Just something that came to me one day, while working on Tamers...
Digimon Digicross: Dancing in the LightA tale of the far, FAR future of the Digicross world
OP: Obsession (.hack/SIGN Opening)
It had started quietly, going almost unnoticed in wake of her disappearance. Parts of the Digital World would seem to fade out for a few seconds, then reappear, apparently none the worse for wear. Those who did notice, dismissed it. They had more important things to worry about.
Then, one day, it happened. About 3/4s of the Digital World were suddenly swallowed up by massive ebony shells. The older digidestined, believing they were control spires like they had faced before, went in.
Imperialdramon. Hikarumon. Dukemon. Both Valkyriemon. Every possible digimon team that went in was soundly defeated, the spheres simply absorbing every attack sent against them. And the enemies that came out...not quite digimon, not quite anything else, were only beaten by luck and overwhelming firepower.
So far, it was only the one digital world that was infected. But it was all to easy for this calamity to spread; the other digital worlds were temporarily sealed off, while the heroes of three worlds remained on the Pokemon world to figure out what to do.
Then the message came. Someone, claiming the title of 'Digimon Empress', claimed responsibility, and also claimed that this Digital World was hers and no one else's. Intruders would be destroyed. What was more shocking was the face of the speaker. She wore no mask or camouflage like Ken Ichijouji had, ages ago.
Digital World, Outside the Primary Village Dome"Are you sure about this, Natsume?"
Natsume glanced at her younger sister. "Yeah, I am Rika. She's in there, and I know that I can get through to her. Wish me luck."
"Luck? Sora's turned back -Dukemon-. In Crimson Mode. She's...I don't know if we can stop her. Besides," she added, face softening, "even if we do get through this, dad'll freak out. To say nothing of Uncle K."
Natsume smiled back. "Have you ever known an adult to be able to solve any major crisis?"
"Yeah, our parents!"
"I'll be fine. Tell mom and dad for me, alright? And tell...tell Aunt Ryoko I'll bring Sora back." Natsume stepped back. Glancing at the massive dome, hanging oppressively over what used to be Primary Village, she headed off for it, small digivice in hand.
"Good luck, sis." Rika Motomiya whispered, and took off, heading back to the lone digiport they had, with cousin Daichi Motomiya's expert help, established.
Five Minutes Later…The first monster came at Natsume quickly enough. Long, sickly green, and serpentine, it belched a cloud of acid at her, then dove in to finish her off.
Natsume smiled, digivice raised to her eye level. "Spirit Evolution...Wolfmon!" There was a bright flare of light, pushing acid cloud and draconoid back. When it cleared, Wolfmon stood there, saber already in hand. This Wolfmon was slightly different. She was shorter than the original, hair went a bit longer and was black, not blond.
Then Wolfmon was a blur, leaping onto the snout of the draconoid and stabbing her saber into its forehead, flinching as vile black ichor came out. The monster howled in pain, and fell, dead before it hit the ground. Wolfmon put her saber away, hopped off the corpse, and strode down the pathway.
Several dozen eyes popped open, and advanced on the hybrid. Inside Wolfmon's body, Natsume fought off a shudder. 'Uncle' Kouji would have probably double or even hyper- evolved to face these attackers. But what she, Rika, and Daichi had learned was that the monsters were able to feed off the waste energy released when a digimon digivolved. So evolving right now wasn't an appealing idea.
Besides, she only had the two light spirits for now. But she wasn't Kouji, this wasn't the same Wolfmon, and she had been practicing. Both sabers were drawn, and Wolfmon knelt, waiting for the advancing horde to get close enough...
Now.
"WILD HUNT!"
Inside the Dome: Control RoomSora Kamiya watched as the screen flared, then died. I'm glad, she told herself. "I'm glad she's dead. I just wish I had a chance to do it in person." She glanced around. All about, brainless minions moaned, waiting like robots for a command to fulfill.
No partner digimon. Nothing earth-shaking in that. The partner rate on the Pokemon world was sill about 1/3. Even the Human World had, after the initial burst, tapered off to about 80. Not through any personal failings, just random chance. She'd heard someone say that some people just didn't need partners, hey, look at your father.
Idiots.
No, it was something else that had made her take this path. And she had just seen the payback on the screen. Just before..
The.
White..
Flash...
of...LIGHT! Whirling, she ran to the control panel and smashed a button down. Alarms rang, and the assembled minions all lumbered off. Doors closed behind them, then secondary doors over those doors. In moments, the Empress was concealed in a small fortress at the center of the Dark Dome. "She'll never get through all that. They'll tear her apart and take her spirits from her."
"No they won't." Natsume walked out of the shadows. "Sora? Please, stop this."
Sora stood up, stunned. All her preparations, all her planning..."How? I would have known...the energy release..."
"Daichi figured it out. He couldn't stop the energy drain, but he could mask it so you couldn't see it."
"Hmph. He did take after his mother more." Sora completed the old joke. Daichi Motomiya, son of Takeru and Kate Motomiya, was, at the age of 14, already finishing high school and being courted by several universities. "So, now what? I suppose mom and dad come in, and make a big scene?"
"No. It's just you and me, Sora. Why?"
Sora stepped back. "You don't know? YOU of all people don't know?" Natsume stepped back, stunned by the venom in Sora's voice. "None of you have figured it out. Figures."
"No, we haven't! Why do all this? There's no point to it! What could all this-" Natsume waved her hands around the room they were in, "give you that we couldn't?"
"That." Sora replied, pointing at Natsume's D-Scanner. "Mom had the digiegg of light. Dad had the Spirits of light. What do I get? Darkness. Do you have any idea how disappointed they were in me? Only he understood..."
"Kouji?" Natsume gasped. "He wasn't! His brother carried the Darkness Spirits! They were both happy! Wait, you don't think that this was some generational thing, do you?" Then something occurred to her. "Wait...'he'? Who's 'he'?"
"Never you mind. My family's got light coming out of its freaking EARS, and I get the wrong spirit." She snarled. "And mom liked you more than me, anyway."
"That's stupid!" Natsume replied.
"SHUT UP! It ALL makes sense now! They must be DANCING IN THE STREETS, knowing that little Natsume Motomiya, darling of the digidestined, is off to slay the evil Sora Kamiy-"
SLAP! Natsume stepped back, having delivered a smack that could have jarred teeth loose. "That's what this is all about? Some prissy crybaby hissyfit?" Natsume was incredulous. "All that pain YOU caused, all the destruction...because you didn't get your own way?" She tried to continue, but stopped. Sora, face still red, was wrapped in a black miasma.
"You wouldn't understand." Sora said, voice barely a whisper. Then she shot forward, hands out like claws, and tried to grab Natsume. Startled, Natsume was knocked over, Sora's hands reaching for her throat, held back by Natsume's.
She was better with a sword, but Natsume was able to handle herself in unarmed fighting. Two knee strikes forced Sora to relent enough for Natsume to shove the Empress off of her. Giving into her own rage and frustration, Natsume jumped on Sora, intent on beating the girl unconscious and dragging her back home.
She didn't notice the black miasma grow more solid.
Sora felt the surge of power, got up, and charged Natsume, slamming the girl into the wall. "I'll kill you." she growled, pushing harder.
Roaring, Natsume brought her head up, and down on Sora's own forehead, dizzying both of the combatants. Recovering first, Natsume shoulder-checked Sora, then tackled her, sending her to the ground.
"Just QUIT IT!" Natsume shouted.
"NEVER!" Sora shrieked. She hurled Natsume off, then took her D-Scanner out. "If I have to be evil, then let me be the ultimate evil! Spirit Evolution...Duskmon!"
"Spirit Evolution...Wolfmon!" Light and Dark hybrids charged at each other, an unconscious mirror of the prior wielders' first meeting. A red blade swung low, but was blocked by a blade of pure light. A second saber swung high, but was dodged, Duskmon's body already wrapping itself in black miasma. Neither warrior said anything. No curses, insults, pleas, or attacks were uttered.
The two fought for several minutes, before Duskmon, unable to gain an advantage, suddenly rolled back. Finally, he called out a technique. "Hell's Shadow!" The room was blacked out.
"Wha-AHH!" Wolfmon cried, as one of Duskmon's blades found it's mark, tearing a gash between her shoulder blades. Another strike, then another, and another. Natsume, human again, fell to the ground, barely conscious.
"I guess..." Sora panted, "I should be glad you're here. Now we get to finish you off, with my own hands."
Dazed as she was, Natsume did catch the mixed tenses. "'We' get? Who...who did this to you."
"You did." As she spoke, a pair of Dark Wings appeared around her. (That wasn't a subtle hint. Really. I mean it! -ed). With a wild cry, the still digivolved human sprang forward, blood-red hands reaching for Natsume. She barely rolled out of the way, managing to force herself to her feet. Natsume staggered, trying to figure out how to stop Sora. "All of you...all of you did this to me. But that's okay. I'll just take this Digital World and go somewhere else. DIE NATSUME!"
"IRON REAVER!" An oversized scimitar blocked the dark energy blast. Natsume gasped as a blue and white digimon landed between her and Duskmon. "Young lady," Kogamon challenged, "it's time for you to grow up and come home." Natsume could hear the grin in the wolf digimon's voice. "Hey, Natsume. Daichi was worried, so he wanted me to check on you. Rika's still outside too." A pause. "Hey, you gonna let her in, or is she gonna have to go Jet Valkyriemon on the place?"
"So, the gang's all here?" Duskmon growled.
"Nahh. Evan got grounded last week, remember?" The grin vanished. "I mean it, Sora, come home. We'll undo whatever got done to you."
Duskmon's reply was with a Geist Sniper. The black energy beams shot out, aimed right for Kogamon's heart. There was a metallic clash. "Die!"
Kogamon's grin returned. "Y'know, I'm getting a little tired of these little hissy fits of yours, princess." Duskmon bristled. "I'm also getting tired of this thing here. BACKLASH WAVE!" he howled, sending the energy pulse right back at Duskmon. The Dark hybrid was thrown backwards, shimmered, and became Sora Kamiya again. "Too easy." Kogamon chuckled.
"I softened her up." Natsume growled. "Just because Daichi has that magic Onmyou Digivice of his..." The rest of her gripe was cut off as digicode exploded out of the wall Sora was knocked into. It flowed into Sora, lifting her off the ground. "What...what is that?"
"The accumulated power...of the Dark Domes...IS MINE NOW! DOUBLE SPIRIT EVOLUTION... GRAN REICHMON!" The A-Hybrid was massive, much larger than the Reichmon that the original Chosen Children had had to face. The large pike held in one hand was rimmed with black energy. With a primal scream, the hybrid brought the pike around, and slammed it into the ground.
Outside the domeOutside, Rika gasped as the center of the dome cracked, then split open, revealing Gran Reichmon, easily recognizable at this distance. Her D-Comm bleeped. "Daichi?"
"Rika! What's happening?" Daichi asked, face appearing on the small screen. "I just picked up a massive energy surge!"
"I think Sora mananged to Double Spirit Evolve. I'm going in, Kogamon and Natsume are outmatched!"
"Rika, wait-"
"Double Spirit Evolution...JET VALKYRIEMON!" With a roar of jet engines, the Wind Hybrid took off, shooting towards Gran Reichmon.
"Did you ever tell aunt Hitomi you could do that?" Daichi asked (Note: His aunt, not hers).
"Only honorary uncle Kenta knows, for now. I'll tell mom after this." Rika's voice answered. "Gotta go, busy."
Dome Ruins"Spirit Evolution...Garmmon!" Natsume's Beast form jumped off a pile of rubble; Gran Reichmon's attack had wrecked the place, and managed to knock out all of the creatures serving her. Digivolving wasn't really a major problem right now, then. A beam of light shot out of Garmmon's mouth and struck the lion's head emblem, with little effect. She winced as a loud CRACK echoed through the remains of the base. A piece of Gran Reichmon's ornamental 'wings' had been cut off, and landed by her.
Glancing up, she saw Jet Valkyriemon. Natsume had always envied her younger sister; Rika had claimed that she had gained a lot of her skills as a digidestined from her namesake. The elder Rika, for her part, did nothing to dispute the claim. Jet Valkyriemon waved, dodged a swing, and let off another Diamond Lance.
A bolt of light shot out of Garmmon's mouth, striking the massive Gran Reichmon. She then charged forward, using the wings to make several slashing attacks.
"ENOUGH!" Gran Reichmon scowled. Her arms came down; a shockwave, laced with several bolts of dark energy, exploded out of her, throwing the other two hybrids and Kogamon away. "It's time to end the Motomiya line."
"Sorry, Daichi's not here." Kogamon snarled, summoning all the power he could into his sword. "Iron Reaver!"
"FOOL!" Reichmon's spear came around, blocking the attack and sending it back.
"Double fool on You, Sora! BACKLASH WAVE!" Kogamon's sword reflected -that- attack. Exponentially stronger now, it tore the spear from Gran Reichmon's' grasp, snapping the weapon in two. He knelt, glowing and shrinking. "That...took all my power. It's up to you to finish this..." an exhausted Veemon said, staggering back. Garmmon laid down a withering hail of laser blasts to cover the digimon's retreat.
"It doesn't matter. I'm still stronger then the two of you are. We WILL destroy you!"
Jet Valkyriemon landed by Garmmon. "'I' or 'we'...MAKE A DECISION! Geez, you always were the wishy washy one!"
"That's it, make her mad." Garmmon sighed. She certainly got her namesake's wit, Natsume decided.
"SHUT UP! BLACK VORTEX!" A small tornado appeared, the narrow end stabbing at the two hybrids. Garmmon was caught, and thrown away. As she struggled up, Jet Valkyriemon landed in a heap beside her.
"So...what set her off?" the wind hybrid asked.
"Don't know...don't care. Slide Evolution...Wolfmon!" Wolfmon staggered a bit, and got up. "There. Being Garmmon...gahh, never feels right, y'know?" Jet Valkyriemon nodded. "Someday, you have to show me how to double spirit evolve. Assuming mom doesn't ground us both when she finds out."
"Umm...Natsume? She already knows."
"Huh...Daichi spilled everything again, didn't he?" Wolfmon groaned. In addition to being highly intelligent, Daichi was an even worse liar than Natsume and Rika's father. And Hiroki was pretty bad to begin with.
"Yeah. I kinda got here by promising to bring you back." Jet Valkyriemon shrugged. "It wasn't a lie. I just want to bring Sora back at the same time too." With that, she took off, flying right at the giant digimon. Wolfmon nodded, and started making her way to the fight, firing light blasts from her arm cannon every few seconds.
It went downhill quickly; Jet Valkyriemon was caught by one of Gran Reichmon's backhands, and was again knocked to the ground, this time losing her digivolution. Wolfmon tried to get to her, but was blocked by Gran Reichmon's attacks. Then a blast of darkness from the mouth on Gran Reichmon's chestplate sent Wolfmon to the ground, still digivolved but unable to move. The 'wings' on Gran Reichmon's back glowed, charging up for one final attack. There was an earsplitting howl, as energy from each of the prongs on the metal wings shot off, and streaked down towards Wolfmon.
"NATSUME!" Rika screamed. Horrified, she watched as the bolts tore into her sister, blinding her for a second.
"F...finally...i killed her.." Gran Reichmon said in a small voice. "i won...didn't i...?" (Note: the 'i' is deliberate. -ed) She stopped, seeing that the ball of light that had consumed Natsume was not dissipating. "No...no, it can't be!"
Out of the ball of energy, a heavily upgunned and armored Wolfmon shot out, double-bladed sword aimed right at Gran Reichmon's chest (If you've seen the Strike Rouge with the I.W.S.P. attachment from Gundam SeeD, that's what Strike Wolfmon looks like. Just add in the Sword Strike's sword. And it's silver, not pink. -ed).
"SORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Strike Wolfmon screamed, shooting right through the giant hybrid. She landed several yards away, and turned around.
Gran Reichmon staggered, a pit of swirling black filling where the hole was. Her form shimmered, vanished, and was replaced by the small, unconscious form of Sora Kamiya, tangle of black hair wafting in the wind. Strike Wolfmon smiled as she saw Rika evolve to Fairymon and gently lower the girl to the ground. Then she looked up, and saw the dark miasma.
It resolved into a large, gangly demon in black leather. Devimon snarled at Strike Wolfmon, ignoring Sora and Fairymon. "So close. That girl would have been my means of escape. No matter, though. I have absorbed enough of her power. She was so easy to lure to me...so disappointed over her not having those precious light toys you carry around."
"Why?" Strike Wolfmon demanded.
"Oh, I was aiming for that boy, the one my first killer is descended from, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers. Oh well. I'll just kill you three and take the Darkness, Light, and Wind spirits for myself." Fairymon's Brezza Petalo slammed into him. He ignored it, and pinned Fairymon to the ground with an outstretched hand. "Shut up."
Strike Wolfmon gasped. "You...you're the Devimon that the original digidestined faced...the one TK destroyed."
"Yes, but I got better. Now," he said, free hand gesturing and summoning dozens of Black Gears, "now I shall destroy you all! ATTACK!"
The light hybrid parried every Gear sent at her. They ignored Fairymon; Devimon decided that she wasn't a threat. That left-
Sora howled in pain as several Black Gears entered her. "Sora!" Strike Wolfmon called.
"She is mine. My PUPPET! Now rise and assist me!" Devimon watched as Sora got up, twitching uncontrollably as the Black Gears filled her with evil energy, attempting to corrupt her spirit.
"No."
Devimon stopped for a second, staring at Sora. "Wh...what?"
Sora stopped shaking, her body standing utterly still. She spoke, but IT wasn't really Sora; it was as if someone else had taken over for the girl. "I will no longer be your puppet, Devimon."
"You DARE-"
"You are a fool. You assume Darkness and Evil are the same thing. They aren't. Spirit Evolution...Shadow Zalemon!"
Strike Wolfmon blinked as Sora evolved. The new form was...well, it was Sora, dressed in black armor. There were a pair of massive blades clamped onto her arms, on a hinged mount just under the wrist. She looked a bit like Alita from those old Battle Angel graphic novels her great uncle Davis had. Sora had always liked those stories, Natsume remembered.
"This is impossible! You are filled with MY POWER! MY EVIL!"
"No. I am filled with darkness. Darkness is not evil. Evil just needs Darkness to look tough." The forearm blades swung forward, clicking into position. DONNER KUNST!" The black hybrid seemed to ripple out of sight, then reappeared, landing several painful slices on Devimon's arm, freeing Fairymon. Then she jumped on the arm, ran up it, hopped off, and slid down Devimon's chest, using her armblades as anchors. Devimon howled in agony as the skull emblem on his chest was shredded. "NOW" Shadow Zalemon called.
The jets on Strike Wolfmon's back lit up, and the light hybrid was carried up to Devimon's eye level. The sword split down the middle, the open area crackling with energy. The cannons on her shoulders and at her sides hummed as they gathered power. "Meteor...ASSAULT!" What followed was about ten seconds of blinding, deafening energy blasts as Strike Wolfmon poured every bit of energy she could spare at Devimon.
The assault ended, and all that was left was a small floating head. "You...you'll pay for this." Demi Devimon promised.
"Like HECK!" Jet Valkyriemon (Rika having double spirit evolved while Strike Wolfmon was playing 'SDF-1 Reflex Cannon' with Devimon -ed) cried, flying up and bisecting Demidevimon with her sword. Quickly spinning around, she then impaled the small demon on three Diamond Lances, cried 'Nibelung Valesti!" and finished him off with a massive rune-lance wings glowing white.
"AND DON'T COME BACK!"
Stone TownThe triangle-shaped portal glowed, and opened. Everyone watched as first Veemon, then Rika exited. "We got her." she said to the assembled crowd. The portal beeped and expanded, allowing Strike Wolfmon, carrying the unconscious body of Sora Kamiya out of the Digital World, D-Scanner resting on her stomach.
"Sora!" Ryoko cried, running forward and taking her daughter from Strike Wolfmon's arms. Kouji and Nichol, Sora's younger brother, ran just behind her, too scared to see what condition Sora was in.
"We saw what happened." Kyoko said to Strike Wolfmon. "That was...it was really the same Devimon?"
"Yes. Where's-"
"On his way. TK and Crystal aren't as young as they used to be. We aren't either, Natsume." She glanced at Daichi, holding an exhausted Veemon in his arms. "I think you took a few decades off your mother's life with that stunt."
"I should ground you." Hitomi said to Strike Wolfmon. "We said that you shouldn't go chasing off after Sora on your own."
"Mooooom." Strike Wolfmon groaned.
"Ahh...Natsume?" Hiroki Motomiya cut in. "Could you...you know...?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry." There was a flash of light, and Natsume Motomiya was standing there, looking worn out. Rika joined her. "I guess I finally did it."
"Yeah, congrats!" Rika said. "And that's an awesome digivolution."
"Ahem." Hitomi said to her two daughters.
"Dear." Hiroki said to his wife. "Really?"
Hitomi smiled "Fine. No digivolving for a week."
"Fine. I don't think I can THINK for a week."
1 Week laterThe domes had all vanished with Devimon's defeat. Natsume and Rika managed to get out of Kendo classes (Yohko Tachikawa being a much nicer teacher than Hiroki...) in order to visit Sora, resting at home. Ryoko and Kouji, still looking drawn, welcomed them in. Nichol was out at piano practice (his way of dealing with everything).
Natsume knocked. The door was open, so she and Rika entered.
"Come to gloat?"
"Nahh. We just wanted to see how you were doing." Rika said, cutting off Natsume's reply.
"I tried to kill you and destroy the digital world. How do you THINK I'm doing?"
Rika shrugged. "Pretty good, all considered. Look, we know it was all Devimon-"
"No. He was pushing, yeah, but...a part of me enjoyed it."
"So?" Natsume asked. "I've wanted to belt Rally."
"It's not. The. Same." Sora insisted. "I was enjoying it. I wanted..." she started sobbing. "I wanted...to kill you...and I...I..." Natsume and Rika held Sora while she cried.
After a few minutes, Natsume looked at Sora. "Let's get out of here."
"Huh?"
"Come on." Rika nodded, warming to the idea. She glanced at the computer in the corner of Sora's room. "I heard that the guys in the Frontier digital world are totally hot."
"But-"
"Relax." Rika added. "We'll be there if you go all evil and stuff."
"Oh? You're not staying to wait for Nichol?" Natsume asked.
"Shut up!" Rika replied, blushing.
Five minutes later, Ryoko opened the door to Sora's room. "Sora?" She glanced a the bed, seeing a note.
Mrs. Kamiya-
Took Sora to the Frontier Digital World to go boy-hunting. Back soon
Natsume and Rika.
PS: Tell Nichol that Rika said 'yes.'
Ryoko looked at the note, then at the active computer screen, and smiled.
(ED: 'Bye bye my Crisis' - BGC 8: Scoop Chase)
Digicross - Tales of The Digidestined
'Dancing in the light'
Starring:
Natsume Motomiya as Wolfmon/Garmmon/Strike Wolfmon
Rika Motomiya as Fairymon/Jet Valkyriemon
Sora Kamiya as Duskmon/Gran Reichmon/Shadow Zalemon
Veemon as Kogamon
Daichi Motomiya as the resident genius
Ryoko and Kouji Kamiya
Nichol Kamiya
Hitomi and Hiroki Motomiya
Written by: Patrick O'Shea
With Ideas and Inspiration from: Inu Yasha (Rumiko Takahashi), Gundam SeeD (Bandai), Battle Angel Alita (Yukito Kashira), .hack/SIGN (Bandai), Kyle Evanick, Pokemon (Satoshi Tajiri), Digimon (Bandai?) Magic Knights Rayearth (CLAMP), everyone on the Digicross Mailing list, and anyone who's ever said Nice Things (tm) about what I've written to date.
Kyle and June Motomiya were, regrettably, not present, they being on their nth honeymoon when it all happened. Kyle apologized profusely for this, and was promptly smacked in the head by June. He seems to enjoy it.
Ain't love grand?
