Disclaimer: The muses would like to remind everyone, that Angel Spirit doesn't own Digimon, just the plot of the fic. We'd also like to say that it's not our fault for any words that're smushed together, and that the AN in this chapter is a bit spoilerish if you haven't seen all of season 04, feel free to skip it!

Author's Notes: If anyone can tell me how to stop the words from smushing together when I upload chapter's, that'd be awesome. I think that I've justabout tried every trick in the book! So when I wrote thischapter, I said that my favorite eps were the Duskmon ones, when Kouichi first appears...I correct myself!My favorite eps from 04 are actually two of them...the first one being the Ice Devimon ep. Yes, his voice washorribly dubbedand I know we all much prefer the dubvoice that was used in season 03 (why they couldn't keep thatguy who dubbed Ice Devimon's voice so well there is beyond me, but it's their choicewatches as authoress shrugs) BUT, besides that there are quite a few Takouji hints in there...esp when Takuya's pretty much holding Kouji in his arms after Ice Devimon's attack...(grins sheepishly...hey, I'm a Takouji nut, it can't be helped!)My other favorite episode is actuallyone of the last battles that they have with Cherubimon...where Takuya fallsoff a cliff and Kouji has to pull him up...Takuya comes up and practically falls right on top of Kouji...(sighs dreamily and realizes she's still writing the author's note and snaps back to attention) So yes, I stand corrected on my favorite eps...hey, ithappens. And I'll have so much fun later on in this fic when that portion comes up...bwahahahahahahahahahaha...(sorry if I spoiled it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet...blushes)

Story Rating: PG13

Warning: This fic contains slash/yaoi, I suggest if you're not a fan of male/male pairings that you should hit the wonderful back button to the top left of your page and run far, far away...

Character Pairings: Takuya/Kouji (main) and eventually strong Izumi/Junpei hints.

Bold Italics means that Kouji's talking mind to mind with the Digiwomon from the last chapter-you'll find out who she is in this chapter.

Regular italics means that it's the Digiwomon speaking to Kouji through her mind…(it'll make sense when you read this chapter, I promise!)

Different Journeys

Author: Angel Spirit

Chapter 6: Light's Destiny

It was dark...and cold...he felt like he was floating...until he opened his eyes after feeling something wet trickle down his face. Using the sleeve of his windbreaker to wipe it away, he gasped a little as he realized he must've hit his head against a rock or something because he was bleeding.

Opening his eyes further, he groaned and used his elbows to sit up and look around. Whatever had decided to attack them had caved in the walls of the cave that they were in...and it had all happened because Kouji couldn't leave that stupid Digiwomon behind...he didn't know a thing about her, and yet he felt something strange from her...but it was all his fault that he and Takuya were stuck in her and...Takuya.

Remembering the scream of pain that he had heard before blacking out, Kouji gingerly stood up, making sure that nothing was broken. The only damage to himself that he knew of so far was the cut that was still bleeding, and as Kouji felt for it he located it just above his eyebrow...it wasn't very deep-or so he thought when he probed it with a couple of his fingers, slightly hissing in pain as he did so. At the moment though all he cared about was what had happened to Takuya...he could take care of his cut later.

When he didn't see the brunette right away he panicked a little...and than he heard a small groan off to his right and saw Takuya lying trapped underneath a bunch of rocks that had tumble down during the cave in. They were right on top of him, covering his legs so that Takuya was only visible from waist forward. Withhis heard pounding, Kouji rushed over to the Goggle-Head and immediately fell to his knees checking for a pulse, and than feeling a little silly for doing so...he had just groaned, hadn't he? But better to check anyway. After finding a pulse-steady but a little weak-Kouji sighed in relief.

"Takuya...come on...snap out of it..."

He muttered, gently brushing aside some strands of dark brown hair that had fallen into Takuya's face. It took Kouji a moment to realize that Takuya didn't actually have the hat or the goggles on that he had been wearing since upon their arrival...and when he looked around for them, he found them lying a few feet away. It was obvious that they had fallen off of Takuya's head during the cave in.

Leaving Takuya for a second, Kouji went to retrieve the brunette's lost items, only to look up as he was doing so and see that they had landed right in front of the Digiwomon. Kouji snarled at her, feeling like it was her fault for being there...if she wasn't there in the first place, he would've never come in here...and Takuya wouldn't be trapped like he was now.

Clutching Takuya's hat tightly in his hands, he picked up the goggles after allowing them to slide down his arm and went to move back to Takuya, who was slowly stirring back to consciousness, when he heard the Digiwomon speak into his mind once more.

'I warned you...now it's too late...' She said, following it with a heavy sigh, and Kouji turned around, face laced heavily with anger and hatred toward her.

"You warned me of absolutely NOTHING!" He snarled, and for a moment the look in her eyes seemed startled...but it faded away almost as soon as it had appeared.

'I did warn you...I warned you that only you could come in here to rescue me...it was fire's presence that set him off, leaving you both trapped in here with me forever.' Kouji seethed for a few seconds...forever...she made it sound so final.

"Yeah, well we're not going to be stuck down here forever, so you can forget that idea." The Digiwomon sighed sadly at Kouji's rebelliousness.

'You're a stubborn one, aren't you? The only way you could get out of here with your loved one is if you take what is minethat I am more than willing to give to you.' Kouji shook his head vehemently and started to walk back to where Takuya was trapped.

"NO."

'Why do you deny my gift? It is your destiny to take it from me, to free me.'

"Sorry lady, but I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore!"

'I'm afraid that you don't have much of a choice...you are the keeper of light...I was only holding it, protecting it,until you got here...'

"You stay away from me." Kouji hissed, kneeling down to Takuya as he was opening his dark browneyes then.

'I don't think we have much of a choice of that request.' Was it just his own imagination, or did the Digiwomon's voice seem to change into one of anger and determination...and suddenly Kouji felt afraid.

"Leave us alone..." He muttered as Takuya looked at him strangely, wondering who he was talking to-before crying out in pain as the rock on top of him shifted weight. He bit his lower lip, perspiring a little from the pain that ebbed throughout his whole entire body...he felt like he was slowly being crushed...

"Takuya, are you alright?" Kouji asked, eyes wide and full of concern as Takuya shook his head.

"I-I don't know...it hurts Kouji...get me out of here!" Kouji stood and brought his right hand into a tight fist of anger...he wanted to get Takuya out of there, he just didn't know how.

'The only way to get your loved one out is by taking what is mine, what should now rightfully be yours.'

'NO WAY! First of all I don't love him, and second of all I'm not taking what's yours!'

He was surprised that he said this through his mind instead of voicing his thoughts out loud and making it sound like he was crazy, wondering if it had worked-apparently it had...somehow, this woman had created a mind-link with him...it was kind of weird having someone else's voice thoughts in your head.

'Are you sure you're not in love with him? Absolutely sure?' Kouji, startledby the sudden question,thought about this whilechewing a little on his lower lip...did he love Takuya? One glance down at the brunette caused his heart to throb with worry about him being in pain, and soften at the mere sight of him at the same time...was that love? How did you know if you truly loved someone?

"Kouji...? What's going on?" Takuya looked confused, and Kouji didn't blame him...he was a little confused himself still as he slowly tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together in his mind...this Digiwomon obviously wanted him to take something of hers...but what was it?

"I...I'm not sure...it's that woman trapped in the ice...she...she can talk to me through my mind, and I can respond back to her...she...she wants me to take something from her...she says that it's the only way I can getthe both of usout of here safely." As Kouji mumbled this, he realized suddenly how stupid it sounded, but before Takuya could say anything, the rock shifted again and he groaned in pain...Kouji felt his heart pound as he knelt down and reached for Takuya's hand, feeling Takuya squeeze it hard. Hard enough to make Kouji wince at the sudden pressure.

I've got to get you out of this mess Takuya...you saved my life once earlier and I think the time has come back to repay the favor to you. Kouji thought, knowing what had to be done as he squeezed Takuya's hand back just as hard to reassure him and then stood, facing the Digiwomon. Takuya's eyes opened wide.

"Kouji...you're not actually going to...you-you can't! This is crazy!" Koujilowered hiseyes a little, so that he was looking at the groundand let out a soft sigh of sadness.

"I know it is...but I hate seeing you in this kind of pain." Takuya offered a small smile.

"Hey buddy, I can live through this...after I get out of here of course...I'll probably just get out of here with a couple of bruises, no need to worry about me!" Kouji snorted.

"I am worried about you...you really think I can lift all that rock?" Realizing that Kouji probably couldn't lift it all, Takuya's small smile fell and he tried to shift his legs underneath the rock, but only ended up groaning in pain...it felt like a dozen needles were pricking into his legs anytime he even tried to move...the weight of the rocks were to great.

"I know what I have to do." Kouji told Takuya firmly, his face set in determination. He wouldn't be talked out of his decision.

Question is, am I brave enough to do it? What was there to be afraid of? Plenty was the answer to that. Somehow, with his first interaction with the Digimon that inhabited this world, he wasn't to fond of them-at the moment. Could that all change though? He didn't really think thatthis Digiwomon wanted to hurt him. He stood and walked toward her ice cage ever so slowly, contemplating something as he moved to stand before her once more.

"You know, I know that you know who I am, but...who are you to me?" Kouji asked seriously, and sworn that if she could, the Digiwomon could've smiled-and besides, he was getting sick of calling her that. He knew from his own experience so far that the Digimon had actual names. Time to find out what hers was.

'I was wondering when you would ask me that light keeper. I am Angewomon...I was given the light to protect it until the light keeper-you-showed up to take it from me and defeat the evil that has imprisoned me here...only then can I be set free...'

"What kind of evil?"

'The evil that trapped you and your friend here." Again Kouji had the feeling that if she could smile, she would and he scowled at her.

'How do you know...that...?'

'That you have feelings for the fire keeper stronger then simple friendship? It shows...in your eyes on your face when you look at him...it is love...you just haven't realized that yet...and unless if you do realize it soon and tell him what you feel you will loose him to another.'

Kouji's face set into a look of determination. Somehow, he had to tell Takuya how he really felt about him...but who was this other? Would this person try to come in between him and Takuya? Soon...? Or far into the future?

'I'm afraid I don't understand...I...I don't want to loose him...'

'I know you don't want to loose him light keeper-'

'STOP CALLING ME THAT!'

'Sorry...Kouji...but, you will loose him...and loose him you can not...you have to establish your grounds with him before you catch up to the others.'

'Others? Do you mean the others that the Vampmon was talking about to me when he was asking me about the other children? There are other children in this world, aren't there? Besides Takuya and myself...'

In his mind, Angewomon nodded.

'Yes, there are...and you must trust me, you must free me...'

'And how do I do that?'

'Only by concurring your worst fear possible can you ever free me...you must prove that you are worthy to keep the light.'

'Worthy? Why do I have to prove myself worthy when you just said I was earlier?'

'It is time...no more questions...do you wish to save the one you love or not?'

Again, in his mind Angewomon smiled-but it seemed to be a smile of cruelty to Kouji. He glanced again over at Takuya, whose face was still contorted in pain and confusion.

"Kouji...what's going on?"

Kouji shook his head at Takuya's question...he couldn't tell Takuya what was going to happen in the next few minutes. If he did, he knew the brunette would object completely. He faced Angewomon once more.

'Alright...alright, I'm ready-but...I'll do it only if you stop calling him my lover.' Kouji told her through his mind, pointing a thumb over toward Takuya who was now thoroughly and utterly confused...why wasn't Kouji answering his questions, and what was going on? To him it looked as though Kouji was somehow communicating with that Digiwomon. And deep inside Takuya, he didn't like it...not one bit. He tried to struggle out from underneath the rock mound he was trapped underneath, but it only shifted again and caused him to cry out in pain...when he looked at Kouji after, he thought he saw a look of deep concern in his dark blue grayeyes. What was going on? Takuya felt so helpless in this situation...if he wasn't trapped underneath all this mess he would Digivolve and get them both out

"It is not your time now." The voice-the female voice that he had heard once before-came from his Detector. It was still a few feet away from him, but he could hear the voice none the less.

"What do you mean it's not my time?" Takuya groaned, keeping one eye on his Detector and one eye on Kouji-he gasped as Kouji started to walk directly toward the ice cage that the Digiwomon was held in.

"Time will tell you...but it's not time yet...you will see..." And with that, the voice vanished and the light from his Detector died down. Once it had, Takuya heard a scream of pain...and glanced up realizing that it was Kouji that had screamed-the dark haired teen whom Takuya's heartwas slowly falling for had placed his hand against the ice cage...and was now engulfed in a globe of darkness. Takuya couldn't see Kouji at all, and this caused him to panic.

"NO!" He yelled, trying once again to wiggle out from underneath the avalanche of rocks surrounding him, but still did not succeed. He had tears in his eyes...he had lost Kouji once...and he wasn't going to loose him again! He looked from the dark orb that Kouji was trapped in and for the first time since being trapped in his position, looked right into the Digiwomon's eyes...and gasped as he heard another voice-this time in his mind...and it wasn't the same voice from the Detector he had heard moments ago.

'Do not worry so...if he is worthy he will be alright...he will concur his fear and everything will be as it should be...'

"What fear? What're you talking about!"

He heard the Digiwomon sigh sadly.

'If he wishes to take what is rightfully his from me, he must concur his fear...whatever it is...'

"Who are you to do this to him!" Takuya demanded, his eyes never leaving that of the Digiwomon's.

'I am the guardian of light...the light that I guard is Kouji's to keep...if he can show me that indeed he is the true keeper...hence, the darkness...it'll show him his greatest fear. He must concur it in order to become the keeper of light. And you asked who I was...since I told him I might as well tell you as well, Fire Keeper-I am Angewomon.'

"Angewomon?" Takuya had been wondering what the wings had been for...was she some kind of Angel Digimon? Apparently so...

"So there's...nothing...I can do for him?" Takuya stammered, as Kouji cried out once more,and in his mind he saw Angewomon nod.

'Yes...nothing you can do can help him...he is on his own from here on out I'm afraid...I am sorry.'

Takuya sighed in remorse at Angewomon's answer,and continued to stare hard at the darkness surrounding Kouji as though if he stared hard enough he could see Kouji once more.

"Kouji..." He muttered, feeling something tighten in his chest as he prayed that his friend would make it out...or was Kouji more than a friend now?

Kouji felt very strange...like he was being held into place by something...

When he opened his eyes, he saw that the darkness was holding him down. Entwining itself around him like wild vines. He felt as though they were crushing him...a dark gray shadow moved toward him, glowing dimly at first and then started to brighten the closer it got to him. He tried to close his eyes again, but he found that he couldn't...there was something about that bright gray light that scared him...scared him so bad he didn't want to have anything to do with it. But he couldn't move away from it...not with the vines of darkness holding him there, trapped...he suddenly knew how Angewomon felt after all those years of being in the ice cage...

Kouji suddenly felt very cold...he managed to close his eyes...a flash of light he could see from his closed eyelids...and than he heard a scream...

Opening his eyes again, Kouji gasped and turned around a couple of different times to make sure what was happening was really real...he was back in the cave that Angewomon was trapped in...but...it was different. Different because when he glanced over to where the avalanche of rocks had fallen on top of Takuya, he saw that the brunette looked a little worse for wear...he was bleeding in several places, and his breath was coming out in short gasps...

Rushing over to him, he saw that Takuya's eyes were open-but just barely...he was having a hard time breathing. When he saw Kouji, he grinned a little bit, his cracked lip bleeding a little more as he did so.

"I-I'm sorry..." He coughed, and Kouji shook his head at Takuya's apology.

"This isn't your fault...it's my fault...I shouldn't have come back in here!"

"You said you had to save her...and this time I just don't think that I can help you." Takuya gave Kouji atiny,wry smile.

"But hey, it was fun while it lasted...right...?" The brunette breathed out, and Kouji suddenly felt tears coming into his eyes...he rarely ever cried. Yet here he was getting ready to...he could feel the tears slowly slipping from his eyes, unable to contain them. Takuya smiled sadly up at him and gave a small cough and gasped for breath afterward.

"I-I'm sorry...I really am...but...I've got something to tell you...I...I..." For a second, Takuya closed his eyes and Kouji panicked.

"TAKUYA! NO!" But it hadn't happened yet...he...hadn't left him yet...

"I...love..." Before Takuya could finish what he was trying to tell him, his eyes closed and he left Kouji forever...Kouji felt frantically for a pulse, but felt none. He felt anger welling up inside of him, and he stood, face masked in one of pain, sorrow, and anger...he clenched his hands into fists in front of him, and shook his head.

"No...No...this can't be happening...NO!"

As Takuya heard Kouji scream in the darkness again-this time louder than before-Takuya gasped and struggled some more...but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't get out from underneath the rubble...tears came into his eyes. He glanced up at Angewomon, feeling hatred toward the Angel Digimon.

"Why are you doing this!" He demanded, finishing it off with a cough as air escaped his lungs as he breathed in the dust leftover from theavalanche...but it smelled...different.

'He will beat his fear in time...give him time...'

As she said this in his mind, Takuya suddenly smelled the stink that he had smelled earlier when the cave had collapsed on them. He heard Angewomon gasp-this time in fear.

'No! Not now, not when he's so close!'

"Who is it?"

'It's...the one who wishes me to call him 'Master' but I refuse...and that is why he has trapped me here...as long as I refuse to call him such a thing he can not take the light from me.'

"The light...you said something about that before...you don't want him to take the light away from you because it belongs to Kouji, right?" She nodded.

'Correct little one...you are smart for a human...' Takuya's lips curled up in distaste.

"I'm no ordinary human!" He sneered, and she somewhat apologized to him.

'I'm sorry, I know...but at the moment that's what you are...nothing but a human. You are unable to Digivolve into a Digimon this time around, because Kouji must prove his worth by himself.'

"Yeah, well...I hope he proves it soon..." Takuya grumbled, holding his breath against the smell...man, whatever was making the stench smelled real bad...and it was only coming closer.

"I won't let this happen! I will NOT! Takuya's NOT DEAD...this is just a DREAM...a NIGHTMARE...he's safe and sound..." Suddenly, Kouji remembered all that had happened before this. Was this the fear that Angewomon had been talking about? Was loosing Takuya his greatest fear of all? Even though he'd been through so much in his life, with so many things that could be his worst fear...but this had to be it. He had to concur this...and he had a feeling that he had little time to do so.

"NO! This isn't happening! The Takuya I know would never give in so easily to death! He's alive and...even though he's trapped underneath all that rubble, he's well...he has yet to give up on me and I WON'T GIVE UP ON HIM! I LOVE HIM!" He suddenly bellowed out, and things slowly started to vanish around him.

As soon as Kouji realized this, his own heart nearly stopped-was this why Angewomon made him do this? So he could truly realize what his own heart felt toward the brunette he had been travelling with since they entered this strange world? It had to be...and he was going todefeat this newestfear, and get back to the one he loved so he could tell him.

"I don't care what you throw at me now...I can defeat any fear...I know Takuya loves me back...because I love him so much..." As Kouji stated this over and over again, he saw a shining light surround him...it was bright and warm, and suddenly the grayness that had attached itself to him when he had first woken up in the darkness left...the dark vines recoiled and let him go and he felt himself drop to his knees, shivering and sweating a little at the excursion of it all...he had done it. He knew he had...

When a hand was placed on his shoulder, he looked up into the bright green eyes of Angewomon.

"Thank you." She said in a strong, sincere voice, and reached up and undid a clasp that belonged to a smallsilver chain that hung around her neck. Attached to it was a small, glittering diamon that looked like a tear drop.

"I do believe that this now belongs to you...use it wisely...and it will help you in return." Angewomon smiled at him and bowed to him as she redid the clasp so that the necklace now hung around his neck. When she backed away, Kouji held thediamond in his hand, so he could look at it, a questioning look in hisdark blue gray eyes. He looked up at Angewomon, who just smiled.

"It is yours to keep...Light Keeper...yours to use...use it now and go tell the one you love how much you truly care for him...only your love can keep him safe." Kouji nodded and bowed his head as he stood. The diamond that hung on the chain suddenly glowed...but when it glowed it glowed a brilliant bright white light...and Kouji felt the darkness around him slowly disappear-and in it's place, he saw what he needed to get him and Takuya out of here...his spirit.

Holding out his Detector, he somehow felt a powerful surge inside of him as his spirit came flying toward him...

"SPIRIT!"

Takuya was finding it hard to breath. He kept on having to hold his breath against the smell...

"What...stinks...so...bad?" He choked out and looked up at Angewomon, who shrugged...wait a minute...she shrugged...but she hadn't moved since he and Kouji had gotten in here because of the ice cage surrounding her...blocking any form of movement she could make, holding her frozen.

It was then, that Takuya realized that the darkness that had surrounded Kouji the moment he had touched the ice imprisoning Angewomon was slowly but surelyfading away into nothingness...andinstead, abright white light filled the room.

Wondering what was going on, Takuya squinted his eyes as he saw Kouji digivolve...a smile upon his lips...so that was what the voice on his Detector meant when it wasn't his time. It wasn't his turn to be a hero...it was Kouji's.

At least Kouji's going to get what he wants...and that's to repay me for saving his life before... Takuya thought, wondering if this was the way it was going to be between the two of them as long as they were in the Digital World...could it be that after Kouji saved Takuya's life, it would be Takuya to save Kouji's once again? Only time could tell.

You know, I'm getting really sick of the word 'time'. Takuya thought, as he watched as the bright light sent all the darkness away and Kouji was there in the middle of it all...but he wasn't really Kouji anymore-he was now a Digimon...like the way Takuya had been when he was Agunimon, but different. And as the darkness melted away, so did the ice that contained Angewomon...she was freed.

"Thank you Lobomon...Kouji...without you I would have never felt this freedom that you give me now." Kouji...or now Lobomon as Angewomon had called him...nodded at Angewomon and glanced back over at Takuya, who was still stuck but had long since stopped struggling and was now staring up at Kouji with awe.

"Ready to get out of here?" Kouji growled in a low voice, and Takuya nodded. He knew he could trust Lobomon-he knew that Lobomon was Kouji. Somehow he could still hear Kouji's voice coming from within the Digimon as their two voices intermingled.

"Am I ever..." Takuya replied honestly, and Lobomon-Kouji-chuckled.

"Sure you are..." He grinned down at Takuya and was moving toward him to help him...when suddenly the Digimon who had created the big stinking smell from earlierappeared out of nowhere and decided to attack...sending more rocks and boulders everywhere...if Lobomon hadn't been so close to Takuya, Takuya's whole body would've vanished under the rock slide. Instead though, Kouji had sprinted forward and positioned himself over Takuya, to protect him. Takuya gasped for air and glanced up at Kouji with a look of thanks. Kouji nodded from within Lobomon.

"We need to talk when this is all over." Kouji murmured, so that only Takuya could hear. Widening his eyes as he wondered what it was that Kouji wanted to talk about, Takuya nodded a little, his vision had started to spin...all he wanted to do was get out of this stinking cave...literally...

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Lobomon demanded, asAngewomon looking around for the one who had wanted her to call 'master'. All he was greeted with was a low growl that echoed off the crumblingwalls.

"He's here...I know he is..." Angewomon muttered...and Kouji suddenly felt the urge to fight. He knew the only way they could all get out of here was if this guy-this Digimon-was defeated once and for all.

"Protect Takuya." Koujimuttered toward the now-free Angewomon, who nodded and hovered close by Takuya, who was grinding his teeth in pain, trying to hide it from Kouji. He had enough on his mind, but quite suddenly Takuya was sure that he had broken something...or at least had a cracked rib...

Again Lobomon demanded the evil Digimon to show itself...and this time it did as Lobomon ordered, and the room stunk even more than before as all three occupants gasped at the sight of Angewomon's captive.

"You! This is all your fault..." Kouji spat out, feeling a furious hatredtoward the evil Digimon well up inside him as he rushed forward, weapon in hand...

TBC

Ending Note: Chapter revised on 08/27/05-I think I'm on a roll here! LOL! Yes, I deleted the lyrics from here...(sighs dismally) I do still have the original copy though...so I guess if you guys want the lyric version of it, email me and I'll see what I can do.