( Hey, I'm sorry I left it off at such a strange part, but I'll pick it up right where I left off as soon as I say one thing: this part is dedicated to my friend Ishida, and monster_4000 because I love them sooooo much! )
Justice of the heart part 3: A secret revealed
He led his son outside, leaving Gennai to explain anything else to Robbie and Laura. There was confusion in the boy's strange gaze. What did him not getting a digimon have to do with his mother? What was going on? And why did his dad look as if he were guilty of something? He walked behind him, keeping pace with him easily until they stooped in what could've been Gennai's back yard.
" There's something I've been wanting to tell you since you were old enough to understand, but your mother was worried. She didn't want you to go what she went through when she found out. ", Yamato started as he sat down in the grass with his son. " I couldn't argue with her, she was too desperate so that you could be normal, and I didn't want to make things harder on you as you grew up. "
" Dad, what are you talking about? ", Garuru asked shaking his head in confusion. " What you're saying doesn't make any sense! "
" Darien, I'm trying to tell you that…. " he was abruptly cut off when a vine went around his throat and began to drag him backwards. Garuru was on his feet in seconds, but a vine grabbed him from behind and began to pull him along as well. They struggled with all their might, but neither of them could pull free. The boy could see his father's face turning blue as he began to lose air. Fear began to overcome the young man's heart as he realized what might happen if he didn't do something and soon. He concentrated for a moment, and let the changes slowly come. As soon as he was ready, he lashed out and his fingers tore through the evil plant and he ran over to Matt, and cut him free as well.
The blonde man's colbat blue eyes were wide when he saw the newest Digidestined, but he couldn't dwell on it. They rushed over to where the many plant-like tentacles weren't creeping about. It seemed as if they were being surrounded by the living vegetation until they heard, " Spit bomb! "
" Lightning claw! ", Gatomon cried as she slashed her way through the plant and she was followed by a worried looking Laura, Robbie, and the blonde boy's digimon. The green lizard like creature saw what was happening and he ran forward, opening his mouth wide. " Try another Spit bomb! "
The small explosion that shot out of his mouth slammed into some of the vegetation and sent curling back with a strange shriek of pain. Robbie ran over to Garuru a worried look on his face, but then he got a good look at his long time friend. Unlike mist people, Rob wasn't scared, he just grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him away from the battling digimon and plants. Yamato was amazed to see that the two digital monsters were able to chase away the vines with their attacks. He didn't see Gennai walk up behind him and observe their triumph.
" Good, work, Digidestined, I see you're going to work well. But you, Garuru, need to learn to change all the way or you'll never be able to battle like the others. ", the old man implied in a solemn voice. Matt looked at him with a silencing glare, trying to silently tell him that he hadn't been able to tell his son everything.
" What are you talking about? I thought….. I mean, there's more than just claws and fangs when I do this? ", he replied hesitantly, holding out his hands. Laura gasped to see that his eyes were red, he had long sharp fangs, and merciless claws on his fingers. " I don't understand, what's going on? "
" Darien, I was trying to tell you that your mother….. She was half digimon. You're part digimon. That's why you can do that. ", the former bearer of Friendship explained in a gush of words. " I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but your mother said it would just make you question who you were, and you'd just want to be normal, so we never told you. I'm so sorry. "
" So, you're telling me that I'm part digital monster? That I'm not completely human, and that I can digievolve? ", Garuru whispered softly, staring at his now normal hands. " That's why people at school think I'm some sort of monster, because I can't control this and it'll never go away? I-I-I- "
" Darien…. ", Yamato started, but his son backed away. There were tears in his now fierce gaze as he kept moving towards the forest. He shook his head of brown hair in disbelief and turned on his heels. With that, he began to run.
* * *
' I can't believe he never told me! How could he do that to me? How could they keep something like that from me? Didn't I deserve to know sooner? I mean, if I had, maybe I wouldn't have transformed in front of Scott and his friends and then I could've had a normal high school life! ', he thought as he ran. He didn't know where he was going, he just knew he couldn't stay there. ' If I had known, I wouldn't have gotten into all those fight, I would've been a nice guy, I could've been the real me, even in front of all my classmates. How could he do this to me? Didn't he care? '
His breath was slowly becoming shorter and shorter as he pushed himself to the peak of his record speed. Every muscle in his body screamed, but he ignored it and kept going, not slowing for an instant. It was as if there were demons on his heals, and to him, there were, for they were the demons in his heart. He kept running until he could take no more of any of it. He slid to a stop as he fell forward holding his head as if he were in real pain. A heart-wrenching sob escaped his throat as he finally broke down, just like he had in the alley in the real world. There was something he couldn't see or feel, or even understand, yet it was torturing him from the inside and then out. His world seemed to be spiraling downward suddenly.
" It's not fair…. ", he whispered in between sobs. He closed his eyes as if to shut out everything else around him. " I didn't deserve this, any of it. "
" I know, Garuru. Robbie just told me all that he could. Why didn't you tell me about what Scott was doing to you? ", a voice he knew remarked as a hand placed itself on his shoulder from behind. " I could've done something to…. "
" I had to deal with it myself! ", Darien snapped, knowing it was his father offering him comfort. He wouldn't even look at him. There was something about the fact that Yamato had kept such an important secret from him made the young man very angry. " I can't expect you to protect me my whole life! "
" I'm your father, Darien, I'm always gonna be there for you. And Robbie told me that Scott came at you with a knife once, just to see how you'd react. How can you be so sure you can 'handle' him? ", Matt demanded sounding annoyed with his son's attitude towards him. " He could've killed you, son! "
" And you think I don't know that? Dad, I've been living with people thinking I'm some sort of monster ever since I started to be able to change, and that happened a little after mom died! ", He cried, pulling away as he turned to face him. Tears were once again streaming down his cheeks. " Why didn't you tell me back then? Was I too stupid to know? Did you think I would've gone nuts? "
" No! I was just afraid you'd react like your mother did when she found out. She tried to divorce me, Darien. She found out a month after we were married that she was part Digital monster, and she thought that if I knew I'd leave her. ", the former bearer of Friendship explained, his tone desperate. " She thought that it would be better if she just divorced me before I could hurt her, but I was able to get it out of her. We worked past it together, and I didn't want you to think I loved you any less because of you physiology. I guess I just got scared of what you'd do. "
" I miss her. If she were here right now, she'd tell em that everything was gonna be all right, and that she'd always be there whenever I needed someone. God, I wish she were here right now. ", Darien said softly after a moment, his weird Garuru-blue eyes fixated on the green grass. He looked as if he were going to break down again. " It's not fair, she didn't deserve to die, no one does. "
" I know. ", the blonde man assured him in the same hushed voice. His son then looked up at him, and for the first time in a long time, there was no ice in his signature stare, no walls to hold him back. Garuru threw his arms around him, and Yamato embraced the boy tightly, trying to hold back his own tears of pain.
" The others are gonna worry. " Neither of them had moved, or spoken in a few minutes, and when Darien had finally pulled away he'd been able to recompose himself. His tone was blank, unreadable, and he moved swiftly back the way he'd come moments ago. Matt followed him, feeling as if a weight had lifted off of him.
Robbie was glad to se his friend when they returned to Gennai's home. He introduced his Digimon as Ikwamon, and told him about that he'd been given the Crest of Trust. Darien congratulated him, and was happy to meet the rookie digimon that he'd be working with soon enough. Gennai was happy to see the boy's mood had changed, and he gave an approving smile to Matt.
" Darien, I'm sorry about the way I treated you. I mean, I didn't even know what you're really like. I shouldn't have said what I did, and I just want you to know how bad I feel about it. ", Laura started as she stepped forward.
" Laura has the Crest of Compassion. ", Rob informed him. " Cool, huh? "
" That's great. ", the brunette grinned weakly, trying to act as stable as he could appear. He didn't want either of the new Digidestined to know how he truly felt, he'd already freaked out enough on them. " I'm sorry about earlier when I ran off. I guess this was just too much for me today, but it won't happen again. "
" Darien, before you leave I must give you your crest. Come over here. ", Gennai instructed the young man. As the boy walked over to him, he pulled out a tag for the last chosen child and it glimmered it the light from the window. Garuru stood before him now, taller by over a foot. " Darien Ishida, no one but you deserves this crest, for it is a rare thing indeed to hold this virtue close to your heart and not let it be tainted by the evils of temptation. Yours is the Crest of Justice. "
" Justice? ", he whispered as the tag was draped around his neck and began to glow with a ruby red light. The others were silent, unsure of what to make of this. Matt put a hand on his son's shoulder, his face beaming with pride.
" Gennai told me that the Crest of Justice is the most powerful of them all. It was prophesized to be the weapon that the Digital world had kept in the reserves to battle the most powerful evil of all. ", the former Guardian of Friendship told him with a knowing smile. " I know that it's a perfect match with your heart. "
" There's not much more I am allowed to tell you, Digidestined, for this is one battle you'll have to fight together, or both worlds are doomed. You have to have faith in each other and if you can't work together than everyone will fail. ", the old man went on as he once again took a seat. " There isn't much time before your enemy will strike. You must work as a team before he can defeat you. "
" You can count on us! ", Robbie implied enthusiastically. Ikwamon gave him a cheer of agreement as he threw his fist into the air. Darien almost laughed.
" We'd better get moving. Gennai said that the evil was more likely to strike in the real world, so we need to get to the portal before it closes for the night. ", Laura reasoned as she set Gatomon on her shoulder. " Mr. Ishida, will you be coming with us? I mean, you have to get home too, right? "
" No, kids, I promised Gennai I'd stay for a while and help him out. Besides, Davis and Tai are waiting for you with Izzy at the other side of the gate. They're gonna help you out as much as they can when you arrive. ", Yamato said shaking his head of wild blonde hair. " Good luck, Digidestined. I'm proud of you, Darien. "
" I know, Dad. ", the boy told him with a weak grin.
" Now get going! ", Gennai shouted impatiently.
* * *
" So, you go to a school in our district, and you've heard about Darien form a bunch of people who transferred? ", Rob questioned as they walked along. It has been his idea that if they were going to be a team they had to know as much as they could about each other. He'd been questioning Laura ever since they'd left.
" Yeah, from Billy Grogan and Mark Tointo. ", the red headed girl nodded with a solemn look. " They never did tell me why they transferred though. "
" I broke Billy's arm and then I shattered Mark's ankles. ", Garuru informed her, a smug grin on his face. She gasped. " Don't look so shocked, I had to defend myself from creeps like them, especially when they'd attack me in groups. "
" Why did they go after you? What Robbie told your dad made it sound like they always came after you, not the other way around. Did you ever do anything to them? ", the bearer of Compassion asked curiously, her green eyes looked worried.
" I never did anything but defend myself. ", he said blankly, trying to hold back the horrible memories. " I didn't provoke them, or challenge them, or even speak to them unless they did it first. I refused to give them anything that they could use against me. Ask Robbie, I had to be very careful or they'd have me cornered. "
" God this guys a fighter. He took classes from guys off the streets when he was in fifth grade! He could take five guys and not work up a sweat in about three minutes, and all I can do is figure out stuff on the computer! ", the Guardian of Trust remarked shaking his head. " You wouldn't believe what this guy can do! "
" Well, then, permit me to test out his skills, Digidestined! ", a sneering voice said from an unknown location. The three kids and two digimon turned in every direction looking for where the voice had come from. Before they could do anything about it, vines wrapped around the two digital monsters and squeezed them tight. Laura reacted first leaping at the plant that held her companion.
" Let her go! ", she cried angrily, trying to tear it off.
" Foolish child. ", the voice commented with a dry laugh that echoed in the chosen children's ears and off the trees. " You dare challenge me? I am the destined lord of the Digiworld, the only one worthy of being called master! And you, a mere little girl have the nerve to challenge me with your bare hands? How pathetic! "
A green tentacle snatched her up before Rob could move her out of the way. Ikwamon tried to use his attack to free the others, but it was no use, for one of the vines wrapped around his mouth so he would be unable to fire. The blonde boy attempted to tear the vine form around his digimon while Garuru was dodging the tentacles trying to capture him. Robbie was struck by the plant and caught before he hit the ground, his head spinning in a daze of confusion.
" Darien, look out! ", Laura warned the only one of her friends that was still free. The brunette boy jumped out of the way of more of the violent vegetation and ended up doing a summersault to get back up on his feet. He concentrated hard and once again he had red eyes, claws, and fangs, but then the transformation stopped. When the next vine came at him, he sliced right through it angrily.
" Show yourself, you coward! ", the new bearer of Justice shouted into the forest around him. " Unless you're afraid of me too! "
" I don't fear you, half-n-half little creature, and why should I? You have no power to fight me with. Meet your master, boy. ", the voice said as a figure appeared from the shadow. He looked almost human, but his skin was green and his red hair reminded the children of autumn leaves. He stood on a giant leaf that moved on vines that acted like legs, and off the leaf was where the tentacles were coming from. " I, am Botnimon, and soon I will rule the digital world, my little foe. "
" You don't stand a chance against us! ", Darien yelled firmly.
" And who exactly would you be referring to, bearer of Justice? I have all five of your companions right here. ", the teenage plant monster replied snidely a smirk on his face. " And I think I'll take care of them right now! "
His vines instantly began to tighten their grip on Garuru's friends. They cried out in pain trying to get away, but that only made the plant squeeze even more. Darien could only watch helplessly for when Robbie had first cried out, two vines had been able to grab the brunette boy's wrists to restrain him.
' I can't just let him hurt them, but what can I do? I can't get to them, and even if I could, Botnimon's right, I don't have anyway to help them. ', the Guardian of Justice thought miserably. ' I wish that I could digievolve completely, but I've never done it before and because of that my fiends are gonna die. '
A red light suddenly erupted as he screamed. " Noooooooo! "
To be continued:
( Okay, so what do you guys think? Was it too much? Should I keep going? If I don't get any replies from you guys I think I'll stop this one, so please review! )