This chapter takes place solely in the Frontier DigiDestined's Digital World and the main POV is in Tomoko Kimura's POV. Enjoy!
Updated: 4/9/21
I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!
Chapter 6: Deceptions
The Frontier Digital World: Location: The Celestial Digimon's Castle
It had been a couple of hours since the events in the Light Chamber and now the parents of the Frontier DigiDestined were sitting in the lounge half of the Unification Hall. Tomoko Kimura was chatting away happily with Satomi Minamoto, telling her all about Koichi while Kosei Minamoto sat on the other side of the room with the other fathers who'd taken pity on the man. If you'd asked Yutaka Himi to describe the events that had led to this rather unusual arrangement, he would have said that Kosei had been "banished" from the two women's presence temporarily. Tomoko had been furious to learn that Kosei had told Koji that his birth mother (i.e. her) had died to explain her absence from his life. Satomi had been just as appalled by the extent of the lie and had chewed him out as well, much to Yutaka and Shinya's amusement and the other parents' discomfort.
Apparently Satomi had been told that Tomoko had left Kosei and had taken off somewhere. She was also upset that Kosei had failed to mention that Koji was a twin. Both women were obviously very sweet and normally good-natured so Yutaka thought it was rather funny to see them attempt to curse Kosei out while somehow maintaining their good manners. If you were to ask Yutaka, he would have said that it was like watching two nuns trying to cuss out the devil. He didn't know Koji Minamoto that well, but he was sure that the scene would have amused him and his twin. Yutaka and Shinya even recorded a portion of the argument on Yutaka's cell phone as evidence.
Both Ophanimon and Seraphimon had left earlier to attend to business of some kind, so the families were free to converse and adjust to this new world that they found themselves in. The TV monitors had been left on, but since nothing serious had happened since that Davis kid's shoulder had been reset the parents had decided to mingle and get to know each other. They figured that they'd be spending a lot of time together so they might as well get acquainted. All the fathers were mingling in front of the fireplace chatting about sports or their jobs. Around a coffee table Yutaka was teaching Shinya how to play some kind of card game. Yuriko Kanbara, Bianca Orimoto, Ami Himi and Jackie Shibayama were sitting around a window seat looking out on the castle grounds and the Digimon below. They were getting to know each other separate from Tomoko and Satomi so that the two could chat alone and become friends since they shared sons. The parents were all so absorbed in their own conversations that they would have missed what was happening with their missing children if Yutaka and Shinya hadn't called their attention to the screens.
"Koji's on the move!" Yutaka called out.
"He looks like he's in a real hurry too," Shinya added.
Everyone hurried over to the tables and watched Koji skid to a halt in front of what looked like a wall of fog. He looked down at the weird device he was holding in his hand before rushing at the fog, but JP had come up from behind and stopped him.
"Let me go!" Koji snarled. "My brother's in there!"
How Koji knew that, none of those watching could tell, but it made Satomi and Tomoko trade worried glances.
"Cool it, Koji!" JP said calmly. "You have to think first. We don't know what's in there with him. Let's think about this first."
"There doesn't appear to be any other life form readings inside," an older boy with a laptop computer mused. "It should be alright to go in there, but I suggest that only a small group go in while everyone else waits here. If those who go in need help then we can send in back up. Whoever goes can communicate with me through their digivice."
"I'll go in," the older blond from earlier – Matt – volunteered. "I have experience with this darkness and have overcome it. I may be of some help in there."
"Well I'm going too," stated the young redheaded girl – Rika if Tomoko remembered right.
"I'll go too," JP said. "You're going to need a friend on this one, Koji. I know I'm not Takuya, but I have a little experience in this area myself."
As JP said this, his screen popped up next to Koji's and those that had been up during the fiasco in the Light Chamber. On his own channel, Davis could be seen getting off of his Digimon's back and it seemed that TK and Kari were trying to stop him, but he ignored them. His Digimon shrank into a smaller form and jogged alongside the boy.
"I'm going too," Davis stated. "I have a feeling that Ken is in there and I'm going in after him."
"Davis, you're still hurt from your shoulder being dislocated," the medic who'd reset the boy's arm – Joe – reminded him gently.
"I don't care," Davis said stubbornly. "Who else here has a better chance than I do of snapping Ken out of whatever darkness he's wrapped up in, in there? You know I'm the only one who can! We're best friends and I was the only one who accepted him right after he stopped being the Digimon Emperor. If he's reliving that in there then I'm going to be the only one that'll be able to get through to him and you know it!"
What Davis was saying about this Ken kid was lost on the watching families in the Frontier (and Tamers) universe, but it sounded serious. The boy may have been injured but he seemed to have a strong case.
"He's right about that," the computer boy sighed. "Davis is the only one we know of that has a good chance of getting Ken out of there."
"But we don't even know if he is in there!" Kari cried out of concern for her injured friend.
"Actually, we do," the computer boy disagreed. "There is one orange and one yellow digivice signal in there with the red and blue. Ken is the only one missing that would have an orange digivice signal. I'm betting Willace is the yellow one due to the fact that there has been a theme to the chambers and whom we find in them. The DigiDestined in this chamber have a connection with Darkness. If Gabumon weren't a Digimon with a light attribute like Gatomon, Patamon, and Renamon, then Matt would have most likely ended up in this chamber due to his history with darkness. Willace lost Kokomon to a virus years ago. I'd call that having a past connection with darkness. That is what makes me believe that he is in there as well. Tai's too optimistic for this place anyways."
"Then there's no doubt that that's Koichi in there," Koji muttered.
Tomoko and Satomi shared another concerned glance. A connection to darkness? Just what had happened to Koichi when he'd come to the Digital World that first time that would make Koji say that?
"If we're going on personality and history here," a tan boy with dark blue hair said, "Then there's no way it's Takato. The only one it can be is Ryo. We don't know what happened to him that year he was trapped in the Digital World alone. I bet that's why he's here. Something bad must have happened to him during that time. Something so bad that he's forgotten all about it."
That didn't sound too good either. Just what had happened to those kids that caused them to end up in this dark fog?
"Well what are we waiting for?" Davis exclaimed. "Who cares why they're here? The point is that they need our help to get out!"
"I'll monitor you guys from out here," the computer boy said, clipping a headset onto his left ear, and lowered the microphone to his lips. "I'll communicate with you through Matt's digivice and you all can communicate with me through your own digivice as I guide you through. Just give me a second to get a readout on the fog…"
Everyone waited as the older kid clicked away at his computer before giving the thumbs up.
Koji nodded and together he, Matt, Davis, Rika and JP entered the dense fog with their Digimon. As they did so the large screen got rid of any unnecessary channels so that it could focus on the five channels of those headed into the fog and even pulled up the channel that was focused on Koichi who was huddled up in a fetal position. It didn't seem to matter much though since the fog was so thick and dark that the screens blacked out so no one could see the five children, but the audio appeared to be working just fine.
"Izzi to Matt," a slightly distorted voice buzzed. "Can you read me, Matt?"
"Loud and clear," Matt's voice answered. "It's pitch black in here, Izzi. Where should we go?"
There was a pause and the fuzzy distorted sound of typing before Matt finally received an answer.
"The nearest signal is to your left. Make sure you're all together and head approximately ten steps in that direction."
For the next couple of minutes there was only the sound of breathing and the muted scuffle of feet until the screens suddenly cleared and the five became visible to viewers once more. The fog appeared to have abruptly ended and opened up to a small clearing in the fog bank where Koichi could be seen in the other children's channel's backgrounds. He was holding his head now and was shrouded in a dark aura that darkened his screen.
"Koichi!" Koji cried as he rushed to his twin's side. The others were right behind him.
"Koichi!" Koji called out again as he grabbed his brother's shoulders and tried to get his twin to look at him.
"I never told him," Koichi whispered. "I never got the chance to confront him. I never got to introduce myself to Koji."
"But I'm right here, Koichi," Koji cried. "You did! We met!"
The Frontier families traded confused expressions. Just what was going on?
"It's the same as Ai and Mako," Rika mused. "The person or Digimon involved in the dark illusion can't reach the one trapped by it."
"He can't hear me," Koji whispered, the shock evident on his stricken face.
JP put a hand on Koji's shoulder and kneeled down next to him.
"Maybe not, but maybe he can hear me," the older boy said gently before focusing on Koichi. "…Koichi? Can you hear me, pal?"
Koichi remained silent.
Tomoko and Satomi held each other's hands tightly. They weren't sure what was wrong with Koichi, but it appeared to be serious. Kosei joined them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Former anger forgotten and united in concern for their sons, the three parents of the twins waited, praying that Koichi would snap out of whatever was happening to him.
"...att! ….Matt!" buzzed Izzi's voice.
Matt yanked out some sort of device from his pocket. It was different from Koji's.
"What's up, Izzi?"
"Get out of there! There's a huge energy surge coming from Koichi's digivice! I think that he's the source of this dark fog!"
The darkness that had enveloped Koichi suddenly gathered around him and grew larger. JP grabbed Koji and pulled him away from his twin as a dark figure began to form behind Koichi. It looked like a man in a terrifying Halloween costume. He was wearing black and red armor with a skull and eyeball theme. His appearance alone sent shivers down the observing families' spines. Shinya even retreated into his mother's arms.
"Who is that?" Tomoko gasped.
"Duskmon!" JP and Koji's voices gasped as if to answer her question.
"Who?!" the other three children cried out.
There was more of that clicking sound that indicated that the Izzi kid was using his computer. If anyone had actually been looking at Izzi's channel that was playing on one of the smaller TV monitors they would have seen him pull up the profile information on the gruesome monster behind Koichi.
"Duskmon," Izzi's voice mused. "Uh oh. He's a champion level Dark Spirit Digimon that can transform other Digimon's regrets into dark energy. He's an expert swordsman with blades that extend from his forearms. The source of his power is sealed in his armor's seven eyeballs. His attacks are Deadly Gaze and Lunar Plasma. You better be careful, guys."
Tomoko didn't like the sound of this guy at all and neither did Satomi or any of the other parents. They all waited for something to happen with this creature's appearance but this Duskmon wasn't even moving. The doors to the Unification Hall burst open and Ophanimon glided quickly into the room.
"I was hoping that we'd seen the last of that creature," the angel Digimon said grimly.
"Who is this Duskmon?" Kosei asked.
"He is the warped and evil half of the Human Warrior Spirit of Darkness," Ophanimon informed them. "After the spirits of Darkness were purified and given to Koichi I thought that that would be the end of him."
Before Kosei could ask for more information, Duskmon began to talk in a low and chilly voice to Koichi.
"But you did, Koichi. Remember? I gave you the chance. It was the darkness in your heart that summoned me. Your so-called twin was living happily with your father and his new stepmother. He left you and your mother to suffer alone. Why should Koji live happily while your mother suffers?"
"No," Koichi whimpered.
Tomoko and Satomi and Kosei exchanged bewildered looks. What? Is that what Koichi believed? Satomi had never met the boy – hell she hadn't even known he'd existed until getting on that train to the Digital World – but even so, she couldn't help but feel guilty for whatever it was that was causing this boy's suffering at the hands of this demonic creature.
"You were going to confront him. Do you remember what happened next?" Duskmon asked.
In the background there were images that were beginning to form in the darkness. Koichi and Koji were far apart on the train. Koji getting into the elevator and Takuya just barely making it inside. Koichi in front of the closed elevator doors. Koichi running down the stairs. Koichi was falling. Darkness.
The last picture of Koichi's horrible fall scared Tomoko. When had this happened? She began to shake so Satomi and Kosei held her close to offer her any comfort that they could.
Meanwhile, Duskmon was starting to look more substantial.
"You remember, don't you?" the evil Digimon asked.
"Yes," Koichi cried. "But I also remember meeting Koji. We became close. Even after we returned from the Digital World. He met mother. I was going to meet Father soon. He still doesn't know about us."
The three parents traded sad looks.
Duskmon chuckled.
"What a wonderful dream you've been having."
"Dream?" Koichi gasped.
"Don't listen to him, Koichi!" Koji cried out, restrained by JP again.
"You fell, remember? You were never physically in the Digital World. You died from your fall."
These lies that the evil Digimon was feeding Koichi made Tomoko sob. Why would someone tear someone down like that? Why was this creature doing this to her son?
"No…" Koichi choked. "No, I woke up. Koji was there."
"Wake up!" Duskmon shouted. "You're living in a dream."
"No!" Koichi cried, covering his ears.
"Stop lying to him, Duskmon!" Koji roared.
Suddenly Koji's strange device lit up and the dark fog behind him took on a form as well. Like Duskmon, this Digimon had a human shape, but his armor was a dark steel-grey and had a lion theme. His chest, shoulder, and knee plates were lion heads. Even his facemask was a lion's head with a full golden yellow mane of hair.
"Löwemon," Koji and JP gasped.
The new arrival ignored their outburst and made his way over to the troubled Koichi.
"Be strong, Koichi," he said in the same low voice as Duskmon, but he sounded kinder and strong. "You know Duskmon lies. The bond you share with your twin is even stronger. Don't let him convince you otherwise."
Koichi looked up at this new arrival.
"I know," he said, smiling sadly.
"The Spirit of Darkness is a greater burden to bear than any of the other Legendary Warrior Spirits. There is a fine line to walk and many times that line is blurred. It is easy to forget and lose your way, but do not lose faith. Light, your brother and twin, is always there by your side to help you. Never forget that he is there and so am I. As your true spirit guardian, in your hands darkness does not have to be evil."
The dark barrier around Koichi shrank, lightening his screen, but it did not disappear entirely.
Duskmon glowered at Löwemon.
"We are two sides of the same coin," he growled. "Darkness and Light may be brothers, but we are twins. The same element, split in two aspects; two faces."
"Be that as it may, Koichi is a chosen child and represents the pure darkness that is neither good nor evil. He shapes his own path," Löwemon stated.
"The ideals of a hero," Duskmon scoffed. "There is no such thing as a neutral. He will either become good or evil. Darkness is an evil element. There is no getting around that. Why do you think their resistors suffer until they give in? The darkness will consume this child and there is nothing you, Löwemon, can do to stop it. I will become his true spirit guardian once again."
Those words chilled Tomoko and the Minamotos to the bone. …Koichi was going to become evil?
"Not if I can help it," Koji retorted, standing beside his brother between him and Duskmon.
"You can't be by his side forever, boy," Duskmon guffawed. "He will be pushed to the edge and not even you will be able to save him when he falls."
"Enough," Koichi murmured in such a low voice that it was almost a whisper over the speakers. "To toy with me and mess with my head is tolerable, but never threaten Koji. That is something I won't stand for."
The boy stood by his twin and glared at Duskmon.
"Löwemon," he called softly, the dark aura seeping into his person. "Lend me your strength once again."
"With pride and pleasure," the warrior Digimon bowed and dissipated into dark particles that entered Koichi's black pulsing device.
"I'm sorry I made you worry, Koji." Koichi smiled. "I'm back."
Koji's returning smile was relieved, making their parents feel some relief as well.
"Now leave this nightmare to me," Koichi said, returning his attention to Duskmon.
"What?" gasped Tomoko.
"Koichi is strong," Ophanimon said gently. "Believe in your son. His powers may be that of darkness, but in his hands those powers are good. He will not succumb to evil so long as his heart does not waver and finds strength and comfort in his twin and friends."
"If he destroys the illusion, the fog should dissipate," Izzi's voice said over the speakers. "It should end whatever nightmares the other DigiDestined trapped in there are having as well."
"You two got all that?" Matt called over to the twins as he had JP, Davis, and Rika join him. "Go, Gabumon," the blond said to his Digimon.
"Give them a hand, Veemon," Davis said, nodding at his Digimon.
"You too, Renamon," Rika ordered hers.
"Right!" the three Digimon cheered, but when they moved forward to fight, they suddenly slumped in a heap.
"I feel weird," Gabumon moaned.
"I'm pooped," Veemon sighed.
"I can't move," Renamon grunted. "Something has sapped our strength."
"It appears that Duskmon doesn't wish for any outward interference," Ophanimon mused. "Those Digimon are aligned with Light and won't be able to fight in that fog bank of Duskmon's."
"You mean Koichi's alone in this fight?" Kosei growled.
"But what about JP and Koji?" Satomi said desperately. "Surely they can do something to help!"
"They could," Ophanimon nodded. "But I doubt Koichi will let them. The boy has to conquer his own demons if he wishes to move on from the deeds he blames himself for during his previous adventure in this Digital World."
"Hey, Koji!" JP's voice suddenly called out from the speakers. "Do you and Koichi think you can handle it on your own or could you use my help?"
Before Koji could answer, Koichi spoke.
"That's not necessary, but thank you, JP," he said. "I can handle my own demons. Leave this to me. Please join the others, Koji."
Koji looked like he was about to argue, but after a moment he nodded.
"No," Tomoko gasped. "Koji… Please… Help him."
"He won't," Ophanimon stated. "Though Duskmon has spoken nothing but lies, he has been right about one thing. There will come a time when Koji can't be by Koichi's side to aid him in a fight. If he helps then Koichi won't grow into his own as a warrior like the others have. This is something that Koichi has to do on his own."
"Go for it," Koji told his twin before joining JP and the other three.
"How's he going to fight Duskmon without a Digimon partner?" Rika asked when Koji reached them.
That was a good question. The watching parents had noticed that all of the children but their own appeared to be accompanied by a Digimon partner.
"That's the thing about us," JP said, looking sidelong at Koji.
"We don't need a Digimon partner," Koji stated simply. "We are our own partners."
Koichi held out his black device in his right hand. He raised it above his head and then, as if in a trance, he closed his eyes and moved his device holding hand down to his side while simultaneously moving his left hand up. When his left palm was stretched out above his head, he opened his eyes and looked up at his raised hand as a glowing ring appeared. Closing his eyes in trance again, he switched the orientation of his hands, only to suddenly open his eyes and bring both hands in front of him. He clashed his device with the swirling ring, creating sparks between the two.
"Execute! Spirit Evolution!" Koichi cried as he ripped the device away from the ring, dragging it out in a long ribbon stream that stretched and circled above his head. He was enveloped in a white light as his body's outline glowed and shadows began to swirl around him. The ring that had circled above his head cocooned around his body and when he emerged he was Löwemon wielding a spear and shield.
The families watching gasped.
"Koichi?" Tomoko whispered, afraid. "…Is that really Koichi?"
"…It is," Ophanimon nodded. "All of your children hold in their possession one of ten elemental Legendary Warrior spirits. Löwemon is Koichi's Spirit Warrior Guardian of Darkness and his Warrior form."
"Go get him," Koji and JP's voices echoed through the speakers.
As if responding to their wish, the newly evolved Koichi spun his spear above his head, letting it gain momentum.
"Let's end this!" he said firmly in a voice that was no longer his own, but Löwemon's. It was this that scared Tomoko most. Was that really her son? Was he really in this… Digimon? Was Koichi even in there? Was he even Koichi anymore?
"If you wish," Duskmon answered ominously.
"Shadow Lance!" Löwemon cried, dashing forward and brought his spear down in a forward thrust.
"Lunar Plasma," Duskmon rasped, raising his swords and then lowered them as he rushed, slicing, at Löwemon.
The two attacks sent up a large cloud of dust that caused all the screens to black out momentarily, but the sounds of the fight echoed and clanged ominously around the space. When the dust finally settled the two Warriors of Darkness could be seen clashing swords, shield and spear and neither seemed to be gaining the upper hand. They split apart and then called out their next attack.
"Deadly Gaze!"
"Shadow Meteor!"
Powerful red and purple blasts of energy flew in all directions, shredding the fog bank around them. Davis, Matt, and Rika rushed off somewhere while JP and Koji rejoined the group that had been waiting outside the fog barrier. The other three soon rejoined them with three other boys and their Digimon partners. Everyone was now watching the ongoing battle between the two dark Digimon.
"Who are they?" asked a blond boy who could now be seen on Matt's channel.
"The creepy one is Duskmon," Zoe answered grimly. "He's bad news."
"The other is my brother," Koji explained to the others. "JP, Tommy, Zoe, Takuya, Koichi and I all possess one of the Ten Legendary Warrior Spirits from our version of the Digital World. Each spirit represents one of ten elements. As you can see, my twin is the holder of the Warrior Spirits of Darkness."
A few of the others' expressions darkened and it made Tomoko nervous for Koichi. Satomi and Kosei also didn't like the expressions some of the other children wore.
"So is he your evil twin?" TK asked grimly.
Tomoko pursed her lips at the question. How could he ask such a question to the one that had helped save him?
"Doubt it," Davis grimaced. "You didn't see him in action."
"No, he's not evil," Tommy giggled then paused to think over what he'd said. "Well… at least not anymore. He was evil when we first met him."
This shocked the watching parents. So… Koichi had been evil at some point?
"But he was misguided and being controlled by an evil Digimon back then," Zoe said in Koichi's defense. "When he used to be possessed by the warped and tainted Spirit of Darkness he was Duskmon. Takuya and Koji defeated him eventually and then he became a good guy. He even sacrificed himself to save us in our final battle in the Digital World."
"Is that what Duskmon meant when he said Koichi died?" Davis asked Koji.
Possessed? Sacrificed? This was becoming a little too much for Tomoko. She suddenly felt weak and needed to sit in a chair. Satomi helped her, taking a seat herself. Kosei remained standing though, and placed his hands on the backs of their chairs.
"No," Koji sighed, watching as his twin and Duskmon started trading blows at close range with their weapons again. "Koichi didn't come to the Digital World the same way the rest of us did. We rode a Trailmon there. He …fell down the stairs that led to the basement level of Shibuya train station when he missed the elevator that he tried to follow me on. In the real world, he went into a coma but his consciousness somehow crossed over to the Digital plain. A warped and evil Digimon known as Cherubimon twisted the darkness within Koichi's sadness and despair, and turned those emotions against him before erasing his memory. He gave Koichi the tainted versions of the spirits of Darkness that turned him into Duskmon. Takuya and I battled him and together we managed to defeat him. With Lady Ophanimon's help his memories were restored."
The parents glanced at Ophanimon upon hearing this. The angel Digimon smiled gently at Tomoko and rested a hand over her clasped ones.
"Like Zoe said," Koji continued, "he became himself again and fought alongside us all as we took on the next evil Digimon, Lucemon, and his cronies. In the final battle, Koichi sacrificed himself to save us. …I thought he had died since it was his spirit and not his body that had come to the Digital World. After that battle on our way home, the spirit of Löwemon told me that Koichi was still alive. We rushed to the hospital, but he was unresponsive and his heart had stopped beating…"
Koji had to stop for a moment.
"You have no idea how horrible I felt," he choked. "To suddenly find out that I had a brother - a twin! - only to lose him once in the Digital World, receive hope that he was still alive in our world, only to lose him again anyway. To never know who he was. But that was when our D-Tectors came to life. Koichi woke up and the D-Tectors reverted back into the cell phones that they had been before we came to the Digital World. Koichi and I got a second chance."
"You didn't know each other?" Matt asked.
Tomoko and Kosei traded guilty looks. If they'd simply told their sons about the other twin, would what had happened to Koichi have been less severe? Could this have all been avoided?
"Koji and Kochi's parents divorced soon after they were born," JP explained. "They didn't even know that they had a twin living with the other parent."
"My dad got remarried," Koji said. "Dad told me that Mom was dead. I rebelled and used to be rude to my stepmother. In reality Mom was just really frail and sick. She raised Kochi by herself and he worked very hard to keep her healthy. Before his – our – grandmother died she told Koichi about me. He did exactly what I would have done. He found me and wanted to meet me."
Reminded of the atrocious lie, Satomi glanced up at Kosei who had the decency to avoid eye contact. At least the man felt guilty for his mistakes.
"One day we all got messages on our cell phones to go to the Shibuya train station to seek out our destinies," Zoe said, staring at her device.
"I've been wondering that," JP mused. "When did our cell phones turn back into D-Tectors?"
"Probably when we arrived here," Zoe shrugged. "We need our D-Tectors more than our cell phones here, JP."
"I suppose so," JP chuckled.
"Koichi!" Koji cried, bringing everyone's attention back to the fight on Koichi's screen.
Löwemon had been slammed into a wall, but had sent Duskmon flying in the opposite direction.
"Slide Evolution!" Löwemon cried before the cocoon of light surrounded him again and emerged as a black mechanical lion with guns embedded in his shoulders, legs and back. This new form worried Tomoko even more than the previous one had. This one wasn't even remotely human. Could Koichi really be in there?
"All right! He's slid into his Beast Spirit form, JägerLöwemon," Koji cried.
"Beast Spirit form?" a boy on Davis' screen asked.
"All of our warrior spirits have two forms: a human form and a beast form," Koji explained. "Löwemon is the warrior spirit's human form. JägerLöwemon is his beast form."
JägerLöwemon readied his guns and took aim.
"Dark Master!" he called out as his cannon launched dark energy bursts at Duskmon before he could get up. When the dust settled, Duskmon was nowhere to be found. After a moment of silence, Koichi reverted back to his human self and slumped against the chamber's wall.
"Koichi!" Koji cried, rushing to his brother's side.
"I'm alright," Koichi sighed with the hint of a smile. "Just worn out."
Koji let out a relieved sigh of his own, making his twin chuckle.
"Relax, Koji. Next time, feel free to jump in." Koichi smiled good-naturedly as if he was talking about a swim session.
"That was amazing!" Davis cried. "I've never seen anything like it."
"None of us have," Izzi corrected him.
The other children then began to go on and on about Koichi's transformation and how he'd fought Duskmon, so the Frontier parents decided that the children were safe enough at the moment so that they could ask Ophanimon questions without worrying about missing something.
"So all of our children have one of those spirit guardian things?" Yuriko Kanbara asked.
"Yes," Ophanimon said, nodding. "Takuya is the Warrior of Fire and possesses the spirits Agunimon and BurningGreymon. Koji is the opposite of his twin, Koichi. He holds the Spirits of Light: Lobomon and KendoGarurumon. Zoe is the Warrior of Wind with the spirits Kazemon and Zephyrmon. JP is the Warrior of Thunder and uses the spirits Beetlemon and MetalKabuterimon. And lastly there's Tommy and his Warrior Spirits of Ice, Kumamon and Korikakumon. Each spirit is unique and has its own powers over the element that they've been given the allegiance of. Takuya and Koji in particular have exceptionally strong bonds with their spirits and have more than the standard human and beast form that the others have available to them."
"So does that mean Takuya and Koji are some kind of super fighters?" Shinya asked, thinking that the whole transformation thing was cool.
"In a sense, yes," Ophanimon laughed. "They both have the ability to combine their two guardian spirits into a third fusion form. Also, between the two of them, Koji and Takuya can wield five of the ten Warrior's spirits each and use them to become even stronger. In fact, that mural that is painted on the walls in the hall actually depicts the first time they ever executed the Unified Spirit Evolution to attain those forms."
"This is all so confusing," Bianca groaned. "Spirit guardians, children turning into these Digimon creatures-!"
"Is it safe?" Tomoko demanded, cutting off Bianca before she could go into a full rant. "Do these transformations do anything to our children when they become these creatures?"
Everyone looked up at Ophanimon expectantly.
"No." Ophanimon shook her head, understanding their concern. "If anything they are even safer in those forms. The Guardian Spirits take on most of the damage that is inflicted on them in battle, so the spirits act as a kind of shield. It takes strong hearts to use the spirits, but all of your children have proven themselves capable. I would not worry too much about them."
"Wait!" Yuriko cried out. "When you say that it takes a strong heart to wield those spirit guardian things-!"
"I only meant that it takes a strong will," Ophanimon sighed. "…However, pushing the spirits to their limit or using their powers excessively can put a strain on their human bodies and tire them out. …You worry for your son, Mrs. Kanbara. Even more so than the others."
"…Takuya was diagnosed with an advanced case of lung cancer recently," Yuriko said sadly, hugging Shinya closer to her as if she'd lose him.
Tomoko and many others gasped. The single mother felt for Yuriko. Tomoko had her own health issues but had managed to hang on and made it through so far, but during her stays at local clinics and hospitals for treatments she'd come to know many others with their own conditions. A few of them had been cancer patients and she knew what kind of treatments they went through. …But she'd only known one of them that had survived and beat their cancer.
"…I'm afraid there is very little I can say to ease your worries," Ophanimon said sadly. "How Takuya uses his spirits is up to him. There is very little that I can do to help, I'm afraid."
Yuriko nodded.
"Hey!" a voice suddenly called out from the speakers.
Everyone returned their attention to the screen and saw a tall teen with a head of bushy brown hair. A yellow dinosaur Digimon was following him with two other human boys and a rather large red dinosaur Digimon. Takuya was one of the two boys and was grinning from ear to ear, apparently unharmed.
"Hey, Tai!" Davis called back to the oldest of the three latecomers as he rushed to meet them.
"What happened to your arm, Davis?" Tai asked as he eyed the younger boy's sling and the ice pack strapped onto his shoulder.
"Ah, well," Davis spluttered, "I kinda dislocated my shoulder. But don't worry! Joe fixed me up."
Tai frowned, looking concerned. "Are you alright?"
"Sure he ish!" Davis' Digimon cried, taking his place at Davis' side. "He'sh got me!"
Tai laughed. "He sure does."
The older teen looked around, seeing the damage to the walls from Koichi's battle with Duskmon and the large group of DigiDestined before him.
"Whoa, Izzi, what'd I miss?" he asked.
The large group then began to introduce, re-explain and retell the events of everything that had happened so that everyone was on the same page and of the same understanding. The watching families were grateful for this recap of events since it provided them with the names of all the children and helped explain what was going on. It appeared that all of the children were finally together. Now all that needed to happen was for the children to find a way home, but that was wishful thinking on the parent's part. It was going to be a long time before any of them got to see their children in person again.
Whoa. Well... at least everyone's all together now, right? But if the parents are worrying about the transformations... how are they going to handle the events that are still to come? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!