--New Bark Town, several years ago
Ryoko Kamiya looked up at the tall woman. "I'm not running away. I'm going back home. Where my little sister is."
"But what about your other sister," the woman asked. "Won't she miss you?" Ryoko pointed down the alleyway, to where Kyoko was trying to drag Salamon along with her, ignoring the digimon's protests. "Oh," the woman said, "I see."
It took a half hour, but the twins were eventually talked into going back to their new home. It was no small feat, and it included several things such as the dire consequences of ignoring the advice of their digimon partners, the fact that Hitomi might get in trouble, their parents would be heartbroken if both of them left, and that the small amount of change in their pockets wouldn't last more than a few hours in Stone Town, even if they took the Digiport as a shortcut. Besides, the woman pointed out, they could still take the Digiport to see Hitomi any time they wanted to.
Mollified, Kyoko and Ryoko turned back for home. As they travelled, she approached Ryoko. "This was all your idea, wasn't it." Ryoko, still sad, nodded. "Well, I won't tell anyone. When I was your age," she fought back a snort as Ryoko rolled her eyes, "I did the same thing. I had a little brother who was driving me crazy, I thought mom and dad were more interested in Pokemon than me...I wanted to live with my aunt, who I thought was the greatest."
Ryoko smiled a bit. "Aunt June's the greatest."
"Yeah," the woman admitted. "Anyway, I went on a pokemon journey when I was 10 to try to get away from it all. It didn't work, I was saddled with my little brother again. Oh, I could have strangled him, he was such a know it all."
"Sounds a bit like Kyoko," Ryoko whispered. "Why are you telling me all this?"
"Well...you remind me a bit of me, to be honest. In fact, here." She reached behind her head and undid the bandanna she wore over her hair. "I want you to have this, alright? It's a good luck charm for me. Don't worry, it's clean. How about I visit later and show you how to tie it up the way I had it?"
"Sure."
-2 hours later.
Kari smiled as Kyoko and Ryoko unpacked their small backpacks, while Izzy had a long talk with Sneasel, who had made no objections to Ryoko's initial plan of running away. "Thanks, May."
"Hey, I had a little brother, so I can relate to how they feel. A bit."
"How is Max?"
May sighed. "Oh, still showing off at the family Gym. He's an immature, arrogant jerk."
--Frontier, present day
"So, that's where the bandanna came from?"
Ryoko nodded to Izumi. "Yeah. I had no idea that I was talking to the Houen Firefly herself. I kind of became a bit of a fan after that."
Hiroki rolled his eyes. "A bit?" he asked.
"She's nice!" Ryoko replied.
Takuya was confused. "Wait, 'Houen Firefly'?"
"Yeah. May's what they call a pokemon co-ordinator; it's more stylised, as much a talent show as an actual pokemon battle."
Junpei frowned. "You know, I think I heard something about that for the next pokemon game. Weird." He grinned. "Maybe you'll be in it, Ryoko."
"Gahh, I hope not. No computer game could catch my natural charm and beauty." She broke into giggles, losing the mock-serious air she was trying to create. "Sorry. That was a real Akira moment."
"She's the one who's the daughter of two of the Elite Four, right?" Tomoki asked. "That'd be so neat!"
"Yeah. But she'd die if she showed up in a video game. She loves that sort of thing." Ryoko glanced around. "Where's Kouji?"
"Over there." Izumi said. "You know he needs an hour to brood every night." Aside from a shudder, Kouji gave no sign of hearing Izumi's last comment.
--
Digicross Frontier:
"Darkwolf"
--
Dawn, such as it was on the Dark Continent, broke the next day, a few fitful beams of light lessening the gloom to a level where the humans could see a reasonable distance ahead. Somewhat worried about Kouji, Ryoko ran up the path to where he was walking alone. "Kouji? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"What? Look, I'm about to get into a fight with my long-lost twin brother who I never knew I had until Takuya told me about it. Ryoko, I almost killed him."
"I-"
"Wait. Ryoko, I...Just stay clear, alright? I don't want to choose between you and Kouichi."
"Kouji..."
"I...I'd choose you," Kouji added, too quietly for Ryoko to hear. He hoped.
"Ryoko." Sneasel seemed to step out of the darkness, making both her and Kouji jump. "I found something."
--
"It looks like a bunch of beach-balls stacked up against a wall," Tomoki said, squinting through the darkness.
"Far from it," Bokomon replied, pawing through his book. "That is Sephirotmon."
"That thing's a DIGIMON?" Junpei gasped.
"Worse, it's Mercuremon's Beast form."
"Well...shouldn't it be more...I don't know, beastly or something? It looks like a bad Christmas gift or something."
"It's the right colour," Neemon observed, earning a nasty glare from Bokomon.
"How far are we from it?" Hiroki glanced at the intervening ground. "If we can see it clearly from this distance, it must be the size of a building."
"Yes. Sephirotmon's as much a fortress as a digimon. It is said that he can transport a whole army inside of him, or trap interlopers forever."
Takuya tried, and failed, not to glare at Bokomon. "And we beat that HOW?"
"Well, if I am reading this correctly, he is a Beast Hybrid digimon; your Double Spirit forms should be enough to handle him. I have no doubt that you will vanquish this foe!"
"Why don't we just go around him," Tomoki asked. "We could probably sneak by him and-"
"No. We have to go in." Kouji's eyes were fixed on the top sphere on Sephirotmon. "Kouichi's in there."
"That sounds about right," Takuya sighed. "Okay, we go in, and no, we aren't letting you go in alone." He looked right at Kouji, not letting him speak. "Ranamon was able to Double Spirit Evolve, and I'm willing to bet that Duskmon's learned the same trick by now." Kouji sighed, and shrugged helplessly. "We just need to figure out how to get in."
"Something tells me that'll be the least of our problems," Ryoko sighed.
At the base of Sephirotmon, the Chosen Children stared up. "It's as big as an office tower," Junpei gasped. "I am really not liking this."
"Oh, quit whining," Izumi snapped, herself a bit worried. "It's hollow inside, right? We just have to find Kouji's brother, have Sorcerimon heal him, and get out. Simple."
"Sure," Kouji replied, unconvinced. "If Mercuremon's inside there, then we're not going to have an easy time of it."
"Maybe if we lured-" Hiroki started saying, then stopped as he, Ryoko, their partner digimon, Kouji, and Tomoki were pulled inside Sephirotmon
"Wait!" Takuya shouted. "Rrr! Junpei, we need a door!""
"Double Spirit Evolution...Rhino Kabuterimon! MODE CHANGE...KNIGHT MODE!"
"Get back!" Izumi cried, grabbing Bokomon and Neemon as Rhino Kabuterimon opened up on Sephirotmon. After a minute of ear-shattering firepower, he stopped, worn out. "Not even a scratch."
"Great, we're stuck out here. Well, at least they have Sorcerimon with them; between him and Sneasel, they should be able to free Kouichi."
"Ahem," Sorcerimon coughed.
Takuya glanced at the mystical digimon, opened his mouth, closed it, then winced. "Ah nuts."
--
The first thing Kouji saw when he came to was something big and yellow sitting on him. "Armadillomon, you mind?"
"Hrm? Oh, sorry. Hey, Hiroki, he's up!"
Hiroki ran over. "Are you alright, Kouji? I haven't been able to find anyone else."
"I'm sure they're fine. Were we all dragged in?"
Armadillomon shook his head. "Naw. I think Takuya, Junpei, and Izumi were left out. And Sorcerimon. Oh, and Bookmon and Neemon."
"Bokomon." Hiroki called, still looking around.
"Whatever. Well, shall we go? No telling who or what might be wandering around here."
"It's risky," Kouji grunted, getting up. "How much do you weigh?"
"I'm at my ideal size and weight, Light Boy," Armadillomon shot back, grinning. Let's try this way. I'm feeling lucky."
--
"Sneasel? SNEASEL," Ryoko called, wandering down a reddish-green cavern. "Hiroki? Kouji? Anyone?"
"Ryoko?" Chakmon stepped out of one hallway, re-shouldering his rocket launcher. "Am I glad to see you. Have you found anyone else?"
"No. And I can't reach Sneasel on my digivice."
"Oh!" Chakmon reached into his belt, and took out his D-Scanner. "I forgot we could communicate with each other. One sec. Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Static was his only answer. "Nuts."
"And without Sneasel, I won't be much good."
"I don't believe that."
Ryoko smiled. "You're sweet, Tomoki-chan."
"Quit it!" Chakmon replied, blushing. "We'd better go find Sneasel."
--
"Ryoko? Ryoko! Mercuremon, if you've done anything to her, I swear that-"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about either of them, darling."
Sneasel looked around. "Who's there? Your voice is familiar..."
"Familiar? And after all I've done for you. Ah, how the young forget." The speaker strode slowly out of the shadows, each step hitting the pokemon's heart like a hammer.
"Mother..."
--
"We're still going up," Hiroki observed.
"Dusk...my brother's this way. I don't know how, but I just know it."
"Fair enough," Armadillomon answered, acting as if this were a perfectly normal thing. "So, we find him, then what?"
"We fight. Look, why don't you go find Ryoko and Sneasel? Then you can catch up and we can heal Kouichi," Kouji suggested unconvincingly.
"Hiroki, I do believe that Kouji's trying to ditch us."
"Look, the fight's going to be really dangerous..." Kouji started to say, then trailed off, feeling like an idiot.
"If Mercuremon's wandering around in here too, then splitting up even more than we already have been will be just as risky."
"Good advice. I'd listen to the boy, Kouji. A shame his advice came too late." Mercuremon stepped out of a silvery mirror set in one wall of the corridor. "Shall we begin?"
--
Ryoko stared at the branch ahead. There was something tugging at her, telling her to go down the left path, which seemed to slope upwards. But the other path...the pull there was more visceral, going to a deeper level of Ryoko's mind. "Sneasel." she whispered, heading to the right.
"Is Sneasel down this way?" Chakmon asked, bazooka out and ready.
Ryoko nodded. "Do you want to use the other path, Tomoki? I think Kouji's going to be heading up."
Chakmon shook his head. "Not until I'm sure that you're OK. I want to help find Sneasel first. Then we can help Kouji's brother."
Ryoko smiled. "I can see Hiroki's been a bad influence on you. I hope you don't think I'm a helpless maiden that needs defending from all those evil digimon."
"Ahh...It's not like that!"
"Really?" Ryoko patted Chakmon on the head. "That's too bad."
"It is? No, wait, I mean...Ryoko, you're being mean!"
--
Sneasel's claw tore a section out of the wall, the black leather angel dodging clear of the strike, mocking grin on her lips. "Well, I suppose this is what I should expect from my own son."
"I am NOTHING like you!" Sneasel snarled, spinning and hurling a wave of ice at Lady Devimon, who casually batted the wave aside. "Nor will I ever be!"
"Really? You're already fighting like a demon." That comment stopped the ice pokemon in his tracks. "You've felt it already, haven't you? The rage and anger at everything? Give in. I did."
"And look where it got you," Sneasel replied. "Betrayed by Demon."
"Yes, but you came out of it. You've always wondered why, haven't you? Why you were created? And why you were paired with one of that Kamiya brat's spawn?" Sneasel's claws both buried themselves in Lady Devimon's torso. She grabbed the pokemon and flung him against the wall. "Ouch."
"Never talk about Ryoko that way."
"Careful, darling. That's the kind of attitude that got me killed. And you were my revenge on them."
--
"FULL FIRE!" Armormon shouted, launching enough munitions at Mercuremon to level a small town. Cackling, Mercuremon caught the incoming missiles and reflected them back at Armormon and Hiroki. Sadistically, he watched, hoping that the human would get hit by one of his partner's own attacks, realising too late that he had lost track of Beowolfmon. He clumsily jumped back, losing an arm as the silvery digimon's Zweihander sword severed the limb just past the shoulder. A second swing of the double bladed weapon wrecked the mirror in Mercuremon's chest.
"You'll pay for that," Mercuremon promised, limping back. "If you think this is the extent of my power, then-"
"Shut up," Beowolfmon growled, weapons pod opening, laser striking the upper part of Mercuremon's torso seconds ahead of a swarm of missiles. The Steel hybrid reeled back, apparently blinded. "NOW!" Beowolfmon and Armormon both attacked, Armormon's Full Fire attack this time striking the target, cleaved in two moments later.
"That was too easy," Hiroki said. "And there was no Spirit when we beat him."
"It must have been a decoy," Beowolfmon agreed. "But why just delay us?" The room shook. "Why did I ask?"
--
Sneasel stepped back from the demonic digimon. "Re..revenge?"
"Oh yes. I could remember facing Kamiya and that stuck up white cat of hers. Oh so convinced that she was the Great Redeemed heroine of the whole war. You, my delightfully twisted heir, were my one sure way of taking that from her. Of making her wonder if she was right. So sorry if you were longing for some form of parental approval. To make all those years of suspicion go away."
"Snow Bomber!"
Lady Devimon glanced off to the side. "Snow-?" was as far as she got before getting hit in the face with a small barrage of snowballs.
Ryoko ran over to where Sneasel was. "Sneasel? Sneasel, snap out of it!"
"Nice try." Lady Devimon raised a hand, red nails glinting in the dim light. Her other hand conjured up a wave of darkness, which was thrown at Chakmon. "Any last words before I put you and that pathetic human out of my misery?"
Her answer came in the form of a massive ice spear, which pinned Lady Devimon to the wall. Yuki Angemon strode forward, translucent wings shimmering. "Leave Sneasel and Ryoko alone. GLACIAL TOMB!"
"Awk-" Lady Devimon was trapped inside a massive cube of ice. Her form shimmered, and a more brutish, three faced digimon replaced her.
"Asuramon." Yuki Angemon stated, glancing at the D-Scanner in his hand. "He has the power to control an opponent's emotions, and use them as a weapon." Ryoko, Sneasel cradled in her arms, nodded. "Digicode, SCAN!" The digimon inside the cube vanished. "How is Sneasel?"
Ryoko gently shook the pokemon, who stirred. "R...Ryo...ko..."
--
Kouji entered the room first. Some instinct had told him to resume his human form. Worn out, Armadillomon had shed his Ultimate form, keeping pace with Hiroki. "The shaking came from here," the digimon asked.
'Here' was a large chamber with a greenish-silver dome in the centre of the room, resting on the floor. Kouji strode over, heart pounding. Reaching the dome, he brushed the top; it was cold, covered with a thin layer of frost. For a second, he thought he was looking at his reflection. Then...
"K...Kouichi..."
Hiroki ran over, brushing at another silvery patch of frost. "He looks just like you," he gasped. "Takuya was right."
"I'm surprised too." Armadillomon commented. "Come on, let's get him out of here."
"Wait, it can't be this easy!"
Ignoring Hiroki's warning, Kouji evolved to Wolfmon and drew a sword. It swung down, making a sharp cracking noise. The crack spider-webbed over the rest of the dome. Switching back to his human form, Kouji waved Hiroki and Armadillomon back. The dome shattered, leaving Kouichi lying still, covered in a few pieces of rapidly melting ice. Kouji knelt down and shook Kouichi gently. "Kouichi? Kouichi, wake up, it's me, Kouji!"
"Mmmm..."
Kouji sucked in a breath. "Do you remember me? You were looking for me, but Cherubimon caught you."
"I remember." Kouichi sat up.
Hiroki could almost feel the alarm bells; Kouichi's expression was far too calm for the situation. "Kouji, he still might be controlled!"
"Bright boy." Kouichi sneered, backhanding Kouji. "For my lord Cherubimon, I have been ordered to destroy you." Kouichi's expression twisted into one of rage. "I'll teach you to take the life I wanted from me. Double Spirit Evolution...REICHMON!"
Next Episode
-Beowolfmon faces off against Reichmon, with a heart-broken Sneasel unable to help
-Sephirotmon attacks, while Ophanimon moves to escape.
-Cherubimon's master reveals himself, and sends the fallen angel into combat.
Next time on Digicross Frontier: Steel's breaking point.
