Standard Disclaimer: If a disclaimer is posted and no one's around to read it, does it still count?
Author's Notes: Yeah, disclaimers are now kind of redundant. Think I'll just put a universal one up in my profile.
Anyhow, back to the writing! And lack of reviews means people are wondering why I'm taking so long. THIS GREATLY DISPLEASES ME! I must do better.
One last note; there's been a title change, since the main event responsible for the title "Why Do You Fight?" has been bumped to the next issue due to size (this chapter is proving to be slightly larger than expected).
Begin!
xxxx
Issue #6: Light Beyond Reckoning, Darkness Beyond Reason
xxxx
/Monitor Room, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
Izzy Izumi held the power of the Internet in the palm of his hand.
Well, that was just a gross approximation of the feeling he felt as black wires slid out through his fingertips and interfaced with the computers of the Monitor Room. His mind always thirsted for knowledge, for it enabled him to act upon it. Knowledge was indeed power to the Child of Knowledge, and Gennai's gift enabled him to practically multiply it by manyfold.
It was always the same.
First, the electrical surge as his body interfaced with the computer system (an unfortunate side-affect of the surgical operation to implement the wires; the tiny jolt he always got was irritating, but easily ignored).
Then, the absolute nirvana of information as Izzy's mind filtered through it all, basking in the glory of being able to manipulate every single electronic signal within the reach of the system he was interfaced with. With but a thought, he changed the view on one of the monitors to that of a different universe.
Izzy was so very glad Gennai had taken the time to properly prepare him for this power. Otherwise, he would have been overwhelmed by it.
"I take it you're enjoying yourself?"
Izzy flinched as he gazed to his right, shivering as Arbitermon's passive gaze fell upon him. Just LOOKING at the Digimon was enough to make his body quiver. "Uhm…yes. I'm just interfacing with your system…but…" He frowned. His mind felt…walled off, somehow. "You've blocked some areas off."
"I am not a fool, young child," casually remarked Arbitermon. He did not sound stern at all; merely cautious. "Although you have a good heart, there exists certain knowledge that is best left out of the hands of men…after all, given your unnatural gift," He stopped once to glance at the black wires protruding from within Izzy's body. "I would assume that you know it is best that certain things are best left unlearned."
The Child of Knowledge couldn't help but agree. Knowledge was indeed power…and power can be abused, no matter what form. And knowledge in the hands of fools – much less evil people – could lead to catastrophic consequences.
And who knew what kind of technology Arbitermon's Station was made of? Probably enough to ensure any country the position of 'Earth's Lone Superpower' for a few centuries, surmised Izzy. He finally nodded. "I understand."
Arbitermon would've smiled, had he possessed a mouth. The boy had a good heart; rather than investigate the rest of the station as the other Digidestined of Universe-(0)(1) had done, he had come back a few minutes later to help search for their missing friends.
Then he suddenly frowned as he turned away. Hmm.
Izzy Izumi blinked as Arbitermon started walking away, heading for the elevator. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"There is something I need to tend to," remarked the Digimon, his galactic eyes shimmering. "You keep searching."
Then the doors closed, and the elevator ascended.
xxxx
/Sundown Street, Twilight Town, Universe-(K)(H)/
Veemon blinked as the three figures suddenly swooped down from above. Eh?
Callismon growled as he unleashed another round of Rodeo Bullet at the shadows, but those he destroyed were replaced by others. Too many!
SHEEN.
Callismon blinked as a teen with long, spiky silver hair dropped in front of him, his odd-looking blade slashing through the creatures like a hot knife through butter. The teen – clad in jeans, white sneakers, and a black muscle shirt with a yellow vest – unleashed a barrage of blue fireballs from the tip of his sword. Speaking of the sword, it was almost…organic, in the sense. The hilt was blue, from which emerged a blue devil's wing with red skin. It would have looked evil, had it not been for the white angelic wing protruding from the blade's sharp tip.
The Mega Digimon stepped back as the teen turned to face with him with stern eyes of teal. "Don't just stand there! You want to become one of the Heartless?"
"One of…THOSE things?" Callismon gulped as he quickly thrashed through a group of them. "No WAY! I like being furry and cuddly!"
The silver-haired one smiled as he immediately kept swinging.
As for Arisa and Kyo, they both whipped their heads around as the other two fell together into a crowd of Heartless, their blades crisscrossing and slicing through the horde. It took only a glance to identify them as a boy and a girl.
The boy was a brown-haired teen, roughly Kyo's size; his spiky hair swayed with the wind as he rolled under the claws of one of the larger Heartless. He was clothed in black pants and a black vest, complete with a red T-shirt and blue, fingerless gloves. Yellow straps crossed over his vest, and his large – good grief, his shoes were freakin' HUGE – sneakers bore black and yellow leather. The boy's blue eyes narrowed as he leapt backward through the air, avoiding the Heartless that had charged at him. His blade was far more heavenly in appearance than the silver-haired boy's blade; the heart-shaped hilt was made of platinum, while crisscrossing lines of metal dimmed in color from blue to white as one neared the tip of the blade. A yellow array of spikes – almost like a star in appearance – glistened at the tip of the sword, with a group of diamonds and sapphires embedded in the tip. Each blow to the Heartless resulted in star-like sparks.
The girl bore shoulder-length hair of a darkish red, almost like magenta. Her violet eyes twinkled as she swung her blade about, narrowly avoiding blows from the dark shadows. She was dressed in a white slip-up dress, which was covered by a pink, zip-up corset with an extended skirt line that went down to her thighs. Her pink and black shoes rounded out the uniform, but it contrasted with the plain appearance of her blade: a key-shaped sword with a golden blade and a silver hilt, shimmering as she struck the Heartless.
Arisa and Kyo both shared the same thought.
What are video game characters doing here?
The brown-haired boy grimaced as he stood back-to-back with the girl. "Hey, these guys are being a little rough, eh Kairi?"
The girl – revealed as Kairi – smirked. "Well think about it Sora…we have backup, don't we?"
Sora sighed. "Man, we always end up calling for backup! I'd like to finish off a horde of Heartless for once!"
"Oh but Sora, I thought you were nothing but a lazy bum."
Sora frowned. "Hey, don't bring my laziness into this. I'm not a Keyblade Master for nothing."
Kairi giggled as she slashed through one of the incoming Heartless with her…Keyblade, as Sora put it.. "It's only Shadows and Neo Shadows. Our Others will be done in no time."
"Oh fine…dang it, I'm gonna hear him gloating in my dreams now…" Sora sighed as both he and Kairi held their key-esque blades into the air…and they shouted as one.
"COME FORTH FROM NOTHINGNESS!"
A flash of light erupted from the two, bathing them in radiance.
And when it faded, Sora and Kairi had vanished.
In their place were two other people.
In Sora's place was a teen clad entirely in black; a black zip-up coat – complete with a hood that shrouded his face – went together with boots, pants, and gloves of a similar color; the only semblance of alternate color on his form were the silver zippers and the silver necklace – shaped as a spiky cross – around his neck. And instead of one Keyblade, he now held two: in his left hand, he held a small, elegant blade made of silver and blue, with the tip ending in a star-shaped splash of gold and sapphire. In his right, he bore a sharp, angular blade of black, its every edge an obsidian color that foretold of a great darkness.
In one hand, Light. In the other, Darkness.
As for Kairi, she was replaced by a blonde, blue-eyed girl that only wore a white slip-on dress that went down to her thighs. Her white sandals clopped against the ground as she held the gold and silver Keyblade tightly. "Ready Roxas?"
"As always, Naminé," replied the cloaked teen as he threw the black blade up into the air, snapping his fingers before catching it again. In a flash of black and white threads, silver creatures appeared. They were bipeds, face hidden by a gray mask that bore an odd symbol: a cross with sharp edges, with the bottom prong splitting into two curvy protrusions. In each hand, they wielded a katana.
And there were about forty of these swordsmen.
"Samurai Nobodies: attack the Heartless!" roared Roxas as he tore into the hordes of Shadows and Neo Shadows with his twin Keyblades of light and shadow. The Samurai Nobodies calmly unleashed their blades upon the tide of darkness.
As for Naminé, she calmly held her Keyblade up as it emitted a white aura, encompassing a large field of Heartless. Her eyes closed as her mind reached out to the corrupted beings. I know that you have lost your hearts to darkness…that you are beings who have no hearts…but I know you still have some remembrance of what you want…you desire hearts…because they give you meaning…which is why the hearts you collect slowly allow you to discover the way to the Great Heart…the Heart of All Worlds…Kingdom Hearts.
As she mentally delivered her creed, the Heartless under her control became more docile, their limited sense of conscience becoming overwhelmed by Naminé's memories of Kingdom Hearts. So many of your brethren are resting now, in Kingdom Hearts…few Heartless ever leave…because their existence is fulfilled. Is that not what you want? To finally have solace?
The Heartless twitched.
I will show you the way…you can make the rest of the way on your own…The Heartless suddenly disappeared into the darkness, seeking out Kingdom Hearts. Naminé smiled as she suddenly backed away from another trio of Neo Shadows. "Well, that cleared up a good number of them."
"Good. We can clear up the rest of them." Roxas spun in midair, dicing through several Shadows before directing his Samurai Nobodies toward a contingent of Neo Shadows. "Riku, take care of those guys by the Café!"
The silver-haired teen – Riku – scowled. "Since when did I let you order me around Roxas?"
He went ahead and started attacking the Heartless near the Café anyway.
Kyo and Arisa blinked again. The whole situation was just too surreal.
"AMMIT!" roared Anubismon, bringing the duo back to reality as a savage beast emerged from a portal in front of Anubismon.
A crocodile's face and snout. Ivory fangs of a lion and a crocodile. A beige lion's mane emerged from the scalp. A body that was lithe like a lion's, tough like a crocodile's, and as heavy and large as a hippopotamus's. A crocodile's legs that were long and muscular like a hippo's. White claws of a lion. A hippo's hindquarters…and the eyes of a demon.
Such was Ammit, the mythological Egyptian beast known as the Devourer of the Wicked.
And right now, Ammit was doing a fine job of devouring Heartless.
Arisa leapt over the nearest Neo Shadow – punching it in the head as she passed by – and stopped by Veemon. "Okay, I want you to tell me what kind of sadistic head game you're putting us through."
Veemon shrugged as he ate another nacho chip. "I don't know what a head game is. How do you play?"
Arisa nearly shrieked. "WHY ARE VIDEOGAME CHARACTERS STANDING THERE?"
Veemon shrugged as he touched the frayed ends of his ruined safety rope, knowing he'd have to fix it again. "I don't know. Probably the same reason a Digimon version of Android Kikaider's here."
On a side note, the Veemon Encyclopedia of Anime and Sentai can be found at your nearest Books-A-Million. No video game edition is available, as he's too busy watching Power Rangers in the afternoon to play on the PS2.
Arisa sweatdropped as she turned around; the Heartless horde was almost destroyed. "Well…that's true." Alternate universes…that's the only thing I can think of…man, I want answers now!
Kikaidermon quietly jabbed at the last Neo Shadow, obliterating it. "It's over." A flash of light later, and he once again stood as Jiro. "…"
Callismon sighed as he dedigivolved to Bearmon. "Thank goodness! There were so many of them!"
Anubismon was silent as she too dedigivolved to Labramon. "Are you okay Arisa?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," remarked Arisa as she clenched her fist. "Not too challenging…though I'm still confused by those three." She quietly pointed over to the Keyblade Masters.
Speaking of Keyblade Masters, Roxas and Naminé walked toward each other. The former drew back his hood, revealing upwardly spiky blonde hair and blue eyes just as pure as Sora's. "So…how long till it's our turn?"
"Well, we have about ten hours to go," replied Naminé.
Roxas groaned. "Man, I hate waiting for time-share."
"Just be patient…" She calmly dismissed the gold and silver Keyblade, grabbing hold of Roxas's arm. "After all, we're still together, right?"
The Nobody couldn't help but grin as he dismissed his twin Keyblades. "Yeah…"
A flash of light washed over the two, and Sora and Kairi stood in their place once more. The former held his head woozily. "Man, that part always leaves me lightheaded."
"You're always lightheaded," casually mocked Riku as he walked towards the two, dismissing his own Keyblade.
Sora scowled at the silver-haired boy. "Hey now, don't make me angry!"
Riku rolled his eyes as he held his hands up out of mock fear. "Ooh, I'm so scared."
"Hey."
Sora suddenly looked down at Veemon, who was looking at him quizzically in return. "Uh…hello little guy."
"Your name's Sora?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah…why?"
Veemon's gaze said 'Oh good Lord what ARE you?!' He followed up his gaze with the following statement: "So…where's Biyomon? And Tai? And when did you dye your hair brown? And when did you get a sword? And since when have you been…a guy? Have you been hiding things from everyone?"
Each subsequent statement caused Sora's eyes to widen even more. "Uh…" He quietly glanced at Arisa and Kyo, missing the quiet snickers of Kairi and Riku. "What's with him?"
"Honestly…I have no clue," muttered Arisa.
xxxx
/The Citadel, Universe-(1)(L)/
"So that's the story, miss."
The woman glanced down at Davis Inoue with a quiet sadness; now knowing that he wasn't her old friend – and that was quite obvious, given the age difference – she had mellowed out considerably. That, and Davis's story had illuminated quite a bit. "So you have been teleporting from world to world…and you don't know the cause?"
"Does a bolt of lightning out of nowhere count?"
The glowing being sighed as she replied, "Better than nothing…but alas, you are not the one I once knew." She quietly curtsied, bowing once at Davis. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Yagami Hikari, Queen of the Light, ruler of Hi-Tokyo, and Arbiter of Earth."
Davis blinked. "Hi-Tokyo? Arbiter? Eh?"
Hikari smiled as she pointed out the grand windows towards the shimmering cityscape. "Hi-Tokyo…Tokyo of Light. After the war and my ascension, I rebuilt Tokyo with my power, renaming it for the sake of the light. It was here that I decided to build my Citadel, from which I would judge the rest of the world."
Davis blinked again. "War? Ascension? Judge? Eh?"
Hikari's smile turned into a sad grimace. "It seems I must inform you of several things…do you know of a being called Darkheart?"
Davis Inoue cringed. "Ran into him just two worlds back…why?"
"Well…when the war began on Earth, I was the last of the Digidestined to face him." She gazed up, her eyes glittering as she recalled the struggled. "UmbraDevimon's army and the Demon Corps. were already unleashing havoc throughout the world, and Darkheart only contributed to the chaos. The people of the world were losing faith in their governments to protect them, and they valiantly tried to fend off the Digimon hordes…it was at that time that I began to fight." Her eyes burned with an anger that could only fester in one who truly desired the elimination of one's enemies. "I fought the dark Digimon…I trained with my powers, slowly growing stronger as I brought down foe after foe. The people saw me fight…and they rallied behind my light to face down the darkness. In less than one year after the war began, both UmbraDevimon and Demon were vanquished by my light." Her angry eyes cooled, for the memory of old friends suddenly returned. "Darkheart was the last…and the most troublesome one."
Davis held his breath subconsciously; tales about Darkheart always made him…uncomfortable, to say the very least.
"He had absorbed everyone else…their partners, and mine too…" Hikari's eyes narrowed as she thought of the coy yet malevolent smirk on Darkheart's face. Oh, how she had grown to detest that smirk. "I fought him one last time, over the ruins of Tokyo…I had held the hope that somehow…I could reclaim everyone…and set them free." That hope had kept her going throughout the battles and the bloodshed…the hope that she'd see their smiles again. "But even as I fought… he had been in possession of them for years , and I realized that it had been too long…nothing I could do would have removed them from his clutches…but I could still save them…" She clenched her fist, her eyes narrowing further into an icy glare. "By destroying Darkheart…I saved them…I saved them…from being used by an evil darkness that should have never been created."
As she turned, she spread her wings, letting her form emanate with light. The sight was awe-inspiring…and yet, Davis couldn't help but feel inadequate in front of her.
In front of her light.
"When Darkheart's corpse fell at my feet, I realized what I had to do…purge the darkness." Her aura continued to radiate, ever larger, ever brighter. "Erase every last trace of it…ensure that a darkness like Darkheart never arises again…and behold…" She gestured towards the windows, out at Hi-Tokyo below. "And with the light by my side…I have created a utopia."
Davis Inoue gazed at the glimmering city below, wondering what life was like down there. "…can I see?"
"Of course," replied Hikari with a smile. "I will be in my Room of Sight, watching for any sign of darkness…" She slowly drifted away, keeping a quiet gaze on Davis. "Try to make yourself at home."
And then she was gone.
Davis Inoue quietly gazed back down at Hi-Tokyo. "Hmm…well, can't hurt."
xxxx
His feet set down upon the crystalline pavement, a slight ting sounding as his feet touched down.
"Hmm. Shiny." Davis Inoue quietly dismissed the Armor of Miracles, finally feeling reasonably safe from harm. I mean, heck, a world ruled by a super-powered version of Kari. How bad could it be?
And so he let himself be content with simply walking about Hi-Tokyo's bright surroundings.
He supposed a world ruled by light would be, more or less, predominately white in color…but man, it was an eyesore. Not to mention the uniforms people wore.
Not that they were gaudy or garish…simple bodysuits, really. Skintight. Nothing suggestive. No lewd gazes at women (though, really, Davis couldn't help but look just once…come on, he's a teen. Like you've never tried to sneak a peek?). They all walked about with small smiles, going about their business (though what business that was, Davis couldn't tell).
He also noticed a disturbing lack of Digimon.
Davis gulped as he fidgeted with his goggles. Even in his plain clothing, he looked incredibly out-of-place in this perfectly ordered city.
It was kind of creepy, to be honest.
Still, he had some appreciation for how orderly everything was. No loud noises, no honking cars, no litter…no nothing, actually. No cars either.
Davis Inoue suddenly felt an odd chill in the back of his neck. Something about this place was just…off.
Speaking of off, Davis blinked as a manhole cover suddenly popped open in the middle of the road. "Hmm?"
Out of it came an Impmon, leading a few teenage humans in disheveled bodysuits behind him. "Come on, the delivery should come at any moment. Step on it!"
Davis blinked as he saw the group of four duck into the nearest alleyway. Impmon? What's he doing…?
Suddenly, from around the next intersection came the first vehicle Davis had laid his eyes on since coming here…and it wasn't anything that he was used to seeing.
It resembled a stage couch, in the manner that the two drivers sat outside of the vehicle. They sat in an open cockpit, maneuvering the box-shaped hovercraft through the empty street. Two adult males drove it in silence, still wearing that happily vacant smile. It slowed to a stop in front of what appeared to be a corner store; another group of men came out of the convenience store and opened the back doors of the hovercraft, pulling out a number of cardboard boxes.
Apparently, Impmon was after those boxes…or what was in them, at any rate.
The little Rookie quickly directed two of the teens to start grabbing boxes, while he and the other teen got to work pulling wires from the bottom of the hovercraft. Apparently, they wanted to disable the boosters expelling blue light from the bottom of the craft; perhaps they wanted more time to get more boxes?
Davis just watched, more curious than anything else. It was oddly fascinating to watch such a seemingly innocuous event…probably because he had no idea the ramifications of what was happening. Was it major? Or minor? A big heist? Or something else?
In any case, something else happened anyway.
The teen helping Impmon cursed; had he pulled a wrong wire?
Either way, the two suddenly scrambled away as purple electricity sizzled throughout the vehicle, frying the electronic equipment as fire sprouted from the cockpit's control panel.
And yet…the men sitting in the open cockpit did not move.
Davis stared in horror as he began running, pumping his legs as he rushed toward the vehicle. Those men were going to be burned alive! "Hey, come on, get out!"
The two men did not resist as Davis pulled them out of cockpit. The Child of Miracles hurriedly patted the fire down, smothering it as he saw the burns. Second-degree at the least. "You guys…why didn't you try to escape?"
"I have a job to do," replied the man in an unnaturally cheerful voice, his smile still plastered onto his face. "I'm not harmed."
"But…the burns!"
"He's right," said the other man, part of his face burned into a nasty mash-up of brown and pink flesh, gnarled by flame. "As long as we have the light, nothing can harm us."
Davis couldn't help but stare, even as tears fell down their faces. They are in pain…so why aren't they…?
"You're coming with us."
Davis whirled around just in time for the other two teens to drag him towards the manhole, forcing him down into the darkness below. The Child of Miracles frowned as they shut the manhole, completely dousing the tunnel in shadows. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Just shut up and keep moving! Don't think about anything nasty or vulgar; we don't want to attract her attention!"
Davis wondered who the teen meant by 'her'. Do they mean Hikari?
The ladder came to an end inside an old sewer tunnel, old and dry from years of nonuse. Impmon and his fellow saboteur were waiting with an old-fashioned airboat, the propeller raring to go. Dim lights were affixed to the outer carapace of the craft, casting everyone in a ghostly blue glow. "Youse guys got him?"
"Yeah," replied one of the teens, his darkened hair messy and greasy. "I'm pretty sure he's an Awakened One like us. I mean, look at his clothing!"
Davis raised an eyebrow. Awakened One?
Impmon nodded, his eyes looking old and weary…an out-of-place combination for a mischievous imp like him. "Okay den. Let's jus' get out of here. And remember, no nasty thoughts! Her 'Highness' is probably watching right now."
Davis Inoue wordlessly got into the cramped space on the airboat, amidst the boxes, the three male teens, and the quiet Impmon. He said nothing as he pulled a lever, increasing the propeller's speed as they zoomed forward through the tunnel. He really had no words to say…his meeting with Hikari, the odd unreality of Hi-Tokyo, and what had just happened with the delivery craft had sent his mind into a tizzy.
And let's not forget the whole 'Awakened One' tidbit.
What's going on here?
xxxx
/Room 24, Sub-Level 4, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
"I have to say, whoever built this place knows the meaning of the word 'hospitality'."
Darkheart was correct. The room he had taken Kari in would have fit the definition of 'luxury'. Plush beige carpet that felt as soft and snuggly as rabbit's fur. Tables and chairs crafted out of redwood. A bed large enough for a Monochromon to lie in. Royal red covers and blankets, with golden pillows. A large window that gave a wondrous view of the Nexus. A number of crystalline lamps that seemed to be powered by a battery…or a different source of power, seeing as how there were no electrical outlets. A number
No television though, but Kari didn't care for TV at the moment.
Speaking of Kari, she was currently hanging from the wall, her body bound by metallic restraints; Darkheart had actually physically ripped the metal out of the wall, using his energy to meld and twist into a suitable form…perhaps the metal in these rooms was not as tough as the hull of the station, or whatever the more delicate control panels throughout the station were made of?
Either that, or Darkheart was powerful enough that it didn't matter either way.
She hoped it wasn't the last one.
Kari Kamiya could only sit in silence, her arms and legs pinned tightly. Darkheart had even gone so far as to rip off a piece of blanket and stuff into her mouth, gagging her and preventing her from talking.
As if she didn't have enough problems.
Darkheart simply sat in a wooden chair, gazing across the sixty-foot long room at the imprisoned Child of Light. "Anyhow…what now?"
Kari stared silently at Darkheart, wondering why he was doing this. Why?
Was there even a 'why'? She didn't know…she couldn't know. She didn't WANT to know.
The very nature of Darkheart terrified her.
He may not have been the Davis she knew – he was obviously too old – but there was still the unnerving effect of seeing her friend's face, plastered onto such an evil and horrifying being. Darkheart had, quite literally, come the closest to defeating the Digidestined. After all, it had only been her left to face down Darkheart, his body leveled up to the terrifying Dark Angel mode…had it not been for Siana or BlackWargreymon, she would have lost.
Badly.
Why are you looking at me like that?That odd glint in his blood-red eyes. He was gazing at her, mentally measuring her power…how quickly it would take for him to kill her. How long he could make the pain last. He was thinking of how to finish her off, how to torture her…how to best make her scream. The question was…how? How was he going to do it?
How?
Stop looking at me like that.
Her eyebrows furrowed, and a drop of sweat trickled down her forehead. Nervousness flooded every fiber of her being. What was he going to do?
He suddenly grinned, showing sharp canines.
Don't look at me like that…Her eyes widened slightly, wondering what he was thinking. Why was his smile widening? Did he have something in mind for her…?
What was he going to do?
Then, horror of horrors, his grin widened even more.
Kari physically squirmed, her eyes widening out of sheer fear.
STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!!Darkheart suddenly laughed loudly. What was so funny? "Heh…unbelievable."
Kari arched an eyebrow.
"I can tell, just from what happened now…" Darkheart's lips turned into a jovial sneer. "That I have so much power over you. Not just in the literal sense…but in the psychological sense." He pointed at his face. "All I have to do is smile, smirk, or narrow my eyes…you become more fearful, because you have no idea what I'm thinking about." Moments later, the look of realization on Kari's face made him smile. "You know, eh? Your fear will only increase when I say something…the terror will only get worse with every facial expression…and my glee will only make you even more terrified." He sighed with satisfaction. "And it doesn't even matter whether or not you want to try and not feel fear, even though you know it might be a mere ploy…because your memories of me make you terrified anyway." A cackle emerged from his mouth, echoing through the room. "Man, you're just like that other me…"
Other me? Kari's face softened. Is he talking about Davis?
Darkheart's gaze immediately sharpened, causing Kari to freeze.
And his grin returned. "I see…you must know the guy I ran into back in my world. Don't know where he is now, but I owe him for poppin' in…finally made life interesting again!" He calmly reoriented himself. "In any case, he acted around me much like you are now…" A thought suddenly crossed his mind. "You know what, skip all of that!" The grin turned into a deadly smirk. "If he ever makes it here, I don't think he'll like what I'll have done to you."
The way he said that sent a chill up Kari's spine. What was he going to do?
"First off, let me just talk about what I did after beating you in MY world…" He thumbed his chin, recalling the details of what he had done in his last fight with the Digidestined. "Well…I was nearly done in by a sneak attack by some punk named BlackWargreymon…but I managed to kill him." Smarmy little jerk…thinking he can hit me from behind. "Anyhow, I exorcised and eliminated this little light spirit that had given Kari a super boost… her name was Siana, Siara, Seattle, or something to that effect…and then there was just a beaten and battered Child of Light." He looked one more time at Kari, his eyes twinkling at the thoughts of blood and screams. "Let's see…first thing I did…was pluck out her feathers."
Kari blinked. Eh?
"Then I ripped out her wings."
Kari blanched.
"Then I tore out the toenails and fingernails…followed by the feet…"
Kari's face continued to whiten.
"Broke the fingers, then tore those out…followed by the wrists…systematically snapping and fracturing most of the bones in the arms and legs…then I dislocated her shoulders…"
Each word made Kari shiver. The way he spoke so casually…so terrifying. Please, please, stop talking!
"Used my swords to cut into her legs and arms, mostly shallow to prevent profuse blood loss…then I sliced off the ears." Darkheart smiled out of joy. This was one of his favorite memories. "I think it was about at that time – think it was about thirty minutes after defeating her – that I absorbed her. Couldn't let her die, after all. And that…was that." He turned his gaze towards Kari. "She screamed every second. Such a lovely sound it was."
Kari Kamiya stared. She quite literally couldn't think of anything except about what was going to happen to her. Was he going to do that to her…?
She seemed to shrink out of fear.
And Darkheart chuckled, holding up his hands defensively. "Hey now, I'm not heartless…I'm not going to do THAT to you."
Kari blinked. Huh?
"It'd be heartless to do something unoriginal. I'd be denying you the pleasure of being killed by me! The question is…" He pointed directly at her face, his lips curling upward. "What could I possibly do to you that's worse than that? That…that's going to be MY problem. I'll just have to think about it."
Kari's fear was renewed ten times over.
And all she could was wait…that was the most agonizing part. Someone…help me!
xxxx
/Beneath Hi-Tokyo, Universe-(1)(L)/
Davis Inoue stared around in awe. "What's…this place?"
"Ruins of Tokyo," muttered the teen with dark hair.
Indeed; the sky was of stone, dooming the ruins of Tokyo to eternal night. Were it not for the halogen lanterns struck about at every which way, there'd be no way to see. As for the city itself, the rubble and charred streets only reminded Davis of the war-torn Odaiba, before the Guardian Beasts had resurrected it. "But…what's above us?"
"Many places were so badly damaged by the war that it was deemed easier to just bury the ruins and rebuild over them. Since we're right next to the ocean, Tokyo was encompassed by a concrete coffin and then buried so that Hi-Tokyo could be built over it," explained one of the other teens, his blonde hair short and grimy. "Thanks to the presence of Azulongmon and a few dozen Angemon, we can be relatively safe from her eyes."
Her eyes? Did they mean Hikari? "That reminds me…what do you mean by Awakened One?"
"Someone who's toined away from da light, pal," joked Impmon. A few chuckles emerged from his fellow compatriots, causing Davis to wonder what exactly Hikari did that made them so mad.
Was it what she had done to Tokyo?
"HANG ON!"
Davis's stomach lurched as the airboat leapt over an incline, crossing over a bridge that looked hauntingly familiar.
Rainbow Bridge.
He gazed down at the struts, the metal cracking and rusting, sitting on dry ground instead of the floor of Tokyo Bay.
Davis gulped. Man…
"We're almost there."
Davis turned his head, looking forward…and gaped. He saw a broken and run-down building…with a gigantic sphere lying shattered near its base.
Fuji Television Station.
And slumped, ringing around the building was none other than Azulongmon. Flying about the expanse of Tokyo were a number of Angemon, their bodies glowing white…but the glow from Azulongmon illuminated the dark non-sky even more than they. The airboat skidded to a stop near Azulongmon's face, his weary red eyes showing a fatigue unfitting for a Guardian Beast.
"Yo. We got a shipment of pills," remarked Impmon as he began getting off of the airboat. "Enough ta last us for a month. Hopefully the intoinal gahdens will be up by then."
"We're getting tired of eating tasteless vitamins," grumbled the dark-haired teen as he started pulling off boxes.
Azulongmon sighed. "I know the situation is hard…" He coughed bitterly, causing Davis to recoil. Azulongmon, COUGHING? "But…we must cope…" His eyes fell upon the Child of Miracles…and he said, "Allow me to speak with the new arrival…alone."
Impmon and the three teens quietly went about their business, leaving Davis to stand before the Guardian Beast. "Um…hello…"
"Davis Motomiya." Azulongmon's words, although booming, did not carry the power the usually did. "Why are you standing here, alive?"
Davis took a few moments to realize what Azulongmon was referring to: Darkheart. He was supposed to have died when Hikari killed Darkheart. "Well…it's a long story."
To save space, insert a summary of what happened to Davis in the last six issues into this little spot right here.
Hooray for laziness!
"So…from another world? Explains a lot…" Azulongmon coughed again.
This was Davis's cue. "Um…why the coughing?"
"Child, I have been exerting power to keep the Awakened Ones safe from Hikari's sight for years…but even I have limits. And I cannot hurk, HURK-UHUMPH!" Azulongmon snorted to clear his sinuses. "…I cannot return to the Digital World to rejuvenate, and what passes for nourishment on this world cannot sustain me anymore."
Davis Inoue frowned. "Uh…you can't? How come?"
"You can blame Hikari for cutting off the Real World from the Digital World."
"But…" Davis couldn't help but mentally fumble around for reasons. Something did not seem right about this world. At all. He looked at a little Betamon that waddled by, his back saddled with a carton of pills. Feeling curious, Davis grabbed one and munched down…and immediately felt repelled by the tastelessness. "Ick…nasty."
"Enough minerals and vitamins to sustain a human for a day, but not enough for me, I'm afraid." More coughing. "And I couldn't simply take more…there are a lot of people and Digimon in hiding down here."
Davis Inoue stared at Azulongmon, wondering how in the world such a mighty being could have come to such an ungraceful and pitiful state. It was sad, really. "But…I'm sure Hikari would have helped you…" She was the Child of Light. One of the kindest people he knew! She wouldn't have turned down a Guardian Beast!
"Hmph…I don't know about the Child of Light you know…but…" More coughs. Deep, and straight from the lungs this time. "Fighting the darkness…fighting UmbraDevimon, Demon, and Darkheart…it was more than duty, or even an obsession…it was far, far beyond…that…" Azulongmon wheezed. "I don't know what you think…but let me tell you something: even light can corrupt."
"Was it what she did to Tokyo's ruins that made everyone so angry with her?"
Azulongmon actually laughed. "Oh, if only that was all…but no. The thing's she has done…would make any human being's stomach wrench."
Before Davis could ask anything else, Azulongmon began to inhale in the telltale manner of someone about to sneeze.
Except, unlike most people, he had lightning crackling around his mouth.
Davis acted out of impulse.
"Ah…AH…AH…"
"MEGA ARMOR ENERGIZE!"
"ACHOO!!!"
Blue lightning surged forward from Azulongmon's mouth, crashing into Davis.
Fortunately, his left arm – clad in the black armor of Raidramon – crackled with golden lightning as the blue bolt was refracted towards the ceiling.
KABOOM!
Rock and rubble burst forward as a hole was created from the explosion, letting light shine into the ruins of Tokyo…but oh, what an ill omen this light was.
Azulongmon sniffled as he gazed at Davis. Golden armor, a blazing right arm of red, and an electrified left arm of black…what a combination. "Hmm…perhaps you came to this world for a reason. There's no way Hikari will have not seen that explosion…alas, it was a long struggle." His four red eyes narrowed. "Run child."
Davis stuttered, "But-"
"RUN!!!"
SHEEEEEEN!
The ray of light burst through the stone, incinerating all that stood in its path.
Davis paled as the ray of light tore through the ruins, devouring Angemon and other Digimon. Nothing remained…save for humans. They were seemingly unharmed by the light…but once it touched them, they stopped struggling or running. They simply stood, the same blank smile on their faces as had been on the people above, in Hi-Tokyo. What…what's going on…?!
"Go…GO!"
Davis looked back at Azulongmon, finally listening to the Guardian Beast and taking to the air. As for the aforementioned Digimon…he quietly struggled to rise, gazing at the beam of light. "So…it comes to this…the light of a girl who became the most powerful in the world to combat the darkness…is now striking down former allies." He snorted, his eyes blazing with anger. "In your quest to abolish the dark, you have become an evil unlike any other Hikari Yagami…so look at me! Look at my thoughts! My rage, my anger, my hatred of you…of what you've become!" The Guardian Beast roared defiantly, taking his last stand. "So if you dare, STRIKE ME! STRIKE ME!!!"
Then the ray of light slammed into Azulongmon, and he was no more.
Davis stared in abject horror.
Azulongmon had just been killed.
By Hikari…by Kari. By KARI.
Where once was confusion, there was now anger.
Davis's eyes darkened as he burst through the ceiling of the concrete casket that Tokyo rested in, his gaze settling upon the Citadel of Hikari Yagami.
Like a Control Spire made of white crystal, it shimmered; the sun was almost gone now, but it still emitted a light bright enough to illuminate all of Hi-Tokyo…but what drew his attention now was the orb of energy that was sitting atop the spire. The ray of light was emerging from it.
Davis Inoue was a blazing comet of gold, zooming toward the Citadel.
He had questions. Questions he would like answers to.
And Hikari would answer them.
xxxx
/Outer Space, Universe-(K)(H)/
A number of turquoise nebulas cast the reaches of space in a greenish glow; it did the same with the ship that flew through, its engines pulsing with red exhaust. The ship was like a red arrow with yellow wings, the large cockpit a single blue dome atop the hull. White tailfins were the only other characteristic worth noting…that, and the number of gun attachments on the bottom of the ship.
Inside the cockpit, Veemon poked at the material in silence. "Ooh…feels like…rubber!"
"Technically, it's a ship made out of Gummi blocks," remarked Riku, who sat at the pilot's seat. "Very interesting stuff, honestly." Sitting beside him in the front seat were Sora and Kairi; in the second row sat Arisa, Labramon, Kyo, and Jiro. In the last row sat Veemon and Bearmon. "Anyhow, you guys said you were from another world?"
Kyo nodded. "Yeah. It's called Earth."
"Hmm…never heard of it." Riku tapped several buttons on the main console. "Perhaps I can find it in the navigation database…"
"So, what's with the blades shaped like keys?" asked Bearmon.
The three Keyblade Masters glanced at each before materializing their respective sword in their right hand. Sora said, "I have the Ultima Keyblade. Riku's is the Way to the Dawn, and Kairi's is the Reverse Keyblade."
"Sora was the first Keyblade Master…I became the second in a series of events that'd take a while to explain…" Events he wasn't necessarily comfortable with, either.
For a recap, go play Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. Or go to Youtube and watch the walkthroughs if you're lazy.
Wuss.
"I became the third when the original owner of this Keyblade – King Mickey – was no longer able to keep fighting." She dismissed the Reverse Keyblade with a thought, a somber look coming to her face at the thought of Mickey's 'condition'.
Veemon, on the other hand, blinked at the thought of Mickey Mouse wielding a sword and engaging in kung-fu action. …that…is…awesome.
"About those…creatures…" Jiro suddenly spoke up, the usually silent Digimon in Disguise finally deciding to talk. "You call them Heartless…so they don't have hearts?"
"Yes," answered Riku, the Gummi Ship slightly turning to avoid contact with the world of Atlantica. "Technically, they are those whose hearts have been lost to the darkness. Since they are without hearts, they desire them above all us…the hearts of people, the heart of a world, and ultimately, the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts."
Veemon and Bearmon suddenly had the thought of a beating, pulsating heart at the core of a planet. The former immediately asked, "If there's a heart in every world, then what happens if too much cholesterol builds up?"
Everyone sweatdropped.
Riku muttered, "Not in a literal sense…"
"Roxas and Naminé…who are they?" asked Arisa.
"Nobodies," answered Sora.
Bearmon frowned. "Well that's not nice of you."
"No, they are, literally!" quickly said Sora. "When a heart is lost to darkness, becoming a Heartless…the body and soul left behind become a Nobody. Nobodies don't have hearts either…but they remember what having a heart was like. People who have strong hearts before losing them create stronger Nobodies. Roxas is my Nobody, and Naminé is Kairi's Nobody."
Arisa and Kyo glanced at each other oddly before the latter asked, "So…you two lost your hearts once?"
Sora and Kairi chuckled. "Yep!"
Cue facefaulting by Arisa and Kyo.
"So if you lost your hearts, how come you're still alive?" asked Bearmon innocently.
"Oh, we got them back," said Sora.
Veemon blinked. "Uh…how?"
"It's…complicated," muttered Riku, shaking his head. He briefly wondered if it was a good idea to be divulging so much information to complete strangers…then again, they seemed to recognize them anyway as Keyblade Masters. Guess word goes around quickly…
A red light flashed on the console. "Hmm?" Riku looked at a small screen, frowning. "Great. Heartless are pursuing us from behind."
"But…we're in space," said Bearmon. "They have spaceships of their own?"
"Sort of," said Sora as he grimaced. "Man, you'd think they'd give it a rest."
"As long as we have the Keyblades, the Heartless will always be after us," remarked Riku as he activated the automatic defenses on the Gummi Ship. "Okay, targeting system is up and running…"
DOOOOOOOOOM.
Everyone paused at that sound.
Deep, loud, cracking…
"What the…what's this energy I'm sensing here…?" Riku stared at the console readings in shock. "Huh…?"
"Look! Up ahead!"
Everyone stared, seeing the black hands tearing a hole in the fabric of space. The whiteness of the hands fit perfectly with the whiteness that the hands emerged from…and then there was that tremendous roar.
"ANTIMATTER ERASE!"
The white ray emerged, converging on a nearby planet: Radiant Garden.
Sora, Riku, and Kairi's faces paled. "Oh no…"
The whiteness began to spread.
Sora gaped. "What the?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!?!"
"Just like last time…" muttered Arisa with mute horror. That planet had just been utterly vaporized…then…if that was the case…what about her world? No…
Veemon suddenly latched onto the seat. "Everyone, hang on tight!"
"Why?" asked Kairi.
"Because I think we're about to leave!" yelled Kyo.
And just like clockwork…
CHOOM.
Energy soared throughout the Gummi Ship, pulling it in towards Veemon, who was in turn being pulled inward towards a miniscule point.
Sora, Kairi, and Riku blanched as they too were being pulled inward; whatever energy was working through Veemon, it was affecting the whole ship and everyone on it. "What the…?"
The Gummi Ship shrank, and then it disappeared completely.
Moments later, Universe-(K)(H) ceased to be.
xxxx
/Room of Sight, The Citadel, Hi-Tokyo, Universe-(1)(L)/
Hikari Yagami glanced down at the person coming into her Room of Sight. "Oh. Hello Davis."
Davis Inoue gazed up at Hikari Yagami, her body suspended amidst a plethora of revolving metallic orbs, glistening with the power of her light. Her body was encompassed by a sphere of white light, with seven pylons leading from the sphere to the ceiling. The room was as a mirror, reflecting all. It was disorienting, but Davis paid it no heed: he had questions to ask.
"Why did you kill Azulongmon?"
Hikari stared passively at him as she quietly descended, the sphere dissipating and the orbs retreating into the pylons. She glowed with a great radiance as she said, "You mean my Light of Judgment?"
"If that's what you call it."
"Dear Davis, I'm certain you're curious about a great many things…this world is assuredly different from yours, but it was all necessary."
Davis arched an eyebrow. "Necessary? For what?"
"To make things better."
"How?" Davis scowled as his armored fists tightened; nothing about this place seemed right. It should have been right…but it wasn't! "I see people who don't seem to care that they're being burned alive. People who called themselves 'Awakened Ones' hate you. Why?"
Hikari Yagami flexed her wings as she said, "Lost Ones, people who deny the light, calling themselves Awakened Ones…foolish. It just proves to me that I still have work to do." She gazed up at the pylons. "Within my Room of Sight, my eyes could gaze across the entire world. I could see the darkness in people's hearts, minds, and souls…then, with my Light of Judgment, I would purify them."
"Then why are Digimon eliminated? Why did you close off the Digiworld from the Real World?"
"Digimon were never supposed to come here to begin with…I truly do miss Gatomon and the others, but their presence has only led to the rise of horrors such as Myotismon, Demon, and Darkheart…" Her jaw was tight, her eyes steely. "My Citadel prevents any travel by a Digimon to or from the Digital World. It is sad that Azulongmon was unable to return before I enacted the barrier, but my sadness ends when I remember that he tried to hide Lost Ones. To purposefully keep people away from the light? Inexcusable."
Lost Ones. Awakened Ones.
Davis cared nothing for terminology. "How about just calling them humans? Lost, Awakened, who cares?!"
Hikari sighed. "As impulsive and headstrong as I remember…" The memories of her old friend burned at her, and it only made her hatred for the darkness that took him grow. "Davis, humankind isn't perfect. By some grand flaw, we are predisposed for choosing darkness over light. Base desires, animal instincts…more often than not, they are followed for dark purposes. A man sees something he wants, and he steals it. Lust, envy, greed, gluttony, wrath, sloth, pride…humans are inclined to sin. It was a flaw that needed to be corrected if I was to rid this world of darkness." Her hands glowed, the light reflecting off of her impassive irises. "My light…it enabled me to eliminate the capacity for choosing darkness. By giving them nothing but light, I purified them."
Davis Inoue frowned. What was she saying…?
"The aftermath of the war gave me an excellent opportunity to implement my changes. By having only a single vitamin pill as the source of nourishment, there was no need to succumb to gluttony. By eliminating currency, money, greed was eliminated. Houses are all the same, everyone has the same clothes, everyone has only one job that they are told to do no matter what…I eliminated envy and sloth this way. One man to one woman without any regards whom else one wanted, and the removal of lust was accomplished. By giving them peace from the war…by giving them the peace of the light…there was no wrath. And of course, before the glory of the light, no human feels prideful…at least, that's the way it should be. Some slip through the cracks…" She sighed out of remorse for those she called 'Lost Ones'. "The human mind is so complex…and the heart and soul are daunting opponents for the light…but in the end, humanity will no longer be able to choose darkness. THAT, Davis, is the utopia I've created: a world bathed in the light, a world without pain and suffering, a world where happiness is the only emotion that exists…it's taken many years, and I still have work to do, but I've done it. No matter what physical pain befalls you here, basking in the light reduces all human worries to nothing." She smiled warmly. "Wondrous, is it not?"
The Child of Miracles paled as his eyes widened. His mind finally grasped what exactly Hikari had done.
Couldn't choose what to eat…
Couldn't choose what to buy…
Couldn't choose where to live…
Couldn't choose what to wear…
Couldn't choose what job you wanted, what career you wanted, what you wanted to do with your life…
Couldn't choose to express any emotion…
Couldn't choose who to love…
Couldn't choose to feel anything but happiness…what kind of happiness was that then? A fake happiness was what it was!
Couldn't choose…couldn't choose…couldn't choose…couldn't choose…
"Free will."
Hikari looked quietly at Davis, whose eyes were downcast. "Hmm?"
His teeth gritted together, the pain in his heart aching. What had happened to these people was unforgivable…and it hurt all the more, because the Child of Light had been the one do it. "You…eliminated free will…didn't you?"
"If you want to put it that way, yes. I did. Is that a problem?"
Davis's eyes widened as something inside of him snapped.
Is that a problem?
IS THAT A PROBLEM?
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!"
Hikari blinked as Davis's fist came towards her face. The only thing that stopped him was a barrier of light, slowing him to a stop several feet away. "You sound angry."
"OF COURSE I AM! YOU TOOK IT AWAY FROM THOSE PEOPLE!!!"
"Took what away? The capacity to choose darkness? Why should that anger you?"
"YOU TOOK AWAY THEIR ABILITY TO CHOOSE, PERIOD! YOU TOOK AWAY THE THING THAT MAKES US HUMAN!!!"
Hikari glanced at Davis out of confusion. He was quite angry, if not downright enraged. "They still can eat, sleep, breathe, grow, reproduce…instead of the ability to make mistakes, I've given them the perfection of the light. Why are you upset?"
Davis seethed. "YOU JUST DON'T GET IT!" The light repelled, him, pushing him back by several yards. "You…you can't just take away free will from people. What's the point in living if you can't choose what you want to be?" The very idea…it TERRIFIED him. What if someone told him, no, you can't be a soccer player, you have to work at a noodle cart? What if someone said that he couldn't be friends with Tai?
What if someone told him that he can't love Kari?
What a horrifying life that would be.
"Free will in exchange for a life amidst the light, free from darkness. An acceptable tradeoff."
Davis scowled as he stomped the floor, causing cracks to appear in the surface. "No…you STILL don't get it…" His mind reeled out of agony at the thought of this hellish 'utopia'…and his heart ached because Kari had been the one to do it. Would the Kari he knew do the same…?
NO! He wouldn't let her become something so heinous. If she knew what she'd become, she'd be horrified! NEVER! "I've…made mistakes. I've made wrong choices…but I've learned from them! And even bad people can repent! I know some people who have! Daichi Etsuya! DemiDevimon! I mean, even YOU can remember Ken Ichijouji, right?!"
Hikari sighed. "Had he lived in my utopia, the Emperor would have never come to be. Surely you're not suggesting that Ken would be worse off if the Emperor had never existed."
Davis couldn't help but scowl even more deeply. "Hikari…Kari…would Ken have still been the same person if he hadn't repented?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"
"WE'RE HUMANS! We're not perfect! We make mistakes! We make bad choices! But we try our best?" He sighed out of irritation. His role as leader of the Digidestined tended to make him rather opinionated on what he thought was right…but he didn't care what people thought. If something was wrong, it was wrong. Period. And what Hikari Yagami had done was flat-out wrong. "I'm not saying that can't punish people who do bad things…or that we shouldn't be wary of the darkness…but your utopia renders everything meaningless if we can't even choose to live the life we desire." He sighed out of pity, remembering the people he had seen within the ruins of Tokyo. "No wander all of those people hated you…"
"You're acting rather oddly Davis Inoue," said Hikari, her suspicions rising. "I've brought about the end of darkness, giving nothing but light to these people. Is that not we Digidestined fought for?"
"…no…"
Hikari frowned, her voice becoming deadly. "What?"
"We fought to stop bad guys. We fought to save good people from evil…it wasn't just about Light versus Darkness. It was about Good versus Evil…and Hikari…" He looked at her and her deeds in his heart, and judged her guilty. "What you've done to these people…is evil."
A pin drop would've sounded louder than a jet engine.
If looks could kill, Hikari's subsequent glare would've reduced Davis to nothing but ashes. Her? Evil? Evil was synonymous with darkness, and vice-versa…how dare he insinuate that she was one with the darkness? I am not evil…I am not of the dark! I am of the light! "Your words dishonor my memory of Davis Motomiya. He would never dare to insult me in such a manner…he would be helping me if he were here today."
"Then you didn't know him very well!" roared the Child of Miracles out of defiance.
That tore it. Hikari Yagami glared dangerously at Davis Inoue, her aura brightening. "Out of respect for you, I ignored the darkness in your heart and mind…I would have let you choose the light voluntarily…but now I must see." Her eyes blazed pure white, and she gazed deep down into Davis's heart, mind, and soul…
…and what she saw caused her recoil. She backed away, the light vanishing from her eyes, revealing only shock. "NO…NO."
Davis blinked.
"You…still possess him…the darkness deep inside…that of DARKHEART…" Hikari stared at Davis, dumbfounded. "He still lives."
"I suppose…but if he tries to get back out, I'll pound him down like before," retorted Davis.
"FOOL!!!" roared Hikari, her body now as bright as the brights of a car. Davis squinted as she coldly said, "No wonder you speak such slander…Darkheart still has his hold on you…" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Davis Inoue as the light within her burned. "I will eliminate this darkness and end you."
Davis Inoue's anger was swiftly replaced by fear.
As the light coming from Hikari grew ever larger, he could feel the hatred within it. The disdain for darkness…the fury against shadows…utter contempt for all she considered to be of the dark. That killing intent flooded his mind, and made him wonder why in the world he had decided to tick her off. He now realized why he felt so odd in front of her earlier, why he felt so inadequate and meager: her light was an enemy of all darkness. No matter how miniscule. No matter who possessed darkness.
The feeling he felt now was the same one he had felt coming face-to-face with Darkheart in the other world…except Hikari scared him more. Why?
Darkheart wanted to toy with him.
Hikari wanted to kill him.
Without saying another word, Davis fled, smashing through the walls of the Room of Sight and into the open air.
"Aurora Missile!"
Davis looked behind him, blanching as pods of light blazed out through the hole he had made, zooming towards him. "Oh NO-!"
KABOOM!
Davis grimaced as the pods exploded against his back, filling him with a burning sensation. It hurts!
Then Hikari kicked him from behind, sending him further up into the air. Davis gagged as he was sent flying; his eyes only managed to catch her vambraces glowing before white rods emerged from her hands, giving off the appearance of twin swords.
"Rage of the Light," whispered Hikari before she blazed toward Davis.
What happened next was nothing short of pure agony.
Davis Inoue seemed to hover in midair as Hikari danced around him, slamming her blades into his body. Her feet kicked him about, battering his frame even as he was slowly torn into by the light.
No wonder Azulongmon didn't dare try to fight her.
She struck laterally with both blades across the breastplate, sending Davis hurtling towards Hi-Tokyo, as a meteor entering the atmosphere.
Hikari Yagami soared down after him, her eyes blazing with fury as her body glowed with an angry light. "DIE!"
CHOOM.
But before Hikari could reach him, he was gone.
xxxx
/Room 24, Sub-Level 4, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
Unlike Hikari Yagami, Kari Kamiya was at the mercy of the darkness.
"Hmm…strangling you with your entrails wouldn't be painful enough…though I like the idea of inducing a heart attack through fear alone…hmm…so many options…"
It was odd to hear someone casually talk about how they're going to torture you. But alas, that was the situation was in. And she wanted out.
"Hmm…um…ooh, ah!" He smiled…then he frowned. "Nah, already did that to some African dude…dang it!"
Kari Kamiya wished he would hurry up and make up his mind. The wait and suspense alone were killing her.
"Hmm…you know, there's actually one thing." He cupped a hand around his chin, deep in thought as he considered this possibility. "Killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways…I even think I came up with some sins that hadn't even existed before me…but there is one that I can't recall ever committing. You've probably heard about it on the news."
Kari frowned.
"Here's a hint: it's the only way a woman can be hurt that a man can't."
Those words caused a ball of ice to form and explode in Kari's gut. Rape…?
Oh God NO. The only unique pain that a man could never possibly experience. Oh no…nononononono, not that. NOT THAT! Tears were already beginning to cascade down her eyes; the sheer thought was that terrifying.
Darkheart chuckled. "Well, now THAT'S a reaction. But if you're thinking about rape, forget it. You honestly think I haven't engaged in my fair share? Please."
For a moment, Kari actually felt relief.
"I'm referring to child molestation. Which is basically the same thing as rape, but with a smaller package."
Kari wanted to scream. STOP TOYING WITH ME!!!
"Now usually, I would just kill off a child's family in front of his or her eyes in the most graphic way possible before offing the kid, but child molestation presents a new challenge to me. So I've gotta do it right…" He fell into thought again.
Kari couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could such evil exist? HOW?! Oh please, someone help me…someone help me!!!
"Now…should I be soft, thus enabling you to feel pleasure, and thereby making you feel emotionally and mentally violated that you would even dare enjoy the thought of intercourse with yours truly…or should I just go gung-ho and render you a broken mess?" Darkheart sighed out of irritation. "Decisions, decisions…"
xxxx
Gatomon blinked as a soothing power fell over him, utterly rejuvenating her on the spot. "Hmm?" She gazed up at the healer.
"Come. I believe your partner is in danger."
xxxx
"Okay, that settles it!" Darkheart hopped to his feet. "First soft, then I'll end hard. I'll have it both ways!"
Kari tried in vain to cross her legs, but she was bound too tightly to even do anything. No…please…nooooooooooo!
The doors opened, and in bounced Gatomon. "KARI!"
Gatomon! Kari's heart leapt for joy at the sight of her partner hopping on the bed, standing defensively in front of her. The feline growled, "You'd better not have done anything to Kari!"
"Nope. I'm about to though," said Darkheart with a grin.
"Are you so certain?"
Gatomon kept her eyes on Darkheart, but Darkheart and Kari turned towards the door, where Arbitermon stood. "I felt a new presence aboard my station. An evil one."
Arbitermon! Kari felt elated. She was saved!
Darkheart blinked. "Who?"
"The one who built this station," rumbled the celestial Digimon.
"Ah. Man of the house. Nice cape by the way," casually said Darkheart, pointing at Arbitermon's long blue cape. "I know it's not good etiquette, but a) I don't care, and b) I'm busy. So shoo."
Arbitermon's eyes narrowed. "I think you need to be fully acquainted with the reality of the dilemma facing us. The survival of all is at stake."
"Oh boy, another goody-two-shoes." Darkheart sighed, closing his eyes out of annoyance. Just when he was about have his fun! "Now look…here…eh?"
Before he had closed his eyes, he had been inside the room.
Now, he was floating in the middle of space.
Darkheart glanced all about him, frowning at the sight of far-off galaxies, planets, and stars. "What the? Where am I?"
"You're inside me."
A manifestation of Arbitermon suddenly phased into being near Darkheart. The corrupted Digidestined looked at Arbitermon out of disbelief. "Uh…you're kidding, right?"
Arbitermon pointed upward.
Darkheart glanced up, seeing two galaxies in close proximity to one another…and paled when he realized that those were Arbitermon's 'eyes'. "…huh. Well that's new."
"And like every other universe, I possess black holes…but these will lead back outside of my shell." Arbitermon's voice echoed throughout the vacuum, impossible though it was. "You will have the misfortune of going through one. To be courteous, I will lessen the gravity once you enter…but make no mistake. If you do not concentrate, you will be torn to pieces."
Then, with a wave of his hand, Arbitermon sent Darkheart flying. The corrupted titan growled as he was sent hurtling past stars and planets and asteroids…all the while nearing a region of space that slowly seemed to warp…the edge of the event horizon.
Beyond the event horizon was the region of space where gravity was so strong, that nothing could escape. Matter, radiation…not even light.
In a way, it was an absolute darkness.
Darkheart tried to slow himself down, tried to go in a different direction…but his momentum was too great. What the heck did that Arbitermon freak do anyway?!
He crossed the event horizon.
And a gravitational force beyond all reason began pulling at him from all directions.
An agony unlike any other.
xxxx
/Room 24, Sub-Level 4, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
Kari wasn't quite sure what had happened.
One moment, Darkheart was there.
The next, he was gone.
And less than a minute later, he suddenly shot out of Arbitermon at a speed beyond reckoning, slamming into the wall at high speed. He actually left a pretty sizeable dent.
Arbitermon sighed, glancing down at Darkheart. "He'll be out cold for some time. I am impressed that he survived nonetheless…but alas, to fight Antimon, we'll need all the help we can get." He glanced over at the bound and gagged Kari. He extended one index finger, sending a single bolt of energy onto her metallic restraints. At that moment, the atomic bonds disintegrated, and the metal turned to powder.
Kari was free.
And she quickly rushed behind Arbitermon, staring fearfully at the unconscious Darkheart. "Hu…hu……thank you…"
"It is of no consequence. I will not tolerate any fighting on my station. We must save our energy for the battle to come." Arbitermon turned, his cape billowing behind him as he said, "I think you'll do yourself a favor by seeing your friends in the Atrium. A good meal will do you good."
As Arbitermon walked away, Kari stared; Gatomon muttered, "He's strong, isn't he?"
"Yes…he is." She glanced back at the unconscious Darkheart.
She wondered how much more powerful Antimon was.
xxxx
/Atrium, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
The Atrium was quite a pleasant place to look at.
It was almost like a restaurant in nature; similar to the Lobby, there were a number of redwood tables and chairs, all built around a single column in the middle. A number of tubes protruded from the floor at the column, ending in little hatches that looked like microwave doors. The center of the ceiling was made of reinforced glass, giving a good view of the Nexus. A multitude of monitors – showing actual television! – were affixed to the top of the column, allowing anyone to watch any channel that could be picked up from any universe.
Needless to say, a good deal of channels were broadcast in alien languages.
Sora blinked as she clicked the 'Guide' button on the remote. Apparently, she didn't feel like watching 'Xorcath's Ciulions'…whatever that meant.
"ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOOOOOLD!!!"
Sora winced as she glanced over at the karaoke stand in the far corner of the Atrium. Singing at the moment was a spiky red-haired teen wearing blue jeans, a pair of goggles, and a black T-shirt with white text that read: Underdogs are the True Kings. What did he say his name was before singing? Ryu…Orlando?
"THANK YOU! I'll be here all week," joked Ryu as he stepped off stage, joining three other people at a table.
One was a Renamon, her yellow and white fur looking rather worn; she had apparently been in a battle before coming to Arbitermon's Station. "I would appreciate it if you never sing again."
"Ditto," remarked a female teen with shoulder-length black hair. She wore black capri pants and a purple tank-top, which matched her fingerless purple gloves quite well. Her violet eyes glanced down at a rectangular device strapped to her wrist for a few moments before glancing at Ryu. "Look, I know you like being the goofball of the party…"
"You know it Christina!" said Ryu with a grin.
Christina Zeal sighed. "I'm talking about your partner-"
"Look, we didn't see anything coming…how we were supposed to know about Antimon?" The red-haired gogglehead glanced away for a moment, hiding the pain in his eyes. The whiteness that had enveloped everything…including Veemon. "Safe to say I'm thinking about it all the time now…and I can't really do anything without him, you know…"
"The pain will subside. All you can do in the memory of Veemon is to survive," muttered the last member of the table, a humanoid clad from head to toe in the armor indicative of a samurai. The color was purple – lots of purple here – making him seem more regal than a warrior. But make no mistake; beneath that shogun's violet helmet was a wise warrior…and nothing spoke of his prowess with a sword more than the katana strapped to his waist. On his breastplate was the character 'Ryoku', meaning Strength. "Persevere. Our allies would expect nothing less."
"Yeah…I know…ooh, someone else is stepping up!" And just like that, Ryu had another grin on his face.
Christina sighed. Ryu…
"Okay everyone, allow me to introduce myself! Name's Zudomon, and if you don't mind, allow me to sing a little ditty by Weird Al!" Zudomon dropped his hammer, picking up the microphone. "They see me mowin'…my front lawn!"
"OH MY GOD HE'S SINGING WHITE AND NERDY." Ryu giggled with glee. "I HAVE to sing Amish Paradise next!"
Christina, Renamon, and Bushidomon sweatdropped.
At a nearby table, Joe sighed out of annoyance. "Oh boy. Karaoke. The one thing Zudomon does not need to be reintroduced to."
"What happened?" asked TK.
"A karaoke incident that need not be repeated," muttered Joe as he calmly bit into a lettuce wrap. "I have to say, those little devices make pretty good stuff. Wish I knew how they made it."
"Speaking of which…" Ken got up from the table that he, Joe, TK, and MagnaAngemon were sharing to go towards the central column. He stopped in front of a hatch and spoke into a small speaker. "Blackened tilapia and two rice balls."
Ding.
Ken opened the hatch and he pulled out a plate of blackened tilapia, complete with two rice balls. I sincerely hope no laws of physics were broken…oh, who am I kidding.
CHOOM.
The Child of Kindness froze. That sound…
Everyone currently in the Atrium – Sora, Garudamon, Joe, Zudomon, Ken, Dinobeemon, TK, MagnaAngemon, MegaKabuterimon, Ryu, Christina, Renamon, Bushidomon, Qinglongmon, Holydramon, and Goddramon – all turned towards the point in the air that was warping into itself.
Out came a red spaceship that crashed into the wall, causing a small quake of sorts.
Everyone stared at it in silence. Holydramon asked, "Uninvited guests?"
"We shall see."
Everyone turned towards the Atrium entrance; out of the levitating elevator came Arbitermon, Kari, and Gatomon. The creator of the station calmly stared at the ship, his eyes blazing. "…"
The cockpit popped open, and out came a plethora of humans and Digimon.
One of them made the Digidestined of Universe-(0)(1) blink out of surprise. "VEEMON!"
"Howdy…doody…urk, falling." The Rookie fell down, his eyes swirling.
Ryu felt inclined to run towards him…but he knew that wasn't his Veemon. Not his partner.
His heart ached even more. …dang it.
As Kari and Gatomon ran over to see Veemon, Arbitermon flicked his hand…and the invisible field of energy that had surrounded Veemon disappeared. The dimensional field is gone now…so he is safe…but where is his partner?
xxxx
/Bedroom, Universe-(1)(0)/
Davis groaned as he fell onto a bed, wincing out of pain. Hikari had really done a number on him. Where…am I now?
He looked forward, seeing a black desk with gray tile atop it; a number of manga volumes for Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, One Piece, Dr. Slump, Bleach, Eyeshield 21, Zombie Powder, Van Von Hunter, Black Cat, D. Gray-man, Buso Renkin, and Death Note on the right side. A single lamp sat on the left side of the table, illuminating the laptop of a brown-haired teen sitting in a wooden chair.
The aforementioned teen suddenly turned, looking oddly at Davis through a pair of glasses.
Then he swore. "Oh dang it, I brought you here?" He quickly went back to typing.
Davis Inoue blinked. "Say wha…?"
CHOOM.
Before Davis could say anything else, he was gone.
The teen sighed. "Whew…close call. No more fourth wall breaking for me…" He frowned. "Now…what next…?" He quietly back to typing. "Might as well send him to the Daiora Universe next…"
xxxx
To be continued…
Next time…
Issue #7: Why Do You Fight?
xxxx
Author's Notes: Well, managed to update before the end of May! Nice.
Unfortunately, college starts back up on the 31st. Will I be able to update again before Fall term? Here's hoping!
Christina Zeal, Ryu Orlando, and Bushidomon are Crimson G's characters. The guy at the end was me breaking the fourth wall. ;P
And as for what Darkheart planned to do, well, let's see. He is the manifestation of the darkness of the human heart. Consider it a harbinger of things to come, should Darkheart ever return…and that is all you are getting.
Well, that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed Hikari's crazy light and Darkheart's sadistic darkness.
See you soon, and please review!