Disclaimer: All digimon and Pullman elements are not mine. Everything else I claim.
neoKOS-MOS: Wow. I've been keeping my deadlines lately. Last one was done early, and this one I finished on time. Another action chapter here. Are there too many? Well, it'll taper off soon. Just have to set everything up right. Enjoy, and thanks for reading.
Fire and Ice
Davis found himself sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the textbook open before him. He was supposed to be doing his homework, but there were too many distractions running through his head. He couldn't concentrate. Maybe it was brain overload.
The boy sighed and shut his math book, shoving it lightly away from him. He crossed his arms over his notebook and set his head down. So much had happened in the past two days. Right in the middle of Randy's explanation, the ambassador's digivice had started beeping, and he'd run out of the room, saying there was an emergency he had to tend to. So that had left Davis and TK to finish the story. Everyone had agreed that they were excited about going, and then they had broken up to do what they needed to.
Davis heard a key hit the doorknob and glanced over to see who was home. The door opened and Jun stepped inside. She looked around the room and then closed it behind her.
"Is mom home?" She asked.
"No."
"Is dad?"
Davis shook his head.
"Good." The older girl seemed to relax and she flopped down on the sofa. "How about your freeloader friend?"
"Shut up, Jun." He said, throwing his pencil at her. "Ken's over at Yolei's doing his homework."
She laughed. "Sure he is. He's definitely doing something."
"Shut up, Jun." He said again. "Just because you're always in bed with Mark doesn't mean Ken and Yolei are the same way."
She sat up and grinned at him. "You're so naive, Dai."
Annoyed, the boy pushed himself away from the table and went to his room. She only laughed again. Demiveemon was asleep on his bed as he closed the door, and empty bag of white bread crumpled next to the little digimon. He had stolen it from the kitchen and eaten it all in one sitting.
Davis flopped down on the floor, on top of Ken's sleeping bag. He was tired and annoyed. Jun never stopped picking at him and his friends. She was always mean to Ken, and every time Rika came over, his sister was either hostile or gone. He loved her, but she made him irritable. But that was only heightened by the fact that he was anxious as well. Anxious to get back to the digital world and do some fighting. Over everything else, he wanted to see Rika, talk with her about everything. He sighed and closed his eyes.
A cold wind blew in through the open window, rustling the curtains. Davis curled up at the chill of it. It was late spring, and should have been warm out, but the city was going through a cold spell today, with a frost warning tonight. It was strange, because it had been warm in the morning, but had dropped off to a cool 40o F by lunch.
Davis grunted and pulled himself off the floor to shut the window. Then he pulled a black hooded sweatshirt out of his drawer. The brunette blinked at it and then grinned as he remembered that it was Rika's, the one she had given him after the fight with Fauvmon. He pulled it on and sat down on his bed, no longer caring if he woke up Demiveemon. Shoving the little cynodont aside, the boy laid down and closed his eyes. He slowly drifted off into a half-sleep, mind forming dreamlike sequences from any little noise that reached his ears.
Around an hour later, Davis woke up again, shivering. It was so cold, and he had to rub his eyes to open them, eyelashes having frozen shut. He sat up and wrapped his arms around himself, watching his breath condense as he exhaled. The boy glanced at the window, but it was closed, frosted over on the outside of the glass. Whatever was making the room so cold, it wasn't coming from out there. Demiveemon had curled up next to his partner, conserving heat as he slept. Davis shook the cynodont lightly and his big brown eyes opened, staring up at him sleepily. He jumped, startled.
"There's a digimon in here." The little creature whispered.
Jun screamed, terrified and startled. Davis leapt out of bed and ripped the door open. He ran into the living room and stopped at what he saw. The entire room had been iced over. All the furniture was crystallized and shining. Icicles hung down from the ceiling, scattering light from the overhead lamps. Snow seemed to appear inches from the ice, falling to rest in a chilling white carpet. The whole room was silent with cold, the temperature well below freezing. Dai's breath was thick and white as he gasped.
In the center of it all, stood a grey-white digimon. It's back was to him, and the tattered wings were all he could see besides bound feet. The boy swallowed as he recognized it. Icedevimon turned and smiled cruelly at him. In his arms, he held Jun, who was limp and unresponsive, hints of frost on her clothes and face. Her eyes were open, staring blankly.
"Let her go." The boy shouted, his voice echoing off the smooth icy walls.
The ice digimon laughed. "Two girls are important to you. Which will you choose?"
In a swirl of frozen air, the devil left the room, moving out the door and heading downstairs. Davis jumped forward to chase him, but slipped and fell on the ice covered floor. He landed on his face in the thin layer of snow still condensing out of the air. The boy picked himself up and slid over to the door. He headed down after Icedevimon, a death grip on the railing to keep himself from falling down the icy stairs. Reaching the bottom, he fumbled at the door, wondering how the ice digimon could have gotten outside without opening it.
"Dai, wait!" Demiveemon called from the top of the staircase, trying to get down.
"Hurry!" Davis responded, too much of his panic creeping into his voice.
The little cynodont swallowed and jumped down the stairs. Davis watched as he tumbled down the ice mountain, bashing his little head a few times. The digimon hit the ground and laid still. Davis scooped him up, hugging him.
"Are you okay."
One eye opened and Demiveemon smiled. "I'll be okay. Just run. I need to save my strength to fight him."
The boy pulled the door open and ran outside. He looked both ways down the sidewalk, and saw a streak of crystal ice spread over the right wall. Breaking into a run, he followed the frost path to the corner of the street. It was warm outside, compared to the frigid temperatures of his apartment. And there were people everywhere, all looking at him strangely for carrying a little blue digimon and running around in a panic. The boy elbowed his way through a throng of people and stood on the corner, looking desperately around for any sign of Icedevimon or his sister. Nothing.
"No." He whispered, helplessness passing through his mind.
"There, Dai." Demiveemon said, pointing one of his stubby arms at a lone icicle, which was angled to direct them down the street.
The boy swallowed and broke out into a run again. He raced three blocks before the scarce ice path changed directions again. A large swath of snowy frost swept in the direction of the subway. Heart beating loud in his throat, Davis stood at the top of the stairs leading down into the train station. He sucked in a deep breath. There was yellow tape stretched across the entrance, reading, 'Construction in Progress.' He lifted the tape and stepped under it, setting Demiveemon down on the first stair.
"You can't go down there, young man." A man in a business suit said.
Davis just ignored him, and followed his digimon into the depths of the station. There were icicles hanging from the ceiling of the staircase, and he eyed them suspiciously, hoping the sharp ice shards wouldn't fall and skewer him. Ice slicked over the railings and snow had coated the steps thickly, his footsteps crunching loudly. As he descended, his breath began condensing again.
Demiveemon reached the bottom first, and scurried over to the turnstiles. Dai's feet slipped as he stepped off the stairs onto the floor. Underneath the carpet of snow, there was now a thick sheet of ice. The turnstiles were iced over as well, their three arms glinting with the imperfections in the coating. He tried to push through one, but couldn't budge the machinery. The boy knelt down, getting his knees all wet from the slowly melting ice, and crawled underneath.
He skated over the icy undercoat of the snow-strewn floor, and came to the platform. Davis stared at the big bubbles of ice separating the train track from the main floor, leaving two tunnels for trains to pass through, but no space for them to drop people off. The temperature hit subzero again, and his wet knees made him shiver. The boy searched the room for any sign of Icedevimon. There were ice sheets and icicles everywhere, snow condensing in the air and fluttering to the ground.
With a whirlwind of sharp snowflakes, the ice digimon appeared in the center of the room, still holding Jun in his cruel arms. He turned and smiled that awful smile again, lips curling up enough to show his vampiric canines. Davis swallowed at the thought of those teeth sinking into his sister's neck.
"Let her go, Icedevimon!" He demanded, stepping forward through the three-inch layer of snow.
"Of course." The ice digimon answered horribly, eyes narrowed. "But you have to do something for me."
The boy stopped and stared him down. "I'll do nothing for you."
"It's simple." The devil said, paying no notice to his defiance. "Either you give me the seer, or this girl dies." One nailed hand hovered over Jun's throat, a finger dipping to caress her jugular vein.
Davis stiffened. He hesitated. "What seer? I don't know what you mean."
The winged creature laughed, catching the lie in his voice. "She has frequented this world many times, going to your house. You can't hide the fact that you know her, child."
The boy swallowed, never taking his eyes off that one hand. Again, a nail ran itself carefully along her neck. "I don't know where she is." He whispered.
"Lies. Your soul shows it."
A swirl of icy wind grew up next to him. Within it, he caught the hint of Roxelle's shape, invisible inside the pale white of the air.
"Perhaps I could take her, instead?" The digimon sneered.
"No!" Davis responded instantly, the thought of it making his heart wrench.
Icedevimon laughed. "The seer. She will not escape me again."
"I don't know where she is." He repeated, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. He was terrified. "She's not here."
The ice creature's eyes narrowed, and the one cold nail pressed harder on Jun's neck, springing up a trickle of blood.
"No!" Davis yelled, horrified. "I know where she is. She's in her own world. I'll take you there if you want. Just don't hurt Jun."
"She is not in her own world!" The devil snapped, wings shuttering at his rage.
"She's not?" Davis gasped, shocked and frightened at the same time.
The digimon growled and threw Jun like a rag doll. Her limp form hit the frosted ice wall and she slumped in the snow, ice growing up over her arms and legs to lock her in place. The evil white creature rushed forward and slashed Davis with his icy claw. He cried out and fell, blood leaking from three long cuts on his cheek.
"Dai!" Demiveemon yelled, jumping between the enemy and his partner.
Quickly, the little cynodont digivolved to rookie, and landed a headbutt smack into Icedevimon's stomach. The taller digimon recoiled, drifting backwards to get his breath. In that second, Davis activated his digivice, letting Flamedramon appear on the battlefield.
Now, matched in level and surpassed in element, the ice devil stared down his opponent. They stood still for a moment, the horrible silence of the room screaming out the tension. Then, a frozen claw clasped itself over an icicle, breaking it off. The shard streaked through the air, striking Flamedramon in the shoulder and shattering on his armor. The fire digimon crouched lower, but then sprung forward as Icedevimon rushed to attack him. A cruel slash of icy chill ripped across red armor, tearing horrible holes in it as cold made the metal brittle.
Davis pressed a hand to his bleeding face, watching the battle fearfully. Flamedramon was supposed to have the advantage. Why was his armor tearing?
The frozen creature dug his claws into his opponent's now bare shoulders, and threw him against the wall with a powerful crash. The ice tunnel groaned, hairline fractures forming around Flamedramon as the fire digimon slid to the ground. Instantly, ice shards began spearing up out of the frozen floor, cutting deep and poking through armor. The cynodont picked himself up out of the spikes and leapt at the enemy, firing blasts of flame through the air. Snow vaporized on contact, and the fire struck Icedevimon, burning his wings and forming black streaks across his pale skin..
Even more angry than before, the frost devil raised his arms and yelled. A rain of hail and snow condensed from the air, crashing down on Flamedramon, burying the digimon and immobilizing him. Frozen claws slashed through the snow and again ripped at the cynodont's body, armor peeling off in strands of twisted metal.
Davis stood. You have to digivolve again. He willed. You did it before.
"Daisuke." A voice called from behind him, deep tenor. "Tend to your sister."
The boy whirled and saw another digimon stepping down the stairs. He looked like a cougar, but was around the size of a tiger. His reddish fur was streaked through with crimson, and the tips of his ears were tufted blood red. Dark brown wings sprung from his shoulder blades, leathery and bat-like, and just large enough. A strap ran around his back, holding something in place between the wings. Mahogany eyes met his own in a glare as the cat digimon took another step down the stairs, steam rising from his feet as he melted a steady spot for his footing.
"Maumon?" The boy asked.
"Cougar, now." He replied, and leapt from the staircase to the floor, clouds of steam rising as he landed. "Go."
Davis turned and skated over to Jun's side. She blinked as he collapsed down next to her, glancing over.
"Dai, your face." She whispered hoarsely.
He touched the scratches again. "It's fine. Are you okay?"
"What happened?" She asked. "I can't remember." Her eyes closed again.
"Jun!"
"My legs and arms are numb." The older girl breathed. "And my head hurts."
He swallowed and looked at the solid ice encasing his sister's limbs. "I... Okay, hold still."
Taking his digivice, the boy bashed it down on the translucent crystal. Shavings of ice broke off, but nothing more happened. He tried a few more times, but gave up. Taking a deep helpless breath, he looked up too see what was going on in the battle. Cougarmon was crouched down on the far side of the cavern, glaring up at Icedevimon towering above him. Flamedramon was attempting to pull himself out of the snowdrift, making use of the distraction. Most of his armor had been torn off, and his cobalt skin was ripped in places, little bits of data evaporating out of the open wounds. Exhaustedly, the digimon pulled his arms out of the snow, and worked on his legs.
Cougarmon launched himself at the ice devil, his fiery hot paws searing pale skin. He sunk his teeth into Icedevimon's shoulder, yielding a scream. A grey-white hand clasped itself around the cat's head and tore him away, throwing him across the room. Neatly, the red digimon twisted himself and landed on his four feet, steam rising around his crimson body.
Rising awkwardly to stand on his two rear feet, the cougar braced himself and reached over his shoulder. The feline claw removed a bow from where it had been hidden between the two wings. He pulled back on the black weapon's bowstring as Icedevimon rushed forward to attack. A black arrow was loosed, the tip bursting into flames as it flew through the snow filled air. The shaft struck the ice digimon in the shoulder, and he tore it out, tossing it aside. Cougarmon leapt out of the way as a frozen slash clawed at him. On all fours again, he ran to the snow mountain and pulled Flamedramon out.
"Go help your friend." The cat ordered as he rose again to sink another arrow into his opponent.
The cynodont obeyed, still holding his armor form, despite the tatters the red metal was in. He knelt down exhaustedly next to Davis and looked at his partner. Then, without speaking, he held his arms above the ice encasing Jun's body. The claws trembled slightly, but slowly the ice began to melt away. As he finished, the cynodont fell back and returned to his in-training form.
"Jun, are you okay?" Davis asked as he helped her sit up.
The girl held her head and leaned against the slick wall. After a second, she nodded. Davis scooped up Demiveemon and looked back to the battle still going on.
Cougarmon once again stepped aside, just missing a direct attack by Icedevimon's wicked claws. He leapt forward and collided with the ice digimon, sending him sprawling on his back in the thick powdery snow. The cat jumped away, and turned back.
"Let's finish this." He growled, body starting to glow a dull red.
The devil raised his hands, not moving to get up, and a flood of ice and snow fell out of the air toward Cougarmon. The fire digimon raised his wings in a shield, and burned through the ice as it fell, leaving a gigantic cloud of steam to billow away. He was only visible through the fog by his reddish glow.
"Fire Tempest." He called, and another hail appeared in the air, this time directed over Icedevimon.
Lava-hot rocks struck the ice digimon, burning through his frigid body. Data dissolved away in the midst of steam as the rocks melted through the ice floor.
The cat relaxed and flapped his wings, blowing the mist away. He turned toward the two humans and trudged over. Those cold brown eyes swept over Davis and settled on Jun.
"Are you all right?" He asked, stepping forward to touch her hand with his nose.
The girl's eyes widened. "Digimon." She whispered fearfully.
"I just saved your life." The cougar told her, disgusted at her reaction. He looked over at Dai, the glare not lessening. "Come on."
The digimon turned to the exit. The boy scrambled up to follow, helping Jun to her wobbly feet. "Wait." He called, as he saw the cat already at the turnstiles.
Cougarmon stopped, resettling his wings as he waited impatiently for the two humans to catch up. Davis carefully maneuvered his sister over one of the ice covered turnstiles. On the other side, he started up the stairs, walking in the holes the cat digimon's feet had melted in the snow. The fire cougar leapt over the metal objects and ran up after the two of them. Outside, in plain sight of everyone, he stepped out onto the sidewalk. A woman screamed, and people ran from the roped-off subway entrance. Davis helped Jun under the yellow tape and looked down at Adara's digimon.
"Aren't you supposed to keep a low profile?" He asked.
The cat rolled his eyes. "What does it matter. Their world is going to be invaded soon enough.
"This is my world too." Davis said, a little offended. "Will they be okay?"
"Sure."
Cougarmon stepped forward, walking down the sidewalk. The gogglehead helped his sister after the digimon.
"He was looking for Rika." He called.
"Of course he was looking for Rika. Do you know how useful a seer would be to Hieldramon? He'd gain a lot of standing in his Master's eyes if he could deliver her to him."
"You knew about this?" Davis demanded, stepping up his pace to catch up with the cat. "Where is she?"
"She's safe. Don't worry. And your world and friends will be safe too, once we get you to MIRROR. Hieldramon won't send any more minions if he can't be guaranteed his seer."
Cougarmon turned into an alley and stopped. He waited for the humans to reach his spot.
"Cut into the transition world." He told Davis roughly. "129."
"I know." The boy muttered as he pulled out his digivice.
He plugged the number into the direction and the blue plasma knife erupted from the antenna. Slicing a hole in the air, the boy went back to help his sister through. Cougarmon leapt onto the blue energy platform and sat watching Davis as he sealed the window back up again.
"Dai, what is this place?" Jun asked in horrified wonder as she stood, legs finally thawed out enough to stand on her own.
"Long story." He told her as the train pulled up in a rush of misty wind.
neoKOS-MOS: So, we got nowhere, but it was fun. Next chapter something will actually happen. I thought I had to get Jun back in there, since she was such an important story element last time. And I'm sorry, but I couldn't work in my other MIRROR member. She didn't fit anywhere. Next time.
Dark Qiviut: Glad you thought it was interesting. I was hoping Sky wouldn't scare anyone off. I'm a big sci-fi fan, but I know everyone isn't. He's not all that strange. We hear about another of the villains here. One more.
Thanks for reading, and please review.