CHAPTER 8
The five returned just in time to catch the buses.
Zoe and Takuya quickly entered their bus, which was ready to leave. As soon as they found their seats, the driver closed the door and the bus turned off onto the street.
Zoe sat on the edge of her seat, looking over at Takuya. He looked exhausted and seemed to be fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Takuya, are you really okay? You don't look too good." Zoe said quietly, not wanting to alert everyone on the bus.
Takuya seemed to wake up a bit. "I'm fine."
Zoe didn't look convinced. "Don't give me that. I know you're not fine."
"I'm just a little tired." Takuya answered simply, closing his eyes.
Zoe got an idea and a evil plotting look appeared on her face. "Well, if you're so 'fine', what do you say to a party?"
Takuya's eyes snapped open. "A party?! When?"
"Tomorrow. Koji and I planned it in algebra. We were going to invite you and the others at lunch, but then that little incident came along . . ."
"What about Tommy?" Takuya asked.
"Koji's gonna invite him." Zoe answered.
Takuya sighed tiredly. "Alright, what time?" He asked, closing his eyes again.
"Four in the morning." Zoe answered with a teasing smile.
Takuya's eyes snapped open and he looked at Zoe in horror. When he saw her amused look, he relaxed.
"No, it's at one in the afternoon." Zoe said with a giggle.
"You almost had me there, Z." Takuya said, leaning his back against the window and putting his feet up on the seat. "But count me out. I've got other plans."
Zoe slowly walked into her house. She noticed that her parents weren't home yet. She shrugged her backpack off, put it down by her shoes and went to her room. She unlocked the door, opened it, stepped into her room and turned on the light. She gasped.
Takuya was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching Shinya play video games like he had promised he would a few days ago. He was leaning up against the arm rest and was resting his head on his fist. They were the only two in the house. The only sounds were the ones coming from Shinya's game.
"Takuya, are you there?" Zoe's voice asked.
Takuya started. 'Great, why now?'
"You might want to answer the phone." Shinya said, not taking his eyes off the TV screen.
Takuya was relieved that his brother was too into the game for anything else to actually register. He pulled his D-Tector out of his pocket and walked into the other room.
"Hey Z, what's up?"
"Can you get over here, like NOW?" Zoe asked.
"Why?" Takuya asked.
"There's . . . Digimon in my room. Hurry!" Zoe said before cutting the signal off.
Takuya's expression turned cold at the mention of a fight.
"Hey Takuya, there's something wrong with my game!" Shinya called from the living room.
Takuya headed for the living room, D-Tector still in hand. "What is it, Shinya?"
"Look at the screen." Shinya said, pointing to the screen.
Takuya gasped when he saw the screen. On it was the shadowy figure of a Digimon he'd never seen before.
"How'd that get there!?" Takuya exclaimed.
"Greetings Warrior of Flame." The shadow said.
"Warrior of Flame? Who's that?" Shinya asked, genuinely confused.
Takuya's expression turned angry. "Who are you?"
"Patience, you will find out soon enough." The shadow said.
"What do you mean?" Takuya asked, tightening his grip on his D- Tector.
"You shall see." The shadow said before the image was replaced by a black screen.
Takuya turned for the door, prepared to fight.
"Takuya, wait!" Shinya called.
Takuya ignored him.
"Takuya! LOOK OUT!"
Takuya turned just in time to watched as black tendrils of energy snaked out of the TV screen and twined themselves around him, shrouding him in darkness.
Tuskmon stepped closer to Kazemon, who nervously looked up at him.
"Thanks in advance for the Spirits." Tuskmon said.
"Oh, honestly." A familiar voice said in disgust from behind the Digimon.
The evil Digimon turned to face the voice and Kazemon looked past him.
Sao and Lisa stood in the ankle-deep snow.
"Want to try a real challenge?" Lisa asked sarcastically.
"Sure." Tuskmon said.
"Execute . . . Spirit Evolution!"
"Fueosmon!"
"Holohomon!"
"No matter what, you'll lose!" Tuskmon snarled. "Horn Buster!"
Fueosmon blocked the attack with her sword. After the attack had passed, she returned her sword to its sheath, and jumped into the air above the evil Digimon. "Dark Fire Mist!"
"Flaming Thunder!"
Tuskmon was hit with the full force of the attacks. His form turned black and his Fractal Code appeared.
"Fractal Code Digitize!" Fueosmon said, gathering the Fractal Code in her D-Tector.
A flash not too far off caught Fueosmon's attention.
"Let's see how strong you are on my turf. Gray Realm!"
A dark void appeared and drew Fueosmon and Holohomon into its depths. Dobermon followed.
Kazemon de-Spirit Evolved and Zoe stood up.
The Warriors landed neatly in the dark world. They stood and turned around, surveying the landscape. It was too dark to see anything.
'Fool, darkness is my turf.' Fueosmon thought to herself. She straightened up when she heard the soft thud of Dobermon landing not too far away.
A trio of red slashes appeared in the darkness, but the two dodged. Dobermon continued slashing randomly, hoping to hit Fueosmon or Holohomon, but they were too fast and dodged each one. Fueosmon drew her sword and pointed it into the darkness.
"You were foolish to bring us here. Darkness is our territory." Fueosmon said harshly.
"Huh?" Dobermon said from behind Fueosmon and Holohomon.
The Warriors turned to face the voice.
"Darkness Blade!"
"Fire Energy Shroud!"
Dobermon's form turned black and his Fractal Code appeared after the attacks hit him.
"Fractal Code Digitize!"
The darkness disappeared with Dobermon's essence and the Warriors found themselves standing in Zoe's yard once again. They de-Spirit Evolved and turned to leave, almost crashing into Koji as he dashed into the yard.
"Watch where you're going." Lisa said sharply.
"Sorry." Koji muttered sarcastically.
"I heard that." Lisa said coldly, swinging her leg around and knocking Koji's feet out from under him.
Koji hit the ground with a thud. "Hey!"
Sao and Lisa walked off with a cruel smirk on their faces.
Zoe walked over. "They've got a serious attitude problem." She said, offering Koji her hand.
Koji accepted Zoe's hand and she helped him to his feet.
"Yeah." Koji agreed. "Are you okay? Sorry I didn't get here sooner." Koji apologized.
"I'm fine. What kept you?" Zoe asked in a mockingly suspicious tone.
"I tried to get Takuya to come, but when I got to his house, his brother said he disappeared."
The five returned just in time to catch the buses.
Zoe and Takuya quickly entered their bus, which was ready to leave. As soon as they found their seats, the driver closed the door and the bus turned off onto the street.
Zoe sat on the edge of her seat, looking over at Takuya. He looked exhausted and seemed to be fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Takuya, are you really okay? You don't look too good." Zoe said quietly, not wanting to alert everyone on the bus.
Takuya seemed to wake up a bit. "I'm fine."
Zoe didn't look convinced. "Don't give me that. I know you're not fine."
"I'm just a little tired." Takuya answered simply, closing his eyes.
Zoe got an idea and a evil plotting look appeared on her face. "Well, if you're so 'fine', what do you say to a party?"
Takuya's eyes snapped open. "A party?! When?"
"Tomorrow. Koji and I planned it in algebra. We were going to invite you and the others at lunch, but then that little incident came along . . ."
"What about Tommy?" Takuya asked.
"Koji's gonna invite him." Zoe answered.
Takuya sighed tiredly. "Alright, what time?" He asked, closing his eyes again.
"Four in the morning." Zoe answered with a teasing smile.
Takuya's eyes snapped open and he looked at Zoe in horror. When he saw her amused look, he relaxed.
"No, it's at one in the afternoon." Zoe said with a giggle.
"You almost had me there, Z." Takuya said, leaning his back against the window and putting his feet up on the seat. "But count me out. I've got other plans."
Zoe slowly walked into her house. She noticed that her parents weren't home yet. She shrugged her backpack off, put it down by her shoes and went to her room. She unlocked the door, opened it, stepped into her room and turned on the light. She gasped.
Takuya was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching Shinya play video games like he had promised he would a few days ago. He was leaning up against the arm rest and was resting his head on his fist. They were the only two in the house. The only sounds were the ones coming from Shinya's game.
"Takuya, are you there?" Zoe's voice asked.
Takuya started. 'Great, why now?'
"You might want to answer the phone." Shinya said, not taking his eyes off the TV screen.
Takuya was relieved that his brother was too into the game for anything else to actually register. He pulled his D-Tector out of his pocket and walked into the other room.
"Hey Z, what's up?"
"Can you get over here, like NOW?" Zoe asked.
"Why?" Takuya asked.
"There's . . . Digimon in my room. Hurry!" Zoe said before cutting the signal off.
Takuya's expression turned cold at the mention of a fight.
"Hey Takuya, there's something wrong with my game!" Shinya called from the living room.
Takuya headed for the living room, D-Tector still in hand. "What is it, Shinya?"
"Look at the screen." Shinya said, pointing to the screen.
Takuya gasped when he saw the screen. On it was the shadowy figure of a Digimon he'd never seen before.
"How'd that get there!?" Takuya exclaimed.
"Greetings Warrior of Flame." The shadow said.
"Warrior of Flame? Who's that?" Shinya asked, genuinely confused.
Takuya's expression turned angry. "Who are you?"
"Patience, you will find out soon enough." The shadow said.
"What do you mean?" Takuya asked, tightening his grip on his D- Tector.
"You shall see." The shadow said before the image was replaced by a black screen.
Takuya turned for the door, prepared to fight.
"Takuya, wait!" Shinya called.
Takuya ignored him.
"Takuya! LOOK OUT!"
Takuya turned just in time to watched as black tendrils of energy snaked out of the TV screen and twined themselves around him, shrouding him in darkness.
Tuskmon stepped closer to Kazemon, who nervously looked up at him.
"Thanks in advance for the Spirits." Tuskmon said.
"Oh, honestly." A familiar voice said in disgust from behind the Digimon.
The evil Digimon turned to face the voice and Kazemon looked past him.
Sao and Lisa stood in the ankle-deep snow.
"Want to try a real challenge?" Lisa asked sarcastically.
"Sure." Tuskmon said.
"Execute . . . Spirit Evolution!"
"Fueosmon!"
"Holohomon!"
"No matter what, you'll lose!" Tuskmon snarled. "Horn Buster!"
Fueosmon blocked the attack with her sword. After the attack had passed, she returned her sword to its sheath, and jumped into the air above the evil Digimon. "Dark Fire Mist!"
"Flaming Thunder!"
Tuskmon was hit with the full force of the attacks. His form turned black and his Fractal Code appeared.
"Fractal Code Digitize!" Fueosmon said, gathering the Fractal Code in her D-Tector.
A flash not too far off caught Fueosmon's attention.
"Let's see how strong you are on my turf. Gray Realm!"
A dark void appeared and drew Fueosmon and Holohomon into its depths. Dobermon followed.
Kazemon de-Spirit Evolved and Zoe stood up.
The Warriors landed neatly in the dark world. They stood and turned around, surveying the landscape. It was too dark to see anything.
'Fool, darkness is my turf.' Fueosmon thought to herself. She straightened up when she heard the soft thud of Dobermon landing not too far away.
A trio of red slashes appeared in the darkness, but the two dodged. Dobermon continued slashing randomly, hoping to hit Fueosmon or Holohomon, but they were too fast and dodged each one. Fueosmon drew her sword and pointed it into the darkness.
"You were foolish to bring us here. Darkness is our territory." Fueosmon said harshly.
"Huh?" Dobermon said from behind Fueosmon and Holohomon.
The Warriors turned to face the voice.
"Darkness Blade!"
"Fire Energy Shroud!"
Dobermon's form turned black and his Fractal Code appeared after the attacks hit him.
"Fractal Code Digitize!"
The darkness disappeared with Dobermon's essence and the Warriors found themselves standing in Zoe's yard once again. They de-Spirit Evolved and turned to leave, almost crashing into Koji as he dashed into the yard.
"Watch where you're going." Lisa said sharply.
"Sorry." Koji muttered sarcastically.
"I heard that." Lisa said coldly, swinging her leg around and knocking Koji's feet out from under him.
Koji hit the ground with a thud. "Hey!"
Sao and Lisa walked off with a cruel smirk on their faces.
Zoe walked over. "They've got a serious attitude problem." She said, offering Koji her hand.
Koji accepted Zoe's hand and she helped him to his feet.
"Yeah." Koji agreed. "Are you okay? Sorry I didn't get here sooner." Koji apologized.
"I'm fine. What kept you?" Zoe asked in a mockingly suspicious tone.
"I tried to get Takuya to come, but when I got to his house, his brother said he disappeared."