A Digimon Frontier Fanfic
By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.aHaru Glory)
[A/N:
Well, although I finally earned my school break, which if two weeks, I still find myself with loads of things that need catching up. One of those things is this fanfic, which all of you are just kind enough to continue on supporting, another one of the many is the Digimon Frontier game that I am currently at the early stages of.
Anyway, seeing as how you guys must have waited for this new chapter, I won't be dilly-dallying any longer, so here it is! Hope you guys enjoy reading it!
The Rabbit on the Moon
Funeral March and the New Sunset
Takuya squinted his eyes as he was kicked awake by a white-armored knight. He cursed this particular knight who had cut his conversation with Izumi short.
He recalled the last words he had spoken to her and desperately wondered what her answer would be – whether she feels the same way or not. He did not wish to think that his life would soon end; He did not wish to think that this was how far he and Izumi would go; He did not wish to think that that was his farewell to her; He did not wish to think any of those things which kept on weighing down his heart.
He was happy, though, to have spoken to Izumi, even if it was for the last time for even though he and Izumi could now meet in their dreams, such "world creation", as what his "other self" had told him, could only be done during full moon and Takuya well understood that he would not live to wait for another full moon to occur.
"Get up, boy." The knight said. "You have a lot in stored for you today."
Takuya could have sworn that by how that knight said it, that knight would be smirking underneath his helmet. He sighed, and with an aching and tired, beat up body, he stood up.
"If it weren't for these chains, I could have simmered you already." Takuya thought to himself as he followed the knight down the hallway.
Takuya was surprised that instead of taking the route that they frequently took, he was led to the stairs leading to a second underground dungeon. As he and the knight continued to venture down this unknown place, Takuya could not help but feel that whatever it was that was in stored for him was certainly not the usual beating.
Sure enough, when they entered the door at the farthest end of the hallway, Takuya was greeted by test tubes, cylinders, experimental tables and all sorts of laboratory equipment. And for the first time in a long time, he felt afraid as the doors closed behind him and he was left alone with the King and a couple of other scientists…
Izumi woke up with a start, feeling refreshed from her slumber. She smiled remembering the dream that she had, a dream that she new was real. Yet, the smile on her face was a sad one for what had happened in her dream was not what she had wanted their goodbye to be.
"I guess what they say about people never getting their first love is true." She thought to herself sadly.
At that point, she was suddenly reminded by the words that he had spoken beforehand.
Remember, remember to tell them that the King already has a way to extract the Ancient Powers. Find a way to stop him, Izumi.
"That's right!" She said as she stood upright. "I promised to tell the others about that, and in return he promised that he will find a way to escape."
She smiled, this time a smiled filled with hope. He had promised it and she believed in him, he was after all, Takuya. And with that in mind, she headed down to her father's study, seriousness flooding out of her.
Commander Orimoto was surprised when he saw his daughter come into his study so early in the morning.
"We can't continue arguing about Kanbara's son, Izumi." The Commander began, thinking that the seriousness that his daughter had about her has something to do with them giving up on the rescue plan.
"That's not what I came here to talk about father." Izumi cut her old man off.
"It isn't?" Came the confusion-toned query. "Then what is it you have in mind, I assume it is quite important what with that look on your face."
Izumi looked directly at her father's eyes before she began speaking. "Father, it seems that the King does not plan on capturing the Chosen Ones to use them in obtaining whatever this key is."
"What makes you say that, Lady Izumi?" Came the General Kimura's voice as he entered the room. "I was just about to tell the Commander that I will be on my way back to the Southern Command Fortress."
"Father, remember when you told me that you are unsure whether I really am one of the ten Chosen Ones despite the fact that I have a mark?" Izumi asked her father, and when she saw him nod at that, she went on. "Well, it seems that I am one of them, although I can't use any special ability yet."
"Why are you telling us this, Izumi?" the Commander asked.
"Because, I just learned about something from Takuya." Izumi said.
The adults looked at her with confusion.
"You learned something from Sir Kanbara?" General Kimura asked. "Are you saying that you managed to talk to him?"
Izumi nodded, then proceeded to explain.
"It seems that we have the ability to visit other people through their dreams, by creating a world that is between the dream world and the real world, Takuya was able to communicate with me, and he told me very disturbing news. It would appear that the King and his minions would not actually need to keep a Chosen One alive even if they need our power."
"I understand the possibility that the Chosen Ones could use the ancient art of Dream-Walking, but no matter how I can think of it, I see no reason why they would not want to care about the wellbeing of a fragment of what they need." Commander Orimoto said.
"It has something to do with why Takuya's execution date would come earlier than expected, right?" the General added.
Izumi nodded. "Takuya told me that the King had already found a way to extract our power. He said that it was the King himself who told him of this."
"Extracting the Ancient Spirits from the Chosen Ones? I have never heard of such a thing!" General Kimura exclaimed.
"But that is what the King had said." Izumi stated bluntly. "I promised Takuya that I would let that information be known as it seemed that the King himself failed to think that Takuya would be able to share that information with others."
Silence filled the room as the two adults began to think of something up.
"Did he mention anything else about this 'extracting' business?" Commander Orimoto asked.
Izumi shook her head. "Nothing else."
"We can't do anything without knowing how they plan on extracting the Ancient Spirits from its host." Commander Orimoto said and the General agreed with him.
"Father, can I ask something that has been bothering me lately?" Izumi asked and her father nodded. "Felis is only one of the Kingdoms in Frontiria is it not? Then why don't we ask for help from the other Kingdoms?"
"Except for the Queendom of Sol whose leader is Queen Farah, a distant cousin of King Seraphim, all the other Kingdoms are after the title of 'most powerful', one word of the internal conflict occurring at our Kingdom, would send them all to attack us, and we cannot afford a war with another Kingdom at the moment." General Kimura stated. "Although, we can try asking for assistance from Queen Farah, we still do not know if she will lend us aide, after all, she still thinks of King Seraphim as family and she is close friends with Queen Ophania, the King's wife."
"And we can't take the risks involved in asking for her assistance, she may be in leagued with the King after all." The Commander pointed out.
"Then how are we supposed to find out more about the extraction process?" Izumi asked.
The adults look at each other and nodded.
"I'll return to the Southern Command Fortress and try to get hold of one of my men inside the King's dungeon." The General said. "I'll let you all know of what transpired from that afterwards."
Commander Orimoto and his daughter both nodded. "As for me, I'll contact the elders from Harim and try to get one of them to teach Izumi how to take full control of her powers."
And with that, the General took his leave.
"And so it begins…" Tomoki thought as he turned around from where he had overheard their conversation to tell the others of what he had found out.
Takuya found his head swirling as he was thrown back at his cell. He felt weakened despite the fact that it was only the initial extraction process that he had undergone.
"If this is only just the beginning, I don't think I would like to live up to the day when they ultimately take out the Ancient Power within me." Takuya muttered to himself. "I really have to find a way out of here."
The darkened surroundings of unknown location, two figures, both cloaked began to converse with one another.
"They have already began, my lady." Said the taller figure, with a female voice.
"I see." Said the other cloaked figure, who also possessed a female voice. "How far have they gone then?"
"Not that far." Replied the taller one. "It seems they have only finished the first phase."
"It is our fault that they learned of the three phases, it is only right that we make things right, wouldn't you agree?"
"Of course."
"Then you already know what you have to accomplish, do you not?"
A nod was given by the taller figure.
"Make sure that no one figures out the connection, and be hasty, if they have already finished the first phase, then they would surely begin the second one in a hurry. Their time is running short, after all."
"You have nothing to worry about, my Lady."
And with that the taller figure vanished with a puff of smoke.
Half a day has already passed since Takuya was brought to the Underground Laboratory, and although so much time has passed since then, his body still has yet to regain the energy it has lost.
Even though he wanted so badly to rest, the dread of having to return back to that room haunted him even as he closed his eyes.
Even if it was just a fraction that was taken from him, it would seem that his captors are competent that he would be unable to escape for they have already removed the shackles that once bound his arms and his legs.
"It would have been great if I am able to run or even move, then I could easily escape from this place." He thought to himself. "I guess, no matter what I do, only a miracle would allow me to escape from this damn place."
As those thoughts exited his mind, he heard a grunt, probably from the guard who was in charge of his cell. Takuya looked over at the iron-barred door, wondering what must have happened. That was when the door to his cell opened, and a cloaked figure entered.
"It's typical that they would keep you in a place like this, Takuya Kanbara." The cloaked one said earning her a confused look from Takuya.
"Who are you?" He asked quickly.
"A friend whose introduction would have to be cut short since we cannot talk here." Came the reply, after which, she moved close to him, place a hand on his chest, closed her eyes and muttered an incantation.
Takuya did not know what it was that she said, but he could care less as he was suddenly filled with ecstasy as his body became lighter and he felt a million times better.
"That should do it." She said. "It was foolish of them to think that they could keep you in here without the aid of those chains."
"Thanks." Takuya said, unsure of what was going on.
"Now, we should hurry with our escape." Was the only thing that the cloaked woman said before they stood up and proceeded with their escape.
They sneaked past guard after guard, making sure not to make any excessive noises that would hinder their escape. As they crawled, ducked, sneaked past the King and Commander Kanbara's guards, Takuya could not help but wonder who this person leading his escape is.
After finally what seemed like forever, Takuya finally smelled fresh air, stepped on barren land and felt free as he stretched forth his arms up in the sky.
"Now that that is taken care of, we have to make it seem like you did not escape at all." Said the woman.
"What are you saying? There's no way they'll think that when they see an empty cell." Takuya said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You make it sound like we have not planned any of this at all, Takuya." The cloaked one said matter-of-factly. "You see, I'm not alone in this mission, I've got people to back me up, and those people have special abilities just like you and me, and one of them can create shadow clones and mirages…a very useful trick if you ask me."
"We?" Takuya asked. "Alright, what's going on? Who are you and who do you work for?"
"We'll explain everything later, for now…" And with that, the cloaked one raised her hand and rain started to fall. "…this should signal him to create that mirage clone."
"Why do you need a clone like that for?" Takuya asked as they continued to walk hiding behind trees and bushes to meet with the others that the mysterious one spoke of.
"To make them see and think that you have died in that experiment of theirs." Came the reply. "That way, they would not suspect anything that has to do with you."
"That's brilliant!" Takuya said. "Finally, I can go back to Izumi and the others."
The woman stopped.
"What's wrong?" Takuya asked, confused.
"We will not be going to the direction of the Orimoto Mansion, and you will not be seeing her." Said the woman whose back was still turned from Takuya. "Your communication with them will be terminated as a precaution."
"What?" Takuya exclaimed. "What for?"
"Don't you think it foolish, after us planning this through, for you just go and meet with the people who are highly to be targeted next?" the woman pointed out. "You will jeopardize not just what we are working hard to achieve but everything else that goes along with it."
"Do you expect me to just sit around like that and watch them think that I am dead or something?"
"Yes. I, no, WE expect you to do just that."
And that was that, the woman who had saved him said no more as she continued to lead him to the others. Stunned and in disbelief, Takuya followed.
Two days have passed since Takuya escaped. Two days have passed since he was rescued by the cloaked woman, whom he now knew was a woman by the name of Chiaki, a ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village of Frontiria, along with her companions. Two days since Takuya's mirage clone was found by one of the guards. Two days since everyone believed that he was dead.
Takuya looked at the bright sky that spread before him as he lay thinking about all sorts of things at the fields of the Hidden Waterfall Village.
He could not help but think of how Izumi might have reacted to the news and how she might be feeling now. He had heard from one of the ninjas living at the said village that the Commander, his father, was going to give him a proper burial tomorrow. He could not help but detest that idea, burying a clone that would soon vanish.
"I bet they must've been shocked when they found that dead mirage clone that night." Takuya thought to himself. He could almost imagine the frustrated looks on his father and the King's faces, that thought made him grin at a moment.
Over the course of two days, he had learned a great deal of what was really happening in the world. Something that he had sworn never to tell anyone until the time was right. And all those things that he was told suddenly crept back at his thoughts and he shuddered.
"I was wondering where you went." Came the now familiar voice of Chiaki.
"Oh, it's just you." Came the boorish reply.
"Why? Don't tell me you expect to see Commander Orimoto's daughter suddenly here, although that is not unlikely since we can always ask Katsuharu for a mirage clone for that."
"No thanks. I'm not very fond of those things." Takuya stated.
This has become a common occurrence in the days that had gone by. He would sneak out of the room which was generously given to him, and she would go looking for him and once she found him, she would comment on something regarding his feelings for Izumi and he would reply to such comments nonchalantly. It had become a routine.
"So, I heard that your father would be giving 'you' a burial tomorrow." Chiaki said as she sat down beside him. "That's something quite unbelievable and unexpected."
"I think the old man's just trying to save face, after all, everyone is expecting that he still has paternal feelings for his son." Takuya said as he continued to stare at the shape shifting clouds. "After all, people still believed that I was one of the most promising knights."
"I think they threw that thinking away when they heard you broke into Ygdrassil." Chiaki pointed out to him. "Do you still think that such a risk was worth it?"
Takuya closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before opening them again and standing up.
"If there is one thing in my life that I don't regret, that's risking everything just to save Izumi." Takuya said with a distant look and a smile on his face. "I don't think I would ever forgive myself if she had been left alone to deal with what I dealt with. Besides, to some extent, without knowing it, I think I proved to her that I can fulfill promises."
"Promises?" She asked.
"The Rabbit on the Moon? Ever heard of it?" Takuya asked.
Chiaki nodded. "That's the one where when you are in trouble and you wish at a full moon where you can see a silhouette of a rabbit, someone would likely rescue you, right?"
Takuya nodded back. "I promised that I would come to her aid and make her happy when she's sad…that was back when we were still young. And I know I was able to fulfill that promise."
Chiaki smiled. "That's good to hear then."
That day went by with nothing much to do for Takuya except keep his skills in shape and regain his composure.
The next day…
The Village bell resounded with urgency. Ninjas came running out of their houses and their rooms to answer to the call.
"I can't believe it," Katsuharu said, annoyed. "that's why I told you not to trust him completely and lock him up somewhere. I knew that this was going to happen."
"We rescued Takuya from that cell and you expect me to throw a fellow Chosen One and lock him up again?" Chiaki asked then added. "Besides, he isn't completely and fully recovered yet, he couldn't have gotten far."
"Let's hope for that, for both our sakes." Katsuharu stated bluntly. "The Master would not be pleased if she finds out that he had run off."
And with that Katsuharu left with a puff of smoke leaving Chiaki to think of any possible places where Takuya would have gone to.
"Now you did it, Takuya." She thought to herself.
Takuya watched at a distance as people gave their final respects to what they thought were him. He saw many familiar faces from the academy and some whom he could not recall who they were. As he watched the crowed, he scanned everyone of them, hoping to find Izumi – to see hear and maybe even talk with her if luck would have it.
He had thought it through the night before and no matter how he think of it, he could not find it in himself to just let Izumi cry at an empty grave nor to let her even think, like the others do, that he was already dead.
"She may not believe me, but I have to at least try." He thought to himself. "I made her a promise, a promise that I would find a way to escape and although I wasn't able to escape by myself, I still am alive and well."
He waited and waited until finally the crowd had thinned down into nothing. He was about to give up and return to the Hidden Waterfall Village when Izumi finally showed up, she was wearing a sort of disguise in the form of a hat and a long robe, but Takuya still recognized her despite of it.
He smiled. Finally, there she was.
Takuya was about to emerge from his hiding place and confront her, when out of nowhere, Chiaki appeared to stop him from doing so.
"What do you think you are doing?" Chiaki asked with a death glare aimed at Takuya. "Did you not understand anything we have told you before? You cannot just go waltzing over there and talking to her."
"What do you know? You don't know how I feel inside." Takuya stated aiming the same death glare at the person who was standing in front of him. "I have to talk to her, no, I NEED to talk to her."
"No matter what, I can't let you go meet with her much less talk with her." Chiaki said. "You have already caused our village enough trouble by sneaking out; don't add any more to it."
Takuya did not care about what she was saying nor what she was about to say. He chose to be hardheaded as he continued to walk towards Izumi's direction. Chiaki, however, would not let things go his way as she caught his arm and held on to it with her hands. Her grip at him was hard that it managed to hurt Takuya.
"Do you want her to die, Takuya Kanbara? Is that what you want? For her to be labeled a traitor when the King's men see you meeting up with her here?" Chiaki asked. "That's what they will think. They will think that Izumi was the one who planned all of this, that she and her father as well as all of your friends were responsible for you still being alive. The King would not hesitate to put them all in prison, torture them and finally experiment on them just like what they did to you. You know that."
Takuya kept quiet as his gaze was still planted on the one that he loves the most.
"You have to understand, Takuya, what we are doing, we're doing it for you, for them and for everyone else." Chiaki said. "Now tell me that you still plan on heading towards her and letting the King's Knights as well as your father's knights see both of you there. Just so you know, though you may not see them from where we are, the King and your father has already stationed their people around here."
As she said those things, rain began to fall. And from where Izumi Orimoto was standing, a powerful wind blew – a wind that carried heaviness and sadness in them.
On Takuya Kanbara's perspective, he saw, as the rain came pouring down the tears that mixed with it rushing down Izumi's face.
Both their heads were down after that, as they both looked on the ground beneath them with the rain still pouring down on them and everything else until Izumi finally left leaving Takuya and Chiaki still standing from where they were hiding.
"You did the right thing Takuya." Was all Chiaki could say as she let go of her grasp.
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To be Continued…
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[A/N:
Well, that certainly did take a lot out of me, but am I glad I finished this chapter in time.
Anyway, I forgot to say thanks to those who gave me websites on where I could find Frontier stuffs that I had asked for before. But now it seems that I am once again stuck in my spriting part of the game since I find it hard searching for images of the Spirit Shinker's family, so if anyone would be kind enough to lend a hand, let me know and I'll be sure to include you at my game's credits
Well, anyway, this is as far as I can write today, so until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying PEACE and signing out!