Worlds Apart
Chapter 10: Strong
More then a week had passed since their last trip into the digital world. They had all more of less recovered from the fight with Mithunamon and were starting to wonder when there would be another attack. They had decided to clue Shibumi in on what they had found out. The three of them along with Ryo, and Shibumi had met at a coffee house near Hypnos. They had left their Digimon at home to avoid drawing attention. With the exception of Rika, however Rnamon was quite skilled at keeping out of sight.
"That's an incredible story" Shibumi said in amazement. Takato had been recounting to him what Gennai had told them.
"It sounds to me like those two can't be trusted" Ryo commented.
"That much we've settled on, but there really isn't a lot we can do except wait" Rika said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Did anyone notice the comments about graves and dead bodies?" Henry said abruptly. He had been silent since the beginning of the story.
"The thing about Liam being a good leader?" Takato asked.
"Digimon dissolve into data when they die... How could he have buried of burned bodies?" Ryo asked suspiciously.
"Good point... someones lying" Takato said sounding puzzled. "But what could they gain from a lie like that?"
"Look if we're gonna believe that the digital world used to be one layer and have a fifth god then we can probably assume some things changed between then and now" Rika interjected very firmly. "I'm pretty sure we can write that one off as not knowing 'exactly' what happened during this war."
"What do you think Shibumi?" Henry asked. Shibumi had been resting his chin in his hand with a look of mild interest on his face.
"I think you might be looking at this the wrong way." Shibumi answered slowly. "You've all made up your minds that these creatures are against you... Why?"
"The whole unleashing creatures to try to kill us is the major point for me" Takato said flatly.
"They released these creatures against you... And yet they seem to have given you a bit of help with them... What makes you think they aren't just trying to rid the world of their old foes? Or, perhaps more likely why don't you think this is all just a test?" Shibumi asked shrewdly. The four looked at each other in slight astonishment.
"But why would they test us?" Ryo asked indignantly. "We beat the D-Reaper... That should be proof enough of our strength!"
"Maybe it isn't our bodies they're testing... What if it's our minds or our hearts?" Takato asked.
"Still doesn't answer why" Henry responded.
"I'm pretty sure beating the D-reaper proved those things too" Ryo replied.
"This is-" Takato broke off as he felt a weight hit his shoulder. Rika appeared to have fallen asleep and slumped side ways onto him. He shook his arm discretely and Rika's head snapped up as everyone looked around.
"This is?" Ryo prompted.
"This is pointless" Takato continued a little embarrassed. "We're just gonna have to wait and try to get some answers the next time we see those two."
"I think that's really your only option" Shibumi said, standing up. "Thank you for the information and let me know how this turns out... I need to get back to work." Shibumi laid enough money on the table to cover their drinks, bid them goodbye and departed.
"Rika, what's up?" Ryo asked a little concerned. "You've been half asleep most of the time we've been here and you don't look to good."
"It's... It's nothing I'm sure" Rika said unconvincingly.
"Try it again with a little conviction and maybe we'll believe you" Henry joked.
"Serously Rika... You can tell us anything" Takato added kindly. Rika looked around and sighed. She still wasn't used to the idea of letting others try to help her with her problems. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
"I've been having these... Nightmares... Ever since that battle with Mithunamon... I dream I'm on corpse strewn battle fields, underneath skies painted red by fire... I see all kinds of Digimon fighting and slaughtering one another... But it's not like a dream... I always feel like I'm actually there but I have no control over it... It's like I'm watching it through another persons eyes... And those are the better ones" Rika finished opening her eyes. She looked around and could see all three of the boys looking at her with their mouths hanging open.
"Wow" Ryo said after a minute or two of awkward silence. "No wonder your falling asleep all the time."
"What are the worse ones?" Henry asked.
"Don't make her-" Takato began defensively.
"No I was about tell anyway... Those are worse because it's about us... In one we're fighting someone who looks like Liam... It's the four of us and the Digidestined... But it's weird... I saw Sakuyamon fighting... But I wasn't inside her. The man we were fighting had two henchmen who's faces I couldn't see... They beat us and was about to finish us when there was an explosion and I woke up... The other dream we were standing in a huge cathedral sort of place... Big like one and it had stained glass. There was another man there and he was offering T.K. a sword. I remember him saying something about the blood of angels... In that dream we were knocked around pretty badly... I'm not sure what any of it means but I feel like... Like it all means something" Rika finished shaking her head.
"I know they're disturbing but that doesn't necessarily mean anything" Henry commented. "It could just be a reaction to all the stress of the last ten days."
"Maybe... You're probably right" Rika replied, suddenly wishing she hadn't told them.
"I don't think we should dismiss it that easily" Ryo said as Rika stood up.
"I... I think I'm gonna go... It looks like it might rain and I don't like driving my motorcycle in the rain... Bye" Rika said, hastily exiting the building. Before any of the boys could give chase she had climbed on her motorcycle and departed. While Rika was recounting her nightmares, in another world T.K. was living one.
T.K. was standing in a dark room, his back to a large pillar. Torches with red fire were placed on the walls, giving the enormous room an ominous glow. Dark cloth hung from the walls with insignia's he didn't recognize. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there or why. All he knew was that he was in danger. A moment later dozens of rock shards struck the back of the pillar he was hiding behind causing it to crumble and a cloud of dust to fly out. T.K. felt himself move with lighting speed to another pillar. It was strange, he was looking through his own eyes but didn't seem to be able to control himself.
"Why are you running?" A voice demanded. "You chased me down here to kill me didn't you?"
"I came here to make you pay for what you've done!" T.K. felt his mouth acting of it's own accord. The loss of control frightened him. The voice laughed rather sourly.
"What I've done to all of you?" The voice asked jokingly. T.K. knew that voice, but couldn't quite place it. "What about what you did to me? Taking away everything I cared about, everything that ever meant anything to me!" A shadowy figure moved quickly and struck the column. T.K. moved faster then he would've thought possible and unsheathed a sword of blinding silver. He brought it down with his full weight on the man who had barely pulled his broad sword from the pillar in time. By the dim light of the torches T.K. could see the man was wearing some sort of battle armor, all black and trimmed in silver with a matching cloak. The hood was pulled up so he couldn't see his face. The man repelled him, turning his sword and knocking T.K.'s out of his hand. Again T.K. moved faster then seemed physically possible. This time to a crouching position behind some sort of pool at the far end of the room.
"Don't try to put this on us... You did it because you wanted power!" T.K. shouted, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. "Can't you see you're being used?"
"He would've killed me if I hadn't joined him!" The man shouted back, his voice echoing.
"Then you should have died!" T.K. roared back. "You should have died rather then turn your back on your friends! Just as we would've done for you!" T.K. jumped onto the side of the square pool and somehow pulled the water into the air. He pushed his arms out and sent a tidal wave at the man who was blasted backwards into the wall. T.K. flattened his hands and turned them so their palms were facing up. The water around the man froze, leaving only his head free. T.K. jumped across the pool and brandished his sword as he landed. He walked slowly towards the man who struggled but could not escape.
"You should've known... If he didn't kill you... I would!" T.K. suddenly realized what he was about to do. His mind raced and jerked trying to pull himself out of this. His arm wasn't responding. His arm drew back and was about to slice through the mans throat. "NO!" T.K. thought frantically "what is this?"
T.K. sat bolt up right a scream escaping him. He gulped loudly sucking in air as he stared around. He was sitting on the couch in his mothers apartment. The T.V. Was on showing some cartoon. A moment later he remembered. He had been waiting for Kari to come over. They were going to hang out and try to unwind, after everything that had happened recently everyone was so on edge. He put his hand to his forehead and wiped away several bullets of icy sweat.
"T.K. are you alright?" Patamon asked frantically flying into the room with Kari behind him.
"I'm fi- What the?" T.K. asked at Kari's presence.
"I was knocking on the door and Patamon said it was okay if I came in... We heard you scream is everything alright?" Kari asked looking concerned.
"Just... Just another nightmare" T.K. said moving over so she could sit down beside him. Gatomon jumped onto the coffee table as T.K. buried his head in his hands.
"Figure anything out about this one?" Gatomon asked.
"Just me fighting someone... Though I did talk this time" T.K. replied. He had been having these dreams for several day's now. It was making it nearly impossible for him to get any good sleep. The early dreams had been bad but not like this. Those had been bad, but now they were becoming more vivid.
"What did you say?" Kari asked putting her arm around him.
"Something about someone betraying us... and... and that I was going to kill them" T.K. said with some hesitation.
"That doesn't sound like you... Are you sure it wasn't someone else?" Patamon asked.
"I don't know... what does all this mean!" T.K. yelled slamming his fist on the table. Gatomon had expected this and had moved to the opposite end. Lack of sleep and the fear of these dreams had made T.K. quite irritable. "Maybe it's nothing... Maybe I'm just losing my mind."
"That's what I thought when I had those dreams about the Dark Ocean... And we all know how that turned out." Kari said laughing somewhat coldly. The memory of those things kidnapping her wasn't a something she often talked about. "If you think these dreams mean something then there's a good chance they might... After we aren't exactly what you call 'normal'"
"I guess you're right... These dreams just scare me... Especially the ones your in... I don't know what I'd do if I let anything happen to you" T.K. said pushing the thought away.
"I'm gonna let the fact that you insinuated that I can't take care of myself slide since I know you meant well" Kari said moving in front of him and pulling into a hug. "I love you T.K. and whatever these dreams mean, if they mean anything. We'll deal with it the same was we always have. She pulled back and kissed him. After a moment the two broke apart. "As long as I've got you, Gatomon and Tai I'm not too worried about what those dreams of yours mean."
"You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better... Just one of the reasons why love you so much." T.K. said in a tired voice. The two laughed at how cheesy their conversation had to sound before T.K. picked up the remote and started looking for something that they could watch. Not long into their selected show however T.K. was fast asleep again. This time without any dreams, it wouldn't be long before the dreams meaning would be revearled.
That night Rika laid in her bed tossing and turning. Despite how tired she was she didn't want to fall asleep. She didn't want to return to those horrible places. She didn't want to feel powerless again.
"Rika... You need to sleep" Renamon said from her corner as Rika rolled over to face her again.
"I can't..." Rika said sounding scared.
"It's not like you to be afraid Rika" Renamon said in her usual tone. "What is it about these dreams that frightens you so much."
"I... I'm starting to wonder if they're visions of another world" Rika replied. She had been mulling over the theory for several days but hadn't mentioned it. Even to her it sounded a bit odd. There being other worlds was a fact but could there be alternate universes where her and her friends existed. She was afraid the others would think she had lost it if she suggested it. Though that didn't sound so far fetched after meeting her favorite cartoon characters a few weeks ago.
"It makes as much sense as any theory I suppose" Renamon said. "I know you're scared but you can't let this effect you so much."
"I just don't know what to do" Rika said, rolling over again so that she couldn't see Renamon anymore.
"Would you sleep better if Takato was here?" Renamon asked jokingly. Rika sat up, but was saved the trouble of responding her D-Arc lit up. Rika threw off her blanket and walked over to her desk. She picked up her D-Arc expecting to see a map to a near by Digimon. However a moment later the light got brighter and began to expand forming a small data field around her.
"RIKA!" Renamon yelled jumping towards her. She was a second to late and Rika vanished in a storm of data.
Rika felt herself falling through darkness that seemed endless. She spun round and round losing all sense of direction. A moment later she slammed into solid ground hard and her knees buckled. She threw out her hands and managed to catch herself. She drew in a deep breath and raised her head. Rika had landed in the middle of a forest. There was something not quite right about it though. Everyone one of the 20 foot tall trees seemed to be dead and completely devoid of vegetation. The it self seemed to be dry and dark, cracks forming webs between trees. The sole source of light was the full moon over head. Rika stood up brushing herself off. She tried to use her D-Arc to transport back home but it didn't seem to be working. No matter what she did the screen showed an error.
"Piece of junk" Rika muttered, looking around. The forest was filled with an eerie silence that made her uneasy. She had landed in the middle of what seemed to be a road leading toward the heart of the forest. She began walking down the road constantly looking around for any signs of life. The deeper she got into the forest the more uneasy she became. Soon her mind began to bring back the memories of the dreams. The hellish visions flashed before her eye's as she walked on. She couldn't explain it but somehow she felt like she needed to reach the end of this road.
The visions worsened as she closed in on the heart of the forest. Soon they had transcended memories and were showing her things she had never seen before. Visions of herself alone, visions of herself dieing. Suddenly the landscape around her changed. She was standing in the middle of some kind of castle court yard. In front of her was Renamon talking to... Her? Rika's heart pounded. There was a version of her standing not 10 feet away. This Rika looked different she wore a suit of armor and had some kind of weapon on her back.
"I didn't have a choice!" the Rika in front of her said.
"Of coarse you had a choice!" Renamon said angrily. "You didn't trust me... And because of that we lost half a battalion for nothing!"
"We held the line!" Rika snapped back.
"At what cost?" Renamon asked sharply. "And for how long can we hold it without them? You have to think more than one battle ahead Rika!"
"I don't need this" Rika said turning away.
"Then I guess you don't need me!" Renamon said, her voice full of malice. The armored Rika turned and mirrored the expression of the Rika watching the events unfold. "Best of luck in your battles... General". With that Renamon turned and vanished.
"No! Come back!" Both Rika's cried at once. At that moment the scene changed and Rika was back in the cursed forest. She dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Renamon had abandoned her. It didn't matter that it was only a vision. Rika felt as though a knife had been run into her stomach. Renamon had been the first person she could count on to accept her and be there no matter what.
"If that was real... Then..." Rika thought for a moment. She pushed the thought of Renamon leaving her away and stood up. She wasn't going to let this place mess with her head. Somehow she knew, if only she could get to the heart of this place she would understand.
On the far side of the world T.K. was faced with a very different problem. He too had been transported to the Digital World against his will. However he knew exactly who was responsible. He was in an area very similar to the one Rika was in. He had landed next to a lake filled with black water. Dead trees were scattered around the edge of the lake. In the center of the lake was a small island with a massive oak tree on it. The whole area wreaked of darkness. T.K. had developed something of a sixth sense after all of his previous encounters with demons.
"Who are you!" T.K. yelled his voice splitting the creepy silence like the crack of a whipe. "Why did you bring me here?"
"You already know who I am T.K." a voice said from the dark waters. A figure was rising out of the lake. T.K. had frozen in place as his blood turned to ice. He knew that voice. So calm and malevolent.
"Devimon" T.K. said as the tall dark figure unfurled two enormous bat like wings. His body was almost completely black with the exception of the area around his mouth, a skull tattoo on his shoulder and his dark red eyes.
"So glad you could make it" Devimon said, laughing. The sound sent a shiver down T.K.'s spine.
"Why did you bring me here?" T.K. asked keeping his voice even.
"Who said I brought you here?" Devimon asked in return. "It was merely suggested to me that I be here at this moment and that there was a strong likely hood that you would be here as well."
"You figured this would be the perfect time to kill me... When I don't have anyone here to make it a fair fight" T.K. said trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Whoever said I was going to kill you?" Devimon asked, he knew he was getting under T.K.'s skin. "Nooo... Nooo I don't want to kill you... At least... Not yet... No first I think I'll take away some of your friends... You see death is far to good for you T.K... I want you to suffer a bit first." It dawned on T.K. what he was talking about.
"You leave them out of this!" T.K. said, feeling angrier then he could ever remember feeling.
"No" Devimon replied simply, flying over T.K.'s head and landing a few feet from the lake. "You pathetic friends all opposed me... Even if it wouldn't hurt you I'd still be going after them... I think I'll get Tai first... Or maybe your brother" T.K.'s eye's widened at the mention of his only sibling. "Either one really, they're both the strongest of the group." T.K. felt his anger turn to hatred as it surged through his veins. He wanted Patamon there. He wanted him to fight Devimon. He wanted him to kill him. T.K. stared down at his reflection on the surface of the dark water. He could feel it calling out to him, offering him his wish, offering him power.
"No" T.K. muttered quietly. "i won't let him get to me, I won't do it."
"Or maybe I should kill Cody first... After all he is your DNA digivolution partner isn't he? He wasn't there during our first battle but helping you is reason enough for me to end him" Devimon continued ignoring T.K.'s continued muttering.
Again T.K. felt the darkness calling out to him, offering him the power he wanted so badly. "I can't... I can't let it take me... But if I don't" T.K. pushed the thoughts away as he dropped to his knees and shut his eye's trying to not listen to Devimon.
"But of coarse I intend to kill them all... I actually already know who I'm going to choose... I plan to kill the women first" T.K.'s eye's snapped open. "Starting with Kari".
Devimon had done it. He had gone to far. T.K. plunged his hand into the dark water and willed it to give him the strength he needed. He felt power like he had never known coursing through his body. T.K. stood and in one quick movement turned swinging his arm. "Chain of the underworld!" T.K. roared as a black chain wrapped in fire materialized continuing from his hand. The chain swung out and twisted around Devimon's neck. T.K. focused all of his energy into that appendage and a moment later Devimon's head was severed from his body and flopped off as his body fell over backwards.
T.K.'s mouth fell open and his arm dropped to his side as the chain vanished. His anger evaporated just as quickly as it had come. Devimon's body wasn't dissolving. T.K. stared at it, his mind racing. Why did it bother him? He'd seen Digimon kill Digimon before, but there was something different about doing it yourself. T.K looked down at the hand that had wielded the chain and was surprised to find that it was unharmed. T.K. didn't feel bad for having killed Devimon, the things he had said made it clear to T.K. that he had no option but to do it. The fact that he had used the powers of darkness to do it was what scared him. He hadn't killed Devimon because he knew someone was in mortal danger. He had killed him in anger, and in pain. He had killed him because in that one moment he hated Devimon enough to stoop to his level.
"It's different" said a voice to his left. "The fist time you do it yourself." T.K. turned to see Liam approaching him.
"Very" T.K. said quietly. "I'm guessing you set all this up?"
"Yeah... I'm sorry he had to be done like this... But I had to make sure that when push came to shove you would have what it takes." Liam replied sounding genuinely remorseful.
"Why isn't he dissolving?" T.K. asked, the sight of the body was bothering him.
"This area has been corrupted and isn't functioning properly... Hang on" Liam pulled three ampules of what looked like water from his pocket, uncorked them and tossed them into the lake. From the ampules light seemed to spread. Purifying the water, then the shore and finally the trees. As the wave of purification reached them Devimon's body dissolved and T.K.'s pajamas changed to the clothes he always wore in the Digital World.
"So... What do we do now?" T.K. asked finally coming out of the shock of having killed a Digimon first hand.
"You come with me" Liam said as if he was speaking to an old friend. "I've got a lot of explaining to do... But you'll have to wait just a bit longer... There's someone else who'll be joining us." Liam turned and waved his hand. The crest on the back of it glowed and a white portal opened.
"Where are we going?" T.K. asked.
"You wouldn't believe me If I told you" Liam replied jokingly as the two stepped into the portal side by side.
In the forest of dark allusions Rika was slowly making her way toward the center. Over time her resolve had begun to weaken, bolstered only by the thought of seeing her friends again. That had kept her going until the voice had started.
"Your weak" it said. It seemed to come from everywhere. "Your weak and you know it."
"I'm strong!" Rika said resiliently, unsure if the voice was real or in her head.
"You say your strong and yet you can barely stop crying" the voice called back, dripping with pleasure. "You think Renamon will want such a weak partner?"
"Renamon will never leave me!" Rika said defiently.
"The way your father would never leave you?" The voice asked. Rika froze in place. "Yes I know quite a lot about you Rika. I know about your mother that doesn't accept you."
"She does now!" Rika said taking another step forward.
"Then why doesn't she make time to get to know you better?" The voice retaliated sounding amused now. "She doesn't really care about you or who you are... Your father has cut you out of his life completely... In the end Renamon is only with you so she can become stronger!" Rika began to sprint down the path tears streaming down her face. "Sure your friends care now... But what will happen if Renamon leaves you? Will they want a non-tamer in their group? Even if they do, a few more years and you'll all grow apart anyway." Rika crashed through a large black hedge, tripping and falling face first into a clearing. She landed on all fours as the high cold voice laughed mercilessly. Rika drew in several deep breaths, gathering her thoughts. She raised her head. In the center of the clearing was a women dressed in black with bat like wings, red eye's and a skull tattoo on one side of her chest. Rika recognized her as LadyDevimon.
"What do you want from me?" Rika asked.
"Nothing... I dont' want anything you can give me" LadyDevimon answered malevolently. "I want to show you how weak you truly are... Wait until everyone hears how weak the great Rika truly was." LadyDevimon walked toward her raising a claw. Rika was terrified. She had never faced an enemy like this alone before... But she had. She suddenly remembered IceDevimon's attempt to get her to tame him. Renamon had come to her rescue but she didn't seem like she was coming this time. Takato and Henry had tried to help her too. As the memories flooded her mind she realized the truth.
"I'm strong..." Rika muttered to low to be heard. "I'm strong..." she repeated, eliciting a laugh from LadyDevimon. "I'm strong!" she shouted standing up. LadyDevimon stopped dead in her tracks, surprised that she had beaten her spell. "You say Renamon wants a strong partner? Well I don't think you know what real strength is! You say my friends and I will grow apart? Maybe so... But I wouldn't miss the time we have left for anything!" Rika took a step forward and a strange white light appeared around her. LadyDevimon took a step backwards, slightly scared of the aura. "It's true I don't see my Dad much and my Mom doesn't quite 'get me' but guess what? My friends like me, my family likes me! I can't see the future but come hell or high water I'll be there for them and they'll be there for me! So come get me witch, lets see who the weakling is!" Rika wasn't sure what had come over her. Forgetting that LadyDevimon was an Ultimate level Digimon and she was a lanky sixteen year old girl she charge forward drew back her fist and delivered a crashing blow to LadyDevimon's face.
LadyDevimon flew backwards landing on her back. She couldn't understand how a human could have so much power. The aura of light was growing stronger, but she was still only human. "Chew on this... Darkness Wave" LadyDevimon cried sending a wave of dark energy at Rika. There was a flash of light as Exer appeared in front of Rika. With one hand she knocked the attack away, sending into a tree that crumbled as it connected. In a split second Exer was only a foot away from LadyDevimon. Exer plunged her hand straight through her chest, right were a heart would have been on a human. After a moment Rika saw the fire of life die out in her eye's. Exer retracted her hand and threw the body toward the center of the clearing.
"Sorry about that" Exer said turning to face Rika. "You probably could've taken her but I thought it'd be best if I stepped in."
"How did you know?" Rika asked.
"I've been watching you Rika... I'm the one who brought you here tonight... I wanted you to face her... I wanted to know just how strong your resistance to darkness is" Exer replied.
"Your the one who put me through all of this?" Rika asked outraged.
"Calm down Rika... I know it seems cruel but I had to make sure you were strong enough for the journey ahead... And you most certainly are" Exer said calmly. She reached inside her cloak and removed several ampules. She launched them into the middle of the clearing where they shattered and sent a wave of purification across the area. A second later she waved her hand and a portal appeared. "It's time to go Rika."
"Go where?" Rika asked suspiciously.
"The Hall of Heroes" Exer said dramatically as the two entered the portal.
A/N: Sorry it took so long but this chapter was fairly challenging to write. As always enjoy andreview, however I actually have a specific question for you guys. How do you think I'm doing on the level of detail in this story? I kind of feel like some of my scenes aren't detailed enough. Let me know what you think.