From the last chapter…
Ryo had hardly hit the ground when he rolled over and covered Rika, sheltering her from the hail of gravel and other small debris that came down from the roof. He took a moment to cough and catch his breath, registering that it was his bad leg that had given out. He stood up, and pulled Rika to her feet close behind him, his hand tightly gripping her wrist. "Done yet?" Ryo yelled, his voice slightly hoarse, more of his weight on his good leg.
Tueno disappeared from the rooftop. "Of course not, haven't you figured out which of you dies first?"
Ch.
17
Suzi's hair had long ago come out of its two traditional pigtails, and at the speed the five digimon were moving, the wind whipping through her hair felt refreshing, like she was alive for the first time in days. She leaned down enough to talk into one of Antylamon's ears. "Any guesses how much farther? Henry looks really, really worried."
Antylamon shook her head. "I don't know, I'm sorry Suzi."
Meiko, Henry, Terriermon and Calumon came up parallel to Anytlamon, Suzi and Bukomon, Meiko and Henry wearing two of the most serious expressions Suzi had seen throughout their entire adventure. "We're close." Henry called to the group, on top of Cyberdramon, Takato and Guilmon nodded.
Meiko turned her head just enough that she could talk to him. "That dark spore… you're somehow connected to Tueno and the dark digimon now, aren't you?"
Terriermon rested his head on his Tamers' shoulder, listening intently. "I think so, it would make sense." He shook his head. "I don't know how else it could be explained, Tueno just is nearby, and the Scubamon just need to be asked for information a certain way, that's all."
Meiko nodded grimly, letting the topic drop. In her lap, Calumon looked up. "Is everything gonna be ok Meiko-chan? Is everyone going to be alright?"
The Tamer bit her lip, trying to give herself time to think. Tanzamon glanced back at her, giving her the slightest little nod. Meiko smiled weakly, "of course Calumon, it'll all end right, somehow."
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Rika caught Tueno's movement out of the corner of her eye, a black shadow coming out of the trees right at them. "Ryo move!" She yelled, trying to warn him. He turned his back to the oncoming threat, wrapping Rika in his arms, putting himself between the threat and her. It wasn't an action that had been thought through, it was just a reaction. "No!"
Tueno's claws sliced cleanly through Ryo's side. It seemed to happen in slow motion, he screamed, arms at first tightening, then going slack around her waist, and he started to overbalance, falling forwards. The blood followed Tueno's path through the air, snaking out in a straight line behind him. Rika turned and caught Ryo under his arms before he hit the ground, her eyes wide in fear and shock. Ryo's cobalt eyes rolled up to look at her, his teeth grinding together to stop himself from crying out. His resolution didn't last very long.
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"Aaaaaiiiiih!"
Ryo's cry of pain stopped the envoy dead in its tracks. "Oh… oh no…" Kira whispered. As if the quiet sounds were a gunshot, the five digimon sprang to the right, traveling as fast as they physically could. Cyberdramon let out a roar of anger, announcing the group as they tore towards the park.
Renamon was only just quick enough to grab Rika under one arm and move before Tueno came back for her. Cyberdramon was right behind Renamon, hardly giving Takato and Guilmon time to jump off before he blew into Tueno like the creature wasn't even there. With a yelp of surprise he was shot backwards into the hideout, hitting the concrete back wall. As Tanzamon, Sierramon and Antylamon came flying around the bend there were cries of; 'Ryo!' 'Rika!' 'Are you guys alright?' and 'Where's Tueno!'
The Tamers leaped off and ran over to where Rika was, with Ryo. "Tanzamon! You and Sierramon try and look after whatever this other thing is! We're going to help Ryo and Rika!"
Tanzamon and Sierramon nodded curtly, bounding over the heads of the Tamers to join Renmon and Cyberdramon where they faced the opening of the hideout. From within came a guttural chuckle that made the hairs on the back of everyone's neck stand up. The small concrete room amplified the laugh, making it pour out of the door and fade away in the thick fog. "You think…" He laughed darkly, strolling out into the weak light. "You think that you can just say: "Go get it guys, go defeat the nasty Tueno." And I will go away? I will leave you 'Tamers' to continue your pleasant little game with your pets?"
A maniacs' smile was pasted on his face, the matte black fur making it look as if he were nothing but a pair of shiny black eyes in the open doorway. "You think you can just tell them to do something, and it will be done? Taken care of while you see to something more important?" Tueno's voice lowered dangerously, acquiring an edge to it. "That's the problem with you, all of you, every one of you that's ever had something to do with the digital world. You look at the Digimon Emperor and say he was wrong, you take one glance at those who faced you down and turn, smirking, saying that they were wrong." Tueno flickered away, fading into the darkness, disappearing into his fog. "I am here to tell you, Tamers, you who do not know the meaning behind what you call yourselves, that it is you who are wrong!"
Kira and Meiko exchanged a nervous glance at the mention of the Digimon Emperor, they'd seen the destruction he'd left in the digital world, and once watched as he'd dangled illusions of one boys' friends over a gaping canyon. It had been an experience neither of them had soon forgotten.
Ryo was bleeding heavily, creating a small pool of crimson beneath the cut. Little winces and whimpers of pain could be heard forcing their way out of him as Rika applied pressure with the sweater she'd borrowed from Takato, hoping furiously that the bleeding would die down. She ran her fingers across his forehead, wiping away a few beads of cold sweat that had appeared there. "Sh… it's ok Ryo, it's ok, it'll be alright."
Tueno sliced through the air by Renamon, leaving a thin, precise cut running across her cheek. "The fox is a domestic pooch." Next he flew between Tanzamon and Sierramon, neatly leaving three slashes apiece on their flanks. The pair let out aggravated hisses at the threat. "The tiger and the panther are pussy cats!" He snarled, whipped his tail sharply across Guilmons' nose, then danced into view a moment before whirling into Antylamon and Cyberdramon. "A bunny and a baby boogie-man!" Tueno sounded absolutely livid, slipping right through the centre of the group of Tamers and snatching up Calumon and Terriermon by their ears. "A hamster!" He cried, flinging Terriermon away, and then turning to Calumon. "Don't even get me started on you. You call yourself a digimon, but can you digivolve? Do you have a Tamer to serve? NO! You simply hold a power that they need!"
Antylamon struck before anyone could blink. "A bunny, Tueno?" She hissed, scaring even Suzi enough to grab her brothers' hand. "I was a Deva!" She snarled, he tried to dodge, and she struck him again, lightning fast. "Yet you dare to strut into the digital world, the real world," her foot snapped into his middle, "to merge them with another that would destroy them!" Antylamon gathered herself, for one more attack.
Tueno ducked under Antylamon's arm as it lashed out, slashing at her open mid-section, and delivering a nasty blow to her lower jaw, forcing her to de-digivolve into Lopmon. "You may have been a Deva, but you've gotten soft, you're domesticated." Cyberdramon turned and launched himself at Tueno with a roar of rage. Tueno quickly side-stepped him, shredding the flesh on his legs and then smashing into the larger digimon's forehead hard enough to make him de-digivolve him to Monodramon. "Like I said, a baby boogie-man."
Renamon didn't say a word, she just looked at Rika, who nodded. "Jeri." She said quietly, "look after Ryo for a minute, kay?" Jeri nodded, and Rika stood up, looking over at Kira, Meiko, Henry, Takato and finally at Calumon, still held in Tueno's claws. "I think we need to knock this thing on its ass." She stated coldly, eyes narrowed in loathing. The three other Tamers nodded, chancing glances at Ryo and Kenta, both lying on the cool pathway breathing shallowly.
Kira locked her pale hazel gaze with Rika's fierce violet one, fire smoldering in her eyes. "Let's knock this guy on his ass."
There wasn't any hesitation, D-arcs and digivices were raised in one hand, and all at once came the calls for digimon to step up to the next level.
"Renamon, biomerge!"
"Terriermon, biomerge!"
"Guilmon, biomerge!"
"Tanzamon, Armour digivolve!"
"Sierramon, Armour digivolve!"
Tanzamon raised herself onto her hind paws, the ribbons at her shoulder split, some twining around her arms to create brushed steal arm guards, the others flicking out to make a double set of feathered silver wings. A cross bow materialized into her waiting paws, and a quiver was made by the final strands of the ribbons, resting between the four wings. Vivemon grinned as a silver helmet fitted itself onto her head, it was good to be back.
Sierramon also pushed herself back onto her hind legs, a loose black Samurai's Gi appeared with a black belt that wrapped itself loosely around her hips, a sword and scabbard attached. The black spikes at her cheeks remained but the face armor flecked away. Samuramon smirked at Tueno, they stood the same height, perhaps a little taller then Renamon. Samuramon drew her katanna from its sheath with the faint ring of folded steel.
Sakuyamon and Megagargomon flanked Gallantmon, Samuramon crouched just ahead of their feet, Vivemon perched on Meagargomons' shoulder with an arrow knocked in her crossbow. The five looked very threatening in the pearly fog. Vivemon released her arrow with a shout, and the other four almost seemed to vanish they moved so fast, surrounding Tueno on all sides. Tueno snarled as he side-stepped the arrow and it buried its tip into the ground. "Do you think you can defeat me, Tamers! Do you seriously think that you stand a chance with four of your number down and out?"
Somewhere, farther off, Jeri fancied she could hear people shouting, running through the park. She shook her head and listened closer. No, if they were really there, the sounds were now being covered by the fighting. Calumon let out a squeak of terror and the noise of the battle froze. Tueno smirked, holding the little digimon up by one large ear with a set of three claws aimed at his face. "Still feel like fighting, or do you want to give up?"
Samuramon was directly behind Tueno, and so used this to her advantage. Without a sound she flew forwards, flipping with a twist over Tueno's head and bringing her katana down on his claws. The steal went through bone like a hot knife through butter, with the immediate threat to Calumon gone, she lunged, trying to pierce his stomach. She went right through him, as if he were a cloud. "What?"
Tueno laughed. "Surprised?" Samuramon's eyes widened in realization of what was about to happen. The strike was more then she'd expected, a single blow to her side that sent her through the forest, taking out trees as she went.
"Samuramon!" Kira cried.
Vivemon flinched, and Sakuyamon and Megagargomon glanced at one another. Gallantmon narrowed his eyes in frustration, Tueno seemed too small to have that much force behind a single blow; but then again, he had forced two other high-level digimon to de-digivolve with only a few blows. "I guess that leaves the four of you, doesn't it?" The three claws Samuramon had sliced off slipped out and lengthened, re-growing.
Kira dashed off into the forest, following the trail of broken trees to find Samuramon. Meiko watched as her friend vanished into the fog with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She gritted her teeth. "Hit him together! All at once if you can!"
There wasn't any discussion, Gallantmon, Sakuyamon, Megagargomon and Vivemon came at the sleek black creature from four different sides, hitting their target with such a force that a wave of displaced air washed back over Meiko, Ryo, Kenta, Jeri, Marineangemon and Monodramon. When the digimon sprang back to their chosen fighting stances, a cloud of dust and cement bits had risen, and they had to wait, tense and frozen like statues until it cleared.
"Hehehe," Came the soft sound of a chuckle, it became louder and louder until it echoed despite the fog. "Is that all you've got?" Tueno shrieked as the dust settled around him, smirking.
Jeri looked up from where she'd been knocked over, tears of frustration in her eyes. What do we have to do to beat this guy? The sounds of a group of people were more real now, it wasn't just something she'd imagined. "Here!" She yelled, staggering to her feet and turning around, trying to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from. "We're here! Over here!"
Tueno laughed shortly. "Who do you think is going to come? What do you think is going to happen to save you?" He threw his head back and almost laughed so hard he couldn't breathe. "Do you not understand, Tamer? There is nothing here."
Jeri ignored him, not even turning when he stopped to glare at her, boring holes in her back with his eyes. "We're here! We're here!" She was rewarded when a group of five adults came racing out of the trees. Meiko couldn't help but stare. "Kari? Dad?" She looked at the others. "Mr. Ichijouji… Mr. Ishida… Ms. Ishida…" She sat down in shock on the cracked pathway. "What… what's… ?" Tueno could only stare.
Kira came back through the path in the forest holding a small Nyaromon in her arms just as the five adults arrived. She locked eyes with Mr. Ishida. "What…?" Then she registered the other four, all of the adults were panting, as if they'd just run a great distance.
Jeri turned and faced Tueno, still penned in by Tanzamon, Sakuyamon and Megagargomon, a triumphant grin on her face, because with the five adults were five digimon. Meiko could only watch in astonishment as her aunt whipped out a D-3, just like Kira's and her own. "Gatomon, digivolve!"
"Gabumon, warp digivolve!"
"Augmon, warp digivolve!"
"Wormon, digivolve!"
"Biyomon, warp digivolve!"
Now Tueno looked a little wary, in a neat circle around him stood Gallantmon, Sakuyamon, Megagargomon, Vivemon, Angewoman, Metalgarurumon, Wargreymon, Stingmon and Garudamon. Calumon's eyes were wide as he took in the new digimon, "wow…" he whispered in awe.
"Vivemon," Angewoman said, her voice smooth and clear. "Notch and arrow." Vivemon didn't question the angel digimon, drawing an arrow that began to glow with a black aura as she knocked it in place. Angewoman drew her own arrow out of nothing, glowing a pale pink and white. Waiting for a moment until all of their energy was concentrated in the arrows, they released them at the same moment.
"Celestial Arrow!"
"Shadows' Fletching!"
The two arrows sliced through Tueno, he dropped Calumon with a light thump, and his eyes grew wide. There was a rush of wind, everyone covering their eyes to keep out the dust. When they peeked at the centre of the ring of digimon stood Tueno. Laughing. "You shoot me with your arrows, you attack me with your best, and it doesn't do anything!" He screamed. "I don't know how digidestined got through my sweep of this town, but you obviously can't defeat me!" Crazily, Tueno turned to Ken. "You can't face and defeat something you created, after all."
Kari's ruby-brown eyes, the same colour as Meiko's, turned to look at Ken Ichijouji. His face was partially hidden by his long black hair, but facial expressions weren't needed to express the shock. "Once an Emperor, always an Emperor." Tueno said in a sing-song voice.
Tai Yagami, Matt Ishida and Sora Ishida all turned to look at Ken, then Kari, confused. Tai was the first to disregard Tueno's taunting. "We'll figure out what he's talking about later, right now we need to get rid of it!" Angewoman smiled as she de-digivolved to a Nyaromon, and Vivemon's de-digivolved form, Kyukomon (small, round, black, with a little cats' tail) was caught by Meiko. Kari's Nyaromon smiled broadly. "Now attack him."
Gallantmon moved first, bringing his sword down where Tueno stood. The steal cleaved the path in two, but Tueno had moved. Garudamon and Metalgarurumon struck at his new location, creating a crater beside Guilmon's old hideout; Tueno disappeared. Stingmon launched a barrage of shots that fell just behind the black creature as he streaked down the path, Wargreymon waited for just a second and then brought his foot down where Tueno's next steps should have taken him; he scampered out of the way just in time.
"Enough of this mockery!" Sakuyamon snarled, she blindsided Tueno with her staff, the first true hit any of them had landed. Gallantmon moved in and sliced downwards with his sword, then let his momentum carry him forwards out of the way. Metalgarurumon passed Gallantmon going the other direction, smashing Tueno towards Garudamon. Garudamon balled her hand into a fist and reflected Tueno downwards with enough for to make a second small crater in the ground. Stingmon swooped in snagged the black creature off the group, trailing him high up into the air and then dropping him. Megaargomon took careful aim and blasted a bolt of energy at him, propelling him finally towards Wargreymon.
"Nova blast!" The ball of energy that Wargreymon deleted Tueno with was fantastic. On the ground, Tai could only stare. The blast went through Tueno, who began to fragment into pieces of data as he fell towards the ground. All that was left was a small, light-consuming black ball no larger then a marble. It fell to the grass in front of Kens' feet, not bouncing or moving as the wind settled.
Slowly, he bent down and picked it, letting it sit in his hand delicately, like some sort of miniature bomb. Dark hair in his face, he stared at it long and hard. "All of this happened… over a single spore…?"
Without warning, there was a rush of silent thunder and a wave almost seemed to run over the ground, separating the three worlds sharply and suddenly. The digidestined, Kira, and Meiko vanished. The Tamers were abruptly transported to the large Sakura tree in the middle of their school field, and the digimon fragmented into data, returning to the digital world.
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s/k: Alright, I lied, another chapter, and then the epilogue. Not that I think anyone's going to be horrendously disappointed with an extra chapter, but all the same. I know it was probably really confusing when part of the 02 gang came into the story, but Tueno is connected to Ken (read An Angels Wings), and Meiko is Tai's daughter (read Hidden in Plain Sight) so I couldn't very well just end it. Either way, another chapter is coming, then epilogue. R&R… please?
