I'm sorry for the extreme delay, family difficulties is all I'll say. Really nothing much else to say this time around, so please just read and review like always.
Disclaimer-I don't own digimon or any of the characters involved with it.
Destiny of Courage
-Chapter Thirteen-
When I came to I wasn't sure how much had passed. I tried to sit up and get my bearings but found that it hurt just to try and raise my head. I let out a low moan of agony and quickly fell back down. Then I heard the sound of feet running towards me. Suddenly Kari popped into my still-blurry vision. She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight enough to cause a groan of pain. She quickly jumped back and began to apologize, it was then that I noticed she was crying.
I turned my head towards her and said in a soothing tone of voice, "It's all right Kari, the pleasure of your touch was worth every bit of pain."
That did it, she started smiling and gave me another hug, gentler this time. As much as I enjoyed it, I wanted to know how long I had been out. By her reaction, I had to assume that it had been quite a while.
"Kari, how long have you and I been down here?"
She looked sort of torn about whether or not she should tell me the truth, "It's been a little over a month now, you've been in and out of consciousness for the last two or three days."
What she was saying had to be truth, the news was too horrible for it to be some kind of lie to comfort me.
"Kari, how bad are my injuries, do you have any idea how long before I'm up and about again?"
"Oh, you're injuries aren't that bad, I think that the main purpose of that attack was to injure or possibly kill you soul, now that your soul has won the battle with oblivion, your body should be completely recovered within a couple of days."
Well that was a relief, now for the really hard questions.
"How did the battle end, where are the others?"
Once again, she hesitated before replying, "You saw the end, that attack finished us and completely laid waste to the building we'd been using as a base-camp."
Something didn't make any sense to me, "Kari, why didn't Fallen kill us all, he promised us no mercy."
"Davis, he did think he had killed us all, you and I were buried under all this rubble, it took the first week and a half for me to dig a way out and find the other survivors."
Dread started to grip me, "What do you mean 'survivors'?"
She started to cry again and said, "Those that did not get sheltered by a million tons of rock didn't survive."
I used the little strength I had to grasp her arm and squeeze, "Kari, who didn't survive, I need to know."
She said in a quiet, grief-stricken whisper, "Ken and Wormmon did not make it."
I laid there in silence then, remembering the man who I had first met as the sinister Digimon Emperor. He had been the first Digidestined to actually become friends with me, a true friend who did not constantly make fun of me. Now he was gone, and I would never get to see his quiet smile again. Maybe it was for the best, now he would be with Yolei, the young woman who he had always loved.
"Where are the other survivors, Kari?"
"They went ahead to meet up with the rest of our forces at my insistence, our group is the most powerful, we could not have them all sitting while you recuperated and Fallen went on a rampage," she said that last part almost defensively.
I just grinned and replied, "Good, I agree it would be useless for them to sit here with me."
My eyes started to droop then, Kari noticed and said, "You've only just recovered, so don't tire yourself too much, it's time to get some rest."
Over the next three days I recovered fully while Kari filled me in on the rest of the details, so on the fourth day I was ready to go meet Fallen. While I was comatose I made a discovery, and I was sure that there was a way to end this once and for all. Kari and I set out immediately to rendezvous with our friends, as it was, it would still take almost three weeks to get to the rendezvous point. It was on the evening of the last day before we would arrive at the rendezvous, after Kari had fallen asleep, that Gennai contacted me with startling information.
"Davis, I have figured out what Fallen is, and it's not good."
"Well, out with it then," I said impatiently.
"He is a parasitic soul that has no real body."
"What the heck does that mean?"
"He has the ability to possess human bodies, specifically, the body of whoever kills his current host."
"So you're telling me that if I kill him, his mind will just possess my body?"
"Yes, and before long he will take it over and continue to wreak havoc on the ones you care about."
"So do you have any suggestions on how I can defeat him?"
"No, but I have faith that you will think of something with your customary ingenuity."
"Gee thanks, Gennai, goodbye," and I turned off the digivice without waiting for him to respond.
I was so depressed and quiet the next day that Kari kept on asking me what was wrong. I just told her that I was worried about the upcoming battle, which wasn't entirely a lie. By the time we made it to the rendezvous point the next day I had made a very difficult decision, but it was the only way I could see to eliminate the threat of Fallen for all time.
The rendezvous point was a clearing in the forest about a half-mile from the base where the rest of the digidestined were supposed to be making their stand, if our information was still accurate. Willis was to come to the meeting place each day at about three o'clock to see if we had arrived. We arrived at about two so we settled in to wait for his arrival, it wasn't long before we heard a rustling noise in the brush ringing the clearing. We immediately leapt into our hiding places, just in case it wasn't Willis. Luckily for us, it was Willis who walked into the clearing.
"Damn, I guess they haven't gotten here yet!" he said angrily to himself.
That's when we got out of our hiding places and said hi. Willis nearly fainted in fright at our sudden appearance, but his expression quickly changed to one of undisguised joy at seeing us.
"You're here, you finally arrived!" Willis shouted happily.
"Yes," I replied in a serious tone meant to get him to settle down, "Now tell me the situation, and where I have to go to find Fallen."
He hung his worriedly, "The situation, I'm afraid, is not good, Fallen is at this very moment staging his final assault to wipe out the last of the Digidestined, if we hurry, we will be able join in the last stand."
"Perfect," I said with determination in my voice.
We left that instant and arrived at the edge of the base in around ten minutes to find the battle well under way. I told Willis and Kari to go find the leaders of our side and set up some defensive measures and lines of retreat, just in case my plan didn't work. Then I went straight for the front lines to find Fallen. It didn't take long, his appearance is fairly distinctive.
"Fallen!" I called across the battlefield, "Let's settle this once and for all, you and I, one on one!"
The battle immediately came to a screeching halt, as both looked around to see who had made such a crazy proposal, and to hear what Fallen said in reply. Fallen didn't think too long about it.
"Why, if it isn't Davis," he drawled in a disparaging tone of voice, "The boy who was flattened by one attack from me, what makes you think you have any chance against me."
"Let's just say that you gave me some time to reflect and I've had a revelation."
"Interesting, this could be fun, why don't we test your theory."
"Good, then call your forces back, and I'll tell mine."
"Agreed."
In a few minutes, both sides had pulled back and given the two contenders a large circle in which to conduct their duel. When the preparations were complete, Fallen looked at me and asked, "Now why don't you enlighten the rest of us as to the nature of your 'revelation'."
"I'd be happy to, while I was recuperating I realized that when I give the digimon my power to help him digivolve, and when he gives me his power to give me a boost, those our both imperfect relationships, since they're both give-and-take." I paused then, to determine Fallen's reaction, he appeared unperturbed, so I continued, "What is needed to defeat you is a perfect union where power is shared and given equally, to make us one!"
As I said the last few words, Vee and I began to glow with a bright golden light, and then I could finally see shock register on Fallen's features. Vee and I quickly turned into two blinding points of light that slammed into each other and fused.
"No, I won't let you!!!" cried Fallen as he charged and tried to cleave the now huge light in two with his sword. The sword stopped dead against the light and Fallen could not pull it away. As the light started to dissipate, the spectators saw a large, blue, muscular arm holding the blade in his strong grip. As the rest of the light dissipated, the form of the warrior became visible. He looked a lot like ExVeemon except he was slimmer, more man-shaped with a longer tale and six gleaming blue wings (Like Bahamut ZERO from FFVII). The Sapphire Dragon-man then let go of the sword and used his other hand to punch Fallen in the gut, sending him flying.
"I am Fate, the Avatar of Miracles." Said the Dragon in a deep, resounding voice.
Kari, who was watching the battle, quickly caught on to a seemingly small detail, "Hey, there was no 'mon' at the end of that name, does that mean that he's not a digimon?"
"You are correct, He is not a digimon, or a human obviously, he is a being that is closer in makeup to Fallen himself," came a voice from behind her.
"Gennai, what are you doing here!?"
"I came to watch the battle for the existence of Mankind."
Just then Fate lifted his hand to the sky and a sword materialized in his hand, it's blade seemed to be made of glowing blue crystal. When the sword finished materializing, Gennai let out a gasp.
"What is it Gennai?" asked Kari.
"That is Fate's Edge, sometimes called The Soul of the Hero, only a true hero with a pure heart and soul can call that mighty weapon forth."
But that was all the time they had for conversation, because the battle between the two warriors had begun in earnest now. Fate and Fallen were flying around the battlefield, giving out and parrying each other's sword attacks, launching hundreds of energy bolts at each other. Many of these attacks were reflected and caused destruction on the surrounding area. These two opponents, alone, were letting loose more energy and causing more destruction than when two entire armies had been battling only moments before.
"I can't let this go on much longer, it's causing too much damage on the sides," I thought to himself, "I have to fool him into unleashing his most powerful blast on me."
"Hey ugly, do you really think you can hit me with those pitiful blasts!" I taunted, while ceasing to attack or block and just dodging every attack that came at him.
He could tell that Fallen was getting really mad really fast so he kept it up and started moving even faster, waiting for him to crack. It didn't take long.
"Fine, you want to play games, then I guess I'll just wipe out your whole pitiful base in one blow, then we'll see if you're ready to fight a real battle!" yelled Fallen. Then he strapped his sword to his back and began to charge a huge blast in the form of a halo of dark energy around his body.
"Perfect!" I thought, and then maneuvered so I could jump in the way of his blast.
"Fall from Grace!" Shouted Fallen as he let loose a gigantic beam of blood-red energy wreathed in lightning. I flew directly into the path of the blast and put up a shield that would absorb all the energy. Then, fully charged, I let loose with my most powerful attack, "Fateful Blade!" I rocketed at him surrounded by a blazing golden aura with my gleaming blue sword held before me. I shoved my sword straight into his gut and then rocketed straight up, cleaving him almost in two with my blade. Then, just when I saw the light of Hell fade from his eyes, I was torn by indescribable agony and I fell to the ground and split apart again. When I got up I saw all of my friends in the digidestined running towards me. I steeled myself against the pain to come. Kari ran and threw her arms around me while I told her and the others that it was over. Now it was time to tell them the rest, so I put my arm around her shoulders and turned to face them.
"Everyone, I have horrible news, Fallen's soul is now in my body, and soon he will take control of me," I paused and tried to get control of my emotions.
"I'm sorry but the only way to get rid of him is to kill myself, that way he has no body to take over," I grew silent then, when I saw their shocked expressions and Kari's look of pure horror.
"No Davis, you can't die, I won't let you…, your child needs to have a father!" yelled Kari while she beat my chest with her fists and cried.
Her words hit me harder than anything Fallen had dished out, but it only served to harden my resolve, "Kari, don't you see, that's why I have to do this, I can't let this horror be unleashed upon my child, I have no choice."
"That's not true, we'll talk to Gennai, I know he'll figure something out!"
"Kari," I said gently, "Gennai is the one that told me that Fallen enters the body of whoever kills him."
"No…no there must be something we can do!?" she cried, but I could tell that she understood this was the only way.
Then I lifted her chin and looked straight into her beautiful, expressive eyes, "Kari, this is not the end, we will be together, in this life or the next, I promise you that."
Then I stepped away from her and the others and prepared to end it. I raised my hand and called forth the Fate's Edge. Then I shoved the blade through my own gut, silencing Fallen's soul forever, and releasing my own until it was called on again by Destiny.
As I stood there, dazed at the death of my lover, Gennai walked up from behind and me and said, "That's amazing, no human should be able to call forth the Fate's Edge on their own!"
I whipped around and floored him with one blow to the side of the head before shouting, "You knew, you knew he would do that when you told him Fallen's power!"
He stood up calmly and said, "Yes, I knew he was the only one with the power to defeat Fallen and I knew that he would able to make the decision to destroy him in the only way possible."
I turned around then, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit it. I walked forward then and began to pick up Davis's body, but all of the digidestined who had not known him well and even all the dark digimon who were free from the dark powers now that Fallen was dead, walked forward.
One of the digimon came forward to say, "This man freed us from that horrible nightmare of darkness and pain, we don't ask for your forgiveness for the deaths we caused, including his, but we would like to help carry the burden."
The international digidestined joined in and soon, a procession of humans and digimon were carrying the greatest hero the world had ever known to his final resting-place.
To Be Continued…
Well, all that's left now is the Epilogue. I know that ending was pretty sad, it was sad to write. But believe me when I say that is not the end of Davis, for a hint the title of the sequel will be "Rebirth of Courage." Please, read the Epilogue for more hints about the sequel, I'll try to get it out faster than this chapter.