Summary: After Metal Greymon defeated Etemon. Taichi was pulled into a dimensional hole and transported back to earth. But what if that wasn't what happened, what if the hole stranded him in a completely new world where he comes face to face with his female counterpart.
--
Altered Fate.
Part XIII.
--
Looking down at the golden digi egg before him, Wisemon sighed as he stood as silently as he could on the ornate silver dais rising from the blue floor, his breathing barely heard as he observed the egg spin around lazily while hovering, its glow a bit brighter then before. "You've only been partly awoken haven't you, is that why you've unleashed them? To cleanse the world or to gather the digital energy needed to fully awaken you?"
"Both of them actually." The answer coming from behind as a tall lumbering form flashing into existence, it red colored form towering up over him as the head lowered to take in the appearance of the digimon before him. "And how is it that you can enter this realm, this world within the center of all?"
Holding out both hands in a peace sign, Wisemon smiled within the safety of his hood, his eyes glowing eerily as he slowly kneeled down before the digimon. "I saw the way here, just as I have seen the future of this world." Crossing his arms before him, he spoke in a soft, calm voice.
"For there shall be born a controller of a darkness beyond the darkest night, with the fires of destruction at its beg and call, the world shall be flooded by darkness, opposing this controller, shall be two stars born from another realm, around them shall spin four lights, before them, human and digimons blood shall spread, and when the time is right, the stars shall released an arrow that will split the heavens apart."
Chaos Dramon remained silent as he observed the digimon before him, his machine brain running the sentence over and over inside of his head. "Our awakening has come at the right time then, the light shall triumph, when the stars release their arrows, until then, the darkness shall be destroyed wherever it shows itself."
--
"It just never ends does it." Taiko ranted within the safety of the stone circle, the rugged grass plains around them offering her little comfort as she gazed out over it all. "All i really want is to go home and find Parallelmon to defeat him."
Next to her, Plotmon were still snoozing soundly with a soft snore every now and then. "First it was Hikaru and Devimon, then the devas and Milleniumon, and now it's the lords of chaos." Her eyes rolling up into the back of her head as she leaned back into the grass. "Just how many nutcases do we have to go through before this whole thing blows over?"
Taichi sitting next to her shook his head. "It bit worse then you say, according to Wisemon, there are a bigger evil out there then these lords, one that wield the fires of destruction." Relaxing as he cast a look over at Koromon, the small pink digimon all that had remained as Wargreymon had de evolved back. "Doesn't really matter to me, as far as I know, I'm stuck not just in the wrong world, but the wrong year as well."
Glancing over at his female counterpart, he grimaced at her dark and sullen look. "Calm down will you, when one of them shows up, we'll just do that trick again and have Wargreymon kick their behinds."
"Sorry kid." Piccolomon cut in as he tapped Taichi's on the shoulder with his staff. "That power sharing stunt was a clever move, but in the future, it will more difficult, the lords of chaos won't just go after you one at time if they feel you're a threat to them, rather, they'll come at full power."
Settling down before them, he smiled his most darkest and confident smirk. "I see only one solution to all of it, both of you, will have to brave the test of the gods." Rising up, he use his staff to point at the center of the crest circle, the stones towering up against the cloud filled sky. "If you can succeed, and prove yourself worthy, the god will unleash your true powers."
Watching him, Taichi shrugged as he stood up, he had already gone through one test thought up a Piccolomon to restore his courage, and if he was right, they would need that power. "I'm in; whatever can help us get a fighting chance against them is something I'm willing to try."
"You really need to learn some patience." Taiko muttered out as she stood up as well, her arms crossing across her chest as she leveled a glare down at the perfect stage digimon. "I'm betting that it's not just going to be a crest hunting test?"
Hovering up over them, the fairy digimon nodded as he spun his staff around, before impaling it into the ground. "True, you'll have to face the one thing that stands in the way of your true power, the trait mist likely to corrupt your mind and soul if you give into it."
Moving aside, he faced each of them. "When you find the way to overcome this trait, your power will flow freely, and nothing will be able to stop you." Hovering backwards, he didn't blink as he noticed Taichi following him at once, Taiko grunting before following. "One more thing, this test won't involve your partners, they can't help you in this matter."
Giving a quick look over at Koromon, Taichi did a quick nod as he braced himself. "Understood, what do I have to do?"
A glance over at Taiko confirmed her somewhat reluctant agreement, before he pointed at the nearest crest, the crest of courage. "You're test, Taichi, begins now!" Firing off a blast of power as he spoke, he watched as it impacted Taichi and the crest, both of them lighting up with a flare.
His eyes shifting towards Taiko, before repeating his action, the glow from both of them returning to him as he summoned his staff back into his hands, it's tip pointed straight up into the air. "Let the test of the heart begin now!" Slamming his staff downward, he cleaved the light in half, watching as it formed a shimmering rift in midair. "Step through the portal, and take your test children."
Observing them, he smiled as he watched first Taichi, then Taiko enter the rift, courage clear in the boy eyes, while a flicker of doubt were seen in the girl's. "May both of you prove successful in your quest." His head shifting around as he flew upwards, his staff spun around briefly. "You two, remain in the circle until they return, an unwanted guest is approaching."
Using a bubble to shield the circle of crests, Piccolomon hovered further upwards as Chaos Seadramon cut down through the clouds, the faint light reflecting of his metallic hide. "Boy, I'm starting to believe that Wisemon speaks of you in his prophecies, and not the girl, though I can still be proven wrong."
--
"Master?" Magnamon's question hung in the air as he stepped in through the only door, his eyes moving across the room softly, taking note that no one was around at the moment, no one except the ones he had come to see.
Taking a few steps across the room, he stopped before the first of the glowing tubes, his face hidden behind his mask frowning as he stared into the face of a peacefully sleeping boy. "Yamato." Turning to face the second one, he hung his head downwards as he traced a finger along its surface. "Juni."
His silently musing interrupted as the door was flung open, the sound of hasty footsteps greeting him as he turned to face the person standing in the door opening. "Master, I have returned, but without your desired items." Kneeling down as he spoke, he did his best to ignore the figure barely visible as it stood behind his master. "If you wish of me, I shall once again leave to secure the digivices of Taichi Yagami and Sora Takenouchi, regardless of the danger imposed by the Lords of Chaos."
"No." The word was spoken with a strict command, the master walking through the room with a harsh pace before pushing past Magnamon, looking briefly from the tubes then down to his servant. "While I trust your next attempt will not fail, I have a new assignment for you to carry out right now."
Returning his attention to the tube, he narrowed his eyes as he watched Yamato inside the tube. "We shall leave them alone; they'll deal, with the lords of chaos for us." Settling into his chair, he nodded briefly at the holy knight before him. "For now, your task shall be shifted to the capture of Hikaru Yagami, the fallen light, he is the final key needed to open the path for us."
Ignoring the questioning look shot at him, he merely grinned as he faced the two tubes behind him, a dark frown across his face as he planted one hand before the head of Yamato. "You haven't, regretted joining me have you?" The simple question was enough to earn him a sharp intake of breath from the golden armor holy knight, the warrior standing a bit taller as he shook his head in a negative manner. "Taichi Yagami is no more; all you met today was a shadow."
"As for the fallen light." The person spoke out harshly as he narrowed his eyes, his fingers clenching the glass a bit harder then needed. "Just remember his crimes, and you will have no problems capturing him, as for Devimon, that digimon's dark heart will soon be no more."
Hearing Magnamon bow before turning to leave, he cast a quick look over his shoulder at the holy knight digimon as he left the room. "You serve me well, as you did your partner." Crossing his arms as he regarded the new tubes in the room, he smirked as he spotted the one holding Michi. "You on the other hand, continue to shame yourself."
Walking over to regard Tentomon, he grinned darkly as he reached out and pressed a simple button partly hidden on the side of the tube holding the child level digimon. "You can still help thought, with one last thing." Smirking as he observed Tentomon's tube empty of liquid, he merely walked towards his controls. "Your link with this digimon allows me to control his evolution somewhat, I'm sure Devimon won't mind, some extra firepower to deal with."
Pressing a rapid series of buttons, he simply smirked as the sound of the tube opening to drop Tentomon onto the ground was heard, followed by a glowing light from Michi and the bug digimon. "Show me your hidden power, little one."
"Tentomon, evolves too."
--
Exiting the rift, Taichi took two steps forward before stopping, his eyes turning along with his head as he watched the surroundings, bits of data floating by him slowly as he felt Taiko emerged behind him. "This isn't really what I expected from a test."
Her comment earning a doubtful glance from him, sure, standing on a plain looking stone dais with nothing but darkness around them were enough to even have him doubt it was a test, but given that his world Piccolomon's test had been a cave, who was he to argue with this.
Taking several steps forward, he stopped as a soft chuckle reached him, the sound coming from his left side, just over his shoulder, the mere sound of it sending chills down his back.
"Hey, let go of my hair!" Taiko's cry causing him to snap his head around to face the right side to see who had attacked his female counterpart, only to stop as powerful hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him right back the left, where a fist smashed into his jaw, flinging him back down onto his back .
Open laughter following him down as a shape took form right before his eyes, a familiar messy haired style greeting him, along with a foot impacting his stomach as the figure leaned in over him. "What do you think, Xaiko, a bit on the weak side isn't he."
Flinging Taiko forward with a kick to her backside, Xaiko, laughed as she blew some air across her nails, enjoying the shocked and pain filled expression giving way to anger. "At least yours doesn't dress like garbage, Xaichi." Running her left hand through her hair, Xaiko fully revealed herself in all of her glory. "But I'm sure I can fix that, once I get to be in charge."
A cold glare filled her face as Taiko looked right into her mirror image, the same hair but hanging free unlike her own ponytail, and this one had a far more feminine clothing style, leaving far to much to be seen of her body then she would have liked to be shown. "Who are you?"
"She's your inner dark side, the one you fear yourself turning into, just as I am the part Taichi here fear above all others, the prideful one." Flexing his fingers, he removed his boot from, Taichi's stomach, and rose to his full height as he ran his left hand through his messy hair. "why I don't know, we're the strongest chosen child of them all, not to mention we're the leader of the group, and my partner, Agumon is the most powerful digimon, which brings me to this."
Snapping out a finger, he pointed right at Taichi's face. "Why haven't you given Yamato the beating his deserves? The weak fool constantly insults us, questions our orders and tries to take over the group, any attempts at taking over should be dealt with swiftly and harshly, no mercy to blond haired freaks like him, a half breed if I ever saw one."
Crossing him arms, Xaichi clicked his tongue against his teeth. "If I had been in charge, he'd have gotten the beating he deserved before we had even left File Island, heck, I would have left to die in that icy wasteland and don't even thick I haven't noticed the looks he's giving Sora, she's mine, just mine and no one else."
Hammering one foot into the other part of him, he snarled as he lowered his head a bit. "So back off Taichi, and let the real hero out for once, I'll let Yamato understand that he is not welcome in our group, permanently, and Sora, well, she has to learn that she is ours, and no one else."
Rising up, Taiko winched as nails dug into her chin, her head tilted up to face Xaiko's as she stared down at her. "And you, why don't you just take away Michi, we've liked him far longer then our friend Sora has." Increasing her grip, she growled as she thought about it. "You know, maybe I should arrange a little accident for Sora when we get back, if she has managed to escape from Parallelmon Michi won't be free game, as for the others, well, without them around, I'll be the one in charge, as it should be."
"I'll take Ken's place, and trust me; I'll show everyone the true darkness." Slapping Taiko as the tomboy girl turned back to face her, she grinned as she watched a drop of blood run down her finger, it's red color clearly seen above the pale skin. "And all I have to do first is beat you to a pulp."
Rushing forward, her hand clenched up as darkness flared into life around it. "Die Taiko Yagami, and give rise to me, Queen Xaiko, mistress of darkness!"
"Heh, chick fight." Pressing down on Taichi's chest, Xaichi watched the girls roll around the floors, punches and slaps flung out from each other in equal numbers. "You know, maybe I could convince both Sora and Mimi to become my babes, after all, there's enough of me to go around, just have to convince Koushiro and Joe to back off the pink loving ditz, the hard way if needed."
On the ground, Taichi snarled as he listened to his prideful part yap on, his eyes narrowing as he finished his last comment. "Oh shut up, we're not even teens yet." Grapping the foot of Xaichi, he grinned as he snapped it to the right, enjoying the howl of pain it drew from his dark twin. "And we owe our lives to several of the others in case you have forgotten about it."
Rising up as Xaichi did the same, a dark grin filling Taichi's face as he looked at his counter part. "Besides, I've already learned how to overcome your influence." Ducking back to avoid a kick aimed at his head, the child of courage ducked down under a follow up kick and rushed forward, pounding the other version of himself into the ground. "Just because I'm the leader doesn't mean I shouldn't listen to the others."
"And Yamato has a right to question me." Spitting out the words as he was showed off Xaichi, he grunted as he landed on his back harshly. "As for you-" Kicking upwards, he grinned as he caught Xaichi descending on him, his dark side falling backwards while cursing loudly. "-I'll never become like you."
Cracking her fist across her counterparts jaw, Taiko let out a deep breath of exhaustion as she watched Xaiko fall back with a bloody mouth, her eyes crossing in pain as she landed on her back, her mouth opening up in a hiss. "And you, I don't care who you think you are, I'll never let you win over me, I want nothing to do with the darkness."
Simply lying there on her back, Xaiko began to laugh, a laughter that was soon joined in perfect sync by Xaichi, both of them rising up from the ground as they grinned. "Of course you won't." Reaching out a hand, a small sphere formed above it with little trouble from the copy child. "You're too scared of it to even accept that it might be a part of you."
Jumping back up, Xaichi leveled a glare at Taichi as he flexed his shoulders. "And you. do you really think you can just shrug off your own arrogance and pride." Observing Taichi as he stood completely still with a smirk on his face, Xaichi felt nothing but anger as he lashed out once more, his fist curled up as red color washed over it. "Say something Bastard!"
Grapping the hand with little effort, Taichi watched as his copy's expression froze with a slight terror filled expression, a sharp tug showing that he was trying to back off. "I meant it, I'll never become like you, true, I can never be rid of my pride and arrogance, but."
Making a sharp pull, he drew Xaichi in close to him, their head almost hitting each other. "I won't fear you, I learned my lesson, if I fail I just have to try once more, and while I may see myself as perfect, my friends will always help me see that I'm not."
"I don't fear you, because my friends will stop me from ever becoming you." lashing out with a final punch, Taichi grinned as Xaichi went flying backwards, his face cracking as he let out a small laughter, his body shattering as he fell back down for the last time. "I'll help this world, not because I need to, but because I want to."
Turning back he watched as Taiko and Xaiko tore into each other again, their eyes narrowed in anger as they did their best to claw each other apart, the impulse to help her strong, just as the knowledge that she needed to do this on her own were powerful. "You can do it Taiko, we're too much alike for you to act this way."
Dropping back, Taiko hissed as she felt her body shaking, her arms almost numb from the fight, Xaiko on the other hand rising up with little trouble as she tossed her head back and laughed. "Do you really think you can beat your own inner darkness, brat, you may as well lie down and surrender right now."
Lashing out again and again despite her exhaustion and the pain in her shoulders and hands, Taiko shot an annoyed glare over at her male counterpart, the jerk not even doing anything to help her, despite having beaten his own copy.
"Pay attention!" the words followed by a vicious kick to her stomach, her body falling back and hitting the ground harshly, the wind knocked out of her as she felt Xaiko jump her, those hand grapping her throat and squeezing together tightly. "This will be so good, you die, and I become real."
Struggling to get free, Taiko felt her air run out, her body growing weaker as she watched Xaiko above her, the wild glare on the girls face hammering into her, the familiarity of it. "You're me!" The words gurgled out as she pried the hand away from her. "I can't beat you, because you're me, the part of me I hate."
Shoving her copy off herself, she watched the girl gasp for air as they lay there. "Holy Angemon, wanted me to rid myself of the darkness, but how can I." Rising up, she watched Xaiko merely lie there observing. "Without my own darkness, would I have what it takes to fight, would I be able to face down anyone if not for my own anger and pride? Would I even be me without my inner darkness?"
Glancing down at the girl before her, she kneeled down and held out a hand to her. "I won't ever give into you, but I need you to be complete, light and darkness together in balance, with that, we can beat anyone and protect those we care about, and them we don't like as well." On the ground, Xaiko merely sneered at her rant before her body shattered and drifted away.
"Okay, we overcame our inner darkness, now what." Taichi muttered out as Taiko rose up, her eyes half-closed as if she was deep in thought. "We wait for something to happen, or we leave?"
The answered coming in the formed of a deep laughter, before golden light engulfed them all, the air itself feeling almost like liquid if he wasn't mistaken, so thick were the feeling of power coming from both of them. "Taiko, you."
The rest lost as a feeling he couldn't really describe washed over him, a soft tingling sensation running along his skin with it as he felt his head drop back from it. "This is."
--
Feeling his barrier grow weaker, Piccollomon shot a quick look back over his shoulder, gaining a smirk as he watched a golden light erupt fourth from the portal as Taichi and Taiko shifted into view, the golden light itself dividing as it flowed out of the children, each one of it aiming itself right towards the child digimons belonging to them.
Agumon grinning as the golden light hit him once more, the familiar rush of what felt like endless power rushing through him as he hovered upwards, and into back into Taichi's, the light covered both of them, fusing them together into one single entity.
"Agumon Matrix evolves too-" Feeling a rush of power like none before, Agumon and Taichi felt themselves become, as their now shared body once more grow to a Wargreymon like form, but sporting a much different armor then Agumon's last form, this one having differing both color and shape vise, with a new massive triple bladed broad sword easily as long as he was tall and two wing like sections instead of a shield. "-Too Victory Greymon!"
Giggling the power of the golden light run through her, Plotmon rose upwards as well, fusing together with Taiko as the golden power flowed through them. "Plotmon Matrix Evolves to-" Their shared body glowing as it increased to an taller, metallic wolf like form.
Cery much like a Metal Garurumon, the main difference was that instead of a bladed tail, there was a small cannon at the tip of a cable like tail, and emerging from the center of the back, were a massive, jet black and yellow cannon and mounted on the sides of the front leg's shoulder joints, were compact missile holders to boot. "Z'd Garurumon!"
Iron wrist bands forming on her arms, with a blue sash wrapping around her hips as two leather belts on top of it, one holding a sheathed short sword on her left hip, and the other one with a quiver with arrows in it, and a simple leather strap holding a crossbow on her right hip.
Returning his attention to Chaos Seadramon who had moved back at the sight of the new ultimate stage digimons behind the massive sphere, he nodded once before dispelling the barrier. "Children, you have proven your inner strength, now show me your ability to use that power and defeat this monster!"
Nodding in perfect sync, Victory Greymon and Valkyrimon lifted their heads to watch Chaos Seadramon roaring at them, the massive serpent like armored chaos lord aiming it's main weapon right at them. "You hit him high and I'll go low, and don't hold anything back!"
"Alright, go!" Taking off in a blast of speed as he finished speaking, Victory Greymon swung his dramon killer sword out into attack position, Z'd Garurumon joining him as she went lower, her weapons systems humming into life as she took in the sight before them.
--
TBC:
AN:
I didn't really mean to use a matrix evolution for them, but I decided to just go with the flow of it all. And I hope everyone will bear over with the rather standard get new power by defeating our inner darkness stunt, I really didn't know how else to pull it off.
Well, her is the chapter at last, now give me some reviews.
And yes, the next chapter futures Hikaru and Devimon.