Disclaimer: The standard legal crap... I don't own any of this. The characters that ARE in my posession though are Neil, Frank, Yumil, Min, and the idea of taking Harmony and making a Crest out of it. Everything else is property of Toei. The song "Spaceman" by Bif Naked is owned by its writer and the record labels that back it. The idea of having Min and Wizardmon each being two halves of one soul was my idea. The actual "Joining" process by clasping hands belongs to Tribune Entertainment. *sweatdrop* Just ONE more thing in this, the pendant Min recieves is my idea, the symbols on it belong to their respective creators.
Author's Notes: The text within /these/ brackets are mental thought to oneself. And I tried to cut back on the language as best I could. Oh, and this story will be made second part of the first one I put up. I lost the real second part when I had to clean-install everything on my harddrive. I didn't feel like typing all of that up again so I took the lazy way out and had it be a dream Jyou had.
Warnings: Some language, Shounen-ai but not strong enough to be Yaoi. EXTREME sap and angst.
Summary: A dream fortells a Darkness of much capacity (this was in the first part called "Strange Happenings"). But can the Union of the one who holds the Crest of Harmony and the other who holds the Dragon of Gaia stop it? Read and find out.
Jyou's eyes flew open as he sat up in bed, he was soaked in a cold sweat. /It was only a dream.../ he thought to himself. He sighed and looked at the alarm clock, "It's only 2:00AM..."
He sighed and flopped back down onto the bed, surrendering to sleep once again.
On with the fic!
A week or so later - this is not Jyou's dream, it's "reality" so to speak.
The nightclub was extremely crowded as Takeru sat down at the bar. With a small sigh he ordered a drink.
A woman with pretty caramel hair and adorable hazel eyes came up to him, sat next to him and ordered her own drink. "You okay?" she asked.
Takeru looked at her, his eyes widening... /Is this who I think it is?!?!/ he thought frantically.
The young woman's eyes went wide. /Darnit he's one too! But I don't know if he's one of Them or on our side.../
Takeru snapped out of it and nodded as casually as he could, "Yeah, I agreed to meet a few friends here tonight."
She too snapped out of it. "Cool. I don't want to sound nosey but who are they?"
Takeru debated telling this woman who they were. His head whipped in the direction of the dance floor as something caught his eye... /Could it be...?... Naw, Ken and Miyako are together... Aw f*** this is nuts, a married man and a man who has a kid by a prostitute dancing together?! Like THAT?!/ He still couldn't believe it...
The young woman waved her hand in front of Takeru's face, "Hello? You alive in there?" After about five minutes of no response, she followed his gaze. Her jaw crashed to the floor, her eyes went wide as her left eye popped out of her head... /Oh. My. God!!! Miyako isn't going to like this... She'll be sooooooo mad if she catches Ken and Daisuke dancing like that!/
On the dance floor, Ken and Daisuke were dancing, facing eachother. They were dancing to "Spaceman" by Bif Naked. They were riding eachother's knee like one would see a man and woman do when they were drunk off their asses and stoned in the American movies.
Daisuke had a BIG smile on his face as their hands clasped, his other arm resting on the small of Ken's back.
Ken too had a wide smile on his face, he was enjoying this very much.
Daisuke froze when he saw Takeru and Hikari sitting at the bar staring at him.
Ken stopped and raised an eyebrow, he then followed his lover's gaze and froze. "Aw kuso..."
"Do they know you and Miyako split up?" Daisuke looked at his mate.
"I'm not sure, I hope they do."
Back at the bar, the woman's jaw was still dropped. She managed to get ahold of herself. "I wonder if Miyako knows her husband is here with another man..."
This woman now had Takeru's full attention. "Nani?" he looked at her, his expression was that of curiosity. "You know them?"
"Hai, Inoue Miyako, Ichijouji Ken, Motomiya Daisuke, Hida Iori, Ishida Yamato, Kamiya Taichi, Takenouchi Sora, Tachikawa Mimi, Kidoe Jyou, and Izumi Koushiro."
Takeru shrieked, this wasn't heard over the loud music. He leaned over to her and said in a quiet tone, "You know who they are, but do you know what they are?"
"Hai." she answered. "They're..." she whispered the rest as quiet as the loud music would allow.
"You're.....you're one of them too?"
The woman nodded and smiled, "I'm Kamiya Hikari."
Takeru smiled BIG and gave Hikari a hug. "Takashi Takeru here." he had a grin on his face.
Hikari giggled and returned the hug. "I'm still wondering if Miyako knows Ken's with another man."
"Yep, she knows." a man with blonde hair and blue eyes came up. "That's why they split up."
"?!" Takeru gave the man a funny look.
The man gave Takeru's arm a playful punch, "Aw jeez, don't tell me you forgot about your own brother."
"Yamato!" both Hikari and Takeru glomped the man.
Yamato laughed, "Yep!"
Back on the dance floor, Ken and Daisuke continued to stare at them.
Daisuke freaked when he saw the man that went over to them, "Is that Yamato?!"
"Sure looks like it!" Ken smiled and pulled Daisuke over to the bar.
"Heya Yamato, Hikari, Takeru! Nice to see you guys again!" Daisuke smiled large.
"Hey you two!" Hikari smiled.
Takeru smiled, "Haven't seen everyone in awhile!"
Ken smiled and nodded.
A man with oddly spiked hair walked over to them. "Hey guys. Long time no see!"
Hikari smiled at her brother, "Nice to see you again Tai!"
Taichi smiled and gave his little sister a hug.
The bartender was looking looking at the group of Digidestined, he'd been listening to their whole conversation. He cleared his throat loud enough to get their attention.
Once the bartender succeeded in getting their attention, a puzzled expression came across his face.
"Nani?" the ebony-haired man who had an arm around his waist asked.
The bartender cleared his throat. "All those names you listed..." he looked at Hikari. "You left out a name."
Hikari gave the bartender an odd look, "Nani?!... But..."
The bartender interrupted her by clearing his throat. He pulled something from beneath the counter and handed it to the ebony-haired man with the violet eyes.
Ken's expression went from confused to curious as he felt the objects in his hand, one of them had a long white string hanging from it as if it were a necklace of some sort. He opened his hand that the bartender had closed after handing him the objects. "Wha?! Where'd you get this?" he gave the bartender a stern look.
"Do you remember a year ago? That boy that was stabbed and gassed in New York's Central Park in America?" the bartender asked.
The six Digidestined nodded in unison.
"That boy, he was like you. He was one of you." the bartender continued. "Before he was attacked, the boy was here in Japan. At one point he sat at the tavern I used to own before I worked here days on end, no eat, no sleep, no shit/piss, and no water."
An overly fat man, who was sitting a few stools away from Hikari busted up laughing, "Oh, this is rich!"
"Shut your trap, Frank!" the bartender snapped. "This is important!"
"Jeez, touchy touchy. I'm just behaving myself so I don't get turned in by YOUR arse!" the overly fat man growled.
"Shut up or I WILL turn you in g*dd*mnit!" The bartender turned his attention back to the six Digidestined who were now in their early 20s. "Anyways, he had that around his neck." the bartender pointed to the object on the long white string which was golden, strangely shaped and held the Crest of Harmony within it. "I found that a few days ago in an allyway a few blocks down." He then pointed to the dark-lavender object with dark-grey, nearly black handgrips on it, it also had a little screen on it, "That was with it."
"Oh joy!" Frank's laughter was dripping with sarcasm. "This is REALLY rich! You mean that scrawny little punk kid who owns that Halloween freak?!"
Hikari whirled to face the overly fat man. "Which Halloween freek? Did he have deep emerald eyes and dirty-blonde hair?"
"Yeah, so?" Frank scowled. "Go home, your mother must be worried!"
"That is NOT a Halloween freak!" Hikari snapped.
"Whoa, kid. Ease off, all I did was voice my opinion. I don't want you to break a nail." Frank snickered behind his hand.
"Who?" a man with shoulder-length raven-black hair, and equally dark eyes placed a hand on Frank's shoulder. The man leaned next to Frank and whispered darkly in his ear, "I do not own him, idiot."
The bartender smiled at the man behind Frank, "Min, it's good to see you again even though the last time I saw you, you were wandering around like an idiot looking for Wizardmon."
The man smiled. But there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Taichi looked at the man, a warm smile playing across his lips, "You're Chang Min?"
The man nodded, "And?"
Ken went over to the man and handed him the D-3 along with the Crest and Tag. "Yumil said he found these in an allyway a few blocks south."
Min's eyes went wide, "No wonder why I haven't been able to..."
An arm slumped around Min's shoulder, a voice interrupting him. "No one's ever been able to enter the Digital World without a D-3 or Digivince of some sort." it was Koushiro
"Actually, I did it once." the bartender, Yumil by name said. "It was cool. Too bad our world can't be as beautiful as it..."
"Don't we all wish..." Daisuke sighed.
Min slipped the Tag/Crest which was rightfully his around his neck, tucking it under his shirt. He then took the D-3 and slipped it into his pocket. "Speaking of which, has anyone had trouble getting into the Digital World at all?"
Taichi raised a brow, which was totally unlike him. "We haven't really had a need to go into the Digital World."
"Yes, there is a reason." Yumil stated. "I can only enter the Digital World via Astral Travel, but I can't get into it in the physical plane of existance."
Min raised a brow, "You were able to get to the Digital World without a D-3 or any type of Digivice for that matter?"
"Hai." Yumil replied. "Oh, Min, an old friend stopped by earlier today."
"Who?"
"He didn't really stop by, we communicated via vidlink. He seemed very concerned about something." Yumil continued. "He said something about the gates to the Digital World being sealed by Darkness."
"What?!" Yamato flipped.
"Calm down!" Yumil warned. "Anyways, he said that whatever Darkness it is is having trouble sealing the Heighten View Terrace gate due to a Magikcal shield cast within it."
"Nani?!" Min flipped as well. "Only one type of 'Mon has the power to see the Darkness and Light within the gates!"
"Yes, I know. This 'Mon in particular is your partner." Yumil said. He pulled out an object, it was a granite pendant with the Crest of Harmony carved into it elegantly and intricately wrapped within the Dragon of Gaia. The Dragon of Gaia was what only one 'Mon 'signed' himself as. All other Majin 'Mon were either too afraid to embrace the power of the Dragon of Gaia/Spirit of Earth, or weren't worthy of its power. He handed this pendant to Min, "It appeared in my hand when we first came in contact. He wouldn't tell me what it was or what it meant. But his instructions were to give it to you and no one else."
Min knew this 'Mon all too well... Since he represented Harmony and Wizardmon represented the Spirit of all living things or the "Dragon of Gaia", these two symbols entwiined in such an intricate manner meant great care, love, and compassion almost to the point of intimacy. His breath caught in his throat as he took it, a tear sneaking and resting on the corner of his eye. About two seconds passed before the tear slowly trickled down his cheek. Unconsciously, he whispered the name of the physical embodiment of all living things, "Wizardmon..."
Frank banged his fist on the table and laughed, "You still obsessing over that thing?!"
"Shutup Frank or I'll punch your lights out." Min's voice suddenly went from saddened depression to cold and brutal.
Frank was taken aback by the voicetone Min used, "Jeez, sorry for breathing."
Min ignored Frank and took a seat, slipping the pendant around his neck.
"Aw crap!" Yumil suddenly snapped as he heard an annoying beeping sound. He motioned for the Digidestined present to come behind the bar and into the back room.
With questions on their minds and on their lips, they followed the old bartender. But Min was the last to enter.
"What's that noise?!" Daisuke cringed. "It's annoying!"
"Whatever it is, it sounds like it's coming from the computer." Koushiro commented.
Yumil went to the other side of the room and flipped on a lamp light, he moved the mouse to get the computer off of screensaver. "A message across the planes from the Digital World?..."
Min immediately darted to Yumil's side, looking over his shoulder.
As soon as the "recieve" function was activated, an image appeared on the computer monitor. It was a broken up, fuzzed over, and infected with severe static communique.
The 'Mon on the other end spoke, a worried tone underlying the serious one, "I'm not sure if this message is getting through but if it is, the Heighten View Terrace gate is jammed open! It's filled with enough Darkness that it can't be closed without wiping out half the life in both Worlds!... The ......... mu-...be cleansed!"
Min recognized the face of the 'Mon on the computer screen all too well. What was to be heard and seen next was surely going to make him shit bricks.
"Please!... Hurry!" Suddenly, the computer screen went dark, but it was soon to spark to life again with a hideous face no one had ever hoped to see again.
"Hello you puny little Humans." the voice of the Vampyre 'Mon was heard, it was full of lust and desire for Death and complete Chaos.
Min suddenly went ghost pale, his stomach felt as if a garbage truck had been dumped in it and it had been torn inside out.
"You!" Hikari burst out at the computer screen. "Not you again!"
"Ah, yes... It is good to see you, Hikari, Taichi, Yamato, Takeru, and Koushiro, again after all these years." the voice cooed. "But it isn't you I'm after... What I'm after is that Stone. And I know which one of you has it. Chang Min..."
Instinctively, Min grasped the granite pendant which hung from his neck, he darted to a trashcan but didn't get to one in time before he was retching his guts out on the floor. He couldn't believe this! The Ultimate Darkness wanting an object of endearment and passion?! The thought of what the idiot might do to Wizardmon frightened him to death, almost literally yet he remained coherent somehow.
"Yes... Now you know that thing has some sort of power. But I don't want to touch that diseased piece of dung you dare think of as a mate, Chang Min. All I want is the power that Stone posesses."
"You sick kisama!" Ken snapped at the Dark 'Mon whose hideous face was on the screen. "Don't you know that you'll have to Join with a Human for that to work?! But it won't work either way since YOU aren't the 'Mon whose essence is is in Min's heart!"
"Nani?!?! I always find things out at the last minute." Daisuke sighed.
The Vampyric Digimon on the screen laughed that sick, disgusting laugh. "Yes, Daisuke, you're right. But fortunately you won't be the last to die!" the computer screen went black.
Taichi turned to look at Min who had managed to make it to a trashcan. He went over to him and knelt next to him, "Hey, you okay?"
"No!" Min managed to gasp out between retches. Tears of emotional pain were streaming down his face like sheets of rain in the worst of storms. "That sick bastard!"
Yumil turned and his heart immediately sank at the sight of Min. "I wish there was a way I could help instead of being just an operative..."
"I think you...you've done enough to...to help...already..." Min gasped out as he finally managed to stop regergetating yet the tears continued to stream down his face.
Frank lumbered in, took one look at Min and was at a loss for words, "What the...?"
"Don't ask. Since you think the whole thing with the Digital World is nothing but a game, a hoax then you cannot assist." a voice was heard from the doorway to the back room.
Everyone looked over to see Leslie leaning in the doorway.
Frank frowned and went back into the area of the nightclub that was open to the public.
Min turned away from Leslie swiftly, the tears raining harder down his face, "Damnit!..."
"What's his..." Leslie trailed off as she saw the pendant around Min's neck. "Nevermind."
"Hey! What's going on?" a man who was drunk off his ass wandered in. "Where's the booze?"
Taichi noticed the man wasn't drunk enough that his speech was slurred, but he could tell the man was still drunk off his ass.
The man also had his pants unzipped and his equipment hanging out. Yumil noticed this, took one glance at Min, got up and shoved the man out of the back room. "Zip your pants up or I'll cut it off!" he yelled to the man.
The man suddenly burst back in, appearing sober now, his eyes loosing the haze of alcohol at the sight of Min crying. He zipped his pants up without getting his boner caught in the zipper. "Chang Min?... Stone Min is that you?!"
Min seemed to ignore the man as he pulled off his overshirt, somehow forcing his tears which had slowed a bit to remission completely.
The man noticed the very visible scar on Min's left forearm and his eyes went wide, "F*** man, it is you!"
"And?..." Min's voice was shaking from crying, his cheeks red from the tears.
"Aw KUSO man! NOTHING could get you to cry! What the heck happened?!" the man gawked.
Yumil looked at the man, "Neil, do you remember three months ago when that Digimon saved you from being hit by a car?"
"Yeah, what about it?" the man, Neil by name asked. He obviously had no clue as to what was going on.
"Remember how I said that Digimon had a Human partner?"
"Yeah..."
"Min is his partner." Koushiro cut in.
"WHAT?!?!" Neil flipped. "Are you serious?!?!"
"Yes...he is, why?" Min's voice had steadied a bit.
"But that one that saved me said his partner held the Crest of Harmony!" Neil was still flipping.
Min showed him his Tag and Crest.
Neil flipped even more. "But still, I don't get how even that could make you THIS upset Min! It used to take alot to get you to even make a caring gesture!"
"Do you see this?" Min showed Neil the pendant but wouldn't let him touch it.
"The Dragon of Gaia and the Crest of Harmony?! What the hell?!"
"Wizardmon is the only one brave enough let alone the only one able to use the Dragon of Gaia's power. The Crest of Harmony represents Min." Leslie explained.
"And?" Neil was still dumb to what any of this meant.
"In other words, Min and Wizardmon each carry a half of one soul." Hikari stated as if the whole world knew it.
"Huh?"
"They're soulmates damnit!" Yumil snapped, his patience suddenly gone. He then took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself.
Neil's eyes popped out of his head, "You freakin' serious?!"
"To have the Dragon of Gaia and the Crest of Harmony wrapped around eachother in such a manner means great care, love, compassion, and undying devotion, almost to the point of intimacy." Koushiro finished.
"I get that now. But that wouldn't make anyone cry." Neil said.
"If you were here to see the message then you'd be angry too." Ken saiid, his tone was neutral.
"Yeah." Daisuke agreed.
"It was Myotismon's Darkness. It seems he found another way to get a physical form. He wants this pendant for the power it contains. But the only way of releasing its power is having both it represents Join." Koushiro explained.
"Uhhh...say WHAT?!?! As in do "It"?!" Neil freaked.
"Not THAT you pervert!" Yumil snapped. "But it's closest to accurate yet far from it. In a way, it's like sex in a Spiritual sense, no physical contact is required save for clasping hands."
"Damn, I feel sorry for you Min..." it came as a whisper from Neil.
"Why?" Min's expression became neutral, his voicetone had a bit of an edge to it. His eyes seemed to speak volumes of how he never once regretted knowing Wizardmon at all.
"Alright, can we get to Heighten View Terrace? We've wasted enough time here." Takeru reminded everyone.
At that, Min bolted out the door, through the nightclub and out the entrance towards Heighten View Terrace.
"No wait Min!" Ken raced after him with the others following suit.
As they ran through the nightclub, Yumil shouted something to Frank. "Watch the place for me!"
"What?! But you fired me!" Frank called back.
"Just do it!"
The seven Digidestined, the civilian, and the bartender dissappeared out the door.
Min continued to run, cutting through people's yards, running across streets, and through large crowds of people who were gathered around several different nightclubs, not once appologizing or stopping to do anything. His mind was racing as was his heart, /Oh Kami please don't let that baka do anything to Wizardmon.../
"Min!! Wait up man!!!" Daisuke shouted after him as the six Digidestined, a civilian, and a bartender ran in persuit.
Taichi slipped and almost fell on his face but Yumil was running up behind him and helped him up without stopping.
As a cool summer rain shifted to an angry summer storm, Min stumbled to where the famous Digiport was located. As he got closer to it, he fell, skinning his knee but not seeming to care as more tears, like the rain, began to fall from his eyes once again.
He got up and ran into the jammed-open gate.
"No! WAIT!!!" Ken screamed, diving into the gate after him.
"Ken!!!" Daisuke skidded into the gate as well.
Everyone else skidded to a stop, not sure of what to do.
With a deafening roar and a sickening breath, a great evil appeared. It was nothing but a black cloud that seemed to have no effect from the rain.
A familiar Digimon walked out from the cloud, the one that Ken had forced into the Dark Ocean a few years back. It was Daemon.
"Aw kuso..." Neil breathed.
"Damnit I didn't want to see that moron again!" Yumil ranted.
...........................
On the other side of the gate in the Digital World, everything seemed to be surrounded by Darkness save for a single, deep-blue rose with white stars on it that sparkled beautifully.
Min skidded to a halt as he came upon the rose, "Oh no..."
Ken skidded to a halt, almost toppling into Min yet Daisuke stopped with ease.
"What were you thinking Min?! You could've been killed or something!" Daisuke ranted.
Ken waved Daisuke to silence as he saw strange events unfold before his eyes.
Min dropped to his knees before the strange yet beautiful rose... It was then that he noticed it had kisses of dewdrops upon it. He gently touched the rose, accidentally jabbing his finger on a thorn.
His hand didn't jerk away nor did he yelp, all that was noticeable of the pain from it was a wince.
A clear, thick liquid began to ooze from the thorn on which Min had pricked his finger. Slowly it began to run into the cut caused by the thorn.
Min's breath caught in his throat as the clear thick liquid began to suck into his cut finger. Slowly, the wound closed itself, not leaving even a scar.
"What the...?" Ken's voice was heard.
"He's still alive..." it came out as a whisper. Just then, a tear that sparkled in the light of the sun that was darkened by the powers of Darkness dropped gracefully onto a petal. Since this was not a tear of sorrow, it turned the rose petal it fell onto into a soft, beautiful rainbow of colors.
Just then, the rose broke itself from its base root.
Daisuke stood there, watching, his jaw on the ground, not understanding what was happening.
Ken observed silently, he understood partially what was going on but this still puzzled him.
The rose gracefully floated from the ground and slipped itself behind Min's left ear. A soft, very familiar voice full of care and love seemed to come from the air itself. "No matter what happens, I'll be with you always, in this life, and the many to follow... Please do not forget me..."
As soon as the voice had ceased, Min took off running where his instincts lead him, the granite pendant around his neck began to pulse and glow with a soft light. Whenever it darkened, it never truly ceased growing.
It took Ken and Daisuke a few minutes to snap out of it and run after him, but they were pulled to the ground and fell by roots that seemed to reach up out of the ground.
Daisuke frowned, "Damn these roots!"
Ken nodded, but got a closer look at what held them, "No...it's not roots! It seems to be a cable of some kind... But the only Darkness I can remember having power this way was Etemon with his Dark Network."
"Nani? Who's Etemon?"
"Lets just say he sounds like Elvis and he's a major pain in the ass, he was anyways until he was destroyed in his next Digivolution up."
.......................................
Min kept running, jumping over, skipping through, and ducking under the cords of the Dark Network that kept trying to grab him. He couldn't believe the power burning through his veins! It was incredible! It was like an adrenaline rush but more pleasent, and it did not tire him at all.
He ran through a darkened forest swiftly but tripped over a cord which rose out of the ground.
Suddenly he felt himself falling... In fear of loosing the pendant and the rose, he grasped both of them firmly, then everything blacked out...
TBC
Author's Notes: The text within /these/ brackets are mental thought to oneself. And I tried to cut back on the language as best I could. Oh, and this story will be made second part of the first one I put up. I lost the real second part when I had to clean-install everything on my harddrive. I didn't feel like typing all of that up again so I took the lazy way out and had it be a dream Jyou had.
Warnings: Some language, Shounen-ai but not strong enough to be Yaoi. EXTREME sap and angst.
Summary: A dream fortells a Darkness of much capacity (this was in the first part called "Strange Happenings"). But can the Union of the one who holds the Crest of Harmony and the other who holds the Dragon of Gaia stop it? Read and find out.
Jyou's eyes flew open as he sat up in bed, he was soaked in a cold sweat. /It was only a dream.../ he thought to himself. He sighed and looked at the alarm clock, "It's only 2:00AM..."
He sighed and flopped back down onto the bed, surrendering to sleep once again.
On with the fic!
A week or so later - this is not Jyou's dream, it's "reality" so to speak.
The nightclub was extremely crowded as Takeru sat down at the bar. With a small sigh he ordered a drink.
A woman with pretty caramel hair and adorable hazel eyes came up to him, sat next to him and ordered her own drink. "You okay?" she asked.
Takeru looked at her, his eyes widening... /Is this who I think it is?!?!/ he thought frantically.
The young woman's eyes went wide. /Darnit he's one too! But I don't know if he's one of Them or on our side.../
Takeru snapped out of it and nodded as casually as he could, "Yeah, I agreed to meet a few friends here tonight."
She too snapped out of it. "Cool. I don't want to sound nosey but who are they?"
Takeru debated telling this woman who they were. His head whipped in the direction of the dance floor as something caught his eye... /Could it be...?... Naw, Ken and Miyako are together... Aw f*** this is nuts, a married man and a man who has a kid by a prostitute dancing together?! Like THAT?!/ He still couldn't believe it...
The young woman waved her hand in front of Takeru's face, "Hello? You alive in there?" After about five minutes of no response, she followed his gaze. Her jaw crashed to the floor, her eyes went wide as her left eye popped out of her head... /Oh. My. God!!! Miyako isn't going to like this... She'll be sooooooo mad if she catches Ken and Daisuke dancing like that!/
On the dance floor, Ken and Daisuke were dancing, facing eachother. They were dancing to "Spaceman" by Bif Naked. They were riding eachother's knee like one would see a man and woman do when they were drunk off their asses and stoned in the American movies.
Daisuke had a BIG smile on his face as their hands clasped, his other arm resting on the small of Ken's back.
Ken too had a wide smile on his face, he was enjoying this very much.
Daisuke froze when he saw Takeru and Hikari sitting at the bar staring at him.
Ken stopped and raised an eyebrow, he then followed his lover's gaze and froze. "Aw kuso..."
"Do they know you and Miyako split up?" Daisuke looked at his mate.
"I'm not sure, I hope they do."
Back at the bar, the woman's jaw was still dropped. She managed to get ahold of herself. "I wonder if Miyako knows her husband is here with another man..."
This woman now had Takeru's full attention. "Nani?" he looked at her, his expression was that of curiosity. "You know them?"
"Hai, Inoue Miyako, Ichijouji Ken, Motomiya Daisuke, Hida Iori, Ishida Yamato, Kamiya Taichi, Takenouchi Sora, Tachikawa Mimi, Kidoe Jyou, and Izumi Koushiro."
Takeru shrieked, this wasn't heard over the loud music. He leaned over to her and said in a quiet tone, "You know who they are, but do you know what they are?"
"Hai." she answered. "They're..." she whispered the rest as quiet as the loud music would allow.
"You're.....you're one of them too?"
The woman nodded and smiled, "I'm Kamiya Hikari."
Takeru smiled BIG and gave Hikari a hug. "Takashi Takeru here." he had a grin on his face.
Hikari giggled and returned the hug. "I'm still wondering if Miyako knows Ken's with another man."
"Yep, she knows." a man with blonde hair and blue eyes came up. "That's why they split up."
"?!" Takeru gave the man a funny look.
The man gave Takeru's arm a playful punch, "Aw jeez, don't tell me you forgot about your own brother."
"Yamato!" both Hikari and Takeru glomped the man.
Yamato laughed, "Yep!"
Back on the dance floor, Ken and Daisuke continued to stare at them.
Daisuke freaked when he saw the man that went over to them, "Is that Yamato?!"
"Sure looks like it!" Ken smiled and pulled Daisuke over to the bar.
"Heya Yamato, Hikari, Takeru! Nice to see you guys again!" Daisuke smiled large.
"Hey you two!" Hikari smiled.
Takeru smiled, "Haven't seen everyone in awhile!"
Ken smiled and nodded.
A man with oddly spiked hair walked over to them. "Hey guys. Long time no see!"
Hikari smiled at her brother, "Nice to see you again Tai!"
Taichi smiled and gave his little sister a hug.
The bartender was looking looking at the group of Digidestined, he'd been listening to their whole conversation. He cleared his throat loud enough to get their attention.
Once the bartender succeeded in getting their attention, a puzzled expression came across his face.
"Nani?" the ebony-haired man who had an arm around his waist asked.
The bartender cleared his throat. "All those names you listed..." he looked at Hikari. "You left out a name."
Hikari gave the bartender an odd look, "Nani?!... But..."
The bartender interrupted her by clearing his throat. He pulled something from beneath the counter and handed it to the ebony-haired man with the violet eyes.
Ken's expression went from confused to curious as he felt the objects in his hand, one of them had a long white string hanging from it as if it were a necklace of some sort. He opened his hand that the bartender had closed after handing him the objects. "Wha?! Where'd you get this?" he gave the bartender a stern look.
"Do you remember a year ago? That boy that was stabbed and gassed in New York's Central Park in America?" the bartender asked.
The six Digidestined nodded in unison.
"That boy, he was like you. He was one of you." the bartender continued. "Before he was attacked, the boy was here in Japan. At one point he sat at the tavern I used to own before I worked here days on end, no eat, no sleep, no shit/piss, and no water."
An overly fat man, who was sitting a few stools away from Hikari busted up laughing, "Oh, this is rich!"
"Shut your trap, Frank!" the bartender snapped. "This is important!"
"Jeez, touchy touchy. I'm just behaving myself so I don't get turned in by YOUR arse!" the overly fat man growled.
"Shut up or I WILL turn you in g*dd*mnit!" The bartender turned his attention back to the six Digidestined who were now in their early 20s. "Anyways, he had that around his neck." the bartender pointed to the object on the long white string which was golden, strangely shaped and held the Crest of Harmony within it. "I found that a few days ago in an allyway a few blocks down." He then pointed to the dark-lavender object with dark-grey, nearly black handgrips on it, it also had a little screen on it, "That was with it."
"Oh joy!" Frank's laughter was dripping with sarcasm. "This is REALLY rich! You mean that scrawny little punk kid who owns that Halloween freak?!"
Hikari whirled to face the overly fat man. "Which Halloween freek? Did he have deep emerald eyes and dirty-blonde hair?"
"Yeah, so?" Frank scowled. "Go home, your mother must be worried!"
"That is NOT a Halloween freak!" Hikari snapped.
"Whoa, kid. Ease off, all I did was voice my opinion. I don't want you to break a nail." Frank snickered behind his hand.
"Who?" a man with shoulder-length raven-black hair, and equally dark eyes placed a hand on Frank's shoulder. The man leaned next to Frank and whispered darkly in his ear, "I do not own him, idiot."
The bartender smiled at the man behind Frank, "Min, it's good to see you again even though the last time I saw you, you were wandering around like an idiot looking for Wizardmon."
The man smiled. But there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Taichi looked at the man, a warm smile playing across his lips, "You're Chang Min?"
The man nodded, "And?"
Ken went over to the man and handed him the D-3 along with the Crest and Tag. "Yumil said he found these in an allyway a few blocks south."
Min's eyes went wide, "No wonder why I haven't been able to..."
An arm slumped around Min's shoulder, a voice interrupting him. "No one's ever been able to enter the Digital World without a D-3 or Digivince of some sort." it was Koushiro
"Actually, I did it once." the bartender, Yumil by name said. "It was cool. Too bad our world can't be as beautiful as it..."
"Don't we all wish..." Daisuke sighed.
Min slipped the Tag/Crest which was rightfully his around his neck, tucking it under his shirt. He then took the D-3 and slipped it into his pocket. "Speaking of which, has anyone had trouble getting into the Digital World at all?"
Taichi raised a brow, which was totally unlike him. "We haven't really had a need to go into the Digital World."
"Yes, there is a reason." Yumil stated. "I can only enter the Digital World via Astral Travel, but I can't get into it in the physical plane of existance."
Min raised a brow, "You were able to get to the Digital World without a D-3 or any type of Digivice for that matter?"
"Hai." Yumil replied. "Oh, Min, an old friend stopped by earlier today."
"Who?"
"He didn't really stop by, we communicated via vidlink. He seemed very concerned about something." Yumil continued. "He said something about the gates to the Digital World being sealed by Darkness."
"What?!" Yamato flipped.
"Calm down!" Yumil warned. "Anyways, he said that whatever Darkness it is is having trouble sealing the Heighten View Terrace gate due to a Magikcal shield cast within it."
"Nani?!" Min flipped as well. "Only one type of 'Mon has the power to see the Darkness and Light within the gates!"
"Yes, I know. This 'Mon in particular is your partner." Yumil said. He pulled out an object, it was a granite pendant with the Crest of Harmony carved into it elegantly and intricately wrapped within the Dragon of Gaia. The Dragon of Gaia was what only one 'Mon 'signed' himself as. All other Majin 'Mon were either too afraid to embrace the power of the Dragon of Gaia/Spirit of Earth, or weren't worthy of its power. He handed this pendant to Min, "It appeared in my hand when we first came in contact. He wouldn't tell me what it was or what it meant. But his instructions were to give it to you and no one else."
Min knew this 'Mon all too well... Since he represented Harmony and Wizardmon represented the Spirit of all living things or the "Dragon of Gaia", these two symbols entwiined in such an intricate manner meant great care, love, and compassion almost to the point of intimacy. His breath caught in his throat as he took it, a tear sneaking and resting on the corner of his eye. About two seconds passed before the tear slowly trickled down his cheek. Unconsciously, he whispered the name of the physical embodiment of all living things, "Wizardmon..."
Frank banged his fist on the table and laughed, "You still obsessing over that thing?!"
"Shutup Frank or I'll punch your lights out." Min's voice suddenly went from saddened depression to cold and brutal.
Frank was taken aback by the voicetone Min used, "Jeez, sorry for breathing."
Min ignored Frank and took a seat, slipping the pendant around his neck.
"Aw crap!" Yumil suddenly snapped as he heard an annoying beeping sound. He motioned for the Digidestined present to come behind the bar and into the back room.
With questions on their minds and on their lips, they followed the old bartender. But Min was the last to enter.
"What's that noise?!" Daisuke cringed. "It's annoying!"
"Whatever it is, it sounds like it's coming from the computer." Koushiro commented.
Yumil went to the other side of the room and flipped on a lamp light, he moved the mouse to get the computer off of screensaver. "A message across the planes from the Digital World?..."
Min immediately darted to Yumil's side, looking over his shoulder.
As soon as the "recieve" function was activated, an image appeared on the computer monitor. It was a broken up, fuzzed over, and infected with severe static communique.
The 'Mon on the other end spoke, a worried tone underlying the serious one, "I'm not sure if this message is getting through but if it is, the Heighten View Terrace gate is jammed open! It's filled with enough Darkness that it can't be closed without wiping out half the life in both Worlds!... The ......... mu-...be cleansed!"
Min recognized the face of the 'Mon on the computer screen all too well. What was to be heard and seen next was surely going to make him shit bricks.
"Please!... Hurry!" Suddenly, the computer screen went dark, but it was soon to spark to life again with a hideous face no one had ever hoped to see again.
"Hello you puny little Humans." the voice of the Vampyre 'Mon was heard, it was full of lust and desire for Death and complete Chaos.
Min suddenly went ghost pale, his stomach felt as if a garbage truck had been dumped in it and it had been torn inside out.
"You!" Hikari burst out at the computer screen. "Not you again!"
"Ah, yes... It is good to see you, Hikari, Taichi, Yamato, Takeru, and Koushiro, again after all these years." the voice cooed. "But it isn't you I'm after... What I'm after is that Stone. And I know which one of you has it. Chang Min..."
Instinctively, Min grasped the granite pendant which hung from his neck, he darted to a trashcan but didn't get to one in time before he was retching his guts out on the floor. He couldn't believe this! The Ultimate Darkness wanting an object of endearment and passion?! The thought of what the idiot might do to Wizardmon frightened him to death, almost literally yet he remained coherent somehow.
"Yes... Now you know that thing has some sort of power. But I don't want to touch that diseased piece of dung you dare think of as a mate, Chang Min. All I want is the power that Stone posesses."
"You sick kisama!" Ken snapped at the Dark 'Mon whose hideous face was on the screen. "Don't you know that you'll have to Join with a Human for that to work?! But it won't work either way since YOU aren't the 'Mon whose essence is is in Min's heart!"
"Nani?!?! I always find things out at the last minute." Daisuke sighed.
The Vampyric Digimon on the screen laughed that sick, disgusting laugh. "Yes, Daisuke, you're right. But fortunately you won't be the last to die!" the computer screen went black.
Taichi turned to look at Min who had managed to make it to a trashcan. He went over to him and knelt next to him, "Hey, you okay?"
"No!" Min managed to gasp out between retches. Tears of emotional pain were streaming down his face like sheets of rain in the worst of storms. "That sick bastard!"
Yumil turned and his heart immediately sank at the sight of Min. "I wish there was a way I could help instead of being just an operative..."
"I think you...you've done enough to...to help...already..." Min gasped out as he finally managed to stop regergetating yet the tears continued to stream down his face.
Frank lumbered in, took one look at Min and was at a loss for words, "What the...?"
"Don't ask. Since you think the whole thing with the Digital World is nothing but a game, a hoax then you cannot assist." a voice was heard from the doorway to the back room.
Everyone looked over to see Leslie leaning in the doorway.
Frank frowned and went back into the area of the nightclub that was open to the public.
Min turned away from Leslie swiftly, the tears raining harder down his face, "Damnit!..."
"What's his..." Leslie trailed off as she saw the pendant around Min's neck. "Nevermind."
"Hey! What's going on?" a man who was drunk off his ass wandered in. "Where's the booze?"
Taichi noticed the man wasn't drunk enough that his speech was slurred, but he could tell the man was still drunk off his ass.
The man also had his pants unzipped and his equipment hanging out. Yumil noticed this, took one glance at Min, got up and shoved the man out of the back room. "Zip your pants up or I'll cut it off!" he yelled to the man.
The man suddenly burst back in, appearing sober now, his eyes loosing the haze of alcohol at the sight of Min crying. He zipped his pants up without getting his boner caught in the zipper. "Chang Min?... Stone Min is that you?!"
Min seemed to ignore the man as he pulled off his overshirt, somehow forcing his tears which had slowed a bit to remission completely.
The man noticed the very visible scar on Min's left forearm and his eyes went wide, "F*** man, it is you!"
"And?..." Min's voice was shaking from crying, his cheeks red from the tears.
"Aw KUSO man! NOTHING could get you to cry! What the heck happened?!" the man gawked.
Yumil looked at the man, "Neil, do you remember three months ago when that Digimon saved you from being hit by a car?"
"Yeah, what about it?" the man, Neil by name asked. He obviously had no clue as to what was going on.
"Remember how I said that Digimon had a Human partner?"
"Yeah..."
"Min is his partner." Koushiro cut in.
"WHAT?!?!" Neil flipped. "Are you serious?!?!"
"Yes...he is, why?" Min's voice had steadied a bit.
"But that one that saved me said his partner held the Crest of Harmony!" Neil was still flipping.
Min showed him his Tag and Crest.
Neil flipped even more. "But still, I don't get how even that could make you THIS upset Min! It used to take alot to get you to even make a caring gesture!"
"Do you see this?" Min showed Neil the pendant but wouldn't let him touch it.
"The Dragon of Gaia and the Crest of Harmony?! What the hell?!"
"Wizardmon is the only one brave enough let alone the only one able to use the Dragon of Gaia's power. The Crest of Harmony represents Min." Leslie explained.
"And?" Neil was still dumb to what any of this meant.
"In other words, Min and Wizardmon each carry a half of one soul." Hikari stated as if the whole world knew it.
"Huh?"
"They're soulmates damnit!" Yumil snapped, his patience suddenly gone. He then took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself.
Neil's eyes popped out of his head, "You freakin' serious?!"
"To have the Dragon of Gaia and the Crest of Harmony wrapped around eachother in such a manner means great care, love, compassion, and undying devotion, almost to the point of intimacy." Koushiro finished.
"I get that now. But that wouldn't make anyone cry." Neil said.
"If you were here to see the message then you'd be angry too." Ken saiid, his tone was neutral.
"Yeah." Daisuke agreed.
"It was Myotismon's Darkness. It seems he found another way to get a physical form. He wants this pendant for the power it contains. But the only way of releasing its power is having both it represents Join." Koushiro explained.
"Uhhh...say WHAT?!?! As in do "It"?!" Neil freaked.
"Not THAT you pervert!" Yumil snapped. "But it's closest to accurate yet far from it. In a way, it's like sex in a Spiritual sense, no physical contact is required save for clasping hands."
"Damn, I feel sorry for you Min..." it came as a whisper from Neil.
"Why?" Min's expression became neutral, his voicetone had a bit of an edge to it. His eyes seemed to speak volumes of how he never once regretted knowing Wizardmon at all.
"Alright, can we get to Heighten View Terrace? We've wasted enough time here." Takeru reminded everyone.
At that, Min bolted out the door, through the nightclub and out the entrance towards Heighten View Terrace.
"No wait Min!" Ken raced after him with the others following suit.
As they ran through the nightclub, Yumil shouted something to Frank. "Watch the place for me!"
"What?! But you fired me!" Frank called back.
"Just do it!"
The seven Digidestined, the civilian, and the bartender dissappeared out the door.
Min continued to run, cutting through people's yards, running across streets, and through large crowds of people who were gathered around several different nightclubs, not once appologizing or stopping to do anything. His mind was racing as was his heart, /Oh Kami please don't let that baka do anything to Wizardmon.../
"Min!! Wait up man!!!" Daisuke shouted after him as the six Digidestined, a civilian, and a bartender ran in persuit.
Taichi slipped and almost fell on his face but Yumil was running up behind him and helped him up without stopping.
As a cool summer rain shifted to an angry summer storm, Min stumbled to where the famous Digiport was located. As he got closer to it, he fell, skinning his knee but not seeming to care as more tears, like the rain, began to fall from his eyes once again.
He got up and ran into the jammed-open gate.
"No! WAIT!!!" Ken screamed, diving into the gate after him.
"Ken!!!" Daisuke skidded into the gate as well.
Everyone else skidded to a stop, not sure of what to do.
With a deafening roar and a sickening breath, a great evil appeared. It was nothing but a black cloud that seemed to have no effect from the rain.
A familiar Digimon walked out from the cloud, the one that Ken had forced into the Dark Ocean a few years back. It was Daemon.
"Aw kuso..." Neil breathed.
"Damnit I didn't want to see that moron again!" Yumil ranted.
...........................
On the other side of the gate in the Digital World, everything seemed to be surrounded by Darkness save for a single, deep-blue rose with white stars on it that sparkled beautifully.
Min skidded to a halt as he came upon the rose, "Oh no..."
Ken skidded to a halt, almost toppling into Min yet Daisuke stopped with ease.
"What were you thinking Min?! You could've been killed or something!" Daisuke ranted.
Ken waved Daisuke to silence as he saw strange events unfold before his eyes.
Min dropped to his knees before the strange yet beautiful rose... It was then that he noticed it had kisses of dewdrops upon it. He gently touched the rose, accidentally jabbing his finger on a thorn.
His hand didn't jerk away nor did he yelp, all that was noticeable of the pain from it was a wince.
A clear, thick liquid began to ooze from the thorn on which Min had pricked his finger. Slowly it began to run into the cut caused by the thorn.
Min's breath caught in his throat as the clear thick liquid began to suck into his cut finger. Slowly, the wound closed itself, not leaving even a scar.
"What the...?" Ken's voice was heard.
"He's still alive..." it came out as a whisper. Just then, a tear that sparkled in the light of the sun that was darkened by the powers of Darkness dropped gracefully onto a petal. Since this was not a tear of sorrow, it turned the rose petal it fell onto into a soft, beautiful rainbow of colors.
Just then, the rose broke itself from its base root.
Daisuke stood there, watching, his jaw on the ground, not understanding what was happening.
Ken observed silently, he understood partially what was going on but this still puzzled him.
The rose gracefully floated from the ground and slipped itself behind Min's left ear. A soft, very familiar voice full of care and love seemed to come from the air itself. "No matter what happens, I'll be with you always, in this life, and the many to follow... Please do not forget me..."
As soon as the voice had ceased, Min took off running where his instincts lead him, the granite pendant around his neck began to pulse and glow with a soft light. Whenever it darkened, it never truly ceased growing.
It took Ken and Daisuke a few minutes to snap out of it and run after him, but they were pulled to the ground and fell by roots that seemed to reach up out of the ground.
Daisuke frowned, "Damn these roots!"
Ken nodded, but got a closer look at what held them, "No...it's not roots! It seems to be a cable of some kind... But the only Darkness I can remember having power this way was Etemon with his Dark Network."
"Nani? Who's Etemon?"
"Lets just say he sounds like Elvis and he's a major pain in the ass, he was anyways until he was destroyed in his next Digivolution up."
.......................................
Min kept running, jumping over, skipping through, and ducking under the cords of the Dark Network that kept trying to grab him. He couldn't believe the power burning through his veins! It was incredible! It was like an adrenaline rush but more pleasent, and it did not tire him at all.
He ran through a darkened forest swiftly but tripped over a cord which rose out of the ground.
Suddenly he felt himself falling... In fear of loosing the pendant and the rose, he grasped both of them firmly, then everything blacked out...
TBC