Chaos Rising: Chaotic Evolutions

Author: Katreal

Category: Digimon Seasons II and IV Crossover

Genre: General

Timeline: Frontier-AU after Lucemon's defeat. 02- Practically AU now…-.- I remember almost nothing after Ken stopped being the Digimon Kaiser. I'm checking some sites to try and keep the timeline still right however(After Holy Stones Arc)

Notes: Mostly Kouichi-centric in this chapter with a little Ken thrown in the latter part.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Anyamon and Akemon's descriptions.

Chapter 10

Time flowed very slowly for the Warrior of Light as he raced through the trees.

He could feel the ground beneath his feet, the wind in his hair. He could hear the braches impact his armor; the leaves crunching beneath his frantic strides. But despite all this things, or maybe even because of them, he felt as if he were not moving at all. Fear gripped his heart, spurring him to pick up the pace even faster. Kouichi was in danger. His instincts screamed at him, reminding him to never again trust those others with his brother's care. Never trust anyone, they whispered, especially not with the thing you treasure most. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, triggered by the discordant emotions in his mind. His movements picked up, became more frantic as he retraced his path toward the clearing. The sounds of battle were clear now, the dying screams of the Snimon brought little relief to the fear driven Warrior. He burst out of the trees, the light was harsh against his enhanced vision but he didn't stop.

Wolfmon drew his saber, his attention only focused on one thing. The thing that was heading straight for his brother, who was held protectively in Stingmon's arms. The thing that dared attack part of his pack…

Wolfmon and Kouji were blurring, the lines between human and digimon all but disappearing as they both had the same goal in mind. Protect Kouichi. Protect his pack-mate. Protect his brother. Wolfmon nearly howled out his rage, the name of his attack ripping out of the furious growl, "Licht Seiger!"

Once. Twice. Three times the saber of concentrated blue-white light sliced through the Snimon. It's dying scream was music to the digimon's ears, as it faded away into nothing.

The digimon concluded his examination, turning to look Stingmon in the eye. Without warning he rushed past the insectoid digmon, leaving some parting words for his ears alone, "Take care of him."

He didn't even look back to see the digimon nod.

-

"Wait!" Angewomon called after him, diving in front of the digimon before he could escape under the cover of the green foliage, "Thank you for your help."

The humanoid digimon just stared at her, his cold red eyes flashing from beneath the metal helmet. His voice was soft when he spoke, soft but commanding, "Move angel."

"I was just trying to be polite."

His eyes narrowed and Angewomon could not help but cringe at the feral look in them. At the way amber coloring began to bleed into the red orbs. A deep growl erupted from his throat, "I said, move."

The digimon's claw twitched, and Angewomon could see that she was wearing on his last nerve. While the complete rudeness of the whole situation angered her, she had no desire to alienate the digimon who had just saved her friend's life. The angel stepped aside, bowing her head slightly as he bounded off. Daisuke ran up to her, an utterly confused expression just barely masking the weariness she knew was mirrored on every other Chosen's face, "Why'd you let him go?"

"Some things are better left alone Daisuke." Angewomon sighed as a pink light surrounded her, returning her form to that of Tailmon, "I'm sure he had his reasons."

The other digimon devolved as well, running out of energy to maintain the larger forms. Veemon plopped on the ground, "Man, I'm exhausted…"

"I hear ya." Armadimon yawned , "I'm about ready to curl up and have a nap."

"Where are Ken and Kouji?" Wormmon asked from his place beside Anyamon, he had yet to leave the injured digimon's side. Both the digimon's and Ken's wishes were to stay with the wolf-pup, and Wormmon was determined to do so.

"I'm right here." Ken replied tiredly, picking his way through the tangled underbrush that existed anywhere but on the well worn road through the forest, "I can't find Kimura though."

"Present." All eyes were drawn to the newcomer as he stepped out of the woods behind Ken, completely ignoring the chosen of kindness' pensive expression at his sudden appearance. He just bypassed all the others, gathering with some difficulty the unconscious form of his partner. He raised those cold blue eyes, "Anyamon and I cannot accompany you any further." He glanced at Ken, "With your permission we'll be heading back."

"I'll come with you." Ken replied, his tone booking no arguments from Kimura or any of the other chosen, "The rest of you can take care of whatever problems the village has without us."

The others said nothing as the two headed back down the path, save Daisuke. The goggle-head moved to protest, but was stopped by Hikari's hand on his shoulder. "Don't Daisuke."

"Why not? They can't just ditch us like that."

"They have something to work out. Let them do it without us there." Hikari watched as the two disappeared around a bend in the path, "Something is bothering Ken, and Kouji is the cause."

Daisuke grumbled something inaudible and turned his back on the road, scrounging up a grin for the rest of the tired chosen and their partners. It was time for him to pick up the role of optimistic leader again, "Alright guys, onward!"

-

"Back so soon?"

"Shut up." A low voice growled, "I am getting sick and tired of your holier than thou attitude."

"Just a little while longer. I've found him." The first rang out, taunting the second, "It was, as we suspected, Light."

"So? We can't do a thing without Darkness."

"Ah, ah, ah. That is where you are wrong, my friend. We don't need his darkness. There is one right here."

"That is the Avatar, not the Warrior."

"My, my, have we forgotten already who does the thinking around here? Just run along ahead of them a prepare a little…surprise. No need to worry your pretty little head about it."

"I swear…one of these days I am going to kill you."

"Run along now."

Muffled grumblings and the rustling of leather wings signaled the entity's exit, leaving the first alone to scheme in the dark.

-

What was going on? Ken couldn't stop his mind from pondering that subject. Everything had been normal before Kouji and Anyamon showed up, but now things were getting a little strange. Gennai's cryptic message about the digimentals failing had been bugging Ken since he heard it the day before. He wished he could test it, see what Gennai had meant by the statement. Maybe then he would have some answers. But there was no Digimental of Kindness, or if there was he had never found it. But even more pressing than the Digimental issue, was the issue with Kimura Kouji himself. The boy was an enigma, even to the perceptive former Digimon Kaiser. He hadn't known him for very long, but Ken could see that there was something different about the boy and his digimon. He couldn't help but distrust them. Kouji wasn't doing much to help his case either, running off into the woods without a glance behind him. Ken's face settled into a determined expression, his eyes narrowing on the Chosen and his partner. He had to confront them soon, he would probably drive himself insane if he didn't.

"Kimura…"

"Leave me alone Ichijouji." He didn't even turn around, just kept walking forward.

"You owe me an explanation."

The dark-haired teen glanced over his shoulder impassively, his stormy blue eyes locking with Ken's own gaze, "I owe you nothing."

"Yes you do." Ken retorted, "If you forgot, you are staying at my house. I don't know a thing about you, Kimura, and you expect me to trust you? The stunt you pulled earlier, your cryptic answers when it comes to anything about you, you know what it makes me think? I am not sure whether I can trust you even though Gennai vouched for you… I don't want to put my family or my friends in danger because of my ignorance."

Kouji stopped walking, his expression blank as he slowly closed his eyes. Ken waited silently for a reaction. Any reaction at all. But nothing happened. The only sound was the wind rustling the leaves, and soft shallow breathing. The silence was agonizing and time ticked by, flowing as slowly as molasses on a cold winter day. Wormmon shifted uncomfortably at his partner's side. He didn't know why Ken was so distrusting of the other. Sure it was prudent to be wary, but outright distrust?

The Chosen of kindness really didn't know what he was expecting from the other. Anger maybe, or perhaps hurt at being accused. But the reaction he got, was not quite what he had in mind. "At least someone is observant." Kouji chuckled humorlessly, shifting Anyamon in his arms so he could gently lower his partner to the forest floor. The large canine digimon stirred, mumbling in his exhaustion induced sleep, "Kouji…?"

"Shhh…just go back to sleep." The teen whispered, running a comforting hand along the digimon's head. Anyamon sighed and settled under the touch, drifting backing into unconsciousness. Kouji didn't move until his partner was asleep, but afterwards he just raised his eyes to Ken's, "I can't tell you anything. How can I when I don't understand most of it myself? I don't even want to be here." The Chosen averted his eyes, looking off into the trees, "I thought things were over after we were last in the Digital World. I had hoped they were over, I don't want to have to see him hurt again." He spoke the words softly, his gaze lowering to settle on his partner once again. Kouji's expression was still as impassive as always, but his eyes had softened almost imperceptivity.

Ken said nothing, Kouji said nothing, and Wormmon said nothing; all while Anyamon slumbered. The forest was silent again, even the wind had died down. But this time, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Sometimes things didn't need words to be understood, they just were. Ken's doubts about the other chosen hadn't been lifted, but they had been eased. He would still be wary about the other, but he decided not to press the issue.

For now, anyway.

-

"What…on earth?"

The Chosen did not know who spoke, but the small statement pretty much was echoed in each of their minds. It equally summed up their reactions to the scene before them. Where a small but prosperous village had once stood was a barren smoking ruin. Smoldering piles of ash were all that remained of the thatched huts that used to house hundreds of different digimon. In the center of all the destruction was a pile of blacked stone, once a beautiful white fountain.

None of the Chosen could stand the blatant display of wonton destruction that lay sprawled before them, the remains of the village still smoking from whatever had destroyed them. Tailmon got over her surprise first and slowly approached the edge of the blast zone, examining the crumpling frame of a hut. She gathered a bit of the ash in her paw, raising it reluctantly to her nose and taking a quick sniff. Her eyes narrowed into slits, her piercing blue gaze traveling across the destroyed site once more, "This is fresh." She finally reported, clenching the ash angrily in her paw, "Not even more than a few minutes old."

"But that is impossible, Tailmon." Hawkmon observed, steeping gingerly into the ash surrounding the ruins, "If something of this magnitude happened, we would have heard something."

"I know that. But explain all of this." She waved her paw angrily at the surroundings, "The ash is still warm. There are still data particles mixed in there. You know as well as I do that they don't remain for more than ten minutes after they are…deleted. Something happened just before we got here."

"Very observant, kitty. I'm surprised you figured it out so soon." The rumbling voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once, "Consider it a welcoming present. It is a shame the Warrior of Light will not be joining us. No matter. Until then, I get to play with you all."

"What are you talking about? Hikari is right here." Daisuke near shouted, though it was muffled somewhat by Takeru's hand. "Don't tell him that."

"Keeping secrets? That is not a very smart thing to do. But it doesn't matter. The Holder of Light is not what I need. I need the warrior, the very essence of light itself. He'll come running when he learns of this, both him and the Avatar. But until then…"

"Welcome to Hell, Chosen Children"

-

A/N: -sighs-This chapter has been in the works for over a month now, and I. Am. Sick. Of. It. I rewrote it and rewrote it and now I am finally posting it. It is not the best, only 2000 or so words, but that is all I can get out of it.

I hate to say it…but I think I'm going to push this story ahead a lot faster than I anticipated. I lost interest in this, and the majority of my writings. I'm actually considering giving up writing all together for a while, just to get my muses back. There might be a couple chapters left in this story, maybe more, maybe less, it all depends on how much I can get into those chapters. I have a set ending in mind, I always have, but I decided that the stuff in between here and then was just a lot of boring stuff. You know, character interactions, small side quests, suspicion, accusations…those kinds of things. But…it wouldn't have really done much for the story's plot anyway; all leading up to this and the following chapters. I'm sorry if I disappointed you all, but my heart just isn't in this story, or any of my others in fact. I am severely disappointed in this story, how I dragged it all out in the beginning, and now how I am going to rush it to an end. I hate overly rushed stories, but I also hate extremely slow, drawn out stories. I want to find a happy medium, but I can't. Maybe that is why I am getting so frustrated with this. I'll do my best with the ending, and maybe one day I'll come back and write a sequel but I'm not making any promises.

Though please don't hesitate to review… they always make me feel better when I'm in this state of mind….