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
***
Tai looked around at the gathered group. Everyone, including the mysterious Wizardmon and Matt's dad was here. For him. For Kari. For their homes and families.
For a moment he couldn't talk and only gazed up at the building in front of them as they approached. Then he decided that he didn't need say anything. They were all there, and that's what counted.
"There it is," Matt's father growled. "the TV station."
Tai looked back at the group. "Ready?"
Sora cast a look at Tai and smiled with a small nod of her head.
Domino set her jaw. "C'mon, guys," she said sternly. "Let's go show them what the Digidestined are all about." Everyone smiled at that and they started walking. Although Joe was a little worried.
He knew that Domino was here as much as for Kari as she was for Dice. And... from all the times he'd seen them fight, from all the times they shouted at each other... he could still remember from each the distinct look of pain and doubt in her eyes.
Domino's eyes were hard, her gaze determined, if not a trifle troubled, but inside, she felt like she was being ripped apart. It was so unfair! Why? Why should she have to choose? Her brother... or her friends? Was it right to choose? Would she be able to choose at all? When it came down to it, Domino wasn't even sure she would be able to move... This was to be the last battle... and who would she choose in the end?
"Domino?" He asked, still carrying Gomamon in his arms and letting the others pass.
Domino's thoughts snapped back to the present. She glanced up at the bespectacled boy.
"Hn?"
"I want you to know..." Joe said fidgeting a little. "That whatever decision you take... we'll all understand."
Domino's head felt light.
She couldn't believe she would really have to do this...
As much as she wanted to just ignore it, as much as she wished the whole situation would resolve itself on it's own... she knew it would never go away until she did something about it
She forced a smile. "Thank you, Joe..."
"It means a lot to me to know that you guys are behind me..."
Joe looked at her a little concerned, but then decided to let go. And he smiled.
"Let's go, Domino, we won't solve anything by staying here." She blinked. She hadn't even realized they had stopped walking.
Everything just felt so... detached... as if she were walking through a dream--or some awful nightmare.
Wake up! she thought. Why can't I just... wake up...?
Both snapped to reality again, as Sora shouted in warning, and the shouts of Garudamon and Weregarurumon echoed in the street. They were fighting Phantomon.
Matt looked at them. "Let's go! Weregarurumon and Garudamon will take care of him! We have to go up!"
Domino steeled herself. This was it... the final battle... the last confrontation. It was now... or never.
She wished it was never.
She nodded quickly. "Okay," she said, more as a motivation to herself, and then she smiled at Joe. "You ready?" she asked the Gomamon still in the boy's arms.
"Yes!" Gomamon smiled. "Let's go, Joe!" He shouted.
Joe, who didn't look so sure anymore, seemed to steel himself and nodded, then started running into the building and up the stairs.
Domino hesitated at the bottom of the stairs a moment, watching Joe hurry upwards.
Please, Lord... don't make me have to choose between them... she thought desperately, and then sprinted up the steps after the children. ***
Halfway up the stairs they stopped, as Wizardmon insisted he could carry on alone, and that Matt's father should stay.
When the group was finally reaching the top of the stairs they could clearly hear Gatomon shout. "Kari! No!"
Tai jumped the last stairs along with Agumon, roaring in defiance. "Stop right there, Myotismon!"
Gatomon was protecting Kari from Myotismon, while the latter regarded them with contempt.
Domino shoved past the others who had stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of their enemy, and slid to a halt at Tai's feet.
Myotismon smiled, and nodded to the left, never taking his eyes of Domino. Following his motion, she could now see Dice.
Her chest tightened, but she refused to falter. You will not distract me this time, Dice... she thought. This time... this time... it's them...
I won't betray them. You won't fool me again.
Dice grinned and invited her over with his claw.
She grit her teeth, then slowly shook her head. "Not here, Dice," she growled. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one... but I won't fight here. I won't see anyone else be hurt because of you."
"Dice?!" Wizardmon asked surprised, but was interrupted by a Flower Cannon that blew the wall behind Myotismon and the Digidestined Digimon launched themselves after him.
"Well, Domino, it seems your friends have opened a door..." Dice said grinning. "Ladies first... Fist of the Dark King!"
The blast threw Domino out of the room, it didn't hurt much, as if he'd only used it to throw her out. Dice followed, snarling and jumping with amazing agility out of the wall.
Domino twisted in midair. "Ice Spears!" she shouted. She had found that, in times of extreme anger or fear, she hardly needed recite any incantation... the magic just seemed to come to her.
It was a damn good thing...
She barely had time to send the sharp pointed icicles Dice's way before she had to catch herself and land on all fours, sliding about three meters before stopping in a cloud of dust.
Dice dodged out of the way, sliding under Lillymon and propelling up from Myotismon's head. "Green Panties!" He shouted at Lillymon, while slamming a claw where Domino had been seconds before.
The fairy Digimon blushed, but concentrated on Myotismon.
Domino had leapt aside just in time to avoid being smashed into the ground, and grunted as she darted around to Dice's left.
"Fireballs!" she cried, and watched as Dice easily evaded her spell...
...save one. He looked at where the fireball had singed his tail, then scowled at Domino, obviously perturbed she had landed a hit on him.
"Nice to think you're taking this seriously." He said, still scowling. "Then it's my turn. Shout when you surrender."
He did an uppercut, slamming his fist against her chin and snapping her head up. Taking that to his advantage he grabbed her tail and threw her against a wall.
She started to yelp as she hit the wall, but bit her tongue. I will never surrender, she fumed inwardly. "I will never surrender to you!" she roared, lunging away from the wall to land on her feet. "Midnight's Fog!"
A black mist surrounded her, and then flowed all about, engulfing the two Gatomon in an ebony smog. She wove around Dice in the obscurity, taking advantage of the fact that she could see through the fog, but he could not see her.
"Is this really what you want, Dice?" she asked, her voice echoing all around in the maze, making it impossible for him to pinpoint her location. "Is this really what makes you happy? Does the pain of others please you?"
Dice scoffed and jumped high into the air. "Guess!" he shouted.
Then he proceeded to send as many Fists of the Beast King as he could into the darkened area.
She ducked easily, her eyes and reflexes faster than his haphazard attacks. She could hear the explosive sounds of the powerful attacks as they slammed into the walls around her.
"I just wondered," she admitted smugly to him. "I would like to know why you're really doing this, Brother... I would like to know your motives..." --she lunged forward, her forepaws slamming into his back, pinning him facedown on the ground--"before I have to kill you. Petrify!"
Dice gasped. He couldn't move! What was this? An immobilization spell? No!
"Answer the question," Domino ordered harshly, her paws still holding his shoulder blades down. "What are you really doing this for?"
She had to be fast. Though Petrify was a powerful incantation, it was a short-lived one. It would last only a few minutes, at most. She had to get an answer from him... she just couldn't go on like this... she couldn't go on fighting him without understanding why and how this had happened to him.
"Answer me, Dice!!!" she screamed. "What's in this for you??"
"I..." he strained his muscles. Domino's eyes glinted in surprise as she felt the spell strain along with his efforts. "do thisss..." he grunted... "for... HER!" He shouted finally as the spell, weakened as it was, ended abruptly and Dice gasped at the sudden freedom of moment, but was quick to rectify the situation.
"NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" He shouted, jumping at her in a clawing frenzy.
Domino launched herself backward, never expecting him to have broken free so quickly. Her concentration broken, the black fog of her previous spell quickly melted away, and Dice saw her land lightly on her feet a few meters away.
"For 'her'?" she echoed. "For who, Dice? What are you talking about? How does this benefit anybody?"
Dice just roared. Punching her in the stomach, then the chin again with a quick jab, he spun in place, as Domino imagined a dancer would, and backhanded her to the other side of the roof.
Dice jumped at her, and Domino knew that from her position it would be hard to avoid, so she decided instead in a simple spell to distract him long enough to think of something.
"Ice Lance!" she shouted, using the first spell that came to mind. A long spear of clear blue ice formed before her, like a glass harpoon, and flew with deadly accuracy right for Dice's chest.
She closed her eyes, knowing he would dodge it easily... Was this really the end? She would never be able to attack from where she was now... it was hard enough just to defend!
But what could she do??
Just then, they both heard Wizardmon shout. "Noooo-" as his scream was cut short by an explosion, Dice snapped around, trying to see, and watching Wizardmon fall to the ground, like a battered doll.
"WIZAR- urk!"
Dice looked down incredously at the ice spear that had pierced through his stomach and, he could feel it, through his back. He gasped, and landed lifelessly next to Domino.
Domino heard Dice's startled yelp, and cautiously opened one eye.
"Hn?" she said softly, and then gasped in shock as Dice landed limply beside her, the long spear of ice embedded in the fur of his abdomen.
Her blood ran cold.
No--! she thought frantically. No... no, it wasn't supposed to hit him! He was supposed to dodge it!
She felt her heart jerk irregularly in her chest, and she suddenly felt faint. A lump formed in the back of her throat that she just couldn't seem to swallow, and she slowly got to her feet.
"D... Dice?" she whispered, unable to summon her voice. "Dice?" She began to hyperventilate at the thought that she may well have just killed him with her own hands. "Dice!? Dice talk to me! DICE!!!" She struggled to keep control of herself. She felt sick, and her head was swimming. No... this wasn't right... Dice...?
Her face crumpled as she caught sight of the wound, and how the spear had gone clean through his body.
"Dice!!!" she wailed. "No!!"
"Wizardmon! Dice!" Gatomon shouted at the top of her lungs. Kari's Digivice activated, and Gatomon was engulfed in light as she transformed into Angewomon.
"Everyone, give me your power!" Angewomon shouted, the grief in her voice evident to everyone. The Digimon acted as instructed, giving her their power, and filling her with energy as she gathered it into her hand, and pulled it back into an arrow.
Not even bothering to shout the attack's name, she let it loose, and it flew straight into her intended target: Myotismon.
"No!" Myotismon shouted, as he attempted to cover, crossing his arms in front of him. The arrow, however, went through them, impaling itself in his heart. The evil Digimon exploded into Digidust, leaving everyone weary after the battle.
Angewomon flew over them, to land besides Domino and Dice.
"What did you do to him?!" She shouted in desperation at the Gatomon, then turned her attention to Dice as she devolved back into a Gatomon herself. "DICE!" She half asked half insisted touching his arm carefully.
Domino couldn't even remember how to form words. Her tongue felt as though it were made of clay.
"I... and he... and then... but I didn't... he was..." she floundered. "I... thought he would... I didn't mean to..."
She couldn't continue. What little composure she might have had left shattered at the sight of the torment in Gatomon's eyes, and she collapsed, sobs racking her body.
I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Oh, God, I'm so sorry...!! It wasn't supposed to... It wasn't...
"It wasn't supposed to be this way!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face as she convulsed, consumed by grief.
"I never wanted to kill him... I didn't want to fight him at all!!" she sobbed. "I thought he would dodge it... I thought he would get out of the way!!"
Story by Hikari and Wanderer D
***
Tai looked around at the gathered group. Everyone, including the mysterious Wizardmon and Matt's dad was here. For him. For Kari. For their homes and families.
For a moment he couldn't talk and only gazed up at the building in front of them as they approached. Then he decided that he didn't need say anything. They were all there, and that's what counted.
"There it is," Matt's father growled. "the TV station."
Tai looked back at the group. "Ready?"
Sora cast a look at Tai and smiled with a small nod of her head.
Domino set her jaw. "C'mon, guys," she said sternly. "Let's go show them what the Digidestined are all about." Everyone smiled at that and they started walking. Although Joe was a little worried.
He knew that Domino was here as much as for Kari as she was for Dice. And... from all the times he'd seen them fight, from all the times they shouted at each other... he could still remember from each the distinct look of pain and doubt in her eyes.
Domino's eyes were hard, her gaze determined, if not a trifle troubled, but inside, she felt like she was being ripped apart. It was so unfair! Why? Why should she have to choose? Her brother... or her friends? Was it right to choose? Would she be able to choose at all? When it came down to it, Domino wasn't even sure she would be able to move... This was to be the last battle... and who would she choose in the end?
"Domino?" He asked, still carrying Gomamon in his arms and letting the others pass.
Domino's thoughts snapped back to the present. She glanced up at the bespectacled boy.
"Hn?"
"I want you to know..." Joe said fidgeting a little. "That whatever decision you take... we'll all understand."
Domino's head felt light.
She couldn't believe she would really have to do this...
As much as she wanted to just ignore it, as much as she wished the whole situation would resolve itself on it's own... she knew it would never go away until she did something about it
She forced a smile. "Thank you, Joe..."
"It means a lot to me to know that you guys are behind me..."
Joe looked at her a little concerned, but then decided to let go. And he smiled.
"Let's go, Domino, we won't solve anything by staying here." She blinked. She hadn't even realized they had stopped walking.
Everything just felt so... detached... as if she were walking through a dream--or some awful nightmare.
Wake up! she thought. Why can't I just... wake up...?
Both snapped to reality again, as Sora shouted in warning, and the shouts of Garudamon and Weregarurumon echoed in the street. They were fighting Phantomon.
Matt looked at them. "Let's go! Weregarurumon and Garudamon will take care of him! We have to go up!"
Domino steeled herself. This was it... the final battle... the last confrontation. It was now... or never.
She wished it was never.
She nodded quickly. "Okay," she said, more as a motivation to herself, and then she smiled at Joe. "You ready?" she asked the Gomamon still in the boy's arms.
"Yes!" Gomamon smiled. "Let's go, Joe!" He shouted.
Joe, who didn't look so sure anymore, seemed to steel himself and nodded, then started running into the building and up the stairs.
Domino hesitated at the bottom of the stairs a moment, watching Joe hurry upwards.
Please, Lord... don't make me have to choose between them... she thought desperately, and then sprinted up the steps after the children. ***
Halfway up the stairs they stopped, as Wizardmon insisted he could carry on alone, and that Matt's father should stay.
When the group was finally reaching the top of the stairs they could clearly hear Gatomon shout. "Kari! No!"
Tai jumped the last stairs along with Agumon, roaring in defiance. "Stop right there, Myotismon!"
Gatomon was protecting Kari from Myotismon, while the latter regarded them with contempt.
Domino shoved past the others who had stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of their enemy, and slid to a halt at Tai's feet.
Myotismon smiled, and nodded to the left, never taking his eyes of Domino. Following his motion, she could now see Dice.
Her chest tightened, but she refused to falter. You will not distract me this time, Dice... she thought. This time... this time... it's them...
I won't betray them. You won't fool me again.
Dice grinned and invited her over with his claw.
She grit her teeth, then slowly shook her head. "Not here, Dice," she growled. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one... but I won't fight here. I won't see anyone else be hurt because of you."
"Dice?!" Wizardmon asked surprised, but was interrupted by a Flower Cannon that blew the wall behind Myotismon and the Digidestined Digimon launched themselves after him.
"Well, Domino, it seems your friends have opened a door..." Dice said grinning. "Ladies first... Fist of the Dark King!"
The blast threw Domino out of the room, it didn't hurt much, as if he'd only used it to throw her out. Dice followed, snarling and jumping with amazing agility out of the wall.
Domino twisted in midair. "Ice Spears!" she shouted. She had found that, in times of extreme anger or fear, she hardly needed recite any incantation... the magic just seemed to come to her.
It was a damn good thing...
She barely had time to send the sharp pointed icicles Dice's way before she had to catch herself and land on all fours, sliding about three meters before stopping in a cloud of dust.
Dice dodged out of the way, sliding under Lillymon and propelling up from Myotismon's head. "Green Panties!" He shouted at Lillymon, while slamming a claw where Domino had been seconds before.
The fairy Digimon blushed, but concentrated on Myotismon.
Domino had leapt aside just in time to avoid being smashed into the ground, and grunted as she darted around to Dice's left.
"Fireballs!" she cried, and watched as Dice easily evaded her spell...
...save one. He looked at where the fireball had singed his tail, then scowled at Domino, obviously perturbed she had landed a hit on him.
"Nice to think you're taking this seriously." He said, still scowling. "Then it's my turn. Shout when you surrender."
He did an uppercut, slamming his fist against her chin and snapping her head up. Taking that to his advantage he grabbed her tail and threw her against a wall.
She started to yelp as she hit the wall, but bit her tongue. I will never surrender, she fumed inwardly. "I will never surrender to you!" she roared, lunging away from the wall to land on her feet. "Midnight's Fog!"
A black mist surrounded her, and then flowed all about, engulfing the two Gatomon in an ebony smog. She wove around Dice in the obscurity, taking advantage of the fact that she could see through the fog, but he could not see her.
"Is this really what you want, Dice?" she asked, her voice echoing all around in the maze, making it impossible for him to pinpoint her location. "Is this really what makes you happy? Does the pain of others please you?"
Dice scoffed and jumped high into the air. "Guess!" he shouted.
Then he proceeded to send as many Fists of the Beast King as he could into the darkened area.
She ducked easily, her eyes and reflexes faster than his haphazard attacks. She could hear the explosive sounds of the powerful attacks as they slammed into the walls around her.
"I just wondered," she admitted smugly to him. "I would like to know why you're really doing this, Brother... I would like to know your motives..." --she lunged forward, her forepaws slamming into his back, pinning him facedown on the ground--"before I have to kill you. Petrify!"
Dice gasped. He couldn't move! What was this? An immobilization spell? No!
"Answer the question," Domino ordered harshly, her paws still holding his shoulder blades down. "What are you really doing this for?"
She had to be fast. Though Petrify was a powerful incantation, it was a short-lived one. It would last only a few minutes, at most. She had to get an answer from him... she just couldn't go on like this... she couldn't go on fighting him without understanding why and how this had happened to him.
"Answer me, Dice!!!" she screamed. "What's in this for you??"
"I..." he strained his muscles. Domino's eyes glinted in surprise as she felt the spell strain along with his efforts. "do thisss..." he grunted... "for... HER!" He shouted finally as the spell, weakened as it was, ended abruptly and Dice gasped at the sudden freedom of moment, but was quick to rectify the situation.
"NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" He shouted, jumping at her in a clawing frenzy.
Domino launched herself backward, never expecting him to have broken free so quickly. Her concentration broken, the black fog of her previous spell quickly melted away, and Dice saw her land lightly on her feet a few meters away.
"For 'her'?" she echoed. "For who, Dice? What are you talking about? How does this benefit anybody?"
Dice just roared. Punching her in the stomach, then the chin again with a quick jab, he spun in place, as Domino imagined a dancer would, and backhanded her to the other side of the roof.
Dice jumped at her, and Domino knew that from her position it would be hard to avoid, so she decided instead in a simple spell to distract him long enough to think of something.
"Ice Lance!" she shouted, using the first spell that came to mind. A long spear of clear blue ice formed before her, like a glass harpoon, and flew with deadly accuracy right for Dice's chest.
She closed her eyes, knowing he would dodge it easily... Was this really the end? She would never be able to attack from where she was now... it was hard enough just to defend!
But what could she do??
Just then, they both heard Wizardmon shout. "Noooo-" as his scream was cut short by an explosion, Dice snapped around, trying to see, and watching Wizardmon fall to the ground, like a battered doll.
"WIZAR- urk!"
Dice looked down incredously at the ice spear that had pierced through his stomach and, he could feel it, through his back. He gasped, and landed lifelessly next to Domino.
Domino heard Dice's startled yelp, and cautiously opened one eye.
"Hn?" she said softly, and then gasped in shock as Dice landed limply beside her, the long spear of ice embedded in the fur of his abdomen.
Her blood ran cold.
No--! she thought frantically. No... no, it wasn't supposed to hit him! He was supposed to dodge it!
She felt her heart jerk irregularly in her chest, and she suddenly felt faint. A lump formed in the back of her throat that she just couldn't seem to swallow, and she slowly got to her feet.
"D... Dice?" she whispered, unable to summon her voice. "Dice?" She began to hyperventilate at the thought that she may well have just killed him with her own hands. "Dice!? Dice talk to me! DICE!!!" She struggled to keep control of herself. She felt sick, and her head was swimming. No... this wasn't right... Dice...?
Her face crumpled as she caught sight of the wound, and how the spear had gone clean through his body.
"Dice!!!" she wailed. "No!!"
"Wizardmon! Dice!" Gatomon shouted at the top of her lungs. Kari's Digivice activated, and Gatomon was engulfed in light as she transformed into Angewomon.
"Everyone, give me your power!" Angewomon shouted, the grief in her voice evident to everyone. The Digimon acted as instructed, giving her their power, and filling her with energy as she gathered it into her hand, and pulled it back into an arrow.
Not even bothering to shout the attack's name, she let it loose, and it flew straight into her intended target: Myotismon.
"No!" Myotismon shouted, as he attempted to cover, crossing his arms in front of him. The arrow, however, went through them, impaling itself in his heart. The evil Digimon exploded into Digidust, leaving everyone weary after the battle.
Angewomon flew over them, to land besides Domino and Dice.
"What did you do to him?!" She shouted in desperation at the Gatomon, then turned her attention to Dice as she devolved back into a Gatomon herself. "DICE!" She half asked half insisted touching his arm carefully.
Domino couldn't even remember how to form words. Her tongue felt as though it were made of clay.
"I... and he... and then... but I didn't... he was..." she floundered. "I... thought he would... I didn't mean to..."
She couldn't continue. What little composure she might have had left shattered at the sight of the torment in Gatomon's eyes, and she collapsed, sobs racking her body.
I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Oh, God, I'm so sorry...!! It wasn't supposed to... It wasn't...
"It wasn't supposed to be this way!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face as she convulsed, consumed by grief.
"I never wanted to kill him... I didn't want to fight him at all!!" she sobbed. "I thought he would dodge it... I thought he would get out of the way!!"