Updated: 4/11/21
I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!
Chapter 10: A Sobering Reality Check
The Adventure Digital World: Location: Infinity Mountain
"Gabumon! Digivolve tooooo… Houkomon!"
Hiroaki couldn't help but smile. It'd been a while, but his partner's Champion form looked just as he remembered. Unlike Matt's Gabumon partner that digivolved into Garurumon, Hiroaki's Gabumon digivolved into the light wolf Houkomon. It looked like a Garurumon but with a pure white coat and flashing silver-grey stripes. Unlike Garurumon's cord-like tail, Houkomon's tail was big and bushy and his fur was longer and thicker making him look a lot bigger than Garurumon even though they were probably the same size.
"Go get 'em," Hiroaki smirked, feeling like he had in his younger days.
"Howling Star!" Houkomon roared before fluffing out his thick coat and launching a series of burst attacks as he breathed balls of condensed light energy that whistled and howled through the air on the way to their targets.
Hiroaki was quick to notice that Houkomon was stronger than the average Champion Digimon and was even keeping up with the Ultimate level Digimon like Piximon and Andromon. When he mentioned this to Gennai, Gennai explained that Houkomon was considered an ancient mythical Digimon now and that with age and wisdom comes power and Houkomon apparently was very well adapted at using it.
The fight was soon won and it didn't take long for the group to decide that they should find the next opportune place to camp out for the night instead of press further on for now. Houkomon remained in Champion form though and had Hiroaki ride him. Hiroaki hated to admit it, but he was relieved and riding Houkomon allowed the party to speed up their progress. They had to travel quite a ways before finding a decent place to camp for the night and as he fell asleep against the curled up Champion form of his Digimon partner, Hiroaki began to realize just how hard this trip was going to be.
The Tamer's World: Location: Hypnos Headquarters
Alice sighed as she sat back in one of Hypnos' lounge chairs across the table from her two companions. They'd been told that it could take a day or two before Shibumi and Daisy managed to strengthen and widen a connection to the Digital World enough for actual travel, so for now the three would-be adventurers were relaxing.
At the moment Minami was dozing lightly while curled up on a love seat next to Kai with her head resting on his shoulder. Kai didn't seem to mind though since he had his cheek on top of her head while he watched the wall of screens to his right. The sight made Alice smile. The two made a cute couple.
"What?"
Alice looked back up at Kai who was looking at her with a curious expression. Apparently he'd either caught her looking at them or he'd seen her smile.
"Nothing." Alice shook her head.
"Whatever," Kai shrugged his free shoulder in response in an attempt to avoid disturbing Minami while she slept.
Alice only smiled her small reserved smile again before casting a look at the bank of monitors to her left. Takato and the other DigiDestined (minus Takuya of course. His screen was still blank) were in a store of some kind located deep underground that was run by an egg Digimon of some sort. Takato and Rika were currently cleaning the bathrooms. Kai had snickered at some of Rika's reactions to the work.
"I bet that girl hasn't had to clean a bathroom once in her entire life," he chuckled when the flaming redhead started to mop the floor for a second time while Takato's channel revealed that he was headed for the next floor's bathroom.
Alice shook her head remembering how indignant the girl's mother had sounded half an hour earlier when she'd overheard the conversation that her daughter had before cleaning a public toilet.
"What do you think the Digital World is going to be like?" Kai asked. "Do you think it's going to be anything like what we're seeing Takato and the others go through?"
"I doubt it," Alice sighed. "From what I've heard by watching that Izzi guy, every Digital World differs in some way or another… why?"
"I just don't want to be cleaning toilets while I'm there," Kai quipped, grinning.
Alice snorted and shook her head. Always the joker. And here she'd thought Kai was being serious for once.
"I'm sure we'll have plenty of other things to do while we're there," Alice said. "According to Mister Shibumi, the Digital World running parallel to ours is a tier system and has a series of levels with the Digimon Sovereign living on the highest level. We're more than likely going to be arriving on the lowest level and will have to work our way up. I'd be prepared for a long trip if I were you, so enjoy the time we have left here."
Kai studied her for a moment before nodding and returned his attention to the wall of screens. An hour later the three of them were called to the control room where the Monster Makers team was still working to get connections back up to the Digital World… or any world for that matter.
"What's up?" Kai asked once they were seated around a conference table with Yamaki, Janyu, Dolphin, Curly, and Bable.
"Things are moving along faster than planned," Janyu reported. "Shibumi has reported that with the Sovereign's help he and Daisy can have a portal open as early as midnight tonight. We've contacted your families and they're coming here to see you off."
"I'm afraid that we can't tell you what to expect once you reach the Digital World, but don't expect the journey there to be comfortable," Bable sighed.
"The Sovereign will do their best to keep the portal open on their end long enough for you to arrive, but there is a time window," Curly stated.
"Once you get there you'll be on your own," Dolphin said seriously. "We can't help you. The three of you need to stick together and help each other through this."
"I've developed a communications device similar to the one I gave Takato when he and the others went to the Digital World to rescue Calumon," Yamaki sighed, sliding a rectangular device across the table to Alice. "I can't guarantee that it'll work at first, but the more levels you unlock and the closer you get to the Sovereign, the stronger the signal will get and we may be able to track you from here. I want you all to send us updates as often as you can. The messages may not get through to us right away, but we'll get them eventually. From what I could figure out based on what Takato told me of his experiences with the one I gave him, the device will work better in what he called dead zones where he was sheltered from the Digital World's processing core. I doubt it'll be fully operational since the entire world is in lock down so you might not have any trouble getting through to us at all, but we won't know for sure until you get there."
"Got it," Alice nodded as she flipped the device open and began to experiment so that she could be familiar with its components.
"Another thing you need to be aware of while you're in the Digital World is that it's a world where a lot of the things are mind over matter, and may not be as they appear," Janyu stated. "My son, Henry, figured out that you can breathe underwater in that world so long as you believe that you can and that you're not going to drown. He didn't even get wet when he experimented with this concept all because he thought that he wouldn't."
"Sweet," Kai grinned.
"Perhaps, but sometimes it's hard to trick the mind into believing something that's the opposite of what's expected," Minami said nervously.
"Exactly," Yamaki nodded. "Takato had some problems grasping that concept as well. It's hard to fool the brain into believing the opposite of something that it's so sure is true."
"So what do we do now?" Alice asked.
"I suggest that you three pack for your trip," Dolphin sighed. "I'm sure the others will be more than happy to help you until your own parents arrive to say their goodbyes."
The three nodded and were about to get up and pack when a Hypnos agent burst into the room.
"Sir! We have a situation," the man said.
"What is it?" Yamaki demanded.
The agent pulled up a screen and played a sequence of video from what appeared to be Takato's channel with a large screen in the background with the image of a lovely woman on it.
"Oh DigiDestined~!" a silky voice chimed through the room's speakers. "I know you're down there somewhere. I am personally inviting you to my humble abode. I have a friend of yours visiting with me and he is just dying to see you again. Hurry now! It's not nice to keep your friend and a lady waiting!"
"Who is she?" Yamaki asked.
"The woman's name is Aiyokumon," the agent answered promptly. "According to the egg Digimon, Digitamamon, she is one of seven powerful Digimon that call themselves the Zaigou and have helped an evil Digimon, Kushyamon, take over the Digital World. She has control over the region that the children are currently in."
"And she has the missing Takuya boy." Janyu frowned.
"Apparently, sir," the man said, nodding.
"Is the boy's channel still blank?" Curly asked.
"Yes ma'am," the agent nodded. "A few hours ago we'd gotten a few flickering images, but they were very fleeting and vague. It's as if something is interfering with his channel's signal."
"Alright," Yamaki sighed, nodding. "Keep me updated on the situation and let me know if there's any change."
"What are Takato and the others doing now?" Kai asked.
"Planning what to do next," the agent said. "The friends of the captured boy want to go confront Aiyokumon while the children from our world want to hang back and come up with a strategy of some kind. The older children from the third world seem to be somewhere in between. Their leader, Tai, seems to be holding things together well enough though."
"The young man's leadership skills are quite remarkable," Curly mused.
"Keep us updated on that situation too," Yamaki ordered the agent before getting up.
Kai, Alice and Minami followed suit and left to get ready to go to the Digital World. Janyu escorted the three back to the living areas where they were met by Mayumi Wong and some of the other mothers. They had already sorted out some packs and essential items so the packing didn't take long. They all sat back to watch the screens as the argument about what to do ensued between the three groups of children from different worlds. The debate seemed to go on forever but finally a plan was made as a compromise to look into the mountain's tunnel system before going to confront the evil Digimon was agreed upon. Takato was just starting to tell his story about what had happened to him, Tai and Takuya in the tunnels before they met up with the others when Kai and Minami's families arrived.
Alice watched as the two of them interacted with their parents. Kai was rolling his eyes at something his grandfather was saying while being hugged by his mother and father. Minami was hugging her dad and trying to reassure him that she was going to be fine.
"Your mom and dad should be here soon too."
Alice looked up just as her uncle wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"…Yeah," she said. "Eventually."
Her uncle smiled understandingly down at her.
After seeing Alice alone, Minami dragged her father over to meet Alice and then the three of them went to talk to Kai's family. 11 o'clock rolled around and Alice's parents still weren't there, so Dolphin called his brother to check up on them and give them new directions. Meanwhile, everyone got into cars and made the trip to the park where Shibumi and Daisy were prepping the equipment that would send Kai, Minami and Alice to the Digital World.
"We're almost ready," Daisy informed the large gathered group at a quarter to midnight. "Just give us another five to ten minutes."
"After that you have a ten minute window to enter the Digital World," Shibumi stated. "I suggest waiting a couple minutes for the portal to stabilize first before departing."
The three soon-to-be adventurers nodded and turned to the gathered families to say their last goodbyes. Just as she was wishing the Wongs and her uncle goodbye, Alice finally saw her parent's car pull up. Her mother and father scrambled out of the vehicle and raced up the hill. She didn't have a chance to greet them before she was engulfed in a nearly suffocating hug from her mother.
"Please don't go, sweetheart," Sheri McCoy pleaded in English.
"Mom," Alice sighed. "I have to. There is no one else and Kai and Minami are going to need me."
Her mother only held her tighter in response.
"You just be careful, sweetie," Patrick McCoy sighed, kissing the top of her head since he couldn't get past his wife to give his daughter a hug. "Come back safe."
"Yes, Dad," Alice smiled, fighting back tears.
Both of her parents held her for a long moment before Shibumi finally said, "It's ready when you three are."
Alice, Minami and Kai nodded and gave their families one last goodbye before approaching the glowing portal situated in the back of Guilmon's old home.
"Portal stabilized and ready for travel," Daisy reported.
"Are you three ready?" Yamaki asked.
"Oh yeah!" Kai grinned.
"I think so," Minami whispered.
"As ready as we'll ever be," Alice stated. "Shall we?"
Kai and Minami nodded before taking each other's hand. Since she was in the middle of the group, Minami grabbed Alice's hand too and together they faced the portal.
"Remember to stay in touch with Yamaki's communication device and to send regular reports," Janyu said.
"Be safe and stick together," a worried Dolphin added.
"We will," Alice smiled back confidently and without another word the three of them stepped through the portal and were on their way to the Digital World.
Yamaki sighed and just as everyone was preparing to head back to Hypnos Headquarters his phone rang.
"This is Yamaki."
"Sir! We have a major situation," an agent informed him. "The children have confronted Aiyokumon and now Koji Minamoto is fighting Takuya Kanbara! That evil Digimon's possessing the boy or something. You need to get back here right away, sir."
"Got it," Yamaki said curtly. "Everyone! Hurry back to Hypnos Tower! Something's going down in that other Digital World!"
The Frontier Digital World: Location: The Celestial Digimon's Castle
Yutaka and Shinya had just gotten back to the room where they'd left their parents when the commotion started.
"What has she done to my son?!" Yuriko Kanbara cried.
Confused, Shinya and Yutaka looked up at the screens and saw that Takuya's channel had come back again but it was fuzzy and staticy. On some of the other channels though, Takuya could be seen standing next to a very beautiful looking woman with a vacant expression on his face.
"What have you done to him?" Koji's voice demanded, booming out of the speakers.
The woman stood up from her seat and tilted Takuya's chin in her direction.
"I cast some of my best spells and used high quality potions on him," she answered matter-of-factly. "I found that the Warrior Spirit of Fire inside of him protected the body whenever Takuya was incapable of doing so himself, like, oh say, when he's unconscious. So I had to take Agunimon out first by using a powerful potion. Then, deciding to have some fun with a forceful possession, I cut Takuya's own spirit and consciousness off from his physical body and battled with him for domination over his mind, imprisoning him inside it. So the Takuya you know and love is still here deep inside, but is incapable of doing anything along with the spirit of Agunimon. He is the perfect puppet, mine to command at will."
As if to prove her point, Takuya's arm slowly wound around her slim hourglass frame. Shinya felt sick seeing his big brother like that. Takuya was his role model and now he was nothing more than this witch's puppet.
"It seems our visit has come to an end and the time for talk is over. Takuya darling? Get rid of them please," the woman purred in Takuya's ear.
Then she disappeared, but Takuya remained standing where he was. Everything was silent for a moment, everyone waiting to see what would happen next.
"Takuya?" Koji finally said tentatively.
Takuya turned to face Koji and then suddenly he was right in front of him throwing a well-aimed kick at the other boy's gut. Luckily Koji deflected the blow and was quick enough to block the oncoming punch to his face.
"Takuya!" he growled. "Please, you have to snap out of it! I know you're in there somewhere! You have to fight her!"
"He can't, Koji," they all heard Koichi say. "I can feel the shadows that fog his mind. He's buried so deep inside his own mind that he's not even present."
Shinya teared up. This was not his brother. Takuya would never attack his friends like that. Looking at the staticy channel that was supposed to be Takuya's just made him want to cry. Was his brother even in there any more? It didn't appear that way even if what the evil lady said was true. Especially when Takuya took the form of Agunimon. Now his brother was nothing more than a mindless Digimon puppet whose only purpose was to hurt his friends.
Shinya was surprised to feel a firm hand on his shoulder a second later. Looking up he saw Yutaka standing next to him with a grim expression on his face. Together they watched the fight behind the crowded group of parents seated at the table, flinching whenever someone was dealt a serious blow. The shouted orders coming from Koji, JP and Zoe to each other were lost on them as they watched poor Takuya get beaten back time and again, but the worse bit was seeing the possessed boy stop and throw up large amounts of blood. Shinya started to cry after seeing this.
"Takuya, please stop," Zoe's voice pleaded. "You're killing yourself!"
"But he can't stop," Shinya sniffed. "He wouldn't be doing this if he could."
Yutaka crouched down beside the now sobbing child and held him close. Then all of the screens whited out for a minute. When the channels refocused, Takuya's went dark again, but Agunimon was still fighting Koji (Lobomon). The duel between the two of them was heated and fast paced, making their darting attacks blurred and hard to follow. But when Koji lunged to strike Takuya, the possessed boy's Digimon form suddenly unraveled and Takuya's human body lay collapsed on the ground, breathing in ragged and desperate gasps trying to fill his lungs with air. Blood was pooling in his mouth, coming up with every labored breath and cough. The sight made Yuriko cry out for her son and Shinya couldn't seem to look away. Yutaka forced the young boy's gaze away from the screens and held him even tighter. Shinya buried his face into Yutaka's shirt sobbing uncontrollably. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real.
The two of them jumped when they heard Takuya's voice cry out shrilly through the speakers in pain. In the background of every channel something that looked like lava exploded over stone walls and lit up the screens. Takuya's body seemed to burst into flame and changed again; not into Agunimon but into a similar form that looked like Agunimon only with fiery bird's wings and a serpentine tail.
Koji was sent flying into the Digimon forms of JP and Zoe. They caught him just as he reverted back into his human self. The next thing any of those watching the screens saw was a giant fireball hurtling towards the three on their channels.
"Blizzard Blaster!"
Tommy's Digimon form was suddenly there with a fire Digimon that Yutaka vaguely remembered from the caves when this whole thing had started. It was one of the forms belonging to that Davis kid's Digimon if he remembered right. Tommy's blaster pumped out snowballs and dissipated the fire into mist while the other Digimon's fists extinguished any pieces that he had missed. Yutaka felt tense. It had been one thing to watch the others fight the possessed Takuya, but now Tommy was getting into the fight. His little brother's Digimon form was just so small compared to the others… He barely heard anything that Tommy was saying as he quickly explained to Koji, JP and Zoe that the other children had wanted to help, but only the Digimon with fire attributes had been able to Digivolve. Flamedramon – that was apparently the fire lizard's name – had been the only one that would have been of any help fighting in the current environment.
"Koichi is getting everyone out," Tommy told them, ending his brief explanation. "Aldamon is tearing the whole place down. We've gotta stop him."
Yutaka figured that Aldamon was the name of Takuya's current Digimon form. Shinya had stopped crying for the moment and was watching again. Yutaka had a bad feeling and didn't think that Takuya wasn't going to survive this. There was just no way after seeing what sort of condition the boy had been in when last in his human form. But still, Yutaka held Shinya close and remained crouched down – on his knees – and watched numbly as Koji got back up and pulled his D-Tector thingy out again.
"Leave this to me," he said. "I'm the only one that can stop him."
"No!" cried the boy's three parents – both mothers looking like they were going to cry. Yutaka couldn't blame them, but some selfish part of him was glad that it'd be Koji and not Tommy fighting Takuya.
"Enough of the lone wolf act, bud," JP's Digimon form growled, sounding irked. "I thought that you had learned that already. Besides, you look beat."
"He's right, we're a team!" Zoe added angrily.
"Can any of you fusion evolve?" Koji asked.
None of them answered. Yutaka didn't know what this fusion thing was, but based on the three's lack of response it appeared that it was something only Koji and Takuya were able to do.
Koji then changed into what looked like an upgraded version of his Lobomon form with a golden-clawed sword, and took off without another word.
"Let's back him up anyways," Tommy huffed, changing from his small bear form into a large yeti snow-beast type Digimon. Yutaka was stunned. This form looked far more formidable than the snow bear, but that didn't stop him from worrying. The form may have changed, but his little brother was still in there.
Zoe and JP followed suit and became a bird woman and a tank version of Beetlemon with Flamedramon following them silently. Koji was already fighting with Takuya (Aldamon) and it looked as if their fight was bringing the whole place down around them and on top of the others. Koji was losing now though and a few minutes later Takuya threw him to the ground in a heap, just missing a puddle of lava on his right. Zoe's voice called out to him, but Koji didn't respond and his channel became a little fuzzy with static. This worried the Minamoto's and Ms. Kimura, but Yutaka was too busy watching Tommy and JP's channels as they called out to the downed boy too. The channel suddenly cleared but Takuya was there now, trying to crush Koji into the ground.
"Takuya, no," Shinya sobbed as Koji's channel began to static up again.
When it cleared again seconds later Takuya was gone from the channel. Yutaka watched in horror as he saw Tommy charge in with twin axes. JP was firing at Takuya from a distance while Zoe and Flamedramon joined Tommy in defending the fallen Koji. Koji's Digimon form was flickering, giving them glimpses of the boy within, but eventually the form settled back down.
Zoe screamed in terror and Yutaka turned his attention to her channel just in time to see her Digimon form unravel and return her to normal as she was thrown a good distance away. The girl's parents cried out in alarm but were relieved to see her struggle to her feet with only a few scratches. Tommy's pained and angry roar could be heard next. The sound of it chilled Yutaka to the bone as he watched his little brother bravely defend Zoe with Flamedramon, but both were soon reverted back to being a human and a little Digimon. Yutaka flinched when he saw Digimon-Takuya move to strike Tommy but at the last second was blasted back.
Only JP was left in a fighting position and kept up a series of attacks to lure the possessed Takuya away from the others. The older boy managed to keep up a steady and consistent barrage of attacks from his distant vantage point, but Aldamon silenced him too eventually after circling around, beating him down until he reverted back to his human form like Zoe and Tommy. Their moans and that witch's cheerful laughter could be heard clearly through the speakers making nearly everyone in the room feel nauseous. The voices of the other DigiDestined could also be heard cheering desperately far from the battle, encouraging the five fighters not to give up.
Just when things seemed to be at their worst the moon came out, casting it's light down. When the beams hit Koji his form began to glow.
"It appears that this is not over just yet," Ophanimon's voice said softly. "Not if Koji has something to say about it anyway."
Yutaka was startled. He wasn't sure when, but both Ophanimon and Seraphimon were now present and watching the fight.
Koji suddenly launched himself at Takuya, ignoring the protesting cries that came from his wounded friends. He seemed to have taken his opponent by surprise. They resumed their brutal attack patterns again, but Koji had gained the upper hand with his surprising comeback. Takuya's actions were more panicked and flustered this time around as he tried to fend the other off. Yutaka couldn't help but wonder what had changed. Koji actually got a powerful attack to make contact and sent the flaming Digimon hurtling into the ground as it had done to him only minutes ago and wasted no time with a follow up attack. But something wasn't right. Yutaka could feel it.
"NO!" Zoe's voice screamed as Koji changed forms again back into Lobomon. The Digimon's blade of light energy was aimed right at Takuya's chest. Tommy and JP yelled out to him as well, but were ignored. Yutaka finally caught onto what the other three had realized. Koji's attack wasn't aimed to disarm… it was meant to kill.
But again for a second time during the battle Takuya changed back into his human body. Lobomon cursed and his blade stopped just millimeters from piercing flesh. No one could speak. They were all just too stunned. It was so quiet in that room that a pin dropping would have sounded like a gunshot and it wasn't just because Koji had obviously intended to kill Takuya with that last attack. It was also the gore that they faced. Takuya's body was badly beaten from the abuse it had received within the last hour. Blood was oozing from the various cuts and gurgling up from his infected lung. What was worse though was that Takuya's mouth became contorted in a satisfied grin, but it wasn't Takuya's grin.
A giggling voice came bubbling out from between the blood stained lips. Koji didn't move but they could all see the frustrated tears welling up in his eyes. Zoe, JP and Tommy could be seen on their screens approaching their friend warily. It was silent again for a long while but what happened next, no one was prepared for.
Koji hadn't moved his blade from its close proximity to the possessed boy's chest. In fact, he hadn't budged at all and the woman's voice laughed aloud from inside Takuya's limp body. But then Takuya's arms moved. The hands grabbed hold of Lobomon's blade and thrust the point into Takuya's chest, a crimson stain blooming underneath the yellow and red shirts. Everyone stared, shocked, as Takuya's brown eyes flew open and his mouth formed an angry 'O,' but the expression soon softened. The clouded eyes became clear and the mouth formed a content smile. Takuya was back, his channel fizzling back to life proved it, but it was horribly staticy and nothing could be seen on it clearly within the digital snow.
Koji quickly withdrew the blade but with it came an explosion of dark energy that dimmed the screens belonging to the channels of those who were standing near Takuya. The dark energy gathered into a misshapen shadow that soon became solid. Zoe, JP, and Tommy looked shocked and confused to see it coming out of Takuya's body through the gaping wound while Koji only looked on grimly. The shadow figure shrieked and twisted and writhed in the air, cursing the Warriors of Light and Fire before dissipating and vanishing completely in a puff of smoke. But that thing wasn't the only creature to have come out of Takuya's body. The woman was back too.
"How dare you! You've killed your own friend!" she shrieked. "You wrecked my possession! My master will not be pleased to hear you've ruined his plans! Join your precious friend in death!"
She lashed out at Koji with a black whip and threw him into a cracked standing section of a demolished wall. But Koji was so exhausted from the prolonged battle that he couldn't hold his Digimon form any more and reverted back to his human one while sliding down to the ground. His friends and parents cried out for him as the woman drew a sinister looking blade from the folds of her dress. She lifted the sword and he braced himself for the coming blow. Everyone was so focused on what was happening to Koji that they didn't see Takuya's channel clear up for a brief moment. One minute Koji was about to be skewered on the woman's sword and the next Takuya appeared as Agunimon in front of him and took the blow that was meant for Koji in the gut. The blade had no problem piercing through Agunimon's armor, slicing through him with a sickening: Thunk! that echoed eerily through the speakers.
"NO!" Shinya sobbed in unison with his parents at the sight.
Everyone stared at Koji's screen (since Takuya's had staticed out again), unable to comprehend in that moment what had just happened. The woman looked surprised to see Takuya as well with his blood flowing freely from the new and definitely fatal wound.
"Still able to play one last round after all, my fire puppet?" she mused.
"Well… you know… what they say…" Takuya somehow managed to rasp. "When you… play with fire… you're bound… to get… burned…"
He ignited himself and spread the flames onto the witch through her sword's blade that was now soaked with his blood. His blood proved to be highly flammable and the spatter that had hit her when she struck him caught automatically. She shrieked in pain as Takuya released a mighty thrust of fire, throwing her into a lava stream close by. He continued to burn her until she burst into shards of data. He was human again once she was gone and he collapsed in a bloody heap.
There wasn't a dry eye in the room as everyone watched Koji cradle his broken friend in his arms, desperately clinging to him as if holding him close would somehow stop the blood from flowing from the two wounds.
"Koji… Thank… you," Takuya gasped, smiling faintly up at him as the others joined them. "You… kept your... promise…"
Koji shook his head.
"No," he choked. "I couldn't. It was all you in the end. I had failed."
"What's he talking about?" Zoe whispered hoarsely to JP and Tommy. Frankly Yutaka and Shinya wanted to know that too.
Takuya's head jerked in a negative motion.
"No… You di…dn't…"
Takuya raised his hand up in a fist.
Koji cried openly at the gesture as he raised his fist as well to lightly tap it against Takuya's before taking the hand into his own.
It was then that the other DigiDestined arrived on the scene and Koichi took his place among his friends beside Koji. Takuya looked at each of them in turn, ending with Zoe. She gently took his hand away from Koji and held it in her own. No words were exchanged between them, but Yutaka saw meaning in their gaze. He wondered if any of their parent's noticed it too. Tommy was crying with JP's arm around his shoulders while the older boy allowed his own tears to fall silently. Koichi was resting his head on Koji's shoulder.
The other DigiDestined hung back and allowed the five to share each other's company in their friend's final moments. Those who wore hats or goggles removed them out of respect. Yutaka's heart ached seeing Tommy cry and wanted nothing more than to be the one to comfort his brother, but at the moment there was someone else who needed him more. Shinya was sobbing uncontrollably as he watched his brother's channel go out once more as Takuya breathed his last few breaths before peacefully passing away surrounded by friends. The Kanbara parents weren't much better, sobbing in each others arms while the other parents stood around them offering their silent support.
Yutaka collected Shinya into his arms and carried him over to his parents who scooped up their remaining son instantly. Yutaka caught the eyes of his own parents and walked over to them. For the first time probably since he was Tommy's age, he initiated a hug between himself and his mother and simply held her as she cried too. As he watched the Kanbaras grieve for their lost son – one that they wouldn't even get to bury – he felt a strong wave of resolve wash over him. He vowed to be there for Shinya in Takuya's stead. Together the two of them would become the next DigiDestined Warriors of Steel and Wood and find the others to bring them back safely. He hoped that the time would come soon.
The Adventure Digital World: Location: Infinity Mountain
Over the next day-and-a-half Hiroaki rode on Houkomon's back for most of the remaining trip up the mountain path. They had encountered a few more angry and territorial Digimon, but not many had wanted to fight them since Houkomon was with them. Hiroaki supposed that being an ancient powerful legendary Digimon had that kind of effect on others. This allowed their party to reach the top of Infinity Mountain after traveling for two and a half days. It was then that Hiroaki was able to prove his usefulness to the group and helped Gennai set up the equipment they'd brought up with them. Between the two of them they were able to get communications set up and back to base up within a couple hours sending word to the others that they'd been successful in reaching the top of the mountain. But the news that they received back was disheartening.
The boy Takuya Kanbara had died in battle.
Hiroaki couldn't believe it. In all his time and experience as a DigiDestined and as a father to two members of the most recent generation of DigiDestined, he'd never really thought that things wouldn't work out in the end. No one had ever died before. A few had come close and some got injured badly, but no one had ever died. The news had a sobering effect on him, but it jarred him into a mode of pure determination. It was time to focus. So far they'd managed to reach the top of Infinity Mountain with the communications equipment. Now came the hard part. Actually establishing contact with an outside world.
So how will Alice, Minami and Kai fair in the Digital World? When will Shinya and Yutaka become Warrior DigiDestined? And will Hiroaki and Gennai be able to reach out to another world? I suppose you'll just have to wait and see in the next Digimon: Digital Monsters!
I really couldn't think of what to do for the Tamers section of the story so i ended up rushing getting Alice, Minami and Kai to the Digital World. Hope no one minds. I also hate that the Adventure section(s) of this chapter was so short too, but after coming up with Houkomon (how do you guys like him by the way?) and ending the battle I really couldn't come up with anything else to maintain the timeline (hence that bit at the end).