Ok I have to clear something up that's within this chapter. In earlier Chapters that had Gatomon fight Heaven's Charm healed, it is actually an attack. I was watching Digimon Scenes and I found out that it was used as a Healing move during the Myotismon fight but as an attack (which looked nothing alike the 'Heaven's Charm' in the Myotismon fight) when she fought LadyDevimon. So I looked it up, the healing move is Saint's Air and Heaven's Charm is an attack. I hope the chapter is good.
Chapter Forty Three: Loyalty
I stood there with my hands held out; the shield was getting harder and harder to hold. I can't let it fall though. If it falls both Koichi and I will be in trouble. There is no way that he can move at the moment and there is no way that I can leave it to hold itself and get out of the way. That shield would break in a split second. I don't have the strength that I would need to put into that to give me time to get out of its path.
"I'm surprised that you have managed to hold it off as long as you have." I closed one of my eyes in concentration.
Barbamon was laughing and it was taking everything I had to hold it at the moment. I couldn't see him and I knew he was probably about to launch another attack and force it to break. He's trying to make a point about us not being able to do anything against them. I won't be the one that is used as the example. I won't be the one that makes them lose their hope of winning. I didn't want to be the weak point in this team.
"No matter what you will lose to that." I bit my lip and I tasted something metallic in my mouth.
"Frozen Hunter!" If I had the thought to spare I would've been surprised by Koji suddenly using that.
He was trying to help despite the fact that he doesn't trust me. Or if he does it's very little. I don't blame them if they don't trust me since I've hidden things from them since I met them. I even hid things from Koichi and I've known since I was young.
"Solar Wind Destroyer!" I heard them hit him but I still couldn't see.
Yet based off what I had seen before it wouldn't bother him. It wouldn't hurt him and he would just brush it off as if it was nothing. As if their attacks were measly flies. I have to do this not matter what. I have to beat this. I managed to hurt him, that's one step forward. It also showed that they aren't invincible. We have hope in this battle. We can fight them, I can fight them.
I recoiled back slightly though when flames managed to get through and it licked my skin, I hissed in pain and my shield faltered but I forced the pain away and I strengthen the shield that was slowly breaking apart due to my loss of focus. My hands hurt from where the flames had burned them but I couldn't focus on that.
This pain was nothing if it meant holding this shield and protecting Koichi. There wasn't much else that I could do. I won't let them hurt my friends any more than they already have. I remember the oath I had taken.
"Heaven's Charm!" I faintly saw pink flicker out the side of my eye but I had to focus.
I flinched back slightly as it slipped through a bit more. I can't hold this for much longer. I never thought that it would end up like this. I watched as my shield began to fade but I also noticed that the attack had burned out a good amount. I managed to hold it off for a while. Flames invaded and they caught my hands once again. I felt tears well in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I won't let this shield fall until I have no strength at all.
'Hey, didn't I say I'd help you whenever you needed it?' The voice drifted into my mind from nowhere.
My eyes widened though hearing the words. A soft laughter trickled into my mind it was so warm and comforting. Why would I remember those words now of all times? Kain's dead. Even if once upon a time he would help he can't help me now. Just before I closed my eyes from the pain and not wanting to watch as my shield broke I was taken by surprise when two symbols began to glow on my hands. They were the same and they were a symbol that I would never forget.
The symbols glowed pure white. They symbol itself was a small circle and it looked like it had angel wings sprouted from it. The wings were unfurled fully. I stared at the symbol and I faintly realized that I didn't register the pain from my hands and they were slowly healing but that was as far as my mind wandered from the symbols that were upon the back of my hands.
How? Why were they on my hands? I was Loyalty. I'm the DigiDestined of Loyalty. Why is the symbol of Faith there? Why is Kain's symbol the one that is glowing?
'I'll always be there for you.' The words weren't in my head, it sounded like they whispered into my ear.
"How!" Barbamon's yelling was what snapped me out of my thoughts.
Yet I was surprised. My shield of lightning hadn't fallen in truth it the blue lightning sparked brighter than ever and it also let off a faint white glow. His attack was nowhere to be seen and he was staring at me. How did I repel his attack? My shield should've fallen especially since I zoned out.
"You shouldn't have been to stop that!" I stared at him; I was just as surprised as he was.
"Don't be so surprised, you aren't all-powerful after all." I think Takuya had a death wish.
Why was he taunting Barbamon!? Barbamon's mad and he's just going to make it worse. I don't think he knows how painful those attacks are. If he does then he's stupid or just asking to be reminded!
"I guess you aren't that strong after all." Why does Koji have to join in with Takuya taunting him!?
"Take that Barbamon!" I don't know if that's taunting or just rubbing it in his face but really, even Kari has to comment?
I don't know how I managed it. Wait. I looked at my hands, the Crest of Faith was still there but it was fading. I didn't do it. Whatever happened was thanks to the Crest of Faith, because of Kain no it couldn't have been him. Kain's dead and I know this. He died in my arms.
"Pandemonium Lost!" They shouldn't have taunted him.
I was going to move because it's best not to stand still but the moment I shifted the world spun. I could tell what happened. Though I heard Takuya and Koji scream, they got hit but how. They weren't close together and it wasn't a wide range attack. I heard something hit the ground.
"Angewomon!" I guess Kari got pushed out the way.
I hit the ground and it took a few moments for the world to stop. The space where I had stood shimmered in its personal heat wave and it gave off scolding air. I guess stumbling and falling on my butt actually did save me for once.
"Kari." The world froze; the heat I felt from Barbamon's attack didn't register.
It felt like everything was cold. I turned my head slowly to look at Koichi. He had pushed himself up a few inches off the ground and was looking towards Kari. Even now he's more worried about Kari. He didn't even look to Takuya or even his own twin. He looked to Kari who was saved from the attack.
Even now no matter how hard you work you have nothing but she hasn't tried and she has what you desire. I hung my head and licked my lip, I tasted the blood.
"Aw, I missed two." My hands curled into fists.
Why? No matter how hard I try nothing ever changes. I can't protect my friends. I don't have the strength to do so no matter how hard I try. I like Koichi. Dare I even say I love Koichi? Yet he can't be mine. He loves Kari. It's plain and simple. No. It's painfully simple.
"Oh it looks like the Darkness is awake now too. I was starting to think he was dead." Why do I even try?
"Shut up!" I glanced at Koichi from the side of my eye.
He had forced himself up. He was shaking but it wasn't from anger. I knew from just the way he shook, it was familiar to me. He was afraid. His eyes darted from Koji and Takuya to Kari and Angewomon. Glancing at them I found that Takuya and Koji still stood. Barbamon laughed and when I heard something hit the ground I looked, Koichi had falling.
"Weak! Evil Inferno!" It came hurtling towards us but the fading shield sparked to life once more.
I watched surprised as it easily repelled it but the black fire slowly turned white before it faded away. Just what did the Crest of Faith do to my lightning? I saw the electricity fade completely though within seconds. I guess it was the last act that it could do.
"Aw even now you protect him huh? You really are a pain you know that Storm?" I looked at Barbamon; he had his wand pointing at me.
"You were supposed to die but that brat saved you. Wasn't his name, Kain Shuji? Wasn't he the DigiDestined of Faith?" I narrowed my eyes at him when he said Kain's name.
"Kain Akira. He hated the last name Shuji since it was the name of his worthless father." It was on reflex, I always corrected people.
Kain hated being referred to as 'Kain Shuji'. Shuji was the last name of his dead beat father who abandoned his mother and him when he was five. He rather have Akira which was his middle name be his last name.
"I wonder what it'll be like to die by the hand of your friend instead of being saved." His words confused me.
"Lightning Volley!" I called it out and fed it energy I didn't know I had.
I watched as the balls of electricity shot towards him but he just laughed. He vanished before they even reached him. He's running away. I wonder if that means that the attack would've hurt him. That is! They seem like they don't feel anything but I bet they do. They probably have a certain amount of pain tolerance or they have some kind of shield that takes a certain amount of damage and absorbs certain things.
Yet my mind wandered, what did he even mean? How would I die at the hand of my friend instead of being saved? Kain wouldn't kill me even if he could. Besides that none of my other friends have saved me. Well about the only friend that I have is Koichi and I guess he has saved me but he wouldn't do anything to me.
"Storm!" It came from Kari and in that instant I realized something.
Koichi wouldn't hurt me by his own will. He wouldn't harm me if he had any say in it. Even though everything screamed at me to move my body wouldn't. I looked over my shoulder. Koichi didn't stand there but a Digimon did. I could tell though that it was Koichi. I just knew it. The armor was black and it had eyes on its arms, knees, feet, and one eye on its chest. I watched as it raised its arm, raising the red blade that sprouted from its hand.
"Koichi?" My eyes were wide and I just stared.
Why couldn't I move? Why is it that all I could do is stare at him? I couldn't fight my friends. They knew that because they saw it when they turned my friends four years ago. I just sat still and I watched; I couldn't fight my friends even if I knew they were being controlled.
"Cleansing Light!" Before I could do or say anything I was grabbed.
I was set on my feet by Kari. Takuya had grabbed me but I just continued to stare at Koichi. He dodged the attack that Koji had sent at him. I expected that to be all but Koji actually charged at Koichi. Are they going to fight? Why would they fight? They're siblings, twins. I know siblings fight but the fight that I saw starting wasn't a fight that siblings would have. No it was the fight between enemies.
"W-who is that?" My hand twitched at Kari's question that was Koichi.
"Duskmon, it's the corrupted form of the Spirit of Darkness." No that's Koichi.
"We have to defeat him if we want Koichi to come back." Come back, he's right there though.
"Angewomon can you?" Even Kari was going to fight Koichi?
If only if only right? She could probably bring him back since he loves her. He loves her, not you. You can only wish that he did though. You're right.
She was Light. She could be a light in the darkness. She could reach in and pull Koichi out of the darkness that has consumed him but she's just going to fight him. She could probably reach him so easily because she holds his heart. It's easy to speak to the heart when you hold it so close.
That's right; she's going to fight him. Why not prove your loyalty to him and continue to stand by his side. Maybe your loyalty to him will make him love you. You are loyal to the one you love after all right?
I did tell him what no matter what I would always be by his side. I told him that even if the world becomes his enemy I would be his friend. It was back then in the mess of when he found out that he had a twin brother. Back when his grandmother died and he felt like he was all alone. I told him no matter what he would have me.
"I can still fight." Angewomon got up.
I watched as Takuya and Angewomon went at Koichi. They were going to fight him; his twin brother, his best friend, and Kari's beloved Digimon. He has to be lonely there, fighting alone fighting those that were his friends or precious to him or in Angewomon's case close to someone he held close.
You want to protect your friend don't you? If I fight them though who would I fight?
You know who. I turned my head to look at Kari.
She was watching them fight Koichi. She was defenseless. She was more worried about Koichi trying to hurt her. Why did they just resort to fighting without trying to save him by other means? My energy sparked out, the electricity began to coat my hand. She's only human.
That's right. She's the weak point. I turned towards her and she looked me.
"Storm, what's wrong?" Attack her.
"Why didn't you just try to talk to Koichi? Why must you fight him?" Kari blinked, taken aback by what I said.
See she didn't even think about trying to talk to him.
"He tried to attack you; if it wasn't for Takuya you would probably be dead. Even if it's Koichi we don't let someone hurt or try to hurt our friends and get away with it." She counts me as a friend?
Don't listen to her. Why would she lie to me?
Easy, she likes Koichi and sees you as competition. No, she likes Koji.
She doesn't like Koichi like that as far as I know. That's what makes me so angry. He'll only get hurt because she'll choose his twin over him.
"Ghost Move." It stuck through my thoughts and my eyes widened.
'Protect her please.' I don't know where it came from but without looking I knew.
"Lunar Plasma!" I turned and I held out my hand that was coated with electricity.
The energy that had coated my palm seemed to turn into a blade. I was surprised and I stared at it before my gaze shifted to Koichi's current form. I don't know how I knew that he was going for Kari. I didn't know how I managed to intercept him or about the electric sword I wielded. I didn't just stare at him but I stared into his eyes. What seemed like a few seconds later he retreated and Koji was moving from in front of us to charging at Koichi.
"T-that voice." Koichi asked me to protect her.
He's only worried about her. I closed my eyes and my arm fell to my side.
"Storm, we should go." Kari's voice cut through my thoughts this time.
"Let them deal with Duskmon." That's Koichi, not Duskmon.
"Storm?" When Kari placed her hand on my shoulder I flinched.
"Even if the form is corrupted that's still Koichi!" I had turned towards her and slapped her hand away.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. They were fighting Koichi. They were hurting Koichi. I can't believe that they claim to be his friends if they're so willing to attack him the moment the form is corrupted. The first thing they do is attack him. They didn't even hesitate like they did when it was Takuya who was the enemy. They hesitated then but they didn't hesitate to attack Koichi.
"Even so he's the enemy now." She muttered the words but she still said then.
"That's now what you said when it was Takuya! You hesitated to even fight Takuya but the moment that it's Koichi you don't even think twice about fighting him!" I felt the tears that I held back start to fall.
"Dark Crescent!" I turned to look when I heard the crashes.
Whatever the attack was it had sent Koji and Takuya flying and they crashed into the ground. Angewomon reverted back to Gatomon as she got flung our way. I heard Kari yelp before she dived to catch Gatomon so she wouldn't slam into the ground. Koji and Takuya struggled to get up but they had taken a beating from Barbamon so I wasn't surprised when they failed to stand and they reverted back to being human.
"Only way to get him back is to defeat him." I knew Takuya's comment was directed at me but I wouldn't attack him.
"Koji!" Kari was quick to yell his name because Koichi was stalking towards him.
"Lightning Rain!" Instead of falling from the sky like usual it came from my hand.
It didn't hit him but it was enough to draw his attention from Koji. I wouldn't fight him. He was still Koichi. He's still the best friend that I have. I don't know where the energy was coming from but it just seemed to flow from nowhere. I summoned up more and I moved away from Kari. Koichi came at me and I only looked.
"Storm!" Kari called my name out.
Perhaps they would've thought that I had a plan had I not let the electricity fade away. Shouldn't I be afraid of Koichi since he was being controlled? I held my arms up and open. Shouldn't I be scared of him? I wasn't afraid. Is it because I didn't care if I died? No I cared if I died but I wasn't afraid of dying.
"Do something you idiot!" I was surprised that Koji even tried to do something since he didn't seem to like me.
"Koichi. I know it's hard but you're not weak." Koichi seemed to falter for the smallest second.
"If you ever need a hand just tell me k? I'll help you; I'll be on your side no matter what." Tilting my head ever so slightly I smiled.
'Your strength comes from your friends you know? Also, never let your smile fade away.' I don't know why the memory came to my mind but it just made me smile wider.
Kain always loved my smile. He said it always made him feel better. I didn't understand him completely, he liked questioning the world and he thought deeply for a kid but there had been something about him. He kept me grounded over those years where I suffered.
"You know me by now Koichi, when I promise something I mean it." I didn't even flinch when the red blade was raised.
"Storm!" I was surprised that Kari and Takuya had yelled my name.
"You don't have to hurt alone." The sword vanished.
Before our eyes the armor that belonged to the Digimon they called Duskmon faded away. Koichi emerged but he was out. He sank to his knees and fell forwards, I knelt at his side and I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair. Bonds can beat the control of the Demon Lords. Then again I did counter it with the opposite. Barbamon was the Demon Lord of Greed.
"If you ever get lost in that darkness again, I'll be right here for you." I muttered the words but I saw him smile slightly despite being unconscious.
"How did you do that!?" I looked up and over to Takuya, he was staring at me with wide eyes.
"You shouldn't be surprised what loyalty to a friend can do." I won't abandon any of my friends.
"Loyalty?" I nodded my head.
"Yes loyalty, that's also the title of which I carry." I glanced at Koichi, my hand rested on his head.
"Your title?" I nodded.
"Yelp. I'm the DigiDestined of Loyalty." I smiled wider and looked at them.
Why is it so easy to smile suddenly? Was it because that it felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders? I don't know. I heard something that made my eyes widen. I looked to Koichi. He was still unconscious. If only those words were true. I wish they were true.
"Storm." It was low so I nearly missed it but he said it.
He said my name. I felt my cheeks heat slightly and I tore my gaze away from him. Kari had gone over to check on Koji, Takuya was stumbling his way over too. Was something wrong with Koji? Sighing I glanced at Koichi once more.
"… the seal that holds it together."