Alright, so this chapter took a while to get out. I'm sorry for that. I'm going tell the truth. First it was because I had finals to study for then it was because something that I've been fighting for a while in a silent battle decided to sneak attack me. I never spoke about it before because I don't want to use it as an excuse or to get attention, I rather not really talk about it actually but since I'm struggling with it really badly right now and it is making writing hard I'm going to tell you guys. I've struggled with depression for years now - about every time I took a long break in this story and especially when I had my small meltdown and was going to discontinue the story it was because I hit rough patches where I had no desire to do anything. This isn't an excuse or me trying to get attention, this is me admitting a fault that I have that may impact this story and cause either slow updates or sadly another long break.
Chapter Seventy One: Friends
[Kari's P.O.V]
"Strike Bomber!" Coredramon hit Korikakumon and actually made him go flying.
Korikakumon landed on his feet though and glared at Coredramon. Coredramon growled as he stood in front of BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon since they still weren't moving. I looked at my card and then back to BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon. They were having problems fighting their friends I think.
"Hurricane Gale!" The attack came at Coredramon.
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon's arrow struck through the gust and managed to make it split.
After the attack split in half it hit the ground and there were grooves caused in the ground. The arrow hadn't reached them but the fact that Angewomon managed to at least make the attack split was good enough. Yet it also showed that our opponents wouldn't easily be defeated.
"Release." I whispered the word and the card vanished as my outfit changed, it was the same as the one I had when we fought Belphemon.
Coredramon charged at MetalKabuterimon while Angewomon shot an arrow at Korikakumon. Zephyrmon was left and she had sent another attack, this time it was aimed at me instead of BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon. I still wasn't sure how to use this completely but I raised my hands. Light appeared and created a shield that actually blocked the attack and I felt a bit accomplished, I was controlling this better each time I used this.
"Plasma Paws!" My eyes widened, I hadn't even realized that Zephyrmon had shot towards me.
"Zoe!" I cringed slightly for Zephyrmon, well she was called Zoe.
KendoGarurumon had moved and he pounced on Zephyrmon, knocking her away from me. KendoGarurumon was growling as he had Zephyrmon pinned to the ground. Looks like Koji wasn't frozen anymore and he was ready to fight.
"Pyro Barrage!" I looked to the battle and found that Coredramon and Angewomon had retreated, BurningGreymon's attack slammed into MetalKabuterimon and Korikakumon.
They both seemed to be back to normal. Zephyrmon appeared by MetalKabuterimon and Korikakumon but KendoGarurumon approached BurningGreymon, they were standing side by side as the front line. Both of them weren't happy and both seemed ready to pounce.
"You know them?" Angewomon asked the question that I already knew the answer to.
"Yes, they're our friends but towards the beginning of this they were taken control of." Koji growled the words out.
"We have to save them this time." Takuya bent forward and his movements began the fight once more.
"Frozen Thunder Gale!" A strong gust that was electrified while carrying shards of ice came rocketing towards us.
"Lux Scutum!" The words tumbled from my lips without any thought.
A shield appeared in front of BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon, taking the full brunt of the combo attack. Everyone besides BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon looked at me, if I could've I would've looked at myself. I was just as surprised as they were about the fact that I had created this shield. I knew I could make the personal shield but not one that was pretty much a dome that protected us all.
"Howling Star!" KendoGarurumon had jumped from the shield and he went at MetalKabuterimon but then actually moved and managed to get Korikakumon while Zephyrmon escaped to the air.
"Pyro Barrage!" BurningGreymon's attack hit Zephyrmon and drove her downwards into the ground.
"They seem much easier than Takuya when he was controlled." Angewomon's words confused me but I knew while she had been present when Koji had fought the controlled Takuya I hadn't been, they never did tell me what fully happened in that battle.
"While it may be easier it still seems to be too easy." Koji growled the words out but suddenly there was a gust that blew the dust away that had swallowed the three that had been caused by Zephyrmon slamming into the ground.
"I don't think that's good from what I've seen so far." Coredramon spoke but no one had to ask why.
MetalKabuterimon, Korikakumon and Zephyrmon were all swallowed by a massive amount of Fractal Code. I had only seen that much for one Spirit Evolution level. KendoGarurumon and BurningGreymon retreated to the dome shield that had yet to fade even though it didn't feel like I was doing anything to keep it present.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, didn't they only have access to Beast Spirit before, Koji?" Takuya's stunned voice confirmed my thoughts.
"Yeah." The Fractal Code cleared as Koji replied stunned.
"RhinoKabuterimon." RhinoKabuterimon's voice was hollow and while it looked like a huge rhinoasur beetle it mostly black while its horn and the claw like things it had was a sickly grey color.
"JetSilphymon." Again the voice was hollow but her arm was black as well while only the bottom of her boots and two things on her arms were silver, the skin that was seen was a sickly pale greyish white color.
"Daipenmon." The hollow voice that came from huge black and sickly silver penguin made me shiver, it held two giant ice pops – one was a dark blue that was nearly black while the other was a dark pink that it was nearly black as well.
"This is a bit more reminiscent to the fight against the Black Aldamon now." Angewomon didn't exactly sound happy as she spoke.
"I've seen those Digimon before and they're not supposed to be those colors." Coredramon was on guard and he looked ready to pounce.
"That probably means that the Demon Lords did something to them." Nori voice's wavered between angry and scared.
"Lightning Liberation!" RhinoKabuterimon brought its head high and its horn sparked.
My eyes wide because of the sheer amount of electricity that sparked off before crashing in on my shield. My shield fought to keep the attack out but it was quickly cracking and when I threw my hands up and tried to funnel energy into it the attempt was too late. I closed my eyes waiting for the pain and to hear the scream that would come from Nori when she'd get hit. When there was nothing I opened my eyes slowly. I was surprised though.
Koji had gone from KendoGarurumon to what I've dubbed as ShineLobomon – the altered version of Lobomon he had. He had stabbed his sabers into the ground and the both of us had been swallowed by a ball of light. I glanced towards Nori only to find her covered by Coredramon. Coredramon wasn't fairing too well against the lightning but he didn't buckle or stop protecting Nori.
"Kari, can you make another shield?" Koji's voice shook and I realized how much trouble he had holding the shield he had managed to create.
"I don't know how I managed the last one." I raised my hands and stared at them.
"Air Bomb!" The hollow voice of JetSilphymon rung out and there was a wild cross breeze that was pushing and pulling.
"Popsicle Smash!" One of Daipenmon's popsicles were coming straight for Koji and me.
I placed my hands on the armor of ShineLobomon and closed my eyes. I had tried to recall how I made the shield but I couldn't remember. I could only hope that Koji's shield would hold. I opened my eyes when Koji laughed.
"If we ever catch a break Storm or Evan needs to teach you how to wield that consciously." The dome shield was back but only covered me and Koji; JetSilphymon and Daipenmon had been pushed back away from us.
"Coredramon!" I looked over at Nori when she shouted.
Coredramon was breaking into data but he wasn't revering to a different form. Coredramon was 'defeated'. Nori stared at him looking horrified but I couldn't blame her. Her partner was vanishing right before her eyes. He raised a claw and ran it across Nori's cheek without hurting her at all.
"Are you hurt?" Nori shook her head and a second later Coredramon burst into data.
"Good." Coredramon's voice echoed from empty space.
"Jet Impact!" JetSilphymon's voice broke the silence and the attack went straight for Nori.
"Nori!" BurningGreymon made a dive for Nori as he shouted her name.
"Move!" ShineLobomon moved towards Nori since she wouldn't move, her shoulders were shaking though.
"You'll pay for that!" Nori's voice echoed throughout the room and wings of flames appeared which shielded her from JetSilphymon's attack.
"Digi Core: Energize!" I was confused by her words but through the borrowed shirt the gems embedded into her back were glowing brightly.
She was swallowed by fire and it burned hotter and brighter than I expected and the chill that had invaded the room from Daipenmon was chased away. When I heard an odd noise I looked, the popsicles that Daipenmon had in his hands had melted completely and he was shying away from Nori as if the heat was too much for him.
"Phoenix Fire!" I looked back to Nori when a jet of flames slammed into JetSilphymon.
Around Nori floated small red spheres but she was off of the ground. Wings of fire had spread from her back and held her afloat off of the ground. Her outfit had changed and I was almost reminded of the Spirit Evolutions but seemed to be a cross between the Spirit Evolutions and the Card Releases. Nori wore a fire red dress that drifted about her knees while she wore black leggings underneath of it. Her feet though seemed to have shifted into those of a bird. She lowered her hands and the red bangles that were on her arms that looked crystal like stopped glowing.
"What did you just do?" Her fiery wings flared at my question.
"Focus on the battle, I'll answer questions later." Nori growled the words out and she bent slightly before she shot through the air, she looked like an arrow and she was headed straight for RhinoKabuterimon.
"She's right there, we don't how long they'll be here." Koji shifted and went towards JetSilphymon as an arrow of light.
"Slide Evolution: Flare!" BurningGreymon changed to the altered Agunimon and Takuya charged in that form.
"Nori, get out of the way!" Wizardmon called it and I looked over confused but I was surprised.
When had Angewomon used that? I stared at the shimmering ring of light above her that was green within, the energy it had absorbed forming the arrow that she was about to shoot at RhinoKabuterimon. Had she shielded her and Wizardmon by using that to absorb the attack and charger her own?! As Angewomon let the arrow go a jet of superheated flames passed through the green and was turned into energy for the arrow.
"Celestial Arrow!" The arrow actually looked unstable and flames sparked around it and just as it hit RhinoKabuterimon it seemed to lose all stability and it actually exploded.
I watched as JetSilphymon and Daipenmon was thrown into the staggered RhinoKabuterimon. All three of them were pretty banged up. Something really has changed in power since this fight began. Before this I don't think Angewomon would have been able manage what she had. I don't think Takuya or Koji was as strong as this when we started this battle. I think since the beginning of the battle with the Demon Lords we all have steadily grown stronger.
"Shining Flare!" The words were said in unison by Takuya and Koji, a burst of fire that was surrounded by light slammed into the three controlled Digimon.
I bit my lip because they screamed. The screams sounded human like and my heart hurt hearing those screams. When the fire and light died away the three Digimon were surrounded by Fractal Code, two of the Spirit Totems as I called them floated within the ring of Fractal Code for each of them. JetSilphymon and Daipenmon's Fractal Code was scanned, Takuya scanned JetSilphymon and Koji scanned Daipenmon.
"Purifying Flames." Nori's voice sounded hallow and suddenly the Fractal Code of RhinoKabuterimon caught on fire.
"What are you doing!?" Everyone but I yelled at Nori, I saw what she was doing because the dark tint to the Spirit Totems was vanishing just like the tint had vanished when Takuya and Koji had scanned the Fractal Code – perhaps I only noticed it because there was a slightly shine of light to them, light that I had seen before but I knew others hadn't seen, maybe the others couldn't see the small change that I could see.
"Look before you yell." From the surprised gasps I guess they realize what she did.
I watched as the three Digimon all reverted, they reverted back to humans. Takuya and Koji's friends sat there in a pile. I was right that they were their friends, they really did have to fight their friends. Angewomon approached them and I had a feeling I knew what she was going to do before she did it.
"Saint's Air!" As I expected, their wounds began to heal and I let the card vanished and I was relieved that it turned out that I hadn't really needed it after all.
"I still think that battle was too easy." Koji spoke as he reverted back human.
"I'm not sure, that may have been their first time at the Fusion Level and even if they were controlled that could've taken a lot out of them." Takuya reverted back to human as well and only spoke once he was out of his Spirit Evolution.
"Mind explaining what you did now?" Wizardmon brought attention back to Nori at his question.
Nori landed and her feet reverted back to human as the red spheres circled around her feet. As the ring of red spheres moved upwards she reverted back to how she was before she did whatever she did. Once the red spheres passed her head though they combined into one large sphere. She hadn't had that sphere before so I waited for where it would go. The sphere shrunk down and a chain of silver appeared.
"That gem." I stared at it, white flames seemed to dance within it.
"Isn't that the same as the one that Storm has?" Koji asked it while Nori seemed surprised to hear that.
"No, the one that Storm has is blue." Were the two connected?
"Storm has a Digi Core?" I was surprised by Nori's question.
"That's a Digi Core?" Nori nodded her head.
"Yes, I didn't tell the truth but I didn't lie. The one embedded into my back isn't the only one that I have. I usually have this one hidden away after all if this one is broken then I lose access to what abilities that I gained." Nori spoke and I remembered how Storm claimed hers was the 'key' to her power.
"Digi Cores like this one are only found with the Harmonious Ones, they are the only ones that can give away their Digital Cores without dying like others usually do. As far as I knew I was the only one who had a Digi Core from one of the Harmonious Ones." Nori closed the shrunken Digi Core in her hand and held it to her chest.
"This one is a Flame Digital Core from Zhuqiaomon." Her hand trembled when she said the name.
"Why would Storm call hers the key to her powers if she has a Card?" Nori shook her head and looked at me.
"I don't know, there are variety of reasons for that. It all comes down to three possibilities more than likely. She either received the Digital Core to actually be able to control the amount of power she has, the Digital Core gives her more power or quite possibly the Digital Core might be the true form of her card." I bit my lip.
She said that the one she had was given to her by one of her friends didn't she; that he had found it and given it to her. Was it was by accident that she ended up with it or was that a lie? Did Storm maybe lie about how she actually received the one she carried? Storm did seem to be hiding things.
"W-where are we?" The voice was scared so I looked.
The youngest of Koji's three knocked out friends had woken up and sat up. I remember being told his name but I couldn't think of it. He was looking around but then his eyes locked onto Takuya and his eyes widened. A smile accompanied the wide eyes though.
"Takuya!" The boy was up and stumbled towards Takuya, hugged him actually.
"Whoa there Tommy, calm down." Takuya laughed and placed his hand on Tommy's hand.