A Digimon Frontier Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez
Author's Notes:
Well, this came out quicker than I expected. Thanks for the reviews again, guys! I appreciate it. Well, I hope you guys enjoy on this chapter, the next chapter is where things really gets heated up.
Enjoy!
End Author's Notes:
The Rabbit on the Moon
Your Circumstances
Takuya was restless as he lay on his bed. He didn't know why, but he could not help but feel that something was amiss. He could not calm himself down enough to sleep and he didn't even know why. This annoyed the young Kanbara very much.
His worries suddenly sent him thinking of a certain blond haired woman and all of their friends who are all currently on a mission of great importance. A mission that he should have been a part of but instead caused him to be locked up in his room with no means of escape. He could not help but wonder if it was because of her why he couldn't find himself to sleep.
"No." Takuya thought to himself. "It's not her, it's the traitor…"
His thoughts carried him back to thinking who the traitor could possibly be, which in turn made him think back of Izumi – wondering if she was safe and unharmed which brought him back to the traitor and the cycle just kept on going depriving him of his sleep.
"Damn it." He cursed as he finally gave up on the idea of sleeping and instead stood up and walked towards the barred windows of his room.
The moon was crescent in shape for that night, and there were not enough stars to view as he would have hoped. The sky was partly cloudy and the wind was cold as it blew at him. This did not ease nor calm him at all.
Takuya wondered if there had been any contact between those sent on the mission and the Organization. He wondered if everyone was doing well. He wondered if the traitor had been figured out and had been caught. He wondered of all sorts of things that he otherwise would have wished he didn't think of.
He sighed. How he always hated that feeling of anxiety to an unknown something.
"Did you really think that you people would have the upper hand or something?" The Clone spoke as he sat on his throne, a smirk planted on his face. He was showing them how powerless they are. "I have to say, I could not have hoped for a better outcome from all of this."
His eyes lingered on Izumi as he spoke. Izumi did not bother to look away, she stared back at him with an angered look and with detest. She did not bother to hide the fact that she hated, no, loathed him.
"I have to applaud all three of you." The Clone went on, this time speaking to Kouichi, Chiaki and Katsuharu. "I certainly am happy that you have chosen to side with us, Katsuharu."
"I have always planned for this moment to come, that I may help and serve the King of Frontiria." Katsuharu replied.
Teppei clenched his fists. He gave the same look that Izumi was giving the Clone to the person whom he had always admired and followed. He was at a disbelief that out of the three of them, only he stood faithful to the Organization and its principles and mission.
"Nice work as well, Chiaki and of course, my dear friend, Kouichi." The Clone went on.
Chiaki bowed and Kouichi merely nodded as he still wore the same blank expression as he did before.
"Now, we only have to prepare the machine for the extraction." Clone Takuya said. "Kouichi, I have to ask you to send these people to their 'rooms'… we wouldn't want them to escape before we obtain what we have been asked to get now, do we?"
"Of course, Takuya." Kouichi replied.
And the next thing the prisoners know was that they were being whisked away into some dark place. Before they know it, they were already inside a prison cell… everyone of them that is, except for Izumi.
"I have been ordered by Takuya to take you here, Lady Izumi." Kouichi spoke monotonously.
Izumi found herself in a room that she did not expect could be found as such a ruined place. It reminded her very much of her room back at her mansion. It was lavishly decorated and well lit, unlike the rest of the ruins.
"Where are the others?" She asked.
"They're lock up somewhere else, of course." Kouichi replied. "There is no need to worry, though. We would not finish them off, Takuya would just extract their powers as a Chosen One and use it for the benefit of the Kingdom. Of course, you would not be harmed as well, Lady Izumi… after all, that is the last thing that Takuya would ever want."
"Why are you doing this, Kouichi?" Izumi asked. "This is not you…"
Kouichi did not bother to answer as he turned around and vanished with a puff of smoke leaving Izumi by herself in the lavish room. Somehow, she knew that nothing good would come out of her predicament.
"Damn it all!" Teppei shouted as he pounded on the wall of their cell. "What the hell happened to those two, why did they betray us like that!?"
Teppei did not hide the fact that he was way beyond upset.
"What's more," Kouichi added as he had finished inspecting the place and found no sign of a way out. "Kouichi is also one of them…"
Just then, Junpei spoke. "Hey, where's Lady Izumi?"
It was only that moment that they realized Izumi was not with them. This worried Kouji even more.
"Do you think she managed to escape?" Tomoki asked.
"I don't think she would have left us like this if she did." Kouji replied. "Maybe she was taken somewhere else. Now we would have to look for her as well once we get out of this place."
"And we have to get out of here fast." Teppei added. "We do not want to meet face-to-face with that machine that the Clone spoke off. It's the same machine that they used to extract Takuya's DNA to begin with."
"Then we would need to destroy that monstrosity before we escape as well." Junpei stated and everyone nodded in agreement.
Suddenly the clone spoke, "Escape? There's no way to escape, I have made sure of that. And I can assure you that no help will come for you."
Everyone could not help but feel that what the clone was saying is true. After all, every Chosen One had been caught – everyone except Takuya, but they knew that he would be unable to do anything, what with his power gone.
"Admit it, you all have lost." The Clone went on. "I suggest that you come and side with me instead."
"There's no way we would join up with you. No way!" Tomoki shouted.
"Suit yourselves."
Izumi sat on the bed as she had just finished trying to find a way out. She had tried to open the door, but it was no use. She had tried to break the windows, but some sort of barrier was blocking her attacks. She had tried all sorts of things hoping to escape this room-of-a-prison, but like everything else, none of them worked.
"We should have been more careful." She thought to herself. "Now, our only hope out of here is if I can wake Kouichi back to his senses or if Takuya manages to find a way over here. But how would he know that we're in trouble?"
Just then she remembered communicating with him by dreams, but she could not make herself fall asleep. She was worried of what would happen if she does. After all, it was no secret that it was the Clone who ordered to put her in that room and whatever the clone must have in his mind was not good. She was certainly in a fix.
"Kaizen," She called. And her Guardian Spirit immediately emerged. "We have to find a way to get out here, and fast. That machine he said, I'm guessing it's the same thing they used with Takuya."
Kaizen nodded. "I understand, but there's no way we can destroy this room… it's heavily protected by something."
"If we had been locked in the same place as the others, I could easily fall asleep and call for Takuya for help, but…" Izumi stated.
"But that's hard to do here knowing that his Clone could easily go in and out of this place as he pleases and no one would be there to stop him, right?" Kaizen finished.
At that Izumi nodded. "You were the one who helped me understand about how that kind of communication works, is there any way that it could be done without having to fall asleep?"
Kaizen shook her head in response. "There isn't."
Izumi sighed. Just then, the person she least wanted to see appeared before her.
"Are you enjoying your stay here, Izumi?" Asked the Clone as he entered the room. "I made sure to have prepared it just as what I expect you would like."
Kaizen immediately vanished the moment he stepped into the room, as ordered by Izumi. Izumi glared at him in response.
"What's wrong?" He asked. "Don't tell me it's not to your liking."
"Who would like this place? Especially since this is a prison." She retorted.
Takuya's Clone began to move closer towards her and Izumi, with every step he took, took a step back.
"Now, now… this is only a precaution. After we obtain what we need, you'll be free to roam around this place as you wish and you'll also be free to come with me."
"What makes you think that I would do that?"
Izumi kept on backing down as he moved forward, but soon she found herself cornered and the clone saw this as his chance as he moved closer.
Izumi mentally cursed herself, she should have been aware of her surroundings. She frantically searched for a way to dodge him and get away from him, but alas, there was no such way.
He was now only an arm's length away from her when he asked, "Why do you keep on running away from me? Don't you understand that I am Takuya."
"How many times do I have to tell you that you are nothing like Takuya!" Izumi said in as much confidence compared to how she was feeling right now. "You're just a cold-hearted person who only thinks of power."
"Maybe you still don't realize it, Izumi. But the fact remains that I am Takuya, the Takuya you know and the Takuya that is standing before you is the same. I am the Takuya that would have been if the other 'me' would have allowed himself to follow on his father's footprints and listen to his father's words. I am the Takuya that could have been if he would not have been too scared to take what deserves to be his. I am that Takuya, the Takuya that could have been and now is. Don't you see? If the Takuya that you know looks deep down in his heart, he would see that we are the same."
"You're lying." Izumi said. "Takuya admired his father up until the point that his father began to thirst for power, he wanted to be like his father but he realized that there is no justice to the weak in what he is doing or what he is planning to do. Takuya is not scared either but he doesn't wish to trample on others just so he can attain what he want. He doesn't force anyone to get what he wants... which is what you are doing. He is kind, something that you are not."
"He is weak, that's why father made me, and chose me to follow on his footsteps." The Clone hissed. "And he is already dead, so why dwell on him any longer?"
Izumi's eyes widen in horror, but soon she realized that the Clone must have thought that because Takuya was not with them, he already died after the events that transpired beforehand. Izumi decided to play along thinking that this would buy her and the others, as well as Takuya, enough time provided that those traitors – Chiaki and Katsuharu, do not say anything after this.
She then acted as she thought she would have done so if it were true – she turned her head away from him. "You killed him…"
The clone smirked, "It's only right that only one Takuya is to exist, right? It just so happens, that I am the one who does." Then he raised her head to meet his gaze, Izumi clenched her fist praying that he would not try to kiss her again. "Before all this ends, Izumi… you will fall in love with me just as you have done so with what you call the 'real' Takuya."
And with that he left.
Izumi's heart was pounding hard on her chest. She was glad that her prayers were answered but it confused her as to the actions of the Clone as with what the clone could possibly be thinking and why neither Katsuharu or Chiaki had told him anything about the true status of the 'Real' Takuya.
"Izumi, are you alright?" Kaizen asked as she once again materialized.
"Yes, I am fine." Izumi replied as she slumped down on the ground. "Just a bit shaken, that's all."
"I don't know about you, Izumi, but you have to take a chance and try to fall asleep and contact Takuya, it's the only way we can get out of here without compromising anything." Kaizen stated. "We only have a short time left."
Izumi knew this to be the case. It was the only way. She would just have to trust that nothing would happen to her while she sleeps.
Nodding at her Spirit Guardian's suggestion, Izumi tried to calm herself and soon afterwards fell asleep. She hoped, as she drifted into slumber, that Takuya would be asleep as well.
Takuya found himself in the Dream World, he did not know when he fell asleep or what he did in order to fall asleep, but he just resigned himself to it. He was lying at the same spot where he told Izumi about the traitor… it was, after all, the most relaxing place he could think of.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind told him that he was no longer alone in the place. Standing up, he was about to greet her when he stopped seeing the frantic look on her face.
"Izumi? Izumi, what's wrong?" He asked as he ran towards her. "Are you alright?"
"Takuya, something bad has happened." Izumi said.
"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked.
"There wasn't just one traitor, there were two – Chiaki and Katsuharu, they are the traitors," She said with as much calmness in her voice that she could muster. "They betrayed us to your Clone, and now they're preparing that machine that they used on you to extract our powers as well. Everyone's been taken captive and a lot of the Organization's members that went along with us are now working for the King. I also am being held at a different location from the others so I don't know how they are doing."
It took a while before all of that registered to Takuya. When it did, worry suddenly became evident in his features.
"Wait, that clone didn't do anything to you, did he?" Takuya asked, his eyes were filled with anger.
"No." Was her reply. "But I don't know for how long that would last. And also, he doesn't know that you're still alive, but even that, I can't guarantee for how long since Katsuharu and Chiaki might speak up about it."
"Did you get to see your father, the General and Kouichi?" Takuya asked.
"I didn't see Father nor the General, but Koichi… he's…"
"He's what?"
"He is being controlled by the King, brainwashed, I think. And what's more, he is also a Chosen One." Izumi explained. "He was the one who sent all those abominations to Shore, and he helped capture us as well. Takuya, I don't know what I should do. There's no way to escape from here. You're my only hope."
Takuya nodded as he took her in his arms. "I will rescue you and the others, I promise."
"But what if something like the one in the mirage happens?" Izumi asked her head buried in his chest as tears suddenly fell from her eyes. "I can't… I don't want to see you ending up dead, Takuya. Your clone, he was telling me how it is only right that only one 'Takuya' exists, and that 'Takuya' was him."
"Do you believe him?" He asked.
"Of course not!" Izumi replied with such strong conviction.
"Then as long as you believe that, then I could keep on fighting." Takuya replied. "He's right about only one 'Takuya' existing, but I won't let it turn our as how he expected it or thinks it has. Just wait for me, I will come and save you."
The moment they were done talking, Takuya immediately woke up. He knew that he would have to find away out of the place even if he would have to destroy the whole building.
It was during such thought that he realized that he could do just that, but he knew that it was too excessive. He also realized that since the Organization thought that he had completely lost all of his powers, there was no need to put a reflective barrier in the room to stop him from using what they thought was powers that he has completely lost.
How their judgment on the matter could have been more wrong, but even so, Takuya could not help but thank then for having such poor judgments. He immediately went over the barred window and using a little bit of his power, he melted the bars and created an opening large enough for him to go through.
Takuya could not help but grin and also feel foolish that he hadn't thought about it sooner, but his grin faded away as he remembered that he did not have time to waste. Now that he was out of that damn room, he had to hurdle yet another problem which has surfaced. The problem of how he was going to get to Lone Island at such an hour without the Organization knowing.
"I can't go and ask the port for a boat, they won't lend me one and they have probably been given a notice about me." Takuya thought to himself. "The Organization's vehicles are password protected, and I'm not too good with cracking those things, so I might as well put an 'X' on that one…"
"Damn it! What am I suppose to do!" He found himself cursing.
It was a surprise to him that someone spoke to him. And that someone was the last person he wanted to see at the moment.
"I should have figured that you were hiding you're true status, Takuya." The Leader spoke which certainly surprised Takuya, after all, he had made sure not to make any sound as he escaped.
"You! How did you…" Takuya exclaimed as he pointed a finger towards her, shocked.
"Didn't I tell you that I would be seeing to it that you don't do anything foolish personally?" The Leader replied. "Why did you hide the fact that you have regained most of your powers from us? I could only guess that Lady Izumi knows of it."
She was reading him all too well much to his liking.
"It was a safety measure." Was all he replied. The Leader did not seem to want to pry on the matter further.
"What do you think you're planning to do?" She asked. "I can not let you go to the Lone Islands even if you have regained most of your power. Compared to how strong your opponents are most likely to be, you are not fit to fight with them yet."
"And I can't stay and wait for that time when you think I am ready to fight again to come." Takuya replied. "Or could it be that you're also a traitor… that you planned to have me stay here so that they could all be captured easily and without any problems?"
"What are you talking about?" It was the Leader's turn to be confused.
"Izumi and the others have been captured." Takuya answered. "They were betrayed and sent to what could possibly be their doom all thanks to two of your subordinates – Chiaki and Katsuharu. Was it you who ordered them to do that? To betray us?"
"I do not know what you are talking about." The Leader replied. "There is no way that they would turn against us. Chiaki has so much hatred for the King and his people to betray us and Katsuharu has so much faith in the Organization to even go against his sworn duties."
"Then I guess you're either playing dumb about it all or you really do not know anything about your people." Takuya retorted. "What I've told you is true, they handed my friends over to the enemy and there is no way I could sit this one out. Izumi… communicated with me using something that only we can do, that's how I learned of it and I won't allow that Clone to lay another finger on her. You can try and stop me, but I can assure you, I will resist to the best of my abilities and to whatever extent the power I have has."
Silence filled the air and the Leader noticed that Takuya was not lying. He really was going to do whatever it takes to rescue his friends. And he wasn't also lying about Chiaki and Katsuharu either, this troubled the Leader even more.
"You really do resemble your father when he was still young, Takuya." The Leader suddenly spoke, but the coldness in her voice was no longer there, instead, there was melancholy. "I should have kept a closer eye on my people. I guess it could not be helped now."
"Don't compare me with my old man." Takuya spoke. "I am nothing like him."
"Maybe nothing like him now, but when he was as young as you are now, he was a lot different from what you now know him to be." The Leader said. "If what you say is true, and I fear that it is, then we really do not have any time to waste. You can very well be the only thing that stands between us loosing this battle -- the destruction of this world , and the foiling of the King's plots. For that, I cannot stop you."
Takuya was surprised at what he just heard. "Is she really letting me go?" He wondered.
He stared at her in disbelief.
"Take the black yacht over there," She went on. "It's the fastest thing we have and it doesn't have any security locks on it. You would be able to use it to get to the Lone Islands. The last report we heard said that the ruins are located due north of the Island."
"Why are you helping me now?" Takuya asked. "How could I trust that you are not doing it to hand me over as well?"
"I can't prove my loyalties, Takuya, but you would have to trust my word for it if you want to save your friends and Izumi as well."
Takuya thought for a while, then nodded, accepting the offer that was given to him. Just as he was about to board the black vessel, the Leader spoke yet again.
"Your mother would be proud that you have grown to be such a person." She stated.
Takuya looked back at her and nodded. He didn't know what to say, but deep in his heart he wished it to be true.
It took only a few seconds to get the Yacht running, and a couple more before Takuya was out of view and on his way to the Lone Islands.
"How long will it take before the machine is ready?" The Clone asked.
"About two days, Lord Takuya." Came the reply of one of the scientists. "That's the fastest we can make it work."
"Very well, just make sure that nothing goes wrong and that there are no more delays."
"Of course, sir."
The clone, after hearing the scientists' response turned around and walked away. Yes, everything was going according to plan. Soon, he and his father would gain what they have both desired… and yet, something kept on bothering him. The words of that woman, Izumi Orimoto.
He could not understand why she could not view him as Takuya. He was Takuya, was he not? What's more, why would she choose to dwell on one who is already in the pits of Hades than with him?
Was it 'kindness' as she said, that made him different than the original? He was more powerful, he has everything within his grasp as the King had promised, he has all the memories of the other Takuya, and he is perfect. Then why can she not fall in love with him just the same way he guessed that she felt for the other Takuya.
"Kindness – that's only for the weak. The strong doesn't need it, it only hinders our growth." He muttered as he went on his way to meet with his subordinates.
To be Continued…
Author's Notes:
Well, that's that for this chapter. I really had to work double time for this since I had to go to bed earlier than usual. There are a lot of high points that are written in this chapter that would determine what would happen in the future, you have to really read it thoroughly to get it.
Another thing, as I've said in CoT: CW, I'm thinking on hiring a Beta Reader for my fanfics, of course, I am not sure on whether to do that or not, but maybe you guys can help me decide.
Since I really am enjoying myself writing this, I have come to a conclusion that I would be making a game for this fanfic after my schedule becomes less cramped. But, that is also something that I am thinking about doing.
Well, I would have to stop here for now. I hope you liked this chapter, the next one would come out in three days or so, right after the CoT update. So until then, "PEACE" and take care, everyone! Don't forget to review, 'kay?
End of Author's Note