Chapter 3: Fallen Angemon
Mimi let out a blood-curdling scream. Matt and Tai jumped, Sora bounded from the log she was sitting on, holding Hikari. Joe fell backwards, being startled from his position. Gatomon flashed her deadly claws. Izzy started forward then sat back, seeing what the problem was.
Mimi was trembling, holding her left arm outstretched as if it were diseased. She wouldn't even look at it. "Get…it…off!" She managed to squeeze between grated teeth. " Somebody get it off now! " She asserted.
"Wh…what is it" Tai asked. Then Koushiro got up from his cross-legged position and walked over to Mimi's side, reached down, and plucked the rather large caterpillar that had found a nice little sleepy spot on her arm.
"You know Mimi," Izzy started in his matter-of-fact tone, " most insects are more dangerous after they leave their pupil stage. " He stared at the wiggle-bug with a little fascination.
"A Caterpillar?!" Joe breathed. "Jeez, I thought it was Myotismon's bigger badder brother or something!"
Matt and Tai visibly relaxed, and Sora laughed along with Kari. Gatomon murmured something about silly humans and went back to her guarding post. Mimi looked at Joe with indignation. " As far as I'm concerned it might as well had been Myotismon's bigger badder brother. At least I can handle him. But.." She looked again at the squirming little creature stuck between Izzy's fingers. "Ewwww!!!"
Izzy glanced at Mimi sideways and looked at the Caterpillar. "Actually, bugs like this are an excellent source of protein." Izzy put to her. "Of course, the bugs with the hard exoskeletons are much better." With that, Koushiro lifted the struggling caterpillar to his mouth.
"You wouldn't!" Mimi glared
"Why not?" Tai joked, grinning. "Whatever doesn't kill him can only make him stronger."
Mimi wouldn't have any of that. She got up and slapped the caterpillar out of Izzy's hand *. Then he gave Koushiro a little knock upside the head for good measure.
*Ouch, another one. Well this one reported to be resting comfortably, and is predicted to do the whole miraculous butterfly thing =D
"Ow! What was that for?" Koushiro asked, rubbing his head. Mimi didn't give him an answer, and instead stuck her tongue out at him. Joe chuckled, and Sora thought it was pretty funny too. She smiled, until she happened to look at Yamato, who had a big frown on his face. Sora's smile didn't last long.
Matt caught Sora looking at him and explained. "T.K. still hasn't come back yet." He started towards the grassy area T.K. had gone before, and then stopped, staring into the dark forest.
"Maybe he had to go for a number two." Mimi suggested, putting up two pink-gloved fingers to accentuate her point.
"And how long would that take?" He asked Mimi, rather harshly even. "He's been gone for nearly ten minutes."
"Maybe he wanted some time alone. Relax, he didn't go far, I heard him talking 5 minutes ago." Taichi said. He wasn't too concerned yet. After all, he had just gone to use the bathroom. " The other Digimon should be back soon, they'll probably bring him with them."
Yamato looked at his feet, lost in thought. Sora sent out her agreement with Tai and the others relaxed. The other Digimon should be back soon. Takeru was probably with them.
************
"Who are you?" T.K. demanded the tall plantlike woman who stood in front of him. She merely smiled and put her hands higher.
"I am called, Dawoemon." She said simply.
Takeru blinked. "Wow. It's never that easy in the movies." He thought to himself. He decided to try some more. "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to see you."
"What do you want!?"
Dawoemon smiled and bowed her head. " I simply want my Savior, and the Savior of the Digital World."
Takeru blinked again. This time he was totally confused. What in the world did she mean by savior. T.K. blinked a couple more times. He was feeling…strange.
Patamon gave the plant-mon a bad look. " You better not try to hurt Takeru-san," he said fearlessly. "Or I'll hurt you! I will, just try me!"
"Why in the Digital World would I want to hurt that who will save us all?" She said melodically. She batted her eyes once at Patamon and then looked at Takeru… who seemed to be staring into space.
"No, don't hurt her Patamon," Takeru said. "Yet. She might be a good Digimon." He hesitated for a second and faced his winged friend. "Maybe we should go back and tell the others about her." He said, apparently completely forgetting that they were lost.
"You could tell them Takeru-sama, but I don't think they would believe you," She mused. " I doubt they'd even care."
Takeru circled at Dawoemon with a dangerous look in his eyes. "What do you mean by that?!" He demanded. "They would SO believe me!"
"And they'd certainly care." Patamon added.
"I didn't mean to anger you Takeru-sama." Dawoemon bowed lower. "It's just, well it seems rather obvious what has happened with you and the other so-called 'DigiDestined'."
T.K. didn't even ask how Dawoemon knew about them being the DigiDestined. All Takeru thought was how this Digimon seemed to know stuff. Maybe answers. Answers to questions that were, for some reason, burning through him.
"W- what's happened between us?" Takeru asked.
Patamon stared at T.K. in disbelief. "Don't listen to him Takeru-san!" He said. "This ones a liar!" He turned to face Dawoemon again, angry eyes glistening.
"What has happened, Takeru-sama, is the DigiDestined not recognizing your true power." She put to him gently. " Not bothering to recognize it. Not even bothering to recognize you."
T.K. stammered as if to say something, then stopped. He stared at the plant-mon and started laughing. "You dumbass!" He laughed. " What're you talking about? They recognize me. They recognize me and Patamon"
"Do they?" She said softly.
T.K. stopped laughing. "They wouldn't try to make me feel bad on purpose, would they?" He thought again. "You'd better start making sense, or Patamon will pound you!"
"Forgive me, Takeru-sama." Dawoemon bowed even lower, which is easy when you're a plant. " I was just saying what I knew to be true. I know they don't recognize you. They refuse to, If out of nothing but pure spite." She fixed her green eyes on Takeru. " They hate that they don't have your power. "
"Heh. We all have power, just different kinds. We used our power when we fought the others." Takeru explained lightly. He looked at his flying orange friend. "Remember when we beat Devimon. They were all congratulating and everything. We were the best." He smiled, but out of the corner of his eye, he thought everything was somehow getting…darker.
Dawoemon winced slightly at the mention of Devimon's name, but continued simply, " They humor you."
T.K. smiled "What does that mean? They make me laugh?" Yes, it certainly seemed like everything was getting darker. Maybe it was becoming nighttime…
"It means, they keep you happy only to satisfy their needs." She put to the boy. " In fact, you could say it's a form of mockery. They mock you, Takeru-san. This you do not deserve."
Takeru frowned and shot a look at Dawoemon. Patamon flapped silently next to him. Yes, it was very obvious now that it was getting much, much darker.
************
Biyomon soared overhead and bomb-dropped a pile of mango's oranges, fruits and berries around Sora's head. She laughed gleefully as the other Digimon came back bearing loads of fruit. Judging by the size of their bellies, the Digimon had already started the feast without the humans.
Taichi smiled. "Well, better late than never." He thought, as he bit into a nice juicy pear-shaped fruit.
"Mmmm, Mmm!" Mimi mumbled. "This is good." Palmon nodded her agreement.
Yamato wasn't eating however. His eyes darted back and forth at the returned Digimon. "Where's T.K.?" he asked.
Gabumon stopped his feast and pointed his yellow horn at his friend. "What do you mean, Yamato-san?" He asked back.
Joe stopped eating. "You mean.. You mean he didn't come back with you guys?" He asked sternly.
Tentomon buzzed overhead. " I didn't even know he was gone." He said while stuffing a couple of berries into his mouth.
Yamato narrowed his eyes. "He went for a pee break." He said. " I thought he was supposed to come back with you. " He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fist. " Dammit. T.K."
Tai got up and motioned to the others. "Well the, let's go get him. He's probably playing or something." He picked up his bundle of fruit and gestured to Agumon. "Well? Come on! Bring the food and everything. Let's go."
He started towards the direction T.K. had gone. Matt followed. Mimi groaned and, after picking up her belongings, followed too. Everyone went into the dark forest, Izzy being the last in line. He picked up his Digivice and frowned. There was not a trace of him on it. Koushiro knew this wasn't a good sign.
************
T.K. was incased in complete darkness, but he didn't even notice. Surprisingly, neither did Patamon. All he could focus on was his beloved Takeru, and this strange plant-like Digimon with the serenading voice. He didn't know what to think of her words. All he knew was that he would defend Takeru with his life. He would protect him forever.
"What don't I deserve?" Takeru asked Dawoemon, who stood, partially, bowed in front of him.
"You don't deserve their mockery. Their jealousy." She whispered, her green lips weaving her dark power. " You don't deserve them tolerating you, as if you were luggage. As if you were something to take out of a pocket and use, and then put away again, completely ignoring it." She pointed at the small object tied to Takeru's backpack. " Like your Digivice." She added.
T.K. glanced back at his Digivice than sneered at Dawoemon. " We worked together." He said, trying desperately to believe his own words. " We've been working together ever since we destroyed Devimon. Etimon, Myotismon, we got them together. They weren't just using me."
Dawoemon's eyes widened in horror and the darkness around them began to waver, just a bit. "Myotismon??" She thought to herself. "Myotismon!??" She suddenly narrowed her eyes, and the darkness became blacker than it ever was before.
"Think back, Takeru-sama." She asked. " Think back to all of your…victories. Think of what they said. Remember, even now, after your win at Folder. Think of what happened."
T.K. thought back. He could remember nothing of celebrations. Matt, Tai, Sora, Mimi, Izzy, Joe, Kari, all smiling and happy. "They wouldn't want to make me sad on purpose". The darkness grew blacker. T.K. remembered their looks. Where they…sneers? Were they looking at him through narrowed eyes? He conceded that his memory was fuzzy, and thought to the present.
Mat holding him back. Why?
"Was he jealous?" He asked himself.
"They think of themselves, and only themselves. It started with your parents, splitting you in two. Forcing you to choose for their own benefit." Dawoemon continued.
When his parents were divorced. He remembered when his Father drove away with Yamato in his car. Now it seemed, he was laughing.
"It has continued even now, Takeru-sama" Dawoemon frowned "Even with the ones you trust most."
Sora telling him he'd fight next. Gabumon joking. Everyone laughing.
"Were they…mocking me?" He asked himself.
Tears glistened the edge of the boy's eyes. He wiped them away angrily, but more took their place. He shouldn't even believe what he was even thinking. The darkness continued to grow. Takeru felt a burning felt a burning against his chest. He went under his big green jacket, and pulled out his tag. It was holding the Crest of Hope, but something was wrong, it seemed to be wavering.
"That! That is the true pinnacle of your power, Takeru-sama" Dawoemon said, pointing the glowing object. " That is why they mock you. That's why they are jealous of you! It's why the fear you." She frowned sadly at T.K.
"That is why they hate you."
Tears flowed down T.K's cheeks. He thought back to every moment in their life, and every doubt, every thought of insecurity he had felt with being the smallest, being the crybaby, being the weakest, being incomplete, flooded itself to the surface. Takeru cried. He cried because he knew for himself that it was the truth.
The darkness was complete.
Patamon growled and suddenly swelled to about twice his normal size. Aiming at Dawoemon, he held and then expelled with a loud "Boom Bubble!" Dawoemon slapped the sphere of air away with one of her limbs and walked towards the crying boy.
She soothed. " It is ok Takeru-sama. You need only to trust in your own power." She held the crest in her hand, and the picture of the radiant sun beaming down on the earth wavered. It changed. "They've done this to you, but you don't need them. You are the true savior of the Digital World." The sun lost its radiance and lowered in the crest. The beam shifted upwards and split in three shards, and settled on top of the sphere. Dawoemon finished " You need only to trust in yourself, and the power of your Crest." She lifted the crest up to his face.
Takeru sniffed and held the crest in his hand. He knew already what it was, just as he knew everything else. He knew he was holding the Crest of Despair.
Patamon flopped to the grown, defeated and cried. Power surged T.K., and he wiped his eyes and stood. "What should I do? How can I save the world?" He asked.
"Come with me," Dawoemon smiled. "There is a way you can bring peace to the Digital World, once and for all. We must discuss and plan for is to be successful. Digimon must know that you are our Savior."
"All right" Takeru sighed and began to follow the plant-mon through the forest.
"Takeru-san!!!" Patamon shouted. "What about me!? Don't forget me!"
T.K. looked back at Patamon, his eyes dead. "Take care of yourself, Patamon." He said sadly.
Dawoemon smiled and gave Patamon a purely malevolent look. " I will protect Takeru-sama." She smiled at him.
"NOOOO!!!" Patamon screamed. His fur began to change a shade of gray, then white. " I WILL PROTECT YOU!!!" He burst out a flash of light filled the forest. Patamon began to digivolve.
But it wasn't a normal digivolution. It almost reminded Takeru of the time SkullGreymon came into being. Almost….
Light flashed again, and a tall figure stood in front of T.K. He stood well over 6 feet. The top of his face was covered with brown leather, with straps hanging at the ears. There were no holes for his eyes, but he could see everything. Black straps of a course material draped his body and his arms, and his clothes were tattered, as if lived in for a long time. His face was still handsome, but his hair had turned a stark black color. His right fist was gloved with leather, while his left had knuckle guards. On his back was strapped a short blade, and just above them, three white wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. Two of them were close together, not equidistant, just like the pattern on the Crest of Despair.
T.K recognized him, even though he looked a bit different, there was no mistaking who he was. He was Angemon.
Angemon, fallen from grace.
"I will always protect you." FallenAngemon said in a quiet voice. Takeru smiled and they walked through the forest. Nothing but pure shock plastered Dawoemon's face.
"This might complicate things." She thought to herself. She frowned, and followed Takeru and his dark protector into the forest.
NEXT: PART 4: KING OF DESPAIR
Whew. A little long. Sorry about that. Please review, and tell me if you want me to cut it shorter in the future. Again sorry. Thanks for reading. –Incognito.