Notes: I luv Yumi. This is why I almost get her killed. No logic behind that, but hey, it's a fanfic, they're not meant to be logical.
Chapter 9- DisobedienceYumi wasn't just going to sit around when there was a battle on. Besides, she could fight in spirit form, that was a champion wasn't it? "RENAMON!" Yumi growled, striding off after Ken.
"What's wrong with her?" Asked Jeremy.
"YUMI NO!" Ulrich cried, following her.
"Out of the way Ulrich!" Yumi growled. "I'm going to do what Digidestined do."
"And get yourself hurt, maybe even KILLED!" Ulrich said, frantically trying to pull her back.
"So?"
"Yumi the digital world ISN'T like Lyoko. You get hurt in the digital world you don't reappear magically in a scanner. You DIE! Like DIE, DIE, as in NOT coming back! Kaput, Gonzo!"
"Ulrich, it's my destiny to fight. I'm a digidestined, a legendary warrior, plus I have the obligation on Lyoko." Yumi told him, yanking free. "It's destiny, get used to it."
"And what about Renamon?" Ulrich asked. "What if she get's killed?"
"Get's reconfigured you mean. Digimon don't die, they're reborn each time." Yumi told him.
"I am ready to die for my homeland." Renamon replied. "And Yumi is ready to die for my home. Her selflessness is great. She is a true warrior."
Ulrich, stunned by hearing from the mostly silent digimon, let go. "Yumi!" He shouted after her. "Don't get killed." He whispered.
Yumi felt a buzzing in her chest. Her crest… it was glowing black. "What's wrong with it?" Yumi wondered as she held it up in front of her. "Why is it glowing black? I'm being brave aren't I? I'm doing what I'm supposed to do."
"You may be. But there is no way to tell." Renamon explained. "When a crest blackens, it will remain so, and won't work, until the problem that caused it to blacken is resolved."
"How do YOU know that?" Yumi asked.
"There are things that digimon know instinctively about digidestined, and about themselves." Renamon explained. "We're almost to the school. I'll run ahead, invisible." She fazed out of view.
/Okay Renamon. I'm almost there./
/Good, group of kids to your right./ Renamon explained. /I'm at Ken's computer. They went through. I'm keeping the portal to the Forest Kindom open. Hurry./
Yumi never knew how she made it up to Ken's room without being caught by a teacher. But she made it, and found Renamon waiting for her. They took each other's hands as she held up her D-Chrono. "Digiport open!"
Five seconds later they were standing outside in the digital world. Yumi closed her eyes, listening with the power of observation she had developed on Lyoko. She heard a cry far off… "PUPPET POMMEL!" An explosion, and a sound like a machine gun going off sounded to the right.
"There they are!" Yumi picked up her D-Tector Beta. "Execute! Natural Evolution! SUZAKUMON!"
The transformation was almost instant. Her practice was showing. "Ready Renamon?" Asked Yumi.
"I am ready." Renamon answered.
"Let's do it!" Yumi took a deep breath and ran in the direction of the battle.
Tai, Davis, Ken, Kathy, Izzy, Joe, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Yolie, Cody, T.K. and Kari were at the end of their rope. Wargreymon, Imperialdramon, AlforceVeedramon and MetalGarurumon were the only ones left. Ken, Kari, and Davis had gone beast form. Kathy and T.K. had transformed to Primal using the Holy Swords. The other digimon had been knocked out.
"We're on the ropes, Wargreymon be careful!" Tai cried.
"I will be. He won't get any further!" Wargreymon growled.
"It makes you wish BlackWargreymon were still around doesn't it?" Kari asked, looking over at her fellow warriors. Kari's beast form was called Leonamon and looked like a white cheetah standing on two legs and dressed in hoplite armor.
"No digimon will be able to save you Digidestined scum!" Puppetmon growled. "Humans don't belong in the digital world!"
"How can you say that?" Kathy cried. "Humans and digimon have been friendly since the days of the tamers! Surely your Harper taught you that history!"
"I don't need a Harper on my back to tell me what to do. Especially not a human Harper." Puppetmon spat on the ground.
"I'll get her Kathy." AlforceVeedramon growled.
"No, I will." Yumi stepped out of the shadows.
"Oh joy, another Champion to wipe my ass with." Puppetmon giggled. "Play with me then Human!"
Yumi's hackles rose, and her crest began to glow black again, even brighter than before. The crest of feathers on her head rose like a cockatiel's crown. "Take that back and I'll show some mercy on you."
"YUMI NO!" Kathy cried. "LOOK OUT!"
"Oh really human. Let's see you show mercy! I'd LOVE to see a human's concept of Mercy." Puppetmon grinned, hefting his mallet in a fresh grip.
Then Yumi heard. "TRUMPSWORD!" A burning wound appeared in her back. Yumi screamed in pain, falling.
Renamon dove to save her. "RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TO… KYUUBIMON!" Kyuubimon snatched a now human Yumi by the collar of her sweater. The wound had been healed when she devolved, but she was still out cold. Kyuubimon flopped Yumi onto her back and set her down next to Ikkakumon. "Ikkakumon, take care of her."
Ikkakumon nodded. "I'm took weak to fight, but she'll be alright with me. Be careful, her crest isn't active yet."
"I couldn't guess." Kyuubimon muttered as she trotted back to the battle. All chaos had ensued. "DRAGONWHEEL!" Cried Kyuubimon as she joined the fray. /UULLLRRRRIIIICCCHHHH!/ She cried for help.
Far, far away Ulrich heard the faint cry for help. "YUMI!" He gasped, jerking upright. He'd been working on his homework in Jeremy's room with Jeremy and Odd and fallen asleep.
"Rise and shine Ulrich!" Odd grinned, having finally been allowed out of the infirmary. "What's got you so scared. You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"I heard somebody calling for help!" Ulrich replied. "I swear I did. I think…"
"You think Yumi's in trouble?" Odd asked worriedly.
"I think so. The cry sounded like Renamon." Ulrich shivered. "But what can I do to help?" He wondered.
"I don't know. Maybe Einstein has a clue." Odd jerked his thumb to where Jeremy was working Algebraic equations on his notepad for homework.
"We can't go to the digital world without a digivice, or that passage that Yumi took through the sewers. And even if we could how would we know what passage to take? Or how to fight whatever it is she's fighting?"
"I can't help but be worried." Ulrich replied. "I mean…"
"You care about her and you don't want her to get hurt." Odd pointed out. "Been there done that."
"She took her Lyoko form on the Digital world." Ulrich said thoughtfully. "Maybe I could do the same."
"No Ulrich, in order to go to the digital world we need a digivice or a who, what, where and when." Jeremy replied. "It's hard enough to get there in the first place."
"But we have to try." Ulrich stood.
"NO Ulrich." Odd dragged him back down.
Ulrich froze, this was exactly what had happened to Yumi. He had warned Yumi not to go, she had gone anyway, and she had gotten hurt. It was one of those cases where two wrongs didn't make a right.
"Fine." He sat down with a growl. "I'll wait."
About two hours later Yumi came staggering back in, exhausted. "YUMI!" Cried Ulrich. He ran to her side. "What happened?"
"Her crest went blank and she got into a fight she couldn't win." Matt growled. He sat her down on the bed. "She's otherwise unhurt. But Yumi, I don't think you should try this again."
Yumi shivered. "Damn right I won't."
"How do you KNOW she's unhurt?" Ulrich challenged.
"Because our friend Joe is a med student and he checked her over before we left. Plus the Masterhealer of the Digital World helped him." Matt added, soothingly this time. "Yumi don't you DARE do that again, not until Renamon has reached the Ultimate, which she can't with your crest blackened, or until you've gotten your beast spirit."
"I won't, believe me." Yumi sighed.
"Look." Matt said calmly. "If you ever need me, e-mail me via D-Terminal. You boys don't have one, if you need help over in France you can reach me at That's the official digidestined site. Yumi, you'll have to pick an address there too.
"No problem, I'll just use my usual e-mail address." Yumi said with a smile up at the older digidestined. "Blackfoxdown." Yumi sighed, dejectedly. "That was a waste."
"Hey, I used to have a crest too, and it went black for awhile so I know what you're probably feeling right now. Just be careful. A blackened crest is a sign that you've gotten into some bad habits up here." He tapped the side of his head. "It can have more of an affect on you than you know. Now I'm out of here before I'm caught." He left.
"Who was that?" Odd asked.
"His name is Matt, and he's one of the older digidestined. He's a junior in highschool actually, much older than I am." Yumi explained. "It was Renamon who saved me though. She digivolved, she's headed off for the factory for the night. I just hope that X.A.N.A. doesn't try to take a shot at her."
"That would be the icing on the cake I think." Jeremy sighed. "Things just keep getting better for us don't they?"
"Now don't get that way Jeremy." Aelita told him. "You've got to have hope, no matter how bad things seem you can't let it get you down."
"I was studying with Kathy the other day Jeremy, and we found something insightful about digimon philosophy. The quote said, 'The crest of hope gives life to this world, and the crest of light shines, no matter how the darkness tries to hide it.' You just have to think positively." Yumi explained. "I guess that's why my crest went black." She sighed. "I wasn't thinking positively about being a digidestined."
"See?" Aelita asked with one of her cheerful smiles.
Jeremy nodded.
"Well Yumi, I think you should get home." Ulrich stood, stretching. "I can walk you and Renamon if you want."
"Renamon wanted to stay at the factory. She's found a warm place near one of the heat vents and she's put together a sort of a matress out of the sacks left behind." Yumi said, getting up. "But you're right, I think I could use the walk. It should help clear my head."
"Alright." They left.
"Hey Einstein. Thanks for the help with my Algebra. Me thinks there be a cross dresser with an Alge Bra." Odd joked as he stood. "See you later."
"What's an Alge Bra?" Aelita asked.
"Ask me some other time." Jeremy sighed as he fell onto his bed.
"Look, Jeremy, I know you don't like being left out. If you could just hang on." Aelita said encouragingly. "I know you'll get to fight someday. I mean, why did this Gennai give you a crest if you weren't allowed in the digital world?"
"I guess you're right." Jeremy sighed. "I wonder if Ken knows anything about it."
"You mention Ken a lot lately Jeremy." Aelita pointed out. "Almost like you have a crush on him."
Jeremy turned purple and almost choked. "What makes you think I've got a crush on him?" Aelita of all people was picking on him? And what made her think he had a crush on Ken in the first place?"
"Just that you mention him a lot. At the last meeting, the one when you came early, you were talking about Ken almost constantly."
"Well sure, I mean, he's the only kid at school who's as smart as I am." Jeremy pointed out. "Nobody understands the things I say in class except Ken. We're both geniuses. And you can't exactly come to class anymore."
"I wish I could, I know a lot of what the teacher talks about, but it's interesting to watch the kids in class." Aelita chuckled. "Sissy's expressions are so funny. She scowled six different ways inside of five minutes. Do humans do that a lot?"
"Bullies do I suppose." Jeremy chuckled inwardly.
"What's a bully?" Aelita asked.
"A bully is a person who feels insecure or jealous around certain people, so he or she takes it out on somebody by hurting them or teasing them." Jeremy explained. "For example, Sissy's got a crush on Ulrich, so she takes it out on Yumi by blackmailing Ulrich into doing whatever she wants him to do. It's happened before." Jeremy sighed, rolling over onto his back and looking at the ceiling. "We deal with it. And she's been useful in her own twisted way."
"I see." Aelita said thoughtfully. "Jeremy, look, if you really like Ken that way, I'm not angry about it. And I wouldn't turn into a bully like Sissy if you did."
"I DON'T like Ken that way!" Jeremy said sitting straight up. Oh yes you do, a little voice called instinct said into his head. You can't get him out of your mind.
"No need to get upset." Aelita said placatingly."Sorry, I guess I'm just feeling left out lately. I mean, Yumi's got her digimon and all I've got is a crest. When do I get to go to the digital world?"
"I don't know Jeremy." Aelita said with one of her radient smiles. "But I'll bet I could hack into the Guardian Castle computers to find out! I'll see what I can do and tell you what I find tomorrow morning alright?"
"Okay." Jeremy said as he logged off.
Aelita logged off and started on the Digital World's computers. Gennai had awfully powerful firewalls on his system, but it wasn't anything Aelita couldn't handle. It would take ages though. Aelita settled down in the tower for a loooooong night.