Chapter 14 – Purifying Howl

My legs ached, back hurt, and my fangs sunk so low I constantly bit my lips. I'm positive that I've lost enough blood from the constant poking to feed an army of vampires. Alright, maybe not that much, but it still has been a lot. We had been travelling due north, according to how the Digital World goes, for quite some time and I really wasn't sure what the plan of action is. The only information the others had told us was that we were looking for where Yamaki had dropped a transporter back to the human world.

Although I don't find it very wise to go back into the world with Flaremon, Yamaki thought it to be the best solution. Days ago, we received a message from him on the communicator stating that he and the Hypnos team were devising a way to extract the data from my body, but without actually being there, there's no sure way they can guarantee it will work.

Lately, the others seemed to grow more distant from Flaremon and I. I can understand why; with our constant bickering and how often he tries to command the party, I can't blame them for beginning to ignore us. He really was being a nuisance.

Ever since Leomon's surprise return, Jeri had been far more happier and lively with everyone else, but she, too, hardly gave me attention. It's difficult to believe that we have been in the Digital World for six months. Well as far as the Digital time standards go, it has been. In the real world, who knows how long it has actually been. Six months I have been stuck with this horrendous Digimon who had taken over my body and most days my mind, but he, too seems to be distant from me for the last while. The odd thing is that I cannot take over his mind and read his thoughts, which worries me more than I care to admit.

It's awfully strange how he hasn't wanted to fight wild Digimon since teaming up with the others and I am rather surprised we haven't fought them as well. It's like a truce between both parties. Does he want to be free from me as well? Could that be why he hasn't bothered to attack? To me, it doesn't make any sense why a mighty Digimon such as Flaremon hasn't actually tried to reclaim the Digital World yet.

"It's up ahead," I heard Flaremon saying. "The co-ordinates for the transporter is just through the small village and past the Great Rock."

Everyone ahead nodded. Leomon said, "we should be at the transporter by nightfall."

"Good. I seriously cannot wait to go back to the real world," Kazu whined. "The Digital World is too depressing."

"Agreed," Kenta chimed in. "I can't handle this anymore."

I knew what they meant about it being depressing. Not only are they concerned about Flaremon and maybe myself, but the whole world was dreary. Every place we walked was like walking into the remnants of a deadly wildfire; trees were blackened as if burned, we walked on ground where grass clearly used to exist, and no plants were to be found. It was even seldom to see a data stream or a Digimon around. It was like everything had tried to escape this place.

We finally reached the village named Forest Peak. Like most of the towns we have visited lately, there had been no Digimon living in it. Takato stopped in the middle of the town and gave a quick look around. "I really don't remember Yamaki saying there would be a village near the transporter."

"The co-ordinates your friend had sent lead to this area. I have lived in the Digital World and know much more about it than that human." Flaremon growled.

Takato sighed. "I wasn't suggesting that you don't know your way around. I am just stating that he never mentioned this place at all."

"The co-ordinates are past that Great Rock." Flaremon had me point in the direction. "You see? It's the one shaped like an Agumon's head." I looked at the deformed rock. It certainly was large and very interesting, but I couldn't see how it was shaped like anything's head. "We will be there soon." And into the Real World.

What? I asked Flaremon.

I've always wanted to visit...

You have no reason to visit it at all. Once we are separated, Yamaki will annihilate you.

Flaremon's laugh echoed through my ears. Humans cannot kill me. That supposed King tried before. Even a Sovereign cannot stop me, human.

I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart lurched a bit. What the hell are you planning?

"Rika?" Takato said. Everyone had stopped and all eyes were on me. "Is everything OK?"

"I just have a-"

"Stone in my shoe." Flaremon cut me off. If you say anything, I will drop your body off a cliff.

As if I am afraid of dying at this point.

I clutched my hand into a fist. Flaremon's nails began to dig deep into my palms. I could feel the blood trickling down my hand and through my fingers. I can control your body, never forget that.

"Hurry up, we're almost there." Henry said, sounding impatient. Everyone was near the outskirts of the town.

I tried to force my legs from moving, but Flaremon's will pushed me to go.

We made our way through the sad, little village, and finally reached the deformed rock. As Flaremon had predicted, we reached it at nightfall and suddenly the world was in total darkness. I rose my hand and a spark of fire rose out of it, illuminating a small space. The flames licked the cuts on my hand and I withheld whimpers of pain. I enjoy the feel of human pain, Flaremon said. I could feel the smile in his words.

"Where is the transporter?" Takato asked, looking in every direction. "Rika, can you make that fire larger?"

"I can," Flaremon said. "Crimson Lion Dance!" Nearly twenty Flaremon appeared, surrounding the entire group. Each one holding a ball of flame on their hand. The entire area became illuminated.

Leomon clutched his weapon and went into full battle stance. "What is the meaning of this?"

I waved a hand, "relax," Flaremon told him. "If I was going to kill you pathetic Digimon and humans, I would have done so by now. A little light to brighten this place up is what we needed to find that transporter."

Leomon was leery. "Right. Let's find it." He brushed past one of the Flaremon, whom grabbed Leomon's sword. The Flaremon brought it down swiftly against Leomon's back. The blade made contact and ripped a slice, data floated in the air.

The other Flaremon closed in on the others. Attacks began shooting off. A Crimson Beast-King Wave headed straight for Jeri. I moved as swiftly as I could, blocking her from the blast. The fire hit my body and engulfed it. I could feel the flames eating through my clothes, searing my body. When the flames subsided, I dropped to one knee. "What the hell, Flaremon!"

Flaremon forced me to laugh. "Stupid human, why would you use us to block that?"

"Why are you attacking them?" I asked, knowing the reason. He wanted to kill them since meeting them. Although I couldn't read his thoughts, I was able to feel them. Just like I feel every emotion he's feeling right now. Anger, hatred, and power.

"I told them that I would have killed them long ago if I had wanted to. I waited so patiently to have my clones torture them." Flaremon snarled. "And I will kill you, too, Rika."

"What? You need me!" I cried. Through bleary eyes, I watched Leomon, Guardromon, and MarineAngemon fight against the clones. The fight didn't seem to be going in their favour. Jeri's horrid screams burst out, echoing through the night. Takato was yelling something distorted. Fire flashed in every direction, setting the already seared trees ablaze. It was chaotic. And I couldn't help them.

"I don't need you, human. After months are being inside you, I have already taken over your body. Each night you thought you slept, I used your body to do my tasks. Even these fools never noticed." I rose my arms and laughed maniacally. "I gathered an army, too. Purifying Howl!" I opened my mouth and a loud, screeching howl pierced through the air. Everyone but the Flaremon dropped to the ground, hands over their ears. The Digimons' data began shifting and looked close to dissipating.

Moments later, the howling stopped. What came next wasn't nearly as bad as the howl.

"It's this way," I heard Cyberdramon yell. It was hard to hear over some loud, annoying screech in the night. The group and I had just set up a camp when we saw a fire break out over hills near an ugly looking rock. Shortly after, a loud, irritating screech followed. The noise was enough to pop eardrums if close enough, I could imagine.

"We shouldn't get too close," Garurumon said. Matt, Sora and I had been travelling on the back of Garurumon since leaving the camp. He was our fastest mode of transportation, other than Cyberdramon. We needed Cyberdramon to be prepared to attack and couldn't risk using him as a steed. The giant wolf could only fit three humans plus Terriermon, leaving Tai to ride Greymon. The giant dinosaurs steps rumbled the earth beneath its feet and Birdramon flew high above us.

"Is it possible it could be Angewomon?" Sora asked. "Our partners never sensed any Digimon in this area."

"Which is why we should be cautious," Garurumon told her.

The group and I had searched for Angewomon for months with absolutely no luck. We couldn't even find any leads on her whereabouts. The search for her started to feel like an endless journey and perhaps even a false one. What if she really was gone? I shook the thought. It couldn't be possible. After all, she did help clean up after the D-Reaper. Even if I never had a chance to see her.

I pulled out a plug-in card from my pocket. It was a boost defense card that had been most useful thus far with Cyberdramon. It grew his plates of armour to double the size, allowing him to take more damage without harming him. I gave it a swipe through my digivice as we neared the commotion and was glad I had. Cyberdramon was hit with an unforeseen force, sending him flying backwards. Garurumon came to an abrupt hault and we climbed off. I ran to the cyborg. Parts of the armour became detached from whatever had hit him.

"Did you see what it was?" I asked, losing hope that it had been Angewomon.

"It isn't an angel, that's for sure." Cyberdramon growled, getting to his feet. "I can sense a lot of Digimon present."

Birdramon flew high and close to the scene and then reported back. "It looks like a huge battle. Lots of fire. I think humans are there."

Humans? "Let's go, Cyberdramon!" We both headed towards the battle and fused into Justimon. Fireballs blew our way and I swatted them to the side as I jumped onto the ugly rock. Below, I could see the battle and it was horrific. There had to be nearly two dozen Flaremon burning up the field with multiple other Digimon around. I couldn't tell if the Flaremon were attacking the other Digimon or not, not from this angle, and the smoke became dense. I jumped down, grabbing a Flaremon by the neck and pushing its body into the ground. It burst into data.

Beside me, a Kinkakumon brought its hammer down, nearly bashing me in the head. The Digimon was some kind of warrior with larger breasts than necessary. It looked to be more humanoid than Digimon. I grabbed her arm and forced her body to the ground. Giving her a punch in the face, she burst into data. Several Numemon crawled up my legs and onto my back. I grabbed one by its eyeballs and squeezed the green slime into data, the other ran away from seeing its friend defeated.

And finally, I saw her. Through the haze of smoke and bodies of Digimon, Rika was standing meters away. Her clothes were burned in places, hair a mess, and looked to be yelling at someone. I seized the opportunity and ran directly at her, pushing away stray Digimon in my path. I reached. I squeezed my hand around her neck and tossed her to the ground. I placed a foot on her back.

"What the actual f-" Flaremon's voice roared. "Attack this Digimon on me, minions!"

I awaited an attack from a fleet of Digimon but none never seemed to come. It was as if all the Digimon weren't operating under any control but simply there to battle. I couldn't resist this moment to mock Flaremon's failed attempt at rebuilding an army. "You're such a failure, Flaremon."

"Ryo!" Rika's muffled voice cried out. I hoped that my foot wasn't squishing her too far into the ground, but I wasn't about to move it because of Flaremon.

Flaremon roared in anger. "You stupid human. Get off me and let's fight mon to mon."

"You're not even a real Digimon," I told him.

"You only say that because you're afraid of being defeated by me." He snarled. "Or are you afraid of hitting your friend again?"

He was talking about Rika. To this day, I do regret hitting her, but I couldn't help it. It was because of Flaremon. I never wanted to hurt her and even now I don't know what is the right thing to do. If I attack now, I risk hurting Rika. If I leave him be, he could continue to try and build an army. What do I do?

Rika's voice stirred me from my thoughts. "Just kill us, Ryo. He's trying to kill the others and plans on taking the transporter to the real world."

Transporter? "Where are the others?"

"I killed them," Flaremon said.

"Shut up." Rika told him. "I took the hit from some attacks against them. I lost sight from all the smoke and the army though. I have no idea where they went."

"They're dead."

"Shut up!" I yelled, pressing my foot harder into Rika's back. I scanned the area for any signs of Takato or Henry but no luck. Instead, I saw a WarGreymon and a MetalGarurumon emerge from the smoke. They had been battling their way through the hundreds of Digimon.

"Ryo, are you alright?" Wargreymon asked.

"Yes." Ryo said. "MetalGarurumon, can you search for the other Tamers? We need to make sure they're safe." The metal wolf took off like lightning. WarGreymon stood behind me, attacking anything that kept coming our way. As I looked back to Rika, she was no longer there. Instead, was a fiery, lion Digimon. Rika's body was fully taken over.

A/N: Alright, quick author's note here. I apologize greatly for the fact that I have not updated this story in years. If it wasn't for Masspao favouriting this story, I would have forever forgotten about this tale. I'm surprised it wasn't hidden in the deep archives of fanfiction or something. I also apologize for any mistakes and how poorly this chapter is written. I'm going to work on the rest of this story this summer and hopefully finish it. I don't think there will be many more chapters to come though. Just hang tight. Chapter 15 will be released on Sunday. Thanks for reading!