Foreword: Another long one. I really prefer not to have my chapters this long but I couldn't find a good breaking spot.
Small or not, the CoreSaber was very easy to swing. Taichi had never studied swordsmanship, outside mimicking the television, but he wasn't completely inexperienced. One difficulty with knowing Sora so well was that he knew how to hurt her. There were things he could say that would devastate her, things he could never take back, and she could probably do the same to him. No, she definitely could. So whenever they fought, it was always with the knowledge how easily they could "win" at the cost of irreparable damage to their friendship. As a result, he and Sora tended to settle things physically instead; girl or not, Sora could take a punch.
Adults, of course, were absolutely horrified that he would hit a girl so willingly. What a thug he was. Just because she's hitting him doesn't make it okay to hit back (Sora had a few unladylike things to say about that one). What kind of example is he setting for Hikari? As if Hikari's dumb enough to follow my example on anything. So whenever the adults started to get annoying, he and Sora would "compromise". Instead of just hitting each other, they would find a couple sticks and duel. The adults hated that even more but that just made it even more fun.
Looking at the blade, Taichi held no delusions about his skill. He knew he was just good enough to not cut himself but that was still better than his aim with the CoreBlaster. He really going to have to practice with that… away from everyone else. Far far away. But at least with the CoreSaber he wouldn't be completely helpless. Sora and Koushiro had the same weapons, though Sora's had a gray coloring instead of red and Koushiro's were yellow.
Things were going well with the evolutions too. Probably because they weren't in battle, but Agumon gained control over his Greymon form very quickly and Piyomon and Tentomon had similar success with their Birdramon and Kabuterimon forms. Birdramon was a giant bird who's feathers were made of fire, though the flames only burned who she wanted them to. Taichi, along with Sora and Koushiro, could touch her and only find her pleasantly warm. Her powers were the same as Piyomon's but her winds were so hot, they actually ignited. Kabuterimon was a giant, blue, nightmarish looking beetle capable of firing powerful electric bursts. While his shell was strong like a beetle's, he also had the proportional strength of an ant. According to Koushiro that meant Kabuterimon was very strong and Taichi chose to take his word for it.
Along with Sora and Koushiro, he had also started looking at the Element Cores, though he didn't bother giving Agumon a new one. The Pyro Core still had a few hours left, but it looked like he wouldn't be able to use it again until at least twenty four hours after it either ran out of power or was replaced. The elements in total were Pyro, Cryo, Hydro, Aero, Geo, Electro, Astro, and Photo, and thanks to Koushiro, Taichi knew what actually were. By choosing Pyro, he'd doubled up on Agumon's natural element of fire and it worked so well, Sora gave Piyomon Aero, and Koushiro gave Tentomon Electro. It looked like the Cores could be used on the weapons too, though none of the children felt safe attempting it.
Now Taichi was at the top of the stairs, leading into the blackness beyond. Even standing close to it, he could feel the heat from his body drain. Every instinct he had told him this room was going to be dangerous. He looked at Agumon who was standing next to him. "Are you sure you can handle evolving again?"
"I'm sure I can handle one more," Agumon answered, "Helps that I really didn't do anything the second time."
"And Tentomon and I only evolved once," Piyomon piped up behind him, "so we're ready too."
"Let's just get this over with," Koushiro said, "We have to press whatever advantage we have against Phantomon."
"Let's go, then." Taichi took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness, feeling the black void swallow him with that soul-piercing cold. He instinctively stepped back through the doorway, but he was still in the void. In fact, he couldn't even see the doorway. Or the others. "Um, guys?! Sora?! Agumon?!"
Phantomon's laughter rang through the void. The darkness began shaping and formed into clouds and Taichi found himself hovering over a burnt wasteland. Forests that looked more like charcoal, barren mountains, and devastated villages passed by underneath, scattered embers filling the air. He fell to his knees on the stone-like air carrying him up, the smell of burning wood and meat nearly overwhelming him. Then he started noticing the bodies. Creatures of all kinds of shapes and sizes, burned and mutilated, looking as if they were experiencing sheer agony in their last moments.
He started to stand back up, resisting his urge to run. Not like he had anywhere to run to. This apocalyptic wasteland stretched on forever. Was this what was waiting outside the palace? Why were he and the others even brought here? The Digital World was clearly beyond saving.
"Taichi!" Sora's voice sounded. He looked around and saw her and Koushiro next to him, both looking as sick as he felt. Actually, Koushiro looked even worse. But where did they come from? And when did they show up? Who cares?! Just having them nearby made him feel a little better.
"What happened?!" he asked.
"I don't know!" she sounded frantic, "I followed you, and then I was alone! And now we're here!"
"I tried Tmailing both you," Koushiro said, "but I kept getting error messages." Phantomon's laughter sounded again. A blackness began washing over the land and reached up in front of the children, shaping itself into Phantomon. "We should scan him!" Koushiro spoke up.
That's right! Taichi never got past his name when he tried before! Let's see. Phantomon was… the Digital World's supreme demon lord. He was the one who struck down the Harmonius Ones and the Royal Knights before unleashing his wrath on the Digital World itself, leaving a scar that would never heal. And when his seal breaks, it will be the end of not only what little of the Digital World remained, but of any world connected.
The blood left Taichi's head. Phantomon was that powerful?! "This is a dream," Koushiro muttered, "I'm dreaming. This is too illogical. This has to be a dream." Sora looked at Taichi, her eyes filled with terror. Okay, Taichi. Think! Big bad guy here! He'll threaten Earth! That means Hikari… Hikari! With a surge of courage at the thought of that demon anywhere his sister, Taichi pointed his CoreBlaster at Phantomon.
"Shoot him until he dies!" His crimson bolts flashed right through Phantomon's body. Sora's and Koushiro's followed just as ineffective. Phantomon simply laughed again and a bright light appeared in front. A figure began to emerge from the light, Taichi pointed his CoreBlaster but held fire, wanting to size up the new danger first.
The "new danger" horrified Taichi more than he could imagine. It was a small girl in a pale yellow sleeveless shirt and pink pants. She looked around, confusion and fear all over her face. "Onii-san?!" she spoke, looking at him, "Where am I?! I'm scared!"
"Hikari!" he and Sora shouted at the same time. He started running towards her. She turned around and screamed at Phantomon's sight.
"We're coming, Hika!" Sora cried out, "Just run away from him!"
"We'll save you!" Taichi added. Phantomon raised his scythe as Hikari turned and started to run. Time slowed down as the blade inserted itself into his little sister's head, disintegrating it in a red spray. Taichi stopped, unable to breathe, seeing her headless body slump over.
"YOU BASTARD!" Sora shrieked and the sound of her blaster filled the air, though Taichi barely noticed. Dropping his weapons, he staggered to over Hikari's body, trying to find some sign it was just a trick. Some sign she was still okay. He remembered how cruel he was to her in the first few years of her life and how she forgave him each time. The polite yet happy greeting she would give him whenever he stepped in the apartment. How on the many times he embarrassed himself, she would say something to make him feel like a superhero.
His parents often said he took such good care of her, but it was the opposite. She was the one watching over him. Any time he had some sort of moral choice, or was tempted to do something wrong, all he had to do was think of her. What would she think if she knew what he did? It never failed to set him straight. All I did was fight off a few bullies. She protected me from myself. And now… when she truly needed him, he failed.
Something splashed against his cheek. He casually wiped it away. Blood. He looked around and saw Sora had been diagonally bisected. And now Phantomon was coming for him, scythe dripping with the blood of first and second most important people in the world to him. Whatever. Phantomon won. Earth was doomed. But a world without Hikari didn't even seem worth saving. He was almost relieved when Phantomon's blade came down on him.
Yamato's eyes snapped open. Was he sleeping? Making those digivice discoveries really took a lot out of him but he shouldn't be sleeping now. Once Jou finally accepted that he'd done everything he possibly could, he went to the bed next to Mimi and had the fainting spell he was holding off. Yamato had to admit he was pretty impressed with the older boy but it also meant that keeping watch fell to him now. Well, him and the digimon, but he was not making them do everything. He gave a quick look to each of the digimon. Pukamon was at the foot of Jou's bed with his eyes closed, but clearly awake and enjoying the bed. Tanemon was right next to Mimi, her eyes closed too, but nowhere near as relaxed. Gabumon was sitting at the foot of Yamato's bed, and Yamato could tell he was wide awake. And Tsukaimon was sleeping on TK's chest and twitching like he was having a dream. Yamato almost felt sorry Mimi's sleeping through this; no doubt she'd love the sight and he almost expected the little digimon to start yipping.
"D-Danger," Tsukaimon muttered, catching his full attention, "Th-The shadows… they lie… D-Don't listen… danger…" The shadows? Yamato looked around. It was hard to tell what was a shadow and what wasn't in this darkness. "Need help… Must help…" The little digimon began giving off a powerful glow and Yamato felt a gentle warmth wash over him, dulling the pain in his back and burning away the oppressive chill.
"Taichi… Sora… Koushiro…" the little digimon continued, his fur taking on an orange tint, "Don't believe the lies… You… are… stronger… than Phantomon!" Yamato could only watch in silence as the glow became a bright golden light and then a beam firing straight up through the ceiling. His eyes strained back down to Tsukaimon and it looked like the glow wasn't even. It seemed to originate from Tsukaimon's head, no, a little lower… TK's He sat straight up, ignoring the surprisingly bearable pain, and took a good look. It was hard to see, but it looked like the light was really originating from TK's heart.
"Yamato," Gabumon's voice was filled with awe, "what's going on with Tsukaimon?"
"I don't know," he answered, "but I'm starting to think Phantomon didn't go after TK first by chance."
Taichi numbly stumbled through the cavern walls barely aware of Sora following in silence. Barred doors lined the sides, the sounds of agonized screams and inhuman laughter filling the sulfurous air. It was hot enough to be a desert, yet a freezing wind was blowing through. He had a good idea where he was now. Hell. Right where he deserved to be for letting Phantomon kill Hikari. As he walked, he passed different torture devices: racks, pendulums, and others he didn't even want to know, each with a mangled body reaching out to him. He couldn't help them. He couldn't help anyone.
"Onii-san?" a soft caught his attention. He started looking around. The voice was familiar but… it couldn't be. Hikari would never be here. "Onii-san?" No… No… She's not here. He tried to ignore it. It had to be a trick. "Onii-san," this time the voice sobbed. Without thinking Taichi looked for the source and nearly screamed when he saw it. Up against a wall, there was Hikari, but her head, arms, hands, legs, and feet were torn off, connected only by bloody chains and her clothes were completely shredded. Tears were running down her face. "It hurts, Onii-san. It hurts."
"Hikari… I… I," he didn't know what to say. He didn't just let Phantomon kill her, she had to be sent here too?! He didn't even notice the tears streaming down his face.
"Hika…" Sora whispered and then she started to cry, "I'm so sorry, Hika! I'm so sorry!"
"Wh-When the gh-ghost hurt me," Hikari sobbed, "I was s-sent to th-this scary place. Th-The monsters here wrecked my clothes a-and t-touched me in b-bad ways. I-I begged them t-to stop, but th-they laughed a-and said I w-was th-their toy now. Th-then they b-beat me up. Th-They said I-I'm gonna be here for-forever! Please help me, Onii-san! Sora-san! Please!"
Taichi started to reach for her but stopped. What could he do? He looked around for something he could… well, he didn't know. But he had to do something! He suddenly became aware of shadowy figures surrounding the trio. He couldn't really make them out but he could feel their malevolence. "Go on, Onii-san," their voices hissed with laughter, "Save little Hika-chan! Hikari needs her Onii-san!"
"Shut up!" he shouted, but the voices only laughed.
"Please go away!" Hikari sobbed, "Whatever I did I'm sorry already! Please!"
"But you pleasured us so much before!" the demons responded. Hearing that started to cause a fury to build up inside Taichi, but it quickly gave away to despair. There was nothing he could do to protect her.
"Let her go," he tried, "I'll stay her forever if you release her."
"Foolish boy," the demons laughed, "She is to pleasure us in ways you can not."
"Then take me!" Sora said, "I'm a girl too and I'm older! I'm sure you'll enjoy me more than her!" Taichi was partially surprised at Sora's sacrifice, but not much. He knew she loved Hikari as much as he did. But the demons merely laughed.
"You already are here forever! You have nothing to offer, but you will pleasure us! In fact, maybe we'll have you pleasure each other to entertain us! We can add the boy in too! Since he loves his little sister so much, he'll prove it to us over and over!" Taichi wanted to say something. Something brave. Something reassuring. But any response was crushed under the despair, the thoughts of the eternal nightmare they were condemned to filling his mind. The things his pure and innocent little sister was going to be subjected to and the knowledge that there was nothing he or Sora could do to stop it.
"Do not be deceived by the Shadows!" a powerful voice roared. Within the mess of evil, a golden outline appeared. It looked human… no, it had wings. It looked like an angel with a helmet and staff, though the figure was hard to make out. "Think of shadow puppets," the figure continued, "They are never what they appear to be. So true for these wicked Shadows. They block the Light, feeding from it, strengthening their lies! But there is one Light they cannot block!" He held out a hand and tiny golden spark hovered above it. "Hope, the Light that illuminates the unseen possibilities! The Light of Hope will pierce even the darkest Shadow!" The tiny spark suddenly gave off a blinding flash.
"Taichi…" a faint voice sounded, "Taichi… Taichi…" He became aware of a tugging on his arm. "Taichi!"
Agumon! His eyes opened.
"Sora!"
"Koushiro-han!" Piyomon and Tentomon were here too! He suddenly realized how stiff he felt, like he was standing perfectly still for too long. He looked around and immediately saw that Sora and Koushiro were with him, also standing still. And it looked like they were standing in a big doorway… like the one we went through! The angel's words about the shadows deceiving him ran through his head.
"Taichi!" Agumon cut off his train of thought, "Wake up, Taichi!"
"I'm here," he said, looking at his partner. A pang of guilt shot through when he saw how worried Agumon looked. "I-I'm better now… I think."
"You were acting like statues," Tentomon said.
"Phantomon did something to us," Sora said, "but we were… saved?" Even Koushiro looked confused.
"It-It must have been an illusion," the redhead said, not sounding certain at all. Taichi couldn't blame him, seeing what happened to Hikari- A thought struck him. Fear began bubbling into his stomach as he remembered Koushiro wasn't there with him or Sora. Which could only be because while he and Sora both loved Hikari so much, Koushiro didn't even know her. That could only mean one thing, but if Taichi was wrong…
No! I have to ask! Hope, just like the angel said! "Koushiro, I'm sorry but I have to ask you something important," he started. Koushiro looked at him, a trace of fear in the other boy's eyes. "When Phantomon did his summoning or whatever you saw him do, what did you see him do?" The haunted look on Koushiro's face immediately made him regret asking. "Oh, crap, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to-"
"What Taichi's asking," Sora cut in, "is if you saw a little girl with short brown hair?" Koushiro looked away.
"N-No, I- I'm sorry, I-" he started but Taichi cut him off.
"You didn't see her," he said, relief washing over, "You really didn't see her. And I'll bet you didn't see us either." Koushiro's eyes widened as he looked at Taichi again.
"No…. I didn't see either or you."
"But you were standing right here," Agumon interrupted.
"Phantomon put us in an illusion," Sora said, "Just an illusion. None of it was real." Hikari's still safe, Taichi told himself as the relief nearly caused his legs to give out. She's still safe. She's still safe. Phantomon didn't touch her. She's still safe. He tried to focus on chasing that nightmare out of his memory. He could still hear her pleading him for help. The demons taunting and laughing. It was fake! It never happened!
He turned his attention forward through the doorway, trying to get his mind on something else. Like kicking Phantomon's ass! The room was circular with a large pool of the black water in the center. In the center of the pool was a raised square platform with a dark purple dome on top of it. Along the front was row of pipes the water was pouring out of. He could see two black tentacles connected to the front left and right of the dome and traveled along the ground, through the water, and up the room's outer edge, all the way to the ceiling. Looking closely, the left and right rear had the tentacles too and a fifth going up the center of the room's rear.
He couldn't help but feel something was odd about the room. Something other than the creepy dome and tentacles. "Would that dome be the filter?" Koushiro asked.
"Yes," Tentomon answered, "though I don't know what's with the tentacles. Other than blatant disregard for health codes."
"Wait a minute," Sora said, "The darkness is gone!" That's it! That's what felt odd!
"And the torches feel warm!" Taichi added.
"Phantomon's coming!" Piyomon shouted. Taichi's eyes immediately fell on the dome, which now had a black mass rising from it, shaping into Phantomon. His heart began racing as the all-too-familiar laughter rang out. No… You're not fooling me again. He immediately activated the DigiScanner. Let's see what it really says about you. Phantomon was a ghost digimon. Very powerful death curses, but not too powerful for the digivice. He could channel darkness through his scythe and chain controlling them as an extension of his body.
As Taichi read description, his fear melted away to a smoldering rage. He began trembling as he clenched his fists and glared at the "supreme demon lord". "A Bakemon," he growled, "You're just a damn Bakemon with a can opener!" He barely felt the wetness dripping down his fingers as he tightened his fists, or the angry tears streaming down his face. "Do you have any idea what you put me through?!"
"I don't know what he did, but I'll make him pay!" Agumon roared. Taichi ran a few meters away from Sora; enough for Agumon and Piyomon to evolve without bumping into each other. Koushiro did the same on the opposite side. Once far enough, he sent Agumon the evolution command, Piyomon and Tentomon evolving right afterwards.
Phantomon threw his hands and a wave of darkness washed over with all-too familiar cold. He could almost feel his life force get sucked dry, but his digivice lit up and the darkness lost its grip. It cleared and three objects were hovering above the ghost. Those look like… digicores? Oh, no! He looked at Greymon. The dinosaur was just an Agumon statue now, along with Birdramon and Kabuterimon as Piyomon and Tentomon statues. He glared at Phantomon, his anger exploding again. "You bastard!"
Plan B then. Element Cores. He took the Photo Core and applied it to the CoreSaber; he had a good feeling about that Core. The blade lengthened and glowed with a white light and multicolored aura. Now for the CoreBlaster. Somehow, he suspected his lousy aim had nothing to do with the illusion, but given how big Phantomon was, he'd surely hit something. But what Core? Photo was in use, and so was Pyro was still active, that fact somehow giving him hope the digimon could be saved. Electro then. Electricity gave light, so maybe it would do something. He aimed the gun and fired. Instead of the red bolts, blue energy spheres emerged, exploding against Phantomon with electric bursts. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to have much effect, if any.
Phantomon immediately turned to face him and he started distancing him from Agumon. "Taichi! Wait!" he heard Sora call but he ignored her. He was going to kill Phantomon with his bare hands if he had to. Phantomon leaned over and Taichi found himself staring into the ghost's lifeless eyes. Black tendrils shout of his face and Taichi swung his blade, slicing through Phantomon's face. Phantomon reared back with a roar and Taichi started firing again.
With a roar, Phantomon raised his scythe and swept it across the ledge. Taichi threw himself to the ground, and a few hairs fluttered down in front of his eyes. Didn't even feel it pass! He scrambled back up and threw himself backwards, the blade just passing by again. Then Phantomon raised it straight up and swung down. Taichi dove forward, the blade embedding itself into the ground behind him, and fired on Phantomon's face with little effect.
Phantomon leaned towards Taichi again, flames starting to pop out of where his face should be. Taichi gave a shout and thrust the Saber forward. Phantomon reared back, clutching his face. Cracks appeared on his body and he exploded with a flash of light, the scythe disappearing along with him. Is that it? No, the digicores were still floating around. The real Phantomon was probably inside that dome. Taichi scanned the room for Sora and Koushiro. They were at one of the tentacles and Sora also had her Saber powered with the Photo Core.
Phantomon reemerged from the dome, laughing. Laugh it up, ragface. He looked at Taichi and began twirling his chain. Aw, crap! Phantomon suddenly roared and looked over at Sora and Koushiro.
The tentacles! Sora Tmailed him, Go for the tentacles! Koushiro thinks they're the source of Phantomon's magic! Taichi immediately turned his attention to the nearest black tentacle and quickly sprinted over to it. Wasting no time, he swung the blade down. The tentacle resisted, his weapon nearly bouncing off, but dropped his gun and pushed with both hands. The blade went through and the two tentacle halves began burning away as if they were a lit fuse.
Phantomon roared again, this time looking in Taichi's direction. That's right. You focus on me, Sora and Koushiro will move. You go for them, I move. You threaten our partners, we move. You lose. Phantomon lowered his scythe but raised a chain connected to the hilt revealing the metal sphere on the end of it. Taichi Tmailed a warning to both Sora and Koushiro. He's using his chain! I'll keep his attention on me! He grabbed his gun and fired.
Phantomon began twirling the chain and then swung it along the ledge on Taichi's side, starting from the rear. Even if I dodge, it'll hit Agumon! Okay, experiment time! He dropped his gun again and held the blade with both hands, waiting for the chain to reach him. As it did, he dove forward, making sure to point the blade upwards. The blade almost shot out of his hands, but he kept his grip as tight as possible as he heard the chain whip around just above his head, feeling the wind as the ball whizzed by, getting closer and closer.
Then he heard something hit stone and the chain relaxed. Noticing his eyes were closed, he opened them and released the breath he didn't know he was holding as he saw the chain dangling over the edge. Now he just had to unravel the blade- It was suddenly yanked out of his hands. He watched helplessly as it fell into the water below as Phantomon reclaimed his chain. It's okay. Don't panic. We tested this and I can send it back to the digivice. Or it'll go too far and send itself back. Either way, I can then resummon it. He looked at Phantomon who was looking down on him. Assuming he gives me enough time.
Fireballs pelted Phantomon's form. A quick glance showed it was Sora shooting them but they weren't working any better than Taichi's Electro shots. Guess Photo's the only thing that works. A black mass with a big mouth on the end shot out of Phantomon's hood. Taichi dove out of the way as it bit into the ground. Tendrils branched off of it, all reaching for him. Before he could even begin to stand, they latched on to his limbs with freezing bites and lifted him into the air. He found himself staring into Phantomon's hood. A single, glowing red eye began to appear. Then teeth started appearing along the top and bottom and the eye began looking more like a mouth. It was pretty frightening to be staring into, but whatever fear he was feeling paled in comparison to his hate for this creature. He spit right into the red eye/mouth.
Phantomon's body suddenly shook as black spots appeared on his body. No, wait, they were fired by Koushiro. Given they didn't look like wind, or ice, or rock, or whatever, they probably came from the Astro Core, not that they were working any better than anything else. Then Sora threw her Saber and it suddenly curved towards Phantomon's body, or rather the dark spots on him. It lanced right through one and the tendrils holding Taichi were gone. He fell back on to the ledge as Phantomon reared back and exploded again. The Astro Core seems to have power over gravity, Koushiro Tmailed, Now I recommend recalling your weapon.
Uh, right! And thanks! He resummoned the blade, still powered by the Photo Core thankfully, and threw himself towards the next tentacle while recalling his gun. Upon reaching it, he quickly hacked through it while glancing at the dome. Too much to hope I have time for the last tentacle?
His question was answered a second later when a shadowy mass came rocketing out of the dome towards him. It shaped itself into a normal sized pitch black Phantomon, scythe raised. He reflexively moved the PhotoSaber to deflect the blow and found himself stepping back as the shadow Phantomon's weapon pushed against his. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back his hardest, stopping the ghost's advance. A small voice spoke from Phantomon's hood. "Onii-san! Help me!"
Hikari! The memories of that illusion flashed through his mind, causing him to go numb. Hikari, innocent Hikari, being sent to Hell just to hurt him. Her agonized pleas for help he couldn't give while the demons laughed and taunted him. The numbness in his body began giving away to an icy chill. Other memories flashed through. TK being put in that coma. The Ankylomon injuring Mimi. Tailmon cutting open Ishida's back. Phantomon was mocking all of it.
With a roar, he pushed the ghost back, forcing the scythe aside, the chill within his body bringing a hatred Taichi had no idea was possible. Phantomon swung down on him but he swatted the blade aside and spun, carrying a swing towards Phantomon. Phantomon moved back, avoiding the swing and he pushed the end of the handle towards Taichi. The chain shot towards him, the metal ball crashing into his shoulder, though he barely noticed the pain.
He lunged at Phantomon, swinging the PhotoSaber, Phantomon swiftly moving the scythe to deflect each blow. Taichi staggered back as the chain struck him in the stomach, but after spitting out the blood, he lunged again. His swings grew harder as the cold hate melted into a searing rage, one thought repeating in his head. Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! The chain came for his head but this time he moved the PhotoSaber, deflecting it with his hilt, and his left hand. Part of him knew he'd regret that as he saw how badly his hand was bleeding now, but he was too numb from his hate and rage to care.
He pressed his attack again. The chain went for his chest. He managed to twist, but it glanced with yet another pain he could ignore. The suffering Phantomon caused them, and in Hikari's case, wanted to cause, was all the motivation Taichi needed. Nothing would stop him from cutting down this Phantomon. And whatever other Phantomons replace him. All of them until the real Phantom was just a bad memory.
Koushiro never really considered himself the hero type. When he was helping Sora back up Taichi, he was just being logical in that a two pronged attack would fare better than one. When he activated his digivice, it was simply the possible danger of the activation being too much for him versus the guaranteed danger of facing Phantomon with just Motimon. There was no logical reason for Sora to risk her life for his.
It wasn't like she was his friend or anything. They'd only met today and every conversation they had was about surviving this place. And yet, there she was, defending him. He remembered the nightmare Phantomon sent him. The rundown orphanage his adopted parents abandoned him in; his mother had finally given birth to a real son. No need for Koushiro to be contaminating the Izumi bloodline any longer. So he was left all alone… It hit him. I'm not alone! Sora, this girl he only just met, was protecting him with her life! And Taichi was always talking to him like an equal. A friend. They are my friends!
He watched the two Phantomons suddenly move in, both swinging inward. Sora stepped forward with a shout and swung both her blades from left to right, pushing their weapons aside. But then she stepped back, shaking a little, the blood dripping in front of her answering his question. "Sora-san…" he started. He couldn't take watching her do this anymore. If they were being his friends, then he was going to start acting like one to them.
"I won't let them near you, Koushiro-kun," she answered in a determined voice, "Just stay behind me."
"But…" This wasn't what he wanted. But what could he say? She was stronger than him and she actually knew how to fight. He barely knew how to make a fist.
"Koushiro-kun," Sora's voice barely hid the pain she had to be in, "Taichi should only be fighting one of these guys. He'll win and cut the last tentacle. Or one of these two will go after him and then I'll win. No matter how it looks, we've got this." What? Okay, that did sound logical, but… what? How could she be so certain?
He wanted to ask but dared not distract her. So I just have to wait until Taichi-san can get through? He looked across the room. He could see Taichi easily enough, his PhotoSaber flashing in all directions, but the Phantomon was defending himself. It actually looked rather even. Was Taichi really that much of a swordsman? No, that was the wrong question. Phantomon fought with nightmarish illusions that were only broken by that angel and that "Light of Hope". It stood to reason that the illusions couldn't be broken by just anyone. In fact, this could be the first time Phantomon ever had to fight like this. His skills would be subpar. And his tactics.
A realization flashed in Koushiro's head. When it comes to combat, Phantomon is as much of an amateur as we are! And while he didn't know much about fighting, he did know that one of the biggest dangers was getting distracted and not paying attention to one's surroundings. And a preteen girl wielding two blades of light energy with enough skill to hold off his two pronged attack had to very distracting. I could get to the last tentacle myself! The Phantomon's won't notice me, and even if they do, I don't believe they can turn their backs on Taichi-san and Sora-san. He almost felt himself smile. All he had to do was sprint over to the tentacle and… and…
Reality set in. Even if he did get to the tentacle, there was nothing he could do. Only the Photo Core was able to damage them and he couldn't expect Sora to fight the two Phantomons with just a single blade. He looked at his AstroBlaster and thought about the other Cores. He had deduced that Astro would involve gravity in some way, so maybe if he thought of the other Cores he could think of something? Taichi already confirmed that the light from Electro wasn't effective and Sora's brief use of Pyro yielded similar results. Cyro? Ice can bend or even reflect light, but the PhotoSabers weren't nearly bright enough.
Another sound from Sora. He couldn't bare to look to see how badly the Phantomons have hurt her now. How can she believe we'll win?! Phantomon's got us! The thought sunk in. Phantomon's got us. We've lost. Another sound from Sora, more pained than before. He glared at his AstroBlaster. Why couldn't this thing shoot suns or something? Those little gravity wells weren't going to do much to Phantomon. Maybe if I aim real carefully, I could damage his scythe a little… The answer slapped him in the face. Or I could shoot the tentacle! If I keep shooting it the gravity distortions might overwhelm it! He looked ahead, feeling a surge of energy. He had a plan.
Sora could feel Koushiro's eyes on her. She knew he was thinking of an argument against what she was doing but surely he was smart enough to know there was no point. Koushiro had never been in any kind of a fight in his life. She could remember what Taichi would say to soccer club boys who complained about having a girl protect them. Get strong enough so she won't have to. Both Phantomons swung down in an "X" pattern. Grimacing, Sora swung both PhotoSabers into the left Phantomon and managed to swing hard enough to push the right blade aside too, though at the cost of a slash along her right breast and shoulder.
So this is what a peeled potato feels like, she thought, quickly glancing at her growing collection of injuries. These Phantomon weren't exactly good, but fighting with two weapons was harder than it looked. But she would find a way, the memory of Hikari haunting her. Chain! She barely managed to duck the chain heading for her head with the other Phantomon swung down with a bisecting slash. She swung her left blade to catch the scythe, hearing her bike helmet crack as the scythe dug into it. She felt herself lower to her knees under the pressure, but she kept her eye on the other Phantomon. He swung the chain towards her face, though she managed to thrust the PhotoSaber forward, striking and deflecting the ball with a blow that left her arm tingling.
With that other Phantomon busy regaining control of his chain, Sora brought her other PhotoSaber into an upwards slash against the scythe bearing down on her, finally pushing it off, dragging her helmet with it. She then stepped forward, slashing at the Phantomon, forcing him to back away while her helmet fell off the scythe and split in half. So much for that bit of armor. This was really not good, not having landed a single attack, but she wasn't giving up.
She had to be strong enough for this, after all, she had a defenseless ten year old behind her. And then there was TK, just seven and a half. Mimi and Jou were in no shape for these kinds of dangers in the best of times. Yamato would probably be okay, but not when he was so badly injured. It's up to Taichi and myself to see everyone through this. And there's no way Taichi can handle it alone, no matter what he thinks. Another "X" slash, but this time Sora angled herself slightly as she countered it the same way. This time the cut only met her shoulder. The thought of any of the others facing that illusion motivated her to ignore the pain.
She saw something up ahead. Koushiro?! What are you doing?! He was running by the Phantomon, seeming to have slipped by when the one was driving its scythe down on her. Well, whatever you're doing, be careful. I'll make sure they don't notice you.
Taichi quickly squatted as Phantomon's chain shot over the top of his head. He finally was getting the hang of dodging that thing, the many aches covering his body reminding him how long it took to figure it out. He stepped forward swinging, being rewarded with a spray of sparks. Phantomon glided backwards, a burning horizontal cut along its body. Taichi started to pursue but stopped once he saw Phantomon was above the water. Get back here, you coward!
He took a quick look around, just in case his foe was trying anything new. He saw two other Phantomons facing two flashing lights. A Phantomon for each of us, then, he noted, grimly. That meant he had to kill his Phantomon fast; there was no way Koushiro was up to a fight like this. But at least Sora was with him. She'd watch his back… Dammit! Even as the realization dawned on him, he was already running towards her. There's no way Sora would let Koushiro fight! She's fighting both of them herself! As much he teased her about her "babies", he knew just how she felt. When he nearly got Hikari killed that one time, he truly understood what it meant to be a "big brother". Hikari looked up to him, believed just about anything he told her, and if she got scared, she would come to him even before their parents. And the consequences of not taking that responsibility seriously were something he would never forget. It was the same with the younger kids in the soccer club. He was their "big brother", their role model and protector. And Sora, who was there for all of it, had taken the same lessons to heart.
One Phantomon was pushing his scythe against both of Sora's weapons while the other had raised his weapons. Taichi swung at the one her blade was holding back, causing him to move back along with her swing. The other Phantomon moved back too as he faced him. "Gimme Koushiro's weapon," he ordered, holding a hand out, "It's my turn to dual wield. My guy's injured so you can finish him."
"Showoff," Sora growled, placing a PhotoSaber in his hand. The relief in her voice worried him, along with the bits of blood he was seeing on the ground. He risked a glance back at her and cringed. She was covered in bleeding cuts and a few marks which had to have come from the chain. No sign of Koushiro.
"Or I take on all three," he muttered as a scythe swung straight down on him. He swatted it aside with both PhotoSabers only to see a chain heading right for his head. He quickly leaned, the metal ball just glancing off his skull. "Dammit!"
"You're not looking that much better," Sora said in a strained voice. Taichi leaned back, bumping into her as a scythe slashed down in front of him. He wasn't even seeing Phantomons anymore; just scythes and chains.
"Keep telling yourself that. Where's Koushiro?" Another chain, this time he managed to deflect it and meet the follow up swing.
"He's safe as long we deal with these guys!" Well, that made him feel a little better. He wanted to ask more, but not with the ghostly trio here. A scythe raked across the back of his shoulder.
"Dammit! So, your baby boy abandoned you? It's always so hard when they leave." At least he managed to deflect the chain heading for his stomach.
"You know, there is such thing as friendly stabbing!"
Break, damn you! Break! Koushiro frantically fired the gravity shots on to the tentacle. He was sitting with the AstroBlaster resting on the ground to insure he struck the tentacle in the same spot each time. With each shot, the tentacle warped around the gravity well a little, but snapped back into shape afterward. Come on, break already! He fired again and again but to no avail. Out of frustration, he looked back at Sora, hoping that maybe some miracle occurred and she'd beaten at least one of the Phantomons. Nope. Taichi was there now and the two were, back to back, fighting three Phantomons.
Why aren't you breaking?! More and more shots poured in, each with the same effect. I could have crushed steel with this much gravity! He stopped shooting and peered at the tentacle. No sign of any stress. His ineffectiveness made him want to cry. Sora was practically giving her life for him and the one thing he had to do, he was failing at! He lifted the gun up and sprayed shots all over the tentacle, desperately looking for a weak point, or a reaction that would give him a hint on what to do. Nothing. The tentacle just slightly wiggled wherever it was hit, almost like it were laughing at him.
We're so close! We can't lose to Phantomon now! I can't let Taichi-san and Sora-san down! He set the gun down again and resumed firing. Where's that angel?! Where is he and his "Light of Hope"?! In fact, what did that even mean? Unseen possibilities? Was that like the possibility of breaking the tentacle, because that was looking pretty impossible to see right now. Maybe it was. As illogical as it sounded, he had nothing else to go on.
He visualized the tentacle being ripped apart and fired. You will break. He fired again, making absolutely certain he was shooting the same spot. You will break. The tentacle showed no change under the strain. You will wear down and break. He tried to imagine the tentacle being pulled and twisted by the gravity wells. Each well twisted gravity the same way, so the tentacle would be constantly pulled the same way. You will wear down and break. He imagined a rubber band being stretched too far, leaving it permanently distorted. The tentacle would be the same, little distortions all over its surface, as it wore down. You will wear down and break. Small white lights began appearing in the pitch black Astro shots. He continued running the image of the tentacle being worn down through his mind, the image getting clearer in his head each time. You will wear down and break. The white dots began shining brighter and brighter, the white light turning golden as it began covering the entirety of the gravity well, though traces of the blackness still remained. Koushiro was so memorized by them that he nearly lost his train of thought.
The tentacle snapped. Koushiro watched, barely comprehending, as the two halves burned away. I-It's gone? He took a moment to let it sink in. It's gone! It's gone! I-I did it!
The chain hit Taichi's fingers, the screaming pain causing him to drop both PhotoSabers. "No!" he screamed, the weapons hitting the ledge and rolling towards the edge. He desperately reached for them but a Phantomon appeared right in front, scythe raised. His blood went cold as the weapons swung down. He closed his eyes, bracing himself, and then… nothing. No pain or, well, anything. All he could hear was his own breathing, water running, and… Sora's breathing? He opened his eyes. He was still in the room but no Phantomons. "Uh, Sora?"
"He did it," she said, her voice filled with wonder. Did what? "Koushiro did it! He destroyed the last tentacle!" What? Taichi steadied himself and stood back up, looking to the far end and, sure enough, he could see the tentacle burning away. Koushiro did do it… but how?
"But we had the PhotoSabers," he said.
"Well, he is smarter than us," Sora pointed out. That was true. He looked back at the dome just in time to see another Phantomon emerging from it. Just one, this time, who hovered in the center.
"So I guess the real ragmon is coming out to play," he taunted.
"You dare mock me?!" Phantomon's angry voice rang, "Do not think you have beaten me! You have merely-" He was cut off by a blue fireball to the face. "Who dares?!"
Agumon! Taichi barely had time to turn around before getting tackled by an excited dinosaur.
"Taichi!" He didn't even bother fighting the tears as he hugged his partner back.
"Agumon! You're okay!"
"Of course I am!" Agumon's voice cracked slightly, "What kind of partner would I be if I let a little necromancy stop me?!"
"Soraaaa!" a pink feathery blur cried out, followed by an "oof" from Sora.
"Piyomon! I'm okay!" She sounded just has happy as Piyomon. "It's just some scratches! Not as bad as it looks!" That was a lie. Taichi could hear in her voice how much pain she was in and now that those Phantomons were gone, he was becoming aware of just how badly they messed him up.
"You look like you had a real hard time," Agumon said, looking sad, "I'm sorry. I'll do better-"
"It wasn't your fault," Taichi interrupted, "and it was just a few lucky shots from Raggedymon."
"Koushiro-han, on the other hand, looks quite well," Tentomon said with a trace of pride in his voice. Taichi looked over at the other boy. He was out of breath, evidently having sprinted all the way here, but he did look okay otherwise.
"Y-Yes," he panted, "Th-Thanks in n-no small part t-to Sora-san. She t-took a few of th-the, ah, proverbial bullets for me."
"You were shot?!" Piyomon exploded.
"Not like that!" Sora responded, "Not literally! Look, this isn't really the time."
"Yeah, you guys spread out so we can evolve you," Taichi ordered, "I'm pretty sure Phantomon is getting impatient." Agumon moved a few steps away so he wouldn't be too close to the children. Piyomon and Tentomon placed themselves above the water.
"Enough!" Phantomon roared, "I am the Warden of Death!" Taichi sent the evolution command to Agumon. "You will not ignore me! You will not mock me! You will find that I…" Phantomon's voice trailed off as Agumon, Piyomon, and Tentomon were replaced with Greymon, Birdramon, and Kabuterimon. "… that I can very merciful. If you leave nowaaaugh!" Phantomon's voice because a scream as the Electro powered Kabuterimon fired a lightning bolt into Phantomon's scythe. The weapon disintegrated while the evil digimon fell back to the dome, only to be hit by a blazing cyclone fired by Birdramon. And Greymon was adding his own flames into it, creating a beautiful cyclone of red and blue flame. Phantomon was slammed into the wall and when the flames cleared, the wall completely singed except for a Phantomon-shaped silhouette.
Taichi stared in silence as the three digimon reverted back to their previous forms. A blue light began to fill the dome, chasing the red away. A gentle mechanical humming filled the air and the blackness in the water pouring from the pipes started draining away. Looking below, he could see the black water being chased out by the clean water. "I told you," Tentomon said, "Digital World water filters are the best."
Taichi found himself walking over to where Phantomon was blasted. "What are you doing?" Agumon asked.
"I have to know," he answered, "I need to know he's really dead." The images of Hikari flashing through his mind. Was Phantomon suffering like that? He could only hope so.
"I'm pretty sure we got him," Sora assured. Reaching the spot, he quickly noticed a small metal object on the ground.
"That's his digicore," Piyomon said in a sad tone, "When a digimon uses black magic, like necromancy, they are denied the Rebirth Cycle. He's never coming back." He stared at the object. So that was Phantomon. Phantomon who hurt Ishida and Mimi. Phantomon who put TK in the coma. Phantomon who made him think Hikari had been sent to Hell. With a roar, he ran forward and stomped on the digicore. Again and again, he desperately hoped Phantomon was somehow feeling all of it.
"I-Is that okay?" he heard Koushiro ask.
"No way he's the first to do that," Tentomon answered, "I'm pretty sure we'd know if he shouldn't."
"We were going to get Agumon to melt it," Piyomon added, "I mean, no one's ever revived a dead digicore, but better to be safe, right?"
A pair of gentle arms pulled him back. "That's enough, Taichi," Sora said, "You've made your point. He's dead." He glared at the crushed remains.
"Dying once isn't enough," he growled.
"My turn," Agumon said, also glaring at the digicore, "I don't know what you did to make Taichi so mad, but it had to real bad! You'll never do it again!" He sprayed his flames over it and it slowly melted, not letting up until it was an unrecognizable blob. Taichi stared at the blob not sure what else to do. Knock it into the water so the filter can claim it? No, that would probably be like putting it in the Rebirth Cycle if he was understanding things right.
"We got him, Taichi," Sora's soft voice spoke, "Let's just get back to the others." He nodded, still half expecting another Phantomon to pop up. Well, whatever else was here, he was going to get everyone through, if for no other reason than to see Hikari again and make certain she really was okay.
Are you there, Yamato-kun? Yamato jolted awake.
Dammit! I fell asleep again! At least it was Sora calling him, and not Yagami. Uh, yeah, sorry. Guess I dropped off.
Oh, I'm sorry!
Don't be. I wanted to keep watch in case Phantomon came for us. Can't let Gabumon do everything.
That's true, but you don't have to worry anymore. Phantomon's gone.
"What?!" he couldn't help answering out loud.
"What is it, Yamato?" Gabumon asked.
"Hang on." You're serious?! You guys got Phantomon?!
We did. And the water should be safe to drink soon. How's TK-kun? Yamato looked over at his little brother, feeling dread bubble in his stomach. What if TK was still cursed? What if killing Phantomon made it worse?! He was still lying peacefully, the once again purple Tsukaimon sleeping on his chest. Yamato's heart sunk. TK was still out, though he had to admit it was kind of cute the way his and Tsukaimon's snores were synchronized; when one inhaled, the other exhaled, and vice versa.
The realization slowly dawned on him. He's sleeping! He's not in a coma anymore! He stared at his little brother, looking for some sign that he was just imagining it. But no, TK was just sleeping now. Yamato's spirit soared, the room seemed so much brighter now that TK was okay. It hit him. It is brighter! He looked around. The thick darkness was gone! Sure it was still dark, what with the torches being the only light source, but they weren't being smothered anymore! He could feel the heat from the torches now, too, and the air didn't feel nearly so oppressive!
Yamato-kun! Is everything okay?! Oh, right. He was still talking- er, Tmailing Sora.
Uh, yeah, sorry. Just a little excited. TK's just sleeping now. That darkness is gone too!
Yeah, we kinda noticed that.
So, how was Phantomon? No response. That was worrying. Did anything happen?
He was very evil. He… did things we aren't ready to relive. He could almost hear her pained voice.
I won't bring it up again.But are you all okay? If anything happened, TK's gonna blame himself.
Just like Hika. Anyways, we kept Koushiro safe, but Phantomon did a real number on me and Taichi. Uh, we're back where we fell in from. We were like one floor down! He chuckled a little, more at relief than at what she said. Phantomon and that darkness were almost feeling like a bad dream. Anyways, we should be able to find you guys, so I'll go now.
Remember we're not far. I'll stay up in case you need directions.
Thanks, Yamato-kun.
"Yamato?" Gabumon asked.
Oh, right. Sorry Gabumon. "Sora was, uh, Tmailing me. Phantomon is dead and it looks like TK's going to be okay." Gabumon looked over at the small boy.
"It does, and the darkness is normal now too. Maybe we can pull through this." Yamato nodded a wave of peace washing over him. Yeah, they weren't out of danger in the slightest. They were still trapped in his "Digital World", but at least the immediate danger's been dealt with. Maybe we can get through this.
Afterword: I'm kind of surprised that Koushiro ended up being the one to deliver that winning strike. I find him and Jou to be the hardest to work with so if I get a chance to give them a moment like that, I'm taking it.
