no! NO!! The voice rose to a scream. NO!!!!!
Everyone winced, and clamed their hands over their ears. Rei's tormented voice was loud and piercing.
"REI!!" Kai screamed, frightened for Rei. "I want to help you! Tell me how!"
Then, just as quickly as it had all began, it ended. The light died away, and Rei dropped back down onto the bed. Kai ran to Rei's side, gathering his friend into his arms, sobbing and holding Rei.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Kai rocked back and forth, crying fiercely.
"What…just happened?" Takuya asked, completely dazed.
Sora shrugged. It seemed he didn't know either.
Just then, Ryo walked into the room. He took one look around, and sighed. He looked at Sora, and made a face.
"Start explaining," he said, flatly.
Ryo shook his head, exasperated. "I can't even leave you alone for a few minutes without you getting into trouble, Takuya."
Takuya squirmed. "Sorry…"
Ryo sighed deeply. "Okay, look. Let me explain Kai. He's…touchy. He's very protective about Rei, and doesn't let ANYONE get close. Rei's been in a coma since he came here, and Kai keeps blaming himself. He says it was his fault." Ryo shook his head. "Kai's the only one who can explain what happened. And he's not talking." He turned his head, and looked over at Kai.
"They…hurt him…" Kai seemed to be in a trance. His voice was hollow and distance. "They…broke his heart…"
Takuya looked puzzled. "Huh?"
Ryo suddenly seemed to understand. "They…they damaged his heart crystal! That's it, isn't it?!"
Kai nodded.
Kai stared out on the water by the overpass. The setting sun reflected off the small waves in the river, glittering in oranges, yellows and reds. Kai chewed a piece of grass, and drank in the ambience of the encroaching evening.
"Hey Kai," a voice came from behind Kai, momentarily startling him. Turning, Kai saw Takao, standing highlighted against the sun. Takao smiled.
Kai smirked. "Takao. What are you doing here?"
Takao, sat down beside Kai. "I sometimes come here to think. I didn't think I'd see you here."
Kai gave a "Hmph." "I always come here, and you know it."
Takao laughed. "Okay, so I'm a bad liar. But I needed to talk to you."
"About what?" Kai asked.
"Are…you really going to leave?…" Takao seemed sad.
Kai stared at the water for a moment. "Yeah…for a while. But not forever."
Takao smiled. "Well, that's good. I mean, I don't want you to go away forever."
The two were silent for a moment.
"Kai…what about us?" Takao's voice was soft.
Kai didn't answer right away. "I'm…not sure…"
Takao had left a while before. Kai had been faced with a moral dilemma. On the one hand, him and Takao had a relationship. The washing machine incident had been proof of that. But on the other hand, Rei was alluring and tempting. And they were such good friends. Although, that one time in the restaurant kitchen was intense. Leaving would hurt both boys, and possibly destroy their relationships.
Kai contemplated what he was going to do while he walked home. As he walked by an alleyway, a flicker of movement caught Kai's eye. He glanced over and peered into the darkness. It seemed that the very shadows themselves were moving.
Suddenly, a SoulHunter leapt out of the darkness at Kai. Kai gave a sharp noise of surprise, and ducked out of the way. The creature turned and made another leap, but this time Kai was ready. He roundhouse kicked the Shadow into a nearby light post. The creature disintegrated into nothingness upon impact. Kai panted, recovering from the shock.
He broke into a run, heading towards the Kinomiya Dojo. He knew he had to protect his friends.
On the way, he encountered more of the Shadows. Every group slowed him down as he fought his way through. He beat them off viciously, growing more angry with every one.
"Back off, you little vermin!" he yelled, kicking another Shadow into a wall. "I have better places to be than here!"
After what seemed like forever, Kai finally arrived at Takao's family Dojo. He glanced around, worried, until he saw Takao and the others. They were backed into a corner of the garden, fighting a large knot of Shadows.
Kai charged in, yelling a blood-curdling war cry. "Get away from them!" he screamed.
The melee that followed was fast and furious. Everyone fought with everything they had to hold off the endless waves of Shadows. Takao beat off the SoulHunters with a stick, wielding it like a bakuto (wooden sword). Max punched his way through, targeting the crests on the Shadow's chests. Rei and Kai fought together, combining Rei's Cat Fu with Kai's Kickboxing into a violent beat down, causing much pain and screams. Daichi's Monkey Fu caused major damage, as he used both feet and hands to toss the Shadows into trees and walls. Hitoshi threw shirkin and shuri knives at the Shadows, precisely targeting each Shadow's crest with N1nj4 precision. And Kyouji and Hitomi stayed in the corner, with Hitomi wildly swinging a bakuto, and Kyouji cowering behind her.
"Take that! And that! And that!" Hitomi cried, beating the Shadows down as if she was killing whack-a-moles.
After a while, the Shadows stopped coming. The knot dispersed as the kids killed off the last of the Shadows. There was a moment of quiet, then Max gave a whoop.
"All right!" he yelled happily, grabbing Takao by the waist and jumping up and down. Takao blushed, and laughed as he grabbed Max by the shoulders. Kai smiled over at Takao. It looked like Takao'd be fine if Kai went away after all. He'd moved on from the heartbreak he'd felt when he'd found out Kai had had feelings for Rei as well. At first the triangle of love had torn Takao apart. But it seemed that his old feelings for Max had pulled him through. The honey-haired boy had always loved Takao, and now the old love could finally bloom. Kai was happy. Takao had been a love he had never felt right about, as if the heated passion he felt was actually lust and not love at all. Rei was more stable, and fought back at first. Which was a total turn-on for Kai. Struggle and make it more interesting, he'd always said. Rei had resisted Kai's advances, and even the night Kai cornered him in the restaurant, he'd been afraid.
Rei'd ran around the small kitchen, trying to escape, but Kai had cut him off, time and again. Rei beat against Kai's solid chest with his fists, in a futile attempt to break free. But Kai's steel grip on Rei's wrists was too much. Rei had been pinned onto the counter, and his uniform front had been ripped open. Kai has smothered Rei's screams in kisses. Rei finally had succumb, and Kai proceeded to make passionate love to Rei on the kitchen counter. He'd even spiced it up by pouring sweet and sour sauce on Rei's chest, and licked it off, saying it made Rei tastier.
Kai looked over at Rei, and Rei blushed beet red. Oh yes, Rei remembered, all right.
"Okay," Hitoshi spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What were those things, and where did they come from?"
"I'm not even sure I know what they wanted," Kyouji said, visibly shaken by the experience.
"Well, they're gone now," Hitoshi answered firmly. " So let's all just calm down, and—"
"You really think it's over? Guess again," a voice spoke up. Turning, everyone saw a boy standing on the wall of the garden. He was clothed in black, with platinum hair, and a black bandana covering his eyes. He held a sword roughly shaped like a key, which he rested on his shoulder. A swarm of Shadows began to climb over the wall, and gather all around him. The boy gave a dark laugh. "Oh no," he continued. "It's FAR from over. It has just begun." He pointed at the group with his sword. "Kill them," he demanded.
The group braced themselves. This group of Shadows was faster and more skilled then the last group. The kids realized they were sorely overwhelmed. Hitoshi threw himself in front of the group. "RUN!!" he demanded. "Get out of here! I'll hold them off."
"No way!" Takao shot back. "You're my brother! I can't just leave you here! I'm staying!"
"No!" Hitoshi countered. "You all need to survive! I'm not as important! Besides, I'm more skilled than all of you. Now get the hell out of here!"
"It doesn't matter if you go or stay," the boy chuckled. "You'll all die." He leapt at Hitoshi, sword extended. Hitoshi caught the blade in his hands.
"GO!!!" he screamed at the kids.
Max grabbed Takao's arm, and dragged Takao off with the rest of the group.
"NIISAN!!" Takao screamed, terrified. He reached for Hitoshi, but Max kept dragging.
The front yard was choked with more Shadows. Kai felt his throat drop into his stomach. "Crap," was all he could say.
"Kai, what'll we do? There's no way out!" Rei's voice was panicked.
"We're not done in yet," Kai replied, grimly. He grabbed Rei's arm, and ran towards the crowd of Shadows. "If we can't go around…" The two jumped. "…We'll go OVER!" Kai turned his head and yelled at the others. "Follow us!"
The kids all ran out of the yard, jumping from head to head of the Shadows. They suddenly realized that the whole town was infested. Shadows were everywhere. They ran down the street, fleeing the growing crowds of Shadows. Suddenly, Hitomi tripped. She shrieked as she hit the pavement, and Takao turned.
"Hitomi!" he screamed.
"Help!" she shrieked. "I'm scared! I don't want to die! Takao!"
As Takao ran towards Hitomi, a Shadow thrust its needle-like arm through Hitomi's chest. Hitomi gasped, blood streaming down the corners of her mouth. Her eyes grew very large, and then she disintegrated. The Shadow grabbed her Heart Crystal and prepared to swallow it, but Takao kicked the creature in the head. The head seemed to explode, and the creature vanished. Takao picked up the Heart Crystal, and made a face. "Eww. Monster goo on my shoe," he muttered.
"Takao! Let's go!" Max cried, grabbing Takao's arm and yanking him along.
The group ran down roads and through parks. But, as they took a turn, they realized they were trapped in a cal-de-sac.
"A dead end!" Daichi panicked. The kids turned to find the way out was blocked off by a large group of Shadows.
"We're going to have to fight our way out!" Takao growled.
"No!" Kai cried. "Don't! Takao, it's too dangerous! There's way too many!" Kai realized he was panicking. He'd never lost his cool like this before.
But it was too late. Daichi had leapt into the fray. Takao had stopped short on hearing Kai, but he started again to try to pull Daichi back.
Daichi felt the sting of the Shadow's blade too late. He coughed, and blood trickled out of his mouth.
Takao caught Daichi's limp body as it fell backward. Daichi's green eyes looked up into Takao's face. "I…I'm sorry…Takao…" Daichi's body vanished, leaving his Heart Crystal in Takao's lap.
Takao screamed angrily at the sky. "WHY?!" he screamed.
Kyouji cried in pain as he too was impaled. Rei caught the small boy, but Kyouji vanished. Rei gasped, and cried out in horror as Kyouji's Heart Crystal fell into his hand.
"What's happening?!" Max cried. He backed up, holding tightly onto Takao, who was still in a state of shock.
Kai felt Max's back push against his. The four boys were all back to back now, facing down the horde of Shadows.
The platinum haired boy from before suddenly appeared, and the sea of Shadows parted in his wake. He stopped several feet in front of Takao.
"Where's Hitoshi? Where's my brother?" Takao demanded.
The boy laughed manically. "That asshole back there? Ha! He wasn't worth my time." The boy threw Hitoshi's blood-soaked BBA jacket at Takao's feet.
Takao fell to his knees, his face frozen in fear. He stared at the jacket, disbelieving that his brother would be, could be, dead.
"No…" he whispered. "It's…not true. You couldn't have…he can't be…"
The boy waved his hand at Takao. "Kill them all. Right now. GO!"
The Shadows leapt forward. Max screamed and threw himself down on top of Takao.
The blade went right through both Max and Takao, pinning them both to the pavement. The two screamed in pain.
Kai felt the tears overflow. "TAKAO!" he yelled. He ran to the two as the Shadow's blade withdrew. He cradled the two boys in his arms.
"Kai…" Takao whispered. "Don't…cry…"
The two disintegrated. Kai clenched the Heart Crystals, and his teeth ground together.
"You…monster!" he spat. His aura began to gather, and in an instant, he became engulfed in flame. "I'll kill you!" He yelled his war cry, and a pair of phoenix wings sprang from his shoulders, and a phoenix tail sprang forth. His aura concentrated in his hands. Kai's true from had been unleashed.
Kai formed his aura into a bow, and, using one of his own feathers, created an arrow. He cocked the bow, and fired.
The boy was almost too stunned to move. But at the last minute, he parlayed the arrow with his blade.
"Not bad," the boy commented. But you can do better, can't you?"
Kai's bow re-formed and became a saber. He charged the boy, and they began to fence. The blows rained on each other, and it seemed as though Kai might win. But then he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. Rei screamed in fear.
Rei had been fighting off the Shadows while Kai had been fighting the boy. But now Rei was trapped, backed into a corner. He leaned against the wall, shaking with fear.
Kai, growled, and with one swing, he knocked the other boy down. He them made a mad dash for Rei.
Just as Kai reached Rei's side, a Shadow lunged forward, blade extended. Kai tried to knock Rei out of the way, but it wasn't enough. The blade pierced Rei near his heart. The sound of breaking glass echoed through the air as a large piece of Rei's Heart Crystal shattered. Rei's face twisted in intense pain.
Kai screamed. Rei landed on the ground with a heavy THUMP! Kai cradled Rei's lifeless body in his arms, crying and sobbing. His wings curled protectively around them.
The boy smirked. He rose to his feet and walked towards Kai and Rei. "Well, that Crystal's useless now. But the others aren't. So I'll be taking them now."
Kai shuttered, and threw back his head. He howled an inhuman scream, and his aura became live flame that incinerated the entire area.
The boy gasped, and disappeared with a disgusted grunt. The Shadows were not so lucky. They all were destroyed as the shockwave ripped through the cal-de-sac.
As the flames disappeared, Kai's body returned to normal. The wings and tail vanished in a scatter of scarlet feathers, and he slumped over Rei's lifeless body.
As he lay there, a burst of flame flared up in front of them. It morphed into the form of a young man. He had short orangey-red hair, and rich clothes. He knelt in front of Kai, and set his hand on Kai's head comfortingly.
"You did very well, Kai," the man said. "But you have to leave. This world is unstable, and is about to die. I'm taking you someplace safe." He gathered the two boys in his arms, and disappeared in a burst of flame.
"So, Hien saved you," Ryo reasoned softly. Kai nodded wearily.
Takuya sniffed. "I'm so sorry," he whimpered. "I…had no idea…"
Kai gave Takuya an annoyed look, and hit him in the head with a nearby bedpan.
Takuya fell over with a crash, and Ryo looked shocked.
"I don't need your pity, dickwad!" Kai growled savagely.
"Anyway," Ryo interrupted, trying to calm the situation. "Takuya, I have to take you to see Hien now. He's asking for you."
"Did Susanou yell at you again, Ryo?" Kai asked, obviously enjoying Ryo's annoyance at the question.
"…Yes," Ryo replied through gritted teeth. "Now shut, go back to your room and sleep for a while. You need it. You're a mess."
Kai fingered Ryo.
Takuya rubbed his head, and looked at Ryo. "Why am I here again?"
Ryo smiled. "You have to check in with the boss. We all do from time to time. Hien is Kai's boss too. Don't worry," he continued, seeing Takuya's worried face. "He's really nice, I've heard. Unfortunately, I can't come in with you. But you'll be okay!"
Takuya swallowed, and opened the door. Hien was yelling into his phone.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'it didn't show up?!'" he growled to someone on the other end. "I sent it YESTERDAY!!" There was a pause. "Then FIND IT already! Or I'll come down there, and stuff that requisition UP YOUR NOSE!!" Hien then slammed the phone down.
Takuya's face was one of fear, He turned to Ryo, and Ryo held up his hands helplessly. He closed the door with a final "Good luck!"
Oh great, Takuya thought. Stuck in here with the scariest guy I've ever met. And that includes KAI!
Hien sighed, and turned to see Takuya standing there. "Oh! Takuya!" he smiled friendly. "Come. Sit down, will you?" He waved to the chair in front of the desk.
Takuya looked puzzled. Boy, does this guy have mood swings or what!
Hien pushed some of his orangey-red hair out of his face. "See this white streak?" he asked, pointing to a piece of white hair in the front of his bangs. "Kai gave me that. He's such a pest." Hien laughed. "Actually, I'm kidding. I was born with it, but it seems like Kai gave it to me."
Takuya smiled nervously. He took his seat, and cleared his throat.
Hien sat down, and patted Takuya's hand. "You seem tense. Can I get you something? Tea? Pop?"
Takuya shook his head.
Hien cleared his throat and looked serious. "I'm sure your confused, and full of questions. Like, where exactly are you, and why are you here? What happened to your friends?" He was silent for a moment. "Well, this place is a Sanctuary. A place between worlds where the elements are governed. Myself, Susanou, Umi and Gaia realized that once the worlds began to collapse, there was nowhere for the survivors to go. So we brought them here.
"At first, there was only Ryo, Kai and Rei, Sora, and one other, a boy called Chaud. The boys set up this facility, and we've been working to save the worlds ever since. You see, the more the worlds are destroyed, the weaker we become; myself and my associates. We are directly linked to the elements. I am Fire. Umi is Water. Susanou is Wind. And Gaia is Earth. The SoulHunters seek to destroy all living things and reshape it into a world were living things are their slaves. We cannot allow that to happen. The stone in your hand is one key to stopping that from happening."
Takuya nodded. "Ryo said it was some kind of elemental stone."
Hien smiled wryly. "Ryo is very vague sometimes. That's why I let Susanou handle him. That and Ryo is Wind based. That's the element that protects him. Kai is Fire, so he answers to me. Sadly," Hien added dryly. "He won't stop moping, and it's driving everyone crazy.
"The Stones, once gathered together, will unlock a great power that will either restore all the damaged worlds to perfection…or destroy everything utterly." Hien added the last part darkly. He laced his fingers together, and leaned his chin on them. "The 'key' lays in the hands of three girls aptly named 'the Seraphim.'"
Takuya blinked. "Who are they?"
Hien shrugged helplessly. "If we knew, they'd be in our possession already. But we do know that they hold incredible power. The SoulHunters also know this, and are seeking the Stoneholders and the Seraphim as well."
Takuya clenched his fist and smiled. "Don't worry. You can count on me, sir. I'll find the Seraphim for you!"
"That's the spirit!" Hien cried happily. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Kanabara!"
The two shook hands to seal the deal.
NEXT CHAPTER: Umi becomes riled up about something, and demands that the AMGDI find a woman named Yuko. Things heat up when Kai is tempted to make a deal that will ultimately change his life…and potentially kill him! Will Rei ever wake up? And has the AMGDI found their first Seraphim?! Not if a certain man by the name of Sagara has anything to say about it! That's all next time in United: Chapter 2; "Make A Wish!"