Disclaimer: I don't own it. The 'it' being Digimon.
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A/N: Reply to Tk293's review. Heh, tell me about it. I wonder how many people I scared away with that last chapter. You seem to be the only one reading this story. There is a reason why I rated this fic R though. I really wanted to experiment with a variety of issues and the R rating lets me have looser boundaries then any other rating. If my review count suffers, then it suffers.
Anyway, this chapter is mostly a bit of everything. In it, you will see the spotlight shine on a few other characters that have been pretty neglected so far. I had originally wanted this chapter to be part of Takeru's story but that will have to be Chapter Nine now. One hard thing about writing fics with a huge cast that is spread all over the world is keeping a consistent timeline. That timeline would have a whole lot of jumping back and forth if I had made this chapter Takeru's chapter so I decided to change it and put the focus on tying up a few loose ends in Kroy as well as showing you what Yamato is up to. Anyways, enjoy.
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The ocean of the Digital World was vast. Much like Earth, it covered most of the surface of the planet. Five main continents were the focus of much of the drama that occurred in this world. However, every now and then events took shape far beyond the borders of these continents. One such area of activity had lain dormant for a long while. It was an island to the north of the Continent of Alecrast. On this small rocky isle sat a lone mountain whose peak was among the highest in the Digital World. High atop the mountain was a small ledge and connected to this ledge was a small cave. Inside this small cave sat a cauldron over a small fire that had long since burned down to ashes. Beside the cauldron sat a Shurimon. He stirred suddenly as the howling of a wolf filled the air. The sound echoed within the cave and then gradually faded.
"Lots of visitors these days," the Digimon muttered softly to himself. With a groan, he rose to his feet and checked the cauldron. Inside were the remains of a stew that he had made sometime last week. Giving it a delicate sniff, he decided that it was no longer edible. Grabbing the handle of the cauldron, he picked it up and started towards the entrance of the cave. As he was halfway there, a tall yellow haired man appeared there. The Shurimon paused and then continued walking forward. He stepped past the man and upturned the cauldron over the edge of the huge mountain. Wordlessly, he turned around and walked back into the cave. The man walking behind him.
"Have I begun to hallucinate?" The Shurimon questioned rhetorically, sitting down at the blackened fire. With a flick of his wrist, it blazed forth again. "Or have you come to haunt me. But, why would you take so much time Yamato Ishida?"
Yamato frowned, looking at the figure seated before him. "Has the loneliness finally driven you insane? I am not a hallucination or a ghost. Search within that once storehouse of knowledge that you held within your mind. Surely there must be a few scraps left that should tell you how I came to be."
"There is nothing left," the Digimon snapped. "Your little brother was fairly thorough in his punishment. I, who once had knowledge rivaling that of the God Beasts, am now reduced to a mere pauper." His voice quieted to a whisper. "There is nothing left except..."
"And that is why I am here." Yamato said softly. "Tell me how to get to Hidden Isle."
A look of cunning flashed across the Shurimon's eyes. "And what do I get in return? Will you release me from this prison? Will you grant me release?"
"You know what will happen if I take your life. There will be no rebirth. That is what has kept you from taking your own life all these years while languishing inside this cave. My brother thought of every possible means of escape when he put you in this prison."
"I will not take my own life but you can do it for me." The Digimon looked up and now the look of cunning was gone, replaced by an almost pitiable look of longing. "He put me here because my partner killed you. I had knowledge and all of it is gone, my curiosity to know, blunted. Has it all happened outside already? Has the beast risen from his pit? No, do not tell me, I do not want the shred of hope to take root in my heart. I want an ending."
Yamato held up his hand and it slowly changed into razor sharp claws. "Tell me how to get to the Hidden Isle and I will grant you your wish."
And so, the Shurimon told him everything.
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If there was one trait Taichi Yagami shared with his sister, it was the fact that he liked to be in control of any given situation. That was why he supposed he had always clashed with Yamato in the old days. The other teen's rebellious nature had always made him feel like he was losing control over a situation and it had led to several memorable clashes between the two. Somewhere in the last eight years, Yamato's little brother had picked up the same irritating ability to annoy him. It was extremely vexing to say the least. He had planned this mission ever since he had first run across Kroy and everything that he had planned had been casually tossed aside. It was galling, especially considering that Takeru had sat with him and planned a scheme that, in retrospect, did not look as carefully planned as he had been led to believe. The boy had been patronizing him and if Taichi hated one thing as much as losing control over a situation, it was being patronized. The almost glibly worded message he had sent back with Corwin had not been particularly amusing either. But, what was done was done. All he could do now was ready the legions and pray Takeru knew what he was doing.
Across the table from him, Mimi Tachikawa let out a small sigh and slumped back in her chair. "Well," he questioned tentatively.
Stretching as best she could, Mimi nodded wordlessly.
"He did it." Taichi sighed, leaning back in his seat. It felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The whole endeavor really had been a colossal gamble from the start.
"Don't get too comfortable," Mimi warned. "He's left us quite a big mess to clean up. Catherine told me that there was rioting in the city."
"Is she..."
"Yeah," Mimi interjected before he could finish. "She can take care of herself and has enough troops to keep the area surrounding the Embassy quiet. It should prove a good base of operations for us."
Taichi grunted, closing his eyes. If he sent in the legions too early, it could cast suspicion on them. On the other hand, if he waited too long, the loss of life would be great. Another thing to consider was the ministerial staff that would fight him every step of the way to keep Kroy's autonomy intact. In the end, he might lose a lot of troops on an endeavor that could fail or he could hold back and allow the city to weaken itself. His losses would be diminished but a lot of innocents would still lose their life.
"You're agonizing over a moral decision." Mimi spoke into the silent room. She gave a small smile, forming an apple and knife out of thin air. "You're a hell of a leader Tai, but you're not much of a strategist." Cutting a slice from the apple, she plopped it into her mouth. "The course seems clear; we have to send in the legions despite whatever losses we may take. Kroy's militia is mostly composed of mercenaries anyway and should not prove much of a problem."
"I liked you better when I thought you were a ditz." Taichi muttered.
Mimi grinned. "The air-headed Mimi still has her uses. I could not have won the loyalty of Drake Castle if the man had not thought I was a complete ditz. Did you know I had a letter from him just last week asking me to come visit his outpost?"
"Do you ever regret that I used you that way?"
"You should know better then to think along those lines," Mimi replied with a frown. "Nobody, not even you, uses me without my consent and besides, the situation often calls for unique methods. With Castle, it was just simpler to wrap him around my little finger instead of getting bogged down in the million little concessions he wanted."
Taichi sighed, leaning back in his chair again. "So, what now?" He questioned finally. "If we do send in the legions too soon, it will attract suspicion."
Mimi waved the knife in the air dismissively. "The only excuse we need is the Dark Ocean. Besides, from what Catherine told me, it doesn't look like the ruling body of Kroy is going to do anything to stop the rioting any time soon. The four Ministers are mired in their own power struggle at the moment.
Taichi was about to reply when suddenly there came a steady thumping sound in the hallway and then a polite knock on the door to his quarters.
"Come in," he said loudly.
The door opened and the Captain of the troops in the main city of Rayne walked into the room. He bowed politely to both Mimi and Taichi.
"We just received a courier from the outpost of Xanth." He said perfunctorily. "He reports that Drake Castle is dead and that the outpost suffered a serious attack last night."
"There's your excuse." Mimi said turning back to Taichi.
Sighing, Taichi rose to his feet. "I will take care of this. You should take the legions I've readied and depart as soon as possible."
Mimi bowed, rising to her feet. "As my lord commands."
"Cute," Taichi said rolling his eyes as he moved towards the door.
Grinning, Mimi followed.
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The sun was going down and so it was time to make dinner.
Stirring a pot of stew over a campfire, Eric wondered how things had come to this. He loved his city and it was to protect it that he had joined the militia a few days ago. That was why he couldn't understand what he and the rest of the troops were doing outside the city when the mob threatening it was inside. Being a perceptive person, he knew it had to do with politics and this sickened him. People were losing their lives and the men in charge were scrambling around for as much power as they could. At this rate, there probably wouldn't be much of a city left to defend when they finally got back inside. Although, he suppose he should be somewhat grateful. He did not particularly want to be facing people he had seen and interacted with just days before. They were just scared and acting out of rage.
"Hello, hello." A lilting, musical voice distracted him from his thoughts. He looked up and his heart nearly stopped. In the middle of the camp stood the most stunning woman he had ever seen. She was oriental and her long brown hair was done up in a pony tail which seemed to accentuate her slim swanlike neck. His eyes traveled down her figure of their own accord. She was dressed in black leather pants with a tight sleeveless shirt that hugged her body accentuating her curves. A dun brown cape hung fluttering in the breeze behind her as she surveyed the camp. Her gaze came to rest on him for a moment and he found himself staring into a pair of deep brown eyes that seemed to gaze directly into his soul. A small smile came to her lips and he found himself blushing furiously.
"Well well, what's this?" A loud, overly belligerent voice suddenly sounded.
The brown haired woman turned away from him and faced a tall, wide set young man that was walking across the camp towards her. Eric grimaced at seeing one of the Captains of the Kroy militia. Whoever the woman was, she was out of luck if she was expecting hospitality. The men out here were going out of their mind with boredom and she, dressed as she was, would attract undue attention. It had already started as he could tell that the man approaching her had less then chivalrous intentions in mind. The woman looked him up and down as he came to a halt in front of her.
"And you would be?" She questioned in the same singsong voice.
"Two hundred pounds of real man, baby."
Eric groaned under his breath. That had to be one of the worst pickup lines he had ever heard and he had heard his fair share while working in a bar. The woman smiled, her lips quirking in a faint mocking look. She reached up slowly, dragging one well-manicured fingernail down the guy's chest. He grinned as if he had made some sort of conquest and pulled the woman towards him. She didn't put up any resistance as he lowered his head and kissed her. Her arms snaked around his neck as his hooked around her waist and soon the two were in a liplock that was far too indecent even for an army camp. A large crowd soon gathered around the pair. By Eric's estimation, it was nearly the whole Kroy militia. Even the lookouts had shown up, distracted by something that was much better then watching empty roadways for signs of attack.
The kiss went on for a long time, the pair deepening it, their bodies grinding against each other until it looked more like a struggle then an actual kiss. The woman brought up a leg, hooking it around the man's waist and drawing him even closer if that was possible. Around the two, the rest of the men had begun to shout their encouragement, trying to spur their Captain on in what they viewed as a sure conquest. A few seconds later, the cheering died down completely as it became abundantly clear this wasn't going to be some walk in the park.
The Captain's arms moved from the brunette's waist to her arms and Eric had a sense that he was trying to disengage without causing himself too much embarrassment. A few seconds later, the man abandoned all hints of subtlety and pushed away from the woman. She still wore the faint mocking look on her face, her hands on her waist as she looked down at the man gasping raggedly in front of her.
"Boy, they sure don't make real men like they used to."
The comment caused quite a few sniggers from the surrounding crowd. Most had probably arrived in time to witness the earlier comment.
"Bitch," the Captain muttered loudly enough for everybody to hear.
"Now now, that's no way to talk to an innocent, helpless woman." The brunette said wagging a finger in the air. Then, apparently deciding that she'd had enough of the man she had just humiliated, she turned towards the crowd gathered around her. "Is this all of you then?" She questioned quizzically. "It seems the reputation of Kroy's militia is a tad bit over-inflated. You're just a bunch of half grown boys."
Eric's eyes widened at the insult. The girl was crazy, provoking a whole camp full of men like this. There were angry grunts from the men surrounding her and then one of them stepped forward.
"What is going on here?" A loud voice boomed through the air, cutting down the angry mutterings of the soldiers. Pushing his way through the crowd, a tall red haired man appeared on the scene. Eric recognized him as the Commander of the troops based here. The man's eyes widened as he looked at the girl and his mouth opened. No words came out as he froze almost comically. A moment later the same phenomenon hit the rest of the camp.
Unable to tear his eyes away from the scene, Eric watched the woman approach the Commander of the camp.
"Such a pity that you recognized me," the woman said casually. "As you've probably guessed, I'm here to take this city."
There was a gradual sound, building in the distance and soon there were other Digimon and humans among their midst.
"Saiki," the woman spoke loudly, "I'm leaving you to babysit this little group."
A fairly young man with youthful features came into Eric's line of sight. He stopped a few paces behind the woman and bowed. "As you wish."
The woman grinned. "No objections this time?"
The boy standing behind her turned a faint red color. "It could have gone wrong. I still say you should have at least taken someone with you when you walked into camp."
"Well, yes, I admit it was rather ill conceived but you wouldn't deny a girl some fun, would you?"
If anything, the boy's blush deepened.
The woman chuckled softly. "As soon as I depart, they will be free to move again. Before that happens, have your troops confiscate all their weapons."
Saiki bowed and quietly slipped back. The woman looked around the camp as her forces moved out. Her eyes came to rest on Eric again. She walked over towards him and knelt down at the near forgotten pot of stew he had been stirring.
"You don't need to be afraid of me," she said softly, staring into his eyes. "You've probably already figured out who I am and I will need someone to keep your fellow soldiers calm. Will you agree?"
Whatever had been gripping him loosened its hold and he looked sideways, avoiding her gaze. She stretched her arms out and cupped his face, turning him back towards her. "I need an answer."
"Why me," he questioned halfway curious.
"I don't often read minds without permission but I can still get a general sense of a person's personality just by skimming their subconscious. If you really want to help your city, help us do this as quickly as possible and with the least amount of resistance."
"I... all right, I will do as you wish, Lady Tachikawa."
Mimi smiled gently and rose to her feet. "When I leave and your restraints are loosened, talk to the Captain I've left in charge." Turning around, she walked out of his line of sight.
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'Cat, I'm inside. Show me the way.'
A few moments after having sent the mental thought, Mimi's mind was filled with images. After she had memorized the layout, Catherine had provided, she terminated the link and unfurled her pink wings. Then, silently motioning for her troops to form up, she moved on.
She had never been to Kroy before, being busier with the outposts in the north of the Continent of Aisa. A detail she was now regretting. Leading troops through hostile territory was not exactly her idea of fun especially when that territory was unfamiliar to her. Even now, her powers were stretched to their utmost as she cast mental probes in every direction to make sure that nobody snuck up on them.
A loud explosion in the distance made her grimace. That was probably the work of the mob she had been told to put down. Preliminary reports from Catherine indicated that a mob had formed upon discovery of Cain's death. They had marched on the Dark Ocean Embassy and had, upon discovering it was deserted, gone mad with outrage. Mimi suspected Takeru's hidden hand behind that manipulation. It was admirable in a grim sort of way; he had played the citizens of Kroy like a finely tuned fiddle. It worked out even better in his favor that Kroy's rulers were so incompetent.
Another loud explosion in the distance made her purse her lips in annoyance. The situation was getting out of hand. Thankfully, the area they were traveling through was Chosen territory and therefore relatively safe. Catherine had done her job well in choosing this place but that did not stop her from keeping her probes active. People lived and died sometimes based on how many precautions they took and for the Chosen, they not only had to worry about themselves but also the people they led.
Gradual thoughts suddenly began entering her mind as her probes encountered other sentient life-forms. With a sigh, Mimi shut down the probes. They were nearing the Embassy and the core of Catherine's forces was holed up there. In all, it had taken a lot less time to get here then she had suspected.
Rounding a corner, they came at last to the Embassy. Catherine stood awaiting them at the door to the small building, two guards flanking her. Mimi called a halt to the small army around her and vibrating her wings took off towards the Embassy. A few feet away from the door, she dropped to the ground and retracted her wings.
"Ambassador," she said with a nod.
"Lady," Catherine replied with a curtsy.
Grinning, the two women walked forward and embraced each other.
"It's good to see you again," Catherine said, stepping back.
"How bad is it out there?" Mimi questioned, casting a look around the deserted street.
"It is pretty quiet around here as I'm keeping constant patrols around this place. As for the city, they're leaving the government buildings alone but the looting has gotten a lot worse. I don't understand what is making them act like this. It seems a little too extreme."
Mimi nodded thoughtfully. "I have a hunch but I'll pose it to you later. For now, let's get inside. Have you asked the Minister's to come here yet?"
"I did," Catherine responded with a grin, "they refused."
"And I suppose you're grinning because you did something extremely naughty."
Catherine nodded. "I had them rounded up and brought here against their will. They are waiting inside for you at the moment and they are very angry."
"What about their own troops?" Mimi questioned curiously.
"They had very few independent guards left as most practically deserted in order to join that mob out there. The few that were left, we took care of and as for their army, you've probably seen it outside."
"Yes, we now control that as well." Mimi smiled. "Very efficient Ambassador, you'll make a very great leader in this city."
The remark cut through Catherine's smugness. She sighed theatrically. "That's what I hate about you Mimi; you take all the fun out of life."
"Yeah, I'm such a killjoy." Mimi said with a grin. "Anyway, lead on. I don't want to keep our guests waiting any longer then necessary."
Catherine snorted, turning around and leading her inside. "It's not like they are going to like anything you have to say." She looked at Mimi critically from the corner of her eyes. "Still, are you sure you want to see them dressed like that?"
Mimi shrugged. "I don't see why not. There are few things men find more intimidating then a beautiful woman that knows how to wield power."
Catherine suddenly stopped in the middle of a hallway and grabbed Mimi's arm to halt her. "Hold on, before you meet them, there is something you need to know."
Mimi raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.
"One of the Minister's is working for Gennai. He asked to speak with me after we had apprehended everybody and told me that he had helped Takeru. He also gave me this:" Catherine reached into the folds of her robes and withdrew a small metallic necklace.
Mimi frowned, staring at the piece of jewelry and then took it from Catherine. Turning the necklace over in her hand, she exerted a little pressure at the tiny stone that hung in the middle. A small needle protruded from the other side of the stone.
"What is it?" Catherine questioned in a puzzled tone.
"It is a Coda training device."
"What's a Coda?"
"They were a sect of assassins whose leader was killed by Takeru. This device was used by them to keep their prisoner's in line. They came after us once in their hunt for Takeru but with the help of the Guardians, we wiped them out completely."
"The Minister told me that the device was on the body of a dead hunter that Takeru killed. He removed the device, as he had been told to do, so that no suspicion would be aroused when they checked the hunter's body. Afterwards, he simply bided his time for us to make our move so that he could talk to one of us."
"What does he want?" Mimi questioned distractedly, turning the necklace over in her palm.
"He wants to leave this city and return to the Guardians. Ever since Sanctuary's destruction, he has not had any contact with them. He seems to think they may have forgotten about him."
"I'll talk to him," Mimi said with a nod. "However, I think it would be best if he stayed here and helped us a little. Do you think he'll go along with this?"
"I don't know Mimi," Catherine sighed. "He seemed pretty tired. I think what Takeru did just got to him."
"You mean what happened to Cain's son." Mimi frowned. "I will put this to Takeru when he comes back. He had better have a good reason for going to these lengths."
"I am sure he had good reason," Catherine said, starting down the hallway again. "As for now, I would suggest you try to handle him delicately."
Mimi grunted, pocketing the necklace and following along behind her. She was led up a flight of stairs to the second floor of the small building and in front of two large wooden doors. Catherine pushed open the doors, stepping into the room, Mimi following in her wake. Inside the room, four men sat at a large rectangular table. One of them immediately sprang to his feet the moment the door opened.
"Ambassador..." he began angrily but then trailed off as Mimi stepped into the room.
"Sit down Minister," she said curtly, walking to the head of the table.
The man sank back into his seat slowly.
All right then," Mimi said, glancing around the table, "here is how it is. As of now, this city belongs to the Chosen."
The statement engendered an immediate response from three of the four Ministers.
"You have no authority here."
"We will fight you."
"Kroy won't bow down to anyone."
Mimi let the three men vent until the room had lapsed into silence. She glanced around silently at each Minister, noting that the last one she paused on was looking at things a little bit differently. Where the other three Ministers were viewing her with open hostility now, this man's face showed a remarkable lack of concern. The best way to describe his expression would be to say that it was neutral. He was probably Catherine's Guardian.
"I'm afraid the matter is out of your hands now." She began slowly, keeping an eye on all four men. "We waited to see whether you would prove capable leaders but you failed miserably. Where you should have acted quickly, decisively and with unity, you fell into your own petty power struggles. Now, we have to step in before it is too late. I will not allow this city to become another Cathal."
"We still have our militia."
"With all due respect, your militia is a bunch of half trained boys with little battle experience. The few battle hardened mercenaries you have will desert the moment they see my legions. And furthermore, there is really nothing left of your personal guards either or else you would not be here."
"We will see about that." Three of the four men began to rise to their feet.
Mimi raised a hand and all three froze in place. "I'm afraid you gentlemen don't realize the gravity of the situation. I cannot allow you to leave this building until after everything has been calmed down. Afterwards, we can discuss what role you may play in our administration." She lowered her hand, letting the control she had exerted over the four men, loosen a little. "For now, you are our guests but do not try to run. The consequences won't be pleasant." Turning on her heels, she marched out of the room.
Catherine closed the doors as the two women exited the room. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" She questioned with a smile.
Mimi grinned back at her. "Yeah, I did. They need to have their ego's deflated. She started walking down the hall. "By the way, arrange to have that Guardian in there disappear and bring him to me. Whatever information he knows could prove valuable."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Order my scouts to go and gather as much information out there as possible. I need to know the face of this terrain."
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Miyako Inoue sighed, leaning back in her chair and slipping her thumb and forefinger underneath her glasses to rub her eyes. The chair she was sitting in was straight-backed so she did not get as much relief as she wanted.
"I've always wondered why you didn't just design contacts for yourself."
Miyako lowered her hand and glanced towards the entrance of the tent. A small lantern handing from the apex of the tent cast the small space in soft light, draping the figure standing at the entrance in shadows.
"Glasses are more utilitarian and besides, my eyes are not so far gone that I can't function without them." Staring down at the handful of reports on the table in front of her, she grimaced. There was still a good three hours of work left. "Was there something you wanted Steve?" She asked distractedly, picking up one of the reports.
"Well actually, Lee told me to check up on you." Steve said, walking up to her desk. The light from the lamp revealed a compact, medium sized young man, his dark hair seeming to glint in the firelight cast by the lantern.
Miyako scowled up at the man who currently served as the Commander of the troops stationed near the ruins of the outpost of Seona. He grinned back at her. "This game of one-upmanship between you two never gets old."
"And I suppose he got Sora to agree with him?"
"Of course! Lady Takenouchi said she didn't want to look like she was choosing sides."
Miyako sighed tiredly. "All right, I get the point. When I'm finished with this report, I'll get some sleep."
Steve raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"What?" Miyako snapped irritably, her famous temper beginning to slip its leash.
"Oh nothing," he replied undisturbed. "I was just wondering whether you were really serious. It is hard to tell sometimes." Suddenly, he crouched down on the floor. "I think I'll keep you company."
"Don't you have any other duties?" Miyako questioned, scowling down at him.
"Nope, everything is taken care of. I'm all yours for the night." He paused. "Wow, that didn't come out right at all."
Despite her irritation, Miyako found herself chuckling. "I'm serious. When I'm done with this one report, I'll turn in for the night."
"I'll stay, just in case."
"How much sleep have you gotten in the past two days?" Miyako questioned.
"Not a lot," Steve replied, covering a yawn. He stretched himself out on the hard floor, wrapping his cloak around himself. "So, the sooner you get to sleep, the sooner I can get to sleep."
Miyako scowled. "This won't work, you know. You can't run a guilt trip like this on me."
On the floor, Steve just smiled, shifting around and trying to get comfortable.
"It won't work," she said through gritted teeth.
Five minutes later, Miyako found herself shifting around in the small cot that served as her bed, trying to get comfortable. Sighing, she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the tiny bit of light the now shuttered lantern was giving off. Closing her eyes, she drifted back to a week ago.
Usually, whenever they got together at their half-year reunions, they could hardly keep their hands off each other. That had changed at the last two reunions. It had all started late last year when she had recoiled from him. She had not meant to do that but after what had happened...
No, that was not a particular memory she wanted to relive and besides, she had recovered from that ordeal. He had missed all of her signals this time though, which was unusual. There had been a distance, an almost feeling of coldness to him this time. It was almost like he had been intentionally trying to avoid her. Was there someone else?
No, that could not be it either. They meant more to each other then that. If there was one thing she could count on, it was for Ken to be completely honest with her. That was one of the better things about dating within their little group. Being so close knit took away most of the nervousness and tension associated with the first and oft times even the second and third date. That was not to say that the tension completely vanished. Not one of them wanted to ruin the bonds, however tentative they were in some cases, they had forged with each other. However, if there was one thing Miyako had learned from her teammates, it was possible to remain friends even if the relationship failed. She had avoided those pitfalls with Ken though. There was a level of security and comfort there that she had come to depend on over the years. So, no, he would not deliberately keep it from her if there was someone else. Which left only one possibility; he must have had his own problem. Only, he had not come to her and probably because of what had happened last year. Oh gods, this was confusing. What was she going to do now? What she really wanted to do was talk to him but that wasn't going to happen for a while.
Her mind whirling with thoughts, she drifted off in uneasy sleep.
A loud explosion woke her up sometime later. The ground rumbled underneath her cot as she sat up quickly in bed. Another explosion rocked the ground as she rolled to her feet. The camp was under attack. As she bowed her head to put on her boots, a sudden shuffling sound caught her attention. There was someone in the room with her.
As she was looking up, a shadow in the corner of the room suddenly surged towards her. She whirled back to her pillow, grabbing the knife she hid underneath it just as the shadow slammed into her, tackling her to the floor. Her assailant quickly grabbed the hand, which held the knife and twisted brutally. Fingers opening despite her effort to keep them closed, she dropped the knife. Her other hand was still free though and she used it to punch the figure above her. There was a soft grunt and then the man, she was pretty sure it was a man, tried to grab her other arm.
The slight sweaty smell, the harsh grunting as they struggled and the feel of his body atop hers awakened memories she had locked away. A feeling of panic gripped her and she went still, allowing him to grip her other arm. She almost sobbed as he pushed her arms above her head. It could not be happening again; she would not let it happen again.
As she went still, the man above her made the mistake of letting down his guard and in that moment, she awakened from her stupor and struck. Lifting up a knee, she brought it up swiftly between his legs. As he fell forward, groaning in pain, she twisted sideways, freeing her wrists and grabbed her dagger. She was too far gone now to care that she had him at her mercy.
Raising the dagger, she plunged it into his back. Again and again and again. She lost count as to how many times she stabbed him but then another explosion, the loudest yet, almost uprooting her tent with its intensity, snapped her out of her state of mind. Seeing all the blood and gore on the ground, on her hands and even in her hair almost made her gag.
She fought back all the memories and feelings that threatened to overwhelm her at the moment and staggered to her feet. The camp was under attack and she needed to get out there and see what was happening. Stumbling out of her tent, she was met with a vision of destruction. Fully half of the large camp they had set up was gone. In the sky, several shafts of white light stood open from which more and more dark Digimon were exiting.
It was the dead of night, yet the space around her suddenly brightened. She stared up and saw two huge fireballs headed towards her tent. Cursing under her breath, she forced her legs to move. It would not be good enough, she knew as she started running. The fireballs she had seen were too big and she would never get out of the blast radius in enough time. Still, it was not in her nature to just stand still and let death come.
As she was running, something suddenly hurled into her back, enveloping her in feathery wings and shielding her from the huge explosion that followed. Looking up, she gazed into the hawkish eyes of her Digimon partner, Aquilamon.
"Are you ok?" He questioned, looking her over critically.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Miyako nodded. "Where are the others?" She responded wiping her bloodied hands absently on her pants.
"Steve formed up the remnants of our forces in the woods east of here. The attack was sudden and we were caught completely by surprise. I came back to get you when it became clear that you had not left the camp."
Miyako frowned. She had been in the tent that long? Shaking her head, she locked away what had happened. It was something to be dwelled upon later. For now, she had other duties.
"Let's biomerge and head over there then." She said, pushing on Aquilamon's wings and stepping out from underneath their shelter. Overhead, the shafts of light and the Digimon had vanished.
Aquilamon started to break up into bits of data and moments later the two were on their way.
_______________________________
The rising sun cast faint rays in the launch pad of the outpost of Zenon, driving away the last traces of darkness. Willis yawned, adjusting his dark brown cloak around himself to ward away some of the chilly air. He looked up at the sky again wondering when Hikari was going to show up. The sooner he was out of the cold, the better.
It had been a surprise to find out that Hikari was coming here in person. When he had contacted her late last night, he had expected her to send Iori or maybe some other underling. That she was coming in person meant that the situation was far more serious then he had first thought. Or maybe she had finally fallen for him, a guy could hope after all. Chuckling to himself, he glanced towards the walls encasing the courtyard and tracked the movements of the sentries up there.
"Kokomon," he said, looking back at the furry, bear like behemoth standing behind him. "Go tell the sentries on the north wall to lengthen their patrols a bit and to keep an eye on the north-west corner. The two on that side seem to be a little lax."
The Digimon nodded and trotted off towards the wall.
Willis yawned again, rubbing his eyes. After the attack last night, he had stayed awake to coordinate countermeasures and inform the Chosen of their situation. The strain of that communication and the how hard he had been pushing himself ever since was finally catching up to him.
"You should get some sleep." The second Digimon standing behind him chimed in with his thoughts.
"I will Terriermon," Willis responded with a frown. "As soon as Hikari gets here and I finish greeting her."
The small Digimon grunted, a curious sound that reminded him of his mom when she was angry with him. "You're not likely to sleep today, are you?"
"Of course not," Willis remarked with a grin. "This is Hikari we're talking about after all. We don't get a visit from her very often."
"So that's why you're dressed up." Terriermon replied lazily. "Your mating rituals are so strange."
"That is not why I'm dressed up." Willis protested quickly. "She outranks me in our hierarchy and I can't exactly whip up an honor guard because all of our guys are busy with patrol duty. I have to look good to make up for the lack of proper courtesy."
Terriermon rolled his eyes. "And I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that she looks like a walking heart attack. That was how you described her once, wasn't it?"
"Don't make me muzzle you again."
"Maybe I'll just think it out loud then."
"When did you get to be such a wise a..."
A rush of chilly air suddenly hit him, followed by the steady roar of jets. Moments later, the aircraft came into view, cresting the top of the castle wall. It held its position for a moment as the identity of the passenger was confirmed and then it slowly approached the flight pad. Raising a hand to his face, Willis covered himself from the wind as the aircraft came to a gentle rest on the flight pad. As he walked forward, a side hatch swung open and a metallic ladder extended to the ground. A tall, slender woman stepped up to the opening, an Angemon trailing in his wake.
It had been nearly a year since he had last seen Hikari Yagami but she still looked as breathtaking as ever. A raven black cape hung off her shoulders, framing a lithe, slender dancer's body. She was garbed in tight, form fitting clothes that resembled battle attire then anything else. Her posture was straight backed, rigid; her slender figure like a slim blade ready for battle. The hard grim look on her face made her look like a woman prepared for a long fight and he quickly began reassessing whether the attack had meant a lot more then he had thought.
"Willis," she bowed her head slightly in greeting as she stepped past him. "Come along, we've got a lot to discuss."
Willis mentally shook himself; he had been gawking at her like a fool. Thankfully, she was too preoccupied to notice or too polite to call it into question. Either way, he was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was about to turn around and follow after her but suddenly Terriermon sniffed the air, looking at the Angemon that had finally descended the stairs following Hikari.
"It's... you. You're back?"
The battle helmet on the Angemon's head creaked as he swung his head slowly downwards. A small smile came to the lips of the Angel.
"It is good to see you two again."
Willis stared up at the Angel Digimon in surprise. "When did you two return?"
"About two weeks ago."
"Where is..."
"I'll answer everything when we are inside." Hikari interrupted impatiently. "Until then, let's just get inside."
Angemon shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "She's the boss."
Willis grinned sardonically, turning and motioning for Hikari to lead the way. He, Terriermon and Angemon followed her to his office where he watched with some amusement as she took his seat. Taking the visitor's chair, he asked, "I am a bit surprised that you chose to come yourself instead of sending Iori."
"This situation is unique. You showed me Precision gateways being opened here."
"What I don't understand is how they got our coordinates. One of the portals opened right in the middle of the main courtyard."
"That disturbs me as well." Hikari frowned thoughtfully. "The coordinates you showed me were mapped by Iori and myself back when we first built the outposts."
"Why would you do that?" Willis questioned. "I thought the whole reason you reshaped the continents was so the Dark Ocean forces would be limited in the use of Precision Gateways."
"Last year, Koushirou came to the rest of us with a proposal. He said that he had made some significant headway with the virus that originally destroyed our ability to make portals. He needed some coordinates for testing though and we agreed to supply him with that information. The places you showed me where the gateways first opened matched the coordinates I gave Koushirou."
Willis' eyes widened as he understood the full ramifications of what he had just been told. "Are we looking at a full scale invasion? Just how many coordinates did you map for this project?"
"It is not that serious." Hikari replied with a shake of her head. "At most, all of us mapped a handful of coordinates in one location. And all of us chose the border outposts just so a full scale invasion would be impossible."
Willis sighed softly. "Have you found out how they got their hands on these coordinates?"
"What I am about to tell you now will stay between us two." Hikari waited for him to nod before continuing. "Last week, at the summit, we learned that an outpost on Igniz had been infiltrated by Bakemon. Sora managed to destroy it completely but not before she recovered a journal there which mentioned a visitor from Alecrast. According to Sora's administration, no such record of a visit existed with them."
"You suspect Jyou or Koushirou?" Willis questioned incredulously.
Hikari shrugged. "At this point, anything is a long-shot but these attacks only seem to point in that direction. In any case, we've already got people working on that particular problem. I am here to ensure that any more attacks don't get past this base. The first attack was probably just a primer to find more locations nearby that they can use. I will restructure this outpost while keeping an eye out for other gateways being opened in the vicinity of this base. I'll be better able to detect them on the thoughtscape then your instruments would be able to pick them up. This way you'll have adequate warning before the next attack comes."
Willis nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. "All right, I'll take you to the attack points when you're rested."
"Actually, you can take me to them now." Hikari said, rising to her feet. "I should probably give this entire base a once over just in case."
Bowing his head, Willis led her out of the room.
___________________________
Images and sounds, random and strange, danced before his eyes.
A sword thrust through his back, his blood staining the ground crimson, the spirit of a man glowing ethereally beside him.
"I would that this world be done with me."
A ripple spreading through a pond and then the image changed to a tall, dark haired man.
"My name is Akiyama, Ryo, and I need your help."
Image changing again to a small camp hidden high among snow capped mountains.
"This is all that remains of a once fair world. The leader of this camp is named Ruki Makino."
A sense of dread filling him as the image changed again. The broken, bleeding body of a dead woman lay before him. Her eyes closed in peace as they never were in life.
"A little too late." A soft, lilting voice with a faint edge of mockery sounding behind him. "She put up quite a struggle."
With a growl more animal then human, he twists around, bring up a knife concealed in his sleeve. There is a splatter of blood.
A pair of crimson eyes stare at him disinterestedly, then flick sideways and down to where his dagger has carved a thing gash in her bicep.
"If you want to kill me," she says softly, taking his blood stained hand and bringing it to her heart, "strike here."
He stares at her, his eyes pained.
She reaches forward with her other hand, gently stroking his cheek. "You can't do it, can you?"
He turns his face into her hand, blinking away tears that threaten to fall. "Hi.. Hikari, why..." he mumbles in a pained voice.
A sudden force hits him suddenly, pushing him backwards and flattening him against a granite wall. He slumps to the floor as the force holding him against the wall suddenly vanishes. The sound of footsteps and then a hand takes his chin and forces him to look upwards. His vision swimming, he focuses on a pair of ruby eyes that have haunted him for all the many years he has been alive.
"You had the perfect chance. Next time, don't hold back. I will not be so lenient twice."
The image fades in a storm of angel feathers floating down from a darkened sky.
Takeru opened his eyes and saw a beautiful woman standing beside the small cot he was laying upon, staring down at him.
"Have any interesting dreams?" She questioned with a small smile.
Grimacing, Takeru raised a hand to massage his temples. "That was devious of you."
Isuzu sat down on the edge of his cot. "I had no choice. There are no drugs on board and this was the only possible way to weaken you mentally. If it is any consolation, the images you saw will fade away fast." She stroked his cheek gently and for a second her image blurred and he saw Hikari looking down at him. "The headache though, will remain." He concentrated on her words, forcing his muddled mind to struggle for clarity. "Let us see if your mental defenses are still as formidable."
Takeru groaned, sitting up in bed. His vision swam as he glanced towards the entrance to his small cell aboard Isuzu's aircraft. A small girl stood there, her eyes closed in concentration.
"One of our own telepaths," Isuzu explained. "It is easy to instill the power in them when they are young."
A slow pressure began building in Takeru's head and he closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. The effort defeated him though as the telepath managed to get through his blocks. And then something happened that he had not expected to happen, a ward suddenly activated in his mind putting up a block against the telepath. The pressure from the telepath persisted, slowly increasing until Takeru's head was screaming with pain. Suddenly, another ward activated itself. The response to the telepath's invasion was anything but gentle.
Takeru opened his eyes and saw the small girl stagger back. A trickle of blood began leaking out of her ears as she collapsed to the floor. Within Takeru's mind, the two wards quietly switched off and he slumped back on his cot.
"Well well," Isuzu said thoughtfully, glancing back at the child convulsing on the floor. "I suppose I should have expected this. It is surprising that you would let a telepath have that much access to your mind."
Takeru watched silently, his vision still blurring hazily. He had not known about the wards although it stood to reason that Hikari would have taken measures. She would not allow him to put himself in danger without taking some steps that would ensure his protection. It angered him though that she had not told him but a little of that anger was directed at himself. How had she managed to hide those two wards in his mind without him noticing?
"Poor little thing," Isuzu said gently and he found that she was kneeling down beside the girl who had stopped convulsing on the floor. She brushed a lock of red hair off the forehead of the girl and looked over at him. "Tell me Takeru, how does it feel to have the blood of two innocent children on your hand."
Making his voice as firm as he could, he replied, "I deliver results asked of me."
"Ah yes Kroy." Isuzu smiled mysteriously. "I doubt the Chosen will have as easy a time with it as they expect. There is a little surprise I've left for them at our Embassy." She rose to her feet and stepped out of the small cell, locking the door behind her. "I'll send someone in to clean this up. Until then, she can keep you company."
Takeru sat up a little, leaning against the wall his cot was set against. Watching her leave, he brought one hand up and laid it against his forehead, gently rubbing his temples. Gradually, the headache he felt began to subside as he channeled his own healing power.
His gaze settled briefly on the body of the little girl. He glanced away, flopping back on his small cot and staring at the ceiling. This was not to be dwelt on. He could not afford to show them any weakness.
In an attempt to focus on something else, he turned towards the dream he had experienced. Even now, the images were beginning to fade as he had known they would. It was a bi-product of traveling in between dimensions. The subconscious mind acted as a tuner, picking up signals from other realities, other timelines and it was even theorized, that it was open to the future. In all the accounts, Takeru had ever read, the images faded away quickly. So, what exactly had he seen? Had it been another reality or had he seen his future?
As the images faded from his mind, he was left with a sense of disquiet. He had been fighting with Hikari for some reason. And then, even that little scrap of knowledge faded, leaving him with a mild, throbbing headache that his powers could not fix.
___________________________
At the head of the small skiff, Yamato peered into the fog, trying to make out any traces of land. He had been on the water for half a week now; steering in the direction the Shurimon had given him. Today though, had come the first sign that he was near land. Up ahead, he could hear the water crashing onto a shore. His eyes began to pick out details as the fog slowly dissipated. His small boat was headed towards a small rocky beach, a lush forest spread beyond it. As he got closer to the beach, his boat finally sliding to a stop, the fog lifted completely.
Yamato gazed up in awe, his mouth falling open as he looked around. He was inside a large valley, Snowcapped Mountains filling the horizon. A quick look behind him revealed a small lake that had moments before been the Digital Ocean.
"The Hidden Isle," Gabumon said softly, moving up beside him. "I did not think it was anything more then legend."
Yamato grunted, stepping off the skiff and onto the shore. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt the entire world shift. A sensation like a current of electricity running through his body, assaulted his senses. It caused him to stiffen involuntarily.
"Is something wrong?" Gabumon questioned, his voice full of concern.
Shaking his head slowly, Yamato looked down at the ground. "It was... something. Step down here and tell me what you feel."
Gabumon leapt off the skiff, landing lightly on the shore. He sniffed the air delicately then looked up at Yamato. "I didn't feel anything." He sniffed the air again. "There is something though; I smell smoke."
Yamato meanwhile was scanning the mountains in the distance. "Gabumon," he suddenly said hurriedly, "bio-merge, quick."
Gabumon looked up, trying to see what had caused the concern in his partner's voice. His eyes widened as he saw a large onyx construct rising in the distance. It had been quite a long time since he had last seen a Black Spire.
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The essence of chaos rebels at the thought of order. Yet Mimi Tachikawa must find a way to enforce order on chaos. Next Chapter: Kroy-The Burning City.