Frontier 02: Rebirthing – Chapter 23: Unhinging
madjack89: Oh my god, I love you guys! We're only at the 23rd chapter, and already I have 11 more reviews than the number I originally had on F2HF! You readers are absolutely amazing!
Kira: They're the bomb-diddly, yo!
Everyone: stares at Kira
Kira: What?
madjack89: Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry that I took a little while on the last chapter and kept you all in suspense, but thank you for sticking with this story as long as you have!
Kouji: They probably just enjoy reading about the torture you put us through constantly.
Takuya: If there's one thing I've learned from this story, it's that all writers are sadistic. Every single one.
madjack89: You guys are a bunch of babies.
JP: What was that? I couldn't hear you because I was too busy watching Duskmon ram a sword through Chief's chest.
madjack89: You guys are never gonna get over that, are you?
Everyone: No!
madjack89: Eh, whatever. I'm just gonna answer reviews now!
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Aldamonburst: Technically they did, but this is my fanfiction, and I can do what I want! (lol) Nina's not supposed to be an evil name. That's why it's the perfect evil name! It's logical! Yeah! I don't feel like joining the dark side, army, or the Power Puff Girls. Too much work is involved in each. Alright, thanks for reviewing!
Dawn of Glory: Hooray, he's the boy who lived! (lol) Poor Nina, and we'll see about Chief…thanks!
TobiGB: Well, a lot of people do compare Kouji and Sasuke, but Kouji, in my opinion, pwns Sasuke! Oh yeah! And he is that weak, Itachi. And by the way, please don't accidently kill Kouichi in your fight. I don't know how many more deaths the boy can survive. (That didn't sound weird…) Glad you liked Nina's introduction, and I've got your gifts in this cage right here! (Sasori: Can we have some cake at least?) Can puppets actually eat? (Sasori: Well, technically not…) Here's some cake, Pain! (Pain: Sweet.) (Sasori: Madjack, you suck.) And here's some cake for you, L! (L: Thank you.) (Sasori: Oh, what the crap?!) Thanks, TobiGB!
61wisampa: Kouichi is a complex individual, but then again, what Digidestined isn't? (Takuya: Kazu and Kenta?) Touché, Taki. Thanks for reviewing!
Rain621: Heh, all I can saw is keep reading and maybe my insane plot might actually start to make sense! And I will have LOTS of fun with this Kouji arc… (Kouji: I'm probably gonna die. Great.) Thanks for reviewing! And it's pretty cool that you actually love this story!
GoldenDragon326: Wahoo! (lol) I think darkness won this round. (Nina: Did you hear that, kitty? We won!) (Kouichi: Please stop following me around.) Speaking of Nina, she calls Kouichi (and Lowemon) a kitty because Lowemon resembles a lion, so she just associates that with kitties. And, in case you didn't already notice, Nina's insane. Oh, Kouji will be fine! He'll probably complain, but whatever! Thanks for reviewing!
DigiBleach: Yes, yes he will. (Kouji: Like I said, I'm probably going to die.) Sorry Kouichi, no hat for you! (Kouichi: Go ahead and keep it, I don't mind.) Thanks!
Kirae-Remi: You are indeed a psychic master! (lol) Yeah, Nina is kind of like that. She's one part cute, three parts crazy! I could see Kouji saying that, to! Ha! (Eventually someone's gonna have to poke one of Duskmon's eyes.) I'm very slow with introducing new Evolutions. Sorry! And Kira is always win! Thanks!
beybladeingninjaprincess: (Nina: Yay, a new friend!) (Duskmon: Squishy darkness babies…?) Get out of here, you two! Well, you could beat Sasuke, at the very least, though I'm not familiar with the anime . I have heard of it from this little pamphlet I got with my season box sets of Yu Yu Hakusho, though! (Yusuke: By the way, I'm NEVER gonna be your bodyguard. I've seen what you do to people…) Go away, Yusuke! Thanks for reviewing!
fg1fg: (Dai: Yay muffins!) Aw, no muffins. Oh well. That's funny, because lots of people compare Kouji and Sasuke, as they do Takuya and Naruto (though that could just be because they have the same Japanese seiyu…) Yeah, that's Nina for you. Well, there's sorta kinda something like that planned, but no holding hands are involved. I have something much more violent in mind (mua ha ha). Thanks for reviewing! (JP: And thanks for the chocolate!)
apapa155: Don't worry, I keep Nina under lock and key so she doesn't escape. I'll put Mia down as a definite bodyguard consideration. Thanks for reviewing!
hazeleyedharmony: Nice first thought! And believe me when I say that the month of September just DRAGGED by, but it's gotten a little better this month. (Kouichi: …Well, I'll just go die, then.) Kouichi, get back here. My main basis for Nina's personality was to make her as crazy as possible! And I believe I succeeded! (lol) I'm sorry, roommate person! Thanks for reviewing, hazel!
garnettfox: Well, I basically just wanted Nina to be as crazy as possible without her being completely over-the-edge nuts, so I guess she's based off me. (lol) I'll check out your stories soonish! Thanks for reviewing!
Ladyaura12: I love Frankenstein! I'm reading it for AP Lit right now, and it is AMAZING! But, back to the review. I hate zombies too! They're creepy! Oh, hello Yin! I promise not to compare you and Kouji! Aw, poor Sasuke! He's not my favorite character ever, but I don't hate him per say. Aw, poor Taki. (Kira: …This could come in handy…) Alright…thanks for reviewing!
UltimaEclipse: Hello new reader person! Welcome to my insanity! (lol) As long as you don't rip things off, you have my permission to use my pairings! Sasuke, give that wallet back! (Sasuke: No!) Hotaru, attack! (Hotaru: easily gets wallet back) (Sasuke: Damn you, Madjack!) Well, here's your wallet! Thanks for reviewing!
Crazy Crazy LexiBear4: Kira and Taki both are flattered, as am I! That makes three of us, I've fallen countless times with my drum on in marching band but, on the plus side, have never hurt myself doing so! Thanks for reviewing!
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madjack89: And now it is time to put a close to this Kouichi/Zoe/Duskmon arc with KOUIZUMINESS! YAY!
Kouichi and Zoe: stare at me like I'm crazy (cause I probably am)
—
"Look at it, Kira," Zoe said, holding up her pink hat which now had a gaping hole through it, courtesy of Duskmon's sword.
"It looks pretty bad," Kira muttered, nodding to herself. "You want my opinion?"
"Sure," Zoe said.
"Get a new hat," Kira stated. Zoe frowned at Kira, who chuckled at her own quip.
"For you're information, Kira, this hat had sentimental value for me," Zoe huffed, staring at the ragged hat in her hands. "I got this hat from a friend in Italy who I haven't seen since I moved back to Japan. It's kind of like my way of remembering him."*
"Ever heard of a phone?" Kira retorted dryly.
"He never gave me any way to contact him," Zoe replied, giving her hat a wistful glance. "I wish he had."
Kira gave Zoe a quizzical look. "Did you and this guy have a thing?"
"Of course not! We were too young for that!" Zoe exclaimed, blushing from embarrassment. "Besides, I've already found someone in Japan that's right for me."
(*Author's Note: This is based on a random story idea I have that I may write and upload after the conclusion of Frontier 02. See, you don't have to be sad, I'll still write stuff concerning these guys after the story is over! But let's get back to the plot now, cause crazy stuff's about to go down.)
Kira nodded slowly, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Hey Zee, can I ask you something about Kouichi? Due to recent events, I think I have the right to know this now."
"Okay," Zoe replied, already guessing what it was Kira was about to ask.
Kira paused, and then began, "So, about Chief and Duskmon…"
"Zoe, can I talk to you? In private?" Both Zoe and Kira turned and saw Kouichi standing in the middle of the cavern doorway, staring morosely at his feet as he had been since "rising from the dead."
Kira quickly took the hint and shuffled out of the cavern, muttering "See ya, Zee," on her way out.
A moment of silence followed Kira's departure. Zoe studied Kouichi, wondering what had been troubling him. She gave him a small smile and said, "You know, you don't have to stand across the room like that."
Kouichi looked hesitant, but ended up moving closer to Zoe until they were only about a foot apart. "That's better," Zoe said, taking a step toward Kouichi to lessen the gap between them even more. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about? And if it has anything to do with what I said before…"
"It doesn't," Kouichi said curtly, cutting Zoe off. "This is something else."
"Okay," Zoe muttered slowly, realizing that something was going on with her boyfriend. "What would this something be?"
Kouichi took a shuddering breath, as if what he was about to say were difficult for him. Zoe's brow creased with concern. "Kouichi, are you…?"
"We're done!" Kouichi finally blurted louder than he needed to.
Zoe's eyes widened in confusion, both from Kouichi's sudden shout and what he'd said. "What do you mean?" she asked meekly.
Kouichi lowered his gaze, not wanting to see Zoe's reaction to what he was about to say next. "I'm…breaking up with you."
—
"Taki!" Kira poked a sleeping Takuya in the side, whispering loudly in his ear. "Taki, I gotta talk to you! You can hibernate all you want later!"
Takuya blinked, staring blearily at Kira. "Hey, I know that you're kind of a night owl sometimes, but I need my sleep. Whatever you need to tell me can wait…"
"Tell me about your first encounters with Duskmon or I'm going straight to Kouichi with my questions," Kira threatened adamantly, crossing her arms.
Takuya exhaled slowly, defeated. "Fine, Kira. What's with your obsession with Duskmon, anyway?"
"At first, I was interested because you guys were hiding something about him from me, but now…" Kira paused, a flicker of worry crossing her features. "Just how powerful is he?"
Takuya sat up, choosing to stare at his feet. "When Duskmon first showed up, we were coming off the high of having beaten Petaldramon. We'd been about to scan Arbormon when Duskmon did it for us."
Kira nodded, mulling this over. "What a team-killing noob," she muttered. "So, what'd the 'badass' do next?"
"He attacked," Takuya replied, glancing at Kira. "None of our attacks seemed to have any effect on him, not even Kouji's."
"Pretty boy's Light Saber was powerless?" Kira said in wonderment. "Damn."
"Looking back, we were lucky we managed to get out of there when we did," Takuya continued, his mood seeming to plummet as his explanation went on. "I stupidly thought that my attack had beaten him. Kouji knew better. Sometimes I really wonder if it would have been better if he were the 'leader' instead of me."
"Don't start talking crazy now, Taki," Kira said with a smirk, plucking Takuya's goggles from the ground. "Could you imagine pretty boy with a pair of these?"
Takuya chuckled. "Probably not," he conceded, getting serious again quickly. "But I really did act like an idiot at first where Duskmon was concerned. He was and is still completely different from any other Digimon I've faced. He's a deadly combination of powerful, crafty, and ruthless. If you want to know a weakness, then I suggest you find one yourself, because without Kouichi's urge not to hurt Kouji—"
"What about Chief now?" Kira asked suddenly.
Takuya realized he'd misspoken too late. "Uh…it's nothing."
"Oh, don't give me that crap, Taki!" Kira said, frowning. "Those two are connected in some way, and I don't just want to know why, I have a feeling I NEED to know why."
Takuya held Kira's gaze for a moment, and then sighed. "I'll give you this much, Kira. First off, there is a connection between Kouichi and Duskmon. But I can't tell you what that is yet. What I'll say is that Kouichi made a horrible mistake that he's been regretting ever since."
Kira held Takuya's gaze for a moment, pondering this. Then she suddenly turned her head and hissed, "Stop pretending you're asleep, JP!"
From across the cavern full of sleeping forms, JP chuckled. "Sorry, but I wasn't actually asleep when you came in, so I couldn't help but to eavesdrop," he explained sheepishly, sitting up.
Takuya's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't realized that JP had been listening the whole time. "I really need to get more attentive."
—
Zoe was rooted to the ground while everything around her seemed to crack and break. "What?"
Kouichi shoved his hands in his pockets, a sure-fire sign that he was extremely uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. This is probably the worst timing ever for me to be telling you this…"
"No shit," Zoe muttered sarcastically. As Kouichi's message finally began to sink in, Zoe realized that she wasn't upset about it. She was angry. "I'm more trouble than I'm worth, huh? Get killed trying to save me and you suddenly decide it's done?"
"You know that's not it," Kouichi said, giving Zoe a hard stare. "And I already told you, I wasn't dead. Duskmon didn't kill me."
"Yeah, because getting stabbed through the chest with a sword isn't good enough to kill you," Zoe said, fire burning in her eyes. "Listen, Chief, you can't just put me through that hell and then call it quits! That's not how it works!"
"You're crying," Kouichi stated softly, noting the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Yeah, maybe I am!" Zoe yelled angrily, glaring at Kouichi. "I just…this came completely out of thin air! How did you expect me to react?"
Kouichi didn't reply, instead choosing to fix his gaze on his feet, hiding his eyes from view.
Zoe took several breaths to try to calm herself down, though it wasn't easy. Her emotions had quickly transitioned from anger to sadness and confusion. After a few more seconds of quiet, Zoe asked softly, "Was it my fault?"
"No," Kouichi said quickly, still not looking up. "This has everything to do with me."
"But I had to have done something," Zoe continued faintly, her voice losing more and more strength as she went on. "I've put you through so much…"
"It has nothing to do with you," Kouichi said, this time with a slightly harsh tone to his voice. "This is…for your own good."
"For my own good?" Zoe repeated, suddenly understanding what Kouichi meant by all this. "You don't want anything else to happen to me. You think distancing yourself from me will protect me."
Zoe shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Kouichi, I feel safer when you're around me. You have to believe that. Breaking up isn't going to solve—"
"I'm leaving," Kouichi said, interrupting Zoe mid-sentence.
"But we're still having a conversation," Zoe muttered weakly, though she knew what Kouichi really meant. After a tense moment of silence, Zoe asked, "Why?"
Kouichi took a breath, then replied, "Because it would be best if I wasn't around anymore. I'm breaking up with you to prove to you that this is permanent and I'm not coming back."
Zoe was a bit thrown by Kouichi's explanation and couldn't help but show it. "What do you mean, 'it would be best if I wasn't around anymore?' You're making yourself sound like the bad guy."
"Maybe I am the bad guy," Kouichi muttered loud enough for Zoe to catch.
"Kouichi," Zoe said, feeling torn up inside. Kouichi had been brooding over something ever since he'd reawakened after being "killed." Zoe couldn't quite put her finger on it, but when she'd hugged Kouichi earlier, he'd seemed…less alive to her. And not in the sense that she could hardly believe that he was alive, but that he'd felt colder to her, less lifelike, almost as if someone had drained his light out of him and left nothing but his darkness…
"What did Duskmon do to you, Kouichi?" Zoe asked slowly, a trace of fear entering her voice.
Kouichi flinched. "You're afraid of me."
"I'm afraid FOR you," Zoe corrected, taking a step toward Kouichi. "Just tell me what's wrong."
Kouichi took a step away from Zoe as she took a step toward him. "You can feel it. I know you can, just like Kouji. I don't blame you. You should be afraid of me."
"Then why did you flinch before?" Zoe asked skeptically. "You don't want me to be afraid of you, and I'm not."
"Fine, don't be afraid of me. Be angry with me!" Kouichi snapped. "I just broke up with you! That has to get you a little mad at me, doesn't it?"
"We haven't broken up, because neither of us wants to break up," Zoe said simply.
Kouichi gave Zoe a quizzical look. "Zoe, I broke up with you. It's over."
Suddenly, Zoe chuckled. "Kouichi, the only way that I will believe that you really want to break up with me is if you tell me to my face that you don't love me."
"I don't love you," Kouichi mumbled almost immediately after Zoe finished talking. "There, we're broken up."
"Not so fast," Zoe said. "You have to look me straight in the eye and tell me sincerely, from the bottom of your heart, that you don't love me. Then, and only then, will I let you walk away from me."
Kouichi stared at the ground for several minutes, expressionless. Then he slowly lifted his head and met Zoe's gaze with a cold stare.
"Zoe, I don't love you."
—
"Why do things like this always happen?" Shino asked himself angrily, pacing back and forth.
"Did you come here to complain at me, or do you actually have a relevant cause for getting lost for at least twenty minutes before finding where I sleep?" Witchmon asked, getting a bit annoyed with Shino's self ponderings.
Shino sighed. "Sorry, Witchmon. I do have a couple of things to ask you."
"Shoot," Witchmon said nonchalantly.
"Well," Shino began hesitantly. "I want to know…what would happen if Wizardmon took control of me?"
"You mean, what would the process be like?" Witchmon asked. Shino nodded. "Well, let's see…knowing my brother, first he'd toy with you a little. He'd mess with your mind, put thoughts that aren't really yours in your head, play with your emotions, the basic mind game methods."
"And after that?" Shino continued, a slight note of urgency entering his voice.
"Well, after that, he'd start really trying to drive you crazy, making you paranoid that you weren't even you anymore, and that he was dictating everything you were doing. Then, depending on what Ilsemon wants with you guys, he could make you go one of two ways."
"Two ways?" Shino asked quietly, trying to hide the panic in his voice.
"Yup," Witchmon said, still not understanding the real reasons behind Shino's questioning. "Wizardmon could either completely break your will and turn you into a puppet (Sasori: So Wizardmon can have a puppet but I can't?) (Quiet, you. And get back in your cage.) or he could just, I don't know, turn you all suicidal if Ilsemon wants you dead. Either way."
Shino didn't reply for a moment, eyes wide with fear. Witchmon gave him a small smile and patted him gently on the head. "Don't worry, Shino. That's not gonna happen to you. Besides, Wizardmon can't even get into your head, he's such a wimp!"
Witchmon chuckled, but Shino didn't even attempt to pretend that everything was fine. I'm a liability, Shino thought. I'm not good enough to resist Wizardmon's control, and if he does end up turning me into a puppet, the others will have no choice but to kill me. Either way, I'm gonna die. And the worst part is, it gets harder to control myself every time I'm near Zoe, but I can't bring myself to stay away from her. Especially with what just happened.
Suddenly, a new thought occurred to Shino, something that he hadn't wanted to consider to be true. But he couldn't deny the possibility any longer. What if the only reason I love Zoe is because Wizardmon is making me think I love Zoe? If that's the case, then these feelings I have for her…aren't real.
—
Kouichi's expression remained cold, though on the inside, he was in utter turmoil. He knew that he had to do it. He had to hurt her in order to protect her. But he'd just told Zoe the one thing he'd never thought he'd say. Four simple words: I don't love you.
He quickly turned without seeing Zoe's reaction. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold back his emotions if she cried.
Before he could take one step in his departure, however, Zoe grabbed his arm, gripping him firmly. Kouichi sighed. "Zoe, please let go of my arm."
"If I do that, you'll leave," Zoe said simply. Kouichi could feel her breath on the back of his neck. She was right behind him. He quickly shut his eyes, trying desperately to keep his demeanor cold toward her.
After a moment, Zoe asked quietly, "Why did you lie to me?"
"About what?" Kouichi asked, equally quiet.
"You know what," Zoe said. Kouichi could almost picture her giving him a stern look. "You aren't exactly the best liar in the world, Kouichi. In fact, you're pretty bad at it. But I have to admit, for a second, you did make me think that you didn't love me.
"You gave yourself away, though," Zoe continued. "You turned around as soon as you said it. If you really didn't care about me anymore, you would have at least witnessed my reaction. So the question remains: why are you doing this to yourself?"
Kouichi could feel his hard exterior cracking, but what truly broke him down was an action that had become a regular occurrence for him. Zoe placed her hand on Kouichi's shoulder and squeezed it gently.
Kouichi's eyes shot open. He turned slowly on his heel, revealing to Zoe his true emotions, now showing plainly on his face. He was in pain, ashamed of his weakness, furious at himself for letting his inner demons torture him like this. But mostly, he was scared, as shown by his shaking body.
"Help me," Kouichi said before enveloping Zoe in a tight embrace. "Please forgive me," he pleaded as tears formed in his eyes. "I'm sorry, so so sorry…"
"Shhh," Zoe shushed quietly, holding on to Kouichi as tightly as he held her. "Just tell me what happened. I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Okay?"
Kouichi took a shaky breath, then nodded. "Okay," he muttered, releasing Zoe.
Zoe waited patiently while Kouichi calmed his breathing, drying his eyes on his sleeve. "I'm sorry," he apologized again, slowly lowering his arm.
"Why do you keep apologizing?" Zoe asked gently, worry shining in her eyes.
"There's a lot to apologize for," he replied, staring despondently at the ground. "I…I can never make up for what I did. It can't be written off as my being controlled. I stupidly thought that it could, but I know that it was all me, nothing else…"
"Kouichi," Zoe began.
"I wanted you guys to like me," Kouichi continued, oblivious to Zoe's interruption. "I wanted you to accept me. I wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to think I was a monster. I didn't want to think I was a monster. I kept telling myself that I wasn't, and I eventually began to believe it.
"But it's a lie. There's been a monster in me, right from the beginning. And it craves death. She wanted me to kill Kouji…" Kouichi's breath caught in his throat as tears returned to his eyes.
Zoe quickly stepped forward and embraced Kouichi again. "Who wanted you to kill Kouji?" she whispered softly, as if there were eavesdroppers just outside the cavern opening.
Kouichi took several quivering breaths before replying, "Darkness. It was calling itself Nina. She told me…Duskmon's sword purged me of light."
Kouichi suddenly wrenched himself from Zoe's grip, taking several steps back. "You shouldn't be touching someone as dirty as me, when you're still so pure."
"Kouichi, no," Zoe said, shaking her head. "You'll be fine. I'm sure that Kouji will be able to…"
"I can't go to Kouji like this," Kouichi said as if it were obvious. "I'm…too ashamed to face him. He'll know exactly what's happened, because our bond is gone."
"Kouichi, Kouji would accept you no matter what," Zoe said reassuringly. "C'mon, let's go find him, and—"
"Argh!" Suddenly, Kouichi was on his knees, hugging himself in apparent agony.
"Kouichi!" Zoe quickly knelt by Kouichi's side to find the cause of his pain. Instead, she saw a dark aura begin to appear and swirl around Kouichi. It licked out at Zoe, as if taunting her with the fact that it had her boyfriend in its clutches.
Zoe narrowed her eyes, then swiftly grabbed Kouichi and pulled him into a tight hug. "Kouichi, it's me," Zoe said softly as if this would help. She thought she heard the cloth in front of the cavern entrance rustle, but she paid it no attention as she continued whispering things to Kouichi. "Kouichi, please come back. You're so much better than this Nina whoever. You can beat her. You're good, and kind, and…I love you so much!"
As if Zoe had uttered a magic spell, the darkness around Kouichi dissipated, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Oh, thank god!" Zoe exclaimed, holding Kouichi even tighter.
Kouichi didn't say anything for several minutes, letting Zoe have her moment. Then he said, "She tried to take control of me again. I was really breaking this time. She almost won…"
"But she didn't!" Zoe asserted, looking Kouichi straight in the eye. "You are much stronger than her."
"But you brought me back," Kouichi said softly, pure love showing in his eyes. "It was your voice that brought me back both times. You keep saving me…please don't leave me."
Zoe leaned closer toward Kouichi, muttering, "That promise goes both ways," before their lips met. As they kissed softly, Zoe resolved not to let Kouichi out of her sight until they could figure out how to fix Kouichi's problem…without Kouji's help.
—
"Of course!" Kouji yelled, banging his fist against the tunnel wall. "He wants HER to help him instead of me!"
Kouji took a slow breath, remembering the conversation he'd overheard. Kouichi had explained to Zoe what had happened to him while they'd thought him dead. He'd been right in saying that Kouji already knew that something was amiss. His and Kouichi's bond had been broken. It was THEIR bond, yet he'd chosen to tell Zoe before him…
"No," Kouji said, smiling weakly. "Instead of me. He was going to leave me guessing because he's…ashamed."
Kouji clenched his fists in frustration. "He's never been ashamed of telling me anything. I've always been the one he's gone to first. But now…"
An image of Zoe flashed through his mind. "Zoe's taken my place," he muttered, sinking to the ground as despair began to overtake him. He'd seen Kouichi sink to the ground as well, seen darkness engulf him, threatening to choke him. He'd rushed into the cavern, but Zoe had already taken Kouichi in her arms, whispering things in his ear. Kouji had seen the dark aura around Kouichi begin to dissipate, so he'd silently left, stumbled farther down the tunnel, and had ended up where he was now. Utterly alone.
"That's what I'll be from now on," he said to himself, resting his head on his knees. "Utterly alone."
—
"How much longer will it be?" Duskmon asked, carving a heart listlessly into a tree with his sword.
~Oh, it shouldn't be too much longer, Nina replied, smirking. ~The only thing standing in my way is that little Warrior of Wind, who stupidly thinks she can oppose me! Not even the Warrior of Light himself dared challenge me tonight! At this rate, my kitty will be with me again soon!
"And what happens to me after that?" Duskmon asked quietly, as if he were a bit reluctant to ask the question.
~What happens to you? Nina repeated, slightly confused by the question. ~Why, you'll be free to do as you choose, as reward for all the help you've been to me! That's quite fair, wouldn't you say?
"Yes, quite fair," Duskmon muttered, slashing through the heart he'd just carved into the tree. "Quite fair indeed."
—
madjack89: And that concludes this arc!
Everyone: WHAT?!
Zoe: Nothing's been resolved! In fact, we have more problems than we did before!
madjack89: Don't worry, this arc shall continue right after I've brought in a new character in the Kouji arc!
Kouji: Oh god, you're bringing in a new character?
madjack89: Who knows, you might like the character.
Kouji: I highly doubt that.
madjack89: We'll see…alright, well, thanks for all those reviews on the last chapter, and see ya in the next chapter, where the Kouji arc will finally commence!
Kouji: This is going to suck.