DISCLAIMER: Toei, Bandai, and Saban owns Digimon.
OK, I THOUGHT I was free from the shackles of school for at least one week but I guess I was asking for too much. Two huge essays and I finally finished them. And I know I said somewhere my fics will be out in one week...SORRY but school (unfortunely) has to come first I guess (or, as I would like to put it, so I can survive the wrath of my parents by avoiding F's). So "Nightmare Soldiers" had to be delayed as well. And school isn't the only holding me back, I'm finally making a web site and it's taking a lot of my time. I'll tell you when it's finished cause I know I'll need to mention it everywhere to get visitors ^_^. Well, I think that covers my lateness.
WARNING: Shounen ai (boy's love) AND some parts in this fic is from the season 02 side plots. Why do I use these? Well it's a way of having some connection with the show in general (but with my own twists of course) to keep this a fic a DIGIMON fic and makes it seem as if this could (or would) actually happen in a Digi-episode. Oh, and violence, in the form of blood and gore I guess, is in here and those of you who love a certain digimon-that-shall-remain-nameless-cause-if-I- told-then-there's-no-point-in-reading-this-part, a hanky is advised.
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"Revelation 7-Goodbye"
By Cloud Ishida
Laughter and reminicence echoed through the air. Past, present and future stories sharing one moment in time. Yamato and Midori smiled for each other as they have never done before. They joined the sleeping Kaiser and Wormmon with Gabumon watching over them. Gabumon had no idea what the two were talking about but the sight of them being in the state of happiness was all he needed to know. Midori fiddled with the stone pendent Yamato had given back; the gift from three years ago.
An eye twitched. The Kaiser slowly opened his eyes and took him a long time to adjust to the sunlight. He felt something heavy on him and his landed on the source of the heaviness. Wormmon, nuzzled against his stomach, continued to slumber in peace. "Wormmon..." The pale blue eyes soften at the sight of the digimon. He was still wrapped up in bandages like a mummy, but the expression on his green face was peace.
"Sorry, did we wake you?" The Kaiser was greeted with a broad smile from the boy with golden hair and cerulean eyes. "I guess we laugh a little too loud." Yamato pointed down to the now awaking Wormmon. "Do you two feel better?"
Despite the ache in his arm and a headache that didn't stop since the encounter at his lair, Ken smiled affectionately back to the blonde and the black-haired girl. "No, no. Just a...dream." His pale eyes faltered a bit, a memory from long ago. The gloved hand reached automatically for the green digimon and Wormmon happily accepted the touch.
"It must've been a nightmare with that look on you're face. Do you want to talk about it?" Midori offered. Her face was absent of depression. Looking at her now, one wouldn't believe she hated her existence altogether.
The Kaiser looked down in silence but unexpectedly met with the blue eyes of Wormmon, "Go ahead Master. It's not healthy to hide everything in life." The voice spoke with absolute innocence that it was impossible to refuse by those who heard it. "You don't have to be sad all by yourself."
Ken flinched from the small digimon. He unraveled the bandage encasing Wormmon and gasped at the marks, red slashes all over his body. The red scabs clashed with the smooth green skin. The boy felt his eyes swelling with something warm. He lifted the digimon closer to his chest and captured him in an embrace. After all the pain and misery, after all the scars and sacrifices he forced on him, Wormmon stood by his side. Talked when he needed it. Cuddled when he needed to feel warmth of another. Cried when he cried. Lived for him, and only him.
Yamato and Midori had meloncholic smiles where their laughter used to be. They could see something. A change was happening in the young emperor's heart; a change that should have occured a long time ago. Yamato wrapped his arms around the two broken souls and Midori wrapped hers around the three. Gabumon watched in puzzlement but soon took part in the big group hug, "I don't know why everyone's hugging but I'll join in anyway." Yamato chuckled at Gabumon's remark. He was glad to have someone like Gabumon at his side.
"Osamu." A voice spoke.
"Huh?" Yamato asked.
Ken sniffed, "...Osamu. He was my older brother. Died when I was young." He clutched Wormmon harder.
Midori leaned in closer, "Is that what you were dreaming about?" Her voice was soft and patient.
A long silence then Ken started again, "He was the smartest, the best, the perfect...the untouchable one. That's what he thought." Wormmon nuzzled under Ken's chin, "He was much like me today. Pride, smart and 'perfect'. But that was probably what killed him."
"What do you mean?" the blonde was getting curious.
"He thought I was a nusciance, a nobody. Imperfect in everyway. And I believed him. And I wished for him to go away but..." Tears dropped on the green digimon's head. "...but I didn't want him to die.....my wish made him die..."
"No you didn't. You may have thought it but your heart didn't. It you truely meant it, you wouldn't be crying now." Midori rubbed Ken's back, trying to comfort him.
"She's right. It was just an accident, what ever it was that happened." Yamato brushed the band of hair obscuring Ken's eyes and found them staring right back at him. Slowly, Ken leaned towards the blonde, resting his head against his chest like before. This time, Yamato blushed and slight panic rushed into his face. He looked up to catch Midori's smile on both of them. Not being able to refuse the asking of comfort, Yamato took over Midori's hand and rubbed Ken's back for her. That seemed to stop the tears flowing. All of them didn't see the Crest of Friendship glowing around Ken's neck.
A imaged flashed in his mind. Yamato remembered seeing two boys, one looking like the Kaiser, when the beams of light serged between Ken, Midori and himself at the Kaiser's lair. "Did you're brother wear glasses?" Ken nodded with eyes closed. "Did...he look like you? As the Kaiser?" The boy nodded again.
"How did you know?" Midori asked.
"....I'm not sure. I saw something, when we were back at the Kaiser's castle. Two boys, and a black-haired...girl....." The blue eyes stared at the girl. Midori just blinked. So then the girl I saw was?... "...Nevermind. It's noth--"
"RIVER OF POWER!"
Midori jumped up with scythe in hand, "What the hell was that?!"
"GRISLY WING!!"
The voice was all too familiar with the group, "Itami..." Midori whispered.
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"FIRE ROCKET!" FlameDramon dashed against Itami but the speed the boy displayed was beyond belief.
"Oh please. Is this the best you can do?" The frankenstein of a monster mocked the digimon and the Digidestined. The latter was losing hard. "If I knew it was this easy to kill you all then I wouldn't have needed the Kaiser." He aimed another shot of Giga Cannon on Piedmon. The grazed against the dark clown; his reflexes slowed down from his injuries. "You're getting soft Piedmon. If you had let me have the powers of the Kaiser in the first place all this wouldn't be happening. Oh well, this is more fun anyways, PUPPET PUMMEL!!"
"MIND DRAIN!" The shower of energy balls gathered in the black glove of Scythemon, "PUPPET PUMMEL!" She threw back the attack faster than the original but Itami easily avoided it.
"It's about time you three decided to join us." Itami referred to Scythemon, Yamato and the Kaiser leaning on him. Wormmon was in his arms while MetalGarurumon took up the front. "Ken." He pointed his metal finger at the Kaiser, "You should have killed, or at least wounded them severely by now but here you are, getting mushy with the enemy. How disgusting can you get?"
"We finish it here and now Itami! This will be the last!" Scythemon sprinted towards the floating hybrid and raised her scythe.
Itami lowered himself to the ground, licking his lips in anticipation for the bloodshed, "You're right about one thing Midori. This will be the end, for one of us. The question is, for who?"
Scythemon raged against Itami, leaping scythe down on him. Itami caught the blade in his metal hand, lashing out his tails at the opening in Scythemon's attack.
Taichi and the others reached to Yamato and Ken, still holding Wormmon. "Are you alright?" Taichi gripped Yamato's shoulders but the blonde just nodded back. Daisuke took the other side of the Kaiser and all watched the battle between the ex-Darkdestined.
"FlameDramon, lead the others to help Scythemon!" Daisuke ordered his digimon and FlameDramon complied. Taking all the digimon minus Piedmon, the seven digimon ran and flew straight to the heat of battle.
Scythemon slashed at Itami, but the boy seemed to enjoy the blood being splatterd over the ground, "Is that suppose to hurt? I'm not named 'Itami' for nothing! BLOODY STREAM!!" Myotismon's whip attack entangled around her neck and threw her across the rocky ground. She slowly got up, her mind still spinnig from the attack. "Don't tell me it's over already."
"GOLD RUSH!" Digmon unleashed a flurry of drill spikes but each was destroyed by the accurate shots of the Giga Cannon. Wave after wave of attacks from Shurimon, FlameDramon, Nefertimon, Pegasusmon, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon covered the skies but none could even come close to him.
"Enough of this foolishness! If you, Ken, won't join me, then I'll kill you with these imbeciles!" Itami raised his metal arm once more, aiming directly at the faltering boy. "INFINITY CA---!!"
A giant blade pierced through his chest. The giant scythe stuck through the flesh and metal, sparks and blood flying everywhere. "Not this time..." Scythemon heaved out.
Itami stared down at the blade sticking out of his own body. The heavy weapon started to slide down, cutting more flesh along the way. He gripped the metal petruding out of his chest with the Devimon hand, and did something unexpected.
He laughed.
He laughed out loud at the top of his lungs. A touch of insanity echoing throught the wind. "That tickled. You don't have the strength to defeat me just the way you are." He turned back to his target, "INFINITY CANNON!!" The ray of light pierced through the digimon's defenses and headed straight for Ken. The speed was amazing with next to no time for double-glances.
But Yamato did the only thing that came to mind. He pushed Ken and Daisuke out of the way, making himself the target of the light of death. Ken screamed for him to move out of the way and clung onto Yamato. The blonde tried to knock him back but it was too late.
The light shattered in front of them. The light didn't even touch the two. But it reached a soul too fragile to withstand such an attack.
Crimson splattered everywhere upon impact.
The body flew on Ken, shoving him onto the ground.
The sight of the body filled his eyes in devastated tears.
Laying on his chest, the blood flowing non-stop, Wormmon looked up to his friend with half-closed eyes.
Lips moved in slow-motion, "K..en.....ar...yo.........a...ri...t.....?..."
Ken was too scared to hold the dying digimon, too afraid his embrace would break him. Yamato stared in disbelief as did the others.
It was too unreal. This couldn't have happened. This is just a dream.
But it wasn't.
All that was heard was swearing coming from Itami, "Damn it! Stupid worm!" Midori couldn't take her eyes off the fallen angels, Wormmon dying in Ken's arms. Itami noticed her trance and took full advantage of it. He ripped out the scythe from his chest and raised it against Scythemon, "I'll deal with you in a moment." In a single swipe, Itami stabbed through her shoulder, the impact knocking her to the ground. The blade sunk halfway through the ground, pinning Scythemon to the crimson coloured rocks. "Wait for me." Itami flew in one leap to the children.
Yamato couldn't stand seeing the sight of the two covered in blood. He turned away only to meet the source of the misery behind him. "You bastard!!" Yamato took a swing at Itami who easily caught his fist in the giant black hands.
Itami countered with a blow to the stomach with his metal fist smashing the blonde and knocked him against the paralyzed Taichi. "Don't push your luck." He unleashed another Bloody Stream and propelled all but Ken and Wormmon away from him. Sneering down at the still flinched Kaiser, he bent down and lifted the limp worm by the head. "Stupid indeed."
Ken reached up to the body above him, still dripping blood on his oversoaked clothes, "No, please...let him go....."
Emotionless, Itami answered by throwing the green body to the ground beside Ken. The boy winced at the sound of flesh meeting rock. Wormmon still managed to open his eyes just barely, and smiled at his friend crying for him, "Do..t..cry....Ken...........be...ha...py.....f.r..---"
The monster chimera's foot slammed down on the limp carcass. Blood spray painted the ground and Ken's face. Yamato was left blank.
Midori witnessed everything from the corner of her eye. Her face frozen from the act. She reached inside her suit, revealing the mask of the dark leader of the Digital World. "If I'm not strong enough,...." With that, she slipped on the mask.
Ken cried, curled up beside the crushed body of his friend. The Crest of Friendship illuminated the two. "What?!" Itami was blinded from the sudden turn of events.
As the boy sobbed, bit by bit, his clothes started to shatter into data. Each and every piece that represented the Kaiser disappated; all except an armlet. All the dust of the remaments of the dark emperor gathered in the air, leaving behind Ken's grey school uniform. The dust of data flew across the sky and the light of the Crest of Friendship disappeared with it. Now lying on the ground, crying and holding the remains and whispering a word, "...Osamu...." Ken Ichijouji lied in place of the Digimon Kaiser.
"What ever that was, it won't help you now." Itami raised his giant black hand for the final blow, but something wrapped around his arm. A sudden pull propelled him across the air and slid on the rocky surface, much like how he threw Scythemon before. Regaining his composure, he followed the thick, black rope to the source of the attack.
The rope ended to a blue and gold handle, held by a black gloved hand and an equally black hair flowing in the wind. The figure wore the uniform of the Digimon Kaiser with the golden mask over the face. But the voice gave way to the identiy, "Big mistake." She unraveled the whip from his arm. The scythe she held before morphed in the blue and gold whip, snapping it back and forth.
Itami smirked, knowing the identity, "Midori, the new Digimon Kaiser at last. It's about time." Waisting no time, he open his wings wide and released a flurry of black bats, "GRISELY WING!" Midori countered with her quick actions with the whip. All the bats dematerialized with every snap of the leather rope.
With the last bat turned to dust, Midori initiated her own attack, lashing out her whip once again, but not at Itami. The whip extended towards the digimon standing in awe. The whip wrapped around FlameDramon and dragged him over on one pull with ease. Her strength trippled from the last time she fought. Grabbing the blue dragon's collar, without the use of her magic words, she Soul Drained FlameDramon until he reverted back to Veemon and fell limp to the ground.
"Veemon!" Daisuke shouted after him but Hikari and Iori held him back. Yamato couldn't believe what he was seeing. His friend grieving over his loss and the other, in the clothes of a Kaiser, using allies as toys. The fear of Midori becoming the Kaiser had come true. Takeru ran to his brother and helped him up to his feet. He saw the mourning in his eyes but there was no time for consolidation. Looking back at Ken, Yamato walked down towards him and the pile of blood.
The new Digimon Kaiser was now endowed with the exact armour of FlameDramon, claws spread at Itami, "Oooh scary. I'm assuming you want revenge for me killing that pitiful excuse of a digimon?" Itami continued to tease.
Midori kept silent, screaming only words that were needed, "DARK FIRE ROCKET!" She charged at the chimera monster with unexpected speed and agility. The flaming claws tore at the wound in his chest but Itami continued to laugh in insanity. "SHUT UP!!!" Midori caught the boy's head between her claws and threw him like a rag doll an a sharp, pointed boulder. The jagged earth sliced through his back, bones cracking upon impact. He continued to laugh with no sign of death appearing. No matter how many wounds inflicted, Itami continued to fight as if he was 100% healthy. "Why can't you just die?! FIREWALL!!" Midori smashed her claws into the ground and a trail of black fire released from it, surrounding the insane boy.
Daisuke, his worry taking over, pulled Miyako by the arm and started to run after his fallen digimon, "Miyako, get Halsemon to fly me to V-mon!" She didn't hesitate to carry out the request and both were riding like the wind in no time.
The heat was immense inside the pillar of fire but Itami shrugged it off, "Is this the best you can do? BANANA SPLIT!!" (Cloud:-_-; I hate the way that sounded but it IS MetalEtamon's attack.) The iron punch did nothing to slow down the black flames. His metal hand was scorched and on the verge of melting.
"Wait a minute," Daisuke wondered while riding with Miyako on Halsemon to Veemon, "FlameDramon doesn't know that 'Firewall' attack!"
Seeing this as his chance, Pegasusmon flew to the sky and spread his wings wide, "STAR SHOWER!!" The shining projectiles were right on target but burned up before they could even touch the flames.
"I guess she can make her own attacks with that power of hers...And it looks like she made an actual firewall to prevent other data to pass through." Miyako's computer knowledge shone through. "At any rate, get Veemon and let's fly out of here!"
They reached the blue digimon who finally woke to consciousness, "Whoa, I feel like a Tyrannomon hit me on the side of my head..." Daisuke lifted him up Veemon in his arms and made their way back to the others.
From the sky, the battle below was in a standstill. Itami was still trapped in the Firewall, Midori seemed to look as she was meditating, blood flooded the earth and the children and digimon petrified by the sight. Everything was still like a photograph, destined to be lost in the flow of time.
Ken held what was left of Wormmon in his arms, but he felt the weight of his friend slowly fading into the sky. Everything about Wormmon was dissolving. Flesh turning to data, the feeling of warm skin against the sobbing boy was gone. No blood was left, no pieces of flesh lying on the ground. Ken wrapped his arms around himself, already missing the warmth and love he had felt for too short of a time. But another warmth took over where Wormmon left off. Yamato sheltered the boy in his arms, seeing the familiar face of grief in the smaller boy. Takeru cried when Angemon faded into the night in the fight with Devimon, and his heart ached by seeing that tearful face. No words left his lips but Yamato felt hands gripping his sleeves. Ken welcomed the compassion, and didn't dare let go. Yamato continued to hold, but his eyes drew towards the girl in the Kaiser uniform.
On her knees, as if in a prayer, and head slumped forward, Yamato wished he knew what was going through her head. After all the fear of becoming the Kaiser, protecting friends and themselves, she had become everything she wanted to avoid. The legacy of the Digimon Kaiser was passed down.
Piedmon, Hikari, Iori and Takeru's eyes were anticipating the next attack with their eyes glued on the two soldiers, but Taichi's gazed elsewhere. His soft brown eyes landed on two blue-eyed boys, intertwined in each others' arms. Taichi said nothing, but in that moment, he felt something serge in his heart. A kind of pain that comes to those who lack what others have...
....jealousy?
Everything was silent except for the sound of the dancing flames; but that silence was broken by the rumble under Midori. Shattering through the rocky earth, a giant black hand grabbed Midori's arm and a black electrical glow sparked, followed by a chant from the Firewall, "TOUCH OF EVIL!!" The hand of Devimon flashed into a bright, blue light, encasing Midori in it. Shouts of pain vibrated the air. The pillar of fire started to lose its light, flickering back and forth in rhythm with Midori's screams until the fire disappeared. Standing in its place, Itami's black arm was buried underneath, with the same smirk as before decorating his face. In bewilderment, all but Midori saw no scratches on the hybrid boy. No blood bled, no slashes to be swollen, no bruises or holes in his chest. It was as if the battle before never happened.
Midori felt her mind being ripped apart by the dark power surging through her body. But she wouldn't lose like this. With the pain surging, the armour of FlameDramon faded to data. Having the strength for one final attack, Midori took her whip with the free hand and snapped the leather rope out towards Itami. It wrapped around his neck, sealing him off of air. Itami released his hand from Midori's arm and snatched her collar. With both hands free, she pulled on the whip with all her might, strangling him to release her. The black claws lost its grip and retracted as a fist back to its original length.
Feeling her strength fading, Midori dropped her whip, gripping her head in confusion. Itami, coughing and wheezing to catch his breath, spread his black wings wide and took to the sky, "This isn't over!" He disappeared into the clouds.
Itami may have retreated in defeat, but the damage he left behind was done.
Midori's eyes glowed red behind the mask, a smirk creasing her face. She let go of her head and retrieved her whip. And a giggle echoed. A cackle. An insane laughter. She slowly turned around, facing the flinched audience of human and digimon staring back.
It seems Devimon's deadly attack can work on humans as well.
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Itami rubbed his neck as he glided on the warm air. He lost the battle, but the war was far from over. He had gained a valuable asset that would turn the tides of war. Midori didn't notice that the one thing her life depended on ripped away from her. Dangling from his long, black finger, the Crest of Loneliness sparkled in the sunlight.
"It looks like your life is finally in my hand." Itami chuckled through the crystal blue sky.
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I'M SORRY FOR KILLING WORMMON LIKE THAT!!!!!! But I thought it was a good way to put Itami in a bad spotlight and show Wormmon's loyalty and over all sweet nature at the same time. Well, how is the fic turning out? I want to write more but again, I have school term finals to study for so please be patient with me. I've put out two fics this time to make up for missing time (the other being "Nightmare Soldiers"). Well, looks like I better hit the books or I'll be seeing F's decorating my report card _ Oh and by the way, "Itami" in Japanese means "pain". That's what he meant when he said he isn't named Itami for nothing.
Reviewing is good. Flaming is bad. Reviews make me happy. Please review...pretty please?
OK, I THOUGHT I was free from the shackles of school for at least one week but I guess I was asking for too much. Two huge essays and I finally finished them. And I know I said somewhere my fics will be out in one week...SORRY but school (unfortunely) has to come first I guess (or, as I would like to put it, so I can survive the wrath of my parents by avoiding F's). So "Nightmare Soldiers" had to be delayed as well. And school isn't the only holding me back, I'm finally making a web site and it's taking a lot of my time. I'll tell you when it's finished cause I know I'll need to mention it everywhere to get visitors ^_^. Well, I think that covers my lateness.
WARNING: Shounen ai (boy's love) AND some parts in this fic is from the season 02 side plots. Why do I use these? Well it's a way of having some connection with the show in general (but with my own twists of course) to keep this a fic a DIGIMON fic and makes it seem as if this could (or would) actually happen in a Digi-episode. Oh, and violence, in the form of blood and gore I guess, is in here and those of you who love a certain digimon-that-shall-remain-nameless-cause-if-I- told-then-there's-no-point-in-reading-this-part, a hanky is advised.
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"Revelation 7-Goodbye"
By Cloud Ishida
Laughter and reminicence echoed through the air. Past, present and future stories sharing one moment in time. Yamato and Midori smiled for each other as they have never done before. They joined the sleeping Kaiser and Wormmon with Gabumon watching over them. Gabumon had no idea what the two were talking about but the sight of them being in the state of happiness was all he needed to know. Midori fiddled with the stone pendent Yamato had given back; the gift from three years ago.
An eye twitched. The Kaiser slowly opened his eyes and took him a long time to adjust to the sunlight. He felt something heavy on him and his landed on the source of the heaviness. Wormmon, nuzzled against his stomach, continued to slumber in peace. "Wormmon..." The pale blue eyes soften at the sight of the digimon. He was still wrapped up in bandages like a mummy, but the expression on his green face was peace.
"Sorry, did we wake you?" The Kaiser was greeted with a broad smile from the boy with golden hair and cerulean eyes. "I guess we laugh a little too loud." Yamato pointed down to the now awaking Wormmon. "Do you two feel better?"
Despite the ache in his arm and a headache that didn't stop since the encounter at his lair, Ken smiled affectionately back to the blonde and the black-haired girl. "No, no. Just a...dream." His pale eyes faltered a bit, a memory from long ago. The gloved hand reached automatically for the green digimon and Wormmon happily accepted the touch.
"It must've been a nightmare with that look on you're face. Do you want to talk about it?" Midori offered. Her face was absent of depression. Looking at her now, one wouldn't believe she hated her existence altogether.
The Kaiser looked down in silence but unexpectedly met with the blue eyes of Wormmon, "Go ahead Master. It's not healthy to hide everything in life." The voice spoke with absolute innocence that it was impossible to refuse by those who heard it. "You don't have to be sad all by yourself."
Ken flinched from the small digimon. He unraveled the bandage encasing Wormmon and gasped at the marks, red slashes all over his body. The red scabs clashed with the smooth green skin. The boy felt his eyes swelling with something warm. He lifted the digimon closer to his chest and captured him in an embrace. After all the pain and misery, after all the scars and sacrifices he forced on him, Wormmon stood by his side. Talked when he needed it. Cuddled when he needed to feel warmth of another. Cried when he cried. Lived for him, and only him.
Yamato and Midori had meloncholic smiles where their laughter used to be. They could see something. A change was happening in the young emperor's heart; a change that should have occured a long time ago. Yamato wrapped his arms around the two broken souls and Midori wrapped hers around the three. Gabumon watched in puzzlement but soon took part in the big group hug, "I don't know why everyone's hugging but I'll join in anyway." Yamato chuckled at Gabumon's remark. He was glad to have someone like Gabumon at his side.
"Osamu." A voice spoke.
"Huh?" Yamato asked.
Ken sniffed, "...Osamu. He was my older brother. Died when I was young." He clutched Wormmon harder.
Midori leaned in closer, "Is that what you were dreaming about?" Her voice was soft and patient.
A long silence then Ken started again, "He was the smartest, the best, the perfect...the untouchable one. That's what he thought." Wormmon nuzzled under Ken's chin, "He was much like me today. Pride, smart and 'perfect'. But that was probably what killed him."
"What do you mean?" the blonde was getting curious.
"He thought I was a nusciance, a nobody. Imperfect in everyway. And I believed him. And I wished for him to go away but..." Tears dropped on the green digimon's head. "...but I didn't want him to die.....my wish made him die..."
"No you didn't. You may have thought it but your heart didn't. It you truely meant it, you wouldn't be crying now." Midori rubbed Ken's back, trying to comfort him.
"She's right. It was just an accident, what ever it was that happened." Yamato brushed the band of hair obscuring Ken's eyes and found them staring right back at him. Slowly, Ken leaned towards the blonde, resting his head against his chest like before. This time, Yamato blushed and slight panic rushed into his face. He looked up to catch Midori's smile on both of them. Not being able to refuse the asking of comfort, Yamato took over Midori's hand and rubbed Ken's back for her. That seemed to stop the tears flowing. All of them didn't see the Crest of Friendship glowing around Ken's neck.
A imaged flashed in his mind. Yamato remembered seeing two boys, one looking like the Kaiser, when the beams of light serged between Ken, Midori and himself at the Kaiser's lair. "Did you're brother wear glasses?" Ken nodded with eyes closed. "Did...he look like you? As the Kaiser?" The boy nodded again.
"How did you know?" Midori asked.
"....I'm not sure. I saw something, when we were back at the Kaiser's castle. Two boys, and a black-haired...girl....." The blue eyes stared at the girl. Midori just blinked. So then the girl I saw was?... "...Nevermind. It's noth--"
"RIVER OF POWER!"
Midori jumped up with scythe in hand, "What the hell was that?!"
"GRISLY WING!!"
The voice was all too familiar with the group, "Itami..." Midori whispered.
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"FIRE ROCKET!" FlameDramon dashed against Itami but the speed the boy displayed was beyond belief.
"Oh please. Is this the best you can do?" The frankenstein of a monster mocked the digimon and the Digidestined. The latter was losing hard. "If I knew it was this easy to kill you all then I wouldn't have needed the Kaiser." He aimed another shot of Giga Cannon on Piedmon. The grazed against the dark clown; his reflexes slowed down from his injuries. "You're getting soft Piedmon. If you had let me have the powers of the Kaiser in the first place all this wouldn't be happening. Oh well, this is more fun anyways, PUPPET PUMMEL!!"
"MIND DRAIN!" The shower of energy balls gathered in the black glove of Scythemon, "PUPPET PUMMEL!" She threw back the attack faster than the original but Itami easily avoided it.
"It's about time you three decided to join us." Itami referred to Scythemon, Yamato and the Kaiser leaning on him. Wormmon was in his arms while MetalGarurumon took up the front. "Ken." He pointed his metal finger at the Kaiser, "You should have killed, or at least wounded them severely by now but here you are, getting mushy with the enemy. How disgusting can you get?"
"We finish it here and now Itami! This will be the last!" Scythemon sprinted towards the floating hybrid and raised her scythe.
Itami lowered himself to the ground, licking his lips in anticipation for the bloodshed, "You're right about one thing Midori. This will be the end, for one of us. The question is, for who?"
Scythemon raged against Itami, leaping scythe down on him. Itami caught the blade in his metal hand, lashing out his tails at the opening in Scythemon's attack.
Taichi and the others reached to Yamato and Ken, still holding Wormmon. "Are you alright?" Taichi gripped Yamato's shoulders but the blonde just nodded back. Daisuke took the other side of the Kaiser and all watched the battle between the ex-Darkdestined.
"FlameDramon, lead the others to help Scythemon!" Daisuke ordered his digimon and FlameDramon complied. Taking all the digimon minus Piedmon, the seven digimon ran and flew straight to the heat of battle.
Scythemon slashed at Itami, but the boy seemed to enjoy the blood being splatterd over the ground, "Is that suppose to hurt? I'm not named 'Itami' for nothing! BLOODY STREAM!!" Myotismon's whip attack entangled around her neck and threw her across the rocky ground. She slowly got up, her mind still spinnig from the attack. "Don't tell me it's over already."
"GOLD RUSH!" Digmon unleashed a flurry of drill spikes but each was destroyed by the accurate shots of the Giga Cannon. Wave after wave of attacks from Shurimon, FlameDramon, Nefertimon, Pegasusmon, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon covered the skies but none could even come close to him.
"Enough of this foolishness! If you, Ken, won't join me, then I'll kill you with these imbeciles!" Itami raised his metal arm once more, aiming directly at the faltering boy. "INFINITY CA---!!"
A giant blade pierced through his chest. The giant scythe stuck through the flesh and metal, sparks and blood flying everywhere. "Not this time..." Scythemon heaved out.
Itami stared down at the blade sticking out of his own body. The heavy weapon started to slide down, cutting more flesh along the way. He gripped the metal petruding out of his chest with the Devimon hand, and did something unexpected.
He laughed.
He laughed out loud at the top of his lungs. A touch of insanity echoing throught the wind. "That tickled. You don't have the strength to defeat me just the way you are." He turned back to his target, "INFINITY CANNON!!" The ray of light pierced through the digimon's defenses and headed straight for Ken. The speed was amazing with next to no time for double-glances.
But Yamato did the only thing that came to mind. He pushed Ken and Daisuke out of the way, making himself the target of the light of death. Ken screamed for him to move out of the way and clung onto Yamato. The blonde tried to knock him back but it was too late.
The light shattered in front of them. The light didn't even touch the two. But it reached a soul too fragile to withstand such an attack.
Crimson splattered everywhere upon impact.
The body flew on Ken, shoving him onto the ground.
The sight of the body filled his eyes in devastated tears.
Laying on his chest, the blood flowing non-stop, Wormmon looked up to his friend with half-closed eyes.
Lips moved in slow-motion, "K..en.....ar...yo.........a...ri...t.....?..."
Ken was too scared to hold the dying digimon, too afraid his embrace would break him. Yamato stared in disbelief as did the others.
It was too unreal. This couldn't have happened. This is just a dream.
But it wasn't.
All that was heard was swearing coming from Itami, "Damn it! Stupid worm!" Midori couldn't take her eyes off the fallen angels, Wormmon dying in Ken's arms. Itami noticed her trance and took full advantage of it. He ripped out the scythe from his chest and raised it against Scythemon, "I'll deal with you in a moment." In a single swipe, Itami stabbed through her shoulder, the impact knocking her to the ground. The blade sunk halfway through the ground, pinning Scythemon to the crimson coloured rocks. "Wait for me." Itami flew in one leap to the children.
Yamato couldn't stand seeing the sight of the two covered in blood. He turned away only to meet the source of the misery behind him. "You bastard!!" Yamato took a swing at Itami who easily caught his fist in the giant black hands.
Itami countered with a blow to the stomach with his metal fist smashing the blonde and knocked him against the paralyzed Taichi. "Don't push your luck." He unleashed another Bloody Stream and propelled all but Ken and Wormmon away from him. Sneering down at the still flinched Kaiser, he bent down and lifted the limp worm by the head. "Stupid indeed."
Ken reached up to the body above him, still dripping blood on his oversoaked clothes, "No, please...let him go....."
Emotionless, Itami answered by throwing the green body to the ground beside Ken. The boy winced at the sound of flesh meeting rock. Wormmon still managed to open his eyes just barely, and smiled at his friend crying for him, "Do..t..cry....Ken...........be...ha...py.....f.r..---"
The monster chimera's foot slammed down on the limp carcass. Blood spray painted the ground and Ken's face. Yamato was left blank.
Midori witnessed everything from the corner of her eye. Her face frozen from the act. She reached inside her suit, revealing the mask of the dark leader of the Digital World. "If I'm not strong enough,...." With that, she slipped on the mask.
Ken cried, curled up beside the crushed body of his friend. The Crest of Friendship illuminated the two. "What?!" Itami was blinded from the sudden turn of events.
As the boy sobbed, bit by bit, his clothes started to shatter into data. Each and every piece that represented the Kaiser disappated; all except an armlet. All the dust of the remaments of the dark emperor gathered in the air, leaving behind Ken's grey school uniform. The dust of data flew across the sky and the light of the Crest of Friendship disappeared with it. Now lying on the ground, crying and holding the remains and whispering a word, "...Osamu...." Ken Ichijouji lied in place of the Digimon Kaiser.
"What ever that was, it won't help you now." Itami raised his giant black hand for the final blow, but something wrapped around his arm. A sudden pull propelled him across the air and slid on the rocky surface, much like how he threw Scythemon before. Regaining his composure, he followed the thick, black rope to the source of the attack.
The rope ended to a blue and gold handle, held by a black gloved hand and an equally black hair flowing in the wind. The figure wore the uniform of the Digimon Kaiser with the golden mask over the face. But the voice gave way to the identiy, "Big mistake." She unraveled the whip from his arm. The scythe she held before morphed in the blue and gold whip, snapping it back and forth.
Itami smirked, knowing the identity, "Midori, the new Digimon Kaiser at last. It's about time." Waisting no time, he open his wings wide and released a flurry of black bats, "GRISELY WING!" Midori countered with her quick actions with the whip. All the bats dematerialized with every snap of the leather rope.
With the last bat turned to dust, Midori initiated her own attack, lashing out her whip once again, but not at Itami. The whip extended towards the digimon standing in awe. The whip wrapped around FlameDramon and dragged him over on one pull with ease. Her strength trippled from the last time she fought. Grabbing the blue dragon's collar, without the use of her magic words, she Soul Drained FlameDramon until he reverted back to Veemon and fell limp to the ground.
"Veemon!" Daisuke shouted after him but Hikari and Iori held him back. Yamato couldn't believe what he was seeing. His friend grieving over his loss and the other, in the clothes of a Kaiser, using allies as toys. The fear of Midori becoming the Kaiser had come true. Takeru ran to his brother and helped him up to his feet. He saw the mourning in his eyes but there was no time for consolidation. Looking back at Ken, Yamato walked down towards him and the pile of blood.
The new Digimon Kaiser was now endowed with the exact armour of FlameDramon, claws spread at Itami, "Oooh scary. I'm assuming you want revenge for me killing that pitiful excuse of a digimon?" Itami continued to tease.
Midori kept silent, screaming only words that were needed, "DARK FIRE ROCKET!" She charged at the chimera monster with unexpected speed and agility. The flaming claws tore at the wound in his chest but Itami continued to laugh in insanity. "SHUT UP!!!" Midori caught the boy's head between her claws and threw him like a rag doll an a sharp, pointed boulder. The jagged earth sliced through his back, bones cracking upon impact. He continued to laugh with no sign of death appearing. No matter how many wounds inflicted, Itami continued to fight as if he was 100% healthy. "Why can't you just die?! FIREWALL!!" Midori smashed her claws into the ground and a trail of black fire released from it, surrounding the insane boy.
Daisuke, his worry taking over, pulled Miyako by the arm and started to run after his fallen digimon, "Miyako, get Halsemon to fly me to V-mon!" She didn't hesitate to carry out the request and both were riding like the wind in no time.
The heat was immense inside the pillar of fire but Itami shrugged it off, "Is this the best you can do? BANANA SPLIT!!" (Cloud:-_-; I hate the way that sounded but it IS MetalEtamon's attack.) The iron punch did nothing to slow down the black flames. His metal hand was scorched and on the verge of melting.
"Wait a minute," Daisuke wondered while riding with Miyako on Halsemon to Veemon, "FlameDramon doesn't know that 'Firewall' attack!"
Seeing this as his chance, Pegasusmon flew to the sky and spread his wings wide, "STAR SHOWER!!" The shining projectiles were right on target but burned up before they could even touch the flames.
"I guess she can make her own attacks with that power of hers...And it looks like she made an actual firewall to prevent other data to pass through." Miyako's computer knowledge shone through. "At any rate, get Veemon and let's fly out of here!"
They reached the blue digimon who finally woke to consciousness, "Whoa, I feel like a Tyrannomon hit me on the side of my head..." Daisuke lifted him up Veemon in his arms and made their way back to the others.
From the sky, the battle below was in a standstill. Itami was still trapped in the Firewall, Midori seemed to look as she was meditating, blood flooded the earth and the children and digimon petrified by the sight. Everything was still like a photograph, destined to be lost in the flow of time.
Ken held what was left of Wormmon in his arms, but he felt the weight of his friend slowly fading into the sky. Everything about Wormmon was dissolving. Flesh turning to data, the feeling of warm skin against the sobbing boy was gone. No blood was left, no pieces of flesh lying on the ground. Ken wrapped his arms around himself, already missing the warmth and love he had felt for too short of a time. But another warmth took over where Wormmon left off. Yamato sheltered the boy in his arms, seeing the familiar face of grief in the smaller boy. Takeru cried when Angemon faded into the night in the fight with Devimon, and his heart ached by seeing that tearful face. No words left his lips but Yamato felt hands gripping his sleeves. Ken welcomed the compassion, and didn't dare let go. Yamato continued to hold, but his eyes drew towards the girl in the Kaiser uniform.
On her knees, as if in a prayer, and head slumped forward, Yamato wished he knew what was going through her head. After all the fear of becoming the Kaiser, protecting friends and themselves, she had become everything she wanted to avoid. The legacy of the Digimon Kaiser was passed down.
Piedmon, Hikari, Iori and Takeru's eyes were anticipating the next attack with their eyes glued on the two soldiers, but Taichi's gazed elsewhere. His soft brown eyes landed on two blue-eyed boys, intertwined in each others' arms. Taichi said nothing, but in that moment, he felt something serge in his heart. A kind of pain that comes to those who lack what others have...
....jealousy?
Everything was silent except for the sound of the dancing flames; but that silence was broken by the rumble under Midori. Shattering through the rocky earth, a giant black hand grabbed Midori's arm and a black electrical glow sparked, followed by a chant from the Firewall, "TOUCH OF EVIL!!" The hand of Devimon flashed into a bright, blue light, encasing Midori in it. Shouts of pain vibrated the air. The pillar of fire started to lose its light, flickering back and forth in rhythm with Midori's screams until the fire disappeared. Standing in its place, Itami's black arm was buried underneath, with the same smirk as before decorating his face. In bewilderment, all but Midori saw no scratches on the hybrid boy. No blood bled, no slashes to be swollen, no bruises or holes in his chest. It was as if the battle before never happened.
Midori felt her mind being ripped apart by the dark power surging through her body. But she wouldn't lose like this. With the pain surging, the armour of FlameDramon faded to data. Having the strength for one final attack, Midori took her whip with the free hand and snapped the leather rope out towards Itami. It wrapped around his neck, sealing him off of air. Itami released his hand from Midori's arm and snatched her collar. With both hands free, she pulled on the whip with all her might, strangling him to release her. The black claws lost its grip and retracted as a fist back to its original length.
Feeling her strength fading, Midori dropped her whip, gripping her head in confusion. Itami, coughing and wheezing to catch his breath, spread his black wings wide and took to the sky, "This isn't over!" He disappeared into the clouds.
Itami may have retreated in defeat, but the damage he left behind was done.
Midori's eyes glowed red behind the mask, a smirk creasing her face. She let go of her head and retrieved her whip. And a giggle echoed. A cackle. An insane laughter. She slowly turned around, facing the flinched audience of human and digimon staring back.
It seems Devimon's deadly attack can work on humans as well.
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Itami rubbed his neck as he glided on the warm air. He lost the battle, but the war was far from over. He had gained a valuable asset that would turn the tides of war. Midori didn't notice that the one thing her life depended on ripped away from her. Dangling from his long, black finger, the Crest of Loneliness sparkled in the sunlight.
"It looks like your life is finally in my hand." Itami chuckled through the crystal blue sky.
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I'M SORRY FOR KILLING WORMMON LIKE THAT!!!!!! But I thought it was a good way to put Itami in a bad spotlight and show Wormmon's loyalty and over all sweet nature at the same time. Well, how is the fic turning out? I want to write more but again, I have school term finals to study for so please be patient with me. I've put out two fics this time to make up for missing time (the other being "Nightmare Soldiers"). Well, looks like I better hit the books or I'll be seeing F's decorating my report card _ Oh and by the way, "Itami" in Japanese means "pain". That's what he meant when he said he isn't named Itami for nothing.
Reviewing is good. Flaming is bad. Reviews make me happy. Please review...pretty please?