Frontier 02: Rebirthing – Chapter 40: Burn
madjack89: Hey everyone! Happy chapter 40!
Dai: Woohoo!
Kira: Yeah, 40 chapters! So, can we get back to the story already?
madjack89: Patience is a virtue, Kira.
Kira: So? I don't even know what the hell a virtue is.
madjack89: *sigh* Besides, you may not be so excited about what happens to Takuya in this chapter... *glances at Takuya*
Takuya: *mutters to Kouji* She's looking at me again.
Kouji: Just ignore her.
madjack89: By the way, Kouji, I noticed something the other day.
Kouji: What?
madjack89: You seem to have a habit of putting your hands in your pockets.
Kouji: *glances at pocketed hands* Huh, I guess I do.
Shino: You can be cool without even trying, can't you?
Kouji: *shrugs in a very cool way*
Shino: *sigh*
madjack89: You know, I actually like putting my hands in my pockets, too. It's a little harder with my pants, though. Guys have bigger pockets than girls.
JP: That's because girls have purses to keep stuff in. We've just got our pockets.
Takuya: Oh, that's why you have that janitor outfit thing! For the convenience of its pockets!
JP: Actually, it's because of the character designers for Digimon Frontier, but sure, why not?
Zoe: Or maybe JP just wants to be a janitor when he grows up.
Kouji: A magical, chocolate-loving janitor.
JP: *glares*
madjack89: Okay, enough of my random observations of anime characters and their habits. Review time!
*break*
Taeniaea: Thank you! :)
garnettfox: (Wizardmon: And the huggling begins…) Eh, I kinda feel the same way. I liked having Gatomon around, but it's better this way. Thanks for reviewing!
Aldamonburst: If you are a writer, there is a good chance that you are a bit twisted or quirky. It's a fact of life. *shrugs* Yeah, go Donald! She is kind of slutty! (lols) Hope you did good on your first exam, and thanks for reviewing!
silver fire wolf: Kokoro is right, guys. Gato-chan will be back! Just remember to take good care of her egg! Then you can have a weird father-brother-friend relationship with her! (Wizardmon and Impmon: -_-) Thanks for reviewing, guys!
Immortal Fallen Radiance: Thanks! I'm glad you think so! :)
reirukuro-x: Sorry, I just had to get the Wizardmon story out of the way before we got back to the main plot. But don't worry, there's plenty of Taki in this chapter, so it's all good! Thanks for reviewing!
Dawn of Glory: If you think that's jaw-dropping, keep reading…
fg1fg: The secret wasn't really that it was Seiko, but rather what really caused Seiko's death. Yup, that was my plan all along, cuz I'm sneaky like that! ;) They remind you of Tsubasa, too? Geez, I unconsciously base too much of this stuff on things I read and watch…anyway, I have to plan deaths! They're like key moments! Thanks for reviewing!
13wolfsbane: (Wizardmon: And so the pity continues…) You could try to graciously accept their pity. (Wizardmon: Yeah, I could.) Well, anyway, sorry 'bout that headache, and I hope this sad chapter didn't cause it, cuz then I'd be sad! Thanks for reviewing, girls!
GoldenDragon326: Exactly! Hooray for Digi-eggs! :) Then again, she won't have any memories from her previous life, so it's kinda like this "Gatomon" died…but whatever! Thanks for reviewing!
cherrrysakura: I kinda already answered your reviews, but I'll just say thank you again for reviewing!
emzy: Wow, one day? I'm glad you liked it that much! Thank you!
TobiGB: Gee Sephy, I think your head would explode if that ego got any larger. (Wizardmon: *takes bite of brownie* How does this help with our loss?) Comfort food, duh! (Impmon: Y'know, Gatomon liked brownies…) (Wizardmon: …I have to go.) Gonna go cry in your emo corner? (Wizardmon: …Maybe.) Anyway, thanks for reviewing, GB!
*break*
madjack89: And now it is time for chapter 40! What will become of Takuya? Will Ilsemon finally be defeated, or is this the end of the Legendary Warriors?
Takuya: Will Madjack ever stop taunting us with rhetorical questions and just start the chapter already?
madjack89: Find out on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters! ;)
Everyone: *sigh*
—
It's weird, y'know? One day you're just living your normal old life, the next you're running around beating up evil and/or psychotic Digimon in some parallel world. I don't know about the others, but I sure didn't see that one coming.
Not to mention the coolest part of all; we were chosen for this. Hand-picked out of billions and billions of other more worthy human candidates. Ten random kids brought together by the hand of fate, then told to defend the world from monsters. For once in all our lives, we were considered special. Important. Needed. At least, that's the impression I started to get.
I'm not saying I feel all superior to other human beings. I don't think we're better than anyone else just because we can transform into monsters at will. If anything, that makes us a bunch of freaks.
Still, I always considered us to be kind of…unique. We've taken some serious beatings from Digimon that could have easily killed a whole crowd of unsuspecting humans. With our spirits, we can overcome any odds. We're just humans, but we are chosen humans. Special. Unique. Invincible.
I guess we all thought that, at one point or another…
—
"Well, that was fun," Witchmon muttered, staring out at a sea of Digi-eggs from her perch atop her broom. "I think my final total was 47."
Dragramon flapped her wings, keeping herself aloft beside her friend as they surveyed the carnage. She smiled half-heartedly as she said, "I got 50. Guess that means I win."
"Looks like it," Witchmon replied. "You get the bragging rights."
"I sure do, Hermione," Dragramon said, grinning.
"A Harry Potter reference?" Witchmon said, staring flatly at her friend. "C'mon, Dragra, you can do better than that."
"I'll come up with a good one, just you wait," Dragramon grumbled, pondering a more demeaning nickname.
"Guys, get down here!" Gotsumon's shout suddenly met the female Digimons' ears, and they quickly descended to find out what their leader wanted. To Dragramon's amusement, Witchmon practically dive-bombed the ground to get to her crush first. Luckily, she managed to slow herself down before crashing into the hard earth.
"Witchmon and Dragramon are present and accounted for!" Witchmon stated, mockingly saluting Gotsumon as Dragramon joined the two.
The rock Digimon sighed. "You really could stand to show me a little genuine respect, guys."
Witchmon was instantly crestfallen. "But I was just kidding!" she shouted, frantically waving her arms. "I didn't mean to insult your authority! I'm sorry!"
"It's fine, Witchmon," Gotsumon replied, raising his hand for her to stop. "I was kidding too. Your antics are actually kind of funny."
"R-really?" Witchmon muttered, hope rising in her. Does that mean…?
"You two are almost like a couple of clowns." And with that, Gotsumon shot yet another arrow through Witchmon's arrow-riddled heart.
While she spent a moment silently sulking, Dragramon took up the conversation for her. "So what's up, Gotsumon?"
"We've got an approximate death toll for the battle," Gotsumon said solemnly. "We suffered some fairly heavy casualties, but Ilsemon suffered worse. Though I'm not sure how much losing these subordinates will affect her plans in the long run."
"It must have done something," Dragramon muttered, trying not to stare as the surviving Digimon started loading up on their comrades Digi-eggs for the return trip to the base. "This bloodshed couldn't have been for nothing."
"The success or failure of this war never really fell on our shoulders, anyway," Witchmon said, staring at a point on the horizon. "Whether our side wins or loses depends on those kids."
"Exactly," Gotsumon agreed. "And that's why we're going to give them some back-up."
Witchmon raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Do you really think they're gonna let us help them?"
"Do you think I give a damn what they think?" Gotsumon retorted. "They have to remember that this is OUR world, and when it all comes down to it, WE need to be the ones that fix things here. We can't just call in a bunch of human kids to help us every time we have a problem. (Ha!) Besides, I've wanted to kick Ilsemon's ass for a long time."
"I hear that!" Dragramon replied enthusiastically. "Let's go take that psycho down!"
However, just as the three were preparing to head back toward the RMS, a giant fiery column sprung up from that direction, reaching into the sky until it was swallowed by the suddenly dark, sinister-looking clouds. The Digimon stared at the fire for a moment, stunned silent by the massive surge of power, the source of which they could all easily guess.
Behind them, a Gomamon muttered, "Son of a bitchmon…"
—
What if he doesn't come back?
Masumon thought this for about the fiftieth time, practically worrying herself to death. After awhile, she could no longer stand being cooped up in those oppressive tunnels, so she'd climbed to the surface to wait for the others, promising Swanmon that she wouldn't do anything reckless. But it was so hard not to be reckless when every friend and relation she'd ever had was out fighting, possibly never to return. Especially Kouji…
"Stop thinking about him!" she said to herself, shaking her head vigorously. But as much as she tried, she couldn't get the human boy's face out of her mind.
Why was she so obsessed with his well-being? Yes, she was also worried about the other children, particularly since they were just children. It didn't seem right for them to risk their lives in order to protect the Digital World, a world separate from their own. They'd been ripped away from their friends, their families, all for the sake of a parallel dimension filled with monsters. And they were such good kids; it wasn't right to ask them to do this.
She felt guilty about putting these children in danger, but it was more than that with Kouji. She was absolutely terrified of harm ever coming his way. Imagining him broken and defeated in her sister's grip, being subjected to the worst possible torture, so sickeningly painful…it was too much for her to bear.
"Oh Kouji," Masumon muttered to herself, staring up at the dark sky filtering through the trees. "What have you done to me?"
She wasn't sure if Kouji would be able to answer that question himself. All she knew was that each time she looked at him, saw the deep-seated spark of courage and determination in his eyes, her world suddenly revolved around him. She couldn't stop this feeling, it just came naturally. And that was why it was so hard to listen to Gotsumon and stay where she was. Because she had to protect Kouji, no matter the cost…
That was when she felt it. A sudden, uncontrollable surge of power. To her surprise, this sensation was vaguely familiar. Slowly, she remembered what had happened that day, the day that everything had changed. For one second, Agunimon had lost all control…they had barely managed to bring him back afterward, and it had affected Lobomon as well…could Takuya really have…?
Masumon's eyes grew progressively wider as she realized what was happening. The Legendary Warriors' fail-safe had been triggered. "Their Ancient power…"
—
Almost… Kumamon thought, finally feeling some weight bearing down from the rock that had crushed him. Well, would have crushed him, had he not been so quick-thinking.
He and the rest of the gang had all climbed to the top of the RMS, but they'd been blown off the structure by a giant gust of wind. Since most of the others could fly, Kumamon figured that they would be alright (Ha!), so he'd begun thinking of a way to soften the blow for himself. Seconds before he hit the ground, it came to him. He could transform his body to snow, ensuring his survival when he hit earth.
Realizing this, his body melted into slush, creating a much softer impact with the ground. He didn't have time to celebrate the success of his plan, though, before something hard fell on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Of course, in the state he was in, the object (a rock, he realized) hadn't killed him, but it was preventing him from regaining his solid form.
At first he couldn't move at all and merely sat as he was, not even able to yell to the others for help. He could only hope that they would, for whatever reason, remove this rock from its perch atop his body and free him.
Finally, after several panic-filled, claustrophobic minutes, his patience paid off as he felt the rock move slightly, unpinning what would have been his arm. Yes! Just a little more…
However, the rock suddenly stopped moving as quickly as it had started, still leaving Kumamon trapped beneath its weight. Darn it, he thought, panic threatening to overtake him again. Would he be stuck under this stupid rock forever? Him and his dumb idea…
Then he realized something. Wait…my arm's not stuck anymore!
Kumamon tried to move his left arm and, sure enough, the rock was no longer pinning it to the ground. Soon he managed to reconfigure its snowy mass into a solid, furry paw. This didn't do him too much good, considering that the rest of his body was still slush, but he was finally making head-way. If he could just work down from his arm, maybe he could get himself solid enough to shove the boulder off with his Digi-strength. (I kid you not, that is the only word I could think of to describe it. They should put me on the scriptwriting staff for the dub of Xros Wars…)
With this plan in place, he got to work, sending the impulses through his limbs that would turn his body from a snowy mass back to its flesh-and-data counterpart. Finally, after almost ten minutes of thorough concentration, Kumamon could feel his arms and legs again, feel his heart beating in his chest, feel everything returning to its normal function inside his body. Just one more push, and…
Suddenly, power surged through Kumamon's exhausted body. In only three seconds time, he completely snapped back to his bear form and shoved the large boulder off of him like it was nothing. For a moment, he was stunned. Then he looked up and noticed the ring of fire (Why does that phrase always remind me of Finding Nemo…?) raging several feet in front of him, reaching toward the dark sky.
"Whoa!" he cried in shock, falling backwards at the sight of the flames. He wondered briefly why, even at this distance, he wasn't at least being singed by this nearly out-of-control bonfire, until he noticed the large chunk of debris sitting in front of him, acting as a kind of shield.
"Tommy?" Kumamon turned, wondering who had suddenly said his name. He found Kouji standing a short distance away from him, looking a bit bruised and beaten. Kumamon didn't dwell too much on this, however, since his friend was giving him a weird, wide-eyed look, as if he were surprised to see him. What he said next explained this look.
"You're alive…"
—
"Well, this has turned into quite an interesting predicament," Ilsemon muttered thoughtfully, joining Renamon and Duskmon closer to the walls of the RMS and away from the blaze of the fire.
"You don't seem surprised," Renamon commented, glancing coolly at her mistress. "Doesn't that boy's sudden power surge worry you?"
"Oh, I'm quite surprised," Ilsemon replied, the ever-present smirk still stuck on her face. "I am not worried, however. I am just curious to see how this shall play out. That boy has tapped into something he can neither comprehend nor control. I wonder what will become of him once the spirit's power takes effect…"
In other words, you believe he'll die before he has the chance to stop you, Renamon thought, glancing at Duskmon to try to gauge his opinion. However, he didn't seem to be paying the least bit of attention to what was happening to the Warrior of Fire.
~No, no, no! He can't do this! Not when I'm so close to getting kitty back! Dusky, you have to stop him! Stop the Warrior of Fire from completing his transformation before it's too late!~
And how…do you propose…I do that? Duskmon asked weakly. All of Nina's yelling was making it hard to concentrate on anything at the moment. He's gone off the deep-end. I don't have the power to…
~You have to!~ Nina shouted, interrupting his thoughts in their tracks. ~If he uses THAT power, he won't just kill himself, he'll drag the others, including kitty, down with him. I lost kitty once, and I won't lose him again! Please, Dusky, you have to finish Goggle-head off!~ (Takuya: Wow, what an original name. Haven't heard THAT one before…)
Finish him…off? Duskmon knew what Nina meant, but he mentally voiced this question in order to confirm it.
~Dusky…you have to kill him.~
Just as he feared. He had to kill that child…Takuya…before something happened. He had no idea what that something was, but it seemed to frighten Nina, so it must be something very powerful, and equally dangerous. But he couldn't kill that boy. Just the thought of raising his sword above the Warrior of Fire's head, the latter helpless and trembling underneath his superior skill…
I can't… Duskmon tried to decline the order Nina had given him, but her panicked shrieks soon drowned out any thoughts he had.
~Look, the Warrior of Earth is being affected too! At this rate, they'll all succumb to it! That stupid fail-safe! Dusky, you have to kill the Warrior of Fire! Kill Goggle-head! KILL TAKUYA!~
—
"Taki!" Kira tried to rush forward, but found herself in Shino's restraining grip before she got any closer to the flames that had consumed her boyfriend. She struggled furiously, knowing that she'd be able to break free if she tried. It was just Shino, after all. She was stronger than him. He couldn't hold her for long.
But Shino was determined to keep her captive. Holding her back with all his strength, he said, "Stop it, Kira. Calm down and think for a second."
"You can sit here and think about any damn thing you want, but I'm getting Taki out of there!" she retorted, dragging her captor forward an inch.
Shino quickly regained his footing and once again rooted Kira to the spot. "That's stupid! How are you planning on getting inside there without being burned to a crisp, huh? I don't think Takuya would appreciate it very much if you recklessly died trying to save him!"
"Well what about him?" Kira cried, eyes trained on the flaming inferno. Even from where she stood, the heat of the flames threatened to burn her. How could Takuya survive inside that thing? She wouldn't be surprised if he were already…
"Taki'll be fine," JP suddenly said, popping up behind the two. Placing a hand on Kira's shoulder, he continued, "He's the Warrior of Fire, remember? He conjured this up somehow, and his own flames don't seem to hurt him. Granted, I don't know what the hell he's doing right now, but whatever it is, it has to be good, because I suddenly feel a whole lot better than I did a few seconds ago."
Shino and Kira realized that JP was probably right not to worry. Takuya was indeed the Warrior of Fire, so how much could a little fiery inferno possibly hurt him? And they did feel a lot more strengthened, ever since their D-Tectors started glowing…
"This isn't a good thing," Kouichi stated, suddenly standing next to JP. Zoe was with him, trying to pretend the pain from her arm wasn't still bothering her.
"Geez, Chief!" JP exclaimed, startled by his friend's sudden appearance. "Think you can warn a guy next time you pull a Xellos?"
Kouichi glanced at JP, expression grave. "I'm serious, guys. What's happening to Takuya right now isn't good. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it could end up killing him."
The others flinched, surprised by Kouichi's assessment. "But the last time this happened, Takuya and Kouji ended up evolving into Susanoomon," JP argued, glancing at his shaking D-Tector. "I thought that might be what was happening now…"
"I think Kouichi's right," Zoe said, adding her input. "This isn't the same as Susanoomon. That power felt more controlled, less berserk. Whatever Takuya's doing now, it's obvious that he's not in control anymore. Don't you remember the look he gave Ilsemon right before that fire spurted up?"
"Uh, no. I was watching my D-Tector freak out," JP replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What'd I miss?"
"I saw him," Kira stated solemnly, staring at the glowing flames. In fact, she could picture it perfectly in her mind; the glare Takuya had given Ilsemon before he'd been engulfed, a glare holding more hate than she'd honestly believed anyone could possess, especially her easy-going little Taki… "To put it lightly, he was pissed off."
"I'd say we're all a little pissed right now," Shino muttered, glancing warily at the flames. "But Kouichi and Zoe are right. We have to stop Takuya before he hurts himself."
"Argh!" This sudden pained shout reminded the others of one very important fact, a fact they'd all forgotten until this moment. The last time they'd checked, Dai had been suffering from an attack…
"Dai!" Sure enough, when they turned around, Dai was standing a short distance away from them, hugging his stomach tightly.
Zoe was instantly at the smaller boy's side, followed quickly by the others. "Dai, we're here now," she said reassuringly, crouching down and placing her good hand gently on her friend's trembling shoulder. "Is there something we can do to help you…?"
"I'm not having a damn attack!" The ferocity of Dai's reply startled the rest of the gang, even causing Zoe to fall back in surprise. Then there was the look in his eyes when he raised his head to glare at them. No, not at them. His gaze wasn't focused on anything specific. He was just furious, and it showed plainly in his expression.
"Uh, Dai, do you have some bi-polar disorder that you forgot to mention to us?" JP asked, chuckling warily. "If you do, I'm sure TK will share his meds with you." (TK: the bi-polar Digidestined. Think about it and realize the truth.)
Dai glanced at his vibrating D-Tector, than around at the rest of his friends. "You mean you can't feel it?"
The others gave each other confused looks, not knowing what Dai could mean by that. "Well, we feel a little less battered than we did before Takuya went ballistic," Shino replied. "Is that what you mean?"
Smirking, Dai closed his eyes. "That's not it. This feeling, this urge to kill…it's what Takuya wants us to feel, too. If we release this anger, then we can help him kill her. And then we can get Hotaru back!"
Despite Dai's explanation making no sense at all (though that was per usual for Dai), his reply gave the others an idea of what was making him so angry. Hotaru had already been captured by Ilsemon, who they all knew planned to torture him once she got the chance. And Dai felt responsible. Hotaru always tried to protect everyone, especially his cousin. But no one had protected him…
"Gah!" Dai cried out in apparent pain as another tremor coursed through him, only this time it didn't just affect him. This tremor seemed to run through the boy's body and into the earth, causing the ground to shake slightly. Zoe was quickly at his side again, muttering comforting phrases until the pain passed and the earthquake ceased.
"Oh great, now we're having earthquakes," JP mumbled, glancing up at the sky. "And look, the clouds are darker and more ominous than usual. I sense a dramatic emo anime rainstorm on the horizon!"
"JP, I know you're trying to lighten the tension and I appreciate it, but could you please shut up now?" Kouichi asked politely, glancing between the column of flames and Dai. "Something's happening to Dai, and it has to be connected to what's happening to Takuya."
JP sighed heavily. "I know, Kouichi. We gotta stop this before we all start turning into elemental versions of the Hulk or something weird like that."
The Hulk…? Kira repeated JP's comment to herself, realizing that the answer to this problem was simple. In fact, it was staring them all right in the face. "Anger! They're angry! That's what's making this happen!"
Before the others could stop her or even ask what she meant, Kira was racing toward the flames, getting as close to them as she possibly could. Then she yelled loudly, "Taki, cut it out already, will ya? The whole 'vengeance' thing really doesn't suit you!"
"Kira, what are you doing?" Zoe cried exasperatedly, getting to her feet. However, she momentarily forgot that her left arm was still broken, and when she tried to push herself up…
"Argh, damn it!" she cursed, wincing as waves of pain throbbed through her arm.
Kouichi rushed to Zoe's side, meaning to lift her to her feet. A pain of his own, however, suddenly flared up in his chest when he bent over to help her. He flinched as it throbbed more powerfully than before. It had been a dull ache until now…
Shino noticed his friend flinch and asked, "Kouichi, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Kouichi replied quickly, not wanting the others to worry. "Just a little sore from when Ilsemon slammed me against that rock, I guess."
"Sore?" Shino pressed, taking a step forward. "Sore where exactly?"
"It's no big deal," Kouichi said, smiling slightly to reassure the others.
"I think you should listen to Shino, Kouichi," Zoe stated, quickly becoming concerned for her boyfriend's well-being. "You were flinching like that before, when you were trying to get up. There might be something wrong with you, and Shino's the closest thing to a doctor we have around here."
Kouichi stared at Zoe, his resolve melting under her gaze. Finally, he caved. "It's my chest, okay? There's been this persistent ache there ever since Ilsemon attacked me. But really, I don't think it's a big deal. It's probably just a bruise or something."
"That's what I was afraid of," Shino muttered half to himself. "Try taking a deep breath and see what happens."
Kouichi had no clue where this was going, but obliged and sucked in a big lungful of air. To his surprise, the action caused him discomfort, and the pain in his chest worsened. "Ow," he said through gritted teeth. "That hurt."
"In that case, I think I know what's going on," Shino said, brows knitted in concern. "When Ilsemon slammed you against that rock, she bruised your ribs, possibly even broke some. My dad had this same thing happen to him a few years ago."
"So is Kouichi going to be okay?" Zoe asked hopefully.
"Well, he probably will be as long as he lets it heal," Shino muttered, glancing at his feet. "The only problem is that we can't take an X-ray, so we don't know the severity of the damage. But like I'd even be able to read an X-ray if we took one…this is so frustrating! I can't do anything to help you guys—ARGH!"
Suddenly, Shino doubled over, hugging his stomach tightly as if to contain his agony. "No, Shino!" Zoe cried, racing over to her friend as he sank to his knees, trembling uncontrollably as the pain ate at him. Zoe stood helplessly over Shino, turning to stare at Kouichi with wide eyes. "What's happening to us?"
Meanwhile, Kira was still trying to reach Takuya. "C'mon Taki, give it up already! I get it, you're pissed at Ilsemon, but that doesn't mean you have to go all SkullGreymon on her! I mean, think about it! Tai was a dick that entire SkullGreymon episode! Is that what you wanna be, Taki? A dick?"
"Kira, get away from there!" JP shouted from a safe distance. "Even if Takuya can hear you, he's not gonna listen! He engulfed himself in flames, for crying out loud!"
"He can hear me!" Kira stated firmly, glaring indignantly at the fire. "This is just a flimsy shield. Taki's still in there, and he can hear everything we're saying. He just can't HEAR it yet, so I'm gonna make him hear me!"
"What are you talking about?" JP cried exasperatedly. "That doesn't make any sense!"
"It makes perfect sense, JP," Kira replied, turning to stare at her friend. "At least, it would make sense to us, the ones who weren't immediately able to control their Beast Spirits. You know what I mean now, don't you?"
Sadly, JP did know what she meant. When he'd first gotten MetalKabuterimon's spirit, he hadn't been prepared for the sudden surge of power that coursed through him. He thought he'd had an idea of what to expect; he'd questioned Kouji and Takuya on the specifics, after all. But it hadn't done him any good. The fog had still managed to encase his mind, clouding his vision until he couldn't tell who was friend or foe. And because of his crazy melee of electric blasts, he'd nearly caused everyone to drown…
"You think that Takuya…" JP began slowly, staring at the raging flames.
"He's angry, JP," Kira said. "I know how he feels. He just wants to get back at that crazy bitch for all that she's done to us. But whatever this power is that Taki's tapping into, he's probably not gonna be able to fully control it, and he's gonna end up regretting ever using it. He's already guilty about the BurningGreymon thing; we don't need to add this to the list. Zee handles emo better than me, after all.
"And besides," she muttered, turning to stare at the ring of fire. "He saved me before. The least I can do is return the favor. Hear that, Taki? I'm gonna snap you out of this, no matter what it takes!"
As if on Kira's cue, the flames suddenly began to shrink, growing smaller and smaller until they could finally see him. Takuya, standing within the flames, eyes wide and slightly cloudy. Luckily, he didn't look hurt. Still, he was glowing with a strange red light…
"Finally!" Kira shouted in exasperation, giving her boyfriend an annoyed look. "Geez, Taki, try to warn a girl before you turn into the Human Torch!" (What's with all these superhero references…?)
Takuya stared at Kira for the next minute or so as the flames around him dimmed and eventually disappeared, until only he remained. Slowly, he tilted his head, confusion shining in his eyes. "Kira…?"
"Duh!" Kira replied, shaking her head in mock annoyance. "Man, you are really out of it, aren't you? At least I still knew who my boyfriend was when I went bat-shit crazy."
"Boy…friend?" Takuya repeated, a look of concentration on his face as he tried to piece together the memories. "Kira…what is going on?"
Kira chuckled, secretly relieved despite her calm exterior. That hadn't been as hard as she'd thought. Didn't Taki usually have a thicker skull than this? Oh well, as long as he was okay, it didn't really matter. He still looked pretty confused, though, so Kira decided to give him a little shake. "Taki, you honestly look more brain dead than Kanon from Umineko—OW!"
"Kira!" JP called his friend's name as she fell backwards, apparently startled by something. He glanced at Takuya, who was still covered in a strange red hue, then down at Kira, who was ripping off her gloves with her teeth, eyes fixed on her bare palms in apparent shock.
"Kira…" Takuya muttered slowly, stepping forward. Reaching down, he tried to turn her arm around in order to find out why she was staring at her hands like that. "Are you al—"
"Argh!" Kira cried out in pain when Takuya's glove met her skin, and the latter instantly withdrew his hand. That was when he saw. For a moment, Kira had lowered her palms enough for Takuya to see the red welts that had formed there. Now there were matching marks on her arm, marks in the shape of a hand…
"I hurt you..." Takuya's eyes widened in horror at this revelation. "I…I hurt Kira…I burned her…"
I tried to warn you, Takuya. I tried…
"Taki?" Kira watched as Takuya took several shaky steps back, clutching his head tightly between his hands. His eyes were wide and blank with terror, and he was visibly shaking from head to toe. "Taki, it's just a few burns. I'll be fine…"
"I'M SORRY!" Suddenly Kira felt something grab her by the collar, leaping away with her in tow just as Takuya burst into flames again. They weren't as huge or intense as they had been a moment before, but if she'd still been sitting in front of Taki when they'd flared up…
Both she and the one who had grabbed her landed several feet away from Takuya with a loud thud. Wait, a loud thud? She certainly didn't weigh enough to produce a thud that powerful. Turning, she found KendoGarurumon standing behind her, gripping the back of her shirt in his teeth. "Pretty boy?"
Silently, KendoGarurumon released Kira from his mouth, muttering a quick, "You're welcome, Yankee," before his attention returned to what was currently happening to Takuya.
Kira turned as well, and what she saw made her wish she hadn't. The flames that had surrounded Takuya were now concentrated around his left arm, engulfing it in a fiery inferno. Takuya didn't even wince at the sight of the flames. His expression remained distant as he raised his D-Tector. Suddenly, Kira realized what was going on. Takuya was going to use that uncontrollable power to Spirit Evolve into who-knew-what. And he was so bogged down with anger and guilt that he didn't even care if he lost himself in the process. "Taki, stop!"
"Takuya!" KendoGarurumon tensed his muscles, preparing to rush forward and ram into his friend if that was what it took to stop him. With his Beast Spirit's speed, he'd be able to make it. Then Takuya wouldn't have to die, and Tommy wouldn't have to…
"ARGH!"
A blood-curdling scream of pain split the air as a red beam of energy struck Takuya from out of nowhere, shocking him like some demented cross between a bolt of lightning and a laser beam. The attack ceased a moment later and Takuya, eyes now wide with shock, fell first to his knees, then flat on his face. Then he was still.
In fact, everything was still, as if time had momentarily frozen. Every human and Digimon in the surrounding area could merely stare at Takuya's motionless body, not knowing what else to do. Actually, there was one exception to this. Renamon was actually staring at Duskmon, stunned by what she'd seen him do.
Duskmon was stunned as well, but for a different reason. He was stunned because he'd just realized he'd fired an attack.
—
…Oh.
Didn't see that coming.
Guess we're just humans after all.
—
madjack89: And there you have it!
Everyone: O.O
madjack89: Crazy stuff, huh? But on the bright side, Tommy's not dead! Yays!
Everyone: O.O
madjack89: Oh boy, I can tell you guys aren't gonna thaw until the next chapter, so I'll just end it here. Happy whatever's left of Valentine's Day, everybody! Hope you liked the chapter, cuz it was quite a doozy to write! Okay, see ya next time!