New Year! Also a new semester…joy. Oh well, next chapter!
I do not own Digimon
ABC = Talking
ABC = Thoughts
Chapter 20: Reasons
Duskmon treaded softly along the stone floor, his boots barely making a sound as he walked. The chambers of their stone fortress were surprisingly quiet, not that the dark Digimon was complaining. Being around those human children got annoying quickly. Even with the spirits in their possession, they were naïve, arrogant, and, though persistent in their acts, were unskilled when compared to the other warriors they were up against. He could not complain though. It was the decision of the dark man to use them, before he was summoned. That man, the human who had freed him from his imprisonment, was now who he called master.
"Look whose back from babysitting,"
Speaking of annoyances. Duskmon stopped and shifted his gaze over to a nearby wall, next to the entrance of his master's chamber. Leaning against the stone with his arm crossed and a smirk on his face was Beelzemon. The demon also managed annoy Duskmon to no end, even more so than the humans. His cockiness and arrogance shown through with every word he spoke. Beelzemon pushed himself from the wall and walked towards the evil warrior.
"What do you want now?" Duskmon spat at the digimon. Beelzemon chuckled a response.
"What? I wanted to see this important artifact before you delivered it to the boss," Beelzemon said. He looked around the large for a moment before continuing, "Where are the four young humans?" Beelzemon asked.
"Outside," Duskmon answered blatantly.
"And MadLeomon?"
"Defeated."
"Really? By who?"
"The youngest."
"Hahaha! Really!?" Beelzemon burst out laughing at the response, "That big, brutal beast got beaten by a runt! Haha! That's just too funny! I wish I could've been there to see it!"
"You seem rather cheerful to hear that your comrade fell in battle," Duskmon stated. Beelzemon stopped laughing and shot a glare back at him, still smirking but with a hint of anger behind it.
"Don't act like you have any morals," Beelzemon snarled, "You don't give half a damn about that beast. Nor would you give a damn if any one of us kicked the bucket. In fact, I'm pretty sure you would love to slice me in two right now."
"Do not tempt me," Duskmon warned him with a menacing glare. Beelzemon just chuckled. After receiving so many of the same harsh glares from their boss, it didn't affect him as much.
"You see, there's that murderous glint in your eyes. So what are you going to do?" Beelzemon asked with a hint a challenge to his voice. Duskmon turned away from him and let out a deep sigh.
"I don't know why you're so eager to die, but I have no time for this...or you," Duskmon said then began to walk away.
"Hold it!" Beelzemon exclaimed. Duskmon stopped and turned back to the demon digimon.
"What now?" Duskmon asked with irritation.
"I still want to see the crystal in your hand," Beelzemon answered while pointing at said object. Duskmon held the object up between them.
"Why? Does it interest you?" Duskmon inquired.
"It's the last remnant of the Great War. Of course I'd be interested," Beelzemon answered with a chuckle. He gazed wide eyed at the crystal, focusing specifically on the small shape that lay inside, "It also holds the last, tiniest scrap of data from Lord Lucemon," he said as he reached out and tapped a finger against the smooth surface, "It's been a while since I've seen him," he said with a devious smirk. Duskmon yanked the crystal away. Beelzemon looked back at him with shock. He saw the Duskmon was once again glaring at him. No, not glaring, examining him. Then suddenly, Duskmon began to chuckle softly.
"What?" Beelzemon asked curiously.
"I just find it amusing," Duskmon stated, "The way you speak, acting like you're unmatched in strength, like you're invincible. In reality though, you're not even at half the power you once possessed, maybe even less than that." Beelzemon began to feel his blood boiling at the evil warrior's words. Slowly, his lips twitched into a malicious and angered smirk.
"You don't know a damn thing, you bastard," Beelzemon snarled.
"I know enough," Duskmon said in a much calmer tone, "Weren't you the first to fall?"
"Shut it! That was the past! Don't start mocking me unless you're prepared to lay down your life!" Beelzemon threatened while reaching for his pistols.
"Save your energy. You'll need it when the warriors get here," Duskmon said then turned to walk away.
"Wait! You couldn't kill those brats?!" Beelzemon exclaimed.
"I didn't kill them," Duskmon corrected, "Why are you even complaining? If you truly want a chance to prove your worth or revenge than this is it. Unless you fail of course," Duskmon finished before disappearing into the dark hallway. Beelzemon was left standing there, staring angrily into the shadows. He had his fist clenched so tightly that he could fell his claws breaking the rough skin of his palm. Growls accompanied each breath he let out. As much as he wanted to shoot the bastard in his head, he couldn't do anything now. He decided he would just go along with what the warrior said for now, but that didn't stop him from muttering one last thing…
"Arrogant prick."
Duskmon walked down the dark hallway. Once again, silence filled the air, after barely hearing Beelzemon's low grumbling in the distance. Duskmon was a bit on edge to say the least. He was sure he would at least hear the sounds of the man walking around his chamber or fiddling with his strange devices. However, it remained eerily silent. Duskmon carefully entered the man's chamber, knowing that one wrong move could result in sparking the dark man's unnatural rage. When Duskmon stopped at the doorway he instantly spotted the man and a look of confusion ran across his features. His master was hunched over, leaning on the stone work table he used. His arms were folded on the hard surface with his head and face buried in them. He wasn't moving at all, Duskmon could barely tell if he was breathing or not. Duskmon examined him closer, though still not moving from his spot, and soon noticed the small rise and fall of his back. Perhaps he was asleep…
"Duskmon," Solomon's voice suddenly interrupted.
"Master?" Duskmon replied. Duskmon watched the man lift his head up from the stone table. Solomon turned his head to gaze at his servant. Duskmon quickly noticed how dark the man's eyes had become. The bags under his eyes had become more prominent, which only helped accent his dark gaze.
"Did you get it?" Solomon asked. Duskmon didn't reply, but instead held up the crystal in his hand. Solomon's eyes widened and a wicked grin appeared on his face. He stood up from the stone table and slowly walked towards the dark digimon.
"Hand it over," Solomon then demanded, holding his hand out as he did. Duskmon stared at the man in silence for a moment before placing the large crystal in his waiting hands. Immediately, Solomon felt his arms tremble under its massive weight. He ignored it however and gazed down at the artifact.
"Finally," Solomon breathed out. Duskmon watched as the man continued to gaze, memorized at the crystal in his hands. The look in his eyes was as if he was holding a precious treasure.
"MadLeomon fell while retrieving it," Duskmon spoke up, trying to break the man from his daze.
"Hmm," Solomon responded still not looking up from the crystal, "What of the warriors?"
"The four humans are still alive," Duskmon stated. Solomon then shifted his gaze over to the digimon.
"The other six?" Solomon then asked.
"…still alive," Duskmon answered. Solomon gazed silently at him. Duskmon wasn't sure if he was going to lash out in anger, the look in his eyes was hard to read. Suddenly, Solomon let out a small chuckle.
"I didn't expect anything less. They'll be making their way here soon," Solomon stated as he turned to walk away.
"I should tell you, the youngest acquired his beast spirit again," Duskmon said. Solomon stopped and looked back at the digimon, "This means that the warriors have all regained the full power of their spirits once more."
"Do I look concerned?" Solomon asked. Duskmon stood silent. Solomon's face read no emotions whatsoever. When he saw that Duskmon was not going to answer, Solomon continued speaking, "I expected that the young warriors would regain the full power of both spirits. However long that took was debatable, but now it seems that the warriors will being coming at us with all they've got. Heheh, I'm looking forward to it actually," Solomon said as smile crept onto his face. He turned and started walking away again. Duskmon, though confused, followed him as the man approached a nearby stone wall. Duskmon stared blankly at the wall, there was nothing particularly strange or out of place about it. Solomon pressed his palm against the hard surface while shifting the crystal carefully in his other arm. After a moment, a pulse of dark energy came from his hand and fed through the thick stone. The energy suddenly revealed a doorway hidden within the wall. Duskmon watched the stone in front of the man disappear, being replaced by an open entranceway and a stairwell that led to somewhere below.
"Follow," Solomon commanded the digimon then proceeded to walk down the steps. Duskmon quickly obeyed.
"So you're not at all worried about the warriors?" Duskmon asked as he descended the steps with his master. Solomon chuckled.
"Concern will only slow me down," Solomon stated, "I'd rather focus towards the final stages of my plan, and then I can finally achieve my goals. Ah, here we are," Solomon said as they entered into a large chamber. Duskmon stopped at the bottom of the stairwell and glanced around the room. It was massive. It was a round, stone chamber, the walls were cracked and damaged with age from centuries past. This place must have been built before the fortress that lied above them. Duskmon's gaze returned to the man who was taking the crystal to the center of the room and there was something else that caught the digimon's eye. There was a massive hole in the middle of the chamber. Duskmon walked hurriedly over to the man as well as the hole. When Duskmon reached it, he peered down into the abyss. He saw a never-ending swirl of black matter that nearly filled the massive crater. Sparks of violet lightning shot out from the eerie substance continuously and Duskmon could feel the ominous presence that ascended up from the hole and circled around him.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Solomon spoke. Duskmon looked back to the man.
"What is this place?" Duskmon asked.
"It's hard to say what it exactly is," Solomon explained, "I found this place a long time ago though shortly after I discovered our stone fortress above. I can assume this place was maybe a place for some ancient meeting or perhaps once hid something important. I don't know really," Solomon then look down into the crater of dark energy, "However, I do know that this has been locked away here for centuries. A pool of collected dark data from all around the digital realm, and all of it accumulating in mass here."
"That's why it was hidden away," Duskmon commented. Solomon chuckled again.
"Probably," Solomon said. He then walked away from the digimon. Duskmon watched him and saw that he was walking towards a nearby stone bridge that extended over the crater. The bridge stopped right above the center of the hole and at the end, on a small platform, stood a strange device. A metal orb, the core, connected to a small generator. Multiple wires hooked into the device and flowed down into the deep pit, into the dark substance. The electric sparks rode up the wires, but stopped only halfway up the copper vines. Duskmon examined the device as closely as he could, still not moving from his spot, however he didn't really know what it would do. Then again, he wasn't really interested enough in any human technology to care. Solomon carefully carried the crystal across the bridge and gently placed it on a small stand in front of the device.
"Lucemon's data would've made a majority of the dark data here. However, thanks to the warriors, all of his data was destroyed, forever," Solomon said. He shifted his eyes back to Duskmon, who was staring back silently. Solomon continued, "Gathering a sufficient amount of dark data to fulfill my needs was difficult, but it was worth it in the end. It allowed me to gain so much power, enough to accomplish what I couldn't in the beginning. You should be gracious for that, Duskmon."
"For releasing me, I suppose I should," Duskmon commented dryly.
"It was surprisingly easy to pry your data away that vessel of yours, Kimura couldn't put up much of a fight," Solomon said with a wicked smirk, "Using the energy stored within this dark pool, I was able rematerialize the body from the dormant data."
"I know this," Duskmon interjected, "perhaps you would like to explain to the other?"
"Tch, you mean Beelzemon," Solomon said, "He's a loyal dog, but he's too focused on his own ambitions to be bothered with things like this. I'll let him do as pleases as long it doesn't further hinder me."
"You don't much faith in you're pawns, do you?" Duskmon inquired. Solomon smirked. The thing that made Duskmon different from the others was that he was less than willing to completely submit to him. There were always times when the digimon would speak up, questioning about his motives, his devices, anything that could be worth questioning. It could have been worrisome, having a pawn that could have easily overpowered him in an instant. However, Solomon was unwilling to show such emotion as fear, especially when he was this close to his goal. Instead of answering the previous question, Solomon turned and showed off a confident smirk.
"Tell me, Duskmon," Solomon said, "If you get the chance to go the human world, with no restrictions whatsoever, what would you do?"
"Is there a possibly of that happening?" Duskmon questioned further.
"I grow tired of these questions," Solomon stated with a groan. Duskmon then watched as the Solomon reached over to the strange human device. He watched as the man grabbed what looked like a sharpened, metal rod in his hand. The rod was connected by a bunch of wires that directly fed into the core of the generator. "You want to know what I want when finally return home?" Solomon asked as he calmly walked back to the crystal, absentmindedly twirling the metal rod in his hand, "I want nothing more than to return to all my former colleagues and show them… show them what I have accomplished… what I have acquired when they said I couldn't," As Solomon spoke, the expression on his face grew darker with every passing second he stared at the crystal. His finger slid along the smooth surface, relishing the touch and the energy that brushed off his fingertips. He then raised the rod up like a dagger, glaring down at the artifact.
"I can't wait…until I stand face to face with them again. But this time, instead of the man they ridiculed… in front of them will stand a god!" Solomon then thrust the rod down and struck the crystal. The metal rod sank into the hard shell and Solomon pushed it even farther down to make sure that it would stick. Cracks ran through the crystal and sparks erupted from within, striking the rod as well as Solomon's hand. Solomon only continued smirking.
"That is my desire… along with this endless amount of power," Solomon finished as he leaned against the crystal, allowing the sparks to dance across his hand and absorbing into his skin. He felt his mind slip into pure ecstasy again until he heard Duskmon speak.
"Well then, I'll look forward to seeing that… master," Duskmon said. Solomon laughed softly at his words.
"Excellent."
"….."
"…Wake…up…"
"W...what...who's there?" Takuya mumbled quietly as he lay motionless on the ground. He tried in vain to open his eyes, but every time he did all he saw were shadows. The flame warrior was fading in and out of consciousness. His body still felt weak from the battle with Duskmon. During this though, he could hear a voice calling out to him.
"Takuya… you must stand up."
It sounded so familiar. He had heard it a millions times. In memories and in dreams.
"It's not over yet…"
"A…gu…ni…mon," Takuya's gasped out. His throat was dry and all he could do was wheeze and cough from exhaustion. Still he tried to call out to the voice.
"You have to get up, Takuya…Don't give up…Your homes are in danger now,"
"Agunimon," Takuya called out again. The spirit of flame's voice was beginning to fade away.
"Takuya,"
"Wait," Takuya began pleading. The darkness around him was being broken by a single bright light. Slowly, it was getting bigger and brighter, nearly encompassing his entire vision.
"Takuya,"
"Don't go!" Takuya called out one last time.
"TAKUYA!" Takuya's eyes shot open. His vision finally returned and the first thing he saw was Kouichi worried face looking down at him.
"Finally, you're awake," Kouichi said relieved while releasing his grip on his friend's shoulder. He had been trying to wake his friend by shaking his shoulders for the past few minutes now.
"Kouichi," Takuya groaned as he sat himself up. He then brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his eyes, "What happened?"
"We were fighting Duskmon and we lost," Kouichi explained solemnly. Takuya only groaned a response, obviously upset over the memory. Kouichi stared at him silently for moment, and then continued, "When I woke you were still unconscious, so I tried to wake you up. You were mumbling something though, but I didn't really hear," Kouichi finished. Takuya stared at him confused for a second. His eyes then widened and he instinctively reached into his pocket. He quickly felt the familiar touch of his D-Tector and a wave of calming relief washed over him. He let out a sigh as Kouichi only watched him with a bit of worry.
"Takuya?" Kouichi called out.
"I'm fine," Takuya responded, "It was nothing."
"Alright then," Kouichi sighed, still a little confused but didn't question his friend any further. Kouichi then stood up and gazed at the sky. The once sunny and blue horizon had turned gray and cloudy, appropriately matching the mood around them.
"How long were we unconscious?" Takuya then asked, still sitting on the ground.
"I don't know. A couple of hours is my guess, but it could've been longer," Kouichi replied.
"Dammit," Takuya cursed as he tried to stand up. He was able to get on his knees before he began having trouble. He felt a wave of pain hit his side. He placed his hand along his ribcage. Nothing felt broken, thanks to the spirits, but there could have been bruising. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kouichi's hand waiting for him to grab. Takuya's eyes flickered up to his friend before he gave him a small smile and then grabbed his hand in his own. Kouichi pulled him off the ground. He waited to see if he was still hurt, but Takuya assured him that he was fine.
"Duskmon has probably already made it back to Solomon by now, along with Renji, Mizuki, and Lucas," Takuya said as he looked to the sky. Kouichi didn't say anything. Instead he looked towards the temple, to the large hole to be exact. Feeling another sense of dread fill him, he quickly ran over and climbed through the busted wall. As soon as he entered the ancient chamber, he eyes instantly fell upon a barren hole in the middle of the room.
"No," Kouichi said, barely above a whisper. He walked closer and could see the shattered bits of the crystal's base scattered across the small area of the stone floor. The artifact was gone, stolen, and probably already in Solomon's clutches. "It's gone," Kouichi sighed in defeat. That was all he could say as he buried his face in the palm of his hand.
"We failed," Takuya said. Kouichi turned to see his friend walk into the chamber. He took notice of the angered look on his face. "I can't believe it. Shit!" Takuya growled as he looked down to the floor. Kouichi continued to watch his friend. He saw how his shoulders trembled with anger and could hear the shaky breaths escaped from his lips. Kouichi should have said something, but couldn't think of anything to say. He was more use to his brother who would keep his emotions hidden or even if he was really angered by something you could only tell through the smallest of details on his face. To be honest with himself, Kouichi was as livid as their hot-blooded leader right now. He couldn't believe that they couldn't protect the artifact. Kouichi looked around the room. He quickly noticed that Shamanmon was nowhere to be seen and that placed a deep feeling of dread within him.
"What happened?" Kouichi asked aloud. Takuya didn't answer. Instead he also glanced around the chamber. The evidence of a battle was clearly there. The floors were littered with claw marks, craters, and various pieces of broken stone. The walls were cracked and crumbling all around. The once clear and vibrant wall paintings of the ancient digimon were barely visible. The images had become distorted by damaging cracks and holes. His eyes specifically fell upon the image that was once AncientGreymon. Another wave of anger and shame went through him as he gazed at the desecrated image. He took in a deep breath and then sighed to calm himself. Just then another, more important thought came to his mind.
"Tommy," Takuya then said with realization, "He was fighting MadLeomon right?"
"Yeah," Kouichi said. A feeling of panic suddenly came over him, "Tommy and the others, they're probably back outside the temple!" Kouichi exclaimed. Takuya quickly turned to the large, destroyed doorway that led to the temple's entrance.
"Come on!" Takuya exclaimed as he ran through the doorway and into the hall, Kouichi following close behind. The two hurried through the dark hallway, fretting over what had happened to their friends, especially Tommy. They had both heard the menacing and furious roars that had come from the temple and felt like Tommy had something to do with them. Panic continued to increase as they saw the light of day get closer as they neared the exit. Their hearts were pounding in their ears and they were breathing heavily as they passed through the exit and to the outside. They stopped right outside the temple entrance. Their eyes instantly fell upon two bodies on the ground below.
"Zoë! J.P!" Takuya cried out at the sight. Takuya and Kouichi quickly ran down the stone steps and over to their friends. Takuya reached J.P first.
"Hey buddy, come on wake up!" Takuya cried out as he shook his unconscious friend. He glanced over to Kouichi, who was also trying to wake Zoë. He then heard a small groan. Takuya looked back down to see J.P's eyes beginning to open.
"Ugh…Takuya?" J.P groaned as his tried to lift himself up. Takuya sighed with relief then grabbed J.P's arm to help lift him.
"You alright?" Takuya asked.
"Yeah, I think so. Ugh…my head," J.P replied as he rubbed his forehead, "What about Zoë?"
"I'm alright," Zoë suddenly said. The two turned to see her up on her knees, Kouichi holding onto her shoulder to help her up.
"Did MadLeomon or the others do this?" Kouichi asked her.
"No, it was Duskmon," J.P answered, "He came out of the temple with the crystal and attacked us."
"Dammit," Takuya snarled, "What about..."
"Kouji!" Zoë suddenly shouted. Takuya looked up and he could see his best friend across the field. Kouji had been able to stand back up thanks using the tree next to him for leverage. Though he was standing, you could still see the painful exertion on his face. Kouichi released Zoë and immediately rushed over to his brother's side.
"Kouji! Are you..."
"I'm fine," Kouji interrupted harshly, holding his hand out to stop his brother from coming closer. Kouichi stopped and stared concerned at his brother. Kouji leaned against the tree with his arm. He buried his head in his arm, eyes clenched tightly shut and taking in deep breaths as he felt the aching pain through his chest. Kouichi could see the evident anguish on his brother's face.
"Kouji," Kouichi spoke in a concerned tone.
"I said I'm fine," Kouji reassured, this time in a much softer tone. He let out one final breath before opening his eyes, the look of pain leaving his expression. He then brought his hand up to his head. As his fingers brushed his cheek, he could feel a small cut that was healing against his skin. As soon as he touched the cut, realization struck him instantly.
"Tommy," Kouji said, barely above a whisper.
"Huh?" Kouichi said, not quite hearing him. Kouji turned towards forest with a panicked gaze.
"Tommy! He's still out in the woods!" Kouji said before running into the forest.
"What?! Tommy!" Takuya exclaimed as he quickly ran after him. The others didn't waste any time as they hurried after them as well, calling out to their friend.
"Tommy! Tommy!"
Their cries echoed throughout the forest. They traveled through the trees and eventually reached the ears of the young teen laying on the ground on his stomach. Tommy stirred as the shouts reached him. His eyes cracked open and all he could see were the tiny blades of grass in front of him. He didn't see his friends, but he could tell they were getting closer. Slowly and carefully, Tommy began pushing himself off the ground, getting up on his elbows. He lifted his head to call out to them, but as soon as he did, pain shot through his stomach.
"Ahh!" Tommy painfully cried. He clutched his side and rolled onto his back. Well, his friends must have heard that at least. Tommy then reached down, under his shirt, and slid his hand along his stomach. He winced as brushed against the bruises that lined his stomach. He sucked in a sharp breath, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back in the dirt as he removed his hand.
"He's over here!" Tommy opened his eye when he heard Kouji yell. He tilted his head back more and saw the light warrior standing a few feet away from him and looking down with concern. Tommy cracked a small smile at him and soon saw Takuya and Zoe appear behind the light warrior.
"Tommy!" Zoe cried in shock as she quickly ran to the young teen's side, "Are you alright?" She then asked in her softest tone.
"Mmm…yeah," Tommy replied. Zoe helped lift him into a sitting position off the ground. Tommy groaned and leaned his head on her shoulder, "Ugh, my head hurts."
"I bet," Takuya said as he walked up to the two. He kneeled down in front of the young teen. When he looked into the boy's eyes though, he could see the hints of sadness and guilt in them.
"Is everyone else okay?" Tommy then asked, looking down at the ground.
"You can ask them yourself," Takuya replied with a smile and motioned to the others behind him. Tommy looked up and saw J.P and Kouichi standing behind Takuya. Both were smiling warmly at the young teen, but Tommy only looked forlornly back.
"What…happened to Duskmon?" Tommy asked.
"He got away with the artifact," Kouji responded almost instantly.
"Oh," Tommy said as he lowered his head and buried his face in the palm of his hand. Takuya turned and shot a glare at Kouji, who only stared blankly back. Before Takuya could say anything to him, he heard a small whimper come from young teen in front him. "I'm sorry," Tommy spoke quietly as he pressed his forehead harder into his palm.
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" Takuya asked.
"I…I failed," Tommy said as his hand reached up and grabbed his bangs. Zoe hugged the boy closer.
"Tommy, you didn't fail at anything," Zoe tried to reassure him. Tommy just shoved the girl away angrily.
"Yes, I did! I just…" Tommy sniffed as he tried to compose himself. Zoe just stared at the boy, both shocked and saddened by his reaction. After releasing another sniffle, Tommy continued, "I failed…I failed in protecting the crystal, I let Duskmon get away, I let Shamanmon get…" Tommy stopped and his eyes widened at the horrid memory.
"Oh," Kouichi breathed out. He, nor the others, needed to hear anymore to understand what had happened to the goblin digimon. Tommy's reaction and expression said enough.
"Hey, come on," J.P said as he stepped forward, "There's no reason to blame yourself for all that. I mean, it's not like you wanted it to happen, right?" J.P asked. Tommy remained silent, unmoving as he stared solemnly at the ground. After a moment, Tommy lifted his head slightly.
"Did I try to hurt you and Zoe?" Tommy then asked blankly.
"N-No! You didn't…I mean…You weren't," J.P stuttered at the sudden question.
"You weren't yourself," Zoe interjected.
"But I still lost control," Tommy stated.
"Lost control?" Takuya questioned. Tommy looked up at him but then quickly looked away, clearly ashamed. As Takuya watched the young teen, the realization hit him. "Oh, that explains all those roars we heard earlier," he figured, "You lost control of your beast spirit," Takuya stated with a heavy sigh. Tommy didn't speak but responded with a small nod. Takuya let out another sigh then smiled as he reached out to ruffle the young teen's hair. Confused by the gesture, Tommy raised his head up enough to look at his friend from under his bangs.
"Well, all that's important is that you back to normal now," Takuya said with a light chuckle.
"But-"
"You're not the first to lose control, right? So forget about it," Takuya told him. Tommy opened his mouth to speak, but then immediately shut it. The look in Takuya eyes clary stated that there was no arguing about this. Takuya had lost control in the past too, and there was no doubt that he remembered what happened, but he knew it was neither wise nor healthy to dwell on it, especially now. Tommy removed Takuya's hand and began to stand up. Takuya and Zoe, both still watching the young teen, stood up as well. Tommy could still feel the pain in his stomach. Zoe noticed his slight wincing and moved to help him, but Tommy just brushed her away, saying that he was fine.
"Duskmon probably took the crystal and the other back to the Dark Gate, right?" Tommy asked as he straightened himself up. He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt another wave of pain shoot through his stomach. He quickly sucked it up though as he looked toward Takuya.
"Yeah," Takuya said as he turned to the others.
"Solomon probably already has the artifact in his hands," Kouji added bluntly.
"You think so, huh?" Takuya said almost sarcastically. Kouji exhaled deeply then turned his head to look towards his brother. Kouichi caught his gaze for a brief moment before looking back to the ground.
"Well, what are we doing here then?!" J.P exclaimed with frustration and earnest, "Let's go after them! We know where they, so what's stopping us?!" Nobody said anything. J.P growled under his breath at the silence. He didn't want to think everyone was losing faith because of one setback. J.P growled again, but before he could say anything else…
"I agree," Zoe then said in a firm tone, "We're not going to keep standing around dwelling on one setback," Zoe then turned to look at Tommy, "No more doubts, okay?" Tommy looked up at her and gave a small smile in return.
"Alright," Takuya said, "We should head back to find Worm. He can take us to the continent border at least."
"Well, at least finding a giant train in the woods won't be too hard," J.P said in a somewhat joking manner.
"Let's just go," Kouji sighed before walking off into the forest. Kouichi watched his brother disappear into the shadows of the trees for a moment before shrugging and following him. Soon, the others began walking into the forest, towards where they had left the train digimon. Takuya, who was trailing a little bit behind the others, stopped for a second and looked to the sky. He heard a bit of distant thunder and saw how the sky was become darker and cloudier. A storm was on its way.
A flash of lightning splintered across the sky, illuminating the dark clouds for a brief moment. A low rumbling of thunder soon followed. Another flash of lightning appeared, dancing across the sky. Each flash brought out the strange array of colors that stood out against the dark background. Shades of red and violet mingled and swirled with each other, creating an abstract painting between the clouds.
"It's pretty morbid looking," Jaden thought to himself as he watched the strange phenomenon. The armor clad teen was sitting near the edge of a crater. He wasn't too far from Solomon's disheveled fortress, hoping the man wouldn't notice his absence. He didn't want to get in trouble over a little weather watching after all. Thankfully, Solomon has been more preoccupied with himself to notice him and his "friends". Jaden sighed heavily and looked down at his crossed legs.
"It's remarkably peaceful though," Jaden thought. His hands rested comfortably on his knees. His eyes quickly glanced over to his shield attached to his arm. Earlier, he had watched his comrades fighting against the Legendary Warriors. It pissed him off that wasn't allowed to join in on the attack, being told that it was imperative that he stayed behind. If it wasn't for Duskmon finishing the Warriors off, he would have jumped at the chance to sneak off and do it himself.
Duskmon. A cold shiver ran down Jaden spine at the image of the dark digimon. It was no lie that he feared him. Duskmon is incredibly powerful and monstrous, and yet he stilled bended to the will of Solomon's order like a tame attack dog. An idea then occurred to the metal warrior. Jaden raised his shield off his leg and then tapped its surface with two fingers
"What's Solomon up to?" Jaden wondered. He concentrated hard on the thoughts as the shiny metal surface flickered with sheens of lights. No image came up though, so Jaden concentrated harder. Again the steel flicked, but still no image came.
"Dammit," Jaden cursed as he hit his thigh with his fist.
"Why are you so upset?" A voice asked him. Startled by the sudden intrusion, Jaden turned his head and saw Mizuki standing behind him, arms folded and looking down at him quizzically.
"What do you want, Terada?" Jaden asked with and exasperated sigh. The water warrior huffed and then replied.
"I was wondering where you ran off too," Mizuki said.
"Why? Did Solomon send you to find me?" Jaden asked.
"No," Mizuki answered with a shake of her head.
"Then why were you looking for me?" He asked, turning away from her.
"Look, I know you might not like it, but you are a part of our group," Mizuki stated. Jaden remained silent, but she could almost picture him rolling his eyes at her, "So in that sense, you should be with us right not instead sitting in the dirt by yourself."
"Really?" Jaden question, shifting his head slightly to look back at her, "Where is Renji and Lucas, you could be with them right now?"
"When I left them they were bickering over something," Mizuki said.
"Yeah, some team we have here," Jaden commented dryly. He heard Mizuki 'tsk' behind him, so he continued, "Listen, we weren't chosen for this job because we were the best of friends or because we'd work well together. No, we were chosen simply because Solomon thought we would be the best of use for him. Hell, before this you and I had never even spoken to each other."
"You never spoke to anyone back home," Mizuki told him bluntly.
"Be that as it may," Jaden continued as he stared back at the ground, "I didn't come here to make friends, Mizuki. I'm not as desperate for attention as you are."
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Mizuki suddenly snapped.
"Hmph," Jaden huffed in response, which only made Mizuki's blood boil. As much as she would've liked to lash out at the metal warrior, she knew it would be just a waste of her time and effort.
"Whatever," Mizuki mumbled. Another moment of silence passed between the two, then Mizuki spoke again, "What were you doing out here anyway?" she asked.
"If you must know," Jaden grunted as he stood up, "I was enjoying the peace and quiet."
"Peace and quiet, huh?" Mizuki pondered as she glanced around, "In a place like this? I find that hard to believe."
"Well, that's a matter of opinion," he responded as he stretched his stiffened muscles, "Anyway, let's head back to Renji and Lucas. They need to be doing something other than arguing with each other all day," Jaden said as he walked past the water warrior.
"Fine," Mizuki said, then followed him. The two walked in silence back to the fortress, Jaden leading and Mizuki pacing closely behind while glaring daggers at the back of the metal warrior's head. She was now seriously thinking that she should've left him sitting there, but there was no point in arguing about it now. As the two neared the fortress front they could see the earth and wood warrior waiting there for them. Jaden cocked his brow at them. He quickly noticed how Renji was sitting on a stone slab, back hunched over and head drooped down at the ground. It was strange since the older teen didn't normally act like that. As they drew nearer, Lucas was the first to acknowledge them.
"Finally," Lucas said in his usual aggravated tone, "Where have you been?" he asked looking at Jaden.
"None of your business, Nishimura," Jaden replied coldly. He then looked down at Renji, "What's with him?"
"Eh, hell if I know," Lucas said as he looked back to the wood warrior. Lucas then lightly kicked Renji's bronze boot, "Hey, wake up!" Lucas exclaimed. Renji stirred and blinked a couple of times, as though he were sleeping.
"…hmm?" he groaned as he looked up at the three.
"Finally awake?" Mizuki asked him.
"I wasn't asleep, just thinking," Renji replied dryly. Mizuki narrowed her eyes a bit, but she wasn't angry, she was actually a little concerned. How Renji sounded just now and how he was acting was strange. He had been like this ever since they returned from their last mission and if one of them questioned him about it he would just shrug them off.
"About what exactly?" Jaden questioned.
"He's not going to tell you. I asked him the same thing and he just continued to stare at the dirt," Lucas cut in.
"It's not like you would give a damn if I told you," Renji stated. Lucas only responded with a "tsk" and sneered at the wood warrior, "I'm not go to pick a fight with you anymore, it's getting boring," Renji added with a roll of his eyes.
"Grrr," Lucas began to growl.
"Don't start, Nishimura," Mizuki warned. Lucas shot a glare back at her.
"I don't know why you're more pissy than usual, but I suggest you watch yourself before you get into more trouble," Jaden told him bluntly.
"And what does that mean exactly?" Lucas snarled as he walked up to the metal warrior.
"To put it in the simplest of terms," Jaden said as he glared down at the shorter warrior, "Shut your arrogant mouth before it lands you in deep shit!"
"And what if I don't? You gonna do something about it," Lucas snarled.
"It's tempting, but I wouldn't want to waste my time," Jaden snarled back.
"Right, then why don't you go back and waste your time sitting on your ass," Lucas then stated mockingly. The look that passed through Jaden's eyes was almost spine chilling. His lips twitched into a dangerous smile before he spoke again.
"Keep pushing me, Nishimura, and see what happens," Jaden growled through his clenched teeth. Lucas smirked wickedly, enjoying that he was now getting under Masutani's skin and finally breaking him of his usual stoic attitude.
"Go on! Show me what you can do!" Lucas challenged as he grabbed the edge of Jaden's emerald armor, just below his neck.
"Fine then, you smug sack of-"
"Enough!" Mizuki suddenly interjected. She quickly pried the two from each other, pushing Lucas away with one hand while her other hand was pressed against Jaden's chest, "We don't need to be wasting our energy fighting each other. Do you understand me, Nishimura?" Mizuki asked him in a warning manner. Lucas sneered at her then before turning his glare back to Jaden behind her. Jaden glared back and tried to move but was then held back by Mizuki.
"Jaden, don't encourage him," Mizuki told the metal warrior, still holding him back. Jaden glanced down to meet the water warrior's stern gaze
"Hmph, fine," Jaden huffed before turning away from her.
"Heh, whipped," Lucas muttered.
"Nishimura!" Mizuki warned.
"What?! You're not anyone's mother! You have no right to scold me!" Lucas argued.
"Too damn bad!" Mizuki yelled back, "Not that you'd listen to your own mother, I bet," she then muttered. She expected another quick, angered comeback from the earth warrior, but instead silence filled the air. Mizuki looked back at the teen and was greeted by his harsh glare. Mizuki was taken aback by his behavior. He didn't appear completely angry, there was more of a hint of sadness to his gaze.
"Well, that shut him up," Jaden commented to himself as he watched the two. Suddenly his eyes flickered to the side when he saw Renji stand up.
"Hey, Masutani," Renji spoke up.
"Hmm," Jaden replied in acknowledgment.
"You're able to watch those six with that shield of yours, right?" Renji questioned. Jaden nodded in response and at this point, both Lucas and Mizuki turned their attention to the wood warrior, "Have you seen them heading this way?" Renji asked.
"I haven't tracked them recently, but there's no doubt that they're on their way now," Jaden answered him.
"Okay then," Renji sighed and began to walk past the three, heading out into the Dark Continent.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Mizuki called out to him.
"I'm not going to wait here for them," Renji replied as he continued walking away, "I'd rather meet him head on."
"Him, huh? You mean Himi," Lucas commented. Renji huffed and continued.
"You all can stay here if you want, but I'm moving forward," Renji said before he began running across the dreary plains, leaving the others behind in the dust. The three watched in shock as their comrade ran further and further away until he disappeared from their view. The air around them became silent once again. They weren't even looking at each other, only at the ground.
"Tsk, well I'm not waiting around here either," Lucas then stated as he began walking away, in the same direction as Renji.
"You're gonna leave too?" Jaden questioned.
"You two are smart. Think about it," Lucas began, turning around to face the two, "Nomura is right. What's the point in just standing around and waiting for those six to all come at us at once? If we meet them half way, we can maybe break their little group apart, that way it'll stop them from getting to the boss quicker and we can take on whoever we want."
"You forgot that there are six of them and only four of us," Mizuki commented.
"Did you forget about Duskmon and Beelzemon," Lucas argued back. Mizuki quickly shut her mouth and her eyes went wide. Lucas smirked at her reaction, "Oh, surprised that I'm making sense?"
"Shut it!" Mizuki answered in an annoyed tone.
"Whatever," Lucas chuckled and turned back around, "Follow if you want, I don't care," Lucas finished with a wave of his hand. He then ran off to the plains.
"He did make sense that time," Jaden commented as he watched the earth warrior disappear from their sight.
"I guess," Mizuki sighed. Jaden eyed her for a moment before turning towards the fortress entrance.
"You should follow them," Jaden stated.
"And what about you?" Mizuki asked him.
"I'm gonna stay here and wait," Jaden answered. A brief moment of silence followed, causing Jaden to look back at her. Noticing the confused look on her face, Jaden further explained, "Lucas was right about one thing, that if we let them come at us together, we stand no chance. Trying to break them apart is a best bet."
"Then why not come with us?" Mizuki questioned.
"I wasn't finished," Jaden continued, "Trying to break them up is smart, but it won't work completely. They're going to do whatever it takes to make it here. They're not afraid to fight alone if they have to, they're that determined."
"You've really thought this out I see," Mizuki commented.
"Well, when you sit around all day, you have a lot of time to prepare," Jaden half-jested. His tone became serious again as he continued, "I'm just waiting to be able to go against Kanbara again."
"You're only guessing that he'll make it here," Mizuki stated.
"He'll get here!" Jaden exclaimed, "Out of those six, he'll be the one to make it here. There no doubt in my mind," he said in his normal calm tone. Another pause passed.
"Why are you so determined to fight him, if I may ask?" Mizuki questioned.
"To prove myself. I've already answered that," Jaden said.
"That doesn't sound like the whole truth," Mizuki said.
"At least it's a better reason than petty jealousy," Jaden rebutted. The two glared at each other for a moment before Mizuki smirked slightly and turned away from the teen.
"It may be jealousy, but it's not for what you think. Maybe it's not so different from your reasons for all this," Mizuki stated simply, the smirk never leaving her face. Jaden couldn't help but cock his brow at her. What the hell did she mean by that? Before he couldn't question her further, a low screeching caught their attention. Both looked up to the sky to see a hundred flying figures gliding across the sky.
"What the hell," Jaden muttered.
"Vilemon," another voice cut in. Jaden and Mizuki turned toward the fortress to see Beelzemon standing before them, also gazing at the sky with a devilish smirk on his face, "Cowardly little beasts, their running away," Beelzemon said, still looking to the sky.
"Running away?" Mizuki pondered. Beelzemon looked down at the two warriors and his smirk widened.
"They know a battle is on the way, so they're not going to stick around. They'd rather save their own skins," Beelzemon explained. He then glanced around, "Where are the other two? Looking for a fight with the Warriors?"
"Yes, I suppose," Mizuki answered hesitantly.
"Then why aren't you with them?" Beelzemon question as he stepped closer.
"She was just leaving," Jaden quickly cut in, stepping between Mizuki and the demon digimon.
"And not you?" Beelzemon asked.
"I thought I would keep you company," Jaden growled defiantly. Beelzemon only chuckled.
"Please, I've already got Duskmon lurking around here, I don't need some human hybrid. But hell, you can stay. Just stay out of my way, metal boy," Beelzemon warned before walking back to the fortress. Jaden glared at the demon as he walked away.
"I should go," Mizuki muttered softly. Jaden gave her a nod, but didn't turn to face her. She only sighed and then turned to walk away from the teen. Before she could start running though, she heard Jaden speak again.
"You said our reasons for fighting were the same, is that true?" Jaden asked.
"You said my reason was just petty jealousy, and that maybe true," Mizuki said, "But what you said about wanting to prove yourself against Kanbara, that's just another form of jealousy isn't it? At least in my opinion," she finished and Jaden was silent. Mizuki could see how his fists clenched tightly and, even from behind, how his jaw stiffened from his grinding teeth.
"Just go," Jaden muttered. Seeing that he wasn't going to say any more, Mizuki sighed and ran off, following Lucas and Renji.
Jaden didn't even turn around to watch her leave. His fist was now shaking from his anger. What did she know? What did any of them know? It didn't matter anyway. They all had reasons and so did he, and right now all he had to do was wait and he would get his chance. He walked back to the fortress, where it would all end.
"Anxious?" Jaden looked up to see Beelzemon leaning against the entrance way. Jaden narrowed his eyes and walked towards the digimon.
"I'm gonna tell you the same thing you told me," Jaden growled, walking loser to him until he stood face to face with the digimon, "Stay. Out. Of. My. Way," Jaden snarled then brushed passed him. Beelzemon watched him stomp into the dark room with a smirk still plastered on his face.
"That kid's got some balls. I kinda like him," Beelzemon chuckled. Another roll of thunder passed and Beelzemon looked out at the dark sky, "It's almost time. Oh, this is gonna be fun."
It is going to be fun, but for who? Duh, duh, duh!
I'm back! And I'm also back in school…suck. But I'm going to aiming to get the next chapter out sooner. So fingers crossed.
Please don't forget to leave a review, they really help.
Peace out!