Is illuminated by the light that guides me
Courage is born in my hands
The future I must walk; a new future
Ahead of where I pointed, I'll go there soon
To the future I must walk, overflowing with light."
Jenrya Lee—"Mirai"
(Translated by Megchan)
With Broken Wings
Chapter Five: "Mirai, Part One"
Kouji and Izumi entered the lobby to be greeted by loud cheering. They looked around in confusion, while Sakiko tried to look innocent. Kage kept his business face on, but it was obvious that he was also guilty. In an instant, it hit them right across the face like a sack of bricks. Kouji cringed while Izumi covered her mouth with both her hands. Was it possible for anyone in the Resistance to keep a secret?
"So that's what Kage meant," Takuya commented, remembering how Kage's words about Kouji's "going to save the woman he loved."
"Good to see you two are okay," Tomoki added.
"A year ago, I'd have hated you," Junpei admitted to Kouji. "But I guess I can't now. It's just the way things turn out."
"My baby," Tomoko Kimura declared, hugging her son. But she let go quickly, remembering his injured arm. "My baby boy is all grown up. I saw it before, but I just wasn't able to admit it until now."
The whole time, Kouji and Izumi took it as best they could, trying not to look completely humiliated, and vowing revenge on Kage and Sakiko for their embarrassing encouragement, and for telling the whole world what had happened between them.
"Okay, can I have your attention please?" Kage called. Finally, the entire lobby calmed down to a silence. "Thank you. Now, I think it's pretty safe to say that we're all proud of Kouji and Izumi for finally admitting their feelings to each other, even though they only noticed their attraction to each other four days ago." There was a short round of applause that ended for Kage to continue his speech. "Now, I hate to say this, but back to business. We've claimed this town, and we have several outposts all over the world. My sources in China say that Hong Kong has already been liberated, and contacts in the Caribbean have informed me that several islands have been freed, including Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, and Hispaniola. Parts of countries all over the world are beginning rebellions. But the Imperial Guard is moving on. Agents in the Digital World have contacted me. They need back up: fresh supplies, medicine, ammunition, and most of all, the Legendary Warriors. A team of us must leave for the Digital World. The rest will remain to assist the Japanese Resistance Force."
"Well, I'm in," Takuya decided.
"Count me in too!" Tomoki agreed.
"I guess I'll go," Junpei decided.
Kouji looked at Izumi for a moment before saying, "That makes it unanimous."
"Good," Kage answered. "The North and South American, Australian, Asian, African, and European Resistance Forces have all agreed to lend their support for the troops in the Digital World. It was a hard decision, but Himi and I decided that he and Gabumon would remain with Sakiko, Kotemon, Koemon, and the Kimura-Minamotos. The rest of us will go. The Shinjuku Resistance force has offered their support and some of their troops to remain here under Himi's command."
"The Digital World will be dangerous," Takuya informed.
"Yes, I know," Kage replied. "And thanks to a new battle strategy developed by the forces in the Digital World, we have a way of stopping the Imperials. The Kaiser uses his power to control his forces. Those who are controlled are marked with dark eyes covered by shadows, as we've all seen. But the Kaiser's power has a serious flaw: It's all data. His power is limited to DigiCode."
"Meaning?" Takamoto questioned.
"Meaning that a simple DigiCode scan can cure them," Kage answered, not even bothering to hide his excitement. "We can free the Kaiser's other prisoners: his soldiers. Our forces will multiply. We will win."
"One problem," Junpei noticed. "You don't have D-scanners."
"The Resistance in the Digital World does. They made several artificial D-scanners that work just as well as the real ones. After scanning the DigiCode, the enemy automatically becomes an ally. There will be artificial D-scanners waiting for us there. My contacts sent me the information to create a few artificial D-scanners for our forces here." He tossed Himi one. "This has the special plug-ins to help evolve Gabumon again. He can reach the Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate stages now. Choose whichever fits the situation."
"Yes, sir," Himi answered, securing it to his belt.
"All right, troops, let's move out," Kage decided. They bid their colleagues farewell and set out on their journey.
The trip to a Tokyo train station was tough; dodging the Imperial Guard, keeping out of sight, and getting supplies were no easy tasks. But with Kage's help, the troupe finally made it to a train station in the outermost prefecture of Tokyo.
"Remember," Kage whispered, "we stay together. Under no circumstances must we separate." He pulled out what appeared to be a soda can. He held his breath as everyone stepped back and opened the can, releasing a powerful knockout gas. He threw it into the station. Within seconds, they heard the thuds of Imperial soldiers hitting the ground upon passing out.
"Spirit Evolution!" Izumi ordered quietly. "Fairymon!" Being careful not to inhale the vapors of the knockout gas, she held out her hands toward the gas's origin. "Brezza Petalo!" Ribbons of wind burst from her fingertips, blowing away the gas. That attended to, Fairymon devolved to a very anxious Izumi.
"Come on!" Kage mouthed, leading them all into the terminal.
They were all extremely careful not to make a sound so as not to alert any conscious Imperials to their presence. Several elevators were ready and waiting for them when the passed the turnstiles.
"This is too convenient," Kouji decided. The other Chosen nodded, but they all silently entered the elevators. Down, deeper and deeper they went, descending far beneath the lowest sublevel. Sensing almost immediately that something was amiss, Kouji cocked his gun once, followed instantly by everyone else inside the elevator. He quickly exchanged a glance with Izumi, who had her D-scanner ready and waiting.
"Now," Kouji whispered.
"Spirit Evolution! Fairymon!" She was careful to keep her wings from bumping anyone by pressing up against the side of the elevator. Soon, it stopped. Each Resistance fighter held a stun pistol out toward the doors, which swished open to reveal a legion of Imperials!
The Imperial Guard was crawling all over the station, seemingly in an attempt to prevent the Resistance from boarding the Trailmon. The fighters all fired their weapons, paralyzing their enemies, but more only continued to appear.
"Brezza Petalo!" Fairymon attacked while Kouji continued firing at the Imperials that were threatening them. "Evolve, you guys!" Fairymon ordered upon seeing the remaining three Warriors.
"Spirit Evolution!"
"Agnimon!"
"Chakmon!"
"Blitzmon!"
The four Legendary Warriors went into action, Kouji providing cover fire.
"Burning Salamander!" Agnimon's flames rushed toward his adversaries, burning them only enough to cause minor damage.
"Lightning Blitz!" Blitzmon's electricity showed the Imperials no mercy as each of their weapons attracted the lightning bolts, giving their users a nasty shock.
"Snow Bomber!" And as if Fire and Thunder weren't enough, little Chakmon was certainly making these soldiers question their allegiances and rethink their careers with his painful Ice Spirit.
"There are too many," Kouji realized, reaching for his D-scanner.
"Wait," Fairymon instructed. "I have a plan. Slide Evolution! Shutumon!" She formed red energy orbs on her hands and feet and rushed toward the Imperials. "Gilgamesh Slicer!"
"What is she doing?" Agnimon asked as he tried to fend off several angry soldiers. All around, bullets and lasers were flying.
The soldiers Shutumon had aimed for automatically hit the floor for fear of her attack. But they should have known better, for when they tried to get up, Kouji had a clear shot at them all. His evolutions had allowed him to learn quite a bit about shooting, and his aim had improved since his first time evolving to Wolfmon. Each soldier he fired at hit the ground; some paralyzed, others unconscious from a shot to the head. None of them was dead. Again, he'd let them live.
"DigiCode Scan!" Kouji ordered, quickly releasing the soldiers from Kouichi's control. He then looked up to see a team of Imperials behind Shutumon.
"Behind you!" they both warned at the same time. Rapidly, they each headed to the left and attacked their assailants.
"Wind of Pain!" Shutumon shouted, taking out many more soldiers much more quickly than Kouji could with his gun.
Finally, everything seemed done. DigiCode had been scanned and soldiers (both Resistance and reformed Imperials) began to board the Trailmon. Just then, bullets began flying once more as more Imperials approached.
"Get on!" Agnimon ordered, blasting at the Imperials with his Fire Darts.
"The Trailmon's leaving!" Chakmon observed.
The Chosen Children and Takamoto ran (and some flew) for the Trailmon, turning their backs on the deadly firefight.
One newly fallen soldier in the Imperial Guard fired his gun, landing the bullet directly into Takamoto's left calf muscle. He hit the floor, blood streaming from his wound, as the Trailmon drove out of sight. Just when he thought it was all over, he felt himself being hoisted up by two strong pairs of hands…
Everyone began panting for breath as the Trailmon started to pass between the dimensional barrier separating the Real and Digital Worlds.
"Prepare yourselves for some turbulence," Takuya cautioned, bracing himself for the transition from DNA to data.
It hit them all like a jolt caused by a pothole or something in the tracks. Takuya watched himself flash in and out of his evolutions of Agnimon, Vritramon, Ardhamon, and KaiserGreymon. He looked around the car, seeing some people shaken up by the transformations. Even Kage didn't seem prepared for it! His face was looking rather green, and he was tightly gripping the edge of his seat, his knuckles turning white. Everyone around him tried to stay calm as the transformations hit and the non-Chosen's bodies were electrified with pale blue energy. The densely packed car made it hard to avoid the electricity, and it was hard to breathe with all the people around.
And yet, it seemed as though something was missing…
And that was when it hit him. He glanced around, the only evolutions he saw being Junpei to Blitzmon and Bolgmon, and Tomoki to Chakmon and Blizzarmon. Kouji and Izumi were nowhere in sight!
He ran around the cars, trying to locate his friends, keeping a sharp eye open for anyone crossing over to the other evolutions, or for a flash of long blond hair or short bluish-black. But the search was in vain.
"Kage, we have to do a headcount," Takuya requested. "Izumi and Kouji are missing." The young man nodded and began going around the cars, searching for their lost comrades, but to no avail.
"It isn't just those two who are missing," Kage replied sometime later. "Takamoto hasn't been seen either. And there's no way of going back for them. We have to finish our mission." He glanced out the window, hoping beyond hope for the best. "Luckily, we have the other Resistance fighters out there. Some of them were going to check and make sure everyone got to the Digital World safely. They're also responsible for getting the injured to Dr. Yamamoto. Kouji and Izumi will be okay, I promise."
Three Years Later
"Masaki! Masaki!" cheered the crowd as fifteen-year-old Masaki Nishigawa exploded down the track, leaving his opponents behind in the dust. The dark-haired youth was a blur as he raced toward the finish line, giving the competition no chance to recover. In a final burst of energy, he tore through the bright green ribbon of the finish line, eventually slowing to a stop as his momentum eased. The entire school cheered for the young man, a freshman who had volunteered to take over for the real track star, who'd been drafted the week before. No one thought the boy would make it, but his single week of training had certainly paid off.
Masaki wandered over to the bench and grabbed his water bottle, taking a long sip from it. The coach and the others on the track team praised him, but were sure not to pat him on the back or give him a high five like with usual athletes due to his agoraphobic tendencies, such as a general dislike of crowds or of people touching him.
"Great job, Masaki," congratulated his girlfriend, Amiko Toyowa, another freshman.
"Thanks," he answered.
"See you at home?"
"Yeah."
Masaki and Amiko shared a house outside of town with a friend of theirs who always came to pick them up from school. The tale was that both teens had lost their parents in the war, and lived too far away from their other relatives to take care of them. So a twenty-one-year-old called Reiji offered to let them stay at his place.
In the locker room, the young man showered and changed into a dark blue T-shirt and blue athletic pants—not exactly conform with the June heat, but comfortable enough for him.
"Hey, Nishigawa," the coach called. "Surprise visitor in the office for you. It's the Kaiser."
The air was thick with amazement and impressed whispers. Masaki just imitated an excited expression masked by exhaustion and headed for the principal's office, where an Imperial officer was waiting outside the door. Masaki allowed the soldier to pat him down, searching for any weapons (which the boy didn't have). Masaki wasn't exactly pleased with this treatment, but he agreed to it anyway. After all, it wasn't like the youth had something to hide…
Or did he?
Masaki was ruled as unarmed and allowed to approach the Digimon Kaiser.
"Masaki Nishigawa, correct?" the Kaiser checked in a smooth voice.
"Yes," the young man answered stiffly.
"No need to be so nervous around me," the Kaiser assured in his same cool voice. "You're fifteen, same age as me, so it's like we're peers. You have no need to be this anxious."
Masaki couldn't help it. In his experience, that voice always meant trouble. But that wasn't what he was going to tell the tyrannical fifteen-year-old.
"Sorry," he apologized, praying that his long-gone puberty had helped to disguise his voice. "Habit, I guess."
"Understandable," the Kaiser answered. "I suppose you haven't had much experience with real authority."
That's what you think, Masaki thought. Aloud, he said, "Something like that. Also, I'm kind of winded from the race."
"I can understand," the Kaiser replied. "I saw you run. You're excellent, the best out there. I was hoping you might join the Imperial Guard."
"I'm only fifteen," Masaki reminded.
"Not now, of course," the Kaiser assured. "But say in your senior year."
"I don't know," Masaki answered, his dark gray eyes focused on the sky outside. "I've never been one for war. I'm not exactly what I'd call a soldier. Whenever I'm in a fight, I just get lucky. Ask anyone." And it was the truth. Though he had been in many fights, he'd never enjoyed any of them. For him, victory was off the battlefield—where life replaced death. That was why he ran: to forget it all.
"Just consider my offer though," the Kaiser insisted. "Your parents are not present, am I correct?"
"Present?" Masaki asked, seeing someone approaching from the distance.
"Your parents died in the war, according to your records," the Kaiser observed.
"Yes, that's what my bio says."
"Then I can understand why you have such misgivings about war. I dislike it too, but I must fight. My family was claimed by the war—both my parents, my stepmother, and my sister died." Masaki noted that the Kaiser made no mention to the brother he was rumored to have.
"Then you can understand why I don't want to lose anyone either," he answered.
"I hate to inform you, but everyone has to die sooner or later. It's all just a part of a vicious cycle we all exist in."
"But still, I would rather live with the people I know and love than die on the battlefield with a group of strangers. What about you?" This time he'd gathered the strength to look directly into the Kaiser's eyes.
For a moment, the Kaiser stared at Masaki's eyes, wondering if the dark gray was from his influence or if it was the boy's natural eye color. There was only one person that had ever gotten that much courage to argue with him, but there was no way he'd show his face like this…
Just then, a birdlike woman was seen hovering outside. She swiped at the window, releasing a tornado to break the glass.
"Wind of Pain!" Both Masaki and the Kaiser were showered with broken glass. The teenaged ruler gritted his teeth and growled while the athlete looked at the woman in shock.
"Shutumon."
I cut ahead three years because I felt it would work better with the story. Plus wars don't end after five months. That's just ridiculous. The agoraphobia thing I looked up in psychology: It's the fear of open spaces or crowds. My mom gave me the "my baby" thing, though she actually got it from The Cosby Show. And the line "We will win" is from Minmei's song from Robotech—"We Will Win."