Author's Note: …um, hi.
Please don't kill me? Oo;
Sorry for the delay. Lots of stuff going on in the summer (SUMMER TERM)…and as if thing's weren't bad enough for the readers, as of this typing, Halo 3 comes out…tomorrow.
Eep.
I'll try to soldier on through!
Begin!
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Issue #7: Why Do You Fight?
xxxx
/Waiting Chamber, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
Jonathon Grimm was not a very happy panda. And he's not even a panda.
Hailing from Universe-(0)(4), the teen with short, spiky blonde hair stared out the windows of the chamber, taking in the sight of the haze that seemed to derive its colors from both bananas and oranges. A total contrast from his dark clothing. How dark? How does black sneakers, a black hoodie, dark blue jeans, and a dark blue T-shirt with a dragon on it sound? Of course, the dragon is silver, so that's the only thing…oh, and the dark sunglasses. And the black cross necklace. Oh, and the black guitar that was hanging on his back.
There are so many emo jokes that could be used, but there won't be, because the author fears for his life from a certain chaotic lord.
In any case, this teen – known as Johnny – kept on staring.
And staring.
And staring.
It was all he had been doing for the past hour. He had felt compelled to travel deeper into Arbitermon's Station, to plunge into its depths and see what secrets it contained…but alas, he had to disavow that particular idea. At least for the time being. He didn't dare go further below, closer to where the Megidramon of Universe-(4)(D) was holed up tightly.
Grimm scowled underneath his hood. Hmph. Hardly fair. Not fair at all.
It was far too whiny a term, but it described his frustration perfectly. There was simply no other phrase that fit. Life was hard and cruel, but darn it, this was just too much!
He was the sole survivor of Universe-(0)(4). That was troublesome enough. His fellow Digidestined? Gone. Dead. Utterly erased from existence. He had just been getting ready to contact his fellows about Revemon's offer to save every single reality when Antimon had shown up. Needless to say, Revemon had had to cut his losses and had whisked Johnny away.
How inconsiderate.
The idea of being alone didn't necessarily bother him. Not as much as one would expect. The life of a Digidestined was dangerous. His life, and that of his fellows had always been fraught with trouble and danger. Although he couldn't recall off-hand how many near-death experiences he HAD had, he knew it was nothing to fuss over. He had long ago accepted the fact that his teammates might die. But the manner of their death…it had been completely unacceptable.
Completely wiped out. Not a chance to fight back.
Sighing, the Digidestined readjusted his sunglasses. Though the death of Seraphimon was SOME consolation, it wasn't enough to wash away the somber feeling he felt due to the deaths of both Cherubimon and Ophanimon…but the most devastating of all had been the death of his 'pet': Megidramon.
Megidramon certainly had a dark side, as most Virus Digimon were wont to have. But he had been a strong ally. One that could be controlled, and reigned in. One that Grimm had come to understand on a deeper level than most of his human friends. He did not grieve, nor did he lament his loss on a tremendous level. Megidramon had died, just like everyone else…but that wasn't the worst part.
The worst part was when he had come here, and had seen Arbitermon subdue one of those four great dragons. That one dragon had been another Megidramon…a Megidramon that had emitted an aura so rank and so foul that it had corrupted his mind, skewing every single memory he had of his ally and partner. Now whenever he recalled memories of his pet, he felt a deep sense of fear and anxiety, complete with an unhealthy dose of terror.
Unforgivable.
He didn't dare go down, not when that Megidramon was down there. That Megidramon that had tainted the memory of HIS Megidramon.
Sighing once more, Jonathon Grimm rubbed his temples. "Troublesome." At any rate, he had to focus on what lied ahead. Before he could focus on Antimon, there were other possible threats on the ship. That Valmarmon fellow in the lobby, for one, along with the Megidramon locked up further within the station. And the source of that odd dark aura earlier, that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere…
CHOOM.
Grimm tilted his head, looking with his peripheral vision as the nearby space condensed into a single point…and out from that point, accompanied by a flash, was a wormhole that existed only for a second or two. Out came the familiar centaur Revemon…and he had new recruits.
One of the humans wore armor over his form, looking like he was ready to go on a black ops mission at any moment. His height – 6'5" – added a more imposing quality to his muscular figure; the baggy black pants, the combat vest made of black metal, and the twin bucklers – one red and one black – that coated his hands. The only difference was his arm, clad entirely with red metal that ended in the red buckler…and judging by the way the arm's joints whirred and buzzed, it was cybernetic in nature. The rifle strapped to his back almost looked like a modified M-16, looking similar to a standard American military issue weapon…yet somehow looking foreign, alien. Clipped to his belt was a dark red D-3, mirroring his reddish brown eyes in color. His hair – black – was closely shaved. He was the perfect epitome of a young soldier, filled to the brim with discipline.
Well, he would have been, had it not been for the mellow look on his face.
Tough and ironclad. Calm and laidback. Strong and powerful.
Accompanying him were two Digimon, almost polar opposites of each other.
The one to the left was a tall, ten foot clad in dark blue armor. Golden rims encircled the thighs and forearms, adding color to his blue Chrome Digizoid armor. His long silver claws, extending from the feet had a strange menace to them due to the red coloring along their base. Similarly colored spikes, their reflective nature making Grimm thankful for his sunglasses, jutted outward from the knees and the elbows as well. Although his left arm ended in a hand of charcoal gray, his right arm ended in a silvery lance that seemed to scream 'Hello, I'm sharp, and I can eviscerate you in seconds! Want some tea before you die?' Well, maybe not that last part. The top of his right arm was rather unique; a large, triangular guard of sorts – a kite shield, he realized – bore a draconic face, red eyes seemingly glaring on their own. It possessed an open mouth, filled to the brim with fangs. Red hair spilled down from the back of a head guarded by a helmet with two long silver horns, his face hidden by a gray facemask. All that could be seen were eyes. Yellow eyes, distrusting everything about this entire situation. Four wings protruded from the back, angelic in nature…but so light and wispy, they seemed to be made of turquoise energy.
Cold and metallic. Silent and distrusting. Strong and powerful.
The one to the right of the mellow soldier was a complete opposite in almost every way. A bipedal lion that stood at eight feet – almost like a Leomon, save for the fact that his frame was leaner, and his face rounder – while wearing a very casual version of a Japanese male uniform, the gakuran. Black pants, held to his waist by a thick black belt, fit well with the dark jacket that hung on his shoulders. His golden-brown fur was only gone around the muscular torso, where a pink X-shaped scar remained. His wrists – clad with red and gold knuckledusters, bound by tape – were thick like pipes; the bones in his body were incredibly dense, if his fingers were any indication. Black claws, like obsidian, jutted out from his hands and feet. He bore an odd smell, like that of the Earth; he was apparently well-traveled (either that, or he hadn't bathed in a while). Blue eyes stared lucidly at his surroundings, which were too spic-and-span for his liking (if the annoyed grimace on his face was any indication). His mane was like a wild arrangement of silver locks, held down only by a small triangular cap with a red diamond and gold trimming over it. A small chain crossed his jacket's shoulder, going into the folds of it to the long sheath along his back. That sheath was for the large, cracked katana he held in his left hand. His image was exactly that of a ronin, or a rurouni…an image that was solidified by the long piece of grass stuck in his mouth. The tail, weighed down by a gold ring, flicked with irritation at their current predicament. Such irritation could only be dealt with by sake. At least, that's what seemed to be inside the porcelain flask that was in his right hand. He chugged the liquid down with abandon.
Wild and full of life. Potentially loud and rough. Strong and powerful.
Those were Grimm's first impressions of the three newcomers.
"Ah, Mr. Grimm." Revemon clopped over towards the blonde-haired teen, politely asking, "I'm afraid I must continue pursuing my task. Would ye be so generous as to give these gentlemen a brief tour of the station?" His answer was a shrug of the shoulders. "Very well then. Thank'ee."
CHOOM.
And then he was gone.
The three newcomers looked quietly at Jonathon Grimm.
Then the human casually waved. "Yo."
"Hm."
Raising an eyebrow at the nonchalant response, he continued, "Name's Luce Valiant. These two dudes are Darkdramon and BantyoLeomon. And you're…Grimm?"
"So you say."
"And apparently, judging from what that Revemon guy said, we're from Universe-(G)(X). What universe are you from?"
"A dead one."
Silence.
BantyoLeomon chugged down some more of what was, apparently, sake. "Well this is awkward."
Johnny sighed out of annoyance. He wasn't in the mood for this. "I suppose I can take you to the Atrium. It should be simple enough to find more help from there." Besides, I was getting hungry anyway.
xxxx
/Mt. Fuji, Japan, Universe-(M)(S)/
CHOOM.
POW!
Davis grimaced as he crashed right into a pile of snow. "Ow…my face…" Wearily standing up, the Child of Miracles briefly thought of the last universe he had gone to. What had been up with that kid? As if I don't have enough on my hands as it is…
Then he finally saw where he was.
The sun was setting in the west…not that he could tell. It was beyond the mountain he now stood on; at the moment, he was looking about…east of northeast. The dim lights of Tokyo shined in the darkening sky, visible even from sixty-two miles away.
Davis immediately knew where he was. After all, hardly any person in Japan could say they hadn't visited this place at least once in their lives.
Mt. Fuji. An inactive volcano and the tallest mountain in Japan.
Davis frowned as his feet crunched through the snow, his eyes focusing on the nearby house. Huh…I wonder who lives out here?
The teen grimaced as his lungs quivered at the cold air. At least he wasn't being chased by a psychopathic version of the girl he loved…ah geez, he had to bring THAT up. That Hikari Yagami…that Queen of the Light…so vicious. So hateful.
So un-Kari. Hikari had been a polar opposite of the Kari HE knew and loved.
As he neared the house, Davis suddenly started to slump to his knees. Man…so tired…
Hikari had really done a number on him during her last assault. That only compounded the headache that was now building, threatening to storm his entire mind with pain. Moving from world to world, universe to universe, experiencing endless possibilities, endless realities, endless truths…so many combinations of what could have been, happening before his very eyes…and his brain was desperately trying to keep up. And it was going to fail, if he kept on experiencing outlandish and unbelievable scenarios. Sure, he had long become accustomed to the idea of a Digital World mirroring the Real World, where catastrophic events could affect one world (such as the "Internet Lockdown") and vice-versa. But he had come to expect certain things. He could expect an attack on Odaiba by Digimon. He could expect his friends to be attacked mercilessly, followed by a swift retaliation. The standard action and adventure fare. But…some things were just too much.
The worlds where he had been in those WEIRD relationships…a world where Darkheart had destroyed everything…a world where Kari had become that thing…
It was snowing.
Davis's eyes blinked as he watched the clouds slowly come from the other side of Mt. Fuji. Snowing…? Feh.
So tired.
Why was he feeling so tired?
Someone stepped out onto the porch of the house. It was pretty standard fare. Gray roof, gray walls, gray windows, gray…lights? It wasn't the two-story house that was gray. Everything was going gray.
Davis was stumbling.
His mind suddenly realized that it would be a BAD thing if he fell down into the snow, tired as he was. No…wait…
Plump.
Facedown in the snow.
Davis's body wouldn't respond to his mind. Hey. Get up. Move! He wasn't going to die out here! Not like this! MOVE!
He was now on his feet.
But he was being held by someone else.
"Hey pal, hold on…lemme get you inside."
That was all Davis Inoue heard before his mind blacked out.
xxxx
/Room 24, Sub-Level 4, Arbitermon's Station, The Nexus/
Darkheart stood silently, letting his thoughts ramble about as he tried to ignore that agony that abounded through his body.
Going through a black hole had not been pleasant.
Well duh, mentally grumbled Darkheart. It's a flippin' black hole.
To be quite frank, he was ticked off. Well…more than ticked off. He had been completely upstaged in no time at all! That Arbitermon…what a freak! For the love of me, that guy's just nuts. I mean, WHO sics a black hole on someone?! I mean really! It wasn't just that Arbitermon had beaten him…it was the fact that it had been so swift and so decisive. He hated to admit it…but he had been owned. Badly.
So now he was irritated.
He needed to vent.
But he couldn't. As much as it bugged him, Arbitermon wouldn't hesitate to throttle him if he caused any collateral damage. Right now, he couldn't afford to see what other tricks Arbitermon had up his sleeves (and he didn't even have sleeves). So for the time being, he would have to stew in his own fury and settle for exploring the station. After all, there HAD to be something interesting here.
Walking out and traversing the curved corridor, Darkheart eventually found himself in the central core of the station: a massive expanse that led all the way up to a circular rim. That circular rim connected to a number of stairs and floating platforms that would take one to the main waiting chamber. A single column – the same column that held the elevator of levitating light – stood in the center of the expanse, acting as the central support beam for the entire station. The silvery-blue metal glistened as electrical energy flowed through the circuits, giving off white lights to illuminate the innards of the station. Darkheart squinted at the reflective surfaces, grimacing at the brightness. "Feh. Too bright."
The lights around him dimmed, decreasing the magnitude of the brightness.
Darkheart whistled. "Not shabby." Spreading his wings, the corrupted Digidestined descended down towards the bottom of the core, near the base of the central column. At the very bottom – Sub-Level 10, judging by the sign – there were no halls or corridors. The entire sub-level was open; it was almost as though Darkheart had gone into a hole from his descent. Sub-Level 10 was illuminated with a dull red light, giving off the impression of a submarine…or a prison. A prison wouldn't be far off from the mark, considering how many barred rooms there were.
Most of the cells were warded off with bars…or, they seemed to be bars. Darkheart glanced at the material, frowning. Hmm. "Magna Ray!" Black rays erupted from his armor, slamming into the bars…only to disappear entirely. The tainted human stared as the energy diffused throughout the bars. "Nifty." Whatever this material is, it absorbs and disperses energy. He flicked one of the prison bars with his finger, grimacing at the feeling. No vibrations traveled through it…even though he had tapped it with enough force to topple VenomMyotismon. Dense too…REALLY dense. More dense than that pink-haired girl…what was her name? Ah yes, Mimi. "Hmm."
So many cells…not all of them occupied, obviously. But who in the world would warrant be locked down here?
Darkheart smirked. "It'd have to be an interesting character…"
His curiosity piqued, Darkheart continued his trek through Sub-Level 10.
xxxx
It seemed like moments later when he came back to consciousness.
But now he was inside a house.
A nice, warm house.
Davis Inoue suddenly shot up from the comfy chair he was in; his body was covered in a red wool blanket…and his armor was gone. Eh?
The small den was relatively cozy-looking, especially with the fire going. The stone fireplace radiated heat throughout the room, immersing the room in a dull orange light. The lights flickered over glass picture frames, making the boy's eyes twinkle. Pictures showing a brown-haired man, a red-haired woman…their families, their friends…and Digimon. Davis boggled as he realized some of the pictures were of Digidestined. Continuing his visual tour, the Child of Miracles looked up at the chandelier – dim and barely lit, obviously set to a low power level – and marveled at its simple curves and humdrum design. Simple appealed to him right now, after the complex craziness he had just experienced.
Windows were covered by white drapes, and cream-colored wallpaper mixed with the ambience to craft a very pleasing sight. Whoever had designed the house (well, the den at least) had done a really bang-up job. It screamed 'home'.
Davis leaned back into the chair, sighing with content.
"Your armor disappeared when you fell unconscious, in case you were wondering where it went."
That's when he remembered something else.
He had fallen unconscious outside. In the snow. Which meant…
Davis bolted upward once more, looking at the figure sitting in front of the fireplace, his bare feet sinking into the tan-colored saxony carpet. The person – a man – was wearing only a white T-shirt, blue pajama pants, and a dark blue robe. His brown-maroon hair, looking slightly frazzled (bed hair?), was short but thick. The man looked at Davis with lucid brown eyes, the light smile on his face making him seem rather…magnanimous? Was that the word? Huh, now what did it mean again…?
"Heh. You look too tense."
Davis blinked as a white mug was held in front of his face.
"Hot cocoa?"
The Child of Miracles' eyes widened.
"It has marshmallows."
Davis eagerly grabbed the cup, mouthing a brief 'thanks' before sipping down the warm drink. "Aaaah…" His lungs suddenly felt afire as warmth spread through his body.
The man grinned. "Hot cocoa. Beats snowstorms every time." He briefly glanced at the hallway connecting the den to the rest of the house. "Try to keep it down. The wife and the kid are sleeping."
"Okay…" Davis sipped the hot chocolate, relishing the feeling. This was normal…perfectly, completely normal. He was clinging to this serene atmosphere as though it were his sole lifeline. After all, you couldn't blame him. "So…" He looked around at the various photos. The red-haired woman…was obviously Sora. "Sir. Is your name Tai by any chance?"
"Nope. I do know a guy by that name though."
Davis blinked. He had been positive that this guy was Tai. After all, only Tai would have so many pictures of Sora on the wall, coupled with frames of the Digidestined. "Um…sorry. You kind of looked like him." Except grown-up…and with a more mature haircut. Let's just say the sight of Tai without his jungle of a hairdo wasn't exactly new; after all, it had been shorn by a laser courtesy of KingEtemon a few months back (and by now, it had almost completely grown back). Still, who could it be then?
The man chuckled. "Well, I gotta say I'm flattered that you think I look like him…but I'm just a rather normal guy by the name of Daisuke Motomiya."
Davis nearly spat his hot chocolate out. Daisuke Motomiya?
DAISUKE MOTOMIYA?!
His eyes immediately bolted to one of the pictures on the mantle over the fireplace. A wedding photo. Daisuke and Sora, both wearing Western-style clothing: a tuxedo and a white wedding dress respectively. What the…I got married…to SORA?! Well, 'he' hadn't…but this reality's Davis had. The thought was truly alien; sure, Sora was a nice girl, a very loving girl (I mean, she's the Child of Love!)…but she wasn't Kari. "Uh…"
Daisuke smirked. "Shocked, Mini-Me?" At the sight of another gape, the adult continued, "Hey now, don't be too shocked. You're a spitting image of me from my younger days. Besides, a miniature version of me isn't as weird as another world made of data…wouldn't you think?"
"Well…no, not really." Not when Davis thought about it enough. After all, the whole 'doppleganger' angle had been part of anime/manga/sci-fi canon for years. A world inside a digital network? Nowhere near as much.
"Though I don't know where you came from." Daisuke sipped from his hot cocoa. "I mean, as far as I know, only I have the Holy Armor of Miracles. Imagine my surprise when I saw you wearing it."
Davis blinked, suddenly remembering Daisuke's earlier comment about his armor. "Oh yeah…how long was I out?"
"Not that long." The Motomiya kept his eyes transfixed on his little doppelganger. "So…is your name Daisuke Motomiya too?"
"No. Davis. Used to be Davis Motomiya, but now I'm Davis Inoue."
Daisuke's eyes widened out of shock.
"Eh…long story…?" Davis answered shyly.
"Apparently." Daisuke sighed as he sat down on the floor, staring up at Davis as he let the fire's heat warm his body. "Is it good?"
"Yep." Davis licked the spare chocolate off of his lips. "I can't believe you have a house on Mt. Fuji."
"The Japanese government's grateful for all of the stuff we Digidestined have done over the years when it comes to affairs of the Digital variety. This is just the tip of the iceberg." Daisuke suddenly stared quietly at Davis before continuing, "So mind telling me how you ended up here?"
Davis frowned. "Honestly…I'm not sure myself."
"Then make as much sense as you can. I might be able to make sense of it…after all, I'm you."
"Oh…right."
And so Davis began his tale of how he had suddenly been zapped away from his home to a multitude of worlds, ranging from the odd to the strange to the creepy to the interesting. From the world of a Wild West to the world of Veemon's dreams (can you say Power Rangers and Godzilla!). From the psycho BlackWargreymon to the world with those two swordsmen. ALL of the weird relationship worlds (though in hindsight, the Davis/Kari one wasn't weird…just that he hadn't been prepared for the sight of 'grown-up things'). That odd place with the, well…retarded (and honestly, Davis couldn't think of a better word. Or a nicer one. Stupid simply wasn't enough) versions of Tai and Matt, where he and Veemon had gotten separated.
Then the world with Darkheart.
Then the world with Hikari Yagami.
"…and now I'm here." Davis was too distraught over the worlds with Darkheart and the Queen of the Light to recall his momentary trip to that world with the kid at the laptop. "It's been…weird, to say the least."
"I bet." Daisuke sighed as he scratched the back of his head, looking at his doppelganger with a look of pity. "Sounds rough too."
"And the worst part is, I have no idea what's happened with the others or Veemon. They may be in the same situation I'm in." Now that Davis had time to think, several terrifying thoughts came to mind. What if they went to a world where BelialMyotismon had won? Or Demon? Or where they had ALL died in the past in a freak plane crash? For all Davis knew, there could have been an alternate universe where a psychopathic clown lived for the sole purpose of killing them. "Eesh…it makes my head hurt."
Daisuke shrugged. "You'll pull through. I mean, ya gotta eventually end up back where you were at one point or another."
"I hope so."
A few moments of silence passed as both youth and adult sipped from their hot cocoa.
Finally, Daisuke interrupted the silence. "That world with Darkheart…the way you talked, it sounded like you had your own troubles with him in the past."
Davis's head sank.
"Hey, I had my problems with him too."
"It's just…" Davis's fingers trembled. Now that he thought about it, the idea of Darkheart still existing…it was horrifying. On some level, he had known that Darkheart wasn't dead. But he had never given much thought to his corrupted alter-ego. The reason why was quite simple; it didn't matter how many times Darkheart's presence had infiltrated his nightmares or dreams, or how many times his thoughts turned to the sins he had committed as Darkheart (thankfully, those times were few in number). No matter what, he always knew that if Darkheart ever returned, his friends would be able to defeat him. Kari, with a little help from Siara and BlackWargreymon, had managed to defeat Darkheart in his Dark Angel form! He had been nigh unstoppable…and he had still been beaten. There had never been a single doubt in Davis's mind that a repeat incident would never occur. His fellow Digidestined wouldn't even allow Darkheart to make it to the second stage – Fighter Mode – should he ever arise again. Not a doubt.
Then he had seen that dead world.
That world where nothing lived. Where a blight named Darkheart had twisted away at the very essence of life itself, snapping it like a twig and sucking it dry. That world where the Digidestined had lost…and Darkheart had won.
Proof that good guys didn't always win.
Davis's teeth clenched. "It's just…" What if Darkheart arose again? What if he wasn't strong enough to hold him off? What if…what if his darkness managed to win? "…before that, I was always sure he would never win the war. He'd win a few battles…never the whole shebang. But now…I'm not sure."
"And the thought of Darkheart winning scares you. It TERRIFIES you."
Davis numbly nodded. "Yes."
"Can't say I blame you." Daisuke rubbed his temples, sighing out of what seemed to be remorse. "One of the more troublesome aspects of my Digidestined career…I kind of wish I could've ripped UmbraDevimon and Demon a new one for what they did."
UmbraDevimon. The one who had exploited Davis's insecurities and faults to corrupt and shatter the heart that protected the soul, which was the essence of a person's very being. His soul had been filled with darkness, smothering his personality, mind, and being while his shattered heart had become corrupted. Then he had discovered a will of his own, all thanks to the Dark Spore of Demon (though he hadn't found this out until much later, not until after Darkheart was defeated for the first time). The Dark Spore had suffused his soul with evil energy, corrupting IT as well. His being had morphed into a dark version of itself…and when paired with the corruption of his heart, the sadistic creature known as Darkheart had truly come into being.
Those two Dark Digimon had unleashed a mad power beyond reckoning.
Davis grimaced as he recalled how UmbraDevimon had manipulated his emotions, so that his heart would weaken. "What he made me think…it's hard to believe that he was able to make me think such things."
"Well, it's not a matter of making you think those things. He took your doubts and insecurities and twisted them with his dark powers. He made them seem so big that you couldn't handle it. I should know."
"…yeah." Davis sighed as he sipped some more of his hot chocolate. Despite his thoughts concerning Darkheart, this talk was actually…enjoyable. It felt good to talk about a pain that no one else could understand, save for himself. After all, Daisuke WAS himself…sort of. Except older. "Some of the things he exploited though…" Davis enjoyment immediately began to decrease as one old memory came out of nowhere. "I mean…the time in the Emperor's Base." Davis frowned as his heart began to (figuratively) retch. This one memory was almost beyond the pale. "I nearly left TK behind…"
"Mm. That's a doozy. Haven't thought about that one in a while." Daisuke groaned. THAT was one unpleasant memory. "The Digimon Emperor's airship, on the verge of crashing…a defensive drone of unimaginable power, tearing the place apart to kill us…I was upset about TK moving in on Kari, and I wanted us to leave, even though he had been split up from the group. Boy, Shaun let me have it…"
Davis blinked. "Um…airship?"
"Was it different for you?"
Davis nodded. "Yeah. We were in the Emperor's first base, an underwater facility. We were being chased by both an artificial Digimon and a group of gun-toting cyborgs…and the Emperor had set the place to self-destruct. But yeah…that same thing with TK happened."
Both doppelgangers looked downcast at the thoughts of their old sins. Daisuke sighed out of regret. "Well, it's odd to think of how we tried to justify our decision. They certainly did make sense back then…" Daisuke began counting off his fingers. "Wanted to keep Kari safe from any danger. As leader, I was obligated to try and stop the entire group from dying, at the cost of a life if necessary. As a Digidestined, the loss would be understandable, yadda yadda yadda etcetera etcetera."
Davis moped, "Doesn't sound like good reasons when you put it like that."
"Back then, it did. Does it make it right? Nope. But the ulterior is just that: ulterior."
Davis looked at his older self. "When I get back…should I apologize?"
"How long ago was it?"
"About…a little less than a year."
Daisuke shrugged. "Eh, it's old news. You've learned your lesson: don't be a stupid moron. Move on and keep fighting the bad guys."
Davis lightly smiled. "Yeah…" He bunched his knees together, licking at the marshmallows stuck to the rim of his mug. "It's almost scary what I had been willing to do to keep Kari by my side back then…but she was my very first friend." And his only friend for years, before he had become a Digidestined. It was through Kari that he became acquainted with his idol-turned-predecessor Tai and his beast-turned-sister Yolei. It was only because of Kari that his time before his Digidestined days had been bearable. "…she makes life easier."
"Yeah…" Daisuke sighed with content. "Good times…good times."
"…what ever happened to your Kari? Did things not work out…?" Davis immediately wondered if he had treaded into unfriendly waters. "Um…you don't have to answer."
Daisuke casually shrugged. "Don't worry. Kari was actually my first wife. Sora's first husband was Tai. I'm Sora's SECOND significant other, and vice-versa." His younger version's astounded stare actually made him chuckle. "Shocked?"
"Uh…yeah." Sora and Tai splitting up sounded shocking enough! Him splitting up with KARI?! "I mean, geez…I can't picture us going the same route as Matt and TK's parents, you know?"
"Never said anything about divorce. Tai and Kari are dead."
You ever have that feeling where you say something that you IMMEDIATELY regret? Something that was so off-target that you couldn't help but feel an overwhelming feeling of shame that you got it so wrong?
Davis was getting that feeling in spades. "…sorry."
"No need to apologize." Daisuke quietly looked at his suddenly distraught-looking doppelganger. Mentally weighing whether or not he should explain, he finally decided to tell Davis. After all, considering the young lad's fear of Darkheart…it would be good for him. "I'll tell you the circumstances." Downing the last of his hot chocolate, Daisuke launched into his story. "It's been YEARS after our many adventures as Digidestined. The Odaiba War is nothing more than history textbook fodder, the Digimon of the Transcendent City have flooded the world with a technological renaissance of sorts, and things have been going well…at least since the Digital War."
"Digital War?"
Daisuke inhaled forcefully, trying to calm himself. Memories of that conflict had obviously left some scars. "I was sixteen years old when the Grand Praetor and the US ambassador to the Transcendent City were both assassinated in quick succession. A military officer in the American military claimed responsibility for the death of Nola Kusulumee, and a security camera caught a black Elitemon sniper in the act of the ambassador's death. Tensions became high IMMEDIATELY, no surprise…while investigations were underway, a small group of Seraphs – those teardrop-shaped aerial fighters – attacked the city of Colorado Springs, to the south. Completely unexpected, resulted in thousands of civilian casualties. The Hierarchs tried to claim that they had nothing to do with the attack, but it was too late by then. The US armed forces engaged the Transcendent City military at the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains."
As Daisuke spoke, Davis tried to absorb it all with increasing horror. The Transcendent City at war with America?! Those two had been the greatest of allies since the Odaiba War! The thought of them being at war with each other was almost too much to handle. "And…?"
"The Digital War began when the Transcendent City unleashed a new weapon on the US armed forces: a gigantic cannon called the Wraith. It fired a single shell of super-concentrated plasma…and the ensuing explosion upon impact sent a plasma wave washing over the battlefield. The entire fighting force the American military had sent there was vaporized, along with most of Colorado Springs."
Davis paled. Had things gone THAT badly here?
"For a few months, the American military – fighting in an allied coalition with the British, the Canadians, the Japanese, the Iraqis, and the French – remained in a perimeter around the state of Colorado, evacuating every citizen from the state. Colorado was deemed a militarized zone, and the Transcendent City restricted their use of the Wraith. It seemed that the Hierarchs wished to try and minimize the Digital War, to try and end it and let the investigation of the assassinations continue…but then the Wraith fired again, hitting the evacuated city of Denver. Combat operations began again throughout the state…and that's when we Digidestined intervened." Daisuke's stare hardened. "Then, just as we came to try and stop the fighting…the Gravemon came."
"…the Gravemon…" Davis frowned. The Gravemon. The dreaded parasitic Digimon. "They were still alive?"
"Apparently, they had somehow survived the Odaiba War, and had moved under the crust of the Earth. All of the activity with the Digital War must have attracted them to Colorado…so then it had become the Transcendent City, the American military coalition, us, and the Gravemon in a massive battle. We fought over the plains of Colorado…and that's when I saw Kari got clipped by an errant Huntermon blast. She went down into a group of Gravemon Spores."
Davis's heart tightened. No…
Daisuke quickly continued, "It wasn't until much later that I learned that Kari had been rescued by Goliamon and TK right before she could be infected, but I didn't know at that time. I went…ballistic." The man accented the words, focusing heavily on the last three. "I don't know how long it was before I finally became clearheaded again, but I was being held down by Kari, TK, Omnimon, and Aetherdramon. My armor was black."
"…you became Darkheart."
"Yep."
"How?"
"I got angry. So angry over Kari's apparent death that I LOST it. Darkheart took advantage of my anger and broke free. I didn't absorb anyone thankfully…but I ended up glassing most of Colorado and obliterating the Gravemon, along with a majority of both the Transcendent military and the American military coalition." Sighing heavily, Daisuke muttered, "Granted, my berserk assault completely stopped hostilities, and I AM grateful that the other Digidestined managed to hide the fact that I was responsible, leading everyone else to believe that it was some rogue Digimon…but still. I became Darkheart. Not because of any evil, villainous scheme by some dark fiend from the edge of the universe, oh no…I became Darkheart because I got angry. Essentially, I had just ripped off the Hulk, and all that that implies." Daisuke laid back on the floor, sighing once again. So much sighing. He hated it. "Can you imagine how it feels, to know that you're one 'McDonald's got my order wrong again' from losing it and destroying everything?"
"…" Davis Inoue really couldn't respond to Daisuke Motomiya. Becoming Darkheart due to anger alone? Losing control so easily? It was a sobering thought, to think he could become corrupted so quickly, and could kill so many. "…then what happened?"
"I swore never to don the Armor of Miracles ever again. I wasn't going to risk Darkheart breaking free for something stupid like my battles. Other people could fight; I would still come for Veemon so he could digivolve, but I would be just as powerless as Ken, Yolei, and everyone else except for TK and Kari." Damned if I didn't miss flying though. "Anyhow, the investigation finally pointed toward a conspiracy between an American general and a rogue Elitemon to start a war between Digimon and humans. The Digital War ended and the Transcendent City signed a ceasefire agreement with America. To try and ensure that their immense technological advantage could not be abused, the Hierarchs allowed for some of their more basic technologies to proliferate throughout the world. That's the little techno-renaissance I told you about earlier. Years passed; I married Kari, Tai married Sora, Ken married Yolei, Matt married Mimi, Jim married Jun, Joe married some veterinarian lady, Cody married a girl named Jeri, and…well, maybe I should move beyond the whole romantic aspect of things."
"Please?" Davis didn't even care that those relationships were okay by him. He had had enough of thinking about relationships period, at least for the time being. Thoughts of relationships only led to thoughts of impurity that belonged to an abyss of eternity!
Daisuke suddenly chuckled at the nearly constipated look on Davis's face. "Enough of the relationships huh? Don't want to think about your sister, hmm?"
Davis felt like cursing at Daisuke. GAAAAAAAAAH!!! MAKE THE IMAGES STOP!!!
"Anyhow, getting back on track…" Daisuke ignored Davis's convulsions. "The years passed, things were going fine…then Dragomon finally decided to come for Kari. You know who Dragomon is?"
Davis paused his self-imposed spasms, trying to remember anyone called Dragomon. "Hmm…uh…oh yeah, I remember now." Shaun and his partner (Agumon) had given him and Veemon a brief explanation of the Dark World and the Lord of the Dark Ocean, Dragomon. "A big squid-like guy. Haven't run into him much, thankfully…what did he do?"
"Ten years after first attempting to take Kari, he made his second attempt. Tokyo was swarmed with his Deadmon servants, forcing everyone into battle. They were all weaklings, but there were so MANY." Daisuke suddenly paused. That feeling of inadequacy was returning. The feeling of failure, of being unable to win. "Kari was kidnapped during the fighting and taken to the Dark World. Tai followed them through the portal before it closed. While Gennai was working out a way to work open a portal, the rest of us were talking about how to proceed…but I didn't want to go to the Dark World."
"Why?"
"Fear."
"Huh?"
"I was scared of the darkness there. What if Darkheart broke free? What if he emerged again?" Daisuke clenched his fist. "It frustrated me so much…but I wasn't going to risk Darkheart's return. Not if we'd get a repeat of Burning Colorado."
Burning Colorado. Apparently, it had been the term given to the calamity that Darkheart had wrought upon the state of Colorado.
"But then the Deadmon returned…with their Lord coming along." A stern scowl cross his face. "Dragomon had digivolved to his most powerful form…a creature called Satamon…and he was dragging Tai's corpse behind him."
Davis's chest began to constrict. The knowledge of what he was about to hear…he didn't want to know. Stop talking. But he couldn't say those words…because he had to hear them. Deep down, he knew he had to.
"Satamon was a fusion of Dragomon and Kari…a fusion of darkness and light…but Dragomon's mind was dominant." Daisuke's frame shook, even though he was lying on the ground. "The battle that ensued…well, I HAD to don my Armor of Miracles. I had to fight. I couldn't forgive Dragomon for what he had done."
Davis resisted the urge to clutch at his sternum; his heart was beginning to beat with increasing intensity.
"A long battle ensued…but Satamon eventually fell. We couldn't save Kari though…" Davis buried his hands into his hair, trying to fight back the pain of the memory. "We lost both Tai and Kari on that day…so Sora and I were the hardest hit. We often met to just recall how much both Tai and Kari meant to us…and things kind of developed from there." Sitting back up, the elder Motomiya stared at the younger Inoue. "Understand why I told you this?"
"Wha…?" Davis blinked, trying to get past the feelings he had just endured. Daisuke's fear of Darkheart had prevented him from rescuing Kari? It was…it was just…unthinkable. It was one of the ultimate 'lose-lose' situations.
"Kid…" Daisuke stood up, stretching his back to work out the kinks. "One thing that didn't occur to me until it was too late was that I had never been Darkheart for good. True, his first appearance was scarring and horrifying in every way imaginable…but I was brought back. Even when I caused Burning Colorado, I was brought back. What I didn't realize was that my friends would have fought their hardest to bring me back…no matter how deeply I fell into the darkness. I forgot that we Digidestined are a family. We stick up for each other, fight for each other, die for each other…I lost sight of that…and because of that, I couldn't make a difference when the most important woman in my life was taken away."
Davis Inoue was not the type to cry in front of other people. He couldn't help but let the tears escape. The thought of enduring this pain…to see what he had felt…to understand the consequences of his actions from the future…it was too much to bear. "…I…"
"Davis." Daisuke stared down at his little doppelganger. "We both have great power. I let my fear of Darkheart overwhelm me. You're still young…I don't know why you ended up here out of every possible universe, but maybe I can help you." Pointing down at Davis's chest, Daisuke said, "Look at the Crest of Miracles. Tell me what you're fighting for. WHY do you fight?"
Davis Inoue pulled open the neckline of his shirt, staring at his sternum.
The Crest of Miracles, embedded over a scar that had long faded away (the Crimson Lightning of Myotismon…boy was that an unpleasant memory). Even now, it possessed a faint sheen.
Why did he fight?
He fought because he was a Digidestined…but was that it? Was that the only reason he fought? Because of his destiny?
That wasn't it. No. He fought for a lot more than that.
He fought for Veemon. He fought for his friends. He fought for the safety of the Digital World. He fought for the safety of the Real World. He fought to make sure Digimon and humans could coexist in peace.
All of those reasons…what was the binding thread? What was his one ULTIMATE desire that drove him to fight so hard?
Davis scowled, clenching at his shirt tightly as he sat up, finally drinking the last of his now-lukewarm cocoa. How could he quantify such a thing? All of his doubts and sins, weighed against his vows and feats? Good and bad, how had he gone about his life as a Digidestined?
He had stood up to the Emperor.
He had weathered the attack of UmbraDevimon and his minions.
He had, despite his corruption, tried to remain whole within Darkheart.
He had been freed by his friends.
He had helped bring about the end of the Odaiba War by defeating BelialMyotismon.
He had tried to keep the peace in Tokyo during Digimon attacks.
He had fought KingEtemon with his all during the monkey's 'Comeback Tour.'
And now he was here for unknown reasons, being told that there was a possibility that those he cared for would die because of his inaction.
Davis's scowl lessened into a deep frown. His mind finally began to settle through it all. Darkheart. Hikari Yagami. Both of them, posing a unique threat…both of them, offering a glimpse of a possible future. A future where the Digidestined had failed.
I won't let that happen…my friends still want to live. The Child of Miracles from Universe-(0)(1) calmly got out of the chair, reaching for his shoes that had been taken off and left by the front door. Even now, outside, he could see the slowing snow…quietly revealing more and more of a bustling nighttime Tokyo afar. Full of lights, movement, life.
Life.
That was it.
Dark Digimon constantly strove to upend the life of good people for their own nefarious ends. Darkheart had sought the utter annihilation of life. Hikari Yagami had perverted life into something else entirely. The life Davis Inoue fought for…
The life of a friend.
The life of a family member.
The life of a good society.
The life of the world.
The life of that world's future.
Sighing, Davis quietly concentrated. "Holy Armor Energize."
And just like that, he stood there, clad in the golden armor that had become so synonymous with him.
"Well?"
Davis turned towards Daisuke, his brown eyes perfectly mirroring his adult self's in all but one way: intensity. Davis was feeling a greater sense of purpose now, and it was consoling him after all of the seemingly purposeless dimensional trekking he had done up to this point. "I fight so good people – and the people I care about – can live in a peaceful world."
"A peaceful world is practically an impossibility," said Daisuke. "There's always gonna be someone looking to ruin it."
"I know…I can only fight for what's around me. But any difference is fine by me." He grinned a characteristic 'Davis grin', mouth wide and teeth showing. "I mean, I've helped to save the world a bunch of times already, right?"
Daisuke Motomiya smiled. "Yep."
That was when the sound came.
Faint…but it could still be heard. It was so unmistakably familiar, that Davis couldn't help but turn his head toward the window.
That cracking sound, complete with an abyssal boom.
A white tear, ripping open in the sky above Tokyo.
Davis immediately recalled an unearthly being shouting Antimatter Erase.
This place was about to…!
CHOOM.
Then there was THAT sound.
Davis's eyes widened with horror as his body began to withdraw into a single point. "No…" His eyes, now filled with panic, feverishly looked at Daisuke…who had a somewhat resigned look on his face. "This place…it's going to be-"
"Wiped out." Daisuke sighed as he scratched the back of his head. Hmph. So much for that. "Feh…well, I suppose you're about to be off now. Try to keep your head down."
Davis stared out of bewilderment, even as whatever power that gripped him slowly pulled him inward. "You're not going to fight…?"
"It's not a matter of fighting. One look and I already tell I can't do anything." Turning towards his slowly disappearing doppelganger, Daisuke muttered, "I'm not choosing to do nothing…it's just that I can't do anything. And quite frankly…it infuriates me." The barest flicker of red seemed to emerge in his eyes. For just a brief moment. Sighing, Daisuke rubbed his eyes before looking warmly at the perturbed Davis. "Listen. Just remember what we talked about. I'd like to think I did you a little good. In the mean time…" He turned around, scratching at his hair. "…I'll be spending my last moments with my wife and kid."
Davis Inoue reached out, his mouth open in a silent scream. For Daisuke to die like this…it wasn't fair…IT WASN'T FAIR!
And then Davis was gone.
Daisuke quietly stepped into his darkened bedroom, hearing the quiet cries of his son, who was trying to be shushed by his wife. Sora Motomiya looked up at Daisuke, asking, "What was that sound I heard? It woke Shaun."
"I was getting a midnight snack when I dropped something. Sorry." Daisuke sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he sat down on the bed, nuzzling Shaun's reddish-brown hair with his fingers. "Hey, sorry little guy…didn't mean to wake ya."
Sora smiled softly as she brushed some dust off of her red pajama pants and white T-shirt. "There we go…go back to sleep now…"
Daisuke sighed contentedly as the little boy fell asleep. Tai had been unable to impregnate Sora before his death…and neither had Daisuke been able to impregnate Kari. Shaun was both his and Sora's first child; after all the pain and agony the time traveling Child of Wisdom had endured, ensuring he lived on in some form was the least that Daisuke could do.
Now he wouldn't get to live past his infancy.
It wasn't fair.
Sora frowned as she saw tears begin to leak out of Daisuke's eyes. "Daisuke…?"
"Just thinking about how much I love you two," muttered Daisuke as he embraced Sora with one arm, protectively nestling Shaun between both his stomach and his wife's.
As Sora brought her free arm around Daisuke's back, she saw a white light beginning to peer through the shades and the drapes. Whatever it was, it was something big…something Daisuke couldn't stop…something that Daisuke knew would kill them.
Sora Motomiya looked sadly at her husband, knowing that he must've been tortured by this knowledge. Doomed to die…and nothing could be done about it. After what he had been through, he would not have hesitated to fight if he knew there was a chance…which meant this was final. This was the end.
If so…she would face it with him.
"I love you too Daisuke," whispered a tearing Sora as she tightened her hold on Daisuke while gently cradling Shaun. "I'm here for you…just as you've been here for me."
Daisuke smiled as he used his free hand to wipe some of the tears away. What a wonderful woman Sora was…truly a person with a love that had no bound. "Thank you for everything…"
They passionately kissed as tears ran freely, each one lending an arm to support Shaun…keeping him between each other, as if in the hope that he would be shielded from any and all dangers the world would pose to them. Shielded by their bodies…and by their love.
I love you Daisuke.
I love you Sora. And Shaun…I'm sorry.
And with those last thoughts, the whiteness overtook them.
Gone in an instant.
xxxx
/Void Between the Worlds/
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Davis Inoue wailed as he thrashed about in the endless expanse, roaring with fury at whatever force was pulling him from world to world.
Daisuke Motomiya…after everything he had been through…after ALL of that…he had ended up dying. Being vanquished, eradicated, utterly, truly, COMPLETELY! Memories, past, present, future…gone.
Gone!
GONE!
"Who's doing this…" Davis's teeth clenched together as his eyes darted about, trying to make sense of this endless expanse. "WHO'S DOING THIS?! SHOW YOURSELF! NOW!!!"
No echoes.
It was almost infuriating.
Davis Inoue grimaced. At the moment, he had no control over his movement…
What was behind his dimensional journey?
"…" Davis growled as his mind drifted to Daisuke. "…not fair. Not fair."
A dot in the expanse.
Davis's eyes were inexplicably drawn toward it. It was growing…growing…and growing.
It was a humanoid.
Davis stared mutely as the figure drifted by.
Those hands were the same ones he had seen ripping the sky open in the world of the insane BlackWargreymon: whiter than white hands shielded by blacker than black armor. The same motif applied to his feet; armored boots covered his white feet, as did armor plates around the waist, biceps, thighs, and shoulders…but his body was not entirely white. Oh no.
As Davis gazed further inward, the body became more transparent. Slowly decreasing in whiteness from the hands and feet inward, the transparency of the being's body was odd to look at in this endless expanse of white. It would've been hard to differentiate this being from the rest of the void were it not for one thing.
The gob of matter inside his torso.
Particles – positrons and antiprotons and antineutrons, all antimatter – zoomed about through his body's innards, colliding and breaking apart. The sheer speed at which they moved about prevented fusion of any sort, forming a plasma. This 'particle soup' circulated through the body as blood, a strange mixture that seemed to exhibit a variety of colors unlike anything Davis could conceive or name.
Some of these veins of particles lead up through the neck towards a head of snowy white, disappearing beneath an obsidian Corinthian helmet that covered his face…save for two eyes.
Black eyes.
So black that they absorbed all light, refusing to let anything out. So unbelievably dense and dark that they seemed to steal the very warmth from Davis's body.
Those eyes were not looking at him. They were focused elsewhere.
Davis stared in stunned amazement as the figure flew by; given the lack of any reference points, the figure could have been either as big as Imperialdramon, or as big as Huanglongmon. He couldn't tell.
All he did know was that he had been ignored by the strange creature.
Davis Inoue could only look as the being disappeared from sight, shrinking into a dot that eventually faded from view.
He was alone again.
And his anger had given way to confusion and stunned silence.
…what in the world is going on…?
xxxx
To be continued…
Next time…
Issue #8: Of Gods and Demons
xxxx
Author's Note: Our first whole look at Antimon!
Blame Halo 3 for lateness! But there was another segment to this chapter I wanted to add…but frankly, it's been too long since I updated, and that segment was looking to be a wee bit too long to write. So it goes to the next issue.
Apologies for the late update, again. Hope ya'll enjoyed my brief foray into Daiora.
Universe (0)(4): The world of Lord of the Chaos's character Jonathon Grimm.
Universe (G)(X): The world of Goldamon X's characters Luce Valiant, BantyoLeomon, and Darkdramon.
Universe (M)(S): The Daiora Universe.
I'll bring out a quick ditty from Side Stories, then comes Issue #8!
See you soon, and please review!
