A Digimon Frontier Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez
Author's Notes
Whew, I finally managed to finish this chapter just in time.
This should be enough to quench your thirst for a new chapter for a couple of days before I update again. This chapter should answer some questions as well as open up more information on the history of the world that the story revolves in.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy reading this as I worked hard on it.
Enjoy!
End of Author's Notes
The Rabbit on the Moon
The Black Flames
"Finally, you have all arrived."
That was the words of greeting given to them by the crimson-haired young man. And, as he said those words, he was smiling. Despite his smiling face however, Shinya and the others could not help but doubt if this young man was really a friend or if he was a foe.
They kept their distance from him as they all gathered in the island's shore.
It would appear, however, that this young man knew what they were thinking as he said, "There's no need to worry, you are all safe in this island for no one can enter and wreck havoc here unless Milanai permits it or unless Milanai's powers have grown weak and neither of that is true for now."
"Milanai?" Katsuharu asked, surprised. It has been ages since that name was spoken and heard of. "You mean...the world tree?"
The young man grinned and pointed at the large tree over at the distance. "The one and only. After all, it's impossible not to see the World Tree here for this is its island."
"Y-you can't be serious..." Katsuharu gaped. "If that's the World Tree, Milanai then... who are you? I heard no human can live in Milanai's Island."
"Can't you take a guess as to who he is already?" The Queen asked as she walked towards the young man. "He is the guardian of Milanai, Kaien Suzaku."
Surprise is even more evident on Katsuharu's face. He was dumbfounded to say the least. As for Shinya and Izumi, both exchanged confused glances not sure at all as to what they were talking about.
"Who?" Izumi asked just before Shinya could.
Katsuharu's voice was shaking as he began to tell them what he knows about Kaien Suzaku.
"A long, long time ago, before Frontier became a single Kingdom Nation there were 4 powerful continents: Haizea the Earth Continent, Nerida the Water Continent, Fiammetta the Fire Continent and Astrea the Wind Continent. These four continents each houses a powerful kingdom, save for Nerida being a queendom instead.
These four kingdoms were at peace for as long as history could remember however, tensions began to arise a century after Chaos, the god of darkness, was first revived by a man by the name of Gawain.
Gawain wanted to be free from the binds of the goddess of light, Lumina which were in the form of the Dragon Tome, and so, he made a pact with the Dark One in order to destroy the tome and free the world. In his eyes, what he was doing was right. Of course, the whole of Endlessia did not wish to be ruled by Chaos as well. Which is why the whole of Endlessia rallied under one banner to put an end to Gawain and his ambition.
Anyways, a century passed from that time, with the Dragon Tome gone and no one or nothing visible to guide the world, the four kingdoms began to wage war against one another in hopes of becoming the only kingdom. The Holy Capital and Valthoria could do nothing about it.
It was during that time that the Chosen Ones appeared once again. One of the heroes of that tale was Kaien Suzaku. The only Chosen One who is able to control a specific kind of flame. He, along with the other heroes of that time, brought peace back and thwarted another of Chaos' plan to power."
"Wait, you're saying this guy's a Chosen One too?" Shinya asked, surprised to hear that a Chosen One from that long ago would still be alive today.
Kaien laughed, "I used to be a Chosen One but... that was a very long time ago. Now, I am a guardian of the world tree and I've been a guardian for a long time now as well."
"But... how did you end up guarding the world tree? Why does the tree even need someone to guard it?" Izumi asked. She knows a bit about the world tree but this was the first time she heard of someone guarding the tree.
Kaien turned around to face at the giant tree over at the distance, his eyes betrayed the smile in his face for his eyes held a bit of sadness in them. Talking about these things were bringing memories back to him.
He then turns back around, the moment of sadness in his eyes gone as he said, "Perhaps this is not the place to discuss that... as well as all the other matters that you all came here for. Come, Milanai will provide us some shade and to you, our visitors, some food as well."
Having said that, the group agrees and together they walked with Kaien towards the base of the giant tree that is Milanai.
"Damn it!" Kouichi shouted as he pounded his fist on the surface of the table. It would be an understatement to say that he is angry. "What the hell is going on?"
"Being angry about it won't help us get any answers, Kouichi." Lord Ishige Orimoto says, his eyes closed and his hands were crossed on his chest. "Besides, we are not really sure that it was Takuya that you all saw. For all we know it could be Shinya."
"No." Kouji said gloomily. "Kouichi was far off but he did manage to see the color of that man's eyes and it was definitely the same heterochromia eyes as Takuya have."
Kouichi nodded. He really did see the color of that man's eyes. "Without a doubt, that is Takuya for sure but...what the heck happened to him? Why is he working for those guys now?"
"I am also wondering what had happened to Lady Izumi considering that she was supposed to be with him, right?" Junpei stated.
Lord Ishige nodded. He was thinking just that.
It has only been several hours since the group was reunited since those who had fought during Terrou's rampage arrived at the rendezvous point. As soon as they arrived, they decided to report everything that had happened during the battle to both Lord Ishige and the Leader, Yuriko.
"I understand that we are worried about the two of them," Yuriko spoke in a somber tone. "However, I believe we will find the answers out eventually. What we should focus on is preparing for the inevitable."
"Preparing for the inevitable?" Teppei asked.
"What do you mean, Lady Yuriko?" Tomoki followed with his own question.
Yuriko glanced at Ishige who was also looking at her. He nodded as if telling her that it was alright to tell their young comrades everything they know about what is about to transpire...at least, what they could guess that would happen.
"The Gates of Gaia." Yuriko said, her face was grim and serious.
"Gates of Gaia?" Every Chosen One in the room asked in unison.
Ishige nodded, "The Gates of Gaia. Back when Hiroaki and Shinya were not yet... well... evil... the King asked us to search for this mythical artifact. An artifact that can amplify a person's abilities and open a path to power that no one can possibly imagine...and maybe even a path to the goddess herself. At least, that's what the legends speak of."
"You all knew how hard a time that was for Chosen Ones, don't you?" Yuriko continued where Ishige left off, "In order to protect the other Chosen Ones – all of you, Ishige, Hiroaki and Shinya all agreed to look for the Gates of Gaia for the King. They believed that once the gates were found that the King would not need the Chosen Ones any more making the world safer for you all..."
"However, it would appear our beliefs were wrongly placed. What we had found during that time was not the real Gates of Gaia but just a shell." Ishige went on. "The King knew of this, as made apparent by the Queen's report. We also came to know that he needs the powers of the Chosen Ones in its purest form in order to open the true gate. He didn't have the means to do that before, however, by combining his powers with the Dark One, it would appear that they have found the method they could use to extract your powers... and they did."
"So... that means, with all of the Chosen One's powers already in their possession, they can now summon the true Gates of Gaia?"
The two older members of this little council nodded.
"But, what is their intention for summoning the true Gates of Gaia?" Tomoki asked. "It is strange to think that they are doing this just to have an audience with the goddess, as for ruling the whole world with unimaginable power, the King...no, Emperor, already has that power with the Dragon God of Darkness, right?"
"That is what's troubling me." Yuriko admitted. "However, we must be prepared to counterattack whatever the Emperor and his minions may be plotting to do now."
"That isn't much information." Kouji sighed. "But, I suppose it's better than absolutely nothing. So, what are we supposed to do now?"
"First, we need to find out whatever happened to my daughter." Lord Ishige said as he stood up. "There is no way I'm leaving that unanswered."
"Of course, Commander." Yuriko said, standing as well. "I must apologize for you all for what has happened. And, I must also apologize that you all must go on another mission just as soon as you got back."
Teppei grinned. "Don't worry about that too much, Leader. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to get this over with and rest. Don't you guys agree?"
Everyone nodded.
"Besides," Kouichi added, "if we're going to fight against Takuya, we really would need Izumi's help."
It was the most delicious food they have ever tasted. Everyone could not help but wonder what these mysterious food that they were eating were. But, no one wanted to ask Kaien about it.
When they were done eating and resting, everyone could not help but note how good they felt. It has been a while since they have felt so at peace. Soon, everyone was ready to ask and listen and to learn as much as they could from Kaien.
"So now, I answer your questions." Kaien said calmly.
They nodded.
"I remember your question before, Izumi, of why the World Tree would need a guardian such as myself." Kaien continued on. "The answer is really simple. During my time as a Chosen One, the World Tree was no longer as powerful as when it was first planted by Yuuki or when it first blossomed half a century later. You see, the power of the World Tree resides within the power of the humans and the pact that Yuuki has made with the goddess. However, many forgot about that pact and soon the World Tree began to wither, in order to keep it from dying, a Guardian needs to be around to protect it, in more ways than one. The World Tree is important after all. It not only serves as a reminder of the goddess and Yuuki's pact but also as a seal to keep Chaos from resurfacing in the world. However..."
"However?" Shinya asked, albeit he already could guess what he was about to say.
"It seems that even with my power and even with the tree still alive, Chaos has once again been revived." Kaien answered.
This revelation surprised everyone. How can it be possible that the God of Darkness would be revived without their knowing? This was something they inquired about with the Guardian of the World Tree.
"The human heart." That was Kaien's answer, and he began to elaborate. "Just as how Milanai feeds off the positive, the good in the human heart so too does Chaos grow stronger from feeding off the negative, the evil within the hearts of man. Since no human does not have evil in their hearts, he already has an upper hand. What's more, because everyone has that evil, he has grown far stronger than during the times Yuuki and his friends fought against him and during the time that me and my comrades fought against him."
"If Chaos has truly revived then why is it the whole world is not yet in ruins?" Katsuharu was the next one to ask.
"Simple. Because he has only just revived his powers are not yet with him. For the moment, he is but a shadow feeding off on another human's body, more specifically, the body of your father, the so-called Emperor." Kaien answered, his answer, of course, hoked his guests even further. "I believe that you all know he is being controlled and guessed it to be the work of an old king by the name of Luca – the very same emperor who was controlled by Chaos long before. That is true, Luca is controlling him and, at the same time, Luca is the god of darkness, therefore... Emperor Seraphim is being controlled by Chaos. If nothing is done about this soon, he too will suffer the same fate as Luca."
"Same fate as Luca? What do you mean?" The Queen asked.
"Have his soul and existence swallowed by Chaos." Kaien said, his eyes were closed as he did so. "If that happens, the man named Seraphim would no longer exist and he will forever be lost to you all."
"Then... what must we do to save my father?" Katsuharu asked, there was a hint of urgency in his voice. "Tell me. If there is anything I can do to save my father, I will do so."
"Those are brave words, Katsuharu." Kaien said, smiling. "As expected from a Prince. There is a way... you must force Chaos out of the Emperor's body. To do that, you must fight against him and win in a manner that would leave the Emperor pretty much battered and unable to fight with just enough power to live."
"What?" Katsuharu exclaimed in disbelief. "You want me to render my father powerless?"
"The only way for Chaos to leave his host is for the host's body to be in a dying state. That way, Chaos will be forced to abandon the host to save himself and search for a new host. If you manage to do that, it will make it easier for you to defeat him since Chaos is only vulnerable in that state of limbo of his." Kaien explained.
"That's...harsh." Izumi noted. He knew how impossible it would be for Katsuharu to do such a thing.
"It is. However, once Chaos has been removed from the Emperor's body, you can count on me and Milanai to do our best to ensure that he does not perish. I can promise you that much." Kaien said.
"Well, that's taken care of... for now." Shinya sighed, but his seriousness returned as he asked his next question. "Now, can I ask you about my brother?"
"There is a lot of things in this world that even I do not know or understand. That includes what has transpired between you and your brother, the transfer of power between you and him back then, as well as his current predicament." Kaien answered, the tone of his voice stated that he was genuinely sorry for his lack of knowledge at that particular topic. "However, I know one thing... someone manipulated what he saw in the Valley of the Mist."
"What do you mean?" Izumi and Shinya asked in unison.
"I'm not sure myself but, I could feel it when he activated the Mirror of Truth. Something was definitely wrong and I heard the faint words spoken to him falsely. Those words, that prophecy was a prophecy not intended for him and a prophecy that has long been fulfilled." Kaien replied. "In other words, someone was toying with him making sure that he starts to doubt himself, making sure that he is confused."
"But why? What would they gain by doing that?" Izumi asked.
"Confusion is one of darkness' most powerful allies. It allows Chaos to control and whisper dark thoughts to anyone easier when they are confused." Kaien replied. "I know that because I too almost fell prey to the Dark One."
"I have heard that that is why you earned the name, 'The Black Flames'." the Queen remembered the stories of the heroes of long ago that she have heard.
Kaien nodded. "I was the Chosen One of Fire. Of course, up until I met with Orianna, a female Dragon Knight who is a Chosen One of Wind, I didn't know about that. What's more, I blamed myself for the destruction of the village that took me in and that I grew up in. That grief, anger and confusion was enough for him to control me. I managed to break free of his grasp thanks to my friends however, since that time, whenever I use my power I could only generate black, inextinguishable flames. Flames that can only die when that which they are burning are turned to ash."
"Black... flames?" Shinya was dumbstruck. "Wait, why is it then that my flames are not like yours? I too have been controlled by the Dark One as well yet..."
Kaien looked at his fellow Chosen One of Fire and shook his head. "When he controlled you, your powers were no longer with you but rather, was transferred to your brother. However, as for Takuya's case... it is safe to assume that he would have the same kind of flame as I."
"Then... how are we to defeat him if we can't defeat his flames?" Katsuharu asked. "Not only that but we had the majority of our powers extracted from us and that includes our Guardian Spirits. What we have now are only a fraction of our powers."
"I am sure you have heard of this before, Izumi, however, let me say it for the sake of your companions: "A Chosen One's power does not rely solely on his or her Guardian Spirit nor does it rely on his or her ability to control the elements. There is more to being a Chosen One than just that. A secret that Chaos knows through his battle with the Chosen Ones of the past, and that secret I will pass down to you all."
"A...secret?" Izumi asked.
"About Chosen Ones?" Katsuharu gaped.
"Yes." Kaien said as he looked up at the Milanai's leaves and branches swaying as a wind blow. "A secret that can help you bring Takuya back to his senses and defeat Chaos...Also, Chaos' intentions, the reason why he extracted your powers. That knowledge will help you in fighting against him."
To be Continued...
Post Author's Notes
Well, that's that for this chapter.
Quite honestly, though, I feel a bit disappointed having only earned a single review from the previous chapter during the time that I was writing this. I had hoped for more reviews than that. However, there were a lot of hits on the chapter and fanfic, albeit I am not sure if those hits translate to the number of people currently reading the fanfic.
Anyways, can't do much about that. I suppose everyone's in a bit of a hurry and had no time to review. That is why, I would like to give a special thank you to utsukushii04 for giving a review for the previous chapter.
Having said that, I am going to try and update once again either on Wednesday or Thursday this week (as long as I have the free time to do so). Anyways, I hope to get some reviews from this chapter. Note that the history here and the stories/explanations given are from the second game of the CoE trilogy (of which RotM is a part of). You can learn more about that from my blog/website.
Well, that's all for tonight. This is Sakura Martinez saying PEACE and signing out. Hope you guys have a great week and don't forget to review this chapter! Ja ne!
End of Post Author's Notes