Reprise of the Spirits
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Frontier, or any Digimon series for that matter. The only character that I own in this story is Orimoto Yougo.
WARNING: This fanfic, on a whole, contains scenes of violence and gore, in addition to some mild coarse language. It has been rated 'T', even if this particular chapter lacks violence of any sort.
IV.
.o0o.
They were in a hospital room.
Junpei sighed as he looked out of the sixth story hospital window. A large group of news reporters were gathered outside the hospital, just barely being held back by the hospital's security guards. He turned around and leaned against the window, looking over at an unconscious Izumi who was lying in the hospital bed. The blond-haired girl was hooked up to a heart monitor and an I.V. tube. Her mother was seated at her side. She was avoiding looking at Junpei. Patamon was seated on another chair and was looking at Izumi.
Patamon had been avoiding the attention of the hospital staff that occasionally came to check on Izumi by pretending to be a stuffed doll. Of course, this was only after Junpei had actually gotten the concept across to the small child digimon. He also seemed to be able to tell when someone was coming into the room, long before the other occupants had realized it. As it was, he seemed almost as worried about Izumi as Yougo happened to be.
"Junpei," Yougo said, not turning her head to look at him. "Do you know what happened to my daughter earlier today?"
Junpei froze, not knowing how he was supposed to answer that question.
Yougo took his hesitation as a positive answer. "Is there anyone else who has that same 'talent'?" she asked.
'She'll see through any lie that I tell her,' Junpei thought. As it was, there wasn't any reason why he couldn't tell her the truth. Besides, it wasn't like she wouldn't believe what he would tell her. "Yes. I know Kouichi could still Spirit Evolve, although back when it was only him, we could have possibly labeled it as a fluke." He paused. "But with Izumi still having the ability, it puts things in a different perspective."
"You and your friends..." Yougo trailed off. "...can do that as well?"
"Yes," Junpei answered honestly. After all, there shouldn't be any reason why he and the others couldn't Spirit Evolve again. Izumi and Kouichi already had. As far as Junpei was concerned, it was only a matter of time.
"Do you know what those Angels are after?" Yougo asked, her eyes going over go look at Patamon as she said this. The small digimon shuddered under her gaze.
"I don't have any clue what the angel digimon are after," Junpei said. "Plus they have at least one non-angel ally." He paused. "Angemon was trying to kill Kouichi. But I wasn't around long enough to figure out what Pidmon was after."
"He was after me," Patamon commented from the side.
Junpei looked over to the child digimon.
"I escaped from him back when he was chasing after me, Plotmon, and Lopmon in the Digital World," the small digimon stated somberly.
Junpei was confused by this dark tone, as the Patamon he remembered was infinitely more cheerful. Then again, he wasn't used to Patamon being this mature either. Junpei assumed that the time difference between the two worlds accounted for that difference. "It's been a while since we've seen you," he commented.
"One year," Patamon added to the statement, which caused Junpei to freeze for a second. Then he moved across the room, taking a glance at Izumi's unconscious form before he headed to the door.
"Where are you going?" Yougo asked. She was still looking at Izumi.
"I have a few phone calls to make," Junpei answered, before he left the room.
Izumi moaned.
.o0o.
Hikari was sitting on her throne, a weary look etched on her face. 'The children of the dragon grow restless,' She mused, and brought her hand to her face. 'They'll attack Earth soon, attempting to get rid of us, not knowing that we are still in the Digital World. They'll attack those other chosen thinking that they are allied with me.'
"Why did you have to die, Oniisan?" Hikari asked weakly. "You were a better leader than I could ever hope to be," She sighed, before she took her hand off of her face.
'Just look at what my leadership has done to Takeru,' She thought. 'He's become far too overzealous, taking out innocent bystanders in order to reach his goal. And yet I need him on my side. But what caused him to become like that?' Hikari paused in her thoughts. 'Darkness and Light must never be allowed to work together. Lucemon was proof of that. But those chosen still...'
Kouji and Kouichi suddenly came to her mind. She scowled. 'I once thought like those fools, that Darkness and Light could co-exist and fight alongside each other, but after what Black War Greymon did to Taichi...'
Hikari sighed, wondering how she was going to be able to finish what was started.
.o0o.
Kouji frowned as he and his brother watched the news reports, especially once Pidmon defeated Fairymon. Kouji turned his head, and saw that Kouichi was sitting on a chair, already dressed as if he were actually going to be allowed to leave. His necklace with the Symbol of Darkness was visible, except that the metal was now obsidian instead of its original gray color.
"Izumi's already has been admitted to this hospital," Kouichi said suddenly.
Kouji's eyes widened. "How do you know that?" he asked.
Kouichi just shrugged. "For some reason, I can tell that she's here," the older boy answered.
Kouji tried moving to get a better look at his brother's eyes, but a sudden shock of pain stopped him.
Kouichi didn't even bother to ask if Kouji was all right as the younger of the two gasped out in pain.
.o0o.
"I don't believe this!" Takuya shouted into his cell phone. He was currently in his room, and he was pacing around.
"It's true," Junpei's voice said over the 'line'. "I take it you saw the news. Not only that, but there seems to be a legion of reporters hounding the hospital. I'm not sure that you or Tomoki will be able to get in."
Takuya thrust his fist into one of the walls, rage coming to the surface. Takuya didn't feel any pain, but his fist failed to go through the wall. "The entire city's going to know about Izumi's transformation by tomorrow. And what is Katou-san going to do when she sees that?"
"We aren't mind readers, Takuya," Junpei began, "we can only hope that Katou-san's friendship with Izumi can survive this. I mean this is a pretty big secret that she'll feel that Izumi kept from her..."
"Even if she didn't know if she could still do that until today," Takuya finished grimly. "And what about our parents? They could try to stop all of us from spending time with Izumi. You know how overprotective Kouji's father is. Not to mention Tomoki's parents."
"You and I both know that no one can stop any of us from doing anything that we really want to," Junpei said. "In any case, what are we going to do now?"
"I don't know! Why are the angel digimon attacking us? Why are they attacking Patamon?" Takuya asked. "Didn't we save their world?" Takuya shouted.
"I'm just trying to give you an update here!" Junpei shouted. Takuya took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Junpei. It's just so frustrating," the leader of the chosen said.
"I know," the elder of the chosen answered. "But at the very least we should have Izumi's mother on our side."
Takuya blinked. "Do you really think that?"
"Yes," Junpei answered. "I already told her that we should have the same ability that Izumi does. I don't think that she'll try to keep Izumi away, especially in times like this."
"Why did you tell her that?" Takuya asked. He heard Junpei sigh over the phone.
"She was there," Junpei commented. "She saw Izumi Spirit Evolve. And to add to that, she's the one that killed Pidmon."
"The news didn't mention anything about that," Takuya said, somewhat surprised.
"The reporters were probably focusing more on the girl who turned into a creature that battled the angel and to comment on the fact that Izumi lost the fight," Junpei remarked dryly.
Takuya's eyes narrowed in anger. "Once I find out who's behind this invasion, that bastard's dead," the boy remarked angrily.
"Listen, Takuya, getting angry isn't going to help us right now," Junpei said, trying to calm his friend down.
Takuya took another deep breath.
"Do you think you can go get Tomoki?" Junpei asked.
"Yeah," Takuya answered. "I'll pick him up and get to the hospital. I just hope I'll be able to get through those reporters."
"There's a back entrance to the hospital." Junpei supplied. "You might want to go through there."
"Thanks," Takuya answered. "See you in a bit." And with that, the brown-haired chosen turned off his cell phone and walked out of his room.
Shinya moved out from behind the corner, a frown on his face as he headed towards his brother's room. He was about to pass it when he glanced in and froze.
There was a scorch mark the shape of a fist in the center of Takuya's wall.
.o0o.
Tomoki walked out of his room, and headed towards the front door of the Himi apartment.
"Where do you think you're going, Tomoki?" his mother's voice asked from the kitchen table. Tomoki turned, and saw both of his parents sitting there.
"I'm going to visit my friends," Tomoki answered flatly, like the answer that he gave was obvious. Which it should have been, as the Himi's knew that Kouichi and Kouji were in the hospital.
"Tomoki..." Mr. Himi began. Tomoki looked over at him in a mix of confusion and annoyance. "We think that it's best if you didn't hang around with Izumi or the others anymore." Tomoki's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" The young boy shouted.
"You saw the news. Izumi turned into that...thing?" Mrs. Himi said the last word with disgust. Tomoki's eyes narrowed.
'How can she possibly speak about my friend like that?' Tomoki thought in rage.
"Besides, we know that Kouji and Kouichi were injured during that mall attack." Mr. Himi added. "We just think that they're a danger to you."
Tomoki glared at his father. "Don't say another word."
Mr. Himi froze at the way that his son said that sentence. It sounded so cold...completely unlike his son. He didn't understand it.
"Do not speak to your father that way!" Mrs. Himi shouted.
"So I can't be disrespectful to someone who's showing disrespect and outright hatred to my friends?" Tomoki asked, still speaking coldly. "You're telling me to stay away from my best friends. How did you expect me to react?"
"They aren't safe!" Mrs. Himi shouted, getting out of her seat. "Izumi's a freak. She turned into that monster!" Tomoki turned around.
"You're calling Izumi a monster?" Tomoki asked. "You have no idea what the six of us have been through. You expect me to abandon her because she still has that ability." Tomoki shook his head, before whispering something. He then opened the door and exited through it.
Mr. and Mrs. Himi just stared at the space where their son had just occupied. To say that they were confused by the out-of-character behavior of their son was an understatement. But that wasn't what had them completely confused. What did was what their son had whispered.
He had said, "If Izumi is a monster, then what does that make me?"
.o0o.
As soon as Tomoki made it out the house he started running, tears going down his face. That was by far the hardest thing that he had ever done, but at the same time was something that he needed to do. 'I can't stay with them. If that's how they think, then I'll just run. I can't abandon my friends, especially after everything that happened in the Digital World.' Tomoki thought. 'I saw Kouichi die for Buddha's sake!'
After running across the city block, Tomoki paused to catch his breath. He moved his arm to wipe the tears from his eyes, scowling as he did so.
"Tomoki?" Takuya's voice asked weakly from behind him. It almost sounded like he was hyperventilating. Tomoki turned and shook his head, not believing that he heard Takuya right. After all, why would Takuya be hyperventilating? When Tomoki looked at the older chosen, he was shocked to find Takuya hunched over, breathing heavily. "Why were you running away?" the older chosen asked, still gathering his breath.
"Mom and Dad wanted me to stop being friends with you and the others," Tomoki answered. "Mom also called Izumi a freak and a monster." Tomoki then turned around and headed towards the hospital. Takuya walked up to him, as he had finally caught his breath.
"You're kidding me," Takuya stated. Tomoki shook his head. There were many things that Takuya could think to voice about his young friend's parents, but chose not to mention any of them, for obvious reasons.
"I don't think I can stand to stay with them for a while," Tomoki said. "After what they said, I'm not sure if I could control myself around them."
Takuya had nothing that he could say that would possibly make Tomoki feel better.
.o0o.
Meanwhile, in a park away from most people, a rift emerged out of the air, and six bi-pedal humanoid dragons emerged from it. The rift then closed after the last dragon emerged. These dragons stood three meters tall, and had armor decorated with a flame motif on their head, chest, elbows, knees, feet and hands. A large spike went through the center of the forehead covered with the helmet. These dragons also possessed blue skin.
These were Fladramon. One of the Fladramon addressed the rest of his companions.
"You two go attack Ancient Greymon's and Ancient Megatheriumon's successors." The 'lead' Fladramon said, while pointing at two of the group. "We will deal with the rest." With that the group separated, two digimon headed towards Takuya and Tomoki, and the other four headed towards the hospital that housed the rest of the chosen.
To be continued....o0o.