The Final Battle (Chapter Five)

Disclaimer:  If I owned Digimon, this fic would have been season 3.

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A/N:  I have decided to cut this chapter short because otherwise it was going to wind up in excess of eighty pages in MS word.  There is nothing particularly shocking in this chapter though.  I'll save that for the next one.

Oh and Tk293, could you elaborate a bit more on why you felt the writing was childish at times.  I'll try to work on it.  And yeah, this has mostly been a character fic so far.  I am deliberately taking a slower pace with it though.  The plot will pick up considerably in the next chapter.

And now, the story:

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            His mom had taken him to an ornament shop when he had been younger.  There, amidst various trinkets he had discovered something extraordinary.  It had been a small city encased in a glass dome.  Reaching out, he had tried to pick it up so that he might be able to touch something so wondrous.  In typical fashion though, he had fumbled and the globe had dropped and shattered on the cold stone floor.  It had been his first lesson that things of beauty were often fragile.  That lesson was far from his mind though because at the moment, he was looking at a city much like the one he'd seen in that shop.  The only thing though was that this one was quite a bit larger and was floating on an ocean.  From outside the dome that encased it, he could see very little of the city but some inner sense told him that it was a great technological marvel.

            Focus shifting suddenly, he observed a small spar of land nearby the floating city.  On the land stood three men and he grew puzzled because all three were dressed in ancient clothes.  One of the men was dressed in light armor, a steel breastplate covering his upper body.  A sword was sheathed at his hip.  He looked like a samurai but none like Daisuke had ever seen in the old books; across from him stood two other men.  One was wearing a toga while the other was draped in heavy white robes with a hood covering his head.

            Suddenly, there was a rush of sound, and where before he had existed in a noiseless void, now he could hear what was being said.

            "Are you sure this is the only way?"  The hooded figure questioned in a grave voice.  "We will isolate ourselves from so much.  Is there no other way Sho?"

            The man in the light armor shook his head.  "I'm afraid not.  There has been so much death and destruction.  Something has to survive these troubled times.  You must wait and watch and emerge when the time is right.  The world will need you one day."

            There was a sharp thunderclap; the sky seeming to reverberate from the sound.  Sho glanced up, his expression betraying his concern.

            "He is coming," he said, looking at the two men.  "You had best get back to the city and make your preparations."

            The two men bowed and took their leave.  He watched as a small hole opened at the base of the city and the two jumped inside.  The city began to drift away from the small island and then began to sink into the waves.  Meanwhile, on the island, Sho walked over to a large boulder and leaned against it.  Whistling, he pulled out the sword at his hip and began to sharpen it.  There was another thunderclap overhead and then suddenly a white shaft of light appeared a little way away from him.  It lengthened and then widened and a stern looking white haired man steeped through.  This one was dressed in a black coat and pants.  There was a sword at his hip as well.

            "They are all dead?"  Sho questioned, straightening.

            The white haired man turned impassively towards him.  "Yes," he nodded.  "You are the last."  He glanced at the city sinking slowly into the sea.  "I see the Atlanteans have made their choice.  Regrettable!  I could have used them.  Still," he raised his hand, "I have a solution that will keep them out of the way."  There was a flash of light and a sound so loud it made the thunderclaps of before pale in comparison.  When it passed, the city had vanished.

            "What have you done?"  Sho spoke angrily, all traces of his calm demeanor gone.

            The white haired man gazed at him disinterestedly from behind emerald green eyes.  "Calm yourself.  I have not destroyed your little city.  It is merely being held in a place until I decide what to do with it.  I do not want any interference with my plans."

            "Your plans are madness."

            "No," still the same calm tone, "yours was the true madness, thinking that we could continue on as we were.  Sacrifices had to be made and not one of you had the stomach for them."  He drew his sword.  "Because of who we were, I will make this quick."

            "Why?"  Sho asked, raising his own sword.  "Why did you let despair cloud your heart."

            "You would ask a question you know the answer to?"  There was a tone of grim humor coloring the man's voice now.  "Your last moments could be better spent."

            "I did not mean to betray you."

            "What is done, is done.  You will now reap the consequences of your decision."

            "There is such a thing as too high a price."  He felt a sense of shifting, of different tactics being employed.  However, he could see that it wouldn't work.  The other man was too focused on his task.

            "I will proceed as I have planned.  The Guardians have fallen into line and the Aal have vowed not to interfere.  I have the Valeru's trust and once I kill you, I'll have enough power to thrust a knife into his back."

            "And you are willing to cripple an entire planet to achieve this goal?  Countless millions will die."

            "They would have died either way.  Only, with your plans, the blood would be on the Valeru's hands."  The white haired man smiled grimly.  "You never did like blood on your hands, Sho.  I was the one that killed for you and your great dream."

            "How can you say that?  Don't you feel anything for all those that will die?"

            "It is not my concern.  The strong survive and the weak perish.  It has been that way since the beginning."  He turned sideways, holding his sword in an old fighting stance.  "Now, if we're done..."

            The fight was short and brutal.  In the end, the white haired man stood over the dying form of Sho.

            "Promise... me," Sho gasped, blood flowing from a wound in his side and staining the ground crimson.  "Promise me that you'll save her."

            "A wasted promise, it is to save her that I'm doing all this."  With that, he plunged his sword into the other man's heart.

            There was red then, a storm of rose petals that obscured the dream.  He could faintly hear a woman crying out somewhere, 'Sho,' and then even more softly that it was barely an echo in his ears, 'Setsuna.'  The voice and the images faded leaving him in darkness.

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            Daisuke opened his eyes and blinked.  The steady sound of beeping drew his head sideways.  He observed a small monitor beside his bed showing what he perceived to be his heart rate.  Looking down at himself he noticed that he was completely naked except for his boxers.  He wondered with some grim humor whether they had been clean before returning to his observations.  There were various tubes hooked up to his body and he noticed that he was not bio-merged with Veemon anymore.  Metal restraints ringed his arms and legs and kept him bolted to the flat metal surface he was lying on.  A further look was spared to study his surroundings.  The room around him was stark, almost bare except for a few other machines whose purpose he could not divine.

            There was a slight hissing sound somewhere behind him.  He craned his neck but couldn't see anything except for the really white ceiling.  A sudden twinge shot up his spine as he extended himself a bit too much.  Gasping from the pain, he relaxed back into the bed.  There was a sound of rapid footsteps and then he was looking into the greenest pair of eyes he had ever seen.

            "Careful," a feminine voice addressed him; "you're not fully healed just yet."

            Daisuke blinked and the eyes receded, revealing long raven black hair that fell in waves around the woman's shoulder.  She was dressed in white robes, the likes of which he had seen in his dreams.  The hood was pulled back.  Blinking, he noticed that her skin color was a light brown.  She was the wrong color to be wearing Druid robes.  And then he wondered how he had known the name of what she was wearing.  For that matter, what was a Druid?

            He tried to speak, to question where he was but his voice came out as a dull croak.  The woman turned away and moments later, he heard the sound of running water.  She was beside him soon enough, slipping a hand underneath his neck and tilting his head up.  A cup of water was raised to his lips.

            "Small sips," she cautioned.  Nodding, he sipped cautiously, the water soothing his parched throat.

            "Who are you and where am I?  He asked after he had finished drinking.

            "My name is Isis."  She answered, turning away to put the cup back.  "And you're in Atlantis."

            Daisuke blinked and then chuckled softly.  "Well, I suppose if the Kyoto legends were true, this shouldn't really surprise me.  How long have I been out?"

            "Nearly two weeks."

            "Now that," Daisuke said frowning, "does surprise me.  Why am I tied up and where is my partner Veemon?"

            Isis stepped back into his line of sight.  "The restraints were to keep you from hurting yourself."  She moved out of his sight again.  "We mean you no harm."  The restraints around his arms and legs snapped open.  Before Daisuke could rise, she was beside him once more, a firm hand pushing him back down.  "Hold on a moment there."  Carefully, she removed the various tubes connected to his body.  "You're going to need to take it easy for a while.  As for your partner, he is being held under my protection.  Atlantis, unfortunately, has strict rules regarding Digimon."

            "I see."  Daisuke said, sitting up with a grimace.  "I will need some clothes and then I will need to pick up Veemon.  We need to get back to Ellum as soon as possible."

            "That may not be possible at the moment."  Isis responded in a regretful tone.

            Daisuke studied her for a bit.  Now that he was sitting up he could see that the woman held herself with a poise that was more accustomed to someone of authority then a simple nurse or doctor.  What had she said?  Veemon was being held under her protection.  It certainly seemed to fit.  There was some bigger game being played here.

            "Politics?"  He questioned softly.

            Isis smiled.  "What makes you say that?"

            "A great many things," Daisuke replied, framing his face with a familiar grin.  "Now then, why did you save me if you won't let me leave?"

            "Do we need to have a reason?"

            "Everybody has a reason.  Some just don't acknowledge it."  Daisuke tentatively put one foot on the floor and then the other.  Straightening to his feet, he said, "However, I am content to follow along for now.  Your reasons will become clear over time."

            "Very good Daisuke Motomiya."  Isis said, smile widening into a grin.  "You've managed to curb that impulsiveness you used to have."

            Daisuke almost grinned.  She was trying to provoke a reaction from him.  He wasn't that easy though.  Running all over Ellum, trying to keep various factions in line had taught him the value of keeping a straight face.  "Been watching us that long have you."  He could play this game too, was actually very proficient at it.

            "Very good, you didn't react.  I want that exact performance when you meet the others."  Isis turned and walked towards the only door in the room.  She stepped outside and then returned moments later with a matching set of robes for him.  "Put these on.  I will explain while you do."  She turned her back to him.

            Daisuke looked down at the robes as she passed them to him.  There was an outfit much like the one he'd been wearing when he was attacked along with them.  He grinned inwardly.  So, they did wear regular clothing under there.  He donned the clothes quickly and then slipped the white robe over his head.  While he did, he listened to Isis explain about his current situation.

            "Atlantis is made up of many races.  However, there are only two particular ideals that all these races cling to.  These ideals have split this city in two ever since we first came here.  One side wants to make our presence known to the world above and the other wants to bide their time and not interfere."

            "Where do you come in?"  Daisuke questioned after he had finished dressing.  "I can't imagine why I was saved when one faction obviously does not want to meddle in the affairs of the outside world."

            "Actually, saving you was the first thing both factions have agreed on in quite a long while."  A wry tone entered her voice.  "I thought progress was finally being made but the fools just want to sit around and prattle on and on, discussing when we should reveal our presence.  Letting you go would reveal our presence but keeping you here, against your will, is not an option either.  It is a dilemma."

            "Why did they agree to save me?"  Daisuke asked in a puzzled tone.  "In the grand scheme of things, I'm not that important."

            "That is where you're wrong, Daisuke."  Isis replied mysteriously.  "Now come along.  All things will become clear over time."

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            "All things will become clear over time."  Daisuke muttered darkly to himself, pacing in the small room.  He had spent the past two days confined inside the room.  Of the facility he was in, he had seen very little.  The woman, Isis, had led him through one ubiquitous hallway after another, finally depositing him inside the small room and then taking her leave.  He had tried to leave but there were guards outside his door who had been instructed to make him stay.  All in all, this wasn't the best way of garnering his trust.

            He had briefly considered trying to sneak out but had given up on that idea the minute he'd come up with it.  Takeru, Ken and Iori were the team's stealth specialists and he doubted even they could do something in a situation like this.  No, for the moment he was stuck.  The next move belonged to Isis and she was taking her damned time getting to it. 

            Daisuke stopped his pacing and sat down on a small bed at the back of the room.  Once again, he found himself looking around at his surroundings.  There wasn't much to study really.  He had a small door to the side that led to the bathroom.  In the main room itself, there was nothing but the bed and four stark, empty walls.  It looked almost like a cell but the bed was actually pretty comfortable.

            Sighing, Daisuke leaned back on the bed, wondering about his friends.  Why hadn't the other Chosen come to find him yet?  Any of the telepaths could have picked up on the ward they had left in his mind.  It would be easy to trace him back to this location, unless they believed him dead?  However, they still would have come for his body.  What was going on up there?

            He was almost asleep when in typical fashion, the door opened.  Isis stepped into the room hurriedly.  "Get up," she ordered authoritatively.  "It's time."

            Daisuke sat up, blinking his eyes.  "What time?"

            "Time for you to meet our Assembly."  She kneeled down, looking into his eyes.  "This is a very important meeting.  I want you to convince them as best you can that we have to join the efforts of the other Chosen topside.  It is also your only way of getting out of here."

            Daisuke stared down at her then yawned.  "I'll do my best."  He almost enjoyed the mild look of irritation that flashed across her face.

            She rose to her feet.  "Come with me then." 

            Rubbing his eyes, Daisuke followed along behind her.  The two guards that had been stationed outside his door fell in step behind him.  He glanced back in amusement at them then turned back to Isis.  As he was led through one hallway, he saw an open window.  He glanced out while passing it and caught a glimpse of the city outside.  The first thing he saw was the rooftops of many a building.  The second thing that attracted his attention was the huge dome that covered the city and the sea that lay beyond it.  And then, he was past the window.

            The scenery bore thinking about though.  For one, it reminded him of the dream he'd had.  Obviously, there was some deeper connection there.  It was also going to be his one likely ace in the hole.  Information was always important and already he was thinking of ways to use what he'd learned.  He became so caught up in his thoughts though that he didn't notice Isis stop in front of him until he'd already bumped into her.

            "Sorry," he mumbled apologetically, tossing her his famous, 'make women swoon,' grin.  She just looked at him with a faint look of irritation he remembered gracing Hikari's face when he'd used that particular grin.

            "This way," she motioned towards an open door, teeth seemingly grating together.

            Following along behind her, Daisuke stepped into the room.  Inside, all was dark except for a column of light in the center of the room.  Daisuke blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the gloom.  There were shadows shifting in the room, which he took to be other Atlanteans.

            "Step into the light," Isis whispered quietly while moving sideways and disappearing into the darkness.  Taking a deep breath, Daisuke walked up to the column of light and stepped inside.  Immediately, three other columns lit up in front of him.  He kept himself still though, seeming to casually observe.  It was obvious that they wanted a reaction but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

            "Motomiya, Daisuke."  The voice came from behind him but he didn't turn around.  Instead, he cocked his head to one side.  "Do you know why you're here?"  This time the voice came from his side.

            "I have a pretty good idea," Daisuke responded slowly.  "Why don't we just get past all this and I'll give you my word that I won't reveal the location of this city.  In the greater scheme of things, you really aren't that important anyway."

            There was a small silence after he had spoken.  And then, "What guarantee do we have that you will keep your word?"

            "You have none," Daisuke retorted bluntly, "except for my word.  It is up to you whether that will be good enough or not."

            "It isn't."  This time there was no pause between replies.  "You have seen a small fraction of the technology we possess.  We need assurances that you won't come back in hopes of trying to exploit us."

            "Why would we bother?"  Daisuke questioned lightly.  "We've gotten along well without you.  The Dark Ocean forces have been contained on each continent.  We will not force people into this war.  However, remaining neutral is not a luxury anybody is afforded.  You will have to pick a side sooner or later."

            "Kroy seems to have survived well in its neutrality."

            Daisuke closed his eyes.  Kroy!  It was always Kroy.  That accursed city was always the first example to be used against them.  "Kroy is walking a fine line," he said, keeping his voice firm.  "There will come a day when they will come to regret their neutrality.  In all my experience with the Dark Ocean, I know how treacherous they can be." 

The excuse sounded hollow, even to his own ears.  However, it garnered a reaction that he had not expected.  There was a slight murmur that swept through the room.  Daisuke stood still, assuming a relaxed posture.  Something was up here and he had a feeling that it was crucial to his own fate.

            "Do you know," yet another voice questioned, "that Kroy fell not two days ago.  The reports aren't clear but Cain was killed."

            Daisuke's eyes widened but he quickly got his reaction under control.  'Was this what Taichi had been planning,' he wondered to himself.  It seemed almost too ghastly to be believable but then again, Tai had always wanted to remove Cain somehow.  With Takeru back, the possibility might finally have presented itself. 

            "I did not know that," Daisuke said quietly.  "Do you know who was responsible for his murder?"

            Another strange voice answered him this time.  "Like we said, the reports aren't clear.  All we know is that Corwin was killed.  So far, it is looking like the work of the Dark Ocean as Taichi Yagami was called in to restore order to the city by its remaining defenders."  There was a slight pause.  "You knew nothing of this?"

            Daisuke shook his head.  "I had no idea."

            "And yet you stand there undisturbed by this news."

            "Why would I be disturbed?"  Daisuke said casually.  The truth was that the news was distressing but he could not let them know his suspicions.  "We have been saying all along that Cain was treading dangerous territory.  This just proves that we were right."

            "Does it?  How do we know that this wasn't your doing?"

            "Why would we go after Cain now and not before?"

            "You've never had an assassin like Takeru Ishida at your disposal before."

            "Is that supposed to mean anything?"  Daisuke scoffed.  "You might have a case if Cain was the only exception but we have dealt with men like him on every single continent.  Men that thought neutrality was their best course and in every single case, they were attacked by the Dark Ocean and came to us for help.  Cain was the lone exception and it seems we were right in thinking that he was only kept alive to serve some ulterior purpose.  His death is actually a sign of failure for us because we could not divine the purpose they had in mind for him."

            "What was the purpose of your current summit?"

            "That is classified information."  Daisuke replied with a shake of his head.  "I am sure you understand the value of confidentiality especially in our situation."

            "Was the assassination of Cain one of the things you discussed?"

            "No," Daisuke responded, keeping his voice firm.  Takeru had changed and Hikari in particular would never have let him go through with something like this.

            "Why did you give up leadership?"

            Keeping his expression under control, Daisuke considered his options once again.  He couldn't afford to get defensive and he had a feeling that they were pushing him towards that very reaction.  Truth would be his best ally here and if these people had been watching them as long as he thought they had, they would already know his reasons.

            "I gave up leadership because my best friend was taken due to a lapse of judgment on my part." 

            The memory of that day was still vivid in his mind.  He had rushed in blindly, dragging Ken along with him and had nearly gotten both of them killed.  In the end, Daemon had taken Ken but there had been one moment.  One moment where Imperial-Dramon had sworn he could take a clean shot.  However, Daisuke had frozen, unable to make a decision that could potentially prove fatal for his best friend.  The moment had passed and Daemon had made off with Ken. 

            Forcing himself back to the present, he said, "I did not want the responsibility anymore and judged Hikari as the best person on the team for my replacement."

            "And you've never looked back?"

            "No, I have not."

            "Not even during the destruction of Primary Village?"

            Daisuke's thoughts raced.  There was no way they could know of that argument, it had been behind closed doors.  At best, they had to be guessing.  Still, his only recourse seemed to be to tell the truth.  They had done a pretty good job of limiting his options so far.

            "Primary Village's sacrifice was a necessary evil."  The words sounded as hollow to him now as they had years ago.  "Sumeragi had taken Takeru and we were running out of time.  Primary Village was set up as a decoy by us to attract his forces."  He had opposed the plan and had even argued rather vocally with Hikari over it.  An entirely different side of her he had never seen before had shown itself to him that day.  It seemed inconceivable that she could be so cold and ruthless and it had genuinely shocked him.  In the end, the original team had outvoted him, Iori, Ken and Miyako and Primary Village had burned.  So many baby Digimon had been deleted that day.  Some prices were just too high to be paid.  That thought brought back the memory of the dream he had, had.  So far he had done nothing but answer questions.  It was time he started to make them a little unsure of themselves.  Turning within the beam of light, he glanced at the hooded figures gathered around him.

            "If the purpose of this exercise is to judge whether I am a threat to you or not, we are getting a bit off track.  Or," he glanced around again, "have you already made up your mind and want to know whether you've made the right decision."  Silence answered him and he continued.  "We are not perfect and over the years we have made mistakes but our intentions have always been good.  This world and its inhabitants were divided until we came forward and organized them into a force capable of driving back the darkness.  And through it all, we have never pressured anybody into joining this war.  It is a tactical mistake but it shows that we value free will even if it sets us back sometimes.  We will fight for this world and its people, alone if we have to, but if we fail, the future will be a great deal darker for those that survive."  He looked around again.  "And if you are still not convinced, think back to what Sho Shinjo said right before it sank beneath the waves.  I believe it was something about coming forward when the time was right."

            There was a visible stir as he said the last sentence.  A murmur of voices filled the room before the shock was quickly controlled and the room lapsed into silence again.

            "How did you know that?"  Despite the impassive tone, Daisuke could detect an underlying hint of tension.  "Was it Isis?  Did she..."

            "Olybrius..."  Another voice snapped effectively stopping the man from continuing.  Silence engulfed the room again.  Daisuke waited patiently, keeping his expression neutral.  A few moments later, the beams of light illuminating the robed figures began to shut off one by one until the only source of light left in the room was the one he was standing under.  Shortly after the last light vanished, Isis appeared by his side.

            "Come with me," she motioned, turning away.  Daisuke followed her out of the room. 

            "So, how did I do?"  He asked as they walked back to his quarters.

            Isis frowned, glancing back at him.  "How did you know what the founder of this city was called?  And how did you know about his last words to the Assembly?"

            "I... I had a dream," Daisuke replied hesitantly.   He wasn't sure how much he wanted to give away just yet but he felt that he could trust this woman.  "Our group is no stranger to such things, especially the telepaths."

            "What did you see?"  Isis questioned, stopping in the middle of the hallway they were walking down.

            "Two men fighting.  One of them killed the other and then I woke up.  Since then, I have known some things that I technically should not know."  He studied the robes Isis was wearing.  "For instance, when I first saw you I thought to myself that someone with your skin color is of the wrong nationality to be wearing Druidic robes."

            The frown on Isis's face reappeared.  Then, without another word, she turned and resumed walking.  When they got to his quarters, she held open the door and ushered him inside.  "Stay here and do not try to leave."  

            "Wait, I want to see..."  He got no further as she closed the door in his face.  "... Veemon."  He finished softly.  The dismissal irritated him.  Here he had done everything she asked him to do and he was dismissed like an old footstool.  For that matter, where the hell were the others.  It was past time one of the telepaths contacted him.  Unless they had gotten Ken too, but that didn't make any sense.  For one, if he and Ken had been late, their Chancellor in Ellum would have contacted one of the telepaths.  The end result would have been the same so why hadn't anybody tried to contact him yet?  What the hell was going on up there?

            Daisuke walked over to his bed and sat down Indian style.  There was one last trick he had at his disposal.  If the telepaths were somehow unable to contact him, he would have to try and reach them himself.  While he did not have any telepathic ability, what he did have was two wards in his mind constructed by Hikari.  One of the wards worked as a homing beacon but the other allowed him to send a burst of energy across the thoughtscape.  According to Hikari, it was the telepathic version of a distress beacon.  If he activated it, she, Sora or Mimi would be sure to pick it up.  The downside was that anything or anybody else on the thoughtscape would home in on the signal as well.  If there were still dark digimon up there, they might have someone capable of sensing the signal.  He briefly considered not using the beacon but then put the thought out of his mind.  Things were coming to a head, up above and he needed to be among the group.  Furthermore, there was the matter of the traitor among them and he had suspicions of who that traitor could be.

            Closing his eyes, he tried to attain inner focus like Hikari had taught him to do.  As always, it came hard to him.  His mind could not have been called organized under the loosest sense of the term.  Battling the chaotic swirl of his thoughts, he managed to quiet them until he had achieved complete silence.  Then, reaching inwards, he brought forth one particular memory.  It was an old memory from back when he was eleven years old and the ward lay entwined within it.

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FLASHBACK

            Daisuke Motomiya stepped into the small ice cream parlor, supremely pissed off.  Where did that boy crazy, wild haired, obsessive compulsive girl he had the displeasure of calling a sister get off ordering him around.  There he had been, sitting in his room listening to his favorite CD and she had barged into his room and ordered him out of the house because she had a date and didn't want her 'dorky little brother' disrupting it like he had done with the last one.  It hadn't even been his fault last time.  Her date had been a prick that deserved getting a jug of water upended over his head.  However, because of that incident, his mother had sided with Jun over him and now here he was with an entire Saturday afternoon and nothing to do.

            The parlor was practically deserted except for two other kids who looked to be his age sitting at a booth in the far corner.  The girl among the two had short brown hair with two bangs that framed her face heightening her pixie like features.  She was actually quite pretty, which was probably why he couldn't stop his eyes from roving over her form.  He gazed down from her white tanktop to the blue colored skirt she was wearing.  Her legs were crossed under the table.  With a slight blush, he quickly averted his gaze.  The last thing he wanted was to be labeled a pervert.  Trying to take his mind off the girl, he focused on the boy.  All he could see of him was a garish fisherman hat and a few strands of yellow hair peeking out from underneath.  Either the guy was one of those kids that dyed their hair to look like some cartoon character or yellow was his natural color.  He suspected it was the former and not the latter since he had never actually seen anybody whose hair was that color.

            The girl suddenly burst out into laughter, no doubt at something the boy had said.  Strangely irritated by the sight, he turned towards the empty counter and rang the bell for service.  Moments later, the attendant appeared from wherever he'd been hiding in the back of the store.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a fistful of yen, deposited them on the counter and ordered a double chocolate sundae.  He was spending the last bit of his money but he thought he might as well make good use of this unintended day.  It was just such a shame that soccer practice didn't begin until next week.  The attendant finished his sundae, deposited on the counter, took his money and then disappeared into the back of the parlor.  As he was turning around, somebody bumped into him, causing him to drop his sundae.  Thankfully, the bowl was plastic and didn't break.  Unfortunately, his sundae ended up decorating the floor of the parlor.

            "Whoops, sorry," he heard a male voice chuckle apologetically.  "Here, I'll pay for the sundae."

            Looking down at the spilled sundae, his temper exploded.  He looked up into the apologetic face of the blonde boy he had seen.  The kid towered over his 5'2 frame which was irritating in itself.  In instances like this, the calm, polite Japanese thing to do would have been to accept the apology but he wasn't feeling culturally compliant at the moment.

            "You... you idiot," he hissed.  It wasn't the best insult but he was too enraged to come up with some scathing commentary at the moment.  And then, he launched a punch at the blonde haired kid.  The guy managed to twist aside though and the punch only ended up clipping his shoulder.  However, it did send him stumbling back a few steps.

            "Whoa, hey, take it easy."  The kid exclaimed, putting up his hands.

            Growling, he fired off another punch.  There was a slight blur of air to his side and then the punch stopped in his tracks.  He looked into a pair of ruby eyes.  It was the girl, standing in front of him and she had his fist in her hand.

            "Err, uh oh."  The guy stepped back, shooting Daisuke an apologetic smile.  "You'll wish you'd been more reasonable in a few minutes."

            "I apologize for my friend," the girl said, keeping her grip on his fist.  "He can be clumsy sometimes.  Please accept his apology and let him pay for the sundae."

            On any other day he would have accepted the apology but today was different.  The smug grin on the boy's face wasn't helping either.  It all combined to make him even angrier and he tried to push past the girl to get at the guy.  She did something with his hand and suddenly he was on his knees hoping she didn't exert anymore pressure.

            "Ok, let me be perfectly clear," the girl continued, her tone markedly more menacing then it had been moments before.  "Accept the apology or else."

            He brought up his other hand, trying to pry loose from her grip but she quickly grabbed that hand as well.  Gritting his teeth, he blocked the pain as she bent both of his hands back.  There was a frown on her face as she stared down at him.  He met her eyes and made himself do one of the hardest things he had ever done up to that point in his life, he smiled.  The frown on the girl's face deepened and the pressure on his wrists increased.  He kept the smile though, fighting back the pain.

            There was a low whistle.  "Man, he's as stubborn as you, Hikari."

            "Give it a little more time."

            "No, I think that will be enough."  The boy stepped forward, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.  "Let him go.  This was my fault after all."

            The girl glanced back over her shoulder.  "He overreacted and you apologized.  I don't take kindly to people trying to hurt my friends."

            Something strangely intimate seemed to pass between the two as they gazed at each other.  The pressure on his wrists slackened as the girl suddenly let go.  Bending down, the guy shoved a fistful of yen at him.

            "I really am sorry." The boy said sounding sincerely apologetic.  "Although you should be glad she let you go that easily."

            "Come on Takeru," the girl spoke, her voice impatient.  "You still owe me a birthday present."

            The boy rose to his feet, sighing.  "You're not going to be content until you make me spend my last yen, are you?"

            "Serves you right," the girl responded.  "I've never missed any of your birthdays."

            "It wasn't my fault."

            "Excuses, excuses."

            "Pushy little tomboy."

            "What was that?"

            "Umm, nothing."

            "You are so going to pay for that, Takaishi."

            Playfully bickering, the two walked towards the parlor door.  With a slight flourish, the boy opened the door for the girl and the shop bell rang.  The scene froze, the ward activating itself.

END FLASHBACK

______________________________

            Daisuke opened his eyes, feeling the psychic energy release and dissipate.  Sighing, he flopped back on the bed, a fond smile touching his lips.  Gods, he'd been rash and impulsive back then.  He'd met Takeru and Hikari again next week at soccer practice.  They had been there along with Yamato to watch Taichi instruct the younger kids on the fine points of soccer.  Afterwards, when school had started, he had found himself in the same class group as them.  His infatuation with Hikari had started around that time.

            The problem, in his eyes, had always been how comfortable the two had been around each other.  In a way, it was understandable.  They had been friends since the age of five and had always been there for one another.  Their adventures in the Digital World were also a big consideration.  It was understandable but also maddening.  How was anybody else supposed to compete with all that, especially when most times she only seemed to have eyes for one boy.  He had tried though in his own rash, impulsive way.  The memories of those times still made him wince.  He had been such a fool calling her 'his girl.'  The only thing that had ever earned him had been numerous cuffs over the head.  Takeru had thought it hilarious but above all, he had not cared which was even worse in some ways.  He had really envied the golden haired boy's relationship with Hikari at that time.  In the end, he had just stepped aside and stopped pursuing the girl, writing his crush off as puppy love.  It had felt like he was opening his eyes.  He didn't need Yagami, Hikari when he had his friends, family and Veemon.  That feeling of content with his own life had allowed him to resist Vamdemon and save his friends.  Afterwards, things had seemed to settle down until the day Takeru's family had been murdered.  She had lost Takeru that day but he had not pursued her.  He was content with being her friend and even her confidante at times.  However, fate wasn't done screwing around with him yet.

            Hikari and Takeru had fought and she had fallen into a deep depression.  He had never seen her look so defeated.  The proud, strong girl had disappeared, leaving a shadow in her place.  He had tried to help her and it had led to sex.  It had been a stupid and idiotic move on his part and he should never have let it go that far but all he had been concerned with at the moment was that his dream was coming true.  A rather selfish thought to have but he didn't care.  The mistake he had made had been confusing comfort with love.  She had been hurt and had latched onto him and for a long time afterwards, he had thought she loved him. 

            They had begun dating after that first night they'd had sex.  A little bit of her light had come back then and he had started to hope that one day she could love him too.  However, something always stopped her from saying those three little words in all the time they had been together.  He still had hope though; it could still work.  And then, Takeru had walked back into their lives.  Ironic, how the Chosen bearer of hope had taken his away from him.

            When they had returned from whatever trial Gennai had decided to put them through, he noted with a pained heart that the sorrow in her eyes had almost disappeared.  It seemed Takeru had accomplished in two days something Daisuke had been unable to accomplish in nearly two years.  He had broken it off with Hikari shortly afterwards.  It was painfully obvious that she was still in love with him and he was not content playing the number two man in her life.  In that regard, he would never be content.

            Daisuke drew in a shuddering breath.  Funny, how after all this time, it could still affect him like this.  The truth though was that he'd had a much harder time forgetting Yagami, Hikari the second time.  He never should have allowed himself to hope or for her to get that close to him.  Still, he had buried her once and he would do so again.  There really was no other choice.  They were back together now and Hikari wasn't about to let him get away from her again.

            There was a rush of air as the door to his room opened.  A man stepped into the room.  Daisuke recognized him as one of the guards posted outside his door.

            "Praetor Isis would like to speak to you."  The guard intoned tonelessly.  "Come with me."

            With a sigh, Daisuke got up and followed along after the guard.  There really was nothing else he could do at the moment.

______________________________

INTERLUDE

            'Another day, another building constructed.'  Gennai thought to himself as he climbed the spiral staircase of the newly constructed north tower.  The repairs to Sanctuary were proceeding according to schedule.  At the current rate, everything would be up and running in another three months' time.  The only problem was that he wasn't sure whether they had that much time.  Events had begun to pick up in the world outside and all signs pointed to a final confrontation looming at the horizon.  And, on top of that there were other concerns such as the newly arrived request from Taichi Yagami.

            A traitor within the ranks of the Chosen was a very serious matter.  He would have to dispatch some of his better spies to keep an eye on all of the Chosen.  That they had their suspicions was all fine and good but he wasn't about to take any chances.  His own plans had been proceeding for seven hundred years and now was not the time for them to be derailed.  So entrenched was he in his own thoughts that he did not notice the slightly glazed look in the eyes of the two guards outside his office door.

            "The greater the darkness, the stronger the light."  A soft, low feminine voice said as he stepped into his office.  Pausing, he observed the cloaked and hooded figure standing in front of his desk.  Her back was to him.  "Was that not what you said to me long ago?"

            Gennai closed his eyes, thinking back to a scared little girl sitting across from him with no clue as to the fate that awaited her.  "It seems you have let that sentence define your life."  He replied slowly, closing the door behind him.

            The hooded figure shrugged.  "All things considered, it was inspirational."

            Gennai frowned, crossing over to his desk and sitting down.  "This is a surprising visit.  My compliments on sneaking past our guards; although for one of your abilities, it would have been child's play.  So, to what do I owe a visit from the Chosen Bearer of Light?"

            Hikari Yagami flipped back the hood of the cloak she was wearing.  "How much do you know of what is going on outside Sanctuary?"

            "If you are talking about the return of the Ishida brother's, I am well aware of that development."

            "Good," Hikari replied, taking a seat.  "I am here on behalf of Takeru.  What do you know of the man calling himself Yamato Ishida?"

            "Well, well," Gennai said quirking an eyebrow, "does young Takeru distrust him?"

            "Let us just say that he has his reasons to doubt the man's identity."

            "He should not."  Gennai sighed, leaning back in his chair.  "Tell me, how much do you know of the man?"

            "As much as everybody else in the group.  He told us that you harvested his memories and implanted them into Takeru while the Elders built him a body."

            "All true," Gennai responded with a nod.  "What more do you need to know?"

            The girl in front of him smiled but it did not reach her eyes.  "What reason would these Elders have in removing Takeru from their cause?  What threat does he pose to them?"

            Gennai kept his expression guarded although he was quite alarmed.  This was an unexpected development and it threatened his plans.  What had changed among the Elders?  They had been content to watch from the sidelines thus far so why the sudden interest in lowly mortal affairs?  Something had them scared.

            "Well?"  Hikari questioned impatiently.

            "I don't know anything considering that particular development."  It wasn't the complete truth; he had his suspicions.  Judging by the stony look on the Child of Light's face, she had not bought the half-truth.

            "Let me be perfectly clear, old man," she said quietly.  "I will not allow him to become a pawn in another one of you games.  And if necessary, I will see you and your order destroyed."

            "We are not your enemies."

            "If you try to use him, I won't make any distinction."

            And that was that apparently.  The child really had no comprehension of her own fate.  However, she wielded enough power to make his life difficult.  He needed to seek consultation.  After the Bearer of Light had departed, he waited a few minutes and then spoke into the empty room.  "Did she detect you?"

            Towards one corner of the room, the air seemed to swirl together assuming the form of an Angel Digimon.  "I do not think so," Angemon said in reply to Gennai's question.  "If she ran a complex enough scan on the room, she may have been aware of a presence but she would not know if it was me."

            "What do we do?"

            "We continue on with our plan."  Angemon said, his lips twisting into a frown.  "There is an added element of risk now but it should not prove too problematic."

            Gennai looked at Angemon in astonishment.  "How can you say that?  Especially now, with the Elders directly involving themselves."

            "I have been thinking of their... involvement," he said the last word disgustedly, "ever since we left their dimension.  We all thought Sumeragi was working for the Valeru and he probably did have ties to that monster but right now, it is becoming increasingly likely that he had close ties to the Elders as well."

            "You don't mean..." Gennai trailed off, genuinely surprised.  Being so long-lived, surprise was an emotion he rarely felt.  However, every now an then, something like this always managed to catch him off guard.

            "Yes," Angemon nodded.  "Yamato's murder was deliberate.  I believe the Elders wanted at least one soul here that they could directly influence.  Understandable, considering what is at stake."

            "They are scared."  And that revelation was just as astonishing as the one before.

            "I fear their ire was raised when Setsuna interfered directly between Takeru and Hikari.  If it had only been about saving Hokuto, they probably would not have cared.  Which brings me to the Prophecy of Darkness and Light."

            "Ah yes, that."  Gennai scowled at the Digimon.  "I worked damned hard to destroy all records of that Prophecy the first time.  Why is it that you never told me Takeru had a copy?"

            "I had no idea he had a copy."  Angemon said defensively.  "Contrary to popular belief, he does not tell me everything."

            "Why didn't Setsuna come forward then?  This threatens all of our plans.  If the other Chosen learn of what is in that Prophecy, it could ruin everything."

            "Setsuna did not come forward because he is conserving his strength.  It will only be another two or three years before all of our planning comes to fruition."

            "Will he be able to handle a being with that much power?"  Gennai questioned worriedly.  "If it can give the Elders pause..."

            Angemon grinned, wagging a finger in the air.  "You're getting slow in your old age, friend.  Remember the oldest precept of this world; siblings cannot use their powers against one another.  That rule is written directly into the genetic code.  This new path may have been an improvisation but in some ways it is better then our original plan.  Now then, how will you take care of the Prophecy?"

            "I have already thought of that.  My agents on the various continents will take care of that little detail soon enough."

            "Risky!"  Angemon exclaimed.  "They may come to suspect you."

            It was Gennai's turn to grin.  "I won't order them to destroy the Prophecy fully; that was where we erred the first time.  This time, I will only cut out the parts relating to our plan.  Everything else is just the hoary old mumblings of a mad prophet."

            "Good," Angemon replied thoughtfully.  "I should take my leave then.  My counterpart needs to know of these developments."

            "You are heading back to Sever."

            "Yes, Takeru will likely return there first as well."

            "Good luck then friend and keep him safe."

            Angemon nodded, retreating from the room.  After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Gennai returned to running the day-to-day operations of Sanctuary.  Everything else would work itself out sooner or later and even if it did not, they were all likely to die at least once anyway.

END INTERLUDE

___________________________________

            The Praetor was awaiting him at the entrance to a room.  As Daisuke approached, he studied her.  The woman was definitely excited and doing a poor job of hiding it.  Her arrogant posture was still there but was tempered now by the impatient tapping of her foot.  She noticed him and nearly all of the telltale signs of her excitement disappeared.  It was admirable but then again, Hikari would not have shown that she was excited in the first place.  Grimacing inwardly, he banished that particular thought.  This habit of comparing nearly every woman he met to his first love had to go.  He would never be able to move past her if he kept thinking this way.

            "Have your people reached a decision?"  He questioned, stepping past the guard accompanying him and coming to a stop in front of her.

            "Yes," she replied impassively.  "Before I tell you their decision, I need to show you something."

            "I don't have time for any more games," he growled impatiently.

            "No games," she said mildly, opening the doors to the room behind her.  "What I am about to show you has only been seen by the members of our Assembly."  She glanced past him at the guard.  "Wait out here."  And with that order given, she led him inside the room.

            The room turned out to be a rather long hallway and he could not see an end to it.  The most noticeable feature of the hallway was the elaborate drawings that covered the walls on both sides.

            "The Hall of Ages."  Isis said, running a hand down one drawing.  "These walls tell of important events that have occurred or will occur."

            "A guide into the future?"

            "After a fashion," she murmured softly.  "The problem though is that if we peak at future events, we risk changing the future.  Seven hundred years ago, one man did peak and the result was the Great Catastrophe."  She turned around, gazing steadily at him.  "How much do you know of the true history of Earth?"

            "You mean the Valeru and how humans did not spring from this planet?"  Daisuke made his tone light, almost conversational.  "Yes, I know all that."  It was oddly pleasing to see that strict demeanor ruffled once more.

            "That... is a lot more then I expected you to know."  She replied softly, keeping her voice controlled although there was a hint of puzzlement underlying her tone.  "How did you learn all of that?"

            He considered his options briefly.  Telling her of Yamato's return posed no serious threat and yet he did not want to divulge such information.  These people already knew a lot more about them then they should and Yamato's return might well be kept a secret for a while longer.  It may even prove an asset in the future. 

             Decision made, Daisuke said, "I have my sources, the same as you.  Get on with your story."

            "I assume you know about the Elders."  Her voice was clipped now, a bit annoyed.  He didn't care though as he was getting fed up with all of these games.

            "Yes."

            "Ok then, I will skip forward to seven hundred years ago.  What do you know of the Great Catastrophe?"

            "Not much," Daisuke admitted slowly.  "We were only told that it happened because the Undersea Master tried to escape from his prison and the resulting shockwaves created the two dimensions."

            "You were lied to."  Isis said bluntly.  "I will tell you the true story of what occurred back then but you will have to vow that it will not go beyond these rooms.  You will not be allowed to tell this to the Chosen or anybody else."

            "And I suppose my freedom is dependant upon this?"

            "It is."  Her words hung in the air, an ultimatum that he had no choice but to take.

            "I agree," he said quietly.  "Go on."

            "The blame for what happened seven hundred years ago cannot be laid solely at the feet of the Undersea Master.  It all happened because of a man named Setsuna Monou and his thirst for power."  She paused, thinking over her words.  "But I suppose, it really began long before that.  At the turn of the nine hundredth year on the Zenon Calendar, the Earth was entering a new Golden Age.  The great seven continents you know today were all joined together back then and centers of great technology were springing up all over this one giant landmass.  It was the result of combining magic with natural science.  However, there were still a great number of problems.  The biggest problem was the differences among the many races of mankind.  One man foresaw this and knew that unless a viable solution was presented, mankind could become entrenched in wars of great devastation very easily.  Since every single nation back then had access to some degree of sophisticated technology, this man's fears were well founded.  To prevent such a thing from happening, this man created a city independent of the main Continent.  This city was to impose order over a chaotic world and would act as a common ground where emissaries from all these separate nations could meet.  You are standing in that city, Daisuke Motomiya."

            Daisuke raised one eyebrow.  "I take it something went wrong with your mission."

            "Yes, the destruction of the world as it was then came in the form of one man.  Cthulhu had begun to stir in his prison and the Chosen were called upon to deal with him.  However, one member in the group betrayed the rest.  His name was Setsuna Monou and his hunger for power led him to form a union with Cthulhu.  He killed the Chosen for his dark master and took their powers within himself and then he went after this city's creator.  Sho Shinjo was the most powerful warlock of that time and taking his powers allowed Setsuna to tap into the energy of the Earth.  That was just the beginning though.  Killing Sho allowed him to tap into Earth's energy but it was not enough and so using his own powers, he somehow managed to tap into the potential of every single man and woman of Earth.  Then, like a mad dog, he turned on his master and their resulting battle tore the Earth, splitting the one massive continent into seven pieces.  That conflict also created the Digital World and the Dark Ocean.

            A conflict of this scale was sure to draw attention though and much of humanity now knew that something was happening on Earth beyond their comprehension.  To cover everything up, Setsuna drew upon his powers again.  Somehow, he deluded an entire planet into believing what he wanted them to believe.  We still don't know how he accomplished this but the result was that everybody on Earth now thought of magic as a mere myth.  Furthermore, natural technology was set back a great deal.

            Our city was a casualty late in the war.  Setsuna managed to send us here to keep us out of the way.  He likely thought that we would die out since conception is impossible in this world.  But, he did not count on our resiliency.  You see, our people were early geneticists.  We were obsessed with trying to create the perfect type of human.  Sho Shinjo was one of our experiments and he was considered one of our biggest successes.  Overtime, in this world, we managed to adapt until we became beings of pure energy."

            Daisuke blinked.  "What do you mean?"  He questioned slowly.  "Are you saying that you are like Digimon?"

            "In essence, I suppose we are.  We do not go through evolution states like they do and we have not solved the problem of conception but we have made ourselves immortal.  But, what is most interesting is that some of the people we engineered and left on Earth have managed to survive to this day."  Her eyes flashed mysteriously and he had a feeling that the axe was about to drop.  "You had a dream and you said it was vivid.  The Chosen are no strangers to this phenomenon but you are human.  I went back and checked your DNA and then ran the tests against the DNA of Sho Shinjo.  The strands matched perfectly.  You are the genetic reincarnation of our leader.  What you dreamed was a racial memory."  When he remained silent, she continued.  "I made this known to the Assembly and they were sufficiently swayed to caste their lot in your favor.  We will make ourselves known to the outside world but we will only follow you."

            He remained quiet, trying to wrap his mind around everything he had just heard.  When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.  "I... I am not a leader."

            "Only because you gave up the position," she replied quickly.  "Yagami, Hikari always coveted the role of leader, however, you are the better choice because you have not sacrificed your principles.  The destruction of Primary Village is a good example."

            Daisuke quickly thought over everything he had just heard.  He needed to think this over but it seemed he was to be robbed of that chance.  Suddenly, a loud siren began to go off.  He stared at Isis in surprise seeing his expression mirrored there.  She rushed towards the door and opened it.  The guard outside immediately snapped to attention.  Peering over her shoulder, Daisuke saw another guard come hurrying up.

            "Praetor," he said, bowing.  "There have been enemies sighted approaching the city.  It is a team of twenty virus type Digimon."

            The only thought that crossed Daisuke's mind at that moment was that he had managed to mess up again.

________________________________________________________________________

A man who despised the dark but was consumed by it.  How far will he go before he can no longer turn back?  Next Chapter: Takeru's story.