Digimon is the property of TOEI Animation, and Akiyoshi Hongo, we are just
borrowing their characters and certain situations to tell our story. Domino
and Dice are our little darlings, Hikari and mine's that is. We gain no
money from this.
Story by Hikari and Wanderer D
***
Gatomon had just arrived at Myotismon's lair when a Bakemon flew up to her.
"Gatomon! Please, come quickly!"
"What happened?" Gatomon asked following the Bakemon into the castle.
"Demidevimon just returned with Dice..." Bakemon started.
"What was Dice doing with that loser?" Gatomon asked surprised.
Bakemon ignored the remark. "Wizardmon is tending to his injuries right now..."
Gatomon stopped, shocked. "What?! How bad is he?!"
Bakemon floated back a little. "Very bad, Wizardmon said he almost didn't make it."
Gatomon started running, following the Bakemon. "Who did that to him?" Gatomon asked, ice in her voice.
"I don't know... Wizardmon was about to see in a few moments." Bakemon said as he stopped in front of a door.
Gatomon pushed open the door just as Wizardmon stepped away from the cured Dice. The black Gatomon, however, was unconscious.
Although Wizardmon had cured him, the wounds were still visible as they slowly closed.
"Who. Did. This. To. Him?" Gatomon asked, fire burning in her eyes.
"The Digidestined..." Bakemon started.
"Those kids?! They're not strong enough!"
"It wasn't the kids." Wizardmon said calmly, patting her shoulder. "They had another Gatomon with them. It had strange powers, for a Gatomon, though they were somewhat familiar to me. I'd say that Gatomon was using magic."
"Magic!" Gatomon growled. "So, that coward wasn't good enough to face Dice hand to hand, so he-"
"She." Wizardmon interrupted.
"... she had to use magic. Pathetic." Gatomon spat.
Wizardmon sighed. "There's no use in getting mad now. Rest for a while, Gatomon, and we'll talk to Dice later."
Gatomon nodded and sat down next to the bed, looking at Dice worriedly. "Get better, Dice."
***
Later that night, Dice woke up. He carefully took a look at his surroundings, noticing Gatomon sleeping with her head on the bed. She was completely out.
Taking care not to wake her, he carefully laid her on the bed, and covered her, taking a moment to admire her, before leaving the room.
He had to ask Wizardmon to locate those kids. Now that he was better, and rested, he was confident that even that Gatomon's magic wouldn't stop him.
"I'll protect you, Gatomon, Domino... even if I die in the process." he muttered darkly, as he walked into the darkened corridors.
***
Dice watched closely as they all went to sleep. The spell Wizardmon had cast on him worked perfectly. As he swam towards the house he stopped to consider, and the other Digimon's words echoed in his head.
***
Wizardmon looked at Dice levelly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Dice nodded. "I am."
Wizardmon sighed. "Okay, Dice."
The magician Digimon walked up to a crystal ball and looked at it intently. As Dice watched perplexed, an image of a lake appeared, and the Digidestined, along with that Gatomon, were walking down into it.
"What..."
Wizardmon looked intently as the lake closed over them. "Hmm... interesting."
Dice growled a little, and Wizardmon sighed. "Here." He said simply, waving his staff over the black Gatomon's head.
"What was that?" Dice asked.
"That will allow you to breathe underwater for as long as you stay inside that lake, once you leave it, the effect will end." Wizardmon explained.
Dice nodded, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Wizardmon said. "Listen... this Digimon's magic... seems to be elemental... I'm not sure how she did it, but it's pretty powerful as far as I can tell. Be careful, ok?"
Dice flashed him a toothy grin. "I will! After I'm done, we'll be able to get out of here and stop the humans from destroying us!"
Wizardmon watched him leave, but as Dice closed the door, he heard Wizardmon mutter.
"What was that?" Dice asked, stepping in, but the other Digimon had somehow disappeared.
Shrugging, he went out of the castle, but he couldn't ignore what he had heard.
"Be careful with what you wish, Dice, maybe we're all more human than we're willing to admit."
***
Dice shook his head. He didn't have time for pondering Wizardmon's words. He could see his target, Tai, preparing to sleep. He would go first.
If Dice had been looking at himself, he wouldn't have believed the cruelty showing in his face as he decided he would slowly kill all the Digidestined and their Digimon, then face that Gatomon when she had no-one to protect.
If he had seen himself, if he had been truly aware of what he was thinking, he would have ran away from himself.
***
As Tai started to get sleepy, he thought he heard a sound. However, since Gennai had told them they would be safe, he thought it was probably a fish.
Dice slowly crept towards the doors, and made sure the door was properly bolted. Then, smiling devilishly, he walked up to Tai, who seemed to be asleep.
"Tai," he said softly.
Tai stirred, half asleep. he swatted a hand behind him. "Be quiet, Agumon, I'm trying to sleep."
Agumon opened his eyes sleepily. "Huh?"
"Your question will have to wait till morning..." Tai insisted.
"But I didn't say anything!" Agumon argued.
Tai suddenly snapped his eyes open. "You... didn't?"
"Boo."
Tai sat bolt upright and spun to the sound of the voice. He was horrified and enraged at what he saw.
"You again? Haven't you done enough damage? Go ruin somebody else's life."
"Oh, but I've just started... you see... that Gatomon's not here to protect you..." Dice looked at Agumon. "As for you..."
Agumon never knew what hit him, one moment he was inside, the next he was half drowning in the water outside Gennai's house.
Dice turned, scowling viciously at Tai. "You'll pay now, kid!"
"Agumon!!" Tai shouted, unable to help his friend. In a rage, Tai ran full- force at Dice, his arms outstretched, as if to throttle the catlike creature where he stood. Dice easily sidestepped.
Tai whirled quickly back to face Dice.
"Put it on my tab." Tai said acidly, in response to Dice's previous words.
Dice smiled, "It's good to see you have a sense of humor."
He snapped his fist into Tai's stomach, doubling him over. "Tell me, now that a Digimon is not here to protect you, or another Digimon isn't unable to defend himself... you don't seem so sure of yourself... in fact, you look rather pale."
"Funny...I've seen plenty a creature with a black eye..." Tai wheezed as he staggered back. "But you must have been in a hell of a fight to get a white one..."
Tai was reaching... He was trying to stall the Gatomon long enough for someone else to hear the scuffle. It seemed, however, that petty insulting wasn't going to do it...
"Oh, you noticed." Dice said pointing at his patch. "It has a history, which I won't tell, since you won't need to know it anyway."
Dice crouched a little low, and started advancing towards Tai, letting his claws carve three steady lines in the wooden floor.
"Most say that the white patch makes me look distinguished. Black and white. A white dot in a black dice, interesting, ne?"
Dice grabbed Tai by the shirt and threw him against a wall. "You'll be the first, Tai, but not the last. After I'm done with you... I'm going for that redhead girl you seem to like so much."
"If your hurt Sora, I swear to God I will rip out your alleged heart and hold it in front of your face so you can watch it cease to beat..." Tai threatened weakly.
Dice laughed aloud. "Thanks, be sure to do so."
Dice shot forward, and placed his claws over Tai's heart. "How about I let you see yours first?"
"What the hell have you got against me anyway you freak of digital nature? What'd I ever do to you?" Tai growled.
"Oh, not to me," Dice said, pressing his claws a little harder. "For a friend of mine, Leomon... and to stop you from killing those I care for later on!"
"Leomon?" Tai asked startled, forgetting his predicament for the briefest of seconds, until he felt Dice tighten his grip.
Tai was certain this was the end... he wanted to cry out, to shout out a warning to the others, but he couldn't find his voice. What the hell was this cracked up Gatomon talking about? What had happened to Leomon?
Tai spat in Dice's face.
"You may kill me, but you'll never win... Don't you know? Light always triumphs over darkness..."
"Ironic that you should say that. Murderer." Dice muttered as his hand shot forward.
"What?" Tai managed to whisper.
"Source of Power from within, Protect him with your ancient spin. Shield!"
There was a flash of light, and suddenly Tai found himself engulfed in what appeared to be a purplish bubble. Dice's claws scraped into the shield, but could not penetrate it. Tai threw himself backward out of reflex, landing on his rump, but otherwise unharmed.
When the dust from his attack cleared from the air and a figure stepped from the shadows. Small, quadruped, and with a pair of green eyes that glowed even in the twilight vespers like two emeralds caught in the tropical sun.
"What? Ready to die now?" Dice spat.
"That's enough. There will be no fighting in the house... that's just rude..." Domino announced coldly. She narrowed her eyes icily. "They say that heroes are the first to die... but not the last... I'm here to make sure that 'they' won't be saying that anymore... What do you think... Dice?"
Dice smiled. "I'd say you're right... You die first."
"You shouldn't break your promises, Dice..." Domino said as he walked towards her. "It's very unbecoming."
"Huh? You don't know anything about promises." Dice said coldly, walking forth. "I promised I would take care of the Digidestined, and I'm keeping it, aren't I?"
Domino looked sadly at him. "'If you're ever in trouble, look for me. I will become stronger and help you whenever you need me.' Funny I should be needing you when it's you who's gotten me into trouble, no?" she stepped towards him. "Don't you find that the teensiest bit... ironic?"
"W-what? Where did you hear that?" Dice asked, taking a step back.
"What happened to "Friends forever"... huh? I thought we shook on it..." she asked, folding her ears back. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I said we'd meet again..."
Dice gulped as his stomach went cold, and his knees numb. "N-no... can't be..." he feel to his knees, staring at her. "Domino?"
Domino loomed over him, suddenly looking much taller, being that he was on his knees.
"You really should do a little background check before you decide who your enemies are... What are you thinking, Dice...? What drove you to this? What happened to the righteous and just little Salamon I grew up with?"
Tai pressed against the bubble, and it popped, and he suddenly wished he hadn't done that, for, while Dice may have reservations about hurting Domino, he seemed to have no compunctions about killing Digidestined...
Dice suddenly jumped back, staring wide eyed at the Gatomon, then at the Digidestined. "You... you did something to her! What did you do?!"
Tai threw his hands in the air. "We didn't do anything to her, Dice... I know my word is worth less than dirt to you, but that's all I can give. She was the one who saved us... with no prompting, I might add..."
Dice was starting to go crazy now, he couldn't fight back the tears, he had fought Domino... if Myotismon hadn't sent him back...
"You'd be dead..." he whispered.
"Dice...?" Domino asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You..." Dice said incredulous, looking at his hands. "You'd be dead!"
Domino took a hesitant step toward him. Tai called out a warning, but she ignored him. "Dice? I would be? Why?"
"I-if Myotismon hadn't sent me back..." Dice said walking backwards until he hit the wall. "If he hadn't sent me back... I would've killed you..."
Domino reached for his paws. "And how many others have had their blood spilled on these hands, Dice? How many other lives have you destroyed?"
She started getting angry. "How many times have you killed that you would treat life with such indifference as you do?!" She looked away and asked softly, "Why is it that my life would matter to you... but those of seven young children would not?"
He gulped, fore some reason, he couldn't get this knot he had in his throat. "Because... they... he... Leomon..." he stammered.
Domino blinked. "Leomon?"
"What about him?" Tai asked, forgetting his fear out of curiosity.
Dice seemed to regain a little control. "You killed him," he accused. "Myotismon showed me what you did to Leomon when you found him weak after the accident!"
Dice looked away. "At that moment... at that moment I decided I wouldn't show pity when I saw you..."
Domino shook her head, confused. "Dice, what on earth are you talking about? I thought you were the one who had died... Leomon was the one who told me there had been an accident!"
"We haven't seen Leomon in weeks!" Tai growled. "And we certainly wouldn't kill him, he's our friend! I dunno how you treat your friends... but I sure as heck don't kill them..."
"But..."
Domino however wouldn't hear the last of it. "No mercy...? Is that what this... Myotismon... has taught you?" She turned away. "My god, Dice... somehow I thought more of you than that..."
Dice looked at the ceiling before answering. "I've had it rough, Domino. First Monochromon... then Tyrannomon... there are too many to count. If I didn't... other Digimon would've died."
"And who gave you the rights to playing God, huh? Who made you sheriff of who lives and dies, Dice?" Domino asked coldly. "Bad things happen... to good people... but that's no reason for you to become one of the bad guys..."
Dice stared coldly back at her. "And who gave you the right to kill Datamon? Or Etemon?"
Her eyes flashed as she retorted angrily. "I didn't kill anybody, Dice! Don't you dare try to pull that! Datamon and Etemon brought about their own destruction, how dare you try to pin that on me."
Dice sighed. "Sometimes we do what we have to. Under the circumstances... it was either them, or my friends."
Dice stared levelly at her. "I chose my friends."
Domino narrowed her eyes and shook her head incredously. "And to think..." She chuckled bitterly. "And to think that there was a time when I would have been HONORED to be ONE of them!"
She walked a little away.
"I'm sorry you think that, Domino. But, wouldn't you have killed me, rather than let the Digidestined die, the other day?"
"If that was my choice, I would have taken my own life rather than take someone else's!" She said, spinning around and glaring at him.
Dice shook his head. If he remembered correctly, she had sworn that she would kill him at that moment. He didn't say anything, however, as she continued.
"What the hell happened to you, Dice? What would drive you to this in the first place?" She looked sad and confused, as she tried to come up with a reason. "What in God's name would possess you to take away a life that wasn't yours to take?"
"Didn't you hear me, Dice? When you had fallen before me..."
Dice smiled bitterly at that, and her tone became a little more desperate.
"I said I wasn't going to kill you." she paused, trying to decide if this was getting through to him. "Didn't that mean anything?"
Dice looked at his claws. "You would've died, Domino. It's that simple."
"Why?!" She demanded, scowling in her anger.
Dice's eye's flashed. "Why?! BECAUSE I *TORE* MY WAY THROGH THREE TYRANOMON WITH JUST ONE SWIPE! THAT'S WHY!"
Domino's lips pulled back to bare her teeth. "AND WHAT FOR, DICE? WHAT GOOD DID IT FO YOU? DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD? DID IT GIVE YOU A FEELING OF POWER?"
Dice looked away. "Yes."
He walked towards the window and looked out at the fish. "And I hate myself all the time for it."
Domino almost choked when she heard those words. "What did you say? Is that what this is all about? You hating yourself?"
"The only thing I know... is that... I do hate myself. For hating. For killing. For loving. For living." Dice smiled sadly at her. "Pathetic, don't you think?"
She moved toward the other Gatomon. "Dice... But... doesn't your life mean anything to you at all anymore? Can't you find anything more than this?"
"Like what? I chose the lives of those I cared for over those lives which would've taken them. Can I bring them back?" Dice smiled sadly and slid down to the floor. "The best thing you could do is kill me now." He looked up. "Because I don't doubt..." he looked at Tai for a moment. "Except..."
"You're so selfish!!" Domino snapped. "That's so shallow! So thoughtless! Don't you see that?" She started pacing. "Oh, sure, fine, so you hate yourself... you can't find any reason to go on living, so you just start fighting like nothing matters... like you don't matter?" She shook her head. "Didn't you even think about what that would do to anybody else?"
"I imagine it'd been better for you to think that I was dead, rather than finding me alive and about to kill your friend." Dice said bitterly.
Domino's eyes clouded with tears. She shook her head. "You imagine wrong..."
"Don't you have any idea how it tore me apart when I thought you were dead? Dice, there was a time when you meant more to me than anybody... How can you think I just threw all that away? Just because you rejected your heart... doesn't mean I rejected mine..."
Dice looked at her, felt her pain. "If it matters..." he looked away. "I ... I wouldn't have killed him."
"It matters, Dice..." she said softly, taking his chin in her paws. "It does... trust me, it matters..." She then smiled. "If to nobody else... then to me"
Dice laughed softly, staring at her eyes. "I guess Wizardmon was right."
She paused. "Wizardmon?"
"I guess we are more human than I'd like to admit." Dice quoted, standing up, and walking towards the door.
Domino raced after him, faster than him, and darted in front.
"What did you say?" She asked.
Dice looked a little surprised at her reaction. "What he told me. That all Digimon are more human that most care to admit."
She felt as though a cold hand were wrapping itself around her heart.
"Yes... Dice, you are... you are! Don't you remember?"
"What?"
Her face fell.
"You don't... do you...? You have no idea..."
Dice blink-blinked. "What are you talking about?"
She looked into his eyes and saw no more humanity than in any of the other Digimon... perhaps they were more human on the inside than they realized, but their eyes never betrayed it.
She felt a tear slide down her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Brother... I failed you again..."
Dice sensed her discomfort. "Domino?"
She stopped walking, but refused to look back at him.
"What's wrong Domino? What did you just said? Who did you fail?"
She spun, and leapt at him, placing her paws on either side of his face.
"Listen to me, Dice... you're not who you think you are, and neither am I... I never would have believed it until I started to remember! " She paused and dropped back down to all fours. "Even if you don't believe me, Dice... even if you can't believe that you're not really a--" She stopped, and shook her head, looking at the floor. "You can't stay with him, Dice... You can't stay with any of them..."
She looked up at him.
"With who? What do you mean?"
Her eyes flashed again, like candle flames, but it was not in anger, rather in fear.
"Myotismon, Dice..." she said, trembling. "He is not the wise and brave mentor you see him as..."
Dice blink-blinked. Since exactly when had he said he viewed Myotismon of all Digimon like that?
She shook her head again. "I dread to imagine what Dear Leomon would think if he saw his favorite pupil now..." Her eyes were full of sadness. "You would break his big soft heart."
Dice looked aghast at Domino. What had gotten into her? He smiled at her remark. "Wise?" he laughed. "No, that he is not... and no... I'm not going back."
He walked out of the room, passing by a sleepy Sora, who had woken up and come to investigate. "Go back to sleep. It's late." Sora nodded sleepily and walked away and into her room. Tai stared at that, still unable to understand, and had to fight down a laugh.
Domino's heart skipped a beat. "Dice?" She ran after him. "Dice?"
Dice stopped and looked back at her. "Yes, Domino?"
"What do you mean, you're not going back?" She almost smiled. "Surely it can't be that easy to win you over from the Dark Side..."
"Dark Side?" Dice asked confused. "Well... I can't go back..." his smile dropped down a little, and his voice broke. "I... I can't... now that I can't kill any of you... they'll see me as a dead weight..." he smiled and looked up at her. "But I'll make my way... there's a lot of the Digiworld to see I don't need a-any... any of... them." He looked away.
"But if... if you're not going back... then..." She hesitated. "Then where are you going?"
"I don't know."
"So... you don't need them..."
"But what if one of them were... to need you?"
Dice looked a little unsure. "I... I'd go back."
"I'm calling, Dice... You said to call when I had need of you..." She paused. "Stay here... stay with us... with me..." She smiled at him, the first time she had really smiled since the whole thing began. "We'll get rid of that Myotismon together... We'll have our big adventure... together... Just like we always dreamed we would..."
"But..." He looked uncertainly at Tai.
Tai looked unusually serious. "Dice... I understand now..." He shook his head. "If Myotismon is your enemy now... then you are our ally."
Dice looked at Tai. "Nice choice of words Tai. I think the reports on you were a little exaggerated."
Tai grinned his half-crazed grin. "I think you're right..." The Digidestined placed one hand behind his head. "Heck, with two magical Gatomon on our side, we can't lose..."
"Unless they have another, stronger Gatomon... and one I can't fight." Dice thought to himself. Aloud he asked them both. "But, what about the other Digidestined?"
Domino took a step forward. "Dice... tell me you'll stay... Please?" She frowned. "I don't think I could bear to lose you again..." She glanced at Tai. "These kids are so much more than what Myotismon has surely told you... They would accept you, too, I'm sure of it... Their hearts are big enough... if yours is..."
Tai paused. "Well, who could be stronger than you guys?" he asked.
"I mean...you even beat up Greymon! And he's a helluva lot bigger than you, little guy..."
"You'd be surprised..." Dice muttered. "But you're right. I'll stay and see what the others think in the morning. But I can't promise to stay all the way."
Domino ran toward him and ducked her head under his chin. "I'm so glad you've come back, brother..." she whispered. "Together... I think we're strong enough to do anything..."
Dice looked down at her and smiled. "Well then, let's rest... and Tai?"
Tai blinked. "Mm?"
Dice blinked. "Next time... don't spit at me."
The brunet smiled nervously. "Oh, that..."
Domino narrowed one eye. "Maybe you should try not skewering him next time..."
Dice gave Domino a red eye.
"Don't look at me like that..."
She pulled away from him and sat down on her haunches.
As Tai headed into the other room to sleep, Domino glanced at Dice. "Do you have any idea what you put me through?"
Dice smiled bitterly. "I was too afraid for you to think about it..."
She gave him a sad look. "Afraid for me?" she asked. "Whatever for? When Leomon told me you had been taken by the sea... I didn't know what to do with myself... And then... when I learned you were alive... and working for Myotismon..." She paused, unable to speak for a moment.
Dice scratched behind his head.
She looked back up at him. "I wasn't sure which was worse, Dice..." she admitted, "thinking you were dead... or knowing you were alive... yet with a spirit too far gone to remain a part of this world..."
Dice looked saddened by that. "I know... Domino."
She snapped her chin up. "Do you?"
"Do you have any idea what it's like to know that the person you cared about most was killed? And then to learn that they were still alive.. but-- "
She couldn't continue, rather she spun away, angry and hurt.
"Did you know I thought I was protecting you when I tried to... when I almost killed you?" Dice asked softly.
She looked at him.
"What?"
"I thought that the Digidestined were killers. That if they found you... I... thought that if I stopped them you'd be safe... and I ended up almost killing you." Dice said miserably, his ears hunching down. "I still can't believe it. I should've recognized you... but you weren't a fighter last time I saw you..."
She sat down again, and tilted her head. "You're so lost, Dice..." she said simply. "How did you stray so far? Why did you not take that beaten path? Why did you have to follow the trail that led you to this...?" She paused. "It hurts like you can't believe, Dice..." She looked into his eyes. "Did you ever think that the road less traveled is perhaps so for a reason?"
She shook her head.
"My turn..." she said. "I became a fighter for you, Dice..." She chuckled.
"For... me?" He asked blinking.
"When I thought you had died... I thought I had died, too..." she said. "We were like two halves of the same whole... two sides of the same coin. Whatever I lacked, you had, and vice-versa..." She frowned. "That is why we were strong together..." She blinked. "... but nothing apart..." She sighed.
"So, once I thought you wouldn't be there to be my strength... I figured I would have to make up for it." She laughed. "I trained... just like you were always so adamant to... I became the strong fighter I knew you had wanted so desperately to become..."
She chuckled bitterly again. "I thought that if I could be what you could not... that maybe..."
She didn't finish.
Her voice cracked as it trailed off.
Dice looked miserable. "You... threw up your life for me..." He got up and walked up to her, and hugged her with all his strength... and he started crying.
She was startled.
"Dice?" She hesitated, then hugged him back. "Dice... you're crying!"
She pulled back, and ran one paw over his ears.
"You've got it all wrong... I wasn't throwing my life away... I thought I was living the life you were denied... I never saw it as a task, or a...a burden... I saw it as... as a... an extension of myself..." Just like you always were..." She smiled. "You were my shadow... my mirror..."
She shook her head and placed one paw over his right eye. "Just as you are now."
"And in the meantime..." Dice said bitterly, unable to look up. "I killed a Digimon... and didn't feel a thing. What did I do, Domino?"
She pulled back.
Domino sighed. She was hoping he would not ask that question.
"Dice, I won't lie to you..." she said. "I'm no shrink, and no priestess... but I can tell you that taking the life of another creature is worth due time in purgatory..."
Dice slumped his shoulders. She was missing the point again...
She paused at the slump in his shoulders, and lifted his chin with her paws.
"But... perhaps..."
She hesitated.
"Shrink?" Dice asked looking up at her questioningly.
She smiled warmly at him, ignoring his query.
"Perhaps defeating Myotismon... and helping the Digidestined in their fight against everything you believed in not twenty minutes ago..." She laughed. "Perhaps that will be penance enough."
Dice's ears dropped a little, but he smiled. "I'll do my best, Domino."
She playfully swatted his ears with her paws.
"And I would expect nothing less."
Dice closed one eye and looked up playfully at her. "Let's rest, ok?"
She pouted in a very juvenile way.
"Aww, come on, Dice... just five more minutes?" She laughed at his bewildered expression, and curled up on the rug beneath her feet.
Dice smiled, and curled up in a nearby corner.
Story by Hikari and Wanderer D
***
Gatomon had just arrived at Myotismon's lair when a Bakemon flew up to her.
"Gatomon! Please, come quickly!"
"What happened?" Gatomon asked following the Bakemon into the castle.
"Demidevimon just returned with Dice..." Bakemon started.
"What was Dice doing with that loser?" Gatomon asked surprised.
Bakemon ignored the remark. "Wizardmon is tending to his injuries right now..."
Gatomon stopped, shocked. "What?! How bad is he?!"
Bakemon floated back a little. "Very bad, Wizardmon said he almost didn't make it."
Gatomon started running, following the Bakemon. "Who did that to him?" Gatomon asked, ice in her voice.
"I don't know... Wizardmon was about to see in a few moments." Bakemon said as he stopped in front of a door.
Gatomon pushed open the door just as Wizardmon stepped away from the cured Dice. The black Gatomon, however, was unconscious.
Although Wizardmon had cured him, the wounds were still visible as they slowly closed.
"Who. Did. This. To. Him?" Gatomon asked, fire burning in her eyes.
"The Digidestined..." Bakemon started.
"Those kids?! They're not strong enough!"
"It wasn't the kids." Wizardmon said calmly, patting her shoulder. "They had another Gatomon with them. It had strange powers, for a Gatomon, though they were somewhat familiar to me. I'd say that Gatomon was using magic."
"Magic!" Gatomon growled. "So, that coward wasn't good enough to face Dice hand to hand, so he-"
"She." Wizardmon interrupted.
"... she had to use magic. Pathetic." Gatomon spat.
Wizardmon sighed. "There's no use in getting mad now. Rest for a while, Gatomon, and we'll talk to Dice later."
Gatomon nodded and sat down next to the bed, looking at Dice worriedly. "Get better, Dice."
***
Later that night, Dice woke up. He carefully took a look at his surroundings, noticing Gatomon sleeping with her head on the bed. She was completely out.
Taking care not to wake her, he carefully laid her on the bed, and covered her, taking a moment to admire her, before leaving the room.
He had to ask Wizardmon to locate those kids. Now that he was better, and rested, he was confident that even that Gatomon's magic wouldn't stop him.
"I'll protect you, Gatomon, Domino... even if I die in the process." he muttered darkly, as he walked into the darkened corridors.
***
Dice watched closely as they all went to sleep. The spell Wizardmon had cast on him worked perfectly. As he swam towards the house he stopped to consider, and the other Digimon's words echoed in his head.
***
Wizardmon looked at Dice levelly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Dice nodded. "I am."
Wizardmon sighed. "Okay, Dice."
The magician Digimon walked up to a crystal ball and looked at it intently. As Dice watched perplexed, an image of a lake appeared, and the Digidestined, along with that Gatomon, were walking down into it.
"What..."
Wizardmon looked intently as the lake closed over them. "Hmm... interesting."
Dice growled a little, and Wizardmon sighed. "Here." He said simply, waving his staff over the black Gatomon's head.
"What was that?" Dice asked.
"That will allow you to breathe underwater for as long as you stay inside that lake, once you leave it, the effect will end." Wizardmon explained.
Dice nodded, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Wizardmon said. "Listen... this Digimon's magic... seems to be elemental... I'm not sure how she did it, but it's pretty powerful as far as I can tell. Be careful, ok?"
Dice flashed him a toothy grin. "I will! After I'm done, we'll be able to get out of here and stop the humans from destroying us!"
Wizardmon watched him leave, but as Dice closed the door, he heard Wizardmon mutter.
"What was that?" Dice asked, stepping in, but the other Digimon had somehow disappeared.
Shrugging, he went out of the castle, but he couldn't ignore what he had heard.
"Be careful with what you wish, Dice, maybe we're all more human than we're willing to admit."
***
Dice shook his head. He didn't have time for pondering Wizardmon's words. He could see his target, Tai, preparing to sleep. He would go first.
If Dice had been looking at himself, he wouldn't have believed the cruelty showing in his face as he decided he would slowly kill all the Digidestined and their Digimon, then face that Gatomon when she had no-one to protect.
If he had seen himself, if he had been truly aware of what he was thinking, he would have ran away from himself.
***
As Tai started to get sleepy, he thought he heard a sound. However, since Gennai had told them they would be safe, he thought it was probably a fish.
Dice slowly crept towards the doors, and made sure the door was properly bolted. Then, smiling devilishly, he walked up to Tai, who seemed to be asleep.
"Tai," he said softly.
Tai stirred, half asleep. he swatted a hand behind him. "Be quiet, Agumon, I'm trying to sleep."
Agumon opened his eyes sleepily. "Huh?"
"Your question will have to wait till morning..." Tai insisted.
"But I didn't say anything!" Agumon argued.
Tai suddenly snapped his eyes open. "You... didn't?"
"Boo."
Tai sat bolt upright and spun to the sound of the voice. He was horrified and enraged at what he saw.
"You again? Haven't you done enough damage? Go ruin somebody else's life."
"Oh, but I've just started... you see... that Gatomon's not here to protect you..." Dice looked at Agumon. "As for you..."
Agumon never knew what hit him, one moment he was inside, the next he was half drowning in the water outside Gennai's house.
Dice turned, scowling viciously at Tai. "You'll pay now, kid!"
"Agumon!!" Tai shouted, unable to help his friend. In a rage, Tai ran full- force at Dice, his arms outstretched, as if to throttle the catlike creature where he stood. Dice easily sidestepped.
Tai whirled quickly back to face Dice.
"Put it on my tab." Tai said acidly, in response to Dice's previous words.
Dice smiled, "It's good to see you have a sense of humor."
He snapped his fist into Tai's stomach, doubling him over. "Tell me, now that a Digimon is not here to protect you, or another Digimon isn't unable to defend himself... you don't seem so sure of yourself... in fact, you look rather pale."
"Funny...I've seen plenty a creature with a black eye..." Tai wheezed as he staggered back. "But you must have been in a hell of a fight to get a white one..."
Tai was reaching... He was trying to stall the Gatomon long enough for someone else to hear the scuffle. It seemed, however, that petty insulting wasn't going to do it...
"Oh, you noticed." Dice said pointing at his patch. "It has a history, which I won't tell, since you won't need to know it anyway."
Dice crouched a little low, and started advancing towards Tai, letting his claws carve three steady lines in the wooden floor.
"Most say that the white patch makes me look distinguished. Black and white. A white dot in a black dice, interesting, ne?"
Dice grabbed Tai by the shirt and threw him against a wall. "You'll be the first, Tai, but not the last. After I'm done with you... I'm going for that redhead girl you seem to like so much."
"If your hurt Sora, I swear to God I will rip out your alleged heart and hold it in front of your face so you can watch it cease to beat..." Tai threatened weakly.
Dice laughed aloud. "Thanks, be sure to do so."
Dice shot forward, and placed his claws over Tai's heart. "How about I let you see yours first?"
"What the hell have you got against me anyway you freak of digital nature? What'd I ever do to you?" Tai growled.
"Oh, not to me," Dice said, pressing his claws a little harder. "For a friend of mine, Leomon... and to stop you from killing those I care for later on!"
"Leomon?" Tai asked startled, forgetting his predicament for the briefest of seconds, until he felt Dice tighten his grip.
Tai was certain this was the end... he wanted to cry out, to shout out a warning to the others, but he couldn't find his voice. What the hell was this cracked up Gatomon talking about? What had happened to Leomon?
Tai spat in Dice's face.
"You may kill me, but you'll never win... Don't you know? Light always triumphs over darkness..."
"Ironic that you should say that. Murderer." Dice muttered as his hand shot forward.
"What?" Tai managed to whisper.
"Source of Power from within, Protect him with your ancient spin. Shield!"
There was a flash of light, and suddenly Tai found himself engulfed in what appeared to be a purplish bubble. Dice's claws scraped into the shield, but could not penetrate it. Tai threw himself backward out of reflex, landing on his rump, but otherwise unharmed.
When the dust from his attack cleared from the air and a figure stepped from the shadows. Small, quadruped, and with a pair of green eyes that glowed even in the twilight vespers like two emeralds caught in the tropical sun.
"What? Ready to die now?" Dice spat.
"That's enough. There will be no fighting in the house... that's just rude..." Domino announced coldly. She narrowed her eyes icily. "They say that heroes are the first to die... but not the last... I'm here to make sure that 'they' won't be saying that anymore... What do you think... Dice?"
Dice smiled. "I'd say you're right... You die first."
"You shouldn't break your promises, Dice..." Domino said as he walked towards her. "It's very unbecoming."
"Huh? You don't know anything about promises." Dice said coldly, walking forth. "I promised I would take care of the Digidestined, and I'm keeping it, aren't I?"
Domino looked sadly at him. "'If you're ever in trouble, look for me. I will become stronger and help you whenever you need me.' Funny I should be needing you when it's you who's gotten me into trouble, no?" she stepped towards him. "Don't you find that the teensiest bit... ironic?"
"W-what? Where did you hear that?" Dice asked, taking a step back.
"What happened to "Friends forever"... huh? I thought we shook on it..." she asked, folding her ears back. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I said we'd meet again..."
Dice gulped as his stomach went cold, and his knees numb. "N-no... can't be..." he feel to his knees, staring at her. "Domino?"
Domino loomed over him, suddenly looking much taller, being that he was on his knees.
"You really should do a little background check before you decide who your enemies are... What are you thinking, Dice...? What drove you to this? What happened to the righteous and just little Salamon I grew up with?"
Tai pressed against the bubble, and it popped, and he suddenly wished he hadn't done that, for, while Dice may have reservations about hurting Domino, he seemed to have no compunctions about killing Digidestined...
Dice suddenly jumped back, staring wide eyed at the Gatomon, then at the Digidestined. "You... you did something to her! What did you do?!"
Tai threw his hands in the air. "We didn't do anything to her, Dice... I know my word is worth less than dirt to you, but that's all I can give. She was the one who saved us... with no prompting, I might add..."
Dice was starting to go crazy now, he couldn't fight back the tears, he had fought Domino... if Myotismon hadn't sent him back...
"You'd be dead..." he whispered.
"Dice...?" Domino asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You..." Dice said incredulous, looking at his hands. "You'd be dead!"
Domino took a hesitant step toward him. Tai called out a warning, but she ignored him. "Dice? I would be? Why?"
"I-if Myotismon hadn't sent me back..." Dice said walking backwards until he hit the wall. "If he hadn't sent me back... I would've killed you..."
Domino reached for his paws. "And how many others have had their blood spilled on these hands, Dice? How many other lives have you destroyed?"
She started getting angry. "How many times have you killed that you would treat life with such indifference as you do?!" She looked away and asked softly, "Why is it that my life would matter to you... but those of seven young children would not?"
He gulped, fore some reason, he couldn't get this knot he had in his throat. "Because... they... he... Leomon..." he stammered.
Domino blinked. "Leomon?"
"What about him?" Tai asked, forgetting his fear out of curiosity.
Dice seemed to regain a little control. "You killed him," he accused. "Myotismon showed me what you did to Leomon when you found him weak after the accident!"
Dice looked away. "At that moment... at that moment I decided I wouldn't show pity when I saw you..."
Domino shook her head, confused. "Dice, what on earth are you talking about? I thought you were the one who had died... Leomon was the one who told me there had been an accident!"
"We haven't seen Leomon in weeks!" Tai growled. "And we certainly wouldn't kill him, he's our friend! I dunno how you treat your friends... but I sure as heck don't kill them..."
"But..."
Domino however wouldn't hear the last of it. "No mercy...? Is that what this... Myotismon... has taught you?" She turned away. "My god, Dice... somehow I thought more of you than that..."
Dice looked at the ceiling before answering. "I've had it rough, Domino. First Monochromon... then Tyrannomon... there are too many to count. If I didn't... other Digimon would've died."
"And who gave you the rights to playing God, huh? Who made you sheriff of who lives and dies, Dice?" Domino asked coldly. "Bad things happen... to good people... but that's no reason for you to become one of the bad guys..."
Dice stared coldly back at her. "And who gave you the right to kill Datamon? Or Etemon?"
Her eyes flashed as she retorted angrily. "I didn't kill anybody, Dice! Don't you dare try to pull that! Datamon and Etemon brought about their own destruction, how dare you try to pin that on me."
Dice sighed. "Sometimes we do what we have to. Under the circumstances... it was either them, or my friends."
Dice stared levelly at her. "I chose my friends."
Domino narrowed her eyes and shook her head incredously. "And to think..." She chuckled bitterly. "And to think that there was a time when I would have been HONORED to be ONE of them!"
She walked a little away.
"I'm sorry you think that, Domino. But, wouldn't you have killed me, rather than let the Digidestined die, the other day?"
"If that was my choice, I would have taken my own life rather than take someone else's!" She said, spinning around and glaring at him.
Dice shook his head. If he remembered correctly, she had sworn that she would kill him at that moment. He didn't say anything, however, as she continued.
"What the hell happened to you, Dice? What would drive you to this in the first place?" She looked sad and confused, as she tried to come up with a reason. "What in God's name would possess you to take away a life that wasn't yours to take?"
"Didn't you hear me, Dice? When you had fallen before me..."
Dice smiled bitterly at that, and her tone became a little more desperate.
"I said I wasn't going to kill you." she paused, trying to decide if this was getting through to him. "Didn't that mean anything?"
Dice looked at his claws. "You would've died, Domino. It's that simple."
"Why?!" She demanded, scowling in her anger.
Dice's eye's flashed. "Why?! BECAUSE I *TORE* MY WAY THROGH THREE TYRANOMON WITH JUST ONE SWIPE! THAT'S WHY!"
Domino's lips pulled back to bare her teeth. "AND WHAT FOR, DICE? WHAT GOOD DID IT FO YOU? DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD? DID IT GIVE YOU A FEELING OF POWER?"
Dice looked away. "Yes."
He walked towards the window and looked out at the fish. "And I hate myself all the time for it."
Domino almost choked when she heard those words. "What did you say? Is that what this is all about? You hating yourself?"
"The only thing I know... is that... I do hate myself. For hating. For killing. For loving. For living." Dice smiled sadly at her. "Pathetic, don't you think?"
She moved toward the other Gatomon. "Dice... But... doesn't your life mean anything to you at all anymore? Can't you find anything more than this?"
"Like what? I chose the lives of those I cared for over those lives which would've taken them. Can I bring them back?" Dice smiled sadly and slid down to the floor. "The best thing you could do is kill me now." He looked up. "Because I don't doubt..." he looked at Tai for a moment. "Except..."
"You're so selfish!!" Domino snapped. "That's so shallow! So thoughtless! Don't you see that?" She started pacing. "Oh, sure, fine, so you hate yourself... you can't find any reason to go on living, so you just start fighting like nothing matters... like you don't matter?" She shook her head. "Didn't you even think about what that would do to anybody else?"
"I imagine it'd been better for you to think that I was dead, rather than finding me alive and about to kill your friend." Dice said bitterly.
Domino's eyes clouded with tears. She shook her head. "You imagine wrong..."
"Don't you have any idea how it tore me apart when I thought you were dead? Dice, there was a time when you meant more to me than anybody... How can you think I just threw all that away? Just because you rejected your heart... doesn't mean I rejected mine..."
Dice looked at her, felt her pain. "If it matters..." he looked away. "I ... I wouldn't have killed him."
"It matters, Dice..." she said softly, taking his chin in her paws. "It does... trust me, it matters..." She then smiled. "If to nobody else... then to me"
Dice laughed softly, staring at her eyes. "I guess Wizardmon was right."
She paused. "Wizardmon?"
"I guess we are more human than I'd like to admit." Dice quoted, standing up, and walking towards the door.
Domino raced after him, faster than him, and darted in front.
"What did you say?" She asked.
Dice looked a little surprised at her reaction. "What he told me. That all Digimon are more human that most care to admit."
She felt as though a cold hand were wrapping itself around her heart.
"Yes... Dice, you are... you are! Don't you remember?"
"What?"
Her face fell.
"You don't... do you...? You have no idea..."
Dice blink-blinked. "What are you talking about?"
She looked into his eyes and saw no more humanity than in any of the other Digimon... perhaps they were more human on the inside than they realized, but their eyes never betrayed it.
She felt a tear slide down her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Brother... I failed you again..."
Dice sensed her discomfort. "Domino?"
She stopped walking, but refused to look back at him.
"What's wrong Domino? What did you just said? Who did you fail?"
She spun, and leapt at him, placing her paws on either side of his face.
"Listen to me, Dice... you're not who you think you are, and neither am I... I never would have believed it until I started to remember! " She paused and dropped back down to all fours. "Even if you don't believe me, Dice... even if you can't believe that you're not really a--" She stopped, and shook her head, looking at the floor. "You can't stay with him, Dice... You can't stay with any of them..."
She looked up at him.
"With who? What do you mean?"
Her eyes flashed again, like candle flames, but it was not in anger, rather in fear.
"Myotismon, Dice..." she said, trembling. "He is not the wise and brave mentor you see him as..."
Dice blink-blinked. Since exactly when had he said he viewed Myotismon of all Digimon like that?
She shook her head again. "I dread to imagine what Dear Leomon would think if he saw his favorite pupil now..." Her eyes were full of sadness. "You would break his big soft heart."
Dice looked aghast at Domino. What had gotten into her? He smiled at her remark. "Wise?" he laughed. "No, that he is not... and no... I'm not going back."
He walked out of the room, passing by a sleepy Sora, who had woken up and come to investigate. "Go back to sleep. It's late." Sora nodded sleepily and walked away and into her room. Tai stared at that, still unable to understand, and had to fight down a laugh.
Domino's heart skipped a beat. "Dice?" She ran after him. "Dice?"
Dice stopped and looked back at her. "Yes, Domino?"
"What do you mean, you're not going back?" She almost smiled. "Surely it can't be that easy to win you over from the Dark Side..."
"Dark Side?" Dice asked confused. "Well... I can't go back..." his smile dropped down a little, and his voice broke. "I... I can't... now that I can't kill any of you... they'll see me as a dead weight..." he smiled and looked up at her. "But I'll make my way... there's a lot of the Digiworld to see I don't need a-any... any of... them." He looked away.
"But if... if you're not going back... then..." She hesitated. "Then where are you going?"
"I don't know."
"So... you don't need them..."
"But what if one of them were... to need you?"
Dice looked a little unsure. "I... I'd go back."
"I'm calling, Dice... You said to call when I had need of you..." She paused. "Stay here... stay with us... with me..." She smiled at him, the first time she had really smiled since the whole thing began. "We'll get rid of that Myotismon together... We'll have our big adventure... together... Just like we always dreamed we would..."
"But..." He looked uncertainly at Tai.
Tai looked unusually serious. "Dice... I understand now..." He shook his head. "If Myotismon is your enemy now... then you are our ally."
Dice looked at Tai. "Nice choice of words Tai. I think the reports on you were a little exaggerated."
Tai grinned his half-crazed grin. "I think you're right..." The Digidestined placed one hand behind his head. "Heck, with two magical Gatomon on our side, we can't lose..."
"Unless they have another, stronger Gatomon... and one I can't fight." Dice thought to himself. Aloud he asked them both. "But, what about the other Digidestined?"
Domino took a step forward. "Dice... tell me you'll stay... Please?" She frowned. "I don't think I could bear to lose you again..." She glanced at Tai. "These kids are so much more than what Myotismon has surely told you... They would accept you, too, I'm sure of it... Their hearts are big enough... if yours is..."
Tai paused. "Well, who could be stronger than you guys?" he asked.
"I mean...you even beat up Greymon! And he's a helluva lot bigger than you, little guy..."
"You'd be surprised..." Dice muttered. "But you're right. I'll stay and see what the others think in the morning. But I can't promise to stay all the way."
Domino ran toward him and ducked her head under his chin. "I'm so glad you've come back, brother..." she whispered. "Together... I think we're strong enough to do anything..."
Dice looked down at her and smiled. "Well then, let's rest... and Tai?"
Tai blinked. "Mm?"
Dice blinked. "Next time... don't spit at me."
The brunet smiled nervously. "Oh, that..."
Domino narrowed one eye. "Maybe you should try not skewering him next time..."
Dice gave Domino a red eye.
"Don't look at me like that..."
She pulled away from him and sat down on her haunches.
As Tai headed into the other room to sleep, Domino glanced at Dice. "Do you have any idea what you put me through?"
Dice smiled bitterly. "I was too afraid for you to think about it..."
She gave him a sad look. "Afraid for me?" she asked. "Whatever for? When Leomon told me you had been taken by the sea... I didn't know what to do with myself... And then... when I learned you were alive... and working for Myotismon..." She paused, unable to speak for a moment.
Dice scratched behind his head.
She looked back up at him. "I wasn't sure which was worse, Dice..." she admitted, "thinking you were dead... or knowing you were alive... yet with a spirit too far gone to remain a part of this world..."
Dice looked saddened by that. "I know... Domino."
She snapped her chin up. "Do you?"
"Do you have any idea what it's like to know that the person you cared about most was killed? And then to learn that they were still alive.. but-- "
She couldn't continue, rather she spun away, angry and hurt.
"Did you know I thought I was protecting you when I tried to... when I almost killed you?" Dice asked softly.
She looked at him.
"What?"
"I thought that the Digidestined were killers. That if they found you... I... thought that if I stopped them you'd be safe... and I ended up almost killing you." Dice said miserably, his ears hunching down. "I still can't believe it. I should've recognized you... but you weren't a fighter last time I saw you..."
She sat down again, and tilted her head. "You're so lost, Dice..." she said simply. "How did you stray so far? Why did you not take that beaten path? Why did you have to follow the trail that led you to this...?" She paused. "It hurts like you can't believe, Dice..." She looked into his eyes. "Did you ever think that the road less traveled is perhaps so for a reason?"
She shook her head.
"My turn..." she said. "I became a fighter for you, Dice..." She chuckled.
"For... me?" He asked blinking.
"When I thought you had died... I thought I had died, too..." she said. "We were like two halves of the same whole... two sides of the same coin. Whatever I lacked, you had, and vice-versa..." She frowned. "That is why we were strong together..." She blinked. "... but nothing apart..." She sighed.
"So, once I thought you wouldn't be there to be my strength... I figured I would have to make up for it." She laughed. "I trained... just like you were always so adamant to... I became the strong fighter I knew you had wanted so desperately to become..."
She chuckled bitterly again. "I thought that if I could be what you could not... that maybe..."
She didn't finish.
Her voice cracked as it trailed off.
Dice looked miserable. "You... threw up your life for me..." He got up and walked up to her, and hugged her with all his strength... and he started crying.
She was startled.
"Dice?" She hesitated, then hugged him back. "Dice... you're crying!"
She pulled back, and ran one paw over his ears.
"You've got it all wrong... I wasn't throwing my life away... I thought I was living the life you were denied... I never saw it as a task, or a...a burden... I saw it as... as a... an extension of myself..." Just like you always were..." She smiled. "You were my shadow... my mirror..."
She shook her head and placed one paw over his right eye. "Just as you are now."
"And in the meantime..." Dice said bitterly, unable to look up. "I killed a Digimon... and didn't feel a thing. What did I do, Domino?"
She pulled back.
Domino sighed. She was hoping he would not ask that question.
"Dice, I won't lie to you..." she said. "I'm no shrink, and no priestess... but I can tell you that taking the life of another creature is worth due time in purgatory..."
Dice slumped his shoulders. She was missing the point again...
She paused at the slump in his shoulders, and lifted his chin with her paws.
"But... perhaps..."
She hesitated.
"Shrink?" Dice asked looking up at her questioningly.
She smiled warmly at him, ignoring his query.
"Perhaps defeating Myotismon... and helping the Digidestined in their fight against everything you believed in not twenty minutes ago..." She laughed. "Perhaps that will be penance enough."
Dice's ears dropped a little, but he smiled. "I'll do my best, Domino."
She playfully swatted his ears with her paws.
"And I would expect nothing less."
Dice closed one eye and looked up playfully at her. "Let's rest, ok?"
She pouted in a very juvenile way.
"Aww, come on, Dice... just five more minutes?" She laughed at his bewildered expression, and curled up on the rug beneath her feet.
Dice smiled, and curled up in a nearby corner.