(Author's Notes: Hey, everyone! I've decided to split this chapter into two. It was a necessity due to length, but I also think it's for the best as this chapter's a pretty intense roller-coaster and I think a bit of space between the two halves is beneficial. I'll post Part Two sometime next week.
In response to Guest's review of Chapter 58:
I, too, would be IMMENSELY down with this series being adapted into an anime. In the extremely unlikely chance that any of my readers work for Bandai or Toei... Please... adapt A Dragon in Shining Armour and Holy War into an anime. You have my expressed permission. You wouldn't even have to pay me (though it would be nice...) ...That's my desperate, shameless pitch.
Hahaha, well, it would be cruel of me to blue ball you on SaviorHackmon's evolution a second time, wouldn't it? One could basically hear the Brave Heart noise during that scene in Hope's Crest.
Anyways, onto Chapter 59. Enjoy and please let me know your thoughts!)
Chapter 59: Dusk and Dawn (Part I)
A soft wind blew down from the mountains and foothills, sweeping through the western reaches of the Forest of Equilibrium. The breeze caused the thick, bushy canopies of the forest to sway and tremble. A long, eerie whistle pierced through the ancient forest, harmonizing with the gentle chorus of the rustling leaves.
It was a starry night. Far away from the lights of the cities, it was possible to see every star in the sky – every constellation. A few clouds drifted swiftly overhead, carried by the breeze. They blew in front of the dual moons, covering them only for moments before they re-emerged and cast moonlight down across the forest.
At the western edge of the forest, two dark shadows moved within the perimeter of the shadowy tree line. A dark indigo figure stepped out of the forest, carefully raising his foot over a tangled mass of roots.
Blitzmon walked out of the darkness and into a flat field, his form becoming awash with moonlight as he stepped out of the shadows of the canopies. The silvery light caused his blue armour to shimmer, and his calculating, green eyes to illuminate as they scanned the area. In his arms was the heavy, stone container which contained the Orb of Yang. He grunted and readjusted the weighty reliquary in an attempt to provide comfort to his sore and tired arms.
"It's clear," Blitzmon said, looking over his shoulder into the darkness of the forest.
The sounds of tank treads activating rattled from the arboreal shadows. Bolgmon drove out of the Forest of Equilibrium and sighed with relief as he made his way onto the flat terrain of the grassy field.
Slung over the humanoid tank's shoulder was Angemon, whose ankles had been tied together and his wrists bound behind his back to prevent his escape. For his part, he made no attempt to escape, realising the futility of trying. The captive angel was solemn and meditative as he was carried out of the forest.
"Ugh, finally! We're finally out of that damn place!" Bolgmon complained, rolling to a stop behind Blitzmon. Using one of his auxiliary arms, he leaned down and picked a branch out of his tank treads. After making sure that Angemon was steady on his shoulder, he turned towards his friend. "It's been a whole day since we left that damn monastery. Why'd we have to go through that thick forest again?"
Blitzmon gently placed the heavy reliquary down on the grass to give his aching arms a rest. As soon as the stone box was on the ground, he took the moment to clutch the shallow wound in his side, which had been giving him some grief that whole time. As he did, he turned towards Bolgmon. "As the one in charge of logistics, you know why. You said it yourself: the Forest of Equilibrium was the flattest route from the monastery to this side of the hills."
"Yeah, but it took so damn long!" Bolgmon griped. "If we went through the highlands, it would've been much faster. Not to mention, you kept stopping for breaks."
Blitzmon shot him a glare, his patience already thin due to the pain in his arms and his side. "Do you know heavy this orb and its stone container is? I was not about to carry it up and down countless hills. It would have taken even longer and exhausted us both," he argued. "Besides, travelling through the forest was safer since we were harder to spot from the air. I'm not exactly happy that it's taking this long either, but we have no choice."
"Okay, okay…" Bolgmon responded with a shrug. "Still, are you sure that Dark Point is the best route to head north?"
After sighing and folding his arms, Blitzmon nodded. He gestured to the prisoner over Bolgmon's shoulder. "If we travelled east, we would end up in Vernal Springs. We can't exactly carry a kidnapped angel into a crowded town, let alone Republic of Node territory," he explained.
"Yeah, I guess so…" Bolgmon supposed, glancing over at the robed angel. "It would have taken even longer to travel north through the whole forest, plus the Autonomous Expanse beyond there can be pretty dicey. Still, Dark Point's a risk too. We're gonna attract a lot of attention if we walk in there with this guy. And how are we supposed to get back to Bagramon from there?"
"You tell me," Blitzmon responded, eyeing the larger insect carefully.
Bolgmon frowned and thought about it for a moment. Travelling up the coast wouldn't work, so… "…By sea?" he suggested.
"Exactly."
Bolgmon raised his free arm and rubbed his head. "Sure, but… How's that gonna work?" he sceptically asked, gesturing over to Angemon. "We say, 'three tickets, sir. Me, him, and our angel here, not to mention our super valuable relic'? I mean, almost anything goes in Dark Point, but we could end up really screwing things up if we end up attracting the wrong kind of attention. What if the Night Guard starts asking questions?"
"Did you forget what we learned last time we were in Dark Point?" Blitzmon reminded him. "There is a legion of escaped Dark Area demons staking out turf in the city. We met with their leader, who knows we work for Bagramon. If we meet up with him again, he can arrange for our transport out of the city and north to the Port of Souls. That is, assuming they still control the shipping district."
"Oh yeah… That creepy-weird guy with some fancy aristocrat title," Bolgmon remembered. "Murmuxmon, right? You sure we want to trust him?"
"It's our only real choice," Blitzmon explained. "He works for the Demon Lords and we can't risk carrying our cargo over land. It's the safest option."
"Okay then," Bolgmon agreed.
Blitzmon looked down at the stone reliquary beside him and then back up at Bolgmon. Although he was quite strong, his arm muscles still ached and trembled from having to carry the Orb of Yang for hours on end. "Let's swap and then get moving," he told him, walking over to the large insect cyborg.
Bolgmon sighed and then glanced at the Angemon on his shoulder. "Fine, but only because I'm stronger than you," he conceded, picking the bound angel up from off his shoulder and carefully passing him to Blitzmon.
Blitzmon took Angemon and slung him over his shoulder, glad that the monk was too much of a pacifist to put up any resistance. "Come on, monk," he brusquely said to their prisoner, readjusting him over his broad shoulder until he was resting comfortably.
Angemon weakly raised his head and looked over his shoulder, momentarily locking eyes with the mercenary.
"Despite everything you have done, I do not believe that either of you are truly bad Digimon," Angemon gently said to them. "You have lived a difficult life and made some poor decisions. That's all."
In response to these surprising and seemingly presumptive words, Blitzmon narrowed his eyes at the robed angel. "…What position are you in to make assumptions about our lives?" the insect bitterly asked, faintly annoyed at this angel acting as though he knew something about them.
"Yeah! We don't need your sanctimony! We're sure as hell not looking for your forgiveness, even if we did wipe out your friends" Bolgmon agreed contentiously. "We chose this life. We can't afford to second guess."
"You may not seek my forgiveness, but you have it all the same," Angemon said to them, "even if there is a small part of me that wishes to hate you."
Blitzmon frowned at him with perplexed incredulity. "…How can you say that after we killed your friends? Any normal Digimon would wish us dead," he wondered. "What is this? Are you trying to make yourself feel superior by being the bigger Digimon?"
Angemon shook his head softly. "No… In fact, I know that this is partially my fault. I regret that I didn't find you all…" he weakly replied. "Forgive me…"
Bolgmon and Blitzmon both looked at each other with disbelief. They were being asked for their forgiveness? They both knew that they were the ones who wronged Angemon. Neither of the mercenaries understood what the monk was talking about.
"Hey, Blitz, I think you conked this guy's head a little too hard before. He's not making any sense. You probably gave him a concussion or something," Bolgmon said with a shrug.
Blitzmon narrowed his green eyes at the angel over his shoulder suspiciously. "Yeah, maybe."
"I forgive you… because I have to believe… that there's a way back…" Angemon replied, starting to drift in and out of consciousness again. "For TigerVespamon's sake…"
Blitzmon watched with quiet confusion as Angemon began to fade back into unconsciousness. As the angel began to slump against his back, the humanoid insect held him steady and looked forwards.
"…Come on, Bolgmon. We need to get moving. There's a chance we could be pursued," he ordered his friend.
"Yeah, gotcha…" Bolgmon replied. He bent down and picked up the stone vessel, using his muscular cannon arms to lift the reliquary and using his smaller but more dextrous auxiliary arms to hold it steady and grip the bottom. With a sharp grunt, he lifted the heavy box up and was able to use his sturdy, cyborg body to hold it with relative ease.
Blitzmon glanced at the unconscious Angemon pensively, wondering if there was anything to his words or if it was just disorientation. He shook his head dismissively and proceeded to walk. They had more important things to focus on, like getting to Dark Point safely.
"Let's go. We've already lost enough time…"
Elsewhere, at the southern edge of the forest, another Digimon stood alone in the night.
The small fires that had been burning in and around the monastery had been extinguished. This left only a gentle wash of moonlight highlighting the fields and the canopies around the building. The landscape was dark, but the moons provided allowed enough illumination to see a little into the distance. The soft, pearly glow that cast across the landscape was serene… almost celestial.
The monastery nearby was empty. With no Digimon left to occupy it, it was already as if it was becoming part of the landscape. The moss and ivy that crept along the stone walls would continue to grow against it overtime. Although it was an artificial construct, it was built in a way so that it could be at one with nature. Perhaps then, it would eventually return to nature and become one with it.
TigerVespamon was certain that that had been the fate of his old village of Manu – forgotten and overtaken by nature. Now, his monastery would eventually do so as well. He thought that the monks would be alright with that. They had always spoken about how all were a part of nature. Buildings, towns, and kingdoms would come and go, but nature was eternal. Nature was the very fabric of the Digital World, and, as Digimon, they were all a part of that at their core.
The lone acolyte stood before the monastery, just meters in front of the entrance. He stood at the bottom of the gentle incline of three, wide steps, where the dirt path met with the stone porch.
TigerVespamon stood on the final step, staring out into the serene, lunar-touched wilderness. The moonlight shone down against his form, giving his body a gentle, shimmering glow. The crimson scarf around his neck flapped listlessly in the gentle breeze. As he stood alone in front of the ruins of his home, he gazed up at the starry sky.
Trying to come to terms with everything he lost, TigerVespamon spoke a quiet prayer. As he whispered the solemn requiem, he slowly knelt down and placed his ebony hand on the grassy ground next to the path.
"May your souls be carried from this mortal plane into the loving light of God and find peace in God's hallowed radiance. May your bodies be reborn anew and may you live new lives; ones filled with peace and love. Know that you will never be forgotten… The Digimon that you were will live on in our memories," TigerVespamon gently whispered. His hand began to tighten and his fingers burrowed into the earth, grasping a clump of grass and soil in his palm.
"I will never forget you. I love you all…" he tenderly added. He paused and stared at the ground, feeling a constricting tightness in his throat. To counter the emotion, he released a gentle breath to center himself.
"Being of Goodness, please watch over them," TigerVespamon softly prayed. "And please protect Father Angemon. Give me the strength to rescue him… Praise be it to God."
TigerVespamon grimaced sadly and gazed down at the earth beneath his hand. Through the darkness, he could see a single, yellow flower sprouting up from the soil between his fingers. The tiny flower had managed to escape the carnage that had befallen the nearby monastery. It was so small and delicate; if he was to grasp the earth any tighter, he would surely crush it.
The hornet Digimon relaxed his fingers and gently withdrew his fingers from the soil, allowing the flower to settle back into the earth.
"…I can't believe you can still think there's a God after all this," a rough voice said from behind him.
TigerVespamon's shoulders immediately tensed up and his body bristled at the familiar voice. The derision, the cynicism, and the smugness that he sensed in his voice… they caused the anger that he had been trying to keep at bay to begin to bubble up inside of him. He could feel the simmering rage within him threaten to pour out, but he wouldn't let it. He told himself that he was better than that.
Still, he couldn't help but feel his contempt cling to him like a shadow. Despite trying to rise above it, the pain and ire in his heart dragged him back down. He could only turn the other cheek so much. And as he turned his head to the side, he could see a dark figure standing behind him who caused his anger to bubble further.
GrandisKuwagamon stood at the entrance of the monastery, gazing down at him from the top of the steps.
"Why do you pray to somebody who obviously isn't there?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him uncertainly. "If what happened to our village wasn't enough proof that it's pointless, the fact that even these monks – 'God's chosen faithful' – weren't spared should be…"
From the bottom of the gentle set of stairs, TigerVespamon slowly raised himself up from the ground.
"You just cannot help yourself, can you…?"
TigerVespamon turned around and stared up the stairs at his brother across from him. His body and face seemed relaxed and calm, but the smallest signs – the subtle tightness in his cheek muscles, the twitch of his wings – showed that he was restraining his anger. He gazed up at his dark twin with the faintest touch of ire in his compound eyes.
"Even now, when I am trying to say goodbye to my family, you think it is appropriate to deride my beliefs... Their data is only just barely scattered, and yet… you honestly see it as an opportunity to score points for your own atheistic worldview," TigerVespamon calmly responded. Although his words were smooth and tranquil, they were as sharp as razors. He refused to allow himself to react with anger or impulse, but it resulted in him becoming surrounded in the frosty shield of passive-aggression.
GrandisKuwagamon winced a bit and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, sorry... I didn't mean it like that. I just don't like seeing you waste your breath… I don't want you to get disappointed hoping for a miracle that's not gonna come."
"It is my breath to waste," TigerVespamon icily responded. "At the risk of being subject to your mockery, I prefer to have faith in the God that I and everyone else here believed in."
"How can you say that when everyone you grew up with is dead or captured?" the beetle asked him, genuinely perplexed.
"It was not the Being of Goodness who killed them, it was your friends," TigerVespamon countered, a bit of his tempered anger seeping through his veil.
GrandisKuwagamon grimaced and glanced away, folding his arms defensively. "They're not my friends, damn it," he retaliated insistently. "Not after everything they did."
"You are quick to place them at arm's length when it benefits you. For being such close friends, it seems as though you all have a habit of turning on one another to save yourselves," TigerVespamon pointed out.
The darker insect shot him an aggrieved leer. "Don't compare this to what they did," he immediately retorted. "They left me for Royal Knight bait and ran off to save their own shells! It's because of what they did that I'll never trust them again."
"So, you admit that if they hadn't betrayed you, you would be happy to still work with them as lawless mercenaries," TigerVespamon swiftly and succinctly pointed out, casting him a cool, judgmental stare.
GrandisKuwagamon stalled, his pincers twitching with disbelief at how smoothly TigerVespamon was able to turn that around on him. "What…? No! I'm different from them now. I'm trying to make things right, damn it!"
"Forgive me if I find that difficult to believe," the golden insect replied, turning his winged back to him. "You have only changed because your hand was forced. As I said before, you would still be working with them now if they hadn't turned on you. Or will you attempt to convince me that you were unhappy working for Bagramon?"
GrandisKuwagamon glared at his brother. His shoulders tightened and his wings flickered with frustration. While there was some truth to his words, it wasn't the whole truth. He couldn't deny that he had been happy to work with Black Pincer Company on their jobs for Bagramon in the beginning, and if things had gone differently, it was entirely possible he could still be with them now. However, it was also true that he had started to have serious doubts at the time about their mystery client, and that relations between the three mercenaries had been becoming strained as a result. He couldn't say for sure what would have happened.
"What? You have a crystal ball? Or some psychic angel powers that can tell you what I would have done?" GrandisKuwagamon argued. "I didn't know who I was working for! I only went back to Bagramon after the fact because I was desperate. And, for the record, I chose to turn myself in during the siege."
TigerVespamon turned his head and spied him out of the corner of his compound eye. "You agreed to work for Bagramon in the beginning. It was your actions that led to this very moment…" For emphasis, TigerVespamon nodded towards the destroyed monastery behind them. "…Even if you had a late burst of conscience, do not insult me by pretending that you are any different from Blitzmon and Bolgmon. Even if you did not commit the act, you are just as culpable as they are."
"How?!" GrandisKuwagamon protested. "Look, I know you're upset and looking you want to take it out on me, but you can't blame me for something I could have done if things were different!"
TigerVespamon slowly turned around to face him. "'Upset'? My whole family is gone because of you and your vile friends; I am somewhat more than just upset…" TigerVespamon methodically answered. Although his words didn't rise above a tranquil buzz, the inflection of his words was razor fine.
GrandisKuwagamon's teeth gritted together and he took a step towards his fraternal twin. "I'm your family!" he protested, sweeping his arm outwards emphatically. "Your real family!"
The hornet raised his horned head to stare at the black insect directly in the eye. "Angemon and the others raised me when I had nobody… They took me in and treated me as one of their own. I refuse to let the likes of you insult them by saying they were not my family," he coldly defended.
"Sorry, but they're not though; not by blood," GrandisKuwagamon sharply reminded him, never one to mince his words even if they caused offence. "You can hate me all you want, but I'm still your brother."
The tightness in TigerVespamon's chest intensified and he could feel the warm bubbling inside him increase. "You are a criminal, GrandisKuwagamon. A murderer," he swiftly replied. There was no sympathy in his eyes as he glared at his brother. "Before, you asked if I was ashamed of you… I didn't respond truthfully..."
He broke his gaze and looked away bitterly. "Yes, I am ashamed that we are related. The fact that you have committed so much crime and sin… Of course I am ashamed." He hesitated for a moment, but steeled the emotion inside of him. "Our parents would be too."
The hornet's words stung deep. GrandisKuwagamon's fists began to clench, but he stopped himself and released a flippant breath. "Oh, get over yourself, you pompous, little, choir boy!" GrandisKuwagamon fired back, folding his arms. His first instinct to combat the stinging in his chest was to give as good as he got. He wasn't about to be let it show that TigerVespamon was getting to him. "You think you're so damn virtuous and superior! What? Are you trying to be the perfect angel or something?"
At these needling accusations, TigerVespamon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "…Pardon?" he calmly asked, in his own way, trying to show that he wasn't being affected.
"Well, I got news for you; you're not perfect. If you were, maybe you wouldn't have screwed up and we wouldn't have had to rescue you. Get over yourself," GrandisKuwagamon caustically replied.
At the hurtful insinuation, TigerVespamon bowed his head. The forward tilt of his head caused the moonlight to cast shadows across his face, darkening his features. He felt a distant pain in his heart - a faraway voice that whispered to him that he was responsible. As the powerful ache inside of him began to intensify, he quickly began to redirect it.
GrandisKuwagamon scowled defensively at the lithe, golden insect. "I don't need this. I don't need to be judged by you," he continued. "I know I made mistakes, okay? I'm trying my best to make amends! Or is it just easier for you to make me the bad guy?"
TigerVespamon's mandibles twitched. "You are just pretending to be repentant so that you get out of trouble," he gently accused him. "Or is it a coincidence that you only surrendered when the tide was turning against the Demon Lords?"
"Hah, wow!" GrandisKuwagamon exclaimed with an indignant laugh. He unfolded his arms and placed his black palms on his hips. "You've really made your mind up about me, huh? It's funny; you try to be a holy follower, but you don't even follow your own beliefs! Isn't forgiveness and believing in other Digimon one of the main principles of your religion? But you won't even try to forgive your own flesh and blood. Guess I was right; you and the followers of the Religion of Light are just a load of hypocrites…" GrandisKuwagamon shrugged nonchalantly, a gesture that began to infuriate the wasp. "For all the things you want to call me, at least I'll never be that."
TigerVespamon's anger continued to bubble to the surface. The more he argued with his brother , the more he could feel it beginning to take control. However, he refused to let it. He refused to allow himself to sink to GrandisKuwagamon's level. He made sure that he would hold himself with dignity and respect, despite the conflux of emotions inside of him. That was how he had been taught. He wouldn't allow wrath to cloud his mind and sway him from right action.
After a deep, calming breath, he straightened his body and held his head up to gaze at his brother with unaffected superiority. He wouldn't let himself rise to the mercenary's goading. "Think what you please," TigerVespamon answered with perfect serenity. "You are welcome to your own opinion, as I am to mine." The slender insect began to smoothly turn away from him. "I am weary of this pointless conversation. I have already said what I needed to say back at the castle."
GrandisKuwagamon's fists tightened as he glared at the hornet with a withering glare. Although TigerVespamon began to rein in his emotions, in doing so, he merely intensified GrandisKuwagamon's anger. His attempt to rise above their disagreement made him appear aloof. The way he carried himself seemed to GrandisKuwagamon like disaffected superiority, like he couldn't be bothered to engage with him.
"You're so damn smug and holier-than-thou! You love this, don't you? I know your type. You just love basking in the moral high ground! You love being able to look down on me and judge me. I bet it makes you feel real big!" GrandisKuwagamon lambasted him with an accusatorial finger. "You don't know how good you have it to be in that position. Knowing where you came from, you're pretty damn privileged to be in a place where you get you look down on me, Blitzmon and Bolgmon. If you hadn't been found, you would have been scouring the gutters like the rest of us!" In his boiling anger, he cast his arm behind him towards the ruins of the monastery. "You were lucky to have this much! We had to fight tooth and claw in the gutter just to survive!"
GrandisKuwagamon's harsh, cutting words sliced through TigerVespamon's self-imposed restraints, hitting him like a sword buried in his gut. The golden insect froze mid-turn, becoming like a statue as the words sunk in and his ire rose to the surface like lava. He slowly crooked his head back towards him, his cold gaze landing not just on GrandisKuwagamon, but the ruins behind him.
"This much?!" he cried out, his voice rising for the first time. With crystalline eyes, he stared at what was once his home. "I am lucky that my family is dead because of your friends?" TigerVespamon's face darkened as he glared with tempered fury at his brother. "You couldn't be more pleased, could you…? I understand your resentment now. You are jealous… You envy the life I had; that I was lucky enough to be saved, but you were not… Now I have lost everything and have been brought back down to your level. You prefer it this way, don't you?" he accused him, his words like knives of ice. "Do you even have any intention of helping us rescue Angemon? I don't believe you want to stop your friends…"
These words cut GrandisKuwagamon deeply. His crimson eye narrowed into a furious wince and his hands became trembling fists. "What…?" he whispered with seething outrage. "Your opinion of me is that low…? What the hell kind of Digimon do you take me for?! How can you think I'd wish this on my own brother?!"
TigerVespamon bitterly glanced away from his dark counterpart. "I don't know, GrandisKuwagamon… The truth is, I do not know you at all," he responded, doing his best to temper the ire in his heart. His words were heavy, and, through the anger, they were laced with guilt and sadness. "I never thought that the brother whom I loved would be capable of murder either… Yet I stand corrected."
GrandisKuwagamon took a menacing step towards him, his body trembling with frustration. "It's so damn easy to judge me, isn't it? What you can't understand is that we didn't have the same luxuries that you did! I didn't have someone taking care of me. I didn't know where my next meal was coming from. I didn't have the stability that you did. If we didn't make hard decisions, we'd probably be long dead. We couldn't afford to let things like right and wrong get in the way of survival," he fired back passionately.
GrandisKuwagamon stepped down the steps so that he was directly in front of the composed wasp. He glare into his eyes and pushed his finger accusatorily against TigerVespamon's chest. "Or maybe you wish I had died. Then you wouldn't have to feel the shame of having a criminal brother. That way, you could keep the memory of that sweet, pure Tentomon who you remember as your brother."
TigerVespamon grimaced as GrandisKuwagamon's painful accusation sunk in. Despite the flare of anger he felt, there was also a permeating sadness inside of him. Before replying, he contemplated his brother's words. He slowly looked up and leered bitterly into GrandisKuwagamon's eyes.
"…Perhaps I do wish that," he sadly spoke. The memories of Angemon, SlashAngemon and the others flashed through his mind. "Everything was better when I believed that my family was dead. It hurt like nothing else but… at least I was able to start a new life with everyone. I was able to move on." He gently clenched his black fist and he could feel the sting of salt water in the rims of his compound eyes. "Ever since meeting you, I have been dragged back into a past that I wished to forget. Since meeting you, everything has gone wrong and the new life I created for myself has been ruined."
TigerVespamon's tearful, ruby eyes flashed with anger and he shot his brother an anguished glare. "Now my real family is gone. And you… You still have the gall to complain about how bad you had it."
The cutting words caused GrandisKuwagamon's already weakened restraints to snap. His eye widened with rage and he unleashed the anger that had been building up to this point. The Gran Killers slid off his forearms and clattered to the ground below him.
"Bastard!"
GrandisKuwagamon grabbed TigerVespamon's scarf tightly with one hand. He lashed out and, in one swift motion, cuffed his fist across TigerVespamon's smooth, golden cheek.
TigerVespamon's head jerked to the right as the knuckles drilled across his face. He stood there in shock for a moment. His already aching cheek grew numb with pain, and he could taste the cut inside of his mouth reopening.
After a few seconds of tense silence, filled only by GrandisKuwagamon's enraged breathing, the black insect released his scarf.
"'Real family'?!" he shouted through gritted teeth, glaring at the stunned insect in front of him. "Say what you want about me, but don't you dare say that Mom and Dad weren't your real family! They fought to the death to protect us, you cold, self-righteous prick! But I guess it's easier for you to just forget them! It's obvious you'd much rather live a lie!"
TigerVespamon's tensed cheeks slackened and his compound eyes slowly began to widen with shock.
GrandisKuwagamon scoffed derisively. "Fooling yourself into believing a fake god, pretending you're a part of some fake family… You're not an angel, no matter how much you pretend to be! Even if you try to forget where you came from, you'll still never be one of them. You're playing make believe! You're just blaming me for everything because you can't live that fairytale lie anymore!" he shouted, wanting to cause him as much pain as what he was feeling. GrandisKuwagamon, always knowing the most cutting words to say, was effective in his intent.
The harsh, caustic words caused the last vestiges of self-restraint inside of TigerVespamon to snap. The deeply personal accusations cut straight to the bone and tipped him over the edge. His muscles tightened and trembled with an all-encompassing rage and he could feel his mind go numb with the heat of fury. The pain in his cheek was nothing compared to that of his heart.
TigerVespamon slowly tilted his head back forwards. As his head crooked back, his tearful eyes locked onto GrandisKuwagamon in the coldest, most withering glare.
Without so much as a word, he suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of GrandisKuwagamon's wrist and elbow. With a swift, sweeping motion, he spun around and bent forwards, redirecting GrandisKuwagamon's weight and hurling him over his shoulder.
GrandisKuwagamon let out a sharp grunt as he suddenly found himself pulled off his feet and flipped forwards. His winged back slammed against the ground as he impacted the dirt path at the base of the steps. With his instincts rushing into over drive, as soon as the air left his lungs, he retaliated.
The shadowy beetle whirled his body around on the ground and lashed his leg out. With a smooth sweep, he kicked out the back of TigerVespamon's knee. Unprepared for such a fast response, TigerVespamon's legs buckled and he crashed to the stone steps beneath him.
Each of them now on the ground, they both attempted to scramble to a sitting position. They propelled themselves upright and locked eyes with each other, each with a mixture of shock and rage. Without another word between them, they pushed the soles of their feet against the ground for support and lunged at one another.
The two brothers clashed and slammed into each other. GrandisKuwagamon clutched TigerVespamon's scarf with one hand and his shoulder with the other. At the same time, TigerVespamon grabbed the base of one of GrandisKuwagamon's pincers while also squeezing a nerve in GrandisKuwagamon's neck painfully.
Being the larger and more muscular of the two, GrandisKuwagamon got the better of the clash, tackling TigerVespamon to the stone ground. However, TigerVespamon was more graceful and agile, and was able to redirect GrandisKuwagamon's weight and flip them over.
The pair struggled for dominance and leverage. They ended up flipping over each other and rolling off the steps and onto the dirt road below. Their legs jerked and kicked wildly and they grappled with each other in a heated struggled.
"Bastard!" GrandisKuwagamon spat, cuffing TigerVespamon across the face.
"Get off of me!" TigerVespamon fired back, karate chopping him in the side of his mouth and kneeing him in the gut. He threw GrandisKuwagamon to the side and pounced on top of him, trying to hit him with precise, pressure point strikes.
GrandisKuwagamon cried out with agony as one hand struck him in the joints between his carapace plates, but he quickly grabbed hold of TigerVespamon's arms and wrestled him back to the ground. "Try that again!" he dared him, punching him in the gut.
Meanwhile, Cyberdramon leaned against the outside wall of the monastery with folded arms. He looked on as the two brothers fought and rolled around in the dirt. He stood just close enough so that he wouldn't go out of the proximal restraint system's range. His expression was aloof and pensive as he watched the two tussle, but he couldn't help but grin whenever TigerVespamon landed a blow.
The two brothers grappled and rolled over each other, just barely getting enough of a foothold to trade blows. As Cyberdramon continue to watch with interest, the front doors of the monastery suddenly swung open.
SaviorHackmon ran outside, having heard shouting while he was investigating inside. He came to a sudden stop in front of the entrance, his eyes widening with shock upon seeing GrandisKuwagamon and TigerVespamon wrestling on the ground.
"W-What's going on?! What are you doing?! Stop it!" SaviorHackmon shouted, about to run over to intervene.
"Don't interrupt," Cyberdramon gruffly told him, peering over at the younger dragon from the nearby wall.
SaviorHackmon blinked and looked towards Cyberdramon shocked to see him just standing there, watching. "What…? Cyberdramon?" he asked with bewilderment. "Why are you just standing there and watching?! We have to do stop them!"
Cyberdramon calmly shook his head before nodding towards the two brothers. "No… Let them fight," he told him with every confidence in his position. "They both have a lot of issues between them. This is something that they need to work through. They have a lot of pent up resentment that they need to get out of their systems… Fighting like this is a healthy way to purge those negative emotions."
SaviorHackmon grimaced and hesitated, looking back towards the pair of fighting brothers. He flinched when he saw one's fist connect with the other's cheek. "Yeah, but…" he uncertainly replied, watching as the two struggled on the ground.
It pained his heart to see two of his friends – brothers, no less, fighting each other. His kneejerk, emotive reaction was to want to break them up before they hurt each other even more. However, Cyberdramon's advice resonated with him. It sounded exactly like something that Gankoomon would tell him. His master was all about resolving one's differences and expressing one's feelings through the use of force. He knew firsthand that it could be a helpful, if painful experience. It was cathartic.
However, SaviorHackmon also knew that the wrong type of fighting could potentially lead to the worsening of feelings between people. He hadn't been there for the context. He didn't know if this was merely an expression of strong emotions or if it was an attempt to actively cause harm or to get one over on the other. He wasn't sure what he should do.
As GrandisKuwagamon and TigerVespamon traded blows, SaviorHackmon winced and clenched his clawed fists. Uncertain what he should do, he just ended up staying put and watching uneasily. He hated the indecision that he felt inside of him. He felt those feelings of doubt and weakness beginning to creep over his heart yet again. Why couldn't he get his legs to move?
"This is how you fight, you pansy-ass angel wannabe?!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted, getting on top of the slender wasp and grabbing him by the scarf.
TigerVespamon scowled and redirected GrandisKuwagamon's force to roll them over so that he was pinning him down. "Rather this… than a back alley thug…!"
SaviorHackmon's shoulders tensed up and he watched with bated breath as they both rolled over one another yet again. He wanted to stop them, but… Maybe they needed this? He wasn't sure. He shut his eyes with frustration and his teeth gnashed together. Was this the extent of his determination? Was this really the most that he could do without Gankoomon there to support him?
Before he could attempt to answer those questions, a strong, authoritative voice rang out through the night.
"Enough!" the voice bellowed.
Magnamon descended from the moonlit sky, followed by Dynasmon. The two Royal Knights landed in the grass, on either side of the two insect brothers as they struggled in the dirt.
Just as GrandisKuwagamon was rearing his fist back, Dynasmon landed behind him and wrapped his powerful arms around the black bug's body. Using his formidable strength, Dynasmon wrenched GrandisKuwagamon off of TigerVespamon's form and restrained him.
As TigerVespamon sat up, Magnamon touched down behind the golden insect and placed his arms underneath his shoulders, holding him back as well. He dragged the taller hornet Digimon up the steps to put distance between him and GrandisKuwagamon.
"Gah! Get offa me, you damn horned lizard!" GrandisKuwagamon growled, struggling and squirming against Dynasmon's tight hold. There was a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, and he was covered in dirt.
TigerVespamon's normally pristine body was also marred with dirt, and there was a slight shimmer of crimson tracing the edge of his mouth. As soon as he saw Dynasmon holding GrandisKuwagamon back, and feeling Magnamon's arms hooking his shoulders, he stopped his attack and attempted to rein himself in.
"I think you've had enough," Dynasmon advised the mercenary, tightening his hugging hold to keep the beetle's arms locked together.
"What's going on here?!" Magnamon demanded, his eyes angrily looking between the two. "You two are brothers!" He turned his head and looked over at Cyberdramon and SaviorHackmon with annoyance. "And why did neither of you stop them?"
SaviorHackmon grimaced, but he couldn't think of anything to say in his defence. "S-Sorry, Sir, I…"
Cyberdramon straightened up under Magnamon's gaze. He stepped away from the wall and saluted the Royal Knights sheepishly. "Er… I thought it was best not to interfere. It seemed like they needed to get it out of their system, Sir. Sorry…"
"Fighting between us is a bad waste of energy and morale," Magnamon told them, pulling TigerVespamon away despite the fact that he was no longer resisting. He looked at the golden insect in his arms. "I know you're hurting right now, TigerVespamon, but this isn't the answer. I thought you were mature enough to know that."
Despite the adrenaline still pumping through TigerVespamon and the anger, fear, and sorrow still simmering in his chest, he was beginning to regain his sense of perspective. He saw what he was doing: he lost control of his emotions and now he was wrestling his brother in the dirt like a common ruffian. Was this the sort of Digimon that he was taught to be?
TigerVespamon grimaced with shame and turned his head away. "…I apologise," he gently answered. "I am embarrassed by my actions… I allowed my emotions to control me."
"I understand," Magnamon sympathetically replied, knowing the reason why TigerVespamon had acted so differently from normal. The gold armoured Royal Knight looked over at GrandisKuwagamon with an accusatory glare. "What were you thinking, GrandisKuwagamon? TigerVespamon is grieving!"
GrandisKuwagamon scowled but he finally began to give up his resistance to Dynasmon's tight hold. "Things got heated; he said just as much shit as I did. Just stay out of this, half-pint," he told the Royal Knight. "This is between us."
"Not when it affects the entire team," Dynasmon explained, narrowing his maroon eyes arrestingly. "Whatever problems you have with each other, you need to either work it out or put it aside. We have to focus on rescuing Angemon."
The mention of Angemon knocked TigerVespamon back into his senses. He knew that Magnamon and Dynasmon were right. What he should be doing now is focusing on getting Angemon back. He couldn't let his anger towards GrandisKuwagamon get in the way of that goal.
"Yes… You're right," TigerVespamon acquiesced, nodding gently. He looked towards GrandisKuwagamon and gave him a firm gaze. While he didn't relent his feelings, he knew he had to rise above them. "Finding Angemon is most important. I will put aside our differences for his sake…"
GrandisKuwagamon stared back into his eyes with a hesitant glower. He was still insulted by some of the things that TigerVespamon said, but his feelings and intentions never changed. Even if his brother didn't trust him, he would force him to trust him. That was the only way he felt they could move forwards. "Seeing as I am serious about helping to find the angel… fine. I'm good as long as he is…"
Seeing a tentative truce emerging between the two bug Digimon, Magnamon felt confident enough to let them go. He carefully released TigerVespamon from his hold, and nodded at Dynasmon to do the same with GrandisKuwagamon.
As Magnamon withdrew his arms from around TigerVespamon's body, the golden acolyte pulled himself gracefully to his feet. At the same time, Dynasmon released GrandisKuwagamon from his bear hug. The dark-shelled mercenary fell to his hands and knees at the bottom of the steps.
With perfect posture, TigerVespamon stood at the top of the steps, gazing down at the mercenary below. A gentle wind blew towards him, causing the ends of his crimson scarf to blow towards the monastery at his back.
With his hands and knees scraping against the dirt, GrandisKuwagamon raised his head and leered up at his brother with defiance. He scowled faintly as he saw the insect standing over him with poise and dignity, looking down on him from his perch.
Although the space between the top and bottom of the steps was only a few meters, it might as well have been a chasm. The two insect brothers could feel the distance between them.
Neither spoke – neither of them needed to. All of the harsh and accusatory words before had punctuated the differences between them that they already knew were there.
GrandisKuwagamon grabbed his Gran Killers from the steps and stood to his feet. He slipped them back on his arms and pulled away from Dynasmon, stepping away from the group.
Magnamon sighed as the highly-charged tension began to dissipate, if only a little. "Okay, good," he spoke up, trying to redirect the focus away from the quarrel. "Now back to the problem in front of us. What's the situation? Did any of you find anything?"
Cyberdramon stepped forwards and glanced over at GrandisKuwagamon. "We found a trail leading away from the monastery. It leads westwards through the forest."
"It was definitely Blitzmon and Bolgmon. It's hard to mistake those tracks, and it looks like they didn't have time to cover them," GrandisKuwagamon explained, flexing his fingers as they slotted through the outer hole of his Gran Killer.
"We also found this," Cyberdramon informed them, reaching into his armour and producing a white feather.
TigerVespamon's eyes widened a bit and he walked over. "It's Angemon's," he confirmed.
"That matches the one I found," Dynasmon replied, holding up a white feather of his own. "I was flying around deeper into the forest. It was lying on the tracks further west."
"Feathers?" SaviorHackmon asked, blinking. "Is he leaving us a trail?"
"It's hard to say whether it's intentional or not, but it gives us something to look out for," Cyberdramon explained.
"This is good news. We have something to go off of now," Magnamon mused, folding his bracer-covered arms across his chest. "They're heading west, but where?"
Rubbing his sore neck, GrandisKuwagamon turned around and eyed the two Royal Knights. "My guess is they're heading to Dark Point. That's the only place that they'd be able to get safe harbour with a hostage in tow," he reasoned. "Plus, there's a whole bunch of demons there. Since they're both working for the same guys, they may want to get help returning to the Demon Lords."
"How can you be sure?" Magnamon asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"I can't," GrandisKuwagamon bluntly admitted. "But I know Blitzmon and Bolgmon pretty well. I grew up with them. I know how they think." For a moment, the mercenary caught himself and released an ironic half-chuckle. He remembered that he hadn't realised how they felt at all. If he had, their betrayal wouldn't have come as such a shock. "At least, I thought I did..."
He scoffed and shrugged, outwardly showing his dismissive attitude towards them. But, despite the action, he ended up looking away from the group and gazing solemnly at the pair of moons in the far-off distance.
"I don't think he's too far off," Dynasmon added in his defence, glancing over at GrandisKuwagamon. "He'd know better than anybody. It makes sense that they'd try to go to Dark Point. They wouldn't have many other options with both a hostage and a relic."
Magnamon folded his arms and nodded. "Then I guess we know where we're headed next." The short Royal Knight looked around at the group, particularly at TigerVespamon. "Are all of you ready to go? TigerVespamon, are you able to come with us?"
"Of course," TigerVespamon answered with unwavering determination.
GrandisKuwagamon nodded. "What are we waiting for?"
"I just need a couple minutes," TigerVespamon replied, beginning to walk up towards the monastery. "I won't be long."
"Okay," Magnamon said. "We'll follow the trail west. Cyberdramon, you're up front with GrandisKuwagamon as our trackers. We'll go by air to speed things up."
"Got it, Sir," Cyberdramon replied, turning towards the Forest of Equilibrium behind the monastery.
SaviorHackmon walked up towards GrandisKuwagamon uncertainly. He looked at the dark beetle with concern. While he hadn't heard the whole argument, what he did hear sounded pretty heated. "Hey, Grandis… Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," GrandisKuwagamon curtly replied, turning away from him and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "He doesn't hit all that hard."
"That's not what I meant…" SaviorHackmon said with a soft, empathetic look in his gold eyes.
GrandisKuwagamon didn't respond. He just readjusted the Gran Killers over his forearms. He knew what SaviorHackmon meant, but he didn't want to talk about it. He'd just end up getting mad again.
"GrandisKuwagamon," Magnamon spoke up, pulling his attention away. The gold-armoured dragon knight stepped up to GrandisKuwagamon and levelled a firm, authoritative gaze with him.
"Yeah, Sparkles?" GrandisKuwagamon flippantly replied, looking down at the Royal Knight.
"I'll be honest with you. I don't trust you. I don't even like you," Magnamon told him, narrowing his eyes. "I haven't forgotten about how you tried to kill MetallifeKuwagamon, not to mention the other soldiers who you did delete."
GrandisKuwagamon's expression grew a little more serious. "Yeah… I remember," he replied. "What's your point?"
The golden Royal Knight folded his arms. "We're going up against your former teammates. I know what you said before, but if you're going to be part of this team, I need to know where your loyalties lie."
GrandisKuwagamon's eye narrowed slightly. "I want to help my brother, even if we did just beat each other up," he responded, folding his arms. "I'm not about to go running back to those guys… They're working for Bagramon. Plus, they sold me out. Not to mention what they did here…"
"You better not," Dynasmon added, stepping up beside Magnamon and levelling a stern glare at the mercenary. "You may be with the Rooks, but don't forget that you're on probation and very thin ice… I haven't forgotten that you betrayed us once. This is your last chance, Grandis."
"Tch…" GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "How stupid do you think I am…?" He looked between the two Royal Knights with a hard gaze. "I can swear I'm good to my word all I want, but the only thing that'll convince you is actions. That means you're gonna have to trust me."
"You of all people should know that trust doesn't come cheap," Magnamon responded.
"Especially once it's broken," Dynasmon added. The large dragon man placed his hands on his hips. "But… I'm willing to give you this last shot, because I think you care about your brother."
"Gee, thanks. I'm welling up," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically replied.
Magnamon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just don't let us down…" he advised him. Magnamon looked up at Dynasmon and nodded. "Let's get ready to go."
GrandisKuwagamon watched as the two Royal Knights walked off onto the nearby grass. As soon as they were gone, he glowered bitterly and tightened his fists.
The thought of Blitzmon and Bolgmon entered his head. His team… His friends…
The memory of them disappearing into an alley and leaving him as a scapegoat in the streets of Saversburg came rushing back. Being left to face the Royal Knights alone…
He didn't like to admit it, he didn't even like to think about it, but the wounds of their betrayal were still raw and seeping. Thinking about what they did to him usually incited anger and vengeance within him. Over the past month, he hadn't had much time to brood over his friends using him as a scapegoat in Saversburg. He had been so focused on himself – escaping, surviving, working with the Demon Lords – that he had been too busy for anything else. Maybe he wanted to be too busy to think about them.
But now, he was confronted with the fact that they had killed his brother's adoptive family. He now had to chase after them in order to rescue Angemon and the Orb of Yang. He knew that he would have to confront them. As he thought about it, those buried feelings began to re-emerge inside of him. They were the same feelings that he had felt when he had seen them in Dark Point. Anger… wrath… confusion…
He felt his stomach tighten up as he thought about seeing them again. He wasn't sure why… It was a feeling different from anger… He wanted to confront them. He wanted closure. He wanted revenge on them. Yet, it wasn't just anger he felt. There was a crushing tightness and a longing pang inside of him. Maybe he was afraid to confront them. Maybe he didn't want to hear what they had to say. Maybe he wasn't ready to face the rejection of the two who were supposed to be his best friends. He already felt like he had been rejected by his brother. Maybe, if he spoke to them, he would find that he really was alone…
As they began to walk away, GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but look over at his brother. He wondered if he would ever be able to forgive him.
TigerVespamon gently closed the doors to the monastery, allowing the large, wooden slabs to come together and shut with a familiar, rusty click. He stood in front of the threshold, his ebony hand resting on the handle of the door for several moments. He couldn't bring himself to let go of it.
Even that simple door had memories. He remembered having trouble opening the tall and heavy door when he was young. He remembered walking in as a teenager, coming in after a hard day of work to the warm, inviting smell of dinner. He felt like as soon as he let go and turned his back, it would all be gone forever.
TigerVespamon took a long, meditative breath. The breathing technique helped to calm his nerves. After a moment of reflection, he steeled himself. He knew he had to be strong. They were the only ones who could rescue Angemon.
TigerVespamon slowly slid his hand off the doorknob, his fingers gently gliding down the surface of the old wood. He took a step back and looked up at the stone monastery that he had called his home.
"I suppose I won't be able to pick berries with all of you this season…" he solemnly spoke.
As he felt the tightness of loss return, TigerVespamon slowly turned away. With his winged back to the monastery, he knelt down and closed his fingers around the handles of the Royal Meisters that lay on the stone porch. He took the laser blades in his hands and rose up, facing the night before him.
Without another word, he began to walk down the steps of the monastery and make his way towards the rest of the group. He couldn't bring himself to look back.
He had a job to do: rescue Angemon and bring retribution to those who were responsible for this.
However, even if he did rescue Angemon, he somehow doubted that he would ever return here. TigerVespamon felt that this would be the last he would see of his home.
With a heavy heart, the acolyte walked away from his monastery, and towards the dark, uncertain future that lay in front of him.