I don't own digimon
The Chalices Dark and Light
888
"Maestro Volcamon?" Sukamon hopped up towards the bed the metal digimon was lying in. "It is morning…"
"Do not wake me, Sukamon, I am weary from yesterday's concert," growled the digimon as he turned from the yellow dollop. "I must…rest."
"Of course my lord, shall I gather food for the morning meal?" asked Sukamon as he picked up a tattered theater cloak.
"Nay, I shall not partake of food till the noontime hour," groaned the voice of the singer. "Please, Sukamon, go and tend to other parts of the hut…I must rest."
"Of course Maestro," Sukamon said as he turned from the bed, "Shall I expect us to search for the children again?"
"Not this day…" growled the metal digimon. "My voice grows hoarse…I shall not be able to utilize it this day."
"I will make sure your lozenges are in your tea, when you awaken then," Sukamon left the bedroom quietly.
"Sukamon, one day, you shall be a great singer…" Volcamon's voice said quietly.
"I endeavor to be…" Sukamon replied as he disappeared behind the reed doorway cover.
888
"I still don't see why we needed to get up extra-early to find the next tag and crest," grumbled Ren as she walked slowly behind the others.
"Because, we don't want to have Volcamon get his hands on them!" Kisho replied as he led the group. "It's especially important we start searching soon because we have no clue where the next ones are. If Volcamon got his hands on them…or Arkadimon…well we don't know what kind of chaos they could invoke…"
"We don't even know what they do," Taku said as he looked at the pendant that hung around Kisho's neck.
"I've been thinking about it…" Haru said as he looked at his own tag and crest. "Volcamon is a powerful digimon on his own…right?"
"I think he's an Ultimate digimon," Renamon replied as she walked next to Ren.
"Yeah, and our digimon can only reach their Champion forms…" Haru looked at the tag and crest, "They could be some sort of extra power source to make our digimon digivolve again…"
"Again?" Kisho whispered as he looked at the pendant. The small arms attached to the round body of the inscription of the crest glinted in the morning light. "I wonder what DORUmon digivolves into?"
"Well, if they get any bigger, they'll need to eat an entire field to give the proper amount of energy," Haru said quietly.
"Volcamon isn't that big though, so…" Taku looked at DemiDevimon, "Wouldn't it be a kicker if you turned into some knight or angel or something like that?"
"Pah, an angel?" DemiDevimon frowned at the thought, "Those yucky goody goods with the perfect hair and perfect butt and the perfect everything?"
"Not all angels are good," Jiro said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Koromon looked down at Jiro from his perched position on the boy's head.
"Well, there was this one story that my dad used to tell…about an angel named Lucifer," Jiro said quietly, "He was one of the bestest angels and then he turned evil because he thought he was better than God…"
"Huh, well maybe being an angel wouldn't be so bad," said DemiDevimon quietly as he glided after Taku.
"He was caste into Hell for declaring war against God…" Haru said quietly.
"Why didn't you say that before?" yelped DemiDevimon loudly.
"That's…a really interesting story," Ren replied quietly, "Why does it seem so familiar…"
"Your dad sounds like a neat guy," Taku said as he smiled at Jiro.
"I miss my dad," Jiro sighed quietly.
Kisho looked up at Haru. The blonde haired boy winced slightly and then looked at the ground and trudged onward. Guilmon and DORUmon were hanging back next to Jiro and Koromon. Kisho slowed slightly and wandered next to Haru.
"You know…" Kisho whispered as he stepped quietly next to Haru.
"No…" Haru said quietly.
"Why not, your mom isn't here, you can't keep letting this lie continue," Kisho said as he walked along. "In the long run he's not going to be happy…you can't hide this forever."
"I can hide it long enough…" Haru replied, "This is neither the time nor the place to tell him…"
"How…how did he…?" Kisho looked at Haru quietly.
"Not quite sure…all we know is he was in port at Hong Kong and he was shot," Haru glared down at the ground. "That's all we know…that's all they said. Mother said it was best we not ask questions."
"I just don't get it…why haven't you had a…" Kisho looked at Haru. The boy's eyes closed and a trickle of tears streamed down his cheek.
"Funeral? The local government won't release his…" Haru sniffed and rubbed his eyes, "I don't want to talk about it, ok?"
"Sure…" whispered Kisho quietly as he walked next to Haru. "You're taking it very well…though."
"I have to…" Haru said quietly, "I'm the man of the house now…I have to stay strong. It's my responsibility. My mother is relying on me."
"Hey, you two?" Ren shouted loudly. The boys looked up. Jiro and Taku were gone.
"Where did…they go?" Kisho asked as he looked around.
"Their rocks went off at the same time," Ren shouted, "They ran off to get them!"
"We have to find them!" Kisho yelped as he ran toward Ren.
Renamon turned her head and pointed. "They are this way, Guilmon and DORUmon ran after them, and of course DemiDevimon and Koromon."
"Well, let's not just stand here, let's go," Haru shouted as he pushed past. Haru cupped his hands and shouted forward. "WAIT FOR US!"
The group of humans and digimon ran down a solid, dirt path that cut through the forest, which seemed to dominate the majority of the island's non-mountainous areas. The path widened as the trees parted like centurions in the path of an emperor.
Renamon seized up and stopped. Ren and the others spun around. The fox looked down the path. Her icy blue eyes were wide in fear. Her leg and arm muscles twitched through her golden fur.
"What's wrong?" Kisho asked impatiently.
"It's….Him…" Renamon whispered. Her trapped voice was barely audible over the light breeze that drifted through the forest.
"Him, who?" Haru looked at Renamon his eyes sternly fixed on the fox.
"Lu…Lu…Lu…" Renamon stuttered quietly, her eyes froze in a forward gaze.
"Lucemon?" Ren offered quietly.
The fox didn't even wince; she just slowly nodded in silence. She pointed weakly down the path, "He's…that…way…"
"That's where Taku and Jiro went, isn't it?" Kisho said as he turned.
Renamon nodded slowly.
"We've got to get there!" shouted Haru as he turned and ran down the path.
"Wait for me!" shouted Kisho as he ran after the blonde.
Ren looked up at Renamon, "Are…you ok?"
"We have to do this…" Renamon said. The fox took a deep breath and clenched her paws into fists. "Let's go."
"Only if you want to…" Ren looked at the fox.
"We must, our friends are that way," Renamon said assuredly and took Ren's hand, "I won't be as afraid if you were with me."
Ren nodded and the two rushed after the boys.
The scene they found was one of sheer bewilderment. DemiDevimon and Koromon were on the ground knocked out. Guilmon and DORUmon were looking at the air in front of them. A large church rested at the end of the path. It was painted white, but the windows were all black, and the doors were blood red. A single, black, bell tower rose into the sky its pointed peak aimed at the sky like a spear.
"What happened?" shouted Haru loudly as he ran forward, "Where's Jiro?"
"In there…" Guilmon pointed to the church.
"I've got to get him!" Haru ran forward. Guilmon and DORUmon grabbed the boy and tackled him to the ground. Haru swore loudly and struggled, "GET OFF ME!"
"You can't go!" shouted Guilmon.
"I HAVE TO!" shouted Haru angrily as he kicked at the two digimon.
"No…" Renamon barked. Haru stopped struggling, blinked and looked up. The fox walked calmly forward and stopped a few meters from the church. Renamon reached forward and extended a claw. There was a sharp snap as streaks of lightning shot over a dome around the church and exploded against the claw. Renamon winced as the electrical surge snapped her finger. A ripple flowed quietly over the surface. Renamon looked down at Haru, "There is a very stout barrier…Koromon and DemiDevimon must have collided with it, chasing after the boys…"
"We have to get in there!" Haru shouted loudly.
"There has to be a way into the church," Kisho said quietly as he looked at the building.
"This barrier was made to keep people out…and to keep someone in…" Renamon whispered quietly as she looked at the doors of the church.
"Is…He…in there?" Ren asked as she sidled up to the fox.
"He…is there," Renamon replied with a gulp. "He's in a state of flux…I can feel him groggily trying to reach out to us…it's a most horrible sensation…I can't stay here…"
"We have to get in there and save them," Haru repeated in annoyance.
"Haru…wait," Kisho whispered. "Maybe Taku will get them out."
"That fool?" Haru glared at Kisho. "I wouldn't trust him with my lunch, let alone my brother!"
"We must retreat…" Renamon declared as she trembled and staggered slightly backward, "His power…is overwhelming…"
Renamon took Ren in her arms and leapt backward, retreating back toward the forest.
Kisho gently took Haru's arm. "It will do no good if we're out of it, we can always come back; let's just retreat to formulate a plan."
Haru growled loudly. "I'm not leaving Jiro behind!"
"We're not leaving anyone, but even I'm starting to feel weird here!" Kisho returned as his eyes focused and unfocused. A bead of sweat slid from his temple down his cheek and he held his stomach. "I don't know how long I'm going to be able to hold breakfast down if we stay here, but I know it's not going to be much longer. Don't you feel it?"
Haru glared forward and frowned, gritting his teeth, "I can't…let that stop me…"
"Guilmon, DORUmon get DemiDevimon and Koromon out of here," Kisho instructed as he waved them back to where Renamon was standing impatiently. Kisho tightened his grip on Haru's arm, "Look, I don't want to retreat either, but we don't have a choice, this place…" Kisho covered his mouth as a silent belch rolled up his throat, "I can't hack it any more…we gotta get out of here, now!"
"Go, I'm staying," Haru snorted.
"I know you're feeling it…" Kisho said quietly, "come on, we're getting out of here."
"No, did you not hear me?" growled Haru loudly. He turned around and glared at Kisho.
"You didn't hear me…" Kisho whispered and a tightened fist crashed into Haru's stomach. The blonde's blue eyes bugged out and then he collapsed onto Kisho. Kisho grunted and slowly dragged him from the church. He whispered quietly into Haru's ear, "I'm sorry, I had to do that, but I'm not letting you hurt yourself like that."
888
"Taku…maybe we should turn back," Jiro was huddled closely to Taku.
He looked around. The churchyard hadn't been as scary when they were running towards it, but up close, the grass wasn't really green, but more of a putrid brown; cracked grave markers seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. The sky was no longer soft blue but had become a tumultuous black with crimson streaks slicing back and forth in harsh and jagged arcs.
"This storm came out of nowhere," Taku said quietly. He lifted his stone a black arrow flickered softly forward. "It's inside at least."
"Mine is, too," Jiro said as he huddled close. A snap of lightning sent the boy leaping on Taku's back, "I'm really scared…"
"Ugh…" grunted Taku as the excess weight sent him staggering forward. "It's ok, Jiro, I won't let anything bad happen…I think this place is deserted anyways…"
"I'd like to know where the others are…" Jiro whimpered as he looked back.
"Probably scouting about, don't worry," Taku as he walked slowly towards the church's large, wooden doors. Taku turned and looked at the smaller blonde haired boy, "Now, we're just here to get the tags and crests, so don't touch anything else, ok?"
"I won't touch anything!" Jiro gulped loudly.
Taku nodded and reached forward and grasped the door handle. A jolt shot through his hand and down his back. Jiro yelped loudly and fell to the ground.
"What the fu…" Taku stopped in mid-word and blanched as Jiro looked up at him. He moved his jaw around searching anxiously for a word to finish his exclamation, "fu…fu…funbuster was that?"
"It hurt…" Jiro said loudly.
"Well, duh," Taku replied. He turned and grabbed the door handle. Nothing happened, Taku shrugged his shoulders "Hmm, must've been static…"
The door swung open with a loud, resonating creak. Taku took a step in and then waved Jiro to join him. The inside of the church was dark. It smelled of dust and Jiro sneezed heavily when he first entered the building. Taku disappeared into the shadows. Jiro instantly started to whimper and turn slowly in circles.
"Taku, where are you?" Jiro called weakly into the darkness. "Taku….I can't see you, where'd you go?" Jiro turned in a tight circle as he searched into the impenetrable shadows. "TAKU!"
Jiro suddenly felt something behind him and he spun around.
"BOO!" shouted Taku as he appeared out of the shadows. Jiro screamed loudly and leapt backward. Taku instantly reached forward and caught the boy's hand, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…well I did, but I didn't think you were that scared…"
"I'm sorry, Taku," Jiro sniffled quietly as he looked down.
"What are you sorry for?" Taku said indignantly as he looked at the boy's bowed head.
"For being a scaredy cat," replied Jiro quietly.
"Awe jeesh, you're not a scaredy cat, this place is creepier than hel…ck," said Taku, stumbling slightly at the end of the sentence. He smiled and lifted his arms. "Look, I found some candles though, so it won't be so bad, at least." Taku hands held two candlesticks; each candlestick held a pasty, white candle in them. "And some matches, they're in my pocket," Taku twisted his right hip slightly to indicate the matches' location, "Actually, how about you hold the candles, and I light them…"
Taku gave Jiro the candles. He reached into his pocket and produced a matchbook and then struck one of the chemically enhanced twigs. It sparked to life releasing an orange glow. It was a small glow and Taku was quick to gently touch the flame of the match to the wick of the candles. The two new flames seemed to thrust their light outward as Taku waved his match out, effectively ending the match's life.
The newly revealed room was barren. The walls were painted black. Small candle stands were positioned in nooks on the wall. Taku slowly walked up to one and lit it with his candle. This sparked a sudden domino effect that resulted in all the candles in the entry room to light. Jiro started to chatter quietly.
"Don't worry, probably just a parlor trick to scare off vandals," said Taku as he looked around. "Ugly isn't it…even with the candles lit its dark in here…" He pulled his stone from his pocket, "Right…mine is upstairs…"
"Huh?" Jiro looked up as Taku started up the stairs.
"My tag and crest is upstairs," said Taku as he turned back to Jiro. "What about yours?"
"It's…" Jiro eyes looked down. The boy gulped and looked forward at a pair of large doors with stained-glass windows, "in the chapel…"
"Well, it will be faster if we go separately," said Taku. Jiro looked up at Taku. The blonde's blue eyes were watering and his frame was shivering. Taku sighed slightly and descended the stairs. "Trust me, I won't let you get hurt, this place is abandoned. The only things in here are mice and spiders, all the little tricks with the candles and such, are just that, tricks, nothing will hurt you. So stop worrying, nothing bad will happen, and the faster you get your tag and crest the faster you can leave."
"O…ok," Jiro whispered weakly as he walked up to the chapel doors. He looked up at Taku. The black haired boy was already disappearing up the stairwell, the glow from his candle fading into the shadows. Jiro gulped quietly, "I can do this, I just have to not be afraid…Taku's my friend he wouldn't lie to me." Jiro pushed the doors open.
The chapel was a beautiful room, indescribably different than the entry room. The walls were all made of some form of golden ivory. Large, crystal chandeliers hung from the spacious ceiling, releasing a gentle radiance. The ceiling itself was a beautiful mural of the sky, so perfect that Jiro almost thought it was the real sky; the clouds even lazily shifted across the paint. The pews on either side of the aisle had satin cushions, colored in soft gold. At the head of the chapel was a large altar of sorts. There was a dais that lifted into a large thick, median that was carved with elaborate designs. Jiro walked slowly down the aisle his feet gently buffeted by the crimson carpet. He walked up a pair of steps as he approached the altar. That's when he noticed that the altar wasn't an altar. It was a large stand that held a marble coffin.
The lid of the coffin was made of glass, and Jiro looked down and shook slightly. There was a little boy lying in the coffin. The boy's face was pale and his eyes were closed. The child's hair was blonde and curled. His skin had dark lines that traced out designs on his body; which was partially covered by a toga. Upon further inspection Jiro noticed that the boy had wings, most of the wings were folded tightly under his body, but a pair, sprouted from his head, was slightly unfurled.
Jiro gulped and staggered back slightly. He feverishly looked at his stone and saw that the yellowish arrow pointed forward. Jiro gulped and looked up. Beyond the coffin was a true altar. A large mirror was on the marble surface of the altar. The mirror was oval in shape and unbelievably clear. The edges of the mirror were made in silver and, like the side of the coffin, were intricately shaped, though this time into the form of four spokes. The spokes made the mirror look like the intersection of a cross. The spokes were intricately formed into the shape of suns and planets that spread out from the mirror face. On top of the spoke pointing upward was a pendant dangling over the mirror.
Jiro stood looking worriedly at the tag and crest, hanging from the mirror. He finally walked towards the altar. He leapt helplessly trying to grab the pendant. He sighed and then proceeded to stare at the tag and crests hoping to will them down, of course the tags and crests didn't budge a centimeter. Jiro looked around cautiously and finding that no one was near. He hefted a leg up on the altar and proceeded to scramble onto the marble surface. Jiro looked in the mirror and quirked and eyebrow. There was nothing being reflected in the mirror. Jiro shook his head and grasped the tag and crest and pulled them down. He was about to turn and run for the entry way when his curiosity took hold and he turned again. The mirror's lack of reflection intrigued him and he reached out slowly and slid the palm of his hand over the surface of the mirror.
"The contents have been emptied," said a voice suddenly from behind Jiro.
The boy jumped and slipped, falling from the altar. He grunted as he body crashed to the floor. Jiro looked up in the direction the voice had come from. His voice shook and his eyes widened. A boy was standing in front of him. The child's hair was blonde and a pair of dazzling blue eyes looked down at Jiro. Soft white skin covered the boy's frame and matched an equally white toga. The child stepped forward, which prompted Jiro to slide back.
"Please…" Jiro curled up in a ball and lifted his arms.
"Fear not…" said the boy quietly, "I come not to harm thee, rise to your feet."
"You're a ghost; you're that child in the coffin!" Jiro retorted loudly. "Ghosts aren't real!"
"I'm not a ghost," said the child as he turned and looked in the coffin, "I'm just not in my body…" The boy turned. "I am not that which lies sleeping in the coffin."
"What are you?" Jiro slowly stood up and looked at the child in curiosity.
"I am Kougen, a spirit of that body," replied the boy quietly as he looked down at the body in the coffin. Jiro looked at the child, and noticed it didn't have the wings that the angel in coffin had. The child's sapphire eyes fell upon Jiro and saw large black and blue mark on Jiro's arm. "You are injured!"
"It's ok…it's just a brui…" started Jiro, but Kougen grasped the boy's arm. There was a soft glow that emanated from the spirit's hands. Jiro's skin warmed and tingled. Kougen released Jiro and the digi-destined looked at his arm, "The bruise…it's gone…"
The child inclined his head slightly. "I healed you; that is the way of the light, it mends…It heals."
"Maybe you can help us, we are fighting all these bad guys and we could really use someone that could fix our injuries," Jiro looked up at the boy.
"I can not leave this place," Kougen looked into the coffin, "my soul is bound to this body, without the proper incantations and spells, without the proper sacrifices, I will remain here, trapped."
"Maybe we can help you," Jiro said as he walked up to the child.
Kougen looked up at Jiro. "Your aura…is very familiar," Kougen took a step forward and gently put his hand on Jiro's cheek. The spirit's eyes widened in shock, "You're…you're…the Chalice of Light!"
"The what?" Jiro blurted loudly.
"You could purify my brother, you could repair him and fix his soul," Kougen said quietly.
"Wait, I don't know what you're talking about, what's this about light," Jiro looked at Kougen his eyes wide in confusion.
"You are the Chalice of Light, one of the outsiders called to save this world," Kougen replied. He looked in Jiro's eyes, "You aren't alone are you? No, you couldn't be…the other must be with you."
"Well, there's Taku…" Jiro said as he uncomfortably met Kougen's gaze, "but he went up to the balcony to get his tag and crest…"
"No, he mustn't go up there," Kougen said, "We must go and fix things first or there will be nothing but ill work done!"
"He's already gone upstairs," Jiro said quickly.
"We may still have time! We must hurry, come with me!" Kougen grabbed Jiro's arm and pulled him up the aisle.
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Taku sighed as he pushed open a set of heavy wooden doors. He expected to come upon a large balcony, but instead he entered a large chapel of sorts. There were no pews just a large room. The floor was made of ebony wood; the walls were covered in red drapery. At the far end of the room, an altar was constructed. It was born of black onyx. A large mirror dominated the altar. The metal surrounding the mirror was black and reached out in four spokes which were molded into the shapes of planets and suns. The room was lit with red candles that lined the walls.
"Yeah, these guys go all out when it comes to creepy," Taku snorted as he looked up. The pendant he was looking for was hanging from the top spoke of the mirror. "There you are."
Taku climbed up on the table top of the altar and reached up grabbing the tag and crest. He looked down into the mirror. There was no reflection. Taku smirked slightly and then climbed down. He turned to leave and stopped. A sudden chill ran up his spine and touched the base of his skull. He turned slowly.
"You aren't afraid of the dark are you?" chuckled a voice from the shadows. Taku growled and clenched his fists and turned slowly around searching the darkness for the voice's owner.
"I'm not afraid of anything, least of all the dark!" Taku returned sharply.
"That is what you say," whispered the voice. There was a breeze that swept around Taku. The boy spun around and glared into the darkness. "But that's not what you feel…"
"Show yourself, coward!" shouted Taku loudly.
"I don't know if you would want that…" whispered the voice.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Taku's eyes darted around in the darkness. His arms were raised and his legs were tensed.
"You should be," the voice said from behind Taku.
Taku swirled around and standing there was a child. The child was slightly shorter than Taku. Its eyes were dark, blacker than his. The hair was equally dark. A black toga fell over the child's frame, and sharply contrasted against the child's skin, which was pale save for the long, jagged, black lines that ran down his cheek, chest and arms.
"You're nothing but a little brat!" Taku shouted loudly. He clenched his fists.
"You are angry," smiled the child quietly as he proceeded forward, "You should be angry…those that brought you here have no sympathy for you."
"What are you talking about?" Taku growled as he took a step back.
"They do not realize that you are different," said the boy as he walked closer. Taku continued to retreat as the child moved closer. Taku blinked and the child was gone.
"Different?" Taku whispered.
"Yes," said the child's voice. Taku jumped and spun around. The boy had been standing inches behind him. "You are the Chalice of Darkness. You are different than the others. They fear you, they dislike you; they find you unappealing."
"No they don't!" Taku growled loudly.
"They're scared of your power," replied the boy. "They are envious of you; they hate you with all their might."
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" shouted Taku loudly.
"That's it, feed the darkness of your heart, take in that doubt," smiled the child.
"Shut up!" shouted Taku loudly.
Taku clenched his fist and then spontaneously punched forward. The child caught the fist in his hand. Taku's eyes widened as the child tightened his grasp on Taku's hand. Taku dropped to his knees as the child continued to compress his hand around the digi-destined's.
"Feel the hatred boiling in your heart, feel the pain and the fear, feel it all in the shadows," the child smirked quietly as he looked down Taku's widened eyes, "You are nearly ready, my child, for your purpose."
"I'm not doing anything for you," Taku gritted through his teeth as he tried to push to his feet.
"You already have," chuckled the boy, the child's eyes glowed softly as redness shimmered on the circumference of the black iris. "You're the goblet from which I shall drink my ambrosia of pain…I will be resurrected by the darkness that runs through your veins. I shall be free once more!"
"Like hell," growled Taku as he threw his other fist up. The knuckles of his hand smashed against the boy's, frigid cheek. The boy didn't budge. A cold smile cut across his lips.
The child splayed the fingers of his free hand and pulled it back. "I drinketh from this goblet of darkness. I shall be free!"
The child's fingers flew forward and Taku gasped as he felt his skin punctured in his chest. He shuddered and screamed as the child's hand grasped his heart. The child dropped Taku's fist and clasped the digi-destined's head and pushed it back so that Taku was looking up at him.
"Let…me…go…" gasped Taku between the agonizing beats of his constricted heart.
"Not until I have had every last drop!" replied the child as he looked deep in Taku's eyes.
"I'm not going to give into you," Taku shouted as he felt his heart compress. He winced and screamed loudly.
"You have no choice, accept your fate, your darkness will be mine!" replied the child.
He emphasized his point by twisting the hand plunged in Taku's chest. Taku shrieked in agony as his heart stuttered. Taku's head dropped but the child lifted his head by the hair. Taku's eyes rolled groggily around in their place, unfocused.
"Can't…let…" Taku's voice disappeared in his throat.
"TAKU!" shouted a young voice. The child turned its head sharply and hissed.
Taku's head lolled forward and saw the swimming, wavy visage of Jiro wobbling forward.
"Get…away…" Taku gasped as he tried to put his hands on the child holding him.
Large, black wings unfurled from the back of the boy that held Taku. Taku felt his body drop to the ground as the child took to the air. Jiro ran to Taku and held him up.
"Taku, are you ok?" Jiro said feverishly as he looked in the other digi-destined's eyes. "Talk to me!"
Taku limply lifted his hand and touched Jiro's cheek, "Run…away…"
"No, not without you, you need medical help!" Jiro shouted as he pulled Taku up and draped the older boy's arm over his shoulder and slowly hoisted Taku to his feet. "I'm going to get you out of here…"
"He…wants me…run and he might not hurt you," hissed Taku quietly as he tried to struggle away from Jiro.
Jiro wouldn't listen and slowly dragged Taku towards the door of the chapel.
"I have to get you bandages and help; you're bleeding so badly…" Jiro grunted as he slowly moved forward, gently prompting Taku to take wobbly steps.
"I don't feel so good," whispered Taku quietly. One of his hands rose up to his chest and lifted his hand. Crimson fluid dripped from his fingers.
"We're almost out…" whispered Jiro as he lifted a hand to turn the door knob. "You have to hold on just a little longer, please, Taku…hold on…"
"Won't…let anything happen to you," Taku said quietly as Jiro opened the door and staggered out of the chapel. The stairs were slow in navigation, mainly since Taku's feet were slow to react and he had a hard time staying in step with Jiro's feet.
"You can't escape…" whispered a voice from the top of the stairs. "I shall consume you both!"
Jiro seemed to ignore the voice and only continued to move down the stairwell, stopping to rebalance Taku's weight against him.
"Why won't you leave me behind?" Taku whispered quietly, "you could escape…leave…he won't get you…"
"Be quiet…I'm not leaving you behind," Jiro returned. They turned a corner, "We're almost there, just a few more steps."
Taku winced and then his weight fell heavily against Jiro's shoulder. The smaller boy staggered and slipped on the steps and sent them both rolling into the entry way of the church. Jiro instantly got up and rolled Taku over.
"Taku, get up!" shouted Jiro as he shook the older boy. "Please! Don't give up…we're so close…"
"His wounds are extensive…" Jiro turned. Kougen was standing in the doorway of the chapel where Jiro had found his tag and crest.
"Is he…?" Jiro looked down at Taku.
"Not yet, but my brother has done significant damage…" Kougen stepped forward. He winced slightly as energy snapped across the doorframe. "I can help him…but I will need your help."
"My help?" Jiro looked up at Kougen as he struggled forward.
"If I go much further from my chapel I will lose my ability to stay in this form, I need an anchor…" Kougen winced again as he took another step forward. "Take my hand, Jiro…"
Jiro looked down at Taku. The boy's face was paler than normal. The muscles on his face twitched. Jiro looked down at Taku's shirt. It was soaked with blood that was seeping through it. Jiro stood up and ran to Kougen and took the boy's hand. It was like a wave of heat passed through his body. Jiro and Kougen then walked over to Taku.
"He's so hurt," Jiro whispered.
"The damage is severe…" said Kougen as he knelt down and placed his hands on Taku's chest. The boy looked up at Jiro, "Put your hands on mine…"
Jiro gulped and laid his hands over Kougen's. Their hands glowed softly. A pain shot up Jiro's hands and collected above his heart. It felt like someone was squishing his chest from the inside out. Jiro gritted his teeth as the burning spread from his chest in all directions.
"You're fixing him…?" chuckled a voice. The stairwell darkened. A wind swept through the lobby and blew out the candles. The only light was that of the hands on Taku's chest.
"He's coming…" Taku whispered quietly. "Run…away…"
"No, not until we have healed you," Jiro returned sharply.
"You can heal his physical injuries but you shall never repair the true damage of his heart," said the voice loudly as the darkness became even denser. "I have taken his heart and it is mine."
"No!" Jiro shouted to the darkness, "Taku's still Taku and he's leaving with me!"
The light faded from around Jiro's hands. Kougen looked up at Jiro, "He is healed."
"I shall have you all!" shouted the voice.
The shadows warped and a boy, who was the polar opposite of Kougen, appeared out of the shadows. The two boys looked identical, save the dark Kougen was now adorned with a six pairs of wings.
"Kage, you fed upon this child's spirit!" Kougen shouted in disgust. "How could you?"
"I wish to be free brother; don't you?" replied the winged boy as he walked forward, "I plan to be free, and I'll do anything to facilitate that! Now, move aside so I may finish what I started!"
Jiro shook Taku awake and they glared up at the winged child. Jiro stood up and blockaded the winged child from Taku, "No…Taku isn't going with you, he's going with me, and we're leaving!"
"You will never leave this place, I shall consume you both!" growled the winged child as he walked forward, "I shall reclaim my body, and I shall walk from this place, even if that means ripping you both apart!"
The winged boy lifted his hand and Jiro found himself being thrown across the lobby. Kougen leapt to his feet and looked back at Jiro. Jiro sat up groggily and shook off the attack. The winged child stepped forward and loomed over Taku looking at the boy hungrily. Taku was still woozy and could only slowly attempt to crawl backward.
"Run if you think you must, it only makes your soul more delicious…" the winged child took another step forward.
"Kage stop!" Kougen stepped between the winged child and Taku. "Don't do this! The point of being here was to be purified!"
"Fool, we'll never be pure, we must take our chance and get free!" growled the winged child as he pushed Kougen aside. The winged child knelt down putting a knee on Taku's stomach. "It's time; I have a drink to finish…"
"Don't do it!" shouted Jiro loudly.
"Silence!" The winged child glared up Jiro and the boy was pressed against the wall. "I have not time for your goody good belly aching!"
"If you're going to do it; do it," Taku hissed quietly under his breath.
"I'm glad you finally decided to accept your destiny," said the winged child as he smiled.
"KAGE STOP!" The winged child looked up as Kougen leapt forward tackling the dark angel. The two rolled on the ground, scuffling.
"Taku!" Jiro ran up to the older boy, "Come on, let's go!"
"NO! YOU SHALL NOT LEAVE!" The winged child kicked Kougen from him and dove for the digi-destined. Kougen grabbed the winged child by the foot and dragged him back.
"Go, I'll hold him back! Leave the church; once you leave we'll be sealed here!" Kougen shouted as he pinned the dark angel against the wall. "Hurry!"
The two boys looked at each other and nodded and ran for the door.
888
"Everyone, fire!" shouted Kisho loudly as pointed at the church.
"Pyro Sphere!"
"Metal Cannon!"
"Fox Leaf Arrowhead!"
"Demi Dart!"
"Bubble Blow!"
The barrier bubbled quietly as the attacks struck the energy field, but there was no noticeable difference. The barrier wobbled slightly but there was no change after the field settled.
"Gah, that had to work!" shouted Kisho as he glared at the barrier.
"It was built to hold Lucemon in, I doubt our digimon have the power to break it," said Haru quietly as he looked at the church beyond the barrier. "There has to be a failsafe…"
"Maybe if we had them digivolve," Ren suggested quietly.
"I doubt that would work," Renamon said quietly.
"I was just making a suggestion!" Ren replied.
"We have to get in there and save my brother!" Haru looked at Kisho. "What if that Lucemon guy is using my brother or eating him or something!"
"Just calm down, we need to think," Kisho said quietly as he sat down. "The barrier is a dome around the church…maybe the barrier doesn't extend under the ground! Or maybe we can find a cave or a tree root that displaces the barrier and we can sneak through."
"Right, split up!" shouted Haru as he started to through rocks against the barrier.
"Wait!" Guilmon said as the dragon sniffed the air.
The barrier shook and shimmered as two figures passed through it. One was bearing the weight of the other and they both collapsed on the ground outside the barrier.
"Jiro!" Haru ran forward and grabbed his brother and hugged him tightly. "Are you safe?"
"I'm fine…but Taku…" Jiro looked over at the black haired boy.
"Is that…" Ren gulped quietly as she looked at the soaked shirt that Taku wore.
"Blood…" Taku whispered. "He tried to kill me."
"Lucemon, tried to kill you?" Kisho looked at Taku in shock.
"No…some boy, with wings…and in black," Taku breathed. "Fortunately, Jiro was somehow able to chase him off and heal me…"
"Kougen, did the healing, not me," Jiro said as he looked at his bloody hands.
"If you're healed…" Haru looked at Taku in suspicion.
"He was hurt badly, that winged guy put his hand through Taku's chest," Jiro said loudly. "Healing him hurt…it was like I was feeling everything that happened to him…"
The church flared with light, as the windows glowed. The air was filled with thunder as a stream dark and light energy shot into the air.
"What the heck?" Kisho looked up as the skies clouded over.
"They were fighting when we left, Kougen was trying to hold the other guy so we could escape," explained Taku as the clouds condensed and then exploded downward as a single bolt of black lightning.
The ground split and the children and the digimon were knocked to the ground by the explosion. The ground under their feet rumbled loudly and cracked. Steam shot up from the earth. Birds went silent. The children and their digimon huddled close to one another. More cracks formed in the earth, releasing eruptions of steam and heat.
"We have to get out of here!" shouted Haru loudly, "It's not safe!"
"Haru's right!" Kisho reached over and helped Taku up. "Come on, let's go."
Renamon and Ren walked quickly over and helped Taku on the other side. Haru and Jiro followed them watching as the steam swarmed up around the church.
888
The sun was starting to fall behind the horizon. Kisho had decided that they not continue traveling for the day to let Jiro and Taku rest from their ordeal. Taku narrowed his eyes as Ren started to wander towards him.
"How are you feeling?" Ren asked quietly as she looked down at Taku, who was lying against a tree.
"Why do you care?" Taku snapped quietly.
"I just wanted to know! Jeesh, bite my head off!" growled Ren loudly.
"I'm fine," Taku replied curtly. He looked at the pendant he'd retrieved from the experience. It was black and the design on the crest was that of the sun, but the sun wasn't full, rather it was more like a crescent, like during an eclipse. "Now, Jiro and I have tags and crests. I guess that just leaves yours, huh?"
Ren only nodded in silence. Taku looked up at Jiro who was sleeping quietly with Koromon. His crest was hanging gently on his chest. Jiro had shown Taku the crest earlier. It looked like a Christmas star with lots of small spokes extended out from a single epicenter. Taku frowned as he thought about what the boy that had attacked him said, and what Jiro had did to save him.
"What's wrong, Taku?" asked Ren quietly.
"Nothing, it's just that, don't worry, it's nothing important," Taku said as he leaned against the tree.
"Well, if you want to be mysterious that's your prerogative," sighed Ren as she started to walk away.
"I didn't say that you idiot," Taku shouted.
"I'm not an idiot!" shouted Ren. "Jerk!"
Taku closed his eyes and mumbled quietly as he folded his arms. "Maybe he was right…maybe Jiro was just a fluke…"
888
AN: Fast update! The Chalices Dark and Light (Some reason I like that title, both in the sense of it being a title for a person and a chapter), I just loved the idea that someone just saw them as vessels for their power. And of course the Chalices of Dark and Light had to be involved with Lucemon.
For those who don't know, or haven't read the other parts of the series (Fall of Harmony, especially Fall, and Shadows of Chaos, not so much but it's there), Kage and Kougen are two components of the Lucemon of the Adventures' Universe (i.e. the one (Lucemon character) I wrote into my fanfics in this series and as such is not related to Frontier in anyway shape or form). They represent the darkness and light powers that Lucemon wields. Kougen is Lucemon's 'Light Source' where as Kage is Lucemon's 'Shade/Shadow'. They are like split personalities within Lucemon, but they aren't just personalities. They have a true, physical/ethereal presence and quantity, as seen here they are still very much on the spiritual/physical border, though that could all deal with the dimensional altering properties of the church and barrier surrounding it… and cannot exist far from the 'true' body of Lucemon, which is in stasis. Hopefully that explains them… Ok, if you want something detailed and super explanation into the weirdness of my ideas around Adventures' Lucemon and all that other stuff; email me, its on my profile I think, because if I tried to answer them here, the AN would be longer than the chapter.
I don't know, I think this chapter has some cute interactions, between Kisho and Haru and Jiro and Taku. (Not ships, interactions, there are differences, and come on, Takiro or Jiku, whatever, just ewww and wrong, so let's not go down that road) I feel so bad for Ren, though; she must be so lonely and she's been slowly relegated into pissing people off, rather like Yolei or Mimi, did to some extent. I don't know when I'll post next; the next chapter will probably be a little difficult for me to write (For some reason I have a hard time writing for girls…probably because I'm a guy…). I have an idea but a lot has to happen, so maybe next chapter will be two chapters. I don't know we'll see.
Sorry for the long AN…this chapter is kind of complicated…in a 'between the lines and back story' sort of way, or at least it seems that way to me but maybe I'm incredibly simple.
Blue: yep Haru's crest is far easier, and Kisho's is too, but it's just harder to describe. These crests were obvious too, but for different reasons.
Dark: righto!