Frontier 02: Rebirthing – Chapter 42: Give and Take
madjack89: Hey there, my peeps! So, uh…new update!
Everyone: -_-
madjack89: Yeah…how's everyone been doing?
JP: Oh, we're just dandy.
madjack89: I can't tell whether you're being sarcastic or not, so let's just get on with the commentary! Well, it's summer, and you know what that means!
Shino: Um, Frontier 02 turns four years old?
madjack89: Holy crap, it does? *goes to check* Holy crap, it does!
Kouji: Nice of you to update in honor of the occasion.
madjack89: *smacks Kouji*
Kouji: …Ow.
madjack89: Wow, I've been writing this for four whole years…
Kira: Yeah…so, update?
madjack89: Okay, okay, just let me answer some reviews.
*break*
Author's Note: I promise that I will answer each of your reviews personally to make up for the fact that I'm not answering them right now. You see, I'm going on vacation tomorrow, and I had limited internet time as it was to upload this. Sorry to all you reviewers out there for the delay! I really do appreciate the time you take to read and comment on my work! Thank you in advance!
*break*
madjack89: Are you guys ready for the chapter?
Everyone: Yes!
madjack89: Wow, either you guys are really excited or really anxious.
Takuya: No, we've just been really bored waiting for you to update.
madjack89: *glares*
Takuya: Uh…Chief did it! *runs*
Kouichi: -_- Why?
—
No doubt about it; this was the best Takuya had ever felt.
He didn't know where he was, and he didn't feel particularly inclined to open his eyes and find out. His whereabouts weren't of great importance at the moment, because he didn't care what place he'd find himself in if he tried to look around. Wherever he was, he was happy.
There were some details of his surroundings, however, that he did note. First, he was lying on solid earth. (In his elated state, he could very well have been floating.) Grass or some such weeds were tickling his bare arms and neck, but not in an unpleasant way. A soft breeze blew around him, rich with the scents of flowers. From this sensory information, he guessed he was in some grassy field or meadow covered in all sorts of delicate plant life. But not even the promise of this beautiful landscape could break Takuya from his lethargic state.
Can't I rest for once? He had worked so hard, been through so much; this break had been a long time in coming, and he planned to take full advantage of it. Let someone else save the world for a change…
"Taki, get up!"
He was just a kid, after all. Why couldn't adults be handling this, or at least other Digimon? Why did the pressure always hang over him and his friends?
"C'mon, Taki, you have to get up! You can't let them beat you!"
For once, he didn't care whether he'd been beaten or not; it didn't matter anymore. Lucemon would be revived and destroy the Digital World, but he and his friends could still go home. So what the hell were they fighting for?
"TAKUYA KANBARA, GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP!"
"Cut it out, Kira," he mumbled groggily, clamping his hands firmly over his ears. He didn't want to hear this. She was ruining everything. "I'm tryin' to get some sleep…"
"Taki…don't die…please…"
"Die?" This statement did manage to grab Takuya's attention. Rubbing his sleep-filled eyes, he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, mostly to calm Kira's fears. "Kira, I'm not dying. In fact, I'm completely…"
As his blurry vision finally cleared, Takuya got his first good look at his surroundings, and they weren't at all what he'd thought they would be. There was no field of flowers; he was sitting in the middle of a desolate landscape, everything coated in a thick layer of ashes. There was even a thin dusting of ash clinging to his clothing, which he brushed off as best he could. The cool breeze he'd thought he felt was replaced by sweltering heat, and Takuya realized that something besides ash was encircling him; he was trapped within a ring of flames. As he watched the fiery tendrils reaching toward the blood red sky, he began to understand that everything he'd felt or smelled or heard up to that point had been an illusion, one that he'd fallen for hook, line, and sinker. "…screwed."
"Damn right you are." Takuya instantly recognized the voice coming from behind him. It was similar to his own, only deeper in tone. And it was filled with anger.
"Agunimon..." For the first time since meeting his legendary partner, Takuya was scared. It was an odd, out of place feeling, like looking in the mirror and being frightened of your own reflection, but accusations had laced Agunimon's words, creating a tone of voice that Takuya had never heard the Warrior of Fire use. Not when addressing him, anyway.
"Why won't you face me? Are you too cowardly even for that?" Takuya felt as if he couldn't turn at this point, but Agunimon wouldn't allow him the luxury of remaining where he sat. Like a mother cat carrying her kitten, Takuya was lifted by the collar of his shirt from behind. He tensed as the hand gripping him swung his body around, handling him as if he were a rag doll. Then his eyes met the light blue gaze of Agunimon, though Takuya found it hard to believe that this could be his legendary spirit. The warmth that usually radiated from every inch of the Warrior was gone, replaced by an icy stiffness. Takuya shivered from the cold.
Agunimon didn't bat at eyelash at his partner's discomfort. "Oh, are you frightened of my wrath? Do you think that I should pity you after what you did?"
"What do you mean?" Takuya asked, his usually cheerful voice becoming small and meek. "What are you mad about?"
This statement formed a small crack in Agunimon's frozen exterior. Through this crack emanated his true rage. Takuya noticed the sudden change, but could do nothing when he was dropped roughly to the ground, crumpling into a heap. Agunimon proceeded to reach down and lock Takuya's shoulders into a tight grip, wrenching the goggle-head to his feet. Still held in this vice-like grasp, Takuya watched warily as Agunimon crouched in front of him, fire burning in the Warrior's gaze. This rage had to be released, and it soon was.
"I told you to stop. I warned you, and you wouldn't listen to me! Didn't I tell you to calm down? But of course, you ignored me. Of course! You were too caught up in the thick of battle, all too willing to let Ilsemon's actions get to you. Well, you know what, Takuya? We all hate Ilsemon! Hell, I killed that psychopath myself during our first battle against Lucemon! But I'm controlling myself now, because I know that she will take any opportunity to exploit my anger. I tried to make you understand, but you obviously don't have the capacity to control yourself, and now look where it's gotten us! You could have died! In fact, everyone could have died! Do you understand, Takuya? Everyone!"
Takuya had braced himself for Agunimon's rage, but not his words. Those cut him, and they cut deep. Every accusation was a new barb digging into his body, sending raw impulses to his mind where all the words, all the pain, were burned into his psyche. This wasn't like Agunimon. Even at his worst moments, Agunimon had always been there for Takuya with words of encouragement. Not like these stinging comments. No, Agunimon was furious now. At Takuya. He hated him. Agunimon hated him.
Takuya's mouth was bone dry; he couldn't have formed a coherent response to Agunimon's criticism if he tried. Unfortunately, his silence fueled the Warrior's anger. "Oh, have you finally realized your limitations? In case you haven't, let me spell it out for you."
Suddenly, Takuya was on the ground. He didn't know whether Agunimon had thrown him down, or if he'd fallen himself. Either way, his cheek stung. And the Warrior of Fire was standing above him, angry flames spurting from his gauntlets.
"You…"
Agunimon's fist came down hard, harder than it would have if the blow had been anticipated. But it hadn't, and it left Takuya sprawled on the ground. Now both his cheeks were throbbing.
"…are…"
Through jerky, spasmodic movements, Takuya was on his feet. Agunimon stood before him, and a wall of fire behind. There was no fleeing this nightmare. He had to accept his Spirit's words, no matter how painfully true they were.
"…human!"
"I know!" Finally, Takuya found his voice, just as tears escaped his eyes. Agunimon had said it. The one thing he'd never imagined the Warrior would say to him. That nagging doubt that had always plagued his mind. "I know…"
The last thing Takuya wanted was to cry so pathetically in front of his partner, but he couldn't have stopped the flood if he'd tried. Everything the Warrior had said was true. He hadn't listened. He'd stupidly pushed ahead, believing that an abnormally large amount of dumb luck would help him overcome his enemies, like last time. But this was more than just understanding that the Digital World wasn't a game. This was coming to terms with the fact that, even with all the Legendary Warriors together, and with all the power the ten of them possessed, he and the others were only human. Beneath all the armor and bravado, they were just a bunch of fragile human children. They weren't like Digimon. They wouldn't come back as Digi-Eggs. When they died, they died. No second chances. No more miracles. Just…the end.
"Takuya…" Agunimon's eyes began to soften, then glisten, as he witnessed his partner's grief. There were bruises beginning to form beneath the goggle-head's eyes, bruises that Agunimon realized he had caused. Crossing the gap between them, the Warrior wrapped Takuya gently in his arms. "Takuya…I…I didn't mean to…I'm so sorry…"
Takuya said nothing, just leaned against the Warrior and soaked in his warmth. This was the comfort he had always received from Agunimon. But it was tainted now, because he knew the truth. The Warrior of Fire no longer believed in him.
Takuya…?
"Takuya…we never meant for this to happen. You weren't supposed to be able to trigger that failsafe."
Can you hear me, Takuya?
"I shouldn't have done this…I should never have gotten you involved. We were all so selfish…we didn't want to disappear…"
Guys, I think he's waking up! Takuya?
"Can you ever…"
C'mon, Takuya, open your eyes.
…forgive us…
"Yeah, Takuya, that's it. Just a little more."
…for ruining your lives?
Slowly, Takuya managed to pull his eyelids open. He was grateful for the dim lighting in the cavern, making it easier for his vision to adjust. But what really caught his attention was the younger boy staring anxiously down at him, a damp cloth in his hands. The boy soon set the cloth down, waving a hand tentatively in front of his friend's eyes. "Takuya…?"
It took a moment, but Takuya managed to bring the boy's name to his lips. "Tommy."
Tommy's face lit up with a smile. "You're awake…you're really awake this time! Hey, could you two go get Gotsumon and the others for me?"
"Tommy?" Takuya tried to lift his head when his friend's face moved outside his field of vision, but he quickly realized that he couldn't. In fact, he couldn't move his body at all. It was like he was under some type of anesthesia; he could see and hear everything that was going on, but he couldn't feel his limbs.
Hearing the distress in Takuya's voice, Tommy returned to his surrogate brother's side. "I'm here, Takuya. I'm not going anywhere."
"Why…can't I…move?" Takuya had to force the words from his throat, and still they came out as mere whispers.
Tommy's smile drooped. "You…you were hurt. I'm not exactly sure what she did to you, but you were beaten up pretty badly. And then Duskmon…"
"Duskmon…?" It took a moment, but Takuya managed to slowly piece together the details of their failed ambush on Ilsemon. Had it failed, though? Judging from his surroundings, he was back in the Resistance base. Did that mean they'd been able to escape? And why was Tommy the only one here? Tommy…
"Tommy…you're okay." That's right. They hadn't been able to find him in the rubble. Even Ilsemon had assumed he was dead. But he never should have doubted his little buddy. "Where were you when we were getting our butts kicked, buddy?"
Tommy chuckled at that, bringing a smile to Takuya's lips as well. "Let's just say I was stuck between a rock and a hard place."
Takuya had no idea what that meant, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Witchmon and Dragramon stormed in. "Takuya!"
They were at the goggle-head's side in an instant, gazing anxiously down at him. "So he's really awake this time, Tommy?" Witchmon asked, anxiously poking Takuya's arm. To his relief, he felt the slight pressure of her finger on his skin.
"He's not just mumbling about something or other in his sleep?" Dragramon added, eyeing Tommy incredulously.
"Geez, you're treating him like the boy who cried wolf," Takuya said, rolling his eyes at the duo.
Speaking of Digital duos, Takuya soon received two more visitors. "Takuya!" Bokomon's voice filled the cavern, and then the little white Digimon was sitting on top of the goggle-head, one giant eye peering at him through a magnifying glass. Neemon, as always, was close behind his companion, but when the yellow rabbit Digimon hopped onto Takuya's stomach…
The feeling came back to Takuya's torso all at once. Unfortunately, he didn't have the energy to scream, and the only indications of his discomfort were his wide eyes and clenched teeth. The pain soon shot from a central point on his stomach, spreading throughout his limbs in agonizing waves. His vision blurred, and he could feel himself slipping back into the dark…when the pain suddenly began to ebb.
Slowly, Takuya managed to open an eye, revealing two more familiar faces crouched beside him; Gotsumon and Masumon. Gotsumon, with Tommy's assistance, was trying to keep Bokomon from snapping his companion's waistband into next week.
"Look what you've done now, you ignorant buffoon!" Bokomon shouted at the yellow rabbit, who lowered his ears in apparent shame. "Takuya has just awoken, and this is how you choose to welcome him back?"
"Bokomon, it's okay," Masumon said gently, noticing Takuya's half-open eyes. "Hello there, sleepyhead. We missed you."
"Yeah," Takuya mumbled, lifting his arm to clear his blurry vision. When he raised it, however, it began to sting. Then burn. "Ow!" His arm was back on the ground in an instant, wrapped protectively in bandages. The others all scrambled to help him again, but Takuya was preoccupied by one of his many nagging questions. "I'm beaten up pretty bad, huh? I mean, I can't even move my arm. Is it broken?"
Tommy shook his head. "No, you didn't have any broken bones. Mostly some bruising and…well…burns."
"That's why I'm…" Takuya glanced at his bandaged limb. "But how the hell did I get so…I don't even remember how I got here."
"That's not surprising," Gotsumon said, releasing a teary-eyed Bokomon. "You were half dead when Tommy carried you back. Do you remember anything from your fight with Ilsemon?"
"Bits and pieces," Takuya muttered, delving deep into his foggy memories. "We were getting our asses handed to us, that's for sure. Sorry we couldn't beat her, Gotsumon."
"Doesn't matter," Gotsumon replied tersely. "I'm just glad that you're okay. At least two of you are…"
"Shush!" Witchmon suddenly clamped a hand over Gotsumon's mouth, blocking his next statement. In a gentler voice, she added, "I know you're worried about THAT, but let Taki rest for now. He needs it."
Takuya had never seen Witchmon so stern with her crush, nor had he expected Gotsumon to comply so readily with her demands. It made him wonder exactly what "THAT" was. But before he got the chance to ask, Masumon spoke. "Takuya, according to Tommy, you…well, you snapped."
"You mean…" Was this the news they were trying to protect him from? "Did I hurt someone?"
"No, it wasn't like that," Tommy said reassuringly. "You just kinda had a fiery power explosion. I guess that's how you got all burned up, especially your arm."
"You also had a raging fever for a day or so," Dragramon added.
"A day or so? You mean I've been unconscious for a day or so?" Takuya asked, beginning to panic slightly. How long had he been here? Days? Weeks? Months? Ilsemon could have done any number of things in that time.
"Four days, to be exact," Dragramon replied. The number filled Takuya with dread. Four days he'd been lying here, wasting the medical supplies Shino had brought with them…Shino. The rest of his friends. None of them were here except for Tommy, not even Kira.
"Guys." Takuya almost feared to ask the question, but it was too late to turn back. He had to know. "Where are the others?"
Silence. Then Bokomon started to bawl, and Neemon seemed more upset than ever. Gotsumon, Witchmon, Dragramon, none of them would meet his eyes. Not even Tommy could look at him, and instead fixed his gaze on the dirt floor.
Masumon was the one who finally spoke, though it seemed to pain her to do it. "We can't keep this from him forever. Takuya, I'm so sorry, but…your friends have been captured by Ilsemon."
—
"Let's hear it for day four of our imprisonment, gang!" JP announced, a sickly sweet amount of boisterous enthusiasm in his tone. "And guess what we're gonna do today. Nothing!"
"How are you keeping track of the days?" Shino asked with a hint of curiosity. "I pretty much lost all sense of time when we first stepped onto this warped continent."
JP shrugged in response, though that wasn't easy with Kouji and Shino pressed against him on both sides. "I'm just making a not-so-educated guess. Hey Dai, why don't you ask your new friend how long we've been here when he gets back?"
"Sure!" Dai nodded a little too eagerly, probably to make up for his lack of animated behavior over the past few days. Then again, he wasn't the only one who'd been bitten by the brooding bug. Ilsemon had given them all something to think about when she'd finally revealed her involvement in Lucemon's first resurrection. JP had been working quadruple overtime to lighten the depressing mood, and still he could only get Shino and Dai to respond to him on a regular basis.
Today, however, Zoe entered the conversation. "Man, I'm starving," she groaned, rubbing her bottomless pit of a stomach. "Are you sure they cleaned out your entire chocolate supply, JP?"
"Sad to say they did, Zee," JP replied for the fiftieth time. After about two days spent in this cramped cell, it became apparent to the gang that they weren't going to be fed anytime soon. However, since Ilsemon wanted to keep them alive, she did provide them a little bowl of water at regular intervals. At some point their teenage appetites would need to be satisfied. Unfortunately for them, Sagittarimon had really taken ALL of their "obsessions," even JP's chocolate horde.
"I still can't believe they actually got all of it," Shino muttered half to himself. "I mean, you practically materialize chocolate from thin air. I didn't think there was a limit."
"Yeah, let me just conjure up a double cheeseburger while I'm at it," JP said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Please stop talking about food," Zoe whined, laying her head against her knees. "I swear, cannibalism seems to be a decent option right about now."
"If we do that, we're eating Shino first," JP replied, smirking.
Shino frowned. "Why do I have to be the first sacrifice?"
"Tis the will of the tribe, my friend," JP said solemnly. "Though you're a little too scrawny to make a decent meal."
"Ha ha," Shino muttered, glaring at his snickering friend.
"If it's any consolation, I wouldn't eat you," Dai said, smiling cheerfully at Shino.
Shino's expression remained flat. "Thanks, Dai. Glad to see someone's still sane around here," he mumbled, glancing over at Kouji. Both he and Kira had been completely oblivious to the world since Ilsemon's last visit, and though Kouichi would speak on occasion, he was often lost in thought. They couldn't really be blamed for acting so distant. After all, Ilsemon had dropped a pretty big bomb four days ago…
—
Four days earlier…
Silence filled the hall as the gang tried to process what they'd just heard. I've been subtly influencing your lives since the day each of you was born.
Only JP managed a response. "Crazy Digimon say what now?"
Ilsemon smirked. "The 'crazy Digimon' says that she has been watching you all from the start, following your every movement. I've been with you since you were small, and it fills my heart with pride to see what lovely young men and women you've become."
"Oh, bullshit," Kira said, speaking out for the first time since her tangle with the Gorillamon. "You expect us to believe that you, a sadistic, cold-hearted bitch, had a hand in raising us? No offense, Ilsie, but we're not THAT bad."
"I never claimed to have raised you," Ilsemon replied, grinning darkly. She truly relished this moment, this big reveal. Either she was simply tired of keeping it to herself, or the truth would be painful for the gang. The latter seemed more likely. "At first, I simply monitored you as you grew older. But as time progressed, I realized that you could become an actual threat should you be summoned to our world."
"Okay, back up a sec," Zoe said, raising her one good arm to halt the story. "You 'monitored' us? So that means you've been following us around?"
"Since you were quite young," Ilsemon finished, nodding once in confirmation.
"Then why'd you claim you didn't know about my past?" Shino asked, eyes glazing from the memory of Ilsemon's earlier snooping.
"Quite frankly, you're life had become a bore to watch. That, and I hadn't been paying very close attention to any of you between your last trip to the Digital World and when you regained your D-Tectors. I couldn't have known what Mai did, in the end," Ilsemon said, waving off the inquiry. "Just know that, for the most part, I watched you all as you grew and matured. Of course, Hallucimon did the real snooping in earlier years, before I regained my physical form."
"So not only were you following us, you were following us…as a ghost," JP said slowly, trying to process this new information. "And Hallucimon helped you?"
"Precisely," Ilsemon replied. "You see, children, it is difficult enough for the normal, physical data of a Digimon to hold its shape in your world. This strain on our bodies becomes ten times worse when in 'spiritual' form, i.e. when a Digimon's data forms a spirit. I simply could not stay in the human world as much as I would have liked."
"But Digimon have been breaking into our world on a regular basis," Kouji challenged.
"Plus our Spirits were able to stay in our world with us," Dai added.
Ilsemon sighed, exasperated by their lack of understanding. "I never claimed that it was impossible for a Digimon to exist in your world. What I meant by 'difficult' is that, in your data-less reality, it takes a bit of concentration to hold one's data together. This difference is too acute for the average Digimon to notice, but it still tickles at the backs of their minds. As for your Spirits, they are kept safe within your D-Tectors, which I believe act as a sort of barrier for the Warriors when their Spirits are not in use.
"In my spirit form, I strove for a way to restore my brother to his rightful place," Ilsemon continued. "I would travel to the core of this world, where Lucemon sat in exile. Together, we hatched a plan. Using the Digital World's very Fractal Code, Lucemon would regain his strength and break free of his prison. Then he and I would rebuild our world, shaping it to our own liking."
The gang shivered collectively, unnerved by their captor's blatant disregard for the diversity of life. Like her brother, she considered herself a "god-like" being, toying with the lives of others, playing mind games with innocents. Torture was her hobby, and she could simply discard any toy she broke. Spoiled, selfish, and ice cold to the core.
Ilsemon had paused to savor the memory of better times. "Our plan nearly came to fruition. You see, I regained a physical body several years before Ophanimon sent out her distress signal. At that time, Cherubimon had already begun collecting Fractal Code."
"Okay, so when you got a new body, you'd already corrupted Cherubimon," Dai said slowly, trying to get all the details in order.
"In short, yes," Ilsemon replied. "I, however, had nothing to do with recruiting Cherubimon. While I observed all of you, Lucemon spent his time observing Cherubimon. The distance he felt between himself and his fellow Celestials opened an opportune window for our plans. As such, Lucemon fed lies to his mind and darkness to his heart, eventually turning him against his companions. Once this had been done, it was a simple matter to manipulate Cherubimon's lust for revenge into a lust for power, spurring on a desire to collect data which would ultimately serve in my brother's reemergence. The only snag in our plan was that fool's jealousy. He wanted to stage a coup against his comrades, and for that he needed to gather an army. As you could guess, this didn't leave much time for data collection."
"And that's where Cherubimon's Spirits came into play," Kouichi said quietly, startling the others with his sudden statement.
Ilsemon smiled. "Precisely. Cherubimon's thoughts were full of hate and rage, so I had to plant the idea in his head. By reviving the Legendary Spirits in his possession, Cherubimon could send a group of competent, capable Digimon to retrieve Fractal Code. At first, I'd thought the only way to accomplish this would be to kidnap and brainwash you children."
Shino paled significantly at the thought of being kidnapped by Ilsemon, while Dai just blinked in surprise. Folding her arms across her chest, Kira stated, "Bitch, please. There's no way you could've taken me that easily. I was a rough and tumble Yankee back in the day."
"Ha," Kouji muttered, earning a fierce glare from Kira.
Ilsemon wasn't intimidated by Kira's declaration in the least. "Look around you, child. You are in a cage. My cage. I was the victor in this round, and I have no doubt that you would have fallen into my clutches before had I not rejected the idea of kidnapping."
"Why did you decide against it?" Shino asked warily. "And no offense, Kira, but we really would have been sitting ducks if she'd come after us."
"Glad to see that one of you knows his place," Ilsemon muttered with a smirk. "I did not bring you to Cherubimon for two reasons. One, you were still rather small at the time, and I wasn't sure if you could yet handle the process of fusing your data with your corresponding Spirit."
"Tommy managed it," JP retorted.
"Indeed he did," Ilsemon mused. "It seems I was much too cautious in my planning. But there was another reason that I chose not to kidnap you." She paused before continuing, seeming to savor the suspense. "Forcing a Digimon into obedience against its will is a process I am quite familiar with. However, I find that it is always better to have a loyal servant over a forced servant. This line of thinking led me to another option; taking five of Cherubimon's followers and allowing them to merge with the Spirits. I hadn't been sure if this was possible at the time, but four Warriors emerged from the experiment, all but their personalities unscathed."
"And the fifth Digimon turned into one of those dark creatures we saw under the RMS, the first time we were here," Zoe stated, her voice as hard as granite. "You couldn't find a Digimon that could handle Lowemon's corrupted spirit."
"So you set your sights on me," Kouichi added, gaze practically glued to the floor.
Ilsemon nodded. "Yes, that is true."
"What stopped you from grabbing him then and there?" JP asked tightly.
A dark smile rose to Ilsemon's lips. She chuckled, mouthing something along the lines of "They won't like this," to herself. Finally, when her laughter had ceased, she said, "Actually, I was rather preoccupied trying to kill the rest of you."
Ilsemon had been right. The gang didn't like this. "Whoa, hold up. You tried to kill us?" JP repeated, mouth hanging open in shock.
"The hell, bitch?" Kira added, jumping to her feet. This movement knocked Shino into Zoe's lap, resulting in some very awkward scrambling and apologies.
Ilsemon paused as the gang repositioned themselves. "Yes, I did try to kill you, though not very seriously at first. I wanted your deaths to seem as if they were accidental. No need to make things hard on your human police when they'd have no suspects to arrest."
"So that time when my hair got caught in the garbage disposal…?" Zoe began.
"Hallucimon grabbed it and tugged it down the drain," Ilsemon replied.
"And when I almost fell down an elevator shaft in the burnt-out hotel that used to be down my street…?" Kira ventured.
"Apparently, I didn't shove hard enough, and your shriek alerted the other humans who had snuck into the building with you."
"And that time when I was taking a bath and a hair dryer that Mom had supposedly left on the shelf near the tub almost fell into the water when I reached for some shampoo…?" Everyone gave JP shocked stares.
Ilsemon smirked. "My pranks became more sophisticated as time wore on. I thought death by electrocution would be a rather ironic demise for the Warrior of Thunder. But it seems that luck was constantly on your side. I realized that, unless I revealed myself and killed you outright, something I did not wish to do, you children would remain alive."
"Why all the secrecy? It's not like we would've known who or what you were back then," Shino stated, giving their enemy a quizzical look.
The dark Digimon's wings twitched slightly, causing Sagittarimon to pull back in surprise. He hadn't realized how close he'd been leaning toward his mistress, absorbed by the tale she told. "Sagittarimon," Ilsemon said, bringing the centaur to attention. "These children look parched. Bring them a bowl of water, would you?"
"Sure! I mean, uh, yes milady!" Sagittarimon stumbled over both his words and his feet as he rushed down the hall, off to fulfill his lady's request.
Ilsemon watched as the guard hurried out of sight. "Such a foolish creature, but he does as he's told." Turning back to the gang, she continued her explanation. "Why the secrecy, you ask? It's quite simple, actually. Only a select few Digimon knew of my return, and I wished to keep it that way. There are too many uncertain factors in murder, and should a well-informed Digimon have investigated your deaths, I would have been discovered. Still, I did wish to be rid of a particular one of you."
Kouji met Ilsemon's eyes and instantly realized to whom she was referring. "You wanted me dead."
"Correct," Ilsemon replied. "Again, for two reasons. One, you were destined to inherit the Spirits of Light. Not even you have yet realized the power which this entails. I knew that Ophanimon, no doubt, would turn you against Cherubimon should you be summoned, and I hadn't known where the other five Spirits were being kept, so there was no way for me to claim possession over them. The second reason has to do with your brother."
Kouji tensed, glancing at his twin. To his surprise, Kouichi remained calm, never taking his eyes off the ground. "You didn't want me dead."
Ilsemon smiled at his brother in a way that made Kouji's skin crawl. "Exactly. I still needed you in order to put the Spirits of Darkness to use, and for that, it would be necessary to erase your memories." Her smile faded. "My powers, contrary to popular belief, are not airtight. There are always chinks in a person's mind that may be breeched. If I was to bring Kouichi to our world, and if he were to encounter Kouji…well, you witnessed that for yourself."
"He didn't know who I was back then. It wouldn't have mattered," Kouji stated.
"The bond between light and darkness is strong," Ilsemon replied simply. "Those were my reasons for wanting to kill you, anyway, and I nearly succeeded. If that girl hadn't shoved you away from the truck…"
The truth descended on Kouji with hurricane force. "Seiko...?"
"Was an unfortunate casualty," Ilsemon said, for once sounding truly sorry. "My sister regained a body because of Wizardmon's incompetence."
"Wizardmon…" Strangely, Kouji's shock didn't interfere with his mental acuity, and he soon processed the full truth of that day. "You sent him to kill me. The truck…"
"I don't believe that Wizardmon planned to hit you with that truck, though it was certainly an ingenious idea. But that girl had to go and save you that day…"
"Shut up!" Zoe shouted, glaring harshly up at Ilsemon. She hadn't been the only one to notice Kouji's growing look of horror, and Ilsemon had been agitating her friend's pain. Kouji blinked slowly, clearing some of the hurt from his eyes, and cast Zoe a grateful glance.
"So that's why you didn't bother us after that," Dai stated, giving Ilsemon a thoughtful look. "Seiko helped Masumon resurrect herself, and then she kept you from doing bad things to us."
Ilsemon's eyes narrowed at the small boy. "My, how perceptive you are." Her lips were tight with concealed anger as she spoke, "Yes, if you must know, my sister became quite a nuisance after she regained a body. Believe it or not, we are normally able to hold our own against each other. Her defense matches my offense. The perfect balance between my darkness and her light."
She allowed the gang a moment to ponder this before continuing. "But not even Masumon could prevent what happened to Kouichi."
"You…pushed him down those stairs?" Zoe asked uncertainly.
"Haven't you been paying any attention to my tale?" Ilsemon groaned, wiping a hand delicately across her forehead as if she was tired. "I did not want harm to come to Kouichi, because I needed him to wield Duskmon's spirit. The other four Warriors were powerful, yes, but not as powerful as they could be with their human partners. Cherubimon required an ace in the hole, and Kouichi could provide that ace. Basically, what I mean to say is that his own clumsiness caused his accident that day, not my interference."
"You had to ask, didn't you?" Kouichi mumbled into his knees, embarrassed once more by his clumsy streak.
Zoe smiled sheepishly. "Well, I wanted to know for sure."
Ignoring this exchange, Ilsemon held one of her smooth hands up in the dim light, examining it absently. "It turned out that I hadn't needed to kidnap Kouichi after all. You see, children, even before you knew of your destinies, you were subtly connected to each of your Spirits. Perhaps those of you whose Spirits Cherubimon corrupted recall feeling a bit off at times?"
Shino, Kira, and Dai shared a long look. It dawned on each of them that they had experienced the feelings Ilsemon was referring to, and these feelings had all surfaced at least two years before the date on which Ophanimon's message had been sent. None of them had been able to explain the sudden fits of nausea, light-headedness, even depression, that had plagued them on and off, then vanished suddenly without a trace. "Hotaru too?" Shino asked faintly. Dai nodded once.
"I thought so," Ilsemon muttered half to herself. "This same connection caused Kouichi's soul to be transported to the Digital World. I'm sure you all assumed that Cherubimon had somehow plucked his spirit out of the ether, drawn in by his dark thoughts, but I should tell you that this was not the case. Instead, Kouichi's essence was transported to our world by the desperate cries of Lowemon's spirit, trapped within his own folds of darkness. It was Kouichi's own misfortune to have run into me."
"Run into you…?" Zoe repeated, confusion spreading across her face.
"But Kouichi told us that Cherubimon found him," JP said slowly, feeling just as perplexed as Zoe.
"That's what he thought," Kouji muttered, eyes wide with understanding. "This just gives me another reason to hate you, Ilsemon."
"I'm flattered," Ilsemon replied mockingly.
"So Ilsemon was the one who…?" Zoe and JP, along with the rest of the gang, turned their gazes upon Kouichi.
He shuffled a bit uncomfortably under their stares, but Ilsemon obviously intended for him to tell this story. Her sadism never ceased to amaze. "Yeah. She's the one who erased my memories. Then I guess she handed me over to Cherubimon. I don't really remember that part, though…"
Ilsemon chuckled. "I'm not surprised. You remained unconscious until we gave you Duskmon's spirit."
"You forced it on me," Kouichi retorted, growing more and more animated as his fury rose. "You used me for your own selfish purposes, and then you had the nerve to blame it all on Cherubimon!"
"To be fair, Cherubimon had no qualms about using you as his weapon," Ilsemon commented slyly. "Besides, my cover could not afford to be blown. I couldn't have you blabbing about me to your friends."
"You knew from the beginning that we'd get him back," Kouji said, smirking faintly. "You knew I'd save him."
"I didn't know from the beginning," Ilsemon replied, correcting Kouji's assumption. "But when his memories resurfaced after nearly killing you, I couldn't afford to take any chances. I was forced to erase his human memories yet again, this time rearranging them to place the full blame on Cherubimon."
"I wanted you to stop." Kouichi shivered as he recalled what had happened during that near-fatal encounter, but there was a certain sense of pride in his voice as he spoke. "I told you to let me go, that I wouldn't become a murderer. But then the fuzziness came back…"
"Did you honestly expect me to heed your request?" Ilsemon said haughtily. "I would have brainwashed you after Ophanimon's interference as well, had it not been time to dispose of Cherubimon. You children should feel honored that I entrusted you with such a task."
"What are we, your garbage men?" JP mumbled. To Ilsemon, he said, "Alright, we got rid of Cherubimon. Then what?"
"The Royal Knights, obviously," Ilsemon replied. "Though I'm not sure why the writers kept you around when Takuya and Kouji were doing all the work. Really, you should have suffered the same fate as Akari and Zenjirou."
JP, Zoe, and Kouichi looked as if they'd been stung by digital hornets. "You take that back right now, lady!" JP shouted, glaring up at his psychopathic captor.
"No take-backs. It's already out there," Ilsemon retorted, raising her arms nonchalantly.
Even Kira backed away from the blazing anger emanating from her tormented friends. "Honestly, I think you guys got the better end of the deal in that situation," Kouji muttered, attempting to diffuse the others. "Didn't you see how many times me and Takuya got our asses kicked in the last fifteen or so episodes? Do you really crave decent screen time so much that you'd be willing to risk life and limb to get it?"
"How much screen time we talking?" Kouichi asked, sounding as if he'd seriously consider the option.
"Kouichi's lack of screen time aside, I meant what did you do after Taki and Kouji took out Cherubimon?" JP inquired of Ilsemon. "After all you just told us, I'm kinda curious to know where in the Digital World you and your cronies were while the royal goons were doing your dirty work."
Ilsemon closed her eyes slowly, as if not even she wished to recall this particular anecdote. "My sister redoubled her efforts to stop me. We were at a stalemate, she and I. Not that there was any need to get involved. As you've so kindly pointed out, Dynasmon and Crusadermon were 'kicking your asses.'"
"Not to mention the Team Rocket larping," JP mumbled. "Well, Team Rocket from the first few episodes, before constant failure and damaging electrocution destroyed their self confidence, along with their mental capacity to formulate decent schemes."
"Yes, they did their duty," Ilsemon continued, ignoring JP's sass. (JP: Sass?) "They collected Fractal Code, and they restored my brother to power. But you still stood in our way. Lucemon should not have been forced to stoop to a direct confrontation with children. Therefore, I took it upon myself to try and cripple your ranks." Ilsemon smirked wickedly in Kouichi's direction. "Did you ever wonder why Crusadermon seemed to know so much more than you did about yourself in this world?"
Kouichi realized what Ilsemon was getting at just as she spoke the words aloud. "That's right. I am the one who instructed Crusadermon to make you aware of your spiritual existence in this world. Looking back, my plan was going quite swimmingly. You were frightened beyond belief by the conclusions you drew, and your focus while fighting could only suffer for it. Still, I should have killed you all when the opportunity had presented itself…I thought you'd been taken care of when the moons were destroyed…"
"But we weren't," Kouji said.
Ilsemon shot a quick glare his way. "No you weren't, much to my displeasure. And then, foolish children that you are…you challenged my brother as he tried to build his bridge to your world." As she continued to speak, Ilsemon's voice became gruffer, letting some of the enmity she felt leak through her normally cool tone. "I tried to help him. I desperately tried. But my sister, our own sister, held me back. You children could not begin to comprehend how I felt as I watched you destroy my brother, with Masumon whispering that it was for the best. Stupid sister! She allowed our brother to die without lifting a finger! She…but that hardly matters now.
"Soon, Lucemon shall be resurrected." Recovering her level-headed calm, Ilsemon turned to leave. Glancing back at the cell, she left her captives some parting words. "You shall pay me back for the loss I've suffered. Until then, I may as well show you some degree of hospitality. Renamon will be along shortly to tend to your wounds."
Waving a hand dismissively in their direction, Ilsemon stalked briskly down the hall. The gang watched warily as their Digimon captor retreated. Once she was out of sight, JP muttered, "Geez, she's not just a bitch anymore. Now she's the alpha bitch."
"At least she's gone," Zoe said, though she still glanced warily through the bars of the cell as if expecting Ilsemon to saunter back any moment. "I guess we can relax for now."
"Hotaru can't," Dai stated in an uncharacteristically flat voice. His eyes, however, were brimming with tears of frustration. "He's all by himself in this place. All alone, with Ilsemon…"
The others wanted to give Dai some words of hope, but could think of nothing to lift the boy's spirits. Hotaru's situation was bleak, and theirs didn't look any better. Staring at the palms of his hands, JP's mouth drooped into a frown. "How can this be happening?"
"Uh, Ilsemon kicked our asses?" Shino muttered, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
JP's frown deepened. "That's not what I meant! It's just that…how are we only finding out about Ilsemon now? If she's been involved with everything from the very start, then how could we not have known she existed until now? I don't know, it just pisses me off!"
"Okay, maybe we weren't so well informed our first time here," Zoe said gently, trying to pacify JP's anger. "But if anyone else had known what she was up to, I'm sure we would have been told."
"Not true," Kouji stated, his words clipped as he held back his own boiling rage. "Masumon knew about her. She was around. She could have told us, or at least sent someone over to tell us. She didn't. We were kept in the dark."
"And I've known about Ilsemon all along," Kouichi added, clutching his legs closer to his chest. This seemed to agitate the bruises covering his insides, but he barely noticed the pain. "I just couldn't remember..."
Zoe placed her hand on top of Kouichi's, squeezing it comfortingly. "Guys, I don't think it really matters why this or that happened back then. It's in the past. Besides, Ilsemon just told us all that to freak us out. Don't let it work."
Everyone remained silent after Zoe's speech. They knew she was right, and it would be playing right into Ilsemon's hands to let their anger build. Still, the winged Digimon's words had affected them all in different ways. "I'm not mad at her," Kouji mumbled, and from his tone the others could guess to whom he was referring. "It's just…she avoided me. Not that she could remember, anyway…that bastard Wizardmon made sure of that…"
"As if we didn't have enough reason to hate him, too," JP muttered, glancing at Shino for confirmation.
Instead, the Warrior of Wood said, "I don't know what to think about Wizardmon anymore." The others watched as Shino's hand clutched absently at his arm, the arm upon which Wizardmon had left his mark. Shino blinked at his friend's wary glances. "What?"
"Oh, nothin' for now," Kira muttered, glaring at her feet. "At least if you go nuts, I'll have someone to take my aggression out on."
Shino's brow slowly furrowed. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Who cares what it means?" Zoe stated loudly, capturing everyone's attention again. "Can we please stop arguing for two seconds and focus on something important, like how we plan to bust out of this cell?"
"Yeah, how do you suggest we pull that off?" Shino asked sarcastically. "Say, maybe we should blow our way out with my imaginary bazooka!"
"Shino, please," Zoe said softly, practically begging him to stop with her eyes. Gaze locked with hers, Shino was jolted by Zoe's look of utter desperation. She'd given him the same look just two days ago, pleading him to forgive her, to come back with her…
"Okay," he said, slowly exhaling the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "So what do we do now?"
The creak of metal bars scraping against stone provided his answer. Everyone's heads shot up as the door to their prison opened seemingly by itself, allowing them a small window of escape. This brief hope was crushed moments later when Renamon poked her head around the corner, an oddly shaped piece of metal dangling from a strip of cloth clutched in her paw. The gang realized that the metal scrap was some sort of key to their cell, and that Renamon must have been ordered down to see them by her mistress.
Everyone, particularly Kouji and JP, the only two present who had ever been affected by Renamon's strange gifts, pressed their backs against the far wall of the cell, putting as much distance as they could between the fox and themselves. "You're here to heal us," Shino stated, recalling Ilsemon's parting words.
Renamon regarded each of the children individually before she answered. "Yes. That is what I have been sent to do."
JP scoffed. "Funny, I've never actually seen you heal anyone. All you do is take strength."
"She healed me once," Kouji muttered, never shifting his gaze from the fox Digimon. "Granted, she also tried to kill me."
"Should we trust her?" Shino asked, glancing over each of his friends before his gaze fell on Zoe's arm. "We could use her…gifts."
To everyone's surprise, Renamon chuckled softly, a bitter sound deep in her throat. "Gifts?" she repeated, shaking her head slightly. "No, they are not gifts. That word would imply that I was given these powers out of another's generosity. My abilities are a curse, something forced upon me."
Stunned silence followed Renamon's statement. To the gang, she had always seemed to be one of Ilsemon's more soft-spoken lackeys. Now, however, the fox Digimon was regarding the children with a defiant flame in her beady eyes, challenging them to insult her again. Had this change come about due to Duskmon's influence? They'd been together before, but where was the swordsman now?
Letting these questions drop for the time being, Shino shrugged. "Okay, your powers aren't gifts. Anyway, I can't claim to be a very good judge of character, so maybe Dai should give the okay on this one. Should we let Renamon treat us or not?"
"My orders were to treat your injuries, by force if necessary," Renamon stated tonelessly.
"Should we let Renamon treat us or not?" Shino repeated his question to Dai, unperturbed by Renamon's threat.
Dai stared up at the fox for at least a minute, eyebrows scrunched up in concentration. Finally, his expression relaxed and he grinned. "I think we can trust her," he said. When the others didn't respond, Dai rolled his eyes. "C'mon guys! I've got a good feeling about her."
The rest of the gang didn't seem very reassured by Dai's verdict, but they nonetheless allowed Renamon to work without holdup. Since it would be almost impossible to fit another living being into their cramped quarters, an arrangement was made where Renamon would crouch in front of the opening of the cell, and those who needed treatment would come before her one at a time. The others insisted that Zoe go first since the cellars of the RMS were a bit damp and, without his jacket, the cold was beginning to catch up to Shino.
Zoe remained still and silent, her good hand wrapped tightly around Kouichi's, as Renamon ran her paws gently along the length of her mangled arm, studying the break her mistress had made. "The bone has been set," she muttered, a hint of relief in her tone. "Good. I don't enjoy resetting bones."
"Can't you just turn on your powers and instantly fix bones without resetting them?" JP inquired, curious now that Renamon seemed to be helping them.
Renamon shook her head as a faint glow radiated from her paw. "My powers don't work that way. I can speed up healing processes, but I must still follow the conventions of the trade. Her arm would heal crookedly if it hadn't been set in its proper place."
"Good job, doc," JP muttered, giving Shino a thumbs up sign.
He sighed in response. "Kira's the one who set it, in case you don't recall."
"Oh!" Zoe's sudden exclamation brought everyone's attention back to her arm. They all tensed, Kouichi looking as if he'd tackle Renamon should Zoe give the slightest indication that she was hurting. However, Zoe obviously wasn't in any pain. In fact, her muscles began to relax as she allowed the warm sensation centered in Renamon's paw to spread through her limb, working its way into her veins, her cells, and finally her bones. "Oh wow…this feels…wow!"
Kouichi gripped Zoe's hand in both of his as the tension completely left her body, loosening her fingers' hold on him. "Are you alright, Zo?" he asked, a bit worried by the far-off look in Zoe's eyes.
She tilted her head forward in a weak attempt at a nod. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just…I didn't expect this to feel good!"
"Good?" Kouichi glanced at Renamon, watching the fox Digimon as she pored over Zoe's arm, a fierce look of concentration on her face. The light around her paws grew and grew as she continued to send strength into Zoe's body, giving of her own energy in order to toughen the girl's healing processes. Kouichi didn't want to, but he couldn't stop the gratitude swelling in his chest, couldn't help but feel thankful to Renamon for taking away Zoe's pain. Still, she was allied with the enemy, and that didn't just mean Ilsemon. She was loyal to Duskmon as well, and for that reason, Kouichi could never fully trust her.
Another minute or so passed before Renamon lifted her paws from Zoe's arm, officially pronouncing that she was healed. Zoe opened her eyes, released from the euphoric warmth of Renamon's energy, and glanced at her arm. Tentatively, she extended her elbow, testing its restored ability to function. Everything worked fine as she moved her arm this way and that. She'd been healed.
A slow smile spread across Zoe's face as she stared at Renamon. "Thank you."
A hint of shock glinted in the dark depths of her eyes, but Renamon was obviously used to suppressing her thoughts. She nodded once in response to Zoe, then glanced across the rest of the children. "Which of you is next?"
Kouichi was soon pushed to the front of the group to receive his treatment, though he'd tried to put it off, saying that Kira's hands needed to be mended first. She, however, brushed off his concern, claiming that bruised ribs outweighed burned hands on the injury-meter. Having no defense against that logic (mostly because he had no clue what the "injury-meter" was), Kouichi bit his lip and allowed Renamon's paw to brush across his chest, much to his discomfort. Once her powers kicked in, though, his edginess all but disappeared.
It took a bit longer for Renamon to treat Kouichi's injury, and the more energy she poured into him, the dimmer the glow surrounding her paws became. Still, she performed her duty, and Kouichi's pain was put to rest. Kira was the next in line.
But, to everyone's surprise, she flinched away from Renamon's touch. "I don't need you fixing me up, Foxy," she growled, glaring at the fox Digimon. "To be blunt, I don't like you, and don't care that you just helped my friends. I'm gonna let these burns heal on their own, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
"Kira…" Zoe began.
"I don't want to hear it, Zee!" Kira snapped, holding up her swollen red palms. Her eyes glistened as she stared her best friend down, willing her to understand her thoughts. "This is his pain, too. Sagittarimon took my keys; these are the only connection I have to him. Please."
Seeing the desperation in Kira's eyes, Zoe wished she didn't have to speak the following words. "It is his pain, Kira. Didn't you see how hurt he was when he realized he'd burned you? Do him a favor; erase his mistake. If he saw you now, he'd just feel guilty all over again."
Kira was stung by the truth Zoe's words carried. Taki had been absolutely horrified at what he'd done to her, so much so that he'd nearly allowed his out-of-control power surge to take over. His pain-filled voice still echoed in her mind: I'm sorry! "Fine. Do it. Fix me up, Doctor Fox." Kira grudgingly held her hands out in front of her, palms facing upward for Renamon to inspect.
To Zoe's surprise, Renamon gave her a grateful glance before peering over her next task. Maybe Dai's on to something about her, she thought, staring at her newly healed arm. She acts like she doesn't care, but that just seems to be the way things are done around here.
Once Kira's burns had been treated, Renamon fell back on her haunches, letting out a longwinded sigh. "Were those the most serious injuries you sustained, or are there more I should heal?" she asked, addressing the entirety of the group. The rest of the gang shook their heads, particularly JP. Though he'd witnessed the flip side of Renamon's powers in effect, he still had no desire to be touched by her mysterious abilities anytime soon. Because of her energy drain, he'd been helpless to defend his friends, and that was a fact he wouldn't forget.
With nothing more to do, Renamon rose to her feet, taking the key from around her neck as she prepared to lock them back into their cell. The gang glanced at each other, knowing this would be a perfect opportunity for escape. If they could distract Renamon for the briefest of moments…
"Hey guys, I brought water!" Like that, their hopes were dashed as Sagittarimon came charging toward their cell, sloshing precious drops of water out of the bowl he carried in his haste to get it to his captives. He stopped short when he noticed Renamon standing in front of the open cell door. "Hey, what are you doing? Ilsemon said nobody's allowed to see the Legendary Warriors except their guard, which is me!"
Renamon whispered something under her breath that sounded strikingly like "digital dimwit," rolling her eyes at the centaur Digimon. "I was told to come here and heal the children's injuries. Hallucimon lent me his key."
Sagittarimon's agitation increased at the mention of that name. "Ugh, I hate that Hallucimon guy! Thinks he's better than all of us just cuz he's Ilsemon's right hand Digimon. Well, I'll prove that I'm just as great a Digimon as he is, you'll see!"
"I'm sure I will," Renamon muttered sarcastically.
Before she turned to leave, though, something Dai said gave her pause. "Y'know Renamon, you should help people like this more often. You're good at it!"
Renamon glanced back, new emotions flashing within her light blue gaze. The foremost one seemed to be gratitude. She stared at Dai for a long moment, long enough that Sagittarimon crept closer to see what exactly was taking place. When she noticed him eavesdropping, Renamon turned briskly on her heel, placing Hallucimon's key in his waiting claws as she strode down the hallway and out of sight, her tail swishing around the corner as she went.
Sagittarimon glanced at the key in his grip, then at the bowl of water. Then down at the gang. "What's her problem?"
—
Renamon limped slowly through the dank dungeon pass, her gloved paw grazing along the cool stone wall. At first she'd needed the extra crutch just to remain upright, but she'd regained enough energy now to move without help, at least to a relative degree. She'd never have let on in front of those children how much power it took for her to heal them. The strength she needed to accomplish this came directly from her body, leaving her in a weakened state. Unless, of course, she drained another of their energy. But her orders had been to heal the children, not deplete their strength. So she bore the burden of her abilities, climbing slowly up the staircase leading out of these depressing dungeons. Perhaps if Duskmon were with her, she could have leaned against his shoulder for support…
But that was no longer a possibility. As Renamon had repeatedly told herself, Duskmon no longer wanted anything to do with her. Ironic that she should be the one cast aside, but he'd said it himself, before he'd explained his dark past in frightening detail, before he'd transformed into the skeletal bird Digimon that was his Beast Spirit. I'll dare you to find one redeeming quality in me…if you're smart, which I'm sure you are, you won't.
He was correct in his assumption; she hadn't known what to say after he'd finished his story. Duskmon's blood red gaze had held her in place, but couldn't glean from her the desired reaction. Obviously, he'd been hoping she'd run away screaming or show at least some fear in his presence. When Renamon didn't respond in this way, frustration clouded his features. She had stood and watched as her one and only friend turned and ran from her, a picture of loneliness against a desolate black backdrop.
He'll return. Renamon knew this to be true. She wanted to believe that his feelings for her would draw him back to the RMS…no, that was a ridiculous fantasy. She couldn't be sure what Duskmon felt for her anymore, whether their friendship had been ruined by her silence. Maybe he was angry with her, or even fearful that she was angry with him. Either way, his loyalty had never rested with her, not truly. Instead, it rested with Nina.
Nina. The mysterious girl who had such a strong hold over Duskmon. He is alive because of her. Renamon reminded herself of this fact, keeping the bile from rising in her throat. Of course he would be loyal to his benefactress.
But Duskmon's feelings for Nina ran much deeper than this, Renamon could tell. No matter his outlook on a situation, he would do Nina's bidding, simply because she'd asked it of him. Once, after Nina had returned from her failed attempt at "liberating" Kouichi, Renamon had tried to confront this girl who supposedly "embodied Darkness." But something had set off Duskmon's still raw emotional state, and she hadn't wanted to upset him further with an argument. She now regretted her decision to back off.
I know she did something to you. She'd never tell Duskmon this, but she didn't trust Nina as far as she could throw her. It was odd that, despite everything Duskmon had been put through for Nina's sake, he still trusted her explicitly. He certainly didn't have the same patience with Ilsemon. In fact, he hated being used, as far as Renamon could tell. If he despised Ilsemon for enslaving him, then why not Nina? Why couldn't he realize that she was using him as well?
Only one thought came to mind. Brainwashed. It was true that Duskmon had been revived through Nina's power in exchange for his services to her. But perhaps those services ran deeper than he had expected. Maybe Nina had wormed her way into the deep recesses of his mind, so deep that not even he knew she was there. From her comfy perch, Nina could control Duskmon's actions whenever she saw fit, and he could do nothing about it.
"Is that why he ran from me?" Renamon halted, considering this for the first time. Had Nina labeled her a threat? She couldn't imagine why a powerful element like Darkness would consider her threatening…unless her friendship with Duskmon had something to do with it. "He tried to push me away…I'm just thinking in circles."
Renamon sighed, resolving to give this dilemma more thought later. For now, she had other matters to consider, like how she planned to hide a pronounced traitor in her room for who knew how long.
In a way, it had been a stroke of luck that she'd run into Hallucimon when she did. After Duskmon's departure, Renamon had been walking back toward the opening of Ilsemon's fortress when a heap of purple fur caught her eye. She'd stooped down to examine the creature and was shocked to recognize another of Ilsemon's followers; Impmon. He was unconscious and exhausted, that much was for sure, but Renamon hadn't been able to find any physical injuries marring the imp-like Digimon.
Since her attempts to wake him hadn't succeeded, she'd scooped him into her arms and carried him into the RMS with her, resolving to take him back to her room and tend to him there. No one else had passed her in the hall, so no one had seen her with Impmon. It hadn't been until Renamon left her quarters in search of water that she realized how lucky she'd been.
Hallucimon had been waiting for her outside, and Renamon recalled thinking it odd that he hadn't just waltzed into her room like he would in any other situation. Perhaps he had a chivalrous side after all. Whether he did or not, he'd relayed Ilsemon's orders in his trademark cool manner, flicking his black tail back and forth. Immediately after his message, along with his key, had been received, he'd risen on his haunches in order to leave. Before he'd gone, though, he'd added an interesting tidbit of information.
Renamon had become more and more anxious during the slow trek back to her chamber. She practically launched herself through the open stone doorway of her room, only to find that Impmon hadn't been disturbed during her errand; his small chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm as he lay sprawled across Renamon's cot. That was really the only furniture this stone enclosure contained.
Renamon sunk to her knees beside her weary comrade, feeling a bit weary herself. However, she knew that she couldn't yet afford to rest. When Impmon awoke, she had to recount Hallucimon's warning to him.
"By the way, if you happen to come across Wizardmon or Impmon, be sure to report their whereabouts to Lady Ilsemon immediately. They have been pronounced traitors to the cause."
—
Wizardmon stood at Takuya's feet, head bowed so low that the brim of his hat touched the ground. Moments ago, he'd finally been allowed to visit Takuya, who had been in and out of consciousness for the past several days. Now, though, the Warrior of Fire had regained full awareness, and it was time that Wizardmon made his apology. "I'm sorry. That may not sound like much coming from me, but please believe me when I say that I truly regret all the pain I've caused you and your friends. I won't ask for your forgiveness, but I will need your trust if I have any hope of redeeming myself. Let me help you defeat Ilsemon. Please."
Tommy, Witchmon, and Dragramon glanced anxiously between the two, wondering what Takuya's reaction would be to Wizardmon's plea. The goggle-head had never liked Wizardmon, and in his current state of mind, there was no telling what he might do. He hadn't said a word since they'd told him what happened to the others…
Takuya's brows furrowed as he glared at Wizardmon, but there was no heat in his gaze. He was still recovering from his injuries, after all, though everyone knew this wasn't the only cause of his apathetic state. Several moments passed before Takuya finally muttered, "If you can help us rescue the others, then we're square."
Wizardmon's breath caught in his throat. He lifted his head and stared at Takuya, gauging whether the boy was being serious or not. However, Takuya was no longer paying attention to him, and was instead turned toward the other two Digimon in the room. "There Witchmon, I gave him my approval." Wizardmon flinched when Takuya waved a hand in his general direction; he obviously didn't care much that the wizard Digimon had switched sides. "Now let's just focus on getting the others back."
Seeing the discomfort in her brother's eyes, Witchmon glared back at Takuya. "Hey, Wizardmon just apologized for what he did. The least you can do is take it seriously, Taki!"
"Witchy…" Dragramon warned, not wanting a fight to break out.
"It's okay, sis," Wizardmon stated quietly. "He's right to be anxious about his friends. I've seen what Ilsemon can do to even the most willful Digimon. Eventually, everyone cracks."
Wizardmon paused when he noticed the pained expressions on both Takuya's and Tommy's faces. "But I don't think Ilsemon's done anything to them yet. If she were torturing someone, I'd be able to tell. Shino would be flipping out."
"Well, that's not really a surefire method to go by. Ilsemon could have locked all the kids in different rooms and is torturing them separately…" Witchmon put a hand over Dragramon's mouth to halt her ponderings, since it looked like Takuya and Tommy were about to be sick. "Not that I think that's actually happening!"
"Way to put your foot in your mouth," Wizardmon muttered, rolling his eyes. In response, Dragramon smacked his arm with her tail.
"Anyway!" Witchmon stated loudly, getting the conversation back on track. "We've already infiltrated the RMS once and successfully retrieved a prisoner. Granted, Ilsemon kinda wanted us to rescue Masumon since she knew it would mess with Kouji's head. Oh, speaking of which, thanks a lot for cluing me in on the whole Masumon/Seiko thing, guys! And I thought I was an honorary member of the group…"
"It was a pretty big shock for us, too," Tommy said, giving Witchmon a curious glance. "How'd you find out about that?"
"Apparently, Wizzy took a trip to your world and met her, something I was also kept in the dark about until now!" Wizardmon shrunk a bit, not so much due to Witchmon's anger as due to her mention of his past. "What is it with you guys not telling me things? Am I untrustworthy or something?"
"I trust you," Dragramon stated. "And, not that it's important, but no one told me any of this either…jerks."
"Can we please stop talking about this?" Takuya suddenly snapped, halting the others' debate. "No offense, but I really don't care right now what went on between Wizardmon and Seiko. Hell, I don't even care that you found a way into our world back then. I just want to get my friends back, so let's put a plan together and head out."
The others all gave Takuya sympathetic looks, but none were as sympathetic as Tommy's. Only he could understand completely what his friend was going through, because he felt it too. Instead of staying and facing whatever horrors Ilsemon had in store for them, Tommy had grabbed Takuya and run. He'd left his friends for dead, but this didn't seem to begin to scratch the surface of Takuya's guilt. Earlier, when the two had been left alone by the others, Takuya had made an odd apology to his young friend. Tommy could still recall the words.
"I'm sorry, Tommy. I owe this apology to everyone, but…I made a huge mistake out there, one that could have cost everyone their lives. From now on, I'm going to control myself. I promise."
Tommy wouldn't have been concerned about Takuya's ramblings, only he didn't understand how his friend's actions had endangered anyone other than himself. Normally he would ask, but he didn't want to upset Takuya further, so he was content to shut his mouth, at least for now.
"First of all, Taki, Masumon's ordered you on bed rest for at least another week," Witchmon stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
Takuya gave her a defiant glare. "Give me one good night of rest and I'll be ready to go by morning."
Dragramon began shaking her head before Takuya had even finished his sentence. "No way, José. You've still got some major healing to do, and we're not letting you risk your life at this crucial juncture."
"Then why is Tommy going?" Takuya asked. "You'll risk losing him over me?"
"I'm not the one who got hurt, Takuya," Tommy pointed out mildly. He smiled at the older boy and added, "Don't worry about me. I've gotten through worse intact."
Takuya wracked his brains for a decent argument, and when he found none receded into an extremely grumpy state. The others rolled their eyes, knowing the goggle-head's can-do attitude had returned full force. "No need to worry. We've got this covered," Wizardmon said, trying to reassure Takuya. "I may not have been able to save my friends, but I…oh no."
Witchmon cocked an eyebrow at her suddenly motionless brother. "What's up, Wizzy? Need some more potion to keep out Ilsemon's bad mojo?"
"Wait, there's a potion that can keep Ilsemon out of our heads?" Tommy asked curiously. "Why didn't we get any?"
"It can't keep her from getting inside your mind at close range, but it helps with the long-distance connections she has with her cronies," Witchmon replied. "I used it on Kouji before, in case you don't recall."
"Yeah, yeah, F2HF chapter 19," Takuya grumbled, still feeling crabby.
"That's not it," Wizardmon said quietly, eyes growing wider by the minute. "I can't believe this…I forgot about Impmon."
—
Hotaru closed his eyes, trying to picture a happier place than the cell around which he currently paced. A picture slowly began to form in his mind, though it was blurry and muffled from the effort it had taken just to recall it from the deep recesses of his memory. He was young, no more than three or four, and his mother was gently tucking in his covers as she put him to bed. There was a flash of light at the window, followed by a loud boom; a thunderstorm. Hotaru vaguely remembered being frightened of the noise, though even as a child it had taken a lot to scare him. His mother had noticed his fear and, to calm his nerves, sang him one of the German songs her mother had taught her as a child. (Note: Hotaru and Dai are part German. Haven't mentioned that till now. :P)
The words were muffled, and even the melody was hard to catch through the static of his young memories, but the meaning was still clear. For the first time since entering this Digital World, Hotaru ached for his mother. He wanted her to hold him, to tell him everything would be alright, even to call him her "little" boy, then snicker at her own joke. And his father, from whom he'd inherited his cool-headed attitude, not to mention his height. He wanted to see his parents more than anything in that moment, but he knew he couldn't. Not until he'd made the world safe for them again. The ones he really needed to see now were his friends…
Hotaru clenched his hands in frustration. Dai and the others were being tormented by Ilsemon, possibly several feet from his own cell, and he could do nothing about it. He felt useless, and he hated it. That was, after all, why he'd come here in the first place; he didn't want to feel so helpless, not again. Never again.
But it wasn't always as simple as overpowering your enemies. His D-Tector had been taken by the Phantomon that had deposited him in this dark, secluded little cell. There was a small window set in the doorway, but it was too high even for Hotaru to reach. A faint amount of light drifted in from this opening, though a majority of the cell was still cast in shadow. It wasn't as if Hotaru was afraid of the dark, but being surrounded by it constantly, day and night, was beginning to put him on edge. It was no wonder, with all these thoughts plaguing his mind, that he couldn't seem to sit still.
In fact, his pacing increased in speed until he was practically sprinting, as best he could, from one corner of his cramped cell to the other, trying not to think about what Ilsemon could be doing to the others. He had received only a few visits during his four (he assumed) day stay in the dungeon of the RMS. One visit had been from Ilsemon. He'd thought she'd come to torture him, but that hadn't been the case. Instead, she'd informed him what had happened after he'd been captured. Tommy was still MIA, Takuya had been felled by Duskmon, and the rest were now her prisoners. After telling him this, she'd left. This, in Hotaru's opinion, was worse than any mental agony she could have inflicted upon him.
He didn't know what Ilsemon was doing to his friends. He didn't know where Tommy was. He didn't know whether Takuya was alive or dead. He didn't even know if Dai was okay, even though he'd promised to protect him…
Suddenly, the door to Hotaru's cell was thrust open. The Warrior of Steel shielded his eyes with his arm, thinking that the light pouring in from the hallway would be too much for his vision to adjust to right away. There was, however, a tall figure blocking the doorway, and Hotaru's senses instantly went on alert when he identified the creature.
His digital visitor took a step forward, and Hotaru took a step back. His fists were clenched and ready to go, but he didn't raise them yet. Even with his faster than average reflexes and powerful fighting abilities, he wouldn't be able to beat this Digimon, at least not in his human form. Still on high alert, he asked the question most prevalent in his mind. "What do you want?"
The Digimon glared at Hotaru for a long moment, his red gaze smoldering the boy's green. Finally, he broke the stalemate by pointing his arm at Hotaru. Reminded instantly of the weapons this monster possessed, Hotaru dove out of the way just before a sword shot out of the Digimon's forearm, crooked and gleaming in the dim light. Soon, however, its gleam was swallowed by what almost seemed like a living shadow. The purple aura seeped from its owner's arm, traveling along the length of the sword until it had covered it entirely. Hotaru's attacker only turned to him when this process had been completed.
Hotaru, from his ground-level perspective, could only stare as Duskmon raised his blade above his head, prepared to plunge it deep into the human's chest.
—
madjack89: And there you have it! Took a while to write, but there was a LOT of information to cover in this chapter. In fact, this may very well be the longest chapter I've written for this story.
Kira: Ilsemon just keeps getting bitchier and bitchier with each chapter, doesn't she?
madjack89: Trust me, her sadism will get even worse.
Kouji: Why am I not surprised?
JP: So this is how you're tying in Ilsemon with the original story, huh?
madjack89: Yup, pretty much!
Zoe: Hey, I just realized something.
Kouichi: What is it?
Zoe: Well, if Masumon was trying to help us behind the scenes during that first adventure, then maybe some of the dumb luck we had wasn't dumb luck at all. Maybe that was her helping us.
Witchmon: Close, but no cigar.
Dragramon: That was us, actually.
Takuya and JP: Say what?
Dragramon: Witchy and I hooked up with Masumon a little before you guys came on those Trailmon.
Witchmon: She told us to watch out for you guys while she took care of thwarting Ilsemon's plans and stuff.
JP: So you guys were stalking us?
Takuya: Why is everyone stalking us, anyway?
Witchmon: Eh, we weren't watching you all the time.
Dragramon: We get bored very easily.
Witchmon: Well, I do remember the time when Lucemon cracked open one of the moons with Taki's and Kouji's heads and you guys starting shooting off in all directions when it blew up.
Dragramon: We had to fly around and grab all of you before you splattered against an asteroid or something.
Tommy: So we all ended up on the same rock…
Witchmon: …because Dragra and I hauled your unconscious little selves over to it. Bokomon and Neemon were already there, so we figured it was the best choice of rock for ya.
Dragramon: Then Masumon needed our help, we rushed over to her, yadda yadda, happy ending for all. Until now!
Takuya: Wait, what about me and Kouji?
Witchmon: Oh yeah. I guess we forgot to grab you in our haste.
Takuya and Kouji: *glares*
Dragramon: Hey, it all worked out in the end.
madjack89: Okay, time to wrap things up! See you guys in the next chapter, which will most probably come out in a shorter amount of time than this one did. Yay!