A Fated Joining
Standing guard in front of the entrance to the cave T.K. and Kari stood there, hand in hand as they stared straight ahead, ears keen for any noise. Their digimon too stood there at attention, muscles tensing and clenching at every faint sound to cross their line of hearing. The digimon were the first to hear and smelling the coming small army and they shared a look of both acceptance and sorrow. There was always the chance that the digimon coming would ignore them but neither thought there was any chance of that happening. They'd send off a small but strong group this way, delete them all then return to their group to go after the rest.
"What's wrong? They're coming...aren't they?" T.K. said softly, reading the answer on their faces before the two digimon nodded their heads slowly. So their chances were slim, T.K. thought as he saw what their digimons' eyes were trying so hard to hide. They didn't need to say it, their silence said it all. Whatever they were going up against would likely be too much for them to handle alone. They were all going to be deleted and the bastard wouldn't pass by the occupants of the cave either. They wouldn't be able to keep them safe.
"It's bad, T.K....isn't it?" Kari said softly as she looked up at him, reading him so easily after all this time. She could barely remember a time when T.K. wasn't in her life and that's how she'd wanted it. If she was going to die then there was no one she would rather fall beside. If she could she'd protect him, give her life for his without a thought or regret and she'd even get on her knees and beg him to run. Of course he wouldn't but she would if she'd thought for even a second that he would. But he wouldn't be the man she loved if he would. "I'm glad you're here, T.K. . I'm not afraid because you and Gatomon are here."
)
"I'm glad you're here too even though I wish you were anywhere but here at the same time." T.K. said as he squeezed her hand, smiling down at her softly. They'd been together since they were kids, their brothers' best friends and friends themselves. They'd face down the baddest of the bad in the Digital World together, side by side with only their courage and faith in themselves and each other as their weapons. No matter how dark it got, no matter how hard the task they'd triumphed and lived to fight another day. Perhaps today would be their last fight together but they wouldn't go down easy and they'd go down together. But it wasn't over until they damn well drew their last breaths, T.K. thought fiercely as his grip on her hand tightened. "And don't talk like that, Kari. We aren't beaten yet."
"You're right, T.K., it's not over till the fat lady sings." Kari said with a thumbs up as she made herself smile even as the sounds of the approaching digimon came into the air. "Too bad we don't have a Jigglypuff around huh?"
"A what?" T.K. said with a confused look then had to laugh when he remembered the old anime series Pokemon which had featured a pink little diva who made people fall asleep as soon as they heard its song. "Yeah but then we'd have to spend at least a half an hour washing all that marker off our faces and if he used permanent marker we'd have to go to school on Monday looking like abstract paintings."
"Well then at least I wouldn't have to worry about putting on make up that morning, I'd already have had my face made up." Kari said with a laugh even as her hand tightened to an almost painful grip though T.K. didn't complain. "I love you, T.K.."
"I love you too, Kari. More then anything." T.K. softly replied as the first digimon came roaring into the clearing in front of them. "Now lets give these ugly sons of bitches one hell of a fight."
)
It was impossible not to hear the fighting going on outside the cave. Mikey was curled up in Jaarin's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her neck while he burrowed against her in a futile attempt to get away from the fight. Calumon sat in Alice's lap, strangely still and silent as he leaned back against her while she hugged him tightly to her. There were a lot of them, likely powerful ones given the way the ground and the walls of the cave shook. There were so many roars and screams coming from the mouth of the cave that they'd become like a hideous song that just wouldn't stop playing no matter how hard anyone wished. "When is it going to stop, Alice?" Calumon whimpered, looking up at her questioningly with his usually shining eyes filled with uncertainty and the beginnings of fear. "I want to go home." He added in a near whisper as he leaned his head against her chest. "I don't like it here."
"I don't know, Calumon." Alice said as she lifted a hand to stroke the little guy's head. "I'm sure it will be over soon though. Soon we'll go home and Takato's mom can make you lots of cream puffs and we'll all have a big welcome home party. We'll eat ourselves silly till we can't move a muscle okay?"
"Yeah and you can try my world famous brownies, Calumon. You haven't really lived until you bite into one of those chocolate covered heavens." Jaarin called out, forcing a small smile on her face as she tried to help Alice comfort the cute little sugar maniac. "You've never tasted anything like them. You'll be on a sugar high for a week."
"When is this guy not on a sugar high." Alice said with a smirk and she was pleased to see Calumon smile slightly in return. Smiling down at him Alice's eyes wandered the cave's walls then omitted a short yelp when a head suddenly appeared through the supposed hard, rock wall.
)
"So here's where you are." Kurokitsunemon said calmly as he took a glance around the cave with faint interest. The weak and the blonde had been stashed in here for protection apparently and he really had to wonder who's stupid idea that one had been. When he couldn't find her originally he'd thought perhaps she'd been deleted but here she was, safe and in one piece but only for the time being. If she stayed in here she was bound to be deleted very, very shortly.
"You're..you're a Kurokitsunemon. You're the one who's been following us all this time, aren't you? The one that helped out the boys when they were in trouble." Alice said as she pointed at him in shock, looking him over or at least looking his head over since that was the only part of his body that was visible.
"Didn't someone ever teach you it's rude to point?" The fox said dryly then turned his head to glance at the cave's entrance briefly before turning back to them. "If there's another way out of this cave you should take it now. The battle's almost over out there and they'll destroy this whole cave easily while you're in it or come in after you. In other words leave if you still can."
"There's no way out of here but the front entrance." Jaarin said, holding Mikey a little tighter while the boy watched the fox curiously with a mixture of hope and fear.
"Then I suppose it was nice not knowing you." Kurokitsunemon said with a faint smirk as he started to fade before their eyes. After all there was nothing else to be said. Looked like his fun was over unfortunately.
"Wait, can't you help us?" Calumon called out, the fox curious enough to solidify once more to hear what the little creature had to say. "Someone as powerful as you has to be able to do something, right?"
)
"And why on earth would I want to do that? It's not like this is even remotely my fight and I don't care overly who wins. Your deletions mean nothing to me so why should I risk my data for the likes of a bunch of bothersome humans and a single digimon?" Kurokitsunemon said with genuine curiosity, curious as to what excuses they would come up with to justify asking him to risk his existence for them.
"Because it's the right thing to do?" Alice said as she sent him a hard look. "But if you have to ask that question then it's obvious that you don't know the meaning of the phrase. I thought that you were a good digimon when you helped the guys but I guess you only did it because you like deleting things. Well in that case you can just go....have a nice and lonely existence without caring about anyone or anything. Me, I'm going to do that right thing." Alice said forcefully before turning to face Jaarin, ignoring the fox. "I'll rush outside and try to distract them, you take Jaarin and Calumon and run. We're sitting ducks here, at least I can maybe give you a chance or a few seconds escape time."
)
"But that's suicide." Kurokitsunemon interjected, not at all use to being blatantly ignored when he gave someone the honor of actually seeing him.
"Yeah, it is. But I'd rather die trying to save the lives of others then die cowering like a cornered animal. Besides...it's better to go down fighting for what's right then living forever with the knowledge that you're a pathetic coward." Alice said as she looked at him, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"I'll help you distract them, Alice." Calumon piped up, drawing in a big breath to make him look bigger. "I can run really, really fast you know."
"I know you can, little buddy." Alice said with a smile before looking over at Jaarin. "Okay?"
"I'll do my best to make sure this isn't in vain." Jaarin said with a nod of agreement, her face set in determined lines. Sharing a look the two women headed towards the opening of the cave with their precious bundles held tightly in their arms. The fox digimon meanwhile simply watched them go then faded away, his mind on her comments. Reaching the mouth of the cave Jaarin and Alice surveyed the massacre that lay before them with sorrow and dread. About five digimon were left standing, the ground and foliage around them torn to shreds from the battle. Laying on the ground in their line of view was Kari, her clothing in shreds as her data wavered uncertainly. Close by Kari was Patamon and Gatomon, both back to their rookie levels as they lay limp, unmoving except for their fluctuating data. They couldn't see T.K.
"On three then?" Alice said quietly, her eyes filling with emotion though she ruthlessly bit it back. Now wasn't the time for it. When Jaarin nodded Alice counted down from three and then Alice exploded from the cave, throwing Calumon in the other direction as the two separated and went running, two of the evil digimon following after Alice and one after Calumon while the remaining two stayed to finish the job.
)
Jaarin coming running out she went straight and clutching Mikey against her ran with every ounce of strength she had, hearing the two digimon closing in behind her. Calling on every track lesson, every ounce of advice she'd ever been given Jaarin continued to run full speed through the forest, ignoring burning and tiring muscles, the pain of branches and debris that sliced and caught her, slowing her down for precious milliseconds. Hearing a monstrous roar that sounded almost painful Jaarin glanced behind her then came to a grinding stop, spinning around in time to see Kurokitsunemon deleting the virus type having already dispatched of the other while she wasn't looking. "Kuro..kitsunemon."
"Head back to the cave and your friends...I'll retrieve the other two." The fox said stiffly before disappearing in front of her without another word. Nodding Jaarin started to cry relief as she placed kisses all over Mikey's face then took off running back the way they'd come, following the obvious mess the other digimon had made following her.
"He saved us, Jaarin." Mikey said with a wide smile as he grinned up at Jaarin, tears in his eyes too. "He did the right thing after all huh?"
"Yes he did." Jaarin said with a grin as she picked up speed. "And now he's going to help the others while we go and help our friends back at the cave."
)
Finding Calumon first Kurokitsunemon quickly dispatched the digimon to data hell and sent the useless little digimon back towards the cave while he went in search of Alice. Following his nose he soon found her in the forest, facing off against her two attackers with a stupid tree branch which she was waving at them threateningly. So very scary, Kurokitsunemon thought with a smirk as he hopped to another tree then jumping off that limb landed neatly between Alice and the other two digimon. "Starting the party without me? How very rude of you two idiots." Kurokitsunemon sneered, crouching in a defensive stance as he radiated extreme bad news vibes. "Someone needs to teach you two some manners it would seem."
"This has nothing to do with you, Digimon." The Skull Greymon roared out, unsure about this latest addition to the mix. He'd never seen this sort of digimon before and had no idea what sort of things to expect and watch out for. But it was obviously just a rookie, nothing they couldn't handle. Then again those other two digimon hadn't looked like much either and they'd deleted all but four of them.
"On the contrary, it does. And if you want near this human you're going to have to delete me first." Kurokitsunemon snarled, it's fur standing up threateningly. "And I should warn you that I'm a Kurokitsunemon and I'm twice as dangerous as the legends say we are. A Skull head like you doesn't scare me, Boney."
"And he's not alone either." Alice said as she moved to stand beside the fox, surprising the hell out of the digimon. "And we're going to kick your digital asses."
Having never fought along the side of anyone before Kurokitsunemon was both surprised and faintly touch by the demonstration. Instead of standing by and letting him take all the heat , do all the work she was standing there, offering her help. Not that he needed it of course but still...it was nice.
"Prepare for deletion." The Kokuwamon snarled as he and the Skull Greymon came at them with everything they had. Both aiming their strongest attacks at the digimon and the human things definitely didn't look good."
)
"Oh no you don't!" Calumon called out as he came running into the clearing having ignored Kurokitsunemon's orders to go to the cave. He had to protect Alice after all and he wasn't going to turn tail and run. The triangle on his forehead glowing Calumon gave out a war cry as he shot off some sort of rainbow beam that formed a rainbow bubble around Kurokitsunemon and Alice, hiding them from view. Looking at the swirling bubble of various colors Calumon had to clap his hands. "Wow it's so pretty!"
"Damn it!" The other two digimon growled since the bubble had absorbed their attacks somehow. Turning their rage towards the little white digimon responsible Calumon was soon running around in dizzying patterns to avoid being blown to data bits as he called out for someone to save him and quick!
"Stop right there!" Came an authoritative voice and all three of them turned their heads to watch the last of the bubble dissolve to reveal a single figure standing straight and tall with a wicked looking scythe in it's hand. Looking exactly like Sakuyamon in figure the armor was black instead of yellow with while in the place of other colors and the hair the same shining blonde as Alice's though this digimon's went down to her knees. In the digimon's hand the scythe gleamed deathly sharp and shiny in the sunlight. "Back away from Calumon!" The digimon ordered as it started forward, the voice sounding almost like two voices speaking at once.
"What the hell? Who are you? Where are the other two?" The Kokuwamon demanded to know as he felt a chill roll down his spine. This wasn't good.
)
"I am Devisakuyamon and I've come to pass judgment upon you two for the crimes you have committed against this world." The voice said as it pointed it's deadly weapon towards each of the two evil digimon. "For taking the lives of innocent and spreading throughout the Digital World I sentence you to deletion. Come forward to receive your punishment."
The two digimon forgetting about Calumon they stupidly charged the strange new digimon and were quickly deleted by it's scythe attack called "Passing Judgment." Their data dissolving on contact Devisakuyamon smiled slightly before walking over to Calumon who raced over to meet them.
"WOW, WOW! Alice? Kurokitsunemon? Is that you guys? Did you bio merge or something? Did my bubble horribly mutate you and you're hiding somewhere?" Calumon wanted to know as he looked at the digimon before him then all around in case Alice and the fox were nearby and he was wrong.
"It's us. Now lets get back to the cave and finish saving the day, huh?" Devisakuyamon said with a smile as it leaned down and picked up Calumon before sprouting large black wings that soon had them flying into the air and back the way they'd come.
)
Meanwhile
The battle fierce and consuming the air was full of particles, deleting data of those fallen or lost limbs. Never before had the Digital World seen such a large and consuming battle, a battle that would be retold for years to come by those who'd bore witness or been a part of it. Spurred on by the selfless gesture of the humans who'd come to fight the battle involved not just the humans and their digimon but hundreds of other digimon who came out of hiding to make this stand and drive the darkness out once and for all. Even the lowest on the evolution chain came out, ganging up on Champion levels and fighting till their data was completely gone. Type and ranking didn't matter in this battle of strength and courage, only heart. It was good against evil and no one was backing down. It wouldn't be over until the last on one side fell.
