Frontier 02: Rebirthing – Chapter 22: Nina
madjack89: Hello, everyone! Due to the events of the last chapter—
Takuya: You mean your brutal murder of Kouichi?!
madjack89: —I have hired a bodyguard to protect me from the gang! Say hi to Sasuke from Naruto!
Sasuke: If you're wondering why I'm doing this, she paid me…a lot.
madjack89: For what you cost, you better Chidori the crap out of anyone that comes near me, emo boy!
Sasuke: eye twitches I hate my life.
madjack89: Yeah, what else is new?
Sasuke: sigh
madjack89: Anywho, Dai and I had a fantastical time watching the second Death Note movie, if anyone cares.
Dai: It was awesome!
Takuya: Traitor!
madjack89: Back off of Dai or Sasuke's gonna go all Sharingan on you, Taki!
Sasuke: glares at Takuya threateningly
Takuya: Fine, but I still don't understand how Dai can be so happy at a time like this.
Dai: I'm happy because while we were watching Death Note, Madjack showed me her notes for this chapter!
Everyone: WHAT?!
Kira: What'd they say?
Dai: I've been sworn to secrecy. You'll just have to read on to find out!
madjack89: But first, I shall answer your reviews that were previously checked by Sasuke to make sure there were no paper bombs or anything stuck to them!
Sasuke: Thanks for the cookies.
madjack89: Those cookies are coming out of your paycheck.
Sasuke: Eh, it's worth it. munches on cookie
-
hazeleyedharmony: Shocking, isn't it? But necessary, as you'll soon see! I'm extremely flattered that you liked last chapter so much! My writing must really be improving from a year ago! I'm trying to update as soon as I can, but school hates me (it's ruining my senior year!). Anyway, I really LOVE that quote! That is just the most amazing quote EVER, especially when it comes to this gang! Alright, thanks for reviewing! (And sorry for "killing" Kouichi.)
apapa155: Sorry Eva! I'll warn you to shield your eyes next time! (Everyone: Next time?!) Heh heh…anyway, thanks for reviewing!
beybladeingninjaprincess: Sasuke, protect me! (Sasuke: busy munching on cookies) Why did Kakashi have to be on vacation…yeah Kouji, do something! (Kouji: Like what?!) I don't know, whatever you did last time! (Kouji: Is that what's gonna happen?) No. (Kouji: Then why tell me to do it?!) I don't know! (Kouji: Grrrrrrr!) Perhaps Kouji and Squishy can have a staring contest…we'll see. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Aldamonburst: How dare you take Haio's Poptart, Night! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! And Kaito, you are very awesome! Thanks for reviewing!
ladyaura12: I don't like zombies either, so no worries on that front! No problem, and I'm sure I'll love your fanfic! You seem very creative! Sasuke, dispose of the poison! (Sasuke: Hey Itachi, want a drink?) Not like that! (Sasuke: Fine.) Thanks for the review!
GoldenDragon326: Yay, someone who's not too distracted by Kouichi's death to comment on the freaky telekinetic twin powers! (lol) Thanks for reviewing!
TobiGB: I'm glad you liked the fight scene! Heh, sorry Itachi! Zetsu, you can not eat Kouichi and Sasori, you can not turn Kouichi into one of your creepy little puppets! Man, I wish there was a full, good version of Darkness in My Heart somewhere on the internet! But I digress. Thanks for the brownies and review! (Sasuke was a pig and ate all the cookies, though!)
Dawn of Glory: Heh, sorry Dawn! Oh, you want to put Kagemon in the story? Sounds good to me! Just send some details my way, Sakura! Thanks for the review!
SeaSpectre160: Yeah, I'm pretty sure no one saw it coming judging from the reviews I got. (lol) Thanks for this review!
garnettfox: I'm glad it was cool! And the gang didn't have time to grab Witchmon and Dragramon before heading out, but of course Dragramon can Digivolve to Drakemon and Mistikmon, silly! Alright, thanks for reviewing!
JewelledTears: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! Sasuke, defense mode! (Sasuke: What the heck is a Light Saber? gets hit with Light Saber Ow!) Uh, I'm sorry!
DigiBleach: Here's your hat, DigiBleach! (lol) Yeah, I thought Shino should have some sort of nickname, and since his mother is a doctor, he's Doctor Shino! Read on to find out more about Nina (that's her name) and thanks for reviewing!
61wisampa: Kouichi has now died twice, just like Buffy! (And Angel and Spike, now that I think about it!) Sadly, I don't plan to kill either JP or Kouji. (Kouji and JP: Sadly?) Thanks for reviewing!
fg1fg: Heh, I'm glad you liked all the things you mentioned, especially the heart attack reference! (Because if Light were to kill any of them off, Kouji would be the most likely candidate.) Nothing specific happened at school, it just completely sucks this year. But I'll be okay. Thanks for reviewing!
Kirae-Remi: …Wow, you're a physic! Plus, you must have noticed the title is REBIRTHING! (lol) Thanks for reviewing!
Rain621: Heh, sorry new reader buddy! Just keep reading and I guarantee you'll feel better! And I guess Dai can be scary at times…thanks for reviewing!
-
madjack89: Okay, without further adieu, enjoy chapter 22! (Hey, that rhymed!)
—
Kouichi's eyes shot open. He turned his head quickly, then did a three-sixty, trying to make sense of the images around him.
He seemed to be floating in a white space, surrounded on all sides by moving pictures of his friends, his mother, even his deceased grandmother. It took him a moment, but Kouichi realized that these floating pictures were his memories, flying past him in a jumble of shapes and colors. There was no noise, though. Everything was completely silent.
"Where am I?" he wondered out loud, his voice echoing throughout this vast area of white light and color. "Zoe!" No one answered. "Kouji!" Still no one answered. "Takuya, Kira, Shino, JP, Hotaru, Dai, Tommy, anybody!" His voice was lost in the endless space.
"Where is everyone?" Kouichi closed his eyes, beginning to get dizzy from all the images spinning around him. "I'm alone."
As if that statement were a secret code, the pictures around Kouichi began to fade until only the white light remained. Kouichi glanced left and right, then took a slow step forward. His foot seemed to land on something solid, despite the fact that he'd just stepped out into the white space. He took another step, then another, and soon he was walking through the vast sea of white, searching for anyone or anything that could explain this to him.
As he walked, his memories of what happened just before he'd landed here flashed before him. He'd gone in search of Zoe and Duskmon…he'd found them…he'd challenged Duskmon to a fight…he'd been beaten…and Duskmon had stabbed him.
Kouichi touched his hand to his chest, feeling the spot where the blade had been thrust through him. He remembered the pain, the confusion, and Zoe's anguished expression when she had watched him fall.
"I'm dead," Kouichi said, confirming it to himself. "I'm really dead."
Kouichi wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly feeling infinitely cold and alone. He was dead, while everyone else was alive and suffering because of his death. He hadn't even managed to kill Duskmon. His business was still unfinished, but there was nothing he could do.
A tear escaped his eye, but he made to move to wipe it away as it rolled down his cheek. "I didn't want to die yet!"
"You're not dead, silly kitty!" Kouichi's head shot up when he heard a female voice echo throughout the white space.
"Zoe?" he asked tentatively. "Kira?"
"Ha ha, of course not! They can't get into your head!" As the voice spoke this time, the white space began to fade to gray, then black. And as the darkness overtook the space, Kouichi noticed a figure standing a few feet away from him.
It was a girl, about half an inch shorter than Kouichi, with the palest skin Kouichi had ever seen on anyone healthy. Her hair was jet black and fell all the way to her waist. She wore a black, sparkling, low-cut dress and black, strappy high-heels. (I don't know what you would call the shoes, I'm no fashion expert.)
But what truly caught Kouichi's attention were the girl's big, violet eyes. Kouichi tried to tear his gaze away from those eyes, but quickly realized he couldn't. They were almost…hypnotic.
The girl smiled, as if satisfied by Kouichi's stare. "Come hither, Warrior," she said with authority, beckoning with her hand for Kouichi to come closer.
Without thinking, Kouichi walked forward, stopping a foot from where the girl stood. The girl giggled, apparently finding something funny. "I love how it's so easy to put people under my thrall! It makes things so much more interesting!"
"Thrall?" Kouichi shook his head, broken from the girl's spell by her statement. Then he looked the girl up and down, careful not to look directly into her eyes. "Who are you?"
"I have many names," the girl said, drawing little circles in the air with her finger. "You may call me Nina. As for what I am, I am Darkness."
—
Zoe didn't think she'd ever be able to stop crying once the tears came. They continued to flow down her face as she fell to the ground, leaning heavily against a tree.
"Kouichi," she said repeatedly through her sobs, willing him to get back up, like he'd done before. But he would never get back up again. He'd never smile, never laugh, never hold her hand, never stroke her hair softly, never hug her, never kiss her, never comfort her. Kouichi, the one boy she'd ever truly loved with all her heart, was dead.
"Don't cry." Zoe heard Duskmon say this, but she didn't bother looking up at the killer. She might do something she'd regret, not that it mattered now. "This was necessary."
"Necessary?!" Zoe's voice squeaked when she yelled this hysterically between her sobs. "You killed him, you murderer!"
Duskmon sighed, seeming annoyed by Zoe's grief. "Nina had better hurry up. I can't handle this girl much longer."
Zoe didn't know what Duskmon was talking about and didn't care. She just continued her grieving, burying her face in her hands. (Would this be a good time for a brownie from TobiGB?) "No!" (Okay, okay…)
"Oh my god." Zoe did look up when she heard this voice, mostly because it surprised her that Kira was even there. She quickly saw that the whole gang stood around her, eyes locked on Kouichi's body in the clearing.
Zoe glanced over all her friends' pained, upset, confused expressions. Each one broke her already-shattered heart into tinier pieces. Then she stopped her gaze on Kouji.
Kouji looked so anguished that it caused tears to flow down her face in a larger volume than they had before. She quickly got to her feet, facing Kouji.
"Kouji," she began, voice shaky. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect him. He just…he just…"
"Don't!" Suddenly, Zoe was in Shino's arms, wrapped in a tight hug. "Don't," he said again, holding her firmly. "You couldn't do anything to stop him. It's not your fault."
Zoe wound her arms around Shino, his voice having cracked twice when he spoke. "I loved him," she whispered into Shino's shoulder, her sobs coming back.
"I know," Shino replied, tears coming to his eyes as well. "I know."
Around these two, the message was beginning to really sink in with the others. Their friend, Kouichi, lay dead a few short feet from where they stood, and they hadn't been there to help him.
"No way," JP muttered, eyes wide with shock. "No way…no freaking way…"
"Chief," Kira said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. "You freaking idiot!" Along with yelling this statement as loud as she could, Kira also punched Takuya in the arm, hard.
Takuya didn't react, though it must have hurt. His gaze was fixed on Kouichi, though he desperately wanted to turn away. But he just couldn't make himself. "I didn't even think he'd do something like this…oh god!"
"Taki!" Kira threw her arms around Takuya, who was no longer able to hold back tears. The others gave up all attempts at hiding their grief as well, though Hotaru did turn his head, still not completely comfortable with showing too much emotion around people.
"It looks as if you were all a bit late and missed the show." Everyone's heads snapped up when they heard Duskmon speak. Duskmon was leaning casually against a tree, acting very nonchalant despite the glares the others were giving him.
"You…" Takuya wanted to call Duskmon something very inappropriate for virgin ears (That means you, Tommy!) but he couldn't think of anything bad enough to describe him.
Luckily, Tommy could. "You big fat meanie!"
The others stared at Tommy for a moment, caught somewhere between bemusement and astonishment that Tommy had been the one to call out Duskmon on being a "meanie."
"Duskmon." The moment of silence was broken when Kouji muttered Duskmon's name, turning to glare with unconcealed anger at the dark Digimon. "You know, it's funny; I didn't actually think that you'd go through with killing him. I thought you'd just beat the ever-loving crap out of him, give him a cryptic message, and be on your merry way.
"Well, I guess the joke's on me now," Kouji continued, trembling with rage. "You really killed Kouichi, and you did it pretty artfully, what with the whole kidnapping Zoe plot."
Kouji lowered his head but at the same time raised his D-Tector. "As they say, Duskmon, be careful when you're playing rough; you might lose an eye." (Oh snap, crackle and pop!)
—
Kouichi stood staring at Nina, who'd been dancing around in a circle for several minutes because she was "so super duper happy that he was there!" He took an instinctive step back, fearful of what she'd do next. "Uh, are you ever going to explain what you said to me before about you being…Darkness?"
Nina stopped abruptly, turning to stare thoughtfully at Kouichi. "You don't know what that means?"
Kouichi shook his head. "That's what I've been saying for the past ten minutes while you've been dancing."
Nina instantly straightened back up, growing to her full height (though if she was trying to be threatening it didn't work because Kouichi had a height advantage on her). "Okay, basically, I'm 'Darkness,' not 'Light.'" She made air quotes around the words darkness and light, speaking slowly as if to a child. Then, satisfied with the answer she'd given, she continued to hop around in a giddy fashion.
Kouichi's eyes narrowed as he got increasingly annoyed. "That didn't explain anything!"
"Yes it did!" Nina replied, jumping up and down in front of Kouichi. "It's obvious from what I said that I am Darkness, as in the first, last, only Darkness. I am the very core of what Darkness is, and I gave myself a semi-physical shape in order to communicate with you and anyone else I wish to communicate with, like Duskmon!"
Kouichi's eyes slowly began to widen with comprehension. "So you're saying that you're just…Darkness?"
"That's what I said, silly kitty!" Nina said, grinning at Kouichi. "And you are my Warrior of Darkness!"
"No!" Kouichi said quickly, taking several large steps back. "That's not me. You must be looking for Lowemon. I'm just human."
Nina giggled at Kouichi, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Oh kitty, you're much more than that! I mean, if it weren't for you, Lowemon would really be dead! But thanks to you, he's not, so you have my undying gratitude!"
Kouichi glanced at her hand on his shoulder. It felt cold, not at all like when Zoe would place her hand on the exact same spot. Zoe felt alive, but Nina…
Kouichi quickly shook Nina's hand off of him, taking another several steps back. "What do you want?"
Nina held her hand gingerly with her other, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Why are you being so mean, kitty? I just wanted to see you again."
Kouichi flinched as Nina began to cry, tears streaming down her face. "Don't cry, Nina," he said, hanging his head. "Look, I'm sorry for being suspicious. If all you wanted to do is see me, that's fine."
Nina instantly perked up, tears drying on the spot. "Good! Now we can discuss what we're going to do about that brother of yours, the horrible Warrior of Light!"
Kouichi's eyes widened in shock, feeling confused by the sudden change in topic. "What does Kouji have to do with any of this? You said you wanted to see me."
"And I did!" Nina chirped. "But that doesn't mean I'll ever forgive him for stealing you away from me in the first place. He has to pay for his actions, along with the Light he represents!"
"Pay?" Kouichi's thoughts were swirling around in a confusing circle in his mind. Then he began to actually consider what Nina had just said. "You're mad because Kouji purified me?"
"No, I mean before, when Lobomon did it!" Nina cried impatiently. "But your brother is a repeat offender, so they'll both pay for what they did to me, and to you."
Kouichi was still confused beyond belief by everything that was happening, but managed to ask, "How did they steal me away from you, exactly?"
Nina's face suddenly grew cold and serious. "They poisoned you with Light, Kouichi. They completely covered you in it. After that happened, no matter what, I couldn't talk to you, couldn't touch you, couldn't even get near you. And it was all thanks to the Warrior of Light befriending you, brainwashing you. It was sickening to watch."
"Wait," Kouichi said, realizing something that Nina was saying didn't add up. "If you couldn't get near me because of Kouji, then how can you do it now? Is it because I'm…" Kouichi couldn't bring himself to say "dead."
"I already said that you aren't dead, kitty," Nina said, reading Kouichi's thought. "Duskmon's sword didn't kill you. Quite the opposite, in fact."
Kouichi didn't particularly like the gleam in Nina's eye. "What do you mean?"
Nina chuckled softly, apparently amused by Kouichi's confusion. "Duskmon's attack saved you. His blade was surrounded with my essence when he stabbed it through you. It caused you absolutely no physical harm. However, it did do one very important thing."
Nina smiled sweetly before saying, "It purged you of Light entirely."
—
Duskmon barely had time to block Beowulfmon's saber (dang it, it's not a Light Saber!) as it was nearly brought down on his head, wielded by a furious-looking Beowulfmon.
Beowulfmon quickly changed tactics, pushing Duskmon back with his saber. While Duskmon stumbled back, Beowulfmon raised his other arm and fired a volley of missiles and a laser at his opponent.
Duskmon barely dodged out of the way and the attack just managed to graze his armor. Duskmon flinched slightly, feeling the pain the attack had caused. Then his blades shot out of his arms and he charged at Beowulfmon.
Beowulfmon used his saber as a shield against Duskmon's attack, stopping Duskmon's forward momentum. The two glared at each other for a brief moment, then continued their bout, moving farther into the clearing.
However, it wasn't their lightning fast reflexes or powerful attacks that astonished Kira. "Okay, what the hell is a Beowulfmon?" she asked, turning to Takuya.
Takuya jumped slightly, startled by Kira's question. He took a deep breath to calm his trembling voice and said, "It's Kouji's Fusion Evolution. It's like a combination of his Human and Beast Spirits. I can Fusion Evolve too, but no one else can."
"Lucky bums," Kira muttered, staring at the fight. "So, you sure we can't just go give pretty boy a hand, even though it looks like he's holding his own?"
Takuya glanced at Kira. "You just want a piece of Duskmon, don't you?"
"Hell yeah, I do!" Kira exclaimed, eyes still wet with tears. "That bastard…he killed Kouichi!"
"I know," Takuya said, voice beginning to crack. He took another breath to try to calm himself, then added, "But what good would it do for the rest of us to get ourselves killed along with him?"
"What about Kouji?" Kira retorted stubbornly, desperately needing something to fight at this point.
Takuya glanced at Beowulfmon, at the fiery hatred burning in his eyes. "I don't think we could stop him even if we tried."
"This isn't good for him." Takuya and Kira turned, wondering what Hotaru meant by this statement. "He's completely fueled by anger and grief," Hotaru continued, narrowing his eyes at Kouji. "I know from experience that that can only lead to trouble."
Takuya and Kira realized that Hotaru was right. Kouji was being driven dangerously close to the edge of insanity from his grief. Sure, he may be able to kill Duskmon and avenge Kouichi's death. But what then?
"We have to stop him," Takuya said simply, grabbing his D-Tector. "You with me, Hotaru?"
Hotaru nodded, holding up his D-Tector.
"What about me?" The others glanced at Dai, whose face was still tear streaked. Despite this, he looked determined, gripping his D-Tector tightly. "I want to help."
"I'm with Dai," Kira added, turning to Takuya. "I didn't hear you mention me, Taki."
"That's because neither of you are going out there," Takuya said simply. "We're not just dealing with Duskmon. Kouji could attack us on accident and not even notice. And last time I checked, you're sick," here Takuya pointed at Dai, then pointed to Kira, "and you're a loose cannon. Neither are needed in this situation."
Anticipating their arguments, Hotaru added, "Besides, it looks like you guys might be needed here." Kira and Dai glanced at the others and realized that Hotaru was right. JP looked completely shell-shocked, Zoe was still sobbing into Shino's shoulder, and Tommy was trembling slightly, eyes wide with confusion.
"Are you telling me we have to play Dr. Phil?" Kira asked sarcastically, her spunk returning slightly. The other two, however, were already headed toward Beowulfmon and Duskmon and had therefore not heard her statement.
Takuya and Hotaru stopped at the edge of the clearing, not wanting to get too close to the fighting until they'd made a plan. Hotaru turned to Takuya and said, "Alright, we should probably Spirit Evolve. Kouji's dangerous right now, and we don't know if he'll attack us for trying to stop him—"
Hotaru stopped talking abruptly, noticing Takuya's wide-eyed, horrified expression. His gaze was fixed on Beowulfmon, and it finally seemed to have dawned on him that Kouji was losing it. There was no tact behind Beowulfmon's attacks, first of all. He was just attacking, and that wasn't like Kouji at all. Then there were his eyes, which showed a strange glint in them that sent a shiver down Takuya's spine.
"He's gonna kill him," Takuya said softly, fear rising in him. "He's really gonna kill Duskmon, Digi-Egg and all. He won't even give him a second chance. He'll just kill him…"
"And that's why we're stopping him!" Hotaru yelled angrily, trying to snap Takuya out of his stupor. Hotaru then grabbed Takuya by the shoulders, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "I understand what Kouji's going through. He's mad, and he wants to take it out on something. But if we let him kill Duskmon, he'll completely lose his innocence. I…I almost killed myself once, after I nearly murdered that boy I told you about. We can't let that happen to Kouji. Understand?"
Takuya nodded slowly, slightly unnerved by what Hotaru had revealed about himself. "Let's go."
—
For a second, Kouichi didn't really comprehend what Nina had said. He'd been purged of light? How was that possible? But if Nina was darkness personified…
Kouichi gave Nina a confused look and said, "What did you do to me?"
Nina giggled. "You're such a funny kitty! You always need such big, complicated explanations! But that, I suppose, is the way of the young and naïve. You must have these kinds of things spelled out for you before you understand."
Nina's expression grew serious as she continued, "Long ago, before the fall of Lucemon and the deaths of the ten Legendary Warriors, you, or should I say, Lowemon was my warrior alone. In fact, I created him, as well as Ilsemon, and I helped created Lucemon. My sister, Light, created Lobomon, Masumon, and also helped with Lucemon.
"We created Lucemon in order to restore peace to the Digital World, because it had fallen into chaos. Ilsemon and Masumon were created to help give Lucemon balance. As you well know, the line between light and darkness, good and evil, is quite thin. It takes little to tip the balance between the two, doesn't it?"
Kouichi didn't respond, though he knew exactly what Nina was talking about. "Anyway," Nina said, "Lowemon and Lobomon were created for our own benefit. They were to be our links to the Digital World, since we could not be there ourselves. Lowemon was my trusted, loyal warrior…until he met Lobomon by chance one day.
"After that, everything changed. Lowemon grew more and more distant, and then he shunned me entirely." Nina paused, pain showing in her eyes from the memory. Then she looked angry. "And it was all because of that awful Warrior of Light! He took my warrior away from me! It was this that made me realize the truth: Light is evil, demonic, and cruel. That is why I can't stand to be near light; that is why I got Ilsemon to persuade Lucemon to try to spread darkness throughout the Digital World; that is why I saved Duskmon from death; and that is why I've used my power, coupled with Duskmon's ability to touch you, to completely rid you of your brother's terrible influence, and bring you back to me at last."
Kouichi wasn't sure how to respond to Nina's story at first. On the one hand, it explained exactly what had caused Lucemon's fall from grace. But there was something that just didn't make much sense to Kouichi. Why would Lowemon have abandoned Nina just because he met Lobomon? Neither of them were that cruel…or were they?
"You're questioning your beliefs," Nina stated, smiling at Kouichi's troubled expression. "You should, because you've been lied to. Light isn't as righteous as you've been led to believe. Your brother…"
"Leave Kouji out of this!" Kouichi snapped quickly, holding on to the one thing he knew to be true. "Kouji would never do anything like that to me!"
"Kouichi," Nina said, eyes and voice softening. "I'm trying to save you. Don't you see that? I had always thought that my sister would never betray me, either. But I was wrong. She took away my happiness. Now, she's trying to do it again, by planting these lies in your head, so that you can't see the truth when it's right in front of you."
Kouichi closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint where his brother was. He knew he could do it if he concentrated. He'd done it before. He'd be able to sense Kouji if he truly wasn't dead.
Kouichi stood with his eyes shut for a solid three minutes, but nothing happened. He couldn't sense him, no matter how hard he tried. Kouichi opened his eyes quickly, staring straight into the violet eyes of Nina. He quickly turned his head, still remembering the effect her eyes had had on him, and muttered, "You severed our connection. He'll really think I'm dead."
"He already DOES think you're dead, kitty," Nina corrected Kouichi, a big smile on her face. "In fact, all of those children do! But don't worry, Duskmon will keep them busy until I'm done with you!"
"Done with me?" Kouichi asked numbly, feeling worn out from all the new information he'd gotten in such a short time.
"But of course!" Nina replied, her giddiness returned. "I have big plans for you, my brave little warrior! We're going to cover this world in darkness, so that we'll never be hurt or betrayed again! But before that, I'm charging you with the task of killing the Warrior of Light. The others I'm sure we can convert, but he must die."
Kouichi flinched, but still said boldly, "And what if I refuse to do any of that?"
"And here comes the unveiling of my grand master scheme!" Nina exclaimed, laughing happily. "You may not agree with my way of looking at things at the moment, but soon, you won't have a choice."
—
"You sure you're gonna be okay, JP?" Kira asked, glancing back at her friend once again.
JP sighed, getting tired of this routine. "Go talk to Zoe, Kira. You're the only other girl of the group. It's your feminine duty."
"I am not stalling, if that's what you're implying!" Kira said angrily, though she clearly was. "I'm just making sure you're not going back into shock."
JP's eyes lowered as he stared sadly at his feet. "I've gotten past the shock and gone straight to the guilt, but I think I can handle that on my own. What I can't handle is seeing Zoe so miserable over there. Now please, go help Shino comfort her. You're her best friend."
Kira's eyes widened slightly at JP's "best friend" comment. She'd never been anyone's best friend before. She hadn't even realized that Zoe thought of her that way, especially after what she'd done with her Beast Spirit…
Kira shook her head quickly. She was sad enough as it was without those thoughts weighing her down. She had to concentrate on the here and now. So, with assuredness, Kira walked toward Zoe, who was still in Shino's arms.
I'm not sure I want to know what's going on in the back of Shino's mind right now, Kira thought when she glanced at Shino. She could imagine that, in his darker thoughts, Shino might actually be a little happy that Kouichi was out of the picture. Catching Zoe on the rebound…but Shino wasn't like that. Still, Kira decided that later, she'd have to get Takuya or JP to maybe talk to him.
Finally, Kira stood next to Zoe and Shino, neither of whom noticed her presence. Kira took a deep breath and said, "Zee, I'm really sorry."
Zoe's head quickly shot up, and she snapped her head to the right to see who had spoken. Shino lifted his head too, only more slowly, as if he wanted to make his time with Zoe last.
"Kira," Zoe whispered, eyes still brimming with tears.
"Yeah, it's me," Kira said, trying not to tear up herself at the sight of her friend.
Zoe slowly lowered her arms and took a step back from Shino, then scanned the outskirts of the clearing with her eyes. When she'd looked over the entire space, she turned back to Kira and asked, "Where's Kouji?"
Suddenly, the ground next to the three exploded, sending up a cloud of dust and dirt and causing them to fall as the earth under them shook from the blast it had endured.
For a moment, Kira was completely stunned. Then she heard Takuya yell, "Kouji, what the hell is wrong with you?!"
Then Hotaru, "Takuya, they're fine! Calm down!"
Takuya, "That doesn't change the fact that he fired his attack without any regard for the safety of the others!"
Hotaru, "I realize that, but…"
Takuya, "But nothing! He's lost it, and…and nothing's bringing him back! Just look at him! Now we've lost him and Kouichi!"
Kira sat up slowly, looking around to see where Takuya's and Hotaru's voices were coming from. She finally found them standing right in front of her…just as Zoe shoved past them and raced into the clearing toward Kouichi's body.
Kira jumped to her feet, wondering what in the world Zoe was thinking. Then she saw Duskmon standing next to Kouichi, with Beowulfmon preparing to blast him to oblivion, along with Kouichi's body. Zoe wanted to protect Kouichi, even in death. She was going to try to shield his body.
Then a new twist was added as Shino rushed out after Zoe, trying to protect the one he loved at the cost of his own life.
Kira watched in wide-eyed horror as Zoe laid herself over Kouichi's body, and Shino stood steadfastly in front of Zoe, shielding her from Beowulfmon's pending attack.
Finally, Kira found her voice and screamed, "Why is love such a freaking bitch?!"
—
"You can't make me do anything," Kouichi repeated for the twentieth time, clutching his head in his hands.
"You know that I can," Nina retorted, walking slow circles around Kouichi. "You're covered in darkness yet again, warrior. You're mine, and you know it. Why fight it? Just give in."
"No!" Kouichi kept his eyes shut tight, though it did him no good now. Nina's words were pounding in his head, making him feel like his skull would split apart at any moment. Not only that, but he could feel the darkness coursing through, just as it had when he'd been Duskmon. The raging desire to give in to his darker side was nearly overwhelming.
Nina giggled gleefully. "Oh good, you're finally wearing down! Oh, we'll have so much fun together…"
Kouichi stopped listening as he sank to his knees. The pain had become too intense. He couldn't fight it anymore. He had to give in to Nina, to his darker desires. He really had no choice…
"Kouichi."
Maybe he really would die now, and his darker self would just take his body…
"Kouichi."
That voice sounded familiar…
"Kouichi!"
Kouichi's eyes shot open, but not to the darkness he thought he would see. Above him there was darkness, but it was different from what he'd thought it would look like. There seemed to be leaves flying across it, as if caught in a breeze.
Then he felt the breeze himself. He lifted his head slowly, trying to figure out where he was now.
Then he both saw and felt her. Zoe was lying on top of him, her head resting on his chest and her hands tightly clutching his shirt. And she was crying.
Kouichi's eyes softened as he lifted his arm and laid his hand on top of Zoe's head. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, not knowing whether this was just his own fantasy or not. Just his subconscious giving him one last look at what he was leaving behind…
Zoe's head snapped up so fast that Kouichi's hand was knocked off her head. She stared at Kouichi with wide, red-rimmed, tear-stained eyes for a minute. Then she whispered, "Kouichi?"
"Yeah," Kouichi replied, getting a bit confused. Why would he imagine Zoe lying on top of him and crying?
Suddenly, Kouichi found himself being swept into one of the tightest hugs he'd ever experienced. He winced, his limbs feeling stiff. Zoe was holding him so tightly that Kouichi thought she'd never let go.
"Kouichi's alive!" she yelled loudly, beginning to cry again, this time from relief.
That statement gave Kouichi his confirmation of where he was. Somehow, he'd managed to escape from Nina. He'd been brought back to his body, back to the others.
But he wasn't free. He could still feel a darkness coursing through him, though it felt tamer than it had before. He could bear it now. What he couldn't bear was facing his brother with the damaged state he was in. Nevertheless, he had to be sure that Kouji was okay.
With a bit of difficulty, Kouichi turned his head to his right and saw his brother, in his Fusion Evolved form. Duskmon and Shino were there as well, but he barely noticed that fact. He was busy concentrating on Beowulfmon, whose arm was slowly lowering.
Their eyes locked for a moment, Beowulfmon's in shock and astonishment, Kouichi's in relief and, at the same time, guilt. Then Beowulfmon was engulfed in data and, in a matter of seconds, Kouji stood in the middle of the clearing, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Kouichi…?"
Kouichi quickly lowered his head, feeling complete and utter shame. He hadn't beaten the darkness inside himself. He'd been saved by the voices of his friends, calling his name. They'd brought him back, saved him. But he was still tainted, and Kouji was the only one who would be able to fully grasp that.
Everything that happened next mostly happened in a blur for Kouichi. Duskmon said something along the lines of, "It won't be long now," and ran from the clearing, the others rushed toward him and started hugging him and crying and asking questions, he was half-dragged back to camp, all the Digimon were relieved that he'd survived.
Finally, he was left alone in a cavern. It was the last thing he wanted, but at the same time, he wanted to get away from all the others, hide the shame and guilt he felt. Then, when a particularly painful pang coursed through him, spreading the darkness farther into his limbs, he knew he had no choice.
He had to leave before he was turned into a soulless monster.
—
madjack89: Sorry this chapter took so long, but look! Kouichi's not dead!
Kouichi: Well, I'm alright in the physical sense.
Kouji: It's enough that you're alive.
Zoe: Kouji's right. That was the worst chapter to have to endure ever.
Sasuke: Oh, suck it up.
madjack89: You're such a hypocrite, Sasuke!
Sasuke: Hey, do you see my parents popping back up from the dead? Nope, I don't think so!
madjack89: Hotaru, kindly escort Sasuke out of here.
Sasuke: What about my pay?!
madjack89: Yeah, about that…I was never going to pay you. Bye, Sasuke!
Sasuke: Damn you, Madjack! dragged away by Hotaru
Dai: Didn't I tell you guys it would work out in the end?
Takuya: You didn't tell us anything about the chapter, Dai.
Dai: Uh…well, see you guys in the next chapter, where this story arc shall conclude and another arc focusing on Kouji will follow after it!
Kouji: Oh, for the love of god!