Falling Inside the Black
Summary: Yamato, Hikari, and Ken find themselves being drawn back to the world of Darkness. There, they must traverse the Digital World's Hell to take down the Demon Lords and Dagomon while overcoming their personal dilemmas.
Warnings: Heavy violence, mentions of abuse, incest, and rape.
Pairings: Taishirou, ex-Sorato/ex-Jyoumato, hinted Takari, hinted Kenyako. Also DaemonxLilithmon.
A/N: This is part of the headcanon, but can be read as a stand-alone. The Chosen's Digimon will likely not make an appearance (the Digital World was cut off in 2004).
A/N 2: No. The Renamon in this chapter is in no way related to Tamers. Sorry!
4 – The Stormy Wasteland City
"No harm can come to him, do you understand?" Lilithmon said, filing her nails. She sat, spread-legged, on her throne.
A whip cracked against the purple and black tile of the room.
"Come on, Yamato, we just gotta go to this 'Dark Ocean'," the blonde was complaining in a mocking tone, "I don't see a damn ocean. All we've seen are a tirade of murderous koalas and gray sand from here to France! For fuck's sake!"
"Enough," Ken sighed. "Did it ever occur to you that we landed far away from said ocean?"
"I don't want to fight, either," Hikari said, not knowing if that was really the cause of the blonde's irritation or not. "I'm sorry we convinced you to come along—"
"Guilt tripped me, you mean," Yamato hissed.
"-but you're here now. We could really use your help."
"Alright," Yamato said, stopping his trudge through the sand. He looked above at the darkened sky. A Sabredramon flew overhead. The only light was dull and gray, like the grains under his boots. He pulled his coat over his head to block the dusty air. "Let me consult my gaijin sight... well, what do you know? Nothing. There, did I help?!"
"No wonder no one wants to be around you lately, Yamato," Ken snorted, walking past him. "Even as the Kaizer I wasn't this much of a dick."
"I'm honored."
"I know," Ken sighed. "Hikari! See anything?"
"N-No," she said through the howling wind. "I feel a strong prescence to the West, but I can't even see! We need to find shelter!"
Ken coughed out sand from his lips, "There! I see something!"
Hikari and Yamato huddled closer and the blonde removed his coat to shield them. As they came closer upon the structure, they made out a great wall. In the center of the white-yellow wall was an arch. Inside...
"A city!" Yamato cried.
"Oh, God," Hikari breathed, covering her mouth.
"Sand?" Ken sighed.
"N-No... the walls...!" Hikari said, dropping to a squatting position. She felt like she might vomit.
"Are those bones?" Yamato gasped.
Ken confirmed their assumptions as he raised a hand to the wall. Thousands of bones, plastered together, made up the great barrier. All Digimon bones. Immediately he recognized the iconic horns of a Greymon skull in the mix.
"Let's just take shelter inside," Yamato demanded, taking back his coat. He marched over to Hikari and grabbed her arm, yanking her from where she was shivering in the sand. "...or do you two wanna stay out here?!"
The three of them walked inside. The city was protected from the storm, but it was far from still. Several Digimon roamed about. Red streetlamps lined the center street. All the homes were made from the same bone structure as the outer wall, giving each one an odd shape. Was it the shadows dancing about or the remnants of a soul moving amongst the crevices? Things were too difficult to tell in the foglike glow. As they passed a restaurant, Yamato muttered, "I wonder what they're serving."
"I don't like it here," Hikari said. She didn't want to admit her fear, but she drew closer to the blonde and tucked herself under his arm. "Do we have to stay long?"
"No," Ken answered. "Look. There in the square."
At the end of the street, they came to a plaza. Several virus Digimon were gathered about, including Bakemon, Devimon, BlackAgumon, BlackGabumon (to Yamato's disappointment), Dokunemon, and other rookie levels. The man in the center immediately caught Ken's attention: Daemon. He was preaching:
"All of you who wish to see this world reduced to dust, come with me!"
The kids tucked themselves behind one of the nearby buildings.
"Those of you siding with Lucemon and his reformed world; leave now."
"What is he talking about?" Yamato insisted.
"Anubismon said factions were warring," Ken reminded. "Looks like Daemon is one of their leaders."
"That is exactly right, Digimon Kaizer. You children can come out from behind that shack and heed my word." The three exchanged glances and stepped out. Every evil Digimon's face was on them. Daemon chuckled to himself and extended a hand, parting the crowd to them. "Come. Here."
"Daemon," Ken whispered. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't go by that name anymore."
"Hmph, you may be changing your tune. How else will you protect your friends in the Digital World's Hell?"
"Hell?" Yamato breathed. Guess Dokugumon wasn't lying with it's threat back in the day...
"You are surrounded by the wastelands of the second level of the Dark Area!" Daemon announced, spreading his arms. "I know you come here seeking to destroy the darkness. I can't let you do that until I've escaped this prison once more."
"We won't let you," Hikari demanded.
"You don't have much a choice, seperated from your Digimon buddies. Revive me and I'll gladly bring them to you."
"No chance in- scratch that," Yamato mumbled. "You haven't killed us by now, so you must want something."
"Observant, but I don't expect anything less from an experienced Chosen," Daemon said, stepping down a stair, but still above ground level. "I think you can be of use to me and your friends, if you just take this chance, Ken Ichijouji."
Ken grit his teeth, "What are you saying?"
"You can reclaim the power of the Kaizer, just like you wished," Daemon explained.
"What is he talking about Ken?" Hikari insisted.
"N-nothing," Ken remarked. "I wouldn't go back to that for anything!"
"Aha, very well, then," Daemon chuckled. "Why don't all of you new recruits of the Daemon Corps. show me what you're made of?"
The trio's eyes widened as the crowd readied themselves.
"They're about to turn on us!" Yamato cried. "Everyone run!"
So, they darted off in seperate directions, into the catacombs of buildings and backstreets. One particular Digimon made of dark pink petals and green attire cracked her whip in the air. "I'll take the eldest. You do what you want with the others!"
Hikari squealed as a group of BlackAgumon and BlackGabumon cornered her. She looked around for anything to defend herself with and saw a door. She ducked inside. A corridoor. She looked back and forth and darted left, towards a light.
She found the door at the end to be unlocked and went through. On the other side was a group of Digimon, huddled into the wall. Hikari didn't have a clue to their names as most of them she hadn't seen before. The only one to look up at her was a yellow, fox like Digimon.
"A human...?" it questioned.
"W-Who are you?" Hikari asked, hoping to be as polite as possible. She quietly closed the door behind her. The room was dark, save what little sunset peeked in through cracked blinds. In the corner, some childish Digimon were giggling and eating some orange substance from the palms of their hands. Hikari couldn't help it; she whimpered.
"Don't mind them. They're trying to forget."
"F-Forget?" Hikari wondered, tiptoeing closer to the friendly fox.
"The Mushrooms of Forgetfulness. Not my drug of choice, though." A pause. "I didn't introduce myself. My name is Renamon."
"I'm Hikari."
"What a beautiful name..." Renamon mused. She began to nod off, but her mind hopped back to reality as Hikari put her hand on the Digimon's shoulder. "What are you doing here, little Hikari?"
"I'm hiding from Daemon's followers."
"Are you... with Lucemon? Oh, Lucemon... he would banish the Dark Area and start the Digital World anew... Daemon is a fool."
"Forgive me, Renamon-" Hikari began, her voice stifled by another Digimon behind her. She screamed when she saw that the data was slowly disintegrating into the air. "He..."
"Yes, he's dead. If he's lucky, maybe he's atoned and Anubismon will allow him a new life in the Village of Beginnings. Most of us don't believe that, though. The Demon Lords will just return us to this eternal prison."
"Renamon..."
"What is it you wanted, little Hikari? Tell me before I fade away like that one."
Hikari couldn't force herself to let her vocal chords contract. How come everytime I'm in the Digital World, all I see is... this? Suffering. Pain. Gatomon brought me so much joy... how can this be happening?
"Hikari."
"I don't know what's going on around here, Renamon. I promise I'll change it so everyone's happy." Hikari hesitated as the fox chuckled. "Can you tell me what's going on?"
"Alright, little Hikari... but listen well. Lucemon still lives. How, I don't know. He's always wanted to transform the Digital World to his own image, but he needs the powers of the dark to sway in his favor so he can live again. Daemon has another view: to annihilate all worlds. I heard he brought in monsters from an undersea dimension, only after he destroyed it, to help aid him. I assume you're here because the Digital World's darkness has seeped into the Human World again. All I know is, you must get to GranDracmon's castle. He created the Dark Area and he is the only one who can change it... but you have to hurry. Daemon... Daemon..."
Hikari watched as the fox's head went limp. Her paw fell to the ground and Hikari fell backwards. The Digimon in the corner laughed. The darkness was stronger than anything Hikari had ever felt before and all she wanted to do was forget it and go home. She crawled under a half-collapsed table and took refuge, hoping someone would come find her.
Yamato made it to a dead end before he realized none of the crowd followed him. He smiled to himself- surely, he had outsmarted them with his epic escape manuevers. Then he heard a crack behind his head and saw shards of bone explode from behind his head. At first he fell, so shocked that he wondered if his own head cracked open. He turned to see a Digimon he recognized as Rosemon (and not Mimi's Rosemon) standing on the rib-like remains.
"What do you want, Rosemon?"
"Oh, you've heard of me?"
Yamato thought a moment. Actually, he had. Way back at Digitamamon's diner. "What do you want?"
"I'm here to collect you, young man," Rosemon said, extending her whip until it reached the ground. "I don't suggest struggling, unless that's your thing."
"I'm not going anywhere with anyone," Yamato said.
Rosemon lashed out with her whip, but the human dodged it. She sneered at him. A pause as she recoiled the whip, then lashed out again, sealing Yamato's neck in her grasp. How she wanted to absolutely just destroy him here and there- but that was out of the question. Lilithmon demanded his safety. However, that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with him first.
Yamato gasped and tugged at the cord as she dragged him down the back alley. Eventually he scrambled to his feet and caught up enough that he could breathe, but Rosemon just laughed and pulled in the slack.
"Where..." the blonde gaped.
"Somewhere nice," Rosemon reassured.
Ken wasn't sure how long he ran, but he found himself back at the square, now empty, save Daemon. Even the close-quarters streets were vacant and the shops' windows were latched. The place had become a ghost town in mere minutes and Ken wondered if everyone had simply been annihilated in an attempt to spare his life.
"Running in circles, Ichijouji?"
"I'm not taking you up on your so-called offer," Ken reminded. He looked around and grabbed a metal pipe from the ground.
Daemon chuckled, "And what do you plan to do with that?"
"I won't let you hurt anymore children."
"I believe I recall hearing that before and look where that got you." A pause. "Besides..." Daemon swiped one sleeve in the air and there, at his feet, rested Yamato and Hikari, both with their arms tied behind their backs. Their faces lay slumped over against their chests.
Ken wrinkled his nose, "I know you're bluffing!"
"...are you willing to take that chance?" Daemon pondered, raising one claw to his chin. He studied Ken's face, eyes darting between the two. "Seems not. So, will you accept the power of the Kaizer once more?"
I don't want to. I can't. I was a monster! But... Hikari. Yamato. What if this isn't a trap? What if that's really them? I can't take that chance, either. What would Daemon stand to gain from all this?
"I merely don't want to see a protege wasted," Daemon said. "Time's ticking." The devil unsheathed his hood. Ken turned away at the sight of the ugly beast's face. He extended his jaw, fully ready to devour them.
"O-Okay!" Ken said, falling to his feet. "I... I'll do it. I don't care. Just spare them."
"Good. Now you're making sense," Daemon said.
Ken flinched, preparing himself for immense pain. Falling to the ground, writhing as dark thoughts filled his very being, and opening his teary eyes to find himself in the Kaizer apparel. But nothing. Daemon waved his hand and said nothing.
"...w-well?!" Ken barked. He stood up from his kneeling position, readying his fists. "What gives?!"
"You've always had that person inside of you, Ken Ichijouji. I merely gave it the push you needed."
Ken felt his throat growing dry. He rushed at Daemon, but the being opened a portal behind him. Ken could feel the monster's cape in the tips of his fingers before he nearly lost his fingertips in the gate itself. He stumbled forward, then found his balance.
"...I... I don't feel different. What does that mean?" Ken breathed. He could hear Daemon laughing in his face. "I don't have time to deal with this."
He turned back to his friends and rushed to untie them. Then their flesh began to twist and bubble and their limbs contorted into long, feathery claws. Bakemon. The entire thing had been a trap. One he had pulled himself once before no less.
Is Daemon just messing with me? Distracting me while he really does harm my friends? I know who I am. I know who I am! I'm Ken Ichijouji, bearer of the Crest of Kindness. I'm not the Digimon Kazier.
"I have to find them," Ken told himself, darting into the street.