"Resurrection II"
Part Five
(c) November 2000, Ryan Berke
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/
Beta Read by: Thinker, the original creator of the "Resurrection" storyline. Thanks again for giving me permission to do this.
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them! Just please, let me _know_ before you steal them.) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))
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"Oh no..." Sora moaned, "We're too late..."
She was right. Their mission was to save Yami, prevented her from being turned into an instrument of evil. Instead, they'd waited too long, and she'd accepted them. And now, Gazimon was digivolving.
Gazimon, digivolve into ... Fuzzimon!
"Fuzzimon?" Yami asked, skeptical.
"Hey, I didn't choose the name." he replied defensively. "What else did you expect a rabbit to turn into?"
"But still... Fuzzimon?"
"I know..." Gazimon sighed. "Must've been a design flaw in the digivice. But it's better than nothing, right?"
"No _way_ am I gonna gain respect using something called Fuzzimon."
"We'll worry about that later. Right now, we've got other obligations."
"Right." Yami agreed. As a pair, they turned to face the Digidestined. Her, the 8-year-old rebel, he, the shaggy grey wolf. In essence, he was a smaller, shaggier Garurumon. More compact, efficient, and much faster.
Of course, he'd miss the opposable thumbs. Programming would never be the same.
"Get on my back." he barked.
She complied. Awkwardly, she tried to swing one leg over. She failed, and Fuzzimon bowed lower to help her out.
Naturally, the Digidestined did not stand still to wait it out. Given a choice between fighting a bunny-gone-mad, or surviving, they opted to run. A quick smash to a car window, a few wires moved, and Matt was barrelling down the streets of Odaiba in a new Ford Pickup, six kids piled in the back, Mimi in the passenger seat.
"What're we going to do now?" Izzy yelled over the wind.
"We need to stop them." Tai replied, loudly, stating the obvious. "We need to get through to Yami."
"But how? She won't listen to us." Sora pointed out.
Tai's eyes lit up. He opened the rear cab window, gaining access to the front seats. "Matt, head for my house."
"What?" he asked, in disbelief. "That's the _first_ place they'll look for us!"
"Yeah." Tai agreed, "But it's also where we'll find Uncle Hiro."
---------------
"Uncle Hiro!" Tai exclaimed, opening the front door. The others followed him in. "Hey, Unc'!"
No response. Concern crossed Tai's face, and Kari looked like she was going to be sick. Tai tried again, urgently, "Uncle Hiro!"
He sprinted from room to room. Panicked, he checked everywhere: closets, furniture; even under the couch cushions. With no success, he was on the verge of collapse.
Izzy glanced calmly at the kitchen counter. Scrawled in red ink, he saw a note.
Taichi,
I'm not sure what's going on, but I do know Yami's missing. Thanks to you and your family for giving me a place to stay. Now I'm off to find her.
--Hiroshi Yagami
Izzy's brow furroughed. "Tai, you might want to take a look at this."
He grabbed the note, nearly ripping it as he tore it from Izzy's grasp. He read the note faster than he'd ever thought possible.
His face paled, "Everyone, split up, but stay in two's. Decide your groups now. One person, gather search equipment, cell phones and walkie talkies where possible. The other, myself included, are with Matt, for now. He's gonna give us a crash course in grand theft auto.
"Err, scratch that. A _lesson_ in grand theft auto." he weakly cracked a grin, "Let's go."
---------------
"This is fun, Gazimon!" Yami exclaimed. They ran, full tilt, down Main Street, passing the Radio Shack and bent parking meter from the previous days' battles. The wind tore at Yami's hair, sending it flying backwards. Without it's full length in front, she resembled Kari, although maybe a year or so younger. Resembled, but not exact.
Fuzzimon noted that she still wouldn't call him by his new name. But who could blame her?
He stopped, skidding to a halt right outside an abandoned lot.
"What're we gonna do now?" she inquired.
"Last time I checked, your cousin's digimon could evolve one level farther."
"Tai had a digimon?" she asked.
"All the digidestined did. It's what made them so dangerous."
"And why we have to destroy them?" she recalled.
"Exactly." Fuzzimon growled.
"So what does that have to do with us?"
"I'd like to see if I could digivolve again too."
Yami paused. She already had a digimon, and a powerful one at that. She'd definately be noticed, now.
But then, one never could have _too_ much power, could she?
"Okay." she agreed.
"Good." Fuzzimon ordered. "Stand over there by that fence. I'm going to attack you, but don't worry. One of the major digivolving requirements is that the human be in danger. I'll try not to hurt you too much."
"Okay." she replied, nervously. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.
But for the sake of power, she'd do it.
Perfect, Gazimon silently praised himself. If this works, you'll be stronger. If it doesn't, you won't need the girl anyways. It doesn't get much better than this.
Power surging through him, he drew energy from the very base of his diaphragm. Energy built up inside him, in a searing crecendo. Finally, the power became too much, until:
"Lightning Pulse!"
---------------
"Okay." Tai explained, once everyone had returned, "Here's the plan: we need to stop Yami and Gazimon. Yami's just a kid, but with Fuzzimon backing her, she's a dangerous kid. We don't want to hurt her if we have a choice, but in the end we may not."
"She made Gazimon digivolve!" Kari protested, "We can't hurt another digidestined."
"What makes you so sure?" Izzy countered, "Just because we've never met evil digidestined before, doesn't mean they can't exist. Remember when Matt turned on all of us?"
Everyone's face fell, in rememberance. But good-old-reliable Joe was ready to cheer them up, "Yeah. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll have to fight another kid from taking over the digiworld?"
Mimi laughed, "A Digimon Emperor? Yeah right, like _that'll_ ever happen!"
"Whether it does or not, it's not our concern." Tai replied, bringing everyone back to reality. "What matters is that Yami's still out there, and we've got no choice but to stop her.
"We've got to convince her that what she's doing is wrong. But the only one she'll listen to is Uncle Hiro, who has apparently gone missing."
"So, what do we do?" Sora asked.
"We split up." Tai replied. "We need to stop her, and we need Uncle Hiro. Let's hope we can manage without him."
---------------
Fuzzimon looked himself over. He hadn't changed. Which meant...
Poor kid. She just fell in with the wrong crowd. But she was a brave girl, and he had to respect her for that.
Her body stirred. She was alive! "Yami?" he asked, cautiously.
"Fuzzimon?" she returned, dazed. He could now she she hadn't got out of it scotch-free; her clothed were torn, hair a mess, and blood trickled from an open head-wound. But she was standing, and she was alive.
No normal person could've survived a blast like that. She really _was_ a digidestined. And she deserved every bit of the respect she craved.
"Sorry." he apologised. "I though it'd work."
"I did too." she agreed. "It's not your fault."
"Where to next?"
"I have a few ideas." she grinned.
---------------
"So, fearless leader," Sora teased, "Where're we going?"
"To find Yami." he replied bluntly. "You heard what Gazimon said to her; she's in this for respect. And if I know Yami, there's one place she'd turn to first."
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"We're he-ere!" Yami announced with a chuckle, as she and Fuzzimon reached the gates of Odaiba Elementary. It was around noon, which meant kids would be out on the playground.
The same kids who oppressed her the past few years.
Perfect.
"Fuzzimon." she said, "You know what to do."
"With pleasure." he grinned.
"No! Don't do it, Yami!"
Tai! That meddling cousin! She'd have to take care of him once and for all.
A car rammed them, hitting Fuzzimon in the side. He managed to dodge, somewhat, and the blow merely grazed him. Yami went flying, but hit the pavement with a roll, coming through relatively unscratched.
Fuzzimon winced as a sharp pain took his side. He smelled blood, and this time it wasn't Yami's. He glowed, and reverted to Gazimon.
Fascinating. So _this_ was what it felt like when the Digi-brats did it.
Of course, it didn't do him any good now.
"You're finished, Gazimon!" Tai declared. How cliché.
"I think not!" Gazimon replied. "You've used your only tool against me, and you've got nothing left. Meanwhile, I'll just digivolve again. I hold all the cards, and I intend to use them."
"Gazimon, are you ready?" Yami asked.
"Any time."
Gazimon, digivolve into ... Gazimon?
"It didn't work!" Gazimon exclaimed, "I don't understand."
"Digimon need energy to digivolve." Tai gloated. "You've used all yours up."
"I've still got enough to beat you!" he resisted. "Electric Shock Attack!" (*I forget what the attack is called. They used it in Ep.15: "Dark Network Concert Crash!")
"Get down!" Tai ordered, dragging himself and Sora to the ground, doging the blast.
A car crash on the playground was bound to draw some attention. So was a wolf that turned into a rabbit. But when the rabbit started shooting electricity out if its claws, it was more than enough to convinve the kids to call it quits. They panicked, a mob scattering everywhere, teachers leading the pack.
Tai grabbed Yami's wrist, "You've lost, Gazimon has lost. Just give up, for everyone's sake. Please."
She pulled away, "No. You can't take me back. I'm gonna take what's rightfully mine!"
She squirmed her way into the crowd, and Tai quickly lost sight of her amidst the other children.
--------------
Gazimon stumbled through the building. He had to get more power, just _had_ to.
He looked around making sure he wasn't being followed. Then he saw the sign over a door.
Student Dining.
He greedilly rubbed his hands together in anticipation, and enterred the room.
---------------
Hello. This is Mr. Fugiyama speaking. I'm sorry, b ut I can't come to the phone right now...
Of all the cell phones Matt could've stole, he _had_ to choose Tai's homeroom teacher. Perfect.
Tai just prayed he wasn't getting a wrong number.
The voice mail beeped, inviting Tai to leave a message.
"Matt, please pick up the phone. Please. It's me."
"Hello?"
Thank god! Tai thought, but composed himself. "We've got a problem."
"What happened?" Matt asked.
"We found Yami and Gazimon, but then we lost them. We're at Odaiba Elementary right now--"
"I'm on my way."
"No. We need Hiro. I need you to find him, and I need him now. Let the others know too."
"You sure about this, man?"
Tai grinned, "Am I ever?"
"Touché." Matt agreed. "Be careful. Fuzzimon's powerful."
"I know." Tai replied, "But this time, Gazimon's gonna get it."
---------------
"Gazimon?" the girl asked, worried. She was alone, more alone than she'd ever been before. She'd given her all in this attempt, and if it failed, she'd never have any respect again.
"Gazimon, where are you?"
"Right here." she heard, coming from the Cafeteria.
"Gazimon?" she asked, stepping in, "What're you doing here?"
"I hate to admit it, but Tai was right." he explained, "I need more energy."
"But eating _school_ food?" she asked.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, defensively, "It works!"
She rolled her eyes. Already, she could see the respect fluttering right out the window. "Are you ready, yet?"
"Not quite." he admitted. She began to protest, but he cut her off, "I've had enough food, but I'd like to fix up the digivice."
"How come?"
"The digidestined could turn me back from Champion to Rookie. I want something a bit more powerful; something that won't go away when hit by some crummy old car."
"How long will it take?" she asked, impatient.
"An hour, tops."
"You've got twenty minutes."
---------------
"Hey, Yami!" Tai called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
"Careful what you wish for, Cuz'." she cautioned, stepping into view. "It just might come true."
"C'mon." Tai ordered, "Let's go."
"No!" she protested, "You have no idea what this means to me. I _need_ this, and I _need_ to do this. All my life, I've never been seen as anything. Just the girl who's mother was too weak to live, and the father to dumb to support. I've worked like anything for things everyone else takes for granted. And I'm looked down upon for it; me, who earns everything she does, being put down for being hard-working."
"Now, Yami." Sora soothed, "You know that's not true."
"What do you know?" Yami countered. "You don't know what it's like; to have everything taken away from you. I don't want it this way--I want to be normal. I want a normal life and a normal family. I want to be respected for my hard work and integrity, and I want it now."
Tai and Sora felt themselves squinting as a strange, black light emanated from the little girl. It flooded the room, filling it's contents with a strange, eerie glow. The light in front of Yami shimmered, as something came into being. When the light cleared...
"It's a crest!" Tai gasped, shocked.
"The Crest of Desire." Yami added, knowing but not knowing how. "Now Gazimon really _can_ digivolve to the next level.
"And those who stand in my way will die."
---------------
"Can I drive, Joe?" T.K. begged.
"You're too young." he replied.
"So're you." T.K. pointed out.
"Desperate times..." Joe sighed.
T.K. decided against asking what that meant.
"What next?" he asked, instead.
"We're looking for Hiro."
"Duh." T.K. replied rudely, "Isn't everyone?"
"I guess so." Joe replied.
"Oh."
"And speaking of which," Joe added, pulling over. "There he is."
---------------
"Matt! I found him!" Joe exclaimed into the voice mail. Moments later, the blond-boy answered the phone. "Really?"
"Yeah." Joe confirmed, "He's in the car right now."
"Then head on over to Obaiba Elementary." Matt ordered. "Tai's there, and he's gonna need the help."
---------------
Tai and Sora weren't sure what to do. They were at the end of their ropes; backed against the wall, Gazimon in front of them, flanked by Yami and the digivice.
Things definately didn't look good.
Yami spoke, "You've gotten in the way for the last time, Digidestined. Our master has ordered that you be destroyed, and it's going to happen."
"Your master?" Tai asked, stalling.
"That's none of your concern." Gazimon growled, before Yami could say anything. Last thing he needed was her asking questions about the master.
"You're dead, Digidestined." she declared. "This is for my mother, my father, and for me."
"No." a voice resisted, enterring the room. Hiro's voice. "This wasn't how I raised you, Yami."
"_You_ raised _me?_" she laughed. "I took care of everything. I paid the bills, bought the food, and covered whenever your no-good job wasn't enough."
"You're right, and I'm sorry." Hiro agreed, "It was no way to live. But we made it through together. And no matter what anyone else said, you meant more to me than anything else in the world. No matter what, _I_ respected you."
A tear formed in the corner of Yami's eye. She'd never known. And now, she was about to ruin it all.
"Dad!" she cried, running into his arms. They met in a great hug, not caring who was watching or what they thought.
"No!" Gazimon exclaimed. "He's trying to trick you! Trying to draw you away from our true goal."
"And you." Hiro replied, setting his daughter down. "I trusted you. Mr. Gus Newman indeed. What an idiot I've been--I mean, miniature bunnimantis?"
"You always were the fool."
"Perhaps." Hiro conceded, "Everything's my fault. I gave you a place to stay, I gave you the parts for your abominable mechanations, and I practically handed over my daughter after how she'd been treated. Well y'know what? All that's over, starting right now!"
"Yeah?" Gazimon sneered.
"Yeah." he agreed. "Because Yami's back with me again, and this time, I'm going to do things right. She doesn't need you, and without her, you're powerless. We've won."
Gazimon's eyes widened at the implications. Hiro was right. He'd lost.
"At least I'll have the pleasure of taking you down with me!" he lunged, panicked. Tai stepped in the way, but not before the rabbit managed to leave a nice, big gash across Hiro's chest. Yami looked on in horror as her father lay wounded, blood gushing out.
"I trusted you." she cried, face contorted, a sadistic echo of her father's previous words. "And I never want to see you again."
Gazimon froze as she raised the digivice far over her head. She smashed it into the floor with all her strength, pieces shattering everywhere. Gazimon screamed a resounding "No!" that followed him all the way into digidust.
Yami collapsed on the floor, her knees weak. Tai offered a hand, helping her back up. "C'mon Yami. It's over."
---------------
Weeks later. The digidestined sat gathered at their traditional meeting place, Odaiba Central Park. They sat in their traditional circle, ninth and tenth persons added to their ranks--the latter of which bandaged up extensively, still preferring certain muscles to others.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Joe asked.
"I'm a bit nervous, I'll admit." Hiro replied, "But I feel it's something We have to do."
"Y'know," Kari offered, "I'm sure Mom would let you stay with us."
"I'd love to, but I couldn't." he dismissed.
"Not after all the trouble I caused." Yami agreed.
"You may've been trouble," Matt agreed, "But you came through in the end."
"It couldn't have been easy for you." Tai agreed. "But you did the right thing. And a guy's gotta respect that."
She smiled, "Thanks, Cuz'."
"Now what I'd like to know," Sora added, "It how did it work? Apocalymon destroyed our tags and crests, and our digimon didn't die."
"The explanation is simple." Izzy explained, "After failing his first attempt at digivolving to ultimate, Gazimon decided he didn't have enough power coming in at a fast enough rate. He channeled his life energies into the digivice, trying to power a faster connection. He never imagined he'd be destroyed by his own dupe." He rushed top add, "No offense to you, Yami."
"None taken." she smiled, "But you're right. I was duped. And Dad saved me."
"He was willing to sacrifice himself for us all." Kari agreed.
"His sacrifice saved us." Yami echoed, "I'd love to forget what I've done, but that means forgetting the one person who means the most to me. I won't be a digidestined anymore, but I won't ever forget. Because in the end, my father pulled through.
She hugged he injured parent, who in turn found himself trying not to wince. "He lived up to his name. He truly is my Hiro."
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Fellow readers,
Writing this story has been one of the greatest writing experiences I've ever had. It's not every day someone gets to not only add on to one of their favorite stories, but with the permission of the author, while being beta-read and encouraged every step of the way by him too. I'm sorry the end dragged out so much, and that you had to wait so long between parts.
As of late, I've been feeling a bit "digied out." This has happened before, after watching "Prophecy" and "The Battle for Earth" back to back, six hours straight (aren't 5-year-old brothers wonderful?). However, the experience also drove me to start my own digifictions, killing off Tai and Matt. "What If?" became one of my favorite stories I've ever produced, and it's only going to get better.
Thinker is on sabbatical. I probably should be too, seeing my outlook on Digimon right about now. But I'm not. I'm going to keep working, not because it's what Thinker would've wanted, not because I feel compelled to keep my audience happy, but because it's something I need to do.
People who loved "What If?", I'm working full-tilt on the sequel now, "If Only..." The first part is finished and held in reserve, the second on paper and awaiting typing. I've waited since May to finish the original and start on this sequel, and since 02 came out to put it into effect. I gave up on-paper manuscripts in favor of direct-to-computer in my efforts to speed along "What If?" to this point.
And all I can say is, if you liked the original, you'll _love_ the sequel.
Peace,
--Berke
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As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!
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Like this and want more? Check out my other Fic', "What If?"
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Email me at RyanBerke@hotmail.com. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome! Click Here to go to my Home Page.
Part Five
(c) November 2000, Ryan Berke
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/
Beta Read by: Thinker, the original creator of the "Resurrection" storyline. Thanks again for giving me permission to do this.
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them! Just please, let me _know_ before you steal them.) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))
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"Oh no..." Sora moaned, "We're too late..."
She was right. Their mission was to save Yami, prevented her from being turned into an instrument of evil. Instead, they'd waited too long, and she'd accepted them. And now, Gazimon was digivolving.
Gazimon, digivolve into ... Fuzzimon!
"Fuzzimon?" Yami asked, skeptical.
"Hey, I didn't choose the name." he replied defensively. "What else did you expect a rabbit to turn into?"
"But still... Fuzzimon?"
"I know..." Gazimon sighed. "Must've been a design flaw in the digivice. But it's better than nothing, right?"
"No _way_ am I gonna gain respect using something called Fuzzimon."
"We'll worry about that later. Right now, we've got other obligations."
"Right." Yami agreed. As a pair, they turned to face the Digidestined. Her, the 8-year-old rebel, he, the shaggy grey wolf. In essence, he was a smaller, shaggier Garurumon. More compact, efficient, and much faster.
Of course, he'd miss the opposable thumbs. Programming would never be the same.
"Get on my back." he barked.
She complied. Awkwardly, she tried to swing one leg over. She failed, and Fuzzimon bowed lower to help her out.
Naturally, the Digidestined did not stand still to wait it out. Given a choice between fighting a bunny-gone-mad, or surviving, they opted to run. A quick smash to a car window, a few wires moved, and Matt was barrelling down the streets of Odaiba in a new Ford Pickup, six kids piled in the back, Mimi in the passenger seat.
"What're we going to do now?" Izzy yelled over the wind.
"We need to stop them." Tai replied, loudly, stating the obvious. "We need to get through to Yami."
"But how? She won't listen to us." Sora pointed out.
Tai's eyes lit up. He opened the rear cab window, gaining access to the front seats. "Matt, head for my house."
"What?" he asked, in disbelief. "That's the _first_ place they'll look for us!"
"Yeah." Tai agreed, "But it's also where we'll find Uncle Hiro."
---------------
"Uncle Hiro!" Tai exclaimed, opening the front door. The others followed him in. "Hey, Unc'!"
No response. Concern crossed Tai's face, and Kari looked like she was going to be sick. Tai tried again, urgently, "Uncle Hiro!"
He sprinted from room to room. Panicked, he checked everywhere: closets, furniture; even under the couch cushions. With no success, he was on the verge of collapse.
Izzy glanced calmly at the kitchen counter. Scrawled in red ink, he saw a note.
Taichi,
I'm not sure what's going on, but I do know Yami's missing. Thanks to you and your family for giving me a place to stay. Now I'm off to find her.
--Hiroshi Yagami
Izzy's brow furroughed. "Tai, you might want to take a look at this."
He grabbed the note, nearly ripping it as he tore it from Izzy's grasp. He read the note faster than he'd ever thought possible.
His face paled, "Everyone, split up, but stay in two's. Decide your groups now. One person, gather search equipment, cell phones and walkie talkies where possible. The other, myself included, are with Matt, for now. He's gonna give us a crash course in grand theft auto.
"Err, scratch that. A _lesson_ in grand theft auto." he weakly cracked a grin, "Let's go."
---------------
"This is fun, Gazimon!" Yami exclaimed. They ran, full tilt, down Main Street, passing the Radio Shack and bent parking meter from the previous days' battles. The wind tore at Yami's hair, sending it flying backwards. Without it's full length in front, she resembled Kari, although maybe a year or so younger. Resembled, but not exact.
Fuzzimon noted that she still wouldn't call him by his new name. But who could blame her?
He stopped, skidding to a halt right outside an abandoned lot.
"What're we gonna do now?" she inquired.
"Last time I checked, your cousin's digimon could evolve one level farther."
"Tai had a digimon?" she asked.
"All the digidestined did. It's what made them so dangerous."
"And why we have to destroy them?" she recalled.
"Exactly." Fuzzimon growled.
"So what does that have to do with us?"
"I'd like to see if I could digivolve again too."
Yami paused. She already had a digimon, and a powerful one at that. She'd definately be noticed, now.
But then, one never could have _too_ much power, could she?
"Okay." she agreed.
"Good." Fuzzimon ordered. "Stand over there by that fence. I'm going to attack you, but don't worry. One of the major digivolving requirements is that the human be in danger. I'll try not to hurt you too much."
"Okay." she replied, nervously. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.
But for the sake of power, she'd do it.
Perfect, Gazimon silently praised himself. If this works, you'll be stronger. If it doesn't, you won't need the girl anyways. It doesn't get much better than this.
Power surging through him, he drew energy from the very base of his diaphragm. Energy built up inside him, in a searing crecendo. Finally, the power became too much, until:
"Lightning Pulse!"
---------------
"Okay." Tai explained, once everyone had returned, "Here's the plan: we need to stop Yami and Gazimon. Yami's just a kid, but with Fuzzimon backing her, she's a dangerous kid. We don't want to hurt her if we have a choice, but in the end we may not."
"She made Gazimon digivolve!" Kari protested, "We can't hurt another digidestined."
"What makes you so sure?" Izzy countered, "Just because we've never met evil digidestined before, doesn't mean they can't exist. Remember when Matt turned on all of us?"
Everyone's face fell, in rememberance. But good-old-reliable Joe was ready to cheer them up, "Yeah. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll have to fight another kid from taking over the digiworld?"
Mimi laughed, "A Digimon Emperor? Yeah right, like _that'll_ ever happen!"
"Whether it does or not, it's not our concern." Tai replied, bringing everyone back to reality. "What matters is that Yami's still out there, and we've got no choice but to stop her.
"We've got to convince her that what she's doing is wrong. But the only one she'll listen to is Uncle Hiro, who has apparently gone missing."
"So, what do we do?" Sora asked.
"We split up." Tai replied. "We need to stop her, and we need Uncle Hiro. Let's hope we can manage without him."
---------------
Fuzzimon looked himself over. He hadn't changed. Which meant...
Poor kid. She just fell in with the wrong crowd. But she was a brave girl, and he had to respect her for that.
Her body stirred. She was alive! "Yami?" he asked, cautiously.
"Fuzzimon?" she returned, dazed. He could now she she hadn't got out of it scotch-free; her clothed were torn, hair a mess, and blood trickled from an open head-wound. But she was standing, and she was alive.
No normal person could've survived a blast like that. She really _was_ a digidestined. And she deserved every bit of the respect she craved.
"Sorry." he apologised. "I though it'd work."
"I did too." she agreed. "It's not your fault."
"Where to next?"
"I have a few ideas." she grinned.
---------------
"So, fearless leader," Sora teased, "Where're we going?"
"To find Yami." he replied bluntly. "You heard what Gazimon said to her; she's in this for respect. And if I know Yami, there's one place she'd turn to first."
--------------
"We're he-ere!" Yami announced with a chuckle, as she and Fuzzimon reached the gates of Odaiba Elementary. It was around noon, which meant kids would be out on the playground.
The same kids who oppressed her the past few years.
Perfect.
"Fuzzimon." she said, "You know what to do."
"With pleasure." he grinned.
"No! Don't do it, Yami!"
Tai! That meddling cousin! She'd have to take care of him once and for all.
A car rammed them, hitting Fuzzimon in the side. He managed to dodge, somewhat, and the blow merely grazed him. Yami went flying, but hit the pavement with a roll, coming through relatively unscratched.
Fuzzimon winced as a sharp pain took his side. He smelled blood, and this time it wasn't Yami's. He glowed, and reverted to Gazimon.
Fascinating. So _this_ was what it felt like when the Digi-brats did it.
Of course, it didn't do him any good now.
"You're finished, Gazimon!" Tai declared. How cliché.
"I think not!" Gazimon replied. "You've used your only tool against me, and you've got nothing left. Meanwhile, I'll just digivolve again. I hold all the cards, and I intend to use them."
"Gazimon, are you ready?" Yami asked.
"Any time."
Gazimon, digivolve into ... Gazimon?
"It didn't work!" Gazimon exclaimed, "I don't understand."
"Digimon need energy to digivolve." Tai gloated. "You've used all yours up."
"I've still got enough to beat you!" he resisted. "Electric Shock Attack!" (*I forget what the attack is called. They used it in Ep.15: "Dark Network Concert Crash!")
"Get down!" Tai ordered, dragging himself and Sora to the ground, doging the blast.
A car crash on the playground was bound to draw some attention. So was a wolf that turned into a rabbit. But when the rabbit started shooting electricity out if its claws, it was more than enough to convinve the kids to call it quits. They panicked, a mob scattering everywhere, teachers leading the pack.
Tai grabbed Yami's wrist, "You've lost, Gazimon has lost. Just give up, for everyone's sake. Please."
She pulled away, "No. You can't take me back. I'm gonna take what's rightfully mine!"
She squirmed her way into the crowd, and Tai quickly lost sight of her amidst the other children.
--------------
Gazimon stumbled through the building. He had to get more power, just _had_ to.
He looked around making sure he wasn't being followed. Then he saw the sign over a door.
Student Dining.
He greedilly rubbed his hands together in anticipation, and enterred the room.
---------------
Hello. This is Mr. Fugiyama speaking. I'm sorry, b ut I can't come to the phone right now...
Of all the cell phones Matt could've stole, he _had_ to choose Tai's homeroom teacher. Perfect.
Tai just prayed he wasn't getting a wrong number.
The voice mail beeped, inviting Tai to leave a message.
"Matt, please pick up the phone. Please. It's me."
"Hello?"
Thank god! Tai thought, but composed himself. "We've got a problem."
"What happened?" Matt asked.
"We found Yami and Gazimon, but then we lost them. We're at Odaiba Elementary right now--"
"I'm on my way."
"No. We need Hiro. I need you to find him, and I need him now. Let the others know too."
"You sure about this, man?"
Tai grinned, "Am I ever?"
"Touché." Matt agreed. "Be careful. Fuzzimon's powerful."
"I know." Tai replied, "But this time, Gazimon's gonna get it."
---------------
"Gazimon?" the girl asked, worried. She was alone, more alone than she'd ever been before. She'd given her all in this attempt, and if it failed, she'd never have any respect again.
"Gazimon, where are you?"
"Right here." she heard, coming from the Cafeteria.
"Gazimon?" she asked, stepping in, "What're you doing here?"
"I hate to admit it, but Tai was right." he explained, "I need more energy."
"But eating _school_ food?" she asked.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, defensively, "It works!"
She rolled her eyes. Already, she could see the respect fluttering right out the window. "Are you ready, yet?"
"Not quite." he admitted. She began to protest, but he cut her off, "I've had enough food, but I'd like to fix up the digivice."
"How come?"
"The digidestined could turn me back from Champion to Rookie. I want something a bit more powerful; something that won't go away when hit by some crummy old car."
"How long will it take?" she asked, impatient.
"An hour, tops."
"You've got twenty minutes."
---------------
"Hey, Yami!" Tai called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
"Careful what you wish for, Cuz'." she cautioned, stepping into view. "It just might come true."
"C'mon." Tai ordered, "Let's go."
"No!" she protested, "You have no idea what this means to me. I _need_ this, and I _need_ to do this. All my life, I've never been seen as anything. Just the girl who's mother was too weak to live, and the father to dumb to support. I've worked like anything for things everyone else takes for granted. And I'm looked down upon for it; me, who earns everything she does, being put down for being hard-working."
"Now, Yami." Sora soothed, "You know that's not true."
"What do you know?" Yami countered. "You don't know what it's like; to have everything taken away from you. I don't want it this way--I want to be normal. I want a normal life and a normal family. I want to be respected for my hard work and integrity, and I want it now."
Tai and Sora felt themselves squinting as a strange, black light emanated from the little girl. It flooded the room, filling it's contents with a strange, eerie glow. The light in front of Yami shimmered, as something came into being. When the light cleared...
"It's a crest!" Tai gasped, shocked.
"The Crest of Desire." Yami added, knowing but not knowing how. "Now Gazimon really _can_ digivolve to the next level.
"And those who stand in my way will die."
---------------
"Can I drive, Joe?" T.K. begged.
"You're too young." he replied.
"So're you." T.K. pointed out.
"Desperate times..." Joe sighed.
T.K. decided against asking what that meant.
"What next?" he asked, instead.
"We're looking for Hiro."
"Duh." T.K. replied rudely, "Isn't everyone?"
"I guess so." Joe replied.
"Oh."
"And speaking of which," Joe added, pulling over. "There he is."
---------------
"Matt! I found him!" Joe exclaimed into the voice mail. Moments later, the blond-boy answered the phone. "Really?"
"Yeah." Joe confirmed, "He's in the car right now."
"Then head on over to Obaiba Elementary." Matt ordered. "Tai's there, and he's gonna need the help."
---------------
Tai and Sora weren't sure what to do. They were at the end of their ropes; backed against the wall, Gazimon in front of them, flanked by Yami and the digivice.
Things definately didn't look good.
Yami spoke, "You've gotten in the way for the last time, Digidestined. Our master has ordered that you be destroyed, and it's going to happen."
"Your master?" Tai asked, stalling.
"That's none of your concern." Gazimon growled, before Yami could say anything. Last thing he needed was her asking questions about the master.
"You're dead, Digidestined." she declared. "This is for my mother, my father, and for me."
"No." a voice resisted, enterring the room. Hiro's voice. "This wasn't how I raised you, Yami."
"_You_ raised _me?_" she laughed. "I took care of everything. I paid the bills, bought the food, and covered whenever your no-good job wasn't enough."
"You're right, and I'm sorry." Hiro agreed, "It was no way to live. But we made it through together. And no matter what anyone else said, you meant more to me than anything else in the world. No matter what, _I_ respected you."
A tear formed in the corner of Yami's eye. She'd never known. And now, she was about to ruin it all.
"Dad!" she cried, running into his arms. They met in a great hug, not caring who was watching or what they thought.
"No!" Gazimon exclaimed. "He's trying to trick you! Trying to draw you away from our true goal."
"And you." Hiro replied, setting his daughter down. "I trusted you. Mr. Gus Newman indeed. What an idiot I've been--I mean, miniature bunnimantis?"
"You always were the fool."
"Perhaps." Hiro conceded, "Everything's my fault. I gave you a place to stay, I gave you the parts for your abominable mechanations, and I practically handed over my daughter after how she'd been treated. Well y'know what? All that's over, starting right now!"
"Yeah?" Gazimon sneered.
"Yeah." he agreed. "Because Yami's back with me again, and this time, I'm going to do things right. She doesn't need you, and without her, you're powerless. We've won."
Gazimon's eyes widened at the implications. Hiro was right. He'd lost.
"At least I'll have the pleasure of taking you down with me!" he lunged, panicked. Tai stepped in the way, but not before the rabbit managed to leave a nice, big gash across Hiro's chest. Yami looked on in horror as her father lay wounded, blood gushing out.
"I trusted you." she cried, face contorted, a sadistic echo of her father's previous words. "And I never want to see you again."
Gazimon froze as she raised the digivice far over her head. She smashed it into the floor with all her strength, pieces shattering everywhere. Gazimon screamed a resounding "No!" that followed him all the way into digidust.
Yami collapsed on the floor, her knees weak. Tai offered a hand, helping her back up. "C'mon Yami. It's over."
---------------
Weeks later. The digidestined sat gathered at their traditional meeting place, Odaiba Central Park. They sat in their traditional circle, ninth and tenth persons added to their ranks--the latter of which bandaged up extensively, still preferring certain muscles to others.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Joe asked.
"I'm a bit nervous, I'll admit." Hiro replied, "But I feel it's something We have to do."
"Y'know," Kari offered, "I'm sure Mom would let you stay with us."
"I'd love to, but I couldn't." he dismissed.
"Not after all the trouble I caused." Yami agreed.
"You may've been trouble," Matt agreed, "But you came through in the end."
"It couldn't have been easy for you." Tai agreed. "But you did the right thing. And a guy's gotta respect that."
She smiled, "Thanks, Cuz'."
"Now what I'd like to know," Sora added, "It how did it work? Apocalymon destroyed our tags and crests, and our digimon didn't die."
"The explanation is simple." Izzy explained, "After failing his first attempt at digivolving to ultimate, Gazimon decided he didn't have enough power coming in at a fast enough rate. He channeled his life energies into the digivice, trying to power a faster connection. He never imagined he'd be destroyed by his own dupe." He rushed top add, "No offense to you, Yami."
"None taken." she smiled, "But you're right. I was duped. And Dad saved me."
"He was willing to sacrifice himself for us all." Kari agreed.
"His sacrifice saved us." Yami echoed, "I'd love to forget what I've done, but that means forgetting the one person who means the most to me. I won't be a digidestined anymore, but I won't ever forget. Because in the end, my father pulled through.
She hugged he injured parent, who in turn found himself trying not to wince. "He lived up to his name. He truly is my Hiro."
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Fellow readers,
Writing this story has been one of the greatest writing experiences I've ever had. It's not every day someone gets to not only add on to one of their favorite stories, but with the permission of the author, while being beta-read and encouraged every step of the way by him too. I'm sorry the end dragged out so much, and that you had to wait so long between parts.
As of late, I've been feeling a bit "digied out." This has happened before, after watching "Prophecy" and "The Battle for Earth" back to back, six hours straight (aren't 5-year-old brothers wonderful?). However, the experience also drove me to start my own digifictions, killing off Tai and Matt. "What If?" became one of my favorite stories I've ever produced, and it's only going to get better.
Thinker is on sabbatical. I probably should be too, seeing my outlook on Digimon right about now. But I'm not. I'm going to keep working, not because it's what Thinker would've wanted, not because I feel compelled to keep my audience happy, but because it's something I need to do.
People who loved "What If?", I'm working full-tilt on the sequel now, "If Only..." The first part is finished and held in reserve, the second on paper and awaiting typing. I've waited since May to finish the original and start on this sequel, and since 02 came out to put it into effect. I gave up on-paper manuscripts in favor of direct-to-computer in my efforts to speed along "What If?" to this point.
And all I can say is, if you liked the original, you'll _love_ the sequel.
Peace,
--Berke
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As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!
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Like this and want more? Check out my other Fic', "What If?"
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Email me at RyanBerke@hotmail.com. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome! Click Here to go to my Home Page.