Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any related icons or characters.
"Hey Koji!" Izumi Orimoto yelled hopping up on the branch next to a sleeping Kouji Minimoto, causing him to wake up and fall out of the tree.
"Zoë!" he yelled up at her, "Ever hear of waking some one quietly?"
"Uh, nope, don't think I've heard that one." she replied, pretending to think.
"Well now you have, so you don't haft to do that to me ever again." Kouji said, standing , brushing off his dark blue jacket and pulling a small spike from it's seams.
"Owww, but it's fun!" Izumi faked a little kids whiny voice.
Kouji rolled his eyes at her in response and said, "Where are the others?"
"Takuya and Tommy went to get some breakfast, but I don't know where JP and you brother went."
"I hope JP's not killing Kouchi," Kouji said thoughtfully, "he has a tendency to want to do that."
"Tell me about it, yeesh!" Izumi replied looking down at him.
"Hey Zoë! Did you wake Koji up yet?!" Takuya Kanabara hollered from the top of the hill he and Tomotoko Himi were on.
"Yes, she did, and I almost broke every bone in my body falling out of the tree!" Kouji hollered back to his best friend.
"Haha! Was it fun?" Tomotoko asked jokingly.
"NO!!!" Kouji answered back.
"Sounds like you guys are ready for a game of hide and seek with Ophanimon now!" Kouchi Karminimoto said, walking out of the woods with some new firewood.
"Sure we are!" Kouji said dryly, patting his twin on the back.
Kouchi laughed, "Well, we'd better get eating then, before you kill Zoë for making you fall."
"WHAT!" Junpie Shanbyia yelled pointing a fist at Kouji, "You wont be killing my Izumi-chan as long as I'm around!"
"Yeesh, JP, Kouchi-son was only joking!" Izumi said hopping out of the tree, "Koji-kun would never hurt me."
"Ya, well, maybe he would!"
"No I wouldn't!" Kouji hollered in self-defence.
"Would so!" Junpie yelled, turning red and purple in anger.
"Nuh uh! I'd never hurt Izumi-chan if you paid me 10 million dollars!" Kouji said, anger rising in his sea blue eyes, like a storm raging in the sea.
"GUYS! STOP IT!" Izumi yelled, "JP! Koji-kun would never hurt me on purpose." she added to Junpie.
Both boys calmed down a little, then Kouji said, "Let's eat and get going before someone gets hurt here."
"Kay," Takuya said, still a little shocked at Kouji and Junpie's sudden outburst of anger. He hadn't heard Kouji yell like that since they had that little argument after their first fight with Duskmon, which was over a year ago.
The food was cooked on the fire and the five teens, one pre-teen and their two Digimon companions ate then cleaned up and headed out.
Everyone was quiet until Tomotoko asked, "Koji, why'd you yell at JP like that, it wasn't like he was saying you did kill Zoë."
All Kouji did was make a, humph noise in his throat.
"Tommy," Izumi said, "if you recall, Koji and JP have always been like that, can't you remember last time we were here?"
"Ya, I can, but this time, it seemed different, they've never fought like that before, and it scares me."
"How was it different?" Kouchi said, joining in.
"The look in Koji's eyes was way different, like he was upset about something else, but took it out in that fight. If you look, it's still there, it's so, dark and sad looking."
Izumi looked over at Kouji, he was walking slowly and he was looking at the ground, his eyes were glassy and dark. "I think you're right Tommy, he does look upset."
"I wonder what about?" Kouchi said glancing at his brother.
"That's what I can't figure out." Tomotoko replied.
They continued walking for a while until Kouji suddenly stopped, his vision blurred and he felt weak suddenly, he felt his knees buckle and fold, the ground rushed toward him then everything when black.
The others turned at the sound of a light thud behind them and saw Kouji fall to the ground.
"Koji-kun!" Izumi yelled running over.
"What's wrong with him?" Kouchi asked, worried about his brother.
"I don't know!" Izumi said franticly.
Takuya glanced at Kouchi and Izumi, they had both gone as pale as he felt, Izumi had tears in her eyes and Tomotoko was crying. Junpie was staring wide eyed at Kouji, he wasn't pale, but he was close.
"Oh dear, this is bad, very, very bad! He's breathing quite hard and he's white as a sheet." Bokamon said, speaking for the first time that day in his British accented voice.
"What is it do you think?" Izumi said the tears starting to fall.
"The curse of Cherubimon," Ophanimon's voice came through their D-tectors. "very deadly, you must tend to him quickly."
"Deadly?" Izumi asked, her eyes wide with fear, her face turning an impossible shade whiter.
"What is the curse of Cherubimon?" Kouchi said, his worry for his brother growing at the word 'Deadly'.
"It's a cruse that is put on anyone who is pricked by a Pokumon's spike. It is very deadly and there's only one cure, the leaf of a Cherubimon's Black Rose," Ophanimon replied. "and those are very rare, they can only grow in the shadows of Cherubimon's throne it's self, and only when the moons are at their highest." with that she crackled out.
"Did….did she s….say deadly?" Izumi said turning whiter still, a sob breaking loose when they didn't answer.
"Where'd he get pricked by a Pokumon's spike?" Junpie asked.
Izumi gasped, "When he fell out of the tree!" The others looked at her curiously, "He pulled a spike out of the seams of his coat! It must have pricked him! Oh, this is all my fault!" she sobbed.
"No it's not, it's no one's fault, all we can do is go find a Cherubimon's Black Rose." Takuya said sympathetically.
The group searched high and low for the evil angelic Digimon's castle in their spirit forms. Beetlemon, Duskmon and Agunimon took turns carrying Kouji, Kumamon searched from the land with whoever wasn't carrying Kouji and Kazamon searched from the air with Beetlemon whenever he wasn't carrying Kouji.
"I don't see the castle anywhere!" Kazamon shouted from the air.
"Well we better find it soon, Koji's getting weaker," Duskmon sighed and shook his head, "I don't how much longer he'll last."
"This is giving me a headache," Kumamon said flatly.
"Well we gotta keep searching Buddy." Agunimon said half-heartedly.
The group looked for the Dark castle all day with no success, then the sun started to set.
"The sun's setting, we've gotta find that castle soon, the flowers only bloom when the moons are at their highest, which is midnight, it's gotta be at least 8:30." Agunimon said quietly.
Kazamon landed on the ground and looked over at Duskmon, who was carrying Kouji and sighed, Kouji was a strong person, he was usually so up and lively, none of them were used to seeing the strong-willed, independent keeper of Kendo's spirits so weak and lifeless. It was tearing each and everyone of them to pieces.
"He's so weak, I can't stand seeing him like this," Kazamon said lightly, "It hurts." she added weakly, putting a hand over her heart.
"Ya, I know." Duskmon sighed, the pain evident in his voice.
"Hey guys! I see the castle!" Beetlemon shouted from the sky.
"Where?!" Kazamon asked, flying up.
"There," he said pointing to the east.
Kazamon looked and sure enough, there were the three pointed, twisted towers of Cherubimon's castle.
"He's right," she screeched, "let's go, it's almost 11:00!"
The group hurried to the castle, arriving at 11:30. They hurried into the throne room only to run into Cherubimon's gods and goddess' spirits.
"What are you brats doin' here?!" Ranamon ranted.
"Ya, you gotta go now or we'll destroy ya, righ'." Arbermon mumbled.
"We going to you defeat!" Grumblemon grumbled.
"And thou wilt not escape this time." Mercurymon medevilled.
"Please! All we want is a single leaf of a Cherubimon's Black Rose!" Kazamon pleaded, "Kouji was pricked with a Pokumon's spike and he's very weak."
"No way are we givin' you a leaf of a Cherubimon's Black Rose, honey, we'll just let that boyfriend of yours suffer and die, now how's that for style sugar?" Ranamon rambled.
"It's not!" Kumamon yelled, "Now this is style, BLIZZARD BLASER!" Ranamon was pummelled by little snow balls.
"You little brat! Slide Evolution! Calmarimon! Acid Ink!" Calmarimon attacked Kumamon but he dogged it.
"Slide Evolution!" The four Chosen Children who could said.
"Burning Graymon!"
"Metal Kabutarimon!"
"Karikakumon!"
"Zephyrmon!"
A battle raged between the Chosen Children and Cherubimon's warriors. It lasted 15 minutes before,
"Guys! It's 11:58! We've only got two minutes to get that leaf!" Karikakumon yelled.
"Oh, no!" Zephyrmon yelled, "We've got to hurry! I'll try to get one while you keep fighting!"
"Ok," The others replied.
Zephyrmon flew as fast as she could to the throne, thankfully, Cherubimon's warriors were distracted by the others fighting, so it was easy. Now she had to find one. Then she saw it, a black rose in the shadow! "A Cherubimon's Black Rose!" she gasped 'I did it!' but just as she grabbed a leaf, Mercurymon attacked her and sent her flying, 'No!' she thought as it all went as black as the rose.
"Huh? Where am I?" Izumi whispered more to herself then anyone else and sitting up.
"Back at camp." Kouji replied, smiling at her.
"Koji-kun! You're alive!" she yelled suddenly remembering about the Cherubimon's Black Rose.
"Yep, and all thanks to you," he said sitting down beside her, and putting a supporting arm around her shoulders, "and it's also thanks to you that Cherubimon's warriors have all been turned to fractal code."
"Fractal code? Are you serious?!"
Kouji nodded happily.
"All right, but how? I was knocked out and you were dying!" she said remembering how she had been attacked.
"Takuya gave me the rose leaf and healed me and we all used some of your power to defeat them." he said still smiling.
"Wow,"
"Ya, and may I say that was pretty brave of you Z, getting the rose and taking that risk." Takuya said, coming up beside them.
Izumi blushed at the praise, "I had to," she said looking up at Kouji, "or Koji -kun would have died."
"And the risk was worth taking to save a friend right?" Kouchi chimed in.
Izumi nodded.
Tomotoko laughed suddenly.
"What are you laughing at Tommy?" Junpie asked.
"Nothing, it's just, everyone is being so sappy."
"And how's that little Buddy?" Takuya said walking over and tugging at his hat.
Tomotoko laughed again, "Oh, Izumi-chan, how brave of you to save my life, you're my heroine!" Tomotoko mimicked Kouji's voice as best he could.
"Hey! I never said that!" Kouji said taking is arm off of Izumi's shoulders and tickling Tomotoko.
They all laughed and giggled until the sun set again, and even after that.