Wow when was the last time I updated? Too long in my opinion! To make it up to you all I'm updating this fic, Parent Worries, and am posting a the first chapter (a preview if you will) of a new fan fic of mine that has been sitting in my folders for over a year now (but more on that later at the end of the chapter)! I'm sorry, but because of the crazy hoopla that is the results of college finals and Winter/Christmas break and being home for the first time in FOREVER I have been unable to update in what feels like a month...(probably has been by now). Sorry folks but i actually had to study and write a butt load of papers for finals. Now I have a tiny confession to make... (you can just skip the next paragraph if you've already read my pathetic excuse in PW)
During finals week in college my roommate and I decided (between papers and finals) that we should make a huge batch of chex mix and watch seasons 2-5 of Case Closed/Detective Conan (I have ALL dubbed material on DVD). Happy to say we succeeded before leaving for break but now we are incredibly hooked (re-hooked in my case) on the franchise and it's companion series Magic Kaito (I've fallen horribly for the damn thief Kaito KID and the Detective of the West Harley Hartwell/Heiji Hattori). I have sadly spent the last couple weeks reading Detective Conan fan fics (sadly mostly Kaishin) in my spare time instead of writing these wonderful updates for you all so sadly my works have come up short (it's kinda hard to write Digimon when you've got Case Closed on the brain ya know?). In fact only the new chapter of Parent Worries has succeeded in passing my expectations for what I had expected to update. I had wanted to post a new chapter for Anime Survivor, Light in the Place of Courage (but APF has yet to send me her half of the chapter so not my fault there), and Ultimate Gathering of the DigiDestined (maybe for New Years readers) as well as what I AM updating tonight, but there was just no time between getting my fix for DC/MK Kaishin fan fics for the day and having to entertain my grounded-from-videogames brother. And how do I accomplish that task? By watching all 6 dubbed Case Closed movies with him of course! XD A lot of PW's chapter was actually written in between making batches of chex mix and helping my mom bake all Christmas Eve (Today/yesterday) and it's come out really good, but in my rush to post these updates I'm afraid that for PW and DM there has little to no editing so I might go back over it over the next few days when I have the chance and fix any mistakes. Another reason I haven't been updating is that because I have only been home twice before break my family has been trying to snatch up my time left and right (my little brother being at the forefront of that effort).
Alright enough with the excuses. Time for the next chapter of DM! Please review! It might just motivate me to update sooner if I come back from my soon to be inflicted Christmas Coma to find an inbox full of review! Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! Enjoy!
NOTE: this chapter is a lot shorter than I'd wanted it to be, but it is still an (in my opinion barely) acceptable length. Sorry, but PLEASE review!
I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, FRONTIER OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS!
Chapter 20: Shocking Revelations
Davis was relieved to be on the move again as everyone materialized from the TV set that was located in the desert just outside the glass-domed Machine City. Andromon was there waiting for them.
"Andromon!" Kari smiled.
"Kari," the android Digimon nodded, smiling. "It is good to see you and the other DigiDestined again. I see that there are new DigiDestined with you that I do not recognize."
"They're some of Davis' old friends," Tai said. "We're hoping that you can help us find something that they think might be located in Machine City."
"Of course," Andromon nodded. "What is it that you seek?"
"Andromon, is there a factory in Machine City that might be considered sacred or has had some strange happenings surrounding it recently?" Davis asked, speaking for his friends.
Andromon looked at Davis and the Warrior DigiDestined with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Processing various locations…" Andromon said in his robotic monotone as his eye sockets flashed with lights. "Ah! Of course. There is the Energy Temple that was constructed over the ruins of what was once a factory. Many Guardromon have reported strange energy readings occurring below as of three nights ago."
"That must be it," JP smiled, nodding at Koji.
"Sounds promising," Koji agreed.
"Could you take us there Andromon?" Tai asked.
"Yes," Andromon nodded before leading them into the city.
It was a long walk, but enjoyable. The DigiDestined were able to see a lot of the city and the various machine Digimon living there. On the way Davis was glad to see that his Odaiba friends were trying to strike up a conversation with his Shibuya friends. Davis smiled as Matt, Izzi, and Joe talked with JP about his experiences during his first adventures in the Digital World. Sora, Yolei and Kari were talking to Zoe, asking her what it was like being the only girl of her group. Tommy was chatting away happily with Cody and TK about all sorts of things like the kind of Digimon he'd met and befriended while Tai and Ken tried to make polite conversation with Koji. It was proving to be a difficult task though since Koji was vague in his answers to their questions and was choosing to withdraw into his antisocial mode. Davis tried to help coax the cold Warrior of Light out of his shell, but Koji was being incredibly stubborn.
"We are here," Andromon informed them as they all stopped in front of a rather ordinary and simple looking one-story building with walls that were engraved with ancient Digi-text and pictograms.
"Well JP?" Koji asked his friend who was staring at the metal temple.
"…I'm not sure," JP frowned. "Can we go inside?"
Andromon nodded and gestured for the DigiDestined to follow him into the temple. It was dark inside but the moment they all set foot into the temple it lit up in a bright flash of light before growing dark once again.
"That was strange," Yolei frowned.
"This temple is usually well lit, but this is but one of the many malfunctions that has recently occurred," Andromon informed them.
"At any rate we're going to need light if I'm going to have any hope of finding a clue to the location of my spirit partners," JP mused.
"I gottcha covered," Strabimon grinned as he summoned an orb of light between his paw-hands and let it float into the open space.
"We're gonna need a bit more light than that," Koji shook his head.
"Pick-ee!" Strabimon pouted up at his human partner.
Flamemon giggled mutely behind him before tossing a couple of fireballs into the air to aid Strabimon's pulsating orb of light while Strabimon added three more light orbs to the spectacle. After the chamber was lit up with the brilliant reds and blues of the lights and fires JP began to look around the spacious chamber, eyeing all the digi-text with care before placing his hand on one of the light panels that were supposed to be lit. He paused there and was quiet for a long time.
"JP?" Koji spoke up when his friend didn't move.
"…So odd," JP mused. "There is energy still flowing into these panels but not enough to light them up. It's like there is something diverting power from it."
"You got all that just by touching one panel?" Izzi quirked an eyebrow.
JP ignored the red-haired genius as his eyes strayed to a marking on the far wall when an orb of light passed in front of it. As if in a trance, JP left the group by the entrance and was drawn to the marking, tracing it with his fingertips. The room's lights flared to life for a moment before dying back down when JP removed his hand from the marking.
"What just happened?" Yolei blinked.
"A response," Koji smiled, eyes narrowing as he watched his older friend. "The temple's energy source is reacting to JP."
"So Davis was right," Tommy smiled. "JP's spirits are here."
"Great! Now you can help us with find Koichi's next," Zoe beamed at the young goggle-head.
Davis offered her a small smile, but returned his attention to JP who was now standing before a metal pedestal situated beneath an archway in the middle of the room. JP eyed the Warrior of Thunder's symbol etched into the cold metal before he glanced at the confusing series of square panels below it. They seemed to have no significant meaning, but as he examined it, running his hand along each square he felt a small spark of energy within each one… except for the one in the bottom left of the arrangement. Confused as to why this one was different, JP ran a finger along its edges before popping it out of it's setting. Once removed he felt the energy within the other panels change, charging up. But the placement of the panels felt wrong. He felt out the different panels finding that he couldn't simply remove them like he'd done with the other. It took him a couple of minutes, but he soon realized their significance and why the one he now held in his hand had needed to be removed.
"…It's a slide puzzle," JP grinned before he began to slide the panels around, finding that they glided across the pedestal's surface easily at his touch.
"What?" many of the DigiDestined blinked before rushing over to join JP.
"But they're all blank," Ken frowned and he watched JP slide the unmarked silver panels around.
"How are we supposed to solve it?" Kari blinked.
"…You can't," JP grinned, eyes never leaving the panels. "But I can."
"And what makes you so special?" TK asked.
Koji shot TK a look but JP just chuckled.
"Because I'm the only one that can sense energy flows," JP explained. "Energy fractal codes to be more precise in this case."
"…You mean that this puzzle is run on fractal coded energy?" Koji blinked, eyes wide with surprise.
"Right," JP nodded. "This is old energy data at work here. I doubt even Andromon can sense it. He was born into this newest version of the Digital World. He wouldn't be able to any detect data that was preserved from the old versions before it. I doubt that any of the Digimon here could."
As if to confirm JP's statement Andromon nodded.
"My sensors detect no such energy," the android Digimon stated.
"So what is the difference between this fractal coded energy and regular energy?" Izzi asked.
"Well…" JP mused as he switched around a couple panels, "To be honest, nothing. Fractal coded energy is still energy. The only real defining thing about fractal coded energy is that it's components can be broken up and jumbled around just like this slide puzzle, altering it's properties in order to make the flow of energy harder to disrupt. However, when the flow is altered like that, it's signature becomes all jumbled up, making it hard to read and, as a result, hard to maintain and fix should something succeed in disrupting the flow. The panel that I was able to remove was acting as a buffer, preventing the energy within these panels from charging up and activating, like a rubber stopped placed between two charged plates that create an electric circuit. Now that the stopper panel has been removed, the panels have become charged and I can sense the energy signature within each of the other panels. All that I need to do is rearrange them so that the signatures of the panels match up and complete the natural flow of the energy surging through them."
"How is it that you're able to sense the flow of energy?" Ken asked.
"It's because of his Warrior's Element," Koji explained. "JP is the Warrior of Thunder and ever since our first adventure in the old Digital World, he's been able to feel the flows and currents of electrical energy. Makes him pretty damn useful when it comes to electronics."
"He's also good at detecting bad weather," Tommy smiled. "He can feel the natural energy shift in the atmosphere and let us know when a really bad storm's on it's way."
"I see…" Izzi mused. "And what about the rest of you? Takuya was the Warrior of Fire right? I assume that all of your DigiDestined warrior titles have to do with an element of some kind."
"Sure do," Zoe nodded. "My warrior's element is wind. I'm pretty good at sensing turns in the weather as well."
"My Warrior Element is ice," Tommy smiled. "One of the greatest perks of being the Warrior of Ice is that I don't ever get cold. I could go out and play in the snow in shorts and a T-shirt and I'd still be fine."
"Takuya was the exact opposite," Zoe sighed. "He never got hot."
"Yeah," JP snickered. "Forget walking on coals, Taky could actually stand in the middle of a bonfire and not get burned."
"Crazy bastard did it once just to prove that he could," Koji muttered.
"What about you Koji?" Matt asked. "What element are you the warrior of?"
"…Light," Koji sighed, looking up at an orb of light that was hovering a few feet above his head.
"Light?" Kari gasped.
"Yeah," Koji nodded. "I'm the DigiDestined Warrior of Light."
He got odd looks from the Odaiba DigiDestined but before anyone could comment, JP let out a whoop.
"Got it!"
Distracted, everyone returned their attention to JP's work just as the panels began to glow softly. The only space left open was at the very center of the pedestal. JP started at it for a moment before slipping the panel he'd taken out into the empty space. The panel flashed brilliantly for a moment before it and all the other panels went dark as well. A moment later the pedestal began to sink into the ground, revealing a hidden staircase.
"…They're here," JP mused, going into a trance like state before descending the stairs without sparing his companions a single glance.
Some were about to follow him, but Davis and Koji stopped them.
"Leave him be," Koji said. "This is something that he has to do alone."
"You wouldn't want a rehash of what happened in the Fire Chamber now would you?" Davis smiled.
Koji raised an eyebrow at this statement but Davis didn't elaborate further even though the Odaiba DigiDestined now eyed the opening in the floor more tentatively now, their meeting with BurningGreymon at the forefront of their minds.
JP made his way carefully down the winding staircase that just didn't seem to end. He figured that he must have traveled at least a couple miles beneath the temple before it finally let out into a great underground domed chamber. Situated within the chamber was an old factory that JP would have recognized anywhere. It was the old Wind Factory where he'd first found his Human Spirit of Thunder. As he wandered through the rusted and broken down entryway images flashed through his mind of the battle that Takuya, Zoe and Tommy had launched with the Kokuwamon to release the poor Digimon from the Goblimon and Snimon that had enslaved them. It had happened just before Koji had joined up with them and JP had been the only one that hadn't received his Digimon Warrior Spirit. He remembered how bitter he'd felt and, looking back on it nearly nine years later, he realized how immature he'd been and how much he'd grown during this second childhood.
Finally JP managed to find his way to the core of the factory where the main assembly line had been. Standing in the middle of the ruins waiting for him were his Human and Beast sprits: Beetlemon and MetalKabuterimon. JP smiled fondly at them.
"Hey guys," he waved. "It's been a while huh?"
"Looks who's grown up," chuckled MetalKabuterimon.
"You kidding? He still looks the same to me," snickered Beetlemon. "He's just a little skinnier. That's all."
"You know what I mean," MetalKabuterimon rolled his eyes.
JP chuckled. It seemed that his former immaturity had rubbed off on his human spirit partner all those years ago.
"It's sure good to see you guys," JP smiled. "I'm nearly the last one to reunite with my spirit partners."
"In a way you are," Beetlemon sighed. "The Child of Darkness is going to have a tough time finding his because he didn't receive his spirits in the same manner as the rest of you chosen children."
"You mind giving me a hint as to where we can find them so that I can help Koichi out?" JP sighed.
"…The Spirits of Darkness are in the place where Darkness is absolute," MetalKabuterimon said slowly.
"We know that much already," JP smiled sadly. "The Spirits of Light told Koji as much. Besides, how can darkness be absolute anywhere? Darkness needs light to exist doesn't it?"
"He is speaking figuratively," Beetlemon sighed. "Of course Darkness cannot exist without light, but what he means is that the Spirits of Darkness are located someplace where darkness is a part of all the aspects its location."
"Wha?" JP frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Just remember the truth about Darkness and I'm sure you'll figure it out," MetalKabuterimon smiled. "But right now, we need to make you the Warrior of Thunder once more. Are you ready?"
JP nodded his head grimly as he took out his D-Tector. Beetlemon stretched out his hand and a beam of light energy hit the D-Tector, reactivating the device. It began to whistle and beep just like Zoe and Tommy had described it. Then a beam of light shot out of the device into his jean's pocket. Beetlemon stared apologetically at JP before the narrow energy beam that was still aimed at the D-Tector widened and hit JP full on in the chest. JP gasped in surprise and pain, dropping the D-Tector, and crumpled to the ground curling in on himself, but the beam followed him and soon it felt like his whole body was on fire as the energy shocked and electrocuted him. Every fiber of his being was hyper awear and he could feel all the hair on his body stand up on end. He'd always been able to sense the currents of energy since he'd become the Warrior of Thunder, but right now it was all just so overwhelming that he couldn't differentiate one stream of energy from another. His heart was beating so fast that if felt like it was going to burst and he was very close to loosing consciousness as the energized blood rushing through his veins roared in his ears.
"Hold on JP," Beetlemon's voice whispered to him. "Just a little longer."
"With these new powers of yours you'll be able to help your friends," MetalKabuterimon stated. "You're the oldest and have a responsibility to keep all of them safe and prevent them from doing anything too reckless. Remember to use your head and keep your cool and you'll be able to do anything you put your mind to."
If JP hadn't been nearly incapacitated at that point he would have nodded and acknowledged his spirits' words. After another long minute the pain finally subsided and the energy around him finally died down. JP allowed his body to recover before pushing himself off the floor. He looked around in a daze, picking up his dropped D-Tector, before he finally spotted a small child-sized Digimon staring up at him curiously.
He looked like a child version of Beetlemon wearing a navy blue jumper that had yellow markings and stripes down the sides. He was wearing light dark silver armor over the jumper but unlike Beetlemon his head wasn't helmeted. JP was surprised by how human the Digimon looked. The Digimon-boy's eyes were a bright green and he had a shocking head of bright yellow hair with streaks of silver that was spiked up as if he'd stuck his hand in an electrical outlet. The lower half of his face was covered though with a streamline metal facemask. It reminded JP of one of those oxygen masks that you'd see in all those space shows like Star Trek. In fact the Digimon looked like a kid straight out of a Sci-fi movie.
"Hey there buddy," JP smiled at the Digimon as he stood up. "What's your name?"
"…Sparkmon," the Digimon replied.
"Nice to meet you," JP grinned, holding out his hand.
The Digimon hesitated for a moment before taking JP's outstretched hand and shook it.
"Not much of a talker are ya?" JP chuckled. "That's alright. I think between Strabimon and Kawausomon we've already got a chatty bunch."
Sparkmon raised a silver eyebrow making JP laugh.
"And I thought Koji was a stick in the mud," he mused. "Ah! Speaking of Koji, we'd better get back to the others."
Sparkmon inclined his head as he followed JP out of the ruined factory. However, the minute the two of them left through the old rusted gates the factory's supports groaned before collapsing in on itself. JP whistled lowly.
"Good thing that the factory wasn't supporting anything," he commented thinking back to the old tree that Zoe's spirit partners had been dwelling. "Otherwise this whole chamber would have collapsed and then parts of the city above might have been ruined."
"…True, but I'm sure that the sounds and tremors have alarmed your friends waiting for you above ground," Sparkmon commented.
"True," JP chuckled. "Nice to know that you can talk."
Sparkmon snorted.
"Hey, lighten up buddy," JP grinned. "I'm not that bad of a guy. Could be worse. You could be Takuya's partner. I think you'd find him far more annoying than I could ever be."
"I suppose," Sparkmon chuckled.
JP flashed him another grin before heading towards the staircase. Sparkmon eyed his human partner for a moment before following. The boy certainly seemed nice enough and it didn't appear that the human would annoy him much, but the guys certainly smiled a lot…
"What was that? Yolei cried when the ground stopped shaking.
"It just means that JP's found his spirits," Davis smiled reassuringly at her.
"I wonder what his new partner is going to look like," Zoe mused.
"I hope he isn't as annoying as Kawausomon," Koji scowled.
"Hey!" the Digimon in question exclaimed.
"I bet he's an active kind of guy," Zoe mused. "All of our Digimon are our opposites in some way and JP's not much for action. I mean think about it. Even though Flamemon can't talk yet, I can tell that he's a little on the shy side unlike Takuya who's not afraid to strike up a conversation with anybody."
Tommy nodded.
"True," Koji mused. "Kawausomon is more obnoxious and rude in comparison to Tommy's reserved and polite mannerisms."
"You really don't like me do you buddy?" the seal Digimon smiled, clearly amused while Tommy bowed his head apologetically at Koji.
"So basically Takuya and Flamemon in reverse," Davis smiled getting a small chuckle from Koji. "And you and Strabimon are complete opposites in personality much like your and Takuya are."
"Even in death, I'm still stuck with Taky for a partner," Koji sighed, but there was a hint of a smile as Strabimon elbowed him gently in the side while Flamemon giggles mutely from beside Davis and Veemon.
"What about Zoe's Digimon?" Ken asked, speaking up. "How is Vilamon her opposite?"
Zoe and Vilamon traded glances before giggling.
"I suppose you can say she's more ladylike," Zoe laughed. "I'm afraid that I'm a little short tempered and headstrong while Vilamon is more self-aware and polite."
"It's mainly how polite she is in comparison to Zoe who almost always forgets herself in her rage," Koji added. "She can be a little scary sometimes. I'm sure that Vilamon doesn't get as angry as Zoe can get and that it take more to push her buttons."
"But we wouldn't want Zoe any other way," a voice said before Zoe could glare at Koji.
"JP! You're back!" Tommy exclaimed as the older boy emerged from the hole in the floor with his Digimon partner.
"Yup!" JP grinned. "And I'd like you all to meet Sparkmon, my new Digimon partner."
The Digimon nodded and bowed in greeting. While everyone crowded around the new Digimon, JP noticed that the hole that had allowed him to travel down into the chamber below was now gone, replaced by a stone slab that would prevent anyone from going down there again.
Back at the factory on File Island Cody, Mimi and Koichi were sitting just outside the battery power room where Digmon had renewed his efforts to drill through the metal flooring. Cody and Mimi were asking Koichi what it was like to have to relive his childhood. Koichi didn't mind answering their questions but he kept more sensitive answers vague enough to avoid suspicion. He wasn't sure how they'd react if they found out what he represented as a DigiDestined Warrior without Davis and Koji around to help explain things.
Suddenly there was a huge banging sound and they all rushed into the room where Digmon had been drilling.
"Digmon are you alright?" Cody cried.
"I'm just fine Cody," his Digimon answered. "I was just caught off guard is all. I thought that this metal shell would have been thicker."
"You mean you've made it through?" Mimi asked.
"Yes indeed-ee," Digmon beamed. "Now I just gotta widen the hole."
The three of them backed off as Digmon powered up his drills again and ripped open the floor until there was a nice gapping hole in the center of the space.
"I'll go tell Gennai!" Mimi beamed as she raced out of the room.
"Sure is dark down there," Cody mused as he and Koichi surveyed the hole.
Koichi nodded but frowned. Something was off about this hole. He sensed an old presence that he hadn't felt since he'd been Duskmon, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. His days as Duskmon had always been so blurry, but now it was even worse. He knew he knew this presence, but he just couldn't remember who's it was from that blurry and messed up time in his life.
"Something wrong Koichi?" Cody asked.
"Hmm?" Koichi blinked but then shook his head. "No. Nothing's wrong. …I was just wondering if JP has found his spirits and when the others would get back."
Cody nodded, satisfied with the answer.
Koichi mused quietly to himself for a moment. He hadn't lied to Cody. Nothing was wrong at the moment and the presence below ground didn't strike him as ominous, but he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. He knew whatever it was that was down there, but couldn't remember its identity. Whatever it was, there was something different enough about it that made identifying the presence difficult to his troubled mind.
What is this presence that Koichi senses? I suppose that you're just going the have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!
Ah! This chapter frustrates me! It didn't want to go anywhere in the days that I'd been working on it so I was forced to leave it as it is and move on to PW (I wanted to update all my fics on Christmas Day). Hopefully the next chapter will be the length that I've become customary to for this fic. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed it regardless and I pray that you all review! Please do, it'd be a wonderful present for me! :D
Marry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I'll try to update sooner.
Ok, as I said at the beginning of the chapter, I've started writing a new fan fic. It's my first non-Digimon fan fic. It's a Fullmetal Alchemist and Harry Potter crossover that I'm calling the Fullmetal Wizard (unimaginative I know but I thought simple was best in this case). i came up with it like two summers ago (so before FMA brotherhood came out folks) while sitting around in my Grandma's house writing it out on scrap paper. I'd of course typed it all up later when I got home, but it just sat in my files until I rediscovered it searching for a certain document I had misplaced. If you're interested and have loved my crossover work so far I would love it if any of you readers interested would check it out. Thanks and Please remember to review for this chapter!