Destiny and Faith

Destiny and Faith

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

Theoleung@sprint.ca

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

He's been out for quite a while now. I guess I've lost track of time...to worried about him. I know his right arm is broken...and I did what I could to tie it up, but I don't think it helped.

Strange how he seems to be prepared for a situation like this...it's like he was expecting it to happen.

No time to worry about the good points...he's still unconscious...

~Diary of Shastina 'Prism' Lawson, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"Will he ever wake up?" Tigramon asked the Digimon standing beside her. Harriermon shook his head slowly, stating what little knowledge he had at the current situation.

"He took a pretty hard fall," Harriermon explained. The two sat on a tree branch in the dense forest they and their partner's were in. Shastina kneeled on the ground, Tao's head on her lap, body laying flat. He was unconscious, his right arm tied with some bandages and a splint. "On the way down, I went for him first, but he was still a bit conscious, pointing towards Shas. So...I went for Shas first, then the others, then to Tao...but...by the time I reached him, he was out, taking a hard bounce off the mountain side." Harriermon sighed deeply, disappointed with his performance in that position. "I should have went for him first..."

"You did what you could," Tigramon reasoned. "You shouldn't beat yourself for it." Harriermon shook his head quickly, his tone turning harsh.

"I should be able to catch you all! Instead...I was too slow...and now..." the avian Digimon paused, looking down at the ground below where the two Digi-Destined were. "Now...Tao might not even get up for a long time...let alone swing a sword..."

"What are you saying?!" Tigramon exclaimed, reeling back. "You think Tao is in a coma?!"

"Quite possibly!" Harriermon shouted back, sighing once more then stepping back. "Sorry..."

Their conversation was interrupted with a short groaning sound from below. Both gazed down, Tao slowly squirming back to reality.

"Tao!" Harriermon exclaimed, leaping down from his position on the branch.

* * * * * *

Shastina wrapped her arms around Tao's head lightly, the soft groan from Tao awakening her completely. The blade of the Digi-Destined leaned against the tree where their Digimon rested on, unscathed despite the fall.

"Shas...it's hard to breath like that..." Tao joked lightly, smiling, his eyes still closed. Shastina smiled back, releasing her grip. Tao raised his left arm, running that hand through Shastina's hair before opening his eyes.

"Sorry to worry you like that..." he apologised, not wanting to get up yet. "Guess it couldn't be helped..."

"Tao..." Shastina whispered softly, pulling the left hand of Tao away from her hair and clasping it in both her hands. "You're safe...that's what matters the most..."

"Safe, but not uninjured..." Tao replied softly, glancing down at his bandaged arm. "I guess it was a good thing I packed those bandages in my vest, though I never expected it would be used on me," Tao added, chuckling lightly. Shastina giggled lightly, still kneeling down and making no effort to get up.

* * * * * *

"Harriermon, stop!" Tigramon hissed, pausing the avian Digimon. He glanced back with a confused look.

"What?" he asked, hovering overhead.

"Let them be alone, they really need it..." Tigramon reasoned, glancing down. "We'll keep watch, that's all." Harriermon didn't quite fully comprehend, but he got the basic gist of things. He flapped back onto the branch and continued to watch diligently.

"Remember the last time we were up on trees watching them," Harriermon asked.

"How can I forget...it was...so strange..." Tigramon answered, saddened by the memories. "We almost lost her...and we almost lost you and Tao as well in the aftermath..."

"Now, it starts the same, only this time, Tao is down, and...if history repeats...it will be you and Shastina to disappear..." Harriermon assessed.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen," Tigramon retorted, sighing. They continued to watch.

* * * * * *

"Oh...Tao..." Shastina whispered, not giggling anymore. She sniffed once, a small tear falling down her cheek. Tao slowly sat up with a little help from Shastina. When he was up, Shastina wrapped her arms around his body then buried her face into his should, releasing herself. She cried and cried and cried onto his shoulder, Tao remained still, stunned with the response she gave him. "I thought I lost you again...I never knew when you would wake up...then I though it would be never...then I lost hope...oh...I'm so sorry Tao..."

"Shas..." Tao spoke softly, unable to say anything to her. She continued to sob into her shoulder, unwilling to contain herself anymore.

"It's been a day since that fall...and not once since that day did your eyes open," Shastina sobbed out. "You didn't move, you didn't squirm...you were so calm and motionless in your unconscious state...I...I thought I lost you forever there..." Tao slowly wrapped his arms around her, trying to help her calm down, still unable to say anything.

"You had a heart beat...but...I was afraid it would die at any moment...then..." she sobbed, still against Tao's shoulder. "Oh my God, Tao...I lost all hope...I'm so sorry...I...I..." she couldn't finish herself, her emotions taking over for her. Tao slowly patted her back with his unbroken arm, unsure what else he could do to soothe the pain of his companion.

* * * * * *

"I take it that's Infinity Crest number 3..." Marc asked, glancing at the new symbol. The three elements striking each other was an interesting touch to the Crest.

"Yep," Tiberius answered, pocketing his Digivice after a few more seconds of showing off the Crest. "So, for the three of us, our goal of finding Crests is complete. Now, we have to find Tao and Shas, and if they haven't found their Infinity Crests yet, help them dig it up."

"Sounds like a plan," K.H. agreed. "Of course, do we do it now, or do we do it tomorrow? It is already quite late, and I'm pretty sure the previous owners of this small abode wouldn't mind us spending another night." Marc checked his watch, then outside the cave entrance. The sun was already beginning to lower.

"Spend one more night," both Xemon and Lepumon spoke at the same time, answering for their partners. There was an unspoken consensus from that point in, the six headed back into the small one floor abode built into the cave.

* * * * * *

Shastina finally stopped crying, her exhaustion putting her to sleep against Tao. The boy somehow managed to position himself back against a tree. His broken hand lay by his side, his other arm wrapped around Shastina's sleeping body, who's head lay against his chest.

The sun was already down, and the only source of illumination was a small campfire in the middle of the two humans and two Digimon, now down from their tree. The two seemed the intentionally take the opposite side of the fire from Tao and Shastina. The weapon of Tao's lay flat on the ground beside the campfire, reflecting some of the light and heat of its shiny surface.

"Get some sleep, I'll stay guard," Tao told the other two Digimon. They didn't move, only continued to stare into the fire silently.

"Okay...whatever..." Tao muttered, closing his eyes and pressing his head against the tree. His gaze was towards the sky when he re-opened his eyes.

"I wonder if this fire will attract any attention..." Tao thought, blinking once. "If it does...I won't be able to use my sword with this broken arm...and we couldn't even handle one...whatever that was with five Mega Digimon. What can two Mega Digimon do to this new breed?" He sighed lightly, closing his eyes once more and turning his gaze back down to the ground. When his eyes opened, he was facing his bandaged and splint broken arm.

"I guess it's a good thing Harriermon and I went back to the Real World first for a bit of supplies..." Tao thought next. "Though I never expected these bandages to be used on me," he told himself once more, smiling lightly. Again, he sighed, closing his eyes and pulling Shastina closer, her body trembling a bit, probably to the cool wind of the night.
Try as he might, he couldn't move his right arm.

Slowly removing his arm from around Shastina, he struggled to get his Digivice from his pocket without waking Shastina. It was difficult, considering she was sleeping on his pocket, and just to make it worse, on top of the Digivice, but Tao managed. He exhaled, a bit tired from the 'ordeal', then checking the time.

"Midnight..." he whispered, flipping through the time zones. Eventually, he hit EST, his own time zone from the Real World. "Well, if that really was Gennai in my dreams while I was unconscious, then he was right...we go back to the Real World, all will be lost," he told himself, referring to the fact EST time didn't move since his last check about an hour ago. The boy then flipped open his Digivice, receiving new mail. The message was directed towards himself and Shastina, from Tiberius and the others.

Tao, Shas, one of you, I hope you get this.

Please reply soon if you do. Sorry to not e-mailed earlier, but we got so side tracked that we completely forgot about the option of e-mail to contact you.

And yet again, we hope you get this e-mail. Reply soon, we need to regroup and work out a new strategy. Well, that's assuming your in any condition to actually see this e-mail after that fall. I really hope so. If not, get well soon...there's a lot to say.

Where to begin...where to begin? There's Crests right now...and then there are Infinity Crests. The Digimon we are fighting right now all are Infinity level Digimon. So, I guess you can figure what that means. Infinity Crest = Infinity Digivolve = Infinity Digimon. We're not sure if you found these Crests yet, but Marc got his yesterday, as did K.H., well, more like in the middle of the night. I got mine recently, though that gives our trio a complete set. How about you?

Anyway, I've talked long enough. Hope your respond soon.

~Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz

Tao chuckled lightly, closing his eyes and leaning back again. This will take him a bit of time to compose his e-mail with only one hand.

* * * * * *

Marc remained at the table in the kitchen, yawning a bit, but refusing to go to sleep yet. His Digivice remained in his pocket, Tiberius' Digivice was open before him. K.H. and Kinoumon had the first guard shift this time, though Marc still didn't want to sleep.

"Anything?" Tiberius asked, stepping into the room, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The boy agreed on second shift, and his time was about now when Marc checked his watch.

"Not a reply y-" Marc was interrupted by soft hum from Tiberius' Digivice. The Digivice's owner quickly came over, a new e-mail being received.

"Wow...that's a lot of spelling mistakes," Tiberius commented, thankful he downloaded a spellchecker onto the limited hard drive of the Digivice. He auto corrected the letter, then read it out loud.

How's it going team? Well...I would've e-mailed too, except for the fact I've been out cold for the past 24 hours plus some. Don't mind the incredibly bad typing, I'm not even going to bother correcting this letter. My right arm is busted up, and my left arm is wrapped around Shas, so, it's more then a bit difficult to type.

Anyway, back to the point at hand. Yes, we do need to get back together, and fast. It doesn't seem like either of us has an Infinity Crest yet, so, if we get attacked now, it'll be pretty messy...

We'll try to find ours as soon as possible, but right now, I don't even know where we are. All I know is that we're in a small clearing in a forest. Dunno if that helps, but anything is better then nothing.

Hope you guys got a nice place to sleep...it's hard to sleep like this with back against a tree. Oh well. Until next time.

~Tao 'Blitz' Lee

"Well, at least both of them are okay...sort of..." Tiberius commented.

"Sort of..." Marc agreed, taking out his own Digivice. "Get Lepumon up and take your shift, I'll write a response," Marc told his companion. Tiberius nodded, walking back into the sleeping chambers to get his partner.

* * * * * *

Shastina's eyes fluttered opened, yawning lightly. She felt the warm body of her close friend hugging her.

"Up now, sleeping beauty?" Tao asked, smiling a bit. Shastina looked up and smiled back. Her features changed when she noticed the weariness surrounding her companion.

"Have you been up all night watching?" Shastina asked, concerned now. Tao didn't respond, glancing down at his broken arm. "I'll take that as a yes," Shastina answered, sighing. She glanced at the embers of the fire, then across to where the two Digimon still slept. Her gaze fell onto the unmoved blade of a Digi-Destined, then back to Tao himself. "Sorry...I didn't mean to offend you..." Shastina apologised, lowering her head.

"There's nothing to apologise for," Tao responded, not looking up. "You were just concerned, that's all." Shastina remained silent, not wanting to make eye contact with Tao, nor did Tao want to make eye contact with Shastina.

* * * * * *

"You sure know how to sleep," Harriermon commented when Tigramon started to awaken from her slumber. She blinked groggily.

"It's been a rough night...enough said," the cat like Digimon replied, shaking her head fiercely. She blinked a few times to focus her sight. She noticed Shastina sitting back a tree, alone, legs pulled up to her chest. Across the way in the clearing slept Tao, obviously not getting any sleep from the previous night because of his guard duty. "I take it Shastina is sad because we inadvertently placed Tao under such a position of guard duty."

"That'll be the best way to sum it up," Harriermon commented, sighing. "But there was little choice. Tao is a very stubborn kid...and even I don't know much about him...he's got a lot boiling inside of him...he's holding it all in, for himself and for everything everyone else puts on him..."

"You mean he's a loner?" Tigramon asked.

"More then that," Harriermon answered. "He thinks he's the one man army. Anything can be done by himself...and that's what gets him hurt...but he doesn't mean it. He does it so others don't have to take the risk."

"So he doesn't rely on you then?" Tigramon asked, a bit surprised with the story.

"He knows when he needs me, but until then, I guess I try to stay out of his path as much as possible," Harriermon replied, sighing and glancing back at his partner.

* * * * * *

"I always worry for you. I just wish you'd be more open to me...like how I'm always open to you."

"Eh...it doesn't matter..."

"It does! I'm always putting all this stress on you that should be mine, and you don't do anything back. It's not fair to place all this burden on your shoulders!"

"*Shrugs* I don't mind."

"Tao...please don't say that. It's no fair."

"Life's never fair. All you can do is take the hit and endure."

Shastina replied that certain chat in her mind all so long ago. It was probably a few months before their encounter in the Digital World, a chat she and Tao had. That conversation on-line always bothered her. It opened her up to a reality that Tao might be more troubled then she ever was.

"Of course my life has been made just by meeting Tao in person, though I wish it wasn't like this," Shastina whispered, pulling her legs closer. She glanced at Tao's sleeping form, then looked away.

"He's always looking out for others and making sure no one is looking out for him..." Shastina thought, closing her eyes. "He's right...life is never fair..."

* * * * * *

Tao awakened quickly, sensing an evil presence near by. Since the few close encounters with these evils in his past adventures, he grew attuned to sensing them out. Seeing the uselessness of his sword arm, his hand headed for his Digivice.

"I see you've grown to sense the presence of darkness and evil..." the voice boomed out, getting the attention of all now.

"When you've touched darkness and evil like I have, you grow to be like that..." Tao replied, standing up. "Now what do you want?!" The two Digimon and the single Digi-Destined glanced around quickly, trying to find the source of the voice to no avail.

"I want to...recruit you...Tao Lee...the minion of both Light and Darkness..." the voice boomed out. "Of course it means you lose all your memories and become a mindless slave for the Darkness," he added in a joking and sarcastic tone.

"NO!" Shastina protested. "I won't let you!" she screamed, taking her Digivice as it charged with power. Tao's Digivice did the same, forcing both their Digimon to Digivolve.

"Harriermon..." "Tigramon..."

"Warp Digivolve to..."

"Hikaglemon!" "Kenokomon!"

"You can't fight what you can't see," the voice told them. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Akuenmon, a Fallen Angel Digimon, an Infinity I might add, so even if you were able to fight, you wouldn't stand a chance. Anyway, enough chit chat, time to change sides, Tao Lee..."

Energy of evil began to collect a few feet above the burnt out campfire. Slowly, it accumulated, until it reached a mass so much even Shastina could feel the presence of Darkness because of her Crest of Light.

"You're mine!" Akuenmon shouted out, the ball of energy blasting forward and hitting Tao dead centre in the chest. He screamed out in pain, evil and dark energy lashing out at him as the ball exploded. He was tangled in an array of dark tendrils, forcing him to his knees.

"Tao!" Shastina shouted, rushing over. Kenokomon and Hikaglemon would have joined her if Akuenmon didn't reveal himself to them, a black coloured armoured Digimon, humanoid of course with pitch-black wings. Most of his facial features were covered by a blackened helmet similar to Angemon and Angewomon. He had long brown hair with black streaks coming from the back of the helmet.

"Most so fast, my celestial friends," Akuenmon told them, standing in between them and their partners. "I don't intend to let you two interfere with this process...admittedly slow and painful."

"Tao..." Hikaglemon hissed, clutching both his blades tightly. Without anymore thought, he rushed forward, weapons charged with holy energy.

* * * * * *

"Shastina...please...don't...come any...closer..." Tao hissed, weakening by the second to the energy.

"Tao...don't do this!" Shastina cried out, holding her fist tightly. Tao was in pain, and she could feel it. With her Crest of Light, she could feel the Light fade from Tao's Crest, and turning into something new, something dark and deadly.

"You...can't...help....me..."

"I won't let you do this alone!" Shastina protested. "You've been doing everything alone all this time! You didn't burden anyone with your problems and yet you burden yourself with others! I won't let you anymore! We're together! You aren't alone anymore! I'm here for you, forever!"

With those words, she stepped into the tendrils of Darkness, evil and impure thoughts and energy entering her as well.

"Shas...no..." Tao spoke, but couldn't say anymore. Shastina glared at Tao, then hugged him tightly, her Crest of Light shining brightly against the ensnaring darkness.

"I'll protect you now...as you have always protected me..." Shastina whispered in his ear. Her Crest of Light joined with Tao's Crest of Light, re-empowering the Crest with holy energy, as well as taking some of the dark energy into her own Crest.

When the balance of Light and Dark is restored to the former glory that it once knew, will then Faith and Destiny be drawn fourth to serve.

Two comets spiralled onto the island, crashing right beside the two Digi-Destined. Upon impact, the tendrils nullified, releasing the two Digi-Destined from the binds. From the craters emerged two Crests. One Crest was a pair of angel wigs, the other as a pair of hands clasped together. The angel wings entered Shastina's Digivice, the clasped hands into Tao's Digivice. Both exchanged looks, nodded, then activated the new Crests. Beams of light emerged from their Digivice and hit their partner.

"Hikaglemon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

The Digimon stretched his wings and his arms out, leaning back. Holy energy wrapped around his wings, changing the eagle like wings into white Angel wings with black specks. The armour he wore morphed into pure white. He pressed his two blade together, the ensuing light forming a single blade that extended out to being eight feet long. A red band was tied to the hilt. He swung the sword once with his right hand, stretching out his left. In response, the arm was replaced completely with a bionic limb, a silver shield attached to it. On the shield was etched the symbol for the new Crest. His blonde hair flailed with the wind, as his sapphire eyes gazed ahead.

"Eternamon!"

"Kenokomon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

The Digimon grew an extra foot to fourteen feet, completely surrounded with Holy energy. Her arms and legs appeared from the energy, revealing a bipedal Digimon that could just as easily trot on four limbs instead of two. On her arms were large paws that had long, sharp, curved claws. Her body was muscular and surrounded with short silver fur. She roared out, shattering the energy around her head. She bared sabre tooth tiger like fangs as well as glowing white eyes. Dragon like horns formed on her head, and a long dragon like tail, at the end of the tail was a double sided scythe. Two blades of holy energy formed in her paws.

"Psychemon!"

The two Infinity Digimon faced off with the lone Infinity, ready to fight, though the Digi-Destined's Digimon were a bit tired from their recent beatings from the Infinity. Nevertheless, it didn't deter their spirit, nor did it deter their will.

"EARTH SOUL!"

Psychemon took the first attack of the three Digimon, dissipating her energy blades, then smashing her first into the ground. Chunks of earth just seemed to jut out and want to swallow the fallen angel Digimon alive. In response, the Digimon soared up, evading the ground-based attack.

"DARK GAIA!"

The counter attack came quickly from Akuenmon, releasing a ball of dark energy that seemed to tear through reality itself. Eternamon paid little heed, dashing forward through the sky, the eight foot board sword in his right hand alone. With his left arm shield, he repelled the ball, then proceeded to attack his target.

"FAITH SLASH!"

Holy energy charged into the weapon, and with one strong strike, Eternamon slammed his blade into Akuenmon. The angel cried in pain, landing on the ground, on his feet, a large gash in his left shoulder.

"COLD FURY"

The Holy energy blades already reformed in Psychemon's hands, now charged with ice energy. Slashing randomly, ice shards linked against the fallen angel, freezing him on the spot temporarily. Enough for Eternamon to finish the job.

"ETERNUS ANGELUS!"

Eternamon strapped the board sword against his back, lowering his left arm towards the fallen angel. The outline of a cannon appeared underneath the arm, materialising quickly. The cannon was large, about four times the size of the bionic arm, with multiple barrels at the end. Placing his right hand on the cannon, the angel directed the weapon towards the frozen fallen angel.

Beams of energy began to rain down in a tornado of energy. Holy energy blasted out of the cannon, the barrels cycling though as more and more energy rained. The beams pierced armour, wings, and flesh. The onslaught stopped as holy energy charged. The air around rippled with the sundering heat, even if it was Holy energy. In one gigantic assault, all the barrels of the cannon fired at once, unleashing a massive particle beam that could feasibly engulf a young adult in its wake. The blast took Akuenmon to a place far from where he'll taint anyone else with evil.

* * * * * *

Psychemon took hold of Tao's broken arm, lifting slowly. She regarded it, smiling lightly, though it seemed weird with her sabre tooth tiger like fangs.

"FRIEND'S SACRIFICE!"

Energy went from Psychemon to Tao in a blur, healing the broken limb in a matter of seconds. On the downside, with the help, Psychemon reverted back to Tigramon.

"Thanks," Tao replied, smiling lightly and unwinding the bandages from his arm. Shastina came over, Tao's weapon in hand.

"Where to now?" Shastina inquired, Tao taking the weapon. Harriermon stood by her side, awaiting a response.

"We got our Crests," Tao spoke. "Let's find Tiberius, Marc, and K.H., then work out our plan of action from there." The others agreed, the Digimon taking point, followed by Tao. Shastina was about to follow, but paused slightly.

"Tao, I won't leave you...I'll always be here...so...please...don't be alone ever again..." Shastina thought, closing her eyes. "Please..."

Fin

Completed: 05/11/01