Natural Born Leader
A Digimon Fanfiction
By: Bekah-chan
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Elves, Dragons, and Magic in Tokyo. Someone is trying to kill Davis; Can he and his Digidestined friends, find out who before it is too late? Very AU Still has the digimon and stuff, but with lots more added on :)
Note on Rating: This fic has become a little more violent than I had originally intended. So, I decided to up the rating, just to be safe.
Disclaimer: (Okay, here I go) *sniffle* I DO NOT *cringe* OWN *wince* DIGIMON *sniffle* (I did it!!!) I do, however, own (or came up with) most of the stuff that doesn't have to do with Digimon. So, HANDS OFF!!!! Thank you ^_^
Author's Notes: This fic is entirely from Davis' Point-Of-View. I'm mentioning this because it is a first person narrative, and it might be confusing if you don't know whose POV is driving. Although, it should also be noted that this is not exactly the Davis from the show. Beware major Out-Of-Character-ness. One more point: This fic is soooooo *not* cannon. Except for a few flashbacks, it's safe to say that the show happened up to the episode where Cody got his second Digi-egg. After that this fanfiction deviates sharply from the show's main plot-line. Hey! Don't blame me! *points finger accusingly at muse* It was all her fault!! ^_^
Part I:
The attempts on my life started a few weeks before Ken decided to give up his evil Emperor ways and become one of the 'good guys'. It was just small things at first, things that I did not connect until later. Like when I almost got run over by a car in rush-hour traffic. That could have happened to anyone, right? And since, with my faster-than-average reflexes, I was able to get out of the way quickly, I didn't give it much thought. Except to consider it lucky that the car had almost hit me (who *could* get out of the way in time) rather than a normal human, who would have been killed.
The next day I was almost strangled by a jump-rope...... And no, I'm not kidding. On my way home from school (and Digidestined activities) I passed a little girl skipping rope on the sidewalk. As I widened my path to go around her, the rope *leapt* out of her hands, and wrapped itself around my throat. Again, if I had been human I would have been killed. But I am *much* stronger than I look, so I was able to, easily enough, pull the jump-rope from around my neck, despite the supernatural force that was trying to keep it there.
I gotta admit that, by this time, I was a little suspicious. But I quickly talked myself out of the: someone-is-plotting-to-take-my-life, frame of mind. That kind of thing isn't healthy, you know. Besides it's not uncommon for things of this nature to happen to me. Like that time last summer, when a clothes-line took annoyance at my presence and.... um, never mind. The point is that I dismissed this incident also, and, after giving the girl back her jump-rope (once I made sure that it wouldn't harm her) I went on my way.
On the third day, at about the same time that the previous 'accidents' had occurred, something happened that caused me to question the piling evidence. I was leaning lightly out of an open window in the living room of Kari's apartment, when something pushed me from behind. And yes, I say 'something' because no one but myself and my digimon were in the apartment at the time, and I know that Demiveemon would never do such a thing. This is where I observe that things become clearer when one is plummeting from six stories up, toward the unforgiving ground below.
I did not panic, I can't remember the last time I felt such a naive emotion, but I was forced to resort to magic to save myself. This made me angry, as there are many reasons that I do not like using magic in public. That a mortal might see, one of those reasons, was, luckily, moot. No one was watching when I used a levitation spell to slow my decent.
After I was safely on the ground again, I just stood there and thought for awhile. The situation was becoming serious. This time, not only would a human have died, but one of my kind (with the exception of myself, and possibly my sister) would also have perished. No one but a Fey of the royal line would have been able to cast a spell that quickly. And, even I, might not have been able to do it 20 years ago. I sighed and accepted the fact that some-one, or -thing, had malicious intent upon my person. Something was rotten in Odiaba.
*****
On further thought, conducted while I was walking, shoeless, back into the apartment building, I concluded that whoever was trying to kill me didn't know what I was. Each time I had survived, so far, it was because the attacks had been aimed at a human, not an elf. So, I could rule out one of my own kind trying to kill me over their political affiliation. Jun, my sister, and I kept a pretty low profile. Which I believe, also ruled out someone trying to off me for a mundane reason. The only other thing I was involved in, that wasn't 'normal', was the business in the Digital World.
As I stepped into the elevator, pushing the button for the sixth floor, I tried to think of who, in the Digital World, would want to kill me. I briefly considered Ken as the culprit, but quickly discarded the idea. For one thing, Ken thought that the Digital World was all a game. It would not occur to him to come after one of us in the real world. Besides, I had long suspected that there was more to the 'Evil Digimon Emperor' thing than met the eye. One of the side effects of being what I am is the ability to see into people. Oh, not read their thoughts or anything like that, just perceiving if they leaned more toward good, or evil. Sensing what kind of person they are.
The first time I was in range of the Digimon Emperor, what I saw shocked me. How could someone do the things he does, and still have a heart that was so kind? It baffled me until I came up with a feasible scenario. Something had influenced Ken from an early age, slowly changing his emotions and outlook, until everything he saw and felt was tinged with darkness. I sometimes wondered how young he had been. Hadn't anyone noticed what was going on? Had there been no one that could see the darkness he was sinking into, and pull him out of it? It seemed not.
The elevator arrived at the floor I had requested, and I stepped into the hall, walking back toward the Kamiya's apartment. Feeling the carpet beneath my socks as I traveled, I tried to remember the first time that I had decided it was my job to save Ken. All of the Digidestined, older and younger, had somehow fallen under my protection. I did not notice it at first, but it happened all the same. They were just children, trying to fix something that was so much bigger than they are. They were often brave, and sometimes scared, but always willing to do what was needed. They were going to save the world. I respected them for this, and had taken it upon myself to see that they didn't get themselves injured while doing it. It was a full-time job.
Ken, on the other hand, was *not* trying to save the world. Far from it. But I had seen into his heart and knew that he wasn't who he seemed to be. He was also a Digidestined, and as such fit in to my little family. Both reasons compelled me to rescue Ken, from himself, and from whatever was trying to control him. I was determined that *all* the Digidestined would come out of this alive, even if I didn't.
Today I had come to talk to Tai about Ken. Being the original leader of the Digidestined, I hoped he could help me find a way to help Ken. If, that is, I could convince him that Ken was worth saving. This would not be easy, but I felt that, with my unique perspective into Tai's personality, I could bring him around.
*****
Tai Kamiya was the first Digidestined that came into my acquaintance, even though neither of us knew, then, what a 'Digidestined' was. About 10 years ago, I was walking along an autumn colored pathway that wound through a favorite park of mine. As I strolled around a bend in the way, an occupied bench appeared from behind a dense group of bushes. Drawing closer I saw the figure of a little boy, 4 or 5 years old, huddled there, sobbing. It is, and always has been, beyond me to pass by a child in such obvious distress. So I decided to see if I could help.
At the time I had been posing as a rebellious teen of about 15-16 years. (The 'rebellious' bit helped me seem a little older) I didn't want to scare the kid so I set about making myself seem less, well..... rebellious. First I adjusted my glamor, the spell I used to appear human. My hair shortened to a more acceptable length; My nose-ring and tattoo melted away; And the ragged jeans and T-shirt faded to the khaki pants and turtle-neck that I was actually wearing. I kept only the parts of the glamor that made my features; my eyes, ears, etc., appear human.
Next I took off the things that had not been an illusion. The earrings, both in my right ear, were one of the only things that my sister and I had left of our mother. These I carefully removed before gently placing them in a pocket. The Elven-made silver chevron bracelet, from my left wrist, went the way of the earrings, and the three rings, on varying hands, followed the rest. One of the rings, one to which an illusion spell would never stick, had my family crest on it. I had enjoyed wearing it openly, as part of this disguise, I did not get to wear it as often as I'd like. I debated leaving it on, it didn't carry my 'rebellious' facade all by itself, but it *was* kind of odd, and my goal here was to appear normal. So off it went. The only accessory that I kept on was the goggles that I wore while ridding my motorbike, they were keeping the hair out of my eyes, like a headband.
When I was ready, I slowly approached the bench and sat, casually, on the end opposite from where the kid was perched. It took him awhile to notice me. But once he had calmed down a little, I asked him his name. He didn't answer me, just gave me a measuring glance. A surprising action in one so young. Finally I offered my name (David at the time) and waited for a response. The kid, after thinking it through, decided to trust me (at least a little), and told me his name was Tai.
Tai was a cautious little kid, even then, it took me quite a bit of patience to get him to open up. When, at long last, he confided his problem to me, I found it very easy to relate. It seemed that Tai would soon have a little sister. His parents had informed him just that morning, and he was upset. Obvious was the fear that he was afraid his parents wouldn't love him anymore, or pay attention to him, now that a new baby was coming. I'd felt much the same way before Jun was born.
Of course, in my case, it had been almost one hundred years before, but some things were universal. So while we sat in the park, absently watching morning turn into afternoon, I told him about my sister. I explained to him that, after my sister was born, my parents did not love me any less. We had all loved each other as a family, and Jun had fit right in, without excluding me. Then I disclosed to him the most important part of being a Big Brother: To protect your sister from harm, no matter what. Little girls needed to be cared for and loved, I reasoned, and they all had the innate capacity to get into a *lot* of trouble. They needed someone to watch out for them, to keep them safe and happy. I asked Tai if he thought he could take on the job.
Tai was silent, seeming to weigh himself, to see if he was up to the gargantuan task that fate had laid before him. I had never in my life seen such a canny little kid. And, when he nodded firmly, saying that yes, he would be a good Big Brother, I knew that his sister would be a lucky little girl, to have such a protector.
I really don't know why, but I gave Tai my goggles. To help him remember to be a good brother, I said as I handed them over. Tai tried to put them on like I had been wearing them. But they were too big, and fell to hang around his neck, like a necklace. Ah, well, he would grow into them. Someday.
Soon Tai's mother, who had been looking for him since he ran away from a family picnic, found him. She gave me a measuring glance, almost identical to her son's earlier look. Now I knew where Tai got it from. I put what I hoped was a trustworthy expression on my face, and she thanked me, guardedly, for keeping her son in one place until she found him. Then she took Tai's hand and walked away. Tai gave me a smile and a wave with the hand that wasn't being held securely in his mother's. It would be almost 8 years before I saw the Kamiya family again.
After they were gone I took out my ring and, putting it back on, looked at it thoughtfully. Set in ancient silver was a fire-opal of a unique red/orange color that resembled living flame. Etched on the surface of the stone was my family crest. I had been told that the symbol meant 'flame' in some long forgotten tongue. This had represented my family for generations uncounted.
I guess you could say that this ring was my goggles. It reminded me of my family, and my sister. Jun *definitely* needed someone to watch out for her. My sister had a duplicate ring, although the stone was smaller. The rings, originally a set of six, had been a gift to my ancestors from a very powerful magician. They provided a limited amount of magical protection, but that wasn't the best feature. Any family member, wearing one of the rings, could, with concentration, instantly transport to the location of another family member also wearing a ring. Transport spells normally took a lot of time to set up, and used a lot of power. The rings' ability to transport without using the wearer's power made them a valuable commodity. There were only two rings left. Jun and I had used them on occasion, but once used, the rings had to re-charge for a few weeks before they could be used again. Making them ideal for an emergency but impractical for everyday travel.
I stood and reassembled my disguise as I walked back to my bike. I had a sudden need to see what trouble Jun had gotten herself into today.
*****
My mind is...... odd. As a defense mechanism, I have managed to bury some of my intelligence and most of my personality deep within the recesses of my mind. Utilizing only the surface thoughts of my brain has had some interesting effects, allowing me to seem slightly goofy and more than a little dumb. This has only better enabled me to keep up the facade of the 11 year old *human* Davis Matomyia that I show to the world. If I didn't think too deeply, I could just go with the flow, which can be a lot of fun. The human world really is amazing. Sometimes, I enjoyed it so much that I could forget, for a little while, that I was not the human boy I pretended to be. I could forget the Fey Kingdom; Forget my title and obligations to the same; Forget that, even now, elves were searching for my sister and I; And forget that my parents had been killed by their own subjects, for making decisions that could only have been a benefit to our homeland.
I could forget, but not for long. Ever present is the fear that we will be discovered by the humans, or by our own kind. My sister and I have been in hiding for a long time, it can change you. Jun and I barely talk anymore, this had not always been the case. Back when we were younger, before it had become necessary for us to hide, we had been friends. Or, as much friends as one could be with a sibling. In one night assassins had destroyed our lives, killing our parents and toppling our entire support structure. All we had left was each other, and the final words our father had spoken. As he lay dying, he told us to escape; To live; To survive and grow stronger; To come back one day.... and save them. My father lay near death, and my mother had left this world moments before, so I knew that my father did not mean for us to save the already lost King and Queen. But to return one day and save the country that they had served so faithfully, and ruled so fairly: the Elven Nation, Kingdom of the Fey.
The Kingdom of the Fey, my legacy and birthright. I did not want it, I did not want to rule, or live in, the country that had killed my family. Jun and I never spoke of it, so I didn't know her feelings on the matter. But as far as I was concerned, the Fey could fend for themselves.
*****
When I got back to the Kamiya's apartment I leaned on the wall beside it, sliding down to sit on the carpet. I didn't even bother to try the door, I knew it was locked. I had secured it myself, at the request of Mrs. Kamiya, who had been leaving when I arrived. She had known I was coming over today, to talk to Tai, so she allowed me to wait for her son inside, even though I was a few hours early. I wished I was still there. I supposed it is normal for one to wish one had *not* been chucked out of a sixth story window.
I hugged my knees to my chest and laid my forehead on them, sighing. Now I had to wait for Tai to get back from soccer practice. Mrs. Kamiya was gone (shopping I think), Mr. Kamiya worked late on Saturday, and Kari was in the Digital World with the rest of the crew (I idly wondered if they had noticed yet, that I wasn't there). So I would have to wait for Tai.
There were, of course, other options, but none of them were plausible. For instance, I could break down the door. This would be easy enough to accomplish, but it would leave the Kamiya's with a broken door. Or, I could blast the door with a spell, also with the same consequence. And, finally, I couldn't just leave, my Digimon, and my backpack (containing my money *and* my digivice) were inside, along with my shoes. I was stuck.
Eventually, Demiveemon woke up, he had been sleeping on the couch, and noticed the lack of my presence, *inside* the apartment. I had to assure him that I was alright (No!! I did not need him to digivolve and Fire-Rocket the door!!) and explain to him why I was on the wrong side of the door. Demiveemon did not understand, but then, he always has found the behavior of humans strange. He just chalked it up to the continued oddness of the human (or Elven, a difference which I had, unsuccessfully, tried to explain to him) race, and went back to sleep. This time he slept near the door, and I could hear him snoring through it.
I smiled a little. Demiveemon was such a good friend. I'd managed, some time ago, to get the point across that I *wasn't* human, but Demiveemon didn't care. To him, I was just 'Davis', a friend and partner. I was very grateful for his existence in my life.
*****
There is another reason, besides the risk that a mortal might see, that I disliked doing magic in public. Especially when I hadn't even had time to shield properly. You see, there are *Things* out there, unpleasant things, that can sense magic and are able to hunt down the source. Like blood for a shark, unshielded magic would lead these things right to their prey: Which would be any magic-using creature who didn't have the sense, or time, to shield, and/or run very far away, very quickly, once said magic had been used.
I had run from such situations myself, and felt no shame in it. On the few occasions when this had happened before, it was only myself in danger. This was not the case here. This building must have at least a hundred residents; and who knew how many were presently home. Which brought me to the other reason that I could not leave. I had to stay here and protect these people from whatever might have sensed my magic. There *was* a slim chance that nothing had noticed, but I didn't think it likely. When I cast that levitation spell I hadn't had time to build a complex spell-structure. Basically, I had just imagined a 3-D model of the finished spell and dumped power into it to make it work. A lot of that power had spilled over, and at this point I would consider it lucky if only *one* something had sensed it. I hoped that I would be able to destroy, this whatever it was, before it destroyed me, or someone else. I also, really, really, hoped that it wasn't a dragon. *shudder* Nasty things, dragons. I did not want to meet one again.
*****
My little sister is taller than I. I was 10 when Jun was born, and 25 when she outdistanced me in height. I had been blissfully unaware of my short stature until one day I discovered that I was looking *up* at my younger sibling. So, Jun was taller than me. And, with time, she grew to look older as well. In combination, these facts made people see me as the younger brother. Often asked, was the question of why I was heir rather than Jun, whom many viewed as the first born. I spent most of the next decade greatly vexed at Jun. But in time I got over it and now we tease each other about the height variance. As for the age thing, most elves appear quite young. It was a good thing, later, that one of us looked old enough to pass as an eighteen year old human.
When we went into hiding it naturally fell to Jun to play the elder part in our little charade. Sometimes she would be older than 18 and have custody of me, her 'younger' brother. Sometimes we would spend some time in an orphanage. And twice we had been adopted. The one constant was that Jun was always the 'eldest'. (At times it went to her head, and she would be hard to live with for a few years)
We stayed in one place until people noticed that we did not age, then moved on. But it was always somewhere in Japan. Because of what we are, our life forces' were tied to the land, and we could not leave this island. Strangely, this rule did not seem to apply to the Digital World, I could go there and move around freely. I did not, however, want to see what would happen if I were to come through the digi-port on another continent. I knew that the duration of my life, if I dared to set foot anywhere on this earth besides Japan, would be short and most definitely painful.
My sister and I did not mind this restriction much, it went both ways. We would no more leave the land, than the land would let us leave. At times we were not happy with the actions of the people who lived upon it, but we were always in harmony with the land. All elves had some affiliation with the land to which we were born, but none to the extent of my family. It was one of the things that marked us in our royal linage, through my father's side. We could not leave, except by death, and now someone was trying to force this occurrence upon me. I did not know who this someone could be, or why they desired my death. But I would have to find out soon. From this last attempt I could tell they were getting desperate, I was running out of time. If it kept on like this they would manage to kill me, human or not.
To Be Continued ^_^