Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, big surprise. But I'm going to borrow some of the characters.
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"Wow I feel so alive I can't believe how good I feel!" Jou yelled at the top of his lungs. He breathed in the warm spring air taking it deep into his body as it revitalized every fiber of his soul. It was as if he had been reborn the day Daisuke took him from his life as a makeshift doctor in a city filled with sick and unthankful people. "I can't believe it's such a beautiful day I feel like a million digidollars!"
Daisuke buried his face into his shirt that he used to cushion himself against what he thought was the cold and hard ground, but which Jou professed to be as comfortable as a pile of Yukimibotamon. "Is he always like this?" he mumbled through his clothes to Gomamon.
"He hasn't shouted like that since he was little," Gomamon said. "First time we were in the Digital World."
"What was he like back then?" Daisuke asked. He didn't know Jou before he grew up and became the calm and dignified medical student that he knew. The stories had painted the picture of a neurotic and somewhat over thinking young man who was never truly sure of himself. A total contrast to what Daisuke saw each time Jou would visit.
"Wake up Daisuke!" Jou shouted gently kicking at his friend's back. "Today's the day, I feel it."
"For what?" Daisuke said with a muffled voice from his clothes and with little enthusiasm.
"Today is the day we find the others! Mimi! Sora! Tai! Yamato! Takeru! Hikari! Miyako! Iori! Ken! And Koushirou! Every one of them!"
"Go away you nutjob," Daisuke grumbled while he pushed Jou's leg away from him.
"What kind of attitude is that?" Jou asked as he placed his fists at his hips. "Kari will never carry your children with that kind of thinking."
Daisuke slowly looked up and glared at Jou with menacing eyes. He reluctantly pushed himself off the ground and stood up to stare at Jou who towered over him at least a head in height. "What makes today any different."
"I can feel it, can't you?" Jou said. He shoved his Digivice in Daisuke's face. "You see this!? This is the same Digivice that guided me through the Digital World to victory! Despite what the others may say, I was the key to our victories both in and out of the Digital World." He nodded triumphantly.
Daisuke sighed. Jou's hyperactive nature had been building up each day since they left the hospital and today it seemed to be at its worst. He sighed. "Okay fearless leader, where to."
"That way!" he pointed out randomly with a hard jerk of his arm.
"That would be the way we came," V-mon said.
"Well," Jou said, "then we go that way!" He pointed the opposite direction quickly, almost falling over. "That way! Head west young Daisuke!"
"You mean north, don't you?" Daisuke wondered.
"Right!" Jou shouted.
They were running across the open fields with their Digimon to their sides not far behind. Through the heavy sunlight they were nothing but silhouettes against the horizon. With the wind behind their backs and fire in their souls they four were ready to go across the entire world to find those that they loved. Most of their energy was localized in Jou, but it didn't matter. As him as leader, he would lead Daisuke and their Digimon to glory and reunification.
Around noon, Daisuke was sick of walking and running through the empty planes and asked V-mon to evolve and fly them the rest of the way to the next settlement that was said to not be much farther over a mountain in the near distance.
"Are you crazy?" Jou exclaimed. "We have to get there on our own. You kids today. When I was in the Digital World, we walked fifty miles in the snow to get to where we were going, and we didn't even know where we were going! We saved our Digimon to defend us. Not like you kids who Digivolve when you see a stick in the road. I bet you don't even know your rookie's attacks."
Daisuke's left eye twitched. "Sure I do, it's V-head Butt," he said triumphantly.
"And Hawkmon and Armadillomon?" V-mon asked.
Daisuke pointed his fist at V-mon. "You aren't helping."
"You're right, I'm not helping," V-mon snickered. He and Gomamon shared a few laughs.
"Agumon's attack is Pepper Breath," Jou nodded. "Spiral Twister, Marching Fishes, Bone Bubble, Lightning Paw, Poison Ivy, Blue Blaster, and none other than Super Shocker!" He pointed his finger at Daisuke. "Sound familiar?!"
Daisuke's eyes thinned as he stared at Jou confused by, well, by pretty much everything at that point. "No."
"That's the point!"
"What point?"
"I don't know! Why must I be the one to figure everything out?" Jou snapped, not angrily, but with great emotion.
"Jou listen to yourself you've totally flipped out!" Daisuke said as he started shaking Jou by the shoulders. "Get a hold of yourself!"
Jou laughed. "You're a good kid. You would have done okay with the old group."
"Right," Daisuke paused. "What ever you say."
"But really, Daisuke. You should learn to let your V-mon fight," Jou mused. "He is at a very special stage of his life. I don't think I've ever let you see him fight without a Digivolving or Armor Digivolving. It'll help your Digimon to mature and gain more power. You can't waste his energy because you are tired. What if we were attacked?"
Although he seemed insane and his words were slurred and fast, Jou made some sense. So they made a compromise there in the middle of nowhere to walk, but to take things slowly with one foot in front of the other and not wondering what the foot would do after the last step. Jou told Daisuke stories of the old Digital World, but for some reason many of them seemed to be embellished on the part of Jou.
"Yes, I did save Mimi," Jou assured. "We wouldn't have won without me," he suddenly became sad and lowered his voice to a sullen tone. "But even I wasn't enough to keep both her and Leomon safe. He died protecting the two of us."
"He, he died?" Daisuke asked. He couldn't quite believe it.
"We like to think he was reconfigured or reformatted. But the truth is, there will never be another Leomon. The Digimon that was born from Leomon's information was most likely not the same Digimon we knew. He wouldn't have had the memories of the Digimon we knew. Only the spirit."
Daisuke questioned this statement. "Then why is it that Wormon was brought back and he remembered everything."
"Me and Koushirou had a long talk about that. We think that the power of Ken's crest and the energy of his trait of Kindness was strong enough to bring back the same Wormon instead of creating a whole new one."
"Is that kind of what happened to Patamon?" Daisuke asked.
"Who told you that story?" Jou asked.
"Tai did once," he answered.
"Well," Jou said. "That was different. See, after Angemon destroyed Devimon, he used up all his energy and reverted back to his first stage, the Digiegg. He didn't really die. If he had died then he would have been reconfigured and reborn at Primary Village. He would have been a new Digimon unless Takeru found him and his trait was strong enough to bring Patamon back."
Daisuke nodded thoughtfully. Jou knew much about the ways the Digital World worked. He hope that the knowledge would be helpful in this world. As Daisuke felt himself grow closer to Jou with each story, he soon found himself comfortable enough to ask, "Jou, do you think, well," he touched his index fingers together in embarrassment, "do you think that Kari would ever go out with me?"
"Hmmm," Jou breathed. "If you had asked me a year ago I would have said-" Daisuke's eyes lit up with anticipation of the answer, "-No." Daisuke slumped. "Well, see, you use to be kind of obnoxious and overbearing before. You've really matured since then. I bet she'd definitely consider it."
Daisuke glared down at the ground. "Not with that TK around."
Jou sighed. "Takeru and Hikari have a very strong bond that even has ties to ancient prophecy and legend. The two of them have destiny behind them, but I find it doubtful that anything will bloom between them."
Daisuke's eyes lit back up. "Really?"
"Not until they're older."
Daisuke slumped again.
"When they grow up a little I think that they will really understand the bond that they share. Even if they don't see it now, it definitely exists. You better act quick."
Daisuke thought for a few minutes before saying, "What if they already grew up." He suddenly looked angry. "I bet they're together right now. This crazy framing/knight/kings and queens Digital World has a way of maturing kids. I bet they're sleeping together right now!"
Jou laughed and patted him on the back telling him he was crazy and that the chances were pretty slim. Daisuke didn't think so. Upon the arrival at the small village, a group of children immediately swarmed around the four strangers. They poked at the Digimon and asked if they could talk or do tricks. Gomamon and V-mon were both startled by all the hands and quickly hid behind Jou and Daisuke. The children continued to swarm as they talked loudly and giggled.
A young woman came out of a small hut, picking up her dress as she ran over to the haze of little people. She collected the children, shooing them away from the strangers as if swatting away flies. The mob soon filtered down to one girl that stood behind the young woman. She finally looked at Daisuke and Jou with an embarrassed smile.
"I'm very sorry," she said. She must have been under 20, but a little older than Jou. She smiled softly and said with a gentle voice, "We don't get many visitors. Even fewer Digimon. The children got carried away."
"It's alright," Jou said. "We are traveling and came upon this village. We were wondering if there would be a place we could lodge for a night or two."
"Well," she sighed. "There are no inns to speak of, but perhaps I could help you find someplace to stay. You look harmless enough, perhaps you wouldn't mind staying with my brother and I. We haven't much room, but it will be warm and somewhat quiet."
"You are very kind, miss…" Jou trailed.
"Kei," she said. "Most cal me Kei."
"It's a lovely name," Jou complimented. They looked at each other for a moment with identical smiles and Daisuke and the Digimon were beginning to get a bit uncomfortable.
"My name is Jou," he said. "This is my companion Daisuke, his Digimon, V-mon, and that's Gomamon."
"It's very nice to meet you all," she said.
"Pleasure," Daisuke said.
Kei lead them into the small home that she came out of. It was a modest flat, no more than two rooms and a tiny stove in the corner. "My brother can I can give you our beds," she said.
"No, no," Daisuke said. "We can sleep on the floor it would be impolite for us to take your beds."
"It's quite alright," she assured.
"We're use to sleeping on rocks," Jou said. "The floor will be fine for us," he said with a grin.
She nodded and they sat around a small table near the stove. "So where are you two young men going off to alone?"
"No where in particular," Jou answered. "We're searching for our friends."
"Alone?"
"Yes," he answered. "We only have each other."
She nodded and sighed. "I know how it feels. My brother and I live alone here together. Our parents died of disease when I was twelve. I've taken care of my younger brother since then. He's twelve now. I am 17."
They nodded thoughtfully.
"How did you become separated from your friends?"
"Very strange and mysterious circumstances," Jou said. The conversation was taking a one on one trend and Daisuke and the Digimon were finding themselves like the third, fourth, and fifth wheels of a bicycle. V-mon could sense Daisuke's feelings and so he tugged on his partner's sleeve.
"Daisuke," he said. "You said you would take me to find some jenny berries." The lie was incredibly stupid and not well thought.
"What?" Daisuke asked. "What are you talking about?" He thought for a moment before he looked up and saw Jou and Kei still in deep conversation. He sighed and said, "Oh, I see." He stood up and said, "If the two of you don't mind, I think I might go off and explore a bit."
Jou nodded and Kei said, "Be back by nightfall," she smiled. "I'll cook a special meal for the two of you. You must both be hungry."
Daisuke nodded and bowed to her once before leaving with V-mon and Gomamon. Jou hardly noticed that they left. They conversed for what seemed to be several hours and eventually the two of them ended up sitting crossed legged on the floor very close together.
"How is it that you support yourself and your brother?" Jou asked.
"I teach at a small school not far from here," she answered.
"You're a teacher?"
"Yes," she nodded. "It's a thankless job," she sighed.
"I was a doctor before I found Daisuke and began a nomadic lifestyle."
"A doctor? You are so young," she gasped.
Jou laughed. "I suppose. You are young to be a teacher."
Kei gazed out the window for a moment. It was getting close to late afternoon. "Brother should be home soon."
"What's his name?" Jou asked.
"Davien. He said he was going hunting with some of his friends. Typical young men, always out killing things."
Jou laughed. "I never liked killing things. My father pushed me to become a doctor. He taught me so well that in this world I am more than qualified to be one." He mentally kicked himself.
"This world?"
Jou's hand nervously found the back of his head. He stuttered for a moment, then thought about telling her the truth. Perhaps some things were better left unsaid, so he finally sputtered, "This world, as in, this country. I came far from here."
"Oh really? Where?"
"Uhhh," Jou mumbled. "Up north."
Kei giggled. "Where up north?"
As if on cue, the sound of scratching at the doors threw the conversation off. Jou stood along with Kei, who ran over to the door that was now being banged on with great urgency. She swung the latches open and opened the door. Gomamon sat on the ground looking up at the two of them.
"Daisuke!" he stammered.
**
They found Daisuke near the edges of the forest crouched down behind a large bush with his head peaking over the top. Shouting and crashing could be heard from beyond in a large meadow not far from where he stood. The sounds of XV-mon battling with another Digimon were quite obvious as Jou, Kei, and Gomamon came running up behind Daisuke.
He looked up at them with relaxed eyes before standing up and shaking Jou by the colar. "That Dark Tyrannomon came out of nowhere and just attacked us!" he exclaimed. "I sent Gomamon to get you so he could fight to."
Jou nodded then looked down at his Digimon. He gave him the go, and Gomamon jumped past the shrubs to the clearing and evolved to Ikkakumon. The walrus-like Digimon stood and said, "Why don't we even things up. Harpoon Torpedo!"
A projectile shot from the fore of his head and raced across the clear and struck the black dinosaur in the back of the head. He turned and glared at the new opposing force. Jou squinted over the bushes and strained to see the Dark Tyrannomon. As his attention was diverted, XV-mon opened his arms and shot a laser from his chest to the back of the Dark Tyrannomon. He took to the air and landed down next to Ikkakumon.
As the smoke from the attack cleared, Jou could see the enemy better. There was something different about the Dark Tyrannomon that stood in the clearing. Its eyes were glazed over and it seemed to have no mind of its own. And the most obvious difference, there was a headband around the top of its skull that went all the way around, to a red and yellow feather that stood straight up the back.
"It can't be," Jou whispered to himself.
"Fire Blast." The creature extended the jaws of his mouth to let a fireball shoot out and strike Ikkakumon in the chest knocking him down for a moment. His voice was deep and dark, but somewhere in the darkness Jou could sense familiarity. Something about it seemed as if part of his past.
"Dark Tyrannomon dark Digivolve to…Metal Tyrannomon," in a cloud of black smoke the creature grew twice in size and now shined with black metal that covered its cybernetic body. His metal claws of death extended and as he said, "Nuclear Laser," a powerful beam of light soared through the air and struck the earth at the feet of the two good Digimon. The ground shook as if an earthquake had hit and luckily the two Digimon had jumped out of the way.
"Ikkakumon Digivolve to…Zudomon!" With all the force he had, Zudomon threw his hammer through the air. It spun so quickly the hammer looked as if it were a flat disk of metal as it struck the Metal Tyrannomon on the arm. An explosion followed that tore the arm off its bolts and hinges leaving only debris and bits of metal to fall to the ground.
Jou looked down at Daisuke sharply, "You have to make your Digimon Digivolve to Ultimate."
"I don't know how," Daisuke said in an ashamed voice.
"Now's as good a time to learn. He has the power to do it."
As Jou looked back up, he saw the two Digimon struck with another laser and the two were overcome with its power and were lost in a sea of dirt and dust and fire. As it began to clear, XV-mon jumped in the air and used X-Laser once again, which did little than nothing to the Dark Digimon.
"Zudomon!" Jou shouted. "Don't kill it!"
The great sea beast nodded and ran forward, charging at the beast. He locked his arms with his opponents remaining arm and tried to break its strength.
"XV-mon, you have to try and Digivolve!" Daisuke yelled.
XV-mon nodded and held his fists tightly as he tried to summon his energy to evolve to his next level. He began to glow a bright blue, and just as it seemed that he had reached the point of no return, XV-mon fell from the air and struck the ground hard in a blue flash. He pushed himself up and shook his head.
"He needs Stingmon," Diasuke said quietly.
Zudomon was thrown from the other end of the meadow back to where XV-mon lay. His massive body plowed through the ground, tearing up the plants that lay beneath as a flood of soil and stone flew in the air. He got up slowly, and pointed his hammer out, not giving up.
Another Nuclear Laser struck Zudomon in the chest and through him backwards crashing into the forest uprooting dozens of trees and sent birds flying from their nests into the air. He lost consciousness before flashing in yellow light and becoming Gomamon once again.
In the blink of an eye the Metal Tyrannomon had XV-mon in his remaining hand, slowly crushing the blue phantom with its sharp metal claws. Blood began to trickle from his body as the black claws cut into his flesh.
"XV-mon!" Daisuke cried.
"I never liked you anyway," the Metal Tyrannomon cooed as he slowly tightened his grip on XV-mon. He would have crushed XV-mon to death had a blast of white and pure energy struck him in the back, breaking the metal shell of his body. He dropped XV-mon to the ground, how hit it flat with a loud thud.
"XV-mon get up!" Daisuke cried.
"What was that…?" Jou asked himself
A huge metal claw swiped downward, not from Metal Tyrannomon, but from Metal Greymon. The orange beast knocked the Metal Tyrannomon down, tearing its other limb from its shoulder in a crash of metal. A huge metal Angel floated in the air not far from and sent fourth seven orbs of energy towards the Metal Tyrannomon. Above, Jou could hear the flapping of huge wings, and as his gaze went upwards above the trees, a huge beast of white and pink fur rushed forward and fired a blast from its mouth. On the back of the white holy dragon, sat three familiar faces.
They had not noticed Jou or Daisuke or Kei until after Daisuke jumped over the bushes and ran out to XV-mon, disregarding any of the other Digimon. He pushed against the body of his Digimon desperately trying to get him up off the ground.
"Daisuke…" XV-mon struggled to say. His eyes opened wide as he saw the Metal Tyrannomon still standing in with several gashes in his robotic body. With one quick movement, he swung his tail around to hit XV-mon and Daisuke.
He closed his eyes waiting to meet his doom, but after several seconds, Daisuke found that nothing had happened. He tentatively opened his eyes and looked upwards. XV-mon did not stand hovering above him, but Paildramon, a much larger Digimon, stood there instead. He held the tail of Metal Tyrannomon with his huge claws, away from endangering Daisuke.
With the creature's tail still in claw, the lasers attached to Paildramon's waist swung forward and aimed for Metal Tyrannomon. It was strange to hear the voice of XV-mon alone shouted, "Desperado Blaster," without the sound of Stingmon.
The Metal Tyrannomon fell to the ground in a dead heap of metal, before a flash of darkness reverted him to a black and gray Hawkmon. Daisuke stood there in disbelief as he stared down at the bird that looked so much like the Hawkmon he once knew.
There was screaming from the trees, and as Daisuke looked upwards he finally noticed Metal Greymon, the huge angel that looked like a knight, the white dragon that looked like a dog, and the three Digidestined sitting on its back.
The screaming came from a girl standing in the trees. "You've failed me for the last time, Hawkmon!" She disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Daisuke recognized her voice as Miyako's, but hadn't been able to see her face because of the black cloak that covered her face and body.
Daisuke picked up Chibimon and slowly walked forward to the Hawkmon, joined with by Takeru holding Tokomon, Hikari holding Salamon, Jou with Gomamon, Taichi with Agumon, and Kei alone. None of them spoke as they stood above Hawkmon who was still alive but unconscious.
Jou beant down and lifted Hawkmon up by the shoulders. He shook him gently as it slowly regained consciousness. He glared at the children huddled around him and pushed Jou's arm away. "Do not touch me, peasant."
"Hawkmon," Hikari said gently.
"Don't you speak to me," he scowled. "I should have killed you and the skinny one when I had the chance."
Takeru charged forward, only to be held back by Daisuke.
Hikari bent down to meet Hawkmon at his eye level. "Hawkmon, do you remember me?"
"Shut up."
"It's me, Hawkmon. It's Kari, your friend."
"I have no friends, only my master."
"That master that just left you?" Takeru sneered.
"TK, don't," Hikari snapped. "Hawkmon, it's us. You're friends. Do you remember us before you became a Virus?"
He glared at her, and was just about to strike her down with his feather slash attack before Jou could push her out of the way. "You are outnumbered here, Hawkmon," he said with a cold indifference. "It wouldn't be a good idea to strike any of us."
"Then I will take my leave," he said, as he stood up. His legs gave way below him and he fell back to the ground. "Blast."
"You're hurt," Hikari said. "Jou will have to fix you up."
"Why would he do that?" Hawkmon snarled.
"Because," she said with a smile, "he's your friend."
Authors Notes: Like whoa, that chapter actually came out pretty good. I guess it was to make up for the crappy Tai, Kari, and TK chapter and the Ken and primary village one, since they both were really bad in my oppinion. Hope you agree ^^. Please review, even though FF.net seems to be slow these days.